International break injury round-up
The international break is in progress and with national teams playing several matches over this period, there's a high chance Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers will head into Gameweek 6 with injury issues. Here, we keep track of some of the main concerns.
We’ll keep this list updated throughout the break, with our new-look team news and predicted lineups article our final say on the likely starters and absentees in Gameweek 6 nearer to the deadline.
The withdrawals
Some players didn’t even make it to the break before pulling out of their country’s squads.
Joao Pedro - the second highest-owned player in FPL - was among them.
The Brazilian missed Gameweek 5 with a reported knee complaint and pulled out of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
A minor muscle issue was to blame for Cole Palmer missing out for England, who saw a number of players ruled out.
Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento were unable to link up with the squad, alongside Reece James.
Benjamin Sesko made it a trio of Manchester United players who will not be featuring for their countries following a flare-up of a shin injury that troubled him late last season.
And Pedro Porro is expected to be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury.
Unlike Porro, it’s likely that many of these picks will be fine for Gameweek 6.
‘Load management’ was a factor for the likes of Palmer and Rice, who came into 2026/27 on the back of injury issues and a busy summer schedule respectively.
But FPL managers face a nervous wait on Pedro - and Xabi Alonso’s comments ahead of Gameweek 5 were not the most helpful in assessing whether the forward would take part against Brentford.
There has been talk Pedro has seen a knee specialist during the break, raising concerns he could remain sidelined in Gameweek 6.
ChelseaForward£7.8mJoão Pedro
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 5
- xG
- 2.75
- Assists
- 3
- xA
- 0.28
- Shots on target
- 6
- Shots in the box
- 11
- Big chances
- 5
- Key passes
- 7
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 45
- DefCon points
- 0
International injuries
Here is a summary of some of the injuries suffered during international matches so far.
Jeremy Jacquet
Liverpool’s young French centre-back missed his national team’s last fixture on Monday with a hamstring strain.
Jacquet will be assessed upon his return to Merseyside. An absence at the weekend could strengthen the case for an Erling Haaland captaincy, subject to his own fitness.
LiverpoolDefender£5.0mJacquet
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Goals
- 0
- xG
- 0.27
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.14
- Shots on target
- 1
- Shots in the box
- 1
- Big chances
- 0
- Key passes
- 3
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 27
- DefCon points
- 4
Erling Haaland
The City star triggered alarm bells among the FPL community on Sunday night after he gestured to go off 67 minutes into Norway’s match against Portugal.
Fortunately though, it looks like it was a planned substitution, with national team coach Stale Solbakken indicating Haaland and several other players had racked up lots of minutes during the international break.
Solbakken added that Haaland would ‘keep going until he felt he couldn’t contribute any more’.
Man CityForward£15.6mHaaland
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Goals
- 6
- xG
- 4.82
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.53
- Shots on target
- 11
- Shots in the box
- 21
- Big chances
- 10
- Key passes
- 1
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 45
- DefCon points
- 0
Alex Scott
Bournemouth midfielder Scott has left the England camp, it emerged on Monday morning.
The Athletic reported that while checks are ongoing on his quad muscle, it is feared he could be out for around two months.
Tuchel played down that timeframe on Monday but described the problem as a ‘strange one’ which only materialised some time after England’s game against Croatia.
BournemouthMidfielder£6.0mScott
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 1
- xG
- 0.63
- Assists
- 2
- xA
- 0.42
- Shots on target
- 1
- Shots in the box
- 2
- Big chances
- 1
- Key passes
- 11
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 30
- DefCon points
- 4
Christos Tzolis
Arsenal winger Tzolis is a doubt for Gameweek 6 after pulling up with an apparent hamstring injury on Thursday.
The Greek international looked in clear discomfort as he came off and is set to return to London.
An extended absence for Tzolis could see Eberechi Eze handed a run in the team, while Bukayo Saka’s minutes could be boosted if Noni Madueke has to provide cover on the left too.
ArsenalMidfielder£6.3mTzolis
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 0
- xG
- 0.19
- Assists
- 2
- xA
- 0.55
- Shots on target
- 2
- Shots in the box
- 3
- Big chances
- 0
- Key passes
- 8
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 16
- DefCon points
- 0
Vitalii Mykolenko
Mykolenko has returned to Everton with a minor leg injury.
