The early Christmas carnage has commenced as several high-profile Fantasy Premier League (FPL) picks have been benched for the first midweek fixture round of 2024/25.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nicolas Jackson, Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill and Rico Lewis are among the notable names on substitute duty this evening.

Gabriel Magalhaes is meanwhile absent for Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United.

There are six Premier League fixtures in all on Wednesday night:

Above times in GMT

The big question of the evening was how much Enzo Maresca was going to rotate for his first midweek league game as Chelsea boss.

The answer is a lot: there are seven changes in all, although Cole Palmer is one of the four to survive.

Filip Jorgensen, Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku all come into the side.

Only one change is enforced, as Wesley Fofana is injured. The others to make way, Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, Colwill and Jackson, are among the substitutes.

Three of Russell Martin’s four changes are enforced as Tyler Dibling, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes all serve suspensions.

Yukinari Sugawara drops to the bench as James Bree, Nathan Wood, Joe Aribo and Ryan Fraser come into the starting XI.

The crown prince of rotation, Pep Guardiola, has been quite muted compared to what Maresca has served up.

Kevin De Bruyne, Josko Gvardiol, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku are handed recalls.

Lewis, Kyle Walker and Matheus Nunes drop to the bench, while Phil Foden is ill and not in the squad.

Pep’s opposite number, Nuno Espirito Santo, brings in Anthony Elanga, Nicolas Dominguez and Alex Moreno for Callum Hudson-Odoi, Neco Williams and Elliot Anderson.

Alexander Isak has been passed fit so Newcastle United’s only alteration sees Jacob Murphy come in for Joe Willock.

Alexander-Arnold’s place is taken by Jarell Quansah, while Arne Slot also brings in Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones for Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai.

At the Emirates, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko come in for the absent Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori.

Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli also return as Jorginho and Leandro Trossard make way.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has made six changes for the third match in a row.

Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are both suspended, while Amad Diallo, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee have been named among the substitutes.

Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Manuel Ugarte, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho are the beneficiaries of this latest round of rotation.

There are two alterations apiece at Villa Park.

Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey come into the side for the hosts as Jaden Philogene and Pau Torres drop to the bench.

Vitaly Janelt and Yehor Yarmoliuk replace the absent Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard for the visitors.

Finally, at Goodison Park, Everton’s two changes see Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Orel Mangala come in for Beto and Jesper Lindstrom.

There are four alterations for Wolves, too, as Matt Doherty, Craig Dawson, Santiago Bueno and Goncalo Guedes are recalled.

Nelson Semedo is suspended, while Toti Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rodrigo Gomes drop to the bench.

LINE-UPS

Everton XI: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Doucoure, Gueye, Mangala, Ndiaye, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Virginia, Patterson, Harrison, Beto, O’Brien, Broja, Coleman, Lindstrom, Armstrong.

Wolverhampton Wanderers XI: Sa, Doherty, Dawson, Bueno, Ait-Nouri, Joao Gomes, Andre, Lemina, Guedes, Cunha, Larsen.

Subs: Bentley, Johnstone, Toti Gomes, Lima, Doyle, Bellegarde, Hee-chan, Rodrigo Gomes, Forbs.

Manchester City XI: Ortega, Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Gundogan, Grealish, Doku, Haaland. 

Subs: Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, Alex Moreno, Yates, Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Silva, Wood. 

Subs: Awoniyi, Williams, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Morato, Sosa, Moreira, Ward-Prowse, Carlos Miguel.

Newcastle United XI: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Murphy, Gordon, Isak.

Subs: Dubravka, Wilson, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff.

Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Gomez, Van Dijk, Quansah, Robertson, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.

Subs: Jaros, Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Nallo, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Nyoni.

Southampton XI: Lumley, Walker-Peters, Bree, Stephens, Wood, Manning, Fernandes, Aribo, Armstrong, Archer, Fraser.

Subs: McCarthy, Edwards, Sugawara, Diaz, Sulemana, Taylor, Cornet, Amo-Ameyaw, O’Brien-Whitmarsh.

Chelsea XI: Jorgensen, Gusto, Disasi, Tosin, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Madueke, Palmer, Felix; Nkunku.

Subs: Sanchez, Badiashile, Colwill, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, Neto, Sancho, Jackson.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz.

Subs: Neto, Tierney, Jesus, Trossard, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Nwaneri, Heaven.

Manchester United XI: Onana, Dalot, Mazaraoui, De Ligt, Maguire, Malacia, Ugarte, Fernandes, Mount, Garnacho, Hojlund.

Subs: Bayindir, Rashford, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Yoro, Diallo, Casemiro, Antony, Kukonki.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, Rogers, McGinn, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Carlos, Barkley, Duran, Buendia, Torres, Philogene, Maatsen, Bogarde.

Brentford XI: Flekken, Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Yarmoliuk, Janelt, Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Thiago, Fabio Carvalho, Mee, Meghoma, Konak , Trevitt, Roerslev, Maghoma.

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