Dilemmas of the Week - GW38

As I commented a week or so ago, 'form' always becomes more and more unpredictable in the closing weeks of the season, maiking it very risky to use any purely elective transfers, even on apparently very 'favourable' fixtures. There are quite a few unbalanced match-ups in our final batch of fixtures for his season, but.... it's very difficult to guess who's going to play well this Sunday,... or indeed, who's even going to play; there are surely bound to be some eccentric 'rest rotations', and token run-outs given to thus far rarely used squad players.

At least there's still quite a fight on for European qualification, with 5 teams chasing the last 3 Champions League spots (and still a hypothetical, if extremely remote possibility that City could miss out....), and a theoretical chance that Brighton or Brentford could yet attain the Europa Conference League through finishing 8th. However, Arsenal have joined Liverpool in an unassailable position at the top of the rankings, Bournemouth, Fulham, and Palace have fallen out of touch with the European chase, and there's never been much to dispute in the bottom half of the table this season, so.... there are a few 'dead rubbers' this week, 4 games out of the 10 with absolutely nothing at stake (except 'pride'....).

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, aiming to confine myself to just the injuries to players that are likely to have a major significance in FPL; and also, of course, only to new injuries - I figure everyone should be aware of players who were already ruled out for the last gameweek! [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 38?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Willam Saliba picked up a hamstring problem against Newcastle last weekend - which will leave Arsenal with a bit of a makeshift defence; the only recently back-from-injury White and Calafiori will presumably have to deputise for the missing Timber and Saliba.

Tariq Lamptey picked up a knee problem ahead of last week's game, and looks set to miss this week as well.

Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton will both be kept out by injuries they picked up in the Cup Final last Saturday (both blows to the head, although Guehi's issue is now said to be bruising around one of his eyes rather than 'concussion'). And Ben Chilwell is now said to have a problem with an 'illness', so Palace might be a bit short-handed at Anfield.

Everton's Seamus Coleman and Jarrad Branthwaite picked up leg-muscle problems in last week's game, and will miss the Newcastle game - Michael Keane and Ashley Young will presumably deputise.

Alexis Macallister was unexpectedly omitted last week and is now said to be being given a rest for an unspecified fitness issue.

Alexander Isak was a late omission last weekend with a groin problem; touch-and-go whether he'll be OK to start this Sunday.

Murillo played on for the whole game against West Ham last week, despite twisting an ankle in the first half; he's been out of training since, and seems likely to be absent on the final day.

Jørgen Strand Larsen has picked up another knock, and is now said to be doubtful for Sunday (which probably makes it more likely that Cunha will start - although Pereira has said that he doesn't fancy him in the No. 9 role, so that might go to Hwang, Guedes, or perhaps Munetsi).

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

Marcus Rashford is apparently just about fit to play again at Villa; but he is ineligible to play against parent club Manchester United this week.

Joao Pedro, back from his latest three-match ban last week, was apparently omitted after a training ground bust-up with one of his defenders; and Fabian Hurzeler has said that he'll be sit out this final weekend as well.

Jamie Vardy decided that he'd like to end his Leicester career in front of his home fans last week, so has made himself unavailable for selection.

Mateo Kovacic is banned for one-match, after being sent off for a 'denial of a goal-scoring opportunity' offence against Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, while Lewis Cook is beginning a three-match ban for 'serious foul play' in the same match (bit of a harsh call in my opinion, but the club have chosen not to appeal it).

Jose Sa was omitted without explanation on Tuesday night, in favour of Dan Bentley; that might well happen again.

And Manuel Ugarte was left out of the Europa League squad for Wednesday's final, which raises questions about his place at Manchester United (although it's doubtful if Casemiro can play twice within four days, and they don't have many other options in the engine-room).

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Anyone who suffered through that dreadful Europa League Final on Wednesday night is surely going to be ditching any Manchester United or Spurs players they might still have had. And I rather think this Sunday's game might be Ruben Amorim's last at the club.

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

As I said a couple of weeks ago, I think elective transfers at this time of year are usually a bit of a rash indulgence - certainly if you're feeling forced to make them early to avoid a price-rise, when it's certainly preferable to hang on until close to the deadline to try to firefight late injury developments. But even if you have no injury gaps to plug, it's quite a gamble to replace a starting player when you only have one match to show a return on the change.

Most of the outstanding performances in the last gameweek came from keepers, and you certainly don't want to be swapping them on a whim. I suppose Danny Welbeck, Cody Gakpo, and Omar Marmoush also had very impressive games - but do they really look massively more tempting than the players you have already?

The stronger temptation for most FPL managers now is to bring in players from Arsenal or Aston Villa, or possibly Bournemouth, who appear to have the weekend's 'easiest' fixtures.

