Team Talk Game-week 23 FPL Fantasy Premier League
Welcome to GW23, a pleasant little midweek two-dayer, with loads of opportunities to score heavily. Kicking off this evening we have Juan Mata being unveiled as a Red ahead of United’s match with Cardiff, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returns to his old stomping ground. Norwich entertain a Newcastle side, who have to do without PSG-bound Yohan Cabaye, Arsenal travel down to Southampton with a fit-again Aaron Ramsey in their ranks but with Jack Wilshire injured again and then we have a real six-pointer near the bottom with Swansea hosting Fulham down at the Liberty Stadium. And that’s just the 7.45pm’s!! We have two 8pm starts as Hull visit Crystal Palace and then the big one, the Merseyside Derby, as Everton take the short trip across Stanley Park to Anfield.
Wednesday is no less manic as we have the Midlands derby as Aston Villa welcome WBA, there’s a London derby at the Bridge as Chelsea meet West Ham, Sunderland host Stoke and Man City take the trip down to North London to face Tim Sherwood’s Tottenham.
So, huge opportunities for FPL managers – let’s take a trip around the grounds and catch up on the latest team news.
Man Utd vs Cardiff City (Tues 28 Jan 19.45)
The big question on everyone’s lips….. will Juan Mata start the match? Not long now to wait and see, but Moyes has confirmed he will likely feature at the very least. RvP, Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini all trained on Monday, with RvP believed to be the closest to a start. Michael Carrick is out for three weeks with an ankle injury and Nemanja Vidic is suspended. Rio Ferdinand and Nani remain sidelined, while Anderson is munching his way around Florence.
On his return to Old Trafford, Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reports no new injuries, meaning defenders Andrew Taylor and Matthew Connolly remain on the sidelines with ankle problems and midfielder Don Cowie has a calf strain. New signings Kenwynne Jones and Fabio will not feature, but will be unleashed on Norwich at the weekend.
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Norwich vs Newcastle (Tues 28 Jan 19.45)
Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye has played his last game for Newcastle as he seals his dream move to PSG. Striker Papiss Cisse also misses out, but with a back injury – he won’t leave until the summer, while Yoan Gouffran also doesn’t make the trip as he is carrying a small knock. Defender Mathieu Debuchy returns from suspension, but defenders Fabricio Coloccini and Ryan Taylor continue to miss out through injury.
Norwich have to do without Michael Turner, Elliott Bennett and Jonny Howson for a few weeks, while loanee Jonas Guiterrez is ineligible to play against his parent club. Midfielder Alex Tettey may be considered after recovering from injury that has sidelined him since October.
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Southampton vs Arsenal (Tues 28 Jan 19.45)
Jack Wilshire is extremely doubtful with an ankle injury, but Thomas Vermaelen, Aaron Ramsey & Mikel Arteta are all back in the Gunners squad. Lukas Podolski is vying with Olivier Giroud for a starting spot after scoring a brace vs Coventry, but Alex Oxlade Chamberlain is still not 100% match fit and may not start, while Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky continue to miss out.
Saints striker and wannabe middleweight Dani Osvaldo is suspended after a training ground spat with Jose Fonte, while Dejan Lovren and Gaston Ramirez are out with ankle injuries. Better news of midfielder Victor Wanyama, who could make the squad after a seven week lay-off. Keeper Artur Boruc is fit, but Rickie Lambert will have to be assessed before the game as he struggles with a hamstring injury.
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Swansea vs Fulham Tues (28 Jan 19.45)
Fulham defenders Fernando Amorebieta and John Arne Riise are both doubtful, while fellow defender Matthew Briggs remains out with a hernia.
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel regarding injuries as Pablo Hernandez, Roland Lamah and Wayne Routledge are fit, Jonathan de Guzman hopes to return and Jonjo Shelvey, Nathan Dyer and keeper Michel Vorm all have outside chances of making the squad. Michu and Jose Canas remain out, but new signing David Ngog could go straight into the squad for the game.
