Chelsea warn staff after Fantasy Premier League selections reveal Joao Pedro injury

Chelsea have reminded employees to protect confidential team information after Fantasy Premier League transfers inadvertently indicated that Joao Pedro was injured before the club announced he would miss their match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Several members of staff removed the Brazilian forward from their virtual teams before Chelsea’s home fixture against Spurs, suggesting he was unavailable before any official update had been issued.

Chelsea-linked forward Morgan Rogers also transferred Pedro out of his FPL team. The unusual activity was noticed by prominent fantasy football content creators before kick-off, increasing speculation over the player’s fitness.

Pedro was subsequently left out of the matchday squad as Chelsea lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. His absence highlighted how routine decisions on fantasy football platforms can reveal information about team selection and injuries when made by people with access to inside knowledge.

Manager Xabi Alonso was reportedly unaware that staff activity had drawn attention to Pedro’s condition. He dismissed questions about the matter after the defeat by Tottenham.

Chelsea have since sent an internal email asking employees to exercise greater care with their FPL selections, particularly when they know confidential details about player injuries.

The club is not considering preventing staff from taking part in fantasy football. Instead, it regards the incident as an isolated case that can be avoided through increased awareness of the information that such activity may expose.

The episode is the latest in a series of incidents involving Chelsea team news being disclosed before matches. Champions League line-ups were leaked ahead of both legs against Paris Saint-Germain during Liam Rosenior’s spell in charge last season.

There was also a previous incident involving Marc Cucurella’s barber, who revealed that Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss an away match against Brighton after speaking to the defender.