Wilfried Bony closes in on a return to action for City. Hugo Lloris could be in contention for Tottenham, conflicting reports surround the fitness of Toby Alderweireld, whilst Harry Kane looks poised to turn out for England Under 21s in this summer’s European Championships.
Bony Returns to Training for City
Wilfried Bony took part in first-team training on Wednesday, having sat out Manchester City’s last three matches with an ankle injury.
The Scout Says: Following City’s switch to a lone striker formation in the previous two Gameweeks, Sergio Aguero has rediscovered his scoring touch and netted three goals. Prior to that, the Argentinian frontman had struggled to find his rhythm in a two-man attack, drawing blanks in five successive matches. As such, one might expect head coach Manuel Pellegrini to be wary of reinstating £30 million January signing Bony upon his eventual return, with the Chilean’s job hanging in the balance in light of three defeats in five. Indeed, with three winnable home ties (AVL, QPR, SOU) left on the agenda, City might not require the extra firepower to finish a disappointing season with a flourish.
Uncertainty surrounds Alderweireld fitness
Only yesterday, Southampton boss Ronald Koeman revealed that news on Toby Alderweireld’s recovery from injury is “positive”, suggesting that he could be in contention for their Tottenham visit on Saturday. Unconfirmed reports emanating from Belgian journalists earlier this morning suggest the versatile defender “won’t be available for a few weeks”, though.
The Scout Says: Having started Gameweek 32 at right-back, the versatile Alderweireld found himself employed in a two-man pivot alongside Morgan Schneiderlin during Saints’ 2-1 loss to Stoke City on the weekend due to Victor Wanyama’s suspension. With the Kenyan enforcer serving the second game of his ban next Gameweek, Alderweireld’s potential absence could prompt Koeman to drop Steven Davis back into the midfield two and field James Ward-Prowse in the No. 10 berth or move Sadio Mane into a central role behind Graziano Pelle. At a price of just 4.9, Alderweireld has offered a cheap alternative to Nathaniel Clyne (6.2) and Ryan Bertrand (5.9) of late but with the Saints poised for a trio of road trips in their final five fixtures, in addition to home encounters with Spurs and Villa, many owners may now be considering selling their assets for double Gameweek contenders instead.
Lloris closing in on weekend return
Reports suggest Hugo Llloris is back in contention for Tottenham’s trip to Southampton after being sidelined for the last three league matches with a cut to the knee.
The Scout Says: Although Lloris’ possible return to action would undoubtedly be a boost to manager Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the south coast showdown, even the much-vaunted French shot-stopper hasn’t been able to prevent Spurs from leaking goals this season. Aside from Queens Park Rangers (five), Crystal Palace and Leicester City (both six), no side has earned fewer clean sheets (seven) than the North London club, while only the Foxes (66) have conceded more big chances (65). With first-choice right-back Kyle Walker all but ruled out for the season with a foot injury, doubts over Danny Rose (hamstring) and a testing schedule on the horizon (sou, MCI, sto, HUL, eve), further shut-outs look increasingly unlikely for Tottenham’s rearguard regardless of the Frenchman’s availability.
Kane eager to play in U21 Euros
FA Chairman Greg Dyke insists that Harry Kane is determined to line up for the England U21s in the European Championship this summer:
“I got a call from Harry Kane’s agent recently just to say how much he enjoyed playing for England and how much he wants to play for the Under-21s this year in the tournament, in the Euros. And I think that’s important. If you’re a young English boy coming through the system, you should want to play for England.”
The Scout Says: Considering that Tottenham’s pre-season friendlies kicked off around mid-July last summer, and the U21 European Championship concludes on 30 June, Kane is likely to rejoin the group in the middle of their training fixtures – given that he’ll require a holiday upon returning from Czech Republic. The chief concern here is that the PFA Player of the Year nominee could at risk of burnout, having tallied 46 appearances for the Lilywhites in his breakthrough season and started their previous 23 league encounters. Already, then, there are growing concerns over his availability for the start of the following season, which gets underway earlier than ever on August 8.
