PL team news: Concerns over Costa, Coutinho, Dele Alli and Sanchez

Ian Watson

Late checks for Dele Alli, Costa, Sanchez and Coutinho

Check out all the team news ahead of the Premier League weekend, with concerns over Alexis Sanchez, Philippe Coutinho, Dele Alli and Diego Costa.

Manchester United v Arsenal

Saturday, 12:30pm, Old Trafford

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will serve a one-match ban but captain Wayne Rooney is back in contention after a minor knee injury.

Ander Herrera is available after a serving a one-match ban at Swansea before the international break, but Eric Bailly (knee) is expected to be joined on the sidelines by Antonio Valencia (arm) and Chris Smalling (foot).

Luke Shaw (leg) is fully fit and will be hoping to return to the squad, while midfielder Marouane Fellaini (calf) is a doubt.

Wayne Rooney: Afforded a rest against Feyenoord

Arsene Wenger will check on the fitness of Alexis Sanchez.

The Chile forward played for his country during the week despite carrying a hamstring injury and will be assessed by Arsenal’s medical team before a decision is taken on whether he is fit to play at Old Trafford.

Hector Bellerin (ankle) is out for a month after picking up a knock at the end of the recent draw at home to Tottenham, with the game also coming too soon for Santi Cazorla (Achilles) while Lucas Perez (ankle). Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck (both knee) are also missing.

 

Crystal Palace v Manchester City

Saturday, 3pm, Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace will be without goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

Mandanda is expected to be out for a couple of weeks with a knee injury, meaning Wayne Hennessey will start at the weekend.

Joe Ledley and Lee Chung-yong (both knocks) face late fitness tests after international duty while Loic Remy (thigh) has had a slight setback and Pape Souare (broken leg) is still not walking.

Steve Mandanda: Joins Palace for £3million

Manchester City have no fresh injuries following the international break.

Captain Vincent Kompany could be in contention after being fit to report for Belgium but not participating in their matches against Holland and Estonia as a precaution.

Right-back Bacary Sagna could also return after recovering from a hamstring injury but midfielder Fabian Delph (groin) remains on the sidelines.

 

Everton v Swansea City

Saturday, 3pm, Goodison Park

Leighton Baines and James McCarthy are both available for Everton after recovering from hamstring problems.

Left-back Baines and midfielder McCarthy are ready to return following seven and three games out respectively.

Gareth Barry misses out as he serves a one-match suspension, but the Toffees can call on Idrissa Gueye again, with his own ban now complete.

Leighton Baines: Celebrates Everton opener

Nathan Dyer will return to the Swansea squad after ankle surgery.

Winger Dyer, who has featured only once in the Premier League this season, returned to full training this week after two months out and is set for a place on the bench at Goodison Park.

Jefferson Montero has been given the all clear to play with a cast on his broken hand, but the Ecuador winger might be given extra time to recover fully after only returning to training on Thursday.

 

Southampton v Liverpool

Saturday, 3pm, St. Mary’s Stadium

Fraser Forster and Dusan Tadic have been passed fit to start for Southampton after suffering injuries while on international duty.

Tadic could yet require a protective mask to protect his nose injury, but of greater concern to manager Claude Puel will be the late fitness tests Ryan Bertrand, Cedric Soares, James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long are to undergo.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is also fit after a knock, but Alex McCarthy and Matt Targett miss out.

Dusan Tadic Southampton

 

Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho may be a doubt for the trip.

The Brazil international underwent a precautionary scan on Thursday having returned from South America the previous night.

Midfielder Adam Lallana is unlikely to feature after sustaining a groin injury while on England duty so Georginio Wijnaldum is set to return.

 

Stoke City v Bournemouth

Saturday, 3pm

Glenn Whelan is an injury concern for Stoke.

Whelan suffered a hamstring injury during the international break, limping out of the Republic of Ireland’s win in Austria, while fellow midfielder Geoff Cameron is still injured. The United States international has missed the last two matches after hyper-extending his knee and has suffered a setback in his bid to regain full fitness.

Marko Arnautovic returns from suspension and Xherdan Shaqiri has recovered from his hamstring problem and is back in contention.

Andrew Surman

Bournemouth will make a late call on midfielder Andrew Surman and forward Callum Wilson, who have both been recovering from hamstring problems.

Defender Adam Smith serves a one-match suspension after collecting a fifth yellow card of the season in the defeat by Sunderland before the international break.

