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Journalist Dean Jones has warned that Manchester United should not rush Bruno Fernandes back from injury too early after hearing how the player wants to play "through the pain".

What's the latest Man United injury news?

The Red Devils battled hard on the weekend to confirm their spot in the FA Cup final after beating Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties after 120 minutes of goalless action.

However, it seems as though that victory did not come without some cost. Indeed, key midfielder Fernandes picked up a knock in the match and has since been spotted in a protective boot.

As a result, the player is now a major doubt ahead of the Premier League fixture away at top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.

While speaking about the injury on Chasing Green Arrows, insider Jones explained that he'd heard that Fernandes was trying to play on through the pain.

The journalist suggested that could have further aggravated the issue and Man Utd must be careful not to rush him back with an FA Cup final on the horizon to consider as well.

Jones said: "He was actually injured during the game and carried on for, I think, longer than he probably should have.

"I don't know if that's aggravated it or not, but I was speaking to someone who seemed to think that he was just determined not to let the injury get the better of him.

"He doesn't miss games through injury, he plays through the pain.

"And while [Erik] ten Hag will be desperate to give him the benefit of the doubt – like, he needs him as much as he can get him out there – you don't want to make the problem worse.

"You don't want Bruno missing the back end of this season, especially now they've got an FA Cup final to look out for as well."

Will Bruno Fernandes play against Spurs?

The £240k-per-week star is obviously a vital part of the United team having played 49 games in all competitions this term, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists.

In the Premier League and the Europa League, in fact, the only time he's missed a game this season is due to suspension – showing just how impressive his fitness record is.

With that being the case, Fernandes will no doubt be desperate to push himself to get back into the starting team against Spurs.

However, as Jones points out, should he come back too soon having not properly recovered, any further aggravation could force him to spend a longer spell on the sidelines.

And with a spot in the top four still on the line, as well as that FA Cup final to come, it may be best if the Red Devils err on a side of caution for now.

With the end of the season fast approaching, Manchester United's focus will soon be turning toward the summer transfer window, with Erik ten Hag's side seemingly in need of further recruits in order bolster their hopes of mounting a sustained title charge.

While a new centre-forward and midfielder are seemingly among the priorities for the Red Devils ahead of next season, The Athletic have also reported that a new right-back could be on the agenda this summer, with the club looking for a more 'attacking' option to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Although the latter man has enjoyed something of a resurgence of late after starting nine Premier League games since the World Cup break, the report suggests that the club will 'listen to offers' for the right-back, provided that there is interest in his services.

The 25-year-old had previously been tipped for a move away from the club at the end of last season, as well as heading into the January transfer window, having made just a solitary, four-minute appearance in the opening 16 league games of the campaign.

It does appear that despite the former Crystal Palace man's recent resurgence – having been "brilliant" against Everton last time out, according to journalist Liam Canning – the Englishman is still not totally trusted by Ten Hag, hence the suggestion that he could depart in the coming months.

If the top-four hopefuls are to part ways with the London-born machine, however, they are unlikely to get anywhere close to the £50m that was paid by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co to bring the full-back to Manchester back in 2019, such is the player's plummeting valuation.

How much is Wan-Bissaka worth now?

While perhaps influenced by the fact that the £90k-per-week man has just over a year to run on his existing deal at the Theatre of Dreams, Wan-Bissaka is now said to be worth as little as £13m, according to CIES Football Observatory, representing a £37m decrease in relation to his initial cost.

That drop off has no doubt been justified as the former Selhurst Park starlet has proven himself something of a "liability" in recent times, as per journalist Andrew McDonnell, having also been branded "useless" on the ball back in 2021 by club legend Paul Scholes.

The defender's woes in the final third are seemingly part of the reasoning behind Ten Hag's search for a more attacking option, with Wan-Bissaka having scored just twice and registered only 11 assists in 149 games for the club to date across all fronts.

Those shortcomings were exposed during the latest triumph over the Toffees, with the 6 foot menace having inexplicably fired wide with the goal at his mercy, having reacted quickest to Antony's rebounded effort.

For all the improvements that the right-back has made of late – having notably been "monstrous" in the Carabao Cup final triumph, according to journalist Alex Turk – that latest horror miss was seemingly an indication that an upgrade will be needed in the long-term.

As stated above, however, it is yet to be seen just what United will be able to recoup for the £50m man, with it looking as if the club may have to swallow their pride and accept a sizeable reduction on that hefty transfer fee if they are cash in this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is struggling behind the scenes as a result of recent changes to key figures in the club's board over the last two years.

Is it time for ENIC to sell?

Spurs are certainly enduring some major struggles both on and off the field in north London with their hopes of Champions League football taking a significant hit over recent weeks.

