FPL Team News and Injury Round-up – Double Gameweek 25

Our round-up of the pre-match press conferences starts with the two teams who are in action twice in Gameweek 25: Manchester City and Everton.

Pep Guardiola confirmed that Vincent Kompany was his only injury-enforced absentee for the visit of Arsenal before delivering the following update on Benjamin Mendy (knee) when asked about the Frenchman’s availability:

Really I don’t know. After the minutes he played at Burton he had two or three days not training. In the last two training sessions, he was able to train so we’ll see day by day.

Yerry Mina (foot) and Phil Jagielka (unknown) are again sidelined for Everton, who will make late checks on Leighton Baines (hip) and Idrissa Gueye (minor injury).

Lucas Digne, of course, will miss the first of Everton’s Gameweek 25 fixtures through suspension.

Across Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that both Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) and Joe Gomez (leg) will miss out on the visit of West Ham United on Monday.

Klopp said:

No return date for Joe [Gomez]. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is getting better, really close, I would hope he’s in full training next week. But not for now.

Marko Arnautovic (foot) is uncertain to be ready for the visit of Liverpool and will be assessed by medical staff on Saturday but Manuel Pellegrini was more optimistic of Lukasz Fabianski‘s (arm) chances of featuring on Monday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provided an update on Paul Pogba (groin) and Anthony Martial (knock) in his presser this morning, saying:

I don’t think there’s anything [serious] with Paul [Pogba]. Anthony [Martial] has done some rehab work, so he will try a session today, so I would imagine he would be available to be involved.

We’ve not had a proper session since the game, so hopefully, both of them can get through that.

Arsenal reported that Laurent Koscielny (jaw) has returned to full training, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles (knee) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (foot) will be assessed ahead of Sunday’s match against Manchester City.

Unai Emery said of Denis Suarez‘s potential availability:

I know the player. He started to train yesterday and today with the group. I think he is good, he adapts quickly and he is a player with quality.

I am thinking about all the players. If he starts, I have confidence in him.

He can play right, left, he can play inside like a No. 10. I will use him in all of these positions. He played on the left for us with Sevilla, with Villarreal more right-winger and with Barcelona more inside.

There is no change for [Mesut]. Denis is coming here because we have a lot of problems with the winger. That is the reason.

Maurizio Sarri had plenty to say about Chelsea’s current plight in his presser, including the following comments on Eden Hazard:

I think that he’s changing. He was used to playing as an individual player. Now he has to play in a particular way. It’s not easy for him because he became Hazard playing in another way, so I think very well it’s not easy. But I can see that, now, he is more available to play in this way. He needs to improve, of course.

That’s normal. He’s fantastic from the technical point of view, and I think he can do more tactically. At the moment, it’s not easy for our striker to play in this team. We have a lot of individual players like Hazard, Willian and Pedro, so it’s not easy for the striker to do the right movement at the right time.

Ben Davies (groin) will miss out for Spurs, who will face a Newcastle United side still without Paul Dummett (hamstring), Ki Sung-yueng (hamstring), Jonjo Shelvey (thigh) and Mohamed Diame (groin).

New signing Antonio Barreca has been added to the Magpies’ match-day squad, though fellow deadline day recruit Miguel Almirón won’t feature because of visa issues.

Callum Wilson (knee) will be out for three to four weeks for Bournemouth, while the Cherries’ opponents on Saturday, Cardiff City, still have concerns over Victor Camarasa (knock).

Roy Hodgson suggested James Tomkins (hamstring) will be fit to feature this weekend and even hinted that Michy Batshuayi could be involved, saying:

I will see him this afternoon. I’ll wait here to meet him and speak with him, he was fit enough for Valencia so there’s no reason not to play for us. But I need to speak to him to find out how he feels and make a decision.

Bernardo (hamstring) has returned to training for Brighton and will be assessed ahead of the visit of Watford, with the Hornets again set to be without Abdoulaye Doucoure (knee) and Kiko Femenia (hamstring).

Ralph Hasenhuttl will check on the fitness of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (head) ahead of the trip to Turf Moor, where hosts Burnley welcome back Robbie Brady (groin) from injury.

Philip Billing (knee) is back in training for Huddersfield Town, meanwhile.

Nuno Espirito Santo, Claude Puel and Claudio Ranieri didn’t report any fresh injury scares in their respective press conferences.