Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 this afternoon in the Premier League, moving to just three points behind Manchester City at the top of the table, with Pep Guardiola’s side facing Crystal Palace away on Monday night
A brave header from Luis Diaz and a penalty converted by Mohamed Salah secured all three points for the Reds, temporarily moving them ten points clear of Chelsea in third.
While the average match rating for the visitors was 7.17, Guinean midfielder Naby Keita disappointed, only achieving a 6.5 rating as he struggled up against Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and right-back Tariq Lamptey.
The 27-year-old had fewer touches of the ball than Alisson as Liverpool struggled for control, particularly in midfield with Brighton having the majority of possession. Furthermore, Keita only won one of his six duels throughout the game, failed to complete any of his dribbles or long passes and was dribbled past once at the Amex Stadium.
However, Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of the player, having come out with glowing praise of the 26-year-old on Friday amid questions over the possibility of a new contract for the midfielder, who today made his 100th appearance for the Reds.
The Liverpool manager gushed: “Naby’s future will be great. I know that because of the player he is. Until then it makes no sense (to talk about his contract).
“When he looks back at how he played he is an exceptional footballer, that is why we brought him in the first place. Of those 100 games, I think 80 were really good.”
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Keita hasn’t yet fully justified his £54m transfer fee, with him now being valued at £27m, just 50% of Liverpool’s outlay in 2018. With the praise of Klopp ringing in his ears, the Guinean unfortunately let his manager down with a subdued performance against the Seagulls today.
In other news – Forget Diaz: Liverpool monster who won 100% of his duels was Klopp’s real hero
Former Premier League marksman Kevin Phillips has given his reaction to transfer news involving Manchester United and Tammy Abraham.
The lowdown: Abraham linked with Man United
Since joining Jose Mourinho at AS Roma from Chelsea last year, the 24-year-old has enjoyed a stellar campaign in Italy.
With the futures of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford all uncertain, the Red Devils were linked with a move for the former Blues ace by Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera.
The report claimed that United would be willing to spend €90m (£75m) on the England international, although Phillips doesn’t believe that it would be a wise move.
The latest: Phillips unsure on Abraham move
Speaking to Football Insider, the 2000 European Golden Shoe winner was asked whether spending big on Abraham at this juncture is a viable option.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Phillips warned against the expenditure, saying: “I’m not sure for that sort of money.
“Credit to the player for going over to Italy and take the challenge on. He is doing well and is scoring goals.
“We saw Lukaku do something similar when he left Man United to go to Inter Milan. He came back as a £100million player but that has not worked. That has not been the great success that we all thought it would be.
“I fear it would be a similar scenario with Abraham, to be honest. The football over there is nowhere near as competitive or as good as it is in the Premier League.
“Tammy found it hard at times when he was here. I’d be very cautious to spend that kind of money on him.”
The verdict: Heed the warning
Whilst the 10-cap England striker has enjoyed a career renaissance in Rome, one swallow doesn’t make a summer and United would be taking a huge risk with this deal.
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So far this season, Abraham has scored 23 times and provided four assists. That is an even better tally than the Red Devils’ top scorer Ronaldo, who has 18 goals and three assists to his name in 2021/22.
However, signing the £40.5m-valued Abraham – who is under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt) and therefore has a very secure future from Roma’s perspective – for the mooted £75m fee would undoubtedly be too big a stretch.
In other news: Man Utd closing in on new manager appointment. Read more here.
Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch would be foolish to not turn to Crysencio Summerville over the closing stages of the Premier League season as he continues to impress for the U23s.
On Monday evening, the Dutch U21 international bagged a hat-trick in their rout over Crystal Palace, taking his total for the campaign to six goals from ten starts in the Premier League 2 Division One, a feat only bettered by first-team duo Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt, as per FBRef.
The Whites’ academy boss Andrew Taylor waxed lyrical about the 5 foot 5 winger following the display, he told LUTV:
“For me, Cry is a pleasure to work with. He works hard defensively and then, his ability going forward is sensational. He just needs to keep doing that, keep performing.
