Scout Scribbles – Walcott Eyes Up Central Role

Theo Walcott wants a chance through the middle for Arsenal. Martin Kelly is sidelined with knee ligament damage for Liverpool, Roberto Mancini demands more defensive resilience from City, Nikica Jelavic is back for Everton in the Capital One Cup tonight, while Nemanja Vidic is expected to return for United next weekend…

Theo Walcott has spoken of his determination to nail down the lone forward role for Arsenal this term. Used almost exclusively as a winger by Arsene Wenger, Walcott admitted his future at the Gunners may be influenced by whether he can move centrally:

“Playing up front is important. It’s one of the main factors for me. I signed as a striker. I’ve learnt my trade out on the wing. Hopefully, I’ll get to play up front in the next few games. It’s frustrating being on the bench, but it’s one of those things I have to deal with.”

With Robin Van Persie departed and Olivier Giroud looking somewhat overwhelmed, Wenger has turned to Gervinho to lead the line in the last couple of league games. Although the Ivorian scored twice against Southampton, his overall lack of composure in front of goal is letting chances go astray, as seen on Sunday at City. Walcott has cut a peripheral figure in the new-look Gunners first XI thus far; he’s managed just one start and with Wenger utilising Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey on the right in recent games, his game time on the flank has relied on brief sub appearances late on in games. If Gervinho and Giroud continue to falter, Walcott – classified as a midfielder across the Fantasy games – could be an intriguing proposition if Wenger grants him his wish up top.

Martin Kelly has been ruled out for the foreseeable future with knee ligament damage. The full-back picked up the injury in Sunday’s defeat to United and his absence looks likely to earn a recall for Jose Enrique as Brendan Rodgers reshuffles his backline ahead of the trip to Norwich. The Spaniard has been handed just one start this season and although he’s fallen out of favour with the new manager, is expected to get the nod at left-back, with Glen Johnson returning to the opposite flank. Rodgers has trialled Stewart Downing at left-back in the Europa League earlier this season, though, and could once again look to use the winger in defence. Rodgers’ injury worries also include Daniel Agger and Fabio Borini after both were forced off in the Anfield defeat – the club’s website gave this update yesterday:

“Agger….has suffered a significant bone bruise to the left knee. No ligament damage was sustained but further tests will be carried out before it can be established when he will be able to return to training. Borini has considerable swelling to the inner aspect of his right ankle though no fracture was detected on the X-ray. The club’s medical staff will wait for the swelling to reduce before an MRI scan can take place tomorrow to assess any soft tissue damage and determine when he may be able to return to playing.”

Any absence for Agger would see Jamie Carragher and Sebastien Coates vie for the central defensive berth alongside Martin Skrtel, while Borini’s situation stretches Rodgers’ threadbare options to the limit. Teenage winger Suso replaced the Italian on Sunday and may well be tasked with flanking Luis Suarez along with fellow youngster Raheem Sterling if Borini is ruled out of the trip to Carrow Road, although new signing Oussama Assaidi was on the bench at the weekend and is approaching full fitness after a recent injury.

Roberto Mancini has called upon his City defence to step up in performance after a third draw in the first five Gameweeks.

“I’m very sorry for the players because it was difficult after Real Madrid. But I’m worried because we continue to concede goals. We need to improve and we need to work. I don’t know why it’s happening but probably we don’t have enough concentration in some situations. In the last four games we have conceded three goals from set pieces and this can’t happen. I am frustrated but also the players are frustrated because if you want to win, clean sheets are important.”

City have shown little of the resilience that produced 35 clean sheets in the previous couple of seasons – Joe Hart returned 18 last time round but has picked the ball out of the net at least once in every game so far. Mancini is relying on his forwards to secure the points but with just a single goal scored in each of their last two, the failings at the back are proving costly. Vincent Kompany, Gael Clichy and Joleon Lescott have all been shipped out by over 100,000 FPL managers as a result and with plenty of budget-to-mid-price alternatives affording us the chance to free up cash, even the guaranteed game time of Kompany is not enough to stop him is fast falling off Fantasy radars right now.

