It’s time for our early Gameweek 38 team news round-up, featuring all we know about all 20 Premier League clubs.
The pre-match press conferences on Friday will hopefully help us out further regarding the latest injury updates.
So far, only one manager – Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta – has faced the media ahead of the final day.
The key quotes from his presser can be found below.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED BY FRIDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE ROUND-UP, WHICH YOU CAN FIND HERE
ARSENAL
As reported on Wednesday, Jurrien Timber (hamstring) and William Saliba (ankle) will miss Arsenal’s trip to Southampton in Gameweek 38 due to injury.
“Jurrien had surgery on Tuesday morning on his ankle. He’s been feeling that discomfort for many, many weeks. He’s been navigating through the season with that issue and it needed to be resolved, so he’s going to be out for a while.
“And Saliba, he felt something in his hamstring in the first half [against Newcastle], just before half-time. And again, he’s going to be out for a few weeks.
“We don’t know yet. It will depend how the recovery goes. It will be weeks, but we don’t know exactly how much. Hopefully, it will be somewhere near the pre-season, if everything goes well, but we don’t know yet.” – Mikel Arteta, speaking on Thursday
Elsewhere, Mikel Merino returns from suspension following his Gameweek 36 dismissal.
The seasons of Gabriel Jesus (knee), Gabriel Magalhaes (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are over, however.
Sunday’s match against Southampton is a dead rubber, with the Gunners assured of second place and Saints already relegated.
As a consequence, Mikel Arteta was asked about final-day motivation.
“There’s motivation because you want to have as many points as possible. You are always here representing this club to win and to play in the manner that we want to do. We still want to achieve the best defensive record, the Golden Glove [for David Raya] is still to play for and finish the season again on a high with a good test and always respecting the competition.” – Mikel Arteta
ASTON VILLA
Even if Marcus Rashford makes a swifter-than-expected recovery from a hamstring injury, he won’t feature: the loanee is ineligible to face his parent club.
It remains to be seen if Youri Tielemans (hamstring) will feature this weekend. Previous media reports suggested his season may be over but Unai Emery has stopped short of confirming that.
Villa do at least get Jacob Ramsey back from suspension this week.
BOURNEMOUTH
James Hill missed out on the Gameweek 37 defeat to Manchester City with “some issues”. Andoni Iraola hopes to have him available this weekend.
Other than that, we’re not expecting any of the Cherries’ injured contingent back.
Iraola said two weeks ago that he feared Dango Ouattara‘s (adductor) campaign was over, while he was previously sceptical of whether Luis Sinisterra (hamstring) would feature again this season.
Ryan Christie (groin), Alex Scott (jaw) and Enes Unal (knee) also remain out.
Already struggling in midfield, Bournemouth have now lost Lewis Cook to suspension following Tuesday’s dismissal.
BRENTFORD
Long-term absentee Aaron Hickey (hamstring) is close to first-team involvement, with Thomas Frank saying last week that the right-back was “pushing”. Hickey featured for the under-21s again earlier this week.
Josh Dasilva (knee), Vitaly Janelt (heel) and, very likely, Fabio Carvalho (shoulder) are out for the season.
The newest concern is Michael Kayode, who came off with hamstring discomfort last weekend.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Joao Pedro was technically available again in Gameweek 37 following the completion of his three-match ban. However, the Brazilian striker was omitted from the Albion matchday squad on Monday night due to “personal reasons”. It’s since been suggested that Pedro was involved in a training ground spat with Jan Paul van Hecke.
Georginio Rutter (ankle) and James Milner (hamstring) were doing on-field rehab as of last week, with Rutter standing the best chance of Gameweek 38 involvement.
It’s looking increasingly unlikely that we’ll see Ferdi Kadioglu (toe) again this season, while Solly March (knee) will definitely miss out.
Tariq Lamptey (knee) and Jason Steele (finger) missed out against Liverpool, with further word awaited on them.
CHELSEA
Nicolas Jackson‘s season is over after he was sent off for serious foul play in Gameweek 36. He’ll also miss Gameweek 1 of the next campaign.
Wesley Fofana (muscle) and Omari Kellyman (hamstring) also remain sidelined, while Mykhailo Mudryk is still provisionally banned by the Football Association.
Jadon Sancho is back, at least, having been ineligible to face his parent club last Friday.
We may see Christopher Nkunku (knock), too: he was ruled out for only 10-15 days over a fortnight ago. He was seen back in training this week.
So too was Marc Guiu (hamstring), who is on the cusp of his own comeback from a medium-term injury.
Reece James and Jackson were training separately but there has been no suggestion of any fitness issues.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Adam Wharton will miss the trip to Liverpool after suffering a concussion in the FA Cup final last Saturday.
