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Crystal Palace will be without Eberechi Eze for at least several months after the attacking midfielder suffered a serious Achilles injury in training.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a fine first season with the Eagles after arriving from Queens Park Rangers for £16m last summer, bagging four goals and providing six assists in 34 Premier League appearances.

Eze’s is expected to have a consultation with a specialist over the coming days, and if a rupture is detected, then the youngster is likely to face up to eight months on the sidelines.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson is likely to be gutted by the news, which means he will be without one of his best and most entertaining assets for his final home game in charge of the capital club.

In a press conference on Tuesday (via Football.London), Hodgson addressed the former England Under-21 international’s issue but stated he was hopeful that Eze could play against Arsenal this evening.

“We’ve got a couple of players that we need to assess for the game tomorrow,” said the 73-year-old.

“That’s going to be Scott Dann and Eberechi Eze. We’re going to have to assess them before the game. I’m hopeful that they’ll make it, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

However, The Athletic confirmed that the diagnosis turned out to be much worse than first feared, and it’s a bitter blow for the south London outfit and as Dominic Fifield put it, a “cruel” injury for the player.

Palace are set to appoint a new manager in the near future following Hodgson’s imminent departure, and it could also affect the future of other first-team stars.

The Eagles have multiple players approaching the end of their contracts over the summer, and an exit has long been muted for key man Wilfried Zaha, but chairman Steve Parish may be altering some of his previous plans following this awful news.

It means Hodgson will have to cope without Eze when the Gunners arrive at Selhurst Park this evening in what should be an entertaining London derby and the current Palace manager will be gutted to be ending his time at the club without one of his star men on the pitch, but his loss may well be greater felt by whoever succeeds the former England boss.

And, in other news…Parish masterstroke: Palace must appoint history-making manager with 12 major honours – opinion

‘Not much will have changed’ at Celtic if Eddie Howe’s appointment isn’t accompanied by structural shifts, according to club legend Charlie Nicholas.

Nicholas issued the warning in his regular Daily Express column, as quoted by the Daily Record.

The lowdown

Howe is finally set to be confirmed as Neil Lennon’s long-term successor this week.

It was almost two months ago that it was reported that those who went to check this website would have got very short odds as Celtic were on the verge of appointing the former Bournemouth boss.

Howe’s desire to bring backroom staff from the Vitality Stadium, who were engaged in a Championship promotion bid, is one of the reasons for the hold-up.

The 43-year-old will face the daunting task of overhauling a 25-point deficit to Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers.

The latest

Nicholas is excited by the impending appointment, expressing his confidence that Howe will bring ‘hope’ to Glasgow and ‘play in the right way’.

But he also admitted to fears that the ‘dynamics’ at the club may not meaningfully change – he thinks it’s vital that Howe is able to put his own stamp on Celtic.

“It will be good to see Celtic get Eddie Howe over the line so the fans can finally get some vision and clarity,” he said.

“There has been no leadership from the club hierarchy of late. Hopefully this pending appointment will be the start of better things to come.

“What I want to know is, where is the dynamic change we expected at the club? Is the appointment of Eddie the catalyst?

“He will do a very good job for Celtic, he’ll give the club hope and play in the right way.

“But what’s happening with the director of football role and the rest of the plan moving forward?

“If Howe’s bringing in his own men then fair play to him.

“But if the likes of Gordon Strachan and John Kennedy are involved then not much will have changed – with the same old glove puppets reporting back to Dermot Desmond.”

The verdict

As Nicholas suggests, failure to to really address what’s wrong behind the scenes for the Hoops could make the Howe appointment rather meaningless.

The good news however is that, according to the Daily Record, incoming chief executive Dominic McKay may also present a new director of football this week as part of ‘a major restructuring’ – one would suspect that Howe sought assurances of this ‘dynamic change’ before he agreed to take the job.

The coming weeks should hopefully feel the like beginning of a new era at Parkhead.

In other news, a former Scottish international has issued his verdict on a potential Howe transfer target.

