Scout Scribbles – England Handed Sturridge Boost

Daniel Sturridge and Kyle Walker are available for England against Germany tomorrow. Aaron Ramsey is confident he’ll be ready for Arsenal’s home clash with Southampton, Samir Nasri talks up Manuel Pellegrini’s impact at City, Steven Fletcher is rested by Scotland, while Aly Cissokho is determined to secure a permanent transfer to Liverpool:

Sturridge and Walker Return to Fitness

The Liverpool forward has declared himself fit to face Germany tomorrow evening. Sturridge missed out on England’s home loss to Chile on Friday evening due to a foot problem but, speaking to the media yesterday afternoon, revealed:

“I’ve had a lot of treatment and done a lot of hard work hard and I’m raring to go. It was very frustrating to miss out on Friday because it is important for me to play for England and I am relishing every moment I get on the football field. It’s not a serious injury. Hopefully it will not continue to linger on as the scans show it is not a problem and I am delighted the pain is not as bad as it was. I’m looking forward to Tuesday. “

Hodgson was handed another boost by the news that Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker is available for tomorrow’s encounter. Walker also missed Friday’s game against Chile but, in an interview with FA TV last night, revealed he is “ready for selection”.

The Scout Says: The news will reassure Sturridge’s 36% of FPL owners as Liverpool brace themselves for a kind run of fixtures over the upcoming six. Brendan Rodgers’ side welcomes Norwich, West Ham and Cardiff to Anfield over that period and also make their way to Hull – despite scoring in eight of his 11 appearances, Sturridge has dropped 0.2 in price this week as the Luis Suarez bandwagon picks up pace, though. While there’s no denying Sturridge’s consistency, he’s managed just one set of double figures all season compared to the Uruguayans’ four hauls of 10+ points in six appearances – a clear indication of the captaincy credentials that has persuaded over 90,000 to draft the latter in since the end of the previous Gameweek…Walker has also been party to plenty sales this week. The Spurs defender has conceded just a single goal in the last four Gameweeks but with the injury and a difficult schedule hanging over him, been shipped by over 10,000 FPL managers – he’s set to face City and United in the next two and also squares up to Sturridge’s Liverpool in the upcoming five.

Ramsey Expects to Be Fit for Southampton Clash

Confusion surrounds the reason for the midfielder’s absence from Wales’ draw against Finland on Saturday evening. His national manager, Chris Coleman, was adamant that Ramsey missed out through illness:

“Aaron arrived with flu. He was ill last week before the Manchester United game, as were a lot of the Arsenal lads. He didn’t improve and could not finish the training session on Friday [the eve of the match].”

Ramsey, on the other hand, then took to twitter to insist he was forced out with a hamstring problem – regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the call-off, the good news for his 58% FPL owners is that he’s confident of a return in time for Arsenal’s home game against Southampton:

“Gutted to miss the game yesterday, my hamstring was tight after training. Medical staff didn’t want to risk me, will be fine for next weekend.”

The Scout Says: Given his recent run of Emirates displays, Ramsey’s owners will be confident of plenty more points as he prepares for three home games in four. The 7.3 priced midfielder has scored in each of the last three league games in front of his own fans and with an assist and six bonus points also thrown in over those fixtures, has racked up 30 points – essentially, an average of 10 points per home game since Mesut Ozil has arrived from Real Madrid. With the German earning 35 points over the same games, the Gunners duo look primed to continue plundering the points, with Hull and Everton also paying visit in the next four, in addition to a trip to Cardiff.

Cissokho Keen on Permanent Anfield Deal

Liverpool’s on-loan left-back is determined to earn a transfer to the Merseyside club when his current season-long loan deal from Valencia comes to an end. Talking to the club’s official website, Cissokho accepts Brendan Rodgers’ penchant for squad rotation at the back in recent matches:

“To start with, when you want to play in a team like Liverpool, you have to expect that there’s going to be high level of competition for each place, whether in central defence, midfield or in attack. The season is long, and there are a lot of matches to come. The coach makes, and will continue to make, his decisions, and it’s important to respect them so that the team can be in the best shape each Saturday. It’s a great source of pride for me every day to be able to play with players like this and to represent a big club like Liverpool, Of course, I am very happy to be here and I hope to stay here.”

The Scout Says: Having recovered from an ankle injury, Cissokho has started each of the last four Gameweeks for the Reds. Jose Enrique’s return to action saw the Frenchman subbed off on the hour mark against Fulham last time out, though, and with a recent move from 3-4-1-2 back to 4-4-2, his brief out of position stint on the left of midfield already looks over. With his manager continuing to utilise the depth of his defensive options, though, Cissokho and Enrique may ultimately cancel each other out as Fantasy options on the left, making Glen Johnson the only real secure option amongst Liverpool’s defenders.

Fletcher Rested from Scotland Duties

The Sunderland forward has been handed the night off from Scotland’s clash against Norway tomorrow night. Fletcher played the full 90 minutes in Friday’s goalless draw with USA but has been allowed to return to Wearside as the Black Cats look to manage his long-term fitness.

The Scout Says: Fletcher has now started each of the last four league games since recovering from a dislocated shoulder. Dropped to the bench for the recent Capital One Cup win over Southampton, though, it’s clear Gus Poyet is being cautious with his game time in a season where he has also been sidelined by an ankle injury. The Black Cats recent move to 4-1-4-1 saw Jozy Altidore benched, with Fletcher leading the line as the lone forward in the 1-0 win over City and with three road trips in four, Poyet will be desperate for Fletcher’s availability as he looks to replicate the home form which has harvested three successive win at the Stadium of Light in all competitions.

Nasri Praises Pellegrini Impact

The Frenchman has revealed the arrival of his new manager has been significant in a turnaround in form. Nasri lauded City’s attack-minded philosophy under Manuel Pellegrini and also hinted at the problems under Roberto Mancini last season, with the Italian publicly admitting he wanted to punch the midfielder due to his inconsistent performances:

“He [Pellegrini] does remind me of Arsene in respect of the way he works. He has the same approach in the way he talks to players and tells them when things are good and when they are bad. But it is always constructive and you always know what he wants from you, and what he wants you to bring to the team. I feel that he trusts me and that he gives me responsibilities on the pitch. When you have a manager like that, you want to repay that sort of faith – and that’s what I’m trying to do…The style we are playing suits my game and it suits David Silva’s because, when you have the ball, there is always a solution and that’s how it has to be if you want to play attractive football.”

The Scout Says: Having started six of the the last seven Gamweeks, Nasri has not only seen off the challenge of new boy Jesus Navas on the right, he’s turned in a series of displays which have made him a legitimate Fantasy contender under Pellegrini. So far, he’s produced attacking returns in six of the first 11 Gameweeks, racking up two goals and four assists – given he managed two goals and seven assists over 2012/13, the turnaround in fortunes has been stark. With Silva sidelined through injury for the second time already this season, the Frenchman – owned by only 3% of Fantasy managers – could be poised for increased investment as Pellegrini’s side welcome Tottenham and Swansea to the Etihad in back-to-back matches; City are now the last remaining side to have won every home game, averaging four goals per game in front of their own fans.