This thread is a catch-all for all player absence discussion and gossip, including unconfirmed injury reports, injury doubts and chat about suspensions.

If you wish to post an official news item involving a confirmed player absence (injury, ban or other), please do so over in the official 2011-12 News thread. Everything else belongs here.
If you're not sure where to post, do so here. One of the mods can always repost it in the main thread for you if necessary. Accidental reposts of links will not be frowned upon as this is a catch-all thread.

You are of course free to start your own threads on any major topic. This one is here for all the little bits and pieces that may not otherwise have a home.

On the injury front, we're especially interested in nuggets of info in official club web sites or articles by local journos, particularly where details of a player's recovery from injury are buried in an otherwise uninteresting article. These little gems are easy to miss and really do help the injury table admins to get the best guesses for return dates right and help provide a better service to you. Even if you think it might be of limited interest, let's have a look at it.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 84,00.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... -over.html

Jonathon Woodgate appears to be injury-free after playing only 4 games in 2 years. How long will that last? He must be favourite in the first-to-retire odds, if there is such a thing.

Spurs must have released him. Tony Pulis has given him a pay-as-you-play contract at Stoke - sensible move not to give a full time contract.

One of those links says still no update on Arteta's foot injury.

Warning lights flashing up over a couple of Wolves players - http://www.eecho.ie/news/sport/mccarthy ... 14234.html

McCarthy admits he is anxiously awaiting news over the fitness of midfield duo Adlene Guedioura (ankle) and Dave Edwards (back). He said: “I’m happy with my squad but if I lose two midfield players, that would put a serious dent in it.”

P.S. This is a perfect example of the kind of hidden info we're after. It was buried at the bottom of an article about Kevin Doyle's future.

Rumours that Suarez of Liverpool will miss game one and be benched for game two of the new season - http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/pre ... ue-season-

Arsenal's Theo Walcott has an ankle injury that "comes and goes", according to Wenger. He's off for some special scans. "We need some more investigation because sometimes he’s completely free of it and sometimes it affects him. But we had to send him back because he couldn’t practice anymore." said Wenger. Metro article speculates that his season start is threatened. - http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/8 ... pool-games

Chelsea's Alex has missed pre-season so far due to injury, according to this report, but is expected to play soon - http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/2011/ ... -fc-update

Couple of Wolves' snippets - http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10 ... 44,00.html

Everton "hopeful" Mikel Arteta will be fit for season start - http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton- ... -29132911/?

Daily Mirror claim that Theo Walcott's scans came back clear and he only needs a few days of rest - http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfe ... 78223.html

Fulham's Bjorn Helge Riise (BHR?) allegedly out with a hamstring - no official confirmation but could be 2-4 weeks; sounds liks a regular problem for him - http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/07/b ... ry-layoff/

Steve Bruce hopes that John O'Shea will be ready for his debut in the first EPL game - http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011 ... id-102279/

sub Ricardo Gardner only lasted 18 minutes before going off injured in yesterday's Bolton friendly

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... eg?cc=5739

Van Der Vaart went of injured against Brighton today. Not sure about severity.

Ben Arfa out for a month (will miss two games, arsenal and the unwashed).

Ryan Taylor - injured no idea how long for and don't care.

Shane Ferguson - Injured no idea how long for, don't think it's more than a month.

Guthrie - the same.

Williamson - Just coming back from a broken arm due back about now actually. We play Leeds today in a friendly so he may feature.

Simpson - wife just gave birth, rumour he'll get some time off to be with her but i can see him being back for the season opener, although Gosling could play their or S Taylor or Tavernier (come through the ranks) if he doesn't play.

Smith - I hope he leaves regardless of injury, a walking disaster in the premiership, hope he leaves for a championship club as he has had a good attitude depsite being finished at this level.

Harper - has been injured but back now.

Best - had a knock but back.

Oh and Tiote has had cards in Friendlies but they don't count towards EPL so not suspended for the opener.

Although it's q auote from 'arry, I'd still treat this one with a pinch of salt. Tom Huddlestone possible injury, plus Sandro out for slightly longer than previously advertised - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011 ... uka-modric

"I hope we can," he said. "I hope so because, at the moment, we have a problem. Sandro is out for three months and Tom Huddlestone has to see a specialist. Wilson Palacios is just coming back, so in terms of senior [midfield] players we only have Luka Modric and Jermaine Jenas, so it's an area we do need to strengthen for sure."

