Town boss Wagner odds cut for award

ODDS have been slashed on Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner to claim the LMA Manager of the Year award at the end of the season following his side’s victory over West Bromwich Albion last weekend.

The boss oversaw a 1-0 win over the Baggies on Saturday to take Town into the top half of the Premier League table after 11 games, with the Terriers earning four victories and three draws so far this campaign.

Town are exceeding expectations in the debut Premier League season and have claimed the prized scalp of Manchester United on their way to a 15-point total.

The Terriers’ good form has led to praise for the head coach, who now sits fifth-favourite with the bookies to scoop the League Managers Association’s top prize at the end of the season.

BetVictor have Wagner at 20/1 to take the Manager of the Year award come May, with his odds dropping from 33/1 prior to the West Brom match.

Pep Guardiola is heavy favourite to win the award at 1/6, with Mauricio Pochettino (14/1), Jose Mourinho (16/1) and Chris Wilder (16/1) all fractionally ahead of the Town boss in the odds.

The odds have also been cut on Town to go down this season, with the odds of the Terriers staying up on the rise.

Town are now 2/7 to stay up with BetVictor, while Wagner’s men are 5/2 to be relegated - joint-third favourites for the drop with Bournemouth and West Ham behind Swansea City (4/11) and Crystal Palace (8/15).

The Terriers are also 5/1 for a top-half finish - down from 9/1- while a top-six finish is at 300/1. ■■Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland is expected to be out for between four and six weeks after suffering a broken finger while on England duty.

Butland sustained the injury in training this week as Gareth Southgate’s squad prepared for their forthcoming friendly matches at Wembley against Germany and Brazil.

The 24-year-old had the injury assessed by Stoke’s medical staff on Friday and although he does not need an operation, Press Association Sport understands Butland will be sidelined until around Christmas time.

It means he will miss important club matches against Brighton, Crystal Palace and Swansea as well as big games with Liverpool and Tottenham.

It is a blow for Butland who had been tipped to start at least one of the games, with England facing world champions Germany tonight and five-time World Cup winners Brazil on Tuesday.

It is not the first time Butland has been injured while on duty with England. In March 2016 he suffered a fractured ankle while playing against Germany.