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Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, Bruno Lage revealed that centre-back Willy Boly has picked up a training ground injury and has subsequently been ruled out of the trip to Leeds United this afternoon.

Speaking about the Ivory Coast international, who picked up an injury in pre-season and has yet to feature in this season’s Premier League, the 45-year-old said: “One guy will be out of the game for sure. Boly has stayed all week out with some problems, so he’s not going to be involved in the game.”

However, in better news for Wolves, Lage went on to reveal that Francisco Trincao will be available for selection this weekend after the winger completed his quarantine period after falling ill while on international duty with Portugal.

On the condition of the Barcelona loanee, the manager said: “Trincao has started with the team, he’s been training all week so that’s good news for us.”

Major blow

While the news of Trincao’s likely return to Wolves’ matchday squad is undoubtedly good for the club, the fact that Boly will be unable to play a part this afternoon will likely have left the Portuguese boss feeling gutted.

Indeed, with summer centre-back signing Yerson Mosquera having been ruled out of action for up to five months after sustaining a hamstring injury in September, Lage had already been left incredibly short of options for his three-man defensive lineup.

Prior to Boly’s injury, the 45-year-old had four players capable of operating in the position, a number which has now been reduced to three after the 30-year-old’s latest knock. Therefore, another injury or a suspension picked up by one of his centre-backs against Leeds will cause Lage a major problem in the heart of his defence, both this weekend and over the coming fixtures.

Also, Boly’s influence is evident from his squad-high match average of 2.7 headers won throughout last season, while only two players bettered his average of 1.5 interceptions per game, figures which showcase how vital a figure he can be at the back.

While Wolves are currently enjoying a fantastic run of form in the league, having picked up 12 points from a possible 15 over their last five fixtures, this could quite quickly come to an end should the worst happen at Elland Road on Saturday.

In other news: Wolves’ £6.3m-rated “breath of fresh air” could cause Lage a major problem next season

Everton have received a potentially significant boost after it was revealed Abdoulaye Doucoure’s injury isn’t as bad as first feared.

What’s the word?

The influential 28-year-old, who has been one of the Toffees’ standout performers in the opening weeks of the new campaign, picked up a foot problem in the 1-0 defeat against West Ham United last time out.

Originally, reports suggested Doucoure could be sidelined for up to seven weeks due to the stress damage in his metatarsal, but The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland has now provided a positive update on the situation.

He tweeted: “It is hoped that Doucoure will only be out for 5/6 weeks – better than feared but still a big blow… Our understanding is that it’s a very similar injury to one sustained last season but the issue appears less severe this time.”

Everton fans should be delighted

News that Doucoure could return to action sooner than first thought should leave Everton fans feeling delighted, given his importance to Rafa Benitez’s side.

The Frenchman has been in fine form at the start of the season, bagging two goals and providing four assists in just eight Premier League outings – bettering his output from last term already.

Boyland went into further detail regarding the box-to-box dynamo’s injury status in his report, stating: “The Athletic understands that the issue, stress damage in the metatarsal, could cause Doucoure to miss up to six weeks, although thankfully it is not likely to require surgery.”

But despite the good news regarding Doucoure, Benitez will still be concerned over his engine room options while the 6-foot maestro is on the treatment table.

Fellow midfielders Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph will leave the Blues extremely short of options in the engine room when Watford visit Goodison Park over the weekend.

It means the likes of Tom Davies, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Tyler Onyango will have to step up in Doucoure’s absence, gifting the youngsters a rare chance to start and subsequently impress.

And, in other news…Everton suffer potential injury setback after Doucoure, Benitez surely devastated 

Kevin Phillips has urged Newcastle United to sell Sean Longstaff after a transfer update emerged.

The Lowdown: Longstaff price revealed

As per The Liverpool Echo, Rafa Benitez is considering a move to sign the 23-year-old for Everton, as he has entered the final year of his current contract in the northeast.

The Daily Mail have now reported that the St James’ Park club have put an asking price of £10m on the central midfielder, with both Southampton and the Toffees interested in his signature.

The Latest: Phillips on Longstaff

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa striker Phillips has urged the Tyneside club to sell Longstaff if they can get the £10m transfer fee quoted for him. He said:

“It’s a lot of money for a player who hasn’t played an awful lot of games.

