Scout Scribbles – City Off to Wembley

Alvaro Negredo bags a brace and Sergio Aguero finds the net yet again as City reach the Capital One Cup Final. Andy Carroll is handed his first start for West Ham after recovering from a heel injury. Nicolas Anelka is charged by the FA. Sunderland sign goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Lucas could be out for two months, Roberto Martinez is expecting more news on Seamus Coleman today, whilst James Chester and Dejan Lovren are set for spells on the sidelines:

City Cruise Into Final

Despite rolling up to Upton Park with a 6-0 first leg semi-final advantage, Manuel Pellegrini still opted to start with Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo up top against the Hammers. In a match that also saw Jack Rodwell and Stevan Jovetic return from injury, Negredo was one of just three players to retain their starting berths from the weekend game against Cardiff (along with Jesus Navas and Javi Garcia) and bagged a brace in the 3-0 win, whilst Aguero produced a goal and assist to score for the sixth successive appearance in all competitions. Negredo required treatment on a shoulder problem during the match and, although he finished the full 90 minutes, his manager discussed the Spaniard, and his flourishing forward options, post-match:

“I think that for Kun this match was very useful. He played nearly 60 minutes when he was playing just 20 or 30 minutes in the games before, so it will be for him very useful for the future. Negredo is in a very good moment. So, I think that now with Dzeko and the return of Jovetic, we are now covered for the next match. He [Negredo] has some problem with his shoulder, but we will see tomorrow if it is serious or not but for the moment he has pain, but we don’t know what kind of pain it is.”

The Scout Says: Bearing in mind he went on to finish the match without further incident, Negredo’s owners won’t be overly concerned by his manager’s statement. By the looks of it, Dzeko and Jovetic will start the weekend FA Cup clash against Watford, allowing Negredo and Aguero to remain fresh for the midweek trip to in-form Tottenham. David Silva and Yaya Toure owners will be delighted by their rests last night, whilst Pellegrini’s decision to alternate his entire back-four once again indicates he now has a definite first-choice defence. There is, of course, fixture fall-out as a result of their cup progress As we mentioned in last night’s article, the Manchester derby, originally set to take place in Gameweek 28, will now need to be rescheduled as City are set to play the Capital One Cup that weekend. We’ll keep you up to date when we know more.

Mixed Injury News for Hammers

Sam Allardyce handed Andy Carroll his first start since returning from injury last night as the big target man’s comeback continues. Carroll played the first 45 minutes of the 3-0 defeat before making way, whilst both Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins returned after recent suspensions. The Hammers boss watched on as both Joe Cole and Mo Diame picked up injuries – the latter was stretchered off with a knee problem – but admitted after the game that, whilst he now faces an anxious wait on their availability, he is expecting a trio of players to feature in a friendly later this week as they edge towards a return in time for next Wednesday’s trip to Stamford Bridge:

“Obviously we were disappointed to lose Joe Cole and Mo Diame to injuries, but we’ll have to see how serious they are. I spoke to Mo afterwards and it seems it might not have been as serious as it first looked…Guy Demel and Joey O’Brien should be back and both will play in the behind-closed-doors game, as should Ricardo Vaz Te.”

The Scout Says: Whilst Carroll’s first start and Demel’s likely return bode well for the Hammers survival prospects, the upcoming visit to Chelsea will keep them from our Fantasy thoughts. Following the clash with Jose Mourinho’ men, though, Allardyce’s side then have four very favourable home games in six (SWA, NOR, SOU, HUL) to bring them onto our radars. With a trip to Villa also during that run, Carroll and co could hardly have a kinder schedule to pick up the points and finally haul themselves out of the drop zone.

Anelka Slapped with FA Charge

The West Brom forward was charged by the FA for the gesture made during the December 28 clash with West Ham. Anelka has received a 34-page document explaining the allegations and has until 6pm tomorrow to respond – reports suggest the serious nature of the incident means the Frenchman is facing a minimum five-match ban if found guilty.

The Scout Says: If Anelka is indeed sidelined, new Baggies boss Pepe Mel has plenty to ponder up top. Mel rolled out a 4-4-2 formation in his first match in charge and partnered Anelka with Matej Vydra in the front two in Monday’s draw against Everton. Given that Shane Long departed to Hull just last week, Mel could turn to Victor Anichebe or Saido Berahino if he chooses to retain the same formation and, with Villa, Palace, Fulham and Sunderland in the next six, the Baggies may offer us a budget third forward option if the new man in charge can produce the points and steer them to safety.

Sunderland Sign New Stopper

Gus Poyet made his third defensive signing of the winter transfer window yesterday afternoon by snapping up keeper Oscar Ustari. The 27-year-old makes his way to Wearside until the end of the season as the Black Cats boss looks for cover in light of Kieran Westwood’s ongoing shoulder problem.

