Germany injury news, pick French defender & captain Mbappe

By Josh Barker


Published: June 18, 2021 11:35 pm

Last Updated: June 18, 2021 3:35 pm

Euro Fantasy Football, June 19^th updates

The final set of fixtures for Matchweek 2 is set to play out on Saturday, with a number of top, top sides in action across the day.

The day’s action begins at 2 PM UK time when Hungary and France face off. Les Bleus are clear favourites for this game and should have little issues picking up a win.

We will then see Portugal and Germany go head-to-head in a game that could be of huge importance in deciding who finishes second in Group F.

And finally, Spain will play host to Poland in a must-win tie after their disappointing showing vs Sweden last time out.

Injury news

Hungary: Hungary have no injury concerns ahead of their meeting with France

France: Benjamin Pavard suffered a head injury during France’s win over Germany in the opening week.

However, the full-back did not come off after being assessed by the doctors and UEFA have confirmed they were satisfied Pavard did not lose consciousness from the incident. As a result, it would seem Pavard will be ok to face Hungary, though it may be one to keep a close eye on.

Portugal: Portugal currently have no injury issues ahead of facing Germany.

Germany: Germany have a couple of issues you should take into consideration. Lukas Klostermann is expected to miss out after picking up a thigh injury in training.

Leon Goretzka and Jonas Hofmann missed out vs France last time out, with the former in contention to return this week.

Elsewhere, Serge Gnabry trained away from the main squad on Thursday.

Lukas Klostermann has suffered a thigh injury in training and the #GER defender is likely to miss MD2. Leon Goretzka is in contention for Joachim Löw but Jonas Hofmann, who has taken part in aspects of training, is not ready. Serge Gnabry worked away from the main group today.

— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) June 17, 2021

Spain: Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of Spain’s first game. He is now back in the squad, but it is not yet known if he will start vs Poland.

Poland: Grzegorz Krychowiak is suspended for Poland after being sent off vs Slovakia in MW1. There are, however, no injury issues to report from the Poland camp.

Top 3 players to pick: Hernandez, Mbappe & Spain

Lucas Hernandez, France (6.5m)

Of all the games taking place on Saturday, France vs Hungary seems the easiest to call.

Les Bleus are favourites for the tournament and should have little issues dispatching Hungary, even if the latter do have the home advantage.

So, you probably want a couple of France stars in your side this week. And, Lucas Hernandez, despite being a pretty expensive defender, seems a smart choice.

The full-back is expected to keep a clean sheet this week and could also chip in with some attacking contributions, like he did in MW1 vs Germany,

Kylian Mbappe, France (12m)

Further forward, Kylian Mbappe seems like a pretty solid option for your side this week.

The PSG star caused Germany all sorts of issues last time out with his blistering pace a real issue for many a defence.

And, against a much weaker Hungary side, it seems very likely Mbappe will be heavily involved in goal contributions this week.

Karim Benzema could also be a decent choice, but with Didier Deschamps a big fan of Olivier Giroud, perhaps this game will be used by the France boss to hand the 34-year-old some minutes as France’s final group tie is a much tougher outing vs Portugal.

And whilst Benzema and Giroud could be interchangeable, Mbappe does seem pretty un-droppable.

Ferran Torres, Spain (8m)

The final player you should sign this week is Ferran Torres.

Yes, Spain struggled to score against Sweden last time out. However, they really need to win this tie, with Poland unlikely to put up as stern a fight.

Poland would lose their opening outing to a weak Slovakia team, shipping two goals in the process.

And if anyone is going to be involved in the goals for Spain on Sunday, it is likely to be Torres.

Captain of the day: Kylian Mbappe, France

If you really need some points, taking a punt on Torres may be a decent shout this week as midfielders earn more for goals than forwards.

However, the safe option is likely to be Kylian Mbappe on Sunday.

Hungary vs France betting tips: Preview, predictions & odds