João Pedro still needs a late decision. Phil Foden is suspended. Pedro Porro, meanwhile, has had a more encouraging update than the one Spurs gave earlier in the week.
The FPL Gameweek 5 deadline is Friday 18 September at 18:30 BST, or 23:00 IST, ahead of Brentford against Chelsea. Check the official deadline.
Early-Friday edition: News was checked at 02:02 BST (06:32 IST) on 18 September. This article covers Thursday’s six GW5 press conferences. For the other 14 clubs, it uses the latest midweek comments and selection news; their Friday updates are not included yet.
What did managers say in Thursday’s GW5 press conferences?
Quick answer: João Pedro and Reece James face Friday decisions at Chelsea. Anthony Elanga, Amar Dedić, Jacob Ramsey and Nico González are out for Newcastle. Forest could recover Jair Cunha, while Coventry and Hull have fresh defensive absences.
Chelsea: João Pedro and James face late decisions
Xabi Alonso has left João Pedro and Reece James in contention for Brentford. Chelsea will assess their players after Friday’s final training session. Alonso did not identify Pedro’s injury or confirm that he would start.
Moisés Caicedo is closer to returning, while decisions on Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson will also come on Friday.
There is little reason to rush a Pedro transfer before that assessment. Existing owners should have bench cover ready; anyone considering James needs the same caution. Alonso’s comments leave several possibilities open, so picking a replacement from Chelsea’s attack now would involve guesswork.
Newcastle: Elanga out, with Barnes already getting the minutes
Matthias Jaissle’s injury update offered no immediate return for Anthony Elanga, Amar Dedić or Jacob Ramsey. Nico González is also set to miss Hull following his head injury, according to the Thursday briefing.
Elanga’s absence could open up more attacking minutes, but Harvey Barnes already has a strong claim on playing time: he completed all 360 minutes of Newcastle’s first four league games.
Barnes therefore has a stronger minutes case than a speculative punt on someone filling the vacancy. Jaissle did not promise a particular replacement.
Nottingham Forest: Delap’s case strengthens; Jair Cunha needs a test
Oliver Glasner confirmed that Nikola Milenković and Nicolò Savona remain out. Jair Cunha has resumed light training, with his availability depending on how he responds and whether he can train again.
Up front, Liam Delap has started the last two games. Glasner praised his power and runs behind the defence, explaining the different qualities he offers alongside Chris Wood and Igor Jesus.
Delap has a clearer case for another start against Coventry, although Glasner stopped short of announcing his striker. Jair’s possible return also makes it premature to treat Forest’s patched-up defence as settled.
Brentford: No new injuries; Collins and Van den Berg still missing
Keith Andrews reported no fresh change to Brentford’s injury situation. Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg, Mathias Jensen, Kaye Furo and Josh Dasilva remain unavailable. Antoni Milambo will build fitness with the B team.
Kevin Schade was unused in the cup against Reading, giving him a lighter workload before Friday’s Chelsea game. That is a useful selection clue for his owners, though Andrews has not named his starting attack.
For defensive transfers, there is no new return here to change the picture: Collins and Van den Berg still need to be left out of your plans.
Coventry: Amenda unlikely to play, Awoniyi still suspended
Frank Lampard expects Aurèle Amenda to miss Forest after a calf injury. The defender is awaiting a scan. Lampard praised Stephen Mfuni’s cup debut, which puts him in the conversation for a place, without confirming a start.
Taiwo Awoniyi remains suspended, and Haji Wright is still unavailable. Those absences leave Coventry short up front.
Amenda owners should prepare another defender. Buying Mfuni immediately would mean betting on Lampard’s selection before seeing it.
Hull: Mendy ruled out, Targett doubtful
Sergej Jakirović confirmed that Nobel Mendy will miss Newcastle under the concussion protocol. Matt Targett is doubtful after twisting his ankle. Hidemasa Morita remains out, and Charlie Hughes is still working towards a return to group training.
Mendy cannot provide bench cover this week. Targett is also a risky player to rely on until his fitness is clearer. Jakirović’s comments leave Hull with fewer defensive options for the trip to Newcastle.
What is the latest news for the other 14 clubs?
These sections use the most recent available midweek briefings and match reports. They can inform early decisions, but they do not contain completed Friday GW5 press conferences.
Arsenal: Gabriel’s substitution was planned
Mikel Arteta confirmed that Gabriel’s half-time withdrawal against Ipswich was planned. He also said Jurriën Timber was fine; Arsenal were managing his workload after a lengthy absence.
Ben White missed the cup game with a groin issue, while Cristhian Mosquera was absent again. William Saliba was also on the earlier injury list with a back problem. Gabriel’s substitution gives owners no fresh reason to sell. Timber’s managed return is worth remembering before assuming he is ready for uninterrupted 90-minute appearances.
Aston Villa: Garnacho behind others, Abraham pushing Jackson
Unai Emery said other players are ahead of Alejandro Garnacho, who was unused again on Wednesday. That is a poor signal for anyone hoping to start him in FPL.
Tammy Abraham’s two cup goals put pressure on Nicolas Jackson, although Emery has not chosen his Saturday striker publicly. Ian Maatsen and Pau Torres remain out; João Gomes needs assessment for a calf problem. Matty Cash reportedly felt discomfort in the warm-up, so his place on Wednesday’s bench should not be read as proof of full fitness.
Bournemouth: Rose has warned about rotation
Marco Rose’s midweek update listed Amine Adli, Eli Junior Kroupi, Julián Araujo and Veljko Milosavljević among the absentees. He also discussed making more changes and using substitutes earlier as Bournemouth juggle European football.
