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

    Never did I think I'd hear "Patrick Bamford hat-trick" in the Premier League.

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

    Granville for president 🙂

    1. bOttOmEdpOstrEpliEr.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      man just play your game. it is not tom and jerry.

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

        i am enjoying the game man 🙂

      2. Wrong Captain Again
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        lol

  3. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Awful defending from Mings

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

    Kane DCL Bamford

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

      All you need

      1. Stormbringer22
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Jesus Christ, mate, your season just keeps getting better and better! Well done!

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

          No I don’t have Bamford unfortunately though I do have a bet on Bamford to score Leeds to win

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

      Already m8

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

        Nice!!

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

          Cheers

  5. Das Boot
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    The gift that keeps on giving, Go on Paddy my son

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

    How have Villa kept clean sheets otherwise? That is some awful defending on all 3 goals.

  7. HollywoodXI
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    This season is nuts

  8. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Casuals in heaven!

    1. Das Boot
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      How do you get casuals? Just because you don't own him?

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

      Rooooobish

    3. Murder on Zidane's Flo…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Thb Villa defenders were the casual picks, despite the underlying stats suggesting they were mediocre

  9. potatoace
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I'm done.
    See you all gw7.

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

    bamford can't finish, pass it on

  11. Stormbringer22
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Turned my back for 10 mins, came back to 0-3. TF?

    1. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      So you're the one to blame

  12. Forever In Our Shadow
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    This season is fecking nuts

  13. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Triple Villa on wildcard and of course this bs happens lol...

  14. Cok3y5murf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    This game is a lottery

    1. Lev Yashin
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      You spend ages making your picks, spend the money and then it gets pissed away?

  15. ClassiX
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Pretty good goal, TBH (Bamford non-owner)

  16. HNI
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    17pts by bamford...minimum

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

    Kane to Bamford. Frees up funds

  18. FPL_trail_runner
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Fair play to Bamford, some excellent finishes

    And Villa have regressed and Leeds doing better than people on here expected

    xG data predicted this tonight (not the Bamford part but that Villa are overperforming)

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      nice call, mate. You've been spot on.

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

    Surrounded

  20. BeaversWithAttitude
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Wonder if Villa is afraid to get to close to Bamford... afraid of a dive.

  21. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Villa are shocking

  22. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Ross Barkley bandwagon lasting as long as it always does

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

    Dallas attacking return please 🙂

  24. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bamford's winning the golden boot this season.

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

    Bamford will be on most owners benches. Breathe.

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

      y?

    2. FC Hakkebøf
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      No he won't

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

      He's not on mine

  26. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Barkley back to being Barkley

  27. Lev Yashin
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I leave you lot alone for 75 minutes and you go and break Martinez and Grealish.

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

      sorry bro

  28. King Henrik
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Fantasy football aside ..What a goal that was !!

  29. FC Hakkebøf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    ML leader has Bamford. This is getting ugly. Worst part is that he is my brother. Top 3k now I think. Jesus

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

      Tell Patrick I said congrats