Dugout Discussion

Kanté injury big blow to Chelsea clean sheet potential

Those hoping to capitalise on Chelsea’s first clean sheet of the season will be disappointed to see N’Golo Kanté (£5.0m) miss today’s game with a hamstring problem.

He is joined on the sidelines by Kurt Zouma (£4.8m) who was ill in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Those absences could see Mason Mount (£6.6m) drop back into a central midfield trio, although Frank Lampard could still use him in attacking midfield if he goes with the 4-2-3-1 formation.

Meanwhile, Andreas Christensen (£5.0m) is paired with Fikayo Tomori (£4.6m) at centre-back.

Opponents Brighton arrive at Stamford Bridge with Yves Bissouma (£5.0m) in central midfield, making his first league start of the campaign.

Spurs have lined up with Harry Kane (£11.0m) and Son Heung-min (£9.7m) leading their attacking against Southampton.

Erik Lamela (£6.1m), Lucas Moura (£7.2m) and Dele Alli (£8.4m) are among the substitutes but Christian Eriksen (£8.8m) starts, with Serge Aurier (£5.0m) at right-back.

Southampton make the wise decision to bring Ryan Bertrand (£4.9m) back in at left-back after issues there in Gameweek 6. Cédric (£4.9m) returns to the right of defence.

Diogo Jota (£6.2m) is absent from the Wolves squad today with rumours circling about a foot injury.

Therefore, Raúl Jiménez (£7.2m) is paired with Adama Traoré (£5.0m) up front while Leander Dedoncker (£4.5m) starts ahead of a benched Rúben Neves (£5.5m) and Romain Saïss (£4.4m) lines up at centre-back in the place of Ryan Bennett (£4.9m).

Bournemouth retain the same starting XI from the win over Southampton for their meeting with West Ham today.

That features Callum Wilson (£7.8m) fronting-up a 4-4-2 formation alongside Dominic Solanke (£5.4m) with Josh King (£6.3m) in the left-midfield position.

However, Ryan Fraser‘s (£7.2m) absence from the starting line-up is enforced this weekend as he misses the game today with an illness.

Taking his place on the bench is Arnaut Danjuma (£5.8m) who makes it into the matchday squad for the first time.

Also named among the substitutes for the first time this season is Simon Francis (£4.4m).

Meanwhile, West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini (£6.5m) is fit enough only for the bench.

That means Sébastien Haller (£7.4m) is supported by an attacking midfield trio of Felipe Anderson (£6.9m), Pablo Fornals (£6.1m) and Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.9m).

Aaron Cresswell (£4.9m) starts at left-back, while Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) is absent from the match-day squad with Pablo Zabaleta (£4.4m) able to cover either defensive flank from the bench.

It looks as if Jack Grealish (£5.9m) might be playing in a more advanced position for Aston Villa today.

He appears to be lining up in the front-three, alongside Anwar El Ghazi (£5.5m) and Wesley (£6.0m).

Opponents Burnley line up exactly as we predicted as Sean Dyche makes no changes from the side that beat Norwich last weekend.

Despite suggestions that rotation could occur up-front, both Ashley Barnes (£6.6m) and Chris Wood (£6.2m) retain their starting berths.

Teemu Pukki (£7.2m) and Todd Cantwell (£5.0m) retain their places in the Norwich side as they travel to face Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa XI: Heaton; Targett, Mings, Engels, Guilbert; McGinn, Nakamba, Hourihane; El Ghazi, Wesley, Grealish.

Burnley XI: Pope; Pieters, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; McNeil, Westwood, Cork, Hendrick; Wood, A Barnes.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Rico, Aké, S Cook, Stacey; J King, Billing, Lerma, H Wilson; Solanke, C Wilson.

West Ham XI: Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Diop, Fredericks; Noble, Rice; Anderson, Fornals, Yarmolenko; Haller.

Chelsea XI: Kepa; Alonso, Tomori, Christense, Azpilicueta; Mount, Barkley, Jorginho; Pedro, Abraham, Willian.

