The Gameweek 37 press conferences get underway on Thursday, with five Premier League bosses set to provide us with the latest team news from their clubs.
We’ll have the key quotes and updates from those pressers below.
For the early headlines from the other 15 top-flight teams, check out our early injury round-up. Most of these managers will next face the media on Friday.
GAMEWEEK 37: THURSDAY’S KEY TEAM NEWS UPDATES
- Chelsea: Jackson banned, James fine, Nkunku still out, Maresca on striker options
- Tottenham Hotspur: Kulusevski joins injury list, Postecoglou on his line-up
- Manchester United: Amorim focused on league, Yoro + Dalot set to miss out
- Aston Villa: Rashford + Tielemans confirmed as still out, Ramsey banned
- Brentford: Hickey could be involved, Ajer available again
GAMEWEEK 37: THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
CHELSEA
Nicolas Jackson‘s season is over after he was sent off for serious foul play last Sunday. He’ll also miss Gameweek 1 of the next campaign.
Jadon Sancho can’t feature this Friday, either, as he’s ineligible to face his parent club.
As for the injury news, Enzo Maresca brought us a mixed bag on Thursday.
Christopher Nkunku (knock) remains out but Reece James, absent from training on Tuesday before returning to Cobham the following day, is fine after illness.
Aaron Anselmino (muscle), Wesley Fofana (muscle) and Omari Kellyman (hamstring) are still sidelined, while Mykhailo Mudryk remains provisionally banned by the Football Association.
“No, Christo is still out.
“[Reece] is now okay. He was ill, so he was out for Tuesday’s session. Yesterday he had a session with us.” – Enzo Maresca
Marc Guiu (hamstring) is training with the group but won’t be the solution up top in Jackson’s absence, with the Spaniard not ready to start.
“Unfortunately, Marc Guiu is still injured. He started to train with us but he’s not ready to play from the start.” – Enzo Maresca
Cole Palmer or Pedro Neto look to be the two frontrunners for the line-leading job, then. Tyrique George is another option.
“We are working on that. These are the options that we have. We don’t have many options.” – Enzo Maresca on whether he will pick Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto or Tyrique George to replace Nicolas Jackson
“It depends a little bit on the game plan. Against a line of five, I prefer a real nine because you need to attack in behind and you need the threat. Unfortunately, we don’t have [one], so we need to find a different solution. I like fake nine when we face a line of four because probably you can link a little bit more, but against a line of five, you need people running in behind. But it is what it is and we need to find some different solution.” – Enzo Maresca on how Chelsea’s attack will change due to there being a false nine
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Dejan Kulusevski (knee) has joined Timo Werner (hamstring), James Maddison (knee), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Dane Scarlett (groin) and Radu Dragusin (knee) on the injury list for the rest of the season.
Spurs announced on Wednesday that the Swede needed surgery on his right patella, despite his manager initially thinking the midfielder had picked up a mere knock in Gameweek 36.
“Obviously, disappointing news. Initially, we thought it wasn’t too serious because the medical team were worried about structurally how the knee was but it seemed pretty good, but it blew up the day after. We kind of knew there was an issue then. He’s had surgery, it will put him out for at least a few months.
“We’ll see [if he’s back for the start of 2025/26]. I’ve only got basic information at the moment in terms of recovery.” – Ange Postecoglou on Dejan Kulusevski
Postecoglou also downplayed media suggestions that Bergvall could make a miraculous recovery in time for the UEFA Europa League final.
“No, it’s still the same sort of timeframe. It was never a long-term one but he’s literally just got out of the [protective] boot and taking his first tentative steps on the grass. Unlikely to be… won’t be available [for the Europa League final].” – Ange Postecoglou
In terms of who could feature at Aston Villa on Friday, the fit-again Son Heung-min may make his first start since Gameweek 31.
“He’ll definitely play tomorrow. Whether we’ll start with him or not, we’ll have a look at. He reacted well to playing the other day, there were no issues with his foot and he’s trained well. It makes sense to get him more match minutes, it could be as a starter but if not, he’ll definitely play at least half a game tomorrow.” – Ange Postecoglou on Son Heung-min
As for how strong a team he’ll name at Villa Park, Postecoglou was asked if the seven outfielders he rotated out of his side for the defeat to Crystal Palace would get pitch-time in Gameweek 37.
