Chelsea warn staff over Fantasy Premier League leaks after João Pedro injury

Chelsea sent an internal email to employees warning about the consequences of using privileged information to set Fantasy Premier League (FPL) line-ups, according to the BBC, as reported by Trivela. The move followed an episode involving João Pedro, who has not played since mid-October because of injury.

Before Chelsea's 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham in the eighth round on 24 October, João Pedro became a surprise absentee due to a thigh muscle problem that was disclosed hours later. FPL content creators had already flagged his absence after noticing that Morgan Rogers and other squad members had removed the Brazilian from their FPL teams, even though the club had not released any official information on the injury before kick-off. Asked about the situation in a press conference, coach Xabi Alonso said he was unaware of it because he "is not interested in fantasy teams."

The report notes Chelsea have a recent history of information leaks. It cites line-ups being disclosed before both Champions League round-of-16 games against PSG on 11 and 17 March, which Chelsea lost 8-2 on aggregate, and says Marc Cucurella's barber later revealed on social media that João Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss the 3-0 win at Brighton on 21 April in the 2025/26 Premier League.

Chelsea consider the João Pedro case isolated and do not plan to impose restrictions, the report says. Club officials believe future leaks can be avoided through greater awareness among players and staff. The source adds that the Premier League does not give clubs specific guidance on how those involved should behave regarding FPL, leaving each team to manage the issue itself.