Rafael Van der Vaart declares himself 100% fit for Spurs’ game at Stoke this weekend. Injury rules Dimitar Berbatov out of Man United’s Champions League trip to Basel, while Luis Suarez is the subject of another FA investigation:
Rafael Van der Vaart gave his Fantasy managers a boost today, with a positive update on his ongoing hamstring strain. The Dutchman started on the bench for only the second time in his Spurs career at the weekend, but admits that while he fully understood his manager’s decision, he is determined to win back his starting place for Sunday’s trip to Stoke. With Gareth Bale in such stunning form and Jermain Defoe offering a viable alternative for Redknapp up front, plenty are selling on Van der Vaart, though this news may throw potential Fantasy transfer plans up in the air a little:
I fully understand I had to start on the bench. I could only train once with the group. Then there are some more players the manager can pick, so of course I had to start off the bench. With regards to my injury I can say it feels pretty well, up to 100% fit. I just have to keep up the hard work this week and hope I start next game.
Dimitar Berbatov has failed to recover from an ankle injury in time for Man United’s Champions League trip to Basel. There’s no let-up in problems up front for United right now and with Javier Hernandez also injured ahead of the weekend league clash with Wolves, Sir Alex Ferguson has something of a dilemma. Having just returned from a muscle injury, Danny Welbeck is not fully fit, though Fergie used Nani as a makeshift centre forward against Aston Villa last weekend- an option he could possibly revisit at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Aleksandar Kolarov has been ruled out for four weeks after picking up a groin problem. The left-back picked up the injury in last week’s Carling Cup win over Arsenal and was subbed off just half an hour into the Emirates clash, meaning Gael Clichy is likely to be nailed-on for the next few Gameweeks, though Joleon Lescott could potentially offer cover if Roberto Mancini remains keen to rotate with regularity over a bust festive period.
Mancini admitted this morning he is keen for the club to offload Carlos Tevez amid suggestions the player is in talks with AC Milan regarding a proposed move to Serie A. With Milan’s vice-president Adriano Galliani stating he is already negotiating with Tevez’s advisors, Mancini went on to say:
I don’t know what the situation is with Carlos at this moment. I think that for us it is important to sell him. We can do this for him and for the club. If he has the chance to go to Italy, I am happy for him.
Harry Redknapp reckons he may get more from his Tottenham team if Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon switch wing roles. The Spurs boss feels his decision to move Bale right and Lennon left was key to his team’s performance against Bolton last weekend, saying:
The turning point at West Brom last week, I felt, was when I changed the two wingers over about eight minutes into the second half and we started opening them up. So it’s something that’s interesting with those two. Aaron’s been in good form lately. (But) I think he’s better on the left than on the right, in all honesty. I think he gets more opportunities to score goals when he plays on the left. On the other side he tends to go one way.
The FA are to investigate Luis Suarez after the Liverpool forward appeared to gesture towards Fulham fans in last night’s defeat at Craven Cottage. This only adds to the Uruguayan’s woes, with his alleged racism charge against Patrice Evra also still hanging over him. With Liverpool facing a kind run of upcoming fixtures, it perhaps places doubts against Suarez as a Fantasy option over the next few weeks, though his form on the pitch has been admittedly below-par this season.
