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According to a report by The Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday striker Steven Fletcher’s injury isn’t as bad as was initially feared, and that is great news for the play-off chasing Owls.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the attacker was taken off in the 58th minute of the 4-2 win against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday with what was confirmed to be a groin issue, but The Sheffield Star says the issue is not as serious as it was thought it could be at the time.

The 31-year-old had netted his fifth goal in his previous six Championship appearances at Hillsborough at the weekend before having to leave the field of play, with Steve Bruce’s men lying just two points outside of the play-off positions as things stand following an unlikely run of form.

The striker now has 10 league goals for the season, and may well have a key role to play in the coming months for the Yorkshire outfit.

Good news?

Of course it is.

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

If the injury isn’t as bad as first feared, you would think that Fletcher may well be available for the trip to Stoke City next, which isn’t until March 30 owing to the international break.

The former Sunderland man has time to recover and regain his fitness during the next fortnight, and Bruce will certainly be breathing a sigh of relief if his in-form man steps out on to the turf at the Britannia Stadium – the Owls need him right now as their momentum continues to grow.

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After a testing couple of fixtures last week, Liverpool desperately needed a result against Watford on Wednesday and they were relentless in their pursuit of the three points – the Reds demolished their visitors 5-0, with Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane scoring braces and Divock Origi finding the net too.

Despite the aforementioned trio’s goalscoring exploits, it would have been extremely difficult to pick a clear man of the match, with each and every one of Jurgen Klopp’s men playing out of their skin against the Hornets.

Fabinho’s dominance at the base of midfield, though, was crucial to stopping Watford, who showed in their thrashing of Cardiff last weekend that they are extremely dangerous when allowed to drive through the middle of the pitch.

Would you rather your club won the Premier League or Champions League? In the video below, Pl>ymaker FC’s Matty believes English clubs have already decided…

There was a particularly applause-worthy moment when he hunted down Gerard Deulofeu – the Spaniard was looking to get at the Reds’ backline – and, while leaving the former Barcelona man in a heap, stole the ball back for his side with ease.

The 25-year-old was integrated into the starting XI slowly having completed the switch from Monaco in the summer, but he now surely joins the likes of van Dijk and Mohamed Salah as being one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Here’s what the Anfield faithful had to say about the number 3’s performance on Twitter…

Man Utd have had a slow January transfer window, with the Red Devils yet to sign anyone. Of course, that was always expected, given that they’re currently in somewhat of a transitionary period under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The board aren’t likely to be willing to invest big money under a boss that may not be there in six months.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Man Utd board aren’t working hard. Indeed, attention has already shifted to the summer window, at least if the latest exclusive report from the Metro is to be believed. According to the Metro, Man Utd are tracking Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho, with the club potentially looking to make a move in the summer. 

Dortmund are said to value him at £90 million, which is a huge fee for the teenager, but Man Utd have shown a willingness to invest that sort of money in top talents – and Sancho certainly falls under that banner.

He’s enjoyed a fantastic season so far this year, with a brilliant return of 6 goals and 9 assists from just 12 league games. He offers incredible ability and drive down the flanks for Dortmund, and he’s regularly kept big-name Chelsea-bound attacker Christian Pulisic out of the team.

Significantly, Man Utd look to be building for the future, with Anthony Martial handed a new deal by the Red Devils. In Sancho, the Red Devils could have the ideal long-term partner for the Frenchman, especially with Alexis Sanchez struggling.

Make no mistake, Sancho is one of Europe’s best young players, and they’re always going to come at a premium.  He could help usher in a new era at Old Trafford.

Thoughts? 

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has relayed the latest ongoings to Leeds United fans on Twitter, and they have been responding in their droves.

The Football Association has delayed any form of professional football until the end of April, putting the original date of the third back several weeks.

Under usual regulations, it would give the Championship only a month to complete the remaining nine fixtures, but the FA have also extended that ruling indefinitely, so there’s no timeframe on a potential season-ending finish.

Here’s how fans have been reacting to the news on Twitter…

There were a vast array of responses from eager Leeds supporters, and you can’t blame them, the west Yorkshire outfit are on the verge of ending a 16-year wait for top-flight football at Elland Road.

