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.

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