Adding to their issues has been the recent parting of ways with Antonio Conte and more recently the stepping down of their director of football, Fabio Paratici.

Frustrations among sections of the Spurs fanbase are seemingly growing with their chairman as some chant for him to leave the club along with Joe Lewis.

And speaking on Matt Hayes' YouTube channel, journalist Matt Law has suggested he's heard Levy is stretched across different issues behind the scenes with less experienced figures now in high-ranking positions:

(14:00) "Look, in terms of him isolating himself. There's been a massive change of heads of department over the last two years and going back from that, and it feels like he has less and less experienced people to lean on in these situations and to take charge of different departments and things.

"And I've had it said to me, that his he's stretched all over the place because of this and he's listening to so many different voices and the decision-making has become muddled. Now that's just what's been said to me."

Where do Spurs go from here?

There have been reports suggesting ENIC could look to sell with a number of potential investors – including one from Qatar – believed to have shown an interest in recent months.

However, there have also been claims that if a potential takeover was to happen, Levy could look to remain involved with the club.

And it seems the uncertainty has trickled through the club with Tottenham currently having no permanent manager in charge of the men's nor the women's team.

The club are also now without a director of football after Paratici stepped down on the back of his upgrade worldwide ban from football.

And now four years on from being opened to the Spurs faithful, the club have not been able to secure a sponsorship deal for the naming right of their state-of-the-art stadium.

Their issues do not end there with the future of their all-time record goalscorer, Harry Kane, also in doubt going into the summer transfer window.

Perhaps what is also an issue for Spurs fans is their chairman is very rarely heard from apart from the occasional written club statements.

And at a time when the club is facing many uncertainties, perhaps it could settle some concerns if the chairman was to speak about the steps he is putting in place to rectify the issues.

There is a big game at Goodison Park for Spurs on Monday night and there is certainly potential for the travelling Spurs fans to voice their frustrations with the current issues at the club.

Newcastle United will host Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James’ Park in their Premier League clash this afternoon and Eddie Howe will be hoping that his team can make a comeback in front of the home support after a string of poor performances.

The Magpies have suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City over the last few weeks and a confident response against Wolves today is just what the team needs to keep their European dreams alive for next season.

Howe’s side could take advantage of Liverpool’s defeat to Bournemouth yesterday by snatching all three points and replacing them in fifth today, closing the gap on fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur going just four points behind them with two games in hand.

As a result, the Newcastle boss could be set to shake up his starting eleven after a struggle to compete with their opponents over the last few outings and Allan Saint-Maximin could be the man to cause chaos for Wolves’ defenders.

Will Allan Saint-Maximin start vs Wolves?

There is no doubt that the Frenchman has offered moments of magic for Newcastle since joining the club back in 2019 and this season has again proved why he is a popular player with the St James’ Park faithful.

Over 16 Premier League appearances, the £70k-per-week Newcastle winger – who celebrates his 26th birthday today – has scored one goal, registered three assists and created three big chances, as well as averaging 1.3 shots on goal, 2.3 successful dribbles and winning 3.3 duels per game so far.

Not only that, Saint-Maximin – hailed “breathtaking” by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville – has a great record in the six meetings he has had with Wolves during his time in the North East – tallying up one victory, four draws, one goal and only one defeat.

Howe could really benefit from the talented forward’s experience and unpredictability on the left flank later today as Wolves have significantly improved under the management of Julen Lopetegui and will be full of confidence following their victory over Spurs last weekend.

With that being said, it is an absolute no-brainer for Saint-Maximin to reprise his role in the attacking threat this afternoon having been dropped versus Man City.

Indeed, he could well cause chaos for the Wolves defence as the Toon seek their first league win since the 15th of January.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has a number of significant decisions to make heading into the summer transfer window as a collection of players are set to be out of contract.

The Gers have a host of first-team squad members whose deals expire at the end of the season and the Light Blues boss, working alongside Ross Wilson, needs to decide who he does, and does not, want to keep.

One player who could be worthy of an extension is Scotland international midfielder Ryan Jack, who has been heavily involved so far this season.

The 30-year-old has played 17 times, starting 11 of those matches, in the Premiership this term and has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 in that time.

Jack, who started nine games in the run to the Europa League final in 2021/22, has been a reliable performer for Beale in the middle of the park and it could be worth handing him an extra couple of years, given that he only turns 31 this year.

However, Beale must also start to think about what life may look like at Ibrox after the Scottish battler departs and that is where B Team gem Bailey Rice comes into play.

The Light Blues head coach could find the long-term successor to Jack by developing the young academy talent to a point where he can take the experienced technician’s place in a few seasons’ time.

Extending the current first-team star’s contract for another two or three campaigns would allow the club to work with Rice to ensure that the youngster is fully ready to make the step up to first-team football.

