Stoke City have concerns at both ends of the pitch ahead of tomorrow’s daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium. Tom Heaton misses Burnley’s loss at Swansea through illness, while Bournemouth’s Junior Stanislas is struggling to overcome a groin problem in time to be in contention for his Gameweek 28 fixture with West Ham. Here’s the latest on the fresh bout of injuries to emerge from the weekend action…
Bruno Martins Indi, Marko Arnautovic, Glen Johnson
In his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow evening’s trip to Manchester City, Mark Hughes conceded that Stoke have injury concerns in key areas, including pivotal centre-back Bruno Martins Indi…
“Bruno is extremely doubtful for the game at the moment, although we are grateful that the injury he sustained hasn’t proven to be as serious as it could have been. We thought he had taken a bang in the game but he actually over-extended his knee, so it could have been quite severe. “
The Potters’ two-goal hero from Saturday’s victory over Middlesbrough, Marko Arnautovic, is also a doubt, while Martins Indi could be joined on the sidelines by first-choice right-back Glen Johnson…
“Marko was ill on Saturday, which is why he had to go off in the second half, and he was absent from training today. We will have a look at him tomorrow and then gauge a better idea of how he is likely to be for the game. Glen Johnson has injured his shoulder and is doubtful too, so there are a few issues for us to look at.”
The potential absence of two of the Potters’ first-choice back-four offers encouragement for those who loaded up on Pep Guardiola’s side for the double Gameweek.
Hughes could be forced to field Phil Bardsley against Leroy Sane should Johnson miss out, while Martins Indi’s expected absence also boosts Sergio Aguero’s chances of adding to his single goal against Sunderland on Sunday.
Ironically, Arnautovic heads to the Etihad as the top scoring double Gameweek player so far after providing a 16-point return against Boro. With the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri now passed fit, Hughes could choose to protect the 1.2%-owned Arnautovic, who was hauled off on 64 minutes on Saturday as he struggled to overcome the illness.
Tom Heaton, Joey Barton
The Burnley custodian missed last week’s 3-2 loss at Swansea City due to illness, with Paul Robinson forced to deputise.
Sitting just two points off the top of the FPL keeper standings, Heaton’s absence comes at a time where the Clarets are one of just eight sides set to feature in Gameweek 28.
Over 8,000 FPL managers have sold Heaton since the weekend as the scramble for weekend coverage picks up pace. However, as the top scorer for both saves and bonus points between the posts, most of his 19.3% owners will be happy to hold given the short-term nature of his absence.
Meanwhile, Sean Dyche has revealed that Joey Barton may have played his last match for the club. The midfielder was withdrawn against the Swans with a knock to his hamstring…
“Joey was struggling with his hamstring a bit, obviously we don’t know what will happen, but you can’t risk players on the verge of a possible injury.”
Should Barton miss out at Liverpool on Sunday, Saturday’s defeat would be the midfielder’s swansong: he faces a hearing over his Football Association betting charge this week, with a lengthy ban on the cards.
Elsewhere for the Clarets, Dyche has revealed that Steven Defour could be in the frame for a return at Anfield following his hamstring injury, though winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson remains a major doubt…
“I doubt Johann (will be available)…Steven Defour maybe, he’s had a good week with us, so we’ll see what the week brings.”
Junior Stanislas, Tyrone Mings
Reports in the local press indicate that the Bournemouth winger is likely to be sidelined for seven to ten days with the groin problem that forced him to miss Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford.
Having failed to play a single minute of the Cherries’ three league matches prior to their clash with United, Stanislas’ stock is rapidly in decline.
Priced at a season-high 5.6 in Gameweek 10, he’s plummeted to 4.9 with the likes of Ryan Fraser and Josh King establishing themselves as more far secure routes into Eddie Howe’s starting XI.
King’s spot-kick at United – his fifth goal in the last six Gameweeks – cemented his place as the go-to Bournemouth option as a means of covering Gameweek 28. Over 34,000 FPL managers have turned to the Norwegian international as Howe’s men prepare to host West Ham and Swansea in back-to-back Gameweeks.
Mings, meanwhile, was forced off with a knee problem against the Red Devils, though that looks the least of his problems after he was charged by the FA with violent conduct for an altercation with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The defender – who has started four successive Gameweeks due to an ongoing injury to Simon Francis – had until 6pm this evening to respond, with a suspension looking very likely, given that Ibrahimovic has already been handed a three-match ban.
Should Francis fails to recover, Howe could turn to Bailey Cargill as he looks to arrest a desperate run of defensive form that has seen his side concede at least twice in all but one of the last eight Gameweeks.
