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Speaking to football.london, Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur ace Giovani Lo Celso will miss tonight’s Premier League clash away to Fulham – with the Lilywhites boss refusing to take any risks after the Argentine was out for a long period. 

Lo Celso, who has just recently returned to first team training, suffered a ‘big injury’ in the loss to Leicester City back in December – which kept him out of action for months.

Jose Mourinho confirms Tottenham team news

Nearing a possible return, the 24-year-old could be back in action for Tottenham in the next fortnight, but definitely not this evening as manager Mourinho claims it is still too soon.

“It’s still the case,” explained the Tottenham manager when asked if Lo Celso is still out.

“Training with the team but was a big injury. We are not going to risk yet. In fact we don’t want to risk, we want to bring him to the team and to competition when there is no risk.

“So one more week, two more weeks. Apart from that, everybody ok. One more training session this afternoon, but we think ok.”

Transfer Tavern take

As Tottenham aim to keep up the chase for a European spot in what could be a crucial few weeks for Mourinho and his future, taking no risks with the playmaker is arguably a smart move.

Lo Celso will be needed for the final stretch of Premier League games, and Tottenham may have enough quality to get the job done tonight without him, especially with Gareth Bale in flying form.

Described as a player who can be ‘amazing’ at his best by the Lilywhites boss, his involvement during the final stretch could prove crucial in securing one of those valuable European spots.

In other news: Tottenham are plotting to offload this ace, find out more here.

Plenty of Southampton fans were far from happy with the performance of Takumi Minamino during their 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.

Despite playing at St Mary’s Stadium, the Saints were unable to pick up anything against the Seagulls. Lewis Dunk opened the scoring before Che Adams equalised, but Leandro Trossard scored the winner in the second half to give Brighton a huge three points. The defeat leaves the Saints seven points above the relegation zone (Sky Sports).

A number of Saints fans were particularly disappointed with the display of Minamino, who is currently on loan at Southampton from Liverpool. He landed just 79% of his passes, lost possession eight times (SofaScore) and looked like a passenger for the large majority of the time he was on the pitch. It was no surprise to see him taken off for Nathan Redmond – himself an oft-maligned figure – even though Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were in search of a goal.

These fans were far from impressed with the 26-year-old loanee’s showing, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

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

“Is Minamino Redmond in disguise today?”

Credit: @archie_sfc

“Minamino having a poor game… so far”

Credit: @NorwegianSaint2

“Sorry but Minamino does nothing”

Credit: @James_Dack

“Minamino is awful”

Credit: @rthomas95

“Just Google translated Minamino from Japanese to English…. ‘Minimal impact’.”

Credit: @crstig

“Can’t be worse than what’s been out there today. Minamino given it away 5000 times.”

Credit: @KingslandMush

In other news, some Southampton fans react to this FA charge.

According to recent reports, Leeds United are one of many clubs interested in the signing of Torino centre-back, Nicolas N’koulou, this summer.

The report by Italian outlet Torino Granata (via Sport Witness) claims that, should Leeds indeed make a move for N’koulou in the summer market, they will face significant competition, as the French trio of Paris Saint-Germain, AS Monaco and Olympique Lyon, as well as FC Porto, are all also interested in the £6.3 million-rated 30-year-old.

So far this season, the £48,000 per week Cameroon international has struggled for game time under Davide Nicola, largely down to a number of injury problems. However, over the 11 Serie A games in which the defender has featured, he has impressed, making an average of 2.4 interceptions, one tackle and 3.8 clearances per match, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.81.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta having invested rather heavily in Leeds’ centre-back position last summer, spending £18 million on Diego Llorente and £15.3 million on Robin Koch, the centre of the Argentine’s defence would not appear to be an immediate priority again this summer.

However, with N’Koulou’s contract at Torino set to expire at the end of the season, should Orta feel that a financially attractive deal could be struck with the centre-back, perhaps Bielsa would appreciate the addition of further experience in his defence, as well as a player he has previously managed, regardless of his current options.

