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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

If Laurens De Bock had a difficult spell at Leeds, he’s now struggling again at Sunderland.

Perhaps he isn’t suited to English football or perhaps he just isn’t particularly good at the game. Either way, any chance of securing a second opportunity at Elland Road is very quickly flying past the Belgian.

Signed from Club Brugge after playing continental football, the left-back has rarely shown any signs of being the type of player to perform on that stage.

De Bock featured just seven times for Leeds before being sent on loan last term. He’s now at Sunderland for a temporary stay but isn’t exactly pulling up many trees.

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He made his debut against Sheffield United in the Carabao Cup last month but has failed to build on that.

The 26-year-old has since gone onto play two times in League One, quite the fall from grace from his time at Brugge.

It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if he continued to struggle for minutes though, particularly after his latest performance.

De Bock’s display in a defeat against Lincoln last Saturday was pretty woeful, picking up a 4/10 rating from Chronicle Live.

They claimed he had a torrid time defensively and it’s not hard to see why.

The left-sided man gave away a penalty for a foul on Bruno Andrade and made two fouls before he was substituted just after the hour mark.

He failed to complete a single tackle and was dribbled past on one occasion, via WhoScored. With showings like this, it’s really no surprise that he struggled to make the grade at Elland Road.

Defensively he is extremely suspect and if he’s finding life troublesome in League One, he’ll never have the capabilities to perform to a consistent level in the Championship.

Receiving a loan spell in England was arguably the last chance saloon for De Bock but to date, he’s failed to take it with open arms.

Giving away a penalty and being withdrawn early just about sums up his time on British shores. Unfortunately for the Belgian, things don’t look like improving.

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…

Everton midfielder Fabian Delph withdrew from the England squad earlier this week having picked up an injury in the club’s defeat over Burnley, and it is the last thing manager Marco Silva needs.

The 29-year-old played the entire fixture at the weekend but has returned to Merseyside because of the hamstring injury which bothered him at Turf Moor. Delph earned his way back into the Three Lions squad having been one of the standout players for Everton during a torrid time for the club.

Since moving from Manchester City in the summer, the former Aston Villa man has slotted into the midfield in the absence of Andre Gomes and averaged 2.8 tackles per game and 59.8 passes per match at a success rate of 86.6% (as per WhoScored). He has remained relatively consistent and provided a bit more stability for the Toffees in defence so far, and was deserving of regaining his England spot.

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The extent of his injury, however, is yet unknown, but as he managed to play the full 90 minutes over the weekend, it should not be too much of a worry for the long term. However, for even just one match, Marco Silva cannot lose the midfielder, considering injuries already in the position and the poor form of Morgan Schneiderlin.

Before the trip to Burnley, the Frenchman scored a 4/10 rating from The Liverpool Echo in the defeat to Sheffield United, a 5/10 for his efforts against Manchester City and, at Turf Moor, Schneiderlin earned himself another shocking 4/10.

Furthermore, Gomes is only just returning to action after missing four games since injuring his rib against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The former Barcelona man came on in the 84th minute over the weekend, whilst Jean-Philippe Gbamin has still not played since injuring himself in the second game of the season, with no return date set.

If Delph is to have a spell on the sidelines, it will give Silva even less options in midfield, and most likely force in Tom Davies who has seen just 20 minutes of Premier League action so far.

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…

Nottingham Forest are enjoying life under Sabri Lamouchi – it’s just one defeat all season and eight straight matches without a loss.

On Friday night, they defeated a lowly Stoke City side to temporarily take the Championship lead before the rest of the league played on Saturday afternoon.

Joe Lolley punished a goalkeeper mistake to equalise up in Staffordshire before Sammy Ameobi and Lewis Grabban both got on the scoresheet, with the forward netting his fifth of the season.

The Potters did pull one back through James McClean late on, but it wasn’t enough to salvage anything from the game.

There was one major setback in spite of the three points however as captain Michael Dawson was forced off early through injury with his replacement Chema Rodriguez failing to look like an adequate replacement.

Football FanCast took a look at his impact here – therefore it is probably wise for Lamouchi to look elsewhere in the 35-year-old’s absence after Chema’s disappointing hour on the pitch.

Dawson is expected to miss at least the next two matches as the Reds boss revealed following their victory.

