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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has been handed a major injury boost ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Brentford…

What’s the latest?

The Argentine is set to welcome back star striker Patrick Bamford to his matchday squad as the 28-year-old isn’t going to feature for the U23s on Friday night, as he had done last week.

“It’s likely Patrick and Luke [Ayling] will be available on Sunday. Pascal [Struijk] has a knock around his hip, but we think he’ll also be available,” Bielsa revealed to reporters during his pre-game press conference.

It remains to be seen if Bamford will start the match on Sunday but he came through 90 minutes against Manchester City’s U23s unscathed on Monday and has been back in training for a few weeks now.

Major boost

This will be a massive, massive boost at just the right time for Bielsa and the Leeds squad.

The Yorkshire giants finally picked up their third win of the season in midweek, defeating Crystal Palace at Elland Road, where they will host their old Championship rivals, so they will be in a confident mood heading into kick-off.

With Bamford potentially involved, it hands some further encouragement to everyone concerned with Leeds.

He had missed United’s last nine league games in the Premier League and they have largely struggled in his absence, particularly in front of goal as they have scored more than two goals in a game just once without him.

The £19.8m-rated frontman provided one goal and two assists from the opening five games of the season and has averaged three shots per game, so clearly he is a massive influence in the final third.

‘Top player, Bamford,” once claimed Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, before adding: “I can remember before the season I heard on talkSPORT that people said, ‘Leeds need a proper goalscorer, Bamford is not good enough’. I’m so happy that he could prove them wrong, he’s an exceptional player, perfect.

“The work rate is outstanding and still playing the football he plays on top of that and scoring goals, that’s rare.”

That glowing endorsement from one of the very best managers in Europe shows exactly how crucial Bamford is to Leeds’ fortunes, so to have him back this week will certainly be a major boost to Bielsa and co.

AND in other news, Bielsa could repeat Gelhardt masterclass with Leeds swoop for 20 y/o “manager’s dream”…

Brighton manager Graham Potter has been linked with a move to Aston Villa, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Potter’s managerial career

The 46-year-old, who Pep Guardiola described as ‘the best English manager right now’, has been with the Seagulls since 2019. He began his managerial career with Swedish side Ostersund before moving to Swansea City in 2018.

In total, he has taken charge of 374 games, winning 159 of those. His Brighton team are flying in the Premier League this season in seventh position, and it appears as if he is on a long list of candidates to take over from Dean Smith at Villa Park.

The Latest: Potter on Villa’s shortlist

The Daily Record shared a story on Monday evening regarding Villa’s hunt for a new manager.

Villa Park sources claim that, along with Steven Gerrard, Roberto Martinez, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Paulo Fonseca, Potter has also been discussed by the club’s hierarchy.

The Verdict: A realistic target?

Like Smith, Potter also followed Villa as a youngster, so the Solihull-born manager could well be interested in a move home to the Midlands.

Villa aspire to be a club challenging for European football, and with a squad worth more than £370m, the 46-year-old may fancy that challenge under wealthy owners.

However, it could be a tough ask from Johan Lange and Christian Purslow to take him from Brighton, especially with the Seagulls a club on the up and also setting their sights on qualifying for Europe in the future.

In other news: ‘As I understand it’ – Sky Sports drop live TV update on Gerrard possibly joining Aston Villa

Leeds United will only make new signings in the January transfer window if their season is in dire straits, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Iffy start to the season

The Whites impressed hugely in the Premier League last season, finishing ninth in their first year back in the top-flight and playing some eye-catching football along the way.

The 2021/22 campaign has been a struggle to date, however, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side plagued by injuries in defence and picking up just one win, which came at home to Watford last weekend.

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The Latest: Hay gives transfer update

There could arguably be a need to make January reinforcements in order to freshen up the squad, but that appears to be unlikely.

According to The Athletic‘s Hay, it would be a surprise if any new faces came in midway through the season:

“But January? I’m not convinced the club will do much in January unless the league position is causing acute concern.

