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Gareth Southgate has admitted Jordan Henderson faces a race against time to even be fit for England’s Euro 2020 campaign this summer.

The Liverpool captain has been absent since the 1-0 defeat at home to Everton last month, having limped off with a groin problem, with a return originally expected some time in April (Sky Sports).

Henderson underwent surgery on the issue, but his return to action is still a way off and he isn’t expected to face Real Madrid in either leg of the Reds’ Champions League quarter-final tie.

It means the 30-year-old will likely only return for the final weeks of this season at best, meaning he may not even be match-fit enough to play at the Euros.

[freshpress-quiz id=“306736”]

Henderson faces race to be fit for Euro 2020

Speaking to reporters [via the Liverpool Echo], England manager Southgate hinted that Henderson will need to prove his fitness in order to make the squad:

“In terms of promises, we can only say that Hendo himself is very optimistic about how the operation went and the prognosis that the specialist has given him as to what is possible,” Southgate said.

“We are conscious that with any injury of that nature, there is a guide and a time defined – but that anything can happen along the way.

“We know it’s going to be close to the end of the season and we will just have to see how it goes.

“He will give himself every chance of being available. And, of course, we also know he is likely to be a bit short of match minutes in high-level games.

“There are a lot of things to take into consideration but, at the moment, that is a decision that is a few weeks away.”

Transfer Tavern take

Missing the Euros would be an enormous blow for Henderson, who at 30, may not have many more chances to impress at a major tournament.

Given his standing as vice-captain in the current England squad, he will surely start if he is fit, but the next month or so could be crucial, in that respect.

It appears this is yet more bad injury news for Liverpool, given that the original prognosis for the skipper was that he would be back in April (Sky Sports).

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to yet another injury blow for the Reds. Read about it here.

In recent days, football clubs of the UK have taken a step forward towards promoting responsible gambling. This is to spread the message of safe gambling since football has its widespread reach. This is not just for the protection of the UK punters but also the potential gamblers.

Apparently, members of these football clubs are also potential victims of the corruption related to the gambling business and hence this awareness is also directed towards their safeguard. UK football clubs are uniting to stand against gambling addiction.

About GamStop

As an independent self-exclusion scheme GamStop comes as a rescuer for the punters facing a problematic relationship with gambling. It successfully curbs the access to the sites meant for gambling from all the devices accessible to the punter who is registered under this self-exclusion scheme. It is admitted that the main flaw of this self-exclusion tool is that punters are still using CasinoGap to find non-GamStop sports sites and continue gambling. They can choose the period of exclusion depending upon the level of problem that is being faced by them and moreover the services provided by GamStop are absolutely free to the citizens of the UK.

The scheme supports people to limit their gambling activities. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission made it absolutely indispensable for some organizations including these football clubs to be in partnership with GamStop to support responsible gambling online.

Luton Town Football Club in Support of GamStop

As soon as the new regulations of GamStop were made public, Luton Town Football Club went ahead and made a collaboration with GamStop to signify them standing in solidarity with affected punters and their families. This collaboration reminds people of the club’s encouragement towards gambling in moderation.

This step is successful in evoking a sense of awareness in public regarding the situations people face regarding gambling overindulgence. According to the conditions Luton Town Football Club will feature the links of promotion of GamStop all across their platforms including websites and social media platforms. The promotions will also be on selected match days.

Middlesbrough Football Club in support of GamStop

Following the route of Luton Town, Middlesbrough Football Club signed an agreement to be in partnership with GamStop. The motivations were quite similar, that is to promote safe gambling practices. GamStop has been profiting from these measures taken by major football clubs for all the publicity made during match days.

This helps to build a greater knowledge in people about GamStop and the measures one can take in order to overcome gambling addiction. The step not only signifies solidarity with the issue but also the practices by these football clubs guard the tendency of gambling overindulgence of its members. This integration hoped for a better more conscious approach towards gambling by the UK punters.

Safer Gambling Supporters

The Safer Gambling Week covers all sides of the gambling industry and has the support of a hefty amount of organizations belonging to the gambling sector of the world online and offline for both commercial and non-commercial profit purposes. Safer Gambling Week takes place annually and targets attracting eyes on responsible gambling.

