Flying Kiwis – December 10
Marko Stamenic - Swansea City (English Championship)
Just last week in this very column you’d have read the pondering that perhaps Marko Stamenic needed to bring a little more to the table than just his disciplined holding midfield work. We’ve seen what this guy is capable of for the national team. We know he goes box to box to score and assist goals as well, yet through his early time at Swansea City he’s mostly kept those cues in the rack, settling in with a more simplified approach. But five losses in a row for Swansea City meant they more from anyone who could spare it, so more was what Marko Stamenic provided...
Swansea City went on to win that game 2-0 against Oxford United and then they backed that result up with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth. Marko Stamenic didn’t score in the latter but he did get voted Man of the Match by the fans. Consecutive clean sheet wins with Stamenic playing key roles in each... it feels like the Vitor Matos era is finally up and running. Much better vibes around the place having jumped six points clear of the drop zone.
Marko Stamenic: “It means a lot, it is always emotional thinking about that [his father’s passing], about someone so close to me and close to our family. That goal was definitely dedicated to him, the hard work we had together to get me to where I am now. There is a huge part missing for me but I know he is watching from above. I am really happy for the goal and really glad to contribute to the team. We have gone through changes as a club, they have been positive so far but we need to keep building on that. It has been really good working with the gaffer, he is enthusiastic and I really like the character he brings to the club and the team. We understand and believe in his ideas, and I think that translated into this performance.”
To illustrate the point of what Stamenic has offered to this Swans side thus far, have a geeze at some stat graphs. You can see there he’s doing excellent things defensively and with his passing accuracy, without really bringing a whole lot of attacking threat (these numbers are from before these two most recent games). Lots of passes completed but not a lot of them moving the team forward, leaving that up to others instead. You could already see a difference against Portsmouth where Stam was seeking to push that ball in towards the forwards a lot quicker...
And while we’re hanging out in the Championship, don’t overlook Max Crocombe’s Millwall who are chilling in third place after a 1-0 win away against Bristol City. He made three saves within that win, continuing to hold it down (even during some post-match brouhaha). Fourth clean sheet in ten league appearances for Crocs this season. Last year’s number one Lukas Jensen just played his second game for the U21s on return from an eight-month achilles injury - he won’t be ready for a little while longer so this is prime time for Crocombe to keep those levels nice and high.
Up Next: Stoke City vs Swansea City at 1.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Ben Waine - Port Vale (English League One)
One week ago, Ben Waine was in the wilderness. Now he’s getting plaudits from his coach and doing media work and the club’s social crew even had him as the poster boy in their promotions for the midweek league match against Bradford City... heck of a thing for a bloke who hasn’t even been in a League One squad for PVFC since August. That’s because not only did he score in the 5-0 EFL Trophy win against Barnsley last Wednesday NZT, he then retained his spot on the left wing for the FA Cup tie against Bristol Rovers and scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory to send Port Vale into the third round...
Ben Waine: “The game was really physical but I think we dealt with it well. It maybe got away from us in the first half with a little bit of scrapping but we reset well and got back into the game and dealt with it. I was a little bit frustrated with the first half because I probably had an easier chance to take so that’s always going to play on your mind. But when I saw Henners come charging up and clearing the ball I thought he was gonna put some distance on it and I thought there’s a chance that’s gonna come through. I’m glad I took it and put it away.”
It’s interesting that he’s found this little resurgence as a left-winger rather than a striker. He did play a bit out wide (in a front three, same as he did here) earlier in the season when he was still in the rotation so it’s not entirely new. But that wide role seems to suit him. Gives him more room to run, utilising his pace and energy, without putting him in direct competition with the bruising centre-backs who’d otherwise been shutting him down. And perhaps playing out wide also took the pressure off him to score goals, ironically making him more capable of scoring goals.
Who knows, this could be the way forward for him... it wouldn’t do his All Whites status any harm to show that he’s a genuine option in multiple positions. Of course, these were both cup games with rotated sides and it remains to be seen if he can snap his league drought because that Bradford City game got postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Considering how PVFC have not won any of their last eight league games, only scoring once during that down spell, you’d hope a bloke who just offered up goals in consecutive games, and clearly has a point to prove (as well as a hugely commendable attitude) will get an opportunity off the back of that. We’ll find out in a few days.
