Two goals from Fernando Torres helps Chelsea cruise past Schalke. Olivier Giroud’s strike fails to prevent Arsenal from falling to defeat at home to Dortmund. Andy Carroll steps up his rehabilitation from a heel injury, Fabricio Coloccini may be out for up to eight weeks for Newcastle, while David Moyes remains typically non-committal on the fitness of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic ahead of United’s game with Real Sociedad:
Torres Bags a Brace
Fernando Torres found the net twice as Chelsea registered a comprehensive 3-0 win away to German outfit Schalke last night. With a home game against City on the weekend agenda, Jose Mourinho made five changes from the side that hammered Cardiff last Saturday – David Luiz, Ryan Bertrand, Juan Mata, Willian and Samuel Eto’o made way for Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta, Oscar, Andre Schurrle and Torres. Eden Hazard continued his strong form by netting for the third game in succession for the Blues, with Oscar, Ramires and Branislav Ivanovic earning an assist apiece.
Post-match, Mourinho discussed the recent displays of his frontmen – his decision to start with Torres means he has now fielded a different forward in each of the last three in all competitions:
“To be fair, there is one consistency I always want from them all, Fernando, Samuel and Demba, which is to work hard for the team. Demba played against Norwich and did very well for us, Samuel played in the last game and did very well and Fernando tonight. They are giving us consistency and those performances make a difference. The winning goal against Cardiff was scored by Samuel and tonight Fernando scored the two most important goals in the game, that’s very good. It will boost the team for sure and that’s the most important thing. What boosts him [Torres] is the confidence he knows I have in him. Samuel played a very good game against Cardiff and scored the goal. I felt Fernando was adapted to this game, but maybe if he’d played and the team didn’t get the result people would have asked why I changed it, but I put faith in him and he answered well, it’s a good feeling to score goals, winning goals in the Champions League.”
The Scout Says: Torres’ brace may have earned the Spaniard the headlines but there’s no doubt Fantasy managers will remain highly sceptical. Mourinho started Torres only twice in the seven league games he has been available for and has been rewarded with a single assist thus far. Certainly, with Eto’o and Demba Ba mustering a goal between them, the opportunity to stake a claim as a regular starter in the lone forward role could be up for grabs but Mourinho’s tinkering makes the idea of investing in a Chelsea forward far too risky. In the attacking midfield three, Schurrle was intriguingly handed the left flank role after recovering from injury, with Mourinho shifting Hazard to the right in order to accommodate the German – having started four of the last five league games he has been available for, Schurrle seems to have climbed up the pecking order and with Hazard continuing his scoring streak in spite of a change in position, the likes of Mata and Willian may once again be reduced to bench-warming duties against Manuel Pellegrini’s men.
Gunners Taste Defeat
Arsene Wenger’s high-flying Gunners were brought back down to earth as Dortmund emerged from the Emirates with a 2-1 win. With Mathieu Flamini still sidelined due to the head knock picked up last weekend, Aaron Ramsey returned alongside Mikel Arteta in the double-pivot, whilst Tomas Rosicky replaced Santi Cazorla on the left as Wenger eases the Spaniard into action after recent injury. Olivier Giroud’s third Champions League goal of the season wasn’t quite enough to prevent the Germans from leaving north London with the three points.
After the game, the Arsenal boss spoke of his decision to sub off Jack Wilshere before admitting some of his players are suffering from fatigue due to the heavy schedule:
“You could see that he (Wilshere) was not completely himself and that is why i decided to take him off. At the moment it is his desire to play that gets him through the game. it looks like he was handicapped after the first tackle he got. he looked like he landed awkwardly. he looked to me that he limped a little bit. We will see how he responds in the next two or three days, we haves to wait for the medical assessment…I feel that some players, physically, are a bit jaded at the moment and it is a bit down recovering physically.”
