The ankle injury that has ruled out Jermain Defoe for up to 10 weeks is a particularly harsh blow to him and AFC Bournemouth because it comes at a time the striker usually relishes.
No active player in the Premier League has scored as many as Defoe's 17 goals over the festive period between Boxing Day and the New Year's Day round of fixtures.
Had he been fit and repeated his three goals for Sunderland at this time last season, Defoe would have gone second in the rankings behind Alan Shearer.
As it is, Wayne Rooney can look at climbing into the top 10 if he scores a couple of goals for Everton in their fixtures against West Bromwich Albion, AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United.
Rooney, who is hoping to return to action after missing Everton's last match through illness, is certainly in the form to add to his tally.
He has scored six goals in his last five league appearances.
Most goals 26 Dec-4 Jan
| Player | Goals | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Shearer | 23 | Thierry Henry | 13 |
| Robbie Fowler | 18 | Robbie Keane | 13 |
| Dimitar Berbatov | 17 | Duncan Ferguson | 12 |
| Jermain Defoe | 17 | Robin van Persie | 11 |
| Andrew Cole | 15 | Didier Drogba | 10 |
| Frank Lampard | 15 | Kevin Campbell | 10 |
| Steven Gerrard | 15 | Wayne Rooney | 10 |
| Ryan Giggs | 13 |
