Jurgen Klopp’s injury woes look to have eased somewhat after it was revealed that Diogo Jota could return to action this month, despite it having been previously suggested that he could be out until February.

The Portuguese winger made a superb start to life at Anfield following his summer arrival from Wolves, grabbing nine goals for the Reds in all competitions.

The 24-year-old was perhaps expected to be a back-up to the front three at first but clearly won over Klopp with his excellent form and he quickly established himself as a starter at the Merseyside club.

However, disaster struck when he was injured in the Reds’ final Champions League group fixture against FC Midtjylland, with a knee problem reportedly set to keep him out until February.

Fortunately for the German manager, who has seen his side slip to consecutive draws against West Brom and Newcastle, journalist James Pearce has now confirmed that Jota is making good progress with his injury and could be back in action by late January.

The Reds were desperate for some quality from the bench against Newcastle and West Brom recently but with Klopp reluctant to turn to Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri and Takumi Minamino recently, it seems clear that he is desperate for Jota to make his return.

Following his signing from Wolves, assistant manager Pep Ljinders was full of praise for the £36 million-rated winger, saying:

“Diogo, what can I say? His technical level is on the same as our front three.

“He has so much future in the game and he will have a great pathway inside our club. He’s like a pressing monster, so he will fit in straight away.”

Certainly, when Jota returns, Klopp could return to a 4-2-3-1 formation that would allow him to accommodate the Portuguese international as well as Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in the Reds attack, which could be the key to solving their lack of goals in recent fixtures.

And, in other news… Liverpool can sign their next Salah in “perfect” 51-assist ace

The winter transfer window will re-open in just a few weeks’ time which means that Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson will have started writing his Christmas wish list to prioritise his wants and needs.

Whether he will tread the traditional route of astute, cost-effective signings, or go out in a blaze of glory with a rather sizeable cheque to spend on new recruits for the first time since his days at Anfield, the former Liverpool manager will be keen to avoid making a similar mistake to the one that he made with infamous Palace flop Alexander Sorloth, which is why it’s quite surprising he is reportedly considering a swoop for Marcos Alonso.

That’s right folks, Palace are interested in signing the Chelsea left-back as a potential Patrick van Aanholt alternative.

According to The Daily Mail, Alonso is one of several options being considered to replace Van Aanholt if the popular Dutchman does depart Selhurst Park, with the Eagles also keeping tabs on Marseille’s Jordan Amavi.

However, the Palace gaffer should steer clear of signing the total liability, as he already has the perfect replacement in Tyrick Mitchell.

The Spaniard hasn’t featured for Frank Lampard’s side since the start of the season, as he has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge, whilst he is averaging just 0.3 tackles and 0.3 blocks per game in the Premier League so far, via WhoScored.

By comparison, Mitchell is managing 4 tackles per game in the top flight so far this season, as per WhoScored.

Rio Ferdinand recently criticised Alonso for his “silly” mistake, whilst former Blues midfielder Joe Cole was equally scathing in his assessment after he saw red during the 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season.

The Eagles shouldn’t even touch Alonso with a barge pole, let alone when you consider the fact that his market value is currently estimated at £16.2m via Transfermarkt, which implies that he won’t come cheap as his contract is set to expire in 2023. At 29 years of age, it wouldn’t make much sense, especially with Mitchell waiting in the wings.

Hodgson has been full of praise for the young prospect, saying he could become the next Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He told Sky Sports:

“Tyrick got his chance last season when Patrick dislocated his shoulder and he has taken that chance well and really continued it since the start of the new season.

“I hope he will continue to improve and I hope people won’t start to put exceptional pressure on him because he’s still a very young man and he’s still in the absolute nursery in terms of his career.

“Aaron [Wan-Bissaka] looked very much like Tyrick when he came in and took the game by storm, and he made the position his own very quickly.

“I wouldn’t disagree that in terms of being thrown in with no-one knowing much about him, I think there’s a direct parallel between the two players.”

