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David Moyes has confirmed that West Ham United will be without midfielder Pablo Fornals against Arsenal on Sunday due to injury, which should prove beneficial for Jarrod Bowen.

Fornals was forced to sit out the Irons’ 1-0 defeat to Manchester United last week after sustaining a groin issue and is not expected to overcome the blow in time for the London derby.

The Spaniard had regained a regular role in Moyes’ plans before the Hammers’ trip to Old Trafford, with the 25-year-old starting three straight Premier League fixtures.

Fornals had only enjoyed a single six-minute cameo in West Ham’s previous three top-flight games before opening the action against Tottenham Hotspur last month, and remained in the side for subsequent meetings with Manchester City and Leeds United.

Moyes will once again be unable to field the £16.2m-rated playmaker when West Ham host Mikel Arteta’s Gunners this weekend, as one of several players due to be sidelined.

“We’ve got just about everybody the same [as last week],” Moyes said on Friday. “Pablo Fornals is improving, and, on the injury front, Angelo Ogbonna is closing in and getting much closer to fitness but he’s a wee bit away.

“Arthur Masuaku and Andriy Yarmolenko are both getting much closer, as well, so hopefully, it won’t be too long until we’re back to a full squad.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=” The latest West Ham news and views!”]

The international break which follows Sunday’s London derby should prove vastly beneficial for West Ham with Ogbonna (ankle), Fornals, Masuaku and Yarmolenko (knee) all seemingly moving closer to making their returns from injuries.

However, as Arsenal’s visit to the London Stadium will likely prove too early for some if not all, those who featured yet struggled against Manchester United will likely be given a reprieve and the chance to prove their worth this weekend.

Bowen will almost certainly fall into that category after his efforts alongside Michail Antonio in a two-man strike partnership left Moyes vastly underwhelmed at Old Trafford.

“We thought tonight that the way we would play with two up, Jarrod and Michail as two forwards to start with, we thought that might give them a problem to start with, so I saw that as being positive in a different way,” Moyes said, via quotes by football.london.

“But ultimately, we got better as the game went on when we brought on Manu [Lanzini] and Said [Benrahma] I would say that. I would also say Man United might have been better than they were and that the team that was out did not concede any goals, only one from a set-piece at that time and it was only after that that you can judge it.”

Bowen should expect to be kept in the starting line-up against Arsenal as Moyes will be able to return the former Hull City forward to his natural wide position with Fornals unavailable.

Moyes had moved the winger centrally to accommodate for Jesse Lingard being ineligible to face his parent club, but the Manchester United loanee is in line to make his return on Sunday.

A switch back to a 4-2-3-1 with Bowen on the right should help to see the £27m-rated maestro – who Darren Bent has described as an “example” for Said Benrahma to follow – find the form which eluded him last week and impressed Jamie Carragher earlier in the campaign.

“Bowen, he has been a brilliant signing for him [Moyes],” Carragher said on Sky Sports, via quotes shared by Hammers News, after scoring the winner against Aston Villa on November 30.

“He’s just one of those players, he always nicks a goal every three or four games, you just see him on the scoresheet. And again, he’s got a vital goal for them. He does really well on that right-side coming inside and he’s been a great signing for them.”

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

Rob Lee has exclusively told Football FanCast that Callum Wilson could be the key to Newcastle’s survival chances.

Newcastle slipped further into trouble following their defeat at Brighton on Saturday, leaving Steve Bruce’s team just two points above the bottom-three heading into the international break.

That result was the Magpies’ sixth Premier League game without victory, which has coincided with the injury to top scorer Callum Wilson.

The former Bournemouth striker sustained a hamstring problem during Newcastle’s win over Southampton last month, which was the last time Bruce’s men tasted victory.

Prior to his setback, Wilson had scored 10 Premier League goals this season, which is more than 30 percent of the goals they’ve netted in the league.

And Lee told Football FanCast that Wilson’s return can’t come soon enough for the St James’ Park oufit:

“You get him back after the international break, he’s the one that can save the season because he’s the guy that can score goals out of nothing.

“Even when we’re not playing well, which is a lot, he can still score. And that’s the different between somebody staying up and going down.”

Newcastle have won seven Premier League games this season, with Wilson scoring in five of those. So if Bruce’s men are to finish above the dotted-line, Wilson is certainly going to play his part.

Rangers will be looking to continue their journey in the Europa League when they take on Slavia Prague at Ibrox on Thursday, with Steven Gerrard’s side in a strong position after coming away with a 1-1 draw in the away leg last week.

