Gameweek 21 brought an unexpected bonus for owners, as centre-back Michael Keane (£4.8m) popped up with a rare goal. That joy quickly faded, though, after he received a red card for pulling the hair of Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare.
Everton lodged an appeal, but the dismissal stood. As a result, Keane missed Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Sunderland, while he’ll also be suspended for the Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa in Gameweek 22 and Leeds United in Gameweek 23.
FPL managers have already started moving Keane on in large numbers, with sales approaching the 100,000 mark. With that in mind, attention now turns to defenders priced between £4.5m and £5.0m, as we assess some of the strongest replacement options.
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MARCOS SENESI
Bournemouth’s recent form raises concerns. The Cherries have won just one of their last 10 matches, a run that has dragged them down to 15th in the table.
The defensive numbers look even more worrying. They have managed only one clean sheet across that same 10-game stretch. So why should FPL managers consider investing in the Bournemouth backline?
Fixtures often drive form, and this is where Andoni Iraola’s side comes back into the conversation. Bournemouth face a kind run ahead.
According to the Fantasy Football Scout Fixture Ticker, no team has a better schedule over the next nine Gameweeks. Upcoming opponents include Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United, Sunderland and Burnley.
The standout option remains Marcos Senesi (£4.8m), who continues to hold solid ownership at 14.2%.
That interest makes sense given his defensive contribution potential. As the data shows, no defender has recorded more DefCons or posted a higher success rate over the same period.
Unusually for a centre-half, he’s also surprisingly creative: a total of 18 chances created is by far the best total for a centre-back in 2025/26. It’s enough to rank him joint-ninth among all FPL defenders, too.
JOACHIM ANDERSEN
Fulham continue to enjoy another solid campaign, sitting ninth in the table. Good recent form has propelled them up the league, with only Arsenal collecting more points over the last six Gameweeks (via Soccerstats):
Defensively, though, they have yet to fully convince. Fulham have recorded only five clean sheets this season.
While that lack of consistency remains a concern, several underlying numbers offer encouragement. For example, Fulham rank among the top 10 teams for expected goals conceded (xGC).
And
The fixture list also provides reason for optimism. A trip to Manchester City poses a stern test, but there are some decent medium-term matches to look forward to:
Fixture difficulty may be relevant: four of the Cottagers’ five clean sheets have come against sides 16th or below. The other was against Sunderland:
A lack of attacking returns this season is far from ideal from Joachim Andersen (£4.6m), but he compensates with strong defensive contribution potential.
The Dane ranks among the top five defenders for both total DefCons (Tot, below) and DefCon points success rate (%, below):
MATTY CASH
Aston Villa entered the season with major question marks hanging over them. Unai Emery’s side failed to win any of their opening six league matches, indeed.
That narrative soon changed. Emery guided Villa into a relentless run of form, capped by an impressive 11-match winning streak that firmly silenced the critics.
That surge has lifted Villa level on points with Manchester City and boosted the appeal of their attacking and defensive assets. Even so, clean sheets have remained hard to come by, with just two recorded across their last 10 matches.
Encouragingly, the fixture list offers plenty of promise. Over the next six Gameweeks, Villa are on home soil on four occasions. A trip to Molineux then follows:
Offering more than just clean sheet potential is full-back Matty Cash (£4.8m). His assist against Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 20, and back-to-back goal contributions against Arsenal and Brighton in early December, both highlight that.
Given that there isn’t really a DefCon machine on the books at Villa, old-school attacking threat wins out.
Above: Defenders sorted by shots and key passes in 2025/26
NORDI MUKIELE
Sunderland have surprised many since their promotion from the Championship. Victories over established Premier League sides such as Chelsea and Newcastle underline that the Black Cats are not simply aiming to avoid relegation, but to compete.
A winless run of five league matches does hint at a slight dip but Régis Le Bris’ side have been feeling the effects of AFCON absences: no side had more players away in Morocco (six). The good news? All but one of those players should be back in Gameweek 22.
Defence is definitely their strong suit. Only two Premier League clubs have conceded fewer goals (GC, below):
In fact, Sunderland have kept more clean sheets (seven) than any of the teams (Villa, Bournemouth, Fulham) discussed so far.
Yes, there’s a big degree of overperformance. The Black Cats rank among the bottom five sides for expected goals conceded (31), yet have allowed only 22 goals. But in Robin Roefs (£4.9m), the Black Cats have a superb shotstopper to repel any attacks that do get through that stubborn backline:
The upcoming fixtures are good, too.
Matches against Crystal Palace, West Ham and Burnley provide three favourable chances over the next three Gameweeks. There are decent matches beyond the unappealing Gameweek 25/26 double-header, too:
Despite the price rises, Nordi Mukiele (£4.4m) still offers a value-for-money route into the Black Cats’ defence, which could free up funds elsewhere.
He ranks among the top eight defenders for total DefCons in 2025/26, while his long throws and occasional run-outs at right-back offer the prospect of sporadic attacking returns, too.
CHRIS RICHARDS
Crystal Palace began the season as they ended the last, in excellent shape. Oliver Glasner’s side put together an impressive unbeaten run of 19 competitive matches, stretching back to the closing stages of the previous campaign.
Balancing UEFA Conference League commitments alongside Premier League duties has since proved challenging. A thin squad and a growing injury list have taken their toll, but with key players due back in the coming weeks, Palace could rediscover that early momentum.
From a clean sheet perspective, their numbers mirror several of the sides already discussed, with just two shut-outs recorded across their last 10 matches. Despite that, they’re still among the top five clubs in the league for fewest goals conceded (23) and most clean sheets (eight) in 2025/26 overall.
And encouragingly, only Bournemouth rank higher on the Fantasy Football Scout Fixture Ticker over the next 10 Gameweeks.
That run could reinvigorate Palace assets such as the fit-again Chris Richards (£4.4m), who sits at a very appealing price point. The American recently returned from injury and, despite missing out last time, the extended break between Gameweeks 21 and 22 should give Glasner ample time to consider him for a starting role. He got minutes under his belt in the FA Cup on Saturday, too.
It is also worth recalling how effective Crystal Palace defenders can be within this system. Both Richards and teammate Maxence Lacroix (£5.1m) rank inside the top five defenders for DefCon points success rate.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
While many managers lack the funds for a significant upgrade, some do have flexibility. For those in that position, the standout option is Gabriel (£6.7m). Arsenal continue to dominate the underlying defensive metrics, and the Brazilian has already scored twice since returning from injury.
Chelsea also stand out from a fixture perspective, with one of the most favourable schedules in the league. The Blues have kept eight clean sheets so far, placing them among the division’s strongest defences. One ever-present figure has been Trevoh Chalobah (£5.5m), who has started every league match he’s been available for and chipped in with three goals this season.
And finally, what about a sideways move? Everton’s upcoming run also puts their defence firmly in the conversation, even without Keane. Fixtures against Aston Villa, Leeds, Brighton, Fulham and Bournemouth offer the realistic prospect of more shut-outs. The solution may simply lie with his defensive partner, James Tarkowski (£5.7m), who remains a reliable source of points at both ends of the pitch.
