Christian Eriksen is in "perfect" condition but Thomas Frank thinks he will only be ready to make his Brentford debut in "a few weeks".

Brentford signed Eriksen on a deal until the end of the season following his release from Inter in December, which came after he suffered a cardiac arrest while representing Denmark at Euro 2020 last year.

The 29-year-old was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device, which made him ineligible for professional football in Italy.

Eriksen has been training with his former club Ajax and Frank has no concerns about his fitness, though he will not join up with his team-mates until after Saturday's FA Cup trip to Everton.

"It is a little bit of a miracle of course that first and foremost he is healthy but also that he wants and feels ready to play football again," said the Brentford boss, who was self-isolating following a positive COVID-19 test.

"I would say no [concerns]. Of course, I am not a doctor but all the specialists who have seen him, met him and tested him know that everything is perfect. I know Christian and his family would never take the slightest risk in that sense that something could happen when he is training or playing a football match.

"For me it is down to the mental part of it and getting back into rhythm, playing football at a top, top level and managing it, which I expect will be fine.

"Christian will arrive on Sunday and train with the team on Monday. That will be his first training session. It is hard to say when he is available. I will know a lot more after Monday.

"I hope weeks, a few weeks, but I don't know. I am much more clever when I have seen him train."

Frank heralded Eriksen as the "greatest ever signing" for Brentford, who have slipped down the Premier League table after suffering six defeats in their past seven outings.

"We got it over the line so that was fantastic. It’s potentially the greatest ever signing for the club. I spoke to a fan last night and he mentioned a guy from 70 years ago that was at the same level. I think this is still the biggest signing," said Frank.

"The story behind it… I think it’s going to be an unbelievable day, the day Christian steps back on to the pitch. All of you guys have seen him for years forming as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and what happened to him in June was crazy.

"It was a shock for all of us, so to see him out there on the pitch soon, it's going to be a big day."

Jesse Lingard clarified that his absence from Manchester United training was due to the club advising him to have time off for "personal reasons".

Lingard was strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford throughout the January transfer window due to a lack of first-team football and the fact his contract will expire in June.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick confirmed he told Lingard he could leave if an agreement could be made with another club, but no such deal was struck.

Rangnick revealed on Thursday that Mason Greenwood's unavailability "until further notice" was a factor in United's decision to keep Lingard at the club.

But the German confirmed Lingard would not be involved against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Friday after "he asked for a couple days off to clear up his mind".

This led to some critics questioning Lingard's commitment and others accusing United of pandering to players, with Rangnick also stating Edinson Cavani had been granted an extra couple of days off following his return from international duty.

But Lingard has hit back, insisting the club told him to take a step back.

He wrote on his official Twitter account: "The club advised me to have time off due to personal reasons!

"But my headspace is clear and I'll always be professional when called upon and give 100 per cent."

Among current United players to make at least one Premier League appearance this term, no one has been on the pitch for fewer minutes than Lingard (88).

Frank Lampard knows he is facing a big challenge at Everton but believes he can turn their fortunes around.

Lampard, who was dismissed by Chelsea just over a year ago, was appointed as Everton's manager on Monday.

The Toffees parted ways with Rafael Benitez in January, after an ill-fated 200-day spell in charge for the former Liverpool boss, who won just one of his last 13 league games.

Indeed, Everton earned just 19 points in 19 Premier League matches under the Spaniard, their lowest tally at the halfway stage of a season since 2005-06.

A 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, under the temporary stewardship of Duncan Ferguson, saw Everton drop to 16th in the Premier League, four points above the relegation zone.

Lampard is under no illusions as to the scale of the task at hand, and recalled a phrase coined by David Moyes, who dubbed Everton "the people's club" back in 2002.

"In footballing terms, we're in a position that the club doesn't want to be in," Lampard told a news conference ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie with Brentford.

"I've got a lot of belief in the squad, I've been watching their games closely from the outside, so I'm under no illusions. I feel that we have a squad that can improve quickly. It starts with work on the training ground, with the mindset of the group.

