The all-important Gameweek 2 team news is starting to reach us as the pre-match press conferences get underway.
There are currently seven managers scheduled to face the media on Thursday, including Liverpool’s Arne Slot.
We’re bringing you the latest key quotes and injury updates in the ‘live’ article below.
For the early team news on the other 13 Premier League clubs, check out this article here.
KEY GAMEWEEK 2 INJURY UPDATES FROM THURSDAY
- Liverpool: Frimpong out, Bradley trains
- Chelsea: Tosin fit, Jackson + Nkunku not considered, Maresca on Delap/Pedro
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Three out, Hurzeler on Rutter v Welbeck
- Leeds United: Bijol back from a ban, Ampadu out, Farke on DCL
- Sunderland: Seelt fit, Le Bris on competition
- Burnley: Broja edging closer, Humphreys + Tuanzebe train
- West Ham United: Earthy trains, Guilherme out, Hermansen to keep place
THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
*Unai Emery is also scheduled to appear, according to BBC Sport
LIVERPOOL
Jeremie Frimpong will be out until after the international break with a hamstring injury he picked up in Gameweek 1.
“The medical team was completely right about Jeremie to tell me they had to take him off, because he is out until the end of the international break and that happened in the game.
“I already said immediately after the game that it had nothing to do with how he played, but we felt he had an issue with his hamstring. And with ‘we’ I don’t mean me, but the medical staff. And they were completely right.
“So, a good call to take him off, otherwise he would have maybe been out for longer. And we expect to have him back after the international break.” – Arne Slot on Jeremie Frimpong
Conor Bradley (muscle), his positional rival, has trained for the first time, meanwhile.
“Conor trained for a few minutes with us today for the first time.” – Arne Slot
With Bradley only just back in training and Joe Gomez not 100%, Slot may be forced to field a square peg in a round hole at right-back on Tyneside.
“We only have at the moment two injuries. Unfortunately, it is two for the same position. But the good thing is that some others can play in that position as well. Wata [Endo] played in that position for a few minutes, Dominik Szoboszlai already played in that position.
“So, there are other options we can explore. Joe Gomez is definitely one of them, but for him to play already 20 minutes, that was already quite a lot. I wouldn’t say he had a setback but he wasn’t able to train three days in a row completely with the team.
“Which is completely normal if you’re out for so long and all of a sudden the manager needs you for 20 minutes. But he is training with the team, so let’s see where he is on Monday, if he can be involved in the team or if he can even start.
“But there are other options we have as well in this position. It’s just you cannot prepare for two injuries in one position, it would be stupid for us to have three full-backs or five left-backs.
“Although we have three left-backs at the moment! So we’re unlucky that the right full-backs are injured.” – Arne Slot
Elsewhere, Ryan Gravenberch returns from a one-match ban.
Slot is hoping that the Dutchman’s availability can help shore up a backline that looked open a week ago.
“With Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) being back, with Ryan in his normal position, I expect us to be even better prepared for the counter-attack than we were in this 2-2 moment [in Gameweek 1], because I’ve watched the game twice back and I don’t think – apart from the two goals, especially the second one as a counter-attack – there were many other counter-attacks from Bournemouth. But if it leads to a goal, it’s of course a big story. For us conceding two, that’s too much in a home game, that’s too open.” – Arne Slot
CHELSEA
Nicolas Jackson is back from a ban but with his future likely elsewhere, he won’t feature.
The same is true of Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling.
“[Jackson] is available but he’s not going to be part of the squad because, as we already said, we have two strikers, we have two players in that position, and also we know that something can happen before the transfer window closes.
“Christo is with us, like Nico, but it’s the same answer as Nico. And the other two players, they are training apart, waiting for some solution.” – Enzo Maresca
Elsewhere, Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended, while Levi Colwill is out long term with a knee injury.
Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia are still sidelined, too. Neither player has featured since the FIFA Club World Cup.
There is some good news: Tosin Adarabioyo sat out the goalless draw with Palace with a “very minor” issue but has returned to training and is fit.
“Tosin is available. He’s available for tomorrow. I’m a little bit surprised because last week he was not available and the day before it was everywhere that he was not available. And now I don’t know why you don’t know that he’s available. He’s available!” – Enzo Maresca
Wesley Fofana, on the bench last weekend (and subsequently engaging in some odd social media activity), is also ready for minutes.
“He was on the bench [in Gameweek 1] just to be with us. But from tomorrow, he’s with us and he can also get some minutes. So we are happy and he’s happy.” – Enzo Maresca on Wesley Fofana
Away from injuries, Maresca was asked if Joao Pedro and Liam Delap could both play in the same XI.
“I think Joao, with us, he can play the five positions at the front, the winger, wide or inside the pitch or behind the striker. I think he can play in all the positions. For sure, probably as a No.9 or behind the striker is his best position, but he can play in all attacking positions for us.” – Enzo Maresca
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Adam Webster (knee), Solly March (knee) and the soon-to-depart Julio Enciso (knee) all remain out for Albion.
