Team News

Latest News: Kieran Tierney (groin), Dinos Mavropanos (groin), Hector Bellerin (knee) and Rob Holding (knee) remain out ahead of Saturday's meeting with Burnley, while Granit Xhaka is a fresh doubt after picking up bruising to his back and leg. Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac could return for this fixture after missing out in Gameweek 1 for personal reasons, with Unai Emery saying on Thursday that the pair were "100%" mentally ready. A final decision on their involvement will be taken on Friday, with Ozil having suffered from illness on Wednesday. Ozil could replace Joe Willock in the number ten role if available, while Kolasinac will challenge Nacho Monreal for the left-back spot. Alexandre Lacazette was fit enough for bench duty last weekend and could start at the Emirates, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moving over to the right flank - as happened against Lyon, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in pre-season. Emery briefly experimented with a 4-4-2 over the summer, too, so could crowbar both of his premium forwards up front by matching Burnley's formation. Nicolas Pepe will challenge Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Reiss Nelson for a start on the left flank, with Emery saying that the Ivorian is "more close" to featuring from the start than he was on Tyneside. Fellow new signings Dani Ceballos and David Luiz will also be pushing for inclusion in midfield and at centre-half, with their manager saying that a final decision will be taken on the starting XI on Friday. Given that the Gunners kept a rare clean sheet away from home in Gameweek 1, Emery may decide to reward last week's back four and save Luiz's debut for another day. Ceballos, Lucas Torreira and Mohamed Elneny are options to replace Xhaka in the centre of the park if the Switzerland international fails to recover, although Willock could drop back from the number ten role alongside Matteo Guendouzi.

Latest News: Dean Smith confirmed on Thursday that James Chester (hamstring), Jonathan Kodjia (ankle) and Kortney Hause (ankle) will all miss the visit of Bournemouth, although it is dubious whether these three fringe players would have challenged for a start against the Cherries anyhow. There were plenty of positives to take from last Saturday's defeat to Spurs and Smith is now presented with the dilemma of keeping faith with the same starting XI that threatened an upset in Gameweek 1 or introducing some more of his new signings into the equation. The biggest call may come in the full-back positions, with last season's preferred pairing of Ahmed Elmohamady and Neil Taylor having seen off the challenge of Frederic Guilbert and Matt Targett at Spurs. Taylor was one of the stand-out performers against Mauricio Pochettino's side and could keep his place, although Smith may opt to switch Elmohamady for the more attack-minded Guilbert given that the Villans are at home. Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz are options in the midfield anchor role although again, with poor travellers Bournemouth the opposition, Conor Hourihane's creativity may be preferred. Jota will threaten Trezeguet's start on the right flank but the Egyptian caught the eye in north London and could have done enough to keep his place. The impressive showing of Bjorn Engels alongside Tyrone Mings means that Ezri Konsa will likely have to make do with a place on the bench.

Latest News: Arnaut Danjuma (foot) joins David Brooks (ankle), Lloyd Kelly (ankle), Dan Gosling (hip), Junior Stanislas (knee), Lewis Cook (knee) and Simon Francis (knee) on the sidelines for the trip to Aston Villa, with Eddie Howe saying on Thursday that the Dutch winger is undergoing further assessment on his injury. The below-par showing against Sheffield United could prompt a rethink of the wing-back system that Howe deployed against the Blades, although it may well have been injuries to Danjuma and Brooks that necessitated the use of a 3-4-3 in the first place. Harry Wilson and Jordon Ibe are options on the flank if the Bournemouth boss wants to revert to a 4-4-2, with Steve Cook or Chris Mepham potentially dropping out as the surplus centre-half if that happens. Howe confirmed that Andrew Surman is fit and available, so the long-serving midfielder could challenge for a spot in the middle of the park. Jack Stacey and Charlie Daniels are alternatives in the full-back/wing-back positions, while Dominic Solanke will be clamouring for a start up front. Howe confirmed on Thursday that the goalkeeper's jersey is Aaron Ramsdale's to lose, so the young shotstopper will again be between the posts.

