The Premier League takes a brief hiatus this weekend as the fourth round of the FA Cup takes centre stage.
Fourteen top-flight clubs remain in the competition and most of the Premier League managers whose sides are still involved delivered press conferences on Thursday or Friday.
There were some key injury updates, too.
Sadio Mane came off after just half an hour of Liverpool’s first Double Gameweek 24 match on Thursday evening and the legions of Fantasy managers who own the Senegalese midfielder would have been hoping for positive words from Jurgen Klopp.
The Liverpool boss delivered neither good nor bad news, however, saying only:
I think he’s, in this moment, in his scan.
On Liverpool’s other absentees, Klopp added:
Dejan trained completely normal. I think for Shaq and Milly it’s too early. Naby we will have to see, my information is that he will be part of training today. It was not too long [out].
We had more helpful updates from Brendan Rodgers and Frank Lampard on Jamie Vardy and Tammy Abraham, at least, with those two players’ injuries not as bad as first feared.
Vardy, indeed, looks to stand a good chance of being involved in Gameweek 25.
Rodgers said on Friday:
Not as serious as what we thought. We’re hopeful for Tuesday [v Villa in the EFL Cup] but a little bit of work to do over the course of the next few days.
He was much better directly after the game. He was tight and sore and struggling to move, but today was much, much better, moving around. We’re hopeful he’ll be involved [on Tuesday].
Abraham is less certain to be involved in that clash at the King Power Stadium a week on Saturday, however, with Lampard saying:
The good news is he hasn’t fractured anything.
We still have to see how he develops, it’s not a clear-cut one. He’s not fit for the weekend, whether he’ll be fit for Leicester after that I’m still not sure.
Pep Guardiola confirmed that Leroy Sane (knee) is Manchester City’s only absentee for the FA Cup tie against Fulham, meanwhile.
Todd Cantwell (glute/hamstring) has joined Emi Buendia (thigh), Ben Godfrey (suspension) and Timm Klose (knee) on the sidelines ahead of Norwich’s trip to Burnley, while Kenny McLean (hip) and Ibrahim Amadou (knee) are both doubts.
Ralf Fährmann (knee) and Mario Vrancic (shin) are back in training and set to travel.
Phil Bardsley (back) and Johann Berg Gudmundsson (hamstring) are doubts for the Clarets and Ashley Barnes (hernia) remains sidelined.
Victor Lindelof (illness) is back in training ahead of Manchester United’s match against Tranmere, while Eddie Howe said that Bournemouth had “a couple of injury concerns” ahead of Monday’s match against Arsenal – but didn’t name names.
Sokratis (illness) is back in training for the Gunners, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz both see out bans and will be available for Gameweek 25.
Calum Chambers (knee), Kieran Tierney (shoulder), Sead Kolasinac (thigh) and Reiss Nelson (hamstring) are out.
Steve Bruce says that Joelinton (knock) “should” play against Oxford, while Nabil Bentaleb and Allan Saint-Maximin will be involved.
DeAndre Yedlin (knee) is also in contention but Florian Lejeune has picked up a groin injury and Emil Krafth (ankle) is out for up to six weeks.
Harry Winks’ ankle is being assessed ahead of Totteham Hotspur’s fourth round tie at Southampton, while Ben Davies (ankle), Harry Kane (hamstring) and Moussa Sissoko (knee) remain out.
On Thursday, Ralph Hasenhuttl said that Cédric Soares will be sidelined for three weeks with a knee ligament injury.
Jannik Vestergaard (concussion) and Shane Long (knee) won’t feature against Spurs, either.
David Moyes has confirmed that West Ham United could be without Robert Snodgrass and Arthur Masuaku (both knee) for Saturday’s FA Cup match with West Brom, while Angelo Ogbonna (back) will be assessed.
David McGoldrick (foot) also faces a late check ahead of Sheffield United’s FA Cup tie against Millwall.
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