It was never actually specified in the 'rules' for the 'Assistant Manager' chip if it would cease to be available in GW37 if you hadn't activated it yet. But I saw people on a couple of Facebook forums last week claiming that they had just deployed the chip for the first time; thus, presumably, you would also be able to play it just for this final gameweek, if you'd forgotten about it until now! And it seems quite a lot of people had waited until GW36 to play it; so, many have it in play this week. But with all the uncertainty of end-of-season form, and so many curiously mismatched fixtures on the closing day, it really is a complete lottery as to who to select for it this time. Fulham against City, Everton against  Newcastle, Wolves against Brentford, Spurs against Brighton, and perhaps even Manchester United against Villa all have table-bonus potential - and that would be my running order; Marco Silva and David Moyes have produced some of the best returns for this chip. (Some might fancy Palace against Liverpool, perhaps; but I don't think the Cup winners have got much going for them at the moment apart from the 'Eze Factor'; and although Liverpool have been very flat since clinching the title, I would expect them to raise their level considerably for their final appearance at Anfield, when they'll be celebrating their title victory with their fans.) Others, no doubt, will be banking rather on BIG wins for Arsenal against Southampton or Bournemouth against Leicester.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

DON'T FORGET The Boycott.  Even if you have played the new 'Assistant Manager' chip this year, please do criticise and complain about it online as much as possible. And 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!).

I worry that the fight on this is only just now really beginning: we'll have to push hard for the next few weeks to try to ensure that this silly, game-distorting innovation does not become a permanent feature of FPL from next season.

#DownWithTheNewChip

Dilemmas of the Week - GW37

 

As I again pointed out the other day, 'form' always becomes more and more unpredictable in the closing weeks of the season, maiking it very risky to use any purely elective transfers, even on apparently very 'favourable' fixtures. With Manchester United and Spurs facing each other in the Europa League Final next Wednesday (and not having anything really to play for in the League any more, except scrabbling to avoid the disgrace of finishing 17th!), it seems highly unlikely that they'll bother to put out full-strength teams this Friday evening,.... or, perhaps, on the final Saturday either. And thanks to the FA Cup Final this Saturday afternoon between Manchester City and Crystal Palace, the City v Bournemouth and Palace v Wolves games for this Gameweek won't be played until Tuesday evening (giving those teams less than 5 days' recovery before their final games of the season); and, whatever happens at Wembley, I would imagine both Finalists will be somewhat exhausted and using as many rotations as possible in those games.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, aiming to confine myself to just the injuries to players that are likely to have a major significance in FPL; and also, of course, only to new injuries - I figure everyone should be aware of players who were already ruled out for the last gameweek! [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 37?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Declan Rice was omitted at Anfield last week as a precaution because of an injury worry (variously reported as a hip, groin, or hamstring issue??), and Leandro Trossard had to come off in that game with a hamstring tweak - but both have been seen in midweek training, so should be available for selection this weekend after all.

Brighton's Lewis Dunk and Joel Veltman missed the Wolves game with training knocks, but could be back this week.

Leny Yoro came off with a foot injury against West Ham last week, and seems unlikely to be available this weekend. (Does anybody own him??)

Sven Botman is also a doubt, after coming off early in the second half against Chelsea with a sore knee.

Taiwo Awoniyi needed emergency surgery for a ruptured intestine after colliding heavily with a goalpost near the end of last Sunday's game against Leicester, so will miss the rest of the season. But there is relief that he seems to be OK, after what could have been a life-threatening injury.

Spurs's woes continue, as Dejan Kulusevski suffered a patella injury last week against Palace, which has needed surgery.

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

Mikel Merino and Jacob Ramsey have to serve one-match bans for picking up a pair of yellow cards last weekend.

Nicolas Jackson is now suspended for three games (and is really lucky it wasn't longer) for rather blatantly elbowing Sven Botman in the side of the neck last week. I wonder if this might not have torpedoed his Chelsea career, since he hasn't been looking that impressive recently anyway, and will now have to miss the opening of next season as well; one suspects the club will look for other striker solutions before Jackson is eligible to play for them again.

Easily forgotten, but Jadon Sancho is still a Manchester United player, and so unable to appear for Chelsea against them this weekend.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Manchester City and Crystal Palace players are surely too much of a rotation-risk - and injury- and exhaustion-risks! - next Tuesday in the wake of the FA Cup Final.

And Manchester United and Spurs - absolutely awful of late, anyway - surely won't be risking their best players for long ahead of their crucial match-up in the Europa League Final next Wednesday. It looks as though Antonin Kinsky may have displaced Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal - but no-one is likely to have either of them.

West Ham have also been fairly dreadful recently; and although they showed significant improvement last week, that was only against woeful United - not really impressive enough to convince that they have a snowball's chance of getting anything against Forest.

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

Um, NO....  Last week was one of the most uninspiring gameweeks in living memory, and absolutely no-one put in a really head-turning performance; most of the star names were deeply disappointing.

Oh, OK, Ebere Eze had a good game last week; but it was only against Spurs - and now really isn't the time to be buying him.

Most people must surely have used the 'Assistant Manager' chip by now. (It was never actually specified in the 'rules' for this chip if it would cease to be available in GW37 if you hadn't activated it yet... I wonder if it has?) Anyone who hasn't must surely have forgotten about it. (Or wasn't aware of it. Or couldn't understand it. Or thought it was too much hassle to work around the other chips...) With the increasing unpredictability of results in the closing weeks of the season, it really shouldn't be a good time to play a chip based on team results anyway; and most of the top teams actually have quite tough run-ins, so there haven't been many secure wins in prospect even for the biggest names, and certainly no huge margins of victory or easy clean sheets; moreover, some of the stronger teams at the lower end of the table have recovered so well in the past month or two that they no longer have many table-bonus prospects. 

