Dilemmas of the Week - GW 31 (25/26)

Arsenal, Manchester City, Wolves and Crystal Palace, of course, have a Blank Gameweek this week - because their League games have been rescheduled to allow Arsenal and City to face each other in the League Cup Final on Sunday. At least, we don't have to worry this week about possibly unexpected rotations ahead of another important European clash - since there aren't any more of those until the beginning of April; indeed, there isn't even any more Premier League until April 10th! However, the teams who played in Europe this week, particularly those who had big games on Thursday - Villa, Forest, and Palace - are likely to be showing signs of weariness from that. And I'd imagine some of the Champions League participants too, probably Newcastle in particular after their emotionally draining double-header against Barcelona, will be a bit depleted by those games, even though they happened on Tuesday. At least there don't seem to have been too many new injuries over the past week; so, hopefully, this can be a fairly brief round-up.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

I've recently discovered this additional resource, the weekly Predicted Lineups from Fantasy Football Edits. My longtime standby for this sort of news, Fantasy Footall Scout, does usually provide some explanatory commentary on its predictions, even including reminders of the key injury concerns, and sometimes also some discussion of possible alternate selections; so, if you like a bit more detail with your 'probable lineups' for the week, that could still be the preferable roundup to look at. But because FPL Edits is so stripped-down, it's rather more straightforwardly accessible, easier to scan through quickly; and I think it's also perhaps a tad more reliable with its expected formations and lineups, and a little quicker to update.

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 31?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Jurrien Timber was pulled off just before half-time against Everton last week after suffering a heavy knock, and he wasn't able to take part against Leverkusen on Tuesday. Apparently an ankle problem, though not too serious: Arteta claims to be hopeful that he might be available for the League Cup on Sunday. That might just be the usual 'smoke-and-mirrors', but.... it doesn't seem like a problem that we should be still need to be worrying about for Gameweek 32 in the second week of April.

A fair old injury crisis at the back for poor Chelsea this week: Trevoh Chalobah was stretchered off against PSG on Tuesday with an ankle injury; not as bad as first feared, but could sideline for six weeks or so (enough to put his World Cup chances in jeopardy). Reece James finally pinged his infamous hamstring again towards the end of last week's Newcastle game; still being assessed, but his previous history with this sort of injury doesn't inspire optimism that he'll be playing much further part this season. And Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile were both wiped out by illness this week (there's something going around...). Goalie Filip Jorgensen also missed out against Newcastle with a sudden groin issue; and that, apparently has required surgery, which means he's likely to be unavailable for most of the rest of the season (good news, at least, for Robert Sanchez - and anyone who still owns him in FPL).

James Tarkowski was an unexpected absentee last week against Arsenal, having allegedly picked up a late knock in training. Moyes has been oddly enigmatic in failing to give any details at all on what the problem is or how long he might be out for; but if you need to ditch a player to make room for one of your blankers on the bench this week, he's suddenly looking like a prime candidate. (And, given that he's the third highest scoring defender in the game this year, after only the gobsmacking Arsenal pair of Gabriel and Timber, how was he owned by only 11.5% of FPL managers??)

Emile Smith Rowe was another surprise omission last week, having suddenly complained of feeling a muscle problem in training shortly before the game.

Mo Salah is another doubt this weekend, having asked to come off with a quarter of an hour left against Galatasary on Tuesday after feeling stiffness in his leg.

Noussair Mazraoui is another who's been down with illness this week, though Michael Carrick is bullish about him being OK again this weekend (though not a regular starter, anyway!).

Sandro Tonali had to come off with a muscle problem (groin and/or hip??) against Barcelona this week, and looks very doubtful for this weekend.

Sunderland defensive stalwart Dan Ballard (owned by nearly 4.0% in FPL) had to come off against Brighton last week with a tight hamstring; seems not too serious, but makes him a doubt for the derby game. Robin Roefs, however, might be back - at least on the bench - this week.

Yet more injury woes for Spurs: Yves Bissouma (although he hasn't been getting regular gametime this year) missed out at Liverpool last week because of a muscle injury. And Dominic Solanke was unable to take part against Atleti on Tuesday because of a hip problem - although Tudor seems hopeful that he'll have shaken it off in time to face Forest on Sunday.

Wolves - remarkably - have NO PLAYERS listed as injured this week.

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

Leeds's Gabriel Gudmundsson, sent off for two yellow cards against Palace last weekend, is the only suspension this week. Wow!

Tyrique George is a loanee from Chelsea, so can't play for Everton against them this week.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

A lot of people have been turning against Haaland for his patchy returns in the past couple of months or so. But that's always a high-risk strategy: even if he hasn't scored much recently, he is still the best forward in the league, and playing for the best creative team in the league (well, OK, Manchester United are making a fight of that at the moment; but one of the best creative teams....).

I observed ruefully last week that Spurs players had been looking like poison for a while,... and Liverpool players were suddenly not so very far behind them in the under-performing stakes. But Spurs were immeasurably better at Anfield last Sunday; and Liverpool weren't. But perhaps Liverpool have now turned their form around with a much better performance in the Champions League? (Although, that was only against Galatasaray; and they had a very poor game....)  I'd still treat Fantasy selections from both teams with extreme caution; especially Spurs! But in the last few months, it is Florian Wirtz who's been making Liverpool tick; and now that he's back from injury, we're seeing immediate results. (Having Szoboszlai released from the right full-back role helps enormously too! Although Frimpong still doesn't look at all convincing there, especially defensively.)

