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Newcastle United are now one of the biggest spending clubs in the Premier League and Eddie Howe looks set to open their chequebook once again in the January window, according to reports.

Newcastle United transfer updates…

Newcastle United once again spent big in the summer transfer window as ambition levels in the North East continue to get loftier, with Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Yankuba Minteh, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall all arriving at St James' Park.

Despite performing slightly below expectations according to some in footballing circles, the Magpies sit seventh in the Premier League table with 20 points from their opening 12 fixtures. Nevertheless, they have won just two of their last six matches in all competitions and a recent spate of injuries has complicated matters as they aim to once again challenge for Champions League qualification.

Bringing in some additional quality in January will be an important endeavour for Howe as he tries to bolster key areas; nevertheless, Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, who has been mooted as a target for Newcastle United in recent times, is unlikely to arrive at the club in January as the Premier League considers implementing a ban on teams who loan players from sides they have an association with, as per Football Insider.

Reports in Denmark indicate that Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande is someone who is in Newcastle United's sights and a bid believed to be in the region of £58 million is being readied for the Ivory Coast international by Howe and company.

Now, a fresh report has indicated that the Toon could also look to strengthen their options in the final third by initiating a transcontinental swoop for a talented winger.

Newcastle United track Benjamin Rollheiser

According to reports from Argentina via Sport Witness, Newcastle United are keen on Estudiantes winger Benjamin Rollheiser once again after previous links with the 23-year-old in the summer transfer window.

The outlet claim that Estudiantes only own 50% of his rights, with the other half being retained by Rollheiser himself, alongside his entourage. Former Argentina Under-23 international Rollheiser is expected to move clubs in January after rejecting offers from clubs in England, Brazil and the United States in the summer to continue his time at the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi.

Speaking earlier this year, Estudiantes manager Eduardo Dominguez revealed that he sees aspects of football legend Lionel Messi's game in Rollheiser, as he stated via Ole: "The comparison has to be with the maximum expression. It seems to me that he has things, if we understand that it is not that he is Messi. I don't know when another (player with Rollheiser's attributes) one will come out.

"Of course, today he is one of the most decisive players in Argentine football and he has to learn to take care of what he is achieving. I don't care what he is experiencing."

Casting their net across the globe, Newcastle look to be utilising their reach to the full extent as Howe eyes more talented players from far and wide to boost the depth and quality in his squad.

Julen Lopetegui put Wolverhampton Wanderers in a tricky situation after stepping down from his position as head coach just three days before the Midlands club travelled to Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.

The former Europa League-winning manager took over last winter, with the Wanderers sitting rock bottom of the Premier League table but managed to steer the side to an eventual 13th-place finish despite scoring the fewest number of goals out of all 20 teams.

The Guardian reported that the Spaniard had "repeatedly voiced unhappiness" at the lack of investment from the board amid Financial Fair Play constraints during the summer, which led to his exit in the end.

However, one of his final acts as Wolves boss was to sanction the sale of a player who is currently outperforming Matheus Nunes' statistics, following the latter's £53m move to English champions Manchester City during the summer window.

Hayao Kawabe's sale

Hayao Kawabe was signed by former Wolves boss Bruno Lage in January 2022 from Swiss Super League side Grasshoppers for a reported £500k on a three-and-a-half-year deal, becoming the first Japanese player in the club's elusive history, but was sent back on loan to the Zurich-based team for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign and the following season.

Unfortunately, the six-cap Japan international never made a professional appearance at Molineux and was sold during the most recent transfer window for £1.3m to Belgian Pro League outfit Standard Liege, giving Wolves almost triple the return on their investment eighteen months prior.

Confirming the news of Kawabe's departure in a club statement, Sporting Director Matt Hobbs admitted that the 28-year-old's move "benefitted both parties".

Prior to his permanent exit, Kawabe was being linked with a switch to Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard for the same price. Nevertheless, opting to move to Belgium looks to be the correct decision as Kawabe's transfer value has rocketed even further, now currently sitting at £2.4m, according to Transfermarkt's valuation of the player.

Kawabe was one of four midfielders who left Wolves during the summer, alongside Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and, most recently, Nunes, as the club accumulated £147m in transfer sales, but his recent form suggests that the board and ex-boss Lopetegui may have made an error in judgement.