One way in which Rangers could get the edge over their Czech opponents is by unleashing Kemar Roofe at Ibrox, with the former Leeds United man having made his return from injury in the reverse fixture.

The Jamaican forward has impressed since signing from Anderlecht in the summer, having contributed 12 goals and two assists in 26 appearances for Gerrard’s side.

In the Premiership, he has averaged an impressive 7.13 rating for his performances, which sees him rated as the eighth-best performer in the league for Rangers so far this season, so it is certainly a big boost for Gerrard that he is now back from injury.

After he made his return against Slavia last week, the former Liverpool man said:

“It’s great to have Kemar back and a cameo will do him the world of good.”

Hopefully, the return to action, plus another week of training, will give Roofe the fitness he needs to make a big impact in the game at Ibrox on Thursday, as he could be the difference-maker.

We have already seen Roofe score twice in the Europa League this season, once against Benfica and once in the 2-0 win against Standard Liege with an unforgettable goal from the halfway line.

Gerrard was clearly wowed by that strike, as he said after the game:

“I think it was a moment of genius. I’ve been lucky enough to watch it five or six times since the end of the game and it’s the actual build-up and preparation before the strike.”
Although Roofe will do well to recreate a similar goal to that in training, let alone in a competitive game, it emphasised what he is capable of and the quality that he possesses and a moment of magic like that could well be the difference between Rangers progressing or exiting the Europa League on Thursday night.

Therefore, Gerrard should give the £5.4 million-rated forward a chance to impress from the start and hope that he can have another moment of genius on Thursday night.
And, in other news… Gerrard should unleash teen wonderkid who is “worth his weight in gold” next season

Rangers played out a 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague at the Sinobo Stadium on Thursday evening and Steven Gerrard’s side will be confident that they can progress further in the Europa League by winning next week’s second leg at Ibrox.

Nicolae Stanciu gave the hosts an excellent start when he curled into the top corner after just seven minutes but Rangers fought back and equalised thanks to a scrappy goal from Filip Helander before half-time. Gerrard’s side were on top in the second half but had Allan McGregor to thank for securing a draw as the 39-year-old made an unbelievable save in the final few minutes to ensure that the teams finished level.

Although there were some excellent performances on show from Rangers, one man who struggled throughout the game was Nathan Patterson.

The 19-year-old continued his recent run in the side by starting in the Czech Republic, as captain James Tavernier is still sidelined through injury and Leon Balogun showed his vulnerabilities as a right-back in the previous round against Royal Antwerp.

However, he was tormented by the impressive Stanciu for much of the game, with SofaScore awarding the right-back a disappointing 6.4/10 rating for his performance, which was the worst of any Gers player who started the game.

Whilst the teenager made an impressive five clearances, three tackles and three interceptions during the game, the Slavia attackers regularly had the better of him down his side, as he was dribbled past as many as five times on Thursday evening.

For context, Filip Helander and Connor Goldson weren’t dribbled past at all, whilst left-back Borna Barisic was dribbled past just once, so it definitely seems like the home side targeted the young right-back and exploited his inexperience.

It was also arguably a poor display from the defender from a passing perspective, as he would complete just 17 passes during the game, which was fewer than the 24 passes McGregor would complete, which emphasises that he wasn’t able to get on the ball very often.

Unfortunately for Gerrard, on the few occasions when Patterson did have the ball at his feet, he was wasteful with it, as he lost possession 16 times, which again was more than both of Rangers’ centre-backs despite them having much more of the ball.

After the game, Gerrard suggested that the academy talent “became a man” with his performance on Thursday but the stats suggest that the youngster still has a lot to learn before he can be considered a serious challenger for Tavernier at right-back in this Rangers side.

And, in other news… No time for niceties: Wilson must axe £7.5k Rangers flop this summer; he’s simply not good enough

Marcel Brands should seal a summer swoop for Everton to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic and hand Carlo Ancelotti a second Dominic Calvert-Lewin type player.

What’s the word?

According to Tutto Juve, Serie A powerhouse Juventus are exploring a deal to sign Stuttgart striker Kalajdzic at the end of the season, but face vivid European competition.

The 23-year-old forward is thought to be on the radars of Everton, Newcastle United and RB Leipzig, after his Bundesliga side slapped an ‘affordable’ €20m (£17m) asking price on him.

