Thomas Vermaelen concedes his form has let him down in recent matches. Sergio Aguero is on his way back to Manchester to step up his recovery from a knee injury, Eden Hazard reveals his confidence is on the up, Daniel Agger praises Liverpool’s fitness regime under Brendan Rodgers, Newcastle receive good news on Massadio Haidara’s injury, while George McCartney is targetting a first-team return for West Ham’s upcoming home clash with West Brom:
Thomas Vermaelen has admitted he has deserved to be dropped by Arsene Wenger after a series of disappointing displays this season. While Wojciech Szczesny’s father has publicly criticised the Gunners boss for omitting the keeper from the last couple of games, the Belgian seems a lot more pragmatic over the situation:
“I have made mistakes…If I played flawlessly in all the matches I would be Lionel Messi. As a footballer you know you what may happen when you play badly. I’m not worried though – it’s only the last games, I have played about 35 times this season. This is Arsenal, they are not a bad team and there is a lot of competition.”
The duo’s absence from the first-team has coincided with an upturn in defensive solidity for the north London outfit. With Laurent Koscielny installed alongside Per Mertesacker at the heart of the back-four and Lukas Fabianksi taking his place between the sticks, the Gunners have registered back-to-back clean sheets against Bayern and Swansea and are now just four points behind Spurs with a game in hand in the race for a fourth place finish. With a home game against Reading up next and a double Gameweek 33 edging ever closer, though, Mertesacker is perhaps still the only nailed-on option, with competition in the full-back areas also adding to the mix as Fantasy managers look to take advantage of Arsenal’s kind run of fixtures.
Eden Hazard has spoken of his growing self-belief under Rafa Benitez as Chelsea, hinting that a consistency of game time has been key to his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge:
“My confidence is really up at the moment and I feel good in myself. It’s quite weird because, historically, March always seems to be the best time of the year for me. Last year I got player of the month in Ligue 1, and a couple of years ago I won the same award… Being honest, I didn’t expect to be playing in every game, but aside from the three I missed through suspension, I have.”
As demonstrated by his goal and assist contribution in Sunday’s win over West Ham, Hazard seems to be replicating his early-season form after a somewhat hit and miss autumn period. Double figure returns in four of his last six starts in front of his own fans have helped the Belgian rack up the points at a time where Juan Mata seems to serve up his best Fantasy performances for the Blues road trips. Now just 11 points behind his team mate, Hazard’s form goes from strength to strength and with a double Gameweek also still to be schedule for Benitez’s men, he looks set to have a significant say in the remaining few matches of the campaign, as Benitez juggles his options to cope with FA Cup and Europa League demands.
Sergio Aguero is heading back to Manchester to continue his knee injury recovery after being ruled out of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers with Venezuela and Bolivia. The forward took to twitter to reveal:
“My knee is better but the squad’s physicians would rather have me be safe and stick with the treatments until it’s completely healed. It’s a pity to miss out on the national squad matches but I’ll be cheering for Argentina from Manchester, while I finish the recovery. “
While his absence is unfortunate for his national side, Aguero’s update certainly hasn’t ruled out a return to action in time for City’s home clash with Newcastle in week on Saturday. Roberto Mancini had hinted last week he was anticipating his main forward to be in the mix for the Magpies game and with a trip to United to follow – in addition to an FA Cup Semi-Final against their neighbours or Chelsea the following weekend – Mancini is desperate to ensure Aguero is fit and available as he looks to end the season with at least one lot of silverware.
Liverpool were given some positive injury news yesterday after Pepe Reina recovered from a calf problem that has kept him out of the last couple of matches. The keeper is expected to start for Spain against Finland tomorrow and while Brendan Rodgers will welcome him back for the following weekend’s trip to Villa, the Reds will be without the services of Joe Allen for the rest of the season with the midfielder set to undergo a shoulder operation.
Staying with the Reds, Daniel Agger has taken time to praise Rodgers’ fitness regime. Speaking to a website in his native Denmark ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the centre-half revealed:
“For me it’s about being fit and I’ve been the fittest in years. I have not missed a game because of an injury and I think that is the first time in my career. Brendan Rodgers is undoubtedly the reason I have played all the matches without injuries this year and I cannot be anything but pleased. It is not I who can take these decisions, it is he who has decided to adjust my training specifically for me. The new coaching team have come up with a form of exercise taking into account the individual, and it is something I have needed. My training volume is scaled down and then I have an increased recovery period.”
Agger has missed a single league match all season, back in Gameweek 2 against City as a result of a one-match suspension and has already played more minutes this term than in any other since arriving on Merseyside back in 2006. While many managers have applied rest and rotation throughout their squads, Rodgers’ approach has clearly been beneficial to Fantasy managers. Granted, Agger’s two goals haven’t quite caught the eye but Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez have offered us a consistency of game time which seems to be something of a rarity these days. The Liverpool skipper is currently on course to play every minute of the season and is set for his most impressive Fantasy campaign since 2008/09, while Suarez’s single-game absence has been as a result of suspension and have helped him close the gap on Robin Van Persie to just three points at the top of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) standings.
Newcastle have received a positive prognosis on the injury sustained by Massadio Haidara in Sunday’s defeat at Wigan. The full-back has also undergone scans which suggest he could be back before the end of the season, dispelling fears of a possible career-ending injury. Haidara’s potential return could be crucial for the Magpies, given their current issues at full-back – Mathieu Debuchy limped out of the Latics defeat with a hamstring issue, while Davide Santon is reported to have picked up a thigh injury during training for the Italy Under 21s.
George McCartney is targetting a return to action for West Ham’s Gameweek 31 clash with West Brom. The full-back has failed to feature since Gameweek 16 but speaking to the club’s official website, has revealed:
“The knee’s feeling good, I think I probably need a bit more fitness and a bit more sharpness but that will come with the next few days’ training and hopefully some more game time. I’ve only been back training for about ten days to two weeks. The next game’s not until the end of March so that gives me a bit of time to do some more training, more fitness work and I’ll be raring to go come the West Brom game. “
A return for McCartney is something of a worry for owners of Guy Demel and Joey O’Brien, with the former, in particular, looks susceptible to rotation. With a double Gameweek 33 also on the cards in addition to a home clash with Wigan the following week, the Hammers’ short-term fixtures are looking decent and with injuries to many of their midfielders, Fantasy managers may fancy a punt in defence in light of that schedule. Down to 3.8 in FPL, McCartney looks an enticing proposition but remains a little risky, with Jussi Jaaskelainen and Winston Reid the safest options at the back for those eyeing up a route into Sam Allardyce’s defence.
