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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed that long-term absentee Robin Koch has returned from injury and is ready to make his comeback to Premier League action.

Speaking ahead of Leeds’ clash against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, Bielsa confirmed: “Jamie Shackleton is available now, Robin Koch also, Gaetano Berardi also. The players not available are Pablo Hernandez, Adam Forshaw and Pascal Struijk.”

The return of the £17m-rated Koch is particularly significant given that he started the first 11 Premier League games of his Leeds career, with Bielsa clearly already taking to the German newcomer.

Since then, the likes of Struijk and Luke Ayling have had to do jobs at centre-back given the injury problems suffered by the likes of Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente as well, so it really has been a makeshift back-line for the Whites for a large part of this campaign.

Vincenzo Grifo, Koch’s former teammate at Freiburg, waxed lyrical about his ability to The Athletic, saying: “He’s very vocal at the back and he loves to have the game in front of him. He’s an outstanding organiser. His improvement is incredibly rapid, including in the national team, and he’s on a path to become a world-class player, a monster centre-back.”

Former Whites defender Tony Dorigo dubbed him the “rock” in Leeds’ central defence earlier in the season, and so it must have been seriously frustrating for Bielsa to be without one of his key personnel for so long.

His return to fitness will undoubtedly have Bielsa buzzing, and whether it’s coming on for one of Cooper or Llorente, or being a part of a back three, the added option will be music to the ears of the Leeds manager.

Meanwhile, Leeds should drop this £70k-a-week disaster against Chelsea…

Reims striker Boulaye Dia has admitted he is flattered by reported interest from Premier League clubs including Crystal Palace, according to France Football.

What’s the word?

Reports emerged in the past month suggesting that Roy Hodgson’s side were lining up a potential bid for the Reims forward in the January transfer window, and judging by his latest comments, it appears that their interest hasn’t gone unnoticed.

He said: “It’s a new source of motivation (to be linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs). It’s always flattering – but you have to stay focused.

“You hear too many things. Your name is everywhere.”

The 24-year-old has been in prolific form for the French side, providing 14 goals and one assist in 25 appearances across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Bye-bye Michy Batshuayi?

The 3-cap Senegal international centre-forward, who is currently valued at £10m via Transfermarkt, is one of the hottest properties in French football after an outstanding season and Palace are likely to face stiff competition if they wish to secure his services. Dia finds himself on the radar of Serie A giants AC Milan and has also been linked with moves to Arsenal and West Ham in recent months.

Whether a move to Selhurst Park is still on the cards, however, is another matter entirely after Palace signed French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta from Bundesliga side Mainz on an initial 18-month loan with the option to make the move permanent.

However, with Michy Batshuayi set to return to Chelsea after his loan spell expires at the end of this season, the Eagles may look to bring in Dia as an alternative.

Indeed, in Dia, Hodgson could find a suitable replacement, if not an instant upgrade on Batshuayi, who bagged six goals in 13 games during his first stint at Selhurst Park, but has struggled to replicate that form at club level this season. The 27-year-old has only managed to find the back of the net once in 17 appearances in his second spell so far, surely putting any potential permanent move in doubt.

In comparison, Dia – who is three years his junior – has largely picked up where he left off last season, having scored seven times in Ligue 1 before the campaign was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, per Transfermarkt.

A return of 12 goals this season sees him ranked fourth in Ligue 1 in a leaderboard topped by none other than Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe, via WhoScored.

He’s also averaged a whopping two shots per game in the top flight, which is more than the likes of Christian Benteke and Eberechi Eze – Batshuayi doesn’t even come close to those kind of numbers as he is averaging just 0.7 shots per game in the Premier League this season.

If Hodgson can encourage Palace chairman Steve Parish to dip into his pockets, then he should sanction a move for Dia as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace have struck gold with Eberechi Eze…

Steve Bruce is waiting on the results of scans to reveal the extent of the injuries sustained by Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Emil Krafth against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That’s according to Chronicle Live, who note that Saint-Maximin is facing a potential lay-off with a groin problem sustained in Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with the Molineux natives.