Forest have a deep squad of players with many of them seemingly out of favour such as Alexander Milosevic, Michael Hefele and Yohan Benalouane, who are all centre-backs by trade yet they have combined for a grand total of zero appearances this season.

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That would suggest that the only other suitable option is Tobias Figueiredo.

The 25-year-old played all three Carabao Cup matches, keeping a clean sheet in two of them against Fleetwood and then Derby.

He started last season as first-choice at the back, but by December he was massively out of Martin O’Neill’s plans despite five clean sheets in 11 starts.

Formerly of Sporting Lisbon, Figueiredo has played in both the Champions League and the Europa League, so the pedigree was once there and at just 25, he’s far from reaching his peak as a central defender.

He demonstrated he has the qualities required last season and could well be a better option in the short term with Dawson expected to be out for at least the next couple of matches.

Emerson Royal, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura all struggled for Tottenham against West Ham United on Sunday as the Irons prevailed 1-0.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were facing a London rival and early on they showed signs of promise. However, in the second half they failed to even register a single shot and ultimately succumbed to a Michail Antonio strike.

Here, we take a look at Spurs’ three worst players statistically on the day, according to SofaScore rankings.

Emerson Royal

The right-back featured for the full game at the London Stadium but he lost seven of his 15 duels and lost possession of the ball 13 times throughout his time on the pitch. He was also dribbled past four times by opponents on Sunday, a damning indictment of his defensive performance.

Son Heung-min

The South Korea international is usually one of Spurs’ best players but he did not enjoy himself at the London Stadium. He failed to win any of his six duels, lost possession of the ball 13 times and failed to land a single one of his six crosses. When the former Bayer Leverkusen man does not perform, Spurs are a weaker team, and that was the case against the Irons.

Lucas Moura

Moura was also disappointing against David Moyes’ side. He won eight of his 16 duels but lost possession more often (25 times) than any of his teammates, while he completed an underwhelming 71% of his attempted passes. He must do better if he is to convince Nuno that he is worthy of a place in the starting XI.

In other news, this man wants to leave Tottenham

Leeds United youngster Jamie Shackleton could play in the Whites’ crucial Premier League clash with Norwich City this weekend, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Shackleton catches the eye

This season has been a breakthrough one for Shackleton, who has made up for the absence of Luke Ayling at right-back and taken his chance.

The 22-year-old has featured in seven of Leeds’ nine league games, starting four of them, with one fan describing him as a ‘little diamond’ earlier in the year.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are preparing to head to Norwich on Sunday afternoon and it could be that Shackleton is again called into action, having missed the Carabao Cup defeat at Arsenal in midweek.

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The Latest: Youngster set for more minutes

Writing on Twitter on Friday, Hay confirmed that the youngster ‘has a chance’ of being in contention to play at Elland Road, as Ayling continues to be out injured:

“Shackleton has a chance of being involved but no Luke Ayling. Still not ready to return. Bielsa says there’s no precise return date set for Bamford, Ayling or Koch yet.”

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The Verdict: Trusted player now

There may have been a time when playing Shackleton felt like a gamble, given his lack of experience, but he has been a consistent performer of late, racking up the third-highest average match rating in the squad this season (Whoscored).

It looks likely that he will continue at right-back against Norwich – he has the ability to thrive in midfield, too – and the hope is that he can inspire his team to a much-needed victory.

A pass completion rate of 89.6 percent in the league this season is highly impressive, outlining why Bielsa trusts Shackleton as a first-team regular now.

In other news, two important Leeds players are set to return for Leeds at Norwich. Find out who they are here.

Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo is closing in on a return from injury.

As to be expected, a number of Red Devils supporters were quick to react to the update on social media.

The 19-year-old officially made the move to Old Trafford at the beginning of the year for a fee worth close to £20m. He netted once in eight senior appearances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season and was set to join Feyenoord on loan in the summer.

However, a temporary move away collapsed after the winger picked up an injury. Romano has now claimed that Diallo is set to return from a muscular issue this month, with a January loan move a possibility with many clubs interested in him.

United fans react

Romano posted the latest news regarding the teenager on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Here is what these United fans had to say in reply, with plenty not holding back in their thoughts on the update, and indeed on Diallo’s short-term future.

“Premier League loan, I’m on my knees”

Credit: @SAMlR2SHIESTY

“YEEEEESSSS, I really believe in this kid, I hope he gets used when he comes back!”

