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Queens Park Rangers have been handed a potential triple injury blow ahead of their upcoming Championship fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by West London Sport, Mark Warburton confirmed that Sam McCallum will miss the Rs’ clash with Birmingham City on Tuesday evening due to a hamstring injury, and that he will not be in line for a return to first-team action until after the international break.

Speaking about the left-back’s injury, as well as the recovery of fellow defender Lee Wallace, the 59-year-old said: “They are probably two or three weeks away, so the international break gives us a window to try and get a couple of boys fit. Sam and Lee will probably be looking to come back around the same time.”

The QPR manager also revealed that both Stefan Johansen and Jordy de Wijs will undergo fitness tests on Tuesday to determine whether or not they will be available for selection against the Blues, with both players having been withdrawn due to knocks in the club’s 2-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion last Friday.

Warburton said: “Stef is in this morning and so is Jordy to see how they are. It’s about seeing how the boys report in. At the moment it’s about checking personnel. You can’t risk them if they’re not right. We’ll check them this morning and see how they are.”

Warburton would be gutted

While McCallum’s absence was to be expected, should QPR also be without both central midfielder Johansen and centre-back De Wijs for the visit of Birmingham on Tuesday, it would undoubtedly leave Warburton gutted.

Indeed, over his nine Championship appearances so far this season, club captain Johansen has highly impressed, scoring one goal, registering two assists and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as the Rs’ ninth-best player in the second tier.

Meanwhile, De Wijs has also been one of Warburton’s standout performers over his nine league fixtures, helping his side keep two clean sheets, registering two assists and earning an average SofaScore match rating of 7.20, seeing the centre-back rank as the club’s joint second-best player in the division.

As such, the loss of either player would come as a huge blow to the club’s chances of picking up a win against Lee Bowyer’s side, something that Warburton will be certainly be hoping for after seeing his side fall to three consecutive losses in the league.

In other news: Warburton must unleash £13k-p/w QPR beast tonight, he would cause BCFC “real trouble”

Tottenham Hotspur legend Glenn Hoddle has slammed the form of Sergio Reguilon following Spurs’ 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Reguilon struggling

Reguilon started against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend, with the opening goal coming from down his flank.

He was one of a number of players who struggled against Spurs’ fierce local rivals, losing possession 17 times and completing just two crosses, hardly ideal for an attacking full-back.

The Latest: Hoddle slams Reguilon

Speaking to Optus Sport after the match, Hoddle slammed Region’s form compared to his impressive start to life in north London. He said (via HITC):

“Reguilon came in, did very well, he competes well, gets forward, gets crosses in, he has gone off the boil.

“There are a lot of players at Tottenham at the moment who have just gone off the boil completely.”

The Verdict: Capable of better

Given £22.5m-valued Reguilon (Transfermarkt) provided the assist for Heung-Min Son’s consolation against Spurs, it was far from his worst performance, but he is capable of much more. After all, he comes from Real Madrid’s youth academy, and was signed for a fee that could rise up to £32m (Sky Sports).

The issue is, he is not the only player not at his best currently at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Three defeats in a row in the Premier League, with nine goals conceded during that time, illustrates just how poor Spurs have been, and the lack of confidence and form has seemed to spread through the team like a disease.

Even star striker Harry Kane remains without a goal after five league outings (Transfermarkt). Nuno Espirito Santo must do all he can to get the best out of his star talents once more, and hopefully Reguilon will be one of the first to kick start back to his prior showings.

In other news, Gary Neville took aim at these two Spurs talents.

Lee Ryder reckons that Newcastle United officials behind the scenes know ‘deep down’ that their poor performances under Steve Bruce ‘can’t go on much longer’. 

The lowdown

As the Premier League season pauses for the second international break, Newcastle find themselves second from bottom in the table.

They have failed to win any of their first seven matches, with only their three draws keeping them above Norwich City.

What’s more, the stats suggest that Newcastle fully deserve to be in the relegation zone. When you go by expected goals for and against, they should be 18th (via Understat).

Despite these struggles, the club has firmly backed the manager. The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards reported at the end of last month that ‘his job is not under threat and is unlikely to be any time soon’.

By contrast, a Chronicle Live survey in September found that a whopping 95 per cent of Newcastle fans are in favour of a managerial change.

