Gameweek 9 isn’t around the corner yet, but the midweek schedule has already produced a useful run of injury and selection updates. For FPL managers, the key point is that several clubs are balancing knocks with EFL Cup rotation — and the cup line-ups won’t always tell us exactly what to expect at the weekend.
Thirteen Premier League clubs play in midweek. A number of managers faced the media on Tuesday, while others held their EFL Cup press conferences after Gameweek 8. We’ll pull together the headline information from those briefings here. Everton’s David Moyes and Aston Villa’s Unai Emery are the two managers still to speak; Moyes is expected to hold his press conference on Wednesday.
Key injury and availability updates
- Chelsea: Joao Pedro is expected to miss a few weeks. Cole Palmer is suspended for the current match but available for Gameweek 9.
- Manchester City: Erling Haaland and Joško Gvardiol are among five players given a midweek break. Matheus Nunes remains injured.
- Liverpool: Florian Wirtz could return quickly; Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz are less certain.
- Arsenal: Mikel Arteta did not hold a standalone press conference, leaving Riccardo Calafiori’s status unclear.
- Brighton and Hove Albion: Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer could return. Kaoru Mitoma is not expected back until after the international break; Ferdi Kadioglu and Chema Andres have hip pain.
- Bournemouth: Eli Junior Kroupi is not ready to start, and Marco Rose is expected to rotate.
- Newcastle United: Miley and Fernandez-Pardo remain doubtful.
- Brentford: Janelt returns from suspension, while Yarmolyuk remains banned. Henry is out; Milambo and Dasilva are training.
- Crystal Palace: Henderson is expected back. Strand Larsen will be assessed, while Sarr is dealing with groin problems.
- Sunderland: Meunier and Isidor could return; Danso is back from suspension.
- Fulham: No new injuries were reported, but Sessegnon remains out.
Chelsea
Joao Pedro is facing a spell out after the thigh problem that ruled him out in Gameweek 8. Xabi Alonso put the absence at “a few weeks,” without giving a more precise return date.
“He has an injury on his thigh and he is going to be a few weeks out. Let’s see how many. We don’t want to predict on that but not ready for the next games.” — Xabi Alonso on Joao Pedro
There is a possible replacement option: Emmanuel Emegha, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, is back in the squad. He has trained for around 10 days and could feature, though Alonso framed his return as a gradual process.
“Emegha is in the squad.”
“For sure, it’s important that we have him available because he has special qualities. He’s fully fit, he has been training for the last couple of weeks, 10 days in a good way to allow him to build a strong base for his fitness. Gradually, we want to see him, and maybe tomorrow he has the chance to play.” — Xabi Alonso
There was no fresh word on Pep Chavarria’s muscle problem. Alonso was asked about both Chavarria and Emegha but only discussed Emegha, so Chavarria is presumed still unavailable. Emiliano Martinez (jaw), Reece James (knee) and Jamie Gittens (ankle) are also out.
Cole Palmer is suspended for the midweek fixture, but the suspension won’t keep him out of Gameweek 9. Alonso said he had spoken with Palmer after the incident that led to the ban.
“We spoke, and for sure he knows the mistake he made. Things that you can avoid. I hope that this is not going to be repeated. He’s aware of that, he’s mature and it was a mistake.” — Xabi Alonso on Cole Palmer
Manchester City
Manchester City plan to rest five players for Wednesday’s EFL Cup meeting with Brighton: Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Joško Gvardiol and Rúben Dias. That’s a recovery decision after the Villa game, not an injury update.
“After the Villa game, we gave five players three days off to recover energy: Erling, Ruben, Elliot, Gio and Josko. They are all on holiday and they can go away wherever, and then come back wit full energy.” — Enzo Maresca
Rotation is expected, and back-up goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli is set to start. Maresca said the short gap between the two Brighton fixtures would inform his choices, with a final decision due after another training session.
“In terms of how we plan, [the two games against Brighton] are so close, so we need to make some changes. But again, we have one more session this afternoon and then we decide for tomorrow.” — Enzo Maresca on the midweek rotation
Antoine Semenyo (knee) is expected to be sidelined until mid-December. Matheus Nunes also looks set to miss out again: Maresca said Nunes was injured while discussing Rico Lewis’s ability to play at full-back or in midfield.
“In this moment, we have also Matheus Nunes that is injured. So, I think he was he was good second half against Villa. But again, I think he can play full-back, he can play midfielder. Depends where do we need him.” — Enzo Maresca on Rico Lewis
Liverpool
Florian Wirtz could be back quickly from the ankle problem he picked up in Gameweek 8. He may even be available for Liverpool’s EFL Cup fourth-round tie against Chelsea. The outlook is less encouraging for Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring) and Victor Munoz (knock), while Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Conor Bradley (knee), Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) remain out.
Andoni Iraola said the team would train before making a final call. His assessment was notably more positive on Wirtz than on Szoboszlai and Munoz.
