Fantasy Premier League managers hoping for positive – or even just clear-cut – news regarding the fitness of Benjamin Mendy were once again left unfulfilled by Pep Guardiola’s press conference on Friday, with the Manchester City head coach saying only that Mendy’s recovery was “going well”.
The inference from Guardiola’s comments suggest the City left-back will not be available for the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion, with his manager having this to say about him:
He was injured six, seven months last season. Now he’s injured again. Every day he’s having treatment.
I expect him back when he’s fit. Now he’s injured, he’s not a problem with physical condition, he’s quick. He’s injured and when he’s ok he’s coming back and when he decides to play he’s going to play.
Guardiola also revealed that he’d had words with Mendy regarding a late arrival for treatment last Sunday – the night after the French international had attended a boxing match:
He arrived late, that happens sometimes, in the last period a lot have arrived late because of the traffic. Manchester is under construction, the players arrive late. They have to drop their kids at school.
They should be here and he knows it. I spoke with him.
Kevin De Bruyne‘s rehabilitation is going well, meanwhile, with Guardiola claiming that the Belgian international could start training again next week.
Saturday evening sees a meeting between two of the three unbeaten sides in the Premier League this season, though both Liverpool and Chelsea are sweating on the availability of key centre-halves.
Jurgen Klopp revealed on Friday that Virgil van Dijk hasn’t trained since being withdrawn with a rib injury in the win over Southampton and the Dutch stopper will be assessed ahead of the trip to west London.
There was better news for Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger, however, who – along with Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek – returned to first-team training on Thursday and will be monitored over the coming 24 hours.
Klopp, meanwhile, confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Georginio Wijnaldum are ready to feature after recovering from illness and injury respectively.
Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero are the only players unavailable to Jose Mourinho, with talk in the United manager’s press conference being dominated by Paul Pogba.
Speaking of the French midfielder, Mourinho said:
The relation of player-manager is good, it is not anymore a relation of captain-manager but the relation is good. Nobody trained better than Paul [on] Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, some trained as well but nobody trained better, and tomorrow he plays, so end of the story.
Confusion reigned in Mauricio Pochettino’s press conference, meanwhile, with the Spurs manager suggesting Hugo Lloris is in contention to return against Huddersfield Town not long after the club had ruled him out of the trip to West Yorkshire.
Pochettino later blamed a “miscommunication” on the mix-up and said Lloris will be assessed ahead of kick-off, with Paulo Gazzaniga on standby to deputise given that Michel Vorm remains out.
One Spurs player who will definitely be absent is Christian Eriksen, who will miss out with a minor abdominal problem. The Danish playmaker will hopefully be ready for a return against Barcelona in midweek.
There was more positive news for Fantasy owners of Marko Arnautovic, who Manuel Pellegrini said was “100% fit” in his press conference on Friday.
Sokratis has returned to fitness for Arsenal, meanwhile, whose Gameweek 7 opponents Watford will be forced into making a change to their line-up for the first time in the league this season. Daryl Janmaat is set to miss the next six weeks of action after injuring his knee, though Christian Kabasele at least has had the red card that he picked up in the Carabao Cup tie against Spurs rescinded and is available for selection.
Yerry Mina, Seamus Coleman and Andre Gomes remain out for Everton, while Marco Silva answered more questions on the prospect of fielding Richarlison as a striker on Saturday.
Silva said on the matter:
We have three strikers in our squad, and from the first moment I told you we have Richarlison as well. It’s something he’s already done with me.
It’s possible, everything is possible depending on my decision as well.
What I know is that he’s performing really well where he’s playing now, and he can perform well as a striker.
The Toffees are up against Fulham this weekend, with the Cottagers set to make a late decision on the fitness of Tom Cairney.
Wolves are injury-free for their match with Southampton, whose only concern surrounds Shane Long – the Irish striker is said to be a “big doubt” with a toe problem.
Newcastle United will be without Salomon Rondon (quad), while their opponents Leicester City are set to be without Demarai Gray (ankle) for at least the next three weeks.
Neil Warnock ruled Lee Peltier out for two to three months with a shoulder injury, while Aron Gunnarsson appears unlikely to feature against Burnley despite returning to training.
The Clarets will be without Robbie Brady again, though Steven Defour is back in the first-team squad after a lengthy injury lay-off.
Wilfried Zaha (back) is free of injury according to his manager Roy Hodgson, who will again be without Christian Benteke for Crystal Palace’s Monday night encounter with Bournemouth.
Eddie Howe, meanwhile, has problems at left-back with Diego Rico and Charlie Daniels rated as doubts.
Ramadan Sobhi and Danny Williams are David Wagner’s only injury-enforced absentees for Huddersfield, meanwhile.
Finally, Brighton will be without Pascal Gross and Dale Stephens for the daunting trip to the Etihad on Saturday.
Check out our Team News tab for a club-by-club round-up of the injury news, press conference soundbites and predicted line-ups.
Our “Conference Call” summary of the pre-match pressers can be viewed here or in the embedded video below:
