At least five more pre-match press conferences for Gameweek 18 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) are scheduled to happen on Thursday afternoon.
The key quotes and team news are provided in the article below, so click refresh for the latest updates.
The managers of Bournemouth, Burnley, Aston Villa, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers are among those who faced the media, with the BBC reporting that an unnamed sixth head coach was also due to speak.
For a summary of Wednesday’s pre-match pressers, check out the quotes from the bosses of Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United in this article here.
That means that we won’t get the team news from eight teams involved in Gameweek 18, as their press conferences will be held on Friday. Our early team news round-up from Tuesday night is worth checking out for that group of clubs.
FPL GAMEWEEK 18 TEAM NEWS: INJURY UPDATES
- Aston Villa: Torres + Tielemans ruled out, Digne + Luiz return from bans
- Everton: Doucoure out, Mykolenko back in the thinking
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa fit, Neto could be involved
- Bournemouth: Kerkez pictured in a protective boot
- Burnley: Taylor back from a ban, Foster won’t go to AFCON
ASTON VILLA
Unai Emery has confirmed that Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans will not face Sheffield United on Saturday, having failed to recover from their respective injuries.
Little is known about either issue but Emery had previously expressed hope that Pau’s problem was a “small injury”.
Tyrone Mings (knee), Emi Buendia (knee) and Bertrand Traore (unspecified) also remain out.
Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne do return from suspension but Villa have now lost Boubacar Kamara for the next three league matches after the midfielder’s straight red card in west London last Sunday.
“The other players are ready. They trained this morning and they are going to be available for tomorrow.” – Unai Emery
EVERTON
Everton have got Jarrad Branthwaite and Idrissa Gana Gueye back from bans but there are injury concerns elsewhere.
Abdoulaye Doucoure (hamstring) is definitely out, while Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman are sizeable doubts with niggly injuries.
Vitalii Mykolenko is back in contention after his own recent absence, however.
“Mykolenko, back in the thinking. Touch and go with Seamus because of the involvement side of things, he needs a few more days training. Youngy is making progress but I don’t think he’ll make this one. Douc, not for this one.
“[Doucoure] is making good progress. He’s a good healer, from what I gathered from his past here, so we’re hoping it settles quickly as it is doing.” – Sean Dyche
Dele Alli (hip) remains sidelined but Andre Gomes (calf) yet again featured for the under-21s on Tuesday in a bid to build up match fitness.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Pedro Neto (hamstring) could make a return this weekend, while Jose Sa (shoulder) has been passed fit after missing the defeat to West Ham United.
“He’s good, trained fully the last couple days, so he’ll be fit and ready for the weekend.” – Gary O’Neil on Jose Sa
“He’s trained the full week with the lads, so we’ll see how he goes in the next two days, to how much involvement he can have at the weekend.
“Training is going well, he’s feeling good, so let’s see how he is come Sunday.” – Gary O’Neil on Pedro Neto
Matheus Cunha, Craig Dawson, Nelson Semedo and Mario Lemina all suffered illnesses before last weekend’s clash with the Hammers but featured nonetheless.
“They missed a couple of days after the game. Mario and Cunha didn’t train the first day with the group and Daws missed the first couple. Nelson was OK as he was further along with it, so he was feeling slightly better and trained the full week.
“But so far no one else seems to have picked it up, so hopefully we’re coming through it. They all trained fully today, it was Daws’ first day back, and they all came through it OK.” – Gary O’Neil
Jonny Otto (disciplinary) remains out of contention but Joe Hodge (shoulder) is back in training.
BOURNEMOUTH
Milos Kerkez was pictured wearing a protective boot on social media on Thursday, sparking concerns that he’ll miss out in Gameweek 18.
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola hinted at fitness worries in his pre-match presser, also ruling Hamed Traore (illness) out again.
“This week probably I cannot be as clear as normally with you because still we have two days [of training]. We have some knocks, some small issues. Probably I cannot tell you like other weeks that I tell you: ‘this will be the squad.’
“There are two or three situations that we still have to wait.
“Junior (Traore) will not [be fit]. Still taking more time than we expected, his recovery.” – Andoni Iraola
Iraola didn’t confirm it but Max Aarons (hamstring) may rejoin the matchday squad at the City Ground, having partly joined in training last week.
Lloyd Kelly (hamstring), Tyler Adams (hamstring) and Ryan Fredericks (calf) are expected to remain out, while Emi Marcondes has been building fitness with run-outs for the development squad after recovering from foot surgery.
BURNLEY
Charlie Taylor is back from a ban this weekend, while there’s a chance that Burnley could get back another couple of their injured players in time for Gameweek 18.
Aaron Ramsey (knee) was described as “touch and go” for last weekend’s defeat to the Toffees and ultimately missed out, while Johann Berg Gudmundsson sat out that loss to Everton with an injury that his manager hoped was not too serious.
Jack Cork (calf) was already close to a comeback, based on Kompany’s update last Thursday.
“We’re hopeful. Maybe out of those three names, one of them less so.” – Vincent Kompany
Luca Koleosho (knee) is the only long-term absentee.
Kompany confirmed that Lyle Foster wouldn’t be departing for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, having only recently returned from treatment for his mental health.
Foster got 45 minutes off the bench for the Clarets last weekend.
“I’m still very cautious in the sense that it is part of his rehabilitation, this is just a step. His natural environment includes football and the goal is to put him back into his natural environment.
“Playing makes him happy and when he’s happy, he’s able to do really good things for us.
“He can’t go to the Africa Cup of Nations. For his own benefit, for the human Lyle Foster, he needs to stay in a smaller environment where he still has the support of the experts that got him through the first phase.” – Vincent Kompany
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