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We’re rounding up all the early team news for Gameweek 17 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
This initial rundown gives an overview of all 20 Premier League sides, with plenty of updates from the midweek European club competitions.
There’ll be further summaries to come after the pre-match press conferences on Thursday and Friday.
Our team news tab and injuries and bans page are the places to go for more information as the deadline nears.
Until then, here’s what we know.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
James Maddison (ankle), Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Manor Solomon (knee), Ivan Perisic (knee), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Alfie Whiteman (ankle), Ben Dier (groin) Ashley Phillips (ankle) and Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle) all look set to remain unavailable for Spurs until Gameweek 21 at the earliest.
Ange Postecoglou said last week that, following the comebacks of Richarlison and Pape Matar Sarr, there “won’t be anyone else coming back between now and the new year”.
Serge Aurier (calf) isn’t expected to be available for Forest after being ruled out for a “couple of weeks” last Thursday, so the right-back and Taiwo Awoniyi (groin) will likely be on the sidelines for the Gameweek 17 curtain-raiser.
Centre-half Murillo is the fresh concern, having limped off against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend; an update is awaited on him.
BOURNEMOUTH V LUTON TOWN
The Cherries should recover Hamed Traore (illness) this week, while Emi Marcondes recently got his first minutes of 2023/24 in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
Lloyd Kelly (hamstring) was described as “not close” ahead of Gameweek 16, while Max Aarons (hamstring) was training outside but deemed unlikely to be fit for Luton’s visit.
Tyler Adams (hamstring), Alex Scott (knee) and Ryan Fredericks (calf) remain out, too.
The Hatters’ Marvelous Nakamba serves a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation but Issa Kabore returns after being ineligible to face his parent club last weekend.
Rob Edwards was also hopeful that Gabe Osho (knee) could be back for the trip to the south coast, having sat out the defeat to Manchester City.
Reece Burke (hamstring) and Cauley Woodrow (calf) are thought to be very close to returns, having already partly trained.
Daniel Potts (ankle) recently had a setback in his recovery, however.
CHELSEA V SHEFFIELD UNITED
Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring) and Carney Chukwuemeka (knee) remain on the injury list.
And they’ve almost certainly been joined on the sidelines by Reece James, as reports suggest he could be out for three months with the hamstring issue he picked up in Gameweek 16.
“The defender was withdrawn during the first half at Goodison Park, and scan results have confirmed a hamstring injury. Reece will now begin his rehabilitation programme at Cobham.” – Chelsea club statement
Further word is awaited on Marc Cucurella (knee) and Robert Sanchez (knee), who were substituted along with James in the defeat to Everton.
Romeo Lavia (ankle), Christopher Nkunku (knee) and Malo Gusto (knee) were all spotted in team training this week, with their returns from injuries of varying severity drawing nearer.
Lesley Ugochukwu (muscle) is thought to be a short-term absentee, too, with Mauricio Pochettino recently calling his injury “minor”.
As for the Blades, they’ll lose Jack Robinson to a one-match ban but get Oli McBurnie and Oliver Norwood back from their own suspensions.
George Baldock (leg) missed out last weekend but was close to facing Brentford, so he too could be available.
Chris Basham (leg), Tom Davies (thigh), John Egan (leg) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) are out, while it remains to be seen how match-fit Rhian Brewster (knee) and Rhys Norrington-Davies (hamstring) are after their recent returns to training.
MANCHESTER CITY V CRYSTAL PALACE
Pep Guardiola expects that Erling Haaland will return to training on Thursday, having missed the last two competitive matches with a stress injury in his foot.
There was nothing new on the Norwegian striker in the aftermath of Manchester City’s win over Red Star Belgrade but, having originally appeared downbeat on Haaland’s chances of featuring against Palace, Guardiola had offered a slightly more positive update on Tuesday night.
“No [he hasn’t trained since the weekend]. He’ll be back I think on Thursday. We’ll see how he feels.
“I don’t know [if he will play v Palace] right now. Next press conference I could be more precise about his conditions.” – Pep Guardiola, speaking on Tuesday night
Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring) is closer to a recovery but remains out, while there’s more hope than expectation that Jeremy Doku (hamstring) will be fit after Guardiola ruled him out for 1-2 weeks on Sunday.
