Leeds United have been handed an encouraging injury boost ahead of their return to Premier League action this weekend…

What’s the word?

Marcelo Bielsa’s first-choice left-back Junior Firpo has confirmed his availability for the Whites’ second trip to West Ham United in a week on Sunday afternoon.

The 25-year-old was withdrawn early with what appeared to be a concussion during their FA Cup clash last weekend. He had collided with teammate Illan Meslier in the first half and was soon replaced by Cody Dramah after the break.

However, despite the knock, the defender has revealed he has recovered already to BBC Radio Leeds (via LeedsLive). He said:

“I’m good, I’m good. We’ve just followed the protocols about this type of thing (concussion). I’m fit and okay to play on Sunday. Yeah it happened in the [collision with Illan Meslier]. Minutes later I felt a little bit dizzy and in this condition, you cannot play a game in this level because it’s difficult.”

Huge boost

This will come as a huge relief to Marcelo Bielsa and co as the last thing he or anyone at Leeds needs is yet another absentee.

Injuries have been piling up all season and the Yorkshiremen cannot afford to lose another key player, having already been without the likes of skipper Liam Cooper, midfield lynchpin Kalvin Phillips and leading talisman Patrick Bamford.

Bielsa does not really have a back-up at left-back, so Firpo is the only senior option, barring someone like Pascal Struijk – who is also injured – or Stuart Dallas playing out of position there.

After an inconsistent start to life at Elland Road, the former Barcelona man has put in some solid displays, including one against Chelsea, where he thwarted England international Reece James before putting in his best performance of the season against Burnley.

At one point, Bielsa was staring down the barrel of having as many as 11 first-team stars unavailable heading into their second clash against the Irons this week, so to have Firpo fit is certainly positive news.

A surely relieved Bielsa and the fans must be delighted by this update.

AND in other news, Beren Cross delivers Victor Orta transfer update at Leeds United…

According to a report by Tuttosport (as shared by Sport Witness), Juventus are now ‘ready to agree’ a loan deal for Aaron Ramsey in the January window, with Newcastle listed as the possible destination.

The Lowdown: Serie A hasn’t worked out for Ramsey

Ramsey has had a disappointing career in the Serie A since joining giants Juventus, having failed to secure himself a spot in the side’s starting eleven. In the league this season, the Wales international has played just 98 minutes of football, spanning over three games, coming off the bench in two of those.

The former Arsenal man has endured some horrendous injuries over the years, and it seems his bad luck has followed him to Italy. Due to an unknown injury sustained in the middle of November, Ramsey has since missed nine games for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, with a return date still unknown.

As a result, Allegri is looking to offload Ramsey, as his monstrous £230,000-a-week salary is taking a heavy hit on Juventus’ finances.

The Latest: Loan deal with Newcastle?

According to a report by Tuttosport (as relayed by Sport Witness), Juventus are now ‘ready to agree’ a loan deal and Tuttosport have singled out the Magpies as the only listed destination for the player.

The situation is considered a ‘work in progress’, as it appears that Ramsey is standing his ground in regard to not taking a wage cut. A loan deal would be preferable for Newcastle in this case, as Juventus would likely pick up part of the wage bill.

The Verdict: Good deal for both parties

Ramsey is contracted to the Turin club until the summer of 2023. Therefore, if Howe’s side do get relegated to the Championship, the 31-year-old will be able to walk-away from the club and return to his big-money deal in Italy.

For Newcastle, Ramsey would be a brilliant signing in the short-term. Having created or score 91 goals in 262 appearances in the Premier League for Arsenal, the Welshman would provide the Magpies with that much-needed experience, which is critical in a relegation battle.

Wales teammate Joe Allen has claimed that Ramsey is still a ‘world-class player’, despite calls over his recent form in the Serie A. This suggests that the signing of the Juventus-man would be a fantastic addition to Howe’s Newcastle side if they can keep him fit for the relegation scrap.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Elano segue apostando em Yuri Alberto, Rodrygo e Emerson para a próxima temporada. O trio ganhou a chance e atuou no empate por 1 a 1, contra o Avaí, neste domingo, na Vila Belmiro.

Os três entraram no segundo tempo, mas apenas Rodrygo se destacou. Além da agilidade, uma de suas maiores características, roubou algumas bolas.

– Criamos muitas oportunidades, mas faltou entrar. Estávamos treinando, e coloquei os meninos por confiar muito neles. São dois meninos de 16 anos e o Emerson de 19, eu coloco sem medo. Não por eu achar que são ‘bonitinhos’, mas por achar que são bons, e eles tentaram. Foi uma dedicação muito grande – defendeu o treinador.

