GW4 – Who are the best Ismaïla Sarr replacements?

sarr injury

We’re still in the middle of the international break, so all of this comes with the usual caveat: injuries can still happen before the Gameweek 4 deadline on Friday 13th September.

Unfortunately for owners, Ismaïla Sarr has picked up a reported grade 2 hamstring injury, which typically sidelines players for 3–6 weeks. It’s particularly brutal timing with Sunderland at home next up, and many FPL managers – myself included – had just brought him in.

At £6.5m, Sarr sits in that awkward mid-priced midfield bracket, so we’ll be looking at replacements up to £7.5m. If he was a key part of your setup, it’s worth spending a little extra to replace him properly – even if it means downgrading elsewhere.

Here are our best options:

1- Antoine Semenyo (£7.4m)

Fixtures: Brighton (H), Newcastle (H), Leeds (H)

  • 7.7 points per game so far.
  • Locked for 90 minutes every match.
  • Three consecutive home fixtures.

Semenyo is in red-hot form, already proving himself to be one of the most consistent performers in fantasy football so far this season. At £7.4m he’s a step up in price, so it may not be quite as simple as a 1:1 swap, but he looks well worth it if you can. With 10 DEFCON’s against Spurs, he also has that chance of points beyond his goal threat. If you want reliability and upside, he’s the standout in our opinion.

semenyo

Option 2: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£5.0m)

Fixtures: Villa (A), Liverpool (H), West Ham (H)

  • Budget enabler at just £5.0m.
  • <5% ownership, making him a strong differential.
  • Already delivered 1 goal & 1 assist in 3 matches.

KDH might not be a direct Sarr replacement but can allow you to bench Sarr and spend the savings elsewhere, if you can afford to do that. Everton’s attack has looked sharp with Grealish pulling the strings, and the fixtures aren’t as bad as they look on paper. Aston Villa have had a tough start to the season, contrary to Everton’s attack. We predict Liverpool to beat Everton in the Merseyside derby, but that’s not to say Everton can’t cause trouble for the Reds at the back. If you want flexibility and value, Dewsbury-Hall is a great shout.

dewsbury hall

Option 3: Mohammed Kudus (£6.6m)

Fixtures: West Ham (H), Brighton (A), Wolves (H), Leeds (A), Villa (H), Everton (A)

  • Strong fixture run for Spurs.
  • Grabbed 2 assists in Gameweek 1.
  • Picked up an assist on international duty too.

Kudus hasn’t quite kicked on since his opening-day haul, but Spurs are the 3rd highest-scoring team this season. At just £0.1m more than Sarr, he’s almost a straight swap. His xGI of 0.28 from three games seems underwhelming on the surface, but Kudus is the type of player who can outperform the stats. The caveat we have with Kudus is that Spurs have just signed Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani so it could be worth seeing how they fit in, and effect Kudus’ role and minutes.

kudus

Option 4: Jack Grealish (£6.7m)

Fixtures: Villa (A), Liverpool (H), West Ham (H)

  • Dream start at Everton with 4 assists already.
  • Finally free from the shackle’s of Pep’s system.
  • Just 15% ownership – still a fantastic differential.

Grealish looks revitalised and is pulling Everton’s strings in attack. The fixtures are mixed, but with form on his side, he looks like one of the safest mid-price midfielders right now. He should also be guaranteed 90 minutes.

jack grealish vs wolves

Option 5: Lucas Paquetá (£5.9m)

Fixtures: West Ham (H), Brighton (A), Wolves (H)

  • 2 goals in 3 games.
  • Just 2.1% ownership.
  • Racking up defensive contributions (DEFCON points) – 15 vs Nottingham Forrest, 11 vs Chelsea.
  • Looks to be on penalties over Bowen, for now.

If Paquetá really is on spot-kicks, he’s massively underpriced at £5.9m. We see him as a cheaper Cole Palmer, the only downside being…West Ham. However, with DEFCON potential, penalty duties, and nailed minutes, he’s a serious differential who could quietly rack up returns.

paqueta

Final Thoughts

If you want a premium mid-range replacement, Semenyo is the form pick. If you’re looking for budget flexibility, Dewsbury-Hall and Paquetá are excellent options. Kudus is a calculated punt with good fixtures, while Grealish looks like the most balanced choice of the lot.

For me personally, I’ve already moved early to bring in Jack Grealish (already own Semenyo). Normally I hate doing early transfers during the break, but I had to in order to afford him alongside a potential move for Isak – though I’m holding off on that one for now.