Fitness updates on James, Vardy, Maddison, Fraser and Bamford after Gameweek 28

We recap some key manager and player quotes that you may have missed from the weekend’s football, with the focus on what it means from a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective.

For a summary of the on-field action, injury news from the weekend’s games and other instant post-match reaction, check out our Scout Notes via the links below:

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JAMES TO START ON THURSDAY?

Reece James (£6.2m) has done enough already to make his Gameweek 28 an unmitigated success but he and Chelsea still have another match to go, of course, and all eyes will be on Thomas Tuchel’s teamsheet on Thursday night.

James’s recent return from injury led to much speculation about his pitch-time in the current Gameweek (and the next one) but his 70th-minute withdrawal at Turf Moor on Saturday and some positive-sounding comments from his manager suggest that a start at Norwich is looking more likely.

“I said it many times, I think the biggest struggle in this season up to this moment, and it’s not finished, was the long-term injuries of key players and of course Reecey is one of the key players and also Ben Chilwell.

“The good thing is we took Reece off and I think it makes a huge difference at the moment for him if he plays 65 or 70 minutes, not 90 minutes, which is now quite ideal because we have four days in between before Norwich, which should give us the possibility that he plays again in Norwich.

“Of course, we have to take care as far as we can take care about him, and we cannot right now over-use him.” – Thomas Tuchel

James did cause mild alarm when revealing that he had picked up a knock in the 4-0 win over Burnley but he downplayed the severity of it.

“It has been a while since I have played in the Premier League and I am happy to be back fit again and to help the team out. I picked up a bit of a knock [against Burnley] but it is alright now and we move on to the next game.” – Reece James

Tuchel also confirmed that the reason for Marcos Alonso’s (£5.6m) recent absence from the team, including for the victory at Turf Moor, is down to the Spaniard suffering from Covid.

A start on Thursday for the defender looks unlikely, given that he continues to suffer symptoms.

“Marcos is still ill. He has quite a lot of Covid symptoms so he’s absolutely not able to do training or a game.” – Thomas Tuchel

HAVERTZ OOP TO CONTINUE?

Kai Havertz (£7.8m) doubled his goal tally for the season with a brace at Burnley and he was again deployed ‘out of position’ up front for Chelsea, continuing the excellent form he has shown in the cup competitions at home and abroad in the last month.

A week is a long time when it comes to Tuchel’s good books and FPL targets from Chelsea but a continuation of this purple patch would be welcome for Gameweek 31 onwards, given the Blues’ favourable run and the promise of two more Double Gameweeks.

“He gives a lot of intensity, he’s involved in goals and he scored again, so it’s a very good moment and it’s on him to keep on going.

“This is how it is. We played the last cup match without him, Timo was very strong and was very close to starting today, Romelu got his goal and we will need everybody, but at the moment Kai is in a very good shape.” – Thomas Tuchel on Kai Havertz

MADDISON SET TO BE FIT BEFORE GAMEWEEK 30

James Maddison (£6.8m) and Jamie Vardy (£10.3m) are set to be big transfer targets for FPL managers in Gameweek 30, when Leicester are one of just eight teams in action.

Fitness concerns over the pair linger, however, and were addressed by Brendan Rodgers after Saturday’s game.

Maddison was again absent from the Leicester starting XI and indeed the matchday squad for their win over Leeds, with a back/hamstring injury to blame for his latest omission.

“Hopefully, he’ll be ok for Thursday. He just felt his lower back, the top of his hamstring and the medics said it was probably just too big of a risk for today.” – Brendan Rodgers on James Maddison

Vardy meanwhile was hooked on the hour mark upon his first start for two months, although the substitution was pre-planned.

It’s worth monitoring how Leicester manage Vardy’s minutes in Europe now that they’re progressing to the latter stages of the Conference League, as matches on the continent were using to spare the veteran forward earlier in the campaign.

“The plan was to get him off at around the hour mark, with obviously playing during the week. I think we’ve got to be careful with him now he’s coming back, but he gave us a good hour or so and I think he’s ok.” – Brendan Rodgers on Jamie Vardy

Another tempting FPL asset for Gameweek 30 and the run-in, the in-form goalscorer Harvey Barnes (£6.5m), meanwhile discussed the effect that confidence is having on his game at present.

