Premier League team news: Palmer boost, Liverpool double blow and Man Utd injury concerns

Premier League team news takes centre stage as club football returns from the international break, with Chelsea welcoming back key players and Liverpool losing two forwards before Manchester City’s visit.

Cole Palmer and João Pedro are available for Chelsea, while Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo will miss Liverpool’s meeting with the league leaders. Manchester United have fresh injury problems before hosting Tottenham, although Spurs have received encouraging defensive news.

Here is the latest across all 20 clubs ahead of the fixtures from Saturday 10 October to Monday 12 October. Players returning to training are not necessarily ready to start, and the assessments below reflect the information available on Friday afternoon.

For broadcast details, visit our football on TV guide.

Arsenal vs Leeds: Rice assessment and two confirmed absences

Saturday, 12.30pm BST

Arsenal: William Saliba and Christos Tzolis will miss the Leeds game. Mikel Arteta expects Tzolis to be sidelined for several weeks with a muscle injury, according to Friday’s press-conference update.

Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa have also required assessment following fitness concerns. They should not be grouped with the confirmed absentees: Arteta still has decisions to make before naming his side.

Leeds: Daniel James is out with a back problem and Joe Rodon remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. Harry Wilson’s fitness is another consideration, although Daniel Farke has reported progress from Wilson and Jean-Mattéo Bahoya.

Rodon has undertaken individual work, but that is a step towards returning rather than confirmation he can play.

🗣️ Mikel Arteta on Declan Rice:

"We have to manage him because he's had a few issues since he came back from the World Cup. Hopefully tomorrow he's available, and some others are also in doubt." [@RyanTaylorSport] 🤞 pic.twitter.com/MPTFNwUGcu

— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) October 9, 2026

Aston Villa vs Brentford: Goretzka must wait

Saturday, 3pm BST

Aston Villa: Leon Goretzka has returned to group training but will not face Brentford. Unai Emery says the midfielder is moving closer to his first Villa appearance, with a possible debut next week.

Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen remain injury concerns, while Pau Torres and Brian Madjo have been working towards returns. Emery must balance those recoveries with the demands of the coming fixtures.

Brentford: Mikkel Damsgaard is expected to miss the trip after an ankle injury on Denmark duty. Sports Mole’s team-news assessment also identifies decisions over Nathan Collins and Mathias Jensen.

Their involvement should remain provisional until Keith Andrews confirms his matchday squad.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Palmer and João Pedro available

Saturday, 3pm BST

Chelsea: Xabi Alonso has confirmed Palmer, João Pedro, Reece James and Moisés Caicedo are available after their recent fitness problems.

That gives Chelsea greater choice in midfield and attack, although availability does not mean all four are certain starters. Jamie Gittens remains out with an ankle injury, as detailed in Alonso’s latest update.

Bournemouth: Alex Scott will miss the game after suffering a thigh injury while away with England. Marco Rose has put his expected absence at four to five weeks.

Junior Kroupi, Julián Araujo and Justin Kluivert also feature among Bournemouth’s injury concerns. Amine Adli, David Brooks and Veljko Milosavljevic have required assessment and should not all be described as definitively ruled out.

Ipswich vs Fulham: Fatawu suspended, Cairney back training

Saturday, 3pm BST

Ipswich: Abdul Fatawu is suspended, leaving Gary O’Neil with a decision over his wide attacking options. Jack Taylor’s readiness remains another consideration.

Ipswich’s final selection will show whether O’Neil reshuffles the attack or makes a direct replacement for Fatawu.

Fulham: Tom Cairney has returned to full training, but the match could come too soon for him. Fulham’s pre-match update offers encouragement without guaranteeing his involvement.

Kenny Tete is also returning from a concussion-related absence. His availability could influence the balance of Fulham’s defence.

Sunderland vs Brighton: Ballard out, Dunk returns

Saturday, 3pm BST

Sunderland: Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey are unavailable through injury, affecting Régis Le Bris’ options at both ends of the pitch. Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle have also been sidelined.

Ballard’s absence is particularly significant against a Brighton attack that has started the season strongly.

Brighton: Lewis Dunk and Jack Hinshelwood are available, according to Fabian Hürzeler’s latest update carried by Sky Sports.

That supersedes the earlier position that Hinshelwood was still being assessed. Brighton’s selection still requires care elsewhere, with several players having worked through fitness problems during the break.

Man Utd vs Tottenham: Carrick loses three players

Saturday, 5.30pm BST

Manchester United: Patrick Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui and Benjamin Šeško will miss the Tottenham match. Dorgu faces several weeks out.

Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad have completed some training, but Michael Carrick has stopped short of guaranteeing their involvement. Carlos Baleba has trained more extensively as he moves towards his United debut.

Tottenham: Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke are available following their international injury scares, easing Roberto De Zerbi’s defensive concerns.

Their returns create alternatives to the makeshift combinations considered earlier in the week. Spurs still have other fitness issues, so the availability of the Dutch pair does not mean a fully fit squad.

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest: Sarr boost for Palace

Sunday, 2pm BST

Crystal Palace: Ismaïla Sarr and Anan Khalaili are available, Pierre Sage has confirmed. Both had appeared on earlier injury lists, making this a significant change before Forest’s visit.

Jean-Philippe Mateta and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain unavailable. Palace therefore gain attacking width without recovering every option through the middle.

Nottingham Forest: Nikola Milenković has been working towards this fixture, with Oliver Glasner previously expressing confidence he would be available. Nicolò Savona’s knee problem remains a fitness concern.

Forest’s final squad will establish which defensive options Glasner can use on his return to Selhurst Park.

Hull vs Everton: Gelhardt minutes and Mykolenko hope

Sunday, 2pm BST

Hull: Joe Gelhardt has played and scored in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Sheffield United, alongside Lucas Gourna-Douath.

Those minutes are encouraging after his ankle problem, although a friendly appearance does not guarantee a Premier League start. Ilyas Ansah’s back issue remains part of Hull’s injury picture.

Everton: David Moyes is hopeful Vitaliy Mykolenko can feature after returning to training earlier than expected.

His readiness matters to Everton’s options at left-back. The latest update offers a potential boost, rather than grounds to describe the visitors as having no fitness concerns.

Liverpool vs Man City: Isak and Gakpo miss Anfield clash

Sunday, 4.30pm BST

Liverpool: Andoni Iraola has ruled out Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo. Isak has a thigh problem, while Gakpo is dealing with an ankle injury.

The double absence forces Liverpool to reconsider their attacking selection for one of the weekend’s biggest games. Read our Liverpool injury update for more on the forwards.

Manchester City: Erling Haaland is fit and available, Enzo Maresca has confirmed. That resolves the concern surrounding the striker following international duty and gives City their principal attacking option at Anfield.

Coventry vs Newcastle: Returns possible for both clubs

Monday, 8pm BST

Coventry: Milan van Ewijk and Kaine Kesler-Hayden are back training. Frank Lampard hopes Van Ewijk can be involved if he comes through the remaining preparations.

Josh Eccles, Haji Wright, Luke Woolfenden and Aurèle Amenda remain on different recovery timelines. Lampard does not expect Wright back before November at the earliest.

Newcastle: Matthias Jaissle hopes to recover three or four of the nine players who missed the Hull match. Nico González and Joelinton are among those moving towards involvement.

Ewen Jaouen faces around two months out with a hamstring injury, according to Jaissle’s pre-match briefing. Monday’s kick-off gives Newcastle extra preparation time before their final selection.