Team News

Latest News: Arsenal haven't got any injury worries ahead of the north London derby, with Granit Xhaka newly available after suspension/illness and Mohamed Elneny returning from a muscle problem in midweek. Xhaka's return does present Mikel Arteta with something of a dilemma, as the Arsenal boss has moved from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 over the last week and the Swiss is perhaps more easily accommodated in the first set-up. With the exception of Xhaka, the Gunners' starting XI looked close to full strength in Gameweek 5 after an opening to the campaign blighted by injury and illness. Emile Smith-Rowe and Martin Odegaard flanked Thomas Partey in central midfield and one of those two may have to make way if Xhaka is recalled, although Nicolas Pepe is another potential fall guy should Smith-Rowe and Odegaard be moved further forward. The back four and Partey look settled and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should oust Alexandre Lacazette after the latter's EFL Cup run-out but there is a degree of uncertainty between the posts, with Aaron Ramsdale and Bernd Leno tussling for the no. 1 spot. Leno returned in the Carabao Cup in midweek after Ramsdale's consecutive Premier League starts, while Arteta had previously rubbished speculation that he had promised Leno a league return against Spurs this weekend.

Latest News: Trezeguet (knee) and Keinan Davis (knee) have been joined on the sidelines by Leon Bailey (thigh) and Morgan Sanson (hamstring), both of whom will not return before the October international break. Loanee Axel Tuanzebe will also miss out through ineligibility but John McGinn has been passed fit, having been substituted with a head injury last weekend. Villa have impressed in a 3-5-2 in their last two league outings, although did turn back to a 4-2-3-1 in the midweek cup tie at Chelsea. Kortney Hause performed well at Stamford Bridge and will deputise for Tuanzebe if Dean Smith persists with a wing-back system, an approach that perhaps looks increasingly likely given that the one player who may have prompted a formation switch, the impressive and explosive Bailey, is now sidelined. Wingers Bertrand Traore, Emiliano Buendia and Anwar El Ghazi were all handed extended run-outs at Chelsea in another indication that Smith may go without midfield width this weekend, with the good form of central trio McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey another incentive for the Villa boss to stick with the same set-up.

Latest News: Mads Sorensen (knee) and Josh DaSilva (hip) remain out but Thomas Frank has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the visit of Liverpool, which presumably means that the issues that forced Rico Henry and Pontus Jansson off last weekend haven't amounted to anything. Frank even told reporters in the aftermath of the win at Wolves that Jansson was "fine" and said that Henry's substitution was as much to do with his yellow card as a "minor ankle issue", so the pair are expected to keep up their 100% appearance records against the Reds. In fact, ten Brentford players are ever-present starters this season, with the third central midfield spot alongside Christian Norgaard and Vitaly Janelt the only position where changes have been made. The shirt was initially held by Frank Onyeka before a Covid-19 infection paved the way for first Saman Ghoddos and then Shandon Baptiste to get a chance to impress, with the latter starting the last two league matches and available for selection again after serving his one-match ban in midweek. Frank made 11 changes for the EFL Cup thrashing of Oldham, so the likes of Marcus Forss, Mads Bidstrup, Zanka, Yoane Wissa, Tariq Fosu and Mathias Jensen will likely be competing for places on the bench at best given the form and fitness of the first-team regulars.

Latest News: Adam Webster (hamstring) remains out until after the October international break, while Enock Mwepu is "probably doubtful" for the M23 derby after complaining of tightness in his groin ahead of the midweek EFL Cup clash with Swansea. Graham Potter told reporters on Thursday that he was hopeful of Alexis Mac Allister (back) and Yves Bissouma (knee) being available for the trip to Crystal Palace, however, while Tariq Lamptey and Pascal Gross will both be in the squad after each getting 45 minutes of game-time in midweek. Whether either of them will feature from the start is questionable: Potter again reiterated that Albion would "need to be careful" with Lamptey after so long on the sidelines and added that the Seagulls would need to "think about what Gross's involvement will be" after the midfielder was hit by a Covid-19 infection in the last fortnight. Potter made 11 changes to his starting XI for that Carabao Cup victory on Wednesday and most, if not all, of the side that impressed against Leicester on Sunday will return for this clash. Jakub Moder, Steven Alzate and Gross are the (not like-for-like) options to stand in for Bissouma if he does miss out, with Moder the one to be thrown on when Albion's influential midfielder limped off last weekend. Aaron Connolly, Mac Allister and Dan Burn were among those in action against the Swans and will expect to be back among the substitutes at Selhurst Park.

