Lessons learned from the international break so far
Whilst the Fantasy Premier League is on pause we take a look at some of the lessons learned from the international break so far. From injuries to player form we highlight both ahead of the new round of Premier League football.
Looking at lessons learned from the international break can be hugely useful to FPL managers. Knowing which players are injured, which players are in form and which players have gone off the boil can help with decisions around transfers and captaincy.
Nathan Ake
One major development during the international break was that of Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake (£5.1m). Ake started for Netherlands in their European Championship Qualifying game but picked up a hamstring injury that forced him off at half-time.
Ake started three of Manchester City’ four matches and so has been a main-stay in the backline. Not only will owners have to monitor for news on how serious the injury is but new signing Josko Gvardiol (£5.1m) could have a much better chance of solidifying gametime if Ake is out long-term.
The return of Reece James
One player who has not travelled on the international break is Reece James (£5.3m). The Chelsea full-back was injured in Gameweek 1 which was frustrating for his owners but could be set to return to first team football when football resumes.
Reece James returning could mean several things for fantasy managers. One of those is that his return will likely mean the demise of back-up Malo Gusto (£4.2m). Gusto hauled against Luton in Gameweek 3 and a lot of managers flocked to bring him in as a result. However those same managers may now have to look to sell.
Richarlison continues to disappoint
We saw another huge reminder that Richarlison (£6.8m) is well and truly off the boil. The Tottenham striker started for his national side Brazil during the break. Brazil dismantled Bolivia in their World Cup Qualification match 5-1 and Richarlison started up front.
The fact that Brazil managed to net five times and Richarlison was not on the score sheet reflects just how out of touch he is. Tottenham started their last match without Richarlison and he featured for just 18 minutes of the game.
Is Salah worth the money
Liverpool have made a convincing start to their campaign even with awkward fixtures. One player who seems to be performing is Mohamed Salah (£12.5m). The Egyptian has picked up a return in every game played so far but his highest return was just eight points with his other three being five points.
Salah featured for Egypt with their African Cup of Nations Qualifying match against Ethiopia in a 1-0 win. Salah failed to contribute towards the goal, missed one big chance and picked up a yellow card. His high price-tag and lack of explosiveness could indicate that he is not worth investment even for the run of great fixtures ahead.
Bruno Fernandes
Many questioned the output of Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) in the first matches of the season. The Manchester United midfielder is sustaining some of the best underlying offensive data in the league but that has not always translated into points.
Fernandes started for Portugal against Slovakia in their European Championship qualifying match and impressed. He was excellent throughout, scoring and creating four key passes leading to shots. He faces Brighton, Burnley and Crystal Palace next up so those without could be looking to bring the midfielder in.
Get ready for Gameweek 5 as we pick out all of the top picks here.