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“He’ll get his opportunities in our first team I’m sure. As you’ve seen tonight, he’s such a danger, such a threat, an outlet for us. But he doesn’t stop there. He gets back, he gets into position. He took on board a lot.”
Marsch’s current options in the senior squad all have question marks for differing reasons – both Raphinha and Jack Harrison have been linked with moves away ahead of the summer transfer window, for example, whilst the form of £30m club-record signing Daniel James has been poor, to say the least.
Now valued at just £16.2m by Transfermarkt, the Wales international has delivered only four goals across 32 appearances, and he is currently in a nine-game run without a goal.
The Yorkshiremen are among the lowest scorers in the Premier League and that is in part to Patrick Bamford’s continued injury problems, but with Summerville in such fine form, it surely wouldn’t hurt to give him a go?
LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross claimed the 20-year-old gem was “unplayable at times” in the U23’s rout of Palace on Monday night, with Marsch in attendance.
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With Summerville only playing 225 minutes for the first team and barely any in the Premier League, he could well emerge as something of a secret weapon for the American in the final months of the season.
He’s well worth a look heading into an important summer off the pitch for Leeds.
AND in other news, Marsch could unearth Leeds’ next Dallas in 18 y/o prodigy who’s “a dream to coach”…
Tottenham Hotspur could be planning for life without Harry Kane, according to emerging reports…
What’s the word?
The Athletic claim that the Spurs striker is among Manchester United’s prime targets ahead of the summer transfer window, a year on from discussions between executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy.
The Red Devils conceded that any move for the England skipper would have to wait until 2022 after they splashed the cash on international teammate Jadon Sancho.
As such, sources tell the website that renowned Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes has been on the lookout for a potential replacement and has held talks with Benfica forward Darwin Nunez over a potential switch to north London.
Mendes has a great relationship with Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici, so he could hold the keys to bolstering manager Antonio Conte’s frontline.
Bye-bye Kane?
If Spurs are set for another summer of drama surrounding Kane, then they could well cash in this time as it’ll be the final chance to earn a pretty penny before the expiry of his £200k-per-week contract.
By then, he’ll have turned 29 and staring down the barrel of his thirties, where you could plausibly expect performances to drop off – it remains to be seen if he will age like a fine wine, similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo or Thiago Silva, playing way beyond their years.
Should Levy cash in this time, then he’ll have a pretty big void to fill and Nunez is an intriguing candidate to take up the mantle, given his extraordinary form for the Primeira Liga giants.
As per Transfermarkt, the Uruguay international – who has earned comparisons to his compatriot Edinson Cavani in some regards – has found the net a whopping 26 times in 33 appearances for the Eagles this term.
Also capable of playing on the left flank, Nunez notched a further 14 goals and 12 assists during the 2020/21 campaign, so it’s no wonder he’s been lauded as the “complete forward” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Scoring goals and also providing assists, the Benfica star is echoing the sorts of accomplishments that Kane is recognised for in N17 – whilst he drops deeper to bring the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski into play, Nunez is clearly more than capable of creating chances too.
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Currently valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the former Almeria and Penarol talisman won’t come cheap but when you’ve got to replace a player of Kane’s calibre, then you better be prepared to splash the cash.
Nunez would surely be something of a dream signing for Conte and co, given his relentless work rate and proven goalscoring ability. He’s not Kane but a worthy alternative for the longer term.
AND in other news, Forget Hojbjerg: Paratici could sign Spurs’ next Dembele in £22.5m-rated “phenomenon”…
It would be fair to say that West Ham United have not had the best of luck when it comes to transfers over the last decade or so.
Sure, the Hammers have signed seriously talented players like Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, but they’ve also made more than their fair share of dud signings.
Hopefully, with Nuno Espírito Santo in the hotseat ahead of the winter window, the club will start making some smart acquisitions.
However, in addition to bringing in talent, West Ham should also be looking to offload some players, including one who might just be their worst signing since Gianluca Scamacca.
