All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

With so many players currently out injured at Sunderland, the Wearside club have finally been handed some good news regarding one of their players which will surely please a lot of fans and Lee Johnson.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Northern Echo, Black Cats midfielder Luke O’Nien has undergone a successful operation to fix a shoulder injury which has affected him for a significant period of time.

Last month, Johnson revealed that the success of the surgery would be a big factor in when the 27-year-old will be able to return to action. Given how well his surgery went, it seems as though there can be some hope that he will be back sooner rather than later, which would be a big relief for everyone at the Stadium of Light.

O’Nien’s performances in his 16 League One games for Sunderland this season earned him an overall rating of 7.16/10, making him their second highest-rated player after Ross Stewart according to WhoScored. That just goes to show how important he is to the team and why it’s good to hear that he may only be out for three months rather than until the end of the season as previously feared.

Those performances have seen the 27-year-old prove his worth to Johnson’s side by averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and three clearances per game.

Also, prior to his surgery, O’Nien stepped out of his usual defensive midfield role to play in the left-back position for Sunderland’s games against Ipswich Town and Shrewsbury Town, in which he scored one goal and set up another. This shows how versatile he is as a player and how much faith Johnson had in him to deploy him there with the likes of Denver Hume and Dennis Cirkin injured.

Moving forward, even though the 27-year-old will still likely spend the next three months on the sidelines, plenty of positivity can be taken from the reports that his surgery went well and that he is now on the road to a full recovery.

If O’Nien can get back to action as soon as possible, he could be the difference between Sunderland securing promotion and spending another season in League One given his defensive talents and versatility.

In other news: KLD can spark Sunderland’s promotion charge with big winter decision, fans would be thrilled

Jose Sa, Fernando Marcal and Raul Jimenez stood out as Wolves’ three poorest performers in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal, according to statistical analysis website Sofascore.

Bruno Lage’s were looking to make it four wins in a row in the Premier League, while also aiming to bounce back from last weekend’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Norwich City.

Unfortunately, Wolves were beaten in a tight contest at Molineux, with Gabriel’s first-half strike proving to be the difference between the two sides.

According to Sofascore, it was Sa, Marcal and Jimenez who struggled the most for Wanderers in defeat, of those to have played at least 45 minutes against the Gunners, as the trio won a measly 20% of their ground duels and lost the ball 24 times.

Jose Sa – 6.6

Sa has enjoyed a superb first season at Molineux but this wasn’t his most influential evening of the campaign, as he conceded a rare goal.

The Portuguese ace only actually made one save on the night, while he failed to play a key pass with the ball at his feet, perhaps highlighting a dip in distributions levels, as he only completed four out of eight long balls, too.

He had just two clearances and zero high claims of the ball, but while there is no question it was a slightly off night for the 29 year-old, his rating feels a little harsh given how little action he was actually offered by Arsenal.

Fernando Marcal – 6.5

Marcal was another who struggled for Wolves, as he made his 12th Premier League start of the season on Thursday evening.

He lost possession a total of eight times, played no key passes and didn’t attempt a single dribble from his left wing-back position.

Marcal also completed no accurate crosses or long balls out of four attempted overall, on an ineffective night for him both defensively and going forward, as he won just 33% of his ground duels.

Raul Jimenez – 6.5

With the atmosphere buzzing on Thursday night it felt like one of those games where the Mexico star may grab it by the scruff of the neck, but he just couldn’t get going.

Jimenez played one key pass but gave the ball away twice as many times as Marcal (16), playing a part in Wolves’ struggles to string attacks together, and he also won one just one out of seven ground duels.

Four out of nine aerial duel wins was a disappointing return for Jimenez, too, as he allowed Arsenal’s defenders to get the better of him physically for most of the 90 minutes.

In other news, Wolves have been handed a transfer boost regarding one target. Find out who it is here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have been left worried following an injury update on midfield star Phil Foden ahead of their weekend clash with Wolves.

Pep Guardiola’s side ended their Champions League Group A campaign top of the pile, albeit closing the curtain with an underwhelming 2-1 defeat away to RB Leipzig, but the biggest cause for concern was arguably Foden and defender Nathan Ake’s withdrawals.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-updates-2/” title=”Man City latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Ake was taken off a few minutes from full time with back problems while Guardiola replaced Foden at half time in a safety move following issues with his ankle (The Mail).

