Matt Phillips misses West Brom’s match with Bournemouth due to a hamstring problem. Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld both limp off during Spurs’ hammering of Stoke City, while Slaven Bilic issues an optimistic update on the fitness of Andy Carroll.
Here’s the latest on the new batch of injuries brought on by the weekend action..
Craig Dawson, Matt Phillips
Dawson was forced off during the 2-1 victory over Bournemouth following a clash of heads with Cherries defender Tyrone Mings.
But with Tony Pulis revealing the defender had only suffered a “little bump on the side of his head,” there’s a chance he may be able to retain his starting role against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
In the event that Dawson is ruled out for the Palace clash, Allan Nyom would likely take his place at right-back, with Chris Brunt possibly moving to left-back.
That scenario could possibly open the door for Phillips to return, providing he’s recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of Gameweek 26.
Pulis revealed the winger picked up the problem during training, and didn’t want to risk him in case he further aggravated the problem:
“He’ll have another scan on Wednesday I think, to see how it is, it was too much of a risk today and we don’t want to lose him further down the line… I was really disappointed he was injured.”
The news of Phillips’ absence was a major blow for his 18.2% ownership in FPL, with many squads stretched to the limit as four teams sat out Gameweek 26 due to the EFL Cup final.
Phillips already leads the transfers out this week, with over 57,000 FPL managers cutting ties.
But with the Baggies one of only eight teams guaranteed to play in Gameweek 28, when they travel to Everton, it’s worth waiting for Pulis’ pre-match conference for further news on Phillips’ condition.
Should he be ruled out for the trip to Goodison Park, Brunt could retain his place on the right side of midfield if Dawson is passed fit, with James McClean the obvious player to come into the side if Dawson fails to make it.
Harry Maguire, Lazar Markovic, Dieumerci Mbokani
In the aftermath of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley, Hull City head coach Marco Silva revealed that Maguire managed to play the full 90 minutes against the Clarets despite suffering a knee injury during the first half.
Silva praised the defender’s determination after the match, and was hopeful that the defender had not suffered any major damage:
“I hope he will be okay. What he showed against Burnley was fantastic. I hope it is nothing serious, he needs to rest a little bit… He played maybe the second half 50 per cent of his capacity because of his injury in the knee. I never want to put my players at risk but this is the character we need to get out of the relegation zone.”
Maguire’s impressive goal threat, combined with Hull’s favourable schedule, has seen the defender come onto the radar of Fantasy managers in recent weeks, although he still only boasts an ownership of 0.5% in FPL.
With the guaranteed Gameweek 28 fixture at home to Swansea City, Maguire owners will be hoping Silva can provide good news on his fitness later this week ahead of Saturday’s trip to the King Power Stadium.
The latest report from the club today stated that the injury had “settled down well”.
Markovic was another Hull player who was beginning to attract the attention of Fantasy managers following a lively display in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
But Silva revealed the midfielder missed the Burnley clash after suffering a minor injury in training:
“A small injury made him not available but I hope he is available for the next match.”
There looks a good chance the Serbian will be available to face Leicester City then, with an update on the winger’s fitness expected in Silva’s pre-match press conference. Should he remain on the sidelines, Markovic’s fellow winger Kamil Grosicki could be worth considering – the Polish international fired five efforts on goal in the weekend stalemate with Sean Dyche’s side.
Meanwhile the club have reported that Evandro has made progress with his calf injury that saw him ruled out of Saturday’s stalemate, while striker Dieumerci Mbokani has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained against the Clarets.
Mbokani was replaced on 67 minutes, although no injury was reported at the time. Fortunately for Silva, he has Abel Hernandez fit again and available to earn a recall, while Oumar Niasse also remains an option. It was Niasse who saw action from the bench against Burnley, with Hernandez returning to the squad as an unused substitute.
Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen
Both Alderweireld and Vertonghen were withdrawn as precautions during Sunday’s 4-0 win over Stoke City.
Alderweireld suffered a groin injury, while Vertonghen indicated to the bench he wanted to be substituted after appearing to have picked up a knock.
But speaking after the match, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was hopeful the pair will be fit to face Everton on Sunday:
“We hope they are not big issues. Both asked to leave the pitch for caution rather than problems. We hope in a few days they can start again to work with the group and we play next Sunday and I hope we have enough time to recover them.”
The worry is that both players have had their injury problems this season. Vertonghen (3.7% ownership) only returned against the Potters following a spell on the sidelines with an ankle complaint, while the 9.1%-owned Alderweireld has already missed eight matches this season.
From a Fantasy perspective, with Danny Rose also sidelined, the duo’s possible absence may well force Pochettino to move from 3-4-2-1 back to 4-2-3-1 against the Toffees due to a lack of numbers in defence.
With a Gameweek 28 blank on the horizon, bad news regarding both players’ availability for this weekend will surely spark further sales.
Andy Carroll
Speaking after the 1-1 draw against Watford, West Ham boss Slaven Bilic expects Carroll to return to training by Wednesday ahead of Monday night’s home encounter with Chelsea:
“The guys from the medical department have told me he’s going to start training Tuesday or Wednesday. He ran on Friday and Saturday morning with no negative reaction, so hopefully. Me and my medical department are fighting. They say Wednesday, I say Tuesday. Then hopefully four or five days of training, that is always enough for Andy to shine in the next game. So hopefully he is going to be able to play against Chelsea.”
The news sounds positive regarding the 3%-owned Carroll, then, after the target man missed the Hammers’ last two matches due to a nagging groin injury.
Certainly, a potential return would boost Bilic’s options in attack at a time when Michail Antonio sits out a one-match suspension against the Blues.
