Dugout Discussion

Injured Cavani misses out as Solskjaer opts for Martial over Greenwood in attack

Having been leapfrogged by Leicester City earlier in the day, Manchester United will attempt to go back to second in the Premier League table at Old Trafford this evening.

A win over visitors Newcastle United will do just that and keep league leaders Manchester City within ten points’ reach, following a win for Pep Guardiola’s troops in the late-afternoon kick-off.

The last of four Premier League matches to take place on Sunday gets underway at 19:00 GMT.

Daniel James (£6.2m) and Nemanja Matic (£4.7m) are brought into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI tonight.

Both of the United manager’s changes from Gameweek 25 are enforced, with Edinson Cavani (£7.9m) and Scott McTominay (£4.9m) missing through injury.

Mason Greenwood (£7.0m) is again only among the substitutes, with Anthony Martial (£8.7m) preferred up front.

Steve Bruce has made just the one change to the Newcastle side that lost at Chelsea last Monday as Joelinton (£5.7m) replaces Dwight Gayle (£5.9m) in attack.

Bruno Fernandes (£11.6m) is the second-most-popular captaincy pick of Double Gameweek 25 overall and within the top 10k, trailing Patrick Bamford (£6.9m) in both instances.

Selected by the vast majority of the top 10,000, Fernandes’ effective ownership is, once again, in excess of 100% – so any return means a small red arrow for those who own the Portuguese midfielder but haven’t captained him.

LINE-UPS

Newcastle United XI: Darlow, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Lewis, Willock, Hayden, Shelvey, Joelinton, Almiron, Saint-Maximin.

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Matic, Fred, James, Fernandes, Rashford, Martial.

DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 25 SO FAR…

Ilkay Gundogan (£6.1m) made a swift return from injury at the Emirates this afternoon but couldn’t add to his season’s goal tally of 11.

The German started and finished the game in his now customary ‘number eight’ role but he, and City as a collective, never really clicked in an attacking sense in north London.

Not that Pep Guardiola’s side really needed to get out of second gear, with Arsenal failing to capitalise on some threatening positions in the final third and mustering only one shot on target in the entire game.

This was City’s 15th clean sheet of the season and their 13th in the last 16 Gameweeks.

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) made his first start on his return from injury as a ‘false nine’ and provided some typically incisive through-balls, while the advanced Joao Cancelo (£6.1m) again saw plenty of penalty-box action and wasted a glorious chance to double City’s lead when toe-poking wide from 10 yards.

Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) was the visitors’ match-winner, nodding home Riyad Mahrez‘s (£8.1m) second-minute cross for his 13th attacking return in his last 14 league starts.

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2,309 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Saka_me_sideways
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Benched Maddison’s points and now he’s flagged!
    What happened to him? Wasn’t too bad I hope.

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

      Hip injury, possibly a recurring one but maybe precaution

    2. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I think I read its a possible recurrence of his hip injury but you should check that with Ben Dinnery on twitter

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

        Thanks, I’ll have a ganders

  2. Tonyawesome69
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pope, Soucek and Ings to Fabri, Barnes and Kane (-4)?

    WC30/31 FH33 TC undecided

    2FT 3.7itb
    Martinez
    Cancelo Stones Digne
    Salah Bruno Gundo Raphinha*
    Ings* DCL Bamford*
    (Pope Soucek Cresswell Holding)

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

      Do it. I've never fancied Barnes but his numbers are becoming hard to ignore. I'm also bringing Fabri in to get Kane (c).

      1. Tonyawesome69
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers. I can do a straight Ings to Kane swap. Barnes and LEI double is difficult to ignore but I can't afford a a straight swap from Soucek to Barnes. Could be a good time to downgrade Pope to get funds since I have set and forget Martinez

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

          With your BB gone it's the perfect time to downgrade a GK. Barnes 2 games means it's worth a -4 I reckon.

          1. Tonyawesome69
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Only concern is losing a 29 player as I'm not FHing until later. If I do make the transfers, I will have Raphinha, Bamford, Kane, Martinez and Cresswell and 3FTs so can probably survive 29 with 9 including a - 4

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

              Might be worth getting Barnes if you could get up to 9 in 29 anyway. Even 7/8 players is probably ok that week.

              1. Tonyawesome69
                • 5 Years
                3 years, 1 month ago

                Cheers man

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

    Who would you TC?
    A. Son
    B. Salah
    C. Bruno
    D. DCL?

    1. jammie26
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kane

    2. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      C or D

    3. Dannyb
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      C

    4. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kane unless something weird happens

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

      I would keep, none looks great

    6. jammie26
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'm holding TC for now.

