It’s going to be a big day on the Premier League press conference front, with 16 managers set to face the media on Friday.
Erik ten Hag will be among them, with the latest news awaited on Marcus Rashford (£7.2m), Luke Shaw (£5.1m) and more.
You’ll find all the key quotes from the Manchester United boss, and other Premier League managers, in this article. It’s a ‘live’ one, so you’ll need to refresh from time to time to see the latest updates.
Four other Premier League managers faced reporters on Thursday and you can hear what they had to say in this round-up here.
KEY UPDATES FROM FRIDAY
- Manchester United: Shaw could be back, no update on Rashford
- Liverpool: Luiz set for comeback, Konate/Alisson miss training
- Arsenal: Saliba still out, Nketiah returns
- Manchester City: Foden yet to recover
- Brighton and Hove Albion: “Some problems” – possibly affecting Steele
- Chelsea: Koulibaly out for weeks, Lampard hints at rotation
- Newcastle United: Saint-Maximin out, Almiron nearing a return
- Aston Villa: Bailey joins the injury list
- Tottenham Hotspur: No players returning
- Leicester City: Tielemans back, Barnes + Pereira out
- Crystal Palace: Edouard fit, Clyne out
- West Ham United: Scamacca to have knee surgery
- Leeds United: Wober to be assessed
- Nottingham Forest: Cooper says no players will return
- Southampton: Livramento to play for the B team
- Bournemouth: Senesi available
FRIDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
MANCHESTER UNITED
There was no real new update on Marcus Rashford (groin) in Erik ten Hag’s pre-match presser, which was delivered barely 14 hours after the United boss hinted that Rashford had a “chance” of returning against Sevilla next Thursday.
Rashford was namechecked as being still “injured” when his boss discussed Anthony Martial‘s ability to last 90 minutes, however.
“Maybe he can [last the full game] but it’s a risk, and we can’t take that risk in this moment because we don’t have so many options in the frontline with Rashford injured, with Garnacho injured. So we have to be careful and also in individual prospect, we know that when there is a lot of load, then he gets injured. We have to build it, especially with the games coming quick after each other and the recovery times are less, we have to take that also in mind. We have to manage that very carefully.” – Erik ten Hag on Anthony Martial’s match fitness
Raphael Varane (knock) or Lisandro Martinez (fractured metatarsal) were high-profile casualties of midweek, with the former now ruled out for “a few weeks” and the latter out for the season.
Scott McTominay (knock) and Luke Shaw (hamstring) could be fit for Gameweek 31, however, while Casemiro is also back from his own four-match domestic ban.
“For Sunday? Yeah, could be. We have to see, we have now two training sessions to go. I don’t know right now, it can be that Scott and Luke return in the squad but not sure.” – Erik ten Hag
Tom Heaton (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee) and Alejandro Garnacho (ankle) remain on the sidelines.
LIVERPOOL
Luis Diaz (knee) will be involved in the matchday squad against Leeds United, provided he doesn’t have any setbacks between now and Monday.
This will be Diaz’s first inclusion in a Liverpool squad in six months.
“He’s 100% ready in training, that’s it now. He’s now completely normal in training and now we have to reintegrate him. If nothing happens, then Luis will be in the squad. From there, we go.
“Thiago is a candidate for starting [after his own recent return]. If we start Luiz, probably people will tell me after 30 minutes [to take him off]. You can’t start him or you have to make your first change a bit early.” – Jurgen Klopp on Luis Diaz
Calvin Ramsay (knee), Stefan Bajcetic (thigh) and Naby Keita (muscle) remain out, while Jurgen Klopp revealed that Alisson and Ibrahima Konate have missed a couple of days of training this week.
“We had a couple of problems this week.
“Ibou couldn’t train for two days, should be back today hopefully. Ali wasn’t involved for two days, will train today individually.
“A little bit illness here, a little bit knocks there, so we had a few problems. Hopefully we will not get more. But if they are all in, I think we will have 5/6 players not in the matchday squad.” – Jurgen Klopp
Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s inverted full-back role was also discussed by Klopp.
“We have to see, yeah. It’s just a possibility for us, we did that before. There were moments in this game, it happened much more often because we wanted it to happen much more often, it was different to other times. It was good, it suited him, but we have to see how that fits to other games. So it’s absolutely possible that sometimes we’ll do it and sometimes not.
“Trent was in the second half, with the ball, super dominant and it was obviously really helpful.” – Jurgen Klopp on Trent Alexander-Arnold reprising his inverted role he played against Arsenal
ARSENAL
Mohamed Elneny (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are long-term absentees, while William Saliba (back) is going to miss out again despite making “progress” in his recovery.
