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Adam Forshaw probably won’t play this season or even at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign, according to former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan.

Forshaw has suffered terrible misfortune fitness-wise, suffering a hip injury early last season and not playing a single minute since.

It means he has been missing for almost 19 months, during which time Leeds have of course secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Forshaw has been working hard on his recovery, however, and Marcelo Bielsa recently hinted that the midfielder could prove to be useful between now and the end of the season, while also heaping praise on the player for making a ‘massive’ effort to overcome his issues.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Whelan provides bleak Forshaw prediction

Whelan is less optimistic about the Whites star’s future, however, telling Football Insider that he has serious doubts about how much he will play moving forward:

“It’s a really strange one. Two years now…I do fear for his career after two years without football.

“There’s a big question mark on him. No one has any idea where he is. There’s been nothing coming out of the Leeds camp. They are very closed off about it.

“There is never a definitive answer about his fitness. I would be very surprised if he kicked a ball again this season or even at the beginning of next season.

“I think we’ll sign another midfielder in that area so unless he has some kind of miraculous recovery, I can’t see him getting back into the Leeds side.”

Transfer Tavern take

In an ideal world, Forshaw would return the all-action player he was before, becoming a key man for Leeds and ridding himself of his injury woes.

Sadly, though, the severity of his problem and length of his absence means it is hard to see him ever being an important figure again, especially as Bielsa’s men have gone up a level in the last year or so.

Forshaw’s contract expires in 2022, so it may be that Leeds let him see it out before moving on.

In other news, one pundit has made a big claim about Leeds’ starting lineup against Fulham – read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a new blow in their potential pursuit to appoint Julian Nagelsmann…

What’s the word?

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy sensationally sacked Jose Mourinho on Monday after just 17 months in charge of the north London outfit, leaving the club in seventh place in the Premier League and with a Carabao Cup final on the horizon.

Former midfielder and academy coach Ryan Mason will now take control alongside Chris Powell until the end of the season.

The youthful RB Leipzig head coach has quickly emerged as a front-runner and Spurs’ mooted first-choice to succeed the Special One but latest claims suggest they will have a very tough task in securing his signature.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein, who told talkSPORT:

“Leipzig have no intention of releasing Julian Naglesmann and will fight tooth and nail not to let him go. He has no release clause, the slightly bigger issue is he would very much like to go to Bayern Munich next season.

“If it’s between Tottenham and Bayern, for him, it’s not a consideration. He is from a place very near Munich, his family are from Munich and he was a Bayern fan growing up.

“Even with a potential Super League club in Spurs, I still think Bayern are in a different category of club and he wants to go to that kind of club next. Whether Leipzig will let him or not, we don’t know but that’s his plan as far as I know and I think Spurs are going to find it very difficult to change that.”

[snack-amp-story url=https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-and-recent-gossip” title=”Read this week’s Spurs news, latest transfer rumours and more!]

Bad news for Levy

This will come as a huge blow to Levy and his hopes of appointing the 33-year-old gem this summer, especially as Bayern’s current boss Hansi Flick revealed his intention to leave the Bundesliga giants, thus opening the door for an easy change of scenery over in Germany.

It’s easy to see why Nagelsmann will be in high demand as he’s taken RB Leipzig to a new level, even further than the progression attained under current Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.

They have run the defending champions as close to a title battle as possible, and have certainly put up a better fight than Borussia Dortmund, and the likes of Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Monchengladbach, too.

The young coach has been tipped to emulate the successes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, too. “Julian is the biggest German coaching talent. He’s very mature for his age and has already come very far,” claimed ex-Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick to SID (via Bulinews). “If he keeps developing like this, he can reach the level of Klopp and Guardiola.”

Such claims have been emphasised by Angelino, someone who has played for both the trophy-laden City boss as well as Nagelsmann. “In certain things they do resemble each other: in the way of preparing for games, training or knowing what they want. I would say they are 95 per cent the same in those aspects,” he told Spanish outlet AS (via beIN SPORTS).

On top of an impressive 59% win rate from his 88 matches in charge of the Bundesliga side, Spurs have tasted first-hand the damage his teams can do as they were the side to knock the north Londoners out of the Champions League last season.

If Spurs miss out on the emerging guru, then it will be truly gutting for Levy and many more at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Some of the other names linked to the vacant role, including England boss Gareth Southgate, former Wigan FA Cup winner Roberto Martinez, Swansea’s Steve Cooper and another manager sacked by Chelsea in Maurizio Sarri, are hugely uninspiring by comparison.

