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. CheesyZoot
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Reece James a viable option?

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

    Why genuinely love Laca and Lundstram to get full rests tomorrow, however unlikely.

    Means bare bench points, and makes Lacazette back to Tammy/Ings super easy

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

    This is bound to be a Vardy captain fail isnt it...

  4. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Jimmy and Mount get ferking involved 😡

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

    Vardy rewards first time Captainers

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

    Vardy booked f off

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

    Irbox knew!

    Vardy has regressed.

  8. Dacra
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Need Tomori and Salah (c) to stay away for Lund and Rico.. And Vardy (vc)

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

    Vardy yellow lol

  10. Totally !rre!evant
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Maybe Penalty?

  11. Qaiss
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    To think I bought Tammy at 7.1 nice and early, and sold him at the weekend for Vardy for a hit.... 🙁

    1. Doctor Evil
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      I bought him for 7.0 and kept him. He’s now 7.9 so if all you sellers can buy again to push him over 8m that would be great thanks

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

    Pls

  13. The Mandalorian
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    How are LEI playing anyone watching,.?

  14. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Bullshit

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

    VAR is pants

  16. Fpl Richie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Some heavy points being benched this week. Yuck.

  17. Maddi Son
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Disgusting, there is contact.

  18. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Mark knows... Sterling (C) haul compared to Vardy (C)

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

    That’s surely a penalty

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

    Vardy yellow card hahaha

  21. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Var.. what the fucccc.. absolute piss take

  22. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Imagine the scenes, a vardy red lol

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

      Fingers crossed

  23. Alan The Llama
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    G Alli

  24. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    1-1

    Spurs goak

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

    Most idiotic VAR moment so far?

  26. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Alli!

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

    WOW ALLI WOW

  28. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Alli!!!!

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

    Looks like a pen to me that

    1. Totally !rre!evant
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 4 months ago

      It was

  30. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 4 months ago

    Assist?