Thread by @ColmVHayes

🧵 Pre-match press conference thread Double Gameweek 26 [Friday]

☔️ Aston Villa

📢 Dean Smith on Jack Grealish: "He’s getting better. He won’t be ready for tomorrow but he’s getting better.

"As I said last week..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on Grealish: "...there’s been an awful lot of speculation where Jack is involved.

"People speculated how long he’s going to be out for – I’m not sure how they can do that when I don’t know, the doctor doesn’t..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on Grealish: "...know and Jack doesn’t know.

"I was very vague last week because it’s a bit of a strange injury.

"Jack could be back to play against Sheffield United next Tuesday or Wolves next week..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on Grealish: "...we’ll be led by Jack on that.

"He had some discomfort, so he went to see the doctor and they decided that he needed a period of rest. I believe that he’s very close to being pain-free."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on supposed 'fantasy football leak': "It must be a slow news week if this is the lead manager’s question.

"I don’t play it; I live in the real world, not the fantasy world.

"Yes, I was made aware of it..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on supposed 'fantasy football leak': "...am I aware that it could be tracked? No.

"I don't think a lot of the other players and staff were as well.

"But I've reminded everybody at the football club of their..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on supposed 'fantasy football leak': "...responsibilities of being a member of staff at an elite football club.

"I'm sure they certainly won't be making that same mistake again after knowing what they know now."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on team news: "Matty Cash is back on the training pitches, running. We’ll be guided by the medical department on when he joins in with us.

"Kortney Hause is due to be back on the grass next week and Wesley is..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl #fantasypl

📢 Smith on team news: "...getting closer to a full return to contact training, which should happen in the next week or two."

On Ross Barkley: "He’s looking to find the form that he was in before his injury, he’s searching for that."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #avfc #LeeAvl

🏰 Newcastle

📢 Steve Bruce: "Joelinton is OK. Federico Fernández has trained all week but tomorrow still might be a bit too early for him. We have no new injuries.

"[Javier] Manquillo is doing very well with his ankle..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Bruce: "...Fabian Schar is still on crutches and a knee brace.

"Callum Wilson is now three or four weeks away so he's making good progress but it's a muscle injury, so we have to box clever with it."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Bruce on Almiron: "If everybody was like Miggy my job would be very easy. He's got a heart the size of himself and a real natural ability. His best position is off the front and the key to it is scoring or making a goal."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Bruce on Saint-Maximin: "After being without him for three months in that crucial period - it is good to see him back.

"Just as we got him back we lost Callum Wilson to injury, so it's been cruel to us at times..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Bruce on Saint-Maximin: "...if Allan stays fit, we know we're a different proposition."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Steve Bruce on goalkeeping spot: "Like every position, I have a decision to make.

"Karl [Darlow] has done very well. Martin [Dubravka] has been player of the year the last two years.

"So Karl has done fantastically..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Steve Bruce on goalkeeping position: "...I have to do what I think is right for the team.

"You have to pick a team every week and you will disappoint people.

"I have always said it is about how you look after those..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl

📢 Bruce on Darlow, Dubravka, goalkeeping position: "...who don't play."

https://twitter.com/ColmVHayes/status/1363788323072970753?s=20

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #nufc #NewWol #fantasypl #magpies

🔨 West Ham

📢 David Moyes: "We seem okay at the moment.

"We’re still waiting on Arthur Masuaku coming back and Andriy Yarmolenko still has his medial ligament injury too.

"Ryan Fredericks has picked up little bit of a groin..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #whufc #MciWhu

📢 David Moyes: "...strain, which is not serious but he’s touch and go - so we’ll need to see how he is today after training."

On Jesse Lingard: "We're really pleased to have him, he's given us another dimension..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #whufc #MciWhu #touchandgo

📢 Moyes on Lingard: "...he's given us a bit of quality. I always thought we were going to need someone to give us something else in the second half of the season. Jesse's come in, made an impact with his goals and his performances."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #whufc #MciWhu

🔫 Arsenal

📢 Mikel Arteta asked if there are any new injury issues after #UEL tie: "No. We had some things going on but I cannot say anything now because there are a few players who are still in contention for the game."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #afc #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Arteta asked if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is reaching his best form: "Yes, because he is getting into much better positions, his rhythm during the games is much better with and without the ball, his movement..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #afc #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Arteta asked if Aubameyang is reaching his best form: "...the week before when we played Benfica, he had three big chances and I am not worried about him missing them because I know if he gets in those positions..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #afc #LeiArs #fantasypl #xG

📢 Arteta on Aubameyang: "...he is going to be scoring consistently - so this is what he has to demand of himself.

