Dugout Discussion

Wednesday team news: Alonso and Mount start, Havertz benched again

Four Premier League matches take place on Wednesday evening as a mammoth Gameweek 36 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) slowly winds its way to a conclusion.

The north London derby will draw the Gameweek to a close tomorrow but there is plenty of Fantasy interest in tonight’s fixtures, with eight of the 12 ‘doublers’ in action.

Leeds United v Chelsea gets us underway at 19:30 BST, with Leicester City v Norwich City and Watford v Everton kicking off a quarter of an hour later. Finally, Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City starts at 20:15 BST.

As for the team news, Thomas Tuchel has made four changes from the Blues’ disappointing 2-2 draw with Wolves.

Mason Mount is recalled along with Jorginho, Andreas Christensen and Trevoh Chalobah, as Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Timo Werner drop to the bench.

Marcos Alonso keeps his place as Tuchel attempts to draw a line under the tiff that he and the Spaniard had in the first half of Saturday’s game, while Kai Havertz has to again make do with a place among the substitutes.

Jesse Marsch has matched his opposite number and made four changes from the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Rodrigo, Liam Cooper, Lewis Bate and Pascal Struijk come in for Junior Firpo, Mateusz Klich, Joe Gelhardt and the banned Luke Ayling.

The changes are plentiful at the King Power Stadium, too. Brendan Rodgers has made five of them, with James Maddison and James Justin both returning from injury to start.

Jamie Vardy, Harvey Barnes and Ademola Lookman also come into the team, as Wesley Fofana, Kelechi Iheanacho, Patson Daka, Ayoze Perez and Nampalys Mendy drop out. Fofana doesn’t even make the bench.

Dean Smith recalls Angus Gunn, Lukas Rupp, Dimitris Giannoulis and full debutant Tony Springett at the expense of the benched Tim Krul, Brandon Williams, Jacob Sørensen and Kieran Dowell.

Roy Hodgson has beaten all of the above managers for team tinkering, making seven alterations – six of which are enforced.

Jeremy Ngakia, Joao Pedro, Adam Masina, Ken Sema, Dan Gosling, Christian Kabasele and Samuel Kalu all start at Vicarage Road.

Craig Cathcart drops to the bench, while Kiko Femenia, Hassane Kamara, Tom Cleverley, Ismaila Sarr, Josh King and Emmanuel Dennis are absent through either suspension, illness or injury.

Frank Lampard, by contrast, makes just one tweak to his starting XI, and that too is enforced.

Yerry Mina is ruled out because of a minor calf injury, so the Colombian is replaced by Michael Keane at the back.

In the late kick-off, expected recalls for Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden have materialised. The benched Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus and the injured Ruben Dias drop out.

There is again no place in the starting XI for Riyad Mahrez, however; that’s a fourth straight Premier League benching for the Algerian.

A ‘working from home’ Bruno Lage, still ill with Covid, has kept the Wolves changes to a bare minimum, as Chiquinho makes his first Premier League start in place of the injured Romain Saiss.

GAMEWEEK 36 LINE-UPS

Leeds United XI: Meslier, Koch, Cooper, Llorente, Struijk, Bate, Phillips, Harrison, Raphinha, Rodrigo, James.

Subs: Klaesson, Firpo, Gelhardt, Hjelde, Cresswell, Greenwood, Klich, Shackleton, Gray.

Chelsea XI: Mendy, Chalobah, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso, James, Kovacic, Jorginho, Pulisic, Mount, Lukaku.

Subs: Kepa, Silva, Werner, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Ziyech, Azpilicueta, Havertz, Sarr.


Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Justin, Amartey, Evans, Castagne, Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Vardy, Lookman, Barnes.

Subs: Ward, Soyuncu, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Perez, Mendy, Daka, Thomas.

Norwich City XI: Gunn, Aarons, Hanley, Byram, Giannoulis, Rupp, Gilmour, Springett, Lees-Melou, Rashica, Pukki.

Subs: Krul, Gibson, Dowell, Placheta, Tzolis, Sorensen, Williams, Gibbs, Rowe.


Watford XI: Foster, Masina, Kabasele, Samir, Sema, Ngakia, Gosling, Sissoko, Kayembe, Kalu, Pedro.

Subs: Bachmann, Etebo, Ekong, Cathcart, Sierralta, Morris, Çukur, Blake, Grieves.

Everton XI: Pickford, Iwobi, Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Mykolenko, Gordon, Doucoure, Delph, Gray, Richarlison.

Subs: Begovic, Kenny, Allan, Calvert-Lewin, Gomes, Davies, Branthwaite, Rondon, Alli.


Wolverhampton Wanderers XI: Jose Sa, Boly, Coady, Jonny, Chiquinho, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Ait-Nouri, Jimenez, Neto.

Subs: Ruddy, Hoever, Marcal, Trincao, Mosquera, Silva, Toti, Hee-Chan, Cundle.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Fernandinho, Laporte, Zinchenko, Rodri, Gundogan, Sterling, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden.

Subs: Steffen, Ake, Jesus, Grealish, Mahrez, Egan-Riley, Mbete, Palmer, Lavia.

1,909 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Raphinha RWB 😮

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Savage player. Where will he be in August?

      1. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        Hopefully in the Prem somewhere. Barca maybe?

