Round 7 of Sofascore Fantasy Serie A has a big problem for more than half of all managers: Lautaro Martínez is out injured. The deadline is today, Friday 16 October, at 16:15 UTC, so here is how to reshape your squad.

Round 6 produced an average of 45.3 points, with the top manager reaching 118, and the Round 7 slate of 10 matches runs from Friday to Monday. With nearly 94,000 managers in the game, the standouts below mix form, Sofascore’s projections and fixtures. Remember the limit of three players per club, and that the Wildcard, Free Hit and Triple Captain chips are all available.

Injury and suspension alert

Lautaro Martínez (Inter, 10.5) is owned by 59.6% of managers and is out with a thigh injury, with his return date listed around 20 November. Donyell Malen (Roma, 8.6, 37.1% owned) is suspended after a red card, and Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar (23.2% owned) is out with a broken finger until around 10 November. Kenan Yıldız (Juventus, 10.5, 17.0% owned) is out with a broken foot until early December, and Manu Koné (Roma, 12.5% owned) is a day-to-day doubt with a muscle injury. Como’s Moise Kean and Assane Diao are also missing, as are Juventus’s Manuel Locatelli and Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini.

If you own any of them, transfers are a must.

Captain pick: Paulo Dybala

Paulo Dybala (Roma, 7.8) is the pick for the armband. He averages 8.5 points per round (51 in total), has no goals yet from 2.02 xG, and he has created four assists from 3.42 xA, with 21 shots and 25 key passes in six games. Sofascore projects him for 6.20 points at home to Genoa, with a 16% goal probability and a 25% assist probability, and with Malen suspended, Roma’s attack runs through him. He is owned by 26.7%.

The safe alternative is Nico Paz (Como, 9.0, 54.0% owned). He has 41 points, a form rating of 7.3 and 31 shots (2.15 xG), and he is projected for 6.39 at Fiorentina. If you want an expensive differential in the armband rather than a template one, Dybala is the better choice.

Goalkeepers

Maduka Okoye (Udinese, 5.1, 4.2% owned) has the highest projection of any goalkeeper (5.22) at home to Lecce, and he has made 22 saves in six games.

Christos Mandas (Lazio, 5.4, 9.5% owned) has the most points of any keeper (50, form 8.7) with three clean sheets and 26 saves, though the trip to Juventus gives Lazio only a 9% clean-sheet chance. Mike Maignan (Milan, 6.0) is the premium option, owned by 32.9% and facing Atalanta at home with a 16% clean-sheet chance.

If you own Svilar, Pierluigi Gollini (Roma, 4.0, 1.2% owned) returned 10 in Round 6 and costs just 4.0. Check lineups before the deadline.

Defenders

Jacobo Ramón (Como, 7.1, 10.6% owned) is the top-projected defender (5.86), in form (8.3), and has 38 points. He has played every minute, with a 14% goal probability and 10% assist probability, though Como’s clean-sheet chance at Fiorentina is only 9%.

Juventus carry the highest clean-sheet probability of the round (25%) at home to Lazio, which makes Zeki Çelik (5.7, 5.9% owned, 38 points) and Gleison Bremer (7.3, 29.3% owned, 50 points, three clean sheets) the picks. Monza are next at 19% against Cagliari, and both Samuele Birindelli (4.1, 0.9% owned, 26% assist probability and 11 key passes) and Ricardo Mangas (4.1, 2.1% owned) offer value from the cheapest price band.

On the Roma side, Gianluca Mancini (7.7, 16.2% owned, 48 points) and Mario Hermoso (7.1, 50 points) are strong returners, but Roma’s clean-sheet chance is only 14% with Svilar out. Nuno Tavares (Lazio, 6.1, 11.2% owned) has 49 points and a 16% assist probability, though Lazio face Juventus away.

Midfielders

Giacomo Calò (Frosinone, 5.4, 2.3% owned) is the standout bargain. Sofascore projects him at 6.75, the highest of any player this round, he has 44 points and a form of 8.0, and he has 24 key passes (1.29 xA) this season. Frosinone host Sassuolo.

Franco Mastantuono (Fiorentina, 5.8, 12.0% owned) has the best form in the game (11.0), with three goals from 2.37 xG and 25 shots, and a 33% goal probability at home to Como.

Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio, 6.8, 7.8% owned) has the highest assist probability of any midfielder (29%), with 2.25 xG and 1.67 xA, while Jürgen Ekkelenkamp (Udinese, 6.3, 9.7% owned) has 46 points and three goals.

Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli, 7.7, 24.4% owned) returned 15 points in Round 6 and has three goals and one assist, but he has played only 353 minutes in six appearances, a rotation risk at Venezia. Federico Dimarco (Inter, 9.9, 29.7% owned) has returned only 26 points with a form of 3.0, so his price is hard to justify away at Bologna.

Forwards

With Lautaro and Malen both unavailable, the forward line is thin, and there is value further down.

Giorgi Kvernadze (Frosinone, 4.5, 3.8% owned) has 41 points, three goals and a 28% goal probability against Sassuolo, which makes him the best budget forward.

Daniel Maldini (Cagliari, 5.1, 1.7% owned) has scored four goals from 2.94 xG in 438 minutes and has a 38% goal probability at Monza.

For a premium replacement, Marcus Thuram (Inter, 8.2, 11.5% owned) has a form of 9.0 and a 26% goal probability at Bologna, but he has averaged only 58 minutes per appearance, so keep an eye on the lineup. Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus, 6.2, 9.9% owned) has 3.17 xG for one goal, with a 24% goal probability at home to Lazio, and may be due a return.

Nicolò Cambiaghi (Bologna, 6.2, 2.4% owned) returned 15 points in Round 6 and hosts Inter, and Nikola Krstović (Atalanta, 6.2, 3.6% owned) returned 18, but he has played just 281 minutes in six games, so be wary.

Looking ahead to Round 8

The Round 8 deadline is Friday 23 October at 16:15 UTC, with Napoli v Roma the standout fixture, plus Inter v Fiorentina, Lazio v Parma and Como v Sassuolo. Inter, Lazio and Como players have a home fixture to look forward to, which is one more reason to hold Paz, Ramón and Thuram if you pick them.

Summary

Captain Dybala, with Paz as the alternative. Okoye or Mandas in goal, Çelik, Bremer and Birindelli in defence, Calò and Mastantuono in midfield, and Kvernadze and Maldini up front. Replace Lautaro, Malen and Svilar before 16:15 UTC today.

All prices, points, ownership, projections, probabilities and injury information are from the Sofascore Fantasy Serie A data at the time of writing.