Written by Luke Bosher
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Premier League teams do not have long to recover between matchweeks 14 and 15 of this Premier League season, with only a few days of rest afforded between rounds as we enter the busiest period of the campaign.
The next set of matches begins on Tuesday, just 48 hours after the final whistle in Manchester City’s enthralling 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Wolverhampton Wanderers host Burnley in the first game of the matchweek, while City’s trip to Aston Villa and Manchester United’s visit of Chelsea are the standouts from a packed slate on Wednesday.
Stay up to date on all the latest team and injury news from all the fixtures below.
Tuesday, December 5 (7.30pm GMT)
Wolves team news: Wolves are sweating on the fitness of goalkeeper Jose Sa, who had to be withdrawn during the first half of their 2-1 defeat against Arsenal on Saturday. Joe Hodge is out, while there are doubts over Pedro Neto and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina are available again, having served one-match suspensions at the Emirates, while Jonny Otto will be missing from the squad again following a “training ground incident”.
Burnley team news: Jordan Beyer is suspended, while Lyle Foster remains out due to mental health reasons. Arijanet Muric, Josh Cullen and Jack Cork are fitness doubts.
Referee: Jarred Gillett (VAR: Rob Jones)
Opta omen: Wolves are winless in their last five Premier League games against promoted sides (D3 L2), having been unbeaten in seven such games before this (W3 D4).
Tuesday, December 5 (8.15pm GMT)
Luton team news: Dan Potts, Mads Andersen and Reece Burke are out. Teden Mengi, Tom Lockyer, Alfie Doughty, Cauley Woodrow, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Marvelous Nakamba are doubts.
Arsenal team news: Takehiro Tomiyasu is a doubt after appearing to go off injured against Wolves, although Mikel Arteta attributed that to fatigue. Fabio Vieira, Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber and Emile Smith Rowe are out.
Referee: Sam Barrott (VAR: Chris Kavanagh)
Opta omen: No side have kept more away clean sheets (four) or conceded fewer goals on the road (three) in the Premier League this season than Arsenal. Three of the their four league wins on the road this season have been by a 1-0 scoreline.
Takehiro Tomiyasu’s run of six consecutive starts for Arsenal could be at an end following his withdrawal against Wolves (Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Wednesday, December 6 (7.30pm GMT)
Brighton team news: Lewis Dunk and Mahmoud Dahoud both remain suspended. Pervis Estupinan, Solly March, Tariq Lamptey, Ansu Fati, Julio Enciso and Adam Webster are out.
Brentford team news: Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey and Kevin Schade are out through injury. Captain Christian Norgaard is suspended, while Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen and Kristoffer Ajer are doubts. Ivan Toney continues to serve his suspension.
Referee: Peter Bankes (VAR: Andy Madley)
Opta omen: Brentford have won just one of their 11 Premier League games outside of London so far in 2023 (D3 L7), with Thomas Frank’s side winless in the last eight of these (D2 L6).
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Wednesday, December 6 (7.30pm GMT)
Crystal Palace team news: Cheick Doucoure remains out long-term. Eberechi Eze is likely also unavailable, amid a dispute between himself and the medical staff over his injury. Boss Roy Hodgson said of his situation: “He still has an ankle injury, pushing hard to get fit but as yet he hasn’t turned that other which will enable him to declare himself fit and train with the team. If we’re lucky it will be much quicker than predicted, if we’re unlucky it may be longer.”
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Rob Holding and Dean Henderson are also ruled out. Jeffrey Schlupp returns to the squad after withdrawing from the weekend’s draw at West Ham due to personal reasons.
Bournemouth team news: Tyler Adams, Max Aarons, Alex Scott, Lloyd Kelly, Emiliano Marcondes, Darren Randolph and Ryan Fredericks are Andoni Iraola’s likely absentees for the trip to south London.
Referee: Craig Pawson (VAR: Michael Salisbury)
Opta omen: Bournemouth haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last eight Premier League away games (W1 D1 L6), conceding 21 goals in the process. 37.5 per cent of their away league goals this season came in their 3-1 win at Sheffield United last time out (3/8).
Eberechi Eze’s ankle injury is the subject of debate at Crystal Palace (Photo: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Wednesday, December 6 (7.30pm GMT)
Fulham team news: Marco Silva has confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns but his squad has four absentees. “Nothing has changed since the last game,” Silva said. “Issa Diop, Adama Traore, Rodrigo Muniz and Tyrese Francois are still out.”
Forest team news: Taiwo Awoniyi is a long-term absentee. Willy Boly had to be withdrawn due to injury during Saturday’s home loss against Everton.
Referee: Josh Smith (VAR: Jarred Gillett)
Opta omen: Fulham have won seven of their last nine league games against Nottingham Forest (L2), winning both Premier League meetings with them last season.
Wednesday, December 6 (7.30pm GMT)
Sheffield United team news: Chris Basham, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Tom Davies, John Egan, Daniel Jebbison and Rhian Brewster are out. Oli McBurnie is suspended after being booked twice against Burnley on Saturday, while George Baldock was substituted in the first half due to injury.
Liverpool team news: Andy Robertson, Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic are ruled out. Jurgen Klopp said following Sunday’s 4-3 win over Fulham that Joel Matip had sustained an injury that “won’t be a short one”.
