Looking to end the transfer window with a flourish of arrivals, Aston Villa have now reportedly agreed a deal to sign a midfield talent with a medical already scheduled to take place.

Who Aston Villa could sign before the deadline

Deadline day is just around the corner and, as such, the frantic search for late reinforcements has officially commenced. Aston Villa, part of that search, still have plenty of work to do and have reportedly launched an opening offer worth as much as £47m to sign Lucas Paqueta from West Ham United.

The Hammers have so far been adamant that the Brazilian is not for sale, however, and their reluctance to negotiate a loan with an obligation to buy may stand in the way of Paqueta’s late move to Villa Park.

Whilst PSR is still limiting their transfer activity, late sales could yet take place to free up some funds for the likes of Paqueta. Emiliano Martinez, for example, is still being linked with a move away from the club, as has been the case all summer long, and Manchester United could yet make a late attempt to secure his signature.

The Red Devils are primarily focused on signing Senne Lammens, but Villa themselves have also asked about the Royal Antwerp goalkeeper and could set off a Martinez domino effect by hijacking United’s move at the death.

Meanwhile, as that saga threatens to unfold, Villa have at least reportedly agreed a late deal to sign a midfield talent for Unai Emery.

Aston Villa set to sign Fletcher Boyd

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Aston Villa have now agreed a deal to sign Fletcher Boyd from Aberdeen. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder is reportedly scheduled to undergo a medical at the club on Sunday before officially completing his move from the Scottish club.

One for the future, Boyd’s opportunities are likely to come with Villa’s youth sides rather than straight into Emery’s thinking. The pathway to the first-team is certainly one that he’ll have his eye on, however, having already experienced senior football at Aberdeen.

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After scoring on his debut for Aberdeen at just 16 years old last year, Boyd received impressive praise from former interim boss Peter Levin, who told reporters: “Just to get his debut is amazing but to score… wow, he will never forget that.

“The fans were unbelievable and for them to sing ‘Fletcher Boyd, he’s one of our own’ is a fairytale for him. Fletcher has been brilliant this season for the under-18s and they won the league the other day. He has contributed to more than 30 goals in the 18s and has just turned 16.”

Lancashire live to fight another day as visitors unable to press home advantage in small window of play

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Apr-2025Lancashire 264 (Harris 77, Balderson 51, Scriven 5-46) and 90 for 3 (Bohannon 45*) drew with Leicestershire 491 for 8 dec (Handscomb 142*, Rehan 100, Hill 64)The Rothesay County Championship match between Lancashire and Leicestershire ended in a draw after the home side’s fourth-wicket pair, Josh Bohannon and Marcus Harris, safely negotiated what could have been a tricky final session at Emirates Old Trafford.Resuming on 16 for 3 at 4.30pm after persistent rain had prevented play getting under way in the first two sessions at Manchester, Bohannon and Harris extended their stand to an unbroken 79 and had taken their side to 90 for 3 by the time the draw was agreed with a minimum of eight overs left to be bowled.At that point, Bohannon was 45 not out and Harris was unbeaten on 34. However, the last session was not without its alarms for the home side. Bohannon was dropped twice in the opening seven overs by wicketkeeper Ben Cox off the bowling of Ian Holland, although neither chance was easy.Leicestershire take 15 points from the game to Lancashire 11 and the visitors will have left the ground disappointed not to have had a longer opportunity to press home their advantage.The home team had gone into the final day still needing 212 runs to avoid an innings defeat and Keaton Jennings’ players might be grateful for the week off they will have before their next game, at home to Gloucestershire on May 2-5, when it is expected that James Anderson will make his first appearance of the season.Leicestershire, on the other hand, are certain to remain among the Division Two leaders after this round of fixtures and will travel to Bristol for their match against Gloucestershire in good spirits.

Everton are interested in sealing the signing of a “sensational” Premier League champion before the January transfer window even opens.