Kalajdzic is noted by the Italian publication to be seen as the next Erling Haaland after scoring 13 goals in 24 German top-flight games this season, and he could well make a similar leap as the Borussia Dortmund sensation he is compared to.

Haaland trails only Bayern Munich’s 32-goal monster Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race with 19 in 20 games, while Kalajdzic ranks sixth having contributed 28% of Stuttgart’s 47 efforts to date.

Reports by the Daily Mail also presented West Ham United as a potential destination for the £7,500-per-week attacker earlier this month, as David Moyes draws up a shortlist of options to target at the London Stadium.

Those claims also mentioned RB Leipzig’s interest but added that of Serie A side AS Roma, which have been supported by German publication Kicker, who note that Stuttgart’s Sporting Director Sven Mislintat has confirmed that player sales are likely this summer.

But the Mercedes-Benz Arena natives’ asking price has been questioned with the Daily Mail citing a valuation of around £15m, while Kicker claim a fee of between €20-25m (£17-21.5m) will be needed to strike a deal.

Should Everton sign Kalajdzic?

Everton appear to be drawing up their own shortlist of attacking weapons that Ancelotti and Brands can target at the end of the season, as the Goodison Park natives have recently been linked with FC Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite too.

The Toffees may be putting precautions in place with speculation surrounding the long-term futures of Joshua King and Moise Kean on Merseyside, while Cenk Tosun will only have a year remaining on his £60,000-per-week contract come June.

Tosun is unlikely to be offered new terms given his struggles in the Premier League with 11 goals in 58 games since a £27m move from Besiktas in 2018, while King is yet to find the back of the net since his Deadline Day arrival last month.

Brands instead moving to sign Kalajdzic could see the Everton chief land Ancelotti a second Calvert-Lewin type, one who is able to match the Toffees’ top-scorer on the pitch, rather than force the Blues to play to a different tune.

Ancelotti often relies on Calvert-Lewin to offer a focal point in attack that Everton can target and play off, with the 24-year-old contesting 8.8 aerial duels a game in the Premier League – close to double the next-most of Lucas Digne (4.7) and Yerry Mina (4.6), per WhoScored.

Kalajdzic, who has been dubbed an “Ibrahimovic-machine” in comparison to Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his 6 ft 5 stature, can match that presence, having contested 5.2 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga this term, along with taking 2.1 shots to Calvert-Lewin’s 2.5.

While the fee needed may still be unknown at this point, Brands should surely be working on a deal for Kalajdzic to join Everton.

AND in other news, Everton have their eyes on a £105k-p/w striker with three goals in 34 games for his current side…

According to The Sun, Manchester United are keeping tabs on both Kingsley Coman and Jadon Sancho as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeks to bolster his wide options.

What’s the word?

Solskjaer’s side already secured the signing of Amad Diallo from Serie A side Atalanta in the January transfer window but now it seems that they want more.

United are currently second-placed in the Premier League, with the Red Devils putting three past Newcastle to move 10 points behind Manchester City.

However, Solskjaer is still keen to add further reinforcements to his squad this summer as he targets a first Premier League title for the club since Sir Alex Ferguson last won one in 2013 and he has identified Coman and Sancho as two of his top targets.

Coman or Sancho?

But the likelihood is it’ll be either-or for Ed Woodward. So, who should be the top target for the Red Devils and why?

In Coman, who is nearly four years older than Sancho, United would land a player with bags of experience at the top level of the game.

Sancho, however, could be the difference-maker to add a spark in their attack which has often been accused of looking rather one-dimensional due to their over-reliance on Bruno Fernandes.

Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given Fernandes’ excellent goal return for the Red Devils, but if United opt for Sancho and stick him on the right wing, he’ll likely score goals. Lots of goals.

The England international has scored 44 goals and recorded 59 assists across 128 appearances in all competitions. By comparison, Coman has provided fewer goals and assists in over 180 appearances for Bayern Munich.

It’s been an open secret Solskjaer has harboured a long-standing interest in the 20-year-old monster, with the club trying to persuade the highly-rated right winger to move to Old Trafford on more than one occasion, but ultimately to no avail. Reports in recent times have revealed that he could only cost the club £50m in a cut-price deal.

If we compare the attacking duo this term, it’s close but no cigar. Sancho is still edging Coman in almost every area. Coman is averaging just 1.7 key passes per game whereas Sancho has made 2.3 key passes.

