<p>Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers logging in after the international break may find one or two injury doubts in their teams &#8211; but what&#8217;s the latest on some of the key players?</p>
<p>In this article, we take a look at the main injury news ahead of Gameweek 8.</p>
<p>Check out our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/premier-league-predicted-lineups">team news and predicted lineups article</a> later this week for full updates from every club as managers&#8217; pre-match press conferences take place.</p>
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<h2>Bukayo Saka</h2>
<p>Saka is the main injury concern, with the England international the fourth most owned player in the game at 34.6%.</p>
<p>He is flagged as a doubt for Gameweek 8 after coming off in the England v Greece game on Thursday (October 10) with a potential hamstring problem.</p>
<p>The Arsenal midfielder then withdrew from the squad, missing the Finland match on Sunday and returning to his club for assessment.</p>
<p>Interim England manager Lee Carsley said:</p>
<div>&#8220;Bukayo would have been close [for Finland] but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him. He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”</div>
<p>Carsley&#8217;s comments suggest Saka&#8217;s withdrawal was a precautionary measure, so it would not be a surprise to see him start against Bournemouth on Saturday.</p>
<p>Fantasy managers should not expect too much helpful information from Mikel Arteta however, who often keeps his cards close to his chest when it comes to team news.</p>
<div id="attachment_67672" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67672" class="size-full wp-image-67672" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Saka-image-2.jpg" alt="Bukayo Saka" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Saka-image-2.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Saka-image-2-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Saka-image-2-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Saka-image-2-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67672" class="wp-caption-text">Bukayo Saka</p></div>
<h2>Gabriel Martinelli</h2>
<p>Arteta has more than just Saka to worry about in the injury department after Martinelli picked up an issue while on duty with Brazil.</p>
<p>The midfielder had a scan after his substitute appearance against Chile on Friday, according to the Brazilian Football Confederation.</p>
<p>It added that Martinelli had complained of pain in his right calf, with the scan showing a &#8216;small area of muscle edema&#8217; &#8211; a form of swelling.</p>
<p>He was an unused substitute against Peru overnight &#8211; but being on the bench indicates the issue is likely to be minor.</p>
<div id="attachment_67688" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67688" class="size-full wp-image-67688" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Martinelli-3.jpg" alt="Gabriel Martinelli" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Martinelli-3.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Martinelli-3-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Martinelli-3-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Martinelli-3-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67688" class="wp-caption-text">Gabriel Martinelli</p></div>
<h2>Kai Havertz</h2>
<p>Another Arsenal player nursing an issue over the break is Havertz, who missed his country&#8217;s Nations League fixtures due to a knee problem.</p>
<p>Again though, it is believed that the withdrawal was precautionary.</p>
<p>This would be good news for Arteta, who has the above issues to contend with as well as ongoing injuries to <strong>Ben White </strong>and <strong>Martin Odegaard</strong>.</p>
<div id="attachment_67689" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67689" class="size-full wp-image-67689" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Havertz-4.jpg" alt="Kai Havertz" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Havertz-4.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Havertz-4-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Havertz-4-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Havertz-4-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67689" class="wp-caption-text">Kai Havertz</p></div>
<h2>Ezri Konsa</h2>
<p>Konsa is a popular budget defender, in 12.8% of FPL teams.</p>
<p>He was injured in Aston Villa&#8217;s final game before the break, against Manchester United.</p>
<p>This prevented him making the England squad &#8211; but it&#8217;s unclear whether his hamstring injury will be resolved in time for Gameweek 8.</p>
<p>Unai Emery&#8217;s press conference, which is also likely to feature an update on <strong>Amadou Onana&#8217;s </strong>hamstring complaint and <strong>Jacob Ramsey&#8217;s </strong>groin injury, should help managers understand the severity of Konsa&#8217;s issue.</p>
<div>
<div id="attachment_67690" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67690" class="size-full wp-image-67690" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Konsa-image.jpg" alt="Ezri Konsa" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Konsa-image.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Konsa-image-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Konsa-image-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Konsa-image-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67690" class="wp-caption-text">Ezri Konsa</p></div>
</div>
<h2>Alejandro Garnacho and Noussair Mazraoui</h2>
<p>Garnacho was another player who did not report for international duty, with the Argentine explaining the decision on his Instagram page. He said:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve had knee problems for the last two games and I won’t be able to be with the national team, but I hope to recover quickly and be on the next date [for internationals against Paraguay and Peru in November].”</p></blockquote>
<p>Erik ten Hag might have Garnacho back in time for their Gameweek 8 match against Brentford &#8211; but defender <strong>Noussair Mazraoui </strong>is more doubtful.</p>
<p>The full-back had heart palpitations against Villa and was taken off at half-time.</p>
<p>He has since had surgery to deal with what is said to be a minor issue, with a timeframe for a return of a few weeks quoted in the media.</p>
<p>Mazraoui is in nearly 15% of FPL teams, so an absence creates a headache for a number of managers.</p>
<p>United&#8217;s defensive prospects will not be helped by their lack of fit full-backs, plus an injury to <strong>Harry Maguire </strong>in the Villa game that will also rule him out for a &#8216;few weeks&#8217;.</p>
<p><strong>Kobbie Mainoo </strong>and <strong>Amad Diallo </strong>also opted out of international duty because of injury concerns, so ten Hag&#8217;s press conference will be a packed one for team news purposes.</p>
<div id="attachment_67691" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67691" class="size-full wp-image-67691" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/United-injuries.jpg" alt="Manchester United injuries" width="900" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/United-injuries.jpg 900w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/United-injuries-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/United-injuries-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/United-injuries-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67691" class="wp-caption-text">Manchester United injuries</p></div>
<h2>Vitalii Mykolenko</h2>
<p>Mykolenko missed matches for Ukraine after his Gameweek 7 absence due to a calf strain.</p>
<p>Everton manager Sean Dyche said ahead of the break:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;It was unfortunate. Myko took a knock last weekend. We thought it was a knock &#8211; it settled down and then turned out to be a small strain, and it&#8217;s too much for today.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<div id="attachment_67692" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67692" class="size-full wp-image-67692" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mykolenko.jpg" alt="Vitalii Mykolenko" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mykolenko.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mykolenko-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mykolenko-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mykolenko-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67692" class="wp-caption-text">Vitalii Mykolenko</p></div>
<h2>Brennan Johnson</h2>
<p>In-form Spurs midfielder Johnson was suspended for Wales&#8217; Monday match but was taken off at half-time of the Iceland game on Friday.</p>
<p>Johnson, who got himself on the scoresheet for the seventh game running in all competitions, was hauled off as a &#8216;precaution&#8217;. Manager Craig Bellamy said:</p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“It was a precaution. He took a kick. He did feel something from impact so we’ll get him checked out.”</p></blockquote>
<div id="attachment_67577" style="width: 907px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-67577" class="size-full wp-image-67577" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Johnson-stats-2.jpg" alt="Brennan Johnson's stats" width="897" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Johnson-stats-2.jpg 897w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Johnson-stats-2-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Johnson-stats-2-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Johnson-stats-2-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px" /><p id="caption-attachment-67577" class="wp-caption-text">Brennan Johnson&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></p></div>
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FPL Gameweek 8 early injury news: Saka, Martinelli, Havertz, Konsa and more

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