Arsenal defenders will likely form the backbone of many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) squads in Gameweek 1.
The best team in the division for clean sheets, goals conceded and expected goals conceded (xGC) last season, there is a very solid case for investment.
But with Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) and William Saliba (£6.0m) both set to miss the start of the season due to injury, which defender to go for?
Here, we take a look at the options available for FPL managers.
TIMBER + SALIBA INJURY LATEST
Timber (groin) and Saliba (back) are both going to miss the start of the season, with Saliba expected to miss significantly more time.
“Jurrien [Timber] is progressing really well. He is on the pitch, we are ramping up now, the volume and the load. I think he is in a good trajectory but there is still a few weeks to go.
“William [Saliba] as we know, is a more long-term injury.” – Mikel Arteta, speaking ahead of the Community Shield
HOW WILL ARSENAL LINE UP WITHOUT TIMBER + SALIBA?
With no Timber or Saliba, Mikel Arteta opted for Ben White (£5.5m) and Cristhian Mosquera (£5.5m) in their place in the Community Shield.
This is the defensive line-up that was sent out in Cardiff…
White, Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m) played the full 90 minutes. Calafiori was subbed off for Piero Hincapie (£5.5m) on the hour mark.
As for total pre-season minutes, no Arsenal defender was involved more than Mosquera.
| Player | Price | v MKD (Jul 25) | v GIR (Aug 1) | v BET (Aug 5) | v DOR (Aug 9) | v COM (Aug 12) | v MCI (Aug 16) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mosquera | £5.5m | 45 | 61 | 45 | 78 | 45 | 90 | 364 |
| Calafiori | £5.5m | 45 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 29 | 60 | 317 |
| White | £5.5m | 0 | 61 | 45 | 78 | 28 | 90 | 302 |
| Gabriel | £8.0m | 0 | 0 | 31 | 60 | 45 | 90 | 226 |
| Hincapie | £5.5m | 0 | 32 | 45 | 30 | 61 | 30 | 198 |
It does sound like Arsenal will bring in defensive cover for Saliba before the end of the month, with Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) and Jarrell Quansah both linked.
However, White and Mosquera are devoid of any real competition for now, so here are the options to consider at the back.
ARSENAL’S DEFENSIVE OPTIONS
