Fantasy Premier League managers considering Everton players for Double Gameweek 26 received some helpful news from the latest round of press conferences.
After appearing as a second-half substitute against Liverpool, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.7m) looks much more likely to start on Monday night.
Carlo Ancelotti said in his Thursday press conference that he and Allan (£5.2m) were “okay” following their recent lay-offs.
“Allan and Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] are OK, they are training regularly. I think that they are available to play for sure from the beginning.” – Carlo Ancelotti
Fantasy managers should keep an eye out for Joshua King (£5.4m) though, who is reportedly edging closer to his first Premier League start for the Toffees.
“He’s not far [from a start]. The important thing for him is to stay fit, his condition is good. He’s working and adapting really well, he will find a place in the first XI in some games.” – Carlo Ancelotti
And anyone backing their Everton assets for Double Gameweek 26 will be mildly encouraged by the latest injury news coming out of the Southampton camp, Oriol Romeu (£4.5m) and Takumi Minamino (£6.0m) joining a long list of players in the physio room.
“We have another two injuries. Oriol Romeu’s season is over. Surgery on Monday means three months out. He has a fracture on his ankle. [His injury] hurts us. I don’t know who plays number six at the weekend. Minamino is out for the weekend with a light muscle injury. It leaves us with Ibrahima (Diallo), Kyle Walker-Peters, Theo Walcott, Michael Obafemi and Will Smallbone injured (the Everton match).” – Ralph Hasenhüttl
“Hamstring (for Minamino). Slight problem in the hamstring. Maybe he comes back next week. It’s not a big injury. We rested him from the beginning after having not played so long would be too much for him. It was very slippery. The pitch was not good in Leeds. After the first movement, he struggled with his hamstring. He finished the game because we could not change anymore but he’s not perfect.” – Ralph Hasenhüttl
Not only will West Bromwich Albion be without Semi Ajayi (£4.8m) through suspension when they host Brighton on Sunday, but they will also miss Robert Snodgrass (£5.6m).
In his Thursday press conference, Sam Allardyce revealed that the decision to rule him out was to avoid running the risk of further damage.
“He wanted to be involved in the squad. The kick in the knee ultimately covered up a slightly bigger problem in his calf, where there was a slight tear. If I send him out on Saturday against Brighton and that calf tears more than it is now, then I would be kicking myself. Cos that would be four or five weeks maybe out. I have taken the decision to tell him to get ready for next Thursday.” – Sam Allardyce
Pep Guardiola did not go into much detail about team news ahead of Manchester City’s Double Gameweek schedule but provided some useful information on Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m).
“He’s fully fit. He was fully fit against Gladbach as well. I’m not going to say any differently to how key and important a player he is for us. In the last part of the season, he will be so important.” – Pep Guardiola
Major changes for first Double Gameweek 26 opponents West Ham seem unlikely.
Arthur Masuaku (£4.3m) and Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.5m) remain out while Ryan Fredericks (£4.2m) is “touch and go” with a groin injury which is not thought to be serious.
Those hoping to invest in Leicester for the Double Gameweek did not receive as helpful an update on James Maddison (£7.3m) as they might have hoped for.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed surgery was not required, pointing instead to fluctuating pain levels dictating the time-frame more than anything else.
“It’s going to be one of those where he doesn’t need anything surgically, it’s just going to be about once the pain dies down. I can’t put a timeline on it. It’s going to be about how he feels. We’re going to have to assess that each day.” – Brendan Rodgers
Dean Smith was more definitive in his Friday press conference, ruling out Jack Grealish (£7.6m) for the first of Aston Villa’s Double Gameweek 26 matches against Leeds while Matty Cash (£5.0m) and Wesley (£6.0m) remain sidelined.
“He could be back to play against Sheffield United next Wednesday or Wolves next week. We’ll be led by Jack on that.” – Dean Smith
Leeds must continue without defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips (£4.9m) when they host Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
“His injury is in his calf. It’s a place where we have to avoid that he has a recurrence because the recurrence makes the situation worse. So we’re being very cautious so that when he returns, he returns for definite.” – Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa was more positive about Mateusz Klich‘s (£5.2m) involvement following his withdrawal against Southampton. The Leeds manager, who also ruled out Rodrigo (£5.7m) and Robin Koch (£4.3m) on Thursday, said that Klich was “doing pretty well” but that he was unsure whether he will be fit enough for Saturday.
