Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1Venue Gtech Community Stadium
Referee Michael Oliver This season G15 Y61 R4 4.33 cards/game
Brentford
Subs from Strakosha, Valdimarsson, Ajer, Jørgensen, Fredrick, Ghoddos, Yarmolyuk, Baptiste, Damsgaard, Brierley, Emre Konak, Lewis-Potter, Wissa, Onyeka
Doubtful None
Injured Mbeumo (ankle, Mar),Schade (muscular, unknown), Hickey (hamstring, unknown), Dasilva (knee, unknown), Henry (knee, Jun) Suspended None
Form LLWLLW
Mbeumo 7
Liverpool
Leading
Subs from Kelleher, Adrian, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Elliott, Gordon, Gakpo, Salah, Clark, McConnell
Doubtful None
Injured Alexander-Arnold (knee, 10 Mar), Szoboszlai (muscle, 25 Feb), Thiago (muscle, unknown), Bajcetic (calf, unknown), Matip (knee, Aug), Doak (knee, unknown)
Suspended None
Form WWWWLW Leading scorer Salah 14
***
BURNLEY v ARSENAL
scorer
Saturday 3pmVenue Turf Moor
Referee Jarred Gillett This season G11 Y53 R2 5.00 cards/game
Burnley
Subs from Muric, Vigouroux, Vitinho, Delcroix, Ekdal, Al-Dakhil, Cork, Cullen, Bruun Larsen, Massengo, Benson, Trésor, Gudmundsson, Rodriguez
Doubtful Taylor (shoulder)
Injured Beyer (knock, unknown), Foster (muscular, unknown), Koleosho (knee, May), Redmond (leg, Jul) Suspended None
Form LLDLDL Leading scorer Amdouni, Foster 4
Arsenal
Subs from Ramsdale, Hein, Soares, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, Walters, Elneny, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Nketiah, Jesus
Doubtful Tomiyasu (fitness), Zinchenko
(calf), Vieira (groin), Jesus (knee), Smith Rowe (ankle)
Injured Partey (muscular, Timber (knee, unknown) Suspended None
Form LLWWWW Leading scorer Saka 10
***
FULHAM v ASTON VILLA
Saturday 3pmVenue Craven Cottage
Referee Lewis Smith This season (EFL) G24 Y95 R5 4.17 cards/game
Fulham
unknown),
Subs from Rodak, Benda, BalloTouré, De Fougerolles, Lukic, Sekularac, King, Reed, Traoré, Vinícius, Broja, Bassey, Iwobi, Tete
Doubtful Traoré (hamstring)
Injured Wilson (shoulder, 24 Feb), Jiménez (hamstring, 30 Mar), Diop (hamstring, unknown)
Suspended None
Form LWLDDW Leading scorer De Cordova-Reid, Jiménez 5
Subs from Gauci, Olsen, Wright, Chambers, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam, Zaniolo, Rogers
Doubtful Zaniolo (knock))
Injured Konsa (knee, 2 Mar), Buendía (knee, June), Durán (hamstring, unknown), Mings (knee, June), Diego Carlos (hamstring, 17 Mar), Kamara (knee, Sept)
Suspended None
Form LWDLWL Leading
Watkins 11
***
Saturday 3pmVenue St James’ Park Referee Michael Salisbury This season G9 Y34 R2 4.00 cards/game
Subs from Karius, Livramento, Lascelles, Dummett, Krafth, Hall, Ritchie, Almirón, White
Doubtful None
Injured Pope (shoulder, Apr), Joelinton (thigh, May), Willock (achilles, 24 Feb), Targett (thigh, unknown), Isak (groin, 24 Feb), Anderson (back, unknown), Wilson (chest, May)
Suspended Tonali (Aug)
Form LLLWDW Leading scorer Isak 10
Aston Villa NEWCASTLE v BOURNEMOUTH Newcastle Bournemouth
scorer
Subs from Travers, Radu, Mepham, Kerkez, Kinsey-Wellings, Faivre, Scott, Semenyo, Ouattara, Unal
Doubtful Faivre (illness)
Injured Adams (hamstring, 2 Mar), Hill (ankle, 16 Mar), Aarons (hamstring, unknown), Fredericks (calf, unknown) Suspended Billing (second of three) Form WLLDDL Leading scorer Solanke 13
***
NOTTINGHAM FOREST v WEST HAM
Saturday 3pmVenue City Ground Referee Tom Bramall This season G7 Y33 R1 4.86 cards/game
Nottingham Forest
Subs from Turner, Vlachodimos, Hennessey, Felipe, Omobamidele, Tavares, Kouyaté, Danilo, Reyna, Ribeiro, Origi
Doubtful None