The collective goal of this event is to promote gambling as a fun activity for leisure and to hinder the same from being a source of loss to the citizens of the UK. Organizations like Facebook have partnered up with them for Gambling Week to show their support which is much profitable towards the cause.

West Ham United in support of Safer Gambling Week

West Ham United in partnership with Betway initiated a display of awareness evoking conversation at the Safer Gambling Week 2020. Safer Gambling Week not only aims towards the promotion of safe gambling but also supports the punters who were at risk. The games and websites of the football club preached this message of safer practising of gambling.

Swansea City in support of Safer Gambling Week

Swansea City supported by bet UK Preaches the idea of safe practices of gambling to avoid being affected by it and the Safer Gambolling Week. The players wore t-shirts with the logo specially created for the specific matches which are directed towards protecting the loyal supporters. These collaborations are immensely profitable.

Conclusion

Sponsorships provided by gambling protection organizations aid the football clubs by helping them raise resources for spending on various ventures and retain renowned players. In return, these companies get the exposure that they require to reach people and preach their agenda.

According to 90min.com, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Hatayspor forward Aaron Boupendza.

Rangers eye Boupendza

Rangers are said to be eager to sign Boupendza, who currently plays in the Turkish Super Lig. However, there could well be plenty of competition to capture him, with eight English Premier League clubs also interested, as well as Celtic and Fenerbahce.

Hatayspor are said to be looking for a fee of around £8.5m to part ways with the Gabon international.

In form

Boupendza, an international teammate of Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is enjoying a fantastic season in Turkey. In 28 games in all competitions, he has managed 18 goals (Transfermarkt), and he is actually the league’s top goalscorer above the likes of Vincent Aboubakar and Cyle Larin (ESPN).

Of course, £8.5m would be a lot for the Gers to pay to sign Boupendza – they have only twice spent more than that on new signings, and not since the 2001/02 season (Transfermarkt).

However, Alfredo Morelos has recently revealed he dreams of playing in the Premier League (Radio Caracol) – the Gers would likely bring in a considerable fee if he were to depart Ibrox this summer, and they would need to reinvest in another forward capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis. Given his form this term, Boupendza could just be that man.

In other news, many Rangers fans slam this Union Bears statement.

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial had a shocker in what was a rare defeat for the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were previously unbeaten in their past 13 Premier League games but suffered defeat at the hands of a spirited Sheffield United to put a major dent in their title challenge.

United had the chance to overtake Manchester City in the title race but now find themselves a point behind their arch rivals after a damaging 2-1 defeat at home.

Kean Bryan put the visitors ahead with a fine header from John Fleck’s corner but Harry Maguire scored his first goal at Old Trafford to bring both sides level before Oliver Burke’s strike careered off the underside of the bar after taking a deflection off the unfortunate Axel Tuanzebe.

Despite the level of opposition, Solskjaer fielded arguably his strongest starting line-up with David de Gea returning between the sticks and both Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes earning a recall after their brief cameos against Liverpool as well.

Martial’s struggles have been well-documented this season – the 25-year-old has scored just twice in 16 top-flight appearances – and his woes continued as these frankly astonishing numbers help to paint the full picture.

Unless you live under a rock, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Frenchman has been out of form since the start of this season. He had bagged just three goals across all competitions for the club before the winter break, including a goal against the Blades at Bramall Lane, and the stats show just how far his form has continued to freefall since returning to the starting line-up.

It’s not like he’s not getting the chances, United had 16 shots on target and enjoyed the majority of the possession.

The problem is, he just can’t seem to find the back of the net as much as he was before, if at all.

Against the Blades, the £49m-rated ace offered little more than a damp squib. In fact, it’s fair to say that he was largely anonymous, evidenced by the fact he only won four out of his ten duels overall (40%).

His confidence is clearly at an all-time low as he managed just one shot in the entire game, which is far below his season average of 1.8 last year.

Though, just like Fernandes, he was careless in possession too, losing control of the ball 11 times – more than his teammates Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani.

On top of this, the France international took just 54 touches, which was the worst of any United starter besides Greenwood, and fewer than Marcus Rashford, as per SofaScore.