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

Cole Palmer, despite still only looking at around 85% or 90% of full fitness, came very, very close to a 20-point game against Newcastle. And I'm still banging the drum for Marcus Tavernier too; he put on another superb display for Bournemouth - without actually being rewarded with any FPL points (he is now very much due). Dwight McNeil, suddenly back in David Moyes's good books after being in limbo for most of the season, is starting to look pretty tasty too.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 30 (25/26)

 

Although it was a dismal week in Europe for the English clubs, at least we seem to have come through the ordeal with no new injuries. And last weekend's FA Cup ties were mercifully free of casualties too. And some teams who'd exited the Cup early and aren't involved in Europe were able to take brief warm-weather breaks this past week. Touch wood, despite the ongoing dismal weather in England, it looks as though the peak of the inevitable midwinter injury crisis may now be passing. Although, with 9 teams facing difficult return legs in the European competitions this coming midweek, there is an extremely high risk of rotations this weekend - and, with that, probably an increased likelihood of some eccentric results.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

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

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Leandro Trossard came off early in the Cup game against Mansfield with a muscle problem, and wasn't involved against Leverkusen midweek.

Matty Cash had to come off at half-time against Chelsea in GW29 with a calf problem, but it looks as though he should be available again this weekend.

Rico Henry, only recently reintroduced after a long lay-off, has picked up a serious hamstring strain which looks as though it might keep him out for the rest of the season.

Kaoru Mitoma came off at half-time against Arsenal in GW29 with an ankle problem. Scans reveal nothing serious, but he has been struggling with pain and hasn't trained much since.

Daniel Munoz had to come off against Spurs in GW29 with a shoulder injury, and is still looking doubtful to return this week.

Leeds are suddenly missing their two preferred forward options, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering with a knee problem and Noah Okafor missing training this week with a hip issue. Presumably Lukas Nmecha, and perhaps also Joel Piroe, will get more of a chance while they're out.

Alisson missed the trip to Galatasary this week after feeling a muscle problem in training; Slot is hopeful he might be back this weekend.

Forest winger Dan Ndoye missed the European game on Thursday because of a training knock.

Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha suffered a clash of heads in Tuesday's game against Atletico Madrid, and will both have to miss this week. Conor Gallagher is also a doubt, having missed training with an illness this week.

Recently in-form winger Crysencio Summerville suffered a calf-strain in Monday night's Cup win over Brentford, and looks likely to miss out this weekend.

Jose Sa has been troubled by a persistent ankle injury, which led to him being omitted in the FA Cup game against Liverpool last weekend.

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

Pedro Neto is still suspended, having received an additional one-match bna from the FA for failing to leave the pitch promptly after being sent off for a second yellow-card offence against Arsenal at the start of the month.

Micky Van de Ven is suspended this week after being sent off for a 'denial of a goalscoring opportunity' against Palace in GW29.

Jadon Sancho is, remarkably, still a Manchester United player, and is thus ineligible to play against them for Villa this week.

Raul Jimenez will be missing for Fulham as his father has recently died.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Spurs, of course, have been FPL poison for months; but I rather fear Liverpool are getting there as well - they have been absolutely awful in the last few league games. Villa have also been in a very bad run - but at least Onana is back to give them a bit more steel in the middle of the park, McGinn should be close to a return, and Ollie Watkins managed to get on the scoresheet against Lille on Thursday, so... maybe things are about to turn around for them? (Just as Morgan Rogers became the week's most transferred-out player.....)

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

Marcus Tavernier - not Joao Pedro! - produced the 'Performance of the Gameweek' last time: he was absolutely magnificent, and very, very unlucky not to come away with a 20-point haul. This was a classic example of how the FPL points returns are often no guide at all to how well someone has played. Against Burnley this time, I'd seriously fancy him as a captaincy option. James Tarkowski and Marcos Senesi also recommended themselves as top defensive options - but they've actually been decent picks for most of the season, and many managers will have kept them since Gameweek 1.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 29 (25/26)

Not too many new injury doubts emerging at the weekend - but the ones we have seen all happen to be to very highly-owned players, so many FPL managers are facing a little bit of a crisis for this vexed Midweek Gameweek.

And with many of the managerial press conferences not happening until Tuesday, we won't have a clear picture of availability and likely line-ups until fairly shortly before the deadline. And, with evening kick-offs, late-breaking news on likely starting elevens - and the FPL deadline itself - will only happen after half the world has gone to bed.

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 29?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Declan Rice came off with a knock 15 minutes before the end against Chelsea on Sunday. Martin Odegaard was also missing (again) for that game, with a knee problem.

Bournemouth striker Evanilson suffered a dead leg against Sunderland on Saturday and has been struggling since.

Vitaly Janelt was a late omission against Burnley, and apparently has a metatarsal injury which will now keep him out for a while. Reiss Nelson, supposedly back from his long injury woes, also missed that match with a calf-strain, and remains doubtful.

Winger Marcus Edwards had to miss Burnley's last match after a training knock.

Joachim Andersen was an unexpected absentee for Fulham at the weekend because of illness; it's not clear if he's yet recovered.

Harry Wilson limped off 20 minutes before the end against Spurs after suffering a knock to his ankle, but Marco Silva seems hopeful he might be OK again for the West Ham game on Wednesday night. 

Joe Rodon, only recently back from injury, felt tightness in his hamstring against City at the week, but scans seem to be all clear, so Daniel Farke is hopeful he will be able to play this midweek.James Justin is also a doubt, after suffering a gashed leg in the weekend game.

The BIGGIE of this gameweek (of the season...) is that Erling Haaland missed the weekend's game against Leeds because of a late training knock, and Pep was initially hesitant to say when he might be back; but now, apparently, things are looking much more promising on that. Still, a yellow-flag is a yellow-flag....

Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire came off early on Sunday against Palace, suffering with a bug. (Just about nobody owns either of them at the moment; but it is worrying that other Manchester United players might suddenly drop out, if there's something going around.)

Jacob Ramsey was also pulled off at half-time against Everton because he was suffering with an illness. He is now reportedly over that problem, though it's not clear how much of training he's been able to attend since the weekend. Nick Woltemade has now been laid low (with the same bug?); and there may be concerns about something running through the Newcastle camp.

Stefan Ortega was another late omission at the weekend, having picked up a calf problem in the European game against Fenerbahce a few days before; not too serious, but he's likely to miss the game against City as well.

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

Maxence Lacroix has to serve a one-match ban for a 'denial of a goalscoring opportunity' offence at the weekend. Pedro Neto also has to miss a game after earning two yellow cards against Arsenal.

Cristian Romero and Freddie Potts are serving the last games of their long bans this gameweek.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

I haven't had any Newcastle or Palace players for a while, but I am worried that they are now joining Spurs in pariah territory.

And although Liverpool were ultimately able to come away with a high-scoring win against West Ham last Saturday, they were absolutely bloody awful (especially in the first-half, especially in defence) and scarcely deserved even a point from the game.

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

Jordan Pickford!!! (I have tended to feel all season that he's a bit too expensive, and that Everton's form isn't quite solid enough to justify him being an FPL goalkeeper pick, but.... he is the best keeper in the league. And he should have got 20 extra points for that save!)

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 28 (25/26)

 

Not too many major new injuries this week, it seems, but.... a fair few minor 'niggles' and uncertainties.

And of course, press conferences on Friday morning (in the UK) won't get widely reported (or at least not written up on the main FPL reference sites like Fantasy Football Scout) until mid- or late afternoon,... which is the middle of the night for folks like me, in East Asia. And dammit, Wolves v Villa is a Friday evening kick-off, so people in my timezone will be struggling to get fully up-to-date... before the extremely inconvenient FPL deadline. If I catch any late-breaking news this evening, I'll endeavour to update here (but, to be honest, I'm more likely to be down the pub!).

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 28?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Bukayo Saka is one of the biggest worries this week, having come off early with a 'knock' in the trouncing of Spurs last week. At least his absence would make room for the impressive Madueke to get more gametime. (And Kai Havertz and Max Dowman are thought to be nearly ready to rejoin the action too. They might also get a look-in on the right side of the forward trio.) Ben White missed last weekend's game owing to an unspecified niggling injury - but he seems to have fallen out of favour as a starter anyway.

Bournemouth's midfield stalwart Lewis Cook felt a problem in his hamstring in trainiing the day before last weekend's game; Iraola hopes it isn't too serious, but it's likely to keep him out this week as well.

Brentford appear to have lost two of their full-back options in quick succession: Michael Kayode missed last week's game with a late training injury, and Aaron HIckey had to come off with a knock in the first-half against Brighton. This might mean that Keane Lewis-Potter, lately more dangerous as an attacker, might have to go back to being a wing-back/full-back.

Carlos Alcaraz was unavailable to face Manchester United on Monday because of a training injury.

Fulham's young Brazilian winger Kevin had to come off with a knock in last week's game against Sunderland, and might be missing for a little while. Antonee Robinson was also a surprise absentee in that game, having apparently suffered an ankle injury late in the previous week's training.

The biggest uncertainty of the week is Florian Wirtz, who's really come into form over the past couple of months or so, and is now owned by 8.5% of managers. He missed last Sunday's game against Forest after straining his back in the warm-up, and remains a doubt; nearly 130,000 have already offloaded him this week.

Lisandro Martinez missed the Monday night trip to Everton with a calf issue, and is expected to be out for at least a couple of weeks. Bryan Mbeumo limped off near the end in that match, but it appears to have been just some cramp, and he's apparently been training again this week.

Jacob Ramsey dropped out of the squad to play Qarabag on Tuesday with a tight hamstring, but apparently scans have revealed nothing seriously amiss, so he might be available again for this weekend.

Sunderland are really in the wars: Nordi Mukiele limped off after just 10 minutes against Fulham last week with a calf-strain, and forwards Romaine Mundle (hamstring) and Brian Brobbey (groin strain) had to withdraw before the end. The little used Dennis Cirkin had also been unavailable because of an injury just before that match.

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

Wesley Fofana is serving a one-match ban for a second yellow card last week (and is lucky it wasn't more, as his clumsy lunge on James Ward-Prowse was worthy of a straight red).

Ladislav Krejci is also facing a one-match ban for picking up two yellow cards last week (he's rather unlucky, since he appeared to be just clearing the ball upfield because he hadn't heard the referee's whistle, when he earned his second). 

Cristian Romero is now serving the third instalment of a four-game ban (he's had an extra game added on automatically, because his clogging of Casemiro a couple of weeks back was his second red card of the season).

And West Ham's Freddie Potts is serving the second part of a three-game ban.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Pep's midfield rotations are getting more and more worrying: last week, Cherki, Foden, and Reijnders were all left on the bench. It makes you wonder how 'safe' any City picks are. Even Semenyo, I fear, might find himself in a three-way rotation with Cherki and Doku, once the latter is fully fit again.

And I'm afraid all Spurs players are avoid-like-the-plague options at the moment, as any 'new manager bounce' with Igor Tudor seems unliekly to be able to slow their death-spiral into the relegation zone.

