Dugout Discussion

Gameweek 38 team news: Salah benched, Kane starts, Alonso absent

There are 10 more matches of the Premier League season to go and all of them, of course, kick off simultaneously at 16:00 BST.

The destination of the title will be decided by the results of the matches at the Etihad and possibly Anfield, while the fixtures involving Leeds United and Burnley will dictate who drops to the Championship.

The two north London sides are still in a tussle for fourth place, with Tottenham Hotspur the overwhelming favourites to seal the deal this afternoon, while there’s even the final UEFA Europa League qualification spot at stake – West Ham United and Manchester United are competing for that dubious honour.

From a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) perspective, the headline team news comes from Anfield.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are only among the substitutes for Liverpool’s clash with Aston Villa, although it sounds like we’ll be seeing minutes from the pair at some point on Sunday.

“Both [Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah] are ready to come on but not to start. That’s the advice I got from the medical department.” – Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp otherwise goes full strength and makes seven changes from the win over Southampton, with Sadio Mane, Luis Díaz, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold among those recalled.

Jose Sa is back for Wolves.

The feared rotation has materialised at Chelsea as Thomas Tuchel makes five changes from the draw with Leicester on Thursday.

Kenedy, Saul Niguez, Cesar Azpilicueta, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz are given starts, with Marcos Alonso missing out altogether. Reece James keeps his place.

Daniel Bachmann replaces Ben Foster in the headline Watford news, with Samir, Kiko Femenia, Hassane Kamara, Tom Cleverley and Joshua King all returning after recent absences.

Harry Kane is, as expected, fit to start for Spurs after his bout of illness, with Antonio Conte making just one change from the side that beat Burnley: Dejan Kulusevski is back at the expense of Lucas Moura.

Tim Krul returns between the sticks for the Canaries, while Jacob Sorensen and Milot Rashica are also recalled by Dean Smith.

Pep Guardiola makes two changes to the side that started last week’s draw at West Ham, with John Stones and Phil Foden coming in for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jack Grealish. Raheem Sterling is among the substitutes again.

Emiliano Martínez misses out due to injury for Villa, as Robin Olsen steps in. Philippe Coutinho for Carney Chukwuemeka is Steven Gerrard’s other alteration, as Danny Ings has to again be content with a place on the bench.

Youri Tielemans, James Justin and Harvey Barnes are the three players recalled by Brendan Rodgers, who goes pretty much full strength against Southampton.

The Saints omit Armando Broja from the matchday squad, with the Chelsea loanee, Ibrahima Diallo and Nathan Tella replaced by Stuart Armstrong, Oriol Romeu and Adam Armstrong.

Cedric Soares, Rob Holding and Gabriel Martinelli start ahead of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White and Emile Smith Rowe for Arsenal today, with Tomiyasu absent due to injury.

Dele Alli makes a first Everton start and is one of six changes that Frank Lampard has made, with neither Richarlison nor Jordan Pickford involved in the squad.

Vicente Guaita and Conor Gallagher are among five players recalled for the visit of Manchester United, with teenage winger Jeserun Rak-Sakyi handed a chance to impress on the wing.

Edinson Cavani, Harry Maguire, Fred and Hannibal Mejbri start for the Red Devils, with Cristiano Ronaldo not in the squad due to injury. Raphael Varane, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata drop to the bench.

It’s one change apiece at Brentford: Vitaly Janelt is in for the injured Christian Norgaard for the hosts, while Leeds hand a chance to Sam Greenwood at the expense of Mateusz Klich. Patrick Bamford isn’t involved.

Kieran Trippier and Jamaal Lascelles return for Newcastle as Emil Krafth and Fabian Schar drop to the bench.

Opponents Burnley are unchanged, as are West Ham at Brighton.

The Seagulls replace the injured Leandro Trossard with Adam Webster.

GAMEWEEK 38 TEAM NEWS

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Soares, Holding, Gabriel, Tavares, Elneny, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Nketiah

Subs: Leno, White, Lacazette, Smith Rowe, Pépé, Lokonga, Oulad M’hand, Swanson, Patino

Everton XI: Begovic, Branthwaite, Keane, Holgate, Iwobi, Doucoure, Davies, Kenny, Alli, Gray, Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Lonergan, Mykolenko, Coleman, Tosun, Gordon, Van de Beek, Price, Dobbin, Welch


Brentford XI: Raya, Ajer, Jansson, Sorensen, Henry, Jensen, Janelt, Eriksen, Mbuemo, Toney, Wissa

Subs: Fernandez, Canos, Dasilva, Onyeka, Jeanvier, Baptiste, Roerslev, Stevens, Young-Coombes

Leeds XI: Meslier, Koch, Llorente, Cooper, Firpo, Phillips, Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison, Gelhardt, Greenwood

Subs: Klaesson, Roberts, Struijk, Bate, Hjelde, Cresswell, Klich, Shackleton, Gray


Brighton XI: Sanchez, Cucurella, Webster, Dunk, Bissouma, Mac Allister, Gross, Welbeck, March, Caicedo, Veltman.

Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Maupay, Mwepu, Lallana, Alzate, Duffy, Offiah, Ferguson.

West Ham XI: Fabianski, Coufal, Zouma, Dawson, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Fornals, Lanzini, Bowen, Antonio.

Subs: Areola, Randolph, Yarmolenko, Noble, Fredericks, Masuaku, Johnson, Kral, Okoflex.