West Ham's flop signings
You only have to go back to last summer for some examples of West Ham’s poor decision-making in the market, with Max Kilman and Niclas Füllkrug now looking like terrible additions to the squad.
The former cost around £40m, and while he’s had a few games in which he’s impressed, he’s had far more in which he’s been a liability, and to make things worse, former manager Gary O’Neil described him as a defender who tends to “switch off” during games.
The German striker, on the other hand, only cost around £27m, but has arguably been an even worse investment for the East Londoners.
On top of missing plenty of games through injury, he’s just not been very good when he has played and is now set to join AC Milan, having chalked up a measly tally of three goals and two assists in 29 games.
In fact, the former Borussia Dortmund star has been such a disappointment at the London Stadium that he has made Scamacca’s time in the capital look better.
With that said, the Italian striker, who joined the Irons from Sassuolo in the summer of 2022 for a fee of around £30.5m, was still a disappointment, though.
The 26-year-old made the move off the back of an impressive season in which he had scored 16 goals and provided one assist for a mid-table side, so there was an expectation that he could be the one to spearhead David Moyes’ side.
Unfortunately, it just wasn’t to be, as the 6 foot 5 poacher struggled to impose himself on opposition teams and ended the campaign with just eight goals in 27 games.
Worse yet, just three of those goals came in the league, and even then, they came against Fulham, Leeds United and Wolverhampton.
Scamacca’s West Ham record
Competition
Games
G+As
EPL
16
3
FA Cup
1
0
EFL Cup
1
0
UECL
7
3
UECL Qualification
2
2
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The Rome-born striker would leave the following summer, and while he was undoubtedly a flop, there is someone in Nuno’s current team who might’ve been an even worse signing.
The West Ham signing worse than Scamacca
Unfortunately, for Nuno and Co, you could probably make the case for several current West Ham players fitting this description, from the pair mentioned above to Mads Hermansen and James Ward-Prowse.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, in this instance, the unenviable title goes to Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Now, to be clear, like most transfer flops, the Greek international has shown moments of quality here and there, but overall, since his £19m move to the club two years ago, he’s been poor.
On the one hand, he’s not got the technical ability to be a modern ball-playing centre-back, and yet he also struggles to make the most of his frame to bully opposition attackers.
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Unsurprisingly, his underlying numbers help to demonstrate how lacklustre he’s been.
Mavropanos’ Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Pass Completion %
86.9%
Bottom 43%
Progressive Carries
0.42
Bottom 32%
Assists
0.00
Bottom 28%
Tackles
1.08
Bottom 19%
Progressive Passes
2.21
Bottom 17%
Dribblers Tackled
0.42
Bottom 7%
All Stats via FBref
According to FBref, he ranks in the bottom 47% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for blocks, the bottom 43% for pass completion, the bottom 19% for tackles, the bottom 7% for dribblers tackled and more, all per 90.
With that said, you don’t need the numbers to know that, in the words of The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, he often has “no clue” where to go or what to do in intense moments.
An example of this lack of awareness was on full display in the draw against Everton earlier this season.
Ultimately, Mavropanos is not a terrible player, but he’s not been good enough, and he likely never will be for West Ham.
West Ham submit bid to sign Wilson upgrade who "doesn't stop scoring"
The incredible goalscorer would be an unreal signing for West Ham, but bad news for Wilson.
Taking to Twitter, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has an update for Tottenham Hotspur fans involving in-form loanee Dejan Kulusevski.
The Lowdown: ‘Decky’ shines for Spurs…
Currently on an 18-month temporary spell from Juventus, the Sweden international has been seriously impressing under manager Antonio Conte in recent weeks.
Indeed, ‘Decky’ has starred as part of a front line alongside marquee players Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, racking up two goals and four assists over Tottenham’s last six Premier League matches (Transfermarkt).
This has led to reports of a major Spurs decision by transfer chief Fabio Paratici, with Juve Live recently claiming that the Lilywhites are already ‘more and more convinced’ over signing him permanently.
