Gerrard, International Man Of Injury

All the news outlets are reporting that Gerrard is going to miss the friendly international against Holland due to a groin problem. The Times reports "the Liverpool captain trained yesterday but felt a slight soreness in his groin and did not travel with the squad this morning. He has returned to his club as a precaution."

Gerrard had a groin problem for much of last season. The man himself states "It is not an easy decision. I am 32 so I don't want any problems with anyone. This is not a silly thing. You are playing with the hearts of people. It [an England cap] is not something you can buy in a shop."

Despite these fine words, this move is most likely a preventative measure. With four days until the start of the EPL season it is not a surprise that Gerrard has chosen to rest. While not definate, it would be an incredible surprise if Gerrard does not start for Liverpool, and we believe if you have Gerrard in your squad, do not transfer him out until any news gets worse.

It is likely that there arent many players who are keen on these international friendlies 3 days before the start of the season. Dave Whelan, owner of Wigan, feels much the same about the international fixture schedule. Whelan told Sky Sports News: "It's absolute madness, we've got players flying all around the world. The Premier League, the biggest league in the world, and we've got players thousands of miles away playing and we don't know whether they are going to come back fit."

Herein lies the problem Fantasy managers face from these fixtures. There is a long list of EPL marquee players taking part and injuries are a real risk to almost every competitive FF squad. We will look at the internationals and bring you the injury tally on Thursday; fingers crossed that the players get thru unscathed and we get a full roster for the EPL openers.