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Sunderland have received a ‘major boost’ with the news that centre-back Aji Alese is back from injury this weekend, following an update from James Hunter.

The Lowdown: Sunderland back in action

The Black Cats haven’t played since the 2-1 victory at Birmingham City on November 11, with the World Cup in Qatar prompting a hiatus in the club season.

Sunderland are back in action on Saturday as they host Millwall in what is the only Championship fixture of the day.

Alese hasn’t been in action since the 2-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers in October because of a foot issue, but he is on course to return this weekend.

The Latest: Hunter drops Alese update

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for Chronicle Live, Hunter revealed that the 21-year-old is back fit again and could feature against Millwall tomorrow.

He tweeted:

“‘Monster’ Aji Alese’s return is a major boost for #safc”

The Verdict: Massive boost for Black Cats

This is an undoubted boost for Sunderland, with Alese such an important presence already despite his tender years, being hailed as a ‘seriously good’ player by podcaster Tom Edwards during his time at West Ham.

The Englishman has done well in his 10 appearances for the Black Cats since joining permanently in the summer, averaging 2.7 clearances and 1.8 tackles per game in the league this season. Those returns see him rank among the top five for both metrics at the Stadium of Light.

Whether or not Tony Mowbray throws Alese straight into the starting line-up on Saturday remains to be seen, but the probability that the whole squad could be lacking some rhythm after so long without playing makes it less of a risk than it would in the thick of a hectic fixture schedule.

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson has often divided opinion when it comes to his inclusion in the national side, but he has produced a resounding performance in the most crucial of moments to aid England in the hunt for that coveted trophy that has eluded the nation for so long.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Henderson has stepped into the first-team reckoning after missing out on the starting fold in the opening fixture.

Quite simply, his presence in the middle of the park is of paramount importance to England’s endeavours, with his stability and selflessness providing a fortified platform for Jude Bellingham to maraud forward and find openings, while also giving the likes of Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden creative freedom on the wings.

Starting spot earned

As the tournament stretches into the latter stage, the need for composure and experience increases tenfold. Calm, assured heads with galvanising cries uttered across the pitch can be the difference between victory and defeat in the definitive moments.

As the games stretch on, and the ubiquitous figure needed to instigate the forward push, or maintain the ball under relentless pressure, is indeed often the focal point in such instances.

Henderson demonstrated his aptitude in such scenarios, aiding the Three Lions in clutching the match against Senegal and ensuring that the opening goal wouldn’t invite a barrage of pressure from the African opposition.

As per Sofascore, the £140k-per-week Liverpool captain recorded a rating of 7.7 during the round-of-16 outing, scoring the opening goal and continuing to provide the experienced display required to sail to victory.

His successful strike was complemented by an 89% pass accuracy and a 100% duel success rate; his two tackles and one blocked shot completed a robust and complete performance, an embodiment of the role needed from the modern industrious midfielder.

Across the tournament, Henderson, lauded a “terrific leader” by Liverpool teammate Virgil Van Dijk, has completed 86% of his passes and won 77% of his total duels, and his pragmatic approach to his play will be vital among the flair-heavy forward-line England also boasts.

Indeed, against France, in the tantalising quarter-final tie, the 32-year-old “conductor” will need to be on a similar vein of form, should he earn another starting role, and provide a doggedly tenacious display against the reigning world champions, but his blend of experience, melded with the vibrancy of Declan Rice beside him and the genius of Bellingham, could produce scintillating results for the nation.

For a player that has won nearly everything there is to win at club level, captaining such a side to success, was it ever really in question that he could provide the presence required to breed success, as he consistently throughout his time as skipper for the club.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale faces an important January transfer window, with the 42-year-old keen to move players on who haven’t performed well this season.

One player who could be leaving the Ibrox side is Glen Kamara, with French club Nantes leading the race to sign the midfielder next month.

