Skonto Rigga
We’ve now reached the first international break of the 2026/27 – and it’s the mother of all breaks.
There are three weeks between Gameweeks 5 and 6, and some countries will be contesting FOUR international fixtures, rather than the usual two, during that time.
Well over 200 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players will be representing their countries. So, as is always the case, there’ll be a nervous wait to see if any new Fantasy flags are added ahead of Gameweek 6.
This article provides you with all the essential information you need to know.
WHY IS IT SUCH A LONG INTERNATIONAL BREAK?
Usually, there are four breaks per season that affect Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers. Not this time, however. In 2026/27, there’ll only be three.
That’s because the September and October interruptions are merging into one big break – this one we’re in now.
The decision has been made to “minimise disruption to the domestic club schedule”.
ANY LATE RETURNEES IN GAMEWEEK 6?
Players from the Americas are often the last ones back through the door at their respective clubs, which raises concerns about their availability for the upcoming Gameweek.
While those concerns frequently amount to nothing, there are occasions where international exertions have been a factor. It’s not just the late kick-off time but also the long-haul flights back from across the Atlantic.
There are, indeed, some international fixtures taking place in the Americas in the early hours of Wednesday 7 October (UK time). We’ve included Argentina here, as the Lionel Messi farewell game against Benin remains without a kick-off time at the time of writing.
| Country | Players | Fixture, venue, date + time (BST) |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Emiliano Martínez (CHE), Valentín Barco (CHE), Exequiel Palacios (IPS), Alexis Mac Allister (LIV), Enzo Fernández (MCI), Gerónimo Rulli (MCI), Lisandro Martinez (MUN) | v Benin (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – Oct 6/7, time TBC |
| Canada | Daniel Jebbison (BOU), Promise David (BHA) | v USA (St Paul, USA) – Oct 7, 01:00 |
| Chile | Darío Osorio (CRY), Marcelino Núñez (IPS) | v Mexico (Los Angeles, USA) – Oct 7, 00:00 |
| Colombia | Daniel Muñoz (NFO) | v Peru (Miami, USA) Oct 7, 00:45 |
| USA | Tyler Adams (BOU), Zavier Gozo (CRY), Chris Richards (CRY), Antonee Robinson (FUL) | v Canada (St Paul, USA) – Oct 7, 01:00 |
Where are Brazil, you might ask? Good news on that front: their last fixture is on Saturday 3 October in India. That’s a full week before Gameweek 6 gets underway.
Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay also finish their international action earlier than usual.
Most African nations have wrapped up their fixtures nice and early, too. Nigeria and Algeria are the only countries of note (ie the ones with Premier League representation) in action on Tuesday 6 October.
There are 10 UEFA Nations League fixtures scheduled for Tuesday 6 October, with the likes of England, Spain, Scotland, Switzerland and Croatia among those with matches to contest. There’s not the long transatlantic slog back or early-hours kick-offs for these players, however.
NOTABLE OMISSIONS + RESTS
In addition to some sidelined players, there are some welcome rests for a few key FPL assets over this international fortnight.
Below are the most-owned (4.0%+) FPL outfield players who weren’t named in their national team squads but not because of injury. Milan van Ewijk (£4.0m) has subsequently picked up a minor issue, it should be noted.
| Player | Club | % owned by |
|---|---|---|
| Pascal Gross | BHA | 27.9% |
| James Tarkowski | EVE | 15.9% |
| Igor Thiago | BRE | 9.0% |
| Milan van Ewijk | COV | 8.9% |
| Harry Maguire | MUN | 8.7% |
| Bobby Thomas | COV | 8.6% |
| Thierno Barry | EVE | 8.2% |
| Luke Shaw | MUN | 7.8% |
| Will Hughes | CRY | 7.4% |
| Leif Davis | IPS | 6.9% |
| Jayden Bogle | LEE | 6.9% |
| Marcus Tavernier | BOU | 6.7% |
| Tyrick Mitchell | CRY | 6.0% |
| Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | EVE | 6.0% |
| Matheus Cunha | MUN | 5.7% |
| Harvey Barnes | NEW | 5.5% |
| Regan Slater | HUL | 5.3% |
| Alisson Becker | LIV | 4.0% |
- READ MORE: Rice, Dedic, Sesko + Livramento all exit international duty
- READ MORE: Palmer, Rashford + Mainoo injury latest after England withdrawal
WHEN FPL PLAYERS ARE IN ACTION: A CLUB-BY-CLUB GUIDE
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