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Dugout Discussion September 12

Alexander-Arnold starts for Liverpool as £4.0m Leeds defender features

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Liverpool come into the first Premier League match of 2020/21 with their strongest key players all involved from the off.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) has not turned out for the Reds since the end of last season, missing out on pre-season friendlies through injury, but he starts against Leeds United.

While he was not fit enough to go on a summer tour with his club, the right-back did get some game-time in while away on international duty with England.

Naturally, he is joined in the back-four by the usual suspects of Andrew Robertson (£7.0m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) and Joe Gomez (£5.5m) while Neco Williams (£4.0m) misses out on a place in the match-day squad entirely.

Mohamed Salah (£12.0m), the second-most-captained player of Gameweek 1, starts on the right-hand side of Liverpool’s front-three, as do Sadio Mané (£12.0m) and Roberto Firmino (£9.5m).

In their first Premier League game for 16 years, Leeds line-up in Marcelo Biela’s favoured 4-1-4-1 formation.

The key Fantasy talking point is a start at centre-back for Pascal Struijk (£4.0m), although it remains unclear how long he will last in the team. The budget defender takes the place of club captain Liam Cooper (£4.5m) who is unexpectedly absent from the squad today.

The Scottish international’s late injury means a centre-back pairing of Struijk and new signing Robin Koch (£4.5m) for Leeds, while Stuart Dallas (£4.5m) and Luke Ayling (£4.5m) are set to staff the full-back positions.

Patrick Bamford (£5.5m) has been trusted with a start at Anfield, keeping new signing Rodrigo Moreno (£6.0m) on the bench while key man Pablo Hernández (£6.0m) is also in from the beginning, joined in midfield by Mateusz Klich (£5.5m), Jack Harrison (£5.5m) and Helder Costa (£5.5m).

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Robertson, van Dijk, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold; Keïta, J Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mané, Firmino, Salah.

Leeds United XI: Meslier; Dallas, Struijk, Koch, Ayling; Phillips; Costa, Hernández, Klich, Harrison; Bamford.

Best players by position:

2,446 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DRIZ ✅
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    There you go fellas, never leave Salah out the your team and dont be confident about it

    Salah C rejoice

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  2. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Allison 0 saves. What he is doing? Becoming Kepa?

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  3. Powers106
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Maybe won’t get the accolades, but that second Salah left foot shot on the bounce into top right corner, what a goal! Absolutely amazing!

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    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Stunning.

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    2. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      I liked it too

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  4. dshv
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Now what for next week ? Salah bruno or auba ?

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    1. n-doggg
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Will probably do nothing next week, then consider auba to Bruno gw3 with 2FTs

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    2. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      All three for me

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

        Salah to bruno

        Antonio to martial for a hit is the plan

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    3. Garlana
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Gonna be really hard getting rid of Salah just yet now...

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  5. Gnu
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Really looking forward to the WHam Newcastle game.

    Now that's something I never thought I'd hear myself say (write)

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

    People who think their personal opinion trumps stats absolutely btfo

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    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      isnt that you?

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

        How? I follow stats when I can

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  7. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Thank you FPL for reclassifying Auba, otherwise, all casuals would have captained Salah... 😛

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

    So who goes for Bruno....Has to be C only?

    A Salah
    B Aubameyang
    C Just get Martial in for Ings

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    1. Danstoke82
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Was pondering Bruno for Salah but not a chance now. Ings > Martial 1FT and wont get Bruno for now as want KDB for Auba the following GW

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

        Yes that’s my plan now. Kept .5 in bank for Ings switch

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  9. InterUranus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Can't believe I swapped Salah for Auba cap

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    1. Dash444
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      I did too but on the basis I still got 34 points from them is some consolation. Someone out there has got Ings, Mane, Mitrovic, Trent and was told they had a great team!

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  10. Lovejoy
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Where’s that “Salah in decline” guy?

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    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Calling him a pen merchant probably

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      1. Visionaries
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Like all Pool fans about Bruno?

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        1. Greasy Grealish Gang
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          I found one!