The 21-year-old, a majorly key player for the Sky Blues last season, only just returned from the same injury last week and The Daily Mail have now provided an update.

As per their information, despite Guardiola saying he withdrew Foden as a precaution, City are ‘left sweating over the fitness of Foden’ amid his ‘latest setback’.

City fans livid…

City’s boss is due to provide an update on both men during his Friday lunch time press conference and but it’s safe to say Sky Blues are concerned about Foden’s condition.

The England starlet, picking up a nomination for the 2021 senior men’s Ballon d’Or, was a revelation under Guardiola and for City over last campaign – playing a major role in their run to the 2021 Champions League final.

As Guardiola’s has had to cope with player ’emergencies’ recently, the last thing fans want is yet more time on the sidelines for their fan favourite.

Here’s how Citizens reacted to the Mail’s claim down below:

“Returned too early probably, really should stop rushing him back like this”

Credit: @jdp433

“Kompany, Aguero and now Foden. All world class players being ruined by Manchester City because they pick up an injury and this club is too impatient to let them fully recover. They re-aggravate it again and again until it becomes permanent.”

Credit: @mcfcleo_

“The coach must take the blame. Still can’t understand why he started all those players when we have already topped the group. Why didn’t he play the kids?”

Credit: @Muhd_Shafie02

“Oh come on man”

Credit: @Dvdsm3

“Absolutely livid ngl”

Credit: @BernardoTouch

“I’m done”

Credit: @lg_h99

“NOOOOOOOO”

Credit: @izmcfc

“oh you have to be kidding me”

Credit: @EklavyaChawla16

In other news: ‘Oh my days’, ‘I love this club’…Man City fans buzzing over ‘best news’ out of Eastlands, find out more here.

Frank Lampard has made an incredible first impression at Goodison Park with a 4-1 victory under his belt, meaning that Everton will now progress into the fifth round of the FA Cup, with a promising performance and a taste of what is yet to come under the new manager.

The 43-year-old set up his team up a 3-4-3 formation which worked wonders for the Everton players who have been struggling throughout the season, setting up the side much more offensively compared to the passive approach taken by his predecessor Rafael Benitez.

It was a real team performance with four goals spread out evenly throughout the team. Yerry Mina opened the scoring when he came on for Ben Godfrey, who sustained an injury in the first 12 minutes of the game. Richarlison, Mason Holgate and Andros Townsend also found the net over the course of the game, with Brentford only scoring from a penalty due to a late challenge from Jordan Pickford.

One player who didn’t score but made a huge impact on the team during his 74-minute performance was local youngster Anthony Gordon, who was clearly keen to impress his new manager with his place in the team perhaps in doubt following a number of signings in the January transfer window.

Lampard was forced to leave his two Deadline Day signings out of the team, with Dele Alli and Donny Van de Beek cup-tied. The starting line-up was full of players who were already at Goodison Park all along, and Gordon in particular will be giving his new manager nightmares about future team selection dilemmas after putting in an outstanding performance.

The £7.2m-rated Liverpudlian, who was dubbed “tidy” by Everton journalist David Prentice, will have to compete with a number of attacking players, including new signing Alli, for a place in the forward line, but he did not make that decision any easier for Lampard.

According to SofaScore, the 20-year-old won 85% of his duels, was successful in all three of his dribble attempts, had more touches than Richarlison and lost possession less than any other player in the forward line. He proved to Lampard that he is more than capable of rising to the occasion and able to provide healthy competition for his place in the team.

The 43-year-old will be delighted with the result and will be hoping that this phenomenal team performance can build the confidence and resilience that Everton need if they are to climb the Premier League table. They return to action in the league on Tuesday night against Newcastle United, and it will be interesting to see if Lampard sticks or twists with the team from today when new signings will be available for selection.

Gordon is one of those who may well have put his hand up for breaking into the starting XI for the trip to St James’ Park.

In other news: One Everton ace proved Lampard wrong with an outstanding performance today

Newcastle United have now made contact with Arsenal for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of a potential move in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, the Magpies are “trying” for the Gabon international, and that “contact” has already been made with the Gunners for the maverick striker.

It’s added that a “possible loan is being discussed”, and that crucially, Aubameyang himself “would like the destination”.