Sharing an update, Romano has now posted what he knows about the 21-year-old.
The Latest: Romano shares Kulusevski update…
According to the reporter, Tottenham are ‘more than happy’ with Kulusevski as part of Conte’s ‘long term project’. He also goes into detail on the conditions of a potential permanent move, shedding light on the mandatory purchase clause and how the club can seal him indefinitely ‘this summer’.
Romano explained:
“Tottenham are more than happy with Kulusevski as part of long term project.
Reminder:
▪️ Mandatory buy clause in case Tottenham will qualify to UCL next season/15 appearances as starter;
▪️ €10m loan fee until 2023. Buy clause worth €40m (£33.5) next summer, €35m (£29m) this summer.”
The Verdict: A must?
There is an argument to be made that is early days yet for him at Tottenham, but based on what we’ve seen so far, Kulusevski is clearly a player with huge potential.
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It is little wonder that those within Spurs are overjoyed with the 21-year-old so far and potentially sealing him on a permanent deal for £29m, depending on certain conditions, could actually come as great value for money.
Still young and adapting to the Premier League very quickly, this could certainly be one to watch out for.
In other news: Tottenham make pre-summer bid to sign ‘phenomenal’ £168,000-per-week man, club likely to accept! Find out more here.
Arsene Wenger certainly isn’t too fond of the January transfer window, but with his Arsenal side already nine points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, it could well be the opportunity he needs to right some of the wrongs from the Gunners’ lukewarm start to the campaign.
Indeed, the squad, although impressive in certain departments, lacks balance and depth throughout, whilst there are a number of lingering transfer issues that need to be addressed in the new year.
As a result, here’s a list of FOUR key issues the Emirates boss must resolve via the transfer market when it reopens.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON WENGER TO REVEAL
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LUKAS PODOLSKI – Does he stay or does he go?
Just as we were all forgetting how much of an impact Lukas Podolski can have on any given fixture, he came off the bench last week to rescue Arsenal a victory against Anderlecht in Champions League Group D – netting this last-minute winner:
Indeed, the 29 year-old is a potent finisher and his experience cannot be understated, having amassed 34 appearances in Europe and 124 caps for Germany throughout his career.
But the winger-forward clearly isn’t the player he once was and appears to be growing disillusioned with his bit-part role at the Emirates, stating in October; “I am a full-blooded player, a street player and I love competition. If I don’t have this competition every weekend then a change must occur.” Resultantly, rumours linking him with a January move have not been hard to come by:
Podolski’s been seeing a bit more action recently, but with Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott set to return to first team action by the time of the January window, he may not even make Arsenal’s match-day squads come the new year.
Wenger’s had trouble moving players on in the past. I’m sure we all remember summer 2013, where the Gunners let Denilson, Sebastian Squillaci and Andrei Arshavin all leave on free transfers despite costing the club around £23million in original investments and an unimaginable amount more in wages.
But he may as well cash in on Podolski before the German’s value begins to depreciate, with his contract set to expire in summer 2016.
SIGN PRETTY MUCH ANY DECENT CENTRE-BACK
At this point, any defender that can improve upon the inevitably subpar performances of 5 foot 10 full-back Nacho Monreal at centre-half will do.
How Arsenal entered the new Premier League season with one defender less than last year – Carl Jenkinson, Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna out, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy in – remains an eternal mystery, and it would now be inexcusable for Wenger not to rectify the situation in January.
There’s certainly some options open to the Gunners – West Ham defender Winston Reid for example looks set to be on the move in the new year, with the New Zealand skipper yet to extend his contract past the summer:
Likewise to Aston Villa’s Ron Vlaar, whose World Cup performances for the Netherlands verged upon talismanic:
Here’s a look at the 29 year-old’s World Cup highlights:
//www.youtube.com/embed/KElFlYKBcUY?rel=0
Or, going slightly further afield, rumoured Gunners target Fabian Schar:
Statistically, the 22 year-old Basel prodigy was the best defender in the Champions League last season, as shown below:
And he too is letting his contract wind down with the Swiss champions, suggesting they’ll be forced to sell in the new year.