The reported £6m bid is lower than £10m which was demanded by the Light Blues in the summer when Salernitana were keen on the player, however judging by his performances since August, where he has failed to register a single goal, a fee around the £6m mark would represent excellent business.

This money could be reinvested wisely, and with Beale reportedly targeting a move for Fulham midfielder Josh Onomah, whose contract expires at the end of the season, he could land the club a bargain while disposing of a player unfancied in Glasgow in the process.

Journalist Dean Jones even hyped up the 25-year-old when talking to GIVEMESPORT, saying: “I think there are a few clubs that are looking at Josh Onomah, just wondering if he fits in at Fulham.

“So, I can understand why Rangers might have an eye on him, I think he would do pretty well.”

Onomah hasn’t exactly had the best of periods this season, featuring just twice for Fulham in the Premier League which suggests a move away from the London club is on the cards next month.

Last season, the Englishman was far more impressive, as he aimed to live up to Mauricio Pochettino’s billing that his “quality is amazing” and that he is “special.”

Indeed, he registered four goal contributions in 20 Championship matches as Fulham won promotion to the top flight, while also making 0.6 key passes and 1.3 tackles per match as well as succeeding with 67% of his dribble attempts, clearly proving that he is just as effective defensively as he is going forwards.

With the likes of Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Jack out of contract at the end of the campaign, plus the likelihood of Kamara leaving sooner rather than later, signing some reinforcements for the midfield area will be high on the priority list for Beale.

Onomah is still yet to hit his peak and luring him to Glasgow mid-season could be the perfect chance for him to bed into the squad and bring him up to speed ahead of next season.

Over to you Ross Wilson.

Sunderland will be looking to get their Championship play-off push back on track on Saturday afternoon as they travel to relegation-threatened Hull City.

Tony Mowbray’s side disappointed last Monday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against West Brom at the Stadium of Light, and the former Blackburn Rovers boss may ring the changes in hope of a more positive result this weekend.

The Black Cats have welcomed back the likes of Ross Stewart and Daniel Ballard from injury after the World Cup break, but it may still be too soon for them to start at the KC Stadium on Saturday.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Mowbray to line up his Sunderland side this afternoon, with three changes from the team which started against West Brom last time out.

Patterson; Gooch, Alese, Batth, Cirkin; Roberts, Neil, Evans, Clarke; Diallo, Simms (4-4-2)

Anthony Patterson looks unlikely to lose his place in between the sticks for Sunderland any time soon, having played every minute of their league campaign, so he keeps his place in goal.

There is one change in defence as Dennis Cirkin returns at left-back, with Aji Alese reverting to centre-back alongside Danny Batth to make room for the former Spurs man, as Luke O’Nien drops to the bench.

Having opted for 4-2-3-1 in recent games, Mowbray should revert to a 4-4-2 for this away trip, with Patrick Roberts returning on the right-hand side of midfield, while Jack Clarke comes in for Elliot Embleton (a lowly 17th in WhoScored’s rankings of Sunderland players this term) on the left.

The former Leeds United winger is a “wonderful talent” according to his manager, and no Sunderland player has contributed to more goals this season, so he deserves to start out wide at the KC Stadium, with Corry Evans and Dan Neil retaining their places in the middle.

Finally, Ellis Simms starts up front alongside the in-form Amad Diallo, with Alex Pritchard dropping to the bench after a disappointing display in midweek.

Newcastle United have had a phenomenal start to their Premier League campaign and Eddie Howe will surely be delighted about the position his team has got themselves in after just 12 months since his arrival at St James’ Park.

The Magpies are currently third in the league table ahead of their return to action on Boxing Day against Leicester City – losing just one game over their first 15 outings.

Not even the most optimistic Newcastle supporter could have predicted how quickly the team has improved and climbed the table after being stuck at the bottom of the table this time last year.

Now the former AFC Bournemouth boss will take on the challenge of retaining Newcastle’s top-four spot and securing Champions League football over the second half of the season.

