While Gameweek 7 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is still some time away, there’s team news from three more midweek press conferences to bring you today.
Aston Villa‘s Unai Emery, Liverpool‘s Andoni Iraola and Manchester City‘s Enzo Maresca all faced the media ahead of their midweek UEFA Champions League ties.
You can read what Arsenal‘s Mikel Arteta and Manchester United‘s Michael Carrick had to say on Monday here.
LIVERPOOL
Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Cody Gakpo (ankle) and Alexander Isak (quad) will all miss the clash with LASK on Wednesday.
Andoni Iraola couldn’t tell us when that trio will be fit but none of them sounds seriously injured.
“They are not far but it’s difficult to tell you right now. Not any of the three have trained with the group and we are taking it day to day. The three of them are not far, I would say, but I don’t know if they are going to be ready for Brentford, for Villarreal, for Brighton, I don’t know.” – Andoni Iraola on Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak
Long-term absentees Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) also remain out.
Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are both ineligible for European competition, meanwhile.
Ryan Gravenberch, who is suspended for Gameweek 7, will at least be able to feature in midweek.
MANCHESTER CITY
We didn’t get any team news questions in Maresca’s presser.
Not that we were expecting much anyway, as not a single member of City’s squad is flagged in FPL.
Phil Foden‘s three-match domestic ban is over, but he would have been able to feature against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday regardless.
Maresca was asked (in French) by a PSG reporter about how important this match will be to Rayan Cherki, given that he’s from Ligue 1 rivals Lyon, and the City boss joked that his playmaker wasn’t going to feature, before praising his all-round game.
“But Rayan, he doesn’t play tomorrow. He doesn’t play tomorrow. No [laughs], he plays.
“I don’t know, but Rayan is a very good person. It’s very important. And after that, he’s a very good player. He is very good with the ball. We know that. But at this moment, he is very good without the ball. He works very good, he works very well, so that is important for him, for me.” – Enzo Maresca on the importance of this match to Rayan Cherki
ASTON VILLA
Matteo Ruggeri will be out until after the November internationals with the hamstring injury he picked up in Gameweek 6.
Amadou Onana (knee) is still sidelined, while Modo Cisse (unspecified) and Ian Maatsen (ankle) remain out but are at least on the grass.
Leon Goretzka (knee) will be in the squad for Wednesday’s clash with Fenerbahce, however.
And while Brian Madjo can’t feature due to ineligibility, Unai Emery is hoping the young striker will be involved in Gameweek 7. He missed the start of 2026/27 with an ankle issue but recently returned in a mid-season friendly with Sevilla.
George Hemmings (knee) may also return against Newcastle United on Saturday.
“There are negative ways for some players, because they are injured like Ruggeri.
“Matteo Ruggeri, we don’t know exactly how long it’s going to be, but more or less some weeks that he’s going to be out, more than one month. We try to find solutions because Maatsen is not yet available for tomorrow. I think, the way he is, getting better, he should be in a few days or a week joining, so it’s positive.
“Leon Goretzka is in the squad for tomorrow. George Hemmings is still being with a small pain – not [available] for tomorrow but hopefully, maybe on Saturday he can come back.
“Onana, Cisse is starting to train with us, and we have some players without the possibility to play in the Champions League, like Taylor [Harwood-Bellis] and Madjo. Madjo is training with us and hopefully can join us in the group for Saturday.” – Unai Emery