Almiron’s campaign may also be over after he suffered a knee issue when stretching for the ball against Wolves, while any absence for Krafth could leave Bruce without a recognised right-back at home to relegation-rivals West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Javier Manquillo has begun training sessions on grass following a spell out with an ankle injury sustained in February’s 3-2 win over Southampton, but he is yet to be deemed fit enough to feature with the first-team.

Bruce will be hoping for better news on Saint-Maximin, Almiron and Krafth before the Baggies descend on Tyneside, having been dealt a tough hand with the number of injuries.

“It’s been pretty brutal to us in that respect to our big players, so we’ll have to get on with it, accept it and take on the challenge,” the Toon head coach noted.

“We’ll not know until scans tomorrow [Sunday]. We’ll have scans fixed up and see how he [Almiron] is.

“The way he was at half-time told it all, really. As I’ve said many, many times with Almiron; he’s a wonderful pro and he was in distress with it. Let’s hope it’s not that bad.”

Saturday’s draw was Almiron’s 24th Premier League appearance of the season, while Saint-Maximin was making only his fourth start in Newcastle’s last eight games following a two-month lay-off after testing positive for coronavirus.

Should Saint-Maximin be ruled unavailable for Sunday’s vital encounter with West Brom, which is a must-win fixture with the Magpies on the cusp of the relegation zone, Bruce will have to hope that Jacob Murphy can step up and help fill the void the French star will leave.

Murphy came on to replace Saint-Maximin with just under half an hour remaining against Wolves, and produced a lively cameo performance, with him coming close to creating a winner only for Joelinton to see his shot bundled over the bar by Romain Saiss.

The Brazilian’s wasted chance marked the only key pass registered by Murphy, who also saw his sole shot blocked, although the £3m-rated summer free-agent was also able to complete three successful dribbles – only Saint-Maximin (4) recorded more, per WhoScored.

Bruce had awarded Murphy just 13 minutes in United’s previous five Premier League games, all of which came against Manchester United, with the £25,000-per-week outcast omitted from three of six matchday squads since earning his last start at home to Leeds in January.

Murphy has been given few opportunities to play his way into earning a new contract at St. James’ Park with eight top-flight starts all term, having not scored a league goal since striking his only effort of the campaign in October and providing his sole assist in December.

Newcastle and Bruce will need the 26-year-old to improve his output if he is to step up and fill Saint-Maximin’s void, after going winless in seven of the nine league fixtures that the £29m-rated dynamo sat out.

AND in other news, Newcastle have joined the race for a sought-after “real talent” capable of “outstanding” displays…

West Ham United have been gifted a huge injury boost ahead of their FA Cup clash with non-league side Stockport County as Arthur Masuaku may not need a second operation.

That’s according to Claret and Hugh, who claim the DR Congo international is making cautious progress toward a return to full training after undergoing surgery to fix a knee injury that had affected the 27-year-old for almost two years.

David Moyes expected Masuaku to face several months on the sidelines with fears of a second operation being required, should the Irons left-back continue to feel any lingering issues.

Masuaku is not believed to have reported any discomfort since the initial operation last month, having returned to slight training, with the £7m-rated ace able to carry out work in the gym despite continuing to have his knee in a brace.

West Ham will allow Masuaku further time for the injury to heal before increasing his training programme, with a view to having the Lille-born defender back available for first-team selection before the end of the season.

Masuaku had become Moyes’ favoured left-back before the unexpected surgery, with the former Manchester United boss calling on the £40,000-per-week dynamo to start all 10 of his Premier League appearances between matchdays two and 11.

Aaron Cresswell returned to the role against Leeds United and has continued to hold down the position since, barring last month’s 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion when academy product Ben Johnson was handed his first and only top-flight start of the term.

Masuaku eying a potential return before the end of the season will be warmly received by West Ham co-owner and Chairman David Sullivan, who may otherwise have been forced to spend in the winter market with Moyes rightly cautious about over-exerting Cresswell.

