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    Ollie Watkins underwhelms with 30 points from last eight games but will favourable fixtures prompt resurgence?

    IT’S time we had an awkward conversation about Ollie Watkins (£4.2m).With an ownership of 30.5%, the Aston Villa forward is the seventh-most selected player in Dream Team but his recent form has failed to justify his popularity.

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    155 Dream Team points this season but too few in recent weeksCredit: Dream Team
    After a flat showing against Everton on Sunday, he’s mustered just 30 points from his last eight fixtures.
    And half of those have been appearance points, the least impressive scoring method in the game.
    Needless to say, a striker who features in just shy of a third of all teams is expected to average more than 3.75 points-per-game over a run of eight appearances.
    Granted, Watkins has had his moments during this relatively barren streak.
    He scored against Brentford in Gameweek 16 and provided two assists at home to Burnley in Gameweek 18 but there really hasn’t been much else to shout about since the start of December.
    The 28-year-old’s dip has come at a frustrating time, coinciding with Erling Haaland’s (£7.9m) injury and Mohamed Salah’s (£6.7m) Africa Cup of Nations commitments.
    Gaffers have had to tinker with their forward line enough in recent weeks and it would have been helpful if Watkins had ticked over without drawing a critical eye but things are rarely that simple in Dream Team.
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    His time will come againCredit: Reuters
    The fact of the matter is the Villains’ top scorer has been thoroughly outperformed by several other assets in his position across the last six weeks.
    Joao Pedro (£3.8m), Matheus Cunha (£3.6m), Alexander Isak (£4.5m), Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) and Richarlison (£3.1m) have all satisfied their backers with healthy returns lately.
    But hang on, let’s not rush to transfer out Watkins without considering all factors.
    Despite this lean spell, the England international’s tally of 11 goals and 11 assists for the season remains mightily impressive.
    In fact, only Salah and Haaland have more goal involvements to their name at the time of writing.
    Watkins is a top-tier Dream Team asset when everything clicks, hence his total of 155 points.
    Villa have not been at their best in recent weeksCredit: Getty
    Perhaps more relevantly, Villa are about to embark of a favourable run of fixtures that could prompt a resurgence in their No11’s form.
    In Gameweek 21, Unai Emery’s side take on Chelsea in the FA Cup before a league meeting with Newcastle at Villa Park.
    The Magpies beat Villa 6-1 in the reverse fixture but it should be a different story in the Midlands as Eddie Howe’s troops have desperately struggled on the road – only Sheffield United have earned fewer points away from home this season.
    Plus, Newcastle have lost six of their last seven league games.

    Villa then face the Blades (a), Manchester United (h), Fulham (a), Nottingham Forest (h) and Luton (a) in their next five league fixtures.
    It won’t be long before they resume their Europa Conference League campaign either, which will bolster the schedule further.
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    If you feel Watkins has let you down too many times in recent weeks then by all means find a suitable replacement but those inclined to keep the faith may have endured the worst.
    Of course, if his dip extends into February then we may have to revisit this subject with a more cut-throat attitude.

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    Whisper it quietly but Marcus Rashford’s Dream Team returns are heading in the right direction

    IT wasn’t that long ago Marcus Rashford (£3.9m) was among the world’s most in-form players.The 26-year-old shined for England at the 2022 World Cup and returned from Qatar in blistering form for Manchester United.
    He scored ten goals in as many Premier League games in a purple patch that lasted from late December until the start of March.
    Needless to say, Old Trafford’s homegrown hero provided a tidal wave of Dream Team points during this time – his ownership also went through the roof.

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    One game at a time…Credit: Dream Team
    Rashford’s returns gradually fell away in the final quarter of the season and that proved to be a prelude for what was to come in 2023/24.
    Erik ten Hag’s side have had severe problems scoring goals this season – only Burnley, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have scored fewer in the top flight.
    Rashford is not solely to blame but his tally of four goals from 26 appearances (all comps) represents a serious deficit from what is expected of him, especially after his world-class spell this time last year.
    Until very recently, the Red Devils’ No10 was among worst under-performers against their xG in the Premier League.
    However, two goals in his last two outings have partially addressed his underlying numbers and Man United’s fans will hope it’s the start of a significant upturn.
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    Rashford has a high ceilingCredit: Rex
    Whisper it quietly but Rashford’s Dream Team returns are already heading in the right direction.
    After an eight-point haul against Tottenham on Sunday, he’s now earned 33 points across his last four outings.
    Statistically, only three forwards – Joao Pedro (£3.8m), Alexander Isak (£4.5m), Matheus Cunha (£3.6m) – are in better form than Rashford at the time of writing.
    Understandably, many Dream Team gaffers won’t be fully convinced by four decent showings after such a long spell of underwhelming returns.
    But Rashford is an asset who warrants diligent consideration as few players are capable of reaching such heights when at their best, as evidenced by last season when he briefly put Erling Haaland (£7.9m) under pressure at the top of the rankings.
    Man United have under-performed this seasonCredit: PA

