Mohamed Salah’s run as the top captain pick in Fantasy Premier League is under threat after his injury scare last night.
The Liverpool midfielder was withdrawn on 53 minutes of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League victory over Manchester City.
Salah (£10.7m) will be assessed ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby with Everton.
The top-owned and top-scoring player in FPL, he has been the most popular captain choice in five of the last six Gameweeks.
Including his winner at Crystal Palace in Gameweek 32, Salah has scored or assisted in 23 of his 29 Gameweek starts.
But with Liverpool’s second-leg tie with City to come on Tuesday, Jurgen Klopp may not take risks with his selection for Saturday’s early kick-off at Goodison Park.
Value judgment
FPL managers could choose to transfer out Salah as a means to free up funds for the fit-again Harry Kane (£12.7m).
But so far sales have been modest, with under 10,000 of managers selling the Egyptian.
That is no surprise given that Salah's 62.7 per cent ownership would likely lose considerable profit.
A sell-on fee of 50 per cent, rounded up to the nearest £0.1m, is applied to any profits made on a sale. Salah’s value has increased by £1.7m since Gameweek 1, the highest rise of any player.
If available, Salah would also remain a key figure over the season run-in, with favourable Liverpool fixtures to come.
Liverpool's remaining fixtures
| GW | Opponent | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | EVE (A) | 3 |
| 34 | BOU (H) | 3 |
| 35 | WBA (A) | 2 |
| 36 | STK (H) | 2 |
| 37 | CHE (A) | 4 |
| 38 | BHA (H) | 2 |
In the short term, Kane has become a strong contender for the Gameweek 33 captaincy.
After returning from injury from the bench in Tottenham Hotspur’s win over Chelsea on Sunday, Kane could start at Stoke City.
As a result, he is the most-bought player in the Gameweek, attracting more than 87,000 new owners.
Stoke have conceded more goals than any side, with 61, and have managed just two clean sheets in their previous 15 home matches.
Furthermore, Kane's eight goals in his last four league meetings with the Potters adds to his attraction.
