Danny Ings (£7.0m) and Sergio Aguero (£11.9m) have both been benched for Double Gameweek 24, much to the frustration of countless FPL managers.
Ralph Hasenhuttl had made comments which were worrisome for owners of Southampton’s star striker ahead of a trip to Crystal Palace, while Pep Guardiola’s latest spin of the rotation roulette wheel sees Aguero warming the bench at Bramall Lane.
The pair of forwards earned over 500,000 new owners between them ahead of this evening’s deadline.
The other big piece of team news also comes from the game between Sheffield United and Manchester City, as John Lundstram (£5.1m) finds himself out of Chris Wilder’s XI following two consecutive substitutions.
While the rotation of Ings and Aguero will be causing strife among the FPL community, Lundstram owners may be content that his benching has come in such a difficult fixture.
Kevin de Bruyne (£10.7m), Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) are all in Guardiola’s XI, as is the returning Aymeric Laporte (£6.3m). The Frenchman looks set to play his first minutes since Gameweek 4 at left-back, though Oleksandr Zinchenko‘s (£5.2m) presence in the line-up may mean that Guardiola has a trick up his sleeve.
David Silva (£7.4m) is absent from the City squad, as are defensive duo Benjamin Mendy (£5.5m) and John Stones (£5.3m) – who were both flagged by Guardiola in his pre-match press conference.
Jan Bednarek (£4.4m) misses out for Southampton through injury, with Jannik Vestergaard (£4.6m) deputising. The Saints’ backline will face off against Crystal Palace loanee Cenk Tosun (£5.7m), who is fresh off a debut goal in Gameweek 23.
Djibril Sidibé (£5.4m) replaces Seamus Coleman (£5.3m) at right-back for Everton, with Moise Kean (£6.4m) again partnering Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) in Carlo Ancelotti’s two-man frontline as Richarlison (£8.1m) remains sidelined.
In more attacking full-back news, Matt Ritchie (£5.3m) starts again for Newcastle. The 0.2%-owned defender, who might be on spot-kick duty for Steve Bruce, could provide a stream of differential points over a nice upcoming schedule for the Magpies.
Leandro Trossard (£5.8m) finds himself back out of the Brighton XI following his goal against Aston Villa at the weekend, while Diego Rico (£4.3m) starts against the Seagulls in a huge match for Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth.
Hector Bellerin (£5.4m) replaces Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.6m) in Mikel Arteta’s only change to his Arsenal XI for the London derby against Chelsea. Gabriel Martinelli (£4.5m) again deputises for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.7m), who will return from suspension for Gameweek 25.
Frank Lampard has benched Mason Mount (£6.2m) for the Stamford Bridge clash, while Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.3m) earns a third straight league start. Fikayo Tomori (£4.5m) is not part of Chelsea’s matchday 18, while Reece James (£5.0m) is also absent after picking up an injury in Gameweek 23.
Aston Villa XI: Reina; Konsa, Mings, Hause; Targett, Nakamba, Drinkwater, Guilbert; Grealish, El Ghazi, Trezeguet.
Watford XI: Foster; Masina, Cathcart, Dawson, Mariappa; Chalobah, Capoue; Pereyra, Doucouré, Deulofeu; Deeney.
Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale; Rico, Aké, Francis, A. Smith; Fraser, Billing, Lerma, H. Wilson; C. Wilson, Solanke.
Brighton XI: Ryan; Bernardo, Dunk, Webster, Alzate; Mooy, Stephens, Propper; Gross, Maupay, Jahanbakhsh.
Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; Riedewald, Cahill, Tomkins, M Kelly; Kouyaté, McArthur, McCarthy; Zaha, Tosun, Ayew.
Southampton XI: McCarthy; Bertrand, Vestergaard, J Stephens, Cédric; Redmond, Højbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong; S Long, Obafemi.
Everton XI: Pickford; Digne, Mina, Holgate, Sidibé; Bernard, Schneiderlin, Delph, Walcott; Kean, Calvert-Lewin.
Newcastle XI: Dúbravka; Ritchie, Clark, Lascelles, Fernández, Hayden; Almirón, M Longstaff, S Longstaff, Atsu; Joelinton.
Sheffield United XI: D Henderson; O’Connell, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Fleck, Norwood, Besic, Baldock; Sharp, McBurnie.
Man City XI: Ederson; Laporte, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Walker; Zinchenko, Rodrigo, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus, Mahrez.
Chelsea XI: Kepa; Emerson, Christensen, Rüdiger, Azpilicueta; Kovacic, Kanté, Jorginho; Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Willian.
Arsenal XI: Leno; Saka, Luiz, Mustafi, Bellerín; Torreira, Xhaka; Martinelli, Özil, Pépé; Lacazette.
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