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Newcastle United journalist Dominic Scurr has given his reaction to some injury news that has now emerged involving Kieran Trippier.

The Lowdown: Gym work

Trippier recently posted a video of himself on Instagram, in which he is sitting on an exercise bike, wearing no protective boot.

He captioned it: ‘Stepping training up, can’t wait to be back!’

The right-back has also revealed that he is making ‘really good progress’ since joining up with the squad in Dubai, suggesting that he could now return perhaps earlier than first thought.

The Latest: Scurr reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Shields Gazette journalist Scurr has now given his reaction to Trippier’s progress, claiming that the fact that he is closing on a return is a ‘huge boost’ for the St. James’ Park faithful:

“Great to see Kieran Trippier stepping up his recovery back in the gym without a protective boot.

“Hasn’t been as big a miss for NUFC as expected but the fact he’s closing in on a return is a huge boost.

“Set to be back in contention next month.”

The Verdict: Big boost

The fact that Trippier could return to action as early as next month is a big boost for Eddie Howe and his side, as there were initially fears that he may not even play again this season following his injury.

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The former Tottenham Hotspur defender is currently ranking as their best player in the Premier League this term, while he has averaged more tackles, interceptions and crosses per game than any of his teammates so far (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, if the North East club are to make sure of their safety, then Trippier simply has to be in the team come next month’s fixtures.

In other news, find out what ‘big’ NUFC update Liam Kennedy has now reacted to here!

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has been a revelation since his arrival at the club, taking over from the rather dismal Steve Bruce earlier this season.

He joined the Magpies as they were winless and struggling at the foot of the Premier League table but has now led them to 14th place as it stands, with the side currently on a seven-game unbeaten run in the division.

One of the keys to his success so far has been how he has handled some of the players who lost their way under Bruce, with one of those being centre-back Fabian Schar.

The 30-year-old joined Newcastle from Deportivo in 2018 and Transfermarkt valued him at just £2.7m at the time of the move. However, he enjoyed a sensational start to his career at the club as he averaged a mightily impressive SofaScore rating of 7.14 in the Premier League in his first campaign and then a score of 6.89 in his second season.

That said, Schar then struggled in the latter parts of Bruce’s time at St. James’ Park as he lost his way and, subsequently, his place in the XI.

He has enjoyed a revival in recent weeks, though, as he has recorded an eyecatching rating of 7.00 or higher in five of his last season appearances for the club in all competitions. Howe has reinstalled the £40k-per-week gem in the starting XI and is reaping the rewards with the defender’s impressive performances.

Toon legend Alan Shearer previously dubbed him as “commanding” and a “danger” going forward in 2019. These comments were relevant once again last weekend as the Switzerland international produced a sublime performance against Brentford.

As per SofaScore, he won six of his nine individual duels and made seven clearances and one block. This shows that he was brilliant defensively and led by example with his dominant display, whilst he also flaunted his attacking threat as he broke from centre-back to race through and slot the ball directly into the path of Joe Willock to make it 2-0.

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His recent displays, including this one, show that he still has plenty to give to the club and is able to play a major role in the Premier League moving forward. Therefore, the club’s deal to bring him to Tyneside in 2018 was a dream signing as he has given immense value on the pitch over several seasons, despite a stutter in the middle.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt value him at £6.3m. This means that his price has soared 133% since his initial move to Newcastle from La Liga, showing that he has improved during his time in England whilst delivering top-class displays on the pitch.

AND In other news, NUFC can unearth their new Callum Wilson in £20.8m predator who has “the scoring nose”…

Tottenham Hotspur shockingly crashed out of the FA Cup to Championship outfit Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, adding to manager Antonio Conte’s ongoing woes in 2022.

It’s now five defeats in seven outings across all competitions for the north London outfit as they watched their only real chance of silverware slip from their grasp.

Their wait will now extend to a 15th season with only the top four left to play for.

In front of a sell-out crowd at the Riverside Stadium, Boro ran out triumphant in extra time after substitute Josh Coburn latched onto Matt Crooks’ pass, firing past Hugo Lloris in the 107th minute.

It was a well-deserved victory for the second-tier side and one that’ll leave Conte teeming with anger, especially given his reaction after Burnley. As such, he ought to be considering the long-term futures of several of his disappointing stars.

One of which being Harry Winks, who endured an absolute nightmare up in the northeast. Before the Italian’s arrival, he was close to the exit door, having fallen heavily out of favour under Jose Mourinho and Nuno Santo.

Now it’s easy to see why.

