Get set for a busy two days of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team news as the pre-match press conferences for Gameweek 8 take place.
After international breaks, there are always plenty of injury concerns for the Premier League managers to address. There’ll be question marks over long-haul flights and late returns, too.
Six head coaches fulfil their media duties on Thursday, including Fabian Hurzeler.
We’ve even got bonus team news updates from Oliver Glasner and Ange Postecoglou, who gave interviews to Sky Sports and Tottenham Hotspur’s in-house media respectively.
We’ll be bringing you the latest key quotes and injury updates in the ‘live’ article below. We’ll gradually add these as and when they become available.
We expect the other 12 top-flight managers (plus Glasner and Postecoglou) to hold press conferences on Friday. For the latest on those clubs, check out our early team news summary.
GAMEWEEK 8 TEAM NEWS: THURSDAY INJURY UPDATES
- Tottenham Hotspur: Son + Richarlison back in training, Ange implies Johnson is fine
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Pedro still out but Rutter, Adingra + van Hecke return
- Brentford: Wissa back on the grass ahead of schedule
- Crystal Palace: Glasner expects Munoz + Wharton to be okay
- Everton: Mykolenko, Branthwaite + Coleman latest, Patterson “not quite there”
- West Ham United: Fullkrug still out, Lopetegui thinks everyone else is fit
- Southampton: Stewart sidelined but avoids serious injury, Dibling fine
- Leicester City: No fresh concerns, Daka among three still out
GAMEWEEK 8 TEAM NEWS: THURSDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE TIMES
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Son Heung-min (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf) have returned to training this week and could come back into the squad this weekend.
“Sonny and Richy have done some good work and trained with the group, which is a real positive for us. Sonny was always, hopefully, going to get through this international break really well and be ready, and Richy’s done some good work, so hopefully both available for the weekend.” – Ange Postecoglou
There was good news from Ange Postecoglou on Lucas Bergvall, too. The young midfielder exited the Sweden camp without kicking a ball, a “minor injury” putting paid to his involvement against Estonia on Monday.
The Spurs boss is hoping he will be fine for Gameweek 8.
“The international guys, I think just about all of them got through okay. We’re still waiting on a couple to come back into the building. Lucas was the only one who had a slight niggle but again we’re hoping that he’ll be okay.” – Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou’s quote above also implies that Brennan Johnson, the second-most-bought player of Gameweek 8, is fit. He was withdrawn at half-time of Wales’ clash with Iceland last Friday “as a precaution”, only failing to feature against Montenegro on Monday due to suspension.
All of that leaves only Wilson Odobert (hamstring) on the injury list.
“Wilson has also done some good work the last couple of weeks and hopefully joins the main group at some point next week.” – Ange Postecoglou
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Simon Adingra (unknown), Jan Paul van Hecke (groin) and Georginio Rutter (unknown) have all returned to training for Brighton and are available.
“[van Hecke] will be an option.” – Fabian Hurzeler
Adam Webster (hamstring) has joined James Milner (hamstring), Joao Pedro (ankle) and Matt O’Riley (ankle) on the injury list, however.
“Of course, the injuries for Matt [O’Riley] and Joao [Pedro] will still take a little bit more time. Also with James Milner we have to be more patient, takes also a little bit more time. I think the rest will be available for the squad. Adam Webster is another player who will miss the game against Newcastle but the rest will be available.” – Fabian Hurzeler
The quotes above and below suggest Carlos Baleba is fine. There were fears of a lengthy lay-off after he was stretchered off in Cameroon’s win over Kenya last week but his national team boss said it was only a “light injury”. There was some confusion in Monday’s rematch when he was named on the bench on Cameroon’s social media graphic but not on the official teamsheet.
“Hopefully, everyone will come healthy back from their international games. We haven’t seen everyone yet. I don’t know exactly about Julio [Enciso] and Pervis [Estupinan], they are the latest arrivals. We will see them today and then we will know more.” – Fabian Hurzeler
Solly March (knee) is injury free and has had game-time with the under-21s as he bids to build fitness after a very long lay-off.
