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Hincapie, Saliba, Calafiori: The latest FPL team news

13 January 2026 60 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Following on from the three pre-EFL Cup press conferences we heard on Monday, it’s now the turn of Mikel Arteta to face the media.

The Arsenal boss spoke to journalists on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Gunners’ midweek clash with Chelsea.

Here are the key updates.

ARSENAL

Piero Hincapie will miss Wednesday’s meeting with Liam Rosenior’s troops, having picked up an injury in the goalless draw with Liverpool last Thursday.

Riccardo Calafiori remains out, too. He hasn’t featured since Christmas because of a muscular issue.

The Gunners also have concerns over Leandro Trossard and William Saliba going into the clash with the Blues. Both missed Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Portsmouth.

“[Hincapie and Calafiori] are not available yet. The other doubts that we have are Willy and Leo.” – Mikel Arteta

“We don’t know yet.” – Mikel Arteta when asked if Arsenal know the extent of Piero Hincapie’s injury, following yesterday’s scan

“He’s progressing but we don’t know [how long]. I think it will be a matter of a few weeks probably but we don’t know exactly when.” – Mikel Arteta on Riccardo Calafiori

Max Dowman (ankle) and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) also remain sidelined.

“Very similar injuries, very similar timeframes. Both evolving really well but they’re not training yet so they’re still a few weeks away.” – Mikel Arteta on Max Dowman and Christhian Mosquera

Kai Havertz made a playing return as a substitute at Fratton Park following a lengthy spell out. Arteta says the Gunners will be careful with the German going forward.

“We have to manage his minutes now, but he had a good block of 20-25 minutes the other day. He trained really well again today, it’s now a case of building his robustness and make sure that he’s available for every game.” – Mikel Arteta on Kai Havertz

Elsewhere, the usual cautionary words about rotation and squad management.

“At the end, we have to try to manage the squad and individuals in the best way. I think we are sharing the minutes while we remain very, very competitive and that’s what we have to try to do and tomorrow we have another opportunity with players that will start and finish the game, and it will continue like this until May because there’s going to be a game every three days.” – Mikel Arteta

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60 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Defcons are for Kinnear
    • 12 Years
    1 day, 18 mins ago

    After the success of Defcon what new additions can FPL make to the game?

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    1. z13
        23 hours, 27 mins ago

        Nothing wanted nothing needed

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      • Philosopher's Stones
        • 5 Years
        23 hours, 24 mins ago

        Free booze and hookers for the top scorer of each GW.

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      • Sir Michael Taker
        • 11 Years
        23 hours, 8 mins ago

        I think they're going to look again at the defcon malarky next season. They won't want the algo's getting too comfortable around it. Probably stays but either the thresholds move up or they tweak the weighting, too heavy on recoveries for midfielders and clearances for defenders currently. If you don't do them you don't get the defcon.

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        1. southernpacific
          • 14 Years
          22 hours, 47 mins ago

          The only rule that needs to be added is not letting managers captain the same player two weeks in a row. If they dont change it, it defaults to whoever the VC. This stops Haaland Capt every week and makes people think about when to elect him.

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          1. northstandnoise
            • 8 Years
            21 hours, 38 mins ago

            Actually think that's a great idea

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      • pjomara
        • 15 Years
        23 hours, 6 mins ago

        1. Get rid of those dumb Defcons

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        1. Dubem_FC
          • 10 Years
          22 hours, 59 mins ago

          Nah. Just restrict it to blocks, interceptions and successful tackles.

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        2. RedLightning
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 15 Years
          21 hours, 26 mins ago

          Or reduce them to one point each (but two if they reach 20 or 24 contributions).

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        3. z13
            21 hours, 24 mins ago

            In the FA cup match yesterday Szoboszlai had 8 actions termed by Sofascore as 'defensive contributions'. He also seperately had 12 recoveries

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        4. F4L
          • 11 Years
          23 hours, 3 mins ago

          i would love something that revolves around rewarding people for having/captaining lower owned played. how that could work in practice, not sure

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          1. F4L
            • 11 Years
            23 hours, 2 mins ago

            *players not played

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        5. F4L
          • 11 Years
          22 hours, 53 mins ago

          also not new but time fpl jacked the prices up across the board again. quite a few seasons on the run now its felt like budget barely matters, and its not looking like there's going to be many premium worthy players next season etc. i dont find the game more enjoyable this way. look at the amount of money people have on the bench nowadays (because the opportunity cost isnt there), never used to be like that. for example if rice drops a 220-ish season, make him 10mil next year. no messing around. all CBs who end the season in and around 4.5 ppg or north of that should be coming in at 5.5mil baseline next year as well with only a few exceptions

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          1. Brosstan
            • 11 Years
            21 hours, 46 mins ago

            100%, but I suspect they won't... casuals in heaven again

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          2. Runnerboy31
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 4 Years
            4 hours, 59 mins ago

            The prices this season are well judged. It’s not fpls fault a lot of the premiums have slightly or massively underperformed ie Salah, Isak, Palmer, arguably Saka.

