Team Selection
United Clash “Too Soon” According To Gerrard
Steven Gerrard has reportedly informed Rafa that he is unlikely to be available for next weekend’s big clash with United at Anfield.
The Liverpool skipper went under the knife for a groin injury just over a week ago and would have had just 15 days rest by the time the Anfield fixture arrives. That is apparently not long enough a recovery time according to Gerrard.
“That’s a bit too soon,” he remarked on the subject of a return against United. “I’ve a decent chance for the Champions League game in Marseille. I’ve spoken to the manager and told him I’d like to do a certain amount of training before I come back. I don’t want to go into a big game only having had one session with the boys.”
Liverpool are also set to be without Fernando Torres this weekend - he is still struggling with a hamstring injury. What price a United clean sheet then?
ContinuedKeegan’s Gone
After a quiet day, here comes the bombshell - Kevin Keegan has officially quit Newcastle this evening after 24 hours of constant speculation on his future at the club.
I won’t dwell on the facts - there will be plenty on this story to soak up from various sources over the next week or so. In terms of its effects on our fantasy teams though, this will surely be bad new for owners of Newcastle players, although owners of players about to come up against the Magpies could well capatilise. Newcastle’s morale will doubtless take a major blow and Keegan’s likely successor (Dennis Wise I’d imagine) will face a mammoth task to lift things.
Anyone owning a Newcastle player - not many of you I’d guess, (perhaps Gutierrez at a push) will now have to consider the likely effects of this latest development on the fantasy output of the Newcastle squad. Like Curbishley’s departure from West Ham yesterday, we can only speculate on the effects of a change of manager so early in the season. The likelihood that Newcastle and West Ham players will react positively however, seems remote.
ContinuedRobinho - No Better Than Kalou
That’s according to the folk at Fantasy League who have introduced Man City’s new record-breaking signing as a forward priced at 6.7 million - the same as the Chelsea man.
Elsewhere Robinho has entered the Telegraph player list as a forward priced at 6.3 million, the same price as Anelka and a little under Santa Cruz and Robbie Keane.
The Fantasy Premier League meanwhile have yet to take the plunge at the time of writing. I like to picture a long, sweaty meeting with much coffee and doughnuts consumed while they viciously argue the merits of making him a top priced midfielder in a Twelve Angry Men scenario. In truth they probably just can’t be asked to update their database.
ContinuedThomas Blow For Redknapp
Portsmouth have lost Jerome Thomas for around 3 months to injury just weeks after making his move from Charlton permanent.
Thomas has suffered a stress fracture in the base of his spine and will be sidelined for around 12 weeks with surgery a possibility. The news comes on the back of the injury to Niko Kranjcar who is recovering from rupturing ankle ligaments while on duty for Croatia. It is estimated that Kranjcar is out until mid-November.
The news is significant for fantasy managers because it again boosts the potential of Portsmouth’s loan signing Armand Traore. He may well be under threat from new signing Nadir Belhadj when Harry adopts a 3-5-2 with wingbacks. However Redknapp has made it pretty clear that Traore is his first choice in this formation. As an added bonus, should Portsmouth revert to a 4-4-2, it would appear that Traore would be favourite to take a left midfield role with both Kranjcar and Thomas injured.
ContinuedDissecting Deadline Day
It was one of the craziest transfer deadline days in living memory with City’s takeover and outlandish bid for Berbatov stealing the headlines. In the end City had to make do with Robinho (which is something I’m still finding difficult to type let alone understand), while Berbatov made his inevitable move from Spurs to the red side of Manchester.
Elsewhere it all seems a lot less glamorous but there were nonetheless a few deals that us fantasy managers will need to mull over during the international break. Here’s my brief views on some of the day’s most notable arrivals.
ContinuedPompey Capture Belhadj
Harry Redknapp has made his first move of the transfer deadline day by sealing a season-long loan deal with French club Lens for Algerian defender Nadir Belhadj.
Significantly Belhadj is a left back and will seemingly compete for that spot in the Pompey side with Hreidarsson and recent loan signing, Armand Traore.
Redknapp successfully tried out a new 3-5-2 formation at Everton with Johnson and Traore operating as wing-backs. This signing would appear to indicate that this is a system that he intends to explore further although it clearly puts a doubt over the starting role of Traore who, until today, looked a very decent fantasy signing.
ContinuedThe Weekend Scout Picks
Week three has thrown us suspensions and a string of injuries to contend with, plus the absence of United players to plan around. Having said that, the fixture list and current form appears to have handed us some pretty decent prospects and I’m predicting the average fantasy haul to take a turn for the better this week.
Here’s my selection for the weekend’s games for your perusal…
ContinuedCity Agree Zabaleta Fee
Man City are closing in on another signing after it was reported that a fee had been agreed for Argentinian full-back Pablo Zabaleta. A sum of around £8 million has apparently been accepted by his club Espanyol.
The defender has just returned from a triumphant Olympics in Beijing with Argentina and is expected at Eastlands today to close the deal. What’s significant about this move from a fantasy perspective is that Zabaleta is right-sided and will operate at right-back or right midfield. With Wright-Phillips destined for a position on the right wing, it would seem that this signing could well displace Corluka at right full-back and perhaps see the Croatian depart the club after all.
Coluka is currently the most popular City defender in the Fantasy Premier League game and is owned by 12% of managers.
ContinuedEverton Look To Saha
Everton have confirmed today that an undisclosed fee has been agreed with Man United for Louis Saha. A two-year contract has been agreed and the transfer is due to be completed today, subject to a medical.
That’s not a minor obstacle given Saha’s injury-strewn past but, given that he will likely sign terms with the Merseyside club, he is now perhaps an additional consideration. When fit and starting games, Saha is undoubtedly a major handful and a proven goalscorer at Premiership level. He struck 42 goals in 124 appearances for United - and that was without a prolonged spell where he established in the United side, due mainly to injury.
However, given that his United status has inflated his price - making him just a little less expensive than Yakubu, it seems unlikely that there will many fantasy managers looking his way.
ContinuedGerrard Could Be Out For Six Weeks
Steven Gerrard could be sidelined for up to six weeks according to reports circulating today.
As reported yesterday, Steven Gerrard is due to have an operation on his groin injury today with Rafa stating that he hoped to have his captain back within 10-15 days. However, there are reports today which consult specialists on the surgery, that suggest that Gerrard could well face a longer spell out of action.
According to Nicola Maffulli of the British Orthopaedic Association - “the least possible time is 15 days, but a more realistic time is at least three to six weeks.”
Any prolonged absence would rule Gerrard out of the home clash with Man United on September 13 and the Merseyside derby with Everton on September 27.
Continued
