Team News

FPL Gameweek 22 team news and injury updates

After a hectic Christmas period in which we often had to make do without pre-match press conferences and up-to-date injury news, we are at least back to some semblance of normality ahead of Gameweek 22.

All 20 Premier League managers held media gatherings either on Thursday or Friday, with some well-owned players among the players discussed by their respective bosses.

There was positive news on James Maddison, who sustained a blow to the head against Aston Villa.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers said today:

Just a knock, he had some tests after the game. He’s fine, he’s trained the last few days.

Kevin De Bruyne also took a whack to his upper body in the EFL Cup on Tuesday but when asked whether the Belgian has had any ill-effects since, Pep Guardiola said:

No, no, I think it is fine.

Jurgen Klopp brought us up to date on Liverpool’s injury situation, saying on Friday:

James [Milner] and Naby [Keita] are not available, both are muscle injuries. We’ll see how quick, we don’t have to put a timeframe on it. For sure not for this weekend, not for next week, but then we will see.

Joel [Matip] was not part of all parts of training, he was outside on the pitch which looked really good but then he had to do his own stuff again. Yesterday was part of the first part of training. Shaq [Xherdan Shaqiri] trained completely normal since he was in.

Dejan [Lovren] and Fabinho we expect to be back next week in full training. If’s that then early enough for the United game I don’t know but we will see.

A start away at Tottenham Hotspur would seem a tall order for new signing Takumi Minamino but Klopp gave us an idea of where the versatile Japan international might feature in future, saying:

He played [as a striker v Everton] because we thought it was the most natural to him in the first place, especially defending-wise against the ball it was most natural to him.

He played the position the year before, not this season but the season before, when my former player was manager at Salzburg. I watched a couple of games and they played a lot in a diamond and he was the no.10 very often. He can play second striker, all that stuff, for Japan he plays as no.9, he can play on the wing. 

But we thought from a defending point of view it’s the most natural position for him that he knows because I don’t want to give him kind of a playbook: read it and now you know what you have to do. 

So he could defend naturally actually, but it’s not the only position he can play, no, no no. He played in a 4-4-2, both wings, second striker, for Japan the only striker – a lot he has to offer and I loved the game. 

For Spurs, Harry Kane (hamstring) and Moussa Sissoko (knee) will now be missing until April.

Ben Davies (ankle), Tanguy Ndombele (hip) and Hugo Lloris (shoulder) remain out but Danny Rose (calf) is back in training.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that Harry Maguire (hip) has “got a chance” of featuring against Norwich City tomorrow, despite previous media reports hinting at a long absence.

The United boss explained:

He’s got a chance for tomorrow. It was a minor thing, don’t know where the reports are coming from. He’s going to go through training today and see how he reacts for tomorrow. He was close to playing against City, just not fit enough.

Scott McTominay (knee) and Paul Pogba (ankle) remain sidelined, while Jesse Lingard was ruled out of Saturday’s match due to illness and Eric Bailly (knee) and Tim Fosu-Mensah (knee) will feature for the reserves on Friday night.

Daniel Farke ruled Teemu Pukki (hamstring) out of the trip to Old Trafford, so, with Josip Drmic (hamstring) also sidelined for the game at Old Trafford, teenage forward Adam Idah could potentially be handed a chance up front.

Christian Pulisic‘s stock is set to fall further in Fantasy Premier League, with Frank Lampard saying today:

Christian Pulisic is out, he’ll be out for a few weeks. He was injured in training last Saturday. It’s an injury in the adductor, so he’s got a tendon injury. It was quite a nasty injury, he was in pain when it happened.

On Chelsea’s other injury news, Lampard added:

Marcos Alonso is recovering, he’s trained today but he won’t be ready for tomorrow. Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] is still out.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson (hamstring) will miss the trip to Stamford Bridge while Sean Dyche said on Thursday that the Clarets will “almost definitely” be without Ashley Barnes, who is set to see a specialist on a recurring groin problem.

