McGinn hits hat-trick on a busy Sunday for FPL assets

Our international round-ups continue with a look back at Sunday’s fixtures.

We document the minutes played, injuries picked up and goals scored by any Fantasy Premier League assets on show for their national teams.

Subscribers can view data on some of the matches listed below in our Members’ Area, with details available here.

Scotland 6-0 San Marino

• Andrew Robertson (£6.9m) – 90 minutes
• Scott McTominay (£5.0m) – 90 minutes
• John McGinn (£5.8m) – 70 minutes
• Stuart Armstrong (£5.3m) – 20 minutes
• John Fleck (£4.8m) – 0 minutes
• Ryan Fraser (£7.1m) – 0 minutes

John McGinn (£5.8m) demonstrated his goal threat with a first-half hat-trick in Scotland’s dead rubber of a Euro 2020 qualification tie.

Unable to qualify for next summer’s tournament by the conventional route, Scotland’s hopes of progression now rest on the play-offs next March.

McGinn’s hat-trick was the first of his career and, although it was scored against the worst national team in the world, his owners would have pleased to see him brimming with confidence in front of goal ahead of Gameweek 9.

The Villa midfielder’s first strike was similar to the goal he scored against Arsenal, ghosting in to flick Ryan Christie’s cross goalward from close range.

McGinn then bundled in after Scott McTominay (£5.0m)’s shot had been kindly palmed out to him and then completed his treble when firing in Stuart Findlay’s knock-down from a corner.

The budget FPL asset’s owners would have been further delighted to see him rested on 70 minutes, with Stuart Armstrong (£5.3m) replacing him and curling in his side’s sixth goal from a direct free-kick.

Andrew Robertson (£6.9m) was handed his second successive 90-minute run-out but had precious little defending to do, with the visitors enjoying only 25% of possession.

Ryan Fraser (£7.1m) was an unused substitute, while John Fleck (£4.8m) missed out altogether – the Sheffield Star reporting that he was not fit enough even for bench duty, although this has yet to be ratified.

Robert Snodgrass (£5.3m) had earlier pulled out of the Scotland squad with what has been described as a minor calf injury and has returned to West Ham.

Wales 1-1 Croatia

• Wayne Hennessey (£4.4m) – 90 minutes
• Ben Davies (£5.4m) – 90 minutes
• Daniel James (£6.1m) – 90 minutes
• Harry Wilson (£6.1m) – 22 minutes
• Neil Taylor (£4.5m) – 0 minutes
• Danny Ward (£4.4m) – 0 minutes
• Dejan Lovren (£5.3m) – 90 minutes
• Mateo Kovacic (£5.4m) – 45 minutes
• Lovre Kalinic (£4.4m) – 0 minutes

Daniel James (£6.1m) brushed off talk of a head injury after featuring for Wales in their Euro 2020 qualification draw with Croatia.

James was involved in a collision with Domagoj Vida in the first half and looked groggy at first, although recovered to last the full game and afterwards said:

I’m fine. I think he just caught me in the head but I didn’t get knocked out fortunately.

National team coach Ryan Giggs added:

The physio came over but there was no problem. We did all the tests at half-time and he was fine. He stayed down and was a bit streetwise. He told the doctors: ‘I’m not moving, I’m just sitting still.’ Not to get anyone sent off, he was just using his nous.

James was otherwise fairly quiet in a game of few clear-cut chances, registering just one shot and one key pass in a 90-minute showing.

Ben Davies (£5.4m) caught the eye, though, producing a superb block to deny Ivan Perisic and then assisting Wales’ equaliser with an excellent intervention and pass to set up Gareth Bale.

Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic (£5.4m) was injured in that tackle from Davies and was withdrawn at half-time after limping from the field but we’ve had no official word as yet as to the severity of the injury.

Wayne Hennessey (£4.4m) and Dejan Lovren (£5.3m) both lasted 90 minutes for the second time in four days, while Harry Wilson (£6.1m), as he was against Slovakia on Thursday, was again brought on by Giggs midway through the second half.

Neil Taylor (£4.5m), Danny Ward (£4.4m) and Lovre Kalinic (£4.4m) were all unused subs and haven’t played any football over the international break.

View player and team stats from Wales v Croatia in our Members’ Area.