            Had those players performed as expected, team value would’ve been really quite stretched!

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        6. ReadyGestedeCook
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          16 hours, 15 mins ago

          My shortlist became a very long list..

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        7. Wengers Apprentice
          • 3 Years
          3 hours, 45 mins ago

          I guess we all ponder this fro time to time. My thought are,

          A captain chip that gives a multiplier or bonus to other squad members from the same team. Perhaps dependent on team winning.

          More flexibility on number of defenders, midfielder picks or strikers. Allowing you to play them out of position but with a lesser points gain from them if you do.

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      • Trogon
        • 2 Years
        1 day, 14 mins ago

        A better bonus points system that reflects how well a player really played rather tgan just rewarding goal scorers etc.

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        1. Sir Michael Taker
          • 11 Years
          23 hours, 5 mins ago

          If they want to achieve this they ought to stop double counting too in the bonus. Goals, assists, cleans, defcon all already get rewarded, cards and goals conceded are already penalised. The bonus system currently just repeats the main scoring for the most part.

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          1. Brosstan
            • 11 Years
            21 hours, 44 mins ago

            I agree with you but complaints about bonus by people on here is always "my defender scored and assisted why didn't he get bonus?? The system sucks!" even though the defender in question conceded 3 goals.

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        2. Studs Up
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          21 hours, 8 mins ago

          "how well a player really played" is subjective....back in the day, bonus allocated by man in the stand didn't really cut it, so fixed metrics seems the most realistic options - although not perfect

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      • Philosopher's Stones
        • 5 Years
        1 day, 4 mins ago

        Just can't see West Ham improving drastically soon. Bowen -> DCL might be a more urgent transfer than what many feel.

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        1. z13
            21 hours, 22 mins ago

            Bowen should be on pens with Paqueta out

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        2. Slasquer
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 2 Years
          23 hours, 43 mins ago

          Drop assists given for own goals

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        3. Sun God Nika
          • 5 Years
          23 hours, 39 mins ago

          Who would you bench from this team?

          Want hold on city players as i have 4 now until we know more about who starts and rotation (baldfraud)

          Pickford (AVL A)
          Mukiele (CRY H) Gabriel (NFO A) Senesi (BHA A)
          Semenyo (MUN A) Bruno G. (WOL A) Cherki (MUN A) Rice (NFO A) B. Fernandes (MCI H)
          Calvert-Lewin (FUL H) Haaland (MUN A)

          Substitutes:
          Dúbravka (LIV A) Guéhi (SUN A) Bowen (TOT A) O’Reilly (MUN A)

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          1. Dubem_FC
            • 10 Years
            22 hours, 44 mins ago

            When did you get Bruno?

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          2. Hibbopotamus
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            22 hours, 17 mins ago

            I think you have it right as is. Guehi has a better shot at a CS than Senesi imo, but I understand wanting the safety of defcons

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        4. Meta12345
          • 1 Year
          23 hours, 23 mins ago

          Captain:
          A) ekitike
          B) haaland

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          1. Pep's Money Laundry
            • 10 Years
            22 hours, 31 mins ago

            A

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          2. Hibbopotamus
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            22 hours, 21 mins ago

            B. but obviously Ekitike is the differential pick if you're desperate to take a risk

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            1. RamaJama
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              22 hours, 1 min ago

              Also a differential pick just to have him

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          3. RamaJama
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            22 hours, 1 min ago

            B

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        5. Ronnies
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          23 hours, 5 mins ago

          Play one;

          A) Thiaw - away to Wolves
          B) Gudmundsson - home to Fulham

          Cheers.

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          1. Hibbopotamus
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 11 Years
            22 hours, 22 mins ago

            A, wouldn't overthink it

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          2. RamaJama
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            22 hours ago

            A

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        6. Hibbopotamus
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          23 hours, 4 mins ago

          2 FTs, 0.9m in the bank. Lots of different ways to go about Cunha, but can't afford Bruno in one move. Which would you do?

          A. Cunha -> Enzo
          B. Cunha + Raya -> Verbruggen + Saka
          C. Cunha + Raya -> Roefs + Rice
          D. Roll, then Cunha -> Ndiaye in GW23

          Current team for reference:

          Raya (Dubravka)
          Gabriel, Timber, Richards, Alderete (Andersen)
          Foden, Rogers, Wirtz, Cunha (Anderson)
          Haaland, Ekitike (Guiu)

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          1. Bobby Digital
            • 8 Years
            22 hours, 17 mins ago

            A

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          2. Jet5605
            • 11 Years
            21 hours, 16 mins ago

            C

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        7. Meta12345
          • 1 Year
          22 hours, 29 mins ago

          The rest days between chelsea’s fixtures are crazy. They have a lot of games between league, efl cup and champions league. Is chalobah going to play all of them?

