Chelsea warn staff about Fantasy Premier League after Pedro injury leak

Your Fantasy Premier League transfers can say a lot more than you think. Chelsea have just reminded their staff of that.

The club has sent an email warning employees to be careful about accidentally revealing team news through the game, after Joao Pedro's injury appeared to be disclosed through team selections.

What happened?

Before Chelsea's 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham, Pedro was a surprise absentee. It has since emerged that he has a quad injury.

Several influential Fantasy Premier League content creators claimed to have seen evidence that forward Morgan Rogers and several members of Chelsea staff had removed Pedro from their fantasy teams before kick-off at Stamford Bridge. The club had not announced anything about his injury at that point.

The email reminded staff of the potential consequences of using inside information on Fantasy Premier League or other public gaming platforms. Team choices there can show who is unavailable or close to returning.

Asked about it after the defeat, manager Xabi Alonso said he was unaware. "I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn't know that," he told BBC Sport.

Is this a new problem?

Not really. Chelsea have dealt with leaks before. When Liam Rosenior was in charge last season, team selections leaked before both legs of the Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain.

Then there was the barber. Former defender Marc Cucurella's barber revealed on social media that Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss a trip to Brighton last season, after discussing it with his client.

The issue goes well beyond Chelsea, too. Other examples claim to show players at Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester and Newcastle making revealing changes. BBC Sport has also found accounts that Fantasy Premier League trackers believe are linked to high-profile players and figures at clubs across the division.

The best-known case came in February 2021, when Aston Villa forward Jack Grealish's omission from the squad to face Leicester City was revealed before the game. Leicester's then manager Brendan Rodgers later said he had heard the rumours about Grealish's injury before the match, which his side won.

What's next?

Don't expect a crackdown. Chelsea see this as an isolated case that can be handled through greater awareness among players and staff, so no further restrictions are planned.

There is also no league-wide guidance. More than 11 million people are said to play Fantasy Premier League. The Premier League has strict rules against gambling, but it gives clubs no specific advice on whether, or how, those involved in the game should play. It is generally left to each club to manage.