And, with Tuttosport (via Yorkshire Evening Post) also claiming that the 65-year-old wants to sign N’Koulou “at all costs” this summer, perhaps there is indeed something to this story.

In other news: Leeds are ‘thinking seriously’ about making this key addition – find out more here!

Plenty of Aston Villa supporters have been reacting on social media to Paul Merson’s comments regarding Jack Grealish.

The 25-year-old has missed the last six Premier League fixtures through injury, with Dean Smith’s side picking up just five points from a possible 18 without their influential captain.

Grealish, who has been involved in 18 of Villa’s 39 Premier League goals this season, has been linked with a permanent Villa Park exit.

Manchester City are thought to be leading the way for the Englishman, with the player himself reportedly excited over a potential Etihad switch.

Former Villa man Merson, talking to Sky Sports, cited by the Birmingham Mail, shared his worries for Villa next season, should Grealish leave, labelling Smith’s side ‘a relegation team’.

“Without being horrible, they’re a relegation team without Grealish in the team. Not this season, but if Jack ended up leaving, you’d expect them to be well down in the bottom half of the table.”

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared Merson’s comments on social media, which led to numerous fans giving their thoughts.

This is what some had to say, with many in agreement with the 53-year-old and one describing his comments as ‘big claims’.

“Hard to disagree”

Credit: @PaulRG14

“That’s what happens when you build a team around 1 player and that player gets injured”

Credit: @jjnavfc

“Not wrong though is he! One lucky win against Leeds since he got injured, we seem to be getting worse each game. GK, back 4 and OW are class but most of the rest… Luiz, McGinn, Barkley, El Ghazi, Trez, Davis and too many others, none of them get in any other top 10 team. #avfc”

Credit: @Chris_AVFC1983

“On current form it’s bob on”

Credit: @Sallis77

“judging by the way we’ve played these past games I can’t really defend that”

Credit: @avfcdemi

“Paul Merson saying what every Villa fan knows which is why I’m struggling with DS not getting any criticism he needs to develop the team”

Credit: @davecave8

“Big claims that half our squad are doing their absolute best to confirm when given the chance”

Credit: @ajsfounded71

In other news: Many Villa fans urge club to make big-money move for ‘perfect’ star, find out more here. 

Graeme Souness says he ‘wouldn’t be confident about Newcastle winning another game’ this season after the ‘attitude’ they displayed against Brighton at the weekend.

Leandro Trossard, Danny Welbeck and Neal Maupay were on target for the Seagulls as they crushed Steve Bruce’s men in the relegation six-pointer.

Newcastle could only muster three shots (one on target) over the course of the 90 minutes (via BBC Sport). They finished the game with an xG of just 0.09 (via XG Philosophy).

Newcastle’s survival prospects assessed

Fulham’s defeat at home to Leeds on Friday night means that Newcastle stay two points above the bottom three with a game in hand, but they are winless in their last six matches and their run-in includes meetings with Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City.

Speaking on Sky Sports Premier League [via Football Daily], Souness – who managed Newcastle between 2004 and 2006 –  offered a damning verdict, saying:

“I look at that group of players and I wouldn’t be confident about them winning another game, if that’s their attitude tonight. They were going through the motions.

“They don’t have any easy games left, the way they’re playing and the appetite they’re showing. It’s worrying for them and Steve Bruce knows that.

“You can lose one way and you can lose by not having a go and I think tonight, they went down without a fight, for me.”

Steve Bruce hangs on

Even though he questioned the players’ desire, Souness did not look to shield Steve Bruce from criticism either.

He said that “the buck stops with the manager” and warned that Mike Ashley may be tempted to make a change in the dugout as he sweats over the value of his “asset”.

As it stands, Bruce’s job is said to be safe (via Sky Sports). It was reported earlier in the campaign that Ashley would only pull the trigger if Newcastle were to slip into the relegation zone at any stage (via Chronicle Live).