Latest News: Ezequiel Schelotto (knee), Yves Bissouma (shoulder) and Jose Izquierdo (knee) will again miss out for Brighton this weekend but Graham Potter reported an otherwise fully-fit squad in his pre-match press conference on Thursday. A 3-0 away win at Watford would ordinarily mean that changes would be at a premium but Potter gained a reputation for tactical fluidity and rotation at Swansea, so it's by no means a given that we will see the same starting XI or formation against West Ham. The Seagulls' boss indeed said on Thursday that he would be having a "ponder over" whether to make any changes in Gameweek 2. Potter did talk up the 3-4-3 and the five nominal defenders within it, namechecking his three centre-halves and two wing-backs - so it could be that the quintet of Shane Duffy, Lewis Dunk, Dan Burn, Martin Montoya and Solly March keep their places. There is less certainty further forward, however. Aaron Mooy is an alternative in central midfield, while Alireza Jahanbakhsh (who didn't make the squad at Vicarage Road), Leandro Trossard, Neal Maupay and Florin Andone will all be pushing for starts in the attacking trident. Those last two players came off the bench to score at Watford and Maupay could well replace Glenn Murray up top, while Trossard will be hoping for his first taste of Premier League football on the left flank.

Latest News: Sean Dyche revealed on Thursday that Robbie Brady (ribs) and Steven Defour (calf) are back in training but not yet ready to return, adding that Danny Drinkwater (match fitness) is set to take part in some behind-closed-doors friendlies over the coming week before entering the first-team fold. Charlie Taylor (match fitness) is back in contention but Dyche said that he thinks the defender "needs a bit more football" after a disrupted pre-season and that Erik Pieters has currently "got the shirt" at left-back. Dyche will be tempted to name an unchanged team after the 3-0 win over Southampton, although could potentially use Jeff Hendrick instead of Johann Berg Gudmundsson on the right flank given that the Clarets are away at Arsenal this weekend. The Icelandic winger impressed in the win over the Saints, however, and Dyche is renowned for sticking with a settled side when his troops are in form - so Hendrick, along with the likes of Aaron Lennon and Jay Rodriguez, will be poised to warm the bench again. Dyche indeed hinted on Thursday that Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood would continue up top, saying that Rodriguez would get some game-time "at some point".

Latest News: Antonio Rudiger and Willian (match fitness) are both in contention to return after making the bench in the Super Cup on Wednesday, although Frank Lampard said on Friday that the Brazilian is slightly ahead of his teammate in terms of match-readiness. Second-guessing Lampard may prove tricky this season, with the new Chelsea boss stressing the need for tactical flexibility in his pre-Gameweek 2 presser. The former Derby head coach experimented with different systems in pre-season and has already used two different formations in 2019/20, deploying a 4-2-3-1 against Manchester United last Sunday and then a 4-3-3 against Liverpool in midweek. N'Golo Kante's return perhaps prompted the switch to a three-man central midfield and his man-of-the-match display alongside Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho in Istanbul would have encouraged Lampard, although there is no guarantee that he won't tweak system and personnel for the visit of Leicester. Kante and Jorginho both played 120 minutes in midweek, so the versatile Ross Barkley - played on the left flank against United and used in the hole in pre-season - could be in line for a recall after featuring for just 19 minutes in Turkey. Mason Mount was also only a substitute against Liverpool and Lampard was full of praise for the youngster in his press conference on Friday, so he may return to the starting XI either as a number ten in a 4-2-3-1 or on the left flank in a 4-3-3. Christian Pulisic caught the eye on the left wing against Jurgen Klopp's side but Lampard has urged patience with the USA international, so he is a far from certain starter. Tammy Abraham could replace Olivier Giroud up front, with his manager praising the young forward's "strong character" after being subject to some racial abuse in the last few days. Michy Batshuayi appears to be third-choice in the pecking order in attack, with Lampard saying that the Belgian needs to "get himself absolutely fit" to play the way he wants his strikers to play. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Achilles), Reece James (ankle) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (Achilles) remain sidelined while Andreas Christensen limped gingerly from the pitch on Wednesday evening, although there was no official report of any injury and he was said to have trained on Friday.