This penultimate gameweek, with the fixture logjam caused by the FA Cup and Europa League Finals, is a particularly tough one to predict - with most of the match-ups looking fairly tight, and perhaps capable of swinging either way. Given City's continuing flakey form, and the distraction of their bid for glory at Wembley a few days earlier, I'd fancy Andoni Iraola and Bournemouth to have the week's best - only! - chance of picking up table-bonus points. Although, with Liverpool having looked a bit unconvincing since securing their title, some might fancy Hurzeler and Brighton's chances against them too. Probably under-full-strength (and recently terrible even when somewhere near 'full strength') Spurs and Man Utd look the only strong possibilities for securing big wins against - for Aston Villa and Chelsea; but the two bottom-of-the-table sides have struggled more with chance creation than defensive frailty, and I'm not convinced that their opponents have the rosources to achieve the really emphatic victories that many FPL managers are fondly imagining; so, I'd definitely go with Iraola.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET The Boycott; though I'm willing to comment on its possible use, I actually loathe the pointless innovation of the 'Assistant Manager' chip - and I have been urging people to please consider quitting the game, or at least refusing to use the chip, in protest. 

But if you couldn'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!).  I think it's particularly important to voice these objections now, because decisions will probably soon be made about whether to include this chip in the game again next year.

#DownWithTheNewChip 

Dilemmas of the Week - GW36

Goodness me - we seem to have yet again been spared many new injuries this week...  It really isn't often we get so fortunate - especially at this tail-end of the football year.

Nevertheless, 'form' always becomes more and more unpredictable in the closing weeks of the season...  And with Manchester United and Spurs now facing each other in the Europa League Final (which, this season, is unhappily scheduled between EPL Gameweeks 37 and 38) - and not having anything to play for in the League any more (except avoiding the ignominy of finishing below the other...) - I imagine they're going to be concentrating their focus on that, and not putting forth much effort in their remaining League games. Arsenal, however, after being narrowly bested by Paris St Germain in the Champions League Semi-Final on Thursday night, can now give all their attention to trying to finish as strongly as possible in the League; something that might perhaps have been in doubt, if they'd had a Final to prepare for over the next few weeks. Also, of course, Palace are playing City in the FA Cup Final next Saturday, so are quite likely to be resting a few key players (but which ones, and how much???) this weekend.

But at least we've been spared having any more blank and double gameweeks to have to worry about, as the fixtures missed next weekend for the Cup Final have simply been moved back a few days into the following week, and remain part of Gameweek 37,

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, aiming to confine myself to just the injuries to players that are likely to have a major significance in FPL; and also, of course, only to new injuries - I figure everyone should be aware of players who were already ruled out for the last gameweek! [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 36?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

The big news of the week seems to be that the recently excellent (though barely owned!) Youri Tielemans has picked up a muscle injury that seems likely to keep him out for the rest of the season.

Poor Solly March of Brighton missed last week's game because of a new knee problem, and Bournemouth's Dango Ouattara has a groin strain - though apparently not too serious (and nobody has him any more, anyway).

Christopher Nkunku missed last week's win over Liverpool - and both the Europa Conference semi-finals - because of an unspecified knock; originally not thought serious, but now it seems doubtful that he'll be available again before the end of the season.

Adam Wharton suffered a twisted ankle against Forest last week, but Glasner is hopeful he'll be OK for this weekend. (One of those where nobody has him, but Eze's and Mateta's prospects look much better with him playing behind them.)

Timothy Castagne has had to have surgery on a recurring ankle problem this week, so will be out until next season. (At least Fulham have Kenny Tete available again now, who might be a better choice anyway.)

Matthijs de Ligt had to come off with a muscle problem against Brentford last week; not thought to be too serious, but has been ruled out of this weekend.

Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar suffered muscle soreness in last week's game; might have been just cramp or fatigue rather than a strain, but Eddie Howe was evasive  about whether they'd be OK for this week.

Murillo had to come off against Palace with an apparent hamstring strain, but Nuno claims to be hopeful that he'll be back this week; this could have a big impact on Forest's prospects over the run-in.

And at Spurs it has been announced that injuries picked up 10 days ago by Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and James Maddison (knee) are going to keep them out for the season (although I wonder if Maddison isn't just pissed off with the way he's been treated by Postecoglou and put in for a transfer).

At Wolves, though, Jørgen Strand Larsen, who was a last-minute precautionary withdrawal a week ago because of a groin strain, looks as though he might be back in the side this week - although 80,000 of his owners have given up on him already since last Friday! (And, amazingly, despite having clocked 6 goals and 42 points in the previous 6 games, his ownership was barely above 4% anyway.... What??)

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

Joao Pedro and Leif Davis are serving the last instalment of their three-match bans this week. But - remarkably - there are no new suspensions to worry about. 

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

West Ham under Potter have joined Spurs in the 'embarrassment to watch' category - though at least Jarrod Bowen continues to provide occasional bright spots for them.

Oh, and Arne Slot has indicated that he wants to give Conor Bradley more minutes, and will probably be starting him ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold this week. That shouldn't be any great surprise to anyone. (However, I suspect Trent is still likely to be allowed an emotional Anfield farewell in the game against Palace on the final Saturday.)

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

Well, this may be a tad premature, but... I think Mason Mount has looked absolutely outstanding since his return: he really has the air of a player hungry to make his mark again after two seasons on the sidelines. Amad Diallo looked lively on his (earlier than expected!) return too. It's a pity they're stuck in an absolutely woeful Manchester United side....

