The rigours of the international break cause worries over a key Burnley asset and a well-owned Liverpool defender. Elsewhere, options grow in Man United’s backline, and there’s a striking boost for Stoke City.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (5.1) has been catching the eye of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers on Wildcards thanks to a set of recent returns and his price tag as an enabler.
A goal and two assists over the last five Gameweeks – and two and seven respectively for the season – has helped his ownership double to a still modest 1.7%.
And with an equally solid schedule (wba wat LEI & CHE), a Gameweek 35 fixture (away at Stoke City) and a run-in that also includes home matches with Brighton and Bournemouth, close to 14,000 have already brought him in over the break.
But the winger was withdrawn on 73 minutes for Iceland in their 3-1 defeat to Peru in New Jersey early on Wednesday morning, with initial (and unconfirmed) reports suggesting his withdrawal might not have been tactical.
Those with Gudmundsson in their squads will now have to wait for an official update from Sean Dyche later today.
Robertson’s Scottish setback
Similar reports have surfaced regarding Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson.
Owned by 7.6%, the left-back suffered a knock for Scotland and was subbed off after 67 minutes of their 1-0 away win over Hungary on Tuesday.
Robertson’s ownership has quadrupled since Gameweek 20, and only Roberto Firmino is proving more popular among Reds players in the Gameweek 32 transfer market.
A trip to Crystal Palace awaits this weekend and we’d hope for official confirmation as to the extent of any issue for Robertson via Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match press conference.
Unlike Gudmundsson, though, the lack of a Double Gameweek has diminished Robertson’s appeal, with Mohamed Salah the only Liverpool player likely to remain in our Wildcard plans for the run-in.
Striker boost for Stoke
One conference that’s already happened brought generally positive news from Stoke City manager Paul Lambert.
The Potters travel to Arsenal on Sunday and Lambert will have Mame Biram Diouf available following a successful run-out for Senegal on Tuesday.
Stoke have been forced to make do and mend up front in recent weeks, with midfielder Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting asked to play the lone striker role on more than one occasion.
Lambert has now confirmed that the Cameroon international will be out for several weeks with a groin injury suffered when scoring in the 2-1 defeat to Everton in Gameweek 30, so Diouf’s return is decidedly timely.
Meanwhile, defender Erik Pieters is back in the squad following an internal dispute.
Young a doubt
Man United’s Ashley Young was yet another player to pick up an issue on international duty.
The England wing-back played the full 90 minutes in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Italy, but then returned to his club with a knock.
He will be assessed for United ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Swansea City just as he was being considered as a cheap (4.9) midfield enabler for Wildcard managers now that he seems to have cemented his role as left-back under Jose Mourinho, starting six of the last seven Gameweeks.
But if the injury proves to be more serious, he could give way to the embattled Luke Shaw against the Swans, although the fit-again Marcos Rojo is also an option after he played the full 90 minutes for Argentina in their 6-1 drubbing by Spain.
Rojo has not figured for United since a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in early February, and his return could have repercussions across the backline, threatening Chris Smalling’s security of starts at centre-half in particular.
The England international has missed just three matches since Gameweek 7 and is second only to Romelu Lukaku for transfers-in among United players this week.
But it’s not just Rojo who could replace Smalling in the starting XI, with ESPN claiming that Phil Jones has returned to training after a two-month absence with what is reported as a hamstring problem.
Yoshida option Saints
Southampton’s Maya Yoshida (4.6) is another centre-half in the frame for a return after missing four matches with a knee injury.
He was on the bench for the Saints’ FA Cup quarter-final win over Wigan Athletic ten days ago and skipped international duty with Japan to rebuild his fitness for the club’s league vital run-in and cup semi-final with Chelsea.
Investment in Southampton centre-backs has not exactly been a prosperous move recently – Jack Stephens and Wesley Hoedt have played the last 11 matches and have kept just one clean sheet in that time.
But two Double Gameweeks, the return of Yoshida and the positive impact of new manager Mark Hughes might persuade a few brave souls to take a punt on a Saints defender.
Stephens, at 4.5, is currently the most popular Southampton signing heading into Gameweek 32, just pipping budget goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (4.4).
