[ad_pod ]Leeds United have issued an update on the fitness of Jack Clarke after the young winger was taken ill during the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday.

What’s the word?

Clarke played the first-half against Boro as the two sides shared a point.

He was substituted at half-time and, whilst on the bench alongside manager Marcelo Bielsa and other substitutes, Clarke fell ill in the final 10 minutes.

The 18-year-old was treated on the sidelines,Âgiven oxygen, and was also examined by medical staff before being taken to hospital.

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And Leeds’ chief executive, Angus Kinnear, has confirmed that Clarke is feeling better and has thanked fans for their messages of support.

“JackÂhas had messages from football fans from every club you can imagine and we all really appreciate it,”ÂKinnearÂsaid, per the club’s official website.

“Jack spent the night under the supervision of the medical staff from the club and he will return home today.

“He will undergo some more tests this week and everything is looking well, but he won’t train for the rest of the week.

“In the meantime, we would like to thank everyone who has sent well wishes and once again thank Middlesborough Football Club for all they did for Jack.â€

Result did not matter

As Clarke’s team-mate, Isaiah Brown, tweeted after the game, the result took a backseat after Clarke’s health scare.

“Only thing that matters today is that Jack Clarke is okay! Get well soon brother,” he wrote on his profile.

Leeds took a point from the game and remain in contention for automatic promotion.

Clarke has been central to their rise up the table, scoring two goals and providing two assists in 15 appearances after his first-team breakthrough.

Now, all focus must be on Clarke returning to health and, hopefully, getting back into the Leeds team as soon as possible. For now though, the fact it doesn’t appear to be a serious – or at the very least immediate – health issue is great news for all involved with the Yorkshire club.

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Adam Lallana has made 151 appearances for Liverpool since arriving at Anfield from Southampton in the summer of 2014.

The attacker is an extremely talented footballer, but there is no getting away from the fact that injuries have taken their toll on the now 30-year-old.

Lallana, who missed the 2018 World Cup through injury, has made 11 appearances for Liverpool this season, with nine of those coming in the Premier League.

He has not played the whole 90 minutes of a single match this season, though, and there is a feeling that the Englishman could be moved on this summer by sporting director Michael Edwards.

With that in mind, the Liverpool fans have been on social media discussing what kind of price the club could expect to demand for the playmaker.

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It would be fair to say that there was a range of responses, with some claiming that he could fetch more than £20m, whilst others were not convinced.

Lallana certainly has the talent to turn out for a top-four club, but his fitness issues will be a real concern for the Reds.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Liverpool fans can be seen below:

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For the past few years, the primary concern at Crystal Palace during the transfer windows has been to retain Wilfried Zaha’s services for another season.

Clubs have come calling and the Selhurst Park outfit have knocked them back time and time again, but a long-term contract signed in August 2018 will surely ensure that the Ivorian remains at the club for the remainder of his career unless a European giant is willing to table an extraordinary bid.

While Steve Parish and co can perhaps rest on their laurels in that case, there is another top talent on their books who they will be equally concerned about losing in the summer. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been a revelation for the Croydon outfit since breaking through to the first team in February last year and has been linked with a number of top clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United.

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Zaha is definitely going nowhere

Palace are in no urgency to cash in on either of their prized assets but, should they accept a mouth-watering fee for Wan-Bissaka, then they will unlikely entertain the idea of selling Zaha – even if the fee would surpass Premier League records.

Losing one would be bad enough but losing both would be catastrophic and there would undoubtedly be outrage from the Selhurst Park faithful. Borussia Dortmund have made their interest in the electric winger clear and, having sold Christian Pulisic to Chelsea, they could come knocking in the summer as they look to reinforce their attack.

If Wan-Bissaka has already gone, though, then they will probably have the door slammed straight in their faces.

