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There is no escaping the fact that Chelsea have endured a torrid Premier League campaign this season, but with three league wins on the bounce and a place in the Carabao Cup final secured, Mauricio Pochettino looks to have finally steadied the ship in West London.

While the Champions League places may be out of reach this year, the Blues can still build on their current momentum and perhaps fight for a Conference or even Europa League finish if things go their way.

Moreover, with the transfer window now in full swing, Todd Boehly and Co have the opportunity to strengthen the squad for the future, and the latest defender touted for a move to Stamford Bridge could do precisely that and be the perfect long-term partner for Levi Colwill.

Chelsea look to Ligue 1 for Colwill's perfect partner

According to reports from Spain, Chelsea are looking to strengthen their defence and have identified LOSC Lille's incredibly exciting young prospect, Leny Yoro, as a primary target – with the teenager among a list of options that the club are considering across a variety of positions.

The Blues will have to act fast should they wish to secure the 18-year-old's signature, though, as French publication FootMercato has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain are equally keen on the centre-back and have already planned talks with representatives from Lille.

Despite just a year and a half remaining on Yoro's deal with Les Dogues, FootMaercato revealed last month that the French giants would only listen to offers starting at €50m, or about £43m.

While that is a lot of money, it might prove worth it, given the potential the youngster is believed to possess.

How Leny Yoro could be the perfect Colwill partner

Now, despite their poor results – and even poorer performances – this season, Chelsea are quite well-stocked in the centre-back department. Still, upon closer inspection, there are a number of issues that signing Yoro, or "one of the most talented young CBs in world football", as he was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could solve.

Firstly, as fantastic as Thiago Silva has been for Chelsea, he'll turn 40 in September, and while modern sports science is extending the careers of footballers more than ever, he cannot keep going for much longer, so someone else is going to need to step in as Colwill's long-term partner.

There are, of course, other options at the club, such as Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana.

However, the former has had a rough time of things so far this season, with talkSPORT pundit Andy Jacobs labelling him a "disaster" earlier in the campaign, and the latter has already missed 54 games – and counting – for club and country since signing for the Blues a year and a half ago.

Another alternative might be Benoît Badiashile, but he has also suffered from sporadic injuries since joining the club, and even when he has been fit, Pochettino has rarely selected him in the starting XI – making just six league appearances this season.

With all that in mind, it suddenly looks like the Pensioners could do with another high-quality young centre-back who can remain at the club for the long term and build a solid and potentially title-winning partnership with the team's modern John Terry, which is precisely what Yoro could do.

It isn't just the circumstance that would lead to the Lille star breaking into the Blues' starting XI, but his performances, and this can be best seen in his underlying numbers.

Considering he started this season at just 17-years-old, the fact that he is averaging 4.68 ball recoveries, 3.46 clearances, 2.88 tackles and interceptions all per 90 while maintaining a passing accuracy of 91.3% is genuinely impressive.

Moreover, the fact that he is already winning 64.7% of the challenges he commits to bodes incredibly well for his future.

Chelsea could land their own Lisandro Martinez in £52m "Rolls Royce"

The 24-year-old could replicate the Argentine’s form at Stamford Bridge.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 23, 2024

Ultimately, Chelsea have a number of decent defenders on the books this season but no clear candidate to fill in next to Colwill for the long-term, so Pochettino should be pushing hard to get the incredibly talented Yoro through the door, as Kulig's claim that he has "world-class potential" looks truer with every performance.

England have confirmed that Manchester City defender John Stones missed training on Wednesday morning due to illness.

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• Stones missed England training session
• Man City star suffering from illness
• England take on Serbia on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Three Lions are currently preparing for the European Championship and conducted a training session at their basecamp – Weimarer Land Spa and Golf Resort in Blankenhain – on Wednesday morning. However, City star Stones was absent due to an illness.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  England later shared a few photographs from the team's training in Germany on social media and confirmed the news of the star defender's absence. They wrote: "The Three Lions squad is out at training this morning, except John Stones who misses out through illness."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gareth Southgate's side played two warmup matches before beginning their Euro 2024 journey. In their first match, they outclassed Bosnia-Herzegovina but they suffered a setback back in their final friendly game where they went down 1-0 against minnows Iceland.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JOHN STONES?

  The 30-year-old will hope to recover in time and find his name in Southgate's starting lineup on Sunday as they take on Serbia in their tournament opener.

