Kane’s hat-trick the stand-out story from Saturday’s internationals

Saturday’s Euro 2020 qualifiers and friendlies get the once-over as we continue to keep an eye on Fantasy assets over the international break.

Subscribers can view data on some of the matches listed below in our Members’ Area, with details available here.

England 4-0 Bulgaria

• Jordan Pickford (£5.6m) – 90 minutes
• Michael Keane (£5.5m) – 90 minutes
• Harry Maguire (£5.5m) – 90 minutes
• Danny Rose (£5.5m) – 90 minutes
• Declan Rice (£4.9m) – 90 minutes
• Ross Barkley (£5.8m) – 90 minutes
• Marcus Rashford (£8.5m) – 90 minutes
• Harry Kane (£11.0m) – 77 minutes
• Raheem Sterling (£12.3m) – 71 minutes
• Jordan Henderson (£5.5m) – 67 minutes
• Mason Mount (£6.4m) – 23 minutes
• Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£6.4m) – 13 minutes
• Tom Heaton (£4.5m) – 0 minutes
• Nick Pope (£4.6m) – 0 minutes
• Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.1m) – 0 minutes
• Ben Chilwell (£5.4m) – 0 minutes
• Joe Gomez (£5.4m) – 0 minutes
• Tyrone Mings (£4.5m) – 0 minutes
• Harry Winks (£5.5m) – 0 minutes
• James Maddison (£7.1m) – 0 minutes
• Callum Wilson (£7.8m) – 0 minutes

Harry Kane (£11.0m) and Raheem Sterling (£12.3m) were England’s goalscorers as Gareth Southgate’s side kept up their 100% record in European Championship qualification Group A.

Kane finished from close range on 24 minutes and later scored twice from the spot to complete his hat-trick, also setting up Sterling for the City winger’s goal.

Sterling, playing on the right flank of England’s 4-3-3, had been the creator of Kane’s first strike and would have had an assist earlier in the game had the Spurs forward not drifted offside when finishing the premium FPL midfielder’s cross.

One shot and one key pass was perhaps not a fair reflection of Sterling’s influence on the game but Kane was more eye-catching on the underlying stats front, registering nine penalty box touches and five shots in the box – the limited ability of England’s opponents meaning that there was not as much ‘dropping deep’ from the Spurs man.

Fantasy managers care little for international performances, of course, and are primarily concerned with their assets getting back to their clubs in one piece and not fatigued.

Happily for their owners, Sterling and Kane came through the match unscathed and were even handed a breather in the final 20 minutes, being replaced by Jadon Sancho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£6.4m).

There was even better news for owners of Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.1m), Callum Wilson (£7.8m) and James Maddison (£7.1m), who were among nine players who remained unused substitutes at Wembley.

In-demand mid-price FPL midfielder Mason Mount (£6.4m), meanwhile, had less than 25 minutes of action as a second-half replacement for Jordan Henderson (£5.5m).

Having started Gameweek 4 as Manchester United’s central striker, Marcus Rashford (£8.5m) was back on the left flank for this match.

Rashford won Kane’s first penalty after being fouled following his driving run into the Bulgaria box and actually matched the Spurs striker for efforts on goal, although three of his five attempts were from outside the box.

Jordan Pickford (£5.6m), Michael Keane (£5.5m), Harry Maguire (£5.5m), Danny Rose (£5.5m), Declan Rice (£4.9m) and Ross Barkley (£5.8m) all lasted 90 minutes, meanwhile, although it was a relatively quiet afternoon for England’s more defensive-minded players as Bulgaria’s bright-ish early start amounted to little.

Jesse Lingard (£6.4m) missed this win and won’t be involved in Tuesday’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo having withdrawn from the squad due to illness.

Southgate said of the Manchester United midfielder:

We decided to send [Jesse] home. He hasn’t been able to train the last couple of days. We don’t think he’ll be ready for Tuesday. We’ve still got 23 players [so won’t call up a replacement for Lingard].

View player and team stats from England v Bulgaria in our Members’ Area.

Brazil 2-2 Colombia

• Ederson (£6.1m) – 90 minutes
• Richarlison (£7.9m) – 84 minutes
• Roberto Firmino (£9.5m) – 83 minutes
• Fabinho (£5.5m) – 0 minutes
• Yerry Mina (£5.6m) – 90 minutes
• Davinson Sanchez (£5.5m) – 90 minutes
• Jefferson Lerma (£4.9m) – 29 minutes

Five Premier League-based players started and lasted at least 80 minutes as Brazil and Colombia shared four goals in Saturday’s friendly in Miami.