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        2. JONALDINHO
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Think your forgetting Salah still scored and won the first pen fairly. Bruno does neither of those things

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          1. @persecuted_by_mods
              3 years, 7 months ago

              Amazing how you accurately kill one narrative, while supporting a different false one because it's not your team

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      2. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Declining to comment

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      3. ilikewud
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        He'll be back in a week or two with more dumb opinions I'm sure.

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      4. Forza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        He has Salah (c). The 'decline' debate was about previous seasons, not this one.

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    2. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      TAA
      KWP
      Mitro
      Ings

      Mitchell second sub 🙁

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      1. Greasy Grealish Gang
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Exactly the same! Worst part is that I saw all matches so far, except for Liverpool. ..and I'm a Liverpool supporter :'(

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    3. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Someone in my mini league TC KDB with Salah as his vice. Not surprised tbh

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      1. Danstoke82
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        My word...that’s shocking

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      2. Greasy Grealish Gang
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Next level, big brain

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      3. Dash444
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        You will catch him up when he bench boosts next week.

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    4. Joey Tribbiani
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      wow... reminder of Salah home stats VS Auba away stats just before deadline proved to be quite a fruitful decision. 😀

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    5. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Salah and Mane double up was a fail really 😕 Should have just picked Salah, Mane's 12.0m wasted. Was hoping this game would give me an edge... 🙁

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      1. Drip Doctor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Gives you options though.

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        1. Piggs Boson
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Yeah, I suppose. I think it's going to be Mane -> Bruno atm, but might as well wait til the end of the week...

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        2. Sgt Frank Drebin
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Frankly speaking I don't think a premium double up from any team is a good idea. Premium players are imho a good value only if you captain them (or if we have more funds in the bank, but we only have 100m). Having 2 premium from teams like Lfc and City lets you rotate captaincy to benefit from easier fixtures but having 2 players from one team doesn't. It is like having a premium player who you will never captain.

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          1. Sgt Frank Drebin
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            I mean at least in a long term. For 1 fixture it's a different story maybe.

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            1. Piggs Boson
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 7 months ago

              Ah, missed this part. This was the idea!

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          2. Piggs Boson
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            I'm trying to hunt aggressively for those big 24pt hauls. Even a 12.0m player can be good value in those games.

            I agree that over a season a 12.0m is not good value without captaincy, but over short-term fixtures they could be. Value is volatile and changes throughout the season.

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      2. Sun Jihai
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Easy switch to KDB or Bruno now though
        Whereas Salah owners in a tough position about whether to keep

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        1. clodhopper
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Course we will keep and I bet you buy lol

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        2. Piggs Boson
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          True. Thanks, that actually makes me feel little better! 🙂

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      3. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Don't see it at all really

        You have the option no one else has to get Bruno.

        Also could as easily have been Mane today. That's the story of the last 18 months. Don't expect 2 pens regularly really 😀

        You did well to cover your bets. The history also shows it's binary - one or the other rarely both

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        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Or KdB of course

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        2. Piggs Boson
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Yep, I suppose it could have gone either way.

          The important part was that I correctly identified the high scoring fixture I guess. Need to keep doing that, been bad in the past.

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          1. pingissimus
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            Getting fixture right is always a good start.

            I have two shots at it with left with Kane Vardy - here's hoping.

            Expected goals but went with the talisman who don't share like Mo does 😀

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            1. Piggs Boson
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 7 months ago

              Good luck!

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    6. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Pretty nice way to start the season, a captain hatty! Soucek to make a mockery of his price tag next

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    7. Drip Doctor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Like i said, Firmino is overrated. 😉

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    8. Waynoo
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Oh dear, season over after GW1

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    9. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Salah on for a 760 point season.

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      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Hahaha. You are on a roll 🙂

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

        763, he’ll get at least one assist.

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        1. Dash444
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          He’s never assisted...ever!

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      3. Piggs Boson
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        😀

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    10. Visionaries
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Suppose penalities count now that it's not United?
      Why can't I still view the other teams in my league? Been 8 hours since deadline

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      1. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        First update, but you can still click on their name then on "GW1" in their weekly history to see their team

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        1. Visionaries
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Oh, nice one.
          Wasn't aware

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    11. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      I must have matured after the first decade of playing FPL. Dont have Salah and am kind of Ok. So be it. I was torn between 2 teams one had him, the other one didn't. Thought he will get 7-10pts this week and Bruno will recap it next week. Also Havertz and Son still to play. Not panicking. Sticking to the plan. If the season shows you need the whole trinity Bruno Salah KDB I'll adapt

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    12. Weeb Kakashi
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      So basically i am chasing 40 points now without Salah and GW 1 isn't even halfway.

