From Erling Haaland (£12.2m) to Mason Mount (£7.7m), we’re rounding up what we know on the team news front ahead of Gameweek 14 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
The pre-match press conferences that will take place up and down the country later in the week will supersede this piece and help finalise our predicted line-ups but in the meantime, this article takes an early look at the injury situation across the top flight.
It will be updated through the week, too, after we’ve had more press conferences and action at home and abroad.
LEICESTER CITY V MANCHESTER CITY
As reported in a stand-alone article on Tuesday evening, Erling Haaland will have to be assessed after a combination of a knock, a fever and fatigue led to half-time substitution in the draw with Borussia Dortmund.
Joao Cancelo also played through illness in the first half of that game, while Pep Guardiola said after full-time in Germany that Phil Foden was “so tired, so not clever”.
Kalvin Phillips (shoulder) and Kyle Walker (groin) remain out, although the former is at least back in light training.
“Three things. [Firstly], I saw him so tired. The second one he had a little bit influenza in his body, like Joao, Joao played with a fever. The third, he had a knock in his feet. That is why he was not able to play in the second half.
“I don’t know right now [about the severity of the injury]. I spoke [with the medical team] at half-time, they were a little bit concerned but I saw him walking more or less quite good at the end. We will see what happens.” – Pep Guardiola speaking on Tuesday night about Erling Haaland
Leicester’s Jonny Evans (calf) and Wilfred Ndidi (hamstring) are due back in training this week so could be in contention for the visit of City but Ryan Bertrand (knee) and Ricardo Pereira (Achilles) remain out long term.
BOURNEMOUTH V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Lloyd Kelly (ankle) and David Brooks (hamstring) remain out and the Cherries will have to assess Murara Neto (leg) and Dominic Solanke (ankle) after the pair were forced off at half-time of Monday’s loss to West Ham.
“Dom Solanke had some pain in his ankle having rolled it. I don’t know the seriousness of it. I think on leaving in a boot that is normal for an ankle injury. That doesn’t mean it’s serious or not – it’s very, very early to know what it is and what it isn’t. Obviously, we will be desperate for it to be as short as possible.” – Gary O’Neil, speaking on Monday
Richarlison (calf) and Dejan Kulusevski (hamstring) are expected to remain sidelined but Cristian Romero (calf) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (thigh) returned to action on Wednesday after recovering from injuries that kept them out of the Newcastle match in the Gameweek just gone.
BRENTFORD V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Aaron Hickey (ankle), Thomas Strakosha (ankle) and Pontus Jansson (hamstring) are all set to be out until after the World Cup break but Christian Norgaard (Achilles) could be in contention for a playing comeback after a recent return to the training ground.
Pedro Neto (ankle), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Chiquinho (knee) and Raul Jimenez (groin) remain on the injury list, while further news is awaited on Toti Gomes after he missed the last two matches with a slight adductor strain.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION V CHELSEA
Jakub Moder (knee) remains on the sidelines and loanee Levi Colwill will be ineligible to face his parent club but Kauro Mitoma (ankle) could be nearing a return, having been ruled out for 10-15 days ahead of Gameweek 12.
Joel Veltman (calf) and Adam Lallana (unspecified) will also need to be assessed after picking up or exacerbating issues at the weekend.
“With Joel, yes, we will have to make some medical check to understand what will be the problem. I think he has a muscular problem but on Monday with a medical check we can understand more.” – Roberto De Zerbi, speaking after the defeat to Manchester City on Saturday
N’Golo Kante (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee) and Reece James (knee) are medium-term absentees, while more news is awaited on Kalidou Koulibaly after the centre-half missed the draw with Manchester United with a knee problem and failed to recover for the Champions League win over RB Salzburg on Tuesday.
Mateo Kovacic complained of calf tightness in that midweek match and will have to be assessed, while Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were also not risked from kick-off in Austria.
“Mateo felt his calf a little bit. It was a heavy pitch and we didn’t want to risk anything. He has a bit of tightness and hopefully it is not too bad.
“It is the same for Mason [Mount] and Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] who both started on the bench, that’s just how it is at this point of the season.” – Graham Potter speaking after Tuesday’s win over RB Salzburg
CRYSTAL PALACE V SOUTHAMPTON
Nathaniel Clyne (ankle) and Chris Richards (hamstring) are both nearing a return to fitness but it remains to be seen if this match comes too soon for the pair, while James McArthur (groin) remains out despite his own return to training.
Nathan Ferguson (match fitness) is also likely to get game-time with the under-21s before he comes into first-team contention but Cheikhou Doucoure returns from suspension ahead of the Southampton game.
Kyle Walker-Peters (hamstring), Tino Livramento (knee) and Armel Bella-Kotchap (shoulder) remain out but loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles is available this weekend after being ineligible to face his parent club last Sunday.