“From my perspective, if the season is in hand at the turn of the year, then I’d hold off and gear up for a major midfield addition when the season ends. I think we can all see that it has to be done.”

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The Verdict: Wait until the summer

While Leeds’ tough start will naturally lead to calls for new signings, there is no need to go overboard, with Bielsa having a strong squad at his disposal.

As Hay alludes to, unless the Whites are suddenly hit with a bigger form crisis or many more injuries, they would be better off waiting until next summer, rather than potentially rushing into a signing.

January is notorious for panic signings of overpriced players, and Victor Orta and co are surely working on a long-term strategy rather than throwing darts at a board – just look at their recent interest in teenage starlet Mateo Joseph.

In other news, one Leeds player should be fit to face Southampton next weekend. Find out who it is here.

All the latest Championship action as Essex secure a vital win with one ball to spare but Derbyshire are denied by Middlesex

Cricinfo staff18-Sep-2009Division Two4th dayGraham Napier and Tom Westley added 36 in four overs as Essex gave themselves a real chance of promotion after a thrilling four-wicket victory with one ball to spare against Northamptonshire at Chelmsford, leap-frogging their opponents into second place. Set 242 in 52 overs after the visitors battled to 195 in their second innings, John Maunders and Alastair Cook set the platform with an opening stand of 130. However, the chase became tight as Johan van der Wath picked up regular wickets – including Cook for 87 – and Essex stumbled to 205 for 6 when James Foster departed. But Napier brought his one-day power and Westley showed maturity with 15 off 13 balls and they scrambled a bye to secure the win. Earlier it looked as though Essex would have a much simpler chase when Napier and Craig Wright reduced Northamptonshire to 90 for 7. Andrew Hall then added 60 with David Lucas, who made a career-best 55 after being dropped on 18 by Mark Pettini, acting as a stand-in keeper for James Foster who suffered a damaged cheekbone in the warm-up. However, when Napier ended the innings the enthralling final stage was set up.A brave two-hour innings from Adam London, with a broken and dislocated finger, and defiance from Tim Murtagh enabled Middlesex to force a draw in their final Championship match against Derbyshire at Uxbridge and in turn put a dent in the visitors’ promotion hopes. Last-man David Burton survived six balls as the last-wicket pair batted out 2.4 overs. Derbyshire batted on for 18 overs to set Middlesex 330 but had to work hard for breakthroughs as Dawid Malan and Neil Dexter carried the score to 135 for 2. Then Dexter was bowled by Garry Park and with the door ajar, Greg Smith burst through with his offspin to take a career-best 5 for 65. He claimed four quick wickets as Middlesex slumped to 149 for 7 and Derbyshire were sensing victory. London and Murali Kartik added 57 in 12 overs, but there was still time to dismiss Middlesex when Kartik fell to a top-edged sweep against Mark Lawson. However, Murtagh provided London with great support as the pair survived 21 overs. There looked to be a final twist when Smith removed London, but last-man David Burton blocked out six balls while Murtagh did the rest.Kent were awarded the Division Two trophy, but Leicestershire easily secured a draw and Mark Pennell watched the action at Canterbury.3rd dayGlamorgan had to fight hard to build on a substantial lead against Gloucestershire in Cardiff, but closed 293 ahead. James Harris took two wickets to clean up Gloucestershire’s tail in 15 overs, but the home side lost Mark Cosgrove early. Gareth Rees continued his productive form before he was lbw to Richard Dawson for 43 and then Steve Kirby and Jon Lewis both struck to leave the innings on 102 for 5, with Jim Allenby falling to a stunning catch from Chris Taylor. Mike Powell batted for more than two hours for his 40 but became Lewis’s third wicket – this time a fine grab from William Porterfield at backward point – and Mark Wallace fell to Dawson. Robert Croft eked out important runs before the light closed in and an intriguing final day is in prospect with both teams desperate for victory.

