Dugout Discussion

City players missing with COVID-19 revealed as fit-again Ziyech returns

A Manchester City squad hit by injury and illness take on Chelsea in the second of today’s two Premier League fixtures.

Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is at 16:30 GMT.

The visitors are missing six of their squad because of COVID-19 positive tests.

The unavailability of Kyle Walker (£6.1m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.1m) we were already aware of, while social media posts from Ederson (£6.0m) and Tommy Doyle (£4.4m) all but confirmed that they too were among those self-isolating.

Ferran Torres (£6.9m) and Eric Garcia (£4.7m) have reportedly been added to that list, with the latter still struggling with injury, too.

Despite the shortage of options, Sergio Aguero (£10.3m) is still only among the substitutes for this afternoon’s fixture.

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen (£4.4m) makes his Premier League debut as Pep Guardiola makes three changes to the City side that beat Newcastle 2-0 in Gameweek 15.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) and Phil Foden (£6.2m) are also recalled, with Ederson, Torres and Nathan Ake (£5.4m) dropping out.

Ake is absent because of “fitness issues”, while Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) misses out because of a tight hamstring.

Benjamin Mendy (£5.9m) is on the bench, despite his off-field misdeeds.

Frank Lampard makes five changes to the Chelsea team that drew 1-1 at home to Aston Villa last Monday.

Timo Werner (£9.2m) is recalled, while Hakim Ziyech (£8.1m) makes his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in early December.

Thiago Silva (£5.6m), Kurt Zouma (£5.8m) and Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m) also return to the side.

Reece James (£5.2m) is again absent through injury, while Olivier Giroud (£6.7m), Andreas Christensen (£4.7m), Antonio Rudiger (£4.7m), Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.7m) and Jorginho (£4.7m) drop out of the starting XI.


Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Kanté, Kovacic, Mount, Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech.

Manchester City XI: Steffen, Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Rodrigo, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Foden, Bernardo, Sterling

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2,436 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Hahahahahahha so glad!!! Bravo Hudson lad!!!

  2. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Fuxake

  3. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    You blooming love to see it 😀

  4. The_FF_King
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Rival has double City defence. Yay

    1. GE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Same

  5. Lev Yashin
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Got to laugh really.

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

    Double figures from 4/5 mids, blanks from the rest of team. Keep it going Salah!

  7. Granville
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Those goals make me laugh. Completely irrelevant other than for FPL.

    1. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Same happened with Wolves last GW. Tantalising close to counting those CS points

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

      So true - at least it keeps it entertaining

    3. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Goal and assist bonuses.

  8. Saxe-Gotha
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Ah cleanies destroyed everywhere. Thank the Almighty.

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

    In such flippin ragemode right now. Can’t even describe.

    1. Saka Punch
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      So grim. I've got double

      1. sminkypinky
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Me too

  10. el polako
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    First Justin now Dias, this is just brutal man !

  11. GE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    No!!
    Dias and Cancelo CS gone 🙁 lost 8 points in one minute 🙁

    1. sminkypinky
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      8 seconds to go

    2. Bram
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      9

  12. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So this is how it feels when other players cs gets busted...feels good man

    1. GE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Good for you 😉 bad for me!

    2. djman102
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Fair enough. Swings and roundabouts.

  13. umerlfc
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    My Chilwell to Cancelo master move just ruined

  14. Alex_thekid
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Who wins
    Me :: 68 with Salah
    Cup op :: 56 with Mane
    Could be close Kdb saving him today 🙁

  15. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    The reactions. 😀

  16. Cok3y5murf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Cup opponent with Justin and Cancelo in tears 😆

  17. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Highly irritating

  18. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Don’t care got KDB

  19. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    McCarthy no-show tomorrow and I'm through in the cup!

    1. Bram
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      You are through

      1. Bobby Digital
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        You reckon?

  20. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Double city def

  21. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Cancelo and Justin owner. Ouch

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

    I just wanna add, lol at Cancelo/Diaz owners who loled at Justin 😀

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

    City clearly due a goal conceded. Now they'll go on a run of 4 CS again so no issues there

    1. drughi
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yep cancelo coming in my team along with kdb

  24. BigBillyBass
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    HUDSON-ODOI YOU BEAUTY!!!!!!

  25. Jebiga
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Love this cs gone, next 5 will be locked

  26. BrockLanders
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS CITY CLEANIE GONE!!

    1. Lucky Z
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      take a bath

  27. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Wohooo CS gone. Love it,

  28. drughi
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Love that Chelsea goal

  29. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Magnus Carlsen in pain https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/76862/event/17

    1. Milk, 1 Šuker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No Spurs attack a killer

    2. Futile Tinkering
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He needs a Robbo master class to stay in the cup.

    3. @persecuted_by_mods
        3 years, 2 months ago

        He'll hit 50+ easily with a Liverpool CS and anything from Salah, hardly a disaster

    4. pundit of punts
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Love it

      Benched Dias

      Big rank boost as well

      1. Ozzy smith
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Big rank boost? All city defenders are under 10% owned lol.

      2. Milk, 1 Šuker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Well done mate

      3. Lucky Z
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Genius. Continue this way, play Riedewall over KdB next GW