With the international break in full swing, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has taken a backseat &#8211; but what should fantasy managers be looking out for ahead of the next deadline?
Here, we take a look at the key things you need to know.

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<h2>Don&#8217;t miss the midweek deadline</h2>
The last FPL deadline feels like a distant memory, with Blank Gameweek 29 taking place on March 15 and 16.
International matches and the upcoming FA Cup quarter-final ties mean the Gameweek 30 deadline is not until Tuesday, April 1 at 18:15.
With such a lengthy break, it would be easy to miss the midweek deadline, so make sure to set an alarm or reminder to avoid forgetting.
<h2>FA Cup results and fixture announcements?</h2>
The FA Cup quarter-finals are pivotal for FPL.
Victorious Premier League teams are not expected to play in Gameweek 34, creating a <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/blank-gameweek-in-fantasy-premier-league">blank gameweek</a> for them and their opponents.
Postponed fixtures could move to Gameweek 33, creating a <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/double-gameweek-in-fantasy-premier-league">double gameweek</a>, and this will help FPL managers finalise their chip strategies.
Playing the <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/what-is-the-fantasy-premier-league-wildcard-and-when-to-use-it">Wildcard</a> in Gameweek 30 is a possibility, although it&#8217;s unlikely the Premier League will have formally announced the fixtures in time for Tuesday&#8217;s deadline.
That&#8217;s why many have identified Gameweek 31 as a good time to play the chip, with more clarity expected by then.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-chip-strategy-guide">FPL Chip Strategy Guide</a></li>
</ul>
The FA Cup matches this weekend are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Saturday: Fulham v Crystal Palace</li>
<li>Saturday: Brighton v Nottingham Forest</li>
<li>Sunday: Preston v Aston Villa</li>
<li>Sunday: Bournemouth v Manchester City</li>
</ul>
Villa, who play the only non-Premier League team left in the draw, are heavy favourites to go through.
This makes the Gameweek 34 match between City and Villa most likely to be postponed. The other three ties are harder to call however.
Once the FA Cup results are confirmed, we&#8217;ll update our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-blank-double-gameweek-guide">Blank and Double Gameweek Guide</a> with all the latest information, collated in collaboration with fixtures expert <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/ben-crellins-fpl-transfer-planning-sheet">Ben Crellin</a>.
<div id="attachment_71224" style="width: 714px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71224" class="wp-image-71224 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BGW34-updated.png" alt="Blank Gameweek 34 permutations" width="704" height="266" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BGW34-updated.png 704w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BGW34-updated-300x113.png 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BGW34-updated-610x230.png 610w" sizes="(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px" />Blank Gameweek 34 permutations</div>
<h2>International break injuries: Wood, Mykolenko and Gordon latest</h2>
The international break often leads to injury scares and this one has been no different.
New Zealand and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood is the main concern after he picked up a hip injury on Monday.
The 48% owned Kiwi was subbed off early in the second-half against New Caledonia, a match that saw his team qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/chris-wood-fpl-gameweek-30-injury-news">Latest on Wood from Nuno Espirito Santo&#8217;s press conference</a></li>
</ul>
He was involved in the post-match celebrations though &#8211; and with Forest in cup action before the next deadline, there will be plenty of opportunities for updates on his condition.
New Zealand manager Darren Bazeley offered little information post-match, stating:
<blockquote>&#8220;I’m not sure yet.
“It was when he had that chance and nearly scored, which is a shame. It’s not ideal losing our captain and our goalscorer.”</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_71641" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71641" class="size-full wp-image-71641" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wood-gw1-29.jpg" alt="Chris Wood's stats" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wood-gw1-29.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wood-gw1-29-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wood-gw1-29-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wood-gw1-29-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Chris Wood&#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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Elsewhere, Vitalii Mykolenko is set for a scan on his thigh after going off in the 69th minute of Ukraine&#8217;s game against Belgium on Sunday.
Anthony Gordon withdrew from the England squad after their first match of the break because of a hip issue.
Antonee Robinson was another who left his national team. The American full-back returned to Fulham early last week with an undisclosed problem.
Liverpool number one Alisson suffered suspected concussion as a result of a clash of heads on Friday. He returned to Merseyside ahead of schedule.
Illness kept Jurrien Timber out of the Netherlands&#8217; UEFA Nations League matches, while a &#8216;fitness issue&#8217; saw Ryan Gravenberch also miss out on the Oranje&#8217;s clashes with Spain.
Timber&#8217;s Arsenal teammate Riccardo Calafiori may have damage his knee after slipping in Italy&#8217;s match against Germany on Thursday.
The Netherlands were among the teams whose Nations League matches went to extra time &#8211; added gametime that many players could do without.
Josko Gvardiol was subbed off midway through Croatia&#8217;s extra time against France on Sunday, with talk of a possible injury problem for the City defender.
City play in the FA Cup at the weekend, so there should be opportunities to clarify Gvardiol&#8217;s fitness.
<div id="attachment_71642" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71642" class="size-full wp-image-71642" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-doubts.jpg" alt="Anthony Gordon, Vitalii Mykolenko and Antonee Robinson" width="800" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-doubts.jpg 800w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-doubts-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-doubts-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-doubts-610x496.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Anthony Gordon, Vitalii Mykolenko and Antonee Robinson</div>
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<h3>Will Mateta, Palmer and Alexander-Arnold be ready for Gameweek 30?</h3>
Some FPL managers are also sweating on injury updates for players who missed Blank Gameweek 29.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has been out since Palace&#8217;s last FA Cup match, where he sustained a serious cut to his ear.
Sky Sports and others reported on Monday that Mateta was given the &#8216;all-clear&#8217; to play against Fulham at the weekend.
Formal confirmation should be given in Oliver Glasner&#8217;s press conference later this week, however Mateta&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iammateta/?hl=en">Instagram post</a> on Monday stating &#8216;It&#8217;s Time&#8217; adds weight to the reports. He has also been pictured in training since.
Updates are awaited on the likes of Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who both sat out international duty due to injury.
On Palmer, there have been media reports of scans taking place during the break &#8211; but we may not know for sure if the Chelsea star is fit by the deadline.
Press conferences usually take place around 24 hours before a match and with the Blues playing on Thursday, Enzo Maresca may not have met with journalists in time.
See our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/premier-league-predicted-lineups">team news and predicted lineups</a> article early next week for all the latest updates.
<div id="attachment_71643" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71643" class="wp-image-71643 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-issues.jpg" alt="Cole Palmer, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Trent Alexander-Arnold" width="800" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-issues.jpg 800w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-issues-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-issues-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GW30-injury-issues-610x496.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Cole Palmer, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Trent Alexander-Arnold</div>
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Things to look out for before FPL Gameweek 30: FA Cup pivotal, Wood and Mateta injury latest

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