Dugout Discussion

Abraham fit to start as Martial misses out for United

There are six Premier League matches taking place this evening, with all bar the Merseyside derby kicking off at 19:30 GMT.

Liverpool v Everton gets underway at 20:15 GMT, meanwhile.

Perhaps the headline team news comes from Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea take on Aston Villa.

Frank Lampard is able to call upon Tammy Abraham (£7.9m) as the England striker makes a swift return from the hip injury that forced his absence in Gameweek 14.

Mason Mount (£6.6m), Christian Pulisic (£7.5m) and the recalled Willian (£7.1m) make up the attacking trident behind Abraham but there is no place in the starting XI for Fikayo Tomori (£4.9m), who is replaced by Andreas Christensen (£4.9m).

Jorginho, Emerson (£5.5m), Olivier Giroud (£6.6m) and Pedro (£6.8m) also drop out of the team, as N’Golo Kante (£5.0m) and Cesar Azplicueta (£5.9m) return.

Dean Smith has made three changes, two of which are enforced.

Douglas Luiz (£4.5m), the suspended Frederic Guilbert (£4.4m) and the injured Anwar El Ghazi (£5.5m) make way, with Marvelous Nakamba (£4.4m), Ahmed El Mohamady (£4.2m) and Trezeguet (£5.2m) taking their places.

The swirling media reports that suggested that Anthony Martial (£7.7m) would miss out have proven to be accurate, with the Frenchman not in Manchester United’s squad.

Speaking to MUTV before the game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said:

Anthony got a slight injury on Sunday so he’ll be out for a little while.

Brandon Williams (£4.1m), Juan Mata (£6.2m) and Andreas Pereira (£5.0m) all drop to the bench, meanwhile, as Jesse Lingard (£6.3m), Ashley Young (£5.4m), Mason Greenwood (£4.3m) and Scott McTominay (£5.1m) come into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI.

Jose Mourinho is back at Old Trafford after a 12-month absence and has made two changes to his Spurs team, with Harry Winks (£5.3m) and Lucas Moura (£7.0m) replacing Tanguy Ndombele (£5.8m) and Eric Dier (£4.9m).

There were shocks at Anfield, too, with Jurgen Klopp making five changes: two of which see Mohamed Salah (£12.2m) and Roberto Firmino (£9.4m) drop to the bench.

Xherdan Shaqiri (£6.3m) and Divock Origi (£5.2m) come in, while Adrian (£4.2m) replaces the suspended Alisson (£6.0m).

Everton are unchanged.

Brendan Rodgers has made only one change to his Leicester City XI, with Christian Fuchs (£4.3m) replacing the absent Ben Chilwell (£5.9m).

Chilwell reportedly has a minor groin injury.

Hayden Mullins, in temporary charge of Watford, also makes a sole alteration, with Troy Deeney (£6.2m) in for the injured Jose Holebas (£4.7m).

That would seem to indicate a change of shape, with the 3-5-2 abandoned for a back four.

Continuing that trend, Nuno Espirito Santo has only made one tweak to his Wolves starting XI: Romain Saiss (£4.4m), who was banned for the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United, ousts Max Kilman (£4.0m) at centre-half.

West Ham’s only change sees Sebastien Haller (£7.1m) come in for Michail Antonio (£6.9m), who failed a late fitness test.

There is just one alteration at St. Mary’s, meanwhile: Norwich City are unchanged, while Shane Long (£4.6m) starts in Michael Obafemi‘s (£4.9m) stead for the hosts.


Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen, James; Kante, Kovacic; Pulisic, Mount, Willian; Abraham.

Aston Villa XI: Heaton; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Elmohamady; Hourihane, Nakamba, McGinn; Grealish, Wesley, Trezeguet.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel; Fuchs, Soyuncu, Evans, Ricardo; Ndidi; Barnes, Maddison, Tielemans, Perez; Vardy.

Watford XI: Foster; Masina, Mariappa, Cathcart, Femenia; Capoue, Doucoure; Hughes, Deulofeu, Sarr; Deeney.

Liverpool XI: Adrian; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Milner, Lallana; Shaqiri, Mane, Origi.