Olivier Ntcham could be about to receive an exit route from his Celtic nightmare, with Greek giants AEK Athens preparing a move.

What’s the story?

According to The Scottish Sun, the 25-year-old midfielder may be about to finally get his wish and depart the Hoops on a permanent basis following a hugely disappointing loan spell in the second half of last season.

The report claims Athens are prepared to offer Ntcham wages of around £20,000-per-week in order to lure him to the Olympic Stadium.

He’s not good enough

Ntcham has been open about his desire to move away from Scottish football in the past, previously claiming to be too good for the Scottish Premiership.

“Celtic has given me a lot but leaving is the best solution for my development. We can do as many matches as we want but, with all due respect for my opponents, if the level in front is not high, you do not progress,” the Frenchman said back in 2019.

However, after joining long-term suitors Marseille on loan in January, Ntcham failed to impress, making just two league starts for the Ligue 1 outfit.

On both occasions, he was substituted at half-time due to his dire displays and he was also hauled off after just 45 minutes during a French cup game against fourth-tier minnows Canet RFC.

Jorge Sampaoli’s men fell to an abysmal 2-1 defeat on the day, but it was Ntcham who took the majority of the flack, being labelled “unacceptable” by local newspaper La Provence (as reported by Sport Witness) after receiving three 1/10 ratings from journalists covering the game.

A summer rebuild is required at Celtic Park following a disastrous 2020/21, where the Hoops finished 25 points behind table-toppers Rangers.

Former Australia national team coach Ange Postecoglou is thought to be close to succeeding Neil Lennon in the Celtic hot seat, but it doesn’t seem as though he will have to deal with an unhappy Ntcham for very long.

The former Manchester City man is a very talented footballer on his day, yet his attitude and application leave a lot to be desired, and the former champions will be better off without the want-away flop. He’s not good enough of a player for Celtic to put up with any of those types of distractions.

And, in other news…Major Celtic transfer news emerges over £2m liability, fans will surely be buzzing 

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Paul Stewart believes that there is a 50/50 chance that Mauricio Pochettino will return to the club this summer in a sensational managerial move.

The sacking of Jose Mourinho midway through the campaign has left Spurs on the hunt for a new boss.

They have been linked with a number of potential head coaches, including Antonio Conte and Erik Ten Hag.

But reports over the past week have centred primarily on Pochettino, with The Athletic reporting that the two parties are in talks over a potential reunion.

Spurs sacked Pochettino 18 months ago, while the Argentine only joined PSG in January.

It would be a headline-grabbing move but Goal have reported that the former Southampton boss has asked to be allowed to leave the French club, with Real Madrid also interested in appointing him.

Stewart is not sure if Pochettino will be willing to make the move to north London, given the contract he is on in France, and the fact that he is working with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, but he has not ruled out the prospect of him coming back to north London.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He’s four months into his tenure at PSG so I’m going to say it’s 50/50, purely and simply because he’ll be on a lucrative contract at PSG, he’s working with some of the best players in the world at PSG and he may well see that as another project like he did with the Spurs project.”

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a swoop for Almeria defender Mathieu Peybernes, as reported by Nottinghamshire Live.

The Lowdown: Exits aplenty at the City Ground

The Reds will likely be looking to add some defensive quality and experience to the ranks after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign saw them finish 17th in the Championship.

Forest fans may expect reinforcements across the back line moving into next season after fellow enforcers Michael Dawson and Michael Hefele were let go upon expiry of their contracts [Nottingham Forest FC].

Conjecture also continues to grow surrounding a potential exit for West Ham and Crystal Palace target Joe Worrall [The Athletic]. As a result, Chris Hughton may be ready to dip into the transfer market to acquire suitable positional replenishments ahead of 2021/22.

The Latest: Three clubs interested in Peybernes

Forest are now said to be courting Peybernes as part of their summer rebuild [Nottinghamshire Live]. Interestingly, he plied his trade at Real Zaragoza for some of last season on loan from parent club Almeria, making 14 appearances for Los Blanquillos [Transfermarkt], who are also said to be eyeing a permanent swoop for the former France Under-21 international [Nottinghamshire Live].

