Wayne Rooney is ruled out for United amid fears he may spend up to two months on the sidelines. Hugo Lloris misses out for Tottenham tonight due to a shoulder problem, Gareth McAuley could return for West Brom this weekend, whilst Newcastle frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic has picked up a minor knee problem.
Rooney sidelined for United
Ahead of Manchester United’s meeting with FC Midtjylland tonight, Louis van Gaal revealed that Wayne Rooney faces a spell on the sidelines due to the knee injury he sustained against Sunderland. Although some reports suggest the forward could be sidelined for up to two months, the Dutchman – who is also without Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (illness) and Marouane Fellaini (muscle) – was reluctant to put a time span on his skipper’s absence:
“We have 13 players out and Wayne is one of them. You can never say [how long he could be out for]. He has a knee problem so we have to wait and see.”
The Scout Says: Rooney’s stint on the sidelines should allow Anthony Martial (7.6) a run of starts at the lone-striker berth, bolstering his appeal on the Fantasy market. Despite being stationed on the flanks of late, the French marksman produced two goals, an assist and five bonus points over the last three matches. Indeed, Martial has mustered twice as many shots inside the box (eight compared to four) as Rooney over the last four Gameweeks and ranked third among all forwards for key passes (nine). In turn, the vacated left-wing berth could be filled by Memphis Depay (7.8), who harbours the potential to be an enticing pick-up if he can rediscover the form that saw him net 22 goals in 30 league ties for PSV Eindhoven last term, though Jesse Lingard, at 4.3, looks the safest route into the United midfield. The Red Devils enjoy three home encounters (ARS, WAT, CRY) over the next four Gameweeks, yet the Eagles match-up will be rescheduled if either team triumphs in their upcoming FA Cup fixtures. Considering that the Red Devils boast the best home defence – having conceded just five goals at Old Trafford – Borthwick-Jackson’s 40,000 new owners will hope it’s just a short-term ailment.
Lloris out with shoulder problem
Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Hugo Lloris suffered a shoulder injury at the Etihad on Sunday that will rule him out of Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Fiorentina and possibly Crystal Palace’s visit on the weekend:
“Bad news – in the last action against Manchester City, Hugo got a knock on his shoulder and is out for tomorrow and maybe out for Sunday. We’ll see next week if he’s available to play the second leg against Fiorentina.”
The Scout Says: Notwithstanding their unspectacular haul of clean sheets (eight) this season, Spurs have surrendered three fewer goals (20) than any other outfit. In fact, the Lilywhites conceded more than a single goal on just three occasions through the first 26 Gameweeks, underlining their consistency at the back. Certainly, the 4.2-priced Michel Vorm would shoot onto our radar if it transpires that Lloris’ injury is worse than at first feared, though Pochettino seems fairly optimistic on the Frenchman’s prospects. Given the Spurs manager’s propensity for rotation at the full-back slots, Toby Alderweireld represents the safest route into their defence. Although the Belgian centre-back hasn’t scored since Gameweek 13, it’s not been for the lack of trying: Alderweireld places top among defenders for shots inside the box (23) and shots on target (nine) this campaign. With no timescale set for Jan Vertonghen’s expected return from a knee complaint, though, Kevin Wimmer (4.6) serves as a mid-term source of Spurs defensive coverage for those Fantasy managers who are tight on funds. However, prospective investors might be wary that Pochettino’s men face a trip to West Ham United and road clash against Arsenal across the next trio of Gameweeks.
Mixed News for Magpies
Paul Dummett, Siem De Jong and Vurnon Anita were named in Newcastle United’s 26-man squad that’s travelled to La Manga, Spain, for a training camp – putting them in contention for minutes at Stoke City next Gameweek. Steve McClaren’s effusive praise of Dummett certainly suggests that he’s being primed for an instant return to the starting XI:
“He’s a strong runner but his character and attitude are vital to this team. The quality of right wingers he has had to contend with is impressive. We have asked him to do the job with good quality and generally, he’s done it. We don’t ask him to get over the halfway line too many times but he certainly makes an impact when he does.”
Up top, Papiss Cisse has stepped up his rehabilitation from a knee problem, though Aleksandar Mitrovic was a notable absentee from the travelling party, which the Magpies boss later explained is down to a similar complaint:
“He’s got a knee injury. We’re only bringing players here who can actually train over the next four days, and play in the game on Saturday. Mitro has a medial ligament injury, so it could be a couple of weeks – we’re hoping not too long.”
The Scout Says: Newcastle struggled on both fronts over the last four Gameweeks, ranking joint-third-bottom for goals scored (three) and joint-second for goals conceded (10). Nonetheless, the fact that they enjoy an agreeable run from Gameweek 29 (BOU, lei, SUN, nor) and are currently one of just four teams who are guaranteed a fixture in Gameweek 30 (by way of their exit from the FA Cup) ensures that we’re still keeping tabs on their top performers. On that note, our confidence in Georginio Wijnaldum is diminishing fast following his half-time substitution at Stamford Bridge: the Dutchman has now tallied two goals in his past 11 outings. With regards to the potential hidden gems within Newcastle’s attack, Jonjo Shelvey (two assists in four) and Andros Townsend (goal last Gameweek) have courted our attention lately and could be worth eyeing up in future double Gameweeks. Up front, despite Mitrovic’s absence, Cisse’s return to fitness still clouds the issue, given that both Seydou Doumbia and Ayoze Perez are also jostling for the lone forward role in McClaren’s default 4-2-3-1.
McAuley boost for Baggies
Gareth McAuley has reportedly stepped up his recuperation from his hamstring knock and is expected to be welcomed back for West Bromwich Albion’s trip to Reading on Saturday.
The Scout Says: As the biggest attacking threat in the Baggies’ back line, Craig Dawson (5.1) is still their premier source of defensive coverage. Across the last four Gameweeks, only three defenders chalked up more shots inside the box (five) than the 5.1-priced centre-back, and he charts second for shots inside the box (20) when looking at the entire season. West Brom place joint-second-bottom for clean sheets (three) since Gameweek 11, yet two of those arrived in their previous quartet of match-ups, with only Southampton (zero) conceding fewer goals over that stretch. Although the West Midlanders’ upcoming home clash against Crystal Palace offers strong shut-out potential, their subsequent match-ups against Leicester (away), Man United (home) and Arsenal (away) are less promising in that respect.
