Team News: Predicted Lineups | FPL Gameweek 20

FPL GW20 predicted lineups and team news from all Premier League clubs from injury guru Ben Dinnery ahead of the upcoming Gameweek. They will be regularly updated throughout and following the press conferences.

 

Arsenal

We won't read too much into the side chosen by Mikel Arteta for the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Southampton. Bernd Leno, Rob Holding, Granit Xhaka and Cedric Soares were the only players to retain their places as the Gunners made seven changes from the win over Newcastle. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was omitted from the squad altogether due to a last-minute personal issue, and Arteta was unable to guarantee the captains availability. "He needs to address that issue and see how it evolves. We're here to support him, and he needs to take the time that is needed because that's a priority at the moment." Willian looks to be the obvious replacement should he miss out, but the Brazilian is a shadow of the player that lit up Stamford Bridge before his departure. Hector Bellerin was withdrawn before the hour mark at St Marys' suggesting the full-back could be in line for a recall after being rested on Monday.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

Mikel Arteta was unable to give any guarantees on the availability of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who was pulled from the FA Cup squad on Saturday at the last-minute. "Of course it will be a problem [if he misses out] because he is a top striker and he is our captain, a really important player in the team. But we have to respect the timings, let’s see - I don’t have enough information to see how things are evolving and hopefully, things will go in the right direction." The Gunners boss moved quickly to ease concerns that Martinelli had suffered another setback. "He was fine; it was a tactical decision [for him to come off]. He has missed a few training sessions with the last [ankle] injury, but I expect big things from Gabi. He has been really helpful since he joined again after such a long period." Pablo Mari is a definite absentee, but there was no update shared on Dani Ceballos.

Pending Evaluation 

• Kieran Tierney (calf) - Managing an ongoing issue which is being checked. Faces a late fitness test.

Ruled Out

• Pablo Mari (calf) - Expected to return late-January /early-February.
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (personal) - Mikel Arteta would not be drawn on specifics. The captain is out of tonights' game.
• Dani Ceballos (calf) - The Spaniard is training but Tuesday night comes too soon.

Banned

--

Return to Competition

--

Aston Villa

Once again Dean Smith kept changes to a minimum as the Villains took on Newcastle in a re-arranged fixture as part of DGW 19. John McGinn - missing after receiving his fifth caution of the campaign - was replaced by Marvellous Nakamba while Matty Targett was also named in the XI despite departing early at the Etihad due to fatigue. El Ghazi was in excellent form in the absence of Ross Barkley and can feel a little aggrieved that his minutes have been limited since the fixtures resumed. Villa have three days to recover before heading to Turf Moor.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

A foot injury will keep Kortney Hause out of the Burnley trip. "He’s due to go for a scan, I believe," Dean Smith confirmed on Tuesday. John McGinn is back in contention after serving a one-match ban, and the midfielder will be pushing for a recall at the expense of Nakamba.

Pending Evaluation

--

Ruled Out 

• Wesley (ACL knee) - Building strength and introducing some ball work. A potential return in early 2021.
• Kortney Hause (foot) - Likely to be a few weeks: "We're just trying to get to the bottom of that at the moment."

Banned

--

Return to Competition

• John McGinn - Served a one-match ban in the FA Cup.

 

Brighton and Hove Albion

As expected, Graham Potter shuffled his pack in the FA Cup, but the Seagulls still had enough to off their League One counterparts despite the six changes. Brighton enjoyed an excellent win at Elland Road in GW19, and I wouldn't expect much change for the visit of relegation rivals Fulham. Maybe the only surprise from that game was the absence of Yves Bissouma from the starting XI - the midfield enforcer was restricted to minutes from the bench following his return from suspension.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

Adam Lallana "needs some time to train and get his strength back" following a period on the sidelines with illness, so while a start seems unlikely against Fulham, he could return to the bench. Aaron Connolly has been working for the last few days, and he has a "chance", but it is too soon for Danny Welbeck, Tariq Lamptey and Alireza Jahanbakhsh who remain absent.