Said to also be attracting attention from divisional rivals Swansea City, the East Midlands club will need to move swiftly in order to secure his signature [El Periodico de Aragon].

The Verdict: Now is the time for Forest to make their move

Peybernes would represent a solid addition to the fold at the City Ground. The 30-year-old has also been something of a long-term target for the club, as Forest were known to have an eye on his situation last summer [Nottinghamshire Live].

The 1.86m-tall (6 foot 2) defender’s capability to attack the ball with utmost aggression, alongside his reputation as a fearless tough tackler (2.1 tackles per game in 2016/17 with Bastia), would make him an ideal introductory 2021/22 acquisition at the Reds. Contractually, he only has 12 months left on his Almeria contract [Transfermarkt].

With the player reportedly craving “stability” [Nottinghamshire Live] and considered dispensable enough by his parent club to be loaned out, this move could be an amicable solution for all parties as they press on with their respective transfer window activities.

Queens Park Rangers look set to confirm a deal that will see Andre Dozzell move to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Mark Warburton’s side have agreed a deal to sign the Ipswich Town midfielder, with the move set to be announced in the coming days.

West London Sport reported earlier this week that the two sides were in negotiations regarding the transfer of the 22-year-old, although that, despite speculation, Macauley Bonne would not be involved in any potential deal.

However, this does not appear to have hindered talks, with Dozzell looking likely to become a QPR player in the very near future.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Dozzell appears to possess, if Warburton’s side do go on to secure a deal for the £810k-rated man in the coming days, it will undoubtedly have fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over his 43 League One appearances for Paul Cook’s side last season, Dozzell provided one assist and created a whopping 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 1.3 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £3.5k-per-week former England U20 international earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Ipswich’s joint seventh-best performer in the third tier of English football.

As such, with QPR looking to build on their impressive form in the second half of last season in their upcoming campaign, the addition of the man whom Paul Lambert dubbed an “incredible” talent would certainly appear to help the club in achieving this feat, not only next season but for a great many years after.

Indeed, with Dozzell having already turned in a number of excellent displays during his time at Ipswich, his level of performance is something that is only likely to improve with greater experience and game time at a higher level, meaning that QPR could well have something of a gem on their hands in the very near future.

In other news: Huge transfer update emerges on “immense” £5.4k-p/w gem that’ll leave QPR fans gutted

Many Wolves fans have been left to flock to a big transfer update on Joao Moutinho.

As per Grada 3, Jorge Mendes has offered Valencia the opportunity to sign the central midfield player on a free transfer in the summer window.

Moutinho did not exactly have his best season, scoring just one goal and supplying one assist in 36 matches in total across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Some Midlands club supporters grew more frustrated with some of his displays towards the end of the 2020/21 term, most notably against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.

However, the Molineux outfit should at least be trying to get some form of a transfer fee for who is still a decorated player currently with the Portugal national team in Euro 2020 and looking to make an impact on the tournament.

Wolves fans on Moutinho transfer update

These WWFC fans seemed split over the transfer update on Moutinho as it was shared on Twitter:

“Thanks for the memories but it’s time to go!”

Credit: @WolvesBlogger1

“Makes sense to free up his wages”

Credit: @gricey88

“Rip his contract up”

Credit: @kevsta123

“Free? Looool”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Who will we have left?!”

Credit: @AlanDavis1893

“Numpties if they do!”

Credit: @SmithShakesp

In other news, find out which ‘excellent’ Euro 2020 ace Wolves are eyeing here!

Southampton fans have been reacting to the news that they are leading the race to sign Adam Armstrong from Blackburn Rovers this summer.

The Saints are preparing for the upcoming 2021/22 season after what was a mixed previous campaign – they finished 15th in the Premier League table but did also reach an F.A Cup semi-final. As they look to improve, they are likely to be looking to bring in new players, and it seems they may be targetting a new striker.