Latest News: Dale Stephens (ankle) is still some way from a return, while Connor Roberts has suffered a minor thigh problem in the final stages of his recovery from a groin strain and Kevin Long, who has twice featured for the under-23s recently, "needs a bit more game-time" after rejoining full training following a long-term ankle problem. Sean Dyche added in his pre-match press conference that Wayne Hennessey's ankle injury is "settling down" and seemed to suggest that Josh Brownhill would feature despite a dead leg sustained in Gameweek 5, saying that the midfielder was "on the grass" as of Thursday. Ten players are ever-present starters over the last four Gameweeks, with the return of fit-again Dyche favourite Ashley Westwood at the expense of Jack Cork against Leeds the only tweak to the Burnley manager's line-up. But new signing Maxwell Cornet and midweek four-goal hero Jay Rodriguez will put pressure on Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Ashley Barnes respectively, with Matej Vydra another option up top. Dyche said on Thursday that Vydra was "getting there" in terms of fitness and added that Rodriguez was "never far away from the team", although did stress that Barnes and Wood "historically have been a very effective partnership". On Cornet, the Burnley boss repeated previous comments about the winger needing time to make the tactical "adjustments" necessary to adapt to life in Premier League - so Gudmundsson may get a stay of execution, if only in the short term. The back four, Nick Pope, Dwight McNeil and Wood all boast 100% starting records this season and look relatively safe.

Latest News: Christian Pulisic (ankle) and Mason Mount (knock) will miss the visit of Manchester City but Edouard Mendy (hip) has been passed fit and there was no word on any calf problem for Timo Werner, who had complained of discomfort in midweek. Thomas Tuchel has bested Pep Guardiola in his three previous meetings with the City boss since taking over in west London, using a 3-4-2-1 on each occasion - but the Blues' performance in a 3-5-2 in the second half of last week's win over Spurs will have given him food for thought. N'Golo Kante was the key to that post-interval improvement, replacing Mount at the break, and he has started all three of the wins over City since Tuchel became head coach. Reece James, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta also have 100% starting records against City under their current boss, with Thiago Silva, Mount, Jorginho and Ben Chilwell making the line-up in the two more 'important' meetings with Guardiola's troops, in the FA Cup semi-final and the Champions League final. That's not to say that history will repeat itself, of course: Marcos Alonso will surely start over Chilwell due to the latter's shortage of game-time since May, while the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen have been in excellent form this season. Mount's injury may make Tuchel's decision to go with a 3-5-2 a little easier, although the Chelsea boss does have options to support Romelu Lukaku in Kai Havertz, Werner and Hakim Ziyech. There is no such uncertainty between the posts: Tuchel not only confirmed that Mendy was fit but that he would start against City.

Latest News: Eberechi Eze (Achilles) and Nathan Ferguson (Achilles) will miss the clash with Brighton but Jeffrey Schlupp (hamstring) has returned to training and will come back into the matchday squad on Monday. Patrick Vieira has named an unchanged starting XI in the last three Gameweeks, with Palace impressing against West Ham and Spurs and even producing a creditable display in a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend. Odsonne Edouard will certainly be pushing for a place in his manager's line-up, however, with Christian Benteke struggling at Anfield and the Eagles looking a more potent attacking threat when Edouard was thrown on. Vieira sent out mixed messages in his pre-match presser, just to complicate things, saying that the ex-Celtic striker was "physically and mentally ready to start" but adding that new signings "need time to adapt". Cheikhou Kouyate and Jordan Ayew are perhaps also at risk in the medium term, with Jairo Riedewald, Luka Milivojevic and Will Hughes alternatives in the engine room and the fit-again Michael Olise an option further forward, but Ayew in particular turned in a decent shift on Merseyside and Vieira may be loathe to shake things up too much after stready progression over the last month.

