Fantasy Premier League: International break finally over as top captains go head-to-head
But first, let's return to the schedule for a moment, because it's worth paying attention to. The lack of an international break for the next few months is an important factor.
Let's say a player picks up an injury that keeps him out of action for five weeks. If this happened in mid-September, he would miss three or four rounds. But if it happens now, he'll miss around seven or even eight rounds.
And that is significant. The league kicks into top gear during December and we'll be able to watch the Premier League on an almost daily basis over the Christmas and New Year period. So it is worth taking this into account when analysing the schedule and making transfers.
Who to captain?
Every FPL player will be watching Erling Haaland (14.0) and Mohamed Salah (13.0) play against each other this weekend. Needless to say, this is not a dream situation for us. We want our captain to have an easy match against weak opponents. That cannot be said of either of the two leaders in this round.
Haaland will play at home, which is certainly an advantage, but after they will face the second-best team in England at the moment, who also possess the best central defender in the league, Virgil Van Dijk (6.1). If you had to pick a player in the Premier League to stop the Norwegian, most people would point to the Dutchman for that task.
Salah's situation, however, is even worse. He will be playing away against by far the best team in England in recent years. In such circumstances, it is hard to expect any points from either of them.
Haaland played against Liverpool twice last season - once in the Premier League and once in the Community Shield. He missed the other league meeting due to injury. He did not score a single goal in these meetings.
In his Liverpool career, Salah played against the Cityzens 12 times in the Premier League alone. He scored a staggering seven goals and picked up three assists in those games. But if we look at away games, he has two goals and one assist in six matches.
You can, of course, play around and look for different captaincy options, but is it worth wasting a player costing around 13 million and taking the armband away from him?
Who won't play after the break?
As is usually the case, Premier League players return to league action with a number of injuries after the national team break. Our line-ups are glowing from top to bottom, reminding us that Christmas is fast approaching and the tree will need to be lit accordingly.
The yellow tag next to Haaland's name may be the most nerve-wracking. However, Pep Guardiola confirmed at a press conference that his striker is fit and likely to play. One might have suspected that this would be the case. After all, Manchester City are playing against Liverpool. There is no time for rest.
Rather good news was revealed in the press conference by David Moyes, who said that Jarrod Bowen (7.7) may well play in the upcoming game against Burnley. This is odd as the Englishman was initially rumoured to be out for several weeks.
Bad news was instead heard for Kaoru Mitoma (6.6) owners. Roberto De Zerbi has said that the Japanese player, despite returning to training, will not be included in this round of games. In addition, many players are probably interested in the situation of Matty Cash (5.2) and Ben White (5.8). There has been a lack of concrete information on them, but I think you can expect them to play in this round.
Who to buy?
As usual, we are looking at who will be a good addition to the squad for the next round. We focus on the less obvious options, of course.
Lucas Paqueta (6.0) - a while ago, few would have been likely to entertain the idea of bringing the Brazilian into their squad, but in my opinion, Bowen's injury changes this. The Englishman is likely to be rested from playing football for an extended period of time, and at West Ham, someone will have to shoulder more responsibility. I'm betting on points from Paqueta here.
Eberechi Eze (6.1) - Crystal Palace is one of the teams whose players my colleagues and I have strongly recommended to you in recent rounds. The Eagles have a really good schedule and can be a great difference-maker in FPL line-ups. Of course, it's best to focus on their defensive side, as recommending Odsonne Edouard (5.5) to you hasn't worked out well for me lately, but the recent return of Eze makes it worth taking a look at their offensive side again. If Bowen is the clear leader of West Ham's attack, then Eze is his counterpart at Crystal Palace. A match against Luton is perfect for him.
Simon Adingra (5.0) - news of injuries to offensive players is once again coming from the Brighton ranks. Danny Welbeck (5.7) has been out for some time, Evan Ferguson (6.1) has another muscle injury and Mitoma has returned sore from the Japan national team training camp. This means Adingra's stock in the Seagulls' dressing room only rises. He scored a beautiful goal in the last game against Sheffield United, and at this price, he is the perfect addition to your midfield if anyone has Salah, Bukayo Saka (8.7) and Heung-Min Son (9.7) in their squad.
Radim Horák (one of the best Czechs playing in FPL)
Dominic Solanke (6.5) - I regard Sheffield United as a team to keep an eye on when making transfers. This week they will be up against rivals Bournemouth. The Cherries have scored just 11 goals this season, but Solanke has been involved in as many as seven of them. He has produced the fourth most goals among strikers and scored two against Newcastle in the previous round. His team has a decent schedule until the end of the year, and the price tag of 6.4 is tempting given that Solanke has a secure position in the team and should not be subject to rotation over Christmas, which is a nightmare for FPL players.
Eberechi Eze (6.1) - Bowen and Mitoma (the latter was seen at Thursday's training session) have brought back injuries from their national team matches, so quite a few players may have problems in the midfield line. Bryan Mbeumo (6.9) seems to be the best long-term option, but he now has a game against Arsenal. However, if the focus is on the next three games, Eze, who has returned to form after injury and has contributed to goals in both his recent appearances, cannot be overlooked. The Eagles travel to Kenilworth Road this fixture to play against relegation candidates Luton and then face West Ham and Bournemouth. I expect the Englishman to pick up points in these matches.
Chris Wood (4.9) - Steve Cooper has confirmed that Nottingham Forest will have to do without Taiwo Awoniyi (6.4), who is out through injury, for the next few months. His place will therefore be taken by Wood. This is not the worst news for FPL players, as Forest are likely to play against slightly weaker teams in the coming rounds and will play four of their next six matches at home. After the clash with Brighton, it will be Everton, Fulham and Wolves. If you're looking for a third striker in the squad who can help you around Christmas, the New Zealander would be an excellent choice.