"If we have Auba at his best, as a team we have a much better chance to be successful."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #afc #LeiArs #fantasypl #xG

🐦 Liverpool

📢 Club statement on Jordan Henderson: "[The captain] has successfully had a corrective procedure carried out on the adductor injury. He will begin a rehabilitation programme immediately.

"No specific timescale is..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv

📢 Liverpool statement on Henderson: "...is being placed upon his return; however, the 30 year old is ruled out initially until after the March international break."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

📢 Jurgen Klopp on Henderson and absentees: "We have so many injured players, not available at the moment. And most of them are, kind of - how do you say - our leaders in this group.

"They're here, doing their rehab..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

📢 Klopp on Henderson and absentees: "...Hendo, not yet but Virgil [van Dijk], Millie [James Milner], Joe [Gomez], Joel [Matip] - they all have to be influential here.

"The best case scenario [for Henderson]..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

📢 Klopp on Henderson: "...I don't know. It's not a quick one. Of course, we all hope there is still a possibility for him to play a few games this season."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

📢 Klopp on Jota: "Diogo trained now twice with the team. Looks very good. Very good but he was long-term out. So we have to see what we can do with that. But in training he looks really promising."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

📢 Klopp on Fabinho: "Fab was not yet with the team. That can happen, I think, tomorrow - if I'm 100 per cent right, he will have his first session with the team [on Saturday] and same for James Milner. That's it."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

🚿 Spurs

📢 Jose Mourinho: "Serge [Aurier] is fine. Everybody is training with the team. Gio [Lo Celso] is the only one who is not in conditions to be with the team. Maybe next week will be premature but we'll see."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl

📢 Mourinho on Aurier: "[Serge] trained today with the team without any limitations."

Mourinho asked about Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Gareth Bale and Dele Alli possibly all starting: "Did you give me four names or 11?..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl

📢 Mourinho asked about Kane, Son, Bale and Alli possibly all starting: "...you want to give the other seven?

"You could see against West Ham - it's not from the start - but you had Bale, Lucas, Harry, Sonny, Dele so..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl

📢 Mourinho asked about Kane, Son, Bale and Alli possibly all starting: "...you had it. We didn't turn the game around [against West Ham] but we left the game with positive feelings."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl

🐦 Liverpool

📢 Klopp: "It's very positive that Diogo [Jota] is back after a long time. Most of the others who are out for a long time, we will not see anymore on the training pitch until the end of the season."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

📢 Klopp on Jota: "The way he came back in training is very positive. We just have to make a decision about what makes sense for him, when does it make sense for him."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #lfc #ShuLiv #fantasypl

🪱 Burnley

📢 Sean Dyche on team news: "Woody [Chris Wood] has trained for a few days now. Jay Rod [Rodriguez] has had a couple of knocks to keep an eye on [but] he seems fine.

"Johann [Berg Gudmundsson] not..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #twitterclarets #TotBur #touchandgo

📢 Dyche on team news: "...yet, Robbie Brady is a maybe.

"Erik [Pieters] is touch and go.

"Dale Stephens trained today so we are hopeful on that one. Two or three could figure and the rest we are still waiting."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #twitterclarets #TotBur #touchandgo

💠 Man City

📢 Pep Guardiola on Kevin de Bruyne: "He’s fully fit. He was fully fit against Gladbach as well.

"I will not say anything different - he is a key player for us. In the last part of the season, he will be so important."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #mcfc #MciWhu

📢 Guardiola on Jesus: "The aspect [of finishing] for Gabriel, [it] happens is because he is so generous and he always thinks for the team and not himself.

"If he has had more of an ego he would have scored many, many goals..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #mcfc #MciWhu

📢 Guardiola on Jesus: "...he is the first to feel bad for himself but when you see what he gives us and produces for us, I don't have anything to say - completely the opposite.

"He will improve, he's young and when his composure..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #mcfc #MciWhu

📢 Guardiola on Jesus: "...in front of the keeper arrives - he will get it through the years. It is like a good wine.

"I like what he is - he just needs to be more calm in front of goal and know he can do it. He will learn it."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #mcfc #MciWhu

📢 Guardiola on defensive record: "This is not for John [Stones] or Aymer [Laporte] or Ruben [Dias] or Kyle [Walker] or Joao [Cancelo]. In the last game, Phil [Foden] and Raz [Sterling] and Gabriel [Jesus] helped us..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #mcfc #MciWhu

📢 Guardiola on defence: "...Bernardo [Silva] helped us to concede few.

