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Leeds United winger Jack Harrison’s inconsistent form has been affected by a recent rib injury, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Harrison struggling for form

While deprived of several important players through injury, the Whites still couldn’t get their second Premier League win of the season on Saturday but their 1-1 draw at home to Wolves felt like a positive following Rodrigo’s last-gasp penalty.

Harrison struggled to make an impact at Elland Road, though, and he has now played seven league games this season and not registered a goal or an assist.

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The Latest: Hay reveals injury news

While the winger’s form has been disappointing compared to last season, when he got eight top-flight goals and assists apiece, there could be a good reason for the drop-off.

According to The Athletic’s Hay, the 24-year-old has been playing with a rib injury which has affected his performance level. The journalist stated: “Harrison has had a rib injury recently. Very little been made of it and I don’t know how much of a factor it is but he is struggling for form.”

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The Verdict: Pressure to perform

Harrison now finds himself under more pressure than ever to keep his place, with Raphinha and Dan James also representing strong wide options.

Last season, he and Raphinha were the undisputed go-to starters in those positions, but the Welshman’s arrival from Manchester United has increased the competition significantly.

All three actually played against Wolves, but Marcelo Bielsa may not always be that bold and Harrison will need to improve if he wants to keep starting regularly. Hopefully he overcomes his current injury and produces his best form again in the near future. Leeds could certainly do with it right now.

In other news, one Leeds player has given a key update on his injury progress. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur will make the trip from north to west London this evening to take on Brentford as Antonio Conte’s men look to strengthen their hold on a place in the Premier League’s top four.

Spurs are currently fourth but their place in the Champions League spots is feeble, with goal difference the only factor separating them and fifth-placed Arsenal.

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Having been dealt a setback last weekend when losing 1-0 to Brighton, Conte’s men can’t afford to slip up again against the Bees.

It is a must-win for the Lilywhites and so here is how Football FanCast believe Spurs will set up.

Tottenham XI: Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Emerson, Sessegnon, Betancur, Hojbjerg, Kulusevski, Son, Kane (3-4-3)

In terms of formation, we expect Conte to stick with his preferred 3-4-3 set-up at the Brentford Community Stadium, with Sergio Reguilon dropping out of the XI in favour of the £58k-per-week Ryan Sessegnon.

The Spaniard returned to the starting lineup against the Seagulls having come on as a substitute the week before against Aston Villa, with Matt Doherty sustaining an injury that has since ruled the wing-back out for the remainder of the season.

However, it was a poor display from the 25-year-old who completed just 63% of his passes whilst failing to provide a single interception, clearance or block whilst making only one tackle.

Labelled as “pathetic” by journalist Tom Young, the £43m left-wing-back has featured in six of Spurs’ last seven matches having regained his place after Ryan Sessegnon sustained a hamstring injury.

The 21-year-old has since returned from his setback, making the bench for the north London outfit’s last two games and could be in contention for a return to the starting lineup.

Prior to his injury, the Englishman had arguably his best run of games in a Spurs shirt, featuring in seven out of eight matches from late January to early March.

Tottenham insider John Wenham was full of praise for Sessegnon after a 3-0 win over Norwich City, calling the wing-back “amazing.”

Conte will have to get his team selection spot on against Brentford with there being no more room for slip-ups with just six games to go.

AND in other news: Conte must finally unleash “absolutely fantastic” Spurs sensation, he’s a “big talent”

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!

Everton will travel to Carrow Road this afternoon as they seek to take their first three point win of the year in the Premier League, and Rafa Benitez’s side are looking like they’re in good shape to do so with the return of important players and three new signings.

Richarlison and Yerry Mina were spotted back in training this week, and Benitez took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that they would be available in terms of being fit enough to be picked for the travelling squad today.

The Spanish manager opened up about the returning players;

“All the others were training and now we have to treat them carefully. At the moment they are fine, then it is up to us to see who can be available for his game or the next games.”

It’s unclear as to whether Benitez will throw his newly returned back into the team, but with the side just six points off the relegation zone currently, the Toffees manager will surely be mindful in selecting his best available team to secure the wins and climb back into a more comfortable position in the league table as soon as possible.

