Dream Team

DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 16 in one easily digestible dose.Barring any late developments, Christopher Nkunku (£4m) is expected to be among Chelsea’s squad for the first time this season.
However, Robert Sanchez (£2.6m) and Marc Cucurella (£2.7m) have been added to the list of the Blues’ absentees, as has Reece James (£3.7m).
Pep Guardiola left some room for interpretation when talking about Erling Haaland’s (£7.9m) status but the decorated tactician did state: “I don’t think he will be ready to play this weekend.”
Dream Team’s most-selected player is the game’s most transferred-out player this week.

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Haaland almost certainly won’t play against PalaceCredit: Rex
Thomas Frank has revealed that Bryan Mbeumo (£3.8m) will undergo surgery on his ankle and will be sidelined for a further 12 weeks – the Cameroon international will therefore not partake in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
Key players Lucas Digne (£2.9m) and Douglas Luiz (£3.7m) are suspended for Aston Villa’s visit to Brentford on Sunday.
Unai Emery is hopeful Leon Bailey (£3.2m) and Youri Tielemans (£2.8m) will recover from niggles in time for the trip to West London but the pair are considered doubts.
Eddie Howe once again kept his cards close to his chest during his Friday press conference.
The Newcastle boss told reporters that Anthony Gordon (£4m) “will be assessed” before a final decision is made on the winger’s involvement this weekend.
The Magpies’ No10 started against Milan in midweek but appeared in discomfort before he was replaced.
Speaking earlier in the week, Howe said: “He [Gordon] said he had an awareness of something in his hamstring. We’re not sure if it’s an injury because he could still sort of play, but he couldn’t play to the very high level that he has played for a long time.”
Gordon’s backers have a decision to makeCredit: Dream Team
Kieran Trippier (£5.3m) is suspended for Fulham’s visit to St James’ Park having picked up his fifth domestic yellow card against Tottenham.
Harry Maguire (£2.9m) and Anthony Martial (£2.4m) have been ruled out of Manchester United’s meeting with Liverpool but Luke Shaw (£4.6m) and Marcus Rashford (£4.3m) are thought to be available.
Gabriel Martinelli (£4.7m) has got over his illness and is in contention to feature for Arsenal against Brighton this weekend.
Mohamed Elneny (£1.4m) was forced off against PSV in midweek while Emile Smith Rowe (£2.3m) returned from his layoff with a substitute appearance.
As for the Seagulls, Roberto De Zerbi made a point of mentioning the importance of managing his players’ minutes, making specific reference to Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m), but no specific team news is known.
Odsonne Edouard (£2.8m), Sam Johnstone (£2.1m) and Jefferson Lerma (£2.2m) have been added to Crystal Palace’s increasingly lengthy injury list.
In more positive news for the Eagles ahead of their trip to Manchester City, Tyrick Mitchell (£2.7m) is back in contention to start at left-back.
Giovani Lo Celso (£2.2m) is not available for Spurs this evening.
Martinelli has recovered from illnessCredit: PA
ARSENAL
Injuries: Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Fabio Vieira, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Bertrand Traore, Leon Bailey (doubt), Youri Tielemans (doubt)
Suspensions: Douglas Luiz, Lucas Digne
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: Ryan Fredericks, Emiliano Marcondes (doubt), Tyler Adams, Alex Scott, Max Aarons, Lloyd Kelly, Hamed Traore (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Aaron Hickey, Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Nathan Collins, Mathias Jensen (doubt), Bryan Mbeumo
Suspensions: Ivan Toney
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Julio Enciso, Pervis Estupinan, Solly March, Danny Welbeck (doubt), Tariq Lamptey, Adam Webster, Ansu Fati
Suspensions: None
BURNLEY
Injuries: Lyle Foster, Jack Cork, Luka Koleosho, Josh Cullen, Michael Obafemi (doubt), Aaron Ramsey (doubt)
Suspensions: Charlie Taylor
CHELSEA
Injuries: Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia (doubt), Ben Chilwell, Malo Gusto (doubt), Lesley Ugochukwo, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez
Suspensions: None
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Dean Henderson (doubt), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Cheick Doucoure, Eberechi Eze, Jefferson Lerma, Rob Holding, Sam Johnstone, Odsonne Edouard
Suspensions: Jordan Ayew
EVERTON
Injuries: Dele Alli, Andre Gomes, Seamus Coleman (doubt), Ashley Young, Michael Keane (doubt)
Suspensions: Jarrad Branthwaite, Idrissa Gueye
FULHAM
Injuries: Adama Traore, Tim Ream
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Andy Robertson, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, Alexis Mac Allister
Suspensions: None
LUTON
Injuries: Dan Potts, Reece Burke, Cauley Woodrow
Suspensions: Marvelous Nakamba
MANCHESTER CITY
Injuries: Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku (doubt), Erling Haaland
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER UNITED
Injuries: Amad Diallo (doubt), Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Javier Manquillo, Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman, Jacob Murphy, Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, Joe Willock, Nick Pope, Anthony Gordon (doubt)
Suspensions: Sandro Tonali, Kieran Trippier
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Taiwo Awoniyi, Murillo (doubt)
Suspensions: None
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Injuries: Rhys Norrington-Davies, Daniel Jebbison, John Egan, Chris Basham, Tom Davies, Rhian Brewster
Suspensions: Jack Robinson
TOTTENHAM
Injuries: Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Alfie Whiteman, Manor Solomon, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Eric Dier, Giovan Lo Celso
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: Alphonse Areola (doubt), Michail Antonio, Edson Alvarez (doubt)
Suspensions: None
WOLVES
Injuries: Joe Hodge, Pedro Neto
Suspensions: None