Moyes’ reluctance to place too much reliance on Cresswell has seen the Hammers linked with a string of potential options, including Rangers’ Borna Barisic, Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, FC Barcelona’s Junior Firpo and Brentford’s Rico Henry.

Sullivan may now be able to convince Moyes to manage with Johnson serving as Cresswell’s deputy if Masuaku is likely to return before the end of the season, and put any available funds toward strengthening other areas of the side this month.

AND in other news: David Sullivan must boot an unwanted “fighter”, who’s played just four Premier League minutes this season, out of West Ham in January.

Sheffield Wednesday are seemingly no closer to appointing their next manager, though an interesting name has emerged as a possible option for them to consider this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy would be keen on taking the vacant Owls job, though he’s yet to be officially approached by the south Yorkshire outfit.

He tweeted on Saturday afternoon:

Another Pulis

The 61-year-old was sacked by Cypriot club APOEL just two months into his tenure earlier this month and is now out of work once again, having stood down from his duties as Republic of Ireland boss in April 2020.

On the face of it, the appointment of McCarthy could be seen a good one as he has won promotion from the Championship twice in his managerial career, the most recent being in 2008/09 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, some 12 years ago.

However, that success is a thing of the past, and the fact that he has had to go to Cyprus to revive his domestic managerial career speaks volumes. He’s potentially well past his sell-by date.

Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri will want to avoid his credentials for another reason too. The Thai businessman pulled the trigger on Tony Pulis just ten games into his reign after picking up just one victory, and quickly cited his negative brand of football as a key reason.

“I told him I don’t like the old English style but he told me he wouldn’t play like that, his tactics would depend on the opponents,” Chansiri said to reporters after sacking the Welshman.

Well, McCarthy would be no different from Pulis.

Whilst in charge of Ireland, his playing style came under fire from those at the very top of their game.

Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney once claimed that trying to score against McCarthy’s side was like “trying to open a can of baked beans with your bare hands,” whilst their teammate Mathias Jorgensen said in 2019: “They will come to our stadium, sit back and be happy to play for a draw.”

Swiss shot-stopper Yann Sommer even branded it a “very unpleasant style of football.”

Clearly McCarthy and Chansiri would be a match made in hell, so the Wednesday chairman must avoid sanctioning that appointment at all costs.

AND in other news, Paul Cook appointment could spell trouble for “explosive” Sheffield Wednesday star…

Tottenham Hotspur head into tonight’s Europa League clash with LASK Linz knowing two things.

Firstly, a victory would see them advance into the knock-out stages regardless of Royal Antwerp’s result against Ludogorets, and secondly, there’s somewhat a defensive conundrum on Jose Mourinho’s hands.

Toby Alderweireld will be missing through injury, meaning Spurs only have two senior and fit centre-back options as Joe Rodon was not able to be named in their 25-man squad for the competition.

This is hardly great news going into the north London derby on Sunday afternoon, but there isn’t much Mourinho can do about it now.

And no matter how bad things are, he has to resist the urge to hand £42m flop, Davinson Sanchez, a second chance – even in this time of need. The Colombian defender has proven time and time again to be a liability.

That much can be seen by the fact that he has been snubbed in four of their last five Premier League matches entirely, only featuring on the bench against Chelsea due to Alderweireld’s absence.

Last time out against the Austrian outfit, Mourinho named Ben Davies as a centre-back. He shouldn’t do that either. Instead, he should look to Japhet Tanganga, who isn’t afraid of European football under the lights.

The 21-year-old was injured to start the 2020/21 campaign, but he started in the 4-0 drubbing of Ludogorets last week at centre-back, so there is no reason to drop him, especially after helping the side to another clean sheet.

Tanganga should slide right in alongside Eric Dier for at least some continuity in this must-win encounter.

At one stage in his youth career, he was tipped to be the next Ledley King, and now the £45k-per-week academy sensation gets to learn under his stewardship.