Ukraine coach Andrea Maldera said on Thursday:
“We still cannot count on Mykolenko, unfortunately. He is not feeling very well, we respect him and do not want him to get injured more seriously.”
EvertonDefender£4.6mMykolenko
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 0
- xG
- 0.04
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.15
- Shots on target
- 0
- Shots in the box
- 1
- Big chances
- 0
- Key passes
- 2
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 27
- DefCon points
- 4
Anan Khalaili
The Crystal Palace full-back has made a promising start to his career in the top flight, with a goal and four defensive contribution points.
Khalaili limped off in Israel’s game against Kosovo on Thursday with the help of a physio.
Social media reports suggested it may have been cramp though, so it’s worth owners keeping an eye on the latest before the next deadline.
Jan Paul van Hecke
The Dutch defender has returned to Spurs, his national team confirmed on Wednesday:
“Jan Paul van Hecke won’t travel to Thessaloniki with the squad [for the match v Greece].
“The defender got injured during the away game against Serbia and will return to Tottenham Hotspur.”
The foot injury did not stop van Hecke initially taking part in team training on Wednesday but he withdrew from the session early on, with the Dutch FA statement coming later in the day.
SpursDefender£4.9mVan Hecke
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Goals
- 1
- xG
- 0.70
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.46
- Shots on target
- 2
- Shots in the box
- 5
- Big chances
- 3
- Key passes
- 5
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 27
- DefCon points
- 4
Nico O’Reilly and Ezri Konsa
The England defenders did not play against Czechia on Tuesday due to minor issues.
Konsa returned on Saturday for the 0-7 victory over Croatia, playing 90 minutes.
But the Arsenal defender returned to his club on Monday, with Thomas Tuchel stating:
“Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad [in Croatia] and that caused a light trauma and we decided not to let him play through this pain, so he left camp to get treatment for both his issues now.
“I think nothing major but not worth the risk taking.”
A few days earlier, O’Reilly returned to his club for further assessment.
Defender£6.3mO'Reilly
Defender£4.6mKonsa
Head to headGameweek 1-6- 5
- Appearances
- 5
- 1
- Clean sheets
- 1
- 2.64
- Expected clean sheets
- 2.50
- 0
- DefCon points
- 4
- 0
- Goals
- 0
- 0.87
- Expected goals
- 0.23
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- 0.44
- Expected assists
- 0.03
Noussair Mazraoui
Manchester United full-back Mazraoui came off with a back issue while playing for Morocco against Lesotho on Tuesday.
He was not involved in the game against Mali on Sunday.
Man UtdDefender£4.4mMazraoui
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 3
- Goals
- 0
- xG
- 0.22
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.07
- Shots on target
- 0
- Shots in the box
- 1
- Big chances
- 0
- Key passes
- 2
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 3
- DefCon points
- 0
Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes was in Portugal’s team for their match against Wales last Thursday (September 24) but was not in the squad for their next game against Norway a few days later.
National boss Jorge Jesus said the United man had a ‘complicated problem’ which he had been carrying for several games:
“He played with an injury he brought from Manchester United. He really wanted to play against Wales.
“He said he’s been dealing with that pain for about three games, and that was one of the factors that prevented him from being at his usual level against Wales.”
Portugal have since played twice, with Fernandes playing 90 minutes in the wins against Denmark and Norway, so looks good for Gameweek 6.
Man UtdMidfielder£11.9mB.Fernandes
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Goals
- 3
- xG
- 2.59
- Assists
- 1
- xA
- 1.46
- Shots on target
- 5
- Shots in the box
- 9
- Big chances
- 4
- Key passes
- 15
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 32
- DefCon points
- 0
Patrick Dorgu
United have more than one potential injury issue to deal with ahead of Gameweek 6.
Dorgu limped off 30 minutes into Denmark’s win over Wales last Sunday (September 27) and was seen holding the back of his thigh.
Man UtdMidfielder£5.7mDorgu
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 0
- xG
- 0.78
- Assists
- 1
- xA
- 0.08
- Shots on target
- 1
- Shots in the box
- 6
- Big chances
- 2
- Key passes
- 3
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 10
- DefCon points
- 2
Cody Gakpo
Gakpo lasted less than 20 minutes for the Netherlands against Serbia last Sunday following a heavy challenge.
