With midweek European club football comes pre-match press conferences – and some early Gameweek 16 team news.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are the first Premier League clubs in action this week, with their managers facing the media on Monday.
Here are the key injury updates.
LIVERPOOL
While much of the hubbub around Arne Slot’s presser centred around Mohamed Salah‘s omission from the squad to face Inter Milan, the Liverpool boss also delivered a major piece of injury news.
With the Reds already set to be without Salah for weeks due to his African Cup of Nations (AFCON) involvement, they’ve now lost Cody Gakpo to injury.
“Cody Gakpo unfortunately picked up an injury in the last game we played against Leeds and he will be out for a few weeks.” – Arne Slot
One possible replacement in Italy, Federico Chiesa, is ill, meanwhile.
“Federico is ill, so that is poor timing you could say. But yeah, it’s not something you can do anything about.
“So, we are monitoring his situation. If he has an amazing recovery – which I, we, [the] doctors don’t expect – he might travel tomorrow. But let’s have a fair expectation, that’s not what I expect.” – Arne Slot
Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) remain sidelined.
CHELSEA
The signs didn’t look good for Liam Delap and Chelsea when the striker came off with a shoulder injury on Saturday.
On Monday, widespread reports suggested the former Ipswich Town forward could miss 6-8 weeks.
Enzo Maresca didn’t ratify that timeline but he did confirm that Delap faces a spell out.
“Liam, fortunately, [it] is not any fracture, so that is good news.
“Now, for how long he will be out, not sure to be honest.” – Enzo Maresca
While Marc Guiu will be hoping for a game-time boost, he may have felt slightly deflated at his manager not listing him as a potential replacement.
“We had already Liam two months out, unfortunately for him and unfortunately for us. Joao played as a nine, Pedro Neto played as a nine. If you remember at the beginning of the season, also Ty [George] play as a nine. So, we try to find a solution.” – Enzo Maresca
Delap joins Dario Essugo (thigh), Romeo Lavia (quad), Levi Colwill (knee) and Mykhailo Mudryk (suspended) on the sidelines.
And Cole Palmer won’t be part of the squad for the Champions League clash with Atalanta, either.
There’s no injury setback, however, just management of his minutes.
“Cole, it is part of his process in this moment. He’s not available, he can’t play two games in a row in three days. So, we’ve planned that, and it’s just a way to protect him.” – Enzo Maresca
Moises Caicedo is available in midweek but still has one more game of his three-match domestic ban to go. He’ll be back in the Premier League in Gameweek 17.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
After missing out with a hamstring injury in Gameweek 15, Destiny Udogie has now been ruled out till January.
Brennan Johnson, meanwhile, is “touch and go” for the Slavia Prague game on Tuesday.
“Destiny… picked up a hamstring injury in the end of the Newcastle game, so he’s out until January, unfortunately. Bren is touch and go.” – Thomas Frank
Dominic Solanke (ankle), James Maddison (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee) and Yves Bissouma (ankle/disciplinary) remain on the sidelines.
Radu Dragusin (knee) and Kota Takai (thigh) are injury-free: they featured for the under-21s last week and are now awaiting first-team call-ups, should they ever come.
