Dugout Discussion

Chilwell, Zouma, James and Havertz on Chelsea’s bench as Rudiger starts again

Ben Chilwell (£6.1m) is the latest high-profile Chelsea player to be rotated onto their substitutes bench, with Thomas Tuchel frustrating many Fantasy managers by handing a start to Marcos Alonso (£5.6m).

Tuchel takes charge of his second match after replacing Frank Lampard, facing a Burnley side high on confidence from beating Aston Villa 3-2 and ending Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten Premier League home run.

The German makes four changes from Wednesday’s 0-0 stalemate with Wolves. Chilwell and the front three have made way for Alonso, Mason Mount (£6.8m), Tammy Abraham (£7.2m) and the struggling Timo Werner (£9.2m).

This means that fellow German Antonio Rudiger (£4.5m) has started in place of Kurt Zouma (£5.6m) for five of the last six matches, putting him firmly on FPL managers’ radars ahead of promising fixtures against Sheffield United (a) and Newcastle United (H).

Rudiger was a regular before this season, notching five goals during three seasons. At such a low price, he is an intriguing way to get coverage of Chelsea’s defence whilst Zouma and Reece James (£5.1m) are in and out of the side.

So far, Tuchel seems to prefer a wing-back system, with Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.7m) taking James’ place on the right. Hakim Ziyech (£8.1m), who played 81 minutes in midweek, doesn’t even make the bench this time.

Kai Havertz (£8.2m) does, alongside Christian Pulisic (£8.2m) and N’Golo Kante (£4.9m), who has recovered from a thigh injury. Pulisic’s largely unproductive seven successive starts has been followed with back-to-hack benchings.

For Burnley, Sean Dyche makes two changes from the comeback win over Villa. Jack Cork (£5.0m) replaces Josh Brownhill (£4.9m) and Matej Vydra (£4.8m) comes in for Jay Rodriguez (£5.8m). Charlie Taylor (£4.5m) is still out with a hamstring problem.

The Clarets have picked up 1-0 away wins at Arsenal and Liverpool this season and will hope to claim another victim today in their quest to drag themselves out of relegation danger.

With Nick Pope (£5.4m) in goal, Burnley have collected four clean sheets from nine matches, although they entered the game week as the league’s second lowest scorers (13), having had the second fewest goal attempts (173).

CHELSEA XI (3-4-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount, Werner, Abraham

BURNLEY XI (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters; Brady, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Wood, Vydra

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753 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Plz being zouma on

  2. Ci Siamo
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Are there any leaked Liverpool line ups yet?

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

      Can't take any further blow tbh

    2. TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Please for the love of god can mane play. Down to 8 otherwise

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

    Pick one to start next week, I know it's a BB line up:
    A. Chilwell (tot)
    B. Bamford (EVE)
    C. ESR (wol)
    D. Coufal (avl)

    1. MoSalad
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bamford - depending how he does against Leicester

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bam

      If you aren't picking Bam vs Everton at home why own him

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

        He's lucky in my team always other fires to put off

  4. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    James shot on target.

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Decent effort

  5. thegaffer82
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    CHO on the radar now?

    I'm not touching anyone from Chelsea until I see a settled side from TT, but CHO has been Chelsea's most threatening player over the two games TT has been in charge.

    Definitely one for the watchlist though anyway

    1. RubeRx
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      assist, 3 chances created, 2 shots, one hit the post

      definitely has potential to score double figures

  6. Wheyyyy
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Likelihood of Chilwell coming on? Wouldn't mind a full game from Dallas auto sub.

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Unlikely unless for Alonso.

  7. TheSteel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    James RWF

  8. Thomas Shelby from Birmingh…
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Would the scoreline be different if Kepa was in goal for Burnley?

  9. Coys96
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    R.James blocking Dallas. Dallas owners might as well start cheering now 🙂

  10. F_Ivanovic
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    mcmanaman an awful commentator.

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

      Yes

  11. SoShy
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    How many touches does Werner have in this second half?

    1. Goodricke
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He seems to be getting in decent positions, but when he raises his hand for the ball, it goes the other way. It seems they don't want to pass to him!

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      34 in total.

      3 shots and 2 key passes.

  12. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pope!

  13. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mumbongo could be the man?

    Cometh the hour!!

    Fpl needs you.

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

      Great surname

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I thought so.

        Swedish.

  14. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Need that Chilwell 1 pointer.

    1. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Oops.

  15. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Azpi, Rudiger, Alonso 3 options for gws 23,24

    1. thegaffer82
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Too early to say. He could make wholesale changes next game again.

      Wait until Chelsea are a bit more settled and then you can start jumping on their bargains

  16. thegaffer82
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I don't really care what score the Leic v Leeds game is. All I ask is a clean sheet for Leicester (Justin owner & Bamford seller)

    1. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Sounds like you care a lot what the score is then

      1. thegaffer82
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I don't respond to people with Xmas hats on their grav 😉

        1. Bubz
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Still havent plucked up the motivation to change that 😆

        2. Hotdogs for Tea
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          sounds like you do 😉

  17. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Any news on when Van Dijk could be back?

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      May

    2. bench boost for every gamew…
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Hopeful reports says april.

  18. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Need a Bamford assisted by Dallas brace today. More likely one or two nil Leicester win.

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Fully expecting Bamford haul then only Mane to turn up and blank.

    2. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Would be the dream

  19. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Wish Burnley could score.

  20. BeWater
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    If there was a nuclear apocalypse and everything was wiped out the only two things remaining would be cockroaches and Justin lining up at fullback for Leicester.

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

      He really has defied the odds!
      Likely WC pick for me

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Captain him?

  21. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Did Wood do his hamstring?

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yep...

      Looked that way.

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

        Thanks

  22. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Burnley pushing for a draw with no shots so far!!

  23. Plagued by indecision
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I’ve got 1 FT and 5.2 ITB. Which areas should i prioritise?

    Martinez / Button
    Cancelo / Stones / Justin / Bednarek / Taylor
    Saka / Gundogan / Fernandes / Salah / Grealish
    Bamford / Antonio / DCL

    1) Chelsea DEF (but which one?)
    2) Bamford > Wilson if he blanks this afternoon
    3) get Son in for one of the big mids (next week perhaps)
    4) Salah > Mane

  24. Punky
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone worse than my start eleven: Cancelo Cap, Stones, Ziyech and Rodriguez vicecap? Tuchel worse than Pep roulette...

    1. OLEgend
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Brought in Cancelo Digne DCL for Zouma Alioski Kane for -8.. Cancelo Stones 0 points, started Reece James.. Maddison ( C)

  25. Muscout
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    11 points off the bench from second sub, makes up for Soucek last week!

    The highs and lows of this game is what keeps it interesting!!

  26. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    OMG Alonso

  27. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    OMG ALONSOOOOOO

  28. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Alonso bandwagon here

  29. MoSalad
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Alonso concreting his place

  30. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    He’s baaaaaaaaaack