Asked about the timeframe for Matip’s injury on Tuesday, Klopp said: “I don’t know exactly but it doesn’t look good. The scan hasn’t been done yet but it’s not great. From the first minute after when I spoke to him, it was clear that it wasn’t good. How long? We don’t know yet.”
There was better news on Alisson and Diogo Jota, who both suffered hamstring problems in the recent 1-1 draw at Manchester City — although the trip to Bramall Lane comes too soon for both. The hope is that Alisson will be fully fit for the visit of Manchester United on December 17. “Diogo was running outside yesterday on his birthday,” added Klopp. “He’s going in the right direction but no-one has told me he will be back in team training today. Ali is closer but not available for tomorrow, definitely.”
Referee: Simon Hooper (VAR: Michael Oliver)
Opta omen: Liverpool are winless in their last four Premier League away games against promoted sides (D2 L2). They last had a longer such run in the top-flight between November 1969 and December 1973 (9 games).
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Wednesday, December 6 (8.15pm GMT)
Villa team news: Boubacar Kamara is available again after serving a one-match ban during Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth. Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Bertrand Traore are unavailable. Unai Emery did warn that he would consider rotation for this fixture due to his side’s busy schedule.
“We played on Thursday, we played on Sunday, we will play tomorrow and then Saturday at home,” said Emery. “Everyday is very important how the players are recovering from the last matches.
“I can’t know today how the players will be tomorrow. We are going to wait tomorrow morning and decide. I know some players are tired and have small pain, but I think tomorrow they will be available for tomorrow and ready. But I am going to try and be responsible in choosing players 100% ready tomorrow.”
Man City team news: Rodri and Jack Grealish are suspended after each picking up their fifth booking of the season in Sunday’s 3-3 draw with Tottenham. Jeremy Doku is a fitness concern after he appeared to go off with discomfort during that match with Pep Guardiola saying that he will make a decision on the winger’s availability based on advice from his medical staff. Kevin De Bruyne remains a long-term absentee. Guardiola has confirmed John Stones is “ready now” to play after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Referee: John Brooks (VAR: Paul Tierney)
Opta omen: Aston Villa are winless in 13 Premier League games against Manchester City (D2 L11) since a 3-2 home win in September 2013.
Rodri is suspended for City’s trip to Villa having picked up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season against Spurs (Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Wednesday, December 6 (8.15pm GMT)
Man Utd team news: Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Amad and Lisandro Martinez are out long-term. Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Mason Mount all remain unavailable, while Jadon Sancho remains away from the first team.
“(We will be) more or less (the same as Saturday),” Erik ten Hag told reporters ahead of the game. Luke Shaw is a possible rotation after starting three matches in a week after recovering from a long-term hamstring injury.
Chelsea team news: Conor Gallagher is suspended after his sending off in the 3-2 win over Brighton Sunday but Reece James and Marc Cucurella can return after their bans. Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke have been added to the club’s absentee list: “Lesley felt something last week, Noni after Brighton also (had) minor problems. I hope that soon they will be available for the team.”
Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka and Ben Chilwell are also out, while Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku will not yet make their debuts. “It’s about assessing day by day (with Nkunku). Sometimes we get excited, and we want to have the player as soon as possible, but I think we need to be careful. Romeo is doing well also, but he is not going to be involved.”
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (VAR: David Coote)
Opta omen: Chelsea’s last Premier League away win against Manchester United was in May 2013 (1-0), at which point they had won more such games as a visitor to Old Trafford than any other side (six). Since then they’ve drawn six and lost four of their 10 league visit.
Thursday, December 7 (7.30pm GMT)
Everton team news: Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed Saturday’s win at Forest through injury but is in contention to return, while Amadou Onana is “touch and go” following a calf injury. Dele Alli is out. Andre Gomes played 60 minutes for the Under-21s on Monday but Sean Dyche says there is a “bit more to come from him to be fully fit.”
Newcastle team news: Nick Pope is likely to miss out after dislocating his shoulder in Saturday’s 1-0 win against Manchester United. Anthony Gordon may also have sustained an injury during that game. Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Callum Wilson, Elliot Anderson, Jacob Murphy, Sven Botman, Harvey Barnes and Javier Manquillo are out, while Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock are unlikely to return, but Eddie Howe hinted that a few of Newcastle’s absentees were “very close” to being back in action. Sandro Tonali remains suspended.
Referee: Tim Robinson (VAR: David Coote)
Opta omen: Ignoring their 10-point deduction, Everton have earned just 23.5 per cent of their Premier League points in home games this season (4/17). Last season, 58.3 per cent of their points came at Goodison Park (21/36).
Thursday, December 7 (8.15pm GMT)
Spurs team news: James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon are out but Cristian Romero can return after missing the last three games through suspension. Eric Dier is a doubt having not trained due to a groin injury that kept him out of Sunday’s 3-3 draw against City. Pape Matar Sarr has returned to training but Thursday’s match will likely come “too soon” for him. He could be in contention to feature against Newcastle at the weekend.
West Ham team news: Michail Antonio remains out. Kurt Zouma may return after missing Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Palace due to a family matter.
Referee: Michael Salisbury (VAR: John Brooks)
Opta omen: West Ham have lost nine of their last 10 away London derbies in the Premier League, with the exception being a 1-0 win at Fulham in April.
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(Photos: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images, Michael Regan/Getty Images, Fran Santiago/Getty Images)