As a result, adding depth to the squad could be a wise move for Howe when the transfer market reopens next month as bolstering key areas of the pitch could boost Newcastle’s chances of competing on all fronts.

The North East club qualified for the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup earlier this week and remain in the FA Cup too, so bringing in some new players in January could help Howe rotate his team whilst maintaining the quality on the pitch.

One player who has been linked with a move to St James’ Park is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Napoli winger could be just what the team needs to retain their successful run.

Over 12 Serie A appearances so far this season, Kvaratskhelia has scored six goals, registered five assists and created eight big chances, as well as averaging 2.8 shots per game, 1.9 key passes, 1.6 successful dribbles and 4.4 duels won per game.

The Georgia sensation – who was dubbed “cheeky” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – ranks in the top 11% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots in total, assists and shot-creating actions, proving that he could be a huge prospect for Newcastle in the attacking threat.

Howe could even land his own Bukayo Saka with the signing of the 21-year-old talent as the Arsenal star is named as one of the most comparable players to Kvaratskhelia over the last 12 months, according to FBRef.

The wide-forward pair share many similarities in their output over the season so far including goal contributions (11 v 10), pass completion rate (77.3% v 78.3%), shot-creating actions (58 v 57) and goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (1.14 v 1.00).

With that being said, the signing of Kvaratskhelia – who is valued at an eye-watering €100m (£88m) – would be a great piece of business for Newcastle as they aim to continue their dominance in the top flight over the remainder of the season.

Newcastle United moved up to second in the Premier League table with victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday afternoon, with Eddie Howe’s men having picked up where they left off prior to the World Cup break.

Having overcome Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup last week, the Magpies produced another commanding display to ruthlessly dispatch the Midlands outfit on their own turf, with goals from Chris Wood and Miguel Almiron having all but sealed the win inside seven minutes.

That commanding lead was then extended just after the half-hour mark as the resurgent Joelinton got in on the act with a free header inside the box, with it having proven a rather routine return to top-flight action for the Tynesiders in truth.

While there may have been many standout performances on the day – including the aforementioned Almiron, who now has eight goals from his last nine league games – arguably the most impressive performer was that man, Kieran Trippier, with the 32-year-old having again been instrumental from his full-back berth.

The England international had been lauded by journalist Matty Hewitt for his “incredible” delivery after starring against the Cherries and that quality was again on show yesterday, with the experienced right-back having teed up Joelinton with an inch-perfect corner to wrap up the points.

That impact was also evidenced by the fact that the former Atletico Madrid man registered four key passes against Brendan Rodgers’ side, while posing a persistent threat down the right flank after completing five of his nine crosses.

Although the 40-cap gem did lose possession on 24 occasions, that was arguably a marker of his desire to try and make things happen for his side in the final third, having also recorded 27 passes and completed two of his three dribbles.

Equally, the one-time Tottenham Hotspur star was just as impressive when carrying out his defensive duties after winning nine of his 13 total duels on the day, including 100% of his aerial duels.

That “unbelievable” showing – as described by Statman Dave – unsurprisingly saw the ever-reliable figure record a stunning 8.3 match rating, as per Sofascore, with that by far the highest figure for any player on either side.

Such brilliance at both ends of the pitch ensured that Trippier was a constant ‘thorn’ in the side of Leicester – as per the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder – with the £100k-per-week man only serving to bolster his already impressive reputation as a result.

West Ham United have distinguished one of the Premier League’s most industrious presences to replace a likely outgoing phenom…

What’s the word?

Signing for Manchester City from boyhood club Leeds United last summer, Kalvin Phillips has been hampered by injury during his stay with the Sky Blues, and has been at the epicentre of claims that boss Pep Guardiola branded him “overweight” upon returning from World Cup duty with England.

And now, Football Insider state that sources have confirmed the Hammers’ interest; with coveted midfielder Declan Rice likely to depart at the end of the campaign, the 27-year-old Cityzen could be the player to adopt the role his compatriot has held so well in east London.

