Moses Makasi’s successful loan spell at League One promotion-chasers Plymouth Argyle came to an end last week, when he returned to West Ham to undergo surgery to his right knee.
The midfielder made seven appearances for the Pilgrims, helping Derek Adams’ side climb into the Play-Off places. However, defeat at Northampton Town on Saturday means they now sit three points behind sixth-place Scunthorpe United, albeit with a game in hand on the Lincolnshire club.
Robert Snodgrass was an unused substitute for Aston Villa as Steve Bruce’s side thumped Ipswich Town 4-0 at Portman Road to keep alive their slim hopes of winning automatic promotion to the Premier League. The Villans remain fourth in the table, four points adrift of second-place Fulham with two matches left to play, the first of which is at home to Derby County on Saturday.
Martin Samuelsen was also left on the bench as Burton Albion boosted their survival hopes with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Sunderland, who were relegated following their defeat at the Stadium of Light.
Burton’s win pulled them to within two points of Reece Burke’s Bolton Wanderers, who were thrashed 4-0 at home by champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, like Snodgrass and Samuelsen, Burke was an unused substitute at the Macron Stadium.
Burton host Bolton in a potentially pivotal fixture at the Pirelli Stadium this coming Saturday afternoon.
Reece Oxford’s absence from the Borussia Monchengladbach continued on Friday, when injury ruled him out of the German club’s 3-0 Bundesliga victory over Wolfsburg.
And finally, Toni Martinez was suspended and missed Real Valladolid’s 2-1 Spanish Second Division victory at Real Oviedo on Friday evening. However, the striker is expected to return to the starting XI with fellow forwards Jaime Mata and Chris Ramos ruled out for the home game with Cadiz this coming Saturday afternoon.