Dugout Discussion

Gundogan fit to start as De Bruyne returns to City XI and Foden drops to bench

After missing out on Manchester City’s win over Everton in midweek, Ilkay Gundogan (£6.1m) has made a swift return from a groin injury and makes Pep Guardiola’s starting XI this afternoon.

Arsenal are the latest team attempting to stop City’s 17-game unbeaten run, with kick-off at the Emirates at 16:30 GMT.

Gundogan featured prominently in both the transfers in and out columns in the run-up to Gameweek 24: 365,022 Fantasy Premier League managers recruited the German after his huge haul against Spurs, with 244,409 of us moving the in-form midfielder on – no doubt influenced by the yellow flag that appeared next to his name following his no-show on Merseyside.

There is other noteworthy team news from the City camp, with Gundogan one of five players who are recalled.

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) makes his first start in over a month, with John Stones (£5.2m), Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) and Fernandinho (£5.4m) also back in Guardiola’s line-up.

Phil Foden (£6.1m) drops to the bench despite scoring at Goodison Park, with Gabriel Jesus (£9.2m), Kyle Walker (£6.1m), Rodri (£5.3m) and Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) also making way from the team that took to the pitch at kick-off on Wednesday.

Sergio Aguero (£10.3m), who has not played for City since the beginning of January, is also among the substitutes for the visitors.

Having named the same team in his last two competitive matches, Mikel Arteta also makes five changes to his starting XI.

Kieran Tierney (£5.2m), Rob Holding (£4.5m), Nicolas Pepe, Pablo Marí (£4.4m) and Mohamed Elneny (£4.2m) return, with Cedric Soares (£4.6m), David Luiz (£5.4m), Gabriel (£5.0m), Emile Smith Rowe (£4.3m) and Dani Ceballos (£4.7m) dropping to the bench.

LINE-UPS

Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Pablo Mari, Tierney, Elneny, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Pepe, Aubameyang.

Man City XI: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 25 SO FAR…

Gundogan fit to start as De Bruyne returns to City XI and Foden drops to bench 1

Second-place Leicester City warmed up for their Gameweek 26 double-header with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday, a match that was notable for injuries to two well-owned FPL midfielders.

Harvey Barnes (£6.8m) recorded his second successive double-digit haul with a goal and an assist in the Foxes’ victory, which took his total to 10 attacking returns in 11 Gameweeks.

James Maddison (£7.3m) is in similarly fine form and opened the scoring at Villa Park – his 12th goal or assist in his last 14 appearances.

But the England midfielder hobbled from the field of play just after the hour-mark, having twice needed treatment from the visitors’ physios.

Missing altogether was Jack Grealish (£7.7m), who was sidelined with a reported shin problem.

While some reports suggest the Villa talisman may be absent for several weeks, manager Dean Smith said he was “hopeful” of the player’s return against Leeds.

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1,652 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Would love classic Aguero back for the double

    1. Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Template breaker.

      1. Hybrid.power
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Defo

    2. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He's surely starting atleast one of them. Can see sterling sitting one out after 90 here

      1. Egg noodle
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        He's been on the bench for 3 PL games now. (not sure about other cups)

        Unlikely to suddenly start, as Pep appears to be extremely cautious

      2. tambourineman
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Highly unlikely, hasn't started a game since 24th October and last played a minute on 3rd January

  2. Weak Become Heros
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo playing very deep now.

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

    City defense acting weirdly

  4. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    who is Shoretire?

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

      Young academy player. Rated very highly at Carrington

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

      Not much of a fan then eh?

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

    Every 3 points city get drives ever so slightly further away from FPL viability?

    Surely Pep starts to prioritise Champs League & cups soon going 19 points clear of Liverpool

    Gundo & the defenders are easy enough holds as they’re only 5.5’s... investing more than that seems possibly risky now though

    1. Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yep agree. Im on WC and still looking at double City defence.

    2. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Pep pushed his team until the end to hit 100 points in 2018

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

        Champs league is such a glaring gap in his City CV now though - has to become priority 1 shirley

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

    #MUFCXI vs Newcastle : De Gea ; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelöf, Maguire, Shaw ; Fred, Matic, James, Bruno, Rashford ; Martial

    • Banc : Henderson, Tuanzebe, Bailly, Telles, Williams, Mata, Amad, Shoretire, Greenwood

    #MUNNEW #MUF

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cavano

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

      Bruno time 😎

      1. Bounce
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        EO above 100%

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

          Don’t care, had since GW2 so my returns should be worth more 🙂

          1. Bounce
            • 3 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Enjoy the red arrow lol.

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

              Already red haha

    3. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      How is De Gea still in goal?

    4. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Shaw & Bruno let’s go

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

        This

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

      Cavani dead

    6. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Watch the average go up significantly by the time this next match has finished

    7. Warby84
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Newcastle??

    8. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Going to get punished tonight Bamford failure & ML players have Bruno

    9. Champions League Varane
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Martial + Shoretire and Amad 🙂

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

    Oh ya know.......just Stones and Antonio laughing at me from my bench

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

      Same but was never playing Antonio and played Mee over Stones

      1. Botman and Robben
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        At least Mee got 5

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

        Sorted, just hope Dallas does something

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

      Benching a defender from the best defence in the league against a mid table side... yeh, makes sense /s

  8. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Arsenal not even trying to score, agreed on taking the 1-0 at half time.

  9. el polako
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    This United lineup looks promising for Rashford owners.

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Rival sold Barnes and Rashford 🙂

    2. Tcheco
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      why?

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

        Playing off the left

      2. el polako
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Because he be either on the left or through middle which suits him.
        Last few games was suffering on the right becasue Ole wanted to squeeze in both Cavani & Martial.

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

      Hope so. Hate the sight of him in my team.

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

    Cancelo misses a sitter

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

      Water
      Wet

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Great move kicking someone in the face to get free

  11. HNI
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Having both Martinez + Pope GK with Dzgw warrant a BB?
    Rest on bench will be Coufal Dallas Raphina, from which for -8 I can get Shaw Targett as dgwkers....Worth BB or will I get opportunity again?

  12. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    WHAT A MISS CANCELO

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

      whyyyyy

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

    Oh piss

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

    Cancelo WTF dude.

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

    Oh dear.

  16. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo -BPS

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

    Bad bad finish

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

    Cancelo you absolute turbo-goblin

  19. el polako
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Jesus ignored Sterling completely.

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

    Best move here?

    A) Ings -> DCL
    B) Ings & Sterling -> Son & Kane (-4)

    Salah, Bruno, Sterling, Gundo
    Watkins, Bamford, Ings

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      See how midweek goes.

  21. Salan
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo, use your left foot!

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

    He's like Sterling

  23. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Should have squared it to Gundo.

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

    Big xG boost at least...

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

      Got a 17 pointer after the last time that happened

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

    THE MAN CITY LAMPTEY IN FULL FLOW

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

      lmao

  26. fedolefan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    What a miss from Cancelo!

  27. Jimmy Boy
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelnooooo!

  28. EmreCan Hustle
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo is like JWP. Involved everywhere but no FPL returns.

  29. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    It would be disallowed by VAR anyway.

  30. dark91
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    You are not Quaresma man what are you doing?!!!

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Lol

    2. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      😀