  2. Eze Really?
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Posted on the last article:
    A Caveat to the noise surrounding Zaha.
    I can hardly look at the home page of a YouTube video without seeing Zaha's face. Deemed essential by most; what about the down sides:
    He plays for Palace who are very poor away from home.
    You will probably be batting against your own defenders.
    His XGI is poor and with penalties a 40% chance of missing one.
    Can you really move out a similar priced player such as Kulu who could well outscore with one GW.
    Supposedly playing down the middle but not in the last game.
    If you wanna make ground, miss him out maybe.
    At least he plays ManU in 38 (smile)

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      If he was that good United wouldn't have sold him and he wouldn't be with Palace. A class footballer when he's on it but not consistent enough.

      1. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        THIS^^^^^^^^

    2. putana
      • 5 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      he has a double then plays one of the worst defensive teams in gw 38. Already have kulu and saka, so he is the best option to get in place of coutinho

      1. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        There will be 60 players 9most very average who have a double. He has always been a troll for me.

    3. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Hate caveats, prefer a nice woolly scarf tbh.

      1. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        I am hurt you don't like me!

        1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
          • 6 Years
          1 year, 10 months ago

          🙂

  3. Hy liverpool
    • 10 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    James a
    Mount g

  4. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    MOUNT G
    JAMES A

  5. asr
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Mount you beauty!

  6. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Finally Mount repays his good stats!

    James might beat a score of two tonight too...

  7. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Perfect 😎

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      8+ point goal 🙂

  8. Cilly Bonnolly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Woohoo Mount!

  9. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cheers Mason

  10. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Why is Pep benching one of his top goal scorers for second game running and playing Sterling who has has been messing up so many chances. Is Mahrez in the bad books or about to move on?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Pep can't be predicted.

      There are no reasons to his workings.

    2. thegame983
      • 7 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      I firmly believe Pep doesn't like football

    3. Stranger Mings
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Resting him for CL

    4. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      The FPL elite have dirt on him. They control his team picks now. It was on Twitter along with the Euro millions numbers. Actually we've a better chance of predicting them than City 11.

  11. COLLIN QUANER
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    James babyyyyyy. We feasting good tonight!!!

  12. -GK22-
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Bloody mahrez

  13. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Bloody finally some returns from Chelsea for me….

    A week late given I captained you last week Mason, but I’ll take any points I can get this week.

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

    Nope. A big no. Terrible goal for me. Even more needed from Kdb now. Unrealistic expectations by now. 😀

  15. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Which combo on FH?

    A) Robbo and Maddison
    B) TAA and Kulu

  16. Salan
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Good start (second half of dgw)

  17. Salan
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Hope Chelsea can win a 0:7

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

      Leeds 7 Chelsea 1 would be better

  18. FantasyTony
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Gotta feel sorry for coach Marsch.

    Bielsa was turning water into wine with that squad last year.

    1. Stranger Mings
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      He had a forward too

    2. Nate(U)dog(ie)
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      I feel sorry for him to an extent but I don't think he's helped himself of late. Talking about taking inspiration from Ali and Ghandi is a bit embarrassing, and taking off your striker when a man down is understandable, but when your GD is at least 16 worse off than your nearest rivals and you desperately need points, then I think you have to just go for it, and he did the opposite.

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

        I agree that he went a bit Ted Lasso in the press conferences but it's going for it that got them that goal difference.

        Given where they were relative to Burnley and Everton, playing it safe was probably the best option. Just didn't have the players to make it work.

    3. Chiellini Me Softly
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      He seems like a good egg and all but when he’s playing Raphinha at RWB you can’t feel sorry for him! Surely Dan James would have done better there?! Should never have sacked Magic Marcelo.

  19. Nate(U)dog(ie)
    • 3 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    How James will manage to continue the 2/1/0 pointers from this position will be like watching a magician reveal his tricks

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      It’s -1 next …

      1. Eh, just one more thing ...
        • 12 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        Oh balls … bit late to the party I am.

  20. djman102
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Holding off on James -> Cancelo just MIGHT not hurt me.

    Also, if Mahrez doesn't come on, (C) moves to Son. I'm not holding my breath.

  21. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    As far as ML goes Mount G / James A is about as bad as it can get

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

      Yep.

      1. Philosopher's Stones
        • 3 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        KDB vs Foden a big battle in my ML. ML leader has KDB (c) + Cancelo, I have Foden + Cancelo (C)

  22. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Mount almost again!

  23. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Mount donkey.

    1. NorCal Villan
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      In Tijuana the donkey does the mounting

  24. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Finally James! Also well done profile pic.

  25. Mighty Banana
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Am I the only one bugged by the green lines on the pitch?

  26. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    James is usually 1 point or 20 so looks like a good night for him!

    1. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Could still get a red

      1. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        After his OG.

    2. Nate(U)dog(ie)
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      OG + red card?

    3. fplgaruda
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Many good wishes above. Hope is fulfilled tonight

  27. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Phillips couldn't get near Øde at the weekend and Mount is running riot here too...

  28. Sgt. Schultz
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Raph without a YC would b a win at this rate

  29. dshv
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Kdb or Kane on FH (cancelo son owner)

    1. Philosopher's Stones
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      Kane

  30. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Mount and James !

    Not a bad start