Kawabe's stats this season

While Standard Liege are struggling in the Pro League this season, having picked up four wins from 12 games, Kawabe has scored three goals and registered two assists for Les Rouches and has played as an attacking midfielder, a number '8' and as a lone '6' in the middle of the park.

The Hiroshima-born player could be on his way to beat last season's tally of 17 goal contributions with Grasshopper in Switzerland, including nine goals and eight assists.

When comparing Kawabe's FBref stats in the current campaign to all other midfielders in leagues most similar to Belgium's top flight, it makes for impressive reading. Kawabe is in the top 1% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 13% for non-penalty xG per 90, the top 12% for shots per 90, the top 4% for assists per 90 and the top 6% for touches in the opposition's penalty area per 90. These stats prove why Kawabe once described his own style as "box-to-box".

Kawabe could have been a solid replacement for Nunes for new Wolves boss Gary O'Neil had he not been sold prior to his arrival at the club. The Japanese midfielder's xG per 90 this season stands at 0.13 while he has been scoring 0.35 goals per 90. In contrast, Nunes is averaging an xG of 0.02 per 90 but hasn't found the net once.

Furthermore, Nunes is averaging double the number of passes per 90 than Kawabe this term with 49.8, although this is to be expected given Man City have more of the ball than any other side in the Premier League each game. However, Kawebe's passing is actually helping Standard Liege to progress up the pitch more, boasting 4.07 progressive passes per 90 to Nunes' 3.5.

There is no doubt that Nunes is a quality player but given how well Kawabe has performed over the past two seasons in both Switzerland and now Belgium, Wolves may live to regret letting him leave so soon and for so cheap.

da bet esporte： Tottenham Hotspur remain one of only two unbeaten sides in the Premier League at this point in the season. The Lilywhites, alongside North London rivals Arsenal, have got off to a blistering start, defeating the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. With every week, the appointment of Ange Postecoglou looks more and more like Daniel Levy's first act of genius since welcoming Mauricio Pochettino all those years ago.

da cassino online： Whilst in a position of strength, Spurs must take advantage, both on and off the pitch. On the pitch, they have the chance to begin the cycle of creating history. Meanwhile, away from the flawless turf at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they could return to the transfer market to welcome one particular rising star.

Spurs transfer news

Spurs' start becomes all the more impressive when you consider the exit of record goalscorer Harry Kane in the summer. The England international swapped North London for Bayern Munich in the hope of finally ending his search for silverware. His former club, meanwhile, spent their newfound riches on the arrivals of players such as James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, and Micky van de Ven.

Now, however, the latest Kerem Akturkoglu transfer news suggests that Levy could make his move for the winger. According to Milliyet, Spurs sent scouts to watch the Galatasaray man in his side's 2-1 victory over Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig. The Premier League side were reportedly not alone in their scouting, however, with Atletico Madrid also sending officials to watch Akturkoglu.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs will push ahead with a deal to sign the 25-year-old. If the scout reports come back and highlight a number of positives, then he may well find himself on Levy's shortlist for either January or next summer's transfer window.

Who is Kerem Akturkoglu?

Now 25, Akturkoglu's appearances have seen him become Mr Consistent at Galatasaray. He has featured in 129 of his last 133 possible matches for both his club and the Turkish national team. Availability can mean more than most traits these days, too, given the incredible number of games that sides play week in, week out. The winger has the ability to go with that injury-free run, too.

Akturkoglu's stats also speak for themselves. The winger has gotten off to a flying start for Galatasaray on that front this season, recording 12 goal involvements in just 17 games, having scored five and assisted a further seven. It is the type of numbers that Maddison has been applauded for at Spurs, which only makes the mind wonder just how clinical both the England international and current Spurs target could be together.

Postecoglou certainly has a lot to think about if Levy is willing to sanction a deal. As things stand, Richarlison and Johnson share the role on the left of the attacking quartet in North London, but the arrival of Akturkoglu could change that. The Galatasaray man has more than done enough so far this season to warrant a move in the next two transfer windows, so it could be one to watch.

Southampton have earned a reputation as a club that are capable of bringing in and developing young players before allowing them to move on to bigger things.