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

Bournemouth's 19-year-old Brazilian winger, Rayan, is in sensational form at the moment; but, given his tender years, I doubt if he'll continue to start every week, now that Marcus Tavernier appears to be fit again.

Although he hasn't come up with a return in the last two games, Dango Ouattara is relishing finally getting a regular start at Brentford, and has come into some useful form in the past month or so (although I'd still probably incline towards Kevin Schade, if taking a second attacking asset from Brentford).

Benjamin Sesko and Martin Gyokeres finally seem to have found their scoring boots - although neither can be relied upon as an invariable starter (Gyokeres, perhaps, is very nearly so; although he might face some competition once Havertz is fully fit again; but, unfortunately, Arsenal are notoriously creating very few open-play chances this year, so even their most promising attacking players aren't as attractive for FPL as all that - if people are still sceptical of Saka, Gyokeres shouldn't be getting anywhere near consideration).

And young Nico O'Reilly, of course, produced the performance of the week last time with a fine brace of goals against Newcastle, and now bears the curse of being the gameweek's most transferred-in player (well, nearly - he is, somehow, being narrowly beaten by Virgil Van Dijk at the moment; they're both closing in on half a million new owners). But, as I just noted above, you really can't trust Pep to field any of his midfielders every week, no matter how well they play.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 27 (25/26)

We seem to have got past the awful winter injury avalanche; almost everyone who's going to get injured.... is now injured. For this week, anyway, we don't seem to have many new injury issues to worry about (despite the long gap since the last league games, and the welter of FA Cup and European play-off matches in the interim).

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 27?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Martin Odegaard was missing from Wednesday's trip to Wolves with a 'knock'. Bukayo Saka came off with 20 minutes left in that game, but that was probably just a cautious managing of workload, since he's only just back from an injury layoff (although it did look as if he might have jarred his right knee and/or ankle in an awkward challenge...). Leandro Trossard also came off against Wolves, shortly after being clattered in the face by Santiago Bueno's shoulder; however, Arteta has seemed bullish that it was nothing serious, and certainly not a 'concussion protocol' issue.

Burnley's Albanian forward Armando Broja has apparently picked up a knock which is likely to keep him out for at least a week or two (although I can't see how he was ever getting a start over Zian Flemming or Lyle Foster....).

Maxence Lacroix suffered a thigh-muscle injury in this Thursday's European tie: the severity of it is yet to be assessed, but he seems certain to miss this weekend. Jefferson Lerma had pulled a hamstring in the last league game against Burnley: not too bad, but could sideline him for up to a month. This will leave Palace badly stretched at the back, and possibly having to move someone like Munoz or Chadli into the back-three.

Samuel Chukwueze has a calf-strain, which will rule him out for this weekend at least.

Noah Okafor tweaked his hamstring in the Cup game against Birmingham last weekend, and could be out for up to a month (good news, probably, for Lukas Nmecha).

Erling Haaland has been the big worry of late, having been yellow-flagged for the past 10 days, after being withdrawn at half-time in the last league outing against Fulham and then rested altogether for the not terribly demanding Cup tie against Salford on Saturday, and reportedly suffering from some sort of niggling problem in one of his knees. However, it appears this may have been just precautionary minutes-management, and he is supposed to have been back in regular training this week. City youngster Max Alleyne had to come off in the Cup game against Salford after suffering a heavy collision - though he probably wouldn't have been a starter in the league anyway.

Sven Botman, complaining of a bad back, and Yoane Wissa, suffering with a training knock, both missed last weekend's Cup win over Villa, but Eddie Howe seems hopeful they might be available for selection again this week.

Forest full-back Nicolo Savona had to miss this week's European game with a knee problem, which needs further assessment - but seems likely to keep him out for a while.

Sunderland's Mozambican full-back Reinildo has picked up a knee injury which is set to keep him out for a month. (And although his ownership has dropped off a long way from its peak earlier in the season, nearly 3.5% of FPL managers still have him in their squad.)

Dominic Solanke was suffering with a virus at the start of the week, but rejoined training on Friday.

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

Marco Bizot apparently only has a one-match ban for a 'denial of a goal-scoring opportunity' in the Cup game against Newcastle - although it really looked more like a 'serious foul play/violent conduct' offence, which should incure a three-match suspension. (Although, of course, he isn't expected to start in the league anyway, if Emi Martinez is fit.)

Everton's Jake O'Brien also has a one-match ban for a 'denial of a goal-scoring opportunity' in their last league game against Bournemouth.

West Ham's Freddie Potts is starting a three-match ban for a 'serious foul play' challenge in the Cup game against Burton.

And Cristian Romero is still only half-way through his four-match suspension.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Well, apart from the entire Arsenal team.....  No, no, I jest, of course. No-one was conspicuously awful in the last batch of league games, or looks suddenly likely to be in danger of rotation.

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

Cole Palmer is starting to look sharp and hungry again (though he is still, I think, some way short of full fitness; and we can't rely on Joao Pedro picking up penalties for him every game...); what's more, Liam Rosenior seems to be evolving a style of play that suits him and might get the best out of him. Along with Joao Pedro, he's been the most transferred-in player for this week (folks no doubt further encouraged by a weak opponent in Burnley). People may be sleeping a little on Enzo Fernandez, who also seems to be benefitting enormously from the new tactical system.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 26 (25/26)

This is a weirdly long gameweek, with Wolves v Arsenal (moved forward from Gameweek 31, when Arsenal will now play against City in the League Cup Final) scheduled for next Wednesday evening - yet bizarrely attached to this gameweek rather than the much more adjacent one following. No, it makes no sense. Those two teams thus both enjoy a double gameweek (although 'enjoy' is probably not the appropriate word for experience Wolves supporters can expect).

