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Tottenham Hotspur gem Jude Soonsup-Bell has torn his hamstring and will miss the rest of this season, according to reports.

What’s the latest Spurs injury news?

Spurs interim head coach Ryan Mason is having to cope without a few first team stars in the final run of this Premier League season.

The coach is tasked with helping Tottenham maintain their fight for a top four finish and subsequent Champions League qualification, but after a humbling 6-1 loss to Newcastle on Sunday, he faces a real uphill battle.

Mason won’t be helped by the absence of five major players, with goalkeeping number one Hugo Lloris the latest to be sidelined after pulling up with an injury against Newcastle.

The Frenchman joins Emerson Royal, Ryan Sessegnon, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur on the treatment table as Mason scrambles to make the most of his thin squad.

Spurs signed Soonsup-Bell from Chelsea in the January transfer window, with the teenager already possessing quite a reputation from his time at Stamford Bridge.

Even league champions Man City were thought to be interested in the forward before he opted to join Spurs, highlighting his obvious ability, but it appears he won’t be able to showcase his potential in the academy until next season.

According to Spurs expert John Wenham, writing via his Lilywhites Rose social media account, Soonsup-Bell will now miss the rest of this campaign after tearing his hamstring.

He explained:

Who is Soonsup-Bell?

The England Under-18 international has been a brilliant player at youth level for both Chelsea and Spurs, with Blues U18 coach Ed Brand raving over Soonsup-Bell in an interview, stating:

“Jude is a top goalscorer. He showed great composure to get the ball out of his feet and finish well when he got his chance. He is a fantastic player at this level and he should be really proud.”

While he is arguably yet to truly showcase that in a Spurs shirt, the potential to succeed at Tottenham is certainly there, having racked up five goal contributions (four goals and an assist) in 14 Premier League 2 appearances before his injury.

Spurs will be hoping his recovery goes as smoothly as possible with hamstring issues known to be problematic depending on the severity.

Leeds United have reportedly made a big offer for Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news involving Cifuentes?

The Whites are currently in a battle to remain in the Premier League, with Javi Gracia’s side looking to get back to winning ways against Fulham on Saturday.

Ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, Leeds find themselves just two points above the drop zone, with the next three games against Fulham, Leicester City and Bournemouth seemingly key in their bid to stay up.

However, despite not knowing what division they will be playing in next season, Elland Road officials appear to be planning for the transfer window.

Barcelona teenager Ilias Akhomach looks like he could be one of the first through the door in Yorkshire, and Cifuentes may well follow suit.

Football Insider shared an update on Rangers and their pursuit of Cifuentes in the last 48 hours. They claimed that the Scottish giants are unlikely to sign the Ecuador international despite making contact over a deal.

The report adds how Leeds and Spanish side Espanyol are ‘pushing to secure the South American talent with big offers already on the table’.

Who is Cifuentes?

Cifuentes, sponsored by Nike, is 24 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder but can also play in defensive and attacking midfield roles when required.

The player has been with LAFC since 2020 and has seen his Transfermarkt valuation increase from €2m to a career-high €12m during that time.

Cifuentes, who is out of contract at the end of the year, has made a total of 104 appearances for his current employers, contributing to 31 goals.

South American football expert Tim Vickery also believes that Cifuentes is ready for the step up to European football, with the journalist once saying this to talkSPORT:

"He was the beating heart of that [Ecuador U20] side and I think he's a terrific midfielder. He's strong, he's got quality, he's got a good engine – he's one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I've seen come out of South America in a while.

He has been linked with Leeds before, but now could be the ideal time to secure his services due to the club’s lack of midfield options.

Adam Forshaw looks set to leave this summer and there are question marks over whether Weston McKennie will become a permanent Leeds player at the end of the season which could leave the Whites with just Tyler Adams and Marc Roca as their only senior defensive and central midfield options.

Therefore, bringing in Cifuentes could be a much-needed move, but you’d expect Leeds will need to remain in the Premier League to stand a chance.

Newcastle United have six fixtures of the 2022/23 Premier League season remaining and they have put themselves in an extremely strong position to secure a top-four finish and therefore qualify for the Champions League.

The Magpies ran wild once again on Thursday night when they secured an emphatic 4-1 victory over Everton at Goodison Park and Eddie Howe will be hoping that the north-east outfit continue their outstanding form during the run-in.