Hopefully the official site will see fit to tell us something soon.

Rafael went off in last nights game against Barcelona with a knee injury.

The downside for United was that Rafael da Silva was injured in a 17th-minute collision with Seydou Keita and must undergo tests on his right knee to ascertain whether he will be fit for the start of the season.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011 ... dly-report

Hernandez could miss Man Utd's first two or three Premier League games according to a quote on the BBC sports website.

Following yesterday's match against Barcelona Alex Ferguson confirmed that Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has the all-clear to fly back with the squad after he suffered a concussion in a training session.

"Javier is coming back with us. He is fine. He won't play for a couple of weeks but that would have been the case anyway.

"He was always going to need a break until he got his fitness back. He will do some training, then we will have him back in three to four weeks."

Bolton's Chung Yung Lee [sp] out for 9 months after breaking a leg in a friendly today

Apparently he played in Van der Sar's testimonial (which I hadnt even heard about… and a testimonial from who? Holland? )…. so anyway - looks like he's ok.

http://www.worldfootballinsider.com/Story.aspx?id=34574

Zamora has fractured his hand, but is playing with a cast.....

West Brom's Peter Odemwingie has a minor ankle injury but it sounds like he'll be fit for the start of the season - http://www.goal.com/en/news/1656/nigeri ... -ghana-due

Suarez due back at Liverpool on Monday to have his fitness assessed - http://www.lfconline.com/news/tmnw/suar ... ndex.shtml

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero is suffering with foot blisters and will probably only make the bench this Sunday; Carlos Tevez "still on leave" - http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/pre ... ity-shield

Forgotten man Sean Davis of Bolton back in light training after two years out but no date set for return - http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11672_7080568,00.html

Anyone know whats happened to Darren Bent?

Left out of England squad and Villa fans on twitter saying he picked up an injury today! No info on villa website yet.

I've got a feeling that this should have its own thread, but here goes...........

J Riise (the ex Pool player) has been flagged as 50% for the opener due to a hamstring on FPL. I have had a google etc, and found zilch. Then the penny dropped and maybe they have got him confused with his brother, who is not on the FPL list.

Over in Split last night that didn`t prove to be the case as Bjorn Helge Riise, an unused substitute in our 0-0 draw with RNK Split, injured a hamstring as the squad warmed down.

It`s now being inferred that the player will be sidelined for up to two weeks!

Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/a ... z1UMg6JSo8

Yep.

News on Bent.

http://www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co. ... ?a=7509627

Glen Johnson not in that squad either. Went off after 7 minutes on saturday. Commentary said calf and minor, Kenny said thigh and 'we'll see'. Different to his recent hamstring worries anyway.

International Friendlitis is the icing on the cake

Possibility that Wolves' Kevin Doyle might be out for six weeks - or he may be fit for the weekend.
http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011 ... id-103867/

Steven Reid a doubt for the Baggies; other WBA updates inclusing Hodgson saying he's very optimistic Odemwingie will be fit
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 34784.html

Broken hand for Bobby Zamora but it doesn't rule him out
http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-l ... -bobby-out

Torres may have suffered concussion playing tonight:

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNew ... 83,00.html

I'm counting this as gossip as it's only been spotted in the (less-than-reliable) Daily Mail so far but they claim Man U's Rafael has dislocated his shoulder and might need surgery. They imply strongly that he will miss some of the season even if he doesn't.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ulder.html

Bit of a nasty late curve ball, especially for you TFF managers.

YCNMIU! Kieron Dyer stretechered off 5 minutes into his return to the Premiership

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14517589.stm

However x-rays show no broken foot and he could be back in a few days.

Various Blackburn updates - Kean "hopes" Givet, Samba and Emerton will be fit for next game

http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail ... 06,00.html

At Stoke Matthew Etherington may have dislocated his shoulder and Rory Delap may have done his hamstring again... awaiting confirmation

http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/NewsDet ... 07,00.html

Carlos Tevez could feature tonight

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/265 ... or-Swansea

Kolo Toure allegedly back in training and may be fit to play soon as his ban ends

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011 ... ity-return

Peter Odemwingie not expected to be out for "much longer"

http://www.wba.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~2420300,00.html

Given injury worry (groin):
http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingha ... -29237709/