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Fit-again Pulisic waiting to fully deliver on some impressive underlying stats

Christian Pulisic (£6.9m) is our focus as we continue to assess the fit-again players who could make an impact in Fantasy Premier League upon its restart this month.

The American has been sidelined since New Year’s Day but was on the cusp of a return shortly before top-flight football was called to a halt in March.

It’s been a disjointed debut Premier League season for the former Borussia Dortmund winger, who initially failed to establish himself in the Chelsea starting XI before being handed eight successive starts in late autumn.

Pulisic now returns to bolster Frank Lampard’s options across the frontline, with the Blues pushing for a top-four spot.

Costing less than £7.0m and owned by just 3.4% of FPL managers (many of those will be inactive teams, too), the USA international is, at the very least, an attractively priced differential – although one who comes with caveats.

We delve into the numbers in the Members Area to further assess his credentials in the article below.

WHAT IS PULISIC’S FITNESS LATEST?

Pulisic benched as Lampard switches to a 3-4-3 against unchanged Spurs

Pulisic was last seen in Gameweek 21, when he lasted 65 minutes of Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Missing the FA Cup third-round tie against Nottingham Forest with an issue with his adductor, the American was subsequently ruled out for several weeks with what his manager described as a “nasty injury”.

An early comeback in February was aborted as the problem proved to be more complicated than initially thought and it wasn’t until the beginning of March that Pulisic was ready to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

Speaking ahead of Gameweek 29, just before COVID-19 stopped play, Lampard said:

We just had an in-house game here which Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] and Christian Pulisic took part in.

It’s great to see Christian get some minutes. He’s short of match fitness but it’s the first time the injury has felt at a level to get him on a big pitch in a relatively competitive match. That’s a big step forward, hopefully.

The unforeseen three-month hiatus has given Pulisic even more time to fully recharge, with the player himself saying of his injury in May:

I didn’t take it as seriously as I think I should have. It was one of those you felt you could do a lot of things but you try to push it that one extra step and realise it’s not ready yet.

It was very tough and frustrating going through times like that. I underestimated it and tried to get back as soon as I could because I just wanted to play so bad.

If anything, I’ve given myself a little more time to rest now and make sure that I’m 100 per cent fit. I’d say I’m fully recovered and ready to go as soon as we get back.

The winger has since been sighted in full training at Cobham, as preparations ramp up for the Blues’ fixture against Aston Villa.

WHOSE PLACE WILL HE TAKE?


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380 Comments Post a Comment
  1. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Is anybody who done a slow WC since GW29 thinking of using FH in GW39, to get that slow WC team back for GW40 rather than using their actual WC ?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I'll debate it. I have value tied up in in a fair number of players, so if I unlimited transfer & bench boost, that value is lost.

      1. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        If I bench boost, it'll be for the likes of Leno / Targett / Douglas Luz & Saka/Nketiah. Not sure if that's worth it.

    2. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I'm thinking FH GW39, get my slow WC team back for GW's 40, 41 and 42, then WC GW43.

      1. bitm2007
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        BB 44 or 45

    3. FPLShaqiri
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I did a reply fail, but answer is a few posts down if you want to read

  2. stat
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Anyone with no WC left considering FH in GW 30+?

      I built my WC team in GW 37 with the "All games will be in GW 38" scenario in mind, and looking at my team the fixtures look decent in the remaining GWs:

      Pope - Foster
      TAA - Boly - VVD - Aurier - Maguire
      Salah - KDB - Sarr - Fernandes - Cantwell
      Jota - DCL - Jimenez

      Obviously the structure is a bit weird in that the funds are spread out a bit too much, but that might not be a big deal given how much rotation could play a role in the upcoming fixtures.

      If you had that team, would you FH or take advantage of the unlimited transfers (and BB)?

      1. Pinturicchio10
          3 years, 9 months ago

          I'll be using FH in 30+ and BB in 31+ I think. Play normally with fts for the remainder.

          1. stat
              3 years, 9 months ago

              Might do the same actually, my GW 31+ fixtures look good all across the board. My bench would be:

              Foster vs bur
              Maguire vs BHA
              Aurier vs WHU
              Cantwell vs EVE

          2. bitm2007
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            I've done the same and am thinking of using FH in GW39, even though I've still got my WC. For you I think it's obvious play if you want to take full advantage of the DGW, otherwise you will be getting rid of GW39 DGW and BB players for the rest of the season.

          3. The Mandalorian
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            Too much money in defence

            1. stat
                3 years, 9 months ago

                True, but I could fix that with 2 FT

                1. The Mandalorian
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 9 months ago

                  You need more than 2ft to redistribute the funds

                  1. stat
                      3 years, 9 months ago

                      Maguire -> 3.9
                      means I could do:
                      Sarr -> 8.1 or Jota -> 8.1

            2. TeddiPonza
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              So gw 31+ is the last double gameweek of the season?

              1. bitm2007
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 9 months ago

                GW30 looks like it's going to be the only DGW.

            3. The Mandalorian
              • 11 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              Did this team on a slow wc struggling to make changes

              Pope - Button
              TAA - Boly - Fernandez - Holgate - Oconnell
              Salah - KDB - Son - Fernandes - Cantwell
              Abraham - DCL - Jimenez

            4. FPLShaqiri
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              Considering it too. Seems there are a few options for me. I have BB, FH, WC left. I used the extra lockdown transfers to get a team I was happy with, which also had 15 players I could use (idea that I could bench boost).

              1. GW 30+ Use unlimited transfers, BB. WC GW31. Use FH another time, maybe for some dodgy fixtures (GW 32).
              2. GW 30+ Use FH. Then I play BB in the best week for my 'stronger than average' bench players, then wildcard out to a cheap bench for remaining weeks.
              3. GW 30+ Use unlimited transfers (BB?), don't go huge on DGW, then I don't need to wildcard out, can save for a fixture swing..

              Need to look properly at the fixtures, but option 1 probably best for me. Chris Wood is my 8th attacker in the Slow WC, and his injury doubt means it's a poor choice to hold him and FH this week.

              It depends how much value you think there is in holding the WC past GW31+. It does seem a waste to use a WC one week after I just used an enforced WC.

              1. FPLShaqiri
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 9 months ago

                Reply fail, but makes sense on it's own 🙂

                Interested if anyone with FH and WC is considering using FH and then saving the WC for a later date, and using the 'slow-WC' team they created in the meantime.

            5. bitm2007
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 9 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              Unlimited transfers has really spiced up the season. Everybody and his dog were planning to FH DGW39, now there are plenty of viable looking options.

              BB39, WC40, FH and later in the season
              BB39, FH40, WC41 TC later in the season
              FH39, to get your slow WC team back for GW40, then WC/BB/TC later in the season
              TC39, WC40, FH41, BB42

              Any other suggestions ?

            6. The Reptile
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 9 months ago

              Dear all

              Once the unlimited transfer deadline has passed when are the subsequent game week deadlines, do we have the usual 1 transfer per game week?

              Apologies if this is a stupid question but I can'r see anything to explain this on here or the Fantasy site.

              Cheers!