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Leeds United have revealed that Adam Forshaw is an injury doubt for this weekend’s pre-season clash with Western Sydney Warriors.

Indeed, the midfielder picked up a heavy challenge from Manchester United’s Ashley Young in the latter stages of Wednesday’s friendly encounter.

Young will argue that he won the ball but there is no question that it was a potentially dangerous challenge on Forshaw.

Via their official website, Leeds revealed that the 27-year-old would be undergoing treatment and therefore faces a late fitness test for the team’s next game.

It has hardly an ideal situation when considering that head coach Marcelo Bielsa only selected 16 players for the trip Down Under, with the rest of the squad staying in England to continue their preparations for the new campaign.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Leeds fans have been on social media reacting to the injury update and a selection of the tweets are available to view below:

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Yesterday’s Premier League transfer roundup featured Manchester United rejecting a bid for a 26-year-old striker, news on the future of a Manchester City winger and a Ligue 1 star’s preferred destination this summer. Today’s edition focuses on Arsenal’s move for a Real Madrid midfielder, Newcastle’s attempt to sign a 22-year-old and the Red Devils’ pursuit of an Argentina international.

Arsenal agree Ceballos loan

Dani Ceballos had previously been linked with a move to Tottenham – his current club Real Madrid and Spurs were said to be in talks – but it has now emerged that Arsenal have seemingly won the race for the former Real Betis man. BBC Sport is reporting that the Gunners and Los Merengues have reached an agreement in regards to the loan signing of the Spain U21 international, who will spend one year with the Emirates outfit. Since joining Real in 2017, the 22-year-old has played 56 games for the 13-time European champions and has scored five goals. The youngster impressed at the U21 European Championships earlier this summer and Unai Emery will be hoping he can reproduce such form in the Premier League next season.

Newcastle push ahead for Saint-Maximin

With Steve Bruce now confirmed as Newcastle boss, the Toon can push ahead with transfers as they prepare their squad for the new season. A deal for Hoffenheim’s Joelinton is reportedly close, and the North-East club are also pushing ahead in their attempt to sign Nice’s Allan Saint-Maximin. According to French outlet L’Equipe, Nice are willing to let the winger leave for €25m (£22.5m), but this means that Newcastle will need to go above the €15m (£13.5m) they have so far indicated they will pay. The 22-year-old will also need to win over the new boss, the report adds, who has questions over the France youth international’s attitude. Some of the feedback Bruce has received in regards to the player is not particularly positive.

United eye Dybala

Manchester United are currently dealing with the constant speculation surrounding both Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku. One, if not both, could leave this summer, and they will need to be replaced by the Red Devils should they do so. According to The Daily Mail, their potential successor has already been identified: Paulo Dybala. The Argentina international’s current club, Juventus, are willing to sell the 25-year-old this summer, but only if United reach their valuation, which is said to be between £70m and £90m. If a club matches that price tag, the Old Lady would be willing to talk. In 182 games for Juve, the former Palermo forward has scored 78 goals and has won nine trophies.

Patrick Roberts has spoken of his desire to kick start his career at Norwich City following injury-hit spells in La Liga and the Scottish Premiership.

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Roberts was part of the Girona side that suffered relegation to the second tier of Spanish football last season, with the 22-year-old suffering an injury-hit loan spell.

However, the on-loan Manchester City man is looking to make his mark in Norfolk, as he compared the differences between the Premier League and the Championship.

He said: “We’ve seen that last season in the Championship but obviously we all know it’s a different test altogether, so we’ve got to be right up for it and continue that, but still realise it’s a tough ask and we’ve got to be well prepared.” (Source: Eastern Daily Press)

The worry for Norwich may be less about what kind of impact he can make after a successful spell for Celtic during which he won six trophies and was compared (albeit rather ambitiously) to Lionel Messi by pundits such as John Collins. Indeed, perhaps it will be how fit the young winger is, and can he last the entire season without any injury problems like he has suffered for the last two years? Roberts has suffered three separate injuries in the last two seasons, that has seen him miss 36 games in all competitions.

There should be little doubt over the talents of the youngster, who shone while on loan at Celtic in the 2016/2017 season and his last relatively injury-free season as he made 47 appearances. He scored 11 goals and contributed 19 assists, showcasing that he does indeed have the talent. Indeed, during the Bhoys’ Champions League campaign the year after, he averaged 1.3 shots per game (via WhoScored) which was higher than all but four of the Canaries’ squad last season. Granted, it’s a smaller size of data, though to have that kind of attacking impact in Europe’s elite competition does suggest he can make a difference going forward.

Roberts has proven his talent, however, injuries have stalled him of late. He must be able to prove his fitness to Norwich City, who may need all the help they can get with a crucial Premier League season ahead as they return to the top table of English football.

