Latest news with #DREAMTEAM
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Availability update ahead of Gameweek 1: Josko Gvardiol ruled OUT, Morgan Rogers declared fit
DREAM TEAM managers have until 8pm tonight to confirm their XI for Gameweek 1. Unknowingly selecting an unavailable player would be the quickest way to ruin the opening weekend of the season so allow us to take you on a whistle-stop tour of all latest injury and suspension updates. 5 ARSENAL Gabriel Jesus remains out but Leandro Trossard is expected to make the trip to Old Trafford. ASTON VILLA Key player Morgan Rogers is available to take on Newcastle this Saturday lunchtime. Andres Garcia and Ross Barkley are injured while Emi Martinez is suspended. BOURNEMOUTH Lewis Cook is both injured and suspended for Gameweek 1. Justin Kluivert could feature against Liverpool later on but he's only managed limited training this week. BRENTFORD Keith Andrews told reporters that Yoane Wissa will not feature against Nottingham Forest as the striker considers his future -- Newcastle are favourites to sign the 28 year-old striker. Caoimhim Kelleher is "back on the grass" but still considered a doubt at this stage. 5 BRIGHTON Solly March and Adam Webster will be the Seagulls' only absentees when Fulham rock up at the Amex on Saturday. However, Fabian Hurzeler also suggested some of the younger new recruits will be phased in gradually. BURNLEY Scott Parker will be able to call upon a full squad this weekend, with the exceptions of Zeki Amdouni and Bashir Humphreys. CHELSEA Levi Colwill will be sidelined for the majority of the campaign having undergone surgery on his ACL. Benoit Badashile and Romeo Lavia remain out but Wesley Fofana has a better chance of making the squad as the Blues prepare to host Crystal Palace on Sunday. Nicolas Jackson is suspended. CRYSTAL PALACE Daichi Kamada is not available having been forced off in the first half of the Community Shield last weekend. Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze have trained all week and are expected to start despite strong transfer speculation. 5 EVERTON David Moyes confirmed to reporters that Jarrad Branthwaite suffered a new hamstring injury which may keep the highly-rated centre-back out until late September. Vitalii Mykolenko, Harrison Armstrong and Nathan Patterson are considered doubts for Monday night's visit to Elland Road but all have an outside chance of a quick recovery. FULHAM Antonee Robinson had surgery over the summer and will be "back soon" according to Marco Silva but the Portuguese tactician did not offer a specific time frame. A late call will be made on Ryan Sessegnon's involvement. LEEDS Daniel Farke will make a late call on first-choice right-back Jayden Bogle as the Whites mark their return to the top flight at home to the Toffees. New centre-back Jaka Bijol carries his suspension over from Serie A but will be available in Gameweek 2. LIVERPOOL Arne Slot declared Alexis Mac Allister fit but did not provide an update on Conor Bradley -- Joe Gomez may make the bench. Ryan Gravenberch is set to serve a one-match suspension. 5 MANCHESTER CITY Key man Josko Gvardiol has been ruled out of the opening weekend, as has Mateo Kovacic. Rodri and Phil Foden will travel to Wolves but may not be able to play the full 90 minutes. MANCHESTER UNITED The Red Devils will be without key defenders Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui when Arsenal come to town on Sunday. Both Andre Onana and Joshua Zirkzee were unable to participate in pre-season but the pair returned to full training this week and are therefore in contention. NOTTINGHAM FOREST Nuno Espirito Santo was rather pessimistic about his squad's preparation for the new campaign but only named Nicolas Dominguez among his absentees. NEWCASTLE Eddie Howe named Joe Willock as his only absentee, suggesting Anthony Gordon has shaken off his ankle problem. However, Alexander Isak won't be considered for selection amid transfer links. 5 TOTTENHAM Destiny Udogie is close to a return but this weekend comes too soon. Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin and James Maddison are all injured with the latter a long-term absentee. In brighter news, Dominic Solanke made his comeback in the Super Cup and is expected to lead the line against Burnley. SUNDERLAND Aji Alese, Luke O'Nien, Dennis Cirkin, Leo Hjelde and Romaine Mundle are Sunderland's known absentees. It is not clear whether new forward Marc Guiu will be involved against West Ham in any capacity. WEST HAM Crysencio Summerville and George Earthy remain out -- everyone else fit and available. WOLVES Vitor Pereira kept his cards close to his chest in his Friday press conference -- Leon Chiwome is the only known absentee.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The best fantasy football forfeits for 2025/26: From Ronaldo haircuts to open mic humiliations