The St James’ Park side have four of their final games at home so having the majority backing of their supporters is something that they need to capitalise on to get them over the line, so with that being said, here’s how we think their remaining matches will pan out.

Newcastle fixtures

• 30 April: Southampton (h)

• 7 May: Arsenal (h)

• 13 May: Leeds (a)

• 18 May: Brighton (h)

• 22 May: Leicester (h)

• 28 May: Chelsea (a)

Newcastle v Southampton

Following the 4-1 away win over Everton, the St. James' Park outfit next return home on Sunday to host Southampton and they will be full of confidence that they can continue their outstanding run of form having scored ten goals alone over the past two games.

The Saints will know that they are in serious trouble after failing to beat relegation-battling rivals Bournemouth, and whilst they desperately need to start collecting points to aid their chances of survival, logic suggests that they won't be able to take anything from the game in the northeast.

Prediction: Newcastle 3-0 Southampton

Newcastle v Arsenal

The Magpies are set to hold back-to-back home games when they welcome Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to St James' in what is sure to be the most difficult remaining fixture of the run-in. The Gunners lost control of the title race when they suffered that heavy 4-1 defeat to top-of-the-table rivals Manchester City meaning that they will miss out on the trophy should Pep Guardiola's side win all of their final matches.

The Emirates Stadium outfit will know that they have to put up a strong fight in front of a loud and excitable crowd in the northeast should they want to take something from the game, but based on recent form, they might have to settle for a point.

Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Arsenal

Leeds v Newcastle

After what are sure to be two fast-paced and entertaining games against Southampton and Arsenal, Newcastle hit the road once again when they travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds who are in real danger of being relegated, sitting just one point above the relegation zone where they face dropping down to the Championship.

The Whites held the Magpies to a goalless draw the last time the two sides met in the reverse fixture of this game back in December, but considering how much the standards and level of performances of both clubs have changed since that time, you'd expect the visitors to wrap up a comfortable victory in West Yorkshire.

Prediction: Leeds 1-3 Newcastle

Newcastle v Brighton

Eddie Howe's outfit return to Tyneside for their penultimate home game of the season when they host Brighton and Hove Albion, who are still in with an outside chance of qualifying for some kind of competition in Europe despite recently suffering a surprising 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Roberto De Zerbi's Seagulls will be looking to capitalise on the fact that they have got at least two games in hand on their opponents that are around them in the table, but the black and white stripes won't go down without a fight.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-2 Brighton

Newcastle v Leicester

Alongside Southampton and Leeds, Leicester are another team fighting for their lives to stay in the top flight that Newcastle are set to face during their remaining fixtures between now and the end of the season, with Dean Smith having a mixed bag of a start to life in charge, winning one, drawing one and losing one of his three opening games at the King Power.

The Foxes' inconsistency could be a main reason as to why they find themselves in relegation bother, and the chances of them pulling a shock result out of the hat in front of the north-east massive are very slim, so this should be a comfortable three points for Howe.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-0 Leicester

Chelsea v Newcastle

Newcastle's Premier League season concludes with a trip to London in what is sure to be a thrilling encounter with a lot potentially on the line for the visitors.

The Magpies gaining a positive result on the final day of the campaign could prove definitive in their hunt to finish in the top four, but with the Blues wanting to send their fans home for the summer happy and with a win following their disappointing term, this fixture could prove to be the unlikely banana skin that no-one saw coming.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle

• Predicted run-in points: 11/18

• Predicted total points: 73

Arsenal have registered their interest in signing Ajax right-back Devyne Rensch this summer, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are keen on bringing in a new right-back in the summer, with it recently being reported they are poised to make a bid for Real Valladolid's Ivan Fresneda, having missed out on the 18-year-old in the January transfer window.

Ben Jacobs has also linked the north London club with a move for Southampton's Tino Livramento, if the youngster is able to put his injury problems behind him, although Fresneda remains the priority.

However, given that Borussia Dortmund are now leading the race for the Valladolid ace, Mikel Arteta may have to consider other options, and Football Insider report they have registered their interest in signing Rensch from Ajax.

The Gunners are excited by the potential possessed by the 20-year-old, however the indication is he will only be targeted as a back-up option, if they miss out on Fresneda, which is now looking more likely.

