After the knocks, bumps and dismissals of the opening weekend, we’ve got the early team news for Gameweek 2.
We’ll bring you more detailed 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.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION V MANCHESTER UNITED
Fabian Hurzeler said on Saturday that he was “quite confident” of having Yankuba Minteh fit for Gameweek 2. Minteh was taken off after taking a blow to the head shortly before half-time in the Everton match.
A bona fide concussion would render him a doubt for the visit of Manchester United, however. Ivo Grbic served a 12-day protocol when he was concussed on his Sheffield United debut earlier this year, for instance.
Aside from that, Pervis Estupinan (ankle), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Tariq Lamptey (unknown) were all back in training last week. They could soon come into first-team contention.
Bart Verbruggen (unspecified) and Julio Enciso (knee) may also soon return. Verbruggen suffered an unspecified issue in July but has been named in the Netherlands squad for the upcoming internationals, while Enciso sustained a knee injury while playing for Paraguay at the Olympics at the beginning of August but is expected to return to training this week.
Solly March (knee) remains out longer term.
As for United, Luke Shaw (calf), Leny Yoro (foot), Rasmus Hojlund (hamstring) and Tyrell Malacia (knee) were on the sidelines for the visit of Fulham. None of them are expected back before the international break, with Yoro and Malacia out for longer.
An “ear infection” ruled Jadon Sancho out of Gameweek 1. Victor Lindelof was also absent, later being seen on crutches to suggest he may have joined the medium-term injury list.
CRYSTAL PALACE V WEST HAM UNITED
Matheus Franca was the sole absentee for the Eagles on the opening weekend. The winger recently fractured a rib and will be out for “weeks”.
And Edson Álvarez was the only notable Gameweek 1 absentee for the Hammers. The Mexico captain suffered a hamstring injury while in action for his country at the Copa America in July.
Not content with trying to compete with David Ornstein, transfer-breaking Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Alvarez could be back in Gameweek 2.
FULHAM V LEICESTER CITY
Fulham had no declared fitness concerns ahead of Gameweek 1. There were no obvious issues emerging from the defeat to Manchester United.
As for Leicester City, they are without Patson Daka (ankle), Conor Coady (hamstring) and Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle). Coady is the shortest-term of those but still may not be back before the international break.
Steve Cooper, in classic Cooper fashion, had said last Friday that Jamie Vardy was still “a little while away”. The veteran forward not only recovered in three days but started and scored on Monday night.
MANCHESTER CITY V IPSWICH TOWN
As confirmed by Pep Guardiola last Friday, Oscar Bobb will be out for 3-4 months with a leg injury.
Fellow winger Savio will need to be assessed, too, after reporting a “disturbance” in his knee on Sunday.
Rodri missed out on the win over Chelsea, having injured his hamstring at the European Championship and then returned late to the club.
The Tractor Boys lost Wes Burns to a hamstring injury in their defeat to Liverpool. The winger will be assessed ahead of Gameweek 2; any absence could be good news for Ben Johnson.
We await further news on Ari Muric (calf) but the fact that it was at “fitness test” stage in Gameweek 1 suggests he’s close.
Kieran McKenna is already without George Hirst (knee), Nathan Broadhead (hamstring) and Harry Clarke (Achilles) but Cameron Humphreys (thigh) is back in training after a short spell on the sidelines.
SOUTHAMPTON V NOTTINGHAM FOREST
It’s mostly match fitness and not injuries concerning Southampton.
Kamaldeen Sulemana (ankle), who was ruled out for three to four weeks with an ankle injury at the beginning of August, is close to recovery.
So too are Adam Lallana and £4.5m FPL forward Ross Stewart. Lallana hasn’t featured since joining the club this summer, while Stewart has been blighted by injury for the last two seasons.
Martin said all three could feature in the EFL Cup next week.
Juan Larios, himself a long-term absentee, is featuring for the under-21s to build his match-readiness.
As for Forest, Danilo will be out for several months after breaking his ankle last weekend.
Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga both came off after 54 minutes in the draw with Bournemouth, with the Nottingham Post reporting “slight” issues for the pair.
