The 12 remaining pre-match Premier League press conferences take place on Friday – and this is the place to come to get all the major Gameweek 2 team news.
Roberto De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso and Michael Carrick are among the managers facing the media.
We’ll bring you the key quotes from all of these head coaches in the article below.
These pressers follow on from the seven we had on Thursday and Pierre Sage’s on Wednesday.
KEY GAMEWEEK 1 TEAM NEWS FROM FRIDAY
- Chelsea: Fofana back from ban, Alonso hopeful on Caicedo
- Manchester United: Baleba + Amad still out, Mount trains
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Hinshelwood set to miss out, Rutter could return
- Tottenham Hotspur: Savio + Marmoush set for debuts, Kudus could be a sub
- Nottingham Forest: Gibbs-White fit, Sangare out
- Aston Villa: Watkins on his way, Jackson incoming
- Leeds United: Gudmundsson + Gnonto rejoin training, Gruev closer
- Everton: Hackney “touch and go”, Norgaard still out, Garner needs minutes
- Brentford: Yarmoliuk fine, van den Berg still injured
- Sunderland: Methalie suspended, Adingra remains unavailable
- Fulham: Andersen back from a ban, Cairney still sidelined
- Ipswich Town: Florentino could return, Palacious may make debut, three out
FRIDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
🚨 Friday's FPL Press Conferences!
🕊️ 9am – Hurzeler
🌳 9am – Glasner
⬜️ 10am – Arbeloa
🍬 10.30am – Moyes
👹 1.15pm – Carrick
🐝 1.30pm – Andrews
🧿 1.30pm – Alonso
🚜 1.30pm – O'Neil
⚪️ 1.30pm – Farke
🐈⬛ 1.30pm – Le Bris
🐓 1.30pm – De Zerbi
🟣 2pm – Emery pic.twitter.com/hmzSvo2oQI— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) August 28, 2026
CHELSEA
Xabi Alonso actually faced the media on Thursday night, with quotes embargoed until this afternoon.
Speaking then, Alonso said he was hopeful Moises Caicedo (unspecified) would be ready to face Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.
“He is hopefully training [on Friday] and we are hopeful that he can be involved [against Brighton]. But we need to check. No decision made.” – Xabi Alonso on Moises Caicedo
Alonso hinted earlier this week that Marco Palestra (unspecified) wouldn’t recover in time for Gameweek 2. Jordan Henderson (wrist) is also still sidelined.
“Jordan, we are still waiting for him to recover. Hopefully, he will have the green light to play soon.” – Xabi Alonso
Levi Colwill and Geovany Quenda, who didn’t feature in Thursday’s cup win over Luton Town, are fine, however.
“There were no issues. Our plan is that they are training [from Friday], preparing for Sunday.
“With Levi, we know that three games in a week, after his injury, he is still in a period where he has to take the right steps, we don’t want to push him too much. That he doesn’t get stressed and that he feels comfortable as well. And with Geo as well.” – Marco Alonso
Alonso hinted that Reece James and Cole Palmer would start again, despite surprisingly doing so on Thursday.
“Hope not!” – Xabi Alonso when asked if Reece James and Cole Palmer would struggle with three games in a week
Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana returns from a ban.
Alonso said he “knows” who will start in goal on Sunday – but wouldn’t say who that will be.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Amad Diallo (unspecified) and Carlos Baleba (ankle) will miss the Ipswich game this weekend. Both are hoping to return before the international break.
Mason Mount (knock) is back in training.
“Amad won’t be involved this week. He’ll be out for a little bit longer.
“Mason’s back round the group, which is great, he trained this week. So, that’s a real positive for us.” – Michael Carrick
“He’s got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks. We’ll see.” – Michael Carrick on Carlos Baleba
“We’ll wait and see but hopeful. I don’t want to put any deadlines on it just yet.” – Michael Carrick on whether Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo will feature before the September international break
Manuel Ugarte (knee) is out long term, while we await to hear whether Matthijs de Ligt (back) is ready for a playing comeback despite a return to training.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Georginio Rutter could return after missing the midweek UEFA Conference League tie with Tromso with a minor problem.
But there’s a fresh injury blow concerning Jack Hinshelwood, who also sat out Thursday’s win.
Fabian Hurzeler says Hinshelwood’s issue is not a big one but his involvement in Gameweek 2 looks very doubtful, and there are even reports from external sources suggesting a 5-6 week absence.
“With both, we have to be patient. We have to see. I didn’t see them yet today, but there might be a chance for one of them to be in the squad.
“I think with Jack, we have to be more patient and therefore let’s see how the next weeks are going. I can’t give you a clear schedule when then the players will be back. We have to go really day by day. With Gina, I see a higher chance that he might be part of the squad. With Jack, I think we have to be more patient. So, let’s see.
“[Hinshelwood] had a small issue in the training session. Like I said, nothing big, but for the weekend, it might be too close, and then we will find solutions.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter
Yankuba Minteh (leg), Evan Ferguson (ankle), Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) are all out, too.
New signings Promise David and Jaouen Hadjam should be involved, however.
“I’m quite convinced that they will be options for us at the weekend and that’s positive. So, I think they are two great players, two great personalities. They will definitely make our squad stronger. So, yeah, they will be definitely an option.
“Regarding both, we need to give them time. But we have a big belief that they make our squad stronger.” – Fabian Hurzeler on his two new signings
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Mohammed Kudus (thigh) could make his long-awaited return from injury as a substitute this weekend.
Omar Marmoush and Savio are also poised for their debuts, although Roberto De Zerbi says decisions over whether to start them – as well as Pedro Porro, who was late back from World Cup duty, and Micky van de Ven, who had a disrupted pre-season – or not are still to be made.
