Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

That brings us to injuries. Nine players pulled out of the England squad for the recent Nations League double-header, an amount that raised eyebrows from fans - and even Three Lions captain Harry Kane.

We will find out when managers do their news conferences on Thursday and Friday how many out of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, Levi Colwill and Jarrad Branthwaite will be fit for this weekend's games.

Liverpool have not yet said whether keeper Alisson Becker could be back after six weeks out injured - but if he does return that could be the end of Caoimhin Kelleher's spell in the team.

One player who will be out for a while is Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who was handed a seven-match domestic ban by the Football Association for using a racial slur about team-mate Son Heung-min.

He can still play Europa League matches but will not be available in the Premier League until 26 December.

Image source, Getty Images

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

We are approaching the first time of the season when managers have to juggle their first-team squads as the fixtures start to pile up.

Four teams have nine games in December. The Carabao Cup quarter-finals are also being played the week before Christmas - and European games continue through December as a result of the new formats.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United all have nine games in December, an average of one every 3.4 days.

Some clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Brighton - who are fifth and sixth in the table respectively - only have six matches in the final month of 2024.

However, rest periods from rounds 17 and 20 this year have been increased to ensure no club plays within 60 hours of another match.

Last season Chelsea played three games in the space of 142 hours.

There will be no winter break in this campaign either - meaning clubs will be playing pretty much solidly until the first World Cup qualifiers - and next Nations League games - take place in March.

Brighton & Hove Albion

In Brighton's last six Premier League games, they have picked up 10 points from a possible 18.

In that time, Fabian Hurzeler's side have beaten Newcastle, Tottenham and Manchester City, lost away to Chelsea and Liverpool and drawn with Wolves.

Liverpool (16) are the only side to have picked up more points Brighton in that time.

Next up for Newcastle: West Ham (h), Palace (a), Liverpool (h), Brentford (a), Leicester (h)

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

After eight games there were four teams without any wins but, three games later, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Southampton have one victory each.

Everton and Leicester, who have two wins this term, remain only three points clear of the bottom three.

The Saints are only given a 5.2% of survival by Opta, despite being only four points off safety at this stage.

"Hopefully I'll be talking to you in two weeks," Saints boss Russell Martin told journalists before the international break. "If not, we'll see."

But he remains in charge for Saturday's home game against leaders Liverpool.

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton's upcoming run of fixtures between now and Christmas is an encouraging one that could really boost their hopes of a return to Europe.

Sitting sixth and only behind the top five on goal difference, Brighton do not face any of the 'Big Six' between now and Christmas, with a number of struggling sides facing the Seagulls in the coming weeks.

Next month's trip to Fulham (7th) is the only fixture Fabian Hurzeler's side face against a team outside of the bottom nine.

Brighton's next six fixtures and their league positions:

November 23: Bournemouth (12th) v Brighton November 29: Brighton v Southampton (20th)December 5: Fulham (7th) v BrightonDecember 8: Leicester (15th) v BrightonDecember 15: Brighton v Crystal Palace (18th)December 21: West Ham (14th) v Brighton

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler on Jack Hinshelwood's injury: "With Jack, we have to see how it is going in the next two days. He has a small issue with his knee, nothing serious but we have to see in the next two days."

On Lewis Dunk's injury: "Lewis Dunk was training but also, we'll have to see how the next two days are going, but he's close."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler on Ferdi Kadioglu's injury: "Ferdi had a small issue after the game against Liverpool. He wasn't able to play any games for the Turkish national team, so we also shouldn't take any risks. I don't think that he will be an option for the weekend, but the others are more positive."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler on James Milner's injury: "It's not close, but again I can't give a clear schedule. The medical department works hard with him week by week, but I can't give the schedule when he will be back. It can be fast, it can take a little bit longer, so I don't want to give any schedule or date where we will see him back on the pitch."

On Carlos Baleba's availability: "He will be an option, yes."

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

There will be a new face in the Premier League this weekend - new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

The deal was done for the Sporting manager on 1 November but his Portuguese club wanted him to wait until the international break before moving.

Amorim takes his new team to Ipswich on Sunday (16:30 GMT) in the Premier League.

He is expected to play the 3-4-3 formation he preferred in Portugal - a big change from the standard four-man defence they had under Erik ten Hag.

However, he might only get his full squad together two days before his first game because of players being around the world for international games.

The Premier League's top two - Liverpool and Manchester City have one league game each before they meet in a potential blockbuster at Anfield on Sunday, 1 December.

Arsenal are four points back - level with Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Brighton. The Gunners and Forest meet on Saturday at 15:00 GMT at the Emirates.

Opta make Liverpool strong favourites to go on and win the title ahead of City, giving them a 62.3% chance and City 32.4%, with Arsenal seen as having just a 4.8% chance.