Against lower league opposition, the 26-year-old failed to win a single one of his eight duels, meaning a Championship midfield effectively ran the show on his behalf.

That much is reinforced by the fact that he was also dribbled past a whopping five times – more than anyone else on the pitch, as per SofaScore.

Elsewhere, he failed to register a single tackle, despite averaging 1.1 per game in the Premier League last campaign, so that’s well below the low standard he’s already set.

‘Squandered possession too often and gave away some cheap fouls in dangerous areas during an underwhelming showing,’ is how the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick described it, whilst football.london reporter Alasdair Gold dubbed him “sloppy.”

Overall, it was a disastrous outing for the Englishman, who is thought to be earning around £91k-per-week at the club.

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Time and time again he has proven that he’s just not good enough to be regularly starting matches and if you can’t do it against Boro – with all due respect – then what hope do you have?

Conte must not turn to Winks again this season once his other midfielders return from injury. He was badly let down by the midfielder.

AND in other news, Conte could unearth Spurs’ next Kane in 17 y/o “diamond” who can save Levy millions…

Liverpool are interested in signing Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez if Mohamed Salah leaves, according to Serie A journalist Niccolo Ceccarini.

The Lowdown: Martinez shines for Inter

The 24-year-old has become one of the key figures at Inter in recent years, scoring 14 goals in just 21 Serie A starts this season, not to mention registering two assists.

Martinez has been described as ‘spectacular’ by the one and only Lionel Messi, which is high praise indeed, and it could be that he is on the move at the end of the season, with Inter seemingly already eyeing up replacements in the shape of Paulo Dybala and Gianluca Scamacca.

The £63million-rated Argentine’s current deal in Milan expires in the summer of 2026.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing

Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb [via Sport Witness], Ceccarini claimed that Liverpool are interested in making a move for Martinez if Salah leaves:

“As for Lautaro, the club’s (Inter’s) position is very clear. The Argentine striker remains central and fundamental in the Nerazzurri project, but in the face of a big offer, Inter will still make a reflection.

“We have to understand if a big European name will come forward concretely. Liverpool is a possibility, especially if Salah should leave at the end of this season.”

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The Verdict: Hard to see happening

While Martinez is undoubtedly a special talent who could thrive at one of Europe’s top teams, it is hard to see Liverpool signing him this summer.

In Salah, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino, the Reds already have five magnificent options in attack, so the Inter man would struggle for playing time if he came in.

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The only way that a move would make sense is if Salah, Mane or Firmino moved on, with the trio all out of contract in 2023, but there is no guarantee that that will happen.

In other news, a journalist has made an exciting claim regarding one Liverpool target. Read more here.

Kevin Thelwell is reportedly now plotting a move to bring Jannik Vestergaard to Everton in the summer.

The Lowdown: Limited game time

Vestergaard has seen his game time at Leicester City fairly limited since his move from Southampton, as he has only managed 20 appearances in total over all competitions so far this season, playing the full 90 minutes on just 12 of those occasions (Transfermarkt).

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Thus, he may look to move on this summer, especially given that it is a World Cup year, as he will want to cement his place in the Denmark squad.

The Latest: Move plotted

As per Football Insider, a source from Goodison Park has revealed that new director of football Thelwell is now plotting a move for Vestergaard, and a senior scout at the Merseyside club has already been sent to watch him play for his country this week.

The recruitment team are reportedly prioritising the signing of a ‘dominant’ central defender, given the Toffees’ defensive woes this term.

The Verdict: Sign

There is no doubt that Vestergaard would help elevate the quality of the Blues’ backline, after all, Manchester City manager and reigning Premier League champion Pep Guardiola hailed him as an ‘excellent’ player earlier on in this campaign.

Described as a ‘real threat’ in both boxes by journalist Luke Hatfield, his six-foot-six frame makes him very difficult to pick up, as he currently wins 2.1 of his aerial duels per game on average.

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The 29-year-old is in his prime, so this is the perfect time to take advantage if Frank Lampard and Thelwell are both fans.

In other news, find out what is now a ‘real worry’ for EFC after an update emerged here!

Manchester City’s scouts have reportedly sent rave reviews about one Bayern Munich star who they have compared to Rodri.

Enzo Maresca responds to Man City "speculation"

Dropping a midweek bombshell, The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed on Thursday afternoon that Man City have their sights set on Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as part of a Pep Guardiola contingency plan.

The Citizens are reportedly fearful that their iconic manager could take his leave at the end of the season, one year before his current contract comes to an end. As such, they’ve turned the way of his former assistant, Maresca.