Jay Rodriguez and Phil Bardsley have missed almost a full week of training due to illness so may also not feature, with their manager explaining that their ailment was “a deeper thing than just a bug”. 

Nuno Espirito Santo ruled Willy Boly (ankle) and Diogo Jota (dead leg) out of Saturday’s game against Newcastle but Morgan Gibbs-White (back) is back in contention.

The Wolves boss said of Jota:

He had a strong impact, he has some fluid and blood on the injury, he’s going to be scanned again next week. After this scan we can wait and determine better his return.

Jamaal Lascelles (leg), Allan Saint-Maximin (hamstring), Fabian Schar (hamstring) and Jonjo Shelvey (hamstring) are not quite ready to return despite making good progress in their respective rehabilitations but Paul Dummett (groin), Ciaran Clark (calf), Andy Carroll (groin), Miguel Almiron (groin), Dwight Gayle (hamstring) and Jetro Willems (groin) are all back in training and in contention to feature against Wolves.

Javier Manquillo (hamstring) is sidelined, however, while Steve Bruce seemed to imply on Friday that the Magpies had lost Yoshinori Muto and Ki Sung-yueng to knocks as well.

DeAndre Yedlin will also be assessed for a knee injury.

There’s not much change at Everton, with boss Carlo Ancelotti reporting:

The injured players are the same. Andre Gomes will come back next week and start to train individually here. [Jean-Philippe Gbamin], I don’t know precisely but is working alone in this moment. The same with [Alex] Iwobi. The others are fit.

Dan Burn (shoulder) and Jose Izquierdo (knee) are Brighton’s only two confirmed absentees for the trip to Everton but Aaron Mooy is a fresh doubt, with Graham Potter revealing that the in-form Australian had “not trained in the last couple of days” after picking up a knock.

Roy Hodgson confirmed that new loan signing Cenk Tosun is in contention to be in the Crystal Palace squad against Arsenal, adding that Max Meyer (knock), Jairo Riedewald (knock) and Wilfried Zaha (knock) were all fit.

The Gunners will be without Kieran Tierney (shoulder) and Calum Chambers (knee), while Hector Bellerin (hamstring) looks unlikely to feature, with Mikel Arteta saying on Thursday that the defender was “still not there” despite a partial return to training.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wasn’t included in the Arsenal medical round-up and has been pictured in training, so the assumption is that he has recovered from the illness that forced his no-show in the FA Cup.

Keinan Davis (hamstring), John McGinn (ankle), Jed Steer (Achilles), Tom Heaton (knee) and Wesley (knee) are all unavailable for Aston Villa, while Jonathan Kodjia (illness) hasn’t trained as of Friday.

There was no update on Matt Targett (hamstring) in Friday’s press conference but Dean Smith had previously expressed confidence of him returning for this weekend.

Eddie Howe said on Friday that the “long-term absentees won’t really change for this weekend” but, without naming names in the broadcast section of his press conference, added that a few of Bournemouth’s sidelined contingent are “getting very close now”.

News broke late on Friday that Chris Mepham would be out for a long period of time after sustaining a serious knee injury.

Danny Welbeck (hamstring), Tom Cleverley (heel), Sebastien Prodl (knee) and Daryl Janmaat (knee) remain unavailable for Watford’s match against the Cherries, although Welbeck has at least resumed training with the rest of the Watford squad.

Kiko Femenia (hamstring) has joined them on the sidelines for this one, while Nigel Pearson said on Thursday that the Hornets “don’t think” Will Hughes (hip) will recover for the trip to the Vitality Stadium.

The Watford boss added that a few of his players had “less-serious” injuries that will be monitored over the coming days.

Michael Verrips (concussion) will miss Sheffield United’s match against West Ham United tonight but Simon Moore (groin) is back in training and could be back among the substitutes after a month-long absence.

Michail Antonio (hamstring), Jack Wilshere (groin) and Andriy Yarmolenko (thigh) remain unavailable for the trip to Sheffield United, while Ryan Fredericks will join them on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury that will rule him out for four to six weeks.

