A pre-Christmas scribble rounds-up the latest from around the Premier League camps, with considerations for owners of the Everton back four, the Baggies Brunt, Liverpool’s big Greek and a disgruntled Chris Samba…

Reports suggest that Everton have lost the significant influence of Phil Jagielka over the Christmas period. The centre-back limped off with a thigh injury in the win over City on Monday night and follow-ups have stated that he’ll be out, possibly until the end of January. With John Heitinga also struggling with a knee injury that has kept him out of the last three, David Moyes now faces fielding a makeshift centre-back pairing over the busy holiday programme. Tony Hibbert may come in alongside Sylvain Distin, with skipper Phil Neville also an option.

Either way, for Fantasy Managers this is bad news – not just for Jagielka owners but also for those holding the talents of Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman. Everton host Birmingham at Goodison on Boxing Day and follow that with trips to struggling West Ham and the inconsistent Stoke. Clean sheets may be off the agenda with Jagielka sidelined, so Baines and Coleman may have to go on producing attacking returns to reward investment.

Roberto Di Matteo received a boost earlier this week with news that striker Peter Odemwingie will be fit to return from a knee injury to make the trip to Bolton. The Nigerian will be a starter in an expected 4-5-1 at the Reebok and comes back onto the Fantasy radar as a result. However, there was less encouraging news on Chris Brunt. The Irishman, so influential for the Baggies this term, is still struggling with ongoing groin problems and has failed to train so far this week. While he will be expected to make the Bolton game, West Brom have made it clear that he will need to be nursed through the hectic Christmas programme. Di Matteo had this to say on Brunt, with clear indication that he will need to juggle his resources…

“Brunt didn’t train yesterday….He still has problems with his groin. He’s been struggling with it for a while. Over Christmas we don’t look too far ahead. We will go into the next game with the best available team and a team that we think can win. Then we will see what happens in that game in terms of how we come through, but the fact that we play again 48 hours later is going to have an impact on selection.”

Brunt owners need to be wary – it looks highly likely that he’ll need a rest between Gameweeks 19 and 21 given the fact that he’s clearly struggling to recover and train in between matches.

Roy Hodgson has announced that both Steven Gerrard and Dan Agger are fit to be in contention for the trip to Blackpool on Boxing Day, should the game go ahead. Gerrard’s return is a welcome one for Fantasy Managers; it not only gives us another midfield heavyweight to consider, it could also help to ignite Fernando Torres as a potential factor in the Fantasy season.

Just how Hodgson includes Gerrard is unclear. There is a suggestion that he will break up the blossoming Lucas/Raul Meireles partnership in midfield, although he could also throw Gerrard in behind Torres and drop David Nogog to the bench. That would seem a more likely scenario away from home…

“It won’t be a headache to put Steven back in but it will require me to make a decision. We’ve got many more players fit now which is fantastic because going into this stage of the season with just two injured players is an incredible tribute to the work our sports science people, the physios and the doctors have done.”

Agger’s return is less welcome in Fantasy terms. The Dane’s availability will cloud the issue within a Liverpool back four that has a kind run of opponents ahead of them. Just as Sotirios Kygiakos appeared to be offering the potential of defensive and attacking returns, the Greek is now far from assured of his starting role over the coming matches. Agger seems unlikely to be thrown straight in at Blackpool but, given the turnaround of matches, he will surely be a factor over Liverpool’s Christmas programme. Paul Konchesky now looks the safer bet – although he too is under threat from Fabio Aurelio if Hodgson decides he needs to rest legs.

Chris Samba’s chances of starting the Ewood encounter with Stoke on Boxing Day remain in doubt. The Rovers skipper is not only carrying an ankle knock sustained in the 1-1 draw with West Ham, he is also involved in an off-field dispute with the club over the sacking of Sam Allardyce. Samba spoke out this week on the departure of Big Sam, amidst the suggestion that he will be slapping in a transfer request…

“If this is the way the club’s going to be run from now on, I don’t want to be part of it and I want to leave. As captain it’s very difficult to say this but I’ve thought long and hard about it. Nobody in football understands the decision to sack Sam.”

Samba’s stance will have taken the shine off for Steve Kean who was yesterday confirmed as Rovers boss for the rest of the season. Kean’s first task will surely be to address the issue with his skipper ahead of the weekend. If fit and with Phil Jones sidelined, you would expect Samba to start, but given his outburst against new owners Venkys, who know what pressures Kean will be under when it comes to naming his side against Stoke. We may well see Gael Givet alongside Ryan Nelsen, with Martin Olsson drafted in at left-back.