We’re rounding up what we know on the team news front ahead of Gameweek 24 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
Friday’s round-up of the pre-match press conferences 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.
ASTON VILLA V ARSENAL
Mohamed Elneny (knee) remains out long term, while Gabriel Jesus (knee) isn’t ready to feature competitively despite his return to the Arsenal training ground last week. Thomas Partey missed the midweek defeat to Manchester City with a muscle injury, too, so Jorginho might have to deputise again. Emile Smith Rowe (thigh) could be in contention, however, after a return to full training.
“We don’t know. It’s what happens – it’s part of football. There are no excuses. I think Jorgi played a really good game and we’ll have to assess Thomas to see how bad it is.
“[It was a] very late, very, very late [call]”. – Mikel Arteta on Thomas Partey
Tyrone Mings should recover from a “small injury” after missing the defeat to Manchester City, while Bertrand Traore could be involved after his return to training following a loan recall. Diego Carlos (Achilles) is also back on the grass with his teammates this week but a playing comeback will likely come too soon.
BRENTFORD V CRYSTAL PALACE
Pontus Jansson (hamstring), Frank Onyeka (hamstring) and Thomas Strakosha (ankle) remained on the sidelines for the Arsenal game but Jansson and Onyeka are at least back in training, so could be ready for the visit of Crystal Palace. Onyeka, indeed, built up his match fitness with a run-out for the B team in midweek. Ivan Toney was spotted rubbing his hamstring when being replaced in the draw at the Emirates but there has been no mention of any issue since.
Joel Ward (calf) remains out but Joachim Andersen (calf) was due to return to training this week and the original timeframe on Wilfried Zaha‘s (hamstring) recovery is now just about up, so word is awaited to see if they can feature in west London this weekend. Chris Richards (back) and Will Hughes (knock) will have issues from the weekend assessed, while an injury-free Nathan Ferguson will be another week closer to the matchday squad as work continues on his match fitness.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION V FULHAM
Danny Welbeck (calf) has joined Levi Colwill (muscle) and Jakub Moder (knee) on the sidelines ahead of Fulham’s visit, while it remains to be seen if Adam Lallana (muscle) is any closer to a return given that the original timeframe for his injury has now passed.
Tom Cairney (shin) and Neeskens Kebano (Achilles) were the only two Fulham players on the sidelines for the visit of Nottingham Forest but Willian will have to have a calf problem assessed after his second-half substitution in Saturday’s match.
CHELSEA V SOUTHAMPTON
Armando Broja (ACL), Christian Pulisic (knee), Edouard Mendy (finger) and N’Golo Kante (hamstring) remain out, while there’s doubt over whether Raheem Sterling (knock) can make a swift recovery for the visit of Southampton after he missed the last two competitive matches. Denis Zakaria (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (calf) and Wesley Fofana (knee) all returned to the matchday squad in midweek as unused substitutes, while Ben Chilwell was taken off on his first start back from injury.
“About five minutes before he came off, he had a run down the side and had a kick on his ankle. I haven’t checked it over but I think it’s more a kick than anything else and probably a little bit of fatigue. That was his first start for some time so the idea before the game was to take him off at 60/70 minutes max. So that was the plan.” – Graham Potter on Ben Chilwell, speaking on Wednesday
Tino Livramento (knee),and Juan Larios (muscle) remain out but Kyle Walker-Peters (hamstring) could be back after being sighted in training this week.
EVERTON V LEEDS UNITED
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring) missed the Merseyside derby after being rated “touch and go at best”, while it sounds like Nathan Patterson (knee) and Andros Townsend (ACL) won’t be ready to feature against Leeds despite being sighted on the grass recently. James Garner (back) may be nearer a playing comeback but there is even still doubt over his availability, in the absence of an update from Sean Dyche.
