The Treatment Table – Gameweek 5

Fantasy managers were spared significant injuries in Gameweek 5, while Jose Mourinho quelled fears that Paul Pogba could be sidelined for three months.

We review the latest arrivals on the treatment table, while checking in on the progress of key Fantasy options close to clambering off and making a return to the pitch.

New Arrivals

Craig Shakespeare rolled out a handy injury update on Jamie Vardy earlier today after the striker was forced off against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s cup encounter with Liverpool, the Leicester boss admitted:

“Jamie hasn’t trained. I will give him every opportunity. He has a tight groin, and that is why he came off at Huddersfield. He has had continuous treatment, and we will give him every opportunity to be fit but he won’t be one to risk. We will assess him tomorrow morning, but I am very confident he will be fit for Saturday.”

After netting his fourth goal of the season against the Terriers, Vardy continues to keep pace with a number of big hitters near the summit of the forward standings.

A nine-point haul now has him rank as the third top-scoring striker in FPL, yet only 11% currently hold the Foxes frontman. With a very encouraging run of fixtures now to follow, interest in Vardy is expected to rise if he’s passed fit to host Liverpool this weekend, with his claim as our third striker continuing to grow stronger by the week.

Chelsea wide man Pedro was replaced at the break during yesterday’s goalless draw against Arsenal. Post-match, Antonio Conte rolled out an update on the Spaniard.

“After the first half, Pedro was a bit injured because he had a kick on his ankle and then I change it, tried to have more balance in the midfield. Pedro took a knock to his ankle and wasn’t 100 per cent fit. For this reason, I decided to make a substitution in the second half. We have to check with the doctor, but I hope this problem is not serious.

A potential period on the sidelines for Pedro could boost Willian’s prospects of retaining a starting berth for the Blues. The Brazilian dropped to the bench away to Leicester in Gameweek 4 but returned to the XI yesterday – he has now started four of the first five league outings and resides in 14% of FPL squads.

Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck was forced off in the same fixture due to a groin problem. Manager Arsene Wenger admitted he’s fearing the worst, going on to say that the injury “is not an easy one”.

And the Gunners have further concerns in the final third after Mesut Ozil missed the goalless draw due to a slight knee injury.

The injury concerns at north London are all the more frustrating when you consider that the Gunners are now braced for a superb run of matches that grants them three home fixtures against West Brom, Brighton and Swansea in the next five Gameweeks.

Bournemouth’s Steve Cook missed the 2-1 win over Brighton last Friday with a minor knee problem. Earlier today, manager Eddie Howe gave an update on the centre-half, confirming that the issue isn’t serious but will need to be assessed.

Having utilised a wing-back system over Gameweek 3-4, Cook’s absence saw the Cherries’ manager revert to a back-four, with Simon Francis partnering Nathan Ake in central defence. But Cook’s possible return would then see Francis and Adam Smith fight it out for the right-back role if Howe retains the same formation.

Slaven Bilic is hopeful that he will only be without James Collins “for a couple of weeks” after he was forced off with an ankle injury at West Brom. The Hammers started with a 3-4-3 set-up and secured a second successive clean sheet, with Angelo Ogbonna likely to claim a starting berth in the Welshman’s absence.

Southampton’s Charlie Austin missed the weekend win at Palace with a knock. Yet it said everything about Manolo Gabbiadini’s recent showing that he still dropped to the bench at Selhurst Park as Shane Long led the line instead. Granted, the Saints have hardly impressed in attack yet Long – at 5.8 in FPL – could yet grab our attentions as a budget pick if he can cement a start for a favourable run from Gameweek 7 onwards.

West Brom’s Jake Livermore missed the weekend clash with West Ham for personal reasons and will also sit out the midweek cup encounter against Man City.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield’s Collin Quaner has been ruled out for 10-14 days with a calf complaint.

In Recovery

New theories surrounding Paul Pogba‘s injury broke prior to Manchester United’s clash with Everton on Sunday. All the chatter suggested that the Frenchman could be sidelined for three months with the hamstring injury sustained in last Tuesday’s Champions League tie.

But Jose Mourinho was quick to dismiss such claims.

“Nobody in this club spoke about 12 days or 12 weeks. Not at all. In the hamstring, it’s a normal procedure, and we wait a few more days. So it’s completely nonsense information.”

However, he goes on to admit that the club remain in the dark on the full prognosis.

“The player was diagnosed initially after the match because of the conditions of the muscle and the bleeding. The decision was one more week to wait to see really clearly in the scans, that I mentioned, of the injury.”

Pogba has been written off as a Fantasy asset at this time, with over a million managers ejecting him from their squad. He’s suffered more sales than any other player since the season started.

