PL team news: Liverpool sweat on star, Ozil boost for Arsenal

Ian Watson

Ozil, Coutinho, Dele Alli: Mixed injury news

Liverpool have an injury concern over one of their key players, while Arsenal and Tottenham are both boosted the return of attacking stars.

Tottenham v Liverpool

Saturday, 12:30pm, White Hart Lane

Dele Alli could return to the Tottenham side having overcome an illness.

The England international was deemed only fit enough for the bench in last weekend’s win over Crystal Palace but has now recovered and could be recalled for the lunchtime kick-off.

Captain Hugo Lloris (hamstring) is still out so Michel Vorm will again deputise in goal while Mousa Dembele is suspended.

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Liverpool‘s Philippe Coutinho is a doubt for the trip with a minor hamstring issue.

Fellow midfielder Emre Can sustained an ankle injury in the EFL Cup win at Burton and may not be risked.

Striker Divock Origi suffered cramp in midweek and will be assessed while defender Joel Matip is pushing for his first league start.

 

Chelsea v Burnley

Saturday, 3pm, Stamford Bridge

Chelsea midfielder Willian is back in training after a calf injury and will be handed a fitness check.

Defender Kurt Zouma remains sidelined with a knee problem while boss Antonio Conte also has another injury worry, but he would not name the player concerned.

Thibaut Courtois, John Terry, Oscar, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa should return to the starting line-up after dropping out for the midweek EFL Cup win over Bristol Rovers.

Willian Chelsea

Burnley look set to revert back to the line-up Sean Dyche selected against Liverpool.

A Clarets side featuring 10 changes lost to Accrington in the EFL Cup in midweek and captain Tom Heaton, record signing Steven Defour and striker Andre Gray will be among those coming back in.

Forward Ashley Barnes (hamstring) will return after the international break while Liverpool loanee Jon Flanagan is not ready to play a full game so soon after completing 120 minutes on Wednesday night.

 

Crystal Palace v Bournemouth

Saturday, 3pm, Selhurst Park

Wayne Hennessey and Joe Ledley are doubts for Crystal Palace.

Goalkeeper Hennessey and midfielder Ledley have been struggling with injury this week so Steve Mandanda, who joined from Marseille over the summer, could make his Premier League debut between the posts after making his first appearance for Palace against Blackpool in the EFL Cup in midweek.

Christian Benteke remains short of match fitness and the £27million striker will probably start on the bench.

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Bournemouth have no fresh injury concerns.

Boss Eddie Howe is expected to restore his full-strength line-up for the return to league action after the midweek EFL Cup victory over Morecambe.

Harry Arter is back in the squad after serving a one-match suspension.

 

Everton v Stoke

Saturday, 3pm, Goodison Park

Everton will once again be without full-back Seamus Coleman.

The Republic of Ireland international has been recovering from an ankle injury and will not be seen until after the international break.

Ashley Williams and Yannick Bolasie should get first league starts, while James McCarthy, Tom Cleverley and Darron Gibson all have minor knocks.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri could return to action after missing the last two games with a calf injury.

But the fixture at Goodison Park will come too soon for goalkeeper Jack Butland (ankle) and defender Glen Johnson (thigh) to make their first appearances of the season.

Peter Crouch made the most of his on Tuesday as he grabbed a hat-trick in the 4-0 EFL Cup win at Stevenage, and Potters boss Mark Hughes has indicated the striker could keep his place in the team.

 

Leicester v Swansea

Saturday, 3pm, The King Power Stadium

Nampalys Mendy is out for Leicester after suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal last week.

The midfielder limped off in the second half of the 0-0 draw, his league debut, and replacement Andy King is set to start in his place at the King Power Stadium.

Jeff Schlupp is a doubt after a muscle injury also kept him out of the draw with the Gunners but the left-sided player looks set to stay at the champions after bids from West Brom were rejected.

Nampalys Mendy Leicester

Swansea defender Neil Taylor will miss out as he continues to build up fitness following his extended post-Euro 2016 break.

Taylor featured for the first time this season in Swansea’s EFL Cup win at Peterborough in midweek, but he has opted to play in an Under-23 fixture on Friday night rather than sit on the bench at Leicester.

Record signing Borja Baston remains out with a thigh injury, while Scotland Under-21 striker Oliver McBurnie has been added to the squad after his two-goal show at Peterborough.