Darren Moore: “I really want him to have all the accolades here because he epitomises a player that has come in, started, tried to hit the ground running. It didn’t quite work for him but my goodness, his work off the ball and then away from it – from all the watchful eyes that’s not been on him, he’s just kept going. Over the last three or four weeks, we’ve seen a real change, not in terms of his temperament, his mentality, but just his cleanness really. Since he’s come in, we’ve had a couple of in-house games, he’s scored goals and he’s come back in and capitalised on his opportunity. From his performance on Tuesday night, he deserved to start today and he’s scored the winning goal that’s took us into the third round.”
Can’t say the same stuff about Matt Garbett’s Peterborough United, who lost 1-0 to Barnsley to end their FA Cup run in the second round... although they did bounce back midweek with a 2-1 win over Reading. They’re rising up the ladder, very slightly. Port Vale, on the other hand, are dead last... but perhaps Ben Waine can solve that. Port Vale and Peterborough play each other in two weeks.
Up Next: Luton Town vs PVFC at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Michaela Foster & Hannah Blake – Durham FC (English Super League 2)
Turns out Mickey Foster is a menace from any aspect of a set piece. We’ve seen her score directly from a corner this season. We’ve seen her convert in a penalty shootout. Now here’s a goal on the other end of the equation, burying a diving header to give Durham a pretty fortunate 1-1 draw at home against Ipswich Town. It’s been a tricky campaign thus far and this was nearly a nadir, at risk of losing to the bottom team (who didn’t even have Grace Neville in their line-up... she dropped to the bench and would only be seen as a stoppage time substitute).
Hannah Blake also started for Durham on the right wing though never really got going before being replaced just before the hour (and just before Ipswich scored). But then after Foster’s 66th min equaliser, it was Ipswich (on the back of seven consecutive defeats in all competitions) who looked far more likely to find a winner. If the 1-1 draw flattered anyone, it was Durham. Looks like they’re going to be in a relegation battle rather than a promotion push with only 10 points from 10 games... in that light, perahps drawing against one of their rivals isn’t so bad. One thing’s for sure, they’re glad to have Michaela Foster on their side. Foz won the club’s Player of the Month award for October and hasn’t dropped those standards at all. It was another strong outing for her in central defence here, highlighted of course by that crucial goal.
Elsewhere in WSL2, there was a 3-0 win for Crystal Palace against Birmingham which lifts them up to sixth. Seems like they might be getting something going after beating the second-placed team. Indi Riley only got two minutes off the bench, albeit she did travel to Australia and back making two international starts during the FIFA window. Couple nice runs and a foul conceded in her short cameo. She’s such an important player for the Football Ferns, we need to see her in a bigger role (as she deserves) with her club team... but this wasn’t the week for that.
There was also Katie Kitching with Sunderland... who lost 3-1 away to Nottingham Forest and remain in the relegation zone, one point below Durham. Kitching didn’t start, which was probably also a concession to her international travels, but they subbed her on at half-time already down 2-0. Kitch definitely helped and there was a 20-minute block after they scored where it was 2-1 and they were right there in the hunt. But a late concession from a corner killed those hopes and sent them towards another disappointing defeat.
Up Next: FA Cup footy with Durham hosting Sheffield United at 1am on Monday (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 2)
If Ben Old was hoping for a Ben Waine-esque elevation after scoring in a favourable cup tie last week, he didn’t get it. He was named on the bench once again as ASSE faced Dunkerque... however his four-bagger must have done something for him because when ASSE suffered a first half injury to Ebenezer Annan it was Benjamin Old who got the tap on the shoulder from the coach. On you go, son. 36 minutes on the clock... making this the most that he’s featured in a League 2 match since the opening game of the campaign. The only catch? Check out the positioning here...
Annan is a left-back and this was a straight swap. There was some chat earlier in the season that Old was seen as an alternative option at LB though it’s taken until now for that to actually happen. Old needs minutes and this was the spot available. Get in where you fit in.
ASSE lost the game 1-0, a frustrating result against a mid-table team. They made a fantastic start to life in the second tier, taking 17 points from a possible 21 to begin with, yet since then have struggled for consistency going loss, win, loss, loss, win, loss, win, win, loss. They’re still second and on course to be promoted back so it’s no major drama... but that’s some context for Old’s situation.
