Bournemouth’s Brazilian forward, Evanilson suffered a injury during training for Bournemouth on Friday and is now confirmed to have suffered a calf/soleus injury, the news comes at an unfortunate time, forcing FPL managers to scramble for a replacement, especially those relying on him as a mid priced attacker. While the initial outlook suggests the injury is not big and a return could be as early as next weekend. There are still doubts about his return with manager Andoni Iraola stating “He has a small injury in the soleus [in the lower calf]. The MRI doesn’t say it’s a big injury but it’s a muscle injury, [so you] never know. I think it’s similar to Brooksy. They are not big injuries but we don’t know if it’s going to be one, two, three weeks, I don’t know.” Andoni Iraola on Evanilson’s injury, to BBC Solent Sport.
Evanilson’s price bracket is competitive, offering managers various paths, depending on their budget and team structure. Here are a few popular alternatives and why they might be considered:
João Pedro(£7.5m): Even though he has been awful these past few weeks sometimes not even registering a shot on target, Liam Delap is expected to return soon and will see the Brazilian back at the number 10 role where he picked up a massive 15 point haul against West Ham. The fixtures are great as well and he is a good option.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m): The Frenchman recorded his first ever Hattrick for the eagles and should have made it 4 missing an absolute sitter at the last minute. His 3.48 xG against Bournemouth is the highest xG recorded by a single player in a top 5 European league match since the statistic has been recorded. However Arsenal away is not a great entry point but if you want to gamble he is the man.
Nick Woltemade (£7.4m): The German is on fire right now, notching up just one blank in the premier league. He scored a delicious back heel against Brighton on the weekend and the Magpies have one of the most favourable fixture runs in the league, a safe and great entry into the Newcastle attack.
However his Sub in is being talked about the most in our teams. The spotlight has swung firmly onto Eli Junior Kroupi (£4.5m). The 19 year old French Ivorian has quickly become a must talk about player after his brace delivering a 12 point haul. At just £4.5m, Kroupi Jr. is the ultimate FPL enabler. Owning him allows managers to upgrade elsewhere and many managers are considering to go from Gyökeres to Kroupi and Reijnders to Saka.
Evanilson’s injury creates a clear and immediate pathway to the starting XI, or at least greatly increased minutes, for Kroupi Jr. Manager Andoni Iraola may prefer to use the young striker to maintain the intensity of his press. Reports indicate Kroupi Jr. was a prolific scorer in the French lower leagues and is highly regarded by the club. His immediate impact in the Premier League, even against a solid defensive side like Crystal Palace, suggests a player with genuine talent, not just a lucky fluke. Iraola to BBC sport remarked “For Junior, being so young, first starting option. He’s someone who smells the goals, he’s very brave for the second balls from these kinds of rebounds. Today he scored both goals and I’m happy for him.” Kroupi also showed his poacher mentality managing 2 goals from 2 shots, his first goal was 0.96 xG showing his ability to be at the right place and right time. Palace are no slouch either before the match they were the among the best defence in the league alongside Arsenal and for him to score the first two goals is a sign of a young talent that is going to explode.
The primary concern remains minutes. Evanilson’s absence might be short lived, meaning Kroupi Jr.’s spell as a starter could be fleeting. However, for a player priced at £4.5m, he doesn’t need to start every week to be worth the transfer. He is an exceptional bench option who offers unexpected starting potential.