Marc Guehi is a “maybe” after suffering an eye injury at Wembley.
Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are long-term absentees because of knee injuries.
EVERTON
Two of Everton’s starting back four came off with muscle injuries in the Goodison Park farewell.
Seamus Coleman “felt his thigh” and came off after just 17 minutes, while Jarrad Branthwaite later pulled up with a hamstring injury.
James Tarkowski (hamstring), Orel Mangala (knee) and Jesper Lindstrom (hernia) remain out for the Toffees.
FULHAM
Harrison Reed (calf), Timothy Castagne (ankle), Rodrigo Muniz (Achilles) and Reiss Nelson (hamstring) are all still out.
We’re not aware of any fresh issues affecting the Cottagers.
IPSWICH TOWN
Conor Townsend (hamstring) and Sammie Szmodics (ankle) were “getting closer” to recovery last week but weren’t fit enough to feature against Leicester City.
Neither was Kalvin Phillips (gashed foot), whose season is likely over.
Ari Muric (shoulder), Wes Burns (knee), Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) and Jaden Philogene (knee) remain sidelined, too.
Cameron Burgess missed out in Gameweek 37 with a “little niggle” in his hamstring, so further word is awaited on him.
LEICESTER CITY
Jamie Vardy‘s 500th and final Leicester game came at the King Power Stadium last Sunday, with the veteran striker set to miss the season-ending clash at Bournemouth.
Mads Hermansen (groin), Bobby De Cordova-Reid (muscle), Abdul Fatawu (knee) and Stephy Mavididi (muscle) are on the injury list.
LIVERPOOL
Alexis Mac Allister won’t feature for Liverpool on the final day. Arne Slot said after the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion that the Argentina international “needs rest at this moment in time” in order to be ready for 2025/26.
Joe Gomez (hamstring) was back on the bench in Monday’s loss at the Amex.
MANCHESTER CITY
Medium-to-long-term absentees Rodri, Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb were all back in the matchday squad for the win over Bournemouth on Tuesday.
That, so far as we’re aware, leaves only John Stones (adductor) on the injury list.
Mateo Kovacic will also be unavailable on the final day, however, after being sent off against the Cherries.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Jonny Evans (unknown), Diogo Dalot (calf), Leny Yoro (foot) and, surprisingly, Joshua Zirkzee (hamstring) were all back in the United squad for Wednesday’s dismal defeat in Bilbao.
It had been thought that Zirkzee’s season was over.
Lisandro Martinez (knee) definitely is out for what remains of 2024/25.
There was no sign of Matthijs de Ligt (knee) in the UEFA Europa League squad, either.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Alexander Isak (groin) missed Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal but Eddie Howe said afterwards that “of course, he will have a chance” for Gameweek 38.
The striker has been called up by Sweden this week for the June internationals in a potential further boost.
There was no sign of him in the midweek training gallery, although it certainly wouldn’t the first time that Newcastle have not snapped an injury doubt to keep the opposition guessing.
Howe previously said that he couldn’t guarantee that Kieran Trippier (calf) will feature again this season.
The betting money is on Joelinton (knee) missing out again, too.
Lewis Hall (foot) and Matt Targett (hamstring) are still sidelined.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Murillo was on the cusp of coming off with an ankle issue in the win over West Ham United last weekend but carried on and lasted the whole game. Nuno Espirito said afterwards that he’d “hopefully” be available for the final day.
Taiwo Awoniyi will, of course, still be absent: the striker needed emergency abdominal surgery after colliding with the post in Gameweek 36.
SOUTHAMPTON
Saints have concerns at centre-back.
Jan Bednarek sat out Gameweek 37 with a knee complaint, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis came off with what looked like an ankle issue.
Kyle Walker-Peters has missed the last two matches with illness.
However, interim boss Simon Rusk hinted that there may be other factors beyond fitness regarding the omissions of the exit-bound Walker-Peters and Bednarek.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
There understandably weren’t any team news questions in the aftermath of Wednesday’s UEFA Europa League triumph.
In terms of fresh concerns, Richarlison appeared to hint at an injury shortly before being replaced in Bilbao. The Brazilian looked pretty sprightly in the post-match celebrations, however…
Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Timo Werner (hamstring), James Maddison (knee), Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and Radu Dragusin (knee) are on the injury list for the rest of the season.
WEST HAM UNITED
The Hammers are still without Crysencio Summerville (hamstring) and Michail Antonio (leg).
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Back-up goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has missed the last six matches with what his manager said was an “old problem”.
Tommy Doyle joined him on the sidelines on Tuesday with a “small problem”.
Wolves are also without longer-term absentees Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Yerson Mosquera (knee), Leon Chiwome (knee) and Enso Gonzalez (knee).
