In the latest of our weekly series, we’ll be bringing you the important news from every Premier League press conference that impacts your Fantasy Premier League team selection for Gameweek 23

As usual, feel free to give myself (FPL Connect) or our contributor (FPL Aussie) a tweet if you find there are any problems with this article.

All the best for Gameweek 23 everyone – lets do this!

Southampton:

Danny Ings and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg are back in training with the main group, whilst Charlie Austin and Yan Valery have returned from suspension:

“Danny’s injury is gone, so he can train twice this week. He’s a guy who can score important goals for us.”

Michael Obafemi is still not in training and will not feature this weekend, this might be similar for some others but Hasenhüttl remained coy on names:

“Michael Obafemi is still not in training so he is out. A few guys are in training but are still having pain so we have to be careful not to push them too much to their limits.”

Ryan Bertrand and Mario Lemina will also not feature this weekend:

“Lemina still has problems with his stomach and I wanted Ryan Bertrand to play yesterday but it was too early for him because he still has pain.”

West Ham:

Javier Hernandez has returned to training and Pellegrini looks forward to having him in his match day squad:

“Javier Hernández has been working with the squad from Wednesday. He will continue to be an important player for us.”

Hernandez remains the only player to return from injury for West Ham:

“The other injured players are continuing with their injuries, and all the others are continuing to be fit.”

Marko Arnautovic had been working with the squad and in yesterday’s press conference, Pellegrini stated the following:

“Marko [Arnautovic] is working with the squad as well.”

But today (Friday 18th), Lee Clayton (head of TalkSport and season ticket holder at West Ham) has reported that Arnautovic is out of the West Ham squad to face Bournemouth tomorrow.

Brighton:

Yves Bissouma is an injury doubt for Brighton but if he trains, he may be able to feature. Bernardo [hamstring] and Jose Izquierdo [knee] will not feature this weekend because of injury:

“Bernardo and Jose Izquierdo will miss the weekend. If Yves Bissouma trains tomorrow then he’ll be available for the game, but we’ll know more then.”

Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Maty Ryan are both not available as they are representing their individual countries at the Asian Cup.

Leicester:

Jonny Evans can come back into the squad and is available to play this weekend:

“He will be in the squad on Saturday. Of course, I am happy when a player can come back in the squad.”

Excluding Daniel Amartey [knee], Puel has no other injury concerns.

Arsenal:

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not feature this week, as he is out with a right foot injury, and will return to training next week.

Mesut Özil is back in full training, and could potentially feature this weekend:

“He’s training consistently with his work over the past two weeks and I think he can be [available to play].”

Rob Holding [Left knee] and Danny Welbeck [Right ankle] remain out with long term injuries.

Burnley:

In his press conference, Sean Dyche confirmed that Johann Berg Gudmundsson remains a doubt for their match against Watford with a thigh problem.

Nick Pope will not be involved as he returns to full fitness and Robbie Brady is forced to stay on the sidelines as he serves the last game of his three-match suspension.

Everton:

Marco Silva confirms that Phil Jagielka picked up an injury two days ago, making him a doubt for their trip to Southampton this weekend.

Marco Silva commented on Richarlison during his presser, here’s what he had to say:

“My role as a manager is to put the best XI on the pitch, the best XI for the match. Richarlison can play out wide and as a striker. I know every three or four matches he doesn’t score the conversation will come again. He’s a possibility to play for us as a striker. Cenk and Dominic also. We have the three and Oumar, if Oumar doesn’t leave and I will decide who is the best solution for to play in that position. Richarlison feels confident playing in that position as he does out wide. It’s the same to him.”

Watford:

Will Hughes is a major concern for this weekend and is not likely to feature:

“We’ll see what happens with Will because after the last game, he is not training. I am not optimistic. If Will is not available there will be more chances for other players. In the last game it was Ken Sema who came on, but there are other alternatives to choose and all of them I have confidence in.”

Sema and Tom Cleverley are potential candidates to replace Will Hughes:

“I am happy with Tom’s behaviour because in all the time he has played, he has helped a lot with the team,”

Sebastian Prödl will not feature this weekend as he remains out with a knee problem.

Gray and Kabasele are also pushing for starts and hope to feature against Crystal Palace.

Manchester United:

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told the media that he hopes to have Alexis Sanchez available for Manchester United’s Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday:

“Alexis has trained all week, so hopefully he comes through the session today and will be available. He is a player who loves to play football, it doesn’t matter who you are, you want to play football. And he’s been hindered by injury. I know all about injuries and how frustrating that can be and how eager you are to get back. Maybe in the Reading game he should have told me at half-time, ‘I need to come off now’, because you know the 15-20 minutes he played in the second half, maybe that was too much for him. So that gave him a setback. But he’s chomping at the bit I have to say. He’s working hard in training and as I said to you before, his attitude in training has been fantastic. And he wants to play. So for me, I’m looking forward to seeing him, but I have loads of good players to choose from.”

Solskjaer reports that Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and Maraoune Fellaini are unavailable:

“Chris and Marcos just started running lightly so they’re not fit yet. Felli is the long-term one who is out. He’ll be out for a few weeks. That’s sad because there are ‘X factors’ in different players and we all know Felli’s ‘X factor’, but then again he’ll be working hard to get back for when all the big games are coming as well.”

Aside from that, everyone else is available, including Eric Bailly who has completed his 3-match suspension.

Bournemouth:

Eddie Howe has confirmed he will make a late decision on Callum Wilson ahead of AFC Bournemouth’s Premier League showdown with West Ham tomorrow.

