Who should be my UCL Fantasy Football captain for Matchday 5?

Round of 16 qualification is beginning to take shape now as we approach Matchday 5 in the UEFA Champions League and it’s time to sift through the captaincy options for #UCLfantasy managers.

Here are four candidates for your reckoning.

TUESDAY 1 DECEMBER

Cristian Romero (€4.9m) vs Midtjylland (H)

It’s not often a defender is selected as a captaincy option but Romero's numbers are too difficult to ignore. Across his three appearances so far in the group stage, the Atalanta centre-back is averaging over nine #UCLfantasy points per game thanks to two clean sheets, an assist and a whopping 44 ball recoveries which, despite the fact he sat out Matchday 3, is more than any other player in the UEFA Champions League this season. Romero's 12-point haul on Matchday 1's victory at Midtjylland was his biggest of the season so far and Atalanta now welcome the point-less Danish side to Bergamo, with qualification still very much up for grabs in Group D.

Mohamed Salah (€11.6m) vs Ajax (H)

Staying with Group D, the Anfield contest between Liverpool and Ajax could have major ramifications when it comes to round of 16 qualification and Jürgen Klopp will be expected to name a strong side following their defeat by Atalanta last time out. That should mean another start for Salah, who is often at the forefront of #UCLfantasy managers' captaincy thoughts. The Egyptian has scored ten times for the Reds in all competitions this season, including twice in the UEFA Champions League, and his armband credentials are undeniable when factoring in his penalty-taking duties. If Romero doesn't take your fancy, then Salah represents a more attacking and potentially more explosive captaincy choice.

WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER

Erling Braut Haaland (€11.0m) vs Lazio (H)

It's a formality at this stage to include Haaland amongst our options but there is simply no getting away from the fact he is as lethal as any other striker in Europe right now. The only player to have found the net on each of the first four matchdays, Haaland leads the goalscoring charts in the UEFA Champions League with six goals and the Norwegian now features in 44% of #UCLfantasy teams. Dortmund's only defeat of the campaign so far came away to Lazio on Matchday 1, so the Bundesliga outfit will be out for revenge as they attempt to seal top spot in Group F, with Haaland surely the safest captaincy choice heading into Matchday 5.

Bruno Fernandes (€9.5m) vs Paris (H)

Group H is incredibly open with all four teams still in with a chance of qualifying for the round of 16, but top of the pile right now are Manchester United and another win against Paris Saint-Germain on Matchday 5 would book their passage to the knockout rounds. If that is to come to pass, then you can be sure Fernandes will be involved in some capacity. The Portuguese star has been a revelation since joining the Premier League side in January, registering 34 attacking returns in 35 games for his club (21 goals, 13 assists). His 12-point haul on Matchday 4 – which could have been more had it not been for a 59th-minute substitution – was his highest of the UEFA Champions League campaign so far and he represents a tempting differential captaincy option for those chasing in their mini-leagues.