Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony are amongst the goals as Man City breeze into the Champions League knockout stages. Wayne Rooney heads United to victory over CSKA, Hector Bellerin is a doubt for the weekend north London derby, whilst Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro are back in full training for Chelsea.

City Shine in Sevilla

Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho and Wilfried Bony all graced the scoreboard as Manchester City recorded a comfortable 3-1 victory over Sevilla. Fernandinho supplied the ammunition for Sterling’s opening strike, while Jesus Navas claimed the assist for Bony’s maiden Champions League goal. Kevin De Bruyne was demoted to the bench for tactical reasons as Manuel Pellegrini opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with the pace of Sterling and Jesus Navas utilised on the flanks.

Discussing his change in set-up, the Chilean went on to say:

“We had changed the way were playing and I was really pleased with the way the three midfielders played and pressed higher. Sevilla couldn’t cope with it. We had prepared to play one-touch football and that was the reason we created so many chances. We defended well too and dominated possession. I changed the system because I was not happy in the way we were playing against United and Norwich – it was not the team we normally see. Today, we returned to our normal style of play and tried to dominate possession”.

The Scout Says: Despite failing to card any attacking returns for his 90,000 new owners against Norwich City last weekend, Bony ranked top among forwards for attempts (nine) and shots inside the box (six). Ally that with his clinical finish against Los Rojiblancos and the signs look positive ahead of a trip to Aston Villa, who haven’t recorded a clean sheet since Gameweek 1. Casting our attention towards the Sky Blues’ midfield, Sterling remains a viable alternative to the prime pick, De Bruyne, given his recent improvement on the finishing front. Valued at 8.9, the former Liverpool winger has already grabbed six goals in all competitions for Man City and is clearly benefiting from the wealth of chances they create. De Bruyne earned just 17 minutes off the bench last night and his owners will be happy with his midweek lack of action, ensuring he’s well-rested for the weekend trip to Villa.

Rooney Rescues Red Devils

Wayne Rooney netted United’s first goal – courtesy of a Jesse Lingard assist – in four matches to grant them a 1-0 home victory over CSKA Moscow. Louis van Gaal rested Matteo Darmian and favoured Daley Blind as the partner to Chris Smalling in central defence, whilst Rooney tucked in behind Anthony Martial in a central role before the latter made way for Marouane Fellaini at the 66-minute mark.

The Scout Says: Van Gaal’s decision to afford Martial a central berth offers hope to his 23% ownership that the same set-up could be employed in the league. The France international notched two goals and an assist in his three starts at the lone striker berth but has since drawn three blanks while stationed out on the left wing. This week alone, nearly 75,000 Fantasy managers have cut their ties with the 8.1-priced marksman despite the favourable nature of the Red Devils’ upcoming match-ups (WBA, wat, lei, WHU, bou, NOR). In light of that alluring schedule, patient Martial owners who’ve kept faith in their man could profit from a tactical shift next time out. Last night’s result means that Van Gaal’s side have conceded just once in their last six in all competitions. Whilst Smalling’s 6.5 price tag is a bit too steep for some, his security of starts makes him the strongest backline option, though Marcos Rojo (5.4) has now started the last three since returning from injury.

Wickham Handed Reserves Run Out

Connor Wickham stepped up his rehabilitation from a calf injury with a 60-minute run-out for Crystal Palace’s development side in a 1-0 loss to Bristol City. The former Sunderland frontman is eager to return to first-team action but admits that he’s a few weeks away from being fully fit:

“On a personal note, it was good for me to be back out there. It felt good, I felt good. Obviously, I’m not as fit or as sharp as I will be in a few weeks’ time, but it’s all just a work in progress, and I’m happy to be back. I’m back playing because I’m fit. I’m injury-free, touch wood, hopefully [I’ll be back soon] – the sooner the better.”

The Scout Says: Following a strong start to the campaign that harvested eight goals in four outings, the Eagles are in serious need of a shake-up in the forward positions. Since Gameweek 5, no team has notched fewer goals than Palace (four) or possesses a worse shot-conversion rate (4.8%). Although Wickham (5.5) is unlikely to attract much investment on the Fantasy market, the introduction of a genuine target man would furnish the Eagles’ attack with focal point – they won 2-1 at Chelsea in his last appearance before injury. With back-to-back home clashes against Sunderland and Newcastle over Gameweek 13-14, his return would clearly hand Alan Pardew’s side a much-needed boost.