The Chelsea boss hasn’t hesitated to put the rumours down to speculation, however, and reaffirmed his loyalty to those at Stamford Bridge – telling reporters: “It doesn’t affect me. It’s 100 per cent speculation.

“There is no time for this kind of thing. I have a contract here until 2029. My focus is just about this club. I’m very proud to be here. It’s speculation.

“One week ago was the same thing with Juventus. I don’t pay attention because I know it’s not true. It’s important to understand the reason why this news was there. It’s not my job, I don’t care at all. The players are focused on Newcastle.”

Related Man City now making moves to sign "outstanding" £26m PL star alongside Semenyo

City have joined the race for a Premier League player.

Posts ByDominic Lund

Whether Man City will test Maresca’s resolve in the summer depends on the future of Guardiola. In an ideal world for those in Manchester, the Spaniard will see out the rest of his contract at the Etihad.

The Citizens may be hoping that one more full season and one more summer, which could feature his next Rodri, will be enough to tempt their manager into staying put.

Man City scouts want to sign Pavlovic

According to TeamTalk, Man City scouts have been raving about Aleksandar Pavlovic and have spotted close comparisons with Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.

The 21-year-old is gradually beginning to make his mark under Vincent Kompany and has attracted interest from Man City and Chelsea as a result. It’s a win-win situation for Maresca, given that his current club and potential future club are chasing such a talented young star, but it remains to be seen whether Pavlovic would be willing to leave Bayern.

It should come as no surprise that City have sent their scouts to watch one of the most promising defensive midfielders in Europe, either. As much as Rodri is undoubtedly world-class, there will be concerns that he’s still yet to reach full fitness after suffering an ACL injury last season.

Subscribe for in-depth scouting and transfer insight Get expert scouting breakdowns, transfer coverage and managerial context by subscribing to the newsletter. It offers focused analysis on how clubs identify midfield prospects, scout talent, and shape transfer plans. Subscribe Subscribe for in-depth scouting and transfer insight Get expert scouting breakdowns, transfer coverage and managerial context by subscribing to the newsletter. It offers focused analysis on how clubs identify midfield prospects, scout talent, and shape transfer plans.

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In his absence, Nico Gonzalez has done more than an admirable job, but City’s long-term plan should centre around prying Pavlovic away from Bayern Munich.

League stats per 90 25/26

Pavlovic

Gonzalez

Minutes

604

1,071

Progressive Passes

10.1

5.21

Tackles Won

0.6

1.76

Ball Recoveries

4.18

4.71

Dubbed “phenomenal” by scout Jacek Kulig, all it takes is one look at Pavlovic’s ability to progress play to realise where the Rodri comparisons are coming from. In possession, the 21-year-old could turn Man City into title winners once again.

Leeds United have suffered a blow in their quest to sign Nottingham Forest’s on-loan right-back Djed Spence, with Tottenham firmly in the race.

The Lowdown: Spence impressing for Forest

The 21-year-old joined Forest on loan from Middlesbrough last summer and he has caught the eye with his attacking prowess down the right flank.

Spence has made 27 Championship starts so far this season, completing nearly two dribbles per game, not to mention being hugely impressive in the FA Cup, with a quarter-final clash at home to Liverpool to look forward to.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright hailed him as ‘unbelievable’ after Forest’s 1-0 win over the Gunners back in January, with fellow Highbury legend Martin Keown hailing the youngster as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ in the next round’s win against Leicester.

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The Latest: Spurs keen on move

Sky Sports reported in January that Leeds are ‘keen’ on Spence as they seek a long-term replacement for Luke Ayling, but they now face serious competition from Tottenham, as he is believed to be at the top of Spurs’ wishlist.

According to Football League World, Antonio Conte is eyeing up the Englishman, whose Middlesbrough contract runs until the summer of 2024.

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The Verdict: Blow for Leeds

Spence looks like a tailor-made option to come in as a long-term replacement for Ayling this summer, with the latter now 30 years of age and not likely to remain at his peak for much longer.

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His direct running and attacking mindset could be a good fit for Jesse Marsch’s style of play, with the new Leeds manager fond of his full-backs going forward.

The lure of joining Spurs could be too much for Spence to turn down, however, especially if they manage to secure Champions League football under Conte this season.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has made a key Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.

Wolves will assess how serious Nelson Semedo’s hamstring injury is after missing the 1-0 defeat to West Ham, according to reliable journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Wolves beaten again

Bruno Lage’s side faced another key Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon, with victory crucial in their battle to secure a top-four finish this season.

