We’ve got injury updates from four Premier League managers who held pre-match press conferences on Thursday: Burnley‘s Sean Dyche, Southampton‘s Ralph Hasenhuttl, Brighton and Hove Albion‘s Graham Potter and Everton‘s Frank Lampard.
A total of 15 top-flight bosses will face reporters on Friday, while Leicester City head coach Brendan Rodgers will combine his post-game duties in the UEFA Conference League with his Gameweek 26 media obligations tonight.
For other help and advice, from our weekly Scout Picks to captaincy, head to our complete Double Gameweek 26 guide here.
BURNLEY
Wout Weghorst should recover from the knock to the hip he picked up in last weekend’s defeat to Liverpool in time for Double Gameweek 26.
The forward has only done “light” training as of Thursday but Sean Dyche was upbeat on the Dutchman’s chances of featuring against Brighton this weekend.
“We’re expecting him to be OK. He trained just a light training session today but the incredibly professional person that he is, I think he’ll be fine.
“He just got a knock on his hip but rather than a muscle, it hit a nerve, which is quite painful. But it has settled down in the last few days and he was out there in light training today, I would expect him to be around it on Saturday.
“He came in really fit, super-fit fella, incredible how he looks after himself, his own routine – I have been super impressed by that. Came in with that base fitness level.
“It is slightly different with Maxwel [Cornet] who has had an up and down period with injuries and then going off to AFCON. Maxwel we have really pushed hard last week because we have got to get to him to Premier League fitness whilst trying not to break him. Whereas Wout looks like he is already up for it, he looks really fit and well.
“He was more than happy to crack on [with starting games in succession], I asked him about the three-game week but he said ‘no, no, no, I’m fine’. Then he got his knock and in the end had to come off. He’s so far got a very steely mentality to the physical side of the game.” – Sean Dyche on Wout Weghorst
Aside from that, it’s as you were on the team news front with Johann Berg Gudmundsson (appendicitis), Matej Vydra (hernia) and Charlie Taylor (foot) all making good progress but unlikely to feature on Saturday.
“Charlie Taylor, Johann [Gudmundsson], making good progress, trained today, but unlikely to figure at the weekend. Vyds is just behind them but making good progress. Them three are getting closer, certainly Charlie and Johann are getting a lot closer.” – Sean Dyche
EVERTON
Vitalii Mykolenko has recovered from whatever enforced his absence recently (Covid was suspected) but he’s the only Everton player back from the treatment room for Saturday’s clash with Southampton, as Yerry Mina (thigh), Demarai Gray (hip), Fabian Delph (thigh), Ben Godfrey (hamstring) and Abdoulaye Doucoure (groin) are all out.
Gray and Doucoure have a chance to be back for Gameweek 27, however.
“Mykolenko is back. Demarai Gray won’t quite make this weekend, we’re hopeful for the following week.
“Doucoure trained with us today in his first integration into a proper session, so hopefully over the next week, we can see a strong progression… and available for the following week.
“We’re hopeful for 2-3 weeks for [Fabian Delph and Ben Godfrey]. Yerry Mina is a bit longer.” – Frank Lampard
SOUTHAMPTON
Alex McCarthy (hamstring), Lyanco (hamstring) and Nathan Tella (groin) are all out of Southampton’s game with Everton but Nathan Redmond (ankle) has returned to training and comes back into contention.
“So far, nearly everyone is in the sessions. Nathan Tella is still out, he had a little bit of a setback, so it takes one more week I think to recover properly. [Nathan Redmond] is back in training, that’s it.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl
There was no explicit mention of Mohamed Elyounoussi (knock) and Jan Bednarek (quad) in the broadcast section of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s presser but neither player’s issue was serious when reported earlier in the week, so it is assumed that they are part of the group who are in training.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Graham Potter confirmed that there are no new serious injury concerns after Tuesday’s game against Manchester United but Lewis Dunk now serves a one-match ban after his red card at Old Trafford.
Enock Mwepu (hamstring) and Jeremy Sarmiento (hamstring) remain out, while Alexis Mac Allister has trained despite picking up a knock in midweek.
“Everybody looks okay, so far, just Enock and Jeremy at the moment. Everybody else came through the game OK, Alexis Mac Allister had a little knock but he was fine, trained today. Pretty much the same as [the squad that faced] Manchester United.” – Graham Potter
