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Newcastle United have been dealt an injury blow before they play Liverpool as Eddie Howe has confirmed that Joe Willock is ‘doubtful’ for the clash.

The Lowdown: Injury at Bournemouth

Willock was forced off through injury during the first half of Newcastle’s 1-1 draw away at AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend, with Howe admitting that he was concerned over the extent of the issue.

As well as their game against Liverpool at St. James’ Park, they also have the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United coming up in just over a week, and Howe has since given an update on Willock’s fitness ahead of the next set of fixtures.

The Latest: Willock ‘doubtful’

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match this evening, Howe has confirmed that Willock is ‘doubtful’, but hopes to get him back ‘very quickly’:

“We haven’t seen him yet and think he’ll be doubtful for tomorrow’s game. I don’t think it’s a big injury at all, a very minor complaint with his hamstring, so we hope to get him back very quickly.”

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The Verdict: Do not risk him…

With the Carabao Cup final next weekend, Howe should not risk Willock at all against Liverpool.

The £80,000-per-week central midfielder has been a standout player for the Magpies over the past year, ranking in the top 10% among his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for a number of key metrics.

He has not missed a single game under Howe so far this season, showing how key he is to the team, but given his importance, the manager should not be risking the Englishman this evening, and instead make sure that he is fully fit for when they play the Red Devils.

Joe Nicholson has claimed on The Roar podcast that Danny Batth and Dan Ballard will be crucial for Sunderland against Millwall.

The Lowdown: Sunderland up against it

Sunderland are set to face one of the most in-form teams when it comes to playing at home this season with Millwall losing just two games in the Championship thus far.

As if that wasn’t a difficult enough task already, the fact that Sunderland are set to be without their top scorer in the form of Ross Stewart is a monumental blow for Tony Mowbray who will be relying on youngster Joe Gelhardt.

Mowbray will indeed be able to once again call upon Batth and Ballard who will be very important as Sunderland look to keep Millwall at bay from set pieces as they’ve scored the most from dead-ball scenarios in the league.

The Latest: Millwall dangerous from set pieces

Batth and Ballard are six foot two and six foot one respectively, so Nicholson believes they will be key to Sunderland not shipping goals from set piece this weekend.

He said: (17:20) “Yeah that’s been a concern for Sunderland in the past, set pieces, especially earlier in the season when they had lots of injuries and now they’ve lost Stewart for the season while he’s a striker, he is quite effective in his own penalty area clearing corners.

“They’ve now got Danny Batth back from injury and Dan Ballard they’ve played the last two and formed what looks like a good partnership, so that could be really important with Millwall kind of posing that threat from set pieces, that’s definitely one to watch out for.”

The Verdict: Mowbray faces a tough test

Given that Sunderland currently boast the youngest squad on average in the Championship, it will be a huge ask for them to go away to The Den that’s likely to be sold out given limited tickets are left on sale, and pick up a positive result.

This is mainly because Millwall are indeed higher in the table than Sunderland, very rarely lose at home and will be right up for revenge after the Black Cats inflicted a 3-0 defeat on them earlier in the season.

All teams will be gutted when they concede from set pieces as they’re very cheap goals to be given away and Mowbray will surely have been doing his work on the training pitch to scheme up a way to combat Millwall’s obvious threat from dead-ball situations.

Arsenal are reportedly set to hold talks over the potential signing of Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, with his agents already in London.

The Lowdown: Arsenal interest

It was reported earlier this week that the Emirates Stadium outfit are on the ‘trail’ of McKennie, and Juventus are willing to sell him for between €20-25m (£17.5-22m) plus add-ons.

Mikel Arteta admitted in his pre-game press conference ahead of their FA Cup fourth round tie away at Manchester City that he would like ‘more cover’ in midfield, and so could explore a deal late on in the transfer window, with under a week until the deadline.

The Latest: McKennie talks

Taking to Twitter, journalist Nicola Balice, who contributes for Italian news outlets Calciomercato and Corriere dello Sport, says that McKennie’s agents are ‘in London’ already to talk to clubs about a potential deal for the USA international, with Arsenal named alongside fellow Premier League rivals Leeds United as a possible destination:

“#McKennie, agents in London for a few days already to evaluate and negotiate with various clubs (#Arsenal and #Leeds, not only). Ambitious player, we need a project that convinces him. #Juve pending, clear requests and absolutely within the reach of every club in the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Get it done

With both Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny now 30 years of age, and Thomas Partey set to join them in the summer, Arteta will feel like he needs to build a midfield for the future, and add some more youth into this area of the pitch.

