Jamie Carragher’s 450th Premier League appearance was definitely one to forget last Sunday, with the centre-half suffering a dislocated shoulder in the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham. His replacement Sotirios Kyrgiakos may have been on the end of a rollicking from Carragher for being slow to get warmed up to replace him, but with the Liverpool vice-captain now reportedly sidelined for up to three months and a long-lasting calf injury still keeping Daniel Agger out of the running, you can be sure that the big Greek will be ready and raring to go in this unexpectedly prolonged run at the heart of Roy Hodgson’s defence.
It is the Reds favourable upcoming fixtures (AVL, new, FUL, blp, WOL, BOL) that make Kyrgiakos such a particularly alluring prospect. After a torrid start to the season Liverpool have finally -albeit at a stuttering rate- started to climb the Premier League table and Hodgson must surely see a promising pre-2011 run as the perfect opportunity to get their season back on course and draw a line through what has been a problematic year for the Anfield men.
At a colossal 6ft 4in, Kyrgiakos is always an aerial threat and has scored two goals in just six games so far this season, finding the net in both his Anfield league appearances. With the club still awaiting Fernando Torres’ bravura performance, Joe Cole having a frustrating period with form and niggling injuries and Steven Gerrard temporarily sidelined, they will rely on the lofty Greek to be a menace in the box at every given set piece.
Priced at just £5.1 million on the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Kyrgiakos could be the ideal bargain defender to allow you to spend your budget on a big money move in midfield or attack. Also something of a Bonus Points magnet, he’s been awarded the maximum three points on two out of his five full appearances, which -considering the current lack of clean sheets knocking about- perhaps gives him the nod over similarly-priced team mates Paul Konchesky and Martin Skrtel for anyone considering Liverpool defensive cover.
His Fantasy ownership, a mere 1.1%, only adds to Kyrgiakos’ appeal, suggesting he could well just turn out to be the perfect “differential” over the next few Gameweeks as the season heats up for the Christmas period.