Amazingly enough - for about the first time I can ever recall - there appear to be no new injuries emerging from the weekend's games; well, hardly any (only three??). However, since most of the week's press conferences happened on Monday morning, there is a chance that managers were not yet fully apprised of the latest 'bad news'; and, of course, more misfortunes may have unfolded during training on Monday or Tuesday. If I catch any late updates on Tuesday evening, I'll try to add them. (But I live in an advanced timezone, where the FPL deadline for this gameweek isn't until the early hours of the morning. So, I'll probably be in bed long before the 'late-breaking news' breaks... Sorry.)

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 26?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Leandro Trossard had to come off with an injury against Sunderland on Saturday: no further news on that, it seems.

Andrey Santos also left the field with an injury of some sort in the Wolves game (but he's a fairly infrequent starter, anyway).

Forest defender Murillo missed last Friday's game at Leeds with a calf-strain and might still be doubtful.

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

Dominik Szoboszlai is banned for one game, or his 'denial of a goalscoring opportunity offence' (even though, paradoxically, a 'goal' was still scored....) in the dying moments of Sunday's game against City. Since Joe Gomez appears to be still not fully fit, and Liverpool don't really have any other defenders any more, it seems likely that Curtis Jones will have to take his place on Wednesday as the latest makeshift right-back.

Cristian Romero is starting a three-match 'serious foul play' ban for clogging Caicedo at the weekend (although, to my mind, it was entirely accidental; rash and reckless, yes, but not vicious); no, sorry, it's actually a four-game ban, as he picks up an extra penalty for it being his second red card of the season. Radu Dragusin will probably to deputise for him (and if he or Van de Ven get injured, Spurs will presumably have to recruit one of their ball-boys into the defence...).

West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo is serving the second part of his three-game 'violent conduct' ban for having put his hand around Joao Pedro's throat the other week.

And Kevin Schade is serving the last leg of his three-match ban.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Last weekend already somehow feels like a month or so away (ah, all-day drinking during and after the Super Bowl yesterday - that would account for the worse-than-usual memory fog). So, no - no particular stinkers come to mind this time.

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

Most folks seem to have been using their transfers this week to load up for the Double Gameweek; although I find this quite baffling, as two games for Wolves is arguably more of a disadvantage than an advantage, and it's hard to see any of their players having better prospects than those you have already - even with the potential lift of a second fixture next week. And surely everyone ought to have three Arsenal players already??? (What's worse, the two most popular new picks are Gyokeres and Zubimendi, who - apart from a few players like Eze who might be unlikely to start in both games [but then, so is Gyokeres!] - are absolutely the last two I would pick for this double.)

Cole Palmer is also proving predictably popular with The Sheep (though not as popular as perhaps might have been expected, owing to the distracting gravity-well of the Arsenal double gameweek), having gained over 200,000 new owners since his 20-point haul at the weekend. I am one of Palmer's biggest fans, but I still didn't think his all-around performance looked all that sharp against Wolves: two of his goals were penalties (and pretty soft awards, at that); and he himself complained of being still not fully fit in his post-game interview. His inclusion requires a major squad revamp, as he'd currently be the only player priced above 9 million worth having (apart from Haaland), and thus everyone would surely have to make at least one or two additional transfers to shuffle the budget around to accommodate him. And I don't think he's worth that trouble, yet; he looks like he still needs at least one or two more weeks.

Diogo Dalot is the one player who's caught my eye - as having steadily better and better, more and more influential games in the last few weeks.

Oh, and Brentford's Dango Ouattara had an absolute banger of a game at the weekend.

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 25 (25/26)

Only the fairly uneventful League Cup Semi-Final Second Leg games have cluttered our midweek this time, so hopefully there should not have been too many more new injuries since the weekend. But doubtless there will have been some... And - oh damn! - that rescheduled Wolves v Arsenal game that's being brought forward from GW31 because Arsenal reached the League Cup Final.... is actually next week; (giving us an unwelcome early deadline for GW26): those two teams will play again on Tuesday evening, which might cause a bit of rotation uncertainty for Arsenal.

[Because I'm once again trying to do this roundup on Friday afternoon (my Friday afternoon; still early morning back in the UK), there is a chance that a lot of injury news won't have emerged yet. And we've got a Friday evening game deadline this week, ahead of the Leeds v Forest kick-off tonight. I'll try to add updates, if it transpires that there is more bad news in today's press conferences.]

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 25?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

Mikel Merino, who had to come off with a knock to the foot in the Manchester United match in Gameweek 23, was discovered to have fractured a bone and needed surgery on it this week; he's now expected to be out for at least 10-12 weeks. He's never looked like a regular starter, and so shouldn't have been in any FPL squads, but it does mean that Arsenal's midfield cover will be a little thinner if they incur any further injuries in that area. Rather more devastating for FPL  (although, owing to relatively muted returns so far this season, he was only in 12.5% of teams, a third or a quarter of what you'd usually expect), Bukayo Saka pulled out of last week's game after feeling a muscle problem during the warm-up; it's still unclear how serious that problem might be - which is a particular headache in FPL with Arsenal suddenly having a Double Gameweek next week, and Madueke having looked very impressive in deputising for Saka. If you have Saka, do you stick with him, hoping he might recover; or do you bring in Madueke as a third Arsenal pick now?? Martin Odegaard is also suffering with some kind of muscle issue; he was only used in the second-half last weekend, but felt some discomfort after the game, and was omitted in the League Cup tie against Chelsea on Tuesday as a result. (If this problem doesn't resolve quickly, Ebere Eze might suddenly become a tempting pick for the Double Gameweek...)