Hailed as a ‘monster‘ in the air by football writer Wes Tucker and a ‘pressing machine‘ by USMNT journalist Chris Smith, McKennie is already rated very highly, and is crucially a lot younger than the Gunners trio at just 24.

He ranks in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals, 84th for touches and 90th for progressive passes received per game for all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBRef), showing that he is already among the best for key midfield metrics.

Nonetheless, there will be added worries over Partey’s injury record, while Arteta has expressed his concern over Elneny’s recent injury, so it is vital that the Gunners get some cover in before the deadline, and McKennie would provide just that.

Chelsea are ‘charging’ towards the signing of Borussia Monchengladbach and France striker Marcus Thuram, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Thuram a big talent

The 25-year-old’s reputation has been enhanced in recent times, having produced some impressive performances for his country at the 2022 World Cup.

Thuram chipped in with two assists in Qatar, despite all five of his appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench, and he has also scored 10 goals in 15 Bundesliga matches this season.

The Frenchman has been linked with a move to a number of Premier League clubs recently, and it now looks as though Chelsea could enter the race.

The Latest: Chelsea in the mix

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], the Blues are ‘charging’ to sign Thuram this month and are currently ‘very hot’ on his trail.

Todd Boehly is ready to ‘splurge’ money in the January transfer window, and the Monchengladbach star is seen as a primary target currently.

The Verdict: Ideal Blues signing

Thuram could be exactly what Chelsea’s attack needs at the moment, given the fact that he is a central striker who is in goalscoring form.

No Chelsea player, let alone attacker, has more than four goals in the Premier League at the moment, and so they need someone to come in and make an instant impact.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer, and ‘a little crazy‘ by former team-mate and now Chelsea midfielder Denis Zakaria, Thuram ranks in the top 4% for non-penalty xG, top 6% for dribbles completed and top 8% for shots of all strikers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year (FBRef).

With his contract up in June, Chelsea could even sign Thuram for a cut-price.

Leeds United underwent a vast summer overhaul, where Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch welcomed seven new faces to Elland Road.

Of paramount importance was finding someone to fill the gaping hole left in midfield, as Kalvin Phillips departed for Manchester City.

Opting to share his workload, Marc Roca and Tyler Adams were both brought in to pair one another in the engine room. 

Despite this, rumours have continued to persist touting the Whites with more central midfielders for the coming January window.

The latest links them with a move for LAFC maestro Jose Cifuentes, with this particular addition sure to bring bundles of creativity to the Yorkshire club.

Earlier this week, Machdeportes FM took to Twitter to claim:

“Leeds United of the Premier League are interested in signing Jose Cifuentes, current midfielder of #LAFC”.

The 5 foot 9 machine has excelled for both club and country, despite struggling as Ecuador narrowly missed out on surviving their group in the World Cup.

It is in the MLS where he has truly shone this season however, with the 23-year-old scoring seven times and assisting a further six in just 33 appearances.

As such, football journalist and south American specialist Tim Vickery would tell talkSPORT (via Football Scotland):

“I think he’s a terrific midfielder. He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while.”

He continued: “But this fellow Cifuentes strikes the ball well, moves across the field, strong in the tackle, strong on the ball, I like him a lot.”

Adding such offensive flair to a position boasting Adams and Roca, who have recorded 4.0 and 2.2 tackles respectively in the league, could complete their midfield.

However, he is not one to shirk his defensive responsibilities either, as he too has recorded 1.8 tackles per game alongside his 1.3 key passes, as per Sofascore.

The suggestion is that he can be a keen attacking presence whilst offering added balance, and Marsch could really flex his American connection to ensure this deal reaches completion.

Leeds United target George Hall has been ‘offered’ a new contract at Birmingham City amid links with a move to the Premier League, according to journalist Brian Dick.

The Lowdown: Whites’ interest

The Elland Road outfit are believed to be undergoing a midfield revamp next year with a couple of players set to be moved on, and the 18-year-old has been identified as an ideal replacement.

TEAMtalk recently claimed that the Blues starlet is closing in on a switch to Yorkshire in January after being the subject of long-standing interest, though an update has now emerged in the last 48 hours contrary to those reports.

The Latest: Hall ‘offered’ new contract

In his column for BirminghamLive, Dick revealed that whilst Leeds’ interest is an ‘indisputable fact’ having been ‘in touch’ with Birmingham about Hall, the club have responded with a firm ‘no, thanks’.