Latest News: James Tomkins (groin) and Mamadou Sakho (match fitness) will again miss out this weekend, meaning that Scott Dann and Martin Kelly should continue at centre-half. Gary Cahill is another option at the back, of course, but he, along with Victor Camarasa and James McCarthy, were involved with the under-23s in midweek and may still be a little short of full match-fitness. Jeffery Schlupp has returned from injury and could challenge Max Meyer for a start on the left of midfield, although the German was one of the better performers against Everton last weekend. Wilfried Zaha came on as a second-half substitute in that stalemate with the Toffees and may make his first start of the season at Bramall Lane, potentially at the expense of Jordan Ayew given that Roy Hodgson was cultivating a partnership between Zaha and Christian Benteke at the back-end of last season. Cheikhou Kouyate has another week of training under his belt after a late return from Africa Cup of Nations duty and is an alternative in central midfield.

Latest News: Fabian Delph (groin) will miss out on the visit of Watford, while Morgan Schneiderlin is suspended and Andre Gomes (calf) is a doubt after limping off at Selhurst Park last Saturday. Jean-Philippe Gbamin looks set for a first Premier League start in central midfield, with Tom Davies on standby to deputise for Gomes should he fail to recover. Marco Silva was cagey on whether any more of his new signings would start, saying some need "time". The Everton boss also seemed to suggest that Alex Iwobi wasn't quite ready to be anything other than a substitute by reiterating that the Nigerian winger was the "last man to arrive" and is still working hard on his physical condition. Moise Kean got 20 minutes under his belt in that goalless draw with Crystal Palace but may be gradually introduced into the first-team set-up, allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin a stay of execution up front. Djibril Sidibe could be involved in the matchday squad for the first time, while Leighton Baines (unspecified) has returned to training and may come be back into contention.

Latest News: Brendan Rodgers didn't report any injury concerns in his pre-match press conference on Friday, saying that "everyone is fit and has trained really well in the week". The Leicester boss proceeded with caution last weekend with the inclusion of both Wilfred Ndidi and Hamza Choudhury in midfield and could do so again at Stamford Bridge, given that he did the same against the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester City in the final few matches of 2018/19. Marc Albrighton or Harvey Barnes could come into the side on the left flank should Rodgers go for the jugular and attack Chelsea's suspect backline, with Choudhury dropping out and James Maddison moving infield alongside Youri Tielemans in a 4-1-4-1. Demarai Gray didn't make the 18-man squad against Wolves and looks less likely to feature. Rodgers was full of praise for Caglar Soyuncu after the stalemate at the King Power Stadium last Sunday, so the young centre-half looks set to partner Jonny Evans at the back again. New signing Dennis Praet is another option in midfield but looks more likely to be among the substitutes in west London on Sunday.