With that being said, this is how Football Fancast expects Everton to set up against Norwich City today…

With five changes to the team that beat Hull City, we expect Jordan Pickford, Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Mina and Abdoulaye Doucouré to be included in the team that will take on the challenge at Norwich City this afternoon.

Richarlison and Mina are back in our predicted line up, but Benitez will potentially use the opportunity of playing the bottom of the league Canaries, to use his substitutions throughout the game, with Mina unlikely to play a full 90 minutes after being out injured for a prolonged period this season.

It is likely that Andre Gomes will be axed from the team, with Doucoure returning to the starting line up, despite the £120k-p/w gem scoring against Hull in the FA Cup victory this week, Benitez clearly doesn’t favour the Portuguese midfielder, giving him only two Premier League starts this season so far.

We predicted that Vitaliy Mykolenko will be the only new signing in the starting line up after Lucas Digne was sold to Aston Villa this week, but again there could be an opportunity for youngster Nathan Patterson to gain his Premier League debut later in the game, replacing Coleman at right back, depending on how the game plays out.

Everton have the opportunity to snatch their second away win of the season against Norwich this afternoon, who have lost their last five games and lost 14 of their 20 games so far this season.

In other news: Benitez handed double injury boost ahead of Norwich trip

Roshane Thomas has dropped an update on West Ham United’s failed move for Duvan Zapata on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the West Ham correspondent shed further light on the Hammers’ late move for the Atalanta centre-forward, with it being said that David Moyes’ side had agreed to initially take the 30-year-old on loan – paying a £4m fee to do so – with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

However, Thomas went on to state that, despite the Serie A side agreeing to these demands and the Irons submitting a deal sheet to the Premier League, the move ultimately proved to be too late in the day to get the transfer over the line prior to Monday evening’s deadline.

West Ham must act this summer

With no new centre-forward arriving at the London Stadium in the January transfer window – despite a £58m bid for Benfica’s Darwin Nunez – West Ham are still desperately lacking any real strength in depth up top – with Michail Antonio currently being the East London side’s only recognised striker.

And, while this will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the Hammers’ chances of securing a top-four finish in the league this season, should Zapata once again be available next summer, it would very much appear as if Moyes must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the Colombia international – as the 30-year-old looks to be the perfect match for Antonio.

Indeed, the £29.7m-rated forward has been a revelation for Atalanta since joining the club from SSC Napoli back in 2018, scoring 78 goals and registering 38 assists over his 152 appearances for the Bergamo club.

This season, the £57k-per-week striker has once again been in breathtaking form for Gian Piero Gasperini’s outfit, having already bagged nine goals, registered four assists and created three big chances over his 16 Serie A appearances – returns which have seen him average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.98.

And, with finding the back of the net clearly not being an issue, the 6 foot 2 Colombian’s physical stature is also similar to that of West Ham’s main man in attack, with Papu Gomez previously stating of the centre-forward: “Zapata’s shorts look like underwear, he is so big.

“Sometimes I don’t even want to get close to him in a match because he’s a beast and it hurts. When he is feeling good he’s like a train – you throw the ball forward and ‘ciao!'”

As such, while it was certainly a huge blow to not land the 30-year-old this winter, should a move still be on the table come the end of the season, Moyes could finally find the answer to his centre-forward woes in a move for the Atalanta hitman.

In other news: Moyes can unearth WHU’s perfect DCC alternative with 21 y/o prodigy, he’s “gold dust”

With his contract set to expire next summer, there has been plenty of talk about Christian Eriksen’s future.

The 27-year-old, however, is only focusing on his football as he looks to help Tottenham win their first top-flight title since 1961.

The Breakdown

“Christian only wants to focus himself on football,” Eriksen’s agent Martin Schoots recently told ESPN. “Besides his technical, tactical and athletic skills, also this attitude has contributed over the years to his impressive transformation from world class talent to world class player.”

With things extremely tight at the top of the Premier League table, Tottenham do not need any added distractions, especially at a time where they have been forced to pick up results without star duo Harry Kane and Dele Alli.

