Budget Magpies strike as puzzle emerges in Brighton defence

There were goals for two budget Newcastle United strikers in the latest round of pre-season friendlies.

Meanwhile, the defensive situation at Brighton was complicated slightly as Leon Balogun made his first appearance for the Seagulls and Crystal Palace won again.

In this Scout Notes article we’ll discuss what that all means for our Gameweek 1 preparations…

BRIGHTON 1-1 PORTSMOUTH | CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1-1 BRIGHTON

• Goals: Anthony Knockaert (£5.5m) | Pascal Groß (£7.0m)
• Assists: Tomer Hemed (£5.0m) | Glenn Murray (£6.5m)

Following his World Cup campaign with Nigeria, Leon Balogun (£4.5m) has arrived on the scene for Brighton to complicate centre-back selection in Sussex. The 30-year-old played just over an hour alongside Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) at Charlton, the second of two friendlies played on Tuesday. The starting XI named for the Valley meeting appears to have been the stronger of the two team-sheets on the day, with Shane Duffy (£4.5m) involved in the behind-closed-doors match against Portsmouth. However, that fact shouldn’t count against the Irishman as his game-time is still being managed because of his groin injury last month and being forced off against Wimbledon. Fantasy managers interested in Brighton’s defence will have to follow further Scout Notes to see who earns favour at centre-back between now and Gameweek 1.

Glenn Murray (£6.5m) was another returning face after ankle trouble forced him out of the pre-season match against St Gallen in Switzerland earlier this month. He featured from the beginning against Charlton and set up Brighton’s only goal of the game. The veteran striker connected with James Tilley’s cross shortly after half-time, his header saved by Dillon Phillips and turned in by Pascal Groß (£7.0m). With Tomer Hemed (£5.0m) involved in the secondary line-up used earlier in the day and Jurgen Locadia (£6.0m) now confirmed as being out for two weeks following the injury sustained at Wimbledon, Murray certainly has the advantage over his colleagues when it comes to competition for the centre-forward role.

Also returning from summer leave was Mat Ryan (£4.5m), who managed 51 minutes against Portsmouth before being replaced by Hugo Keto, while it has been revealed that Jose Izquierdo (£6.0m) won’t be involved in match action until a behind-closed-doors match against Nice next week. The Colombian has returned to the club but is restricted to training and won’t be involved at Birmingham City on Saturday, as is the case with new signing Florin Andone (£5.0m), who has a minor groin injury.

Defender Markus Suttner (£4.0m) was deployed on the left-wing once again and, while he is unlikely to feature in the first-team this season, it’s worth knowing he is an alternative in that position if injuries occur to Solly March (£5.0m) or Izquierdo. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.0m) appears to still have the advantage in Suttner’s price bracket, with Bournemouth’s Jack Simpson potentially an outside option.

Anthony Knockaert (£6.0m) got his first goal of pre-season against Portsmouth, converting a cross from Hemed, adding an assist to his two goals of the summer so far.

BRIGHTON XI vs PORTSMOUTH (4-4-1-1): Ryan (Keto 51’); Bong (Mandroiu 51’), White (Collar 51’), Duffy, Schelotto; Suttner, Kayal, Bissouma (Gyokeres 51’), Knockaert; Norwood; Hemed.

BRIGHTON XI vs CHARLTON (4-4-1-1): Button (Keto 79’); Bernardo (Cochrane 79’), Dunk (Kerr 79’), Balogun (Barclay 64’), Bruno (Moore 79’); March (Maguire-Drew 79’), Pröpper (Collar 79’), Stephens (Normann 79’), Towell (Tilley 36’ | Gyokeres 57’); Groß (Mandoiu 79’); Murray (Connolly 64’).

STEVENAGE 1-2 CRYSTAL PALACE

• Goals: Jonny Williams, Sullay Kaikai
• Assists: Jason Puncheon (£4.5m), Jason Lokilo

Youngster Sullay Kaikai continued his fine pre-season form on Monday, his third goal making him the top-scorer of the summer so far for Crystal Palace. The attacking midfielder has not been added to FPL yet but may well receive a price in the coming days following his involvement with the first-team so far. He has started two matches but has been involved in all four, registering a total of 246 minutes, featuring for at least an hour in three of them and involving himself in a goal in every single one with his assist against Heksingør. Two of those appearances have involved a centre-forwards role for him and he was stationed in attacking midfield at Stevenage where he netted a late winner.