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Crystal Palace vs Hull City (Tues 28 Jan 20.00)
Hull have no fresh injury concerns for the game, meaning the only absentees are James Chester and Sone Aluko. Robbie Brady is not quite ready for a start, but will feature at some point while Paul McShane is available. Shane Long has declared himself fit to make his debut, if selected and Tom Huddlestone returns from suspension.
Tony Pulis has to do without Jonathan Parr, who is suffering from concussion, while midfield duo Kagisho Dikgacoi and Jerome Thomas miss out with calf problems and Jack Hunt and Glenn Murray remain a fortnight away from action. On loan striker Cameron Jerome returns after missing out against his parent club last time out.
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Liverpool vs Everton (Tues 28 Jan 20.00)
Everton have a mini-crisis in defence as they attempt to keep Suarez and Sturridge quiet. Seamus Coleman definitely misses out with a hamstring injury, while Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin are doubts. Roberto Martinez is, however, hopeful Jagielka will make the game despite a slight hamstring complaint while the manager describes Distin as “touch and go, but Villa at the weekend is more realistic”. John Stones and Tony Hibbert are ready to fill in, with Antolin Alcaraz also ruled out. Stephen Pienaar will also need to be assessed before the game, but it is thought he will play, while it is rumoured that Ross Barkley may have a pain-killing injection to allow him to be involved. Gerard Deulofeu & Bryan Oviedo definitely miss out and new loan signing, striker Lacina Traore, is not ready to be involved.
Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen has trained, but may not be risked for the game, while Mamadou Sakho is 2-3 weeks away. Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Jose Enrique and Lucas all miss out as Brendan Rodgers believes he’ll select from a similar squad to the one he used in the Cup win at Bournemouth. Jon Flanagan is likely to start the game, but Rodgers hasn’t yet decided whether it will be on the left or right.
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Aston Villa vs West Brom (Weds 29 Jan 19.45)
Mixed news for new Baggies chief Pepe Mel – the good news is defender Gareth McAuley has recovered from a hamstring injury and striker Nicolas Anelka has said he will play on despite the FA charge against him. The bad news is that attacking midfielder Stephane Sessegnon is likely to be missing for another month and will undergo minor surgery on his groin problem this week.
Villa striker Gaby Agbonlahor is unlikely to play as he battles with a foot injury, but defender Nathan Baker is nearing a return to action after recovering from concussion. Midfielder Charles N’Zogbia and striker Libor Kozak remain sidelined.
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Chelsea vs West Ham (Weds 29 Jan 19.45)
Big Sam has the least injury worries for a long time, with only Joe Cole missing out through injury. Winston Reid has returned to training, but won’t be risked at Chelsea, while George McCartney & Joey O’Brien are available for selection. New signing Antonio Nocerino, a box-to-box midfielder, may be thrown straight into the squad, while new striker Marco Borriello is unlikely to be included as he has not played for six weeks.
Jose Mourinho sang the praises of striker Samuel Eto’o in his press conference today, but at the same time, there are some press reports that Demba Ba may be given a rare start against his old club. Fernando Torres is recovering well from injury but faces a further fortnight on the treatment table. New signing Mohamed Salah is not yet ready for his debut and midfielder Michael Essien has left the club for AC Milan.
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Sunderland vs Stoke City (Weds 29 Jan 19.45)
Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic returned at the weekend following five matches out and will return to league action at Sunderland, while Mark Hughes is still without injured trio Matthew Etherington, Andy Wilkinson and Robert Huth. Ryan Shawcross has a cracked wrist, but is expected to play. Jermaine Pennant has been released from the club but the boss is hopeful Peter Odemwingie will be in the squad for the trip to Sunderland.
