Every Friday, 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 4.
Arsenal
Next Up: Southampton (H)
Despite the purchase of Mustafi to plug Arsenal’s defensive shortcomings, the Gunners are still experiencing something of a crisis across the backline with Mertesacker, Gabriel, Jenkinson and now Nacho Monreal all at various stages of injury. Further still, Calum Chambers has departed to Middlesbrough, leaving some tough selection calls for Arsene Wenger in Gameweek 4.
Injured: Mertesacker, Gabriel, Jenkinson, Ramsey, Welbeck
50/50: Monreal, Iwobi
Bournemouth
Next Up: West Bromwich Albion (H)
Now that Tyrone Mings makes his return from a protracted spell on the sidelines, Eddie Howe and Bournemouth have the comfort of an injury free squad to choose from, going into their game against West Brom this weekend.
Burnley
Next Up: Hull (H)
Striker Ashley Barnes continues to recover from a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out of action until mid-September at the earliest. New signing Jeff Hendrick meanwhile, could be set to make his first ever appearance for the club.
Injured: Barnes
50/50: Marney
Chelsea
Next Up: Swansea (A)
Chelsea are blessed with an almost clean bill of health as they travel to the Liberty Stadium to face Swansea. Kurt Zouma stands out as their only first team absentee.
Injured: Zouma
Crystal Palace
Next Up: Middlesbrough (A)
It’s been a spell of bad fortune for Palace in terms of injuries and it was worsened still by the news that Loic Remy – a new loan arrival from Chelsea – has been ruled out for two months with a thigh muscle strain. The Frenchman joins fellow forward, Frazier Campbell on the hitlist and as a result Palace’s goal threat looks severely curtailed.
Injured: Sako, Cabaye, Remy, Campbell
50/50: McArthur
Everton
Next Up: Sunderland (A)
Seamus Coleman captained his side’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia during the week and should therefore be in line to resume his regular right-back position when Everton take on Sunderland this coming Monday. The Toffees are however, still heavily injury hit in the midfield with McCarthy, Besic and Cleverley all out to various degrees of injury.
Injured: Browning, Pennington, Gibson, McCarthy, Besic
50/50: Cleverley
Hull City
Next Up: Burnley (A)
Hull face fellow promoted side, Burnley in a Saturday fixture but do so while managing a lengthy stack of injuries, with Michael Dawson chief among them. The centre-half isn’t due back from a knee problem until October.
Injured: McGregor, Lenihan, Dawson, Odubajo, Bruce, Luer
50/50: Tymon
Leicester City
Next Up: Liverpool (A)
The Foxes have no new injuries on their list ahead of Gameweek 4 but new signing, Islam Slimani, could make his Premier League debut at Anfield.
Injured: Schlupp, Mendy
Liverpool
Next Up: Leciester City (H)
New goalkeeper Loris Karius is back in action following a broken hand in pre-season but may have to wait some time before ousting Simon Mignolet from the position. At present however, Jurgen Klopp’s most pressing concern lies in defence were Klavan, Sakho, Gomez and even makeshift defender, Emre Can, are all out injured ahead of a tough fight away to champions, Leicester City.
Injured: Klavan, Sakho, Gomez, Can, Ojo
Manchester City
Next Up: Manchester United (A)
The Diego Costa-esque behaviour of Sergio Aguero has rendered the Argentinian suspended for Pep Guardiola’s first Manchester derby, giving the City manager a selection headache to contend with. To make matters a bit trickier, there is no guarantee on the match fitness of Sagna, Gundogan and Leroy Sane.
Injured: Kompany
50/50: Sagna, Gundogan, Sane
Suspended: Sergio Aguero
Manchester United
Next Up: Manchester City (H)
The biggest game of the season so far is on the horizon and Jose Mourinho is left sweating on the fitness of three key men in Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. None of the above have sustained serious injury but all are slight doubts following their involvement over the international break.
50/50: Shaw, Pogba, Lingard, Mkhitaryan
Middlesbrough
Next Up: Crystal Palace (H)
There are no new injury concerns for Aitor Karanka and co, with Fabio and Grant Leadbitter remaining as the only longterm absentees. Meanwhile, Victor Valdes has regained full fitness but whether or not the ex-Barca man can win the number one spot at the Riverside is another question.
Injured: Fabio, Leadbitter
Southampton
Next Up: Arsenal (A)
The Saints new record signing, Sofiane Boufal, is deemed to be lacking in match fitness and therefore is not scheduled to start for his new club for another few weeks at the very least. Defensive duo, Pied and Gardos, are likewise unlikely to feature as Southampton look to gain a tricky first win of the season over Arsenal.
Injured: Pied, Boufal
50/50: Gardos
Stoke City
Next Up: Tottenham Hotspur (H)
Xherdan Shaqiri stands as Stoke’s most high profile absentee having picked up a knee complaint on international duty with Switzerland. Mame Diouf is a 50/50 chance to start but his odds could be even lower following the arrival Wilfried Bony as a late loanee from Manchester City.
Injured: Butland, Shaqiri, Ireland, Afellay
50/50: Johnson, Diouf
Sunderland
Next Up: Everton (H)
Before he travels back to his old Goodison Park stomping ground, David Moyes can welcome the likes of Jan Kirchoff and John O’Shea back into the fray following injury layoffs. He will however struggle in the goalkeeper department with first choice, Vito Mannone, out until December and his understudy Jordan Pickford another potential injury doubt.
Injured: Mannone, Jones, Larsson, Cattermole, Borini
50/50: Pickford
Swansea City
Next Up: Chelsea (H)
Borja Baston could make his Premier League full debut alongside fellow Spaniard, Fernando Llorente, so long as he can prove his fitness before the Swans prepare to host Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.
50/50: Baston
Tottenham Hotspur
Next Up: Stoke City (A)
Son and Hugo Lloris return to action this weekend and Spurs make the trip to the Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke. However, Pochettino’s side will be without the options of Danny Rose and Moussa Dembele who miss out through a hamstring injury and suspension respectively.
Injured: Rose
Suspended: Dembele
Watford
Next Up: West Ham (A)
Watford are aiming to pick up their first win of the season away to West Ham in Gameweek 4 and new manager Walter Mazzarri has the benefit of an almost 100% fit squad to choose from.
50/50: Cathcart, Dja Djedge
West Bromwich Albion
Next Up: Bournemouth (A)
There have been inner grumblings between Tony Pulis and his board over transfer funds and market activity but from an injury point of view, the only starting player unavailable to the Baggies is captain, Chris Brunt who remains some way of a return from an ACL knee injury.
Injured: Brunt
50/50: Leko
West Ham
Next Up: Watford (H)
Slaven Bilic is trying to juggle and tinker with one of the most injury plagued squads in the league. Andre Ayew is perhaps the highest profile casualty as he remains out of action until November with a thighstrain. There are positives for the Hammers however, as key duo Lanzini and Payet return to full fitness before their clash with Watford.
Injured: Cresswell, Ayew, Sakho, Carroll
50/50: Reid, Feghouli
There’s over £3000 worth of Guaranteed Pots to be won this weekend on PlayON. Enter your teams for Gameweek 4 now.