Who are Southampton's most expensive sales?

The Saints have used the transfer market to great effect over the years as they have been able to identify gems before selling them for a significant profit after a few seasons.

Fees via Transfermarkt.

Luke Shaw is the only player on the list above who was not initially brought in from another club, showing the club have been able to snap up promising young talent and then reap the benefits of their potential.

Who could be the next player to follow in their footsteps at St. Mary's? Well, one player who appears to be on his way to being another huge success story on the south coast is Samuel Edozie.

How much was Samuel Edozie worth at Manchester City?

The 20-year-old forward came up through the academy system at Manchester City with FootballTransfers placing his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €2.8m (£2.4m) at the time of his move to Southampton in the summer of 2022.

This was less than three years after his initial xTV of €200k (£171k) at the start of 2020 as his performances for their youth team caused his value to rise and promoted a transfer to the Saints.

Edozie made his breakthrough at U18 level for City during the 2019/20 campaign and went on to rack up five goals and six assists in 22 appearances.

This led to the talented youngster being promoted to U21 duty for the Citizens and the exciting ace continued to catch the eye at the top end of the pitch with eight goals and three assists in 34 matches at that level.

The tricky winger, who made his first-team debut for City in the 2021 Community Shield, also scored one goal and assisted one in three UEFA Youth League matches for the U19 side.

Why did Southampton sign Samuel Edozie?

Southampton secured the then teenager's services during the 2022 summer transfer window and Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was the manager at the time, described him as a "promising" player with "impressive" technical quality.

The Austrian head coach claimed that the skilful attacker fit the club's philosophy as a young player with the potential and time to grow and develop over the years to come.

This suggests that the former RB Leipzig boss brought Edozie in with a view to him potentially becoming the next Livramento, or Mane, or even Van Dijk, to pass through the halls on his way to a mega-money transfer to a huge European club in the future.

Livramento, in particular, is an excellent comparison as the English right-back was signed from Chelsea's academy in the summer of 2021 and instantly became a first-team performer for the Saints.

The former Blues prospect was valued at €10.1m (£8.6m) by FootballTransfers shortly after his move to the club and ended up joining Newcastle United this year for the aforementioned fee of £30m.

Livramento made 34 senior appearances for the club, which included 30 in the Premier League, across his two seasons at St. Mary's after failing to play a single first-team game during his time with Chelsea.

How has Samuel Edozie performed for Southampton?

Edozie endured a difficult debut season with the Saints as he was thrust into his first year of professional football as part of a team that ended up being relegated to the Championship.

The Englishman racked up 17 Premier League appearances and failed to contribute with a single goal or assist from out wide, whilst he also created just 0.5 chances per game – the joint-tenth most within the squad.

He did, however, offer glimpses of promise with how he handed the physicality of the division with a ground duel success rate of 61%, which shows that the up-and-coming talent is willing to put in the work defensively.

In fact, the 20-year-old ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers among Europe's top five leagues for tackles made per 90 (2.79) over the last 365 days.

Edozie has now established himself as a regular starter in the Championship for the side so far this season with five starts during the 2023/24 campaign.

The winger scored his first senior goal in a recent 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers, whilst his quick footwork has also been on display with two completed dribbles per game.

Only Stuart Armstrong (2.2) and Kyle Walker-Peters (2.4) have been successful in more dribbles per match for Southampton this term, which shows that the former Citizens prodigy has excelled at progressing the team up the pitch.

How much is Samuel Edozie worth now?

FootballTransfers currently rates his xTV at €8.4m (£7.2m), meaning that Edozie's market value has rocketed up by 200% in one year on the south coast.

His displays have evidently been good enough for his price to rise, an indication that the club have an asset that is growing immensely in value and talent.

Current Southampton manager Russell Martin recently described Edozie as an "exciting" player with "huge" potential and this is backed up by his soaring valuation and improved performances on the pitch this term.

The ex-Manchester City gem looks set for a breakout season in Saints colours if he can maintain his place within the starting XI whilst adding more goals and assists to his game, which is possible when you consider his aforementioned form at academy level.

Hasenhuttl truly struck gold when he decided to bring the exceptional youngster to St. Mary's last year. The club now have another superb prospect who could net them a hefty payday in the future, as the likes of van Dijk, Mane, Livramento, and Lavia, among many others, have done in the past.