That matters before Sunday’s Liverpool game. Recent league starts alone may give an incomplete picture of a Bournemouth player’s likely minutes. Friday’s assessment after the European fixture is the one to check before buying.
Brighton: Rutter returns, De Cuyper scores from the bench
Georginio Rutter returned for a short substitute appearance against Manchester United. Maxim De Cuyper also came off the bench and scored the winner, while Pascal Groß completed another 90 minutes.
Fabian Hürzeler had listed Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh among the midweek absentees. De Cuyper’s cup benching is no reason by itself to sell him. Rutter’s return, however, adds competition in attack and does not yet establish him as a league starter.
Crystal Palace: Sarr and Nketiah return; Henderson still missing
Ismaïla Sarr and Eddie Nketiah returned from the bench against Lech Poznań; Nketiah scored.
Pierre Sage’s pre-European update had put Dean Henderson and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s returns after the international break. Neither should be treated as a GW5 option on that information.
Sarr’s appearance is encouraging for his availability against Leeds. It does not settle whether he is ready to start.
Everton: Armstrong a doubt; Dibling makes his case
Harrison Armstrong missed the cup game after a training injury, with Everton hopeful he would recover for Ipswich. Assistant Alan Irvine also praised Tyler Dibling after his start and assist. That strengthens Dibling’s case without settling David Moyes’s weekend choice.
Merlin Röhl and Christian Nørgaard were already on the injury list. Check Moyes’s update before depending on Armstrong; Dibling remains a selection gamble rather than an assured starter.
Fulham: Don’t carry the cup line-up straight into Sunday
Álvaro Arbeloa’s earlier briefing ruled out Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney. His comments about fresh legs concerned the cup tie, so they should not be taken as a promise of the same changes against Manchester United.
Rodrigo Muniz scored in that match, while Gonzalo García came on for the closing 22 minutes. A cup goal gives Muniz a case to make, but does not establish that García has lost his league place.
Ipswich: Emersonn’s fitness still needs checking
Gary O’Neil left Emersonn out of his cup plans with a quad problem, hoping he would be available for GW5. Jack Taylor remains out with a knee injury.
O’Neil was expressing hope, rather than clearing Emersonn to play. Until there is a firmer update, he is an uncertain option for the trip to Everton and unreliable emergency cover on an FPL bench.
Leeds: Rodon remains a longer-term absence
Daniel Farke confirmed that Joe Rodon would miss eight to ten weeks with a hamstring injury in his 3 September briefing. That keeps him out of GW5 against Crystal Palace.
There is no fresh Friday selection assurance in this edition. Leeds defensive buyers should check Farke’s final briefing rather than assume the existing line-up has been confirmed again.
Liverpool: Gakpo completes 90; Gomez’s withdrawal was planned
Cody Gakpo started, scored and completed the cup win over Spurs. Joe Gomez returned for the first half, with Andoni Iraola confirming that his 45-minute withdrawal was planned.
Those are encouraging fitness updates. Gakpo’s role in the Bournemouth game still needs a separate selection decision. Alexander Isak was used only late in the cup match, so he had a much lighter workload.
Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Federico Chiesa were still out in Iraola’s earlier injury update.
Liverpool’s league briefing is scheduled for 13:30 BST on Friday. Buyers can wait for that before committing.
Manchester City: Foden is suspended for GW5
Enzo Maresca confirmed that Phil Foden’s ban includes Sunderland. There is no fitness-test decision to wait for on Foden: he is unavailable this gameweek.
Jérémy Doku is close to returning, but Maresca’s midweek comments did not clear him for a start. Foden’s absence creates an opening in the attack; it does not tell us who will fill it. Avoid choosing a City replacement solely because a place appears to be available.
Manchester United: Amad still a concern; Bruno had limited cup minutes
Michael Carrick’s midweek briefing offered no imminent return for Amad. Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte remained out, while Carlos Baleba’s return to group training was expected over the following week. Luke Shaw’s earlier possible return still needs a clearer update.
Bruno Fernandes played only the final 17 minutes against Brighton. That reduces the workload concern before Fulham, although Carrick’s Friday comments are still needed for the wider injury picture.
Sunderland: Reinildo banned; Le Fée keeps penalties
Reinildo’s domestic suspension rules him out against Manchester City, despite his eligibility in Europe.
Enzo Le Fée took and scored Sunderland’s midweek penalty, with Régis Le Bris backing him to continue after his previous miss. That is useful reassurance about his role. Omar Alderete came off early and needs a fitness update; do not assume he is available just because Sunderland kept a clean sheet.
Tottenham: Porro expected back, Maddison still building fitness
Roberto De Zerbi said Pedro Porro should be available against Villa. That improves his outlook from the earlier update in the week.
Mohammed Kudus made his first start since January, while James Maddison returned for a late cameo. De Zerbi said Maddison still needs to build the physical condition required for league football.
Dejan Kulusevski was still unavailable earlier in the week, while Sandro Tonali had picked up a knock.
Porro owners have reason to hold pending any further news. Maddison is a more speculative purchase: getting back on the pitch has not yet established that he is ready to start.
What should you do before making GW5 transfers?
Deal with confirmed absences first. For the late tests, leave yourself room to act on the remaining updates instead of using a transfer on a replacement who might not start either.
Our GW5 injury guide keeps the player-by-player availability picture together. For the fixtures and match-ups behind your transfer decisions, read the Gameweek 5 preview.