Everton pair Richarlison (£7.9m) and Yerry Mina (£5.6m) were perhaps the pick of the FPL assets in this match, with Mina looking more assured than Davinson Sanchez (£5.5m) at the heart of the Colombian defence.

The Toffees’ centre-back also underlined his aerial threat when nodding over early in the game.

Having scored in back-to-back games in league and cup for Everton, Richarlison looked like a player brimming with confidence.

Reprising the role he has played for Everton over the last six months, Richarlison was a menace down the Brazil right and went close to scoring when curling an effort narrowly wide of David Ospina’s post.

The former Watford winger registered four shots on goal, three key passes and six penalty touches – tallies that all trumped Roberto Firmino (£9.5m).

The Liverpool striker was leading the line for Brazil on Saturday but an early headed half-chance was his only real sighter of goal and his evening was summed up when he inadvertently blocked Neymar’s goalbound shot.

Ederson (£6.1m) played the whole 90 minutes, while Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma (£4.9m) made it off the bench for Colombia just after the hour mark.

Fabinho (£5.5m) was an unused substitute.

The concern for owners of Firmino and co. is that Brazil and Colombia are both in action in America in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the Selecao facing Peru and Colombia taking on Venezuela.

While Richarlison and Mina have an extra day to recover ahead of Everton’s trip to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon, Firmino, Fabinho and Liverpool are in action on Saturday lunchtime against Norwich.

A long-haul flight back from North America is not ideal preparation for Gameweek 5, then.

Firmino was indeed benched after returning late from international duty in Gameweek 9 of last season.

View player and team stats from Brazil v Colombia in our Members’ Area.

France 4-1 Albania

• Hugo Lloris (£5.5m) – 90 minutes
• Olivier Giroud (£6.8m) – 90 minutes
• Lucas Digne (£6.1m)- 10 minutes
• Kurt Zouma (£4.9m) – 0 minutes
• Matteo Guendouzi (£4.5m) – 0 minutes
• Moussa Sissoko (£5.0m) – 0 minutes

There are usually several Premier League-based players on show when France are in action but only two started at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Didier Deschamps was deprived of the services of N’Golo Kante (£5.0m), Anthony Martial (£7.7m), Aymeric Laporte (£6.5m) and Paul Pogba (£8.5m) thanks to injury, while Alexandre Lacazette (£9.4m) was again overlooked.

Hugo Lloris (£5.5m) and Olivier Giroud (£6.8m) started and finished Saturday’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania, while Lucas Digne (£6.1m) emerged as an 80th-minute substitute at left-back.

Kurt Zouma (£4.9m), Matteo Guendouzi (£4.5m) and Moussa Sissoko (£5.0m) failed to make it off the bench, meanwhile.

Giroud wasted an excellent opportunity after 12 minutes when electing to nod back across the six-yard box rather than at goal but got on the scoresheet quarter of an hour later when finishing Lucas Hernandez’s low cross.

Lloris conceded from Albania’s only shot on target: substitute Sokol Cikalleshi making no mistake from the spot after the Spurs goalkeeper had brought down Taulant Xhaka in the box late on.

Digne et al may get more of a look-in on Tuesday night should Deschamps decide to rotate his squad with minnows Andorra in town for another Euro 2020 qualifier.

View player and team stats from France v Albania in our Members’ Area.

Serbia 2-4 Portugal

• Nemanja Matic (£4.8m) – 90 minutes
• Luka Milivojevic (£6.8m) – 87 minutes
• Rui Patricio (£5.1m) – 90 minutes
• Bernardo Silva (£7.8m) – 90 minutes
• Joao Cancelo (£5.4m) – 25 minutes
• Joao Moutinho (£5.5m) – 5 minutes
• Ruben Neves (£5.5m) – 0 minutes
• Diogo Jota (£6.3m) – 0 minutes

While Europa League participation threatens to make Wolves players rotation risks over the coming months, three of their Fantasy assets were at least handed breathers of sorts in Saturday’s Euro 2020 qualification win over Serbia.

Ruben Neves (£5.5m) and Diogo Jota (£6.3m) remained unused substitutes in this six-goal thriller, with Joao Moutinho (£5.5m) only getting off the bench for the final five minutes.

Teammate Rui Patricio (£5.1m) played the full 90 minutes in goal and didn’t really have much chance for either of Serbia’s goals, with the Wolves shot-stopper doing well to tip over a rising Adem Ljajic effort.

Bernardo Silva (£7.8m) played the whole 90 minutes for the visitors, reprising his role at Manchester City on the right flank.