Considering all of that, it is imperative for Eriksen to make sure the uncertainty surrounding his future does not affect his performances. And to the Denmark international’s credit, he has done just that.

Alongside Son Heung-min, Eriksen has helped to keep Tottenham’s title dream alive in the absence of Kane and Alli with his creativity on the pitch proving to be too much for opposition teams as ever.

If Tottenham are to go all the way this season, then they need Eriksen free of any distractions.

John Hartson has issued a warning to Celtic regarding the permanent transfer of Jota ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, the former Celtic striker stated his belief that Michael Nicholson and his transfer team at Parkhead must look to secure the €7.5m (£6.5m) permanent signing of the Benfica loanee prior to the opening of the winter window, as a number of Europe’s leading clubs could be plotting a swoop for the 22-year-old.

Speaking about the situation of the Portugal under-21 international, Hartson said: “You do it now, you do it now. In January, you do it. He’s made a great impact and although Celtic have first refusal it doesn’t mean you get him over the line.

“They have an option to get him, but his agent and Jota will have the decision whether it will be Celtic or not. You don’t want Jota to be on 20 goals by February and then a Bayern Munich come in and say to his agent ‘we’ll give you £10m if you get him to us.’

“That could happen – a Bayern Munich or a PSG might come in and say, ‘we want this kid, he’s 22, he’s lit the place up at Celtic, he looks dynamite.’ I would recommend Celtic to it as swiftly as they can because he is a very special player.”

Nicholson must act

It is easy to understand Hartson’s concern regarding the future of Jota, as the winger has already proven to be a remarkable addition to Ange Postecoglou’s first team squad since his arrival on loan back in August.

Indeed, over his nine Premiership appearances so far this season, the £3.15m-rated forward has scored four goals, provided four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.9 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the man who Postecoglou dubbed an “unbelievable” player average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.40, ranking the winger as the eighth-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

The £7.1k-per-week 22-year-old has also hugely impressed over his four Europa League games for Celtic, bagging one goal, registering two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates – returns which have seen him average an even more astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.55 in Europe.

As such, it would indeed seem advisable for Nicholson to tie up the winger’s permanent switch to Parkhead at the earliest possible opportunity, as Jota’s performances will more than likely be attracting a significant amount of attention, just as Hartson suggests.

In other news: Celtic could land Ange’s dream deal with 19 y/o sensation who “nothing seems to faze”

Ryan Fraser has been a positive influence and mainstay under Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, which is why the hamstring injury he sustained against Wolves last week will come as a major blow to the Magpies faithful.

On the Scotsman’s injury, Howe said: “It looks like a hamstring issue. I don’t know how serious it is, but it was obviously enough to bring him off the pitch today, which is a huge blow with the form that he’s been in.”

Opportunity knocks for Almiron

Fortunately for the Magpies boss, he can now count upon Miguel Almiron, who came on in place of the injured Fraser and put in an impressive performance last Friday, having created the only key chance of the game in his 77 minutes on the pitch.

The 28-year-old – who has been described as “unbelievable” by sports writer Charlie Bennett – received even higher praise from his manager, who was encouraged by his efforts against the Old Gold.

On the Paraguayan’s performance, Howe said: “I thought Miggy did really well. Miggy has been away on international duty, then he was ill, so we haven’t seen a great deal of him. But never doubt him physically. Despite the fact that he hasn’t trained with us a great deal, I backed him physically to play that time, and the energy and pressing that Miggy gives you is a real weapon.”

High praise from the boss, but in fairness everything that Howe said is the truth. In terms of a pressing asset, Almiron has proven himself to be one of the best amongst positionally similar players in Europe’s top 5 leagues across the last 365 days. His average of 5.3 pressures in the attacking third per 90 place him in the 94th percentile, according to FBRef.

Perhaps even more impressively given his position on the pitch, his average of eight pressures in the defensive third places him in the 84th percentile, as he occupies an attacking position and tracks back tremendously. It demonstrates his versatility and ability to act as a team player, which is of course a welcome attribute for any coach.

The £74k-p/w Paraguayan’s 2.5 touches per game in the opponents’ penalty box once again sets him apart and further demonstrates his ability to fill the void left by Fraser.

