More than 240,000 FPL managers are making the same big mistake before the GW5 games.
Almost 250,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers might have made a costly mistake ahead of Gameweek Five. After four exciting weeks of Premier League matches, we’re quickly approaching the last gameweek before a three-week international break. This means FPL managers have some big choices to make before Friday night’s deadline—and many may have rushed by bringing in Chelsea star Joao Pedro.
Pedro has been in great form this season, so it’s easy to see why so many managers want him in their teams. Last week, he played the full 90 minutes and scored a crucial second-half equalizer in a 2-2 draw with Hull. So far, he’s earned 33 points with three goals and three assists in just four games! Because of this strong start, he’s now the second most owned player in the game, with 71.6% of managers having him on their squads.
Eager to take advantage of his hot streak, 241,037 managers used a transfer to add Pedro before the Gameweek Five deadline. But they may have jumped the gun—just days before the gameweek, it was revealed that Pedro has a knee injury that might keep him out of Chelsea’s upcoming match against Brentford.
This news came when Pedro was dropped from Brazil’s squad for upcoming friendlies against Australia and India. Reports say he has an edema in his knee, caused by a sprain to key ligaments during the game against Hull City last weekend. If that’s true, he could be sidelined for about 3.5 weeks, possibly returning for Chelsea’s Gameweek Six match against Bournemouth on October 10.
For those managers who used a transfer on Pedro this week, hearing he might miss a potentially high-scoring game is definitely frustrating—especially right before the international break.
On the bright side, Chelsea’s manager Xabi Alonso hinted in his pre-Brentford press conference that the injury reports might be overblown. He didn’t rule Pedro out and said they’ll make final decisions after their last training session.
Still, most expect Danny Welbeck, who just joined Chelsea this summer, to lead the attack against Brentford while Pedro gets some time to recover.
If you’re looking for alternatives after Pedro’s injury news, there are some great options out there to consider. Just remember, it’s always good to hold off on transfers until closer to the deadline to avoid risky early moves!