Some prominent Premier League stars suffered injures in Gameweek 7, leaving Fantasy Premier League managers scouring for alternatives.
SportsCasting takes a look at the latest injury reports and proposes alternatives for Gameweek 8.
Odegaard, Rice, and Rodri Suffer Injuries in Premier League GW 7
Arsenal
Arsenal greatly benefitted from the Liverpool’s defeat to Chelsea. With a 2-0 win over West Ham United, the Gunners moved to the top of the Premier League rankings for the first time this season. Bukayo Saka scored the insurance goal for Arsenal, and as a result, he has seen his value increase in FPL price changes for Gameweek 8.
It was not all smiles for Arsenal, however, as two of their key players, captain Martin Odegaard and goalscorer Declan Rice, suffered injuries. Odegaard came off with a knee issue while Rice hurt his back.
Martin Odegaard diagnosed with MCL injury on left knee. Supposed diagnosis worth around 1-5 weeks. #AFC hope for Martin to be back for #FulhamFC after the international break + training individually at Sobha. Maximum Period out worth around five weeks. pic.twitter.com/lwfIQ3wEot
— 2SAONLY (@2SA_FC) October 6, 2025
Odegaard has withdrawn from Norway’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Israel and New Zealand. Rice, on the other hand, continues to be assessed.
Following the win over West Ham, Arteta said (via Arsenal.com):
“He’s not all right because he asked me to come off, so that’s a shame. He had a pain in his back and he could not carry on which is something very unusual for Declan so we’ll have to assess him and see how he is.”
Liverpool
Liverpool endured their second consecutive defeat in the Premier League. After the game, Arne Slot also confirmed a quad issue for Ibrahima Konate.
The Dutch manager said:
“I don’t know if it is a big injury, but what I do know is he limped a little bit and when I asked him he said he felt his quad a little bit.
“Then, for me, all alarm bells go off because in another sprint you never know if that is going to go good.”
Konate, however, has reported for international duty. So, the Frenchman should be back after the international break.
🗣️ "…all alarm bells go off."
Arne Slot on Ibrahima Konate's injury vs Chelsea 🤕 pic.twitter.com/paUCGAEn1u
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) October 4, 2025
Manchester City
Manchester City lost 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a hamstring injury in the 1-0 win over Brentford. The injury appears serious, as the midfielder has withdrawn from Spain’s World Cup qualifiers.
🚨 Rodri will not join Spain team after suffering muscle injury on Sunday.
He’s feeling better but no risk with national team. “I hope to be available in two weeks time for Everton game”, he said. pic.twitter.com/U6X17pvtOL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 6, 2025
Addressing Rodri’s injury, Pep Guardiola told the press:
“It’s muscular. Of course I don’t want to lose him [at all] because he is such an important player. We tried to take care of him, but it is what it is.”
Burnley
Burnley suffered a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in their Gameweek 7 outing. The loss not only dropped them into the relegation zone, but also saw them lose star midfielder Jaidon Anthony before the end of the game.
Shedding light on Anthony’s injury, Burnley manager Scott Parker said:
“He got a big hit on his quad and he was limping around. Again, you can only leave it so long before then and you may have to make a change and I decided that I didn’t want him to carry that going into the final part of the game.”
With five goal contributions already this season, Jaidon Anthony finds himself flying under the radar in Fantasy Premier League 🙌
The deadline to add him to your squad is tonight ⏳ pic.twitter.com/ys94Wwk4pE
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) October 3, 2025
As it is supposedly a knock, Anthony should be able to find his way back into the team when Premier League football returns on Saturday, 18 October.
Replacement for Injured FPL Stars in Gameweek 8
Since there is no Premier League football in the upcoming weekend, Fantasy managers can wait for niggles to sort themselves out. Liverpool man Ibrahima Konate and Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony should benefit from the break and return to the pitch when football returns on October 11.
However, for Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Rodri, it is important to look for alternatives. Below, we take a look at the best possible alternatives for the injured trio of Odegaard, Rice, and Rodri.
Best Replacement for Martin Odegaard in FPL – Enzo Fernandez
Martin Odegaard has only claimed 13 points in FPL this season, which is pretty low by his lofty standards. Between his sketchy injury record and mediocre form, only 1.9% of managers have added the £7.9 million midfielder to their team.
If you own Odegaard and are looking for a replacement for the Norwegian, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is an excellent value pick. At only £6.7 million, the Argentine is guarantees steady returns, averaging 5.9 points / match this season.
Enzo Fernandez(🇦🇷/24) is simply sensation📈…#cfc pic.twitter.com/Eq8VhicycW
— 𝗗𝗘𝗭𝗜 (@cfc_dezi) October 6, 2025
In addition to being a DEFCON bully, Fernandez also carries prominent attacking threat, with him scoring three goals and claiming two assists already.
Chelsea also have a fine run of fixtures in the coming weeks, making him a excellent pick.
Best Replacement for Declan Rice in FPL – Mohammed Kudus
Declan Rice scored a healthy 11 points in Gameweek 7 of the 2025/26 FPL season, taking his season tally to 40 points. With an average of 5.7 points, the Englishman is a worthy addition at £6.7 million.
If you are looking for a similarly-priced midfield talent following his injury, Tottenham Hotspur’s Mohammed Kudus seems to be a no-brainer.
Mohammed Kudus is the only player to complete 30 take-ons in Europe's top five leagues this season and has completed at least 11 more take-ons than any other Premier League player in 2025/26.
While no PL players has won more duels (57) or provided more assists than the Ghanaian… pic.twitter.com/iNrCx4rBa6
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 6, 2025
Also priced £6.7 million, Kudus has been consistent throughout, racking up 39 points, taking his average to 5.6 points. Like Rice, he also hit big in Gameweek 7, scoring 12 points after chipping in with a goal and an assist.
Best Replacement for Rodri in FPL – Moises Caicedo
Claiming 66 points, Antoine Semenyo has been the highest-scoring midfielder in FPL. Over 58% managers have him in their team, and the number has only been rising. There is a good chance that you either have the Bournemouth man in your team or cannot afford him.
So, for Rodri, we have gone with a like-for-like. A player who costs only £5.7 million, £0.7 million less than the Manchester City man. Chelsea star Moises Caicedo has been the second-highest scoring midfielder in FPL this season, claiming a total of 45 points in seven games.
No player has won more Player of the Match awards in the Premier League this season (3) than Moises Caicedo 🏆 pic.twitter.com/C4IToVSZ9H
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 6, 2025
The midfield workhorse will also benefit from Chelsea’s comfortable run of fixtures in the coming weeks, making him a lucrative option for all Rodri owners.
