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Queens Park Rangers have been handed a big injury boost ahead of their Championship fixture on Wednesday night.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by West London Sport, Mark Warburton revealed that he is “very optimistic” that Charlie Austin will be fit enough to play a part in QPR’s trip to Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old has not featured for the Rs since his withdrawal midway through the second half of the club’s 1-1 draw with Millwall on the opening day of the Championship season, having taken a heavy knock to his knee.

However, it very much appears as if the centre-forward could well be back in action at the Riverside Stadium, with Warburton stating: “Charlie will be training [on Monday] and we’ll see how he goes.

“It was a whack on the knee, some bruising and it had to calm down. We’ll see how he is, but I’m very optimistic.”

Fans will be buzzing

While QPR demonstrated in their 3-0 win over Hull City last weekend that they do not have much of a problem finding the back of the net in the absence of Austin, the striker’s prospective return to first team action this week will nevertheless have the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated man was in fantastic form over his 21 Championship appearances while on loan in west London last season, bagging eight goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.3 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week forward earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Warburton’s eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the return of the former Southampton hitman will undoubtedly provide the QPR manager’s chances of continuing his side’s impressive early-season form with a rather substantial boost, with the Rs boss – along with the club’s fans – undoubtedly hoping that Austin can bag a goal or two upon his potential return to action on Wednesday.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “outstanding” £4k-p/w beast that will have QPR fans buzzing

Daniel Vettori made a sporting declaration and then took three wickets in an over as the visitors strived for a result after three days of rain

The Bulletin by Peter Burdon28-Oct-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum added 137 for the fourth wicket and dominated the afternoon session © AFP
Three days have been lost in the second Test, but New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori decided to make it a contest on the fourth. He declared with less than an hour’s play left in the day, and then struck three blows in his only over to leave Bangladesh in a spot of bother.New Zealand pulled out at 262 for 6, knowing their only chance of victory was to dismiss the hosts twice before the end of the fifth day. Put in to bat, they had wriggled out of an uncomfortable 49 for 3 thanks to a 137-run stand between Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum.The pitch had dried out into a batsman-friendly deck by the afternoon. The ball was no longer swinging in the air and Bangladesh’s openers looked relatively comfortable, though Junaid Siddique wasn’t at ease against short-pitched deliveries from Iain O’Brien. However, at 13 without loss and after offspinner Jeetan Patel had already bowled two overs, Vettori began to stamp his mark on the game, just as he had in the first Test.In the tenth over of Bangladesh’s innings, Siddique seemed to lose all concentration, dancing down the pitch to Vettori’s first ball and was stumped by McCullum. Captain Mohammad Ashraful, who was the next man in, kept out the first ball he faced, but was adjudged lbw to his second delivery and the third ball of the over. Rajin Saleh replaced his captain but soon joined Ashraful back in the dressing room following his dismissal on the last ball of the over. He was also trapped in front.It wasn’t one-way domination, though. After the rains finally let up, Ashraful won the toss and elected to bowl. His team had early success. Opener Aaron Redmond was the first to go, shouldering arms to a delivery from Mashrafe Mortaza which pitched on a good length just outside the off stump and cut back sharply. Jamie How’s footwork wasn’t convincing during his brief stay and the failure to meet the ball on the front foot led to his downfall. Facing the debutant Mahbubul Alam in his second over, the ball swung through the air, pitched on middle and knocked over leg stump. New Zealand’s start was far from ideal as they had lost their openers with only 10 on the board.Ross Taylor and Ryder began positively, both looking comfortable on the front foot and Taylor settled in with beautiful drives through the off side. But just as he looked set for a bigger score, he became the second player to be dismissed by an error in judgement. Like Redmond, he shouldered arms to a delivery from Shahadat Hossain, only to see it cut back off the pitch to hit the stumps. Taylor fell for 19 and ended the partnership of 39.Ryder and McCullum helped New Zealand take the upper hand. Ryder was finally dismissed nine runs short of what would have been his first Test century in his second Test. He and McCullum both punished any short bowling through the leg side, while anything over pitched on the off side was swiftly dispatched gracefully to the boundary.Going to lunch at 198 for 4, McCullum added two to his lunch score of 64 before he got a leading edge to a delivery from Shakib Al Hasan. He was caught at midwicket by Ashraful. Vettori hit a quick 22 before he played a delivery from Ashraful onto his stumps with the score at 233. Daniel Flynn was unbeaten on 35 and Grant Elliott had made 8 when the declaration came.The pick of the Bangladesh bowlers was Shakib, who took 1 for 57 off 22 overs. Alam impressed in his first spell, swinging the ball in the air and moving it off the pitch.While a result may be unlikely tomorrow, the New Zealanders will know they can win a Test match in two days. They did it in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2005. Vettori is likely to be their key man tomorrow; in that Harare win, he had match figures of 6 for 29 and scored 127 off just 98 deliveries.

