Dugout Discussion

Son and Grealish absent as Bale is benched for final Blank Gameweek 29 match

Son Heung-min (£9.4m) and Jack Grealish (£7.5m) will both sit out the final match of Blank Gameweek 29, while Gareth Bale (£9.7m) begins this evening’s clash between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur on the bench.

Kick-off at Villa Park is at 19:30 GMT.

Bale’s demotion from the Spurs starting XI is a blow to the legions of Fantasy Premier League managers who bought the Welshman ahead of Gameweek 29.

The winger was the subject of more transfers in (771,282) than any other player ahead of Friday’s deadline.

The most-sold FPL asset of the round, Son, hasn’t recovered from the muscle injury that forced him off in the north London derby last Sunday.

Son and Bale are among four players in Jose Mourinho’s Gameweek 28 line-up who miss out this afternoon, with the benched Matt Doherty (£5.6m) and the absent Toby Alderweireld (£5.4m) the others to make way.

Spurs confirmed that Alderweireld and Serge Aurier (£5.2m) both miss out through illness today.

In come Carlos Vinicius (£6.9m), Japhet Tanganga (£4.9m), Joe Rodon (£5.0m) and Giovani Lo Celso (£6.9m).

There’s no rest for Harry Kane (£11.5m) after his 120-minute run-out on Thursday: the England striker, captained by over two million FPL bosses tonight, starts.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has made two changes following his side’s draw with Newcastle United over a week ago.

Matty Cash (£5.0m) and Morgan Sanson (£5.5m) start, with Ahmed El Mohamady (£4.3m) and Jacob Ramsey (£4.5m) dropping out.

Despite the positive noises about Grealish in Smith’s pre-match press conference, the Villa talisman misses his sixth successive league match.


Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Sanson, Traore, Watkins, Trezeguet.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Lloris, Tanganga, Sanchez, Rodon, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Vinicius, Kane, Moura.

GET IN-GAME DATA AT LIVE FPL

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

1,164 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Been looking for an excuse to get Alonso so regullion injury looks like a good enough reason

    1. The Mighty Hippo
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      Is he nailed on? Surely Azpilicueta is a better option?

      1. Pat Bonner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 days ago

        Azpi the safer option but got a strong bench so could take the odd no show from Alonso

        1. The Mighty Hippo
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 8 days ago

          Fair point, he's certainly got a higher ceiling when he's playing.

  2. BigBillyBass
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    So glad I free hit this week. Currently on 70 points, would have barely scraped 20 if I’d bottled it

    1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      Too soon

      1. BigBillyBass
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 days ago

        Sorry mate!

    2. ThisTimeNxtYrRodney
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      28 points so far and I'm ashamed to say I bottled it. Well done mate.

      1. BigBillyBass
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 days ago

        Cheers pal, chin up!

  3. M00N
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Why the hell did I play Cresswell and Regulion over Antonio and Lacazette

    1. Lubic87
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      I played them over Bamford and Lingard. It's been a tough day.

      1. M00N
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 days ago

        My bench has half the points my 11 has. Too many options on the free hit

        1. Lubic87
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 8 days ago

          Feel your pain. I just wanted to spread the risk about so didn't want double west ham and leeds attack. In hindsight I should have just started the highly owned players

    2. Danno - Emre Canada
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      You played the defenders over the attackers, brave.

      1. M00N
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 days ago

        Yeah a gamble that didn’t pay off. Everyone expecting a dull week

        1. Danno - Emre Canada
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 8 days ago

          I guess it has been that in the past

  4. BeWater
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Bale isn't going to get off the bench is he.

    1. Digital-Real
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      afraid not

  5. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Bergwyn Spurs 2nd sub

  6. Bob_the_builder
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Release the golf clubs!

  7. Free Hat
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Villa must be one of the worst teams at crossing a ball into the box.

  8. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Bale no show looking likely

  9. Mile Plankton
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Son -> Bale (-4) is the worst move I made this season.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      Sounds like a pretty decent season.

      1. Mile Plankton
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 8 days ago

        5k overall, could be better

    2. FPL Bond @ Twitter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      Same here mate..

  10. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    unless Villa score, Bale remains seated.

  11. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Bale, Kane (c), Watkins. Not going great.

  12. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Bale not likely to come on, Kane(VC) it is

  13. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Holy moly this week could not have gone any worse, what are the chances ffs

  14. SADIO SANÉ
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    what the hell is that Reguilon JESUS CRHSIBUEIBFHSBC

  15. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    pen spurs

  16. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Penalty spurs

  17. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Kane Pen

  18. G-Whizz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Penalty!

  19. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Not a pen. Will get removed.

    1. sminkypinky
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 days ago

      Then again could be.

  20. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    No way bale comes on now. So many bench points.

    Lucky escape from the Welsh wizard

  21. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Spurs pen

  22. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Kane runs into him

  23. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Kane wins pen.

    Cash awful haha

  24. OLD Rafiki
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    C'mon let bale even smell the grass.

  25. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Ball already out when the foil has been committed ?

  26. G-Whizz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Please 'Arry...

  27. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    Martinez to punish benchers ?????

  28. Dirty Harry
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    The game week was going so well until this snoozefest

  29. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    I benched Martinez and captain Kane! This could be painful

  30. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 days ago

    This is not a peno