Dugout Discussion

De Bruyne and Gundogan benched as Sterling misses Man City’s Fulham trip

Pep Guardiola took his rotation policy to a whole new level for Manchester City’s Gameweek 28 trip to Fulham.

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m), Ilkay Gundogan (£6.2m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.1m) are all on the bench tonight where they are joined by Phil Foden (£6.1m).

After missing Manchester City’s second Double Gameweek 27 match against Southampton, Raheem Sterling (£11.5m) is absent from the matchday squad entirely tonight.

There are fewer rotation casualties in defence as it looks as if Guardiola has switched to a rather unprecedented back-three.

Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) joins Ruben Dias (£6.1m) and John Stones (£5.3m) in the team while Benjamin Mendy (£5.9m) and João Cancelo (£6.2m) are set for full-back roles.

Even more intriguing is that Gabriel Jesus (£9.2m) and Sergio Aguero (£10.3m) start together for the first time since March 2020.

While that prospect sounds dangerous on paper, it will be interesting to see how the two players gel at Craven Cottage considering they have 15 minutes on the pitch at the same time this season.

Meanwhile, Fulham have seemingly set up to defend tonight, André-Franck Zambo Anguissa (£4.5m) coming in for Josh Maja (£5.5m) to join Mario Lemina (£4.5m) and Harrison Reed (£4.4m) in the central-midfield trio.

Gameweek 28 Line-ups

Fulham XI: Areola; Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Tete; Lemina, Reed, Anguissa; Lookman, Cavaleiro, Loftus-Cheek.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Laporte, Dias, Stones; Mendy, Rodrigo, B Silva, Cancelo; Torres; Jesus, Aguero.

Gameweek 28 so far…

Despite Everton suffering yet another home defeat this season, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.7m) finally rewarded his patient owners with his 14th goal of the campaign.

It was his first since Gameweek 23 while the in-form Richarlison (£8.0m) blanked for the second successive match after getting four goals in the previous four.

Burnley’s Chris Wood (£6.2m) got his first away goal since Gameweek 2 and has now netted in back-to-back league games for the first time in 2020/21.

That ensured more frustration for owners of Everton defensive assets, of which Lucas Digne (£6.2m) is the most popular (10.1%).

The Toffees have now conceded at least twice in four of their last seven league matches.

Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (£4.8m) was forced off in the first half to be replaced by João Virgínia (£4.3m).

Provisional bonus points

  • 3 – Dwight McNeil
  • 2 – Chris Wood
  • 1 – Tom Davies

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1,094 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Egg noodle
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Dias Subbed. Fulham goal guaranteed.

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

    Dias clean sheet locked. Fulham goal incoming

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

    More defensive subbs pep. I like it!

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

      Subs*

  4. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo on 3 BAPs

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

    Wouldn’t mind them conceding now

  6. Rains of Castamere
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo 3 bonus
    Stones holding onto 2

    (Insert Jose ripping off headphones meme)

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

    Who are the two best City defenders to own going forward

    A. Stones
    B. Dias
    C. Cancelo

    1. M2.0
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Just B

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

      AB

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

      AB

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

      None - as you have no idea who will play...

  8. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Grab a goal Fulham!

  9. TRIPOS TOPPER
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    of course my rival has KDB and Gundo in mid with Strujik 2nd on bench...

  10. Jersey Boy
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Fulham goal now please

  11. Kaneyonero
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo to come on and bag an OG

  12. mr messi
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo on for 3 baps

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

      This system is sooooo broken

    2. Vazza
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Does Mark own him?

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

    Get Gundo on. Don't need that 1 pointer from Tark.

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

    What on Earth is going on with the BPS?!?! Lol

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

    We want Kevin, Pep!

    1. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Second this

    2. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Please!

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

    Aguero for Gundog final sub

  17. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    KDB on 84' please

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

    Cancelo Dias Stones treble up - boom!

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

      Beautiful

      How long have you been on it?

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

        Since GW19

        Hasn’t been great tbh as have never owned Gundo but I’ve had some very good weeks from it

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

          Must have been some tough times recently but just for the day - truly beautiful

    2. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wow nice, hope you have a pacemaker for that

  19. Says
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    If Ageuro's pace is gone, like it seemed there, I expect he's finished like Michael Owen was

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

      It's his first proper game in so long. Gotta cut him some slack

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

      His posture when Jesus scored was very .. “that would have been me.”

  20. FPL Alaska
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Ugh, of course Fulham will get a goal now that Dias was subbed (Cancelo + Stones owner)

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

    KDB PLS

  22. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Get another goal Stones!

  23. Isca Extremadura
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Aguero still on, getting minutes

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

      Passenger

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

        Give the man a few minutes to get back into the groove, sheesh!

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

          There's been quite a lot of this tonight. Armchair experts writing Aguero off after an injury return game, crazy.

  24. Rains of Castamere
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Need Gundo on

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

      And score an og

  25. acidicleo
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    No more subs pep..

  26. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mitrovic 90th minute goal to reward patient GW1 owners?

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

      He was thought to be more nailed than even Fernandes in preseason.

  27. Isca Extremadura
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Zinc - Mendy maybe ?

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

    My rival is so,so lucky.

    Getting Dallas and Strujk from the bench for Gundogan and KDB.

    While me am getting Bamford on for Gundo with Dallas 2nd on the bench.

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

      I'm getting Bamford, Struijk 3rd on my bench. My closest 2 rivals are getting Lascelles and Rudiger off their bench

  29. OLD Rafiki
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    C'mon Fulham don't score anything.

    1. AzzaroMax99
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Reverse psychology...nice one

  30. Isca Extremadura
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Other way round I mean