Considering the heavy rotation witnessed in midweek, we go into the weekend programme of fixtures with relatively few teamsheet related dilemmas. Harry Redknapp’s injury list appears to limit any risk of rest and rotation for the likes of Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart, while Alex Ferguson is another Premier League boss hamstrung by absentees.
With Carlo Ancelotti adopting a lovely habit of naming much of his starting lineup in Friday’s press conferences, very few of us will be approach Gameweek 13 with trepidation ahead of today’s teamsheets. We’ve never had it so good.
There is still one issue cloud over Chelsea’s lineup however, as Didier Drogba apparently struggles to find the strength in his considerable frame to help him put an end to a run of four league matches without a goal. Ancelotti offered assurance in Friday outing with the press, but then appeared to stumble in his lineup once he got to his front three. Is there really a chance that Drogba may not make Sunday’s game?
Elsewhere, the situation at City appears to be rather more interesting off the field than on. Roberto Mancini’s approach in the midweek stalemate came under criticism and members of his squad are beginning to fidget uncomfortably on the bench. Right now, Fantasy Managers are struggling to look beyond Carlos Tevez; City’s other attacking assets appear to offer little value while Mancini emphasises a cautious, disciplined style over a merciless assault on the opponents goal. Can today’s meet with Birmingham finally bring Mancini’s side out of its shell?
Let’s dive into the Saturday morning rags for some answers…
Will Carlo Ancelotti start with Didier Drogba against Sunderland at the Bridge?
It seems a no brainer; after all, Carlo Ancelotti spent a good part of Friday’s press conference convincing all concerned that Drogba is fit enough to take the field.
“Next week will be important for Drogba because there are not games during the week and he needs the possibility to improve his condition, but we appreciate the fact he is playing and he is doing his best…It is not a risk to play him. He will be more tired after the game but we never take a risk on our players.”
Drogba sounds likely to be on Sunday’s teamsheet then, but the Ivorian did fail to train in Friday after feeling drained following his midweek appearance against Fulham. The after effects of the malaria are clearly lingering and the Chelsea boss has acknowledged that the striker is lacking full power and 100% match fitness. In naming his side on Friday, Ancelotti sounded as though he was starting with both Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda, leaving just one spot for Nicolas Anelka or Didier Drogba to fill. Anelka himself is a doubt but if he recovers could he possibly start ahead of Drogba against the Black Cats?
The Sun: Our first paper immediately puts the cat amongst the Saturday morning pigeons. There’s no Drogba in their lineup, with Anelke leading the attack and Malouda and Kalou on either flank.
The Times: Drogba starts, as does Anelka, with no starting role for Kalou.
The Telegraph: They agree with the Times. It’s a Drogba/Anelka and Malouda attacking three against Sunderland.
The Guardian: Drogba is marked as a doubt here but still makes the lineup and again, it’s Malouda and Anelka either side of him.
I say: Ancelotti went to great lengths to stress that Drogba is fit enough for selection and I believe he’ll start. Whether we will get anything from the striker is still a doubt however. Clearly he is struggling for full strength and, as that is such a key part of his game, his impact on matches is not as significant. Drogba currently leads out Captain Poll but his vote has dropped from 25% to 21% this morning. Confidence has been dented by his ill health and those Fantasy Managers with Malouda and Ashley Cole as options, will likely be pondering handing them the armband ahead of the Ivorian.
How will Roberto Mancini juggle his assets for the home clash with Birmingham?
The City boss now has a wealth of talent available to him as injuries begin to clear at Eastlands. The likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adam Johnson are already causing waves having been frozen out of late, but Mancini seems settled on a 4-5-1 lineup right now that appears to offer them, and several others, little opportunity for starts. Having come under criticism following the dullest of Manchester derby matches in midweek, will Manicini react with a more attacking approach when Birmingham arrive on Saturday?
The Sun: The tabloid has City starting in a 4-3-1-2 with both Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor up front and David Silva up in support. There’s no place for Johnson or James Milner. Interestingly Micah Richards starts at right-back with Jerome Boateng shifting to the left.
The Times: Our first broadsheet goes with a 4-2-3-1 with Tevez up on his own up front and Milner and Silva out wide. There’s no place for Johnson or Adebayor here then and again the midfield trio of Gareth Barry, Yaya Toure and Nigel De Jong remain intact.
The Telegraph: Again, the Telegraph agree with the Times with an indentical lineup. That includes the selection of Boateng and Pablo Zabaleta at full-back.
The Guardian: It’s a similar story in the Guardian and again both Adebayor and Johnson are disappointed. Aleksandar Kolarov gets the nod at left-back here though.
I say: I’ve stuck my neck out and put Johnson both in my Predicted Lineup for City and on my Scout Picks bench. Mancini’s comments in the press certainly cast doubt over that, but I’ll stick to my guns and back Johnson for a rare start in this one.
Mancini surely has to rotate his lineup when he has three matches in seven days, so today’s encounter with Birmingham will put that to the test. If he adopts a conservative approach and opts for the likes of Silva and Milner, ahead of Adebayor and Johnson, then it will say a lot about Mancini’s approach going forward. We will have a pretty good idea that he is unlikely to take any risks with his preferred set of players, while Adam Johnson will have an indication that he’s likely to be struggling to start more than a handful of City’s remaining league matches.