The latest

In a fan Q & A for The Chronicle, Ryder was asked whether Bruce was ‘refusing to resign’ because he fears he won’t get another chance at the top level, or whether it was down to finances.

He acknowledged that it could be Bruce’s ‘last job’ in the Premier League, but stressed that compensation is a ‘big factor’.

If he’s sacked, he’s entitled to a ‘seven-figure pay-out’, but he waives that right if he resigns.

However, Ryder adds: “I think deep down they know this can’t go on for much longer unless the team REALLY (his emphasis) pick up after the break.”

The verdict

Are Newcastle’s fixtures conducive to an upturn in form? Not particularly. Tottenham Hotspur are next up, and then they travel to an impressive Crystal Palace led by Patrick Vieira.

After that, it’s title contenders Chelsea and early high-flyers Brighton and Brentford.

If Ryder is right about the true feelings of the decision-makers behind closed doors, then, perhaps the clock is ticking for Bruce.

In other news, could this be a potential replacement for Bruce? 

Leeds journalist Phil Hay has dropped a claim on Brazil international Raphinha amid speculation over his future… 

What’s the talk?

Responding to a fan’s question regarding the Brazilian’s situation heading into January, the Athletic journalist played down the prospect of him leaving Elland Road.

Hay said that a big-money move for Raphinha would be more likely to arise at the end of the campaign, rather than midway through.

He said in his Athletic Q&A:

“Re: Raphinha – I see no sense at all in Leeds entertaining bids in January.

“It’s not like his value is going to diminish and you’re unsettling your squad at a key point of the season. Add to that the fact that the most elite clubs don’t tend to do big deals in January.

“If they’re doing a Grealish or a Kane for example, those offers tend to come in the summer window because there’s more time to negotiate and value for money tends to be slightly better.”

Delight

Leeds United fans will surely be delighted with these comments from Phil Hay as they appear to rule out the prospect of Raphinha departing in January. Liverpool were recently touted with having an interest in the forward and that news could have left some feeling concerned about what could happen in the winter market.

However, Hay has allayed those fears by stating that there would be no sense in Leeds cashing in on him. Victor Orta appears unlikely to sanction a sale in January and Leeds fans may be able to enjoy Raphinha’s talents for the rest of the season, at least.

Selling him next summer, if at all, would give Leeds plenty of time to source a replacement and reinvest the funds ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Whereas, if he left in January it would leave little room for Orta to work with to ensure the Whites do not go into the second half of the season with a lack of firepower.

Raphinha has three goals in seven Premier League matches this season and was directly involved in 15 goals in 26 starts last term – six goals and nine assists. This shows the level of impact he is capable of having on the team in the top-flight, as he has proven that he can both score and assist goals for Leeds – making him a potential game-winner every time he steps on the field.

Therefore, Leeds fans will love Hay’s comments dissuading the notion that Raphinha could leave in January. They will surely want a player of his talent to remain at Elland Road and, hopefully, that will be the case.

AND in other news, 12 duels won: Leeds warrior with six tackles was a shining light vs Southampton…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans were left unimpressed with the performance of Said Benrahma against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon. 

David Moyes’ men were looking to improve on their recent Premier League home record and took on London rivals Spurs in one of their most highly-anticipated derbies of the season.

Fresh off the back of an impressive midweek win over Genk in the Europa League group stage, taking full control of that contest and placing one foot into the last 16, today’s encounter came as a totally different beast.

The match was on a knife edge for the most part until Aaron Cresswell’s corner midway through the second half fell to Michail Antonio, who made no mistake and opened the scoring for 1-0.

One man who certainly didn’t impress some supporters with his display during the contest, though, was Benrahma – who has been handed more of a chance by Moyes this season compared to last.

Some Irons supporters felt that he has failed to truly grasp his chance, with the Algerian struggling to really make his mark on a consistent basis at the London Stadium today. As per SofaScore, he finished the match as West Ham’s lowest-rated starter and was hauled off by Moyes 10 minutes from full-time, having lost seven of his nine duels, completed just one of his five attempted dribbles and given the ball away 12 times.

He often cut an “anonymous” figure against Spurs and couldn’t really stamp his authority or creativity on the game, so it’s little wonder why some supporters feel he underperformed. One angry Irons fan even fumed that the Algerian was “playing for Tottenham”.

