Our regular round-up of the Premier League team news returns ahead of Double Gameweek 35.
We’ve watched all 20 pre-match press conferences and will bring you the headline injury updates and manager quotes in our game-by-game recap below.
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino will check on their players on Friday ahead of the Manchester City v Spurs rematch at the Etihad.
Saturday’s game takes place less than 72 hours after the seven-goal thriller in the UEFA Champions League, with Pochettino saying on Thursday:
We need to assess the players, we need to assess some players that cannot be possible to play. Some small issues that maybe makes it not possible for some players to play on Saturday again.
That is the most important now thinking to try to take the best decision to try to help the team and to provide the team with good energy to be possible to fight and challenge for the three points.
Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks (both groin) will be assessed over the coming days but look unlikely to feature, with Winks currently undergoing rehab and Pochettino saying that he was “not optimistic” about Sissoko’s chances.
Eric Dier (hip) has returned to training, at least, but Serge Aurier (hamstring) remains out and Erik Lamela (hamstring) is a doubt.
Son Heung-min will be banned for the Champions League semi-final first leg in two weeks’ time and Pochettino was asked if the Korean would, therefore, stand less chance of rotation in the coming fortnight:
Of course, that is going to be sure that if he is OK, he is going to play [in the league] because for the first leg of the Champions League he is going to be suspended.
Guardiola, meanwhile, said:
We’ll see today how the people recovered, mentally and physically. After we will make a decision tonight because tomorrow morning we play early on. We’ll see, in terms of selection.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was City’s only reported injury concern but the Ukrainian left-back has returned to training.
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Granit Xhaka (hip) and Denis Suarez (groin) will be assessed ahead of Sunday’s game but Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) has been ruled out for two-to-three weeks and joins Hector Bellerin (knee), Rob Holding (knee) and Danny Welbeck (ankle) on the sidelines.
When asked about possible rotation, Unai Emery said:
It’s very important now for the players to have some rotation because some players are injured and after the match today we need different players with a new energy. Some of the players after the match today maybe cannot play on Sunday.
Jeffrey Schlupp‘s (ankle) season looks to be over, with the “out of position” Palace defender joining James Tomkins (groin) and Mamadou Sakho (knee) on the sidelines.
Roy Hodgson said on Friday:
We have been a little bit unlucky in this latter period, it started with Mamadou, then we lost James and now we’ve lost Jeff, which is, of course, three big blows for us.
He won’t play again this season, the ankle injury is such that it will take the three or so weeks we have left (to heal).
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton and Hove Albion
Nuno Espirito Santo has a clean bill of health going into Saturday’s game and said Wolves’ midweek trip to Marbella has benefitted his side.
Speaking on Friday, Santo said:
We had a good week of training sessions, preparing for the game and at the same time having social time together. It was nothing to do with tiredness, it was planned and benefits the squad.
Now, the most important thing is for us to perform well, playing good football, this is the main thing that we want to achieve. A good performance in front of our fans.
Other than the suspended Anthony Knockaert, Chris Hughton has all of his players to choose from as Brighton attempt to bounce back from their dismal Gameweek 34 defeats.
Huddersfield Town v Watford
Javi Gracia began his press conference with a round-up of Watford’s confirmed absentees, saying:
In this moment, we have Jose Holebas, Tom Cleverley, Domingos Quina and Penaranda. All of them are out of the team.
When asked about Gerard Deulofeu (ankle) and Roberto Pereyra (knock), Gracia added:
Both today trained with the team and we’ll see tomorrow how they are to play. We’ll decide tomorrow. They are training well but… I prefer to wait for tomorrow, to take the best decision.
Troy Deeney begins a three-match ban, meanwhile.
Laurent Depoitre (foot) won’t feature for the Terriers and Jan Siewert has worries over another striker, Karlan Grant.
Siewert said on Thursday:
Isaac [Mbenza] is better and he could be back. Karlan has been ill, he had been weak. Today he trained a bit, I’ll have to look if it is possible with him.”
Chelsea v Burnley
Maurizio Sarri downplayed any fears of an injury to Eden Hazard, who was substituted after 65 minutes of Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Slavia Prague on Thursday.
Speaking after the game, Sarri said:
No, nothing serious I hope and I think. It’s only a knock, it’s only a strong knock. I think that we can recover him for the next match on Monday.