Phillips arrived at the Etihad Stadium in a £45m deal last year, and he would certainly not come cheap even if City were prepared to grant a departure, but the funds garnered from Rice’s prospective sale would free up space to make a move for someone of his ilk.

Perfect Rice replacement 

Since rising through the youth ranks at the Irons academy, Rice has cruised towards Premier League eminence, and is now being touted for a move to one of the country’s top outfits.

Indeed, with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United among the clubs that might make a swoop for a player out of contract at the end of next season and showing no sign of agreeing a new deal, cashing in for a lucrative fee might be the best option for West Ham boss David Moyes.

In Phillips, the veteran Scottish manager would boast a robust and all-encompassing central figure to take the baton from Rice, and ensure that the stability and charge that his counterpart has created does not waver.

Granted, the east London outfit have been beset with a stark decline this term, miserably above the drop-zone on just goal difference following two European-clinching seasons in-and-amongst the elite of the Premier League, but the abundance of quality and affluence underpinning the efforts on the pitch should steer the club in the right direction once again.

As per FBref, Rice ranks within the top 4% for pass completion and the top 7% for interceptions when compared to positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, while Phillips, despite lacking the same level of ball-playing assurance, ranks within the top 1% of players for tackles, the top 14% for interceptions and the top 4% for blocks.

There is a clear prowess in the anchored position of the pitch, also flourishing as a pivot when called upon, instigating positive transitions by timing challenges with pinpoint precision.

And with Phillips’ City career thus far blighted by injury, Sofascore record his rating in the Premier League last year at a solid 6.84, earning the transfer to the division’s champions by displaying his stellar consistency in a Leeds team that battled to stave off relegation last term.

Hailed as a “destroyer” by ex-England manager Steve McClaren, who waxed lyrical about the ace to Sky Sports News (via Leeds Live), Phillips might be wise to depart from Guardiola’s City, where he will likely struggle for consistent game-time, and flourish with the Hammers, who can return on course and challenge for Europe once again with a Rice replacement every bit as formidable as their current gem.

Phil Hay has claimed that Leeds United are wanting to sign a striker that can play in several different positions.

The Lowdown: Versatility key for Marsch

With the injury problems continuously facing Patrick Bamford, Leeds and Jesse Marsch are seemingly very keen on landing a new striker so the burden isn’t solely on Rodrigo’s shoulders.

The fact Leeds missed out on the likes of Cody Gakpo and Bamba Dieng will have been stressful for Marsch but Rodrigo has certainly helped save the club’s blushes with his 10 league goals.

Leeds look to finally be addressing this issue though with links to the likes of Che Adams and Viktor Gyokeres showing they are wanting to add some firepower this winter.

The Latest: Leeds keen on a new striker

Hay has admitted on The Phil Hay Show that while Leeds are keen on landing a new striker, he believes that anyone will likely be one with a high level of versatility.

He said: (50:45) “They always seem to be open-minded about that [what kind of forward they sign] so with De Ketelaere and Gakpo, they are players, as you saw with the Holland team at the World Cup, Gakpo played out wide, played deep, played as a withdrawn forward and played in a front two.

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“They do like versatile options who can play wherever, personally, I’d be going for a nine, I’d be going for the nine that they don’t really have and could help them, but I think a forward of merit and a forward of good quality would be a good addition either way.”

The Verdict: A new striker is essential

There are no two ways about it, Leeds and Victor Orta have to deliver a good quality striker to Marsch this month, otherwise, they could be set for a very long season fighting against the drop as Bamford can’t be trusted to stay fit.

The safe option would be to go for someone such as Adams as he’s tried and tested in the Premier League, and is capable of playing as a striker, slightly deeper and also out wide, although given Southampton are relegation rivals it’s unlikely they’d part ways with the striker.

