FPL injury update: Madueke, Lavia, Jesus, Nunez, Dias latest for GW21

It promises to be another critical week for FPL managers with all 20 Premier League teams in action over three days. The top two meet on Tuesday, with Liverpool traveling to surprise package of the season Nottingham Forest.

There will also be a north London derby at the Emirates on Wednesday, while Manchester United will look to continue their recent revival at home to Southampton on Thursday.

But a number of stars face a race against time to be fit this week, while others are already ruled out through injury or suspension. And Express sport leads rule on latest fitness concerns for GW21.

Noni Madueke

It has been a mixed season for the England winger, although he is one of his team's best players with six goals in all competitions. However, he was left out of the squad against Fulham in December for what manager Enzo Maresca called a “technical decision”, leading to speculation over his future.

And eyebrows were raised when the 22-year-old was subsequently left out of Chelsea's FA Cup win over Morecambe at the weekend. However, FPL bosses can rest assured he looks certain to return for Tuesday's home game against Bournemouth after Maresca explained his non-selection.

“Noni is back and he is available after an illness,” he said during his press conference on Monday. “He trained with us and he is 100 percent ready for tomorrow.”

Romeo Lavia

Much of Chelsea's dip in form has been attributed to the absence of Lavia, who has missed the last four Premier League matches with a hamstring injury. However, he played 45 minutes in the 5-0 win over Morecambe, with Maresca subsequently confirming he was carefully managing the midfielder's return.

And he has now confirmed that the 21-year-old escaped unscathed, saying: “Yes, Reece (James) and Romeo are doing well for Bournemouth, we are very happy for both of them.”

Gabriel Jesus

The Brazilian striker was stretchered off during the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, and the diagnosis has not yet been confirmed. But it seems inconceivable that Jesus would be available to play against Tottenham, given Mikel Arteta's immediate post-match assessment.

“A big worry,” he admitted. “That’s my feeling. He had to go down on a stretcher in a lot of pain and he hit his knee, so it's not looking good.

Darwin Nuñez

Despite his poor form in front of goal, the temptation for FPL managers to include Darwin Nunez remains strong, given his ability to produce chaos and spectacular moments. However, he limped out of the FA Cup clash against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, and although he is fit, he is unavailable for selection.

The Uruguayan picked up a yellow card late in the match against Manchester United last Sunday and was lucky not to be sent off. Either way, the booking meant a one-match suspension in the league and he would miss the crucial trip to Forest.

Rubén Dias

Despite back-to-back league wins, Manchester City desperately need to get their defensive talisman back. Dias has been missing since the Manchester derby in December, when he injured a muscle.

Ahead of Saturday's FA Cup match against Salford, Pep Guardiola confirmed the Portuguese star was close to returning, but was not quite ready for selection. It seems likely he will be in the squad to travel to Brentford on Tuesday, with a return later in January looking like a safer bet.