Unfortunately, Wolves suffered a second defeat in London in the space of four days, with Tomas Soucek’s goal proving to be the difference between the two teams.

It was a tired-looking performance from Wanderers, whose Champions League hopes have now taken a massive hit following successive defeats to positional rivals in Arsenal and West Ham.

The Latest: Semedo suffers injury

Semedo was unavailable for the game at the London Stadium, having picked up a hamstring problem in last Thursday’s 2-1 loss away to Arsenal.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Keen claimed that Wolves are still waiting to find out the severity of the issue, stating: “Bruno Lage confirms Nelson Semedo has suffered a hamstring injury (from Thursday). Says they are still assessing how serious it is.”

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The Verdict: Bad week for Wanderers

Things were looking so bright for Wolves this time last week but the brutal nature of football means that the current outlook is now rather different. A top-four finish looks highly unlikely and it is vital that Lage and his players remain level-headed and focused on securing European football of some kind.

A bad week has been made even worse by this update on Semedo, who will be a big miss if he is absent for several weeks. He rates highly in Lage’s squad for tackles (2.3) and clearances (2.2) per game, illustrating his no-nonsense defensive nature.

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Also, him being sidelined leaves just Ki-Jana Hoever as a natural right-back option, so it’s not as if the Old Gold are blessed with depth in that area. The wait to find out how badly Semedo is hurt could be a nervy one for the Molineux faithful.

In other news, Tim Spiers slammed one player’s performance against West Ham. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle were sent heading into the international break off the back of two straight defeats in the Premier League as they lost 1-0 to Everton on Thursday.

Alex Iwobi scored the only goal of the game in a controversial match at Goodison Park, with the attacker rolling the ball into the back of the net after a one-two with Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened up the Magpies’ defence.

The clash was marred by a pitch invader during the second half as the intruder successfully ziplocked himself to the goalpost and kept himself there for around eight minutes before the stewards were able to dismount him from the woodwork.

There was also a lengthy stoppage for VAR to decide whether or not Everton’s Allan committed a red card offence on Allan Saint-Maximin. The referee was eventually advised to watch the incident back and duly gave the Brazilian his marching orders.

Newcastle were unable to capitalise on playing against 10 men, and one of the players who let Howe down badly on the night was right-back Emil Krafth. He was selected ahead of Javier Manquillo but failed to justify that decision as he put in a weak display.

As you can see in the graphic below, the Sweden international put in a concerning performance as he struggled in a number of aspects.

From these statistics, provided by SofaScore, he was underwhelming on and off the ball as he failed to provide any quality for the team throughout the game and was a liability for the Toon.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh dubbed him and Miguel Almiron on the right as “frustrating” at half-time because of their poor play in possession throughout the first 45 minutes. The 27-year-old’s performance after the interval did not make up for it as he continued to struggle, with his overall statistics on the ball showing that he lacked the ability to be a reliable outlet on the right flank.

Defensively, he was average at best. As per SofaScore, he lost four of his eight duels (50%) and made three tackles, whilst also committing three fouls – picking up a booking for one on Richarlison on the edge of the penalty area.

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Along with his dreadful play in possession, this shows that he let his manager down badly and was one of the reasons why the Magpies were unable to come away from the match with any points.

With Kieran Trippier out injured, it will be interesting to see who Howe selects at right-back against Tottenham after the international break. Krafth has done himself no favours with this display and Manquillo may be banging on the manager’s door in the hope of a start.

AND in other news, Howe’s first mistake: NUFC dud who lost possession every 3.1 touches flopped big time…

Norwich striker Grant Holt feels that players from his club should be considered for international duty, but that an England call-up is not round the corner.

The burly forward scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season against Manchester United at the weekend, equalling Swansea’s Danny Graham as the top-scoring uncapped Englishman, and Holt feels recognition should be forthcoming.

“I don’t think it is round the corner,” he told Mirror Football.

“Myself and Danny got overlooked in this squad. But you have got to keep doing what you are doing, scoring goals, churning performances out.

“If you look, there are a few [Norwich players] who have the right to be ­disappointed.

“Wes ­Hoolahan hasn’t had an Ireland cap for the last two years, but has been by far the best Irish player for a long time.

“Anthony Pilkington and John Ruddy were ­overlooked [by England], and people might say it is because it’s Norwich. We are not at a big club so that is maybe what it is.

“But the lads have all got to keep doing it for Norwich and see where it takes us,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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