Moyes positive ahead of Everton's return to action

The Blues are back in league action this weekend, hosting Aston Villa at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as they look to build on an impressive start to the season.

Everton manager David Moyes is certainly in positive spirits, assessing the current situation during the international break, in terms of getting certain players back fit and kicking on further.

“We’ll get a few players who probably need a bit more pre-season training. We’ve got a few players who need a bit more recovery, we’ve got a few who have got some injuries, but it gives us a chance to sort of regroup but it’s great to go away knowing we’ve picked up six points in the three games we’ve played.

“It’s a decent start for us in the league and we want to keep challenging, we want to be in a high place if we can be but we’ll certainly not get carried away, that’s for sure. We’ve got a lot to do but I’m pleased that I think we’ve played well enough today.”

Moyes will be happy with his summer recruitment at Everton, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling among the exciting signings they have made, but another reinforcement in the attacking midfield areas wouldn’t go amiss after losing Abdoulaye Doucouré in the summer.

Everton keen on signing "sensational" free agent

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Everton are among the clubs interested in signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer. The former Liverpool man is without a club after departing Besiktas earlier this summer, with the Blues joined by the likes of Leeds United and Burnley also believed to be eyeing him up.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would be something of a risk, considering he is now 32 years of age and arguably past his best, but the free aspect of the move would make it less of a gamble for Everton.

If Moyes believes the 2019/20 Premier League champion still has plenty to offer, he should be trusted, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as “sensational” and Thierry Henry also once hailing the progress he made after joining Liverpool from Arsenal, after not knowing his best position for years.

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Oxlade-Chamberlain would surely jump at the chance to return to England and play for an Everton team heading in the right direction, even though a move there for an ex-Liverpool player could be controversial.

MatériaMais Notícias

Há três anos que o dia 8 de agosto ganhou um novo significado para o palmeirense. Campeão Paulista diante do maior rival no Allianz Parque, o Palmeiras celebra hoje três anos do último título antes da chegada de Abel Ferreira no Brasil.

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+ O erro que o Palmeiras não pode cometer se quiser passar do Galo

Apesar das arquibancadas vazias e do sofrível futebol apresentado pela equipe de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, o título significou uma espécie de revanche da polêmica final do Paulista de 2018, vencida pelo Corinthians.

O título também marcou a primeira taça conquistada pelo Palmeiras diante do maior rival na sua nova casa e trouxe a confirmação de que o clube acertava em parar de investir milhões e milhões em contratações e focar em dar mais oportunidades para as crias de sua categoria base.

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Das crias que surgiram naquele campeonato, apenas Gabriel Menino segue no clube e três anos depois de surgir como uma promessa, se consolidou e conquistou diversas taças como protagonista, incluindo as duas dessa temporada.

Patrick de Paula, o grande nome daquela decisão, ao lado de Weverton, deixou o clube dois anos depois da conquista e hoje amarga a reserva do Botafogo.

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+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Com a chegada de Abel, o Palmeiras conquistou mais duas taças do Paulista e ainda ficou com um vice estadual, em 2021.

Desde que o Allianz Parque foi inaugurado, em novembro de 2014, o Palmeiras já conquistou oito títulos em sua nova arena, sem contar as taças de categoria de base e também do feminino.

Manchester United are now lining up a move for a former Puskas Award nominee, with Ruben Amorim personally keen on the deal.

Amorim lining up targets for the January transfer window

The 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the weekend will certainly have bought Amorim some time, but the Man United boss has stressed the importance of carrying the momentum into the next game against Sunderland on Saturday.

Should United pick up victories against the Black Cats and Brentford in the following game, their Premier League standing will start to look a lot healthier, but after a slow start to the campaign, the manager has already started to identify potential January targets.

After missing out on a central midfielder in the summer, it would make sense to look to improve in the engine room in the upcoming window, and the Red Devils are on red alert over a potential move for Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher.

Not only that, but Man United are also looking to bolster their defensive options, according to a report from Il Napolista, which states they are now lining up a January move for Federico Dimarco, with Amorim personally very interested in a deal.

