City’s Samir Nasri is ruled out for three more months. Roberto Martinez is keen to court caution with Leighton Baines’ fitness. Diafra Sakho looks set to return for West Ham, whilst Jamie Vardy could undertake pain-killing injections to be passed fit for Leicester’s trip to Newcastle.
Nasri Remains Sidelined for City
City midfielder Samir Nasri took to social media yesterday to confirm he faces another three months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
The Scout Says: With a single start to his name this term, the Frenchman has fallen far from Fantasy radars. Nasri managed a goal and assist between Gameweek 3-5 but has played just 51 minutes since, courtesy of a couple of sub appearances. His continued absence will at least lessen the chances of rotation for the likes of Kevin de Bruyne as Manuel Pellegrini looks to cope with a hectic upcoming schedule. The Belgian has played from start to finish in five of his seven starts, for example, whereas Raheem Sterling has managed 90 minutes just once all season. With David Silva closing in on a comeback and Jesus Navas also in contention, City’s summer spending spree stands them in good stead on the flanks as the fixture list starts to pick up.
Vardy Could Play Through Pain Barrier
Reports indicate that Jamie Vardy has recovered from a groin problem sustained following a heavy fall against Watford but is still being bothered by a hip injury. The Leicester man could take pain-alleviating injections to put him in contention for Leicester’s road tie against Newcastle on Saturday.
The Scout Says: Vardy will be desperate to make the trip to the North East, considering that a goal at St James’ Park would see him match Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 10-game scoring streak. The non-league success story has a history of playing through the pain barrier (he took injections in his foot last season and currently has a cast on his broken wrist), so there’s every chance he’ll declare himself available for the Magpies clash. On the downside, if the 53%-owned Vardy is sidelined, some Fantasy managers might toy with the idea of selling the 7.4-priced forward in the knowledge that the schedule (MUN, swa, CHE, eve, liv, MCI) is about to turn tricky from Gameweek 14. In particular, those who also own Riyad Mahrez might feel that they’re pushing their luck doubling up on Leicester coverage across that tricky run.
Everton Issue Injury Update
Roberto Martinez reported that Tom Cleverley is in with a chance of making the squad for Aston Villa’s visit as he approaches full fitness.
“Tom is fully fit now. He had a little bit of a cold over the weekend that stopped him from training but he is back now and it is about making sure he gets in enough work in order to be considered 100 per cent. He is not far away from being available for the squad.”
The Spanish boss also provided an update on Leighton Baines, revealing that the left-back’s rehabilitation is progressing well, but he’s still not ready to grace the pitch:
“The break has been exactly what Leighton needed. He has been able to have contact with the football and develop that match fitness that he needs. We need to be cautious because it was a re-injury, and he has been sidelined for a long period of time. We will give him as much time as we can but we are in a positive period. A lot of good work has been put in, he had the behind-closed-doors game and every day in training is another step towards getting him back to full fitness and being available. I think it is too early to tell when that moment will be when he can be reintroduced back into the team but certainly every day is a step towards that.”
The Scout Says: Given that Arouna Kone bagged a hat-trick two Gameweeks ago and Gerard Deulofeu looks un-droppable on current form, Cleverley has a fight on his hands to wrestle control of a wide berth. Although he’s unlikely to establish himself as a regular starter over the Christmas period, Cleverley’s return to contention does at least increase the risk that Deulofeu will be subbed off before the final whistle – particularly in winning scenarios when Martinez wants to exercise control in midfield. Indeed, Deulofeu has played from start to finish on just two occasions for the Toffees so far. Baines returned to our radars after serving up a goal and assist for the reserves last week but judging by Martinez’ words, it seems he may not be ready for a first start quite yet, ensuring that Seamus Coleman remains our preferred Everton defender for the time being ahead of an excellent run of fixtures.
Sakho Steps Up Hammers Recovery
West Ham United’s medical confirmed that Diafra Sakho returned to full training following a muscle complaint and will be available to feature against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend:
“We have some positive news regarding Diafra Sakho, who has returned to full training following his recovery from a quadriceps injury suffered ahead of the Watford game. Diafra will be available for Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur.”
The Scout Says: Considering that Andy Carroll mustered just two attempts (zero on target) in his last two starts, Slaven Bilic will be keen to involve Sakho in some capacity at White Hart Lane. In response to Dimitri Payet’s absence, there’s a chance that Manuel Lanzini orchestrates play from the number-ten berth, freeing up a wing slot for Sakho to claim in the coming Gameweeks. Even in the event that he usurps Carroll from the lone-striker berth, the Senegalese marksman’s increased risk of rotation is a deterrent as the Hammers close out the year with a relatively challenging run of fixtures (tot, WBA, mun, STO, swa, avl, SOU).
Bentaleb Fit for Tottenham
According to the Algerian FA, Nabil Bentaleb was substituted at the 36-minute mark of their match-up against Tanzania for disciplinary reasons (he earned a yellow) and not, as previously reported, a recurrence of his foot injury.
The Scout Says: A mainstay for Spurs in the previous campaign, Bentaleb got off to a shaky start this season and now faces a tall task displacing either Delle Alli or Eric Dier to regain a spot in the double pivot. That being said, Mauricio Pochettino will be wary of overworking the newly appointed England internationals as the fixtures begin to pile up, opening the door for the likes of Bentaleb and Ryan Mason to log some pitch time, with the upcoming Europa League matches perhaps a perfect time to afford them minutes. With four home matches in six, Christian Eriksen looks the likeliest source of points in the Spurs midfield, though Mousa Dembele has netted twice in the last three and could be worth a flutter at just 5.3, providing he shrugs off a knock in time for the weekend visit of West Ham.
