Salah returns to Scout Picks for FPL Gameweek 19

Mohamed Salah (£12.2m) makes an immediate return to the Scout Picks team for Gameweek 19.

After a week off, the Liverpool man comes back to the team ahead of a trip to Leicester.

We have also selected a Sheffield United double-up and chosen two players who will feature at Villa Park on Boxing Day.

With such a tight turnaround between Gameweeks, there was no Scout Squad article this week.

Instead, the Scout Picks XI was chosen by the Fantasy Football Scout editorial team.

We line up in the classic 3-4-3 formation, coming in at £82.0m, £1.0m inside our budget £83.0m.

Goalkeeper

Dean Henderson (£4.8m) is the first of our Sheffield United defensive double-up. Over the last four matches, no side in the Premier League has allowed fewer big chances than the Blades while Watford are still in the division’s bottom three for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target in away matches this season.

Defenders

Djibril Sidibé (£5.3m) is our representative from the Everton defence as they host Burnley. The Clarets come into Gameweek 19 bottom of the league for shots on target in away matches this season. Furthermore, over his last four outings, Sidibé has played the same number of key passes as colleague Lucas Digne but two of these have led to big chances while none have come from the left-back. His propensity to fashion higher quality chances may be why Sidibé has three assists since Gameweek 11 while Digne has just one.

John Lundstram (£5.2m) completes our Sheffield United double-up ahead of Gameweek 19. We’ve already covered the clean sheet potential for the Blades but, as we know by now, there are always opportunities for returns at the other end of the pitch with Lundstram. He has produced an attacking return in three of his last four at Bramall Lane.

Martin Kelly (£4.4m) is our chosen representative from the Crystal Palace defence on Boxing Day, who also offers greater spending elsewhere. They have kept three clean sheets in their last five and face a West Ham side that has blanked in three of their last five road-trips.

Midfielders

Salah looks ready to burst back onto the Fantasy scene in a big way in Gameweek 19. Over his last four matches, the Egyptian is top of the league for shots in the box, joint-second for big chances and second for shots on target. That impressive form has yielded back-to-back double-figure hauls and we could see something similar on Boxing Day. Leicester’s defence has done well this year but we saw in Gameweek 18 that they are capable of conceding a few times when playing elite-level competition – a category that Salah certainly falls into.

Kevin de Bruyne (£10.4m) has been in exceptional form over the last two matches, producing four attacking returns in that time. Even dropped back into a slightly deeper role on paper when Manchester City hosted Leicester, the Belgian often pushed up behind the front-three acting as a number 10. Having recorded the third-most shots on target in the league over his last four, as well as the second-highest number of key passes, de Bruyne is showing the sort of form that suggests he can still deliver against a mean Wolves defence.

Dele Alli (£8.8m) has become the go-to Spurs attacking asset after Son Heung-min’s ill-judged actions against Chelsea. While he blanked on Sunday afternoon, a home meeting with Brighton is the perfect opportunity for Alli to get back in the goals. The Seagulls come to north London having conceded at least twice in four of their last six away matches. Meanwhile, Alli is still averaging 6.8 points per game under Jose Mourinho.

Jack Grealish (£6.3m) has been a solitary bright spark for Aston Villa in recent weeks, adding his third goal in five Gameweeks in the 3-1 defeat to Southampton. Also in the mix for penalty kicks, Grealish faces a Norwich defence with one clean sheet in nine. Furthermore, in that time, they have conceded at least twice in all but two matches.

Forwards

Adding his 17th goal of the season against Manchester City, it’s getting harder and harder to leave Jamie Vardy (£10.1m) out of the Scout Picks. After rewarding us with nine points in Gameweek 18, the Leicester man receives our backing once again as Liverpool come to the King Power Stadium. Over his last four, Vardy is inside the top four for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target, suggesting once again that his form is sustainable. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s defensive potential may take a slight knock from the travelling required to participate in Qatar’s Club World Cup competition and they are still yet to keep a clean sheet against any other side in this season’s top four anyway.

Tammy Abraham (£7.9m) may have blanked in four of his last five starts but a home match against Southampton looks like a good chance for him to get back in the goals. The Saints come to Stamford Bridge without a clean sheet since Gameweek 5 and Abraham himself has registered 13 shots in the box over his last four, second only to Salah.

The Christmas party you attend this year could very well be hosted by Teemu Pukki (£6.6m) as he continues to show some resurgence. Over his last four, the Norwich striker is in the Premier League’s top five for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target, with two goals to show for it as well. On Boxing Day, Pukki faces an Aston Villa defence in disarray that has allowed more shots in the box and big chances than any other top-flight side in the last four Gameweeks.

Substitutes

Vicente Guaita (£5.1m) is an alternative route into the Crystal Palace defence.

Serge Aurier (£5.1m) could be an important outlet for Spurs against Brighton in Gameweek 19.

While Aston Villa’s defence has been hugely lacking in recent weeks, Matt Targett (£4.4m) has shown signs of offensive potential which could be brought to the fore against Norwich’s equally poor back-line.

Todd Cantwell (£4.8m) represents a cheaper route into the Norwich attack which we expect to have plenty of joy against Villa’s out-of-form defence.

The Captain

The Scout Picks has a captain for the 2019/20 campaign.

This skipper is chosen using the conclusions of the latest Captain Sensible article and a four-way vote between David, Neale, Paul and Geoff.

Because the use of Fantasy Football Scout data is used so heavily in this process, the captain we choose each Gameweek will be known only to those who have signed up to Membership for the 2019/20 season.

It will be revealed to the public only when the deadline for the Gameweek has passed.

Here’s how we voted for Gameweek 19: 

Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 19 is FPL_SMR.

Their team will be confirmed in due course.

The community member who beats our picks by the biggest margin over the campaign will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Contributors and Moderators League for the following season.

Community Champion Mince n Tatties was defeated in Gameweek 18, the Scout Picks winning by a 49-39 scoreline.

The current winning margin of 17 points recorded by irfansheikh in Gameweek 7 and AK in Gameweek 10 remains the score to beat.