Dugout Discussion

De Bruyne fit to feature as Foden gets another start for injury-hit Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.6m) has recovered from a midweek blow to the head to start for an injury-ravaged Manchester City in their first home league match of the season.

Leicester City are the visitors to the Etihad, with kick-off at 16:30 BST.

The pre-deadline rumours surrounding a possible absence for Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) turned out to be true, with the Brazilian ruled out for a month by his manager in quotes released on Saturday night.

With Sergio Aguero (£10.4m) also sidelined until the end of October at the earliest, one of Pep Guardiola’s midfielders will be leading the line against the Foxes this afternoon.

De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling (£11.5m), Phil Foden (£6.6m) all keep their places, while Riyad Mahrez (£8.4m) steps up in place of the injured Jesus.

Guardiola’s only other alteration from Gameweek 2 sees Eric Garcia (£4.9m) replace John Stones (£5.0m) at centre-half.

It’s wasn’t far off a case of the City starting XI picking itself, particularly in attack: Ferran Torres (£7.0m), who hardly has bags of experience himself, is the only senior midfielder or foward available to Guardiola on the bench.

Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) are fit enough for substitute roles, at least, with the defensive pair having had their starts to 2020/21 disrupted by illness and injury.

Teenage striker Liam Delap (£4.5m) is also among the hosts’ replacements.

Brendan Rodgers, like his opposite number, has made two changes for this fixture.

The injured Wilfred Ndidi (£5.0m), who had been operating as a makeshift centre-back, is replaced by Jonny Evans (£5.5m), who returns from suspension.

Ayoze Perez (£6.4m) drops to the bench, meanwhile, with budget FPL defender Daniel Amartey (£4.0m) making a rare start.

James Maddison (£7.0m) is again only amongst the substitutes.

De Bruyne is the most-captained Fantasy asset of Gameweek 3, with just under one million managers handing the armband to the Belgian.

Over 800,000 FPL bosses brought De Bruyne into their sides following his 13-point haul at Molineux last Monday.

James Justin (£4.7m) has overtaken Jamie Vardy (£10.0m) as Leicester’s most-owned FPL asset, with more than one in five of us now owning the budget defender.

Timothy Castagne (£5.6m) is the leading points-scorer among FPL defenders, with both he and Justin registering attacking returns in each of their appearances so far.


Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Garcia, Ake, Mendy, Rodrigo, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Justin, Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu, Castagne, Mendy, Tielemans, Praet, Barnes, Vardy.

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Lessons Learned from FPL Gameweek 3


3,205 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Why don't they just reinstate indirect free kicks for handball in the box? And give penalties for fouls and the super clear intentional handballs?

    1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Great point.........

    2. sambyy
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      This is what I've been thinking. From watching Serie A last season it was obvious that this interpretation is awful, and instead of fixing the issue they've brought it to Premier League as well!

    3. TyroneGAA
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Imagine all the frees from 3 yards out it would be carnage and great viewing lol

  2. The Tinkerman
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    What happened to Son?

    Disaster GW for me so far

    1. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Subbed due to schedule. Played every minute until half time so far

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

        Definitely not injured?

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

          We don't know. Jose was asked if he's injured and he went off on a tangent that no one has been able to decipher yet.

    2. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Son rested due to Spurs schedule

  3. Van der Faart
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    The record number of penalties awarded in a PL season is 106.

    If the same rate of penalties awarded continues, at the end of the season there will have been 241 penalties given.

    Absolutely smashing the record....
    These rules are changing the fabric of the game completely.

    1. Wilshere Knowledge
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      😆

      Great stat.

  4. Captain Vantastic™
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Only a KDB haul can save us now.

    1. Firminooooo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Lets pray together. I am on 13 points, OR...don’t want to know.

      1. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        You're doing very much on both counts .... trust me.

    2. Pedram
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      What's the point? everyone have him and captaining.

  5. yousunkmybattleship
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    RIP football

  6. thorvaldsson
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    I'm putting every penalty kick taker I can in my Fpl team. Kane Ings Jorginho Salah KDB yes even you Mark Noble! How could I not do well this these with this strategy.