The recently impressive Yasin Ayari is going to be missing for Brighton this week, because of a minor shoulder injury.

Jamie Gittens, getting a rare start against West Ham last week, had to come off midway through the first-half with a hamstring problem - which now seems likely to sideline for him for 2-3 months. Estevao, who was absent last week because he'd had to fly back to Brazil owing to a family crisis, is apparently now back and could be available to play against Wolves. Pedro Neto also missed Tuesday's Cup game against Arsenal with a knock that leaves him still doubtful for the weekend. And Reece James is apparently struggling with a knock too.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was hoping to complete a deadline-day transfer to AC Milan, but failed his medical check owing to an ongoing knee niggle that's apparently been troubling him for some months. It has been reported that he might now undergo immediate surgery to try to fix the problem, so that he can pursue that move again in the summer.

Vitaly Mykolenko was absent last weekend because of a training knock.

Anton Stach is likely to be out this week and next because of a hip issue.

Rayan Cherki (knock) and Bernardo Silva (tight hamstring) were withdrawn early against Spurs last week, and missed the midweek Cup game against Newcastle - but might possibly be back in contention this weekend.

Lewis Miley has a knee problem, which kept him on the bench last weekend and out of the squad altogether in the League Cup on Wednesday. And Anthony Gordon had to retire early in Wednesday's cup tie with a tight hamstring.

Matz Sels came off at half-time last weekend with a groin injury. Since the impressive Stefan Ortega has just been transferred in from City, it seems likely he'll lose the start in the Forest goal even if he is fit again.

Djed Spence missed the City game last week with a calf-strain.

Ladislav Krejci was missing last weekend due to an illness, and no word yet on whether he's been able to rejoin training.

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

Kevin Schade is starting a three-match 'violent conduct' ban for his petulant poke of the foot into Matty Cash's midriff last week (one of those incidents that helps delineate the boundary of "Oh, come on - was that really violent???"). Jean-Clair Todibo is starting a three-match ban for throttling Joao Pedro at the end of last week's game, and seems set to have that extended to at least 5 games out. Amazingly, though, his teammates Adama Traore and Konstantinos Mavropanos, who were guilty of even more egregious offences in that messy affray, only received yellow cards from Anthony Taylor, and no retroactive disciplinary action against them seems to have been instituted.

Neco Williams has to miss a game for his goal-line 'Save of the Weekend' last week.

As I just mentioned above, Matz Sels (an injury doubt anyway, due to a groin strain which forced him to withdraw at half-time last week) seems very likely to lose his start at Forest to the newly-signed Stefan Ortega.

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

I am losing confidence in Newcastle, alas: they barely even have 11 first-team players they can start any more, and have been looking very, very flakey. If Bruno Guimaraes is still unable to start for them, they don't look like they can win against anyone; and they could take an abolute battering against an improving Brentford this week. Harvey Barnes is the only player there who's shown any really good form lately, anyway; and he can't be relied upon as an invariable starter. And I haven't had any confidence in Spurs for a long time now; but maybe, just maybe their second-half turnaround against City last week could prove to be the transitional moment of their season?? It's probably saved Thomas Frank's job for at least a couple more weeks; but I'm not at all optimistic about any general upswing in performance from them - they're still all avoid-like-the-plague picks for me.

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

Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz are looking very good at the moment; although I'd venture you probably only want to have one of them; and, for me, Ekitike's form looks the more robust (and there's less competition - virtually none at the moment! - for FPL selection among the forwards). Matheus Cunha is also looking very, very hot again - possibly now a better prospect even than Bruno Fernandes (impressively consistent this season, which he hasn't been, in FPL terms, for a good many years: his 'blanks' have been so few this year that you can safely treat him as a long-term hold) or Bryan Mbeumo (who looks the more natural, more regular goalscorer - but seems not to thrive when Cunha is on the pitch with him from the start).

I noted yesterday that a number of the midseason transfers might at least be worth keeping an eye on. Tammy Abraham at Villa and Jorgen Strand Larsen at Palace could have a valuable impact for those clubs; although they'll probably take a little time to settle in, and neither are bringing any strong recent form with them (and Abraham might not get many starts, if Ollie Watkins's thigh injury proves to be nothing serious). Angel Gomes at Wolves and Douglas Luiz returning to Villa are probably not going to be worth having in FPL themselves, but might be able to bolster their new clubs' midfields enough to slightly improve the points-potential of some of their teammates. Surely the two most intriguing prospects among the new arrivals, though, are Pascal Gross (who seems likely to get regular starts in an advanced central midfield role, where he could pick up quite a few attacking contributions - rather than as a holding player or as a makeshift right-back, as he so often was in the latter days of his previous spell at the club) and Stefan Ortega (so long as he immediately gets promoted to being Forest's first-choice keeper; I think he ought to be, but they've got two other strong options - and you never can tell about these things).

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 24 (25/26)

Midweek European games for 8 of our Premier League teams (most of them crucial to at least avoiding the hassle of an additional play-off round this month) have no doubt taken a toll, and even players who avoided any further injury worries may have earned a 'rest' this weekend. And although we've now got a two-week respite from European competition, there is a danger of some rotation at Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle ahead of the coming midweek League Cup Semi-Final Second Leg ties. There is yet again quite a nasty accumulation of doubts and niggles, but we do at least seem to have avoided any major catastrophes in these most recent games. [However, because I'm trying to do this roundup on Friday afternoon (my Friday afternoon; still early morning back in the UK), there is a chance that a lot of injury news won't have emerged yet. I'll try to add some updates tomorrow, if significant new information surfaces in today's managerial press conferences.]

