The pre-match press conferences for Gameweek 26 continue on Thursday, with Arne Slot among four managers facing the media.
The headline team news from these pressers is in the article below.
You’ll also find updates from Ruud van Nistelrooy, who held his press conference on Wednesday.
For the early injury situation at the other 15 Premier League clubs, read this piece here.
GAMEWEEK 26 TEAM NEWS: THURSDAY’S INJURY UPDATES
- Liverpool: Slot unsure on Gakpo, Bradley set to miss out, Trent’s minutes
- Brentford: Van den Berg out for “weeks”, no one returning
- West Ham United: Paqueta sidelined for 1-2 weeks, Coufal likely still out, Potter on Ferguson
- Southampton: Stephens available, Harwood-Bellis + Lallana still out
- Leicester City: Pereira back in training, Justin a big doubt
GAMEWEEK 26 TEAM NEWS: THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
🚨 Thursday's #FPL Press Conferences (GMT)
🔴 10.30am – Slot
🐝 1.30pm – Frank
😇 1.30pm – Juric
⚒️ 1.30pm – Potter pic.twitter.com/lVJL3otzDo— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) February 20, 2025
LIVERPOOL
Arne Slot facing the media on Thursday, a day earlier than usual, didn’t do Cody Gakpo (ankle) owners any favours.
An extra day of information (and training) would have been useful regarding Gakpo’s availability for Gameweek 26. As it is, we’ll have to make do with the following quote:
“Let’s see, let’s see. I hope, I’m not 100% sure. Because we will train… he hasn’t trained with the team yet, maybe he does a bit today – I don’t know. It will be a close call.” – Arne Slot on whether Cody Gakpo will return this weekend
Elsewhere, Joe Gomez (hamstring) will remain sidelined for months.
“Joe Gomez had surgery for his hamstring injury, so he is out for a long time. He will be back maybe just before the end of the season.” – Arne Slot
Tyler Morton (shoulder) is also out, while Conor Bradley (muscle) looks set to join the others on the injury list. The Northern Ireland international, himself on as a second-half substitute, came off clutching his leg in the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
“No, no, he still has to come in [to the training centre]. So, we don’t know yet. I would be completely surprised if he is involved in the Sunday game or the Wednesday game against Newcastle. So, you can assume that that is not going to happen.” – Arne Slot on whether there is any clarity on Conor Bradley’s injury
Slot also commented on the fitness of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota, following their early withdrawals in both Double Gameweek 25 fixtures.
“Then, of course, these two players are not injured but they come back from an injury, Jota and Trent. That’s also the reason why they don’t play 90 minutes five times in a row in 15 days because that would be a big risk. We could see this yesterday with Conor Bradley.
“I would have loved to keep [Jota] in the team because he played really well, for Trent the same. Who takes out two players who are playing so well? That’s only because it’s a big injury risk to keep them in the team.
“In these five games, [Alexander-Arnold] already knows how many minutes he will make. That was in a situation where Conor was available as well. Now maybe we have to adjust our plan.” – Arne Slot
Away from team news, Slot was asked about Darwin Nunez‘s sitter against Villa – and criticised the striker’s response rather than the miss itself.
“I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that’s scored for us in the home game against Villa. I would prefer him to score but the word ‘chance’ says it all – it’s a chance, so it’s not 100 per cent sure that the ball goes in. Players miss chances, that I can accept.
“But what was a bit harder for me to accept [was] his behaviour after that chance, and with behaviour I mean I think it got too much in his head where he wasn’t the usual Darwin that works his ass off and makes sure he helps the team.
“I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and maybe – we will never know, we will never find out – that’s why he was just a fraction short [in] the moment afterwards. I always truly believe that it’s always the best to have Wata [Endo]’s mindset and what I mean with that is that for the whole season he just keeps on going, keeps on going, keeps on going and whenever we need him, he’s ready. That is very difficult, there are not many players that can do this.
