The second International Impact Players have been released onto the market and in packs, but with that comes a lot of uncertainty around what upgrades we will see.
But even without WhoScored or Sofascore providing detailed stat breakdowns, EA’s elected to not just give set upgrades to all players, regardless of their performances like what happened last time with the International Impact Players (e.g. Kevin Strootman, Joshua Kimmich, Giovani Dos Santos, Dimitri Payet and Eric Dier) who all received a +4 upgrade. This time we’ll get stat upgrades of +1 (for a maximum of +10) for every Key Pass, Shot and Interception the player makes during their respective international matches.
Note: Without knowing the actual source for where EA will get their stats, some of the upgrades may be slightly off from what they actually get, but hopefully not that far off.
Here are the upgrades we’re predicting to see this week:
Gary Cahill (83 CB)
Perhaps the easiest Impact Prediction I've made. Cahill is suspended for England's game against Lithuania, after he was booked in their last game against Scotland. This means that, unless EA give all of the Impact players a standard upgrade (last time it was +4 to each player), Cahill's rating should not change.
Plays: n/a
Prediction: +0
Result: +0
William Carvalho (82 CDM)
Carvalho isn't exactly known for his attacking prowess, so this may be a very small upgrade. Hungary shouldn't prove too challenging an opponent for the reigning European Champions, so Carvalho's chances of gaining a lot of points for interceptions is also quite low. He may make the odd key pass or interception, but not enough to make a significant difference to his overall rating.
Plays: Hungary (H), Saturday, 7:45 p.m. (GMT) / 3:45 p.m. (ET)
Prediction: +2
Result: +1
Portugal cruised to a 3-0 win over Bulgaria thanks to a brace from Ronaldo. As expected, Carvalho had a fairly quiet game, making just 1 Interception, meaning he will go up to 83 Overall.
Jozy Altidore (80 ST)
The USA will be hoping to win their first points and revive their dismal start to the campaign, and Alditore is seen as one of their main goal threats. The big target man is certain to start, but who plays around him could have a big influence on his performance. With the likes of Pulisic helping create chances, you can expect him to have a few chances against an average Honduras side.
Plays: Honduras (H), Saturday, 2:30 a.m. (GMT)/ Friday 10:30 p.m. (ET)
Prediction: +5
Result: +3
A quiet game for Altidore, but a great one for the team as a whole, as they thrashed Honduras 6-0 thanks to Dempsey's hattrick and Pulisic's all round contribution. Altidore chipped in with 1 assist, as he had 1 Shot and 2 Key Passes to help boost him to 83 Overall.
Vedad Ibišević (78 ST)
After Edin Džeko was sent off in their draw against Greece in October, it almost confirms that Ibišević will start against minnows Gibraltar. Having conceded an average of over 5 goals and 25 shots in each of their last 9 competitive games, Gibraltar will almost certainly be on the end of a rout, with Ibišević playing a key role in Bosnia's attack, probably getting a lot of shots and key passes.
Plays: Gibraltar (H), 7:45 p.m. (GMT)/ 3:45 p.m. (ET)
Prediction: +10
Result: +7
Saying +10 was always going to be a bit risky, but Ibišević didn't fully disappoint as he scored 2 in Bosnia's 5-0 win over Gibraltar. Ibišević had 3 Shots and made 4 Key Passes to help boost him to 85 Overall
Rick Karsdorp (76 RWB)
Right back is a highly contested spot in the Dutch team, with 4 different players starting there in the last 5 games. Karsdorp is the most experienced natural right back in their squad this time, so I expect him to start there over Veltman. Karsdorp loves getting forward, and he should be given the freedom to do so against a Bulgaria side who shouldn't cause the Netherlands too many problems.
Plays: Bulgaria (A), Saturday 7:45 p.m. (GMT) / 3:45 p.m. (ET)
Prediction: +4
Result: +2
Bulgaria didn't really cause the Netherlands problems, but they still managed to beat them 2-0, despite having just 25% of possession. Karsdorp had a poor game by his standards, making just 2 Interceptions, meaning he'll go up to 78 Overall.
Make sure you follow me on Twitter, @Darren_8196, to keep up with all of my predictions and articles, and you can find my FIFA Mobile Impact Player upgrade predictions on Futhead, as well.