Nick Elliott Published: Invalid Date, DREAM TEAM is best enjoyed when played in Mini Leagues against your friends. As well as battling it out for bragging rights at the top of the table, why not spice things up with a forfeit for the loser? 4 The threat of a forfeit should ensure everyone remains engaged throughout the campaign and the ultimate pay-off of watching your mate endure a partially/fully humiliating experience can be a magical moment. Allow us to present some forfeit ideas of varying intensity. PERFORM A STAND-UP COMEDY SET AT AN OPEN MIC NIGHT This one only works if everyone in your Mini League has at least a mild aversion to public speaking. Head down to your nearest open mic night and watch as your friend attempts to make dozens of strangers laugh (the bigger the crowd the better) over the course of five excruciating minutes. Try to stifle your laughter while they're on stage - it'll work better as a forfeit if their 'jokes' are met with total silence. This is an increasingly popular forfeit among fantasy football managers. Once the Mini League standings are confirmed, the loser has to spend 24 hours at their nearest open-all-hours McDonald's. They can reduce their time by eating certain items - one hour for a large Big Mac meal, 15 minutes for a McFlurry, etc - but the more they eat the more full and uncomfortable they'll become. The rest of you might want to keep the loser company in shifts or you could simply request regular photos/videos as proof the punishment is being served in full. GET YOUR HAIRCUT LIKE RONALDO IN 2002 This one is a classic for a reason. The legendary Brazilian striker fired his nation to World Cup glory in 2002 but even amid such greatness, the haircut was deemed an absolute shocker by all. It's up to you how long the loser has to keep the dodgy barnet but one big night out is surely the absolute minimum. Complete the look with an old Brazil shirt or simply let the hair (or lack thereof) do the talking - it's up to you. GET A TATTOO For those who prefer something a little more permanent, why not book a slot at the local tattoo parlour? The world is your oyster in terms of the actual design; you could opt for a simple 'LOSER' label or a more descriptive 'DREAM TEAM MINI LEAGUE LOSER 2025/26'. Get creative! 'RAW DOG' A LONG TRAIN JOURNEY You might decide that Mini League failure deserves to be met with a test of psychological endurance. If your group lives in the south of England, for example, make the loser get a train to Scotland and back the same day with photographic evidence as proof (beware Photoshop cheats). Ramp up the punishment by restricting what they can take on board with them: no snacks, no books, no laptops, nothing that could be construed as entertainment. Ideally, it should just be them, the train, and a heavy sense of regret. The loser hands over control of their social media accounts to the rest of the group for an afternoon/day/weekend. We're sure you can be trusted not to take it too far... APOLOGISE TO 500 PEOPLE It's important the loser seeks forgiveness for their poor performance. Have them apologise to 500 people with a set phrase of your choosing, something like: "I finished last in my Dream Team Mini League. I'm sorry I disappointed you. I will try better next season." The apologies have to be personal, face-to-face interactions with strangers - they can't just shout through a megaphone in the town centre and claim it's done. Add a humiliating outfit to ram the point home. 4
The Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Jorgen Strand Larsen and other value-for-money forwards who could complete your Dream Team
DREAM TEAM managers are desperate for affordable enablers ahead of the new season. Here we've identified five value-for-money strikers with the potential to punch above their weight in 2025/26. Jorgen Strand Larsen (£3.5m) Wolves' target man took to the Premier League like a duck to water in his debut season. His tally of 14 goals meant he finished in the top flight's top ten goalscorers. The towering forward averaged a goal or assist every 144.6 minutes in the league last season; a great effort given Vitor Pereira's side spent most of the campaign just a few places above the relegation zone. Strand Larsen mustered 205 points in 2024/25, 31 more than Joao Pedro (£4.5m) who is the second-most popular forward in the game right now. The Norway international has lost his chief collaborator in Matheus Cunha (£5m) but he should enjoy playing ahead of Jhon Arias (£3m) this term. Evanilson (£3.5m) 5 Bournemouth's No9 returned from injury with a point to prove earlier this year. He scored seven goals in the space of ten games between March and early May, a fruitful spell that caught the attention of Dream Team bosses. Having hit double figures in the league last time out, fans of the Cherries are keen to see what Evanilson can achieve given a full campaign free from injury. From a Dream Team perspective, his Gameweek 1 fixture of Liverpool (a) is a daunting one but Arne Slot's troops looked much better in attack than in defence in the Community Shield, for whatever that's worth. Andoni Iraola's side pack a punch going forward; only Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea registered more shots, shots on target and xG in the top flight last season. Raul Jimenez (£3.5m) 5 Having struggled in the years following his horrific head injury, the Mexican poacher looked back to his best last season, or close enough. As the focal point of a competitive Fulham outfit, he scored 14 goals in all comps at a rate of one every 192.6 minutes. Jimenez has had to share