Club finally ends years of relegation battles

While the 20-year-old has shored up the Palace defence beyond belief, the potential fees being mentioned are pretty big and one has to imagine what that money could do to the team on the premise that it is put straight into Roy Hodgson’s budget.

Michy Batshuayi appears to have temporarily solved the Eagles’ striker deficiency although he will be returning to Chelsea in the summer as it stands. If Palace have £30m or £40m to splash on a top hitman then they would surely be able to challenge for the top ten on a more consistent basis rather than the constant cycle of disappointing relegation battles.

They have, of course, attempted to do so before but Christian Benteke is a confidence-void shell of the striker he was in the 2015/16 season when he scored 17 goals after making the switch from Liverpool.

The reality is that, with the quality they’ve got in all areas of the pitch, Palace shouldn’t be looking over their shoulder every campaign. But perhaps they need one final big-spending summer to take them to the next level.

Obviously signing a top quality right-back would help, too – Joel Ward might be decent at diving headers but he is streets away from Wan-Bissaka – while another winger to take the creative burden off of Zaha and Andros Townsend would be nice as well.

More youngsters through the academy

Wan-Bissaka is the only Palace star to come through the academy and shine since Zaha and considering the number 29 only got his chance through injuries and could therefore easily still be languishing in the Under-23’s, have Palace got any more on their books?

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Nya Kirby, for instance, has impressed on loan at Blackpool and has looked worthy of a shot in the first team for a little while now. More faith needs to be shown in the youngsters, particularly if Palace are to continue their frugal ways of recent windows, as sometimes it is clear that some fresh impetus is needed at Selhurst Park.

Perhaps the big cheeses at Palace will start combing the academy for more starlets if they are accept big bucks for Wan-Bissaka in the summer. Could the 20-year-old, in fact, be the first of many in the coming years to blow Selhurst Park away?

Lucas Torreira has started his Arsenal career with a confidence and consistency that points towards a glowing future in north London, but his development could yet be aided by the arrival of another central midfield player. 

Scuttling across the turf with a bulldog-like approach, demanding the ball into feet and striving to retrieve possession, Torreira is rapidly becoming a firm favourite at Arsenal. A brief period of history characterised by the need to recruit a new midfield lynchpin passed and produced nothing by way of a desirable transfer agreement, but the Uruguayan’s summer arrival has put an end to a recurring theme at the Emirates Stadium.

Torreira is far from the complete package; it will be some time before he establishes himself as one of the Premier League’s most coveted midfielders. However, a recent transfer report hints that a perfect mentor could help him to realise the full extent of his potential.

According to a recent report from Spanish media outlet Sport, Manchester United and Arsenal are plotting a summer raid for Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, with the Catalan giant’s decision to sign Frenkie de Jong and the potential arrival of Adrien Rabiot paving the way for a new era of midfield superstars to emerge.

Barcelona’s loss would certainly be Arsenal’s gain: Rakitic remains one of the most majestic and decisive midfield talents in world football, and his wealth of experience in the game would undoubtedly do wonders for Torreira’s development.

Having the opportunity to learn from and train alongside Rakitic – a player who has won the Europa League, the Champions League, four La Liga titles and been capped 102 times by Croatia – is a privilege which would positively influence any aspiring young player and there is no reason to suggest Torreira would be an exception to the rule.

From an outsiders perspective, it appears that Torreira is a diligent worker with a modest head on his shoulders, so the arrival of a player like Rakitic, who naturally would threaten his place in the first-team, would force him to rise to the challenge rather than wilt at the first sign of genuine competition.

With Aaron Ramsey edging towards the exit door, Arsenal’s interest in Rakitic is well placed and timely, and if Emery is ultimately able to complete an audacious deal to bring the midfielder to north London it will hand the club a new creative wizard and a dream mentor for the ever-improving Torreira.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Everton U23 manager David Unsworth was full of praise for striker Bassala Sambou following his performance and goal in his side’s 2-0 win against Blackburn Rovers on Monday night, and his comments to evertonfc.com suggest that the 21-year-old is ready-made to thrive in the first team.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the impressive attacker took his goal tally for the season for the U23s to nine with an unstoppable strike against Rovers, after the ball had been teed up for him just outside the penalty area by teammate Fraser Hornby.