Yan Valery (virus) is Southampton’s only confirmed absentee.


Predicted line-ups and more detailed information are found in the Team News tab.

Our regular YouTube/podcast round-up can be viewed here or listened to below.

631 Comments Post a Comment
  1. stu92
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Ryan
    Robbo - TAA - Chilwell - Lundstram
    Salah - KDB - Maddison - Traore
    Vardy - Jiminez
    (Martin - Connolly - Hayden - Tomori)

    1FT, 1.3ITB

    A) transfer Tomori out this week, Connolly > Maupay/DCL next week
    B) both transfers for a hit
    C) roll a transfer till next week

    1. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      roll it

    2. STORZ
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      G2G

  2. FantaCity
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    2 ft so need to make a transfer tonight. Which one of these options is best this GW :
    A) Maupay to DCL
    B) Rico to Holgate
    C) Jimenez to Ings

    1. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      b if any

      1. FantaCity
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks, leaning that way myself ... would be burning one if not

  3. toerag
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    A. Traore
    or
    B. Maddison

    ty

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

    2. John Nerdelbaum
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

    3. STORZ
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

  4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    According to the Everton forums, Anthony Gordon is apparently starting for Everton tomorrow on the left side of the front 3. Obviously will need to wait to see how he does but could be a 4.5m available

    1. Super Nashwan
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Will Holgate start?

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Nothing mentioned whether he will or not. But apparently Baines will start too

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Formation change?

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        could be, although they are predicting a front 3 as Gordon is a winger

    3. Athletic Nasherbo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Doesn’t Rich usually play there?

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        probably in place of walcott

    4. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      oooh.. interesting.. ty

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        no problem

    5. Joey Barton and Friends
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      In place of who?

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        possibly walcott

  5. Super Nashwan
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is Sidibe worth bringing in? I would need to dell drop Söyüncü or Lundstram for this match

  6. fish66
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who's the Best Keeper for 5.1 or less?

    1. STORZ
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ryan or Foster

    2. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Fabianski

  7. Henning
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    1. Is Montoya or Webster an option for Dunk?

    2 Fabianski McCarthy or Ryan?

  8. Gaffa914
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Mahrez worth a punt?

    1. B Sharp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Yez

    2. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      yep

  9. B Sharp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who would you start?

    A Alli & Kolasinac
    B Fornals & Gomez
    C Fornals & Kolasinac

  10. jamie1972
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Really want Gazza out for McCarthy but hate to burn a transfer on it. Worth taking a hit to just get it done with a potential minus score incoming for Gazza?

    I know, not the most exciting deadline looming question, but there it is....

    1. Volley127
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      No.

      Southampton lost 9-0 in the reverse fixture, and Gazza got 8 pts in his reverse fixture.

      Near a miracle if that was to happen again, but the odds of you overturning a -4 is very unlikely IMO. Gazza could still rack up up some save points.

    2. STORZ
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Not for -4

      1. jamie1972
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        *steps away, from the keyboard*

  11. thewhitepele
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Gazza
    TAA Soy Lunds
    Salah KDB Maddison Grealish
    Vardy Rash Ings

    Button Cantwell Rico Lascelles

    Got 2 fts and 1.7m itb..

    A) Gazza -> Fabs/Ryan
    B) Lascelles -> Holgate/Sidibe
    C) Something else?!?

    1. STORZ
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      A

      1. STORZ
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Ryan

  12. Flynny
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Hi....rank 300k. Best captain?

    A....vardy

    B...kdb

    Thanks

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      A

    2. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      i have had it on both this week but im on vardy for now

      1. Flynny
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Cool thanks

  13. SAY MY NAME
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    am i GTG? 0 FT 1.2 ITB

    Henderson
    TAA/Robertson/Lundstram
    Mane/KDB/Maddison/Richarlison
    Vardy(c)/Jimenez/Ings

    button/soyuncu/cantwell/rico

    1. STORZ
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      G2G

      1. SAY MY NAME
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        cheers

  14. Queens of the South Age
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Do we think Mahrez will start? Not sure whether to keep or get Richarlison in.