Unsurprisingly, Old looked like a winger playing in defence throughout this game. He did get up in support of his attackers but mostly saved the overlapping bursts until late when things got desperate. Kept it pretty conservative with his passing. Also a tad late to react with some of his defensive tasks. The fact that this option was rumoured a few months ago suggests that he may have spent at least some time training there already... but it takes game time to really get a proper understanding. He did alright though, especially under the circumstances. His best moment came at the start of the second half when he ran into space and set up a chance that went pinging off the crossbar.
It’s since been revealed that Ebenezer Annan won’t play again until the new year. That leaves at least two matches in which they’ll have to find a replacement and, as you may have guessed by this situation, they don’t have a specialist back-up in their squad. Therefore we’ll find out in a few days if Ben Old’s got a shot at being that guy for the next Ligue 1 game and the next round of the French Cup. Annan’s absence could have been much longer seeing as he’s a Ghanaian international and was picked in the Black Stars’ most recent squad... except Ghana failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations so that’s not going to be a conflict after all.
Up Next: ASSE vs Bastia at 8am on Sunday in Ligue 1 (NZT)
Tyler Bindon - Sheffield United (English Championship)
Who’s this guy, aye? Tyler Bindon didn’t play in any of the first 14 Championship matches since Chris Wilder’s return to Sheffield United to replace the manager who’d previously replaced him (Ruben Selles, the former Reading boss who was responsible for getting Bindon in on loan). Word on the street was that Bindon would probably find his loan cut short in January, along with a few others, as the Blades sought to clear some room to allow Wilder to put his stamp on the squad. Bindon did get those four starts to begin the season but that was for a dysfunctional team that lost all four of those games (leading to Selles’ sacking) and Bindon struggled to assert himself at a tougher level amidst all the messiness. Not a good enough first impressions to win over the already-upset fanbase. Then in came Wilder with a preference for more battle-hardened centre-backs and that’s pretty much the whole story.
Until this past week when Sheffield United faced Stoke City. They were already down one CB after Ben Mee had surgery on his hand. No clear timeline on that return, they’ve said it’ll be week to week but he definitely missed this match so in came Mark McGuinness in his place and that man scored a belter of a header as the Blades took a 3-0 lead into half-time... however a rolled ankle meant that was all he could manage. Two CBs down and it was next man up territory. Enter Tyler Bindon for his first senior club appearance since late August.
He did great with it too. Helped that they were already 3-0 up and would add a penalty near the end for a 4-0 victory – biggest win of the season for the Blades and also a fourth in a row, finding some form and climbing out of the relegation zone. Much happier situation for a 20yo defender with only two previous seasons as a professional to ease himself into. Most importantly, the gaffer was really, really impressed...
Chris Wilder: “I was really, really impressed. Tyler's been great around the place. He’s another one who's had a difficult start to his Sheffield United life, career, but gives everything in training. Yet again, the door opens. I thought his performance was excellent. I thought the reaction of his supporters was excellent as well, because I'm sure there might have been some hangovers from early on in the season from them as well. I just had a chat with Steve Bettis [SUFC CEO] about it, we always talk about the game, and how impressed we were with Tyler and Sydie Peck, two players who got exposed at the start of the season. The focus went on him, and a lot of criticism and negativity went his way. But from his first action on Saturday, a brave diving header, I thought his partnership with Japh [Tanganga] was really good and if Mark doesn't make it, then Tyler gets that opportunity. Hopefully he grabs it the way Mark grabbed his opportunity, and other players have done for theirs as well.”
With a short turnaround before a midweeker against Norwich City, McGuinness and Mee were both still unable to go which meant Tyler Bindon was back in the starting team. That game ended 1-1. Should have been 1-0 after Danny Ings put them ahead five mins into the second half (having also missed an easy chance in the first spell), but one of their midfielders scored a comical own goal on 65’, stumbling the ball into his own net without anyone around him after Bindon had shown the Norwich attacker wide. Injuries and illness demanded that the Blades make eight changes between this game and the Stoke win (including Bindon) and that probably spoiled a bit of their recent cohesion. The winning streak is over but they’re still seven games undefeated and that’s more than satisfactory. Especially after Norwich shanked a 1v1 that would have won it in stoppage time.
Bindon wasn’t nearly as dominant in the air as he’s capable of being, gonna need to bulk up more if he wants to play Premier League someday, but he was brave and aggressive, making a couple of crunchy tackles and looking excellent with his passing. Another solid display from the 20yo kiwi. Gotta point out that this doesn’t mean he’s climbed up the depth chart at all – he’s been fourth choice CB all along, it’s just that two of the guys ahead of him are currently injured. But he has shown the coach and the fans that they can trust him in this division and that’ll bode well whatever happens in January. This was Chris Wilder, prior to the Norwich game, talking about the possibility of Bindon’s loan ending early...
