As we head into Gameweek 12 following an eventful international break, Arsenal fans and FPL managers face a significant setback. Gabriel, one of the most in-form defenders in the league, has been ruled out for an extended period after sustaining a thigh injury while representing Brazil.
The Arsenal centre-back was forced off in the 64th minute during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly victory over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium on November 15. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic:
“Arsenal continuing to assess Gabriel amid concerns 27yo could miss 1-2 months through injury sustained on international duty. Initial indications suggest AFC centre-back set for spell out but tests ongoing.”
With Gabriel’s sudden withdrawal and concerns over other defenders (Guehi), FPL managers must now pivot to alternative defensive assets. Let’s explore the most viable Gabriel replacements.
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FPL GW12 – Best Defenders/Gabriel Replacements
Jurriën Timber (6.2m)
Gabriel’s teammate presents the most straightforward swap for those wanting to maintain Arsenal defensive exposure. Despite the expected challenges Arsenal’s backline might face without Gabriel, they remain one of the best defences in the league with 7 clean sheets already this season.
Timber has been a revelation in Arsenal’s system this season, offering genuine attacking threat from right-back. He’s averaging 0.40 goal involvements per 90 minutes with a strong emphasis on xG (0.21 per 90). The Dutchman has already notched 2 goals and 2 assist in 881 Premier League minutes across 11 appearances.
What truly sets Timber apart from traditional defenders is his creative output. He has created 13 chances and has 37 touches in the opposition box – highest among defenders, given his overlapping runs and willingness to attack half-spaces create dual threats alongside Bukayo Saka. Timber’s evolution into an elite attacking full-back under Mikel Arteta has been remarkable. His overlap runs force opposition defences to stretch wider, creating additional space for Saka to isolate defenders or drift centrally.
Timber Attack Rank- Among Defenders this season:
- Shots on Target- Joint 1st
- Shots inside the box- Joint 2nd
- xG- 2nd
- xGI- 2nd
- Chances Created- 5th
- BPS- 2nd
- FPL Points- 2nd
This tactical freedom, combined with his technical proficiency and defensive solidity (86% tackle success rate), makes him Arsenal’s standout defensive asset.
Arsenal’s upcoming schedule includes: Tottenham (H) on November 22, Bayern Munich (UCL), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H), Aston Villa (A), and Wolves (H) in December. While challenging, these fixtures at least offer clean sheet potential mixed with Timber’s attacking returns.
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Palace Defenders: Munoz (5.8m) & Richards (4.5m)
Palace defenders arrive at an excellent entry point with favourable fixtures ahead. Despite two recent league defeats, Oliver Glasner’s side have shown defensive resilience and face Wolves, West Ham, and Leeds in their next 7 GWs.
For managers with budget flexibility, Muñoz represents a straight swap from Gabriel. The Colombian right-back combines defensive stability with genuine attacking output. Muñoz has 1 goal and 3 assists in 11 appearances this season in the league, but his underlying metrics tell a more impressive story. He’s averaging 0.16 xG and 0.24 xA per 90 minutes in the PL. Muñoz ranks highly in shot-creating actions and consistently gets into dangerous positions. He basically joins the attack as a winger for The Eagles.
Top Defenders for Expected Goal Involvement this season:
- Munoz- 2.8
- Timber- 2.5
- Calafiori- 2.3
- Van De Ven- 2.1
- Gabriel- 1.9
Chris Richards – The Budget Enabler: For those operating on tighter budgets, Richards offers access to Palace’s defence at a significantly reduced price point. The American centre-back has started all 11 Premier League matches this season, playing the full 990 minutes. While Richards’ offensive output is minimal (0.40 xG, 0.10 xA (total) this season), his value lies in clean sheet potential and freeing up funds elsewhere. Palace have kept solid defensive shape in recent performances despite results, with Richards winning 62.2% of his duels.
Richards is also a DEFCON monster as seen by the data below- Ranking 3rd highest among Defenders this season.
Further Read: Premier League Players who will miss PL due to AFCON 2025
Virgil van Dijk (5.9m)
The Liverpool captain could represent a shrewd differential pick if you’re banking on a defensive turnaround coinciding with an improvement in fixtures.
Liverpool have kept just 3 clean sheets in 11 PL games. The team concedes approximately every 66 minutes when VVD’s on the pitch – a far cry from their usual defensive standards. Though attacking returns have never been Van Dijk’s primary appeal for FPL managers, a corner threat still comes in as a possibility when considering him. Added potential on DefCon makes him an even worthier consideration – he is averaging a 10.91 defensive contributions (CBIT) every 90 minutes with a success rate of approximately 54.5%.
Despite these struggles, Van Dijk faces a significantly improved fixture schedule. Liverpool play West Ham (A), Sunderland (H), Leeds (A and H again in January), and Wolves (H) over the next 7 GWs. 4 of these 5 fixtures come at Anfield, where Liverpool traditionally perform stronger defensively. This difficult patch for the Reds could simply represent variance rather than decline. If Liverpool rediscover their defensive solidity, early investors will surely reap the rewards.
