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AS the 2023/24 season draws to a close, Dream Team managers should continue to squeeze the schedule for all it’s worth.

The mass exodus of English teams from the European competitions at the quarter-final stage has simplified the final Gameweeks of the campaign to some degree but there’s still an imbalance of fixtures that gaffers may be able to work to their advantage.

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Aston Villa remain the only Premier League side still in contention for continental success this term as they’re set to take on Olympiakos over two legs in the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

This gives the Villains four fixtures across Gameweeks 33 and 34 when every other club bar Chelsea and Tottenham will play just twice.

Logic therefore dictates that backing Unai Emery’s troops should yield plentiful returns across the next two Gameweeks.

In fact, Ollie Watkins (£5m) should be considered an essential asset for the season’s conclusion.

The 28-year-old has racked up 291 points via 23 goals and 17 assists in all competitions.

If Villa get past the Greek giants, they will compete in the Europa Conference League final (vs Fiorentina or Club Brugge) in Gameweek 37 – most clubs will be done and dusted by the end of Gameweek 36.

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The Manchester clubs should also be highlighted as potentially worthy avenues of points in the coming weeks.

Both City and United have six fixtures to fulfil from the start of Gameweek 33.

The inharmonious neighbours both double up on league fixtures in Gameweek 35 before their date with destiny at Wembley.

The FA Cup final will be the only fixture in Gameweek 37 if Villa fail to beat Olympiakos.

Phil Foden (£5.8m), Bruno Fernandes (£5.4m), Rodri (£4.1m), Diogo Dalot (£3.4m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£6.2m) spring to mind in terms of viable assets.

Not to mention Erling Haaland (£7m) if the prolific poacher regains fitness.

Chelsea and Tottenham are the other clubs with notably busier schedules.

The London rivals both have six fixtures to complete from the start of Gameweek 33 as they’re due to meet each other in a rearranged midweek fixture.

Cole Palmer (£5.3m) and Son Heung-min (£4.6m) are the obvious candidates, assuming the former recovers from illness soon enough.

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NUMBER OF FIXTURES LEFT TO PLAY THIS SEASON (FROM GW33 ONWARDS):

• Six (possibly seven) – Aston Villa
• Six – Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham
• Five – Newcastle, Brighton
• Four – Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham, Brentford, West Ham, Everton, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Bournemouth, Luton

Dream Team bosses should note that Arsenal and Liverpool are among the crop of teams with just four games remaining from the start of the next Gameweek.

Between them, the Gunners and the Reds have eight players inside the top 25 of the overall Dream Team rankings at present but they’re at risk of being leapfrogged by busier assets.

That being said, the likes of Bukayo Saka (£5.8m) and Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) obviously remain strong options – the pair have 69 goal involvements between them this season.

Gaffers should always take the schedule into account when plotting their next move.

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