"I understand that in the short term the job is to improve our league position. In the long term, it's clear that it’s a club with huge ambition, history, a huge fan base and a joint desire to improve towards the new stadium.

"There's a lot of work to be done, but I'm very proud to be given this opportunity.

"I've had really positive conversations with the owner, the board and the club in general from the first moment we started to speak.

"Bill Kenwright was fantastic in those conversations as well, and I can see why people hold this club in such regard, because it's the people's club."

After hosting Brentford, Everton face two huge games in quick succession, taking on Newcastle United away and Leeds United at home next week.

Lampard is thrilled at the support he has received so far from Everton's fanbase, but knows results have to pick up.

"I don't expect universal support, but I hope that people will see how I have a work ethic and how I'm going to embrace this job in terms of everything I do," he said.

"I think if they see a reaction on the pitch, which is my job, then I hope that support will continue. We'll be defined this season by the work we put in on the training ground and how we can be united between players, club and fans.

"There's 18 games to play. Nobody is happy with the run we've been on, but I have to bring an element of calm to the players and club and look at ourselves and say there's huge amounts of talent. If I didn't believe in that, I wouldn't be here."

Lampard, whose win percentage with Chelsea in the Premier League was 52.4 per cent, better than any Everton manager has achieved in the competition, was also asked what lessons he has learned from his spell in charge at Stamford Bridge being cut short.

"At Chelsea in reflection I had a really enjoyable 17 months," he said.

"You look at the small details, could you have done this and that better, so hopefully I can bring those experiences of my career so far. I want to get better, and make the players better and this club better, and that’s all I have to look for. Rather than looking back, look forward at what I can do here."

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick explained Jesse Lingard was not allowed to leave in January partly due to Mason Greenwood's unavailability.

Greenwood was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of rape and assault following allegations made on social media.

He was then further arrested two days later on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill. Greenwood, who has not publicly commented on the allegations, was released on bail "pending further investigation" on Wednesday.

United confirmed on Sunday that the 20-year-old will not train or play for the club "until further notice", with their statement stating they do "not condone violence of any kind".

Lingard had been hoping to leave Old Trafford in search of regular first-team football, having only made two starts and 12 substitute appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils this season.

Newcastle United and West Ham – where he enjoyed a successful loan spell last season – were both reportedly interested, however United refused to sanction a move, with Rangnick outlining their reasons ahead of Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie with Middlesbrough.

"Three weeks ago, Jesse didn't want to leave, then he changed his mind," Rangnick told reporters. "I had a chat with him 10 days ago and could fully understand why he wanted to leave for game time, for his future and also for the World Cup.

"I said in case he found a club he wanted to play for and also found a solution with our club, I would allow him to leave. But obviously with all the developments in the last [few] days, things changed a little, and we also had no agreement with any other club.

"So at one stage we had to take a final decision with the board, and we decided to keep Jesse until the end of the season."

When pressed further as to whether Greenwood's arrest had been a factor, Rangnick added: "In a way, yes, but in the end the board told me they couldn't find an agreement with those clubs interested in him, so with the window closing on Monday evening, in the afternoon the board said they would rather he stayed. 

"For me it was a decision I could fully understand and accept. It was two things, we had the problem with Mason Greenwood, being without a player for the time being who has played regularly, and then on the other hand the club couldn't find an agreement with any other club."

The German coach also confirmed Lingard had requested a couple of days to "clear up his mind", with the 29-year-old set to miss the Middlesbrough match.

Despite the situation surrounding Greenwood, Rangnick felt United were able to have a "normal" week of training.

"We had a good and normal week of training, five sessions including today," he said. "Obviously I suppose [Greenwood] was a topic within the team, but they are all human beings and Mason was part of the group before our break.

"It was a good week of training, we could train in normal circumstances and we are looking forward to the game."