“£10million for Steve Bruce to strengthen another position in the squad – you’d get that deal done.

“Everton seem to be going down that British and English route with players like Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray.

“He’s got that relationship with Benitez as well. If you’re Newcastle – why not let the kid go?”

The Verdict: Agreed

It would certainly be a good idea for the Magpies to sell Longstaff for £10m, considering that he only has a year left on his deal and could therefore leave for free next summer.

The Englishman was limited to 27 games in all competitions across the entire 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and he may see his time on the pitch become even more limited by the permanent signing of Joe Willock from Arsenal.

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Therefore, to cash in on a squad player who has a year left on his contract would be smart business, and the sooner the better, given that Transfer Deadline Day is slowly edging ever closer.

In other news, find out whose performance versus Aston Villa was criticised by Lee Ryder

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as some injury news emerged on Pedro Neto.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match away at Manchester City in the Premier League earlier this afternoon, Bruno Lage revealed (via The Express & Star) that the Portugal international is still on track to return to Molineux around the middle of next month, and that his last exam went well.

However, he does not know when Neto is going to start training with the squad again.

Nonetheless, the mere fact that the recovery is on track and he is still on course for his expected return date has delighted the Molineux faithful, given that he has not featured for them since April.

With five goals and six assists in the Premier League last season (Transfermarkt), the winger is clearly an important player to the team, and Lage will no doubt be excited to start working with him.

Wolves fans on Neto injury news

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the injury update was shared across Twitter, with couple even going as far as to claim that it was the ‘best news’:

“Best news”

Credit: @MOOKWOLF

“OH MANNNNNNN”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Made my day”

Credit: @laurennandoo

“Good to hear this. Been getting worried about the lad. Can’t wait to see him linking up again with Raul and Adama!”

Credit: @ChrisMM__

“And boy do we need him!”

Credit: @aimstocks2021

“Best news”

Credit: @SammyLouisee_

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers erupting here!

Queens Park Rangers’ Championship campaign of did not get off to the best of starts on Saturday afternoon as Mark Warburton’s men were held to a 1-1 draw at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

An 11th-minute Jed Wallace strike gave Millwall the lead in the fixture before Rob Dickie levelled for the home side just after the half-hour mark.

However, despite dominating possession of the ball – 59% to be precise – taking more shots, winning more corners and stringing together nearly 150 more passes than the Lions, the home side failed to make their superiority count, with the fixture finishing all square.

Neither of QPR’s starting front two particularly impressed, with Charlie Austin and Lyndon Dykes managing just one shot on target between them, receiving SofaScore match ratings of 6.6 and 6.5 respectively, but arguably the club’s worst performer on the day was new signing Moses Odubajo.

The former England under-20 international made two key passes over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, but in almost every other department, the 28-year-old badly let Warburton down.

Indeed, the £7.5k-per-week man was wasteful with the ball, completing just one of his four attempted crosses, one of his four attempted long balls and losing possession for his side on a whopping 17 occasions.

His metrics from a defensive standpoint do not provide any better reading, with the £630k-rated right-back winning just one of his nine duels, being dribbled past twice and conceding one foul.

All in all, Odubajo’s performance saw him earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.0, the worst of any player from either side to feature in the game.

As such, should the former Sheffield Wednesday man wish to keep his place in Warburton’s starting XI going forwards, he will undoubtedly have to improve on his debut display against Millwall, which certainly left a lot to be desired.

In other news: Bhatia masterclass: QPR confirm major development that will leave fans buzzing

Everton have reportedly been close to appointing two head coaches as their new manager but so far, talks have stalled.

Nuno Santo was on the verge of being announced until concerns arose over his background staff while the Toffees are seemingly struggling to conclude a deal for Rafa Benitez.

What’s the word?

It was claimed towards the end of last week that Everton were incredibly close to announcing the appointment of Benitez.

However, we haven’t received official word from the Merseyside club with around eight managers still being considered for the position.

One of the reasons a deal could be stalling was provided by Football Insider this weekend. In a fresh twist to the story, they revealed that the Spaniard’s advisors were telling him to reject Everton.