And, of course, Kevin DeBruyne and Cole Palmer are starting to attract a lot of interest again - though that's probably sentiment getting the better of people. Chelsea have a tricky run-in, and KDB can't be relied on to be capable of full minutes, or big performances, in all three of the remaining games.

Most people must surely have used the 'Assistant Manager' chip by now. (It was never actually specified in the 'rules' for this chip if it would cease to be available in GW37 if you hadn't activated it yet...) Anyone who hasn't must surely have forgotten about it. (Or wasn't aware of it. Or couldn't understand it. Or thought it was too much hassle to work around the other chips...) With the increasing unpredictability of results in the closing weeks of the season, it really shouldn't be a good time to play a chip based on team results anyway; and most of the top teams actually have quite tough run-ins, so there aren't many secure wins in prospect even for the biggest names, and certainly no huge margins of victory or easy clean sheets likely; moreover, most of the stronger teams at the lower end of the table have recovered so well in the past month or two that they no longer have many table-bonus prospects (Wolves and Spurs might have been expected to have one this week, but... no). Brentford, Manchester City, and maybe Wolves look the likeliest prospects for a big win - though maybe not a clean sheet...? - this week. If you're chasing a table-bonus, Leicester seem the only slim prospect of that; Midlands derbies do often produce an upset, and Forest have been faltering in the last few games - and Vardy looks hungry to rack up his 200th goal for his club; I doubt Leicester can win it, but maybe they can snatch a draw.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET The Boycott; though I'm willing to comment on its possible use, I actually loathe the pointless innovation of the 'Assistant Manager' chip - and I have been urging people to please consider quitting the game, or at least refusing to use the chip, in protest. 

But if you couldn'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 

Dilemmas of the Week - GW35

There again don't seem to have been that many new injuries this week. 

But 'form' becomes more and more unpredictable in the closing weeks of the season... And once more, we have teams in the semi-finals of the European competitions facing likely 'rest rotations' - or perhaps a general loss of focus - ahead of the crucial second-leg games next week: Arsenal, Manchester United, Spurs, and Chelsea are unlikely to be at their best in the League this weekend!

But at least we've been spared having any more blank and double gameweeks to have to worry about!!

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, aiming to confine myself to just the injuries to players that are likely to have a major significance in FPL; and also, of course, only to new injuries - I figure everyone should be aware of players who were already ruled out for the last gameweek! [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 35?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Marcus Rashford, whose form had been starting to look promising since his loan move to Villa at the start of the year, apparently picked up a hamstring problem in training ahead of last weekend's FA Cup semi-final, and will struggle to be in contention again before the end of the season.

Wesley Fofana missed last week's game against Spurs after suffering another muscle injury, and has needed surgery this week - so will be out until next season. Christopher Nkunku and Robert Sanchez also had to miss the midweek Europa Conference game with unspecified training 'knocks'.

Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen has suffered a relapse of the groin muscle problem that kept him out for a while recently, and now seems likely to miss the rest of the season - unfortunate, as he has been their best player of late.

Conor Bradley missed last weekend with a minor knock - but it seems likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold is fit enough to reclaim the regular start at right-back anyway.

Diogo Dalot has a calf muscle strain that might keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Joelinton has suffered a recurrence of an old knee problem, and is likely to be out for a while.

Callum Hudson-Odoi had to come off against Brentford last night with a hamstring problem; doesn't seem to be too bad, but he's likely to miss this weekend, at least.

Lucas Bergvall missed Spurs's Europa League game last night with an ankle injury picked up in training this week. James Maddison and Dominic Solanke are also now slight doubts after 'precautionary' substitutions last night because of minor injuries.

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

Ben Johnson is serving a one-match ban after being harshly sent off against Newcastle last week (Ipswich couldn't appeal against the decision because it was for two yellow cards, rather than a straight red).

And Joao Pedro is serving the second game of his three-match suspension after that latest piece of petulance against Brentford.

Bournemouth's Evanilson, however, has had his red card overturned on appeal, so will be available this weekend. (I am somewhat surprised by that verdict. Yes, the collision was clearly 'accidental', in that his standing leg slipped out from underneath him; but it was a horrific challenge - and he slipped because he was lunging in so recklessly. I think these sorts of incidents are usually assessed by consequences and 'lack of care', rather than presumed malicious intention; and on those criteria, the red card was deserved.)

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Newcastle, Fulham, Palace, and Chelsea have been severely unconvincing in recent games. And Spurs, Manchester United, and West Ham have been just awful. It's difficult to see the value in taking many - any?? - players from these teams, even if they have a good fixture.

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

Umm,.... no. Cody Gakpo and Alejandro Garnacho were the only conspicuous standouts in last week's games - but not to the extent that you'd be wanting to bring them in.

Most people have probably used the 'Assistant Manager' chip by now - wanting to keep the tail-end of the season free to play other chips. With increasing unpredictability of results in the closing weeks of the season, it really shouldn't be a good time to play a chip based on team results anyway; and most of the top teams actually have quite tough run-ins - at least for the next three gameweeks - so there aren't any secure wins in prospect even for the biggest names, and certainly no huge margins of victory or easy clean sheets likely; moreover, most of the stronger teams at the lower end of the table have recovered so well in the past month or two that they no longer have many table-bonus prospects. However, Everton's David Moyes, Brentford's Thomas Frank, Forest's Nuno Espirito Santo and Wolves's Vitor Pereira have a fairly soft closing-run of fixtures, which might offer a tempting prospect of being able to stay with the same manager choice for all three weeks. I fear Everton and Forest are rather going off the boil, but Brentford have a happy knack of scoring plenty of goals even in games they lose, so are probably the most appealing points prospect for this chip now; though I do suspect that Wolves are in such ebullient mood at the moment that they could well pull off a table-bonus win against City tonight!