Check out some of the fans’ verdicts on the 26-year-old below.

West Ham fans slam Benrahma…

“Benrahma dropping a 0/10”

Credit: @whumako

“I actually forgot Benrahma was playing for large parts of that half, non existent”

Credit: @poshboyh

“Benrahma playing for Tottenham so far”

Credit: @lolololword

“Benrahma shocking so far”

Credit: @seann_mears

“we need to get Benrahma involved, anonymous so far”

Credit: @SteveFairchil18

“Benrahma needs to liven up”

Credit: @Irons_Stuff

“Benrahma very quiet today”

Credit: @scott161

“what happened to Benrahma”

Credit: @kubaWHU

In other news: ‘Incredible’, ‘Bargain’…Pundit thrilled as West Ham allegedly eye ‘very, very good signing’…find out more here.

Leeds have endured a difficult start to the 2021/22 campaign and their struggles continued at the weekend as they scraped a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves.

The Whites scored a last-minute penalty from Rodrigo to secure a point and now sit 17th in the Premier League table, with just one win in nine games.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have an opportunity to build some positive momentum ahead of their trip to Norwich on Sunday, though, as they face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup at the Emirates Stadium tonight.

It’s time

It is now time for Bielsa to unleash 19-year-old colossus Charlie Cresswell from the start against the Gunners. The injuries to Robin Koch and Luke Ayling, who can both play at centre-back, have opened the door for the young defender to come in for this match.

Diego Llorente and Liam Cooper started against Wolves and Bielsa must now drop the Spaniard in order to give Cresswell another game to catch the eye.

He previously hailed himself as a leader and named Leeds captain Liam Cooper as a role model, saying: “I’m confident, I’m a leader, I like to play and I like to head it! There’s lots of players in the first team that I look up to, the likes of Coops, Bill, they lead by example and that is what I want to try and follow.”

This suggests that he could enjoy playing alongside the skipper against Arsenal tonight. It could be a great chance for him to learn some valuable lessons on the pitch in a pressured environment from the Scotland international, whilst also giving him the opportunity to display his leadership skills and impress the other senior players in the team.

The 19-year-old played against Fulham in the last round and put in an excellent display. He recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.6 as he made three interceptions and four clearances and won a whopping 12 duels. Cresswell had 122 touches throughout the match and completed 83% of his passes, showing that he is a strong defender who is also composed and reliable on the ball.

This is why he is deserving of a start against the Gunners at the Emirates tonight. If he can put in another excellent display, he could possibly force himself into contention to play in the Premier League in the coming weeks should he able to impress Bielsa enough in the Carabao Cup.

AND in other news, Get rid: Bielsa must ruthlessly axe Leeds lightweight who lost 100% of his duels this weekend…

West Bromwich Albion have lodged a complaint to FIFA regarding an unpaid transfer fee.

What’s the latest?

In a recent report for the Express & Star, Joseph Masi revealed that West Brom are yet to receive the full transfer fee for the £2.5m sale of centre-back Ahmed Hegazi, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad Jeddah this summer.

Masi added that, despite it being unknown exactly how much of the fee remains outstanding, Al-Ittihad have disputed the figure, something which has led to the Baggies raising the issue with FIFA in order to find a resolution.

Finally, it is said that West Brom hope to receive an answer from the governing body this week, which could lead to Valerien Ismael receiving an injection of cash ahead of the January transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

The situation surrounding Hegazi’s unpaid transfer fee is obviously far from ideal for West Brom, but should FIFA decree that Al-Ittihad owe them a significant fee for the defender, and this fee is paid ahead of the winter market, there would appear to be a rather significant silver lining for Ismael.

Indeed, with the 46-year-old recently stating that he is already working towards a number of deals in January, the potential of receiving a substantial amount of money prior to the transfer window’s opening would undoubtedly come as a major boost for the Frenchman, who would certainly welcome an injection of cash in order to rejuvenate his squad.

With West Brom already involved in what looks to be a fiercely-contested race for a top two finish this season, the possibility of having slightly more money to spend this winter could well make all the difference in the Championship standings come next May, while the potential of bringing in a fresh face or two is also sure to have The Hawthorns faithful buzzing.

