England claw back a two-goal deficit as Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy inspire an unlikely England comeback in Berlin. Jack Butland’s role in that win is curtailed as Stoke City and his 27% Fantasy Premier League ownership wait on news on a potential ankle ligament injury…
Butland’s Night Wrecked By Ankle Injury
Stoke City’s Jack Butland was stretchered off at the end of the first half against Germany with an ankle injury. Post-match reports have suggested that the Potter’s stopper may have suffered ligament damage, with Roy Hodgson confirming that Butland’s setback will be assessed….
“It’s an ankle injury but we don’t know the extent. When you’re talking about ligaments, there’s always some kind of worry but we’ll assess him.”
The Scout Says: Given that he’s the highest owned (27%) Fantasy Premier League (FPL) keeper, Butland now looks destined to suffer significant sales with is current 5.4 price tag set to plummet. Despite a superb season as the Stoke number one, Butland was already looking vulnerable for the season run-in given current form (one clean sheet in nine outings) and Stoke’s testing schedule (SWA, liv, TOT, mci). More significantly, he seems destined to give way to double Gameweek 34 signings once Wildcards are in play. With Joe Hart and Petr Cech yet to return to the fray, Butland’s injury would likely promote interest in Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet, Everton’s Joel Robles and Manchester United’s David de Gea as the choice options between the sticks for the coming weeks. Despite this, prior to Butland’s injury scare, he was acquired by more FPL managers heading into Gameweek 32 than any other keeper (21,212).
Kane and Vardy Fire Warning Shots
A pair of superbly taken goals by Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy steered England to an unlikely comeback. The Leicester striker’s sublime flick represented his first goal in six starts in all competitions, while Kane’s accurate drive was his sixth strike in his last five starts. Dele Alli failed to find the net for England but shimmered throughout and was arguably England’s most impressive performer.
The Scout Says: The performances of Kane, Vardy and Alli on the international stage underlines that fact that the decision to maximise double Gameweek 34 acquisitions comes packaged with significant risk. Together with Riyad Mahrez, these established FPL assets enjoy favourable Gameweek 35 home fixtures with Spurs hosting West Brom and Leicester facing Swansea. Given the motivation and confidence, the decision to shed all four appears to represent a major gamble.
Ozil Assists As Germany Cave In
While England’s comeback stole the headlines, Mesut Ozil played his part for Germany on the night, laying on the assist for Toni Kroos’ opener.
The Scout Says: Following a run of three consecutive league blanks, Ozil has suffered significant sales with almost 58,000 opting to show the playmaker the door in the current Gameweek. That has seen his ownership slip to 43% with his price dropping to 9.7 having stood at 10.0 back in Gameweek 29. However, with Arsenal facing three home fixtures in the next three Gameweeks (WAT, whm, CPL/WBA), Ozil’s stock is on the rise. With a points per game average (6.2) that’s second only to Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez and far superior to team-mate Alexis Sanchez (4.7), the German sits atop our Watchlist rankings heading into a spell that will decide Arsenal’s participation in the title race.
Dembele Injury Scare For Spurs
Mousa Dembele trained for Belgium amid reports that he’s suffered a flare-up of an ankle complaint. Dembele will likely be assessed again prior to the friendly with Portugal on Tuesday.
The Scout Says: Tottenham will be concerned that these latest reports could lead to a further absence for Dembele. The classy midfielder has established himself as a key component of their title challenge, not least for his apparent impact on the role and output of both Dele Alli and Harry Kane. The Belgian recently missed Gameweeks 16, 20, 27 and 28 through injury, during which time Alli and Kane recorded just a single goal between them. Those seeking to hold the Spurs pairing will be keenly monitoring Dembele’s fitness in light of this recent report.
Mane Maintains Recent Form
Sadio Mane followed up his brace of goals against Liverpool in Gameweek 31 by providing both assists as Senegal beat Niger 2-0.
The Scout Says: Mane’s spurt of goals and assists typifies a player who has proved a hugely frustrating Fantasy asset this term. Priced at 7.3 in the FPL, the winger has struggled to cement his Southampton starting role but could now be granted further minutes as Ronald Koeman bids to revive the Saints’ attacking threat. Southampton’s next four fixtures (lei, NEW, eve, avl) could offer strong potential for returns, yet the absence of a double Gameweek serves as a major deterrent and will likely ensure that Mane continues to be largely ignored as an FPL option.
Niasse On the Scoresheet
Oumar Niasse notched for Senegal as they ran out winners in their African Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Scout Says: Niasse’s strike will send a message to Roberto Martinez and could see the attacker edge closer to his first Premier League start. Classified as a 6.5 forward, Niasse has so far been limited to just 18-minutes off the bench in Gameweeks 29 and 30. While he is unlikely to appeal as a target, Niasse’s impact on the pitch time of Everton’s other attacking options requires consideration. The Toffees will endure nine fixtures over the remaining seven Gameweeks, with double fixtures in Gameweeks 33, 34 and 37 ensuring that we’ll see rotation at play. Certainly, those Fantasy managers intrigued by the differential prospects of Aaron Lennon (four goals and one assist in six) will be wary of Niasse, Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas curtailing his pitch-time. As such, Ross Barkley appears to represent the most secure accompaniment to Romelu Lukaku, yet the fact he’s only delivered attacking returns (brace against Newcastle United) in one of his last 10 starts is a concern for would-be investors.
