Here’s the fantasy premier league news including Bale, Taarabt, Adebayor, Zamora, Tube strikes and price rises and falls

Tube strikes

• Arsenal game week 19 fixture against West Ham postponed.  Likely to be played on the 23rd January meaning Arsenal play 2 games in game week 23.  Other game in game week 23 is away to Chelsea.  West Ham’s additional game in GW23 is home to QPR
• Fulham  confirmed their GW19 game at home to Southampton will go ahead
• QPR already confirmed they will play their game week 19 fixtures at home to WBA.
• Make sure you have enough playing reserves to accommodate for Arsenal and West Ham assets for GW19.  Remember rotation will be rife over the Xmas period so be conservative in estimates of playing reserves.  Think twice about selling either West ham or Arsenal assets before this though to allow for the 2 games in that week.
• Remember you can use your January wildcard for the 2 Arsenal and West Ham games so think twice before using it on January 1

Zamora

• For what its worth he thinks he will be back in 4-5 weeks.  Fantasy premier league owners of Cisse then shouldn’t have any immediate worries then although its hard to imagine Harry wont have the cheque book out in January which will be more of an immediate issue.

Bale/Dawson/Parker/BAE

• Sky sports news report Bale will be fit for the weekends game at home to Stoke.
• Quotes don’t quite go that far though.  Also show that Dawson and BAE are getting closer
• More game time risk added to Caulker especially, Naughton who has a load of risk and maybe even Gallas although he has consistently featured for AVB
• Here’s the quote

“It’s good news,” Villas-Boas said on Bale’s recovery. “First for the player because he wants to be back in the group and he’s made a tremendous recovery. He’s worked extremely hard.

“Michael was injured in the same game as Gareth and they’ve both returned to training. It’s great to have them back.

“Benoit Assou-Ekotto is also recovering his fitness, along with Scott Parker. Scott is a little ahead of Benoit, but he’s getting back into shape and back into contention.”

Taarabt

• Still saying he will go to the African cup of nations if selected.  Apparently he’s not a certainty to be selected as hasn’t been in favour recently.
• The quotes in the Daily mail give little hope he will stay.  Not a big deal as the good fixtures are about to finish anyway after Newcastle away and WBA home.  Dont buy him.

‘I will do everything I can to prove to him that I deserve to be there,’ Taarabt told the African football blog on www.lequipe.fr.
Discussing Redknapp’s request for him to stay in London, Taarabt said: ‘He came to see me to ask me not to go but I told him, “If they call me, I can’t refuse, boss. I love my country, I love the Moroccan people and football means a lot to them”.
‘I warned him that the only solution was that the coach doesn’t call me up.’
Taarabt added: ‘The coach isn’t obliged to take me. I hope to be at the African Nations Cup but even if I’m not there, and that would be painful, I will be the biggest Morocco supporter.’

• Harry’s selections aren’t predictable enough to work out who will benefit if he goes.

Adebayor

•  Fantasy premier league owners of Defoe will be hoping the Togo manager will persuade Adebayor to go to the ACON.  This would definitely enhance Defoes game time security and although there’s not enough data at present he looks a better scoring bet without Adebayor than with.
• The Togo manager sounds pretty determined in the quotes in the Daily Mail

‘I am doing everything I can to get him to come back to us. He’s a world-class player and the Togo national team captain. He is very important to the group.
‘I will put all my strength to get him to change his mind but he has the last word. This is about more than just him sending a warning to ensure Togolese football moves forward.’

Neville

• Daily Mail report he could be back for this weekend game.  Has played in the midfield so any fantasy premier league managers who are mad enough to own Gibson should be worried.

Price rises and falls

• 16 £0.1m price rises.  YYT and Cazorla up £0.2m.  Before you buy Cazorla make sure you have enough cover for GW19 when Arsenal and West ham don’t play
• Giroud and Hernanadez down £0.2m