AND in other news, here’s how Spurs could look under Ryan Mason; Alli & Winks comeback?…

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter in which Hammers centre-forward Michail Antonio reflected on the Irons’ recent draw with Arsenal.

Following the 3-3 draw with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners – a game in which Antonio registered two assists, but also missed two big chances for David Moyes’ side – the 30-year-old took to Twitter, claiming that the result against the Gunners was “hard to take” for him and his team, before suggesting that he will use the international break to work towards “putting it right” with a win in the Hammers’ next Premier League fixture.

In reaction to his comments, numerous fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the comments, with many offering messages of support for the £70,000-per-week striker. However, some took the opportunity to criticise Antonio for the chances he missed in the game, as well as for his dip in form in recent weeks, with just two goals across his last nine league appearances. One supporter even accused the striker of “sulking”.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to Michail Anotnio’s post-match comments?

“How about getting your finger out? Your game has dropped recently.”

@td67coyi

“Feels like a loss almost but least we didn’t lose. That could be a vital point for us during the run-in, so keep the faith man and you did a lot of good things yesterday.”

@RockyWhu

“Just make sure you don’t miss another tap in. Love you.”

@conor56747940

“A bootlace away from the winner. Still, a point gained in this unexpected season. Enjoy the rest and come back hungry for more.”

@greg10217

“The goals stopped coming when you said you were going to score 4 against Liverpool. Jinxed it.”

@PessimisticHam1

“Sulking when your teammate scores? Bad mentality.”

@JHHWHUFC

“Well played but the chance you missed gave me a heart attack.”

@JessseLingaard

“Unlucky mate, recharge your batteries – one big push.”

@Mexico20000

In other news: these West Ham fans slammed this club figure with “no ambition” after footage surfaced – find out more here!

Manchester City will be looking to continue their exceptional winning run when they take on high-flying West Ham in the Premier League in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Pep Guardiola’s side have now won 19 games in a row in all competitions and are comfortable at the top of the Premier League, but will have to be at their best if they want to take three points against David Moyes’ side, who sit fourth after their own strong run of form.

Guardiola made several changes to his side for the trip to Budapest to face Borussia Monchengladbach in midweek and more rotation seems likely, especially with another home game against Wolves to come on Tuesday.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line his side up against the Hammers, with three changes from the starting team that secured a 2-0 win in the Champions League on Wednesday…

Ederson looks set to win the golden glove this season should City’s impressive defensive record continue, so he is likely to continue in goal.

There’s one change in defence, as John Stones comes back in Aymeric Laporte, having been rested against Monchengladbach in midweek, whilst Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker continue at full-back having excelled there against Marco Rose’s side.

Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan are likely to start in midfield, but they will support Kevin De Bruyne, with the Belgian left on the bench against Monchengladbach as he has only just returned from injury.

He comes in for Bernardo Silva, with Riyad Mahrez starting on the right-wing ahead of the Portuguese international.

Finally, Raheem Sterling moves up front ahead of Gabriel Jesus, who is dropped to the bench despite scoring in midweek, as Guardiola suggested that his side should have scored more in Hungary, with the Brazilian perhaps the guilty party after failing to shoot when through on goal.

AND, in other news… Txiki should hand new deal to £150k-p/w City beast; even if he rarely plays

Paul Robinson has claimed ‘that could be it’ for Steve Bruce at Newcastle if they lose their three upcoming games in the Premier League this month.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and England international goalkeeper has predicted that the St. James’ Park faithful’s next three matches may determine as to whether or not Bruce keeps his job in the North East:

“They seem to have been sucked back into it unwittingly and rather quietly in recent weeks.

“With their injury list, especially up front, it’s going to be a big ask for them. West Brom v Newcastle is a massive game for both clubs. But it’s a huge, huge game for Newcastle.

“A 1-1 draw against Wolves probably wasn’t enough. They need to start putting wins together.

“Their next three fixtures will determine whether they stay up. They’ve got West Brom away, Villa at home and then away to Brighton. That could be it for Bruce.”

Should Newcastle axe Bruce?

Should results not go their way in the next three fixtures, the Tyneside club will surely have a big decision to make as to whether or not they want to carry on for the rest of the 2020/21 term with Bruce still in charge.

West Brom and Brighton are currently two teams in and around the Tyneside club at the moment in terms of battling them for survival, while Aston Villa is a home fixture that they should be looking to try and take all three points from.

