Saka, Guimarães & Watkins: Latest FPL injury news for Gameweek 25 before Arsenal take on Sunderlandplaceholder image
Saka, Guimarães & Watkins: Latest FPL injury news for Gameweek 25 before Arsenal take on Sunderland | Getty Images
FPL injury news for Gameweek 25 - including the latest updates on Bukayo Saka.
Another Fantasy Premier League deadline approaches at pace, and could catch quite a few players off guard. Everyone needs to make all their transfers by 18:30 GMT on Friday before Leeds face Nottingham Forest in an evening kick-off – the first early deadline in some time, and one which could prove tricky to navigate thanks to several major injury worries.
Bukayo Saka is a doubt after sustaining an injury in the warm-up before Arsenal’s game last weekend, and he’s joined by the likes of Bruno Guimarães, Ollie Watkins and Rayan Cherki on the list of key FPL assets who could miss minutes in Gameweek 25.
With decision time fast approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest FPL injury updates below – and while we’re publishing this before most of the managers’ pre-match press conferences given the early deadline, we’ll update everything this afternoon once we have more information. Check back then if you want to be certain before you make your transfers.
Bukayo Saka, Bruno Guimarães & Ollie Watkins among doubts for FPL Gameweek 25
Bukayo Saka: The Arsenal winger appeared to pick up a groin strain while warming up before the win over Leeds, and while Mikel Arteta moved to play down concerns that it was a serious injury, he missed the EFL Cup tie against Chelsea on Tuesday and is a serious doubt for this weekend.
Some reports suggest that he could be out until the North London Derby in a fortnight’s time – but that remains unconfirmed, with Arteta yet to give a clear-cut timeline for Saka’s return. We don’t expect him to play against Sunderland, but could be proven wrong.
Jurriën Timber: Saka’s fitness isn’t the only cause for concern at the Emirates. The Evening Standard report that Timber, among the most widely-owned FPL defenders this season, missed training on Thursday due to an unknown injury problem. We’ll need to learn more from Arteta before we can forecast whether he plays or not – not that Arteta ever gives us all the information we need.
Martin Ødegaard & Mikel Merino: Ødegaard isn’t nailed on for minutes right now after a run of disappointing form and should probably not be a player you sign this weekend anyway, but we expect him to play after a “little niggle” which he sustained against Leeds. Merino certainly won’t be involved – he could miss most or all of the season due to a stress fracture on his foot.
Bruno Guimarães & Anthony Gordon: Moving on from Arsenal players, Eddie Howe told the media on Friday that midfielder Bruno was “getting closer” and that he had his “fingers crossed” that he could be involved this weekend. Winger Gordon, meanwhile, is definitely out, although the timeline for his comeback from a hamstring injury remains uncertain. You’ll certainly want to sell him if you have him in your team, though.
Ollie Watkins: The Aston Villa striker sustained a minor hamstring injury against RB Salzburg recently but local media reports suggest that he will travel with Unai Emery’s squad for the game against Bournemouth this weekend. It’s not clear whether he’ll be fit enough to play a full 90 minutes, but he should be involved in some capacity.
Rayan Cherki & Rúben Dias: A knock restricted Cherki to a brief second-half cameo against Newcastle in midweek, but the yellow flag next to his name on the FPL app is mildly melodramatic – he may not be fit enough for a full match but he should be in the squad. Defender Dias will be back soon after returning to training, with there being some chance that he’s involved this weekend.
Chelsea & Nottingham Forest stars also among Fantasy injury concerns
Pedro Neto & Reece James: Both winger Neto and Chelsea captain James will face late fitness tests this weekend, with Liam Rosenior’s comments during the week suggesting that both players had every chance of being involved against Wolves on Saturday. We expect Cole Palmer to start, as well.
Matz Sels & Callum Hudson-Odoi: The Forest pair will also be the subject of late decisions, according to Sean Dyche, with Sels still said to be “a bit sore” but having “a chance” of playing on Friday night in the potential six-pointer against Leeds. Hudson-Odoi has a minor but “painful” shoulder injury to work through. Both doubts.
Anton Stach: A few FPL players have taken a chance on Leeds’ unexpected playmaking hero, but Stach will miss the next two matches (at least) thanks to a hip problem. Good news for Forest, bad news for players who gambled on the midfielder.
Rodrigo Muniz: A useful budget asset in the past, Fulham forward Muniz has been out for a while and hasn’t been on too many FPL players’ minds as a result – but he’s been back in training for over a week and could make the bench this weekend. Not a player we’d advocate for signing as it stands, but it’s worth being aware of his return as a potential budget differential down the stretch.
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