Welcome to your daily FPL intelligence briefing! With the crucial Tuesday deadline looming for Gameweek 19, we've got urgent transfer news you need to act on immediately. From Bruno Fernandes's injury blow to Cherki's explosive form, here's everything you need to navigate this critical gameweek.
🚨 Urgent News Bulletin
Dorgu
Dalot
Arsenal's Defensive Crisis Deepens
Jurrien Timber is now listed as DOUBTFUL with a knock - only 75% chance of playing against Aston Villa on Tuesday
Timber didn't feature a single minute against Brighton, triggering over 80,000 transfers out already
Riccardo Calafiori also picked up an injury concern during the Brighton match
Gabriel returned to the starting lineup and is now the safer Arsenal defensive option
Manchester United Injury Update
Bruno Fernandes is OFFICIALLY RULED OUT until January 17th with a hamstring injury
The Portuguese midfielder is a priority sell - you're holding dead money for at least two full gameweeks
Over 180,000 transfers out already, but 16.1% of managers still own him
Matheus Cunha started his first match for United, playing 90 minutes but managing just 2 points with no attacking returns
Chelsea News: Reece James delivered an assist against Aston Villa, his fifth of the season to go with two goals. He's started four consecutive matches, playing the full 90 in each.
📈 Top 3 Players to BRING IN
1. Rayan Cherki - £6.6m (MID, Man City)
Ownership: 10.1% (rocketing)
Recent Performance: Explosive Gameweek 18 at Nottingham Forest - scored 1, assisted 1 for 13 points including maximum bonus
Season Stats: 2 goals and 8 assists in just 13 appearances
Form: Started the last 5 matches under Pep Guardiola
Next Fixture: Sunderland (A) on New Year's Day - 7.0 expected points
VERDICT: Good buy for those without City coverage. Offers premium midfield output at a mid-price bracket. However, be aware of Pep's rotation risks - have a plan B on your bench.
2. Harry Wilson - £5.8m (MID, Fulham)
Ownership: 18.6%
Recent Performance: Registered an assist and clean sheet against West Ham for 5 points
Season Stats: 5 goals and 6 assists
Next Fixture: Crystal Palace (A) on New Year's Day - 8.2 expected points
Form Context: Fulham have hit form at the right time with 3 consecutive victories under Marco Silva
VERDICT: Good buy for budget midfield options with a strong fixture run. Excellent value at this price point.
3. Reece James - £5.7m (DEF, Chelsea)
Ownership: 10.1% (climbing as managers pile in)
Recent Performance: Grabbed an assist against Aston Villa
Season Stats: 2 goals and 5 assists
Fitness: Started 4 consecutive matches, playing the full 90 minutes in each - finally past his fitness concerns
Next Fixture: Bournemouth (H) on Tuesday
VERDICT: Essential if you can afford the Chelsea double up. His set piece involvement and attacking threat from wide positions make him a strong differential at this price. His attacking returns could pay dividends against Bournemouth.
📉 Top 3 Players to SHIP OUT
1. Bruno Fernandes - £9.2m (MID, Man Utd) ⚠️ URGENT
Ownership: 16.1% (still too high despite 180,000+ transfers out)
Injury Status: RULED OUT until January 17th with hamstring injury
Recent Performance: 0 points in Gameweek 18 - didn't feature when United beat Newcastle
VERDICT: SELL IMMEDIATELY. No question. You're holding dead money and missing at least two full gameweeks. This is a priority sell with no exceptions.
2. Jurrien Timber - £6.5m (DEF, Arsenal)
Ownership: 33% (most owned player we're discussing - over 80,000 transfers out already)
Injury Status: DOUBTFUL with a knock - only 75% chance to feature against Aston Villa on Tuesday
Recent Performance: Didn't play a single minute against Brighton
VERDICT: Sell unless you have bigger fires to put out. You can't afford a £6.5m defender sitting on your bench. Gabriel is the safer Arsenal defensive option now, despite Arsenal's excellent fixtures.
3. Morgan Rogers - £7.4m (MID, Aston Villa)
Ownership: 22.5%
Recent Performance: Just 1 point in Villa's win at Chelsea - now 3 blanks in his last 4 matches
Season Stats: 7 goals and 3 assists, but form has dipped at the wrong time
Next Fixture: Arsenal (A) on Tuesday - not the fixture to back him in
VERDICT: Hold if you've got free transfers to burn, but he's not essential anymore. Consider downgrading to fund upgrades elsewhere, especially with Aston Villa struggling for consistency under Unai Emery.
💎 Differential Picks (Under 10% Ownership)
Ryan Gravenberch - £5.7m (MID, Liverpool)
Ownership: 5.7%
Recent Performance: Scored against Wolves for 11 points including double bonus
Season Stats: 4 goals and 3 assists playing as the deepest midfielder in Arne Slot's system
Next Fixture: Liverpool host Leeds on New Year's Day
Why he's intriguing: His goal threat from deep makes him an excellent budget option in a dominant Liverpool side.
James Tarkowski - £5.5m (DEF, Everton)
Ownership: 8%
Recent Performance: Kept a clean sheet against Burnley and collected 9 points with bonus
Season Stats: 7 clean sheets under David Moyes
Next Fixture: Nottingham Forest (A) on Tuesday
Why he works: Not glamorous, but defensive points win gameweeks. Solid budget defender with clean sheet potential.
👑 Captaincy Recommendation for Gameweek 19
Top Choice: Rayan Cherki
Fixture: Sunderland (A) - 7.0 expected points
Form: In blistering form with explosive Gameweek 18 performance
Context: Man City need to keep winning
Caveat: Remember Pep's rotation - if you're captaining him, make sure you have a strong vice-captain option
If you own Cherki, he's a strong captaincy shout despite rotation concerns. Just ensure you have a reliable backup on your bench.
💡 Key Strategy Tip
Don't chase last week's points blindly. Cherki's haul has triggered massive transfers in, but remember Pep's rotation. If you're bringing him in, have a plan B on your bench.
🎯 Final Thoughts
With the Tuesday deadline fast approaching, prioritize getting Bruno Fernandes out of your team if you haven't already. The Timber situation also needs monitoring closely - at 33% ownership, his injury could be a massive rank swinger. Cherki presents an exciting opportunity, but only if you can handle the rotation risk that comes with owning a Pep Guardiola midfielder.
Remember: this gameweek is all about damage limitation (Bruno, Timber) and strategic upside (Cherki, James). Make your moves count.
Want to win your Fantasy Premier League mini leagues? Join Fantasy Football Hub - 30% Off for expert analysis and tools that give you the edge.
Good luck for Gameweek 19!
Subscribe at Who Got The Points? for daily FPL intelligence that actually moves the needle.