Sunderland likewise have no new injury concerns, so will continue to be without keeper Kieran Westwood and defender Carlos Cuellar. Striker Connor Wickham has been recalled from his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday, while on loan signings, defender Santiago Vergini and keeper Oscar Ustari should both make the squad.
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Tottenham vs Man City (Weds 29 Jan 19.45)
Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that striker Alvaro Negredo and midfielder David Silva have recovered from injury and will be in the squad for the game, but James Milner, Javi Garcia and Samir Nasri all miss out – although Nasri is reported to have returned to training weeks ahead of schedule.
Tim Sherwood has to do without wingers Erik Lamela and Andros Townsend for the visit of City, but there is better news of midfielders Paulinho and Sandro and defenders Jan Vertonghen and Younes Kaboul, who are closing in on a return, but Sherwood is wary of bringing them back too soon. Fellow midfielder Etienne Capoue is also thought not to be in the manager’s thoughts as speculation grows he is looking to leave the club.
This article was written by Cookie.
41 with Aguero, Silva, Hazard and Kolorov to play. Not bad, not bad at all
Quick question for you all is Cabaye and Lallana for Mata and Stearling? Thank you
WC now active! Thinking of a cheap way into liverpool defence – do we think Toure and Flanagan will be nailed on for now?
Flanagan yes… he’s looked really solid, and with Johnson & Enrique out for the foreseeable future he’s now our best fit full back & can play either side.
Not so sure on Toure… would expect Sakho / Agger back within a couple of weeks and then Toure will be dropped.
Mignolett as keeper
47 with hazard, mannone, adam johnson, yaya toure, aguero, and ashley cole to go (messed up by putting cole in the squad, totally forgot he comes off bench mostly cos mou prefers azpi..and coleman didnt play, and chester is injuerd, so I have two defenders who actually played and if cole gets any game time then Ill get his points but if he doesnt Ill only get points from two..:L)
Ive got 39 with Kolarov Johnson Hazard Aguero and Adebayor to play. I have 4 points coming off the bench from Shaw (for Ramsey). I really regret not staying up for the deadline (1am in india) because now I have to use a transfer getting rid of Ramsey. What a wildcard I played. What’s the latest on Mutch and Coleman? Will they be back by the weekend? And who should i sell Ramsey for (I’ve considered Eriksen but i already have Adebayor)?
Veer, even at the deadline all that was clear was that Ramsey wasn’t in the squad – so I’m stuck with him too. Eriksen would be good, though wait to make sure he doesn’t get injured tonight…
I feel like the old Arsenal. Since Christmas I’ve just dropped, dropped, dropped. It is beyond annoying.
I’m really sorry mate, I feel awful.
I know Cookie, I am so grateful for your sympathy.
I’m there for you mate – I advise, you do the opposite.
What are you talking about?! When do I ever do the opposite of what you say Cookie?!
Bad spells like that happen to (almost) all of us, M&B. Just need to keep up hope, keep weeding out injured/dropped/transferred players and jumping on bandwagons, and wait for the gods to smile on you again. On the upside, you can still bounce back fast with a couple of good results – last GW I clawed back all the ground I’d lost in a rotten 6 GWs. (Now if only I can make up for the other rotten run I had…)
Yeah gkw, that is true… just 7/10 gw’s have been red arrows through annoying luck. Left a lot of points on the bench >_< Ward gets 8 on my bench, while Baines and Mert get me 1 combined! All rests on Kolarov for my defenders now!
So Team is:
Mannone
Ward Ryan Bennet Sagna
Hazard Silva Mata Ramsey
Aguero Suarez C Sturridge
Subs: Boruc Noone Dawson Chester
0.0M in the bank 1FT
So far 58 points (Noone in for Ramsey makes 60) and Mannone, Hazard, Silva and Aguero still to play… high 90’s maybe??
So obviously I need to sort Ramsey out, thinking taking:
A) take a 4 point hit and doing Ramsey and Chester out for Eriksen and McNaughton (3.8m Cardiff defender – started last 2 games)
B) Ramsey out for HBA (take a punt on him since Cabaye has left and Remy is out?)
