Who would replace Erik ten Hag if Manchester United fire the Dutch manager? When is Alexander Isak returning to the Newcastle starting lineup? And what is the latest on talented Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana?
Here are the latest Premier League news updates heading into Matchday 8.
What is the latest injury news on Southampton’s Kamaldeen Sulemana?
Southampton star winger Kamaldeen Sulemana hasn’t played in the Premier League yet this season due to injury he sustained in the preseason, and the Saints have been anxiously anticipated the return of the Ghanian international to their attack.
They have a big game set this weekend against Leicester City, another notable Premier League side making their way back to the top flight after a surprise 2022/23 relegation.
Southampton will be getting the boost they wanted, as manager Russell Martin confirmed to reporters ahead of the league matchup that Sulemana will be ready to play on Saturday.
Sulemana is one of the most dynamic dribblers in European football, establishing a reputation as such at Rennes alongside Jeremy Doku, who is now a Premier League star with Manchester City.
We’ll see how Sulemana does in his 2024/25 Premier League season debut, with an appearance off the bench most likely. And as we have seen at Southampton and Rennes, Sulemana is one of the best at providing a spark as a substitute.
When is Alexander Isak returning from injury for Newcastle?
Newcastle star striker Alexander Isak has been out for about a month with a broken toe, and with top backup Callum Wilson also injured, the Magpies have been on edge for the Swedish star’s return.
Isak was one of the best players in the Premier League last season, scoring a career-high 21 goals, so Newcastle have been ailing without the 25-year-old marksman. In fact, since Isak’s injury, they have been struggling to score multiple goals in game.
Therefore, it is great news for Newcastle that the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope is reporting that Alexander Isak is set to make his return from the injury for Saturday’s big match against another European hopeful, Brighton.
Isak may not be ready to start, so his role would be interesting to watch. But even off the bench, Isak is a game-changer with his slick dribbling skills and clearly elite finishing chops.
Who will replace Erik ten Hag at Man United after Tuchel picks England?
Manchester United were hoping Thomas Tuchel would be available in case they needed him to replace manager Erik ten Hag, who could very well be playing for his job this Saturday against Brentford.
Tuchel was available this past summer after he and Bayern Munich mutually agreed to part ways, but Manchester United decided to keep the Ten Hag experiment going, even with a new ownership group in INEOS.
Now, Tuchel is off the table after choosing to coach the England national team in a surprise twist, leaving Manchester United with less appealing options to replace their continually embattled manager.
According to a report from the Daily Mail’s Nathan Salt, Erik ten Hag’s very opponent this weekend, Brentford manager Thomas Frank, is the new favorite to coach Manchester United if the Dutchman were to lose his job.
And Frank actually had an interesting defense of the manager, “Incredible the amount of scrutiny he faces – as a head coach we acknowledge how it is to be like this – clearly he’s a good coach – when a team wins the head coach is great if a team lose then the head coach is **** (not).”
Frank has turned Brentford into an explosive and dangerous side capable of at least minimally threatening for a European place. He was one of the top candidates to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea last season before the Blues ultimately decided on Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca, which is a decision they are undoubtedly pleased about this far.
Thus, Frank is a perfectly reasonable candidate for Manchester United, and, so far, his Premier League resumé is more impressive than Ten Hag’s.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.