Dugout Discussion

Rudiger, Mount and Chilwell benched, as Alonso returns to Chelsea’s starting line-up

The continued rotation of Chelsea’s big squad sees Antonio Rudiger (£4.7m), Mason Mount (£7.1m) and Kai Havertz (£8.2m) amongst the substitutes for their hosting of West Bromwich Albion.

For those managers desperate to invest in the league’s strongest defence, the return of Thiago Silva (£5.6m) only worsens the headache. He and Kurt Zouma (£5.3m) step in for Rudiger and Andreas Christensen (£4.7m), with Marcos Alonso (£5.7m) starting ahead of Ben Chilwell (£5.8m) at left wing-back.

Alonso has been a popular transfer this week amongst the online Fantasy Premier League community, with many seeing the incredibly attacking defender as the ideal one-week punt ahead of a Gameweek 31 Wildcard. He wasn’t on international duty, so owners will be hoping for a repeat of his 14-point haul from beating Burnley 2-0 in Gameweek 21.

Former defender Thomas Tuchel’s arrived as head coach in January and quickly made Chelsea’s back line impenetrable, conceding only twice in 14 matches (all competitions) as they seek their eighth consecutive clean sheet.

However, these successful shut-outs are achieved with rotating personnel, with only Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.9m) seemingly assured of a starting spot. Rudiger, Zouma, Christensen and Thiago Silva share the remaining two spots, as Edouard Mendy (£5.2m) starts again in goal.

As detailed in Thursday’s feature, Mount (225), Havertz (212) and Chilwell (180) played in the majority of their country’s 270 minutes during the international break. Therefore, Tuchel has given them a breather, showcasing their squad depth by bringing in Christian Pulisic (£8.2m) and Mateo Kovacic (£5.3m).

Timo Werner (£9.2m) starts up front, his barren streak worsened by a terrible miss for Germany against North Macedonia. With one league goal from 1,350 minutes – the equivalent of 15 matches – his confidence seems shattered but the expected goals (xG) number of 6.34 in that spell suggests that he’s still getting in the right positions.

Reece James (£5.0m) starts at right wing-back, with Hakim Ziyech (£7.9m) keeping his starting spot.

As for West Brom, they were unchanged for four consecutive matches but Sam Allardyce has been forced into one change as loanee Conor Gallagher (£5.5m) cannot play against his parent club. He has been replaced by Semi Ajayi (£4.8m), suggesting a switch from 4-1-4-1 to a 5-4-1 formation.

Stuck in the relegation zone, the Baggies haven’t scored in their last three matches but have kept three clean sheets in the last five matches, ideal for Sam Johnstone (£4.5m) owners. They picked up 1-1 draws at Liverpool and Man City, so will feel a Stamford Bridge result is achievable.

Branislav Ivanovic (£4.4m) is on the bench against the club he made 377 appearances for.

GAMEWEEK 30 LINE-UPS

Chelsea XI (3-4-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Zouma; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Pulisic, Werner

West Bromwich Albion XI (5-4-1): Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Bartley, Townsend; Phillips, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles, Pereira; Diagne

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1,090 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    So Bruno(c) is a differential this week.... 2 penalties and an assist shall do the job...

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Hopefully Kane matches him. Need for an important H2H 😀

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      His EO is >100.

      Almost any captaincy is technically a differential pick 😉

      1. Rolls-Royce
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        Not if you captain Kane.

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          Almost

  2. Amey
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Stay safe non Kane ©.
    There's a Hurricane incoming to Newcastle tomorrow 😎

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      They'll have to cancel to match if so. Disaster!

  3. For Fuchs Sake
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Thinking of hitting the WC button today, will there be another good time to use it this season? TC Kane GW32, so can't use it then.

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      I am definitely playing WC. Enough of chip holding !

  4. Tango74
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    The other week people were saying they don’t want bench to score points as they feel like they right decision with starting 11 .

