🔗 Share this article

England's top division returns this round of fixtures following the pause for national teams, with managers providing crucial fitness reports ahead of Saturday's games.

Anfield Side Encounter Major Unavailable Stars

Anfield coach Arne Slot has confirmed that the young defender, the Dutch full-back, and Florian Wirtz will all sit out this round's game against Forest.

On a positive note, first-choice shot-stopper Alisson Becker has returned to fitness from his recent setback and is ready for selection.

The Liverpool boss revealed that Gomez was absent from sessions recently but should be ready for selection, though he probably won't be used for the entire match.

Burnley Get Positive Update on Armando Broja

Clarets boss the manager has revealed that forward Broja may have "avoided serious injury" after suffering an knock while appearing for his national team against the Three Lions.

The 24-year-old left the fixture on a stretcher, but follow-up assessments have indicated the issue is "much less severe than feared."

Scott Parker commented that Broja has been in training since recently and could potentially feature versus his former club the Blues on the weekend.

The Magpies Fitness Reports

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has given reports on a number of key individuals ahead of their game against City.

Gordon has "trained extensively" to return from his hip injury and is "a doubt" for Saturday's match.

the full-back is "almost ready" after recovering from a knee problem and is also in the running for selection.

the goalkeeper is "fine" after completing head injury assessment, while the Brazilian and the Italian are both available to face Manchester City.

Upcoming Top Flight Matches

• Chelsea travel to Burnley (Sat 12.30pm GMT)
• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest (afternoon)
• Bournemouth v West Ham (3pm)
• Wolves v Crystal Palace (afternoon)
• Brentford travel to Brighton (3pm)
• Fulham v Sunderland (3pm)
• The Magpies host City (evening)
• Villa visit Elland Road (Sun afternoon)
• Arsenal v Tottenham (Sun late kickoff)
• United host Everton (Mon night)

Tactical Focus on Eddie Howe

St James' Park side could potentially be in the relegation zone if they are defeated against the champions and outcomes around them don't go their way.

The statistics don't look good for Eddie Howe, who has been unable to beat Pep Guardiola in eighteen previous top flight encounters.

Howe's history against the City manager stands at two tied games and 16 losses from their previous meetings.

"Our progress and definitely I've seen a massive improvement from us," said Turf Moor coach the gaffer. "We need to work on minor aspects at this present moment in time."

The comeback of Premier League action comes after a chaotic national team period that featured memorable moments including the Scottish team's nail-biting achievement for the World Cup.