Here’s our fantasy premier league gameweek 1 preseason review and potential GW1 lineups article – part 2. This will help you select your FPL team
FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE GAMEWEEK 1 – PRESEASON REVIEW AND POTENTIAL GW1 LINEUPS PART 2
In this article we’ll look at the main issues for each team in the pre-season as well as the form players and then give the potential GW1 line up on the information so far.
Manchester City
Mendy looks doubtful for GW1 while Gundogan looks more like GW4
Pep’s natural desire to rotate has been exacerbated by him changing formations in preseason. It’s to such an extent that it’s difficult to know what team in what formation will be put out. Danilo will come in short term for Mendy at LB.
£8.5m Sane is the big issue from pre-season. On the lineup below it looks great. However, he played the last pre-season game as a wing back when Pep pulled out a back 3. What can you say about that? Walker didn’t start which meant Danilo was the only full back on the pitch so someone had to do it but still. The further complication with Sane is that if Pep plays 2 strikers as a pair that could also cause Sane gametime issues unless it’s a front 3. At the moment De Bruyne and Jesus look the safest picks. I think Aguero will play but it’s far from certain. Bernardo has been away at the Confed Cup and looks unlikely to start but he also could prove problematic for Sane’s minutes
De Bruyne, Aguero and Jesus have all shown form in pre-season
Potential GW1 lineup on the information so far
Manchester United
LB Luke Shaw looks a GW5 return. Rojo is a longer term injury.
The defence is a difficult one and with Bailly and Jones suspended for the Super Cup tonight we won’t know anymore for the CB. I think £5.5m Blind should be safe at the LB position but it’s not 100%. £6.0m CB Bailly and £6.5m RB Valencia are the safe options. Mourinho has talked about Matic not being ready for 90 minutes so I’ve left him out of the lineup. If he does start then it would be 4-1-2-3. Pogba would play in the left of the 2 with Rashford and Mkhitaryan flanking Lukaku. Mata/Lingard would likely lose out in that scenario. The Super Cup may give us some more info tonight
Rashford, Mkhitaryan and Lukaku have been the form players
Newcastle
£4.5m RB Yedlin looks out to GW3. £6.5m forward Gayle is a doubt but seems likely to be ok.
£6.0m Ritchie and £6.5m Gayle are the principal targets. Dummett seems the safest £4.5m def at LB. Lascelles injury has cast some doubt over the CB pecking order. £4.5m Manquillo should take Yedlins place in the short term. I can’t see any of the £4.0m defs making it.
Elliot looks pretty certain to be the £4.0m GK starting.
Mitrovic, Gayle and Atsu have been the form players
Southampton
Van Dijk has fallen out with the club and has a foot injury with no return date. Hard to see him starting.
All the Confed Cup and EuroU21 players started in the final pre-season game against Sevilla and it looked a full strength side. I’m going to assume they all start. Cedric is a popular choice. I think he will start but Pied has been in the slot and playing well although he is an LB.
Austin not starting the last preseason game is a big loss as to me he was the best of the cheap strikers. Unfortunately systems prevail and Gabbiadini is the more mobile pressing option.
Austin and Gabbiadini have both shown form in pre-season
Spurs
Trippier is out for GW1 with no return date announced as scans are not complete. Rose and Son look out to GW4. Wanyama is also a doubt for GW1
Dier could take Trippiers place but without Son I can see it remaining a back 3 which would make that problematic although this is all speculation. It seems from Poch that the young RB bizarrely named Kyle Walker Peters who’s not in FPL is not ready. I’m not sure in the back 3 scenario who would play the other CB apart from Dier. Wimmer doesn’t seem to have the managers confidence so maybe Dier would stay as a CB and maybe outcast Sissoko would play RWB. It makes the lack of transfers and poor back up players already bought look like a complete mess. I’ve put £5.0m Winks in the lineup but he’s very Wanyama out and formation dependent so I wouldn’t go rushing in.
I’m going to assume a back 3 for the lineup
Eriksen and Kane have been the form players
Stoke
Bojan just got a kick to the calf but there’s no certainty as to his fitness for GW1.
A back 3 introduced in the last game has put some risk attached to £4.5m defender Johnson. The focus then goes to £4.5m Cameron but how back 3 or CDM dependent is he as surely in a back 4 Zouma and Shawcross will be the CBs. Also Bojan has put doubt over cheap attacking midfielder Sobhi as he was left out in the last game.
New signing winger/ midfielder Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Bojan back have made Allen playing as a CAM more of a risky proposition.
The fixtures are terrible so I’m not even going to do a lineup. Shaqiri at £6.0m is probably all that’s left after Berahino’s underwhelming form
Joselu (hard to see him starting) and Shaqiri recently have been the form players
Swansea
Ki and Dyer are gameweek 5-7 injuries. Llorente is supposedly returning for GW2. Abraham is a slight doubt for GW1 but him being taken off seemed more of a precaution.
The Sigurdsson saga with Everton drags on and it’s impossible to see him starting for GW1. If Sigurdsson by some miracle does start Ayew or Routledge will be the casualty. There seems no hope that £4.0m Def Rangel will start
Abraham and Carroll have been the form players
Watford
Deeney wont be available to GW2. Everyone else seems fit apart from long term problem Zarate
Here I was thinking £4.5m Prodl was safe. Well he didn’t start the last pre-season game and now all 6 CBs are probably going to be fit for GW1. If I had to pick 1 it would now be Kaboul but thats not guaranteed. Both fullbacks are £5.0m as Holebas’s return effectively rules out potential £4.0m cheapie LB Mason.
Last years midfield cheapie Capoue didn’t start the last pre-season game amidst reports of a bust up with the boss and must be a doubt.
It hasn’t been much of a pre-season but the defence has performed well and Okaka has scored a couple of goals
WBA
Pulis is hoping to have a full squad for GW1
New acquistion £6.0m Rodriguez looks unlikely to lead the line with Rondon taking that role.
£6.0m mid Chadli seems to have a good shout to get into the team. The hunt for a £4.5m defender seems unclear. £4.5m CB Hegazy’s security isn’t known as McAuley has been injured most of pre-season. Hegarzy could end up a short term option but Dawson can still play CB with Nyom going to right back and Brunt to LB.
No notable players in pre-season really
West Ham
Cresswell and Lanzini are expected back for GW1. Antonio GW2 and Carroll GW4 in theory.
Antonio should take the right flank when fit. I can’t see any of the £4.5m Defs making the team after Fonte played 90 mins
No notable players in pre-season
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