Eddie Nketiah (ankle) has been back on the grass this week, however, and was declared fit by Mikel Arteta on Friday.
“William is still not available, he’s progressing well and we are hopeful that we are going to have him available in the next few weeks but we have to see.
“Eddie is back, he’s fully fit now and he’s back.” – Mikel Arteta
MANCHESTER CITY
Phil Foden (appendix) is City’s only known injury-related absentee at present, with Pep Guardiola confirming on Friday that the midfielder has yet to return to training.
“I think he will be back to the training centre with the doctors. I think he feels better. I spoke with the doctors three days ago and he feels better but still he’s not ready.
“I don’t know [when he will be ready]. When he starts training you will know it from our social media and after that he will be closer to coming back but still he cannot train with us.” – Pep Guardiola on Phil Foden
Guardiola had previously revealed that Kevin De Bruyne‘s midweek substitution was “tactical” and not fitness-related and he again discussed the Belgian’s withdrawal on Friday.
“I understand completely [De Bruyne’s angry reaction to being substituted]. But at the same time I understand [Riyad] Mahrez didn’t play, Aymeric [Laporte] didn’t play, Sergio [Gomez] didn’t play and Kalvin [Phillips] didn’t play. When I make a selection, always I think about the players who didn’t play. Everyone wants to play, everyone wants to do their best. I understand completely they want to be in there to help the team, always have done.
“Can you imagine the last seven years without Kevin De Bruyne? It’s impossible. You see the games against Liverpool, Burnley, Southampton? But every game is different and I saw in that moment, I felt the need for change with Julian [Alvarez] and could change for the other ones. That’s why I’m here.
“The players believe it’s personal, but in that moment, I try to do the best to win the game and I believe that. If it works, it’s how good I am, if it doesn’t it’s how bad I am.” – Pep Guardiola
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Roberto De Zerbi cryptically said there were “some problems” when asked about Brighton’s team news, going on to talk about his goalkeeper and defenders as players he “wants to see” before kick-off at Chelsea.
Jason Steele reportedly bowed out of an open training session in midweek.
“No big news. Some problems but not so important.
“I want to see ‘keeper, I want to see the defenders. We will see tomorrow morning, we decide the first XI.” – Roberto De Zerbi
Jeremy Sarmiento (metatarsal), Adam Lallana (hamstring) and Jakub Moder (ACL) are still out long-term and loanee Levi Colwill can’t face his parent club, while we await news on whether Tariq Lamptey has recovered from what De Zerbi previously called a “difficult” situation with his knee.
CHELSEA
Kalidou Koulibaly will be out for “weeks” after picking up a hamstring injury in the midweek defeat in Madrid, a match that Carney Chukwuemeka missed with an unspecified issue.
Armando Broja (ACL) is out long term but there are no other known concerns for the Blues ahead of the weekend.
“He won’t be available for either [Gameweek 31 or the Real Madrid match next Tuesday], a hamstring injury. It’ll be a matter of weeks rather than days.” – Frank Lampard on Kalidou Koulibaly
With the return leg against Real Madrid following on Tuesday, Lampard hinted heavily that there could well be some rotation this weekend.
“Tomorrow will be an opportunity for some players that didn’t play in the Champions League, possibly didn’t play at the weekend, to come in because it’s a game where we absolutely need freshness and energy as well.” – Frank Lampard
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Emil Krafth (knee) and Allan Saint-Maximin (hamstring) remain out but Miguel Almiron (thigh) has been back in training this week, so could make a swifter-than-expected return to the Newcastle squad.
“We said at the time, I don’t think it’s a serious injury [to Saint-Maximin] but he’s away getting treatment at the moment and isn’t with us. But hopefully at some stage next week, he’ll come back and he’ll be available very soon.
“[Almiron] has done really well. He’s ahead of schedule at the moment. Fingers crossed he gets through training and he could be available really soon.”
“It’s a possibility [Almiron could be involved against Villa]. We’ll have to see how he trains today, he’s had limited training time but he’s looked really good.” – Eddie Howe
ASTON VILLA
Matty Cash (calf), Boubacar Kamara (foot) and Philippe Coutinho (thigh) will remain out until Gameweek 32 at the earliest, while Leon Bailey (hamstring) has joined them on the sidelines after he limped out of the win over Nottingham Forest.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Ben Davies (hamstring), Emerson Royal (knee), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee) and Yves Bissouma (ankle) remain out, while Lucas Moura serves the second game of a three-match ban after his dismissal for serious foul play two weeks ago.