Brazil 1-1 Nigeria

• Ederson (£6.1m) – 90 minutes
• Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) – 88 minutes
• Roberto Firmino (£9.6m) – 62 minutes
• Richarlison (£7.9m) – 45 minutes
• Fabinho (£5.5m) – 10 minutes
• Wilfred Ndidi (£5.0m) – 90 minutes
• Alex Iwobi (£5.8m) – 84 minutes

Brazil head coach Tite has been relatively kind to Jurgen Klopp over the international break, with both Roberto Firmino (£9.6m) and Fabinho (£5.5m) having their minutes managed.

This second of two friendlies in Singapore saw Firmino withdrawn on the hour-mark, just as he had been in the match against Senegal last Thursday.

Fabinho only made it onto the field in the final ten minutes, having been an unused substitute in Brazil’s first October friendly.

Firmino missed two presentable opportunities from his customary centre-forward role, while Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) and substitute Richarlison (£7.9m) also had big chances for Selecao: Jesus being denied by an excellent save and Richarlison firing wide from close range.

The fact that Jesus has lasted almost 180 minutes for Brazil over the last week will be of encouragement to owners of a rested Sergio Aguero (£12.2m), who wasn’t involved with Argentina over the international break.

Jesus again lined up on the right wing, with Richarlison thrown on at half-time on the opposite flank.

Ederson (£6.1m) was again between the posts for his country.

This was Nigeria’s one and only match of the October international break and Wilfred Ndidi (£5.0m) and Alex Iwobi (£5.8m) were both handed starts, with Ndidi lasting the duration and Iwobi substituted with six minutes to go.

Iwobi was again deployed as a number ten for his nation although failed to touch the ball once in the opposition box as Brazil dominated possession and chances.

View player and team stats from Brazil v Nigeria in our Members’ Area.

Ecuador 1-6 Argentina

• Juan Foyth (£4.9m) – 77 minutes
• Roberto Pereyra (£5.7m) – 0 minutes
• Marcos Rojo (£4.8m) – 0 minutes
• Nicolas Otamendi (£5.6m) – 0 minutes
• Erik Lamela (£6.1m) – 0 minutes
• Emi Martinez (£4.4m) – 0 minutes

Nicolas Otamendi (£5.6m) and Erik Lamela (£6.1m) weren’t involved in Argentina’s 6-1 win over Ecuador.

The pair did fly with their national team to Alicante for this latest international friendly but weren’t part of the matchday squad and there is no suggestion of any injury for the pair.

Otamendi was allowed to miss Argentina’s second match during the September international break, too, and his Fantasy owners will be pleased to see him handed a breather after the number of minutes he has clocked up for Manchester City over the last month.

Juan Foyth (£4.9m) was indeed the only Premier League-based played to be involved in Spain, playing 77 minutes at right-back after starting his second match in five days.

Roberto Pereyra (£5.7m), Marcos Rojo (£4.8m) and Emi Martinez (£4.4m) were all unused substitutes.

View player and team stats from Ecuador v Argentina in our Members’ Area.

Kazakhstan 0-2 Belgium

• Toby Alderweireld (£5.5m) – 90 minutes
• Jan Vertonghen (£5.3m) – 90 minutes
• Dennis Praet (£5.3m) – 90 minutes
• Michy Batshuayi (£6.6m) – 78 minutes
• Christian Benteke (£5.7m) – 12 minutes
• Divock Origi (£5.3m) – 0 minutes

As was the case against San Marino last Thursday, Toby Alderweireld (£5.5m) and Jan Vertonghen (£5.3m) had a comfortable 90 minutes as already-qualified Belgium kept up their 100% record in Euro 2020 qualifying.

The Spurs pair recorded a second successive clean sheet, with an early skied chance for the hosts’ Maxim Fedin about as good an opportunity as the hosts could muster.

Dennis Praet (£5.3m) was handed his first start for the national side and assisted his country’s opening goal, teeing up Michy Batshuayi (£6.6m) with a superb cross along the six-yard line.

The Chelsea striker had a good chance to score his second goal when unable to stretch far enough to reach Dries Mertens’ cross, eventually being replaced by Christian Benteke (£5.7m) for the final 12 minutes.

Praet completed the game but Divock Origi (£5.3m) failed to make it onto the field for the second match in a row and returns to Liverpool without having kicked a ball over the international break.

Leander Dendoncker (£4.4m) and Youri Tielemans (£6.4m) had both been released by Roberto Martinez ahead of this game, with the Wolves midfielder suffering from a stomach illness and Tielemans attending the birth of his child.

View player and team stats from Kazakhstan v Belgium in our Members’ Area.