“There’s still more to come, but I’d like to think over the past few months I’m starting to get that consistency again, and that real confidence in my game.

“I think the first half of the season, I was getting frustrated when things weren’t quite coming off and my game wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be, but I think over the last few months, I’m starting to feel that my game is coming back.

“Hopefully that’s shown in games, and hopefully I can add as many goals and assists as I can to help the team for the rest of the season.” – Harvey Barnes

BAMFORD STILL A WAY OFF FULL FITNESS

Leeds needed a goal in the final quarter of the game at Leicester on Saturday but tellingly didn’t turn to Patrick Bamford (£7.7m), who was named among the substitutes at the King Power Stadium.

FPL managers hoping that Bamford might be the answer to their prayers in the problem forward position would be best advised to wait a little longer before considering the Leeds striker for a transfer, as he seems set for more bench duty before being deemed match-fit enough for a start.

“Patrick was [able to do a] maximum of 10 minutes, so obviously we want to get him on the pitch as quickly as we possibly can but I felt we needed to make a change before that ten minute mark. Then of course we put Tyler on the pitch and it leads to him having a weird collision inside the box and him having a little bit of a hamstring strain and then we’re almost playing a man down for the last phase. Patrick is back in training, he will continue to progress more and more, we’ll get him fitter and fitter and sharper and sharper and then we will be able to rely on him in these 11 games.

“I don’t think Patrick’s ready to be on from the start, let’s see how the week goes but certainly, I think he’ll be ready to put in some minutes come Thursday.” – Jesse Marsch

IMPORTANCE OF SALISU TO SAINTS’ DEFENCE

Southampton’s excellent run of form came crashing to a halt on Saturday at Villa Park.

Villa’s extra preparation time was cited as a factor by Ralph Hasenhuttl, whose side played in the FA Cup in midweek, but the absence of key centre-half Mohammed Salisu (£4.5m) was arguably just as pertinent.

Saints are still assessing the severity of Salisu’s problem and any significant length of absence would be something to consider for owners of Tino Livramento (£4.4m) and co.

“The first thing is to fight in the game, with the duels. We missed Sali (Mohammed Salisu) today at the back. And definitely something where we struggled in the first half.”

“He is an important defender for us, this is no question.

“But also with a back three, then we conceded two goals. So it was the whole defensive work which was not good enough today.” – Ralph Hasenhuttl

FRASER A FITNESS CONCERN

Ryan Fraser (£5.3m) made it five returns in as many games with a goal and an assist on Saturday but he was one of the players who was struggling for fitness at the end of the game against Brighton.

Another Double Gameweek beckons for the Magpies but the first fixture of that – away at Chelsea – follows less than 72 hours after the trip to Southampton on Thursday, so there could be a spot of rotation in one of the next two games.

If Fraser starts at St Mary’s and gets a lengthy run-out, for instance, there’d have to be some concern about pitch-time in the first half of Double Gameweek 29.

“I don’t know (if he’ll be OK for Thursday)I’ll have to speak to him. I think there are a few boys in the dressing room that are nursing little things today.

“You saw a few of them stretching on the pitch. It must have been a big, physical effort for us, so there were a few players right on the edge.

“Hopefully Ryan will be OK but I don’t know.” – Eddie Howe

WOLVES ON THE BEACH?

Amid the fuss kicked up by Bruno Lage’s remarkable tirade against Ki-Jana Hoever (£3.9m) on Saturday, it was easy to not notice the Wolves boss questioning the wider attitude of his players.

The final quarter of the season is generally when we start to think about players being ‘on the beach’, when safety is ensured and/or when European qualification is out of grasp.

Wolves look prime candidates for that and even Lage floated that idea after the match on Saturday, challenging his players to prove him wrong in the second Gameweek 28 fixture later in the week.

“I need to understand how my players are comfortable with 40 points and if they have ambition to go to the next level. Or, if they are very happy with what we are doing.

“We can look at the end of the season and if we finish fourth we get Champions League with Wolves, or can finish sixth or seventh and play in the Uefa Cup.

“Someone also asked me how important finishing eighth is.

“Every time is a time to learn and now I need to understand the behaviour of my players after this game. I hope we can learn and on Thursday night (against Watford) the players give me the right answer.” – Bruno Lage