playing time with Rodrigo Muniz (£3m) ever since he moved to Craven Cottage but the rumour mill is linking the Brazilian with a transfer away from West London. The 34-year-old was one of just two forwards in this list to celebrate a double century of points in 2024/25, alongside the aforementioned Strand Larsen. In fact, no striker in Jimenez's price bracket (or cheaper) collected more points last season. Evann Guessand (£3.5m) 5 A new proposition to get excited about in the form Aston Villa's latest recruit. With Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio no longer available to Unai Emery following the completion of their loan deals, there are spots up for grabs in the attacking positions. It remains to be seen whether Guessand is merely Ollie Watkins's (£5.5m) understudy but the fact he played half of his minutes from the right flank for Nice last season suggests the two might dovetail, with Morgan Rogers (£5.5m) in support. The Ivory Coast international registered 23 goal involvements in 2024/25 and at 24 years old he should be entering his prime. Villa are expected to do well in Dream Team this season due to their Europa League participation, a competition that yielded plenty of points for Manchester United and Tottenham assets last time around. Donyell Malen (£3m) is another potential bargain for many of the same reasons. The Dutchman has looked bright in pre-season and will be deemed very affordable if he bursts out the blocks. Joel Piroe (£2.5m) 5 A genuine wildcard option to finish. The 26-year-old scored 19 goals to fire Leeds to promotion last season and claim the Championship Golden Boot. Piroe is not the most mobile striker by any means but he's a composed finisher who has been among the goals in pre-season, when the Whites have gone unbeaten against the likes of Man United, Villarreal and AC Milan. Daniel Farke has made no secret of the fact he wants reinforcements up front and a marquee signing would certainly change the outlook but as things stand, Piroe will almost certainly lead the line under the Elland Road lights against Everton in Gameweek 1. Promoted teams have struggled in recent times but Leeds, backed by the 49ers and Red Bull, might have what it takes to upset the apple cart. At just £2.5m, Piroe is a low-investment pick who allows for strong selections elsewhere in midfield and attack.
The Sun
08-08-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Mercurial Mohammed Kudus is a game-breaking Dream Team diamond… when he can be bothered
DREAM TEAM managers being seduced by a mercurial talent is a tale as old as time. For the latest addition of our SCOUT REPORT series, it's time to put Mohammed Kudus (£4.5m) under the microscope. 4 With Gameweek 1 fast approaching, Tottenham's marquee summer signing is among the most popular players in the game. His current ownership of 13.4% is bettered by just six midfielders at the time of writing. The long list of players less popular than Kudus includes heavy hitters such as Eberechi Eze (£5.5m), Declan Rice (£5m) and Morgan Rogers (£5.5m), who all earned over 100 points more than the Ghana international last season. Truth be told, Kudus was not at his best in 2024/25. He turned it on a few times but generally appeared unenthused as West Ham endured a joyless campaign. 4 When all was said and done, Kudus had just five goals and five assists to show for his efforts. For comparison, the aforementioned Rogers notched three times as many goal involvements (14 goals, 16 assists). So what makes the 25-year-old so popular? Clearly a sizeable portion of Dream Team bosses believe that his move to North London will provide a clean slate. A change of environment should motivate Kudus to rediscover his best form, a formidable prospect. He quickly became an effective value-for-money asset in his first Dream Team season when he joined the Hammers from Ajax at the start of 2023/24. Kudus scored 14 goals and provided nine assists that season and averaged a goal involvement every 146.4 minutes in the Premier League. 4 Needless to say, if Kudus can get back to that level in Spurs colours he will provide substantial returns for his owners. Plus, he will have European fixtures to bolster his schedule this term. It remains to be seen how Thomas Frank will deploy the skilful dribbler once the campaign gets underway. Kudus played predominantly from the right flank at West Ham but is also capable of playing from the left or centrally. Brennan Johnson (£4.5m) was Ange Postecoglou's preferred right winger and the Welshman finished 2024/25 as the club's top scorer (18 in all comps). The departure of Son Heung-min (£5m) coupled with injuries to James Maddison (£4.5m) and Dejan Kulusevski (£4.5m) means there should be plenty of minutes for Kudus in August and September but it will be interesting to see what happens when everyone is available - Mathys Tel (£3.5m) is also pushing for increased minutes this season. 4 What we do know is that Spurs are due to host Burnley in Gameweek 1. The Clarets smashed all sorts of records with their incredible defensive performances in the Championship last season but it's simply a fact that newly-promoted clubs have given up lots of points in recent years. No wonder Kudus appears in so many teams.
