Chelsea crack down on internal security after Fantasy Premier League activity leaks Joao Pedro injury news

Chelsea have issued a strict warning to club staff after Joao Pedro's recent quad injury was inadvertently leaked through Fantasy Premier League selections. The internal reminder comes after several employees, along with forward Morgan Rogers, removed the injured attacker from their online teams before the public announcement.

Chelsea have instructed their staff to be extremely careful regarding Fantasy Premier League team selections. The club sent an internal email reminding employees about the severe consequences of using inside information on public gaming platforms.

The warning follows a high-profile leak ahead of Chelsea's 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham. Joao Pedro was a surprise absentee from the matchday squad due to a quad injury that was not previously disclosed to the public.

However, several influential Fantasy Premier League content creators noticed suspicious online activity before kick-off. They spotted that forward Rogers, alongside multiple Chelsea staff members, had suddenly removed Pedro from their virtual teams.

The sudden transfer of Pedro out of so many Chelsea-linked FPL teams effectively broadcasted his unavailability to the wider football world. Despite the online drama, manager Xabi Alonso remained completely in the dark regarding the virtual game.

When questioned about the internal leak following the Tottenham defeat, Alonso brushed off the situation. "I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn't know that," he explained to BBC Sport.

This is not the first time Chelsea have struggled to keep their team news a secret. During former manager Liam Rosenior's brief spell in charge last season, crucial starting line-ups were leaked before both legs of a Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

In another bizarre incident, former defender Marc Cucurella's barber inadvertently revealed team news on social media. After chatting with his client, the barber announced that both Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss a trip to Brighton.

Despite this history, Chelsea are currently treating the latest FPL incident as an isolated case. The club expects to manage the situation through heightened awareness rather than implementing formal gaming restrictions.

Fantasy Premier League has grown into a massive part of the modern football ecosystem, boasting over 11 million active players. Consequently, online trackers constantly monitor the accounts of high-profile footballers and club staff across the division.

Similar FPL-based leaks have previously exposed team news at Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester City, and Newcastle United. The most famous example occurred when Jack Grealish's FPL removal alerted Leicester City to his injury absence back in February 2021.

While the Premier League heavily regulates sports betting, they currently offer no specific guidance regarding FPL participation. For now, it remains entirely up to individual clubs to police how their staff interact with the immensely popular game.