03 Oct, 2024

Game Week 7: Injury Watch

Game Week 7 Injury Watch:

Jurien Timber (£5.5m – DEF):

Timber started Arsenal’s Champions League clash with PSG midweek but was substituted at half-time and replaced by Jakub Kiwior. Arteta explained that this was due to Timber feeling “something muscular, and we didn’t want to take any risks. He’s been out for a year and played a lot of minutes.

We have to manage him.”

While this doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue, Arteta’s comments about managing Timber’s minutes suggest that, for Gameweek 7 against Southampton (H), we are likely to see the same back four of Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, and Kiwior that featured in the second half against PSG.

For fantasy managers who own Timber, benching him this game week seems the best option, while monitoring reports to assess the injury’s severity and Timber’s potential return timeline.

Ben White (£6.4m – DEF):

Arteta hasn’t provided a clear update on White’s injury or a return timeline, but his absence from the squad against Leicester last weekend, along with being left out again midweek versus PSG, strongly suggests that at best, he’ll be on the bench for Arsenal’s game against Southampton—or potentially left out entirely.

Given White’s £6.4m price tag and the uncertainty surrounding his return, now seems like a good time to transfer him out, especially with Arsenal facing tough upcoming fixtures. Replacing him with Gvardiol (£5.9m) or Dias (£5.5m), who have favorable fixtures against Fulham, Wolves, Southampton, and Bournemouth, would be a smart move.

Amadou Onana (£5.2m – MID):

Onana left the pitch during Bayern Munich’s midweek match in visible discomfort. While information about the injury is limited, this is one to monitor closely for fantasy managers ahead of Gameweek 7. If you have a free transfer remaining, switching Onana out for Adama (£5.1m) or Rogers (£5.2m) would be a sensible choice. Otherwise, benching him until more information is available is the safest option.

Leon Bailey (£6.4m – MID):

Bailey recently returned from injury and came on as a substitute for the injured Jacob Ramsey in Villa’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich.

However, Bailey was himself substituted in the 78th minute, raising concerns. Substitutes of Bailey’s calibre are rarely subbed off unless injured, so this situation warrants close monitoring, particularly during Unai Emery’s Friday press conference for any updates. For now, it’s reasonable to keep Bailey in your starting line-up given Villa’s promising matchup against Manchester United on Sunday, as there has been no official confirmation of an injury.

Mason Mount (£6.3m – MID):

Mount is set to miss Manchester United’s Europa League tie against Porto on Thursday due to a head injury and a knock, as confirmed by manager Erik ten Hag. The severity of Mount’s injuries and his timeline for return remain unclear, but for fantasy managers, benching Mount for Gameweek 7 is the safest move, with the intention of transferring him out soon, given his patchy form and injury history since joining United.

Alexander Isak (£8.3m – FWD):

Newcastle’s star striker Alexander Isak has suffered a fractured toe and is expected to be side-lined until after the next international break. This was effectively confirmed by both manager Eddie Howe and Sweden’s national team coach, who noted that Isak will not be joining the squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League games.

Howe mentioned that Isak had tolerated the pain for about 80 minutes against Fulham but ultimately couldn’t continue. With this injury likely keeping Isak out for several weeks, fantasy managers have no choice but to transfer him out until he returns after the break.

Son Heung-Min (£9.9m – MID):

Son was subbed off during Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Qarabag last week with a suspected hamstring issue and subsequently missed the weekend fixture at Old Trafford. Despite this, manager Ange Postecoglou downplayed the seriousness of Son’s injury, stating:

“Apart from Sonny, everybody is okay [to face Man United], and I don’t think Son’s injury is too bad. He wants to train tomorrow, and we’ll see how it goes before making a decision. Sonny is back in London doing rehab.”

This suggests that Son’s injury is likely minor, and he should return to action soon.

Destiny Udogie (£5.0m – DEF):

Udogie exited the match at Old Trafford at half-time after feeling something in his quad during a run down the left flank. Spurs manager Postecoglou confirmed that the substitution was precautionary, explaining:

“He felt something in his quad. He finished the half, but we thought there was no point in pushing him further, so we took him off.”

Udogie also reassured fans via Instagram, stating, “Sure I’ll be okay.”

Similar to Son, Udogie’s injury doesn’t appear serious, and he is expected to return to the line-up soon. For more detail on Ange’s Press conference, click here.

Check out our Transfer Wizard to see who the best replacement options are for your budget and position!

By Ahsan Ejaz

Last Updated: 03/10