After being charged and accepting the violent conduct charge from the FA, Ibrahimovic is now banned for 3 domestic fixtures. This presents a problem for any managers with the forward in their team. On one hand Ibrahimovic will still be able to play in the Europa League but on the other he will be missing 3 other fixtures. As a result it’s important to consider whether to transfer him out or not, and when might be the best time to do so.
The best place to start is by looking at Man Utd’s upcoming fixtures:
Game Week 28:
FC Rostov (Europa League) Available
Game Week 29:
Chelsea (FA Cup) Unavailable
FC Rostov (Europa League) Available
Middlesbrough (Premier League) Unavailable
Game Week 30:
West Brom (Premier League) Unavailable
As the fixtures show, there is no point removing Ibrahimovic this week. He is available in the Europa League and this could be a good opportunity to pick up points. The complication arises in game week 29 where Ibrahimovic will miss two games but is available for the return leg of the Europa League. At this point in time I’m considering transferring him out before the Chelsea game and taking a hit on the Europa League fixture. My view is that missing 3 fixtures is too much of a risk when I have a transfer remaining for the month.
Who to replace him with
There are a few options in terms of replacements. Again it comes down to fixtures for other players during Ibrahimovic’s suspension. As I already have Kane and Aguero, I’m not considering a replacement from Man City or Tottenham. Personally I think both of these strikers are currently must have players based on their fixtures so I’d have them regardless of the suspension.
Chelsea – Man Utd (H – FA cup), Stoke (A), Crystal Palace (H)
Chelsea seem to be the most favourable option with 3 games during Ibrahimovic’s suspension. The obvious replacement would be Costa who is consistently scoring goals. I may also consider a change in formation by bringing in Hazard to make a 4-4-2.
Arsenal – West Brom (A), Man City (H)
Sanchez is always a difficult player to overlook, however it appears that I took him out of my team at the right time. I did plan to put him back in at the earliest opportunity. With only 2 fixtures during the ban and one against Man City, Costa or Hazard look like a better option at this stage.
When to bring him back in
Ibrahimovic will be available to face Everton on Tuesday 4th April, and Man Utd also face Sunderland in the same game week. This could be a good time to bring him back in. However Chelsea face Man City and Bournemouth during this game week so I could equally stick with Costa or Hazard. I think making a move for either of these players will give good options for the following game weeks. The important part will be to ensure Ibrahimovic is transferred back in before the next round of the Europa League – if Man Utd progress. The first leg of the next round would be the game week commencing Monday 10th April.
As always, share your thoughts/ideas in the comments below.
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Kane’s injury cold also throw a spanner into the works now 🙁 Depending on how long he is out for, it may be a case of keeping Ibrahimovic. As a side note, despite him being sidelined (for however long), he has actually gone up 0.6m this evening !!! Got to love the variable pricing, which never takes into account future availability……
I think the injury has thrown a spanner in the works. Having the luxury of using my remaining transfer on Ibrahimovic seems less appealing now. Had Man Utd put the Europa League game to bed in Russia I’d probably have wanted to make the change, however they still have it all to do at Old Trafford later in the week and Ibrahimovic will surely feature. I’ve just posted a blog that looks at the issue in more detail http://www.dreamteamtips.co.uk/kane-injury-ibrahimovic-suspension/