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Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola has turned down a move to Leeds United, according to journalist Raul Granado.

The Lowdown: Iraola speculation

Iraola emerged on the Elland Road radar earlier in the week, with Fabrizio Romano then claiming that the Spaniard had been the ‘favourite candidate’ to replace Jesse Marsch.

Reports even suggested that sporting director Victor Orta travelled to Spain to hold talks with the La Liga club over a potential deal for the 40-year-old, but it doesn’t look as if the Rayo Vallecano boss is keen on a move to Yorkshire at this moment in time.

The Latest: Leeds snubbed by Iraola

Granado took to Twitter on Wednesday evening, shortly before Leeds’ 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

He claimed that ‘Iraola says no to the offer from Leeds and stays at Rayo Vallecano to fulfil his contract’.

The Verdict: Not the first refusal…

Iraola isn’t the first managerial candidate to turn down Leeds’ advances, with two other Spanish coaches rejecting the Elland Road vacancy. Raul and Carlos Corberan have also snubbed the Whites in recent days, so it looks as if Orta is getting desperate in the club’s search for a new manager.

Iraola could have been a smart option, having played under Leeds idol Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao and led Rayo Vallecano to fifth in La Liga this season, mainly playing a 4-2-3-1 system.

Where Leeds go from here remains to be seen, but the longer their search goes on, the more likely it could be that Michael Skubala, Chris Armas and Paco Gallardo remain in temporary charge for the return fixture against Manchester United this weekend.

Presenter Derek Clark has slammed Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos after he missed a number of big chances in the club’s most recent game.

What’s the word?

On Saturday, the Ibrox outfit picked up all three points in the Scottish Premiership as they claimed a solid 2-0 home win over St Johnstone.

James Tavernier opened the scoring with a penalty, while Nicky Clarke then managed to get himself sent off before the break. Glen Kamara added a second later on in the game to see the victory.

Despite the win, it seems not everyone in a Rangers shirt was quite at their very best on the day. Indeed, Clark made this point after the game.

While taking on the Rangers Review YouTube channel, he singled out Morelos for some criticism, saying (5:02):  “Not the best of afternoons for El Buffalo. He missed a couple of sitters in the first half.

“Linked up well at times it seems it’s fair to say. Set up Kamara with his goal as well. So it did have a decent enough game in terms of linking up play…

“But at the end of the day, he should have had a couple of goals to his name after this one, and he just fairly fluffed his lines on two occasions.

“So yeah, certainly room for improvement for Alfredo Morelos.”

Bad day at the office

While it is true that Morelos did finish the game with an assist to his name, his stats certainly suggest that he struggled to deliver in other areas against St Johnstone.

As per SofaScore, he missed two big chances, won just one out of six attempted ground duels, lost the ball 11 times, made two fouls and was even dribbled past on two occasions.

For a striker who has scored 119 goals during his time with Rangers – including seven in just 871 league minutes this term – it certainly was an off day for Morelos.

Perhaps his mind was elsewhere. After all, as per Dean Jones (via GIVEMESPORT) his future seems to be “up for grabs” with his contract running out and supposedly Inter Milan in the mix to sign him.

Glasgow Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action away to Dundee United later today, with the Ibrox giants looking to continue their unbeaten start to life under new boss Michael Beale with another positive result.

After four successive victories following the World Cup break, the Light Blues saw that winning run come to an end at home to their bitter rivals on Monday, with that Old Firm showdown seeing the Hoops snatch a point late on.

Despite slipping up in the closing stages, the Gers will no doubt take encouragement from their resilient comeback after having conceded in the opening few minutes, with that performance showcasing that they truly can go toe-to-toe with the Scottish champions.

As Rangers look to reduce the gap at the summit back down to nine points this afternoon, here’s how Football FanCast predicts that Beale’s men will line up:

(4-2-3-1) (GK) McGregor; (RB) Tavernier, (CB) Goldson, (CB) Davies), (LB) Barisic; (CDM) Lundstram, (CDM) Jack; (RM) Sakala, (CAM) Tillman, (LM) Kent; (ST) Colak.

The former Queen’s Park Rangers boss still has a number of injury woes to contend with involving the likes of Filip Helander, Ridvan Yilmaz and Tom Lawrence, although the Englishman can be encouraged by the fact that Ianis Hagi and John Souttar appear to be edging closer to a long-awaited return to action.