The 16-year-old, who was dubbed a “prospect” by journalist Mark Hendry, joined the club from Motherwell in January of last year and has been a regular for the youth side this season.

Despite only turning 16 in October of 2022, the enforcer has played 14 matches for the B team, alongside some players who are three or four years older than him, and six times for the U19s.

The midfielder, who has scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 Lowland League outings, is seemingly showing maturity and quality beyond his years to be regularly selected for the B Team at his age, which is a promising sign for the future.

Premier League champions Manchester City were also interested in signing the gem last year, which shows how highly his performances in Motherwell’s youth set-up were rated, and Rice has also been capped 15 times by Scotland at youth level.

His accomplishments and the transfer interest he garnered before the age of 17 suggest that the gem, who has vowed to “keep improving”, has immense potential and could be a future star of the Gers first team if he can continue to develop and grow as a player.

Therefore, Rice could be the long-term successor to Jack in the middle of the park and extending the latter’s contract to coincide with when the B Team star will be nearing his 20s could be a smart move by the club.

Arsenal tasted defeat for just the second time in the Premier League, losing 1-0 to Everton at the weekend but in the midst of the disappointment, some eagle-eyed supporters would have seen the no.85 listed on the bench.

Indeed, it’s also the second time that academy starlet Amario Cozier-Duberry has featured amongst the first-team substitutes for a top-flight clash, with the other coming on Boxing Day, where the Gunners enjoyed a better time by beating West Ham United 3-1.

Mikel Arteta is certainly light on attacking options, given the continued troubles of fellow Hale End gem Emile Smith Rowe and the long-term absence of leading striker Gabriel Jesus but the 17-year-old prospect is there on merit, having impressed the Spaniard during the World Cup break.

The teenager is arguably the current jewel of the youth setup, with scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as “Hale End’s finest”, and has been likened to another graduate in the form of Bukayo Saka – both combining pace and agility with an eye for goal, amongst other things.

Cozier-Duberry earned minutes against both AC Milan, Juventus and Lyon during the enforced mid-season break and now he could continue to rise up the ranks at the Emirates Stadium, just as the England regular has done ever since his emergence in 2019.

Capable of playing on either flank – also like Saka – the wide man has already delivered seven goals and six assists across the Premier League 2, EFL Trophy and the FA Youth Cup, which adds to his eight goal contributions last season, via Transfermarkt.

The England U18 international signed his professional contract during the summer, so it’s evident that he’s well thought of by the club and in particular, Arteta, who hasn’t been afraid to throw the youngsters into the deep end despite a potential Premier League title being at stake.

Fellow teen, Ethan Nwaneri, 15, became the club’s youngest-ever debutant back in September and Cozier-Duberry could be the next name to make his senior bow in the coming weeks, particularly when the Europa League returns and the Spaniard looks to rotate his fairly threadbare attack.

Also able to play at left-back and in attacking midfield, the versatile teenager has been described as “very direct” and “skilful” by Arsenal youth writer Jeorge Bird, who more recently hailed him as “excellent” in the young Gunners’ 4-2 win over Watford in the FA Youth Cup this week.

Meanwhile, as a player that can cause “lots of problems” – in the words of football.london writer Kaya Kaynak – it’s easy to see why Arteta has been taken aback by such a talent.

As such, he could well unearth Saka 2.0 should he choose to deploy him in their coming matches, if not a little later down the line.

AND in other news, Edu could land Arsenal a dream Caicedo alternative in move for £36m-rated “dominator”…

Man City summer signing Sergio Gomez is regarded by the club as a player who ‘could be moved on’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Eastlands exits?

2023 could see a serious year of change at Eastlands with manager Pep Guardiola recently waving goodbye to former star player Joao Cancelo.

The Portugal international joined Bayern Munich on loan with an option to buy for €70 million (£62m) – sending shockwaves throughout the City community.

Cancelo was a mainstay and pivotal first teamer under Guardiola for a time, playing a major role in back-to-back Premier League title wins.

The Latest: Gomez ‘could be moved on’ from City…

The 28-year-old’s departure perhaps shows that anything can happen at City in terms of both incomings and outgoings, with reliable journalist Sam Lee now revealing who is most vulnerable in the squad.

Writing for The Athletic, the reporter claims summer signings Kalvin Phillips and Gomez could in fact depart this summer.

Indeed, a transfer for Phillips is ‘not completely off the cards’ with ‘rumblings at City’ suggesting he could leave if things don’t improve.

Alongside the former Leeds star, Lee also says Gomez ‘could be moved on’ this year, and while a loan is ‘likely’, a permanent exit is ‘not off the table’.

The Verdict: Give him time…

The 22-year-old was actually praised near the start of this campaign for some decent outings and we believe Gomez could still have plenty to offer Guardiola in future seasons.