He even committed two fouls and was lucky to escape without a booking to sum up his frustrations on the night.

Valued at £49m via Transfermarkt, Martial simply can’t afford too many more displays like this with Cavani breathing down his neck. He let Solskjaer down badly after the club legend trusted him to start against Chris Wilder’s side and it may be quite a while before he’s given another opportunity to lead the line in the top flight after such a stinker.

AND in other news, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes let Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down in 2-1 defeat…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting following reports linking the south London side with a move for Mostafa Mohamed.

According to haberturk, and tweeted out by @cpfc_xtra, Palace are weighing up a move for the Galatasaray striker ahead of the summer transfer window. Galatasaray reportedly may be open to cashing in on Mohamed already, and the media outlet are claiming that he has a price tag of £22m.

The Egyptian striker has had a brilliant start to the 2020/21 season in Turkey, playing three games (one of which was from the bench) and scoring three goals (WhoScored), and has managed three shots and 2.3 dribbles a game. It is also interesting to see that he has 45 in 126 appearances during his career so far (Transfermarkt).

The 23 year-old looks to be prolific, however he is an unknown striker to fans of the south London side and he is only valued at £2.25m on Transfermarkt so the reported price tag seems very steep.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the news:

“WHO”

Credit: @MarkDre44138040

“Just what we need another striker , who cares about an ageing defence”

Credit: @Mikeyp1981

“Rather we tried out Omilabu. Don’t think we need him tbh.”

Credit: @cpfc_fpage_se25

“Yayyyy another player who can come and sit on a bench and watch Benteke.”

Credit: @MichaelBG1212

“We’re overdoing it with the Turkish league”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“No thanks”

Credit: @cpfccharlie0

“Shocking if true”

Credit: @letstalkpalace

In other news, O’Hara has linked a Premier League legend to the manager role at Palace!

Tottenham Hotspur are once again being linked with Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen as he continues to struggle with the Serie A side.

What’s the word?

According to the Guardian, the Lilywhites could look to re-sign the Danish international on loan from Inter this month, although a deal could be difficult to structure.

The creative midfielder only left Spurs for Italy around this time last year but his time with Antonio Conte’s side has clearly not gone to plan, and he now finds himself surplus to requirements.

Bad news for Dele Alli?

During his time with Spurs, Eriksen would make 305 appearances for the North London club, contributing an impressive 69 goals and 89 assists.

However, he made it clear he wanted to leave the club after they lost the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019 but was forced to wait until January 2020, just six months before his contract was set to expire, before a deal with I Nerazzurri was agreed.

Since then, the 28-year-old has managed just 38 appearances for Conte’s side, in which he has contributed a disappointing four goals and three assists.

This season has seen him make just 12 appearances in all competitions, the majority of which have come from the bench, so it is no surprise that he is being touted for a loan move away, as he will no doubt want to get regular football under his belt ahead of the European Championships this summer.

If Spurs were to negotiate a deal that would see him return to North London, it could prove to be bad news for Dele Alli, with the former MK Dons man having made just one start in the Premier League this season.

The report suggests that Spurs aren’t keen to let the 24-year-old go and want him to challenge for a first-team spot but if Eriksen were to return this month, it would only increase the significant competition in that position.

It could definitely be argued that Jose Mourinho is lacking a player of Eriksen’s creativity, as Spurs midfielders Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have just one assist each in the Premier League, whilst wingers Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, Gareth Bale and Erik Lamela are yet to contribute an assist in the top-flight this season.

On the rare occasions where Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son aren’t on top form, you worry where the creativity will come from in this Tottenham team, with the vast majority of Spurs’ goals this season coming from those two combining up front.

Therefore, Daniel Levy must seriously consider sanctioning a deal to bring Eriksen back to the North London club this summer, as the £31.5 million-rated midfielder could add a different dimension to Mourinho’s side, provided he could rediscover the form he showed in the earlier days of his last spell with the club, which were enough to see former manager Pochettino label him “fantastic” back in 2018.

