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

    Ronaldo - Kane getting very tempting

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

      Why move from one bad option to another?

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

    Fernandes and Shaw are 100% on Uniteds 3 set piece goals this year. Essential

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

      Lol, I remember that

      Generally speaking ‘on pens’ is a much weaker argument this season

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

        How could anyone forget, it was every third post

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

    How bad must Spurs be...

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

      It is City...so about Sheff Utd level

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

      Their mission was to save Ole's job, whilst moving in for Conte before them

      1. Goodfeathers
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Genius moves

    3. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Terrible under Nuno. But City are unbelievable

  4. Hect.OR 98th
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    FT yet?

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

    Please don't sack Ole

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

    Got to be Ole in

  7. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Cancelo from GW1 is the best decision I’ve made this season

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

      Nicely done. I inexplicably have still not picked him up...but i have Dias!

      I am bad at this.

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

    Shaw and AWB are dreadful

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

    Untied didn't lose the second half and in my eyes that is progress.

    Ole's HT team talk worked!

  10. Thomas Magnum
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    The problem with little brothers is they grow up…

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

    City seem quite content to not bother scoring, glad I sold Jesus. Probably not hammering anyone this year

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

    Ronaldo giving me a nice green arrow last week and kicking off what already looks like a bad week today! Swings and roundabouts!

  13. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Sack him please

    1. Goodfeathers
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      No chance

  14. THFC4LIFE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    No City subs?

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

      Nah, been like a training session for them.

      1. Postman Ty
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Yet if they bring up the 5 sub proposal again I bet Pep would complain in favour of needing it.

  15. Babit1967
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Please Azpi, stay on the bench

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

    Crappy Ronny 7

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

    Wtffffffffff is wrong with Ronaldo? Goat my arse

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

    Ronnie header meets a brick Stone

  19. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Utghhh why now Cancelo.

    It seemed such a safe benching

    1. Postman Ty
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Never a safe benching, but was a perfectly reasonable decision.

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

      Why in the world would you bench Cancelo? Honest question.

      1. Legendary!
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        This

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

        Very easy. City poor form, Cancelo quiet for a few weeks and played midweek. I also was 95% united would score.

        I was more confident in VVD and Livermento (who should have got 8).

        Playing Antonio over him was probably an error but on 50:50s I go with attacker.

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

          Antonio over Cancelo lmfao

          1. TomSaints
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 6 Years
            2 years, 4 months ago

            Easy with hindsight but Antonio can score v anyone and get 6-9 points.

            Assuming no clean sheet I thought maybe 2-5 points Cancelo. It’s playing VVD over him that was more the error

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

          I’d expand 1 cs in 4 against a united team I thought would be hyped up and fighting for their manager at home. Just didn’t expect that abject failure

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

      Safe benching? What world do you live in?

    4. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Lol. So you don't watch football then

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

    Shipping off the mostly useless Greenwood for ESR a couple weeks ago continues to feel like one of the very few decisions i got right this season.

  21. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    “Look coach, I got the ball”

  22. fish&chips
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Haven't had a player play yet but pretty awful start

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Is avoiding City players a strategy?

      1. fish&chips
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 years, 4 months ago

        Not really, just haven't had the opportunity to get any in. Don't forget I had Mahrez for a while. Haha

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

    Idiot Cancelo, should have been 15 learn to tackle

    1. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Wow.

    2. Legendary!
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Don’t be too greedy lol

  24. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    First game I’ve watching this season and been very afraid with no players! Need Foden and Cancelo !

    1. Gross Blank Point
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      They are the two to have at the moment, both look as nailed as a Pep player can be, and will haul points every few games.

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

    What could have been, Joao...

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

      What?

  26. HollywoodXI
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Relieved. Benched Livramento for Cancelo (I was very close to doing the opposite).

  27. g_jannyg
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Double city defence finally come through!

  28. WVA
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Only I could break Lukaku Vardy and Ronaldo of all people

    1. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Only u could whine about Ronaldo blank while owning Cancelo

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

        Everyone worth their FPL salt owns Cancelo, means nothing

  29. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    5 defenders next week
    Rudiger/Chillwell/TAA/Cancelo/Livramento

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Yup, 5-3-2 Vardy on the bench here.

  30. Oscar Slater
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 4 months ago

    Cancelo benchers seeeeeeeeeeeeeeething!

    1. Walter White (WW)
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 4 months ago

      Yeah, should’ve known Utd are hopeless 🙁

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

        You'd still back on Ronaldo scoring at home v them