The Premier League has paused until next Saturday (January 13) but that doesn&#8217;t mean there isn&#8217;t plenty for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers to keep an eye on.
In this article, we provide an overview of the key things to look out for as FPL approaches crunch time, from blank and double gameweeks to absent &#8211; and returning &#8211; players.

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<h2>AFCON and Asian Cup absentees</h2>
FPL managers looking at their team for Gameweek 21 are likely to see one or two red flags in their squads.
This is because a number of African and Asian players are leaving for international duty, taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup.
We published a <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/which-premier-league-players-are-heading-to-afcon-and-the-asian-cup">full list of affected players</a> earlier this week, including the important dates.
But in summary, players could miss Premier League games up to and including FPL Gameweek 24, depending on how far their teams progress in the tournaments.
And with Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) and Son Heung-min (£9.8m) among the most popular players in the game, the vast majority of FPL managers are going to have to make a plan.
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Holding on to both of these premium players is an option, however doing so will leave squads thin on the ground.
Selling at least one, given the high chance of their nations reaching the latter stages of their respective tournaments, is likely to be the preferred strategy for most.
But who are the best replacements? Keep an eye on our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips">Ultimate FPL Guide</a> for articles outlining the options at a range of price points.
In the meantime, check out <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/my-team/transfers">My Team</a> for recommended transfers tailored to your team by <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/ai-team-rating">Hub AI</a>.
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<div id="attachment_60910" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-60910" class="size-full wp-image-60910" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AFCON-and-Asian-Cup.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AFCON-and-Asian-Cup.jpg 1000w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AFCON-and-Asian-Cup-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AFCON-and-Asian-Cup-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AFCON-and-Asian-Cup-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />AFCON and the Asian Cup will shake things up</div>
<h2>Limited FPL action in January &#8211; but don&#8217;t switch off!</h2>
After a bumper seven gameweeks in December, January brings a much gentler pace of FPL deadlines.
There are just two, with Gameweek 21 starting on Saturday, January 13 and Gameweek 22 at the end of the month, from Tuesday, January 30.
Gameweek 21 takes place over a longer period than usual due the Premier League&#8217;s winter break. Half the league will play over the Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with the rest playing the following Saturday (January 20) to Monday (January 22).
Although there is limited Premier League action, it doesn&#8217;t mean FPL managers can down tools completely, as other competitions will begin to have a major impact on fantasy planning.
<h2>Double and blank gameweek schedule starts to take shape</h2>
The FA Cup is back, with both the third and fourth round taking place in January.
Two-legged Carabao Cup semi-finals are also scheduled, with the results in both cups helping to shape the blank and double gameweek schedule.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Fulham are still in the Carabao Cup, with postponements likely in Gameweek 26 to accommodate the final.
And those who reach the FA Cup quarter-finals &#8211; the sixth round of the contest &#8211; will blank in Gameweek 29.
There&#8217;s also the potential for a double gameweek for Manchester City and Brentford, following their blank in Gameweek 18.
Our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-blank-double-gameweek-guide">FPL Blank and Double Gameweek Guide</a> will cover the essentials as the blanks and doubles are officially confirmed, so it&#8217;s well worth bookmarking it and checking in regularly.
But those looking to keep an eye on the ramifications in the meantime should have their eyes set firmly on the Arsenal v Liverpool match on Sunday.
According to fixtures expert Ben Crellin, whose <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/ben-crellins-fpl-transfer-planning-sheet">transfer planner</a> is available exclusively on the Hub, this is the key FA Cup third-round game.
This is because it will give an indication of the likelihood of a Liverpool double gameweek, as early as Gameweek 25.
