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Many Liverpool fans are starting to grow concerned by Naby Keita’s injury record, and wonder if things will work out for the Guinea international at Anfield.

Keita was taken off in the 55th minute of the Reds’ Carabao Cup win over Arsenal on Wednesday night, with Jurgen Klopp confirming after the game that the 22-year-old would be assessed after sustaining an issue when slipping early in the second-half.

Teenager Curtis Jones replaced Keita against the Gunners, and went on to score in the subsequent shoot-out which booked the Merseyside outfit a Quarter-Final date with Aston Villa.

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Keita’s starting call for the midweek clash was his third of the campaign across all competitions, having overcome an early-season torn muscle that denied the 30-cap midfielder from featuring in six games.

The 24-year-old was frequently omitted from matchday team sheets last term, as well, with Keita missing a spate of games throughout the season through a muscular problem, knock and a groin injury.

He would play a total of 1,817 minutes for Liverpool last season following his summer arrival from RB Leipzig, where he also spent 71 days in the physio’s room during his final campaign with the Bundesliga outfit.

Fans have been sharing their thoughts on Keita following his appearance against Arsenal, where he completed 30 of 31 passes, fashioned two shots, and won possession with his two tackles although both came inside the opening ten minutes, per WhoScored data.

Here are some of the messages shared…

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…

Sheffield Wednesday have entered the second international break of the season sitting in a pretty decent spot.

The victory over Wigan Athletic on Saturday saw the Owls move into eighth place, just one point from being in playoff contention.

It also means Garry Monk has picked up ten points from a possible 15 to begin his reign in south Yorkshire.

But this is an all too familiar feeling for some at Hillsborough – rewind back just a year; almost a year to the day.

Wednesday had beaten Bristol City 2-1 away from home, moving them to sixth in the league before some of the squad embarked for international duty.

Upon their return, the wheels firmly came flying off as the Owls lost four successive matches and even five of their next six with the club slipping from playoff hopefuls to languishing in mid-table.

This run of dire form ultimately cost Jos Luhukay his job by Christmas, and it is something that Monk needs to be fully aware of when the Championship resumes in just over a week.

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Lightning may not strike twice up in south Yorkshire, but considering Wednesday have only played three of the current top-12 this campaign, there are some tough fixtures lying in wait.

By December, Monk’s side will have faced league leaders West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United and Swansea City, so there are indeed games ahead that could leave those at Hillsborough feeling a sense of deja vu come the festive period.

The 40-year-old can look back on last season and use it as a warning to his side – there’s still a long way to go yet, and nothing has even been achieved to suggest that it isn’t out of the realms of possibility.

Wednesday eventually crumbled to finish 12th last season – if Monk can guide his side to results against some of those teams following the international break, then the rest of the Championship may well be put on high-alert.

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…

Real Madrid had a mixed season so far in their 2019/20 campaign.

After quite a rocky start Los Blancos finally gathered some pace and managed to propel themselves to the top of La Liga, where they’re currently enjoying the view from the summit.

But things are not looking as rosy in Europe.

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After two fixtures played, Real Madrid have a 3-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain and a 2-2 draw against Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu under their belts.

By all means, not really a dreamy start.

For that reason, and especially with the recent injury to one of their talismans, Toni Kroos, Zinedine Zidane will need a new leader to give the Galacticos a little push.

The German midfielder has been doing exactly that with his recent performances, dropping masterclasses left, right and centre, but now, in his absence, Luka Modric might have to step up.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

His recent display for his national team, however, might prove he is definitely up for the task.

The 34-year-old veteran scored one of the goals for Croatia against Hungary but did a lot more than just that. He also tallied two key passes, 93 touches on the night and five accurate long balls while maintaining 91% passing accuracy as a whole.

This should prove to Zidane that Modric has still got it and should not be discarded just yet.

Of course, with recent whispers of Real Madrid potentially going for Christian Eriksen in the near future, the Croat’s position and role in the team might come under threat.

But if performances like the one against Hungary are any indication, then Modric should still surely have a part to play in the upcoming campaign.

He is, however, already 34 and the question of his longevity on the pitch should be brought up sooner rather than later.

Let’s see how long Real Madrid feel their midfield talisman can keep going.

Only time will tell.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sheffield Wednesday left it incredibly late on Saturday afternoon as a last gasp goal ensured Garry Monk’s tenure continued to go unbeaten.

The former Swansea boss started life with a win over Huddersfield last weekend but ensured his side drew with an impressive Fulham team 1-1 at Hillsborough in his second match.

