Injury issues and unexpected absences gave thousands of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers who used their Wildcard unwanted headaches in Double Gameweek 35.
Here&#8217;s the key highlights and <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> from this week&#8217;s games,

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<h2>FPL Gameweek 35 captaincy: Palmer keeps backers waiting</h2>
Cole Palmer (£6.2m) was the main captaincy pick of the game&#8217;s top 250,000 managers, backed by 78%.
But he came away from the first match of his double gameweek without an attacking return.
The Chelsea midfielder had six shots on goal but only one on target &#8211; a big chance at the end of the game superbly saved by Robin Olsen (£3.9m).
Those who put the armband on Son Heung-min (£9.9m) had the advantage, with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder scoring a penalty in Spurs&#8217; 3-2 defeat to Arsenal.
Chelsea hosted Spurs on Thursday in the final fixture of Double Gameweek 35, with the Palmer v Son battle top billing from a fantasy perspective.
Palmer grabbed an assist and finished on eight points, one behind Son on nine.
<div id="attachment_64095" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64095" class="size-full wp-image-64095" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Captain-picks-GW35.jpg" alt="Captaincy picks of the top 250,000 FPL managers" width="1000" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Captain-picks-GW35.jpg 1000w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Captain-picks-GW35-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Captain-picks-GW35-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Captain-picks-GW35-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />Captaincy picks of the top 250,000 FPL managers</div>
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<h3>Single-gameweek stars</h3>
While the focus was on double gameweekers from a captaincy perspective, Son and Palmer will do well to match the top scores of the weekend.
Manchester City&#8217;s Josko Gvardiol (£5.0m) was the pick of them all, with a goal, clean sheet and three bonus points leading to 15 points.
Among the top scorers was Bukayo Saka (£9.0m), who was the fourth most sold player ahead of the deadline. More than 460,000 managers got rid of him.
He scored Arsenal&#8217;s opening goal against Spurs and assisted via a corner for 12 points but missed a big chance to deny owners an even larger total.
Saka&#8217;s teammate Kai Havertz (£7.4m) was one point better, also managing a goal and assist. It was the German&#8217;s third double-digit score in five games.
Alexander Isak (£8.3m) was the second most popular transfer in for Newcastle&#8217;s home game against Sheffield United. He scored twice, matching Havertz&#8217;s haul.
And Kevin De Bruyne (£10.5m) assisted both of City&#8217;s goals against Nottingham Forest, earning two bonus points.
<div id="attachment_64096" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64096" class="size-full wp-image-64096" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GW35-top-scorers.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GW35-top-scorers.jpg 1000w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GW35-top-scorers-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GW35-top-scorers-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GW35-top-scorers-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />Bukayo Saka, Josko Gvardiol and Alexander Isak</div>
<h2>FPL Gameweek 35: Match Centre</h2>
Our gameweek reviews are not intended to provide details of every goal and assist. You can see this, plus bonus scores, FPL points and more in our slick <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-match-centre">Match Centre</a>.
The Match Centre is updated live, with the latest information as games happen, so be sure to bookmark it and follow the action in future gameweeks!
<div id="attachment_57222" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-57222" class="wp-image-57222 size-large" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre-1024x536.png" alt="" width="1024" height="536" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre-1024x536.png 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre-300x157.png 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre-768x402.png 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre-610x319.png 610w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre-1080x565.png 1080w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hub-match-centre.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Hub Match Centre</div>
<h2>FPL Gameweek 35: Wildcard template</h2>
Double Gameweek 35 saw 31% of the game&#8217;s top 250,000 managers use their Wildcard, with a strong template forming as squads were packed with players from teams with at least one remaining double.
Out went Mohamed Salah (£13.5m), Darwin Nunez (£7.7m) and Saka and in came Son, Isak and Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m).
Around three quarters of the top teams still have their Bench Boost available &#8211; and Double Gameweek 37 will likely be the time most use it.
The team below is the most duplicated starting 11 of the week, with 5,467 identical teams in the top 250,000. It is made up entirely of Double Gameweek 37 picks, with three Chelsea and two Spurs the most popular route into Double Gameweek 35.
<div id="attachment_64097" style="width: 822px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64097" class="size-full wp-image-64097" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Top-250k-template-team-GW35.jpg" alt="Top 250,000 template team " width="812" height="865" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Top-250k-template-team-GW35.jpg 812w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Top-250k-template-team-GW35-282x300.jpg 282w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Top-250k-template-team-GW35-768x818.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Top-250k-template-team-GW35-610x650.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 812px) 100vw, 812px" />Top 250,000 template team</div>
<h2>FPL Gameweek 35 injuries: Problems for Wildcarders but Haaland returns</h2>
Erling Haaland (£14.1m) came off the bench and scored as he made a return to City&#8217;s matchday squad on Sunday.
The forward had missed Gameweek 34 after picking up an injury in City&#8217;s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
His fitness status was unknown going into the weekend, prompting 623,000 sales &#8211; more than any other player bar Salah.
