Fresh from listening to Jurgen Klopp’s Wednesday evening press conference, we’ve got the early team news for Gameweek 28.
Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery and David Moyes have also faced the media today ahead of their European fixtures on Thursday.
We’ll get more Fantasy Premier League (FPL) injury updates on Thursday and Friday when the pre-match press conferences take place.
But before then, this initial rundown gives an overview of all 20 Premier League sides.
MANCHESTER UNITED V EVERTON
We await to hear from Erik ten Hag on the severity of the injuries picked up by Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans in the Manchester derby.
The United boss said that the pair “had to come off” at the Etihad, having struggled to overcome injuries.
Ten Hag added that he “didn’t know” whether either of them faced time on the sidelines as a result.
The Dutchman went on to say that “players will return in the coming weeks, especially after the international break”.
This game might come too soon for Rasmus Hojlund (muscle), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Mason Mount (calf), Lisandro Martinez (knee), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (leg), Anthony Martial (groin) and Harry Maguire (unspecified), then.
Luke Shaw (muscle) is out for a longer period of time.
As for the Toffees, Arnaut Danjuma (ankle) and Dele Alli (groin) remain out this weekend.
Idrissa Gana Gueye had a groin injury that was “settling down” before Gameweek 27. It was enough to rule him out of the defeat to West Ham United, so we wait for the latest on him.
BOURNEMOUTH V SHEFFIELD UNITED
Marcos Senesi has joined Bournemouth’s injury list after coming off last weekend with a hamstring strain.
Andoni Iraola was hoping the issue wasn’t too serious but the fact that Senesi has withdrawn from the Argentina squad, a fortnight before they play, suggests he’s well and truly out of Gameweek 28.
Lloyd Kelly (hip), Max Aarons (hamstring), James Hill (ankle) and Ryan Fredericks (calf) have also been sidelined for the Cherries of late, while Tyler Adams (hamstring) is back on the grass but set to get match practice with the academy team first.
Dominic Solanke shrugged off knee pain to face Burnley last weekend. It’s a recurring issue but the striker was confident of facing Sheffield United and Luton Town when interviewed on Sunday:
Solanke finished the interview by saying that he’s confident he’ll “be fine” to be involved against Sheffield United and Luton ⤵️ 2/2#FPL #FPLCommunity pic.twitter.com/OrmrqQMGS6
— Ben Ransom (@BenRansomSky) March 5, 2024
Rhian Brewster‘s absence from the Blades squad hammered by Arsenal on Monday has been confirmed as injury-related.
It’s a hamstring issue and could be enough to see him not risked again this season.
Max Lowe (ankle), Rhys Norrington-Davies (hamstring), Chris Basham (leg) and John Egan (leg) are also on the long-term injury list, while Mason Holgate is banned.
Chris Wilder talked last week of Cameron Archer (calf) and Anis Ben Slimane (unspecified) likely being back after the March international break, meanwhile.
Daniel Jebbison has not kicked a ball all season as he battled first injury and then what seems to be a serious illness. Wilder’s last update suggested he could be back soon, however.
CRYSTAL PALACE V LUTON TOWN
Marc Guehi (knee), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring), Michael Olise (hamstring), Cheick Doucoure (Achilles) and Rob Holding (ankle) remain on the injury list.
The good news with Olise is that he could be back for the Eagles’ following league match in Gameweek 30.
Oliver Glasner was hopeful and confident that Jordan Ayew hadn’t joined his injured teammates on the sidelines, having been forced off with a hip issue last weekend.
Dan Potts (hamstring), Jacob Brown (knee), Mads Andersen (calf), Marvelous Nakamba (knee) and Tom Lockyer (health) remain out for the Hatters.
We also await the latest on Elijah Adebayo (hamstring) and Albert Sambi Lokonga (hamstring), who picked up issues either just before or during Double Gameweek 25.
It’s a horror show at the back: Gabriel Osho (muscle) was ruled out of the defeat to Aston Villa, while a half-fit Amar’i Bell (hamstring) lasted all of five minutes before bowing out. Rob Edwards didn’t know the extent of the issue when interviewed after full-time.
Joe Johnson should be back from illness, at least.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V FULHAM
Hwang Hee-chan (hamstring) and Matheus Cunha (hamstring) are out, with Hwang set for a six-week lay-off. Cunha could even return before the South Korean winger does.
Joao Gomes completed a hat-trick of hamstring injuries by missing out last weekend. The extent of that is unknown.
The news was relatively positive on Jose Sa (quad) and Pedro Neto (hamstring), who were taken off during the defeat to Newcastle United.
Gary O’Neil said the pair were substituted more as a precaution on Tyneside and seemed confident of them recovering for this visit of Fulham.
The Cottagers, so far as we’re aware, have only one absentee: Raul Jimenez (hamstring).
Joao Palhinha is back from a two-match ban.
ARSENAL V BRENTFORD
Bukayo Saka was substituted in Monday’s win over Sheffield United after “feeling sick”, while Gabriel Martinelli had to be helped from the field of play with a “slight cut”.
Jurrien Timber (knee) is still thought to be some distance from a playing comeback despite returning to the grass recently. The uncertainty continues with Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), with Arteta delivering vague update after vague update in his weekly press conference.
