Premier League Projected Lineups: Gameweek 18 [UPDATED]

Premier League Projected Lineups: Gameweek 18 [UPDATED]

This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.

MATCHES (EST)

Sheffield United vs. Newcastle United

INJURY REPORT

PlayerTeamPosInjuryStatusEst. Return
George BaldockSHUM/DUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Oliver McBurnieSHUFShoulderGTD1/12/2021
Lys MoussetSHUFAnkleGTD1/12/2021
Jack RobinsonSHUDUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Enda StevensSHUM/DUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Ryan FraserNEWMGroinGTD1/12/2021
Jamal LewisNEWDKneeGTD1/12/2021
Jonjo ShelveyNEWMUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Callum WilsonNEWFUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Allan Saint-MaximinNEWF/MIllnessOUT1/18/2021
Jack O'ConnellSHUDKneeOUT3/6/2021
Sander BergeSHUMHamstringOUT3/20/2021

Sheffield United Projected Lineup (3-5-2 v. Newcastle United): Aaron Ramsdale (GK), John Egan (DC), Chris Basham (DC), Enda Stevens (DC), Ben Osborn (ML), Ethan Ampadu (MC), Oliver Norwood (MC), John Fleck (MC), Jayden Bogle (MR), David McGoldrick (FW), Rhian Brewster (FW)

Notes: There aren't a ton of ways Chris Wilder can go with a limited roster. George Baldock still seems iffy, so Jayden Bogle stays in the XI, while Brewster comes in for Lys Mousset

Newcastle United Projected Lineup (5-4-1 at Sheffield United): Karl Darlow (GK), Federico Fernandez (DC), Ciaran Clark (DC), Fabian Schar (DC), Matt Ritchie (DL), DeAndre Yedlin (DR), Matthew Longstaff (MC), Isaac Hayden (MC), Joelinton (ML), Miguel Almiron (MR), Callum Wilson (FW)

Notes: It seems like Newcastle have found a preferred formation in the 5-4-1, and they have a variety of ways to go. Matthew Longstaff is the preferred Longstaff in the midfield, which means Hayden returns to the XI for Sean Longstaff following suspension. Yedlin remains on the right flank after a run of successful performances.

Burnley vs. Manchester United

INJURY REPORT

PlayerTeamPosInjuryStatusEst. Return
Josh BrownhillBRNMUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Jimmy DunneBRNDUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Kevin LongBRNDAnkleGTD1/12/2021
Dwight McNeilBRNF/MGroinGTD1/12/2021
Bailey Peacock-FarrellBRNGUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Nick PopeBRNGAnkleGTD1/12/2021
Jay RodriguezBRNFKneeGTD1/12/2021
Charlie TaylorBRNDHamstringGTD1/12/2021
Ashley WestwoodBRNMUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Eric BaillyMUNDNeckGTD1/12/2021
Victor LindelofMUNDBackGTD1/12/2021
Paul PogbaMUNMUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Luke ShawMUNDUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Phil JonesMUNDKneeOUT1/17/2021
Marcos RojoMUNDCalfOUT1/17/2021

Burnley Projected Lineup (4-4-2 vs. Manchester United): Nick Pope (GK), Erik Pieters (DL), James Tarkowski (DC), Ben Mee (DC), Matthew Lowton (DR), Josh Benson (ML), Josh Brownhill (MC), Ashley Westwood (MC), Robbie Brady (MR), Ashley Barnes (FW), Chris Wood (FW)

Notes: Burnley had their last match postponed, so there's a chance either Taylor or McNeil are ready to feature again. If neither are ready to start, Pieters is at left-back and Benson will work as an outside midfielder.

Manchester United Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1 at Burnley): David de Gea (GK), Luke Shaw (DL), Victor Lindelof (DC), Harry Maguire (DC), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR), Paul Pogba (DMC), Nemanja Matic (DMC), Mason Greenwood (AMR), Bruno Fernandes (AMC), Marcus Rashford (AML), Anthony Martial (FW)

Notes: Shaw is preferred to Alex Telles and Lindelof comes in for Eric Bailly along the back line, while Pogba and Matic start next to each other in the midfield. Greenwood is also back in the XI, though Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could go a number of ways up front.

