Three English teams were in UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday evening, with Tottenham Hotspur edging out Manchester City in the all-Premier League clash and Liverpool taking a 2-0 first-leg lead over Porto.
Our first Scout Notes article concentrates on the events in north London, with one particular talking point dominating discussion in the Fantasy community: a potentially serious ankle injury to Harry Kane (£12.6m).
We’ve got the latest on the Spurs striker below and have also reset the captain poll on our homepage (and at the bottom of this article), given that the premium FPL forward had dominated the vote before yesterday evening’s development.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester City
- Goal: Son Heung-min (£8.6m)
- Assist: Christian Eriksen (£9.2m)
Mauricio Pochettino fears that Harry Kane‘s (£12.6m) season could be over after the influential centre-forward hobbled from the pitch after 58 minutes of his side’s 1-0 win over Manchester City on Tuesday evening.
Kane injured himself in a challenge with Fabian Delph (£5.3m) and was spotted leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches, wearing a protective boot on his left ankle – the same ankle he injured in January in the defeat to Manchester United, which kept him out for 40 days.
Speaking immediately after the game, Pochettino said:
We need to check tomorrow but looks like it is the same ankle and similar injury. It is very sad and very disappointing. It is going to be tough. We are going to miss him, maybe for the rest of the season. It is a worry for us and for him. We hope it is not a big issue. But there is not too much time to recover. He twisted his ankle so now we will see how it reacts in a few hours.
Fabian was very disappointed in that situation but he didn’t realise Harry’s intention was not to tackle him. It was lucky he didn’t get the red card. In the action, both were very strong. But both didn’t have the intention to make damage to the other. That was why Harry in that moment was trying to talk to him but he was upset. Both were fighting for the ball.
Pochettino added in his press conference shortly after:
The news is that if you see the action, it’s an action that maybe he twisted his ankle and it can maybe damage the ligaments. We need to check in the next few days. It’s so painful but it’s impossible now to know. We can only look forward and hope it’s not a big issue and that he recovers as soon as possible, but it doesn’t look good.
Kane, who perhaps should have done better with a turn and shot in the first half, was subsequently replaced by Lucas Moura (£6.7m) after his injury, with the Brazilian – rather than Son Heung-min (£8.6m) – operating as the centre-forward in Pochettino’s 4-2-3-1.
Son played this match on the right flank, with Dele Alli (£8.8m) and Christian Eriksen (£9.2m) joining him as the support for Kane/Moura up front.
Despite his role on the wing, Son registered more attempts (four) than anyone on show and scored the game’s only goal when showing persistence to keep the ball in play on the byline and fire a low shot underneath Ederson (£5.6m) in the City goal.
The South Korea international curled two efforts wide from distance and saw an earlier attempt saved by Ederson from just inside the box.
If Kane is ruled out for a lengthy period of time as expected, then Son is one of a handful of options – along with Moura and Fernando Llorente (£5.1m) – available to Pochettino as his replacement as the spearhead of the frontline.
Not that the Spurs boss has generally favoured a one-man attack of late, with his 4-4-2 diamond and 3-4-1-2 allowing for two of his offensive options to lead the line.
Son rose in price in FPL overnight, no doubt aided by Kane’s injury, but it should be said that the Korean himself needed treatment on a calf problem in Tuesday’s match – Son dusted himself off to score and complete 90 minutes but we will be closely monitoring the Spurs’ news feed ahead of the Friday deadline.
On Son, Pochettino said:
I think he deserves it. He always smiles, his attitude, everything, he ticks all the boxes. If there is one player that deserves to score and win prizes it’s him.
Formation is perhaps key to Alli’s Fantasy appeal, too.
Having played deeper in central midfield in recent times, the former MK Dons player was back in a more advanced role last night and caught the eye with his driving runs into the box.
Alli volleyed one early effort over after arriving late into the City area and produced a quietly impressive all-round display before being substituted near full-time.
The England midfielder is yet another slight injury concern, however, having walked off the field clutching his wrist – although there was no word on his condition in the post-match interviews.
Eriksen’s set-piece deliveries were once again awful but the Danish midfielder, who top-scored in Gameweek 32, registered another attacking return last night with his assist for Son’s goal.
Even if he is not quite matching his levels of previous seasons, Eriksen seems to have been freed since Alli’s return and no player on show at Spurs’ new ground on Tuesday registered more key passes than the Denmark international.
Two names who won’t feature too prominently in Fantasy bosses’ plans, Harry Winks (£5.5m) and Moussa Sissoko (£4.9m), drew praise from their manager:
In the last year and a half, Sissoko is a player that has given a lot of things to us, I’m so happy with him. Of course, after his injury, Harry Winks has again given a lot to the team. I’m happy, but I’m happy with all the performances and all the players.
Spurs’ defence also shone as we near Double Gameweek 35, with Hugo Lloris (£5.4m) only having two saves to make and Toby Alderweireld (£6.0m) producing a defensive masterclass at centre-half.
One of the French goalkeeper’s two saves was from a missed Sergio Aguero (£11.7m) penalty.
The Argentinean striker returned from injury to play the first 71 minutes of this encounter but had something of an off-night as he sent two more first-half efforts wide and didn’t get a look-in after the interval.
Riyad Mahrez (£8.2m) was no better on a surprise start on the right flank, while Raheem Sterling (£11.5m) was much as he had been on Saturday in the FA Cup semi-final – some way short of his best (and occasionally selfish in possession) but still representing City’s biggest goal threat.
It was from Sterling’s jinking run and shot that Danny Rose (£5.8m) conceded a penalty for handball, while the former Liverpool winger forced Lloris into his only other save of the match when being teed up by Aguero early in the second half.
While Kane’s ankle sprain hogged the headlines, City had injury issues of their own as Bernardo Silva (£7.6m) missed out on the defeat and Ederson picked up a hip injury midway through this loss but carried on to play the full 90 minutes.
The Brazilian goalkeeper was seen limping through the mixed zone after the match but there was no update on his condition from the club or his manager.
Bernardo’s absence was thought to be as a precaution because of a thigh strain and Guardiola said of the Portuguese midfielder:
Bernardo couldn’t play. During the season there are injuries, there are problems and hopefully next week, maybe Bernardo will be fit.
Despite Bernardo’s injury, Guardiola decided against starting Kevin De Bruyne (£9.7m) and instead paired Fernandinho (£5.3m) and Ilkay Gundogan (£5.5m) with David Silva (£8.5m) in the centre of the park.
The City boss explained his decision after full-time:
I decide to play with two holding midfielders, Gundogan and Fernandinho are a little more solid in that. [Fitness] is not the issue.
Delph was given the nod at left-back, meanwhile, with Guardiola revealing that Benjamin Mendy (£6.1m) wasn’t up to successive starts:
Mendy after four or five months injured, playing last time, then today another one, it was too much.
Delph and Kyle Walker (£6.4m) really struggled at full-back, with Walker having his second straight below-par game after his troubles at Wembley last weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Sissoko, Winks (Wanyama 80′); Eriksen, Alli (Llorente 85′), Son; Kane (Moura 58′).
Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Laporte, Otamendi, Delph; Fernandinho, Gundogan, D Silva (De Bruyne 89′); Mahrez (Sane 89′), Aguero (Jesus 71′), Sterling.
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