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Jose Mourinho was reportedly “triggered” by Victor Osimhen’s “silence” gesture during Fenerbahce’s heated derby date with arch-rivals Galatasaray.

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• Goalless draw with plenty of talking points
• Nigerian striker angered Portuguese coach
• Controversy before, during & after the game

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  An ill-tempered clash in Istanbul ended goalless, but it was definitely not without incident. The game was interrupted at one stage as flares rained down from the stands. There were 30,000 police officers on duty across the evening, with trouble brewing before, during and after.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the aftermath of a fiery encounter, Portuguese coach Mourinho – who once again cut a lively figure on the sidelines – accused Galatasaray’s coaching team of “jumping like monkeys” on the bench, sparking a racism storm that has seen legal action threatened.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mourinho was angered by a number of incidents throughout the match, including one on the half-hour mark that saw Gala striker Osimhen take a tumble inside the box. His penalty appeals were waved away, but the Nigeria international made a pointing of aiming a shushing gesture in the direction of Mourinho – leaving the Portuguese “triggered”.

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  TELL ME MORE

  Ex-Roma boss Mourinho has previously accused Napoli loanee Osimhen of “diving too much”, having faced one another in Italy, and there appears to be no love lost between the pair – with the self-anointed ‘Special One’ continuing to ruffle feathers in Turkey.

The England winger provided the vital moment for Sonia Bompastor's side on Sunday as they joined Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool in the last four

A sweet strike from Lauren James secured Chelsea's place in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday, granting the five-time winners a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. The Blues, top of the Women's Super League, were dominant against their visitors, bottom of the same division, but that pressure did not pay off until past the hour, when James raced onto a loose ball and buried it into the far corner with aplomb.

In truth, it was no less than Chelsea deserved. Chances aplenty were created by a side still to lose in Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge, but the likes of Aggie Beever-Jones, Catarina Macario and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd were all guilty of wasting opportunities that would've put the hosts out-of-sight well before the deadlock was eventually broken.

Still, it always felt like the champions of England would find their shooting boots to get the job done – and with Palace unable to really create anything of note themselves, one goal was likely to be enough, too. That was how it played out, with James able to put Chelsea into the last four as they search for a fourth FA Cup triumph in five seasons.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (6/10):

  Was alert when she needed to be, despite having very little to do all afternoon.

  Ashley Lawrence (7/10):

  A consistent thorn in Palace's side down the right, providing some good deliveries to create chances and always offering an outlet.

  Nathalie Bjorn (6/10):

  Did very little wrong and helped restrict Palace to minimal opportunities on the attack.

  Millie Bright (6/10):

  Wasn't called upon much from a defensive perspective, but was more or less always there to thwart any threat that presented itself.

  Sandy Baltimore (7/10):

  Acted as a second winger, essentially, with James' movement inside giving her plenty of space to attack, and she created some good chances in the final third.

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• Midfield

  Erin Cuthbert (7/10):

  A valuable start for her after some time on the sidelines. Worked hard in the middle and looked sharp despite that recent absence.

  Wieke Kaptein (6/10):

  Did all the dirty work well and offered support to the attack with some timely runs. Off at half time.

  Maika Hamano (6/10):

  Showed good movement to find space in different areas of the pitch and played some nice passes before somewhat surprisingly going off at the break.

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  Attack

  Aggie Beever-Jones (5/10):

  A sprightly performer who combined well with Lawrence down the right, but didn't take any of the chances that fell her way. Off before the hour.

  Catarina Macario (6/10):

  Picked up the free spaces well and was often involved in Chelsea's best moves.

  Lauren James (7/10):

  Showed a few nice glimpses before finally breaking the deadlock with a sweet hit.

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  Subs & Manager

  Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):

  One of Bompastor's half-time subs, she picked up where Kaptein left off and battled hard in the middle.

  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (5/10):

  Had a huge chance just minutes after coming on at the break but mistimed her volley at the back post.

  Mayra Ramirez (7/10):

  Replaced Beever-Jones before the hour and made a real impact with her ability to pick up the ball and run at defenders.

