Best Replacements for Michele Di Gregorio in UCL Fantasy

Champions League football is on pause due to the international break. So, we switch our focus to one of the most significant decisions ahead of the new round by looking at the best replacements for Michele Di Gregorio in UCL Fantasy.

Picking out the best replacements for Michele Di Gregorio in UCL Fantasy could be hugely important this week. Di Gregorio picked up a red card in his latest match which means he can’t feature in Matchday 3. Whilst some may leave him benched until he returns in Matchday 4, some may want to take advantage and replace him.

Goalkeepers to pair with Janis Blaswich

Ahead of the new season, one of the few goalkeepers that Di Gregorio rotated with was Salzburg’s Janis Blaswich (€4.5m). This means that many within the community now need a goalkeeper that plays on a different day to the German.

One player who avoids playing on the same day as Janis Blaswich is Gregor Kobel (€5m). Between the sticks for Dortmund Kobel has kept one clean sheet in his first two matches. That number is likely to rise quickly as he faces fixtures against Sturm Graz, GNK Dinamo, Bologna and Shakhtar in his next six matches.

Dortmund collected a clean sheet in half of their Champions League matches last season, a campaign which saw them advance all of the way to the final. Some of that progress was due to Kobel’s heroics and is now considered one of the best shot stoppers in Europe. With this in mind, as well as clean sheet potential Kobel also has the potential to rack up save points.

Another serious consideration could be Łukasz Skorupski (€4.6m). The Bologna goalkeeper also plays on a different day to Blaswich, right the way through to Matchday 8. Although failing to return in his previous match Skorupski banked a huge 11-point return in Matchday 1 due to his clean sheet and penalty save.

Bologna also have a fairly good schedule. As well as facing a tough fixture against Dortmund they also clash with Aston Villa, Monaco, Lille, Benfica and Sporting. The matches ahead could offer plenty of potential for Łukasz Skorupski and all for just €4.6m.

One more option who plays on different days to Janis Blaswich is Philipp Köhn (€4.5m). Monaco managed a clean sheet in three of their first four league matches, therefore proving their defensive strength. Fixtures lay ahead against Crvena Zvezda, Bologna, Benfica in their next three matches. But, after that they then come up against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Inter.

Other Replacements

Now of course there are plenty, arguably better replacements for those that do not have to pair a goalkeeper with Janis Blaswich.

Whilst goalkeepers like Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Manchester City’s Ederson and Bayern’s Manuel Neuer all play for strong teams and have good fixtures, they all cost €6m. The most experienced managers tend to spend less than €5m on a goalkeeper during the earlier stages of the competition. This allows money to be spent in positions which hold more potential.

The above limits our options but there are still some fantastic picks to choose from.

One of those options is Emi Martinez (€5m). Aston Villa have started their season very strongly winning and keeping clean sheets in both of their matches. As of result Martinez sits on 15 points, with a chance to add to that with fixtures against Bologna, Club Brugge, Juventus, Leipzig, Monaco and Celtic ahead.

Many will look to Iñaki Peña for his matches against Bayern, Crvena Zvezda, Brest, Dortmund, Benfica and Atalanta. The long-term injury to Marc Ter Stegen looks to have secured Peña’s minutes for Barcelona and the fact he comes in at just €4m, makes him an even better option overall.

For UCL managers who already have a Barcelona triple up, or for those that don’t waste a Barcelona slot on a goalkeeper then Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi (€4.5m) could be another great pick. The Italian bagged a clean sheet and return in both of his first two matches, one of them came against a strong Arsenal side.

The above is a good example of how good Atalanta can be defensively, but they also have a favourable schedule. Starting with a match against Celtic they then go onto meet with Stuttgart, Young Boys, Real Madrid, Sturm Graz and Barcelona.

UCL Fantasy managers could also consider: