Rodgers confirms Fofana leg break as Son starts up front again in Kane absence

Our round-up of the latest pre-season friendly action summarises the goals, assists, injury updates and team news information from seven matches involving Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players.

On a night headlined by the shock transfer of Danny Ings (£8.0m) to Aston Villa, Jack Grealish’s (£8.0m) impending departure from the Midlands and Chelsea’s seemingly imminent move for Romelu Lukaku, FPL managers were further shaken by a serious injury to a much-backed defender.

Don’t forget to check out our comprehensive pre-season page for more information on the warm-up matches taking place ahead of Gameweek 1.

LEICESTER CITY 3-2 VILLARREAL

• Goals: Caglar Soyuncu (£5.0m), Harvey Barnes (£7.0m), Ayoze Perez (£6.0m)
• Assists: Ryan Bertrand (£5.0m) x2, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Leicester’s impressive win over Europa League winners Villarreal was marred by a serious leg injury suffered by Wesley Fofana (£4.5m). The defender, a popular FPL pick due to his budget price, was the victim of a crunching tackle by Fernando Nino that left him with a fractured fibula. He will miss most of the season, likely forcing Leicester into the transfer market for a replacement as Jonny Evans (£5.5m) also remains out.

Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Thursday:

He fractured his fibula. Obviously, it was a horrendous injury for us and we’re obviously devastated for him because he’s a top-class young player, so he’s going to be a huge loss for us.

He has another scan today because his ankle was so swollen we had to leave it overnight. That will give us a clearer indication of how long he’s going to be out. Of course, it was a horrible injury and we were all thinking of him last night.

The newly fit-again Harvey Barnes (£7.0m) put the Foxes 2-0 up, following the headed opener by Caglar Soyuncu (£5.0m). Both were assisted by new signing Ryan Bertrand (£5.0m).

Ayoze Perez (£6.0m) made it 3-0 early into the second half. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall dispossessed Villarreal in a dangerous area, rounded the goalkeeper and squared the ball. Patson Daka (£7.5m) couldn’t reach it but Perez slotted home. It was a comfortable win, despite the late consolations of Nino and Alex Millan.

For the second successive game, Brendan Rodgers named a strong XI that saw Kelechi Iheanacho (£7.5m) benched and only one central striker – Jamie Vardy (£10.5m) – start.

That puts a severe dent in the Nigerian’s FPL appeal but Barnes, whose ownership is at 7.3% and rising, is making a late dash for Gameweek 1 inclusion.

Evans missed out again due to a foot injury and Timothy Castagne (£5.5m) is still recovering from the fractured eye socket suffered at Euro 2020. 

Rodgers said of his sidelined contingent:

It’s just the guys who haven’t been involved over the course of pre-season. The likes of Papy [Mendy], Jonny [Evans], James Justin. James is coming along very well, but of course, he’s still a few months away. Timothy Castagne trained with the squad for the first time, which is great news for us.

He’s physically in a very good place, but he’s had his mask on today in training with the squad, so he won’t be available for the game, but hopefully, with confidence in training, he won’t be too far away. Apart from that, we’re okay.

New father James Maddison (£7.0m) returned to the side, amidst rumours of a move to Arsenal.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel (Ward 46’); Pereira (Amartey 65’), Fofana (Nelson 65’), Soyuncu (Albrighton 66’), Bertrand (Benkovic 66’); Ndidi (Dewsbury-Hall 46’), Tielemans (Soumare 46’); Perez (Iheanacho 66’), Maddison (Praet 66’), Barnes (Thomas 66’); Vardy (Daka 46’)

CHELSEA 2-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

• Goals: Hakim Ziyech (£7.5m) x2; Lucas Moura (£6.5m), Steven Bergwijn (£6.0m)
• Assists N’Golo Kante (£5.0m), Marcos Alonso (£5.5m); Son Heung-min (£10.0m)

London rivals Chelsea and Spurs shared four goals but the visitors were still without Harry Kane (£12.5m), purportedly in Florida after not reporting back from his summer break.