Brighton XI: Ryan; Burn, Webster, Dunk, Montoya; D Stephens, Bissouma, Mooy; Alzate, Maupay, Groß.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; van Aanholt, Cahill, Kelly, Ward; Schlupp, McArthur, Kouyaté, Milivojevic; Ayew, Zaha.

Norwich XI: Fahrmann; Lewis, Godfrey, Amadou, Aarons; Leitner, McLean; Cantwell, Stiepermann, Buendía; Pukki.

Spurs XI: Lloris; Rose, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Aurier; Sissoko, Winks, Ndombele; Eriksen; Son, Kane.

Southampton XI: Gunn; Bertrand, Yoshida, Bednarek, Cédric; Romeu, Højbjerg, Ward-Prowse; Boufal, Redmond; Ings.

Wolves XI: Patrício; Saïss, Coady, Boly; Jonny, Moutinho, Neto, Dendoncker, Doherty; Jiménez, Traoré.

Watford XI: Foster; Holebas, Dawson, Cathcart, Janmaat; Capoue, Doucouré; Deulofeu, Cleverley, Sarr; Welbeck.

2,226 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Burnley CS back 😆

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Nooooooooo

  2. Bury94
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Villa goal disallowed

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      😀

  3. Guy Demel
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    VAR'd

  4. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Aurier YC

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Feck

    2. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Shoot

  5. aborg
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Lol McGinn no goal Var decision

  6. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Yassss blast that Burnley cleanie out of the water!! #HeatonOverPope

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      VAR ruled it out

    2. Pras (FPL)
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      #nohashtag

      1. Yank Revolution
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Dammit!

    3. sunzip14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      save this comment for later, for now

  7. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    No goal for McGinn!

  8. Gandalf
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    McGinn goal disallowed.. unlucky owners

  9. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    No goal for McGinn.

  10. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Yes VAR 😀

    1. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Just cost me a possible 12 point swing in my mini league. I can't take this roller coaster

  11. OPTA FPL
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Barnes king YC

  12. TheDragon
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    McGinn is a seriously underrated pick on here

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I got rid of him two weeks ago of course.

    2. Yoshioka
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      This year’s Fraser - people assuming they’ve missed his points but he keeps going. Will be a template pick soon enough.

  13. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Barnes/Pukki/Cantwell done anything good?

    1. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Barnes got a yellow

  14. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Haha yesss take that casuals

  15. Differential C (Mark)
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Bednarek's been the only reason Son hasn't hauled. 3 times already he's tackled Son when he was clean through.

  16. Eddie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    VAR - such drama

  17. Mr Peanutbutter
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    aurier so bad

    1. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      what he do

      1. Mr Peanutbutter
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        two legged scissor tackle. disgusting (spurs fan)

    2. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      RC in view

  18. JELLYFISH
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Another var decision goes against Villa

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      But it was the right decision. He was offside.

  19. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    get in var! F U McGinn

  20. DandyDon
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    First time screwed by VAR this season...

  21. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Not watching but VAR was spot on there, never a goal!

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Lol

  22. El-Kloppico
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Yesss... Pope CS back On

  23. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Heartbreaking McGinn

  24. Epic Fail
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    As a McGinn owner and VIlla fan I can confirm VAR is crap.

    No bias.

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Every week we seem to get caught out. Need the crap referees and thier mistakes back.

  25. Differential C (Mark)
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Aurier YC, stupid challenge and needless.

    1. OPTA FPL
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      lol

    2. Ha.
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Yup, sounds like Aurier

    3. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Remove "challenge" and the sentence still makes sense

  26. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Awkward when you lol @ your rival and then VAR....

  27. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    VAR strikes again!

  28. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Aurier you twat! McGinn no goal is great cmon Pope

    1. DeathoftheParty
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      All this

  29. Ady87
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    2 yellows in quick succession, just what you need in a low scoring GW.

  30. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Sensual beutiful VAR. Keeping the game fair.

    1. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Bah humbug.