More from Chris Wilder: “There are always discussions but there's a lot of football to be played. I think we've got five fixtures between now and January 1. If Mark's out, and if he's out for Friday, then the natural one is Tyler plays. We'll wait and see. It does him no harm, whether he stays or goes back or goes out again, by producing quality performances. If he produces performances like he did on Saturday and that door opens for him, then it's for others to move him from that position.”
With Ben Waine, Tyler Bindon, and maybe even Ben Old all suddenly back in the mix at their clubs, the spotlight of panic shifts to a bloke who was doing really well not so long ago: Sarpreet Singh. Although he scored in both of Darije Kalezic’s last two games in charge, he’s dropped way back since caretaker boss Nemanja Miljanović took over. Sarpreet’s minutes in the four games since the managerial swap: DNP, 8, 8, DNP. This after he’d started 10/14 league games under Kalezic. He’s lost his biggest ally.
Up Next: West Brom vs Sheffield United at 9am on Saturday (NZT)
Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premiership)
Back in September, there were rumours swirling around that Orlando Pirates were going to sign Andre De Jong. This after they’d already made contact over a proposed move back in July before the season began. The September pursuit got much closer but still fell short because Stellenbosch wouldn’t sell him without having time to find a replacement on Deadline Day of the South African window. With ADJ in the last season of his contract though, they weren’t likely to have that kinda resistance if a third approach happened.
Sure enough, it seems like that’s exactly what’s going on. Media reports in South Africa reckon that a deal has been done for ADJ to join Pirates on 1 January when the transfer window opens. And that may in turn explain why De Jong has slipped out of the starting line-up for Stellies over the past few games. The wording of these reports suggest he’ll be moving immediately, rather than waiting until when he can move for free. There have been a few players going back and forth between these two clubs in recent years so there’s a good relationship at board level which will help.
An unnamed source quoted in Soccer Laduma: “I spoke to him, and he was very open. He said: 'Look, man, I’m leaving’ – the offer from Pirates was quite tempting. He is expected to make the switch to his new club this week. The fact that Pirates were so persistent in enquiring about his services made it difficult for Stellenbosch to reject the offer. Also, the relationship that Pirates has had with Stellies over the years made it even tougher for the club to turn it down.”
De Jong is in a good spot with Stellenbosch playing CAF Confederation Cup, making runs in the regional cup competitions, and getting big minutes in an established role playing for a coach who clearly rates him very highly. But Stellies have had a shocking time in the PSL so far. They’ve only won 2/12 games and while they should have enough in the tank to avoid relegation... if he re-signs he’s not going to have continental footy next season. Orlando Pirates, on the other hand, finished second last season and are again in a title race this term. Not only that but they won the MTN8 Cup (beating Stellies 3-0 in the final) and are into the quarters of the Nedbank Cup. Plus they’re in the CAF Champions League. And the fact that they’ve gone after ADJ on three separate occasions tells us that they’re not signing him to be a benchwarmer. Stellies is a good spot but Pirates would be a great spot, upgrading in every aspect. They’ll be the fourth club that ADJ has represented since moving to South Africa (AmaZulu, Royal AM, Stellenbosch).
Up Next: Let’s see that official announcement
Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)
Ninety minutes for Katie Bowen in the back three combined with a 5-0 win for Inter Milan against Genoa makes this a good week. Bowen even sort of set up the third goal – sweeping a shot towards goal on the end of a low free kick, only for that shot to hit the trailing leg of a teammate and then deflect to Masa Tomasevic to score from close range. Karolina Lea Vilhjamsdottir got credited with the assist for getting in the way of Bowen’s shot.
But, yeah, this was much more like the Internazionale of last season. Immediately after getting knocked out of the Europa Cup, they’ve had back to back clean sheet victories in Serie A – consecutive wins following just one league victory from six before this. The ship is being steadied... Inter are seventh but only three points behind second with better goal difference than everyone except for first-placed Roma. Restoring some form just in time for the big ol’ derby.