The injury to the Scotland international is of course unfortunate, but Newcastle’s depth in that area of the pitch with the likes of Almiron to call upon has softened the blow. It’s now time for Howe to place his trust in the industrious 28-year-old.

In other news – Howe could land NUFC’s new Waddle as PIF plot bid for “unbelievable” 115-goal machine

Flocking to Twitter, a number of Everton fans are fuming with a claim from Fabrizio Romano about the potential appointment of Vitor Pereira as the club’s new manager.

According to a tweet from the reliable journalist, the 53-year-old will arrive in England today to meet with the Toffees’ board. The meeting will discuss his contract, staff and further details which will be needed for the club to arrive at a final decision.

Pereira was most recently manager at Turkish side Fenerbahce, but his spell in charge was short-lived as he lasted just six months and 25 matches at the Istanbul club.

He has achieved success at club level, though, having won a number of trophies during his time as a manager. Between 2011 and 2013 at Porto, he won the Primeira Liga and Portuguese Super Cup twice each, and more recently he won the league and Chinese Super Cup whilst in charge of Shanghai SIPG. A domestic double with Olympiakos in Greece is on his CV, too.

Many Everton fans fume at Pereira rumours

Toffees news page Everton Blue Army shared Romano’s claim on their Twitter feed, and the news was met with a strong reaction by the club’s supporters.

Many Everton fans flocked to the comments to share their disgust with the “frightening” potential appointment of Pereira, with some doubts possibly stemming from his abortive recent spell at Fenerbahce. Here’s what some Toffees supporters had to say:

“Another one sacked within 6 months. Great”

Credit: @Lawemannen

“Oh dear oh dear”

Credit: @prospartangamer

“Peterborough away, here we come”

Credit: @efc1978

“This club is run by people who have NO idea about football.”

Credit: @DoEfc

“Start worrying, sacked in the Turkish league, the hierarchy of this club is frightening, we are going down!”

Credit: @Joel_1878

“And there we have it….. confirmed relegation to the Championship.”

Credit: @DAH1878

In other news: ‘Absolutely cursed’, ‘Pain’ – Loads of Everton fans fume as club shares ‘depressing’ update

Southampton are currently in the middle of being both close to the top half of the table but also close enough to get entangled in a relegation battle, as they sit in 13th place in the Premier League right now.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be wanting to get much more comfortable in the Saints’ league campaign before Christmas as every point matters right now and every point earned takes them a step closer to a comfortable position with less pressure as the season goes on.

Southampton have the opportunity to pick up points on several occasions against teams in a similar position to themselves but also face Liverpool at Anfield this week and Arsenal at the Emirates in just over a fortnight. Both games will be testing for the side and they will be looking to break down their opponents early in the game.

One player who will be hoping to get his chance to make an impact in not only these more challenging fixtures, but the rest of the season in general, is Nathan Tella.

The 22-year-old was tipped to be a Saints regular, but for some reason has been out of favour in Hasenhuttl’s set up for the starting line up this season.

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The manager opened about the youngster’s lack of opportunity to play in the team regularly this season but praised the “energetic” player;

“I am actually a little bit disappointed that I cannot give him more chances to play,”

“The games that we are playing at the moment are not so perfect for him, I think.

“I must say that, in the number ten position, he has a lot of good qualities. He is very energetic and he has a really good ability against the ball, running back and sprinting back.”

Southampton lost to bottom of the league, Norwich, last weekend which should have been, on paper, an easy win for the Saints, especially with the Canaries’ current record and lack of team consistency.

Alas, they beat the south coast side 2-1, and Hasenhuttl’s men went away with zero points to add to their attempt to push away from relegation conversations.

Tella’s energy and hunger for minutes, however, could be a boost to the Austrian’s current starting XI, especially ahead of Ibrahima Diallo who was used out of position on the right last time out.

Not only is that a reason to unleash him, but it will also enable the youngster to gain experience and confidence in the Premier League that could come extremely handy to the side in the latter stages of the season if they find themselves in trouble at that point.

In other news: Jack Stephens injury boost ahead of Anfield clash