Dugout Discussion

Out-of-position £4.0m defender Struijk starts in midfield for Leeds

Fantasy Premier League managers have confirmation of the latest starting £4.0m defender as Pascal Struijk (£4.0m) features in midfield for Leeds United tonight.

In his pre-match press conference, Marcelo Bielsa promised the budget option would be the replacement for Kalvin Phillips (£5.0m), who is out for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury.

While most of the FPL attention will be on Jack Grealish (£7.2m) and Emiliano Martínez (£4.8m) tonight, each owned by roughly 25% of managers, it will be worth assessing Struijk’s credentials, especially with Max Kilman (£4.1m) turning heads at Wolves.

The omens initially look relatively strong for Grealish and his differential team-mates Ollie Watkins (£6.0m), Ross Barkley (£6.0m) and John McGinn (£5.5m) though.

Not only are Leeds without their key defensive midfield Phillips, club captain and first-choice centre-back Liam Cooper (£4.4m) could not overcome his groin injury.

That has forced Marcelo Bielsa to put together something of a makeshift back-four, especially with back-up centre-back Struijk playing in midfield.

The tweak sees right-back Luke Ayling (£4.5m) join Robin Koch (£4.5m) in the middle, Stuart Dallas (£4.5m) switching flanks to fill the gap there and Ezgjan Alioski (£4.4m) comes in at left-back.

The Aston Villa defence, which has kept three clean sheets from a possible four so far, remains unchanged.

That means another start for Emiliano Martínez (£4.8m), Matt Targett (£4.5m), Ezri Konsa (£4.6m), Tyrone Mings (£5.2m) and Matty Cash (£5.0m).

After five Gameweeks this season, Villa’s two centre-backs are in the top three for most points per million spent among defenders.

Aston Villa XI (4-3-3): Martínez; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Cash; Barkley, D Luiz, McGinn; Grealish, Watkins, Trézéguet.

Leeds United XI (4-1-4-1): Meslier; Alioski, Koch, Ayling, Dallas; Struijk; Harrison, Rodrigo, Klich, Costa; Bamford.

1,443 Comments Post a Comment
  1. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Apologies for breaking Grealish guys

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Pretty sure that was me

      1. Gazza2000
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Cheers to the both of you 😉

    2. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      You broke the whole team, cheers

  2. BenDavies
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Just 1 (ONE) Grealish goal please.

  3. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Lads with triple Villa what are you doing now?

    1. The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Standing on the window ledge. 😀

    2. Bram
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Feeling pretty good about benching 2 of them ;p

  4. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I Sold Bamford for a -4 genius!

    Got Aguero in

    1. Samwise
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      you must have missed my comments... Bamford and Aguero are both essentials

      1. Wrong Captain Choice - Ag i…
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        I wouldn't mind but I nearly did not do the transfer.
        Was on the fence.

  5. Nice to Finally Michu
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bamford top 10 EO?

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      50

      1. Nice to Finally Michu
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Holy smokes

        1. Bruce Lee
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          high?

  6. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    villa in the mud, you love to see it

  7. Bartowski
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Cool. Cool, cool, cool.

    Sold Bamford this week.

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Nooooo

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        why selling bam bam?

        1. Bartowski
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Wanted Kane.

  8. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I must be cursed at this game. Now a Grealish YC surely?

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      you have bamford too?

  9. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    The gameweek starts for real tomorrow, right?

  10. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Another Rodrigo assist ?

    1. Nice to Finally Michu
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Klich for the second i think

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      klich

  11. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    all those rmt in gw 1 with mitro instead of bam bam 😀

  12. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez racking up the saves

  13. PL Ball
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bamford with 5 goals in 6.

    Reminded me of Andy. And then right on cue with his tweet ha:)

  14. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I’ll take my Ayling clean sheet. Screw you Watkins

  15. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I can think Villa coming back to a 2-2

    1. The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Impossible

  16. Dr. Ante Pavlovic
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Once again thank you to all of you who were super excited for Grealish and Villa assets. A couple of days ago people would think Villa will win the EPL based on your comments.

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      meaning ? people arent allowed an opinion?

  17. camarozz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    3 players gone 🙁

  18. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Dallas SOT

  19. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    At least Martinez is getting some saves. I'll take the consolation points here.

    Grealish pretty unlucky so far. Should have had two goals by now.

  20. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    3-0 lol

  21. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bam Bam does it again !!!

  22. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Unreal.

  23. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Dean Smith has done literally nothing to rectify the overloads Leeds keep getting on the left hand side. Would Biesla do nothing if that was happening against his team? Hell no. Different levels of tactical management.

  24. Yankee Toffee
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bring the hattie

  25. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    PATRICK WOAH

    HE CAME FROM AFRICA

  26. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Holy Moly

  27. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Scenes

  28. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Leeds doing Villa what Villa did to Pool 🙄

  29. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Reckon the call's gone out for Grealish's Mum to come pick him up. He'll be crying soon.

  30. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    People on this forum get very excited. Triple Villa..