Meanwhile, it turns out that Nikola Milenkovic was suspended in Gameweek 1. A red card picked up for Fiorentina last season ruled him out of the clash with the Cherries.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V EVERTON
Ange Postecoglou had virtually a fully fit squad for Monday’s game.
Yves Bissouma wasn’t selected for the clash with Leicester due to an internal suspension after footage emerged of the midfielder appearing to inhale laughing gas.
His replacement, Rodrigo Bentancur, suffered a nasty head injury and was taken off after reportedly falling unconscious. Concussion protocols will surely rule him out this weekend.
Of more concern to FPL managers was the sight of a hobbling Pedro Porro in injury time. He was taken off with the game in the dying stages but there was no update from Postecoglou after full-time. The usual websleuths have speculated on the issue but there is nothing from an official source just yet.
The Toffees were without Jarrad Branthwaite (groin), Seamus Coleman (calf), James Garner (calf), Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and Youssef Chermiti (foot) on Saturday.
Branthwaite, Coleman and Garner are closest to a return but it remains to be seen if Gameweek 2 comes too soon.
And now Everton will miss Ashley Young in north London. The veteran defender was dismissed for a professional foul against Brighton and serves a one-match ban.
ASTON VILLA V ARSENAL
Matty Cash seemed to be clutching his hamstring when being substituted in the win over West Ham United, so further word is awaited on him.
Tyrone Mings (knee) and Boubacar Kamara (knee) remain out.
It’s also unclear whether Robin Olsen will feature in the squad: the back-up goalkeeper sustained an injury in the friendly against Leipzig on July 31 and his manager expected him to just be out for “days” – but he hasn’t appeared since.
Arsenal will be without Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and forgotten man Kieran Tierney (hamstring) for weeks yet.
Fabio Vieira sat out the win over Wolves with a slight hip problem, having also missed the friendly against Sevilla a week earlier.
BOURNEMOUTH V NEWCASTLE UNITED
David Brooks (shoulder), Enes Unal (toe) and Tyler Adams (back) are all recovering from medium-to-long-term issues and will miss out again.
Andoni Iraola revealed that Marcos Senesi sat out the Forest game with an illness, meanwhile. The stopper was already feeling “better” on the day of the game, so could return.
Evanilson also looks poised for a debut after late registration prevented him from Gameweek 1 involvement.
Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Sven Botman (knee) and Lewis Miley (back) are out long term for the Magpies.
Callum Wilson (back) shouldn’t be too far away, however, based on Eddie Howe’s last update.
This is also the last league match that Sandro Tonali will miss before his 10-month ban is over.
Joining Tonali on the suspension list is Fabian Schar, sent off for violent conduct last weekend. He’ll miss two league fixtures and next week’s EFL Cup tie.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V CHELSEA
This will be the last league game that Nelson Semedo will be banned for: the other fixture of his three-game ban will served in the EFL Cup.
Leon Chiwome (ankle), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) and Enso Gonzalez (knee) remain on the long-term injury list.
Chelsea’s Reece James (hamstring) is two games into a four-match ban but is sidelined anyway, a hamstring issue the latest injury to befall him.
There were suggestions that Ben Chilwell was ill ahead of the Manchester City match but Enzo Maresca said that the decision to leave him and Raheem Sterling out of the matchday squad was not fitness-related. Their futures lie likely elsewhere.
LIVERPOOL V BRENTFORD
Arne Slot had a fully fit squad for the trip to Ipswich Town last weekend.
Thomas Frank couldn’t say the same for Brentford’s Gameweek 1 win over Crystal Palace, however.
Igor Thiago will be out until late 2024 with a knee injury sustained in pre-season, while Josh Dasilva (knee) is thought to be sidelined until the autumn.
Rico Henry (knee) and Aaron Hickey (hamstring) are further along in their recoveries but Thomas Frank said last Friday that they would struggle to feature before the international break, with Henry standing the best chance of involvement sooner than that.
not sure what your problem is buddy....
7 months, 17 days agoMost difficult part of WC is 4.5m keeper