Bukayo Saka’s quad injury has handed Fantasy Premier League managers another midfield headache. The Arsenal winger was forced off against Bayern Munich, with Mikel Arteta’s initial assessment raising concerns over his availability.
In this article, we compare five leading replacements using the Fix Comparison Matrix, assess their upcoming fixtures in the Fixture Planner and check their projections in Predicted Points & Stats.
The Comparison Matrix covers Gameweeks 1–7, giving us a useful picture of each midfielder’s goalscoring, creativity and FPL returns.
Expected statistics are rounded as displayed in the Matrix. Gibbs-White has made six appearances; the other four have made seven.
Tavernier leads the group for both actual and expected FPL points, despite being the cheapest option.
Mbeumo is close behind, while Palmer’s four FPL assists highlight his creative contribution.
Crucially, expected FPL points assess past performances. They are separate from the predicted points used later in this article to assess upcoming matches.
Palmer is the strongest option for managers who want to retain a premium midfielder.
The Chelsea playmaker has delivered two goals and four FPL assists, with his six attacking returns the most in this comparison. His 621 minutes across seven appearances also demonstrate his involvement so far.
The Matrix displays approximately two expected goals and three expected assists, reflecting his ability to contribute as both scorer and provider. Penalty duties add to his appeal.
However, Palmer does not lead the historical numbers. His 38 FPL points and 35 expected FPL points trail both Mbeumo and Tavernier.
The strongest argument for choosing him is what comes next: three home matches in five Gameweeks and the highest projected total of our five candidates.
Best for: Managers prioritising the strongest five-Gameweek points projection.
Mbeumo offers a compelling balance of price, underlying performance and goalscoring potential.
The Manchester United midfielder has scored four goals, collected 41 FPL points and registered 43 expected FPL points. His approximately four expected goals are the highest displayed in our comparison.
That goal threat is supported by the wider numbers. Mbeumo leads midfielders for shots, shots inside the box, shots on target and big chances, and has recently been used up front for United.
He has also played 630 minutes, more than anyone else in this shortlist.
Home fixtures against Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Brentford provide opportunities across the next five Gameweeks. Trips to Chelsea and Liverpool make the overall schedule more mixed.
At £1.9m less than Palmer, Mbeumo is particularly appealing if the saving enables another useful upgrade.
Best for: Managers seeking strong goal threat at a mid-priced cost.
Tavernier’s numbers make him difficult to ignore.
He leads our shortlist for FPL points (42), expected FPL points (44) and bonus points (10), while matching Mbeumo and Rogers on four goals.
Those returns have arrived in just 578 minutes, fewer than Palmer, Mbeumo or Rogers.
There may also be another route to points. Tavernier has approximately one expected assist in the Matrix but is yet to register an FPL assist.
The main qualification is that his four goals exceed his roughly three expected goals. His finishing has been productive, but managers should avoid assuming that rate will continue indefinitely.
Bournemouth’s European schedule also introduces potential minutes management, while Tavernier should not be treated as a guaranteed penalty taker.
Nevertheless, the combination of price, performances and upcoming fixtures makes him an excellent option for reshaping your squad.
Best for: Managers looking to release funds without sacrificing much projected output.
Gibbs-White’s 30 FPL points are the lowest in this comparison, but his underlying numbers offer more encouragement.
He has recorded 36 expected FPL points, with approximately three expected assists highlighting his creativity. His six bonus points also show his ability to supplement attacking returns.
There is positive news on his availability, too. After missing Gameweek 7, Gibbs-White has been passed fit by Oliver Glasner ahead of Nottingham Forest’s trip to Ipswich.
That fixture is central to his appeal. He has the highest Gameweek 8 projection of these five players, making him especially interesting for managers focused on the immediate deadline.
However, Forest’s subsequent schedule includes Manchester City and Chelsea. Buying him requires weighing up the attractive opener against the matches that follow.
Best for: Managers prioritising Gameweek 8 returns.
Rogers offers access to the same Chelsea fixtures as Palmer for £1.7m less.
He has also outscored his teammate so far, recording 40 FPL points to Palmer’s 38, with four goals and one assist.
The Matrix displays approximately three expected goals and two expected assists for Rogers. That gives him a stronger goalscoring profile than Palmer in this comparison, although Palmer leads for creativity.
Rogers has played 613 minutes, just eight fewer than Palmer, so both have been heavily involved across the opening seven Gameweeks.
The trade-off comes in the projections: Rogers ranks fifth in our shortlist over the next five matches. He remains a credible option if the saving over Palmer improves another position in your team.
Best for: Managers wanting Chelsea attacking coverage at a lower price.
Our Fixture Planner helps put those performances into context across Gameweeks 8–12.
Palmer and Rogers have an appealing home-heavy schedule, starting with consecutive matches at Stamford Bridge against Spurs and Manchester United.
Tavernier’s run becomes particularly interesting from Gameweek 9, with Leeds, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest in succession. Managers buying now can get ahead of that sequence.
Mbeumo has three home matches to target, but Chelsea and Liverpool away interrupt the run. Gibbs-White’s trip to Ipswich stands out immediately, although his longer-term schedule is less straightforward.
The Predicted Points & Stats tool puts Palmer top across Gameweeks 8–12, with Mbeumo and Tavernier almost level behind him.
Prices and projections are correct at the time of the screenshots and may change before the deadline. Overall totals use underlying model values, so rounded weekly figures may not sum exactly.
Three conclusions stand out:
Tavernier’s comparison with Mbeumo is especially striking. Just 0.1 predicted points separates them across five Gameweeks, despite a £1.6m price difference.
For managers with another position to strengthen, that saving could be decisive.
Saka is owned by over 50% of our Elite XI Team Reveal managers, so this is a major decision for some of FPL’s most successful managers too.
Walter Randazzo, who has seven top-10k finishes and is currently ranked around 64k, has suggested that he could move to Cole Palmer.
That would align with Palmer’s position at the top of our five-Gameweek projections, although Walter’s final decision is still to come.
Sign up to Elite XI Team Reveals and enable team-change notifications to see who Walter ultimately chooses and follow the other elite managers’ moves before the deadline.
Palmer is our preferred overall Saka replacement, combining the highest five-Gameweek projection with an appealing run of Chelsea fixtures.
However, the best move depends on what your squad needs:
For managers making a straightforward midfield switch, Palmer gets the nod. If the transfer is part of a wider squad upgrade, Tavernier’s £6.2m price and 24.3 predicted points make him the standout value alternative.
Your next FPL move starts here.
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