There are 20 press conferences to come in the next two days – but before then, we round up the early team news for Gameweek 17 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
When the pressers are held, we’ll have the usual round-ups in article, video and podcast form.
ARSENAL
Riccardo Calafiori (groin) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (unknown) were still unavailable as Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Ben White (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) remained out, too.
Declan Rice was said to be “fine” by Mikel Arteta after his Gameweek 16 withdrawal – but the midfielder didn’t feature against the Eagles.
ASTON VILLA
Jacob Ramsey (hamstring) was ruled out for “weeks” ahead of last week’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig, so we’re not expecting to see him.
Leon Bailey (hamstring) was given an outside chance of featuring in Gameweek 16 (and didn’t), so he may be ahead of Ramsey in his recovery.
Tyrone Mings withdrew from the starting XI to face Nottingham Forest last weekend due to illness, so the expectation is that he’ll have recovered for the clash with Manchester City
BOURNEMOUTH
Luis Sinisterra (hamstring), Alex Scott (knee), Julian Araujo (hamstring), Marcos Senesi (quad) and Marcus Tavernier (hamstring) are all on the Cherries’ injury list at present.
There were concerns over Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson in Monday’s draw with West Ham United but Andoni Iraola was “hopeful” after full-time that neither player was injured.
Semenyo was withdrawn as a precaution after feeling muscle tightness, while Evanilson seemed to shake off an early knee issue.
BRENTFORD
Josh Dasilva (knee), Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Rico Henry (knee), Mathias Jensen (hamstring) and Gustavo Nunes (back) are set to miss out again this weekend.
Igor Thiago could be back, however. He has missed out in the last two matches in league and cup with a “minor injury” but did train ahead of Wednesday’s defeat at Newcastle United.
That loss on Tyneside proved costly. Sepp van den Berg (groin) pulled out of the line-up in the warm-up, while Ethan Pinnock (hamstring) hobbled off after just 14 minutes.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
“Minor injuries” kept Danny Welbeck and Matt O’Riley out of the Brighton and Hove Albion squad last weekend. Fabian Hurzeler said he was hopeful of the former being fit for Gameweek 17.
Ahead of the disappointing defeat to Crystal Palace, Hurzeler gave us some very specific updates on four of his players.
Joel Veltman (unknown injury) has the best chance of recovery, although was still only rated at “50/50”.
James Milner (hamstring), Ferdi Kadioglu (toe) and Jack Hinshelwood (knee) were also evaluated at “10/90”, “20/80” and “40/60” respectively.
Not one of them featured.
Neither did Solly March (knee/match fitness). He had his first full week of training ahead of Gameweek 16 and was “pushing to be an option for the squad” but wasn’t included.
It’s been a while since our last update on Adam Webster (hamstring), who has missed the last two months.
CHELSEA
Wesley Fofana (hamstring) and Reece James (hamstring) remain sidelined.
Mykhailo Mudryk will be unavailable, too, following the news that he has failed a drugs test.
It’s one in, one out on the suspension front: Pedro Neto returns but Marc Cucurella has to serve a one-match ban.
There was a clutch of players missing for the Gameweek 16 win over Brentford, most of them with minor issues.
Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka were ill, while Joao Felix and Romeo Lavia had unspecified injuries but were given a good chance of recovery for Gameweek 17.
Probably the main concern is Benoit Badiashile, who also sat out the west London ‘derby’. Maresca wasn’t sure of the severity of his issue.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Matheus Franca (groin) and Adam Wharton (groin) will definitely miss the swift rematch with Arsenal this weekend.
So too will Daniel Munoz through suspension after he collected his fifth booking of the season.
Joel Ward (calf) was back for the midweek defeat to the Gunners, however. Eberechi Eze recovered from a Gameweek 16 blow to the foot to start in the EFL Cup, too.
Chadi Riad (knee) is back in training and got through 45 minutes for the under-21s last week.
EVERTON
Loanee Armando Broja will be unable to face his parent club this Sunday, while James Garner (back) and Tim Iroegbunam (foot) remain out.
Youssef Chermiti (foot), who recently got fitness-boosting minutes with the under-21s, could take Broja’s place on the bench. His absence from the youngsters’ squad on Monday was perhaps a signpost of that.
Dwight McNeil is the latest concern after missing out in Gameweek 16 with his niggly knee issue. Sean Dyche was hopeful that this latest flare-up wouldn’t set him back for too long.
FULHAM
Tom Cairney and Calvin Bassey are back from bans but Andreas Pereira is now suspended after he collected his fifth booking of the campaign.
Reiss Nelson (hamstring) and Harrison Reed (knee) will miss out, too.
There is a fresh doubt in the form of Kenny Tete, although the knee issue that forced him off at Anfield looked like it was more of the ‘contact’ variety.
Joachim Andersen (calf), who has been absent since Gameweek 12, should be back soon if Marco Silva’s update last week is anything to go by.
IPSWICH TOWN
Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), George Hirst (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) are on the medium-to-long-term injury list for the Tractor Boys.