Latest News: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh/toe), Fabian Delph (shoulder), Jean Phillipe-Gbamin (thigh), Richarlison (knee), Seamus Coleman (hamstring) and Andre Gomes (calf) will all miss the visit of Norwich City but Lucas Digne (calf) and Jordan Pickford (shoulder) were deemed "okay" by their manager in Friday's pre-match press conference so will be expected to feature against the Canaries. Those six absentees leave Rafael Benitez with little to choose from this weekend and the team almost picks itself, with Mason Holgate the only name who could gatecrash the party at the back - but a sub-par display in midweek and rests for Yerry Mina and Michael Keane suggest he'll be again given a watching brief from the bench. Tom Davies won't replace Allan or Abdoulaye Doucoure but is a possibility if Benitez adds to his central midfielders and moves to a 4-3-3 (as he has done recently when introducing Gomes), while Anthony Gordon - one of the few bright sparks in the EFL Cup - is the only real 'senior' back-up available to the front four in our predicted XI.

Latest News: Robin Koch (pelvis), Diego Llorente (muscle) and Pascal Struijk (suspended) have been joined on the sidelines by Patrick Bamford (ankle), while there are lingering doubts about the availability of Luke Ayling (knee), Raphinha (hip) and Jack Harrison (match fitness). Harrison is technically available for selection after finishing his mandatory self-isolation period following a positive Covid-19 test but Marcelo Bielsa said in Thursday's presser that "just because the rules say he can does not mean he will be ready to play". The Leeds boss then discussed Harrison, Ayling and Raphinha as a collective, explaining that the trio "are subject to their evolution on whether that will allow them to participate" and couldn't say for sure whether they would or wouldn't feature. Assuming all of the above are still sidelined, then the same 11 players that took to the field at Fulham in midweek plus a rested Liam Cooper will very likely be the squad members that Bielsa will choose from against West Ham. Jamie Shackleton could come into the reckoning either at right-back or in central midfield, while Kalvin Phillips may be dropped back to centre-half alongside Cooper as he was at Craven Cottage. Charlie Cresswell might well be preferred at the back following his starring role in the EFL Cup, however, with his manager saying that the young centre-half had "taken a significant step forward" and that he would "have to read that message". Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville are the wide options if Harrison and Raphinha fail to make it, while one of Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo will have to deputise for Bamford; it was Roberts who started up top against Fulham, although the Wales international didn't exactly present a convincing case for a second chance.

Latest News: Long-term absentees James Justin (knee) and Wesley Fofana (leg) remain out, while Brendan Rodgers said he would assess Jonny Evans after the Northern Irish defender came through his first 90 minutes since April after recovering from a bothersome foot injury. The Leicester boss may have been pointing us in the direction of a benching for the experienced stopper, saying that Evans was "still in that recovery phase" and that the Foxes have "got other important games ahead"/ . Jannik Vestergaard and Caglar Soyuncu could be paired together then, with Ricardo Pereira looking a likely starter on current form and Timothy Castage potentially replacing Ryan Bertrand at left-back given the impact he had off the bench at Brighton. Rodgers has turned to a 4-3-3 in the two most recent games in league and cup, and Kelechi Iheanacho's chances of a start - at least as a central forward - don't look great, with the Leicester boss saying in his presser that "if you play with two strikers, it can affect the balance behind that". Ayoze Perez is free from suspension and adds to the competition on the right flank, where Marc Albrighton, James Maddison and Ademola Lookman have all spent time this season. Maddison is woefully out of form and Lookman arguably merits a start after striking up a promising partnership with Ricardo in Gameweek 5, although Rodgers is a stubborn sort and the likes of Perez and Maddison remain 'favourites' of his through thick and thin. Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes were rested in midweek and will expect to feature, while Boubakary Soumare was also omitted and his height could come in useful against Sean Dyche's agricultural side.