Ryan Sidebottom has been ruled out of the first ODI against India at Rajkot, but England are hopeful that Stuart Broad will recover from his knee injury

Cricinfo staff12-Nov-2008
Ryan Sidebottom won’t be available for the opening match of the one-day series © Getty Images
Ryan Sidebottom has been ruled out of the first ODI against India at Rajkot, but England are hopeful that Stuart Broad will recover from the knee injury which kept him out of the warm-up defeat against the Mumbai Cricket Association XI, on Tuesday.Sidebottom is still not ready to return from the Achilles problem that has prevented him playing since the opening match of the Stanford Super Series.Broad picked up his knee problem during England’s first warm-up match on Sunday where he bowled four overs. His knee swelled up but has responded to treatment and the England management will monitor him in the build-up to Friday’s opening ODI.”He’s had it injected and it seems to have reacted, but we won’t know until he bowls before the match,” Peter Moores, the England coach, told .If Broad joins Sidebottom on the sidelines, it will leave England short of quick-bowling choices for the first ODI. Steve Harmison, James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff played in both warm-up matches, and there is a strong chance England will field two spinners, but it doesn’t leave much room for any late injury or illness problems. Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright both offer seam options, although neither bowled during the two warm-up matches.The squad will head to Rajkot with the embarrassment of being bowled out for 98 by the Mumbai Cricket Association XI still fresh in their minds, but captain Kevin Pietersen has been quick to draw a line under the dismal performance.”I’m not going to criticise or do anything,” he said. “I’ll back all the lads in the dressing room to know that when we travel to Rajkot they are going to have their heads on. This is just a quick little lesson and a quick little reminder that we need to get back into winning ways – there’s no drama.”Meanwhile, there is one other injury problem surrounding the squad after it was announced that tour manager Phil Neale will fly home for knee surgery. His role will be taken by security consultant Reg Dickason during the one-day series, and Neale is expected to return for the two-Tests series that starts on December 11.

Despite all the speculation surrounding Declan Rice and his future at West Ham United, football.london writer Sam Inkersole says the club don’t have to sell one of their prized assets. 

The Daily Star reported that Manchester United are interested in Saul Niguez if Paul Pogba leaves the club, but are also interested in Declan Rice, although it would take close to £100m to sign the England international.

Rice has also been linked with Chelsea, but Inkersole believes West Ham are in the driving seat to keep their star player, telling Transfer Tavern: “The fact is West Ham don’t have to sell, don’t want to sell, so why would they sell. 

“Also, he’s going to cost a heck of a lot of money, West Ham value him at £100m, I suspect a little bit less than that would probably get a deal done if you came up to them on the table and said here’s 70, 80 maybe it could get done, but West Ham hold all the cards, they don’t have to sell him.”

The defensive midfielder formed a formidable partnership with Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips for England at Euro 2020, helping the Three Lions reach the final of the competition.

This was also off the back of a very good season with West Ham, which saw the Hammers finish sixth in the Premier League and qualify for the Europa League.

David Moyes did a terrific job last season and after success on the pitch, the West Ham manager will be hoping to keep hold of his prized assets to help continue the growth of the football club.

Robert Lewandowski to Manchester City is a “very good shout”, says the club’s former defender Steve Howey.

City are desperately trying to sign a new striker this summer but are having trouble landing target Harry Kane from Tottenham.

As per multiple reports, including from The Guardian, the north London outfit’s stance is Kane is not for sale.

It means City may soon have to look elsewhere. And, according to the Daily Mail, that elsewhere could be German giants Bayern Munich.

The outlet reported earlier this month that Pep Guardiola is weighing up a reunion with his former forward Lewandowski as the Premier League champions continue to struggle to strike a deal with Spurs for Kane.

For Howey, the Poland international could be the perfect alternative. He exclusively told TT:

“I think he would cost less and he’d probably be asking for slightly less in wages as well. I mean, that’s a very good shout.

“They haven’t really got an out-and-out goalscorer like [Sergio] Aguero, that’s what he did. He was just born to score goals, but Lewandowski is born to score goals too.”

It was another ridiculous campaign by Lewandowski last season after he managed to score 48 goals in all competitions. Whether Kane is off the table or not, the 32-year-old is definitely an option City should be considering.

