Dugout Discussion

Man Utd v Chelsea team news: James and Rudiger return to visitors’ XI

A drawn-out Double Gameweek 34 comes to a close this evening with a juicy-looking clash between Manchester United and Chelsea.

Kick-off at Old Trafford is at 19:45 BST.

These two sides were the only clubs to play twice in Gameweek 34 and consequently there was plenty of interest in their players from a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective, particularly when it comes to tonight’s visitors.

Taking the top 10,000 as a rough gauge of ‘active’ FPL managers (see above), there were five Chelsea players with an ‘effective ownership’ in excess of 10% – and all of them start this evening.

Thomas Tuchel has made two changes to his starting XI, with the return from injury of Reece James and Antonio Rudiger being the headline news.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah drop to the bench as a result.

Ralf Rangnick has made only one change to his injury-hit Manchester United side, meanwhile, with Marcus Rashford coming in for the ill Jadon Sancho.

GAMEWEEK 34 LINE-UPS

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Telles, McTominay, Matic, Elanga, Fernandes, Rashford, Ronaldo.

Subs: Bailly, Jones, Mata, Heaton, Henderson, Mejri, Shoretire, Garnacho, Fernandez.

Chelsea XI: Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante, Alonso, Mount, Werner, Havertz.

Subs: Kepa, Lukaku, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Saul, Ziyech, Kennedy, Sarr.


576 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    West Ham going to play the kids v Arsenal.

    They’ll be expecting the Wurst in Frankfurt.

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

    Havertz (c) should have been so much more

    1. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      I'd call 2 assists for one goal a lot more! Still not fixed.

  3. Piggs Boson
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Reece James has to be nailed for England at the World Cup. What a player.

    Going to have to be a back 3 Gareth...

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      ............Pickford
      .Walker Stones Maguire
      James Mount Rice Saka
      ...Foden Kane Sterling

      1. Hy liverpool
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Ah ok

      2. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Agree about James but Pickford is bad and there's no guarantee he or Maguire will suddenly jolt into 'England form'. Too much is made of that imo based on rare bursts of international games without too many mistakes.

    2. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      I hope you mean TAA starts too.

      1. Wild Card this!
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Lol

      2. Piggs Boson
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Not sure he suits England's system tbh. Liverpool play lots of high risk forward passes, and England like to play safe possessional football.

        1. Hy liverpool
          • 10 Years
          2 years, 2 hours ago

          It's coming home then..

      3. Crespo1978
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        To solve the James / TAA conundrum for England, rather than choose between them, how about play James at RCB and TAA at RWB?

        1. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 2 hours ago

          TAA at RCB would be better imo. But Walker would be better than that

        2. Piggs Boson
          • 12 Years
          2 years, 2 hours ago

          Because Walker is one of England's most important players.

        3. Yank Revolution
          • 12 Years
          2 years, 2 hours ago

          Blunts James' best assets if you do that.

  4. The White Pele
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Would you take 15 points gain in FH over original team?

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Did you keep the receipt?

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

      It’s probably too low to be a success, but not a failure either.

      I’m on roughly minus 20/30 points my original team. I don’t have it in me to actually calculate it

      1. Steve McCroskey
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Ouch! How come?

        1. Twisted Saltergater
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 2 hours ago

          Saka, Robertson perhaps

    3. COLLIN QUANER
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      I'd be disappointed but gains are gains

      1. Wild Card this!
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        This

    4. Cilly Bonnolly
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Going to have to aren’t you?

    5. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Gains are gains. Especially since it was very small dgw you could easily go wrong.

    6. The White Pele
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      cheers all

  5. Ray Kinsella
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Once the second assist is removed does anyone know if Havertz will still get a bonus point?

    1. fedolefan
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      He's not on a bonus point even with 2 assists.

    2. Smokey_Lowkey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      He isn't on a bonus, even with the 2 assists...

    3. mad_beer ✅
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      lol

    4. C0YS
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      No chance he gets a bonus without another return (phantom or real).

  6. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Rudi YC

  7. Big_Andy_GAWA
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Huge miss by Leipzig.

  8. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    No more baps, pls, Matic. tenkuu

  9. C0YS
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Is James to Alonso a good move to protect my ML lead? Have owned James for the longest time (and got his 18 points when he came back), but I seem to be bleeding points vs. Alonso owners with no end in sight.

    A) Good move
    B) Reactionary/chasing points

    1. Smokey_Lowkey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Yep, chasing, but the upside is that Alonso seems distinctly rotation-proof at the minute.

      1. C0YS
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Was thinking the same…in which case “chasing points” isn’t exactly a bad thing. Thanks

  10. mad_beer ✅
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    I can't think of anything clever to jinx Alonso into more points.

    1. All Hail K
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      i fail to see how Matic with one assist and a nothing game gets more bonus points than Alonso with his goal and good game?

  11. RogDog_jimmy
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Lookman scoring again.
    Interesting.

    1. Piggs Boson
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Better than Barnes.

      Could be a big player in FPL next season.

  12. Philosopher's Stones
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Petition to stop Havertz's second assist being removed

    1. thegame983
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Stop German hate

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

      If we keep quiet, they might not notice

  13. OptimusBlack
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Sell Werner ?

    1. Stranger Mings
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Yes

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

      Last week

  14. mad_beer ✅
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Assist removed.

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Absolute disgrace!

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      and it's baps. Oh well

  15. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    51 points on a free hit. I feel cheated.

    1. Mario Balofail
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      It's not cheat, it's fail... 😉

      1. DycheDycheBaby
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Ok, that makes me feel better

        1. Mario Balofail
          • 9 Years
          2 years, 2 hours ago

          Haha. Come on, it's just a game 🙂

  16. DandyDon
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    James actual man of match, fantasy man of match Matic and Ronaldo somehow!? Bps fail again

  17. Stranger Mings
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    How can I complain to for taking away 1 of the havertz assists - disgusting

  18. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Well that was disappointing from Mount.

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Quite.

  19. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Realistically how many points is BB worth in GW36?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Get 15 and you're happy. Anything else a bonus.

    2. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      15+

  20. Yank Revolution
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Woot, up to 86k! Highest rank of the season.

  21. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Mount captain fail. Should have known better.

    1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Got the minutes and chances just a bad outcome not decision

  22. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Well what a waste of a Free Hit.

    1. mdm
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Why?

      1. Duke Silver ☑
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        Cancelo, Laporte, Sterling, Mount, Werner

        Also, my original team has Saka and Robbo

    2. DycheDycheBaby
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      Yeah huge waste 🙁

  23. Hect.OR 98th
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Both assists now removed.

    1. Hect.OR 98th
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      ...and the real one now back.

  24. mad_beer ✅
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    That puts me in the last 16 of the Opening Day League cup! Woohoo!

  25. Neto
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Breaking News: Havertz's second assist will stand. "There have been so many twists and turns this season therefore one random system glitch will not make any difference." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  26. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    3 - Matic, Ronaldo (32)
    1 - Alonso (27)

    James (21)
    Kanté (21)
    de Gea (18)

  27. Kaptenen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Havertz --> Foden?

  28. Nate(U)dog(ie)
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    Massive James haul, in one game getting double his score over the last 6 GWs

  29. Philosopher's Stones
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    And that leaves Manchester United virtually out of the Top 4 race(if they were ever in there).

  30. BrockLanders
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 2 hours ago

    James should have hauled big tonight. Havertz too.

    1. boc610
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 2 hours ago

      shoulda woulda coulda mate.

      1. BrockLanders
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 2 hours ago

        True 🙁