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Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo could be available against Watford this weekend, according to medical expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Knee ligament damage

The Spaniard, who has been hailed as ‘strong’ in the past by Kevin Campbell, started Jesse Marsch’s first two games in charge at Elland Road but hasn’t been seen since being stretchered off against Aston Villa.

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Firpo suffered knee ligament damage after colliding with Emiliano Buendia and has watched on over the last three games as the Whites collected seven points from nine.

Marsch gave Firpo a timescale of three to five weeks over a possible return prior to the win at Wolves in mid-March, and it seems as if the 25-year-old could now return for the trip to Vicarage Road.

The Latest: Firpo return imminent?

MOT Leeds News relayed an update from Dinnery’s injury tracker, which shows that a possible return date Firpo is this Saturday.

Leo Hjelde, who has also been sidelined with a knee problem, also has the same date with regards to a possible return.

The Verdict: Boost for Leeds

Stuart Dallas has had to fill in at left-back for Firpo in recent weeks, but it would be good news if the Spaniards is able to travel with the squad for the crucial meeting with Roy Hodgson’s side.

A win against the Hornets would be a major step towards safety for Leeds, so even having the 25-year-old back on the bench would provide some much-needed strength in depth at left-back.

Marsch had limited full-back options last time out against Southampton, making Firpo’s return even more important.

In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update emerges on Joe Gelhardt

When Roy Hodgson ended his four-year spell at Crystal Palace last season, the direction that the club was heading in looked entirely negative.

The Eagles had an ageing squad with a number of contracts expiring and faced the task of replacing the 74-year-old manager, who initially retired and now of course finds himself as Watford boss.

Crystal Palace had it all to do, but delivered in every possible aspect.

The somewhat risky appointment of Patrick Vieira has so far turned out to be astute, whilst the arrivals of Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher, to name a few, have been nothing short of sensational.

The latter, Gallagher, has made waves at Selhurst Park this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists over his 27 top-flight appearances, proving himself as a Premier League starter with real potential under Vieira.

There is a slight downside to this deal though.

The 22-year-old who has been described as “incredible” by his manager is of course on loan from fellow London outfit, Chelsea. And the performances that he has produced in a Palace shirt this season have drastically elevated his price tag.

At the start of his loan, Gallagher was rated at £13.5m, already a dramatic increase from his £4.86m valuation upon his temporary switch to West Bromwich Albion the season prior.

His efforts for Palace this season have enticed the London club to vie for a permanent deal, come the end of the season.

Though, with Thomas Tuchel understood to be a huge admirer of Gallagher, along with competition from a number of other clubs, the permanent capture of Gallagher could now prove difficult for the Eagles.

It is said that a whopping £50m would be just enough to start a conversation for the transfer of the £22.5m-rated midfielder, who is under contract at the Blues until 2025.

With the World Cup just around the corner, the £17k-per-week Gallagher’s future remains uncertain, with some believing his best chance of securing a place in Southgate’s England set-up would be to remain at Selhurst Park.

If that is the case, the 22-year-old could cost Palace a hefty fee, with his quoted £50m price tag sure to leave a nasty taste in the mouths of the Palace faithful.

Indeed, many will be wondering why Palace did not attempt to sign Gallagher on a permanent basis last summer, for what could well have been a fraction of his potential cost at the end of the current campaign.

AND in other news: Crystal Palace eye £5m-rated versatile gem, he’s better than Clyne

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West Ham United must start Marko Arnautovic when they face Fulham this weekend.

The Hammers have not tasted victory in any of their previous five games, though they did hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium on February 4th.

On the chalkboard

Arnautovic has enjoyed some truly excellent form this season, scoring a total of seven goals in 18 appearances in the Premier League.

He has, however, failed to score in his last three outings since a flirtation with a transfer to China.

Manuel Pellegrini gave the Austria international the chance to start against Wolves but he struggled before picking up an injury that ruled him out of the clash with Liverpool.

Following that 1-1 draw, Arnautovic played just 22 minutes against Crystal Palace.

Now, then, is the time for West Ham to trust again and give the striker the chance to play from the outset against Fulham.

Indeed, the Irons have lost just twice in the Premier League this season when Arnautovic has scored – to Arsenal and AFC Bournemouth.

The Irons are currently 10th in the table but they appear somewhat rudderless. They are not in danger of relegation but they are also six points behind Nuno Espirito Santo’s impressive Wolves, who sit seventh and occupy the final Europa League qualification spot.

