Team News

The Midweek Team News

Dusan Tadic is back for Southampton after returning to full training. Gylfi Sigurdsson is back in the frame for Swansea, Kevin Mirallas “has a chance” of making Everton’s home clash with stoke, Gabby Agbonlahor is available for Villa after the FA overturn his three-match suspension, whilst Chris Smalling could recover in time for United’s home encounter with Newcastle.

Tomas Rosicky, Yaya Sanogo and David Ospina are available for Arsenal’s home encounter with QPR. Laurent Koscielny “maybe has a chance” for Sunday’s trip to Upton Park, whilst Arsene Wenger has confirmed Aaron Ramsey may be on course to return against Southampton on New Year’s Day.

QPR’s left-back Yun Suk-Young is set to be sidelined “for a while” with the ankle injury that forced him off in last week’s home win over West Brom.

Gabby Agbonlahor is available for Villa’s trip to Swansea after the FA rescinded the three-match ban dished out for his dismissal against United last weekend. Paul Lambert also welcomes back Alan Hutton and Tom Cleverly, after both served one-match suspensions at home to the Red Devils, and is hopeful that Joe Cole will recover from a hamstring injury.

Sean Dyche has refused to rule out a return for Sam Vokes, after the forward continued his recovery from long-term injury with another 90-minute run-out for the reserves earlier in the week. Michael Duff is set to miss out once again for the Clarets.

Curtis Davies remains a doubt for Hull’s trip to Wearside due to a calf complaint. Fellow defender Alex Bruce is available after being forced off last weekend, though manager Steve Bruce has revealed Paul McShane is unlikely to feature unless he issues an apology on the back of recent off-field antics. The Tigers boss has recalled Thomas Ince and Maynor Figueroa from loan spells to deal with a lack of first-team options.

Manuel Pellegrini ruled out Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko until “the second part of January” during yesterday’s press briefing. The City boss also revealed the Vincent Kompany and Stevan Jovetic will “maybe” be back for Sunday’s match with Burnley – the latter has returned to training as he steps up his recovery from injury.

Chris Smalling has a chance of returning for United’s clash with Newcastle. Louis van Gaal revealed the rest of his injured players, including Luke Shaw, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera, won’t recover in time for Friday.

Southampton roll up to Palace without suspended skipper Jose Fonte, though both Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama are available after serving one-match bans last time out. Dusan Tadic has returned to full training after missing the 3-0 win over Everton due to injury.

Anthony Reveillere is ruled out for up to four weeks with a muscle injury for Sunderland, though Billy Jones and Emmanuele Giaccherini are back in contention.

Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful that midfielder Ryan Mason can recover from the knock that forced him off before the break during last weekend’s win over Burnley.

Graham Dorrans (calf) and Boaz Myhill (illness) are expected to recover for the Baggies home clash against City, though Victor Anichebe again remains doubtful due to an ongoing groin complaint.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jefferson Montero and Leon Britton are all back in full training and available for Swansea after missing last week’s win at Hull with minor injuries.

Kevin Mirallas and James McCarthy both “have a chance” of making Everton’s home clash with Stoke, Roberto Martinez has confirmed. Leon Osman and Tony Hibbert are set to miss to miss the Toffees’ next two matches over Friday and Sunday, though Darron Gibson may yet be in contention.

All this and more has now been updated in the Team News section ahead of Friday morning’s deadline. Keep an eye on our official Twitter Stream as breaking news unfolds.

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1,749 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Black Knights
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    I wonder what Rickardinho is up to? I wonder if he still lurks these pages?

    1. Podge
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Hopefully using his time more wisely than us.

  2. laGan1n1
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    i think i will (c) Sterling

    1. Punty
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      I did it last GW.. not sure if I should do it again, at the moment it's on Giroud

  3. andres
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    if I get vergini I might roll out a 5-3-2 benching (austin, downing, boyd) worth it?

    The other option is to get hutton and bench him over austin..

    1. Punty
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Don't bench Austin..

    2. Van Klinkert Delarosa
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      I don't think piling up on defences on Boxing Day is a good move.

    3. diabydoesgallas
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      play austin and boyd

  4. Fantasy Gold
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Scout Picks tonight?

      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Yep.

      1. Fantasy Gold
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        cheers 😀

  5. Optimus.
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Barring a YC would you say Mangala is the likeliest of the City defenders to play the next 2 games?

    1. CABAYE4
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Yes

      1. Tmel
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Demichellis too?

        1. Optimus.
          • 13 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Unless Kompany is back to steal one

        2. Fantasy Gold
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          No. Kompany could be fit for the 28th.

        3. CABAYE4
          • 12 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Probably but if Kompany's back, then he's gone.

    2. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Mos def.

      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Definitely.