Fans will be buzzing

While Aubameyang may not have covered himself in glory this season either on the pitch or off it – he’s netted just four goals in the Premier League and was recently stripped of the Arsenal captaincy by Mikel Arteta – he still remains a class player who could provide Newcastle with genuine quality up front.

It was only a couple of seasons ago that Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was waxing lyrical about the striker, and how good he is compared to the rest of the Premier League’s elite forwards.

He said: “Including me, we have stopped short of announcing Aubameyang as world class. We’re happy to go with (Sergio) Aguero, we’re happy to go with (Sadio) Mane and (Mohamed) Salah, (Roberto) Firmino, (Harry) Kane… all these players who have graced the Premier League in the last two or three seasons.

“I feel that Aubameyang doesn’t get that same credit and maybe it’s something that comes from when he first entered into English football. I think he’s been absolutely sensational, and I think now’s the time for us all to start recognising the quality and the brilliance of this player. He fights for the team, he’s always there, and for me, he’s everything you would want in a football player.”

The man with 294 career goals to his name could be the perfect replacement for the injured Wilson for the remainder of this Premier League season.

Galetti’s update that the Magpies have now made contact for him, and that Aubameyang himself is interested in a move to St James’ Park is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United have held talks with this director of football candidate…

[ad_pod ]

Leeds fans have taken to Twitter to react in horror after an article from the Yorkshire Evening Post highlighted just how badly they have suffered with injuries this season.

The article reveals that, if you were to combine each game that a Leeds player has missed through injury this season, it would tally a whopping 140 matches, which is truly absurd.

Admittedly, since Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival back in the summer, the Argentine boss has demanded a much higher intensity of play, which may have been something of a culture shock to the players who were used to a different tempo.

In fairness, Bielsa’s methods have worked in terms of results, as Leeds sit just two points off the top of the league with a game in hand over their rivals, although their good form appears to be coming at some cost to the physios.

Let’s see how Leeds fans on Twitter reacted to the disturbing revelation…

Sunderland had to settle for a point in the end away at Ipswich Town after Nathan Broadhead cancelled out James Norwood’s opening goal for the hosts.

Broadhead would have been pleased with his own performance, but some Black Cats struggled, as The Transfer Tavern uses statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst players (to have played at least 45 minutes) for the visitors were this afternoon:

Alex Pritchard

Admittedly, Pritchard was given the same rating (6.4) as Denver Hume by SofaScore, but ranks in third as he played slightly more minutes.

The midfield player lost out on three of his duels, and failed to record a single shot, successful dribble or key pass, while losing possession of the ball eight times.

Ross Stewart

While Broadhead got himself on the scoresheet, his strike partner Stewart could not, as SofaScore gave him a 6.3 rating.

He lost a mammoth 15 duels and possession 23 times, by far the most out of any player on the pitch, and failed to score with both of his attempts on his goal.

The striker also failed with both of his dribble attempts, and was not able to make a single key pass in the match, while he also found himself booked.

Carl Winchester

Winchester was deemed the worst player for the Stadium of Light faithful by SofaScore, as they gave him a 6.2 rating.

He lost four of his duels in total, and did not make a single clearance, interception or tackle in the game.

Winchester also never made a key pass, and gave the ball away nine times.

In other news, find out what club post has SAFC fans talking here!

Journalist Phil Hay has confirmed that Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has only picked up a minor injury, hailing the update as ‘good news’.

The Lowdown: Forshaw limps off at West Ham

The Whites secured a brilliant 3-2 win away to West Ham on Sunday afternoon, in what was arguably one of their best results of the season.

Forshaw limped off in the first half at the London Stadium with a hamstring injury, however, and it was feared that he would be missing for a chunk of action given his previous woes.

With Kalvin Phillips already sidelined, as well as numerous others, it was a blow that Marcelo Bielsa could do without.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Hay confirms positive news

Thankfully, Forshaw took to Instagram on Monday to confirm that the issue is only a minor one, with Hay reacting to it on Twitter:

“Good news from Forshaw on the hamstring front. Looks to have avoided a bad one.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-31/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Big boost for Leeds

This is a rare positive in the injury department for Leeds this season, with Forshaw claiming in his post he could potentially even be back for Saturday’s visit of Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The 30-year-old has been a revelation since returning from an extremely lengthy injury absence, starting ten league games and averaging 2.3 tackles per game, a tenaciousness in midfield they would be desperately lacking without him and Phillips.