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Erling Haaland (£7.9m) is unlikely to feature against Crystal Palace on Saturday.Manchester City’s No9 has been the most-popular captain every Gameweek this Dream Team campaign but his foot injury has blown the field wide open this week.
Let’s run through the best options for Gameweek 16.

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A reliable alternative to HaalandCredit: Dream Team
Mohamed Salah (£6.7m)
Let’s not beat around the bush, more Dream Team bosses will captain Liverpool’s main man this Gameweek than at any other stage of the season with Haaland sidelined.
On Sunday, the Reds host a injury-hit Manchester United side with a soft underbelly – Bruno Fernandes (£5.6m) is suspended.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won every home game in 2023/24 (all competitions) and so it’s difficult to envisage anything other than an enjoyable day out for the league leaders with Salah best placed to take advantage.
The Egyptian superstar averages 7.6 points-per-game this season having scored 14 goals and provided eight assists.
And there’s a chance Salah may also get some minutes against West Ham in midweek, depending on how Klopp views the Carabao Cup this season.
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Son Heung-min (£4.4m)
Dare you opt to double Son’s points tonight?Credit: Rex
Tottenham’s captain is among the most-popular recruits this week and with good reason.
Son took Newcastle for 17 points last time out and his impressive Premier League record makes him a particularly good option for the festive period – at least until he departs for the Asian Cup in January.
And it may be that the in-form forward is worthy of the captain’s armband ahead of Spurs’ trip to Nottingham Forest on Friday night.
Steve Cooper’s side haven’t won since November 5th, losing four of their five games since.
Only Haaland and Salah have scored more league goals than Son this season and Ange Postecoglou has made it clear he will continue to encourage his side to be ultra attacking no matter the situation.

Vitaliy Mykolenko (£3.2m)
If Salah and Son are a little too mainstream for your taste then consider Everton’s left-back a rogue wildcard.
The Ukraine international has banked 26 points across his last three outings with the Toffees having beaten Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea without conceding a goal this month.
Sean Dyche has genuinely crafted one of the most resolute defences in the top flight – only Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City have conceded fewer league goals at this stage.
Everton face 19th-placed Burnley this weekend and they will host Fulham in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
If Mykolenko starts both games then his backers will be hopeful of a double-digit haul given his current form.
Phil Foden (£5.2m)
Foden has registered 13 goal involvements already this seasonCredit: AFP
Haaland’s absence doesn’t automatically mean Dream Team bosses should look shy away from the contest at the Etihad.
Roy Hodgson’s men gave Liverpool a good game last weekend but the reality is they’ve lost four of their last five games – hardly form that suggests they’re likely to upset Pep Guardiola’s side.
Foden is currently fourth in the Dream Team rankings having amassed 149 points via seven goals, six assists and 29 bonus points.
The England international has been particularly productive of late having notched 82 points across the last six Gameweeks!
Read more on The Sun
Select your captain before Friday’s 7pm deadline!

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ONE Dream Team gaffer’s Christmas shopping just became a whole lot easier.Sean Conquer is £100 richer after his XI ‘Bonkers Conquers’ racked up 130 points in Gameweek 15, the highest score among managers worldwide!
Let’s take a closer look at how he did it…