    Instinctively, Dream Team bosses will also be wary of any option from Man United’s ranks right now.
    Ten Hag’s men have won just one of their last six league games and while this run includes a spirited comeback against a strong Aston Villa outfit and a handy draw at Anfield, such positives are countered by the 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth and defeat away to Nottingham Forest.
    Brighton only need a point at home to Wolves next Monday to shunt Man United down to eighth in the table – Chelsea are now just one point behind too.
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    A forward with four goals for the season who represents a club ever so close to mid-table mediocrity wouldn’t usually be worth a second thought in the world of Dream Team but Rashford’s previous efforts make him an exception.
    A situation to keep an eye on, at least…

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    Pedro Porro becomes first Dream Team player to earn maximum bonus points in back-to-back fixtures

    PEDRO PORRO (£3.7m) earned himself a slice of Dream Team history on Sunday.Tottenham’s No23 earned himself five bonus points against Manchester United, just as he did at home to Burnley in his previous outing.
    In doing so, he became the first player this season to earn maximum bonus points in back-to-back fixtures.

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    Bonus ball!Credit: Dream Team
    Bonus points are determined by a range of statistical factors with the most relevant ones in relation to Porro being interceptions, fouls won, successful dribbles and accurate crosses.
    The Spaniard ranks sixth in his position for successful dribbles while only three defenders have provided more accurate crosses this season – a measure of his attacking contribution.
    Remember, you can compare relevant stats in relation of bonus points using the Stats Centre – change the category to ‘Bonus Pts’.
    Whether from open play or set-pieces, Porro’s crossing has been particularly influential in recent outings – his whipped delivery was headed home by Richarlison (£3.1m) for Spurs’ first goal in Manchester.
    That was the defender’s eighth assist of the campaign.
    Porro’s goal against Burnley was one to rememberCredit: Getty
    Needless to say, ten bonus points in two games should pique the interest of Dream Team managers everywhere.
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    Porro added 32 total points to his overall tally at the expense of the Clarets and the Red Devils.
    He’s now breathing down the necks of Kieran Trippier (£5m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) at the top of the defensive rankings.
    DREAM TEAM’S TOP DEFENDERS:

    Trent Alexander-Arnold – 169 pts
    Kieran Trippier – 162 pts
    PEDRO PORRO – 148 pts
    Ezri Konsa – 125 pts
    Vitaliy Mykolenko – 123 pts
    Diogo Dalot – 122 pts
    Matty Cash – 120 pts
    William Saliba – 118 pts
    Gabriel – 116 pts
    James Tarkowski – 115 pts

    Porro’s lofty ranking is particularly impressive given Ange Postecoglou’s side have not had European commitments to bolster their schedule this season.
    The 24-year-old averages seven points-per-game in 2023/24, the outright best rate among all defenders.

    Dream Team’s third-best defender at the time of writingCredit: Getty
    The European competitions won’t resume for another few Gameweeks so Porro’s backers can rest easy for now and if he continues to rack up bonus points at such a prolific rate then he may be worth persevering with in the long term anyway.
    Earlier in the campaign, James Maddison (£4.2m) proved that some players don’t need European fixtures to rub shoulders with the best assets in the game if their domestic form is strong enough.
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    Spurs face Manchester City and Brentford in Gameweek 21 with the former match-up coming in the FA Cup fourth round.
    Porro currently features in 15.6% of teams.

