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West Bromwich Albion have been handed a double injury boost ahead of Friday night’s Championship clash at The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Valerien Ismael revealed that both Alex Mowatt and Matt Clarke are in contention to start the fixture against Birmingham City tonight.

The midfielder has recovered a foot injury picked up in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City before the international break, while the defender has missed Albion’s last seven fixtures with a hamstring injury.

Regrading Mowatt’s injury, Ismael said: “For us it’s good news – it’s a relief for us that it’s not broken. It’s good for us that he has trained these last two days with the squad and he’s back in the squad. Normally, as long as something doesn’t happen and change overnight, he’ll be okay for the game.”

Regarding Clarke’s recovery, the Frenchman added: “He’s back in training, back in the squad and trained very well. Now we need to manage him through these games.

“The Championship is ruthless. We play every three days, so we must learn from the first block with him and what happened to make sure that he can come through the games without another issue.

“He is fine, he is available, he trained well. We’re happy he’s back in the squad, but we need to find the balance and to manage him now. He’s very motivated, he wants to play, but we learn from the first block.”

Big double boost

Considering just how impressive both Mowatt and Clarke have been for West Brom since joining the club this summer, the news that the duo are available for the derby against Birmingham is sure to have Baggies fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Championship appearances this season, the £6.3m-rated Mowatt has scored three goals, provided one assist and has created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.1 shots and making 1.5 key passes per match.

The central midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.9 interceptions, two tackles and 0.7 clearances and winning 5.5 duels per game. These returns have seen the £6.5k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him as West Brom’s second best performer in the Championship so far.

Meanwhile, over his three league fixtures for Albion, the £2.7m-rated Clarke has made 2.3 interceptions, one tackle and 2.7 clearances per game and has won 7.3 duels per match.

These metrics have seen the centre-back earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Baggies’ joint eighth-best performer in the league.

As such, the return of both players will undoubtedly increase Ismael’s chances of securing a positive result against Birmingham, something the Frenchman will be desperately seeking following his side’s first league defeat of the season against Stoke City last time out.

In other news: Ismael must unleash “quality” £21k-p/w beast vs Blues, he’s what West Brom are missing

Newcastle United could do a ‘simple’ deal for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa this month, according to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder. 

The lowdown

Barbosa, who goes by the nickname Gabigol, is a long-term ‘Newcastle target’, having been scouted extensively by head of recruitment Steve Nickson.

The 25-year-old has previously had stints at Inter Milan and Benfica, but he made little impact at either club. At least he is highly regarded by his country, though, with 17 caps under his belt, and he was most recently called up for October’s World Cup qualifiers.

The latest

Writing for The Chronicle, Ryder claimed that Barbosa has been made available for loan and is ‘eager’ to test himself in Europe once again.

It would be a quite straightforward transfer – an initial loan with ‘a £17million deal on offer’ at its culmination.

Sources close to the player have indicated that he ‘likes’ the idea of joining Newcastle, and the 25-year-old would apparently relish the idea of linking up with his compatriot Joelinton at St James’ Park.

Newcastle made an enquiry pre-Christmas but have not gone any further for now. They’re waiting to find out how long the injured Callum Wilson will be sidelined, with the club hopeful that Eddie Howe’s initial prognosis of a ‘months’-long absence may prove overly pessimistic.

The verdict

Even if Wilson’s current injury isn’t as bad as first feared, Newcastle could certainly do with stronger cover. Based on the 29-year-old’s injury history, there’s a very real possibility that he could be sidelined again before the end of the season.

Current deputies Joelinton and Dwight Gayle have only managed 33 goals in 228 combined Premier League appearances, and while Barbosa still needs to prove that he can do it in Europe, his record for Flamengo is mighty. He netted 29 goals last season, taking him to 84 in 124 appearances for the club.

Bringing him to St James’ Park may seem a gamble, but based on his recent record and the dearth of firepower currently available to Howe, it appears a gamble worth taking.

In other news, Newcastle have made an offer for this Champions League ace

Former England international Danny Mills has hinted that Celtic can’t rule out the possibility of Ange Postecoglou making a move to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou excelling at Celtic

The Australian took charge at Parkhead last year following the end of Neil Lennon’s reign and he has become an immediate hero at the club, being described as ‘incredible’ by Fox Sports.

Postecoglou has guided Celtic to within touching distance of regaining the Premiership title, with a six-point lead opened up over Rangers currently and a direct blow landed on their arch-rivals only last week.

Furthermore, the Hoops could also win yet another Scottish Cup, with a mouthwatering semi-final against the Gers coming up on Sunday afternoon.

The Latest: Mills makes worrying Postecoglou claim

Postecoglou only signed a one-year deal last summer and a new contract hasn’t been agreed yet, with Rory Smith of the New York Times telling the BBC last week (4 April) that the Celtic boss has his admirers at Manchester City.

