FPL goes straight from a double gameweek into a blank gameweek and we’re missing some popular picks this week.

Manchester City, Bournemouth and Chelsea assets are all highly owned and none of those teams play in gameweek 34.

Advertisement

Many FPL managers will be free hitting and looking at Manchester United and Liverpool, who have home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace respectively.

But just how many players do you want to pick from those teams?

United lost their last home game to a relegation struggler and Liverpool, with Hugo Ekitike injured, have not had many reliable FPL assets this season.

The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.

Don’t miss our FPL special Q&A with expert Holly Shand, live on the BBC Sport website on Friday, 24 April at 15:30 BST.

Teams with no match in gameweek 34

Advertisement

How did last week’s team do?

Diego Gomez and Cole Palmer missing games cost the team, which stuttered to 95 points when many others broke the 100-point barrier.

BBC Sport’s FPL team of the week for blank gameweek 34

Keeper and defence

Freddie Woodman, Liverpool, £3.9m – Crystal Palace (h)

If you’re on a free hit this week then you can’t turn down this budget gem.

With Alisson out and Giorgi Mamardashvili likely injured too, Woodman gives you a piece of Liverpool’s defence, at home, for less than £4m.

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, £6.2m – Crystal Palace (h)

Given Palace will have their eyes on their huge European semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk five days after this game, backing Liverpool’s defence is a safe bet.

Advertisement

Will Palace manager Oliver Glasner rest the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Jean Philippe-Mateta again? There’s a high chance.

Van Dijk, surprisingly given Liverpool’s defensive struggles at times, is the second-highest scoring defender this season.

Goal threat and facing a distracted Palace side – Van Dijk is perhaps the easiest pick this week.

Gabriel, £7.1m & William Saliba, £6.1m, Arsenal – Newcastle (h)

Arsenal need to bounce back from four straight domestic defeats. Luckily for them they face a Newcastle side also in turgid form.

With no Arsenal attacking assets really worth a punt at the moment, you can put your faith in their trusty defence.

Advertisement

Midfield

Mohamed Salah (captain), Liverpool, £14m – Crystal Palace (h)

You have to take a punt on Salah this week if you can, not least because it might be the last chance you get – with him leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.

Palace could end up being favourable opponents this week, if they are distracted at all by their European fixture.

And Salah has a goal in his past three starts. His numbers in that time aren’t incredible – four shots on target, three big chances and three goals.

But Salah is on penalties and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he found his way to two returns, which is what you want from a captain.

Advertisement

Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United, £10.3m – Brentford (h)

United flopped in their last home game – the 2-1 defeat by Leeds – but Fernandes still returned an assist.

He’ll likely be on the teamsheet each week until the end of the season and is also a great captain choice.

Harry Wilson, Fulham, £6m – Aston Villa (h)

Only Fernandes (49%) has been involved in more of his side’s goals this season than Wilson (43%).

Over their past six games, only Chelsea and Burnley have conceded more than Villa’s 13 goals.

Expecting this match to be high-scoring, an attacking asset from each team makes this week’s XI.

Advertisement

Casemiro, Manchester United, £5.7m – Brentford (h)

Three goals in his past five starts for Casemiro and only Arsenal (19) have scored more set-piece goals than United (16), which is where the Brazilian thrives.

This is also a pick that backs United’s attack – the third-highest scoring at home – to overcome Brentford’s defence.

The Bees have conceded 1.11 goals per game at home compared to 1.56 on the road.

Strikers

Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, £7.7m – Everton (h)

West Ham can’t relax in this relegation fight and this is a huge chance for them to get three points.

Talisman Bowen turned up in their last home game, the 4-0 win over Wolves, with three assists and 14 FPL points.

Advertisement

He’s West Ham’s star man and has been involved in 45% of their goals. Only Erling Haaland and Thiago have better statistics than that among strikers.

Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa, £8.6m – Fulham (a)

Seasoned FPL managers have seen this before from Watkins – it looks very much like the start of a hot spurt of form and you want to catch that before it is over.

Three goals and an assist in his past three games and Watkins looks in top shape at a key point of the season.

Villa’s seven-goal thriller against Sunderland last time is also a good sign. If attacks get on top at Craven Cottage then it could be another bonanza for Watkins.

Advertisement

Dominic Solanke, Spurs, £7.2m – Wolves (a)

An absolute punt but this is the time of the season when they can pay off the most.

The logic:

• Solanke is clearly Roberto de Zerbi’s first-choice central striker

• Wolves have shipped nine goals in their past three league games

• Spurs need a performance – a relegation fight creates FPL heroes

There you go – if you have a transfer spare and a settled team, why not take a chance on Solanke this week?

Subs bench

Antonin Kinsky, Tottenham, keeper, £3.9m – Wolves (a)

Ayden Heaven, Manchester United, defender, £3.7m – Brentford (h)

El Hadji Malick Diouf, West Ham, defender, £4.1m – Everton (h)

Joao Gomes, Wolves, midfielder, £5.3m – Tottenham (h)

Team total cost: £99.8m