Latest News: Harvey Elliott (ankle), Naby Keita (foot) and Thiago Alcantara (calf) will miss the trip to Brentford but Trent Alexander-Arnold has been passed fit after illness, while James Milner should also recover from a similar ailment after missing the midweek win over Norwich. Roberto Firmino (hamstring) is also "in contention" according to his manager after a return to training following a month out, although Klopp did say that the Reds would "have to make a decision if we take him with us or not" and added that the Brazilian striker would "100%" make next week's Champions League tie against Porto if he did miss Gameweek 6. Successive starts in league and cup for Kostas Tsimikas and Ibrahima Konate does suggest that Joel Matip and Andrew Robertson will be brought back into the fold alongside van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold for this fixture, while midweek rests for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson hinted that they were being preserved for a busy week ahead. The third midfield spot alongside that pair is perhaps most up for grabs, with Milner an option if fit and Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and even Takumi Minamino all alternatives; that trio all started against the Canaries on Tuesday, with Minamino dropping back into the engine room in the second half. The lingering doubt over Firmino's match fitness, plus the fact that Minamino and Divock Origi were handed 90 minutes in midweek, does point towards another start for Diogo Jota in between Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah - but as we were told and shown by the Liverpool boss last week, rotation is set to occur with more regularity in 2021/22 given the wealth of available options at Klopp's disposal.

Latest News: Manchester City had doubts over Aymeric Laporte (muscle), John Stones (muscle), Ilkay Gundogan (unspecified), Oleksandr Zinchenko (unspecified) and Rodri (unspecified) heading into Saturday's match at Chelsea, with Pep Guardiola saying only in Friday's press conference that some but "not all" of those players would come back into contention at Stamford Bridge. Rodri, Laporte and Stones appear to be the ones closing in on a return, with that trio sighted in training on Thursday and then part of the travelling squad heading down to London on Friday; Gundogan and Zinchenko, by contrast, weren't spotted on either occasion. We never quite know what we're going to get from Guardiola against Chelsea and charges of 'overthinking' things could justifiably be levelled at him given what we saw against Thomas Tuchel's Blues in 2020/21, with a central midfield missing a recognised anchor sent out in the Champions League final and a curious 3-1-4-2 employed in the league meeting in May. A midfield double-pivot, with Fernandinho or Bernardo Silva alongside Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne in a number 10 role, also can't be ruled out with Guardiola having turned to a 4-2-3-1 in past 'tougher' matches. The back four likely picks itself if Laporte passes a late fitness test, while midweek rests for Bernardo, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus can only boost, if not assure, their chances of featuring from the off. Meanwhile, 90-minute run-outs for Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling on Tuesday don't necessarily mean guaranteed benchings in west London given that Wycombe provided modest opposition but one start combined between them in the last four Gameweeks is maybe more of a pointer. While Guardiola said Foden "doesn't need many games to get his rhythm", that was his first competitive start in three months and the European champions are a different challenge altogether to a promotion-chasing League One outfit. Ferran Torres has led the line in six of City's seven matches in all competitions this season but with Jesus, Sterling, De Bruyne, Foden and Bernardo all having been used through the middle in the past, and with Guardiola having history of producing some baffling selections in this fixture, he looks like one of the less-assured starters in this predicted XI.

Latest News: Marcus Rashford (shoulder) remains out ahead of the visit of Aston Villa but Edinson Cavani (knock) has been passed fit and Alex Telles, Dean Henderson and Phil Jones all returned to the matchday squad in midweek to leave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with precious little remaining in the treatment room. Not many of the second string laid down claims for further first-team inclusion with an insipid performance in the EFL Cup, with Jadon Sancho the likeliest to gatecrash the starting XI this weekend - but even he only showed fleeting glimpses of promise against the Hammers as his United career struggles to get going. Sancho's inclusion on the left flank likely hinges on where Paul Pogba is stationed, with the Frenchman an option to move back into the double pivot if Solskjaer deems the Scott McTominay-Fred partnership overkill in a home match against a mid-table outfit. David de Gea, Cristiano Ronaldo and the back four will surely all feature after midweek rests, with Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes limited to only cameo roles in the Carabao Cup and also poised to return to their manager's starting line-up against the Villans. Jesse Lingard is pushing for a first league start of 2021/22 after a goal off the bench last weekend but after a run-out in the EFL Cup, he might be again watching on from the dugout - where Cavani surely seems likely to start given his length of absence and the added presence of a certain veteran Portuguese striker on the United books.

