Chelsea warn staff over Fantasy Premier League team-news leaks

Chelsea have warned staff that changes to their Fantasy Premier League teams could inadvertently disclose confidential information about player availability, BBC Sport reported on Monday. The reminder followed apparent indications of Joao Pedro's injury before the club had publicly announced that he would miss their home match against Tottenham.

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An email to employees highlighted the risks of using inside information on Fantasy Premier League and other publicly accessible gaming platforms. Decisions to remove or select players can suggest who is unavailable or nearing a return. Pedro was unexpectedly absent from the 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge with what subsequently emerged as a quad injury.

According to the BBC report, several prominent fantasy football content creators said they had seen evidence that Morgan Rogers and members of Chelsea's staff removed Pedro from their teams before kick-off. Those claims concerned changes made ahead of any official injury announcement. The report did not establish that anyone had deliberately intended to disclose Chelsea's team news.

Asked by BBC Sport about the issue after the defeat, Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso said he had not known about it and did not follow fantasy football. Alonso, who joined the club in the summer, has generally provided limited detail about injuries during his media conferences, the broadcaster reported.

Chelsea are not expected to introduce additional restrictions over fantasy football participation. BBC Sport reported that the club regards this as an isolated incident and believes clearer awareness among players and employees can address it. The warning therefore focuses on the information that public selections might reveal, rather than an anticipated ban on playing.

The club has previously faced separate disclosures of team information. During Liam Rosenior's spell as manager last season, selections emerged before both legs of Chelsea's Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain. The latest reminder concerns a different potential route for information to reach supporters and opponents before official announcements.

There is no specific Premier League guidance governing whether club personnel should take part in Fantasy Premier League, according to BBC Sport. Participation is generally left for clubs to manage individually, despite the fantasy game's audience of more than 11 million people. Chelsea's response places responsibility on staff to consider what their selections could communicate.