5 WWE Superstars who could replace Sami Zayn at Survivor Series 

Sami Zayn was removed from the Men's Survivor Series team this past week on SmackDown but Adam Pearce failed to name a replacement for the former champion.

Zayn became his own worst enemy when he took it upon himself to request the removal of Jeff Hardy. This then led to a match between the two men and it was Zayn who ended up being kicked out when he was pinned by The Charismatic Enigma.

The team is currently made up of Jeff Hardy, Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods and Happy Corbin, but there are several potential replacements for Zayn on the SmackDown brand.

The following list looks at just five men who could step into the vacant slot in the SmackDown men's team.

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#5. Cesaro could fill the vacant position on the Men's Survivor Series team

Cesaro has been overlooked this year in favor of the likes of Xavier Woods and Happy Corbin, but it could be argued that he was deserving of a place. The former Tag Team Champion looks to be stepping back into a feud with Sheamus after his altercation with Ridge Holland this past week on SmackDown.

This means that the company could decide to make a match between Cesaro and Sheamus, with the winner going on to represent the blue brand at Survivor Series.

The Swiss Cyborg obviously has experience in the Survivor Series match and given the names that have been chosen for RAW, he would have been an ideal pick.

It's unclear why Cesaro wasn't one of the men chosen ahead of Zayn or Corbin, but this could be WWE's way of making it right and finally adding him to the team.

The former champion has been one of WWE's most overlooked stars over the past few years, but the Survivor Series match will allow him to show what he's capable of and hopefully earn him a push on SmackDown.

#4. Mustafa Ali could be chosen as part of the Survivor Series team

Mustafa Ali could be the man to be handed the slot on the Survivor Series team since he's another star who could greatly benefit from the exposure. Ali has recently had several backstage altercations with Ricochet, where the former RETRIBUTION leader made it clear that he was looking to form a team.

Whilst Ricochet has been rejecting his recent advances, he could decide that this route is a dead end and instead head to ask for a place in the Survivor Series team.

If Ali is able to be the sole survivor or even one of SmackDown's surviving team members on Sunday night then he could prove that he is valuable as a teammate to Ricochet. It would also show The One and Only that he is capable of being on a team without turning on his teammates.

Of course, Ali has recently turned on Mansoor and doesn't always have other people's best interests in mind, so it's hard to see him co-existing within the team.

#3. Sheamus could be the man to replace Sami Zayn at Survivor Series

Sheamus could be the man that Adam Pearce has in mind as Sami Zayn's replacement at Survivor Series.

The former World Champion makes his return to the company on Friday night and has recently been able to acquire the services of Ridge Holland. Whilst it appears that Sheamus could be stepping into a feud with Cesaro, there could be other plans for the Celtic Warrior.

It was at Survivor Series in 2015 that Sheamus was able to cash in his Money in the Bank contract to become World Champion. In 2016 the Irish star was one of Team Raw's survivors following the traditional elimination match. Survivor Series has always been good to Sheamus and it appears that this year could be no different.

It's hard to see WWE looking past Sheamus when it comes to names for the vacant slot. The former World Champion is easily one of the most dependable stars on the brand and if not for recent injuries he would have been a sure-fire pick for this year's team.

#2. Ricochet could be a surprise addition to the Survivor Series team

Ricochet could be called upon to fill the final slot on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series since he is one of the company's most exciting stars. The former United States Champion recently moved over to SmackDown in the WWE Draft and it was supposed to be a new start for him.

Instead, Ricochet has once again been overlooked since his move to the blue brand but this could easily be remedied if he was chosen for Team SmackDown.

Ricochet isn't set to be on the card at Survivor Series but he is one of the stars who deserves to be part of the show.

The former NXT Superstar has only been part of one Survivor Series match in the past when he was on Team RAW back in 2019. His team came up short that year and this year could finally be his chance to redeem himself and prove that he is now an asset to the blue brand.

#1. Jinder Mahal would be the perfect fit for the Survivor Series team

Jinder Mahal is easily one of the best options that Adam Pearce has for the Survivor Series team.

Jinder recently moved over to SmackDown alongside Shanky and the two men have stepped into a storyline with Hit Row. As a former WWE Champion, Mahal should definitely have been one of the first names on Team SmackDown.

It was ahead of Survivor Series back in 2017 that Mahal lost the WWE Championship to AJ Styles and with it, he lost his chance to go one-on-one with Brock Lesnar as part of the event.

Mahal hasn't had it easy in recent years as knee injuries have plagued his career and prevented him from being able to push forward after losing the WWE Championship.

Mahal is currently fully fit and able to step into the slot if needed. Given that there are already three faces on the team and just one heel, it makes sense for someone like Jinder to be added so that there is an equal balance.