Paul Pogba will be at the disposal of Ralf Rangnick for the first time on Friday as the Manchester United midfielder makes his return from injury.

Pogba has not played since early November due to a groin issue sustained on international duty with France – the 28-year-old pulled up during a shooting drill.

While United did not put a specific timeframe on his recovery initially, it was then revealed in early January that they were not expecting him back for at least another month.

Pogba, whose contract expires at the end of this season, spent part of his rehabilitation period in Dubai, a decision Rangnick appeared to openly question.

But despite that apparent disagreement and the lingering doubts around Pogba's future at the club, Rangnick is seemingly ready to throw him straight back into the action when United face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday – several others will be missing, though.

"Yes, Paul will be part of the group, he may even be in the starting XI," Rangnick told reporters on Thursday.

"There are still a couple of players missing out: Edi Cavani will only return at the weekend. He contacted me a week ago and asked me if he could have two more days at home and I allowed him because I knew that he couldn't be in the starting XI [against Boro] anyway with the jet-lag and only coming back today or last night, so he won't be part of the group.

"Victor Lindelof has been ill the whole week and not training so will miss out, the same is true of Jesse Lingard [he has been absent from training]. He asked for a couple days off to clear up his mind, so he will be back in the group next Monday for training and then be a regular part of the squad again.

"Eric Bailly came back yesterday, he has some problems, a swollen ankle, and will therefore not be a part of the squad [on Friday] but all the other players will be available."

United's squad looks rather slimmer than before the international break. With Mason Greenwood absent "until further notice" and the club allowing Donny van de Beek, Anthony Martial and Amad Diallo to depart on loan, Rangnick's options have depleted.

Added to that, United did not make any first-team signings during the January transfer window, though Rangnick felt before that the squad was too large.

"As I said earlier [in January], I thought so far the group was slightly too big, too many players, too many without seeing the chance for regular game time, this is why I'm happy not only for the club but also the players," he continued.

"Players like Donny, Anthony and Amad, they deserved to get regular game time. I wish them all the very best, I was in contact with all three players.

"Amad has already played and scored, and I'm pretty sure Anthony and Donny will do well at Everton and Sevilla and come back in the summer in good form."

Rangnick was also asked about the possibility of Mauricio Pochettino taking over as coach at the end of the season, though the German – who is set to move into a consultancy role from next season – could not offer any great insight.

He said: "I have no idea, my full focus is on developing and training the group right now. We have important games coming up in three different competitions.

"I can't give any reasonable answer to that, my focus is on the upcoming games and months."

Everton have confirmed that Frank Lampard's former Chelsea and England team-mate Ashley Cole has joined the club's coaching set-up.

Lampard was officially appointed as Everton's new manager on Monday, just over two weeks after Rafael Benitez was sacked following a dismal run of results.

Everton swiftly made moves to back Lampard, bringing in midfielders Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli.

However, Lampard has also brought with him a significant amount of experience in the form of an array of coaching staff.

Benitez's departure capped a turbulent period at Everton, who parted ways with their director of football Marcel Brands, and the majority of the recruitment department, in December. Dan Donachie, the club's director of medical services, had left the previous month.

Duncan Ferguson took interim charge for Everton's defeat to Aston Villa last month and was assisted by goalkeeper coach Alan Kelley and academy coaches Leighton Baines and John Ebbrell.

While Ferguson and Kelley have both stayed on to assist Lampard, Baines and Ebbrell have returned to their academy roles, with Paul Clement, a long-time assistant to former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, Joe Edwards, who left Chelsea to join Lampard as assistant manager, and Chris Jones, the new head of performance, all appointed.

They have now been joined by former Arsenal, Chelsea and England defender Cole as a first-team coach.

"I'm delighted to add Ashley into my backroom team. Everyone knows about his superb playing career and what he has achieved in the game," said Lampard.

Cole finished his playing career at Derby County under Lampard, and moved into a coaching role with the Rams before following his former manager to Stamford Bridge in October 2019. Last year, he became assistant to Lee Carsley within England's Under-21s set-up.