Mitchell, who first burst onto the scene towards the closing stages of last season, is one of several players with deals set to expire in 2021. But the 21-year-old has established himself as the club’s first-choice left-back in recent weeks.  If that hasn’t earned the academy graduate a new deal, we don’t know what will.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace got rid of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the perfect time…

وضح المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي تشيلسي، توماس توخيل، حالة الثنائي المُصاب في الأيام الماضية، روميلو لوكاكو وجورجينيو، وإمكانية تواجدهما في مباراة يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلتقي تشيلسي ويوفنتوس يوم غدًا الثلاثاء، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” بقيادة الحكم الصربي، سيردان يوفانوفيتش.

اقرأ أيضًا.. دروجبا: أنصح محمد صلاح بالعودة إلى تشيلسي.. وأبو تريكة زيدان إفريقيا

وتحدث توخيل عن لوكاكو خلال مؤتمره الصحفي، وقال: “لست متأكدًا بعد من إمكانية وجود روميلو معنا، لقد أدى بشكل جيد في تدريبات الامس”.

وتابع: “سنتخذ القرار خلال الساعات المقبلة، لديه اختبار أخير مع الأطباء ومتخصصي العلاج الطبيعي، ربما يمكننا استدعاء 20 لاعبًا للمباراة، واللحظات الأخيرة قد تكون فاصلة”.

وعن جورجينيو: “بخير تمامًا، كان يعاني من مشكلة في أوتار الركبة، لذلك قمنا باستبعاده في الفترة الماضية بسبب الشكوك حول جاهزيته ولكن كانت مجرد وقاية ليس أكثر أو أقل”.

وإقالة سولشاير: “لا نفكر في الواقع بمباراة مانشستر يونايتد، نحن منشغلون الآن مع يوفنتوس، ولن أعلق على قرارات الأندية الأخرى”.

وأتم: “لا أستطيع أن أقول إن تغيير المدربين في منتصف الموسم سهل، لأن ذلك سيقلل من مجهود طاقمي الفني في تشيلسي، أنا في أفضل مكان ممكن وأشعر بالسعادة”.

According to reports, Newcastle are very interested in landing Nigeria international Ahmed Musa on a free transfer.

What’s the story?

The striker is no stranger to English football, having previously been Leicester’s club-record signing back in the summer of 2016, when he arrived in a £16m deal.

But having left former side Al Nassr last month, he is on the hunt for a new club, and TEAMtalk have claimed that Musa is keen on having another shot at making his mark in the Premier League.

The report adds that at 28, he believes he still has a lot to offer, and that his representatives have already spoken to a few clubs in the top-flight, including Newcastle.

Bargain signing for Steve Bruce

Whilst Musa didn’t exactly set the world alight in his time with the Foxes – he managed just five goals in 33 total games for the club – on a free transfer, Steve Bruce surely can’t turn that down.

With 87 caps for Nigeria, the 5 foot 7 flier is as experienced as they come, and would offer the Magpies a much-needed, experienced back-up option to summer signing Callum Wilson.

Musa wouldn’t have to be relied upon to start week-in and week-out for the Tyneside club, but with the Premier League schedule the way that it is, having someone like him who can fill in when necessary or even play together with Wilson, would be a huge weight off Bruce’s shoulders.

And when you compare him to arguably the most similar type of player in the current Newcastle squad, Dwight Gayle, Musa is comfortably better than him. As per Whoscored, he averages more shots (1.9 to 1.8), more key passes (0.9 to 0.6) and far more dribbles (1.1 to 0.2) per game too.

It’s a no-brainer to snap him up on a free.

West Ham United can secure David Moyes an “unbelievable” leader in AFC Bournemouth defender Steve Cook as the Irons look to revive their failed summer interest.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, West Ham and West Bromwich Albion have set their sights on sealing a January transfer for Cook as the Premier League duo target signing a centre-half who is proven in the top-flight.

Cook is also thought to be a target of other Premier League outfits ahead of the winter market as his Bournemouth contract continues to near its expiration, with it suggested that the 29-year-old is intentionally running down his £45,000-per-week terms which expire next summer.

