Chelsea striker Joao Pedro injury leaked through Fantasy Premier League picks

Chelsea striker Joao Pedro's injury was inadvertently revealed through Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team changes before the club officially confirmed it, BBC Sport reported. The injury was leaked when accounts believed to be linked to Chelsea staff, a player, and a relative of a player transferred out or benched Joao Pedro ahead of the FPL deadline.

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso said he was not involved with the fantasy game and did not know about the leak, according to BBC Sport. The leak surprised many, as Joao Pedro had been pictured in training prior to Chelsea's 2-0 defeat by Tottenham, and the injury was only confirmed after the FPL deadline had passed.

One FPL manager, known online as FPL Karim, tracked the transfers and noticed that a relative of Chelsea forward Morgan Rogers had sold Joao Pedro and brought in another player, Nicolas Jackson. This led to speculation about Joao Pedro's absence, which went viral before official confirmation.

Alonso later explained that Joao Pedro missed the game due to fluid on his knee. The incident has made some Chelsea managers more cautious about sharing team news in media conferences, with Alonso stating a preference to limit information disclosed.

The incident has raised questions about how clubs might prevent sensitive team news from being revealed through Fantasy Premier League picks, given the large number of managers making decisions based on player availability.