Manchester City’s run of victories hits the buffers at Selhurst Park where injuries to both Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne overshadow events in a 0-0 stalemate. Meanwhile, Arsenal are pegged back by a controversial late penalty at The Hawthorns.
Pep Guardiola has revealed that striker Gabriel Jesus will be sidelined for at least a month having suffered a knee problem in the first half of the draw with Crystal Palace.
The Brazilian sustained the injury after 20 minutes, finally succumbing shortly afterwards as Sergio Aguero – initially rested today – emerged to replace him.
Guardiola conceded that Jesus will now be sidelined.
“Hopefully he [Jesus] will be one month, maybe two months he will be out.”
City also lost Kevin De Bruyne late on, after he received a clattering challenge from the Eagles’ Jason Puncheon. Guardiola had this to say on the Belgian’s setback.
“With Kevin we have been lucky in the past with what has happened from the same actions. I don’t know what will happen in the future. He may not be ready for Watford in a few days.”
De Bruyne was initially stretchered from the field but was seen walking on the injury with help from the City medical team.
He will be assessed before the visit from Watford for Gameweek 22 on Tuesday, though some 87,000 managers have already made the midfielder the fifth most sold asset ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
Having scored just once in two matches – and with the invention of David Silva still missing as his personal issues continue – Guardiola will be keen to have De Bruyne available.
He chose to recall Leroy Sane to the left flank against the Eagles, resting Raheem Sterling and retaining Bernardo Silva in the starting XI.
Sterling will surely return to start against the Hornets, with both Bernardo Silva and Sane also in line to face Marco Silva’s side should De Bruyne miss out.
Sane was largely disappointing in today’s clash and is now without a goal in eight Gameweek starts, recording just three assists in that run since Gameweek 11.
While his stock continues to decline, Aguero’s could now be revived.
With Jesus sidelined, it would seem that the Argentine is poised for a run of guaranteed starts, with Guardiola’s alternative options in attack limited unless he delves into the January market.
Milivojevic fluffs his lines
City’s afternoon could have been far worse had Luka Milivojević converted a late spot-kick.
A controversial award, it remains to be seen if Wilfried Zaha will face any FA retribution for his role in winning the penalty. The challenge on him from Sterling looked to involve minor contact, though there has been no announcement as yet.
Zaha was again the key threat for Palace and, as it stands, will be free to face Southampton on Tuesday.
However, the Eagles are set to be without Scott Dann and Jason Puncheon; both were stretchered from the field in Sunday’s bruising contest.
Roy Hodgson had made a raft of changes to his starting XI, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek among the notable absentees. No details on an injury to the loanee midfielder have yet been revealed, though Hodgson stated post-match that he hoped to have some unavailable players returning for the Saints trip…
“We will recover one or two players who were unable to play today before the Southampton game.”
Gunners denied by Baggies rally
The afternoon kick-off at The Hawthorns was far less eventful in Fantasy terms, with neither Arsenal or West Brom contributing key assets to our squads currently.
Alexis Sanchez did at least maintain his impressive recent form with an assist via a direct free-kick that deflected off James McClean for the opening goal.
The Chilean has now produced a goal or an assist in seven of his last ten Gameweeks. However, he is still a long way from tempting investors given his 11.8 price tag.
Arsenal were eventually pegged back when Kieran Gibbs earned an assist having drawn a controversial handball decision from referee Mike Dean. Jay Rodriguez converted the penalty that followed.
Arsene Wenger kept faith with the three-man defence on Sunday, with Callum Chambers retained on the right-side of that backline. That meant that Sead Kolasinac kept his left wing-back berth at the expense of Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
That may remain the case for the Gameweek 22 clash with Chelsea, with Wenger perhaps set to mirror the Blues’ formation. However, Kolasinac is an early doubt for that encounter having been withdrawn early on 37 minutes with a knock.
Mesut Ozil will also need to be assessed for Tuesday’s fixture – he sat out Sunday’s draw with a minor knee problem.
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