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 24?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

William Saliba and Jurrien Timber missed the Champions League tie against Kairat on Wednesday with 'niggles'; but they probably would have been rested anyway for this dead rubber against one of the weakest sides in the competition - no reason to suppose they won't be back in the fray against Leeds.

Youri Tielemans hobbled off against Newcastle last week with an ankle injury, and Emery has said he expects him to be absent for 8-10 weeks. With a similar timeline on John McGinn's knee problem, and Boubacar Kamara probably ruled out for the rest of the season, Villa are suddenly looking very thin in midfield. Fortunately, they have been able to get Douglas Luiz back from Juventus on a loan deal for the rest of the season. (If he were on penalties again, like before, he could quickly become quite an interesting 'cheap fifth' prospect in FPL!)  To make things even worse, Ollie Watkins came off early in Thursday's Europa League game, after "feeling something" in his hamstring; Emery hopes it's nothing serious, but he's a yellow-flag for the weekend at the moment.

Kristoffer Ajer (ankle) and Mikkel Damsgaard (knee) both had to come off against Forest last week. Keith Andrews says they're not too serious, but might be a doubt for this weekend.

Brajan Gruda missed the game against Fulham last week with a knock, but is expected to be able to make it back against Everton.

Young midfielder (and regular recent starter) Justin Devenny and back-up defender Borna Sosa have apparently joined Palace's lengthy injury roster this week with muscle problems.

Leeds's back-up striker Lukas Nmecha also has a hamstring problem - which is expected to keep him out of action this week, but maybe not much longer.

Joe Gomez suffered a heavy knock on the leg against Bournemouth last weekend, which seems likely to keep him out this week at least; and Jeremie Frimpong succumbed to a groin strain in the midweek match against Qarabag. So, it looks as if Dominik Szoboszlai is yet again going to have to fill in at right-back. Curtis Jones, meanwhile, missed the Champions League game due to an illness.

In the biggest FPL news of the week, Patrick Dorgu, the Manchester United full-back suddenly reinvented as a goalscoring left-winger (and recently surging to nearly 10% ownership in FPL) had to limp off near the end of last week's stirring win over Arsenal. Michael Carrick was initially hopeful it might have been just a cramp at the top of his leg, but it seems it might be some sort of hamstring issue. The Internet has been awash with rumours that he's going to be out for 10-12 weeks (which is the typical 'worst case' for a serious hamstring strain), but there seems to have been no official confirmation of this yet; and the only reasonably authoritative source cited for such a gloomy prognosis is UK football magazine The Athletic - which might just have been reporting the speculation, rather than offering a definitive statement on the severity of the injury. He seems certain to be out this week, though; and probably for at least another two or three (which conveniently leaves room for the suddenly hot-again Matheus Cunha to take over on the left wing).

Bruno Guimaraes has been back in light training this week, and joined the team for the trip to PSG on Wednesday; but it sounds as though he is very much touch-and-go to start a game again just yet.

Forest full-back Nicolo Savona (not likely to be a regular starter any more, now that Ola Aina's finally available again) has some sort of knee problem that's going to keep him out for a while.

Micky Van de Ven had to miss the midweek win over Frankfurt with a knock (although Frank is hopeful he might be OK for this weekend), while Pedro Porro has apparently now developed a hamstring problem which will sideline him until at least the end of February. Poor Spurs will be playing their youth team soon. (Is Archie Gray going to have to step in at centre-back again if Micky isn't fit?)

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

Adam Wharton has to serve a one-match ban after committing two yellow-card fouls against Chelsea last time out. Michael Keane, however, has now completed his three-match ban for hair-pulling (although, with Jarrad Branthwaite now fit again, he might be unlikely to get a start again for a while).

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

This is one of those quirky paradoxes of FPL, but.... Bruno Fernandes - who has been one of the midfielders of the season so far - might actually be squeezed out of many FPL squads by the return to goalscoring form of Mbeumo and Cunha. You don't really want more than one, and certainly not more than two players from the same club in the same position; and the latter two are starting to look like potentially slightly preferable points prospects now. (Although that threatens to become a classic 'shell-game': whichever one - or two! - you pick, it will probably be the other one who returns the big points in the coming week! You can't win...)

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

Bryan Mbeumo (one of the league's most consistent and dangerous-looking forwards this year, even when United were struggling earlier in the season) and Matheus Cunha (surely now likely to enjoy a regular start again, at least for a little while) are delighting in the United renaissance under Michael Carrick and look in absolutely banging form at the moment (though this creates some vexing selection dilemmas in FPL-land: see above).

West Ham's Matheus Fernandes is relishing the greater creative responsibility he's been asked to take on in the absence of Lucas Paqueta over the last month or so (which now looks likely to become a permanent state of affairs, as Paqueta is reportedly on the brink of signing for Flamengo), and looks like he might be going on a little spree of banging in long-range goals - he could become an intriguing new option for a 'cheap fifth' midfielder (although there's already strong competition there from the likes of James Garner, Brenden Aaronson, and Elliot Anderson [the former two I plugged as interesting options a couple of weeks back]).

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!