King himself has been impressed by Tanganga, he told the Beautiful Game podcast: “When I watched him on the training ground, I saw someone that as a young player had a desire to put his body on the line and someone who wanted to defend. He was someone who stood out for me as he enjoyed doing it. The hard work begins for him now, as we have top defenders,”

Following his debut against none other than Liverpool, the young versatile defender even had Jurgen Klopp waxing lyrical about his talents. The Reds boss labelled him “very impressive” after the match to reporters.

Whilst it would be merciless call in swerving Sanchez once again, Tanganga playing this evening would be far more beneficial for Mourinho long-term.

AND in other news, Spurs could land their own Vardy in £27m “crazy” workhorse…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast’s Tom Ward, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer waxed lyrical over “talented” Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli after his impact from the bench this weekend.

Jose Mourinho’s side could only muster up a draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, but still managed to keep their place atop the Premier League table ahead of this week’s stern test against defending champions, Liverpool.

Alli, who has been linked with an exit in January, has barely featured in the top-flight this season. Indeed it was only the third time he was actually named in their matchday squad.

In all competitions, the 24-year-old has played just 338 minutes, though Palmer was impressed with what he saw against the Eagles during his five-minute cameo.

He told FFC:

“He’s a young lad and without a doubt, he’s a talented player. If he takes that on board, which is the side of his game which is missing.

“It’s just like [Jack] Grealish. Jack Grealish has done that.

“When they had the break just before the end of the season, where Villa had those three or four weeks where they had to change things around because they were as good as down. Jack Grealish has realised that’s [defensive duties] part of the game now.

“He knows he has the ability on the ball, but he now knows what he has to do off the ball. And he’s doing that now.

“Dele Alli can turn his career around as simple as that.

“As he did on Sunday when I realised that and Mourinho’s the type of person that will give him plenty of confidence and will have told him ‘this is what I expect from you’.”

According to the Daily Mirror, Premier League rivals Everton are a potential destination for the out-of-favour attacking midfielder, who is currently valued at a whopping €70m (£64m) by CIES Football Observatory.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain could well reignite their loan interest from the summer too, as per Sky Sports, so Alli won’t be short of options.

However, if Alli continues to display a new defensive side to his game as Palmer suggests, then there could well be a future for him under Mourinho in N17 – as unlikely as that currently seems right now.

AND in other news, 38% duels won: Spurs calamity with 93 touches surely left Mourinho reeling with anger…

Liverpool’s injury woes keep coming after they were forced to substitute Fabinho against Midtjylland last night. The stand-in centre-back was replaced by youngster Rhys Williams after going down with a suspected hamstring injury. The Brazilian will undergo a scan to determine the extent of his injury, but it’s already left the Reds in a worrying situation.

If Fabinho is ruled out of action, Jurgen Klopp will be down to just one fit senior centre-back. Indeed, Joel Matip is still sidelined, which leaves only Joe Gomez to lead the backline as Liverpool fight to retain their Premier League crown.

Liverpool transfer market blunder

It has already been highlighted by the likes of Jamie Carragher that the Reds were foolish not to bring in a new centre-back this summer. With Virgil van Dijk more than likely out for the rest of the season, their chances of winning back-to-back titles have been severely dashed by recent injuries, whilst they also allowed Dejan Lovren to leave without signing a replacement which could turn out to be an inexcusable error given their current lack of options.

Fabinho was proving to be a blessing after rapidly adapting to his new role as centre-back. His performances against Ajax and Sheffield United helped to resurrect Liverpool’s lost form with successive wins, but they now find themselves exactly where they were two weeks ago.

Although Williams slotted in nicely against Midtjylland in the Champions League meeting at Anfield, it’s not a sensible idea to hope he will be enough to carry the Reds forwards. The 19-year-old has made just four senior appearances so far and is nowhere near tried and tested to be relied on long-term.

Should Matip be out for a while, Klopp has just Gomez and Williams as his options moving forwards. It’s certainly not a situation any expected the holding champions to be in just two months into the campaign.

It’s crucial that Michael Edwards and Klopp make a centre-back their priority in the January window, or things could take a hideous turn for this season’s title hopes. However in truth, they could already find themselves in a hole by the turn of the year, with their Achilles heel likely to be a defensive crisis which could have been avoided by signing a Lovren replacement.

