Isak out, Foden banned and Palmer a doubt: Premier League team news for the weekend
The Premier League weekend stretches across four days and ten fixtures — nine top-flight matches plus Ipswich against Fulham in the Championship — beginning at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday lunchtime and ending at the CBS Arena on Monday night. The club-by-club squad lists published on Friday reveal a division stretched thin by injury and suspension, with several of the biggest names doubtful or ruled out entirely.
The headline collision arrives on Sunday at Anfield, where Liverpool host Manchester City with their leading scorer Alexander Isak out with a thigh injury and City missing the suspended Phil Foden. Chelsea are sweating on four senior players ahead of Bournemouth's visit to Stamford Bridge, Manchester United are without five defenders and attackers for Tottenham's trip to Old Trafford, and Brighton carry eight fitness doubts to Sunderland.

Refereeing could become a theme of the weekend: Stuart Attwell (Manchester United v Tottenham) and John Brooks (Coventry v Newcastle) are both averaging 6.33 cards a game this season — comfortably the highest of the officials on duty — while Chris Kavanagh takes charge of Liverpool v City on 5.33 a game. Paul Tierney, who referees Arsenal v Leeds, is the quietest appointment on 2.0.
Arsenal v Leeds United — Saturday, 12.30pm, Emirates Stadium, TNT Sports 1
Referee: Paul Tierney — 2.0 cards a game this season (2 games, 4 yellows)
- Arsenal (form WWWWL): Kai Havertz (knee) and Ezri Konsa (dead leg) are doubtful, while William Saliba (back), Cristhian Mosquera (hamstring) and Christos Tzolis (hamstring, until 24 October) are injured. Bukayo Saka is the leading scorer on three goals. Potential substitutes include Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben White, Piero Hincapié, Martín Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Max Dowman, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres.
- Leeds (WDDWD — unbeaten): Bahoya (ankle) and Wilson (thigh) are doubts; Joseph (knee), James (back, until 18 October) and Joe Rodon (hamstring, until 31 October) are out. Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads the scoring on three. Brenden Aaronson, Ilia Gruev, Jaka Bijol and Sean Longstaff are among the substitute options.
Aston Villa v Brentford — Saturday, 3pm, Villa Park
Referee: Craig Pawson — 4.0 cards a game this season (2 games, 8 yellows)
- Aston Villa (LLDLW): Matty Cash (leg), Cissé (knock) and Leon Goretzka (knee) are doubts, with Ian Maatsen (ankle, until 31 October) and Amadou Onana (knee, not expected back until 1 April) injured. Goals have been shared — Alysson, Emiliano Buendía, Jackson and Johan Manzambi have one each. Pau Torres, Ross Barkley, Alejandro Garnacho and Tammy Abraham are among the bench options.
- Brentford (WDDDW): Six players are doubtful — Collins (calf), Damsgaard (ankle), Dasilva (hamstring), Jensen (unspecified), Milambo (knee) and Van den Berg (knee) — while Furo (knee) is injured. Kevin Schade is the leading scorer on three.
Chelsea v Bournemouth — Saturday, 3pm, Stamford Bridge
Referee: Sam Barrott — 3.0 cards a game this season (3 games, 9 yellows)
- Chelsea (WWLDL): A quadruple injury doubt — Moisés Caicedo (calf), Cole Palmer (groin), Reece James (hamstring) and João Pedro (knee) — with Jamie Gittens (foot) injured. João Pedro and Rogers are the joint leading scorers on three goals apiece. Estêvão, Roméo Lavia, Malo Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Danny Welbeck and Emanuel Emegha are among the potential substitutes.
- Bournemouth (LDDDL): Nobody is doubtful, but six players are out: Adli (calf, until 18 October), Araujo (thigh, until 28 November), Justin Kluivert (muscle, 18 October), Eli Junior Kroupi (foot, 31 October), Milosavljevic (knee, 18 October) and Alex Scott (tendon, until 21 November). Marcus Tavernier is the leading scorer on three. David Brooks and Max Aarons are among the bench options.
Ipswich v Fulham — Saturday, 3pm, Portman Road (Championship)
Referee: Lewis Smith — 3.0 cards a game this season (4 games, 11 yellows, 1 red)
- Ipswich (WLLWL): Taylor (knee) is injured and Fatawu is suspended for one match. Davis and Emersonn are the joint leading scorers on two. Chuba Akpom, Kasey McAteer and Jacob Greaves are among the substitute options.
- Fulham (LLLDD): Tom Cairney (knee) is the only doubt, with no injuries and no suspensions. King is the leading scorer on two. Emile Smith Rowe, Rodrigo Muniz, Joachim Andersen, Kenny Tete, Ryan Sessegnon and Harrison Reed are among the bench options.
Sunderland v Brighton — Saturday, 3pm, Stadium of Light
Referee: Tom Bramall — 2.67 cards a game this season (3 games, 8 yellows)
- Sunderland (LWDLL): Nobody is doubtful but four players are out: Brian Brobbey — their leading scorer on three goals — with a hamstring injury until 18 October, plus Dan Ballard (hamstring, 21 November), Habib Diarra (hamstring, 18 October) and Romaine Mundle (knee, 31 December). Trai Hume, Omar Alderete, Chris Rigg and Luke O'Nien are among the substitute options.