<div id="attachment_61014" style="width: 689px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-61014" class="wp-image-61014 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ben-Crellin-FA-Cup.jpg" alt="" width="679" height="611" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ben-Crellin-FA-Cup.jpg 679w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ben-Crellin-FA-Cup-300x270.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ben-Crellin-FA-Cup-610x549.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 679px) 100vw, 679px" />Ben&#8217;s thoughts on upcoming blank and double gameweeks, via his <a href="https://twitter.com/BenCrellin/status/1742981376142418303">Twitter</a> page</div>
<h2>Return of Haaland, De Bruyne and Ivan Toney &#8211; and transfer window open</h2>
FPL managers have been without Erling Haaland (£13.9m) since Gameweek 16 as a result of a stress fracture in his foot.
Teammate Kevin De Bruyne (£10.2m) has been out much longer, going off injured in Manchester City&#8217;s opener against Burnley in August.
The Belgian was on the bench for City&#8217;s Gameweek 20 fixture against Sheffield United, although he did not make it on the pitch.
City face Huddersfield in the FA Cup on Sunday (January 7) and attention will be on City&#8217;s matchday squad.
Positive news in the case of Haaland will see FPL managers begin to bring him back into their teams. City face Newcastle away in Gameweek 21, with the Magpies having comfortably the worst expected goals conceded (xGC) over the last three games (12.6).
Speaking ahead of the Huddersfield game, Pep Guardiola said:
<blockquote>&#8220;Erling is a little bit better, it&#8217;s bone so we have to be careful. He&#8217;s done two-three sessions and feels good after. I don&#8217;t know for Sunday or Newcastle but hopefully for the rest they will be ready.&#8221;</blockquote>
And on De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku (£6.5m), who has also been injured, he said:
<blockquote>&#8220;They are training with us for the last two-three sessions, Jeremy feels really really good, Kevin as well. We have to be patient with Kevin and give him the right minutes.&#8221;</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_61015" style="width: 1007px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-61015" class="size-full wp-image-61015" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Haaland-GW20.jpg" alt="Erling Haaland's stats" width="997" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Haaland-GW20.jpg 997w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Haaland-GW20-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Haaland-GW20-768x625.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Haaland-GW20-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px" />Erling Haaland&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
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<h3>Toney&#8217;s ban ends</h3>
Another long-term absentee is Ivan Toney (£7.9m), who was banned for breaches of FA betting rules in May.
His ban ends on January 16, meaning the FA Cup third round comes too early for the Brentford striker.
He can however play against Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 21, although how many minutes he gets in his first game back is uncertain.
Toney is not coming back completely cold though. He was able to return to training in September and a month later played his first behind-closed-doors match a month later.
He has played in at least three friendlies, scoring in two of them and <a href="https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/first-team-players-return-brentford-v-watford-behind-closed-doors">recording an assist</a>.
Bryan Mbeumo (£6.8m) would have been AFCON-bound had he not picked up a long-term injury, so Toney&#8217;s return comes at a good time for the Bees.
He was their talisman last season, scoring 20 goals and assisting four, so regular minutes will undoubtedly put him firmly on the FPL watchlist.
But Brentford&#8217;s<a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker"> upcoming fixtures</a> are tough, ranking 16th for overall difficulty over the next six gameweeks.
<div id="attachment_61016" style="width: 1007px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-61016" class="size-full wp-image-61016" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Toney-3.jpg" alt="Ivan Toney's fixtures" width="997" height="812" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Toney-3.jpg 997w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Toney-3-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Toney-3-768x625.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Toney-3-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px" />Ivan Toney&#8217;s fixtures</div>
<h2>January transfer window opens</h2>
Premier League teams can sign new players up to 11pm on Thursday, February 1, which could create new opportunities for FPL managers.
Toney is among the names linked with a move, with Arsenal reportedly one of a number of teams interested in signing him.
Sheffield United have bolstered their forward line with the loan signing of Ben Brereton Diaz, who scored 36 goals over the last two Championship seasons before moving to Villarreal.
He moved to La Liga from Blackburn Rovers in the summer but failed to score in 20 appearances.
We&#8217;ll cover any significant moves as the window progresses.
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Things to look out for in FPL: Haaland latest, blanks, doubles and Toney returns

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