Scout Notes – Europa and Champions League – Wednesday

Manchester United cruise to victory while Leicester City somehow keep themselves in a tie of almost painful one-sidedness as the week’s European action continued…

Saint-Etienne 0 Manchester United 1 (0-4 on aggregate)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan steered United into the Europa League Round of 16 and then possibly limped out of EFL Cup final contention on a mostly drama-free night in France.

The Armenian put the tie to bed with a cute finish from a fine Juan Mata cross after 16 minutes, only to succumb to a hamstring problem nine minutes later that left Jose Mourinho in pessimistic mood post-match.

Responding to concerns over both Mkhitaryan and Michael Carrick, who was replaced by Bastian Schweinsteiger after 62 minutes, he said:

“(You) can be injured leaving your house, in the garden. There is always a risk. Not to have them both for the final is complicated. I don’t say they are definitely out. I just say what I feel. Hamstring or calf, I always think three days is no time.”

The French were unlucky to be three down after a fine performance at Old Trafford, but United were good value for their second-leg win, keeping the hosts at arm’s length despite playing the final 30 minutes with ten men when Eric Bailly picked up two yellow cards in quick succession.

Mkhitaryan has started the last seven matches in the league, gaining around 40,000 Fantasy managers in the process. But he’s only managed one goal and an assist in that time – and they both came in the 3-0 win at Leicester City.

Interest in United midfielders has been lukewarm for much of the season. Only Paul Pogba (9.2%) has a significant ownership base, whereas four defenders have at least 5.0% of FPL managers backing them, and David de Gea enjoys 33.8% support.

The fact remains, however, that United’s continued tilt at four competitions is compromising their players’ attractiveness as Fantasy assets.

With blanks in two of the next three Gameweeks and at least three matches – an FA Cup quarter-final and two Europa League Round of 16 ties – before the Gameweek 29 trip to Middlesbrough, there is little short-term Fantasy joy to be had from their squad.

At least the 3.2% of managers with Mkhitaryan in their teams can gain some comfort from the fact he has until March 4 to recover from that hamstring injury and take his place in the Gameweek 27 side to face Bournemouth.

That plum fixture had presented Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a key captain pick. However, yesterday’s announcement of a potential double Gameweek for Manchester City has now likely switched our priorities.

Many FPL managers will now be targeting a City asset for Gameweek 27 – most likely Sergio Aguero – reducing the need to retain Ibrahimovic as a captain choice for that round of matches. That will likely accelerate sales of the United striker ahead of Saturday’s deadline.

Manchester United XI: Romero, Young, Bailly, Smalling, Blind, Carrick (Schweinsteiger 62), Pogba, Fellaini, Mata (Rojo 64), Mkhitaryan (Rashford 25), Ibrahimovic.
Subs not used: de Gea, Martial, Lingard, Valencia.

Sevilla 2 Leicester City 1

Jamie Vardy’s first goal in nine matches kept Leicester in a Champions League tie during which they mostly struggled to be even the second-best side.

The striker fired home from an excellent Danny Drinkwater cross to secure a barely-deserved away goal, but goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was the real Foxes’ hero on the night, saving a penalty and pulling off a string of fine stops to defy an utterly dominant Sevilla.

Claudio Ranieri made ten changes to the team that lost in the FA Cup at Millwall. Ahmed Musa was the only man to keep his place as the coach gambled on a 4-4-2 formation that was promptly over-run for the entirety of a wretched first-half.

Leicester only improved when Demarai Gray replaced Musa after the break, with the threat of the young winger, although sporadic, one of the few highlights of an increasingly woeful season.

The Foxes’ form – they’re on a run of five consecutive league defeats – and a fixture list that includes a Gameweek 28 blank while Arsenal are involved in the FA Cup quarter-finals makes their players unattractive Fantasy fodder.

Last season’s stand-out stars Vardy and Riyad Mahrez remain peripheral performers, the defence hasn’t kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 20 (and just two since Gameweek 7) and even a favourable five-match schedule from Gameweek 29 offers little prospect of points when a team is this badly out of kilter at both ends of the pitch.

Gray remains the one asset that could possibly turn the heads of FPL managers – should he finally cement a starting role.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Albrighton (Amartey 88), Drinkwater, Ndidi, Musa (Gray 58), Mahrez, Vardy.
Subs not used: Zieler, Chilwell, King, Amartey, Okazaki, Gray, Benalouane.