Confirmation of the first Blank Gameweek of the season came on Wednesday morning.
West Ham United v Liverpool in Gameweek 18 has been postponed due to the Reds’ participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.
A new date for the fixture is yet to be announced but, given that Gameweek 18 takes place on the weekend of Saturday 21 December/Sunday 22 December, the match can’t be moved into the following midweek.
Liverpool will play two fixtures in the Club World Cup, with a semi-final scheduled for Tuesday 17 December/Wednesday 18 December and final or third-place play-off taking place on Saturday 21 December.
Fantasy Premier League managers can use their first Wildcard up to the Gameweek 20 deadline on Saturday 28 December, so those who have managed to retain their chip by the time we approach Christmas may consider using it around this Blank Gameweek – although the announcement of the mini-Double Gameweek for Liverpool and West Ham, whenever that may come, could change all that.
The Reds won’t have a free midweek until 2020 if they progress to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup but, should Jurgen Klopp’s side and the Hammers both be eliminated from that competition early, there is a slim possibility that the postponed Premier League fixture could be rearranged for a midweek when that competition is taking place.
It does seem, at this point, that the likeliest scenario is a reschedule for the New Year.