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Com boa impressão sobre os jovens, o comandante já conta com eles para a pré-temporada. E ele deixa nas entrelinhas que pretende promover outros. O elenco sai de férias e se reapresentará apenas no dia 3 de janeiro.

– Temos um grupo muito qualificado, jovens que estão aparecendo e consequentemente estarão na pré-temporada com a gente. Precisamos nos reforçar com jovens, com contratos, para que possamos continuar o trabalho. É um ano longo, a Libertadores é muito difícil, são muitas competições, são quase 85 jogos por ano – concluiu.

Calling Newcastle United’s 2021 a rollercoaster of emotions would be underplaying the 12 months the club has gone through this year.

From achieving survival in the Premier League thanks to Joe Willock’s sublime form on loan from Arsenal last season under Steve Bruce to PIF taking over from Mike Ashley and Eddie Howe becoming the new manager, Magpies fans have had a lot to deal with.

Newcastle are currently 19th in the Premier League table and appear on course to head down to the Championship next year, although the January transfer window is on the way and the prospect of PIF splashing the cash may be one that excites the fans.

It remains to be seen what will happen in the market next month or whether or not they will avoid the drop down to the second division, so why don’t we focus on what has already happened?

Take our huge, bumper, Newcastle quiz of 2021 and see if you can get 100% – only real fans will!

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain, has called for several changes to increase the popularity of five-day cricket, including paying Test players significantly more

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2010Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has called for several changes to increase the popularity of five-day cricket, including paying Test players significantly more and not broadcasting the game in the city hosting the game until a large crowd turns up at the ground. Speaking on Cricinfo’s video show , Sangakkara also said every country should have an iconic series like the Ashes to draw spectators to the stadiums.There has been plenty of talk over the decline of Tests, but Sangakkara said it was premature to write the format’s obituary. “Everyone is talking about Test cricket dying. Maybe we are pre-empting its death and trying to kill it before its time,” he said. “When it comes to players, they value playing the five-day version a lot more than they do any other version.”With a lot more money on offer in lucrative Twenty20 leagues such as the IPL, he stated that salaries of Test specialists should be hiked substantially. “Paying a match fee for playing a Test match that is 10% more than for a Twenty20, or a one-day game or 50% more doesn’t cut it,” he said. “Test cricket should be given its premium position by paying a premium amount for players who play only Test cricket sometimes.”Test cricket is packing stadiums only in England and a handful of cities over the world, something which Sangakkara felt could change if there were changes in way television broadcasted the game. “Stop overkill of cricket on television. We can’t have 24-hour cricket channels and still expect people to come and watch it at the ground,” he said. “Not telecasting the match to a particular city until they have an acceptable crowd at the ground [as they do in Australia is the right thing to do].”The Ashes have been one series which have been extremely well attended, with many grounds being sold out in advance, which indicated the way forward for Tests, according to Sangakkara. “Have iconic Test series for every country, like the Ashes for England and Australia. Have one for India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – it draws the crowds to the grounds.”There have been plenty of exciting Test matches over the past few years, including the memorable South African victory in Australia, England hanging on to nail-biting draws in three Tests, and India retaining the No. 1 ranking after a win with nine deliveries to spare in Kolkata last month in the face of a Hashim Amla masterclass. Sangakkara said players must dish out exciting cricket to gets fans to show up. “We have to accept the fact that we play because we are watched, we are entertainers – we can call ourselves gladiators,” he said. “At the end of the day we entertain and we like to play in front of a crowd. To get the crowd we have to be responsible enough to play entertaining cricket.”He also spoke of his team’s ambitions to correct some of the blots in Sri Lanka’s Test record, such as their record against Australia and their performances on tours to India. “We want to win against Australia, we want to beat India in India. Those are the things we talk about as players, and these opportunities don’t come if we don’t play Test cricket,” he said. “If Test cricket is going to be relegated as the third format of the game, behind Twenty20 and one-day cricket, then I think it will be a very sad day for cricket.”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has issued a statement regarding Raqibul Hasan’s emotional decision to retire from international cricket

