The Scout checks in with the progress of the key Fantasy Premier League players who are taking part in international tournaments.
Africa Cup of Nations
Egypt’s encounter with Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday at 20:00 GMT could already be a very significant one for Fantasy managers.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (£13.1m) and West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus (£6.8m) are in opposing squads for a match that could have major implications on their chances of making it through the group stage.
Each country failed to impress in their opening match. Despite the best efforts of Salah, who delivered an assist and scored a late penalty, Egypt could only manage a 2-2 draw against Mozambique. Kudus, meanwhile, was absent from Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde.
From the perspective of FPL bosses, a win for Ghana on Thursday would be preferable as it would give Egypt an uphill task to qualify and raise the prospect of a quick return to domestic duties for Salah, the top-scoring player in Fantasy.
Indeed, should Egypt fail to progress beyond the group stage, Salah - whose ownership has dropped to 28 per cent - would be immediately available for Liverpool’s Gameweek 22 home meeting with Chelsea.
Similarly, if Ghana suffer a second successive defeat they would be facing an early exit, with Kudus potentially returning to West Ham in time for the Gameweek 22 home fixture against AFC Bournemouth.
Group B
| Country | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Verde | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Egypt | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mozambique | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ghana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Asian Cup
Son Heung-min (£9.7m) could have longer to wait until he returns for Tottenham Hotspur.
Although he failed to get on the scoresheet, Son played all 90 minutes as South Korea took one step towards the knockout stages of the Asian Cup with a 3-1 win over Bahrain on Monday.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan (£5.6m), who was the fifth top-scoring midfielder in Fantasy prior to the two tournaments starting, missed out through injury.
Should South Korea win their next match, against Jordan on Saturday, and secure a spot in the last 16, both Son and Hwang would be unavailable for Gameweek 22.
