Dugout Discussion

Vestergaard returns as Minamino makes Southampton debut

Southampton take to the field at Newcastle with some welcome boosts following their 9-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Fresh from a horrendous defensive display, their most important centre-back, Jannik Vestergaard (£4.7m) is finally back in the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 14.

The Danish international has struggled with a knee problem during the winter and is sure to improve the Saints’ defensive prospects as he features alongside Jan Bednarek (£4.9m), whose one-match ban was overturned midweek.

Vestergaard’s return sees Jack Stephens (£4.6m) push out to the right-back berth where Southampton have had some problems this season. Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.7m) is still not fit enough to be involved today.

But defence is not the only area where Ralph Hasenhüttl has been handed good news as Takumi Minamino (£6.0m) is ready to feature for the first time since leaving Anfield on loan in the transfer window.

He is stationed on the flanks of midfield, with Nathan Redmond (£6.4m) on the other side, in support of centre-forward pairing Danny Ings (£8.4m) and Che Adams (£5.8m).

Newcastle’s own January loanee Joe Willock (£4.7m) also makes his Premier League debut for his new club, his arrival allowing Steve Bruce to go for a more adventurous shape than usual.

Willock sits in a number 10 role with Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.1m) and Miguel Almirón (£5.6m) either side of him in a 4-2-3-1 fronted by Callum Wilson (£6.8m).

The Magpies are somewhat short at the back though. Midfielder Isaac Hayden (£4.7m) starts alongside Fabian Schär (£4.9m) at centre-back.

Double Gameweek planners will have their eyes on the other 3pm match today as Burnley host Brighton.

As expected, the Clarets are in 4-4-2 formation with key Fantasy targets Nick Pope (£5.5m), Ben Mee (£5.0m), James Tarkowski (£5.3m) and Matt Lowton (£4.4m) all involved.

Charlie Taylor (£4.4m) is still not fit enough for a return and neither is Chris Wood (£6.2m), both players absent from today’s match-day squad, which means Erik Pieters (£4.3m) is at left-back again and Ashley Barnes (£6.0m) is paired up-front with Matej Vydra (£4.8m).

On a run of four successive clean sheets, Brighton are in 3-4-2-1 today with Dan Burn (£4.2m) and Joël Veltman (£4.3m) in the left and right wing-back roles respectively following Solly March‘s (£5.0m) injury at Anfield.

Gameweek 23 Starting Line-ups

Burnley XI (4-4-2): Pope; Pieters, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Vydra, A Barnes.

Brighton and Hove Albion XI (3-4-1-2): R Sánchez; Webster, Dunk, White; Burn, Bissouma, Groß, Veltman; Mac Allister; Maupay, Connolly.

Newcastle United XI (4-2-3-1): Darlow; Lewis, Schär, Hayden, Manquillo; Shelvey, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Willock, Almirón; Wilson.

Southampton XI (4-4-2): A McCarthy; Bertrand, Vestergaard, Bednarek, J Stephens; Minamino, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Ings, Adams.

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1,274 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    LOOOOOL

  2. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pope busted

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

      John Paul II was a goalkeeper

  3. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Ffs - Emi bencher

  4. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Burnley CS wiped yuhuuuu

  5. Lev Yashin
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Yikes

  6. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    YESS

  7. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    DUNKK

  8. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Dunk goalllll

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

    Brighton goal

  10. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Yes Brighton!

  11. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Oh oh

  12. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pope buyers Dunked on!!!

  13. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Here we go, Pope conceded. 😀

  14. as33
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Grealish>Minamino 🙂

  15. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Let the riots begin....

  16. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Dunk you absolute legend.

  17. TRIPOS TOPPER
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Dunk scoring like its 2018

    1. Jordan.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      5th gwk running

  18. Flair
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Dunk LOL

  19. ‘Tis the Season
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Glad I didn’t bring in Pope for Martinez this week

    1. Tiki-Taka
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      same, it's hard resisting the groupthink on here at times. feels good when you stick with your gut

      1. ‘Tis the Season
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Agreed bud

    2. Gandalf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yup, could have gone either way. Pope was expected to concede but Martinez more so

  20. 1zverGGadeM
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Mee fail 🙁

  21. Baines on Toast...
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Kept Wilson. Thanks game.

  22. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Sorry emi:(

  23. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Screw this. Dunk is unreal

  24. MIGHTY JOE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Oh boy... Salah on my bench looking even worse now with Wilson gone.

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

    Will be funny if Burnley kept no CS at all in these 4 games.

  26. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    All Brighton needed to do was drop Lamptey

  27. diabydoesgallas
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Ouch. Unlucky Burnley defence owners. Brighton suddenly becoming an option meanwhile ....

  28. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    DGW fever. I've seen it destroy man a FPL player...

  29. Bury94
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Oh great, Wilson goes off and Burnley concede in the same minute..

  30. BrockLanders
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Unreal. Wilson off injured

    1. MIGHTY JOE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Hurts me so much. Gutted.