The Owls went 1-0 down courtesy of a strike from Tom Cairney but a rescue act from Atdhe Nuhui meant it finished all square.

However, Monk’s comments over a certain individual in his side backfired during the game.

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On the chalkboard

Earlier last week, the new Wednesday boss made a revelation about Adam Reach, detailing where his best position may lie.

He said: “I have already spoken with Adam. He will primarily be a wide player for us and it is where he is most effective.”

Yet after his performance and the early withdrawal of the 26-year-old against the Cottagers, it doesn’t appear as though that may be the case, particularly at the moment.

Having started on the right, he was dragged off after 59 minutes for Jacob Murphy, a player who isn’t in particularly good form himself.

Murphy has managed just one goal this term so it was perhaps rather damning that he was the man introduced in Reach’s favour, particularly with the hosts behind in the game.

Find out a how a world-record-holding freestyler got on with the worst football in the world in the video below…

But Reach was poor and his inability to pass lead to a pretty average display.

Per WhoScored, he created two chances but left the pitch with a pass success rate of just 71%, providing three crosses which failed to result in too much end product.

If you’re going to play on the wing that needs to be considerably better and it shows that Monk’s comments have backfired on his best position.

If we assess WhoScored’s average ratings for Reach this season he has played in a variety of roles but his best performances have come in attacking midfield, achieving a rating of over 7 in two outings.

On the right, however, that falls closer to a rating of 6.5.

Bearing that and his performance against Fulham in mind, Monk is wrong.

Adrian posted a few snaps from training, and he was seemingly quite pleased with how he’d performed that day as he stated it was a good day at the office.

It remains to be seen how the Spaniard will get on this weekend, but if he is feeling confident after his solid start to life as a Red, a great performance in training will certainly stand him in good stead for the trip to Bramall Lane.

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Eros Grezda has not played a single minute of first-team football for Rangers in 2019.

Indeed, the 23-year-old’s last appearance for the Scottish giants came against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership in the latter stages of December.

Grezda has not even made the squad since Boxing Day, but used his social media on Thursday to announce his return to the training field.

Since arriving at Rangers from NK Osijek in August 2018, the nine-time Albania international has made just 14 appearances for the Gers.

It would be fair to say that the club’s fans are yet to really see what the 5 foot 11 winger has to offer, although he did score twice in the early stages of the campaign.

The Rangers supporters are seemingly behind the attacker, however, with many taking to social media to respond positively to Grezda’s tweet.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Scottish outfit’s fans can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]Sometimes in football, you just have to admit that you’ve seen something brilliant.The beautiful game is nicknamed as such because moments on the pitch can literally take your breath away, and on Tuesday evening we were lucky enough to see one of those moments.Liverpool’s Adrian made an incredible save to keep the score at 0-0 early in the second half, and that led to a number of pundits taking to Twitter to praise the Spaniard.

These football experts couldn’t help but express their admiration for his heroics.

Chris Sutton, Gary Lineker and Matt Le Tissier all took to social media to pay tribute to the save.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Unfortunately, Adrian’s moment of glory was futile as Liverpool would go on to lose the game 2-0.

However, that doesn’t mean this moment was any less brilliant. The former West Ham man was making his Champions League debut after becoming a starter for Liverpool due to Alisson’s injury, and he’ll surely never forget this stunning stop.

Reacting to the performance of star midfielder Declan Rice, various figures in the media have been left blown away by West Ham United’s ‘only shining light’ against Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Rice continues to shine…

The England international, following on from his performances for the Hammers last campaign and at the Euros, has been a revelation yet again so far this campaign under manager David Moyes.

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According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old tops West Ham’s charts in terms of tackles and interceptions averaged per 90 – highlighting his real defensive prowess in midfield over 2021/2022.

It’s little wonder many big clubs, including today’s opponents Man United, are apparently interested as figures in the media shower praise on his performance today.

The Latest: Media rave…

Taking to Twitter, Media members were left astonished by Rice’s performance – with journalist Tyrone Marshall of The Manchester Evening News calling him ‘excellent’.

Meanwhile, MUTV and BBC analyst Statman Dave pointed out the player’s impressive first half numbers and lauded West Ham’s ‘main main’ of the afternoon.

Last but not least, YouTube celebrity and United supporter Ryan Haber, who has over 254,000 subscribers on the platform, was in particular awe – branding Rice ‘absolutely fantastic’ and ‘West Ham’s only shining light’.

The Verdict: Keep him at all costs…

Amassing the highest match rating of any West Ham man according to SofaScore, this display is yet more evidence that the Irons and GSB should not sell at any cost as he recorded a frankly ridiculous 97% pass accuracy.