Up Next: AC Milan vs Inter Milan, Sunday at 3am (NZT)
Maya Hahn - Viktoria Berlin (German Bundesliga 2)
Look at that, another win for Viktoria Berlin. After failing to win any of their first six, VB have won four of their last five to rise up to sixth on the ladder with a game in hand that could boost them up another spot. In light of that form they probably would have expected to get past last-placed Warbeyen a lot easier than they actually did – they were 1-0 up at half-time, 2-1 down after ninety minutes, then two stoppage time goals meant they came away with a 3-2 victory.
Unfortunately, Maya Hahn missed the fun stuff at the end as she’d been substituted with twenty to go. Backing up after internationals, that’s how it goes. Nevertheless, she’s a first choice player for a club that is beginning to look like they might be able to challenge for promotion... and the next task is a match against her previous club.
Up Next: Viktoria vs Potsdam at 2am on Monday (NZT)
Elijah Just – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
Two games this week. There was a midweeker in which Elijah Just played off the bench and Motherwell drew 0-0 away to Falkirk. Then he was back in the eleven having had his cheeky rest to help Motherwell beat Livingston 3-0. No goals or assists in there but that’s just the way the cookie crumbled, his performance was as sharp as ever. Motherwell are now up to third in the Scottish Premiership, nursing an eight-game unbeaten streak with four clean sheets in a row. It’s not quite a Joe Bell/Viking league championship run that’s brewing here but something special seems to be happening just the same.
Up Next: Dundee United vs Motherwell at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Alex Paulsen - Lechia Gdansk (Polish Ekstraklasa)
Last week, Alex Paulsen made his return from injury in a cup defeat against Gornik Zabrze. No shame in that since Lechia were in the relegation zone and Gornik sitting atop the Ekstraklasa table. But those two teams met again in the league the following weekend and after a stunning 5-2 win for Lechia, they’re no longer in the relegation zone and Gornik Zabrze are no longer first. Only stress there is that AP did make a fumble diving onto a loose ball (after his initial save) leading to his team’s first concession. The second was a penalty.
In fairness to Paulsen, that mistake happened soon after the game had resumed following a 15 minute pause after the ultras smoked out the stadium with their pyro. You can still see the smoke in that section of the highlights. Mate, imagine going from playing at Fraser Park for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves a few years ago where the most dangerous thing you’ll see on game day is a bit of graffiti on a shipping container... to turning around and seeing this behind your goal...
Just so that you don’t get any wrong ideas, the tifo was in recognition of the 44th anniversary of the former authoritarian communist government declaring martial law across the country. The banner in front of the massive devil read: “For traitors of the homeland, the last circle of hell”. And, yes, that display involved pyrotechnics that ruined the game for a wee bit. But by the end of it, Lechia had pocketed their most memorable victory of the campaign to finally move clear of the drop zone. Incredibly, this team have scored the most goals in the division, conceded the most goals in the division, and sit 12th out of 18 teams despite having a five-point deduction. And with that comes the winter break.
Up Next: Won’t see this lot again until the very end of January
Jana Niedermayr - Union Kleinmünchen (Austrian Bundesliga)
It was derby week in the A-League Men’s, it was also derby week over in the Frauen Bundesliga of Austria where FC Blau Weiß Linz/Kleinmünchen popped local rivals LASK 3-0, not only grabbing bragging rights but also buying themselves some room on the ladder as they scrap to avoid relegation. They took the lead through Sandra Mayrhofer with a sweet curling free kick in the 27th minute and both teams traded chances from there... until Jana Niedermayr scored her first of the season with ten to go, the former Central and Eastern Suburbs defender getting up at the back stick with a thumping header from a corner to seal the deal. Mavie Schweitzer then added a third with a couple mins left.
This was the last round before the winter break so thanks to these three points (just a third win in 14 games for Kleinmünchen), the club is now four ahead of last-placed SpG Südburgenland/TSV Hartberg. Tidy wee boost to the goal difference as well. Wonderful note with which to wrap up the year’s efforts. This is Niedermayr’s second season with the club – she famously (at least famous if you read Flying Kiwis) played every single minute during the previous campaign. She did get subbed in one of the early games this time so that feat won’t be repeated but she has otherwise still played full nineties in every other match... and that includes the Austrian Cup where they won 3-0 against a lower league side a couple weeks ago to stay alive in that competition.