  4. Gazwaz80
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    What is it with Utd and crap teams?

    1. The Ilfordian
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yeah I know. Ridiculous to think there might be a Bruno haul. Another Almiron double digits maybe?

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

      Pressure of a 6 pointer.

  5. jammie26
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    30 points currently, big red arrow on the horizon i fear.

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Hardly - average for top 10k pre United game was 34

      Just a very low scoring week

      1. jammie26
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Thats good to know, haven't kept up to date this weekend. Ta

  6. Tanglebrain
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mahrez becoming an option again? Form and minutes improving.

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Could easily get in Peps bad books and benched again. Not worth the hassle

  7. Teomi
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Wc activated, will FH in 29...
    any improvement is welcomed!
    Thank you guys!!

    Martinez (fabri)
    Cancelo stones shaw (konsa struijk)
    Salah Bruno gundo Barnes (ESR)
    Kane vardy dcl

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Probably Dias instead on cancelo or stones for a nailed city defender

      1. Teomi
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks, think stones is just as nailed as any of the others tbh

        1. Tonyawesome69
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I don't think so. Stones is a rotation risk with Laporte. Compare the mins of dias vs Stones. Dias has only missed 1 league game due to coming back from an illness

          1. Teomi
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Good point, might be safer with Dias but bought stones at 4,9 so also got some value tied up in him

            1. Tonyawesome69
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Points over value....

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

      How many 29?

      1. Teomi
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Will most likely use FH in 29, so nothing I will take in consideration atm

  8. n-doggg
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling rested in UCL and then play both DGW (TC)?!

    1. Tonyawesome69
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Difficult to guess now. Depends if Foden starts is UCL

      1. Tonyawesome69
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Nice stat on Sterling. He wouldn't go anywhere near my TC chip

        "Sterling has recorded just 1 bonus point in the last six matches he has scored in. What goes against him is the lack of his multiple involvements and the fact that City defence inevitably record monster BPS scores whenever they keep a clean sheet. Fine margins but big swings."

        https://twitter.com/BigManBakar/status/1363557304705015808?s=19

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

      Never capping again

      1. n-doggg
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Risks are high but rewards also as not many will have

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

      I hope so as KDB looked awful today.

      If Aguero plays midweek then I think I’ll get him in and hope for 100 plus mins in dgw

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

      I'm on Stones, Sterling and Gundo.

      It would be madness for me not to swap Sterling for Dias, even when I have such an easy Son move to make too.

      But I can't be asked to play boring.

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

    What to do here?

    Martinez
    Cancelo Stines Dallas
    Salah Bruno Gundogan Grealish
    DCl Bamford Kane

    Pope Raphinha Coufal Holding

    1FT and got triple captain and FH left

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

    Whatcha reckon here?

    A) Ings -> DCL
    B) STERLING/Ings -> SON/KANE (-4)
    C) Save FT
    D) Wildcard

    POPE
    CANCELO, TARGETT, TARKOWSKI
    SALAH, BRUNO, STERLING, GUNDO
    WATKINS, Bamford, Ings

    Forster, Raphina, Mitchell, Coufal
    Bank 0.7m, 1FT, all chips

    1. antis0cial
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

    2. FPLtfs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      WC

  11. Crouching Tiger
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Someone fill me on in here.. are we expecting more DGW's during gameweeks 30-38 or is it recommended to start burning through chips for the DGW now?

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

      There’s always a small one due to FA cup

  12. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Raphinha cappers winning so far...

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

    Rashy Rashford!

  14. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Rashford G

  15. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Yessss rashy!

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

    Bamford and Raphina owners, which one you benching in GW26?

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Raphinha.

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

    Rashford my boy !!!

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

    Yesssss Rashforddd

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

    Slab head assist

  20. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Maguire A

  21. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Slab head Assist?

  22. The Senate
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Krafth fouled Rashford twice there but he just kept going haha

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

    Terrible goalkeeping ... good grief

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

    Rival own both Rashford and MAguire haha ffs

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

      How is that an assist lol

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

        jummy...

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

    Not Shaw assist.

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

    Thats were he needs to play.

  27. @persecuted_by_mods
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Darlow good Pickford impersonation

    • Slurpy
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Man like rassssshhhyyyy

    • The Train Driver
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Finally some FH success!!!

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

      Jammy Maguire-owning casuals FFS

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

        Haha, calm down, not all casuals only have Maguire. I've had him for ages and he's been hit and miss. I feel its well deserved lol

        1. The Mighty Hippo
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I have both Maguire and Rashford for a double jam sandwich.

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

            Another busted clean-sheet for United.