“We’ll see, we’ll see. Got to look at training today, and like I said, it’s a bit of a balancing act. We tried to navigate that last week by protecting a few, which we had to, and it still didn’t work out; we still lost a player. I’ll take all of that into consideration in the next few hours.” – Ange Postecoglou
“I’ll put the team out that I think will do its best to win a game of football again.” – Ange Postecoglou
“When you’re making 7-8 changes in a team line-up, throwing players together, it is very difficult for them. Even within that context, I still felt we could have performed better on the day, collectively and individually. That’s a challenge for the players to try and seize the opportunity that’s before them. There’s a game tomorrow where we want to try and perform well and pick up a result, but also an opportunity for them to put their name forward for the big game the following week. As we’ve already seen in the past couple of weeks, as much as you’d like to think there’s a sort of ideal starting line-up, things happen and players will have to ready for that. Tomorrow night is an opportunity for those guys to put their hand up.” – Ange Postecoglou on his second string’s disappointing performance in Gameweek 36
MANCHESTER UNITED
Ruben Amorim says his team selection for Friday’s trip to Chelsea will not be overly influenced by the upcoming UEFA Europa League final.
“We have time to recover [for Bilbao]. The best thing to prepare the final is to play the game. And then the players have to understand that if you play or don’t play against Chelsea, it means nothing to the final, that is important.
“I’m just preparing the game of Chelsea, that is my focus. We want to win and we want to perform.” – Ruben Amorim
“If there is a player that can get an injury, is not recovered for this game, and can put in risk the final, he will not play.
“But if it’s not that situation, we will have a lot of time to recover, and we cannot spend eight days, nine days without a game. That is a bad thing for the final so I think they will be prepared for the game.” – Ruben Amorim
Injury wise, Jonny Evans (unknown) and Toby Collyer (leg) were sighted in training on Wednesday. Collyer, and Ayden Heaven (ankle), were spotted in the London-bound party on Thursday night.
There was no sign of Matthijs de Ligt (knee) or Leny Yoro (foot) in midweek or heading to Chelsea, however. Diogo Dalot (calf) has only been doing individual work, meanwhile.
“I don’t know if they are going to be available [for the final]. We are going to try and push because it’s the final matches and this is a final, you know that. All the players want to play that really bad. I don’t know, I think they will not go to Chelsea, but we will have a possibility to have some of them in the final.” – Ruben Amorim on Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Matthijs de Ligt
“Dalot is trying really bad. I don’t want to risk Dalot because when you start getting one injury, second injury [follows] and then it’s a big thing. We cannot have these kinds of problems in our squad. So, we will see, but he’s working really hard to get in the final.” – Ruben Amorim
Joshua Zirkzee (hamstring) and Lisandro Martinez (knee) are out for the season.
ASTON VILLA
Unai Emery has confirmed that Marcus Rashford (hamstring) and Youri Tielemans (muscle) will miss out again on Friday.
That means that Rashford’s season is done: he can’t face his parent club, Manchester United, in Gameweek 38.
“Youri and Marcus, tomorrow they are not available. Ramsey is suspended. The other players, they are ready.” – Unai Emery
“We have to do each step forward, testing how they are recovering. I don’t know exactly if they will be, Marcus and Tielemans, available physically, because Marcus can’t play next week, but they are working in the facilities every day and they are feeling better.” – Unai Emery, when asked if Youri Tielemans has any chance of returning for Gameweek 38
Jacob Ramsey meanwhile serves a one-match ban following his dismissal for two bookable offences last weekend.
BRENTFORD
Long-term absentee Aaron Hickey (hamstring) could finally make a return to the first-team squad this weekend, although a place on the bench will be the best he can hope for.
“Hickey is getting closer. He could be [involved against Fulham]. He is pushing. There are two games to go.
“It’s fair to say there are a few full-backs who are more in-form than him right now, but I know what Aaron can give. When he’s fully firing, he will more than compete to get into the team.
“We want him in the squad, he also needs to perform to get in the squad, so it’s a fine balance. He’s training well, which is the most important thing.” – Thomas Frank
Kristoffer Ajer is back, having missed out in Gameweek 36 with a “minor injury”.
“He is much better. He trained today and will train Friday and Saturday. He will be available for Sunday.” – Thomas Frank on Kristoffer Ajer
Josh Dasilva (knee), Fabio Carvalho (shoulder) and Vitaly Janelt (heel) are out for the season.