When asked if Premier League clubs could take an interest in the 56-year-old, Mills refused to rule out any such move, stating:

“People still accept and understand that the level of the Scottish Premiership is not that of the Premier League.

“Celtic were in a decent place. They weren’t a million miles off it, they had a good squad of players.

“Realistically it’s still only a two-team league. Rangers have dropped off a little bit, losing Steven Gerrard was a big blow for them.

“Celtic have improved a little bit, Rangers have dropped off a little bit. It appears as if it is a bigger swing than it is.

“They will want to see how he does in the Champions League first and see what his recruitment is like with another window.

“They just need to see a little bit more longevity. Because Rangers have dropped off a little bit it doesn’t tell the whole story.”

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The Verdict: Would be a huge blow for Celtic

Losing Postecoglou so early in his time at Celtic would be an almighty blow, given the influence he has had at Parkhead, but it would be a big surprise if that happened.

The 56-year-old will surely want to test himself in the Champions League, and the Hoops’ qualification for Europe’s premier club competition next season looks likely, given the current league table and Scotland’s improved UEFA coefficient.

The lure of the Premier League can be difficult for any manager to resist, but for the time being, it feels like this is only the start of Postecoglou’s story at Parkhead.

In other news, Postecoglou has spoken of his ‘concern’ regarding one Celtic player. Find out who it is here.

Now that the 2022 January transfer window has opened and the fact that Southampton have now been taken over by a company backed by Serb media mogul Dragan Solak with Sport Republic buying Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake in the club, this could lead to some potential incoming transfer deals taking place this month at St. Mary’s.

However, one potential outgoing transfer that has been talked about in recent weeks concerns Saints midfielder Oriol Romeu possibly making the move to fellow Premier League club Aston Villa.

With this in mind, it seems as though an encouraging claim has been made regarding this potential deal that Southampton fans will be very relieved to hear.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had this to say about the possibility of Southampton letting Romeu leave this month.

He said: “I don’t think Southampton would be too keen to lose somebody like Romeu because the squad is quite thin as it is, so I don’t think Southampton would encourage any offers for Romeu.”

Since joining Southampton back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Chelsea in a deal worth £5m, the Spaniard has gone on to make a total of 231 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing four assists in the process.

With the 30-year-old having made at least 30 Premier League appearances in four of the seven league campaigns he’s had at St. Mary’s, it’s safe to say that he has been a pivotal figure for the team since his arrival, making him a bargain signing for what they paid and what they’ve since got out of him.

In addition to this, with 17 league appearances under his belt so far this season, Romeu has managed to rack up an overall performance rating of 6.82/10, making him Southampton’s fifth-highest rated outfield player according to WhoScored, further highlighting his importance to the team and why a potential exit this month would be catastrophic for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Now that O’Rourke has claimed that Southampton may not entertain any potential offers they could receive for Romeu this month due to his significance to the team, this should put to bed any concerns the Southampton fans may have about his immediate future at St. Mary’s. Consequently, they should be delighted that he looks set to stay on the south coast.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash Armando Broja

As per The West Ham Way website, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared an update out of Rush Green as talks intensify for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

The Lowdown: West Ham offer rejected…

Over the final week of this year’s January transfer window, reports have claimed that West Ham made a loan bid to sign the Croatia international but it was swiftly rejected (Scottish Daily Mail via pressreader).

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The Daily Express recently backed this claim, too stating that the Irons and recruitment chief Rob Newman have failed with an opening loan offer.

It is believed that Marseille won’t entertain the notion of a temporary transfer and instead want to sell outright, with talkSPORT stating the price is somewhere around the £20m mark.

According to Ex, though, the Irons are still negotiating a ‘compromise’ as he shares an update.

The Latest: West Ham talks intensify…

According to the insider’s sources, via West Ham Way, ‘talks have intensified’ for Caleta-Car’s signature today as the Hammers chase a ‘loan to buy arrangement’.

It is believed that the Ligue 1 giants are indeed ‘eager’ to strike a permanent deal due to their financial woes.

The Verdict: Pivotal hours…

A centre-half has long been on Moyes’ transfer agenda and he will be hoping that a compromise can indeed be reached with Marseille, especially going by Caleta-Car’s pedigree.

Called an ‘excellent player’ by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the 6 foot 3 powerhouse signing on loan could be a real snip.

According to WhoScored, only Kurt Zouma has averaged more interceptions per 90 in the Europa League this season (3) than Caleta-Car (1.7) when comparing to West Ham’s squad, while the international’s impressive 92.1% pass accuracy in the French top flight indicates he is a tidy player.

Still only 25-years-old, he could also be an asset for years to come if West Ham do opt to trigger a possible permanent move in any loan-to-buy arrangement.

