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

    So does anyone actually not have Lingard and is still actively playing?

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Points for everyone

    2. @persecuted_by_mods
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Right here

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

        Yes

      • Nomar
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        o/

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

      Nice! Now cmon Vardy, your turn!!!

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

        He’s a broke

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

          Broke what

    4. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Coufal assist magnet since I sold him!

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

        Same here....why o why

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

        Yeah me too ... this is the way LOL

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

        Who are you planning to sell next? 🙂

        1. Sun Jihai
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Bale :s

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

            Not interested.

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

        Same, swapped for Cresswell & he has been a waste

      5. shiraz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Was gonna say the same thing

    5. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Brutal goal

    6. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Sold Coufal for Cresswell weeks ago 🙁

      1. Free Hat
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Same. Since owning Creswell 0,1,and now... Points.
        Has been great fun.

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

        Same

      3. shiraz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Swap coufal for cresswell this wk, still a bummer

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

      Anybody captain Jesse on here?

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

        Two weeks ago, should’ve left it on him Son & Razz 🙁

    8. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Every. Single. GW.

      JLingz legend!

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

        JLingend

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

      Yep would be Coufal wouldn’t it

    10. Isca Extremadura
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Jesse the green arrow king..

    11. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I think I need JLingz to my team

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

        Yeeeeeeeah course

    12. Oggle22
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Ewwww Dallas and Jlingz out on wildcard

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

        That’s just silly and you know it.

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

        Dallas made sense but why Lingard?

        1. Oggle22
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          To bring in Trent Jota and nacho and thought Leicester would put up more of a fight in defence!

    13. Bury94
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Creswell YC

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

      I guess when your luck is in

      Lingard hits a shot and schmeical for some reason falls backwards and let’s it right past him

    15. Bob_the_builder
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Lingard(c). One down. Two more to go.

    16. ClassiX
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I'll take those jammy Coufal points off the bench, coming in for Dias...

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

      Excluding the United game for which he was ineligible, JLingz has (I believe now) 6G 5A in 9 games and counting since joining the Hammers.

      He has only blanked once.

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

      Keeping souceck over lingard has been excruciating

    19. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Stupidly sold him for Gundo on WC worried about City coverage.

    20. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Haven’t looked but presuming JLingz is over 100% EO and that goal is a red arrow?

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

        No chance.

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

          EO is 60 percent

    21. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Just need Iheanacho to get a return!

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

      Oh Brilliant, thanks Cresswell

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

      J. Lingz is a wonder FPL asset.

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

      Captain points are beautiful... The only way to prosper.

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

      Rival blocked by Coufal to get Dallas’s points, yep knew a Coufal would have to get points, joke.

    26. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Lingard has single handedly halved my rank in 3 weeks

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

        *Doubled

    27. Isca Extremadura
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      60.08 % @ 10k

    28. BeaversWithAttitude
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Jessie is reborn! Going back to United would be his death knell.

    29. R.C
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Will take nothing less than 100m + Rice for Lingardinho!

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

      10 points from 8 players so far

      I would ask if anyone is doing worse but not sure it’s actually possible

    31. Igz08
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Lingardinho does it again