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Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski’s injury situation has now ‘worsened’ after a pre-Newcastle update in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Spurs seek reply…

Spurs succumbed to a disappointing 2-0 loss to Manchester United in the Premier League on Wednesday and manager Antonio Conte will be desperately seeking a reply this afternoon.

The Lilywhites failed to stamp any real authority on proceedings at Old Trafford and hardly provided any cutting threat over a lacklustre 90 minutes with Newcastle now travelling to north London.

Eddie Howe’s side present another tough test for Conte given they have conceded fewer goals than any English top flight side and are currently unbeaten in their last five.

The Magpies come down south with real momentum behind them, and if Spurs want to clinch victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they will have to be at their very best.

The Latest: Kulusevski injury ‘worsened’…

Spurs and Conte have long been sweating on the fitness of Sweden international Kulusevski, who can provide real threat in the final third when at his very best.

The 22-year-old has proved a stellar signing from Juventus but Tottenham have not been able to call upon him since their 6-2 win over Leicester City in mid-September.

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To make matters worse, Spurs supporters have been dealt some bad news on Kulusevski ahead of Newcastle, with Conte now claiming his situation has ‘worsened’.

He said to the media (via talkSPORT):

“Kulusevski is not available. I think we have to wait a bit of time to see him with us.

“Yeah. His recovery was going well and then one day the situation worsened.

“When this happens you have to restart. You need time, you need time.

“We have the medical department to face injury situations and they have to face it in a short period.”

The Verdict: Blow for Conte…

As per WhoScored, Kulusevski ranks in Tottenham’s top three for shots at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons per 90 in the final third – highlighting his real presence as a member of Spurs’ front trio.

Losing him for an extended period comes as a real blow for Spurs, especially today, up against the most solid defence in England’s top flight thus far.

West Ham United are keeping a close eye on FC Midtjylland player Gustav Isaksen.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Calciomercato, who reported that the Hammers are amongst the potential suitors for the player, along with Newcastle United and AC Milan.

Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara, part of the Rossoneri’s management team, watched Isaksen during his club’s match against Lazio in the Europa League.

The Danish side are unlikely to settle for less than €20m (£17m), which is a fee that West Ham could comfortably afford.

Moyes could unearth Leroy Sane 2.0

Football Talent Scout creator Jacek Kulig described the Dane as a “flamboyant winger” while also comparing him to Leroy Sane just under two years ago, with the two players sharing similar statistics.

Last season, the Bayern Munich forward registered 14 goal contributions in the league, compared to ten for Isaksen, as they both proved that they can offer a prominent goalscoring threat from a wide position.

Sane again edged it in terms of shots on target (32 to 31), while the Midtjylland star was able to deliver more crosses over the course of the season (54 to 38).

When it comes to dribbling ability, again there isn’t much to separate either player’s efforts from last season, with Sane’s 53% success rate) edging out Isaksen (41%), although the Germany international has five years of experience on the Danish youngster.

Sane is one of the foremost wingers in Europe and has won major trophies with both Bayern Munich and Manchester City while also leaving his mark in the Premier League, registering 57 goal contributions in just 90 matches in the English top flight.

Moyes could have a potential star in a similar mould to Sane if he manages to entice Isaksen to England, and it’s a prospective move which could work out extremely well.

For just £17m, West Ham would be getting a winger who can both score and create goals, while also having the chance to make a solid profit when he likely moves on in the future to a European heavyweight.

Manchester City have been handed an injury boost after Pep Guardiola confirmed that Manuel Akanji is set to return for the champions’ Premier League clash against Fulham on Saturday.

The Lowdown: European absence

The Sky Blues secured a 3-1 victory over Sevilla in the Champions League midweek and they should be brimming with confidence heading into this weekend’s clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Last weekend, the Swiss centre-back was forced off the pitch against Leicester after sustaining a knock and therefore missed the European clash, although it sounds like a swift return to action is now on the cards.

The Latest: Akanji fitness update

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola revealed that Akanji is now back under consideration to be selected, whilst also providing an update on Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker.

Quoted by the club’s official website, the City manager said: “Manu’s okay. Kalvin and Kyle are still not fit.”

