Ahead of tonight’s Fantasy Premier League deadline, we’ve got injury updates on all 20 top-flight teams in our weekly press conference summary.
For more team news information, check out our Predicted Line-ups page and Injuries and Bans feed.
A video recap with Neale and Andy can be viewed here:
ASTON VILLA V MANCHESTER UNITED
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not giving much away ahead of Manchester United’s three Triple Gameweek 35 matches in five days.
Speaking after Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second-leg against Roma, the Red Devils’ manager admitted the challenge of the upcoming schedule but revealed no hints about any rotation policy:
We’ve been dealt a very bad hand by people who’ve never played football. I’ve just got to do what I have to do. Let’s see how we’ll deal with it. Two games in three days, fine. Three games in five, very, very difficult. Four in eight, impossible. I hope [there are no new injuries], we’re going to need everyone anyway in these four games and we’ve just got to see how they are on Sunday morning. We play at 2pm on Sunday so that’s a short turnaround but we’ll have to be ready and that’s just how it is.
Even the ever-present Harry Maguire may be at risk of a benching, with Solskjaer saying:
Harry Maguire, he’s played every minute for us in the Premier League since he came. I don’t think that’s possible now. That’s another stat that he could have been very, very proud of but I can’t really see that happening now.
Jack Grealish (shin) remains unavailable for Aston Villa’s first match of Triple Gameweek 35, while Dean Smith did not rule him out of Thursday’s meeting with Everton confirming he is “out on the grass” and starts training with the team on Saturday.
LIVERPOOL v SOUTHAMPTON
Jurgen Klopp passed Nat Phillips fit but was otherwise coy on the injury situation on Merseyside, saying:
The injury situation, nothing really new. We have a few bumps and bruises. We have to make late decisions in a few positions.
Ralph Hasenhüttl said “it is possible” Danny Ings (hamstring) could return for the second of Southampton’s two Double Gameweek matches when they host Crystal Palace on Tuesday although Ryan Bertrand (calf) will likely miss both and Takumi Minamino is ineligible to face his parent clubL
“We have Ingsy still not available [for Liverpool]. He still has problems, hopefully he will get him back this week. We’ll have a look [for Palace] if it’s possible, it’s a little bit short.
Bertrand is still out with a calf injury. Oriol Romeu is back training tomorrow. He has his final scan and then we can have a look if he’s okay to start with the team next week. Michael Obafemi is still in training.
Hasenhüttl will have Jannik Vestergaard available after his red card against Leicester was overturned, although the Southampton boss – who had previously said Fraser Forster would start both Double Gameweek 35 matches as not forthcoming when asked about who would feature in goal:
Yes [I have decided]. I don’t want to [tell you]! Let’s have a look. [They will share starts in] the final six games but you must always wait who is playing in the end.
NEWCASTLE UNITED v LEICESTER CITY
Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Jonny Evans and Jamie Vardy are fit to face Newcastle United on Friday despite picking up knocks against Southampton.
On Ricardo Pereira, Rodgers added:
He’s continued to work in training and I’m pretty sure he will play a part on Friday. We changed the balance of the team for those games but each game is different and Ricky’s had a few weeks of training and he’s looked really good.
Ahead of Newcastle’s trip to Leicester, Steve Bruce has no new injury concerns among his senior players.
Fabian Schär remains suspended after a failed appeal but Joe Willock is available after missing the Arsenal game through ineligibility to face his parent club.
MANCHESTER CITY v CHELSEA
Mateo Kovacic (hamstring) is Chelsea’s only injury concern but Thomas Tuchel hinted at rotation, saying:
We have one day less to recover [than City], which is quite a key factor. I can imagine that we maybe need some fresh legs and fresh minds tomorrow, some hungry guys that want to show they deserve a chance in a big fixture.
If there will be any new stuff tactically, I haven’t decided yet. I need to speak to everyone now, look at the data, see who is available and who is a bit in overload. We have a high possibility that we see some changes.
The injury list does not change much. Kova is out still, we hope to bring him back maybe for Arsenal. It will be tight even for Arsenal. Everybody else, I think, is available.
John Stones serves the final match of a three-game ban this weekend but Pep Guardiola didn’t report any fresh injury news in his pre-match presser on Friday.
The City boss said:
People might think the guys who played against Dortmund and Gladbach are going to play the Champions League final. Right now I don’t know. What I want is everyone involved in the next 2-3 weeks to prepare for the final.
WEST HAM UNITED v EVERTON
James Rodriguez (calf) will miss the first of Everton’s Gameweek 35 double-header but Abdoulaye Doucoure (knee) is fit.
Carlo Ancelotti said:
For this weekend we have back Doucoure. He trained with the team, he’s available. James [Rodriguez] not, because he didn’t train – he’s starting his proper rehab, he’s going to train at the start of the next week.