Transfer Tavern verdict

More often than not, a performance like the one Newcastle produced at the Amex Stadium would be the last straw. It was a far cry from ‘playing for the manager’.

Ashley’s preoccupation with the table as opposed to the team’s trajectory is very worrying for the club’s supporters. In the past, he has brought in Alan Shearer and Rafa Benitez for the final stretch of the season and it has proven too little, too late.

You fear that, with the international break preceding a nine-game run-in, Newcastle may be missing their last chance to make an impactful change.

In other news, Newcastle are said to be in pole position to sign this player.

Liverpool have once again been linked with a move for Trabzonspor goalkeeper Urgucan Cakir.

The Reds have consistently been rumoured to be considering the five-cap Turkish international, with latest reports from Asist Analiz indicating that the club have continued to scout him and he remains firmly on their transfer shortlist.

Talked up by current Leicester City Head of Recruitment and former Chelsea scout Lee Congerton as “one of the best goalkeepers” he has seen, Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards must ensure they snare the 24-year-old in the summer.

Cakir has enjoyed a brilliant season with Trabzonspor throughout 2020/21. He has conceded just 29 goals in 28 appearances, keeping ten clean sheets in the process.

The 24-year-old has also been bestowed with the captain’s armband in 22 occasions in the league, indicating a huge amount of leadership responsibility on his relatively young shoulders.

Whilst it is tough to potentially see Cakir usurp current Reds number one Alisson at Anfield, his arrival as a second choice would likely benefit Klopp’s squad as a whole.

According to SofaScore, the Turk is bettering both the Brazilian and Adrian with his performances. He is making more saves at 3.4 per game, whilst the Spaniard is perhaps surprisingly getting closest to those numbers with 3.3 – Alisson sits at just 2.3.

Meanwhile, Cakir is averaging fewer goals conceded than the current Liverpool duo with just one per game, whilst Alisson is at 1.1 and Adrian at three.

A more competent deputy with potentially Alisson being unavailable would of course be beneficial, but another addition could also potentially see the former AS Roma man get back to his best.

So far throughout 2020/21, the Brazilian has made three errors leading to goals, whilst conceding one penalty. Meanwhile, Cakir has not conceded a goal due to an error.

With yet more high-quality competition, this could certainly see Alisson return to the heights to which Liverpool supporters have become accustomed.

Valued at just £14.4m, Cakir would certainly be an affordable arrival for the Reds and one which Edwards must secure.

AND in more news, the Reds should bring back a former Kop hero to Anfield in the summer…

Some Liverpool fans have been left to fume at some comments made by Mo Salah in an interview with Spanish publication Marca.

As relayed in a tweet by The Athletic journalist James Pearce, the former Chelsea and Roma ace said when being asked about whether he is keen to try out Spanish football: “I hope to be able to play for many more years. Why not? No-one knows what’s going to happen in the future, so maybe one day, yes.”

Some members of the Anfield faithful have not taken these comments well at all, as they can be perceived as saying that he wants to leave the Merseyside club, albeit in the future and not necessarily in the upcoming transfer window.

However, the Egypt international star has not yet signed a new deal with Jurgen Klopp’s men, adding to the speculation that he could well leave the Reds, with comments like these certainly adding fuel to the fire.

Liverpool fans on Salah comments

These LFC supporters fumed upon reading the comments on Twitter, believing that they were unnecessary, especially with their big game in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid coming up:

“Let him go, we can replace anyone but Klopp”

Credit: @allan_ynwa

“He will be off, love the player but thinks he’s bigger than Liverpool”

Credit: @gazzaflint1971

“This guy isn’t Mr @LFC, don’t want him beyond this season IMO let’s get #Mbappe or another team player”

Credit: @SNiyogakiza

“Sell him ! Where is smoke there is fire :)”

Credit: @liverfan1980

“Who cares? Him leaving will be good riddance to bad selfishness.”Credit: @carlQuartey3″Salah fans are so weird man, he shouldn’t be saying this but blame the media for reporting it it’s so dumb, why can’t he just keep his mouth shut like the likes of Sadio, VVD, Firmino and Fabinho?”Credit: @blndaIanIn other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update has been lauded by Kopites here!