Asked for an update on Erling Haaland, Guardiola responded: “He’s much better. We will decide today (if he can play against Fulham). It’s a good step, he starts to train, and we have training this afternoon and we will see.”

The Verdict: Boost for Guardiola

City only signed Akanji from Borussia Dortmund over the summer, and despite making just six league starts so far, the 27-year-old has been a rock at the heart of the backline.

Hailed as a ‘top-class’ defender by Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson, the Switzerland international currently averages two clearances per league game, also recording an outstanding pass success rate of 94.3%, the second-best of anyone at the Etihad Stadium (WhoScored).

Taking all three points against the Cottagers would send City back to the top of the table overnight before Arsenal play Chelsea on Sunday, and the imminent return of Akanji should only increase the chances of that happening.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Rodrigo de Paul to the Premier League in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER (via Daily Express), who claim that, after Atletico Madrid failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Diego Simeone’s side now desperately need to raise funds in the winter transfer window, with the LaLiga side reportedly putting four players – including De Paul – up for sale.

The report goes on to state that the forward-thinking midfielder’s most likely destination could be Tottenham, with the 28-year-old – who was reported to have rejected Fabio Paratici’s advances this summer – now looking set to reassess his options ahead of the January market.

Bentancur 2.0

It is true that De Paul has not been at his free-flowing best since joining Atleti in a €35m (£30.5m) deal last summer – something which has been attributed to the attacking midfielder being played in a more reserved role under Simeone – but considering just how impressive the Argentine was at Udinese, it is easy to see why Paratici would be keen.

Indeed, across his 36 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, the £52m-rated talent was in sensational form for Le Zebrette, scoring nine goals, registering nine assists and creating 20 big chances for his team-mates – the joint-most in the league – along with taking 2.3 shots, making 2.3 key passes and completing 3.4 dribbles per game.

The £111k-per-week playmaker also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, averaging 40.7 passes, 0.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 4.5 long balls and winning 8.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

These returns saw the 43-cap international, who Roy Nemer dubbed “unplayable” and a “monster”, average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.53, not only ranking him as Udinese’s best performer in the division but also as the second-best player in the league as a whole, behind only Lorenzo Insigne.

As such, should De Paul be able to rediscover this level of form following a potential move to Tottenham this winter, it is undeniable that signing the 28-year-old would very much appear to be the answer to Antonio Conte’s lack of creativity in the middle of the park.

Should Atletico be willing to part with the Argentine for a cut-price fee – something which has been suggested – the forward-thinking midfielder could even prove to become Paratici’s next Rodrigo Bentancur-esque capture in the transfer market. The Italian’s £15.8m January signing is already worth a whopping £52m after highly impressing at Spurs.

It was just under three weeks ago that Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag took the ruthless decision to banish Cristiano Ronaldo from his first-team squad following the Portuguese’s antics during the win over Tottenham Hotspur, with the 37-year-old having reportedly refused to come off the bench in the closing stages of that triumph.

Amid the collective euphoria of what was arguably the club’s best display of the season thus far, the former Real Madrid man somewhat soured the mood as he headed for the Old Trafford tunnel before the game was out, with many having wondered whether it may be the last image of the veteran marksman at the club.

Fast forward just a matter of games and United took to the field at Villa Park on Saturday with Ronaldo not only leading the line, but also wearing the captain’s armband, with Ten Hag having deemed it wise to welcome his high-profile asset back into the fold in recent matches.

Whether it is an act of appeasement or merely an act of necessity – amid injuries to the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial – the decision to reinstate the 191-cap machine has somewhat backfired for the former Ajax boss, with the £515k-per-week hotshot still struggling to fire in front of goal.

While the one-time Juventus ace did tee up his ‘protegee’ Alejandro Garnacho during Thursday’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad, the £17.4m-rated man has largely struggled to make an impact in the final third this season, scoring just three goals in all competitions – two of which came against Europa League minnows, FC Sheriff.

The most recent clash with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa once again saw the prolific asset underwhelm in attack, having notably missed a gilt-edged headed chance midway through the first half, after directing his effort far too close to opposition ‘keeper, Emi Martinez.

The legendary ace cut an isolated and frustrated figure through the middle, having at one stage seemingly taken out his anger on Tyrone Mings as the pair engaged in an almost comical tussle inside the area.