    1. Crouch Potato
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      If they all start missing them! 😉

      1. thorvaldsson
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Then silly boy, you do your research and find the keepers in the league that have the best penalty save percentage. Kasper is pretty good! lol

    2. F4L
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      It's such a shame. This season was shaping up to be great with so many options, no template.

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

        That's what really sucks, straight to the template we go.

  7. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    As someone who benched Dier and played Wilson, I am very happy with the outcome. Thanks Bruce for telling Carrol no. Looks set for 2baps also I think.

    That is from an fpl perspective. From an actual football perspective the rule needs changing. I hope they don’t wait until the season is over to change it.

  8. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    If at my job I had introduced a rule that was as f***ing pathetic as this new handball rule, I'd probably have been sacked by now.

    Incompetent idiots running UEFA or FIFA or whoever it is

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

      Spurs fan or Bavies owner? 😀

      1. Differentiator
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Honestly, I'm not even watching either of the late games today. What's the bleeding point.

      2. Van der Faart
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Football fans

  9. Chhana
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Sterling cappers and DeBruyne owners unite

    1. Critical Observer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      _o/

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

    Whats everyone doing with werner lost .1 and still dont own Dcl or Jiminez ?? 1ft

  11. @persecuted_by_mods
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Very unpopular opinion- Football is more fun than ever every match had been great so far

      1. yousunkmybattleship
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Maybe for the neutral, not for real fans.

        1. @persecuted_by_mods
            3 years, 6 months ago

            A real fan of every team? You're neutral in 99.9999% of matches

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

          Yeah with empty stadiums and VAR all over the place.

          1. @persecuted_by_mods
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Empty stadiums not good, var goals penalties drama yes way more fun

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

                Unfairness is not fun.

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

            I was with you on this until I saw that handball, that's not fun, at all.

            But I can understand the entertainment value of it to someone who doesn't genuinely love the game and just watches it for the drama.

        3. Cok3y5murf
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Picked Foden over Mahrez due to budgetary reasons but fully expecting Foden to troll and Mahrez to haul.

          Mahrez's points per 90 minutes last season was higher than Salah's and Mane's and around the same as KDB's. When he started, he usually hauled.

        4. DA Minnion (Former great)
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Time to get as many penalty takers on your team as possible. How many at most? 7 .any defenders take them?

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

            One more week - if it’s the same I will Wildcard to a front 7 of penalty takers and barely take interest in the game

            1. JBG
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              This.

          2. Andy_Social
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            I've got 8

        5. Hairy Potter
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          As a Newcastle fan, I can't believe that was a penalty. Will happily take the point, but crazy rule. If that was a penalty then there could have been a few more for each team today.

        6. TheDragon
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          How cruel variance can be in FPL is unbelievable

          I’ve got 1 assist from 6 games from my ‘power’ strike force of Martial & Werner.

          That’s bad enough but couple that with the fact basically every possible viable other striker option has scored every game week.

          It’s millions to 1 probability

          1. sambyy
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Same mate. I thought my team was brilliant but Chelsea and United really let me down.

          2. PartyPooper
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Same here. I went nuclear and pressed THE button.
            Wildcard time it is.... Im getting me some penalty takers 🙂

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

            Yep and not just premium, it's bloody all of them!

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

          KDB captain come on i need some major points im having a bad start going with 3 che did not work out 1 bit

        8. The Red Devil
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          The template front 7 should be 6 penalty takers + DCL (the only player who seems to be able to score without pens too)

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

            Salah, KDB, Fernandes, Klich
            Jimenez, Ings, Richarlison

            1. thorvaldsson
              • 11 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Slide the homie Maupay in there as well and Jorginho as the 5th mid

          2. F4L
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            exactly, welcome to Salah Kdb Zaha Klich Jimenez Richarlison Maupay ffs

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

          Anyone beat 16 (-4) from 6? 🙁

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

            I’m on 20 (-4) from 7.

            Not sure even a KDB captain haul can save this week

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

              My captain also. Dire times!

          2. Firminooooo
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Played WC. 13 points.......

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

              Ah mate. So tempted to play mine now! Who’s your cap?

