Theo Walcott is sidelined for Arsenal’s home clash with Reading. Sunderland rule Steven Fletcher out for the season. Jamie Carragher and Pepe Reina are back for Liverpool. James Morrison remains a doubt for West Brom’s trip to Upton Park, Newcastle still have doubts over both full-backs ahead of a trip to City, while Joe Jordan sings the praises Bobby Zamora and Loic Remy ahead of QPR’s trip to Fulham:
Arsene Wenger has confirmed Theo Walcott will remain on the sidelines from the groin injury picked up during international training last weekend. The news leaves Fantasy managers with a real dilemma on their hands now– while Walcott will miss an enticing home clash with Reading, Wenger indicated the player won’t be out for too long:
“Theo is still out because he has a little groin problem. For this weekend he will be short. He is progressing very well but will not be involved on Saturday.”
With Arsenal set for a double Gameweek 33, playing home to both Norwich and Everton, Walcott –if fit – is likely to be the number one captaincy choice and his current owners will be reluctant to trade him out this weekend, knowing they would surely want him back for the double. A sideways transfer to Santi Cazorla is likely to appeal for many, though – the Spaniard racked up 23 points against the Royals back in Gameweek 17 and has already received more transfers in than any other player this week. On the back of this morning’s news, the interest is only set to escalate.
Wenger also revealed Jack Wilshere could be a couple of weeks away from returning due to his ankle problem, though Lukas Podolski is available, having featured for Germany in the international break. Podolski could return to the starting XI for the first time since Gameweek 24, allowing Cazorla to continue in “the hole†behind Olivier Giroud, while at the back, Bacary Sagna has returned and Kieran Gibbs is doubtful with illness– further adding to the selection minefield for Fantasy managers. Wenger also confirmed Abou Diaby has been ruled out for the Gunners.
Sunderland have confirmed they will be without Steven Fletcher and Lee Cattermole for the rest of the season. The pair have been ruled out with ankle and knee problems respectively and while Cattermole’s loss is somewhat minimal, given he has played 50 minutes since Gameweek 14 onwards, Fletcher’s absence could be catastrophic to the Black Cats’ survival bid, with the club sitting just four points above the bottom three. Carried off after just two minutes of Scotland’s clash with Wales on Friday, Fletcher was initially expected to be out for four to six weeks but scans have revealed the worst case scenario, with the club still uncertain as to whether the former Wolves man requires surgery.
Devoid of the services of his top scorer, Martin O’Neill will now rely on Danny Graham to grab the goals for the Wearsiders and is expected to return to a 4-4-1-1 formation due to a lack of attacking options. While Connor Wickham offers an alternative, he has not long returned from a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday and has failed to convince under O’Neill, with a single start all season highlighting his manager’s lack of faith. The Sunderland boss is also sweating on the fitness of Stephane Sessegnon, who missed Benin’s World Cup clash with Algeria due to a groin problem, and with Graham yet to open his account since arriving from Swansea, the clouds are gathering over the Stadium of Light ahead of United’s visit on Saturday. With Fletcher out of the equation, Fantasy managers have found plenty of alternatives in the mid-price range – Romelu Lukaku, Olivier Giroud, Rickie Lambert and Christian Benteke have all earned over 10,000 new owners, while Dimitar Berbatov has been snapped up by over 32,000.
QPR coach Joe Jordan remains optimistic the club’s attacking options can help overturn a seven point deficit at the foot of the table. Speaking ahead of the R’s crucial trip to Fulham on Monday evening, Jordan reckons the club’s Premier League safety is likely to lie firmly on the shoulders of Bobby Zamora and Loic Remy:
“There is belief there. We have the players now that are capable of taking the game to the opposition. Bobby is back fit, Remy is back in – we have a depth there now that we didn’t have. When we arrived here we could only really play in a certain way, but that’s changed now. We had to defend and play on the break, whereas now we can take the game to the opposition when it’s needed. Performance-wise, we’re improving all the time and there is a belief in the camp, because we’re playing well. If we can play the way that we have played recently we will score goals, we’ve just got to make sure those goals win us games.”
