Best Saka Replacements to Consider ahead of FPL GW3

After scoring against Leeds in the first half, Saka went down with a hamstring injury that saw him immediately substituted. The early reports are that he will be ruled out for 3-4 weeks, which means that he could miss up to GW4/GW5.

With many popular picks starting their 25/26 campaign very poorly, most Saka owners will be looking to transfer him to a different midfield asset who will give them instant rewards. 

Below, I have detailed the best choices for replacing Saka in your FPL squad. 

(Anthony Gordon would have been included in this list if he had not received a red card against Liverpool. He will now serve a 3-match suspension.)

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FPL GW3- Top Saka Replacements to Consider

Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth

Semenyo has started the 25/26 season right where he left off from his last campaign. 11 Goals and 7 Assists last season across 36 starts saw him accumulate 165 points, and his 2 Goals and 1 Assist this season show that he is still the key figure in Bournemouth’s attack. 

He can be considered fixture-proof as he has shown that he exploits the space left behind defences from the top teams, as he uses his powerful runs to create goal-scoring opportunities. He was also unlucky not to score again on the weekend after hitting the post and missing another big chance against Wolves.

Semenyo is notorious for having one of the highest shot volumes of any player in the league. This is always a great indicator for sustainable returns, and Antoine has continued that trend this season with 7 Shots(2nd among MIDs) and 3 on target across Bournemouth’s opening two fixtures. He has regularly outperformed his expected goal data, which shows that he is a good finisher.

Top Midfielders for Shots Taken Last Season:

• Salah – 130
• Palmer – 126
• Semenyo – 125
• Cunha – 110
• Eze – 102
• Bruno Fernandes – 96

With Tottenham, Brighton, Newcastle & Leeds as Bournemouth’s upcoming fixtures, he could be your best option to secure some much-needed points. 

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Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest

Gibbs-White is the engine room of Forest’s attack and has consistently returned points over the last few seasons. Scoring 140+ points over the last three seasons, he provided his best return of 154 points from 34 starts last season with 7 Goals and 11 Assists. His 18 bonus points earned are also due to his talismanic nature of creating chances for the team.

He recorded an assist in Gameweek 1 and was unlucky not to score also before blanking against a tight Crystal Palace defence on the weekend. 

His upcoming four fixture run includes West Ham, Burnley, and Sunderland, which are three of the top teams to face from an attacking perspective. 

Matchup alert:

In the previous Gameweek, Joao Pedro played as a No.10, got a Goal, 2 assists, and 15 Points vs West Ham. A certain Morgan Gibbs White will be playing in the same position vs West Ham side, who have conceded 8 Goals from 2 games so far.

Looking at Gibbs-White’s returns from last season, the majority of his goal and assist returns come in fixtures against the bottom half of the table. These attacking returns came against Leicester, Southampton, Everton, Wolves, Brighton, West Ham, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Fulham, Ipswich & Manchester City. 

This is not just by chance either,  his underlying statistical data in these fixtures show that these returns are warranted. Against stronger opposition, he takes up a more conservative and defensive role, which can skew his overall averages for underlying data across a season.  

With only 5.3% ownership, he also provides a differential opportunity for your squad. 

Ndoye(1.8% TSB) is another Differential to have on your watchlist if you are looking for a cheap option. He has got a Goal, an assist from 2 games so far, but hasn’t completed 90 minutes yet, being subbed off at 70 and 78 minutes respectively.

Ismaila Sarr, Crystal Palace

With the departure of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Crystal Palace now need their attacking options to adjust and fill in the creative and goalscoring hole that is left behind. 

Sarr finished the 24/25 campaign with 8 Goals & 7 Assists across 30 starts, which included attacking returns in the last three fixtures of the season. He also provided 3 goals and 1 assist in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup campaign, which ultimately saw them lift the trophy. 

Sarr is similar to Semenyo in that he takes a high volume of shots. Averaging over 2 shots and 1 shot on target per start, he puts himself in a great position to reward managers with points. 

The upcoming fixture run for Palace of Aston Villa, Sunderland, West Ham & Liverpool are four teams who have not shown defensive solidity so far this season and could be exposed by Sarr both through his pace and skill. 

Mohammed Kudus, Tottenham

Mohammed Kudus provided 2 assists in Gameweek 1 after his big-money move to Spurs over the summer before blanking against Manchester City. 

Playing in a dynamic front three has allowed Kudus to show his trademark flair whilst also using his team mates movement to create while also create space for himself to get more involved in attacks. Kudus provided an amazing five key passes in Tottenham’s home fixture against Burnley and will be looking to replicate this feat in upcoming fixtures, especially in home matches where Tottenham are expected to be more dominant on the ball.

Most Chances Created among Midfielders this Season:

• Stach- 7
• Kudus– 6
• Bruno Fernandes- 6
• Cullen- 6
• Barnes- 5
• Gakpo- 5

Top Midfielders for Chances Created so far. Stats from Fantasy Football Hub. Subscribe now with a 50% discount.

After accumulating 13 Goals & 13 Assists in a mostly underperforming West Ham side over the last two seasons, Kudus is poised to increase his output in Thomas Frank’s new-look Spurs lineup.

Tottenham face Bournemouth, West Ham, Brighton, Wolves & Leeds in the next five fixtures, who are all likely to be in the bottom half of the defensive statistics tables at the end of the season. 

Now might be the best time to back Kudus to deliver points. 

Honorable Mentions- Saka Replacements:

Some honorable mentions at various price points that did not make the initial short list.

Matheus Cunha, Manchester United: 

After an amazing season at Wolves followed by a big-money move to Manchester United, Cunha has been very involved in the Red Devils attack while being unlucky not to score. With 7 shots, 4 on target, creating almost 1 xG and hitting the woodwork once, Cunha will soon see the returns come. 

Cunha Rank among Midfielders so far:

• Shots- 2nd
• Shots on Target- 1st
• Shots inside the box- 3rd
• Non-Penalty xG- 7th

Cunha vs Mbeumo vs Bruno Fernandes:

• Shots- 7 vs 5 vs 4
• Shots on Target- 4 vs 2 vs 1
• Shots inside the box- 5 vs 4 vs 1
• Big Chance Involvements- 1 vs 0 vs 1
• xG- 0.78 vs 0.43 vs 0.97 (Bruno’s numbers higher due to penalty)
• Chances Created- 2 vs 3 vs 6
• xA- 0.07 vs 0.38 vs 0.35

Above Stats from Fantasy Football Hub. Subscribe now with a 50% discount.

Burnley at home up next is one of the best fixtures on the calendar. 

Cody Gakpo, Liverpool: 

Gakpo has 1 goal, 2 assists from 2 games, which has fetched him 15 points(2nd highest among midfielders). If it wasn’t for the pending Isak drama, he would have been one of the top picks. Once the transfer window shuts and we are aware of what the depth chart looks like for Liverpool across the front four, we will know how secure Gakpo’s minutes are. If he locks down the left wing role, he is amazing value.

Jack Grealish, Everton: 

Grealish got 2 assists and a 9-point haul in his first start for Everton vs Brighton in GW2. This one would be more of a punt and a vibe pick. At £6.5m and a licence to create magic in a dynamic Everton forward line, he could provide strong returns for his price. Probably best to wait and watch on him, though.

Grealish in GW2 vs Brighton:

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW3

FPL GW3 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
FPL Gameweek 3 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell
Best Saka Replacements to Consider ahead of FPL GW3
Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2025/26 PL Season
FPL GW3 Stats Summary and Key Notes

Link to all our FPL GW3 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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