Chelsea warned staff to exercise caution so as not to give away team news unintentionally through Fantasy Premier League after Joao Pedro’s injury leaked via team selections, before a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Pedro’s absence
Joao Pedro was surprisingly absent before the defeat to Tottenham due to what later turned out to be an injury to the front thigh muscle.
Fantasy Premier League selections
Several influential Fantasy Premier League content creators claimed they had seen evidence that forward Morgan Rogers, along with several members of Chelsea’s staff, had removed Pedro from their teams in the game before kick-off at Stamford Bridge, despite no announcement being issued by the club about his injury.
According to the BBC, an email reminded staff of the potential consequences of using inside information when playing Fantasy Premier League or any other public gaming platforms, where team selections can reveal players who are unavailable or close to returning.
Earlier team leaks
During the four-month spell of former coach Liam Rosenior last season, Chelsea’s line-ups leaked before both matches in which the club lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
The barber of former defender Marc Cucurella later emerged on social media as having revealed that Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss a trip to Brighton last season after discussing the matter with his client.
Chelsea’s response
Chelsea consider the incident an isolated case that can be dealt with through increased awareness among players and staff.
Asked about the matter by BBC Sport after the defeat, Xabi Alonso said: "I'm not interested in the matter of fantasy teams, so I didn't know about that"
