Scout Notes

Man City sweat on De Bruyne fitness as key options rested

Manchester City are currently sweating over the fitness of Kevin de Bruyne (£9.8m) after he came off injured in the League Cup.

However, there were some positives for Fantasy Premier League managers as neither one of Sergio Aguero (£11.3m) or Benjamin Mendy (£6.4m) were involved in the 2-0 win over Fulham.

We’ve got all the Fantasy talking points in this latest Scout Notes article.

Manchester City 2-0 Fulham

Goals: Brahim Diaz x2 (£4.7m)

Assists: Vincent Kompany (£5.2m)

It was a mixed night for De Bruyne as he made his first start since sustaining a knee injury in August. He was in excellent form on the night but had to be brought off in the second half after falling awkwardly under a Timothy Fosu-Mensah (£4.5m) tackle. Thankfully for him, the knee he was clutching as he limped off was not the one he damaged over the summer, but it is still early days, until we get another update from Pep Guardiola.

“I think today Kevin is back. The Kevin we know. He made a huge effort against Shakhtar, played a few minutes against Spurs in difficult conditions. Today he was involved in offence and defence. Hopefully what happened in the last minute is not serious. He is being checked by the doctors. We don’t know if it’s nothing or if it’s something serious.” – Pep Guardiola

Guardiola made 10 changes to the side that won at Spurs on Monday night with only John Stones (£5.3m) keeping his place. That was good news for a large number of Fantasy managers invested in Aguero and Mendy, who played no part in the match.

Aymeric Laporte (£5.8m) looks set to start an eleventh successive Premier League match on Sunday after he was left out of the match-day squad entirely.

Ederson (£5.8m), Kyle Walker (£6.6m), Bernardo Silva (£7.6m) and Raheem Sterling (£11.1m) were all unused substitutes, while Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) came on for goal-scorer Brahim Diaz (£4.7m) in the closing stages. The youngster continues to impress in matches outside the Premier League but is still yet to register an FPL minute this season.

“Everybody was good. Brahim make two goals, Aro make a clean sheet. We didn’t concede too many chances, he gave us good security, Phil Foden every time he plays a good level.” – Pep Guardiola

Most of the starting XI against Fulham were always unlikely to be starting against Southampton this weekend so there are not expected to be many Fantasy managers too worried about the so-called ‘Pep Roulette’ this weekend. 90 minutes for Stones and Leroy Sané (£9.2m), as well as De Bruyne’s 86 minutes and injury, are the biggest causes for concern.

There was a start in goal for Arijanet Muric (£4.5m) with Oleksandr Zinchenko (£4.8m), Vincent Kompany (£5.2m) and Danilo (£5.1m) joining Stones in a back-four. Despite fielding a second-strike defence, Man City kept their eighth successive clean sheet in domestic competitions this season.

That will be somewhat discouraging to owners of Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.9m) and Andre Schürrle (£6.0m), as they formed part of a fairly strong Fulham line-up that offered little. There were just three changes from the side that lost to Bournemouth in Gameweek 10.

“It’s not so strange in this country (to name a strong side in the EFL Cup), especially teams plays Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, between these three games it’s nine days and I try first of all respect the competition.” – Slavisa Jokanovic

Despite playing what constituted as a first-team, Fulham were exceptionally flat throughout the encounter. From the moment Diaz’s opening goal hit the back of the net in the 18th minute the match felt more like a training exercise than a cup tie.

Once again the Cottagers’ forward players were starved of service and barely troubled their illustrious hosts. That was largely down to the fact that Slavisa Jokanovic appeared insistent in playing the ball out from the back. Naturally, this was not particularly effective against the best possession side in the country.

There had been suggestions that Fulham would benefit from Luciano Vietto (£5.5m) and Tom Cairney (£4.8m), the former for his creative link-up with Mitrovic and the latter for protection of the defence. Admittedly this was a match against Manchester City, but it appears they did not have the desired effect in a drab performance.

“It’s important for us (having Cairney back), between other things I try to force him for all the games. I know in life there always exists risk, he push all the game bravely, he made good work, he needed this kind of situation with this kind of game. He didn’t play so much this season, he’s an important player for us and I believe he is positive in everything he made tonight.” – Slavisa Jokanovic

Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Muric; Zinchenko, Kompany, Stones, Danilo; Foden, Delph, De Bruyne (Gomes 86′); Sané, Jesus, Diaz (Mahrez 78′).

Fulham XI (4-3-3): Rico; R Sessegnon, Ream (Le Marchand 69′), Odoi, Fosu-Mensah; Seri, Zambo Anguissa, Cairney; Schürrle (Ayité 81′), Mitrović, Vietto (Christie 90′).

