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

    Brady RC

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Brady punch?

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        :);Better than your New Year’s Eve efforts

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

    tempting to do haz out for salah tbh

    1. Red Devil Swede
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Salah is a must as is probably Haz

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

    Arrggghh Eden always trolls me

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

    Man United still in with a chance of the top 4 with Chelsea dropping points unexpectedly. 🙂

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

      I fancy them for it!

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Your Man U bias is incessant

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

        Guilty as charged.

        Unlike most here i have not given up on the team i support for my fpl team.

  5. Mr Bird
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Left Doherty, Jimenez and AWB on my bench after sleeping through deadline yesterday... that hangover could have been so much worse!

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

    Does the 1 game Schindler suspension mean he misses the FA cup game only or could Cardiff be playing Huddersfield at home without their best centre back?

    1. Ravager
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Fa cup

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

        Thought so, ta

  7. Canary_Kid
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Sterling and Son/Martial to Salah and Fraser? If so who?

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

      The one that’s definitely leaving, perhaps?

  8. Chenku╰☆╮
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Guddu wagon now. Brady gone.

  9. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Still going to captain Hazard next week

    1. SPorting
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Salah

  10. aarrgghh
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Well atleast pogba hopes lasts a while longer than Haz's

  11. Robson-Canoe
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    United will catch Arsenal and Chelsea to finish 4th, you heard it here first

    1. Red Devil Swede
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Yes please

    2. Leaf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      As long as they continue to play the likes Cardiff , Huddersfield etc then you might be right

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

      Maybe. They do have Chelsea at home and Chelsea go to Liverpool and city still

  12. tm245
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Alonso dropped like a ton of feathers there.

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

    Alonso and Kante really want to score!

  14. Taking the Mkhitaryan
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    My 6 players tonight
    2
    2
    3
    2
    3
    2
    Whoop whoop

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      All positives.

      Show off

      1. Taking the Mkhitaryan
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Hang on
        Change one of those 2's to 1

  15. Red Devil Swede
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Wow almost Chelsea penalty call, would've been Alonso-Haz combo

  16. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    The real gutting thing is I played McCarthy and looking like saints first clean sheet in ages. Without him.

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

      Maybe the reason they are doing well is because McCarthy isn't playing?

      1. TomSaints
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Haha true. It wasn't my intention to play McCarthy just didn't want to take a hit to remove

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

    Never bench, never captain AWB!

  18. SkeletONv01
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Any chance Salah will be rested tomorrow?

    1. Red Devil Swede
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      No way.

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Yes

  19. Burger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Palace pen

  20. Granville
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 15 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Penalty Palace.

  21. tambourineman
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Palace penalty

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Need Doherty to save it.

  22. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Gunn is keeping his place in the starting XI brilliant today

  23. tm245
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Save it, Rui.

  24. Catastrophe
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Hazard & Richarlison -> Sterling & Fraser tempting me

    1. Red Devil Swede
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Nah

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

    Mark to get a pen save. Jammy casual.

  26. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Milo goal.

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

    Pogba takes revenge on Shelvey.

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

    More minus points yaaaaaay

  29. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    MILOOOOOOooooooooooooo

  30. SADIO SANÉ
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    bs Patricio points incoming

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

      Nope. Milivojevic scored the penalty