David Moyes was his usual guarded self when asked about West Ham’s injury situation, saying first of Declan Rice (knee) and then of Arthur Masuaku (knee), Mark Noble (calf) and Angelo Ogbonna (hamstring):
We are getting closer as we are another week down the line and we are hoping to have [Ricew] available. He is back on the grass and undoubtedly he is a big miss to us and we hope to have him back as soon as we can.
We are hoping we can get [Masuaku, Ogbonna and Noble] back but I will not put any dates on when I think we can have them available.
LEEDS UNITED v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Marcelo Bielsa is still waiting on both Raphinha (knock) and Kalvin Phillips (knee) ahead of Saturday lunchtime’s meeting with Spurs, although the pair were sighted in training on Friday.
The former has missed each of the last three Premier League matches after failing a series of fitness tests.
[Raphinha and Phillips] are being evaluated on a daily basis to see whether they can be available. We have to wait until Saturday.
Meanwhile, Hélder Costa (back) has been ruled out for the rest of the season but Liam Cooper returns from his three-match suspension.
Asked about Cooper’s return, Bielsa said:
Pascal [Struijk] and [Diego] Llorente have shown they can live up to the level that the previous people who have played in this position were playing at. But as you well know, there is other factors that are taken into consideration.”
Ben Davies (calf) is the only absentee for Spurs as Ryan Mason revealed in his Friday press conference he had a “fully fit squad”. He confirmed Tanguy Ndombele and Lucas Moura were only on the bench against Sheffield United because they had trained just the day before that game.
Mason also heaped the praise on Gareth Bale after his Gameweek 34 hat-trick, suggesting we could see more game-time from the Welshman in the final rounds of the campaign:
He’s a top professional with immense quality. These last two weeks in training he’s been excellent, obviously, he’s produced on the football pitch as well. So he’s happy and I’m happy. I think at the moment, you’re seeing Gareth close to his best.
ARSENAL v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Kieran Tierney‘s involvement against Villarreal appeals to have been largely enforced for Mikel Arteta after Cédric (illness) had to spend some time in hospital.
The Scotland international got 80 minutes into the tie before being replaced, having himself stepped up off the bench when Granit Xhaka (muscle) pulled up in the warm-up.
We had Cedric in hospital 24 hours ago and when Granit got injured, that was the only option that we had. [Cedric] is fine now.
Alexandre Lacazette made a return from injury in the final 10 minutes on Thursday and may need more game-time management during Triple Gameweek 35, with Arteta saying:
No [Lacazette could not come on earlier]. He was only available to play 10 minutes, 15 minutes maximum. We were already taking a risk because he hasn’t trained fully with the team, but he wanted to take that risk.
Robert Snodgrass (back) looks set to miss the rest of the season, while loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles will miss the clash with Arsenal as he is ineligible to face his parent club.
BURNLEY v FULHAM
In his Thursday press conference, Sean Dyche revealed Chris Wood suffered a dead leg in Monday’s defeat to West Ham, and is hopeful he would be fit to face Fulham.
Woody had a dead leg. He was labouring a little bit in the last game but he’s come through that fine. Popey is looking strong as well. We’re hopeful that them two are fine.
Robbie Brady (Achilles) and Kevin Long (Achilles) remain unavailable and Dale Stephens is trying to shrug off a knock:
We will still be missing Robbie Brady and Kevin Long. Dale Stephens is carrying a bit of a knock that might have to be dealt with over time but he’s OK to train today. So far, so good.
Scott Parker said of Fulham’s fitness latest:
We’re looking OK, practically near a full squad. Harrison Reed has just come in today for the first time for some light work. Tom Cairney is with the group and heading in the right direction. We’ll have to see how that pans out in the next few days.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that Willy Boly (illness) won’t play against Brighton but is “much better” and could be back for Spurs in Gameweek 36. Joao Moutinho is fit again, however.
Graham Potter didn’t reveal any previously unreported injury news but Adam Lallana (calf) will once again miss out, with the former Liverpool midfielder aiming to return against West Ham in Gameweek 36.
SHEFFIELD UNITED v CRYSTAL PALACE
There was no update on Wilfried Zaha (groin) in the broadcast section of Roy Hodgson’s presser.
The Ivory Coast international played through groin pain last weekend but wasn’t mentioned by name in his manager’s injury round-up.
Mamadou Sakho, Nathan Ferguson and Connor Wickham are short of match fitness and won’t feature but Ferguson could be back in full training next week.
Finally, there were no new injury updates from Sheffield United as they prepare to host the Eagles.
Paul Heckingbottom said:
No, not as it stands, everything is as it was. We have bodies getting minutes under their belt in training but it’s as you were.
3 years, 6 months agoA Lingard
B Philips -4