Gameweek 21 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is still some time away but all 20 Premier League managers will be staging press conferences before the FA Cup third round, which takes place from Thursday to Monday.
We’ll be rounding up all the key injury updates, as usual, in our team news articles.
Nine top-flight bosses faced the media on Wednesday and Thursday, with the headline news and quotes here.
The rest, including Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Eddie Howe, are still to come on Friday. We’ll have another article to follow, summarising those pressers. We will hopefully get an update on Erling Haaland (£13.9m), after he was pictured in training in midweek.
KEY INJURY UPDATES
- Crystal Palace: Olise faces a “period on the sidelines”
- Tottenham Hotspur: Maddison not training, van de Ven back in training, Son off to the Asian Cup
- Manchester United: Onana’s AFCON departure delayed
- Brentford: Toney not eligible for FA Cup tie but returns thereafter
- Everton: Doucoure “touch and go”
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Hwang off to the Asian Cup, no injuries
- Fulham: Ream + Adama closer but remain out
- Burnley: Beyer could be back for Gameweek 21
- Sheffield United: A few “knocks”, Wilder won’t take risks
CRYSTAL PALACE
Roy Hodgson said in Wednesday’s pre-match press conference that Michael Olise faces a “period on the sidelines” with the hamstring injury he picked up in Gameweek 20.
The winger will definitely miss Thursday’s cup tie against Everton but Hodgson couldn’t put a timeframe on Olise’s return, so it’s unknown whether he’ll be fit for the Gameweek 21 clash with Arsenal.
The Palace boss otherwise said the injury situation hasn’t changed much, so Sam Johnstone (calf), Cheick Doucoure (Achilles), Rob Holding (ankle), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring), Nathan Ferguson (hamstring) and Joel Ward (hamstring) presumably all remain out.
“The injuries haven’t changed that much in terms of the ones who have been out for a period of time but as you probably saw in the game against Brentford, Michael Olise had to come off right at the end. He felt his hamstring with the last sprint he made of the game. Unfortunately for us, he won’t take part in this game.
“We’ll have to nurse him through and hope he gets back as soon as possible. For how long is he out? I can’t answer that one I’m afraid.”
“We were delighted with him [against Brentford], and for him, in that game, and even sadder he’s going to face a period on the sidelines. We hope that period won’t be for too long.
“It [his character] is good. We’re hoping that this one is going to be nothing like the one that put him out the game for as near as six months. We don’t think or hope it’s going to be like that.
“It is another little setback that I’m sure he and we would not have liked. After his last two performances, which were so good, we were hoping he’d be stepping out tomorrow and treating us again to another great exhibition of football.
“He’s a bit upset that that can’t happen and as are we, but let’s not put too much of a dampener on what’s going to happen going forward. There’s plenty of games left to play in this season, we’ve got another 18 league matches to play, and we’re hoping he’s going to be there to help us.” – Roy Hodgson
Jordan Ayew has now departed for the Africa Cup of Nations, meanwhile.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The chances of James Maddison (ankle) featuring in Gameweek 21 now look slim, with Ange Postecoglou saying in Thursday’s presser that the midfielder hadn’t yet trained and was still “a couple of weeks” away.
“He’s not training with us yet, mate, and I’ve said before until they training with us, it is hard for me to put a timeline on it. He’s running with the sports science crew but not with us and not likely to be with us in the next couple of weeks, I don’t think.” – Ange Postecoglou on James Maddison
Micky van de Ven (hamstring) looks set to be available, however, while Dejan Kulusevski returns from suspension.
“Micky van de Ven has trained with us this week, he’s got through three sessions. We’re not sure about tomorrow whether he’ll be involved or not. I think everyone else is as is.” – Ange Postecoglou
Manor Solomon (knee), Ivan Perisic (knee), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Alfie Whiteman (ankle) and Cristian Romero (hamstring) have now been joined on the sidelines by Alejo Veliz, who faces two months out with a knee injury.
Postecoglou revealed that Romero was still in the “very early stages” of his rehabilitation.
“Alejo [Veliz] suffered a fairly significant injury. He had scans after the game and it’ll probably keep him out for a couple of months. He won’t need surgery but he’s suffered ligament damage. Disappointed for him because he’s worked hard to get an opportunity in the last couple of weeks and has been growing into it so really disappointed for him. In terms of last week, no one else is an issue on the injury front.” – Ange Postecoglou
Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are all off on international duty, too.
“Sonny, if you name a team of the year at the moment and he’s in it. He’s been a hell of a player for us. It’s a big loss for us, another one and we’re going to have to really raise everyone’s levels to cover the absence of another significant contributor for us this season.” – Ange Postecoglou
MANCHESTER UNITED
Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Andre Onana will be involved against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Monday.
Onana is called up to Cameroon’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but his club and national team have agreed to delay the goalkeeper’s departure.
It is still uncertain whether Onana will feature in Gameweek 21, however, despite earlier media reports suggesting he will.