Wolverhampton vs. Everton

INJURY REPORT

PlayerTeamPosInjuryStatusEst. Return
RicharlisonEVEFUndisclosedGTD1/12/2021
Dominic Calvert-LewinEVEFHamstringOUT1/17/2021
Fabian DelphEVEMHamstringGTD1/17/2021
Willy BolyWOLDHamstringOUT1/27/2021
Fernando MarcalWOLM/DGroinOUT1/27/2021
Daniel PodenceWOLF/MCalfOUT1/27/2021
Jean-Philippe GbaminEVEMAchillesOUT1/27/2021
AllanEVEMHamstringOUT1/27/2021
JonnyWOLM/DKneeOUT2/6/2021
Raul JimenezWOLFHeadOUT2/6/2021

Wolverhampton Projected Lineup (4-3-3 v. Everton): Rui Patricio (GK), Rayan Ait-Nouri (DL), Romain Saiss (DC), Conor Coady (DC), Nelson Semedo (DR), Leander Dendoncker (MC), Ruben Neves (MC), Joao Moutinho (MC), Pedro Neto (FWL), Adama Traore (AMR), Fabio Silva (FW)

Notes: Dendoncker should be healthy enough to start, and Moutinho keeps his stpo while Vitinha heads to the benchwhich pushes Joao Moutinho back to the bench.

Everton Projected Lineup (4-3-3 at Wolverhampton): Jordan Pickford (GK), Ben Godfrey (DL), Yerry Mina (DC), Michael Keane (DC), Seamus Coleman (DR), Abdoulaye Doucoure (MC), Tom Davies (MC), Gylfi Sigurdsson (MC) Alex Iwobi (FWL), James Rodriguez (FWR), Richarlison (FW)

Notes: It's a guessing game at center-back, and this match Mina and Keane get the call. Sigurdsson keeps his spot in the starting XI despite Rodriguez's return, as Iwobi moves up into the attack because Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out, which makes Richarlison start as center forward.

Manchester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

INJURY REPORT

PlayerTeamPosInjuryStatusEst. Return
Sergio AgueroMCIFUndisclosedGTD1/13/2021
Nathan AkeMCIDRestGTD1/13/2021
Thomas DoyleMCIMIllnessGTD1/13/2021
Aymeric LaporteMCIDHamstringGTD1/13/2021
Raheem SterlingMCIF/MStrainGTD1/13/2021
Ferran TorresMCIF/MIllnessGTD1/13/2021
Steven AlzateBHAMIllnessGTD1/13/2021
Jose IzquierdoBHAF/MKneeOUT1/16/2021
Adam LallanaBHAMIllnessOUT1/16/2021
Tariq LampteyBHAM/DHamstringOUT1/16/2021
Danny WelbeckBHAFUndisclosedOUT1/16/2021
Yves BissoumaBHAMSuspensionSUS1/16/2021
Eric GarciaMCIDHipOUT1/17/2021
Scott CarsonMCIGIllnessOUT1/26/2021
Cole PalmerMCIF/MIllnessOUT1/26/2021
Aaron ConnollyBHAFHamstringOUT1/26/2021
Florin AndoneBHAFKneeOUT3/6/2021

Manchester City Projected Lineup (4-3-3 v. Brighton & Hove Albion): Ederson (GK), Joao Cancelo (DL), Ruben Dias (DC), John Stones (DC), Kyle Walker (DR), Rodri (MC), Ilkay Gundogan (MC), Bernardo Silva (MC), Raheem Sterling (FWL), Kevin De Bruyne (FW), Phil Foden (FWR)

Notes: Ederson returns to the starting XI after being on the bench for last weekend's FA Cup match, one that also saw Gabriel Jesus return and start, which could have him on the bench for this game. If that's the case, Pep Guardiola could use De Bruyne as a false 9 again.

Brighton & Hove Albion Projected Lineup (3-4-2-1 at Manchester City): Robert Sanchez (GK), Dan Burn (DC), Lewis Dunk (DC), Adam Webster (DC), Solomon March (ML), Davy Propper (MC), Ben White (MC), Joel Veltman (MR), Pascal Gross (AMC), Leandro Trossard (AMC), Neal Maupay (FW)

Notes: Brighton have a lot of questions, the biggest being the continued absence of Lamptey, as Graham Potter hasn't really found someone to replace him. Propper enters for the suspended Bissouma, while Gross enters for Connolly, pushing Maupay up front with Welbeck out.

