Where have all the Premier League strikers gone?

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Premium strikers have been scoring for fun this season, with Sergio Aguero, Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and Harry Kane all with six or more goals in just seven games. Jamie Vardy, Gabriel Jesus and Alexandre Lacazette all have at least four to their names too.

But it was too good to last as injuries took two of the best in Aguero and Morata. Jesus and Lacazette meanwhile are not guaranteed to play the whole game and Lukaku has tough upcoming games and is carrying a niggle of his own.

With premium options across our backlines and in midfield still producing, is it time to take a punt on some budget options upfront until the big boys are back and firing?

What happened to our strikers?

Aguero will be out for months

Aguero will be unavailable for Manchester City for a few games after being involved in a car crash in Amsterdam. The club has since revealed he is already back in light training but it could be months before he is back playing full-contact again.

Before his accident, Aguero scored an impressive six goals in as many appearances which included a hattrick at Watford. His injury leaves Pep with just one senior striker in Gabriel Jesus.

Can Jesus step up?

The Brazilian has had a tough international break in South America racking up thousands of air miles, playing for the Canarinho as early as Wednesday morning. Man City also have Napoli in midweek and other cup competitions to deal with so Pep may have to manage his minutes against the smaller sides.

Lukaku has been carrying a niggle

Staying in Manchester, Romelu Lukaku has also faced problems. While on duty with Belgium, Lukaku suffered a muscular injury which meant he started their World Cup qualifier from the bench against Cyprus. He came on and scored during Belgium’s convincing 4-0 win.

Despite some worries from the Belgium camp, Lukaku is expected to be fit for their huge fixture against Liverpool on Saturday but with Huddersfield, Spurs and Chelsea to follow Liverpool, it’s hard to see him keeping up his scoring record over the next month.

READ MORE: Is Lukaku just a flat-track bully?

Morata

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has been the most transferred out this week, after pulling up with a hamstring injury against Manchester City. Morata tweeted in the week (but later deleted it) that he is aiming to be back for the Crystal Palace match. But with Roma in midweek and six matches in 17 days, it looks more likely he will be rested for at least gameweek 8. This could lead the way for Michy Batshuayi to lead the line for Chelsea.

Gunner to continue firing?

The final premium forward who may come across issues over the coming games is Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette. It is widely known that the French striker prefers the Emirates. He has scored four times at home but is yet to hit the back of the net away from home. Unfortunately for him, three of Arsenal’s next four fixtures are away from the Emirates which could lead to a disappointing return for the many Lacazette owners.

READ MORE: What to do if you have Mane, Kante or Fellaini in your fantasy team.

Who will partner Kane upfront?

So it seems only Harry Kane is a suitable premium option for FPL managers, meaning there would still be two available slots in your squad which would be needed to be filled by cheaper forwards. The most popular selection is Leicester striker Jamie Vardy who had injury worries before the international break but Shakespeare today said he has fully recovered. Over 130,000 people have brought in Vardy to date and it is clear to why. Leicester’s fixtures are decent for the next few games and has already bagged a handful of goals this campaign.

READ MORE: How will a missing Mane affect your fantasy team?

A slightly cheaper option to Vardy is Manchester United wonder-kid Marcus Rashford. As mentioned earlier, United’s fixtures are turning which could put people off selecting him, but his class could shine through the difficult matches. He performed well on the international stage last week and will be looking to push on with his performances.

Other popular replacements for the premium strikers are Everton duo Oumar Niasse and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose fixtures are finally getting better and looking a lot more positive for the Toffees. They are both priced generously and would free up plenty of budget for the rest of your squad. Other Premier League duos who are being transferred in are Swansea pair Tammy Abraham and Jordan Ayew and Stoke partnership Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch.

In association with FPL Updates