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Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has shared an early piece of team news ahead of the Wearside club’s Championship clash against Huddersfield Town. 

The Lowdown: Sunderland on the road to Huddersfield

The Black Cats are in action tonight as they take on the Yorkshire club at the John Smith’s Stadium, following on from their 1-1 draw against Luton Town over the weekend.

Having rescued a point against the Hatters after being 1-0 down at half-time, Sunderland will undoubtedly be looking to pick up all three points against their struggling hosts here.

Looking ahead to tonight’s match against the Terriers, it appears that Mowbray has shared an early hint over the role that one player in his squad might have in this game.

The Latest: Mowbray on Simms’ fitness

Speaking in his latest press conference, the Sunderland boss discussed how much game-time Ellis Simms is likely to get against Huddersfield after the striker made his return to action against Luton following a toe injury.

Mowbray said: “Maybe he will get 10 mins more on Wednesday night. The game will dictate. He is a young boy, I know he looks a big man on the pitch. He is working hard to get his general fitness up. It will be after the international break before he plays 90 mins in my mind.”

The Verdict: The right approach

In the eight league games in which he featured prior to picking up his toe injury, Simms had found the net three times for the Black Cats.

In fact, out of the seven games that he missed through this injury, Sunderland only managed to win one of them, which suggests that he has been a glaring loss for the Wearsiders in recent weeks.

To highlight how much of an attacking threat the 21-year-old carries, only Ross Stewart (3.86) has a higher rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes than Simms’ 3.06 among the Sunderland squad.

Considering what Mowbray had to say, it seems as though the club’s coaching staff are correctly taking a slow approach in terms of getting Simms back out on the pitch rather than throwing him in at the deep end after being out for so long and running the risk of aggravating the injury.

To quote the theme tune of famous sitcom FRIENDS, West Ham have felt like they’ve been “stuck in second gear” this season, with the Irons never truly setting the world alight during the course of the opening few months of 2022/23.

It marks a stark contrast to last term when David Moyes’ men were firing on all cylinders. European football was the ambition and they achieved that for another year while reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League in the process.

The task to qualify again is a tricky one, though, particularly with the Hammers now sitting in 13th on just 11 points.

Their new signings haven’t quite fired but there have been more encouraging signs in recent weeks. Indeed, Gianluca Scamacca had scored in consecutive outings before taking on Southampton and then losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Wednesday evening.

Although the Reds have been below par this campaign, Anfield was always going to be a difficult place to go, particularly after their revitalising 1-0 triumph against Manchester City last Sunday.

Moyes’ side could easily have left with a share of the spoils, however, after Jarrod Bowen saw a penalty saved excellently by Alisson.

That miss and indeed Scamacca’s anonymity were big negatives but there was one positive; the performance of Flynn Downes.

There have been several calls for the summer signing to start of late and after a run on the continental stage, he was finally given his first Premier League start against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Although he was substituted with 16 minutes still left to play, it was still a superb performance from the 23-year-old who has already earned comparisons to Declan Rice since his arrival.

Downes was able to mop up play astutely with his all-round attributes firmly on show against one of the best sides in the division.

From a defensive point of view, the midfielder made an impressive four ball recoveries, while making one headed clearance. Clearly hard-working, the former Swansea technician played two passes into the final third as he looked to put his team on the front foot, while he also had one shot blocked after finding room inside the penalty area.

It felt like Downes, who took 32 touches, was everywhere on what was a “massive night” in terms of his West Ham career – as per journalist Malik Ouzia.

Given an opportunity to finally impress from the off in a top-flight encounter, he evidently grabbed the chance with both hands and staked his claim for a regular spot in the starting XI.

When they face Bournemouth next Monday, the all-action midfielder simply has to be unleashed again.

Celtic have endured notable missed opportunities with regards to incomings over the years, with one of the more recent, frustrating examples of what-might-have-been that of current Scotland star, John McGinn.

