Scout Scribbles – Giroud Worry for Gunners

Olivier Giroud is a doubt for Arsenal’s home clash with City due to a knee problem. Sir Alex Ferguson intends to continue rotating Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in the heart of United’s back-four. Gaston Ramirez and Nathaniel Clyne return to full training for Southampton ahead of their double Gameweek. Sam Allardyce has injury worries at full-back for the Hammers, while Alan Pardew is set to welcome back four of his first-team regulars for the trip to Norwich…

Theo Walcott’s chances of being fielded as Arsenal’s lone forward this weekend took a turn for the better yesterday after Arsene Wenger rolled out an injury update. The Gunners boss revealed Olivier Giroud is a doubt for Sunday’s game with City due to a gash on his knee – the Frenchman picked up the problem in last weekend’s FA Cup draw at Swansea and has been unable to train as a result. After featuring as the lone forward in recent matches, Walcott had returned to the flank at the Liberty as Wenger chose his compatriot to lead the line but with the former Montpellier man rated as “50-50” by his manager, Walcott could well be set to move central once again. Yesterday’s news will be welcomed by the 92,000+ FPL managers who have snapped up Walcott ahead of the weekend and with double Gameweek 23 on the horizon, investment looks set to continue at pace for the 9.0 priced midfielder, who has scored or assisted in seven of his last eight Gameweeks.

Jonny Evans’ Fantasy prospects were boosted yesterday after Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he plans to keep rotating Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in the heart of United’s back-four:

“We are rotating at the moment with Rio and Vidic. The return of Smalling and Jones is definitely a help because we can then alternate Vidic and Ferdinand. Jonny Evans has been absolutely magnificent and he’s progressed by playing regularly. With Smalling and Jones, their careers at United have been interrupted by injury, and you hope long-term things will settle down for them and they’ll be okay.”

Evans played all four of the recent festive fixtures, with Vidic and Ferdinand afforded a pair of games apiece at centre-half and judging by Ferguson’s words, it’s clear he feels a consistency of game time is crucial to the Northern Ireland international’s development. With Ferdinand and Vidic plagued by long-term back and knee problems respectively, Ferguson is keen to utilise the pair more efficiently as he looks to keep them injury-free. Coming in at 5.8 in FPL, Evans has somewhat atoned for a lack of clean sheet by providing three goals, an assist and eight bonus points over his 14 starts – he has racked up 65 points, just four less than Rafael for United, yet has a mere 1.4% ownership in comparison to the 6.0 priced Brazilian’s 14.4%. If his manager continues to hand him regular starts, Evans may turn into a decent differential if the league leaders can step up in solidity at the back – with clean sheets in each of their last two, the omens are looking good.

Nigel Adkins handed Fantasy managers a boost yesterday after revealing Nathaniel Clyne and Gaston Ramirez have returned to full training ahead of Southampton’s double Gameweek. The pair have been absent with knee and leg problems respectively but look set to return to the fold for the Saints’ trips to Villa and Chelsea – at 4.0, Clyne offers a cut-price defensive option, while Ramirez has been in decent form of late, with a goal, an assist and five bonus points over his last two Gameweeks. Adkins also admitted Adam Lallana remains sidelined, while Jose Fonte is out with the knee injury that forced him off in last weekend’s cup defeat at the hands of Chelsea – Jos Hooiveld is likely to deputise in Fonte’s absence, though Adkins refused to be drawn on how long either player will be out for.

Sam Allardyce also gave a heads-up on the West Ham injury situation yesterday. Ahead of the Hammers’ trip to Sunderland, their manager revealed:

“We’ve got the same squad as last week…Andy Carroll, George McCartney, Mo Diame and Joey O’Brien are not fit yet. Dan Potts is with us and he did a great job last week and hopefully he’ll continue in that position, continue to improve and perform as he did against Manchester United”.

With worries over McCartney and O’Brien ahead of double Gameweek 23, Guy Demel’s chances of cementing the right-back slot look strong – priced at just 4.0 in FPL, the Ivorian is likely to pick up plenty new investors for the games against QPR and Arsenal, as winter wildcards continue to be wielded at a frantic pace. While Allardyce’s praise of Potts suggests he could be set to fill in at left-back, the Hammers boss also admitted “negotiations were ongoing” with Blackburn over the potential acquisition of Martin Olsson, perhaps denting Potts’ prospects for the double.

Allardyce also revealed Carroll is likely to be “no longer than a couple of weeks” from a return – raising question marks over his availability for the double, though with the second match against Arsenal on January 23, it’s possible he could return in time for the Gunners showdown. The Hammers boss admitted Marouane Chamakh wasn’t registered in time for the FA Cup Third Round, meaning the Moroccan won’t be able to play in the replay against United on January 16 – three days before the home clash with QPR. This should see Carlton Cole lead the line for the Old Trafford game and perhaps boosts Chamakh’s chances of a start against the R’s. Talking in the build up to the trip to Sunderland, Allardyce talked enthusiastically on his acquisition from the Gunners…

“He’s been very disappointed with his lack of involvement at Arsenal, certainly for the last year, and he’s itching and hungry to get back and show what he can do…You need to provide the service he needs. He’s exceptionally good in the air and at getting between defenders from crosses. That’s what we can provide him with, the materials and ammunition for him to get a few goals. He’s got a big chance to prove what he can do in the Premier League with us and it’s about him proving it to himself.”

Alan Pardew has revealed the injury worries are finally starting to ease for Newcastle. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Norwich, the Magpies boss admitted Yohan Cabaye is back in the squad for the first time since Gameweek 11, though conceded he is likely to be a little cautious with the Frenchman’s game time at Carrow Road:

“I don’t think he’s really ready to start, if I’m honest. I think his role will be off the bench if the situation evolves where we need him.”

Pardew will welcome back three more of his senior players for the Norwich match, with Papiss Cisse, Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez all available for the game against Chris Hughton’s side as the Tyneside team look to address an abysmal away record which has harvested four points on the road this term. With Norwich conceding in each of their last nine, Cisse – who will return to a central berth in a 4-3-3 following the departure of Demba Ba – could be set for a prosperous weekend; he notched 13 goals in 14 appearances from the position last term and will finally get the chance to prove himself again, having played second fiddle to his now-departed compatriot. With James Perch also in with a chance of returning and Mathieu Debuchy set to make his Magpies debut, the defensive worries are starting to ease – indeed, next week Pardew will also welcome back Steven Taylor in time for the St James’ Park showdown with Reading; boosting his side’s chances of moving away from the drop zone and establishing themselves further up the table once again.

John Terry is another defender on his way back to first team contention. The Chelsea skipper came through 45 minutes of U21 action for Chelsea in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Fulham as he builds up his fitness following a knee injury. As we reported in our scribbles earlier in the week, Rafa Benitez had remarked that Terry could be in contention for the weekend trip to Stoke should he come through yesterday’s run-out. With Branislav Ivanovic at fault for both goals in the Capital One Cup defeat to Swansea in midweek, Benitez may well be tempted to turn to Terry in order to shake-up his back four. That could see Ivanovic drop out, or shift to right-back with Cesar Azpilicueta making way. Terry’s possible return is unsettling for Fantasy managers preparing for Chelsea’s Gameweek 22 double, then.