On the opposite side of the table Everton have had a resurgence, which has coincided with the return of their long-term absentees. One player who could prove to be a good piece of business would be Mikel Arteta at 8.1 the playmaker should contribute his fair share of assists and goals. Another Everton player who has been in extremely good form is midfielder Steven Pienaar and at 6.2 he could prove to be a fairly cheap solution.

Ashley Cole has been ruled out for three months and this places England in a dilemma however for Chelsea they have a natural solution of Yuri Zhirkov who at 7.1 shows the same attacking flair as Cole and should also get a fair amount of clean sheet points.

Chances are by now you either have Didier Drogba (11.7) or Wayne Rooney (12.1) however the returning Fernando Torres (11.3) should also be considered. He has shown when he plays he usually scores and if he is over the injury problems that have blighted his season so far he would be a slightly cheaper but just a successful purchase.

Manchester United’s Anderson (4.5) has been ruled out for the season although in terms of fantasy and arguably on the pitch this season his input has been negligible. However for similar money Andersons team mate Darron Gibson (4.6) could get more first team action with the central midfield shortage United have, he has an eye for goal and could be worth a gamble. Another player who could be worth a punt would be Arsenal’s on loan midfielder Jack Wilshere (4.3) who is currently with Bolton, his talent is unquestionable perhaps he could prove a master stroke and at this stage of the season it could be worth it.

Manchester United have played well below par all season however find themselves amongst the top contenders in the league, aside from Wayne Rooney the red devils have underperformed. Dimitar Berbatov has been a particular disappointment with a return of just six goals. A better alternative would be former United striker Carlos Tevez at 9.0 he would be a cheaper option.

Birmingham have been in terrific form mostly due to their rock solid defence however striker Cameron Jerome could prove to be a great piece of business at just 4.5 with the striker coming into form off late. Defensive rocks Roger Johnson and Scott Dann would also be useful additions to any squad.

There will be another article regarding the January transfer window once clubs start to sign players.

So far this season players such as Ryan Shawcross for Stoke (5.3) have produced a high level of performance on a consistent basis at a low price however Shawcross’ price has risen by 0.8 and although he is still relatively cheap he is not the bargain he was at the start of the season. However at his price he will get points due to Stokes tight defence and is already a popular player for fantasy managers.

Scott Dann of Birmingham (3.9) was not first choice at the commencement of the season however injury to Liam Ridgewell gave Dann his chance and he has not looked back producing stellar performances in every game he has featured. Birmingham’s strength is its defence they have produced six clean sheets so far and there is a good chance this could continue and with Dann as part of that defence he may be worth a look.

Wigan in comparison aspire to have a mean defence such as Birmingham’s however their strength is going forward. Ex manager Steve Bruce signed Columbian Hugo Rodallega (6.7) for a nominal fee in Premier League terms and with a ratio just shy of a goal every two games he is in good form. Rodallega is central to Wigan’s attack and is a vital player, he could be a worthy addition to any fantasy team with his consistent performances.

Last season Manchester City signalled their arrival on the big stage with signing of Robinho (9.0) for around £32.5m which was a British transfer record (now eclipsed by the signing of Tevez for £47m). Robinho took like a duck to water producing 14 goals and 5 assists the majority of which was produced at the first half of the season. He began to tail away towards the end as the rigours of English football began to take its toll. Rumours linking him to a move to Barcelona persist however with City’s determination for him to stay this could lead to Robinho focusing on his football and doing what he does best. His talent and ability is unquestionable however his temperament is another issue, at 9.0 he is a gamble but perhaps its a gamble worth taking.

Jermain Defoe started the season at a price of 8.5 and in the second game he scored a hattrick followed by a goal in the second game his price rose to 8.8 his highest price has been 9.0. Defoe has an important year ahead of him he wants to go to the World Cup and his form is crucial for him and his club. He would be a good signing who should continue to score however Harry Redknapp likes to rotate his strike force so this should be considered.

Yossi Benayoun began the season in normal fashion with not many managers selecting him in their team however his hattrick against Burnley caused his popularity to rise along with his price, he eventually gained 0.5 to 8.0. Since his goals against Burnley he has scored only once and i think that for the price of 8.0 there are better alternatives such as Aaron Lennon and Antonio Valencia.

Richard Dunne moved from Man City to Aston Villa and was priced at 5.0 a few good performances and a contribution in terms of goals has increased his popularity. His price has increased to 6.0 however you could do worse that signing fellow Villa teammate Stephen Warnock who is priced at 4.9.

This scenario brings into focus how you handle your transfers during this break. I can offer two bits of advice for all you fantasy premiership managers -

1) Firstly, if a player on your team is taking part in a world cup playoff match, be wary of using your transfers early on. The player may get injured, and not be available for your team on the following game week. It may be worth holding onto the transfer until after the match, and then checking on the player’s status. If they do get injured, then you can use your transfer to swap them out, instead of losing four points, to do an extra transfer. Also if you have quality substitutes, then you could also demote the injured player to the bench.

2) If the international match is a friendly match, like the England vs. Brazil match coming up; the likelihood the international players get injured is a lot less, than a competitive match. Managers generally like to experiment and do not exert the players more than normal. Also a lot of substitutes are generally used, to access all available options. Even though it is a friendly, players will still get injured -so be beware of this!

In all honesty, it is generally a good thing to save your substitution until after all the international matches – including the friendly ones. It may save you points for being vigilant afterwards, and having a quality substitute’s bench!

To fully capitalize on these double games I have put together a list of players currently in-form that could reap your team bonus points and value:

Clint Dempsey is the Fulham player who so far has the most points this season. The attacking midfielder from Texas is currently ranked 4th overall in the league for current form as well. He is currently averaging 6.8 points a game and with a good run of games, up until game week 16, he could be a handy points scorer for your fantasy football team.

David Dunn is playing a very advanced midfield role for Blackburn this season. This seems to have paid off for him, as he is currently very highly ranked in terms of form. His average score per match has been 4.5 points, and he costs a measly 5.8 million pounds. He has scored 4 goals and accumulated 11 bonus points so far and has been described by his manager as being in scintillating form.

Louis Saha is the ex-Manchester United striker who has just recovered from injury. Having just scored 2 goals in the last 3 games for Everton in the league, he is most likely to score at least one goal in the forthcoming double game week.

Leighton Baines is the Everton defender who is profiting from taking set pieces because of the absence of Mikel Arteta this season. He has already scored 40 points this season and is consistently an outlet for crosses whenever Everton play. He has scored once and set up 3 goals so far and at 6.3 million, he is relatively cheap. If they manage to keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford you could possibly see a very good game week for all managers with him on their team.

Brede Hangeland, is one of the best defenders in the league outside the ‘top four’. He was a transfer target for Arsene Wenger, but committed himself to another season at Fulham. With a possibility of clean sheets in game weeks 13 to 16, he should be on everyone’s watch list.