GW6 FPL review: Nine players to assess before your next transfer

Schade’s injury news deserves priority if he is in your squad. De Cuyper’s attacking role and João Pedro’s return to the starting XI offer more encouraging signals, while Doku, Madueke and Chérif need to show that their opportunities can last. After the 10–12 October matches, these are the nine players whose next team update, role or workload could change an FPL decision.

Kevin Schade needs an injury update

Schade came off seven minutes into the second half of Brentford’s 2–2 draw at Aston Villa on 10 October. In Brentford’s post-match update, Keith Andrews confirmed a shoulder injury but said he did not yet know how serious it was. That leaves owners waiting for an assessment before they can judge the cost of keeping him.

Keep a replacement in mind if your bench is weak. Managers who can field a reliable substitute have more room to wait, especially while the length of any absence remains unknown. The next Andrews update before Liverpool on 17 October should guide the decision: look for training participation and an explicit availability verdict, then assess whether your squad can cover the likely absence.

Maxim De Cuyper has a role worth following

De Cuyper scored in Brighton’s 2–0 win at Sunderland on 10 October, but his appeal was already taking shape before the goal. The Scout’s 1 October analysis described the FPL defender’s move into midfield and shared set pieces. Tom Johnson’s 8 October selection noted that he had started the first five gameweeks on the left wing.

That attacking deployment keeps him high on the watchlist, provided it holds. The same Scout analysis had flagged seven matches in 21 days and the possible effect of Mitoma and Hinshelwood returning. Anyone buying should therefore be comfortable revisiting the decision if his position or workload changes.

Brighton’s selection against Kauno Žalgiris on 15 October is the next useful signal, ahead of Palace on 18 October. Watch where De Cuyper plays, how much work he gets and who shares the deliveries. Those details will tell us more about the durability of his appeal than the goal alone.

Looking ahead to GW7? Our Brighton defender comparison covers the next transfer decision.

João Pedro gives owners a reason to reassess

João Pedro started Chelsea’s 5–1 win over Bournemouth on 10 October, scored twice from service into the penalty area and was substituted in the 72nd minute. Sky Sports journalist Peter Smith judged him to have returned fit and retained his scoring threat. It was an encouraging assessment of the performance, with his availability for the next match still to be checked.

If fitness was your reason for planning a sale, reconsider. Starting and receiving central finishing chances are useful evidence. Keep the workload question open rather than assuming a full match every week, and weigh a new purchase against your existing squad and budget.

Recovery news and Chelsea’s team selection for Everton on 17 October are the next tests. Another start and continued central involvement would strengthen the case for keeping him.

Dominic Solanke offers reasons for patience

Solanke started as Tottenham captain and stayed on throughout the 1–1 draw at Manchester United on 10 October, equalising in the 92nd minute after earlier close-range misses. Gary Neville, quoted in Laura Hunter’s Sky Sports report, considered Spurs clearly superior and the equaliser important after those missed chances. Hunter’s report also emphasised their wastefulness.

Existing owners can take encouragement from the chances and full-game involvement. For a new purchase, the useful question is whether that service continues. The late goal and the armband leave future selection and the consistency of Spurs’ attack open to further scrutiny.

The Coventry match on 19 October offers the next opportunity to check both. A sustained role and repeat access to dangerous chances would make a stronger transfer case than one dramatic finish.

Jérémy Doku remains a minutes decision

Doku replaced Ndiaye after 56 minutes in Manchester City’s 3–0 win at Liverpool on 11 October and scored in the 68th. His blocked shot also led to Haaland’s opener. Liverpool’s Gravenberch had been sent off before all three goals, which matters when judging how far to project the cameo.

There is also a recovery question. Sam Cunningham’s Premier League analysis relayed Maresca’s warning that Doku needed care on his return from injury. This was only his second league appearance of the season.

Keep him on the watchlist with a conservative minutes expectation. City’s PSG game on 14 October, followed by selection before Ipswich on 17 October, should help show whether his workload is increasing. Managers needing a dependable starter should seek stronger selection evidence first.