The former Forest man is second only to Phillips for transfers out amongst midfielders since the weekend, with over 46,000 parting company despite the fact that West Ham are one of only eight sides set to play in Gameweek 28.
Antonio will be available for his side’s trip to Bournemouth that weekend, with Bilic’s men set for a kind upcoming schedule that also pits them against Leicester, Hull, Swansea and Sunderland in the six Gameweeks following their showdown with Antonio Conte’s men.
Jordan Henderson
The midfielder missed Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Leicester City due to a foot injury sustained during training in the build-up to last night’s match.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Jurgen Klopp revealed Henderson is also a major doubt for Saturday’s home clash against Arsenal:
“It looks like he will not be ready for Arsenal. That’s how it looks but I’m not sure, we will see.”
It’s fair to say that the England international hasn’t been a factor in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this season, managing just one goal and four assists.
At this stage it appears unlikely he will be available to face the Gunners, then, so Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana look set to form the three-man midfield once again.
Can supplied the assist for his side’s consolation at the King Power, though it was the return to form of Philippe Coutinho that caught the eye. Aside from firing the Reds’ consolation – his first goal since Gameweek 11 – the Brazilian finally looked to have rediscovered his sparkle, producing more goal attempts (six) and shots on target (four) than any midfielder in the round of fixtures.
Jordon Ibe
The Bournemouth midfielder missed Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion due to a knee injury.
The full extent of the problem has yet to be revealed, with Cherries boss Eddie Howe expected to give an update on the winger’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford.
Marc Pugh took Ibe’s place against the Baggies, with Lys Mousset, Junior Stanislas and Max Gradel among the other options available in the wide areas for Howe.
In terms of Bournemouth midfield coverage ahead of Gameweek 28, though, Josh King continues to look the most appealing option – fielded up front once again, a converted spot-kick against West Brom on Saturday was the 5.4-priced Norwegian’s fourth goal in the last five Gameweeks.
Costing just 4.8, though, Ryan Fraser – who earned the assist for King’s opener – has started each of the last eight, supplying two goals and four assists over that period.
Xherdan Shaqiri
A niggling calf injury saw the Swiss international sit out a fourth consecutive match for the Potters.
Shaqiri had returned to training last week in the build-up to the Tottenham Hotspur clash, but ultimately wasn’t able to return to action.
The Stoke City winger was expected to be fit for Gameweek 26, so providing he hasn’t suffered a setback, he may have a chance of returning against Middlesbrough this weekend.
Given that Mark Hughes’ side could have a double Gameweek 27 to follow – should Man City beat Huddersfield in the FA Cup tomorrow night – Shaqiri’s possible return to action may pique one or two managers’ interests. Yet with a goal or assist in only two of his 14 appearances, few will be prepared to punt on the Swiss international.
Mauro Zarate, Daryl Janmaat
Zarate is expected to miss the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligaments during last weekend’s 1-1 draw against West Ham United.
The Argentinian forward, who joined the Hornets from Fiorentina last month, had made a bright start to his career at Vicarage Road, having been named in the first XI in each of the last three Gameweeks.
His absence could open the door for either Isaac Success or Stefano Okaka to establish themselves in the starting XI, with Abdoulaye Doucoure a more defensive option if Walter Mazzarri looks to move away from the 4-3-3 formation he’s favoured of late.
After picking up a hip injury during the first half against West Ham, Janmaat was replaced six minutes into the second half by Mazzarri.
Speaking after the match, the Watford head coach revealed the Dutch international will be assessed during the early part of this week:
“I knew that between the first and second half Daryl Janmaat was having some problems with his abductor. We didn’t know if he was well enough to continue. But he decided to stay on for the second half and again tomorrow we will check and we are training so we will see tomorrow.”
Janmaat may have a chance of being able to play against Southampton on Saturday then, although if he is ruled out, Craig Cathcart or perhaps Juan Zuniga look set to deputise at right-back.
Billy Jones, Vito Mannone, Jason Denayer
Jones was forced off with a head injury during the final stages of Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Everton.
There has yet to be any official confirmation regarding the severity of the injury, but should Jones be ruled out for Sunday’s home clash against Manchester City, Javier Manquillo is likely to deputise on the right side of the Sunderland defence.
Mannone missed the defeat at Goodison Park due to illness, although he was in danger of losing his place in the starting XI to the fit-again Jordan Pickford in any case.
While Black Cats boss David Moyes wouldn’t reveal whether Pickford would have started the match even if Mannone was available, his praise of the young goalkeeper suggests he will keep his place in the side moving forward:
“I think that Jordan’s performances in the first half of the season justified him being selected. His performances are why he got selected for England. “It is not easy with young goalkeepers, I put him in and his performances have been excellent. “He saved us points at the start of the season. He is back fit, I have a lot of faith in him, he has good competition from Vito Mannone too.”
Should Pickford remain the first-choice goalkeeper for Sunderland, he surely looks destined to come back onto the radars of Fantasy managers priced at just 4.1 in FPL.
Pickford still resides in 9.1% of squads, and faces favourable home fixtures against Burnley, Bournemouth and Swansea City during the remaining months of the season, and will also have a double Gameweek, with the trip to Middlesbrough needing to be rescheduled.
Denayer also sat out the Everton match due to illness, but won’t be available to face City on Sunday in any case as he is on loan at the Stadium of Light from the Citizens.
Moyes opted for a four-man defence against the Toffees in Denayer’s absence, and with Joleon Lescott likely to be the only other recognised centre-back available to face City, he may have to stick with the same system.
