Man City stumble to a 1-0 Champions League loss at Juventus, as neighbours United fail to find a way past PSV at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Mauricio Pochettino considers resting Harry Kane for Spurs’ Europa League clash tonight and Daniel Sturridge edges closer to a Liverpool return.
City Lose in Turin
Manchester City fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus last night. Sergio Aguero played 69 minutes before being replaced by Raheem Sterling, while Gael Clichy lasted the distance on his return from injury as Aleksandar Kolarov dropped to the bench. Joe Hart was withdrawn at the 81-minute mark, with Manuel Pellegrini later explaining that the shot-stopper was suffering with hamstring and back injuries. The Sky Blues boss refused to rule out David Silva for their home tie against Southampton, but insisted that Vincent Kompany will be sidelined for at least another couple of weeks:
“As for Joe Hart – it is impossible to know how serious his injury is at this point. He has a problem with his hamstring and has had a problem in his back for the past week. We hope we don’t lose him, but for if for some reason he cannot play I have trust in Willy Caballero. David Silva is working with the physio in Manchester and we will know more tomorrow, but Vincent Kompany has no chance to play this week. He is not running yet and will need at least two weeks more.”
The Scout Says: Ally Hart’s doubt for the weekend with Kompany’s continued absence and Man City’s defence is looking vulnerable. Those Fantasy managers holding the likes of Aleksandar Kolarov and Bacary Sagna will be irked by the fact that Pellegrini’s charges have shipped 12 goals in the five matches that Kompany missed, failing to register a single clean sheet. Nonetheless, match-ups against Stoke City (away) and Swansea (home) in the next three Gameweeks harbour decent shut-out potential. Although Pellegrini previously stated that Aguero is unable to play three games in a week, the Argentine has played just over an hour in both of the last two and will surely lead the line at home to Southampton once again. Given that City have scored just one goal in their last three in all competitions, Silva’s possible return would be a real shot in the arm as they attempt to rediscover their spark in the final third.
United Attack Falters Again
Manchester United’s home encounter against PSV Eindhoven ended as a 0-0 stalemate, putting their Champions League campaign firmly in the balance. Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial returned to the starting line-up from illness and injury respectively, with the former operating as a number ten and the latter spearheading the attack. Having been utilised as a forward last weekend, Memphis Depay was shifted to the left flank, whilst Van Gaal’s decision to bench Juan Mata meant Jesse Lingard was afforded his third successive 90-minute run-out for the Red Devils.
The Scout Says: Another clean sheet for the Red Devils reaffirms the merits of investing in their back line. Chris Smalling (6.7) is the safest option by virtue of his security of starts, though Marcos Rojo (5.5) has started four of the last five but remains a slight rotation risk, particularly over the festive period when the schedule picks up pace. Notwithstanding the former’s prohibitive price tag, Man United’s favourable fixtures (lei, WHU, bou, NOR, sto) certainly justifies investment. Up front, Martial flattered to deceive as the lone frontman and has now scored one goal in his last 11 appearances for United; having chalked up just 11 shots throughout the entire league campaign, the former Monaco starlet will need to accelerate his influence in the final third to re-ignite our interest. Lingard, meanwhile, produced four attempts last night – double the number of any team-mate – and at just 4.5, he is clearly worth monitoring if he can retain his starting berth at the weekend again.
Pochettino Considers Resting Kane Tonight
Mauricio Pochettino revealed that Harry Kane could be rested for Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League tie against Qarabag FK. During his pre-Europa League press conference, the Argentine complained about the fixture scheduling which sees his side play in Azerbaijan tonight before playing host to Chelsea at midday on Sunday:
“Why couldn’t we play on Monday against Chelsea? The reality is you play Thursday, have a long trip home and play Sunday morning, in this case Chelsea who played yesterday [Tuesday] and have three days (to prepare). We have one day – it’s an advantage for opponent. We need to accept the rules for the game but it’s the reality for us. We will see tomorrow if Kane plays. This is a problem we have had in the last few weeks, the international players play a lot: Kane, Alli, Walker, Dier. The competition is very tough and it’s not easy to manage that. But always we try to assess and analyse to make the correct decision.”
On the injury front, Pochettino broke the news that Erik Lamela and Nabil Bentaleb are contending with ankle injuries. Meanwhile, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Mousa Dembele will not feature for the Lilywhites, as they were not asked to travel with the squad to Azerbaijan:
“Nabil is still out, he got a bad tackle during international duty with Algeria and he is out now. Alex Pritchard, Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela are also out and we have rested a few players for this game as well.”
The Scout Says: Given that Kane hasn’t missed a domestic or European match this term and turned out for England in the U21 Euros during the summer, his 27% ownership will be hoping that Pochettino affords the red-hot frontman a well-earned breather. Fresh off the back of a brace against West Ham United, Kane will be relishing the opportunity to match up against Chelsea at White Hart Lane, having put them to the sword with a brace and two assists in the corresponding fixture last term. With Dele Alli serving out his one-match suspension next Gameweek and Lamela a doubt for the Blues clash, Dembele could be shifted back into the attacking quartet, with Ryan Mason sitting alongside Eric Dier in the double pivot.
Sturridge Close to Reds Return
Jurgen Klopp said that Daniel Sturridge could play against Bordeaux on Thursday if he negotiates training without any problems. Conversely, Martin Skrtel is unlikely to be in the matchday squad because of illness:
“Daniel is coming closer and closer, he has trained seven or eight times in a row. I will help him, and in the end it will help us. He’s closer. Each session is very important, my decision you will see tomorrow, but it’s closer. The most important thing is he can train with no problems. If we have the feeling that it’s a good moment for [Sturridge to play] a few minutes or more, we will see in the game!”
The Scout Says: In the wake of their 4-1 road victory over Manchester City, Liverpool’s attacking assets are back on many a Fantasy manager’s radar. Philippe Coutinho (four goals and one assist in three) and Roberto Firmino (one goal and three assists in three) are courting serious attention in light of their burgeoning partnership, yet the striker situation on Merseyside, with both Sturridge and Christian Benteke jostling for attention, means we are yet to ascertain Klopp’s preferred starting XI. With Liverpool’s schedule from now through to the New Year (SWA, new, WBA, wat, LEI, sun) looking ripe for returns, Fantasy managers are hoping for some consistency of selection as we look for a way into Klopp’s flourishing attack.
Eder Pushing for more Minutes
Having started ahead of Bafetimbi Gomis for the Swans’ 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth, Eder is determined to prove his worth and earn further pitch time in the league:
“I had to adjust to the rhythm because I haven’t been playing, but it was good and I’m looking for more minutes. I’m working hard for that. I always want to play, but it’s the gaffer’s decision. I’m going to keep working hard so I can play more games. That’s what I’m going to do. I need to play a few games, but I will try to show my best as soon as possible. I’m working hard and I feel confident.”
The Scout Says: Eder’s insertion into the starting XI was borne out of necessity, considering that Gomis had drawn blanks in eight successive starts. It’s safe to say that the Portuguese frontman failed to stamp his authority on the lone-striker berth, managing one shot and zero key passes against the Cherries. As such, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Garry Monk elected to reinstate Gomis for their trip to Liverpool this Sunday. With regards to attacking coverage for the Welsh outfit, Andre Ayew (three goals in six outings) remains the prime pick. The 7.1-priced Ghana international has tallied as many shots on target (five) as the rest of Swansea’s midfielders combined over the last six Gameweeks.
