Dream Team

DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 30 in one easily digestible dose.Bukayo Saka will be assessed after Friday’s training session to determine his availability for Arsenal’s trip to Brighton on Saturday.The Gunners’ No7, who currently features in 42.8% of teams, did not make the matchday squad in midweek but that mini break has given him a chance of a quick return.Mikel Arteta’s side are also due to face Bayern Munich in Gameweek 30.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Saka is a doubt for Arsenal’s trip to BrightonCredit: Dream TeamAs for the Seagulls, Adam Webster and Evan Ferguson have been added to their lengthy injury list.Bart Verbruggen will start between the sticks against Arsenal.Unai Emery confirmed that Jacob Ramsey will not play again this season while late decisions will be made on Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins ahead of Aston Villa’s home game against Brentford on Saturday.In brighter news for the Villains, John McGinn has served his suspension and is therefore likely to regain his place in the starting line-up.Wataru Endo is expected to recover in time for Liverpool’s crunch game against Manchester United on Sunday but Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Diogo Jota and Stefan Bajcetic remain sidelined.As for the Red Devils, Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans all limped away from Thursday night’s frenetic clash with Chelsea.It’s too early to tell the severity of the trio’s respective injuries but all are deemed doubts for Gameweek 30 at this stage.Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez will be out for at least the rest of April.Walker remains sidelinedCredit: ReutersEderson is in contention to return for Manchester City but a final decision will be made closer to Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.However, the defending champions’ trip to Selhurst Park comes too soon for Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake.Michael Olise, who averages 9.2 points-per-game in Dream Team this season, may feature in some capacity for Crystal Palace but the talented midfielder is only ready for “15 or 20 minutes” according to Oliver Glasner.Matheus Cunha returned for Wolves last time out and might be ready to start against West Ham on Saturday.Hwang Hee-chan and Craig Dawson returned to training at the end of the week and will be assessed prior to the Hammers’ visit to Molineux.Newcastle have had terrible luck with injuries this seasonCredit: GettyTino Livramento and Miguel Almiron are both facing at least a couple of weeks on the sidelines following Newcastle’s chaotic encounter against West Ham.Anthony Gordon was dismissed in that game but he served his one-game suspension in midweek and is therefore available to face Fulham this weekend.The Cottagers’ in-form striker Rodrigo Muniz has apparently been playing through a minor issue but the problem is manageable.ARSENALInjuries: Jurrien Timber (doubt), Bukayo Saka (doubt)Suspensions: NoneASTON VILLAInjuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey, Ollie Watkins (doubt), Nicolo Zaniolo (doubt), Emi Martinez (doubt), Matty CashSuspensions: NoneBOURNEMOUTHInjuries: Ryan Fredericks, Chris Mepham (doubt), Marcos Senesi (doubt), Luis SinisterraSuspensions: NoneBRENTFORDInjuries: Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade (doubt), Josh Dasilva, Ethan Pinnock, Ben Mee, Christian NorgaardSuspensions: NoneBRIGHTONInjuries: Solly March, James Milner, Jack Hinshelwood, Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Adam Webster, Billy GilmourSuspensions: NoneBURNLEYInjuries: Luka Koleosho, Nathan Redmond, Aaron Ramsey, Jordan Beyer (doubt), Ameen Al-Dakhil, Han-Noah MassengoSuspensions: NoneCHELSEAInjuries: Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwo, Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Levi Colwill, Robert Sanchez (doubt), Ben Chilwell (doubt)Suspensions: NoneCRYSTAL PALACEInjuries: Cheick Doucoure, Rob Holding, Michael Olise (doubt), Marc Guehi, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Matheus Franca, Sam Johnstone, Chris Richards (doubt)Suspensions: NoneEVERTONInjuries: Dele Alli, Arnaut Danjuma, Lewis Dobbin, Amadou Onana (doubt)Suspensions: NoneFULHAMInjuries: NoneSuspensions: NoneLIVERPOOLInjuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Diogo JotaSuspensions: NoneLUTONInjuries: Tom Lockyer, Marvelous Nakamba, Mads Andersen, Elijah Adebayo (doubt), Jacob Brown, Gabriel Osho, Amari’i Bell, Dan Potts, Albert-Mboyo Sambi Lokonga, Reece Burke (doubt), Chiedozie OgbeneSuspensions: NoneMANCHESTER CITYInjuries: Nathan Ake, Kyle Walker, Ederson (doubt)Suspensions: NoneMANCHESTER UNITEDInjuries: Tyrell Malacia, Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane (doubt), Jonny Evans (doubt), Casemiro (doubt), Victor LindelofSuspensions: NoneNEWCASTLEInjuries: Matt Targett, Nick Pope, Joelinton, Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles, Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall (doubt), Lewis Miley, Tino Livramento, Sven BotmanSuspensions: Sandro TonaliNOTTINGHAM FORESTInjuries: Nuno Tavares, Taiwo Awoniyi, Willy BolySuspensions: NoneSHEFFIELD UNITEDInjuries: Daniel Jebbison, John Egan, Chris Basham, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Max Lowe, Cameron Archer (doubt), Rhian Brewster, Tom Davies, George BaldockSuspensions: NoneTOTTENHAMInjuries: Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Fraser Forster, Brennan Johnson (doubt)Suspensions: NoneWEST HAMInjuries: Nayef Aguerd (doubt), Alphonse AreolaSuspensions: NoneWOLVESInjuries: Hwang Hee-chan (doubt), Craig Dawson (doubt), Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Pedro NetoSuspensions: NonetalkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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DREAM TEAM managers have some big decisions to make before the Gameweek 30 deadline.The landscape of the game has changed dramatically after what was an explosive Gameweek 29 with many gaffers tempted to switch up their captaincy strategy.