The United boss has placed Dimarco high on his list of winter targets, given that the left-back would be an ideal fit in his system, while he also ‘really likes’ the defender for his technical and shooting qualities.

The Italian’s shooting ability was perhaps best displayed in Inter Milan’s clash with Frosinone, during which he scored a remarkable goal from distance, earning a nomination for the 2024 Puskas Award in the process.

"Revelation" Dimarco could be ideal for Amorim

Given that the Inter Milan defender has regularly played at both left-back and left-midfield throughout his career to date, he could be an ideal fit in Amorim’s system, which, of course, utilises wing-backs.

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The 27-year-old was also lauded by Paolo Cando, courtesy of his impressive performances in the 2022-23 season, with the Italian journalist saying: “Federico Dimarco has been the revelation of the season. He started at Inter as a backup, and quickly became one of the ironclad starting eleven players.”

Having averaged a 7.38 SofaScore rating so far this season, the Italy international is ranked as the third-best performing player in the Inter squad, and at 27-years-old, he could now be entering his prime.

Consequently, Dimarco could be exactly the type of signing needed to take Man United to the next level, and they should undoubtedly pursue a January move.

It’s been an up-and-down start to the year for Newcastle United, and they suffered more adversity on their first Champions League appearance of the season when welcoming Barcelona to St. James’ Park.

Newcastle’s European campaign began with defeat. Marcus Rashford was at the double, scoring two spectacular strikes after a closely-contested opening half that will have left Eddie Howe rueing missed chances.

The manager made the bold decision to leave Nick Woltemade out of the starting line-up after the 23-year-old scored a debut winner against Wolves last weekend. Anthony Gordon deputised in his place.

It might have proved a shrewd call but for some shoddy finishing, with Harvey Barnes culpable of that and more on Tyneside.

Harvey Barnes let Howe down vs Barcelona

With Gordon up top, Barnes reprised his role on the left flank. It’s not been the finest start to the season for the 27-year-old, who has gone five games across the Premier League and Europe without registering a goal involvement.

And against the slick and stylish La Blaugrana, he toiled, not only missing a good chance to score but failing with every one of his crosses and not even attempting to win a duel, statistics courtesy of Sofascore.

Jules Kounde whipped in a neat delivery for the Three Lions star, who powered home with a header from around 12 yards out. Barnes should have closed down the French defender, who had space and time to find his target.

Woltemade will expect to start against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, and Barnes will be sweating over his starting berth, with the goalscoring Gordon sure to be eyeing up a return to his natural position out on the flank.

However, Barnes wasn’t the only one who flattered to deceive, with Joelinton failing to pack a punch in the engine room.

Why Joelinton must be dropped

At times, it can seem inconceivable that Joelinton should be dropped from Newcastle’s starting line-up, so powerful and influential is the South American in the centre of the park.

But it doesn’t always work, and he was reduced in stature against silky opposition.

Chronicle Live weren’t too unforgiving in their post-match assessment, handing the Brazilian a 6/10 rating, but they did acknowledge he lacked his usual bite and brutish efficiency against a well-oiled and cohesive La Blaugrana midfield.

However, such analysis was perhaps generous. Joelinton left plenty to be desired against the Spaniards.

Joelinton lost the ball seven times, having taken 27 touches across his hour on the field. That equates to marginally under a concession of the ball every four touches, which is hardly the sharp and composed midfield play needed against a team such as Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.

After picking up a yellow card in the first half, Joelinton walked a tightrope, and it showed. He only won three of his six contested ground duels and made just one tackle all evening.

All told, it hasn’t been a fantastic start to the season for the hulking midfield presence, though he did catch the eye against Wolves last weekend and now Howe will expect him to return to form.