Brentford look set to secure the signature of Leeds' Archie Gray as the 18-year-old is poised for a medical to join the Bees ahead of Chelsea.

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• Gray to have medical at Brentford
• Chelsea had been interested in Gray
• Leeds to earn £35m in return

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gray won the Championship Young Player of the Season award in the recent campaign, impressing both in midfield and in an unfamiliar role at right-back. The Leeds academy graduate has long been tipped for stardom and Brentford look set to win the race for his signature, as per . The Bees will pay £35m for Gray to beat Chelsea and a host of other clubs in Europe to the signing.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gray helped Leeds finish third in the Championship last term and reach the play-off final against Southampton. However, a 1-0 defeat in the final condemned Leeds to another season in England's second tier and meant keeping a hold of their best and brightest talent would prove difficult. Chelsea are also after Leeds' Crysencio Summerville – the Dutch winger who won the league's Player of the Season accolade.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Archie Gray is the latest in a long line of Grays to play for the Whites. He is the son of Andy Gray, the grandson of Frank Gray and the great-nephew of Leeds legend Eddie Gray.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GRAY?

  Once Gray has passed his medical and the paperwork has been completed, he will become a Brentford player. The Bees will aim to survive yet another season in the Premier League and continue to grow as a club, although the departure of star striker Ivan Toney appears likely.

Derby County will go into Saturday's home clash with Shrewsbury hoping that it's a straightforward victory come full-time, Paul Warne's Rams potentially clinching three wins on the trot in League One if the three points are secured.

Picking up a win at the expense of the Shrews would see Derby strengthen their grip on second spot in the division, the Rams already dreaming of a return to the Championship.

Despite everything going swimmingly at Pride Park now – after a dip in form saw Derby lose away at Reading in mid-January – this £8k per week homegrown Rams talent could well be dropped for his side's game on Saturday.

Louie Sibley is arguably now a victim of Derby's late business in the transfer window if he is dropped for the return to home soil for Warne's men, with the 50-year-old boss opting to put his faith in Corey Blackett-Taylor over Sibley if the new recruit is back fit in time.

Louie Sibley's season in numbers

In and around the furniture at Derby since joining as a schoolboy back in 2010, the now 22-year-old Sibley is an important presence in the Rams first-team.

The versatile midfielder can play down the wing and centrally as he has showcased this season, picked by Warne to start down the left-hand side versus Charlton last time out.

It was a forgettable display in truth from Sibley up against the then managerless hosts, only coming away from the contest with a weak 56% passing accuracy on top of managing to complete only one successful dribble attempt.

The decision to axe Sibley for Blackett-Taylor could look harsh from the outside in – the loyal Rams servant does have four goals and three assists next to his name from 28 appearances this season – but Warne will want to test out his new January recruit and see what havoc he can cause against a lowly Shrewsbury outfit.

Corey Blackett Taylor's season in numbers

Battling to be back to full sharpness for this Saturday's match, after missing a reunion at the Valley owing to an adductor injury, Blackett-Taylor will hope he gets the nod over an uninspiring Sibley if deemed to be at the races.

The 26-year-old attacker – who was formerly on the books at Aston Villa as a youngster – shone for another of his ex-clubs in Charlton this season before moving on to sign for Warne's Derby in the transfer window.

Blackett-Taylor's decorated time with Charlton even saw former Addicks boss Johnnie Jackson describe him as a "great" talent, who is "very difficult to defend against" due to his sublime trickery on the ball and eye for goal.

Amassing eight goals and seven assists this campaign for the underperforming Addicks, with 20 goals and 14 assists managed overall at the Valley from 97 games played, it was only a matter of time before a team higher up the league standings took a punt on the dynamic winger.

Derby did just that, landing the exciting attacker for £300k on an initial loan deal, but are yet to really see their new purchase sparkle wearing his new Rams strip.

Excelling playing in the lower depths of the EFL with Tranmere Rovers also, scoring eight times from 62 games in a short-lived stint at Prenton Park, the time could well be right to chuck Blackett-Taylor into the lineup again versus the Shrews to boost his confidence after such a major move.

Sibley will unfortunately be the casualty from the starting lineup, Warne wanting the strongest possible XI he can have at his disposal to pick up more victories with the Rams craving a return to the Championship.

In such a competitive league as the Championship, there are fine margins. The crowd can have a huge part to play in enclosed stadiums, with the atmosphere and hostility almost acting as a twelfth man for some sides.

However, Championship stadiums are not restricted to all having the same-sized pitch, so clubs can be a bit tactical depending on what kind of style they want to play.

