Dugout Discussion

The Dugout Discussion – Leicester vs Chelsea

Saturday’s events conclude at the King Power Stadium, with champions Leicester City hosting potential champions elect Chelsea.

The pre-match chatter is dominated by the stories surrounding Diego Costa. Despite reports suggesting that the striker had been dropped as a result of a dispute and fall-out with the club, Antonio Conte has now offered the official line, blaming a back problem for Costa’s absence today….

“On Tuesday, Diego stopped training with a pain in his back and then in the week he didn’t train with us.”

It remains to be seen if there are further developments in the week, putting Costa’s future Gameweek starts in doubt. The Spaniard was sold by huge numbers overnight, with more than 400,000 Fantasy Premier League managers showing him the exit; over 378,000 of those transfers were in the last 24-hours.

Eden Hazard looks likely to lead the Chelsea attack in Costa’s absence, with Pedro and Willian flanking the Belgian.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

3,043 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Still got Aguero, Zlatan and Lallana to play. The only way is up?

    1. Hooky
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Yazz

    2. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Look up on the hill...

    3. Numb
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Top 10k has more than 3 to go so depends where you are

    4. Lawrø
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      You'd think so, I think Aguero is going to go crazy tomorrow

      1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
        • 13 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        another red?

    5. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Depends how far 6 points lifts you

  2. Pariße
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    I love it how you can get away with captaining midfielders (Sanchez in this case). I was kind of disappointed with him only scoring 1 and then going off after 80mins, but it turned out to be enough for him to get 11 points because of the circumstances. I remember Hazard was like that 2 seasons ago, he didn't even score that much, but was by far the best scorer collecting 10pts every time he scored once.

    1. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      It's hardly getting away with it. Everyone should know that a goal and cs are worth 4pts more to a mid

      1. Pariße
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Well yeah, but statistically (stats that actually matter in a game) Sanchez' hardly done much more than Giroud and his score is more than twice as big.

  3. Lawrø
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    3005th... I'll take it 😀

    1. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Grats!

    2. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Rage quit ? 😉 .

    3. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      3476th 🙂

      1. Lawrø
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        I'm in good company 😀

  4. NIGHTHIKER - I Kane, I Shaw…
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Up to 425 OR. Not sure how this has happened after years of achieving bugger all in FPL, but I'll take it!

    1. SuperMario
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      congrats

    2. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Awesome rank!

    3. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Nice

    4. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Wow keep it going.

    5. Lawrø
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Nice!

    6. Del Griffiths
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Nice one, 3 digits is always a fun place to be.

  5. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Wow, not at all annoyed about shipping Alonso now. Rank up to 18k from 60k 🙂 Ibra and Baines to go

    1. SuperMario
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      wow nice one! peno in each game would be ideal for you 🙂

  6. Kiwivillan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    WTF 3k OR first time ever top 10k 😀

    1. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Sweet

    2. Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Nice, well done

      1. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Thx Packie

    3. Tibbs
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      What score are you on? I'm 1,201 and that's 11kish

      1. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        1228

        1. Tibbs
          • 13 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Nice, cheers.

      2. Hooky
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        1212 is 7k

    4. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Applauds a classic case of good performance 🙂

    5. Albrightondknight
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      KV back of the net. Excellent stuff.

    6. Arteta
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Bravo!

  7. Tibbs
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    A wooping 3.8m in the bank but not sure where to spend it:

    2FT

    Grant / Pickford

    Alonso / Holebas / Evans / Pieters / Chambers

    Hazard / Sanchez / Phillips / Eriksen / Fletcher

    Carroll / Ibra / Giroud

    Any ideas?

    1. Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Arsenal defender looks good for next 2 at least

      1. Tibbs
        • 13 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Even as an Arsenal fan, I struggle to see us keeping the door shut against any one. Swans could of had one today, looking at Carroll/ Holebas as the weak links.

    2. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Carroll to Lukaks maybe

      1. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Or even Haz to Pedro/Coutinho and Carroll to Kane

    3. Ephurion
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Depends, do you want Kun for gw 24/25?

      If so you could go Holebas -> Yoshida and Fletcher -> Phillips with a plan to go Carroll -> Bench fodder and Giroud -> Kun
      You might be able to get Brunt/ McAuley depending on certain players sell value (or Cedric if you think he'll over his illness/knocks) instead of Yoshida.

