Dugout Discussion

Vestergaard returns as Minamino makes Southampton debut

Southampton take to the field at Newcastle with some welcome boosts following their 9-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Fresh from a horrendous defensive display, their most important centre-back, Jannik Vestergaard (£4.7m) is finally back in the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 14.

The Danish international has struggled with a knee problem during the winter and is sure to improve the Saints’ defensive prospects as he features alongside Jan Bednarek (£4.9m), whose one-match ban was overturned midweek.

Vestergaard’s return sees Jack Stephens (£4.6m) push out to the right-back berth where Southampton have had some problems this season. Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.7m) is still not fit enough to be involved today.

But defence is not the only area where Ralph Hasenhüttl has been handed good news as Takumi Minamino (£6.0m) is ready to feature for the first time since leaving Anfield on loan in the transfer window.

He is stationed on the flanks of midfield, with Nathan Redmond (£6.4m) on the other side, in support of centre-forward pairing Danny Ings (£8.4m) and Che Adams (£5.8m).

Newcastle’s own January loanee Joe Willock (£4.7m) also makes his Premier League debut for his new club, his arrival allowing Steve Bruce to go for a more adventurous shape than usual.

Willock sits in a number 10 role with Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.1m) and Miguel Almirón (£5.6m) either side of him in a 4-2-3-1 fronted by Callum Wilson (£6.8m).

The Magpies are somewhat short at the back though. Midfielder Isaac Hayden (£4.7m) starts alongside Fabian Schär (£4.9m) at centre-back.

Double Gameweek planners will have their eyes on the other 3pm match today as Burnley host Brighton.

As expected, the Clarets are in 4-4-2 formation with key Fantasy targets Nick Pope (£5.5m), Ben Mee (£5.0m), James Tarkowski (£5.3m) and Matt Lowton (£4.4m) all involved.

Charlie Taylor (£4.4m) is still not fit enough for a return and neither is Chris Wood (£6.2m), both players absent from today’s match-day squad, which means Erik Pieters (£4.3m) is at left-back again and Ashley Barnes (£6.0m) is paired up-front with Matej Vydra (£4.8m).

On a run of four successive clean sheets, Brighton are in 3-4-2-1 today with Dan Burn (£4.2m) and Joël Veltman (£4.3m) in the left and right wing-back roles respectively following Solly March‘s (£5.0m) injury at Anfield.

Gameweek 23 Starting Line-ups

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Pope; Pieters, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Vydra, A Barnes.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (3-4-1-2): R Sánchez; Webster, Dunk, White; Burn, Bissouma, Groß, Veltman; Mac Allister; Maupay, Connolly.

Newcastle United XI (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Lewis, Schär, Hayden, Manquillo; Shelvey, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Willock, Almirón; Wilson.

Southampton XI (4-4-2): A McCarthy; Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, J Stephens; Minamino, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Ings, Adams.

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1,274 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Willock debut goal

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Love it mate! Love it

  2. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Willock 😀

    1. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Looks sharp.

  3. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Will Saints ever score another goal if they blank today vs a makeshift back 4 of Newcastle?

  4. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I bloody benched Martinez again aaargh

    1. Gizzachance
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Me to, brought in Pope

    2. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'm guessing you have Pope. Burnley haven't conceded yet.

  5. Bada Bing
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek having another nightmare of a match.

  6. Limbo
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Newcastle look a different side from first half of season.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Last 2 or 3 games.

      Bruce has learnt to press!!

    2. Nightcrawler
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Shd hav sn them vs shu

    3. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      They got a new coach or assistant manager

    4. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Saint Maximum back. They’ve been garbage when he’s off the pitch.

      1. Third Eye Vision
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Nah. They were decent against Everton before he came on as a sub.

    5. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah. Willock and ASM back + Wilson. Look really sharp going fwd.

  7. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Maupay close to winning pen.

    Mee poor tackle.

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

      Pope penalty save denied?

  8. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mee booked

    1. mixology
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Out of control, what was he thinking honestly

  9. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mee yc lol

    1. MMN
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Mee's first yellow of the season lool. Too much pressure

      1. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Surely got himself in FPL this week

  10. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    No penalty.

    Edge of box.

  11. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    When is McNeil going to make the step up to a bigger club?

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      When he’s a better player?

  12. ClassiX
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Jeez - Mee lucky that was only a yellow.

  13. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez on the bench. Anyone doing worse than me?

    1. ivantys
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Martinez and Targett on bench

    2. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bednerak is doing worse...

  14. 1zverGGadeM
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    2 chances for Ingsy for 2 minutes..
    both ruined..

  15. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    2.0 Newcastle

  16. aleksaa2
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek OG

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Really?

      Oh...

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I'm watching Burnley v Brighton.

        Will turn over.

        1. Mr. O'Connell
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Why would you watch that?!

          1. Bushwhacker
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            This ain’t thst great either

          2. threeputt
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            we watch who is in our team

  17. LSK
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Shouldn’t have appealed his red

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      This!!

    2. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      😛

  18. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarik can't stop scoring!

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He's the one to watch.

    2. 1zverGGadeM
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      cheeky backheel this time.
      The boy is classy.

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Wonderful skill

  19. 1zverGGadeM
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek own goal lol

  20. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Guess who I brought in... Mee, booked already!

  21. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek OG 😆

  22. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Southampton beating themselves again.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Brilliant

  23. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek. Having a nightmare weak. 2nd own goal.

  24. SH1M1
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Project Target Bednarek

  25. jdoyle
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek... its happening again...

  26. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Alimiron G, ASM A if not OG.

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      That was about as much an own goal as you can get

  27. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bednarek down bad

  28. STEP rOVERS
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Should of taken the suspension hahaha

    1. Pompel
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      :-p that's harsh

  29. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Can’t blame VAR this time...

  30. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Southampton to concede 9 today too?