Football
ESPN staff 7y

Premier League weekend team news: Injuries and suspensions

SATURDAY'S GAMES

- MIDDLESBROUGH

George Friend could return to Middlesbrough's starting line-up. Friend has missed Boro's last five games since suffering a knee injury last month but having trained through the week, he is lined up to replace Fabio at left-back. Gaston Ramirez faces a late test on the foot injury that has ruled him out for the last two games but striker Cristhian Stuani is still definitely ruled out with an infected foot.

Provisional squad: Valdes, Guzan, Chambers, Friend, Fabio, Barragan, Nsue, Gibson, Espinosa, De Roon, Clayton, Forshaw, Downing, Ramirez, Fischer, De Sart, Traore, Negredo, Nugent, Rhodes, Leadbitter, Ayala.

- SWANSEA

Swansea are not thought to have any fresh fitness concerns. But Federico Fernandez and Ki Sung-yueng look likely to remain absent as the Swans visit a team just one place above them in the Premier League. Both players have been recovering from toe injuries - South Korean midfielder Ki has missed the last four games - and they are set to sit out Swansea's third game in eight days, a sequence that began with a convincing victory over fellow strugglers Sunderland before West Brom beat them 3-1.

Provisional squad: Fabianski, Naughton, Van der Hoorn, Amat, Taylor, Cork, Fulton, Fer, Routledge, Barrow, Sigurdsson, Llorente, Nordfeldt, Rangel, Mawson, Kingsley, Britton, Dyer, Montero, Borja, McBurnie.

- STOKE

Marko Arnautovic starts a three-game ban. The midfielder was sent off in Wednesday's goalless draw with Southampton and will not now return until the new year. Defensive duo Marc Muniesa and Erik Pieters should be fit after suffering knocks against the Saints but goalkeeper Jack Butland (ankle) and Geoff Cameron (knee) are out while winger Ibrahim Afellay will make his playing return in the Under-23s against Newcastle on Friday after being out since April with a knee injury.

Provisional squad: Given, Grant, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Muniesa, Johnson, Whelan, Adam, Allen, Imbula, Bojan, Shaqiri, Sobhi, Walters, Bony, Diouf, Crouch.

- LEICESTER

Kasper Schmeichel could return for Leicester after missing the last six weeks with a fractured hand. The goalkeeper will be assessed ahead of the champions' trip to Stoke but Danny Drinkwater looks likely to miss out with a knee injury. The midfielder sat out Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth with the problem having missed the previous three league games through suspension. But Danny Simpson will return from suspension for the Foxes after missing Tuesday's loss having collected five bookings this season.

Provisional squad: Schmeichel, Zieler, Hamer, Simpson, Hernandez, Morgan, Huth, Wasilewski, Chilwell, Fuchs, Schlupp, Mahrez, King, James, Amartey, Mendy, Albrighton, Gray, Musa, Vardy, Okazaki, Ulloa, Slimani.

- SUNDERLAND

Sunderland midfielder Jan Kirchhoff is out and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee cartilage injury. The German is to see a specialist over a tear to his lateral meniscus and although there is as yet no timescale, he seems certain to be out for several weeks at the very least, joining defenders Paddy McNair (knee) and Javier Manquillo (hamstring), midfielders Lee Cattermole (hip) and Lynden Gooch (ankle) and striker Duncan Watmore (cruciate ligament) on the casualty list. Midfielder Didier Ndong is available after suspension, but defender Billy Jones (hip), midfielder Steven Pienaar (calf) and frontman Victor Anichebe (thigh) face late fitness tests.

Provisional squad: Pickford, Mannone, Jones, Van Aanholt, Love, Kone, O'Shea, Djilobodji, Denayer, Ndong, Pienaar, Larsson, Januzaj, Borini, Khazri, Honeyman, Defoe, Anichebe, Asoro.