The boyhood Hoops fan had seemingly been destined for a dream move for to Parkhead in the summer of 2018, with the Old Firm outfit – then managed by Brendan Rodgers – having made multiple offers to land the midfielder from Hibernian.

As it proved, however, the Glasgow outfit’s approach was ultimately rebuffed with the selling party demanding a greater fee, with the player ultimately securing what now appears a bargain move to Aston Villa for a fee of just £2m.

The Scottish giants’ inability to fork out that relatively minor asking price has no doubt come back to haunt them, with it hard to fathom just how Rodgers and co were able to so spectacularly fail in their pursuit of a player who appeared desperate to join them.

The dynamic, all-action star has since gone on to thrive at Villa Park since then having become a crucial figure for the Midlands outfit, with former Villans boss Steve Bruce notably dubbing him one of his “best ever signings” as a result of the playmaker’s impact in England.

The 5 foot 10 sensation notably played a crucial role in helping to steer his current side out of the Championship during the 2018/19 season, scoring six goals and providing an impressive ten assists in the league under Dean Smith.

A “unique” asset – in the words of journalist Dan Bardell – McGinn remains an integral figure for the Premier League side, having now scored 16 goals and laid on 23 assists in 155 games in all competitions for the club, while only recently being handed the captain’s armband by former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.

The 27-year-old notably ranked third in England’s top-flight last term for tackles won as well as second for fouls drawn, as per FBref, with his combative style and ability to glide up the pitch making him a real handful for any opposition midfielder.

Equally, at international level the £56k-per-week machine has also sparkled in recent times, having registered 14 goals in just 49 games in all competitions to date, with his latest strike coming in the win over Ukraine in the Nations League on Wednesday evening.

An increasingly important figure for Steve Clarke’s side – having been named skipper for that Nations League clash at Hampden Park – the one-time St Mirren gem continues to prove a real consistent performer for both club and country, leaving those at Celtic Park to regret their failure even more.

Such has been his rise since leaving Easter Road just over four years ago, the Glasgow-born star could even be worth as much as £70m, according to pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, likely rubbing further salt in the wounds of the Hoops.

Aston Villa have been handed a potential injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Ashley Preece’s latest report for Birmingham Live, in which the journalist claimed that, after missing Villa’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City last weekend due to illness, the 27-year-old should be available for selection for Saturday’s trip to Leicester – with Preece predicting that the Belgium international’s return date is around September 10.

Speaking ahead of the City fixture, Gerrard said of the midfielder: “Dendoncker’s got tonsillitis, he was a bit rough but he got worse last night so he was unavailable [vs Manchester City].”

Great news for Gerrard

While the argument that it is good news one of Steven Gerrard’s summer signings looks as if he will be able to make his debut for the club this weekend is a rather obvious one to make, it is nonetheless very much the case regarding Dendoncker.

Indeed, despite having secured an impressive point against Pep Guardiola’s side last weekend, in truth, Villa’s campaign so far in 2022/23 has been something of a disappointment, with the club currently sitting 17th in the league standings after taking just four points from their first six fixtures.

Solidity at the back and in the middle of the park has been one reason for this poor showing, with Gerrards’ side having already shipped 10 goals in the league this term – at a rate of 1.6 per game – while the Villans have also not been at their free-flowing best going forwards – having also found the back of the net a total of just five times so far this season.

This is something that, in theory, the addition of Dendoncker will help to improve, with FBref ranking the £25.2m-rated talent in the top 10% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for blocks per 90, as well as the top 27% for aerial duels won, the top 21% for passes completed, the top 21% for non-penalty xG and the top 40% for pressures over the last 365 days.

As such, with the Belgian quite clearly being an imposing figure in the middle of the park, as well as one who is extremely capable with the ball at his feet and can get into goalscoring positions, the 27-year-old’s return to fitness would undoubtedly increase Villa’s chances of picking up a positive result at the King Power on Saturday – with three points being an absolute must for the increasingly under-fire Gerrard.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Callum Hudson-Odoi in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Magpies are weighing up a potential swoop to sign the English winger in the coming weeks.

