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A number of Liverpool supporters have bemoaned Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson’s call-up to the England squad, fearing more injuries.

The Reds return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon, making a tough trip to an in-form West Ham side.

The Hammers currently sit fourth in the table and victory over Jurgen Klopp’s team at the London Stadium would see them leapfrog their opponents.

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Alexander-Arnold and Henderson could both be expected to start Sunday’s game and they have also been called up to England’s latest squad, as confirmed by Liverpool’s official Twitter account on Thursday.

The pair will meet up with their international teammates next week, ahead of upcoming games against Albania and San Marino.

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Liverpool fans fume at international latest

While it is a proud honour for the Liverpool pair, these Reds fans took to Twitter to bemoan the news, hoping they avoid injury as the domestic season is halted again.

Of course, Joe Gomez suffered a very serious injury with the Three Lions last season, which was a major part of the Reds’ issues in defence, perhaps leading to these fans lamenting this as ‘bad news’…

“Please don’t get injured lads”

Credit: @GeorgeGarforth

“Dunno why either of them bother”

Credit: @sheepdogx4

“Ugh”

Credit: @andcouldheplay7

“Bad news”

Credit: @ChalBeta_PatPat

“Nooooo, call in sick from international injury duty”

Credit: @DaveLevy1

“Fetch the bubble wrap”

Credit: @Superior_LFC

In other news, James Pearce has provided a key update on one player’s future. Find out who it is here.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now dropped a ‘big’ claim on Newcastle United’s summer plans, and also gave some injury news on Kieran Trippier.

The Lowdown: Trippier boost

Eddie Howe has confirmed that he is hopeful that Trippier will play again this season, after it was originally feared that he could be out for at least six weeks.

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Thankfully they have not needed him, as they look to have secured their safety in style, and the right-back will no doubt be looking forward to working with whoever they now bring in this summer.

They have been linked with exciting moves for the likes of Darwin Nunez and Philippe Coutinho, and are really starting to build a top squad.

The Latest: Jones update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has revealed that the St. James’ Park faithful are ‘optimistic’ that Trippier will be back ‘very soon’, and added that they will try and convince other ‘big names’ to join the former Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid star in the summer:

“I know with Trippier, they’re really optimistic that he’s back very soon. And they’re really keen that he does get a few games in before the end of the season, not just for himself in terms of fitness, but because for the last couple of games of the season, they want to have their strongest team out there.

“They want to end the season with the best team they possibly can, with the best results they possibly can, to go into the summer full of optimism, and then try and convince some big names to come and join them. So, they’re really optimistic that Trippier is going to be part of that.”

The Verdict: Exciting

With Trippier coming back to full fitness, safety in the top flight and a big summer ahead, these are no doubt exciting times for the Toon Army.

Adding to the win away at Norwich City this afternoon, Eddie Howe and his team will want to finish off the term strongly, and so gather momentum for a rebuild this summer.

They have the money to get some potentially huge deals done, but the real challenge will be to try and get those big names to buy into the long-term project.

In other news, find out what ‘frustrating’ NUFC injury blow has now emerged here!

Tottenham Hotspur continued their impressive Premier League form under the management of Antonio Conte with a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, making it six league games unbeaten for the 52-year-old Spurs coach.

And, the performance against Patrick Vieira’s side was arguably one of their most impressive under the Italian, with goals from Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son sealing a dominant win for Tottenham – a result which sees the club climb to fifth place in the Premier League standings.

However, despite a number of impressive individual displays, one player who once again failed to live up to expectations was Tanguy Ndombele, with the 24-year-old failing to make any real mark on the match after being introduced in the second half.

Lost 100% duels

While it is indeed true that the France international was only on the pitch for 11 minutes against Palace, the central midfielder’s returns will nevertheless be something of a cause for concern for Conte.

Indeed, the £25m-rated man managed a grand total of just nine touches of the ball, completed a mere eight passes, was dribbled past by an opponent on one occasion, conceded one foul and lost all three of his attempted duels.

These returns saw the £120k-per-week midfielder earn an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3, ranking him by far and away as the worst performer of any Tottenham player on the day.

As such, while it may be slightly harsh to judge the Frenchman on such a limited amount of time on the pitch, it is undeniable that Ndombele will have done nothing to convince his manager that he is deserving of a start when Spurs visit Southampton on Tuesday evening.

If the 24-year-old’s second-half stint was a test run, it was certainly one which the former Olympique Lyon midfielder failed.

In other news: Forget Moura: £62k-p/w THFC gem with 4 key passes proved he’s no longer “miles off it”

Blackburn Rovers are set to beat Celtic in the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Dilan Markanday. 

The lowdown

The Evening Standard reported in December that Celtic were among the clubs chasing Markanday ahead of the January transfer window.

Arch-rivals Rangers were also said to be in the frame, along with ‘a number of the Championship’s leading clubs’.

And it seems that Blackburn, currently third in England’s second tier, have seen off the competition to sign the 20-year-old, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season.

The latest

According to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, Blackburn are now ‘close to agreeing’ a permanent deal for Markanday.

Rovers will pay £500,000 up front but the fee could rise beyond the £1million mark if add-ons are triggered, while Spurs have also insisted upon a ‘significant’ sell-on clause.

The ‘deal could be announced next week’, he says.

The verdict

Losing out on Markanday is a blow for Celtic. He’s only made one senior appearance for Spurs, featuring in a Europa Conference League group game against Vitesse, but he boasts an exceptional record at youth level.

In 14 Premier League 2 appearances this season, he’s been directly involved in 17 goals (scoring 12 and assisting five more).

European football journalist Alex Barker has also raved about his ‘really clever footwork and dribbling ability’.

All this points to a very bright future indeed, and Blackburn have only paid half a million for a potential star in the making.

In other news, Alan Hutton has dropped this intriguing claim on Stephen Welsh. 

Everton have made a breakthrough in talks regarding a deal to bring Dele Alli to Goodison Park on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent claim made by Paul Gilmour, with the reporter revealing on Sky Sports News (15:50) that Frank Lampard’s side are now in extremely advanced talks with Tottenham Hotspur regarding a last-gasp deal to sign the 25-year-old midfielder.

Speaking about the deal, Gilmour said: “Things moving very quickly. Talks between Everton and Tottenham. We are told a breakthrough has been made and even a medical has been booked. Two and a half year deal. Sources telling us this is looking good for Dele Alli to make a permanent move. Frank Lampard, we are also being told, a key factor in this deal going through.”

Major coup

While it is true that Dele has been in far from his best form in recent seasons, it is undeniable that the former England international is nevertheless a player who possesses a considerable amount of ability.

Indeed, the £22.5m-rated man burst onto the Premier League scene following his £5.97m move to Spurs from Milton Keynes Dons back in 2015, scoring ten goals and registering nine assists over 33 league outings in his debut campaign, before following this up with returns of 19 goals and nine assists over his 36 top-flight fixtures in 2016/17, as well as nine goals and 11 assists over 36 appearances in 2017/18.

As such, with Lampard currently lacking any natural option in attacking midfield, should the 43-year-old believe that he can help the £100k-per-week number 10 refind this form following a switch to Everton, the signing of the forward could prove to be a major coup for Everton – as a fit and firing Dele has already proven that he can be one of the most exciting players in the top flight of English football.

In other news: “It’s true…”: Journo drops major update on last-gasp EFC deal, Lampard would love it

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Carl Jenkinson’s performance against Bournemouth, as the former Charlton man put in an inspired display.

The 27-year-old played every minute of the resounding 5-1 win over Eddie Howe’s men on Wednesday evening in what was his first start for the Gunners in 830 days, last appearing from the first whistle in a draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2016.

Staggeringly, his last start at the Emirates came 1,907 days ago, way back in December 2013 against Everton.

Boss Unai Emery has deployed all of Hector Bellerin, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back this season, but after the former suffered a serious injury, the latter pair have failed to impress, opening the door for Jenkinson.

The Englishman excelled against the Cherries, and seems to have worked his way back into the Arsenal fans’ goodbooks after knuckling down and trying hard to get himself back in the team, if their reactions on Twitter are anything to go by…

Rangers have a mountain to climb at Ibrox next week after they lost 1-0 in the first leg of their European quarter-final on Thursday night.

The Gers were unable to fly out of the traps in the same way that they did in their last two Europa League ties as Gio van Bronckhorst’s men were caught out by the quality of their opponents.

Braga thought they had taken the lead in the opening half an hour when Horta’s shot deflected in off James Tavernier, but a VAR check allowed the referee to spot a foul on Ryan Jack and the goal was swiftly disallowed.

It was second time lucky for the hosts 10 minutes later, though, as Leon Balogun failed to clear his lines and Abel Ruiz pounced to fire past Allan McGregor. Rangers could not find a way back into the game and will now need to turn it around in Glasgow in the second leg.

In the absence of the injured Alfredo Morelos, Fashion Sakala was handed the opportunity to start through the middle as Van Bronckhorst’s number nine. He had the chance to make the position his own for the rest of the season with a strong showing in Portugal but failed to make the most of it as he struggled badly throughout the night.

The attacker was dreadful and surely left the Dutchman scratching his head over what to do in that role with Morelos out for the foreseeable future. Kemar Roofe was disappointing against Celtic last weekend and now Sakala has let him down against Braga, with no other recognised strikers in the squad on Thursday night.

Off the ball, the Zambian was unable to cause any real problems for the opposition. As per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his duels as he came out second-best in all seven of his aerial battles and also his three on the ground, which shows that he was physically dominated throughout the game.

Sakala was also abysmal in possession. As per SofaScore, he only completed three passes at a success rate of 43%, whilst giving the ball every once every 1.8 touches (11/20). He did not create a single chance for his team-mates and missed both of his attempted shots, with one of them going down as a ‘big chance’.

Therefore, the 25-year-old failed Van Bronckhorst’s big test as he was unable to prove that he is capable of effectively leading the line for the Gers in Europe, struggling in and out of possession all night.

AND in other news, Smith endured big Rangers howler over “world-class” £7.5m gem who was “admired by all”…

A number of West Ham supporters are excited after the Hammers were linked with a January move for Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

David Moyes’ men were given a reality check in the Premier League last weekend, losing 1-0 away to Wolves and seeing their top-four hopes dented in the process.

