Thirteen Premier League clubs are/were in Carabao Cup second round action this week, with ten of them already having played on Tuesday evening.
We’ll run the rule over six of those clubs in this first Scout Notes instalment, with the remaining seven sides scrutinised on Thursday.
In this piece, we’ll look at the much-changed EFL Cup line-ups from a Fantasy perspective to see if any lessons can be learned – or if hitherto peripheral squad players have presented a case for inclusion in Gameweek 4.
Wan-Bissaka returns from suspension
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.1m) was back in the Crystal Palace line-up after serving a one-match ban, playing the full 90 minutes and excelling at right-back as the Eagles overcame Swansea City 1-0 in Wales.
Martin Kelly (£4.0m) and Jeffrey Schlupp (£4.5m) were the only two starters from Sunday’s defeat to Watford to line up at the Liberty Stadium, with both being withdrawn just after the hour mark. Schlupp featured at left-back, after playing Palace’s first three league games further forward in midfield. Joel Ward (£4.4m) and Andros Townsend (£6.9m) replaced the pair on 62 minutes.
Max Meyer (£5.9m) made his first Palace start of the season, getting 90 minutes under his belt and furthering his case for inclusion for the visit of Southampton. We previously highlighted how Schlupp’s start could soon be at risk from Meyer’s return to fitness, as could Wilfried Zaha‘s (£7.0m) role as a centre-forward.
Alexander Sorloth (£5.0m) impressed up front and scored Palace’s winning goal, which could increase the pressure on Christian Benteke (£6.5m), who is without an attacking return in 2018/19.
Jonny Williams returned from injury, while Cheikhou Kouyate (£4.9m) made his first Palace start in the engine room.
Roy Hodgson’s words after the match were promising for Wan-Bissaka’s owners:
It was a difficult one for us because we’ve got a couple of injuries, so that meant we were going to be limited [in selection] anyway and I wanted certain players who are either on the fringes of the first team or haven’t got much of a game yet to get a game.
The problem, of course, was that with such a short turnaround I had to use four or five players who either played at the weekend or are going to be needed for next weekend: Wan-Bissaka being a classic example.
I didn’t want Kelly to play 90 after his 90 against Watford, but then again I don’t really have the substitute for him, so Ward had to step in and play a part in the game.
Williams has not played many matches full stop over the last period of time. I thought he did very well, but it was pretty obvious he’s not going to play 90 minutes as well and I didn’t want Schlupp, who’s one of our regular first teamers, to play 90 minutes.
So my problem was that I’m bringing them down here, but how can I juggle it so that they get enough football, but not so much maybe that it’s going to impact upon our Saturday game.
Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Riedewald, Kelly (Ward 62′), Schlupp (Townsend 62′), Meyer, Inniss, Kouyate, Williams (Kaikai 77′), Puncheon, Sorloth
Hernandez on target for the Hammers
Manuel Pellegrini made nine changes for West Ham United’s trip to Wimbledon, with Robert Snodgrass (£5.5m) and Issa Diop (£4.4m) the only starters who lined up against Arsenal last Saturday.
Felipe Anderson‘s (£6.9m) half-time introduction for Pedro Obiang (£4.4m) helped swing the game back in favour of the Hammers, who trailed at the break, with Pellegrini having this to say about the excellent Brazilian after the match:
Pedro Obiang was not playing badly, but he had a yellow card and we didn’t want to take any risks to level that up, and I thought we also needed a more creative player and Felipe did well.
Felipe needs to adapt his style of play to the Premier League a little bit more – not to run with the ball so much because it’s difficult here with so many fast players.
But when he has the ball, you feel that something different can happen.
Aaron Cresswell (£5.4m) and Pablo Zabaleta‘s (£4.4m) inclusion at full-back suggests Ryan Fredericks (£4.9m) and Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) will still have the upper hand in the Premier League, while Declan Rice (£4.4m) was once again deployed “out of position” in central midfield.
There were first competitive starts for Andriy Yarmolenko (£6.9m) and Lucas Perez (£6.4m) behind Javier Hernandez (£6.4m), who may be called into action this weekend should Marko Arnautovic (£7.0m) be ruled out for the visit of Wolves. Hernandez, like Perez and Yarmolenko, didn’t do much to impress but got a goal in stoppage time as the Hammers ran out 3-1 winners.