Amanda Staveley was pictured with Chelsea chiefs at Stamford Bridge in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham and the reporter has added that the Toon are looking at two Blues players. 

He Tweeted: “Newcastle’s owners also being hosted by Behdad Egbali. NUFC interested in Conor Gallagher and considering Callum Hudson-Odoi.”

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

By striking a deal to sign the youngster, Eddie Howe could form an exciting wing pairing with Hudson-Odoi and Allan Saint-Maximin this season.

Both players are impressive dribblers with the quality to make things happen in the final third and they could get fans off their seats at St. James’ Park.

In the top-flight last term, Saint-Maximin completed 62% of his dribble attempts and created 1.4 chances per match for the Magpies. Matt Ritchie, who only started 14 matches, was the only player with more key passes (1.6) per game for the club, which shows how important the Frenchman was to the attack as he provided creativity on the wing.

Meanwhile, talent scout Jacek Kulig once claimed that Hudson-Odoi has “huge potential” and his career to date suggests that is a fair comment.

The 21-year-old has already racked up 126 appearances for Chelsea and been capped three times by England, winning the Europa League and the Champions League with his club in that time. He has scored 16 goals and registered 22 assists for their first team, including 12 assists in 72 Premier League outings.

In the 2021/22 top-flight campaign, he created 1.7 chances per game and completed 62% of his attempted dribbles – playing 15 times in total. This shows that he has the ability to skip past defenders more often than not and he has the end product to make something happen at the top end of the pitch when he gets into good positions.

These statistics would have made the £120k-per-week gem the most creative player in the Newcastle team last term and he was on par with Saint-Maximin in terms of the efficiency of his dribbling.

Now, imagine both of them running down the wings and committing defenders with their trickery before creating chances for their teammates with their ability on the ball. It is an exciting prospect and one that the club should look to make a reality as they consider swooping for him.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke thinks Aston Villa could reignite their reported interest in Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele this summer.

The Lowdown: Villa enquiry?

Ndombele, described as ‘underrated’ by Martin Keown, left Spurs back in January to join Lyon on loan until the end of the season.

The 25-year-old made 15 appearances for his former side, however, things could have been different in the New Year, with reports emerging recently suggesting that Villa made an enquiry for his services in January.

The central midfielder is now back in north London, and Tottenham are thought to be offering him around looking for a summer exit. O’Rourke thinks that a move to Villa Park could still be a ‘real possibility’.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Asked by The Transfer Tavern if Villa could look to go back in for Ndombele following the news of Carney Chukwuemeka’s move to Chelsea, O’Rourke said:

“Yeah, he’s obviously on the list of Villa if they did enquire about him in January. He’s obviously a player that they think could come in and do a job for Aston Villa. We all know he doesn’t figure in Tottenham plans going forward. He’s one of the players on the fringes that Antonio Conte is willing to move on. So, if there’s a deal to be done there that would suit Aston Villa and Tottenham, there’s a real possibility that Ndombele could end up there.”

The Verdict: One to watch?

Transfer insider Dean Jones stated last month that Villa were looking for a ‘big addition’ in midfield, and Ndombele could well be that man.

A transfer could be a risk, though, given he is on £200,000-a-week – more than any Villa player – and is deemed surplus to requirements under Antonio Conte.

Should he join, Ndombele would provide Steven Gerrard with a versatile option as a holding, central or attacking midfielder, and if he can get back to the form that earned him a £54m move to the Premier League back in 2019, it may well be a shrewd transfer.

Malcolm Ebiowei is already making a huge impression at Crystal Palace following his move from Derby County in the summer and it seems as if he could be a big part of Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad next season.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old joined on a free transfer from financially-stricken Derby earlier in the summer and has caught the eye with his pre-season performances thus far.