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It has still been a wonderful start to the season for West Ham, though, and there is no reason why they can’t secure Champions League football next season.

For that to happen, a few reinforcements would arguably help in January, allowing Moyes to keep his squad fresh as the season goes on. That is especially the case in attack, where there is no natural centre-forward alternative to the injury-prone Michail Antonio.

According to Football Insider [via West Ham Fan Zone on Twitter], the Hammers are reportedly interested in signing Sparta youngster Hlozek, with the striker scoring 32 goals in 106 appearances for the Czech club despite only turning 19 in July.

West Ham fans love Hlozek rumour

These West Ham fans reacted positively to the rumour on Twitter, with some believing that the teenager would be an “excellent” signing in the winter transfer window.

“Now I’m liking this”

Credit: @MarcClimpson

“Lingard, Hlozek, Antonio, Bowen, Fornals, Lanzini & Benrahma when he comes back from AFCON… That’s a serious attack!”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Nice”

Credit: @callumwhu123

“This would be a huge deal! 6ft1, quick, strong, excellent finisher, great work rate & good in the air. At just 19, get him on Antonio’s weight training plan & we build an absolute beast…especially with pace & skill around him”

Credit: @WhufcSloth

“Please West Ham”

Credit: @LiamWHU1

“I really hope it happens”

Credit: @LedingtonJohn

In other news, another striker has also been linked with a move to West Ham. Find out who it is here.

According to a report by West Ham insiders Claret and Hugh, the Hammers are eyeing their first major piece of January business as Tomas Soucek’s representatives are in talks over a new contract.

The Lowdown: Soucek essential to Moyes

Since his arrival at Rush Green, Soucek has played a vital role in David Moyes’ successful run at the club. In the East-London club’s emphatic 2020/21 Premier League campaign, the Czech star played in all 38 league games, scoring ten goals from a defensive midfield position.

Soucek joined the Hammers on loan in the January 2020 window from Slavia Prague. Impressing during this stint, West Ham enacted the £15 million fee agreed in the temporary deal, adding to the £4 million loan fee Slavia had already received.

Financially, the Irons’ investment has already more than doubled, with the Czech Republic captain’s value soaring up to an incredible £40.5 million.

However, the partnership formed between Soucek and Declan Rice is far more valuable than anything that could be gained by a departure.

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The Latest: Irons in contract talks

According to a report by club insiders Claret and Hugh, Soucek’s representatives are currently in talks over a new deal.

Currently, the midfielder has two years left, with the option of an extra two years. However, contract talks are being held on the basis that he will receive a substantial salary increase with a new fixed four-year deal.

The Hammers have not signed a single player yet this month, but it’s fair to say this could be the most crucial piece of business they do.

The Verdict: Show him the money

Rice himself has reiterated how important Soucek is to Moyes’ West Ham side, having named him their player of the season following his ‘unbelievable’ form in the Premier League last year.

West Ham would certainly not be short of bidders if the two parties failed to come to an agreement on a new contract, but with the possibility of huge bids arriving for Rice this summer, the club have realised how important it is for Soucek to be nailed down by a new long-term contract.

Losing Rice would be a huge blow for the Hammers but additionally losing Soucek would completely destroy the spine of this West Ham side, meaning Moyes would have to start from scratch all over again.

In other news: Fans left unimpressed with Jesse Lingard claims

Newcastle United have been sent a clear message by Philippe Coutinho’s entourage ahead of the transfer window. 

The lowdown: Record breaker

Coutinho still holds the record for the biggest transfer involving a Premier League club, having left Liverpool to join Barcelona in January 2018 for a fee of £121.5million.

He’s started five La Liga matches so far this season, making a further six substitute appearances. The 29-year-old has scored two goals from 22 shots and also recorded 16 shot-creating actions (via FBRef).

Coutinho is under contract until June 2023 and is valued at £18million by Transfermarkt. His £380,000-per-week salary makes him the highest earner at the Camp Nou.

New Barca manager Xavi adores the playmaker, saying Coutinho is a player he ‘likes personally’ and stressing that he possesses an ‘innate talent’ (via ESPN).

The latest: Fresh update emerges

Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) have again named Newcastle in connection with Coutinho, perhaps unsurprising given his uninspiring time since leaving England and the Magpies’ new-found riches.

However, the position of the Brazilian’s camp ‘to this day’ is that ‘he will not move from Barca in January’.

The verdict: Assist machine, but too risky

Coutinho has racked up a series of honours in his career. He’s won the Champions League and Copa America, whilst at an individual level, he’s been named in the PFA Team of the Year and even led the way for assists at a World Cup.

But according to Xavi, he’s now facing ‘psychological’ obstacles, preventing him from demonstrating that ‘innate talent’.

When you also consider his eye-watering salary, perhaps it would ultimately be for the best if Newcastle missed out on signing him, as signing a hugely costly player who is down on his luck and confidence would be an incredibly risky first marquee signing of the new era.

In other news, Newcastle have offered a record deal to this big-six ace.