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West Brom are sweating over the fitness of Baggies midfielder Alex Mowatt after he picked up a foot injury, judging by an update from their manager.

The Lowdown: Mowatt picks up foot injury

Valerien Ismael’s side suffered a disappointing night in the Championship on Friday, losing 1-0 away to Stoke City to dent their promotion bid.

Not only that, but Mowatt also suffered a foot problem, having started all 11 of West Brom’s league matches so far this season.

The Latest: Ismael provides injury update

It’s now a few days after the game and an update has been provided by Ismael via The Express & Star, with Joseph Masi reporting that the club are still waiting to find out how serious the injury is.

The Baggies boss said: “The injury with Alex Mowatt – we need to check and see how bad it is.

“It’s his left foot and he needs to go and have a scan. I hope it isn’t too bad. When Alex comes out, it’s normally a bad sign because he can play all the time, he wants to play all the time – 90 minutes plus.”

The Verdict: Key player for Baggies

Mowatt is a massive player for the Baggies already, having followed Ismael from Barnsley in the summer – he has averaged two tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game in the Championship this season, the former being the second-highest in West Brom’s squad – so the hope is that he is back in the fold as soon as possible.

There is the bonus of an international break coming this weekend, though, which gives the midfielder more time to recover ahead of the visit of Birmingham City on October 15.

In other news, one West Brom player has been blasted by a pundit. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their interest in bringing a Scotland international back to Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Gers are one of the possible destinations for their former academy starlet, Billy Gilmour, in the summer as he looks set for a loan move.

The report claims that his parent club will allow him to leave on a temporary basis again and Rangers are one of the teams in the mix for his signature.

Gio van Bronckhorst must get it done

This is a major deal that the Dutch head coach must get over the line as he would be a fantastic addition to the squad next season.

Despite Norwich’s struggles in the Premier League, Gilmour has shown flashes of Premier League quality this season with an average SofaScore rating of 6.84.

He has made 2.7 tackles and interceptions along with creating 1.2 chances per game in midfield, showing off his ability to win the ball back at one end and his ability in possession at the other. Although, he has lost 51% of his duels and may need to improve on the physical side of the game in the years to come.

Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness lavished him with praise last year. The ex-Liverpool man said: “He’s a fabulous little football player and when you factor in that last season he only made five starts in the Premier League for Chelsea, he’s not played a lot of football and he came into what was a hothouse of a game – high tempo, loads of pressing – and he managed to stay there.

“He’s just got that all round awareness of where people are all of the time and his first touch is generally away from the man who is marking him. He creates space for himself.”

He was previously hailed as “world-class” by Manchester United legend Roy Keane and his performances on the international stage suggest that he deserves that tag. In World Cup qualifiers for Scotland, Gilmour has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.13 – showing that he has been producing consistently brilliant displays for his country in competitive matches.

The £28k-per-week gem’s impressive form for Scotland and the glimpses he has shown with Norwich in England suggest that he would be a major signing for Rangers. He has the quality to dominate games in midfield with his aforementioned ability on and off the ball and van Bronckhorst would surely love to work with the 20-year-old to help him fulfill his potential.

Get it done.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left gushing over some off-field news which has emerged.

As per the club’s official website, they have now appointed Zeb Jacobs as of Head of Coaching within their Academy, with the role set to commence from 1st January.

He is joining the Scottish champions from Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp, where he was Talent Co-ordinator and Head of Development in their Academy.

Jacobs is an expert in child pedagogy and is recognised as being ‘one of the brightest and most innovative young football educators in European football’, in the words of Rangers’ official correspondence on his arrival at Ibrox.

Of course, with the Academy doing so well at the moment, it is an inspired appointment aimed to nurture the young talent that the Light Blues have at their disposal, and given his past pedigree, Jacobs will likely be able to develop the players to the best of their abilities.

Rangers fans on Jacobs’ appointment

These Gers fans gushed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one supporter claiming that it is a ‘brilliant’ move by the club:

“Another great appointment!”

Credit: @Kankagroup

“Laying the foundations for a solid future! Michael Beale had a part in identifying him also”

Credit: @LBeattie92

“Very exciting appointment”

Credit: @Cammy26_2

“Doing bits outside of transfer windows is good content, carry on”

Credit: @PenaCartel

“Brilliant”

Credit: @MDangerbouse55

“Making moves!”

Credit: @ScottishRajko

In other news, this Academy development also had lots of Gers fans buzzing

Manchester United see Leeds stalwart Illan Meslier as a potential goalkeeping transfer target to bring in next summer, according to a fresh rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Meslier a huge figure for Leeds

Despite still only being 21, the Frenchman has already matured into one of the Whites’ most important players, proving to be a model of consistency between the sticks.

Meslier recently became the youngest goalkeeper in Premier League history to make 50 appearances in the competition and has been hailed as ‘fearsome’ by Tony Cascarino. He has been ever-present in the top flight so far this term and missed just three league games in 2020/21.

The only downside of the youngster being so highly regarded is that heavyweight clubs could show an interest, and that is exactly what appears to be the case here.

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The Latest: Man United keen on Meslier move

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United are ‘hot on’ the idea of signing Meslier as they look for possible long-term successors to David De Gea. The Red Devils see the £22k-per-week Leeds goalkeeper as ‘one of the best young stoppers around.’

Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez is also seen as a target at Old Trafford following an impressive start to life at Aston Villa since joining from Arsenal last year.

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The Verdict: Massive potential loss for Leeds

Much like Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, who have also been linked with exits, there needs to be an acceptance from Leeds fans that Meslier will not be around forever at Elland Road, with WhoScored ranking him as their fourth-best player so far this season.

The Whites are languishing in 16th place in the league, and with a possible relegation battle on the cards, the goalkeeper could feel that his future lies at a club playing Champions League football.

If Meslier is to leave Yorkshire, Leeds should at least receive a huge transfer fee for his services considering his current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, giving them the funds to bring in reinforcements of similar or superior quality.

In other news, Graham Smyth has provided a key update regarding one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly still eyeing up a move to sign Franck Kessie in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Shining at AFCON

Kessie is currently shining at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Ivory Coast, recently putting in a man-of-the-match performance against reigning champions Algeria with a goal that helped knock them out of the group stages.

He is ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average shots, key passes and dribbles per game so far in the tournament (WhoScored), and will now look to continue his impressive performances in the knockout stages.

The Latest: Tottenham lurking

As per The Daily Telegraph, Spurs are now getting ready to make their swoop for Kessie this month, despite his contract at AC Milan running out in the summer.

This is to fend off the inevitable competition for his signature once his deal expires and he becomes a free agent.

The Verdict: No-brainer

It is certainly a no-brainer for the North London club to sign Kessie up in January, as they could potentially get a bargain with only six months left on his contract.

Yes, that bargain becomes even more enticing if he is free at the end of the campaign, but there’s no telling which other teams will be interested, and who will be able to offer Champions League football.

Described as a ‘devastating’ player by AC Milan legend Antonio Cassano, the sky is the limit for the Ivorian, who is only 25 years of age.

Antonio Conte is even said to be a ‘huge fan’ of his, and he should know all about him having watched him in the Serie A while managing rivals Inter.

Nonetheless, as pundit Kevin Campbell has previously pointed out, it would no doubt be an ‘exciting’ move for the Lilywhites should they be able to pull it off.

In other news, find out whose THFC future is to be decided ‘this weekend’ here!

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With an FA Cup fourth round tie against Brighton on the horizon, West Brom boss Darren Moore has an ideal opportunity to experiment with his lineup in the hope of finding an able replacement for the departed Harvey Barnes.

How big a loss will Barnes be?

Whilst the Baggies will undoubtedly want to progress in the competition, and should view the Seagulls as beatable opposition, Moore should take a few risks to see if he can find someone to replicate the talents of Barnes in that creative role supporting the strikers.

21-year-old Barnes, who was on loan from Leicester, was recalled by the Foxes (as per the BBC) thanks to his scintillating form at the Hawthorns. Barnes managed to score nine goals and record six assists in 26 Championship starts for the Midlands-based side as per Whoscored, which prompted boss Claude Puel to bring him back to the King Power Stadium and throw him in against Wolves for his first Premier League start.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Whilst that is good news for Leicester and for Barnes, it is a big problem for West Brom who were surely hoping for the Englishman to stay and aid their push for promotion.

What can Moore do?

The Baggies boss should hand young forward Jonathan Leko a rare start for the trip to the Amex Stadium, having started him in the 1-0 win against Wigan in the earlier rounds of the FA Cup. The 19-year-old has only made one other start this season, coming in the Carabao Cup, but he will be hoping for more game time following Barnes’ departure.

Leko is predominantly a winger, but is a skilful player who has a good eye for a through ball and decent dribbling ability, which suggests that he could be an able performer in a central attacking midfield role too.

The teenager has featured in that position sporadically this season already (as seen on Transfermarkt), and the game against Chris Hughton’s men will give Moore a great chance to test out a 4-2-3-1 system with Leko in behind one of Dwight Gayle or Jay Rodriguez, having favoured a 4-3-3 system in recent weeks.

Moore has opted for a 3-4-1-2 system frequently this season, which would also be an option that deploys Leko in the no.10 role.

Having joined Wolverhampton Wanderers’ youth setup back in 2018, Theo Corbeanu is a player who very quickly began to catch the eye at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground.

Indeed, after a rather quiet first season with Wolves U18s, scoring one goal and registering one assist over 14 Premier League U18 appearances in 2018/19, the versatile centre-forward really started to find his feet in the following campaign, bagging six goals and providing one assist over 17 fixtures for the U18 side, as well as making his first appearance for the U23s.

This form led to the Canada international being promoted to the U23 side on a permanent basis last season, during which the £900k-rated man scored seven goals and registered two assists over 21 Premier League 2 appearances, in addition to making his Premier League debut for the first team – coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in May.

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering his impressive rise through the Wolves youth ranks, the opinion of Corbeanu is extremely high at Molineux, particularly in the eyes of U23 head coach James Collins.

Speaking about the potential of the 19-year-old, Collins said: “He’s athletic, tall, can head it, can defend, can dribble past people and score, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s both footed, he’s got a bit of everything.”

The boss continued: “Theo can be anything he wants to be. He’s an outstanding prospect.”

This assessment of the youngster’s ability is sure to excite Wolves fans, as Collins’ description could also quite easily fit the club’s current first-choice centre-forward, Raul Jimenez – of whom Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said: “For a striker, he is so mobile, but also physically so good and talented technically on the ball.”

However, despite his obvious promise, after being sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday this summer, Corbeanu’s rise appears to have slowed somewhat, as the striker has so far made just four appearances for Darren Moore’s side – all of which have come from the bench.

Indeed, Tim Spiers recently stated in an article for The Athletic that, with both Lincoln City and Crewe Alexandra thought to have been interested in signing the forward this summer, should the 19-year-old still not be receiving regular game time at Hillsborough by the time January comes around, Wolves could well look to move the youngster to a new club for the second half of the season.

And, should Bruno Lage wish to give Corbeanu the best possible chance of going on to fulfil his undoubted potential, this would appear an extremely wise move. The 19-year-old certainly has the potential to not only become Jimenez’s long-term successor at Wolves, but he could also save Fosun millions of pounds in transfer fees as a result.

In other news: Nixon drops worrying claim on “authoritative” £62k-p/w ace, Wolves fans will be gutted

Liverpool have a multitude of attacking players in their squad who have contributed to keeping the Reds in the race to win the Premier League title, along with securing the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

One figure who hasn’t been as active in the Premier League as some of his attacking team-mates this season is Roberto Firmino.

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With 17 league appearances under his belt, the Brazilian has only started nine times, which shows that he hasn’t always been a first-choice pick for Jurgen Klopp at times this season, in addition to having some injury issues.

Despite scoring five goals and providing three assists in the league, the 30-year-old’s overall performances have earned him a disappointing season rating of 6.84/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated Liverpool players to start more than three league games.

With this in mind and the £180k-per-week attacker’s contract at Anfield set to expire in the summer of 2023, it seems as though the Merseyside club could have identified a potential future long-term replacement for the Brazil striker.

According to a recent report from Record (via Sport Witness), the performance from Benfica striker Darwin Nunez against the Reds in their recent Champions League meeting impressed the hierarchy at Liverpool and a number of their players.

