{"id":16492,"date":"2025-04-13T12:28:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T12:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/16492\/"},"modified":"2025-04-13T12:28:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T12:28:18","slug":"why-mateta-was-subbed-ederson-injury-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/16492\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Mateta was subbed + Ederson injury update"},"content":{"rendered":"

A humdinger of a match got Double Gameweek 32 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) underway on Saturday lunchtime.<\/p>\n

There were mixed results for FPL managers who backed Crystal Palace assets, with Eberechi Eze<\/strong> (\u00a36.9m) and Ismaila Sarr <\/strong>(\u00a35.8m) delivering attacking returns but Jean-Philippe Mateta<\/strong> (\u00a37.8m), most of the Eagles\u2019 backline and Oliver Glasner <\/strong>(\u00a30.8m) emerging with precious little.<\/p>\n

Manchester City meanwhile scored five goals at home for the first time this season, with a certain exit-bound Belgian inspiring the comeback victory.<\/p>\n

Picking out the FPL talking points from the Etihad, we kick off our weekend Scout Notes.<\/p>\n

WHY GLASNER TOOK MATETA OFF<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t just a blank for Mateta but a half-time withdrawal, too.<\/p>\n

It raised fears of an injury for the Frenchman, something Oliver Glasner quickly quelled after full-time. Nevertheless, the Palace boss didn\u2019t sound too chuffed with his striker:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYes, it was a tactical decision but now I have to say it was the wrong decision. Not to take him off, just to change the system to a 3-5-2. We wanted to control the middle more, the pocket, but it didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t make a mistake to sub him because I think he can do better than he did first half. He lost too many duels, he lost too many balls. That\u2019s why we thought to change something. The mistake I made was to change the system, not to sub JP.\u201d \u2013 Oliver Glasner on Jean-Philippe Mateta\u2019s half-time withdrawal<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Little chance of seeing a 3-5-2 against Newcastle United in midweek, then, but Glasner will have Eddie Nketiah <\/strong>(\u00a35.9m) back from suspension, should he feel the need to make a change up top. Perhaps, though, he\u2019ll give Mateta a chance to fire back at his manager on the pitch.<\/p>\n

The French forward didn\u2019t register a single shot on Saturday but was mere feet away from tapping in Sarr\u2019s low cross for Palace\u2019s opener. Eze, scoring his first league goal of 2025, converted instead.<\/p>\n

Sarr and Eze looked dangerous in the opening 30 minutes. The former blazed over from close range, while the latter was denied a second goal by a tight offside call.<\/p>\n

The Eagles\u2019 goal threat vanished after that, with Glasner\u2019s ill-fated formation switch shouldering some of the blame.<\/p>\n

\"whyIN DEFENCE OF THE DEFENCE<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not used to seeing Palace thumped like this. They hadn\u2019t lost away from home since Gameweek 8, while only two clubs had conceded fewer goals (35) in Gameweeks 1-31.<\/p>\n

There was some mitigation. Marc Guehi<\/strong> (\u00a34.7m) was banned, while Maxence Lacroix<\/strong> (\u00a34.5m) and Chris Richards<\/strong> (\u00a34.4m) had missed chunks of training through injury.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMaybe there are a few reasons. Maxence didn\u2019t train the whole week, just one training. Chris Richards didn\u2019t train for 10 days. Marc Guehi wasn\u2019t here.\u201d- Oliver Glasner<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The lack of a natural ball-winner in front of the defence \u2013 Jefferson Lerma<\/strong> (\u00a34.8m) was needed at centre-half, while Will Hughes<\/strong> (\u00a34.9m) was on the bench \u2013 was also, in hindsight, a misstep.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been here before with the Eagles this season. Palace conceded five goals to Arsenal (again after some defensive disruption<\/a>) in Gameweek 17. Straight after that, they went on a run of six clean sheets in 11 fixtures.<\/p>\n

DE BRUYNE: ONE LAST HURRAH?<\/p>\n

City were 2-0 down after Eze\u2019s opener and Richards\u2019 set-piece header. After Palace spurned openings to go three up, the hosts kicked into life and ended up registering a whopping 12 big chances.<\/p>\n