It was the youngster’s seventh PL2 goal of the campaign and probably his most impressive, and he received plenty of praise from his boss post-match.

Speaking to evertonfc.com, Unsworth said: “It was fantastic strike.

“He worked his socks off tonight and he gives us so much. He gets us on the front foot and we like to press from the front.”

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Ready for the first team?

He might well be.

The Merseyside outfit’s season appears to be petering out with a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League all they realistically have to play for now, and it could give manager Marco Silva an opportunity to blood some youngsters in the remaining 12 top flight fixtures.

One of the positions they have struggled with most is striker, where Richarlison has often filled in despite it not being his natural position as Cenk Tosun continues to struggle to adapt to English football.

The fact that Sambou is explosive and willing to press from the front suggest that he would be ideally suited to playing up top in a Silva side, and Unsworth may have just sent a message to the Portuguese coach that the 21-year-old is ready for action.

[ad_pod ]Leicester fans have taken to Twitter to react after full-back Ricardo Pereira made a huge error against Tottenham on Sunday, which handed the initiative to the north Londoners almost immediately after Jamie Vardy missed a penalty to equalise.The Portuguese international attempted to play the ball out from the back under little pressure, before it was intercepted in a dangerous area for the Foxes right on the edge of their own box.Fernando Llorente then teed up Christian Eriksen for the Dane to smash the ball beyond his international teammate Kasper Schmeichel and double Spurs’ lead, and pretty much end the game as a contest.Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…The King Power Stadium faithful have now witnessed their summer signing make two huge errors in back-to-back games, after the full-back conceded possession to Paul Pogba last week for the midfielder to set up Marcus Rashford to score.Understandably, the Leicester fans on Twitter are annoyed at the 25-year-old, as they felt they could’ve got something against Mauricio Pochettino’s men…

تعادل الشرطة العراقي مع استقلال طهران الإيراني في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

والتقى الشرطة والاستقلال على أرضية استاد خليفة الدولي بالدوحة في قطر ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة بدور المجموعات لبطولة آسيا.

وسجل مازن فياض لاعب الشرطة العراقي هدف التقدم في الدقيقة 26، لكن تعادل استقلال طهران عن طريق أمير أرسلان مطهري في الدقيقة 68.

ويظل الأهلي السعودي متصدرًا ترتيب المجموعة الأولى برصيد 6 نقاط.

وتجمد الشرطة العراقي في وصافة الترتيب بعد ارتفاع رصيده لـ5 نقاط أما استقلال طهران فيحل بالمرتبة الثالثة برصيد نقطتين.

As Manchester United’s quest for fortifying their defence continues, it seems like they’ve targeted a defender to elevate their defensive strength. According to reports (via the Evening Standard), the Red Devils are aiming to make Kalidou Koulibaly their marquee defensive signing in the summer.

While Victor Lindelof has come of age for United in recent months, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is still shaky defensive and need a proper general to calm things down. The experienced Koulibaly, whose allegedly looking for a move away from Napoli, can be a perfect fit. An intimidating, towering defender with bags of experience, he’ll blend in at Old Trafford smoothly.

Koulibaly’s maintained impressive form for Napoli this season, despite controversy of racism being pointed at him by Inter Milan fans earlier this season. The Senegalese defender has helped the Serie A giants keep 10 clean-sheets in the 20 appearances and allowed Carlo Ancelotti’s side to keep the pressure mounted on Juventus.

Koulibaly’s averaged almost 2 tackles per game, along with 4 clearances and 1.3 interceptions every time he’s appeared. A colossal leader at the back, Koulibaly possesses the ability to elevate the defensive ability of those around him. He can easily help Lindelof improve his performance-level by giving him more freedom to express himself with his defending.

