Express & Star reporter Liam Keen has shared the news that Jonny is ‘a doubt’ for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ game against Arsenal tonight with a ‘hamstring strain’.
The Lowdown: Substituted against Leeds
The 28-year-old came off in the 1-0 win at home to Leeds United in the Carabao Cup in midweek after picking up an injury, casting doubt over his availability for tonight.
However, at least Nelson Semedo will be available, having served his suspension on Wednesday night after picking up a red card in the 3-2 defeat at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League last weekend, so Steve Davis has one returning option who can play in the full-back positions.
The Latest: Jonny ‘a doubt’ to face Arsenal
Taking to Twitter, Keen has shared an injury update from Davis on Jonny from Wolves’ pre-match press conference, stating that the Spaniard is ‘a doubt’ with a ‘hamstring strain’.
The journalist tweeted this line from the Old Gold’s interim boss: “Everyone is OK. Jonny is a doubt with a hamstring strain.”
The Verdict: Not ideal
If Jonny is out, it looks like Semedo is going to play at right-back against the Gunners tonight.
That is certainly not ideal as they are likely to come up against left-winger Gabriel Martinelli, who, like the rest of Mikel Arteta’s team, has made a great start to the season with five goals and two assists in the top flight so far (Transfermarkt).
Nor does it help that, aside from his red card against Brighton, Semedo has had his form questioned at Molineux this season, having also been branded a defensive “liability” in the past by Tim Spiers.
Nonetheless, it will be a tough ask to get anything against high-flying Arsenal, a task which will likely be made even harder if Jonny is unavailable.
Injuries have forced England and South Africa to tweak their line-ups for Oval Test
Andrew Miller07-Sep-2022
England’s players put in their practice ahead of the third Test•Getty Images
Big PictureThe Hundred is done and dusted… now back to more traditionally minded short-form thrills. England and South Africa have been in hyper-drive during a compelling but erratic Test campaign – a crushing innings victory apiece to date, with neither match surviving beyond the third day. And as we head to the decider at the Kia Oval, all bets are off as to which version of either team will turn up. Not to mention for how long.And yet, arguably, the version of England that so captured the imagination in early summer has not really turned up at all in this series. Ben Stokes’ Baz-Brawlers were battered off the park by South Africa’s shock-and-awe seamers in the Lord’s Test, losing in little more than six sessions after being inserted for the first and only time in six Tests this summer. Then, when Dean Elgar erroneously chose to switch tactics at Old Trafford, it was a noticeably more chilled approach in England’s only innings, as Bens Stokes and Foakes took their time (relatively speaking) to drive home the advantage that their own bowlers had already won for them.Still, as Brendon McCullum and Co. would doubtless argue, their aggression in those early-season wins against New Zealand and India has been misrepresented. What really marks this new-look Test team out from its cagey predecessors is not the speed with which they’ve gone about their work, but the positivity – be that with the bat or in the field, with consistently attacking fields even in moments of adversity, and in attack and defence alike, hence the praise for Zak Crawley’s doughtily compiled 38 from 101 balls last week. It wasn’t an innings that will silence the wider doubts about his place, but as far as the team hierarchy are concerned, the proof is in the result that it helped to set in motion.The challenge to England’s batters is bound to be redoubled this week, however. For there’s surely no way that Elgar will make the same mistake twice, and undermine the potency of his four-pronged seam attack to shoehorn in an extra spinner. Simon Harmer’s off-the-boil display in the second Test was exacerbated by the fact that he did the bulk of his work on day two rather than days four and five, as a springy surface persistently pined for the absent left-armer Marco Jansen, whose cloud-snagging offerings would surely have been the better bet to back up the trio of early wickets from his fellow seamers.It is shaping up, therefore, as another important toss – with rain in the offing and cloud cover likely, both teams may be equally keen to bowl first on Thursday morning. Even allowing for Elgar’s stoic agenda-setting up top, South Africa’s batting is uncomfortably brittle, all the more so now that Rassie van der Dussen has been ruled out with a broken finger. Ryan Rickelton has been confirmed as his replacement, after a season of healthy returns for Northamptonshire, while Khaya Zondo may yet join him in the middle-order, where Aiden Markram has gone 15 innings and counting without so much as a fifty, and where Keegan Petersen, for all his fighting qualities at Old Trafford, is still awaiting his first Test hundred.Related
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England, meanwhile, wouldn’t like their own preference for batting second to be framed as a defensive measure, but their surety of purpose when reacting to a score already on the board is palpable. And they may be all the more minded to look before they leap, given that they too will be shorn of a key presence due to injury – Jonny Bairstow’s bizarre golfing mishap has robbed the Test team of their most vibrant player of the summer, and caused the black sheep Alex Hales to be herded back to the T20 flock too.Into the mix, therefore, comes the debutant Harry Brook – the coming man, by all accounts, a player whose early-season form for Yorkshire earned him a call-up for McCullum’s very first Test squad back in May. He’s played just two first-class games since then, but he also featured in South Africa’s warm-up match down in Canterbury last month, where his pitch-perfect 140 from 170 balls propelled England Lions to a crushing innings win (they have been quite the feature of this tour). At the age of 23, he could hardly be more ready for his chance, but with the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje lined up to greet him, he could hardly have asked for a more potent welcoming committee either.Form guideEngland WLWWW (most recent first) South Africa LWWWWIn the spotlightFittingly it was Ollie Robinson who applied the coup de grace in the second Test, bowling Lungi Ngidi for his third wicket in the space of 13 new-ball deliveries, as England rushed to victory on the third afternoon. His second-innings figures of 4 for 43 were the best by any bowler in the match, and vindication for the decision to push him up past Stuart Broad to take over as Anderson’s new-ball partner. After an extraordinarily torrid six months, in which back spasms, indigestion, toothache and Covid had all conspired to keep him out of the Test set-up, the early evidence is that Robinson has returned leaner and meaner than ever before, with his pace consistently pushing past a sharp 85mph, and his fabled accuracy undiminished. This week is a big chance to back up that encouraging new beginning.Ryan Rickelton has a highest score of 42 in two previous Tests against Bangladesh, but he comes into the series decider as well prepared as he could hope to be, after a successful early season with Northamptonshire – a team he secured by chance when his old schoolfriend Ricardo Vasconcelos tapped him up for a short-term gig. He repaid the faith with two hundreds and four fifties in eight first-class innings, and now hopes that the conditions at The Oval prove as amenable as those at Wantage Road and Cheltenham.Team newsIn his now-familiar fashion, Stokes announced England’s team 24 hours out from the start of the match, and confirmed Brooks’ debut in place of the injured Bairstow. That is the only change to the XI that won so handsomely at Old Trafford, meaning that Matthew Potts misses out for the second match in a row, now that Robinson has reaffirmed his frontline credentials. Asked if he had been tempted to mix things up further, Stokes was emphatic in his response. “No. The way in which we’ve operated this summer has been with three seamers, me as a fourth and a spinner. The performance we put in last week, it would be pretty hard to change the team from there.”England: 1 Alex Lees, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Jack Leach, 11 James AndersonRickelton steps in for his third Test cap as South Africa cover off the loss of the injured van der Dussen. Speaking ahead of the game, Elgar hinted at further tinkerings but wouldn’t be drawn on exactly what. He did, however, reference the likelihood of damp conditions, which rather implies a return for Jansen. Zondo is waiting in the wings if Markram’s struggles prove to be terminal.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Sarel Erwee, 3 Keegan Petersen, 4 Aiden Markram / Khaya Zondo, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditionsAfter the hottest summer in UK history, autumn is upon us with a vengeance this week. Damp conditions are forecast throughout the Test, with an inevitability of delays, not least on Thursday when London is set for a series of showers. Paradoxically, this may only help to speed up the game as a whole, given the potency of both seam attacks in such conditions.Stats and trivia South Africa have lost four of their five Tests at The Oval since readmission, including their first post-apartheid visit in 1994 when Devon Malcolm famously took 9 for 57. However, their one victory at the venue was scarcely less memorable – an innings-and-12-run trouncing in 2012, when Hashim Amla made 311 not out. A South Africa victory would secure their third series win out of their last four tours of England, following 2008 (2-1) and 2012 (2-0). England won 3-1 on the team’s last visit in 2017. Dean Elgar needs 66 runs to reach the 5,000 milestone in Tests.Quotes”The whole summer has just been great. We’ve changed the way in which England Test cricket in particular has been viewed, and one thing I’m very proud of is the way we’ve captured the imagination. It would be nice to finish the summer off and win the series as well.” “There’s definitely going to be a winner. The styles of cricket we’ve been playing, there is definitely going to be a result. I am pretty confident there’s going to be a victor. Going into this Test one-all, it’s pretty much like a World Cup final for us.”
Wolves could be eyeing up Corinthians manager Vitor Pereira as their new incoming boss at Molineux, according to a new rumour that has emerged.
The Lowdown: Manager search ongoing
Bruno Lage was sacked by Wanderers earlier this month, following a below-par start to the Premier League season, in a big change at the club.
Wolves have been patient when it comes to nailing the Portuguese’s replacement, however, with his successor not yet confirmed over three weeks later.
Now, a fresh report is doing the rounds, however, as the club look to find the ideal replacement for Lage.
The Latest: Pereira rumour emerges
According to Sport Witness, Band host Neto has confirmed that Pereira may end up at Wolves, saying the Old Gold could snap him up.
The 54-year-old reportedly won’t be staying at Corinthians for another season and his current deal runs out at the end of this year.
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The Verdict: Left-field target
This is a rumour that seems to have come from nowhere, with Pereira not someone who has necessarily been identified as a primary managerial target.
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The Portuguese could be an intriguing option, however, having won the Primeira Liga with Porto twice – not to mention a Greek Super League title with Olympiakos and a Chinese Super League title with Shanghai SIPG.
Pereira would bring with him a proven winning mentality in Europe and he has been renowned for his attacking style – something that would be a refreshing change from Lage, and Nuno Espirito Santo before him.
Crystal Palace have been praised for their transfer business since Patrick Vieira’s arrival at Selhurst Park, with the Frenchman taking over the team that was the oldest in the Premier League before injecting some exciting youngsters into the squad.
Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise are all young players who were brought in last summer to improve the team at Selhurst Park, becoming important and key players in Vieira’s philosophy.
However, Palace didn’t always get it right before the French manager was appointed and back in 2014 the club had probably their biggest transfer howler of all time when they missed their opportunity to sign Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk for just £5m.
At the time, the Dutch defender was making a name for himself in Scotland with Celtic but dreamed of playing in the Premier League, eventually catching the attention of both Palace and Southampton who then battled it out for his signature, but the Eagles pulled out at the very last minute.
It is claimed that a scouting report was the reason Palace made the terrible decision not to sign now one of the best centre-backs in the world, with Neil Warnock revealing exactly why the club snubbed the opportunity (via The Mirror):
“The one that got away was Van Dijk. I got offered him when I was at Crystal Palace for just £5m back in 2014.”
“But my chief scout said he was too slow and he ended up at Southampton instead! It’s a shame because anything he may lack in pace, he makes up for 10-fold in his ability to read the game.”
Since then, Van Dijk has won a Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL League Cup and UEFA Super Cup, signing for Liverpool back in 2017, and set a Premier League record in March 2022 when he didn’t lose a single league game at Anfield for 60 consecutive fixtures with 52 victories and eight draws.
The £220k-per-week ace who was hailed “outrageous” by Jonathan Woodgate, is now worth £45m, an eye-watering nine times more than Crystal Palace could’ve signed him for eight years ago. And to rub further salt in the wound, Southampton had the pleasure of cashing in on Van Dijk for a whopping £75m, something that Steve Parish will surely lose sleep over.
With that being said, when you look at not only the player Van Dijk has become but also the financials involved and the asset the talented player became it may even be one of the worst Premier League transfer decisions of all time.
Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson has unearthed some gems in the transfer market in recent years to help the club to win trophies.
The Light Blues have won the Scottish Cup and the Premiership during his time at the helm, and the likes of Calvin Bassey and Ianis Hagi – who were signed by the ex-Southampton chief – played a role in those successes.
He arrived in Glasgow after Steven Gerrard’s first three transfer windows at the helm, and the former Liverpool captain was able to strike some gold of his own in the market prior to Wilson joining the Ibrox club.
One of the former England international’s first signings in charge of the Gers was winger Ryan Kent on loan from Anfield in the summer of 2018, and the attacker enjoyed a solid debut campaign at Rangers with six goals and six assists in 27 Premiership matches.
After that loan spell, Gerrard was keen to snap him up on a permanent basis and convinced the club to sign him on a four-year contract for a fee reported to be in the region of £7m.
That decision has turned out to be a phenomenal one for Rangers, as the winger has flourished at Ibrox and become a key player over the course of several years.
Kent’s former Gers team-mate Leon Balogun described him as a “wing wizard” and the 25-year-old’s statistics back that up, as he has produced 30 goals and 50 assists in 184 appearances in all competitions for the Glasgow giants.
At the time of his permanent move to Scotland, Transfermarkt valued him at just £1.58m. At the time of writing (28/09/22), that valuation has soared to a whopping £15.75m, which is an increase of roughly 897%, and 125% more than the £7m that they reportedly paid for his services.