While he has very little experience in senior football it was perhaps expected that he would return to the Championship on loan next season, however, it seems as if he could now play his part in the Premier League, according to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

On Twitter, the transfer insider said: “Patrick Vieira, happy with Malcolm Ebiowei’s impact at Crystal Palace. No plan to let him leave on loan, as of now – Ebiowei could really have a chance at Palace already this year. Vieira wants to work closely with Ebiowei to become an important player for the future.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Crystal Palace fans will also have been impressed by the glimpses of Ebiowei in pre-season, with this clip of him sitting down Fred in the Eagles’ pre-season defeat to Manchester United no doubt whetting the appetite of supporters.

Although Vieira is already blessed with a lot of young exciting talent out wide, such as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, it is a long season and Ebiowei will no doubt get opportunities to impress at Selhurst Park.

Given that he was able to impress in a relegation side last season in his first taste of senior football, contributing one goal and two assists in just 16 appearances, earning a solid 6.85 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

If he can live up to his obvious potential and start to impress in Palace’s side next season, then signing him on a free could prove to be a superb piece of business by the Eagles.

AND in other news: Vieira can unearth Palace’s Zaha heir in teenage star with “a little bit of X-factor”

Liverpool have already made three signings this summer in Calvin Ramsey, Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho, but they have not strengthened their senior midfield options despite being linked with a number of players during the transfer window so far.

It was reported that Jurgen Klopp would focus on bolstering the Reds’ midfield after making the club-record signing of Uruguayan striker Nunez earlier this summer, with many of the current midfielders at Anfield approaching the denouement of their careers.

Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are all well into their 30s at this point, and injecting some much needed youth into the midfield is a must for Liverpool if they want to build for the future at Anfield.

Jude Bellingham is one midfielder who has been constantly named as a top target for the Reds, although Borussia Dortmund have made it abundantly clear that the wonderkid will not be available until next summer, with Liverpool reportedly willing to wait until then.

In terms of this summer, Klopp could still be tempted to land a great midfield signing to add some more experience and talent into his already high-quality team, with Nicolo Barella named as a potential €90m (£77m) transfer target for the club.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to the Premier League Manager of the Year, as the German was full of praise for the Serie A star when Liverpool came up against Inter Milan in the Champions League earlier this year.

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In his press conference ahead of the first leg of the tie in February, Klopp said to the media about Barella: “He’s a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That’s a top-class player.”

The Liverpool manager could land his very own Luka Modric in Barella, as the Real Madrid star was the eighth-most comparable to the Italian over the last 12 months according to FBRef.

Although Barella is more of a direct attacking threat, there are many similarities which can be drawn between the pair where they compete in different strengths and capabilities.

It comes as no surprise that Modric outperforms the 25-year-old in terms of passing abilities, with an 88.1% completion rate compared to the Inter midfielder’s 83.5%, but the Croatian only just pips his fellow midfielder for the number of passes completed (1,544 to 1,527).

Barella also outperforms the Bernabeu veteran in terms of goal contributions, with one more goal and three more assists over the last 12 months, and he has more shot creating chances with 4.05 per 90 minutes compared to the Real Madrid midfielder’s 3.23, as per FBRef.

If Klopp and FSG are looking for a player who can offer high pressing, creativity and a good passing range, then Barella would be a great choice for Liverpool ahead of next season.

AND in other news – In talks: FSG make move for “exceptional” £17m target, he can be Klopp’s Camavinga

West Ham United have been handed a boost in their bid to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja…

What’s the word?

As per talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the Hammers are not set to be joined in the race for the 20-year-old’s signature by fellow Premier League outfit Southampton, despite the Albania international having impressed on loan at St Mary’s last season.

Writing on Twitter about the forward’s future, the transfer insider revealed that the potential financial package has put the Saints off, meaning the Irons are now in pole to secure his signature: “Understand #SaintsFC are not competing with #WHUFC for Armando Broja. They view wages and transfer fee as too high. Don’t think his form in the second half of the season helped either.”