Dilemmas of the Week - GW 23 (25/26)

It looks as though the midwinter injury onslaught may be slackening off a little at last, as remarkably few new problems seem to have emerged during the past week. However, it seems likely at this time of the year that a number of players are carrying 'hidden' injuries of some sort, and may be well below their best. Team form is certainly all over the place at the moment, and it's very difficult to assess relative fixture-difficulty or anticipate match outcomes with any confidence. Moreover, Liverpool, City, Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea are not yet assured of automatic qualification for the final phase of the Champions League, so might get tempted to rest key players ahead of the crucial last ties of the league phase next week. Palace and Forest, after their disappointing European results this week, also face massive games next week to guarantee their progression. Even if these looming European crunch matches don't affect player selection this weekend, they might be an unwelcome distraction in the players' minds. These are amongst the many reasons why it's a dreadful week to be considering playing any of the chips in!

I am trying to streamline these weekly round-ups a bit from last year, restricting myself for the most part to just the injuries etc. affecting 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've already been ruled out for some time!  

[For some years, I have found the 'Injuries & Bans' summary on Fantasy Football Scout the most reliable resource for this kind of information; although this site, Premier League Injuries, is a very good alternative (often a little quicker to update, I think - though it did go through a bit of a glitchy period for a while last year).  Go check these out for more comprehensive coverage. 

I see the Fantasy Premier League site has added an improved 'Player Availability' page this year (though hidden under 'The Scout' tab?!). That also seems to be reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date, but god knows how it's supposed to be 'organised' - maybe by 'date of injury'? Obviously, arranging it by club and alphabetical order would be more sensible; but the denizens of FPL Towers seem to have a deep aversion to the sensible.]

So, what are the conundrums we face ahead of Gameweek 23?

Does anybody need to be moved out because of injury?

No clear details have yet been anounced regarding the knee injury that forced John McGinn off against Everton last week (looked like a cartilage problem to me); Emery has said it's not too serious, but could keep him out for a few weeks at least - and that will likely have a big negative impact on the team as a whole, since he had been so crucial to Villa's strong performances at the end of last year.

Marcus Tavernier pulled a hamstring against Brighton last week.

Tosin Adarabioyo's withdrawal against Brentford last weekend because of hamstring tightness was initially described as 'precautionary', but it now seems he's going to be ruled out for some weeks. Filip Jorgensen had to come off in the midweek game against Pafos after a knock, although he was unlikely to be replacing Robert Sanchez as the league starter anyway. Cole Palmer was complaining again of discomfort in his thigh after the Brentford game and was subsequently omitted against Pafos.

Leeds defender Gabriel Gudmundsson (a surprisingly popular pick in FPL, with over 4% ownership) has been suffering with leg muscle problems in training this week, and seems likely to miss today's game against Fulham.

Jeremy Doku and Nathan Ake were apparently omitted from the line-up in the shocking defeat by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday because they felt problems during the warm-up, and are thus presumably very doubtful for this weekend. (At least that should mean that both Semenyo and Cherki can start....)

Bruno Guimaraes came off against PSV on Wednesday after suffering a knock to his ankle. It doesn't sound very serious, but he is a 'yellow flag' for the weekend.

Ben Davies broke his ankle in an unfortunate collision at West Ham last week, and will likely miss the rest of the season. Lucas Bergvall suffered a less serious ankle injury in the midweek game against Dortmund, looks set to be out for some weeks. I think Thomas Frank's been doing an awful job at Spurs; but you have to sympathise with his difficulties, now having 6 or 7 likely preferred starters sidelined long-term. At least Dominic Solanke was finally able to make a comeback against Dortmund - although there must be doubts about whether he's yet fit enough to play 90 minutes twice in succession.

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

Michael Keane is this week serving the last part of his three-match 'violent conduct' ban for hair-pulling.

Matheus Cunha had a good impact off the bench last week; but it's difficult to see how he's going to earn a regular start in the formation Carrick seems to want to play. Benjamin Sesko was another casualty of the new broom - although at least his pace and height may recommend him for certain fixtures (Arsenal this week?!), with Mbeumo probably moving to the right (at the expense of Diallo) to accommodate him occasionally as the No. 9.

Rob Edwards has said he intends to include Jørgen Strand Larsen 'in the squad' against City, despite his having just become the subject of a transfer bid; it might however be rather doubtful if he'll actually start in these circumstances (and Mané and Arokodare are starting to look like more than adequate substitutes for him anyway).

Did anyone give other cause to consider dropping them?

Rodri had a rare stinker against Bodo/Glimt in midweek; as did the whole City team, really. But you have to be wary of a 'wounded tiger'. City really need a 'statement win' now to restore confidence after a string of shakey performances, and I imagine they'll be fired up to try to give Wolves a proper spanking. (I wouldn't bet against Wolves to nick at least one goal off them, though.)

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

Well, I've been particularly glad to see Ben White back as the Arsenal right-back, and he was excellent last week; but, alas, he seems to have fallen somewhat out of favour with Mikel, and there must be doubts about whether he'll keep the start once Calafiori and Hincapie are available again. Karl Darlow, stepping up to replace the recently struggling Lucas Perri in goal for Leeds, had a very good game against Fulham. He's probably not good enough to get in anyone's FPL squad purely on merit (and there may be some doubts about how long he'll keep the start), but, at only 3.9 million pounds currently, he is looking like a very tempting 'budget-enabler' (much more so than the long-time favourite in that slot, Martin Dubravka; more expensive, and not in such convincing form recently).

And of course, Manchester United appear to be immediately transformed, their 'true potential' unlocked by Michael Carrick. Bruno Fernandes has been a top midfield pick for quite a while already, but he now faces competition - within his club quota! - from Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo in midfield, and also from Patrick Dorgu (a goalscoring defender is always nice to have) and Harry Maguire (he's finally back???).

BEST OF LUCK, EVERYONE!