Coventry’s uncertain centre-back cover and a growing Bournemouth injury list are among the main selection questions ahead of Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 10. Wednesday’s manager updates also bring better news for Crystal Palace, while Sunderland face a significant absence in midfield.
The Premier League’s early press conferences began ahead of Friday’s deadline. Frank Lampard spoke before Coventry City’s curtain-raiser against Everton; updates from Brighton and Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace came from their European competition preparations. Here’s what those reports mean for player availability.
Coventry still waiting on Thomas and Onyeka
Lampard offered no firm verdict on Bobby Thomas, who has a calf problem, or Frank Onyeka, whose issue is in the groin. Asked about their prospects for the Everton match, the Coventry manager said: “We’ll see for the game.” That leaves both players as uncertainties rather than confirmed absentees.
Several longer-term injuries are still shaping Coventry’s options. Luke Woolfenden (knee), Aurele Amenda (calf), Josh Eccles (ankle) and Haji Wright (quad) have all been out for an extended period. Wright was back on the grass last week, and Woolfenden and Eccles have now joined him in training work.
Lampard cautioned that returning to the pitch doesn’t mean a quick return to the matchday squad. “They’re back on the grass. We’re very tentative at the minute,” he said, adding that the players aren’t training with the first team and that he has no precise timeline. He hopes they can resume proper team training “in the next weeks.”
Thomas’s availability matters in a defence where Stephen Mfuni and Ethan Pinnock have drawn praise. Lampard described Mfuni as a young player who has settled quickly, shown his ability and knows where he wants to improve. The manager also highlighted the 18-year-old’s confidence and his contribution on and off the pitch.
Pinnock, meanwhile, has provided experience and consistency. Lampard called his performances “outstanding” and said he has helped younger teammates, including Mfuni, while bringing a calm presence to training. Pinnock wore the captain’s armband last week. Their form offers Coventry a stable pairing, but Thomas’s status remains a question for FPL managers monitoring the team sheet.
Brighton’s absences and Bournemouth’s new setbacks
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler confirmed that Pascal Struijk (hamstring), Ferdi Kadioglu (hip) and Femi Azeez (hamstring) won’t recover in time to face Getafe on Thursday. Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefan Tzimas (knee) remain unavailable as longer-term absentees. Zadok Yohanna, whose issue was unspecified, has trained this week.
A report from the Argus said Hurzeler has not left out any fit and available players for this match. That differs from a fortnight earlier, when Diego Gomez and Maxim De Cuyper were omitted. Hurzeler’s full comments were still awaited in the update.
Bournemouth have a more disruptive set of developments. Alex Toth underwent hamstring surgery this week, and manager Marco Rose said he won’t return before 2027. “We’re going to miss him [for] several months,” Rose said. Juanlu Sanchez has also joined the injury list after twisting his ankle while playing for the under-21s. His ligament injury is still being assessed, so the club hasn’t set a recovery estimate.
Julian Araujo (thigh) remains out, and Rose gave no fresh information on Alex Scott (tendon). Last week, the manager said Gameweek 10 was the earliest Scott might return. Veljko Milosavljevic, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, is building match fitness with the under-21s. Rose said the rest of the squad was in a good position.
Eli Junior Kroupi won’t be eligible for Thursday’s Europa League match against Sparta Prague, but Bournemouth intend to restore him to the European squad for the next match. Rose explained that the club had made the change while Kroupi was injured for more than 60 days. He said the squad could be adjusted again after the group stage, with Alex Toth now absent and Julio Soler eligible for the B list in January.
Sunderland lose Diarra; Palace get two players back
Sunderland will be without Habib Diarra after a muscle injury. Regis Le Bris estimated the midfielder would be out for around six weeks from the initial diagnosis, putting a return around mid-December. Dan Ballard (hamstring) and Romaine Mundle (knee) remain sidelined as well.
Ballard has started cycling and could begin running on the pitch next week, Le Bris said. The target is for him to rejoin training around mid-December if his recovery goes to plan. Nordi Mukiele, who has been following concussion protocol since Gameweek 9, was not mentioned by the manager. A Sunderland Echo report said he was still outside team training and would miss Thursday’s match against Dinamo Zagreb, with Gameweek 10 a possible return target. Young striker Juan Angulo has also been absent since picking up a knock in an under-21s match last Monday.
Omar Alderete is suspended domestically but available for Sunderland’s European fixture. Le Bris said the club has relatively few injuries, though the absences of Diarra, Ballard and Mundle are significant. He also described the schedule—Premier League matches, the Europa League, a Carabao Cup quarter-final and the FA Cup—as an unusually demanding run, with games every three days posing a different challenge from a full week of preparation.
Crystal Palace have a more encouraging update. Quinten Timber (hamstring) and Jorgen Strand Larsen (ankle) are back in the squad for Thursday’s match against Hoffenheim. Manager Pierre Sage said both had trained the previous week but weren’t yet ready to play; now, he considers them available. Palace reported no new concerns.
Ismaila Sarr (groin), Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) and Chadi Riad (knee) remain out. Jean-Philippe Mateta is suspended for domestic Gameweeks 10 to 12, but can feature in Europe this week. His appeal against the red card he received at Tottenham Hotspur was unsuccessful.
What to watch before the deadline
For FPL decisions, the unresolved Coventry and Bournemouth situations deserve close attention: Thomas and Onyeka have no confirmed status, while Bournemouth’s injury news includes a long layoff for Toth and an undetermined timeline for Sanchez. Palace’s returning pair could expand Sage’s options, and Sunderland’s Diarra absence is expected to stretch into mid-December. Final line-ups will clarify which available players make the starting teams.