City legend and former captain Vincent Kompany even recommended Gomez with the pair working together closely at Anderlecht last season.

The Spain Under-21 international also has an assist to show over his five league appearances this season but cannot showcase true ability without a consistent run of games.

A temporary deal elsewhere to get valuable experience and game time is certainly the best solution for Gomez, who could emerge as a top City talent in years to come.

This time last year, few would have envisaged the likes of Nathan Ake, for instance, becoming a mainstay in City’s starting eleven.

Leeds United could potentially look at signing free agent Faouzi Ghoulam to bolster their left-back options, claims LeedsLive reporter George Bennett.  

The Lowdown: Ghoulam profiled

Ghoulam is 31 years of age and has been without a club since the summer after leaving Napoli. The Algeria international made 216 appearances and contributed to 31 goals for the Serie A side after joining in 2014.

He is primarily a left-footed left-back but can also play further forward as a left midfielder or a left winger and is still sponsored by Nike.

The Latest: Leeds claim

Bennett shared a story for LeedsLive on Sunday, looking at free agents the Whites could potentially target once the transfer window shuts on Tuesday.

Ghoulam was one of those, with the reporter claiming that the full-back ‘could be a strong option’, should Jesse Marsch wish to add to his left-back ranks further.

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The Verdict: Not needed?

The Whites have addressed their left-back issues this month by bringing in Max Wober from RB Salzburg, with the Austrian capable of turning out as a centre-back or left-back.

Pascal Struijk has excelled as a left-back for large parts of the season and is currently the club’s best-performing player, as per WhoScored. Junior Firpo has also returned to the fold in recent weeks and has played every minute of the club’s FA Cup run, contributing to two goals, so is another available option for Marsch.

Therefore, it appears as if the club are well-stocked in that department for now, and with Leeds rarely dipping into the market for players above the age of 30, it would be a surprise if they looked at signing Ghoulam.

Former footballer Frank McAvennie has claimed that Rangers manager Michael Beale will probably have to sell players first if he wants any new signings this winter. 

What’s the word?

With the January transfer window now open, the Ibrox outfit have already been linked with some exciting new deals. For instance,  Wolves defender Dion Sanderson has been tipped as a target recently.

However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Rangers may have a few financial struggles to overcome in the near future. The club are currently dealing with the fact that the Sydney Super Cup organisers have attempted to sue them for £1.6m after they pulled out of the friendly tournament in Australia at short notice.

With things like that in mind, McAvennie has claimed that chairman Douglas Park won’t be keen to splash the cash this winter and so Beale might have to stick with the squad he already has.

He told Football Insider: “The pressure is really on them.

“They are talking about buying players but I do not know if they have got the money to buy players without getting people out. There is not a bottomless pit at the moment.

“They have got lawsuits coming out their ears, that is going to cost them money. I do not know where they will get the money from. The chairman will tell Beale to get on with the squad that he has got.“

A quiet January incoming?

On top of that Sydney Super Cup trouble, the Scottish Daily Express also report that Rangers could also be sued for £9.5m by the administrators of the Elite Sports Group amid claims they breached a contract related to the provision of their kits.

And so it’s no shock to hear McAvennie suggests that the club have ‘lawsuits coming out their ears’ right now and that this could halt any plans to spend big in January.

There has been some talk that the club could look to cash in on Alfredo Morelos this winter but with his contract expiring in the summer anyway, it remains to be seen how much money he could bring in.

All in all, it sounds as though those hoping for a big Ibrox spending spree this month may well be disappointed.

A further update has emerged regarding Leeds United’s settlement with RB Leipzig over the transfer of Jean-Kevin Augustin.

The Lowdown: Leeds statement

The Whites released a statement earlier this week, confirming they have ‘reached an amicable resolution of the dispute’ over the transfer of Augustin.

Leeds agreed on a deal to sign the forward permanently, should the club win promotion to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season.

A dispute has been ongoing ever since, with Leeds’ argument seeming to be the impact of the pandemic on that campaign. Financial details have now been shared on the situation after the club lost their appeal with The Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Latest: Update

LeedsLive relayed an update from Bild with ‘further details’ on Leeds and Leipzig’s settlement.

They claimed that the Whites will pay the full €21m fee, as well as €340,000 in interest for Augustin, however, Leipzig are reported to have been ‘accommodating with the payment modalities’, suggesting it can be paid in instalments.

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The Verdict: Bad news

Some may have seen Leeds’ statement earlier in the week and thought that the two clubs could have struck a deal below the full €21m fee.

However, that isn’t the case and it seems to have been confirmed that Leipzig will eventually receive the full amount.

That will only come as bad news for Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises, with Augustin only playing 48 minutes for Leeds and now on the books at FC Basel, where he holds a mere €1.5m Transfermarkt valuation.