EPL GW-5 Pre-Deadline Chat

As the dust settles from the whirlwind of international fixtures, the Premier League landscape is once again in focus for Fantasy Premier League managers. The recent break saw many football stars don their national colors, and with their return (some more jet-lagged than others), we find ourselves in a unique position. Let’s delve into the latest injury updates across all 20 Premier League teams, providing essential insights for FPL enthusiasts gearing up for GW5.

Last updated 16 September at 18:30 GMT.

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Saturday, 15 September

• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool
• Villa vs Crystal Palace
• Fulham vs Luton Town
• Man United vs Brighton
• Tottenham vs Sheffield United
• West Ham vs Man City
• Newcastle vs Brentford

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Sunday, 16 September

• Bournemouth vs Chelsea
• Everton vs Arsenal

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Monday, 17 September

• Nottingham Forest vs Burnley

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Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool

Fantrax managers may see confirmed starting lineups for this match by checking online about 45 minutes before their deadline.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is ruled out after he withdrew from the England squad due to a hamstring injury suffered in GW-4. Ibrahima Konate is nearing a return to training, while Virgil van Dijk remains suspended for one more game. Thiago Alcantara has not returned to full training, but Klopp says Darwin Nunez “should be fine”. However, Nunez, Mac Allister, Alisson, and Luis Diaz all face the spectre of travel fatigue.

Wolves have fewer concerns; Joe Hodge is likely to be out with a hamstring injury, but Tommy Doyle is expected to recover from a minor knee issue that kept him out against Crystal Palace.

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Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

In the Villa camp, concerns continue to revolve around the fitness of key players. Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia are grappling with long-term knee injuries, casting a shadow over their availability for upcoming fixtures. On a more positive note, Alex Moreno, Bertrand Traore, and Jacob Ramsey are inching closer to a return to action. Moreno’s presence in team training during the break suggests that his comeback may be imminent. In contrast, Tim Iroegbunam has been absent throughout the season due to a back issue. The latest addition to the list of concerns is Diego Carlos, who picked up a hamstring injury two weeks ago and looks unlikely for the visit of the Eagles,

Meanwhile, over at Crystal Palace, the absence of wingers Matheus Franca (back) and Michael Olise (hamstring) has been felt since the start of the season, with no concrete timeline for their return. Additionally, there’s growing concern about Marc Guehi, who was forced off during the England vs. Scotland encounter and now seems unlikely for the weekend. James Tomkins is also a doubt with a minor injury concern.

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Fulham vs Luton Town

Fulham’s Alex Iwobi, who is yet to debut for the club due to a hamstring injury from his time with Everton, returned to training during the international break and has been passed fit.

Fulham faces midfield challenges as Tom Cairney (knee) limped off just 16 minutes into a recent match against Man City, and Sasa Lukic (knee) was absent. Tosin Adarabioyo also looks set for an extended absence. On the plus side, Joao Palhinha should be available after a late transfer move to Bayern Munich fell through.

For Luton Town, injuries persist for Daniel Potts (ankle), Jordan Clark (ankle), and Gabriel Osho (knee). Updates are pending for Tom Lockyer (quad) and Alfie Doughty (Achilles), with initial indications suggesting Lockyer’s injury may not be too severe.

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Man United vs Brighton

United is expected to miss several key players during Brighton’s visit. Raphael Varane, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Tom Heaton, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, and Tyrell Malacia are likely to remain sidelined. Antony won’t feature as he’s chosen to postpone his return to contest recent allegations.

Lisandro Martinez and Sofyan Amrabat might provide some relief from the injury crisis, with their recent non-participation for their national teams likely being precautionary. Jadon Sancho is in exile and training individually (again) after his disparaging remarks about his gaffer.

Brighton, on the other hand, has a bit of a situation with its forwards for the Old Trafford trip: Julio Enciso is a long-term absentee, and two others are doubtful. However, Evan Ferguson’s knee injury seems minor, and Danny Welbeck’s muscle issue, as described by Roberto De Zerbi, is not considered severe. Welbeck is expected to be available and a late call will be made on Ferguson. Of note to Pervis Estupinan’s many fantasy owners, De Zerbi did mention the Ecuadorian’s lengthy travel back to England from South America.

