I’m going to try and do a brief news article, ideally each day on the major FPL related issues. It will be a short note on the story and a link to a newspaper or magazine article if you want further information.
fantasy premier league news – Sunday 15 January
GIROUD
The Arsenal striker injured his ankle when scoring just before half time and carried on to the 59th minute before being substituted as a result of it. Wenger said:
‘He has an ankle problem. I don’t know how bad it is. It’s being assessed now by the doctor. I hope it’s not bad,’
If the injury prevents further games I imagine Sanchez will go back to the striker position. Hard to see Perez being ready yet. The striker position will be a major boost for Sanchez’s owners
Click this link for the story in the express
VERTONGHEN
The £5.7m Spurs CB limped off against WBA with an ankle injury in the 64th minute. Manager Pochettinho said of the injury
‘The injury is disappointing for us. It looks a very bad one. We need to wait for tomorrow or Monday to assess it better but it looks really bad”
He was replaced by £4.7m Davies who’s primarily a left back but could play on the left side of a back 3. There’s also £4.6m CB Wimmer who wasn’t on the bench who to me is the most likely replacement. Both are potential bargains. Given the success of a back 3 and in particular the rampaging effect it has had on the wing backs I would be surprised if the manager goes back to a back 4 which would see Alderweireld and Dier as the CBs
Click on this link for the Daily Mail article
ALONSO
The £6.5m Chelsea LWB has been the subject of reports that he has had a minor but deteriorating long term injury which was the reason for the surprising loan recall of left footed utility defender Nathan Ake from Bournemouth.
After the match he said the following reassuring words
“I felt good today. After a couple of games with pain in my groin, I felt good today.”
Interestingly Ake wasn’t even in the squad of 18 so Conte can’t have thought there was an immediate problem.
The link to the match report contains the words at the end if you’re interested
COSTA
The multitude of reports that Costa had fallen out with Conte over an injury with the suspected real reason being a huge offer from China turned out to be true at least to the extent that he didn’t play against Leicester
ESPN report sources saying that he isn’t interested in a move to China and he has posted on his Instagram account a picture saying “come on Chelsea”
Conte continued to say it was an injury but no time frame has been given on a return.
“If you want to know the truth, I’m ready to tell the truth. On Tuesday during the training session Diego stopped because he felt a pain in his back. From that moment he didn’t train during the week. For this season he wasn’t available for the starting 11 or the bench [against Leicester]. This is the reason, the truth.”
Hazard will probably continue as a false 9 centrally in the front 3 until Costa returns. However although he got an assist he was quiet and had little goal threat.
Click on this link for further reading from the telegraph
PAYET
Unless you were somehow locked in a room with no TV or internet you’ll know West Ham’s creative hub Dimitri Payet has said, according to manager Bilic , that he no longer wants to play for the Club and that he wants to return to Marseille as his family are unsettled in London.
That remains the position. West Ham have said he will not be sold but ESPN are reporting that they would for the right price quoting sources.
It’s hard to know who would benefit from his leaving. £6.3m CAM mid Lanzini seemed to have more set piece responsibility. I suspect though West Ham will try and buy a replacement if they are able to do so in time.
POGBA
An interesting article from one football quoting Mourinho about Pogba. Essentially it seems he wants to make him into a midfielder that scores more goals and even uses an example of how he improved Frank Lampard in the quotes. There’s no doubt the £8.5m CM is definitely improving his goal threat so worth monitoring. He’s scored 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 PL games.
Here’s a couple of snippets:
“Tactically I have tried to adjust and give some guidance and try to make a dynamic in the team where he can be dangerous and can arrive in certain positions where he has the potential to score….. I think he can score goals but I do not want to set targets for him. I just feel that in every match he can potentially score a goal.”
Click on the link for the full article
Thats it hope you found it interesting
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