{"id":21748,"date":"2026-10-13T18:21:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T16:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/2026\/10\/13\/gw7-budget-picks-thomas-mendy-and-the-mainoo-fitness-check\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T18:21:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T16:21:57","slug":"gw7-budget-picks-thomas-mendy-and-the-mainoo-fitness-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/2026\/10\/13\/gw7-budget-picks-thomas-mendy-and-the-mainoo-fitness-check\/","title":{"rendered":"GW7 budget picks: Thomas, Mendy and the Mainoo fitness check"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bobby Thomas is my first choice of these two cheap defenders when you need dependable playing time. Nobel Mendy costs \u00a30.1m more and has the higher defensive contribution rate, but Thomas has spent more time on the pitch. That matters when you need a bench player to cover a missing starter.<\/p>\n

Kobbie Mainoo offers another route to defensive contribution points at \u00a35.5m. His current injury flag makes him a player to monitor before the GW7 deadline rather than a purchase to rush through.<\/p>\n

Thomas or Mendy: compare time on the pitch<\/h2>\n

Thomas costs \u00a34.0m and has averaged 87.8 min\/match for Coventry. His 12.64 DefCon\/90 gives him a scoring route beyond clean sheets. Mendy costs \u00a34.1m, averages 67.8 min\/match for Hull and records 13.81 DefCon\/90.<\/p>\n

DefCon\/90 measures defensive contributions per 90 minutes. You still need the player to reach the scoring threshold during the match. Defenders earn two points for ten combined clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles. A high rate cannot guarantee that outcome if a player leaves the pitch early or misses the game.<\/p>\n

Thomas has the stronger playing-time record for a manager who needs cover. Mendy remains a candidate if you accept more uncertainty over his time on the pitch and prefer Hull’s upcoming opponents. Check expected starts before buying either.<\/p>\n

Clean-sheet prospects also belong in the comparison. Thomas records 1.70 xGC\/90, against Mendy’s 1.51. Those season-to-date expected goals conceded rates describe past performance; they do not promise a clean sheet in the next fixture. Neither player should enter your team on the assumption that defensive contribution points will arrive each week.<\/p>\n

Their home games start in GW8<\/h2>\n

Thomas visits Spurs in GW7, then faces Fulham and Sunderland at home in GW8 and GW9. Mendy visits Fulham before home games against Brentford and Ipswich Town.<\/p>\n

That makes both worth considering for cover beyond this weekend. If you need the new defender in your GW7 XI, assess the away fixture as part of the purchase. A pair of later home games will not help you fill an immediate gap.<\/p>\n

You can use the We Play FPL planner to test your GW7\u201310 line-ups<\/a> and see which defender covers the weeks your squad needs. Include GW10 in that check: Thomas visits Everton, while Mendy visits Arsenal. Decide how you will cover those matches before committing to the slot.<\/p>\n

Mainoo needs a fitness check first<\/h2>\n

Mainoo has reached the midfield defensive contribution threshold in five of his six appearances. Midfielders need twelve contributions for two points, with ball recoveries counting alongside clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles.<\/p>\n

He averages 74 min\/match and records 14.80 DefCon\/90. His 0.17 xGI\/90, the season-to-date rate of expected goals plus expected assists, shows why the appeal here rests on defensive work rather than attacking output.<\/p>\n

At \u00a35.5m, he can suit a manager seeking that scoring route in a budget midfield slot. Fitness and a starting place come first. Mainoo currently has an unspecified-injury flag with a 75% chance of playing; that does not establish a recovery date or confirm that he will start.<\/p>\n

Man Utd visit Leeds in GW7 and host Bournemouth in GW8, before Chelsea away and Aston Villa at home. Wait for a reliable fitness update and assess his likely role before buying. An unavailable midfielder cannot provide the cover you bought him for.<\/p>\n

Choose the player who can cover your squad<\/h2>\n

I favour Thomas for the cheaper price and stronger playing-time record. Mendy is an alternative for managers who prefer Hull’s fixture sequence and can carry the playing-time risk. Keep Mainoo on the watchlist until his fitness and starting outlook improve.<\/p>\n

Before the GW7 deadline on 17 October at 10:00 UTC, check expected starts and identify the matches in which you need each player. Treat defensive contribution points as a useful scoring route, with the same attention to availability and fixtures you would give any other budget pick.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thomas offers more playing time than Mendy despite the lower DefCon\/90. Compare their fixtures, and wait for Mainoo’s fitness update before buying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1979,1978,173,1977],"tags":[1987],"class_list":["post-21748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-differentials","category-fixtures","category-fpl","category-player-analysis","tag-gameweek-7"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weplayfpl.com\/news-articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}