- WATFORD

Watford will be missing attacking midfielder Roberto Pereyra. Though the exact nature of the knee injury he sustained against Manchester City is not yet known, Pereyra will definitely miss out in the north-east, along with Northern Ireland international Craig Cathcart (groin). Valon Behrami will return from illness, while Troy Deeney is set to return to the starting line-up, as is Younes Kaboul, against his old club, having missed the past three Hornets fixtures with a calf strain.

Provisional squad: Gomes, Zuniga, Britos, Prodl, Holebas, Capoue, Behrami, Kaboul, Guedioura, Deeney, Amrabat, Okaka, Pantilimon, Watson, Janmaat, Kabasele, Ighalo, Sinclair, Success.

- WEST HAM

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic must decide whether to give Andy Carroll a second start in three days against Hull. The striker, recently back from another long-term injury lay-off, played 80 minutes on his first start since August in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Burnley. Simone Zaza, Gokhan Tore, Reece Oxford, Sam Byram and Diafra Sakho remain on the sidelines.

Provisional squad: Randolph, Adrian, Collins, Ogbonna, Reid, Kouyate, Masuaku, Antonio, Cresswell, Noble, Obiang, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Payet, Lanzini, Feghouli, Ayew, Carroll, Fletcher.

- HULL CITY

Dieumerci Mbokani will return to contention. DR Congo international Mbokani boosts boss Mike Phelan's options up front after serving a three-game ban and could go straight back into the starting line-up. Phelan, who has no new injury worries, could make one or two other changes as the Tigers chase a first league win in six games, with midfielder Ryan Mason pushing for a recall to the starting line-up.

Provisional squad: Marshall, Jakupovic, Maguire, Dawson, Davies, Clucas, Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Robertson, Livermore, Mason, Meyler, Diomande, Snodgrass, Mbokani, Henriksen, Bowen, Maloney, Weir.

- WEST BROM

Craig Dawson could return for West Brom after missing Wednesday's 3-1 win over Swansea through suspension. The defender is available but Jonny Evans could miss the game against his former club as he continues to battle a calf injury. Saido Berahino will once again be unavailable as he tries to regain his fitness having been ruled out of shape by the club and sent on a training programme in France. He is back training with the squad but is now not expected to return until next year. Boaz Myhill (ankle), meanwhile, is struggling.

Provisional squad: Foster, Myhill, Palmer, Nyom, Dawson, Olsson, Evans, McAuley, Brunt, Galloway, Fletcher, Yacob, Gardner, McClean, Field, Chadli, Rondon, Leko, Robson-Kanu.

- MAN UNITED

Chris Smalling is back in the Manchester United squad. The defender has been absent since October 23 with a foot complaint and is available at the Hawthorns, as is Antonio Valencia after suspension. Luke Shaw (groin), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (ankle) and Eric Bailly (knee) are unavailable for the trip to the Hawthorns.

Provisional squad: De Gea, Romero, Johnstone, Valencia, Fosu-Mensah, Jones, Smalling, Rojo, Darmian, Blind, Young, Fellaini, Carrick, Herrera, Schweinsteiger, Pogba, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rashford, Rooney, Ibrahimovic

SUNDAY'S GAMES

- BOURNEMOUTH

Bournemouth forward Callum Wilson will be available having been cleared following a check for concussion. Midfielder Ryan Fraser will be assessed on an ankle problem, but otherwise manager Eddie Howe reported no fresh fitness concerns following the midweek win over Leicester. Junior Stanislas continues to recovery from his own ankle injury, while fellow midfielder Andrew Surman will miss out again due to an on-going hamstring issue.

Provisional squad: Boruc, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Ake, King, Wilshere, Pugh, Afobe, Smith, Arter, Federici, Gradel, Smith, Ibe, Wilson, Mings, Gosling, Faser

- SOUTHAMPTON

Matt Targett has joined Charlie Austin in being an anticipated long-term injury absentee. Targett has undergone surgery on his injured hamstring and is expected to be sidelined for four months, while Austin faces a shoulder operation. Cedric Soares is expected to feature after recovering from illness and goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is back in training. Oriel Romeu, meanwhile, is sidelined due to a one-match ban after recently collecting his fifth booking of the season.