"I think it's similar to last season. We didn't concede much but after four games away we conceded nothing - 5, 6, 7 shots - it is the only way we can win games."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #mcfc #MciWhu

🇦🇹 Southampton

📢 Ralph Hasenhuttl: "Oriol Romeu's season is over. Surgery means months out. He has a fracture on his ankle. It will take maybe three months that he is out.

"Oriol, that hurts massively. I just don't know who..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #saintsfc #EveSou

📢 Hasenhuttl: "...plays on the six at the weekend.

"It is up to the young players to play and stepping in as a young player is not the best right now. The situation we are in, we need to look at every option because there..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #saintsfc #EveSou

📢 Hasenhuttl: "...are not a lot [of options]."

On other team news: "And Taki Minamino is out too for the weekend. He has a slight muscle injury. That leaves us with [Kyle] Walker-Peters, [Ibrahima] Diallo, [Theo] Walcott and..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #saintsfc #EveSou

📢 Hasenhuttl: "...and also Will Smallbone and Michael Obafemi, also injured [along with KWP, Diallo, Walcott].

"We've struggled more since Tuesday with injuries than getting over the [Leeds] result. Now we must try to find..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #saintsfc #EveSou

📢 Hasenhuttl: "...a group for Monday."

On Minamino: "Slight problem in the hamstring. Maybe he comes back next week. It's not a big injury. We rested him after not playing so long - [it] would [have been] too much for him."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #saintsfc #EveSou

📢 Hasenhuttl on Minamino: "It [the Leeds pitch] was very slippery and after his first movement he struggled with his hamstring.

"He finished the game as we couldn’t change any more [players] but it’s not perfect."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #saintsfc #EveSou #lufc

🔮 Crystal Palace

📢 Roy Hodgson on Wilfried Zaha: "He was out on the field today, which was good. He was training with the rehabilitation specialist that we have.

"It was good to see Wilf out there running and playing with the..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul

📢 Hodgson on Zaha: "...ball. Muscle injuries you have to be very careful.

"So I'll have to wait to get the clearance from the medical department, to make sure his first sprints aren’t met with a new injury or a recurrence of the..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul

📢 Hodgson on Zaha: "...old injury. I’m rather hoping that by next week we’ll be seeing him back again. That’s my hope."

On other injuries: "Jeffrey Schlupp and Connor Wickham took part in the early part of training with the team..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul

📢 Hodgson on other injuries: "...after being with the rehabilitation specialists for a long period of time but they didn’t join in with the more intensive session.

"Nathaniel Clyne has picked up an injury as well so he will be out."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul

📢 Hodgson asked if there's a club policy on fantasy football: "No, as far as I know there's no club policy. I haven't instigated anything in that respect.

"I'm afraid with leaks - having worked with England - they happen..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul

📢 Hodgson asked if there's a club policy on fantasy football: "...if you worked hard to find where they come from, you'd need help from Sherlock Holmes and Poirot and also have some sleepless nights.

"If it happened, I suppose..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul

📢 Hodgson asked if there's a club policy on fantasy football and leaks: "...I'd just have to bite the bullet and get on with the fact that it had."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #cpfc #CryFul #fantasypl

🌉 Chelsea

📢 Thomas Tuchel on fresh injury concerns and Thiago Silva: "Both questions are no. Thiago cannot play on Sunday. He did an individual session today - on the pitch and felt it was big progress.

"It's a big step..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #cfc #gw26 #CheMun

📢 Tuchel on Thiago Silva: "...ahead for him, so I hope he will join the group next week."

Asked if Olivier Giroud deserves to start: "All the time. He trains very well, he is a big personality.

"Even when he didn't start, he..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #cfc #gw26 #CheMun

📢 Tuchel asked if Giroud deserves to start: "...he deserves to but I will not tell you today if he plays from the first minute."

On Man Utd: "They are unbeaten away, we know what we are up against. We have a pretty good impression..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #cfc #gw26 #CheMun

📢 Tuchel on Man Utd: "...of the style they play and the spaces they want to hurt us, and their strengths individually and as a group.

"They like to have space, they like to counter-attack, they like to use their speed and absorb..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #cfc #gw26 #CheMun

📢 Tuchel on Man Utd: "...our speed. They are a strong team that can defend very compact, very good in transition whoever plays, and it will be a big challenge to defend all this."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #cfc #gw26 #CheMun

📢 Tuchel on Chelsea being hard to beat: "I think it is not a pleasure to play against us but the picture is not finished. We have a long way to go."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #cfc #gw26 #CheMun

🦊 Leicester

📢 Brendan Rodgers: "We’ve got the same squad available. So James Maddison and Ayo Perez are still not available. They are still out."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Rodgers on Maddison: "It’s a very frustrating time. He’s a real catalyst for our team. His consistency has developed. The injury he has is not time driven.

