The pre-match press conferences for Gameweek 35 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) are underway.
As ever, we’ll be bringing you all the key quotes and injury updates that you need in this article.
Five Premier League bosses held pressers during the day on Thursday, with 13 more following on Friday.
Erik ten Hag and Roberto De Zerbi both faced the media after Manchester United’s defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Thursday evening, with the Gameweek 35 section of those press conferences embargoed till the following day.
This is a ‘live’ article, so you’ll have to hit refresh to get the latest updates when the press conferences are being held.
KEY UPDATES FROM FRIDAY
- Manchester City: De Bruyne has “trained good”
- Liverpool: Jota trains – but with limited contact
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Gross + Ferguson may not be risked
- Manchester United: Only Garnacho expected back
- Arsenal: Gabriel to be assessed
- Newcastle United: Saint-Maximin close, Longstaff yet to train
- Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris out for the season
- Chelsea: No changes to the team news
- West Ham United: Illness affecting the Hammers
- Aston Villa: Four players return to training
- Fulham: Final match of Mitrovic’s ban
- Bournemouth: Tavernier + Moore to miss out
- Nottingham Forest: Danilo + Johnson doubts
- Leeds United: Four players unavailable
- Southampton: Four out, one could return
KEY UPDATES FROM THURSDAY
- Leicester City: Ricardo and Evans in training
- Crystal Palace: No word on Zaha injury
- Everton: Coleman likely out for the season
- Brentford: Ajer returns
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Semedo to be assessed
FRIDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
MANCHESTER CITY
Pep Guardiola confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne had “trained good” after missing out on Gameweek 34 with the “little niggles” that he picked up against Arsenal last week.
“He trained yesterday, he trained good. Today we are going to train and we are going to decide after training.
“Missing just one week, ten days at this stage of the season is not a problem. It’s the same what happened with Nathan [Ake]. If he’s fit, he can play, yeah.” – Pep Guardiola on Kevin De Bruyne
Ederson‘s midweek benching was briefly touched on by his manager but Guardiola gave away no clues as to his starting XI against Leeds.
“He’s ready to play like he was against West Ham. Tomorrow we will decide.” – Pep Guardiola on Ederson
LIVERPOOL
Jurgen Klopp said on Friday that Diogo Jota (rib/back) has been able to train but hasn’t done much in the way of contact work.
“Diogo has his back issue, the bruised rib, he could train yesterday but he didn’t do a lot, to be honest. He was not really in danger yesterday with any kind of contact or stuff like this. We’ll have to see there.” – Jurgen Klopp
Thiago Alcantara (hip), Calvin Ramsay (knee) and Stefan Bajcetic (thigh) remain out, while Roberto Firmino (muscle) and Naby Keita (muscle) aren’t yet ready to feature despite returns to training.
Jordan Henderson also now faces a scan on an injury picked up in midweek.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Pascal Gross (muscle) and Evan Ferguson (foot) could return for the visit of Everton but won’t be risked if they are not 100%, while Joel Veltman (muscle) is a big doubt and Tariq Lamptey (knee) and Jeremy Sarmiento (ankle) are definitely out.
Adam Lallana (thigh) and Jakub Moder (knee) have been sighted back in training recently but are still some distance from a playing return.
“I think Joel Veltman has a not big, but not a small injury. I think he can’t play on Monday. With Pascal Gross we will see the day before the [Everton] game. I didn’t want to take any risks with him, he is too important for us. With Evan [Ferguson], I hope he is okay for Monday but I don’t know and I don’t want to take risks with the players.” – Roberto De Zerbi
MANCHESTER UNITED
Raphael Varane (foot), Lisandro Martinez (fractured metatarsal), Scott McTominay (knock), Tom Heaton (ankle) and Donny van de Beek (knee) remain out but Alejandro Garnacho (foot) could be involved after his recent return to training.
“No, I think it will be the same squad. Maybe one player [to add]: Garnacho. I have to see. Maybe he can be involved but we will have to see how the progress can go.” – Erik ten Hag
ARSENAL
Mohamed Elneny (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and William Saliba (back) remain out, while Mikel Arteta said that there will be late call on Gabriel Magalhaes after the defender limped out of the win over Chelsea with an unspecified issue.
