Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross is ruled out for a month, though Marko Arnautovic returns to action. Scans confirm that Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen has suffered knee ligament damage. Palace’s Connor Wickham is hit with an FA charge of violent conduct, whilst Nathaniel Clyne is a doubt for Liverpool this evening.
Shawcross Sidelined for Potters
In his pre-match press conference ahead of this evening’s Capital One Cup semi-final showdown with Liverpool, Mark Hughes revealed that Ryan Shawcross could be out for up to a month with the back complaint he sustained again Leicester City. Ultimately, the Stoke City boss is delighted that his captain avoided a long-term injury:
“Unfortunately he has some soft muscle damage and will be out of the game tomorrow and likely out of action for the next three or four weeks. We are pleased that it isn’t anything more severe of course because when he went down at the weekend you automatically fear the worse.â€
Hughes went on to confirm that Marko Arnautovic has shaken off the hamstring injury that sidelined him for the Foxes clash:
“He trained today. He was fine. He’s still got a little bit of a feeling in the hamstring. It’s been checked and had scans done and there’s no damage. Just a bit of tightness that can originate from other areas. We will make sure he’s primed and ready to go.”
Finally, Geoff Cameron is nearing a return to action but won’t be passed fit in time for Stoke’s trip to Anfield this evening.
The Scout Says: Since returning from injury in Gameweek 11, Shawcross has been key to Stoke’s defensive success in the second half of the campaign: the Potters mustered two clean sheets in the opening 10 fixtures (ratio: 0.2) without their skipper but recorded seven in their subsequent 13 outings (ratio: 0.54). As such, Jack Butland’s 24% ownership will be concerned about the Staffordshire outfit’s shut-out prospects – the keeper produced 3.8 points per game without Shawcross but this leapt to an average of 5.4 with his skipper on board. In the wake of Stoke’s successive blanks – and the fact they registered just three attempts at the King Power Stadium last weekend– Arnautovic’s recovery provides them with a timely boost on the offensive front. The Austria international rose to prominence with four goals in a five-match spell but has since failed to net in three starts, chalking up just four attempts in the process. Next pitted against a Manchester United rearguard that ranks bottom for goals conceded at home (five), Arnautovic will doubtless continue to shed owners ahead of the Old Trafford showdown – indeed, he’s been transferred out by almost 80,000 this week already, more than any midfielder in the FPL game.
Vertonghen Ruled Out for Spurs
Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen is set for a period on the sidelines after scans revealed he sustained a knee injury during the 3-1 win at Palace. In the past hour, the club have confirmed:
“Further assessment & scans have confirmed that Jan Vertonghen sustained damage to his medial collateral ligament in his knee at Palace. Our medical staff will continue to monitor his progress during his rehabilitation to determine when he will be ready to return to training.â€
The Scout Says: Although he’s failed to produce any attacking returns this season, Vertonghen’s partnership with fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld has made a significant impact on his side’s defensive prospects. Essentially, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have gone from the joint-fifth-worst defence last season (53 goals conceded) to the tightest backline this term (19 goals against), with the 41%-owned Alderweireld sitting at the top of the defender standings on 101 points. It remains to be seen just how long Vertonghen will be sidelined for but his absence is likely to dent Spurs’ defensive resolve, with Pochettino turning to Kevin Wimmer (4.9) or Federico Fazio (4.7) as cover. Regardless, Alderweireld’s owners are likely to hold ahead of clashes against Norwich, Watford and Swansea in the next four before re-assessing their options.
Wickham Charged by FA
Following an incident during Crystal Palace’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in which an elbow was thrown at Jan Vertonghen, Connor Wickham has been charged by the FA for violent conduct. In more positive news regarding the Eagles’ forward contingent, Dwight Gayle stepped up his rehabilitation with a 45-minute run-out for the U21s outfit against Millwall.
The Scout Says: Wickham has until 6pm this evening to respond to the charge and, if found guilty, the former Sunderland frontman faces a three-match ban, ruling him out of Palace’s FA Cup clash with Stoke and league encounters with Bournemouth and Swansea. His potential absence would pave the way for Gayle – who’s not featured since Gameweek 15 due to a hamstring injury – to carve a route back into the starting line-up. Certainly, the Londoners are in need of an attacking spark, given that no team amassed fewer shots on target (13) over the last six Gameweeks and their forwards have combined for just one goal this term. On that note, reports are building that Loic Remy has been mooted for a loan move to Selhurst Park, as Alan Pardew attempts to resolve his side’s failures in the final third.
Clyne Concern for Liverpool
Addressing the media before the second leg of Liverpool’s FA Cup tie against Stoke, Jurgen Klopp said that Dejan Lovren – who picked up a hamstring issue in the first leg – has returned to training and could start at Anfield:
“Dejan, after three weeks he trained yesterday, a complete session with the team. It was good, but after three weeks we have to see. If nothing happens in the next 24 hours with Kolo [Toure] or Mama [Sakho] then I think we should do it again because Steven [Caulker] can’t play.â€
As for Nathaniel Clyne, the ex-Saints full-back suffered a knock against Norwich City that prevented him from training on Monday. Klopp is keen to ease Jon Flanagan back into contention but could be forced to start him if Clyne fails a late fitness test:
“Clyney got a knock on the knee. He is a really tough boy, he is always available, but I think today it will not work for training. We don’t do too much, of course, but I think we should leave him out of training. We have to see what will happen overnight and make a decision but it’s not too easy because we have only Flanno. We all love Flanno but he had a long time [out] and 90 minutes or more is maybe not the best thing. But if there’s an opportunity we would like to try it. He is ready but of course it would be better if Clyney got fit.”
The Scout Says: Lovren has been subject to much criticism since his switch from the south coast, yet the Croatian centre-back appeared to be finding his rhythm before injury struck. In his previous three starts, Lovren was part of a defence that secured two clean sheets and surrendered the joint-fewest big chances (one); conversely, the Reds have shipped eight goals and the joint-fourth-most big chances (five) since he was sidelined in Gameweek 21. Although Liverpool’s upcoming trio of league clashes (lei, SUN, avl) offers decent clean-sheet potential, our confidence is short in a rearguard that’s carded three shut-outs in 14 outings.
McClaren Hopeful on Injured Pair
Steve McClaren is optimistic that Paul Dummett and Jack Colback will be available for selection when Newcastle United make the trip to Everton next Gameweek:
“We’ve got Everton next in eight days. We expect Dummett to be back, maybe Jack Colback, and we’ll see what else.”
The Scout Says: In light of the Magpies’ defensive injuries, McClaren deployed his troops in a 3-4-2-1 set-up for their 2-1 loss at Vicarage Road, fielding Rolando Aarons as a left-wing back. Assuming the Toon boss reverts to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation for the Toffees clash and retains new signings Jonjo Shelvey and Henri Saivet in central midfield, it’s likely that one of Dummett and Colback –who’ve both been regular starters of late – will battle it out for the left-back berth. Ultimately, though, from a Fantasy perspective, the Tynesiders’ defence harbours minimal appeal, considering they’ve not managed a clean sheet since Gameweek 15.
