🚑 GW1 Premier League Injury Round-Up | FPL
Weekly injury updates provided for key players, where we blend video analysis, manager/club comments, and most importantly, my physio-informed analysis. 📋
⚠️ Disclaimer: GW0 → GW1 is tricky - limited pre-season footage & vague comments mean this week’s calls are more speculative than usual.
Verdicts ⬇️
Morgan Rogers (7.0m)
Morgan Rogers was sidelined for the last two pre-season friendly games after suffering an ankle injury vs. Roma. Rogers was pictured at training for Villa, and his initial injury was deemed ‘not to be that serious’. This likely was a slight medial ankle sprain after an awkward foot placement led him to that mechanism
Scout’s Verdict: ✅ 95% chance of playing vs. Newcastle
Caoimhin Kelleher (4.5m)
Kelleher was sidelined in Brentford’s last friendly game of the season, but the diagnosis of the injury is unknown. It is understood to have been left out of the squad as a "precaution”. Brentford coach, Keith Andrews, stated, “Whether they will be absolutely ready, we’ll see over the next day and a half, then we’ll make that decision,” referring to Schade and Kelleher. However, Kelleher has been seen ‘back on the grass’. Can’t make an informed decision as there was no classification of the injury. I would say based on the comments, he is more likely to start.
Scout’s Verdict: ⚠️ 75% chance of playing vs. Forest
Josko Gvardiol (6.0m)
Gvardiol missed the trip to Palermo due to an unknown cause. He was part of the no-fly list, which included Phil Foden and Claudio Echeverri. Pep didn’t provide any comment on it, which makes it hard to make an informed judgment.
Scout’s Verdict: ⚠️ 75% chance of playing vs. Wolves
Vitalii Mykolenko (5.0m)
Mykolenko had to come off in Everton’s friendly vs. Roma with a groin injury. David Moyes said the severity was ‘unclear’ after the match. Likely scenarios are that he’s suffering from either groin tightness, or a minor strain. Groins are susceptible to injury in footballers as it’s one of the most frequently used muscles. However, they are often treated as ‘day-to-day’ - without much comment, this one is a difficult one to judge.
Scout’s Verdict: ⚠️ 70% chance of playing vs. Leeds
Phil Foden (8.0m)
Foden was part of the no-fly list alongside Gvardiol and Echeverri after suffering an ‘ankle knock’. Pep stated "he has a problem in his ankle and that’s why we didn’t take a risk," and "I don’t know [if he will play against Wolves]. It's just a knock - it was painful but he will be ready when he is ready." Even though it’s hard to tell with these vague comments, it seems like it was more precautionary, and ankle ‘knocks’ tend to recovery fast regardless. He was pictured in training for City as well.
Scout’s Verdict: ✅ 95% chance of playing vs. Wolves
Conor Bradley (5.0m)
Less of an FPL option, but more relevant for Frimpong owners. It has not been stated what type of injury Bradley is suffering from; however, he has yet to be pictured in any of Liverpool’s training photos and missed Liverpool’s community shield match vs. Crystal Palace. This should give confidence to fantasy players that Frimpong should at least start the first game.
Scout’s Verdict: ❌ 10% chance of playing vs. Bournemouth
Rodri (6.5m)
Rodri has returned from his ACL reconstruction but picked up a groin injury during Man City’s friendly against Al Hilal. Pep Guardiola said, “He had a big injury in the last game against Al Hilal and for the last five or six weeks… maybe the international break is when he will be really, really fit.” However, he also noted that Rodri could play “some” minutes in the Premier League before the break.
In this context, I think Pep’s use of the word “big” was a bit misleading. City will likely manage his return carefully, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s back in the starting lineup before the break. Rodri has already been spotted in training photos and videos, suggesting he’s progressing well. While a full 90 minutes is unlikely, he should still have a significant role for City in the coming matches.
Scout’s Verdict: ⚠️ 80% chance of playing vs. Wolves
Jarrad Branthwaite (5.5m)
Jarrad Branthwaite had suffered a hamstring injury in training, reportedly after a routine sprinting drill. It’s reported that he won’t be back til late September - this suggests that he may have suffered a moderate (grade 2) hamstring strain, which will need to be assessed via scans. It’s also reported that Branthwaite has injured the same hamstring which he injured against Southampton in May.
Scout’s Verdict: ❌ Out for 4-6 weeks
Anthony Gordon (7.5m)
Anthony Gordon picked up an ankle knock in Newcastle’s clash with Atletico Madrid, but quickly reassured fans, saying, “Just twisted my ankle, no problems.” This aligns with the fact that many ankle sprains recover quicker than expected. He’s on track to start against Villa, likely leading the line up top.
Scout’s Verdict: ✅ 100% chance of playing