“So, we’re talking with [the] Cameroon Federation. It was an issue during the talks with Andre when he came in here, and it’s constructive, so we will see.
“I don’t know yet [if he will be with us for the Tottenham game on 14 January] but he will be there for the game against Wigan.” – Erik ten Hag on Andre Onana
Sofyan Amrabat is also off to AFCON, while Jadon Sancho is unavailable for selection for disciplinary reasons (and potentially off back to Borussia Dortmund) and Victor Lindelof (groin) remains injured.
Luke Shaw (knock), Harry Maguire (groin), Casemiro (ankle), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Lisandro Martinez (foot) and Mason Mount (calf) are all nearing returns, with Casemiro and Martinez back in training this week.
Ten Hag has previously stated that he expects Maguire, Malacia, Shaw and Mount to return at some point in January.
Only illness has kept Anthony Martial out of late, meanwhile.
Ten Hag hinted that none of them would be back for the FA Cup, however.
“I think we will have, more or less, the same squad as against Nottingham Forest.” – Erik ten Hag
BRENTFORD
Ben Mee is back from a ban, while Ivan Toney will be available for selection from January 17 – so while he’ll miss Brentford’s FA Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he’ll be back for Gameweek 21.
Thomas Frank made a bold claim in Thursday’s presser, saying that Toney will be staying with the west Londoners amid intense transfer speculation.
The Bees have recovered Josh Dasilva (hamstring) but the match comes too soon for Kristoffer Ajer (foot), who is nearing a return.
Shandon Baptiste (foot) has been missing for the last two matches but isn’t thought to be too seriously injured, having been described as a “maybe” for Gameweek 20.
Bryan Mbeumo (ankle), Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Kevin Schade (muscle), Rico Henry (knee) remain out injured, while Yoane Wissa, Frank Onyeka, Saman Ghoddos and Kim Ji-Soo are now all off on international duty.
“Since the last game against Palace, the same players will be available.
“Josh Dasilva is ready to be involved in the squad for the game tomorrow. That’s the good positive news. The rest are at the same stages.” – Thomas Frank
EVERTON
Dele Alli (hip) has had a setback in his recovery and remains out, while Idrissa Gueye (calf) is both injured and called up by Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ashley Young (muscle) is back on the grass but won’t make the Thursday night cup clash with Palace, while Abdoulaye Doucoure (hamstring) is part of the “touch and go” camp.
“Just about but it would be a touch-and-go scenario.” – Sean Dyche on whether Abdoulaye Doucoure is back in training
“These are the decisions that will be made. There are people who are touch-and-go, then [it’s a case of] do you play them or do you not, as you can imagine. We hope to have a couple back in with the idea of playing or certainly in the squad.” – Sean Dyche
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Wolves are reportedly injury-free but they nevertheless have six players out of first-team contention for the FA Cup tie against Brentford.
Mario Lemina is still absent following the death of his father, while Jonny Otto is not being considered for selection for disciplinary reasons.
International duty beckons for Rayan Ait-Nouri, Boubacar Traore, Hwang Hee-chan and Justin Hubner, who are off to either the Africa Cup of Nations or the Asian Cup.
“After this game tomorrow we have a little break before Brighton [in Gameweek 21], so we’re hopeful that firstly Mario and his family get themselves into a position where they’re ready to move forward with things.
“Then hopefully Mario will be back for Brighton, because he is a hugely important player to us.” – Gary O’Neil on Mario Lemina
FULHAM
Tim Ream (calf) and Adama Traore (hamstring) remained sidelined, although the former was described as “closer” by Marco Silva and the latter is aiming to return at the end of January.
Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Fode Ballo-Toure are all now away to the Africa Cup of Nations with their respective countries.
BURNLEY
Jordan Beyer will miss the cup tie against Spurs on Friday night but the centre-half could be back for the Gameweek 21 clash with Luton Town.
“He won’t feature in the next game, but hopefully he’ll be back for the Luton game.” – Vincent Kompany on Jordan Beyer
We didn’t get an update on Hjalmar Ekdal (unspecified) or Jack Cork (calf), two recent absentees, but we know for definite that Luca Koleosho (knee) will be out for a long time yet.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Gustavo Hamer and Anel Ahmedhodžic are back from bans, while loanee James McAtee is available again after being ineligible to face his parent club in Gameweek 20.
Yasser Larouci and Anis Ben Slimane have now departed for the Africa Cup of Nations, however.
Longer-term absentees Chris Basham (leg), John Egan (leg) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) remain on the sidelines but Tom Davies (thigh) is “closer” to a return and could be back at some point in January.
“There are some knocks. Everybody has to understand that I can’t risk certain players that are struggling, just to get a win, because I don’t want them to be out for 6-12 weeks.
“There are still some medium-term injuries and short-term injuries that are just not worth taking a chance on. There are a couple of boys I would love to play. I’m going to play my strongest team and I would love those 2-3 other players that would definitely start… I’d love to stick them in but I’m not going to take a risk.” – Chris Wilder, speaking on Thursday