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Incredible faith in Aston VillaCredit: Dream Team
Sean had immense faith in Aston Villa in Gameweek 15 and Unai Emery’s men didn’t let him down.
The Villains may be on a mightily impressive streak of home wins but it was still a gutsy move to activate Park the Bus ahead of Arsenal’s trip to the Midlands.
As it happened, the hosts won 1-0 with Emi Martinez (£3.1m), Lucas Digne (£2.9m), Ezri Konsa (£3.1m) and Pau Torres (£2.8m) contributing to the clean sheet.
Matty Cash (£3m) came off the bench but didn’t play enough minutes to earn clean sheet points but that was put right on Thursday night when the Poland international started against Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa Conference League.
Cash and Torres were helpfully substituted before Villa conceded a late equaliser to the Bosnia and Herzegovina outfit, meaning they kept their clean sheets points.
The Spanish centre-back was Sean’s best-performer and his 14 points were doubled to 28 by the Park the Bus Booster.
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Generally, it’s wise to switch to a formation with five defenders when activating Park the Bus but it’s hard to criticise Sean too much given he’s just won £100 from a fantasy football game.
Pau Torres banked 14 points in Gameweek 15Credit: Dream Team
The consistently impressive Phil Foden (£5.2m) was Sean’s best midfielder by virtue of an eight-point return against Luton – a decent effort considering he didn’t score or assist either of Manchester City’s goals.
The England star scooped three bonus points, registered two shots on target, earned one point for two tackles, and played 89 minutes.
Bukayo Saka (£6.7m) is the only player with more bonus points than Foden this season.
Arsenal’s No7 earned three of them at Villa Park despite his side’s defeat.
Lucas Paqueta (£4.1m) chipped in with seven points across his two fixtures against Fulham and Freiburg.
West Ham suffered a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of the Cottagers but they rallied to beat the Bundesliga side 2-0 on Thursday night to finish top of their Europa League group.
Only Joao Palhinha (£3.4m) has made more tackles than Paqueta in all competitions this season.
Salah stepped up for Dream Team gaffers in Haaland’s absenceCredit: Rex
Erling Haaland’s (£7.9m) unexpected absence in Gameweek 16 caught the vast majority of Dream Team managers off guard.
The prolific poacher was also the most-popular captain by a wide margin and his foot injury is the main reason Gameweek 16 was a low-scoring affair across the board.
Alexander Isak (£4.3m) didn’t contribute much to Sean’s success either with just three points against Tottenham and Milan.
Fortunately, the ever-reliable Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) came through with a goal and assist against Crystal Palace for a ten-point return.
Read more on The Sun
The Egyptian superstar didn’t get on the pitch against Union Saint-Gilloise but he will surely be a key figure for Liverpool during the knockout stages when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Fair play, Sean, your unwavering faith in Aston Villa’s defence against a strong Arsenal side proved to be a stroke of genius – spend the cash wisely!

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EIGHT teams are set to pull double duty in Gameweek 16.However, with starting line-ups for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals difficult to predict, Dream Team managers are best served focusing on the weekend’s Premier League action.
Allow us to recommend some transfer recommendations…

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Punching above his weightCredit: Dream Team
Vitaliy Mykolenko (£3.2m)
Everton have beaten Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea this month without conceding a goal.
Consequently, the Toffees’ left-back is now Dream Team’s fourth-best defender having moved onto 98 points, 26 of which have come across his last three outings.
The Ukraine international has made the most tackles among assets in his position, contributed to six clean sheets, and even chipped in with two goals and an assist.
It was easy to overlook Everton assets while the European group stages were ongoing but with the continental competitions set to pause for approximately two months, gaffers should be open to in-form assets from any top-flight outfit.
Sean Dyche returns to Turf Moor on Saturday and will feel confident of a positive result given his side boast the fourth-best defensive record in the league this season.
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Mykolenko features in 1.8% of teams at the time of writing but he has more total points than Kyle Walker (£3.3m), Matty Cash (£3m), Virgil van Dijk (£4m) and a host of other popular defenders.
Everton are also due to face Fulham in midweek so there’s a chance Mykolenko may get two run outs.
Son Heung-min (£4.4m)
Ten goals and countingCredit: PA
A lack of European fixtures was the only semi-justifiable reason to stay clear of Tottenham’s captain but now that’s not a factor, it’s all systems go.
Only three players have earned more points in Premier League games than Son in 2023/24.
The 31-year-old banked 17 points against Newcastle last weekend and his backers will be hopeful of another double-digit haul against Nottingham Forest on Friday night.
Among strikers, only Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and the injured Erling Haaland (£7.9m) average more points-per-game than Son this season – plus, we’ve now had confirmation he’s on penalties.
Spurs’ No7 is clearly a great option for the remainder of December but gaffers should be aware that he’s due to meet up with South Korea for the Asian Cup in early January.

Pedro Porro (£3.3m)
Porro has been in great form of lateCredit: Reuters
Much of what applied to Son is also relevant to Spurs’ right-back.
Impressively, Porro has made his way up the rankings in recent weeks despite the fact Ange Postecoglou’s side haven’t kept a clean sheet since October 23rd.
Only Kieran Trippier (£5.3m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) have provided more assists and created more big chances than the Spaniard among defensive assets.
Given Newcastle’s right-back is suspended for Fulham’s visit to St James’ Park at the weekend, even a short-term punt on Porro could yield healthy returns.
Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.8m)
Liverpool should ease to victory over Manchester UnitedCredit: Rex
First things first, Salah and Alexander-Arnold remain the best Liverpool options – that should go without saying.
Many Dream Team bosses will already have the Reds’ two most-popular players in their XI and may feel there are even more points to be had from Jurgen Klopp’s troops in Gameweek 16.
In that case, Szoboszlai could fit the bill.
The Hungary captain is comfortably his side’s best-performing midfielder this season having brought up a century of points last weekend.
Read more on The Sun
Liverpool host a beleaguered, injury-hit Manchester United on Sunday before welcoming West Ham to Anfield in midweek.
Klopp’s side have won every single game at home this season in all competitions so Gameweek 16’s double header should be ripe for returns.

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