Kevin De Bruyne<\/strong> (\u00a39.3m) was at the heart of the comeback. Reducing the deficit with a free-kick, he would then play a pivotal role in setting up goals two and three, claiming an assist for the latter.<\/p>\n

There should have been other returns. De Bruyne had already hit the post before his free-kick, while Omar Marmoush<\/strong> (\u00a37.3m) spurned two superb opportunities that the Belgian set up. De Bruyne himself had a great chance to score on the rebound from one of Marmoush\u2019s saved attempts.<\/p>\n

\"why<\/p>\n

Above: De Bruyne topped both the shot and key pass tables at the Etihad<\/p>\n

It was a performance that raised the question: can De Bruyne be a valid FPL option for the run-in?<\/p>\n

The long-serving midfielder himself says he\u2019s in good physical condition, having previously struggled with a hernia.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a hard year. You know, having a hernia wasn\u2019t fun but I think now I would say I\u2019m basically pain-free for the last six weeks and that\u2019s a massive difference playing with pain or no pain. It was hard but now I feel free, I\u2019m able to do a lot of training sessions and I feel I can do a good job.\u201d \u2013 Kevin De Bruyne<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

\u201cThe Kevin we have known for many years. I know he\u2019s struggled the last year and a half, I know he\u2019s struggled with injuries. When he\u2019s free without pain, then he plays completely different. The way we played helped him a lot, having incredible runners with Omar, with Gundo, with Macca.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The caveat with Manchester City players, of course, is always Pep Guardiola. Now more than ever, his teamsheets are difficult to anticipate. As the master of the predicted City line-ups, former Scoutcast regular Luke, said, Guardiola has gone \u201cfull-on crackhead mode<\/a>\u201c.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

James McAtee<\/strong> (\u00a34.6m) had never started a Premier League game for the Cityzens until Saturday. He duly took up the right-wing slot, with De Bruyne as a false nine and Marmoush on the left. Sometimes Guardiola can overthink things but this was a tactic that actually ended up working well, with McAtee and Marmoush playing narrower and running beyond the Belgian. McAtee did just that for City\u2019s fourth goal, picked out by Ederson<\/strong> (\u00a35.3m).<\/p>\n

Looking at the busy upcoming week for City, an early guess would be that De Bruyne gets a chance to unpick the low blocks of Everton (in Gameweek 33) and Nottingham Forest (in the FA Cup semi-final). Perhaps he sits out the more intense Aston Villa game in between.<\/p>\n

Guardiola may, of course, simply decide to drain every last drop of De Bruyne before he leaves in the summer.<\/p>\n

EDERSON INJURY LATEST AFTER ANOTHER ASSIST<\/p>\n

Phil Foden<\/strong> (\u00a39.2m) not being available certainly helps with De Bruyne\u2019s minutes. The England international was absent on Saturday with a knock from the Manchester derby a week earlier.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t get any update from Guardiola after full-time.<\/p>\n

A fresh concern is Ederson<\/strong> (\u00a35.3m), who departed after 71 minutes. The injury, a groin issue, seems to be an old niggly one.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cHe has had some disturbance in the past two weeks, one month, and it appeared again today.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on Ederson\u2019s injury<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ederson\u2019s assist for McAtee\u2019s goal was his fourth of the campaign. Only two City players have more!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, another run-out at centre-half (rather than as an advanced left-back) for Josko Gvardiol<\/strong> (\u00a36.2m) meant another week without a shot. He\u2019s had just one in the last eight Gameweeks. Perhaps when some of the sidelined centre-backs return later in April, he will be unleashed again.<\/p>\n

Gvardiol owners would no doubt have been irked to see current left-back Nico O\u2019Reilly<\/strong> (\u00a34.9m) getting forward to round off the scoring.<\/p>\n

At least the Croatian is in the team. McAtee\u2019s full debut meant another benching for Savinho<\/strong> (\u00a36.2m), whose run of seven successive starts has been brought to shuddering halt.<\/p>\n

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