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FPL Daily: Man City injury updates, Liverpool’s midweek minutes

We round up the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points of the day in FPL Daily, a series that services weekdays where there is no press conference round-up or Premier League match.

WALKER/STONES INJURY LATEST

In his Champions League pre-match press conference, Pep Guardiola provided injury updates on Kyle Walker (£5.4m) and John Stones (£5.2m).

Walker, who has not featured since suffering an ankle injury at Atletico Madrid last month, trained on Tuesday morning and will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness.

Stones, however, is definitely out after suffering a recurrence of his ankle injury in the first leg last week.

“He trained and he is going to travel and tomorrow we will decide. He was three weeks without training but happy he is back and hopefully he will be in contention.” – Pep Guardiola on Kyle Walker

“No, not ready.” – Pep Guardiola on John Stones

Nathan Ake (£4.7m), who hobbled from the field of play in Saturday’s win over Leeds United, was also pictured training on Tuesday.

While not significant FPL targets themselves, the availability (or lack thereof) of Messrs Ake, Stones and Walker are potentially significant regarding the game-time prospects of Joao Cancelo (£6.0m), Aymeric Laporte (£7.2m) et al ahead of the Double Gameweek 36.

Cancelo and Laporte have both started over 93% of the league matches that they have been available for this season – but it would certainly help their FPL owners sleep that bit easier at night if their positional rivals were sidelined for the upcoming ‘double’.

DE BRUYNE ON FITNESS

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m) has been in excellent form of late, producing eight attacking returns in his last six Premier League starts.

However, he was rested against Leeds United in Gameweek 35, with the playmaker discussing his fitness on Tuesday.

“Fresh in the end of the season is always debatable but I feel good. I got a lot of kicks in the Atletico (Madrid) game and some after but I feel fine. I’ve been playing well, playing lots of games so I am happy.

The first months were really hard. I’d never experienced the pain I experienced back then. I was trying to come back but I was in pain with my ankle every day. It wasn’t something I enjoyed. Mentally, it was hard also to overcome that but once the pain was gone after a few months, I started to feel more confident in myself, in my body and get back to where I belong.

Now playing all these games week in, week out, I feel back to the level I was at before. I try to be as constant as I can and this year, I have managed myself pretty well.

I am lucky to come across a manager who plays the way I like to play – that makes it handy for me. He doesn’t look at individual basis – it’s whatever suits the team. It depends on game to game: sometimes, I have been lower back, at other times higher; in the side, the middle… Whatever the team needs, I will help.” – Kevin De Bruyne

LIVERPOOL PROGRESS TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Liverpool made it through to the UEFA Champions League final for the third time in five years but not without being given a scare in the second leg of their semi-final tie against Villarreal.

The Reds were 2-0 down to, and level on aggregate with, their Spanish opponents at half-time of Tuesday’s game, assuring their passage to Saint-Denis with a three-goal salvo midway through the second half.

As far as pitch-time goes ahead of Double Gameweek 36, there were 90-minute run-outs for Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m), Mohamed Salah (£13.3m) and Sadio Mane (£11.7m) – although the first two of those had been given a breather in Gameweek 35.

Mane has now started the last six Liverpool matches in a row and the same is true of Andrew Robertson (£7.3m), who was substituted after 80 minutes of Tuesday’s win in Estadio de la Cerámica.

Joel Matip (£5.2m) owners were once again the big teamsheet winners as the Cameroonian stopper was benched, as he so often is outside of the Premier League.

Luis Diaz (£8.0m) meanwhile looks a good bet for starting against Spurs this weekend, having come off the bench against Villarreal to make a match-changing contribution in the second half.

“He had a massive impact. But what I don’t like about this is the next story is around that Diogo Jota was our problem: he was not at all our problem, we just had to mix it up. We had 11 problems, if you want, in the first half. We just had to mix it up, you can do that with explaining, what I did obviously, but you need then fresh input as well. Sadio all of a sudden was involved in the game, that was nothing to do with the position, it must have been a misunderstanding. For specific situations I wanted Mo and Sadio high and wide, but not in open play situations. So even after working for so long together… it’s just because it means so much, that’s how it is, it means so much. First half all of a sudden we were not ourselves but second half we were ourselves and that’s why we won the game. Yes, of course, Luis, what a goal and he had a few more situations. I think the first one he takes with a bicycle kick, if he takes that on the chest he can score already. So yeah, top performance.” – Jurgen Klopp on Luis Diaz

508 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Jeremy Corbyn
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Kane and Schar to Vardy and Cancelo (-4). FH37.
    Aye or Nay?

    1. Kryptonite666
      • 4 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      No way Vardy plays 180 minutes after coming back from injury and the semi-final of the ECL

    2. Stranger Mings
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      No ideally want to keep Kane

    3. Arn De Gothia
      • 13 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      no

    4. Malaikat Jihad
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Vardy's game time will be carefully managed.

  2. Kryptonite666
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Reposting for more opinions

    Dubravka to Pickford
    Amartey to Matip
    Werner to Nketiah
    Broja to Richarlison

    for a -12 for a BB team. Thoughts ?

