Sergio Aguero is optimistic of returning to action in a month’s time. Laurent Koscielny has a chance of making Arsenal’s trip to Watford, Liverpool’s Joe Gomez could be out for the season, whilst Leighton Baines closes in on his Everton comeback.
Aguero Issues Injury Update
Sergio Aguero has intimated that he’s in a race to be fit for Argentina’s head-to-head against Brazil in the November international break, meaning he’s likely to sit out the next four Gameweeks:
“I hope I can be there against Brazil [on 13 November] but the injury must be left to recover a bit so there is no relapse. This is an injury you have to recover bit by bit but of course I want to be back quickly.”
The Scout Says:With Aguero facing around a month in the treatment room, his sizeable ownership are exploring the myriad ways in which to capitalise on their newfound wealth. Graziano Pelle has been the most popular replacement for the injured Argentine marksman, with over 233,000 Fantasy managers plumping for the 8.2-priced frontman, who has played a part in ten of Southampton’s 13 goals so far. Valued at the same mark, Wilfried Bony is attracting much less attention, with just 12,000 new owners so far. Given that he looks in line to face Bournemouth, Norwich and Villa in the next four, though, the Ivory Coast international harbours the potential to be an excellent route into Manchester City’s attack if he can discover some form in Aguero’s absence.
Koscielny Close to Return
Laurent Koscielny is set to undergo a fitness test on Thursday to determine his availability for the weekend, while defensive midfield duo Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini are touch-and-go for the trip to Watford. In terms of the Arsenal players returning from international duty, Arsene Wenger reports that Alexis Sanchez, Joel Campbell and David Ospina gave the all-clear on the health front:
“Koscielny has a slight chance to be back on Saturday. He has a definite test tomorrow. Arteta and Flamini are back in full training. We need to see how they are and how confident they are, but we can’t rule it out. From the internationals we only have positive news. We are still waiting for Campbell, Alexis and Ospina to return, but they all texted back to say they are okay, so we just have to see if they were objective in their assessment.”
The Scout Says: With a crucial midweek Champions League encounter with Bayern on the horizon, it may well be that Wenger takes no chances with Koscielny for the Vicarage Road showdown, with Gabriel and Per Mertesacker keeping their places in central defence. Sanchez’s 25% ownership will hope that the Chilean winger is afforded a lengthy run-out at the weekend, despite playing in Peru in the early hours of Wednesday morning. With nine goals in his last five for club and country, he looks a real armband contender in Aguero’s absence, despite the fact that Quique Sanchez Flores’ men have conceded just once in front of their own supporters.
Injury Worries for Liverpool
Reports indicate that Joe Gomez suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament while playing for England U21s on Tuesday and could be ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Elsewhere in the Liverpool camp, Christian Benteke is yet to return to training following his hamstring injury and is set to miss the trip to Tottenham.
The Scout Says: Gomez’s long-term absence affords Alberto Moreno the security of starts at left-back, with Jon Flanagan not expected to be passed fit until close to Christmas. Priced at 4.7, the Spanish defender serves as the most affordable route into the Reds’ back line, although it remains to be seen whether Jurgen Klopp’s brand of football on Merseyside will be conducive to clean sheets. Nonetheless, Moreno boasts the best key-pass frequency (one every 26.2 minutes) of any defensive starter in the league – with Aleksandar Kolarov (49.7 minutes) a distant second – underlining his assist potential. Considering that Danny Ings has claimed two goals in three outings and Daniel Sturridge has netted twice since returning, Klopp still has in-form options for the lone striker role in his 4-2-3-1 formation in Benteke’s absence.
Mixed News for Pardew
Damien Delaney, Pape Souare, Jordan Mutch, Mile Jedinak and Chung-Yong Lee are all expected to be available for selection after recovering from their respective knocks. Meanwhile, assistant manager Keith Millen revealed that Connor Wickham and Joel Ward will miss Crystal Palace’s home tie against West Ham United as they strive to build up their fitness:
“We had an injury crisis before the international break but in the last week or so we have seen Mile, Damien and Jordon back in full training. Souare didn’t travel [for his country) because of a knock, but he is okay too. But Connor is probably not as close to full fitness as those guys. He is a little behind, and so is Wardy. We’ve not had any injuries. Yannick [Bolasie] is the only one that has played in both games but I saw him yesterday and he was okay. His last game was in Belgium so he didn’t have a lot of travelling. Cabaye has come back fine.”
The Scout Says: Although Delaney has been a regular under Alan Pardew, the fact that the Eagles have conceded just one goal in three matches without him this term gives the Palace boss food for thought, with Brede Hangeland’s installation a key factor in their recent upturn in resilience. Regardless, Palace’s backline doesn’t look ripe for investment at present, given that their tough schedule pits them against West Ham United and Leicester City – who are tied second for goals scored (17) this campaign – in the next two Gameweeks before back-to-back clashes with United and Liverpool.
Elphick Undergoes Surgery
Tommy Elphick underwent surgery on his ankle and is set for up to 10 weeks on the sidelines, according to Cherries boss Eddie Howe:
“Tommy has had an operation on his ankle. He’s facing around ten weeks out. It was innocuous really – he got a kick on the ankle and despite many attempts to come back, it just didn’t feel right. He’s two weeks in and the estimate is ten, but it could be shorter than that.
The Scout Says: Elphick’s injury paves the way for Sylvain Distin to continue his run in central defence, affording us with a 4.3-priced route into Bournemouth’s backline. Having failed to net for Everton in his final four campaigns with the club, Distin is a far less attractive proposition than Simon Francis (4.5), who’s claimed two assists already and ranks joint-second among defenders for key passes (14). Either way, the Cherries have notched a single shut-out this term and now embark on a brutal run of fixtures through to the Christmas period, limiting their appeal as a source of budget defenders.
Toffees Treatment Room Soon to Empty
Roberto Martinez has confirmed he expects John Stones to return to the Everton starting line-up for the weekend clash against United. The Toffees boss also revealed that Tom Cleverley, Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar could be available in around a fortnight’s time:
“I think he (Stones) should be ready. Remember that John has been having a lot of quality work at Finch Farm and it will be a matter of just getting that match fitness. We have still got very three important days ahead of that fixture in terms of preparation so we’ll get a better idea on Friday of where John is. I would say medically he is ready now.. We are taking it step by step, but to see Tom and Leighton joining the group, that [means] they are at the final stage of any recovery from injury. I expect them to be available, with Steven Pienaar, over the next two or three weeks. Before the next international break, I am very much looking forward to having all these players back and all these players feeling like footballers again.”
The Scout Says: Beyond a tough pair of upcoming fixtures against United and Arsenal, The Toffees enjoy an exceptional schedule from Gameweek 11 (SUN, whm, AVL, bou, CPL, nor, LEI, new, STO) through to the New Year, which is bound to pique the interest of Fantasy managers. Given that they’ve already kept out the likes of Southampton, Spurs and Swansea, Everton’s rearguard assets are sure to come under closer scrutiny, with fit-again Seamus Coleman and Baines the obvious candidates for selection. Priced at 5.9 and 6.2 respectively, their raids down the flanks and potential for points at both ends of the pitch may well be worth the outlay over the likes of Phil Jagielka and Stone (5.4 and 5.5) before our winter wildcards come into play.
