FPL injury update: Porro, Rodri, Elanga, Branthwaite, Minteh latest for GW2

The new Premier League season is finally underway with FPL players across the world locking in their picks for the second round of fixtures. It was an interesting start to the campaign, with nearly all of the division’s biggest clubs avoiding upsets against lesser opposition last weekend.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all made winning starts with Mohamed Salah claiming the biggest points haul of the opening round. He chipped in with a goal and an assist to help the Reds beat Ipswich Town and was the only player to earn 14 points.

Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz also performed well for FPL managers as Arsenal cruised to a simple victory over Wolves. A few players have picked up injuries in recent days, though, meaning players may need to tweak their squads in order to avoid missing out on valuable points.

Express Sport takes a look at the latest updates ahead of Gameweek Two…

Pedro Porro

Tottenham defender Pedro Porro is a popular pick with over a third of FPL managers having him in their squads. He scored against Leicester City on Monday but was playing through the pain of an apparent foot problem before he was substituted in the closing stages.

Ange Postecoglou did not provide an update on Porro’s condition after the final whistle to leave FPL players scratching their heads. As a result, he is seemingly a doubt for Saturday’s match against Everton but there is every chance he will feature if he proves his fitness in training.

Rodri

Rodri missed Manchester City’s win over Chelsea with the Spaniard still recovering from the hamstring injury he picked up at Euro 2024. Pep Guardiola said there was ‘no chance’ of him playing at Stamford Bridge and it seems likely that he will remain on the sidelines against Ipswich.

The midfielder returned to training earlier this month, which suggests that he could be named on the bench if he is deemed fit enough to make the squad. However, it remains to be seen if City will play it safe given the risk of Rodri suffering another setback against the Tractor Boys.

Anthony Elanga

Anthony Elanga was hauled off before the hour mark in Nottingham Forest’s draw with Bournemouth on Saturday. It was later reported by the Nottingham Post that he was suffering from a ‘slight eye injury’ but it remains unclear if that will rule him out of this weekend’s game against Southampton.

Nothing official has come out since then, leaving Elanga as a doubt for Forest’s upcoming trip to St Mary’s Stadium. If the injury clears up quickly, he could still have a role to play with Nuno Espirito Santo unlikely to drop him unless he is forced into a change.

Jarrad Branthwaite

Jarrad Branthwaite is unlikely to feature for Everton when they travel to north London to face Tottenham this weekend. He underwent surgery on a groin injury over the summer, causing him to miss the entirety of the Toffees’ pre-season programme.

The 22-year-old is still working hard to build up his fitness and match sharpness before making a return to action in the near future. As a result, it seems the game against Tottenham will arrive too early for him to be involved in the matchday squad.

Yankuba Minteh

Yankuba Minteh got his Brighton career off to a solid start against Everton, picking up an assist on his competitive debut for the Seagulls. However, the former Newcastle midfielder had to come off before half-time following a clash of heads with Vitalii Mykolenko.

Speaking after the game, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said: “The health of the player is always more important than any game and any win. We are responsible for that and that is why we have to keep looking at him and see how he reacts now, but I am quite confident that he will be back next week.”