How will Roberts get on under Farke? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

At the start of last week Slaven Bilic appeared frustrated when demanding that West Brom needed to get going in the transfer market.

Therefore, it’s likely he will have been delighted that by Saturday, he had two new permanent arrivals at the Hawthorns.

Towards the end of the week he added Kenneth Zohore to his ranks after agreeing an £8m deal for the former Cardiff man.

He may have only scored one Premier League goal last term but his 21 Championship strikes in the two years prior tells you what he can do at a lower level.

Yet, on Saturday, they confirmed the arrival of Semi Ajayi. A man who standing at 6 foot 4, is a colossus.

He is a giant amongst men and that was summed up in the rather brilliant season he had for Rotherham.

The Millers struggled as a team, being relegated from the second tier, but Ajayi was still pivotal and his displays were enough for one of the top teams in the division to invest in his services.

Having moved from central defence to defensive midfield over the term, he played like a man possessed as he netted seven times whilst also making two tackles per match.

However, it was ability in the air that stood out over anything.

Across 46 Championship outings, he won 4.3 aerial duels per game, a success rate that puts him above any Albion player still currently in the squad.

His prowess in those types of situations was matched by the departed Craig Dawson whilst only Ahmed Hegazi, 4.1 aerial duels per game, and Kyle Bartley, four aerial duels per match, came close.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

Playing in two positions, he was phenomenal, winning 14 headers in one game on one occasion against QPR and winning a further 13 against Bolton. That first number came when playing as a holding midfielder too.

In terms of West Brom’s midfield, they were incredibly lightweight in this department last season as Gareth Barry won the most aerial duels. That stood at a measly 1.4 per match.

Therefore, the Nigerian’s arrival in the Midlands should be seen as a huge positive.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to Planet Football, former Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has insisted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can be “great” for the club if given “a proper chance”.

What did he say?

The Norwegian was handed the reins on a full-time basis earlier this year after a hugely successful start to his managerial career at Old Trafford. However, a disappointing end to the campaign saw the Red Devils finish sixth in the Premier League and facing Europa League football for the upcoming season.

However, Van Persie has slammed the “negativity” surrounding the club and urged people to give Solskjaer a bit of time and patience.

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He said: “I don’t like the negativity around United because it was only a few months ago that everyone was saying give Solskjaer a long contract after that win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Now, everyone is questioning him and asking whether he can do the job, but I say give him some time to get it right. He is a guy who understands what is expected at United and I believe he can be great for them if he is given a proper chance.

“I like the way he talks about the club, the image he presents, the positivity of what he said and the attacking football he wants to play. We had people saying this was not there when (Louis) van Gaal and (Jose) Mourinho were United manager, so now they have a guy who wants to play positive football and they need to back him. We have to wait to see what Solskjaer can bring rather than judge him too quickly.”

No patience in modern football

The world of modern football means instant success is the main priority. No longer can managers and teams simply embark on a long-term project and sacrifice short-term happiness. Clubs and fans demand success immediately. And that is perhaps why the knives are out for Solskjaer.

Many were singing the Norwegian’s praises when everything was running smoothly at Old Trafford, and then when the tables turned, it quickly became a case of Solskjaer not being the man for the job. The fickle nature of it all means that whilst Van Persie’s calls for patience are certainly welcoming, a bad run of games at the start of the upcoming season will simply crank up that pressure to unbearable heights – even for a United legend.

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Lots of Newcastle fans are fuming at Steve Bruce for what they deem to be a bad excuse for Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal.

If truth be told, Sunday afternoon could have gone a lot worse for the Magpies. It wasn’t too long ago that they had no new signings and no manager, but for the large part they went toe-to-toe with a side expected to be in the running for the top four.

Bruce’s side made a couple of half-chances in the 1-0 defeat, most notably Joelinton’s flicked header in the first half, which skipped just past the far post.

But the Northumberland-born boss’ first substitution as manager of the club backfired, as he brought left-back Jetro Willems on for central midfielder Jonjo Shelvey with the game still goalless.

His side sacrificed all control over the match after that, and there seemed to be some confusion as to where Willems was actually supposed to be playing, before he eventually gave the ball away leading to the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal.

Bruce has explained why the defender was his only option to bring on in the situation, as reported by Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, citing injury troubles in his defensive ranks.

Needless to say, fans aren’t exactly buying it, as you can see from the Twitter reactions down below…

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It didn’t really take long for Eddie Nketiah to make an impact at his new club.

The young 20-year-old forward was sent on loan to Leeds United in this summer’s transfer window and it seems that he is settling in quite nicely at his new and temporary home.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Nketiah played for Leeds United’s U23 squad and scored a brilliant goal coming off the bench on Monday, helping his team to a 3-2 win over Millwall in the Premier League 2.