The club are allegedly attempting to tie him down with fresh terms to secure his future, but this outing at Old Trafford will only attract more attention from suitors.

Based off this praise and performances this campaign, West Ham may face a battle to keep him in future seasons. but they simply must if Moyes is to maintain his side’s stay at the highest level.

In other news: Insider: West Ham agreement to sign ‘world class’ £17.1m striker ‘there to be done’, find out more here.

As per allnigeriasoccer.com, a contract claim has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving yet-to-be-seen starlet Tobi Omole.

The Lowdown: Nuno blown away…

Since the Nigerian-born defender signed for Spurs’ academy from north London rivals Arsenal in 2020, the 22-year-old has been making waves behind the scenes, according to reports.

Football Insider claimed in October that ex-Lilywhites manager Nuno Espirito Santo had been blown away by the centre-back at Hotspur Way, apparently taking a liking to Omole and regarding him as capable of winning a new deal.

New Spurs boss Antonio Conte is yet to hand the player his senior debut after Nuno only selected Omole for the bench against Crystal Palace last September though, so Spurs fans are still waiting to see him in action for the first time.

Regardless, he appears to have now done enough at N17 to earn a new deal.

The Latest: Omole offer made…

As per allnigeriasoccer.com, Omole has now been offered a new contract at the club with Conte selecting him for Spurs’ main Premier League squad over the remainder of 2021/2022.

The Italian has called him up to countless training sessions with the first team despite not playing him yet with Omole now doing enough to earn possible fresh terms.

The Verdict: Exciting news…

Tottenham insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks news on his Lilywhites Rose account, certainly rates the youngster after what he’s seen.

Speaking to Football Insider, the club source claimed that Omole is on his list of prospects to watch at Spurs and has also called him a ‘top young talent’ at the end of last year.

Among Spurs’ growing crop of talented youngsters coming out of N17, Omole could also be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Agent offers Tottenham out-of-window chance to sign £220,000-per-weel star! Find out more here.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been dealt another frustrating injury blow this week…

What’s the latest?

Ahead of their FA Cup third-round clash with Premier League rivals West Ham United this afternoon, young striker Joe Gelhardt suffered an ankle injury during training on Thursday and is now expected to be out for three weeks.

“Marcelo Bielsa talking at his pre-West Ham presser – Joe Gelhardt is out. Injured [his] ankle in training yesterday and is out for three weeks. [Tyler] Roberts also out for similar period. Rodrigo not ready but [Patrick] Bamford likely to be involved on Sunday,” claimed The Athletic’s Phil Hay on Twitter.

“[Kalvin] Phillips, [Liam] Cooper, [Jamie] Shackleton, [Charlie] Cresswell and [Pascal] Struijk all still absent too.”

Another big setback

Just when will it stop?

The Yorkshire giants seemingly get a new injury every single week and it’s seriously stalling their progress under Bielsa.

Over the festive period, the 66-year-old head coach was missing as many as nine first-team players as his Whites side were demolished by the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal. It had gotten so bad that a 15-year-old – Archie Gray – was named on the bench.

Some of those absent have since made a return, helping United to a very crucial win over Burnley last weekend – Daniel James and Jack Harrison both found themselves on the scoresheet after a stint on the treatment table.

However, this latest blow puts pressure on Bielsa as he now has an important call to make upfront.

Patrick Bamford is likely to return from injury, having missed 15 of their last 16 league games but he is surely not ready to put in a full 90-minute shift just yet – though, he is the only striker available, leaving the Argentinian with a tough decision.

‘Patrick Bamford, at least, is expected to be available to play against the Hammers, but a 90 or even 120-minute performance is not only likely to be beyond him, it would be neglectful of Leeds to ask it,’ wrote Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth ahead of today’s encounter.

Gelhardt may have been in line to start down at the London Stadium this afternoon and as a player that supporters have already taken to, it will be a big blow to not see him in action today.

The young fan-favourite has already scored and provided three assists from his seven top-flight cameos this campaign and is clearly admired by Bielsa, too.

“He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, he takes people on. Once he gets into the box, he loves it. That’s where he can do most of his damage,” the manager told Sky Sports.

Therefore, his absence is merely another gutting setback to Bielsa, the squad and the fanbase, The 66-year-old must getting a little more worried as each day passes with his team picking up so many injuries this season.

AND in other news, Bielsa must ruthlessly axe Leeds’ “shocking” £47k-p/w passenger, he’s not good enough…