West Ham XI: Adrian, Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Yarmolenko (Masuaku 90′), Rice, Obiang (Felipe Anderson 46′), Snodgrass, Hernandez, Lucas Perez (Antonio 81′)
Fraser starts and scores for the Cherries
Ryan Fraser (£5.6m), the only survivor of the Bournemouth side that drew 2-2 with Everton on Saturday, scored his second competitive goal of the season and provided an assist as the Cherries brushed past MK Dons 3-0.
Eddie Howe’s line-up for the Carabao Cup second-round match last night suggests that his team for the trip to Chelsea could well remain unchanged for the fourth match running, with Fraser withdrawn just after an hour to give him extra time to recover.
Josh King (£6.4m), David Brooks (£5.0m) and Steve Cook (£4.6m) were all utilised off the bench in the second half, meanwhile.
Having scored a goal of his own and been heavily involved in Fraser’s strike, Jordon Ibe (£5.3m) did his first-team chances no harm, while Lewis Cook (£4.9m) and Jefferson Lerma (£4.5m) impressed in central midfield.
Diego Rico (£4.5m) started at left-back, meanwhile, and struck the bar with a free-kick.
Speaking after the game, Howe said:
Both of our new players – Diego Rico and Jefferson Lerma – did really well. It’s very difficult to come straight into a game and settle in. It will do them the world of good just to have that experience today to feel what it’s like to play for Bournemouth. They both acquitted themselves very well.
There’s plenty to go away and think about from my perspective. We’ve got a tough game at Chelsea to come, we’ve started the season very well and I really wanted the players today to perform well to give me those extra selection problems and to try and see who can fit into the team.
Everyone’s in contention to play, they’ve come through the game okay fitness-wise and it was a positive night for them.
Marc Pugh (£4.4m) missed the game with a hamstring injury, while goalscorer Lys Mousset (£5.0m) limped off late in the second half.
Howe added:
Ryan Fraser’s had a really good start to the season, capped off with a really good goal today. He wanted to play tonight, so with Marc Pugh’s hamstring injury I felt we should play someone who wanted to play.
Lys Mousset looks like he’s twisted his ankle. I don’t know how serious it is but it was enough for him to limp off around the pitch so I think it was reasonably serious but we’ll have to wait and see. Marc Pugh may miss this weekend at Chelsea but should be available after the international break.
Bournemouth XI: Boruc; Francis, Simpson, Mings, Rico, Ibe, L Cook, Lerma, Fraser (King 66′), Defoe (Brooks 86′), Mousset (S Cook 69′)
Austin strikes late as Saints sink Seagulls
There were 20 changes in all as Chris Hughton and Mark Hughes named much-altered starting XIs for the all-Premier League clash between Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton on Tuesday.
Yves Bissouma (£5.0m) was the only name remaining from the Brighton side that lost to Liverpool at the weekend and that the Ivorian midfielder played 90 minutes suggests he may make way for Pascal Gross (£6.9m) when the Seagulls entertain Fulham in Gameweek 4.
Gross, indeed, started at the Amex Stadium but was substituted just after the hour-mark with one eye perhaps on Saturday’s clash with the Cottagers.
Hughton had words of praise though for the impressive Bissouma, as he had in the aftermath of the defeat at Anfield:
I thought Bissouma was excellent. He’s a talent and it’s really about adjusting to the game here, and to the way that we play.
He’s still picking up on the language and there’s certainly more to come from him. It was another good opportunity for him tonight.
He’s a good individual that wants to play, and he certainly gives us something different to what we already have in that midfield group.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh (£6.9m), Jurgen Locadia (£5.5m) and Bernardo (£4.4m) – who played at centre-back – were all given 90 minutes, suggesting perhaps that they too will be on the bench at best when Slavisa Jokanovic’s side come calling this weekend.
Mohamed Elyounoussi (£6.4m) was the sole survivor of the Southampton side that lost to Leicester City last weekend and went close to scoring early in the match.
