It’s that time of the week again when yellow flags are removed, added or turned to red/orange: the pre-Gameweek 11 press conferences are set to begin.
So far, we’ve got four pressers scheduled to take place on Thursday.
We’ll have the headline Gameweek 11 team news from these media gatherings in the article below. We will gradually add more quotes as and when the press conferences become available to watch in full.
We expect to hear from the other 16 top-flight managers on Friday. For the latest on those clubs, check out our early team news round-up.
GAMEWEEK 11 TEAM NEWS: THURSDAY’S INJURY UPDATES
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Pedro + O’Riley have a “big chance”, Dunk + Minteh “wait and see”
- Everton: Coleman injured, McNeil concern, four still out, Doucoure has “chance”, Ndiaye trains, Beto v DCL
- West Ham United: Fullkrug still out, Kudus has ban extended, Alvarez suspended
- Fulham: Lukic the only absentee, Wilson pushing for a start
GAMEWEEK 11 TEAM NEWS: THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
Press Conference Times (Thursday) ⏰
🕊️ 9am – Hurzeler
⚒️ 1pm – Lopetegui
⬜️ 1.30pm – Silva
🍬 1.45pm – Dyche pic.twitter.com/32deQ138KW— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) November 7, 2024
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Joao Pedro (ankle) and Matt O’Riley (ankle) have been back in training for a week now and have a “big chance” of featuring against Manchester City.
Fabian Hurzeler seemed less sure about Lewis Dunk (calf) and Yankuba Minteh (muscle), however. Media reports had previously suggested Dunk would be out until after the international break.
Adam Webster (hamstring) and James Milner (hamstring) are still sidelined, while Solly March (knee) is injury-free but not match-fit enough to return after a lengthy lay-off.
A knee issue restricted Carlos Baleba to substitute duty in Gameweek 10, meanwhile.
Yasin Ayari also limped out of last Saturday’s game with a knock but should be fit, according to his boss.
“Some of them for sure will return. So, I think especially, Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley, they have a big chance. With Minteh and Lewis Dunk, we have to see the next days. For Solly, it’s too early.
“[Ayari] will train today, so I think he might be an option for the weekend.” – Fabian Hurzeler
EVERTON
Youssef Chermiti (foot), Armando Broja (foot), James Garner (back) and Tim Iroegbunam (foot) will remain out for the Toffees. Broja is partly back in training but Sean Dyche reiterated on Thursday that he’ll need some significant time on the grass and a “games programme” before being considered for the first team.
Seamus Coleman (hamstring) has joined the injury list.
“Unfortunately he’s got an injury, so we’re not sure how serious that is at this stage. Looks minor at the moment but we’ll have to wait and see.
“He’s got a minor hamstring, so we’ve just got to check that it’s nothing too serious. We’ll probably know today.” – Sean Dyche on Seamus Coleman
There are suggestions that Dwight McNeil has suffered a flare-up of his knee issue, too. Dyche didn’t mention that in his presser, however.
Abdoulaye Doucoure could be back after missing out in Gameweek 10 with a minor injury, however.
“Doucoure has got a chance, he’s done very well to recover. We were worried at first it would be a number of weeks but that’s settled down really quickly, so he’s got a chance.” – Sean Dyche
In further good news, Illiman Ndiaye took part in training on Thursday after suffering a knock in Gameweek 10 that ultimately led to his withdrawal.
“He was out there today, him and Doucs. We’re hopeful on that. We’ll await tomorrow morning in case there’s any stiffness or anything like that but we’re hopeful on them two.” – Sean Dyche on Illiman Ndiaye
Dyche was also asked about Beto‘s challenge to Dominic Calvert-Lewin‘s place.
“The team we’re playing with, for us, and what players are around him to help with the striking side of things. The team we’re playing against, of course.
