Five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman hosts our weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A, answering your burning questions.
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Saka injury “doesn’t look good” + not much rotation
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Why Isak, Wirtz + Barcola were benched, Munoz injury
- READ MORE: FPL notes: Haaland “OK to start”, key rests + Gvardiol injury update
Q: Who are the best Bukayo Saka (£9.6m) replacements?
Q: Who is the best Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.8m) replacement, up to £8.6m? Ideally, mid-to-long-term picks with secure minutes.
(via @AmMahdi and SIMBOBIANTHEIII)
A: The length of Saka and Szoboszlai’s respective absences are unknown, but we’re probably not going to see them in Gameweek 8.
Marc has run through a list of replacements – and I’ll talk you through my own thoughts here.
Johan Manzambi (£6.0m), who I mentioned last week, and Kevin Schade (£6.2m) aren’t on penalties, corners or free-kicks, so they don’t have many routes to points, but they do have open play threat.
Only making his first start in Gameweek 5, thanks to injury, Manzambi has had 14 shots (and seven chances created) in the last three Gameweeks, the joint-most of any player…
After Manchester City, the fixtures for Aston Villa are great right through to the end of the year…
Manzambi will need a clean bill of health before I sign him off as the top Saka/Szoboszlai replacement, however. I suspect he’ll be fine, but Unai Emery did say on Wednesday that he is unsure if he’ll recover in time for the weekend, so it’s worth waiting for Friday’s presser for more info.
Schade is another midfielder I like. Brentford’s attack is much improved in 2026/27 so far (they are fifth for xG), and with no European commitments, I think that will continue. The German meanwhile has plenty of goal threat (2.81 shots and 0.32 non-penalty xG per 90 minutes), plus a really nice shot map, with a high volume of central attempts…
Having come off the bench last weekend, he’ll hopefully be fit enough to start away at Hull City on Sunday.
Away from Manzambi and Schade, Cole Palmer (£9.7m) and Morgan Rogers (£8.0m) are obvious picks.
I’d put them both ahead of Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m), Martin Odegaard (£6.8m) and, for now, Phil Foden (£6.8m). That’s because a) Manchester United are in complete disarray, b) Odegaard hasn’t been much of a goal threat this season, with only six shots in the box in seven matches, and c) I’m not completely sure if Foden will start at Villa Park on Saturday.
Finally, I’m eyeing up Bradley Barcola (£8.0m) for my own team. With Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal up next, it isn’t an obvious entry point for him. That said, while he’s an erratic finisher, I’m convinced he’ll be a consistent goal threat under Andoni Iraola.
Q: Keep or sell Bruno Fernandes (£11.8m)?
(via @vrw123)
A: I covered Bruno in my ‘Buy, Keep, Sell’ article earlier this week, and not much has changed since then.
With Bournemouth up next, he won’t be a priority sell for everyone. However, calling out Michael Carrick after Wednesday’s heavy defeat to Como is hardly ideal for owners.
A ‘new manager bounce’ feels likely soon, but Manchester United’s fixtures aren’t great anyway, with Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Brentford to come…
As for the underlying stats, if you remove the Ipswich Town game, Bruno has taken 15 shots in six matches, but only six were inside the box, with just one Opta ‘big chance’. There hasn’t been much assist potential, either, with zero big chances created in that period.
Yes, as a penalty/corner/free-kick taker, Bruno could return on Sunday. But if you can use this opportunity to move him on, shifting funds into other areas of your team, it’s probably preferable.
If you do still want to persist with a United midfielder, Mbeumo looks the better bet anyway, especially with Benjamin Sesko (£6.9m) out injured.
Q: Who is the best Arsenal attacker to own, in light of Saka’s injury?
(via @BedoMohmad1)
A: Odegaard has been highly influential for Arsenal this season, and his importance will surely grow in Saka’s absence.
Crucially, he could inherit penalties and will probably take more set plays now.
However, looking at his shot map to date, I’m still not totally convinced about Odegaard from a Fantasy perspective.
Of course, playing in this Arsenal team, he will always carry assist potential, so he is still my preferred pick from the attack.
That said, I’d prioritise a defensive triple-up while Saka is out.
As for Eberechi Eze (£6.2m) and Noni Madueke (£6.2m), they continue to blow hot and cold. Declan Rice (£7.3m), with just one shot in the box in seven matches, isn’t on my radar either.
That leaves Kai Havertz (£7.5m), but even as a starter, his minutes haven’t been great recently. He’s been subbed off just after the hour mark for Viktor Gyokeres (£7.0m) in each of the last two Gameweeks.
I’d subsequently put forwards like Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.1m) and Nicolas Jackson (£6.6m) ahead of him.
Q: Who is the best Josh King (£5.6m) replacement? Is Mohamed Belloumi (£5.2m) an option?
(via @BedoMohmad1)
A: I wouldn’t sell King this week, given his fixture away at Coventry City, but from Gameweek 9 onwards, I think it’s fine to move him on.
I’ve already mentioned Manzambi and Schade above, but if you need someone at £5.6m or below, I’d probably opt for Jack Rudoni (£4.9m).
He is on a share of set plays and scored a penalty recently, so he has plenty of routes to points.
He has also had a big chance in five of his seven matches this season. With decent upcoming fixtures, I would happily play him in any of these matches…
As for Belloumi, there is nothing wrong with his underlying stats (18 shots and five chances created). However, I’m a bit concerned the wheels have come off for Hull City after a very good start. They’ve failed to win any of their last five matches, ranking 18th for xG (5.03) in that time.
Coventry aren’t much better in that regard, but Belloumi isn’t on penalties, which is why I prefer the cheaper Rudoni.
