There are up to 15 more pre-match press conferences to get through before Saturday’s Gameweek 27 deadline, following on from the five we had yesterday.
As usual, we’ll be bringing you all the key quotes that you need for your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams.
Erik ten Hag, Mikel Arteta and David Moyes do not feature in the Tweet screenshot below, with their Gameweek 27 previews taking the form of embargoed quotes given in the aftermath of Thursday’s European ties. Hopefully, they will be released today.
For the updates from the press conferences of Thomas Frank, Javi Gracia, Brendan Rodgers, Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper, check out our Thursday round-up.
KEY UPDATES FROM FRIDAY
- Brighton and Hove Albion: De Zerbi quotes on Steele/Sanchez
- Chelsea: James (illness) out, Sterling (hamstring) a doubt
- Arsenal: Arteta’s presser still awaited
- Liverpool: No new concerns
- Newcastle United: Schar could return, Joelinton banned
- Manchester City: Foden fit
- Tottenham Hotspur: Emerson and Perisic doubts
- Manchester United: Ten Hag still cautious with Martial
- Crystal Palace: Doucoure banned
- Southampton: Alcaraz to be assessed
- Fulham: Palhinha still suspended
- Aston Villa: Carlos could return
- West Ham United: Paqueta and Antonio to have calf issues assessed
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Costa out for 2-4 weeks
- Bournemouth: Tavernier and Traore still out
PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Adam Lallana (muscle) and Jakub Moder (knee) remain out and Tariq Lamptey is a doubt with the injury he picked up in the win over West Ham United but the Albion team news is otherwise positive.
Levi Colwill (muscle) is back in training and could come into the squad, while Solly March is “on the [squad] list” – the midfielder has had a couple of knocks in recent weeks – and Yasin Ayari (illness) has been back in training this week.
“Solly March, Levi Colwill, they are in the [squad] list. Tariq, I don’t know, we have to see [in] the last training [session].
“Maybe [Levi could be involved tomorrow], I want to see this morning. The last week, he played with the under-21s and I was in the stadium to watch him. He is in a good moment.” – Roberto De Zerbi
There were also quotes from Roberto De Zerbi on the Seagulls’ goalkeeping situation, following on from Robert Sanchez’s much-discussed benching in Gameweek 26.
“One of the best relationships [I have] in the dressing room is with Robert Sanchez. But I have to do my work and in this moment, I prefer Jason [Steele], but only for our style of play.
“I think Robert can improve, has to improve, in this part of the football – for me, for us and for him, first of all. There aren’t problems with him. I was clear and honest with him, and with Jason, too.
“Jason is one of the players in the squad and he has to have the possibility to play. He is playing well, very well, Robert too, but in this moment, I think Jason can play better.” – Roberto De Zerbi
CHELSEA
Reece James and his owners can’t catch a break; the right-back, who missed Gameweek 26 because of hamstring tightness, is injury free but has now been ruled out of the Leicester City game with illness.
Raheem Sterling (hamstring) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (back) are also sizeable doubts and Mason Mount (abdomen) likely needs more time before he is fit, so they look set to join Thiago Silva (knee), Armando Broja (ACL), Edouard Mendy (finger) and Cesar Azpilicueta (head) on the sidelines.
N’Golo Kante (hamstring) is back in training but set to make a playing comeback in Gameweek 28.
“Reece has been ill so hasn’t trained today. He won’t make the game tomorrow. Raheem had a little feeling in his hamstring, more tightness than anything, so looking doubtful for tomorrow as well. Aubameyang has a slight problem with his back, so again he’s looking like he will miss the game. Apart from that, everyone is OK.
“No, [Kante] won’t [be in the squad]. Still needs some more time to build up, we’re aiming maybe towards Everton.
“At the moment, [Mount] is just suffering with a slight injury so he probably needs a little bit more time before he’s available properly.” – Graham Potter
ARSENAL
Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference was delivered in the aftermath of Arsenal’s draw with Sporting on Thursday, so we await the embargoed section of that for the latest team news.
We do know that Mohamed Elneny (knee) remains out long-term, while there’s still some doubt about whether Gabriel Jesus (knee) will be deemed match-fit after he wasn’t involved in Portugal in midweek. Four other players sitting out that Europa League match were Kieran Tierney (illness), Martin Odegaard (illness), Leandro Trossard (groin) and Eddie Nketiah (unspecified), with all bar Odegaard absent from training ground images on Wednesday. Odegaard indeed travelled to Lisbon but wasn’t deemed fit enough to play.
LIVERPOOL
Joe Gomez (muscle), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Luis Diaz (knee) and Calvin Ramsay (knee) remain on the sidelines, with Gomez potentially able to return to training next week and Diaz aiming to step up his rehab over the March international break.