With squad depth still somewhat tested, we predict that Beale will likely name a similar side to the one that was held by Ange Postecoglou’s men last time out, with there potentially just two alterations to be made for today’s meeting with the Tangerines.

While there are not expected to be any tactical tweaks in the defensive unit, one change could well be made in the centre of the park, with Ryan Jack – who featured off the bench against the Bhoys – set to replace Glen Kamara in midfield.

The latter man – who was previously described as a “class act” by Steven Gerrard – endured ‘not his best afternoon’ against the league leaders, according to Glasgow Live’s Alan Galindo, with the £21k-per-week machine losing possession on ten occasions in that clash.

The more advanced midfield berths will likely be taken up by Ryan Kent, Malik Tillman and Fashion Sakala once again, with the Zambian speedster having been electric against the Parkhead outfit, notably winning a penalty just after the break.

The only further alteration could lie in attack, with Alfredo Morelos – who missed two big chances last time out – set to make way for Antonio Colak, with the Croatia international having been in “standout” form earlier this term, as per pundit Alex Rae, with 11 goals in just 14 league games.

West Ham United have been dealt a huge double injury blow ahead of their Premier League meeting with Arsenal this evening.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, David Moyes revealed that both Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio look set to miss out on the trip to The Emirates tonight, as the Italian sustained an ankle injury during a mid-season friendly during the World Cup break, while the Jamaican has been suffering from a strain to his calf.

Regarding the current condition of the centre-forwards, the 59-year-old manager said:

“Gianluca has got an ankle injury and Mick had a calf strain. We’re hoping they both have a chance, but they are doubtful. I think every club is going to have issues with players returning after the World Cup.

“Jarrod [Bowen] is more than capable of playing down the middle. We’ve done the same with Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio, so who says we can’t do it with Jarrod?”

Huge blow

While it is true that Jarrod Bowen is more than capable of playing through the middle if required, considering the relatively poor form the England international has been in this season, coupled with the Hammers having struggled for goals even when all of their attacking options have been fit, the potential loss of both Scamacca and Antonio is undoubtedly awful news for Moyes.

Indeed, the £35.5m summer signing from US Sassuolo is currently the Irons’ top goalscorer in all competitions, having bagged six goals over 21 fixtures in the Premier League, Europa Conference League qualifiers, Europa Conference League proper and the Carabao Cup, while Antonio is the club’s joint second top scorer, having bagged five in 20 in the same competitions.

Furthermore, while it is undeniable that Bowen was in sensational form over his 36 Premier League appearances last season – scoring 12 goals, registering ten assists and creating nine big chances – the 26-year-old has so far failed to hit anywhere near this level of form in 2022/23 – scoring just two goals, providing no assists and creating one big chance over his 15 top-flight fixtures.

As such, with a daunting fixture against the table-topping Gunners coming up for West Ham this evening, it is evident that being without the services of the Hammers’ only two out-and-out centre-forwards will come as a huge blow to Moyes’ chances of leaving north London with all three points – with a positive result very much needed in order to ease the mounting pressure on the Scot.

Leeds United continue to be linked to a host of talent with the January transfer window fast approaching, as Victor Orta looks to bolster a squad which lies just two points above the Premier League relegation zone.

The Whites have endured a tumultuous season offering little consistency, but they have recently shown a proficiency in front of goal which could increase their survival aspirations.

Adding Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha to that fold could be the final piece in unlocking Jesse Marsch’s philosophy.

The Brazilian has been touted with plenty of Premier League clubs of late, but despite Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly remaining the favourites to land the 23-year-old, links with a move to Elland Road persist alongside the likes of Everton and Aston Villa.

Having nearly signed for Manchester United in a £42m move last August, it seems that Cunha may now have to settle for a club lower down the league.

Marsch could play a big role in the deal, given how he had worked with the player at RB Leipzig earlier in his career.

By acquiring the 23-year-old, Leeds could actually get their own version of World Cup star and Atletico team-mate Antoine Griezmann, who has proven that an attacking midfielder can offer far more than just offensive prowess to a team. FBRef even note the 31-year-old in Cunha’s ‘similar players’ metric.

The Frenchman has almost redefined his role in Qatar, with his defensive duties playing an integral role in Didier Deschamps’ system. As such, he has facilitated the success of forwards Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, more than earning his 7.80 average rating from Sofascore.

Whilst providing three assists, in total Griezmann has created seven big chances alongside making 3.5 key passes per game. This is accompanied by his impressive match average of 1.8 tackles and one interceptions (via Sofascore).