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          1. Brosstan
            • 11 Years
            21 hours, 42 mins ago

            No he wont

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          2. shorey143
            • 4 Years
            21 hours, 29 mins ago

            As tempting as that fixture run is you can only rely on Sanchez.

            The same for most of the big teams, not many nailed so the smart play might be to have half your team that don't play in Europe

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        8. Brosstan
          • 11 Years
          22 hours, 23 mins ago

          Penalties scored should give 2 points only and should not count as a goal in bonus point calculations.

          My 2 cents.

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          1. x.jim.x
            • 11 Years
            22 hours, 19 mins ago

            Yeah people hate points

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            1. Brosstan
              • 11 Years
              21 hours, 47 mins ago

              The reliance on penalty takers is so dumb. Penalties are a boring part of football.

              Strikers of today stat padding by taking penalties is another thing I hate. Penalties should be removed from historical goal tallies.

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              1. x.jim.x
                • 11 Years
                21 hours, 45 mins ago

                Such a nonsense take that I have to respect it

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                1. Brosstan
                  • 11 Years
                  21 hours, 26 mins ago

                  A lot of top goal scorers of history didnt even take penalties, and it was just because penalties was viewed differently (the captain or some midfield general mentality boss took them), not because they couldnt. There was no ego thing back then where the top scorer wanted to stat pad like players today are obsessed with.

                  Take the WC top scorer as an example. Klose has 16 goals. None of them are penalties. Messi could easily surpass him this WC if Argentina gets a few penalties. If they get 4 penalties Messi is the top WC goal scorer with 17 goals. Messi had 6 penalty goals just last WC lol.

                  The goal scoring stat becomes meaningless as a historical measure when ego players of today take all penalties to stat pad even though they have worse actual goal scoring stats, while earlier era players didnt even take penalties.

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                  1. x.jim.x
                    • 11 Years
                    21 hours, 24 mins ago

                    Go down the list of top PL scorers and tell me how many didn’t take pens (not that has any relevance whatsoever)

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                    1. Brosstan
                      • 11 Years
                      20 hours, 38 mins ago

                      If that interests you you are welcome to check.

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                      1. Brosstan
                        • 11 Years
                        20 hours, 35 mins ago

                        Just off the top of my head Andy Cole hardly took penalties.. Its irrelevant if it changes the list or not. the point is that a penalty is much less impressive than scoring an open play goal. Its basically an "80% chance to add +1 to your goal stat" that you get for free because someone else did something on the field.

                        Winning penalties is a more important stat than scoring a penalty.

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          2. BobbyDoesNotLook
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            21 hours, 44 mins ago

            This. Maybe 3 and zero impact to bonus. I would also get rid of negative points for missed penalty (or -1). That point swing is just so annoying.

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        9. Jarnathan
          • 9 Years
          22 hours, 22 mins ago

          Anyone considering Frimpong with the injury to Bradley?

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          1. Meta12345
            • 1 Year
            21 hours, 33 mins ago

            It could be soboszlai or gomez right back and chiesa or rio right wing. Frimpong benched.

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            1. BobbyDoesNotLook
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              21 hours, 1 min ago

              What about Mo Salah? 😀

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        10. shorey143
          • 4 Years
          22 hours, 10 mins ago

          Saka and Bowen to Ekitike and Rice?

          Saka is going to be 20 or 70 most games now

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          1. Ignasi M
            • 8 Years
            21 hours, 20 mins ago

            I'd keep Saka.

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        11. Jet5605
          • 11 Years
          21 hours, 59 mins ago

          Rogers or Wilson?

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          1. Magic Zico
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            21 hours, 12 mins ago

            Wilson is better on attacking stats and significantly cheaper.

            Rogers is better on the prospective fixtures which may translate to an improved attacking stats.

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            1. Jet5605
              • 11 Years
              21 hours, 9 mins ago

              Thanks. I'm planning to get both (the second one to replace Szob next week) and so perhaps Rogers this week for the home game v leaky Everton?

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        12. Subzero (-4)
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          16 hours, 55 mins ago

          Evening all. How’s this draft looking?

          Roefs

          Gabriel Frimpong Chabolah Tarkowski

          Saka Palmer Bruno Rice Enzo

          Haaland

          Verbruggen Mukiele mane Kroupi

          Frimpong is place holder for Munoz when fit.

          Just working out if double arsenal defence is better than attack?

          Thanks in advance

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        13. Saka White Rice
          • 11 Years
          16 hours, 55 mins ago

          I know Rogers has done well but his data is kind of average. Prefer Wilson?

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