FPL Injury Update GW35 to GW38: The Run-In
Every major FPL injury heading into the final 4 gameweeks. Sell, hold, or trust calls on Salah, Cunha, Eze, and the rest.
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Data current as of: 2 May 2026 (post GW35 lock) Window covered: GW36 to GW38 Assumptions: News flags pulled from the FPL Pilot data layer, freshness checked. Verify any individual call against the official FPL site or the manager’s Friday press conference.
End-of-season injuries cluster differently than mid-season ones. Squads are deeper on availability lists but shallower on fitness, managers are managing minutes ahead of summer tournaments, and the line between “rested” and “injured” gets fuzzy. Knowing which flags to trust matters more in a 3-gameweek window than in a 38-week marathon.
This is the snapshot of every major FPL asset currently flagged or recently flagged, with the call to make.
The summary call sheet
| Player | Club | Status | Return | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | LIV | 0% chance, muscle | 24 May | Sell. Out for the season |
| Eze | ARS | 75% chance, muscle | This GW | Hold. Likely starts GW36 |
| Cunha | MUN | 75% chance, hip | This GW | Sell if you have a like-for-like |
| Saka | ARS | Achilles, return unknown | Unclear | Avoid until confirmed |
| Isak | LIV | Was flagged, no recent update | Unknown | Avoid for the run-in |
| Palmer | CHE | No recent flag | Active | Trust |
| Haaland | MCI | No recent flag | Active | Trust |
| Mbeumo | MUN | No recent flag | Active | Trust |
| Gibbs-White | NFO | No flag | Active | Trust |
A “trust” rating means no recent injury flag in the data layer. Rotation risk still applies for any player at a club managing minutes through to GW38.
The big calls
Salah: confirmed sell
Salah has a muscle injury, the latest data layer flag (6 days old) puts him at 0% chance of playing with an expected return date of 24 May. The 2025/26 season ends with GW38 on 24 May. He is not coming back this season, and even if he does it would be one fixture at the end of a long lay-off.
If you still own Salah, sell. The funds free up a Cherki, a Mateta, or a sideways move into a Manchester City asset for the DGW36. Our GW35 transfers piece covers the specific replacement options.
Cunha: sell if you have a clean replacement
Cunha picked up a hip injury flag 4 days ago, listed at 75% chance of playing. The data layer is hedged, which usually means the manager has not committed publicly. Manchester United’s run-in is mediocre and Cunha is in the price-falling list with -4,025 net transfers per the price-change predictor. Two negative signals stacked.
The action depends on your structure. If you have a like-for-like £8m forward replacement (Mateta, Welbeck), make the move. If selling Cunha forces a downgrade or a cascading transfer chain, hold and absorb the rotation risk for one week.
Eze: hold, likely starts
Eze has a muscle injury flag from 6 days ago, listed at 75% chance of playing. That is the FPL signal for “should be available, monitor team news.” Arsenal need points and Eze is a regular starter when fit. Hold, check the Friday presser.
Saka: avoid until confirmed
Saka has a long-standing Achilles flag with an unknown return date. The most recent update from 33 days ago listed his status as available but the injury context is unresolved. If you do not own him, do not buy. If you do, the hold-or-sell call depends on whether you can stomach a 0% pStart for 1 to 2 of the remaining GWs.
Isak: avoid for the run-in
Isak was flagged with an ankle injury, expected back 11 April. The last update is 132 days old which makes the data layer unreliable on his current status. With Liverpool’s season effectively ended (Salah out, top-four picture decided), there is no compelling reason to hold or buy a Liverpool attacker right now. Avoid.
Watkins, Bruno, Gordon: trust but verify
All three have season-old injury flags that have since resolved (Watkins hamstring 92 days ago, Bruno hamstring 131 days ago, Gordon hamstring 86 days ago). No recent data layer flags. Trust, but check the Friday team news because end-of-season minutes management is real.
How injury risk interacts with chip choices
Three patterns to watch in the run-in.
Free hit cleans up injury chaos. If you have not played FH yet and your squad has 2+ injured premiums, GW36 or GW37 is the activation week. You sidestep the injury problem for one GW, build the optimal one-week squad, and get the original squad back the following week.
Bench boost requires healthy depth. If you are planning BB in GW36 or GW38, every player in your 15 needs to be at 75% pStart minimum. Run through the table above and check none of your bench candidates are flagged. The bench boost chip guide covers the full pre-flight check.
Triple captain hates injury risk. Do not TC anyone with even a 75% chance flag. If your TC plan was Salah for GW36, the plan is dead and the alternative is Haaland in DGW36 (combined ~7.60 projected, see the triple captain final gameweeks piece).
The injury cluster pattern at season end
Why do end-of-season injuries cluster around chip choices? Two reasons. First, managers manage minutes for top players ahead of international tournaments and pre-season, which surfaces as “knock” or “rotation” flags in the data layer. Second, the FPL community over-weights any flag in the final weeks because the cost of a captaincy bust is higher when you have fewer GWs left to recover.
The practical implication: trust the 75% flags less in May than in November. A 75% flag in GW36 often means “playing but cup-tied” or “playing 60 minutes and subbed”. In November it usually means “playing the full 90 if available”. Adjust your decision accordingly.
What to actually do this week
If you own Salah: sell, replace with a City or Crystal Palace asset for DGW36.
If you own Cunha: review your bench. If you have a £6m forward who can come on, hold. If your bench is thin, sell.
If you own Saka or Isak: do nothing, the price drop is mostly priced in already. The structural call is whether you trust them for GW38.
If you own Eze: do nothing, expect a start.
Check your full squad against the latest injury flags and get specific replacements →
Injury flags pulled from the FPL Pilot news data layer on 2 May 2026. Pre-deadline team news from manager press conferences supersedes any flag in this piece. The data layer surfaces the most recent FPL API status, but managers can change selection at any point before the deadline.
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