Our weekly press conference summary rounds up the headline injury news and stand-out manager quotes from the pre-match conference calls.
MANCHESTER CITY V LEICESTER CITY
It’s been a busy 24 hours at the Etihad, with a number of injury scares emerging for Manchester City – and there may not be any clarification from Pep Guardiola or elsewhere, with the City boss not giving a standalone Gameweek 3 press conference.
Guardiola instead faced the media straight after his side’s EFL Cup win over Bournemouth, saying enigmatically of Kevin De Bruyne following the Belgian’s blow to the head:
[He] had a little bit distortion. In general, yeah, feels good.
Asked whether any of his previously injured/unavailable players, specifically Aymeric Laporte, will recover for Sunday’s game against Leicester:
I don’t think so. Tomorrow will be more clear, but I don’t think so.
There were further developments today, with Gabriel Jesus reportedly set for a spell on the sidelines – there’s been nothing confirmed from his club yet but the rumours are gathering momentum at the time of writing.
Brendan Rodgers revealed that Jonny Evans is available for selection after suspension and injury but Wilfred Ndidi requires surgery on an abductor issue and will be out for up to 12 weeks.
Ricardo Pereira (knee) is still four to five weeks away, while Cengiz Under won’t be ready for a debut.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION V CHELSEA
Edouard Mendy similarly won’t be between the posts for Chelsea after his midweek move, with Frank Lampard not prepared to throw the goalkeeper straight into action following his late arrival.
The Blues’ boss said:
To start tomorrow is not going to happen. He’s had a long week where he hasn’t really trained, flew in yesterday, and it just feels too tight a turnaround to put him in contention to start the game.
Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva are in contention after featuring in the EFL Cup in midweek but Hakim Ziyech (knee) and Christian Pulisic (hamstring) remain out despite a return to training.
Lampard said:
Christian [Pulisic] isn’t ready for the squad tomorrow, nor is Hakim Ziyech, but they are both training with us now, which is good news. We hope to have them with us in proper match-contention over the next week or two.
Kieran Gibbs is suspended for the Baggies, while Conor Gallagher is ineligible to face his parent club.
Hal Robson-Kanu (muscle), Kamil Grosicki (back) and Ahmed Hegazi (hamstring) are all injury doubts.
LIVERPOOL V ARSENAL
Joe Gomez (knock) could come into contention for the Monday night game against Arsenal but Jordan Henderson (thigh) and Joel Matip (muscle) look set to miss out.
Jurgen Klopp said:
I think Joe [Gomez] should be back today in training, that’s what everybody told me. Billy the kid [Koumetio] is back in training, Joel [Matip] not. Hendo not yet, that was clear, this game is for sure too early. That’s it, pretty much.”
On whether Thiago Alcantara could feature from the start, Klopp said:
We will see, we will see. We have a few days to train, some boys have to recover from last night. I have an idea but why should I make the decision today when we have time? But he’s in contention, for sure.
Arsenal have yet to release their weekly injury bulletin but Emile Smith Rowe (shoulder), Pablo Mari (ankle), Gabriel Martinelli (knee), Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) and Calum Chambers (knee) are definitely out.
Speaking of his front three, Mikel Arteta said:
I think the front players need to create a certain chemistry between them and that feeling that when they look at each other in the eyes, they understand each other, they communicate on the pitch to see what they are feeling. I think we are getting that with them at the moment. Not only them, but with Willian as well and the way he’s come in the team straight away. With Pepe, Bukayo – when he’s playing there – and with Reiss.
It’s really important, it’s something we try to promote in training as well. Hopefully they can keep linking and improving those relationships between them.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V NEWCASTLE UNITED
Steve Bruce said that Jamal Lewis (eye) and Allan Saint-Maximin (twisted ankle) are both doubts for Sunday’s clash with Spurs.
Ciaran Clark is expected to miss out with a thigh problem.
Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilion are unlikely to feature for the hosts.
WEST HAM UNITED V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Nuno Espirito Santo disclosed that Wolves have “some knocks” going into Sunday’s match with West Ham, later revealing that Marcal (calf) hadn’t trained after being forced off against Manchester City on Monday.
The summer recruit isn’t expected to make the trip to east London.
Mark Noble has recovered from a toe injury but Issa Diop – and manager Dvid Moyes – will miss out after positive COVID-19 tests.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION V MANCHESTER UNITED
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that Manchester United have no new fitness concerns ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, with Axel Tuanzebe (foot) and Phil Jones (knee) the only confirmed absentees.
Graham Potter revealed that Tariq Lamptey (knock/groin) has been receiving treatment since being forced off in Gameweek 2 but added that the teenage defender had trained as of Thursday, saying that there would hopefully be “no further problems for him”.
Yves Bissouma is suspended.
CRYSTAL PALACE V EVERTON
Roy Hodgson told the media on Thursday that Crystal Palace have “pretty much” the same squad they had last week, which may mean that Scott Dann is still sidelined with the unspecified issue that kept him out of the win over Manchester United.
Nathan Ferguson (knee), Gary Cahill (hamstring), Connor Wickham (unknown), James Tomkins (thigh) and Patrick van Aanholt (shoulder) are also set to remain unavailable, with their manager revealing that one or two of his injured squad members had joined in training but “not much beyond the warm-up and any non-contact passing work”.
Christian Benteke is back in contention, at least, with the Belgian an option from the bench having recovered from a foot problem and having featured for the under-23s on Monday.
Carlo Ancelotti reported no new fitness problems on Friday, saying:
Fortunately no [new injuries]. We have all the squad fit apart from Holgate and Branthwaite, but the others are all in good condition, fit and available.”
BURNLEY V SOUTHAMPTON
Sean Dyche said that he will consider adding Dale Stephens to the squad for Saturday’s clash with Southampton but that he would be “amazed” if Jay Rodriguez recovers from an ankle injury to feature.
Jack Cork (ankle), Ben Mee (thigh), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (knee) and Robbie Brady (rib) are set to miss Gameweek 3, while Ashley Barnes (groin) featured for the under-23s on Monday and Friday as he slowly builds up match fitness.
James Tarkowski could potentially return, with his manager revealing in Friday’s pre-match press conference that the defender’s toe was still inflamed but adding that, if it settled down, he “has a chance”.
Nathan Redmond (ankle) is Southampton’s only absentee.
FULHAM V ASTON VILLA
We haven’t yet heard from Dean Smith after Aston Villa’s EFL Cup tie on Thursday night, with Bjorn Engels (thigh), Wesley (knee) and Tom Heaton (knee) the only confirmed absentees at the time of writing.
Scott Parker reported a clean bill of health for Fulham, meanwhile:
No, I don’t think so. I think we’re all good. No injuries as such, just the general management of the squad.
SHEFFIELD UNITED V LEEDS UNITED
Chris Wilder confirmed that John Egan (suspension) and Lys Mousset (injury) are ruled out of Sunday’s clash with Leeds United but that “everyone else is available”.
Marcelo Bielsa said that Pablo Hernandez (groin) will miss out for Leeds United this weekend and is two weeks away from a return.
More detailed information and predicted line-ups can be found in the Team News tab, which will be refreshed before the Gameweek 3 deadline at 11:00 BST on Saturday.
Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, too, for any late-breaking updates.
A video round-up with Andy and Neale can be viewed below:
3 years, 7 months ago
On Wildcard.
A) Barnes - Jimi
B) Son - Wood