Timo Werner made a positive impression on his competitive Chelsea debut against Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday night, showing plenty of signs of the attacking threat he’ll bring to Frank Lampard’s side this season and beyond.
Although Chelsea scored three and none of them were netted by the German, he was a menace for the home side’s defence all evening, a regular outlet for his team and he won the penalty which opened the game’s scoring.
He also took a knock before being subbed off against Brighton, although he looks set to feature against Liverpool this weekend.
But with Chelsea facing the champions at Stamford Bridge this weekend, Fantasy Premier League managers will need to decide whether or not to include the German in their side.
Below, we look at the latest status on the Chelsea squad, according to FPL.
Chelsea injury news (FPL)
Timo Werner - Dead Leg - Likely to feature
Thiago Silva - Lack of Match Fitness - 25% chance of playing
Christian Pulisic - Hamstring injury (Expected back September 26)
Ben Chilwell - Out with Heel Injury (Expected back September 26)
Billy Gilmour - Out with Knee Injury (expected back November 7)
Hakim Ziyech - Out with Knee Injury (expected back September 26)
Speaking in his pre-game press conference, Lampard alluded to a few players not being involved, such as Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech. But while he said Werner was available for selection, he did not say whether he would be fit enough to play 90 minutes.
The striker himself is understandably more bullish about the situation; his response straight after the Brighton match to Sky Sports was direct: “Of course [I’ll be fit for Liverpool]. For games like this, you’re always fit.”
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That is good news for those aiming to see him start, but he also noted that he “couldn’t do some movements” during the game due to the muscle injury, suffered in a collision with Mat Ryan, so lingering soreness, a lack of mobility or not being 90-minute ready could all be considerations for FPL planning purposes.
Add in the likelihood of Liverpool dominating play - Brighton did in large spells, so the champions certainly could - and the possibility of few chances being created for the German striker, and it might not be a game of clear-cut chances where he can open his Chelsea account.
Of course, the other side of the argument is that he could only need one big chance to score, and Liverpool conceded three against Leeds, but on the balance of probability and with Werner’s big price tag, this might be one week to sit him out for an alternative attacking option.
Those who take a slightly longer-term view to the team might fixate on a run of fixtures that include West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace and Southampton lying beyond the Liverpool match, and judge that it’s worth leaving the German in place for the battle at Stamford Bridge, but if maximum points every week is the desired outcome, there could be better options available.