              1. Firminooooo
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 6 months ago

                KdB. Not looking good.

          3. yousunkmybattleship
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            I’m 6 from 5.

            1. yousunkmybattleship
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Oh and I played my WC

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

                Ouch mate! Who’s your cap?

                1. yousunkmybattleship
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 14 Years
                  3 years, 6 months ago

                  KDB

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

                    Same mate

          4. GAMBIT
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            That's my score as well

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

              Who’s your cap?

          5. Gudjohnsen
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            10 from 4

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

              From only 4 is good going!

        10. Gobigorgohome
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          expecting KDB and Vardy pens

        11. aborg
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Kane got a Red card or not??
          It’s not showing on FPL if so.

          1. Hairy Potter
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            No looked like a coach who was mouthing off at the ref.

        12. tucaoneo
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          PL is so disgusting nowadays.

          1. Salah’s Sonnet
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Game is ruined, and FPL

        13. yalala
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Werner...blank
          Son...blank
          Please KDB/Sterling...

        14. Forza Papac
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Bayern losing 4-1

          1. BenDavies
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Think this is the real surprise of the day

          2. Flair
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Yes! Love it when Bayern lose

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

          Take on the Handball rule and it's effect on FPL

          Genuinely, I'm less interested in FPL if this rule is take as it is. I mean there is no room for general strategy with increased options, rather a strategy difference having same base players (pens) due to the rule.

          After a few GWs everyone is going to be loaded with pen takers and a very cheap defense, this would make the points swings more random due to pens, you cannot predict them, they can happen anytime, now with any team, not just attacking ones.

          This gives a template strategy that's the only good informed one you can adopt. A template strategy is much worse than having template assets, because given the upside in having it, it just dulls the game, trends are going to be obvious and majority of top 10k are going to be random hauls due to added pens adding to their returns.

          The very season that I decide to take this game seriously and be consistently involved throughout the season, this happens. I think by GW 15 I'll get bored.

          1. Magic Zico
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Already get bored

          2. Cok3y5murf
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Yep, going to be boring, less skill-based, and less room to move up the ranks if this goes on.

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

              exactly. It just doesn't make sense to go through all those open play stats and put in the effort, it just seems redundant. Like it's become like an actual gambling game where you gamble on the probabilities of pens happening. Because I don't care who says what, you cannot predict pens.

            2. Flair
              • 3 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Real shame, this was shaping up to be the best season in years.

          3. stat sifter 888888
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Agreed, another sh*tty ruling from FIFA, who would have thought....

        16. Magic Zico
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Get full team with penalty takers and captain one of them who has the best fixtures against sloppy defence. Job done?

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

            Yup

        17. Das Boot
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          If anyone needs be I will be behind the couch for the next 2 hours !!

        18. lfcserg
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Must haves for a WC Team?

          1. Miguel Sanchez
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Penalty takers

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

              this

          2. The 12th Man
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Bruno,Salah,KDB,Klich
            Ings,Richarlison,Vardy,Jimenez,Wilson,Kane,Aubamayang,

            Pick from them

            1. Magic Zico
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Who is WBA pen ttaker?

        19. Differentiator
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          This sham needs sorting. Fans control football as we are the money source. Need to vote with our money that this is beyond a joke. God knows how, but something needs doing. WTF are IFAB doing, zero IQ idiots

        20. Miguel Sanchez
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Operation get 7 penalty takers

          1. MSTRKRFTSMN
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Getting penalty takers is a good strategy in any year

            1. yalala
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              True

            2. Magic Zico
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              Yes but this year is critical?

          2. FOO FIGHTER
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            I took hits to get in 7...

            This game is officially fecked.

          3. Bolivian Seaman
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            no dcl or sterling then

            1. Magic Zico
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 6 months ago

              No Rich and KDB

          4. Captain Berbarossa - arrrrr…
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            It was a meme yesterday after the Bruno pen but in all seriousness, it's the way to go now, while they continue with this new handball rule

          5. The Wanton Trader
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Bring back Baines...

        21. GOONER
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Why was Son subbed out early?

          1. Hairy Potter
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            From Jose's comments, assume it was fatigue or an injury.