Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

That's all we have time for during this week's FPL Q&A with Gianni Buttice.

We received plenty of questions today. Thanks for sending them through and here are some of the best replies from Gianni:

• Rice is the best midfield option for me
• Rogers is a long-term hold
• Ekitike is hot right now
• Fernandes will be my captain again
• Should I bring in Mbeumo?
• To use Free Hit or not?
• Kroupi has got such a bright future
• Verbruggen or Dubravka in goal?

And here's some more information which could come in handy as you head into today's 18:30 GMT deadline:

• Gameweek 25 fixtures
• Who is definitely out of contention?
• Which players are a doubt for the gameweek?
• Gianni's FPL team of the week
• BBC Sport's FPL team of the week

Earlier in the day, we also listened into 11 of the Premier League managers speaking to the media before the latest set of fixtures and all the key team news and quotes can be found on the summary points at the top of this page too.

With that, it's goodbye from us. Enjoy your weekend and best of luck in with your FPL teams. See you all soon!

Premier League

Friday, 6 February

• Leeds v Nottingham Forest (20:00)

Saturday, 7 February

• Man Utd v Tottenham (12:30)
• Bournemouth v Aston Villa
• Arsenal v Sunderland
• Burnley v West Ham
• Fulham v Everton
• Wolves v Chelsea
• Newcastle v Brentford (17:30)

Sunday, 8 February

• Brighton v Crystal Palace (14:00)
• Liverpool v Man City (16:30)

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Brice: Hi Gianni, I’m around 80 points behind the leader in my workplace mini league. Is it realistically possible to catch them and what is the best strategy? Thanks.

Gianni: Keep the faith Brice, there is plenty of points to be won and with the bigger double gameweeks that will come later in the season an 80-point gap can absolutely be chased down.

I’m not sure if your colleagues are likely to captain Haaland, but most still have the armband set and forget on him so don’t be scared to take him on this week with an Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United player.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

G Flo: Hi Gianni. Bart Verbruggen or Martin Dubravka in goal this weekend? Thanks!

Gianni: There are quite a few on this goalkeeper double up and it’s a tough call with both having a winnable home fixture. I would edge on Dubravka who has managed clean sheets at home to Sunderland and Leeds and Everton this season.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Chris: Minutes risk for Enzo Fernandez & Declan Rice given semi-final & midweek fixtures?

Gianni: I don’t think so. Of course you never know for certain but Liam Rosenior has spoken this week about Enzo’s data and recovery time being “absolutely top” and I expect him to start.

Likewise, Rice offers brilliant baseline fitness and is rarely unavailable. Both players are leaders for their teams and rotation isn’t often a concern for these minutes monsters.

Image source, Getty Images

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Steve: Is Dominik Szoboszlai worth holding onto if retained as a makeshift right back?

Gianni: He’s a perfectly good hold but sometimes you have to sell good players to get what you think is a better player. I reluctantly sold Szoboszlai last week – playing right back tipped me over the edge. He went on to get a solid five pointer with defensive contribution points and has arguably been Liverpool’s best player this season. Nevertheless there are plenty of midfielders out there with a higher ceiling at the moment.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Toby: What do you think of Eli Junior Kroupi as a pick?

Gianni: On my university sports radio show, I’ve been saying he is the most clinical striker. He’s got such a bright future ahead and strikes the ball so clean. Given his price point he’s a good own but do consider he always gets subbed off and hasn’t played 90 once this season. Alternatively Wolves’ Mane is even cheaper, plays 90, takes set pieces and has a double gameweek in 26.

After a run of just 17 points in his past seven games, Erling Haaland is dropped from our FPL team of the week.

Just one goal in seven games, he only managed two shots last week and faces Liverpool away - it seems an easy choice.

It's a much harder choice for FPL managers to decide what to do with the Norwegian in the long run and I'd still hold him - with a nice run of games after this one - unless you really need the money elsewhere.

The other priority for managers is to make sure you have a plan to get to three Arsenal players in time for next week, when they have a double gameweek along with Wolves.

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.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Katie: Is Free Hit a good idea for GW26? And if so, which Arsenal players should I choose?

Gianni: There will be plenty of opportunities to use the Free Hit in bigger double gameweeks, and blank gameweeks later this season.

Arsenal players should be a priority with your transfers this week and next and hopefully if you can get to an Arsenal double or triple up a Free Hit won’t be necessary. If you do go there; Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice would be my trio.

And here's a round-up of those players who remain injury doubts:

Burnley - Esteve, Flemming

Chelsea - Neto, James

Leeds - Bijol, James

Liverpool - Gomez

Man City - Silva, Dias

Newcastle - Guimaraes

Forest - Hudson-Odoi, Sels

Tottenham - Spence

Here is a look at some of the major team news for the gameweek, starting with those who have been ruled out of this set of fixtures:

Arsenal - Dowman, Saka, Merino, Odegaard

Aston Villa - Alysson, Barkley, Garcia, McGinn, Tielemans, Kamara

Bournemouth - Adams, Dennis, Gannon-Doak, Kluivert, Soler, Tavernier, Akinmboni

Brentford - Carvalho, Dasilva, Milambo, Schade

Brighton - March, Tzimas, Webster, Wieffer, Ayari

Burnley - Amdouni, Beyer, Cullen, Roberts, Tresor, Ward-Prowse

Chelsea - Adarabioyo, Colwill, Essugo, Lavia, Mudryk, Gittens, Lavia

Crystal Palace - Doucoure, Kporha, Nketiah, Devenny, Cardines

Everton - Grealish

Fulham - Lukic, Muniz

Leeds - Nmecha, Stach

Liverpool - Bradley, Frimpong, Isak, Leoni

Man City - Doku, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Savinho, Stones

Man Utd - De Ligt, Mount, Dorgu

Newcastle - Joelinton, Krafth, Livramento, Schar, Gordon, Miley

Forest - Savona, Victor, Wood, WIlliams

Sunderland - Masuaku, Ta Bi, Traore, Xhaka

Tottenham - Bentancur, Bergvall, Davies, Kudus, Kulusevski, Maddison, Porro, Richarlison, Danso

West Ham - Todibo, Fabianski

Wolves - Toti

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Paul: Should I transfer in Bryan Mbeumo for one of Antoine Semenyo, Florian Wirtz, James Garner or Ryan Gravenberch?

Gianni: Mbeumo, Semenyo and Wirtz are all great players to own moving forward but Gravenberch is a player I would be very happy offloading. He started the season in brilliant form but hasn’t registered an attacking return in his last six which isn’t unexpected from the holding midfielder.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Joe: I sold and rebought Erling Haaland mid-season, losing quite a bit of squad value (currently at 100.9m all told). He's dropping in value again, and not returning given his price. Sell or keep?

Gianni: Don’t worry too much about team value Joe. In a season where a few of the most expensive players aren’t delivering like Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka, money is less of an issue.

If you sell Haaland now it’s probably a case of when not if you will buy him back so save yourself the headache and stick with him. History tells us he never stops scoring for long and he will be amongst the goals again very soon.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Steve: I am still 50/50 on my choice of FPL captain. Bruno Fernandes in fine form but Erling Haaland is underperforming and due a return. Any advice would be much welcome.

Gianni: Haaland will likely be the most captained in the game because his ownership is so much higher but I think most engaged managers will back the United man this week. I captained Bruno last week and I’m set on doing the same this time round. He has all the routes to points, and has shown great form under Michael Carrick playing back in his natural number 10 role.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

The Arsenal triple up feels obvious and owning at least two of their defensive assets is essential right now.

The Gunners host Sunderland and then have a double gameweek of Brentford and Wolves next week. Very few, if any, of their attackers will get 270 minutes over the three games and those that own the injured Bukayo Saka should make the switch to 90-minute man Declan Rice without hesitation.

Triple Arsenal defence is also an option with Gabriel, Jurrien Timber and goalkeeper David Raya a high risk, high reward play.

Elsewhere, midfielder Enzo Fernandez has four goals, one assist in his past six league games and has become Chelsea's most reliable asset.

His busy schedule shouldn't put you off buying him in a week when boss Liam Rosenior has praised his athleticism, leadership and recovery time. A visit to Wolves followed by home games against Leeds and Burnley puts Chelsea top of the fixture ticker over the next three.

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.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Marcel: What do you think of Ollie Watkins' prospects? I am considering moving across to Hugo Ekitike despite him playing Manchester City this week

Gianni: Ekitike is hot right now and his second goal last week reminded me of a young Thierry Henry!

City haven’t been rock solid defensively so I think the entry point is fine. Unai Emery has confirmed Watkins is back available and I don’t necessarily see him as a sell but if you have no other fires to put out, if I was picking between the two it would be Ekitike for sure

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Oscar: I have Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez and Antoine Semenyo in midfield, as well as Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Erling Haaland up front. One has to be benched. I get a terrible feeling it might have to be Haaland! Who would you bench?

Gianni: That’s a big benching dilemma. I would bench most defenders (other than Arsenal) over the above list this week so I wonder if you can play all 6 attackers? If I was pushed I would bench Rice over the other five… but I hate it!

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Jack: Afternoon Gianni, would you keep hold of Morgan Rogers and Evanilson? Cant help but feel there are better assets available. Thanks!

Gianni: Rogers has been passing the eye test of late even if his FPL points have underwhelmed a tad. I transferred him in last week and see him as a fairly long-term hold. Ollie Watkins is back this weekend too which is good for Rogers who links so well with him. Likewise, I would hold Evanilson, given Bournemouth have a good run of fixtures.

Gianni Buttice
FPL expert and eight-time top-50k finisher

Image source, Getty Images

Sam: Which Arsenal midfielder should I get for the upcoming double gameweek? I already have Declan Rice. My plan was to get Saka but he’s injured.

Gianni: Rice is the best midfield option for me as I worry about reduced minutes for all other midfielders or forwards other than Rice and Zubimendi over the three games of GW25/26. I would consider buying an extra Arsenal defender if you can. Double or even triple Arsenal defence is worth it when we’re talking about the best back line in the league by some distance. They have three clean sheets in the last four league games.

A reminder to get those questions in for our FPL expert Gianni this afternoon.

Plenty have already been getting in touch, but there’s still time to fire over your questions. Gianni will be with us right until 17:00 GMT, helping you tackle all those tricky decisions ahead of Gameweek 25.

And remember, the deadline to pick your team is 18:30 this evening.