The Scout Says: Wenger’s concerns over player fitness is not really what Fantasy managers want to hear ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Palace on Saturday. The Gunners are overwhelming favourites to register a convincing victory after Ian Holloway’s team were thrashed 4-1 at home by Fulham on Monday but as Wenger’s decision to shift Aaron Ramsey to the bench last weekend showed, he won’t shirk from resting any of his key players. Three days after the Palace clash, Arsenal start a run of games which sees them square up to Chelsea, Liverpool, Dortmund and United over 10 days in all competitions –owners of Ozil, Ramsey and Giroud will be hoping Wenger keeps faith in his heavyweights and prioritises a return to winning ways at Selhurst Park in order to get the confidence back on track. Wilshere confirmed after the game he expects to be available for the Palace trip but it remains to be seen whether his manager will risk him, with so many alternatives in midfield.
Carroll on the Comeback Trail
The Hammers forward has revealed he is edging towards a return to action, having failed to feature so far this season. Speaking to the club’s official website, Carroll discussed his rehabilitation from a heel complaint picked up at the end of the previous campaign:
“I am working hard every day and if I keep doing that then it shouldn’t be too much longer. I’ve kicked on a bit from when I first went over there [three weeks ago]. I was in a boot and on crutches but it’s obviously feeling a lot better and I’m starting to do heavier work, rather than just balancing. I’m starting to use weights and squatting a bit more, which is putting more pressure on my foot, which is a positive.”
The Scout Says: While the West Ham website was somewhat reluctant to suggest a comeback date, reports indicate Carroll could be in line to return for the Gameweek 12 clash against Chelsea in exactly a month’s time. Given that Sam Allardyce’s side then play Fulham, Palace and Sunderland in the following four, Carroll could make an immediate impact as the Hammers boss looks to address a run of eight goals in the opening eight Gameweeks. Allardyce has rolled out a 4-6-0 formation as his frontline alternatives fail to step up in Carroll’s absence but has been keen to point out that he’ll revert to his preferred 4-3-3 as soon as his talisman is fit and firing again.
Martinez Gives Kone Toffees Backing
Roberto Martinez has leapt to the defence of Arouna Kone after the forward was criticised for missing a clear-cut chance to open his account for Everton in last week’s win over Hull. The Toffees boy explained to the club’s official tv station:
“We have to remember that Arouna has had a few niggles that have stopped him from being himself. I thought that in the 20 minutes [on Saturday] he created two outstanding opportunities and he was a very important link piece in our attacking play. I thought he looked sharp, looked lively and technically good in everything he did. If he carries on creating those chances everyone will see the type of player that Arouna can be. Strikers need goals, don’t get me wrong, and that is something that everyone will agree with. But I measure how you are going to get the goals and to get the goals you need to be in a good moment of form. Clearly Arouna showed that with the work-rate and positions he took up when he came on.”
The Scout Says: Much to the frustration of Romelu Lukaku’s owners, Kone’s introduction against the Tigers came at the Belgian’s expense after Martinez replenished his frontline with just over 20 minutes of the match remaining. A clear favourite of the Spaniard after following him to Merseyside from Wigan, Kone’s versatility perhaps offers him hope of greater game time than the likes of Nikica Jelavic but with Kevin Mirallas finally finding his form on the right with a goal and assist in the 2-1 win, the Ivorian looks resigned to a bench role once again. Nevertheless, Lukaku’s owners will be worried if Martinez continues to cut into his game time midway through the second-half of matches again.
Coloccini Set for Spell on the Sidelines
The Newcastle skipper could be out for up to eight weeks with the groin injury sustained on international duty last week, according to reports.
The Scout Says: With Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa set to serve a one-match suspension for his dismissal against Liverpool last weekend, Alan Pardew is optimistic on Steven Taylor’s return from a hamstring injury in time for Sunday’s match. Taylor is likely to recover in time to line up alongside Mike Williamson and, down to 4.2 in FPL, could be set for an extended run in the XI if Coloccini is indeed absent for a lengthy period of time. Unfortunately for the Tyneside team, they have Chelsea and Spurs directly after the weekend derby –back-to-back home games against Norwich and West Brom follow on from their trip to White Hart Lane, though, and could bring Taylor onto the radar if he cements a regular role again.
