Arsene Wenger has this afternoon confirmed Theo Walcott is set to be sidelined with the stomach problem that forced him out of Sunday’s win over Stoke.
Speaking to the press ahead of the midweek Capital One Cup clash against West Brom, the Gunners boss revealed:
“Theo will be out for a few weeks. He has developed some damage to his posterior abdominal wall. It’s not a hernia, but it’s a little structural problem in his abdomen. He will have the procedure in Germany on Wednesday and, because it’s so minor, we can begin his rehab immediately. We are pleased it’s being dealt with quickly and he shouldn’t miss too many Arsenal matches. But he will miss the forthcoming international matches with England.”
The news is now set to spark a selling spree across the Fantasy games as Walcott owners assess the midfield landscape in light of his absence. Ruled out for the next two league matches at least, he will certainly miss back-to-back trips to Swansea and West Brom and with a two-week international break following on from the Hawthorns clash, the exodus will continue at pace.
Given the Gunners’ upcoming kind run of games, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are immediate alternatives for those looking to invest in Wenger’s midfield – the latter has already risen 0.3 in price this week, while Ozil is primed for an overnight price hike following his trio of assists against the Potters. With Swansea and Tottenham also bracing themselves for kind schedules, Michu and Christian Eriksen will surely now pick up in ownership as the already-hectic market goes into overdrive.
Fantasy managers were also handed a heads-up by David Moyes earlier this afternoon with the news that Robin Van Persie is almost certainly ruled out of United’s Capital One Cup clash against Liverpool tomorrow evening.
Speaking to the media in today’s press conference, the Red Devils boss offered a somewhat pessimistic prognosis on the Dutchman, who missed Sunday’s 4-1 mauling at the hands of City in the first Manchester derby of the season:
“I don’t think Robin van Persie will play on Wednesday, but he has an outside chance for Saturday.”
With United set to face West Brom at Old Trafford this weekend, the potential for significant Fantasy points is obvious and the vast majority of the Dutchman’s owners will be reluctant to ship him out.
Given that the champions also entertain Southampton and Stoke and have trips to Sunderland and Fulham in the next five, the schedule looks primed for Van Persie to return to form after a disappointing run of games has seen him notch just once – via the spot – since the opening day of the season.
A swap for Wayne Rooney grows more appealing by the day, though. The former Everton man has now struck in back-to-back matches and has now overtaken Van Persie in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game on 24 points to his team-mate’s 21 – with a far kinder price tag (10.6 to 14.0) and vastly inferior ownership (6% to 41%), Rooney seems to have his spark back under Moyes and his acquisition would also free up much-needed funds for Van Persie owners to bolster the rest of their squads.
It may well be that Van Persie makes it in time for tomorrow’s match, though, and Moyes is simply keeping his cards close to his chest as he plots a return to winning ways after the weekend humbling. The Scotsman was notoriously reluctant to reveal team news during his time at Everton, with his penchant for discussing “knocks and niggles” proving frustrating for Fantasy plans.
The Dutchman’s owners will be hoping Moyes is a little more transparent with the injury updates over the next few days – as last weekend showed, vice-captains and bench options look key for those who chose to hold Van Persie if he remains a doubt heading into the weekend’s deadline.