Given that it is relatively late on in the season now, points on the board are absolutely vital for the Magpies, especially against sides that they are fighting against to avoid relegation from the top flight down to the EFL Championship.

As Robinson points out though, the next three games, all of which take place before the March international break, could decide Bruce’s ultimate fate.

In other news, find out what claim Bruce has been raging at here!

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela will not travel with the Czech squad to play Wales amidst the ongoing storm surrounding his altercation with Glen Kamara.

The Gers faced the Czech champions in the Europa League round of 16, and were beaten 3-1 on aggregate after losing 2-0 at Ibrox. However, the match was marred by allegations of racial abuse, and the fall-out continues to rumble on.

Kudela and Slavia (slavia.cz) have released a statement denying the claims, while Kamara has also moved to back up his claims. The 34-year-old Slavia defender was set to be a part of his country’s squad to travel to Wales for their 2022 World Cup qualifying clash, but it has been decided that he will stay in his homeland amidst fears of a backlash.

The news was shared on Twitter by The Daily Record, and the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kudela news below

“Big man i gaurentee he now regrets his actions and i bet he never thought this reaction would happen”

Credit: @aris_donald

“Coward”

Credit: @joe_black1509

“Coward, surely that proves his guilt”

Credit: @JayTeeFife

“Wonder why??”

Credit: @stevoboyle

“Hopefully UEFA step in now and deal with this vile player”

Credit: @andy_brennan72

“That says it all”

Credit: @PaulCampbell97

In other news, Rangers fans react to this latest injury news.

Celtic have started the year as they ended it – in inconsistent form.

This has been a diabolical campaign for the Hoops and supporters won’t need reminding of the colossal points deficit to their biggest rivals.

The Bhoys have at least won three of their last four matches but their only defeat in that time came against St Mirren.

Coincidentally, that’s the opposition that Neil Lennon’s side face on Wednesday night. After beating Motherwell and Kilmarnock they will have newfound confidence but you never know what Celtic side are going to turn up at the moment.

So, with that in mind, what kind of XI will the manager look to field this evening?

We’re tipping Lennon to make two changes from the team that defeated Motherwell with two attacking changes made to the side.

The first replacement comes up top where it’s Leigh Griffiths – rather than Albian Ajeti – that partners Odsonne Edouard.

Ajeti has played a fair amount of football recently but after being restricted to a number of substitute appearances prior to that, presumably has quite weary legs due to a lack of match fitness. Consequently, we think that Lennon should rest the Swiss striker.

We expect Scott Brown to continue his resurgence in the middle of the park. Ismaila Soro appears to be fit to play despite a car crash that meant he was late for training earlier this week. Because of that, however, he should start on the bench. FFC previously spoke of how, if fit, Soro should be among the starters this evening. However, with his fitness now a concern, we reckon Lennon will go with Brown in front of the defence instead.

The second and final change is on the right-wing. We’re pushing David Turnbull into a more central area at the expense of Tom Rogic. The £16k-per-week earner hasn’t scored or assisted a goal in his last 12 outings.

Ryan Christie, despite his shoddy form, comes back into the team after returning from injury. He was only on the bench when Celtic lost to St Mirren last time out but has been a favourite of Lennon this term so we think that he’ll return immediately.

AND in other news, No Edouard, barely-seen 21 y/o plays: Predicted Celtic XI after possible 12-man exodus…

Speaking candidly over a potential return to Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain (The Sun), defender Serge Aurier has refused to rule out a return to the Parc des Princes whilst dropping an exit hint – going on to say he would ‘never turn down’ an offer from the French side and that is ‘absolutely certain’.

Aurier, who has been rejuvenated under manager Jose Mourinho this season, playing the majority of matches over summer signing Matt Doherty, could have his head turned in future by PSG – especially given the affection he holds for his former club.

Aurier breakdown

The Ivorian, despite conceding a penalty at home to Leicester City recently, has arguably enjoyed his best season at Spurs to date so far – with Lilywhites hoping he can keep up consistent form as their club chase their first piece of silverware since 2008.

Indeed, Aurier’s fine run has even motivated Daniel Levy to plot a new contract for him alongside the likes of Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris, according to Football Insider.

Exit hint emerges

Amid these fresh deal claims, with Levy reportedly planning negotiations, the right-back has dropped a subtle exit hint as he opens up over his beloved former club.

