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David Moyes is sweating on the fitness of two of his West Ham stars ahead of this afternoon’s Premier League clash with Brentford…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, right-back duo Vladimir Coufal and Ryan Fredericks will be assessed before kick-off, having both missed their Europa League triumph over Rapid Wien in midweek.

The Czech Republic international was absent from training in the build-up to Thursday’s 2-0 win with a minor injury but according to manager David Moyes he has “a chance” of being involved today.

Meanwhile, his fellow full-back suffered a groin injury just 17 minutes into the Irons’ Carabao Cup victory against Manchester United a little over a week ago and has been missing ever since.

Both players are facing late fitness tests ahead of today’s encounter with the Bees at the London Stadium.

A big worry

The Scotsman should be concerned heading into kick-off as he could be without his first-choice and backup right-back against a side that have already beaten Arsenal and frustrated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in recent weeks.

Brentford are just two places behind the Hammers in the table and could leapfrog them should they clinch the three points in east London later this afternoon.

Thomas Frank has plenty of firepower at his disposal, having bagged the most goals of any side 10th or worse. The likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos can deal damage to any top-flight team, as we’ve already seen this campaign.

Coufal is an integral player in Moyes’ system.

He provided the second-most assists (seven) in the squad last season and he makes a big impact at either end of the pitch – as per WhoScored, he managed a team-high 2.1 tackles, on top of 1.2 interceptions and 1.3 key passes per game in 2020/21.

His form led to a glowing endorsement from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who described the 29-year-old as “a manager’s dream” on Monday Night Football [4th May 2021, 22:24pm]

If he is absent, then usually Fredericks would be called upon and he’s been a steady and reliable backup for Moyes. In fact, it was he who provided the winner against Manchester United just minutes before picking up his injury.

It means Ben Johnson may need to be called upon once again, should both players miss the game, having made just his second start of the season on Thursday night.

There will also be another dilemma ringing around Moyes’ head as he may not want to risk either player unless they are truly 100% ready to feature. He will not want to see a returning player pick up another problem straight away, so it is certainly a major call to make.

The Hammers boss will be sweating on the fitness of Coufal and Fredericks ahead of their clash with the Bees this afternoon.

AND in other news, Moyes must axe “impressive” £27m-rated West Ham dynamo today, he’s struggled for weeks…

Everton earned a hard-fought point in their Premier League encounter against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, easing the pressure on manager Rafa Benitez.

The Toffees were without a host of first-team stars due to injury and illness, forcing them to start two teenage academy graduates against the reigning European champions.

However, it was two of their young homegrown talents that stepped up to the plate for Everton and secured them just their sixth point since 25th September.

Chelsea dominated proceedings throughout the game, racking up 80% possession and Mason Mount gave them a deserved lead on the 70-minute mark after he slotted home following Reece James’ pass.

But Benitez’s charges fought back admirably just four minutes later when 19-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite struck on his first league start of the season after Anthony Gordon’s free-kick.

Everton had Jordan Pickford to thank for a string of impressive saves to keep them in the game as well as the match-winner Branthwaite, but it was arguably Gordon who was the real hero.

As per SofaScore, the England U21 international was awarded a match rating of 7.6 out of 10, the highest of any outfield player to feature for the Merseyside outfit.

Gordon proved extremely useful for Everton in their battle to gain territory up the pitch, winning a whopping 11 duels, drawing five fouls from opposition defenders and successfully pulling off three of his four attempted dribbles.

And the youngster was also extremely diligent in his defensive work. The 20-year-old made three clearances, pulled off two tackles and made one interception, highlighting his hugely effective display.

The Liverpool ECHO’s Adam Jones was equally as impressed with Gordon, awarding him an 8 out of 10 for his determined display.

“Looked very progressive on the rare occasions he managed to pick up possession throughout, and was rewarded with a great assist from a free kick,” wrote Jones. “Never stopped sprinting throughout.”

With winnable fixtures against the likes of Burnley, Newcastle United and Brighton to come, Benitez will be hoping Gordon can maintain this sort of form over the festive period.

And, in other news…Imagine him & DCL: Benitez must seal Everton swoop for “unbelievable” 52-goal animal 

Aston Villa have a record of being particularly active in the transfer market, even before Steven Gerrard was appointed as their manager back in November.

Now that the Villa boss will have his first summer window ahead of him once the season ends, it seems as though the 41-year-old may already have some plans in place regarding one area of his squad he wants to strengthen at Bodymoor Heath.