    3. Optimus.
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Cheers folks I might take the punt

    4. Beavis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Yes

  6. CABAYE4
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Am I good to go? Anyone hugely against Bony (C)?

    Hart (Gilks)
    Baines O'Shea Dummett (Wisdom Saylor)
    Sanchez Hazard Siggy Silva (Marney)
    Costa Bony (C) Kane

    1. Optimus.
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Very nice,better than my own 🙂

  7. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Sanchez -- Santi + Hazard -- Fabergas?

    2FTS 🙂

      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Sideways.

      1. Bielsa's Blue Bucket
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        2 doubtful V 2 nailed on and cheaper

        1. Kip
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          santi is on 4 yc

    1. diabydoesgallas
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      id prefer sanchez and hazard tbh.

    2. CABAYE4
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Horrible imo.

      You're getting rid of the two highest scoring mids because of rumours on here that they might be rested.

    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Ben Davies.... Is he worth the risk when I also have Demichelis and S. Taylor? 😕

    1. diabydoesgallas
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      not at this time of year

    2. CABAYE4
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Nope, especially with fixtures and lack of CS's recently.

      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Thanks guys.

  8. diabydoesgallas
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    captain rvp, costa, sanchez, silva or hazard???

  9. The Ginga Ninja
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Adrian (Gilks)
    Baines Azpilicueta Chester(Wisdom , Hutton)
    Hazard Sanchez Yaya Eriksen Siggy
    Bony Austin (Sakho)

    Really stuck on how to use FT- looking at City Defence so Adrian to Hart a good move?
    Could do Chester to Demi but unsure on Kompany return. 1.5 in bank

    Then next week Baines to 5.4 and Sakho to Benteke?

    Any other ideas? Would greatly appreciate it

    1. diabydoesgallas
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      i'd do baines to zaba.. everton are woeful at the moment, can't see them keeping a CS against stoke.

    2. OptimusBlack
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      IF u get Benteke who to bench ?

  10. Djerbil
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Drawn a Dead Team in the Cup with Sturridge (C) Joe Hart (VC)

    but He has Silva , Costa and Baines

    1. Podge
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Cue shock Studge return and hattie

    2. Woy
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Mine is ranked 3,355,949 out of 3,398,693.

      Yet has:
      Hart/Courtois
      Cahill Zabaleta Janmaat Jags Dummet
      Sanchez Wanyama Bojan Yaya Sterling
      Costa Vardy and Mccarthy.

      I'm actually worried.

      1. Saint Steve-O (@EliteFPL)
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Woah.... Despite rank, those players are on form! Wow

        1. Woy
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 4 months ago

          Gonna really annoy me if I dont beat him

  11. Caesar, Hot Mustache
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    since I found FFS, I've been logged on here more than I've twitter. You lot have made this game utterly fun & these last 2 months swell.

    Merry Christmas in Advance

    1. Just A Hat
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      there's a few of us that are absolutely hilarious

      1. Caesar, Hot Mustache
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        so it seems, my friend! so it seems

  12. Nickofoz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Nothing we don't know but I just tweeted Ben Dinnery:

    Me: "So no Chelsea press conference today Ben? Really need some cement news on Hazard."

    BD: "About as much as I know

    Being assessed but #Hazard quoted post-match on Monday "don't worry" [for the West Ham game"

  13. diabydoesgallas
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    just noticed i didnt qualify for the cup. the shame!!!

    1. King Nil Miss ✩
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      The FPL cup? 😯

      Tough luck.

  14. Tmel
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Baines & Obertan > Mangala/Demichellis & Silva for -4?

    (Can't afford Silva without freeing up the 1.2mil)

  15. Kip
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Is Ashley Richards nailed on? or due to be benched soon?

  16. Scout picks challenge gw 17 results
    @ocprodigy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    SCOUT PICKS CHALLENGE - GAMEWEEK 17 FINAL RESULTS

    Apologies for the slight delay, this should have been up last night! Anywho, as I'm attempting to keep up with the gameweeks now (this may change drastically during the festive period...), here's our GW17 results!

    1st - Sticky Mockwell (78pts)
    2nd - FFS Scout (69pts)
    3rd - Kalmoffit & Zombie (65pts)

    Well done - and a special mention to Zombie whose managed to pick up 5 points in the past two consecutive gameweeks to really throw himself into contention. It's possible guys!

    Bonus points...it was close, and of course only Sticky Mockwell could have been in with a shout - however the FFS Scout Picks AND Differentials scored a total of 78pts...! A bonus point to Tomkins means no one will receive a bonus point this gameweek.

    Rankings at the top are having more and more of a shake up now with those who've picked up points beginning to score some more. Our final league ranking at the moment is;

    1st - FFS Scout (11pts)
    2nd - Sticky Mockwell (7pts)
    3rd - Milanista & Mookie (6pts)

    Not even halfway through yet guys, let's keep going!