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1,690 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    RP... got 2 Ft and 0.1 itb with Doherty, Hazard and TAA in starting xi.. bench of Jimenez, AWB, H-Odoi. Concerned bout players starting;

    A) Schmeical > Fab
    B) Vardy > Arni, H-Odoi > playing mid
    C) TAA to Diop and bank
    D) Jimenez to Success

  2. OptimusBlack
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    FAB (Hamer)
    Robbo Mendy Alonso (Duffy Bennett)
    Barkley Rich Pereyra Salah(Camarsa)
    Aguero Arnie Vardy
    0.5 M in the bank

    1. OptimusBlack
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 4 months ago

      This my WC
      A - V.Good
      B- Good
      C- Not Bad
      D- Bad

      1. St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 4 months ago

        B. Great defence and attack. Midfield is a bit of a risk but could pay-off, if any tinkering to be done though it would be there.

  3. The Left Duke #3
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    1 FT 0.3m ITB

    Fabianski Patricio
    Mendy Robertson TAA AWB Doherty
    Hazard Salah Maddison Richarlison Hojbjerg
    Aguero Mitrovic Jimenez

    A) Mitro --> Arnie
    B) Hazard --> Sterling
    C) AWB & Hazard --> Alonso & Mahrez (-4)
    D) Jimenez & Hazard --> Arnie & Mahrez (-4)
    E) Something else
    F) Roll FT

    1. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 4 months ago

      A. Would also look to get rid of Jimenez but options will be limited there.

  4. pressdpm
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Any Jiminez owners know how he's playing recently? Points aren't great.

  5. FCSB
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    King >>

    1. Wilson
    2. Murray

    Thanks 🙂

  6. New Post
  7. FC Bazalona
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    What to do with this team
    fab
    mendy alonso robbo
    Rich maddy salah haz kenedy
    arno vardy
    subs hamer jim doherty wan b
    struggling slightly for a captain now haz dodgy was gonna be him
    tempted by haz to sterling(C) then reverse next week
    thoughts appreciated thanks

    1. FC Bazalona
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 4 months ago

      sorry 2.1 itb bit short of getting kun thanks

  8. Fernando Torres
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Thoughts on this?

    A) Kane(c) + Hazard + Laporte
    B) Kane + Sterling (c) + TAA

  9. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Salah (c) is looking very tempting.

    Kun good for a 6 pointer again, think Sterling/Mahrez/Silvas may deliver instead and Soton two clean sheets in last 2. Maybe a 2-0er

    Haz well just too much risk....

    Arsenal ripped up back line, Liverpool lethal on counter and have score 3+ in last 5 Prem games v them....

  10. FPLTrader
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Ryan or Fabianski as set and forget keeper in my WC team?

    Fabianski has better fixtures, Ryan better form. Going with Ryan also allows to get 4m Button to protect against injury.

  11. Oggle22
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Any suggestions for a decent 4.6m 5th midfielder want to do Deeney to Arinie but also need to ship Schürrle
    Cheers

    1. ClassiX
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 4 months ago

      I went with Obiang based on form before his injury and WHU's coming fixtures

      1. Oggle22
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 4 months ago

        Good shout that would give me Salah Mane Obiang Maddison Brooks

        Who would you leave out?

        1. ClassiX
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 4 months ago

          Honestly...flip a coin. Obiang likely to play against a weak Burnley, but doesn't get as far forward as often as Brooks, but Brooks is playing United. Don't think there's a lot in it, to be honest, but if pressed I would leave Obiang out.

  12. Fantasyamateur
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Need some advice on what to use my FT on! My setup for the weekend:

    Patricio
    Alonso - Robertson - Mendy
    Salah - Hazard - Richarlison - Kenedy - Scürrle
    Agüero (C) - Wilson

    Bench: Button, Doherty, Jimenez, Yoshida.

    2FT and 0 ITB.

    So kind of happy with my squad atm. Might just do Patricio to Fabianski so I don't waste 1FT? Other thoughts?

  13. bjmarren
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    This is my line up at the moment

    Ederson
    Doherty Robertson Maguire
    Stephens Salah(VC) Siggi BSilva
    Arnie Laca Aguerro(C)

    Bench: Wan Bennett Chalobah
    1FT, 1.5 ITB

    Not sure whether to keep hold of Maguire for this game or not. Can get in Alonso. Is it an obvious move?

    Any thoughts anyone?

  14. vassiriki
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    i have kdb which means replacement. i notice that everyone is thinking of mahrez for a straight teammate swap but why not dilva? he has a better xGI than him and more of a sure starter. both of them are good and that gives me a headache. mahrez is obv in form but dilva's underlying stats are impressive and is less of a rotation risk. who to choose?

  15. The Overthinker
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Captain mane anyone ? Arsenal Def in some trouble

  16. EWH2020
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Mendy (C)
    Anyone with me?

    1. vassiriki
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 4 months ago

      why risk if you have agüero or hazard?

  17. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    A nice hat trick as a parting gift from Mitrovic wouldn’t go a miss this gameweek

    1. Kippers
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 4 months ago

      This! He's done nothing for me since bringing him in

  18. soup natsi
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 4 months ago

    Bench one

    a. Maddison car
    b. Balbuena BUR
    c. Murphy LEI
    d. Wilson MUN
    e. Doherty TOT