As we probably won't have any new signings and barring further injuries what can we expect ?

I'll bet nahki wells starts..

heaton, lowton, tarks, mee, ward, hendrick, lennon, cork, westwood, barnes, wood.

Dare I say the team virtually picks itself...

What's the news on Defour's injury?

Andym26 wrote:heaton, lowton, tarks, mee, ward, hendrick, lennon, cork, westwood, barnes, wood.

I’d presume that’s spot on.

He won't risk anyone whois injured at the moment I'd have thought

Possibly Bardsley for Lowton (didn't he have a niggle?)

I very much doubt you'll play anything like a full strength line up..

Japebe43 wrote:I very much doubt you'll play anything like a full strength line up..

With the loss of Arfield and Marney we don't have a full strength line up to play.

ClaretAndJew wrote:With the loss of Arfield and Marney we don't have a full strength line up to play.

Maybe.. But I'd expect vokes, wells, bardsley, Taylor, long etc

ClaretAndJew wrote:With the loss of Arfield and Marney we don't have a full strength line up to play.

Marney and Arfield weren't starters last season though?

mybloodisclaret wrote:Marney and Arfield weren't starters last season though?

The line up includes the substitutes.

ClaretAndJew wrote:The line up includes the substitutes.

You have read the topic title haven't you C+J?

Quickenthetempo wrote:You have read the topic title haven't you C+J?

No hablos Anglais

The players have 3 more games to show fitness levels, niggles and desire. Far too early in pre season to guess the line up, I think the sports scientists will be advising SD daily on the pre season fitness levels of the players and who is ready to start and finish a 90 minute Europa League match. Decisions will not be made until after the PNE game and may hold some shocks too.

Andym26 wrote:heaton, lowton, tarks, mee, ward, hendrick, lennon, cork, westwood, barnes, wood.

Certainly the strongest available and fully fit line up. Playing in a 4-3-3 with Barnes and Lennon wide, it looks pretty strong.

Would expect that anyone who has a niggle would be rested, but that team looks the favourite at the minute.

Depending on fitness, and assuming that neither Brady or Defour will be risked, I'd expect

Heaton
Lowton Tarkowski Mee Ward
JBG Westwood Cork Lennon
Hendrick
Wood or Barnes

ClaretTony wrote:Depending on fitness, and assuming that neither Brady or Defour will be risked, I'd expect

Heaton
Lowton Tarkowski Mee Ward
JBG Westwood Cork Lennon
Hendrick
Wood or Barnes

Is JBG back in full training post world cup and injury? if so, that's an unexpected bonus.

claretspice wrote:Is JBG back in full training post world cup and injury? if so, that's an unexpected bonus.

JBG played for Iceland following the injury so no problems there. Back in training yesterday after being given a couple of weeks off.

Heaton
Lowton Dawson Tarkowski Ward
JBG Lansbury Stephens Clucas Lennon
Rodriguez

mickleoverclaret wrote:Heaton
Lowton Dawson Tarkowski Ward
JBG Lansbury Stephens Clucas Lennon
Rodriguez

Had to like this line up just for Lansbury alone

Didnt realise JBG was back in training. He would replace hendrick in my original team!

ClaretAndJew wrote:With the loss of Arfield and Marney we don't have a full strength line up to play.

I wouldn't say that seeing as neither of them were figuring much late on last season.

claretspice wrote:Is JBG back in full training post world cup and injury? if so, that's an unexpected bonus.

Given that no-one had mentioned JBG I thought I'd missed something so of course he should play. Why would Dyche play an intentionally weakened side (and please please no-one say we have to concentrate on the league, it's getting boring).

1 fit winger and we’re looking at signing an injured centre midfielder to fill the void

We need to get away from Hendrick playing the number 10 role, he can't do that job. Who else ? Just shows how thin the squad is, we should have had new signings in well before now.

LongSider75 wrote:We need to get away from Hendrick playing the number 10 role, he can't do that job. Who else ? Just shows how thin the squad is, we should have had new signings in well before now.

We won a lot of matches last year with him doing that job. If you want to argue that others can do it better, fair enough; but it isn't true to say he can't do it.

Last year Dyche had faith in the B team and continued to state we would put out a team capable of winning in the cups. At first I thought it meant he wouldn't be making changes but what it actually meant was he thought a group of players who barely played together before would somehow not fall to an embarrassing cup defeat.

This year I don't expect that will change, he will play the B team more but hopefully now there has been time for players to gel they can actually play better together.

In the games before season start we might see the A team in the qualifiers but if we don't get knocked out by the time the premier league starts no doubt the B team duty will be solely Europa League with perhaps one or two players unchanged here and there.

There's no way that if we play a competitive premier league game on Saturday, then have to play again on Thursday and Sunday that he won't field the likes of Wells and Bardsley in Europe.

The only exceptions I can see to this is if we play a game we expect to lose in the premier league and/or we have a shortage of players which is very probable given our current squad size or we by a miracle make it to the finals.

But having more competitive games for players to push for the A team isn't a bad thing. Should keep people on their toes a bit more if we do progress that is.

If we don't field a strong team the same thing will happen that has happened before in cups.

Heaton
Lowton Tarkowski Mee Ward
JBG Cork Westwood Lennon
Wood Barnes

The eleven above should be good enough to bring a positive result home.

Come on lads, this Aberdeen lot are on a par with Padiham aren’t they, reckon I could play on the wing and give em a game and I’m 56 and have got one of those tight fitting XL new shirts to wear for t’trip!

Adam Rooney has gone to Salford City.......that tells you a lot