ANALYZING THE "ISIDOR DILEMMA": WILL SUNDERLAND’S STAR MAN FEATURE AGAINST EVERTON?
Wilson Isidor is back in training as Sunderland prepares for Everton. Discover which AFCON stars are ready for the FA Cup Third Round.
Régis Le Bris shared a team update before their FA Cup trip to Everton.
Le Bris hasn’t settled on his starting eleven yet. He wants to see how a few players come through training before making a call.
Wilson Isidor, who’s missed the last two games with a minor injury, will rejoin training on Friday morning. There’s a chance he’ll make the squad for Saturday’s early kickoff, but Le Bris isn’t rushing anything. He plans to field a strong team out of respect for the cup, but admits he’ll have to shuffle things around.
“He’s improving,” Le Bris said, talking about Isidor. “He trained with the group this morning, so we’ll see if he’s ready. He’s right on the edge—we don’t want to risk him, so we’ll wait and see. We want to go strong because we respect the competition, but at the same time, some players need their minutes managed. Honestly, with the schedule so packed, every hour matters as we figure out who’s fit.”
Le Bris also needs to decide if any of Sunderland’s returning players from the Africa Cup of Nations can play a role. Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku, Reinildo, and Bertrand Traore are all back, but Le Bris doesn’t expect to have all of them available.
He’s not worried about throwing them straight back in, but he wants to see how they look in training first.
“It’s early—they’ve just returned and haven’t trained yet, so this morning is important to see where everyone’s at,” Le Bris said.
Chances are, not all of them will be ready, but maybe one or two could feature. They bounce back fast—that’s their quality. At this level, you win, you’re happy, you lose, and you move on, because you’re playing again in a couple of days. They’re used to that pace.”
Le Bris also gave an update on Aji Alese and Ahmed Abdullahi. Both are working their way back after long injury spells, but won’t be involved this weekend.
“They’ve had a few setbacks, so we’re being careful,” Le Bris said. “They’re training with the U21S now and will probably get some minutes there. It’s moving in the right direction.”
DERBY OUTRAGE: PETER BANKES DOUBLES DOWN ON DISALLOWED KOLO MUANI GOAL DESPITE MASSIVE CRITICISM
Referee verdict: Discover why Peter Bankes disallowed Kolo Muani’s goal and Keith Hackett’s "stupid and soft" reaction.
Referee Peter Bankes stood by his call to disallow Randal Kolo Muani’s equaliser in the North London derby, calling it “a very, very clear offence.”
The moment sparked outrage. Gabriel, Arsenal’s defender, hit the deck after Muani’s challenge in the box. Former Premier League referees’ chief Keith Hackett didn’t hold back, calling the decision “stupid and soft".
Bankes didn’t hesitate. He blew for a foul, ruled out the goal, and VAR stayed out of it, even as Spurs fans fumed. That goal would’ve levelled it at 2-2.
Bankes explained on the Match Officials Mic’d Up show: “I was exactly where I needed to be for a cross from the right. I saw the Tottenham player put two hands into the back of the Arsenal player. That’s what grabbed my attention. When you see that live, it looks like a straightforward push – a clear foul.
“I held off on the whistle to let play run, then made the call after the ball went in. That way, VAR could step in if I’d missed something or if it looked off. But honestly, on the pitch, it looked obvious.
“I’m still comfortable with my decision. Sure, things can look different at different speeds; slow motion isn’t the same as seeing it live. But I got one look, and I was confident the two hands on the back had enough impact to be a foul.
“I know people will split on this, but I’m comfortable. That’s a free kick for me.”
The decision was a huge break for Arsenal, who ended up winning 4-1. As far as Spurs fans were concerned, Gabriel got away with one.
Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher backed Bankes up: “The on-field decision always stands. The ref saw enough for a push. VAR isn’t going to overturn that when the evidence is there.”
THE GIBBS-WHITE PROJECT: WHY MANCHESTER UNITED SEE THE FOREST STAR AS THEIR NEXT PLAYMAKER
United transfer hub. Get the report on wage bill cuts, the Forest playmaker, and City’s rival interest.
Manchester United still have a bit of a wait before the summer transfer window opens, but talk around Old Trafford is already heating up. People keep linking United with all kinds of new signings for when the season wraps up.
Michael Carrick has made quite the impression as United’s interim head coach so far. The club handed him the reins until the end of the season, and honestly, he’s done well with the opportunity.
Still, no one really knows who’ll be in charge next season. That uncertainty just adds fuel to the rumours about which players United will chase in the transfer market.
Right now, everything hinges on Champions League qualification. United sit fourth in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Everton on Monday night. That spot could make all the difference for summer plans.
Morgan Gibbs-White's claim
Now, United have reportedly joined the hunt for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White. The Daily Mail says United are keeping an eye on the Forest playmaker, maybe even lining up a summer move.
But there’s a snag: United want to bring down their wage bill, and that could make signing Gibbs-White tricky.
Manchester City are also said to be interested, and Tottenham apparently tried to sign the 26-year-old with a £60 million offer, but that move fell apart.
Man United's Scott McTominay stance
As for Scott McTominay, it sounds like United aren’t planning a reunion. Despite recent talk about bringing the Napoli midfielder back, TEAMtalk reports United aren’t interested, and the idea hasn’t even come up in the recruitment department.
Napoli now values McTominay at close to £70 million, just a year and a half after he left United for around £25 million. He made the move to Italy in the summer of 2024 and, in his first season, helped Napoli win the Serie A title.
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