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    Bruno Guimaraes & Ezri Konsa lead Dream Team assets for bonus points this season

    SMART Dream Team managers should keep an eye on bonus points throughout the season.Several players currently occupy lofty positions in the overall rankings because of their ability to enhance their returns with helpful bonuses on top of the more noticeable point-scoring methods: goals, assists, clean sheets, etc.
    With that in mind, let’s take a look at which players lead the way this campaign in terms of total bonus points…
    SpoilersCredit: Dream Team
    MOST BONUS POINTS

    42 – Bruno Guimaraes (£3.8m)
    37 – Ezri Konsa (£3.1m)
    36 – Phil Foden (£5.3m), Kieran Trippier (£5m)
    34 – Bukayo Saka (£5.9m)
    31 – James Ward-Prowse (£3.9m)
    29 – Antonee Robinson (£2.9m)
    27 – Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m), Jeremy Doku (£4.1m), Conor Gallagher (£3.2m), Pedro Porro (£3.7m)

    Newcastle’s all-action midfielder leads the way and by a notable margin.
    The Brazil international ranks highly in his position for blocks, interceptions and successful dribbles – plus, he wins A LOT of free-kicks for the Magpies.
    Guimaraes has earned bonus points in 22 of his 30 appearances this term, featuring one maximum (five bonus points) against Fulham in Gameweek 16.
    Similarly, Konsa wins an awful lot of fouls for a player in his position and the Aston Villa defender isn’t shy of taking on opponents with the ball at his feet either.
    29.6% of the 26-year-old’s total points have come through the bonus system so far this this season.
    Most read in Dream Team
    Crossing machineCredit: Rex
    Two England team-mates share third-place and it’s easy to see why.
    Trippier is just as important to Newcastle in attack as he is in defence, as evidenced by the sheer volume of crosses he provides from open play and set-pieces.
    The experienced right-back has found a team-mate with 67 crosses in all competitions this season – only one other defender has produced more than 35 accurate crosses.
    As for Foden, his exemplary technique means he ticks over nicely with bonus points as the system tends to recognise his contributions to Manchester City’s build-up when he’s not scoring goals himself.
    Robinson is an interesting inclusion on this list.
    Fulham’s left-back is freakishly good at anticipating the opposition’s next pass and, as a result, he leads the way for interceptions among all Premier League players.
    The USA international has picked off 62 interceptions, 17 more than his closest rival.
    Robinson also ranks highly in his position for successful dribbles and accurate crosses.
    Talk about a wildcardCredit: Getty
    Doku is a player to monitor closely because his off-the-charts dribbling statistics have resulted in 27 bonus points from just over 1,000 minutes on the pitch (equivalent to 11 full games).
    The Belgian was close to becoming a must-have asset prior to his injury so Dream Team bosses would do well to keep an eye on him now he’s available again.

    In terms of pure form, no player holds a candle to Porro right now.
    Spurs’ much-improved right-back has earned the maximum five bonus points in his last two outings!
    The Spaniard maxed out as part of his match-winning display against Burnley in the FA Cup and he did the same against Manchester United in the league at the weekend, though his efforts only secured his side a draw.
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    Porro now has eight assists in 2023/24 and his overall tally of 148 points put him third among defenders – he’s hunting down Trippier and Alexander-Arnold at a rapid rate.
    It’s worth checking the most prolific bonus point collectors every so often throughout the season.

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    Kevin De Bruyne’s world-class cameo prompts tidal wave of early transfers among Dream Team gaffers

    KEVIN DE BRUYNE (£6.4m) gave fair warning that he wasn’t fit enough to start against Newcastle on Saturday.What the brilliant Belgian failed to mention was that he intended to change the game with a mesmerising cameo off the bench.
    Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief scored within five minutes of his second-half introduction at St James Park as he passed the ball just inside the far post with pinpoint accuracy to level proceedings.
    Then in stoppage time, he produced a trademark assist for Oscar Bobb’s (£1.8m) winner with the young Norwegian displaying neat footwork to take advantage of the chance created for him by the imperious De Bruyne.
    What a playerCredit: Dream Team
    Consequently, many Dream Team managers have transferred the world-class midfielder into their XIs ahead of Gameweek 21 – which doesn’t get underway until late next week because of the winter break.
    Remember, you can reverse transfers any time before the deadline so there’s no downside to making an early move.
    De Bruyne has been eased back in since recovering from injury with Pep Guardiola making a point to explain the potential perils of rushing him back too soon several times over in the last fortnight.
    That being said, the 32-year-old has provided two assists and a goal in 54 minutes of playing time since his return to action so the temptation to start him in the FA Cup fourth round against Tottenham in eleven days’ time must be strong.
    Gameweek 21 also includes City’s Premier League meeting with Burnley.
    Even if the coaching staff don’t believe De Bruyne is capable of 180 minutes in six days at the end of this month, he’ll surely be assured a fair share of the action.
    Most read in Football
    And he’s shown in his last two outings that he doesn’t need much time to make a significant impact.
    A match made in football heavenCredit: Getty
    De Bruyne banked ten points at the Magpies’ expense and looks good another double-digit haul in Gameweek 21.
    One benefit of recruiting him now is that he’s available for £6.4m, which is still a hefty price tag, but one likely to increase if he maintains his current form much longer.