Some saw the positives as the likes of Adam Forshaw and Jean-Kevin Augustin could be fit for when the season resumes, the former has been absent for the majority of the campaign.

Others couldn’t resist poking fun at the FA and their alleged agenda against Leeds, saying it was “typical” of them to announce something during their game against Liverpool – whatever that means, it is clearly tongue in cheek.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

“Just awful” and “more concerning issues” were two comments that at least sympathised with the ongoing situation.

For now, though, Leeds’ promotion charge will have to wait. Marcelo Bielsa sent his players home yesterday, and they’ll need to keep on top of his rigorous training regime, especially if they are to be on point when the season does indeed recommence.

And in other news, Phil Hay issues Gaetano Berardi Leeds update…

After losing to Manchester United, Jose Mourinho fell to another ex-outfit of his when Tottenham Hotspur welcomed Chelsea to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

The Blues were the better side and Frank Lampard outwitted the Special One to claim big three points after a comfortable 2-0 victory on the night.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

And given Spurs’ standards were low throughout the game, many Spurs fans weren’t happy with Mourinho’s late substitutes and the decision to leave Tanguy Ndombele warming the bench instead of starting the game.

They were quick to vent their frustrations on social media and Twitter:

Apart from just stating that this sub was too little, too late, the fans were also confused with the fact that Eric Dier got the nod in front of Ndombele in the first place.

According to them, Spurs’ new signing should’ve started the game or simply should’ve been introduced way sooner at Dier’s expense.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Finally, they were also not happy with the fact that Mourinho was making a defensive substitute this late on in the game instead of trying to turn things around by shifting to a higher gear.

Of course, one fan pointed out that, with Lucas Moura starting the game, the bench was bereft of any real game-changers and that was the Special One’s initial mistake.

But the way they were playing, not even a second goalkeeper would’ve helped them, as one fan also concluded…

In other news, many Spurs fans were over the moon with a recent update on one of their big stars…

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At the start of the season, Queens Park Rangers fans would be forgiven for worrying that their team would be part of a relegation battle.

Steve McClaren’s side lost their opening four Championship matches and a promotion tilt looked like a distant dream.

Fast-forward a few months and the R’s now sit eighth in the table, three points off the play-off places after 19 games.

In fact, the club are unbeaten in their last three matches, and on Tuesday night they came from behind to secure a point against Rotherham United.

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Will Vaulks opened the scoring for the home side in Yorkshire before Nahki Wells equalised in the 12th minute.

Clark Robertson regained the lead for Rotherham three minutes later, but Luke Freeman was the hero for QPR as he made it 2-2 in the dying minutes of the encounter.

It was not the most vintage display from McClaren’s men, but it has kept them in touching distance of the top six.

Samir Nasri’s doping ban comes to an end on November 1st 2018, meaning that from that date onwards he is free to train and play for any club, as reported by Reuters.

What’s the word?

Nasri was banned from professional football for 18 months following being found guilty of breaching anti-doping regulations. Not long before the ban was enforced, the ex-France international agreed to have his contract with Turkish outfit Antalyaspor terminated.

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Now, however, the former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder is mere months away from a potential return to the game and plenty of European clubs ought to be alert to the 31-year-old’s imminent availability.

When his ban ends, Nasri will be available as a free agent, at which point Newcastle United would be wise to be set to win the race for his signature. 

Little risk, big reward

The Magpies have been notoriously thrifty in recent times under the ownership of Mike Ashley and should therefore be attracted to Nasri’s free agent status. Beyond his cost effectiveness however, the attacking-midfielder would provide a real injection of technical quality and elite level experience to the squad at Rafa Benitez’s disposal.

For a side that have often struggled to fashion goalscoring opportunities, there is certainly room for Nasri’s talents at St James’ Park. What’s more, Nasri is likely to be desperate to prove that he still has what it takes to cut it at the top level. For Newcastle, offering him the opportunity to do exactly that on a short-term contract represents very little risk but could return a big reward.

West Ham United attacker Marko Arnautovic has taken a swipe at Gary Neville after the pundit’s recent criticism of the Austrian international.

Neville recently claimed that Arnautovic ‘thinks he is better than he is’, and questioned his work-rate in the aftermath of West Ham’s 3-2 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last month.

The 28-year-old has now hit back at the former Manchester United defender, claiming that Neville should stick to his television work after failing during a short managerial spell at La Liga club Valencia.

