Dugout Discussion

Rashford fit to start while Hazard remains on the left flank

Six Premier League matches take place this evening before the Gameweek 21 showpiece of Manchester City v Liverpool brings the frenetic festive fixture schedule to a close ahead of FA Cup third round weekend.

Four of tonight’s games kick off at 19:45 GMT, with Bournemouth v Watford (due to a delay) and Newcastle United v Manchester United getting underway at 20:00 GMT.

There aren’t too many surprises in the team selections this evening, with many of the more widely-owned Fantasy Premier League assets getting a start.

Marcus Rashford has recovered from a groin problem to keep his place in Manchester United’s starting XI, with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial also unsurprisingly named in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Jesse Lingard, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez make the bench.

Fabian Schar replaces the injured Federico Fernandez in Rafael Benitez’s only alteration, while Florian Lejeune makes the matchday squad for the first time in 2018/19.

Eden Hazard is again deployed on the left flank as Alvaro Morata replaces the injured Olivier Giroud, but Chelsea are otherwise unchanged from the side that beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in Gameweek 20.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has really shuffled his pack for this encounter at Stamford Bridge, making eight changes – including the recall of Danny Ings – following the 3-1 defeat against Manchester City.

In the delayed kick-off on the south coast, Ryan Fraser returns to the Bournemouth starting XI after his benching at Old Trafford.

Javi Gracia has made five changes to his team, with Jose Holebas, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Troy Deeney among the players handed a recall.

Andy Carroll makes his first Premier League start in over a year for West Ham, who have new signing Samir Nasri among their substitutes.

Glenn Murray replaces Florin Andone up front in Chris Hughton’s only change.

Joao Moutinho and Helder Costa return to the Wolves starting XI, while Jordan Ayew gets his first start since Gameweek 17 as Roy Hodgson switches to a 4-3-3.

David Wagner has made two changes to his team and seemingly reverted to a 4-2-3-1, while Sean Dyche trusts the same 11 players who beat West Ham three days ago.

Bournemouth XI (3-5-2): Begovic, Cook, Ake, Daniels, Brooks, Lerma, Gosling, Fraser, Stanislas, Wilson, King.

Watford XI (4-4-2): Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Mariappa, Holebas, Sema, Capoue, Doucoure, Pereyra, Deulofeu, Deeney.

Chelsea XI (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Hazard, Willian, Morata.

Southampton XI (3-4-3): Gunn, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Valery, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Cedric, Armstrong, Ings, Redmond.

Huddersfield Town XI (4-2-3-1): Lossl, Kongolo, Schindler, Zanka, Hadergjonaj, Hogg, Billing, Mbenza, Pritchard, Kachunga, Mounie.

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Cork, Westwood, Gudmundsson, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.

West Ham United XI (4-4-2): Fabianski, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Obiang, Snodgrass, Anderson, Arnautovic, Carroll.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (4-3-3): Button, Montoya, Dunk, Duffy, Bernardo, Stephens, Propper, Gross, March, Murray, Locadia.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI (3-4-3): Patricio, Bennett, Boly, Coady, Doherty, Saiss, Moutinho, Jonny, Costa, Cavaleiro, Jimenez.

Crystal Palace XI (4-3-3): Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojević, Kouyaté, Townsend, Ayew, Zaha.

Newcastle United XI (3-4-2-1): Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Hayden, Diame, Atsu, Pérez, Rondón.

Manchester United XI (4-3-3): De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Lindelöf, Shaw, Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Rashford.

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5,260 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Shultan
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Why does a player whose been sent off continue getting minus points? He's not playing

    1. Mo Mané Mo Problems
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Rules.

    2. Richd
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Because it’s a punishment as per the rules. Else someone could get sent off and score more than someone who doesn’t.

    3. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Casual detected.

    4. Black Knights
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      It’s his fault they’re still conceding.

    5. J T
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      He’s partly at fault..

    6. BOATIES FC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Because they probably wouldn't be conceding with 11 men

      1. sully29
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Clearly the rule wasn't designed with Huddersfield in mind then.

    7. Hotdogs for Tea
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Same reason a defender keeps a clean sheet when they concede

    8. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      you answered your own question

      he's not playing so he's not helping his team, so should be penalised

  2. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Dale Stephens is more nailed then Hazard.

  3. wulfrunian
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Barnes you legend!!!!!!

  4. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Wolves CS is gonna hurt me so bad...

  5. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Keep those baps Doherty

  6. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    This is horrific

  7. Vlad Tepes
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Martial out for alexis?

  8. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Sanchez lukaku coming on

  9. Zladan
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Please take off Mata and Martial.

    1. Zladan
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      And there it is!

  10. Hy liverpool
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Hazard you fecker

  11. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Not sure what Lukaku and Sanchez will add tbh. Better off with Fellaini and a bit of long ball threat.

    1. BeDreamin
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      And there's the goal

  12. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Where are my points I was promised

  13. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Go on, Alonso. Get the YC out of the way!

  14. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Looks like the 10th time in a row I get captian and vice wrong. Haz (C) Auba (V)

  15. Van der Faart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Martial CS locked in. Subbed

  16. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Martial CS banked

    1. Sgt Frank Drebin
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Yay...

  17. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Lukaku and Sanchez on
    Martial and Mata off

  18. Richd
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Well Pogba finally stopped scoring all it took was me buying him 🙂

    1. Mo Mané Mo Problems
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      And me! 🙂

    2. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      and few others in that bandwagon

    3. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Me too , just had to stop everyone else getting points 🙂

      1. SB007
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Was never going to carry on.

        Observe the masses and do the opposite.

    4. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Of course he did
      Had 600,132 net transfers in this GW which is pretty sure one of the highest in a GW I have seen

  19. Alli 3',17',64�…
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    well the consolation this week, is evryone has done equally rubbish I think unless you lucked it with Deeney or Bournemouth

    1. SB007
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      75 with baps to come

  20. InSaneMan-e
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Don't like this culture that a lot of managers have, where a sub can only be made after 60 min
    Its obvious that utd have had no threat of width down the right and yet nothing as changed

  21. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    This ain't going brilliantly but could always be worse

    1. Patch
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      How many points u on?

      How can you say that?

  22. Kane Toads
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    I think it's goodbye Hazard , hello Salah for my team.

  23. BenDavies
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Chelsea are a mid-table side without Hazard. It's actually embarrassing.

  24. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Rashford stays on

  25. Garlana
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Sanchez and Lukaku on

  26. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    OMG lukaku

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      YESSSS!

  27. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Lukaku goal

  28. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Lukaku goal

  29. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Morata, you muppet. You utter, utter muppet. No, I'm not nuts enough to own him, but how useless can a forward get?

    Marty three points preserved, yaaaaaay...

  30. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Need AWB cleanie gone. Sorry Palace