      Would mean 3-5-2 with Kun / Ibra up top from GW 23 or 24.
      Downside is you rely on Giroud in the mean time, although you do have the option of rotating with Carroll. If Giroud is fit those two next fixtures looks damn good anyways 😀

      All in all it should leave you with around 0.5+ ITB without early transfers.

  8. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    I'm finally making progress:

    GW 19: OR 2.15 m
    GW 21: OR 1.18 m *(3 more players left)*

    Meteoric improvement I'd say!

    1. Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Well done! Soon be in top 10k

      1. Yank Revolution
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Hah! If I continue exponentially progressing, it's possible I guess!

  9. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Anything further on Costa?

    Best to wait or rid and avoid drop?

    1. The Overthinker
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Imo wait

    2. Numb
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Nothing further really

      1. sminkypinky
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Right. Cheers both. Wait then.

    3. ILOVEBAPS
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      In same boat. Think I will sell.

    4. Tibbs
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      depends if money is tight, Kane has a tough fixture up next, Giroud came off due to injury, Lukaku...well is Lukaku. Not much around in that bracket. Probably wait.

    5. makaveli123
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Can't see there being anymore news before the presser. He will drop 0.2 or 0.3m before that (and even more if he is not fit for Hull). Depends on how your team is looking really.

      1. sminkypinky
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks all!

    6. Arteta
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/14/antonio-conte-diego-costa-chelsea-

      That's the latest I've seen and I don't think we'll have reliable infos before the presser. You can expect lots of speculation.

  10. andymck
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Would you wildcard this? OR 500k and really falling behind.

    Pickford / Marshall
    Alonso / Vertonghen / Ake / Evans / Amat
    Sanchez / Hazard / Lallana / Phillips / Fletcher
    Ibra / Giroud / Wilson
    2.9 ITB

    1. william prunier
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      No!

    2. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Wouldn't wildcard, just take 1 or 2 hits

      Get a playing keeper

      Downgrade Vertoghen

      Convert Fletcher to Eriksen

      Done!

      1. andymck
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Cheers, appreciate it

        1. Business Cat
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Jaku playing again or Grant your cheapest GK options. Though I'd go Valdes for a little bit more. Dump Marshall.

          Vert down to maybe another MID, live Chambers, possibly, maybe look at Adam Smith for BOU, possibly WBA or Jones. Certainly sub-5m

          Upgrade Fletcher to Eriksen since you have to Spurs.

          Play 3-5-2.

          Downgrade Hazard after Hull if he does nothing to free up even more funds.

          That's what I would do.

  11. Numb
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Green arrows all round on here?

    1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Big red out around 30k places . Missing the big players

      1. Numb
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Alonso / Kane?

        1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
          • 13 Years
          7 years, 3 months ago

          Aye . Getting Aguero instead of Costa backfired in bizarre fashion 🙂

    2. Business Cat
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      A green arrow even Oliver Queen would be proud of

  12. Gareth nose
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Rose or Cahill?

    1. We Will Klopp you
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Rose but I'd wait until after Spurs play City to get him in for Cahill if I had cahill

    2. Pariße
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Well after a week it's pretty obvious, tough to say with the upcoming fixtures.

    3. NIGHTHIKER - I Kane, I Shaw…
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Don't know how you'd know that Rose is playing well, when Molly won't let you live stream the spurs?

      1. Gareth nose
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        haha thats why I have to go on here

  13. We Will Klopp you
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    A) Baines and Chambers in for Daniels and Gibson (4.8sv), Gibson is a sacrifice to get Baines.

    B) Keep Daniels and Chambers

  14. joinho
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    If i get rid of Sigurdsson and Costa it will give me 17.8 for replacements, who are the best 2 for that price?

    1. Numb
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Who have you got?

      1. joinho
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        My current front 8 is
        Lallana, Sigurdsson, Hazard, Phillips, Capoue
        Costa, Defoe, Zlatan

    2. william prunier
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Eriksen & Gru?

    3. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Hazza and Phillips IMO. Although wait for Hazard's price to fall

  15. Depleda
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Can't believe it,now in the top 4k !

    1. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Well done, me too chuffed

      1. Depleda
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        High five! 🙂

  16. NIGHTHIKER - I Kane, I Shaw…
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    2 fts but no idea what I'm gonna do with them. Will see what Aguero and Kun do tomorrow.