What’s the talk?

According to a recent report from Football Insider’s sources, Villa will be looking to bring in a left-sided centre-back during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report also claims that this could put the future of Tyrone Mings into doubt, who they say “has not completely convinced” Gerrard in terms of his capabilities on the pitch.

Thrilling news for fans

Villa originally signed the defender on a loan deal from AFC Bournemouth back in the 2019 January window before securing him on a permanent basis in the following summer.

Overall, the Englishman has gone on to make 121 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals and seven assists along the way.

In terms of why the Villa boss may yet to be convinced by Mings, only four other outfield players in the Premier League have made more errors that have led to an opponent’s shot this season.

This shows that the 29-year-old has been known to be a bit of a weakness at the back for his team at times.

In fact, 66% of voters in a poll ran by Football FanCast earlier this season claimed that the centre-back is a liability for Villa and could therefore be over the moon to hear that his place in the team could be at risk next season.

While Gerrard’s reported efforts to see a new left-sided centre-back enter the frame at Villa could spell the end of the road for Mings, it could have a positive effect and make him step his game up if he knows that his place in the side will be at risk if he doesn’t.

With that in mind, the England international will have to make sure he uses the final games of the season to show his manager that he has what it takes to be an important figure in the team for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Source: AVFC’s “difficult” dud could now leave Villa Park, it’s great news for Gerrard

An update has emerged on Manchester City winger Cole Palmer, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Magpies have made a loan approach to sign the England under-21 international for the second halff of the campaign.

The report claims that their initial attempts to land him have been knocked back by Pep Guardiola’s side, but does not state whether or not Newcastle will go back in with another effort.

Snap him up

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe must do everything in his power to snap him up by convincing the Premier League champions to send Palmer on loan to St. James’ Park. He could be a terrific addition to the squad who could help them avoid relegation down to the Championship.

The £12k-per-week wing wizard has already played 12 games in the first-team for Manchester City, scoring twice, and has been capped four times by England at under-21 level.

Guardiola was previously effusive in his praise of the young attacker, saying:

“Cole has a special quality in front of the box, a talent that is difficult to find. When he has the ball there, most of the time it ends up in the net. It’s difficult to find that.

“I know how it works with young players. We have to be calm and patient. His position is the second team but at the same time he trains with us and works with our principles. I am happy with the goal. He could have done a few actions a little bit better, but that is normal. It is experience.”

His record at U23 level for City is phenomenal. He has scored 19 goals and provided 10 assists in 27 games, having found the back of the net 20 times – whilst managing eight assists – in 32 matches for the U18s previously.

This, along with his exposure to first-team football under Guardiola, suggests that he could have the quality to provide a lift to the Magpies team. Callum Wilson (six) is the only Newcastle player with more than three Premier League goals and Allan Saint-Maximin (three) is the only player with more than two assists, highlighting the need for more forwards who can contribute at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Howe must work hard to change City’s mind and get them to send Palmer to the club on loan. He could come in and offer an added bit of quality in the final third, if he is able to translate even a fraction of the form he has shown for City at youth level into the first team.

AND in other news, Downie shares NUFC update after speaking “to the consortium”, fans will be thrilled…

Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici will give an answer to AC Milan over a move for Japhet Tanganga ‘this weekend’.

The Lowdown: Tanganga under Conte

The 22-year-old has been used by Antonio Conte on a number of occasions in recent months, turning out in a variety of roles.

He’s played as a left-back, centre-back, right-back and even right midfielder, with his latest appearance coming against Leicester City in a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Tanganga is under contract until 2025 but has been linked with a move to Italy, and it seems as if Spurs are mulling over a possible transfer in the final days of the January window.

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The Latest: Next 48 hours key

Sports Witness shared a link to a story on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, revealing the clubs are in talks and Paratici will give an answer ‘this weekend’.

AC Milan are thought to be ‘working’ on a move and would prefer a loan deal over a permanent one, with the next 48 hours seemingly vital.

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed first?

Sending Tanganga to Milan for the second half of the season may well be good for the youngster – it has reinvigorated Fikayo Tomori’s career, for example. However, Spurs could do with bringing players in before shipping any out on loan.

Conte has just five senior centre-backs to choose from, one being Cristian Romero who is injured. Joe Rodon also doesn’t seem to be fancied by the Italian, who has moved Ben Davies into a central role from left-back.

