The pre-match press conferences for Gameweek 14 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) got underway on Thursday, with four Premier League managers facing the media.
The latest key quotes and team news updates are provided in the article below.
It’s probably fair to say that Fantasy interest was limited, with only the managers of Everton, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Burnley staging their pressers.
The other 16 top-flight bosses will take questions on Friday. For those clubs, check out our early team news round-up here.
One of the concerns we’ll be hoping to get good news on concerns Ollie Watkins, who missed Aston Villa’s clash with Legia Warsaw on Thursday night. Unai Emery said afterwards that he was “hopeful” the striker would be fit.
EVERTON
After missing the weekend defeat to Manchester United, Amadou Onana (calf) is “unlikely” to make the trip to Nottingham Forest.
Seamus Coleman made his long-awaited return to the matchday squad as an unused substitute but there’s still no Dele Alli (hip) or Andre Gomes (calf) on the horizon.
As for the Toffees’ forwards, Beto was absent on Sunday but is training and should be available. Sean Dyche says more caution will be taken with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, considering the congested week ahead.
“Amadou is unlikely, I think. Beto is likely, he’s back, he’s just got a minor kind of situation but it needed some settling down and that’s settled, so we’re pleased with that. He certainly trained today, which is good.
“Dom we’re just being careful with, he’s one of them who we’ll just make a decision on these next couple of days. It’s just a bit of tightness and as we know he’s got an up and down past over the last couple of years and he’s done very well recently with his fitness so therefore we’re just monitoring.” – Sean Dyche
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Forest’s star forward Taiwo Awoniyi (groin) is out for three months after groin surgery.
Felipe (knee) presumably remains on the sidelines based on Steve Cooper’s update below but Ibrahim Sangare is at least partly back in training after he picked up an illness while on Ivory Coast duty.
“Ibrahim has just joined back in training. He had a really bad virus which meant he missed the game last week.
“It has knocked him, to be fair. It is going to take a little bit of time to recover and get back up to full health.
“But we are glad he is back with us and back out ont the grass, albeit not in full training. Apart from that, we are as we were.” – Steve Cooper
BURNLEY
There was no Lyle Foster news from Vincent Kompany, with the forward missing the last four Gameweeks with a mental health issue.
Hjalmar Ekdal made the bench last week but Manuel Benson (match fitness) did not. The only Kompany update touched upon Jack Cork (knock) and backup goalkeeper Arijanet Muric (infection).
“Aro [Muric] is still struggling a little bit and Corky’s not going to be ready for this week. Aro has not really trained this week, so we’ll see.
“Yeah [everyone available last weekend should be fit], but meanwhile we’ve had a training session this morning so the honest answer is that we’ll see. There might be one late phone call I need to get from the doctor tonight.” – Vincent Kompany
SHEFFIELD UNITED
The Clarets’ Gameweek 14 opponents, Sheffield United, are alongside them in the relegation zone and neither has collected a clean sheet so far.
Anel Ahmedhodzic and Oliver McBurnie made second-half comebacks in the 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth.
“They benefitted from that 45 minutes they played but you could see they’ve been out for six or seven weeks. They’ve had another week’s training and the game-time, which is good. So they’re in a much better place than they were last week.
“In terms of [new] injuries, one or two are carrying little bits and pieces but everyone was out there training today.” – Paul Heckingbottom
Wes Foderingham was ill earlier this week but has since returned to training.
Chris Basham (leg), Rhian Brewster (knee), Tom Davies (thigh), John Egan (leg), Daniel Jebbison (illness) and Rhys Norrington-Davies (hamstring) remain out for the Turf Moor adventure.
Norrington-Davies has been out for 13 months but is now making slow progress.
“Rhys has done some bits with us now in training, which is good. But we’ll be really patient with him. Day by day we’ll gradually increase what he does.
“He’s on his own programme as such, and using us to get what he needs. But what he needs right now is football, and the stressing and testing of training, which is what he’s getting. So that’s good news.” – Paul Heckingbottom