Hopefully, his value will continue to soar throughout the rest of the campaign and over the years to come with Southampton set to benefit hugely from his talents on and off the pitch.

Leeds United continued their underwhelming start to the season last night, as despite fielding a strong side for their match with Salford City, Daniel Farke's side were ruthlessly dumped out of the EFL Cup.

How did Leeds United play vs Salford City?

Despite maintaining their dominance throughout a clash that stretched on for 98 minutes, the Whites relentlessly pushed for two goals having fallen behind inside 35 minutes.

Although Pascal Struijk's neat close-range finish offered hope of a late comeback, they still could not find that winner, with a 1-1 draw ushering in a penalty shootout. This was made all the more frustrating given they had rained down 33 shots, created four big chances and hit the woodwork on three occasions, via Sofascore.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

Both sides showcased some stunning finishes from 12 yards, but in the end, misses from Georginio Rutter and Jamie Shackleton resigned them to defeat in just the second round of the cup.

For all their disappointment, failing to see out a win that they probably should have claimed, the latter of these two unfortunate gems still starred and will have given his manager a true headache as the Championship returns this weekend.

How did Jamie Shackleton play?

Having spent last season on loan at Millwall, the versatile 23-year-old dynamo boasts plenty of experience that suggests he can be a key figure for Farke this season.

He has already made three starts in the new term to suggest this will be the case, with his ability to feature in a number of roles key. Last night saw him start at right-back, but that could be a role he will struggle to maintain given the west Yorkshire outfit have just agreed on a deal to sign Djed Spence on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

The former Middlesbrough flyer is a dynamic, all-action defender who has been starved of opportunities since his north London switch.

However, during his loan spell at Nottingham Forest during the 2021/22 campaign, his six goal contributions and one key pass per game (via Sofascore) suggest that Elland Road will be treated to a true attacking presence from right-back.

But, with Shackleton's performance against the Ammies, his place in the side will not be a certainty.

The academy graduate played the full game as part of their staunch backline, yet was creatively immaculate despite their inability to find the net.

The youngster enjoyed 98 touches of the ball and maintained a 94% pass accuracy, yet somehow also recorded four key passes and forged a sole big chance, via Sofascore.

It takes a true talent to remain economical in possession, yet still a consistent creative threat.

However, that's not to suggest that he abandoned his defensive duties though, making three tackles and winning seven of the eight duels he competed in at an 88% success rate, via Sofascore.

His excellence was outlined by journalist Beren Cross in his post-match ratings, who offered the following summation after handing the £1m-rated gem an admirable 7/10 rating:

"Got up and down well without ever causing too much of a fuss defensively. Brought a decent level of threat going forward and went past multiple Salford defenders on more than one occasion."

Although Spence is a fine acquisition for Leeds, he will have to perform to the best of his capabilities to push Shackleton out of a position where he shone last night despite the crushing defeat.

Chelsea attacker Mykhailo Mudryk has sent a defiant message to his supporters on social media amid his slow start to the 2023/23 Premier League season.

Has Mykhailo Mudryk been playing badly for Chelsea?

Over the weekend, the Blues slumped to a disappointing away defeat against West Ham United at the London Stadium, losing 3-1 despite being up against ten men for the final 23 minutes of the 90.

For all the positivity that seems to have been around the arrival of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, this hasn't quite resulted in performances on the pitch with Chelsea yet to win either of their first two games, following a 1-1 draw against Liverpool on the opening weekend.

In both matches, Mudryk has had the opportunity to make himself a hero but fluffed his lines. Indeed, against the Reds, he was put through on goal late on but took a heavy touch past goalkeeper Alisson Becker and the chance ultimately came to nothing.

You can see the moment via Reddit below.

While against the Hammers, the £88.5m player also failed to deliver a telling moment of quality when the opportunity presented itself, as he skewed a volley so poorly that it didn't even end up as a shot on goal.

Unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old has come under criticism for his displays. For instance, he was handed a 3/10 player rating by journalist Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard, while Jude Summerfield of 90min described one moment involving the player as "comical."