Where Hughton had placed his trust in youth, Hughes’ second-string was packed with experience. Stuart Armstrong (£5.4m), Manolo Gabbiadini (£5.9m) and James Ward-Prowse (£5.4m) were among the familiar names given chances in midfield and attack, while Maya Yoshida (£4.4m) and Jan Bednarek (£3.9m) were paired at centre-half for the first time this season.
Angus Gunn (£4.5m) impressed between the sticks, meanwhile, with the former Manchester City goalkeeper making two stops from Albion’s young prospect Viktor Gyokeres.
Substitutes Nathan Redmond (£5.5m) and Charlie Austin (£5.9m) combined for the latter’s winner late on.
That Hughes made so many alterations to his starting XI suggests that the side to face Crystal Palace this weekend could closely resemble the one that impressed in defeat to Leicester. Speaking after the match, Hughes said:
A lot of the guys, some of them haven’t had a lot of game time, but they came through well and got their second wind in the second-half I felt and looked better for it.
Some of the guys will be better for the game time, so we’re in good shape heading into the weekend and what will be another difficult game for us.
Brighton XI: Button, Collar, Barclay, Bernardo, Suttner, Jahanbakhsh, Bissouma, Gross (Propper 63′), Kayal (Connolly 90′), Gyokeres, Locadia
Southampton XI: Gunn; Stephens, Bednarek, Yoshida, Targett, Romeu (Gallagher 70′), Ward-Prowse, Elyounoussi, Davis, Armstrong (Redmond 80′); Gabbiadini (Austin 80′)
Warnock’s team selection clearer after dismal defeat
Neil Warnock made nine changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Huddersfield Town on Saturday, though the Bluebirds’ sorry home loss to Norwich City suggested that few of his fringe players will have furthered their cases for inclusion in Gameweek 4.
Warnock’s measured comments after the match were quietly condemning of his second string:
I think it showed that quite a lot of the lads needed games because we were a little bit off the pace. You can’t get what we got tonight on the training ground; we need competitive games like that.
There were four or five positives regarding my squad selection [for Sunday] and obviously disappointments, so it’s a mixed feeling really. We had better chances than Norwich, but we haven’t been taking them all season, which is disappointing.
It’s opened my eyes towards Sunday’s team selection and I more or less know what my team is going to be. Tonight, didn’t put me off that and I have a starting eleven in mind. I said to the lads that it shows they’ve got to train really hard if they’re not in the team and take their opportunity when it comes.
The depth is there and we’ve got to make sure we keep the fitness levels up for the lads that aren’t involved. The Premier League is such a massive step up from the Championship, which is what we’ve been used to, regarding movement and things like that.
Bruno Ecuele Manga (£4.5m) was one of two players to retain their place and was a rare shining light on an otherwise disappointing evening, scoring City’s only goal and impressing at centre-back.
Midfielder Victor Camarasa (£4.5m) was the other name to feature in West Yorkshire on Saturday and then again last night.
Lee Peltier (£4.0m) returned in defence, while Jazz Richards (£4.0m) was given a role further up the pitch on the right wing.
Gary Madine (£4.5m) and Bobby Reid (£5.4m) did little to further their own causes in attack and Warnock’s words after the game suggested that neither they nor the other peripheral squad players will feature from the start when City entertain Arsenal.
Warnock also gave updates on his players’ injuries:
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has done his posterior cruciate ligament, which is good news, my physio said, because if he’d done his anterior, he’d be out for the season. He’ll take about three months to recover and hopefully be back in December.
We’re crossing our fingers and hoping that Junior [Hoilett] will train around Friday. If he’s anywhere near fit, he’ll play on Sunday because that’s the type of lad he is, but I won’t risk him if he’s not. There’s two weeks international break and as much as I’d love to, I don’t want to jeopardise him doing anything severe, not now we’ve got Nathaniel out.
There’s a number of players we’ve missed – [Aron] Gunnarsson being an example. He is training well at the moment and there’s one or two others with little niggles that we’re hoping will clear up before the weekend.
Cardiff City XI: Smithies, Connolly, Manga, Peltier, Cunningham, Damour, Camarasa (Zohore 71′), Richards (Ward 59′), Harris, Reid, Madine (Paterson 59′)
