We will be hearing from at least 12 Premier League managers on Friday – and we’ll be bringing you the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team news for Gameweek 17 as it arrives.
With any luck, we’ll also get updates from Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi, who wasn’t mentioned in the press conference times list.
This is a ‘live’ article and will be updated as and when the pressers are stage, so make sure to hit refresh for the latest injury updates on highly-owned assets like Anthony Gordon (£6.2m) and Erling Haaland (£14.0m).
The bosses of Burnley, Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers faced the media on Thursday, with the headlines from those seven press conferences to be found here.
FPL GAMEWEEK 17 TEAM NEWS: INJURY UPDATES
- Manchester City: Haaland looks set to miss out
- Newcastle United: Gordon to be assessed, Trippier banned
- West Ham United: Areola back involved, Alvarez to be assessed
- Chelsea: Sanchez, James + Cucurella injured, Nkunku available
- Arsenal: Martinelli “feeling good”
- Aston Villa: Diaby + Tielemans doubts
- Liverpool: Mac Allister out
- Manchester United: Shaw trains, Rashford fit, Maguire out
- Brentford: Mbeumo out for 12 weeks and will miss AFCON
- Crystal Palace: Mitchell returns, “probably too early” for Henderson
- Bournemouth: No new injuries, no returns
- Luton Town: Kabore available, Nakamba banned
FRIDAY’S GAMEWEEK 17 PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
MANCHESTER CITY
Erling Haaland (foot) looks set to miss out on the clash with Crystal Palace this weekend but Pep Guardiola is hopeful of having the Norwegian striker back for the upcoming FIFA World Club Cup.
“He arrived today and the doctors will see him. We’ll see how he feels.
“He has been in treatment away.
“Hopefully he can travel to Saudi. He’ll arrive tomorrow after the game and I think he’s going to travel with us. And after, we’ll see if he is able to play the first game, or the second, or when we come back.
“I don’t think [he’ll play against Palace]. Maybe surprisingly they’ll tell me something new but I don’t think so.
“No, [I’m not worried about the injury]. It’s not a fracture, it’s just stress. Sometimes players recover quicker, sometimes longer. The doctors say day by day, week by week, how he feels. The moment he doesn’t have symptoms and doesn’t feel pain, he will be ready to play again.” – Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland
- READ MORE: Haaland: Keep or sell in FPL Gameweek 17?
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Anthony Gordon will be assessed in training on Friday, having complained of hamstring tightness in the midweek loss to AC Milan.
Kieran Trippier also limped out of that contest but is suspended for Gameweek 17 anyway.
“Kieran misses this game through suspension so I think it is probably a good time for him to rest a couple of knocks that he’s got. We will see how he looks for next week.
“Anthony, usually is a very quick recoverer of different things, so we will see how he is today.
“So, I’ve given you nothing – apologies!” – Eddie Howe
Newcastle have recovered Callum Wilson (hamstring), Sean Longstaff (ankle) and Dan Burn (back) in the last week, while Martin Dubravka is also fine after illness, playing 90 minutes in midweek.
“Martin had an illness, he’s been carrying that illness for around seven days. Hopefully he’s 100%.
“It is mixed and it’s been mainly negative for so long on the injury front. Now we are getting a couple of players back but not back in their best physical condition, then you’ve got players that are having to keep playing that are picking up things. So mixed news.” – Eddie Howe
That leaves Sandro Tonali (ban), Javier Manquillo (groin), Harvey Barnes (toe), Joe Willock (Achilles), Sven Botman (knee), Jacob Murphy (shoulder), Elliot Anderson (back) and Matt Targett (hamstring) on the injury list.
There was no update on Botman, who has been back on the grass of late, but Barnes and Willock look set to miss the festive fixture programme.
“Joe Willock is in a period where he has had a couple of injections in his Achilles, which has been a long-standing problem for him, a difficult injury. I don’t think he will be back fit this side of January.
“That will be the same for Harvey. He didn’t have surgery on his foot. The specialist felt that he would be okay, and we’re still hoping it will not be longer term and he won’t need an operation, but we’re still in that phase where we’re going to see whether he’s going to come back or not.
“It’s a setback to a degree, where he’s felt a little bit of pain in his foot again. We’re hopeful it’s not a permanent setback, as in, he will need an operation. There’s still a chance that might happen.” – Eddie Howe
WEST HAM UNITED
Taking his press conference around 12 hours after the win over Freiburg, David Moyes said it was a “wait and see” on his players’ fitness ahead of the weekend.
The West Ham boss did reveal that Edson Alvarez took a knock to his hip before being replaced in the second half of that UEFA Europa League game, so the Mexican midfielder will need to be assessed.
Alphonse Areola (wrist) returned to training in midweek and was on the bench for the 2-0 win over the Bundesliga club, as he has been for much of the Europa League group stage.
Michail Antonio (hamstring), who has been absent since Gameweek 12, is the only other known concern.
CHELSEA
Chelsea’s weekly medical bulletin confirmed injuries to Reece James (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (knee) and Robert Sanchez (knee), who all came off in the defeat to Everton and now face spells on the sidelines.
Mauricio Pochettino then discussed the Blues’ fitness woes in his press conference.