In other news, Signing major target Ben White could spell trouble for Joe Gomez at Liverpool…

Last season, Crystal Palace scored the fewest goals in the club’s history, a fact which didn’t go unnoticed by Roy Hodgson.

After a bright start to the season, including a thrilling 3-1 win over Manchester United, the goals have started to dry up again for the Eagles, as their lack of genuine attacking options was once again laid bare with a 2-0 defeat away at Wolves.

However, Steve Parish could fix Palace’s problems with one audacious swoop, if recent reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to Antena2, as reported by HITC, long-term Palace target Rafael Santos Borre is itching for a move away from River Plate amid interest from a number of top European clubs.

Palace were reportedly interested in the Colombian centre-forward in the summer, although a move failed to materialise, as Hodgson ended up signing Michy Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea on transfer deadline day instead in the end.

The report from El Intransigente also revealed that the former Atletico Madrid striker has a release clause of £25m in his contract. So, it’s unlikely the former Colombia international will come at a cheaper price.

Get it done, Eagles!

However, Batshuayi’s loan deal is set to expire in 2021, whilst both Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham are reportedly deemed surplus to requirements at Selhurst Park.

With Jordan Ayew’s current contract close to running out in over a year’s time as well, Palace will need to start thinking about signing a new striker at some point soon in the not too distant future.

It’s fair to say that they may not have to look very far at all indeed. The 25-year-old has scored 56 goals and supplied 19 assists in 168 games in his club career so far, via Transfermarkt. That’s only one goal fewer than Wickham, who has made almost a hundred appearances more than the Colombian.

Once lauded as a “fantastic” player by River sporting director Enzo Francescoli, Borre bagged twelve goals and one assist in 20 games in the Superliga last season, whilst he averaged 2 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1 tackle per game, via WhoScored, which shows that he is willing to win the ball back as well.

The Argentine side even seem resigned to losing the Colombian at some point soon, with Francescoli recently admitting defeat.

A powerful counter-attacking threat who is a strong finisher and capable of holding on to the ball, Borre could become Palace’s main man for years to come if the Eagles can get a deal done. Given his performances so far, he has shown that he should be able to hit the ground running, as he has proven that he has an eye for the goal at the top levels of the game.

AND in other news, £7m down the drain: Steve Parish must sell Crystal Palace outcast Connor Wickham…

Mino Raiola is looking to complete a move from Everton to Juventus this transfer window, reports Tuttosport (via Sport Witness).

What’s the word?

The Italian has grown increasingly frustrated at Goodison Park, due to a lack of game time, which means he is now looking for an exit route back to his old club.

While Raiola is working on getting a deal done, it is suggested any move to Andrea Pirlo’s side will be struck late in the transfer window, as Juve have more pressing matters they want to deal with first.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

It is also stated that the Serie A champions are only able to favour a loan deal, with a clause to buy him potentially being inserted. Everton are not keen on the idea of letting him leave on loan.

This disagreement surrounding the deal’s structure could add even more time to Kean’s wait for his Everton departure.

Patience is the key

Kean will likely feel that he has already had to be patient, having been afforded 1,141 minutes of football (the equivalent of just under 13 full matches) since joining Everton last summer.

Looking at this season, he has managed just 13 minutes in the Premier League out of a possible 270, despite scoring in both of his Carabao Cup matches, against Salford City and Fleetwood Town – the second of which came off the bench.

However, he must maintain further patience and show the right attitude to make himself look like the best possible proposition for Juventus – and to give himself a chance of getting some minutes at Everton if that deal doesn’t come about.

The Carabao Cup is where Kean has got his chances so far this term, and with their next match being against West Ham United on 30th September, there is a chance he could get a look in – whether that is as a substitute or starter.

It should be noted that even if Kean does get his move to Juventus, he is likely going to need to be patient in his pursuit of game time, as he will be up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Therefore, while the youngster has shown he has various qualities, patience will be the most important for him in the next couple of months, regardless of what happens.