AND, in other news, 49 tackles: Levy made unforgivable mistake with £12m gem who’s tearing the PL apart…

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Leeds United ace Tyler Roberts is expected to stay at Elland Road in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 7-cap Wales international has struggled to figure into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans this season, featuring only sporadically in the Premier League – he’s yet to complete the full 90 minutes in the top-flight, whilst he’s only played around 50 minutes in the division since November 7.

Despite interest from Championship sides about a potential loan until the end of the season, The Athletic has claimed Bielsa is not “minded” to consider those offers before the January transfer window.

The report adds that Bielsa is “sympathetic” towards Roberts’ situation and a lack of game-time, and that attention on his long-term future at Elland Road is likely to ramp up given he will enter the final year of his contract.

Bielsa’s ruining him

With no 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, it’s safe to say Roberts has been on the fringes of the Leeds team,

Speaking back in mid-November, former Leeds man Noel Whelan said: “Right now we are looking at a lad that is very low on confidence and very low on belief in his own ability.

“He is struggling to find form and maybe it is a step too far for him right now, the Premier League. It would be very harsh for me to say that he is not a Premier League player but he is not showing it right now.”

Much of that lack of confidence can be put down to the lack of consistent chances Roberts has had to shine in the Premier League this season. Cameo appearances here and there, and just expecting him to change the game at the tip of a hat is just foolish, especially given how he’s still only 22-years-old.

Players need to get into a rhythm to really showcase what they can offer, and Roberts just hasn’t been afforded that.

Blocking a loan move for him where he would be able to get regular game-time and feature week-in and week-out seems like a hugely strange decision from Bielsa, especially when you consider Leeds already have Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo up front, and are continuing to be linked with a move for another striker themselves.

Bielsa’s decision seems more focused on the short-term goals of the club, rather than the long-term needs of the player. If Roberts doesn’t come good at Elland Road, then much of that responsibility will have to fall on the Leeds boss’ shoulders.

Meanwhile, this Leeds United ace is facing an uncertain time at Elland Road…

The next few weeks could signal an almighty change at the Stadium of Light.

A new sporting director in Kristjaan Speakman is set to be hired, while Stewart Donald is busy finalising the details in a takeover bid from Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

You will find it hard-pressed to find any football owner currently as busy as Donald, someone who is also searching for a new manager to bring to Sunderland.

The Black Cats sacked Phil Parkinson just a matter of days ago and a number of replacements from Sol Campbell, to Gus Poyet and Danny Cowley have been linked.

However, one of the most eye-catching names is Lee Johnson, the ex-Bristol City manager. The 39-year-old is relatively inexperienced and is one of the youngest head coaches in the game. Yet, he is mightily impressive and has a distinct brand of football.

A welcome thought for Sunderland is the fact that he tinkers considerably with his formations, something we seldom saw under Parkinson.

His football was stale and tedious, playing a brand of the game that eventually saw the ball lumped towards the likes of Charlie Wyke. In short, his tactics were risk-free and full of predictability.

Thus, by bringing Johnson in they could completely change the way the current playing staff are working.

A dynamic thinker, Johnson has a track record of putting together a run of wins through changing his tactics and formations. For example, at the start of the 2015/16 season when he was at Barnsley, he played no fewer than five different systems.

This is completely different from Parkinson who so far this term, used a similar style in every game – either a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3.

If we take the 2016/17 as more evidence for Johnson’s tinkering, we can see that in a four-game unbeaten run between March 4th and March 7th, he used three very different systems; 3-5-2, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2.

This should be a major box ticked for both Donald and the club’s supporters.

If he’s made the new Sunderland boss, they can wave goodbye to the stale football for good. That’s not just because of the constant change he instils, but also because he likes to play possession-based or counter-attacking football. That was something we never saw with Parkinson at the helm.

Johnson’s father Gary told The Independent that he is destined for lofty heights: “He’s done enough for at the moment for people to recognise what he can do, that’s the big thing. I think Lee should have (a big career) but you never rest on your laurels in football…he’s done himself no harm recently in what’s happening at Bristol City.”

With that in mind, it would be quite the coup if Sunderland could lure him to League One. This is a progressive coach who would surely be better placed in the north-east than Parkinson ever was.