Kent 15 8 2 0 50 215 Essex 15 53 0 7 0 174 Northamptonshire 15 5 4 06 0 171 Derbyshire 152 2 0 11 0 164 Gloucestershire 14 5 6 03 0 154 Glamorgan 142 2 0 10 0 152 Middlesex 16 2 7 07 0 140 Surrey 151 4 0 10 0 138 Leicestershire 15 2 2 011 0 135 Division One3rd dayRory Hamilton-Brown picked a crucial time to make a career-best 171 – his first Championship hundred – as he led Sussex to a crucial haul of batting points and a first-innings advantage against fellow strugglers Yorkshire at Hove. He and Murray Goodwin (63) carried their stand to 128 before David Wainwright broke through when Goodwin was bowled sweeping, but Andrew Hodd (22) helped Hamilton-Brown forge another crucial stand of 99. Hamilton-Brown brought his eye-catching one-day strokeplay into the first-class game and reached his hundred from 126 deliveries. Ajmal Shahzad broke through and also removed Dwayne Smith before Wainwright collected the tail to leave Hamilton-Brown stranded. Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers erased the deficit before the latter was caught behind and Michael Yardy broke another useful stand of 51 between Rudolph and Adam Lyth. Rudolph, though, remained solid until the close and draw looms, which will leave both teams – and a couple above them – sweating during the final week of the season.Worcestershire have a real chance of a consolation victory against Somerset. John Ward watched the action.4th dayEvents at the Rose Bowl drifted to a draw as bad light ate into the final day, but Steve Harmison had time to claim his 400th wicket for Durham as Hampshire reached 384. The home side comfortably moved past the follow on as Nic Pothas (78) and Sean Ervine (67) added 78 for the seventh wicket. Pothas was bowled by Ian Blackwell and seven overs later Harmison had Dominic Cork caught behind to reach his milestone. The final three wickets fell without addition and Blackwell removed Danny Briggs to finish with a hard-earned 5 for 110. Durham only faced 3.5 overs before the light faded and now have one match remaining to secure their unbeaten record for the season.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been mocking Gary Neville after he claimed Manchester United have a superior squad to the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have won their first two Premier League games this season, winning 3-0 at Norwich City and beating Burnley 2-0 at Anfield.

After a tough campaign last time around, Liverpool look back to their best and should challenge the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea for the title in 2021/22 – Saturday’s clash with the latter could tell us more.

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United could also be potential contenders, but Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to Southampton suggests they perhaps still have some catch-up to do.

Despite this, Neville believes his former club will finish above Liverpool in the table this season because their squad is better, admitting as much on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football [via Anfield Watch on Twitter].

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Liverpool fans mock Neville

These Reds fans took to Twitter to laugh at Neville’s remarks, claiming Klopp’s men remain the stronger outfit.

“Hahah lose Maguire to an injury and you’re in a top 4 race”

Credit: @ayxshxlfc

“Maguire got hurt last season and Man UTD went into relegation form”

Credit: @ThisisPllumey

“The state of this”

Credit: @IndyBoxOffice

“Man Utd have no real centre mids, no backup full-backs and if Fernandes is out they are screwed – Neville is just a touch biased”

Credit: @beaks1973

“Except if Bruno goes they are about the same level as Leicester”

Credit: @JPrizzle

“Liverpool’s bench was better than Utd’s bench the weekend even with Fabinho out”

Credit: @stegrogan

In other news, some Liverpool fans are keen for the Reds to sign a central midfielder. Find out who it is here.

Sunderland will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Charlton on Saturday as they travel away to face QPR in the League Cup on Tuesday.

The Black Cats succumbed to a loss at the weekend as Jayden Stockley scored the only goal for the Addicks, sending Sunderland down to fourth in the table.

They now have a chance to regain momentum and gain some confidence as they face a Championship side in QPR, with the chance of progressing through to the fifth round of the competition.