Jurgen Klopp reported no new concerns in his pre-match presser.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Fabian Schar (concussion) could be back in the Newcastle squad after returning to training this week, leaving only Emil Krafth (knee) on the injury list.
Joelinton begins a two-match ban, however, after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season.
“We hope [Fabian Schär will be in the squad]. He’s trained well this week so I’m pleased to see him back.
“We have got a couple of knocks from the Manchester City game, we hope nothing too serious.” – Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe also downplayed any suggestion that Bruno Guimaraes‘ recent ankle injury is an ongoing issue.
“I think he is fine, I don’t think he has missed any training from that [injury]. I think it was sore initially against Man United but he was back training no problem. The initial one [against Fulham], that kept him out of some training. But touch wood I don’t see any long-term problem for him.” – Eddie Howe on Bruno Guimaraes
MANCHESTER CITY
Phil Foden seems to have shaken off the foot problem that he himself complained about earlier in the week, leaving Pep Guardiola with an apparently fully fit squad.
“Apparently he’s OK, yeah.” – Pep Guardiola on Phil Foden
Kyle Walker has been at the centre of some unsavoury headlines this week but Guardiola wouldn’t comment on the issue in Friday’s presser.
“Private issue, we solve internally, speaking with him. Of course, this is not the place to talk about the private situations.” – Pep Guardiola on Kyle Walker
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Emerson Royal (knock) will have to be assessed ahead of Saturday’s clash with Nottingham Forest, while Ivan Perisic will also have to be “monitored”.
Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee), Hugo Lloris (knee) and Yves Bissouma (ankle) all remain on the medium-to-long-term injury list.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Christian Eriksen (ankle) and Donny van de Beek (knee) remain on the sidelines, while the Southampton game may come too soon for Anthony Martial (hip).
“Yeah, but I think, all the time, we had a good plan and until now it [didn’t] always [work well]. But he is on his way back, he is back in training, but we will be cautious, yeah.” –
CRYSTAL PALACE
Patrick Vieira reported no fresh injury concerns in Friday’s presser, although Will Hughes (illness) will have to be assessed after missing training earlier in the week.
Sam Johnstone (calf) is the only name we know about who is still injured, while Nathan Ferguson remains short of match fitness.
Cheick Doucoure is suspended for the Manchester City game but will return for Palace’s second Double Gameweek 27 fixture in midweek.
SOUTHAMPTON
Rubén Sellés is still waiting to learn the availability of Charly Alcaraz (knee) after the midfielder injured himself while celebrating his winner against Leicester City last Saturday.
“Charly is doing better. He made training today and we still need to see if he will be in the squad or not. Tomorrow will be the final test.”
“They are young players and they need to learn those situations and it was in the emotion of the moment. He has been feeling a little bit guilty, but let’s see if he can make it or not.
“If he is not fit for the game he will for sure [be fit] for the midweek game against Brentford. As I have said, we are learning together and that’s a lesson for him.” – Ruben Selles
Saints otherwise have no fresh injury concerns with Tino Livramento (knee) and Juan Larios (muscle) the only absentees.
FULHAM
Marco Silva reported nothing new on the team news front, presumably meaning that Layvin Kurzawa (knee), Tom Cairney (shin) and Neeskens Kebano (Achilles) will remain on the sidelines.
Joao Palhinha serves the second game of a two-match ban, while loanee Cedric Soares can’t face his parent club.
ASTON VILLA
Diego Carlos (Achilles) could be back in the matchday squad this weekend after his lengthy lay-off but Philippe Coutinho (hamstring) and Boubacar Kamara (ankle) are out and Leander Dendoncker is still a doubt after sustaining a hand injury in a domestic incident.
WEST HAM UNITED
Lukasz Fabianski (eye) and Vladimir Coufal (heel) look set to remain out, while Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio will be assessed after complaining of calf tightness in the Europa League match against AEK Larnaca on Thursday.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Julen Lopetegui said that Diego Costa will be sidelined for 2-4 weeks with a knee injury he picked up last weekend.
Boubacar Traore (groin) and Hwang Hee-chan (hamstring) are closing in on a return and could make the squad tomorrow.
BOURNEMOUTH
Hamed Traore (muscle) and Marcus Tavernier (hamstring) remain unavailable, while Jefferson Lerma (muscle) is “touch and go” for the visit of Liverpool.
There was no word on Matias Vina (knee), Junior Stanislas (knock), David Brooks (hamstring), Lloyd Kelly (calf) or Illia Zabarnyi (ankle) but Gary O’Neil perhaps hinted that they wouldn’t feature when saying that the situation was “fairly similar to where we were last week”.