Swansea City are considering a move to bring Eddie Howe to the Liberty Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Times, who claimed that, following Steve Cooper’s surprising departure from the club earlier this week, Howe has emerged as one of the leading candidates to take over from the 41-year-old at the Championship side.

The report goes on to mention that, after failing to land the Crystal Palace job earlier this summer, it was felt that the relationship between Cooper and the Swansea hierarchy had run its course, although the Welshman nevertheless remained at the club.

However, with just two weeks remaining until the start of the new Championship season, it was mutually decided that Cooper and the club would go their separate ways.

Howe would be Cooper’s perfect replacement

With Swansea’s parachute payments from the Premier League ending this year, co-owner Jason Levien is believed to be interested in appointing a manager who will continue Cooper’s impressive work of developing youngsters. However, as a result of the club’s financial situation, this is now a requirement rather than a choice of style.

With Howe having both a history of developing a club’s youth prospects, as well as boasting the record of having taken a cash-strapped Bournemouth side from League Two to the Premier League via three promotions in six seasons during his time in charge of the south coast club, the 43-year-old dubbed an “exciting” coach by Jurgen Klopp would very much appear to be Cooper’s perfect replacement at the Liberty Stadium this summer.

However, with it being widely reported that John Eustace now looks set to be named as the new Swans manager, it would appear unlikely that Howe will indeed be making a move to Wales this summer. Levien’s rather rapid decision to make a move for the Queens Park Rangers assistant manager very much seems to be a decision which has the potential to come back to haunt the co-owner, particularly with a candidate such as Howe freely available on the market.

In other news: Swansea handed transfer boost over “unbelievable” £9m-rated gem, Cooper surely buzzing

Derby County have been handed a potential blow in their quest to sign George Edmundson from Rangers, with Ipswich Town keen on signing him permanently.

The Lowdown: Derby keen on Edmundson

Edmundson made 10 appearances during a loan spell at Pride Park last season as the Rams just about retained their Championship status.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a possible return to Derby as Wayne Rooney looks to bolster his squad of the new season. Only a loan move is possible at the moment, however, because of the Rams’ transfer embargo which is currently holding them back in the summer market.

The Latest: Ipswich could seal permanent deal

According to the Daily Record, Ipswich are willing to offer Edmundson a three-year deal at Portman Road, giving them a possible advantage in the race to sign him.

Rangers are reportedly willing to part ways with the centre-back, with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2023.

The Verdict: Another potential blow

Ipswich’s reported offer of a permanent move for Edmundson may come as a blow for Derby, who are still very light on players despite the EFL easing the transfer embargo last week to enable them to bring in players on loan or sign free agents.

Rooney has spoken highly of the defender in recent months, hailing his “courage” during his loan spell at Pride Park earlier in the year, while Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has previously dubbed the player “faultless”.

There is still hope of signing Edmundson on loan again, but Ipswich look like the front-runners having made the move to try and sign him permanently.

In other news, some Derby fans have been left fuming at recent comments made by Rooney. Read more here.

According to a report by Spanish media outlet Sport, Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite prefers a move to either West Ham United or Wolves as he greenlights his summer exit from the Camp Nou.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

The Denmark international is one of many attacking names to be linked with a move to West Ham this summer.

Indeed the likes of Tammy Abraham and Youssef En-Nesyri remain the more long-term targets going by reports, while some new names have entered the fray in Genk striker Paul Onuachu and Ukraine’s Roman Yaremchuk.

Braithwaite has also been mentioned alongside the Hammers this summer, with Sport bringing a rather encouraging update.

The Latest: Braithwaite now open to joining West Ham…

As per the Spanish news source, La Liga giants Barcelona are very eager to sell Braithwaite this summer and make some profit amid their financial struggles.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-updates/” title=”West Ham updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, the Catalan powerhouse would be willing to sell the Denmark international for around €15m (£12.8m) with the 30-year-old now personally giving the green light for his summer exit.

He even has clubs in mind from the Premier League, with this report detailing that both West Ham and Wolves appear in his ‘preferential’ order. The Irons have also been eyeing a move ‘in recent hours’, according to Sport.

The Verdict: Right man?

Scoring 93 goals in total across 401 senior career appearances in total (Transfermarkt), his age bracket and measly two league goals over 2020/21 suggest that his best has come and gone.

You could make a case that the Dane’s game-time has been limited at Barca and point towards his solid Euro 2020 campaign – he played six games in total under head coach Kasper Hjulmand at the tournament and netted against Wales during their 4-0 demolition job.