  Oriane Jean-Francois (N/A):

  Gave Cuthbert a well-earned rest in the latter stages and helped Chelsea see the game out.

  Niamh Charles (N/A):

  Replaced James as a late sub and added some extra security in the final minutes.

  Sonia Bompastor (6/10):

  A strangely managed game. Her starting line-up was strong, while still resting players who needed a break, and they dominated the game, creating plenty of chances. It felt like a goal was always on the way and yet, she made two half-time subs and another before the hour, showing urgency which didn't seem to match the state of the game. Those changes seemed to disrupt Chelsea rather than inject life into them, though they did eventually get over the line regardless.

Despite sitting top of the Premier League and the Champions League tables, Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on potentially welcoming a double midfield boost ahead of several rivals.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are unlikely to be the busiest side in the January transfer window given their current position, but they could be left with no choice other than to splash the cash next summer. As things stand, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all set to leave as free agents at the end of the season in what would be the ultimate disaster for those at Anfield.

5 potential replacements for Mohamed Salah at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah has been linked with a move away from Liverpool, but who could be in line to succeed him at Anfield?

By
Barney Lane

Oct 19, 2024

Replacing all three players seems like mission impossible, but one that Liverpool have seemingly been preparing for, given recent links to the likes of Rayan Cherki and Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush in recent weeks.

The latter would be a particularly fitting arrival to claim Salah’s throne, given that he could do the same at international level; as one Egyptian king departs, the next in line could complete his move.

Meanwhile, away from the trio, those at Anfield have also been linked with midfield improvements. According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are now preparing to join the race to sign Williot Swedberg and Alberto Moleiro in a double La Liga swoop. Reportedly monitoring the duo, the Reds could look to beat the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United to their signatures in 2025.

Liverpool's "monster" star out on loan could be their own Saliba

Liverpool have a “monster” out on loan who could be Arne Slot’s own William Saliba.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 17, 2024

Two young attacking midfielders, their arrival would certainly hand Arne Slot a selection headache. At the time of writing, the Dutchman has Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott all at his disposal and able to play in an attacking-midfield role. Adding two more options at this stage would arguably be a waste of resources unless one midfielder headed for the exit door.

Jones' recent form has reduced Liverpool's midfield need

As talented as Moleiro and Swedberg are, Liverpool are more blessed than they’ve been for a long time when it comes to attack-minded midfielders. Curtis Jones’ recent rise added to the list of players vying for that role alongside Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch at the heart of Slot’s midfield, and all but confirmed that the Reds can be satisfied with their options for now.

After finally beginning to realise his potential and capping off a fine start to the campaign with a goal on his England debut, the last thing that Liverpool should do is halt Jones’ recent progress by overpopulating their midfield options.

Instead, the Reds’ focus should remain on either securing new deals for Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold or working on suitable replacements. On the pitch, Slot’s side couldn’t have endured a better season so far, but away from the action, the likes of Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes have plenty of work to do.

A club are struggling to tie down their star player who has been called the “perfect” forward for Arsenal, and it is believed the Gunners are among the sides who could look to take advantage of this situation in 2025.

Arsenal targeting new attackers for next year

Their hopes of a first Premier League title in 21 years have faded quite dramatically in the last month, with Arsenal failing to win a single league game since their 3-1 victory over Southampton in early October.

Arsenal make approach to sign £160k-per-week star who Wenger wanted in 2015

The player admitted that Arsenal’s ex-manager wanted him in north London.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 13, 2024

This disappointing run of form has left them nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, and despite it still being quite early in the campaign, that is a huge gap to overcome against a Reds side who look near-unbeatable right now.

Arsenal were widely tipped to clinch the title after two successive seasons falling short behind long-reigning English dominators Man City, but it appears Arne Slot’s Liverpool are in pole position to upset the apple-cart and loosen Pep Guardiola’s stranglehold on the trophy.