In 79 appearances for the Portuguese club, the 22-year-old has racked up 42 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions.

Labelled a “tenacious” player and a “monster” on the pitch by journalist James Dodd, the £36m-rated attacker not only scored against Jurgen Klopp’s squad in midweek, he also made two key passes and completed all four of his dribbles, highlighting what a tricky player he is for opponents to handle.

Also, the Uruguayan has twice as many shots per game on average (2.8) in the Portuguese league this season compared to Firmino in the Premier League (1.4).

Taking all of this into account, if the 30-year-old ends up leaving Merseyside in the near future, signing Nunez as his replacement could be just what the Reds need to keep their lethal attack ticking over nicely.

In other news: FSG could replicate Elliott masterclass as LFC plot bid for “special” teenage sensation

With Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side heading into Saturday’s Premier League clash with Watford off the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Southampton last time out, the 52-year-old would have been hoping for a much-improved display at Vicarage Road this afternoon.

While the Italian would have certainly enjoyed the match a great deal more if his side had managed to seal all three points slightly earlier, Spurs nevertheless came away with maximum points thanks to Davinson Sanchez’s dramatic 96th-minute winner, with the game ending 1-0.

However, despite the victory, there were still a number of performances within the team which will have given Conte cause from concern, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal all enduring something of an afternoon to forget against Watford.

It will undoubtedly be the latter of this trio who would have been most disappointed with his own display on the bus home from Vicarage Road on Saturday evening.

Lost the ball every 5.4 touches

While Emerson’s metrics over his 90 minutes on the pitch were not overly disastrous, the wing-back’s wastefulness in the final third was undeniably the 22-year-old’s downfall against Watford.

Indeed, the £22.5m-rated man had a whopping 113 touches of the ball, but he found his intended target with just four of his 13 attempted crosses and lost possession a whopping 21 times, meaning that he ceded possession with every 5.4 touches.

This is something which was also picked up by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who awarded the defender a five in his player ratings, as well as stating of the £62k-per-week right-back’s performance: “No-one was allowed more space and time in the final third but the Brazilian put in a succession of poor crosses. You couldn’t escape the feeling that Watford knew he wasn’t much of a threat.”

As such, it is unavoidable that Emerson’s poor decision making in the final third of the pitch badly let his side down on Saturday despite Tottenham’s ultimate victory, and is an area of his game that the Brazil international must improve if he is to finally disprove Kieron Dyer’s claim that he is “miles off it” for Spurs.

In other news: Spurs begin talks for £116k-p/w gem dubbed “the best”, he’s “more stable” than De Ligt

A number of West Ham supporters have hailed Pablo Fornals after an image shared in an official club tweet illustrated his impact against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Hammers are still basking in the glory of their stunning 3-2 win at home to the Reds, as they jumped to third place in the Premier League and overtook Jurgen Klopp’s team in the process.

David Moyes’ side are flying at the moment and this was arguably their most significant victory of the season so far, given the quality of their opponents.

There were outstanding performances all over the pitch on Sunday but one player who stood out for the Irons was Fornals, who played a key role in Alisson’s own goal and then scored his team’s second goal of the evening, also winning five duels and playing two key passes.

On Monday, an official club tweet showing the 25-year-old’s heat map illustrated how incredible his work rate was in that game, as he continues to go from strength to strength in a West Ham shirt.

West Ham fans laud Fornals

These Hammers fans took to Twitter to hail the Spaniard upon seeing his heat map on Sunday.

“His work rate is unmatched”

Credit: @isaacwt2004

“The most underrated player in the Premier League. He’s absolutely class. They all say about Rice, Antonio, Bowen etc and of course they are doing amazing and are quality players but Fornals should be getting a mention too”

Credit: @TomCass5

“I love Pablo more than words can say. He has embraced us with all his heart and soul. He is one in a million”

Credit: @ZaynafamilyMary

“I’m in love with Pablitoooooo”

Credit: @TomGuy93

“He’s like a gazelle”

Credit: @RobbyNe87682100

“I’m glad he’s getting the appreciation he deserves. Top, top player with a great work ethic”

Credit: @DiCanioVolley

In other news, West Ham are reportedly eyeing up a move for a centre-back. Find out who it is here.