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

    oh dear Watkins ... sitter missed

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

    Come on mcginn, do something

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

    Watkins. Terrible miss

    1. No Professionals
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      If anyone understands football, they can see Watkins is rubbish, even he knows it, you can see it in his eyes.

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

    Game over?

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

    So many good attackers to choose from and I chose Donkins...

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

    Out of all Villa players Grealish had to be the one to get a YC.

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

      Mings got one

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

        and (in French accent) nil points.

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

    A Villa goal might actually get Martinez into the baps 😉

  8. No Professionals
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Just thought of a funny pun

    Hat trick Bamford

    Hehehe

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

      Great for him after all the stick he got on this site earlier.
      Marching on together !!!!!!!

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

    As a Vintner, I must turn my nose up, at all the sour grapes in this place!!! 😆 😆 😆

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

      Hold steady, grapes will ferment...

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

    Grealish useless twerp

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

      Hardly, was millimeters from a goal

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

    Great start
    3 players playing, one on bench is highest scorer 🙄

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

    So Watkins has blanked in every game except for Liverpool.

    FPL troll?

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

      Yes. And yes

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

      He's always been poor, it was a fluke night all round.

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

      Not sure why people jumped on him after that game. It was a freak result and Villa not renowned for scoring lots of goals.

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

      The villa attackers i will only consider grealish, the rest are trolls. Saints next week would be a good fixture.

  13. Arsenal97
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    1/ Keep Mitrovic
    2/ Watkins in
    3/ Bamford in

    1. Volley127
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      1 - WBA at home next. Reassess after IMO.

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

      I think mitro needed to go a while ago.

      Tonight's evidence would marginally favour bamford.

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

    who would have gotten the assist for Shitkin's miss?

    1. Volley127
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Barkley

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

      Barkley, I think.

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

      Barkley

  15. nerd_is_the_werd
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Anyone own Watkins?

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

      *crickets*

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

      Unfortunately

    3. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Everyone was loving him on here last week

    4. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      His name is now Shitkins or Donkins. Take your pick.

  16. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    How in god's green earth is my ML rival getting points with Helder Costa!?

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Mine has Bamford

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

    It's actually quite satisfying to see Bamford do well after he was manhandled by Mings. Yes, Mings thought he had dived, but Mings was a classic bully, physically imposing himself on the slighter man in Bamford simply because he is able to do so. Everything about Mings, his body language, the things he says, his berating of other players, reeks of a bully and it is good to see Bamford stick it to him.

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

      This. Put fantasy aside, I'm glad Bamford did well after that.

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

      It's bad influence for the game since he's english too.

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

      This is a safe place - say what you really mean...

    4. No Professionals
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Wait, Bamford is pretty big?

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

      Bamford should have been sent off for the stamp and simulation.

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

      Racists are finding new ways of expressing their thoughts, I see.

      1. Ozzy smith
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Strange take.

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

          Anyone who saw the incident would conclude Bamford faked an injury and tried to win a penalty. If I was Mings, I'd have been just as annoyed.

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

            He twisted his ankle

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

              you should go work for VAR, you're perfectly qualified.

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

        Racists are finding new ways of expressing their thoughts, I see.

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

        There isn’t anything remotely racist in that comment.

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

          It’s a criticism of a single person because of his behaviour.

          Similar things can be said about Klich in this match.

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

          Why single Mings out as a bully?

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

            Because he behaves like a bully.

            Why mention Mings' race when nothing at all in the original comment mentions it? Everything in the original comment relates to his behaviour, nothing to do with his race at all. Any issue with his race is an issue YOU have, which YOU have brought to the discussion - you'd be better off keeping it to yourself.

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

              I cannot empathise or agree with anything in your post. It's a completely unwarranted attack on Mings. He's a centreback and his job is to dominate centre forwards. It certainly isn't bullying.

              As a result, I'm trying to find a reason why you may have posted such a thing.

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

                Thank you for acknowledging that your accusation of racism was based on nothing other than a disagreement with my analysis of Mings' body language and actions, not his race.

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

      Classic bully? What are you on about?

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

        After Bamford pretended he got punched in the face a couple of seasons ago (playing against Villa), I'm sure none of them trust him.

  18. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Come on Ayling. Grab some bonus mate !

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

    Hope McGuin scores no assist

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      ML rival has Costa and McGinn so highly likely he will

  20. teneighty
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Got Grealish in for a hit. But I gotta say I love this season so far. So unpredictable!

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

      I hate it.. Hate unpredictable FPL.

    2. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I hate it

  21. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bissouma >> Grealish +1 😀 I’m good at this game me

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

      Gre will come good

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

        When? When I sell him that's when.

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

          He’s class obv

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

    To think I almost took a -8 to move Bam to Kun

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

      Aguero to score 5?

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

    I’ll be honest I sold Bamford when I heard he voted for Boris.

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

      are we in America suddenly?
      Vote for the party, not the individual

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

        Was joking. You’re clearly a conservative voter. Yuck

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

    Exact money for Brewster to Bamford for an FT

    But means no KDB for Son longterm from week 9 for City double up.

    Probably ignore Bam Bam for now

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

      Exactly this. Problem is though, the way Leeds play, there is no reason to believe Bamford won't stop scoring. Looks like he could get 20 this season.

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

        will stop*

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

    Anyone else without any Villa player? Feels so good!

    1. FPL Theorist
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Yes, it's a great differential!

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

      I have no Villa players but no Leeds players either so I'm not sure if that was a good result or not. Bamford has quite sizeable ownership so his points alone is a rank killer. The positive for me is that I was very close to taking a 4pt hit to get either Martinez or Grealish. Really wanted Grealish as I fancied him to do well tonight.

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

      Have no players from either team but my perennial FPL rival has Bamford

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

    I have Dallas first sub so at least we know Mitchell starts if anyone is interested.

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

    Happy with 3 from Martinez

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

    Next big thing is Watkins->Bamford

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

      😀

    2. Seanigula
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Hello Mr Granville

  29. Seanigula
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Enjoy the Grealish sell-off, everyone!

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

      Great, could do with him dropping a few before bringing him in

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

    Ayling owners. We finally have a clean sheet!!!

    1. Joey Tribbiani
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      2 clean sheets