Having Arnautovic back in the team would go a long way to reigniting a fire under Pellegrini’s men.

Time to prove worth

Football FanCast reported earlier this month that Arnautovic and West Ham have agreed on one specific compromise in the striker’s new contract. The deal includes a clause that will allow the 29-year-old to leave if a bid worth £45m is tabled in the summer.

However, if he is to be the subject of any bids in the summer, he is going to have to prove his worth between now and the end of the season.

It could be a win-win for the Hammers. They could bring Arnautovic back into the fold, he could score the goals to propel the club up the table, and then there could be a major influx of cash for Pellegrini to spend in the summer.

Starting the Austrian against Fulham could be the start of a long-term strategy and would go a long way to ensuring the Irons pick up three vital points.

Indeed, Fulham are 19th and have conceded a total of 58 goals, 10 more than rock-bottom Huddersfield Town.

Arnautovic will surely be licking his lips.

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has one of his biggest tests ahead of him this weekend as the latest Old Firm Derby is set to take place on Sunday afternoon at Ibrox.The Gers head into the showdown three points behind their rivals, meaning that a win for the home side would see them draw level at the top of the SPFL table.Heading into this big clash after the latest international break finally comes to an end, it seems as though a clue has emerged over what Van Bronckhorst’s starting XI could look like to take on the Hoops.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s match on the Go Football Radio Show (via Football.Scotland), Barry Ferguson had this to say on which midfield players he thinks Van Bronckhorst will select to start.

He said: “I think he’ll go with [Ryan] Jack, [John] Lundstram and Glen Kamara. The simple fact is that’s the area with Celtic, where you can’t let Callum McGregor dictate the play.”

While Kamara and Lundstram have started 40 league games between them in this campaign, the fact that Jack has only started three games this season and only earned himself an overall performance rating of 6.56 from WhoScored may not please too many Rangers fans to see him start.

As Ferguson mentioned, if Van Bronckhorst’s main aim is to be defensive and control the midfield to stop Celtic from attacking, then starting Jack could be the right move.

However, with the Gers needing to secure three points more than anything, the fans would presumably like to see their side attack their opponents and do all they can to win the game, meaning that if they were to see their manager take an overly-defensive stance when it comes to making his starting XI, it could anger the Ibrox faithful, especially if they don’t end up winning.

Therefore, even though regular game time hasn’t been easy for him to come by since his arrival, it could be worth giving Aaron Ramsey the chance to shine in what would be his first Old Firm Derby. In just six appearances he’s managed to score a goal and provide an assist, which is something that Jack hasn’t been able to do all season.

Also, with just three league games under his belt, the Welshman has managed to rack up an average of two shots per game, showing just how much of an attacking asset he can be, which could well end up being the difference between a win and any other result for Rangers this weekend.

In other news: GVB receives major boost after Rangers submit bid to sign “excellent” £5.9k-p/w titan

According to a report from the Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry with 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

The 26-year-old has undergone a bizarre rise to prominence on the elite European stage having struggled at Arsenal and West Brom before rediscovering form back in Germany.

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Gnabry only mustered 11 Premier League appearances during spells across the two English clubs and was sold to Werder Bremen for £4.5million in 2016 (Daily Mail).

Now a return to north London could be on the cards…

The latest: Conte ‘pushing’

As per the report from the Daily Star, Tottenham are considering an ‘ambitious swoop’ for the German international.

This comes as manager Antonio Conte is personally ‘pushing the club to table a cut-price deal’ for Gnabry given his contract situation, telling Spurs make a move.

Described as a ‘contract rebel’, Gnabry is set to become a free agent in 2023 (Transfermarkt) and Bayern are could be ‘willing to listen to offers’ for the man once hailed as ‘world class’ by Rio Ferdinand.

The report states that the Bundesliga giants ‘won’t be held to ransom’ by the 31-cap Germany ace, sparking interest from the Lilywhites.

The verdict: Make it happen

So far this season Gnabry has scored 16 times and provided 10 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions and would be a superb addition to Conte’s squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the Italian, alongside transfer chief Fabio Paratici, attempts to strengthen the N17 ranks.

Predominantly a right-winger, the versatile attacker can operate across the frontline and would provide an alternative to Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and the potentially outgoing Steven Bergwijn whilst also being capable of operating centrally.

Boasting a superb 7.34 average Sofascore rating this season, the Stuttgart-born star keeps illustrious company alongside Leroy Sane, Neymar and Mohamed Salah when using the Fbref comparison tool and would therefore be a top-level capture despite the previous links with elsewhere in north London.

