11 Premier League clubs are in EFL Cup action in midweek – and we’ve got the injury updates ahead of their fixtures on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The pre-match press conference of Vitor Pereira is presumably still to come, so we’ll update this piece after it happens.
Arne Slot, meanwhile, will not hold a pre-match presser ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Crystal Palace.
CHELSEA
Liam Delap is ready to return for Chelsea on Wednesday.
The forward has been out of action for two months due to a hamstring problem, but he resumed training last week and is now prepared to play his first competitive minutes since August.
“Yes, Liam is available for the game. He completed the whole session with us yesterday with no problems and he is available for tomorrow. We have to be careful with Liam and [it’s unlikely he will play] 90 minutes, no. He’s been out for two months, so he needs to be gradually brought back up to 100 per cent.” – Enzo Maresca on Liam Delap
Enzo Maresca also said Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro could be rested for the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“Yes, we need to rotate. We need to protect the players because if we go with the same XI, we are going to struggle during the season. We will probably make some changes against Wolves, I don’t know how many, but we will make changes. I don’t know if it’s going to be nine or 10 like it was from Forest to Ajax, but for sure we need to make some to rotate and help protect the players. There are players that they need to be protected for many reasons, so tomorrow we’ll see. Enzo, Moi [Caicedo], Joao [Pedro] – they are all players, for different reasons, we need to protect them.” – Enzo Maresca
Cole Palmer (groin), Benoit Badiashile (muscle), Levi Colwill (knee) and Dario Essugo (thigh) remain injured.
Maresca was later asked about Joao Pedro’s fitness, as well as his first-choice centre-back pairing.
“For sure the physical part is important. When you are not 100%, it’s difficult to compete, especially in this league. But I think Joao is not a problem at all. He’s going to score goals with us. He’s going to give us assists, knowing that Joao Pedro is not a No 9 that is going to score 20 goals each year. It’s not Joao, he’s a fantastic player, he’s going to score goals for us, he’s going to give us assists. But it’s a different kind of nine, like this kind of nine that they score 20-25 goals each year like Lewandowski, Mbappe or Haaland. This is a different kind of No 9.” – Enzo Maresca on Joao Pedro
“The reason why we are trying to rotate is because, first of all, we also need to manage players like, for instance, Wes Fofana, who is back from injury, Benoit [Badiashile], unfortunate that he’s injured again, but we try to manage him. Josh [Acheampong], Trev [Chalobah], we are trying to rotate a little bit for many reasons, but for sure in the moment that you are choosing a defender, for instance, last season we played, I think, five or six months with Wes, the first five or six months. It’s good because they can, you know, the combination, they can go together, but in this moment, we are trying to rotate, and for sure, slowly, slowly, we get better.” – Enzo Maresca on his centre-backs
MANCHESTER CITY
Rodri (hamstring) remains out for the trip to Swansea City.
“Rodri still is not quite ready, he is getting better. Training with us partial. But, of course, after what happened two times with the muscular injuries we are going to see how he is this week. – Pep Guardiola on Rodri
As for Erling Haaland, he will likely be rested for Wednesday’s match after picking up a knock against Aston Villa, but Abdukodir Khusanov (ankle) is set to play a part.
“Khusa is ready to play a few minutes tomorrow.
“Erling I didn’t see him today but it was a knock and day by day is better. But now we train this afternoon and will know more exactly how does he feel. Yeah [this is a game where we could rest Haaland].” – Pep Guardiola on Abdukodir Khusanov and Erling Haaland
Pep Guardiola also added that Rayan Ait-Nouri “… is fit and available”.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Chris Richards (calf) won’t feature for Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
“We’ve just one issue: Chris Richards has a little bit of an issue with his calf, so he won’t make the trip to Liverpool tomorrow. All the others are fine and recovered well.
Asked whether Richards is likely to miss Gameweek 10, Oliver Glasner added:
“I don’t think so at the moment, but we don’t take any risks because Chris didn’t play against AEK Larnaca – we rested him for that game – so it’s not that his load is high. Let’s see – I can’t tell you more at the moment.” – Oliver Glasner on Chris Richards
Chadi Riad (knee), Cheick Doucoure (knee) and Caleb Kporha (back) are still out.
