The Treatment Table – Gameweek 25

Gabriel Jesus limps off early during Man City’s victory over Bournemouth with a fractured metatarsal. Romelu Lukaku misses Everton’s training trip to Dubai with a calf complaint, while West Ham are reportedly optimistic on the fitness of Andy Carroll after the target man missed the weekend clash with West Brom due to an ongoing groin problem. Here’s our regular post-Gameweek update on the latest batch of knocks concerning Premier League managers.

Gabriel Jesus

The Manchester City forward was forced off after just 14 minutes of Monday’s night 2-0 win at Bournemouth after sustaining a foot injury.

After the match, City boss Pep Guardiola said he hoped the injury would “not be a big issue,” but the club have since confirmed he has a fractured metatarsal and will undergo further test to ascertain the likely length of absence, with reports suggesting that the Brazilian could be out for two-to-three months.

The news comes as a huge blow to the 200,000+ Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers that drafted in the striker ahead of the trip to the Vitality Stadium.

Jesus’ ownership had already soared to 9.1% on the back of three goals and an assist in his first two starts for City, but it now looks as if Sergio Aguero will be back in favour as City’s main striking option.

But with City fighting on three fronts, with their Champions League and FA Cup campaigns still alive, there’s still likely to be some rotation under Guardiola, with Kelechi Iheanacho expected to be handed some minutes, while the likes of Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne are also capable of operating in a “false nine” role.

The Argentine was credited with the assist for Tyrone Mings’ own goal, but has generally struggled to adapt to the demands Guardiola places on his attacking players to press from the front.

Still setting us back 12.7 in FPL, then, and with a blank in Gameweek 26 and the possibility of another in Gameweek 28 if Guardiola’s side beat Huddersfield Town in the fifth round of the FA Cup, it’s unlikely Aguero will return to our radars until at least Gameweek 29.

Nonetheless, with City potentially handing us two double Gameweeks later in the season, a stint on the sidelines for Jesus is likely to see many reconsider his Argentine team-mate, just weeks after his stock had crashed dramatically.

Romelu Lukaku, Kevin Mirallas, James McCarthy

The Everton forward hasn’t travelled to the club’s training camp in Dubai due to a calf problem that will require treatment.

The 23-year-old will visit a doctor in his native Belgium this week, although according to the club’s official website, the problem is not serious, with the striker fit to face Sunderland in Gameweek 26.

Despite that assurance, presumably there is an issue troubling the striker which presents an unwelcome concern for the Belgian’s 32.1% ownership ahead of a potentially profitable match-up against Sunderland. Everton and Lukaku also offer the guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 28 at home to West Ham United.

There looks no need to panic at this stage, with Everton manager Ronald Koeman hopefully able to provide us with a more detailed prognosis in his pre-match conference ahead of the Sunderland clash next week.

Following Saturday’s goalless draw against Middlesbrough, Koeman revealed both Kevin Mirallas and James McCarthy weren’t risked at the Riverside, having been struggling with minor injuries in the lead up to the match:

“They weren’t fit enough today. James was struggling after last weekend and, with his history this season, we didn’t take any risks. He will be available in two weeks. It’s the same for Kevin who was struggling with his groin. We want to make sure he is 100 per cent for the next game.”

Both players look set to be available for the Sunderland fixture having been part of the travelling party to Dubai, although neither look sure to return to the starting XI.

Koeman has a wealth of options to choose from in central midfield, including Morgan Schneiderlin, Idrissa Gueye, Gareth Barry and Tom Davies, so McCarthy may struggle to earn a recall.

Mirallas has perhaps less competition for a regular role, but with new boy Ademola Lookman impressing in back-to-back starts over the last two fixtures, the Belgian’s 2.8% FPL owners may well think twice over holding, despite the Toffees offering that guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 28.

Dieumerci Mbokani

The Hull City forward missed the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal due to illness, having not been able to train in the lead up to the match.

But Tigers head coach Marco Silva spoke very positively regarding the DR Congo international, suggesting he’s likely to be a viable alternative to Oumar Niasse for the lone striker role in the absence of the injured Abel Hernandez.

Hull host Burnley in Gameweek 26, and with over a week until that match, it’s expected that Mbokani will be ready to return.

With the Tigers also facing a guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 28 – at home to Swansea City – the issue of who will emerge as the first-choice striker at the KCOM Stadium is certainly likely to be of interest to Fantasy managers over the coming weeks.

Any uncertainty, though, and we may turn to the likes of Lazar Markovic or Kamil Grosicki as a route into Silva’s attack.