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET The Boycott; though I'm willing to comment on its possible use, I actually loathe the pointless innovation of the 'Assistant Manager' chip - and I have been urging people to please consider quitting the game, or at least refusing to use the chip, in protest. 

But if you couldn'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 

Dilemmas of the Week - GW34

 

There again don't seem to have been that many new injuries this week. 

But of course, this is a Blank Gameweek, with the four teams who had double-fixtures last week - City, Palace, Villa, and Arsenal - missing a game this week, because of the FA Cup Semi-Finals. (Nottingham Forest, also playing in the Cup this weekend, don't play their League game against Brentford until Thursday; but the League has decided that that's still part of Gameweek 34, rather than the more adjacent Gameweek 35, so..... no double for you!) Those who invested particularly heavily in doubling players last week are probably obliged to play their Free Hit (or Wildcard) this week to fill all the gaps those players will leave in their squad; and, if they haven't still got a rebuild chip to use for that.... a world of pain, taking multiple hits and/or putting out a short team.

In addition to those teams missing because of the FA Cup round, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Spurs might be decimated by precautionary rotations ahead of their massive European semi-finals this coming week.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, 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 34?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Mikel Merino and Ben White missed Arsenal's midweek game against Palace with renewed injury concerns - but at least Arsenal don't have a league game this weekend.

Bournemouth's Lewis Cook has been struggling with tendinitis in an ankle, and seems likely to miss this week.

Brighton's Jan-Paul van Hecke will be out for at least a week under 'concussion protocols', after suffering a severe blow to the head in the final moments of last week's game against Brentford.

Malo Gusto had to come off against Fulham last week with a leg muscle problem; apparently not too serious, but is out of contention for the Everton game.

James Tarkowski looks set to miss the remainder of the season after straining a hamstring in last weekend's game against City. This is bad news for Everton, for whom he really has been a lynchpin for several seasons now. Michael Keane is a decent enough defender, but I don't think he comes anywhere near Tarkowski's levels in providing constant organisation and inspiration; and when he came on to replace him last week, the side immediately started looking much more vulnerable at the back.

Rodrigo Muniz missed last week's game with a training injury, and could be out for a little while. (Good news for fans of Raul, who may fancy Fulham's prospects against Southampton this weekend, but were wary of unpredictable rotations between the two strikers....)

Stephy Mavididi - Leicester's only dangerous player these days - had to come off last week with a muscle strain, and could miss the rest of the season.

Diogo Dalot has joined Manchester United's long injury list this week - with a calf strain that might sideline him for a few weeks.

And Fabian Schar was withdrawn against Villa last week, feeling hamstring tightness - so is a minor doubt for this week.

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

Joao Pedro, of course, is starting a three-match 'violent conduct' ban for his silly bit of argy-bargy with Nathan Collins last weekend. But at least there were no new totting-up bans last week. Likewise Ipswich's Leif Davis, suspended for three games for his horrific challenge on Bukayo Saka. (And Chris Richards - unable to get his absurdly unjust double-yellow dismissal last Saturday reviewed - has already served his one-match ban in the midweek game at Arsenal; but he isn't  in action in the League this weekend, anyway.)

Armando Broja - recently (and unfathomably) favoured to start over Beto for Everton - is a Chelsea loanee, and hence ineligable to play this week.

Evan Ferguson, who hasn't yet been getting much of a look-in at West Ham anyway, is similarly unable to to appear against Brighton.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

The entire Spurs team.... just stumbling from bad to worse, utterly shambolic in the last couple of outings. (And now probably saving themselves for Bodo/Glimt....)

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

Omar Marmoush and Nico O'Reilly (and Matheus Nunes) continue to look outstanding for City. But unfortunately, no-one else at the club does, which rather limits their appeal too - especially with a blank this week, and only one straightforward fixture in their last four....

Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen continue to look very promising forward picks with massively improved Wolves; and this week, you might even go for both of them!

Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford were both outstanding in one half of last week's double-header - but unfortunately, there's now a likelihood of inscrutable rotation between the two of them. And they too are blanking this weekend, because of the Cup.

So, acquisitions for this weekend are mainly focused on players from teams facing the bottom-end clubs, Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton.... and West Ham and Spurs.

ADDENDUM: I omitted to say this originally, but I would be very tempted to have a punt on Trent Alexander-Arnold this week, after the rousing moment of his crucial late goal against Leicester. I remain not fully convinced about Trent's overall usefulness - how fully he fits a specific role for any given team, beyond his undoubted ability to occasionally swing a game with a moment of brilliance... which, marvellous though it is to have, is, unfortunately, not enough - and he's probably not yet 100% fit again, and I probably wouldn't be starting him any more, if he really is bound for Madrid in a couple of months, but... his spirits are obviously sky-high at the moment, and with the emotion surrounding the prospect of Liverpool clinching the title at Anfield (with four weeks left!!), I would be very surprised if Slot didn't start him against Spurs... and if he doesn't have a big game. And, since most people are surely playing a Free Hit or a Wildcard this week, it's a reshuffle, a gamble that's easy to take. Go on - you know you want to.

