Scout Scribbles – Rodgers Considers Coutinho for Central Role

Philippe Coutinho could be poised for a move to the middle for Liverpool. Crystal Palace snap up Marouane Chamakh from Arsenal. Seb Bassong steps up his injury recovery for Norwich, scan results reveal Gary Hooper’s shin injury is not serious, Martin Jol has concerns over Adel Taarabt’s fitness ahead of Fulham’s trip to Sunderland and Hull’s Stephen Quinn may be out for up to a month with a hamstring injury:

Coutinho Set for Role Change

Brendan Rodgers gave Fantasy managers a heads-up on his future plans for Philippe Coutinho over the season ahead. Currently utilised on the left in a 4-3-3, the Brazilian looks set for a move to the role in “the hole”, providing his manager can acquire an adequate replacement out wide:

“There’s money there available to get in the right types of players, but we don’t want to panic and just bring in anyone. It has to be someone who can come in and improve the team….No question, Coutinho’s best position is the No.10. And once we get the right kind of quality to put on the sides, he will play in that central role. That is where he affects the game best. At the moment, he has the licence to jump in and come inside – joining in and making passes, and we accommodate defensively when he does that. But there is no doubt, his best position is in the middle.”

The Scout Says: Rodgers’ words suggest a shift in formation to 4-2-3-1 is on the cards, then, with Daniel Sturridge the lone forward and Iago Aspas on the right of the attacking midfield three. Even if Luis Suarez stays, it seems he is earmarked for a move to the left flank as Rodgers looks to get the best out of Coutinho – essentially, then, Sturridge looks the most enticing forward option for the Reds, with Suarez and Aspas taking reverse out of position roles, while Coutinho’s appeal will surely be set to be boosted further if he’s shifted into the middle. As Gareth Bale owners continue to jump ship, Coutinho’s popularity continues to grow across the Fantasy games – he’s now third most owned midfielder in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), having found a way into 21% of teams so far. A superb upcoming run of fixtures which pits the Reds against just one of last term’s top six in the opening nine Gameweeks should afford him plenty opportunity to produce.

Walcott Ankle Scare

Fantasy managers are left awaiting further news from the England camp after reports in the Mirror suggest Theo Walcott has picked up an ankle injury in training. Roy Hodgson moved to allay fears ahead of tomorrow’s match with Scotland, though, going on to tell the press:

“Theo took a slight knock at the end of training, but we believe he’ll be okay. He’s very much still in contention.”

The Scout Says: While the Mirror have gone as far as suggesting Walcott could be at risk for Arsenal’s weekend opener against Villa, Hodgson’s words seem reassuring on the matter for now, with Walcott currently nailed-on in many a midfield as we approach the season kick-off. With Bale withdrawing from the Wales squad and possibly on his way out of Spurs, in addition to a lack of pre-season training for both Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla after their Confederations Cup exploits with Spain, a relative degree of uncertainty hangs over the fitness levels of the top four scoring FPL midfielders of 2012/13 as the weekend approaches. The new campaign hasn’t even started and we already have much to ponder; Friday’s press conferences will hopefully offer reassurance.

Eagles Sign Chamakh

Crystal Palace added to their forward options last night by signing Marouane Chamakh from Arsenal on a one-year deal. A peripheral figure at the Emirates and on loan at West Ham last term, the Moroccan looks set to be handed the chance to resurrect his career at Selhurst Palace, judging by his new manager’s comments:

“Now I can actually look at what I’ve definitely got and work round him and build the team around him. He’s a fantastic player can drift and float, he’s good in the air so I’ve got to try and build a squad around that now and hopefully I can get him going.”

The Scout Says: Heading into the season, Holloway was expected to mainly field a 4-2-3-1 formation, with record signing Dwight Gayle the favourite to lead the line in light of Glenn Murray’s long-term knee injury. The Eagles boss moved to a 4-4-2 against Lazio last Saturday and indicated he could continue with such a system – a suggestion that Chamakh’s arrival may not necessarily proved detrimental to Gayle’s game time, with the former Arsenal man potentially proving the perfect, physical foil for the latter’s pace. The move certainly brings Chamakh out of the Fantasy wilderness – a price of 5.0 in FPL (similar to Gayle) may appeal for those looking out for a budget third striker.