It’s clear to see that Marsch does admire versatile players as stars such as Rodrigo, Pascal Struijk and Brenden Aaronson are all capable of playing more than one position, which does help when injuries occur as it means there’s less strain put on the squad.

Leeds United look set to ‘complete a move’ for Hoffenheim forward Georginio Rutter, according to Transfermarkt reporter Stefan Bienkowski.

The Lowdown: Rutter linked with Leeds

The Whites appear to have turned their attention to the 20-year-old after completing the signing of Max Wober earlier this week.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg shared news ofthe club’s interest in Rutter, with the French forward seemingly open to a move to Elland Road. It looks as if a potential transfer is gathering pace nicely, with a big-money deal now firmly on the cards.

The Latest: Move set to be completed

Bienkowski took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to share what he’s heard about Rutter and Leeds, citing an update from colleague Daniel Busch.

The reporter said that ‘Rutter is set to complete a move to Leeds’, with a ‘deal worth between €30-€40m’, which amounts to somewhere in the region of £26.4m-£35.2m.

The Verdict: Record signing?

Brenden Aaronson is Leeds’ most expensive signing of all time, arriving last summer from Red Bull Salzburg for €32.84m (£29m), as per Transfermarkt.

Therefore, it appears as if there is a real possibility that an agreement for Rutter surpasses that figure, which would be a real statement of intent from Victor Orta and the Elland Road hierarchy.

Providing that a move goes through, you’d expect that Jesse Marsch will be looking at the 20-year-old to make an immediate impact, providing some much-needed centre-forward competition to Rodrigo, with Patrick Bamford’s injury troubles failing to show any signs of improvement.

It is no real secret that Manchester United are seeking a centre-forward recruit this month, with the recent exit of Cristiano Ronaldo having left Erik ten Hag somewhat light in the attacking ranks heading into the second half of the campaign.

Following what was a hefty summer spend of over £200m – and with takeover talks still looming – it looks as if United will be acting with a restricted budget in the coming weeks, hence the need to find a low-cost, short-term option before the window is out.

According to Calciomercato, the Red Devils could well be interested in turning to a familiar face in the form of ex-Manchester City marksman, Edin Dzeko, with the Bosnian hotshot having just six months remaining on his existing deal at San Siro.

That could well lead to an exit from the Serie A side in January, with the Old Trafford outfit seemingly eyeing up a possible move to bring the 36-year-old back to the Premier League, having previously scored 72 goals during his time at the Etihad.

Turning to the veteran asset – who has 319 club career goals to his name to date – may not appear an ideal scenario to some due to his age, although the prolific “beast”, as described by journalist Joe Lago, is still delivering the goods in Italy.

The 126-cap maestro has scored ten goals and registered four assists in 23 games in all competitions this term, having notably scored in the recent triumph over league leaders Napoli to end their opponent’s unbeaten run.

That should indicate that the ageing figure can still very much do a job at the elite level, with Ten Hag potentially able to utilise the former City man in a similar way to his use of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar during his time in charge of Ajax.

Despite being well into his 30s after returning to Amsterdam for a second spell in 2017, Huntelaar went on to play an important role for the Eredivisie outfit under Ten Hag’s tutelage, notably scoring 16 goals in 28 league appearances during the 2018/19 campaign – despite only 13 of those outings coming from the start.

Having that experienced and clinical figure off the bench was certainly a useful tool for the current United boss, with the one-time Real Madrid striker netting nine goals from just six league starts the following season, before bagging seven goals in only 11 league outings in the first half of the 2020/21 season.

Such was his impact, Ten Hag was seemingly desperate to keep his compatriot at the club even longer, only for Huntelaar to eventually opt to join German outfit Schalke in January 2021 for the final few months of his illustrious career.

The experienced coach may well have potentially wanted the aforementioned Ronaldo to take on that super-sub, part-time role at the Theatre of Dreams, although he could now find his Huntelaar 2.0 with the acquisition of Dzeko.