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!There’s a new sheriff in townCredit: Dream TeamErling Haaland (£7.4m) has long been the go-to skipper for reasons that don’t need to be repeated but Manchester City’s No9 produced just two points in Gameweek 29.The stalemate between Pep Guardiola’s side and Arsenal at the Etihad yielded slim pickings before the Norwegian poacher was rested/dropped against Aston Villa in midweek.Haaland will surely retake his place in the starting line-up when the defending champions take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday and he’ll almost certainly lead the line away to Real Madrid on Tuesday.The 23-year-old has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season and remains a potent threat but he hasn’t looked his sharpest in recent outings (famous last words).And so some Dream Team bosses may feel it’s time to pivot to Phil Foden (£5.7m) when selecting their captain.49 goals between them this seasonCredit: ReutersThe England international is enjoying a magnificent season, cemented by a glorious hat-trick against Unai Emery’s side in midweek.He’s registered 20 goals, 11 assists and 50 bonus points.Most read in FootballMost notably, Foden is now Dream Team’s outright top performer in 2023/24 having improved his overall total to 321 points with a 27-point return in Gameweek 29.For that reason alone he has to be considered a strong captaincy choice going forward.Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) is the other name who deserves an obligatory mention in this discussion.Liverpool’s main man delivered 15 points in Gameweek 29 but many gaffers were disappointed to see him replaced after 60 minutes against Sheffield United last time out.The Reds face old enemies Manchester United this weekend before hosting Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals in midweek.Given the state of the Red Devils’ defence of late, Salah could fill his boots.The fact Liverpool theoretically have more favourable European fixtures on account of them participating in the Europa League instead of the Champions League also boosts Salah’s captaincy credentials.Salah has 270 points to his name this seasonCredit: GettyCole Palmer (£4.6m) added a whopping 44 points to his tally in Gameweek 29 and he’ll be licking his lips at the prospect of taking on relegation-bound Sheffield United this weekend.Chelsea’s top scorer would arguably be the standout captaincy option were it not for the additional fixtures in midweek – some gaffers may feel he’s capable of a suitably big haul on Sunday to justify the armband.A word for Jarrod Bowen (£4.9m) and Mohammed Kudus (£5m) too.West Ham also have two fixtures to fulfil this coming Gameweek although their Europa League meeting with Bayer Leverkusen is a daunting prospect – the Bundesliga champions elect remain undefeated in 2023/24.If we had to rank the top three captaincy options for Gameweek 30 we’d probably settle on:
Salah
Foden
Haaland
But there’s really not much between the big names at all this time around.Palmer only has one fixture in Gameweek 30 but it’s a favourable oneCredit: GettyIn terms of Booster strategies, the difficult Champions League match-ups for Arsenal and Manchester City makes it tricky to assemble a viable Park the Bus defence without a relatively high degree of risk.That being said, the Gunners’ defensive statistics look better and better with each passing week – they kept Man City at bay at the Etihad for crying out loud.It’s not a bad time to activate Max Captain by any means – this Booster would partially negate the unpredictable nature of the European games.READ MORE SUN STORIESAs for 12th Man, there will almost certainly be more inviting Gameweeks for this Booster down the line.Lock in your transfers, captain and any Boosters you wish to play before Saturday’s 11:30am deadline.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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GAMEWEEK 30 features a full round of Premier League fixtures plus a generous smattering of European quarter-final first legs.Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and West Ham are the five teams that will be in action in midweek and should therefore be the focus for Dream Team managers.Granted, the European match-ups are likely to be hotly contested at this stage of the campaign with the Gunners, the Citizens and the Hammers facing particularly stiff competition in the form of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.Even so, these additional fixtures should yield bumper returns.