    Now people want there bench to come on for rudiger with points lol

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      People only want events that benefit them to happen. News at 10.

  5. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Rotation at Chelsea becoming a pain in the neck. Hopefully Rudiger remains on the bench in the end

  6. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    GW30 'professional' watch:

    Fabio Borges: Dunk to Alonso, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/440328/event/30

    Magnus Carlsen: Dunk to Alonso, Raphinha (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/76862/event/30

    Ville Ronka: Bale to Fernandes, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/617620/event/30

    Jay Egersdorff: save FT, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/259780/event/30

    Mark Sutherns: Dunk to Alonso, Raphinha (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/194/event/30

    Lateriser: Bale to Son, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/55085/event/30

    Jan Sienkiewicz: Tete to Alonso, Raphinha (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/3904/event/30

    Darren Wiles: Soucek to Pulisic, Fernandes (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/1331101/event/30

    Stephen Harrap: save FT, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/1191/event/30

    Tom Stephenson: Dunk to Azpi, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/129818/event/30

    Michael Coone (OR #1): White to Rudiger, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/4865323/event/30

    Fudgy 😉 : save FT, Kane (c)
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/entry/32812/event/30

    1. Pino
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      So many bringing in Alonso and what did I do? I got in Rudiger erly in the international brake to safe 0.1. 🙁

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Interesting spread of captains there

      In ML Kane is almost universal

    3. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Dunk goal would be nice...

    4. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Thanks for this - I always enjoy these updates

      Could you add Bubz in? His record demands it imo.

      1. Sun Jihai
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        Sure 🙂

    5. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Well at least I transferred in the same player as OR1!

  7. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Alonso (C) please repay my faith

  8. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Tinkerman Thomas makes picking Chelsea assets a nightmare

    1. Postman Ty
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      I've happily avoided them and enjoyed the wins this whole time. The second I buy one of the most nailed assets he's benched. It's a hard avoid next season.

    2. Vazza
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Thomas roulette

  9. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Let the games begin...

  10. Postman Ty
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    This game is a goddamn joke. Every transfer since GW25 has either been injured right away, benched out of nowhere, or blanked. Rudiger the latest.

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Hard luck !

      1. Ginkapo FPL
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        Is it? There is a point where it stops being luck

        1. Amey
          • 5 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          I think it's best way to get over these uncontrollable things 🙂
          We can't read TT or any other manager's mind. Simple as that.....

        2. Postman Ty
          • 9 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          Three players with no significant history of injury getting injured in the same week. Tell me where that's poor decision making over luck.

    2. GROBARI
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Pleaae update us with your transfers to avoid them 😀

    3. Bollard
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Get better at it then 🙂

    4. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Are you going to complain or adjust your process? No point lashing out

      1. Postman Ty
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        I get it no point lashing out, but there's genuinely nothing to "adjust" when good picks get injured in warm up or go off at half time or randomly get rotated with no warning.

    5. Hangman Page
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Worth looking back over them and seeing if there’s anything you could’ve done differently?

      I find that the hive mind goes into overdrive on here and sometimes you have to step back and think “is that really the right move?” I had a small doubt Rüdiger would start this week myself.

      That said it’s very hard to predict football and what managers will do. This game is very much about luck as well as good decision making.

    6. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Got to be honest, the Rudiger benching could be seen a mile off.

      1. Hangman Page
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        Could it?

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          - Played 270 mins over IB.
          - Zouma only played 90 mins.
          - Porto on Wednesday (important)
          - WBA is the 'easier' fixture to rest in

        2. FourLokoLeipzig
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          It was predicted on here. One of the reasons I felt I could wait a week

      2. Postman Ty
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        He's played every game for Tuchel and was rested very recently. He's a centre back they don't need much rest. Sure he played all three for Germany but that's not a risky transfer.