- Brighton (WLDWW): Eight doubts — Azeez (hamstring), Lewis Dunk (neck), Hinshelwood (knock), Yankuba Minteh (leg), Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring), Struijk (hamstring), Mats Wieffer (knee) and Yohanna (unspecified) — while Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) are injured. Gross is the leading scorer on three. Matt O'Riley and Georginio Rutter are among the potential substitutes.
Manchester United v Tottenham — Saturday, 5.30pm, Old Trafford, Sky Sports Premier League
Referee: Stuart Attwell — 6.33 cards a game this season (3 games, 18 yellows, 1 red)
- Manchester United (LWDLD): Carlos Baleba (ankle), Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Karl Darlow (all unspecified) and Amad Diallo (ankle) are doubtful; Manuel Ugarte (knee), Matthijs de Ligt (back), Noussair Mazraoui (knock), Benjamin Sesko (shin) and Patrick Dorgu (hamstring, until 8 November) are injured. Bruno Fernandes is the leading scorer on three. Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro are among the potential substitutes.
- Tottenham (LLDDL): Pedro Porro (hamstring) and Van Hecke (foot) are doubts; Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Mykhailo Mudryk (ankle, until 31 October), Wilson Odobert (knee) and Xavi Simons (knee, until 1 January) are out. Gallagher and Van Hecke have one goal each. James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mathys Tel, Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies are among the bench options.
Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest — Sunday, 2pm, Selhurst Park, Sky Sports
Referee: Peter Bankes — 4.0 cards a game this season (3 games, 11 yellows, 1 red)
- Crystal Palace (LLWLD): Dean Henderson (ankle), Khalaili (hamstring), Jean-Philippe Mateta (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) are doubtful — with Mateta, Tomiyasu and Khalaili also listed as injured since 18 October and Henderson carrying a longer-standing foot problem — and Riad (knee) is out until June. Axel Disasi is suspended for the second match of a three-game ban. Tyrick Mitchell is the leading scorer on two. Ben Chilwell, Will Hughes, Eddie Nketiah and Evann Guessand are among the bench options.
- Nottingham Forest (LDDWL): Savona (knee) is the only doubt, with a clean bill of health otherwise. Four players — Liam Delap, Morgan Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus and Dan Ndoye — share the leading-scorer tag on one goal each. Chris Wood, Ola Aina, Nikola Milenković, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Ibrahim Sangaré and Ryan Yates are among the potential substitutes.
Hull v Everton — Sunday, 2pm, MKM Stadium, Sky Sports
Referee: Michael Salisbury — 2.5 cards a game this season (2 games, 5 yellows)
- Hull (WWDDL): Five doubts — Ansah (back), Hughes (groin), Tim Iroegbunam (groin), Morita (muscle) and Matt Targett (ankle) — plus injuries to Matazo (knee), Jack Butland (shoulder, until 5 December) and Gyabi (thigh, until 7 November). Belloumi is the leading scorer on two. Paddy McNair, Kieran Dowell and Joe Gelhardt are among the substitute options.
- Everton (WDDDW): Vitalii Mykolenko (muscle) and Christian Norgaard (muscle) are the only doubts, with no injuries otherwise. Thierno Barry is the leading scorer on two. Michael Keane, Jake O'Brien, Carlos Alcaraz and Tyler Dibling are among the bench options.
Liverpool v Manchester City — Sunday, 4.30pm, Anfield, Sky Sports Premier League
Referee: Chris Kavanagh — 5.33 cards a game this season (3 games, 15 yellows, 1 red)
- Liverpool (DDWDW): Federico Chiesa (back) is a doubt, while Alexander Isak — the leading scorer on four goals — is out with a thigh injury alongside Cody Gakpo (ankle), Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee, until 18 October), Hugo Ekitiké (achilles, until December) and Wataru Endo (ankle). Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas and Ryan Gravenberch are among the substitute options.
- Manchester City (WWWWW — a perfect record): Jérémy Doku and Nico O'Reilly are doubts, with nobody injured — but Phil Foden is suspended for the final match of a three-game ban. Erling Haaland is the leading scorer on five. Rayan Aït-Nouri, Abdukodir Khusanov and Rico Lewis are among the bench options.
Coventry v Newcastle — Monday, 8pm, CBS Arena, Sky Sports Premier League
Referee: John Brooks — 6.33 cards a game this season (3 games, 18 yellows, 1 red)
- Coventry (LLLLW): Kesler-Hayden (hamstring) and Milan van Ewijk (hamstring) are doubts; Amenda (calf), Eccles (calf), Luke Woolfenden (knee) and Wright (thigh) are all injured until 21 November; and Taiwo Awoniyi is suspended for the final match of a three-game ban. Jay Dasilva is the leading scorer on one. Gustavo Hamer and Ellis Simms are among the substitute options.
- Newcastle: Joelinton (groin), Dan Burn (ankle), Dedic (hamstring), Anthony Elanga (unspecified), González (head) and Tino Livramento (hip) are all doubts. Nick Pope, Fabian Schär, Joe Willock, Lewis Miley and William Osula are among the bench options.
With Attwell and Brooks both averaging 6.33 cards a game this season and Kavanagh close behind at Anfield, the officials' whistles may shape the weekend almost as much as the treatment table — where Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Sunderland, in particular, will be hoping for late good news.