Roy Hodgson is less than happy with the displays of Peter Odemwingie. Neil Warnock reveals Heidar Helguson is a doubt for QPR’s trip to Norwich, while Emmanuel Adebayor feels money may prevent him joining Spurs on a permanent basis:
With a home game against Spurs this weekend, the last thing Roy Hodgson needs is a depleted squad. This morning, however, it was revealed that the Baggies are sweating on the fitness of Peter Odemwingie, Paul Scharner, Graham Dorrans and Shane Long ahead of Saturday’s showdown. While Odemwingie and Scharner have both missed the last two league games for West Brom, Dorrans and Long have recently returned from spells on the sidelines. The former, however, picked up an ankle injury towards the end of the weekend win over Bolton, while Long has suffered a leg injury in training and is currently a doubt.
Hodgson was a little less than complimentary about Odemwingie’s performances this term and questioned the player’s commitment. Odemwingie has scored just twice this season after a debut campaign saw him grab 15 goals and 9 assists for the Baggies and his manager is clearly losing patience:
I’m frustrated because we’ve got nothing out of him this year. He didn’t take part in many of the pre-season matches and he hasn’t taken part in many of the matches since then. It’s been one problem after another. For a player who we really put so much into in the hope that he will be our major force for staying in the Premier League, we have not had a return on that at the moment.
Neil Warnock has revealed his on-form striker Heidar Helguson is a doubt for the trip to Norwich. Helguson has scored 5 goals in five games since being handed a first-team opportunity but has failed to train this week. Luke Young was removed from the win at Stoke due to a knee problem and the QPR boss is hopeful the full-back will start training tomorrow.
Royston Drenthe has been talking up his flourishing left flank partnership with Leighton Baines after Saturday’s win over Wolves. The Dutchman has been fielded on both wings by David Moyes this season but is looking likely to stay on the left, as he revealed the Everton boss has been encouraging him to work in tandem with Baines during games:
At the moment I am playing with one of the best left-backs in the world. Leighton has really good qualities. We had a good relationship right from the beginning and that is really important. He can understand me and I can understand him – I am really happy to play with someone like that. The gaffer gave me some jobs to do, to help Bainesy. It is important that when I am on the pitch I play and fight for the team.
Despite his manager’s assurances that he would be fit for last night’s Benfica match, Wayne Rooney missed out altogether. The United man picked up a hip injury in the narrow win at Swansea on Saturday evening and still remains a doubt for this weekend’s home clash with Newcastle. Sir Alex Ferguson explained last night:
He wasn’t fit for tonight, so we need to wait to see what he is like over the next few days. We will give him every chance, of course – we did for today but he wasn’t really fit, so we’ll just have to wait.
There’s no doubt of the positive impact Emmanuel Adebayor has had on the Tottenham team since moving to White Hart Lane on loan. Spurs have won eight and drawn one of the nine league games he’s played in and only last week, Rafael Van der Vaart praised the Togo international for an upturn in his own performances. A permanent deal, however, may hit a stumbling block due to Adebayor’s extraordinary wages. Man City still pay £100K of his £170K wages and with Spurs pay structure meaning Van der Vaart is the highest paid squad member on £70K per week, Adebayor admitted that, despite the move rekindling his love of the game, money could be the deciding factor:
We all play football to get money. I’m from Africa and I have to give something back to my community. I will keep doing this until the end of my career. I’ll leave it to Harry Redknapp, Daniel Levy and Khaldoon Al Mubarak to find a solution among themselves. For me, what is important is to enjoy myself on the pitch. But I am having big fun here with this team. We are all laughing. I feel just like a baby.
Joe Riley is a major doubt for Bolton’s home game with Everton after picking up a hamstring problem in training. The young right-back has been Owen Coyle’s preferred right-back in the Trotters’ last two games, starting ahead of Gretar Steinsson in the back-four.
Ronald Zubar played forty-five minutes of Wolves’ reserve clash with Arsenal last night and is fit and available ahead of the trip to Chelsea. With regular right-back Richard Stearman sidelined with a broken wrist, Zubar looks likely to get the nod for the Stamford Bridge outing.
Mick McCarthy has challenged the rest of his squad to prove themselves ahead of a busy Christmas schedule for the Midlands outfit. The December 4th game against Sunderland is the first of seven fixtures in the space of twenty-nine days and the Wolves boss admits he will be looking to rotate in order to get the most of his players over the festive period:
There are a lot of games coming up with the Christmas period. Games come a little bit thicker and faster than they do at the moment from Saturday to Sunday. There might be a need for change so everyone has got to be fit and raring to go.
Reports today suggest Carlos Tevez could be lined up for a short-term loan deal with AC Milan. A six-month arrangement has been suggested, with the option of a two-year deal to follow, with Milan number two Mauro Tassotti allegedly admitting the club are interested.
Nicolas Anelka could be free to leave Chelsea in January, according to reports. With the Frenchman’s contract expiring at the end of the season, he’s been quoted as saying the idea of finishing his career at Stamford Bridge is ”not to be”.