        1. MrZ
          • 9 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          For long term no
          For today highly risky

    7. Rasping Drive
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      He did play 270 mins for Germany to be fair.

    8. Hangman Page
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Also you are ranked very highly - you can’t be doing that badly.

      1. Postman Ty
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        20k isn't very high, I'm very happy with it but it was much better 5 GWs ago.

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          2 years, 12 months ago

          20k is a high rank, come off it!

          1. Postman Ty
            • 9 Years
            2 years, 12 months ago

            Everyone playing seriously the whole season is aiming top 10k, you know that.

            1. Hazz
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 6 Years
              2 years, 12 months ago

              Everyone aims for 'Top 10k' every season, but in the last 4-5 seasons the player base has almost doubled. FPL data much more widely spread.

              Top 10k is intrinsically much harder to achieve than it previously has been.

              1. Postman Ty
                • 9 Years
                2 years, 12 months ago

                Player base isn't relevant to me, everyone knows the vast majority of teams are dead from people giving up and/or created every week as one-week teams which ruin all of the team/weekly/transfer stats.

                Data available is a solid point, the average player is definitely much 'better' than a few years ago because they just do what they're told now.

                It's still very much in reach but it's been significantly hurt by a series of crap luck. That's the difference between 'high' and 'very high'.

            2. Hazz
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 6 Years
              2 years, 12 months ago

              Plus you've got 8 weeks to gain 20k. Perfectly possible.

              1. Cruyff's Eleven
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 5 Years
                2 years, 12 months ago

                Could have picked Silva

  11. GROBARI
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Alonso booking please

    1. Rolls-Royce
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Don't forget the own goal.

    2. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      All restaurants are still closed.

      1. GROBARI
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        In my country they are not 🙂

  12. hueycho
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Rudiger u muppet get out of my team!

    1. Fred54
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      He did.

      1. Botman and Robben
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        🙂

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Calm down Captain...

  13. Ch0udini
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Chelsea look suprisingly sloppy at the back today...

  14. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Do we think Rudiger comes on? Got the Burnley Cafu waiting on the bench

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      No reason he would do tbh.

  15. Vazza
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    WBA goal please

  16. threeputt
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    I've probably sorted out using my tc for gw32 but I still have a FH to fit in somewhere down the line, is there a potentially good time for a dgw still to come ?

    1. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Gw33 FH could be good, spurs and city without a game

    2. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      GW35 could be a big double too

  17. GOTHAM City F.C.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Doesn't matter if my Rudigar transfer failed. Glad IB is over!

    1. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      If you have a good bench, no problem.

  18. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    My Alonso punt for this GW before WC looks promising already.

  19. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Silva reminds me if Demichellis 😛
    Should've player tonio

  20. KANTEnders
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Alonso looking dangerous

  21. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Alonso sitter

  22. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Pretty consistent by Werner

  23. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    WBA looking good. Be Sod’s law for Chelsea to lose here and the Big Sam great escape kick into gear

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Charity FC

  24. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Not an easy watching without Alonso

    1. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Was just thinking the same...

      What a waste my transfer was this week. Auba > Havertz xD

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        Unlucky, I did Veltman > Azpi for longer term having no WC

  25. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    We don't look great at the moment, but for you Alonso owners, he is just camping in the box as you'd hope.

  26. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Such a nervy watch as Alonso(c)

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      Ballsy that, positioning himself in the box relentlessly, so GL!

  27. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    I have no players in the first 2 games today 😐

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 12 months ago

      0 from 0 will be a decent score by the time 2nd game ends...

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 12 months ago

        Fingers crossed Holmes!

  28. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Just had a squint at ML from on here

    Slightly shocked to see Son at less than 50% owned and under 60% in top 10k with only 20% on Bale. Would have imagined one of Son or Bale was near universal

  29. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Original Alonso coming on.

  30. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 12 months ago

    Meslier >

    A) Mendy (have Azpi)
    B) Pat

    Other keeper is Martinez.