Why were they doing that? Well, in the hope that Newcastle offer him a position in the northeast again.

Benitez left St James’ Park in 2019 but there has been a clamour to bring him back ever since.

Good news for supporters?

It’s safe to say that if Benitez was appointed as the new manager of Everton, it would not go down well.

It is hard to deny his qualities and indeed his CV. After all, he’s won multiple league titles and taken home the Champions League.

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Though, when it comes to the 61-year-old and Merseyside, it’s Liverpool that will always hold a special place in his heart.

Everton were his rivals for six years and he even dubbed them a “small club”, something he has since apologised for.

When it was suggested that he could be given the reins at Goodison Park, some supporters were understandably upset.

Coincidentally, after finding out he could reject them, some members of the Toffees faithful were rather elated that this twist could be about to occur. In a selection of tweets uncovered by Football Transfer Tavern, Everton fans celebrated the idea of Benitez not being in the dugout next term.

One supporter went as far as to suggest it was the best news they’ve received all week.

If Benitez does reject Everton then it would leave Farhad Moshiri and co back at square one. They have already failed in their pursuit for Nuno and you sense a new manager is needed as soon as possible.

Without one, their transfer plans will be difficult to carry out. The Toffees need someone in place quickly, even if it is the unpopular pick of Benitez.

AND in other news, Benitez can win over Everton fans by signing 94-cap gem he tipped to become “the best”…

After giving Aston Villa fans a glimpse of what he could do, Leon Bailey must surely be given the chance to make his full debut for the club when his side take on Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Dean Smith’s side travel to the reigning Champions League holders at Stamford Bridge, hoping to kick-start their Premier League season following a mixed start thus far.

One way that they could certainly cause the Blues some major problems is by unleashing one of their marquee summer signings in Bailey.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star has barely had any chance to show the Villa support what he is capable of producing following his move from Germany, with him missing the last two matches in the top flight due to a hamstring injury.

However, after coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – Bailey showed just what he can bring to the table.

Speaking before Villa officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

Former Ajax youth coach Ronald de Boer once said of the Jamaican: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voller added: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skilful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

Bailey has the kind of pace, as both De Boer and Voller will testify, which would surely frighten Chelsea and make their wing-backs think twice about constantly trying to bomb forward.

The Jamaican could hurt Thomas Tuchel’s side on the counterattack if the Blues decided to push a bit further forward, and Smith could give his team a devastating weapon by starting him for the first time in a Villa shirt.

And, with Emi Buendia out due to travelling with Argentina, Bailey has the perfect chance to ensure Villa don’t miss one of their other summer signings.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa delivered a transfer masterclass with this ace…

Southampton enjoyed a fairly successful transfer window and targeted young players, but they decided to sell Michael Obafemi rather than letting veteran striker Shane Long leave.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side brought in exciting young talents such as Adam Armstrong, Romain Perraud, Valentino Livramento and Thierry Small, whilst fringe players such as Wesley Hoedt and Mario Lemina finally left the club.

However, in a move that seems to conflict with their transfer methods, the Saints decided to sell Obafemi, with the 21-year-old completing a permanent move to Swansea City on deadline day, whilst Long remains at the club.

After the signing of Armstrong, as well as the loan addition of Armando Broja, you could argue that both Irish forwards would have struggled for regular game time in the first team this season, but Hasenhuttl has suggested that he wants a bigger squad than last year.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, it seems strange that Martin Semmens was willing to accept as little as £1.5m for the young forward, especially after his impressive performances in pre-season suggested that he could make an impact in the first team this season.

By comparison, Long spent the second half of last season on loan with Bournemouth in the Championship and managed just two goals, whilst his last Premier League goal came in a 3-1 win against Aston Villa in December 2019.

Therefore, it seems baffling that Long is still at St Mary’s, especially when you consider that he reportedly earns £60k per week with the Saints, which makes him one of the highest earners in Hasenhuttl’s side.

The 34-year-old looks way past his best and it seems likely that he will leave at the end of this season when his contract expires, so you feel that Semmens could have done more to sell him this summer and Saints fans will surely be fuming that he was kept instead of a promising youngster such as Obafemi.

