FPL injury news: Timber, Munoz, Rice, Gabriel, Gakpo, Mateta latest for GW16 | Football | Sport
It’s nearly time for another weekend of Premier League action, with fixtures coming thick and fast as we enter the Christmas period. The long-awaited Tyne-Wear derby is the pick of the bunch as Sunderland host bitter rivals Newcastle on Sunday afternoon. All 20 teams will be in action over the next three days but many top players are fielding injury concerns, presenting a dilemma for FPL managers.
Express Sport provides a helping hand with a list of popular picks who might not be available for Gameweek 16…
Jurrien Timber
Arsenal could be without Timber for the second game in a row when they face struggling Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. The defender missed the Champions League victory over Club Brugge in midweek after picking up a knock in last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa.
Mikel Arteta was quizzed on Timber’s fitness on Friday and confirmed that he was a doubt to play against Wolves. However, there remains a chance that he could be involved in some capacity.
“Depends how he feels today,” said Arteta. “It was a knock that he picked [up] and he wasn’t feeling comfortable. Again, I think it’s matter of days. Whether it’s tomorrow or not we will see.”
Daniel Munoz
Crystal Palace will have a find a way to replace Munoz after he was ruled out with a medium-term knee injury. He will need surgery and is expected to be sidelined for between four and six weeks.
Oliver Glasner said the club would have to be careful with the 29-year-old’s return to fitness, but admitted the injury didn’t look overly serious.
He said: “The prognosis is four to six weeks that he should be ready to play. But again, when you have to undergo surgery, you never know. I had a few in my career, so that’s why we are always a little bit cautious, but it doesn’t look so serious.”
Declan Rice
The midfielder missed Arsenal’s victory over Brugge due to illness but there is hope that he will recover in time to play against Wolves.
Quizzed on Rice’s fitness, Arteta said: “Let’s see how it is today. Obviously he was ill, that’s an illness. Normally in a few days it gets resolved. We have to wait how far he can push.”
As things stand, almost one in four FPL players have Rice in their team and they will be forced to gamble on his availability this weekend.
Gabriel Magalhaes
The defender has been sidelined since the November international break, when he picked up an injury during Brazil’s victory over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium.
He is expected to remain on the treatment table until late December at the earliest and it is not out of the question that he will be out until the New Year.
Arteta’s latest update on Gabriel came at the start of this month, when he said: “Big Gabi is doing very well, but that’s weeks as well.”
Cody Gakpo
Liverpool will be without Gakpo when they go in search of a much-needed Premier League victory against Brighton and Hove Albion.
The winger missed the midweek Champions League game against Inter Milan and could be sidelined for a while, although Arne Slot has refused to put an exact timeframe on his recovery.
Speaking on Friday, the Reds manager only said that Gakpo would be out for ‘weeks’.
Jean-Philippe Mateta
Crystal Palace are hopeful of having the Frenchman available against Manchester City this weekend after he missed the Conference League victory over Shelbourne in midweek.
Quizzed on his fitness ahead of the game in Ireland, Glasner said: “He came back with a minor injury from the French national team. We had to manage his knee the whole time. There’s always a little bit of swelling and he just didn’t feel well, so he stayed at home.
“No, we don’t [think that Mateta will be out longer] but then I also hoped that Dani [Munoz] just misses a couple of days. So, the plan is that JP returns to training on Friday and then he should be available.”