Pending Evaluation

• Aaron Connolly (hamstring) - Making good progress and rejoined the group in training on Friday.
• Adam Lallana (illness) - Feeling a lot better, but will need to train to build strength before returning to the squad.
• Jakub Moder (fitness) - Getting up to speed following his arrival from Polish side Lech Poznan. Assessed GW-to-GW.

Ruled Out 

• Jose Izquierdo (thigh) - Back on the training pitches and will build up game time with the under-23s.
• Florin Andone (ACL) - Making good progress with a possible return in February or March.
• Tariq Lamptey (hamstring) - Recurrence of a recent problem which will set the defender back at least another two weeks.
• Danny Welbeck (knee) - Progress is slower than initially thought and will probably be a couple of weeks more.
• Alireza Jahanbakhsh (ankle) - The winger should be fit by mid-February.
• Jason Steele (illness) - The goalkeeper has been sidelined since his heroics in the FA Cup third round.

Banned

--

Return to Competition

--

 

Burnley

The Clarets secured the most unlikely of wins at Anfield on Thursday evening to compound Liverpool's woes, and Sean Dyche is expected to stick with more/less the same line-up. Charlie Taylor is the only player currently flagged as a doubt with what looked like a recurrence of his recent hamstring injury. Burnley travel to Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday, and the game should allow Jack Cork, Jay Rodriguez and Dale Stephens to build fitness after a recent spell on the sidelines.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

Charlie Taylor is rated as "touch and go" after tweaking his hamstring at Anfield last week. Erik Pieters will continue to deputise should the left-back miss out again. Robbie Brady faces a late fitness test after picking up a knock in the same game, and if he fails to recover, then Johann Berg Gudmundsson is available after coming through the FA Cup win at Fulham unscathed. Josh Brownhill, who was left on the bench as a precaution, is fine.

Pending Evaluation

• Charlie Taylor (hamstring) - Suffered a setback on his return at Anfield. 50-50 chance.
• Robbie Brady (knock) - Faces a late fitness test.

Ruled Out 

--

Banned

--

Return to Competition

--

 

Chelsea

With only one league win in five - against ten-man Fulham - the pressure on Frank Lampard is beginning to mount. Most of the criticism seems to be levelled at his apparent inability to know his strongest XI with Timo Werner and Kai Havertz failing to live up to their hype while Hakim Ziyech hasn't looked the same since his return from injury. Kurt Zouma has been dropped in recent games, somewhat surprisingly, favouring Antonio Rudiger as Lampard felt his side needed a big personality during this difficult period. It has not changed the fortunes of his side. A cup tie against Luton Town may shed some light on Chelsea's midweek line-up and given recent form; the Blues could go strong to get a victory and a much-needed confidence boost.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference 

--

Pending Evaluation

• N'Golo Kante (hamstring) - Working individually with the physios. Lampard is hopeful of a return next week, but I suspect Wednesday may come too soon.

Ruled Out

--

Banned

--

Return to Competition

--

 

Crystal Palace

Forget the City result that could happen to most teams on any given day and without their two key players, taking anything from the Etihad looked a tall order. However, Palace should be back up to full strength with Wilfried Zaha returning to the training pitches and Cheikhou Kouyate hopefully back after a late withdrawal due to personal reasons. Tyrick Mitchell looks to have the nod over Patrick van Aanholt for now as Roy Hodgson opts for a more conservative full-back with Eze offering an attacking outlet down the left. James McArthur is the big call and with James Tomkins and Gary Cahill partnered in defence, Kouyate is likely to line-up alongside the skipper Luka Milivojevic.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