Provisional squad: Forster, Fonte, Bertrand, Soares, van Dijk, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Boufal, Redmond, Taylor, Yoshida, Clasie, Davis, McQueen, Long, Sims, Rodriguez, Boufal.

- MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester City are without midfielder Ilkay Gundogan after the German suffered cruciate ligament damage in midweek. Midfielder Fernandinho sits out the final match of his three-game ban while striker Sergio Aguero is also suspended for two more fixtures. Captain Vincent Kompany (knee) remains on the sidelines and midfielder Fabian Delph is not yet back to full match fitness after a groin operation.

Provisional squad: Bravo, Caballero, Zabaleta, Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Adarabioyo, Kolarov, Clichy, Toure, Fernando, Garcia, De Bruyne, Navas, Sterling, Silva, Sane, Iheanacho, Nolito.

- ARSENAL

Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns but Danny Welbeck is returning to training in a week. The Gunners will be looking to bounce back following a 2-1 defeat at Everton on Tuesday night, although Arsene Wenger has none of his injured players back. Hamstring issues rule out Aaron Ramsey and Shkodran Mustafi, while Welbeck and Per Mertesacker (both knee) are also out, as is Santi Cazorla (Achilles).

Provisional squad: Cech, Ospina, Martinez, Bellerin, Jenkinson, Holding, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Coquelin, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Walcott, Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi, Sanchez, Akpom, Giroud.

- TOTTENHAM

Mauricio Pochettino will make a late decision on Mousa Dembele's fitness. Dembele missed Spurs' win over Hull on Wednesday with a foot injury but could recover in time for the match at White Hart Lane. Erik Lamela, however, is out. The winger is still struggling with a hip problem while Vincent Janssen is also unavailable with an ankle injury.

Provisional squad: Lloris, Vorm, Lopez, Rose, Davies, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Dier, Carter-Vickers, Wimmer, Walker, Trippier, Wanyama, Winks, Eriksen, Alli, Sissoko, Onomah, Nkoudou, Son, Kane.

- BURNLEY

Burnley winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson will be given a late fitness test head of the trip to Tottenham on Sunday.

The Iceland international has been missing since the end of November with a hamstring injury.

Andre Gray could retain his place in the starting XI having returned for the 1-0 defeat at West Ham on Wednesday night, while midfielder Steven Defour is also pressing for a recall.

Provisional squad: Heaton, Keane, Lowton, Mee, Ward, Arfield, Boyd, Marney, Hendrick, Vokes, Gray, Robinson, Barnes, Bamford, Flanagan, Kightly, Defour, Tarkowski, Gudmundsson.

- EVERTON

Everton will be without captain Phil Jagielka. The defender was sent off late on in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Arsenal and must serve a one-match ban, but veteran midfielder Gareth Barry is available after sitting out the midweek clash. Winger Yannick Bolasie has had his first knee operation but faces more surgery before beginning the long road back.

Provisional squad: Stekelenburg, Coleman, Funes Mori, Williams, Baines, Barry, Gueye, Cleverley, Lennon, Mirallas, Lukaku, Robles, Holgate, Barkley, McCarthy, Oviedo, Deulofeu, Valencia, Calvert-Lewin.

- LIVERPOOL

Liverpool have decisions to make over Daniel Sturridge, Emre Can and Joel Matip ahead of Monday's Merseyside derby. Sturridge is being considered for a cameo role as he continues to work his way back from a calf injury, while Can (knee) and Matip (ankle) are also well on the road to recovery. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet will again start in place of the dropped Loris Karius and midfielder Marko Grujic remains sidelined with a tendon injury.

Provisional squad: MIgnolet, Clyne, Matip, Klavan, Milner, Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Can, Mane, Origi, Firmino, Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Moreno, Lucas, Stewart, Ejaria, Woodburn, Sturridge.


Injury Table

^ Back to Top ^