Lee Johnson could make some changes to his team to freshen the team up and give other players a chance to show that they deserve to start in the league. As part of this, one player he must ruthlessly axe from the team is attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard.

The former Huddersfield and Norwich playmaker recorded the joint-lowest SofaScore rating (6.4) for Sunderland against Charlton as turned in a worrying display in midfield. Per the same source, he lost 85.7% (6/7) of his duels on the pitch, whilst failing to make a single tackle, interception, block or clearance.

This shows that he was a lightweight in his 50/50 battles and did not put the hard work in defensively to win possession back and get his side back on the front foot.

On the ball, he was inconsistent. Via SofaScore, he created three chances for his teammates as he showed off his quality to open up defences in the final third. However, he also had a dribble success rate of 0% and gave possession away 20 times from 52 touches, whilst also completing three of his eight attempted crosses and long balls.

Therefore, he was not able to prove that he can be reliable off the ball or on the ball. Despite showing flashes of quality, the overall standard of his performance was not good enough and that was reflected in the final score as Charlton won the match.

Johnson must axe Pritchard from the XI for the encounter with QPR after proving himself to be a liability to the team, giving him the chance to get his head down in training and focus on next weekend’s League One game against Rotherham. Hopefully, it will fuel the fire inside the midfielder and encourage him to up his levels ahead of playing a starring role against the Millers.

AND in other news, Possession lost 18x: Sunderland dud with 25% dribble success had a ‘mare vs Charlton…

The first real challenge for Sangakkara is to lead one of Sri Lanka’s least experienced attacks in Murali’s absence

Sidharth Monga in Galle03-Jul-2009These are exciting days in the life of Kumar Sangakkara. Last week his wife gave birth to twins, and during that nervous period (“unbelievable feeling, overjoyed”), he was also aware he had a Test match starting on July 4, his first as captain. Having led Sri Lanka to the World Twenty20 final is all right, but he knows leading in Tests is the real deal.That he qualifies for his new role is beyond doubt. He has been prolific with the bat, he has been a vital part of the think-tank for some time now, and the only reason why he wasn’t leading Sri Lanka so far was because they had someone better doing the job. Now that someone will be playing under Sangakkara. While Pakistan and India have shown in the past that having too many leaders in the team can be a hazardous state of affairs there are no such headaches for Sangakkara and Sri Lanka.”[Mahela Jayawardene is] not just a former captain, but a very good former captain,” Sangakkara said, pointing to the wealth of knowledge he had at his disposal. “And we have got one of the more experienced cricketers in the world – Murali. Dilshan has suddenly taken on a lot more responsibility and is thinking a lot more about his cricket and team in general. Thilan Samaraweera has a very shrewd cricket brain. I have got so much on offer I just have to make sure that, whatever information I receive, I make the final decision and the right one.”Sangakkara is known for keeping things simple. And if what one says is indicative of what kind of impact one has on a team, Sangakkara is saying all the right things. Sample his response when questioned on a tricky issue: the dropping of Chaminda Vaas. “I had a very good one-on-one chat with him [Vaas] before we went for the Twenty20 world Cup. There is no doubt about the quality of Chaminda Vaas. And what he has done for Sri Lankan cricket. He has still got a role to play in our side. We just have to decide which format of the game he is going to make the most contribution in, and with his fitness and age how best can he divide his time if he decides to play more than one form of the game. But definitely, going forward, there is a World Cup. He is going to be a big part of our side.”Did he discuss retirement with Vaas? The response was just as clear. “As players, or as captain, we have no right to ask anyone to retire.” Ruthlessness without being indifferent, and consideration without compromising team goals – that seems the clear message here.Have things been different in the lead-up to this Test now that he is the captain? “I think preparations have been the same,” Sangakkara said. “Just that I have been involved in a lot more decision-making as to what’s going on. How we conduct our practice and how we select our team and all that. Just a few more meetings than usual.”Sangakkara’s press conference on the eve of his first Test as captain was good-humoured. He smiled in embarrassment when referred to as a great thinker of the game but then gave an insight into how his Test team would work. “You have to force the other side into a situation that you want them to be in. The pressure you want to build up, how you want [their] players to react to your bowlers, which areas you want them to hit us into. You have to try to be a few overs ahead, and get teams and batsmen into certain situations unknowingly or knowingly.”The first real challenge for Sangakkara is to lead one of Sri Lanka’s least experienced attacks in Muttiah Muralitharan’s absence. He didn’t sound very worried by that prospect. “You know you can take it two ways. Inexperienced? Yes. Great opportunity? Yes. Do they have the ability? Again yes. It’s going to be exciting to see what they can offer us. When you are desperate to play Test cricket, and when you are desperate to get into the side, and when you get an opportunity like this, you rise to the occasion. They have to prove that they are here because they are good enough to be here, not because somebody is injured.”Sri Lanka would not have planned it thus, but Murali’s injury also spells exciting times for the team as a whole. As the new captain finds his feet, they have also to realise that Murali won’t be for ever. “This creates a great opportunity to show how good a youngster is, and how willing he is to take responsibility. All good cricketers will leave at a certain time, and we have had services of Murali for a long time, from time to time we need to make sure youngsters take responsibility.” And so the Sangakkara way will kick in tomorrow.

