Every week, Daily Fantasy Focus gives you the definitive lowdown on suspension, illness and injury in the Premier League. Here we round up the Hitlist for Gameweek 15.
Arsenal
Next Up: Stoke (H)
Olivier Giroud is back to full health having sat out the Gunners’ 5-1 victory over West Ham in Gameweek 14, however with Alexis Sanchez continuing his superlative form, a starting role may prove elusive for the Frenchman.
Injured: Mertesacker, Debuchy, Cazorla, Welbeck, Sanogo
50/50: Bellerin
Bournemouth
Next Up: Burnley (A)
Junior Stanislas stands out as the main concern for Eddie Howe this coming weekend, the wideman left the field with an ankle injury against Liverpool and is touch and go to start in Gameweek 15.
Injured: Cook, Surman
50/50: Daniels, Stanislas
Burnley
Next Up: Bournemouth (H)
Tom Heaton is back in training but whether or not he is fit enough to reclaim his starting position ahead of Paul Robinson remains very much up in the air.
Injured: Gudmundsson
50/50: Heaton
Chelsea
Next Up: West Bromwich Albion (H)
The primary worries for Antonio Conte going into Gameweek 15 concern star-men Pedro and Diego Costa. The Spain internationals both came off the field with various knocks but in all likelihood should start against West Brom. If not, expect Willian and Batshuayi to take up their respective mantles.
Injured: Terry, Mikel
50/50: Zouma, Matic, Pedro, Costa
Crystal Palace
Next Up: Hull City (A)
The injury hitlist remains much the same for Alan Pardew, but at least Palace can welcome back Yohan Cabaye to the midfield following suspension.
Injured: Mandanda, Souare, Remy, Jonathan Benteke, Wickham
Everton
Next Up: Watford (A)
Yannick Bolasie was dealt a massive blow in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United as he departed the field with an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his right knee and it looks like the winger will miss the rest of the season as a result.
Injured: Pennington, Besic, Bolasie
50/50: Coleman
Hull City
Next Up: Crystal Palace (H)
Things aren’t getting any easier at Hull and their list of injuries and suspensions certainly aren’t helping. The Tigers have a threadbare squad at the best of times but with key goalscorers such as Hernandez and Keane out for much of the Christmas period, victories certainly look thin on the ground.
Injured: Odubajo, Bruce, Luer, Hernandez, Keane
50/50: McGregor, Lenihan, Maloney
Suspended: Mbokani
Leicester City
Next Up: Manchester City (H)
The absences of Foxes’ main men Kasper Schmeichel and Danny Drinkwater through injury and suspension have had major impact on their league form. The current Premier League champions could be handed a boost however if Schmeichel can prove his full fitness ahead of a showdown with Man City on Saturday. The Dane has missed over a month through a fractured hand.
50/50: Schmeichel
Suspended: Drinkwater
Liverpool
Next Up: West Ham United (H)
Phillipe Coutinho is the major long term absence for Liverpool at present but Jurgen Klopp will no doubt be sweating over the fitness of centre-half Joel Matip, who sat out Gameweek 14 with an ankle injury. The Cameroon international is currently touch and go to start at home to West Ham.
Injured: Coutinho, Ings, Sturridge
50/50: Gomez, Matip, Ojo, Mane
Manchester City
Next Up: Leicester City (A)
The starting XI for City this coming Saturday should be markedly different from last week as three core players, Otamendi, Fernandinho and Aguero all serve suspensions. Aguero’s is the longest sentence – 4 games – and was very much justified following his two footed lunge on David Luiz in the dying stages of their defeat to Chelsea last week.
Injured: Kompany
50/50: Sterling
Suspended: Otamendi, Fernadinho, Aguero
Manchester United
Next Up: Tottenham Hotspur (H)
Wayne Rooney returns from suspension as United host Spurs but the club captain is unlikely to reclaim a starting spot straight away. Defensive pair Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling are 50/50 to feature in this fixture.
50/50: Shaw, Smalling
Middlesbrough
Next Up: Southampton (A)
Gaston Ramirez is a slight doubt for the trip away to Southampton as the Uruguayan playmaker nurses a minor foot injury. By all accounts, as their most in-form player at present, Boro need him to start.
Injured: Friend
50/50: Ramirez
Southampton
Next Up: Middlesbrough (H)
Striker Charlie Austin is the most recent Saints player to fall victim to injury. The 27 year old is almost certain to sit out Gameweek 15 having sustained a shoulder injury on Europa League duty.
Injured: McCarthy, Pied, Targett, Hesketh, Tadic
50/50: Reed, Austin
Stoke City
Next Up: Arsenal (A)
Mark Hughes will hope that defensive duo Ryan Shawcross and Bruno Martins Indi will prove themselves fit to face Arsenal away this Saturday. The Stoke City pair currently carry calf and facial injuries respectively.
Injured: Butland, Cameron, Bardsley, Ireland, Afellay
50/50: Shawcross, Martins Indi, Arnautovic
Sunderland
Next Up: Arsenal (A)
Duncan Watmore, Sunderland’s most impressive midfield performer this term, has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee injury. The 22 year old was stretchered off in the Black Cats win over Leicester last Saturday and David Moyes know as the unenviable task of replacing the tireless winger in the starting XI.
Injured: McNair, Rodwell, Gooch, Cattermole, Watmore, Borini
50/50: Denayer, Pienaar
Swansea City
Next Up: Sunderland (H)
Federico Fernandez is a 50/50 shot to make a comeback in Gameweek 15 as the Argentine centre-half seeks to shake off a persistent toe issue. Given that his side shipped five unreplied goals away to Spurs last time out, the sooner he can return the better.
Injured: Ki Sung-yeung
50/50: Fernandez
Tottenham Hotspur
Next Up: Manchester United (A)
Toby Alderweireld could make his long awaited return to the backline having sat out the past seven league games through injury. With a trip away to United on the cards, there’s no bigger stage to make a comeback.
Injured: Davies, Lamela
50/50: Janssen
Watford
Next Up: Evertion (H)
Valon Behrami and Miguel Britos rejoin the available squad following suspension but it’s very much a case of two in, one out for Watford as Roberto Pereyra takes up a seat in the stand through suspension.
Injured: Cathcart, Kenedy
50/50: Kaboul, Janmaat, Mariappa
Suspended: Pereyra
West Bromwich Albion
Next Up: Chelsea (A)
No new injury or suspension worries for Tony Pulis to contend with as West Brom prepare for a trip away to Chelsea.
Injured: Myhill, Berahino
West Ham
Next Up: Liverpool (A)
Not only are the Hammers undergoing a crisis of results at present, but the amount injuries around their squad is starting to weigh heavily. Michail Antonio’s groin injury is not thought to be serious but as West Ham’s primary source of goals this season, his absence could be major in Gameweek 15.
Injured: Byram, Cresswell, Oxford, Tore, Antonio, Sakho
50/50: Collins, Kouyate