This follows reports that GSB are set to make a £30m offer to the Blues for their academy product, albeit with possible involvement in Thomas Tuchel’s first-team squad next term at Stamford Bridge having also been mooted.

Payet 2.0

David Moyes and co have seemingly identified the highly-rated prospect as the man to solve their centre-forward woes, with the £19.8m-rated ace having caught the eye during that spell on the south coast, netting nine times in all competitions in what was his first full, Premier League campaign.

Prior to that, Broja had spent a year on loan with Dutch outfit Vitesse Arnhem during the 2020/21 season – netting solitary first-team appearance at his parent club, with that coming under Frank Lampard over two years ago.

That relative lack of experience may be a concern, although his eyecatching form under Ralph Hasenhuttl has illustrated just what a talent he is, with the £8.5k-per-week brute having been dubbed “devastating” by his national team assistant coach, Sergio Porrini.

The powerful, 6 foot 3 “machine” – as described by Simon Peach – proved himself a real handful up against top-flight defences last term, notably netting a stunning solo goal in his side’s 3-1 win over the east London outfit in the FA Cup back in March.

That lethal impact in the final third could see the Slough-born marksman blossom into something of a talisman for the Irons over the coming years, with that role having previously been assumed by French playmaker, Dimitri Payet.

Although it may be somewhat hard to compare the physical, young striker with the 35-year-old, creative genius, the pair are in fact noted as similar players, according to Football Transfers, with such likeness likely to set pulses racing at the London Stadium.

While his time in English football may have been brief, Payet certainly left his mark both on the Hammers fanbase and the league as a whole, serving up multiple moments of jaw-dropping quality, be it that outrageous rabona assist for Michail Antonio, or the gravity-defying, looping free-kick at Upton Park against Crystal Palace in April 2016.

In a class of his own, the 38-cap “magician” – as he has been dubbed by Carl Anka- was a truly joyous player to watch in his pomp, with the only sour note having been the nature of his swift departure in January 2017, just 18 months after joining the club.

The hope will be that young Broja can make a similar, yet longer-lasting impact in a claret and blues jersey, with the Payet case proving that West Ham can be a platform for top-class talent to truly shine.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to Aston Villa’s reported interest in Rangers defender Calvin Bassey, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa closing in?

Steven Gerrard and NSWE have been extremely busy over recent weeks, getting a number of deals in place ahead of the summer transfer window.

Villa have secured permanent deals for Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara and have also reached an agreement for centre-back Diego Carlos.

It looks as if another defender could be on the way, with The Times suggesting that Villa are also closing in on a move for Rangers colossus Bassey, who played under the 42-year-old at Ibrox.

The Latest: McAvennie slams Bassey

Scottish pundit McAvennie was talking to Football Insider regarding a potential reunion between Gerrard and Bassey.

He didn’t seem too impressed, though, believing that the 22-year-old isn’t good enough for the Premier League and would get ‘ripped apart’ by the likes of former Villa star Jack Grealish.

McAvennie said:

“Can he go in and play in the Premier League right now? No.

“I don’t think he is good enough for the Premier League. If Gerrard is buying him, it’s because he has done a job in Scotland.

“England is a whole different game. He’s muscle-bound but if he comes up against someone like Jack Grealish he will get ripped apart.

“I’m sorry to say Bassey but that’s the truth. Another year up with Rangers and maybe he might be ready.

“At this moment in time, the brutal truth is he’s good enough.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Bassey starred in both the Europa League final and Scottish Cup final this month and appears to have outgrown the Scottish Premiership, picking up Rangers’ Young Player of the Season award.

The Nigerian was a regular at Ibrox in the 2021/22 season, lining out as a centre-back and left-back and duly providing Gerrard with cover in two important areas.

His impressive displays over recent months seem to suggest that he is ready for the next step in his career, and that could well be at Villa Park, possibly alongside Carlos.

In other news: Villa may now move for another Rangers star after Bassey; Gerrard loves him – transfer insider.