Noni Madueke needs the opening to last

Madueke started on the left in Arsenal’s 2–1 win over Leeds on 10 October with Christos Tzolis injured. He created three chances and completed five of six crosses. Sam Blitz’s Sky Sports assessment made him Arsenal’s strongest attacking performer in that unfamiliar position, with his delivery important to the equaliser.

It is an opportunity worth tracking while waiting for news of Tzolis’s availability. Another appearance in that role would be encouraging, but one strong performance leaves a permanent place unproven. It also gives no basis for assigning Madueke additional set-piece responsibilities.

Arsenal’s next team update and starting XI should clarify the opening. The transfer case becomes more interesting if Madueke keeps the left-sided role when other options are available.

Mohamed Belloumi needs a fatigue check

Belloumi equalised from the bench in Hull’s 2–2 draw with Everton on 11 October. Sam Cunningham’s Premier League report relayed Sergej Jakirovic’s explanation for the benching: fatigue and extensive travel reported on Friday.

The goal leaves the recovery question open. Use Hull’s pre-Fulham availability update and the 17 October starting XI to judge whether he is ready to start, rather than treating the substitute appearance as evidence of a tactical demotion.

Jordan Henderson needs repeat set piece evidence

Henderson scored twice and assisted Rogers on his Chelsea home debut against Bournemouth. One goal was a direct free kick. In Chelsea’s 10 October interview, he said Palmer and Rogers had let him take it after his work with set-piece coach Austin MacPhee during the international break.

That account supports his involvement in this particular free kick. The longer-term allocation of free kicks, corners and penalties remains unresolved. A transfer justified by recurring dead-ball chances needs evidence that those chances will remain his, alongside a dependable place in the side.

Chelsea’s next XI and the set-piece allocation at Everton on 17 October will be worth watching. Pay attention to who takes the opportunities when several regular takers are on the pitch before chasing a repeat of the return.

Sidiki Chérif earns another look

Chérif won the penalty converted by Jack Rudoni and scored Coventry’s second goal on his full Premier League debut in the 4–1 win over Newcastle on 12 October. Luke Vinton’s Newcastle report also recorded a goal from Ellis Simms off the bench, leaving Coventry with more than one forward to consider.

Add Chérif to the watchlist and check whether the start repeats. Rudoni taking this penalty leaves the long-term hierarchy unconfirmed, while Chérif winning it should not be counted as an FPL assist without the official game record.

Lampard’s next team update and Coventry’s XI against Tottenham on 19 October are the next checks. Another start would give buyers firmer ground; how Simms is used will also matter.

Start with the information that could change your team: Schade’s availability, the midweek workload for De Cuyper and Doku, and the next selections for players whose appeal depends on another start. If those checks leave your existing plan intact, a dramatic GW6 score alone need not force a transfer. Compare any move with your actual squad, budget and bench cover, and confirm the current FPL deadline in the game before acting.

Sources

• Kevin Schade: Brentford FC injury update — 10 October 2026.
• Maxim De Cuyper: Bruce Talbot for Brighton — 10 October 2026; The Scout for the Premier League — 1 October 2026; Tom Johnson for the Premier League — 8 October 2026.
• João Pedro: Peter Smith for Sky Sports — page timestamp 11 October 2026, 06:20 UTC; Sky Sports team sheet — match played 10 October 2026.
• Dominic Solanke: Laura Hunter for Sky Sports — page timestamp 11 October 2026, 06:29 UTC; Sky Sports team sheet — match played 10 October 2026.
• Jérémy Doku: Manchester City FC match report — 11 October 2026; Sam Cunningham for the Premier League — 11 October 2026.
• Noni Madueke: Sam Blitz for Sky Sports — page timestamp 11 October 2026, 06:30 UTC.
• Mohamed Belloumi: Sam Cunningham for the Premier League — 11 October 2026.
• Jordan Henderson: Chelsea FC player interview — 10 October 2026.
• Sidiki Chérif: Luke Vinton for Newcastle United — match played 12 October 2026; page displays a relative publication time; Premier League match report — 12 October 2026.