Patrick Van Aanholt
The Palace left-back was forced off just after the hour-mark of Saturday’s win at West Brom, with Sam Allardyce a little pessimistic post-match:
“It’s not too good. I’d find it difficult to think he would be fit in two weeks, but in three he should be all right.”
The lack of a Gameweek 28 fixture should give Van Aanholt room for recovery, though there has to be major doubts over his availability for the visit of Watford the following weekend.
A goal and back-to-back clean sheets over the last two have seen the January signing deliver 21 points for his 5% owners, with the arrival of fellow new boy Mamadou Sakho boosting the Eagles’ resilience.
Looking at the schedule from Gameweek 29, though, Allardyce’s backline is unlikely to persuade many to take the plunge, despite those recent improved performances. Over the subsequent five rounds of fixtures, clashes against the likes of Chelsea, Southampton, Arsenal and Liverpool hardly look conducive to clean sheets.
Darron Gibson
Handed a third straight start since arriving from Everton in the winter transfer window, the Sunderland midfielder was withdrawn midway through the second-half of Sunday’s loss to Man City. Post-match, David Moyes went on to say:
“He just felt his knee a bit. He said it at half-time so I knew we would only get 15-20 minutes second half after that.”
Having failed to score in five of their last six, it’s more than an understatement to suggest that Fantasy interest in the Wearsiders is minimal at best right now. Jermain Defoe was the most sold forward in Gameweek 27, and that trend has mainly continued, with only Zlatan Ibrahimovic earning more sales up top this week.
Moyes could soon turn to the influential Jan Kirchhoff in the centre of the park next time out, with the German stepping up his recovery from a knee injury with a 64-minute run-out for the U23 side last night.
Daniel Ayala
The Spaniard lasted just seven minutes of Middlesbrough’s 2-0 loss at Stoke before limping off with a hamstring injury.
After months on the periphery, Ayala was handed a first-team reprieve in Gameweek 26 as Aitor Karanka continues to tinker with both formation and personnel in an attempt to arrest his side’s decline.
The ‘Boro boss dropped the 4.3-priced Bernardo to the bench for the first time in seven league matches at the bet365 before Ayala’s early withdrawal allowed the Colombian a reprieve.
As the only constant in Karanka’s defence, Ben Gibson is the one Middlesbrough defender boasting an ownership in excess of 5%, yet a 4.9 price tag, allied with the lack of threat that has harvested a single goal this season, our faith in their backline is dwindling.
Kyle Naughton
The Swansea City right-back was forced off just two minutes before the end of Swansea’s dramatic 3-2 win over Burnley, with Paul Clement
revealing post-match:
“He has got something in his hamstring, what we are not sure about at the moment is whether it was just fatigue or whether there is some muscle damage there. We just need it to settle down and he will go through the normal diagnosis procedure of having a scan and we will know if there is any injury or not, but there is no news at the moment.”
An ever-present under the new manager, Naughton – at 4.3 – represents the cheapest route into the Swans defence, yet a lack of resilience has earned them just one clean sheet in eight with Clement at the helm.
Alfie Mawson (4.6) and Martin Olsson (4.5) have, however, netted three and two times respectively during that period and clearly offer the best value options. Indeed, the Swede is second only to Seamus Coleman for transfers in at the back since the weekend deadline, having notched against the Clarets.
Sitting in just 1% of FPL squads, Naughton’s possible absence should see Angel Rangel afforded a rare start for the Gameweek 28 trip to Hull City. With Bournemouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Watford and Stoke to follow in the next seven, investment in the Swans looks likely to escalate as they continue their upward curve with Clement at the helm.
Winston Reid
The Hammers also have concerns for the weekend clash at the Vitality after the Kiwi international limped off just after the hour-mark against Chelsea last night.
However, Bilic has suggested that the issue could merely be cramp, which would likely see the centre-back in contention for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.
“Hopefully it’s only a cramp. I spoke to the medical staff, but you never know.”
Reid has kept his tally ticking over with two goals and a trio of assists this season and with 4% ownership, he’s the third most popular West Ham player in FPL.
Over the last nine Gameweeks, though, the Fantasy points seem to have dried up, with the centre-half mustering just one clean sheet and no attacking returns.
Slaven Bilic is likely to turn to James Collins or shift Cheick Kouyate over from right-back should Reid fail to shake off the problem, though his potential absence may well prove the tipping point for those remaining owners as we assess our options for the decimated upcoming Gameweek.
