Combined Injuries & Suspensions + Week 11 Pre-Deadline Chat

Let's take a look at this week's fixtures to see if there have been any late developments on the injury front, or for any picks that might be worth considering based on this week's developments.

Aston Villa - Cardiff

Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor are still listed as doubtful for Paul Lambert's men, which has to devalue Christian Benteke slightly given their ability to get to the byline and deliver crosses to the Belgian. If the duo fails to make it, Libor Kozak could start up front alongside Benteke.

For Cardiff, no new developments means Malky Mackay may name the same team that defeated Swansea last weekend, though there is a possibility Frazier Campbell or Kim Bo-Kyung are restored to the starting lineup.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Steven Caulker

Chelsea - West Brom

Fernando Torres is out after picking up an injury, which is a shame because he seemed to finally be returning to good form. Samuel Eto'o will look to capitalize on his absence, though. Eden Hazard may also miss out after being left out of the squad for missing a training session leading up to Chelsea's Champions League win over Schalke, but I suspect Mourinho will consider one match punishment enough.

Victor Anichebe is fit again for West Brom, which comes at a convenient time as Nicolas Anelka and Scott Sinclair are both doubts for the game at Stamford Bridge. The only other news of note is that Steven Reid will start at right back after Billy Jones sustained an injury in last week's victory over Crystal Palace.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Samuel Eto'o

Crystal Palace - Everton

Adlene Guedioura somehow managed to break two ribs and puncture a lung against West Brom last weekend, and as a result will be out for a number of weeks. Former Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan is his likely replacement in the center of the park, which would push Jason Puncheon to the right flank.

For Everton, we have confirmation that Romelu Lukaku has been passed fit after the dead leg he received in his collision with Hugo Lloris. We don't have any sort of indication as to whether Ross Barkley or Leon Osman will start in the advanced midfield role, so neither are valuable picks this weekend, unfortunately.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Leighton Baines

Liverpool - Fulham

Glen Johnson has returned from an illness that kept him out in the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal. Steven Gerrard has been given a clean bill of health after being a doubt early in the week with a hip problem, which could have negative ramifications for many Liverpool players this weekend. Gerrard will be asked to play a more defensive role, but is still likely to take a large chunk of set pieces away from Philippe Coutinho. If Henderson is dropped to the bench, Liverpool's defense also becomes somewhat less valuable, as his defensive workrate has contributed massively to Lucas' success as the holding midfielder.

For Fulham, Sascha Reither serves the first of a three-match suspension for his stamp on Adnan Januzaj last weekend. Elsad Zverotic is set to take the right back slot. Brede Hangeland has returned to training, but the match may come to soon for him.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Luis Suarez

Southampton - Hull City

Dani Osvaldo requires a late fitness test to determine whether he is ready to start against Steve Bruce's men. His possible inclusion could mean James Ward-Prowse has to settle for a spot on the bench after starting each of the last two matches for the Saints.

Robbie Brady has been listed as a major doubt by his manager, meaning there isn't a whole lot to love from a fantasy perspective at Hull this weekend. Southampton's defense looks a strong bet for the clean sheet.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Artur Boruc

Norwich - West Ham

Robert Snodgrass is fit again and will look to slot straight back into the starting lineup this weekend, though teammates Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Nathan Redmond will likely watch on from the stands due to injury.

Winston Reid's injury could weaken what has been a solid West Ham defense so far this season, so beware of choosing a defender against a Norwich side that will be looking to make up for their 7-0 hammering (no pun intended) against Manchester City in Week 10. Sam Allardyce still doesn't have a fit striker to choose from, so we are likely to see Kevin Nolan as the most advanced of his 6 midfielders.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Sebastien Bassong

Tottenham - Newcastle

Hugo Lloris has been passed fit, though just how he doesn't have a concussion is beyond me. We should see quite a few changes to the squad that won against FC Sheriff in the Europa League, with the majority of the team that drew 0-0 with Everton restored to the starting eleven. Sandro may be the only difference after the Brazilian picked up a minor hamstring injury at Goodison.

Fabricio Coloccini is ready to play again after being out for the last three matches, which should strengthen Newcastle's defense considerably. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa or Mike Williamson will partner him in central defense. No other changes are expected after Alan Pardew's men dispatched Chelsea 2-0.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Loic Remy

Sunderland - Man City

Lee Cattermole and Andrea Dossena are suspended after both men were sent off for reckless challenges last match. Ondrej Celustka and Phil Bardsley could be drafted into defense, allowing Jack Colback to move forward into central midfield, though Emmanuele Giaccherini and Adam Johnson will also be pushing for inclusion.

The big news out of Manchester is that David Silva is set to be out for up to 4 weeks with a calf injury picked up in the midweek Champions League victory over CSKA Moscow. His absence should mean that Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure share set piece duty, though Aleksandar Kolarov could stake a claim as well if he is included in the starting lineup. Another of City's goalscorers from last week, Matija Nastasic, is also an injury doubt and faces a late fitness test.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Samir Nasri

Man United - Arsenal

There are a host of injury doubts in the Red side of Manchester, including Rafael, Michael Carrick, Jonny Evans and Tom Cleverley. Carrick's absence would be the most detrimental to United's hopes of stopping Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil, so they may have to rely on Wayne Rooney to continue his strong history of scoring against Arsenal, or for Robin van Persie to put one over on his old team.

Mathieu Flamini may return for Arsenal, which could allow Aaron Ramsey to move further up the pitch in support of Ozil and Giroud. Jack Wilshere is also back in training, but may not be able to prise a starting role from any of the Arsenal midfield contingent.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Robin van Persie

Swansea - Stoke

Michel Vorm is suspended after his sending off and Michu is definitely out with an ankle injury, meaning Wilfried Bony will lead the line, with Jonjo Shelvey most likely taking the spot in the hole behind him. Ben Davies made his return from injury in the Europa League match midweek, which puts a question mark over our enabler deluxe Neil Taylor.

Mark Hughes faces a real headache if his injury concerns are unable to make it back in time. Robert Huth, Erik Pieters, Glenn Whelan and Jon Walters are all struggling with minor complaints. The absence of Huth, especially, would make Swansea attackers a more enticing prospect this week, but there are better matches to choose from this week.

Fantasy Player To Watch: Jonathan De Guzman

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None of this news has affected my plans too much, though I am starting to think about a big switch-up on my team in hopes of making up ground on teams who are selecting 8-9 of the same players this week. Here's how my team stands at the moment:

Boruc, Baines, Sakho, Bassong, Ozil, Yaya, Coutinho, Lallana, Suarez, Aguero, Lukaku

As you can see, it's pretty standard with the exception of Bassong, who is my hunch pick this week. I'm strongly considering dropping Baines and spreading the funds elsewhere, though I feel like I'll most likely regret that decision. I still haven't decided on a captain, either.

Have you settled on your team for this week? Are you taking the 'safe' route with the same players as the majority, or are you doing something different? Let's chat!