Pre-season is significant, every football manager agrees on that. Footballers hate it, but they acknowledge its importance. In my opinion, it’s also interesting for our fantasy planning. Players who miss a big part of the summer work are more likely to struggle with problems during the regular season. A niggle can turn in to a serious injury, or merely their performance can fade as the season goes on (we all know how annoying it is when our players are substituted before the 60th minute).
Stranger things have happened in football than Linvoy Primus picking up a niggle, or Dean Ashton feeling uncertain about when or where he will kick a football again (VazTe is back in full training after all). July’s laborious training sessions, and the re-building friendly games, have extended the injured players list to a point where many sides would face serious problems, should the season start today. This pre-season has provided us with plenty of injury news to peruse (along with the odd news gem)…
Alex McLeish of newly promoted Birmingham City, for example, is desperately seeking a left back, daunted by injuries to his defensive roster. Left back Murphy has missed a big part of pre-season and is struggling to be ready, Parnaby injured too and Quedrue is in and out by turns. Elsewhere, last season’s defensive stalwart Ridgewell will remain sidelined until November, and so will Martin Taylor who was stretchered off from a recent friendly. Benitez arrived in England injured, his rehabilitation expected to last three more weeks, although McLeish has not ruled him out for the opener. Jerome is the most likely to lead the Bluenoses attack then, with O’Connor and Phillips to compete with him for the target-man’s role. McLeish seems to prefer McFadden coming in from wide positions and Marcus Bent is injured too now.
Across the road, defensive problems mount too. Martin O’Neil saw L. Young’s foot problems keep him from following the squad to Spain, where he witnessed his players’ shoulders pop out. First was S. Petrov and then the next day C. Davies. The new skipper elect is very doubtful for the opener, while the defender’s problem seems smaller. They could both face a tidy up operation at some point though. At least there’s good news on Bouma, who is only a few weeks away from fitness. O’Neil currently only has two centre halves in Cuellar and Davies at his disposal, and he used many youngsters in friendlies. Shorey looks set to take advantage and claim the left back berth now, Reo-Cocker could also find playing time either at right back, or holding midfielder. Heskey, who was sent off against Porto, faces a possible three match ban. This will cement Carew’s place up front, should the ban be upheld.
For the Lancashire rivals, Blackburn and Burnley, problems are rather qualitative than quantitative. Rovers have to wait until September for Reid and the versatileEmerton. Summer signing StevenNzonzi (who Big Sam rates highly) could take advantage of this. The Clarets hope to have Duff and their big weapon Paterson back sooner. Their record transfer signing Steven Fletcher impressed many during pre-season, and there will be competition for places. Bolton Wanderers await the fitness of J. O’Brien and McCann, who hope to be ready for the season kick-off, and there’s certainly no rush on Vaz Te , who has been permanently injured the last two years.
That more or less applies to Ferreira at Chelsea, who themselves have to be patient with J. Cole once again, but even if the global financial downturn affected their owner, they are still in no way short of human resources. Everton however, where resources aren’t exactly abundant, have to play this waiting game with three major injuries. Yakubu is approaching fitness, but they already have options up front. Their anxiety is caused by news on Arteta’s fitness. Which is, as of now, good, but vague regarding a return date. Jagielka is another story, as it’s well known he will not be ready before November, returning from his serious injury. Until then, Yobo should be considered a nailed on starter. Fellaini continues to play in an advanced role in pre-season games (despite the virus worry) and it appears that Moyes doesn’t intend to reshape his team.
Fulham lack only S. Davies. In his absence, Gera started in the Europa League tie at Lithuania, but it was Seol who, coming on from the bench, grabbed the chance with a goal. Hull manager Phil Brown, whose squad lacks depth most of all, would love to be in such a position. Added to his difficulties in the transfer market, injuries to key players have put him in dire straits. Bullard won’t sport the gold and black shirt before October, Garcia even later, as his injury proved worse than it first seemed and Ashbee will certainly miss the opening games. At least Myhill and Fagan are likely to play on August 15. More starts for Barmby, Marney, Boateng and Halmosi is the most likely scenario there, given Brown’s recent choices against Beijing Guoan and Tottenham . Geovanni’s goal in China brought back memories of last season’s start and it’s very possible that he will be playing off the striker again.
