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There is some significant injury news to catch up on for Double Gameweek 25 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
This initial rundown gives an overview of all 20 Premier League sides, including the latest from the Liverpool camp.
Make sure to check back on the site on Thursday and Friday, when we’ll be rounding up the key lines from the pre-match press conferences.
Until then, here’s what we know.
BRENTFORD V LIVERPOOL
Trent Alexander-Arnold looks poised to miss Gameweek 25 with the recurrence of the knee injury he sustained in January.
Widespread reports on Wednesday, yet to be confirmed by the club, suggest that the defender will miss the Carabao Cup final on Sunday 25 February.
That final, of course, comes after the Double Gameweek that the Reds are about to have.
Alexander-Arnold was one of several faces missing from training on Tuesday, the others being Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Thiago Alcantara (muscle), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Ben Doak (knee) and Joel Matip (knee).
But there was good news elsewhere, with Alisson and Joe Gomez recovering from the illness that forced their absences in Gameweek 24.
Conor Bradley was also back on site after his recent compassionate leave, while Ibrahima Konate is now available after suspension.
The other headline news was the involvement of Mohamed Salah (hamstring) in team training after the best part of four weeks on the sidelines.
“Involvement” is the key word there: Salah was on the grass with his teammates but wasn’t sighted in contact training, only in things like passing drills.
Jurgen Klopp will hopefully bring us up to speed on the Egyptian on Friday.
As for the hosts, Josh Dasilva (knee), Bryan Mbeumo (ankle), Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Kevin Schade (muscle) and Rico Henry (knee) remain on the injury list.
Yoane Wissa and Frank Onyeka are back from international duty, however.
BURNLEY V ARSENAL
Arguably the two vaguest managers in the division meet this weekend, so don’t expect much help on the team news front ahead of the deadline.
Burnley’s Charlie Taylor (shoulder) was spotted in a training video posted on social media on Tuesday, however, suggesting his return is close – providing that video was a recent one, of course.
Luca Koleosho (knee) and Nathan Redmond (leg) are long-term absentees for the Clarets, while Jordan Beyer (muscle) has been out for over a month with no sign of a comeback.
Lyle Foster was added to the injury list after he missed out last weekend with a muscle injury of unknown severity.
Arsenal have several flagged players of their own, most of whom we don’t have a return date for.
Gabriel Jesus (knee) missed out on the win over Liverpool in Gameweek 23 with an injury that was only expected to keep him out for “days”, while Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) was withdrawn in that match after feeling muscular discomfort. Neither featured at West Ham United last weekend.
Also missing against the Hammers were Takehiro Tomiyasu, who had a “niggle” after returning from international duty, and Emile Smith Rowe, who “turned his ankle in training” ahead of Gameweek 24.
Thomas Partey (muscle) and Jurrien Timber (knee) are the only two Gunners who are confirmed as out, while Fabio Vieira (groin) has been missing for some time but is said to be nearing a return.
Not one of those names was seen in the midweek training gallery, not that that’s always a good barometer of availability.
FULHAM V ASTON VILLA
Raul Jimenez is expected to be unavailable until after the March international break because of his hamstring issue.
It remains to be seen if Kenny Tete (Achilles) or Tosin Adarabioyo (knock) recover from the minor injuries that kept them out of Gameweek 24.
The team news is otherwise positive from Fulham, who will be further boosted by the return of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey from international duty.
Villa’s defensive crisis worsened on Wednesday with the news that Diego Carlos has picked up a hamstring injury in training.
A day earlier, midfield anchor Boubacar Kamara had been ruled out for an extended period of time after sustaining a “significant” knee injury.
The true fitness of Pau Torres (ankle) remains a mystery, meanwhile: he’s been back in the Aston Villa squad as an unused substitute lately but hasn’t started a match since before Christmas.
Ezra Konsa (knee), Tyrone Mings (knee), Jhon Duran (hamstring) and Emi Buendia (knee) are also out for the Villans.