Son Heung-min (£10.0m) started up front yet again at Stamford Bridge with a back four once more preferred, as it has been throughout pre-season.

Nuno Espirito Santo unsurprisingly offered very little about Kane, telling reporters:

It is not that I don’t want to comment. What I believe is all that all this issue related to Harry I believe we should discuss internally among us and try to avoid any kind of public argument or discussion about it. So, us, we have to focus on what is important. We have to solve the situation but first between us.

Thomas Tuchel stuck with his tried-and-tested 3-4-2-1 and played the likes of Timo Werner (£9.0m), Kai Havertz (£8.5m), N’Golo Kante (£5.0m) and Antonio Rudiger (£5.5m), although no members of England or Italy’s Euro 2020 squad were involved.

Kante set up the first goal, with his interception arriving to the lively Hakim Ziyech (£7.5m) and the Moroccan – arguably Chelsea’s star or pre-season – advancing forward to strike with his left foot. Ziyech made it two following left-sided play between Werner and Marcos Alonso (£5.5m).

“We should have won. I’m very happy with the first 60 minutes, we started very well. We had active ball recoveries, we created good chances, we had good control of the ball, good defending spirit, so for 60 minutes I was very happy. Then we had a lot of changes and unfortunately two big individual mistakes and Tottenham was very efficient to use them and take away a draw. I think today there are a lot of positive things for us to take from this match.” – Thomas Tuchel

Spurs rescued a draw after a raft of substitutions. Dele Alli’s (£6.5m) shot eventually found its way to Lucas Moura (£6.5m), whose shot was heavily deflected into the net. Then Son played in Steven Bergwijn (£6.0m) for a tight-angled strike past Edouard Mendy (£6.0m).

Nuno confirmed after full-time that Hugo Lloris (£5.5m), who missed out against the Blues, was now over his recent injury woes and fit to feature.

Chelsea XI: Mendy; Chalobah (Miazga 80’), Zouma (Ampadu 63’), Rudiger (Sarr 63’); Hudson-Odoi (Pulisic 46’), Kante (Bakayoko 46’), Kovacic (Lotus-Cheek 63’), Alonso (Zappacosta 63’); Ziyech (Anjorin 63’), Havertz (Abraham 63’), Werner (Kenedy 63’)

Tottenham XI: Gollini; Doherty (Aurier 80’), Tanganga, Dier, Reguilon (Davies 73’); Skipp, Hojbjerg (Winks 46’); Lucas Moura, Alli, Bergwijn (Scarlett 80’); Son

SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 LEVANTE

• Goals: Kyle Walker-Peters (£5.0m)
• Assists: Che Adams (£7.0m)

Southampton’s narrow win over Levante was overshadowed by the out-of-nowhere Ings departure. It will leave Saints fans worried about their survival prospects for the season, unless Ralph Hasenhuttl can pull off a spectacular replacement.

As for the on-field action, Kyle Walker-Peters (£5.0m) scored his first goal for the club, latching onto a Che Adams (£7.0m) pass at the halfway line and proceeding unchallenged, before a couple of stepovers opened up a low shot into the far corner.

Hasenhuttl only named four substitutes, with all but ‘out of position’ Fantasy midfielder Nathan Tella (£5.0m) playing 90 minutes.

James Ward-Prowse (£6.5m) missed out with a knee injury again.

“It takes time. I’m not so sure that he (Ward-Prowse) makes the beginning, v Everton, but we will see. It is important that we have him back fully fit.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl

Southampton XI: Forster; Walker-Peters, Stephens, Salisu, Perraud; Elyounoussi, Romeu, Diallo, Redmond; Adams, Tella (Long 83’).

AJAX 4-0 LEEDS UNITED

Marcelo Bielsa named a strong line-up for Leeds’ heavy defeat to Ajax, although is still without England star Kalvin Phillips (£5.0m).