In other news: Valerien Ismael must unleash “vocal” 18 y/o colossus, he could save West Brom millions

Sam Allardyce has now backed Frank Lampard for the Newcastle United manager position.

The Lowdown: Rejections, rejections

As per journalist and La Liga expert Guillem Balague, the St. James’ Park faithful have now been rejected by as many as four different managers.

After Unai Emery’s latest snub, Antonio Conte, Xavi and Joachim Low have also said no to taking over in the North East.

It means that Graeme Jones will now likely take temporary charge again at the weekend, when the Tyneside club face up against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Latest: Lampard backed

Speaking to talkSPORT, former Magpies and England international manager Allardyce has now backed Lampard for the role, should the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium approach him over taking the job:

“If I was Lampard, I would jump at the chance! He’s rested and gained the experience, there’s no better place for him.”

The Verdict: Avoid

Lampard did well in his first season managing Chelsea, finishing in fourth spot in the Premier League table and therefore qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stages, despite having to suffer a transfer ban.

However, he was rightfully relieved of his duties in the middle of his second term after a poor run of form which saw then slip to ninth place despite big spending in the summer. Thomas Tuchel has since come in and flourished with a lot of the same players, winning the Champions League and currently sitting top of the tree in the league.

Lampard knows the top flight well from his time as a player, in which he scored eight goals and made a further seven assists against the Toon themselves (Transfermarkt), but is relatively inexperienced as a coach, compared to someone like Tuchel.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Thus, given that NUFC are in a relegation battle, the job may be too big for him at this moment in time.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ boss was Newcastle’s top choice here!

Many Everton fans have been left reacting to some news on Head of Medical Danny Donachie.

As per The Athletic, he has now left Goodison Park after Rafael Benitez led a review of the injuries suffered to key players while he has been in charge.

The Merseyside club are currently missing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure through various injury problems, and it is ‘unknown’ when the England striker will return (evertonfc.com).

It is certainly starting to take its toll on the pitch, as the Toffees have not won a game since September and have recorded three losses in their last five matches (evertonfc.com).

The news had a lot of supporters talking, with some not surprised that Donachie has left, while others felt as if it was the right decision given the spate of injuries at the club on his watch.

Everton fans on Donachie news

These Toffees fans gave some decidedly mixed reactions as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian claiming that it was ‘interesting’:

“Wow”

Credit: @COYB224

“Interesting”

Credit: @Thomas33466234

“It’s been a long time coming but the draining of the swamp finally begins. Too many charlatans have got off with a free pass within the club for too long now and we need a manager who is going to lead the cull”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Not surprised in Rafa making a few changes, more players get injured at Finch Farm than actually playing in the Premier League games.”

Credit: @tomperry51

“Maybe we can field a proper first team back end of this season”

Credit: @Hauswerks

“NSNO”

Credit: @otrochris

In other news, find out what Lucas Digne revelation has left these Toffees fans fuming

With the next January window on the horizon and Newcastle United currently finding themselves in a relegation battle, this could provide their new owners with the chance to improve their squad for the remainder of the campaign.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the Tyneside club are positioning themselves to make a swoop for a player who will be fairly familiar to a lot of Premier League followers.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Juve Live (via Sport Witness) that Newcastle are in pole position to make a swoop for Juventus and former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey during the upcoming January transfer window.

During his time with Arsenal, the midfielder, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, made a total of 371 appearances with the north London club across all competitions in which he managed to score 65 goals and provide 65 assists in the process with 40 of those goals coming in the 262 Premier League games he played in.

Since joining Juventus back in 2019, the 30-year-old, who has been described as an “intelligent” player by his teammate Federico Chiesa, has made 70 appearances for the Turin club across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists along the way.

In terms of a potential move to Newcastle in January, this could be a great piece of business from the Tyneside club and their new owners to add a player to their current squad with such experience who could be a big help for some of their younger midfield options such as Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff.

Ramsey’s potential arrival could also provide Howe with the next version of Yohan Cabaye at St James’ Park, who often proved to be a goalscoring threat from midfield, having scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 93 appearances for the Toon between 2011 and 2014.

If the Wales international were to join Newcastle in January and become a useful attacking threat for Howe’s side, this could be just what they need to help push them away from the relegation zone and in the Premier League next season.

In other news – Offer on the table: PIF working to land NUFC deal for beast which will leave fans buzzing…