“We need to give him a lot of time because being back after such a long injury, it’s not a comeback which will go like linear, it’s more like a comeback with waves – there will be up and downs. You need to accept the up and downs, not only we as a staff or we as a coaching team, also Solly as a player. He has to accept these up and downs because they are normal after a long injury.
“But he’s doing quite good mentally and physically and he is in a good way. He has the right mindset. He’s a positive guy and we have to be patient with him but I’m sure we’re on the right way.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Solly March
BRENTFORD
Yoane Wissa (ankle) is ahead of schedule and is training, with Thomas Frank not even ruling out the prospect of him featuring at Old Trafford.
“Wissa is training on the grass with the team, so that’s positive. I just need to find out if it is too soon to involve him or not.” – Thomas Frank
It very much is too soon for Mathias Jensen (calf), Igor Thiago (knee), Gustavo Nunes (back) and Rico Henry (knee) to be involved, however, even though they’re also back on the grass.
Henry even featured in a behind-closed-doors game earlier this week.
Longer-term absentees Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and Josh Dasilva (knee) also remain out.
Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard both withdrew from the Denmark squad last week but are fit.
There are no fresh worries elsewhere.
“Touch wood, everyone is fit and healthy. Everyone who was available for the last game should be available for this game as well.” – Thomas Frank
CRYSTAL PALACE
Speaking to Sky Sports at the Palace training ground, Oliver Glasner provided positive news about Daniel Munoz and Adam Wharton.
Both players have had groin injuries. Munoz was forced off early in the defeat to Liverpool and couldn’t join up with Colombia, while Wharton withdrew from England under-21 duty with a niggling issue that has plagued him for some time.
“I think so.
“Daniel Munoz, this is the first day where he does parts of the training session with us but it looks pretty good.
“Adam Wharton, as well, we have managed his issues quite well. The medical team is doing a really great job.
“I think both will be available.” – Oliver Glasner on whether he expects Daniel Munoz and Adam Wharton to be fit
Chadi Riad (knee), Matt Turner (ineligible) and Matheus Franca (groin) are definitely out for Palace, while the absence of Chris Richards (hamstring) from the USA camp suggests he won’t be back either.
Glasner did however previously express hope that Cheick Doucoure (toe) could return to training over the break.
We may get further updates on Doucoure, Richards et al on Friday.
EVERTON
It was a mixed bag of updates from Sean Dyche on Thursday.
Youssef Chermiti (foot) and Armando Broja (foot) will definitely remain out.
James Garner (back) and Tim Iroegbunam (foot) have been added to the injury list, too.
“Tim, unfortunately, has got a stress response from a bone in his foot, so he’s going to be weeks, not days unfortunately. We’re disappointed, he’s had a good start to the season, a good pre-season. He’ll come back through it but we’re not sure on the timescales.
“Jimmy is similar. Jimmy has got a back situation that we’re just monitoring at the moment. It’s settling down but we’re not going to have anything too concrete until probably about the next week or so when we’ll know more, see how he responds to the treatment.” – Sean Dyche
It sounds like Nathan Patterson (hamstring) isn’t match-fit enough, either, despite featuring three times for the under-21s as he recovers from a long lay-off.
“He’s just on his longer-term plan to get him back, he’s looking fitter and sharper all the time. Not quite there yet but he’s training all the time. So far, he’s coming through it clean.” – Sean Dyche on Nathan Patterson
The clash with Ipswich Town may also come too soon for Jarrad Branthwaite (quad) but Vitalli Mykolenko (calf) and Seamus Coleman (ankle) seem to be closer.
“First of all, Mykolenko is looking good so that’s a good step in the right direction. Seamus is back in the group and he’s had more or less the week.
“Jarrad is a bit behind them but he’s been on the grass with us, a little bit behind them.