In other news: Tottenham officials dispatched to club as they allegedly eye ‘unbelievable’ £33m man for Conte! Find out more here.

Rangers could lose ‘a lot of experience’ this summer, with Allan McGregor, Connor Goldson and Steven Davis all poised to leave. 

That’s according to Jordan Campbell, the club’s correspondent for The Athletic.

The lowdown

As it stands, the trio will all be out of contract come 31 May. McGregor and Davis have both had two spells at Ibrox and now boast 421 and 333 appearances respectively for the club.

They’re also heavily decorated – the former has won 12 trophies at Ibrox in addition to the Player of the Year award in 2020/21, while the latter has won seven (and been named POTY twice).

Goldson, meanwhile, joined from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2018 and has featured 198 times.

The Englishman was a huge part of the squad that ended Celtic’s run of nine consecutive titles last season.

The latest

Campbell writes that McGregor, Goldson and Davis are ‘set to leave at the end of their contracts’.

He does, however, adopt a more optimistic tone on Leon Balogun and Scott Arfield, whose deals are both up at the end of the season too.

The hope is that securing extensions for those two ‘would offer some continuity’.

The verdict

McGregor, aged 40, and Davis, 37, are very much veterans. That’s reflected in their sub-£1million Transfermarkt valuations of £450,000 and £900,000.

Even if they were to stay, you’d imagine they’d only be signing a short-term extension, with retirement on the horizon.

But £7.2million-rated Goldson is yet to turn 30, and is seemingly on his way out during his prime years. Indeed, he’s attracting interest from the likes of West Ham United in the English Premier League.

He may not have claim to legendary status like the other two, but you could argue his departure will hurt the most.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has some information for Rangers fans.

Manchester United appear to be leading the likes of Tottenham in the race to sign Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Man Utd interest in Nunez

Described as an ‘absolute beast’ earlier this month during a podcast discussing his display against Liverpool, the Uruguayan appears to be a man in demand this summer following his starring campaign in Portugal.

The 22-year-old has scored a whopping 33 goals in 39 games, impressing as a centre-forward, second striker and left winger.

The Uruguay international was linked with a big-money move to Manchester last week, and a fresh update has now emerged in their pursuit of a possible club-record deal.

The Latest: United leading the way for Nunez

Sport Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Nunez on Tuesday. They claimed that 22-year-old could link up with super-agent Jorge Mendes, who is set to meet with ‘several English clubs’ regarding the Benfica forward.

United are thought to be ‘in the lead’ following an ‘express request’ from new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Verdict: Huge

Cristiano Ronaldo looks likely to be the only senior centre-forward available to Ten Hag when he arrives, with Edinson Cavani set to depart Old Trafford over the coming months.

Therefore, bringing in an exciting young attacker who has been prolific this season in numerous positions seems to be a smart move going forward.

Benfica want €130m for Nunez, which equates to around £109m and would make him the most expensive United signing of all time ahead of Paul Pogba, but it could prove to be the perfect one for Ten Hag in what the Red Devils are hoping will be a new era for the club.

In other news: Ten Hag now wants Man Utd chiefs to sign ‘superstar’ attacker for free

Chelsea are the front-runners to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Rice continues to shine

The 23-year-old is again enjoying a fantastic season for the Hammers, shining in the middle of the park and producing a string of influential performances.

Rice has started 23 out of 24 Premier League games for David Moyes’ side in 2021/22 to date, averaging 2.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game.

Speculation continues to surround the England international’s future, however, as big clubs eye up a potentially huge move in the summer – it would reportedly cost £120m to lure him away.

The Latest: Worrying Chelsea claim emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones, a ‘transfer insider’, claimed Chelsea are still the favourites to land Rice at the end of the season, revealing information from sources ‘that know him very well’:

“A big decision for Declan Rice, one that he wouldn’t take easily.

“I know people that know him very well, so I get quite a good inside track on where his minds at, and he’s very, very focused and determined, but there’s no doubt his head was turned when Chelsea came sniffing, and so I still say that’s his number one landing spot.”

The Verdict: Logical next move?

As painful as it is from a West Ham perspective, it is only logical that Rice could end up back at Stamford Bridge, having spent part of his youth career there and supporting the Blues growing up.

It would afford him the opportunity of staying in London and almost guarantee Champions League football, too, although a top-four finish for Moyes’ men this season could play a big part in him staying put at the London Stadium.

