There were 11 Premier League manager press conferences held on Friday, with some key injury updates being provided as the Gameweek 13 deadline draws near.
Sadly, there was nothing clear-cut from Jurgen Klopp on Mohamed Salah (ankle) or Andrew Robertson (ankle).
Asked about the injury situation at Anfield, the Liverpool coach initially responded:
I cannot say 100% [on the injured players], today is a very important session.
Fabinho, Bobby and Ali played on Tuesday, Gini Wijnaldum played on Tuesday, so we have these players where we really need to have a look at how they react and what makes sense for them or not. Nobody came back with a serious injury or something like that.
Pressed on Salah’s fitness, Klopp replied:
Yesterday he trained, he’s trained the whole time since he’s here but only the things we wanted him to do. Today, another important session to see how it looks and then we can make the decision.
It’s not that it got worse but it’s still kind of there. That’s the problem. We have to be sensible with things like this. I didn’t make a decision, I have to see the session today.
Klopp confirmed that Virgil van Dijk was “100% available” and that Xherdan Shaqiri was back in training, although the Swiss winger won’t be rushed.
Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson reported that he has a fully fit squad ahead of the visit of the league leaders.
Asked if Ederson (muscle) was fit for Manchester City’s clash with Chelsea on Saturday evening, Pep Guardiola replied:
Yep. He trained the last two or three days without pain.
It was all quiet elsewhere on the injury front at the Etihad, with Guardiola adding:
The same situation. The players who finished fit against Liverpool, they are fit, the injured players [Sane, Laporte] are still injured two or three more months.
There were updates on two of Chelsea’s left-wing options in Frank Lampard’s press conference, meanwhile.
Speaking first of Christian Pulisic (hip), Lampard said:
He had a problem going into the last game against Palace and he was struggling, that’s why he came off after his goal. He’s started to train again this midweek so he’s in contention to play.
There was less positive news on Callum Hudson-Odoi (hamstring), meanwhile, with the Chelsea boss adding:
Everybody came back healthy and well, pretty much. Callum Hudson-Odoi is probably the one, he has a hamstring issue that he picked up in the England game so he will struggle to be in contention for this game but we’re hoping it’s short-term.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clarified Manchester United’s injury latest, saying on Friday morning:
Scott [McTominay], he hurt his ankle, so he’ll be out for a couple of weeks, I reckon. We’ve lost Rojo, he’s injured, Paul [Pogba], still injured. But we’ve got Axel [Tuanzebe], Luke [Shaw], Nemanja [Matic] back in training; maybe not match-fit, they’ve been out for a long time.
Rojo got a muscle injury in training or he’s been struggling with it, so he’s been trying to get back. He’s not ready yet. He had to pull out of the internationals. So maybe [he will be out for] a couple of weeks.
Asked further about Paul Pogba (ankle), Solskjaer added:
He had another test and scan at the start of the international break and he’s not healed yet. He’s out of the cast now. He’s gradually now just stepping up, walking on treadmill back. It’ll still be a few weeks. We hope to see him in 2019.
Chris Wilder says that John Egan (calf) “has a chance” of making the clash with Manchester United and will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness.
Phil Jagielka will replace Egan if he fails to recover, while Simon Moore will deputise for the ineligible Dean Henderson.
Dean Smith had plenty to clear up ahead of Monday’s clash with Newcastle United, most notably about Jack Grealish (calf) and Tom Heaton (calf).
The Villa boss said:
[Jed Steer] has got a partial tear of his Achilles, so he’s going to be out for a while. I’m guessing around about three or four months.
Tom [Heaton] has been out on the grass today, he’ll be training tomorrow and Sunday as well, ready for the game on Monday.
Jack [Grealish] has been training with us, I’m a little bit ill at ease to say he’s available because I’ve said it the last couple of weeks and he’s not played! But he’s trained with us the last week and I’ve no doubts that he’ll be there.
Matt [Targett] came off just before half-time against Wolves with concussion. He went through the protocol and he’s been back training for the last week as well.
Bjorn Engels had an injection in his hip about ten days ago and he’s been back training as well. I would expect them all to be fully fit and available for selection.
Nuno Espirito Santo was typically non-committal on Wolves’ injury news, saying:
We have a couple of players we have to assess, still assessing this afternoon and we will see whether they are available for tomorrow.
Asked specifically about Adama Traore (hamstring), Santo replied:
We have to assess. [It’s an injury] he has before in the last game before the break. We have to assess him.
Raul Jimenez also got a mention, when Santo was asked about his returning international contingent.
The Wolves boss said:
Raul was the last one to join us but, again, we have to assess him because there is not a lot of time to train and we will decide for tomorrow. They [the international players] came back healthy, this is the most important aspect.
Wolves are this weekend up against Bournemouth, who will be without Josh King (hamstring) and who will hand a late fitness test to Ryan Fraser (knee).
Eddie Howe said on Friday:
Josh King will miss this game, unfortunately. He picked up a hamstring strain very late in Norway’s second game. Difficult one to tell, a hamstring strain, a very minor one, but still enough to keep him out for probably a couple of weeks, minimum.
David Brooks won’t be fit. He’s still not training with us, he’s still not fully back out on the grass. Until we see that progression he’s still some way away. Ryan Fraser, we’ll have a late test.
On Everton’s injury situation, Marco Silva said:
[Delph is] possibly not in condition for tomorrow’s match. Still a big doubt. Bernard in the same situation, [he] starts working with the team – possibly next week we’ll have good news about him. Tosun is OK.
Finally, Daniel Farke said that Grant Hanley (groin) has had a setback in his recovery and hasn’t been able to train, while Jamal Lewis (knee) will miss Gameweek 13 because of a knee injury. Josip Drmic (hamstring) is set for eight weeks on the sidelines due to a muscle problem.
Christoph Zimmermann and Kenny McLean have recovered from injury and are available, however, while Teemu Pukki has also shaken off a knock.
A round-up of Thursday’s press conferences can be viewed here.
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