His reasonable £12.8m fee is another reason to genuinely consider him as a possibility this summer, but while this move makes sense financially, it’s hardly a signing which would properly excite West Ham supporters.

In other news: ‘Definitely’…Sky reporter makes Lingard claim on live TV for West Ham, find out more here.

A round-up from the latest Twenty20 Cup matches as Marcus Trescothick slams a century and Gareth Breese helps Durham to a tie

Cricinfo staff22-Jun-2008Mid/West/Wales division
Gareth Breese followed his match-winning display in the Friends Provident quarter-final were a final-ball six in the Twenty20 against Yorkshire © Getty Images
Marcus Trescothick cracked the second century of this season’s Twenty20 as his breathtaking 107 off 57 balls set Somerset on their way to a crushing 67-run victory over Worcestershire at Taunton. Trescothick was at his belligerent best as he hammered 15 fours and three sixes, and took 20 off Simon Jones’s second over, with his first fifty taking just 18 deliveries. The second-wicket stand of 83 with Peter Trego came from 37 balls and Ian Blackwell offered some hard-hitting support as Somerset reached 212. The high point for Worcestershire came from the first ball of the match when Justin Langer was caught at cover off Kabir Ali. From then on they were never in the contest and the battling folded facing such a huge target. Vikram Solanki and Graeme Hick, Worcestershire’s two main hopes of repeating Trescothick’s effort, were dismissed with 11 on the board.Andrew Hall won the battle of the South Africans at Wantage Road as Northamptonshire resisted a brilliant 52-ball 98 by Herschelle Gibbs to register a 24-run victory against Glamorgan. Hall bagged 5 for 29, including Gibbs’ wicket, as the home side’s impressive 207 for 4 proved too much. Northamptonshire’s top order all played their part with Rob White (49) and Niall O’Brien (69) added 103 for the first wicket, their highest opening stand in the competition, then David Sales went past 1000 Twenty20 runs in his 57 off 37 deliveries. Hall struck twice early on as Glamorgan fell to 9 for 2, but Gibbs revived the chase alongside Michael Powell. Jamie Dalrymple accompanied Gibbs in a stand of 76, but Hall then returned to have the final say.Table-toppers Warwickshire did their chances of a home quarter-final plenty of good with a thumping eight-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Edgbaston. It was Warwickshire’s fifth successive win after easing past the visitors’ dismal 131 with three overs left. Jonathan Trott hit 50 off 48 balls and moved to 999 runs in Twenty20. Warwickshire’s decision to field went to plan as Chris Martin snapped up two wickets in the first over – William Porterfield hit one to cover and Jackson Thompson top-edged one to the wicketkeeper. Hamish Marshall went with the score 25 and Marcus North was cut short on 36 from 30 balls before Warwickshire’s spinners took over. Ian Salisbury took 2 for 13 off four miserly overs and Ant Botha removed Mark Hardinges. Only Chris Taylor’s 43-ball 60, which included a severe attack on one Martin over, got Gloucestershire anywhere.North DivisionDurham’s tendency to be involved in nail-biting matches this season continued when Gareth Breese hit the final ball for six against Yorkshire to earn a tie at Chester-le-Street. The point for Durham means they go top of the table and the result could be traced back to one ball, when Darren Gough was no-balled, in the penultimate over for not having four men inside the circle, and conceded three runs. Richard Pyrah, one of Yorkshire’s key Twenty20 bowlers, had put them on course for victory with 4 for 20, the county’s best figures in Twenty20. Anthony McGrath (65) had once again anchored Yorkshire’s batting with Michael Vaughan and Jacques Rudolph contributing useful 30s. Steve Harmison collect four, albeit expensive, wickets.Derbyshire handed Leicestershire their seventh loss on the trot when they eased home by seven wickets at Derby. Set 119 to win after a tidy bowling display, Derbyshire were helped to their target in 18 overs, with Wavell Hinds scoring an unbeaten 42. Put in to bat, Leicestershire could only manage a poor 118 for 6, HD Ackerman batting all 20 overs to remain unbeaten on 49 from 44 balls, the lowest score in Twenty20 cricket by a player batting all innings. There were a paltry 11 boundaries in Leicestershire’s innings – Ackerman hit six of them – as Derbyshire’s mixed assortment of bowlers kept it very tidy. Hinds and Clarke (35 from 28 balls) took care of most of the scoring to keep alive Derbyshire’s slim hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals, while Leicestershire are now the only team without a point.Click here for John Ward’s report on the match between Nottinghamshire and Lancashire at Trent Bridge.South DivisionJoe Denly’s 91 kept defending champions Kent top of the group with a massive 81-run win against Essex at Beckenham. Denly cracked nine fours and five sixes to set the platform for Kent’s 204, which was topped off by Azhar Mahmood’s 11-ball 36. Essex were never in the run chase as Simon Cook and James Tredwell claimed three wickets each. Alastair Cook, after being released by England, was dismissed by his namesake Simon for 15 but at least managed an outing after being on the sidelines for the past two weeks with a shoulder injury.Sussex eased to a six-wicket victory against Surrey at Hove to keep their slim hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive and ended Surrey’s chances. Murray Goodwin hit an unbeaten 79 off 46 balls, adding 117 in 12 overs with Matt Prior (56) as Sussex reached their target of 165 with 16 deliveries to spare. Surrey failed to build on an explosive stand given to them by Ali Brown, who clubbed 51 off 21 balls. From 90 for 1 the innings fell away with three run outs not helping the cause.Click here for a report on the match between Middlesex and Hampshire at Richmond.

