But the international breakthrough has thrown a spanner in the works for FPL managers. The match’s highest scoring and most popular defender, Gabriel Magalhães, went off injured after 64 minutes of Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal.
Gabriel left the field of Brazil v Senegal with an injury 🤕
Are you a nervous Gabriel owner patiently waiting for an update? 😬 pic.twitter.com/AwaJ0QXwgD
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) November 17, 2025
The Brazilian Football Association reported this in a statement on Sunday: “Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhães was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests which revealed that he had a muscle injury in his right thigh.”
According to reports, Gabriel could be out of action until the New Year. However, there is no reason to panic. We’ve picked five of the best replacements for Gabriel ahead of Gameweek 12.
Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
£5.9m – 23.1% ownership
Next 3: NFO (H) – WHU (A) – SUN (H)
Van Dijk appears to be the most popular replacement, and despite Liverpool’s recent struggles, it’s easy to see why. He offers the triple threat of great games, defensive contributions and threat of a set-piece goal.
He is yet to score in the Premier League this season, but he has two Champions League goals and is usually good for three or four league goals per season. With Liverpool’s favorable run ahead, a big win feels imminent.
Even if you don’t fully trust Liverpool for clean sheets, Van Dijk ranks second among defenders in terms of defensive contributions per 90 (10.9), giving him a safe baseline of 3-4 points most weeks.
Jurrien Timber – Arsenal
£6.1m – 25.6% ownership
Next 3: DEATH (H) – THAT (ONE) – BRE (H)
Perhaps the safest and most obvious option is to stay within Arsenal’s backline; in that case, Timber seems to be the standout choice.
He ranks second among defenders for both goals (2) and xG (1.86) this season, with only Gabriel himself having more FPL points than Timber’s 67.
Arsenal have the best defensive record in the league with seven clean sheets and just five goals conceded, and while the games aren’t perfect, you can never rule out a shutout for the Gunners.
Best defenses this season (least xG against):
🥇Arsenal – 6.56(xG)
🥈 Newcastle – 11.47(xG)
🥉Man City – 12.40(xG)— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) November 15, 2025
Daniel Munoz
£5.7m – 16.3% ownership
Next 3: WOOL (A) – MOUTH (H) – BUR (A)
Crystal Palace have been consistent at the back this season, with only Arsenal keeping more than five clean sheets.
Muñoz has quickly built a reputation as one of the most exciting and attacking full-backs in the league, and his xA of 1.85 among defenders in the league backs that up.
With Wolves and Burnley in the next three games, this could be the perfect time to make the move for a Palace defender.
Matthijs de Ligt
£5.0m – 3.1% ownership
Next 3: EVA (H) – CRY (ONE) – WHU (H)
On the surface, picking a Manchester United defender might not feel like a priority. But the Red Devils have been quietly improving under Amorim for some time.
They have an extended run of excellent matches under their belt, with none of their next ten matches ranking higher than a three on the FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating scale. Now feels like the right time to invest.
De Ligt appears the standout option, with comfortably the best DefCon figures in United’s backline (8.5 per 90) and a strong goal threat, as evidenced by his late equalizer against Tottenham last Gameweek.
Nico O’Reilly
£5.0m – 2.0%
Next 3: NEW (ONE) – LEE (H) – FULL (A)
Manchester City appear to have made a turnaround and breakthrough player Nico O’Reilly has played a major role in that revival.
The brand new England international seems to have secured a place in Pep Guardiola’s team. He has started seven of the last eight games, helping City to four clean sheets along the way.
He has also shown his attacking qualities this season with one goal and two assists to his name.
Over the past five Gameweeks, only Gabriel (43) has more points than O’Reilly’s 36.
Read: Manchester City revives transfer interest in Newcastle defender
See also: Konate ‘happy’ at Liverpool despite contract concerns
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