Dugout Discussion

Injury-hit sides in action in two early-evening Double Gameweek 26 kick-offs

The narrative surrounding the two early kick-offs in the Premier League on Wednesday evening is as much about the players who aren’t involved as those who make the four starting XIs.

The most-bought player of Gameweek 26 is one of the most noteworthy absentees: Harvey Barnes (£6.9m) was transferred in by over a million Fantasy Premier League managers ahead of Saturday’s deadline but has now been ruled out for around six weeks after undergoing knee surgery.

His club, Leicester City, are also without James Maddison (£7.3m) and Jonny Evans (£5.5m), among others, for their clash with a Burnley side who are no strangers to an injury crisis.

In the other game, Aston Villa continue to be without Jack Grealish (£7.6m) for their trip to a short-on-numbers Sheffield United.

Evans and Barnes are among three Leicester players who make way from the weekend, with Luke Thomas (£4.2m) also dropping out.

Nampalys Mendy (£4.2m), Daniel Amartey (£3.9m) and Hamza Choudhury (£4.7m) are recalled as Brendan Rodgers sacrifices a bit of width to flood the midfield.

For the Clarets, Chris Wood (£6.2m) returns to the hosts’ line-up and replaces Jay Rodriguez (£5.8m) up top.

At Bramall Lane, budget FPL forward Rhian Brewster (£4.4m) starts in place of Oli McBurnie (£5.6m) in Chris Wilder’s only alteration.

Dean Smith sticks with the same starting XI that began the 1-0 win over Leeds, with Ross Barkley (£5.9m) again only among the substitutes.


Burnley XI: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Brownhill, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Vydra, Wood.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Castagne, Amartey, Soyuncu, Ricardo Pereira, Tielemans, Mendy, Ndidi, Choudhury, Iheanacho, Vardy.

Sheffield United XI: Ramsdale, Ampadu, Jagielka, Bryan, Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens, McGoldrick, Brewster.

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

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

Check your own rank and in-play FPL stats on LiveFPL.net every Gameweek

766 Comments Post a Comment
  1. tbos83
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Best sub for Mee?

    1. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      U

  2. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Shaw is the next cs to fail tonight.

    1. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      100%

    2. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      he got the clean sheet that wasn't expected, wouldn't complain too much

      1. FPL Pillars
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        0-0 was predicted result

    3. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Benteke brace imminent

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        Townsend is due a screamer

    4. OLD Rafiki
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      inevitable

  3. Vazza
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Martinez hobbling?

  4. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    This week has been a shambles.

    1. Tango74
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Why are people complaining about this Dgw?

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        General bitterness.

        Guess there's more of that to come later on.

      2. how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        Um. Because the players we own aren't doing very well.

        1. Tango74
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 26 days ago

          But they picked the players themselves ,so only themselves to blame

          1. how now brown cow
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 26 days ago

            Wow. Never thought of that.

            1. JBG
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 26 days ago

              Mind blown, right? Who knew that the players we picked would do bad against one of the most horrible teams in PL history?

          2. FantasyHero
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 26 days ago

            You are special

  5. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Come on Tark! Repay the faith! Watkins... meh. I’ll take anything at this point.

  6. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Confused why Dias owners are complaining? Scored the same as Cancelo and Stones combined, and 12 points in a DGW effectively like 2CS.

    Get over it

    1. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Both CSs were close, would have been expecting 15 more pts

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

        Still far from the fail people are making it out to be by lumping him in with Foden for example

        1. The Suspended One
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 26 days ago

          Feel very fortunate that Dias didn’t destroy me this week, only had stones

          Played against a guy with triple City def too...

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      They’re complying?

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

        Seen at least 2 on the previous page alone saying it’s been a crap week and pointing to him as an example. Daft.

    3. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Don’t get it either, same as my post below, stones owners moaning on here earlier as well and talking about getting rid, 9/10 points is a good haul even for dgw

    4. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Not complaining about Dias. Cancelo on the other hand. The new Kolarov.

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

        Yeah that one hurt, I own him too

      2. The Suspended One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        Good call

  7. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Brewster looking unplayable.

    1. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Steady on...

    2. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Impossible to ignore

    3. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      up there with Bebe and Bendtner

      1. Konstaapeli
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        Lord Bendtner was actually pretty useful and talented.

    4. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      In FPL teams yes...

  8. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Burnley should be up

  9. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Can’t grumble as a villa defensive owner, you’d of bitten my hand off for 12 points from Martinez before the game week, looks like I’ll get 8 or 9 from konsa again would have taken it so can’t be disappointed

    1. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      As Janet Jackson would say: FPL is a "What have you done for me lately?" game

      1. how now brown cow
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        "Nasty" more like

        1. panda07
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 26 days ago

          Just trying to bring a bit of culture to these boards!

