We are back! After a weekend off that saw England and Wales drop points in their bid to reach the Qatar World Cup, the ongoing pandemic gave us a whole new headache when it comes to thinking about our Fantasy Premier League teams. Here are our three tips for success after a weekend that caused havoc for Premier League players across the globe.
The South American Curse
The ongoing situation with the players returning from South America is not a good one. Four Argentinian Premier League players caused their World Cup qualifier against Brazil to be cancelled as health officials entered the pitch. The players involved have now travelled to Croatia, which means they will miss this weekend’s games.
They are Aston Villa duo Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez and Tottenham Hotspur’s Giovani Lo Celso and Christian Romero, but it isn’t just the Argentine quartet that will be missing.
Brazil’s Roberto Firmino, Fabinho and Alisson; Manchester City pair Ederson and Gabriel Jesus; and Leeds forward Raphinha are also out of action this weekend. Ouch. Along with that bunch, Raul Jimenez, Miguel Almiron and Francisco Sierralta are also unavailable.
Unfortunately, there is no real quick fix to this issue. We have another international break in October and given what unfolded in South America, we could see a lose-lose scenario with clubs punished for not releasing their players. If you don’t want to use any chips, this is where a strong squad, rather than just a starting eleven really pays off. Spread your wealth for long term success.
“Is now the time for my Wildcard?”
It just might be. So far this season we have advocated holding off on using your wildcard if possible, and we’d suggest doing that for one more week if you can get a competitive eleven on the pitch, as some of those Brazilians may be a part of your long-term plan, but if you are struggling, play it.
This is a chance to get one or two of the big strikers, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo into your team and save elsewhere. Remember, you get another wildcard for the second half of the season so if your team is in serious need of revamping, don’t waste your points.
Viva Ronaldo?
Having watched football so intently for the last 12 years, we always promised ourselves one thing. If Lionel Messi ever came to the Premier League, or Cristiano Ronaldo ever rejoined, they simply had to be in our team, no matter the cost. Does that thought change now Ronaldo has returned at the age of 36? Absolutely not.
He’s going to score 20+ goals this season, he is going to take penalties. £12.5m is expensive, but he will be worth it and you can always get rid of countryman Bruno Fernandes to free up some funds. He is one of the greatest of all time, so put him in and wait for the points to rack up.
