Dugout Discussion

Fabinho starts at centre-half as injured Gomez and Matip miss Chelsea v Liverpool

The stand-out Premier League fixture of the weekend takes place at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

Liverpool are Chelsea’s visitors, with kick-off in west London at 16:30 BST.

Both managers have made one change to their starting XIs for this clash.

Joe Gomez (£5.5m) misses out with a knock and with Joel Matip (£5.5m) also unavailable because of a minor muscle injury, it’s Fabinho (£5.5m) who is given the nod to partner Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) at centre-half.

New signing Thiago Alcantara (£6.0m) is only among the substitutes, while the rest of the Liverpool side is as expected.

Mateo Kovacic (£5.5m) comes into the Chelsea midfield in place of Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£6.0m) in Frank Lampard’s only alteration.

Cesar Azpilicueta (£6.0m) is still only a substitute, so that means another start for Reece James (£5.0m) and Marcos Alonso (£6.0m) at full-back – the latter going up against Mohamed Salah (£12.0m) down the Liverpool right.

Kai Havertz (£8.5m) gets another chance to impress after his quiet debut at Brighton, while Timo Werner (£9.5m) – still the most-owned forward in FPL by some margin – again leads the line.

Despite his overall popularity, Werner was the most-sold player of Gameweek 2, with over half a million Fantasy managers ditching him.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) wasn’t far behind him for transfers out and no defender was sold by as many FPL bosses as the Liverpool right-back following his Gameweek 1 blank.

The England international scored home and away against Chelsea last season, with the two league meetings between the two clubs returning 11 goals.

Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12.0m) was captained by more Fantasy managers than Salah this weekend, meanwhile.

The Egyptian, who hit a hat-trick against Leeds United last weekend, was handed the armband by over 560,000 of us ahead of Saturday’s deadline.


Chelsea XI: Kepa, James, Zouma, Christensen, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Mount, Havertz, Werner.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Fabinho, Robertson, Henderson, Keita, Wijnaldum, Mane, Firmino, Salah.

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2,462 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Andy_Social
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    kepa kepa kepa

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

    Kepa 😆

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

    I feel sorry for Kepa

  4. The Mandalorian
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Goal mane

  5. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Sack Kepa

  6. Wild Card this!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Lol

  7. FFSbet.com
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Salah > Mane -4 ?

    1. Chilli Heatwave
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Nailed

    2. NULL-X-VOID
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      nah, Salah looks better to me

    3. Greasy
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Yes

  8. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Dear lord Kepa. Just fall on your sword already

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Could take himself off
      He makes the decisions doesn’t he? 🙂

  9. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Mane Hattie incoming

  10. Paul Psychic Octopus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    As I said a few minutes ago, the Salah to Mane bandwagon commences....

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

      Both is the way

  11. soup natsi
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    FFS

  12. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Salah to mane?

  13. The Mandalorian
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Kepa assist

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

    This is why I doubled up on Salah and Mane. Finally

    1. soup natsi
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Just broke even if Mane’s not captain

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

      Salah is blanking right now and Mane blanked last week... How's it helping?

  15. Dannyb
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    How on earth is Kepa a professional?

  16. Captain_Shirokov
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    And let this be a lesson the all of the GW 1 knee-jerkers!

    You selected your initial 15 after weeks of careful analysis - stick to your guns!

  17. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    I hope we don't see Tsimikas in before 60mins.......

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

    Someone check on Kepa later tonight...

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

    Mane owners catching up with Salah owners

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Unless they switched this week

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

      They all wildcarded

  20. LewanGOALski
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Wow Kepa really should get dropped to youngsters, seriosuly...

  21. GROBARI
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Hahahahahahahah kepa

  22. Licky
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Yikes.

  23. Homer21
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Kepa howler..... who knew?

  24. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    I want Mané Salah Sterling KDB

    1. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      And Son +Kane!

    2. Hattrick Harry
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Son, you will miss some points then

  25. Royal5
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Oh lord

  26. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Mane in away games

    Salah in home games

    Simple as that

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      24m

  27. The Frenchie
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    A) Ings
    B) Jimenez
    C) Son

  28. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Bun this entire gameweek

  29. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Neville going a wee bit overboard on Mane's involvement in the goal here.

  30. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    80m ahahahahahahahahhaha