It is also detailed that a new right-back is being targeted to replace Ben White, as Arteta plans to play the Englishman in a central role next season.

Should Arsenal sign Rensch or Fresneda?

There is some evidence Fresneda is more solid defensively, given that he ranks higher than Rensch for blocks and clearances completed per 90 over the course of the past year, however he does play in a weaker side, meaning he has more defensive duties.

Furthermore, the Ajax man seems to be more of a threat on the front foot, averaging more non-penalty goals and assists during the same time period, which is a crucial part of the game for modern-day full-backs, that White has flourished at this season.

The 25-year-old has amassed two goals and five assists in the Premier League this season, so if he is going to be utilised in a more central role, Arteta needs to make sure he brings in a player who is capable of replicating similar numbers going forward.

As such, while Fresneda is undoubtedly a top talent, being dubbed "superb" by football scout Jacek Kulig, Rensch should be the Gunners' priority signing this summer.

Hailed as "incredible" by Kulig, the £21k-per-week 20-year-old has already been capped by the Netherlands, and he is more than capable of holding down the right-back position at Arsenal for years to come.

Presenter Lawrence Bury was left deeply unimpressed with Yerry Mina's antics in Everton's 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City in the Premier League.

How did Everton fare against Man City?

The Blues faced a mammoth task on Sunday afternoon, as they welcomed the reigning champions to Goodison Park for another huge game. Pep Guardiola's side have been in sensational form of late, as they look to win a treble, so it was always going to be a likely away win.

Everton battled well in the first half, but they were undone by a piece of brilliance by Ilkay Gundogan, who brilliantly steered an effort past Jordan Pickford. Erling Haaland then scored his customary goal for Guardiola's men, heading home to double the lead in swift fashion.

From that point done, it was a routine afternoon for City – Gundogan added a free-kick after the break – as they cruised to three points and ensured that Everton remain very much in the relegation battle. Sean Dyche's team are in 17th place and one point clear of the drop zone with two matches remaining, with a nerve-shredding couple of weeks on the horizon.

Someone who seemed heavily involved in the action throughout was Mina, who was involved in a constant physical battle with Haaland, as they looked to get the better of one another. There was a separate incident that displayed the Colombian's bad side, though – one that didn't involve the City striker.

What did Mina do wrong?

Taking to Twitter, Bury lambasted Mina's playacting after a tussle with Aymeric Laporte during the first half, in a moment that didn't cover the central defender in glory:

"Yerry Mina is everything wrong with modern footballers."

In truth, Mina's behaviour was fairly embarrassing in that one incident, with the 28-year-old going to ground easily after contact from the City defender. The 39-cap Colombia international is clearly a good player when he is fit, and an influential performer for Everton, but it would be nice to see him cut that out of his game.

There may be some who enjoy the histrionics, especially when it comes from a player representing their team, but Mina embarrassed himself and it ultimately had no bearing on the result, with his reputation only damaged because of it.

That being said, he could be a massive player in these final two games, with Dyche needing him to be at the absolute top of his game against both Wolves and Bournemouth.

Failures for England aspirants Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick was the bleakest aspect of a bleak day at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network04-Jul-2016
ScorecardScott Borthwick’s England audition is not going well•Getty ImagesHampshire continued to dominate their Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street, only for rain to wipe out most of the final session on the second day.Division One’s bottom club, seeking their first win, declared on 472 for 9 before Ryan McLaren bowled England aspirants Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick to leave Durham on 79 for 2.Stoneman offered no stroke and lost his off bail then Borthwick fell for five when he tried too late to withdraw his bat and edged into his stumps, following on from his two failures in the previous Championship match against Yorkshire.A change in conditions didn’t help Durham as the openers had 35 on the board after five overs. Light rain was starting to fall when Stoneman departed for 17 in the sixth over. It passed quickly enough for play to continue, but the thickening cloud made batting trickier, prompting Keaton Jennings to drop anchor.He had raced to 20 off 16 balls, then added only three in facing a further 40 before bad light prompted tea to be taken an over early.Gareth Berg had conceded one run in six overs, but on the resumption following heavy rain in the interval Jennings and Jack Burnham added 22 in six overs before the rain returned.The three wickets Durham took as Hampshire progressed from their overnight 319 for 6 were handed to them.Lewis McManus departed for five when he skied a pull off Graham Onions to be caught at mid-wicket by academy boy Alasdair Appleby, on as a substitute for Chris Rushworth.Sean Ervine and Berg then put on 95 in 22 overs with Berg becoming the dominant partner as he made 56 off 74 balls before lofting Jennings to long-on.Berg had gone to his 50 by following a six over extra cover off Ryan Pringle with a back-foot four to the same area off the next ball.With the declaration looming after lunch, Gareth Andrew drove a straight six off Borthwick and Ervine tried to hurry to his century. On 72 he pulled Paul Coughlin for six and had sped to 93 when he attempted a scoop off the same bowler and was bowled.At the start of Durham’s reply McLaren’s first two overs went for 16 and Tino Best conceded 19 in three before making way for Berg.

England wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Australian star Ellyse Perry shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 83 as home side Loughborough Lightning beat Western Storm by five runs

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2016
ScorecardHeather Knight’s 74 from 46 balls took Western Storm close•Getty ImagesEngland wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Australian star Ellyse Perry shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 83 as home side Loughborough Lightning beat Western Storm by five runs in a thriller, despite Heather Knight’s 74, the highest score in the Kia Super League to date.Jones and Perry came together at a perilous 31 for 3 to share the impressive stand, building a solid platform before accelerating to put Lightning in a great position. A flurry of wickets saw Storm slow the rate down, before an Eve Jones cameo saw Loughborough post 158 for 8 off their 20 overs.Western Storm were looking for a fast start but were pegged back by some tight early bowling from Loughborough. Knight’s excellent knock looked to have given Western Storm the platform to chase down the score, but when she was run out, the game went away from the visitors.”It felt really good and it was about trying to get a partnership together with Ellyse,” Amy Jones said. “Luckily I’d had a couple of opportunities in warm-up games so it was nice to push on a bit and get the win.”Knight was undoubtedly disappointed to fall short. “We just wanted to stay in the game as long as possible but a couple of wickets cost us but we can turn things around quickly and we can get back on track.”Nine runs off the first three balls of the match looked to have given Loughborough a great start, but a clever piece of bowling saw Lightning captain Georgia Elwiss lured out of her crease, to be stumped by New Zealand international Rachel Priest.Storm captain Knight then forced a mistake from one off Loughborough’s overseas stars, grabbing the wicket of Sophie Devine before Anya Shrubsole bowled Dane Van Niekerk after runs had begun to dry up.That brought together the partnership of Jones and Perry, who first consolidated for a period before their expansive range of shots began to show. The England wicketkeeper took the lead racing to 46 off 30 balls, departing to a Priest stumping again off Freya Davies.Perry was then involved in a mix-up that saw Paige Scholfield run out, but by then had taken on the momentum, hitting her 44 off 37 balls before holing out in the deep to Lizelle Lee.Eve Jones smacked a quick-fire 25, launching Georgia Hennessey for a six and then the very next ball, hitting another boundary, before departing to Shrubsole as the innings reached its end.The Western Storm chase wobbled early, as an excellent Powerplay saw Loughborough get the prize wickets of overseas stars Priest and Stafanie Taylor before Knight and Fran Wilson started the rebuilding process.Knight was the aggressor in the partnership of 78 with her England colleague but when Wilson departed, the task got harder, though the composure shown by the Storm skipper, suggested otherwise.However, the match turned when Elwiss got the faintest of touches on a Hennessey straight drive, to leave Knight stranded out of her crease and with it the chances of Western Storm. Sonia Odedra’s impressive spell of 2 for 20 was the pick of the Lightning bowlers, whilst Perry’s final over secured the victory.

Glasgow Rangers head into their final three matches of the Scottish Premiership with the sole aim of building for the forthcoming season, as Michael Beale’s side lick the wounds left by a testing campaign.

A tie against Hibernian this afternoon could allow the Ibrox side to build on a confidence-boosting 3-0 victory over Celtic in their previous match, and it was Beale’s first taste of glory against the club, setting up the title race nicely next season.

The 42-year-old will be naturally buoyed by the performance, and this suggests that the majority of the team will stay the same against Hibs. However, there could be a change in the backline, with Connor Goldson a doubt for the tie as the £37k-per-week star has suffered a knock.

