Premier League injury update following the international break as Arsenal and Liverpool face challenges

Premier League injury update following the international break as Arsenal and Liverpool face challenges

The last international break of the season has concluded, allowing all 20 Premier League teams an uninterrupted schedule until May. However, the recent global matches have introduced new injury worries.

Several Premier League players contributed to their national teams’ successes in World Cup qualifying and UEFA Nations League competitions.

Unfortunately, some experienced injuries that may sideline them when league play resumes in April, following this weekend’s FA Cup fixtures.

Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori sustained a concerning injury late in Italy’s Nations League clash with Germany, while Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest exited the match against New Caledonia, which secured the All Whites’ World Cup spot.

Additionally, Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer withdrew from their national teams before the matches began.

On a more positive note, there is optimism for several clubs, as key players—some who have been sidelined since before the new year—are expected to make their return in early April.

With crucial decisions to be made in the final nine weeks of the season, player fitness is increasingly vital.

Here, Mirror Football examines the current injury status for all 20 clubs.

Bukayo Saka has been out of action since December due to hamstring surgery, but the England international is nearing a comeback.

Mirror Football reports that the 23-year-old aims to return for the match against Real Madrid on April 8, although some of his teammates will still be unavailable.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu will not return this season, while Riccardo Calafiori is undergoing tests for a knee injury, with no updates available at the time of this report. Arsenal’s upcoming match against Fulham may see the return of Jurrien Timber, who has been recovering from illness, and Raheem Sterling is back in contention after being ineligible to play against his parent club Chelsea in the previous match.

Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins was substituted at halftime during Villa’s Champions League win over Club Brugge and subsequently missed England’s World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. He may be available for Villa’s FA Cup match against Preston, where Ross Barkley could also make his first appearance since January following calf issues.

Bournemouth

Ahead of the international break, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola mentioned that Julian Araujo and Marcos Senesi are nearing a return. “They’ve visited the surgeon in Finland, are progressing well, and have begun training with us,” he stated.

Chelsea

Chelsea is optimistic about having Cole Palmer back after he missed England’s recent matches. Manager Enzo Maresca noted, “Last week, he had a minor issue, and unfortunately, he faced another slight problem yesterday. We believe he will be ready to rejoin us after the international break,” after confirming Palmer’s absence from the last league match against Arsenal.

Fulham

Fulham will be without Reiss Nelson for the rest of the season, but other players are nearing their return. Sasa Lukic is set to play in the FA Cup on Saturday after serving a suspension, while Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson are expected to return in April.

Liverpool

Ryan Gravenberch missed the Netherlands’ Nations League matches against Spain due to injury but may be fit to face Everton.

Alisson is also anticipated to be available despite sustaining an injury from a collision with Colombia’s Davinson Sanchez while on international duty with Brazil.

Jarell Quansah may need to continue playing as a right-back in the upcoming derby, as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, and Joe Gomez remain unavailable.

Arne Slot anticipates that the trio will return before the season concludes, although they are expected to be sidelined for a few more weeks.

For Manchester City, Rodri is optimistic about participating in the Club World Cup, but a return before that event seems unlikely. Nathan Ake’s availability for the end-of-season tournament is also in question.

Bernardo Silva is expected to be fit despite playing only 18 minutes in the last league match, as he recently completed 120 minutes for Portugal against Denmark.

Ederson is likely to return following an abdominal injury, but John Stones and Manuel Akanji are not expected to be back until late April or early May at the earliest.

Oscar Bobb has resumed training after recovering from a broken leg and may be able to contribute in the final matches of the season, although no specific return date has been announced.

At Manchester United, Harry Maguire was close to making a comeback against his former team, Leicester, and could have been available for England had Thomas Tuchel chosen to include him.

He is expected to return to the pitch against Nottingham Forest on April 1, with Leny Yoro and Patrick Dorgu also in line to play after recovering from injury and suspension, respectively.

Ayden Heaven narrowly avoided a serious injury during the match against Leicester, where he was carried off on a stretcher, but he may still need some time to recover.

The young player expressed his gratitude for the support on Instagram, stating, “Thank you guys for all the support! I have read all your messages, and I’m doing really well and recovering fast.”

Ruben Amorim is uncertain about the return timeline for Kobbie Mainoo, but he could be back in April. Meanwhile, Luke Shaw and Amad are both expected to feature before the season ends.

However, Lisandro Martinez’s season is concluded, and there is no definitive update on fringe players Altay Bayindir and Jonny Evans following their recent absences.

Anthony Gordon missed the Carabao Cup final due to suspension and subsequently sustained an injury while on international duty.

“He left the camp with a significant bruise around his hip area, and the pain was so severe that he struggled to walk,” said national team manager Thomas Tuchel.

“He requires some time to recover and improve. That’s why he departed from the camp. It’s unfortunate because he had a strong opportunity to start, and I’m disappointed that he is now sidelined.”

The match against Brentford on April 2 may come too early for Gordon, while Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are not anticipated to return until May due to knee injuries.

Additionally, Lewis Hall will be unavailable until next season after undergoing foot surgery.

In Nottingham Forest news, Chris Wood is in a waiting period after suffering a hip injury from an awkward fall while representing New Zealand.

“That’s where the pain is currently,” he stated to RNZ (via the Nottingham Post). “I felt it on that side, so I’ll have it examined and hopefully it’s nothing serious, just a result of impact.”