Meanwhile, Will Grigg could rediscover himself if Sunderland hire THIS manager…

Arsenal travel to Everton on Saturday evening looking to snap a torrid run of form that has seen Mikel Arteta’s side claim a sole win in their last nine Premier League fixtures.

The Gunners’ results have helped to capitalise their worst start to a season in 46 years, and languish in 15th place ahead of travelling to Goodison Park where Carlo Ancelotti’s Toffees are flying high and can move within the Champions League places with a win.

Everton will be fancying their chances of claiming only a second victory over Arsenal since the start of 2017 when the two sides meet at the weekend, having lost five and drawn one of their prior seven top-flight meetings.

But Ancelotti will be unable to name a full-strength line-up after injuries to several key players in recent weeks. So, with that in mind, here’s an XI the Italian could favour…

Ancelotti has confirmed that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will return to his position between the posts when Everton host Arsenal on Saturday, after benching the England international for AS Roma loanee Robin Olsen at Leicester City during the week.

The decision was purely tactical as Ancelotti sought to keep his options well rested ahead of the hectic festive schedule, and always intended to favour Pickford at home to the Gunners no matter how well 42-cap Sweden colossal Olsen fared at the King Power Stadium.

“Just to rotate the players and keep him involved. He’s a serious professional, good goalkeeper with experience and that’s it. Saturday will be Jordan in goal,” Ancelotti said.

Everton’s makeshift backline of central defenders Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate all stood up to the task of keeping Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester quiet during the midweek encounter, so would expect to start once more on Saturday evening.

However, Ancelotti has confirmed that full-back Seamus Coleman is in line to make his return to Goodison Park following a reoccurring hamstring injury that has prevented the 32-year-old from featuring in Everton’s last five fixtures, likely at the expense of Holgate.

Ancelotti faces question marks over who he fields in midfield for the visit of Arteta’s Gunners to Goodison Park, too, after losing Allan for a “period of matches” after being forced off with a hamstring injury at the King Power Stadium.

Tom Davies should be the man who Ancelotti looks favourably upon to replace the summer arrival from SSC Napoli, having trusted the Toffees product to serve a similar role against Brighton and Hove Albion in October after losing Allan through injury.

Gylfi Sigurdsson will be heading into the Arsenal affair after one of his better performances of late, and will expect to join Abdoulaye Doucoure, Alex Iwobi, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in retaining their starting roles from the Leicester win.

AND in other news, an £18m-rated Everton ace once an automatic pick for Carlo Ancelotti faces a huge hurdle to regain his place at Goodison Park.

Having left Newcastle permanently in the summer of 2018, it’s fair to say Adam Armstrong has gone from strength to strength at Blackburn Rovers.

The striker initially arrived at Ewood Park on a short-term loan earlier in that year, and after netting nine goals in 21 games for them, it was a no-brainer that Rovers looked to tie him up permanently.

The striker made just 21 appearances in total for Newcastle before then manager Rafa Benitez took the decision to let him go, and it’s a call that has surely seen the Magpies regret it ever since.

Callum Wilson’s arrival in the summer transfer window has appeared to finally be the solution to their striking woes, but the likes of Joelinton and Andy Carroll over the past couple of seasons have been nothing short of disasters.

Armstrong’s form at Ewood Park just makes a mockery of the fact that the Tyneside club let him go, and when you look at the kind of start he has enjoyed to the new season this year, it just makes it all the more galling.

In eight games across all competitions, he’s scored six goals, including netting a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Wycombe in the Championship. That performance led to Rovers boss, Steve Mowbray, to wax lyrical about his centre-forward, saying: “He’s playing down the middle after spending two years playing off the left wing for us, but we’ve always known that he can score goals and will score goals.

“Adam’s another one who’s a real joy to have, a low maintenance footballer who just wants to play, score and win. The attributes he possesses are fantastic and he was disappointed that he didn’t score one or two more against Wycombe at the weekend. But he got the hat-trick, he got the matchball and he’ll be delighted with that. We’ll have to keep rolling with him and keep improving him.”

Newcastle had a top-class, young English striker in their ranks, and all they needed was to show a bit of patience. Instead, they made the hasty decision to cut their losses, and Armstrong has since proven them wrong big-time.