This shows that he has developed exponentially since moving to Rangers, and that is a credit to Gerrard for spotting him and making him a key member of the team on the pitch, along with Giovanni van Bronckhorst for continuing to rely on the Englishman out wide.
Kent racked up an eye-catching Europa League final and won the Scottish Cup. The Light Blues forward played in chipped in with one goal and five assists from out wide, as he made his presence felt on the continental stage.
This season, he has set up three goals in five Premiership outings and continues to be a star turn for the Light Blues in attack, with the ex-Barnsley loanee still having plenty more to give at the age of 25. He can continue to grow his value by putting in strong performances on the pitch, and hopefully he will enjoy another successful campaign in 2022/23.
Gerrard struck gold by signing Kent on a permanent basis in 2019, and Van Bronckhorst will now be hoping that he looks back with similar fondness in a few years’ time on a few of the players that Wilson has signed for him in the last two transfer windows.
Celtic could still secure the signing of exciting St Mirren youngster Dylan Reid this week, according to a fresh claim from reliable journalist Mark Hendry.
The Lowdown: Celtic keen on Reid signing
Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed a productive summer in the transfer market, strengthening his squad ahead of what will be a relentless 2022/23 campaign.
One player who has been linked with a move to Celtic but hasn’t yet arrived is Reid, who has caught the eye after bursting onto the scene at St Mirren.
The 17-year-old midfielder has been described as a ‘special’ player by his former manager Tony Fitzpatrick and he could have a big future in the game.
The Latest: New update emerges
Taking to Twitter on Monday, Football Scotland‘s Hendry claimed that Reid could still join Celtic before the end of the transfer window this week.
Replying to a previous tweet in which he said the deal is ‘back ON’, the reporter shared:
“My understanding is the only sticking point could be clubs agreeing on fee. Market has changed since last time they spoke.”
The Verdict: One for the future
This is an exciting update from a Hoops perspective, not necessarily in terms of the squad being immediately improved greatly, but from a long-term point of view.
It is always vital to have young homegrown talent in Celtic’s ranks – especially having lost players like Ben Doak to the Premier League – and Reid is arguably one of the most gifted Scottish players of the next generation, having already made six appearances for St Mirren.
He could come in and learn from the more experienced heads around him, gradually maturing into the top-level footballer many expect him to eventually be.
West Brom crashed out of the Carabao Cup in the second round on Tuesday night as they lost out 1-0 to Derby County at Pride Park.
Louie Sibley’s early goal was enough for Liam Rosenior’s side to progress against the Baggies, who missed a host of chances to equalise against their lower league opposition.
One man who disappointed in the defeat was former Sheffield Wednesday winger Adam Reach.
The 29-year-old was handed a rare opportunity to impress Steve Bruce after starting on the bench in each of the Championship fixtures thus far, but failed to take that opportunity.
As per SofaScore, Reach would earn a poor 6.2 rating for his performance on Tuesday night, which was the second-worst of any player on the pitch, with only Matt Phillips (6.1/10) rated lower.
The match did not start well for Reach as he was played in over the top in the opening minutes with Derby goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith in no man’s land, but he sent his effort way over the top.
During the game, Reach would lose possession a remarkable 22 times, which was the most of any player on the pitch by some distance, which emphasises how wasteful he was with the ball.
Bruce was relying on his wingers to provide quality crosses into the box but just one of Reach’s five crosses on Tuesday night would find its mark, while he was also successful with just two of his dribble attempts as he was regularly thwarted by Derby’s Kwaku Oduroh, who earned a strong 7.5 rating for his performance at right-back.
Reach was out-battled on a number of occasions, winning just five of his 15 duels in the game, resulting in a very disappointing 33% success rate.
The experienced attacker offered very little from an attacking perspective, with no key passes and no shots on target, which was lower than last season’s average of 1.1 key passes per game.
Therefore, it is clear that Reach wasn’t good enough on Tuesday night, and it would be a surprise to see him keep his place when Bruce’s side take on Huddersfield on Saturday afternoon.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are ‘ready to push ahead’ to sign Lucas Paqueta and Bamba Dieng for Newcastle United.
The Lowdown: Attackers wanted
Having recently been linked with moves for the likes of James Maddison and Maxi Gomez, it is clear that Eddie Howe is now looking at bringing in attacking reinforcements to St. James’ Park.
They have already signed goalkeeper Nick Pope, central defender Sven Botman and left-back Matt Targett, so they can now focus on strengthening their options in the final third with time ticking down towards the September 1 deadline.