Everton XI: Pickford; Digne, Keane, Mina, Holgate, Sidibe; Sigurdsson, Davies; Richarlison, Iwobi, Calvert-Lewin.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Young, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka; Fred, McTominay; Rashford, Lingard, James; Greenwood.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Gazzaniga; Vertonghen, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Aurier; Winks, Sissoko; Son, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura; Kane.

Southampton XI: McCarthy; Bertrand, Bednarek, Stephens, Cedric; Redmond, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Djenepo; Ings, Long.

Norwich XI: Krul; Byram, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Aarons; Trybull, Amadou; Hernandez, McClean, Cantwell; Pukki.

Wolves XI: Patricio; Saiss, Coady, Dendoncker; Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Doherty; Jota, Jimenez, Traore.

West Ham XI: Martin; Cresswell, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Fredericks; Rice, Noble; F. Anderson; Fornals, Snodgrass; Haller.

3,820 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Touré De Force
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Should've just held on to Tammy :/

  2. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Let the party commence!

  3. DantheManinaPan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Bringing in Martin and Greenwood on my wildcard has been a lot more positive than I imagined!

    1. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Class

  4. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    United vs Spurs unbiased prediction ::

    1. Eleven Hag
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      0-3 spurs

    2. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      1-1

    3. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      1-1

    4. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      0-0

    5. Jindaljain
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      5-5

    6. Krafty Werks
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      1-2

      1. norab
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        1-2

    7. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      2-2

    8. All For One
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      3-1 Spurs

    9. Sgt Frank Drebin
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      0-10

  5. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Who else needs a Tomori no show now?

    1. Jindaljain
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      I badly need that 1st Sub Kelly and 2nd Rico

    2. McSauce
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      badly as I have Rico 9 coming in if he stays off

    3. CRO KLOPP
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Me and Mark

    4. _Gunner
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Rico off the bench for me if that happened

  6. Mo Salah No Mane
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    No Martial 🙂 No Chilwell 🙁

  7. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Aurier & Rico on my bench could hurt this week.

    Even Connolly could score vs. Arsenal!

    😆

  8. Cok3y5murf
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Surely Martial owners have to hold now, right? OOP at that price is pure value

    1. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      No way, he's gone for me tonight.

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      You would think so.

      He'll get them more points tonight than most GWs.

    3. Mo Salah No Mane
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Definitely selling
      Was going to either way

    4. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      😀

  9. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Why is Williams not starting? Utterly pathetic from Ole... fuming.

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      3rd choice LB?

    2. Rolls-Royce
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Cute.

    3. Eleven Hag
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Aurrier n Moura wud tear him apart

  10. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    How does that Maguire chap keep starting for Man United?

    1. Rolls-Royce
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Because it's Man United.

    2. DGW Sane TC Fail....
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Good player in a bad utd team. If he was still at Leicester people would be singing his praises.

    3. bench boost for every gamew…
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      I´m not a fan either but that was harsh-) But ye, not sure why someone would put 80m quid on a player that lacks pace and while he´s decent with the ball he is not excellent. Lindelof is about 50 m cheaper, not that you can see that on the pitch mind

      If Matip could stay injuryfree he would compete for one of the best buys in PL era

  11. The Wanton Trader
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    I think I’m going to give this Goal Centre thing a go on Amazon tonight.
    Sounds interesting.
    Guarantee the game I pick to watch will turn out to be a 0-0... 🙂

    Nice to have the options to be fair...

  12. Mo Salah No Mane
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Having a good bench is so so essential 🙂

    1. Mo Salah No Mane
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      In December especially!

    2. The Wanton Trader
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Mine just got better with Greenwood starting...

  13. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Tammy legend. Holds value and then starts

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Mark knew...

    2. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      hasn't scored yet so lets wait

  14. DantheManinaPan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Would you lose Jimenez or Maddison to get Tammy back?

    1. Mo Salah No Mane
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Maddison

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      No

  15. Ask Yourself
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Lesson learned. Here’s my chance to redeem doubling up on United attack?

    Rashford + Martial > Abraham + Alli

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      The question is is it okay to do for a hit

    2. IRBOX ⚽
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Keep Rash

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Maybe, we’ll see today, united are so bad without martial. Don’t fancy them to do anything vs city and I have no other room to downgrade to turn Martial to Alli really

    3. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      slow down and at least wait for tonight's matches

  16. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    me Irish pals

    signed up to prime only to find it is not available for Irish viewers

    f!ck sake!!

