There are 16 more pre-match press conferences to get through before Saturday’s Gameweek 23 deadline, following on from the four we had yesterday.
As usual, we’ll be bringing you all the key quotes that you need for your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams.
For the updates from the press conferences of Brendan Rodgers, Nathan Jones, Steve Cooper and Spurs assistant boss Cristian Stellini, check out our Thursday round-up.
KEY UPDATES FROM FRIDAY
- Arsenal: Jesus latest
- Manchester City: No team news from Pep
- Liverpool: Four back in training ahead of derby
- Manchester United: Antony and Martial set to miss out again
- Newcastle United: Isak returns
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Ferguson and Mac Allister available
- Chelsea: Sterling has setback, Felix returns
- Everton: Calvert-Lewin “touch and go at best”
- Leeds United: Sinisterra and Struijk updates
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Neto could be back, Hwang out
- West Ham United: Kehrer a “problem”
- Fulham: Cairney out, Reed recovers
- Aston Villa: Carlos to train next week
- Crystal Palace: McArthur returns
- Brentford: Three out for Arsenal game
- Bournemouth: Billing a doubt, multiple other issues
FRIDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
Note: Erik ten Hag’s name was omitted from the original press conference list but he has spoken on Friday
VIDEO ROUND-UP
ARSENAL
Mohamed Elneny (knee) remains out long term, while Gabriel Jesus (knee) isn’t ready to feature competitively just yet.
Mikel Arteta provided the latest on Jesus in his pre-match presser, with the comments suggesting that it’ll still be some time before we see the Brazilian.
“Gabi is doing really well, he’s already been outside a little bit. Still early stages, he keeps pushing everybody, every single day, but we need to respect some timelines and some processes. But he’s doing really well.
“Not yet [for a return date], I think it’s still too far off that. We have to see now when you start to put some load through that knee and start to get some movement and some actions that are not as controlled as the ones he’s been doing, how that knee reacts.” – Mikel Arteta
Emile Smith Rowe (thigh) and Reiss Nelson (muscle) are back on the grass but also remain out.
“The ones that were long-term – like Emile, Reiss and Gabriel Jesus – they are closer, they’ve started to do some activities and have been outside. But they are not ready yet to be contributing.” – Mikel Arteta
MANCHESTER CITY
FPL managers will likely go into Double Gameweek 23 without any Manchester City team news, as the broadcast section of Pep Guardiola’s press conference was almost entirely devoted to the recent Financial Fair Play story.
The second section of Guardiola’s presser won’t follow until Saturday night.
John Stones (hamstring) remains sidelined but Phil Foden should be back; he was on the cusp of a return from a foot injury but took ill ahead of the Spurs game and missed out.
Foden has since been pictured in training.
LIVERPOOL
Luis Diaz (knee) and Ibrahima Konate (muscle) remain sidelined but Liverpool were handed a big boost this week when Virgil van Dijk (hamstring), Arthur Melo (muscle), Diogo Jota (hamstring) and Roberto Firmino (calf) all returned to training.
Jota looks the closest to featuring in the Merseyside derby.
“The players are back in training, still at different stages.
“Diogo is the closest, he trains now normal already for two days. Another three days of training possible for him and then I think he’s in contention for the squad, I would say, but we have to wait a little bit.
“Bobby, next one, I don’t know. We have to see how that looks now, how he deals with training intensity, stuff like this, and then we make a decision there. Arthur probably similar to Bobby, I would say.
“Virgil, I don’t think is that close.” – Jurgen Klopp
Fabinho missed out due to illness last weekend but has since rejoined training.
Thiago Alcantara, however, is struggling with a hip injury and hasn’t trained all week.
“Thiago has some problems, I know the problems but I have to ask the medical department what I am allowed to say first!
