This article will give you a quick overview of the major issues facing coaches heading into Round 1. I strongly recommend reading through the official team lists, which can be found here and tell you who is in, who is out and how long they'll be on the sidelines for. There are a larger than normal number of absences for Round 1 thanks to international fixtures and a youth tournament.
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Byes and Double Rounds
In Round 3, the Wanderers and Mariners have a bye.
In Round 4, the Wanderers and the Roar have a bye.
In Round 6, the Wanderers and Mariners play twice.
In Round 9 (not Round 8 as first thought), the Wanderers and the Roar play twice. This round also begins on a Wednesday.
So coaches will want to ensure that they do not overload on players from these teams, and have adequate cover if players from Wanderers, Roar and Mariners are picked. After Round 4, look to bring in players from these teams to make the most of the double fixtures.
If the Wanderers win the Champions League they will also play in the FIFA Club World Cup, meaning more byes:
In Round 10, the Wanderers and Melbourne City;
In Round 11, the Roar and the Wanderers;
And these fixtures will need to be rescheduled, meaning 2 more sets of double fixture rounds.
Initially, there was an additional mid-week game for each club; these fixtures will now happen at the end of the season, meaning finals have been pushed back a week.
Round 1 Talking Points
- Safe to say Besart Berisha will be a popular captaincy pick for Round 1, especially with the Wanderers missing both their first choice centre backs. He of course scored the equaliser in the Grand Final against the Wanderers, while playing his final game for Brisbane.
- The Wanderers' Vitor Saba and Romeo Castelen both seem massively underpriced, however will either start tonight? And is it worth having them for Rounds 1 and 2 or is it better to hold off until the Wanderers have had their byes?
- Another Wanderer, Brendan Hamill, should start in Rounds 1 & 2 considering both Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Matthew Spiranovic are out, but then of course has blanks in Rounds 3 & 4 and probably will not be a regular starter after that. Anthony Golec's place in the side will come under threat once Seyi Adeleke arrives - he's now been granted a visa.
- Popular cheapie Adrian Madaschi is out for 1-2 weeks; potential alternatives are Hamill, Wellington's Tom Doyle, Adelaide's Dylan McGowan (who will start for at least 2 weeks with Osama Malik out injured), or even Sydney's Alex Gersbach, though he's less certain than the other 3 to play.
- Sasa Ognenovski has been included in Sydney's squad, despite word that he would be unavailable for the game. I'd avoid picking him just in case, unless Arnold says he's playing.
- Can Corey Gameiro maintain his preseason form, and will he suffer when Marc Janko returns? Janko may line-up for Sydney in Round 2 after being sent off for Austria this morning.
- Melbourne City manager John van't Schip has said David Villa won't be able to play 90 minutes against Sydney, potentially meaning he may have to make do with a cameo off the bench. Fantasy coaches will need to weigh up whether it is worth starting with him in Round 1 or holding off until he's fully fit. Of course, he is likely capable of scoring even from limited minutes.
- Perth's midfield is another intriguing question for fantasy coaches - will Nebojsa Marinkovic or Mitch Nichols start, or both? Will Youssouf Hersi play wide on the right or at #10?
- Jamie Young is said to be starting in goals for Brisbane despite the return of Matthew Acton; neither player will be much value once Michael Theo returns in 2 months. Either James Donachie or Jack Hingert could feature at right back for the Roar.
- Interestingly, Cassio and Fabio Ferreira are in Adelaide's preliminary squad despite both players having limited preseasons. I'd suggest neither is ready to start, so coaches are better off just monitoring at this stage. It does however throw into question the fantasy viability of Craig Goodwin, who could lose his spot in the side if both men return to the starting line-up. Awer Mabil - currently away with the Young Socceroos - will add to Goodwin's competition once he returns.
Any other issues not covered here? Sound off in the Comments section below, and make sure you share this with your mates on social media! Best of luck for the season!