Team News
16 March 2018 455 comments
James H James H
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Everton will be without Gylfi Sigurdsson for the trip to Stoke, but Theo Walcott and Idrissa Gueye are both available for the Toffees.

Wilfried Zaha is expected to return to the starting XI for Crystal Palace’s clash at Huddersfield, while Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are also back in contention.

Meanwhile, Josh King and Ryan Fraser will be assessed ahead of Bournemouth’s home encounter with West Brom.

Here’s our summary of the team news so far, with a couple of press conferences still to come later today ahead of the reduced Gameweek 31.

Gylfi Sigurdsson misses Everton’s trip to Stoke this weekend after being sidelined for six-to-eight weeks with a knee injury sustained in the 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Sam Allardyce could hand Wayne Rooney the No 10 role in the playmaker’s absence, with Idrissa Gueye fit to return following illness. Theo Walcott has been passed fit after suffering from cramp against the Seagulls.

Stoke City boss Paul Lambert surprisingly revealed that Mame Biram Diouf has an outside chance of being fit to for the home meeting with Everton following a shoulder injury. Diouf looks likely to earn a sub role at best, though, with Eric Choupo-Moting, Jese Rodriguez or Peter Crouch expected to lead the line.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has revealed that Josh King and Ryan Fraser will be checked following training later today ahead of the home meeting with West Brom. The latter has been nursing a back issue, while Howe has claimed that King “looks like he’s going to be okay.” after his recent neck injury. The Cherries could continue with Adam Smith on the right flank if Fraser misses out, while Lys Mousset could retain the berth behind striker Callum Wilson if King fails to make it.

Baggies head coach Alan Pardew will hope to have Jonny Evans available for the trip to the Vitality Stadium after the centre-back missed the 4-1 defeat to Leicester City due to illness. Gareth Barry has sat out the last two matches with a knock but he could be ready to return, with Grzegorz Krychowiak expected to make way.

Huddersfield Town have been dealt a blow with the news that Danny Williams will miss the rest of the season after suffering a fractured fibula in training on Wednesday. But Elias Kachunga may have an outside chance of returning for the home meeting with Crystal Palace.

The Eagles, however, have been boosted by the news that both Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will both return to the squad for the trip to the John Smith’s Stadium. Meanwhile, Wilfried Zaha is expected to come back into the first XI after impressing on his comeback against Chelsea with an assist off the bench. Mamadou Sakho could also push for a recall after returning to the squad last weekend.

Jurgen Klopp may hand recalls to Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip for Liverpool’s home encounter against Watford. Should Henderson return, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to vie with James Milner for the other role alongside Emre Can, while Matip’s potential selection would see Dejan Lovren drop to the bench.

As for the Hornets, they welcome back Craig Cathcart ahead of the trip to Anfield. The likes of Will Hughes is pushing for a first-team return after stepping up his fitness with appearances off the bench in each of the last two Gameweeks.

All this and more has now been updated in the Team News section ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. Keep an eye on our official Twitter account for breaking news – as the day unfolds, we will issue updates from Friday’s press conferences and refresh our Team News tab accordingly to keep you informed.

455 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Kanga roo
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    `Lose KDB or Sane for Stan?

    1. I Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      KDB

  2. Harmonica1967
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Best striker option for this week? Replacing Kane before WCing next week, so money is no object.

    a).Tosun
    b). King
    c). Wilson
    d).Mounie
    e).Quaner
    f). Benteke

    1. _Make
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      C - attacking team, good fixture and King is a risk.

  3. Positive vibes
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Hi, any love for Mounie?

    1. Hazardous1983
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      wilson

  4. Bubz
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Remember Richarlison? Amazing how popular he was and now nobody is remotely interested in him this blank gameweek

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      New manager also doesn’t seem to like him though! Gets hooked all the time

    2. Dr Van Nostrand
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Blanking for a few months tends to do that

    3. #FPLBhuna
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      haha i never binned him (sums up my season) so a return from him this weekend would feel so sweet

    4. eazy
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Kept him all the way 😀 Not too confident on him though

  5. DrunkPhilosophy
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    A) Baines + Zaha

    B) PVA + Shaqiri

    1. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      A by a country mile

  6. jose1
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Predicted points for Butland?