Most people have probably used the 'Assistant Manager' chip by now - wanting to keep the tail-end of the season free to play other chips, like Bench Boost, Free Hit, and Wildcard. If it is still in play, Vitor Pereira and Wolves look like the best bet for posting a big goal-tally against woeful Leicester. If you're chasing the siren table-bonus opportunity, David Moyes and Everton - as usual! - look the strongest prospect for that, against floundering Chelsea (although I wonder how much momentum Everton will lose with the absence of Tarkowski to hold them together). However, there are plenty of other possibilities, and Southampton caretaker manager Simon Rusk (who only costs 0.5 million!) against flakey Fulham, or (no, don't laugh!) United's Ruben Amorim against faltering Bournemouth could be tempting left-field options.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET The Boycott; I loathe the pointless innovation of the 'Assistant Manager' chip - and I have been urging everyone to please consider quitting the game, or at least refusing to use the chip, in protest. 

But if you couldn'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 

Dilemmas of the Week - GW33

Amazingly, there don't seem to have been many major new injuries this week. But once again, the main uncertainties will arise from how physically and emotionally strung out - and hence, below par in performance - Arsenal and Villa and Spurs and Manchester United and Chelsea may be after their big European games in midweek. And with all of those but Villa now facing semi-finals in those competitions shortly, precautionary 'rest rotations' are a huge hazard for FPL managers (this is why you really need a good bench at this time of year!).

Of course, it's a Double Gameweek; but it's a very bad one - curb your enthusiasm.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, 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 33?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Jorginho suffered bruised ribs against Brentford last weekend, and looks like being unavailable this week.

Ipswich's Liam Delap is also suffering with bruised ribs, and only got short minutes against Chelsea last week.

Ederson strained a groin muscle against Palace last week, and his recovery timeline is uncertain - so, Stefan Ortega will be deputising for him again.

At Manchester United, Joshua Zirkzee pulled a hamstring in last week's game and has been ruled out for the rest of the season, while promising young defender Ayden Heaven missed out against Lyon in midweek with a training-ground knock. But at least Luke Shaw is back in contention again now, after managing an extended appearance in the European game.

Southampton striker Paul Onuachu had to go off against Villa last Saturday with an ankle problem, and remains a doubt.

Postecoglou was trying to be upbeat about the condition of James Maddison after he was laid out by a heavy collision with the Frankfurt keeper on Thursday night, but 'concussion protocols' must surely keep him out this weekend.... and possibly next as well? Son Heung-min had to drop out of last week's game at Wolves with a foot injury, and was unable to be involved against Frankfurt either.

At West Ham, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a slight doubt with a bruised toe.

Wolves's Matt Doherty and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde were both withdrawn in the Spurs game 'as a precaution', but remain slight doubts for this weekend. Having an excuse to rest Bellegarde might be convenient for Vitor Pereira, since it allows an easy path to reintroducing Matheus Cunha - who will surely get in a sulk if he's left on the bench much longer.

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

Remarkably - we have no new suspensions this week.

But all the teams that just played in Europe - Arsenal, Villa, Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea - are likely to be seriously fatigued and below their best.... and (except for poor Villa) may be resting key players ahead of the semi-finals. That is particularly a concern in regard to Bukayo Saka, who I would expect to get very short minutes in the League until the PSG games are out of the way.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

It would be tempting to omit Asensio, Eze, and Saka for crimes against penalty-taking in this past week!

But on a more serious note, there must now be grave doubts about retaining any Palace players: they don't have the easiest run-in, and their confidence must be dented by suffering two such heavy defeats inside a few days. While they were just a bit unlucky in the close-fought game with City at the weekend, against Newcastle in midweek they were absolutely abysmal.

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

Kevin DeBruyne, Omar Marmoush, and Nico O'Reilly were outstanding in the comeback win against Palace last Saturday. However, the rest of the City team were still pretty poor.... Moreover, O'Reilly is a surprisingly expensive 4.9 million, and is - unfortunately - classified in the game as a midfielder, which greatly lessens his appeal. Marmoush, though in impressive form, is still probably not quite a top three forward pick (outside of the current double gameweek, anyway). And KDB.... well, he's made a bit of a habit of rousing himself to a superb 'comeback' performance soon after returning from a long absence, but he's rarely managed to hit quite the same heights subsequently. He's nearly 34 now, and has struggled with a string of persistent injuries over the last few seasons: it's very difficult to imagine him playing a full 90 minutes very often, and certainly not twice within four days.

Most people have probably done with the dratted 'Assistant Manager' chip now - wanting to keep the last few weeks of the season (and the Double Gameweek resulting from the FA Cup Semi-Finals) open for playing their Bench Boost (and/or, perhaps, their Triple Captain chip), while keeping their Free Hit and/or 2nd Wildcard available till now to help deal with these tricky blanks and doubles at the end of the season. If anyone does still have AssMan in play, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are surely the favourites for this week: they're the only one of the doubling teams that look likely to register 2 wins (and probably at least 1, maybe 2 clean sheets as well); none of the others looks to have a great chance of managing even 1 win. Some might fancy Ange and his Spurs to pull off a table-bonus upset against Forest, but in the midst of their battle for European consolation, and possibly - probably - without Son and Maddison this week, that looks extremely unlikely to me. David Moyes's Everton, however, could well nick something off still rickety Manchester City....