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2010The Bangladesh Cricket Board has issued a statement regarding Raqibul Hasan’s emotional decision to retire from international cricket on the eve of the first Test against England, explaining that “the abrupt nature of this announcement has come as a shock to everyone concerned as this was totally unexpected.”It is thought that the root of Raqibul’s anger lies in an apparent disagreement between the board and the selectors over his recall for the England Test series, and in his omission from Bangladesh’s provisional squad for the World Twenty20. Cricinfo understands that the recommendation from above had been that Raqibul should be dropped for the Tests along with Mohammad Ashraful, whose form has deserted him in recent months.Bangladesh’s coach, Jamie Siddons, criticised the decision to leave Raqibul out of the Twenty20 squad, but highlighted his hopes for reconciliation between the board and the young batsman. “I don’t know who he was trying to hurt or what point he was trying to prove, but I hope the BCB welcomes him back because he’s a kid who’s a bit confused,” he said.”He didn’t like being dropped in the way he was dropped, then missing out on the 30 probables for the World Cup Twenty20 squad, which was probably bad selection, and he’s really disappointed,” Siddons added. “He thought he’d proved his point that he was good enough to be in that 30, which I think he is and then he walked away.”In a response to suggestions that selection disagreements were to blame, the BCB countered: “We take this opportunity to reiterate once again that selection of Test, ODI and Twenty20 Teams is based purely on performance and merit and is done at the discretion of the National Selection Committee which has its own criteria for picking players. Therefore, there is no scope for emotion in this regard.”The Board understands that this was a unilateral decision on part of the player but also feels that it was rather premature,” the statement continued. “We certainly do not wish to see a young talented cricketer like Raqibul leaving the game so early and hope that he will reconsider his position. Raqibul is an important member of the Bangladesh national team and it is our sincere expectation that he will return to mainstream cricket at the earliest.”

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Kortney Hause to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee (via Birmingham Live), with the West Ham insider revealing that David Moyes’ side have made contact with Aston Villa regarding a move for the centre-back this month, although talks between the two clubs are still believed to be in the preliminary stages.

Regarding the Hammers’ interest in the 26-year-old defender, Ex said: “Hause was on the bench for Villa in their cup defeat at Manchester United [and] has featured very few times under new manager [Steven] Gerrard.

“Despite this, Aston Villa have reportedly offered him the option of a new contract to keep him at the club. Hause is said to be one of a number of centre-back targets [for West Ham] and talks are only at the primary stage.”

He’d be a major upgrade

Considering just how much West Ham have struggled for numbers at the back following the injuries suffered by first-choice centre-back pairing Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna, it would appear a very wise move for Moyes to bring in greater depth into the position this month if he wants to give his team the best possible chance of securing a top-four finish this season.

While it is true that Hause has not featured regularly for Villa since Gerrard’s arrival at the club in November, the former England under-21 international has nevertheless proven that he would make a fantastic addition to Moyes’ current options at the back.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances last term, the £4.5m-rated defender helped his side to keep three clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as making 1.1 interceptions, 0.6 tackles, and 7.6 clearances per game and winning 65% of his duels.

These returns saw the £25k-per-week defender earn an impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Villa’s sixth-best player – and their best-performing centre-back – in the top flight in 2020/21.

For comparison, over his eight league outings this season, Issa Diop has failed to convince that he is of the standard required to be a starter for West Ham. The centre-back has helped his side to keep two clean sheets, in addition to making 0.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 3.3 clearances and winning a mere 2.9 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the Frenchman average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.59, ranking him as the Irons’ fourth-worst player – and their worst-performing defender – in the top flight.

As such, it is clear to see that the player who Matt Law dubbed a “ridiculous bargain” for the £3m that Villa paid to Wolves for the 26-year-old back in 2019 would be a major upgrade on Diop, leading us to believe that Moyes simply must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the Villa centre-back this month.

In other news: Transfer insider reveals West Ham have “looked at” signing £25m beast, fans surely buzzing

Writing for The Evening Standard, reliable reporter Jack Rosser has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defensive crisis…

As the Irons suffer a blow in their race for a top four finish, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal on Wednesday evening, manager David Moyes’ task to keep West Ham fighting at the top could only get harder.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Amid a hectic schedule with his side continuing to battle on all fronts, injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have left Moyes short in central defence.

Only Issa Diop and Craig Dawson remain as senior options for the Scotsman, prompting the club to look at targets in the January window to reinforce West Ham’s options.

The Latest: Reliable reporter makes Phillips claim…

As explained by Rosser, writing for The Evening Standard, West Ham are ‘prepared to push ahead’ with a move to sign Phillips from Liverpool despite his fractured cheekbone.

Moyes is personally keen to add another central defender to his ranks with the 24-year-old a target and his recent injury apparently will not be a factor to West Ham swooping next month.

The Verdict: Right move?