It is absolutely vital that the Hammers do all they can to keep hold of someone hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Pep Guardiola, but it is going to be difficult, given his ever-growing reputation.

In other news, David Moyes is reportedly targeting a West Ham signing. Find out who the player in question is here.

On-loan Sunderland striker Nathan Broadhead has made a decent impression on Wearside since making the move from Everton for the season, and he could see his move become permanent, with the Toffees reportedly open to selling the 23-year-old this summer in order to raise funds.

What’s the story?

According to Liverpool World, the Welshman could depart Goodison Park this summer, with only one year left on his Everton contract.

The 23-year-old has made just two first-team appearances for the Merseyside outfit, having had a decent tenure for the under-23s along with loan spells at Burton Albion and now Sunderland.

It is at Sunderland where Broadhead has impressed most, scoring seven goals in 17 appearances, but a recurring hamstring injury has held the Welshman back during the second half of the campaign.

The striker has made just one league appearance since mid-December, with his absence having a major impact on the Black Cats’ results. Out of the 16 league games that the 23-year-old has missed since 18 December, the Wearsiders have won just six, with Alex Neil replacing Lee Johnson in the dugout during that period.

Sunderland must sign Broadhead permanently

The Black Cats are currently seventh in League One, with automatic promotion now looking highly unlikely. Indeed, the Wearside outfit will need to get back into the play-off places, having seen Sheffield Wednesday leapfrog them into that all-important sixth position over the weekend.

Although the season hasn’t gone the way he would’ve wanted, Broadhead had made a strong impression in the first half of the campaign, with his goal away to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup a clear highlight.

If Neil can lead Sunderland to promotion to the Championship, perhaps other centre-forward targets will be approached. However, if the Black Cats are to once again be a third-tier club next term, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t make an attempt to sign the on-loan 23-year-old permanently.

Valued at £450k by Transfermarkt, the Welshman will almost certainly leave Goodison Park for a higher figure, but the fee may still be a cut-price one given that Broadhead has just one year remaining on his contract at his parent club.

Having seen Jermain Defoe retire this week, Sunderland are suddenly lighter on options in the final third, with Ross Stewart the main contributor up front with 22 goals this term.

Neil will be desperate to have the 23-year-old striker back available and, should he play before the end of the season, Broadhead could make the definitive impression which sees his loan move made permanent in the summer. In turn, he could finally fire the Black Cats out of League One.

In other news – Forget Defoe: Alex Neil must now unleash “smashing” Sunderland beast, they need him

An exciting Newcastle United claim has emerged ahead of their Premier League trip to Norfolk…

What’s the latest?

Keith Downie has provided his thoughts on Eddie Howe’s pre-Norwich press conference by revealing that he thinks the head coach will make changes to his starting XI for the match.

The Magpies played against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night and now face the prospect of a long trip to East Anglia on Saturday, with the ex-Bournemouth boss potentially handing rests to a number of players.

Downie tweeted: “Sounds like Eddie Howe is planning to mix things up a bit at Norwich tomorrow, given the heavy schedule the NUFC players have got through in recent weeks.”

Supporters will be buzzing

This claim from the reporter will surely get supporters buzzing about what they will be seeing against the Canaries this weekend.

The Magpies are now 12 points clear of the bottom three with five games to go and this means that they can afford to experiment with different players and formations. It would take a colossal shift in fortunes for Newcastle and all of the teams below them for the Toon to be relegated this season, and this means that Howe can now take liberties with his team selections.

Therefore, a number of players who have been starved of first-team action over the last few months could be given the chance to show what they can do.

Whilst the current stars who are nailed down starters do not have much to worry about after survival is secured, the fringe players will be fighting for their places in the squad heading into 2022/23 and this means that the supporters could well see spirited displays from a much-changed side instead of an XI that is already on the beach.

The likes of Jacob Murphy, Jamaal Lascelles, Sean Longstaff and Dwight Gayle are all names that spring to mind as candidates to come in against Dean Smith’s side.

They will all surely be keen to prove to Howe that they deserve to be part of PIF’s project moving forward and will, therefore, be determined to put in a quality showing against the Canaries, which is why it will be exciting for the Newcastle faithful to see how they get on at Carrow Road.

It will now be down to them to showcase their ability and help the side to another three points…

AND in other news: Imagine him & Bruno: Howe can seal terrifying NUFC duo with gem who’s a “joy to watch”