On what was another quiet outing for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, the ruthless presence made just 25 touches in total – fewer than teammate David De Gea in the sticks (31) – with the serial-winner struggling to make an impact with his all-round game.

While Ten Hag had suggested that part of the fault lay with the striker’s teammates for making the “stupid” decision to deliver crosses into the box far too quickly, Tim Vigon suggested that Ronaldo is now a “full-blown issue” for the Red Devils due to his lack of mobility.

For all the accolades he has achieved throughout his career and the plethora of goals he has registered to date – 145 of which have come across his two spells in Manchester – it is hard to get away from the potential negative influence that the former Sporting Lisbon icon is having at the Theatre of Dreams at present.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers attacker Fashion Sakala and his current injury situation…

What’s the latest?

Physician Dr. Wesley Ngongo has revealed that the winger will not be playing for his country during the break after arriving for international duty with an injury that will keep him out of their games.

As quoted by the Daily Record, the Zambian said: “Basically all the players called into camp managed to report and are all in good health and ready to participate in the game against Israel. However two players, Fashion Sakala and Frankie Musonda haven’t been able to report to camp.

“But after further consultations with medical staff from their respective clubs it was found that they are both injured as a result they will not be able to participate in the upcoming games. We have been in discussions with both the players and their medical staff and together it was decided that the best course of action was for them to complete their rehabilitation at their respective clubs.”

This comes after Gio van Bronckhorst had claimed, on the 8th of November, that the forward was dealing with a ‘minor’ issue and would only be sidelined for a week.

Frustration for Gio

Van Bronckhorst should be frustrated by this latest blow as it comes after Glen Kamara also returned to the club after withdrawing from the Finland squad, due to a leg injury.

The former Arsenal midfielder has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.57 as he has started three games, playing seven in total, in the Premiership this season. He ranks 20th in the squad in terms of his average rating and this indicates that losing him is not a major source of frustration for the head coach.

However, Sakala has caught the eye since earning himself a place back in the squad in recent weeks. He did not make a single appearance in the Scottish top flight throughout August but has since burst back into the side and averaged an excellent rating of 7.08 across six outings in the division.

The Zambia international has scored one goal and created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates in those matches, which shows that he has the quality to make things happen in the final third.

He also ranks seventh in the squad in terms of ratings and this suggests that he has been one of the club’s top performers in the Premiership so far.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst should be frustrated by this latest injury setback as the attacker is now set to be out for longer than the Dutchman had initially claimed.

It now remains to be seen whether or not he will be fit enough to return to action on the other side of the break and thus, the Light Blues boss will likely be sweating on the forward’s fitness over the coming weeks, as losing him would be a big blow given his aforementioned statistics.

Tottenham Hotspur, and sporting director Fabio Paratici by extension, are now eyeing a move for AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Tottenham’s transfer plans…

Spurs are seemingly intent to back manager Antonio Conte, even after a summer of serious spending which saw them deliver eight major signings in total.

The north Londoners sealed moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and a permanent deal for Cristian Romero, and further names are now cropping up for January.

Ruslan Malinovskyi of Atalanta has been heavily linked in recent weeks, with attackers like Mohammaed Kudus also on the radar of Paratici and Spurs.

The Latest: Abraham eyed by Spurs…

As per a fresh report from Corriere dello Sport in Italy (via Sport Witness), it appears that former Premier League marksman Abraham, who is now plying his trade at the Stadio Olimpico, is attracting interest from Tottenham.

The England international, who unfortunately didn’t make the squad for the World Cup, enjoyed a fine start to life at Roma under Jose Mourinho last season, scoring 17 goals and setting up four others in the league alone.

However, he has struggled to regain that form so far over 2022/23,  with Abraham now considering his future in the Italian capital.

Corriere dello Sport claim that Tottenham are among his ‘admirers’ as the Lilywhites and Paratici become linked with the former Chelsea star.

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The Verdict: Do it?

The 6 foot 2 powerhouse, who is rumoured to likely cost around £67m, could be a good candidate as back-up to Harry Kane going by last season’s form.

However, question marks may surround whether the Roma marksman would be willing to join Tottenham just to play a second-string role behind his compatriot.

