There are 14 Premier League managers set to face the media on Friday, so it’ll be a busy day of team news on the eve of Gameweek 20.
As ever, we’ll bring you the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) injury updates on this page.
This is a ‘live’ article, so it’ll be updated as and when manager quotes become available – so keep refreshing for the latest news.
For the headlines from the six pressers held already, read our Thursday round-up here.
GAMEWEEK 20: FRIDAY’S KEY TEAM NEWS UPDATES
- Arsenal: Havertz back from sickness but Timber suspended
- Liverpool: Gomez out “for a few weeks”, Konate + Bradley back in training
- Newcastle United: Centre-back Botman could return in place of banned Schar
- Manchester City: Not much has changed from the win at Leicester City
- Chelsea: Fofana injury is worse than initially thought
- Tottenham Hotspur: Six-week absence for Udogie
- Manchester United: Rashford ill but Fernandes + Ugarte are back
- Aston Villa: Two months out for Pau Torres, while Rogers is suspended
- Bournemouth: Kluivert is ban-free
- Nottingham Forest: Murillo + Hudson-Odoi could be ok
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Cunha punished by FA, hamstring injury for Toti
- Crystal Palace: Guehi back, Chalobah ineligible to face parent club
- Fulham: Berge deemed closer to a return than Nelson
- Ipswich Town: Knee knock for Chaplin + a confirmed start for £4.3m goalkeeper
ARSENAL
With a sickness bug affecting some of Arsenal’s squad on New Year’s Day, Kai Havertz missed out entirely. But he’ll be available for the trip to Brighton and Hove Albion – their first domestic game outside London in over two months.
“I think so, yes. The ones with illness, I think are going to be OK. They will train today and if everybody is fine then they will be available.” – Mikel Arteta
Versatile defender Jurrien Timber won’t start his 12th successive league match because of a one-match suspension, while Bukayo Saka (hamstring) remains sidelined for a couple of months.
“I said on day one when Bukayo [Saka] got injured that I think it’s going to be a lot of different options, especially with the amount of games that we have. There’s not one player that’s going to play nine games in a row in that position, it’s impossible.” – Mikel Arteta
Raheem Sterling (knee), Ben White (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are still unavailable.
“Ben [White] is still a few weeks away and Tomi [Tomiyasu] has done some stuff on the pitch but we have to see. It has been a long-term injury and we have to see how quick he progresses and how he reacts.” – Mikel Arteta
LIVERPOOL
Defender Joe Gomez suffered a hamstring issue in the 5-0 win over West Ham United. Before FPL managers start getting excited over £3.9m Jarell Quansah, Liverpool manager Arne Slot gave positive updates on Ibrahima Konate (knee) and Conor Bradley (hamstring).
“Joe [Gomez] is not in a good place when it comes to his injury, he’s out for a few weeks. Conor [Bradley] and Ibou [Konate] will train with us today for the first time. They’ve worked hard to come back for the team. The next step is how they’ll handle team sessions.” – Arne Slot
He believes everybody except Gomez will be ready for hosting Manchester United. That includes Trent Alexander-Arnold, in spite of constant speculation linking him with Real Madrid.
“I can tell you he’s playing on Sunday and hopefully brings the same performance he’s been bringing in the last half a year. He played an incredible game against West Ham. I see him training hard every day.” – Arne Slot on Trent Alexander-Arnold
Dominik Szoboszlai is back from suspension.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
The Magpies are on a streak of four successive clean sheets but travel to an attacking Tottenham Hotspur side without Fabian Schar (suspension), who picked up his fifth booking of the season.
As Emil Krafth (collarbone) and Jamaal Lascelles (knee) are also out, Eddie Howe has to pick two centre-backs from a variety of left-footed options. One is Sven Botman (knee), ready to return after 10 months out.
“I’ll have to make a decision on who I think best fits that position. Great to have Sven in and around and available again. We’ve taken longer than maybe we normally would have done through respect of the injury he had to try and make sure he has the best chance of staying fit and when he comes back, hitting the ground running, which is absolutely vital.
“I’ve got a decision to make in terms of team selection, but if Sven is in the squad it’s because he’s fit and available.” – Eddie Howe on Sven Botman’s comeback
Behind the back four, Martin Dubravka has done an admirable job filling in for Nick Pope (knee). The latter isn’t yet available.
“Nick is starting goalkeeping work, so he’s back on the grass. He’s not yet fully training with the group.” – Eddie Howe on Nick Pope
Meanwhile, Callum Wilson (hamstring) is still out.
MANCHESTER CITY
Pep Guardiola said he expects “a similar squad” to last Sunday, where Ruben Dias (muscle) is improving but still not deemed ready to play.
That would also mean no Ederson (leg), Matheus Nunes (knock) or John Stones (foot), just like Rodri (knee) and Oscar Bobb (leg).
CHELSEA
The decision to rotate the squad at Ipswich Town backfired, leaving the Blues winless in three. Reece James (hamstring) was an unused substitute and his boss believes game time is coming.
