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. ElChapo
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    ahhhhh i was waiting for the aston villa collapse, same defence as last year bar a championship right back...

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

      In fairness Cash has been quite good for them.

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

        Agree

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

    Leeds on 26 goal attempts

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

      Crikey you're right. That's sore reading.

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

    My H2H opponent's team is almost identical to mine, only 2 players different.

    Who wins?

    1 - Pulisic, Chilwell (mun)
    2 - Saiss (NEW), Rodriguez (sou)

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

    6 saves for Martinez #smallmercies

    1. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I'll take it.

    2. MidTableFantasy
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I'll take it

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

      isn't 5?

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

        not updated yet

  5. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    I have finally succumbed to buying Bamford, lord forgive me

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

      I have 2FTs and I’m tempted I’ll admit it!

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

        Brewster to Bamford was just to hard to resist

        1. Utopsis
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          I'm considering this as well, I just fear the reduction of funding this will impose elsewhere

    2. Ohhhhh Gary Macca!
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Lol

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

    Just saw the goals. Bam Bam was like Maradona

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

    Does Bielsa stay in that squatting position the whole match?

    1. jdp219
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Jealous of his knees. And he's 25 years older than me.

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

        Me too!

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

      Apparently there is a bucket lurking under there...

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

        Haha

    3. MarcusAurelius
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sometimes he mixes it up and sits on a drinks cooler

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

    Hope Villa go down.

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

      They won't.

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

    Of course as soon as I get double villa defence this happens

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

      Please sell

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

    8 SoT for Leeds, very bad defensive play from Villa this time.

    We need one more save for Martinez for a pt. He has 5 atm

    1. Granville
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Bamford gave him an easy save 🙂

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

        Poor Bam Bam, can't score 4 goals even 🙂

    2. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Now 6

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

      6

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

        great

  11. Fred54
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    As if Barkley will get a consolation goal....

  12. Granville
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Hi five Bamford causals

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

      Hi 5 minus casual ffs

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

      Happy to be a casual tonight.

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

      *high five*

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

      happy to be a 'casual' tonight

    5. Ohhhhh Gary Macca!
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Not casuals, we’ve done our research. Now how Leeds play. At the price Bamford was always a long term pick for myself

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

      bam boom bam

    7. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGeniusâ…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      High five. Casual? Just cool AF. 😎

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

    Loco Bielsa = Loco Bam

  14. Right In The Stanchion
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Absolutely nothing suggested this happening.

    Villa 3 clean sheets out of 4 and scoring loads.

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

      Underlying data ( yes i know everyone on here hates it) was showing Villa were the most overperforming team in the league so. That is, they were getting lucky results not reflected by their performances. Ditto Leeds were the opposite.

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

        You said this yesterday.

        Respect.

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

    You just know when the FFS community big up a team like Villa that it is time to look the other way 😉

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

    If Villa score here Martinez could get a BP. Come on Grealish get a goal!

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

      Breaking Leeds CS is more valuable than 1 BP for Martinez.

  17. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    No save for Marty on the last header?

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

    No 6th save for Martinez?

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

    If it's possible to get a sensible view here, how have villa been tonight?

    1. dark91
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Wasteful offensively and shocking defensively

    2. Quan MisTaka
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Really poor. Totally overwelmed

    3. MagicMessi
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Very rubbish which means next week they might explode

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

    23 shots from Leeds, only 6 on target though

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

      Sorry, 9

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

    If Villa score, Martinez may well get 2 baps.

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

    Ayling could nick a bonus point here

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

      Dont raise my hopes

      Holding with Meslier and Ayling here with no Villa.

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Meslier here hope he gets a point bonus

  23. Barnabus
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Wilson > Bamford looking tempting

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

    Why do streams always become unstable at 80min mark of the game. Years and years of this.

    Do hordes of steamers just check in for the final 10mins.

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

      True, dat.

    2. The Mandalorian
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      The 80th minute is when the Blair witch comes out.

  25. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Save given

  26. OrmskirkFC
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Did Bamford go undrafted in anyone else's league?

  27. ElliotJHP
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez 3 pointer what a man

  28. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    The way my season has been going I had to check my team just now, even though I never made any transfers this week, to make sure I hadn't sold Bamford and forgotten I'd done it.

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

      nice humble brag

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

    Watkins is so useless, wasting everyone's assists.

  30. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Martinez in bonus if villa score