We’ll be bringing you injury updates from eight Premier League managers who are holding pre-match press conferences on Thursday.
The head coaches of Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Leicester City, Southampton and Watford are all due to face the media today, and we’ll be summarising the key information on this page.
A dozen more top-flight bosses will take questions from reporters on Friday, when we’ll bring you our second team news round-up of the week.
ARSENAL
Bukayo Saka appears to have recovered from Covid-19 well in advance of Arsenal’s trip to Crystal Palace on Monday, while even medium-term absentee Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) has a chance to make the game.
Doubts exist over Aaron Ramsdale (hamstring), however, and the goalkeeper still hasn’t trained as of Thursday.
“Bukayo [Saka] is feeling good, he’s training today hopefully.
“Aaron [Ramsdale] is a doubt. He’s still not feeling great and he’s hasn’t trained yet. We don’t know what he’ll be able to do on Monday.
“I think [Tomiyasu] will be close [for Palace]. He’s been training more and more. He’ll be joining some sessions this week, so let’s see how it is.” – Mikel Arteta
LEEDS UNITED
Like Saka above, Raphinha is looking good for Gameweek 31 inclusion after recovering from coronavirus.
Illan Meslier (hip) is also expected to be fit for the visit of Southampton.
Patrick Bamford (foot) is out for six weeks, however, while Junior Firpo (knee), Leo Hjelde (knee), Tyler Roberts (hamstring) and Jamie Shackleton (calf) remain on the sidelines.
“Raphinha had Covid and then over the break, we had some Covid here as well, a lot with the staff. The timing for us was actually pretty good. Coming back now, we think everybody is free from those concerns, hopefully.
“We’re hopeful that this six-week prognosis [on Bamford’s injury] that we gave is accurate. I think the six weeks means that he can be available for the last two matches. We’ll have to wait and see.
“Leo [Hjelde]… won’t be available for the weekend but he is back in training. Junior [Firpo] is getting closer and closer and ahead of schedule. Jamie Shackleton had a little bit of a calf injury but is back on the pitch, not with the team yet. Hopefully in a couple of weeks, he’ll be available.” – Jesse Marsch
CRYSTAL PALACE
Patrick Vieira says Wilfried Zaha (hamstring) and Michael Olise (foot) will be assessed over the next couple of days before a decision is made over whether they can face Arsenal on Monday night.
Neither player has trained yet but the Palace boss said that the two wingers still “have a chance”.
“[Zaha] is still in the medical room. We will see how it is going to be tomorrow, but we have to wait for the next couple of days before thinking about him starting training with the squad.
“We have until Monday so hopefully, he will get better, and he can have a couple of days of training with the team. We have to wait and see what will happen over the next couple of days.
“The good thing about Wilfried is that he does not get injured very often. That is the hope about that. We have to wait and see what will happen, day after day.
“[Olise] just had an issue with his foot. Since he got back from the French under-21s, he is still in the treatment room as well. He is not ready to do some work outside. The same again: we have to wait day after day and see how he is feeling, and then we will see.
“Both of them still have a chance [of playing against Arsenal].” – Patrick Vieira
Nathan Ferguson (hamstring) and James McArthur (unspecified) have both started training with the team, so are in contention to be part of the squad on Monday if there are no setbacks between now and then.
LEICESTER CITY
Wilfred Ndidi (knee) is out for the season and Jamie Vardy (knee) isn’t yet ready to feature, while Danny Ward (knee) and Ryan Bertrand (knee) also remain longer-term absentees.
Luke Thomas is a fresh doubt, meanwhile, after picking up a hamstring injury while on international duty with England under-21s.
Marc Albrighton (groin) is fit, however, and Harvey Barnes has trained this week after an ankle knock.
Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana are also available for selection but Brendan Rodgers did express some reservations about their match-fitness levels after so long out.
“Jonny Evans will be available, whether he plays the whole game, or not, starts or comes off the bench we’ll see. It’s great to have him back, he had 60 plus minutes for the international team and looks very, very good, so we’ll have to build him up.
“His standards every single day are top level, so his influence in the team is huge, so to have him back, even though he’s not 100 per cent match fit yet, we’ll work him through that through to the end of the season.
“Wesley Fofana will be back involved as well. We’re starting to get players back.
“Luke Thomas picked up an injury with England under-21s so he’s doubt for the weekend, but other than that, it will be the same squad. I think he’ll struggle for the weekend. It was an issue around his hamstring. They had a look at it with England and figured he wouldn’t be ready for the second game. They sent him back and he’s continued with his rehab here.
“Wilfred Ndidi unfortunately will be out for the season.
“We’ll see [about Vardy], day by day really. He’s not ready for weekend, but we’ll assess it over the next week to two weeks.” – Brendan Rodgers
SOUTHAMPTON
Ralph Hasenhuttl said on Thursday that he wasn’t aware of any fresh injury concerns affecting his returning internationals, while Will Smallbone (Covid), Oriol Romeu (stomach illness) and Nathan Tella (groin) have all been back in training this week.
Alex McCarthy (hamstring) is back on the grass after an absence of almost four months, too, although is only in light training.
Hasenhuttl took a couple of questions on Armando Broja, meanwhile, addressing the budget striker’s dip in form and the goal against Gameweek 31 opponents Leeds United that kickstarted his Saints career.
“I think the biggest change [since the first Leeds game] was that he learned what makes him successful. It is not making him successful waiting for one or two actions for 90 minutes and then being there and scoring those. It is more working for 90 minutes and being in several actions and getting the reward for the hard work you have done on the pitch, because then you get the reward and then you get the goal and then you get the chances. This is what he had to learn. Meanwhile, we see different Brojas, sometimes the one and sometimes the other.
“When you come in as a new player, you surprise everybody with the qualities you have. Premier League [teams] are not stupid, they look at you, they know what your qualities are and then they know how to defend. You have to adapt your game.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl on Armando Broja
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Graham Potter confirmed that Adam Webster (groin) is still unavailable after a small setback, while Adam Lallana (hamstring) is also sidelined despite a return to training.
Moises Caicedo (illness) will miss out on the visit of Norwich City, too, but Potter has passed Alexis Mac Allister fit after the midfielder was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle while on international duty with Argentina.
Potter added that Robert Sanchez and Tariq Lamptey are fine after they were forced to miss international commitments because of personal reasons and illness respectively.
BURNLEY
Erik Pieters (knee), Ben Mee (knee), Matej Vydra (elbow) and Johann Berg Gudmundsson (calf) will all miss the visit of Manchester City, while Nathan Collins is suspended.
“Ben Mee is making progress but won’t be there yet. Vyds… is back on the grass and training, we’re trying to get him a game now. Johann [Berg Gudmundsson] is a bit longer term. Erik Pieters is back on the grass but still a bit to go yet.
“Hopefully, they’re all making progress but not ready yet.” – Sean Dyche
Dyche added that he “doubts” that Mee and Pieters will be back for the Everton game in midweek, with Vydra standing the best chance of the injured contingent of a recovery.
WATFORD
Watford say that they have “an almost fully-fit squad to pick from”, although returning internationals will be assessed today.
Nicolas Nkoulou is available but Kwadwo Baah (ankle) is still in “one-on-one” training.
“A lot of players went away, but we had a week with everybody which was useful in terms of helping prepare. But now like everyone else we’ve only had a couple of days, or not even that because our players, a lot of them, are coming back from Africa. They’ve actually been with us here today [Thursday] but not in a position to train, so we’ll only have [Friday] morning before we travel up with the whole squad in terms of absolute preparation. But then that’s the same for everybody else.” – Roy Hodgson
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