The run-in to the 2025/26 season is being shaped as much by fitness concerns as form, with a long list of absentees and doubts ahead of Gameweek 28.

Arsenal suffered an early scare at Tottenham when Bukayo Saka was withdrawn in the warm-up to the match but walked off with ease. He remains a doubt for the visit of Chelsea. Ben White and Kai Havertz were unavailable for the north London derby; both appear likely to return from knocks but are not guaranteed for Sunday. Arsenal have two confirmed absentees: Max Dowman (ankle) and Mikel Merino (foot).

Chelsea face several fitness problems for the trip to the Emirates. Marc Cucurella and Jamie Gittens will miss out with hamstring issues. Levi Colwill has been absent all season with an ACL injury. Dário Essugo is back in training but is unlikely to feature yet. There are doubts over Filip Jörgensen and Estêvão, the latter ruled out of the Burnley draw with a hamstring complaint.

Liverpool struggled for creativity in a 1–0 win at Nottingham Forest after Florian Wirtz injured his back in the warm-up at the City Ground. Arne Slot had initially expected him back for the meeting with West Ham United but has now admitted he has “no idea” when we will see Wirtz again. Jeremie Frimpong could return after a five-game groin absence, while Conor Bradley is out for the season and Wataru Endo is sidelined.

Alexander Isak is expected to return around the March international break after breaking his leg before Christmas. Giovanni Leoni is another long-term absentee after tearing his ACL on his debut.

Manchester City remain limited by long-term absences to Joško Gvardiol and Mateo Kovačić. Max Alleyne is a doubt after an early withdrawal in the FA Cup fourth-round win over Salford City, and Jérémy Doku is not guaranteed to be ready for the trip to Leeds United.

Manchester United were without Lisandro Martínez for a 1–0 win at Everton; he could also miss the visit from Crystal Palace, the fixture in which he tore his ACL last February. Matthijs de Ligt has been absent since the end of November and Patrick Dorgu is receiving treatment.

Tottenham will miss nine players for Gameweek 28, including Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur. Bruno Guimarães is a major miss for Newcastle United as they chase continental qualification. Sunderland may be without Brian Brobbey and Nordi Mukiele for their match with Bournemouth.

Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs has treated reported interest from Chelsea and Liverpool as flattering but unconfirmed. He told assembled media he had heard nothing concrete from his representatives and preferred to concentrate on his first Premier League season.

“I don’t know,” Roefs sheepishly told assembled media when presented with theses connections to Chelsea and Liverpool . “I don’t know what to make of it. I don’t hear anything from it from my agents. As long as I don’t know anything about it, they can read or write what they want. I don’t know.

“Obviously, it’s a compliment, I think, if people write it about you. I’m really not into this. It’s my first season in the Premier League, my first season here. I’m really enjoying every single minute of it, so I’m not thinking of anything else.”

Roefs joined Sunderland on a contract running until 2030 and has shown a composed adaptation to England’s top flight. The 23-year-old’s save rate stands at 71%, ahead of Liverpool’s Alisson (64.8%) and Chelsea’s Robert Sánchez (70.8%). Over the season he has played 27 games, conceded 32 goals and faced 110 shots on target. His xGOT conceded is 33.2 and he has prevented 1.2 goals compared with Alisson’s -2.0 and Sánchez’s +2.7, according to Opta.

There are also distinctions in distribution. Roefs attempts more long passes than the two Premier League rivals, with 50.1% of his passes classified as long while Alisson plays long 33.5% of the time and Sánchez 47.6%. Roefs averages 39.5 passes per 90 and his defence start distance measures 40.1 metres, compared with Alisson’s 31.5 passes per 90 and 42.5 metres, and Sánchez’s 39.5 passes per 90 and 42.8 metres.

His manager has welcomed the contribution. “He’s key,” Régis Le Bris recently gushed. “It’s fair to say that in an efficient team, you need strong players on both sides. I think the goalkeeper and the centre backs are really important to protect the goal.

“He’s young, without a lot of experience,” Le Bris said of the 23-year-old. “Often you would say you need an experienced goalkeeper, because this role is really demanding, even psychologically. So he’s doing really well. When you give opportunities to young players, you can be surprised.”

At 6’4″, Roefs has rarely looked overawed by the physical demands of the division, and he says the atmosphere at home and on the road has been a highlight of his debut season.

Dominik Szoboszlai will be absent for Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Sunderland after being sent off late in the Anfield defeat by Manchester City. His free kick had earlier given Liverpool the lead, but a late series of events changed the outcome and left the midfielder facing a short suspension.

Bernardo Silva equalised and Erling Haaland converted from the penalty spot to complete City’s comeback. In stoppage time, Gianlugi Donnarumma sprawled to deny Alexis Mac Allister and Liverpool pushed forward again. A deep ball into the box led to Rayan Cherki attempting a strike from inside City’s half, which prompted a foot race involving Szoboszlai and Haaland.

The pair fell in the scramble and Cherki’s attempt rolled into the net, but the goal did not stand. Referee Craig Pawson was instructed to review the incident at the pitch-side monitor. The match feed recorded the VAR intervention: “#LIVMCI – 90+10’ VAR OVERTURN After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Manchester City. Referee announcement: “After review, there is a careless foul by Erling Haaland, that pulls the shirt of Dominic Szoboszlai. Prior to that, Szoboszlai…”

Following VAR’s decision, Pawson disallowed the goal and dismissed Szoboszlai for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The report states that Szoboszlai had pulled Haaland back during the scramble and that Haaland then tugged the Liverpool midfielder to the ground.

The red card triggers a suspension under FA rules. Given the specific nature of the dismissal, the suspension is for a single match. Szoboszlai will therefore be unavailable against Sunderland on Wednesday but is eligible to return for the FA Cup tie with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday and the Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on Feb. 22.

This season Szoboszlai’s minutes have been split between attacking midfield and right-back, and he has also filled in on the right wing during Mohamed Salah’s absence.