Bernardo has already been benched twice in the league this season in favour of Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and there may be concerns about the Portuguese midfielder’s involvement over the international break, although Mahrez does face a friendly against Benin on Monday with Algeria.

The City winger curled in the final goal of the match with his only shot of the game, having earlier provided the assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal with a fine defence-splitting through-ball.

Teammate Joao Cancelo (£5.4m), who seems set to threaten Kyle Walker‘s (£6.0m) security of starts in the coming weeks, was handed a 25-minute run-out at right-back.

Nemanja Matic (£4.8m) and Luka Milivojevic (£6.8m) were paired together in central midfield, with the Palace midfielder not on set-piece duties for his country and subsequently not creating a single chance.

View player and team stats from Serbia v Portugal in our Members’ Area.

USA 0-3 Mexico

• Christian Pulisic (£7.5m) – 90 minutes
• Raul Jimenez (£7.4m) – 0 minutes

Raul Jimenez (£7.4m) wasn’t involved as Mexico beat their old rivals 3-0 in an international friendly on Saturday but Christian Pulisic (£7.5m) lasted the full 90 minutes for the hosts.

Mexico dominated from an early stage and Pulisic had little chance to impress, failing to register a single shot and recording only one key pass.

The concern for Jimenez and Pulisic’s FPL owners is that both players are anticipated to be involved in their countries’ respective friendlies in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the USA hosting Uruguay and Mexico meeting Argentina – both matches taking place in the States.

A long-haul flight back from America then follows, leaving perhaps only two days of training at best for both players ahead of Wolves’ clash with Chelsea on Saturday.

Jimenez started in three of the four Premier League matches immediately after the international breaks last season but was benched after his most-recent mid-season appearance for Mexico in March.

In Patrick Cutrone (£5.8m), Wolves also have a rested alternative up front – something they didn’t have in 2018/19.

Iceland 3-0 Moldova

• Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.8m) – 90 minutes

Everton’s Icelandic midfielder was the only representative in this Euro 2020 qualification Group H encounter.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.8m) played the full 90 minutes as his country breezed to a 3-0 win over limited opposition, although the Toffees’ playmaker didn’t bank an attacking return.

The underlying stats were familiar: Sigurdsson had four shots on goal but only one was from inside the opposition box.

The former Spurs and Swansea man is next in action against Albania on Tuesday night in another Euro 2020 qualifier.

View player and team stats from Iceland v Moldova in our Members’ Area.

Lithuania 0-3 Ukraine

• Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.6m) – 90 minutes
• Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.9m) – 60 minutes

FPL defender Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.6m) was in his usual central midfield position for his country as Ukraine comfortably saw off Lithuania.

The Manchester City left-back indeed popped up in the middle of the box to fire the visitors in front on seven minutes and perhaps should have done better with another shot from inside the Lithuania area just before half-time.

Zinchenko also created three chances for his teammates in his more advanced role.

West Ham winger Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.9m), playing as part of a front three, was withdrawn on the hour-mark having not registered a single shot or key pass.

Ukraine next take on Nigeria in a friendly on Tuesday, so owners of these two FPL assets will be hoping for managed minutes as we approach Gameweek 5.

Turkey 1-0 Andorra

• Çaglar Söyüncü (£4.5m) – 90 minutes
• Cenk Tosun (£5.8m) – 90 minutes

Budget Leicester defender Çaglar Söyüncü (£4.5m) played the full game as Turkey narrowly avoided an embarrassing goalless draw with Andorra.

The Foxes’ centre-half, who has started all four league games so far this season, was booked in the second half but had little defending to do as the Group H minnows produced a brave rearguard effort.

The hosts had to wait until the 89th minute to break the deadlock and profligate Everton striker Cenk Tosun (£5.8m) was one of the main offenders in front of goal, hitting the post with one of his efforts from inside the six-yard box.

Turkey are in action again on Tuesday against Moldova.

Costa Rica 1-2 Uruguay

• Lucas Torreira (£4.9m) – 45 minutes

Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira (£4.9m) will be assessed after requesting to be substituted just before half-time of Uruguay’s friendly win over Costa Rica on Saturday.

Torreira has since been pictured in training with his international teammates, however, so may still be involved in the friendly against USA in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A late arrival back at Arsenal ahead of Gameweek 5 appears possible, then, although the Gunners at least have an extra day of preparation as they head to Vicarage Road on Sunday.

The situation, along with Granit Xhaka‘s (£5.4m) injury, will be keenly monitored by owners of Dani Ceballos (£5.7m) given that those two players started ahead of the on-loan Spaniard in the north London derby last Sunday.