    1. Dele
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      3

      1. Ten Season Wonder
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        not worth a hit then? haha

    2. AnfieldLad
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      4.6

  7. Davido989
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Pick 3 players from below - highest scorers this GW in your opinion 🙂

    PVA
    Zaha
    Stanislas
    Mounie
    King

    1. DrunkPhilosophy
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      PVA Zaha Stan

      1. Davido989
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Exactly my thinking. Ta

    2. Karan_G14
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Stan
      Zaha
      PVA

    3. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Zaha, Stan and one other...

    4. Davido989
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      fanks guyz

  8. Dele
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Any chance of Stanislas getting benched this weekend? Or is he nailed?

    1. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Highly unlikely.

  9. enourouz
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Can you use your wildcard and triple captain in the same week?

    1. Davido989
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah, confirm WC first.

      1. Davido989
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Don't do this 😀

      2. Ten Season Wonder
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        haha

    2. Forza Juventus
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      I don't think you can, you have to use your Wildcard the week before, then TC the week of.

      1. Forza Juventus
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        This should say "You cant." Not, "i dont think you can." To be clear.

    3. LEFT-FIELD
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      No, only one chip may be active in a Gameweek. For example, it is not possible to make transfers with your Wildcard chip and then use your Bench Boost chip in the same Gameweek.

  10. damiang2233
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Hi Guys,

    with such limited fixtures this week, is it worth making any transfers? At the minute I have 6 players playing this weekend.

    Thoughts Please?

    1. Forza Juventus
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      If you still have your Wildcard to play, then definitely make 1 or 2 to get you to 7/8 players. If not, maybe better to save for the future.

  11. Mind över Mata
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Does anyone know how the free hit chip works? Do I play my free transfer first, and then play the chip?

    1. gizmoholic
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      once you have transferred/selected players that would have triggered a hit, the option to use free hit and/or wildcard will appear when you click Make Transfers (Along with taking an actual hit). Don't worry there's a confirm/cancel button there, but once you've enabled it with finality, there is no cancellation.

    2. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      No. You will save your free transfer for next week

      1. Gentle_Turks
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        This is incorrect. You will lose your FT.

      2. LEFT-FIELD
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Please note that when playing either a Wildcard or your Free Hit chip, any saved free transfers will be lost. You will be back to the usual 1 free transfer the following Gameweek. (pulled from the rules section)

  12. timmmuh
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Baines or Ake worth a hit (-4) to go from fielding 7 this GW to 8?
    VVD
    Stanislas/Shaqiri/Doucoure/Salah/
    Firmino/Depoitre

    Going to WC for 32 ...Thanks

    1. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Look to Zaha imo

  13. #FPLBhuna
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    anyone else kept richarlison apart from me (sums up my season)

    returns this week would feel so sweet despite on all those points not going for other players haha

    1. Forza Juventus
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      I benched him for the past 4-5 weeks or so, maybe playing him once. Just in the hope that he does something in this fixture, and maybe 32..Have very little belief but had better moves to make during those periods, so kept keeping him in my team though I hated wasting a 6.5ish player on my bench most weeks..

      1. #FPLBhuna
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        same haha

    2. eazy
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Same for me 😀

  14. SkeletONv01
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Bringing in Mounie, Tosun and Zaha for Kane, Ayew and RLC, wish me luck! 🙂

    1. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      good luck

  15. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Wagner : @ekachunga15 has been back in training since the end of last week and will be in contention for the squad. @BillingPhilip is also in contention.” #htafc @OfficialFPL (AT)

  16. The 12th Man
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    I have 2 FT and 1.7m itb. No WC or FH

    8 starters as it is now.

    Do I just do 1 FT and roll the other and play 9 this week?
    Ramsey > Stanislas probably would be the transfer.

    1. the dom 1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      yep use the 1 transfer this GW imo.

  17. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Still in doubt over who howe mentioned as niggles other than king or Fraser. Stanislas is prone to niggles. See howe's stmt carefully. Will we get leaked lineups before deadline??

  18. Arctic monkeys
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    King doesn't worth the risk now ?

    1. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Probably not but Howes said he should be OK and he did play with same issue last week.

    2. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Nice day, can't it?

  19. Forza Juventus
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    (A) Lossl
    (B) Begovic
    For GW31 and GW32 only

    1. the dom 1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      A

  20. money face bandwagon
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    pva or baines

    1. Forza Juventus
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Baines

    2. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Baines

  21. @NF_Janner
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Defender to go along side Robertson

    A Baines
    B Coleman
    C Ake
    D other?

