Pervis Estupinan and other potential replacements for injured Trent Alexander-Arnold
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Between the Asian Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, and a smattering of frustrating injuries, many gaffers will have their work cut out for them ahead of Gameweek 20.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s (£5.8m) latest injury is particularly unwelcome as he is among the most-popular players in the game.
Not only that, Liverpool’s homegrown hero is currently Dream Team’s outright best defender having amassed 169 points via two goals, 11 assists and nine clean sheets.
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With the England international set to be sidelined for “a few weeks” we’ve identified five potential replacements.
Pervis Estupinan (£3.1m)
The Ecuador international averages five points-per-game this season and he’s been especially productive since returning from injury.
Estupinan has notched 26 points in his last three outings, thanks mostly to his fantastic goals against Tottenham and Stoke.
Brighton clean sheets are ultra rare but their left-back is a strong option nonetheless because of his attacking pedigree.
In just 12 appearances, he’s scored three goals and provided three assists,
Estupinan also ranks joint-third among defenders for shots on target and fifth for big chances created – remarkable given how few minutes he’s played.
The Seagulls’ fixture appear favourable from now until mid-March.
Virgil van Dijk (£4.2m) or Joe Gomez (£3.3m)
Many Dream Team bosses will opt for a direct replacement for Alexander-Arnold in the form of another Liverpool defender.
It goes without saying that neither Van Dijk nor Gomez are capable of providing even a slither of the attacking threat of the Reds’ playmaking right-back but that goes for the vast majority of players in the position.
Liverpool remain a great team to back in the coming weeks because they remain active in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, giving them a busy schedule.
It won’t be long before they resume Europa League commitments either.
Jurgen Klopp’s side face Bournemouth and Fulham in Gameweek 20 then Norwich/Bristol Rovers and Chelsea in Gameweek 21.
Van Dijk’s viability depends on his condition after his bout of illness.
Pedro Porro (£3.5m)
Tottenham’s right-back has improved greatly this season and his spectacular 20-point haul against Burnley has propelled him up to third in the defensive rankings.
The Spaniard also ranks third in his position for assists and big chances created.
Perhaps most importantly, Porro averages 6.8 points-per-game in 2023/24, the joint-highest average among defenders alongside Alexander-Arnold.
Of course, Spurs aren’t active in the Carabao Cup or Europe like Liverpool but his Premier League form has been highly impressive of late.
Kieran Trippier (£4.9m)
A few weeks ago, replacing an injured Alexander-Arnold with Newcastle’s right-back would have been a no-brainer.
However, Trippier’s viability decreased when he suffered a severe dip in form either side of a one-game suspension.
Not only that, Newcastle have shipped plenty of goals in recent weeks.
Regardless, Trippier is a top-tier Dream Team asset, second among defenders and ninth overall.
He’s provided eight assists and his tally of 36 bonus points is surpassed only by Bruno Guimaraes (£3.9m) at this stage.
It’s worth noting that since his wobble in mid-December, Trippier has registered 25 points in three outings – normal service resumed.
Kyle Walker (£3.1m)
It feels as if it will soon be time to back Manchester City to the hilt.
Kevin De Bruyne (£6.7m) and Jeremy Doku (£4.1m) have returned from injury and Erling Haaland (£7.9m) is close to joining them.
Pep Guardiola’s side will play Copenhagen over two legs in the Champions League round of 16, remain active in the FA Cup, and won’t play any other top-eight team in the league until March.
Generally, it’s better to make use of City’s attacking assets as clean sheets have been harder to come by this season but Walker may well be a worthy replacement for Alexander-Arnold given his affordable price.
The experienced right-back is captain and seemingly the most immune to rotation among the treble-winners’ defenders.
Make sure you replace Alexander-Arnold before Gameweek 20’s deadline: 6:45pm this Friday (January 12th).
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