Injured Aina (fitness, 24 Feb), Boly (fitness, 24 Feb), Sangaré (fitness, 24 Feb), Montiel (hamstring, unknown), Wood (hamstring, Apr)
Suspended None
Form WWLLDL Leading scorer
Wood 8
Subs from Fabianski, Emerson, Aguerd, Anang, Casey, Johnson, Ogbonna, Earthy, Laing, Mubama, Antonio, Ings, Scarles, Soucek
Doubtful Antonio (knee), Paquetá (calf)
Injured None
Suspended None
Form WDDDLL Leading
Bowen 11
***
Saturday 3pmVenue Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Referee Anthony Taylor This season G18 Y94 R3 5.39 cards/game
Subs from Austin, Whiteman, Dragusin, Højbjerg, Skipp, Bentancur, Gil, Lo Celso, Santiago, Donley, Scarlett, Werner, Johnson
Doubtful Lo Celso (muscular) Injured Sessegnon (hamstring, unknown), Solomon (knee, unknown), Porro (muscular, 2 Mar), Udogie (knee, 2 Mar), Forster (foot, 13 Apr)
Suspended None
Form LWDWDW Leading scorer Son 12
West Ham TOTTENHAM v WOLVES Tottenham Wolves
scorer
Saturday 5.30pm Sky Sports Premier LeagueVenue Etihad Stadium
Referee Andy Madley This season G14 Y67 R2 4.93 cards/game
Manchester City
Subs from Carson, Ortega, Gómez, Lewis, Bobb, Nunes, Akanji, Kovacic, Gvardiol, Silva, Wright, Susoho
Doubtful Silva (knock), Gvardiol (ankle)
Injured
Suspended None
Form WWWWWW Leading scorer Haaland 16
Chelsea
Grealish (muscular, unknown)
Subs from Bettinelli, Sanchez, Bergström, Casteldine, Golding, Silva, Gilchrist, Mudryk, Sterling, Nkunku, Washington, Stutter, Matos
Doubtful Silva (groin)
Injured James (hamstring, Mar), Ugochukwu (hamstring, unknown)
Sunday 2pm Sky Sports Premier LeagueVenue Bramall Lane
Referee Stuart Attwell This season G11 Y56 R2 5.27 cards/game
Sheffield United
Subs from Grbic, Davies, Trusty, Brewster, McBurnie, Norwood, Larouci, Osula, Brooks, Amissah, Brereton-Díaz, Baldock,
Doubtful Brereton-Díaz Baldock (ankle),
Injured Basham (ankle, unknown), Egan (achilles, unknown), NorringtonDavies (hamstring, unknown), Jebbison (illness, unknown)
Suspended None
Form LLDLLW
Archer, McBurnie 4
Brighton
Leading (hamstring), scorer
Subs from Verbruggen, Hall, Veltman, Webster, Moder, Baleba, Baker-Boaitey, Lallana, Ferguson, Adingra, Hinshelwood, O’Mahony
Doubtful Hinshelwood (foot) Injured Enciso (knee, 24 Feb), João
Sunday 4.30pm Sky Sports Premier LeagueVenue Kenilworth Road
Referee David Coote This season G10 Y49 R3 5.20 cards/game
Luton
Subs from Krul, Shea, Potts, Burke, Kaboré, Johnson, Berry, Mpanzu, Chong, Woodrow, Brown, Clarke Doubtful Hashioka (fitness),
Injured Andersen (calf, unknown), Nakamba (knee, unknown), Lockyer (medical, unknown)
Suspended None
Form WLDWDL Leading Adebayo 9
Manchester United
scorer
Subs from Amrabat, Heaton, Bayindir, McTominay, Eriksen, Diallo, Antony, Lindelöf, Evans, Forson, Kambwala Doubtful Shaw (match fitness) Injured Malacia (knee, unknown), Mount, (unknown, unknown), Martial (groin, Apr), Wan-Bissaka (leg, unknown), Martínez (knee, 30 Mar) Suspended None
Form WLDWWW Leading scorer
Subs from Virgínia, Lonergan, Coleman, Patterson, Keane, Young, Garner, Onyango, Metcalfe, Hunt, Dobbin, Chermiti, Beto
Doubtful Doucouré
Godfrey (unknown)
Injured Danjuma (ankle, Mar), Gomes (calf, unknown), Dele (groin, unknown)
Suspended None
Form LLDDDL Leading scorer Doucouré 6
Crystal Palace
(hamstring),
Subs from Johnstone, Matthews, Ward, Tomkins, Clyne, Riedewald, Ozoh, Ahamada, Édouard
Doubtful Ward (hamstring)
Injured Guéhi (knee, unknown), Olise (hamstring, unknown), Eze (hamstring, unknown), Holding (ankle, unknown), Rak-Sakyi (hamstring, unknown), Doucouré (achilles, May) Suspended None
Form LWLWLL
Édouard, Olise 6
Leading scorer
Wolves and Manchester City academies for nothing.
