The papers are full of stories surrounding the future of James Beattie at Stoke. Allegations are flying around, apologies are being accepted and then denied. Allegedly. Basically, it’s a big scandal affecting a player that’s generally having a forgettable season after a successful first term at the club. Beattie played a massive part in hauling Stoke up the table with a string of vital goals. Now his career at the Britannia looks well and truly in the balance. Or does it?

To be honest, this isn’t a major concern for us fantasy managers. We’ve long since given up on Beattie this season. His likely absence from the Stoke team-sheet does create opportunity however and it could be that Tuncay Sanli will be the benefactor…

Suddenly this situation is of interest to us. Tuncay has been waiting in the wings for an opportunity since his move from Boro. Up until now Pulis has struggled to find a role Turkey’s national captain. However, he started him at the Emirates; a game which passed him by. Now Pulis must decide whether to keep faith in him for the home game with Wigan, a fixture that should offer far more opportunity for Tuncay to make an impression on the Stoke fans.

Need I remind you that Tuncay is classed as a midfielder in the Fantasy Premier League game and a very reasonably priced one at that (5.4).

Tuncay notched 7 goals and 4 assists for Boro last season and 8 goals with 4 assists before that. When he starts, he can produce. Pulis is still deliberating his strike-force for the weekend, so it would be a risk (a Fantasy Island risk – see tonight’s podcast) to commit to the Turk right now. Should he start and show form this weekend however, then he would suddenly become a serious prospect, particularly once Stoke’s fixtures improve with their double fixture in gameweek 20.