    1. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Baines

  22. Westfield Irons ⭐️
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Done. Going with:

    Foster
    Zanka Baines Francis Bauer
    Salah(c) Mane Stanislas Choupo-Moting
    Firmino Mounie

    zero hits. Looks ok yeah?
    Good luck all.
    Looking forward to some WC action in next 48 hours!

    1. BigBarn
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      For zero hits, that's outstanding. Hope your OR hasn't been decimated these past few weeks!

      1. Westfield Irons ⭐️
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        I was sucked into over preparing for it. It's crept up but I'm having a shocker this season

    2. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      nice 🙂

      1. Westfield Irons ⭐️
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers. even got Mariappa on the bench - probably a minus if he comes on though!

  23. enourouz
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    I don’t understand why anyone would use a free hit on a single gameweek. Isn’t the whole intention to maximize and play that chip on a double gameweek.

    Someone please enlighten me....

    1. Cruz88
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Better chips to play on a double gameweek though, especially if you are able to wildcard right before them to sort your team out

      1. enourouz
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        Please don’t tell me you think bench boost is a better chip to use on a double gameweek. That chip is about as worthless as the all out attack chip from last year.

        I just don’t see why you wouldn’t use the triple captain and free hit on the double gameweeks.

        Screw 31 and 35. Those are sacrificial weeks. You will make up the ground during the double gameweeks.

    2. OldBenKenobi
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      One of the main features of a FH is that it reverts back to your previous weeks team (boomerang)
      One of the best scenarios is a DGW followed by a BGW following by another DGW (same player as first DGW) i.e. GW34, GW35, GW37
      This means you can set up for GW34 and GW37 in one go and "boomerang" in between them .
      Hence the general feeling that GW35 (BGW) is a good time to play the FH

    3. gizmoholic
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      there are plenty of blanks this week, so for some by fielding a complete roster of 11 it will be their chance of getting up the rankings/OR as a lot of people would have less than 11 players.

  24. damiang2233
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Hi Guys,

    with such limited fixtures this week, is it worth making any transfers? At the minute I have 6 players playing this weekend. Team is as follows

    Pope Fabinski
    Otamendi Davies Mustafi Dawson Roberston
    Salah B silva Mahrez Shaquiri Ibe
    Vardy Kane Wilson

    Thoughts Please?

    1. the dom 1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      depends on how much money you have made on each player lad.

      1. the dom 1
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        if its helps I only have 7 playing 😉

        1. damiang2233
          • 16 Years
          8 years, 1 month ago

          Thinking for this week getting in Firimino for Kane then next week de Bruyne for B silva? Good Move?

          1. the dom 1
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            8 years, 1 month ago

            yep get Firm in for Kane mate!

  25. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    What's the feeling on WC defenders?

    Naughton or Fenandez?
    Christensen or Alonso?
    Chilwell or Maguire?
    Ward, Ogbonna, Davies

    1. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Van de Hoorn

    2. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Baines only defender i am considering for a hit

  26. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal v CSKA

    1. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Boycott!!

      1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        #Wengerout or #KGB out ?

  27. OldBenKenobi
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Not the best news you want to hear about King but I say he still makes the squad.
    Keeping the faith - well I kind of have to considering I made the transfer already 😉

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Made the squad last week with a niggle too, although no start

      1. OldBenKenobi
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        I feel he's still got points in him this week

    2. BobBradleysOpportunity
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      why did you make it? was he close to rising?

      1. OldBenKenobi
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        had a feeling Kane might drop in price again even though was only in mid -70s
        Im not too worried as I knew it was a gamble.
        Still convinced I'll get some sort of returns from him

    3. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Howes does expect him to be OK and played off bench last week with same issue

      1. OldBenKenobi
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 1 month ago

        yeah should be grand imo

  28. Duffy Dunk
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Pretty good draw for ARS. Better chance for them playing better players in PL?

    1. Ramboros
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Having 3 home games in a row from GW32 to GW33 is a big deal.

  29. Maddamotha
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Zaha or Stan?

    1. the dom 1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Stan

    2. Prison Mike
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Same problem I'm 50/50 zaha the better player but Stanislas in good form and has good stats

    3. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      close, but Stan just

    4. Ten Season Wonder
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      If you only have 1FT, I would definitely consider the other one in for a hit mind you

  30. Numb
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 1 month ago

    Hmm, Kachunga back - could steal minutes from Mounie...

    1. Prøfeßör …
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 1 month ago

      Different positions (as far as I know).