Cole said: "I was thrilled when Frank asked me to join him at Everton. 

"The chance to link up again with Frank was another huge draw. He is an excellent manager and leader. With the rest of the staff here, we have everything in place for what we want to achieve together."

Everton face Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday in Lampard's first game in charge, before taking on Newcastle United in a crucial clash at the bottom of the Premier League.

Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar has not been impressed by Mohamed Salah's displays and says the forward cannot consider himself on the same level as Kylian Mbappe.

Salah has scored two and set up another in five matches in Egypt's run to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, where hosts Cameroon await in Yaounde on Thursday.

The 29-year-old has also enjoyed another prolific campaign at club level, having scored 23 goals in 26 games for Liverpool in all competitions.

That compares to 19 goals in 29 matches for Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe, who has made a slow start to 2022 with one goal in his first four appearances.

Indeed, Robert Lewandowski (34 in 28) and Karim Benzema (24 in 28) are the only players to outscore Salah among those from Europe's top five leagues this term.

However, speaking ahead of Thursday's meeting between Cameroon and Egypt, Aboubakar insists Salah is not currently on the same level as Mbappe.

"He is having a great season in the Premier League and is helping his country to advance in the competition. I wish him a lot of luck. May the best win," Aboubakar told RFI.

"He doesn't impress me much. I say it clearly because I'm an honest person and I have my way of seeing things.

"If he impressed me, I would say so. But he doesn't impress me much. He's a good player, he scores a lot but he doesn't produce a lot of stuff in the game.

"Of course, he's doing good stuff in the Premier League because he's been in a team that's been there for years. He's a good player but not at the level of some like Mbappe."

After scoring and assisting in the 2-1 quarter-final win against Morocco, Salah has been involved in 62 per cent of Egypt's AFCON goals since his competition debut in 2017 (8/13).

He trails Aboubakar in the race to be crowned the delayed 2021 edition's top scorer, though, with the Cameroon skipper leading the charts thanks to his six goals.

That is one goal more than team-mate Karl Toko Ekambi, with the pair responsible for all 11 of the hosts' goals up to this point.

Asked about his blossoming partnership with Toko Ekambi, Aboubakar said: "We are complementary to each other, but the most important thing is for the team to win.

"If me, Karl or any other player manages to score and Cameroon win, that's the most important thing. We must raise Cameroon to the top in this competition."

Manchester United's search for a new full-time manager continues.

Ralf Rangnick has been in interim charge at Old Trafford since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal in November.

English powerhouse United have failed to win any silverware since 2017

TOP STORY - MAN UTD CONFIDENT ON LANDING POCHETTINO

Manchester United have renewed confidence that they will land Paris Saint-Germain head coach Pochettino as their new boss, claims The Mirror.

The Argentine is understood to be United's number one candidate for the permanent role.

Footmercato claims Pochettino is tired of the constant criticism he has received at PSG and will not stay beyond this season.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester City are on verge of tabling an offer to Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland to make him one of the highest paid players in the Premier League, according to Todofichajes.

- The Sun reports that Arsenal are planning for a £180 million off-season spend, with Real Sociedad's Alexander Isak, Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Wolves' Ruben Neves among their targets. However, this is dependent on Arsenal finishing top four.

- Chelsea will open pre-contract agreement talks with Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele after he failed to make a deadline day move, claims Sky Sports. 

- Chelsea are also eyeing a move for Real Madrid defender Eder Militao as they plan for the departures of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, according to AS.

- Juventus and Milan are leading the race to land Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo reports Sky Italia. Roma are looking to cash in Zaniolo in the off-season, with Tottenham also interested.

Erling Haaland would suit playing for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, according to Ruud Gullit. 

Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland is expected to be one of the most in-demand players when the transfer market re-opens in the close season. 

The 21-year-old reportedly has a clause in his contract that means he will be available for €75million (£68m), a fee that looks like a bargain given his goalscoring exploits. 

Manchester City are believed to be the frontrunners for his signature, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid have also been heavily linked. 

Gullit does not believe United will be able to beat the competition to Haaland's signature, with the former Netherlands international claiming Liverpool will be the best place for the Dortmund star to take the next step in his career. 

"I see him in England, but I don't think he'll go to Manchester United," Gullit told Bild. 

"City would be good for him because of Pep Guardiola. But Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool would also be great. What Jurgen has done with the club is unbelievable. You just have to love him, and he's always hungry. That suits Haaland. 

"In Spain, only Real Madrid is an option. These are the three clubs that will be in the running for Erling." 

Since his debut for Dortmund on January 18, 2020, Haaland has been involved in 97 goals (80 scored, 17 assisted) in 79 appearances in all competitions for the club. That is over double the number of goal involvements Sadio Mane has had for Liverpool in the same time frame (43) and 14 more than Mohamed Salah, who has played in 18 more games.

Another player linked with a move to the Premier League is Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule. 

Sule will be out of contract at the end of the season and will be available on a free if he does not agree to a renewal with Bayern beforehand. 

Should the Bundesliga champions need to dip into the market to reinforce their squad, Gullit believes Juventus' Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt would be a good solution. 

"Matthijs has experienced and learned a lot at Juventus. He could make a very good contribution to Bayern," he said. 

Dele Alli made the right decision to leave Tottenham for Everton and can return to his very best at Goodison Park, according to former Spurs defender Jonathan Woodgate.

Alli's seven-year spell at Tottenham came to an end on Monday, leaving for Merseyside in what is said to be an initial free transfer.

Everton will reportedly be obliged to pay £10million for the midfielder after he makes 20 appearances, with subsequent performance-based add-ons that may take the eventual figure as high as £40m.

After signing for Spurs in January 2015, but initially staying at MK Dons on loan, Alli swiftly became a key player under Mauricio Pochettino.

He has failed to maintain that form in recent seasons, though, and Woodgate, who played for Tottenham between 2008 and 2011, believes Alli can return to the peak of his powers under new Toffees boss Frank Lampard.

"I think he needed to get out of Spurs, to be honest with you," Woodgate exclusively told Stats Perform. "I think in the Pochettino era, he was one of the best players in the Premier League. He was in the England squad regularly and sometimes it's just that manager that really believes in you and gives you that confidence to play well.

"I mean, you don't turn into a bad player overnight. Dele Alli will be good again at Everton, no doubt about that, and with the right manager it'll give him more confidence and put him on a platform to put him in the right position for him to go and do what we know he can do.

"Because at Tottenham, he was scoring goals for fun, he was running forward, he was assisting, he moved a bit like a Rolls Royce-type player. He always had time on the ball, but something hasn't gone right from the last few managers. [Jose] Mourinho, [Antonio] Conte and [Nuno Espirito] Santo. In the Pochettino era, he was absolutely outstanding."

Woodgate also weighed in on Harry Kane's failed move to Manchester City in the early weeks of the season, saying he understood the striker's stance.

Having expressed his desire to leave Spurs at the end of last season, the England captain was strongly linked with a record-breaking transfer to the Premier League champions during the transfer window.

But despite City boss Pep Guardiola publicly stating his interest in Kane, a move failed to materialise with Spurs refusing to negotiate.

Kane was heavily criticised by supporters for his position, but Woodgate believes it is only natural he would look elsewhere to get his hands on some silverware.

"I think everyone was surprised at the time," he added. "I think everyone really was because no one envisaged him coming out in the middle of the season saying that he wanted to really leave and go and move on.

"I can see his point because he wants to win the Premier League. Who wouldn't want to win the Premier League? Is he going to do that with Spurs? Not at the minute because they haven't got that calibre of player.

"They've got the right manager in but they need more players like Kane and like Son [Heung-min] to really have a go at the league. But they've got some progression to do. We've got to climb huge steps to get anywhere near the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City at the minute."