    Clarification on FFS Scout scoring:

    Just to clarify guys, FFS Scout Picks (XI) are the ONLY ones that count towards their ability to pick up points. The challenge is they are able to pick multiple players from the same team.

    The ONLY time differentials come into play is if someone has beat their full 14-man squad (Picks + Differentials) - that person is eligible for a bonus point. I.e. this GW if the 14 man squad had scored 77, SM would have picked an additional point this GW.

    The confusion has probably arisen as in order to check whose eligible for bonus points, I've typed up the 14 man squad in the spreadsheet so I can see easier where the bonus points are to be allocated. From now on I'll be removing this before publishing the spreadsheet for more transparency.

    Spreadsheet: https://www.dropbox.com/s/oyuz31n7ppeccuu/Scout%20Picks%20Challenge.xlsm?dl=0

    1. Sticky Mockwell
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Thanks for all the hard work OCP, happy christmas

  17. Caesar, Hot Mustache
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    I don't get the Sunderland back line love. their fixtures aren’t particularly great.

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      It's all Pants

    2. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      2 nice fixtures followed by three horrible ones. not for me.

    3. Heydudes13
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Pantilimon is a solid choice though. Dead cert on WC for me.

      1. Fantasy Gold
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Mannone is a beast. I don't like owning a GK where the back-up is always lurking in the shadows.

  18. Atters
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Dzeko and Chambers to
    A) Benteke and mangala/azpi
    B) giroud and skrtel

  19. Christina.
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Let's not forget the families and friends devastated by this tragedy 10 years ago. I "missed" it by 2 weeks as I was booked to travel to Thailand when it happened.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-tsunami-anniversary-unclaimed-idUSKBN0K10H020141223

    Sad.

    1. 1966 was a great year for E…
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Liverpooo have requested that they don't play matches on the anniversary...

    2. Van Dal
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Stop making everything about you!

    3. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Still to this day cannot get my head around it. Absolutely horrendous and will always be in my thoughts.

  20. RangerMouse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Guzan (Elliot)
    Azpilicueta - N.Taylor - Baines - CLichy (Yun)
    Sanchez - Downing - Siggy - (Hazard, Boyd)
    Bony - Costa - Austin

    1FT 0mill spare, any changes? Hazard benched due to injury!

    1. Woy
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Play hazard you fool

    2. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      What are you smoking

    3. Chris_H
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Play Hazard ahead of Austin/Downing/Naylor - you'll kick yourself if he plays and gets a haul...

  21. Van Dal
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    A)Moore > Terry
    B) save transfer and play Clyne

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      B, no brainer

  22. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Is it worth transferring Siggy or Costa out for -4?,

    Adrian
    Zabaleta, Davies, Naylor
    Sanchez, Hazard, Silva, Sigurdsson
    Giroud(c), Kane, Costa

    Boyd, Dummet, Yun

  23. rozzo
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Too risky to captain Sanchez? If he is rested then no problem my vice captain takes over but what if he comes on for a ten minute cameo?

    1. Coaly
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Bit risky

    2. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      If Arsenal are winning comfortably I don't see him coming on ( if he was rested )

    3. King Nil Miss ✩
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      This is also a reality, can´t see their star player not having a cameo on Boxing Day if Wenger decides to rest him, the same goes for Hazard.

    4. Dry Lunch
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Risky sir

  24. Coaly
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Play Sakho (che) or Austin (ars) this week?

    On Austin atm

    1. Ikey Warrior
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Austin

    2. Ed
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Austin

    3. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      What's your other striker and mid?

      1. Coaly
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Costa, and two cheapest mids Eriksen and Sig

    4. Dry Lunch
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Austin

  25. Dry Lunch
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Bartley not nailed anymore?

    1. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Nope. Benched now that Fernandez is healthy

  26. Crouch Potato!
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Alex Song left out of Cameroon squad, good news for West Ham.

    1. King Nil Miss ✩
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Bad news for Cameroon.

  27. tw
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Got 4.6 for a defender and already have Naylor and dummett so thinking hull, wba, villa, or Sunderland. Who's my best bet?

    1. dmcqt
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Hutton

  28. Ed
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 4 months ago

    Zaba the best option for City defence right?

    1. Dry Lunch
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Clichy

      1. tw
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        Always a rotation threat with kolarov lurking

    2. tw
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Until sagna gets a game 😉

    3. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Hart

    4. Coaly
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Yes

    1. Fantasy Gold
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Ugh.

    2. Dry Lunch
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 4 months ago

      Unlikely

      1. luke
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 4 months ago

        think the word "promise"is a bit sensationalist