Gabby Agbonlahor picks up a hamstring strain in England training. Connor Wickham’s knee injury is not as bad as first feared, Sergio Aguero suffers a groin strain, while the Premier League announce a double gameweek just in time for the January wildcards.
Gabby Agbonlahor has this morning been ruled out of England’s weekend clash with Spain due to a hamstring problem. The Villa forward picked up the problem in training yesterday and while it is not thought to be a serious injury, he has withdrawn from the squad and travelled back to the Midlands for further treatment. It’s the last thing Alex McLeish will have wanted to hear, as Villa prepare to face four of last season’s top six in the next six games.
It has been confirmed that Sergio Aguero is definitely out of Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Bolivia. The lineup has been announced and while technical director Alejandro Sabella told the Argentinian Football Association the striker has a sore groin, subsequent reports indicate it is nothing more than a spasm or strain, with Aguero yet to be ruled out of the midweek match against Columbia.
Wolves’ recent move to 4-5-1 seems to have sparked Jamie O’Hara’s season into life. The midfielder has scored three goals in four games in all competitions while tucked in just behind Kevin Doyle, with a calf injury keeping Steven Fletcher sidelined. With the latter now returning to full training, Mick McCarthy has a dilemma on his hands and O’Hara seems determined to keep his new position:
Playing in the hole, you get chances and if you get in the right areas at the right time, the ball does come to you. I’ve got an eye for a goal and hopefully I can just keep doing that and keep putting in good performances. I got another goal and hopefully now I can just keep getting on the scoresheet.
Last Sunday saw David Edwards grab a goal in his first full game of the season for Wolves as Big Mick’s side grabbed a crucial win over Wigan. The midfielder has been hampered by a hereditary back problem and has admitted that if the issue continues to blight his career, he may be forced into a re-think:
On the left, on the lower part of my spine, the disc is more or less gone and narrowed so the bones are closer together and it caused a fracture. I base a lot of my game on getting around the pitch and I worried it would take that away. If it had to be a choice of carry on for another five years and then not be able to move when I’m older, it would be something I’d look at.
There was some good news on the injury front for Connor Wickham today. Sunderland announced he has not suffered any serious damage to his knee, after further tests allayed initial fears. The striker will now undertake a rehabilitation programme as he recovers from the injury.
The Premier League yesterday confirmed a new date for the previously postponed Tottenham-Everton game. The match will now take place on Wednesday 11th January, or gameweek 20 to Fantasy managers, meaning Spurs have (WBA, EVE) while the Toffees have (BOL, tot). Our season ticker has now been updated to reflect the change in fixture schedule. The Premier League have confirmed this means we won’t be able to take advantage of our January wildcards for the double gameweek, though- they come into play after 11.30 on the 2nd January, just after the gameweek 20 deadline closes.
Newcastle issued an injury update ahead of next weekend’s game against Man City. Shola Ameobi is making good progress from a hamstring injury, while Leon Best has joined up with the Republic of Ireland squad, allaying fears that his groin problem is not too much of an issue. The club’s assistant manager John Carver went on to confirm that Cheik Tiote is back running in training, with the club also awaiting results of scans on Yohan Cabaye’s groin problem. Mike Williamson is set to spend at least another five weeks on the sidelines after suffering a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury.
