Worlds ’22 is just around the corner, but for Fnatic this is terrible news. Recently, the team stated that the team’s bot lane of Upset and Hylissang have tested positive for Covid-19. This means, the team may have to play several opening games with a substitute roster depending on how the situation develops.
What’s next for them and what are the chances for Fnatic given these updates?
Fnatic have added a seventh player to their roster
The LEC team was allowed to make an emergency roster addition ahead of Worlds 2022. The support player Rúben “Rhuckz” Barbosa was called up by the team, according to an official statement by Riot Games. Rhuckz previously played on Fnatic’s ERL team, Fnatic TQ. Together with the substitute ADC BEAN, they will form the starting bot lane for the first matches of Worlds.
It is still unclear when Upset and Hylissang will rejoin the team, as it will also depend on whether FNC can last long enough and advance to the Group Stage. With that being said, what are the chances with this new FNC lineup?
Considering that the team is in group A, it will be slightly easier since they won’t suffer the toughest competition.
Evil Geniuses will also field the substitute ADC Kaori, so the teams’ levels are going to be quite even. We also have to consider that BEAN has already played at Worlds, when he stepped in to replace Upset, who had to leave for personal issues. His performance was solid for a rookie player who never even played at LEC level.
The issue now is how well can a full ERL-level bot lane stand against the competition. From a mechanical point of view, the players should be more or less at the same level, but Fnatic might encounter coordination problems due to the low level of preparation, which Upset also mentioned on stream with Nick “LS” De Cesare.
Nevertheless, Fnatic is a strong enough team to battle with the minor regions from group A. They might need some time to get into the groove, but as long as they can get into the top 4, the team will have a chance to advance. It will be a much rougher road for FNC, but they will be hungrier than ever, waiting for their teammates to recover.
