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            <p>Wolves forward <strong>Matheus Cunha </strong>has been charged with misconduct after a post-match incident in Gameweek 16 - so is he now a sell in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and if so, who are the best replacements?</p>
<p>Here, we explore the latest on the situation and use <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions">Hub AI</a> and our extensive <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/tools">toolbox</a> to identify the best alternatives to the Brazilian forward.</p>
<p><em><strong>Updated 20/12/24</strong></em></p>
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<h2>What happened with Matheus Cunha?</h2>
<p>Ipswich beat Wolves 1-2 on Saturday, with the winner coming in the 94th minute.</p>
<p>Tensions were high after the final whistle, with <strong>Rayan Ait-Nouri </strong>receiving a <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-yellow-cards-and-suspensions">yellow card</a>. Having been booked during the match, he was then shown a red.</p>
<p>Ait-Nouri had to be manhandled down the tunnel by teammate <strong>Craig Dawson </strong>as his frustrations boiled over.</p>
<p>In a separate incident meanwhile, Cunha clashed with an Ipswich member of staff, culminating in the Wolves star removing the man's glasses before being pulled away.</p>
<p>Cunha did not face any action at the time, however speculation grew that he would face Football Association (FA) charges after video footage emerged.</p>
<p>And on Tuesday, the FA released a statement confirming charges had been brought. It read:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Matheus Cunha has been charged with misconduct following the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town on Saturday, 14 December.</p>
<p>"The forward allegedly acted in an improper manner after the final whistle. He has until Thursday, 19 December to provide a response."</p>
</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_69369" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69369" class="size-full wp-image-69369" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Wolves-clash.jpg" alt="Matheus Cunha among the fracas after the Ipswich game. Picture by Getty Images" width="1024" height="566" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69369" class="wp-caption-text">Matheus Cunha among the fracas after the Ipswich game. Picture by Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Will Cunha be banned? Will he be out of FPL Gameweek 17?</h2>
<p>We can only speculate on the length of any potential ban at this stage.</p>
<p>It is possible that we will know more by Saturday's FPL deadline, with Cunha given only a short time to respond to the charges.</p>
<p>A ban seems likely based on the video evidence and resultant charge, unless Cunha can convince the FA otherwise.</p>
<p>Should the charge be contested, this could delay the process, leading to him being available for the weekend.</p>
<p>One example of a retrospective ban was that handed to <strong>Aleksandar Mitrovic </strong>in April 2023, after he pushed referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham's game against Manchester United. He was ruled out of eight games.</p>
<h3><strong>Update</strong></h3>
<p>As of Friday (December 20), there has been no official word from the FA, with journalists close to the club reporting Cunha is expected to be available at the weekend.</p>
<h2>Should Cunha be sold in FPL?</h2>
<p>Cunha is the ninth most popular FPL pick at the time of writing, in 24.3% of teams.</p>
<p>Wolves have had a strong fixture run since around Gameweek 10, which coincided with Cunha's good form.</p>
<p>He has scored four and assisted three in that time, with his price rising to £7.1m.</p>
<p>But Wolves' favourable fixtures are coming to an end, with Leicester (A) in Gameweek 17 arguably the last of their strong run.</p>
<p>Cunha would be a reasonable hold if available for that match, with the Foxes conceding 16 times in their last six games - more than every team bar Southampton.</p>
<p>If price changes are not a factor in FPL managers' decision making, a call can be made nearer the deadline.</p>
<p>A sale this week or next looks sensible though depending on the circumstances, so we will now explore some replacements.</p>
<div id="attachment_69368" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69368" class="size-full wp-image-69368" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cunha-GW1-16.jpg" alt="Matheus Cunha's stats " width="798" height="650" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69368" class="wp-caption-text">Matheus Cunha's stats</p>
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<h2>Who are the best Cunha FPL replacements?</h2>
<p>Before any adjustments to his expected minutes, Cunha ranks third among all forwards for predicted points over the next five gameweeks, according to <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions">Hub AI</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Erling Haaland </strong>is top but at more than double Cunha's price, is likely out of reach for those who don't own him.</p>
<p>Newcastle's <strong>Alexander Isak </strong>- second on the list - could be more attainable at £8.7m.</p>
<p>Isak plays Ipswich (A) in Gameweek 17 and his team ranks seventh best on our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fixture-ticker">fixture ticker</a> up to Gameweek 22. He has scored seven and assisted four this season.</p>
<p>The Swede is nearing a price rise, according to our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-price-rises">price changes predictor</a>, so some may need to make an early move to bring him in if funds are tight.</p>
<p>Waiting until after the Magpies' Carabao Cup quarter-final on Wednesday would be preferable, in case Isak picks up an injury.</p>
<div id="attachment_69363" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69363" class="size-full wp-image-69363" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Isak-GW1-16.jpg" alt="Alexander Isak's stats" width="798" height="650" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69363" class="wp-caption-text">Alexander Isak's stats</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Nicolas Jackson </strong>comes in slightly cheaper at £8.2m and has also started the season well, with nine goals.</p>
<p>The Chelsea forward is one yellow card away from a suspension, which makes him a risk up to and including Gameweek 19.</p>
<p>The Blues do have fixtures in their favour though, with the second best set of games over the next six.</p>
<div id="attachment_69380" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69380" class="size-full wp-image-69380" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jackson-gw1-16.jpg" alt="Nicolas Jackson's stats" width="798" height="650" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69380" class="wp-caption-text">Nicolas Jackson's stats</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Best budget FPL forwards at £7.1m and under</h3>
<p>Within Cunha's price range, a few potential options are available.</p>
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