"He’s got a little issue with his tendon above where he..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Rodgers on Maddison: "...had the operation. We’re hoping he’s back sooner rather than later but we’ve just got to see how he goes over the next few weeks."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Rodgers on Harvey Barnes up front on his own: "No, I don’t see that. If needs be, he can go up there in a two.

"It’s a position he can play but his strength is cutting in from the wing. He’s at his best beating..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Rodgers on Barnes up front on his own: "...men and getting into the box. It’s a totally different role to play up front, with your back to goal."

On Wesley Fofana: "He had a hamstring strain. He’s recovering well and..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Rodgers on Fofana: "...has been out on the field. He should rejoin the training group next week."

On Dennis Praet: "We’re hoping in early March he can rejoin [training]."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

📢 Rodgers on Perez: "We’re seeing how he is over the next few days. He’s had that strain. There’s no timeline. We’re just waiting to see how he reacts. We’ll see how he is next week."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #lcfc #gw26 #LeiArs #fantasypl

🏮 Man Utd

📢 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "Juan [Mata] will be out for a couple of weeks, so he missed tonight [vs Sociedad].

"We hope that they [Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani] can be available for the weekend..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #mufc #gw26 #CheMun

📢 Solskjaer: "...but I'm not sure. Paul [Pogba] is still out for a few weeks, unfortunately."

On Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly partnership: "I think the two of them will keep on playing, maybe playing together as well.”

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #mufc #gw26 #CheMun

🔲 Fulham

📢 Scott Parker on team news: "We're all good. [Aleksandar] Mitrovic comes back in to the fold. Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo still need some work."

On Mitrovic: "He's back with us. He's had some time off due to the..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #ffc #gw26 #CryFul

📢 Parker on Mitrovic: "...virus. He's now had a good few days of training. We're monitoring him closely but he seems all well."

On Areola: We've been very good defensively over a large period. The clean sheets have been important..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #ffc #gw26 #CryFul

📢 Parker on Areola: "...Alphonse has been paramount. We're fortunate to have two top-class keepers."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #ffc #gw26 #CryFul

🗡️ Sheffield United

📢 Chris Wilder on team news/injuries: "Jayden Bogle out, Chris Basham out, Lys Mousset out, Jack Rodwell out, John Egan out, Jack O’Connell out, Jack Robinson out, Sander Berge out..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #twitterblades #gw26 #ShuLiv

📢 Wilder on team news/injuries: "...one or two will be available in the next three weeks, four of them in six to eight weeks, a couple out for the season and the rumbling on of O'Connell's situation."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #twitterblades #gw26 #ShuLiv

📢 Wilder on Bogle: "The ‘in control’ challenge, that I was told from the assessment, on Jayden has put him out for two weeks."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #twitterblades #gw26 #ShuLiv

📢 Wilder on Chris Basham: "Possibly three to four weeks - hovering between that three-to-four-week mark."

Asked if losing back three is biggest blow: "Yeah, seems that way that injuries have come at a place where we have..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #twitterblades #gw26 #ShuLiv

📢 Wilder asked if losing back three is biggest injury blow: "...been at our best. We have not had too many big injuries to boys at the top of the pitch but only three players [in total] not affected is a tough situation."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #twitterblades #gw26 #ShuLiv

🐺 Wolves

📢 Nuno on Raul Jimenez: "We have to be very aware of the circumstances and not rush – avoid any kind of contact.

"He has been able to participate in the initial part of training sessions, and just being with his..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #wwfc #NewWol

📢 Nuno on Jimenez: "...team-mates is a big help for everybody. We are following the right protocols but we are delighted Raul is getting better day by day."

On striker being back in action this season: "Totally confident, for sure."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #wwfc #NewWol

📢 Nuno on Pedro Neto: "He has talent but he has many, many details in his game he can do better and he knows. He’s having a chance that is very important - playing every game - and taken good advantage of it because he’s progressing."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #wwfc #NewWol

🚿 Spurs

📢 Jose Mourinho on Carlos Vinicius: "He has one problem and the problem is Harry Kane. It’s as simple as that. To be a striker in the same team as Harry Kane then you need to be a special guy, always motivated..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl

📢 Mourinho on Vinicius: "...always happy to have one minute, five minutes or start the game. He is giving us what we want.

"In the Premier League he is going to play because we have so many matches that Kane cannot..."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl

📢 Mourinho on Vinicius: "... play every match.

"To come to England for Carlos was not easy at all but he is giving us what we wanted."

#fpl #dgw26 #CHpressers #gw26 #thfc #TotBur #fantasypl #Kane