With the 2023/24 Championship campaign now well underway, Football FanCast has taken a look at which club boasts the biggest pitch and which club may look to utilise their tight ground.

Championship pitch size rules

All EFL clubs must abide by rules set by the English Football League when it comes to the dimensions of their pitches. The law states the dimension of pitches must fall in the region of 64-75m in width and 100-110m in length.

You have no way near as much of a luxury in the Championship in comparison to the Premier League, as the regulations in the top flight fall in the region of 90-120m in length and 45m-90m in width.

1

The MKM Stadium – Area: 7,696m

Hull City

Coming in with the biggest pitch in the Championship is Hull City and the MKM Stadium. This may come as slight surprise as it's not exactly the biggest stadium in the Championship at a capacity of 25,586.

Although, they could soon find themselves with a bit more leeway if they manage to hold onto their play-off place and work their way into the Premier League via Wembley.

The dimensions are 104m in length x 74m in length to be exact.

2

Portman Road – Area: 7,650m

Ipswich Town

Ipswich have been known for their attractive style of possession and attacking football under Kieran McKenna in the Championship this season, so it comes as no surprise that they have the second-biggest pitch in the division.

With promotion to the Premier League a possibility either via the play-offs or automatically, perhaps they could opt to go even bigger should they end up in the top flight.

The dimensions are 102m in length x 75m in length to be exact.

3

The John Smith's Stadium – Area: 7,245m

Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town are in a spot of bother just outside the relegation zone, with their Championship future under threat.

It appears as if having one of the bigger pitches perhaps isn't benefiting them too much at this moment in time, with just four wins to their name so far.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 69m in length to be exact.

4

Ashton Gate – Area: 7,245m

Bristol City

Bristol City share the same pitch size as Huddersfield Town, but are clearly enjoying more success with the way they're set up as they've won six home games so far this season.

Sitting in 14th position, the Robins still have an outside chance of the play-offs.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 69m in length to be exact.

5

Ewood Park – Area: 7,245m

Blackburn Rovers

Ewood Park has a whole lot of history behind it.

Sadly, it hasn't quite served the Blackburn Rovers players well this season, with just five wins coming in front of the home fans, which has seen the Lancashire club drop all the way down to 18th position.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 69m in length to be exact.

6

Home Park – Area: 7,208m

Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle's home ground has been a bit of a fortress for them so far this season, with eight of their nine wins coming at Home Park.

The home form has single-handedly kept them above the relegation zone, which is interesting with them having the joint-fourth biggest pitch in the Championship.

The dimensions are 106m in length x 68m in length to be exact.

7

Elland Road – Area: 7,140m

Leeds United

Elland Road has always served Leeds United well, with the electric atmosphere and passion that seeps through onto the field.

The Whites are well within the realms of automatic promotion, which is partly down to their home record, as they've secured 11 of their 18 wins in front of the home fans this season.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 68m in length to be exact.

8

King Power Stadium – Area: 7,140m

Leicester City

The King Power Stadium has been at the forefront of Leicester City's dominance in the Championship this season, with 11 wins, two draws and two losses up until this point as the leaders of the division.

The Foxes didn't fare too well in the Premier League last season, but they now look to have the players who can really make the most of the width on offer at the King Power, as the likes of Kasey McAteer and Stephen Mavididi look electric.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 68m in length to be exact.

9

St Mary's Stadium – Area: 7,140m

Southampton

Home or away, it doesn't matter for Southampton as they currently find themselves on a 24-game unbeaten run under Russell Martin.

The fantastic run of form has seen the Saints jump into the second automatic place in the Championship, and they don't look like slowing down anytime soon, with a game-in-hand over Leeds United in third position.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 68m in length to be exact.

10

The Hawthorns – Area: 7,140m

West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion's home form has single-handedly aided their play-off push up until this point in the season, with 10 wins in comparison to four wins away.

However, it hasn't always been pretty as the scenes in the clash with bitter rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers were shocking, and there were claims of racism from the stands in a separate game in the Championship this season.

The dimensions are 105m in length x 68m in length to be exact.

Euros defending champions Italy failed to impress yet again as they lost 1-0 to Spain, and boss Luciano Spalletti was not happy with Jorginho.