In response to his critics, Mudryk appears to have sent out a defiant message on his Instagram story, saying: "Guys, I just wanna say that I appreciate all your support. We going with y'all in one boat, lose together and we win together, and my success will be yours as well."

What position is Mudryk?

Unfortunately, his lack of composure in these last two outings means that Mudryk is still yet to score a competitive goal for the Blues, having now featured in 19 matches across all competitions for the club.

He hasn't started either game so far, though, coming off the bench both times – playing on the right wing against Liverpool, and replacing Carney Chukwuemeka in a more central role vs West Ham.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Perhaps Pochettino will be able to get more out of the Ukraine international if he was to play Mudryk on the left wing. After all, this is probably his best position, having played there 77 times in his career – only operating on the other flank 10 times, and even playing as a centre forward and an attacking midfielder once each (via Transfermarkt).

TV pundit and former player Ashley Cole certainly seemed to think the winger shouldn't have directly replaced Chukwuemeka against the Hammers. He told Sky Sports (via Metro): "Maybe the substitution [Chukwuemeka off, Mudryk on] caused an issue.

"They lost a bit of impetus in the game. They weren’t getting the runs in behind between right-back and centre-back. It was all then too easy for West Ham.

"Pochettino will have understood the context behind the change but I felt they lost a bit of ability to drive beyond and cause West Ham a problem. They lost a little bit of power and impetus to sustain attacks."

West Ham United are still looking for reinforcements in the summer transfer window ahead of their return to Premier League football this weekend, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on West Ham's interest in Elye Wahi?

According to 90min, West Ham have made contact with Montpellier to sign their young striker Elye Wahi this summer.

As per the report, the Hammers are weighing up an offer for the player following the departure of Gianluca Scamacca and is admired by technical director Tim Steidten, however, other Premier League clubs are also interested with Chelsea and Arsenal named as potential suitors.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

It is noted that his Ligue 1 club would expect a fee of around £35m to part ways with their star, an investment that should not be difficult for West Ham to meet due to the money earned on their outgoings over the window so far.

How good is Elye Wahi?

There is no doubt that strengthening the attacking threat in east London will be a huge priority for David Moyes as the club look to improve upon their rollercoaster season in the Premier League last season.

Scamacca's exit and Michail Antonio's reported eagerness to depart this summer presents an opportunity for West Ham to bring in a fresh perspective who can provide consistent goal contributions, working alongside Jarrod Bowen and the other forwards to compete comfortably domestically and on the European stage.

As a result, the signing of Wahi would be a great piece of business for the Hammers in their pursuit to add quality and goal contributions in the final third, as he could provide the club with a worthy Antonio heir who can become the future of the forward line.

As per FBref, when comparing the Montpellier ace's output to Antonio's last season, Wahi has comfortably outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attacking attributes including goal contributions (24 v 8), shots on target rate (58.1% v 33.1%), pass completion (68% v 53.4%) and percentage of dribblers tackled (35.7% v 25%), proving that he could be much more effective in front of goal.

In fact, Wahi was the seventh highest-scoring player in the entirety of Ligue 1 last season, as well as ranking first for his shots on target percentage and fourth for non-penalty goals scored, which is an impressive achievement for a 20-year-old who is just making his start in first team football.

The Frenchman's explosive talent has not gone unnoticed over his short career so far, with Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo waxing lyrical about Wahi's strengths and development:

"He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next."

With that being said, if West Ham could secure a deal for Wahi it would give Moyes a fantastic young goalscorer at his disposal to usurp Antonio's starting berth and if he could emulate his form of last season, would prove to be a standout performer in improving the side's performances.

Manchester City are now in advanced talks over a deal for Josko Gvardiol, and they remain confident they will be able to complete the move, according to a report from Football Insider.

Who is Josko Gvardiol signing for?

There have been recent reports that Man City may face late competition from elsewhere in their pursuit of Gvardiol, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool allegedly all submitting offers, however Pep Guardiola's side remain favourites.

The Sky Blues' pursuit of the RB Leipzig defender has been ongoing for quite some time, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano initially claiming the first part of his medical had been completed, although he later clarified this was not the case.

Leipzig sporting director confirmed the two clubs were still quite some way apart in their negotiations over the centre-back, saying: "A lot has been written and the latest information about Josko surprised us all.