Image source, Opta

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

Liverpool are flying under Arne Slot and sit top of the Premier League and the Champions League table, having dropped points in just two games this season.

They are five points clear of Manchester City, who have lost four games in a row in all competitions - something Pep Guardiola had never experienced before in his managerial career (excluding penalty shootouts).

Despite their recent run and speculation about the Spaniard's future, however, Guardiola this week agreed a new one-year deal to extend his stay at Etihad Stadium to 10 years.

It is a timely boost for City, who have another potentially tough game at home to Tottenham on Saturday (17:30 GMT) as they bid to avoid five defeats in a row.

This is the sixth occasion a team has been five points clear after 11 games - the first five all ended up as champions.

But City have won the last four Premier League titles and trailed the leaders by more than five points at one stage in each of those seasons.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

The Premier League returns this weekend - for its first properly undisrupted run of the season.

Top-level club football has had to stop for international breaks in September, October and November, but the next one is not until March now.

It coincides with the busy festive period next month.

BBC Sport looks at five talking points as the Premier League returns.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on the Football Daily podcast

[Manchester City] know that if they want [Pep Guardiola] to stay or he wants to imagine the future, don't talk about 10 years. Talk about a year, two years, and then he will stay as long as he wants to.

The other thing is he looks around and it's the same people. I think people linked the future of Txiki [Begiristain] to Pep's future. In fact, Txiki wanted to leave the summer before and the club asked him to stay put a little longer and then help with the transition, which he has done.

[Guardiola] looks around and sees that things are in place. It isn't so much the matter of how much money he is going to earn, it wasn't about 'what are we going to do with the squad'. It was about two things I think, have I got the energy to continue? And do I want another year in Manchester? The answer was yes. He still feels he has something to do at the club.

Image source, Getty Images

German football expert Jon Harding spoke to the Albion Unlimited podcast about Daniel Niedzkowski, who will become Fabian Hurzeler's assistant coach in January.

"Daniel is definitely one of the most forward-thinking minds in the German coaching space," said Harding. "He has a wealth of experience and maturity to call on and I think that has played a big role [in him joining Brighton]. He was an assistant coach at Bayer Leverkusen so he has experience in the role he is now taking.

"The thing that impresses me the most about Daniel is that he understands that coaching is about people. When I spoke to him, he said: 'To be a coach is no different to who I am or how I am as a human'.

"He understands the pressures of the environment, he understands how to manage and I'm not surprised that someone thought he was the right person to bring in. As a coach and a person, he really gets the idea of balance.

"One thing that I think Brighton has done well in the last few years is allow senior players to become coaches at the club. I'm really curious to see if Daniel is going to be involved in that process."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Manchester City

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City have received a major boost ahead of their Premier League match with Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium.

Kevin de Bruyne, fellow midfielders Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, plus defender Manuel Akanji were all pictured in training on Wednesday.

None of the quartet featured for their countries during their last two Uefa Nations League fixtures but were shown training by the club's website.

Akanji was an unused substitute against Brighton before the break, while De Bruyne made a late cameo appearance. Foden did play the duration, while Grealish has missed City's last six matches.

Sam Lee
The Athletic's Manchester City correspondent on the Football Daily podcast

[The Pep Guardiola decision] had to be now really. You look at the fixtures coming up, they've got Spurs, a Champions League game, then Liverpool, Forest, Villa, [Manchester] United - when would he have had time to sit down and think about it?

So now we know it is happening you look at it and think it always had to happen now because it would have been too difficult [any other time]. He likes to focus on everything so much. To think about something like that and to give time to weigh it all up, it would have been too much I think.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on the Football Daily podcast

So Pep Guardiola told his closest circle on Sunday that he was staying. I think everybody was getting not anxious but, as always when a contract finishes, they wanted an answer because they want him to stay.

That's why they wanted to give him a contract but if he doesn't [stay], they've got to prepare for the next thing. I think there was a sigh of relief all over the club because that means everything is in place for Manchester City to continue winning.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Former Spain, Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has become a part owner of the San Diego MLS franchise.

Mata, who currently plays in the A League for Western Sydney Wanderers, has become the first active player to buy into a Major League Soccer side.

San Diego launch in the 2025 season but Mata is clearly looking at what impact can be made off the field as well as on it, having achieved so much through his Common Goal initiative, where participants gave 1% of their salaries to good causes.

Mata says he wants to 'continue my journey using football a social tool for change'.

"I see this step as an opportunity to help build something really special in a city and a league that are experiencing incredible growth," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

It's back.

How are you feeling about your club as the top flight returns?

A Manchester United fan excited by the new era under Ruben Amorim?

An Arsenal fan hoping that Saturday restarts a push to the top?

Maybe a Southampton supporter hoping the busy schedule will provide a chance to get off the bottom of the table?

Let us know your thoughts, concerns and/or excitements as the Premier League returns.

#bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)

Image source, Getty Images