Liverpool will field an altered XI when they travel to Aston Villa on Friday night after medical staff ruled out striker Darwin Núñez and midfielder Wataru Endo for Saturday’s trip to Yorkshire. The visitors’ most pressing concern is Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, who limps into the fixture having played just 22 minutes of his last two appearances.
Villa, meanwhile, are without three first-team defenders: Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Alysson. Loanee Harvey Elliott, a potential wildcard pick for Fantasy Premier League managers, is ineligible to face his parent club. Villa skipper John McGinn produced four chances created against Burnley last weekend—matching Bruno Fernandes for the week’s highest total—and now leads all midfielders under £6m in bonus points this season.
Key Points
- ⚠️ Mo Salah is set for a cameo of 30 minutes or fewer
- 💼 Ollie Watkins has a bonus point in five of his last six starts
- 🛡️ Villa’s backline is missing three first-choice centre-backs
At Old Trafford, Manchester United host Nottingham Forest under floodlights on Sunday lunchtime with Casemiro poised to return after a hamstring scare. Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White trained with a protective mask Wednesday and is expected to start, though Vítor Pereira stressed no risks will be taken with Dan Ndoye or Ibrahim Sangare. United’s defence remains unsettled with Matthijs de Ligt ruled out; the Dutchman’s absence has coincided with four goals conceded in his last three home games.
| Player | Latest Status | FPL 2025-26 price |
|---|---|---|
| Mo Salah | Doubt: hamstring | £11.5m |
| Ollie Watkins | Available | £8.7m |
| John McGinn | Available | £5.3m |
| Casemiro | Returning | £5.9m |
At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace could field Borna Sosa on the left flank after the Croat passed a late fitness test. The Eagles remain without French midfielder Naoui Doucouré and teenager Mathys Nketiah, while Brentford’s Rico Henry continues his prolonged hamstring rehabilitation. For Palace, Ismaila Sarr has delivered five goals and two assists in 12 away matches this season—averaging 5.9 points per start on the road.
📋 By The Numbers
- 22 — Goals scored by Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins in 2025-26
- 4 — Consecutive FPL haul bonuses for the same player
- 5.9 — Sarr’s average FPL points per away start
Everton host Sunderland with Seamus Coleman bidding farewell at Goodison Park after 17 seasons. Idrissa Gueye could return from suspension, while Romaine Mundle and Bertrand Traoré may feature for Sunderland following their suspension scrapes. Beto, Everton’s 22-goal striker, has scored five times and earned 41 FPL points since Gameweek 31—top among forwards.
Leeds United host Brighton on Sunday with Gabriel Gudmundsson nearing a first-team return and Pascal Struijk a late fitness doubt. Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, meanwhile, will miss the final two Premier League games and the imminent World Cup after aggravating a hamstring injury in Monday’s 1-1 draw at Spurs.
💡 Pro Tip
Lock in Ollie Watkins at £8.7m if he’s in your starting XI; his combination of starts, shots and bonus points makes him the safest premium forward for the run-in.
Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood has scored in each of his last three appearances, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted from the spot last weekend to maintain his tally of 13 goals—the fifth-highest among forwards. Anton Stach tops Leeds’ charts for shots (54) and chances created (62) this season, offering hidden value below £5m in FPL squads.
- Gameweek 37 kicks off Friday 20:00 BST — Villa vs Liverpool headline showdown
- McGinn and Watkins linked — Villa duo on form and priced under £7m combined
- Forest’s Gibbs-White mask saga — Captain expected to play despite facial protection