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET The Boycott; I loathe the pointless innovation of the 'Assistant Manager' chip - and I have been urging everyone to please consider quitting the game, or at least refusing to use the chip, in protest. 

And if you couldn'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 

Dilemmas of the Week - GW32

Well, amazingly, there don't seem to have been any major new injury worries arising out of this week's European games - although there'll still be a lot of doubts about precautionary restings ahead of the second-leg games next week; and there are, of course, still some doubts hanging over us from last week. So, this should be quite a short round-up this week.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups, 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 32?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

The main concerns are at Arsenal, where Saka, Rice, and Timber were all taken off against Real in some discomfort on Wednesday and are now doubts. Although with the huge rematch at the Bernabeu only days away, I think we were all expecting they'd get bench minutes at best this weekend anyway. The risk of rest or injury after this pivotal game for their doublle gameweek following also presents a huge conundrum for us.

Villa appear to be all in good knick (even Ross Barkley's just about back...), but some rotations seem likely ahead of their return leg against PSG; although they've got a bit of a mountain to climb in that one, they have to try to climb it - so Morgan Rogers is probably favourite to be dropped to the bench this week, and Watkins too, I should imagine. Unfortunate, as a game against Southampton is usually almost as good as a double-fixture!

Kaoru Mitoma is suffering with a painful heel, and so a big doubt for the Leicester game today.

Phil Foden suffered a knock in the Manchester derby last weekend, and Pep doesn't fancy his chances this week. (But few of us have fancied his chances in FPL for a while now, alas....)

Forest are facing some problems, with Chris Wood's back-up No. 9 Taiwo Awoniyi going down with a hamstring injury ahead of last week's game against Villa, and recent hero Anthony Elanga having to be withdrawn at half-time in that game with muscle discomfort; it's looking like they could both be out for a few games at least. However, Chris Wood is finally back in training and might be able to return this week, while Jota Silva (who I fancied as a very speculative 'pick of the week' back in early December when he'd been getting a run of starts) has been quite the super-sub lately, and is a natural replacement for Elanga.

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

Marc Guehi, Eddie Nketiah, and Jan-Paul van Hecke all miss this weekend after their double-yellow-card madness (the two Palace men were lucky to escape straight reds and a longer ban for their second fouls!) in the 'derby' game last week. It's only a one-game ban, so Guehi and Nketiah will be available for the midweek game against Newcastle.

And Facundo Buonanotte, a loanee, is ineligible to turn out for Leicester against Brighton.

Matheus Cunha has completed his four-game ban, but might start on the bench this week, as Vitor Pereira has stated very strongly that he doesn't want to disturb his winning line-up.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Well, City still fail to convince, United, while looking decent at the back now, are still impotent going forward, and Spurs, despite getting the inevitable comfortable win against non-entities Southampton, still look pretty dreadful. (Although a case can be made for a rare representative of these faltering sides: Marmoush, Garnacho, Mazraoui, Johnson...)

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

Not really, no. People are getting excited about Ryan Sessegnon after his recent goal splurge for Fulham, but - as with Ismaila Sarr a couple of weeks back - that could very well be a flash-in-the-pan. Calvin Bassey was the real standout for Fulham last weekend; but I wouldn't be in any rush to buy him either - as Fulham's form continues to look a bit flakey.

And Jørgen Strand Larsen, of course, has been on a tear for the last few games - but they were three games against very poor teams. Howeever, I think his form looks really good, and that he can probably continue to produce for the rest of the season (especially with Cunha back to support him); probably the strongest budget forward pick at the moment.

Palace are favourite for an 'Assistant Manager' ploy this week, as they have a double-fixture (and another one next week, if you've still got more weeks live on the chip: another chance of an elevated return, without having to switch managers). However, it's not a particularly promising double-fixture (though both of this week's games and next week's visit to Arsenal could yield table-bonuses), and they're stretched thin in defence without Guehi for the City game. A lot of people are enthusiastic about doubling Newcastle too, but that looks a much weaker alternative to me, with no table-bonuses available, and a strong chance that, even at home, they'll drop points in one or both games. Others favour Villa's chances of a big win over Southampton; but again, no table-bonus, Villa haven't been a particularly prolific team (and Southampton have at least been picking up the occasional goal lately, so a clean sheet isn't a sure-thing either), and there are so many doubts about how tired they might be after the PSG game, and who might start on the bench. For me, the chance of Everton causing an upset against Forest or Brentford against Arsenal offer the only tempting alternative to Palace this week.

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 

Dilemmas of the Week - GW31

Fixture congestion is taking its toll on player fitness now: we've had a fair old splurge of new player injuries ths past week (including the two most popular defenders!). And the 'business end' of the European competitions getting under way next midweek no doubt means that we're going to see a lot of 'rest rotation' - especially for key players, or anyone who's suffering some sort of fitness issue. I feel sorry for anyone who's recently used their Wildcard.... and now finds themself with 4, 5, 6 injuries occurring all at once. Life's a bitch.