Liverpool have defensive worries again standing at the starting line. Last August it was Agger, now it’s Skrtel struggling. Agger also faced some problems with his back in the summer, but he should be fine to start the selection race ahead of the Slovakian. Aurelio scared Rafa, but the latest reports made it clear that he should be returning to action by September. Insua is targeting his place at left back.
Man City were a bit unlucky with their expensive transfers, but with the rest too. Tevez has not featured at all yet; Barry made one appearance and then was kept out as a precaution to a slight injury. Even the New Flu has reached the Blue moon (or the New Flu has reached even the Blue moon?), keeping Richards at home, and away from training for a while. Worst of all, Santa Cruz is set to be absent from the first tie’s line up. Kompany will keep him company watching from the stands. Life could be easier for some fantasy managers, with Adebayor secured as a starter.
In the red side of Manchester, Van der Sar’s broken finger will keep him sidelined till late September and for the moment it points to a bargain. G. Neville, Rafael and Brown are crocked again. There are not many updates on their situation, but the first fixture of the new EPL is coming closer. O’Shea could be called upon to do that successful trick again. Vidic is expected to shrug off the niggle that kept him out of Audi Cup in Munich, but Hargreaves is not yet ready as desired. Sir Alex counts him in for late September. A month later should be the date for new signing Obertan, who came from Bordaux with a damage in his luggage.
Pompey anguish over some of the few remaining, experienced members of their personnel. Hughes and Hreidarsson have to cope with calf and hamstring injuries respectively, in order to hit the ground in the opening day, while Finnan’s kit didn’t even need a wash as he limped off in Portugal. It was his first match after he signed and now his problem has to be reassessed. Mullins and Mokoena will be very confident of finding their names in Hart’s starting list now.
Stoke will miss Am Faye and Sidibe until September and October respectively, while Etherington missed the friendly against Derby County, but this was just precautionary, according to Pulis. Steve Bruce has few concerns, knowing it will be winter before he can use McShane again, while news on Gordon is positive.
Some positive news is what Harry Redknapp craves too. It’s like centre-halves in Tottenham develop some strange kind of disease that is transmitted from one to another. King, Woodgate, Dawson are all down with back, groin and achilles problems respectively, thus set to be absent from the tie against Liverpool and a knee injury is keeping Bale out. A reply came to FFS Twitter by a friend, claiming that defensive crisis is Spur’s reality for the last 10 years, but this is another discussion. Opposing the plethora of attacking options, alternatives aren’t as plentiful at the back, with Huddlestone and Hutton starting beside Corluka in the latest ties, but it would be a surprise if Mr Redknapp doesn’t buy at least one defender. North London rivals Arsenal only have Nasri’s fractured fibula to wait on, that will keep him out until September.
Over in East London, Behrami’s wait is now down to one month, after his long-term injury.. He may need to teach some patience to Boa Morte, as the doctors said that the Portugese might not play again before the year appearing on our diaries is 2010. However 2009 might be an opportunity for Dyer.
Latics have only Kapo on their injury list. Wolves’s list is not long either, but it includes some of their valuable attacking weapons. Such as Kightly, for whom a couple of their first EPL fixtures will come too soon, unlucky Iwelumo who was beaten by injury just after returning from the previous one and will be sidelined up until November and newcomer Doyle. A hernia operation could not keep the latter out for long, but his fitness regime might, as he trained only a few days this summer and only played 45 minutes coming back from injury. McCarthy experimented a lot, with Keogh, Vokes and Jarvis partnering Ebanks-Blake, but his comments hint at a 4-5-1 formation, with Milijas supporting the lone striker. Halford could also push for a place in midfield. His value in the FPL would then rise, as he is classed as a defender.
That’s it for now, an article full of niggles, ruins, pain and despair. But there is also hope. And there is hope that we fantasy managers can avoid situations where our sides are weakened due to injuries, that we will be prepared properly with a strong line up for every gameweek. That’s it for now, this page may be useless tomorrow or after a month. But we can always resort to the Injuries and Bans page on this site, which is updated now and will remain up to date until the end of the season. Hopefully, updated twice a day. For a direct update on every new injury or ban delivered to your desktop or phone, there are always the Fantasy Football Scout Tweets too.