Our thoughts on the weekend fixtures are, to an extent, dominated by the knock-on effect of Sergio Aguero’s knee injury. Man City’s main contenders in the Argentine’s absence, the mid-price frontline alternatives, Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey’s return to form, Chelsea two top scorers at home to Hull and Sam Allardyce’s strike force away at Sunderland are amongst a number of lunchtime topics.

City’s answer to the Aguero void…
Just as the champions are set to offer us the perfect storm of form and fixtures, Sergio Aguero succumbs to injury. This weekend’s trip to Leicester precedes an excellent festive run that looks potentially explosive – the question is, how will City cope without a player who has scored or assisted 65% of their goals when on the pitch this term? If last night’s display in Rome is anything to go by, the omens look good; City now have David Silva back in the fold, whilst Samir Nasri stepped up with a goal and assist in Yaya Toure’s absence as they won for the fifth match in a row. The Ivorian’s three goals in four and guaranteed spot-kicks have turned a few heads in recent days, while the performances of mid-price frontmen Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic will be eagerly assessed this Saturday as we look for the champions to offer solutions to the Aguero conundrum.

The Mid-Price selection box…
Outside of the Etihad, there are a number of strong mid-price options all vying for our attention as the Aguero replacement. Wilfried Bony is undoubtedly the form candidate here, with seven goals in nine, and up against a porous Spurs rearguard, the Swansea striker is second only to Diego Costa for transfers in this week. Belgian pair Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke also have fixtures that look filled with points potential. Lukaku has scored in each of his last four starts at Goodison and entertains a QPR side that has lost every road trip so far, whilst Benteke has bagged a goal and assist in the last two ahead of a Midlands derby with West Brom. All three look poised for a mid-price shoot-out this weekend as the search for a new forward intensifies.

Van Persie’s attempts to justify his price tag…
In spite of a Monday night brace at St Mary’s, the jury remains out on the Dutchman’s claim as a viable big-hitter this season. There’s no doubt Van Persie’s form is on the up – he’s bagged three goals and an assist in the last three now – but a run of three goals in the first 12 Gameweeks is, for most, a sticking point. With the Aguero cash to burn, though, the United striker has earned more transfers in this week than in any other this season, but for a price of 12.4 in the Fantasy Premier League game, Van Persie needs to maintain his recent showings to offer value for money. Another big display in Sunday’s derby against Liverpool will go some way to convincing us.

Costa vs Hazard at the Bridge…
The front-runners for this week’s Captain Poll ahead of a plum home clash with Hull this weekend, the Chelsea pair look poised for an armband shoot-out that could have a major say in our Gameweeks. Of the two, Hazard leads the way for points per home appearance, by 7.8 to 7.1, and is looking to score for a fifth successive match in front of his own fans, whilst Costa has scored in all but one of his six outings at the Bridge. The last time the duo scored in the same match (Gameweek 12), Hazard earned 11 points to Costa’s six – can the Spain international re-emerge as the main captaincy contender in Aguero’s absence or will Hazard continue to provide us with a more than viable alternative?

Ramsey’s renaissance and the Arsenal attack…
Two goals and an assist in 45 minutes against Galatasaray propelled the Gunners midfielder back onto our Fantasy radars this week. Ramsey’s wonderstrike in Turkey caught the eye and, having notched in last weekend’s disappointing loss at Stoke, he’s now struck three times in his last two appearances across all competitions. The underlying stats also highlight his upturn – Ramsey has equalled Alexis Sanchez for shots inside the box over the last four, with his well-timed runs from midfield starting to pay off once again. With Sanchez and Danny Welbeck forced onto the flanks to accommodate Olivier Giroud, the Gunners could bring more Fantasy options to the table over the Christmas period.

The lure of the 3-5-2…
it’s fair to say that Aguero’s loss has had a knock-on effect right across our Fantasy squads. Having offloaded the Argentine, many Fantasy managers find themselves with plenty of budget to burn and are turning to midfield to strengthen. Coincidentally, this comes at a time when a couple of last season’s favourite – Toure and Ramsey – are starting to replicate their 2013/14 heroics, and with a number of valid mid-price options to consider up top, this weekend affords the premium midfielders the chance to stake a claim for our consideration, allowing us to redistribute funds in the centre of the park to deal with the festive programme.

Pelle’s confidence at Turf Moor…
After finally ending a six-match goal drought against United, the Saints striker is handed the perfect opportunity to get amongst the goals again. Pelle’s strike on Monday evening elevated him to second in the forward standings ahead of a showdown with a Burnley side that have managed a single shut-out in 10. The Turf Moor encounter offers the Saints some respite in the midst of an otherwise evil schedule and Ronald Koeman will be looking for Pelle to help end the slump and stabilise their top-six position.

Palace’s threat from the flank…
Yannick Bolasie’s tricks and flicks may be catching the eye but in cold, hard Fantasy terms, they count for nothing. Nonetheless, it’s not just his fancy footwork that’s impressed – the Palace wide man has fired more shots (18) than any other midfielder in the last four rounds of fixtures, and with Wilfried Zaha and Jason Puncheon registering a further 10 efforts between them, Neil Warnock’s wingers have offered a significant goal threat from the flanks. The trio may have failed to convert any of those efforts, but up against a Stoke side without a clean sheet in nine, Bolasie and co. have the chance to finally deliver.

Big Sam’s frontline…
The Hammers boss has a pleasant problem on his hands ahead of the trip to Sunderland. Andy Carroll’s brace and assist against Swansea certainly suggest the big target man has cemented a starting role for the Stadium of Light encounter, though Sam Allardyce may be wary of over-extending the big Geordie, who has now started each of the last four Gameweeks since recovering from a long-term heel injury. With Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho now fully recovered from injury, Allardyce has options available and has already talked up the prospect of utilising the depth of his squad over the festive period – all three will surely play a part between now and the New Year and their pitch time will be keenly monitored this weekend as we assess the most secure route into the West Ham attack.