    Few players are able to change the landscape of Dream Team in such a short time as the Belgium international – his ownership has risen to 13.6% already.
    De Bruyne is ever so close to breaking into the top ten most-selected midfielders despite the fact he’s yet to complete 90 minutes in 2023/24, such is the measure of his deserved reputation.
    Officially, he’s scored 65 goals and provided 103 assists in the Premier League alone.
    KDB or not to KDB? That is the question…

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    Hot streak of six goals in as many league games boosts Richarlison’s Dream Team credentials

    TOTTENHAM fans are finally starting to see the best of Richarlison (£3.1m).The Brazilian’s header at Old Trafford on Sunday was his sixth goal in as many Premier League games – a hot streak reminiscent of his final days in an Everton shirt.
    It’s been a long time coming for the 26-year-old after a bitterly disappointing first season in North London.
    He mustered just three goals in 35 appearances in 2022/23 with just one coming in the league – against Liverpool at the end of April in his 23rd top-flight appearance of the campaign.
    Richarlison has displayed impressive form in recent weeksCredit: Dream Team
    Richarlison was visibly low on confidence for much of last season but, like several of his team-mates, he appears far more comfortable at Spurs under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou.
    He now has seven goals and three assists to his name in 18 league outings in 2023/24.
    That boils down further to a goal involvement every 101 minutes!
    Naturally, this transformation has improved his Dream Team viability considerably.
    Richarlison was an avoid-at-all-costs asset last term but a run of 56 points across his last seven games will have gaffers wondering if he’s worthy of a place of in a successful XI?
    The slim minority of Dream Team bosses who have backed him lately (current ownership 2.3%) have been handsomely rewarded.
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    He’s comfortably outperformed the likes of Ollie Watkins (£4.2m) and Darwin Nunez (£4.2m) over their last seven fixtures and the latter pair are both among the most-popular players in the game right now.
    Richarlison banked ten points at Old TraffordCredit: Getty
    Make no mistake, Son Heung-min (£4.8m) is the Spurs forward of choice when available but the South Korean superstar is currently away at the Asian Cup.
    Postecoglou’s side were handed a tough FA Cup fourth round fixture in the form of Manchester City, although Pep Guardiola has struggled away to Spurs in recent years.
    After that match-up in Gameweek 21, Richarlison and company face Brentford, Everton, Brighton and Wolves in the league – a moderate run of fixtures.

    However, given that only Man City have scored more league goals than Spurs this season at the time of writing, the schedule isn’t all that big of a factor when weighing up their attacking assets.
    In fact, Spurs have scored in 33 consecutive Premier League fixtures, a new club record.
    Richarlison now has 102 points in total this season with over half of them coming since the start of Gameweek 15.

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    Injuries & suspensions update ahead of Gameweek 20 – latest on Lucas Paqueta, Trent Alexander-Arnold and more

    DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 20 in one easily digestible dose.Due to the Premier League winter break, the upcoming Gameweek will last a fortnight and so updates regarding availability from press conferences are limited prior today’s 6:45pm deadline.
    However, Dream Team bosses should still know about the most pressing absentees in advance.