Romeo Lavia (muscle) is back in training and could come into contention against Palace.
NEWCASTLE UNITED V ASTON VILLA
Allan Saint-Maximin (hamstring), Paul Dummett (calf), Alexander Isak (ankle), Karl Darlow (ankle), Emil Krafth (knee) and Matt Ritchie (calf) are on the sidelines ahead of the Aston Villa game, with Krafth, Isak and Ritchie all ruled out until after the World Cup and Darlow thought to be the closest to a return.
Diego Carlos (Achilles) and Boubacar Kamara (knee) are definitely out but Lucas Digne (knee) and Ludwig Augustinsson (hamstring) could both be back, having been pencilled in for a late-October return by the now-departed Steven Gerrard.
READ MORE: What can FPL managers expect from Unai Emery at Aston Villa?
FULHAM V EVERTON
Manor Solomon (knee) is out long term, while Kenny Tete (muscle) and Layvin Kurzawa (calf) have also been sidelined recently and their availability and timeframe of recovery remains unknown.
Loanee Daniel James comes back into contention, however, having been ineligible to face his parent club at the weekend.
Andros Townsend (knee), Ben Godfrey (leg) and Yerry Mina (calf) all remain unavailable ahead of the Fulham game but Nathan Patterson (knee) had been pencilled in for a comeback in Gameweek 14, having returned to training last week.
“Yeah, I am doing well. I am nearly back, next week hopefully. I am recovering well.” – Nathan Patterson, speaking last Saturday
LIVERPOOL V LEEDS UNITED
Diogo Jota (calf), Luis Diaz (knee), Joel Matip (calf) and Arthur Melo (muscle) all remain injured, while Naby Keita (muscle) likely won’t be fully match-fit despite a return to training.
Ibrahima Konate (muscle) and Darwin Nunez (muscle) were back in the matchday squad for the midweek Champions League clash with Ajax but Thiago Alcantara (ear infection) wasn’t ready to feature.
Jordan Henderson picked up a knock in that game but “should” be fine.
“[Thiago is] still out. [Konate] is here. Ready to play minutes, I would say. He could play the first minutes but that would not make too much sense, so minutes yes. That’s it. Nothing new yet.
“[Darwin] trained normal yesterday and today. So yes, in this moment, he is available.” – Jurgen Klopp, speaking on Tuesday
Tyler Adams will be further assessed after a ‘minor’ injury kept him out of the defeat to Fulham.
Elsewhere, Adam Forshaw (ankle), Leo Hjelde (appendix) and Archie Gray (toe) were all closing in on returns the last we heard from Jesse Marsch but Stuart Dallas (knee) remains out until after the World Cup break.
ARSENAL V NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Emile Smith Rowe (groin) and Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) remain out, while there is still doubt over Oleksandr Zinchenko‘s (calf) availability despite Mikel Arteta saying on Friday that the defender was getting “closer” to a return.
Omar Richards (leg), Moussa Niakhate (muscle) and Jack Colback (back) again look set to miss out, while Harry Toffolo joins them on the sidelines at the weekend after picking up a hamstring injury.
Lewis O’Brien could be back after illness, however.
MANCHESTER UNITED V WEST HAM UNITED
Cristiano Ronaldo comes back into contention after being omitted from Manchester United’s squad last weekend on disciplinary grounds, while Harry Maguire (hamstring), Donny van de Beek (muscle) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (unspecified) have all returned to training and could face Sheriff on Thursday ahead of the weekend clash with West Ham.
Raphael Varane (hamstring) is out until the World Cup, however, and Anthony Martial (back) remained absent from training in midweek.
“Cristiano will be in the squad tomorrow and Rapha Varane isn’t in the squad. He will be out, certainly until the World Cup so he will not play in this block for Manchester United.
“I think [Varane will be fit for the World Cup] but the prognosis we have to wait. We have to see how it develops, how the rehab will develop.” – Erik ten Hag, speaking on Wednesday
Lucas Paqueta (shoulder) is edging closer to a return having originally been ruled out for two weeks a fortnight ago, while Nayef Aguerd (ankle) is back in training but will get game-time in the UEFA Europa Conference League first.
Maxwel Cornet (calf) has had a setback in his recovery, while Craig Dawson (dead leg) is “improving” but not fit enough to face Silkeborg.
“[Aguerd] is not in contention for Sunday but we’re hoping to have him in the squad tomorrow, one way or another.
“Cornet has had a small setback in training so he’s not available. Dawson is improving but is not fit enough for the game, and Lucas Paqueta is not available. But hopefully they are not too far away but really touch and go for Sunday as well.” – David Moyes, speaking on Wednesday