Jack Hinshelwood is fine: he missed out in Gameweek 1 after sitting out the final two weekends of pre-season friendlies but was already back in training ahead of the Fulham draw and merely not risked.
“Still only two players out [apart from Julio Enciso] with Adam and Solly.” – Fabian Hurzeler
“He trained fully so far, so he will be an option.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Jack Hinshelwood
Carlos Baleba, who had a disrupted pre-season, also came through his opening-day start unscathed.
“Very positive. He trained the last stages, so very positive. Of course, we needed to take care of him after he was out for almost three, four weeks. And we couldn’t let him play for 90 minutes. But now it’s about getting him back to his highest level regarding physicality, and then I’m sure it will be an option for us at the weekend.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Carlos Baleba
There were some interesting quotes on Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck, with Hurzeler hinting that it was currently an either/or due to Joao Pedro leaving and new arrival Stefanos Tzimas not being match-ready.
“With the loss of Joao, we miss one more striker. Stefanos needs time to get up to speed. So it’s a little bit of a balance thing. You have two strikers with Danny and with Georgi, and you need to work out how to finish a game, how to start a game, how to finish strong. So, for example, if Georgi starts, you can have replace him with Danny. If you start with both, then you need to think about who’s replacing them. It’s more a balance thing. But I’m very happy that Georgi can play in both positions. He can play as the striker. He can play as a ten or an eight. So he’s very flexible and that’s something that helps us.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck
LEEDS UNITED
Jaka Bijol returns from suspension this weekend after serving a one-match ban carried over from his time in Italy.
With Sebastiaan Bornauw and Jayden Bogle both recovering from injuries to make the Gameweek 1 squad, Leeds very briefly had no availability concerns.
But Ethan Ampadu (knee) has now been ruled out with an MCL injury he picked up on Monday night. It’s not a serious one but enough to keep him out of the trip to Arsenal.
“Bad news with him, sadly. The next games, we have to play without him. MCL injury, he will definitely be out until at least the international break. I hope to have him back on the other side of the international break.” – Daniel Farke on Ethan Ampadu
Daniel Farke said it’s “possible” that new signing Noah Okafor could be involved for the clash at the Emirates but he is still unsure if Dominic Calvert-Lewin will feature.
“We will see. I think each and every training session together with the team is important for him. He had a long summer break and then also a few weeks of individual training, so his general endurance is on a really good level but what he has missed is team training.
“When we will use him for the first time, we will decide it then spontaneously.” – Daniel Farke on whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be involved this weekend
SUNDERLAND
Aji Alese (shoulder), Luke O’Nien (shoulder), Dennis Cirkin (wrist) and Leo Hjelde (Achilles) remain absent until at least Gameweek 4.
Romaine Mundle is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue until October, too.
Jensen Seelt was briefly a concern after hobbling off in Gameweek 1 but Regis Le Bris passed the defender fit on Thursday.
“He’s good, he’s good, no problem.” – Regis Le Bris on Jensen Seelt
Seelt, Trai Hume, Dan Ballard and Reinildo will have every expectation of keeping their places this weekend after the opening-day clean sheet but with Omar Alderete, Nordi Mukiele and Arthur Masuaku waiting in the wings and potentially more coming through the door, there is stiff competition at the back.
“I think we need competition to be consistent in this league and we need competition for the squad. We need competition for the position as well because I think we’ll need, because of injuries, because of suspension but probably [also] because of different style of play, we’ll have to face different options in our squad and it should be the case for the backline.” – Regis Le Bris when asked if the back four of last week had the upper hand in their respective positions
BURNLEY
Zeki Amdouni (knee) remains on the sidelines for the Clarets, while Jordan Beyer, making his way back from a long-term knee injury, will still be a “few weeks” after a small setback.
But after not featuring in Gameweek 1, Armando Broja has another week of training under his belt and is closer to “possibly being involved” against Sunderland.
Bashir Humphreys (thigh) and Axel Tuanzebe (unknown injury) are also on the grass again.
“Axel is back training. Bashir Humphreys is back training. Armando’s now another week down the line. So he’s got some more work in him, which I’m really pleased about. So, yeah, they’re all edging [closer] to possibly to being involved at the weekend.” – Scott Parker
WEST HAM UNITED
Luis Guilherme (collarbone) has joined Crysencio Summerville (hamstring) on the injury list but George Earthy (ankle) has returned to training this week.
“Everybody’s fine. George Earthy trained with the group today, so he was the only one. We had Luis Guilherme go over on his shoulder in the week before the [Sunderland] game, so he’s still missing. But apart from that, everybody’s okay.” – Graham Potter
Graham Potter meanwhile confirmed that Mads Hermansen would remain between the posts despite an inglorious debut on Wearside.
“I don’t think I need to have a one-to-one chat with him. Of course, he’s got goalkeeper coaches that support him. I’ve been checking him and looking at him and he’s absolutely fine. Trained really well and he’ll play tomorrow.” – Graham Potter on Mads Hermansen