Minutes played

62′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

27

Shots (on target)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

13/19 (68%)

Key passes

0

Dribbles

0/0

Tackles

1

Clearances

2

Duels won

5/8

With more technically dynamic options such as Joe Willock and Lewis Miley waiting in the wings, perhaps it would be a good idea to place the 29-year-old on the bench against the Cherries, allowing Howe to freshen things up and ensure his midfield does not become too rigid and predictable in its patterns.

Joelinton is a crucial part of this team, but this is a team of many parts, and players are ready to step up and add different dimensions when the need arises.

In this sense, there’s substance to both Barnes and Joelinton stepping to the dugout ahead of the weekend.

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Zinedine Zidane has revealed he has rewatched Real Madrid’s 2017 Champions League final against Juventus more than six times, describing the performance as “perfection.” The French legend called it the pinnacle of his managerial career, praising the team’s dominance in what was their second of three European successes under the Frenchman.

• Zidane reflects on his finest Real Madrid triumph

  Zidane, who won three consecutive Champions League titles with Madrid as manager, singled out the 2016-17 final against Juventus as his standout moment. Los Blancos dominated the clash, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro and Marco Asensio all scoring as Madrid ran out 4-1 victors. The Frenchman emphasised the brilliance of his team’s second-half display, repeatedly describing it as the ultimate example of football excellence.

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• AFP
  

  Zidane praises Madrid’s 2017 Champions League display

  The 1998 World Cup winner, appearing at the Festival Dello Sport organized by , reflected on his most memorable moments in football. He singled out Madrid’s 2017 Champions League final against Juventus as the pinnacle of his managerial career.

  "The best moment of my career after the World Cup? Our second Champions League against Juventus. The way we played that second half… it was truly spectacular. I've watched it four, five, six times… and I've always said: 'This is football.' Perfection."

• Zidane’s legacy and future prospects in coaching

  Since stepping away from Madrid following his second stint in 2021, Zidane has remained a highly sought-after figure in football. Reports link him to Chelsea, Manchester United and the Saudi Pro League, with speculation also mounting about the French national team job. His remarkable track record and calm leadership style continue to make him a sought-after figure in global football.

  The 53-year-old recently claimed his ultimate dream is to manage the French national team: "I will definitely return to coaching. Me at Juventus? I don't know why it didn't happen. I always have him in my heart because he gave me so much. In the future, I don't know, one of my goals is to coach the French national team. We'll see."

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  Next chapter could see Zidane return to the sidelines

  Zidane has confirmed he plans to return to coaching, with one of his long-term ambitions being to manage France, but top European clubs will be holding onto some hope that they can tempt the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner.

Arsenal's run of four games without a win came to an end on Sunday, albeit only thanks to an own goal from Brighton's Marisa Olislagers in a narrow 1-0 victory. The Gunners will be relieved to have avoided extending their barren streak to what would've been their worst in 11 years but the same sluggishness in attack persisted, with Daphne van Domselaar's terrific second half save to deny Carla Camacho proving to be particularly important come the final whistle.

Van Domselaar has been struggling with her own individual form, too, with a high-profile mistake in the Champions League loss to Lyon in midweek highlighting as much. For the Dutchwoman to bounce back with a strong display here, then, will have been one of the most encouraging aspects of the entire afternoon for those of an Arsenal persuasion.

At the start of the game, there looked like there would be more positives, too. The Gunners started well, with Olivia Smith and Caitlin Foord causing plenty of problems in the wide areas before the two then linked up in the build-up to the only goal, which saw Smith's cross deflect off Olislagers and into the back of the net after 15 minutes. However, neither winger was particularly accurate with their final ball, while the overall slow pace of the Arsenal play failed to stretch a well-organised Brighton defence.

Instead, it was the Seagulls who had the better chances, as Kiko Seike and Fran Kirby tested Van Domselaar in the first half and Camacho started to find her range in the second, only for the goalkeeper to produce an outstanding reflex save on the hour mark to deny the young Spaniard what looked a certain goal. Stoppages in play for injuries not long after that halted Brighton's momentum, though, while Arsenal's introduction of Stina Blackstenius helped give the hosts more threat, with the Swede unlucky not to make the end of the game more comfortable for her team when her header struck the bar late on. 