Burnley XI: Pope, Taylor, Tarkowski, Collins, Long, Cork, Roberts, McNeil, Brownhill, Barnes, Cornet.

Subs: Hennessey, McGlynn, Weghorst, Stephens, Lennon, Bardsley, Thomas, Dodgson, Costelloe.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Trippier, Lascelles, Burn, Targett, Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.

Subs: Darlow, Dummett, Schar, Krafth, Fernandez, Ritchie, Murphy, Gayle, Wood.


Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, James, Saul Niguez, Kante, Kenedy, Ziyech, Mount, Havertz

Subs: Kepa, Jorginho, Lukaku, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Barkley, Chilwell, Sarr

Watford XI: Bachmann, Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara, Sissoko, Kayembe, Cleverley, King, Joao Pedro, Sema

Subs: Elliot, Ngakia, Ekong, Masina, Cathcart, Gosling, Cucho, Sierralta, Baah


Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Clyne, Andersen, Ward, Mitchell, Gallagher, Hughes, Schlupp, Rak-Sakyi, Zaha, Edouard.

Subs: Butland, Kelly, Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur, Eze, Ayew, Benteke, Mateta.

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles, McTominay, Fred, Elanga, Mejbri, Fernandes, Cavani.

Subs: Heaton, Bailly, A. Fernandez, Jones, Varane, Mata, Savage, Garnacho, Shoretire.


Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Castagne, Fofana, Evans, Justin, Mendy, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Vardy, Barnes.

Subs: Ward, Soyuncu, Pereira, Amartey, Albrighton, Perez, Lookman, Daka, Iheanacho.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Stephens, Salisu, Redmond, Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, S Armstrong, A Armstrong.

Subs: Caballero, Bednarek, Valery, Djenepo, Smallbone, Walcott, Diallo, Long, Adams.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson, Keita, Henderson, Thiago, Jota, Mane, Diaz.

Subs: van Dijk, Milner, Firmino, Salah, Jones, Minamino, Tsimikas, Kelleher, Elliott.

Wolves XI: Jose Sa, Boly, Coady, Gomes, Jonny, Dendoncker, Neves, Joao Moutinho, Ait Nouri, Pedro Neto, Jimenez.

Subs: Hoever, Marcal, Daniel Podence, Trincao, Mosquera, Silva, Chiquinho, Ruddy, Hwang.


Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Stones, Laporte, Fernandinho, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Jesus, Foden.

Subs: Carson, Ake, Walker, Sterling, Gundogan, Grealish, Zinchenko, Palmer, McAtee.

Aston Villa XI: Olsen, Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne, Ramsey, Luiz, McGinn, Buendia, Watkins, Coutinho.

Subs: Sinisalo, Sanson, Traore, Young, Nakamba, Ings, Chukwuemeka, Chrisene, Iroegbunam.


Norwich XI: Krul, Aarons, Byram, Hanley, Dowell, Normann, Rashica, Sorensen, Lees-Melou, Giannoulis, Pukki.

Subs: Gunn, Zimmermann, Rupp, Placheta, Tzolis, Tomkinson, Gibbs, Springett, Rowe.

Spurs XI: Lloris, Sanchez, Dier, Davies, Royal, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon, Kulusevski, Son, Kane.

Subs: Gollini, Winks, Rodon, Bergwijn, Moura, White, Scarlett, Devine, Craig.

1,806 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Cilly Bonnolly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cat’s amongst the pigeons now.

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      *Cash amongst the pigeons

  2. TheTinman
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    City concede!!!

  3. Mr. O'Connell
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Obv Cash scores now

    1. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      1 year, 10 months ago

      And Zaha. Literally what is this game.

      1. AC Yew
        • 5 Years
        1 year, 10 months ago

        Yep had them both on FH last week!

  4. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Villa

  5. Danstoke82
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Had Cash on my FH last week and he did nothing…

  6. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Villa goal 😮

  7. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Digne to cash boom

  8. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Digne assist

  9. Don Van Vliet
    • 10 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    SPICY

  10. Assisting the assister
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Balderdash I was capping Kane all week then bottled to Son

  11. Walter White (WW)
    • 2 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Hahahahaha

  12. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cash making dreams come true

  13. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Digne to cash haha! What a game this is

  14. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cash G
    Digne A

    This GW hahaha

  15. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Oh sh** - Villa score

  16. Free Hat
    • 5 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Wrong gw cash!

  17. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    So who had Cash and Digne on FH last week? Lol

  18. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Where was this last week Cash?

  19. MagicMessi
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    CAAAAASH YESSS

  20. Pukki Party
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Kulu, Digne, Nketiah get in! What a start

  21. Walter White (WW)
    • 2 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cash transaction successful

  22. My heart goes Salalalalah
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    No clean sheet for me then

  23. Pino
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    OMG OMG Cash!

  24. TheBiffas
    • 3 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    HAHAHAHAHAHA COME ON YOU VILLA

  25. MIGHTY JOE
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Haha, Cash to Digne. Unreal. Why not last GW?

  26. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cash does it.

  27. Total Foot 5 - romario 11
    • 10 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Well that escalated quickly
    Cash sick goal

  28. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Cash and nketiah on bench and all 11 starts

    Lovely jubly

  29. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    Digne to Alonso -4
    Perfection

  30. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 10 months ago

    I always hate GW 38