Wilfried Zaha will be monitored ahead of Crystal Palace’s crucial trip to Chelsea after returning to training earlier than anticipated. Meanwhile, Arsenal have a number of concerns in the full-back positions for the visit of Watford, while Anthony Martial could sit out a second consecutive match as Manchester United and Liverpool go head-to-head at Old Trafford tomorrow lunchtime.
Here’s our summary of the team news so far, with a raft of press conferences still to come later today.
Wilfried Zaha has stepped up his recovery from a knee injury and has returned to training as Crystal Palace prepare to visit London rivals Chelsea. Eagles’ manager Roy Hodgson is keen not to take any chances with the winger and it remains to be seen if he will be risked. Timothy Fosu-Mensah is available for the trip to Stamford Bridge after he was ineligible to face parent club Manchester United, though the Palace manager has suggested he will keep faith in Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back.
N’Golo Kante (illness) is expected to be passed fit for the Stamford Bridge clash, having missed Sunday’s meek loss to Man City. Eden Hazard was utilised as a “false 9” at the Etihad Stadium last weekend but is likely to return to a support role, with Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud leading the line.
Anthony Martial remains doubtful for Manchester United’s lunchtime showdown with Liverpool after missing the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace due to a knock. Jesse Lingard could retain his place on the right flank, then, though Juan Mata or Marcus Rashford will be pushing for a start after both made an impact off the bench at Selhurst Park.
Jordan Henderson and Andrew Robertson are expected to recover from minor problems to be fit for the trip to Old Trafford, while Georginio Wijnaldum (illness) isn’t expected to feature after recent illness. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane had their minutes managed against Porto in midweek and are set to be unleashed from the start.
Everton will be without the suspended Ashley Williams for the home encounter against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Sam Allardyce still has plenty of defensive options at his disposal, with Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Ramiro Funes Mori all available to return.
As for the Seagulls, Ezequiel Schelotto has been passed fit for the trip to Goodison Park after he was cleared to play following a head injury in the 2-1 win over Arsenal.
David Wagner will hope to have both Aaron Mooy and Alex Pritchard available for the home clash against Swansea City. Mooy has missed the last two matches due to a gashed knee, while Pritchard was replaced at the break after suffering a dead leg in last weekend’s defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
Swans head coach Carlos Carvalhal could name an unchanged starting XI against the Terriers, but Leon Britton is a doubt due to a back problem.
Jonjo Shelvey remains a doubtf for Newcastle United’s home meeting with Southampton due to a knee problem, but the likes of Matt Ritchie and Ayoze Perez are expected to push for recalls after both were omitted from the teamsheet for last Saturday’s trip to Anfield.
Saints have no fresh injury concerns, with Steven Davis, Maya Yoshida and Charlie Austin all still sidelined.
West Bromwich Albion will check on Gareth Barry ahead of the home clash against Leicester City after the midfielder missed the 1-0 defeat to Watford due to a knock.
Foxes boss Claude Puel revealed Shinji Okazaki is available following a knee injury and could be handed the central support role behind Jamie Vardy at The Hawthorns. Ben Chilwell and Danny Simpson are expected to reclaim the full-back berths, with the latter’s chances of a start enhanced after Daniel Amartey was ruled out for a month due to a hamstring issue.
Winston Reid and Sam Byram are both expected to miss the rest of the season after picking up knee and ankle injuries respectively in the 4-1 defeat to Swansea City. But Angelo Ogbonna and James Collins could return for the home fixture against Burnley. Meanwhile, Michail Antonio is expected to earn a recall at left wing-back at the expense of Patrice Evra – the former has now netted in back-to-back Gameweeks.
Tom Heaton and Scott Arfield remain out for the Clarets at Wembley Stadium. Up front, Chris Wood is likely to be handed a recall after emerging from the bench to score the winner in the 2-1 victory over Everton.
Arsene Wenger has a number of concerns at full-back ahead of the home clash against Watford. First-choice pair Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal may well miss out again, though back-up duo Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers will need to be assessed after being forced off in last night’s 2-0 win over AC Milan. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will lead the line after being ineligible to play in the UEFA Europa League.
The Hornets have their own worries at full-back, too. Jose Holebas is a slight doubt after picking up an ankle injury in last weekend’s 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, while Kiko Femenia (illness) will also be assessed.
Bournemouth are sweating over the fitness of a trio of wingers for Sunday’s home encounter with Spurs. Eddie Howe expects Marc Pugh to miss out while Jordon Ibe and Ryan Fraser are also injury concerns. The Cherries manager has suggested Jermain Defoe is pushing for a recall after impressing off the bench in their previous home match against Newcastle.
Serge Aurier is expected to return at right-back for Spurs after missing the 2-1 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League due to suspension. Should Mauricio Pochettino look to rotate, the likes of Danny Rose, Victor Wanyama and Erik Lamela could push for starts, with the Argentine expected to oust Son Heung-min from the first XI.
Mame Biram Diouf will miss Stoke City’s home encounter against Manchester City due to a dislocated shoulder, so either Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting or Peter Crouch look set to start in attack.
As for City, Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho have both returned to training and may be available for the trip to the bet365 Stadium. Fabian Delph is free to play after serving a three-match ban, but is a doubt due to a muscle problem that forced him to miss the midweek loss to FC Basel. Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany were among a host of regulars rested against the Swiss and are in line to return to Pep Guardiola’s teamsheet on Monday night.
All this and more has now been updated in the Team News section ahead of tomorrow’s 11.30am deadline. Keep an eye on our official Twitter account for breaking news – as the day unfolds, we will issue updates from Friday’s press conferences and refresh our Team News tab accordingly to keep you informed.