Team-mate Henrikh Mkhitaryan was a major benefactor from the fall-out, and he returned nine points in Sunday’s 4-0 victory. However, the scoreline and Mkhitaryan’s tally were both somewhat flattering.

David Silva has been the other key asset to see Pogba traffic. He produced 11-points for Manchester City at Watford and, along with Mkhitaryan, remains the key replacement for those still selling Pogba at this point.

Forced off with a head knock in Gameweek 4, Watford’s Kiko Femenia returned to training ahead of the weekend visit from Man City. The summer signing was confirmed fit by Marco Silva and subsequently drafted in by over 144,000 managers last week. However, he was not considered for selection – perhaps on medical advice – though now looks likely to return for the weekend trip to Swansea. Femenia racked up 27 points in his previous three appearances prior to missing out against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Brighton defender Bruno failed to recover from a back problem for last week’s trip to Bournemouth. However, manager Chris Hughton is hopeful that the veteran will be fit to face Newcastle this weekend – that’s likely to scupper the prospects of Liam Rosenior (4.0), who was handed his first start of the season in light of the veteran’s absence at the Vitality.

Burnley’s Jeff Hendrick could be set for minutes in tomorrow’s cup clash with Leeds. Earlier today, the club confirmed he was fit for the weekend clash with Liverpool but was left out of the squad after only recently recovering from a thigh complaint.

Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha reportedly stepped up his recovery from a knee injury and was said to be running and training with Head of Performance coach Scott Guyett last week. He also posted a series of updates on his own social media accounts.

Roy Hodgson made it clear that the winger required more rehabilitation time in his update on Palaces’ injuries on Friday.

“Wilf Zaha has got a bit more rehabilitation time after his injury, Mamadou Sakho is good, training every day, looking good in training but obviously hasn’t played since April, so we’re working hard on his physical fitness. With Pape Souare the same thing’ incredible comeback, wonderful what he’s been able to do in training.”

It seems unlikely that Zaha will be risked in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie with Huddersfield, although both Mamadou Sakho and Pape Souare are set to start.

Sakho’s return could be significant at a time when the Eagles are about to embark on an evil run of fixtures (mci mun CHE). His first task will be to attempt to stem the tide of goals from Sergio Aguero on Saturday.

Earlier today, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Nathaniel Clyne has started running again as he steps up his recovery from injury. Adam Lallana “is close to going outside and running”, though the pair are still believed to be some way off a return to first-team action.

Indeed, on Friday, Klopp gave us this pessimistic outlook…

“Adam and Clyney are still too far away to think about them”

Trent Alexander-Arnold claimed the right-back role in the absence of Clyne against Burnley on Saturday and created more chances (7) than any other player in Gameweek 5. However, with Joe Gomez suspended from Liverpool’s Champions League tie on Tuesday week, Alexander-Arnold may well give way for the trip to Leicester City on Saturday, with Gomez earning the start against the Foxes.

Klopp’s teamsheet for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie – also with Leicester – will offer more clues. Klopp does have other options and has suggested that Gomez could line-up at centre-back as Dejan Lovren battles a back problem. The Croatian was available to Klopp against Burnley but was only named on the bench and is now a doubt for Tuesday’s tie. Meanwhile, Klopp has revealed that Jon Flanagan is a certain starter.

“Dejan didn’t play [on Saturday] because of the back problem. So we have to see how we can line up at centre-half – is Joe [Gomez] centre-half or full-back? And stuff like this. We will see how we can do this. But he [Flanagan] is in the mix for tomorrow, for sure.”

Ryan Shawcross is another centre-back struggling with ongoing back problems.

He was described as “touch and go” by manager Mark Hughes for Stoke City’s trip to Newcastle United in Gameweek 5. However, with Kurt Zouma ineligible to face his parent club, Chelsea, this weekend, it could be that Hughes was managing Shawcross’ fitness with the loanee’s absence in mind.

With Geoff Cameron sidelined with a hamstring injury, Shawcross’s availability will be key if the Potters are to keep their three-man backline intact for Chelsea’s visit.

Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany has had more than his fair share of injury setbacks but seems destined to return from his latest issue sooner rather than later.

Pep Guardiola offered us a short update on the Belgian’s fitness in Friday’s conference.

“He came back and trained with us. I think for the next days, he will be able to play again.”

Kompany could be considered for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup encounter with West Brom, or be preserved for the visit of Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Either way, his return would offer Guardiola the option of returning to a three-man defence, or resting one of Nicolas Otamendi or John Stones in a back four. Neither scenario be welcomed by Fantasy managers.

Guardiola has been kind with his rotation policy to this point but the fewer options he has available, the better.