Former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe certainly likes Abraham, though, having admitted to ITV (via football.london) that he is a ‘big fan’ of the 25-year-old.

This looks like one to watch closely as 2023 draws ever closer…

Aston Villa will conduct contract talks with both Tyrone Mings and Danny Ings in the near future, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Mings and Ings out of contract soon

The Unai Emery era is now in full swing at Villa Park, with the Spaniard making a positive start to life at his new club, prior to the World Cup break.

He will no doubt be eyeing up reinforcements in both the January transfer window and next summer, although there are also contract situations to sort out with some current players.

Mings and Ings’ current deals both expire in the summer of 2024, so they are at key points in their careers, in terms of whether or not they are offered extensions.

The Latest: Key update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that contract talks could take place soon with the pair, labelling them as ‘key’ players.

“I’m sure the club will be looking at the contract situations of those two players, two key first team players as well I think, so you don’t want to be losing those two players, potentially on free transfers in 2024 when their contracts expire.

“So, I’m sure discussions, internally, are going on between representatives of both players and Aston Villa.”

The Verdict: Need to prove themselves

While Mings and Ings have both been good performers for Villa on the whole, there should still be some question marks surrounding potential new deals for them.

The former has had a below-par season at the back, not always finding himself error-free, while the latter has only made eight Premier League starts in 2022/23.

Emery may want to see more from both in the coming months before deciding to retain their services in the long term, although their respective quality means that there is every chance of that happening.

Sheffield Wednesday attacker Josh Windass has been ruled out of his side’s FA Cup second round clash with Mansfield, journalist Joe Crann has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Windass enjoying good season

The 28-year-old is an undisputed key man for the Owls in their League One promotion push and he is enjoying a productive season for them to date.

Windass has registered four goals and assists apiece in the league, linking up well with the likes of Michael Smith and Lee Gregory, and he will continue to be an important figure.

Darren Moore’s side host Mansfield in the FA Cup on Saturday but they have suffered an injury blow in the lead-up to the game.

The Latest: Ruled out of Mansfield clash

Taking to Twitter, Crann confirmed that Windass will miss out at Hillsborough, although his absence isn’t expected to be a lengthy one:

“Josh Windass has a ‘little strain’, but there are no alarm bells regarding his fitness. Won’t play v Mansfield, but isn’t a bad one.”

The Verdict: Undoubted blow for Owls

Losing a player of Windass’ quality is always going to be a blow for Wednesday, with his eye for a goal or pass in the final third something that has been on show throughout this season and in the past.

The hope is that the attacker is back for the trip to Derby County in the league next Saturday, lunchtime, however, in what is truthfully a more important game for Moore’s men.

While the FA Cup remains a competition drenched in history, the sole aim of this season for the Owls is to get out of League One and be playing Championship football again.

Sheffield Wednesday have been rocked by the news that centre-back Michael Ihiekwe is out injured for a couple of months, journalist Joe Crann has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Ihiekwe injured v Mansfield

The 30-year-old has been a key figure for the Owls so far this season, playing his part in their League One promotion push and making 18 starts in the division.

Unfortunately, Ihiekwe was injured in the recent 2-1 win over Mansfield Town in the FA Cup second round, meaning that he missed Saturday’s goalless league draw away to Derby County.

A fresh update has emerged regarding the defender’s fitness, and it’s one that Darren Moore won’t want to hear.

The Latest: Crann confirms bad news

Taking to Twitter in sharing a report for The Star, Crann claimed that Ihiekwe is expected to be missing for a few months with a knee problem:

“A bitter injury blow for #SWFC as Michael Ihiekwe is ruled out ‘for a couple of months’ after sustaining knee ligament damage. No surgery required, but Wednesday don’t expect him back until early next year.”

The Verdict: Massive blow for Owls

This is a huge setback for Wednesday, with Ihiekwe performing so well in general this season, putting his experience and consistency to good use, averaging 3.6 clearances per game in the league.

With Ben Heneghan also a long-term absentee with a knee injury of his own, Moore’s centre-back options are now limited, which will be a big concern heading into a busy festive period.

It could even lead to the Owls delving into the transfer market for a new defender in January, with injuries threatening to derail their promotion charge if they are not careful.