Spurs are thought to be keen on Sevilla’s Diego Carlos, and should they pip Newcastle to the Brazilian, then perhaps an exit for Tanganga, who Gary Neville called ‘really special’, could be on the cards.

In other news: Spurs make 11th-hour attempt to dramatically scupper rivals’ move for £40.5m-rated ‘beast’. 

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On Sunday afternoon, Notts County officially announced that owner and chairman Alan Hardy has made the struggling League Two outfit available for purchase. 

Hardy cited a need to focus on his other business interests as the driving factor behind his decision to sell. As per the aforementioned report, Hardy stated that “my efforts to restore Notts County’s fortunes over the last two years mean my other businesses have had to take a back seat. They are now in need of my full attention.”

The Magpies are currently floundering at the foot of the table. Neal Ardley’s side are in desperate need of a boost, which many will hope can be provided by the arrival of a new owner. 

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Hardy took charge at Meadow Lane in January 2017, when the club were fighting for EFL survival. Since then, he has seen the club make the play-offs. However, they now once again find themselves mired in a desperate scrap to preserve their status as the oldest club in the Football League.

Following the announcement of Hardy’s decision to put the club up for sale, plenty of Notts County fans took to Twitter to voice their reactions…

At this moment in time, Southampton have several players in their squad whose current contracts are set to expire next summer.

One particular player whose terms conclude at the end of the current season that should be offered a new deal to keep him at St. Mary’s is goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Southampton signed the stopper back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace for a reported fee of around £4m.

Since then, the 31-year-old, who is currently valued at £4.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 122 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, keeping 33 clean sheets in the process, the latest of which came in their recent 1-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road. During that game, he managed to make three saves and earn himself an impressive overall match rating of 7.4/10 according to SofaScore.

So far this season, McCarthy has played every minute of Premier League action for the Saints after seeing his league appearances increase with every campaign he’s been at the club, showing how much he is admired by Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The 31-year-old has made a total of 24 saves in the top-flight so far this term, the 12th highest of any of the 29 goalkeepers to have made at least one appearance in the league.

Back in August, it was reported by The Athletic that McCarthy had put pen to paper on a new three-year deal at Southampton, but has yet to be officially confirmed by the club.

If by any chance McCarthy, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £50k-per-week according to Spotrac, hasn’t actually signed a new deal on the south coast yet, then this is something that should be at the top of the club’s priority list given how important he has been for the Saints over the years. After all, he’s previously been described as “fantastic” by Hasenhuttl.

Additionally, with fellow Southampton shot-stopper Fraser Forster’s contract set to expire next summer, it’s likely that he could be on his way out of the club considering he’s only played three games for the Saints so far this season and is currently their second-highest earner with a weekly wage of £70k-per-week.

As a result, it would make sense for the club to keep hold of McCarthy for the next few years as their first-choice goalkeeper.

In other news: Ralph must wield the axe on £10.8m-rated Saints ace with 55% pass accuracy v Watford – opinion

Leeds United’s latest Premier League outing saw them secure a 2-2 draw at home to Brentford thanks to a late equalising goal from striker Patrick Bamford.

One player that did not feature in the match against Thomas Frank’s side after picking up an injury in their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last week was defender Pascal Struijk.

However, it seems as though there has been a fresh update on the matter that should have a lot of Leeds fans thrilled.

What’s the news?

Leeds journalist Phil Hay shared a post on his official Twitter page sharing news after the Brentford draw that Struijk has a hip problem and is finishing his recovery.

The fact that Struijk is finishing his recovery should leave plenty of Leeds fans buzzing ahead of their next league match against Chelsea at the weekend. After all, if fellow defender Liam Cooper is unable to play after being forced off the pitch with an injury against Brentford, it will be a seismic boost to get the 22-year-old back.

In the 12 Premier League games he’s appeared in so far this season, Struijk has shown just what an important defensive unit he is for Leeds by racking up an average of 2.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game as well. For context, that tally of tackles is the highest by an out and out defender in Bielsa’s squad this term.

Labelled as a player that has “got it all” by former Leeds star Dominic Matteo, Struijk has certainly proved himself as an important player for the Whites after making his Premier League debut in their opening game of last season against Liverpool at Anfield.

If the Dutchman can be fit enough to play in the game against Chelsea, this would surely give the Yorkshire club a better chance of securing a positive result against Thomas Tuchel’s side, especially after they conceded three goals in their latest league game against West Ham United.