“Hip flexor, stuff like this. He was not able to train.” – Jurgen Klopp
MANCHESTER UNITED
Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee) and Casemiro (suspended) remain on the sidelines, while Erik ten Hag doesn’t expect to have any of his other injured players – namely Anthony Martial (hip), Scott McTominay (unspecified issue) and Antony (leg) – back for the swift return match at Elland Road.
“I don’t expect [them to be fit]. We have some days obviously, but I don’t expect it. If I can oversee it from now, I don’t see any new problems coming up.” – Erik ten Hag
Aaron Wan-Bissaka missed the midweek game due to “illness” and it’s uncertain whether he’ll recover in time.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Matt Targett (heel), Javier Manquillo (knee) and Emil Krafth (knee) remain out, as does the suspended Bruno Guimaraes.
Targett is back on the grass but has yet to train fully with the Newcastle squad.
Alexander Isak is available, however, having sat out Gameweek 22 due to the concussion protocols.
“Yes he will be [back in the squad]. He’s fully recovered, no problems. Initially, he got hit the ball on the head. He didn’t feel too bad but we had to follow [concussion] protocols. He’s been good this week.” – Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak
Allan Saint-Maximin‘s sub-par display in Gameweek 22 came in for some criticism but he looks set to again get the nod ahead of Anthony Gordon, with Eddie Howe backing the Frenchman in his pre-match presser.
“I think Maxi’s someone who probably performs with a consistent run of games, but I would say that would be the case for all players. So I think he has a window and an opportunity to impress.
“I thought there were some aspects of his game that were in a really good place last week. I thought, most importantly, he tried to give his all for the team. I don’t think there was any lack of effort from him.
“I thought West Ham managed him well in the game. Teams will always look at him as a big threat, and probably produce game plans on keeping him quiet. But it’s up to us and him to try and find a solution those game plans.
“I’ve been really pleased with his attitude and how he’s worked this week. I think Maxi’s in a better place.” – Eddie Howe
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Levi Colwill (muscle), Adam Lallana (muscle) and Jakub Moder (knee) remain out but Alexis Mac Allister is back from suspension and Evan Ferguson (knee) returns after initial fears of a serious injury subsided.
“Colwill and Lallana can’t play but we knew that before this week and we have another couple of doubts.
“Yes [Evan Ferguson cab play] but I have a doubt betwee Undav and Ferguson because Deniz Undav played very well. He knows when he has to play and when he has to attack the space, it is different to Evan. Evan is more stiker. He [Ferguson] knows better to attack the space to score, but in the quality of play, Deniz Undav is also very important.” – Roberto De Zerbi
CHELSEA
Armando Broja (ACL), Christian Pulisic (knee), Edouard Mendy (finger) and N’Golo Kante (hamstring) remain out, while the West Ham game very likely comes too soon for Denis Zakaria (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (calf) and Wesley Fofana (knee) despite their returns to training.
Raheem Sterling is also a doubt with a knock but Joao Felix is back from suspension.
“We had a little setback with Raheem, he had a kick in training so we’re assessing him. I think he’s probably doubtful for tomorrow I’d say. He just got a kick in training on the side of his knee.” – Graham Poter
EVERTON
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring) is “touch and go at best” to feature in Monday’s Merseyside derby.
“We’re still monitoring him, he’ll be touch and go at best, I think, for the Liverpool game. We’ll just have to monitor it and hope that it settles down sooner rather than later.
“He’s had a couple of niggly injuries as you know, getting on top of them, getting his body to adapt and all them things, for the longer term obviously. He put a real shift in [v Arsenal], his stats were very good. Unfortunately he’s just got a niggly hamstring. We’ve got to get on top of it as quick as we can.” – Sean Dyche
James Garner (back) is back in full training, while Nathan Patterson (knee) has been on the grass this week as he completes individual rehab work.
LEEDS UNITED
Pascal Struijk (suspension) has joined Rodrigo Moreno (ankle) and Stuart Dallas (knee) on the sidelines, while Liam Cooper (knock), Marc Roca (knock) and Luis Sinisterra (muscle) will be assessed.
