Fantasy Premier League

Brighton’s Joao Pedro set for sideline spell as FPL owners mull over replacements

By
Joe Lyons
Author photo
Joe Lyons Sports Editor

Joe Lyons is a sports writer with years of experience on reputable sports and gambling websites. Joe has also been published by Nottingham Forest, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, horse racing and American football. Joe specialises in long form content alongside news, tips and betting. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.

Get to know Joe Lyons better
Sports Editor

Published3 hours ago on September 26, 2024

Disclosure
We publish independently audited information that meets our strong editorial guidelines. Be aware we may earn a commission if you purchase anything via links on our pages.

Some Fantasy Premier League players were dealt a harsh blow as news of Brighton forward Joao Pedro’s recent injury broke on Thursday.

In his pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler revealed that Pedro is unavailable for the clash against Chelsea.

Pedro, who has featured just once off the bench since picking up a knock during the last international break for Brazil, has been dealt another untimely injury.

Over 445,000 FPL managers have transferred the Brazilian out of their sides ahead of Gameweek 6, the third-most popular departure behind Alexander Isak and Diogo Jota.

The 23-year-old proved his worth as a reliable asset during his first season on the south coast, tallying nine goals and three assists in 19 starts.

He has also enjoyed a positive start to the 2023/24 campaign with goals against Arsenal and Manchester United – but his return date remains unknown.

Pedro sustained an ankle injury during Brighton’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last Sunday from an unpleasant tackle by Morgan Gibbs-White, who was shown a second yellow card and dismissed for his effort.

Hurzeler and Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo were also sent off by referee Robert Jones as the incident poured out onto the touchline – and each of those sent for an early bath were charged by the FA for improper conduct.

“This tackle you can see it in TV but you have to see it on the pitch, how hard it was, which dynamic it was,” said Hurzeler. “It was a hard tackle and Joao had some problems after the game, he still has some problems.

“We have to go week for week with him. But I don’t think he will be an option for the weekend. I’m not sure how long he will be out. I think Joao is a good healer. I’m convinced he will be back soon. But of course also with this player we can’t take any risks.”

Most popular Joao Pedro FPL replacements following injury news

According to the latest FPL Gameweek 6 stats, managers are siding with the likes of Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood to replace Pedro up front.

  1. Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) – 584,884 transferred in
  2. Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) – 233,166 transferred in
  3. Kai Havertz (Arsenal) – 185,080 transferred in
  4. Jhon Duran (Aston Villa) – 177,930 transferred in
  5. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 174,064 transferred in
  6. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) – 172,480 transferred in
  7. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 159,926 transferred in
  8. Danny Welbeck (Brighton) – 141,062 transferred in
  9. Ross Stewart (Southampton) 137,209 transferred in
  10. Raul Jimenez (Fulham) – 131,023 transferred in

If he misses Gameweek 7 at home to Spurs, there is every chance Pedro will be able to return for Gameweek 8 following the international break – where Brighton will head to Newcastle on October 19th in just over three weeks’ time.