Credit: @KrishnanUTD

“Here we go”

Credit: @RichieMnene

“We’ve wasted him at this club”

Credit: @Tari______

“OR– we could play him. A revolutionary idea, I know.”

Credit: @patrickmcdona10

“Banter FC”

Credit: @dhegec

In other news: ‘Take him ASAP’ – These Man Utd fans buzz as exit rumour emerges

Noel Whelan has dubbed Leeds United defender Diego Llorente ‘fantastic’ after his return from injury against Watford. 

The lowdown

Llorente returned to the starting line-up against the Hornets after missing three matches through a hamstring problem which he sustained against Liverpool (via BBC Sport).

And the Spaniard’s first-half goal proved to be enough to secure Leeds’ first victory of the season and lift them out of the bottom three.

Llorente was also SofaScore’s man of the match with a rating of 7.6/10, having completed 60 of his 67 passes and won two of his three ground duels.

The 28-year-old earned a place in Garth Crooks’ BBC Sport Team of the Week, featuring alongside Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah in defence.

The latest

Whelan was effusive in his praise for Llorente, pointing out just how many attributes he possesses.

And he also feels that the Spaniard elevates the rest of the backline.

“He was brilliant,” the former Leeds man told Football Insider. “In my opinion, he’s a fantastic centre half.

“He’s very dominant in the air, great on the ball, drives into space when it’s available. His ball distribution is fantastic.”

He later added: “He makes other players better. Everyone steps up to the mark when he’s in the side, and we’re a little bit more settled.”

The verdict

Llorente is an impressive player, but it is just a matter of keeping him fit. Suffering an injury so early into this season after last year’s troubles doesn’t bode particularly well.

You feel that Leeds’ chances of repeating last season’s top-half finish will improve no-end if the Spaniard can avoid any further setbacks.

He’s probably the best centre-half they have at their disposal based on Whelan praise, so a push into the top half and towards the European places could perhaps depend on his availability.

In other news, this Leeds loanee is having a torrid time.

The two legendary attackers made a massive statement in what will be remembered as a legendary win over their arch-rivals.

It was the moment we've all been waiting for. From the minute that Luis Suarez arrived to play alongside Lionel Messi again, you were just waiting for them to inevitably turn back the clocks. They connected so many times during their years at Barcelona; how long would it take for them to put in a signature performance in Inter Miami pink?

The answer, as it turned out, was three MLS matches. The two were held largely quiet all preseason and had shown flashes in their first two games of this season, but, Saturday was a lot more of a flash; it was an explosion.

Suarez scored two and assisted two more in Inter Miami's 5-0 win over Orlando City, while Messi joined him on the scoresheet with a brace of his own. It was a dominant day for the ex-Barcelona duo, who sent a big message to the rest of MLS; they've arrived.

They weren't the only standouts, even if they were the two main ones. Jordi Alba set up a goal, too. Robert Taylor was back on the scoresheet, showing some of that late-2023 form.

New signing Nicolas Freire looked plenty comfortable in defense in his first Inter Miami start.

This one was all about Messi and Suarez, though. In this kind of form, they may just be unstoppable. The rest of MLS has just been reminded of that fact as Inter Miami looks like a team that is finally ready to play.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defense

  Drake Callender (6/10):

  Didn't have too much to do. Could have been a bit cleaner when in the ball, but that's some nitpicking.

  Jordi Alba (7/10):

  Broke through in a big way to set up the fourth. Unlucky not to get the goal due to Robin Janssen's ridiculous clearance off the crossbar.

  Tomas Aviles (7/10):

  Rock solid. Looked very good next to his new centerback partner.

  Nicolas Freire (6/10):

  Feels like he makes an immediate difference. Provides a bit more pace than Serhiy Kryvstov and looked totally comfortable in this first start.

  DeAndre Yedlin (7/10):

  Didn't get forward much, but didn't have to. Helped hold down the right-hand side with ease.

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  Midfield

  Diego Gomez (6/10):

  The least effective of the midfield three, which is fine given how solid he was in the first two games.

  Sergio Busquets (6/10):

  Miami's midfield completely bypassed Orlando's all day, even without Busquets at his best. A scary, scary sight.