Midfielder Lewis Cook (ankle) and Australia defender Brad Smith (foot) are continuing their rehabilitation.

 

Sunderland v Hull City

Saturday, 3pm, Stadium of Light

Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole is out of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Hull and facing four months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery in America.

The 28-year-old will be missing until well into the new year after an operation to repair a torn hip cartilage, and will join Fabio Borini (groin) and Jan Kirchhoff and Jack Rodwell (both hamstring) on the sidelines.

Striker Victor Anichebe has recovered from a rib problem and defender John O’Shea has shaken off a hamstring injury, while Vito Mannone (elbow), Sebastian Larsson (knee) are closing on on returns to match fitness.

Lee Cattermole, Sunderland

Hull will be without strikers Will Keane, Abel Hernandez and Adama Diomande.

Keane has been ruled out for the season due to knee ligament damage, Hernandez is still out with a groin problem and Diomande sits out the final game of a three-match ban.

Midfielder Shaun Maloney (back) is also out, while boss Mike Phelan will include teenage striker Jarrod Bowen in his plans.

 

Watford v Leicester City

Saturday, 3pm, Vicarage Road

Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is expected to be fit to face Leicester.

Gomes suffered a knee injury in the 6-1 defeat to Liverpool but has been progressing well.

Christian Kabasele is unavailable after picking up a thigh injury on international duty but Sebastian Prodl (abductor strain) and Stefano Okaka (hamstring) are back in contention.

Danny Drinkwater: In action for Leicester

Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater is rated as 50-50 as he battles a rib injury.

The midfielder pulled out of the England squad to face Scotland and Spain and, while he has trained with the Foxes, he remains a doubt.

Kasper Schmeichel (broken hand) and Nampalys Mendy (ankle) are definitely out and Demarai Gray (calf) is a doubt after missing England Under-21s’ 3-2 friendly defeat to France on Monday.

 

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

Saturday, 5:30pm, White Hart Lane

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino will make a late decision on Dele Alli.

Alli is close to recovering from a knee injury but may not be risked while Toby Alderweireld (leg), Erik Lamela (hip) and Ben Davies (ankle) are all out.

Harry Kane, however, is fit to start after returning early from England duty to work on his sharpness. Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose are also available after shaking off hip and foot problems respectively.

Dele Alli: Has a wild side

Striker Diafra Sakho is in the West Ham squad for the first time this season after finally overcoming a back injury.

Defender Winston Reid returns after suspension and a slight hamstring injury and looks set to take the captain’s armband from midfielder Mark Noble, who sits out due to a one-match ban.

James Collins has overcome the knock which forced him to withdraw from the Wales squad but Andy Carroll is still a couple of weeks away following an ankle injury.

 

Middlesbrough v Chelsea

Sunday, 4pm. Riverside Stadium

Middlesbrough have a major injury doubt over defender George Friend ahead of Sunday’s sold-out Premier League clash.

Friend faces a late fitness test after picking up a knee injury in training and could be replaced by Fabio da Silva at the back, while Daniel Ayala (ankle) is still ruled out.

Gaston Ramirez returns after missing the 1-1 draw at Manchester City due to suspension while the rest of Aitor Karanka’s squad reported back from international duty apparently unscathed.

Diego Costa: Striker wanted by former club

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will wait to make a final decision on whether to start Diego Costa.

The Spain striker withdrew from international duty with a groin injury and returned to training with Chelsea on Wednesday.

Chelsea have no injury concerns, with midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Kurt Zouma fit again, although the latter will not be rushed back to the first team following his lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.

 

 

West Bromwich Albion v Burnley

Monday, 8pm, The Hawthorns

West Brom striker Saido Berahino is closing in on fitness but Tony Pulis has hinted facing Burnley is likely to be too soon.

The 23-year-old has not played since September and was placed on a personal fitness plan after the Baggies deemed him to be overweight last month but has returned to training with the first team.

Record signing Nacer Chadli remains out after minor knee surgery but is not expected to remain sidelined for long and striker Salomon Rondon has recovered from a hamstring injury which meant he missed Venezuela’s World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia and defeat to Ecuador.

saido-berahino-west-brom

Stephen Ward is pushing to return to Burnley’s starting line-up.

The Ireland defender missed the win over Crystal Palace due to hamstring trouble but has trained this week and will be given a late fitness test by boss Sean Dyche.

Dyche expects no new injury worries with the likes of Ashley Barnes and George Boyd pushing for starting places after impressing from the bench against Palace.