Here we are, finally at the festive period. In a normal year, the festive fixtures make or break a season, so I can’t imagine what it will do in a compressed season with a short preseason. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Without further delay, here’s the injury news for Gameweek 15 and 16.
Leicester v. Man Utd
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Jamie Vardy will be for Boxing Day after sustaining a groin injury last weekend. Ricardo Pereira remains out due to injury and Çaglar Soyuncu looks like a doubt for the weekend, but is likely to be available for Monday’s quick turnaround.
Out: Pereira
Doubtful: Soyuncu
After a career match with two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win over Leeds last weekend, Scott McTominay looks like a doubt for the weekend opener due to a groin injury. Aaron Wan-Bissaka will also need to be assessed after missing the League Cup quarterfinals this week due to a knock.
Out: Jones, Rojo
Doubtful: Wan-Bissaka, McTominay
Aston Villa v. Crystal Palace
Ezri Konsa and Ross Barkley returned to training this week and will certainly be pushing to make the squad ahead of the busy week. However, Trezeguet will continue to miss out with a hamstring injury.
Out: Wesley, Trezeguet,
Doubtful: Heaton, Barkley, Konsa
Despite the busy week, Crystal Palace only added Gary Cahill to their list of injuries after the defender suffered a hamstring injury in a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of league-leading Liverpool last weekend.
Out: Ferguson, Hennessey, Wickham, Kelly, Sakho, Cahill
Doubtful:
Fulham v. Southampton
Fulham got a boost this week when their appeal against Joachim Andersen’s red card from last weekend was approved after the FA reviewed his case, meaning the Danish defender is available for the weekend. Mario Lemina is ineligible as he cannot face his parent club while Terence Kongolo suffered a setback in his return and will need at least another week. Ivan Cavaleiro and Kenny Tete are doubts with Tete attending the birth of his child and Cavaleiro pulling up with an injury in the warmups last weekend.
Out: Kongolo, Lemina (loan restriction)
Doubtful: Cavaleiro, Tete
Southampton went from having no injury complaints for two weeks in a row to having a handful of minor doubts to major figures. As of Wednesday, Danny Ings had not trained due to a hamstring injury along with Nathan Redmond and Jannik Vestergaard, who are also struggling with minor injuries. Stuart Armstrong looks set to overcome a hand injury suffered in training.
Out:
Doubtful: Ings, Redmond, Vestergaard, Armstrong
Arsenal v. Chelsea
Thomas Partey looks likely to miss out on this London derby as he continues to recover from a thigh injury. The good news is that Arsenal will have Granit Xhaka back from suspension and will likely have Gabriel Martinelli back as well from a minor injury suffered in midweek. The big question mark continues to be the status of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has missed two games this week due to a calf problem. The forward has joined outside training and could be involved at the Emirates.
Out: Martinelli, Partey,
Doubtful: Aubameyang
Both Chelsea fullbacks in Reece James and Ben Chilwell are injury doubts for the trip into north London, although it appears as those James’ chances are much better than Chilwell’s after the left-back limped off in the win over West Ham with an ankle injury. Hakim Ziyech continues to miss out with a hamstring problem.
Out: Ziyech
Doubtful: Chilwell, James
Man City v. Newcastle
Manchester City were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic this week with both Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker testing positive. That means Sergio Agüero could earn his first start since Gameweek 5 after being eased back in from a series of injuries that have plagued him this season. Eric Garcia will continue to miss out with a leg injury.
Out: Garcia, Walker, Jesus
Doubtful:
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said the club could have Martin Dubravka back from a heel injury in the near future as the keeper has not featured yet this season. Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin remain out with COVID-19 complications after testing positive earlier in the season. Bruce said the club will check on Federico Fernandez as he works past a muscle problem.
Out: Dubravka, Lascelles, Saint-Maximin,
Doubtful: Fernandez
Sheffield United v. Everton
Sheffield United will be waiting on forward duo Oli McBurnie and Lys Mousset as both are doubts while Mousset has the best chance of featuring in the team after overcoming an ankle problem. John Lundstram will begin his three-match red card suspension while Sander Berge is looking at three to four months on the sideline after undergoing an operation on his hamstring.
Out: O’Connell, Berge, Lundstram (suspension)
Doubtful: Mousset, McBurnie
Everton will once again not have James Rodriguez available for his fifth straight game due to a hamstring problem. Allan also remains out as the Everton midfield will have its depth tested with Fabian Delph also struggling. Richarlison is a question mark for the week ahead after his head injury in the League Cup. Both the forward and Carlo Ancelotti say he is fine, but the Brazilian could be kept out due to the league’s concussion protocol.
Out: Gbamin, Digne, Delph, Rodriguez, Allan
Doubtful: Richarlison
Leeds v. Burnley
The only new name added to Leeds’ injury list is captain Liam Cooper as the defender will miss the weekend match due to an abdominal strain.
Out: Forshaw, Llorente, Koch, Cooper
Doubtful:
Burnley have been in great form of late with a four-match league unbeaten streak, but may need to plug some holes at winger with Johann Berg Gudmundsson out and Dwight McNeil and Robbie Brady looking like injury doubts. Third-choice forward Matej Vydra is also a doubt with a back problem.
Out: Cork, Gudmundsson
Doubtful: McNeil, Brady, Vydra
West Ham v. Brighton
West Ham should be able to have their star in Michail Antonio back soon from a hamstring injury that has limited him to only one appearance in the last eight matches. Said manager David Moyes: “Michy’s back on the grass training. We'll hopefully get him back as quick as we can. We can't say exactly when that’s going to be. We’ll monitor him daily. He's coming on well so hopefully it’ll not be too long.”
Out: Masuaku
Doubtful: Antonio, Lanzini
Outside of José Izquierdo’s long-term injury problem, Brighton’s only injury absence remains Tariq Lamptey as the defender hopes to overcome a hamstring injury in the next week.
Out: Izquierdo, Lamptey
Doubtful:
Liverpool v. West Brom
Liverpool look to be turning a corner on their injury problems after weathering the storm and still ending up in first place. Manager Jurgen Klopp said that the Reds could have Xherdan Shaqiri and James Milner back from injuries that have kept them out for the last month. Meanwhile, Thiago Alcántara is close to a return from a knee injury but won’t be rushed into the weekend.
Out: van Dijk, Gomez, ThIago, Jota, Tsimikas
Doubtful: Shaqiri, Milner
It was only a matter of time before Sam Allardyce made his way back into the Premier League ranks, and here we are in a fitting end to 2020. Allardyce will have Matheus Pereira available after the playmaker completed his three-match suspension; however, Jake Livermore will start his three-match ban this weekend.
Out: Robson-Kanu, Field, Townsend, Livermore (suspension), Bartley
Doubtful:
Wolves v. Spurs
Nuno Espirito Santo said the club has lots of injury issues to deal with, but only named Leander Dendoncker as the major doubt as the Belgian international looks almost certain to miss out.
Out: Jonny, Jimenez
Doubtful: Dendoncker
José Mourinho has been extremely touchy with the media lately regarding the club’s injury situation and only revealed that Gareth Bale asked to come off at halftime in the League Cup this week due to a minor calf problem that he didn’t want to risk.
Out: Lamela, Tanganga, Lo Celso
Doubtful: Bale