  Julian Gressel (9/10):

  This is what Inter Miami thought they were signing. Gressel was actively bad the first two games, but this performance showed what he can bring to a midfield. His two assists headline his performance, but this was a complete effort from a player who really can change a game.

• USA Today Sports
  

  Attack

  Robert Taylor (7/10):

  Got his goal in the 29th minute, but was totally overshadowed by his two superstar strikemates. A very good game overall, though.

  Luis Suarez (10/10):

  We don't throw 10s around lightly, but when you do what Suarez did, you earn one. Absolutely dominated the game, scoring two and assisting two more. Could have had a few more goals, too, putting down any concerns about his fitness.

  Lionel Messi (9/10):

  While the first half was the Suarez show, Messi claimed the second half as his own. His first was a bit fortunate while his second was an uncharacteristically good header, capping a big day for the Argentine star.

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  Subs & Manager

  Leonardo Campana (6/10):

  Came on to replace Suarez, who can use all the rest he can get. Sting was way out of the game by then, though.

  David Ruiz (6/10):

  Provided the fresh legs needed in midfield. Passed the ball well and popped up with decent moments both in attack and defense.

  Serhiy Kryvtsov (6/10):

  Defense didn't miss a beat once he came on in the 78th minute.

  Noah Allen (5/10):

  Similar to Kryvtsov, although he loses a point for a needless yellow card.

  Jena Mota (N/A):

  Only had a few touches of the ball.

  Tata Martino (8/10):

  Got everything right and gave Suarez some rest ahead of Thursday. Only question mark is if he should have taken Messi and Busquets out earlier, too.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, Patrick Boyland has now revealed that the Goodison Park faithful are very close on getting two funding streams for the new ground.

While this is good news in terms of the stadium’s development, a lot of the Merseyside club’s supporters were left raging at the timing of it, as one supporter said: “Oh what a surprise a bad defeat and a stadium announcement.”

After two losses at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend in the Premier League and Queens Park Rangers in the Carabao Cup in midweek, it’s fair to say fans are in no mood for this.

Nonetheless, Rafa Benitez needs to get some good results soon in order to brighten the mood among the Toffees, especially in the build-up to moving grounds.

Everton fans on stadium news

These Blues fumed as the news on the stadium was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the timing of it was ’embarrassing’:

“The predictability. It’s embarrassing.”

Credit: @robbietaylor_86

“Oh what a surprise a bad defeat an a stadium announcement, could not write it”

Credit: @BarryWilliams93

“Two days too late Paddy, surely they should have timed this just after QPR put in the winning penalty?”

Credit: @melbourne1973

“Wow positive stadium news after a poor team performance – seems to be a pattern here”

Credit: @TonyJo1878

“Announcement on stadium after a few awful results. Doesn’t surprise me one bit. Need to focus on our atrocious squad than anything else right now”

Credit: @siewakes20

“Like clockwork”

Credit: @_DL96

In other news, find out what setback an injury expert has said Everton may now face here!

Many Everton fans have been left blasting the display of Salomon Rondon in their 3-0 away loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The Venezuela international had big boots to fill as both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison were ruled out of the game, but did not really live up to expectations.

He lost out on no fewer than 15 of his duels in total in the match, far more than any other player on the pitch, and also failed to record a single shot on target, dribble or key pass, while losing possession of the ball 11 times and achieving a mere 38% pass accuracy, again the lowest out of any player (Sofascore).

Of course, it is still early in his career at Goodison Park, but Rondon must do better if he wants to start more games under Rafa Benitez.

Everton fans on Rondon display

These supporters of the Merseyside club blasted his performance on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that he looked like a ‘Sunday league’ player:

“Horrific result, but given the injuries we have there was little we could do to fight back. Rondon’s fitness needs addressing fast though, he was miles off it. Tough pill to swallow but we go again against QPR”

Credit: @CuffWrites

“And he’s 32 and spent the last year playing at amateur level! Poor desperate signing”

Credit: @ste50efc

“Rondon looks very rusty”

Credit: @rulitos14

“Rondon looks like a Sunday league player who sunk 10 pints last night and ate a kebab at 4am.”

Credit: @Paul_M__H

“I knew Rondon would be a waste of wages”

Credit: @evertonron

“Seen milk turn quicker than Rondon mate”

Credit: @LiamGillham93

In other news, find out what club news has Blues buzzing here!