PL team news: Chelsea boost, Reds wait on midfield pair

Ian Watson

Lallana, Giroud and Terry: Mixed news over injuries

Check out all the team news and latest injury updates ahead of the Premier League weekend, with Chelsea boosted by the return of their skipper.

Saturday

Chelsea v Leicester
Stamford Bridge, 12:30pm

John Terry has recovered from an ankle injury and is in contention to return to Chelsea’s starting XI in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Leicester.

The Blues captain could form part of a defensive back three, with Branislav Ivanovic likely to miss out again after being dropped for the win at Hull prior to the international break.

Willian is absent, on compassionate leave following the death of his mother, while defender Kurt Zouma continues his rehabilitation from his long-term knee injury.

Willian Chelsea

Claudio Ranieri hopes to have midfielder Danny Drinkwater fit and available.

Drinkwater was not available for selection for England’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia due to a groin injury but he has since resumed training and will be assessed on Friday.

Nampalys Mendy has been absent since limping off during the goalless home draw with Arsenal on August 20 but it seems his ankle injury is likely to keep him on the sidelines for another week.

 

Arsenal v Swansea,
The Emirates, 3pm

Arsenal will still be without Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey.

The pair were expected to be available after the international break but manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed Giroud (toe) and Ramsey (hamstring) are still short of match fitness.

Francis Coquelin is fit, as is Mesut Ozil, but the game comes too early for Carl Jenkinson (knee) to be involved, with Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee) further away from a return.

Olivier Giroud: Admiration from Arsene Wenger

Swansea are set to start the Bob Bradley era without Fernando Llorente and Jefferson Montero.

Spain striker Llorente missed Francesco Guidolin’s final game against Liverpool two weeks ago with rib and knee injuries, while Ecuador winger Montero has been troubled by a calf problem.

Neither player has taken a full part in training this week, but new boss Bradley has Federico Fernandez available for his Premier League bow with the Argentina central defender fit again after a groin injury.

 

Bournemouth v Hull
Vitality Stadium, 3pm

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says he has a number of players with “serious injuries”.

The Cherries boss refused to disclose the names of those who have come back from international duty injured but the list of those who played for their country includes Joshua King who was suffering from a hamstring injury before he joined up with Norway.

Harry Arter (groin strain) and Marc Pugh (hamstring) have been struggling with injuries but are expected to be included in the squad.

Harry Arter: Penned a new with the Cherries.

Hull striker Dieumerci Mbokani will miss out due to a hamstring injury sustained on international duty with DR Congo, so Abel Hernandez is expected to return to the starting line-up.

Defender Ahmed Elmohamady will return to contention after his one-game ban, while captain Michael Dawson, yet to appear this season due to knee ligament damage, continues to work his way back to full fitness and is scheduled to appear for the under-21s on Friday night.

Man City v Everton
Etihad Stadium, 3pm

Man City forwards Raheem Sterling (calf) and Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring) could come into contention after both trained this week, while captain Vincent Kompany (groin) could also feature in the near future.

Midfielder Fabian Delph could also be back in consideration after a knock but right-back Bacary Sagna is out until next month with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty.

Romelu Lukaku: Getting back to his best

Everton have striker Romelu Lukaku and defenders Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines fit for the short trip to Man City.

Lukaku reported an issue with his thigh after Belgium’s World Cup qualifier last week but has now recovered while Jagielka, who pulled out of England’s squad with a similar problem, and Baines, who missed the last two matches with a hamstring strain, are also ready for action.

Midfielder Darron Gibson (groin) is fit again but winger Aaron Lennon is a doubt with a minor knock, while a late decision will be taken on James McCarthy after he played almost two full matches for the Republic of Ireland having not featured since late August because of groin surgery.

 

Stoke v Sunderland, 3pm

Stoke midfielder Joe Allen will be assessed ahead of kick-off.

Allen is a doubt for the contest having missed Wales’ 1-1 draw with Georgia last weekend due to a hamstring problem.

Full-back Glen Johnson will definitely not feature having been ruled out for at least three to four weeks because of a thigh injury.

Joe Allen

Defenders Lamine Kone and Jason Denayer are doubts for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Stoke.

Kone has a hamstring problem and Denayer damaged an adductor muscle on international duty with Belgium’s Under-23s, while midfielder Lee Cattermole is out having had an epidural and an injection in his hip to address pain in his legs.

Cattermole will join a lengthy casualty list which currently includes keeper Vito Mannone (fractured elbow), midfielders Jan Kirchhoff (hamstring), Adnan Januzaj (ankle ligaments), Steven Pienaar (hamstring) and Sebastian Larsson (knee) and striker Fabio Borini (groin).