Perhaps crucially, the latter also surpasses the 24-year-old in terms of dribbles per match in the Bundesliga (3.2). For context, that’s more than other United player in the Premier League this season thus far, which suggests that he’d offer a greater attacking threat.

It may seem like we’re in danger of repeating ourselves but it’s growing increasingly evident that Woodward must sanction a swoop for Sancho in the summer after he scored against Schalke at the weekend.

AND in other news, Man Utd’s Victor Lindelof let Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down on Sunday…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala recently, and if he were to join the Reds, it would surely spell the end for Divock Origi.

The Argentine’s contract with the Serie A side is set to expire in 2022, with it suggested that the Old Lady could look to cash in on him next summer, to avoid potentially losing him for free at the end of next season.

Dybala has often been a regular at Juventus since joining from Palermo in the summer of 2015, making 244 appearances, contributing 98 goals and 40 assists in that time.

However, the 27-year-old has found himself on the fringes of Andrea Pirlo’s squad this season, making just eight starts and three substitute appearances in Serie A, in which he has contributed two goals and two assists, averaging a solid 7.04 rating.

This suggests that he still has a lot of quality and that he has impressed on his rare appearances, so he would surely be looking to establish himself as a regular member of Liverpool’s attack if he were to make the move to Anfield this summer.

Therefore, with Origi having struggled throughout the season so far, it is difficult to see where the Belgian international would get any game time should a player of Dybala’s quality arrive.

The former Lille man, who earns £60k per week at Liverpool, has failed to score or assist in any of his 12 Premier League and Champions League appearances this season, whilst his 6.19 average rating in the top-flight is one of the lowest in the squad.

It was suggested that Origi could depart during the winter transfer window but he ended up staying put, although it seems likely that his first-team chances will only decrease further now that Diogo Jota has recovered from his injury.

Dybala was described as a player of “extraordinary quality” by Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero in 2020, so whilst Origi has some memorable moments in a Liverpool shirt, there seems no doubt that Dybala is a much better overall player than the Belgian, so it would not be a surprise to see him depart should the Argentinian join Jurgen Klopp’s side in the summer.

And, in other news… Edwards should seal Liverpool swoop for 6 ft 3 beast who silenced Messi at 19

Aston Villa narrowly avoided defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium on Saturday after the hosts squandered several chances to take the lead.

Dean Smith had a lot to thank his goalkeeper Emi Martinez for at the final whistle after a string of first-class saves (nine to be precise) ensured the Villans extended their unbeaten run to two games in a row after a patchy run of form.

The result means that Villa lie eighth in the table, level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and just four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool with two games in hand over the defending Premier League champions.

Smith singled out praise for his first-choice stopper after the game and said “it was a one-man show at times” following his heroics in the 0-0 draw with Graham Potter’s side on Saturday. However, we feel someone else deserves a special mention as well.

That just so happens to be Tyrone Mings, a player who has gone from playing non-league football for Chippenham Town to earning four England caps since returning to the Premier League with AFC Bournemouth.

The former Cherries star was given the task of keeping the likes of Neil Maupay and Leandro Trossard at bay for most of the game and he managed to keep them in his back pocket for the most part.

Maupay is the Seagulls’ top scorer this season with a tally of seven goals but Mings largely kept him under control as he struggled to have much of an impact – the Frenchman’s tally of 13 total passes was the lowest of any starter for Brighton on the day.

During the full 90′ minutes, Mings made eleven clearances, which was more than any other player including Martinez and at least seven more than his closest rival in the form of Brighton defender Lewis Dunk (4).

Only Matt Targett (2) and Ahmed El-Mohamady (2) made more tackles than Mings in the entire game. In terms of blocking shots, only Ezri Konsa blocked more shots than the 27-year-old. He also wasn’t dribbled past at all, which shows that he was a difficult presence to get back and a testament to how the Seagulls were reluctant to take him on one v one.

Despite their best efforts, Brighton couldn’t break down a determined Villa defence which was well marshalled by the England international. Maupay tried time and time again to break the deadlock, but he couldn’t even manage a single shot on target, which was a testament to Mings’ defensive shift at the back.

The towering colossus, who currently earns around £25,000-per-week at Villa Park, has quietly gone about his business this season but it may no be too long before one of the Premier League’s giants come calling for his signature in the summer.

Manchester United have recently been credited with an interest in the Englishman though whether Villa will be willing to entertain offers for one of their star players remains to be seen.

While Martinez may take home the headlines for his performance, it was Mings who arguably Smith’s unsung hero.