Rodrigo Moreno (ankle) and Stuart Dallas (knee) remain on the sidelines, while further word is awaited on Archie Gray (ankle), Adam Forshaw (hip), Luis Sinisterra (muscle), Liam Cooper (muscle) and Marc Roca (muscle) after some vague updates on their conditions over the last week or so. Pascal Struijk (concussion) should return, however.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST V MANCHESTER CITY
Jesse Lingard (knee), Willy Boly (hamstring) and Scott McKenna (hamstring) are fresh additions to the injury list who require further assessment, while Gameweek 23 absentees Dean Henderson (thigh), Cheikhou Kouyate (hamstring) and Taiwo Awoniyi (groin) have been sidelined for some time. Giulian Biancone (ACL) and Omar Richards (leg) are also long-term absentees and have been left out of Forest’s 25-man squad for the second half of 2022/23. Ryan Yates (illness) should return this weekend, however, while Moussa Niakhate (hamstring) has been back in training.
John Stones (hamstring) is the only City player definitely on the sidelines this weekend, with Erling Haaland shaking off a thigh issue to feature at Arsenal on Wednesday.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V BOURNEMOUTH
Hwang Hee-chan (hamstring), Boubacar Traore (hamstring), Chiquinho (knee) and Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) remain out, while Mario Lemina is suspended and Daniel Podence will be assessed after suffering a “slight” groin strain ahead of the Southampton game on Saturday.
Bournemouth welcomed back a cluster of players from injury last weekend but Junior Stanislas (muscle), Lewis Cook (knee), David Brooks (hamstring), Lloyd Kelly (calf) and Illia Zabarnyi (ankle) remained out, although Stanislas was said to have had a “good week” of training in advance of the Newcastle game. Marcos Senesi should be fit for the Wolves match, despite limping off with a back problem on Saturday.
NEWCASTLE UNITED V LIVERPOOL
Matt Targett (heel), Javier Manquillo (knee) and Emil Krafth (knee) remain out, as does the suspended Bruno Guimaraes. Eddie Howe didn’t seem too concerned about the injuries picked up by Callum Wilson (hamstring), Miguel Almiron (hand) and Allan Saint-Maximin (knee) in the draw with Bournemouth but Joe Willock looks to be a big doubt, after limping off on the south coast with a hamstring strain.
Thiago Alcantara (hip) has joined Luis Diaz (knee) and Ibrahima Konate (muscle) on the sidelines but Liverpool were boosted by the return of Virgil van Dijk (hamstring), Diogo Jota (hamstring) and Roberto Firmino (calf) to the matchday squad on Monday night. Arthur Melo (muscle) should be in contention, too, having rejoined training like his fellow fit-again teammates.
MANCHESTER UNITED V LEICESTER CITY
Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee) and Casemiro (suspended) remain on the sidelines, while the game will come too soon for Anthony Martial (hip) and Antony (leg) based on Erik ten Hag’s pre-match words before Thursday’s game with Barcelona. Scott McTominay (unspecified issue) is due to rejoin full team training at the end of this week, so is an outside chance to feature against Leicester.
“It looks good. I think they are on the way back. They are coming back in the training squad [with] the individual [training work]. At the end of the week, maybe Scott [McTominay] can begin the training with the team and after the weekend, maybe Antony but we have to see. They [Antony, McTominay and Anthony Martial] are making progress, [that is] what we see now.” – Erik ten Hag, speaking on Wednesday
James Justin (Achilles) and Sammy Braybrooke (knee) are long-term absentees and Ryan Bertrand (knee) remains short of match fitness but Jonny Evans (calf) and Boubakary Soumaré (hamstring) could be back in contention after returns to training, while Youri Tielemans (calf) is expected to make a swift comeback after missing out in Gameweek 23.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V WEST HAM UNITED
Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Rodrigo Bentancur (knee) have joined Hugo Lloris (knee) and Yves Bissouma (ankle) on the injury list, with Bentancur out for the season. Cristian Romero returns from suspension this weekend, however.
Nayef Aguerd (groin) and Lucas Paqueta (shoulder) will have fresh injuries assessed, while further word is awaited on whether recent absentees Kurt Zouma (hip), Gianluca Scamacca (knee), Maxwel Cornet (calf) and Alphonse Areola (hamstring) are any closer to a return ahead of the trip to Spurs.