The Latest: Paqueta and Dieng interest
Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that the North East club are ‘ready to push ahead’ for moves for both Paqueta and Dieng, adding that their prices fit well into their budget:
“Newcastle are ready to push ahead with moves for Marseille’s Bamba Dieng and Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta. The prices for both players fit well into Newcastle’s budget and they have both been on the club’s radar since the turn of the year.”
Expanding in his piece for 90min, the journalist shared that Marseille could be willing to sell Dieng for £15m, while Lyon could sell Paqueta for £33m plus add-ons.
The Verdict: Exciting
The fact that the Tynesiders are pursuing both of these deals is exciting for the Toon Army.
Dieng managed a handy eight goals and three assists in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt), and the striker has even been labelled the ‘new Sadio Mane’, with the Senegal international starring alongside his countryman in their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph.
Paqueta meanwhile would certainly add more guile in midfield alongside his former Lyon teammate and fellow Brazilian Bruno Guimarares, scoring an impressive 11 goals and making a further seven assists from the middle of the park last campaign (Transfermarkt).
Nonetheless, with Maddison thought to cost around £60m, the Magpies could get both Dieng and Paqueta for less, which would be a real bargain.
Southampton may have only netted 43 goals throughout their previous Premier League campaign, but they still racked up more shot-creating actions (732) than 12 other teams in the top flight.
One man in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad who played a big part throughout the 2021/22 season in an attacking sense is James Ward-Prowse.
With 36 league appearances under his belt and more minutes played than anyone else at St Mary’s, the midfielder ended the campaign with more goal contributions (15), shots at goal (51), shot-creating actions (113) and progressive passes (135) than any other player at the south coast club.
This highlights just how crucial a figure he has been and why so much of their attacking play comes through him.
In terms of potential incoming transfers before the summer window closes, one man who has been mentioned with a move to St Mary’s and who has the potential to form a deadly duo with the Southampton skipper is Manchester City striker Liam Delap.
Despite reportedly having a permanent bid for the striker rejected by the Premier League champions, who would apparently prefer a loan move for their player, a temporary deal could be the best option for the Saints if they want the teenager as part of their squad for next season.
Having made 60 appearances for City across their senior and youth teams, the 19-year-old has found the net 46 times and delivered 16 assists in the process.
This shows the clinical goalscoring talent that he has and hints at how much he could flourish in the Premier League with a player like Ward-Prowse behind him setting up goalscoring opportunities.
Delap’s senior debut for City came in a 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth in 2020. His performance on the night was described as “superb” by journalist Jonathan Smith, who also hailed the striker’s goal in that match as a “stunning” one.
This highlights just how capable the youngster is at playing at a senior level and offering a goalscoring threat for his team.
Taking all this into account, if Southampton can secure a potential loan deal for the City starlet and get him playing with Ward-Prowse, this could be just what Hasenhuttl needs to make his team a much more potent goalscoring outfit.
AND in other news – “Understand..”: The Athletic journalist drops big Saints update, Hasenhuttl will love it
Manchester United are reportedly now eyeing up a move for Nice central defender Jean-Clair Todibo this window.
The Lowdown: Alongside Martinez?
Ajax centre-back Lisandro Martinez has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford to link up again with his former manager Erik ten Hag.
They could look to bring in two new centre-halves with Todibo as well, or sign the Frenchman as a potential alternative to Martinez, with Arsenal also firmly in the race for his signature.
The Latest: On shortlist
Taking to Twitter, Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis has revealed that Todibo is on the ‘short list’ for the Red Devils as well as Newcastle United, and is estimated to cost more than €20m (£17m):
“Info: FC Sevilla and Naples have approached Nice for Jean-Clair Todibo. But the Gym said no. The French defender, estimated at more than 20 M € , is on the short list of Manchester United and Newcastle and things could change for him this summer.”
The Verdict: Get it done
Whether MUFC sign Martinez or not, this is a deal that they need to get done before the season starts. Both Eric Bailly and Phil Jones have reportedly told their teammates of their plan to leave this summer, so Ten Hag will need extra cover in the heart of the defence.
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Todibo, branded as ‘quick’ by fellow Nice teammate Amine Gouiri despite his six-foot-three colossal stature, has played at a high level for the likes of FC Barcelona as well as his current club, and is still only 22 years of age.
He comes off the back of a solid campaign for Nice, helping them qualify for Europe with a fifth-placed finish in Ligue 1, with some memorable performances like in the 0-0 draw away at champions PSG, where he was highly praised for frustrating world superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Nonetheless, if United can get both Todibo and Martinez through the door, it could represent a great piece of business.