All Quiet on the Ferdinand Injury
There’s little or no news on the back injury that kept Rio Ferdinand out of the game at Derby yesterday. The United defender missed the 1-0 win at Derby, with “back problems” sited as the cause. Ferguson reorganised by starting with O’Shea at right-back and shifted Brown alongside Vidic.
That meant that a host of fantasy managers lost a rather obvious clean sheet with no prior warning that Ferdinand was a doubt for the game before kick-off. We know for a fact that Ferguson wasn’t resting him - he’s already spoken out previously that he doesn’t believe that there is any need to rest either of his first choice centre backs. Where then, do fantasy managers stand on Ferdinand going into Wednesday’s game with Bolton?
On the face of it, if the injury is a minor one, the Ferdinand should return, with Bolton likely to cause a few more physical posers for the United defence. The fly in that particular ointment however is the Premiership fixture that follows four days later - Liverpool at home. Ferguson won’t want to take any risks of Ferdinand being battered and bruised by Davies, Diouf and their pals before going into the duel with Torres at Old Trafford a week today.
FPL managers who have selected Ferdinand are tied in for this gameweek - they can only sit back and hope for a Rio return on Wednesday. Even so, they and managers in other fantasy games, will need to be wary of any long-term issues this “injury” could cause. For me, the gap between Vidic and Ferdinand in fantasy terms has always been minor. Vidic is just one goal behind his centre-back partner and level on FPL bonus. However, if there are doubts over Ferdinand’s back, that’s the kind of injury that could reoccur and see him sit out further games, particularly on the eve of United’s Champions League Semi-Final ties. Vidic gets promoted back above Ferdinand in my thoughts and rankings then, regardless of what happens on Wednesday.
I have a delema. I have Ferinand and was dissapointed in his sitting, and I also have Vidic. But im looking to transfer out Ballack and Wheater to pick up OBrein J from Bolton and the now playing John Terry. PLaying the FPL its going to deduct 4 points but I dont want Ferdinand to waste at the bench? What should I do? Just make those 2 transfers and hope on Fer. playing or make the 3rd tansfer, decuted 8 points, and pick up ….. Lescott
[Reply]
Reply by gwaipor on March 16, 2008 9:28 pm:
my god did you skip english class
[Reply]
Reply by yer dad on March 17, 2008 12:03 am:
Gwaipor: Are you on the right site or should you be on:
icanspellandiamfu#ki#ngmoreintelligentthanyou.co.uk
Lok fowerd to youur naxt contrabution.
Evan: Don’t do anything till after wed nights games. Hold on and I will give you crap advice after then.
[Reply]
Reply by Mark on March 17, 2008 12:37 am:
Like yerDad says - hold on until after Wednesday. Your transfers won’t kick in till after then anyway and Rio could/should be back for that one. After that, I’ll see if I can add some further bad advice to yerDad’s.
[Reply]
I wouldn’t get a Bolton defender - they played badly against Wigan today and have a terrible run of games coming up.
[Reply]
I think J O’Brien is classed as a midfielder in FPL and I’m assuming Evan would only be buying him to warm the bench and free up cash for JT.
Evan, why not do a straight swap of Ferdi for JT and keep Ballack (and your 4 points) for now?
[Reply]
Reply by puffinboy on March 16, 2008 7:56 pm:
Sorry, you’re right. He could only be a benchwarmer though, a position de Ridder will hold for me for the rest of the season. Him and Ronaldo are my only two ‘untouchables’
[Reply]
You cannot seriously be considering getting a bolton defender??? Although Sir Alex claims he would never rest his dynamic defensive duo, i doubt ferdinand had any injury, just wanted a well earned/paid weekend off… seriously now, although derby have improved significantly would you need your best players on the pitch if you were ManYoo???
[Reply]