Chelsea have warned staff about the risks of playing Fantasy Premier League, sources told ESPN, after João Pedro's injury appeared to have been detected by outsiders due to team selections. The Brazilian was an unexpected absentee for Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Oct. 24. Blues boss Xabi Alonso did not confirm the Brazil striker's absence in his pre-match news conference, but some prominent Fantasy Premier League users claimed to have spotted that Morgan Rogers and other Chelsea staff members had removed him from their respective starting XIs.
Alonso has been notably guarded when asked about injuries since taking over last summer. Staff at Cobham were reminded that their Fantasy Premier League activity might be interpreted by outsiders as indicators of player injuries or tactical switches. They were reminded not to act on any information not available to the public.
Players and staff at rival Premier League clubs have also had to navigate interpretations from eagle-eyed Fantasy Premier League users who have identified key accounts. João Pedro has remained unavailable since the defeat to Spurs, missing matches against Liverpool, Manchester United and Sunderland.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing