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Phil Hay has dropped an update on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, regarding his injury status heading into the international break.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Leeds correspondent, Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has withdrawn from the England squad with a minor knock.

However, despite that blow, the reporter confirmed a big boost for Leeds in the process.

Hay claims that Phillips has a ‘good chance’ of being fit enough to face Southampton after the international break, with his injury not set to rule him out for a prolonged period of time.

Big boost

This news will leave fans feeling delighted as it is a big boost for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Losing Phillips for the clash against Southampton, and possibly beyond that, would have been a sizeable blow to the squad and would have left the Argentine coach needing to tinker with his XI to compensate for Phillips’ absence.

The defensive midfielder has been a crucial figure in the Leeds team under Bielsa, with 34 Premier League starts to his name since the beginning of last season. He averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.01 as he bossed the midfield in the top-flight, earning himself recognition for his country in doing so.

England manager Gareth Southgate admitted that he had faith that Phillips would be able to become an important member of his squad at international level. He said.

“He’s been excellent. The way he has taken to international football, it hasn’t surprised us because what we’d seen with Leeds, even in the Championship, we felt could convert into our team.

“We felt he could play an important role with us. To play in the enormity of the matches he did in the summer and play as well as he did is massive credit to him.”

This played out in the summer as the Leeds man played seven times in the European Championships as England lost the final on penalties to Italy.

Whilst this illustrates his quality and shows why his fitness will come as a big boost to Bielsa and leave fans delighted, there is also a lack of depth in his position. Phillips was absent on the opening day of the season against Manchester United and Robin Koch was forced to operate in the holding midfield role, with Leeds losing 5-1 at Old Trafford.

The Whites do not have a natural holding midfielder to cover for Phillips when he is not on the pitch and that is another reason why this injury only being a minor one will delight supporters.

This could also be an area for Victor Orta to look at in the January window as signing a back-up in his position could ease any fears over his availability in the future.

AND in other news, Leeds must sanction swoop for £8.5m gem with “crazy technique”, he’s Raphinha 2.0…

David Ornstein has now dropped some big Everton managerial news involving both Frank Lampard and Vitor Pereira.

The Lowdown: Two candidates left?

The Goodison Park club’s hunt for a new permanent manager after the departure of Rafael Benitez now seems to be down to just two candidates – Lampard and Pereira.

It was reported by Sky Sports earlier this week that an announcement would be made within the next couple of days and that Pereira was the favourite for the job, but Lampard was still a possibility.

The Latest: Ornstein update

As per The Athletic journalist Ornstein, the final decision on who to appoint has not yet been made by Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, although it looks as if Lampard is very much back in the frame after some backlash concerning Pereira’s potential appointment.

Ornstein tweeted: “Amid a mixed reaction reaction to reports of Vitor Pereira’s potential appointment as Everton boss, understand a final decision has yet to be made by #EFC owner Farhad Moshiri and Frank Lampard is still very much in contention for the job.”

The Verdict: Lampard in

Some Everton fans already made their feelings known to the board that they want Lampard over Pereira, so given the previous controversies over hiring Benitez due to his Liverpool connections, they should now get who they want.

Crucially, Lampard has experience of managing in English football before with both Derby County and Chelsea, while Pereira has not worked in this country, and inside knowledge of the Premier League should always be valued.

At Chelsea, the 43-year-old started off pretty well too, guiding the Blues to automatic Champions League qualification in his first season despite a transfer ban; and with the Toffees also having some Financial Fair Play (FFP) problems of their own, he would appear to be the ideal choice.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Evertonians buzzing

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has dropped a behind-the-scenes claim at Aston Villa about what Johan Lange is pushing for from Dean Smith.

What’s the story?

The Midlands club enjoyed a busy summer transfer window which saw numerous players come in and Jack Grealish head to Manchester City, but one man who has kind of been lost in the shuffle over the past few months is Morgan Sanson.

Writing for The Athletic, Evans revealed: “It’s understood that sporting director Johan Lange was very keen for Sanson, who made his first appearance in 149 days for the under-21s last night, to be given a chance to show what he is made of, too. It was Lange who pushed hard for that particular move, with CEO Christian Purslow agreeing that a £14 million deal last January represented good value for money.”

He added: “Whether a perceived fragility comes back to bite Villa in their quest for the top half remains to be seen. Can Luiz pull it all together to become the defensive midfielder Villa are missing? Will Nakamba find some consistency? Or does Sanson fill the gap? The weeks and months ahead should provide some answers.”

Villa fans may be fuming

In what was a rather frustrating first half-season in English football for Sanson, the Frenchman made just nine appearances in the Premier League totaling 291 minutes worth of football.

Following his disappointing displays, former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny said: “I don’t see why they wouldn’t sell him if he’s not producing. It’s only six months and sometimes you’ve got to give players a little bit more time. Not everyone settles well in this country.

“But if they are interested in a couple more midfielders then that could be a sign. There’s no shame in cutting your losses and moving on. People make mistakes. You’re never going to get every signing spot-on.”

Such has been the disappointment surrounding him that reports emerged even in late March that Villa chiefs felt they had made a big mistake in bringing Sanson to the club, and that “he is said to be very difficult to manage, and proved to be so much trouble for two of his former agents they decided to let him go.”

The report added that “there is a feeling in the corridors of power the club ‘haven’t done their homework’ over the 26-year-old Frenchman.”

Given that Villa were after the likes of James Ward-Prowse over the summer transfer window, it was clear that Smith was looking to bring in a new central midfielder. The fact that they haven’t done so, and may need to turn towards a player who both the coaching and recruitment staff seemingly feel isn’t up to scratch, is sure to leave fans fuming.

Lange pushing for Sanson to be given a chance is understandable given that he has only been here for a few months, but should that have been at the expense of potentially pushing the boat out for landing one of their big targets like Ward-Prowse?

Villa fans may be livid over this latest update from Evans.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has confirmed a major boost…

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Tottenham Hotspur wantaway defender Serge Aurier has been pushed closer to the exit door following Japhet Tanganga’s brilliant performance against Man City.

The Lowdown: Aurier wants out?

The Ivory Coast international, after signing from Paris-Saint Germain as a direct replacement for Kyle Walker in 2017, looks to be nearing the end of his four-year stay at Tottenham.

As he openly admitted, Aurier has reached ‘the end of a cycle’ in north London and The Athletic back that he is one of a number of players Tottenham are open to selling this summer.

The right-back also has just one year left on his current contract which expires in 2022, and with no extension in sight, he will at the very least leave on a free next summer.

The Latest: Aurier pushed closer to exit door…

As per the Daily Express, Aurier has now been pushed even closer to the exit door at Spurs following the brilliant performance of Tanganga at home to Premier League champions City on the opening weekend.

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Indeed, backing other reports in the media (Football Insider), Tottenham are now set to keep hold of the youngster after he cemented his place in the Spurs squad for this season.

This has apparently pushed Aurier further out with manager Nuno Espirito Santo even leaving him out of the squad to face Pacos de Ferreira in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday evening.

The Verdict: Time to go…

Spurs supporters may be frustrated that the 66-cap ace hasn’t yet been sold to bolster Fabio Paratici’s summer transfer kitty.

The deadline is August 31 and Tottenham have, so far, struggled to find a suitor for Aurier – with Sky Sports even claiming that exit talks recently broke down due to his involvement with the Ivory Coast.

In this sell-to-buy market, offloading the 28-year-old could prove to crucial to any last minute transfer plans for Spurs.

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘I beg’, ‘Omg’…Many Tottenham fans erupt as ‘perfect’ news emerges, find out more here.

Leeds United will find it hard to keep hold of Kalvin Phillips if Manchester United bid for him in January, according to Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: Phillips linked with United move

The 25-year-old has matured into one of the best midfielders in the country, producing consistently excellent performances for Leeds and also winning England’s Player of the Year award.

With his reputation seemingly being enhanced by the week, Phillips has unsurprisingly been linked with a move away from Elland Road, with Manchester United tipped to sign him.

His current Leeds deal expires in 2024, although there has been talk of him agreeing a new contract.

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The Latest: McLeish makes worrying claim

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish gave a seven-word verdict regarding a potential move to Old Trafford for the Leeds midfielder, saying that it would be “tough for him to turn it down”.

The former Premier League manager then added:

“Jack Grealish was a fan of Aston Villa all his life, but he had his head turned by a dominant club like Manchester City.

“It’s the same thing – if United come and go all the way with their interest, it is hard for him to stay.”

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The Verdict: Last season at Leeds?

Sadly, as McLeish has hinted, it does feel as though the £36m-rated Phillips’ time as a Leeds player could be reaching its natural conclusion, with his head potentially being turned by the prospect of a move elsewhere.

That may not be as soon as January, but a summer exit could be on the cards should a Champions League-playing club come in for him.

It would be premature to rule out the idea of Phillips simply staying put at Elland Road for many more years, but as things stand, he may believe that the peak years of his career lie elsewhere.

In other news, Phil Hay has given an important Leeds injury update. Read more here.

Harry Kane and Lautaro Martinez could play together according to former Tottenham player Graham Roberts.

Lautaro Martinez has been linked with Tottenham in recent days with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that Tottenham opened talks with Inter Milan and offered €70m for the striker, but the Italian giants have said they have no intention of selling the striker this summer.

That is because they have already sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea in a move that was confirmed on Thursday, with Edin Dzeko looking set to replace him according to reports in Italy.

Despite Inter appearing to not want to sell Lautaro this summer, if there is U-turn at some point and he does end up at Spurs, Roberts believes that he could play up front with Kane, telling Football FanCast: “I think Kane drops a little bit and he can play them through to him. If you’ve got a top, top player you can play with anybody.  

“Nuno’s got pace in the team – Son, Moura, Bergwijn’s got pace, so we’ve got pace in the team so now it’s really just sort of getting another striker, getting another centre-half and right-back and I think we are made for the season then.”

Nuno Espirito Santo has been active in the transfer market already this summer signing Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero. With over two weeks left in the transfer window, will there be any further incomings at Tottenham?

With no goals scored in their previous two Premier League games, the upcoming January transfer window could provide West Ham United with the perfect opportunity to strengthen their squad and set themselves up to push for a top-four finish by the end of the campaign.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the east London club have their eye on securing a new attacking talent who could be just what they need to end the season on a high.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football Insider, West Ham have their eye on making a move to sign Rubin Kazan attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia alongside fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Southampton.

Since joining Rubin on a free transfer from FC Rustavi back in the 2019 summer transfer window, the 20-year-old winger – who is currently valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt – has made 68 appearances for his club across all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing 16 assists.

Having been likened to former Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery – who scored 124 goals and provided 182 assists in 425 appearances for the Bavarian giants – by Denis Bushuev, Kvaratskhelia could be an exciting prospect for West Ham to add to their squad in January.

In his 15 league games so far this season for Rubin, Kvaratskhelia has shown how talented an attacking player he is by averaging 2.2 shots and 1.4 key passes per game.

To put these numbers into perspective, current Irons attacker Said Benrahma has racked up similar averages of 2.1 shots and 1.1 key passes per game in 17 Premier League appearances this term, showing that the Georgian has what it takes to mix it with West Ham’s senior attackers.

Moving forward, taking into account Kvaratskhelia’s attacking talents and West Ham’s lack of recent goals, they should be doing all they can to beat Everton and Southampton to his signature to add an extra spark to their attacking ranks as they look to finish in the top four.

In other news: “I could see” – Journalist drops exciting claim at West Ham which will have fans buzzing

Ally McCoist has laughed off Sir Kenny Dalglish’s claims that Rangers are under more pressure than Celtic going into this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final.

The Lowdown: Dalglish ranks up mind games

The Hoops take on their biggest adversaries at Hampden Park on Sunday afternoon, in what promises to be another nerve-wracking encounter.

Ange Postecoglou’s side picked up a massive 2-1 win at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership earlier this month, pulling six points clear at the top in the process.

That prompted Celtic legend Dalglish to claim that Rangers are under more pressure to get the win this weekend, as he cranked up the mind games.

The Latest: McCoist responds

Speaking on talkSPORT [via The Daily Record], McCoist laughed off his former Scotland colleague’s comments, refusing to agree with his opinion:

“I was at the last league game at Ibrox when Celtic won 2-1. Celtic defended really, really well to be honest with you and probably looked more dangerous.

“Rangers have got everything to play for – and so have Celtic! I love the fact we say there’s more pressure on Rangers, these games are unbelievable, they really are.

“I can let Kenny off, because he’s the best, because he’s Kenny!”

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The Verdict: King Kenny is right

In typical Dalglish fashion, he is correct here, without Rangers undoubtedly under more pressure because of the current state of the league table.

If Celtic lose, they will still be the overriding favourites to clinch the title, which would act as a far better achievement than cup glory next month.

On the flip side, defeat for Rangers would hugely increase the chance of them going the entire season without a trophy, giving Hoops fans even more bragging rights after the recent result, especially with a treble still on offer.

In other news, Ange Postecoglou wants a Celtic signing done as soon as possible. Read more here.

Lots of Everton fans have been left raging as an update to one of their upcoming fixtures was announced.

As per the Toffees’ official website, their game in the Premier League against Leicester City at Goodison Park will now take place on Sunday 19 December with a midday kick-off.

It was originally going to be played on Monday 20th at 8pm but has now been brought forward because the Foxes have qualified for the quarter-final stage of the Carabao Cup, where they will also be on Merseyside to play Liverpool that week.

A number of Everton supporters have been left unhappy with the news, as some were planning to spend time with their families and friends on the last weekend before Christmas, while others would have preferred to travel to the stadium on Monday night rather than Sunday morning.

Everton fans on Leicester fixture change

These Evertonians were left raging as the news was shared on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to claim that the fixture change is ‘awful’:

“Just why?”

Credit: @JFatality_x

“Sunday at 12. Grim.”

Credit: @ConnorBennett14

“Birthday ruined already.”

Credit: @CallumChadwick_

“That’s an awful time on the last weekend before Christmas”

Credit: @JGreenway8

“Getting worse this.”

Credit: @1878stevo

“Please just stop”

Credit: @patto1878

In other news, find out what early team news before the Wolves clash has had many Evertonians raging

Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan is expected to make his loan move to Molineux a permanent one, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Hwang impresses for Wolves

The South Korean left RB Leipzig for a temporary spell last summer as he looked for regular playing time elsewhere.

Hwang has enjoyed a productive spell at Wolves so far, scoring four goals in 11 Premier League starts and helping Bruno Lage’s side to sit ninth in the table.

Wolves have the option to sign the 25-year-old on a permanent deal but that may need to be sorted by the end of this month, or else they run the risk of another team swooping for the forward.

The Latest: Spiers makes positive claim

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Spiers simply delivered a four-word verdict regarding Wolves’ move for Hwang, saying that it is expected to be completed:

In a tweet in which he shared an accompanying article from The Athletic, the journalist claimed: “Hwang likely to join.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Wanderers

Hwang has made an immediate impression at Wolves so it makes complete sense to retain his services, given his age and the quality that he has shown.

The 43-cap South Korea international has already shown a good understanding with Raul Jimenez, and his versatility means that he could also be a long-term replacement for the Mexican in a central role.

Granted, Hwang’s form has dipped a little in recent weeks, with the goals drying up completely since netting against Leeds on October 23, but he has done enough to show that he is worth taking the plunge upon for a permanent transfer.

In other news, Wolves have been linked with a move for a central midfielder. Find out who it is here.