FPL GW9 Wildcard plan: build a team for more than one Saturday
With João Pedro sidelined for several weeks, Saka injured and multiple teams facing difficult GW9 fixtures, some managers will consider a Wildcard. The key distinction is that a Wildcard is permanent, while a Free Hit is a one-week squad. For most managers, the Wildcard should solve a structural problem rather than chase last week's goals.
Start with the requirements, not the headline XI
Your Wildcard should include at least two reliable goalkeepers or an intentional cheap backup, a defence with playable fixtures, midfielders with secure attacking or DefCon roles, and forwards with clear playing time. For each premium, ask what that spend prevents you from buying elsewhere.
| Squad area | What to look for | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Regular starts and save potential | Two expensive keepers with no rotation logic |
| Premium defender | Minutes, clean sheets, DefCon or attacking threat | Blindly buying last week's haul |
| Cheap defender | Plays consistently and has useful fixtures | A £4m non-starter as your only bench cover |
| Midfield | Genuine creation and role security | Stacking attackers with similar injury/rotation risks |
| Forwards | Fit central role, minutes, multiweek fixtures | Leaving an injured Pedro in the draft on hope alone |
Latest FPL news
What to do with João Pedro's place
Alonso has confirmed he will miss several weeks with a thigh injury. Jackson, Evanilson and Igor Thiago are alternatives, but each carries different risks. Igor Thiago has four league bookings, Jackson and Evanilson play in Villa–Bournemouth's cup tie, and prices are changing quickly. Choose on the next four or five fixtures rather than solely on the GW9 opponent.
Recommended transfer structure
A useful draft starts with your non-negotiable premium, then builds a dependable 11 and one or two real substitutes before optimising the final luxury places. The current fixture mix makes Bournemouth and Villa assets worth investigating; City attack remains attractive, but GW9 cup rotation can change which midfielder is most useful. Arsenal and Liverpool players should not be discarded automatically because they face each other in GW9.
Wildcard vs Free Hit
| Your problem | Usually better tool |
|---|---|
| Four long-term injuries or repeated non-starters | Wildcard, if still available |
| Healthy team, one terrible fixture slate | Potential Free Hit, subject to XI improvement |
| One or two missing players | Free transfers |
| Overspent defence and weak forward line | Wildcard candidate if transfers cannot repair structure |
Beware the deadline traps
A Wildcard does not improve the accuracy of a predicted XI. Players can still be rotated after European or cup fixtures. In particular, Wednesday's matches involving Villa, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Liverpool, City and Brighton are worth monitoring, followed by Thursday's Everton–Newcastle tie.
Use a current live price feed to build a legal 15-man squad: we are deliberately not presenting an unchecked list as a final £100m team. In OneFPL Transfer Planner, test a draft for GW9–GW13 and check the bench can cover likely absences. The Player Lab can help compare attacking involvement, costs and DefCon. Make the final selections after press conferences.
Sources and update policy
- Premier League: 2026/27 FPL chip rules
- Premier League 2026/27 fixture calendar
- João Pedro thigh injury and Alonso comments (27 Oct)
- EFL Carabao Cup round-four schedule
Information checked against the linked sources on 27 October 2026. Team news, prices and predicted lineups can change before the GW9 deadline. Predictions are analysis, not confirmed team sheets.