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Injury Report 2026-01-24

Physio Room GW23: Bruno Flag Sparks a Midfield Shake-Up (Plus What to Do With Palmer)

FPL Admin

FPL Elite Analyst

Physio Room: Gameweek 23 (Flagged Players & FPL Replacements)

Injuries and doubts can swing a Gameweek more than any fixture ticker. With Gameweek 23 approaching, here’s a focused check-in on the most-owned flagged players from the data, what their numbers say, and practical replacement routes if you need to move.

🚑 Key Flags to Track (High Ownership)

Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle) — Status: Doubtful (d)

  • •Selected by: 22.0%
  • •Cost: 7.3
  • •Points: 120 | PPG: 5.7 | Form: 7.2
  • •xGI: 6.98 (xG: 4.03, xA: 2.95)
  • •ICT Index: 149.1 | Bonus: 18
  • •Transfer trend: 84,828 in vs 275,008 out

FPL read: Bruno is the biggest fire in the room because the ownership is high and the output is real: 120 points, elite ICT (149.1), and strong underlying involvement (xGI 6.98). The market panic (huge net transfers out) suggests managers are protecting themselves early.

Replacement ideas (from this dataset):

  • •Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace, 5.8) — If you’re restructuring
    • •PPG: 6.4 (highest on this list)
    • •Points: 89 | xGI: 3.77
    • •Note: also flagged (d), so this is a high-upside but risky pivot.
  • •Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal, 5.6) — Budget reshuffle option
    • •PPG: 4.8 | xGI: 2.85
    • •Also flagged (d) but can help you free funds if you’re moving Bruno’s cash elsewhere.

Verdict: If you can field a full XI, Bruno is the one you’d most like to hold—the combination of points, PPG, form, and xGI is premium for his price. If you’re forced into action, consider a structure change (downgrade elsewhere) rather than expecting a like-for-like replacement from this flagged pool.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea) — Status: Doubtful (d)

  • •Selected by: 12.1%
  • •Cost: 10.4
  • •Points: 45 | PPG: 3.8 | Form: 4.2
  • •xGI: 3.92 (xG: 3.54, xA: 0.38)
  • •ICT Index: 53.3 | Bonus: 1
  • •Transfer trend: 92,072 in vs 44,508 out

FPL read: Palmer is a fascinating one—he’s flagged, yet there’s a strong net movement in. The data shows his threat is far more goal-leaning (xG 3.54 vs xA 0.38), but overall returns have been modest (45 points).

Replacement ideas (from this dataset):

  • •Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle, 7.3) — If you’re moving down in price
    • •Points: 120 | PPG: 5.7 | xGI: 6.98
    • •Caveat: also flagged (d), so you’d be swapping risk for risk.
  • •Jack Grealish (Everton, 6.4) — Cheaper midfield punt
    • •Points: 79 | xGI: 5.41
    • •Flagged (i) and form is low (2.6), but the underlying involvement is respectable.

Verdict: Palmer’s injury tag plus a premium price makes him a genuine GW23 headache. If you’re carrying multiple flags, his funds can be the cleanest way to stabilise your squad, even if the replacement is a stepping-stone.

🏥 Lower-Ownership Flags (Still Worth Noting)

Mohammed Kudus (Spurs) — Status: Injured (i)

  • •Selected by: 10.7% | Cost: 6.4
  • •Points: 75 | Form: 1.4 | PPG: 3.9
  • •xGI: 4.33 | ICT: 104.7
  • •Transfer trend: 102 in vs 54,659 out

Replacement idea (from this dataset):

  • •Richarlison (Spurs, 6.4) — Similar bracket, better xGI (6.02) but also injured (i).

Jack Grealish (Everton) — Status: Injured (i)

  • •Selected by: 8.4% | Cost: 6.4
  • •Points: 79 | xGI: 5.41 | PPG: 4.0

Replacement idea (from this dataset):

  • •Kudus (Spurs, 6.4) has weaker form and is also injured, so you’re likely looking outside this flagged list if you need a safe starter.

Richarlison (Spurs) — Status: Injured (i)

  • •Selected by: 6.3% | Cost: 6.4
  • •xGI: 6.02 (xG: 4.80, xA: 1.22)

FPL read: Strong goal threat on paper, but the injury status makes him an avoid for GW23 unless there’s clear confirmation he’s ready.

Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal) — Status: Doubtful (d)

  • •Selected by: 6.2% | Cost: 5.6
  • •Points: 77 | PPG: 4.8 | xGI: 2.85

Replacement idea (from this dataset):

  • •Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace, 5.8) offers higher PPG (6.4) but is also flagged (d).

Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace) — Status: Doubtful (d)

  • •Selected by: 5.9% | Cost: 5.8
  • •Points: 89 | PPG: 6.4 | xGI: 3.77

FPL read: If he’s passed fit, the PPG alone makes him stand out—just don’t replace one non-starter with another.

GW23 Action Plan (Quick Checklist)

  • •Prioritise solving the highest-ownership flags first: Bruno (22.0%) and Palmer (12.1%) are the big rank-swingers.
  • •Don’t chase sideways swaps inside this injured pool: several “replacement” names here are also flagged.
  • •If you’re forced into a move, consider a budget restructure (downgrade + upgrade elsewhere) rather than trying to copy points exactly.

Conclusion

Gameweek 23 is shaping up as a classic FPL triage week: Bruno Guimarães is the headline concern because he’s both highly owned and highly productive, while Cole Palmer is the premium-priced doubt that could unlock funds if you need stability. Keep an eye on final updates, but plan now—because the worst-case scenario is carrying multiple flags into the deadline and having no flexibility left.