Arnautovic told Laola 1:

“I respect what Gary Neville achieved as a player. He was brilliant at Manchester United and hats off to him. But what did he do as a coach at Valencia? His job is to criticise, that is 90 percent of his job.

“I am not saying Gary Neville is a nobody. He has accomplished a lot in his life, he is a legend. But as a coach? Let him stay on the TV.”

Arnautovic, who is rated at £13.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has failed to score in seven Premier League appearances this season, and has been linked with a move away from the Hammers in recent days.

Indeed, it is understood that new West Ham boss David Moyes has been given the green light to sell Arnautovic in order to fund a January spending spree.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is keen to sign Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma this summer, reports The Sun.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils are believed to be keen to recruit a new defender ahead of the new season due to the constant injury woes hampering the current back line.

Mourinho bought Zouma from St Etienne in 2014 during his second spell as Chelsea manager.

A serious knee injury hampered the defender’s progress and due to Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and David Luiz forming a solid back three under current boss Antonio Conte, Zouma has struggled to get back into the team.

The Frenchman has made just seven Premier League appearances, and only two of them were starts.

He has not featured in the top flight since playing 83 minutes in the Blues’ 2-0 defeat to Manchester United last month.

The Sun claims that Mourinho is targeting Zouma because he is a player that he can trust.

Could this move happen?

It is likely to be a difficult transfer for United to get over the line given that Chelsea will be one defender short come the summer.

John Terry will end his 22-year association with the West London club to move on to pastures new, meaning that Conte is unlikely to let another defender go if he cannot find an appropriate replacement.

From Zouma’s point of view, joining United might be appealing to him if he is offered regular first-team football.

Given that Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are regularly in and out of the team due to injuries, Zouma could be given a chance.

In addition, the 22-year-old is already familiar with Mourinho’s management, therefore he has a better chance of settling into life at Old Trafford quickly.

However, from United’s standpoint, it would be a risk not bringing in a more experienced defender.

If you’re a Stoke City supporter, the chances are you’ve been less than impressed with your side’s start to the new Premier League campaign.

Their most recent defeat, a 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace, has really highlighted just how much trouble the Potters could be in if they don’t start to pick things up as soon as possible. They’re not scoring goals, they’re conceding too many and their summer signings just aren’t making the desired impact.

Despite the club reiterating their manager isn’t destined for the sack, he’s got a real job on his hand to turn around the form that sees his side sit bottom of the division with just one point from five games.

Largely, this side is the same one that finished ninth last season so what exactly is going wrong at Stoke City?

So with that in mind, here are three reasons why Stoke City are destined for the drop…

Team spirit is non-existant

If there is something that is clear after the defeat to Palace, it’s that morale in the Stoke City dressing room leaves a lot to be desired. Captain Ryan Shawcross spoke to the press after the game and said he can’t understand why things are so bad at the Britannia this time around and that is a serious worry.

Sometimes it’s easy why things aren’t going right on the pitch but for the Potters, many can’t put their finger on it. When there is no reason why things are going so badly, the dressing room takes a big hit and morale sinks lower and lower. Stoke City need to sort things out big time.

Summer signings failing to make an impact

In all fairness, Stoke City haven’t been the biggest spenders in this summers’ transfer window. Mark Hughes added just six players to his squad in the transfer window, with three (Wilfried Bony, Bruno Martins Indi and Lee Grant) being loan additions. That means the only permanent faces we’ll see at the Britannia Stadium are Joe Allen, youngster Ryan Sweeney and winger Ramadan Sobhi.

It all seems a little light and if the summer signings aren’t having an impact, it’s going to be a big problem for the Potters going forward.

Criticism is coming in from all angles

Whether it’s everyone’s favourite bad-boy Joey Barton or former defender Marc Wilson, there are plenty of people having a pop at the Potters. Barton has branded Mark Hughes as a terrible manager whilst former full-back Wilson has claimed that the club don’t practice defending.

Whether either claim is true is difficult to distinguish but it seems unlikely that someone like Marc Wilson would lie. He was a real stalwart for the club and played over 150 times in a spell of over six years and he can obviously see why frustrations are so high.

If there are former players having a go, the chances are something isn’t quite right.