Amidst their concerning on-field run of form, Arteta must also contend with the loss of influential sporting director Edu Gaspar, who left his post last Monday. Edu was responsible for overseeing the club’s rebuild, leading the charge for a host of key signings, and now interim director Jason Ayto must lead Arsenal’s pursuit of a new forward for the time being.

Indeed, after missing out on a striker in the summer, there is a belief that Arsenal are keen to sign a centre-forward who can relieve the pressure off Kai Havertz’s shoulders.

Gabriel Jesus hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season, and there are growing concerns over the £265,000-per-week Brazilian’s suitability to lead Arsenal’s forward line.

This has resulted in speculation that Arsenal have made contact over Victor Osimhen, a player they’ve long been linked with, while another high-profile striker in Viktor Gyokeres is said to be on Arteta’s radar as well.

Newcastle struggling to seal new Isak deal as Arsenal eye move

Meanwhile, Newcastle United star Alexander Isak has been sporadically linked throughout 2024 as well. The Sweden international has just hit a rich vein of form, scoring in each of Newcastle’s last four games in all competitions, but Eddie Howe’s side are encountering “hurdles” in talks over a new deal.

That is according to The Boot Room, who also state that Isak’s camp have been left “shocked” over Newcastle’s stance on a new contract for the 25-year-old. They also write that Arsenal remain interested in Isak as Newcastle struggle to agree an extension, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City among his other prestigious suitors.

Isak’s Premier League pedigree and proven top level goalscoring is a real temptation for Arsenal to spend what needs to be big money on the former Real Sociedad star, with journalist Charles Watts also calling him the “perfect” striker for Arteta.

Barcelona are planning to bolster their squad ahead of the 2025/26 season as they aim to sign a new defender in the summer.

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• Barca eyeing move for a right-back
• Management has faith in Kounde
• Barca face Osasuna on Saturday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Catalan giants are expected to make a few signings in the summer transfer window as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2025/26 season. Per Fabrizio Romano, the management has decided to sign a new right full-back as they seek defensive reinforcements in the next window.

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  The report adds that current right-back Jules Kounde continues to enjoy the trust of manager Hansi Flick and the team management but the club want to secure the signature of a back-up for the Frenchman. In the 2024/25 campaign, the former Sevilla star has appeared in 41 matches across all competitions where he has scored three goals and provided eight assists.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Blaugrana are also linked with a move for Neymar, whose agent is reportedly working on a deal to bring back the Brazilian to Europe in the summer. Neymar is currently plying his trade at boyhood club Santos.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Flick's men will be back in action on Saturday night as they take on Osasuna at home in La Liga.

And with that, Arsenal are back. The period between the last two international breaks of 2024 was a strange one for the Gunners and one that could, probably will, still haunt them once the season ends.

It all started with that dismal defeat at the Vitality Stadium. William Saliba became Arsenal’s third red card of the season and it all began to unravel from there. Mikel Arteta’s men drew with Liverpool and Chelsea but a defeat, a turgid one at that, against Newcastle was not good enough.

But rejoice, for Martin Odegaard is back and the north Londoners look like the side of 2022/23 again. That term they were short of Manchester City by five points but their football was swashbuckling, it was exciting, it was everything that this campaign hadn’t been, until Saturday afternoon at least.

Odegaard made his second start since an ankle injury during the first international break of the season back in September and he made a colossal difference. Arsenal ran away from the Emirates Stadium with a 3-0 win, dispatching Nottingham Forest who were made to look desperate in their efforts in the capital.

Arsenal's best performers against Forest

Bukayo Saka scored a rasping opener in the first half before he turned provider in the second period, laying the ball on a plate for half-time substitute Thomas Partey to rifle the ball past Mats Selz in the Forest net.

Despite not finding himself on the scoresheet, it was skipper Odegaard who made the greatest difference to Arsenal’s attack.

Without him they have been awful in the final third, that’s putting it politely too. They have missed creativity, they have missed moments of magic and they have missed his passing range.

In short, the Norwegian is one of the finest playmakers in the league and he has shown as much since returning. Against Chelsea two weeks ago it was the midfielder’s delightful pass over the defence that led to Gabriel Martinelli’s opener.

