Dugout Discussion

Grealish benched as United stick with five-man defence for Manchester derby

The Manchester derby is the first of five matches taking place on a slightly quieter-than-usual Saturday afternoon of Premier League football.

The omission of Jack Grealish from the City starting XI is perhaps the headline team news from the lunchtime clash at Old Trafford, with the benchings of Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez rather more predictable given their relative lack of involvement on the domestic front over the last couple of months.

Ilkay Gundogan replaces the former Villa man in one of two changes that Pep Guardiola has made from Gameweek 10, with John Stones in for the suspended Aymeric Laporte his other alteration.

Kyle Walker is fit to start after taking a knock to his foot in midweek.

Raphael Varane‘s hamstring injury rules him out of the visit of United’s cross-city rivals, with Eric Bailly taking his place.

Victor Lindelof was a minor concern for this clash with a knock but is fit to take his place alongside Bailly and Harry Maguire in a three-man central defence, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemingly opting for the same 3-4-1-2 – or, given the likelihood of them sitting back, 5-3-2 – set-up he has favoured in his side’s last two competitive matches.

The Norwegian had hinted at a few other injury doubts without naming names in his pre-match press conference and the Red Devils are indeed without another one of their starters from the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Edinson Cavani is the man to miss out, with Mason Greenwood starting in his stead.

Aside from those two enforced alterations, United are otherwise unchanged from last week.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most selected player in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) for this encounter but his 31% ownership figure has to be taken with a pinch of salt, given the number of ‘ghost teams’ in FPL that tend to be drifting along three months into a campaign.

Among the top 10k, Ronaldo is the only United player with an ‘effective ownership’ (EO) above 1% for this fixture.

It’s Phil Foden and Joao Cancelo who are the most popular picks among the leading 10,000 managers, each boasting an EO of just over 62%.

GAMEWEEK 11 LINE-UPS

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Fernandes, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood, Ronaldo.

Subs: Henderson, Martial, Rashford, Lingard, Dalot, Sancho, Telles, Matic, Van de Beek.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo, Silva, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, Jesus, Foden.

Subs: Steffen, Carson, Ake, Sterling, Grealish, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Palmer.

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1,531 Comments Post a Comment
  1. lordkippe
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    So scared, got no Chelsea defence.

    1. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      You need to fix that

      1. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        This

    2. Gerd Mueller’s thighs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      I have a double up, so you are probably safe.

  2. 420king
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    C'mon Foden 🙁

  3. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Nofen

  4. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Cancelo (40)
    Bernardo (32)
    Walker (29)

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Cancelo CS bagged 😎

      1. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Don't you dare! 😆

        1. Jafooli
          • 12 Years
          2 years, 4 months ago

          😉

  5. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Fodenpost schadenfreude

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Love this! Lmao

  6. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Foden will score

  7. Big_Bear
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    £5 free bet places on City 2-0. Squeaky bum time.....

    1. tiger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      About 10 mins left...Good luck!

  8. Forza Papac
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    > van de Beek: *5yrd pass*
    > Old Trafford: *erupts*

  9. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Has anyone seen Ronaldo today?

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Yep, staring at him in my FPL team, through the tears in my eyes…

  10. FPLtfs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    That would’ve easily gone in if i had not brought Foden two gw’s ago.

    1. Gunneryank
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Ah nice. We share blame then. Grand!

  11. Claudio555
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Are they allowed to make more than three substitutions again?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Shaw was a concussion sub.

      1. Gubby-Allen
        • 2 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        But he played on after the concussion and got injured again?

        1. Sim Simma
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          2 years, 4 months ago

          remnants of the same injury

    2. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Concussion protocol

    3. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      No, Shaw subbed due to concussion

    4. Forza Papac
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Flashcores says United have made four...

    5. Claudio555
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Ok concussion. Thanks!

  12. Powers106
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Who was the City player that just got the Scott Sterling? Looked like 2 times in a row

  13. Yome
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    United made 4 substituions, since when it is allowed to have >3 in the EPL?

    1. Grounderz
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      One is concussion substitution for Shaw.

    2. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Concussion sub

  14. Gubby-Allen
    • 2 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Was there a concussion sub for Man Utd?

    1. Grounderz
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Yes, Shaw out for Telles.

  15. Gunneryank
    • 2 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    It's my fault. I brought Foden in 2 weeks ago, in true point chasing casual style. Apologies.

    1. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Me too. Hopefully he starts firing again soon

  16. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Is that the City fans bigging up "Ole"!

  17. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    If Cancelo gives you the ball you shoot, Kevin!

  18. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Man City have made no subs, Utd have made four 😮

  19. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Stones close

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Sounds like a nice neighbourhood.

      1. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        😛

      2. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        😆

    2. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Get your shields up

  20. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Neville taking all the credit for Cancelo’s rise to the top

    1. @persecuted_by_mods
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Taught him everything not to do

    2. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Ole getting the sack on Monday

      1. tiger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        He just needs more time...5 more years

      2. Scots Gooner
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        If he survived the Pool result abd backlash, got a feeling he'll survive this.

        The United board will wait too long I feel.

        1. masewindu
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 4 months ago

          They have been sh%$ for years. What will a Zidane or Conte do with the rotting turds upstairs and their attitude towards getting success. Ole is a scapegoat. He hasn't had the right experience but the other guys didn't do much or any better.

    3. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Stone Johns close

    4. dark91
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      United should look for a manager who would start VDB and bench Maguire to start with

    5. Gubby-Allen
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      It will be interesting to see how Salah only gets 1 or 0 points tomorrow. I have never had a vice captain just score two points before.

    6. Shark Team
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      A reminder that Ronaldo chose United over City

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          2 years, 4 months ago

          He didn't, city pulled out because they wouldn't pay the fees required according to all reputable reports

      2. Dynamic Duos
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Azpi best come on today

      3. BobB
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Spurs may think they did well to lose the "sack race decider". Who is left for United to get?

      4. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Approaching standard late haul busting consolation goal time

      5. My heart goes Salalalalah
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Pen

        1. My heart goes Salalalalah
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 4 months ago

          How not? Stupid

      6. JONALDINHO
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Jesus give that to foden ffs