Arabic version: تشيلسي يحذّر موظفيه بشأن مؤشرات فرق «فانتازي الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز»
According to BBC News, Chelsea have warned staff to take care when using Fantasy Premier League and other public gaming platforms after team selections appeared to reveal an injury to Joao Pedro.
The club sent an email reminding staff that inside information can have consequences when Fantasy Premier League choices indicate which players may be unavailable or nearing a return. The warning followed Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham, when Pedro was a surprise absentee before the club had announced his injury.
Pedro has since been reported to have a quad injury. Several influential Fantasy Premier League content creators said they had seen evidence that Morgan Rogers and several Chelsea staff members had removed the forward from their Fantasy Premier League teams before kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
Asked about the issue after the Tottenham defeat, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said he did not know about it. “I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn’t know that,” he said. Since joining Chelsea in the summer, Alonso has generally been guarded about injury matters in media conferences.
Chelsea do not expect further restrictions, viewing the episode as an isolated case that can be addressed through greater awareness among players and staff. The club has previously faced leaks involving team selections and player absences. More than 11 million people are said to play Fantasy Premier League, while the Premier League has no specific guidance on whether club personnel should participate.