Alexander Sørloth (£5.0m) furthered his case for inclusion in Gameweek 1 squads with his fourth consecutive start of pre-season. As of Monday, he is now the only Palace player to have featured from the beginning of every match so far. Christian Benteke (£6.5m) is yet to make a return after being brought off as a precautionary measure against Halmstads, so Sørloth still has the advantage, and could provide a value route into Palace’s attack with a goal and three assists so far this summer.

New man Vicente Guaita (£4.5m) has now overtaken Wayne Hennessey for game-time so far in pre-season, with the first-choice goalkeeper still unclear. The Spaniard has registered 180 minutes to the Welshman’s 135, with both of them having conceded two goals each. With the uncertainty over the position at Palace, it further strengthens the case for investment in assets such as Patrick van Aanholt (£5.5m), James Tomkins (£4.5m), Mamadou Sakho (£5.0m) and Wan-Bissaka whose starting places look much more assured, although none of them featured at Stevenage.

CRYSTAL PALACE XI (4-2-3-1): Guaita; Souare, Woods, Kelly, Ward; Puncheon, Williams (McGregor 69’); Lumeka, Kaikai (Street 90’), Lokilo; Sørloth (Daly 69’).

HULL CITY 2-2 NEWCASTLE UNITED

• Goals: Joselu (£5.0m), Ayoze Perez (£6.5m)
• Assists: Jonjo Shelvey (£5.5m), Ciaran Clark (£4.5m)

After scoring on six occasions in the final eight Gameweeks of last season, Ayoze Perez (£6.5m) once again demonstrated his eye for goal in Newcastle United’s 2-2 draw with Hull City at the KCOM Stadium on Tuesday.

The Spaniard tapped in a late equaliser after defender Ciaran Clark (£4.5m) had flicked on debutant Ki Sung-yueng‘s (£5.0m) corner.

Clark is a name to monitor for Fantasy managers, following Jamaal Lascelles‘ price rise to £5.0m, Chancel Mbemba’s departure to Porto and the news that Florian Lejeune (£4.5m) is suffering from a knee injury.

Rafael Benitez said of the Spanish centre-half’s knock: “Some of the players have little problems. The only one that is a bit more serious could be Lejeune. He has a knee problem that we have to assess in the next couple of days.”

United had the best defence outside of the top seven last season and, although their fixtures in the first few Gameweeks are fairly unappealing, Clark would represent decent value at £4.5m with Newcastle short in the centre-back department.

The Magpies have, however, been linked with a move for Fabian Schar in recent days and the Swiss international’s arrival would likely see Clark slip back down the pecking order.

Joselu (£5.0m) started his second successive pre-season friendly for Benitez’s side and the much-maligned Spanish forward opened the scoring early in the first half, latching on to a trademark Jonjo Shelvey (£5.5m) through-ball.

Shelvey and Matt Ritchie (£6.0m) both went close with free-kicks before Hull turned the match on its head with two scrappy goals either side of the break.

A mixture of youth products, reserves and established first-teamers lined up in Benitez’s customary 4-2-3-1 formation, with Shelvey and Mo Diame (£5.0m) reprising their partnership in the double-pivot. DeAndre Yedlin (£4.5m), Lascelles and Ritchie were the only other regulars to start the match, with goalkeeper Martin Dubrakva (£5.0m) an unused substitute. Kenedy (£5.0m), meanwhile, missed the match as his wife has recently given birth.

NEWCASTLE XI (4-2-3-1): Darlow (Woodman 46′); Yedlin (Sterry 46′), Lascelles (Clark 46′), Yarney (Hayden 53′), Roberts (Manquillo 46′); Shelvey (Ki 69′), Diame (Fernandez 60′); Murphy (Aarons 46′), Longstaff, Ritchie; Joselu (Perez 46′).

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