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!File under: blindingly obviousCredit: GettyIn terms of transfer recommendations for Gameweek 30, it’s worth recapping some old ground first and foremost.Arsenal’s defence continues to go from strength to strength, Liverpool’s attack remains potent, and Wednesday night’s showing should have reminded everyone that Phil Foden (£5.7m) is a must-have asset this season.We’re not going to waste time extolling the attributes of Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), Ben White (£3.9m), Cole Palmer (£4.6m) and other players we’ve tipped recently – it goes without saying they’re still hugely viable.With that in mind, here’s some fresh suggestions…Rodri (£3.9m)Most read in FootballClass actCredit: Dream TeamFoden is clearly the top priority among Pep Guardiola’s midfielders but some gaffers may feel compelled to double up (or even triple up) with the defending champions set to face Crystal Palace, Real Madrid (twice) and Luton across the next two Gameweeks.And so Rodri has to be considered a worthy candidate.The Spain international is viewed as a defensive anchor but he’s so much more in reality, as evidenced by his tally of eight goals and 11 assists this season. Arguably the best player in his position in world football right now, the 27-year-old produced a masterclass against Aston Villa in midweek to bank 13 points, making it 18 for the Gameweek in total.Rodri has 199 points to his name this term and while he doesn’t offer the same explosiveness as Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) or Jeremy Doku (£3.5m), he’s ultra reliable and a guaranteed starter.He averages 5.7 points-per-game in 2023/24.Ezri Konsa (£3m)Bonus ball!Credit: GettyUnai Emery’s side may have conceded four in midweek but gaffers shouldn’t judge players based on what happens to them at the Etihad.Konsa is a potentially smart selection for Gameweek 30 because of his ability to earn bonus points – he notched three of them away to City despite shipping four goals!Villa’s fan favourite has collected 46 bonus points this season, seven more than the next-best defender.This coming Gameweek, he has the luxury of back-to-back home games against Brentford and Lille.Clean sheets aren’t guaranteed by any means but the Bees are desperately struggling for positive results at present.Konsa bagged 18 points in Gameweek 29 and the additional Europa Conference League fixture this coming Thursday makes him a decent option.Mohammed Kudus (£5m)Dribble kingCredit: GettyAnother player we’ve tipped regularly this season but one worth underlining ahead of Gameweek 30.Kudus is simply one of the best dribblers in Europe – he’s registered more successful dribbles than any other Premier League player this season – and he hoards bonus points for fun as a result.In fact, only Bruno Guimaraes (£4.3m) has more bonus points to his name at the time of writing.Add in 12 goals, seven assists plus a more-than-respectable tackle tally (74) and the Ghana international has to be considered one of breakout stars of the season.Despite Africa Cup of Nations commitments and an injury setback, Kudus is currently ranked fifth among all midfielders – a monumental effort.West Ham travel to Wolves and Bayer Leverkusen next and while that’s far from favourable (the German side remain undefeated this term) Kudus has proven himself capable of healthy returns regardless of the opposition’s quality.It’s criminal that he features in just 2.5% of teams.Martin Odegaard (£4.3m)The safe choice while Saka is a doubt?Credit: GettyMikel Arteta generally selects Bukayo Saka (£5.8m) even if the England winger is only half fit so for the the latter to be absent from the matchday squad in midweek is a huge cause for concern.The 42.7%-owned midfielder may yet be passed fit ahead of Gameweek 30 but his owners should be forming contingency plans at this stage.One possible option is a direct swap to Odegaard, who pocketed 12 points in Gameweek 29.The Norwegian playmaker ranks in the top ten midfielders for goals, shots on target and big chances created.Arsenal visit Brighton this weekend before a highly-anticipated Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich at the Emirates.READ MORE SUN STORIESAs captain, Odegaard is one of the first names on the team sheet when fit and his average of 5.8 points-per-game suggests it’s reasonable to expect a double-digit haul from him in Gameweek 30 with two fixtures at his disposal.Lock in your transfers before Saturday’s 11:30am deadline.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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ONLY Erling Haaland (£7.4m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) have scored more goals than Alexander Isak (£4.2m) in all competitions among Premier League players this season.The Newcastle striker scored his 19th goal of the campaign during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Everton to draw level with Jarrod Bowen (£4.9m), Joao Pedro (£4.3m) and Ollie Watkins (£4.8m)*.This tally is particularly impressive given he was sidelined for a total of two months with a groin injury across two separate layoffs.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!19 goals and countingCredit: Dream TeamIsak is averaging a goal every 120.8 minutes in 2023/24 having scored his 19 goals from 32 appearances – he’s been involved in 19 substitutions.MOST GOALS AMONG PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS IN 2023/24 (ALL COMPS):