This time, it was his neat combination play on the edge of the area that led to Saka’s goal. The two of them have combined excellently in Arsenal colours so it was no surprise to see the two in such an unplayable mood this weekend.

In total, he created six chances for Arsenal players to score from and left the field with a 90% pass success rate despite his willingness to carve out opportunities for teammates.

Try as he might, Ethan Nwaneri did try and steal the show late on. Appearing as a late substitute, he combined with Raheem Sterling before bagging his first Premier League goal.

In doing so, he became the ninth-youngest scorer in the division’s history. He is already the youngest player to feature in the competition.

That being said, despite a ray of positivity engulfing the Emirates Stadium, there was one man who underperformed on Saturday.

Arsenal's poorest performer against Forest

There were some bold selection calls from Arteta on Saturday afternoon as the Spaniard left Declan Rice and Partey on the bench.

Gabriel Martinelli, despite his goal at Stamford Bridge, also found himself on the bench as Leandro Trossard started on the left. The biggest surprise, though, saw Kai Havertz among the subs.

In his place started Gabriel Jesus, a man who coincidentally hasn’t found the back of the net in a Premier League game since the Gunners last met Forest back in January.

Sadly, Jesus failed to add to his one goal tally for the campaign to date this weekend and put in a rather ineffective display that is unlikely to have Havertz too worried about his prospects of playing time in the immediate future.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It wasn’t that the Brazilian did too much wrong but in a match where Arsenal boasted so much possession, it was the former Manchester City forward who looked out of sync with his teammates.

It said it all that despite lasting the full 90 minutes, Jesus boasted just 36 touches of the ball, three fewer than goalkeeper David Raya who didn’t see much action either.

Jesus could manage just one shot and his only dribble attempt was a failed one too. Unlike Havertz, he wasn’t much of a duel winner either, leaving the field at full-time having won just two of his nine battles. It was perhaps unsurprising that he was handed a poor 6/10 rating by GOAL’s Charles Watts.

Forest have been exceptional at the back this season and Arsenal’s number 9 won’t be the only forward to come unstuck against the likes of Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic. However, he will have to do an awful lot more if he wants to be starting ahead of their big £65m signing from Chelsea.

It was perhaps better than we have seen from Jesus at times this campaign, but he should still drop to the bench for the trip to Lisbon against Sporting in the Champions League.

98% passing, 105 touches: Arsenal's non-scorer was immense vs Forest

The Arsenal star was quietly superb against Forest

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By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 23, 2024

Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich has explained his decision to renew with the Bavarians despite interest from Barcelona and Arsenal.

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• Kimmich signs new deal until 2029
• Snubbed interest from clubs over move
• Explains his decision to sign new deal with Bayern

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kimmich's contract with Bayern Munich was set to run out at the end of this season, and it had been reported that multiple sides, including Barcelona and Arsenal, had been considering signing the highly-rated Germany international. However, Kimmich has now signed a new deal with Der Rekordmeister until the summer of 2029, and the defensive midfielder has claimed that he is not finished with Bayern as of yet.

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  WHAT KIMMICH SAID

  Speaking to club media, Kimmich said: "At FC Bayern, I have the best environment to achieve my sporting goals. That is what my decision was based on. For me, at the moment, there is no better package of teammates, coaching staff and club environment in order to achieve maximum success. I feel at home here, and I am not finished yet."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen added: “We are delighted that Joshua Kimmich will continue his journey at FC Bayern. He is someone who always leads from the front, be it at the club or as Germany captain. His hunger is unbroken, as we saw again in the Champions League round of 16. His determination and his commitment embody what FC Bayern stand for. He should be the bridge between our current generation and a new era.”

  Meanwhile, Max Eberl identified two of Kimmich's biggest strengths and said: “Mentality and identity – that is what Joshua Kimmich represents. He has internalised the DNA of FC Bayern over the years and embodies it both on and off the field. Where others stop, he starts. We are very happy that he will continue to drive our team forward.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Kimmich is now set to stay with Bayern Munich until 2029 and will to add more trophies to his collection with the Bundesliga giants.

