Chelsea have reminded their players and staff to be careful when using Fantasy Premier League (FPL) after concerns that private team news about Joao Pedro’s injury was accidentally revealed through changes to fantasy teams.
According to the BBC, the club emailed staff to warn them about the risks of using confidential information on public gaming platforms.
It highlighted how changes to FPL selections could expose information about injured players, potential returns and possible team selections before official announcements are made.
The warning came after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, during which Pedro was a surprise absentee. It was later confirmed that the Brazilian striker had a quad injury.
Before the match, several well-known FPL content creators claimed they noticed that Morgan Rogers and some Chelsea staff members had removed Pedro from their fantasy teams.
This happened before the club officially revealed his injury, raising questions about whether someone at Stamford Bridge had shared information unintentionally.
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso was asked about the situation after the defeat but said he knew nothing about it. “I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn’t know that,” the Spaniard explained.
Since taking charge in the summer, Alonso has generally avoided giving away too much information about injuries during his media appearances.
This is not the first time Chelsea have experienced problems with team news being leaked.
During Liam Rosenior’s four-month spell as manager last season, the club’s starting line-ups reportedly became public before both legs of their Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
There was also an incident involving former Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella’s barber.
He revealed on social media that Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss a match against Brighton and Hove Albion after discussing the situation with the Spanish defender.
Despite the latest concerns, Chelsea are not expected to introduce stricter rules around FPL participation.
The club reportedly considers the incident isolated and believes it can be addressed by making players and staff more aware of their responsibilities.
Similar situations have been reported at other Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester City and Newcastle United.