The chief executives of Ireland, Scotland and Canada have reacted encouragingly to reports that Zimbabwe could take part in the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup

Martin Williamson12-May-2009The chief executives of Ireland, Scotland and Canada have reacted encouragingly to reports that Zimbabwe could take part in the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup.Although the tournament is meant for leading Associates, the ICC has approached Zimbabwe Cricket with a proposal it enters a team as part of its schedule to regain Test status. The four-day first-class matches would give the young and inexperienced Zimbabwe side a chance to take on teams such as Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland, as well as newcomers Afghanistan.”Playing against Zimbabwe is precisely where Ireland would wish to be,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, told Cricinfo. “Having just completed the ‘Associate Treble’ of global titles in all three of the game’s formats in the last nine months, we now need to benchmark our progress against teams above us, in all three formats of the game. Bearing in mind we are unbeaten in four-day cricket since 2004 and have won the last three Intercontinental Cups, it is high time that we are given the opportunity to test ourselves against those ranked above us in the Test world.”That view was endorsed by Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive. “I think the move … has to be a positive. It will give the Associates a chance to play a Full Member whilst giving Zimbabwe competitive cricket. It will also give an ideal opportunity over all the games to see the relative strengths of the Associates against them.”Ben Sennik, chief executive of Cricket Canada, was also in agreement. “It can only help to develop the playing standard of the leading Associate countries to have fixtures against countries such as Zimbabwe,” he said. “As you probably know, we played them in a 20/20 as recently as last October in Toronto, with one of the games ending in a tie.”Exposure to higher quality opposition is critical for the development of Associates cricket, and I would even go so far as to suggest that the inclusion of the A teams from Test nations in this type of competition could also prove beneficial.”Deutrom, who has made no secret of his wish to see Ireland play Test cricket, said that this could prove to be a way towards that happening. We are all aware that there is no established pathway to Test Cricket for Associate Countries, and ascension to the Full Member ranks by (for example) Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh appears to have happened rather haphazardly. For me, having top Associates playing the bottom-ranked Test teams is pure common sense and the first step in breaching the glass ceiling separating the Full Member and Associate World.”But he also pointed out there were serious problems awaiting Zimbabwe if results went against them. “If any team, not just Ireland, was to beat Zimbabwe, then it would be very difficult to re-promote Zimbabwe to the Test ranks, and it would create the problem of what to do with those countries that had done so.”Do the Full Members accept that Zimbabwe stays down until it starts to win a few matches, or does it elevate Zimbabwe’s vanquishers to Test status if they have dominated over a sufficiently-long period which, arguably, Ireland has done anyway by winning the last three Intercontinental Cups.”