In other news: ExWHUemployee says West Ham want ‘phenomenal’ £45m star, he’s allegedly open to joining…find out more here.

Aston Villa haven’t been at their best in recent times as they continue to struggle with consistency, which has had a negative affect on their pursuit of a play-off place. 

The Villains may already have one eye on the summer transfer window after hearing recent news of Chelsea’s transfer ban, as their hopes of signing Tammy Abraham on loan again in the summer have taken a huge hit as the Blues may not want to offload any of their players due to not being able to sign anyone for two transfer windows.

So, with Abraham possibly staying at Stamford Bridge next season, perhaps Aston Villa should renew their interest in Charlie Austin, who was linked (as per Sky Sports, via Express) with a move to Villa Park last month.

Indeed, the Englishman has previous experience from playing in the Championship from his time at Burnley and Queens Park Rangers, and he even won the play-offs with QPR back in 2014. He managed to produce a whopping 47 goals in 89 appearances during his time at Loftus Road and 44 goals in 90 appearances at Turf Moor.

Sadly, he’s struggled to enjoy regular minutes in the current campaign at Southampton but he has the ability to unlock almost any defence on his day, and he’s very similar to Tammy Abraham in many ways as he loves to use his power and strength, as well as holding the ball up and using his deadly finishing ability.

What do you think Aston Villa fans?

With Aston Villa recently confirming the appointment of Steven Gerrard as Dean Smith’s successor in the Villa Park dugout, attention has immediately turned to the business the 41-year-old manager could look to do in the January window, with one name having already cropped up on a number of occasions – that of Ryan Kent.

Indeed, upon Gerrard’s increasingly strong links with a move to Villa on Tuesday, Birmingham Live reported that the Rangers manager’s appointment could see him reignite Aston Villa’s 2019 interest in a move for the then-Liverpool winger – who was ultimately convinced of a permanent move to Ibrox by Gerrard.

A similar report by the Liverpool Echo also suggested that the 41-year-old could go on to realise Liverpool’s prediction that the winger would be making a return to the Premier League before too long – with this being the reason behind a 20% sell-on clause negotiated by the Reds upon his departure from Anfield.

The Sun have also jumped on the bandwagon of claiming that the former Liverpool captain could look to make a move for Kent in the January transfer window, going as far as to include the 25-year-old in a predicted Aston Villa lineup under the new leadership of Gerrard.

It is easy to see why so many outlets are suggesting that the new Villa boss could be plotting a move for the former England U20 international this winter, as Gerrard is clearly a huge fan of the forward – who flourished under the leadership of the 41-year-old at Ibrox.

Indeed, after scoring six goals and registering six assists over his 27 Scottish Premiership appearances during a loan spell in 2018/19, Gerrard fought off the likes of Leeds United and Villa to bring that season’s PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year back to Glasgow on a permanent basis the following summer, spending £7.5m on the winger.

Kent proved worthy of this hefty fee almost immediately, scoring seven goals over 21 appearances in the curtailed 2019/20 Premiership campaign, as well as bagging a further goal and four assists over 12 fixtures in the Europa League, SFA Cup and Scottish League Cup.

However, it was undoubtedly over his 37 Premiership appearances during Rangers’ title-winning campaign last term that the £12.6m-rated man proved his ability as a top-level talent, scoring 10 goals, registering 11 assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates.

These returns saw the £18k-per-week forward earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.23 – ranking the 25-year-old as the seventh-best performer in the top flight of Scottish Football.

As such, it is easy to see why Gerrard is such a fan of the Oldham-born attacker, with the Villa boss dubbing Kent as a “dangerous” player, as well as revealing how crucial a part of the Rangers side he believes the former Liverpool man to be.

During the winger’s recovery from a hamstring injury earlier this season, Gerrard claimed: “Missing a player of Ryan’s quality, with what he gives us on both sides of the game, is always going to have an effect. It’s always going to be a challenge for other people to step in because of his high quality and his standards.”

And, with Villa’s regular options on the wing, Emiliano Buendia, Bertrand Traore, Anwar El Ghazi and Leon Bailey having scored just three Premier League goals between them so far this season, as well as providing a total of just three assists, the argument can easily be made that Gerrard’s new side are in need of a fresh face out wide this January.

So, when taking into account Kent’s highly impressive returns north of the border, Gerrard’s obvious fondness of the winger and Villa’s lack of both goals and creativity from the wing, it would indeed seem highly advisable for the 41-year-old to do all he can to make the 25-year-old his first signing this winter, as the Englishman would appear to be exactly what Villa are missing at present.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops big 7-word claim that’ll surely excite Aston Villa fans

Celtic forward Mikey Johnston has been spotted training with the squad ahead of this afternoon’s League Cup final against Hibernian.

The Lowdown: Ange’s attacking woes

Ange Postecoglou has had to deal with plenty of injury issues during his first season in charge and has been without a number of his attacking players in recent weeks.