“So, it’s not about the chance for me, it’s more about the 20 minutes afterwards where I want to talk to him about than about him missing a chance.” – Arne Slot on Darwin Nunez
BRENTFORD
Sepp van den Berg is out for “weeks” after limping out of last Saturday’s win at West Ham United with a knee issue.
“We are talking about weeks, rather than months, but how many weeks depends on how quick he is recovering and all that. I would say straight after the game I was hoping it was a minor one, so I would say it’s as positive as it can be with an injury.” – Thomas Frank on Sepp van den Berg
Thomas Frank isn’t expecting anyone to return this weekend.
Josh Dasilva (knee) and Gustavo Nunes (back) remain on the longer-term injury list for the Bees.
Igor Thiago (joint infection) and Rico Henry (hamstring) are on the grass, while Aaron Hickey (hamstring) is now in full training but needs work on his match fitness after more than a year out.
WEST HAM UNITED
Lucas Paqueta has joined the West Ham injury list after picking up an ankle problem in training this week.
“It was a training incident really, just an innocuous one. He went over on his ankle, a little bit of a collision with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He has rolled his ankle. He will be missing for the [Arsenal] game, probably Leicester as well. We’ll see how he is but it’s swollen up a bit.
“We’ll take it day by day but I would imagine a week or two.” – Graham Potter on Lucas Paqueta
Niclas Füllkrug (hamstring), Crysencio Summerville (hamstring) and Michail Antonio (leg) remain sidelined this weekend.
Vladimir Coufal (hamstring) is also a big doubt and will likely miss out.
“Apart from [Paqueta], the team news is pretty much as we were.
“Vladi [Coufal] still has a little bit of a feeling so I think the game will come too soon for him at the weekend. He has got an outside chance for Leicester.
“Summerville is making progress but a similar timeline [as previously stated]. You’re looking the other side of the international break more so for him.” – Graham Potter
Graham Potter continues to be careful with Evan Ferguson‘s minutes, meanwhile.
“I agree, he came on and had a good impact [against Brentford]. As I said before, we just need to be careful with him in terms of how we’re building him up, the minutes he plays. Probably 90 is a bit of a step, I would say. As I said, just need to take him forward in the right way, safely for him. He hasn’t played a lot of minutes over a period of time but he’s training really well and he’s fitted into the group really well, which we thought he would. He’s ready to help and then we just decide what is the right thing for him and the team.” – Graham Potter on Evan Ferguson
SOUTHAMPTON
Jack Stephens (calf) returns from a brief lay-off this weekend.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (ankle) and Adam Lallana (hamstring) are still out, however.
Longer-term injury victims Juan Larios (unknown) and Ross Stewart (hamstring) are back in training but building up their minutes with the under-21s on Friday.
Another recent absentee, Ryan Fraser (calf), said in the last few days that he hopes to be available soon but we didn’t get an update from Ivan Juric on Thursday.
Flynn Downes has been in the bad books since an aborted January move to Ipswich Town but Juric suggested that the hatchet was now buried, saying the midfielder was back training with the squad.
LEICESTER CITY
Ruud van Nistelrooy went early with his Gameweek 26 presser, facing the media on Wednesday.
The Dutchman revealed that James Justin (foot) isn’t seriously injured after picking up an issue last weekend. He does remain a big doubt for Friday’s clash with Brentford, however.
Ricardo Pereira (hamstring) is close to coming off the long-term injury list, meanwhile.
“James Justin is a question mark for [Friday’s] game. He hasn’t been able to be a part of team training, so it will probably be difficult to make Friday’s game.
“It’s not really bad. He’s been assessed, of course, and looked after. It looks more a question of weeks than [anything] more.
“Other than that, Ricardo Pereira is making good progress in his comeback. He’s part of team training. So hopefully, in the coming weeks, that can be more and he can be part of games as well.” – Ruud van Nistelrooy
Abdul Fatawu (knee) remains out for the Foxes.
