Here’s an article on players who could potentially miss GW1 due to the current International tournaments of Euro 2020, Copa America and the Olympics. This could drastically affect our FPL squads and current drafts FPL teams.
The Players Who Potentially Could Miss GW1 Due To International Tournaments
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Introduction
In a non International competition year when there is no World Cup or Euros etc players would finish the Premier League around the 3rd week of May and then start pre-season training about the beginning of July. That would give them 6 weeks off and then 6 weeks pre-season training and games to get fit for the start of the Premier League in Mid August.
Now this season is different. The Euros wont finish until the 11th July and the Copa America similar. The Olympics start on July 22nd and don’t finish until August 7. Hard to see any of the players in the Olympic squads being available for GW1.
Now whether players will be ready for GW1 which starts on August 13 is obviously related to how much post tournament rest they need and then how much pre-season training they need to be ready to start in GW1.
There’s no stated formula for this and the situation is complicated as some players have played every minute of the Euros like Harry Kane for example. Someone at the other extreme like Coady of Wolves didn’t feature but presumably still trained and was ready to play at anytime like everyone else and will still need rest and then pre-season training. How these players are comparatively treated in GW1 is also an unknown.
The situation is different than previous seasons as well due to the Pandemic so dragging out stats from previous seasons will be of little use. Prior to the 20/21 season the players only had a short break due to the previous lockdown. I’ve heard somewhere that Bruno Fernandes from May to May had played something like 80 games for example.
The Liverpool echo have reported that Klopp is looking to give players 3 weeks off before they start training again and that players who were part of the squads in the semi finals of the Euros potentially won’t be available. Interestingly they still named Thiago as one of the doubts even though he wasn’t a Spain regular starter. They labelled the GK Alisson as a possible exception.
I am going to use this as the basis for the article
Methodology
Therefore any player who played or was part of the squad for the Euro or Copa America semi finals or is part of the Olympics squads I am going to flag as a doubt for GW1. This is on the basis of 3 weeks rest taking them to near the end of July (depending on semis or finals) and then only 2-3 weeks training for GW1.
Euro semi teams were England, Spain, Italy and Denmark
Copa America semi teams were Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Colombia
I’m going to do it by PL club and try and divide it by players who were more regular starters for their Country and more squad players for their Country. I haven’t said which Country they play for as it will make the article too clogged and unwieldy. I have identified those in Olympic squads
Arsenal
Starter: Saka
Squad: Martinelli
It’s worth noting that Gabriel has withdrawn from the Brazil Olympics squad with injury. There’s no word on how long he will be out at the moment
Aston Villa
Starter: D Luiz (also in Olympics squad), Martinez
Squad: Mings, Grealish,
There was some thought that Martinez would also be in the Olympic squad but that seems to have disapeered
Brentford
Starter: Jensen, Norgaard, W Reid (Olympics)
Brighton
Squad: Ben White
MacAllister is also in the Argentina Olympic squad
Burnley
Starter: Chris Wood (Olympics)
Chelsea
Starters: Mount, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Christensen, T Silva
Squad: Chilwell, James, Emerson
C Palace
None
Everton
Starters: Pickford, Richarlison (plus Olympics), Mina
Squad: Calvert-Lewin
James Rodriguez wasn’t part of the Colombia squad
Leeds
Starter: Phillips
Leicester
Starter: Schmeichel
Liverpool
Squad: Henderson, Thiago, Alisson, Fabinho and Firmino
Manchester City
Starter: Walker, Stones, Sterling, Laporte, F Torres, Ederson
Squad: Foden, Rodri
Manchester United
Starters: Shaw, Maguire, Fred, Bailly (Olympics)
Squad: Sancho, Rashford, De Gea,
Diallo is also going to the Olympics but I have no idea whether he is likely to be a starter for his country or not
Newcastle and Norwich
None
Southampton
Starter: Vestergaard
Spurs
Starters: Kane, Hojberg, Lo Celso
Watford
None
West Ham
Starters: Rice
Wolves
Squad: Coady, Traore
What does this mean?
This is not definitive by any stretch. It’s just a watchlist for the future.
It’s hard to know how it will play out as Man City and Chelsea will have 8 potential first team players for GW1 at risk. Man Utd potentially 6? At this stage we just need to see how it plays out day by day.
At fantasy football geek we’ll be monitoring preseason and the press conferences to see how this plays out. So bookmark it and use it as a reference point for your FPL drafts over pre-season and visit the site regularly for updates. (Excuse the plug!)
I will be doing draft FPL teams with this in mind and will discuss players of interest in detail. I will also probably do squads with and without these players so I have the flexibility as answers or even lack of them could go to the last day press conferences
Hope you found it useful and continue to do so. Add anything I’ve missed in the comments.
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