Jonathan Woodgate hopes Newcastle United stay patient with Eddie Howe in their long-term bid to become contenders in the Premier League. 

Newcastle have refocused their sights on the top of the table after a lucrative takeover by a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the richest owner in world football. 

For now, however, the Magpies are battling relegation under Howe – the first coach appointed by the new owners in November. 

Newcastle were winless when Howe took over and have only added two victories since, remaining in the bottom three with relegation a major concern. 

But after a January transfer window in which Newcastle were the top spenders across Europe, shelling out in the region of £90million for five players, Woodgate believes they will stay up. 

The former Newcastle defender told Stats Perform: "Some of the performances they've produced have been really good – especially at home, they've been decent. 

"Okay, away from home, they've had a few difficult results, but they're a good team. 

"And you need to give Eddie Howe the time to really implement what he wants to do, because he's a fantastic manager." 

That was a sentiment Woodgate repeated when discussing the potential for Newcastle to challenge for the title, as they did during his time at the club between 2003 and 2004. 

"You're looking at five years, five to 10 years," Woodgate said. "It depends on which players you can buy, and hopefully they can stay with Eddie Howe, because I know he can build something there. 

"We had a fantastic team there. We were young, energetic, good players, English players, who really had that hunger. 

"We had great senior players, Gary Speed, Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Steve Harper, at the time, who were really good behind the scenes and good with the young players as well. 

"You need the right balance and the right blend to build a team. We had that in that team in the Bobby Robson era." 

"Balance" is the key again now, Woodgate says, and he believes Newcastle may have found it in January, signing defenders Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Dan Burn, midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and striker Chris Wood. 

Himself widely considered Newcastle's best centre-back of the Premier League era, Woodgate sees a player in Burn who has "improved fantastically well". Guimaraes, he suggests, "is a very good signing". 

"I think they needed someone else in the middle of that park to really be hard to play against, because at times Newcastle can be easy to play against," the ex-England man added. 

"Putting [Guimaraes] in the centre of the pitch, it'll be a lot more difficult now for teams to break them down." 

"They've brought in that balance," Woodgate concluded. "They did need two full-backs, they needed a centre-back and they needed a centre-midfielder and centre-forward to help Callum Wilson. 

"So, I think it's been a very good window and they haven't overspent. They haven't spent £200m like everyone thought they would, but they've kept it nice." 

Manchester City have announced highly rated youngster James McAtee has signed a new contract.

The 19-year-old is now tied to the club until 2026, with City securing the future of one of their most promising young players.

McAtee, a gifted attacking midfielder, made his first-team debut off the bench in City's 6-1 EFL Cup defeat of Wycombe Wanderers in September and has made another couple of appearances since.

One of those was a cameo against Everton in November, his Premier League bow.

McAtee becomes the fourth City youngster to sign a new deal this season after Finley Burns, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer.

He said: "I've been here since I was 11 and I can't thank everyone enough for everything they have done for me.

"I have worked with some brilliant coaches in the academy, who have put me in a position to be able to train and play with Pep Guardiola and the first team, which is all I've ever wanted to do.

"I've been really pleased with my progress this season and I am sure I am in the right place to keep improving, so it feels amazing to know I will be a Manchester City player for another four years."

Former Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate is stunned that Tottenham managed to hire Antonio Conte as their manager, and believes the Italian has Spurs supporters in the "palm of his hand".

Conte, who left Inter after guiding them to the Serie A title last season, was appointed by Spurs on November 2 following the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo.

He has overseen an upturn in their fortunes since then, with Spurs winning six of their 10 Premier League games to force their way back into contention for a Champions League qualification place.

Woodgate, who played for Tottenham between 2008 and 2011, is in awe of Conte's managerial record and says the Spurs hierarchy should give him whatever he wants as he bids to cement the north London club as serious top-four contenders.

