Chelsea have warned players and members of staff against inadvertently disclosing confidential team information through Fantasy Premier League (FPL) selections following concerns that forward Joao Pedro’s injury was exposed before the club officially announced his absence.
The warning was communicated through an internal email reminding employees to exercise caution when participating in FPL and other public gaming platforms, where changes to fantasy teams could reveal information about players’ fitness and availability.
The development followed Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, during which Pedro was a surprise omission from the matchday squad.
The Brazilian striker was later confirmed to be suffering from a quadriceps injury, but some fantasy football observers reportedly suspected he would miss the fixture before the club made any official announcement.
Their suspicions were reportedly based on changes made to FPL teams believed to belong to Chelsea personnel and individuals connected to the club.
Among those whose fantasy selections attracted attention was Morgan Rogers, alongside some Chelsea staff members. They were said to have removed Pedro from their virtual teams before the match, raising questions about whether confidential information from the club had been indirectly disclosed.
The situation attracted attention within the FPL community, where users regularly monitor fantasy team selections for possible clues about injuries, suspensions and changes to starting line-ups.
Chelsea’s latest warning is intended to prevent employees from using information obtained through their professional positions in ways that could give other fantasy managers an advantage or expose the club’s match preparations.
Head coach Xabi Alonso, when asked about the reported incident after the Tottenham defeat, said he was unaware of the situation, explaining that he did not follow Fantasy Premier League activities.
The latest development adds to Chelsea’s recent difficulties with team news leaks. During former manager Liam Rosenior’s spell in charge, information about the club’s line-ups reportedly emerged ahead of both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
Another incident involved defender Marc Cucurella’s barber, who reportedly posted on social media that Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss a match against Brighton before the club officially confirmed their absence.
The post was subsequently deleted, but the incident raised concerns about how information shared informally outside the club could reach the public before official team announcements.
Chelsea have also strengthened security measures around their training facilities and reminded players to be careful about who they share information with.
However, the club is not expected to impose a complete ban on Fantasy Premier League participation. The current approach is focused on making players and employees more aware of the risks associated with revealing information through their selections.
The issue extends beyond Chelsea, as fantasy football has become an important part of the modern Premier League experience. More than 11 million people are estimated to participate in the game, with online analysts increasingly examining public team selections for clues about developments at clubs.
One of the most notable previous cases involved former Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, whose injury absence was reportedly identified through changes to fantasy teams before a match against Leicester City in February 2021.
The incident demonstrates how information that appears harmless within a fantasy football game can potentially expose confidential details about professional teams.
Although there is no specific Premier League-wide rule prohibiting club employees from playing Fantasy Premier League, individual clubs are responsible for managing the issue and protecting sensitive information.
Chelsea’s latest intervention therefore reflects growing concerns about the difficulty of keeping team news confidential in an era when online platforms allow fantasy managers to examine selections and identify possible patterns before matches.