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• Italy lose 1-0 to Spain
• Spalletti fumes at Jorginho
• Doesn't see 'point in playing him'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jorginho came into the tournament after a decent domestic season with Arsenal as the Gunners just missed out on the Premier League title. The former Chelsea midfielder was an important part of Italy's squad as they trudged towards their Euro 2020 title win, and the same was expected of him this summer as the squad's most experienced outfielder. However, his performance has left a lot to be desired and Spalletti was seen angry on the touchline during the Spain loss, before subbing the midfielder at half time.

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  WHAT SPALLETTI SAID

  As per Sky Sports Italia, the former Napoli boss was seen angry at Jorginho in the first half, as he said: "He must come and get the ball, otherwise there’s no point in him playing."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite Spain dominated the game, La Roja only managed to win 1-0 after an own goal by Riccardo Calafiori. The Azzurri also failed to impress in their Euros opener against Albania as they went down in the first minute of the game. Despite scoring twice before the 20th minute, they struggled to finish off the soaring Albanians.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ITALY?

  The Azzurri will now take on Croatia in their final group stage match of the Euros and a solitary point on June 24 will see them through to the knockout rounds.

Every time Tottenham Hotspur look to have turned a corner of late, it comes crashing back down and prevents Ange Postecoglou's squad from cementing a spot in the top four.

The club's ebb and flow in the Premier League has been a repetitive theme since the start of the season and defeat on home turf against Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier today could prove to be a detrimental blow after Aston Villa won at Fulham.

There has been much to cheer about down at N17 since Postecoglou's appointment last summer and there has clearly been progress, Tottenham have relied on late magic too often this term but it wasn't to be against a resilient Wolves side that have now completed the double over their opponents.

Heung-min Son's ineffectual display

Last weekend, Heung-min Son returned off the bench after missing most of January while at the Asia Cup, with the South Korean deftly placing a late assist into Brennan Johnson's path to hand Tottenham three points against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The skipper failed to relive those lofty heights and produced one of his most ineffectual showings of the campaign, branded with a 5/10 match rating by football.london's Rob Guest after starting at left wing against Wolves.

The correspondent wrote: 'Back in the starting XI after coming off the bench against Brighton & Hove Albion in the previous game. Swung a couple of decent balls in but just couldn't influence things for Tottenham in attack.'

It was indeed more misery against the Old Gold, a team that the 31-year-old is still yet to score against, having failed to take a single shot, winning just one of his four contested ground duels and losing possession on 16 occasions, as per Sofascore.

He certainly wasn't the only culprit on a measly afternoon for Spurs, however, with James Maddison's unwonted lack of creativity in the centre hindering the squad's fluency.

James Maddison's game in numbers

Spurs have a favourable run of fixtures ahead in the Premier League but will be dispirited by the failure to defeat Wolves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Maddison lacking his usual spark as the playmaking gem.

The 27-year-old certainly wasn't awful, creating two key passes, completing 85% of his passes and starring in the thick of the action with 83 touches, but there's no shirking away from the fact that he was unable to control the flow, losing possession 22 times and completing just two of his 11 crosses.

The aforementioned Guest also marked Maddison with a 5/10 match score and wrote that he 'created an opportunity for Kulusevski after a quick pass in the first half but struggled to really make things work in the final third with Wolves frustrating Tottenham.'

The England international has been one of the Premier League's standout stars this season and has been the attacking centrepiece on multiple occasions so far, but he was nullified by a tenacious Wolves performance and will hope for brighter displays going forward.

While this loss comes as a big blow and a setback for a side that had returned to the top four recently, there is ample time over the coming months to ensure that a purple patch is created.

Now Postecoglou must engineer such fortunes and put this one in the past.

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants to play at the 2026 World Cup in North America despite failing to impress at Euro 2024.

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• Ronaldo wants to play 2026 World Cup
• Chasing unique record in North America
• Yet to score a goal after four matches at Euro 2024.

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  For the first time in his career, the talismanic attacker has failed to score in a major international competition. After making a record-extending appearance in his sixth European Championship, Ronaldo was eyeing a second record of becoming the first player in history to score in six different editions of the Euros. He came agonisingly close to achieving the feat in their last match as Portugal earned a penalty in extra time against Slovenia. The Al-Nassr superstar, however, squandered the spot-kick and then burst into tears.