Latest News: With Alisson (calf) already sidelined, Liverpool were handed a further injury blow in the goalkeeping department when Adrian injured his ankle in the Super Cup celebrations on Wednesday night. The former West Ham shotstopper does not require a scan but the Reds are waiting for the swelling on their summer signing's ankle to subside, with a decision to be made on his involvement on Friday. Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that Adrian's ankle is already "better" but Andy Lonergan and Caoimhin Kelleher will be on standby to deputise should the worst happen. Naby Keita (muscle) is ruled out, meanwhile, but there were no updates on James Milner, who was pictured with an ice pack on his knee after being substituted in the match against Chelsea in midweek. The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum will be confident of recalls after being handed a breather in the Super Cup, although all three players were thrown on as substitutes against the Blues and Firmino ended up playing 75 minutes. Mohamed Salah had a full two-hour run-out against Frank Lampard's side, while Sadio Mane almost lasted 103 minutes. A rested Divock Origi could be an option up front, then, but Klopp said on Thursday that Mane and Salah were his two players who "suffered least in the game", so they may be given the green light to line up again at St. Mary's. Adam Lallana, who operated in the holding role over the summer, is an alternative in central midfield given that Fabinho and Jordan Henderson played the full match against Chelsea. It's a toss-up between Joel Matip and Joe Gomez at centre-half, with Matip having played alongside Virgil van Dijk in midweek and Gomez having been asked to fill in at right-back. Gomez got the nod in the Community Shield and in Gameweek 1, although Klopp praised the "good defending" in the Super Cup having analysed the Reds' high line against Chelsea and he may be tempted to revisit the centre-back partnership that ended 2018/19.

Latest News: Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Leroy Sane (knee) remain out but Pep Guardiola said on Friday that everyone else was fit going into Saturday's match against Spurs. Bernardo Silva was only a substitute against West Ham United last Saturday but reportedly only as a precaution because of a muscle problem, so the Portuguese midfielder, a favourite of Guardiola's, could return for this clash with Mauricio Pochettino's side. Riyad Mahrez's fine performance against West Ham United makes it difficult to leave the Algerian out but the former Leicester winger would be the fall-guy should Bernardo return to the right flank. Alternatively, Bernardo could instead replace the ageing David Silva in midfield and line up alongside Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne. Sergio Aguero is yet to start a City match since returning from the Copa America but was the preferred option against 'big six' teams last season, with Gabriel Jesus indeed not starting one of those ten league fixtures. The Argentinean striker is the man for the big occasions and scored eight goals in nine starts against the top half-dozen clubs in 2018/19, so could be thrown into the fray here and possibly have his minutes managed later in the game. Joao Cancelo, Angelino and Nicolas Otamendi are the alternative options in defence, while Ilkay Gundogan, Fernandinho and Phil Foden add to Guardiola's selection dilemma in central midfield.

Latest News: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reported no fresh injury concerns in Friday's presser and said that Alexis Sanchez (match fitness) is "very close" to being part of his squad. The Norwegian will surely be tempted to name an unchanged team following the 4-0 win over Chelsea last Sunday but he has plenty of options available to him should he opt to shake things up a bit. The back four looks fairly settled but the likes of Daniel James, Juan Mata and Mason Greenwood are options on the right flank and in the hole, the two positions where we could see the most rotation this season. Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford will surely start again in their respective roles, given their successes in Gameweek 1, but Nemanja Matic is an alternative to Scott McTominay in central midfield. Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Fred and Diogo Dalot failed to make the 18-man squad against Frank Lampard's troops, so a place on the bench may be the best they can hope for at Molineux.

Latest News: Andy Carroll (match fitness) is set to remain sidelined for at least four or five weeks, while Florian Lejeune (knee) and DeAndre Yedlin (groin) are long-term absentees and Allan Saint-Maximin (hamstring) is a "slight doubt". Jonjo Shelvey (knock) should be OK to feature, though, having returned to training in midweek. Newcastle's thin squad means that Steve Bruce doesn't have too many options available to him should he wish to change things around, although he could potentially sacrifice a central midfielder for Saint-Maximin (if fit) and switch to the 3-4-3 that Rafael Benitez favoured for much of 2018/19. Emil Krafth will be putting pressure on Javier Manquillo at right wing-back but Matt Ritchie should see off the challenge off Jetro Willems on the opposite flank. Should Shelvey suffer a setback, then Ritchie could move infield and allow Willems to come into the side - as happened when Shelvey limped off against Arsenal last Sunday. Yoshinori Muto is an option up front, while Federico Fernandez is an alternative at centre-half. Ki Sung-yueng will be hoping to make the 18-man squad after missing out in Gameweek 1 but Dwight Gayle (calf) and Christian Atsu (hamstring) remain out.