Antonio Rudiger (knee) is set to remain sidelined, while Marcos Alonso (glute) is reportedly a doubt.
Sean Dyche said of Burnley’s fitness issues:
We’re waiting on Phil Bardsley. We’ll make a decision on that the next couple of days. Aaron Lennon’s doing well, not there yet but he’s more and more active. Crouchy is back on the move but not quite there yet.
Cardiff City v Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp said fatigue wasn’t an issue heading into Sunday’s match at Cardiff.
Speaking on Friday, the Liverpool boss said:
We are not tired. We recover, training is a lower intensity at the moment because we cannot do a lot. But we don’t have to do a lot, the most important sessions of the week are the games we play.
When asked about the Reds’ injury situation, Klopp added:
Dejan was ill, so he should be available again. We will see that. Heard nothing after the Porto game. Nothing real serious, should be OK. They should be all in.
Joe [Gomez] looked good [on Wednesday]. Whether he will start, we will see. We have a lot of players with a lot of rhythm but it’s good to have him.
Harry Arter (calf) looks likely to miss out on Sunday’s game, with Neil Warnock saying the following when asked whether the on-loan midfielder will recover in time:
I wouldn’t have thought so, no. He’s touch and go for the Fulham game, that’s what the physio told me.
Newcastle United v Southampton
Florian Lejeune and Sean Longstaff (both knee) are Newcastle’s only confirmed absentees for the Saturday tea-time kick-off but Ralph Hasenhuttl had plenty to clear up in his press conference on Thursday.
The Saints’ boss said:
Yan Valery is OK. Michael Obafemi is not training with the group. Mario Lemina made a big step forward in the week. He’s trained with the team and looks much better now. Maybe his injury time comes to an end.
Alex McCarthy, little problem yesterday after the training session, Matt Targett also a little problem. Should be no problem. Chaz [Austin], little problem with his shoulder but maybe today he can train again. It’s not really a big one.
Jannik Vestergaard (muscle) is said to be “struggling”, with Hasenhuttl adding:
Didn’t train the last two days but today maybe he’s back in team training. After intense games, he needs a little bit longer for recovery. At the moment he is struggling a little bit, but let’s have a look if it’s possible at the weekend.
Everton v Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to welcome back more of his injured players over the next week.
Speaking on Friday, the Norwegian said:
Ander [Herrera] is back in training, he’s been working really hard. Eric [Bailly] will be back in training over the weekend, Antonio [Valencia] we’re not sure about yet. Nemanja [Matic] and Alexis [Sanchez] had a good session yesterday as well, so they will probably be involved.
Yerry Mina (hamstring) is Everton’s only injured-related absentee but Andre Gomes begins a three-game ban.
West Ham United v Leicester City
There was no update on Lucas Perez or Aaron Cresswell (knocks) in Manuel Pellegrini’s presser but the West Ham boss did have plenty to clarify on his other fitness concerns, saying:
I think that Manuel Lanzini and Samir Nasri will not be available because of injury. Also, Javier Hernandez has a problem in his ear, so he couldn’t work these last days. Marko [Arnautovic] works as normal the whole week.
Jack Wilshere, meanwhile, is in contention to return after featuring for the under-23s.
Brendan Rodgers reported no fresh fitness concerns in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, so Daniel Amartey (leg) is the Foxes’ only injury-related absentee.
Asked if Marc Albrighton may get a start, Rodgers said:
I don’t think he’s ready for 90 minutes. It just depends on whether you want him to be starting a game and play 60/65 or come into the game like he did against Newcastle. He’s another week or so further on in his fitness.
Bournemouth v Fulham
Eddie Howe has only long-term absentees Diego Rico (ankle), Charlie Daniels (knee), Simon Francis (knee), Andrew Surman (calf) and Lewis Cook (knee) unavailable to him for Saturday’s match against Fulham.
The Cherries’ boss said on Friday:
Pretty much as we were, I don’t think we’ve got any major differences from last week. We still have a lot of players out on a long-term list but no great changes.
Fulham, meanwhile, have confirmed that Timothy Fosu-Mensah is set to undergo knee ligament surgery and are still missing Alfie Mawson (match fitness) and Marcus Bettinelli (knee).
We have more detailed injury information and predicted line-ups in our Team News tab and in the podcast/YouTube video below:
5 years, 1 day agoTorn for Captain this week.