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Premier Sports showing UTD-TOT & LIV-EVE tonight on both channels + others on red button.

      1. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        🙁 unfortunately dont have that..

        will have to just get a stream..

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Lol

    3. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Adrian in goal and Shaqiri, Lallana and Origi starting too.....Everton might just have a chance to nick a draw here

  17. Trippier Hazard
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Is there a way to estimate the number of inactive teams out of the 7m teams registered in FPL?

    1. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Something like 33%, maybe just above that

  18. Jindaljain
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Vardy Hattrick what say Guys?

    1. Rolls-Royce
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Doesn't really matter. Most have captained him anyway.

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        This unfortunately

  19. some witty pun
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Wow, so selling Tammy is my worst decision, possibly in FPL history ever..

    1. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Depends who for

      1. some witty pun
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        Jesus, I figured that he'd be short term fix where Aguero and Tammy would both return from injuries around the same time period

        1. Cok3y5murf
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          I sold for Jesus too. Why you complaining unless Tammy goes mental today?

          1. some witty pun
            • 11 Years
            4 years, 3 months ago

            Got Tammy at 7.1, if he hits form (possibly today) and I get him back, that's a lot of lost value

            1. some witty pun
              • 11 Years
              4 years, 3 months ago

              Not to mention that my 1st sub last GW was Cantwell....

    2. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Will tell you in a couple of hours.

    3. Jindaljain
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      For Jiminez then no

  20. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Damn, sold Tammy for Mousset..

    1. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Mousset could so easily match him

  21. Kaiser123
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    If Ings matches Tammy today, then no issues.

    1. TOPCAT1960
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Yep

  22. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Tammy now please reward us

  23. Arse Craic
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Feck

    1. Touré De Force
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Ars Industries

  24. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    lots of people will now get Rico and Kelly points

    1. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Please don't say that - it's depressing.

      1. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        it is the case. Because of Abraham i lost rico points though

  25. Gaddafi
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Disaster! Sold Abraham this week (not last week, because I needed to do something else).

    Now he's back already. I had been hoping for 1-2 weeks without him so that I could justify buying him back once he returned. Might even buy him back next week now. Lost my value on him for nothing, feeling stupid. Who else is in the same boat as me?

    1. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Me 🙂

  26. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    All the main FPL boys start for Liverpool.

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Usually do.

    2. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Not quite....

    3. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      You'd expect that for a Mersyside derby. The next match might see some benching I suppose.

  27. DGW Sane TC Fail....
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Well the martial experiment didn't go well. I would nornally hold , but after watching his last two games he should be dropped for Greenwood in my opinion. Lazy and no movement at all. Thought he was waiting for a bus during the Aston Villa game.

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      He's a dud.

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      a trap beloved of the posters on here and casuals alike

      bizarre that he is 0.2 above original price

  28. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    LFC vs Everton: Adrian, Trent AA, Van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Shaqiri, Origi, Mane.

    1. Peter Ouch
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Get in!

    2. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Salah owners probably rewarded again ffs

      1. DGW Sane TC Fail....
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        it's called having a good bench ...i have Tomori and Martial out ...coming off the bench Rico and Mount

    3. CRO KLOPP
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Klopp chooses his best in form players for derby, no suprises there

  29. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    ⚽ Team News 📰
    LIV: Adrián, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Milner, Origi, Mané, Shaqiri
    Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Henderson, Chamberlain, Keita, Firmino, Salah

    EVE: Pickford, Holgate, Digne, Sidibé, Keane, Mina, Davies, Richarlison, Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin
    Subs: Lössl, Baines, Schneiderlin, Bernard, Tosun, Kean, Walcott

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      lol

    2. Gaddafi
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Sorry, Shaqiri and Lallana are starting? Firmino and Salah on bench?

    3. bench boost for every gamew…
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Hopefully adrian gets me more points than pope.. feck

      i don´t like that midfield, front three beat Barcelona 4-0 so could be good-)

      Problem here is too many players who have not played for some time, Lallana and Shaqiri.

      He always seems to this vs Everton... i would rather have this team vs Bou away then here.

  30. Herman Toothrot
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Oh Mane my captain my captain.

    1. bench boost for every gamew…
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      I would be a little dissapointed with this team sheet if i were cap Mané