  10. Alisson WondHaaland
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Ricardo fail

    1. KUN+10
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Big time

    2. HashAttack
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Have to take all the other injuries into account - otherwise, he's played both matches and he is OOP
      Think I'll have to stick with him for bha and SHU

    3. Studs Up
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Delete this

  11. DARK SIDE OF THE LOON
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Have Areola and Martinez. Need to downgrade Areola. Which option:

    A) Areola + Taylor to Forster + Tierney for -4
    C) Areola + Mitchell to Forster + Dawson for -4

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

      A

  12. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Tarkowski clean sheet gone and has a header saved from point blank in the blink of an eye. Oh well.

  13. Kaneyonero
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    C'mon Watkins grab a brace my son

  14. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Ollie G and Martinez PS would be nice second half

    1. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      minimum requirement

    2. A. PRISE
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      They are seriously awful. Spurs will batter them in GW29

  15. A. PRISE
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Aston Villa not even championship level

    1. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Every second game utter BS

  16. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    This gameweek peaked at about 1pm last Saturday.

  17. Ode
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    My bench last 3 gameweeks: 21, 15, 23

    My bench when BB used: 7

    1. A. PRISE
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Classic fpl

    2. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Typically fpl

  18. moment
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Have steadfastly refused to buy Oil Watkins on the basis that every time I watch a villa game he massively fails the eye-test. Am I missing something?

    1. Well you know, Triffic
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      No. He needs Greilish.

      1. The Suspended One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        And cash

    2. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      He's classic FPL fools gold, looks good from afar but when you own so frustrating.

      1. Flynny
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        I've owned him since gw5

        Been a bumpy ride

        Not bad at that price though

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Nope. He's like Bamford, 9/10 can't hit a barndoor. Often gets enough chances for the 1/10.

  19. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    In a matter of mites I got 3 CS swipped: Martinez, Targett and Pope. This is my worst BB ever 🙁

    1. Ode
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Pope Tark Dallas Bam here. Think I’ve never got more than 10 points from BB

    2. Lazaretti
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Pope, R.Pereira, Dallas, Bamford.

      Going to end up between 8pts - 10pts. 2xDGW players

      1. Lazaretti
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        To be fair Pope need just one more save to collect 1 save point.

    3. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Can't be worse. 61 points here. Barnes, Davies (I know), owner. 2x BRI and 2x Leeds on bench with BB

  20. Mission impossible
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Martinez clean gone , at last some good news !!!

  21. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    I guess I just need Tark and Martnized goals now

  22. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    I'm sure Martinez will still find a way of accumulating a double figure score in this match even without the clean sheet.

    Have Pope in goal so was nice to see the that Sheff Utd scored but then Pope concedes almost immediately after. Just cant catch a break in this effing game!

    1. Mission impossible
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Wouldn’t be surprised to see him save a penalty, can’t have the wonder keeper getting a 2 or 3

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        yep. Can see it coming such has been the torment that man has inflicted on me this season.

  23. Alisson WondHaaland
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    In hindsight, this week/ last week was really not the time to Wildcard, and I feel for anyone who did. Basically all the popular differentials have failed big time (so far).

    1. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Don’t cry for me Argentina

    2. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Yeah I messed up bad

    3. Scholes Out For Summer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Well most differentials are bought for over 3GWs (for me at least). My main ones were Traore and Pereira. Didnt start off well but hey who knows they both have good fixtures for the next 2

    4. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Agree. I did, so I could make easy moves to get a decent team for GW 29. I should have just kept my team and used hits to do it

    5. Vamos Los Celeste
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      What popular differentials?

      1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 26 days ago

        every player I brought in had ownership of 10% or less

        1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 26 days ago

          only kept salah, bam, gundo and bruno

        2. Jindaljain
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 26 days ago

          You are differential

  24. Jindaljain
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Need Ben Mee to score

  25. Vamos Los Celeste
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Max Aarons 3 bps.

  26. The Suspended One
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    OMG ElMo on that goal... worst step up ever

  27. Jindaljain
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Ben mee to score brace

  28. wulfrunian
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    The greatest free kick taker of all time.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B3KW_8jofc&ab_channel=mrbundesteam

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Nah.

    2. The Suspended One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Not even top 5

  29. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Nowhere for anyone in the game with Aston Villa or Burnley defenders of goalkeepers or groundsmen to hide.

  30. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 26 days ago

    Believe it or not, I sold McGoldrick before this GW 😀 🙂 🙂 🙂

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Hopefully wk2?

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      Wasn't even on wildcard.

    3. fedolefan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 26 days ago

      If Mark reads this, think he may start selling you a ton of stuff.