With our fantasy players away with their international squads, it’s been a quiet week so far. Predictably though, there’s been a slew of players dropping out with knocks, so I’ve been keeping the injuries and bans table up to date with all the latest. Read on for a round-up of what you need to know so far….
Firstly it appears that the threat of rotation up front at the Emirates looks set to heighten, with the news that Adebayor is set to return to action for Togo this weekend. The striker is all set to line up against Cameroon in the World Cup Qualifier. I can’t imagine Wenger will be too happy if he’s risked but, given the news, Adebayor seems set to be in contention for the home game with City next time out. Eduardo, Fabregas and Walcott are also set to be in the picture for this one.
Santa Cruz will miss out for Paraguay this weekend but he’s announced that he is set to be back in contention for a starting role for the trip to Spurs. His return would cast doubt over the starting roles of both McCarthy and Roberts for the home game with Spurs.
Everton’s Tim Cahill looks certain to make a return for the home game with Wigan. The midfielder is on course to turn out for Australia in their World Cup Qualifier with Ubezkistan on April 1. Be warned however, Given the travelling involved, it could be that Cahill is kept on the bench against Wigan.
Man City have a string of injury doubts with Bojinov, Wright-Phillips, Richards and Kompany also nursing knocks right now. The hamstring injury to Bojinov could keep him out of the Emirates trip but the other three seem to be minor knocks at this stage.
In the red half of Manchester there is talk of Berbatov being recalled to the Bulgarian squad for their qualifier with the Republic of Ireland. The striker had withdrawn from the squad with the ankle injury sustained in the defeat at Fulham but there are reports stating the he could be recalled. That would indicate that he will be in the reckoning for the home game with Aston Villa. Welcome news for Ferguson given Rooney’s suspension for that one.
A couple of current fantasy favourites – Stoke’s Shawcross and Portsmouth’s Crouch, both have knocks right now that will be causing concern. Neither looks serious however, with Shawcross dropping out of the England U21 squad with a back problem – a precautionary measure according to reports. Crouch meanwhile, has a calf injury which looks set to keep him out of the Slovakia game this weekend. We’ll need to keep an eye on this one in preparation for next Wednesday’s game with the Ukraine. My bet is that he’ll be in contention and on the pitch for Portsmouth at Hull.
West Ham’s James Collins’s has been passed fit for Wales’ clash with Finland this weekend. Upson is also fit for England, so West Ham are likely to have a full strength defence for their home game with Sunderland next time out. Tompkins and Spector are set to be under threat then.
Talking of Sunderland, Ricky Sbragia has hinted that both Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards could be jet-lagged for the West Ham game after their exploits with Trinidad and Tobago. That won’t be a major concern for fantasy managers, although with Sbragia talking about resting Jones before the international break, there’s every chance he’ll miss out at Upton Park.
That’s it for now. I’ll keep you posted on any further knocks going into the weekend and report on any casualties from the first set of games. As always, check the injuries and bans table for the latest.