Dugout Discussion

Fernandes and Pogba both start against injury-hit Bournemouth defence

Bruno Fernandes (£8.8m) and Paul Pogba (£8.3m) both start for Manchester United as Bournemouth come to Old Trafford.

The pair were subject of an injury rumour circling around some quarters of the media on Friday evening, but it would appear they came through the most recent training session unscathed.

In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named an unchanged line-up from the side that won comfortably at Brighton, much to the delight of Fantasy managers interested in their assets.

At a time when Manchester United options are in such high-demand, it is encouraging to know that the manager has found a settled selection. This is the first time since November 2006 that an unchanged XI has been named in three successive Premier League matches.

That means Mason Greenwood (£4.4m) is on the right-hand side of attacking midfield once more, joined there by Fernandes and Marcus Rashford (£9.1m).

Meanwhile, Anthony Martial (£8.2m) starts up-front hoping to replicate his most recent Old Trafford outing, which saw the Frenchman score a hat-trick against Bournemouth.

A further boost for Manchester United backers has emerged in the form of injuries to Chris Mepham (£4.3m) and Steve Cook (£5.0m), who was reprimanded by Eddie Howe this week for publicly criticising Bournemouth.

With Simon Francis (£4.4m) still on the sidelines, a dearth of options has forced the Bournemouth manager into some tough decisions with his defence.

Left-back Lloyd Kelly (£4.4m) has tucked into centre-back alongside Nathan Aké (£4.8m) with Diego Rico (£4.2m) earning his first start since Gameweek 26.

Elsewhere, Leicester host Crystal Palace, although that fixture has considerably less Fantasy interest.

Jamie Vardy (£9.7m) remains the most popular Fox, sat in 26.2% of teams, but has just two goals since Gameweek 19.

That statistic does not particularly bode well given that Roy Hodgson’s men have four clean sheets from their last six matches.

It is also frustrating news for the 15.1% still in possession of James Maddison (£7.4m), who does not make the matchday squad while Harvey Barnes (£6.0m) is among the substitutes for the third match in a row since the Premier League returned.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel; Chilwell, Söyüncü, Evans, Justin; Pérez, Tielemans, Ndidi, Albrighton; Iheanacho, Vardy.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; van Aanholt, Cahill, Sakho, J Ward; Zaha, Riedewald, Milivojevic, McArthur; Benteke, Ayew.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Lindelöf, Wan-Bissaka; Pogba, Matić; Rashford, B Fernandes, Greenwood; Martial.

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale, Rico, Aké, L Kelly, A Smith; Stanislas, L Cook, Lerma, Brooks; J King, Solanke.

2,491 Comments Post a Comment
  1. ZLATAN'S PONYTAIL
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Brought in Greenwood but only on the bench. Oh well at least I didn't sell Rash 🙂

  2. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martial gonna get that assist, right?

    1. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Shouls

  3. pundit of punts
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martial + Greenwood going well so far

  4. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Rashford, Bruno and Martial Free-hit success.

    1. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Nice

  5. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    No Martial assist?

    1. DycheDycheBaby
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I would think so. They always delay for these type of penalties

  6. HollywoodXI
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Why hasn’t Martial been given the assist???

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Deflected off def

    2. Respect My Authoritah
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      He'll be given it eventually dw

  7. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Finally. Redemption for those who stuck with Rashford lol

  8. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Was that a Martial assist? Was deflected no?

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Yep has to be

  9. AC Yew
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Need another from Greenwood please lad

  10. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Yes Rashy lad

    7 more

    1. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      MBP :p

  11. BigCoupes
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Got to be Martial assist

    1. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Please explain

      1. FPLtfs
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        This. Extremely lucky if its given

      2. BigCoupes
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        He headed it into the box and the defender handballed it

        1. Royal5
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Looked like it deflected

  12. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Vards you wombat

  13. JELLYFISH
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Rashford yes, oh this is going well

  14. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Expecting United to score atleast 2 more

  15. HashAttack
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Where's Martial assist

  16. Bury94
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Please tell me that's a Martial assist

  17. @ocprodigy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Only reason I captained Rashford over Bruno was because he took the ball off Bruno for the 2nd penalty before it was overruled...

    Thankfully I was right!

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      So they take it in turns then?

  18. Better Call Raul
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Will there be any assist points for the peno?

  19. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    For god sake why didn't Bruno take the penalty? This rotation of penalty takers is a nonsense.

  20. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Triple up is always the way forward this week ... another 10!

  21. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Does Mark own Martial?

    1. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      😆 he does. We can relax

  22. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    You told me Bruno was nailed on pens

  23. BNMC
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    2 goals and 1 assist so far from my 3 Utd players.
    Of course I captained the assister and not the scorers.

  24. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Where’s the assist??

  25. HNI
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Damn Manutd playing so much better this year. Manutd of old would have toiled for 90mins and scraped to a draw. This one took just 15mins to get in front!

  26. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martial assist not given? His header hit the hand

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Think it hit a defender on way through

  27. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    no assist ?

  28. Balls of Steel
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Thank you Bruno for that Rashy pen gift.. Captain looking better now 🙂

  29. FPLtfs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Not an assist. Will be given, but shouldn’t

  30. MIGHTY JOE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Martial assist?? No???