Liam Delap is now suspended, too. He picked up his fifth booking of the season in Gameweek 16.
LEICESTER CITY
Abdul Fatawu (knee), Wilfred Ndidi (hamstring) and Ricardo Pereira (hamstring) are still on the injury list.
Harry Winks (groin) may come off it: he was in partial team training ahead of Gameweek 16 so is a week further down the road in his recovery.
Back-up goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle), out since the summer, is also close, having played for the under-21s on Monday.
His imminent availability is timely as Mads Hermansen will need a groin injury assessing this week.
Boubakary Soumare returns from a suspension, meanwhile.
LIVERPOOL
Ibrahima Konate (knee) and Conor Bradley (hamstring) are the only players still on the Liverpool injury list, as far as we know.
Kostas Tsimikas (unknown injury) returned to the matchday squad in midweek.
Andrew Robertson, sent off against Fulham in Gameweek 16, also served his one-match ban in the EFL Cup victory over Southampton and is available again.
MANCHESTER CITY
Nathan Ake (hamstring), Oscar Bobb (leg) and Rodri (knee) are injured.
Pep Guardiola said last week that Ake would be out for longer than Manuel Akanji (pelvis/adductor) but it’s not clear when the Swiss stopper will return either.
Rico Lewis returns from suspension following his Gameweek 15 red card.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Luke Shaw will miss out again, having suffered a “small setback” prior to the Arsenal match in Gameweek 15.
There is mixed news on the two new concerns from Sunday’s Manchester derby: Mason Mount and Noussair Mazraoui.
“Mason Mount is not available. He has an injury. Nous, we will see today. The rest of the squad are ready to play the game.
“We have to assess all the players and try not to get a lot of injuries. If we do that, we’ll be stronger in these kind of moments.” – Ruben Amorim, speaking on Wednesday
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Callum Wilson (hamstring), Nick Pope (knee) and Emil Krafth (collarbone) remain on the sidelines this weekend.
Joelinton is suspended, too.
Sven Botman (knee) isn’t someone we expect to see in Gameweek 17 but he did get a fitness-boosting appearance for the under-21s on Monday night. A senior playing return in late December or early January seems to be the target.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Long-term absentees Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahima Sangare (hamstring) were the only two Forest players unavailable through injury for the win over Manchester United, although the former returned to training in the last fortnight and should be back at some point in December.
Loanee Alex Moreno, unable to face his parent club last weekend, is newly available.
Murillo and Ryan Yates were taken off in the win over Aston Villa with what Nuno Espirito Santo hoped were “knocks” – but further assessment was needed.
SOUTHAMPTON
Will Smallbone (hamstring) and Aaron Ramsdale (finger) are the nearest Saints to a return – both were aiming for a comeback around Christmas.
Juan Larios (unknown), Ross Stewart (hamstring) and Gavin Bazunu (Achilles) remain sidelined, while Jack Stephens is still serving a four-match ban following his Gameweek 14 dismissal.
James Bree will be assessed after coming off in midweek, meanwhile. Caretaker boss Simon Rusk wasn’t sure if it was a contact injury or something muscular.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Cristian Romero (hamstring) and Micky van de Ven (hamstring) will be out until the New Year.
Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Richarlison (hamstring) and Wilson Odobert (hamstring) won’t be seen until 2025, either.
Ben Davies (hamstring) and Mikey Moore (virus) are the next of Spurs’ unavailable players expected to return.
Rodrigo Bentancur serves the final game of a seven-match suspension but Yves Bissouma is back from a ban.
Destiny Udogie appears to have avoided serious injury, too, despite hobbling off in Gameweek 16.
“Destiny [Udogie] no injury but he is still a bit sore from the game. We are not ruling him out but we will see how he is with the turn around. Biss is available after being suspended on the weekend and I think everyone else is as is.
“Van de Ven and Romero are still chugging along. I think both will be in the new year. Not as a significant injury as last time with Micky but obviously having a setback the medical team is going to make sure he is right to go. So both of them in the new year at some point.
“Mikey is back in training so hopefully not too far away. The next cabs off the rank are Mikey and Ben Davies potentially next week and then Richarlison maybe first week of the new year.” – Ange Postecoglou, speaking on Wednesday
WEST HAM UNITED
Michail Antonio faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a lower-leg fracture in a car crash two weeks ago.
Emerson Palmieri is back after serving a one-match ban for collecting five bookings – but now Carlos Soler is suspended for the same reason.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Rayan Ait-Nouri is banned after his dismissal last weekend.
Matheus Cunha is facing a charge after his post-match behaviour in the same game but for now, remains available.
Joao Gomes returns from his own one-match suspension, however.
It remains to be seen if Pablo Sarabia (calf) and Jose Sa (shoulder) are any closer to recovery after they sat out the last few games.
Yerson Mosquera (knee), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) and Enso Gonzalez (knee) are still out.
Boubacar Traore (knee) was aiming for a return around Christmas, so he could be back pretty soon.
3 hours, 15 mins agoSalaaah!