The Double Gameweek 22 news that many of us had been expecting arrived on Friday afternoon.
It’s a provisional announcement but it confirms that Manchester United and Leeds United will play twice in Gameweek 22, so long as a FA Cup fourth-round replay isn’t needed for either side.
WHAT ARE THE DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 22 FIXTURES?
Leeds face a trip to Nottingham Forest before they head to Old Trafford, while the Red Devils entertain a side they have just met – Crystal Palace – before hosting Jesse Marsch’s side.
There’s a swift rematch between Leeds and Man Utd in Gameweek 23 at Elland Road, too, just four days after they clash in Manchester!
WHEN WILL THE DOUBLE GAMEWEEK BE CONFIRMED FOR DEFINITE?
We will know by the end of Saturday 28 January whether the Double Gameweek will go ahead for certain.
Leeds play either Accrington Stanley or Boreham Wood in the lunchtime kick-off that day, while Manchester United entertain Reading in the evening game.
Should neither side need a replay in those FA Cup fourth-round ties, Double Gameweek 22 will be confirmed.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 22 TARGETS?
Many FPL teams will already be well stocked with Manchester United assets following their Double Gameweek 20, with Luke Shaw (£5.2m), Marcus Rashford (£7.1m) and Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m) all well backed.
Leeds won’t be heavily represented in many current Fantasy squads but Wilfried Gnonto (£5.0m) couldn’t have burst onto the scene in a more timely fashion and he’ll no doubt be under consideration as a budget third forward.
An ‘out of position’ Rodrigo (£6.4m) is the leading FPL midfielder for goals scored in 2022/23 and is another stand-out Gameweek 22 target, although there is the nagging game-time uncertainty following the return to fitness of Patrick Bamford (£7.2m) and the acquisition of Georginio Rutter (£5.5m).
The two sides have some decent fixtures either side of their doubles, too, as shown in the ‘ticker’ further up this page.
TRIPLE CAPTAIN OPPORTUNITY?
There were over half a million Triple Captain chips used in Gameweek 20, the majority of them on Erling Haaland (£12.2m).
For the rest of us with the chip still intact, there’s a decision to make over when to deploy it.
Manchester United’s pair of provisional Gameweek 22 fixtures is arguably the most attractive ‘double-header’ of the season so far.
Erik ten Hag hasn’t been one to tinker too much with his starting XI to date but the Red Devils are about to enter a period of fixture congestion, with three cup ties to come before that provisional Double Gameweek 22 (two of them semi-final ties).
The Palace-Leeds-Leeds run of league games then follows, although a Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday turnaround is slightly more generous than it could have been.
A Europa League tie against Barcelona lurks just around the corner after Gameweek 23.
BLANK GAMEWEEK 25
One thing to point out is that both Leeds United and Manchester United could blank in Gameweek 25. Or one of them could. Or neither of them could!
It all depends on the results of the EFL Cup semi-finals, which will be concluded on January 31/February 1.
You can read more about that here.
Suffice to say, you may need an exit plan if you’re stocking up on players from each side – but at least we’ll know about who will blank in Gameweek 25 in advance of the Gameweek 22 deadline.