Glasner confirmed Walter Benitez and Jaydee Canvot will both start against Liverpool, meanwhile.
ARSENAL
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that both William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli are out of Wednesday’s match.
“He’s out. We are assessing him, but he won’t be involved in this match.” – Mikel Arteta on William Saliba
“It looks like he’s going to be out as well. We have to do some more tests and see the extent of the injury, but this game is going to be too early for him.” – Mikel Arteta on Gabriel Martinelli
In better news, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are all fit.
“Rice will be available, and [Calafiori] as well, yes.
“… he [Saka] is going to be fine.” – Mikel Arteta
Arteta also discussed the fitness of Ben White:
“He had a setback and that hasn’t helped. It was an injury that kept him out for a few weeks and we had to manage his load. The reason why he’s not been playing is to manage that; he’s in a good place now, he’s been training more recently and his feeling has been very good. When Ben is at the level that he can show, he’s a top player for us, a player that drives the team in a different way, gives us a different threat on that flank as well, and we need him at his best.” – Mikel Arteta on Ben White
NEWCASTLE UNITED
On the fitness of Sven Botman, Lewis Hall (hamstring) and Tino Livramento (knee), Eddie Howe said:
“Sven has no concussion – it was a cut, a bad cut [against Fulham], which he had stapled together. He didn’t train yesterday, but we will see how he is today.
“Lewis is the closest to coming back out of those injured, but this game will come too quickly for him. We’ll see how he is for West Ham.
“Tino is still on track. We are looking at the Manchester City game for him for when he can be available for.” – Eddie Howe on Sven Botman, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento
An update was also provided on Yoane Wissa (knee).
“It’s difficult for me to give a [specific] game, Yoane is in a different boat to the other two because he is coming back fitness wise, he has been out longer. Yoane is on track but we need to make sure he has gone through a mini pre-season with us as well.” – Eddie Howe on Yoane Wissa
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Thomas Frank said his squad have come through Sunday’s 3-0 win over Everton unscathed.
He also provided updates on Dominic Solanke (ankle), Cristian Romero (abductor) and Destiny Udogie (knee).
“It’s all good from the guys who played on Sunday.
“Dominic – steps forward, it’s step by step. Cuti is on the pitch, no timeframe, but on the pitch. Destiny is on the pitch as well, so, three steps forward.” – Thomas Frank on Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie
Yves Bissouma (ankle), Ben Davies (muscle), Radu Dragusin (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee) and Koto Takai (foot) remain sidelined.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Fabian Hurzeler said that James Milner won’t be available because of a minor muscle injury.
Joel Veltman (calf), Jack Hinshelwood (ankle), Kaoru Mitoma (knock) and Brajan Gruda (knee) remain out but are close to a return.
Adam Webster (knee) and Solly March (knee) are on the long-term injury list.
FULHAM
Marco Silva will be without Emile Smith Rowe (hamstring), Antonee Robinson (knee), Joachim Andersen (hamstring), Rodrigo Muniz (muscle), Harry Wilson (knock) and Samuel Chukwueze (calf) for the trip to Wycombe Wanderers.
Smith Rowe strained his hamstring during the first half of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
“Jedi [Robinson], Andersen, Smith Rowe, Muniz, Wilson and Chukwueze are all out.
“Smith Rowe has a hamstring injury – it was a muscle injury. It doesn’t look serious really, but we have to be careful. Six absentees, all important. Some players who started on Saturday will [have to] start tomorrow.” – Marco Silva
BRENTFORD
We didn’t hear any fresh team news from Keith Andrews on Monday, but he did say “… the squad will be utilised”.
Andrews also discussed the form of Igor Thiago.
“I like a lot. His heart is huge. His spirit, his courage, the adversity he faced last year around his injury, settling into a new country and culture. I think what he got here was real support and a real belief in him. As a person he really settled into this club. I speak pretty much every day about his game and how we can improve him. He’s a nightmare to play against, that’s the reality of the way he plays the game with such hunger. Sometimes you have to calm him down such slightly. He’s proving to be a major player for us which we thought he would be.” – Keith Andrews on Igor Thiago