The Liverpool midfielder was due to have a scan on his ankle and returned to Liverpool.
LiverpoolMidfielder£7.1mGakpo
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 1
- xG
- 0.64
- Assists
- 3
- xA
- 1.70
- Shots on target
- 1
- Shots in the box
- 5
- Big chances
- 0
- Key passes
- 11
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 32
- DefCon points
- 2
Dan Ballard
Sunderland centre-back Ballard has a suspected hamstring injury in Northern Ireland’s fixture against Georgia on Friday.
He returned to his club for assessment.
SunderlandDefender£4.8mBallard
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Clean sheets
- 1
- xCS
- 0.93
- DefCon points
- 6
- Goals
- 0
- xG
- 0.31
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.17
- FPL points
- 14
- Big chances
- 1
- Big chances created
- 0
- Key passes
- 2
Alexander Isak
Isak returned to Liverpool from the Sweden camp due to a minor thigh injury.
The club said he would be assessed and play no part in the rest of his country’s matches.
LiverpoolForward£9.0mIsak
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 4
- xG
- 3.54
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.09
- Shots on target
- 7
- Shots in the box
- 14
- Big chances
- 5
- Key passes
- 3
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 33
- DefCon points
- 0
Lewis Hall
Thomas Tuchel did not use Hall against Spain at the weekend as a precaution. He said:
“Lewis missed some training sessions with a bit of an injury scare, so that’s why I was a bit hesitant to put him out there today, but he’s an option.
“He trained well at the end of the week, but he was out of training at the beginning of the week and we just didn’t want to take any risk because there was a lot of high speed running and defending to do.”
The good news for FPL owners was that he featured for 90 minutes against Czechia, and 79 against Croatia, so is another one who should not be a concern for Gameweek 6.
NewcastleDefender£5.3mHall
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Clean sheets
- 1
- xCS
- 1.06
- DefCon points
- 6
- Goals
- 1
- xG
- 0.28
- Assists
- 1
- xA
- 0.84
- FPL points
- 31
- Big chances
- 0
- Big chances created
- 2
- Key passes
- 6
Kai Havertz
Havertz was forced off in Germany’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday after a challenge from Quinten Timber.
The Arsenal forward was set to undergo a scan on his hamstring after the match, with manager Jurgen Klopp unsure of the extent of the problem.
Havertz has started all five league games this season, playing 90 minutes in four of them.
An extended absence could bring Viktor Gyokeres back into the Gunners’ starting 11. He’s priced at just £7.1m.
ArsenalForward£7.5mHavertz
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Goals
- 2
- xG
- 1.82
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.39
- Shots on target
- 7
- Shots in the box
- 11
- Big chances
- 3
- Key passes
- 5
- Big chances created
- 0
- FPL points
- 21
- DefCon points
- 0
Brian Brobbey
In the same game, Sunderland striker Brobbey was pictured limping heavily down the tunnel after also picking up a hamstring injury.
The Dutch forward scored a hat-trick against Manchester City in Gameweek 5.
An extended absence would be a blow to the Black Cats’ attacking prospects after a promising start that has seen them rack up the second best expected goals (xG) in the league.
SunderlandForward£5.7mBrobbey
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 5
- Goals
- 3
- xG
- 2.94
- Assists
- 0
- xA
- 0.11
- Shots on target
- 5
- Shots in the box
- 10
- Big chances
- 4
- Key passes
- 5
- Big chances created
- 1
- FPL points
- 24
- DefCon points
- 0
Antoine Semenyo
Semenyo was sent home before Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Ivory Coast.
Ghanaian FA president Kurt Okraku hinted that Semenyo’s injury was not a serious one and his withdrawal looks more precautionary in nature. He said:
“Antoine and the coach spoke and he told the coach ‘if you need me, I will come down for the medical team to re-examine me, but the truth is that my leg is swollen and we need to treat it.”
Man CityMidfielder£8.3mSemenyo
Player profileGameweek 1-6- Appearances
- 6
- Goals
- 2
- xG
- 0.35
- Assists
- 3
- xA
- 1.48
- Shots on target
- 4
- Shots in the box
- 7
- Big chances
- 0
- Key passes
- 11
- Big chances created
- 3
- FPL points
- 36
- DefCon points
- 0