"I don't know how they got Conte to be honest with you," he exclusively told Stats Perform. "I don't know how they got him because he's the best manager Spurs will have. Period.

"I think he's an incredible manager. What he did at Chelsea, what he did at Inter, what he did at Juventus, he's managed the national team.

"He signed a contract to the end of next season, so it'll be interesting to see what the off-season brings because I think if it doesn't bring the players that he wants, then it's going to be very interesting. 

"And we know what type of character Antonio Conte is. We know what he's like. He's ruthless in his thinking, he's ruthless in what he wants to do.

"Look what he did last year with Inter, they won the league and he didn't get something in his own way so he left. Because it's either his way or no one's, really. So that's going to be interesting how that plays out.

"He's got the Spurs fans in the palm of his hand. They absolutely adore him, they're eating out of the palm of his hand, because they see his passion on the sideline. 

"And I think that signing of Conte can only bring good times back to Spurs if he's backed and if he gets the right players that he wants."

Despite the signings of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus on transfer deadline day, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy continues to receive criticism from supporters for a perceived lack of investment in the playing squad.

Woodgate, though, thinks Levy deserves more respect for what he has achieved at the club.

"I think everyone needs to start getting off his back, because what he's done for Tottenham has been incredible, really," he added. 

"Bringing Mauricio Pochettino to the club for starters, was a masterstroke. So let's think of what he's done for the club. The new stadium has been absolutely fantastic. He's made money for the club. Harry Kane didn't go; he stopped him from going. 

"Spurs have got to be slightly creative in the transfer market, because they're up against Man City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. So they need to be a little bit creative in who they sign.

"The top players, they have lists, they have categories. So most of these top players are going to be on the top lists of Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and then where are Spurs going to go? So they can't go for the top one, because the top clubs are always going to want him."

It's officially a World Cup year, that means footballers all over the globe will be hoping to get themselves into contention for their own shot at glory in Qatar.

Back in November, Stats Perform began their one-year countdown to the biggest show in football by identifying 11 uncapped players who could potential break into their respective national squads before Qatar 2022 got under way.

With February now upon us, we have revisited those players to see how they have been faring and whether a trip to World Cup looks any likelier…

Luis Maximiano (Portugal) – 23, goalkeeper, Granada

Having been one of LaLiga's form goalkeepers during the early stages of the season, Maximiano has been a little rocky lately. Since the start of December, he has conceded 10 times (excluding own goals) in the league despite those chances only being worth 7.9 xG – that puts him at least partly at fault for 2.1 goals, the sixth-worst over that period.

Jonathan Clauss (France) – 29, right-back, Lens

Clauss continues to show his worth in Ligue 1. Since December 1, his three assists have been bettered by only Dimitri Payet and Lovro Majer. Granted, the expected assists (xA) value of those was only 1.2, so there's an element of luck or benefiting from expert finishing, but he's still proving himself a good outlet both out wide and from set plays.

Bremer (Brazil) – 24, centre-back, Torino

Torino managed to keep Bremer in January before they extended his contract by a year to 2024 on Wednesday. Not only does that protect his value to the club, it was also a just reward for his reliable form. Since December 1, his tally of 21 interceptions is the second-highest among Serie A defenders, as is his 28 aerial wins.

Sven Botman (Netherlands) – 22, centre-back, Lille

Lille stood firm as Newcastle United tried to prise Botman away in January. Over the past two months, the Dutchman has continued to look an imperious presence at the back – his duel success rate (76.5 per cent) is the highest among defenders with at least 300 minutes on the pitch, while only two of those to have engaged in more than 11 aerials can better his success rate (79 per cent) in the air.

Angelino (Spain) – 25, left-back, RB Leipzig

Spain certainly aren't short of quality options in this area of the pitch, but Angelino is still a standout from an attacking sense. Since early December, his 3.0 xA is the best in the Bundesliga, while only five players have played more key passes than him (16).

