ENGLAND CAP WOULD SUIT TOSIN
SCOTT PARKER believes Tosin Adarabioyo has all the qualities to become an England player.
But more importantly for the Fulham manager, he believes the 23-yearold’s partnership at the heart of the Cottagers’ defence with captain Joachim Andersen can steer his team out of relegation trouble.
Tonight at Craven Cottage, Tosin, as he likes to be called, faces his old team and runaway league leaders Manchester City.
Fulham captured the strong centre-back (right) from City in October for a bargain £2m – and his partnership with Andersen has been superb.
Tosin is eligible for Nigeria but has represented England up to Under-19 level.
Parker said: “England can be a goal for Tosin. There are still elements where he can improve but he’s been nothing short of fantastic in his first time in this division.
“He needed to realise that he is going to be defending a lot in our team, compared to City. That’s a big transition.
“But over the course of this season he is defending the box better.
“For someone so young who has progressed so quickly, it shows that there is quality there.”
And as for the partnership: “They are very intelligent players.
“In great teams the central-defensive partnership has always been consistent.”
The capture of Tosin was a coup but Parker said: “It is difficult for City to keep a player like Tosin. But I’ve seen that City influence in him.”
JAMES MADDISON looks set for England heartache, as he struggles to fight off a hip problem.
The Leicester playmaker, 24, has been ruled out of his side’s home game with Sheffield United tomorrow.
That’s his fifth successive game out and almost certainly puts paid to his hopes of being in the Three Lions squad for the World Cup qualifiers with San
Marino, Albania and Poland later this month.
Gareth Southgate names his England squad this Thursday and any players missing out face a race against time to play in the Euros.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers couldn’t say when Maddison (right) might return.
But he suggested it would be after the international break and said: “The scans all show James doesn’t need surgery.
“It’s all about how he responds to things. It’s difficult. He could be available next weekend, we don’t know.
“We don’t have a player like him. I just want him back for us – anything over and above that I haven’t given consideration.
“There’s a bit of soreness there.”
QPR have terminated their sponsorship deal with troubled gambling platform Football Index.
Rangers have carried the company’s logo on their home and away shirts this season, having signed a one-year deal last summer.
But Football Index was suspended on Thursday and the company then announced it was going into administration, leaving customers with tens of millions of pounds trapped in the self-styled ‘football stock market.’
Some are believed to be facing potential losses of £200,000 or more.
Nottingham Forest will also remove the logo and will play without a front-of-shirt sponsor until the end of the season.
Rangers have confirmed building company Senate Bespoke as sponsors for the rest of the campaign.