29 – Erling Haaland
22 – Mohamed Salah
19 – Alexander Isak, Jarrod Bowen, Joao Pedro, Ollie Watkins*
18 – Dominic Solanke
17 – Phil Foden, Darwin Nunez
16 – Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka
15 – Son Heung-min
14 – Diogo Jota, Julian Alvarez
13 – Cody Gakpo, Rasmus Hojlund
12 – Chris Wood, Luis Diaz, Mohammed Kudus, Nicolas Jackson
*This tally does not include Watkins’ goals in the Europa Conference League play-off as neither leg was a Dream Team eligible fixtureWe included Isak at the very top of our transfer recommendations column ahead of Gameweek 29 and he repaid our faith handsomely.The Sweden international scored two penalties in the Magpies absurdly dramatic 4-3 win over West Ham on Saturday and opened the scoring against the Toffees in midweek with a typically composed finish.Most read in Dream TeamAdd in an assist against the Hammers plus few more shots on target and he finished the Gameweek having added 26 points to his totalAt the time of writing, Isak is the top performer of Gameweek 29, although he may yet be overtaken by those with fixtures remaining.Isak is prolific when fitCredit: GettyThe main point is that he produced three goals from what appeared to be a favourable double header on paper (Newcastle’s home record remains strong despite a dip in results in 2024) to deliver the goods for gaffers who followed our advice.Eddie Howe’s side are not among the five teams with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 30 but their game (a trip to Craven Cottage) has to be considered a relatively favourable one given Fulham conceded six goals against Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 29.What’s unquestionable is that Isak is a quality player with the attributes to reach an even higher level in the coming years.The 24-year-old has excellent technical skills and is a graceful dribbler, uncommon traits in a 6ft 4in striker.He’s scored 29 goals in 59 games for Newcastle with 25 of those goals coming in just 44 league appearances.And that’s with him having been blighted by injuries and forced to share many of his minutes with Callum Wilson (£3.9m).Newcastle’s first-choice forward line packs a punchCredit: GETTYIf Isak can stay available for months on end and earn a long run in the side, ideally when Newcastle are over the worst of their club-wide injury crisis, then he could establish himself as one of the best forwards in Europe, such is his ceiling.Such a development would be exciting for Dream Team bosses, many of whom are already convinced of his talent.READ MORE SUN STORIESIsak averages 6.3 points-per-game this season, putting above the likes of Watkins, Julian Alvarez (£4.2m), Ivan Toney (£4.5m), Diogo Jota (£4.3m), Dominic Solanke (£3.8m) and Darwin Nunez (£5.1m) in the same metric.He currently features in 8.8% of teams.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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IF Nottingham Forest are to avoid relegation then Chris Wood will seemingly have a huge role to play.The New Zealand international hasn’t always been the most prolific goalscorer in the Premier League but he’s prone to purple patches when his confidence is high, as is the case right now.PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!Wood is in sparkling formCredit: Dream TeamLast night, he scored the second goal of a first-half blitz as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side beat Fulham 3-1 to take a step closer to safety.Wood caught Bernd Leno (£2.6m) flat-footed and unaware with a accurate shot from distance to make it eight goals in his last nine league games.Granted, this fruitful run was disrupted by an injury layoff but the stats don’t lie – Wood has been one of the most efficient strikers in the top flight of late.Usually, a forward in such fine form would have experienced a surge in popularity among Dream Team managers but the 32-year-old currently features in just 0.1% of teams.His lowly ownership is partly down to his aforementioned injury but it’s simply true that the vast majority of gaffers have let a load of points slip through their fingers.Wood has scored in each of his last three gamesCredit: ReutersAt the time of writing, only two assets in Wood’s position have scored more points across their last three outings, Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and Alexander Isak (£4.2m).More broadly, he’s provided 90 points in his last 12 appearances.Most read in FootballWhether Forest’s No11 is a viable transfer option going forward is a more complicated debate but there’s no doubt his form is worthy of appreciation.It’s rare that a 0.1%-owned player provides such healthy returns.Forest have just seven fixtures left to fulfil this seasonCredit: PAThe main thing working against Wood is a lack of fixtures.Forest have just seven league games remaining with no additional commitments.By way of a comparison, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have at least 11 fixtures left to play at the time of writing, probably more depending on their respective fortunes in Europe.If Wood’s form extends into May then he might be a worthy differential option as he’s due to face Sheffield United and Burnley in the last three Gameweeks of the campaign.Dream Team bosses should keep an eye on his returns at the very least.talkSPORT BET Welcome offer
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