 

West Brom v Tottenham
The Hawthorns, 3pm

West Brom will check on Salomon Rondon and Darren Fletcher ahead of Tottenham’s visit.

The Venezuela striker only returned from international duty in South America on Thursday and Baggies boss Tony Pulis will assess him for fatigue, while midfielder Fletcher suffered a dead leg when he was away with Scotland and he too will be monitored.

If Rondon is not fit, Pulis must decide whether to give Hal Robson-Kanu his first start or play Saido Berahino against the club who made several attempts to buy him in successive transfer windows.

Mousa Dembele

Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele is struggling with a foot injury.

Dembele had just recovered from a hamstring strain when his left foot was stamped on in training and the Belgian is now a doubt for this weekend’s trip to the Hawthorns.

Harry Kane remains sidelined with an ankle ligament injury while the likes of Son Heung-min and Erik Lamela will be assessed following long excursions on international duty.

 

Crystal Palace v West Ham,
Selhurst Park, 5:30pm

Crystal Palace’s Scott Dann remains unavailable for Saturday’s Premier League visit of West Ham.

The captain and central defender is still recovering from a hamstring strain, so James Tomkins is expected to start against his former club alongside Damien Delaney.

Manager Alan Pardew hopes Dann will be fit for next Saturday’s trip to Leicester, but beyond him his only absentees are Pape Souare, who fractured his thigh and jaw, and Jonathan Benteke, who has an injured knee.

Scott Dann Crystal Palace

Aaron Cresswell is in the West Ham squad for the first time this season.

The left-back is fit after recovering from a knee injury sustained in pre-season, and he is joined by midfielder Havard Nordtveit and striker Jonathan Calleri who have shaken off minor niggles.

Summer signing Gokhan Tore (thigh) and right-back Sam Byram (hamstring) have replaced them in the treatment room while Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew, Arthur Masuaku and Diafra Sakho are still unavailable.

 

Sunday

Middlesbrough v Watford
The Riverside, 1:30

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has seen all his international players return unscathed as he plots Premier League victory over Watford on Sunday.

Karanka will run the rule over the men who did duty with their countries during the break, paying particular attention to Uruguay duo Gaston Ramirez and Cristhian Stuani following their lengthy journeys, but he has reported no fresh injury concerns.

Only skipper Grant Leadbitter remains on the sidelines as he works his way back to full fitness following hernia surgery.

Miguel Britos (l): Restricted Zlatan to just one assist

Defender Miguel Britos is expected to be available following a groin injury when Watford travel to Teesside.

Younes Kaboul could continue in central defence as Craig Cathcart remains out with a groin injury, while midfielder Valon Behrami is a minor doubt with an undisclosed knock.

Forward Isaac Success, who scored his first Watford goal prior to the international break, could be handed his first start. Daryl Janmaat (shoulder) is still out.

 

Southampton v Burnley 4pm
St Mary’s Stadium

Southampton full-backs Ryan Bertrand and Cedric are unavailable as they recover from hamstring and ankle injuries respectively meaning Matt Targett and Cuco Martina are expected to come in.

Shane Long is close to a return, also from a hamstring problem, and Jay Rodriguez could also feature after overcoming a groin strain.

Tom Heaton Burnley

Burnley are crossing their fingers that goalkeeper Tom Heaton is fit.

Heaton withdrew from the England squad last week due to a calf problem and is touch-and-go, with veteran Paul Robinson standing by.

Striker Andre Gray serves the third game of a four-match ban for historic social media posts but there are no other concerns.

 

Monday

Liverpool v Man Utd
Anfield, 8pm

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana remains a doubt for Monday’s visit of Manchester United.

The England international sustained a groin strain in the win at Swansea just before the international break and his availability is still to be determined.

Fellow midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum returned from Holland duty with a hip problem although neither he nor Lallana have yet been ruled out, while defenders Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren, who both withdrew from their respective international squads with injuries, are fit.

Adam Lallana: Fitness a concern for Liverpool

Jose Mourinho will have both Luke Shaw and Henrikh Mkhitaryan available at Anfield.

Left-back Shaw has missed United’s previous four fixtures with a groin strain while a thigh problem has kept Mkhitaryan sidelined since the Manchester derby on September 10.

Defender Phil Jones (knee) is the only definite absentee while England captain Wayne Rooney, dropped from the Three Lions’ starting line-up in midweek, may have to make do with a fourth successive game among United’s replacements.