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 31?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

The BIG NEWS of the week is that Gabriel - the highest-owned defender in the game - has suffered a serious hamstring injury and is likely to miss the rest of the season. Arsenal could be getting stretched a bit thin in defence as Ben White missed the midweek game with another problem in his troublesome knee, and Jurrien Timber had to come off in that game after suffering a knock to his knee. Arteta is hopeful they have 'a chance' of being available this weekend, but they're certainly doubts.

Leon Bailey missed the midweek game for Villa with a training knock, and remains doubtful. And Ollie Watkins has apparently been struggling with a knee problem - so seems likely to get short minutes ahead of the Champions League quarter-final next week.

Giorginho Rutter was absent in midweek as a result of an ankle problem picked up in the weekend's Cup game against Forest; and Hurzeler now thinks it could keep him out for the rest of the season.

Justin Kluivert was a last-minute withdrawal in midweek with a muscle problem, and remains doubtful for the weekend.

Chelsea's Romeo Lavia, who was finally set for a comeback after a long injury absence, succumbed to another muscle injury ahead of the midweek game and looks set to be out for a while again. (Indirectly relevant to FPL, I feel; while probably no-one would pick Lavia himself,.... Chelsea do play much better with him in the side, and that would improve the points prospects for Palmer, Jackson, Fenandez, etc.)  On a more positive note, Nicolas Jackson was immediately in excellent form on his return against Spurs on Thursday; and Noni Madueke is poised to come back as well, possibly this weekend.

Everton's Jesper Lindstrom has a groin injury, which sounds potentially quite serious. Again, that's one that could have knock-on effects: few people would own Lindstrom himself, but he has been a major element in Everton's recent success.

Attacking left-back Leif Davis, possibly the only Ipswich player anyone would still consider owning, was absent in midweek because of a leg injury suffered in training.

Alisson was yet another late withdrawal in midweek. Liverpool had originally been optimistic about him being able to play, but apparently he 'failed' a last-minute check under 'concussion protocols' (after taking a bang on the head playing for Brazil 10 days ago) - so is probably touch-and-go for this weekend too.

Matthijs De Ligt is doubtful, suffering a knock. But Mason Mount looked sharp on his return for United against Forest.

Many woes for Newcastle: Alexander Isak had to come off after just over an hour against Brentford, feeling discomfort in his groin; Anthony Gordon, three-match suspension now over, hasn't been in training because of a thigh muscle problem hi picked up playing for England a couple of weeks ago; and Joelinton is also suffering with a hip problem. Particularly worrisome news for anyone who was banking on some of these guys, or any Newcastle players, for their Double Gameweek next week.

Forest's Ola Aina (the second most-owned defender in FPL!) had to come off quite early against United, after straining a calf-muscle - likely to be out for a few weeks. (Harry Toffolo expected to come in at left-back, Nico Williams switching to the right to cover for Aina.)

Paul Onuachu, Southampton's goal hero against Palace, picked up an ankle injury in that game.

Mohammad Kudus missed the midweek game for West Ham with a hip problem, but Graham Potter is hopeful he might be recovered.

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

Well, Southampton's Flynn Downes has picked up a two-game ban for reaching 10 yellow cards for the season - but that can have no FPL relevance for anyone. 

Matheus Cunha is completing his four-match ban this weekend.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

With Spurs's continuing abysmal form and a make-or-break European tie against Frankfurt coming up, I wouldn't trust any of their players... even to get minutes; Ange is almost sure to rotate a lot in the Southampton game. (Pity - because you generally fancy anyone against Southampton!)

I'd be wary of West Ham too. They've looked pretty terrible of late, and are also likely to suffer a lot of rotations because..... constant tinkering is Potter's style.

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

Well, Chelsea look rejuvenated by the reappearance of Nicolas Jackson to lead the line. I'm not sure that he'd immediately be a promising forward pick (although Chelsea do have quite a nice fixture-run this month), but Cole Palmer - and perhaps even Enzo Fernandez - starts to look an appealing prospect again as a result of having a dangerous target man to look for. Palmer might get a further lift from the imminent return of Noni Madueke too.

Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford are continuing to look very lively and dangerous for Villa too - although I'm not excited by their overall team form, or their upcoming fixtures (apart from Southampton next week; although they tend to be dreadful straight after a European game, so even that one might not be the gimme it should be for them).

Frustratingly, Brighton's surprise home defeat by Villa in midweek means that their lead over Palace has shrunk to four places - denying 'Assistant Manager' players their most promising pick for a table-bonus win this week. Leicester against Newcastle, Southampton against Spurs, or West Ham against Bournemouth look very unpromising for a table-bonus return. Fulham have a good record so far for picking up these coveted table-bonus points; but I don't think anybody would give them much of a hope against Liverpool. Many people fancy Villa's chances against Forest (it's a Midlands derby, I suppose; they can sometimes throw up more unexpected results...), but I'd prefer Everton's chances of at least getting a draw from Arsenal; and Thomas Frank's Brentford are well capable of nicking a win from Chelsea (although there are signs that Chelsea are finally getting their act together again...) - so, they'd probably be my AssMan pick for the week. Or perhaps United can pull off a surprise in the Manchester derby (there's never been a better time!)?? I think you have to chase these table-bonus prospects, because even a draw can be so valuable; and none of the better teams playing a lower-ranked club this week look as if they can be relied on for a comfortable win.

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 

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