Latest News: Joe Willock (toe) and Jamaal Lascelles (muscle) have joined Freddie Woodman (muscle), Paul Dummett (calf), Callum Wilson (thigh) and Jonjo Shelvey (calf) on the sidelines for the trip to Watford, while Martin Dubravka (foot) is still "a couple of weeks away" despite a return to training. There will be at least two changes to the starting XI, then, with Federico Fernandez, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth all possibilities to deputise for Lascelles and Jeff Hendrick, Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy all options to fill in for Willock - in Murphy's case, he would likely take up a right-wing role with Miguel Almiron moving infield. Steve Bruce has almost exclusively used a wing-back system since Gameweek 30 of last season but we saw the Magpies shift to a 4-5-1 during the match against Leeds, with the performance improving as a result. Isaac Hayden could move back into midfield as he did last Friday, then, should that formation tweak be repeated. Allan Saint-Maximin and Joelinton look set to continue further forward, with Bruce saying the latter "arguably had his best game for the club" against Leeds and adding that Saint-Maximin was "at the top of his game."

Latest News: Christoph Zimmermann (ankle), Sam Byram (hamstring), Przemys?aw Placheta (illness) and Todd Cantwell (personal reasons) will all miss Saturday’s game at Everton, while Milot Rashica is a "question mark" according to his manager after missing a couple of days of training. Josh Sargent will also be assessed after doing some individual training sessions, although both he and Rashica had joined the rest of the squad on Friday. Daniel Farke used a wing-back system in the cup defeat to Liverpool but while declaring himself "quite pleased" with the results in a 3-0 loss, went on to say that he was "convinced that even with a four-man formation" the Canaries would have ironed out the mistakes from last week's demoralising loss to Watford. Farke made nine changes for the EFL Cup tie, with Billy Gilmour and Andrew Omobamidele the only players to keep their places, and there'll likely be further tinkering this weekend as the Canaries' head coach strives to find a successful balance to improve his struggling side's fortunes. Rashica's fight for fitness, Cantwell's absence and Farke's anger at Christos Tzolis' penalty-taking indiscretion in midweek (a matter the Norwich boss admittedly now considers closed) could convince Farke to persevere with the width-less midfield he used against the Reds on Tuesday, with Sargent joining Teemu Pukki up top after the pair showed promise together last weekend. Kenny McLean, Gilmour, Pierre-Lees Melou, Lukas Rupp and Mathias Normann will tussle for the three central midfield spots in whatever system is employed, with successive 90-minute run-outs for Gilmour in league and cup perhaps a concern for the Chelsea loanee given that his manager had previously talked of protecting him against over-exertion.

Latest News: Jack Stephens (knee) will join Stuart Armstrong (calf) on the sidelines for the visit of Wolves, while Theo Walcott (thigh) is unlikely to feature given that he has only just returned to training after a month out. The lingering question marks over Ralph Hasenhuttl's team selection are probably at left-back, where Kyle Walker-Peters and Romain Perraud have been alternating starts over the last few weeks, and in the number 10 positions, where the Saints boss has a wealth of options. Mohamed Elyounoussi looks the likeliest to feature given that he has started the last three league games and was among nine first-teamers rotated out of the side in the EFL Cup in midweek, with positional rivals Moussa Djenepo, Nathan Redmond and Nathan Tella all getting starts in that clash with Sheffield United - although Redmond was withdrawn at the break, perhaps with energy preservation in mind after a mentally sapping 90 minutes in the heroic 0-0 draw at the Etihad. Mohamed Salisu should be back at centre-half in Stephens' absence, with Lyanco still settling in, while Tino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse, Adam Armstrong and Che Adams were used sparingly or rested altogether at Bramall Lane and will be expected to feature against Bruno Lage's troops.

Latest News: Steven Bergwijn (ankle) and Ryan Sessegnon (unspecified) will miss the north London derby but Lucas Moura has returned to training and could come into contention at the Emirates on Sunday. Nuno Espirito Santo hasn't had much to choose from in recent injury-hit weeks but suddenly has a wealth of options at his disposal, with Son Heung-min, Harry Kane, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Hugo Lloris, Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Sergio Reguilon looking the likeliest starters but plenty of competition elsewhere. Japhet Tanganga could potentially be preferred to Emerson Royal at right-back given his defensive qualities, while Oliver Skipp may have played himself back into contention after his midweek showing at Wolves. Tanguy Ndombele has largely impressed after being brought back in from the cold but both he and Giovani Lo Celso, who has looked less than stellar in an unfamiliar right-wing role, have been handed back-to-back starts in league and cup after a long period of dormancy, so are potential makeweights if Nuno wishes to freshen things up. Lucas certainly would be expected to start overt Lo Celso if fully recovered, with a lack of match-fitness the only likely barrier to that. The promising Bryan Gil continues to move closer to a first-ever Premier League appearance, meanwhile, but a north London derby may be too much, too soon.