Tottenham Hotspur v. Fulham

INJURY REPORT

PlayerTeamPosInjuryStatusEst. Return
Pierre-Emile HojbjergTOTMLegGTD1/13/2021
Erik LamelaTOTMNot Injury RelatedGTD1/13/2021
Giovani Lo CelsoTOTMStrainGTD1/13/2021

Tottenham Hotspur Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1 at Aston Villa): Hugo Lloris (GK), Sergio Reguilon (DL), Eric Dier (DC), Toby Alderweireld (DC), Serge Aurier (DR), Harry Winks (DMC), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (DMC), Son Heung-Min (AML), Tanguy Ndombele (AMC), Steven Bergwijn (AMR), Harry Kane (FW)

Notes: There could be rotation at full-back after a busy week, while Winks continues in the midfield where he's started the last two league matches.

Fulham Projected Lineup (3-4-2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur): Alphonse Areola (GK), Tosin Adarabioyo (DC), Ola Aina (DC), Joachim Andersen (DC), Antonee Robinson (ML), Mario Lemina, (MC), Andre Zambo Anguissa (MC), Bobby Decordova-Reid (MR), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AMC), Ademola Lookman (AMC), Ivan Cavaleiro (FW)

Notes: Fulham return to their regular 3-4-2-1, with Loftus-Cheek coming in for Tom Cairney and Lemina for Harrison Reed.

Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace

INJURY REPORT

PlayerTeamPosInjuryStatusEst. Return
Hector BellerinARSM/DUndisclosedGTD1/14/2021
GabrielARSDIllnessGTD1/14/2021
Thomas ParteyARSMThighGTD1/14/2021
Gary CahillCRYDHamstringGTD1/14/2021
Scott DannCRYDHamstringGTD1/14/2021
Gabriel MartinelliARSF/MAnkleOUT1/18/2021
Nathan FergusonCRYMKneeOUT1/27/2021
Wayne HennesseyCRYGUndisclosedOUT1/27/2021
Martin KellyCRYDUndisclosedOUT1/27/2021
Connor WickhamCRYFUndisclosedOUT1/27/2021
Mamadou SakhoCRYDThighOUT1/30/2021
Jeffrey SchluppCRYMHamstringOUT1/30/2021

Arsenal Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1 v. Crystal Palace): Bernd Leno (GK), Kieran Tierney (DL), Rob Holding (DC), Pablo Mari (DC), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (DR), Granit Xhaka (DMC), Dani Ceballos (DMC), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (AML), Emile Smith-Rowe (AMC), Bukayo Saka (AMR), Alexandre Lacazette (FW)

Notes: Arsenal are playing well in the 4-2-3-1 that features Smith-Rowe in a central role. Mohamed Elneny could replace Ceballos, while Maitland-Niles starts for Bellerin if he isn't ready.

Crystal Palace Projected Lineup (4-4-2 at Arsenal): Vicente Guaita (GK), Tyrick Mitchell (DL), Cheikhou Kouyate (DC), James Tomkins (DC), Nathaniel Clyne (DR), Eberechi Eze (ML), James McArthur (MC), Luka Milivojevic (MC), Andros Townsend (MR), Wilfried Zaha (FW), Christian Benteke (FW)

Notes: Roy Hodgson is a manager who sticks with what's working and that means a similar XI to the one that beat Sheffield United. Injured Jeffrey Schlupp makes way for Eze on the wing, while everything else is the same, including what had been a rotation-heavy back line. Clyne is in for Joel Ward after the two have rotated at right-back the last five matches.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho. Adam Zdroik plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: zdroik, DraftKings: rotozdroik, Yahoo: StreakMaster.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew is a former RotoWire contributor. He was the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
Adam Zdroik
Adam, a multiple-time finalist for FSWA's Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's soccer editor. He runs RotoWire's Bracketology and partakes in various NFL content. He previously worked at ESPN and Sporting Kansas City, and he is a former Streak for the Cash winner and Michigan State graduate.
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