C) Ramsey for Johnson? But honestly not a fan of this.
D) Ramsey and Dawson out for Eriksen and A.Willimas (basically will have 4.9M to spend on a defender)
I really want Eriksen in though, feel he can be a difference maker.
You should do A), or something similar, Shep – nobody can afford to have a player out injured till March. 60 is a great score, and although 80ish is more likely than high 90s that’s still bound to move you up very nicely.
GKW
High 90’s was me being very hopeful haha
Im also thinking option A – just sucks that I only have 3.8M to spend though, but need more peoples opinions before I do anything
Cookie? Milk?
Build on your great score, don’t take unnecessary hits. Replace Chester mate, and wait for further news on Ramsey.
Cookie as we discussed before Chester will be subbed by Bruce
But Im more concerned with Ramsey tbh.
Gotta call up Wenger and have a chat
Go Eriksen then mate, ship Ramsey out…just wait for Eriksen to get thru tonight unscathed.
Cookie,
Thats the plan.
Saw now that Wenger said he has a relapse in training and wont play against Cardiff.
After that its Liverpool away and United at home for Arsenal…
Whereas Eriksen has City tonight then a nice run of fixtures.
So basically tomorrow I will take the 4 point hit. Ramsey and Chester out for Eriksen and McNaughton
Good enough? Got no real options with only 3.8M to spend on a defender, who prob wont play for me haha
Shep, hold off on the Chester move if at possible, as seems a shame to take a hit for someone like him anyway. You may get away with it due it being a short time until the next deadline.
Cookie,
The problem is I am 0.2M short of doing Ramsey to Eriksen. So need to find it somewhere.
I know it is a shame but its the only way I see how.
If anything changes I will gladly bring him back (had him for a LONG time)
Sorry Shep was at the gym. I agree with Cookie. No point taking unnecessary hits for Chester. You have enough decent players to start next GW without the hit. And your score speaks volumes.
Id suggest D as i myself already brought in Eriksen last night. But i dont like the idea of a hit.
Ramsey to HBA is a potentially great move. With Gouffran, Remy and Cabaye out, HBA will be the main source of goals, hopefully, and he also takes set pieces. But then again, HBA faces Chelsea and Spurs in next 3 GWs so this move could turn out a bit dry in the short run.
Why dont just save transfer this week, play Noone (against Norwich, great fixture at home) and also play Dawson (against Hull, another good fixture).
Then use 2FTs next week to get the desired results?
The B
Thanks for the advise man.
So who would be the best defender for 4.9M? Well prob 4.8M since Eriksen is on 75% to go up.
I have had Dawson for a long time and its a cheap in to a good defensive team that will improve when Vertonghen returns and they have a very nice run of games coming up. And will need to keep clean sheets to push for Europe
So think A is more my option since I doubt I would play McNaughton much anyway, but will have to do the transfer this week and take the hit.
Option D could work if I find someone who I feel will do better in the long run than Dawson for 4.9/4.8M then I can take my time
And with Cabaye basically gone and no Ramsey everyone will prob jump on Eriksen and his price will rocket… So dont think I can sit back and think too long
Id suggest Williams since you already have AV and SOTON coverage at the back.
Swansea should be back to its ‘favourable days’. WH, Stoke, Cardiff and Palace in next 5 GWs is a very good schedule to get CSs for cheap.
The B
I dont have any AV defensive coverage.
Would you go Williams or who from AV?
think Davies might be a better Swansea option over Chico and Williams?
You and Cookie are making my life hard haha
Shep im in the same situation……my selling value for Ramsey is 6.6mil…..so ive few options as ive 0 in the bank……
what about Swansea/Cardiff coverage in midfield…..go for their set piece takers and try get 2/3 good weeks out of them……