Jack Wilshere, Simon Francis

Bournemouth had the misfortune of losing two players to injury during Monday night’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, with skipper Simon Francis suffering a hamstring problem, before Jack Wilshere was withdrawn after taking a knock to his ankle.

Speaking after the match, Cherries boss Eddie Howe was hopeful Wilshere had not sustained a major injury:

“He is just feeling his ankle. I don’t think there is any major injury there. It wasn’t one moment in the game, he just felt he couldn’t move as freely as he wanted to. He had a pain in his ankle so we took him off and we will have to assess how bad that is.”

Francis, who was a doubt before the match due to a nagging hamstring issue, is perhaps just as much of a concern. though:

“I don’t know, we will wait and see. He is feeling his hamstring again. He went to make a pass and felt a similar pain to how he felt the first time.”

The Cherries face difficult away fixtures to West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United over the next two Gameweeks, and having conceded 18 goals in their last six matches, will be desperate to have their captain available.

Tyrone Mings is likely to deputise should Francis be ruled out, but Howe was boosted by the return from injury of full-backs Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith against City.

Daniels was sold by 100,000+ FPL managers in each of the previous two rounds of fixtures, with the left-back’s return to action perfectly timed for his 8.1% owners at a time where the Cherries are one of just six sides to offer a fixture in both Gameweek 26 and 28.

Lucas Leiva

The Brazilian started at centre-back for Liverpool in their impressive 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, but was forced off with eight minutes remaining after picking up a slight knock.

The issue isn’t believed to be a serious one, though, with no mention of it here, and could well have been fatigue related as much as anything.

He looks to have a good chance of being available for the Gameweek 26 trip to the King Power Stadium, then, although Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will hope to have Dejan Lovren (knee) available to return by then.

If passed fit, the Croatian looks the favourite to start alongside Joel Matip against the Foxes.

Phil Bardsley

The Stoke City defender limped off just before the hour mark during the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

There’s been no official update on the severity of the problem, but with Glen Johnson himself returning from injury to replace Bardsley, it’s likely that he will start at right-back for the Potters when they travel to White Hart Lane in Gameweek 26.

Nathan Dyer

Recalled to the starting XI for the home clash against Leicester City, Nathan Dyer’s afternoon lasted just seven minutes, after suffering an Achilles injury.

A scan revealed the 29-year-old ruptured the Achilles tendon in his left ankle, and will subsequently need to undergo surgery, ruling the winger out for the rest of the season.

Swansea City head coach Paul Clement does have plenty of options available to him for the wide positions though, including Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge, Luciano Narsingh and Jordan Ayew, although Jefferson Montero remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Having provided an assist in two of his three brief sub appearances, there’s a hope that Narsingh can cement a starting role and offer another route into the Swans attack ahead of the soon-to-be treacherous Gameweek 28 schedule.

Jordan Pickford

The Sunderland goalkeeper has returned to full training following a spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury, and is now expected to challenge Vito Mannone for the starting spot in goal for the Black Cats.

Speaking about the injury, and his rehabilitation, Pickford revealed he hopes to be in contention to feature against Everton in Gameweek 26:

“The knee is fine now. I’ve had a good six to eight weeks off but I’ve been working really hard in the gym and getting my knee right and it’s fine now. Hopefully, I’ll be ready for Everton.”

The competition between the two keepers is something Sunderland manager David Moyes is looking forward to, though:

“Jordan was great and Vito played well in that couple of games recently. I want competition, I want serious competition.”

Mannone has now started seven straight league matches in the youngster’s absence, making 37 saves over that period – nine more than any other keeper.

Over the season, there’s very little in it, with Pickford just edging it for minutes per save by 19.8 to 20.8. Owned by 9.3% of FPL managers and coming in at 4.1 to the Italian’s 4.3, though, the former’s potential first-team return will be keenly awaited.

Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll

There appears to be positive news regarding the fitness of Aaron Cresswell and Andy Carroll, with both players part of the travelling party that is heading to Dubai for some warm weather training over the next few days.

Cresswell was substituted at half-time during last Saturday’s 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion due to a dead leg, but with the issue not thought to be serious, he should be fit for the Gameweek 26 trip to Vicarage Road.

As for Carroll, he also appears to have a good chance of being fit to return against the Hornets, with a club source revealing to The Sun:

“The decision not to play Andy was purely precautionary and the same was true when withdrawing Aaron. But there is no reason why they can’t fly and both should be fine for the game against Watford.”

That will come as welcome news for Carroll’s 4.6% ownership in FPL, who would have been frustrated the see the in-form forward miss the West Brom encounter.

But with guaranteed fixtures in Gameweeks 26 and 28, he looks worth holding, at least until we hear from Bilic closer to the Watford clash.