“I don’t think I can help you a lot. We still have to wait; we train later. We want to [use] this last day.
“He was quite fine, I think, Florian — I’m quite optimistic that he will be available.
“And with Dom and Victor, I’m not so sure. I don’t want to say no, but I think it’s going to be more difficult than Florian.” — Andoni Iraola on the Liverpool team news
Expect changes in the cup, although Iraola stressed that Liverpool still intend to compete for the win. With matches coming every three days in both the Carabao Cup and Champions League, rotation is becoming a necessity rather than a preference.
“I think there will definitely be changes. But we want to win the game; we want to be competitive.
“We need to see how the legs are. We are kind of, not just in the Carabao Cup, also in the Champions League. We are trying to make some changes from game to game, because I think it’s almost mandatory.
“We need to rotate. Every top team that plays every three days needs to rotate. Sometimes there are forced rotations because you don’t have players available.” — Andoni Iraola
Arsenal
There’s no new Arsenal injury information to work with. Mikel Arteta did not hold a standalone press conference before Tuesday’s match with Fleetwood Town, so there was no update on Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered an issue late in Gameweek 8, or on injured players Bukayo Saka (quad), William Saliba (back) and Christos Tzolis (hamstring). The earlier Calafiori report is available here.
Arteta added a brief EFL Cup discussion to Saturday’s post-match media session. It lasted less than three minutes, but his comments hinted at a heavily rotated side as Arsenal manage the workload on players who have been asked to do a lot.
“Well, let’s see tomorrow where everybody is because individually, as well, we have put so much demand on so many players. We’ll see how we can plan the next week.” — Mikel Arteta, asked whether the Fleetwood game offered fringe players a chance to impress
Brighton and Hove Albion
Mats Wieffer (knee) and Yankuba Minteh (knee) could return for the midweek trip to Manchester City. Fabian Hurzeler said Brighton would try to take both players with them.
“We try to take them tomorrow to Manchester.
“That’s a positive one, that Minteh and Wieffer will be back.” — Fabian Hurzeler on Mats Wieffer and Yankuba Minteh
Kaoru Mitoma’s hamstring recovery will take longer. Hurzeler does not expect him back before the international break, but said a return after the break is the target.
“Kaoru, we need to be a little bit more patient [with]. Like I said a few weeks ago, I don’t expect him to be back before the international break but definitely after the international break.” — Fabian Hurzeler on Kaoru Mitoma
Ferdi Kadioglu and Chema Andres both took knocks to the hip on Sunday. The injuries are not considered serious, but pain and their ability to train will determine whether either is available.
“It’s just a hit on the hips. Of course, it’s very painful. So, it’s something that both players have to deal with, the pain. I think pain, for every player, feels differently. We have to see how they train today, if it’s possible if they can train. If yes, then, of course, they will be an option for tomorrow.” — Fabian Hurzeler on Ferdi Kadioglu and Chema Andres
Pascal Struijk (hamstring), Femi Azeez (hamstring), Zadok Yohanna (unspecified), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefan Tzimas (knee) remain unavailable.
Bournemouth
Marco Rose spoke after Gameweek 8 rather than holding a separate midweek briefing. Eli Junior Kroupi is back in training, but a cup tie is not enough to make him ready for a start. After several months out, he still needs to build up his workload and improve his match fitness.
“No, because as you could see, Junior needs some more training and to respond better on the load.
“But he was out for several months. We are going to train hard and we are going to improve his match time, and everyone in the club, our fans and the players and the technical staff, is really happy to have this guy back.” — Marco Rose on whether Eli Junior Kroupi could start in midweek
BOURNEMOUTH
With another match on Wednesday and a Saturday fixture close behind, Bournemouth manager Marco Rose expects to rotate. He says several players on the bench have earned minutes, including Julio Soler, Bafodé Diakité, Álvaro Rodríguez and David Brooks. Rose expects a changed side at home to Aston Villa, while insisting it will remain competitive.
“Now, we have another game on Wednesday, so two days in between, and then we have another game on Saturday, two days in between. So, we have to be aware, and we have to be ready. And I feel the squad right now [is] in a really, really good spot because I have players on the bench, they deserve to play. Julio [Soler] as a left-back, Bafo [Bafodé Diakité], he came in. Álvaro [Rodríguez] improved a lot the last couple of weeks. Brooksy [David Brooks] is waiting for his match time. So, of course, we’re gonna see another team on Wednesday, home against Villa, but we’re gonna have a competitive team, that’s for sure.” – Marco Rose
Alex Toth (hamstring), Alex Scott (tendon) and Julian Araujo (thigh) remain sidelined. Veljko Milosavljevic, who has been getting minutes with the under-21s after a knee injury, could be involved.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Mathias Fernandez-Pardo and Lewis Miley both missed Gameweek 8 and remain doubts for Thursday’s League Cup tie with Everton. Fernandez-Pardo is recovering from illness; Miley has a glute problem. Manager Matthias Jaissle says the club will assess them over the next two days and won’t take unnecessary risks.
