The Premier League 2011/12 season may yet be over a month away from kick-off but the summer is still delivering international football to partially scratch our itch.
The Copa America, South America’s continental tournament equivalent to the European Championships, begins in Argentina in just a matter of hours. With an array of Premier League talent on show, in addition to a choice selection of players who could well be bound for English football, Fantasy Managers should be keen spectators.
Not only can potential new arrivals be assessed, but we must also weigh up the impact of a sapping summer tournament on players who may well have already found a place on our pre-season watchlists.
Brazil have the biggest English based contingent in their squad. So long a footballing nation synonymous with flair and panache, it’s perhaps ironic that the Premier League contributes no less than four defensive players to their effort. Chelsea’s Ramires and David Luiz, as well as Lucas of Liverpool and Sandro of Spurs will all by vying for starting roles alongside a wealth of attacking talent. The performances of Santos starlet Neymar, a player who is continually being linked to a move to England, will also be of particular interest here.
The Paraguay squad includes three Premier League players, although only Wigan’s Antolin Alcaraz is worthy of note right now, with Roque Santa Cruz and Cristian Riveros both set for transfers with foreign shores beckoning.
Roberto Mancini will be paying particular attention to the progress of hosts Argentina. Both Pablo Zabaleta and Carlos Tevez will be involved – the latter looks certain to be a key target for Fantasy Managers given City’s obliging start to the season.
Colombia have called up Wigan’s Hugo Rodallega of Wigan, while Chile will include Gonzalo Jara of West Brom and long-term City, United and Chelsea target Alexis Sanchez. Spurs’ forgotten man Giovani dos Santos will skipper Mexico, although a move away from the Lane looks assured once his tournament is over. Indeed, Mexico’s squad for the tournament is a youthful one, with stars such as Javier Hernandez omitted; a major plus for Alex Ferguson and a factor which will further boost Hernandez in our pre-season thinking.
United’s Antonio Valencia will however be present in Ecuador’s squad, with Luis Suarez a protagonist for Uruguay as a concerned Kenny Dalglish watches on. Four countries (Peru, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Venezuela) will have no Premier League representatives in the Copa America.
So what does this mean for us Fantasy Managers?
To begin with, we have to seriously consider the impact that this tournament could have on the players taking part. The Copa America runs up until July 24 – any player involved in the final will have three weeks of competitive football to get through. That will not only be a drain them physically, it will also mean them missing out on the pre-season with their respective clubs.
Last year we saw Dutch and Spanish players return to action for their Premier League outfits a little after the start of the season as managers afforded them a prolonged break. The Copa America ends ten days later than the World Cup last summer, so it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that some of the players involved in the latter stages could be preserved in the opening Premier League fixtures.
Indeed, only yesterday Liverpool announced that they were prepared to omit both Lucas and Luis Suarez from their early fixtures should they make it to the final stages of the Copa America. First team coach Steve Clarke made it clear that the club would take few risks with the duo on their return…
“The most important thing is they get adequate recovery time…Obviously we’d like all the players to come in on the first day of pre-season to do a full pre-season and be ready for the start with us, but it’s not the case…If they are ready to start the season, fine – if they need a little bit longer to recover, that’s why you have a big squad. It will give other people a chance.”
The long-term effects are also a concern. The likes of Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres and Robin Van Persie all reached the final stages of last year’s World Cup and all three were cursed with injury problems last term. Granted, the trio have a history of niggles and knocks, but it’s likely that the summer of football did little to help their preparation for a grueling domestic season.
Carlos Tevez and Luis Suarez will undoubtedly be our main concerns; both players’ progress in the tournament will need to be monitored, as does their involvement in the pre-season upon returning to club duty. Antonio Valencia’s tournament may be cut short by elimination in the group stages but, with fierce competition for starting roles in the United midfield, he will be eager to get back to Old Trafford and stake his claim. Alex Ferguson may look to use his Copa America involvement as a reason to keep the Ecuadorian in reserve for the early league encounters – good news for both Nani and Ashley Young perhaps.
We will, of course, report any injury concerns as the tournament progresses and, if you fancy getting more deeply involved, there are Fantasy games available. The majority of us will surely be keeping our Fantasy Football powder dry as the Premier League kick-off draws ever closer. The Copa America is an exotic little starter, but let’s hope it doesn’t spoil the main course in any shape or form.