In his final presser as Leeds boss before his dismissal, Jesse Marsch told us that Archie Gray (ankle), Sonny Perkins (ankle) and Adam Forshaw (hip) were all closing in on a return – but interim manager Michael Skubala’s update below on the ‘long-term injuries’ suggests they’ll again miss out.
“The long-term injuries are progressing well, they’re the same.
“Pascal got concussion, the medical team are following the concussion protocols so he’ll miss the game on Sunday, which the right decision. Liam and Marc we’re still assessing, we’ll see if we can get them involved on Sunday, that’s taking a bit of time. Luis was a slightly different injury, we think he’ll be OK but we’re still going to assess whether it’s too early for him on Sunday.
“Just some slight muscle injuries, really. For me, it’s about protecting playrs first and foremost. We don’t want to take any risks with any players, this is a long season and we need to look after them.” – Michael Skubala
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Julen Lopetegui will again be without Boubacar Traore (hamstring), Chiquinho (knee) and Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) in Gameweek 23 but Pedro Neto (ankle) is nearing a return after a long lay-off and has a chance of featuring in the squad this weekend.
Hwang Hee-chan (hamstring) is newly ruled out for 4-5 weeks and Mario Lemina (knock) faces assessment, while one other unnamed player is “touch and go”.
WEST HAM UNITED
David Moyes said he isn’t expecting back Kurt Zouma (hip), Gianluca Scamacca (knee), Maxwel Cornet (calf) and Alphonse Areola (hamstring) for the Chelsea match, while Thilo Kehrer was substituted at half-time in Gameweek 22 with an unspecified issue and is a “problem” according to his manager.
FULHAM
Harrison Reed (knee) is available for the visit of Nottingham Forest but Tom Cairney (shin) has failed to recover from the knock he picked up at Sunderland in midweek.
Other than Cairney and long-term absentee Neeskens Kebano (Achilles), the Cottagers have no other injury worries.
ASTON VILLA
Aston Villa are almost at a clean bill of health, with Bertrand Traore (unspecified) back in training following his recall from loan and Diego Carlos (Achilles) set to follow suit as early as next week.
CRYSTAL PALACE
There was seemingly no word on Wilfried Zaha (hamstring) and Joachim Andersen (calf) in Patrick Vieira’s pre-match presser but if a past prognosis on Zaha was accurate (the Palace boss saying last week that he would be out for another fortnight), we can’t expect to see him for the M23 derby.
Vieira did confirm that James McArthur will be part of the Palace squad for the first time this season, after the veteran midfielder returned to training recently following a seven-month lay-off.
Nathan Ferguson has also trained for a few weeks without any setbacks, although it’s not clear whether he’ll be considered for competitive action just yet.
BRENTFORD
Pontus Jansson (hamstring) and Frank Onyeka (hamstring) are still not ready for competitive football despite nearing a return from injury, while Thomas Strakosha (ankle) has joined them on the sidelines for the Arsenal game.
BOURNEMOUTH
Philip Billing (hamstring) will be a late call due to a hamstring injury, while Lewis Cook (knee), David Brooks (hamstring), Lloyd Kelly (calf) and Illia Zabarnyi (ankle) will all miss the visit of Newcastle.
Gary O’Neil said on Friday that Ryan Fredericks (muscle), Junior Stanislas (muscle), Dominic Solanke (knee) and Marcus Tavernier (hamstring) had either “trained well” or “had a good week” but stopped short of declaring them available for selection, admitting that some had only been doing modified training.
Indeed, of the walking wounded, only Stanislas and Gameweek 22 absentee Jack Stephens (calf) were spotted in team training footage this week. O’Neil has got very little in reserve if all of those names miss out but at least the XI he sent out against Brighton turned in a good shift, with the Seagulls pushed all the way for their late victory. Joe Rothwell will be on standby to deputise for Billing if he misses out.