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has been ruled out of Monday’s Premier League clash with Wolves, but there are concerns that he could even miss the rest of the season.

The 22-year-old has been exceptional for the Hammers this season, playing a huge role in them battling for a top four finish in the spring.

Rice has started all 29 of West Ham’s league games in 2020/21, also making himself a key man for England, mastering the defensive midfield role and starting the recent wins over Albania and Poland.

Rice injury concerns confirmed

The Telegraph’s Matt Law has confirmed that the Englishman is definitely out of this evening’s trip to Molineux, which in itself is a blow for David Moyes.

However, the knee injury could even possibly end his season and his hopes of playing at Euro 2020, with both Moyes and Gareth Southgate ‘waiting nervously’ to hear the severity of the issue.

Transfer Tavern take

From a personal point of view, it would be cruel for Rice’s campaign to end prematurely, especially as he looked a nailed-on starter at the Euros given his frequent selection by Southgate in recent months.

West Ham desperately need him, too, with his squad-leading performance statistics a measure of his importance; and if his absence ends up being a long-term one, it would likely be a huge blow to their hopes of playing Champions League football next season.

In other news, one journalist has dropped a worrying claim about one West Ham star. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Wolves Hall of Famer, Steve Bull has revealed that one of the lowest points of his career was when Wolves lost in the play-offs to Bolton Wanderers in 1995.

Bull is Wolves’ all-time top scorer having netted 306 times in 561 appearances, but never quite achieved his dream of playing in the top flight with his former side, losing out in the play-offs twice.

Wolves reached the play-offs in 1995 where they were beaten over two legs in the semi-finals by Bolton Wanderers 3-2 on aggregate, and they were beaten for the second time in 1997 against Crystal Palace, once again in the semi-finals as they were beaten 4-3 by the Eagles.

Speaking on one of the saddest moments of his life and how that Wolves team could not have done any more, Bull told FFC:

“People always ask me what is one of those saddest times of my career and it was against Bolton in the play-offs, because I thought we had come so close, yet so far.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“We just couldn’t push any harder than what we did, trust me. We couldn’t push anymore and it was one of the saddest days of my life.

“There’s a picture in the paper of me in the centre circle with my head down thinking, ‘can things get better?'”

Bull scored the first goal against Bolton which set up Wolves for a 2-1 first-leg victory at Molineux, however a 2-0 defeat in the second leg after extra time knocked them out.

That season, Bull finished the season as Wolves’ top scorer with 16 goals as they finished fourth, just one point behind Bolton.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Marlon Harewood, who made 135 appearances for Nottingham Forest, believes on loan Manchester United midfielder James Garner requires another loan spell away from Old Trafford.

Garner spent the first half of the season on loan at Watford who are targeting promotion this season, before he linked up with Nottingham Forest for the second part of the season having made 35 appearances in the Championship this season.

The 20-year old failed to score during the first of the season, but since joining Forest he’s featured 15 games in the league while scoring three times helping the club move away from the bottom three.

Speaking on if Garner needs another loan spell in the Championship next season and why it’s not the right time for him at Man United, Harewood told The Transfer Tavern:

“I would say he needs another season in the Championship because the way things are happening at Man United, there’s going to be a lot of pressure there next year.

“No disrespect to Garner but I can’t see him going straight into the Man United team, so I’d say another year on loan will be better for him.”

This has been Garner’s first time spent away from Manchester United so 35 league appearances in one season should help his development and growth.

Nottingham Forest were staring down the barrel of relegation before Chris Hughton was appointed manager, but he’s been able to steer them away from trouble as they currently sit 15th and 10 points clear of the bottom three.