Arteta was a bit more informative on Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), who he said was “very close” and “already doing something on the grass” as of Monday.
David Raya can’t feature in this one, as he’s on loan from Brentford.
The Bees will be without Ethan Pinnock (ankle), Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Kevin Schade (muscle), Rico Henry (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee) and Ben Mee (ankle).
Bryan Mbeumo (ankle) has rejoined team training this week, so we wait to hear from Thomas Frank as to how long it’ll take for him to be considered for first-team action.
ASTON VILLA V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Boubacar Kamara (knee), Tyrone Mings (knee) and Emi Buendia (knee) are on the long-term injury list but the team news is otherwise positive for Aston Villa.
Diego Carlos (hamstring) and Jhon Duran (hamstring) have been back in training this week, while Unai Emery confirmed on Wednesday that Jacob Ramsey (foot) has not suffered a “big injury”.
While he’s not going to make the clash with Ajax, Emery didn’t rule him out of Gameweek 28.
There was no sign of Richarlison (knee) or Pedro Porro (muscle) in the training video posted by Spurs on Wednesday.
We weren’t expecting Richarlison back for this one anyway based on Ange Postecoglou’s weekend reiteration of the Brazilian’s recovery timeline.
But Porro had previously been earmarked for a possible return this week.
Manor Solomon (knee), Fraser Forster (foot) and Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) remain out for the Lilywhites, too.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION V NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Joao Pedro (hamstring), Jack Hinshelwood (foot), Solly March (knee), Kauro Mitoma (back) and James Milner (muscle) remain out for the Seagulls, while Billy Gilmour still has one game to go of a three-match ban.
There’s a chance we might see Chris Wood (hamstring) and Willy Boly (muscle): the former was described as “closer” to fitness a week ago, while the latter was “in the final days of his recovery”.
Nicolas Dominguez complained of muscle tightness in the defeat to Liverpool but is thought to have avoided serious injury, meanwhile.
Giovani Reyna (knock) and Gonzalo Montiel (unspecified) weren’t involved against the Reds, so we wait to hear more news on them from Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Forest boss said ahead of Gameweek 27 that Ola Aina (muscle) and Nuno Tavares (muscle) had “more problems”, so we assume those two are still out.
WEST HAM UNITED V BURNLEY
Maxwel Cornet remains out with a hamstring problem, while Nayef Aguerd was described as a “question mark” for Thursday’s clash with Freiburg.
Other than that, though, the Hammers are in rude health.
Burnley’s Aaron Ramsey (knee), Lyle Foster (muscle), Luca Koleosho (knee) and Nathan Redmond (leg) are on the longer-term injury list.
Jordan Beyer (muscle) also hasn’t featured since December, with Vincent Kompany repeatedly saying that he is “progressing well” while proving unable or unwilling to offer a timeframe.
Josh Brownhill returns from a ban this weekend, at least.
LIVERPOOL V MANCHESTER CITY
Mohamed Salah (hamstring) is back fit in time for the crunch clash with Manchester City but how much he’ll be involved remains to be seen.
The Egyptian has been included in the squad to face Sparta Prague on Thursday.
“Yeah, Mo travelled. He is with us, he trained two days, so full of energy. We have to see. But it is so good that he is back, that is really good for us and you can see in his face he is very happy.
“A very unlucky situation with being that long out and in for a moment, if you want, at Brentford, played an incredible game there and was out again. That’s how it is.
“We want to be careful, we have to be careful, but in the middle of a super-intense period of the season we need everybody and now let’s see how long we can use him.
“That’s how it is with him and with others as well. Yeah, just good news.
“Let’s see how long he can play now. As I said, two days in team training – so, in a different situation players are not in the squad in this moment, but in our situation it makes sense.
“What can we give him? How much can we use him? We will see that.” – Jurgen Klopp
Diogo Jota (knee), Curtis Jones (foot), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee), Thiago Alcantara (muscle), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Ben Doak (knee), Joel Matip (knee), Ryan Gravenberch (ankle) and Alisson (hamstring) will again be absent.
Jack Grealish (groin) was the only Cityzen on the sidelines for the Manchester derby but Jeremy Doku has since been added to the injury list.
The Manchester Evening News have called it a “minor” issue but he hasn’t trained since Sunday’s game and wasn’t involved against Copenhagen on Wednesday night.
Matheus Nunes came off in that match with a dislocated finger.
Phil Foden reportedly suffered a dead leg in the win over United but has returned to training and was on the bench against the Danes.
CHELSEA V NEWCASTLE UNITED
Carney Chukwuemeka (ankle), Romeo Lavia (thigh), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Reece James (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Benoit Badiashile (muscle) and Christopher Nkunku (hamstring) were all out of the Brentford game last weekend.
Not one of them had made a return to team training at that stage but reports suggest Badiashile since has.
James is still at the individual stage of his rehab.
Callum Wilson (tendon), Joelinton (quad), Sandro Tonali (ban) and Nick Pope (shoulder) remain out, while Lewis Hall can’t face his parent club.
Reports suggest that Kieran Trippier (calf) will sit out Gameweek 28 but claim that it’s not a serious issue, so he may only miss one of Newcastle’s league fixtures.
Matt Targett (hamstring) could be the latest returnee after rejoining training.