Belarus 1-2 The Netherlands

• Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) – 90 minutes
• Georginio Wijnaldum (£5.4m) – 90 minutes
• Nathan Ake (£4.9m) – 0 minutes
• Patrick van Aanholt (£5.6m) – 0 minutes

Georginio Wijnaldum (£5.4m) showcased his attacking attributes once again for the Netherlands, grabbing both goals in a 2-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Belarus.

Used in a more disciplined central midfield role for Liverpool, Wijnaldum has as many goals for the Reds in three and a bit seasons as he scored for Newcastle in 2015/16 alone.

His brace on Sunday were his 14th and 15th goals for his country, with his opener a header from close range and his second strike a superb arrowed effort from distance.

Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) had a busier evening at the back than he did against Northern Ireland and was caught between two Belarus players for the hosts’ goal on 53 minutes, with Stanislav Dragun ghosting behind him to halve the arrears.

Van Dijk and Wijnaldum have played 180 minutes for the Netherlands over the international break but now have a full week to recover before Liverpool take on Manchester United in Gameweek 9.

Nathan Ake (£4.9m) and Patrick van Aanholt (£5.6m), by contrast, failed to make it onto the field in either of the Netherlands’ two Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Estonia 0-3 Germany

• Ilkay Gundogan (£5.2m) – 90 minutes
• Bernd Leno (£5.0m) – 0 minutes

Not a particularly prolific goalscorer at Manchester City, Ilkay Gundogan (£5.2m) scored a brace as Germany moved closer to Euro 2020 qualification with a 3-0 win in Estonia.

The City midfielder had been an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw with Argentina last Wednesday, having come into the international break nursing a muscle injury.

Gundogan played the full 90 minutes in Tallinn, however, and opened the scoring with two deflected efforts from the edge of the box early in the second half.

The budget FPL midfielder also supplied a raking long pass to assist Timo Werner for Germany’s third goal.

Gundogan had started four City matches in a row going into the international break.

Bernd Leno (£5.0m) was an unused substitute for the second successive match for the visitors.

View player and team stats from Estonia v Germany in our Members’ Area.

Ivory Coast 3-1 DR Congo

• Serge Aurier (£4.9m) – 90 minutes
• Nicolas Pepe (£9.3m) – 90 minutes
• Wilfried Zaha (£6.7m) – 90 minutes
• Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) – 90 minutes

Nicolas Pepe (£9.3m) and Wilfried Zaha (£6.7m) were both on the scoresheet as Ivory Coast’s one and only match of the international break resulted in a 3-1 win over DR Congo.

Zaha assisted his country’s second goal, producing some fine trickery on the byline and teeing up Pepe to backheel in from close range.

Moments after the Arsenal winger had been substituted in second-half stoppage time, Zaha rounded off the scoring when jinking his way into the DR Congo box and firing a near-post effort through opposition goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda.

Serge Aurier (£4.9m) and Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) both lasted 90 minutes, meanwhile.

Poland 2-0 North Macedonia

• Jan Bednarek (£4.5m) – 90 minutes

Southampton’s Jan Bednarek (£4.5m) completed his second successive 90 minutes and kept another clean sheet as Poland qualified for Euro 2020 with a win over North Macedonia.

View player and team stats from Poland v North Macedonia in our Members’ Area.

Slovakia 1-1 Paraguay

• Martin Dubravka (£5.0m) – 0 minutes
• Miguel Almiron (£5.8m) – 0 minutes
• Fabian Balbuena (£4.3m) – 0 minutes

There was to be no Newcastle United reunion in Bratislava, with Miguel Almiron (£5.8m) suspended for Paraguay’s international friendly with Slovakia.

Almiron had been dismissed for two bookable offences in the defeat to Serbia last Thursday.

Martin Dubravka (£5.0m) wasn’t involved for the hosts, with Slovakia coach Pavel Hapal making wholesale changes from the side that drew with Wales last week.

Fabian Balbuena (£4.3m) failed to get off the bench for the visitors.

Kenya 0-1 Mozambique

• Victor Wanyama (£4.9m) – 90 minutes

Spurs’ Victor Wanyama (£4.9m) lasted the full game as Kenya fell to a 1-0 defeat in an international friendly on Sunday.

This was Wanyama’s only action of the international break.

Lessons learned from Gameweek 8

• Brighton 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
• Burnley 1-0 Everton
• Liverpool 2-1 Leicester City
• Norwich City 1-5 Aston Villa
• Watford 0-0 Sheffield United
• West Ham United 1-2 Crystal Palace
• Arsenal 1-0 Bournemouth
• Manchester City 0-2 Wolves
• Southampton 1-4 Chelsea
• Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester United