FPL Gameweek 15 injury and team news: Updates on Ings, Chilwell, Lamptey and more

We’ve heard from every Premier League manager ahead of the Gameweek 15 deadline, be it in stand-alone press conferences or in media gatherings held immediately after EFL Cup ties.

Our regular team news summary below has all the headline injury updates and stand-out manager quotes from the pre-match pressers so far.

A YouTube and podcast injury recap is available towards the bottom of this piece, while our Team News tab – which will be updated ahead of Saturday – will provide even more detail on what we offer here.

ARSENAL V CHELSEA

Frank Lampard could be without both of his first-choice full-backs for the Boxing Day trip to Arsenal with Ben Chilwell (ankle) and Reece James (knee) both doubtful for the next two matches.

Speaking on Wednesday, Lampard said:

They are both doubtful. I can’t give you an answer at the moment. I’m not sure if they will be fit for either game. 

Hakim Ziyech (hamstring) won’t be fit, meanwhile, with his manager adding:

He had an injury at the start of the season and he’s just got another muscle injury. You have to wait for it to recover. It’s not a long-term concern, we hope to have him back within the next week or so, and hopefully offering what he was before.

Arsenal report that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (calf) is taking part in “drills” outside and will be assessed ahead of Saturday.

Gabriel Martinelli (shin) is “recovering well” and aiming to take part in full training but Thomas Partey (thigh) remains out.

Granit Xhaka is back from suspension.

LIVERPOOL V WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Diogo Jota (knee), Kostas Tsimikas (knee), Joe Gomez (knee) and Virgil van Dijk (knee) all remain out but James Milner (muscle) and Xherdan Shaqiri (muscle) could return this weekend and Thiago Alcantara (knee) is not too far away.

Jurgen Klopp said:

Thiago made his first steps back towards team training, is not involved in full sessions. We cannot and will not rush it. He will not be involved, he has to be first in full training sessions. But he’s not too far away I hope.

The other guys are closer, Shaq trained really good and Millie – yesterday, full session, today, a little bit adapted. We have still two more training days until we have to make a decision. Looks good, but I don’t know.

Kyle Bartley (calf), Conor Townsend (knee), Jake Livermore (suspended), Hal Robson-Kanu (wrist) and Sam Field (match fitness) remain out for the Baggies but Matheus Pereira is back from a three-match ban.

LEICESTER CITY V MANCHESTER UNITED

There was no update given on Scott McTominay (groin) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (knock) in the aftermath of Thursday’s EFL Cup win over Everton, with both players picking up injuries in Gameweek 14 and subsequently missing the midweek action.

Jamie Vardy (groin) will be fit to feature for Leicester, with Brendan Rodgers saying:

He will be fine for the game. It’s just a little bit of soreness in that (groin) area, which he’s had a few times, but he’ll be okay.

Rodgers added that Caglar Soyuncu (adductor) would be “close” to featuring.

MANCHESTER CITY V NEWCASTLE UNITED

We’ve yet to hear much from the Manchester City camp ahead of the visit of Newcastle United, with embargoed quotes expected from Pep Guardiola at some point in the coming days.

Gabriel Jesus returned from a “dental problem” in the midweek win over Arsenal, a match that Sergio Aguero also featured in as he continues his slow road back fitness.

As for the Magpies, Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin were this week confirmed as being two of Newcastle’s many COVID-related absentees.

Steve Bruce said:

I really can’t put a timeframe on it, although probably Jamaal before Allan. We hope that we can see improvement in the both of them and can join the squad in the next week, two weeks maybe.

Federico Fernandez will be assessed for fatigue, while there was an ominous line from Bruce on Callum Wilson:

Four games in 10-12 days, to ask them to keep going and going… is going to be very difficult. There’ll come a point where we have to give him a break, but that’s normal.

FULHAM V SOUTHAMPTON

Ralph Hasenhüttl revealed in his Wednesday press conference that a number of assets had not trained ahead of a Boxing Day trip to Fulham.

Danny Ings (hamstring), Nathan Redmond (muscle) and Jannik Vestergaard (knee) are among the doubts, with the Southampton boss saying:

After the very intense last week with three games in six days, you can see that some guys are struggling a little bit.

