Fantasy Premier League managers will have been cursing their misfortune over the past few days as a number of popular Premier League stars have succumbed to injuries.
When things start to unravel on FPL they usually do so in pretty spectacular fashion and that has certainly been the case ahead of Gameweek 7 with managers now having to shelve their best-laid transfer plans for the time being in order to react to an ever-growing injury list.
This past week hasn’t been kind to Gareth Southgate either as the England boss faces the prospect of being without a few key members of his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary next week. Judging by England’s recent performances against those two nations, though, an under-strength squad should have more than enough to collect six points.
This weekend’s round of Premier League matches are the last before the next international break and just like last time, it looks as though quarantine red tape could wreak havoc once more with a number of countries still stuck on the UK government’s red list for travel.
At the time of writing, the three most sold defenders ahead of this week’s FPL transfer deadline are all England international full backs. It’s a good job Southgate has a plentiful supply of options in that particular area of the pitch.
Luke Shaw (£5.5m) is just about clinging onto his status as the most selected defender in the game, despite being sold by just shy of half a million managers since Gameweek 6. Those who have dispensed of Shaw’s services may have been premature, however, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer issued a promising update on his condition after he limped off against Aston Villa.
“Luke, we might give a chance to but he didn’t train this morning. So maybe the best-case scenario is he will join us on the bench,” Solskjaer said before Manchester United’s Champions League tie against Villarreal.
Next on the list of discarded defenders is Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) who is the second most popular player in his position. Unlike Shaw, Alexander-Arnold looks certain to miss Liverpool’s Gameweek 7 match against Manchester City, after Jurgen Klopp admitted that the groin injury he sustained during training was more serious than initially thought.
Reece James (£5.6m) completes the triumvirate of luckless England full backs after he suffered an ankle injury during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City last Saturday. James initially played on before hobbling off. “On Reece’s injury, it’s still very painful,” Thomas Tuchel acknowledged. “It will come down to pain management, how much he can accept, but right now we are looking at a minimum of one more week.”
Southgate also has issues in the centre of defence too, with Harry Maguire (£5.4m) ruled out of England’s upcoming matches. “Harry is, more or less, definitely out [against Villarreal] and it doesn’t look good,” Solskjaer said. “It’s Harry’s calf and it might take a few weeks.”
Another member of Southgate’s Euro 2020 finalists who may be unavailable for selection is Mason Mount (£7.4m) who missed Chelsea’s loss to City and was subsequently ruled out of the midweek meeting with Juventus. Tuchel said that the playmaker’s injury is “minor” but has not specified when he could return.
Patrick Bamford (£7.8m) earned a senior debut during the last round of international matches but he too could be ruled out due to an ankle issue. Raphinha (£6.5m) is also currently flagged on FPL after being taken off early in each of Leeds’ previous two games with a hip problem. Marcelo Bielsa will issue an update on the pair on Thursday before Saturday’s game against Watford.
N’Golo Kante (£4.9m) may not be a desirable FPL asset himself – albeit he did score against Spurs in Gameweek 5 – but his presence in midfield most certainly helps Chelsea’s defenders and forwards amass points. The Frenchman has tested positive for Covid-19 and will have to isolate for 10 days, ruling him out of this weekend’s clash with Southampton.
Ilkay Gundogan (£7.2m) will miss City’s trip to Liverpool after Pep Guardiola confirmed that he will return from a knock after the international break. Arsenal will also be without an influential midfielder as Granit Xhaka (£4.9m) will be sidelined for three months after suffering knee ligament damage in the north London derby.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3updU2t
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