“I think we have another player, another keeper [Djordje Petrovic] who is working really hard to try to be ready when these types of things happen. Of course, we are very sad because are going to lose a player maybe for a few weeks. We need to still see and wait to see perfectly the situation with Robert – and also with Reece and Marc Cucurella.” – Mauricio Pochettino on Robert Sanchez
Lesley Ugochukwu (muscle), Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring) and Carney Chukwuemeka (knee) also remain out.
Noni Madueke is “progressing with the reconditioning phase of his rehabilitation”, meanwhile.
But there was better news on Christopher Nkunku (knee) and Malo Gusto (knee), who have resumed full training. Nkunku will be in the squad on Saturday.
Romeo Lavia (ankle) is a little behind the pair and is only “partly” involved on the training ground.
ARSENAL
Gabriel Martinelli has recovered from illness and is in contention to face Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Fabio Vieira (groin), Thomas Partey (muscle) and Jurrien Timber (knee) remain out, while Mohamed Elneny has joined them on the sidelines with a minor hamstring injury he picked up in the midweek Champions League dead rubber.
Emile Smith Rowe (knee) returned to fitness for that Tuesday night encounter with PSV Eindhoven.
“Martinelli is feeling good. Yeah [he’s available].
“We have no other news apart from Mo. We did a scan and it doesn’t look too serious.” – Mikel Arteta
ASTON VILLA
Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne will miss out in Gameweek 17 after both picking up their fifth bookings of the season in Aston Villa’s win over Arsenal.
Tyrone Mings (knee), Emi Buendia (knee), Robin Olsen and Bertrand Traore (unspecified) are also out injured.
Unai Emery added that Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey, who missed Thursday’s UEFA Conference League tie, were doubts.
“Tielemans and Leon Bailey, they are both doubts. Olsen is out. Traoré is out. Two players are suspended, Lucas Digne and Douglas Luiz. Long-term injuries to Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendía. And the players who played yesterday, we’re going to wait for tomorrow.” – Unai Emery
LIVERPOOL
Jurgen Klopp didn’t bring us much fresh team news in Friday’s pre-match presser but earlier in the week had ruled Alexis Mac Allister (knee) out of the visit of Manchester United.
Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Diogo Jota (muscle) are thought to remain out, while Joel Matip (knee) went under the knife this week.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Bruno Fernandes will be banned for Manchester United’s trip to Anfield after reaching the unwanted five-caution landmark last weekend.
Anthony Martial (illness) remains out and Harry Maguire (groin) has joined the injury list, although the centre-half shouldn’t be out for too long.
In better news, Marcus Rashford has recovered from illness and Luke Shaw (hamstring) is expected to be available after returning to training.
Victor Lindelof (unspecified) has missed the last two matches in league and cup, while Jadon Sancho (disciplinary), Casemiro (ankle), Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Lisandro Martinez (foot) remain on the unavailable list.
Mason Mount (calf) and Christian Eriksen (knee) are thought to be closer to a comeback but, according to the United website, “look certain to remain out”.
Amad Diallo (knee) has resumed training in the last week or so.
BRENTFORD
Thomas Frank revealed on Friday that Bryan Mbeumo will have an operation on his ankle and will be unavailable for around three months, so the attacker will miss out on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“Operation today, in the ankle, out for 12 weeks.” – Thomas Frank on Bryan Mbeumo
Mathias Jensen (adductor), Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Kevin Schade (muscle), Rico Henry (knee), Josh Dasilva (hamstring), Ivan Toney (suspended) and Kristoffer Ajer (foot) also remain out.
Nathan Collins (ankle), who was pictured in training earlier this week, could come into contention.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Sam Johnstone (calf), Jefferson Lerma (hamstring) and Odsonne Edouard (knee) have joined Cheick Doucoure (Achilles), Rob Holding (ankle), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring) and Nathan Ferguson (hamstring) on the injury list.
Jordan Ayew is also banned for yellow card accumulation.
There is some good news, however, as Tyrick Mitchell (hip) has been passed fit.
Dean Henderson (thigh) has also returned to training but Roy Hodgson said that this game may come too soon for the goalkeeper.
The Palace boss hinted that Eberechi Eze (ankle) was close to recovering, too.
“[Dean] Henderson has trained this week – it is probably too early to play. We may have been obliged to ask him to play but the medical department would like him to have more time I think. The same with Ebere Eze.” – Roy Hodgson
BOURNEMOUTH
Andoni Iroala should have the same squad available to him that defeated Manchester United last weekend.
The Bournemouth manager reported no new concerns but also added that none of his injured or ill players were expected back.
Hamed Traore remains on the sidelines with an illness, while Max Aarons (hamstring) and Alex Scott (knee) are back on the grass but only partly training.
Lloyd Kelly (hamstring), who was described as “not close” ahead of Gameweek 16, Tyler Adams (hamstring) and Ryan Fredericks (calf) also remain out.
Emi Marcondes recently got his first minutes of 2023/24 in a behind-closed-doors friendly after recovering from foot surgery.
LUTON TOWN
The Hatters’ Marvelous Nakamba serves a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation but Issa Kabore returns after being ineligible to face his parent club last weekend.
Rob Edwards also welcomes back Gabe Osho (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (unspecified) for the trip to the south coast, with the pair having sat out the defeat to Manchester City.
Reece Burke (hamstring) and Cauley Woodrow (calf) are thought to be very close to returns, having already partly trained.
Daniel Potts (ankle) recently had a setback in his recovery, however.