    Team is

    Foster // Pickford

    Alonso // Evans // Pieters // Britos // Ward

    Sanchez // Hazard // Antonio // Snodgrass // Phillips

    Kun // Ibra // Anichebe

    Was originally thinking of doing Kun, Antonio and Snodgrass -> Giroud, Alli and Coutinho for a -4 but not sure now, especially with Giroud potential injury. Any thoughts would be massively appreciated, cheers.

    1. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Kun could be with keeping

  17. Everyday im Schneiderlin
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    A alli and kane
    B hazard and kane?
    Thanks

    1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      • 10 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      A imo

    2. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      B IMO

  18. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    What about these moves? Ignoring my other players.

    Out:
    Bellerin (new Wally? Not knowing if he'll be back week after week)
    Vvd (No Fonte, no fun)
    Capoue (at last)
    Siggy (Swanny done)
    Rondon (Huge mistake)
    Negredo (lost for words)

    In:
    Baines
    Valencia
    Stanislas
    Charlie Adam (finally)
    Phillips (turns to Zaha later on)
    Kane
    Defoe

    Time to let go and just have fun. Hits to sort out dgw.
    Same procedure as last year, same procedure as every year...

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      WC time imo

      1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        Aye and this is it...

    2. Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Don't like these moves. Bellerin is great for next 2 so wait and see if fit. Rondon also got great fixtures. Wait until dust settles on this gw

      1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        But will Wenger let us know if and when he is fit or will it turn to another soap opera a la Wally.
        Got the exact money, tonight.

  19. Gnu
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Back 4 scores
    0, 0, 21, 0. I guess there's room for improvement.
    Sweet.

    1. Pat Bonner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Haha decent average

    2. Lawrø
      • 12 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      nice average though! 😉

  20. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Just noticed jaku started today! Back to 2 players keepers 🙂

    1. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Yeah
      I played him over Foster
      Got me an extra point lol

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Same here

      Foster & Jaku

  21. Blue&White85
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    My current team for next weekend:

    Foster
    Alonso Jones Chambers
    Sanchez (c) Hazard Firmino Chadli
    Kane Benteke Carroll

    Subs: Heaton, Snodgrass, Pieters, Amat

    0.6 ITB

    Would you do the following for -4? My strikeforce needs to be strengthen.

    Pieters, Snodgrass & Benteke to Yoshida, De Roon & Lukaku.

    1. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
      • 7 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Chadli to Stanislas and Teke to Defoe ?? No hits

  22. Hotdog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Ake dropping tonight and chambers rising. Is it worth doing a straight swap now and wasting my transfer on a sub???

    1. Sweetboi
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Will you play Chambers this week? If not, no, not worth it.

  23. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Any word on Giroud injury?

  24. Sweetboi
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Pick one lads:

    a) Origi > Rondon
    b) Origi > Negredo
    c) Keep Origi and hope he plays against Swansea

    1. Blue&White85
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      A

  25. The Overthinker
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Any firmino owner alive ?

    1. rdamjan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      Jup

      1. The Overthinker
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        What are you gonna do with him?
        Keep or sell?

    2. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 3 months ago

      o/

      1. The Overthinker
        • 7 Years
        7 years, 3 months ago

        What are you gonna do with him?
        Keep or sell?.

  26. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    For next week:
    Heaton
    Alonso Baines Jones Daniels
    Phillips Sanchez Lallana Alli
    Ibra Defoe
    Pickford Mcauley Allen Costa
    3 hours to decide: ???
    (1) Costa to Kane (fall and rise so .2 gain)
    (2) Lallana to Coutinho
    (3) Allen to Stanislas
    (4) save transfer

  27. Greenbackbøøg…
    • 9 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Alli being bought more than Eriksen despite Eriksen doing better, racism

  28. Hazardous1983
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Antonio to coutino for free?

  29. We Will Klopp you
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 3 months ago

    Pick one:

    A) Baines and Chambers in for Daniels and Gibson (4.8sv), Gibson is a sacrifice to get Baines.

    B) Keep Daniels and Chambers

    C) Ibra and Daniels out for Kane and Baines