Talking to the media, Beale said: “Connor Goldson is a doubt for the weekend. There are no other fresh injuries."

With Ben Davies struggling recently, especially during his last appearance against Celtic when he failed to safely clear the ball in his own box which eventually to Kyogo Furuhashi scoring, Beale should give Leon King an opportunity to impress at the heart of the defence.

Could Leon King start for Rangers against Hibs?

Due to injuries to John Souttar and Davies at the start of the season, King was a regular alongside Goldson in the defence up until the World Cup hiatus, giving him vital experience in the starting XI.

Across 12 Premiership games, King won 56% of his total duels while losing possession just 5.4 times on average each game, indicating that despite his tender years, he was more than up for the physical battles of Scottish football.

His Champions League experience was slightly more humbling, yet minutes in Europe’s premier club competition will do wonders for his development. He played in all six group stage games, receiving a Sofascore rating of 6.1/10, yet he still managed to win half of his duels and made 1.7 tackles per game – a valiant return considering the nature of the results Rangers endured.

The youngster has featured for just one minute under Beale, finding opportunities hard to come by, although the match today represents an ideal chance to give him a runout.

Former Ibrox academy graduate Alan Hutton has described King as a “big Rolls-Royce” in the past, and there is no doubt this season has been a major learning curve for the 19-year-old.

Gaining some game time over the next week would go a long way to proving that he is more than capable of becoming a first-team regular next term.

Members of the media have slammed Tottenham Hotspur left-back Ben Davies with Brentford winger Bryan Mbuemo enjoying a north London masterclass.

Tottenham 1-3 Brentford

Spurs and interim coach Ryan Mason endured another afternoon to forget in what has been a humbling season for the Lilywhites overall.

Tottenham succumbed to their 14th loss of the Premier League season with only Fulham losing more games out of any side in the top half.

Mason’s side had been dominating for a period – performing brilliantly in the first half as Harry Kane opened the scoring with an absolutely sublime free-kick.

However, Spurs ultimately failed to build upon that 45 minutes and capitulated after half-time – with goals from Mbuemo (2) and Yoane Wissa sealing a devastating defeat.

The players marched off to a chorus of boos after the full-time whistle, but during the contest, various sections of the media criticised Davies in particular – who seemed “exposed” against Mbuemo playing as a left-back in four-man defence.

Independent Tottenham website COYS.com claimed he is “not good enough” while The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare said he was caught out again for Mbuemo’s second.

Journalists Vitor Soares and Nacho Gonzalez from overseas then got in on the act, with the latter reporter drawing attention to his “weak” defending in one-v-one situations.

Could Ben Davies leave Spurs this summer?

The 30-year-old has been a faithful servant for Spurs since signing from Swansea in 2014, but with reports suggesting they could target new defenders this summer, his time could be coming slowly to an end.

Davies has just two years remaining on his contract, giving chairman Daniel Levy a limited time to cash-in on the player whilst potentially funding new additions.

However, much could also depend on Tottenham’s next manager and whether they feel he is the right fit.

A second day of rain prevented England U-19s’ bowlers from making significant headway in their efforts to force victory

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2016
ScorecardJosh Coughlin took two wickets on a shortened day•Getty ImagesA second day of rain prevented England U-19s’ bowlers from making significant headway in their efforts to force victory. The Sri Lankans lost four wickets in a truncated day’s play – leaving a draw looking the likeliest result.Sri Lanka had started day three at Fenner’s on 96 for 2 with Charith Asalanka and Avishka Fernando looking to build on yesterday’s steady start at the crease.George Bartlett, who had complained of a knock to his hand during the warm-up, dropped a chance on 110 for 2, but quickly redeemed himself holding onto a low catch at short midwicket to dismiss Asalanka for 81 which included 12 boundaries.Durham pace bowler Josh Coughlin also made his first impact on the game dismissing Fernando for 45 giving George Hankins at second slip an easy catch.The afternoon session was lost to rain but after play resumed at 5pm Amar Virdi took his second wicket of the match – dismissing Shammu Ashan on 51.Sri Lankan keeper Navindu Vithanage was dispatched in the next over – Coughlin’s second wicket of the day – being caught one handed by an outstretched Pope.But bad light then intervened, forcing the players from the field again.Sri Lanka will resume tomorrow on 235 for 6.