Captaincy options for Gameweek 30: Is this the most difficult decision of the season?

DREAM TEAM managers must remember to select a captain for Gameweek 30 before Saturday's 11am deadline.

Thanks to Mohamed Salah's (£7.7m) supremacy and Erling Haaland's (£7.8m) relentless hunger for goals, this task has been a relatively straightforward one for much of the season but this week's decision is arguably the most difficult of 2024/25 so far.

With Liverpool out of the Champions League, their prolific No11 has just one fixture this coming Gameweek in the form of Fulham away.

And whisper it quietly but Salah's level has dropped of late as he's returned just nine points from his last three outings.

As for Manchester City's No9, he's facing several weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

His replacement, Omar Marmoush (£4.6m), appears to be the real deal but again, Pep Guardiola's side do not have a midweek Champions League fixture to enhance their schedule.

The best captain is likely to come from the clubs still active in Europe: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea.

But who?

Cole Palmer (£5.4m) looked refreshed against Spurs in Gameweek 29 when he provided a sumptuous cross for what proved to be Enzo Fernandez's (£3.9m) winner.

The 22-year-old's first goal involvement since early February helped him claim eight points, enough for him to regain his place as Dream Team's second-best midfielder overall.

The Blues haven't fully recaptured the impressive form they exhibited throughout the first third of the campaign but five wins from their last six games in all competitions represents an encouraging upturn.

Gameweek 30 brings a double header against Brentford (h) and Legia Warsaw (a), the latter being a Conference League quarter-final first leg.

Palmer featured in both legs of the last 16 tie with Copenhagen and so his owners should be hopeful of substantial minutes against the Polish side on Thursday evening.

The England international averages 8.6 points-per-game in 2024/25 and his showing against Spurs hinted that his slump may be behind him.

Bruno Fernandes (£7m) remains Dream Team's most in-form player and must therefore be considered a viable captaincy option once again.

The Red Devils are due to face Man City on Sunday before travelling to Lyon in the Europa League in midweek.

Truth be told, that's a relatively tricky double header given Ruben Amorim's side currently sit 13th in the Premier League but the Portuguese playmaker has proven himself capable of healthy returns in losing efforts.

Elsewhere, might Bukayo Saka (£6.6m) be the answer to this week's captaincy conundrum?

Arsenal's No7 marked his return from injury in fine style when he scored against Fulham seven minutes after coming off the bench in Gameweek 29.

Only Salah averages more points-per-game than Saka this season; his output is not an issue.

It's just whether his surgically-repaired hamstring is up to starting two games in the space of four days.

The Gunners will visit Everton before welcoming Real Madrid to the Emirates.

Tottenham's double header of Southampton and Frankfurt looks inviting on paper but Ange Postecoglou appears increasingly frazzled and so Dream Team bosses will be reluctant to go there.

Thinking outside the box, gaffers could ignore the European fixtures altogether and select a captain with an ultra favourable league opponent.

This strategy seemingly points directly at Alexander Isak (£6.2m), who has racked up 291 points via 24 goals, ahead of Newcastle trip to Leicester.

The Foxes are statistically the most out-of-form team in the top flight right now having lost seven in a row.

However, this ploy may be scuppered by the fact the Magpies' top scorer is considered a minor doubt for Gameweek 30.

Eddie Howe told reporters that he would wait to see how Isak came through Friday's training session before making a final decision, which doesn't help Dream Team managers.

Theoretically, one could captain Isak and then lean on their vice captain if the Swedish striker didn't feature at the King Power.

Although this approach risks a situation in which Isak plays a handful of minutes without adding meaningful points.

Palmer, Fernandes and Saka appear to be the frontrunners but this may be the most open captaincy conversation of the entire season.