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Jota, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Kyogo Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti, James Forrest and Karamoko Dembele are all sidelined, whereas Johnston also missed the 2-1 win over Ross County in the week.

The 22-year-old, who has been described as ‘sensational’ by Callum McGregor, had been involved in the previous nine Premiership matchday squads, but it seems as if his absence may only be a short one.

The Latest: Spotted at Lennoxtown

On Friday afternoon, Celtic’s official Twitter channel shared footage of the squad training at Lennoxtown.

As reported by Celts Are Here, Johnston was pictured back in training, which may mean he is ready to feature at Hampden Park today.

The Verdict: Boost

Postecoglou had to shuffle his pack massively during the week, with full-backs Adam Montgomery and Josip Juranovic playing further forward and winger Liel Abada lining out in a centre-forward role. [SofaScore]

On that basis, having a forward like Johnston ready to go against Hibs should come as a big boost for the Hoops manager.

It’ll be interesting to see what Postecoglou goes with at Hampden Park, with another option using Abada and Johnston out wide with either David Turnbull in a false nine role as he has done recently or even risking Furuhashi, with the Celtic manager set to give the Japan star as long as possible before making a call on whether he can feature today.

In other news: Postecoglou wants 49-cap colossus at the peak of his powers to cap Celtic’s January business 

Liverpool are ‘convinced’ that they should make a move for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez following his performance against them in the Champions League.

The Lowdown: Nunez impresses against Reds

The Reds picked up an impressive 3-1 win away to the Portuguese giants on Tuesday evening, as they made themselves strong favourites to reach the semi-finals.

Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Nunez looked a constant threat for Benfica and he pounced on an error from Ibrahima Konate to make it 2-1 on the night. The Uruguayan forward won four aerial duels and completed two key passes and four dribbles to go with his goal (Whoscored).

A big-money exit could be on the cards for the 22-year-old this summer and it looks as though Jurgen Klopp is now eyeing up a move for him.

The Latest: Transfer claim emerges

According to Record [via Sport Witness], Nunez impressed ‘those in charge and even players’ at Liverpool after his impact against them at the Estadio da Luz.

The Reds are ‘convinced’ about his ability and it is claimed that Mohamed Salah lauded the Uruguayan in a conversation with Benfica midfielder Adel Taarabt.

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The Verdict: Does Klopp need him?

While Nunez looks like a player of immense promise – Jorge Jesus has said he could become the ‘best in the world’ one day – Liverpool don’t need him currently.

They have a plethora of attacking options and the likes of Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino can all excel in his preferred central role.

Should Nunez stay put at Benfica for another year, he could be a perfect signing at the end of next season, however, at which point one of Mane or Firmino will likely be moving on, with their contracts expiring at that point.

In other news, a triple Liverpool transfer claim has emerged. Read more here.

Aston Villa have seen many players come and go to and from the club over recent years under the ownership of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.

While the Villans have not been shy when it comes to spending big amounts of money to bring new players to the Midlands on permanent deals, they have also seen some figures join on temporary loan spells such as Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Ross Barkley to name some of their more recent ones.

One player that Villa secured on loan that they will definitely be glad they didn’t end up signing on a permanent basis was midfielder Danny Drinkwater.

Signed during the 2020 January transfer window on loan from fellow Premier League side Chelsea, the Englishman ended up making just four appearances in the Premier League throughout the remainder of the 2019/20 season.

His performances in those four appearances failed to show anyone why Villa chose to add him to their ranks, with WhoScored giving him a disappointing and quite frankly woeful overall rating of 5.74. making him the lowest-rated player to start at least one league game for the Villans throughout the entire campaign.

Taking this into account, and the fact that he was involved in a training ground clash that saw him headbutt former Villa winger Jota, it’s easy to see why the club didn’t end up signing the 32-year-old on a permanent deal.

Having described his own spell with Chelsea as a “shambles,” it’s safe to say that this description could also be used when talking about his time at Villa Park as well.

Since leaving the Midlands club, the former Leicester City star had a spell in Turkey on loan with Kasimpasa after joining them in the 2021 January transfer window where he made 11 league appearances.

After that, the midfielder found himself away from Chelsea, who have been paying him a weekly wage of £120k-per-week since 2019 according to Salary Sport, on loan again, this time back in England with Championship club Reading.

Having racked up 26 appearances there so far this season, Drinkwater has finally found himself getting some regular game time, something that he hasn’t really had since his final year at Leicester where he made 29 league appearances throughout the 2016/17 campaign.

Taking all of this into account, it has to be said that Villa and NSWE dodged an almighty bullet by not signing the Englishman on a permanent deal and were probably wrong in bringing him to the club at all.

In other news: £12.8m down the drain: AVFC’s “condemned” £38k-p/w liability rinsed NSWE for 100 weeks