The Senegalese defenders’ addition could be among United’s best in years. A defender at the peak of his power, Koulibaly can form a partnership with Lindelof akin to Ferdinand-Vidic and enable the Red Devils to challenge for the title once again.

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Manchester United pulled off a Champions League miracle on Wednesday night when they overcame a two-goal first leg deficit against PSG to progress to the next round of Europe’s elite club competition.

The Paris club’s star-studded side very rarely lose at the Parc des Princes, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men produced a wonderfully disciplined and clinical performance to triumph against the odds.

The Norwegian coach’s impressive start to life at Old Trafford was given another layer of gloss with this remarkable success. Considering how many key players weren’t available to him too, including Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, he’ll certainly have learned a few things about his squad on Wednesday.

Lukaku is back (and better than ever?)

Towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s reign, and at the outset of Solskjaer’s tenure, Romelu Lukaku looked utterly bereft of confidence. The £75 million striker’s finishing touch had deserted him and the United faithful were beginning to turn on the 25-year-old.

Marcus Rashford established himself as the first choice striker under the new boss, and only a month or so ago it looked like it would take something very special from Lukaku to restore his reputation at Old Trafford. He has delivered something special since then though. 

His recent form has been magnificent. He’s scored six goals in his last three games – two in each. His most recent brace was by far the most important, as his well-taken double gave United hope in Paris.

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Faith in youth the answer to injury crisis

United’s injury crisis was well documented heading into this game. On top of Pogba’s suspension, Martial, Lingard, Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic, Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and club captain Antonio Valencia were all ruled out.

The likes of Scott McTominay, Fred and Andreas Pereira started against the Ligue 1 giants, and all acquitted themselves well. On top of that, several academy starlets were named on the bench. 19-year-old Tahith Chong and 17-year-old Mason Greenwood actually both made it onto the pitch.

This proved that United have some serious squad depth and some exciting youth prospects who Solskjaer isn’t afraid to use on the biggest stage. That will be crucial to alleviating United’s injury woes during this difficult period.

Rashford is ice cool

The two-legged tie was decided by a last minute penalty. The VAR-assisted decision to award the spot kick was controversial to say the least, and the lengthy delay that the review process caused will only have served to set Rashford’s nerves jangling.

If he was nervous, the 21-year-old England man didn’t show it. The 31-cap international stepped up and confidently dispatched the penalty beyond iconic veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. 

Rashford is, of course, a huge talent with a great future ahead of him. When the time comes to reflect upon his career, that night in Paris, and that highly-pressurised penalty, could be considered to be one of the defining moments.

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According to Sky Sports, former West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison is nearing a loan move from Lazio to Swedish outfit Ostersunds FK and has joined up with the club at their Marbella training camp.

Morrison made just 24 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers between 2012 and 2015 after joining from Manchester United and was sent out on loan three times.

Once billed as one of England’s upcoming talents, the 26-year-old, according to Phil Neville, even outshone a young Paul Pogba, while Red Devils legend Paddy Crerand said he was the best talent he’d seen since George Best. High praise, indeed.

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United sold him to the Irons though as his attitude proved problematic and little changed with his new surroundings. Offloaded to Lazio in 2015, the story has very much stayed the same since as he makes just eight appearances for the Italian outfit since.

West Ham fans have had young talents to get behind since, of which Declan Rice is the latest – the defensive midfielder shone against Liverpool on Monday night and has surely garnered interest from the big clubs.

The 20-year-old looks set to only get better, while Morrison’s potential seemed to waste away the longer his attitude persisted to hold him back, however that hasn’t stopped Irons fans on Twitter from dreaming of a reunion. Could Manuel Pellegrini be the man to get the best out of him, finally?

Here’s the best of the reaction to Morrison’s near-completed switch to Ostersunds, who are set to become his eighth club…