Son, Gabriel & Wood: FPL injury news and updates for Gameweek 10 and Arsenal vs Newcastle

Every Friday, 3 Added Minutes helps the world’s Fantasy Premier League managers out by combing through the latest media reports and listening in to all the managers’ press conferences so we can tell you who’s injured, who’s a doubt, and who looks set to play – but this week, we’ve had to work overtime, with a string of key FPL assets at risk of missing minutes this weekend.

Son Heung-Min, Chris Wood, Gabriel Magalhães and Joško Gvardiol are all big names on a lengthy list of players who have those dreaded little triangles next to their names on the Pick Team screen, and we’ve got the latest news on all of them and more below for you.

Before we get cracking, we should also point you in the direction of our the latest advice column from our resident FPL expert (he finished in the Top 2,000 globally last year, and hasn’t shut up about it since) – you can find his latest transfer tips and planning suggestions by clicking here.

Son Heung-Min & Micky van de Ven

Good news for the many players who transferred Son in last week only for him to miss out with an ankle injury – the South Korean winger has been back in training and Ange Postecoglou, normally very open and honest in these situations, has said that he “should be OK.”

Sadly, the good news stops there. Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injury is “not too serious”, apparently, but he will still be out until after the next international break. More than 10% of FPL owners will need to find an alternative before Saturday morning’s deadline, then. Cristian Romero and Timo Werner are both doubts, not that either have many owners in-game.

Gabriel & Ben White

Not only is defender Gabriel a significant doubt after he limped off the pitch during the 2-2 draw against Liverpool last week, but now his colleague Ben White has been yellow triangled, too. Mikel Arteta sounded upbeat about Gabriel’s chances of playing, saying he would train on Friday and be assessed after, and rather less positive about White’s odds, simply saying “we don’t know yet”.

Given Arteta’s recent track record of, frankly, lying through his back teeth about injuries, however, we may well advise people to assume that White will play and Gabriel won’t. We wish we were joking, but we genuinely have to treat Arteta as an incorrigible reverse psychologist at this point, and his word as being less than his bond. Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Ødegaard remain injured, unless Arteta is taking the porkies even further than usual.

Chris Wood

The in-form Nottingham Forest forward is in an awful lot of teams right now, and that means an awful lot of managers concerned about his doubtful status – but although Nuno Espirito Santo told the media on Thursday evening that he would have to be assessed (along with Morgan Gibbs-White), The Athletic have claimed that he is “expected” to be fit to face West Ham United.

Joško Gvardiol

Yet another widely-owned and highly effective defender who’s a doubt for this weekend and unfortunately, Pep Guardiola wasn’t in a very helpful mood when he sat down to meet the media on Friday. Other than saying that Savinho specifically could be available, he swept all the rest of his doubts into the same basket, describing them as “half and half” and saying that “tomorrow you will see” who plays. That list of players presumably includes Gvardiol, who picked up a knock in midweek. As it stands, nobody knows who is available to play for Manchester City. Would we have it any other way?

Alexander Isak & Anthony Gordon

Isak and Gordon are both among Newcastle United’s most important attacking players, are both FPL stars of last season who haven’t quite hit the same heights this time around, and are both potential absentees this weekend – but Eddie Howe is upbeat about their chances of recovering from minor foot and groin issues, respectively. “They both feel OK,” he told reporters, before saying that he would “assess” them at the end of training on Friday. It sounds highly probable that both will play.

Diogo Jota & Alisson

Not too many players have either forward Diogo Jota or goalkeeper Alisson in their teams due to recent injuries, but anybody still clinging on should note that Arne Slot has now suggested that they will both be out until after the November international break – that’s the next two games that they’ll miss, at least. Any players who gambled on Caoimhín Kelleher should be pleased, at least. Federico Chiesa will also be out until later in the month.

Dwight McNeil

One of the most impressive budget assets in the game so far this season, the former Burnley man is on the form of his life but picked up a knock during the 1-1 draw with Fulham last weekend and has been saddled with a yellow triangle ever since. Sean Dyche sounded cautiously optimistic in his pre-match presser, saying that “we are hopeful” and that he has “a chance” to play. It sounds likely that he’ll make the matchday squad but a full 90 minutes is far from guaranteed.

João Pedro & Lewis Dunk

The Brighton & Hove Albion squad has been working its way through a few injuries of late, but manager Fabian Hürzeler finally has some good news – budget-friendly striker Pedro has been back training this week, and it looks like he will at least be on the bench this weekend. Matt O’Riley is closing in on full fitness, too, and could be one to watch if he can replicate his Celtic form on the south coast. The news is less good for the surprisingly large number of Lewis Dunk owners. Hürzeler simply said that “we will have to see” whether he can play following a calf injury, but media reports suggest that he’s more likely to miss out.

Eberechi Eze

Bad news for Crystal Palace fans and those who kept the faith in Eze as an FPL asset – he’s out of action this weekend courtesy of a hamstring problem, as confirmed by Oliver Glasner. Adam Wharton will also have surgery on a groin injury he apparently picked up at the Euros.