The pre-match press conferences for Gameweek 13 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) are underway, with the all-important injury news starting to arrive.
Five Premier League managers faced reporters on Thursday, with the latest key quotes and team news updates provided in the article below.
The other 15 top-flight bosses will take questions on Friday.
For those clubs, check out our early team news round-up here.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Steve Cooper has confirmed Taiwo Awoniyi will spend months on the sidelines after aggravating a groin injury during the international break.
“We’ll support him and try to get him back as quick and as fit as he can be, but it’s a really unfortunate situation and a blow for him. He’s become an important player for us with the goals he’s scored and the goals he will score for us, but he’s such a good guy and a good professional who is desperate to do well, so to get an injury like this is harsh on him.
We’ve got to support him through the process of coming back stronger. He’s done that once before here and I’m sure he will give everything again like he did last time. You think about how well he did when he returned last season, I’m sure that’s given him a good reference point to come back to. We’ll definitely see him again this season, but it’s groin surgery so it will take a little while.” – Steve Cooper on Taiwo Awoniyi
Anthony Elanga (knee) withdrew from international duty with Sweden but is “progressing well”, while Murillo (hamstring) and Danilo (ankle) both picked up injuries during the 3-2 loss at West Ham United in Gameweek 12.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury and can “hopefully be available in the coming weeks”, meanwhile.
“Anthony [Elanga] pulled out of international duty. He had a scan just after the West Ham game and had a bit of a medial knee injury. He is progressing well and is back out training.
Murillo came off against West Ham with a hamstring problem. It was a tiny blessing that it happened going into the international break, so he wouldn’t have been missing the week after. It was a blow for him, because he has been doing well and is a young player we have enjoyed giving an opportunity to.
Danilo limped off in that game as well. He suffered an ankle sprain.” – Steve Cooper on Anthony Elanga, Murillo and Danilo
BURNLEY
Lyle Foster continues to receive specialist care for a mental health issue but no timeframe has been put on his return by Vincent Kompany.
“Very little I can communicate other than we’re convinced he’s getting the best care possible. We are fully ready as and when, we can’t put a timeframe on it, to embrace him again with us and make sure he has platform to play his best again. At the moment the focus is just on him getting better.” – Vincent Kompany on Lyle Foster
The Clarets will be without Arijanet Muric, who missed Kosovo’s defeat to Belarus on Tuesday with an infection, and Jack Cork (knock) in Gameweek 13.
Manuel Benson and Hjalmar Ekdal could return, however.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Wolves will be without Pedro Neto (hamstring) in Gameweek 13 but Gary O’Neil did provide an update on his star man on Thursday.
“Pedro won’t make Monday. He’s got a little bit more work to do. Pedro will stay with the physios and fitness staff for a bit longer. There’s no exact time frame, but Monday he won’t be available. Hopefully it’s weeks. It’s hard because there’ll be tests done, he goes for other check-ups and scans and you’re sort of guided by them, how quickly he’s healing, but he’s healing very well. He’s probably ahead of where they would have wanted him to be at this point. We’re pleased with the progress he’s made, but with the nature of the injury, we need to make sure everything’s ticked off properly before he’s back with the group.” – Gary O’Neil on Pedro Neto
O’Neil is still yet to see Hwang Hee-chan after international duty but “hopefully he comes back well”.
Elsewhere, Santiago Bueno is “back fit” and could replace the suspended Craig Dawson at centre-half, while Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty “should be fine”.
Nathan Fraser (quad) and Joe Hodge (shoulder) remain out.
“I think everyone came back OK. Nathan Fraser’s still out. Mario [Lemina] rolled his ankle on international duty but should be fine. Matt Doherty has a tight hamstring but will be fine. Hugo Bueno is back involved, as he was just before, he’s doing well. ‘Hodgey’ is doing well, he’s back on the grass, but it comes a bit too quick for him. We’re pretty much as we were, as long as nothing happens the next couple of days. The only one not back yet is Channy [Hwang] so hopefully he comes back well.” – Gary O’Neil
BOURNEMOUTH
Max Aarons will be missing for “some time” with the hamstring injury sustained in the 2-0 win over Newcastle United prior to the international break.
Philip Billing is fine, however, having missed Gameweek 12 with a thigh issue.
Emiliano Marcondes is also back doing some “partial” training with the team.
“Philip [Billing] has been back training with us. He missed a couple of trainings after the game, but has been training normal. Max Aarons, we lose him because he got injured in the game, also Emiliano [Marcondes] has started partially doing some things with the team. He’s not with the rhythm of his teammates, but he has started to train with the rest. Darren Randolph is training normal now, also with the team. I don’t think we have any new injuries.” – Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola also discussed Dominic Solanke, who is the most-bought forward of the Gameweek so far.
“The feeling that I’ve had with him, since day one here, has been very, very good. He has a lot of different skills, he can adapt to different ways of playing and he is very complete as a number nine. We talk more about him when he scores the goals, but his performances have been more or less the same level since the first game of the season.” – Andoni Iraola on Dominic Solanke
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed Anel Ahmedhodzic and Oli McBurnie are both available for selection in Gameweek 13.
Jayden Bogle is still carrying a minor injury, but Vini Souza is fine to play too.
Chris Basham (leg), Rhian Brewster (knee), Tom Davies (thigh), John Egan (leg), Daniel Jebbison and Rhys Norrington-Davies remain out, however.
“They have been big for us, Anel [Ahmedhodzic] in the last 18 months and Oli [McBurnie] the last couple of years. They have been big players. We want them all fit and we want them available. I would love everyone fit and available and it’s no disrespect but we have been getting to 60 minutes in games and I am looking around and looking at the depth of squads that other managers have had and what we’ve had and we have not been able to do it. In terms of Oli, he will be able to start. Vini [Souza] is fine and Jayden [Bogle] is still carrying. It’s a minor thing that we are managing him through. He’s not missed anything and has been training great. You can see he finished the game stronger than he started at Brighton.” – Paul Heckingbottom
OTHER UPDATES
Among the updates awaited tomorrow will be the latest on Jarrod Bowen on Kaoru Mitoma, which we’ll cover in our usual Friday live blog.
However, the Japan winger has at least been spotted in a video posted by Brighton’s social media team earlier today, which you can see below.
Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey and Liverpool’s South American contingent are back in training, too.