NEWCASTLE V BOURNEMOUTH
Alexander Isak (groin), Joe Willock (Achilles), Elliot Anderson (back), Joelinton (quad), Sandro Tonali (ban), Nick Pope (shoulder) and Matt Targett (hamstring) were all on the sidelines for the win over Nottingham Forest.
Isak, Anderson and Willock are thought to be the closest to returning from that group but could still be a little way off.
Two fresh concerns from Gameweek 24 are Callum Wilson (tendon) and Jacob Murphy (calf): the former started against Forest but was struggling late on, while the latter was an “unusable” substitute.
Media reports on Thursday suggest Wilson could be out for as long as three months.
The Cherries are again likely to be without Max Aarons (hamstring), James Hill (ankle), Tyler Adams (hamstring) and Ryan Fredericks (calf), while Philip Billing is still serving a three-match ban following his dismissal in Gameweek 23.
NOTTM FOREST V WEST HAM
We haven’t yet got a timeline on the hamstring injury that prevented Gonzalo Montiel (hamstring) from featuring against Newcastle last weekend.
Chris Wood (hamstring) is definitely out, however.
Forest are otherwise in decent nick and should have Ibrahim Sangaré, Willy Boly and Ola Aina back from international duty to further swell their ranks.
West Ham United have relatively few concerns, too.
One of their flagged players could even be back, as Michail Antonio (knee) made a return to training last week and is now only being judged on match fitness.
Lucas Paquetá (calf) is thought to be unlikely to make his own comeback at the City Ground, however.
SPURS V WOLVES
Giovani Lo Celso (hamstring) rejoined training last week so should be ready to feature after not being rushed back against Brighton and Hove Albion.
With Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) also back on the grass this week, there’s only Manor Solomon (knee) definitely out this weekend.
But there could be two new concerns, with full-backs Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro missing from training on Thursday morning.
The usually reliable Paul O’Keefe reports that Porro has a muscular issue, while Udogie is being assessed.
Gary O’Neil was hopeful that Hwang Hee-chan could be back from a calf injury that led to his no-show against Brentford, just when he was ready to return from international duty.
The latest news on Matheus Cunha (hamstring) is much less positive, however.
O’Neil said on Wednesday that the in-form Brazilian had suffered a “fairly significant injury”, with the recovery timeline yet unknown.
“It’s a fairly significant injury to his hamstring. There’s no timeline on it. I’ve spoken to Matheus a lot and he just wants to keep pushing to get back as soon as he can.
“He’s started working on it already, so we’re just going to monitor it week by week, day by day, see how far he can come and how quickly we can get him back. He’s keen to get back out there as soon as possible.
“It’s obviously a big blow to us, to the team and Matheus because of the work he’s been doing – the form he was in was exceptional. These things happen, every team suffers injuries. Channy was gone for over a month with the Asian Cup and we managed to keep ploughing on and we need to do the same without Matheus.” – Gary O’Neil, speaking on Wednesday
MAN CITY V CHELSEA
If you read our notes from Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League win over FC Copenhagen earlier today, you’ll have seen updates on the four Cityzens who are newly flagged in FPL.
Mateo Kovacic (knee) and Josko Gvardiol (ankle) missed out altogether in Denmark, while Bernardo Silva (knock) and Jack Grealish (muscle) came off during the match with injuries.
While Kovacic is due back in training later this week and Bernardo seemingly only suffered a “knock”, the situation looks a bit more serious for Gvardiol and Grealish.
“Bernardo has a big knock in his ankle.
“I didn’t speak with the doctor but it looks like muscular for Jack. Hopefully, he can recover quick. He felt it on the grass and started to complain, something muscular. The players know, they can feel it immediately.
“He wanted to continue but we are not going to do more damage. I didn’t speak with the doctors. We make tests tomorrow but I think a few days will be out, yeah.
“Josko [will be] two weeks or three weeks. He has [a problem with] a ligament in his ankle. Kova is in the process to come back. I think Thursday or Friday, maybe he will train with us and we will see how he feels.” – Pep Guardiola, speaking in his post-match press conference on Tuesday
As for Chelsea, Romeo Lavia (thigh), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Reece James (hamstring), Marc Cucurella (knee), Wesley Fofana (knee) and Benoit Badiashile (muscle) are thought to remain out.
Thiago Silva may have joined them after suffering a groin injury in Monday’s win over Crystal Palace but Malo Gusto seems to be fine, having only exited due to fatigue.
The latest is awaited on Robert Sanchez (knee), who had made a “partial” return to training as of last Friday as his comeback nears.
SHEFFIELD UNITED V BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Ivo Grbic, who sustained a head injury in Gameweek 22, should be back after serving the 12-day concussion protocol.
Gus Hamer should also be fine as he only sustained a dead leg last weekend.
There is more concern about Ben Brereton Diaz and Rhys Norrington-Davies, who suffered hamstring injuries either before the win over Luton Town or during it.
George Baldock (unspecified issue) should be close to a return based on a recovery timeline that his manager previously set, while Oli McBurnie (calf) wasn’t risked for the defeat to Aston Villa a fortnight ago to give him the best chance possible of being fit for the clash with the Hatters – and he didn’t feature then, either.
Chris Basham (leg), Ryan Jebbison (illness) and John Egan (leg) remain sidelined.
Brighton are again likely to be without Joao Pedro as the Brazilian striker has a hamstring injury that could keep him out for weeks.
Jack Hinshelwood also suffered a foot injury ahead of Gameweek 24 and joins Pedro on the sidelines, where Solly March (knee) and James Milner (muscle) remain. It’s been suggested that Hinshelwood has now had surgery and could be out for three months.
Julio Enciso (knee) is not expected to be match-fit after a lengthy spell out and a recent return to training but Simon Adingra is back from AFCON and bolsters Roberto De Zerbi’s attacking options.
LUTON TOWN V MANCHESTER UNITED
Teden Mengi (knock) was fit enough to be on the bench against Sheffield United, leaving only Mads Andersen (calf) and long-term absentees Marvelous Nakamba (knee) and Tom Lockyer (health) on the sidelines.
New signing Daiki Hashioka was “still adjusting” to life in England and wasn’t involved last weekend.
Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Anthony Martial (groin) are definitely out for the visitors, while Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Mason Mount (calf) are unlikely to feature.
The latest news is awaited on Aaron Wan-Bissaka (leg), who pulled out of training a week ago when a return looked imminent.
Luke Shaw was substituted at half-time of the win over Aston Villa last weekend but Erik ten Hag said the precautionary withdrawal was made so that “it did not become an injury”.
EVERTON V CRYSTAL PALACE
Sean Dyche gave us a bonus team news bulletin on Monday, hinting that Abdoulaye Doucoure (hamstring) could return.
But Arnaut Danjuma (ankle), Andre Gomes (calf) and Dele Alli (groin) will remain out.
“Seamus (Coleman) got some more minutes at City. Hopefully, Doucs gets back with the group, he’s been building into that. Amadou Onana worked well when he came on [against Manchester City on Saturday], so we are beginning to get the group back to full fitness.
“That hopefully is going to be the last of these groups of injuries. Hopefully, we can keep everyone fitter for longer which will give us a way better chance of challenging ourselves for the rest of the season.” – Sean Dyche
Michael Olise (hamstring), Eberechi Eze (hamstring) and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring) will still be unavailable for the Eagles.
Roy Hodgson suggested last week that Marc Guehi (knee) wouldn’t be sidelined for too long but it’s still thought to be weeks and not days for the centre-half, so a return seems unlikely.
Long-term absentees Cheick Doucoure (Achilles) and Rob Holding (ankle) remain out, too.
