Before the rumoured bedlam that will erupt with the release of the Manchester City teamsheet, we’ve got a more low-key start to Gameweek 23.
West Ham United v Sunderland gets us underway at 12.30pm GMT.
TEAM NEWS
The team news is fairly straightforward in east London, with West Ham unsurprisingly unchanged from their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but has to settle for a place on the bench. Ollie Scarles keeps his place at left-back.
Lucas Paqueta‘s absence was confirmed by Nuno Espirito Santo on Thursday.
Something that Regis Le Bris didn’t do on the same day was divulge information about Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss international, one of just four Fantasy midfielders who were ever-present starters this season, misses out through injury.
Eliezer Mayenda takes his place.
That’s the only change from Gameweek 22.
The Black Cats have two of their own returning AFCON representatives on the bench, namely Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi.
The Gameweek 23 matches are a re-run of the opening weekend of the season. In the reverse fixture of this encounter, Sunderland beat West Ham 3-0 on Wearside.
LINE-UPS
West Ham XI: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Mavropanos, Scarles, Soucek, Fernandes, Bowen, Pablo, Summerville, Castellanos.
Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Ward-Prowse, Wilson, Diouf, Magassa, Potts, Kante.
Sunderland XI: Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Hume, Sadiki, Le Fee, Mundle, Mayenda, Brobbey.
Subs: Patterson, O’Nien, Geertruida, Cirkin, Rigg, Diarra, Adingra, Isidor, Talbi.
- READ MORE: The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 23