Latest News: Joao Pedro (match fitness) could be involved in the matchday squad for the first time this season as he closes in on a return from a groin injury that has kept him out for three months, while Kiko Femenia should shake off a muscle problem to feature after returning to training this week. Daniel Bachmann is a doubt with a knee problem, however, so Ben Foster could continue between the posts with Rob Elliott as back-up. Xisco Munoz made 11 changes for the midweek EFL Cup defeat to Stoke, so the bulk of the side that impressed at Norwich in Gameweek 6 will be back involved against Newcastle. There's every chance of an unchanged line-up if Femenia recovers, with Munoz telling the media that his squad go into the clash with the Magpies with "high confidence" and that he was impressed with those on show at Carrow Road tactically and mentally. Ozan Tufan is probably the closest challenger for a first-team spot but after Tom Cleverley impressed playing ahead of Juraj Kucka and Moussa Sissoko last weekend, the experienced Turk - who did show some signs of rust against Stoke - may have to watch on from the bench. The front three of Emmanuel Dennis, Ismaila Sarr and Josh King have remained unchanged over the last three league matches, while Kucka and Sissoko have each started every game they have been available for this season. Jeremy Ngakia will be on standby to deputise for Femenia if the latter fails to recover but is unlikely to gain a start on merit, having flattered to deceive in the second-string backline on Tuesday.

Latest News: Ryan Fredericks (groin) is West Ham's only confirmed absentee for the trip to Leeds, with David Moyes confirming that Michail Antonio was "fit" despite his non-involvement in the midweek cup match at Manchester United. Antonio returns from suspension this weekend and will surely waltz straight back into the side, following Jarrod Bowen's deputising up top in league and cup over the last week. Moyes made 10 changes to his starting XI for the swift EFL Cup rematch with Gameweek 5 opponents United and, as well as the likes of Craig Dawson and Issa Diop did at Old Trafford, nearly all of the team that were rested in midweek will be back for this clash at Elland Road. Nikola Vlasic would seem the likeliest candidate to make way to accommodate Antonio but after consecutive 90-minute run-outs for Bowen and potential line-leading duty in the pipeline in Europe next Thursday, the Croatian could get the nod to spare Bowen's legs. With Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma only substitutes on Wednesday, and the back four and the two midfield shields in front of them looking settled, the other position up for grabs may be between the posts. Lukasz Fabianski is being put under increasing pressure from Alphonse Areola and after the latter's solid display in the Carabao Cup, Moyes may be facing a welcome selection dilemma.

Latest News: Long-term injury victims Jonny (knee) and Pedro Neto (knee) have been joined on the sidelines by Yerson Mosquera (muscle) and Rayan Ait Nouri (head), the latter of whom is serving the six-day concussion protocol after being withdrawn in the EFL Cup in midweek. Bruno Lage has kept a settled side in the league so far, with Nelson Semedo in for Ki-Jana Hoever (a change he wouldn't even have had to make had the former been match-fit in Gameweek 1) his only alteration to date. But a below-par defeat against Brentford and some eye-catching performances from some of the secong string against Spurs on Wednesday, in particular from Daniel Podence and Leander Dendoncker, could tempt Lage into an alteration or two at Southampton. Francisco Trincao may be on borrowed time with Podence and Hwang Hee-chan breathing down his neck, while Dendoncker is an alternative to the ever-present pairing of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho in the centre of the park. Willy Boly is perhaps less likely to force his way into the side this weekend given that Wednesday was his first competitive 90-minute outing since May, while Fabio Silva did little against Spurs to suggest he will be ousting Raul Jimenez up top in the foreseeable future. One topic of discussion is formation: Lage has started with a 3-4-3 in all seven league and cup games this season but switched to a back four while chasing the game last weekend and has frequently used a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 at his former clubs. The wing-back system looks here to stay in the short term, however, with Lage telling the media that he believes Wolves "are stronger with a line of five" at present. Ait-Nouri's absence will be of relief to Marcal, given that the experienced Brazilian turned in a fairly woeful display against Brentford and may have otherwise been at risk.