In this new series of articles, we assess the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players with significant potential who are expected to return from injury in time for the Gameweek 17 restart.
First up is Luis Diaz (£7.8m), who has been out of action with a knee injury since the 3-2 defeat against Arsenal in October, subsequently missing six Premier League matches before the World Cup break.
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INJURY LATEST
Prior to the World Cup, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Luis Diaz had started running.
Since then, assistant manager Pep Lijnders and journalist Pipe Sierra have provided updates on his progress, with the latter suggesting he will be part of the travelling squad that Liverpool take to Dubai for their mid-season training camp.
“Luis definitely, if everything goes to plan. We can’t wait to see him back, he is this player who smiles when he has the ball at his feet.” – Lijnders when asked if Diaz could play in Dubai
“He came to the national team headquarters to go through rehab and enjoy some holidays. He has returned to Liverpool to finalise the process of rehab. The expectation is that Luis Diaz will be part of the squad that goes to Dubai.” – Pipe Sierra via The Anfield Talk
That should mean Diaz gets some match practice against Lyon (11 Dec) and AC Milan (16 Dec) before the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day. He could even be back in time for the Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City on December 22nd.
2022/23 STATS
Luis Diaz has started all but one of Liverpool’s Premier League matches that he has been available for this season, scoring three goals and assisting two in eight appearances. He also added another in the Champions League.
In that time, he was among the Reds’ best players.
FPL PREVIOUS
“He gets our football, 100 percent. We thought we saw that at Porto, but that it really is like this, I feel lucky as well to be honest. He fits like a glove to our football, and that’s really, really special.” – Klopp on Diaz after his Man of the Match display in the FA Cup final
Diaz made a significant contribution upon his arrival from Porto in January, racking up four goals and three assists in 13 Premier League appearances, averaging 5.4 FPL points per start.
In that time, he ranked second among all team-mates for shots with 38 – only behind Salah’s 59 – while his six big chances were more than FPL rivals like Jarrod Bowen (8.0m) and Bukayo Saka (£8.0m).
As a creator, he also impressed, with his 20 created chances just two short of Salah’s tally, despite making fewer appearances.
It is never easy arriving at a new club in the middle of a season, yet Diaz impressively hit the ground running, even moving Sadio Mane from his familiar role on the left of the attack to the centre.
FPL PROSPECTS
Diaz’s return from injury presents FPL managers with an intriguing mid-price differential, providing he is fit of course.
Priced at just £7.8m and currently owned by only 7.0%, he could offer a value route into Liverpool’s attack as an alternative to Salah or Darwin Nunez (£9.0m).
For example, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur could potentially play twice in Gameweek 20, so if you aren’t planning on captaining Salah in the first few weeks back (which is very feasible), Diaz could provide a cheaper alternative that would allow a Kevin De Bruyne (£12.6m), Erling Haaland (£12.2m) and Harry Kane (£11.6m) triple-up.
Above: A potential ‘threemium’ draft for Gameweek 17 including Luis Diaz
Some form of investment in Liverpool’s attack is probably advisable, too. Despite some indifferent domestic form, they have largely remained very good as an attacking force, ranking fifth for actual goals scored and third for minutes-per-xG, only trailing top two Man City and Arsenal.
Now, Diaz could potentially bring those numbers up further, whilst making Liverpool’s attack more balanced. It’s also worth noting that only seven members of Jurgen Klopp’s squad are at the World Cup, so the Reds’ returning as a different proposition in the second half of the season is realistic, given that they’ll have plenty of time to work on tactics at their training camp.
Saying that, Diaz’s fitness will need to be closely monitored in Dubai and upon his return in the Carabao Cup, given that Klopp does have options to rotate on the left wing. Although Diogo Jota (£8.8m) is not expected to return until late January or February due to a serious calf injury, Nunez, Fabio Carvalho (£5.4m) and Curtis Jones (£4.9m) can all be deployed on the left, allowing Klopp to carefully manage his comeback.
However, the loss of Diaz, who had arguably been Liverpool’s best player this season, was a huge blow for Klopp and getting him up to speed as quickly as possible will surely be a priority, given his importance to the Reds’ attack. That suggests it won’t be long before Diaz is back on the Fantasy radar, adding to the plethora of midfield options managers can choose from with unlimited transfers.