“We’ll have to made a decision on [Branthwaite] because he’s only really had a couple of days training with us. Last time [he returned] he got through the game and then got a minor injury but it still cost him a few weeks, so we’ve got to be careful with that one. We’ll have to make a call probably over the next 24 hours.
“His injury is fine at the moment, it’s just his training schedule.” – Sean Dyche
Illiman Ndiaye shrugged off a mid-break injury to feature in Senegal’s clash with Malawi on Tuesday. He has also trained with the Toffees since.
WEST HAM UNITED
Julen Lopetegui confirmed on Thursday that Niclas Fullkrug (Achilles) remains out.
The West Ham boss thinks that his squad are otherwise injury free, although he hasn’t seen some of his returning internationals yet.
“It is true that we have a lot of players in a lot of countries and right now we don’t have all the players here. I’m going to see the last players today, and tomorrow Edson [Alvarez]. Until the last moment we are not going to be together. Always this is difficult to prepare the matches but it’s one thing that happens to a lot of teams and not only with us, so we have to manage this and to handle [it] to be able to be ready for the next match.
“I think that Fullkrug is out, he continues with his injury. But the rest, I repeat: this afternoon I am going to meet with them. But we don’t have bad news about them.” – Julen Lopetegui
“In the start he had one non-important injury, but he has had little complications with this injury and we are waiting to recover him.
“It is true we were thinking he would be out for two weeks, maximum.
“Right now he is out. I don’t know, I prefer to say nothing [about long he will be out]. Let’s see.” – Julen Lopetegui on Niclas Fullkrug
SOUTHAMPTON
Ross Stewart (hamstring) has been added to the injury list but the budget FPL forward has at least avoided serious injury.
“Ross Stewart came off against Arsenal and won’t be available.
“It’s not going to be long-term injury, I think the international breaks have come at a good time for him, which means he won’t miss a huge amount of games.” – Russell Martin on Ross Stewart
Gavin Bazunu (Achilles) also remains out and Jack Stephens serves the second match of a two-game ban.
Will Smallbone (hamstring) and Kamaldeen Sulemana (ankle) are available, however.
We finally got a mention of Tyler Dibling, who withdrew from the England under-19 squad over the last week, in the embargoed section of Martin’s presser.
“He’s fine. He had a week off his feet, of getting treatment and resting. We also have to respect and appreciate that Tyler’s life has changed in the last six weeks quite dramatically.
“Not just physically but mentally, the spotlight he is under, the praise he’s getting and all the interest, all that stuff.
“I think we have to take in the mental fatigue as much as the physical load. But he was carrying one or two things physically because the intensity stepped up a few notches for him.
“He’s in a good place. He’s had a good bit of rest, a good bit of treatment. He’s dipped in and out of training this week. He will be ready.” – Russell Martin on Tyler Dibling
Martin meanwhile said that “everyone [else] is pretty much as is”.
LEICESTER CITY
Steve Cooper didn’t report any fresh injury concerns in Thursday’s presser.
Jannik Vestergaard (ankle) played 180 minutes for Denmark over the break after recovering just before the October internationals.
“No, nothing’s changed. Jannik Vestergaard has played a couple of games for the national team. He was just about getting fit before the Bournemouth game. He’s obviously in a better place now in terms of fitness and recovery from his ankle injury.
“We’re waiting for a quite a few players to come back but everybody is as they were, really, before the break.” – Steve Cooper
Patson Daka (ankle), Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle) and Hamza Choudhury (shoulder) are on the sidelines for the Foxes.
“He’s definitely making good progress. It was quite a serious injury and an operation he ended up having to have. Such an unfortunate time as well, a week before the season was about to start.
“He’s coming to not far off the final stages of rehab. You will see him on the grass now a little bit, very much still with the medical team, and building his way towards being closer to being with us. His rehab is on course and going to plan. It was quite a serious injury which he needed a bit of time to recover from so he’s still in that process.” – Steve Cooper on Patson Daka