Up Next: Winter break, rest and refresh
Callum McCowatt - Silkeborg IF (Danish Superliga)
Silkeborg IF: “As is tradition, the SIF Player of the Year was named at the big Christmas party for sponsors, volunteers, and others at JYSK park. And on Tuesday evening it was revealed that Callum McCowatt won the big honour. A lot of different SIF players received votes, and it was Tonni Adamsen and Nicolai Larsen who finished second and third respectively. Three votes separated Adamsen and Larsen… but Callum McCowatt won a landslide victory after securing well over half of all the votes for his many great performances in 2025! In addition to the honour, Callum McCowatt received a gift certificate of 5,000 DKK for Mr. Silkeborg. Congratulations on the title, Callum – and thank you to all of you who voted.”
Hey, how about that. Callum McCowatt was the landslide victor in voting for the club’s player of 2025. Bit odd to have a POY award that spans half of two different seasons but it worked out well for Call, who missed a lot of the 2024 portion of last season with injury but has been unstoppable since. By the way, Mr Silkeborg is a local menswear shop so expect the bro to be decked out next time he flies in for All Whites action. That’s a happy way to conclude the year’s activities... much happier than the 5-0 loss they suffered against Nordsjælland in the last game before the winter break.
Up Next: Mid-season break
Rebekah Trewhitt - Lewes FC (English National League South)
83rd minute winning goal from Bex Trewhitt as Lewes won 3-2 away against league leaders (though not any more) Watford. Brilliant stuff, even if it doesn’t appear to have been televised. That was Watford’s first league defeat this season and Trewhitt’s third goal (fifth including cup comps). Next up there’ll be a bit of a jump because she could be marking New Zealand’s premier wide player, Indi Riley, as Lewes host Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third round.
Relevant games involving New Zealanders:
Lewes (Rebekah Trewhitt) vs Crystal Palace (Indi Riley)
AFC Portchester vs Ipswich Town (Grace Neville)
Durham (Mickey Foster & Hannah Blake) vs Sheffield United
Derby County vs Sunderland (Katie Kitching)
Up Next: Lewes vs Crystal Palace in the FA Cup at 5am on Monday (NZT)
Jago Godden - Bedford Town (English National League North)
This was Jago Godden two weeks ago, scoring on debut for Bedford Town. The Christchurch United midfield product, who was playing National League in Aotearoa two months ago, left the Rams midway through the Nats in order to get on the trial circuit overseas and before long he’d been announced with English sixth-tier club Bedford Town. That’s one division below where Tommy Smith currently plays and the same tier as Zac Jones and Jamie Searle. Godden is 21 years old, 1.93m tall, and plays like a proper box to box midfielder. And guess what? He’s already scored twice more since his debut.
You can see one of those goals here, the other hasn’t gotten the highlights treatment yet (and might not because it was a Bedfordshire Senior Cup quarter-final so not quite on the same level of importance). Bedford Town are lower-mid table where the focus is much more about avoiding relegation than chasing promotion. But a nice spot for him to land and if he keeps scoring goals from midfield then who knows how quickly he might rise.
Elsewhere in the same division, Zac Jones played a blinder in AFC Fylde’s latest win, 1-0 vs Merthyr Town. Fylde have been up at the top of the table pretty much since the start and 21 games deep that’s where they remain. Jonesy has turned up in England and carried on smoothly from what he was doing in Wales before this. Promotion is definitely the target for this lot.
Up Next: Bedford Town vs Macclesfield at 8.45am on Weds (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
Sean Dyche: “Woody's making a bit of progress, but it's still early days yet.”
Up Next: Sounds like we’re probably a few weeks away from seeing Chris Wood again
Liberato Cacace - Wrexham (English Championship)
Phil Parkinson: “Libby is making progress, that's all we can say with that. We had him re-scanned. The injury is healing how we'd expect it to. He'll be back hopefully for the Christmas period at the very least.”
Barring setbacks, Chris Wood and Libby Cacace should both be back in action before 10 January. That’d be great if it happens because that’s the day that Wrexham host Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round. Went through the relevant Women’s FA Cup fixtures earlier, here are the Men’s FA Cup third rounders of note (keep in mind that a few of the lower league lads have already been knocked out):
Wrexham (Libby Cacace) vs Nottingham Forest (Chris Wood)
Port Vale (Ben Waine) vs Fleetwood
Burnley vs Millwall (Max Crocombe)
Swansea City (Marko Stamenic) vs West Bromwich Albion
Sheffield United (Tyler Bindon) vs Mansfield Town
Up Next: Only a week or two away from a Cacace return, hopefully
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