“We are all in the right condition to play. Maybe Kudus can come on the bench, we have to see.
“Van de Ven is ready to play, we have to understand whether that’s in the beginning or part of the game, like Savio, like Pedro. Marmoush is available to play, maybe also the beginning of the game.” – Roberto De Zerbi
Xavi Simons (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee) are still sidelined.
James Maddison (shoulder) is also a concern.
“James Maddison has not a big problem. Just pain in his left shoulder. He’s working, but I don’t know if he’s available for tomorrow.” – Roberto De Zerbi
Pape Matar Sarr (abductor) is “good” but looks set for a move away.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Morgan Gibbs-White (knee) is fit for the trip to Liverpool, having sat out the EFL Cup tie with Leeds United in midweek.
Ryan Yates has also recovered from a minor issue but Ibrahim Sangare (calf) has joined Nicolo Savona (knee) on the injury list.
“Morgan is available and Ryan Yates is available. So, that’s the good news. But Ibrahim Sangare picked up a minor calf injury during Wednesday’s training session. So, he will miss tomorrow’s game, but the other two will return.” – Oliver Glasner
Liam Delap has joined Forest this week and could make his debut.
“We were looking for a striker with physicality and especially with pace and runs in behind. So, we have other profiles here. We have a top striker in the box with Chris Wood, who is a proven Premier League goalscorer. We have the more, let’s say, ‘playing’ number nine with Igor. When Taiwo [Awoniyi] left, the one who made the runs in behind, we were missing [someone like this], and then we were looking for this profile and yeah, Liam is the perfect fit.” – Oliver Glasner on Liam Delap
ASTON VILLA
Amadou Onana (knee) and Joao Gomes (suspended) are definitely out but we didn’t get any update on Brian Madjo (unknown) or Johan Manzambi (knee) on Friday.
Ollie Watkins is Saudi-bound, while Tammy Abraham – who limped out of Aston Villa’s final pre-season friendly and hasn’t featured since – is apparently off to Ipswich Town.
Nicolas Jackson is on his way in, however, and Unai Emery is hopeful he’ll be registered in time to face the Gunners.
LEEDS UNITED
Gabriel Gudmundsson (hamstring) and Wilfried Gnonto (hamstring) return to team training today.
Long-term absentee Ilia Gruev (knee) has been back on the grass for a while and is “closer” to being involved.
EVERTON
David Moyes says Hayden Hackney is “touch and go” ahead of Everton’s clash with Bournemouth this weekend.
Hackney missed the midweek Carabao Cup clash at Preston with an ankle issue.
“Hayden Hackney rolled his ankle last week, so that’s why he didn’t play in midweek. We’ll see – it’ll be touch and go for Hayden, I think.” – David Moyes
Christian Nørgaard (groin) remains sidelined for now.
“Christian is still not making great progress, at the moment, so it’s probably not someone we’re going to get back quickly. We’ll just need to see how that develops.” – David Moyes
Meanwhile, Moyes says the fit-again James Garner needs more game-time after missing the majority of pre-season with a hernia injury.
“[Garner] is not ‘fine’ because he hasn’t played any games in pre-season, so if we hadn’t have had the injury to Hayden, then we wouldn’t have started him, certainly against Preston. He’s made a remarkably quick recovery from his hernia, which is great. He’s a player – and you don’t see it very often – who is pushing to get back quicker and in time. Jimmy did that.
“I thought he did great in the game [in midweek]. I still think he’s off his levels, at the moment, but it’s the minutes he needs in the games, bits of the games, which he’ll hopefully soon pick up.” – David Moyes
Away from injuries, Moyes was asked whether there was any truth in the rumours suggesting Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish could be heading in opposite directions.
“I wouldn’t talk about individual players at other clubs. Jack’s not at our club. He was brilliant for us, great boy, but it’s wrong for me to talk about him. He’s at another club.
“We’re certainly not in a hurry to sell our best players, that’s for sure.” – David Moyes
BRENTFORD
Yehor Yarmoliuk is fine, despite appearing to limp off in midweek.
Sepp van den Berg (groin) and Antoni Milambo (knee) remain out.
Keith Andrews says he’s not sure whether El Hadji Malick Diouf will be registered in time for Sunday’s game at Leeds United.
SUNDERLAND
New boy Dayann Methalie can’t feature because he serves a suspension carried over from his time in France.
Simon Adingra (ankle) remains out.
“Dayann will be suspended for five yellow cards received in France.” – Regis Le Bris
The big question is whether Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete are going to start after substitute duty last weekend.
“Nordi is so important for us, it was a shame to get this injury just at the last minute of our US tour. It broke his dynamic because he started really well this pre-season with high standards and he was really impressive on his right side, but Thomas did well so we had a good replacement. Nordi is ready but with these three weeks less in this journey, so he will be available this weekend.
“Omar had a different programme because of the World Cup and an early injury as well in the World Cup, so he will be available as well, but you saw against Ipswich, he’s not at his best right now, which is normal in this time.” – Regis Le Bris, quoted by the Sunderland Echo
FULHAM
Joachim Andersen is back available after his three-match ban, carried over from last season, was completed in Gameweek 1.
Tom Cairney (knee) remains out until after the September international break, while back-up centre-half Luc De Fougerolles is a concern after coming off in Thursday’s EFL Cup win over Wimbledon.
“It’s like the same [team news as last week]. Tom, he is still injured. We will see with Luc, maybe he is not ready for Sunday.” – Alvaro Arbeloa
IPSWICH TOWN
Gary O’Neil expects new signing Exequiel Palacios to play some part at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Florentino Luis (calf) could also return.
Azor Matusiwa (muscle), Jack Taylor (knee) and Jaden Philogene (ankle) remain out.