"There is no agreement, not even remotely an agreement."

However, it now appears as though City are finally close to getting their man, with Football Insider reporting they are in advanced talks over a deal, which is set to amount to £140m in total, including his wages.

The Citizens are now confident they will complete a deal for the £59k-per-week Leipzig star well before the transfer window slams shut, in what would be a near club-record deal, having shelled out £100m for Aston Villa's Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021.

The ball is still firmly in the Bundesliga club's court, as they have already received money for Dominik Szoboszlai and Christopher Nkunku this summer, and the Croatian is contracted until 2027, meaning there is no pressing need to let him leave.

What are Josko Gvardiol's main qualities?

The 21-year-old has been lauded by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as a "modern defender, who combines strength with good technique & passing", while also branding him a "tenacious tackler."

Despite his age, the 6 foot 1 centre-back already has a plethora of first-team experience, making 139 appearances during spells with Dinamo Zagreb and Leipzig, and he has received 21 caps for Croatia, having also impressed for his national side.

At the World Cup, the Croatia international was hailed by journalist Zach Lowy, who said: "Josko Gvardiol is a Rolls-Royce of a defender. 20 years old and the best player on the pitch in a match that featured Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modrić…sensational center back."

The former Dinamo Zagreb man is also very capable of driving the ball forward, ranking in the 96th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Gvardiol could be a fantastic long-term addition to Guardiola's squad, and Man City fans are likely to be relieved the transfer saga finally appears to be coming to an end.

In order to give clubs equal time to recover, Mauricio Pochettino has called on the Premier League to review their scheduling in the festive period.

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• Pochettino criticises Premier League scheduling
• Play three games in six days in the PL
• Wants fairer scheduling for all teams

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Christmas Eve, Chelsea will visit Wolves at Molineux before hosting Crystal Palace three days later. Considering that Chelsea played Newcastle in their Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday, Gary O'Neil's Wolves players would have had two additional days of recuperation than Pochettino's squad. In comparison to Chelsea, Palace will have twice as much time to recuperate from their last game, which took place against Brighton six days earlier on December 21.

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• WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

  "The problem is the difference between the teams," Pochettino said. "If we all play on the 24th or we all play on the 27th, we are in the same circumstance. But the problem is that one plays (on the 21st) and another on the 27th. That is a big disadvantage or advantage. But I don’t complain."

  "The problem is to organise the situation better because it’s not fair. It’s not to make an excuse, not to open the umbrella before the rain. But come on, it’s a fact. It’s the reality."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea have suffered through the entire campaign with bad form, fatigue and injuries despite having one of the largest squads in the top tier of English football. They currently sit 10th in the league with more losses than wins in the entire season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Pochettino's men will take on Wolves later today as they look to finally string together some victories, they will later face Crystal Palace and Luton Town to bring an end to what has been a dismal year.

George Evans’ red card has presented Wrexham with a selection headache, but three options have been identified to solve that issue.

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• Midfielder sent off against Colchester
• Will now serve a three-match ban
• Somebody required to provide cover

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons were reduced to 10 men in their latest League Two fixture against Colchester United when, with co-owner Ryan Reynolds watching on from the stands, Evans was dismissed for a reckless first-half challenge. He must now serve a three-match ban, with the 29-year-old set to sit out meetings with Newport County, Swindon Town and Walsall.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Phil Parkinson switched Andy Cannon to a holding midfield role after seeing Evans sent off, while Tom O’Connor can step up out of defence. Furthermore, club captain Luke Young – who has seen limited game time of late – could also help to provide cover through to a New Year’s Day meeting with Barrow.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Parkinson has said of the selection poser he faces: “George didn't get straight in the team when he came in. He had to wait for his chance. We have got other players; Tom O'Connor can play in the middle, we have got Luke Young so we have got a lot of options in there. I am really disappointed for George but equally, it is an opportunity for somebody else to step in. We have got players who are eager to take their chance.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham’s derby date with Welsh rivals Newport will see more supporters welcomed through the turnstiles at SToK Racecourse, as a new temporary stand is about to open for business. A positive result will be sought by whoever is selected as the Red Dragons seek to cement a standing inside the League Two automatic promotion places.