The international break claimed its first high-profile Fantasy Premier League victim as Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood suffered a major injury scare while away on duty with New Zealand on Monday. The top-scoring striker asset in the game, Wood has fired 18 goals for Forest on their charge towards securing Champions League qualification for next season. However, their plans have taken a hit after the 33-year-old was taken off injured during New Zealand's 3-0 win over New Caledonia on Monday with a suspected hip problem.
The severity of the knock is not yet known, but it could be enough to rule him out of their fixture against Manchester United on April 1. FPL bosses now have just over a week to decide whether to stick with Wood or transfer in a new striker ahead of the final nine weeks of the season, with the crucial Double Gameweek 32 (DGW32) one to keep in mind. Express Sport has six options to choose from which could help make your decision.
Joao Pedro (£5.5m)
A budget option with almost guaranteed starts under Fabian Hurzeler, Joao Pedro offers the ideal plug-and-play option to replace Wood. The Brazil international has hit form at the right time for the Seagulls, producing four attacking returns in his last four appearances and scoring 30 points in the process. With fixtures against Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leicester City to come, the 22-year-old is a bargain option that will give bosses the chance to make changes elsewhere if necessary.
Omar Marmoush (£7.3m)
Considering that team-mate Erling Haaland (£14.8m) costs more than double his FPL price, the smart money could be to back Marmoush over the 21-goal Norwegian. The forward has hit the ground running since his £67million switch from Eintracht Frankfurt and has four goals from his first seven games. Granted, three of those came in the same game after a marvellous hat-trick. But the Egyptian has demonstrated his potential as a big points earner with two double-digit returns - the most recent coming in GW29. Marmoush has started all but one of those seven matches, showing Pep Guardiola trusts him to get some attacking returns. With Leicester up next, you can expect him to be amongst those on the scoresheet.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m)
Providing he is fit, the Crystal Palace striker will be a popular pick for managers’ forward lines in the coming period. The Frenchman has been lethal this season for the Eagles, bagging 12 goals and creating two assists. The only drawback is that he hasn't played since suffering a serious head injury in a collision with Ben Roberts. While Mateta is expected to be back in action to face Southampton at St. Mary's - a favourable fixture to say the least - he currently has the yellow warning applied to his FPL card and only has a 75 per cent chance of playing. Considering the opponents though, a calculated risk may be justified.
Yoane Wissa (£6.5m)
With 132 points, Wissa is the sixth-highest-scoring striker in the game. His 16 attacking contributions for Brentford this season (13 goals, three assists) make him a useful asset for the Bees. FPL bosses appear to agree, with 17.2 per cent owning the striker and his 23 bonus points show how often he ends up with a positive return. He has three goals in his last four games for Brentford, although his next three opponents are all rated four for difficulty - Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal. However, he did score against the Magpies the home fixture and found the net twice against Manchester City earlier this season.
Evanilson (£5.7m)
Bournemouth have their striker back after a lengthy absence and Evanilison is a decisive pick. He started the last two matches under Andoni Iraola after a 13-minute cameo on his return from injury. And while he only has one goal since GW19, that is largely owed to his time on the sidelines. What's more, the Cherries have a favourable run of fixtures to come with a home game against struggling Ipswich Town next, before facing West Ham away after. With 89 points overall and a 3.3 per cent ownership, it makes him a decent differential for those looking to beat rivals in head-to-head leagues.
Liam Delap (£5.6m)
The Ipswich Town frontman hasn't found the net in his last four appearances, but his 10 goals for the Tractor Boys this season suggests his form will change for the better soon. His goals have arrived in clusters and the 22-year-old poses a danger in front of goal at all times. With Ipswich focusing only on the league and their unlikely survival, Delap will be spearheading their efforts up front, starting with Bournemouth in GW30.