Dugout Discussion

De Bruyne in advanced role as Man United deploy midfield diamond for derby

Pep Guardiola has afforded Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) an advanced role once again as Manchester City travel to Old Trafford.

The Belgian has been operating as a number 10 increasingly often this season having previously only played in that position in the big games.

And they don’t come too much bigger than a city derby for Guardiola’s men, so De Bruyne’s 24.5% ownership will be relishing his advanced runs tonight.

He features at the centre of an attacking midfield trio in support of Gabriel Jesus (£9.3m), flanked by Raheem Sterling (£11.4m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.4m), who enjoyed a disparity of fortunes against Fulham.

Elsewhere, it is a third consecutive Premier League start for John Stones (£4.8m) at the heart of City’s defence, while João Cancelo (£5.5m) retains a berth, switching to the left-hand side, pushing Benjamin Mendy (£5.9m) to the bench and allowing Kyle Walker (£6.2m) back into the side.

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to have tweaked his Manchester United outfit with respect to the opposition, changing his favoured 4-2-3-1 system into a midfield diamond shape.

Fred (£5.3m), Paul Pogba (£7.7m) and Scott McTominay (£4.9m) are all included in the line-up behind Bruno Fernandes (£10.9m) in support of Marcus Rashford (£9.4m) and Mason Greenwood‘s (£7.1m) two-man strike pairing.

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) is still an option though, named on the bench alongside Alex Telles (£5.5m).

Manchester United XI (4-1-2-1-2): De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay; Pogba, Fred; B Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood.

Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Walker; Fernandinho, Rodrigo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Mahrez; Jesus.

Lessons learned from FPL Gameweek 12

1,330 Comments Post a Comment
  1. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Only subs will change this game now

  2. Sid1891
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Fodden to start on Tue?

  3. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sooner Foden comes on the better

  4. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Power 5 midfield in absolute tatters!

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

      Kane > Power 5

  5. Arteta
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Is Bruno looking lively?

    1. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Waiting for a penalty

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Not yet

    3. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He's looked bright but it's the rubbish around him that's the problem. Just not on his level.

    4. R.C
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He'll switch on when Utd get a pen

  6. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Fair to say there is nowhere to hide for anyone after this load of crap

    1. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      You love saying that haha

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Viewers thoroughly punished

  7. DGW blindness is for Kinnea…
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    You just know midweek is going to be carnage

  8. fedolefan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    How and why did City let Sané go? He was irreplaceable.

    1. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Too good to not play week in week out

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      More him wanting a change.

      1. fedolefan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        nothing a bumper contract doesn't solve. They are so one-dimensional ever since he left.

        1. Rainer
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Fairly bumper from Bayern too. Agree he was a unique unplayable outlet at times.

    3. Pacer.
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Not just sane, silva

      1. fedolefan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Silva was near the end anyway. It's not the same thing.

        1. Pacer.
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Who said anything about it being the same. It's two very significant losses

    4. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He wanted to leave.

      Leave for a free vs. for a fee.

    5. R.C
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Sane wanted to leave as he hated rotation

      1. Forza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        He said he was "zero-point-zero percent against rotation".

  9. Pacer.
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Remember when KdB used to pile up the wing and swing in unstoppable crosses for city players to spoon in

    Number ten ain't all it's cracked up to be

  10. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    wow quite alot capped Bruno and KDB, what were they thinking

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      ....that Salah will be benched.

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        still, this game wasnt gonna be a thriller its the Manchester derby, was always gonna be tight. And still think ManU will sneak the win

    2. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      they weren't

    3. Pacer.
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Ignored the warning signs that KdB had a terrible game last GW but was v lucky to get any more than 5 points

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        I saw alot of people say KDB is "big game player", but correct me if im wrong. KDB hasnt scored vs City for years?

  11. NejiHyuuga01
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Salah save my GW I pray to Osiris

  12. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    This game is crying out for fans

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Poor fans

  13. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    United looking like the only team who is thinking about winning this

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Yeah I'm surprised how mediocre city look here

  14. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Two awful teams with one good player each. Liverpool will piss this league

    1. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Chelsea?

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        What about them?

  15. Party time
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Sub in Martial for the winner

    • Jindaljain
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      If Bruno & KDB goes blank need chilwell goal badly

    • TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Is it city being awful or a good united performance stopping them?

      1. Patio Kev
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Ole doesn’t want to lose as he’s getting sacked if he does.

        City unable to capitalise.

    • Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Walker haul in Fantasy Capture the Flag

      1. el polako
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Chasing Vardy in season standings.

    • el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      1-0 after corner kick.
      KDB assist to Dias.

      That would be stuff of dreams.

    • _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      mahrez off for torres

    • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Mahrez rested?

      1. el polako
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        No just shite.

    • George James
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Any news on Robertson? Wasn’t in the training pics released last night any more on that today anyone?

    • Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      More xP for Mahrez.

      1. TomSaints
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Haha

    • FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      United fans be scared. Torres is in

    • Patio Kev
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Mahrez Clean Sheet Point banked

    • Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Sterling's hair.....

      1. Pariße
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Applaud the creativity but it’s just a bad shape.

      2. BeaversWithAttitude
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        I like it!

    • Hattrick Harry
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Mahrez the Terrible out

    • SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Mahrez clean sheet banked

    • Pariße
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Benching Dias just didn’t seem right, these derbies all went to sh. Luckily Rodriguez was out.

    • R.C
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Mahrez CS banked