Dugout Discussion

Grealish absent through injury as Castagne returns for Leicester’s trip to Villa

Jack Grealish (£7.7m) is absent from the Aston Villa squad for the visit of Leicester City this afternoon.

Rumours had swirled about the midfielder’s potential absence over the last 48 hours and grew louder closer to kick-off, with the Athletic’s Gregg Evans reporting that Grealish will also miss the first part of Villa’s Gameweek 26 double-header against Leeds United, too.

The England international is owned by 37.0% of Fantasy Premier League managers overall and just over 35.0% in the top 10,000, so his absence will be keenly felt and cause a headache or two ahead of next Saturday’s deadline.

Anwar El Ghazi (£5.3m) is the man who benefits from Grealish’s absence and will line up on the left flank of Villa’s attack.

Dean Smith’s other alteration from Gameweek 23 is also enforced, with Matty Cash (£5.0m) ruled out for several weeks due to injury.

Ahmed El Mohamady (£4.3m) makes just his second league start of the campaign in Cash’s place at right-back.

Brendan Rodgers has also made two changes from the side that beat Liverpool last weekend.

The fit-again Timothy Castagne (£5.7m) and Luke Thomas (£4.2m) are recalled, with Daniel Amartey (£3.9m) and Marc Albrighton (£5.2m) dropping to the bench.

LINE-UPS

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Elmohamady, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Luiz, McGinn, Traore, Barkley, El Ghazi, Watkins.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Thomas, Ndidi, Tielemans, Castagne, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 25 SO FAR…

Grealish absent through injury as Castagne returns for Leicester's trip to Villa 2

West Ham United defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the first Premier League game of the day, with Jesse Lingard (£5.9m) continuing his purple patch of form in east London.

Lingard’s goal was his fourth attacking return in as many appearances for the Hammers and turned out to be the match-winner, which looks set to secure him maximum bonus points and a double-digit haul.

Michail Antonio (£6.6m) was passed fit to play and marked his return with an early goal, although his comeback was ever-so-slightly tainted with a second-half booking.

Grealish absent through injury as Castagne returns for Leicester's trip to Villa 3

Tomas Soucek (£5.3m) also picked up a yellow card en route to a one-pointer, with FPL’s most-owned defender, Aaron Cresswell (£5.8m), losing his clean sheet when Lucas Moura (£6.6m) nodded home Gareth Bale‘s (£9.3m) corner.

Soucek and Vladmir Coufal (£4.7m) were involved in separate collisions but recovered to finish the game.

Son Heung-min (£9.5m) and Harry Kane (£11.1m) both blanked but came within inches of a return: the former striking the woodwork late on with a freak, looping touch, with the latter seeing a potential assist go up in smoke in the process.

Kane had also teed the impressive Bale up for a second-half attempt that clipped the bar.

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1,215 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Parsnips
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I need to get pereira and Barnes in for grealish and Dallas

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

    Barnes you legend.

  3. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Of course it’s Barnes

  4. Custard Gannet
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Oh my God, I finally have points!

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

    Barnes run riots, damn a week late (or may be weeks late :lol:)

    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wdym? He's been scoring for the past 4/5 weeks

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

        Yeah my plan on Son > Barnes next week, just as I said maybe weeks too late

  6. Scholes Out For Summer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    HARVEY BARNES GET IN

  7. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Legit on 21 from 8 including captain, with 13 from 2 on the bench.

    This game sucks

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Makes ya wanna give up doesn’t it

      1. Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah, a bit. Just so annoying. Can’t wait to have a crap bench again

  8. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Hello Mr Wildcard

  9. Stupendous
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Nightmare no Leicester

    Grealish to Barnes done!

  10. Bury94
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cheer up, Martinez got another save before the goal

  11. SM001
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Harvey saving my gameweek.

  12. Slurpy
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I love owning barnes, so so much

    1. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      such a good differential. legit 10-15% rank rise every time he does anything

    2. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Always trolls me when I own him. Does seem nailed these days though.

  13. Rash
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    For once starting martinez over Johnstone been the wrong decision

  14. Camino Aleatorio
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Spurs look like straight trash. Leicester look like The Team

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

      Leicester player points were all pretty good for dgw19 ... and a lovely run of fixtures coming up

  15. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Grealish to Barnes done

  16. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Barnes sellers for the pool game massively punished.

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

    A Raphinha Bamford BB is worth finally

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

    Yeeessss Harvey

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

    Barnes in 9+ with 60 mins to go...

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

      We want 20+

  20. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez you loser

  21. FFSbet.com
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Grealish + Brewster > Lookman + Kane (-4) ?

    Will BB and both play BGW29 as well,leaves me with .0ITB

    Martinez*(Areola*)
    Dias* - Cancelo* - Maguire* (Holding - Dallas)
    Salah*(C) - Rashford* - Son* - Lookman* (Raphinha)
    Kane* - Ings - Watkins*

  22. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    This has been coming for weeks for Villa

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

      So true

  23. SADIO SANÉ
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    holy crap I need Gundog or Foden to not play, so of course they both will 😆

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Both will come off the bench for 10 minutes

  24. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Villa have just pulled a Liverpool. Absolute scenes

  25. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez over Sanchez was the wrong decision after all

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

      I did Sanchez over Martinez in FanTeam. Looking good right now!

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

      People on here have a tendancy to look at last week's points.

  26. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez on 3 saves already lmao.

    Better save a penalty to make up for this crap

  27. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Grealish + raphina -> Madds + barnes on the cards

  28. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Who’s foregoing Salah so they can pretty much have a pick of the bunch stellar team?

  29. Parsnips
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    How long is Grealish out for??

  30. Ze_Austin
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Now reluctant about selling Bamford for the BB26