Rounding off the pre-season Scout Notes from Saturday, it’s the key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) notes from games involving Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest.
There are some noteworthy injury updates from all three sides, particularly in defence.
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Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Brentford
- Goal: Collins
- Assist: Kayode
Keith Andrews’ team is starting to come together as Gameweek 1 nears.
The Bees were without Kevin Schade (£7.0m) and Sepp van den Berg (£4.5m) due to minor issues but otherwise looked fairly full strength.
“Kevin was here – picked up a little knock, more precautionary. Similar to Sepp – just missed out, again just looking after bigger-picture stuff. Ethan [Pinnock], I suppose, picked up one in Portugal, he will build back up towards Gladbach next weekend. Jordan [Henderson] wasn’t quite well enough, will be back in tomorrow.” – Keith Andrews
We say full strength but, despite all the rumours, Yoane Wissa (£7.5m) still very much is a Brentford player. Andrews is expecting him to return to training after the striker opted out in recent weeks.
“He’s bridging fitness, missed a little bit of Lisbon, and he’ll fall back into the group over the next few days.” – Keith Andrews on Yoane Wissa
Schade and van den Berg will, probably, come in for Kristoffer Ajer (£4.5m) and Keane Lewis-Potter (£5.0m) when fit. Lewis-Potter is, of course, newly reclassified as an FPL defender but based on pre-season, Andrews doesn’t seem to fancy him at full-back. Instead, it’s Rico Henry (£4.5m) and Aaron Hickey (£4.0m) tussling for the left-back role, with both performing fairly well over the summer after long spells out. Henry almost scored here in the second half.
It’s Michael Kayode (£4.5m) who seems to be enjoying the most attacking freedom at the back, however, pushing forward up the right flank as the nominal Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) replacement, Fabio Carvalho (£5.0m), drifts infield. Kayode provided the assist for Brentford’s only goal, indeed, picking up the ball and sending in a superb cross for Nathan Collins (£5.0m).
This was a polished performance from Brentford, who pressed well, were rarely troubled, and should have increased their lead.
Igor Thiago (£6.0m), who scored last week, saw one goalbound effort blocked by a last-ditch challenge.
Brentford XI: Kelleher; Kayode (Roerslev 76), Ajer (Arthur 64), Collins (Stephenson 76), Henry (Hickey 64); Yarmoliuk (Onyeka 76), Jensen (Milambo 64); Carvalho (Donovan 76), Damsgaard (Konak 76), Lewis-Potter (Meghoma 76); Thiago (Peart-Harris 64)
Southampton 0-1 Brighton and Hove Albion
Southampton 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion
- Goals: Sarmiento | Minteh x2
- Assists: Gruda | Rutter, Ayari
Brighton’s starting XI for Gameweek 1 doesn’t look too far away, either.
The Seagulls contested two friendlies against Southampton on Saturday, the first an hour-long behind-closed-doors kickabout. But it was the line-up that Fabian Hurzeler sent out in the second match, a standard 90-minute affair in front of the watching public, that looked close to being first choice.
There are one or two names to come back in. Carlos Baleba (£5.0m) is currently sidelined with a “small issue”, for starters.
Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) is on the cusp of a return, too.
“Bart is back already in team training and I am sure we will see him against Wolfsburg [next weekend].” – Fabian Hurzeler
New(ish) signings Stefanos Tzimas (£5.5m), Charalampos Kostoulas (£5.0m) and Olivier Boscagli (£4.5m) weren’t involved in either match at the weekend, meanwhile.
“In training – still in the adaptation phase. We don’t want to take any risks today with Ollie, with the Greek guys – Babis and Stefanos. They are still in an adapting phase but they are already in team training, which is a positive thing.” – Fabian Hurzeler on his missing three new signings
There were some interesting calls from Hurzeler. Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) continuing to start over Diego Coppola (£4.5m), for instance, and Georginio Rutter (£6.0m) up front instead of Danny Welbeck (£6.5m). Coppola and Welbeck were both involved in the ‘weaker’ XI on Saturday. A clue for Gameweek 1 or just a bit of a smokescreen from Hurzeler?
Rutter didn’t pose much threat of his own but his roaming and dropping deep did create plenty of space for the attacking midfielders around him. Yankuba Minteh (£6.0m) had already seen one goal disallowed for a foul before he went on to score a brace, while he got his feet in a muddle when clean through on another occasion and could neither shoot nor effectively tee up Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m). Minteh also nearly bagged an assist when he squared for Matt O’Riley (£5.5m), whose goalbound shot was blocked.
Albion were on cruise control, so it was a surprise when they were pegged back to 2-2. Hurzeler won’t lose much sleep over a heavily deflected shot and a disputed penalty award, however.
Brighton and Hove Albion first XI: McGill, Veltman, Coppola, Simmonds, Kadioglu (Slater 47), Milner, Yalcouye, Buonanotte, Gruda, Welbeck, Sarmiento.
Brighton and Hove Albion second XI: Steele, De Cuyper (Slater 85), Dunk (Penman 85), van Hecke, Wieffer (Tasker 85), Ayari, Gomez (Moran 79), Mitoma (Oriola 79), Minteh (Howell 65), O’Riley, Rutter (Sima 79).
Birmingham City 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Forest’s goal shortage goes on: it’s just one in five friendlies for the Tricky Trees.
Chris Wood (£7.5m), who shot tamely when well positioned at St Andrews, isn’t too concerned.
“I wouldn’t be too worried about it. We have tried some different things [in pre-season]. We’re trying to work on other things we can add to our armoury throughout the season. We don’t want to be one-dimensional and play the same way every single time. We want to add different things.” – Chris Wood, via Nottinghamshire Live
Forest have tried everything from a back five to a front two this summer but Saturday was a more recognisable 4-2-3-1 shape, albeit with no recognised full-backs. Neco Williams (£5.0m) was an unused substitute, while Ola Aina (£5.0m) missed out again with a minor knock. Instead, it was the land of the giants at the rear, with Jair Cunha (£4.5m) and Morato (£4.5m) in unfamiliar full-back roles. No surprise that there wasn’t as much creativity from those two as you’d expect from Williams/Aina.
Forest have at least kept it relatively tight in pre-season, with three clean sheets in five. You’d fancy them to stop the sole goal they conceded here in normal circumstances, with the ball given away by Murillo (£5.5m), chances to clear the ball not taken and Matz Sels (£5.0m) a little flat-footed in diving for Jay Stasnfield’s shot.
Dan Ndoye (£6.0m) made his Forest bow on the right flank, going close to a debut goal when firing over from a narrow angle. That came from a nice move involving Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m) and Igor Jesus (£6.0m), who started this match up top before making way for Wood at half-time.
That was a rare moment of first-half attacking inspiration from Forest, who had a few more chances after the interval. One of them was teed up for Gibbs-White from a free-kick by DC darling Elliot Anderson (£5.5m), who again was on a share of set pieces.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side go again on Tuesday against Fiorentina.
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Morato (Awoniyi 70), Murillo (Eric Moreira 70), Sangare, Hudson-Odoi (Jota Silva 70), Anderson (Yates, 70), Gibbs-White (Richards 70), Ndoye (Boly 70), Igor Jesus (Wood 46), Jair Cunha (Carmo 70), Milenkovic (Abbott 70).