Phil Foden (£8.3m) was the main City interest for fantasy managers, having been brought into more than 500,000 teams.
But Foden was nowhere to be seen in Nottingham and Pep Guardiola later revealed the Englishman was ill, as was Ruben Dias (£5.5m).
Things got worse for Guardiola when Ederson (£5.5m) had to be substituted at half-time with a shoulder injury &#8211; a bitter blow for those who brought him in on Wildcard.
The goalkeeper was seen leaving the City Ground in a sling and with Guardiola saying the injury &#8216;didn&#8217;t look good&#8217;, budget option Stefan Ortega (£3.7m) could be about to get an extended run in the side.
<div id="attachment_61614" style="width: 1007px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-61614" class="size-full wp-image-61614" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ederson.jpg" alt="" width="997" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ederson.jpg 997w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ederson-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ederson-768x625.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ederson-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px" />Ederson</div>
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Elsewhere, Fabian Schar (£5.7m) was another player who only made it to half-time. Magpies manager Eddie Howe said:
<blockquote>&#8220;Fabian had a bit of tightness in his hamstring. We don’t think it’s a big injury – there’s not one moment where you think he’s pulled his hamstring – but it was enough to make him feel uncomfortable.
&#8220;He couldn’t fully sprint, so he had to come off. We were going to make the change [in the first half], but he said he was fine and he wanted to carry on. At half-time, it became clear so he couldn’t, so that’s when we eventually changed things.&#8221;</blockquote>
Schar was the seventh most bought player and FPL managers will have a keen eye on <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/premier-league-predicted-lineups">updates later in the week</a>.
<div id="attachment_64098" style="width: 1007px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64098" class="size-full wp-image-64098" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fabian-Schar.jpg" alt="" width="997" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fabian-Schar.jpg 997w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fabian-Schar-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fabian-Schar-768x625.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fabian-Schar-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px" />Fabian Schar</div>
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A hamstring strain was also the problem for Jan Paul Van Hecke (£4.1m), a cut-price Double Gameweek 37 defender for some on Wildcard. Roberto De Zerbi was unclear how many games the centre-back would miss.
Timo Werner (£6.3m) is another heading for assessment after being subbed off with a hamstring issue.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.8m) suffered a knock to his knee in Wolves&#8217; 2-1 win over Luton and came off after 85 minutes. The full-back represented a differential option on Wildcard but came away with just two points.
He recorded no shots on goal from the wing-back position, having been used further forward in recent weeks.
<h2>Key FPL Gameweek 35 stats</h2>
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag raised a few eyebrows this weekend when he told journalists his side were &#8216;one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment&#8217;, adding that the Red Devils were creating &#8216;loads of chances&#8217;.
And while the <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> might not back that up &#8211; as highlighted by <a href="https://twitter.com/BenDinnery/status/1784263345727492490">Ben Dinnery</a> &#8211; their 1-1 draw with Burnley in isolation perhaps supports the United boss.
Antony (£6.8m) topped a number of the key Opta metrics at the weekend, while Fernandes was unlucky not to add to his recent attacking returns, topping the charts for key passes and chances created.
Here are the leaders in the key Opta <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> in full:
<h3>Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 35: Players</h3>
<ul>
<li>Shots &#8211; Cole Palmer &#8211; 11</li>
<li>Shots on target &#8211; Antony &#8211; 6</li>
<li>Shots in the box &#8211; Cody Gakpo &#8211; 8</li>
<li>Big chances &#8211; Antony &#8211; 4</li>
<li>Goals &#8211; Alexander Isak &#8211; 2</li>
<li>xG &#8211; Cole Palmer &#8211; 1.68</li>
<li>Non-penalty xG (NpxG) &#8211; Cole Palmer &#8211; 1.68</li>
<li>Key passes &#8211; Bruno Fernandes &#8211; 9</li>
<li>Big chances created &#8211; Bruno Fernandes &#8211; 4</li>
<li>Assists &#8211; Anthony Gordon and Kevin De Bruyne &#8211; 2</li>
<li>Expected assists (xA) &#8211; Bruno Fernandes &#8211; 1.12</li>
<li>FPL points &#8211; Josko Gvardiol &#8211; 15</li>
<li>Expected points (xPts) &#8211; Trevoh Chalobah &#8211; 17</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="mceTemp">Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 35: Teams</h3>
<ul>
<li>Most shots &#8211; Chelsea &#8211; 37</li>
<li>Highest xG &#8211; Spurs &#8211; 3.94</li>
<li>Lowest xG &#8211; Luton &#8211; 0.6</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_55482" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-55482" class="size-full wp-image-55482" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bruno-Getty.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="794" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bruno-Getty.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bruno-Getty-300x233.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bruno-Getty-768x596.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Bruno-Getty-610x473.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Bruno Fernandes. Picture by Getty Images</div>
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