Palace are injury-hit for their trip to the Etihad.
Interviewed on Saturday, Roy Hodgson didn’t expect Eberechi Eze (ankle) or Tyrick Mitchell (hip) to be back for the clash with the reigning champions.
Cheick Doucoure (Achilles), Rob Holding (ankle), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring), Dean Henderson (thigh) and Nathan Ferguson (hamstring) are also on the injury list.
And now there are three more concerns from Gameweek 16, with Sam Johnstone (calf), Jefferson Lerma (hamstring) and Odsonne Edouard (knee) limping out of the last-gasp defeat to Liverpool.
To compound matters, Jordan Ayew will be banned for yellow card accumulation.
NEWCASTLE UNITED V FULHAM
The Magpies suffered two (hopefully minor) injury scares in Wednesday’s Champions League loss to AC Milan.
Kieran Trippier, who is suspended for Gameweek 17 anyway, and Anthony Gordon were both withdrawn just after the hour mark.
“I think [Kieran] picked up something in the first half, I don’t quite know what it is at this moment in time. He wanted to carry on half-time, but then he signalled that he couldn’t continue.
“[Anthony] said he had an awareness of something in his hamstring. We’re not sure if it’s an injury because he could still sort of play, but he couldn’t play to the very high level that he has played for a long time. I think he had an issue full sprinting.
“Anthony is a very positive lad, he thinks he’s fine. But let’s see.” – Eddie Howe
Newcastle have recovered Callum Wilson (hamstring), Sean Longstaff (ankle) and Dan Burn (back) in the last week, all of whom have now made substitute appearances. Martin Dubravka is fine, too, after illness.
That leaves Sandro Tonali (ban), Javier Manquillo (groin), Harvey Barnes (toe), Joe Willock (Achilles), Sven Botman (knee), Jacob Murphy (shoulder), Elliot Anderson (back) and Matt Targett (hamstring) on the injury list.
Botman and Willock are thought to be nearing a return but Eddie Howe said earlier this week that Barnes wasn’t one of the group who are closing in on a comeback.
The Cottagers are hoping to recover Issa Diop (foot) and Tyrese Francois (knock) soon, while Adama Traore (hamstring) was already back in training ahead of the walloping of West Ham.
Willan is the latest worry, with Marco Silva saying last Sunday that he was “50/50” whether his withdrawal against the Hammers was just precautionary or a possible hamstring injury.
BURNLEY V EVERTON
Charlie Taylor will be banned for this match after collecting five yellow cards in 2023/24, while Luca Koleosho looks set to miss much of what remains of the season with a knee injury.
Josh Cullen (unspecified) and Jack Cork (calf) were on the sidelines last weekend, with news awaited on their fitness. Vincent Kompany also last week said that he was hoping of soon recovering Lyle Foster, who continues to receive treatment for his mental health.
Aaron Ramsey was the latest possible addition to the injury list after taking a “whack on the knee” in Gameweek 16, with the Burnley Express surmising that Michael Obafemi may also be sidelined due to his recent absence from the matchday squad.
Everton have lost Jarrad Branthwaite and Idrissa Gana Gueye to suspension after the pair picked up their fifth bookings of the campaign last weekend.
Two veteran right-backs will need assessing: Seamus Coleman missed out in Gameweek 16 with a “minor” issue, while Ashley Young was forced off early against Chelsea with a “niggly” injury.
Long-term Everton absentees Dele Alli (hip) and Andre Gomes (calf) are making progress, with the latter close to first-team contention after a recent run-out for the under-21s.
ARSENAL V BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Fabio Vieira (groin), Thomas Partey (muscle) and Jurrien Timber (knee) remain out for Arsenal, while Mohamed Elneny looks to have joined them on the sidelines with the hamstring injury he picked up in the midweek Champions League dead rubber.
Emile Smith Rowe (knee) returned to fitness for that Tuesday night encounter with PSV Eindhoven but Gabriel Martinelli missed out, reportedly due to illness.
Solly March (knee), Julio Enciso (knee), Adam Webster (unspecified), Pervis Estupinan (muscle), Ansu Fati (muscle) and Tariq Lamptey (muscle) remain out for the Seagulls but Danny Welbeck (muscle) is closing in on a return and could be on the bench on Sunday.
