Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Duff swoops for two loan strikers
Vassilev and Smith join Cheltenham on loan for the remainder of the campaign
CHELTENHAM Town have signed Aston Villa forward Indiana Vassilev and Reading striker Sam Smith on loan until the end of the season.
United States Under-20 international Vassilev, 19, and 22-year-old Royals attacker Smith are both in contention to make their Robins’ debuts in the Gloucestershire derby at Forest Green Rovers today.
Vassilev, right, who is of Bulgarian descent, made four substitute appearances for Villa in the Premier
League last term before spending the first half of this campaign with League One club Burton. He played 12 times for the Brewers, who are enduring a difficult campaign and are seven points from safety.
His only professional goal so far has been for Villa Under-21s in the EFL Trophy in an 8-1 defeat to Sunderland in September.
Ex-Manchester United youngster Smith has League One experience with Shrewsbury and Oxford, along with spells in the fourth tier at both Cambridge and Tranmere.
He appeared against Cheltenham for Cambridge in their 1-1 draw at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium last term and netted eight times during his loan spell with them.
Robins manager Michael Duff said: “Sam is a player we have known about for a while. He did well against us when he was at Cambridge. He has experience of the level and has physicality and pace to run in behind.”
Bristol City have recalled winger Jonny Smith from his loan spell at Swindon Town. The 23-year-old made 20 appearances and scored two goals during his time with the Wiltshire Robins.
TOTTENHAM manager Jose Mourinho will not use Gareth Bale as a striker as he searches for a solution to ‘irreplaceable’ Harry Kane’s injury.
Kane suffered knocks to both ankles in the first half of Spurs’ chastening 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Thursday evening, but it was the one to his left joint that saw him come off at half-time.
Spurs were nervously waiting to find out the extent of the problem yesterday, well aware that their star man has a history of ankle problems.
He will definitely miss tomorrow’s trip to Brighton, leaving Mourinho with a dilemma on how best to combat the absence of a player who has scored or assisted 23 of Spurs’ 34 Premier League goals this season.
Carlos Vinicius was signed as cover for Kane in the summer, but despite the injury he was not brought on as a direct replacement against Liverpool or as Spurs chased the game in the second half and has only been given 25 minutes of action in the League so far.
Bale, who has operated as a striker in the past, might have been an option, but Mourinho says he is not going to be used in that role.
“Harry Kane is Harry Kane, you know,” Mourinho said. “There are players in some teams, that are not replaceable.
“I don’t think Gareth is a striker, I don’t think he likes to play as a striker. It was something that we spoke when we joined us, he was very objective with me, by saying he doesn’t feel he is a left winger like he was before, he doesn’t feel like he is a number ten like he was before, too.
“The position that he likes to play is the position where we are playing him every minute we give him, which is the right side of the attack.
“So when Gareth plays starting or coming from the bench, that’s his position in our game.”
Bale has been underwhelming so far this season following his loan return from Real Madrid, but after playing his first 90 minutes in the FA Cup against Wycombe on Monday, Mourinho says it is time to step up.
“He played 90 minutes in the FA Cup (against Wycombe). Of course that for him is a big impact, to play 90 minutes. So it was impossible to be fresh to play a lot against Liverpool.
“But is a crucial moment for him, he is feeling better and better. And of course when you lose a player of Harry’s quality and dimension, the other guys have to step up. And hopefully he can help us.”
Spurs will also be without Dele Alli for the trip to Brighton as he continues to battle a tendon injury, while Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso are also out.