It is believed a “clinical” Chelsea player is now pushing hard to leave Stamford Bridge in January, with West Ham United and Crystal Palace emerging as real contenders for his signing in the winter.

Chelsea seven points behind Liverpool after 5-1 win over Southampton

Enzo Maresca continues to be asked about the prospect of Chelsea winning a Premier League title this season, with Liverpool dropping points in a 3-3 draw away to Newcastle United and the Blues thumping Southampton 5-1.

PSG could be tempted to sell "key" star with Chelsea prepared to bid £50m

BlueCo are willing to shell out for his signature.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 4, 2024

Goals came from all over the field, with Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho all getting on the scoresheet at St. Mary’s Stadium, as Chelsea sealed yet another impressive victory on the road.

It was a blistering night of attacking flair by the away side, who could’ve scored even more than five, but Maresca still had some criticism for his players after getting off to a slow start on Wednesday night.

“I’m very happy with the five we scored, but I’m not happy about the first 10 or 15 minutes when we struggled,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Southampton.

“The reason why we struggled is because we prepared the game to press them man-to-man but in the first 15 or 20 minutes, we were not pressing them man-to-man. This is a team that if you don’t go man-to-man, then you struggle to recover the ball. Then after that, we adjusted that and the game was much better. But we could score more, but five goals is enough.

“We said, if you remember from the beginning of the season, the way we played with the two wingers, the two attacking midfielders and the No.9 are in charge of the goals. You can see the goals from Noni, from Cole, from Jadon, from Nico, Christo – they are all attacking players, and it’s a good feeling that all of them can be involved in the goals.

“I think there are just three or four teams that have conceded less than us. So we are very happy.

One man who didn’t play a role in last night’s stunning victory was midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.

Carney Chukwuemeka pushing for Chelsea exit and could join West Ham

The £100,000-per-week midfielder is yet to make a single Premier League appearance, and reports are suggesting that Chukwuemeka is very likely to leave Chelsea in January as a result.

Now, journalist Graeme Bailey says that Chukwuemeka is pushing to leave Chelsea in January via his agents, with both West Ham and Crystal Palace named as contenders to sign the 20-year-old.

The former Aston Villa gem’s best move is clearly to leave at the next opportunity, considering he is clearly down Maresca’s pecking order, despite some praise for his ability in the past.

“I like Carney Chukwuemeka because he is like an artist who comes onto the stage,” said former France defender and World Cup winner Marcel Desailly.

“He has got the ball. Now is my moment. Shine. You see the dribbling. He is sure about what he is going to do and he is clinical. I love it.”

A switch to a fall to spring schedule for MLS is being discussed in the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup

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• Garber and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani talk U.S. Soccer
• Garber shares MLS schedule change is a subject of discussion
• Says he has "big expectations" for USMNT at 2026 World Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A change in the scheduling format for Major League Soccer – with a move to a fall-to-spring calendar – may be coming following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. MLS commissioner Don Garber spoke on the topic ahead of the 2024 MLS Cup final in Carson, California, saying that any change would be "complicated," but that the bodies around MLS and U.S. Soccer have "ongoing work" around a potential change.

  Speaking at the Sports Business Journal's Business of Soccer conference this week, Garber – along with CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani – covered a plethora of American soccer topics, and the commissioner revisited the schedule change. Logical concerns about winter in the U.S., particularly with teams in the north such as Minnesota, Montreal, and Toronto – among others – were acknowledged, but a potential change is still on the table.

  “Let’s just be obvious – having playoffs in May is probably better than having them in December, where we’re competing against college football and NFL football and lots of other things,” Garber said. “So we’re going to do the work… Nelson Rodriguez runs our competition group meeting with owners and chief soccer officers and chief business officers going through the math. And once we get through all that, we’ll then have to take it to that process of governance and figuring out whether it makes sense for the enterprise.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Although any change would not arrive until after the 2026 season, buildup to the 2026 World Cup has been a priority for both CONCACAF and MLS, with the tournament being hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

  “We have this opportunity with our [USMNT] – as the women have been able to achieve with so many World Cup victories – to have it be entirely about sport,” said Garber. “You have to have that. If the U.S. team doesn’t do well, it certainly is going to be a disappointment because of the high expectations.”