Upgrade on Arteta and Flamini
No disrespect to Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini, but Arsenal clearly need a more convincing and physical option in holding midfield.
Both have been found wanting this season and if Arsenal are to break the glass ceiling between themselves and the title race, finding an imposing defensive midfielder in January is a necessity. Arsene Wenger appears to agree, having recently called for physical additions in the middle of the park:
The favoured choice of the fanbase would undoubtedly be Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira. A Champions League and World Cup winner, he’s considered to be one of the top midfield enforcers in world football – here’s a clip of him in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/RetIjHKY6pA?rel=0
He looks set to leave the Bernabeu in January after refusing to extend his contract past 2015, but there’s a plethora of clubs already chasing his signature:
That could force Arsenal to consider some more costly alternatives, namely Sporting Lisbon prodigy William Carvalho, who reportedly came close to joining the Gunners on summer deadline day:
Measuring at 6 foot 2, weighing about 14 stone and famed for his simple-yet-effective style, the 22 year-old fits the bill perfectly. Here’s a look at him in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/A8jRQbn1LzE?rel=0
And having recently rejected a new contract at Estadio Jose Alvalade, the Gunners could sign Carvalho for significantly cheaper than his £37million release clause.
LOAN OUT JOEL CAMPBELL
After netting this sensational strike against Manchester United on loan Olympiacos last season:
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//www.youtube.com/embed/nloqftNzgYM?rel=0
…in addition to bagging a goal for Costa Rica at the World Cup:
Many expected young winger-forward Joel Campbell to see a fair amount of action at the Emirates this season.
But for whatever reason, Arsene Wenger simply doesn’t fancy him. He has used the 22 year-old in just three outings so far this season – two substitute appearances and a solitary start in the League Cup.
That’s in no small part due to Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck joining the Emirates ranks over the summer, whilst Theo Walcott’s planned return from injury over the next few weeks will further reduce Campbell’s likely game time.
So if the attacker isn’t going to be a semi-regular fixture this year, Wenger needs to sort him a loan move for the rest of the campaign.
Loads of clubs are willing to take the Costa Rican international on – both Roma and Inter Mila were courting his services during the summer:
Whilst Newcastle remain a potential loan destination a little closer to home, offering Campbell vital Premier League experience.
Liverpool will be back to cup football tomorrow night, just three days after their EFL Cup win over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, as they host Norwich City in the FA Cup fifth round.
In a game which went all the way to penalties, many of head coach Jurgen Klopp’s men will be feeling the effects of a gruelling battle, and he will likely be forced into a number of changes for the tie.
One player who is likely to start is 18-year-old Harvey Elliott, who did come on as a sub on Sunday, but will be looking forward to getting more game-time from the first whistle, particularly against weaker opposition – as players like Naby Keita drop to the bench.
Norwich will certainly be no push-overs, but they aren’t likely to take the game to Liverpool in front of the Kop, so expect them to invite pressure in order to try and make quick counter-attacks and catch Liverpool on the break.
That pressure, though, will encourage the likes of Elliott, who has demonstrated exceptional confidence and ability since being promoted into the first team, freedom to roam and create, which he has done so well so far this season, averaging 5.16 shot-creating actions per appearance, the third most of any player in the Reds squad this term.
The Englishman will definitely be looking to add to the goal he scored against Cardiff City in the last round on his return from injury, and this type of game really could present him the opportunity to create chances for teammates – or get on the end of one.
Teammate James Milner has hailed Elliott’s mental strength as “incredible” after recovering from his unfortunate accident at Leeds earlier in the season, while his cameos in the last month are beginning to remind people what the fuss was all about.
Speaking to talkSPORT a couple of weeks ago, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy also praised Elliott, saying: “I enjoy watching him play, he’s a creative footballer whose got great technical ability.”
Those are comments that could certainly strike fear into the Norwich defence, and supplement the “special” tag that Scott Parker gave the teenager following his debut.