Further Read: FPL GW12 – Fixtures & Players to Target for Gameweek 12
Nico O’Reilly (5.0m)
O’Reilly has 1 goal and 2 assists in 683 minutes across 7 starts this season. His recent performances have been exceptional and displayed a solid performance in City’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool in GW11.
Pep Guardiola’s infatuation with O’Reilly’s playstyle is well-documented. The manager has praised his tactical intelligence, courage in possession, and ability to contribute both offensively and defensively. Remarkably, Manchester City haven’t lost a single Premier League match when O’Reilly has started.
His versatility as a natural box-to-box midfielder playing left-back brings an extra dimension. O’Reilly has created eight chances this season with xA of 0.60, alongside strong defensive numbers (27 tackles).
The elephant in the room is minutes security. Rayan Ait-Nouri missed approximately 5 weeks with an ankle injury and his return should be imminent now. With City entering a congested December fixture schedule that includes Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cup commitments, rotation becomes inevitable. While O’Reilly has impressed enough to potentially retain his starting role for bigger matches, the uncertainty makes him a risky proposition for FPL purposes. But with Ait Nouri leaving for AFCON in some time, O’Reilly may well be worth the risk.
O’Reilly’s City teammate Matheus Nunes (5.3m) also warrants consideration after his 13-point haul in GW11. The Portuguese midfielder has 1 goal and 2 assist this season. However, he faces identical rotation concerns to O’Reilly as Guardiola manages his squad through the busy winter period.
Further Read: FPL GW12 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats
Ibrahima Konaté – Another Liverpool Option
Konaté offers an alternative route into Liverpool’s defence for those believing in an imminent turnaround. The French centre-back has played 922 minutes across 11 matches this season. His defensive actions include 1.65 tackles and 0.39 interceptions per 90 minutes, alongside strong aerial presence with 38 aerial duels won. Konate has averaged a CBIT of 8.94 per 90 minutes.
Like Van Dijk, Konaté’s appeal hinges entirely on Liverpool rediscovering their defensive form. The fixtures support this hypothesis, and at a potentially lower price point than Van Dijk, he could offer better value. However, the team’s current defensive struggles make this a speculative move.
Further Read: Best GWs to Use Your Free Hit & Triple Captain Chips (GW12–19)
Watchlist
Thiaw (4.9m) – Newcastle United
Newcastle’s defence has been inconsistent this season, but their fixtures are improving. Thiaw has featured regularly, playing 90 minutes in multiple recent matches. The Magpies face Everton and Burnley in their upcoming schedule – both favourable matchups for defensive returns. He looks strong on the DefCon front as well.
Nathan Collins (4.9m) – Brentford
Brentford’s captain has been ever-present this season, playing 990 minutes across 11 starts. His DefCon (9.64 per 90 minutes) at this price point could prove to be exceptional value especially if you are not planning on Free Hitting in GW13.
Matthijs De Ligt (5.0m) – Manchester United
Averaging 8.85 DefCons per 90 minutes, the United centre-back deserves some consideration if you’re looking for a differential pick. United enter a good run of fixtures over the next 10–12 GWs.
Further Read: FPL GW12 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats
Matty Cash (4.6m) – Aston Villa
After a shaky start, Villa have somewhat redeemed their form. They have won five of their last six games, with their only loss coming against Liverpool. Cash is a budget-friendly option at 4.6m, with Wolves and West Ham coming up.
Van Hecke(4.4) is another Budget option to be considered in the mix with 2 clean sheets from the last 2 games and Brighton having a decent run of fixtures. He is also good for DEFCON averaging 9.27 DEFCON/90 this season.
Further Read: FPL GW12 – Fixtures & Players to Target for Gameweek 12
Conclusion – Best Gabriel Replacements
The best choice from the list of Gabriel replacements ultimately depends on the squad structure you want in the long run and whether you are in the market for a differential. While the highly owned Muñoz and Timber would be a safer choice in our opinion, it would not be the worst decision to go against them, opting, for example, for Nico O’Reilly (2.2% ownership) due to his upcoming fixtures. A reason for a more aggressive approach could also be the 5 additional FTs available in GW16 due to AFCON. Van Dijk is another premium to target if you already have Palace and Arsenal defense cover.
If you are looking at cheaper options to invest the money elsewhere, Richards and Senesi(if you don’t own him yet) are the standout picks in our opinion.
Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of FPL GW12
Premier League Players who will miss PL due to AFCON 2025
Top FPL Gameweek 12 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL Gameweek 12 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold, & Sell
Top FPL GW12 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of GW12 Deadline
FPL GW12 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
FPL GW12 – Fixtures & Players to Target for Gameweek 12
Best Defenders/Gabriel Replacements for FPL GW12 & Beyond
FPL GW12 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats
Best GWs to Use Your Free Hit & Triple Captain Chips (GW12–19)
FPL GW12 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
Link to all our FPL GW12 blogs, including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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Rohan Bajaj
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