As Liverpool slash his asking price from the summer, we believe the Hammers and recruitment chief Rob Newman could be striking a bargain if they move for Phillips.

The Athletic reported in the summer that FSG valued the player at £15m, with The Standard now claiming they will let him go for £10m, and West Ham should take full advantage of the discount.

Lauded as a ‘monster’ by manager Jurgen Klopp, Phillips contributed well during their injury crisis in defence last season – starting 15 Premier League matches and making more clearances on average than any Liverpool player (WhoScored).

Still at a fairly young age, the defender has many years to develop and mature into an even better option and the fact he is homegrown could come as an even greater incentive.

In other news: ‘Pleeease’, ‘I would cry’…West Ham fans erupt as Moyes now offered ‘quality signing’, find out more here.

يرى جيمي كاراجر، النجم السابق لفريق ليفربول، أن محمد صلاح كان يؤدي في موسمه الأول مع الريدز، مثلما يفعل إيرلينج هالاند مع مانشستر سيتي في الوقت الحالي.

وكان محمد صلاح قد تألق بشكل أكثر من رائع مع ليفربول، في الموسم الأول عند انتقاله إلى الأنفيلد قادمًا من روما في صيف 2017.

وسجل محمد صلاح في موسم 2017/18، 44 هدفًا في مختلف المسابقات، من ضمنها 32 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي، ليُعد اللاعب الأكثر تسجيلًا للأهداف في موسم واحد في البطولة.

ويعاني محمد صلاح من قلة الأهداف، في الدوري الإنجليزي تحديدًا هذا الموسم، حيث لم يسجل إلا هدفين.

في حين أن إيرلينج هالاند تمكن من تسجيل 15 هدفًا حتى الآن، في البريميرليج، حيث يتصدر قائمة الهدافين.

ويلتقي ليفربول مع مانشستر سيتي، يوم الأحد المقبل، في قمة منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من البطولة على ملعب “الأنفيلد”.

وقال كاراجر في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية: “ليس لدي مشكلة مع محمد صلاح الآن، ينظر الكثير من الناس إلى موقعه الفعلي، فهل يتواجد في مواقع تهديف كافية؟”.

وأضاف: “حسنًا، لا أعتقد أن كلوب قد غير دوره، فهو لم يجد نفسه في مواقع خطيرة بالقدر نفسه”.

اقرأ أيضًا | للشهر الثاني على التوالي.. هالاند يفوز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي

وواصل: “الناس يستجوبون صلاح، لكنه وضع معاييره، بينما نتحدث عن هالاند هذا الموسم، كان ذلك صلاح في موسمه الأول، يجب ألا ننسى أنه سجل 25 إلى 30 هدفًا كل موسم وأعتقد أنه سيقترب من ذلك مرة أخرى”.

وأردف: “لكن من الصعب على أي لاعب أن يلعب في أفضل حالاته عندما لا يلعب الفريق بشكل جيد ويفوز، هذه مشكلة كبيرة”.

واختتم: “يحتاج الأفراد إلى التحسين من أجل ليفربول، ولكن كمجموعة يحتاجون إلى تحسين، وبعد ذلك فإن الأداء الفردي سيقترب من السنوات القليلة الماضية”.

MatériaMais Notícias

A delicada situação financeira atrelada à necessidade de encorpar o elenco faz com que, na visão da diretoria tricolor, todos atletas podem ser negociados em caso de uma boa compensação financeira ou técnica. Assim, nomes fundamentais em 2017 como Henrique Dourado e Gustavo Scarpa, podem ser vendidos e até negociados em trocas com outros clubes.

Abel Braga, que ainda não garantiu sua permanência no comando em 2018, já está ciente da possibilidade de perder um dos destaques da temporada.

– Um ou outro será vendido. É a necessidade. Nós não temos condições de fazer grandes contratações, então temos que ser inteligentes com relação à trocas. Você pode perder um jogador de grande qualidade e trazer dois, três bons. Você consegue cobrir melhor como um todo – comentou o comandante.

Em 2017, o Fluminense precisou buscar soluções em Xerém. Abel Braga, acostumado em lançar jovens, foi o responsável por pinçar os talentos – e conseguiu lançar nomes como Wendel, Calazans e Matheus Alessandro.

Para alcançar melhores resultados na próxima temporada, o treinador espera contar com um elenco mais encorpado por jogadores experientes, podendo usar os Moleques de Xerém de maneira mais natural e com menos pressão.

– Não podemos ficar na dependência de um menino resolver. Não são todos que vão desenvolver como o Douglas e rapidamente como o Wendel – finalizou.

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