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Daphne van Domselaar (7/10):

Made a terrific save to deny Camacho an equaliser on the hour and positioned herself well to make her other stops very comfortable, too. A confidence-boosting performance for the goalkeeper, whose recent form has been shaky.

Emily Fox (6/10):

A solid display in which she did little wrong defensively, though couldn't make too much impact going forward.

Katie Reid (6/10):

A little sloppier on the ball today than she has been throughout her strong start to the season. Outstanding in her duels, however.

Steph Catley (6/10):

Was generally tidy in possession and relatively untroubled off the ball.

Katie McCabe (6/10):

Had some real problems dealing with Seike in the first half but fared better after the break.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Kim Little (6/10):

Kept the ball tidily at the base of midfield, though didn't do much to speed up the play going forward.

Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

Moved the ball well and was often central to Arsenal's best moves. Like Little, though, she could and should've done more to move the Brighton back line around.

Frida Maanum (5/10):

Had an effort cleared off the line from a corner but otherwise struggled to really make her mark against a well-organised Brighton defence.

Getty ImagesAttack

Olivia Smith (6/10):

Caused plenty of problems, with it her cross that produced the opening goal, but did lack efficiency with her end product overall.

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Worked hard off the ball but got so little service, with crosses just not finding her.

Caitlin Foord (6/10):

Arsenal's liveliest performer throughout the afternoon, though her final ball should have been better on numerous occasions.

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Subs & Manager

Kyra Cooney-Cross (6/10):

Made a positive impact in midfield with some driving runs and quality passing.

Stina Blackstenius (6/10):

Caused Brighton problems with her clever movement and was very unlucky not to add to Arsenal's lead when her header from McCabe's corner hit the bar.

Beth Mead (5/10):

Worked hard off the ball, though couldn't make a huge impact on it.

Chloe Kelly (N/A):

A late sub as Arsenal saw the game out.

Renee Slegers (6/10):

A win is a win but there wasn't much in this Arsenal performance to suggest their recent bad run is totally behind them. The Gunners started well but appeared content with the slender lead, doing little to add to it. That did improve a little with Slegers' subs, which were a little different to her usual changes, which was a positive.

تحدث خوان لابورتا، رئيس نادي برشلونة حول الضغوطات التي يمارسها إعلام ريال مدريد على التحكيم قبل مباراة الكلاسيكو المرتقبة.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه نادي برشلونة نظيره ريال مدريد مساء غدٍ الأحد، في تمام الساعة السادسة والربع بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة ضمن منافسات الجولة العاشرة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

وقال لابورتا، خلال حضوره المؤتمر الـ 15 لرابطة مشجعي برشلونة في الأندلس: “نحن في وضع أفضل من السابق ولم نقع في فخ التنبؤات الكارثية التي لم تكن موجودة ولا متوقعة، أشعر أنا ومجلس الإدارة بأننا أقوى وأكثر اقتناعًا وعزمًا من أي وقت مضى على استكمال تعافي النادي من جميع أزماته”.

اقرأ أيضًا | رد فعل رافينها بعد تأكد غيابه عن مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة

وأكمل: “برشلونة لا يُقهر، ولذلك أطلب منكم أن تبقوا أكثر تماسكًا من أي وقت مضى للدفاع عن شعارنا وجوهرنا وأن تدعموا فريقنا ومدربينا ولاعبينا أكثر من أي وقت مضى، أنتم روابط المشجعين، أعضاء برشلونة، لأن برشلونة ملككم لأنكم تحبونه وأنتم أفضل من يفهم متى يكون من الضروري دعم النادي واستقراره خاصة في أوقات الشدة”.

وأضاف في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لنستعد لمباراة رائعة ونحن جميعًا على ثقة بأن فريقنا سيمنحنا فرحة كبيرة، لقد خلق خصمنا (ريال مدريد) جوًا غير لائق حول طاقم التحكيم”.