Riqui Puig (Spain) – 22, midfielder, Barcelona

It's not looking good for Puig. It was thought Xavi's arrival might finally be the break he needed, but he has played only 158 minutes of LaLiga football in the past two months, and that was a period that saw Barca under real stress amid an injury and COVID-19 crisis. With players returning to action, including Pedri, few would be surprised to see his minutes reduce even further.

Christopher Nkunku (France) – 24, midfielder, RB Leipzig

Nkunku continues to look to be in with a great chance of forcing himself into France reckoning. Since we last checked on him, the versatile midfielder has scored four non-penalty Bundesliga goals, bettered by only four players (all out-and-out strikers), and laid on three assists. Only five players have tallied more goal involvements over the same period.

Alan Velasco (Argentina) – 19, winger, FC Dallas

Young talents leaving South American countries for MLS is becoming a recurring them – Velasco is the latest. The young winger became Dallas' record signing on February 1, reportedly costing $7million. He has not played much in recent months due to the Argentinian football calendar, so it will be intriguing to see if he kicks on when MLS starts again at the end of the month.

Cade Cowell (United States) – 18, forward, San Jose Earthquakes

The first success story on this list! Cowell was given his international bow in December as the USA beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0. He did only feature for 12 minutes, and it was a partly experimental squad, but a cap is a cap.

Amine Gouiri (France) – 21, forward, Nice

Gouiri is another who continues to plug away to good effect. He slowed a little, and his return of five goal involvements (three assists, two goals) in the specified period is bettered by as many as eight players, though only Payet has as many as seven. The exciting forward is still doing well, though he could do with another minor boost.

Matias Arezo (Uruguay) – 19, forward, Granada

With the Uruguayan season finishing in early December, Arezo has not played much since his form was last examined – though he did get one more goal to take his seasonal tally to 15 in 29 games for River Plate (URU). That form earned him his shot in Europe, with Granada pulling off a potentially major coup in bringing him to Spain for about €3million. He awaits a first senior cap, though Uruguay are back in an automatic qualification spot.

Tanguy Ndombele has not tried to shift the blame for his underwhelming Tottenham performances as he accepts he is risking his career by returning to Lyon on loan.

Ndombele was a £55.5million (€62m) signing for Spurs in 2019 but re-joined former club Lyon on Monday in a temporary move that could become permanent for €65m.

The midfielder failed to show in England why Tottenham had invested so heavily in his services.

After creating 47 chances and laying on seven assists in his final season in Ligue 1, Ndombele played only 30 key passes and contributed five assists in two and a half years in the Premier League.

There were mitigating factors, with Ndombele signed by Mauricio Pochettino, who soon left to be replaced by Jose Mourinho. Nuno Espirito Santo and then Antonio Conte followed.

But the 25-year-old said on Wednesday: "It's not the fault of coaches if I had a little trouble at Tottenham.

"It's the right time for me [to return to Lyon]. For my adaptation, coming back here is the best. I hesitated: I went out through the front door, and coming back I'm taking a risk.

"If I had thought about [it hurting my pride], I wouldn't have come back. I saw the project in front of me, I saw that it was interesting for me, and for the club, too.

"But I don't think that's the easiest option. If there wasn't a good team, I don't think I would have taken that risk."

Lyon hope Ndombele is not the only player to return from north London this year, with out-of-contract Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette – who scored exactly 100 Ligue 1 goals for the club, at a rate of one every 150 minutes – a target.

He was one of several former Lyon men referenced as potential signings by Jean-Michel Aulas when presenting Ndombele to the media.

"In our context, [Lacazette] is more affordable than Benzema," Aulas said. "We have to try to see if we can do it as a free player, but we won't be alone."

Aulas also discussed outgoing transfers, with Ndombele set to replace star man Bruno Guimaraes, who departed for Newcastle United.

"Newcastle's first request for Bruno, we refused it," Aulas said. "It seemed logical to us.

"Events made us think differently then. We're happy with the deal, coming out of a difficult pandemic period for all clubs. We turned a weakness into an opportunity."