Gameweek 32 Squad Secrets: A Defensive Gem, Essential Transfers & Your Captain Revealed

Welcome back, FPL managers! With Gameweek 32 fast approaching, there's plenty to digest - from injury news and must-act transfers to a criminally underowned defensive gem and a near-certain captaincy pick. We've broken it all down so you can make your moves with confidence before the Friday 10th April, 5:30pm deadline.

Three injury and availability updates every FPL manager needs to know right now:

Key reminder: The Gameweek 32 deadline is Friday 10th April at 5:30pm. Check the suspension list before you confirm your squad.

Every Wednesday we spotlight the top defensive contributor from the previous gameweek - and this week it's not even close.

Nuno Williams was absolutely electric for Nott'm Forest in their 3-0 thrashing of Spurs. Operating from left back, he was at the heart of everything going forward, racking up two assists and keeping a clean sheet in a dominant team performance.

Forest face Aston Villa at home in Gameweek 32 - a tougher test - but the underlying defensive structure under Sean Dyche is rock solid. Eight clean sheets this season tells its own story. At under £5m, the upside massively outweighs the risk. Over 11,000 managers have already made the move this week - don't be left behind.

Verdict: Good Buy. An elite differential at a bargain price. If you want to explore more defensive stats and contributions to back up this pick, check out our defensive stats tool for the full picture.

Welbeck bagged a brace against Liverpool in GW31, and with 12 goals for the season he's one of the most in-form forwards in the game right now. Brighton travel to Burnley in GW32 - a very winnable fixture for Fabian Hurzeler's side. With over 105,000 transfers in already, a price rise is almost certain. Get him in now before you're paying more.

Verdict: Essential. Do not delay.

Already covered in depth above as our Defensive Hero, but worth reiterating here as a transfer target. Fifteen points in GW31, eight clean sheets this season, over 11,000 transfers in this week, and a sub-£5m price tag. Forest host Aston Villa in GW32.

Verdict: Good Buy. At that price, this is a no-brainer for your budget defence slot.

J.Gomes is a massively under-the-radar option in Rob Edwards' Wolves midfield. At just 0.3% ownership with a form rating of 8.0 and expected points of 7.5 for GW32, he opens the gameweek against West Ham on Friday night. If he starts, he could be a massive differential. Wolves have four clean sheets this season and the fixture looks appealing. If you want to browse more options like this, our differential players tool is a great place to start.

Verdict: Good. A high-ceiling differential for the brave.

There is absolutely no debate here. Chalobah is out until the 2nd of May with an ankle injury. His expected points are zero. Over 183,000 managers have already sold him this week - if you're still holding, you're falling behind. At 14.1% ownership, this is the biggest dead weight in the game right now.

Verdict: Sell immediately. No excuses.

Ekitiké came off the bench for just 7 minutes in GW31 as Brighton beat Liverpool 2-1. His form has dipped to 4.8, and expected points of just 5.3 against Fulham at home don't justify the £9.3m price tag. Over 104,000 managers are already exiting. The premium price simply isn't justified right now.

Verdict: Sell. Reinvest that £9.3m into players with better form and upside.

Damsgaard is doubtful with a knock and didn't feature in GW31. At just 0.9% ownership, the impact on your rank is minimal if he does play - but the downside of him missing out entirely isn't worth tolerating. Over 6,500 managers are already moving him on.

Verdict: Sell. Don't wait to find out at the deadline.

These three players could be the difference makers in your mini-leagues this gameweek. All are under 10% owned and bring serious upside.

A note on Truffert: he picked up an assist in GW31 and has nine clean sheets this season - a remarkable tally that speaks to how well organised Bournemouth have been under Andoni Iraola. The GW32 trip to Arsenal is tough, but with expected points of 5.8 and that defensive record, there's a solid floor here. A sneaky budget option if you need to free up funds elsewhere.

This week's captaincy choice is about as close to a slam dunk as FPL gets. Bruno Fernandes is our pick with confidence.

The case for Fernandes as captain is overwhelming. Man Utd host Leeds on Monday night - a fixture rated 4 difficulty for Michael Carrick's side. Leeds have been in decent form (winning 3-1 against Aston Villa in GW30 and drawing 2-2 at Bournemouth in GW31), but United at home on a Monday night is a different challenge. Fernandes has returned a goal and an assist in both of those recent gameweeks, delivering 13 points in GW31 alone. With 8 goals and 17 assists this season and expected points of 9.7, he is the obvious captain choice. View our expected points projections to see how he compares across the top captaincy options.

All of this and more is covered in depth in this week's podcast. Hit play below for the full breakdown, or subscribe at whogotthepoints.com to stay ahead of your mini-league rivals every single gameweek.