Roy Hodgson reveals Wilfried Zaha has recovered from a knee injury. "We hope to see the best of him tomorrow." However, James Tomkins is ruled out following an "accident" in training. "Otherwise, there are no new injuries on top of the ones already out.” Confirmed absentees - Jeffrey Schlupp, Connor Wickham, and Wayne Hennessey - who is back on the training pitches. Nathan Ferguson and Mamadou Sakho are recovering well. There was no mention of Cheikhou Kouyate - who missed the City game for personal reasons - but he should be in the squad. New signing Jean-Philippe Mateta has impressed since his arrival, but the Frenchman will not be involved. "We chased him for a period of time. We're hoping he'll do as well as we anticipate he can. A few visa problems to sort out, but that would have been too soon to put him in any way. He's tall, athletic likes to run and get in behind the defence. We think he's the type of player who will adapt very well to the Premier League. Obviously, it's going to be a challenge, but he certainly comes with a very good pedigree and attitude."

Pending Evaluation

• Wilfried Zaha (knee) - Roy Hodgson confirms the Eagles star man will return.
• Cheikhou Kouyate (personal) - No mention but he is expected back after missing the City game.

Ruled Out

• Nathan Ferguson (thigh) - Setback after rejoining the group. Awaiting the results of his MRI.
• Connor Wickham (Muscle) - Suffered a significant setback. Out long-term.
• Wayne Hennessey (Undisclosed) - Back on the training pitches.
• Martin Kelly (calf) - No definitive timeline on the defenders return.
• Mamadou Sakho (thigh) - Suffered a strain in the FA Cup. Hodgson will not be drawn on a timeline, but media reports suggest around 2-3 months.
• Jeffrey Schlupp (hamstring) - Set for a significant spell on the sidelines. Months as opposed to weeks.
• James Tomkins (undisclosed) - Injured in training on the eve of GW20.
• Jean-Phillipe Mateta (visa) - A few issues with his paperwork, but too soon anyway.

Banned

--

Return to Competition

• Cheikhou Kouyate - Missed the loss to Manchester City due to personal reasons.

 

Everton

Sunday should give an indication towards which way Carlo Ancelotti will go against Leicester. There was a slight change in formation (GW18) which saw Lucas Ligne play in an advanced role (4-4-2); however, this was partly due to the absence of Richarlison. Now fully fit, I'd expect to see a more familiar 4-2-3-1 set-up with Ben Godfrey slipping out of the side, although if there are any issues in the FA Cup, then the versatile defender is more than capable of slotting in elsewhere. Leading goal scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin should return on Sunday, and I would expect a 60-70 minute run out on his comeback from a hamstring injury.

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

Carlo Ancelotti confirms Lucas Digne and Alex Iwobi are fit and available for Leicester City's visit at Goodison Park. Both players missed Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round victory over Sheffield Wednesday due to unspecified problems. Allan, Fabian Delph (both hamstring), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Achilles) and Niels Nkounkou remain in the Toffees treatment room - Abdoulaye Doucoure is ruled out after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season at Wolves. Ancelotti admits that he is open to Mason Holgate playing in midfield, which frees up the right-back slot for either Seamus Coleman or Ben Godfrey.

Pending Evaluation 

• Alex Iwobi (undisclosed) - Missed out in the FA Cup but Ancelotti confirmed he would return to face Leicester.
• Lucas Digne (undisclosed) - Missed out in the FA Cup but Ancelotti confirmed he would return to face Leicester.

Ruled Out

• Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Achilles) - Assessed day-to-day. No pressure on the midfielder given the amount of time he has missed.
• Fabian Delph (hamstring) - Currently sidelined with no timeline on a return.
• Allan (hamstring) - The Brazilian midfielder will be back in contention by early February.
• Niels Nkounkou (hamstring) - Ruled out of the FA Cup with no timeframe on a potential return.

Banned

• Abdoulaye Doucoure - Serves a one-match suspension after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season in the 2-1 win at Wolves.

Return to Competition

--

 

Fulham

 

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

"No new injury concerns have come out of the recent fixtures," Scott Parker told reporters on Tuesday. "We're just trying to repair the tired bodies." Antonee Robinson serves the final game of his ban.

Pending Evaluation

--

Ruled Out

• Tom Cairney (knee) - Managing a "slight" problem. No timeline, but won't be "too much longer."
• Terence Kongolo (hamstring) - Injured in training and won't be back until next month.

Banned

• Antonee Robinson - Final game of a three-match ban.

Return to Competition

--

 

Leeds United

 

Predicted lineup

Press Conference 

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has "resolved" his health issues to give Marcelo Bielsa a huge boost ahead of Tuesday nights' trip to Newcastle. "There is no new [injury] news." Adam Forshaw remains out, but the Leeds boss feels the midfielder isn't too far away. "He hasn’t played for over a year now, and the medical decisions taken recently make us think he will play again in the not-to-distant future. He is a professional who looks after his health very much. That’s why I think as soon as these injury problems are resolved, I think he will be able to compete very quickly." Gaetano Berardi has stepped up his recovery, and the Swiss defender is expected to start training with the group soon. Diego Llorente has been building minutes with the under-23s, but Robin Koch is out until March.

Pending Evaluation

• Illan Meslier (illness) - Back on the training pitches and available for Tuesday.

Ruled Out

• Adam Forshaw (hip) - Bielsa reveals the midfielder will build fitness and confidence with the U23s before rejoining the first team.
• Gaetano Berardi (ACL knee) - Hopeful of rejoining the group on the training pitches soon.
• Robin Koch (knee surgery) - Initial timeline indicates a return to play around February or March 2021.

Banned

--

Return to Competition

• Kalvin Phillips - Back after serving a one-match ban.

 

Leicester City

 

Predicted lineup

Press Conference

Leicester have no fresh injury concerns following the FA Cup victory at Brentford. Jamie Vardy is sidelined following surgery to address a long-standing hip problem. However, the striker shouldn't be out for too long with a potential return-to-play in early February. Dennis Praet and Wes Morgan are the only others missing. "The boys are coming through well. Christian Fuchs has been training; he’s not been involved so much of late because of the other boys are returning." Brendan Rodgers believes Ayoze Perez is "probably" best suited to the central role in the absence of their top goal scorer. "He’s been a very important player for us. He’s trained very well with great purpose. He will score goals; he’s a natural goalscorer. He hasn’t featured as much this season. He'll play a really pivotal role. Whether it’s him, Kelechi, or someone else, the responsibility for goals is the team."

Pending Evaluation

--

Ruled Out

• Dennis Praet (hamstring) - Ruled out for around three months after he overstretched late on in the FA Cup.
• Jamie Vardy (hernia) - Rodgers feels the striker will be back with a "few weeks" following surgery to remedy a minor issue.
• Wes Morgan (back) - Hoping to return in early February.

Banned

--

Return to Competition

--

 

Liverpool

 

Predicted lineup

Press Conference 

--

Pending Evaluation

• Jordan Henderson (muscle) - Described as a minor muscle issue. Expect an update from Jurgen Klopp on Sunday.

Ruled Out

• Virgil van Dijk (ACL knee) - Hoping to return before the end of the season following reconstructive surgery.
• Joe Gomez (knee surgery) - Likely to be season over after suffering a non-contact patellar tendon rupture during England training.
• Diogo Jota (knee) - No surgery required but the Portuguese star could still be sidelined for up to 8 weeks.
• Naby Keita (muscle) - Klopp insists the midfielder will not be rushed back. Important to get him "right" following several setbacks.

Banned

--

Return to Competition

--

 

Manchester City

Saturday almost produced the shock of the competition with City trailing heading into the final ten minutes. However, three late goals saw the Premier League side into the FA Cup fifth-round draw. Phil Foden was the only survivor from the win over Villa, and given the lacklustre performance, City could revert to a similar line-up. Of course, Kevin De Bruyne is injured, and with Foden playing 90 minutes in consecutive games, that is a slight worry. Bernardo would be the likely benefactor, or the Portugal international could even start as a false 9 with Gabriel Jesus making way.

 

Predicted lineup