Dugout Discussion

Rodgers’ quotes on Perez and Maddison absences as Antonio misses out

There are notable absences on either side as high-flying West Ham United and Leicester City meet in east London this afternoon.

Kick off at the London Stadium is at 14:05 BST.

The non-availability of Michail Antonio (£6.6m) had been heavily signposted in David Moyes’ pre-match press conference, with the striker missing as expected today.

His place in the Hammers’ attack is taken by Jarrod Bowen (£5.9m), with the hosts otherwise unchanged from the 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and still without the sidelined Declan Rice (£4.7m).

As for Leicester, Brendan Rodgers has made two changes to the side that started last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City.

Ricardo Pereira (£5.9m) and Dennis Praet (£5.2m) are recalled, with Marc Albrighton(£5.2m) and Ayoze Perez (£6.0m) making way.

Perez isn’t in the matchday squad and neither is James Maddison (£7.2m), with unconfirmed rumours alleging that the pair – along with Hamza Choudhury (£4.6m) – are absent for disciplinary reasons.

Rodgers poured more fuel onto that fire ahead of kick-off when guaranteeing their availability for next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final:

They’re not available for this game, but after this game, they’ll be fine. They’ll join the group next week and be ready for next week’s semi-final.

Two of the three most-bought players of Gameweek 31 feature in this match, with Jesse Lingard (£6.4m) and Kelechi Iheanacho (£5.9m) both heavily transferred in ahead of Friday’s deadline.


West Ham United XI: Fabianski, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell, Soucek, Noble, Fornals, Lingard, Masuaku, Bowen.

Leicester City XI: Schmeichel, Amartey, Evans, Fofana, Pereira, Tielemans, Ndidi, Castagne, Praet, Iheanacho, Vardy.


GAMEWEEK 31 SO FAR…

Nick Pope (£5.5m) was absent from the Burnley squad on Sunday as the Clarets made it six matches without a clean sheet when succumbing to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

Sean Dyche said of the England international:

We don’t think it’s too serious. He’s just not made today.

The partnership between budget forwards Chris Wood (£6.3m) and Matej Vydra (£4.8m) continues to reap points in Fantasy Premier League, with the former assisting the latter for the game’s opener.

Wood has five FPL attacking returns in his last four outings, with Vydra registering three goals and an assist in his five most-recent appearances.

Newcastle were, as they so often have been without their first-choice attack, ineffective until the second-half introduction of the fit-again Callum Wilson (£6.5m) and Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.1m).

It was the Frenchman who turned the game on its head, first teeing up wing-back Jacob Murphy (£4.9m) for the equaliser before grabbing the winner with a fine solo goal.

1,144 Comments Post a Comment
  1. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Rogers, available to join group next week?

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Party rumours could be on point.

  2. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Please please take down the ads. Please.

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Sick of them, we just need options to what we want!

      1. g40steve
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Stupid blue cog & cross on every page 🙁

        1. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Yep

    2. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Why can't they just move them to the far right of the screen, ore top left? Plenty of room there.

    3. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I blocked them on my tablet

      Now get betting ads on my phone. I have never visited betting sites either

      1. FER FUSCH AKE
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Maybe your son or brother or friend uses your phone to visit them.

        1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
          • 13 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Never shared my phone. Very strange

      2. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Shameful

      3. g40steve
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        That’s just some of them, really pissing me off.
        Too many gambling advertisements on this site - where’s the ‘take a break ‘ button to stop the ads?

    4. Pep bites Kun
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Very irritating!

  3. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Lingard show us how it's done

  4. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Jlingz non- owner here and hiding behind the sofa. I'll have to keep the same sofa for Son later. Terrible week. Will be a miracle if I break 40 pts.

    1. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Why Son?

      1. FER FUSCH AKE
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I'm on the cusps of top 10k and Son has significant ownership in top 10k.

        1. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Ah gotcha. Seems woefully out of form so I’d concentrate on Ling

          1. FER FUSCH AKE
            • 7 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            You must be new to FPL this season then. Sometimes the least in form team or player is the one who does the unthinkable.

            1. Rupert The Horse
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              2 years, 11 months ago

              Yep. First time player.

              1. Pep bites Kun
                • 7 Years
                2 years, 11 months ago

                lol - nice one horse! 😉

  5. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Well we know WH go 3-0 up

    Does progression mean that they concede just the one this time?

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      A win puts them a point behind Leicester and in 4th spot.

      I'd say that was pretty good progress!

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Oh agreed

        I'm also watching to see how Leicester cope if they get sucked into the 4th spot CL battle. Major fail last time out of course.

  6. Philosopher's Stones
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Brighton fans/anyone with some info into this:

    Does Burn start/feature against Everton tomorrow?

  7. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Jesse, another double digit score?

  8. el polako
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    I was looking forward to this game, hope that Mike Dean don't ruin it, how he is still top flight ref is beyond me...

  9. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    SAINT 😀

  10. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Pass the f’ing thing ihenachio, greedy pig

  11. el polako
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Fofana is going to be some player.

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      This

  12. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Wilson absolutely destroying my season, what was I thinking going him over Wood

    1. bigwig
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Nonesense. Wilson is back now and should start, Wood only got an assist. Wilson is the one to have going forward.

  13. Traction Engine Foot
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Is Mike Dean going to send soucek off again?

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Can’t predict what he will do. He’s awful

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Revenge mission

      1. The Train Driver
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Soucek sending Dean off?

  14. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    is the week Lingz blanks?

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Yes. I finally bought him.

    2. KAALI_DAAL
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Yes pls

  15. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Lingard and Vardy(c). Cmonnnnn

  16. TeddiPonza
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Have the exact money for:

    Gundo, DCL and Digne to Son, Iheanacho and NPhillips. Worth -4?

    Thanks.

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Yes for me.

    2. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Ask again at 10pm tomorrow.

    3. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Do you get to play Phillips?

      Looks solid but If Phillips is simply fodder you might live to regret missing out on either Jota or TAA. Assume you have Mo in any event.

  17. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    If you’d told me that JLingz and Iheanacho would be among the most transferred in at this point in the season back in September id have laughed in your face.

    It’s been a weird one.

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Jlingz has been a star @ wham
      Hope they somehow keep a hold of him

      1. Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Agree!

    2. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Update your bio. Only TC left now.

  18. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Ouch Bowen

  19. Superflymonk
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    For all of us who have attackers on both sides of this fixture we know how this is going to end, 0-0

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      You are a member of the Negative Nelly Alliance and a traitor ... take him away ...

  20. Sandy Ravage
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    TOON TOON!

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Maybe not DOON DOON quite yet ....

  21. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Pogba and Greenwood benched

    1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      source?

    2. Tshelby
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Shaw in the team?

  22. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Cresswell time to get rid he no longer makes those forward runs?

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Soon as I brought him in, done zilch. I broke him

  23. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    OMG lingard

    1. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      legend

  24. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Boring game

  25. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Lingz G

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Coufal A

  26. Dirty Harry
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Oh my

  27. Mika-eel
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Damn Jesse! Can do no wrong.

  28. TheBiffas
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    What a hit!!

  29. Eh, just one more thing ...
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Super Linni GOAL

  30. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    J L I N G Z