5 FPL players to avoid transferring in for GW4 after international break

The international break is dreaded by Premier League managers for a reason.

Not just because for a whole two-week period they have no control over what their players are doing, but also due to the risk of injury and fatigue.

In truth, the same goes for fantasy football managers, who will be praying their teams are left untouched by the chaos caused from the international break.

There will be some who pulled the trigger on their wildcard after Gameweek 3 and are now desperate for their knee-jerk decision not to backfire on them.

But others may have waited for the perfect time to play their hand and adapt their team to the latest injuries and team news.

Even with a few free transfers in the bank, it may be time to consider making some changes to your lineup ahead of GW4.

There will be some obvious transfers to make, particularly after Cristiano Ronaldo’s high-profile return to Manchester United.

But to help get your team spot on, Daily Star Sport picks out five players to avoid selecting for the upcoming gameweek…

Who are you bringing into your FPL team this week? Comment below.

Romelu Lukaku — Chelsea (£11.5m)

Chelsea face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Romelu Lukaku’s injury after the striker admitted he has been struggling with a thigh problem.

The 28-year-old scored on his second debut for the club against Arsenal and won his 100th cap for Belgium in midweek against Czech Republic.

But the Blues will be sweating over his fitness, with Lukaku set to undergo a scan on his thigh ahead of the game against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

Selected by over 1.6 million managers, there is apparently only a 75 per cent chance that Lukaku will recover in time to start.

That could make cheaper alternatives such as Gabriel Jesus (£9.0m) or Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8.0m) a potential alternative given their recent attacking contributions.

Heung-min Son — Tottenham (£10.1m)

There is a big concern for Tottenham fans as Heung-min Son, scorer of two of their three goals this season in the Premier League, was sent home from international duty.

The Korea Football Association [KFA] have confirmed Son will miss their World Cup qualifier against Lebanon on Tuesday due to a calf problem.

Son played the full 90 minutes for South Korea in their 0-0 draw with Iraq on Thursday but the KFA have revealed the forward has an issue with his right calf muscle.

The 29-year-old will now return to north London for further assessment and will surely be a doubt for Spurs’ trip to Crystal Palace.

That could open the door for a cheaper Spurs option such as Bryan Gil (£6.0m), Lucas Moura (£6.5m) or Steven Bergwijn (£6.0m) to force their way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s lineup.

Jadon Sancho — Manchester United (£9.5m)

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may decide not to risk his £73million summer signing Jadon Sancho against Newcastle after the winger was forced to withdraw from the England squad because of a minor injury.

The 21-year-old has already left the squad to head back to Old Trafford after suffering the injury in training.

A statement said: "Following further assessment, [he] has returned to his club and is expected to recover in time for United's fixture with Newcastle."

While some managers may feel inclined to keep him, Solskjaer may allow Sancho to fully recover by naming him on the bench — making room for a certain Portuguese superstar to make his full debut.

Takehiro Tomiyasu — Arsenal (£4.5m)

There may be some clamour to get Arsenal’s new £16m right-back into the side as soon as possible given Calum Chambers’ recent struggles.

But it seems unlikely that the Gunners will be able to field the 23-year-old for their crunch clash against Norwich, meaning he will have to wait for his debut.

Tomiyasu joined up with the Japan national team for their fixtures in Tokyo and Beijing, with the full-back facing a gruelling 12,397-mile round-trip to get back to London.

They play China on September 7 and that would give Tomiyasu four days to recover after the game. But it may be a risk not worth taking at this juncture, particularly given how little he has trained with his new club.

Christian Pulisic — Chelsea (£7.9m)

There are some downsides to being your country’s most popular player, as Christian Pulisic will surely discover this weekend.

The 22-year-old is set to play for the USA on September 9 against Honduras — just two days before Chelsea’s match against Aston Villa is set to take place.

There is a chance he will be part of the squad after recovering from a positive Covid-19 diagnosis, but certainly do not expect the American to be included in Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI after such a long flight back.

Those looking for replacements may consider looking at Pulisic’s team-mate, Mason Mount (£7.5m).

The midfielder is one of the first names on Tuchel’s teamsheet these days and his more straightforward journey back from Warsaw after England’s game against Poland on September 8 should give him time to recuperate.

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