Wilson resumed light training earlier this week and was expected to have another session today before Howe finalises his squad for the visit of the Hammers:

“He’s been on the grass once this week and we will make a very late call on him. It’s difficult to know because we still have a training session today. You have to be very careful with hamstring injuries.”

Apart from long-term injuries to Simon Francis and Lewis Cook, Howe reported no fresh concerns following the defeat at Goodison Park.

Cardiff:

Both Victor Camarasa and Callum Paterson were struggling with muscle injuries after Huddersfield, but Warnock couldn’t confirm their availability:

“I would like to tell you but I’m not 100 per cent sure about anything at the minute. There’s three lads having fitness tests, I know that.”

Sean Morrison however, looks to be ruled out:

“He had a procedure on Monday, I’ve had the physio on the phone just now. I don’t think [he will play tomorrow], but if there’s any doubt I won’t play him anyway. We can’t gamble on anyone.”

Kenneth Zohore has been working hard and should come close to making the squad.

Huddersfield:

Nothing was reported in the press conference on the team news, given the focus was on David Wagner’s departure, but Aaron Mooy [knee], Danny Williams [knee] and Abdelhamid Sabiri [shoulder] are the ones that aren’t expected back before February.

Spurs:

Chelsea:



Ruben Loftus-Cheek (back) is the only Chelsea player missing this weekend through injury.

Sarri says Alvaro Morata has been training with the squad as normal, and is available for selection for tomorrow’s game, but he doesn’t know whether he will play yet.

Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain, who is currently on loan at AC Milan but Maurizio Sarri insists he is focused on on-field matters rather than the possible arrival of new players off it:

“I want to be clear because I cannot help you. I spoke with [director] Marina [Granovskaia] two weeks ago and she knows my opinion on how to improve the team. Then I decided to be focused on the pitch, on matches, on training.

Now I am confident because I know Marina is working very hard but I don’t know anything about the market because I want to focus on the matches. I don’t call her every evening, otherwise I spend all my mental energy on the market. I think it’s better if I spend them on the pitch.”

Fulham:

Ranieri reports no fresh injury concerns for Fulham. Alfie Mawson (knee) is the only worry at the moment.

New signing Ryan Babel is not 100 per cent fit and will be a late decision as to his involvement:

“I hope he can bring his experience and strength and some goals. I hope he can adapt to our football ASAP.”

Wolves:

Willy Boly’s sending off after just 19 minutes at the Etihad means the big Frenchman will be missing from Wolves’ next three matches – starting from tomorrow and including next Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round tie with Shrewsbury Town:

“When a squad is short of numbers, they have to have the mentality to cope with those kinds of moments, and we have it.”

Aside from Boly, Nuno has a fully available squad to choose from.

Crystal Palace:



Hodgson reports that both Wayne Hennessey and Vicente Guaita are out, which are the only injuries, meaning Julian Speroni will start on the weekend:

“Both goalkeepers are out. There aren’t any other injuries to report. We haven’t got a timescale but they are working hard. We are fortunate that we have a goalkeeper of Speroni’s quality and experience.”

Pape Souare (dislocated shoulder) is only other player expected to miss out through injury. Christian Benteke should get more minutes from the bench following his 15-minute cameo last weekend.

Liverpool:

Liverpool will continue to monitor the fitness of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Georginio Wijnaldum, with Jürgen Klopp insisting he will not ‘close the door’ on them ahead of Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace:

“Gini and Trent, we will decide day by day. It’s of course not cool. The exceptional part of that story is that they both played 90 minutes [at Brighton]. The whole world saw what happened to Trent – what a boy, unbelievable. We played the game and afterwards we got the information that he had [an injury]. Nothing happened during the game, it was all stable and good. It was just what happened before the game; adrenaline is obviously an interesting thing, it gives you the opportunity to do a bit more than you would expect. We will see. For both, it will be really, really close for tomorrow. I don’t want to close any doors before anybody tells me I have to.”

Elsewhere, Klopp confirmed Adam Lallana has resumed full training while Dejan Lovren is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Joel Matip is fully fit following collarbone surgery, but Joe Gomez still has steps to make in his rehabilitation from a lower leg fracture:

“It’s slightly different for Dejan; he is much better than he was but that’s a muscle thing and needs time. I’m pretty sure he can be involved again against Leicester. Adam trained yesterday and the day before yesterday, so he should be in contention. We have to see. I’ll wait for the session today, how he reacted to the two – not too tough – sessions, but we did a little bit. We have to see [about] that. Joe, no – improving, improving, improving. We all hope it will be quick from now on but don’t know exactly. Joel trained completely normally for around about 10 days, which is good. The others are long-term.”

Manchester City:

Guardiola said both Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus will get their chance to impress and insisted there is no problem with them:

“We are going to play one of them or both of them. So no problem at all because there are many games so everybody is going to play. I rotated a lot in December and that is going to happen in the next weeks.”

Benjamin Mendy will not return against Huddersfield but Pep says he is making good progress on his way back from injury:

“He is closer but not this weekend. But he is closer. He has had his third or fourth training session with the team. It is going well. Now it is time to g his best condition.”

Newcastle:



Rafa Benitez reports on the team news, with updates on Isaac Hayden, Cieran Clark, Fabian Schär and Jamal Lascelles:

“We have to assess some players, but I’m optimistic with Hayden, Clark, Schär, Lascelles – they can be available, if everything is fine.”

Mo Diame is back training and has a chance of being part of the match day squad:

“Mo Diamé was training today, and we have to assess him.”

Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett remain out, whilst Yoshinori Muto and Ki Sung-Yeung are away at the Asian cup.