“He is back. In the last game, he was with us in the squad but the plan was not to give him minutes. Tomorrow we can give him minutes. Hopefully he can get minutes very soon.” – Enzo Maresca on Reece James
Of the rest, Wesley Fofana (hamstring) might be out for the season and there’s still no Benoit Badiashile (unknown), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (knock), Mykhailo Mudryk (suspended) or Romeo Lavia (hamstring).
“Romeo [Lavia] is very close, he has started to work with us. For the rest, not any updates. Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] is still out. Unfortunately, Wes [Fofana] will be out for a very long time and Benoit [Badiashile] will be out for at least until February.” – Enzo Maresca
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
A late January return has been estimated for Cristian Romero (hamstring), Micky van de Ven (hamstring) and Ben Davies (hamstring) but it’ll be longer for Guglielmo Vicario (ankle).
Worsening the defensive crisis is left-back Destiny Udogie (hamstring), after coming off early against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“Destiny [Udogie], with his hamstring, looks around six weeks out.” – Ange Postecoglou
At least Djed Spence is back from suspension to slightly ease the situation, though midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has another ban – this time for accumulating five yellow cards.
“None of the injured ones are back yet. We’ve had a bit of an illness bug with a few not training. At this stage [Richarlison] and Mikey Moore are the next cabs off the rank, we’re hoping next week.” – Ange Postecoglou
While Richarlison (hamstring) and Mikey Moore (virus) will soon be back, Wilson Odobert (hamstring) is still a long-term injury.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Out-of-favour Marcus Rashford has been ruled out of the big match versus Liverpool, though Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte return from suspension.
“At the moment he is ill. He is not training. He is going to be out this week.” – Ruben Amorim on Marcus Rashford
Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof continue to be sidelined with muscle issues.
ASTON VILLA
Many FPL managers are feeling sad that Morgan Rogers (suspended) picked up a fifth booking and will miss the home match with Leicester City. Also serving a ban is Jhon Duran but Matty Cash is available after his own.
Unfortunately, centre-back Pau Torres (foot) will be out for a while after hobbling off in the first half against Brighton and Hove Albion.
“Not (available is) Jhon Durán because he is suspended, not Pau Torres because he broke his fourth metatarsal and he is going to be out for, more or less, two months. Not for tomorrow is Diego Carlos because he has a small injury as well, he’s not feeling good with one kick he has in his foot.” – Unai Emery
Diego Carlos (foot) and Jaden Philogene (knock) have been ruled out as well.
BOURNEMOUTH
Tyler Adams (knock) has been passed fit and penalty-taking Justin Kluivert is back from a yellow card ban.
“We are going to recover Tyler Adams. He was out the other day but had a very small thing, so we expect him to be available tomorrow.” – Andoni Iraola
Yet Andoni Iraola is still missing Alex Scott (knee), Julian Araujo (hamstring), Marcos Senesi (quad), Luis Sinisterra (hamstring), Adam Smith (muscle) and Marcus Tavernier (hamstring).
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Highly regarded defender Murillo (muscle) pulled out of the warm-up at Everton and Callum Hudson-Odoi (knock) also missed out. The duo have a strong chance of an immediate return.
“Much better… yeah, I think so. I think tomorrow we will decide but I think they’re going to be okay.” – Nuno Espirito Santo on Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi
Apart from that, Ryan Yates‘ one-match ban is over, plus there are the usual Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahima Sangare (hamstring) problems.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Arguably the biggest FPL story of this week is Matheus Cunha’s punishment for his post-match antics from Gameweek 16. He only misses one league encounter but is joined on the unavailability list by Toti Gomes (hamstring) and Andre (knock).
There’s a “small injury” to Mario Lemina, while Pablo Sarabia (calf), Yerson Mosquera (knee), Boubacar Traore (knee), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) and Enso Gonzalez (knee) remain out.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Another back from suspension is Marc Guehi, perfectly in time to replace ineligible Chelsea loanee Trevoh Chalobah. Similarly, last Sunday saw Chadi Riad return to the matchday squad.
“Will Hughes is not available. He was injured in the Southampton game. I mentioned afterwards he had to be stitched on the top of his foot. It’s too swollen and too painful to wear a boot, so he’s not available.” – Oliver Glasner
Will Hughes (foot) joins the absent Adam Wharton (groin) and Matheus Franca (groin) on the injury list.
FULHAM
Sander Berge (ankle) is “going to be closer” to a return than Reiss Nelson (hamstring) but not in time to face Ipswich.
Kenny Tete (knee) is a longer-term absentee, though Harrison Reed (knee) is back in team sessions as he tries to build match fitness.
IPSWICH TOWN
Joining Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), George Hirst (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) in being unavailable is Conor Chaplin, who’ll miss a couple of weeks because of a knock to his knee.
Kieran McKenna said nothing about Massimo Luongo, an individual sidelined for all of December due to illness.
But he did confirm that Christian Walton will start in goal, following the clean sheet against Chelsea.