John Eustace’s side want their maestro to ‘stay’ and have a ‘form of protection’ with him still having 18 months remaining on his deal, and he’s even been ‘offered’ fresh terms in a bid to fend off attention.

The Midlands team won’t be ‘cashing in’ just to get by for the next few months, and claims that an agreement is near or already in place are ‘not true’.

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The Verdict: Blow for Marsch

Leeds missing out on Hall would be a huge blow for Jesse Marsch, who will know how much potential the prospect has at such a young age.

The Redditch-born talent has already made 18 appearances this season, clocking up one goal and one assist in just five starts, highlighting the faith shown in him by his boss at St. Andrews (WhoScored).

Hall would have been an exciting addition up north, though whilst this deal isn’t likely to be completed in the winter, you’d imagine it’ll definitely be one to watch moving forward if he doesn’t pen extended terms.

Aston Villa have risen from the ashes left scattered in the wake of Steven Gerrard’s tenure at the club, having appointed success-driven manager Unai Emery and steering away from the chasm that is the Premier League relegation zone.  

With Emery now utilising the midseason break, due to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he will be assessing his entire squad with furrowed brows, looking to identify the best path to success for both his team and his individual players.

One such squad member is Cameron Archer, with the 20-year-old striker an attractive talent in Aston, having netted 17 times and providing seven assists in just 36 appearances for the Villa U21s before earning several chances for the seniors. 

And scoring four times in just 13 appearances, he is certainly staking his claim for a shot at a regular place in the coming years.

This includes a memorable hat-trick in last season’s Carabao Cup, which the young ace achieved on his first start for the Claret and Blue during a 6-0 rout over lowly Barrow in the second round before netting in the third round against Chelsea. 

However, at present, progress may be hindered should he remain at Villa Park, with a temporary departure perhaps the best avenue to continue to build his skillset and nurture his ability. 

Indeed, the forward has played just 51 minutes of action across all competitions thus far, and according to Football Insider, there are a host of Championship outfits seeking to clinch the starlet for the remainder of the current term, with Sunderland looking to forge ahead and strike a deal. 

Sunderland, who achieved promotion to the second division earlier this year, are enjoying a steady campaign and look to be a step ahead of the scrambling pack at the bottom of the division.

Slotting Archer into the fray would provide a clinical offensive presence to complement a strike force that relies heavily on the 26-year-old Ross Stewart.

Whilst boasting young stars such as Jewison Bennette and loanee Ellis Simms, The Stadium of Light calls for a player to bring vibrancy and firepower to continue a climb toward the promotion places.

With just 43 Premier League minutes under his belt this year, Archer would do well in following suit of other young forwards, such as former Aston Villa loanee Tammy Abraham, in flourishing in England’s second tier before aiming sights toward the Premier League. 

Archer has been catching the eye for some time now, despite his tender age, netting seven times in just 20 outings while on loan at Preston North End, with boss Ryan Lowe lauding his “abundance of talent”. 

Having signed a new long-term contract with his club earlier this year, it is evident that the Villa hierarchy view his potential as something that can blossom over the coming years.  

However, he cannot continue to keep eating up his time while sitting on the bench. At the moment his potential is being ruined by such a factor but a move to the northeast could just benefit all parties.

With Championship experience already under his belt, Archer might just be prudent to grasp the current opportunity to star for the Black Cats, and return to Villa Park ready to take the Premier League by storm.

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell facing a long spell on the sidelines is a ‘massive blow’ for him and the club, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Chilwell out of World Cup

The Premier League giants secured a 2-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb to round off their Champions League group campaign at the start of this month, but their spirits were dampened when the 25-year-old was forced off the pitch after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Chilwell will now miss the World Cup and has been omitted from England’s 26-man squad by Gareth Southgate as a result, in what will be hugely disappointing news for the left-back.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke was gutted to learn of Chilwell’s injury and suggested that it couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the 25-year-old.

He said: “It’s a big blow for Graham Potter and also a massive blow for Ben Chilwell, missing out on the World Cup with England. He’s been so unlucky with injuries recently.

“He’s recently come back from a serious knee injury and now to get this hamstring injury as well will come as a huge blow. Potter wants to have his best players fit and available right now, especially with Chelsea’s current form, which has seen them fail to win any of their last four Premier League matches.”

The Verdict: Better than Cucurella

Marc Cucurella arrived at Stamford Bridge over the summer and was later reunited with his former Brighton boss Potter, but he has not had the same level of impact as Chilwell at Chelsea.