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  The Portugal legend's performance has come under scrutiny as he can be often seen struggling to win aerial duels, something he used to be a master at during his prime. , however, reports that the European Championship is unlikely to be Ronaldo's last dance as he is desperate to play at the World Cup two years later. There is one record that he is still chasing at the twilight of his career which is becoming the first player in history to appear and score in six editions of the flagship competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Before heading to Germany for the Euros, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid displayed sublime form in the Saudi Pro League as he scored 50 goals across all competitions for Al-Nassr.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

  The superstar will be back in action on Friday as Roberto Martinez's side take on 2018 World Cup winners France in a blockbuster Euro 2024 quarter-final clash. Ronaldo has said this will be the last European Championship of his playing career.

It has been revealed that Liverpool were the Premier League side that Wrexham were due to face in a friendly prior to their North American tour.

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• Red Dragons preparing to cross Atlantic
• Anfield giants heading in same direction
• Parkinson wants to get minutes into legs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons are heading across the Atlantic for a second successive year. They will face Bournemouth and Chelsea while on the west coast of the United States, before heading north for a clash with MLS side the Vancouver Whitecaps in Ryan Reynolds’ home town.

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  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Phil Parkinson is eager to get some minutes into his players prior to leaving the United Kingdom, with a clash with Northern Premier League Division One West side Hanley Town being hastily arranged. Wrexham’s boss has said: “We had a game organised against a Premier League club behind closed doors at their training ground which they pulled out of because of complications with their pre-season tour. We had to quickly arrange an alternative and we went to Hanley, looked at the pitch and spoke to the owner. They moved their fixtures around to accommodate us but the upside for them is that they are going to attract a fantastic crowd which can help them with the budget going forward. It is a good fixture which sets us on our way to America.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hanley’s chairman has confirmed to the podcast that Liverpool were the team that Wrexham were supposed to play, but forced Reynolds and Rob McElhenney into a quick rethink when they decided to duck that fixture ahead of their own trip to the U.S.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham have seen star striker Paul Mullin ruled out of their immediate plans, as he has undergone surgery, but pre-season dates will give them a chance to bed new recruits George Dobson and Lewis Brunt into the fold – with there the promise of more transfer business to come ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Glasgow Rangers delivered a solid second half showing to overcome a one-goal deficit against Kilmarnock last night in the Premiership.

The Light Blues needed to win at a tough venue in order to maintain their two-point advantage over Celtic, but they did not make it easy for themselves.

They went into the interval trailing, but Philippe Clement clearly gave a strong team talk prior to the second half as goals from Tom Lawrence and James Tavernier in a four-minute spell meant the Gers returned to Glasgow with a hard-earned three points.

Come May, this result could prove crucial, and it was thanks to a couple of moments of individual brilliance that won the game, rather than an excellent team display.

Tom Lawrence’s statistics vs Kilmarnock

Given the fact he had started an the weekend against Hearts combined with his recent injury record, not many supporters were expecting to see Lawrence unleashed in a number ten slot on a plastic pitch, but he was solid throughout.

The midfielder was keen on making things happen, succeeding with his only dribble attempt and taking 38 touches, while his low effort was well taken and gave the Gers a lead they would not relinquish.

The former Derby County gem won five of his eight duels contested along with making a tackle and his desire to win his one-on-one battles was evidence of his determination to provide defensive support.

His goal may have won the tie, but it was Tavernier who kicked things off by netting the equaliser.

James Tavernier’s game in numbers vs Kilmarnock

When the free kick was given to Rangers just outside the Killie box in the 55th minute, there was only ever going to be one outcome.

The captain struck a wonderful curling effort which sailed into the back of the net and this was the catalyst for which the game changed in their favour.

He may have lost possession 21 times, yet it was due to his constant surges up the field, which yielded four key passes, three accurate crosses, two big chances created and succeeding with two of his three dribble attempts.

The experienced defender may have delivered better attacking performances previously, but he did everything right and his goal arguably saved the day against the Ayrshire side.

Winning six of his 14 contested duels perhaps wasn’t evidence of the finest defensive display, but he did enough to prevent Killie scoring a second goal, and it was yet another game when the 32-year-old stepped up to the plate when it mattered.

Glasgow World may have only given him a match rating of 6/10, but in all honesty, it deserved to be much higher given the circumstances.

This £30k-p/w Rangers star is valued more than Todd Cantwell

Rangers have a player who has been outstanding for years and is currently valued more than Cantwell

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 20, 2024

These are the type of results that win league titles and the celebrations at the end from the manager showed just how much the victory meant to him and his squad.

The Glasgow side face a quick turnaround as they take on Motherwell at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon, yet they will take plenty of confidence from the win at Rugby Park in terrible conditions last night.