Joao Pedro has been missed by Xabi Alonso. Out of action since mid-October because of an injury, the Brazilian striker has become indirectly involved in a curious episode involving Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

According to the BBC, Chelsea had to send an email to their employees warning them about the possible consequences of using inside information to pick FPL line-ups, which can reveal which players are unavailable or close to returning, as happened with Joao Pedro on 24 October.

Before the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in the eighth round of the league, the number nine became a surprise absentee because of a muscle problem in his thigh that was only revealed hours later. The problem is that several Fantasy Premier League content creators had already pointed out Joao Pedro’s absence because of the make-up of the line-ups of Chelsea members.

Influencers said they had seen evidence that Morgan Rogers and other names at the club had removed the Brazilian from their FPL squads, although Chelsea had released no official information about the striker’s injury before kick-off against Tottenham.

Asked at a press conference, the Spanish manager said he was unaware of the situation because he is not interested in fantasy teams. ‘I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn’t know that’ - Alonso told BBC Sport.

Chelsea have recent history of leaks

This is not the first time Chelsea have suffered from leaked information.

During the Liam Rosenior era between January and April, line-ups were leaked before the two games against Paris Saint-Germain on 11 and 17 March, in the last 16 of the Champions League, when Chelsea lost 8-2 on aggregate.

It later emerged that Marc Cucurella’s barber had revealed on social media that Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer would be absent for the match against Brighton, who won 3-0 at the American Express Stadium in the 34th round of the 2025-26 Premier League, on 21 April.

He found out the information in a conversation with his client, who now plays for Real Madrid.

Chelsea see Fantasy Premier League incident as isolated

Regarding Fantasy Premier League, Chelsea consider the case involving the number nine to be isolated and do not expect it to lead to restrictions.

The club’s directors believe the episode can be avoided in future through greater awareness among players and Chelsea staff, in order to prevent new line-up leaks.

In FPL, people earn points based on the real performances of players in the competition. Each user receives £100m in the game to build a squad of 15 players (11 starters and four substitutes), and every goal, assist and clean sheet earns points. Users also have to choose a captain each round, whose score is doubled.

It is estimated that more than 11 million people play Fantasy Premier League, which has become a darling of the football ecosystem. Despite strict rules that prohibit betting, the competition offers no specific guidance to clubs on how those involved should behave around the game, nor on whether they should take part individually. Each club handles the matter on its own.