“Dom’s record is pretty strong as regards to his fitness now and I think that was the biggest question mark. Some of his performances, he’s still looking for real consistency but we think he’s a very good player. Beto is learning all the time and he increases that by coming on the pitch. We know that and I think he’s been effective coming on the pitch. So the margins get tighter, quite obviously, because we want to win games, we want to score goals. Strikers are a big part of that.” – Sean Dyche on what factors he considers when choosing a striker
“I think because of the analysis we’ve done on his game and the coaching and the coaching styles that we’ve used, showing him the analysis as well as working on the training ground, I think he’s actually qute receptive. I think he’s in a place where he’s like, ‘Yeah I am learning’. He is developing in the sense of the Premier League. It’s a different animal to what he’s used to. I think he’s been very accepting of that and trying to reproduce it on the training pitch and there in turn, when he gets a chance on the pitch, going and showing us what he can do.” – Sean Dyche on Beto
“With strikers, they are eventually virtually always looked at by their stats and their goalscoring, of course, and we’d be no different in that sense. But the management team look behind that and go, ‘Right what’s the effect on the game the strikers are having?’ Striker is the hardest position on the pitch, I think. I was a centre-half and I think it’s the hardest position. So, I suppose I’m slightly more tolerant of a striker when they’re maybe having a quieter spell because I think it’s a very, very tough role anyway, so I think there’s a bit of that.
“Beto’s going along well and I think he himself knows that he hasn’t played as well as he can do in the past but that’s because he’s learning. That’s where we work with him, the coaches work with him, show him and try all the different ways for him to continue his learning. He’s been really, really accepting of that and he’s been working towards that to get better and better. So, the margins are getting tighter though. He’s coming on, he’s affecting games. Dom has had chances, hasn’t scored, consistency a bit up and down, so it’s getting tighter.” – Sean Dyche on Beto v Dominic Calvert-Lewin
There’s a battle at centre-half, too, between Jarrad Branthwaite and Michael Keane.
“There’s a bit of that. I mean it’s not literally but yeah, I mean, I’ve always felt that when I was playing, I certainly held that in high regard. If I was playing well and doing the job then I expected to get a chance to keep playing. It’s not always about that, Jarrad’s a very good player. He knows that. Keano’s done really well this season and is a very good player.” – Sean Dyche on whether Michael Keane retaining his place sends out a message in terms of playing well and keeping the shirt
WEST HAM UNITED
Mohammed Kudus serves the final game of his original three-match ban – but he’s been hit by a further two-game suspension on Wednesday. We’ll not see him until Gameweek 14, then.
Edson Alvarez is suspended, too, following his red card last weekend for two bookable offences.
As for Niclas Fullkrug, he’s not featured since the September break thanks to a persistent Achilles issue. The German striker remains sidelined.
Julen Lopetegui meanwhile mentioned some “little issues” in his team news round-up. They may include Alphonse Areola and Tomas Soucek, who reportedly missed out in Gameweek 10 due to injury and illness respectively.
Soucek was spotted in a training video in midweek – but Areola, Jarrod Bowen and Jeanclair Todibo weren’t.
“Fullkrug is out. He’s not ready, he’s not working with us. I think that he is going to be out for a lot of time more.
“We have two little issues but we have to assess, to check tomorrow, to look if they are going to be able or not to arrive to the match.” – Julen Lopetegui
FULHAM
Marco Silva confirmed on Thursday that Sasa Lukic (shoulder) is the only player on the Fulham injury list.
“No fresh concerns, it’s going to be just Saša Lukić, as you know. Okay, we have another session as well, but until now, and let’s hope it continues in the same way, it’s just going to be Saša Lukić out.” – Marco Silva
Silva added that Harry Wilson is pushing for a start after his two-goal contribution in the west London derby on Monday.
“He’s pushing, definitely. Not just because he scored the two goals and gave us the three points and had a massive impact in that game, the way he came in.
“Slightly in a different position, more in the centre of the pitch, but he has that capacity to smell the right moments when to go inside the box. He can score goals. As I said, not just because he scored twice that he’s knocking on the door. He is working really hard to get the chance again.
“It’s been tough for me even to leave him out, but the competition is really hard for the positions. Adama had a very good start of the season, like Alex [Iwobi], he’s been one of the best players for us so far. And, of course, we have Reiss Nelson and Harry Wilson – they are working hard to get the chance as well.
“Of course, Harry can play in different positions as well as in the middle there. To answer directly to you, of course he’s working hard to get the chance from the starting XI. Sooner or later, it could be Saturday, sooner or later he’s going to have [that chance] because he has the quality to do it. But, as I said, the competition is really high for the positions.” – Marco Silva on Harry Wilson
