Thread by @ColmVHayes

🧵 Pre-match press conference thread Gameweek 18 [Friday]

😇Southampton [post-GW17 embargo]

📢 Nathan Jones on Bella-Kotchap, Lavia: "Armel is definitely closer..."

#fpl #gw18 #saintsfc #FulSou #fantasypl #fplcommunity #pressers

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📢 Jones on Bella-Kotchap, Lavia: "...than [Romeo] is. We’ll have to wait and see."

On availability: "We've had people away, people injured. We've probably had six or seven that haven't trained that would probably be starters."

#fpl #gw18 #saintsfc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Jones on defensive issues: "We have to pick a side that hopefully can defend better because one clean sheet in 17 is not good enough.

"We know there are defensive deficiencies and that's not just individuals, it’s as a team."

#fpl #gw18 #saintsfc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

🏰 Newcastle

📢 Eddie Howe on Wilson: "Callum has imrpoved. He trained with us yesterday [Thursday].

"He's in a better place."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Howe on Wood: "Chris is really adapting well to our style of play.

"Last year we played a [certain] way, this year we play a slightly different way. We're evolving and tweaking as we go, week by week..."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Howe on Wood: "...the last few games have been his best performances for us since he's been here.

"The Rayo Vallecano game, I thought he was outstanding. Tactically, physically very good..."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Howe on Wood: "...he carried that on into the Leicester game.

"I'm really pleased with Chris. He's a very dependable character, player.

"I think he's been excellent."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📘 Everton

📢 Frank Lampard on Calvert-Lewin: "He is in the squad. Having Dominic back in the fold is a great thing for us, because players who can make a difference at the top end of the pitch like that mean points..."

#fpl #gw18 #efc #MciEve #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Lampard on Calvert-Lewin: "...we will see [if he's in the starting XI]."

On Coady: "Defensively, we played well against Wolves but you'll always miss Conor because of his input, in terms of personality and quality, on the pitch."

#fpl #gw18 #efc #MciEve #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Lampard on Mina: "We will find out about Yerry today. He is training today [Friday]. He had some cramp in the game against Wolves and a bit of a sensation around his hamstring - very low level - so he'll train, we'll make a call."

#fpl #gw18 #efc #MciEve #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Lampard on illness in squad: "We've got a few people who are slightly unwell, so we've got [to make] a few checks on that."

#fpl #gw18 #efc #MciEve #fantasypl #pressers

🏰 Newcastle

📢 Howe on Alexander Isak: "We need to make sure he is fit before exposing him to the pitch.

"He's very close [to full training with the squad].

"We have players who've played really well in his position..."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Howe on Isak: "...so it's a challenge. It's not a case of just walking back into the team.

"It's the beauty of our team at the moment; whoever has grabbed the shirt has elevated their performances, to make it difficult..."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Howe on Isak: "...for other players to get back in. That's the beauty of a really healthy squad."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Howe asked if Callum Wilson is well enough to be in the Newcastle squad on Saturday: "We'll see how he gets through today [Friday]."

#fpl #gw18 #nufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

💠 Man City

📢 Pep Guardiola on Julian Alvarez: "He’ll come back soon. After NYE, will be here."

On Phillips: "He’s coming back fit. He’s in condition to train at a high level, to play. We’ll decide when."

#fpl #gw18 #mcfc #MciEve #fantasypl #pressers

https://twitter.com/ColmVHayes/status/1608805693473312768?s=20&t=utrgHh8QuqtbtRoBpIWqqA

☔️ Aston Villa [post-GW17 embargo]

📢 Unai Emery on Emi Martinez: "He's coming this week.

"[Robin] Olsen was very good [against Liverpool]. I am so happy with him.

"Emi needs to adapt so quickly again to our work."

#fpl #gw18 #avfc #TotAvl #pressers

https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1608778537774759936?s=20&t=utrgHh8QuqtbtRoBpIWqqA

🔮 Crystal Palace [post-GW17 embargo]

📢 Patrick Vieira: "We weren’t brave enough [against Fulham] going forward, we played too many backwards passes.

"We didn’t create any chances to have a shot on goal. We need to play forward and we didn’t do that."

#fpl #gw18 #cpfc #BouCry

🌉 Chelsea [post-GW17 embargo]

📢 Graham Potter on Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech: "Both of those guys will be back."

#fpl #gw18 #cfc #NfoChe #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Potter on Edouard Mendy: "[With] Mendy we are not sure, we’ll have to see in the next few days.

"He has a problem with a bone [around his shoulder] that he picked up at the World Cup. He may still need a bit of time."

#fpl #gw18 #cfc #NfoChe #fantasypl #pressers

🐻‍❄️ Leeds [post-GW17 embargo]

📢 Jesse Marsch, speaking on Wednesday about Bamford: "Probably not in training until next week, hopefully Sunday [or] Monday.

"We know that Patrick can score goals in bunches. He's proven that..."

#fpl #gw18 #lufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Marsch, speaking on Wednesday about Bamford: "...he hasn't been at 100 per cent since I've been here. He just hasn't. We're hopeful that this diagnosis and this surgery can really be kind of a big part of the physical equation..."

#fpl #gw18 #lufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Marsch, speaking on Wednesday about Bamford: "...and solution for what's necessary for Patrick.