“I wasn’t getting paid for it, but it certainly wasn’t for nothing in the end, and it was an incredible time,” Edwards said in an interview in 2020. “It was a year of learning, like being a young player all over again, picking up as much information as I could, honing my skills and thinking and reflecting about the game.”
After working under Zenga and Paul Lambert, who was sacked at the end of the 2016-17 season, Edwards made a drastic career move by dropping down five divisions and joining his local club as manager at the stadium where Wolves’ Under-23s also played.
“We just thought it would be a good progression for Rob and to try to integrate some of the Under-23s into Telford,” Pryce says. “It was a joint decision with Wolves. He was very meticulous with everything he did and wanted to do everything very professionally. We tried to achieve those standards but obviously budgets are very different in non-league and some things he wants to try to implement we couldn’t for financial reasons.
“The transition was difficult: he was used to working with players every day and had to get used to only seeing them twice a week after work. He was trying to implement professional training sessions but when you only have a couple of hours it’s very difficult to do that. We did struggle at the start but by the end of the season the players had all bought into the Rob Edwards ways and we finished the season very strongly. I think he learned a lot from his time at Telford.”
Edwards later admitted he “made it too complicated in trying to play a certain style of football” and has described his season at Telford, when they finished 14th, as “my most difficult time so far in coaching but also the best learning experience I have ever had”.
He returned to Wolves to take charge of the Under-23s at the end of the season before leaving for a job with the Football Association in October 2019. There Edwards started working regularly with his assistant Richie Kyle as an in-possession and out-of-possession specialist coach with England’s Under-16s and Under-20s, in a role newly created by the then technical director, Dan Ashworth. Kyle followed Edwards, who cites his former Blackpool manager Ian Holloway as one of his main managerial inspirations and regularly seeks advice from him, to Forest Green – where they sealed promotion to League One in 2022 – and the short-lived spell at Watford at the start of last season.
Fifty-two days later, Edwards was confirmed as the manager of their archrivals and the rest is history, Luton sealing a historic promotion via the playoffs after beating Coventry in a shootout. “Rob’s biggest thing is that he is a very, very nice man,” says Pryce, who stepped down as Telford chairman in January after seven years at the helm. “He is one of those people that if you can see he is putting in the hard work, then you would run through brick walls for him and go into battles every day. You could see that when he was at Telford so it’s surprised us and not surprised us at Telford to see how quickly he’s got to where he’s got.”
Pryce says: “You’ve seen the right side of Rob this year when it comes to unfortunate situations like with Tom Lockyer’s health issues. He deals with them in the right manner. I texted him after they got promoted and the first game of the Premier League to say: ‘Well done and you’ve come a long way from the Conference North to the Premier League!’ He texted back and always takes the time to communicate with the people he has worked with over the years. I’m sure that at Luton he has got to know everybody and spent time with them.”
Luton’s momentum was stalled by an unexpected home defeat against Sheffield United last weekend but they remain a potent threat to United, having scored 23 goals in their past 11 games, including the 4-0 thrashing of Brighton last month. Sadly for Telford it seems unlikely Edwards will be back to manage his home town club any time soon.
“We sometimes have Telford fans saying: ‘Oh we need Rob Edwards back at the club’ but it’s great to see him doing really well,” says Pryce. “We’re very proud of Rob and to have been a part of his history.”