Former and current Hammers managers Slaven Bilic and Moyes both covet the prospect of signing Cook in January as they feel he can bring experience and pedigree to their respective sides, which are in need of defensive reinforcements.

Moyes believes the London Stadium natives are still short of options at the back despite signing Craig Dawson on loan from Watford with an option to buy, while Bilic is now without Ahmed Hegazi following the 29-year-old’s move to Al-Ittihad that left the Croatian “very, very disappointed”.

West Ham had considered a move to sign Cook this summer before acquiring Dawson, while Burnley were also keen in the Bournemouth rock whom the Cherries valued at £8million.

It remains to be seen how highly the Vitality Stadium natives value Cook in January with his contract – the third-most lucrative at the club – expiring at the end of the season, and how much West Ham or West Brom are willing to offer for the Hasting-born centre-half.

An “unbelievable” leader

Cook has continued to be a pivotal aspect of the Bournemouth backline since the Cherries’ relegation from the Premier League, with the 29-year-old starting and captaining the side in all eight of their Championship fixtures to date.

Bournemouth have enjoyed an unbeaten run over those matches and would sorely miss their leader if Cook were to leave in January, having so far recorded the south coast outfit’s highest number of aerial duels won (41) and clearances (37) plus the second-most interceptions (18) and accurate passes (301) by any player, per SofaScore.

The 6-foot enforcer is also a player Eddie Howe backed to one day earn an England call-up in 2019 after a commanding display against Manchester United while marking his 150th Premier League appearance.

“I would never say that’s beyond him,” Howe said, via quotes by the Bournemouth Echo. “I think there was a spell maybe two years ago where I felt he was playing very well and would be a definite option for England. That never quite happened for him.

“But if he continues to perform like that then I think he will have every chance, I’m sure.”

Howe was frequently full of praise for Cook before leaving Dean Court this summer, noting last year how his captain’s return from injury was a huge boost after the 29-year-old missed months of action and spent six days in the hospital recovering from an abscess discovered on his groin.

“His leadership, mentality and experience was just what the group needed,” Howe told the Bournemouth Echo. “It was a really nasty infection. Speaking to him at the time and afterwards, it was a really low point for him.

“From being a professional footballer one minute to not being able to walk and climb your stairs the next, can be quite destabilising. But I think he’s an unbelievable character when the chips are down.

“He hadn’t done a lot of training for Saturday’s game but is someone you can always rely on to give his best and inspire other people.”

If Cook running his contract down leads Bournemouth to accept offers in January, West Ham could do far worse than signing the Cherries’ inspiring leader for Moyes.

AND in other news, West Ham can sign the new Nemanja Vidic in a £43.3k-p/w “powerhouse” David Moyes courted this summer.

West Brom’s desperate pursuit of securing a new striker ended late in the transfer window this summer when they managed to clinch Karlan Grant from Huddersfield Town, but there was a better name staring them right in the face…

What was the word?

According to the Daily Mail this week, Baggies boss Slaven Bilic was keen on signing prolific Championship marksman Ollie Watkins, though he became one of many targets to move elsewhere.

But this one is made so much worse by the fact that he joined arch-rivals Aston Villa in a £28m deal and whilst that may have seemed out of the realms of possibility for the Baggies, it maybe wasn’t.

Grady Diangana cost in the region of £18m whilst Grant himself will cost around £12m after all the instalments are paid off – that’s £30m right there.

Grant vs Watkins

Either signing would have been a calculated risk given their inexperience in the Premier League, but on the early showing, there’s a clear standout and it’s not the player contracted to the Hawthorns.

Watkins is performing above and beyond that of Grant so far this term. The 24-year-old sensation has bagged six goals in just nine starts, including a phenomenal hat-trick against defending champions, Liverpool.

He is also averaging 2.4 shots, 1.4 dribbles and 1.3 key passes, via WhoScored, which is really impressive for someone deployed upfront on their own.