Latest News: Centre-backs Timm Klose (hip) and Christoph Zimmermann (knee) will again miss out for Norwich this weekend, although the pair are closing in on returns and could be back in action by the end of August. Alex Tettey (calf) and Ibrahim Amadou (match fitness) are now available but Kenny McLean (back) is a major doubt for the visit of Newcastle and Onel Hernandez (knee) has been ruled out for at least three months. Hernandez's absence means that Todd Cantwell could continue on the left flank, while McLean's unavailability could pave the way for Moritz Leitner's return - although Mario Vrancic has had another week of training under his belt and is another option in that role. Daniel Farke said that Amadou may need more time to get to know his teammates but Tettey could challenge Tom Trybull for the defensive anchor role in the Canaries' tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 set-up. The absence of Klose and Zimmermann means that Ben Godfrey and Grant Hanley will likely continue at centre-back, while Teemu Pukki is without much competition up front as Josip Drmic (hamstring) has also been ruled out. Patrick Roberts is another option out wide.

Latest News: Chris Wilder didn't reveal any fresh injury concerns in his pre-match press conference on Friday and has a real selection headache as a result, particularly in attack. Wilder said he faces a difficult decision over whether to stick with the same starting XI that drew at Bournemouth or make one or two changes, adding that Billy Sharp, who came off the bench to score on the south coast, "couldn't have done any more" to give his manager a dilemma. Record signing Oliver McBurnie will also be pushing for a start but Callum Robinson and David McGoldrick worked hard at the Vitality and may get another bite at the cherry on Sunday. Wilder could potentially sacrifice John Lundstram in midfield if he wishes to switch to the 3-4-1-2 system that he used for much of 2018/19, with Luke Freeman an obvious option in the number ten role. The three centre-halves and two wing-backs look more secure in their roles, having also been regulars in the Championship last season. New signing Muhamed Besic was among the substitutes last weekend and is another option in the engine room, although Ravel Morrison faces a battle just to get into the matchday squad having been omitted in Gameweek 1.

Latest News: Ralph Hasenhuttl used a 3-4-3 at Burnley last weekend but switched to a back four with the Saints trailing, sacrificing Jack Stephens in doing so. Stephens' place could well be under threat this week whatever the formation, with Maya Yoshida and new signing Kevin Danso waiting in the wings. The Southampton boss could opt to tweak his system to a 3-5-2, which was the formation he used to decent effect in Gameweek 33 of last season when Liverpool visited the south coast. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg may be brought in to bolster the midfield after illness befell him before kick-off last Saturday, with Danny Ings or Che Adams perhaps sacrificed from the three-man attack. Sofiane Boufal, Moussa Djenepo and Michael Obafemi are further attack-minded options should Hasenhuttl really shake things up. The Southampton boss reported no fresh fitness concerns in Thursday's presser, so he should have a full complement of players to choose from this weekend.

Latest News: Dele Alli (hamstring), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Son Heung-min (suspended) and Juan Foyth (suspended/injured) will miss the trip to Manchester City, although Ben Davies has returned to training after a groin problem. Mauricio Pochettino has plenty of decisions to make ahead of Saturday's game, starting with what formation to play. A wing-back system was used in away league matches against City and Liverpool late last season but a flat back four was preferred against those two clubs in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League. Jan Vertonghen was omitted for 'tactical reasons' against Aston Villa in Gameweek 1, with Pochettino confirming that the player is fit and that the Belgian's contract situation was not the reason for his absence. Vertonghen could return in place of Davinson Sanchez or indeed alongside the Colombian and Toby Alderweireld, depending on which set-up Pochettino goes for. Davies and Serge Aurier's lack of involvement in pre-season means that Danny Rose and Kyle Walker-Peters ought to continue at full-back/wing-back, although Vertonghen is capable of playing at left-back if required. Christian Eriksen made a significant impact upon his introduction against Villa, with Pochettino again stressing that speculation about the Dane's future is irrelevant to his team selections. Eriksen could replace Erik Lamela as the tip of a 4-4-2 diamond, although may instead be flanked by the Argentinean winger and Lucas Moura if Pochettino decides to opt for the 4-2-3-1 that he switched to midway through Gameweek 1. With Son suspended, Lucas Moura looks likely to continue alongside Harry Kane in attack. The Spurs boss said that Giovani Lo Celso could be involved in the matchday squad but confirmed that the summer signing isn't yet ready to start.

