Dugout Discussion

Fernandes starts at Brighton despite 120-minute FA Cup outing

Bruno Fernandes (£8.7m) has surprised Fantasy managers by starting for Manchester United’s trip to Brighton.

The Portuguese international played a full 120 minutes in an FA Cup win at Norwich on Saturday, suggesting that he might miss out on Gameweek 32+.

Despite having Andreas Pereira (£4.8m) and Juan Mata (£6.1m) on the bench, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Fernandes for a fourth start in all competitions since the Premier League resumed.

In light of extra-time in the FA Cup, it will be interesting to see how long the midfielder is able to last at the Amex Stadium though.

Fernandes will also be under the microscope of eagle-eyed Fantasy managers still curious about how he will cope with Paul Pogba (£8.3m) in the side.

The Frenchman made his first league start since Gameweek 7 when Sheffield United were dispatched 3-0 at Old Trafford, arguably overshadowing Ferandnes in the process.

Therefore, it will be important analyse whether or not the same will be true on the road, especially considering this is the same XI that Solskjaer named against the Blades.

That means another Premier League start for Mason Greenwood (£4.3m) on the flanks of attacking midfield, Marcus Rashford (£9.1m) on the opposite flank and Anthony Martial (£8.2m) in the centre-forward position.

The out-of-position FPL midfielder scored 10 points the last time he faced Brighton and launched himself onto the Fantasy radar with a hat-trick in Gameweek 31+.

Manchester United may not have it too easy at Brighton though. Notorious tinkerman Graham Potter has gone for an ultra-conservative formation, featuring a back-five and a trio of midfielders screening the defence.

Dan Burn (£4.5m) tucks in alongside Lewis Dunk (£4.7m) and Shane Duffy (£4.8m) at centre-back while Tariq Lamptey (£4.0m), who impressed against Leicester, could be up against Rashford.

Dale Stephens (£4.4m), Yves Bissouma (£5.0m) and Davy Pröpper (£4.8m) have been given the task of protecting the back-five, with creative players such as Aaron Mooy (£4.8m), Leandro Trossard (£5.8m) and Pascal Groß (£6.2m) on the bench.

Alexis Mac Allister (£5.5m) looks to be in a rather disconnected number 10 role just behind Aaron Connolly (£4.2m) in the lone-striker role, while Neal Maupay (£5.7m) finds himself among the substitutes.

Brighton and Hove XI (5-3-1-1): Ryan; Montoya, Burn, Duffy, Dunk, Lamptey; Bissouma, D Stephens, Pröpper; Mac Allister; Connolly.

Manchester United XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Lindelöf, Wan-Bissaka; Matic, Pogba; Rashford, B Fernandes, Greenwood; Martial.

FPL Lessons Learned from Gameweek 32+

1,724 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Van der Faart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Awful GW so far. Both ML leads lost. Down almost 15k. Do something Martial ffs

  2. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Haven't seen Martial break into a sprint once all night.

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Standard Martial. Don't know whether good Martial or bad Martial is going to turn up. Don't think even he himself knows which Martial is going to turn up until it is kick off.

    2. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I don't think I've ever seen him do a full sprint

  3. HNI
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    After 7 years, I would like 4 Manutd players in fpl squad! Not even wanted 1 for many years. Something building up at Theatee of Dreams...slowly but surely

    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Fixtures are good until the end of the season & could carry on until the new season .You only want 4 players because apart from Bruno no real consistency & defence still has a mistake in it .

  4. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    sorry.

  5. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Which Man Utd fullback should I get

    a) AWB

    b) Rashford

    1. how now brown cow
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      The more attacking one.

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      The old Aurier/Son debate

    3. Vazza
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Haha

    4. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Lol

  6. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    What are the odds of captaining your lowest scoring player 3 weeks in a row?

    1. FPL_DON
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      can relate

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Who did you captain for the DGW?

  7. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    1 more save plz ddg

  8. Van der Faart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    DDG with the acrobatics

  9. FPL_DON
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    One more save DDG!

  10. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Might be a chance of a Dave saves point yet.

  11. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Dave racking them up now

  12. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    DDG has changed into the best GK in the world again, hope Keane is watching!

  13. Firmino
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Surely Martial will come off soon

  14. goriuanx
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    These last two games sum up Martial as a FPL pick

    Awesome when he wants to be, otherwise very frustrating

    1. james 101
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Never captain never bench?

      1. Hart-ake
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        yeah basically.

  15. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    The duo are off soon.

  16. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Lol ddg the king of making routine saves look incredible

    The complete opposite of Allison

    1. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Gary Neville gets it spot on

      He said the best GKs are the ones who catch, and the ones who make it easy. It calms the rest of the back 4

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

        Exactly. Ddg reminds me of shay given

        He was the original TV keeper

  17. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    LiveFPL shows me down 1k places despite owning Bruno (and Rashford)

    1. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Quite a lot of Bruno cappers and AWB/ Maguire/ DDG owners

    2. POLSKA GOLA
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      It’s the defence points combined with Bruno captains.
      I’m also down 1k with the same two in my team. Most people around top 10k probably have 3 United at this stage

  18. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Martial gone back to being hot and cold again!

    1. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      has always been like that.

    2. Bartowski
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Its Martial Law.

  19. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Need a rash goal or a Brighton goal. Come on FPL gods

    1. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      This

  20. Van der Faart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Get in the bin Martial

  21. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Hate this game
    99% luck and timing

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      If you sold Bruno for Martial it isn’t

  22. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Luke-Warm Martial subbed

    1. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Not ‘Ice-Cold’ today

  23. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Martial and Rashford off
    Ighalo and James on

  24. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Aaaaaand time to switch off

  25. Over Midwicket
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Martial off for Ighalo. Silly people who captained him like me.

  26. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Rash (c) paid off...

  27. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    For f**k sake. Just give me a captain call right, bloody hell.

  28. Dynamic Duos
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Love those Martial and Rashford blanks

  29. Gashead9
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    United are so ordinary without Pog & Bruno on the pitch

  30. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Martial off?