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    Lucas Paqueta faces up to two months on the sidelinesCredit: Dream Team
    Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.8m) will be sidelined for “a few weeks” after injuring knee in Liverpool’s win over Arsenal in the FA Cup.
    The Reds’ No66 is Dream Team’s top defender at present but he is expected to miss the next two Gameweeks at least, possibly returning in early February for the league meeting with the Gunners at the Emirates.
    West Ham’s midfield problems have gone from bad to worse following Mohammed Kudus’ (£4.9m) departure to AFCON.
    Both Lucas Paqueta (£4.2m) and Jarrod Bowen (£5.5m) picked up injuries against Bristol City with the former expected to miss approximately two months.
    The outlook is somewhat more encouraging for the Hammers’ top scorer with Bowen hopeful to return in two or three weeks as it stands.
    Joelinton (£3.2m) is the latest Newcastle player to be struck down in what has been a severely unlucky season for the Magpies in regards to availability.
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    “It isn’t good,” Eddie Howe told reporters. “It is an injury that will see him miss a minimum of six weeks, it is a real blow for us.”
    Another Newcastle absenteeCredit: Rex
    Manchester United may be boosted by the returns of several key individuals with Erik ten Hag revealing that Lisandro Martinez (£3.1m), Casemiro (£3.8m) and Luke Shaw (£4m) are all available for selection having returned to full training.
    Christopher Nkunku (£3.7m) hasn’t trained in ten days and is therefore a major doubt for Chelsea ahead of this weekend’s West London derby against Fulham.
    In more positive news for the Blues, Ben Chilwell (£3.8m) and Benoit Badiashile (£3m) will return to the matchday squad.
    Erling Haaland (£7.9m) is still not ready to return for Manchester City in Gameweek 20.
    The Norwegian No9 will sit out his side’s trip to St James’ Park, as will John Stones (£3.5m).
    Jack Grealish (£3.7m) is also a doubt having been unwell but a decision will be made after Friday’s training session.
    Kevin De Bruyne (£6.7m) does not expect to start against Newcastle but the Belgian playmaker will surely be involved in some capacity.
    Unai Emery may be able to call upon Pau Torres (£3m) and Youri Tielemans (£2.7m) this coming Gameweek but Lucas Digne (£3.1m) remains unavailable despite being pictured in training earlier in the week.
    The waiting game goes onCredit: Alamy
    ARSENAL
    Injuries: Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko (doubt), Gabriel Jesus (doubt)
    Suspensions: None
    ASTON VILLA
    Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Lucas Digne
    Suspensions: None
    BOURNEMOUTH
    Injuries: Ryan Fredericks, Tyler Adams, Lloyd Kelly, Hamed Traore, Milos Kerkez
    Suspensions: Marcos Senesi
    BRENTFORD
    Injuries: Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo, Kristoffer Ajer, Christian Norgaard (doubt)
    Suspensions: Ivan Toney (available for next league game)
    BRIGHTON
    Injuries: Julio Enciso, Solly March, Tariq Lamptey, Ansu Fati, Joel Veltman, Igor Julio (doubt)
    Suspensions: None
    BURNLEY
    Injuries: Luka Koleosho, Jordan Beyer (doubt), Hjalmar Ekdal, Charlie Taylor (doubt), Lyle Foster (doubt)
    Suspensions: None
    CHELSEA
    Injuries: Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka (doubt), Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwo, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Christopher Nkunku
    Suspensions: None
    CRYSTAL PALACE
    Injuries: Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Cheick Doucoure, Joel Ward, Rob Holding, Sam Johnstone, Michael Olise
    Suspensions: None
    EVERTON
    Injuries: Dele Alli, Ashley Young, Dwight McNeil
    Suspensions: None
    FULHAM
    Injuries: Adama Traore, Harrison Reed (doubt)
    Suspensions: None
    LIVERPOOL
    Injuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Joel Matip, Dominik Szoboszlai (doubt), Ben Doak, Trent Alexander-Arnold
    Suspensions: None
    LUTON
    Injuries: Dan Potts, Reece Burke (doubt), Tom Lockyer, Marvelous Nakamba
    Suspensions: Jacob Brown
    MANCHESTER CITY
    Injuries: Erling Haaland, John Stones, Manuel Akanji (doubt), Jack Grealish (doubt)
    Suspensions: None
    MANCHESTER UNITED
    Injuries: Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Harry Maguire (doubt), Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial
    Suspensions: None
    NEWCASTLE
    Injuries: Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, Joe Willock, Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, Joelinton
    Suspensions: Sandro Tonali
    NOTTINGHAM FOREST
    Injuries: Taiwo Awoniyi (doubt), Felipe (doubt), Divock Origi (doubt), Anthony Elanga (doubt)
    Suspensions: None
    SHEFFIELD UNITED
    Injuries: Daniel Jebbison, John Egan, Chris Basham, Tom Davies
    Suspensions: None
    TOTTENHAM
    Injuries: Ivan Perisic, Alfie Whiteman, Manor Solomon, James Maddison, Alejo Veliz, Cristian Romero (doubt), Giovani Lo Celso, Ben Davies
    Suspensions: None
    WEST HAM
    Injuries: Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio, Vladimir Coufal (doubt), Jarrod Bowen, Kostas Mavropanos
    Suspensions: None
    WOLVES
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    Injuries: Craig Dawson (doubt), Hugo Bueno (doubt)
    Suspensions: Joao Gomes