“These two players are still doubtful. There are question marks if they can make it [for Thursday night], so we need to see step-by-step. There are still two days to decide if they’re able to be in the squad or not.
“With both of them, we don’t want to take any additional risk. Hopefully, they are getting back soon.” – Matthias Jaissle on Mathias Fernandez-Pardo and Lewis Miley
Ewen Jaouen (hamstring) and Tino Livramento (knee) are also unavailable. Jaissle offered no firm return date for Livramento, but said he has been working hard in rehabilitation.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, first of all, but also now on the medical department. This is usually my approach when it comes to injuries.
“I can just assure you that I see him everyday with a great professionalism in the rehab, hard-working, so hopefully we have him back soon and… that he is stable in his approach when he is joining us.” – Matthias Jaissle on Tino Livramento
While other managers are weighing rotation, Jaissle says Newcastle will field the strongest side available. The club’s history in the competition and the expected backing of 8,000 travelling supporters are part of his reasoning. That’s a clear signal that Newcastle are taking this tie seriously.
“Due to the history of the club in that competition, I have the same approach: to play with the best possible line-up. This is clear.
“I heard now that we are getting huge support again in an away match. Really special, during the week, having 8,000 fans with us, taking the journey to support us. That’s something that shows the importance of that competition, and we will, for sure, also be aligned with that and go all in.” – Matthias Jaissle
BRENTFORD
Yehor Yarmolyuk begins the second game of his three-match ban on Wednesday. Vitaly Janelt is back after serving a one-match suspension.
Rico Henry (hip) and Kaye Furo (knee) remain out. Antoni Milambo (knee) and Josh Dasilva (hamstring) are edging closer: both have returned to team sessions, while Furo is making progress but has yet to resume training on grass. Henry is expected to be out for several weeks, likely until after the international break.
“He picked up an injury a few weeks ago – hip quad injury in training. Unfortunately, he’s going to be out for a period of weeks, probably until after the international break. That’s the reason he hasn’t been involved. So really unfortunate for him. But he’s working hard to get back up to speed.” – Keith Andrews on Rico Henry, via the Hounslow Herald
“Antoni trained with the group a couple of days ago. He’s involved today, so he’s in and around it.”
“Kaye is doing really well. He’s out of his boot in a week, ten days, maybe something like that. He’s not on grass yet, but making really good progress, so that’s good. He’s in good spirits.
“Josh, similarly to Antoni, was involved in sessions. He’s building. He was involved in a bigger session midweek last week as well. Again, making really good strides.” – Keith Andrews, via the Hounslow Herald
CRYSTAL PALACE
Dean Henderson could return against Fulham on Wednesday after recently rejoining training. Jorgen Strand Larsen, who missed Sunday’s game against Newcastle, needs another assessment after twisting his ankle in a challenge against Beşiktaş.
Ismaïla Sarr’s groin remains a problem. He managed limited minutes against Beşiktaş and played 60 minutes in Lyon, but his reduced high-speed running showed the issue is still affecting him. Pierre Sage says Palace decided to leave him out against Newcastle so he could receive treatment and return at full capacity.
“I think [Henderson] will play on Wednesday.
“We will see on Wednesday for Strand Larsen, because he received, as you saw, a tackle [against Beșiktaș], and his ankle twisted.
“For Ismaïla Sarr, it’s difficult, because his groin is really making him struggle.
“He was able to play 15-30 minutes [against Besiktas]. We tried to push more in Lyon. He played 60, but it’s really difficult for him. And I think you saw in his performance, he ran less, especially with high-speed runs. We spoke together yesterday, and we took the decision to leave him out [against Newcastle], because he needs treatment to come and help the team with 100 percent of his capacity.” – Pierre Sage, via the Crystal Palace website
Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) and Chadi Riad (knee) remain out. There was no new information on Quinten Timber (hamstring). These comments came from a press conference held just after Gameweek 8, with the embargo lifted today, so the picture may have changed since.
SUNDERLAND
Regis Le Bris was cautiously optimistic that Thomas Meunier could return against Brentford on Wednesday, potentially from the bench. Training on Monday and Tuesday will shape the decision. Wilson Isidor, carrying a knock, is also a late call.
“Probably Thomas will be available coming off the bench, we’ll decide based on training on Monday and Tuesday.” – Regis Le Bris, quoted by the Sunderland Echo
“For Wilson, we are just on the edge, [so we’ll see].” – Regis Le Bris, quoted by the Sunderland Echo
Kevin Danso returns from a one-match suspension served in the 0-0 draw with Leeds United. Dan Ballard (hamstring) and Romaine Mundle (knee) face longer spells out.
FULHAM
Ryan Sessegnon is suspended, but Fulham have no injury concerns. Alvaro Arbeloa says the full squad is available. Sander Berge, restricted to a substitute appearance at the weekend because of illness, is feeling better.