"His attitude has been good, he's doing everything he can and again, hopefully we get him going next week [after Gameweek 18]."

#fpl #gw18 #lufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Marsch on availability: "Now we get Tyler Adams back, which we think will be a major boost for us.

"Hopefully Summerville and Harrison as well and then, we can look to push that [Newcastle] game physically in the way we want."

#fpl #gw18 #lufc #NewLee #fantasypl #pressers

🏮 Man Utd [post-GW17 embargo]

📢 Erik ten Hag on Aaron Wan-Bissaka: "In the first half of the season he was either injured or ill, so you don’t have a role in the squad.

"He returned, he was in the training camp in Spain..."

#fpl #gw18 #mufc #WolMun #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Ten Hag on Wan-Bissaka: "...where he could play some games in preparation for the restart.

"Now he has played two games and he is doing really well, so I am happy with his performance.

"We need that competition in our squad."

#fpl #gw18 #mufc #WolMun #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Ten Hag asked how he can develop Wan-Bissaka's game: "By training, by coaching and he has to play games in the team.

"Then you can develop and then you can grow."

#fpl #gw18 #mufc #WolMun #fantasypl #pressers

🌞 Brighton

📢 Roberto de Zerbi on team news: "At the moment, the players are in good condition. Adam Webster and Danny Welbeck aren't able to play. We will have to wait a few more days for Welbeck, maybe a bit longer for Webster."

#fpl #gw18 #bhafc #BhaArs #fantasypl #pressers

🇮🇹 Spurs

📢 Antonio Conte on Romero: "[Cristian] is back and he's available for the game against Aston Villa."

On Bentancur: "Rodrigo, I think we have to wait. Maybe today [Friday] he is going to have an MRI to try to have..."

#fpl #gw18 #thfc #TotAvl #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Conte on Bentancur: "...an evaluation about his injury. For sure against Villa [Gameweek 18], he's not available.

"He had an injury in the World Cup and also the timing is more long than my expectation."

#fpl #gw18 #thfc #TotAvl #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Conte on Romero: "I have seen him with great focus and great desire to come back and play for us.

"He has to know that now starts the more difficult period for him, because expectation is going to become high for him."

#fpl #gw18 #thfc #TotAvl #fantasypl #pressers

🍒 Bournemouth

📢 First-team coach Tommy Elphick on availability/illness: "It's hard to judge it at the moment, as there's so much changing.

"This virus really has struck the squad but we're probably as we were for Chelsea..."

#fpl #gw18 #afcb #BouCry #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Elphick on availability/illness: "...it's obviously a tight turnaround but we've been out on the grass again this morning [Friday] with the boys.

"There will be a few late calls and hopefully a few coming back as well."

#fpl #gw18 #afcb #BouCry #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Elphick on manager Gary O'Neil: "He's struggling a little bit. He's been struck down with the virus.

"We hope he'll be okay for the game tomorrow [Saturday]."

#fpl #gw18 #afcb #BouCry #fantasypl #pressers

🐖 Fulham

📢 Marco Silva on Aleksandar Mitrovic: "He will be ready to start.

"Last Friday was the first day he trained with the team and of course we had doubts whether he could play or not [against Crystal Palace in GW17]..."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Silva on Mitrovic: "...I’m not saying that he’s 100 per cent fit from his foot problem but of course, he is getting better with more sessions.

"And the game we played last week, he did fantastic.

"He’s really important for us..."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Silva on Mitrovic: "...it’s a good sign for us that he's working more with the team, is more involved with us.

"Even if he is not 100 per cent, he will be in a condition to start the [Southampton] game..."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

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📢 Silva on Mitrovic: "...we are not taking a risk. Mitro is saying the same, that he is not fully fit.

"Of course, when you’re not training every single day, you are not in your best physical condition..."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Silva on Mitrovic: "...the situation after the match is that instead of one day, he needs more time to recover from the game. All those situations, we have to manage..."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Silva on Mitrovic: "...it’s something where he’s not training properly every single day to be in his best physical condition.

"I hope in the next few weeks it becomes a bit more normal for him to be every single day with me."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

📢 Silva on injuries: "[Layvin] Kurzawa trained with the team this week after the Boxing Day match.

"He needs more time and training sessions to be ready but he’s training with the team and Manor [Solomon] is the same."

#fpl #gw18 #ffc #FulSou #fantasypl #pressers

🐺 Wolves

📢 Jonny and Boubacar Traore are available to Julen Lopetegui after injuries, while Daniel Podence is also set to be fit following a knock in Gameweek 17

#fpl #gw18 #wwfc #WolMun #fantasypl #pressers

🔫 Arsenal

🗣 Mikel Arteta: “Everything is good so far apart from the players that we had out. Everybody has been training well.

“[Takehiro Tomiyasu] is getting closer and closer. He’s been training with us so he’s available.”

#fpl #gw18 #afc #BhaArs #fantasypl #pressers

🗣 Mikel Arteta asked how much closer Emile Smith Rowe is: “Very much. He’s made big steps in the last week or so. He took part in some training sessions lately and looked good. We’re really keen to have him back soon.”

#fpl #gw18 #afc #BhaArs #fantasypl #pressers