Brighton and Hove Albion’s Kaoru Mitoma (£6.6m) may miss Gameweek 13 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) after pulling out of the Japan squad with an injury.
In a statement issued jointly with the Japan Football Association, Mitoma said:
“Since this is a World Cup qualifier I joined the team believing in my potential to contribute. But unfortunately, seeing as I won’t be able to play at 100 per cent, I’ve decided to let my teammates play on my behalf, as much as I regret doing so. For now, I will work hard on recovering as soon as possible.” – Kaoru Mitoma
The Athletic’s Andy Naylor has since suggested Mitoma is now a major doubt for the weekend trip to The City Ground.
Sitting in around 40% of FPL squads in the top 100k, Mitoma has already been sold by over 185,000 managers as we approach Saturday’s deadline.
However, for those owners who are still undecided over a possible replacement, we turn to the underlying numbers, the Season Ticker and Rate My Team’s projected points – all of which can be found in our Premium Members Area – for a helping hand.
We’re limiting the field to midfielders priced at £7.0m or less for this article.
MITOMA REPLACEMENTS: GOAL THREAT
Looking at the last six matches, it’s Bryan Mbeumo (£6.8m) who comes out on top for shots, with 21.
17 of those efforts came in the last four Gameweeks, despite a tricky-ish run of fixtures that has included games at Liverpool and Chelsea, with four ‘big chances’ registered in that period.
Leading the way for ‘big chances’ among sub-£7.0m midfielders is Cole Palmer (£5.2m), however.
He’s had a whopping seven over the last six matches, but four of those opportunities arrived from the penalty spot.
Jeremy Doku’s (£6.7m) numbers are worth monitoring under Pep Guardiola. The 21-year-old has had 13 shots since Gameweek 7, but his pitch time will probably be impacted by Jack Grealish (£7.2m) in the coming weeks.
Manchester City’s Blank Gameweek 18 is another consideration for those managers eyeing up their assets.
MITOMA REPLACEMENTS: ASSIST POTENTIAL
