With my ScoutCast sidekick Granville living it up on a break in the US, this week’s Rotation Watch materialises via the medium of words and text, hopefully constructed into meaningful sentences. You can add the usual jingle in your heads.
There’s plenty to consider going into the gameweek. Aside from this week’s Champions League exertions, fantasy managers have to consider the impact of this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals on players from the Arsenal, United and Chelsea squads. Everton and City also face a Cup semi and a UEFA Cup tie before they kick a gameweek ball in anger.
Let’s start taking DNA samples then as, like a fantasy football Columbo, I assess the potential crimes of rotation before they’re committed…
Starting with Arsenal and it has to be said that Wenger’s back four is currently in tatters. He will hope to have Sagna back from a virus to bolster them a little come the weekend. The injury to Gallas is long-term, but Clichy and Djourou could come back into the picture come the league trip to Anfield on Tuesday. News on that pair is still sketchy right now.
Wenger’s main options for rotation come in attacking areas. Van Persie and Adebayor both started against Villarreal and would certainly be the first choice against Chelsea in the cup semi. That could see one or both rested in the league game, with Bendtner, Eduardo (if fit) and Arshavin as options. We might even see Wenger restore the 4-5-1 and push Fabregas up with a lone striker once again.
In midfield, Denilson was dropped to the bench in Europe, so he could come back in for the Cup semi or at Anfield if Wenger does go with five in midfield. Diaby is another option having returned to the bench last night. You have to question whether Nasri and Walcott will play three games in a week, so one or both look likely to be rotated at some point. Be on alert if their names make the team sheet for the Cup semi.
Hiddink appears to have settled on the 4-3-3 formation and Kalou and Malouda seem to have cemented starting roles around Drogba up front. Anelka appears to be frozen out and it’s difficult to see him handed an opportunity in either the Cup game or the crucial league fixture with Everton on Tuesday.
Elsewhere Hidddink will have to decide on the partner for Terry at the back. My bet is that Alex will start the Cup semi this weekend, with Carvalho making a return to league action on Wednesday. Bosingwa remains a doubt and even when fit, it will be interesting to see how quickly he can wrestle a starting role back from Ivanovic. Again I can see Hiddink making the switch for the Everton game here if Bosingwa can prove his fitness. Mikel is an option that Hiddink seems set to utilise for one of the two fixtures – he seems more likely to come in against Everton, with Essien a candidate for a rest following the weekend cup semi.
Ferguson brought out the big guns against Porto and subsequently could rest a few names against Everton in the Cup. The likes of Neville, Tevez, Scholes Fletcher (if fit) and perhaps Evans could come back in for the FA Cup semi. If that’s the case then the rotation for the league game with Portsmouth on Wednesday may be kept to a minimum, with Ferdinand and Vidic at centre-back and Berbatov and Rooney up front. Rafael is expected to come into the equation at some point. He is due to return to training this week and could be lined up to figure against Portsmouth.
Everton also have their FA Cup semi this weekend of course, although the options open to Moyes are far more limited. Saha seemed likely to be called into action against his former club but a virus could well have killed off that ploy. James Vaughan is being touted as a possibility for the bench as a result of Saha’s absence. A recovery for the league fixture with Chelsea, could see Saha make a rare start at Stamford Bridge, although bench duty looks more likely. Yobo’s expected return for the weekend could offer Moyes options at the back at Stamford Bridge. Baines could be under threat then, although given his form, he looks a likely starter week in, week out.
Finally, Man City have their second leg with Hamburg this evening prior to a potentially profitable league encounter with West Brom on Sunday. Luckily for us fantasy managers, City’s rotation options are severely hampered by injury. Hughes goes into tonight’s game with some key doubts including Bridge, Kompany and Wright-Phillips, who all missed the weekend defeat to Fulham. Zabaleta has now added to their injury woes – he is a new doubt with a groin injury. The other big issue for Hughes is whether to recall Robinho after benching him against Fulham. That’s surely a no-brainer for tonight but it could potentially see the Brazilian rested on Sunday.
Tonight’s City lineup will be the key to eventual side that takes the field on Sunday then. We’re almost guaranteed one change for the Baggies game though, with De Jong ineligible for the UEFA Cup.