Tottenham Hotspur face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tomorrow in a match that could go a long way towards determining who finishes in the top four of the English Premier League this season.
With UEFA Champions League qualification so important to both clubs and the Blues in fifth place, five points behind Spurs, it’s a huge fixture.
One of the talking points going into the match is the fitness of star Spurs striker Harry Kane, with Mauricio Pochettino revealing this week he has a ‘small possibility’ of featuring against the reigning champions.
He suffered an ankle injury against Bournemouth on 11th March, a problem which was thought to be more serious than allowing a return just two matches later.
Fans would of course love to see him back in action, but they’re wary of rushing him back to action too quickly, fearing he could suffer a setback and be out for their crucial FA Cup semi-final.
They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his potential return tomorrow…
Liverpool are expected to be without Emre Can for next week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City due to injury, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The Germany international has not played since mid-March due to a back problem, and it is believed that the injury will keep him out of next Tuesday’s crucial fixture.
BBC Sport claims, though, that it may not be the end of Can’s season as the club are hopeful that he will return to fitness before the campaign comes to a close in May.
Some Liverpool fans have not been too happy with the former Bayer Leverkusen star due to the uncertainty over his future at Anfield.
The midfielder’s current contract expires this summer, and at the moment, there are no indications that the 24-year-old is going to pen fresh terms.
This latest injury update has led some supporters to question whether there is a hidden meaning to his absence, while others are concerned about how it will impact team selection next week.
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Many were hoping that Can would fill in for Jordan Henderson, who will miss the fixture due to suspension.
Antonio Valencia’s form for Manchester United has been a little hit and miss in recent weeks, but the 32-year-old has still been one of the team’s most consistent players this season.
The full-back has also come up with three Premier League goals, and has worn the armband this season due to the absence of Michael Carrick, who will retire this summer.
Valencia has a number of attributes, but it would be fair to say that one of his strengths is not crossing the ball.
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The Ecuador international was also disappointing defensively at the weekend as United suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to the league’s bottom team West Bromwich Albion.
The fact that Valencia still does not speak English after a long time in the Premier League also seems to be a bit of an issue for the United supporters.
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A lot of United fans are frustrated with life at the moment, and a number have taken it out on Valencia, with the full-back coming in for some pretty harsh words on Tuesday.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Tottenham Hotspur’s proposed transfer activity this summer has been centred around potential outgoings, but the club need to strengthen.
Over the last few years, manager Mauricio Pochettino has helped transform the North London outfit into genuine trophy challengers.
However, they continue to fall short following failed Premier League title bids in the previous two seasons.
Spurs were well positioned to claim their first piece of silverware in a decade after reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
It was not to be, though, as the team were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at Wembley, despite taking the lead through Dele Alli.
With the club due to move into a new stadium this summer, they could couple it with a statement signing that would boost their midfield.
James Rodriguez – valued at £58.5m by Transfermarkt – has been linked with a switch to the Premier League numerous times, and after his performance against parent club Real Madrid in Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final first leg, Tottenham should take notice.
Despite losing the tie 2-1, the Colombian international performed well for the Bavarians, and provided the assist for Joshua Kimmich’s goal.
Out of all the Bayern players on the pitch, Rodriguez provided more key passes than anyone else and also committed the joint-most tackles alongside Thiago Alcantara.
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With the future of Mousa Dembele uncertain, Tottenham could do with a player of Rodriguez’s calibre who can contribute with attacking moves, as well as break up play in the middle of the park.
Leeds fans have been reacting to the news that Stuart Dallas will miss the rest of the season through injury, and he might want to stay off social media for a few days.
Leeds were beaten once again on Saturday as Norwich got a 2-1 win on home soil, and the bad news keeps coming as Stuart Dallas is the next Leeds player to suffer a serious injury.
Performances like Saturday, where goals from Wes Hoolahan and Josh Murphy sent Leeds home with nothing, have come all too often since Paul Heckingbottom took over.
While it certainly isn’t the sole cause of the club’s torrid run, the absurd amount of injuries has definitely played a part.
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Stuart Dallas will now miss the rest of the season, as Phil Hay from the Yorkshire Evening Post reported the Northern Irishman has a tear in his hamstring.
Dallas is a hard worker, but he hasn’t exactly had a good season, managing just two league goals in 29 appearances.
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The 27 year-old was moved to full back during the defensive crisis, but didn’t impress in that role either.
Fans have been mercilessly mocking the injury news on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…
Manchester United and Paul Pogba have both improved in terms of their big-game performances in recent weeks, with the 3-2 win at Manchester City and the 2-1 Wembley win over Tottenham the highlights.