A quietly brilliant creative presence, Cunha offers signs that he could emulate this role alongside Marc Roca and Tyler Adams at Elland Road.

Whilst ranking in the top 2% for assists among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022, outlining what he can offer going forward, he also ranks in the top 4% for tackles and interceptions, as well as the top 1% for blocks (via FBRef).

Dubbed an “extraordinary boy” by his former coach Paolo Tramezzani, it is clear that the youngster can pair graft with his quality. This combination helped him to rack up seven goals and seven assists in his debut season in Spain, and a further eight goals and seven assists in his final year in Germany with Hertha Berlin in 2020/21.

He truly is the “magician” that RB Leipzig’s official Twitter account dubbed him.

A consistent creator with the work rate to match, this transfer would mark an incredible coup for Marsch, who could secure his own version of a man who has inspired France’s run to the World Cup final.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were linked with Mauro Icardi during the summer and the Old Gold will surely be regretting not signing him after his impressive start to life at Galatasaray.

The Argentina international was touted as a potential option for Bruno Lage during the summer as Wolves looked to sign a striker to ease their attacking woes but in the end, he would make the loan switch to Turkey from PSG.

While Wolves continue to falter in the final third, with just eight league goals to their name so far this campaign, Icardi has been emphasising his class with the Turkish giants.

In just six appearances in the Super Lig, the 29-year-old striker has managed four goals and three assists, averaging a superb 7.78 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Considering Wolves’ top scorer this season is Ruben Neves with just four – two of which have come from the penalty spot – it seems clear that the Old Gold are missing a clinical striker such as Icardi up front.

His current average of 1.13 goal contributions per game would surely have aided Lage and subsequently Julen Lopetegui in their aim of keeping the Midlands club in the Premier League, as none of Wolves’ current options look likely to average anything near that given their woeful form in front of goal so far this campaign.

With Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto and new signing Sasa Kalajdzic all sidelined through injury, while Fabio Silva was sent out on loan, Lage opted to bring in veteran forward Diego Costa on a free transfer.

However, the former Chelsea man has looked like a shadow of his former self in his appearances thus far, averaging a shocking 6.11 rating from WhoScored across his six Premier League outings thus far.

Compared to Icardi, who has played the same number of games, he has averaged far fewer key passes (0.3 vs 1.5) and dribbles (0.3 vs 0.7) per game, while he has shot more but failed to score, which emphasises his wastefulness in front of goal.

Wolves clearly would have benefited from having a “lethal” striker such as Icardi at Molineux this season, and given their precarious position at the bottom of the Premier League, they will certainly be regretting not acting on the links to Icardi during the summer.

Eddie Howe has confirmed that Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier are fine to play for Newcastle United at home to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup tonight.

The Lowdown: Southampton scares

Both players came off in the 4-1 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday, with Wilson substituted at half-time.

Howe confirmed after the game that the 30-year-old was feeling ‘light-headed’ after being unwell during the week, while Trippier received treatment after a knock at the end of the first half.

The Latest: Both players are fine

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference on Tuesday morning ahead of Newcastle’s match against Palace at St James’ Park tonight, Howe has confirmed that Wilson is ‘OK’ after falling ill over the last few days.

The manager said of the ex-Bournemouth striker: “He’s OK. He’s been ill for a few days so he’s a little bit run down but we’ll see how he is again today.”

Howe also added that there are ‘no problems’ with Trippier and that he only decided to take the defender off against the Saints as a precaution, stating: “There’s no problems with Kieran. It always looks more than it is when the physio comes onto the pitch, but he came out second-half and he was fine. As I said after the game it was my decision to take him off.”

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The Verdict: Start them both

It is always tempting for managers to rotate the squad significantly for matches in the Carabao Cup, as Everton did on Tuesday night by making 11 changes for their game at Bournemouth.

Frank Lampard’s side duly crashed out of the competition, showing how risky it is for clubs if their managers make too many changes to the team, so the Magpies should not be looking to follow the same path.

With the break for the World Cup starting in less than a week, Howe should be looking to field as strong a team as possible against Premier League opposition in Palace, in order to give Newcastle the best possible chance of going through to the fourth round.

They have not won a major trophy in more than 60 years and could have a very good chance of going all the way based on their current form.

Therefore, Howe should be looking to play at least some of his regulars against the Eagles, and both Wilson and Trippier will no doubt be eager to impress ahead of the England World Cup squad announcement on Thursday.