“We will see tomorrow how he is but yeah he could not finish the game, so that was obviously a big sign for us.” – Mikel Arteta on Gabriel Magalhaes
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Emil Krafth (knee) and Jamaal Lascelles (calf) are likely out for the season but Allan Saint-Maximin (hamstring) has been back on the grass this week as his comeback draws nearer.
“We’ll wait and see. One training session in [a month], so we’ll make a decision whether we involve him.” – Eddie Howe on Allan Saint-Maximin
Sean Longstaff, who missed the win over Southampton with a foot injury, has “improved” but has yet to train fully with his team-mates.
“Sean is okay and has improved. He hasn’t trained yet so we’re hoping either today or tomorrow he will, but we’ll see.” – Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe otherwise reported a “couple of little niggles… but hopefully, nothing major that will affect the team”.
The Newcastle boss was again asked about the possibility of pairing Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, answering with a trademark straight bat.
“It’s not the first time the temptation has been there to play them together. When you’re analysing the next game, you have to analyse the opponents, analyse yourselves and pick the best team to try and win the game. That won’t be any different this weekend.
“I’ve talked about lots of different scenarios but, ultimately, my end decision has to be what does the team need rather than what Alex or Callum need.
“It’s up to me to make the right call.” – Eddie Howe
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Ryan Mason confirmed on Friday that Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Hugo Lloris (muscle) are out for the season but there is a chance that Emerson Royal (knee) and Yves Bissouma (ankle) could make a return before the end of 2022/23, albeit not this weekend.
Rodrigo Bentancur (knee) remains without a return date.
“Hugo is out for the season. We had the results back. Obviously disappointing. We feared that initially, we’ve done some more tests and he won’t play again this season.
“[Regarding Bentancur], these types of injuries you have to be very careful with. We see sometimes they can re-occur. We’re assessing him day by day, he’s making progress, but at the moment, it’s probably too early to set a return date.
“We’re hopeful [Bissouma can play a part before the end of the season]. There are some hurdles he’s got to overcome.
“Ryan [Sessegnon] had a significant injury and he won’t feature for the rest of the season.
“Emerson is day by day now and hopefully he can help us before the end of the season.” – Ryan Mason
CHELSEA
Marc Cucurella (quad), Reece James (hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvic), Armando Broja (ACL) and Kalidou Koulibaly (hamstring) remain out but Frank Lampard said that Chelsea had no new concerns for the trip to Bournemouth.
WEST HAM UNITED
Gianluca Scamacca (knee) and Kurt Zouma (ankle) remain sidelined, while reports suggest that Vladimir Coufal will also miss out after he limped out of the defeat to Manchester City with what appeared to be a hamstring issue.
Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice and Nayef Aguerd were back in training today after missing Wednesday’s match due to illness but David Moyes revealed that one other unnamed player was sent home on Friday morning, and another has said they “don’t feel good”.
ASTON VILLA
Matty Cash (calf), Boubacar Kamara (foot), Philippe Coutinho (thigh) and Leon Bailey (hamstring) have all returned to training this week, with Unai Emery set to make a late call on their involvement against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“We are slowly adding players to the squad to be ready for tomorrow. This week was fantastic because Coutinho started training on Monday, Kamara and Leon started training on Wednesday and Matty Cash started training with the group yesterday.
“Of course, for tomorrow, after being injured out for some weeks, they could be in the squad but to play… we are going to analyse the last 24 hours before the match, with the possibility if we are adding them to be (involved) in the match, with some possibilities to play.” – Unai Emery
FULHAM
Aleksandar Mitrovic will serve the final game of his eight-match ban in Gameweek 35, while Fulham will be without Andreas Pereira (ankle) and Tim Ream (arm) for the rest of the season.
BOURNEMOUTH
Gary O’Neil confirmed on Friday that Marcus Tavernier (hamstring), Kieffer Moore (concussion) and Hamed Traore (foot) won’t be able to face Chelsea, while Ryan Fredericks (calf) and Junior Stanislas (back) are out for the season.
Chris Mepham (hamstring) is fit, however.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Neco Williams (jaw), Scott McKenna (collarbone), Chris Wood (thigh), Dean Henderson (thigh), Willy Boly (hamstring), Giulian Biancone (ACL) and Omar Richards (leg) remain on the sidelines, while Gustavo Scarpa (calf) is nearing a return but yet to train fully.
Steve Cooper said it was “inconclusive” whether Danilo (hamstring) and Brennan Johnson (knock) would feature in Gameweek 35, amid reports that the former could be out for two matches.