While the defensive resilience that harvested four clean sheets in five between Gameweeks 21-25 has disappeared, the Loftus Road outfit have improved significantly going forward. Two wins and seven goals in their last three, compared to four strikes in the previous 10 Gameweeks, highlights Harry Redknapp’s extra emphasis on attack and with Zamora leading the line, Remy and Andros Townsend have particularly impressed with two goals apiece in the last three, while the latter has also chipped in with a pair of assists. With a home clash against Wigan also just around the corner, the next two games are vital to their survival bid though Redknapp’s side are likely to find it tough at the Cottage – Martin Jol’s side have conceded just once in the last four.
Reports suggest Newcastle could be set to travel to the Etihad this Saturday without Mathieu Debuchy and Davide Santon. Both full-backs missed recent internationals due to hamstring and thigh problems respectively but Alan Pardew had initially been confident they would return in time for the City clash as the Magpies look to bounce back from their controversial loss at Wigan last time out. With recovery time running out, Jonas Gutierrez looks likely to cover on the left if Santon fails to make it, while James Perch or Danny Simpson could deputise on the right. Pardew is thought to be reluctant to take any chances with the pair’s fitness ahead of the first leg of the Europa League Quarter-Final against Benfica on Thursday.
One player Pardew won’t be able to call upon this weekend is Massadio Haidara. While the youngster received a positive prognosis on the thigh and knee problems sustained after Callum McManaman’s horror challenge at the DW and is expected to return in a matter of weeks, he revealed he is a little reluctant to pinpoint exactly when his comeback will take place:
“I’m getting better and better each day.. They say what doesn’t destroy you can make you stronger. That’s true. I have learned a lot from this. I am learning more about the English game and it is a great education for me. I hope to be back sooner rather than later. I don’t have any precise date for that. In the meantime I will work hard here.”
Liverpool have confirmed both Jamie Carragher and Pepe Reina are fit and available for Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa. Reina has recovered from the calf complaint that has sidelined him for the last two league matches, while Carragher missed out in the Gameweek 30 defeat at Southampton with a shin problem and, having started each of the previous seven Gameweeks, is likely to oust Martin Skrtel from the first XI again. Skrtel partnered Daniel Agger last time round against the midlanders as Christian Benteke bullied the Reds’ backline into submission in Gameweek 17 – although Liverpool have registered three clean sheets in those seven with Carragher alongside Agger, they have conceded twice in the other four, affording Benteke owners plenty reason for optimism once again this weekend.
Bryan Ruiz has revealed he is determined to finish the season with more goals after scoring just twice this season. The Costa Rican has offered a strong source of creativity for Fulham and has provided eight assists but has failed to find the net in his last nine appearances, with Martin Jol heavily reliant on Ruiz’s strike partner Dimitar Berbatov to deliver. Ahead of the Cottagers’ home clash with QPR and double Gameweek 33, though, Ruiz has admitted he has been taking extra shooting sessions after training in the hope of rectifying his goal drought:
“I am happy with what I am doing (for the team), but know I have to score more, however I am passing the ball well. The goals will come, though, I am trying to do some finishing at the end of training to do that.”
West Brom coach Kevin Keen has revealed James Morrison remains a doubt with the hamstring injury that forced him off towards the end of the Gameweek 30 goalless draw with Stoke. The midfielder also missed both internationals for Scotland over the last few days and Keen remains cautious over his availability for the Baggies’ trip to West Ham on Saturday afternoon:
“We’ll have to wait and see as the week goes on with James. It’s a maybe with him – it’s not a definite no or a definite yes.”
Second only to Romelu Lukaku in the FPL standings for Steve Clarke’s side, Morrison has racked up 104 points thus far. An almost ever-present, he has featured in 28 of his side’s 30 games – only Gareth McAuley, with 29, has managed more – with his potential absence likely to hand compatriot Graham Dorrans the chance to return to the first XI at Upton Park. Morrison filled in for Dorrans on the right against Stoke, affording Chris Brunt the chance to tuck in behind Lukaku, with Jerome Thomas fielded on the left flank. Keen was a little more optimistic on Steven Reid’s progress, though – having missed the last two with a groin problem, he is expected to return to the squad and vie with Billy Jones for the right-back role once again.