With Leeds having games against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the league before the end of the current calendar year, everyone at the Yorkshire club will undoubtedly be hoping that Struijk will be able to stay fit and available for those tough games to give his side the best chance of getting some more points on the board.

He has been vitally important to their cause this term so fans will undoubtedly be elated to see that he’s well on the recovery trail.

In other news: Huge setback: Leeds struck with double injury blow that’ll surely have Bielsa fuming – opinion

The future of Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos may depend on ‘what happens with [Giovanni] van Bronckhorst’, Danny Mills has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

Morelos’s £33,000-per-week Rangers contract is due to expire at the end of next season.

That means this summer could be the club’s last opportunity to cash in, with Morelos able to line up a free transfer to a foreign club from January unless he pens an extension.

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The frontman stated back in the autumn that he hoped he would be soon be allowed to leave Glasgow.

Morelos has scored 113 goals in 224 appearances for the club, better than one every two games, and is their all-time top European goalscorer.

Former Rangers midfielder Nacho Novo has urged the Light Blues to ‘do something very soon’ as they face the prospect of losing an ‘incredible’ player.

The latest

Mills, a pundit for Sky Sports News, says there are plenty of factors that may determine Morelos’ next move, including Van Bronckhorst’s future.

“It will depend on where Rangers finish in the league, what happens in the Europa League and what that means for their finances,” he told Football Insider.

“Then what happens with Giovanni van Bronckhorst going forwards? There is a lot in the mix at Rangers and it depends on these next few weeks, effectively.

“If they finish behind Celtic, how far will they finish behind Celtic? Can they turn it around in the Europa League?

Mills warned that Rangers may be forced to sell the Colombian to fund further recruitment.

But on the other hand, the opportunity to play in the Champions League could compel him to remain at Ibrox.

“What is the plan going forward?” he said. “Do they need to sell a player like that to get some money to help bring players in?

“If they were to overtake Celtic and win the league, get in the Champions League with all that money they might be able to keep him and he will want to play in the Champions League.

“If not, they might need to reassess the situation.”

The verdict

There are two possible routes for Rangers into the Champions League – winning the Scottish Premiership and winning the UEFA Europa League.

The first looks decidedly unlikely after Celtic beat Rangers 2-1 earlier this month to open up a six-point cushion at the top of the table. There is still one more Old Firm to play, though, which would could revive the Gers’ hopes.

As for the European path, Rangers will first have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Braga on Thursday. That would earn them a place in the semifinals, but RB Leipzig or Atalanta would be the favourites for the tie.

Rangers, then, have only an outside bet of making it into Europe’s premier club competition, but it could prove to be a trump card if they can get it done.

Many of the clubs interested in Morelos – like Leicester City, Newcastle United and Everton – won’t be playing at that level next season.

In other news, a significant contract update has emerged.

Many Liverpool fans have been  slamming the performance of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in their game at West Ham United in the Premier League this evening.

The midfielder struggled to make any real impact on the match and was consequently hauled off by Jurgen Klopp for Thiago in the 69th minute, at which point the Reds trailed 2-1.

Oxlade-Chamberlain lost out on four of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on target, clearance, blocked shot, interception, key pass or accurate cross, losing possession of the ball on 13 separate occasions (SofaScore).

With the likes of Thiago on the bench, and Naby Keita and Curtis Jones to return after injury, the 28-year-old may feel as if his place in the starting XI is now under threat.

Liverpool fans slam Oxlade-Chamberlain

These Liverpool fans slammed Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performance on Twitter, with one Kopite even going as far as to claim that he was a ‘passenger’ today:

“Can we just put Oxlade-Chamberlain on the West Ham bus after the game?”

Credit: @emmanagle

“I can’t imagine what Thiago must be thinking as he’s sat on the bench watching Oxlade-Chamberlain try and play football.”

Credit: @_chris_ando_

“Oxlade-Chamberlain’s touch is actually so so bad it’s annoying”

Credit: @BenDubz1

“Oxlade-Chamberlain is just abysmal in the midfield. Offers absolutely nothing and has never been the same since his major injury vs Roma. Need to cut our losses and get rid in the summer”

Credit: @Yayymes

“Put me in midfield over Oxlade-Chamberlain. At least I’d get stuck in on a tackle.”

Credit: @henry_ashley04

“Does my ‘preconceived bias’ still stand? Oxlade-Chamberlain a passenger yet again”

Credit: @TopNotchTrent

In other news, find out what injury news had these Kopites erupting