CONSIDER this a timely reminder that Dream Team managers can reverse their transfers any time before the deadline.
Morgan Rogers (£3.8m) is currently the most transferred-out player this week despite the fact he appears to be a strong option for Gameweek 26.
Rogers is not injured, far from it…[/caption]
The Aston Villa midfielder picked up a minor injury against Chelsea last weekend and was considered a doubt for his side’s trip to Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.
However, not only was Rogers named in the starting line-up at Selhurst Park, he scored a classy goal as part of a 10-point return.
It was a sobering night for the Villains as they succumbed to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Oliver Glasner’s side but a 12th goal of the season for their skilful No27 should prompt thousands of overzealous Dream Team bosses to rethink their strategy for the upcoming Gameweek.
There’s no doubt Rogers’ availability question mark was a significant factor in his popularity drop but Tuesday night’s events have changed the outlook dramatically.
Rogers is in line to start against Club Brugge[/caption]
Far from a player to ditch ahead of Gameweek 26, the 22-year-old appears to be an easy hold.
Unai Emery’s side are one of only two teams (Manchester United being the other) set to play twice this coming Gameweek, although rotation is to be expected against Cardiff in Friday night’s FA Cup fifth round fixture.
Even if Rogers doesn’t feature at all against the Bluebirds, he is virtually guaranteed to start against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
And given five teams will blank in Gameweek 26 around some unpredictable fixtures in the FA Cup, keeping hold of Dream Team’s sixth-best midfielder seems sensible.
Looking further ahead, Villa are one of just six teams with two fixtures in Gameweek 27: Brentford (a) and Club Brugge (h).
Villa have two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 26[/caption]
Having been a bit-part player in the second half of 2023/24 following his arrival from Middlesbrough, Rogers has become one of Emery’s most trusted regulars this season.
Among outfield players, only Youri Tielemans (£4m) has played more minutes for Villa in the Premier League at this stage of the campaign.
Rogers has amassed 215 points via 19 goal involvements.
He’s also registered more successful dribbles (83) than any other player in the game, his main source of bonus points.
His disciplinary record is a worry as only Crystal Palace’s Will Hughes (£3m) has received more yellow cards this season but his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.
Rogers shouldn’t even be among the top five most transferred-out players for Gameweek 26, let alone number one.