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Tottenham vs Sheffield United

In the Spurs’ camp, Son Heung-min raised eyebrows when spotted with knee strapping and an ice pack during South Korea’s training. However, he played a full 90 minutes against Saudi Arabia, easing concerns about his fitness, and Postecoglou says the Korean is 100%. Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Bryan Gil (groin), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee), and Alfie Whiteman (ankle) have been recovering from surgeries. Giovani Lo Celso (quad) is expected to return in GW-6.

For Sheffield United, a slew of players including Ben Osborn, Max Lowe, John Fleck, Rhian Brewster, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Daniel Jebbison, and Tom Davies missed their recent match against Everton. Yassir Larouci also suffered a back issue in that game.

Additionally, three new concerns have emerged during the international break: George Baldock (calf), Anel Ahmedhodzic (hamstring), and Will Osula (unspecified) withdrew from their national teams’ squads, with Baldock’s recurring calf problem posing a question about his availability for the weekend. He was not seen in training on Friday.

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West Ham vs Man City

West Ham seems relatively untroubled on the injury front, with the only known concern being Vladimir Coufal, who is described as slightly injured in Czech media. The right-back missed one of his country’s September internationals.

At Man City, Pep Guardiola has recovered from his recent back surgery. John Stones (hamstring), Jack Grealish (thigh) and Mateo Kovacic (back) didn’t feature for their national teams during the break and won’t be fit for the weekend either. Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring) remains out of action for the next several months.

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Newcastle vs Brentford

Newcastle’s Sven Botman (ankle) is hopeful of a swift return, as indicated on his social media, and his gaffer agrees: “Possibly, yeah, he’s trained this week.” Joe Willock is set for another month on the sidelines with an Achilles injury, while Emil Krafth, returning after a year-long ACL injury, won’t be match-fit yet. Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson withdrew from international duty and returned to Tyneside, with Tonali citing muscle fatigue and Anderson a conveniently-timed knock. Howe is hopeful that they will both be fit to face the Bees.

For Brentford, Josh Dasilva (hamstring), Shandon Baptiste (shoulder), and Ivan Toney (suspended) are unavailable, but the Bees could welcome Mikkel Damsgaard back into the squad if he can recover from an adductor issue.

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Bournemouth vs Chelsea

For Bournemouth, Tyler Adams (hamstring), Ryan Fredericks (calf), Emiliano Marcondes (foot), Alex Scott (knee), and Dango Ouattara (ankle) were absent in GW-4. Ouattara has returned to training and could be available.

Chelsea will be without Christopher Nkunku (knee), Wesley Fofana (knee), Marcus Bettinelli (knee), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring), and Carney Chukwuemeka (knee) for their trip to Bournemouth. Romeo Lavia (ankle) has also joined the disabled list during the international break. In more positive news, Armando Broja (knee), Benoit Badiashile (hamstring), and Reece James (hamstring) have returned to training at Cobham, but none of the three are ready to feature this weekend.

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Everton vs Arsenal

Toffees Delle Alli (hip) and Seamus Coleman (knee) are set to miss the Arsenal visit. Jack Harrison’s (hip) has returned to training but won’t feature, and the availability of Michael Keane and Lewis Dobbin are awaiting confirmation. Youssef Chermiti and Jarrad Branthwaite left their international squads for treatment on minor groin issues, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin (cheekbone) is expected back.

For Arsenal, Jurrien Timber (knee), Mohamed Elneny (knee), and Thomas Partey (groin) were on the injury list two weeks ago. Gabriel Magalhaes recovered from a knock sustained during international duty. Arteta also brushed off concerns about Bukayo Saka, saying there is “nothing to worry about.”

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Nottingham Forest vs Burnley

Injury and availability updates for Forest include Danilo (hamstring), who missed GW-4, plus Wayne Hennessey and Anthony Elang who withdrew from their respective national teams due to minor injuries. Serge Aurier is also still a doubt.

For Burnley, Darko Churlinov (blood poisoning), Michael Obafemi (hamstring), and Hjalmar Ekdal (knee) remain sidelined, but Vitinho has recovered from his knee injury, and Aaron Ramsey (head) is also available. Additionally, Anass Zaroury has finished serving his three-match suspension.

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Any update you know on any player or team? Is your team badly affected by injuries or suspensions? How do you strategize your fantasy teams with all the new and injured players? Is anyone playing a chip this week? Who are you adding and removing? Please log in and join the live chat in the comments below!

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