      The damage is already done but now no use panicking/repenting. The team still looks good for the next 5-6 weeks without Salah and there is plenty of time to catch UP

      No Panic Fellow Non Salah owners

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      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Yes we do but you also have other players for that money so still hope

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      2. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Well who did you get instead of him?

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        1. Weeb Kakashi
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Managed to get Havertz,DCL(instead of 6M ST), Martial ,Digne and Tierney instead of the 4.5's

          In the next 4-5 weeks the team looks good . Believing in the strategy.

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        2. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Kane Vardy C double up with VVD here

          Nice run of captaincies there if either look half good

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      3. F4L
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        You lose 10 points on the average. Easy to make up if any player under 10% ownership you own gets a haul.

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      4. Drip Doctor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Surely you have players who you wouldn't be able to have had you picked Salah?

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        1. Weeb Kakashi
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Yes like Havertz,DCL,Digne,Tierney and Martial instead of Cheaper options.
          You wouldn't deem it as a fail would you? Unless untill after a considerable time of about 4-5 weeks

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    13. JamTart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      A Soucek goal would be nice to top off a good first day

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    14. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Leeds managed 3 goals with an xg of 0.3.

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    15. Warbling Wendy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Does anyone have the balls to take Salah out of there team with Chelsea and Arsenal the next two fixtures?

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      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        I have no clue why anyone would

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      2. Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Maybe for the Chelsea game he isn't the best option out there, but I think he is captainable vs Arsenal. At least that was my plan, but not sure Lfc gonna steamroll Arsenal like in old days. On the other hand Arsenal's defensive stats aren't that good in contrary to actual results (goals conceded). Tough choice.

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      3. Greasy Grealish Gang
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Salah hasn't left my team since he ever joined so nah

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    16. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Group hug for Salahless managers.

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    17. The Yorkshire Pirlo
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Jammy pool, jammy Salah.
      First ones never a pen.
      Liverpool to finish outside top 4.
      I’m not a bitter Leeds fan right now 🙂

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      1. ilikewud
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        LOL

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    18. Niho992
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Thank God i didnt listen experts on this page and C Auba.

      Huh. Thank you MO

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      1. F4L
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Liverpool got 2 pens all season last year. Who could've predicted that they would get 2 today.

        On another day, Auba gets a brace and Salah only gets one goal.

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        1. Warbling Wendy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          And on another day Mane gets Henderson pregnant and he gives birth to another Champions League trophy.

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          1. F4L
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            😛 Stats always revert to the mean, that's why the knee jerking in this place is hilarious!

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    19. Totalfootball
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Did not captain MO 🙁

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      1. Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        No, but at least you had him.

        People who didn’t have him are probably 10-15 points worse off for it, depending on who they had instead.

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    20. SH@KTIMAAN
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Aston villa beat Manu 1-0 in the friendly
      Watkins scored
      Not sure whether to bring Manu players for the weekend

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      1. Greasy Grealish Gang
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Who was involved? Was going to put Grealish in as a punt

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        1. SH@KTIMAAN
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Couldn't find full match review

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      2. Mighty Banana
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        In front of the Spaniard was a back four of Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams.

        In midfield, Scott McTominay played alongside Fred and Andreas Pereira with each of those facing a fight to keep their place in the side.

        Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard were also handed rare starts alongside Odion Ighalo.

        Bruno Fernandes has been back home in Portugal following the birth of his child last Saturday.

        He was forced to return to England before 4am this morning to avoid 14 days in quarantine.

        Marcus Rashford is also facing a fight to be fit for the season opener against Crystal Palace on September 19.

        Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1334790/Man-Utd-lose-pre-season-friendly-Aston-Villa-surprise-Ole-Gunnar-Solskjaer-line-up

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      3. Dr. Rog
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        folk were not sure about salah based on pre season either

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    21. Champions League Varane
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Ok over to you Soucek and ASM

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