Although Celtic are struggling with  coronavirus issues, Neil Lennon has a lot to look forward to once he and his team are allowed to return to action.

The Hoops have an alarming 14 senior players in self-isolation due after they were deemed to be close contacts to Christopher Jullien, who tested positive. The boss has been forced to join them in quarantine and as a result, he missed his side’s latest Premiership fixture.

Despite the fact Celtic were operating with a skeleton crew on Monday, they were able to avoid total embarrassment and registered a draw against Hibernian, a game they very nearly won too. The man of the hour in that game was, not for the first time, David Turnbull.

Lennon gamble on Turnbull paying off

Many Celtic players are waiting patiently for their chance to break into the first team. However, only those who have caught the boss’ eye have been so lucky. Even veteran Leigh Griffiths finds himself low down in the pecking order these days.

Lennon recently took a chance on 2020 summer signing David Turnbull after his other midfield options failed to impress. The former Motherwell man made his first Celtic start against St Johnstone in the league and has gone on to contribute to five goals in nine appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

Turnbull was the difference for the Hoops last time out, scoring a late goal in the 82nd minute to  put his side into the lead. Unfortunately, Kevin Nisbet’s injury time strike meant Celtic had to settle for a draw.

On the back to that goal, In his last eight appearances under Lennon, Turnbull has gone just two games without contributing to a goal.

Sofascore reports that he averages a goal every 211 minutes, which is more than creative teammate and full Scotland international Ryan Christie.

Turnbull has produced the goods during Celtic’s hour of need and that simply mustn’t be overlooked. The £1.6million-rated midfielder has completely transformed Lennon’s engine room and must now be one of the first names on Lennon’s team-sheet every match, even when those 14 players return from quarantine

His portfolio of six goals so far is more than any other Celtic midfielder, which only highlights how crucial he is to this Glaswegian side.

Lennon has already admitted that he is in awe of Turnbull’s “excellent form” and provided he is continuously given chances, he will almost certainly continue to thrive.

The manager simply must continue to select him for as long as he remains fit as he is the man to provide the much-needed goals from midfield.

In other news, Celtic could land a bargain in Sheffield Wednesday’s Adam Reach…

According to The Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers target Jack Simpson has agreed a Bosman move to Steven Gerrard’s side, which could spell bad news for George Edmundson in regards to his future prospects.

What’s the word?

The Rangers centre-back has struggled for game time this season having fallen out of favour with Gerrard after he served a lengthy suspension for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

Gerrard is currently blessed with great defensive options again, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander jostling for the position alongside Connor Goldson, so it’s no surprise that Edmundson finds himself at the bottom of the pecking order, as he has made just one substitute appearance in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, averaging a miserable 5.52 rating overall.

Following the news that Rangers have agreed a pre-contract deal with Simpson, it is within the realm of possibility that the 23-year-old could find himself heading for the Ibrox exit, considering the Gers also have Nikola Katic on their books, with Gerrard recently confirming that the Croatian is progressing nicely in his recovery from injury.

When one door opens, another closes

Rangers signed Edmundson from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £700,000 in 2019.

Since then, he has made 16 appearances for the 54-time Scottish champions, scoring twice and supplying an assist in all competitions.

Gerrard had insisted that Edmundson could still find a way back into the first team in the future, saying:

“I think the important thing here was to get the players out of the isolation period, first and foremost. Then it was about sitting down with the players face-to-face to gauge a reaction to how they feel and where they were at.

“I spoke to them both individually and they were both very sad over the incident, they were remorseful, apologetic and full of regret. They first and foremost wanted to apologise to the supporters and their team-mates for their actions.
“In my position, it was time to support these two players once I saw that reaction. It was the reaction I wanted to see.
“Now it’s about me giving them the support and managing them to come back to top players because they are good players, we need them here to help and support us moving forward.”

However, reports in recent weeks have revealed Rangers will consider a January loan exit for Edmundson as he hasn’t played despite returning from suspension.

Having excelled for Bournemouth, the Scottish giants have taken a gamble on Simpson and it’s fair to say that they could be duly rewarded. He is currently averaging more tackles and clearances per game than Edmundson, which suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on the Rangers outcast. He’s currently valued at £1m but Rangers are getting him for free.

If Edmundson can’t re-establish himself in the first team at all between now and the end of this season, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him leave for pastures new in the near future.

AND in other news, Filip Helander proved a point to Steven Gerrard with his performance against Ross County…