Dilemmas of the Week - GW30

Well, it doesn't look like there have been too many injuries over the international break and last weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals. And some recuperating players may suddenly be back in first-team contention after a nice long rest....  But, as I grumped last week, the two-and-a-half week hiatus means that we've been deprived of much if any 'team news', and the teams have probably all lost a bit of sharpness and cohesion after being apart, out of regular training for so long: the 'form' of Gameweeks 28 and 29 might have gone completely out of the window - it's very difficult to anticipate how this week's matches are going to play out. Despite this, many people seem to be rushing - lemming-like - to play their 2nd Wildcard this week... for no particular reason, other than that someone said it might be a good idea. WTF, really??  I would advise very strongly against it.

With Blank and Double Gameweeks looming, and all kinds of fixture-swings and shifts in form likely over the closing weeks of the season, you really want to hold off using that 2nd Wildcard for as long as possible. If you end up finding you didn't have to use it at all, that's fine; but using it prematurely could be disastrous. (Also, it's looking like this week or next will be the best - ONLY!! - time to deploy the dratted 'Assistant Manager' chip....)

I'm trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, as they had been getting dangerously over-long. I'm aiming to confine myself to just the injuries to players that are likely to have a major significance in FPL. [I currently find the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information - go check that out for more comprehensive coverage.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 30?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Riccardo Calafiori picked up a knee problem playing for Italy, and looks set to be out again for 'weeks', maybe the rest of the season - good news for anyone who's been hanging on to Jurrien Timber (although Ben White's return from injury, and the continuing stellar form of Myles Lewis-Skelly still make him somewhat of a minutes-risk).

Tariq Lamptey and Georginio Rutter at Brighton picked up ankle injuries in training last week; Lamptey is likely to miss the rest of the season.

Marcus Tavernier also missed the weekend's Cup game with an ankle problem.

Everton's Ukrainian full-back Vtaly Mykolenko is apparently a doubt with a thigh injury (no further details?).

Alisson had to come off after a whack to the head in a game for Brazil against Colombia last week, but it doesn't look like 'concussion protocols' will exclude him from Wednesday's derby game.

Erling Haaland suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's semi-final against Bournemouth, still being assessed; City seem optimistic that he isn't ruled out for the season... but pessimistic that he'll play any part for the next week or three.

Morgan Gibbs-White was taken off in the Cup game against Brighton after bashing his leg against a goalpost, but is expected to be fine for tonight's game. Chris Wood picked up a hip injury playing for New Zealand: not too bad, rapidly improving - but leaves him a doubt for this week.

The BIG NEWS of he week, though, is that Bukayo Saka is finally poised to return.... though probably not immediately as a starter, given that there's a Champions League quarter-final against Real looming next week.

Do we have any players who are dropped, or not looking likely to get the starts we hoped for?

No new bans this week; but Anthony Gordon still has one game of his suspension to serve, and Matheus Cunha has two (after the FA eventually added an extra one for the 'aggravated' nature of his offence).

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

No-one's suffered a notable collapse in form, I don't think. But there is a strong case for letting go of Bruno Fernandes now because of the turn in fixtures against Manchester United. (Very hard to see them getting anything out of a game away against Forest this midweek - although they do sometimes have a knack of dredging up a better performance against a superior team....)

Did anyone play so well, you have to consider bringing them in immediately?

In the last EPL Gameweek - half a lifetime ago! - er, NO. (Not as far as I can recall, anyway...)  And I don't really think international games, or even FA Cup games can give us much of a pointer towards League form.

Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have been continuing to look impressive for Villa; but unfortunately, the rest of the team haven't been nearly as convincing, and they don't have an inviting run of fixtures over the rest of the season - in fact, Southampton looks like their only really likely win in the final 9 games.

It is looking very much as if this gameweek - or next (perhaps favoured by most) - is going to be rhe best/last chance to play the 'Assistant Manger' chip (if you still have it; many people - perhaps uncertain what to do with it, or resentful of the way it cramps the rest of your chip strategy - got rid of it straight away...). Spurs and Brentford are looking particularly inviting prospects for a table-bonus win this week; and Everton, Fulham, and Manchester United are also in table-bonus games (remember: a draw with the table-bonus is better than a win without one!). In fact, if you're a United fan, they now enjoy a run of three successive matches against much higher teams (the benefit of falling so low in the table!).  There are further attractive fixture possibilities (though not as good, and some still a tad uncertain - as we don't know how much relative league positions may change over such a span of time) over the next two or three gameweeks as well; plus, of course, the confirmed Double Gameweek for Palace and Newcastle in GW32 (both tough games for Glasner, but both with a table-bonus opportunity), and the possibility of more in GW33 (pity we almost certainly won't know before today's deadline!!)

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

DON'T FORGET The Boycott; the dratted new 'Assistant Manager' chip is in play now - and I am urging everyone to please consider quitting the game, or at least refusing to use this silly chip. 

And if you can't bring yourself to do either of those things, please do criticise the Assistant Manager chip as vigorously as possible on any relevant social media channels you use, raise objections to it with any football or media figures you know how to contact, and - if possible - try to find a way to protest about it directly to the FPL hierarchy (and let me know how, if you manage that!).

#QuitFPLinGW23         #DownWithTheNewChip