As reported last week, there was potential for the double gameweeks ahead to be disrupted if there were some untimely draws in the FA Cup fixtures last weekend. Fortunately for us the only draw in the quarter-finals came at Craven Cottage where Fulham and Spurs played out a stalemate. In the two games we needed a definitive result in (Reading v Aston Villa and Chelsea v Stoke) we got just that.

This means is that in just over a weeks time, Chelsea lock down their double in gameweek 31 with trips to Blackburn and Portsmouth. In the even more immediate future Aston Villa can now make the midweek trip to the DW stadium to give both themselves and Wigan a double fixture this coming gameweek. Villa then roll around again joining a slew of teams in gameweek 31 with two fixtures. O’Neill’s side take on Wolves and Sunderland in two tempting looking fixtures at Villa Park. Planning for that is well underway and we will bring you more insightful “Scouting the Doubles” reports as the week progress to give you the lowdown on form and player targets…

Now we’ve traversed through the FA Cup quarter-finals, what of the semi-finals in April? They will cause disruption for the teams involved and their scheduled league opponents in gameweek 34. If you take a gander at our Season Ticker we have made some slight modifications to the new spearmint green colour. Technically, all of those fixtures highlighted have been postponed and should be a stark yellow colour. However, based on precedent and a gap in the schedules, we believe all those fixtures could and in fact should be rescheduled for the midweek that follows, that would see these fixtures remain in gameweek 34.

We are just working on assumptions here though, and just because it has happened before doesn’t mean it will again; if we don’t get any word in the not too distant future, those fixtures will turn that dreaded shade of yellow. So while we think we should be in the clear, be prepared for the possibility of one more (and hopefully final) blank gameweek this season.

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“Under my tutelage you will grow from boys into men. From men into gladiators. And from Gladiators into Swansons.”

Andy @ffscout_andy

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Scout Picks

For Gameweek Twenty Four

  • Krul
  • Vermaelen
  • Kompany
  • Huth
  • Silva
  • Morrison
  • Bale
  • Valencia
  • Ba
  • van Persie
  • Agüero
  • Taiwo
  • Donovan
  • Zamora

Recent Comments

  • Sunderland message boards seem to think it was only cramp and nothing serious.... :???: »
  • i'd drop sess or valencia this week »
  • was just after he bagged the winner, so must just have been to give him a (very slight) rest »
  • I have him and he had started for the last 7GW! »
  • drop Valencia. grav answers in the FAQ below but here's the short version: How do I get a picture next to my name… »
  • would probably just stick now. actually depends how much you got valencia in for. but either way id recon you will want… »
  • im replying to you without fail!!! »
  • gents, a little early morning help if you will, struggling to decide who to play from this lot (lost on last page… »
  • hhmmm interesting.....I hope so(in fantasy terms) »
  • thanks mate. that thought crossed my mind but guess ill have to wait and evaluate how aguero and rooney are both doing… »

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The Watchlist

Goalkeepers

Player Club Factors
No Change Krul NEW A, Vs
No Change Hart MCI B, Vs
No Change Kenny QPR C, Vs, Rest, £
Up Al-Habsi WIG B, Vs, £
Up Schwarzer FUL C, Vs, Inj
No Change Mignolet SUN B, £
Up Vorm SWA B, £
No Change Foster WBA B
Up Robinson BLA C, Vs
Down Hennessey WOL B, Vs
No Change Sørensen STO B, Vs, Rest, £
No Change Bogdan BOL C, Rest, £

Defenders

Player Club Factors
No Change Richards MCI B, Vs, Inj
No Change Simpson NEW B, Vs, £
Up Senderos FUL B, Vs, Rest, £
Up Evans MUN B, VsX, £
Up Rangel SWA B, VsX, £
No Change Bardsley SUN B, £
Up Taiwo QPR C, Vs, £
Up Cole CHE C, Vs
No Change Vermaelen ARS C
Down Assou-Ekotto TOT A, VsX
No Change Clark AVL B, Vs, OoP, £
Down Riise FUL C, Vs, Rest
No Change McAuley WBA C, £
Down Johnson WOL C, £
Up Figueroa WIG C, Vs, £

Midfielders

Player Club Factors
No Change Bale TOT A, VsX
No Change Dempsey FUL A, Vs, OoP
No Change Silva MCI B, Vs
No Change Sessegnon SUN A, £
Up McClean SUN A, £
No Change Valencia MUN A, VsX
Up Sigurdsson SWA B, VsX, £
No Change Mata CHE B
Up Taarabt QPR C, Vs
Up Sinclair SWA B, VsX, £
Up Moses WIG C, Vs, OoP, £
Down Ben Arfa NEW C, Vs, Rest, OoP
Down Walters STO C, Vs, OoP, £
Up Barton QPR C, Vs
No Change Ireland AVL C, Vs, Rest, £

Forwards

Player Club Factors
No Change van Persie ARS A
No Change Agüero MCI B, Vs
Up Ba NEW B, Vs
No Change Zamora QPR B, Vs
Up Dzeko MCI B, Vs, Rest
Up Bent AVL A, Vs
Up Yakubu BLA C, Vs
Up Cisse NEW B, Vs
No Change Rooney MUN B, VsX, Inj
No Change Sturridge CHE C
Down Fletcher WOL B, £
Up Graham SWA B, VsX, £

Selection Factors

A, B, C Current Form
Vs Favourable Fixtures
VsX Unfavourable Fixtures
Rest Rotation Risk
Inj Injured/Returning from Injury
OoP Out of Position
£ Potential Bargain
Sus Suspended/Near Suspension

Suspension Tightrope

Player Team YC
Lowe BLA 9
Terry CHE 8
Barton QPR 8
Cattermole SUN 8
Song ARS 7
N'Zonzi BLA 7
Meireles CHE 7
Fellaini EVE 7
Huth STO 7
Shawcross STO 7
Caldwell WIG 7
Henry WOL 7

“Alex Chamberlain played three games for the first time in his career. He had a stiff neck at half-time, so I did not want to take a gamble with him. Then we had a problem with Koscielny, and I wanted to give some playing time to Benayoun.”

Arsene Wenger explains why Van Persie wasn't substituted in the 7-1 win over Blackburn following pre-game talk of the Dutch hitman needing rest