Brown Nearing Black Cats Return
Gus Poyet could be poised to hand Wes Brown a first-team recall after the former United man stepped up his injury comeback with a 90-minutye appearance for the Sunderland Under 21s last weekend. The Black Cats boss talked up Brown’s chances of a comeback against Newcastle before
suggesting his side’s problems have been mainly down to a lack of consistency of selection at the back this season:
“He (Brown) could be everything that you need in the Premier League, he’s experienced, he’s played at the highest level at one of the best teams in the world and he knows the game well. Hopefully we can see him very soon on the pitch….There have been plenty of changes to the back four. There are different reasons for that – if John O’Shea gets a red card, you need a new centre-half. That’s common sense. But there have been too many changes for my liking. I like my defensive unit to be consistent so we know each other so well that we can help each other. With one word, we know where we are. If this is the back four, can they show me that? If yes, then they stay.”
The Scout Says: In spite of last week’s collapse at Swansea, Poyet is believed to be ready to stand by the likes of Phil Bardsley as he looks to instill more top-flight experience at the back. While Bardsley hardly covered himself in glory after an own goal gave the Swans the lead, it was perhaps telling that he got the nod ahead of Jack Colback at left-back, despite the latter starting each of the first seven games of the season. Poyet’s words hint that Brown looks earmarked as John O’Shea’s central defensive partner but given his injury woes, and his side’s dire form, few – if any – Fantasy managers will be taking notice unless the new man in charge can somehow halt a slump that has seen the Wearsiders ship 18 goals in the last six Gameweeks.
Palace Poised for Defence Boost
Ian Holloway could be set for a defensive boost after reports suggested Paddy McCarthy and Jonathan Parr are set to step up their recoveries from injury. Neither player has featured this season but the latter has now started training with the first-team while Eagles skipper McCarthy is expected to join up next week.
The Scout Says: Without a single clean sheet so far and with 13 goals against in the last five matches, Palace’s lack of resilience at the back goes from bad to worse by the Gameweek. Monday evening’s thrashing at the hands of Fulham could convince Holloway to ring the changes yet again as he looks to strike a balance in his XI – Dean Moxey is the only outfield player to manage every minute of the season so far but his starting berth looks under threat as a result of Parr’s availability, with the Eagles boss desperate to plug the gaps at the back as league leaders Arsenal roll up to Selhurst Park this weekend
Moyes Vague On Vidic and Ferdinand
Fantasy owners of United centre-halves Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were left none-the-wiser after David Moyes rolled out an injury update yesterday. Speaking to the press ahead of this evening’s encounter with Real Sociedad, Moyes would only state:
“There are one or two knocks and niggles, which most teams have. Vida and Rio are making good progress. Danny Welbeck has a little bit of an injury from the Southampton game so we’ll have to see how he is. Tom Cleverley isn’t as bad as we thought. They both have a chance.”
The Scout Says: With Stoke, Fulham and Cardiff in the next four, Vidic and Ferdinand owners are left in a quandary. In spite of a loss in form – and one clean sheet against Palace in the last six – the fixtures still fall in the champions’ favour and offer the chance of defensive returns. If both miss out this evening, however, many may choose to ship out prior to the weekend – given that Moyes’ press conference last Friday failed to mention Vidic’s problem, there’s no guarantee we’ll be any clearer comes Saturday’s deadline. A further length of absence for Ferdinand may heighten Jonny Evans’ appeal– coming in at 5.0, he’s started two of the last three and looks to be in the picture ahead of a run which sees United play only three of last term’s top six over the next 11 fixtures.
Davies Sidelined for Swans
Swansea left-back Ben Davies has been ruled out for between three-to-four weeks with the ankle injury sustained against Sunderland last weekend. The left-back revealed:
“I went up for a challenge in their box early in the first half and I landed awkwardly. I managed to play on for nearly 30 minutes but I knew I had to come off. I am disappointed but I just have to do my rehab now and come back as soon as possible.”
The Scout Says: Davies’ absence brings Neil Taylor into the frame as Michael Laudrup’s side prepare for a kind run of three games (WHM, car, STO) ahead of the next international break. Coming in at just 4.4, Taylor could appeal to managers looking for a short-term punt at the back though bearing in mind Davies has started all of the opening eight Gameweeks, it’s clear that the threat of rotation we had feared pre-season has failed to materialise, with Taylor likely to drop back to the bench as soon as Davies proves his fitness again.
