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Solskjaer out, Ronaldo in? Five fantasy football questions answered ahead of Gameweek 13

There’s no denying Manchester United’s abundance of attacking talent, so now Ole has been shown the door, could they be worth considering for our fantasy teams?

The Fantasy Premier League delivered the same old results on its return from the international break - Salah scored for Liverpool, Chelsea's defence shined and Guardiola frustratingly rotated.

There were goals aplenty in Burnley's clash with Crystal Palace, so we take a look at whether Maxwel Cornet is a transfer worth considering, while Eddie Howe's Newcastle United also looked sharp going forward against Brentford.

Elsewhere, Manchester United's 4-1 loss to Watford signalled the end for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and with a new project pending, are there any Red Devils worth bringing in?

With the Gameweek 13 deadline set for Saturday morning, we answer five of fantasy football's hottest questions this week to help you plan your team.

Solskjaer out, Ronaldo in?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Champions League
The headlines this week have been dominated by Solskjaer's sacking at Manchester United.

The Red Devils suffered a 5-0 loss to Liverpool a few weeks back, before losing 2-0 to Manchester City and then 4-1 to Watford last weekend.

It was enough for the Norwegian to finally be shown the door, and Michael Carrick has taken temporary charge while the club searches for an interim manager to take the wheel for the remainder of the season.

It seems a strange decision from United to not immediately look to appoint a permanent boss, but either way they can be expected to benefit from a new coach coming through the doors.
That likely spells good news for their attacking department, which is stacked with talent but hasn't quite got going this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.4million) seems the obvious pick. The Portuguese forward scored again for United in the Champions League, but has struggled more in the Premier League. He is currently their joint-top scorer with four goals alongside Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood.

But could a new boss inspire the legendary CR7 to start firing in the league? It's definitely likely, but we recommend waiting a few weeks first.

Chelsea and Arsenal are up next for United, but after that there is a run of some very favourable fixtures.

That will likely coincide with the appointment of a new manager, so Gameweek 15 seems the perfect time to turn our attention towards Ronaldo and co.

Marcus Rashford (£9.4million) has also been in good form, while Jadon Sancho (£8.9million) finally got off the mark for his new side in their midweek clash against Villarreal.

Is Maxwel Cornet the real deal for Burnley?

Maxwel Cornet, Burnley, Premier League

Burnley may be struggling down in 18th in the Premier League, but not at the fault of Maxwel Cornet (£6.1million), who has been an inspired addition to Sean Dyche's side.

Signed for around £12million in the summer, the Ivorian has netted five goals for the Clarets, despite being injured early in the campaign.

He added to his tally last weekend against Crystal Palace with a fierce strike in the second half, but is it a case of a honeymoon period for Cornet? Or is he the real deal?

Well remarkably, Cornet has scored his five goals from just 10 shots this season. It doesn't seem like a sustainable strategy from the 25-year-old even if he has exceptional finishing ability.

Frankly, his luck is due to run out soon. Burnley rank 13th in the league for goals scored, and even then five of their 14 have come from Cornet.

Dyche's side are clearly struggling to create him enough chances, and without that changing it's hard to see Cornet thriving for much longer.

And, with TottenhamWolves and Newcastle on the horizon, his struggles may creep in sooner rather than later. Both Tottenham and Wolves look defensively sound, while Newcastle are looking to improve under Howe.

For me, Cornet gets a pass. Conor Gallagher (£6million) and Emile Smith-Rowe (£5.9million) are much more promising long-term options, so my recommendation is to turn to them instead.

Has Teemu Pukki got Norwich back on track?

Teemu Pukki, Norwich City, Southampton

Just a week or two ago, you'd bet your life savings on Norwich suffering relegation this season. Not too much has changed in terms of odds, but you might be a bit more hesitant considering the Canaries have won two in a row.

They only sit three points away from safety and look far more compact and sturdy under Dean Smith.

If he continues to improve the defence, it allows Teemu Pukki to shine up top and the Finnish striker is now up to four goals this season after netting against Southampton last week, and Brentford in Gameweek 11.

As Norwich look to pull off a miraculous escape, could it be Pukki who fires them to safety? Well, perhaps that might be too much of an ask, but he certainly looks like a great fantasy option at the moment.

At just £5.8million, Pukki is a brilliant low-budget option, and with Wolves and Newcastle up next he could be worth bringing in if your other forwards are underperforming.

It'll definitely free up funds for other positions in your team, and with the 31-year-old looking like Norwich's only route to goal, he'd surely justify his small price tag.

Can Ollie Watkins shine under Gerrard?

Ollie Watkins, celebration, Aston Villa, Premier League

Another manager who got off to a winning start last weekend was Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa.

Two late goals from his side sealed a 2-0 win over Brighton, with Ollie Watkins (£7.3million) in particular looking mightily impressive under the former Liverpool captain.

Gerrard made the decision on the hour-mark to take Danny Ings off for Leon Bailey and allow Watkins a more central role.

It was a move that paid off and the 25-year-old thrived up front for the Villans, scoring the opener with five minutes to go.

As Villa prepare to face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, Gerrard may be tempted to continue Watkins in a central role, and that makes him a very appealing fantasy option.

He's managed just 35 total points this season, but has mostly been utilised out wide by Villa. Should he return to a central striker role, then we could see Watkins replicate his form of last season, when he netted 14 goals.

After Palace, Villa do face some difficult games against Manchester City and Leicester, but if they are to cause an upset under Gerrard, then Watkins is a viable transfer target this week.

Is Joao Cancelo a fantasy must-have?

Joao Cancelo, Manchester City, Champions League

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James thriving this season, it seems the best route to points has been at the back.

And recently, Manchester City's Joao Cancelo has added himself to the list of high-scoring defenders.The Portuguese full-back is the joint-top scorer for all defenders this season, level with Trent on 79.

He's picked up 26 points in the last two Gameweeks alone, and looks like City's biggest creative threat, having recorded five assists this season.

Add in that City boast the second best defensive record in the league, and suddenly the question has to be asked whether Cancelo is a must-have fantasy asset.

And in his current vein of form, the answer has to be yes. What City lack in the striking department, they make up for across the rest of the pitch, and Cancelo has stepped up when needed by Pep Guardiola.

His £6.6million fee is not too expensive considering Trent will set you back a hefty £7.8million. The only issue is whether he'll be a victim of Guardiola's constant rotation.

It seems positive on that front, though. Cancelo has played in all of Manchester City's Premier League fixtures, sitting out just 12 minutes.

With that said, my recommendation is to try and squeeze Cancelo into your back line if you have the funds. If not, you may even want to consider sacrificing Trent for him in the next few weeks.

READ MORE: Eight things you might not know about potential Manchester United manager Ernesto Valverde

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