And now, he has quickly taken to

/B1cTiIZgXoZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to celebrate this great moment with a nice new snap and a message on the side.

Soon enough, stars swarmed his social media account, posting all sorts of messages of support and praising the young forward for his remarkable piece of skill.

Alexandre Lacazette was among the first ones to the scene with his short reply.

There many others, however, like Alex Iwobi, who also simply couldn’t get enough of Nketiah’s goal.

If these early signs are anything to go by, the youngster just might have a pretty successful loan spell at Leeds United.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on ESPN FC, Craig Burley has admitted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be out of the Manchester United job after Christmas if results continue to take a downturn.

What did he say?

After an emphatic 4-0 win over rivals Chelsea in the opening Premier League game of the season, the Red Devils drew away to Wolves, before slipping to a shock defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

Now, Burley has revealed that whilst Solskjaer will get some time due to his status as a club legend, he could see the Norwegian losing his job before the end of the year.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “People are saying is there any leadership? I think all the way through Man United you could talk about that, not just on the pitch. So would it be an overreaction to say he will be gone by Christmas?

“I’m going to say it would be, only because, and they could have some bad results, but you know the ones upstairs that dither, that can’t make decisions, Ed Woodward and his cronies, you kind of feel they’ll sit on their hands for a while.

“So I think he’s got a bit of time, so I think that might be a bit of an overreaction unless they go like six straight defeats and it just caves in. I think he’ll survive maybe just until after Christmas.”

Trigger happy

Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, United certainly haven’t been shy in pulling the trigger on sacking managers. The likes of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have all come and gone, and Solskjaer himself faces a difficult task in keeping his job.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The Norwegian’s electric start to life at Old Trafford was brought to a shuddering halt come the end of last season, and it appears the 4-0 win victory over Chelsea was a bit of a false dawn. Whilst Solskjaer has some goodwill with the United hierarchy for his record as a player, if he can’t preside over a turn in fortune sooner rather than later, he could well be gone even sooner than Burley suggests.

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So Manchester City’s incredible luck of the draw (pun intended) continues. Pep Guardiola’s side learned the fate of their Champions League group stage campaign on Thursday night, and it could not have gone much better for the Citizens.

City were handed a reunion with Shakhtar from pot two, meaning that they avoided the likes of European heavyweights Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta rounded off the group, and it ultimately bodes well for a smooth transition into the knockout phases for the Manchester side.

After seeing the group stage draw, City fans flooded to Twitter to share their disbelief and joy at how things panned out for them.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many supporters couldn’t hide their excitement at seeing the club handed another favourable outcome and insisted it is a “brilliant draw”.

Some even suggested rival fans would be getting “salty” at seeing City’s luck and appeared to revel in their good fortune.

Check out some of the delighted reaction of City fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Rangers’ swoop for Ryan Kent is taking all sorts of criticism, but the former Liverpool man could well be worth every penny of what the Gers shelled out for him.

What’s the word?

After Kent sealed a £7m switch to Ibrox, popular Liverpool fan site Empire of the Kop released an article claiming the Reds have collected a “whopping total transfer fee for offloading nothing but deadwood”.

Following journalist James Pearce’s tweet detailing the fees received by the Anfield outfit this summer, a quick look through the replies tells you their fans agree that they did ‘brilliant’ business, while one even says sporting director Michael Edwards “deserves a statue”.

That sentiment is being echoed by the media in Scotland too, where former Hearts and Hibs man Michael Stewart has asked where the money has come from for the Kent move, which has led to fans slamming the ex-midfielder for his apparent doubts.

However, you only need to look at Steven Gerrard’s former club to see that players are worth exactly what the buying club value them at.

Addressing a need

When Liverpool smashed their transfer record twice in the space of six months, splashing out roughly a combined £132m on Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, they were laughed at by fans and media alike.

Fast forward 18 months since the Dutchman arrived on Merseyside, and the pair have just been named UEFA’s best goalkeeper and defender for the 2018/19 season.

Now, this is certainly not to say that Kent is going to guide Rangers to the top of the European pile, but rather to point out a very simple concept – both clubs wanted a specific mould of player, they identified the man or men to fit their needs and they went out and bought them. It’s really that simple.

Liverpool needed a dominant centre-back and reliable goalkeeper and they now have them. Rangers needed a direct threat from the left to prevent cumbersome performances like the one on Sunday, in which five central midfield players left them short of any pace or width, and they now have it.

And while he may not be one of the best in Europe like van Dijk or Alisson, let’s not forget Kent directly contributed to 15 goals for the Gers while on loan last term, including assisting the winner in an Old Firm, and also picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Rangers fans should not concern themselves with the cost of the move, nor should they be bothered by the external noise surrounding the fee. All that matters is the club got their man, and it’s now up to him to go and prove he is worth every penny.

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