LEEDS UNITED
In his first pre-match press conference as Leeds boss, Sam Allardyce ruled Liam Cooper (glute), Luis Sinisterra (ankle), Tyler Adams (hamstring) and Stuart Dallas (leg) out of the trip to Manchester City.
Illan Meslier‘s place could be under threat, with Allardyce yet to decide if the out-of-form goalkeeper will keep his place.
“I don’t see ever a problem in training because there’s no real pressure there like there is in a game.
“That, for me, is probably one of the biggest decisions I have to make today.” – Sam Allardyce on who will start in goal
SOUTHAMPTON
Juan Larios (hamstring), Mohammed Salisu (hip), Tino Livramento (match fitness) and Romain Perraud (ankle) remain out but Paul Onuachu (knee) should be fit providing he comes through training unscathed.
LEICESTER CITY
Ricardo Pereira (hamstring) and Jonny Evans (virus) could be back for Monday’s clash with Fulham, while Kelechi Iheanacho (groin) is making a swifter-than-expected recovery and may be in contention for the final two Gameweeks.
“Kel has responded to treatment. He’s not back obviously for the weekend, but we may get him back for the last two games – which we weren’t hopeful of getting when he first sustained the injury. Other than that, everyone came through the [Everton] game okay.
“Ricky has been training with us. He is due to train on Saturday. He part-trained yesterday (Wednesday). If he comes through Saturday, I’m sure he’ll put himself up for selection for Monday.”
“[Evans] is back training with us. He’s trained really well the last couple of days. It’s nice to have that experienced head around. There’s so much the some of the other lads can pick up from him, his knowledge, his experience and a great character to have around as well.” – Dean Smith
Jannik Vestergaard (calf) and James Justin (Achilles) remain out, with the latter back in training but not part of the 25-man squad anyway.
CRYSTAL PALACE
James Tomkins (calf) and James McArthur (unspecified) have joined Nathan Ferguson (muscle) on the sidelines, while Naououri Ahamada (knock) will be subject to a late fitness test.
Nathaniel Clyne (knee) is fit, however.
“He’s been back in training, which is good news for us. He’ll be available to play at the weekend.
“We’ve lost James Tomkins to a calf strain – I don’t know how long that will keep him out, but he’s certainly unavailable for this game. Then, you know about [the injuries to] Nathan Ferguson and James McArthur.
“[Naououri] Ahamada has taken a knock to his ankle. He didn’t train Tuesday and didn’t train today, but will have a fitness test tomorrow – it’s a knock rather than an injury.” – Roy Hodgson
The absence of any injury update on Wilfried Zaha suggests he is fine after his knock last weekend, with Roy Hodgson instead defending his winger after an angry outburst that followed his withdrawal.
EVERTON
Amadou Onana (illness) is fit and available for Everton’s clash at the Amex but Seamus Coleman (ACL) looks set to play no further part in 2022/23.
“It’s still going to keep him out. It’s still a ligament injury that needs sorting out, but it’s not his ACL, which everyone feared. That’s good news and good news for him.
“I doubt [he’ll feature again this season], I don’t think so, no.” – Sean Dyche on Seamus Coleman
Ben Godfrey (groin), Andros Townsend (knee) and Ruben Vinagre (Achilles) remain unavailable.
BRENTFORD
Pontus Jansson (hamstring), Keane Lewis-Potter (knee), Christian Norgaard (Achilles) and Thomas Strakosha (calf) are still out this weekend but Kristoffer Ajer (calf) has been back in training and should feature in Thomas Frank’s matchday squad.
“The last game we played against Nottingham Forest, everyone from that game will be available again. Pontus [Jansson] is out, [Thomas] Strakosha is out and [Christian] Norgaard will be out. But Kristoffer Ajer will be available for selection.
“I think it will be difficult for [Norgaard] to play in this season, but we don’t exactly know because of the Achilles issues.” – Thomas Frank
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Chiquinho (knee) and Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) remain on the long-term absentee list, while Nelson Semedo (knee) will be assessed after his training was disrupted this week.
“He [Semedo] has had a knee problem, it’s a very dangerous problem, and that’s why he’s rested the two days, and now he’s started working with the group. We’re going to see if he’s fit or not fit for the next match.” – Julen Loptegui
VIDEO ROUND-UP