Roberto De Zerbi again mentioned Kaoru Mitoma as someone who needed careful minute management.
“Kaoru is good. He is in good condition but we have to analyse step by step, game by game. At the moment he is good to play, to start the game. And then we have to see at half-time.
“Mitoma but also, for example, Adam Lallana, we have to manage him in the best way if we want to play with him every week. There are other players in the same situation: James Milner, Facundo Buonanotte.
“Lewis Dunk didn’t finish the game on Saturday but now the toughest part of my work is to decide the first XI and to not take risks.” – Roberto De Zerbi, speaking on Wednesday ahead of the clash with Marseille
BRENTFORD V ASTON VILLA
Bryan Mbeumo (ankle) is expected to remain out, along with Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Kevin Schade (muscle), Rico Henry (knee), Josh Dasilva (hamstring), Ivan Toney (suspended) and Kristoffer Ajer (foot).
Thomas Frank could welcome back Mathias Jensen (adductor) after opting not to risk the Dane against Sheffield United, while Nathan Collins (ankle) was pictured in training earlier this week in a further boost.
Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne will miss out in Gameweek 17 after both picking up their fifth bookings of the season in Aston Villa’s win over Arsenal.
Tyrone Mings (knee) and Emi Buendia (knee) are the only Villa players who are definitely on the injury list for the trip to Brentford, although Bertrand Traore (unspecified) may also be out having returned from international duty with an injury and not played a part since.
Villa boss Unai Emery said the in-form Leon Bailey was “completely tired” when being withdrawn at half-time in Gameweek 16 – although also added that he didn’t know if there was an injury there, too.
WEST HAM UNITED V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Alphonse Areola (wrist) was pictured back on the training pitch ahead of the Hammers’ clash with Freiburg.
Michail Antonio (hamstring) remains out, while illness is affecting the West Ham camp – something that caused Edson Alvarez to miss out in Gameweek 16.
“We’ve had a few people who had a bit of illness. We’ve still got a few lingering with it in the last day or two, but I think we’re going to be okay.
“We don’t think it’s anything that’s going to stick around for weeks. It’s just a bit of sickness that has kept some of the lads under the weather. Otherwise, I think we’re pretty much as we were.” – David Moyes, speaking on Wednesday
Rayan Ait-Nouri (ankle) could be back for Wolves after his recent absence but Pedro Neto (hamstring), Joe Hodge (shoulder) and Jonny Otto (disciplinary) remain unavailable for selection.
LIVERPOOL V MANCHESTER UNITED
Alexis Mac Allister (knee) looks set to miss out again but could be back for the Gameweek 18 clash with Arsenal.
“I am obviously not a doctor but they explain it to me pretty much every day why he is not ready yet and it is obviously a bit more tricky than we thought in the first moment.
“The other boy stepped on his knee and the stud went through pretty much the muscle onto the bone. And now we have to wait until the bone is healed and until Macca can deal with the pain, because it is pretty painful.
“Macca is actually a super-tough guy so we have probably to make sure just from an infection point of view nothing happens. That’s really important.
“I never had this injury for one of my players before but now we have it. I hope it will not take that long, I would like to say it’s day by day – but that would look like he could maybe play the next game but he will not be ready for that as well.
“So, I hope the next three or four days he makes big steps and then we will see.” – Jurgen Klopp on Alexis Mac Allister, speaking on Wednesday
Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Diogo Jota (muscle) and Joel Matip (knee) are out, with Matip going under the knife this week.
Bruno Fernandes will be banned for Manchester United’s trip to Anfield after reaching the unwanted five-caution landmark last weekend.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford sat out United’s midweek clash with Bayern Munich due to illness. Also missing out again was Victor Lindelof (unspecified), who had been sidelined for Gameweek 16.
Two fresh concerns from that game were Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Harry Maguire (groin), who both had to be substituted.
“I can’t say in this moment. We obviously have to wait 24 hours and then we will have an assessment and diagnosis so we have to wait for it.” – Erik ten Hag on Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, speaking on Tuesday
Jadon Sancho (disciplinary), Casemiro (ankle), Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Lisandro Martinez (foot) remain on the unavailable list.
Mason Mount (calf), Amad Diallo (knee) and Christian Eriksen (knee) are thought to be closer to a comeback, with Amad rejoining training a week ago.
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