    Also have KDB and Aguero.

    1. SAY MY NAME
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      never know under Pep

  15. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Vardy party finally returns this weekend

    1. FPLGeezer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Going with your namesake!

  16. That Was Easy!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Fancy Sterling (C), decent shout?

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Hood shout

    2. clodhopper
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      That is my capt

    3. Joey Barton and Friends
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Any City player is a decent shout this weekend

    4. drughi
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      one of the best options this week if not the best even

    5. Fpl_Juggernaut
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      No heaton, good shout

  17. Not again Shirley
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Hendo

    TAA Holgate Saïss

    Salah Mané KDB Sarr

    Vardy DCL Jimmy

    Subs Rico and Kelly

    Have 2 FTs.

    Any changes anyone would recommend?

    Thanks!

    1. Quality St
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Looks good

  18. Fpl_Juggernaut
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Play Kelly against arsenal or zabaleta against Sheffield

    1. Gunners in Haaland
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Zaba

    2. Quality St
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Zaba

  19. Quality St
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    I’m torn. A. Mahrez and Mount. B. KDB and CHO ?

  20. Tomlette Greggs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Bench one:

    A) Grealish
    B) Lundstram (also have Henderson)
    C) Soyuncu
    D) Maupay

    Leaning towards benching Lundstram but really unsure about this one. Thoughts appreciated.

    1. huwwilliams_
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Grealish, more chance of lundstram getting cs or attacking return than grealish bagging against city

  21. huwwilliams_
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    So torn between Vardy and Salah, someone please convince me to go either way with good reason

    1. B Sharp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Vardy is a machine.

    2. Am sorry to say again it�…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Salah because Spurs are god awful at the back

    3. northernmuppet
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Mourinho will try to park the bus. Vardy for me..

      1. huwwilliams_
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        I wanna go with Salah but scared of this. Liverpool can tear apart any team though

    4. Firminooooo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I am also torn between Vardy, Salah ( and Aguero, Martial, KdB)
      Think Salah over Vardy. Southampton in good form and would love to make a statement because of the 0-9 result. Spurs looks like they allready have lost fait in Mourinho, so anything can happen.

  22. B Sharp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Hit me
    A Alli & Kolasinac
    B Fornals & Gomez
    C Fornals & Kolasinac

    1. northernmuppet
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      A

  23. HanS14
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is ut crazy considering Fleck vs west ham (h) over grealish man city (h)?

    1. northernmuppet
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Nope

    2. Gunners in Haaland
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      not crazy

  24. screamer73
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Play one of:
    A Aurier
    B Kelly
    C Rico

    1. Am sorry to say again it�…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Anyone but Aurier

    2. northernmuppet
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      C

    3. B Sharp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      You missed the "N" off the word "one" !

      Rico

  25. northernmuppet
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Start a) Maupay or b) Lunds?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Lundstram

  26. Jimbo-Jones
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Martial or Maddison or Richarlison

    1. Public user
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Martial

    2. northernmuppet
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Maddison although I like martial for this week

    3. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      to transfer in, to play, to sell?

    4. Public user
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I assume u got Vardy , so martial

    5. NotsoSpursy
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Richarl

  27. Public user
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Play Rico Kelly or Aurier ?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Rico

  28. lordkippe
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Play El Ghazi OOP over DCL or Sarr?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      No

  29. NotsoSpursy
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    2FT
    Have Robertson already thinking of

    1)
    Aurier-> TAA Dgw in mind
    Alli -> Traore

    Or

    2)
    Aurier -> cheap option
    Alli -> Martial.

    1. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      TAA is essential regardless of double, so 1 for me..

  30. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Correct defensive lineup?
    Lundy - TAA - Soy
    (Willams - Rico)