According to The Telegraph, the Saints are leading the race for Armstrong, who currently plays for Blackburn in the Championship. Last term, he enjoyed a fantastic campaign, scoring 29 goals in all competitions (Transfermarkt), and this latest report has suggested he will be moving to a club in the Premier League during this transfer window.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Armstrong news below

“Will it happen tho”

Credit: @Farmadelic

“No chance”

Credit: @redsaints106

“this makes me very happy”

Credit: @vestergodSFC

“We’ll probably trip over on the finish line.”

Credit: @wes_cox

“Unless the quoted fee is 8m then I Have more chance of building a rocket and blasting off to venus”

Credit: @MashySaint49

“Saints are in the chase for loads of players and land very few. Getting sick of people crying wolf.”

Credit: @jgj1972

In other news, Southampton are interested in this Euro 2020 man.

Queens Park Rangers have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring George Cox to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Mark Warburton’s side have had an offer of around £500k rejected for the Fortuna Sittard left-back in the past few days.

It was reported earlier this week that the 58-year-old QPR manager is looking to bring in reinforcements at both left and right-back this summer, with Todd Kane looking likely to depart the club this summer.

Warburton will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Cox has been since joining Fortuna back in the summer of 2019, the fact that the Rs have failed in their first bid to sign the defender is sure to leave Warburton gutted.

Indeed, over his 33 Eredivisie appearances last season, the £900k-rated left-back scored five goals, provided five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.9 key passes per game.

Cox also impressed in a defensive capacity, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and making 2.3 clearances per game, with these returns seeing the 23-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Sjors Ultee’s fourth-best player in the top flight of Dutch football.

As such, with the QPR boss undoubtedly hoping to build a side in the summer transfer window that is capable of going on to mount a push for a top-six finish in their upcoming Championship campaign, the addition of a left-back who poses such a threat going forward, while also appearing extremely solid at the back, would seem to provide the club with a huge boost to their chances of going on and achieving this feat.

However, in order to land the £1.2k-per-week man in the coming months, it would appear as if QPR will have to up their last bid for the former Brighton & Hove Albion man, although, with a fee looking likely to be a relatively affordable amount of money for the Rs, we would expect Cox’s transfer to indeed go through ahead of next season.

In other news: QPR dealt transfer blow over “unbelievable” £8k-p/w gem, Warburton will be gutted

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the GIVEMESPORT Fans’ Euro 2020 Group Stage award following a blistering opening to the tournament.

In a poll run by fan engagement experts Snack Media the Portuguese superstar earned a whopping 47% of the vote, finishing comfortably clear of Romelu Lukaku in second place to secure a landslide victory.

Lukaku has been in scintillating form for Belgium but only accrued 20% of the vote, with fans clearly left in awe of Ronaldo’s longevity having watched him score five goals in his opening three games – the 36-year-old’s best ever goal scoring return at a major international tournament.

Elsewhere, Manuel Locatelli managed to scoop 13% of the fans’ vote after an auspicious opening to the tournament at the heart of Italy’s midfield, though the fact he was rested in the final group game against Wales may well have swayed opinion towards Ronaldo here.

Sceptics will argue that three of Ronaldo’s five goals have arrived from the penalty spot, but his 100% strike rate from 12-yards has almost single-handedly secured Portugal’s place in the last-16 of the competition.

And when you consider his form has arrived in an ultra-competitive Group of Death, it’s easy to see why Ronaldo secured such an overwhelming proportion of the vote.

Patrick Schick, Emile Forsberg and Frenkie de Jong made up the rest of the vote, with all three failing to break the 10% mark.

The full list of contenders from the final shortlist polled as follows:

• Cristiano Ronaldo (47%)
• Romelu Lukaku (20%)
• Manuel Locatelli (13%)
• Patrik Schick (8%)
• Emil Forsberg (7%)
• Frenkie de Jong (5%)

The next Euro 2020 vote for Player of the Tournament will kick off on 12 July.