Ivanovic and Pedro back in training

Branislav Ivanovic and Pedro both returned to training on Tuesday morning and could be made available for Chelsea’s clash with Dynamo Kiev this evening.

The Scout Says: Despite some questionable displays at right-back this season, Ivanovic has retained the faith of Jose Mourinho and had played every minute of the first eight Gameweeks before succumbing to injury. With the Serbian (now down to 6.5 in FPL) back in the mix, Kurt Zouma could battle John Terry and Gary Cahill for a start in the middle as the Blues prepare for some excellent upcoming fixtures. Pedro’s return will raise further question marks over Eden Hazard’s security of starts. The Belgian was benched in the last league match that Pedro was available for and was hauled off on 59 minutes at home to Liverpool last weekend. That being said, Hazard could retain last weekend’s central position behind the lone striker, thus allowing Pedro and Willian to take up the flank roles as Mourinho attempts to arrest his side’s alarming decline.

Henderson and Sturridge Close to Return

Reports suggest that Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge could return from injury when Liverpool travel to Manchester City (Gameweek 13) after the international break.

The Scout Says: Henderson looks tailor-made for Jurgen Klopp’s much-vaunted high-pressing system, so it will be fascinating to observe what impact the Reds captain has upon his reintroduction. Now priced at 6.6 due to his recent activity, Henderson – who bagged six goals and 10 assists in the previous campaign and is on penalty duty – could serve as an enticing mid-priced route into an attack that showed signs of resurgence last week, placing third for shots on target (seven). Sturridge could emerge as a profitable differential, yet his proclivity for injury setbacks ensures that his recruitment carries a heavy risk – albeit one that could pay dividends for the more adventurous manager. Christian Benteke has bagged two goals and an assist in the last two under Klopp – despite being introduced off the bench on both occasions – and is staking a strong claim for the lone striker role as he steps up his fitness from a minor knee problem.

Mixed News for Martinez

Having been withdrawn after 25 minutes of Everton’s home tie against Sunderland, Bryan Oviedo is set to undergo a scan on his hamstring complaint. Roberto Martinez is confident, however, that Costa Rican defender’s injury isn’t that serious. Elsewhere among the Toffees rearguard, Leighton Baines ramped up his recovery by training with the first team:

“It is a sad incident because of Bryan’s previous problems. He has been fighting to get fit after the horrific break that he had. It seems that when you come back from a long-term injury like that, the whole mechanics of your body suffer a little bit. We are going to find out a bit more about the extent of the injury but we don’t feel it is anything too serious.”

The Scout Says: Considering that Everton enjoy an excellent run of fixtures (whu, AVL, bou, CRY, nor, LEI, new, STO) through to Boxing Day, the stage is set for Baines to reaffirm his status as a big-hitting defender. The English left-back fashioned seven more key passes (70) than any defender last season and ranked joint-second for shots on target (nine), giving rise to two goals and nine assists. Pitched at just 6.1, Baines would represent a fine pick-up if he can find his groove quickly in the wake of a lengthy layoff. Seamus Coleman is attracting some attention at 5.9, but Baines’ share of set pieces gives him the edge over the Ireland international. With just one clean sheet in seven, though, the Toffees are offering little resilience at the back right now and are devoid of injured skipper Phil Jagielka until after Christmas.

Bellerin Worry for Gunners

Arsene Wenger confirmed that Hector Bellerin has been ruled out of Arsenal’s trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday with a minor groin complaint:

“We have to wait a little bit. It’s not a big problem but it’s a small groin problem.”

The Scout Says: Bellerin’s 22% ownership will now nervously await news on his fitness ahead of the North London derby. The 6.0-priced full-back has been snapped up by over 250,000 managers in the lead up to the last three Gameweeks, reflecting the fact that the Gunners claimed three clean sheets in their last four league clashes. Arsenal boast the best defensive record over that period – conceding just one goal and 11 shots inside the box – but their resilience will tested by a Lilywhites outfit that’s scored 14 in five outings and ranks second for shots on target (34) in road matches. With clashes against West Brom, Norwich, Sunderland and Villa directly after that one, though, the Gunners look poised for big investment at both ends of the pitch.