Richarlison returned from his own injury as a substitute last weekend and has since had a full week of training with the team.
“We have only Richy with one week training with us. Only Richy is completely back and we recover him. For the other players, they start to work harder but work alone so they are not available.” – Cristian Stellini
LEICESTER CITY
In his first press conference as Leicester boss, Dean Smith revealed that Youri Tielemans (ankle) was available for selection ahead of the trip to Manchester City.
“He’s available for selection. He hasn’t done a lot of minutes in training. We’ll assess whether he can start or come on as a substitute. I look at the likes of him and Jonny [Evans] and I think they make the team more calm, they give experience and quality, so they’re going to be very important.” – Dean Smith on Youri Tielemans
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also returns from suspension after sitting out Gameweek 30.
Harvey Barnes (hamstring) and Ricardo Pereira (hamstring) are both out, however, and join James Justin (Achilles) on the sidelines.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got a couple of players missing at the moment in key areas. Harvey Barnes will be out certainly on Saturday. He’s touch and go for next Saturday.
“Ricky felt his hamstring after the game last week. His looks a little worse than Harvey’s so I think he’ll be out for a few weeks. Harvey’s is in an area of the hamstring we’re less worried about, but [missing Ricardo] takes away our wide options.” – Dean Smith
CRYSTAL PALACE
Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Odsonne Edouard is fit and wasn’t even injured when being subbed off last weekend, while Chris Richards is available again after his own recent absence with an undisclosed issue.
Nathaniel Clyne (knee) has joined Vicente Guaita (calf) and Wilfried Zaha (groin) on the sidelines, however.
“It’s dangerous to say, but both are making very good progress. Certainly both of them will be targeting games at the end of this month. That’s their target, but we have to be careful. They will have to be cleared by the medical people and they realise that.” – Roy Hodgson on Wilfried Zaha and Vicente Guaita
WEST HAM UNITED
David Moyes said that he hadn’t had time to properly assess his squad’s fitness following last night’s draw in Belgium but said that “hopefully” everyone was fine.
Moyes did reveal that Gianluca Scamacca is due to have an operation on his injured knee tomorrow.
LEEDS UNITED
Javi Gracia was again reluctant to give anything away on the team news front but after being pressed on the fitness of Max Wober (hamstring), did at least reveal that the defender had trained.
“To be honest, I don’t know yet. He’s training some days with the team but we have two days more before the game. It’s something we have to see during the next days.” – Javi Gracia on Max Wober
Tyler Adams (hamstring) and Stuart Dallas (leg) are still unavailable, while Gracia hinted that there may be other concerns for the visit of Liverpool.
“We have some players with some different issues and some of them without training, in this moment, but in the next days we have to evaluate them and to decide. Maybe some of them will be out of the list for the next game.” – Javi Gracia
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Chris Wood (thigh), Willy Boly (hamstring), Dean Henderson (thigh/ineligible), Giulian Biancone (ACL) and Omar Richards (leg) remain out, while Steve Cooper’s claim that he hasn’t “got any players returning” suggests that Ryan Yates (shoulder), Serge Aurier (knock), Renan Lodi (calf) and Gustavo Scarpa (unspecified) aren’t available.
Cheikhou Kouyate and Moussa Niakhate both sustained hamstring issues in the defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, with Cooper reluctant to put timeframes on their injuries.
“We picked up some injuries last week. I don’t want to put definite times on how long they are going to be out for, but it wasn’t great last week.
“We haven’t got any players returning. Scott McKenna was back on the bench last week, which was a positive. He’s had another week’s training and is a little bit closer to starting games.” – Steve Cooper
SOUTHAMPTON
Long-term absentee Juan Larios (muscle) remains out for Saints, alongside more recent casualties Mohammed Salisu (hip) and Ché Adams (calf).
Mislav Orsic (hip) has also joined the injury list.
Tino Livramento (match fitness) will play for the Southampton B team tonight after a year on the sidelines.
“Ché Adams is not coming back [this weekend], unfortunately. Salisu neither is coming back. Juan Larios still has a long-term injury.
“Tino Livramento is playing today for the B team as part of his rehab and hopefully, all going well, he will then be with us.
“Mislav Oršić had a hip problem during the week and is not going to be available.” – Ruben Selles
BOURNEMOUTH
Marcos Senesi (hamstring) has returned to training and could feature this weekend but Hamed Traore (foot) remains sidelined.
Gary O’Neil said that everyone involved in Gameweek 30 came through the game unscathed, so there are no fresh worries.
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