Free Hit GW34: Complete Strategy and Injury Roundup

Published: 23 April 2026 | Gameweek 34 | FPL Companion

Gameweek 34 is a blank. Six teams are not playing this week: Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds, and Manchester City. If you are using your free hit, this is the article you need before deadline.

One important thing to understand before we get into the team: when you play a free hit, your team is frozen for that one gameweek only. You cannot plan past GW34 with this chip. Whatever you put out there has to deliver in a single deadline. That is both the freedom and the pressure of the free hit.

The Free Hit Approach: Go Heavy on the Week

Because the free hit only lasts one gameweek, there is no benefit to planning for GW35 with this chip. This week is the entire point. Your job is to build the best possible 15-player squad for these 14 fixtures and get every point you can from it.

That means loading up on players who are playing, are nailed, and have the best fixtures. There is no future loyalty here. This is a pure, one-week play.

The Core Principles

1. Play the free hit for GW34 only. Do not try to use it as a bridge to future gameweeks.

2. Prioritise players who are nailed and have attacking fixtures.

3. Stack the positions where you have certainty over positions where you are gambling on potential.

4. Leave the budget options to the bench, where they can cover for injuries or rotation.

Who to Target from Each Club

Arsenal (vs Newcastle, home)

Arsenal are still very much in the Premier League title race. Despite recent results against Manchester City, this team is one of the best defensive units in the league.

*Clean sheet odds for GW34:*

- Arsenal vs Newcastle: 37% (highest of the week)

- Liverpool vs Palace: 35%

- Spurs vs Wolves: 34%

- Sunderland vs Forest: 29%

Gabriel is the standout pick at £7.1m. He is one of the highest-scoring defenders in the game, contributes to clean sheets, and carries attacking threat from set pieces. If you are only picking one Arsenal asset this week, make it him.

Rice at £7.2m is the budget-friendly midfield option from Arsenal. He is posting 0.36 xGI per 90 and is accumulating defensive contributions every week. He is not exciting, but he is reliable.

Liverpool (vs Crystal Palace, home)

Liverpool at home to Palace is one of the best attacking matchups of the week. Palace have one eye on their European semi-final and are expected to rotate.

Van Dijk at £6.2m is the pick here. He carries serious goal threat from set pieces and is posting 9.42 points per start. The goalkeeper situation is a concern with Alisson and Mamardashvili both potentially missing, which weakens the clean sheet potential slightly. But Van Dijk's offensive contributions make him worth the risk.

Tottenham (vs Wolves, away)

Wolves away is a fixture Tottenham should be winning comfortably. Spurs have not had the season anyone hoped for, but against lower-table opposition on the road, their attackers still carry value.

Pedro Porro at £5.1m is the standout pick. He is cheap, he is attacking, and he stacks both clean sheet potential and goal involvement upside. At his price point, you can fit him into any formation without sacrificing quality elsewhere.

The Budget Options That Stack Up

Harry Wilson (Fulham, £6.0m)

Fulham vs Aston Villa at home is a fixture that should produce goals. Wilson is nailed, takes set pieces, and is posting numbers that justify his price point. At only 0.5% ownership, he is a true differential that most free-hit teams will not have.

The fixture run after GW34 is kind too. Bournemouth at home (GW36), Wolves away (GW37), Newcastle at home (GW38). Wilson is not a glamorous pick, but he is a smart one.

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham, £7.7m)

Bowen is near-the-top of the forward price range but worth every penny on a free hit. West Ham vs Everton is a home fixture against a side that has been inconsistent all season. Bowen is on penalties, takes free kicks, and plays 90 minutes every week.

He is the anchor forward for free-hit teams that want safety over ceiling.

Formations That Work

3-5-2 (Recommended)

This formation allows you to pack the midfield with Bruno Fernandes, a Liverpool asset, and a budget option, while still fitting two forwards.

*Example XI:*

- GK: Henderson (Palace, £5.0m)

- DEF: Gabriel (Arsenal), Raya (Arsenal), Van Dijk (Liverpool)

- MID: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), Salah (Liverpool), Gakpo (Liverpool), Jota (Liverpool), Harry Wilson (Fulham)

- FWD: Bowen (West Ham), Solanke (Spurs)

3-4-3

If you want more forward coverage, the 3-4-3 allows you to fit Bowen, Solanke, and a fourth midfielder. The trade-off is that you sacrifice one of the Liverpool attackers or Wilson.

Injury Roundup: Who Is In and Who Is Out

Cole Palmer (Chelsea, £10.5m)

Palmer is the biggest injury concern ahead of GW34. He reported hamstring tightness after Chelsea's game against Brighton and has been ruled out for that match. Whether he is available for GW35 remains uncertain.

If he makes it back for GW35, hold him. The fixtures after GW35 are kind: Nottingham Forest at home, Liverpool away, Tottenham at home, Sunderland away.

If he is not available by deadline, you are better off pivoting to Bruno Fernandes or Salah as your premium midfielder. The loss of Palmer is significant for captains, but it is not the end of your season.

Verdict: Monitor the press conference. Do not captain him until confirmed fit.

Joao Pedro (Chelsea, £7.7m)

Joao Pedro was not in the squad for Chelsea's match against Brighton. The early report suggests it was a fitness issue, and the expectation is that he will be available for the game after the blank. That means GW35 onwards.

Verdict: If you have him, hold. If you do not, wait until GW35 to bring him in. Palace away, Liverpool home, Tottenham away, Sunderland home is a run worth targeting.

Anthony Gordon (Newcastle, £7.4m)

Gordon is yellow-flagged with a hip injury and was not in the squad for Newcastle's recent game. Reports suggest it is a minor issue, but Newcastle away to Arsenal is a fixture you want to avoid even with a fully fit Gordon.

There is also a cloud over his long-term future at the club, with reports suggesting he may want to leave in the summer. Eddie Howe has been diplomatic in press conferences, but the minutes risk is real.

Verdict: Avoid for GW34. If Gordon is confirmed fit for GW35, the fixture run (Brighton home, Forest away, West Ham home, Fulham away) is worth targeting.

Clean Sheet Odds: The Data That Should Shape Your Defence

[IMAGE: GW34 Clean Sheet Odds — Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Sunderland fixture analysis for FPL Gameweek 34]

Arsenal at 37% is the highest clean sheet probability of the week. That is as close to a sure thing as FPL offers. If you are building a free-hit team and can only afford one premium defender, make it Gabriel.

Key Takeaways for GW34

1. The free hit is a one-week chip. Build the best team for GW34 alone, with no regard for GW35.

2. Bruno Fernandes is the safe captain. Salah is the data-backed punt. Both are valid.

3. Gabriel and Van Dijk are the defensive anchors. Do not overthink the defence.

4. Pedro Porro and Harry Wilson are the best budget differentiators at their price points.

5. Monitor the Cole Palmer situation closely. If he is out, pivot your captaincy to Bruno or Salah.

Blank teams in GW34: Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds, Manchester City

Teams playing in GW34: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Sunderland, West Ham, Wolves

Need captain picks and differential options? Read our full GW34 Captaincy and Differentials guide.