Their respective form against the lesser sides still needs work and there is weight in the argument that they are causally linked but one more major performance – against Chelsea in the FA Cup final later this month – would make this season into a success.
Nevertheless, the Daily Record have reported that Pogba – valued at £81m by Transfermarkt – is attracting interest from French giants Paris Saint-Germain over a summer bid.
That continued inconsistency from the French playmaker may well convince Mourinho to part company with him when the window opens.
The links have drawn a mixed reviews from United fans, with some happy to sell him at the price but others not willing to give up on their most expensive signing…
West Ham fans are absolutely delighted with the latest managerial links, after an inside source claimed the club are lining up Rafael Benitez.
According to reports, West Ham have identified Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez as their number one managerial target, and fans are loving the links.
David Moyes has completely lost the faith of the West Ham fans this season despite keeping the club up, and fans are already discussing his replacement.
The Scotsman has done exactly what he was brought in to do by keeping the Hammers in the top tier, but fans have been infuriated by his negative tactics and poor game management.
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Arsene Wenger has been mentioned as a possible replacement, and reports this week suggest the club are eyeing up PSG-bound Thomas Tuchel, but Benitez is reportedly the first choice.
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The Spaniard is of course a fan favourite on Tyneside, but conflict with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley could force him out of the club, and the Hammers are waiting in the wings in case that happens.
West Ham fans haven’t had much good news to enjoy this season, but they seem pretty happy with the links to man who won the Champions League with Liverpool, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
A day does not seem to go by when Tottenham Hotspur fans do not discuss the future of Toby Alderweireld.
Many are desperate for the Belgian centre-back to stay at the club, but because he is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract, doubts have risen.
The uncertainty has not been helped by the fact that manager Mauricio Pochettino played Alderweireld in just four Premier League games following the defender’s return from a hamstring injury in February.
There has still not been any official word from Spurs regarding the Belgian’s future, but it became a talking point among fans when the North London club made an announcement on Tuesday.
Tottenham confirmed that they had extended their deal with betting partner William Hill.
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In fairness to the club, in the last few days they have announced fresh contracts for Kyle Walker-Peters and Davinson Sanchez, but many wished that the news was related to a certain someone.
According to CalcioMercato, Newcastle United are considering an approach for Sassuolo defender Gian Marco Ferrari in this summer’s transfer window.
Ferrari has a contract with Sassuolo until the end of the 2020-21 campaign, but he has not actually made a first-team appearance for his current club.
Indeed, the centre-back has spent the last two seasons on loan at Crotone and Sampdoria respectively, and he impressed for the latter during the 2017-18 campaign.
The 26-year-old scored twice in 31 appearances last term, and it is understood that his performances have attracted the interest of Newcastle.
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That said, Fulham, who booked their spot in the Premier League by beating Aston Villa in the Championship playoff final last weekend, are also said to have an interest.
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The Newcastle fans, who have also recently commented on Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino’s future, have been offering their views on the transfer speculation surrounding versatile defender Ferrari, and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Liverpool are reportedly looking to add to their attacking depth by making a move for Nigeria international Moses Simon.
The Liverpool Echo are reporting that the Reds have scouted the 22-year-old and are looking to get the jump on their rivals, as it believed the Gent youngster has been tracked by a number of Premier League clubs.
The Echo speculate that the transfer fee will be around the £10million mark as he has a year to run on his contract.
Depth is key for Liverpool
As we saw in the latter part of the Premier League campaign and the Champions League, Liverpool were limping to the finish line with a number of key injuries to attack-minded players.
The season of Adam Lallana never got going due to an injury-ravaged preseason and while his like-for-like replacement in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was a key figure in the mid part of the season, his knee injury in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Roma came at a critical time.
While they still may not have beaten Real Madrid in the final, having a fit and firing Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal would have given them a much better chance of victory.
It was also clearly noticeable that the gruelling season had taken its toll on Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, which was not a surprise as they were relied upon to put the ball in the back of the net, as their replacements in Dom Solanke and Danny Ings were either very raw, or on the road back from a series of injuries.
With the status of Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge still not entirely clear, the signing of Simon will be critical as the Reds look towards another season of balancing league and European football.
Qualities of Simon
Simon, who is valued at £5.4m by transfermarkt.com, is able to play on the left or right of midfield, but spent the great majority of the 2017/18 season on the left flank where he scored six goals and contributed three assists to Gent, who finished fourth in the Belgian league.
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Despite his impressive season and overall qualities, Simon missed out on Nigeria’s final World Cup squad, although he had been struggling with a hip injury.
While that would have undoubtedly come as a bitter blow, the strong interest by the Reds will surely put on a smile on his face once again.
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