Palmer and Rice withdrawals put FPL managers on alert

England lose five players before the Nations League, but the immediate FPL impact is limited with no Premier League fixtures in the next 48 hours.

Today in the Premier League

BBC Sport reports that Tino Livramento, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice have withdrawn from England’s squad. Palmer and Rice are the most relevant FPL names, with both already listed as doubtful: Palmer has a muscular injury and a 75% chance of playing, while Rice has an unspecified issue and the same current probability.

Granit Xhaka has also withdrawn from Switzerland’s squad while being investigated over a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, according to BBC Sport. That is an off-field development rather than a reported fitness concern.

BBC Sport also highlighted Alexander Isak’s improved involvement for Liverpool and Rayan Cherki’s impact in Manchester City’s 5-3 win over Sunderland. Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick despite losing, the first such Premier League instance in 19 years, BBC Sport reports.

What it means for FPL

There is no immediate captaincy decision: no Premier League fixtures are scheduled in the next 48 hours.

Palmer’s withdrawal increases uncertainty around a 26.4%-owned midfielder who has a 75% playing chance. Managers should avoid a rushed transfer until clearer club-level information emerges. Rice is less urgent at 12.1% ownership, given his lower attacking indicators and 0.81 xGI.

The broader squad withdrawals do not automatically indicate Premier League absences. Treat them as monitoring flags, not confirmed FPL news.

Isak remains an attractive upside pick on the supplied numbers: a 3.62 xGI and 22.2% ownership, with BBC Sport’s analysis suggesting Liverpool are finding ways to involve him more. Cherki also has momentum, with a 2.26 xGI, 6.8 form rating and 28.2% ownership. Neither creates an immediate move without an imminent deadline.

Players moving onto the radar

Alexander Isak: 3.62 xGI and 6.6 form; a credible Liverpool attacking option, but not an automatic transfer without fixture context.
Rayan Cherki: 6.8 form and a goal in City’s win over Sunderland; his 28.2% ownership means the upside is partly reflected.
Brian Brobbey: 3.05 xGI and 6.7% ownership after his hat-trick, but the result and longer-term role still need assessing before a move.
Tavernier: 2.62 xGI at 6.7% ownership, making him the clearest lower-owned midfielder in the supplied data to monitor.

Risk desk

Palmer: doubtful, with a reported muscular injury and a 75% chance of playing in the current FPL data. Hold fire unless further information changes the outlook.
Rice: also doubtful, but his lower xGI makes him a lower-priority problem than Palmer.
Mainoo: doubtful and only 1.6% owned, so there is little reason for most managers to act.
Kluivert: listed as injured with no known return date; avoid relying on him as a short-term differential.
International withdrawals: a squad withdrawal is not confirmation of a Premier League absence.

Tomorrow's watchlist

Any club update on Palmer’s muscular issue.
Further clarity on Rice’s availability.
Liverpool’s attacking roles around Isak, Gakpo and Wirtz.
Whether Cherki’s recent output translates into sustained FPL value.
No captaincy action is required before a Premier League fixture is scheduled.