Latest News: Adalberto Peñaranda (match fitness) will miss out on Saturday's trip to Everton, while Ismaila Sarr (match fitness) looks very unlikely to feature after only returning to training on Wednesday following his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. Javi Gracia did say on Thursday that Danny Welbeck (match fitness) looks "ready" to be involved in the first-team set-up, so the former Arsenal man could be among the substitutes at Goodison Park. Gracia added that Gerard Deulofeu was only withdrawn at half-time last Saturday because of illness, so the Catalonian playmaker could earn a reprieve on Merseyside against his old club. Deulofeu was used on the flank against Brighton but could be reinstated up front alongside Troy Deeney this time, with Andre Gray dropping to the bench and Roberto Pereyra occupying the left wing. Nathaniel Chalobah, Domingos Quina and Adam Masina are fit again after missing out in Gameweek 1, while Christian Kabasele and Adrian Mariappa are alternatives to Craig Dawson and Craig Cathcart following the struggles of the centre-back pairing against the Seagulls. Gracia did say on Thursday that ringing the changes after a humiliating defeat was "not the main solution", however, so he may give the underachievers of last Saturday a chance to react to that disappointing loss.

Latest News: Mark Noble (dead leg) hasn't recovered in time to face Brighton but Manuel Pellegrini said on Thursday that Jack Wilshere (dead leg) is "OK", so the former Arsenal man may be able to deputise in central midfield again. Felipe Anderson (thigh) and Sebastien Haller (knock) are fresh concerns after picking up injuries in the defeat to Manchester City, with Pellegrini saying that the club "have some doubts" about their involvement. Should the pair fail to recover, then the Chilean has options to call on in reserve. It would be a big ask for Albian Ajeti to start up front nine days after joining the club, so Javier Hernandez may be preferred in attack should Haller not make it - although Michail Antonio is another alternative as the attacking spearhead. Andriy Yarmolenko is an option on the right flank but Pablo Fornals featured prominently in pre-season and indeed was introduced at half-time in that loss to the reigning champions, so the Spaniard could get his first Premier League start. Manuel Lanzini flopped on the left wing in the second half of that hammering by City so Antonio could be asked to do a job on that side, with Fornals on the right. If Arthur Masuaku is deemed match-fit enough after his late return from the Africa Cup of Nations then he could take over from Aaron Cresswell, having been the preferred option at the back-end of 2018/19. Robert Snodgrass is yet another option available to Pellegrini in the attacking midfield positions.

Latest News: Nuno Espirito Santo made nine changes for the UEFA Europa League tie against FC Pyunik on Thursday evening, with only Joao Moutinho - who was handed a breather after 56 minutes - and Conor Coady retaining their places from the 0-0 draw with Leicester City last Sunday. The players rested for that comfortable victory over the Armenian club will likely return for Monday night's visit of Manchester United and we could see the same starting XI that ran out at the King Power Stadium, with Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez leading the line in the now-familiar 3-5-2. The likes of Patrick Cutrone, Morgan Gibbs-White, Romain Saiss and Adama Traore will, barring late injuries, likely be back among the substitutes following their run-outs in Europe.