Meanwhile, Mancini has pleaded with Spain to help him ensure that David Silva is not subject to “burn-out”, again stressing that the playmaker is currently suffering from fatigue.

“It is difficult for him – he is a human being and is probably not 100 per cent. We can only solve this problem by working harder – that’s the only way to improve. I don’t think he needs a rest. He played in the European Championship and after that he twice went travelling to Puerto Rico and to Spain to play Saudi Arabia. That may be the reason he was so tired – he is not fresh. Spain could help us with this.”

Nemanja Vidic is expected to be available for Man United next weekend. The Serbian was left out of the trip to Liverpool as a precautionary measure, according to Sir Alex Ferguson:

“He was just feeling a bit tight round about his knee and we decided just to give him a break. Hopefully he’ll be alright next week.”

Prior to the Anfield visit, Vidic was the only United defender to start the opening four Gameweeks and with clashes against four of last season’s top five in the next five Gameweeks (TOT, new, che, ARS), his return will be crucial to a backline that has returned just one clean sheet so far. Similar to City, though, Ferguson’s rearguard is offering little consistency either in game time or returns – with Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines all racking up the points and Rafael offering a cheaper route into the United defence, Vidic is struggling to persuade Fantasy managers of his worth right now – he’s owned by less than 7%, with just eight points accrued thus far.

Staying in the United camp and Patrice Evra has spoken out about the increasing competition for the left-back role following the arrival and sparkling debut from Alex Buttner. Evra watched on while Buttner scored and assisted in the 4-0 win over Wigan but was recalled to the side for the Anfield trip on Sunday. Evra had this to say on the left-back tussle…

“It is too easy for people to say that now we have bought another left-back Patrice Evra will have to fight for his place. Patrice Evra has always fought for his place. If someone is there or not I will fight because you have to respect the shirt. When you play for Manchester United that is the big challenge. When I hear people say Patrice never had someone to fight him for his place I think they have bad memories. They forget very quickly how I got to become Manchester United’s left-back. I fought with two great players in Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre.”

Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote could both feature in Newcastle’s Capital One Cup visit to United this Wednesday. Talking ahead of the Old Trafford trip, Alan Pardew revealed:

“We are going to have make sure we can get game time out of the players that will need it. Colo could play, Cheick definitely needs a game, he was rusty, so I will have a word with the staff and hopefully we’ll get a result there.”

The pair have yet to play in the same side this season due to injury. Coloccini has been hampered with a hamstring problem and has played just twice, while Tiote climbed off the sibs bench in Sunday’s win over Norwich to end a three-game absence. As a result, Pardew’s side have registered only one clean sheet to date – with both back on board ahead of next weekend’s trip to Reading, the omens look good against a side that has found the net once in their last two games.

Seb Larsson is set to skip Sunderland’s Capital One clash with MK Dons this evening. The Swede was subbed off just after the hour mark at West Ham due to a “tight hamstring” and with Adam Johnson also unavailable, Martin O’Neill is taking no chances with his first-team right now. Larsson has filled in for Johnson on the right flank of late – the former City man has featured only once in the league since joining the Black Cats due to a thigh problem. With Fraizer Campbell limping out of the Hammers clash with a foot knock, O’Neill will be hoping his injury worries ease a little before Saturday’s visit of Wigan.

Nikica Jelavic is back in Everton’s squad for the Capital One Cup clash with Leeds this evening. The Croatian limped off just before half-time in the Gameweek 4 draw with Newcastle, though the Toffees haven’t lacked firepower, with replacement Victor Anichebe grabbing two goals in his absence. As David Moyes’ side prepare to welcome Southampton to Goodison next weekend, their Fantasy assets are picking up significant interest – Jelavic looks a real captaincy contender for the clash, but with Kevin Mirallas also hitting the goal trail in the win at Swansea, Moyes has plenty options should he decide to ease the Croatian back into league action on Saturday.