  Montagliani, meanwhile, said that CONCACAF as a whole has an expectation to perform in the event at a competitive level, in both the Group Stage and the knockout rounds.

  “I expect eight of our countries to be in there – six direct and two playoff for them to come out of the group,” said Montagliani. “Two of them to get to the quarterfinal and one of them to get to minimally the semifinal.”

  Amid some worries that North America may not be prepared to host the event, Garber shrugged off the notion.

  “I don’t really worry much about that,” Garber said. “I’ve been in the event business for a really, really long time. The fear and loathing of what you have to do, and then all the challenges of ensuring you’re managing your plan always happen, but it always pulls off.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  No CONCACAF nation has ever won the World Cup, and no team has ever made it past the quarterfinals. In 1970 and 1986, Mexico made it to the stage, as did the U.S. in 2002 and Costa Rica in 2014.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Matchday 5 of the 2025 MLS season kicks off Saturday, while the USMNT report back to the pitch on Sunday in the the third-place match of the CONCACAF Nations League finals.

  Mauricio Pochettino's men meanwhile take on Jesse Marsch's Canada in the contest.

A major update on a “painful” injury to a Leeds United player has now been provided ahead of their game against Preston North End. The Whites made it back-to-back wins on Tuesday, as they beat play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough 3-1 at Elland Road, but not without a couple of injury scares.

On par with James: Leeds gem just proved he's Farke's most underrated star

The Leeds United midfielder put in another impressive performance for Daniel Farke’s side.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 11, 2024

Leeds United news and updates

The games are coming thick and fast now as football enters the Christmas period, and this is where injuries are more likely to occur, something Leeds are already too familiar with this season.

Ahead of the game against Boro, Farke revealed that defender Junior Firpo is sidelined for six weeks, as he’s suffered a hamstring injury. The German labelled the injury news as “heartbreaking,” as Firpo has been a key player for the Whites this season.

However, there was good news for the Championship side on Tuesday as they welcomed back Sam Byram, who was able to complete 85 minutes, and they also brought Ethan Ampadu back into the fold, which Farke is happy about.

Farke said on Byram and Ampadu’s return: “He reported some cramp and had been back for just one training session after injury. I was hoping that Ethan Ampadu could see the game out in the last moments, and apart from one or two passes, he was then also helping to bring this over the line, and we’re happy to have him back.”

Given the news that Firpo is going to be out for several weeks, Leeds could be expected to enter the market for a new left-back, but Farke has stated that they will not panic buy another full-back in January, given he will return at some point that month. Leeds were linked with a move for Khuliso Mudau, who can operate in both full-back positions, a few days ago, and the news of Firpo being injured may now intensify their interest.

Injury update provided on Leeds’ Joe Rodon

As reported by The Yorkshire Post, Daniel Farke has stated that defender Joe Rodon suffered a “painful” injury during their win over Middlesbrough on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who joined the Whites on a permanent basis in the summer, has been a key player for the Championship side once again this season.

Rodon was very impressive last season while on loan from Spurs, playing in 43 Championship games, as Leeds just missed out on promotion. Farke was keen to bring him back, and they did just that, and it is a move that has worked out perfectly, as he’s started every league game this season.

However, that record is potentially in jeopardy, as Farke’s now revealed that Rodon suffered a “painful” injury ahead of their next game against Preston. Farke said: “He was hit on his knee, and I think there’s a bruise, and it’s pretty painful. But he’s also a warrior, and we couldn’t afford to lose him.”

The Welsh international played the full 90 minutes on Tuesday night, and Farke will be hoping his defender can recover in time for what is likely to be a physical match at Deepdale on Saturday – the two sides shared 16 yellow cards and one red card across their two head-to-heads last season.