International breaks regularly throw up chaos for Fantasy Premier League teams and the final one of 2025 proved no exception.
Gabriel of Arsenal was substituted during his Brazil side’s 2-0 win against Senegal in a friendly on Saturday after suffering a thigh injury.
So, should FPL managers be looking to hold or sell the most-owned defender in the game as the Premier League season resumes this weekend?
Can we keep Gabriel?
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters after the Senegal game that Gabriel (£6.6m) had a problem with his abductor, a muscle on the outside of the upper thigh and hip, and that he hoped he could recover soon.
We await clarity from Arsenal on his status, though their manager Mikel Arteta is notorious for avoiding providing injury updates in his pre-match press conferences. However, it was reported by The Athletic’s Arsenal writers on Tuesday that Gabriel could miss at least a month.
Despite a lengthy layoff like that, if you own Gabriel in FPL, it might still be worth holding onto him. He is the highest-scoring defender in the game this season (81 points), and second only to Manchester City forward Erling Haaland (102) for output among all players. His price has risen by £0.6million since the campaign began in August and he’s actually outscored Haaland over the past four gameweeks, 34 points to 32.
Gabriel has been a must-own for FPL managers this season. Arsenal have been incredibly consistent defensively, with a Premier League-best seven clean sheets in their 11 games. Add to the mix his own attacking threat, with three Opta-defined ‘big chances’ on goal, and you have a near-perfect defensive option. Set-piece goals have been central to Arsenal again this season, with Gabriel’s aerial threat at the heart of that. He ranks second behind Haaland for bonus points earned this season (13 to the Norwegian’s 23) and has 100 defensive contribution actions, earning the two-point bonus on four occasions.
All this has made him an indispensable fantasy asset in this campaign to date, but Arsenal are entering a trickier period of fixtures, facing Tottenham Hotspur (H), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H) and Aston Villa (A) in the next four gameweeks. That means in the short term, it’s justifiable to go without Gabriel, even if he sits on our benches until the next fixture swing in Gameweek 16, when Arsenal face current bottom-side Wolverhampton Wanderers (H).
However, we are also reaching the most congested period of the football calendar, including a full midweek round of fixtures in Gameweek 14. If there’s an indication that Gabriel’s absence will extend beyond that Wolves match, it becomes the natural point at which to sell.
Or should we replace him?
Gabriel is the most expensive defender in the game, so if you sold him, you would be spoilt for choice in terms of who to bring in.
The leading replacement in the premium defender category is Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m), who is heading into a positive fixture swing with Liverpool. The champions face promoted Leeds United, home and away, and Sunderland (H) over the next eight matches. They also meet last-placed Wolves (A) just after Christmas, plus the other two teams currently in the relegation spots in these next two gameweeks: Nottingham Forest (H) and West Ham United (A).
It has been a testing recent period for Liverpool, with just one Premier League win in six, from a tricky run of games. Those more appealing fixtures ahead and first-choice goalkeeper Alisson’s looming return from the injury that has kept him out since the end of September will be crucial to their improving form, having kept just three clean sheets in the first 11 matches.
Van Dijk ranks second among all defenders for defensive-contribution points (120), hitting the two-point bonus in six of his 11 games. He is still waiting on his first goal involvement of the season, having had four attempts on goal, including two ‘big chances’, and completed two ‘key passes’. Historically, we can expect at least four goal involvements from Liverpool’s Dutch captain in a season.
Virgil van Dijk could be the perfect replacement for Gabriel (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Daniel Munoz (£5.8m) is another sound option to replace Gabriel, with his Crystal Palace side keeping five clean sheets in the league this season. He has an attacking threat — a goal and three assists so far while starting all 11 matches — and chips in with defensive-contribution points, too. Palace have Wolves (A), Manchester United (H), Burnley (A) and Fulham (A) as their next four fixtures — there’s plenty of clean-sheet potential for Munoz in that run.
Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi (£5.0m) is the best of the cheaper options. He leads the way for defensive contributions (141), qualifying for the two-point bonus in all but two of the 11 games, Bournemouth have four clean sheets this season and they are entering an attractive run of fixtures in the short term, with West Ham (H), Sunderland (A) and Everton (H) as their next three.
What about one of his Arsenal team-mates?
Jurrien Timber (£6.2m) is another possibility if you want to stay invested in Arsenal’s consistent back line. Second only to Gabriel among defenders for FPL points (67), Timber has two goals and two assists.
Losing Gabriel could see Arsenal concede more goals than they’ve been doing with him in the team, but they appear to have the squad depth to sustain their strong record of clean sheets while they wait for the Brazilian to return. FPL managers who have doubled or tripled up on Arteta’s back five should not panic about his absence. Goalkeeper David Raya (£5.9m) remains one of the most obvious picks in the game this season due to the consistency he provides. He has been vital to that impressive defensive record.