 

Southampton v Sunderland

Saturday, 3pm, St Mary’s Stadium

Ryan Bertrand is poised for his first competitive Southampton appearance under new boss Claude Puel after recovering from knee trouble.

The England full-back will undergo a late fitness check.

Oriol Romeu has shaken off the knock he suffered in the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, but Jeremy Pied is missing with a knee injury.

<> at Cashpoint Arena on August 5, 2016 in Altach, Austria.

Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford is in line for a Premier League start after Vito Mannone was ruled out for a minimum of three months by injury.

Italian Mannone could yet face surgery to repair damaged elbow ligaments, handing the England Under-21 international his chance.

Defenders John O’Shea (hip) and Lamine Kone (back) and midfielders Fabio Borini (toe) and Jeremain Lens (foot) are being assessed and new signing Javier Manquillo could feature for the first time, while Jan Kirchhoff (hamstring) is expected to return to full training next week, but Billy Jones (hip), Lee Cattermole (hernia surgery) and Sebastian Larsson (knee) remain on the sidelines

 

Watford v Arsenal

Saturday, 3pm, Vicarage Road

Watford‘s new signings Daryl Janmaat, Younes Kaboul and Roberto Pereyra are unlikely to start.

Along with the fit-again Isaac Success they are in contention, but manager Walter Mazzarri is not expected to make many changes to the team that last week lost 2-1 to Chelsea.

He rotated his squad for Tuesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup defeat by Gillingham, but the Italian spoke of those selected against Chelsea deserving another chance.

Mesut Ozil: Set to sign a new deal

Mesut Ozil could be set for his first start of the season as Arsenal make the short trip to Vicarage Road.

The Germany international came off the bench in last weekend’s draw at Leicester, but Arsene Wenger, who has eased his players back following their Euro 2016 exertions, has said he could play from the start at Vicarage Road, although Olivier Giroud is unlikely to be recalled.

Aaron Ramsey (hamstring), Alex Iwobi (thigh), Per Mertesacker, Danny Welbeck and Carl Jenkinson (all knee) are still missing.

 

Hull v Manchester United

Saturday, 5:30pm, KC Stadium

Hull defender Harry Maguire is in contention for his first Premier League appearance of the season against caretaker boss Mike Phelan’s former club.

Maguire came through 90 minutes in Tuesday night’s EFL Cup win at Exeter after an ankle injury, but Phelan may decide to start with midfielder Jake Livermore in central defence alongside Curtis Davies.

Phelan made seven changes in midweek and the likes of Abel Hernandez, Adama Diomande, Robert Snodgrass, Tom Huddlesstone and Andy Robertson will all return, but Greg Luer will be sidelined for several weeks after sustaining a knee injury.

Manchester United team news to follow…

 

West Brom v Middlesbrough

Sunday 1:30pm, The Hawthorns

West Brom‘s Kane Wilson could become the first player born in the 21st century to feature in the Premier League.

The 16-year-old defender, born in March 2000, will be in the squad to face Middlesbrough on Sunday after making his debut in Tuesday’s EFL penalty shoot-out defeat to Northampton after replacing Brendan Galloway.

Everton loanee Galloway suffered a hamstring injury and will be assessed by the club while Chris Brunt, who can also play left-back, is not expected to return from a knee injury until next month at the earliest.

Kane Wilson West Brom

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka will be without a specialist left-back, with injuries taking their toll on his squad.

George Friend (calf), Fabio da Silva (knee) and James Husband (dislocated shoulder) will all be missing at the Hawthorns and Karanka admits someone will have to play out of position to plug the gap.

Goalkeeper Victor Valdes and midfielder Marten de Roon (both hamstring) will also sit out, as will long-term absentee Grant Leadbitter (hernia surgery), although defender Bernardo Espinosa could make the squad after shaking off a knee problem.

 

Manchester City v West Ham

Sunday, 4pm, The Etihad Stadium

New Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will not go straight into the team.

Willy Caballero, who has played the first two league matches, is therefore expected to feature again, even though Joe Hart kept a clean sheet in the midweek Champions League play-off win over Steaua Bucharest.

Striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been cleared of serious injury after being carried off against Steaua, but captain Vincent Kompany, right-back Bacary Sagna and midfielders Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan are not yet fit.

West Ham to follow…