Pascal Struijk (£4.5m) recovered from the knock that forced him off against Real Betis but there was no Diego Llorente (£4.5m), who limped out of the previous pre-season friendly, or Liam Cooper (£4.5m), who hasn’t featured at all this summer.

Those two absentees saw Luke Ayling (£4.5m) again feature at centre-half, while the newly recategorised Stuart Dallas (£5.5m) was back in his old position at left-back, with Junior Firpo (£5.0m) not in the Leeds squad.

Raphinha (£6.5m), Leeds’ likeliest source of inspiration without overly excelling, was replaced at half-time by Helder Costa (£5.5m).

Leeds XI: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Struijk, Dallas; Shackleton (Jenkins 79’); Raphinha (Costa 45’), Rodrigo (Roberts 68’), Klich (McCarron 68’), Harrison; Bamford

WATFORD 4-0 DONCASTER ROVERS

• Goals: Peter Etebo (£4.5m), Troy Deeney (£5.5m), Dan Gosling (£5.0m), Ashley Fletcher (£5.0m)
• Assists: Tom Cleverley (£5.0m), Ismaila Sarr (£6.0m), Trialist

A comfortable training ground win against Doncaster gave Watford their first convincing win of pre-season. Peter Etebo’s (£4.5m) early long-range strike found the top corner, before a powerful Troy Deeney (£5.5m) header converted Tom Cleverley’s (£5.0m) cross.

It was Cleverley who then found Ismaila Sarr (£6.0m) down the right flank, with the Senegal international pulling the ball back to be swept home by Dan Gosling (£5.0m). Ashley Fletcher (£5.0m) scored from the spot after a trialist had been felled.

Watford head coach Xisco continued a pre-season trend of handing pitch-time to pretty much all of his squad, naming two separate line-ups except for Ben Foster (£4.0m) getting the full game in goal.

Club captain Deeney, currently on three consecutive starts, looks the likeliest of the Hornets’ plethora of forwards to get the nod in Gameweek 1.

Watford XI: Foster; Ngakia (Femenia 46’), Troost-Ekong (Sierralta 46’), Kabasele (Agyakwa 46’), Masina (Rose 46’); Cleverley (Baah 46’), Etebo (Dele-Bashiru 46’), Gosling (Dennis 46’ (Trialist 57’)); Sarr (Zinckernagel 46’), Sema (Hernandez 46’), Deeney (Fletcher 46’)

LIVERPOOL 2-0 BOLOGNA
LIVERPOOL 1-0 BOLOGNA

• Goals: Diogo Jota (£7.5m), Sadio Mane (£12.0m) | Takumi Minamino (£5.5m)
• Assists: None | Xherdan Shaqiri (£6.0m)

Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) made his first Liverpool start in 10 months as the Reds played successive friendlies against Bologna.

Each match was 60 minutes in length, with Jurgen Klopp splitting his squad across the two games.

Van Dijk lasted 42 minutes against the Italian club, with fellow returnee Joe Gomez (£5.0m) following suit in the second fixture.

Diogo Jota (£7.5m) started centrally between Sadio Mane (£12.0m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m), with the first two of that trio pouncing on Bologna mistakes to score.

Divock Origi (£5.0m) missed from the spot in the second clash, with the Reds’ usual takers not on the field.

Takumi Minamino (£5.5m) was the eventual match-winner.

Liverpool XI v Bologna (first match): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk (R. Williams 42′), Robertson; Milner, Elliott (Woodburn 50′), Keita; Salah, Mane, Jota

Liverpool XI v Bologna (second match): Alisson (Adrian 31′); N.Williams (Woodburn 43′), Konate, Gomez (Phillips 43′), Tsimikas (Beck 43′); Fabinho (Clarkson 31′), Jones, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Shaqiri (Gordon 31′), Minamino, Firmino (Origi 31′)