The Scout Says: Having started each of the last 12 league matches, Vito Mannone has picked up plenty of Fantasy interest and now resides in over 7% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams. Still favourably priced at 4.4, the Italian’s impressive displays between the posts look likely to keep him as the Wearsiders’ number one keeper, with Ustari providing experienced back-up for the Black Cats. The situation needs monitoring, though – with seven of the remaining eight home games offering appeal (STO, SUL, WBA, CPL, WHM, CAR, SWA), investment in Sunderland’s defence is understandably set to rise, with Phil Bardsley’s (4.5) goal potential offering an alternative route amongst Poyet’s regulars.

Lucas Concerns Grow for Reds

Reports in yesterday’s press suggest the Liverpool midfielder could be sidelined for two months with a knee injury. After being introduced as a half-time sub against Villa last weekend, Lucas lasted just 21 minutes before he was forced off with the injury and left Anfield on crutches later that evening amid concerns over ligament damage.

The Scout Says: A potential spell on the sidelines for the Brazilian may see Brendan Rodgers reassess his central midfield options. Lucas was dropped to the bench last weekend as the Reds boss opted for a 4-4-2 in order to accommodate Daniel Sturridge up front but it was perhaps telling that Rodgers called on the South American at the break and return to a 4-3-3. With Lucas out, though, Rodgers may opt to use Jordan Henderson centrally again, bringing Joe Allen into the equation, with Sturridge and one of Philippe Coutinho or Raheem Sterling handed the flank roles on either side of Luis Suarez.

Martinez Expecting Coleman Update Today

The Everton boss discussed the injury which forced Seamus Coleman off in Monday night’s draw at West Brom yesterday. In an interview with the club’s official website, Martinez also rolled out an update on Steven Pienaar, who missed out against the Baggies:

“The next 24 hours are going to be vital to find out how he feels and the extent of the injury. Seamus is a really fit boy, so when he has that feeling that something is wrong with his hamstring, we need to take that seriously….Steven had to come off in the last home game and since then he has been working really hard to get back to full fitness. He was a little bit short of that on Monday and we’ll assess him over the next few days. It’s too early to tell but it shouldn’t be too big of a problem.”

The Scout Says: Given that he’s the most popular defender in the FPL game by some distance (45% ownership), Coleman’s availability will have a significant say in how Fantasy managers assess the upcoming Gameweek. The Toffees face a trip to Liverpool next Tuesday and also roll up to Spurs and Chelsea in the next five, with many Coleman owners set to reassess their options should he be ruled out by Martinez. Pienaar’s absence allowed Leon Osman to take up the left flank berth against the Baggies, with Bryan Oviedo on the opposite flank and Kevin Mirallas in “the hole” as a result of Ross Barkley’s absence. Certainly, the central role is benefitting the Belgian – he has now notched in each of the last two Gameweeks and is starting to improve his attacking threat at a time where Romelu Lukaku continues to toil up top for the Merseyside outfit.

Michu Nearing Comeback

In an interview with the club’s official website, the Swansea midfielder has revealed he is close to a return to action after undergoing ankle surgery. Reports indicate Michu could be back in time for the Gameweek 25 home game against Cardiff as he attempts to finally put his injuries behind him:

“I am improving a lot. I have started running and although I’m in a little pain, I am happy with my progress. I want to be playing as soon as possible. I am desperate to play because I am happy when I am on the pitch. With this injury, though, you need to be careful and see how the ankle is every day so I don’t want to say ‘I want to be back for this date or game’. If I am going to play, I need to be 100 per cent and not just 60 per cent. I want to be fit and I want to play at my highest level, so we will wait until I am fully fit.”

The Scout Says: In a season that has also been afflicted by knee problems, the Spaniard has played just two of his side’s last 12 league fixtures. The Swans’ heavy schedule has hit Michu harder than most and, with little rest prior to his injury, he has found the net just twice. Providing he can return fully fit and injury free, the 8.5-priced midfielder may well prove a real differential for the run-in as Michael Laudrup looks to his eye for goal to help secure top-flight survival.

Chester Setback for Hull

Reports in the local press suggest the Tigers defender is set for another spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

The Scout Says: Chester limped out of the 1-0 defeat at Norwich with just 15 minutes on the clock last weekend. Scans over the last 24 hours have highlighted the severity of the problem – the second time this term he has sustained the injury, having missed Gameweeks 6-13 with the same complaint. A cut-price favourite on the site, Chester has picked up a couple of clean sheets and also found the net in the nine appearances since returning but his absence looks set to boost the prospects of Alex Bruce or Paul McShane in the back-three, with the latter now back in full training after injury.

Lovren Worry for Saints

The Southampton centre-half could be set for a spell on the sidelines after being stretchered off at Sunderland last weekend. Reports in the local press indicate Lovren has damaged ligaments and is likely to be out for around four weeks.

The Scout Says: The Croatian has played all but two of his side’s first 22 league matches and notched his second goal of the season at the Stadium of Light. The highest scoring Saints defender in the FPL game, his absence is likely to afford Jos Hooiveld (4.1) or Maya Yoshida (4.0) a slot alongside Jose Fonte in the heart of the back-four and with games against Fulham, Stoke and Hull within the four-week period, the prospects for clean sheets still look appealing.