Who are the best replacements for De Bruyne in FPL?

A spell on the sidelines for Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m) is set to spark huge sales in Fantasy Premier League ahead of Gameweek 20.

De Bruyne has been ruled out with the hamstring complaint that forced him off in the second match of Manchester City’s Double Gameweek 19 on Wednesday.

“The doctor had to review the scan this morning, and he will be out between four and six weeks,” Pep Guardiola told Man City's official website.

De Bruyne had already earned over 123,000 sales ahead of Tuesday’s 16:30 GMT deadline, more than any other midfielder.

And with an ownership of 28.7 per cent, huge numbers of transfers out can be expected.

There are a number of in-form alternatives across the price points for De Bruyne owners.

Switch to Man City team-mate?

De Bruyne's team-mate Ilkay Gundogan (£5.5m) looks well placed to provide outstanding value as a cut-price replacement. 

He has scored all five of his goals this season in his last seven matches.

Gundogan's goal v Palace

Indeed, over the last four Gameweeks, Gundogan’s 12 shots in the box are more than any other midfielder.

He also has a very favourable schedule, facing West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United and Burnley in the next three Gameweeks.

Mid-price options

James Maddison (£7.1m) and Jack Grealish (£7.7m) are the go-to options in the mid-price bracket.

Leicester's Maddison has produced 52 points in his previous seven appearances, scoring in three successive matches.

Grealish sits fourth among midfielders in Fantasy, scoring five goals and assisting a further 10.

The Aston Villa playmaker’s upcoming run of opponents looks hugely promising.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), only one of Grealish’s 11 matches from Gameweek 20 onwards scores more than three.

But FPL managers should be aware that Grealish has accumulated four yellow cards this season. Another booking before Gameweek 22 would trigger a one-match suspension.

Fernandes and Son top premium options

Bruno Fernandes (£11.3m) and Son Heung-min (£9.7m) are the in-form premium picks.

The Manchester United playmaker's 20 shots and nine shots on target in the last four Gameweeks are both league-leading totals.

Meanwhile, Son’s total of 139 points is just one point behind Fernandes at the top of the FPL midfield standings.

Tottenham Hotspur have three home matches and a visit to Brighton & Hove Albion in the next four Gameweeks.

Also in this series

Part 2: Who can replace Vardy in your FPL forward lines?