“When I say PSG is the club close to my heart, I don’t want journalists to say, ‘He can’t say that!’ But of course, I will answer,” explained Aurier, quotes via The Sun.

“It’s the club I’ve loved the most out of all the clubs I’ve played for.

“Paris is where I turned into a man, as a professional, where I discovered myself more. That’s where I enjoyed myself the most.

“When I was a youngster at Lens, Paris was the club of my heart.

“One day, it would be no problem at all to go back, with pleasure. I will never turn down an offer from Paris, that is absolutely certain.”

Transfer Tavern take

Whether or not he gets the opportunity to return to the French capital, potentially to link up with Mauricio Pochettino, remains to be seen – but it could be one to watch out for in future windows.

As Levy plans to tie down the African with a new deal, it could take a big offer from PSG if they wish to seal his return – depending on negotiations.

In other news: Tottenham have been boosted in their pursuit of this ‘dream’ signing, find out more here.

According to The Daily Mail, Crystal Palace are closely monitoring Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng ahead of a possible move in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Swiss stopper has been with the R’s since 2017 and has spent most of his time on loan, although he has established himself as a first-choice regular starter for the Championship club under Mark Warburton this season.

It’s claimed Arsenal and Leeds United are also keen on landing the 6 ft 3 in colossus, who has saved four clean sheets in 20 appearances across all competitions so far this season, via Transfermarkt.

But Roy Hodgson isn’t exactly short of options in goal after the arrival of back-up keeper Jack Butland in the extended summer transfer window, which is precisely why Steve Parish should avoid signing Dieng at all costs.

Parish heading for disaster

It seems not a week goes by without Palace being linked with a move for a QPR player, as they have previously been credited with an interest in his teammates Bright Osayi-Samuel and Michael Olise.

With the likes of Butland, Vicente Guaita, Wayne Hennessey and even Stephen Henderson on their books alone, splashing the cash on a player Hodgson doesn’t really need is arguably the last thing Parish needs to be doing right now.

The 26-year-old, who has previously been described as an “outstanding” talent by the QPR boss, currently earns around £4,000-per-week at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium. There’s a reason he isn’t earning the big bucks, that’s for sure.

In 20 appearances for Warburton’s side this season, Dieng has kept just four clean sheets and conceded 27 goals in total, via Transfermarkt. It’s hardly the stuff of legend, is it? His current deal with the club is set to expire in 2024, which means it’s unlikely he will come cheap, either.

Dieng has been an integral part of Warburton’s side this season, but he’s shown nothing like the kind of form that would indicate he is ready to fill in for Guaita on a regular basis.

Given their spending spree in the summer, this simply isn’t a risk worth taking. Thankfully, it’s unlikely they will have the resources to sanction such a move in any case.

It’s fair to say that signing Dieng would be a big mistake as Hodgson arguably needs to strengthen in other areas, namely a holding midfielder, and Parish must simply avoid signing him at all costs.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction Crystal Palace swoop for Jason Knight as a James McCarthy alternative…

Ed Woodward must cash in on AC Milan’s interest in Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot as he has fallen out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

Reports have emerged over the past week that Norwich City starlet Max Aarons finds himself on the Red Devils’ radar.

Solskjaer himself is reportedly eyeing a move for the Canaries defender as he seeks cover and competition for first-choice right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

And such a move could push Dalot closer towards the Old Trafford exit door, with the Portugal U21 international currently on loan at AC Milan.

Get rid

While it is noted the Red Devils are yet to reach a decision on Dalot’s future amid the Rossoneri’s interest in signing him in a £15m deal, Woodward must accept that the time is right to give the right-back the boot once and for all as he will never be the perfect backup to Wan-Bissaka.

Solskjaer has shown throughout his time at Old Trafford that he doesn’t think much of Dalot’s talents as he has been constantly overlooked by the club legend, having made just 29 appearances across all competitions in the past three seasons alone.

The Norwegian manager has even restored to fielding the likes of Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah at right-back at times this season whilst Dalot himself has been shipped out the door.

It’s no surprise then that Solskjaer has been linked with a number of replacements after deciding to use the winter transfer window to find an alternative to Wan-Bissaka, with Aarons and Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier among the names mentioned.

Dalot faces a difficult road back to Old Trafford, and AC Milan’s firm interest in the loan signing could be their best bet of getting him off their books for a reasonable fee.

AND in other news, Manchester United handed huge Jadon Sancho boost as Dortmund reduce demands…