The Englishman had two assists and one goal to his name in nine league appearances this season prior to his injury and offered a threat in the air, winning 1.3 headers per 90 minutes.

Chelsea will be hoping that Chilwell’s absence doesn’t go on for too long, but at least the upcoming break for the World Cup will provide him with the ideal opportunity to take a big step closer to fitness by the time club action resumes on Boxing Day.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici is now personally looking to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs making transfer plans?

One of the busiest Spurs transfer windows of recent memory transpired recently, with club chief Paratici seemingly putting ENIC’s £150m equity injection to good use.

Antonio Conte guided the club to a top-four Premier League finish last term, an achievement which majorly benefitted the club financially, and the north Londoners rewarded their manager with sufficient backing in the transfer market.

Tottenham sealed moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie alongside a permanent deal for Cristian Romero this summer, although reports suggest that they could invest further in the first team squad in January.

If Spurs are to maintain their place among England’s elite, Paratici and Conte’s plans to strengthen the first team simply must be reinforced by chairman Daniel Levy.

The Latest: Paratici looking to sign McKennie…

According to reports out of Italy, it appears that Spurs and Paratici are looking to sign USA midfielder McKennie from Serie A giants Juventus.

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Calciomercato believe that Paratici personally ‘looks to Turin’ to reinforce Tottenham’s squad and has ‘never taken his eyes’ off the 24-year-old.

This comes as the box-to-box ace hasn’t managed to nail down a regular starting place in the Juventus team under either Andrea Pirlo or Massimiliano Allegri, with his sale touted as possible solution.

The Verdict: Right call?

While McKennie hasn’t had the best of times in Italy, he has been brilliant for the USA national team in the last two years.

For instance, American soccer correspondent Chris Smith has labelled the 24-year-old ‘supremely underrated’ and a ‘pressing machine’ (Twitter), and the latter aspect of his game may well be a huge draw for Conte.

The only drawback to this move could be Spurs’ huge depth in central midfield already, with untouchables Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur keeping out the likes of Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp.

Tottenham Hotspur have produced a number of exciting talents over the years, with the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Nick Barmby, Sol Campbell, Ledley King and Harry Kane having all graduated from the Hotspur Way setup before enjoying fine careers in the professional game.

However, while Kane – who has gone on to score 255 goals in 396 appearances for the club – is arguably one of Spurs’ best-ever youth products, there was another player in the 29-year-old’s age group who many of the Tottenham Hotspur faithful had even higher hopes for – Alex Pritchard.

Indeed, after highly impressing in the various youth age groups at Hotspur Way, the attacking midfielder was loaned out to Swindon Town for the 2013/14 campaign in order to provide him with valuable first-team minutes to continue his development in the professional game.

And, after scoring six goals and providing ten assists over seven outings in the EFL Trophy and League Cup, it very much appeared that Pritchard was indeed an exhilarating prospect.

This notion continued after a further spell away from north London the following season, with the forward bagging 12 goals and providing seven assists over Brentford in 2014/15 – helping the Bees reach the play-off semi-finals that year.

However, following a less successful loan at West Bromwich Albion in 2015/16 – playing just two senior appearances for Tottenham, Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino decided that, when Norwich City made an £8m offer for the midfielder in 2016, the time was right for Spurs to cash in.

Following this deal, the former England U21 international shared his delight at securing a move away from north London, stating in an interview with The Mirror: “It was a bit disappointing to finally leave Spurs. But in the end, I couldn’t wait to get out of there. They just never gave me a chance.”

Although, despite a bright start to life after Tottenham at Carrow Road – scoring eight goals and registering 12 assists over £10m move to Huddersfield Town in January of 2018 marked a devastating turning point in his career.

Indeed, scoring just injury-laden three-and-a-half-year spell at The John Smith’s Stadium, Pritchard would ultimately leave the Championship side on a free transfer at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, before taking a further step down the footballing pyramid to join League One Sunderland that summer.

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And, while the 29-year-old has started to show signs of life at The Stadium of Light – scoring four goals and registering 16 assists over his 58 fixtures in all competitions, helping the Mackems seal promotion in 2021/22 – it is abundantly clear that Pritchard simply did not have what it takes to make it at the very top of the English game.

As such, with the midfielder currently boasting a Transfermarkt value of just £1.8m – a whopping 78% lower than the £8m Levy sold him for back in 2016 – it is clear that the Tottenham chairman very much hit the jackpot when parting with Pritchard, as the once so promising youngster has failed to ever live up to early expectations.