It’s early in the week, but I can only tell you who didn’t train so far; that is Ingsy, Jannik Vestergaard, Redmond. Ori [Romeu] is suspended, so we have a few issues.

Stuey [Armstrong] had a problem with his hand, with somebody stepping on it. I think it’s not a problem, but we have a few issues, so we must have a look in the next two or three days.

Kenny Tete is expected to miss out because his wife has just given birth, while Terence Kongolo has had a “minor setback” in his recovery from a foot problem.

Loanee Mario Lemina is ineligible to face his parent club.

SHEFFIELD UNITED V EVERTON

Richarlison (head) will be assessed ahead of a Boxing Day trip to Sheffield United. The winger suffered a nasty collision against Manchester United on Thursday and could face time off due to concussion protocols, although Carlo Ancelotti said after full-time:

Richarlison is fine now, he has no problem. We are going to check him in the next few days and we will see what’s going on but fortunately, he was OK after the game.

James Rodríguez (calf) was not ready to feature in the EFL Cup and remains a doubt for the weekend.

Chris Wilder says that Oli McBurnie (shoulder) remains “touch and go” for the festive period and that the Blades have “planned on him not being available”.

Lys Mousset (ankle) will only be involved as an impact sub at best while Sander Berge (tendon) is out for three to four months.

LEEDS UNITED V BURNLEY

Sean Dyche delivered positive updates on Robbie Brady (hamstring) and Dwight McNeil (groin) in his Wednesday press conference, reporting he was “hopeful” the former would be involved against Leeds and the latter “possibly”, too.

There were a number of first-team players involved in a training ground match against Blackpool on Wednesday in an attempt to top up match fitness. That clutch included Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Jack Cork, although the pair aren’t expected to feature in Sunday’s match.

Liam Cooper (abdomen) will join Robin Koch (knee) and Adam Forshaw (hip) in missing the clash with Burnley but Diego Llorente was passed fit by Marcelo Bielsa on Thursday,

WEST HAM UNITED V BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION

Tariq Lamptey (hamstring) is set to miss out yet again for Brighton although Graham Potter expects the player to return “pretty soon” after Sunday’s trip to West Ham. 

Michail Antonio (hamstring) may also still be sidelined for the Hammers, with David Moyes offering a cagey update:

Michy’s back on the grass training. We’ll hopefully get him back as quick as we can. We can’t say exactly when that will be. He’s coming on well so hopefully, that won’t be too long.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Giovani Lo Celso (muscle) will miss the rest of the Christmas programme but Erik Lamela is back available after featuring as a substitute in midweek.

Asked if Harry Kane could manager another run-out after lasting 90 minutes on Wednesday, Jose Mourinho said:

Today is Wednesday, the next match is Sunday, I believe a player like him that works well and takes good care of himself with a great professional life, I believe in three days he will be ready to play against Wolves.

In his Wednesday press conference, Nuno Espirito Santo said that Wolves are “not in a good moment” in relation to their latest fitness news.

That included lasting problems from the Chelsea game as well as confirmation that, against Burnley, “there were players on the bench who weren’t able to play”. Santo did not name-check any specific players but it is possible he was referring to Willy Boly, who was an unused substitute at Turf Moor following a stoppage-time injury against Chelsea.

Leander Dendoncker (knock) also remains a doubt.

ASTON VILLA V CRYSTAL PALACE

Gary Cahill (hamstring) is the latest addition to the Crystal Palace injury list, which includes long-term absentees Martin Kelly (calf), Nathan Ferguson (thigh), Connor Wickham (muscle) and Wayne Hennessey (muscle).

Mamadou Sakho (calf) wasn’t mentioned by name in Roy Hodgson’s pre-match presser and, given that his injury was described as merely “minor” last week, it could be that he is ready to return.

Christian Benteke is also available after a one-match ban.

Ross Barkley (hamstring) and Ezri Konsa (illness) were expected back in training ahead of the weekend’s game, although Trezeguet (hamstring) remains sidelined.

More detailed information and predicted line-ups can be found in the Team News tab, which is being updated over the coming two days.

Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, too, for any late-breaking updates.

A video round-up with Andy and Neale can be found below, with the podcast available via this link.