There are very few concerns at Spurs, meanwhile, with Giovani Lo Celso (£6.9m) the only absentee now that Serge Aurier (£5.2m) is “fine” and back in training.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer could be short some relatively important personnel for Manchester United’s Double Gameweek, notably Scott McTominay (£4.9m) and Edinson Cavani (£7.9m). Daniel James (£6.2m) was the most recent addition to the list of doubts.
“He felt a tweak. We will have to check on him tonight. Then Scott, Donny, Edinson, we hope that they can be available for the weekend – I’m not sure. Paul [Pogba] is still out for a few weeks.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
It looks as if Liverpool won’t have to wait too much longer to rely on Diogo Jota (£6.6m) after his long-term absence.
Jurgen Klopp gave a promising update on him in his Friday media briefing although it is hard to say the former Wolves man will be necessarily involved in Double Gameweek 26.
“Diogo [Jota] trained now twice with the team, looks very good but it’s a long time out. So we have to see what we can do with that but in training, it’s really promising.” – Jurgen Klopp
Things were less positive at the other end of the pitch with Fabinho (£5.4m), James Milner (£5.3m) and Jordan Henderson (£5.4m), the latter facing more time off than the other two:
“Fab[inho] is not yet with the team, tomorrow he will have his first session with the team. Same for James Milner. All the others are long-term. The best-case scenario, I don’t know, to be honest. It’s not a quick one. We all hope that it’s still a possibility for him to play a few games this season, but we’ll see.” – Jurgen Klopp
Chelsea will be without Thiago Silva (£5.6m) for the first of their Double Gameweek 26 matches with Thomas Tuchel earning no new injury problems following a midweek win over Atletico Madrid. The only issue the Champions League victory has created for the Blues’ boss is what to do with the in-form Olivier Giroud (£6.7m).
“No more injury concerns. No Thiago Silva cannot play on Sunday. He did an individual session today and one on the pitch which was a big step for him. So I hope he will join the group next week.” – Thomas Tuchel
“All the time (Giroud) deserves to start. He trains very well, he’s a leader in the group and he is a big personality so even when he did not start he deserved to start. But I will not tell you now if we will let him play from the first minute.” – Thomas Tuchel
Fulham’s two matches in Double Gameweek 26 have attracted some interest in their assets. Thankfully, the injury news coming out of Scott Parker’s Friday press conference does not impinge on any of our favourite Fantasy cottagers:
“We’re all good. Mitro comes back into the fold as well. Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo still need some work.” – Scott Parker
Fulham’s opponents Crystal Palace look likely to be without Wilfried Zaha (£7.1m) once again on Saturday, Roy Hodgson reporting on Friday that the player has been on the training ground today but that he will not be in full training with the rest of the squad until next week.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche had a long list of players to talk through on Friday:
“Woody has been out for a few days now training, so that’s good. J-Rod had a couple of knocks that we’ve been keeping an eye on and he seems fine. Johann [Berg Gudmundsson] not yet, I’ll be surprised if he’s come through it by Sunday. Robbie Brady is a maybe. Barnesy won’t be for Sunday. Erik [Pieters] is touch and go. Dale Stephens trained today so we’re hopeful on that one. Two or three maybe could figure, the rest we’re still waiting on.” – Sean Dyche
Owners of Bukayo Saka (£5.2m) might be somewhat concerned by Mikel Arteta’s recent comments related to his physical condition.
“He’s really fatigued. He’s played a lot of minutes and he hasn’t had much rest. We asked him to go again and produce this moment, and the boy has done it. Let’s see how we are feeling tomorrow. Today the players are still in Greece, we have to travel back on a four-hour flight but we won’t use that as an excuse.” – Mikel Arteta
Tariq Lamptey‘s (£4.6m) comeback edges ever closer based on Graham Potter’s most recent update, in which he revealed good progress building up match fitness in training.
“He’s had a good training session, a good week. We need to see how he reacts tomorrow but there’s a chance that he will be in the squad. He won’t start.” – Graham Potter
Meanwhile, Adam Webster‘s (£4.3m) return from an ankle injury would be “more towards after the international break”.
Callum Wilson (£6.6m) is “three of four weeks away” from a return, Javier Manquillo (£4.2m) is recovering from an ankle injury and Saturday’s meeting with Wolves is “a bit too soon” for Federico Fernández (£4.7m).