If Long remains a bit-part player for the Saints throughout this season before leaving on a free, you could definitely argue that it was a mistake on Semmens’ part to keep him after what has been a very promising window overall.

And, in other news… Sheldon drops Southampton transfer update on “one of the best”

Liverpool have been linked with a move for AS Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, the Anfield outfit have already lodged a £25.8 million bid to sign the 24-year-old this summer.

The report goes on to claim that Pellegrini wants to remain at his boyhood over the coming months. However, a separate story in The Mirror revealed that new Roma boss Jose Mourinho intends to bring his own midfielders to the Stadio Olimpico and that the club captain is yet to agree to terms on a new deal.

Edwards must swoop

Gini Wijnaldum’s exit after five successful years at Liverpool leaves the need for a direct replacement in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad.

The Dutch international featured in all 38 Premier League games last season, and the Reds require someone of similar quality and reliability to succeed him.

Several names, such as Saul Niguez and Florian Neuhaus, have been linked with doing just that, but perhaps the most realistic prospect is Pellegrini.

Mourinho’s arrival in the Italian capital is expected to bring mass changes to the Giallorossi, with Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka heavily linked with a move to the Serie A giants.

And his arrival could spell the end for Pellegrini, who is set to enter the final 12 months of his current contract.

The Italy international made 47 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring 11 goals and providing a further nine assists, and his impressive displays have earned high praise from club legend Francesco Totti in the past.

“I am not surprised by the development of Pellegrini. As I always know, Lorenzo is a phenomenal player. Now, everything depends on him to continue to be at this level,” said Totti.

His departure from Rome could be a big loss for Mourinho. Pellegrini recorded the joint-second highest amount of assists in the Italian top-flight in 2020/21 amongst his teammates, 1.9 key passes per game, more than any other Roma player, and an impressive 7.23 WhoScored rating, a figure only bettered by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Wijnaldum’s exit will undoubtedly come as a blow to Liverpool’s chances of regaining the Premier League title next season, but bringing in Pellegrini would certainly ease the pain, and director of football Michael Edwards must swoop for the young star.

And, in other news…Edwards masterstroke: LFC could seal their next Coutinho in “exceptional” £17.5m gem 

Rangers were dealt a big blow earlier this month when the news dropped that striker Alfredo Morelos will miss the rest of the season through injury.

In the Colombian’s absence, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has had to rely on Kemar Roofe to fill in and lead the line for his side.

Even though the Gers have some important games left to play before the season draws to an end and the summer transfer window opens, it seems as though the club are in the mix to sign one player that could potentially bring an end to Roofe’s time at Ibrox.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football League World, Rangers are interested in signing Stoke City striker Jacob Brown.

Since joining the Championship club back in September 2020 from Barnsley, the Scotsman has gone on to make 95 appearances for the Potters across all competitions.

Bad news for Roofe

This season has seen the 24-year-old Brown really make a name for himself as a dangerous goalscorer.

In 42 league appearances, the striker has found the back of the net 12 times and provided four assists along the way.

Labelled as a “versatile” player by Michael O’Neill and as a “bright talent” by journalist Alan Biggs, Brown has racked up more shots at goal (80) than any other Stoke player.

Also, no other forward has been able to match the same number of tackles (24) or interceptions (16) that Brown has, showing how he can defend from the front.

This shows just how much of an all-around useful player he is on the pitch for his side, who would surely be gutted to see him leave.

Even though Roofe has only played half the number of SPFL games that the £2.7m-rated Stoke striker has this season in the Championship, it seems rather difficult to get him to do much defensive work.

With 21 league games played, the Jamaican has only made two tackles and four interceptions for the Gers.

Taking this into account and the age difference between Brown and the 29-year-old Rangers figure, Stoke’s sharp-shooter could be an ideal long-term upgrade on Roofe at Ibrox.

Moving forward, if the opportunity to sign the 24-year-old arises during the summer, Van Bronckhorst’s side should be doing everything they can to bring the centre-forward to his home country and give him the chance to win titles with the Gers.

In other news: GvB can unearth Rangers’ next Aribo in rarely-seen 18 y/o who’s “unlike anyone else”