Midlands/West/Wales Division Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Warwickshire 7 5 01 1 12 +0.977 825/110.5 776/120.0 Northamptonshire 7 5 2 00 10 +0.550 1172/135.2 1076/132.4Somerset 7 3 3 0 17 +0.422 1036/120.0 984/119.5 Glamorgan 7 2 2 0 3 7-0.195 680/77.0 695/77.0 Worcestershire 71 5 0 1 3 -1.247883/118.0 1033/118.2 Gloucestershire 7 04 1 2 3 -0.887 762/100.0794/93.2

North Division Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Durham 7 41 1 1 10 +0.631 801/97.2813/107.0 Nottinghamshire 7 4 20 1 9 +0.450 870/110.3 850/114.3 Yorkshire 7 4 2 10 9 -0.213 1050/134.4 1076/134.2Lancashire 7 4 3 0 08 +0.790 1052/135.3 967/138.4 Derbyshire 7 3 4 0 0 6+0.001 881/125.0 841/119.2 Leicestershire 70 7 0 0 0 -1.378917/140.0 1024/129.1

South Division Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Kent 75 2 0 0 10 +0.6441076/127.5 995/128.0 Middlesex 7 52 0 0 10 +0.845 948/120.0903/128.0 Essex 7 4 30 0 8 -0.013 954/132.0 963/133.0 Hampshire 7 4 3 00 8 -0.481 1116/139.0 1102/129.3Sussex 7 2 5 0 04 +0.164 1017/126.5 1059/134.5 Surrey 7 1 6 0 0 2-1.113 1010/138.0 1099/130.2

An update has emerged on West Ham midfielder Felipe Anderson, regarding what he wants to do this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Corriere dello Sport (Print edition, July 3rd, page 27), as transcribed by Hammers News, West Ham winger Felipe Anderson is hoping to seal a return to Lazio this summer after falling out of favour under David Moyes.

The report claims that the Brazilian is interested in completing a transfer to the Serie A side within the next week, in time to take part in a full pre-season for the Italian giants to give him the best chance of hitting the ground running.

Time for him to leave

Moyes must ruthlessly axe Anderson from the club this summer by allowing him to leave to join Lazio, or any other interested club if that move is unable to happen.

The ex-Everton boss made it clear that the attacker was not part of his plans last season by sending him out on loan to Porto and he failed to make an impression in Liga NOS.

Anderson failed to produce a single goal or assist in nine appearances for Porto and was only handed one start in the league. This shows that he does not deserve a chance to redeem himself at West Ham and that the time is right for him to depart from the London Stadium, as he has gone two seasons in a row without proving his quality on a consistent basis.

In the 2019/20 campaign, Anderson managed one goal and four assists in 25 Premier League appearances for the Hammers.

Former West Ham player Frank McAvennie criticised Anderson earlier this year and labelled him as a “luxury” player, bemoaning his lack of work off the ball to fight for his side.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s got to go. Let the boy go. They bought him in and he’s a luxury player. I’ve never seen him go into a tackle, never mind win one. Talent in abundance, but he’s gone to Porto on loan, but has done the same there – just strolled about. He can’t come back to West Ham; they’ll want him off the wage bill.”

This is why the £85k-per-week dud needs to be axed from the club. West Ham cannot afford to carry players through matches and Moyes already has the likes of Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma who can all play out wide.

Therefore, selling Anderson would not be a blow to the club and any funds recouped by his sale could be used to fund additional signings to bolster Moyes’ squad, which is another reason why this could be a shrewd move.

It’s time to be ruthless, Anderson has to be sold.

AND in other news, The Athletic drops West Ham update on £20m “goal king”, fans will be buzzing…