In a similar role across the Midlands border, Grant has scored just once in seven appearances, and is managing just 1.6 shots, 0.7 dribbles and 0.4 key passes per game. Ineffective.

Both strikers delivered in the second-flight last term but again, Watkins was clear with a whopping 26 goals after back-to-back ten goal seasons.

It’s no wonder he’s been lauded as “lethal” in the past by Trevor Sinclair. His former Exeter boss Paul Tisdale claimed the forward has “got everything” too.

Such praise has continued with his meteoric rise at the top with Premier League legend Alan Shearer dubbing Watkins a “complete nuisance” on Match of the Day earlier this season.

The £27m-rated monster should’ve been signed well before the late panic over Grant. Guochuan Lai and Luke Dowling let the Baggies down with this failed pursuit.

AND in other news, Dowling can revive West Brom’s season with £7m-rated beast Bartley lauded “dangerous”…

MatériaMais Notícias

O lateral-esquerdo do Flamengo, Jorge, esbanjou habilidade ao dominar, de letra, um lançamento. A jogada lembrou um lance semelhante protagonizado por Neymar na partida do Barcelona, contra o Athletic Bilbao, no último final de semana.

MatériaMais Notícias

Destaque do Vasco na última temporada, o meia Nenê chamou a atenção no treino da equipe com bons passes, gols e por cobrar o zagueiro Rodrigo.

كشف أحمد الشناوي المحلل التحكيمي، مدى أحقية فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا في الحصول على ركلة جزاء أمام الزمالك في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الخميس.

وكان الزمالك قد فاز على سيراميكا كليوباترا بهدف دون رد، في المواجهة التي لعبت ضمن مواجهات الأسبوع السادس من عمر بطولة الدوري.

طالع | فيديو | بهدف مصطفى فتحي.. الزمالك يحقق فوزًا صعبًا على سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري

وكان لاعب سيراميكا كليوباترا سقط داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد احتكاك مع طارق حامد، والحكم محمد معروف لم يحتسب شيء، وسط اعتراضات كبيرة من الجهاز الفني لفريق سيراميكا. لقطة سقوط لاعب سيراميكا كليوباترا في مباراة الزمالك

وقال الشناوي في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس1”: “الحكم وارد أنه لم يرها، لكن كيف لم يستدعيه حكم الفار؟، هناك دفع واضح أسقط مهاجم سيراميكا، الخطأ موجود وكان لابد من احتساب ركلة جزاء”.

وأتم عن لمسة يد عبد الشافي: “يد لاعب الزمالك في وضعها الطبيعي ولا يُعاقب بلمسة يد، ومن ثم لا توجد ركلة جزاء”.

Manchester United are back in Premier League action tonight as they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side find themselves in the midst of a title race at the top of the table, having picked up three wins and two draws from their past five games in a row, with the Red Devils sharing the spoils with Leicester City last time out.

United have a number of fringe players who will be looking to make an impact tonight as Solskjaer prepares to rotate his side ahead of the clash with Wolves.

Here is Football Fancast’s predicted starting XI, which sees Solskjaer make four changes from the trip to the King Power Stadium for this evening’s entertainment.

David de Gea should be given the gloves once again, meaning Dean Henderson will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Even with Solskjaer taking the opportunity to rotate his squad, it’s hard to imagine Harry Maguire won’t be starting at centre-back tonight.

Alex Telles will most likely be handed a start tonight, giving Luke Shaw some time off before the weekend clash with Aston Villa; Victor Lindelof won’t be risked so Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe will start on the right-hand side of the defence.

Paul Pogba is set to start in the midfield alongside Scott McTominay with Bruno Fernandes just in front of them as the classic No. 10.

Despite scoring against Leeds, Daniel James offered very little against Leicester, so recalling Mason Greenwood and keeping Marcus Rashford on the left wing with Edinson Cavani leading the line makes most sense.

That means that Anthony Martial will have to drop to the bench, such is the strength in Solskjaer’s squad right now.

AND in other news, Solskjaer must force Man Utd to sign Moises Caicedo from Independiente del Valle…