James Chester

Hamstring injury will result in him missing 8 weeks . Tweet from Hull City AFC.
Big blow this will be again.

 

We should be OK though. We've got Davies, Bruce, and Faye immediately. Is Macca back from injury yet? And once Brady is back we've got Figueroa. Could even put Figueroa there now and play Quinn at LWB. (worth trying in the Cup at least)

 

Macca will be back for Southend

Without looking, how long exactly is 8 weeks? 2 months give or take, so that would be the back end of march

Quite a long time, let's hope macca can stay fit now

 

Never understood the people who rate Macca.He has NEVER been consistently good enough for premiership football at any of the clubs he has played for. He has NO positional strength be it Right Back or Central Defender he is lacking in quality and makes desperate lunges at attackers and lashes out at wild clearances which he often mi****s.He is Not an eight week replacement for Chester or anyone else for that matter.
Faye is much safer but is slow and mobility challenged and he too is not an eight week replacement for Chester.
Figueroa is out of form and lacks the ability to make a clean powerful defensive challenge which is often required in a central role to prevent a shooting opportunity.
Bruce is probably the safest in the tackles but his distribution can be awfully wayward,
If we could interchange the Four of them and have them each play their best or just have a generally sound game each time then OK but I can see them all having one or two "mares" just when we don't need it.
So a Sully Muntari we don't need but we could do with a mobile good tackling consistent central defender Mr Bruce if you are still flashing cash about.

 

Middle of March, and it all depends if 8 weeks out means 8 weeks from now or he'll be out for 8 weekends.

I'd guess he'll be due back for the Man City game (which would mean he missed 7 league games, 6 if West Ham has to be rearranged for the Cup 1/4 Final), but if it's a dodgy decision on whether to play him or not we'd be better giving him the extra week and saving him for the WBA game.

 

Not quite been on his game for me over the last 4- weeks. We'll get by okay and I don't feel on current form we'll miss him. His tackling has been weak and distribution worse, but for his positional play and reading of the game he wouldn't be anywhere near the first team for me. Him and Figgy being off their games, no coincidence we are letting more crosses into our box and conceding a few more goals than earlier in the season.

 

Totally disagree with all of that Im afraid.

 

Think he's been superb, definitely a Prem larker.

His timing in the tackle is impeccable.

 

Time for Bruce to step up again. We really didn't need this. We just can't catch a break when it comes to injuries. 3 of our top quality players have been in and out of injury all season. So frustrating!

 

More than happy than Macca will be back in the team. He's a legend and a cracking player.

 

Well we do have an emergency now, so Billy Davies can't even complain.

 

Conceded more headed goals than any other premier league club. Not saying that this is down to Chester but for me he's not been at the top of his game since his return from injury and beaten far too easily when pulled into wide positions.

 

Does this mean my good friend Rosie will be back in contention now?

I've had Chester in my FPL team TWICE this season, and have had to waste a transfer getting him out both times!

Or would you say Bruce is more nailed on?

(I can't afford the safer picks, such as Figs and Davies!)

 

Rossie has been unlucky, if we played 442 he would be in the team every week. Though he should have replaced Figgy, as he has been ****e of later, as he can also play left side.

 

Have you actually seen him play in the last season and a half? I'm guessing not.

And who's Fey?

 

You guess wrong !!

 

Blow yes but we have enough cover. Figs can play in the back line and Joe Dudgeon will be back soon.

Plus if we get to the 6th round of the FAC Chester wont miss as many PL games as some think even if it goes to the full 8 weeks.

 

Our best defenders lately have been Davies and Rosenior with Bruce also doing a decent job. I'd use this opportunity to have those three on the pitch together and probably go four at the back. Figueroa has had some bad games recently but we signed him to be a starter and if he's going to remain with us long-term now is his time to dig in and show he deserves to start.

Back four for the palace game: Rosenior - Bruce - Davies - Figueroa

That leaves McShane and Faye for the bench, though I'd play them both against Southend.

Bruce will go with what he feels best, though. If that means a back three then I'd opt for McShane ahead of Fig and put Rosenior left wingback again. Whatever he goes with I just hope he doesn't switch 3-4 times through the game and mess up our cohesion again. One or the other.

 

I agree wiyh Cheshire, Chester has been below form for awhile now, won't be too worried if he's out.