FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE: With Nick Pope out for months, £3.9m Martin Dubravka offers superb value… but should you buy the goalkeeper amid Newcastle’s interest in David De Gea?
- DON’T FORGET! The GW15 FPL deadline is at 6pm on Tuesday December 5
- Martin Dubravka is only £3.9m in FPL and offers top value – should you buy him?
- CHRIS SUTTON: I would have been angry like Erling Haaland, but why did it need six or seven City players going at the referee? It’s All Kicking Off
Nick Pope’s shoulder injury may have presented FPL managers with an utter gift at £3.9million: Newcastle’s deputy goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle, who triumphed 1-0 over Manchester United at the weekend, boast one of the best defences in the league ahead of GW15 and are joint-second with Liverpool for goals conceded this season behind league leaders Arsenal (11).
Magpies No 1 goalkeeper Pope is set to have scans over the next 48 hours after suffering a recurrence of a dislocated shoulder injury at St James’ Park on Saturday.
Dubravka, priced at only £3.9m in FPL, came off the bench to deputise for the injured 31-year-old star and is set to reclaim his spot as Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper during Pope’s lengthy absence.
During a congested festive period for Eddie Howe’s side, Newcastle take on Everton (GW15) and Tottenham (GW16) before the end of the week, before facing league matches against Fulham, Luton and Nottingham Forest before the new year.
£3.9m goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was forced into action after Nick Pope’s injury on Saturday
The Newcastle keeper could offer great long-term value in our Fantasy Premier League teams
Given that the Magpies are third in the league behind Arsenal and Manchester City for expected goals conceded (xGC), Dubravka offers sensational value if he’s able to hold down a permanent first-team spot.
Newcastle’s next six fixtures in FPL
GW15: EVERTON (A)
GW16: TOTTENHAM (A)
GW17: FULHAM (H)
GW18: LUTON (A)
GW19: NOTTINGHAM FOREST (H)
GW20: LIVERPOOL (A)
Mail Sport’s exclusive threw a spanner in the works on Monday morning as it was revealed that former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is being targeted by the Saudi owned outfit.
Due to De Gea’s status as a free agent, Newcastle can push to sign the Spaniard ahead of the January transfer window,
Mail Sport understands De Gea is only one potential option Newcastle have looked at, with the club keen to sign a new goalkeeper during Pope’s absence.
Those with several fires to put out in their FPL teams would be wise to leave Dubravka for now and simply monitor the situation. Although excellent value in the short term, Dubravka may prove to be a wasted move down the line if he ends up quickly losing his place to a Pope replacement.
That being said, Dubravka’s extremely cheap price makes him a fantastic second goalkeeping option, perhaps besides an Alphonse Areola, Mark Flekken or Bernd Leno. If you have two free transfers heading into GW15 and are blessed with a squad you’re happy with, you can’t go too wrong swapping your reserve goalkeeper for Dubravka because of his very affordable price, rotating them until the Slovak becomes a problem.
Worst case scenario would be Newcastle signing a new No 1, such as De Gea, but there’s every chance the Magpies look to make business elsewhere on the pitch with Dubravka, Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie among their goalkeeping ranks.
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But Newcastle are considering a possible move for ex-Man United goalkeeper David de Gea
First-choice keeper Nick Pope suffered a bad shoulder injury against United at the weekend
Plenty of managers will be wondering whether it’s worth swerving Dubravka and instead waiting to sign De Gea, should he ultimately join Newcastle, given the Spaniard has proven pedigree in FPL.
De Gea was priced as a £5.0m goalkeeper at Manchester United last season and it is likely the 33-year-old would come in with the same valuation, as Newcastle boast better clean sheet potential than the Red Devils. It’s unlikely he’ll come in any higher because only Pope, Man City’s Ederson and Liverpool’s Alisson started the season at £5.5m among goalkeepers.
The Spanish stopper finished the 2017-18 season with a superb 172 points in FPL but fell away towards the latter stages of his Manchester United career, leaking goals frequently.
With £4.5m Sven Botman set to return for Newcastle over the next few weeks and £4.2m Jamaal Lascelles covering perfectly until then, it seems there are better options in the Newcastle defence than De Gea should the free agent join the Magpies.
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