    1. Haalander
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Yea you’ll have a much stronger squad

    2. Pino
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Do it

  3. drughi
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Will schmeichel outscore ramsdale by 4 points ?

    1. Haalander
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      You would think so based on the fixtures however the back line is going to completely change from one game to the next so it’s the defence which might be the problem in keeping cleanies. Over the two game weeks I would think so yes

      1. drughi
        • 14 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Its Close but gotta factor in another double in gw 37

  4. John Colby (Capt)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Which is the better option please for BB this week:

    Mount / Dobbin to Gordon / Richarlison and have all 4 bench players playing or

    Cancelo / Pukki to Dias / Richarlison and have just 3 bench players playing (Dobbin being the 4th).

    1. Haalander
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Tough to call but I’d go the first option as mount may not play the second game of the double

      1. John Colby (Capt)
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Cheers mate. Yeah while Pukki isn’t a great option there probably will be goals in both his fixtures- it’s a question of whether he’ll be among them or not.

    2. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      A for sure.
      B looks quite bad option and I wouldn’t be surprised if Cancelo/Pukki outscore other two in GW36. Not to mention extra player you are getting in option A.

  5. Stranger Mings
    • 3 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    BbDGW36 raph, havertz, Werner&Broja to Gordon,salah, Nketiah&gelhardt -8? I know gelhardt but get min of 2 so better than Broja?!Thanks

  6. drughi
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Need some advice here, No chips 1 FT and 1.1 itb

    Ramsdale
    TAA VVD James
    Salah Son(c) Raphinha Saka
    Weghorst* Pukki Watkins

    Sa Coady Ramsey Doherty

    A. Weghorst >richarlison
    B. Weghorst and coady > nkethia and Laporte -4 (bench nkethia or Pukki)
    C. Weghorst, sa and coady > nkethia, pickford and Cancelo -8 (bench nkethia Pukki)

    1. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      A

  7. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Would this team be good enough for 36?
    No BB and saving FH.

    Ramsdale*
    James* Cancelo* TAA*
    Salah* Mount* Kulu* Saka*
    Kane* Nketiah* Toney

    Foster* Ramsey* Thomas* Schar

    1. Indpush
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Yes

  8. tc93
    • 5 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    BB 36 (and FH 37). 2FT, 0.0 ITB.:

    Ramsdale / Foster
    TAA / Robbo / Cancelo / James / Schar
    Salah / Mount / Barnes / Kulisevski / Saka
    Kane / Greenwood / Broja

    1 or 2?:

    1) Greenwood + Barnes + Broja + Schar --> Nketiah + Gordon + Pukki + Dgw Def under 4.6m (reccomendations?) for -8
    or
    2) Kane + Barnes + Broja + Schar --> Richarlison + Gordon + Nketiah + Mount --> Richarlison (if not suspended) + KDB (C) + Nketiah + Laporte for -12

  9. Bolton’s Wanderers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Which do you think is a better option on a BB? Will FH37 and they will be bench players for 38.

    A - Kulu and Tsimikas
    B - Gordon and Matip/Cash (-4)

    1. Wild Card this!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      B

  10. mikeline
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Cant decide what to do???

    A Havertz to Foden - 4 and captain Mané

    B Mané to KDB -4 and captain KDB?

    C Do nothing

    Schmeichel
    Trent, Robbo, Cancelo, Laporte
    Mané, Havertz, Mount, Saka
    Nketia, Kane

    1. cravencottage
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      B- KDB better captain choice

  11. J to the T
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    A) Ronaldo Elanga to Jesus Diaz (-4)?
    B) Ronaldo elanga Robbo to Jesus Son Matip/Alonso/Laporte (-8)

    With Robertson looking likely to get a rest and the upside of Son is the extra hit justified?
    Planning to FH37 so these moves are for 36 and 38 only

    1. cravencottage
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      A- Robertson may not get rested

  12. LIH0U
    • 3 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    A) Mateta, Havertz & White > Nketiah, Gordon & Laporte (-4)
    B) Mateta & Barnes > Richarlison/Nketiah & Gordon
    C ) Mateta & Havertz > Nketiah & Foden

    Thoughts? Any of the above give me 15 DGWers, just minutes concerns on Havertz, Barnes & Alonso - Will see how Leicester do in Europe before making any moves ofc

    1. LIH0U
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Currently looking at BB of
      Schmeichel
      Alonso Cancelo Rudiger Robertson
      Havertz Saka Salah(C) Kulu Barnes
      Kane

      Foster White Pukki Mateta

  13. cravencottage
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Werner >
    A) Richarlison
    B) Jesus