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The more we get to see of the former Fulham youngster, the more it becomes clear that he could genuinely become one of the country’s top young talents – if he continues to receive significant playing time, beginning with a start at home to Norwich City tomorrow.
In other news: Liverpool eye swoop for “world-class” £55m ace, he could force Salah out of Anfield…
Having arrived at Celtic on a free transfer last summer, questions were immediately raised amongst the Parkhead support regarding the club’s decision to hand the 31-year-old central midfielder a four-year deal – with Bhoys Analytics stating their belief that offering the former Crystal Palace player a long-term contract was “insane” and that the move was a “confusing” one for the Hoops to make.
Perhaps more worryingly, Kieran Devlin then revealed in a report for The Athletic back in September that the former Republic of Ireland international had struggled to get to grips with Ange Postecoglou’s demands in training, as well as suggesting that the 56-year-old manager, nor Celtic’s scouting department, had any say into the midfielder’s signing.
In his piece, the journalist wrote: “Dressing-room sources have spoken of how newcomer James McCarthy has struggled in training with the pace and intensity of Postecoglou’s sessions and the demands of his midfielders.
“The Athletic understands neither Postecoglou nor the scouting department had meaningful input into signing McCarthy this summer after his contract expired at Premier League Crystal Palace.”
Indeed, this would go some way to explaining why the £14k-per-week man has featured so sparingly for the Hoops this season, making just six starts in all competitions, as well as featuring for a grand total of 681 minutes – the equivalent of seven and a half games.
Furthermore, when the £2.25m-rated midfielder has been on the pitch, he has failed to impress, averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.80 over his eight Premiership appearances – ranking him as Celtic’s joint 11th-worst performer in the league – in addition to averaging an even more disastrous SofaScore match rating of 6.62 over his five Europa League outings.
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As such, considering just how poor the player who RTÉ analyst, Eamon Dunphy, dubbed a “terrible flop” has been for Celtic, Dominic McKay’s decision to commit just shy of £3m on a four-year deal for McCarthy has already proven to be something of a nightmare for the Bhoys – and one that does not seem likely to end any time soon.
AND in other news: Celtic now set to secure prodigy despite English interest, supporters will be buzzing
Kevin Phillips has shared a ‘concern’ that he now has for Sunderland involving Ross Stewart.
The Lowdown: Defoe retires
Jermain Defoe announced his retirement from professional football back in March, meaning that the Stadium of Light faithful only have two recognised strikers at the club in Stewart and Nathan Broadhead.
The latter has been struggling with injury, and so may not feature at home to Gillingham on Saturday afternoon, meaning that Stewart will likely lead the line once more in the League One clash.
The Latest: Stewart worry
Speaking to Football Insider, former Black Cats striker Phillips has claimed that it would now be a ‘major concern’ if Stewart were to get injured, amid fears of potential burnout for the 25-year-old:
“They are down to the bare bones now.
“There is no two ways around it. It is there for everyone to see.
“Ross Stewart has been an incredible player for Sunderland this season. Just like Charlie Wyke was last season, they have relied heavily on him. The goalscoring charts show that.
“It would be a major concern if he was to get injured. The good thing is, he is a very durable player who does not miss many minutes of football.
“The sensible route from Alex Neil would be to manage his game time. Wrap him up in cotton wool. Sit him out of sessions if need be. Keep him ready for the matches. Ross has done exceptionally well this season.”
The Verdict: Hard to rest him
Given the predicament now with Broadhead, and the fact that the Wearside club need to stay in promotion contention, it is hard to rest Stewart from now until the end of the season.
He is their top scorer by far with no fewer than 22 goals scored in total over all competitions, with Broadhead the next best (seven).
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SAFC are currently outside of the play-off places, and while Gillingham are further down the table, three points are absolutely vital in keeping up with the leading pack.
Thus, they will need to play Stewart at full pelt in order to give them the best possible chance of winning, even at the risk of the Scotsman potentially picking up an injury.
In other news, find out who is now set to leave Sunderland with Benji Kimpioka here!