Forshaw will remain a crucial figure in the middle of the park until the England star returns, as his hugely pleasing comeback from a career-threatening situation continues.

In other news, Hay has also given another positive Leeds injury update. Read more here.

With Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore previously sharing his hopes at being able to bring some new players to the club before the end of the current January transfer window, it seems as though there could be a decision to be made on the future of one of their current players.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from Wednesday journalist Dom Howson, Lewis Wing’s future at the Yorkshire club has been thrown into question after being left out of the last two matchday squads by Moore.

Howson also said in his post that it “remains unclear” whether the midfielder will still be a Wednesday player by the end of the month.

The Owls signed Wing on a season-long loan deal from Championship club Middlesbrough back in the previous summer transfer window.

Since then, the 26-year-old has been a fairly regular figure in the team for the Yorkshire club with a total of 24 appearances under his belt across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and two assists in the process.

Fans will be worried

Despite being picked on a regular basis by Moore, apart from their two previous league games, Wing has not exactly been a top performer for Wednesday.

After all, Howson said in his post that the midfielder “has been a big disappointment this season,” which is back up by WhoScored listing him as Wednesday’s 11th-highest rated player with an overall performance rating of 6.73/10.

With that in mind, while it could be an option to keep the Englishman out of the team for a while based on his lacklustre performances, Wednesday fans would surely rather keep him in the squad as a viable option for Moore to have rather than see him leave the club early and have to worry about whether or not the club will be able to bring in a suitable replacement before the deadline.

If Moore continues to keep the midfielder out of the squad, then this could force Middlesbrough to bring him back to the club and look for another loan move for him, in a similar fashion to what happened with Theo Corbeanu earlier this month.

Either way, it would be in everyone’s best interest if a decision is made on Wing’s future to put to bed any speculation on the matter that could distract Wednesday from potentially strengthening their squad with some new incoming transfers before the end of the month.

Considering how their January has played out so far, yet more uncertainty is surely a worry for supporters.

In other news: “I have been told:” – Moore delivers SWFC transfer update that’ll have fans concerned – opinion

Antonio Conte clinched his first Premier League win in charge of Tottenham Hotspur as his side narrowly defeated Leeds United on Sunday evening.

Spurs were perhaps a little fortunate to walk away with all three points, having been largely dominated by the visitors in the first half and still, they did manage more of the ball and recorded more attempts at goal, too.

The victory sees the north Londoners leapfrog Manchester United, who sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier in the day, into seventh place and firmly back into the conversation for European qualification.

Rare second-half goals from midfield enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and left wing-back Sergio Reguilon sealed the come-from-behind win.

A passionate Conte was absolutely delighted at the full-time whistle, celebrating with all four sections of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as every member of the squad.

However, when he has time to reflect and watch back, he may be less than impressed by the performance of Emerson Royal at right wing-back as he struggled for large parts of the encounter.

The Brazilian, signed from Barcelona for £25m in the summer, was skinned and nutmegged by Jack Harrison for Leeds’ opener right before half-time as the former Man City dynamo was given acres of space and time to find Dan James at the back post.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Press Association Sport journalist Jonathan Veal soon tweeted that “Harrison made a mug of Emerson” during that moment and truth be told, that was the story of his game.

Despite registering a whopping seven tackles, three more than any other player, the 22-year-old won just 50% of his 14 duels, both in the air and on the ground, and also lost possession 12 times from 53 touches – once every 4.4 times he had the ball, as per SofaScore.

Emerson received a yellow card for his troubles, too, which only goes to show how big a nightmare he had up against Marcelo Bielsa’s left flank.

Elsewhere, he struggled to contribute in the final third, providing just one accurate cross from four attempts (25%), no key passes or shots, and overall, managed just 19 passes – he usually manages around 32 per game this term.

The Evening Standard were pretty scathing in their review of his performance, claiming that he was ‘skinned by Jack Harrison for Leeds’ goal and failed to make a significant impact in the final third.’

All in all, the £22.5m-rated lightweight endured a tough, tough evening despite the encouraging result.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops huge Dele Alli claim at Spurs…