Sky Sports pundit Ally McCoist has been waxing lyrical over a moment of “absolute magic” from Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn on international duty over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Vital win

The 26-year-old started and scored at Hampden Park on Saturday evening as Scotland came from behind twice to earn a vital win against Israel in their World Cup qualifying group, Scott McTominay netting a stoppage time winner for the Tartan Army.

In his 39th cap for his country, the Villa midfielder scored his 11th international goal and his first since a brace in the 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands in March. He netted from the edge of the penalty area after good work by Andy Robertson and Che Adams, McGinn taking a pass from the Liverpool defender and curling the ball beyond opposition goalkeeper Ofir Marciano.

The victory leaves Scotland four points ahead of Israel with three games to go, with Steve Clarke’s side on course to qualify for the play-offs.

The Latest: McCoist hails McGinn “magic”

Speaking to Sky Sports about McGinn’s goal, Scotland’s first of the match, the former Rangers boss was full of praise for the Villa midfielder.

“What a finish,” he raved. “What a goal and what a finish. Absolutely magic. Don’t underestimate the work of Tierney and Robertson. Brilliant.

“They work their way, they gave the angle, it’s a lovely bit of give and go. A lovely one-two with Adams (from Robertson). He (McGinn) opens himself up and look at that (curling finish).

“That is absolutely magic. That is the only word for that. Magic. Ohh, brilliant. It’s fantastic. John McGinn, what a goal.”

The Verdict: McGinn is vital for club and country

McGinn’s influence for both club and country has been evident in recent years and he showed that again on Saturday evening for Scotland.

Since his 2018 move from Hibernian to Villa Park, the midfielder has made 117 appearances, scoring 14 goals and setting up another 19. His importance to Dean Smith’s midfield is reflected in his industrious qualities (1.8 tackles per game, joint-second highest in the squad) as well as his attacking influence (1.7 shots and 1.3 key passes per game, second highest in the squad for both)

Scotland travel to the Faroe Islands tomorrow night hoping to stretch their lead over Israel, and there is every chance that the 26-year-old could have a big say on proceeding in that game too.

In other news, rumours have started to surface about Villa making a move for a Serie A maestro. Find out more here.

An update has emerged on Bruno Praxedes, regarding Watford’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Watford are one of three sides showing an interest in RB Bragantino midfielder Bruno Praxedes

The report claims Bayer Leverkusen and RC Lens are also keen on the Brazilian who is valued at around £12.8m (€15m) by Bragantino.

Fans would love it

Xisco Munoz must sanction a January deal to sign the midfielder to bolster his squad heading into the second half of the season. He must convince the club to part ways with the £12.8m needed to secure his signature.

The 19-year-old already has plenty of experience playing at senior level, with 63 first-team appearances to his name to date. He played 47 times for Internacional before signing for Bragantino, where he has featured in 16 senior matches.

Along with this, Praxedes has also been capped by Brazil at youth level. This highlights the potential he has and why fans would love to see the club sign him. Supporters would be seeing their side invest in a promising young player who could have the quality to become a first-team star in the future under Munoz.

The last teenage talent Watford signed from Brazil was Joao Pedro and it is fair to say he has been a success at Vicarage Road. Pedro produced nine goals in 31 starts in the Championship last term, averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 6.92, as Watford won promotion to the Premier League.

There is a precedence for players coming from that part of the world and thriving at Watford, with Richarlison – under a different manager – another example to call upon. Therefore, fans could be excited by the prospect of another promising Brazilian arriving at Vicarage Road and going on to achieve great things.

Watford must now ensure that they are able to beat Leverkusen and Rens to his signature in January. Enjoying a strong few months in the Premier League and being in a position where they can convince Praxedes that they will be staying up come the end of the campaign could be key, as the aforementioned duo could offer him top-flight football in Germany and France respectively.

AND in other news, Xisco must avoid Watford nightmare over “top-quality’ beast, fans would be gutted…