GAMEWEEK 6 is almost upon us and we’ve identified five important talking points Dream Team managers should monitor closely.
One way or another, these issues will significantly impact the leaderboard in the coming days.
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Euro Eagles
Crystal Palace will kick off their Conference League campaign in earnest when they take on Dynamo Kyiv next Thursday.
Oliver Glasner’s side beat Fredrikstad in the play-offs to qualify for the league phase but those games fell outside Dream Team’s jurisdiction.
Conference League fixtures have been a reliable source of points since the competition’s inception a few years ago and more of the same is expected from the FA Cup holders this time around.
Marc Guehi (£4.3m), Chris Richards (£4.1m) and Daniel Munoz (£5.7m) are already among the top ten defenders with Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m) and Maxence Lacroix (£4m) not far off.
A Palace-heavy defence might be a strong strategy now they have additional European fixtures in the diary.
Before the Eagles get to Dynamo Kyiv, there’s the small matter of a Premier League meeting with Liverpool to fulfil…
All or Nothing?
It’s all eyes on Erling Haaland (£7.7m) this weekend.
Big things are expected of Manchester City’s No9 against Burnley at the Etihad given he’s raced to seven goals and 67 points across the first five Gameweeks of the campaign.
However, Pep Guardiola has thrown a spanner in the works by revealing that his star striker is carrying a minor back injury.
It would be a huge surprise if Haaland didn’t start against the Clarets but even a shade of doubt will make more than a few gaffers twitchy.
If you’re among the 51% of managers who own Haaland then you probably planned to stick the captain’s armband on him — City are also due to face Monaco in midweek.
That’s probably still the best course of action because he could easily bag a mega haul but this availability question mark complicates the situation somewhat.
A clear update on Friday would be much appreciated, Pep…
Chelsea Daggers
Speaking of injury doubts, what’s going on at Stamford Bridge?
Cole Palmer (£5.8m) is a major concern having been replaced after just 20 minutes at Old Trafford last weekend while Moises Caicedo (£4.7m) is said to be partially hampered.
And now Joao Pedro (£4.9m) is flagged after Enzo Maresca revealed the Brazil international has been playing through discomfort since the start of September.
The ex-Brighton forward should be fine to face his former club this weekend having been rested in the Carabao Cup but, at the time of writing, he’s the most transferred-out player ahead of Gameweek 6.
Even so, Pedro remains the fourth-most selected player in the game with a massive ownership of 38.2%.
Whatever happens, a sizeable chunk of gaffers are going to be disappointed.
The Blues will host Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
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Shared Duties
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Did you groan when Hugo Ekitike (£5m) inexplicably removed his shirt in celebration against Southampton having already been booked?
The Frenchman is the fourth-most popular striker in the game and so many Dream Team bosses have a big decision to make ahead of Gameweek 6 as the 23-year-old is suspended for Liverpool’s trip to Selhurst Park.
It’s therefore likely that Alexander Isak (£6.3m) will start on Saturday before Ekitike reclaims his place against Galatasaray in midweek.
The Reds’ vast array of attacking resources is a luxury for Arne Slot but a head-scratcher for gaffers.
Both Ekitike and Isak would be top-tier assets as guaranteed starters but their viability is limited when they have to share minutes and Gameweek 6 is shaping up to be a prime example.
Half Shift
This coming Gameweek will be a huge test of Jack Grealish’s (£3.8m) credentials.
The Everton loanee has performed superbly to date, racking up 42 points in quick time via four assists.
As a result, his ownership has sky-rocketed to 41.3% — only Haaland and Mohamed Salah (£7.3m) appear in more teams right now!
The Toffees are due to host West Ham on Monday night in what has to be considered a promising match-up given the Hammers’ recent form.
However, while many of his rivals add to their points tallies on European duty, Grealish will watch all the midweek action from the comfort of his sofa.
The England midfielder has been an excellent option so far but he will be on the wrong side of a significant fixture deficit in the coming weeks and it would be logical if he slid down the rankings.
That being said, it’s not unheard of for players to keep pace with Dream Team’s top performers without European commitments — Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha come to mind as examples from recent seasons.
Whether you own Grealish or not, Gameweek 6 will provide a lesson of sorts.
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