FPL Tips: What to do at defender in Fantasy Premier League?
Cole Palmer returned and played 90 minutes in Wednesday's loss against Bayern Munich. He seemed to motion toward his groin late in the match, an injury that kept him out of the starting XI in Gameweeks 3 and 4, but manager Enzo Maresca dispelled any notion of a problem after the game.
"Cole, I think he's okay. I asked him after the game, he said that he's okay."
Less than a week ago, Palmer didn't start against Brentford because he wasn't fully fit, but he went 90-plus minutes Wednesday. He hasn't had injury issues in the past, so it's believed he'll be in the XI against Manchester United on Saturday, but similar to Gameweek 3 when he pulled out of the squad late, nothing is guaranteed.
Looking for more updates from Gameweek 5 press conferences? Check out our GW5 press conference article that updates by the hour with injury news and manager quotes.
Latest News on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Ola Aina
Wan-Bissaka was benched for Kyle Walker-Peters in Gameweek 3 when Graham Potter opted for a different 4-2-3-1 formation. After the break, he picked up an illness and now it's been revealed it's a little deeper than that.
Potter revealed in Thursday's press conference:
"It's a problem with his stomach. Hopefully, he'll be in light training on Friday or the weekend."
However, even if Wan-Bissaka trains fully next week, there's a chance his guaranteed spot in the squad won't be there. On more than 12 percent of FPL teams, it'd be wise to let him go.
Check out what the West Ham predicted lineup looks like without him.
As for Aina, he underwent hamstring surgery this week and will be out up to three months after suffering the injury while on international duty with Nigeria.
"His surgery went really well - that's the first thing ticked. Now he's got to work hard and rehab, which I'm sure he will, and he'll stay close to the group."
He was replaced by Morato in Gameweek 4 against Arsenal, but newcomer Nicolo Savona is an option to feature at right-back going forward. Loanee Oleksandr Zinchenko could also come into left-back, moving Neco Williams to right-back.
After Aina started 35 matches in the 2024/25 season, it's a massive loss for new manager Ange Postecoglou and Nottingham Forest.
Stay up to date with player injuries, getting the latest on Palmer and others on RotoWire
Wan-Bissaka and Aina Need to Be Transferred Out in FPL
There's a chance Wan-Bissaka returns to the XI in Gameweek 6 and doesn't miss a beat, but even before his stomach issue, he was dropped from the XI. There's little reason to hold onto a popular defender who may or may not start every week.
As for Aina, he's still on more than eight percent of FPL rosters and needs to go. Here are some defensive options to target in the coming weeks.
Target 1: Marcos Senesi (4.6m)
Using the Fixture Difficulty Ranker, defenders from Bournemouth, Spurs and Burnley have the most favorable fixtures in the next five weeks.
Senesi has hit at least 12 defensive contributions in all four matches to start the season to go with two clean sheets. Despite Bournemouth's turn over on the back line, Andoni Iraola has gotten the needed pieces gelling early and there hasn't been much of a drop off since the ugly opener against Liverpool.
Whether it's clean sheets or defensive contributions, Senesi seems likely to get either one with Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham and Crystal Palace up next.
Target 2: Micky van de Ven (4.7m)
Spurs have been a new team under Thomas Frank, which isn't surprising. Fresh off a Champions League win and clean sheet, Spurs have four clean sheets in their last five matches. While defensive contributions haven't been there, van de Ven's the most popular defender in the game and there's a reason for that.
Teammate Cristian Romero is a tad more expensive and has roughly the same numbers.
Target 3: Trevoh Chalobah (5.1m)
If you can stretch your money, Chalobah makes sense. He's the leading defender in FPL thanks to one goal, one assist and two clean sheets from four matches. Clean sheets are always in play from this Chelsea side and Chalobah has 27 defensive contributions the last two matches.
That's notable because one game was home against Fulham and the other away to Brentford. If he can come near the DEFCON bonus in those matchups, there's no question he can do it in more difficult contests.
Target 4: Joe Rodon (4.0m)
This is a bit of a cheaper play, but one that could be worth it as your fourth or fifth defender. Rodon hit at least 10 defensive contributions in both away matches, and that figures to be the case in most away contests this season.
Plus, at home, Leeds United have brought their stellar defense to the Premier League, already with two clean sheets (almost had three against Fulham). Despite Burnley's defensive record in the Championship, Leeds had a better expected-goals against number, which may tell a better story.
For the minimum price, you can get clean sheets or the DEFCON bonus almost every week. Massive.
Need more tips on replacing your defenders?
Use our predicted lineups or Gameweek 5 FPL rankings
Final Thoughts
Palmer seems fine for now, but there's a non-zero chance he doesn't make the XI Saturday. If Maresca runs him into the ground similar to last season, there's a chance more injuries brew up.
As for the defenders, they've taken over FPL in the early season. There have been more clean sheets and DEFCON has added to their point tallies. In some weeks, it'll be best to start four or even five defenders. For that to be the case, you'll need to shed dead weight in players like Wan-Bissaka or Aina.