The Sun
05-08-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Dream Team scoring explained: What are ‘fantasy assists' and how do players earn bonus points?
DREAM TEAM boasts a scoring system that recognises individual performance to a greater degree than any other fantasy football game. Here's a full breakdown of how points are won (and lost). 3 ALL PLAYERS Goal +6 points Assist +3 points Appearance (0-59 minutes) +1 point Appearance (60+ minutes) +1 point Shot on target +1 point Big chance created +1 point Tackles +1 point per two Yellow card -1 point Red card -3 points Penalty miss -3 points Own goal -2 points GOALKEEPERS & DEFENDERS ONLY Clean sheet (minimum 60 minutes played) +5 points Each goal conceded over one goal -1 point GOALKEEPERS ONLY Saves +1 point per two Penalty save +3 points It's important to note that assists also includes 'fantasy assists' (as defined by Opta) which incorporates other decisive actions that lead to a goal being scored, such as: Makes a heavily deflected pass or cross which leads to a goal Has a shot on target which is saved by the goalkeeper and scored off the rebound Has a shot blocked which is scored off the rebound Has a shot which hits woodwork and is scored off the rebound Wins a penalty which is subsequently scored Wins a free-kick which is subsequently scored directly Makes a shot, pass or cross which precedes an own goal Official governing bodies, such as the Premier League and Uefa, do not recognise 'fantasy assists' and so that's why there is often a discrepancy between statistics relating to assists across various platforms. Dream Team, like other fantasy games, includes Opta-defined 'fantasy assists' as we believe it makes for a more compelling experience. 3 BONUS POINTS In addition to the points detailed above, players are also able to earn bonus points; either zero, one, three or five (per fixture). Bonus points are determined by a combination of the following stats that contribute to player performance marks (PPM): completed crosses, successful dribbles, pass completion rate, interceptions, blocks, fouls won and goals scored from outside the area. Offsides, fouls conceded and errors leading to goals will negatively impact a player's PPM. Goalkeepers can also earn player performance marks through successful claims, keeper sweeps and successful punches. 5-7 PPM = 1 bonus point 8-11 PPM = 3 bonus points 12+ PPM = 5 bonus points The reason goals and assists (and shots on target, big chances created, etc) don't impact bonus points is because players are already rewarded for such actions. Essentially, bonus points recognise positive contributions outside of the other point-scoring actions, ensuring a fairer reflection of each player's overall performance. 3 For reference, these are the players who earned the most bonus points last season: Ryan Gravenberch 52 pts Youri Tielmans 51 pts Pedro Porro 51 pts Aaron Wan-Bissaka 51 pts Bruno Fernandes 50 pts Jeremy Doku 47 pts Eberechi Eze 46 pts James Maddison 45 pts Declan Rice 45 pts All the relevant stats are provided by Opta, who review their data after the conclusion of each game. This occasionally results in post-match changes in points awarded to players but rest assured any alterations are made to more accurately reflect each individual's performance. The cut-off for any changes (except to address technical issues or missing data) is 12 hours from the final whistle of the relevant fixture.