وأتم: “من خلال ما تفعله شبكتهم التلفزيونية، فإنهم يؤثرون على الحكام، إنها استراتيجية للفوز لا ينبغي على أحد أن يقوم بها، لا يمكنهم القول إن الحكام يؤذونهم أو يفضلون برشلونة، نحن لا نلعب دور الضحية وسنحاول الفوز في البرنابيو مرة أخرى”.

Friday night’s clash in the Championship between Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion saw two early-season heavyweights in the second-tier do battle.

Indeed, heading into the match, Rob Edwards’ Boro sat pretty at the top of the division on an unbeaten streak of form. At the same time, Ryan Mason’s Baggies happily occupied a spot in the playoff positions.

Both of these statements would still ring true at the final whistle, but depending on results elsewhere on Saturday, West Brom might find themselves slipping out of that coveted top-six after succumbing to a 2-1 loss at the Riverside Stadium.

Aune Heggebo would trudge off the pitch at the end of the defeat with his head held high, at least, with his consolation effort at the death going down as his first-ever goal in England.

However, that can’t be said for all of Mason’s troops, with many others putting in underwhelming displays against the campaign’s initial pace-setters.

West Brom underperformers against Boro

Mason might well have fancied his side’s slim chances away at the league leaders heading into the tense clash, considering West Brom unsettled Wrexham on their own patch earlier on this season.

Unfortunately, a second league defeat is now next to the Baggies’ name instead of a celebratory fourth victory, with first-team regular Jayson Molumby struggling throughout.

Indeed, the usually tenacious and tough-tackling number eight could only muster up a weak two duels won from ten attempts, as per Sofascore, with his midfield teammate on the night, Ousmane Diakité, also struggling in this department, as the Malian only won two duels as well, on top of failing to register a single accurate cross or long ball.

Isaac Price also didn’t look at his best on the road at the Riverside, with the often vibrant number 21 struggling to make much of an impact down the left flank, with zero on-target efforts troubling Solomon Brynn in the home side’s net.

On the contrary, the confident home side managed to pack their shooting boots when cutting the Baggies apart with fast-paced moves, with Price not the only shoddy performer down the wings.

The West Brom star now on borrowed time

Mason has stuck by a consistent starting XI so far this season, but with two defeats now in a row, wholesale changes could be in the offing.

Jed Wallace will be worried about his starting spot moving forward, with the experienced EFL attacker only lasting 62 minutes against Edwards’ men, before being handed his marching orders by his 34-year-old manager.

Minutes played

62

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

36

On-target shots

0

Accurate passes

23/24 (96%)

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

1/6

Successful dribbles

0

Total duels won

0/1

At first glance, Wallace’s numbers from the 2-1 defeat don’t look absolutely horrendous, with the 31-year-old winger only misplacing one of his passes all night.

Yet, when you delve deeper, it’s clear that the former Millwall man offered very little in attack – away from neatly spraying the ball about – to try and kickstart a comeback, with zero on-target efforts notched up from his hour on the Riverside turf, on top of just one accurate cross being delivered into the danger area to try and catch the table-topping hosts out.

Looking even further doesn’t get any better, either, with Wallace also failing to complete a single successful dribble when attempting to be a thorn in Boro’s side, whilst also failing to win a single duel as a passive performer on the right flank.

This has been a tale of Wallace’s middling season, for the most part, with the Baggies captain fading in and out of contests at an alarming rate, as seen in him averaging just 21.5 touches per Championship contest so far this season.

It could be time for Mason to ditch the seasoned veteran; therefore, with Mikey Johnston offering lots more from off the bench when thrown into the match in Wallace’s place, as seen in the Irishman winning two duels and completing two gung-ho dribbles to push his struggling team up the pitch.

Wallace could still be an option Mason relies on as a substitute, but based on his no-show at the Riverside, his first-team minutes might not be so plentiful in the games to come.

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