Dugout Discussion – Thursday

Double Gameweek 34 finally draws to a close this evening with a pair of 7.45pm fixtures. There’s considerable Fantasy Premier League (FPL) interest in Leicester’s clash with Southampton at the King Power, as Jamie Vardy attempts to score for the fifth successive league match.

Second only to Harry Kane for transfers in ahead of Double Gameweek 34, the Foxes frontman is the fifth captain pick (4.01%) and has found the net in eight of his previous ten league outings.

There’s bad news for those who invested in Leicester’s cut-price defenders Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson, though, with both named among the subs.

Much to the frustration of the 39,000+ who drafted him in for the first of two Double Gameweeks, the Saints’ Charlie Austin remains on bench-warming duties as Mark Hughes keeps faith in the same XI that lost narrowly to Chelsea.

Similar to Jose Mourinho last night, Antonio Conte has a surprise or two up his sleeve ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals.

Willian – the eighth most bought player for Double Gameweek 34 – is benched alongside Eden Hazard and Andreas Christensen – for Chelsea’s trip to Burnley.

The Italian pairs Alvaro Morata with last weekend’s two-goal Olivier Giroud against a Clarets defence with one clean sheet in 13 attempts.

Owned by just 1.5%, Giroud is one of only two players – along with Burnley’s Kevin Long – who feature tonight that returned double-figures in their opening Gameweek 34 fixture.

Meanwhile, Sean Dyche names an unchanged line-up as the Clarets look for a sixth successive league win. Chris Wood (five goals and an assist in five) and Ashley Barnes (four goals in six) have the form to trouble a Blues’ defence with a single clean sheet in nine league matches.