Wolves striker Raul Jimenez will return to England this week to continue his recovery from a groin injury, reliable journalist Liam Keen has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Jimenez recovering from injury

The 31-year-old has been missing for Wanderers since getting injured earlier in the season, with his most recent appearance coming against Bournemouth on August 31st.

Jimenez has been back in his homeland of Mexico recovering in recent times, with his absence a lengthy one that hasn’t helped Wolves’ current plight at all.

Now, it looks as though the Mexican is slowly edging towards his return, following a new update.

The Latest: Strike set to fly back

Taking to Twitter, The Express & Star‘s Keen confirmed that Jimenez would be returning to England on Friday:

“Raul Jimenez is flying back into England on Friday after 3 weeks in Mexico to continue his rehab from a groin injury at Compton.”

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The Verdict: Small step at a time

While this isn’t necessarily too major an update, in terms of Jimenez suddenly being fit again, returning to Wolves could be a sign that he is done with one stage of his recovery.

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It certainly feels unlikely that the striker, who has been hailed as ‘special’ by Nuno Espirito Santo, will be fit before the World Cup, however, with anything else a bonus.

The hope is that Jimenez will be able to feature in the tournament, though, in what is surely likely to be his swansong for Mexico, having scored 29 goals in 96 caps.

Finance expert Daniel Plumley has been reacting to off-field news that will impact Leeds United during the World Cup.

The Lowdown: £189m

The World Cup is fast approaching, with Leeds having just five Premier League fixtures left to fulfil before the break in domestic action.

Jesse Marsch may be without a number of first-team players during the break, but it turns out Leeds and other clubs will receive £9,000-per-day for each player from their squad remaining in the World Cup. FIFA have put aside £189m to help clubs during the tournament in Qatar, and Plumley has given his thoughts to the news.

The Latest: Plumley’s comments

Plumley, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding the World Cup payments. He labelled it as ‘a bonus for Leeds’ and news that will be welcomed by Whites chiefs.

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“Every little helps. It’s absolutely a bonus for Leeds in this regard. It’s just a nice little windfall to get and in this example as well, they have the benefit of getting that money from those players who have since moved on and also, they’re not worried about them injured and not being available to play when they get back as they’re at someone else’s club.

“When you look at those numbers, it’s a welcome boost to the coffers and every little bit of revenue you can get is a bonus in the Premier League.”

The Verdict: How many?

Leeds may have a number of representatives at the World Cup, with Rasmus Kristensen, Diego Llorente, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson almost certain to be on the plane to Qatar with their respective countries. Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk and Mateusz Klich may also get the nod for their nations, which could result in a nice windfall for Leeds.

You’d expect that Leeds would be happy if players return from the major tournament early, and although squad members making it into the latter stages of the competition will result in a financial benefit for the club, Marsch will simply be hoping none of them come back injured.

Journalist Dean Jones has shared a promising Celtic injury update regarding defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers absent…

The 24-year-old has been a far from ideal absentee for manager Ange Postecoglou of late, given just how crucial he has been for the Premiership champions.

As per WhoScored, the USA international was a near ever-present in Celtic’s backline over 2021/22 as they clinched a 52nd Scottish league title. Indeed, no Hoops defender made more clearances per 90 than Carter-Vickers (4.1), who played the third-most league minutes behind fellow mainstays Carl Starfelt and Joe Hart.

The former Tottenham centre-back has been imperative to Postecoglou since his move up north, but Celtic have had to cope without his presence in the last couple of games due to injury.

The Latest: Jones shares ‘hopeful’ Celtic update…

However, Jones has shared a promising update on Carter-Vickers’ condition amid the ever-increasing spectre of the World Cup in seven weeks’ time.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said of the American: “From what I understand he’s still hopeful that this doesn’t put his World Cup status at risk. So, hopefully that is the case.”

The Verdict: Good news…

The 24-year-old deserves to be representing his nation in Qatar for the World Cup after a brilliant first year at Celtic, so this update comes as a potentially promising one.

Before his latest injury, Carter-Vickers had continued in the same vein as last season, again making more clearances per 90 (four) than any of his team-mates whilst also posting their joint-highest rate of interceptions per match with 1.2 (WhoScored).

Having him back in action, preferably before the World Cup, would be a significant boost for Celtic as they seek to retain their Premiership title and maintain dominance over Scotland, while also enjoying a fruitful European campaign.