West Brom’s Filipe Teixeira could be set for a place on the bench at Old Trafford next weekend. The midfield playmaker has been sidelined since March last year having ruptured his cruciate but is now very close to return, presenting us with a new and potentially decent budget option…

Teixeira was a key man in West Brom’s success last season, making 24 starts, scoring 5 goals and notching 4 assists. He should be in line for a starting role once fit and he could be well worth a look, particularly in the Fantasy Premier League game. Here, he is currently priced at just 4.3, having fallen from 4.5 making a very viable option for those managers feeling the pinch having crowbarred Ronaldo into their squads.

West Brom have a made a decent start to the season and, although goals have been a problem, Mowbray’s persistence with a 4-5-1 should see Teixeira given the freedom to contribute to their attacking play. It will be interesting to see how soon he can establish himself in the Baggies lineup and just how quickly his price gets noticed by midfield bargain hunters.

Right now, I personally favour pumping cash into an FPL midfield, preferring budget options up front. The emergence of Zaki and the development of Cole at West Ham and Davies at Bolton, has helped push that policy. The midfield also has some very strong mid and low-to-mid price options, which appears to leave little room for a single budget option. However, should the likes of Ireland or Denilson lose their place over the coming months – and more likely after the January transfer window, a budget replacement could prove the best route.