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    Captaincy options for Gameweek 20 – Darwin Nunez to star for Liverpool, Cole Palmer a popular choice

    THE captaincy conversation has rarely been so open this Dream Team season.With Erling Haaland (£7.9m), Mohamed Salah (£6.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.8m), Jarrod Bowen (£5.5m) and Son Heung-min (£4.8m) among the considerable number of players flagged as unavailable, gaffers may have to think outside the box.
    Allow us to make the case for some potential skippers for Gameweek 20.

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    Sometimes a little chaos is a good thingCredit: Dream Team
    Darwin Nunez (£4.1m)
    Liverpool’s No9 is not a safe choice by any means.
    Few players in world football are capable of flitting between brilliance and farce so rapidly and his habit of squandering golden chances is an annoying one but he provides more than his far share of points and his tally of eight goals and 13 assists is more than respectable.
    A 10-point haul in Gameweek 19 bumped Nunez up to sixth in the rankings among forwards and he jumps to third if we exclude unavailable assets.
    With Salah and Alexander-Arnold temporarily out of commission, the Uruguay international is Liverpool’s main man in terms of total Dream Team points (154).
    And it remains an opportune time to back to the table-topping Reds.
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    Gameweek 20 sees Jurgen Klopp’s side face Bournemouth in the league before a second Carabao Cup semi-final leg against Fulham.
    It would be a helpful time for Nunez to channel his sublime side, rather than the ridiculous.
    Cole Palmer (£3.6m)
    Many Dream Team managers are backing Palmer for double pointsCredit: Getty
    The 21-year-old added 13 points to his total in Gameweek 19 but it could have been so much more had he not misplaced his shooting boots against Middlesbrough in midweek.
    We’re willing to put that down as a rare off-night as Palmer has generally been superb since his transfer to Chelsea, as evidenced by his tally of eight goals and nine assists (albeit plumped by four penalties).
    The Blues are still a work in progress under Mauricio Pochettino but their No20 averages 6.2 points-per-game, a rate bettered by only five midfielders (three of which are currently injured).
    Chelsea have the luxury of two home fixtures in Gameweek 20 although it’s worth noting their record at Stamford Bridge is rather underwhelming this term.
    They host Fulham in a West London derby on Saturday before completing their Carabao Cup semi-final against Boro on January 23rd.
    The stats suggest Palmer will provide a double-digit this coming Gameweek and is therefore a worthy nominee for the captain’s armband.
    Phil Foden (£5.1m)
    Enjoying himselfCredit: Reuters
    Dream Team bosses should probably select a captain with two fixtures in Gameweek 20 but one only has to look at Pedro Porro’s (£3.5m) 20-point haul in Gameweek 19 (the joint highest among all players) to see that one favourable match-up is enough for an in-form talent if everything clicks.
    And boy is Manchester City’s resident wonderkid in form!
    The England international has amassed 38 points across his last three outings via three goals, an assist and five bonus points.
    Only three players have more points than Foden’s 193 at the time of writing and two of them, Haaland and Salah, are out of action.
    Pep Guardiola’s side travel to Newcastle on Saturday in what would usually be a tricky match-up but the Magpies’ defence has looked vulnerable in recent weeks.
    The underlying numbers suggest Liverpool should have put seven past Eddie Howe’s men on New Year’s Day.
    If Foden and company build up a head of steam then there could be bucket-loads of points on offer.
    See also: Julian Alvarez (£4.2m).

    Matheus Cunha (£3.6m)
    Not a West Ham player!Credit: Reuters
    A wildcard suggestion to finish because what’s life without whimsy?
    Out of all available players with two fixtures in Gameweek 20, nobody averages more points-per-game than Wolves’ No12 – fact!
    Cunha earns lots of bonus points for a forward and while his goal tally of six is relatively modest, he ranks highly for assists, big chances created and tackles in his position.
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    Gary O’Neil’s side play Brentford and Brighton this coming Gameweek – the former are without a win since the start of December and the latter have only kept one domestic clean sheet all season.
    The Brazilian appears in just 1.7% of teams but the stats suggest he’s a smart option for Gameweek 20 and maybe even a worthy captain.

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