Bassong Back in Action

Norwich boss Chris Hughton was handed a defensive boost yesterday afternoon when Seb Bassong managed a 60-minute run out for the club’s reserves in a 4-1 win over Stoke. The Cameroon international has yet to play this summer after undergoing a minor operation but is edging towards full fitness ahead of Saturday afternoon’s Carrow Road opener against Everton.

The Scout Says: The opening five fixtures certainly bodes well for investment in the Canaries backline, with the possible return of Bassong furthering their clean sheet potential. Hughton’s side welcome Everton, Southampton and Villa to Carrow Road and will be looking to replicate the form that harvested eight shout-outs in front of their own fans last term. With a trip to Hull also on their short-term agenda, defensive returns look a real possibility; Bassong’s presence is likely to prove good news for fellow centre-half Michael Turner, whose more budget-friendly price across the Fantasy games may make him a popular pick.

Hooper Injury Fears Ease

Hughton was issued further good news yesterday evening after Gary Hooper was given the all-clear after scans on the shin injury that saw him stretchered off against Panathinaikos at the weekend. The Norwich boss went on to say:

“Both the X-ray and the scan are fine and confirm there is no fracture or any other problem which might indicate a long-term injury. There is still some bruising Gary suffered from the knock and he will continue to be monitored and assessed over the days ahead.”

The Scout Says: In spite of the positive prognosis, it would be somewhat surprising if Hughton were to bring Hooper straight back into action. Despite picking up Ricky Van Wolfswinkel over the summer, the Norwich boss has continued to field his preferred 4-4-1-1 formation and alternated the summer signings in the lone forward role. Given that the Dutchman opened his account in last week’s home draw against Real Sociedad, Hughton’s extra options up top means Hooper may be tentatively eased into the fold, with his manager taking a more cautious approach until he returns to full fitness.

Taarabt Not Yet Fully Fit

Martin Jol has admitted Adel Taarabt is far from fully fit with the season just four days away. The Cottagers boss lavished praise upon the Moroccan but with no pre-season behind him, it’s questionable whether he’ll make the starting XI for Saturday’s trip to Sunderland:

“I think he has to prove now again that he can do a very good job. He’s 24 now and hopefully he will prove to us and to anybody else that he can do a good job. We need creativity and that’s why I took him. Adel is someone who can score goals and have five or six assists, I hope, at the start of the season. He hasn’t been included in a QPR team and we have to get him fit, so of course you can’t start with him. To be 100% it would maybe take three or four weeks, but I think we need him before that. I will try to get him into match fitness as soon as possible.”

The Scout Says: Ahead of the Stadium of Light trip, Jol is clearly unsettled over his wide options. Alex Kacaniklic remains a doubt with a hamstring problem on the left and while Ashkan Dejagah has returned from injury, his manager is keen to court caution over his game time. The last couple of friendlies have seen Jol search for a solution – youngster Mesca Na Bangna has been drafted in, with Damien Duff rested to the bench, while a shift out wide for Bryan Ruiz proved detrimental to Dimitar Berbatov against Real Betis. The Bulgarian was forced into a more withdrawn central role as Ruiz patrolled the flank, though the pair were restored to their regular roles up top against Parma on Saturday.

Quinn Out for Tigers

Hull’s Stephen Quinn has been ruled out of the Gameweek 1 trip to Chelsea with a hamstring injury. The midfielder picked up the problem in a friendly defeat against Germany outfit Eintracht Braunschweig last week and Tigers first-team coach Keith Bertschin has admitted he could be out for up to a month:

“I would suggest that Stephen will be out of the Chelsea game. He’s a very honest boy and he’s got quite a high pain threshold, but you can’t really cheat with a hamstring injury. It’s quite a nasty one and he’ll have to have that initial two, three or four weeks (recovery) I would have thought. He doesn’t get injured too often, but if anybody can get back quickly it’s Stephen Quinn.”

The Scout Says: In a week that saw Jerome Thomas limp out of Palace’s game against Lazio, Quinn’s absence limits the number of viable budget midfield options available to Fantasy managers. This season has seen few genuine attack-minded options listed in the sub 5.0 bracket – Ravel Morrison’s six goals for West Ham in pre-season has brought the former United troublemaker onto Fantasy radars, while Ross Barkley could benefit from a potential knee injury to Darron Gibson in the Everton central area. Palace’s Jonathan Williams is another 4.5 priced contender, though his security of start looks a little less uncertain in comparison to team mate Thomas, should the latter recover from his knock in time for the weekend visit of Tottenham.