Proctor blow forces Shrewsbury to re-sign Gregory

Shrewsbury Town have re-signed goalkeeper Cameron Gregory on a short-term deal following an injury to second-choice keeper Sam Proctor.

Aston Villa youngster Proctor, 19, has “picked up a knock”, so Gregory, 26, is expected to go straight to bench duty for Saturday’s League Two local derby against Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.

Gregory is in his second spell at Oteley Road, having previously been part of the Shrewsbury academy as a teenager, and has also worked before with Town boss Gavin Cowan, who was also his manager at non-league Brackley Town.

“With Sam Proctor’s injury, it’s great to be able to bring someone in who is connected to the club, knows the area and, importantly, is a very good goalkeeper,” Cowan told the club website.

“I’m really pleased to welcome Cameron back to the club. He’s a very talented goalkeeper, he’s local and, had it not been for an injury, he would have already secured a move earlier in the season.”

Shrewsbury take on unbeaten Crewe looking for their first away point of the season at the fourth attempt after completing their second successive home win last week at the expense of Northampton Town.

Two more members of the American consortium trying to take over Shrewsbury - Craig Graham and Will Dotson - have received approval from the Independent Football Regulator.

Miami-based businessman Scott Davidson, who heads the consortium, had already received approval, while former USA international goalkeeper Brad Friedel is awaiting the green light.

Graham is already involved in British football as chairman of Edinburgh-based Scottish League Two club The Spartans.

New York-based financier Dotson is also expected to become a director of the reformed Salop board once long-time owner Roland Wycherley’s proposed sale of the club has gone through.

Striker Rees out with knee injury and Rijks signed

Forest Green Rovers striker Ricardo Rees is facing five to seven months on the sidelines due to a posterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 26-year-old went off in the 33rd minute of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Carlisle United with the injury.

The National League club have signed Bristol Rovers striker Mees Rijks on a three-month loan deal to provide cover.

The 23-year-old joined the League Two side in January and has played 15 games, including two cup appearances this season.

Rees has scored three goals in eight league games for Forest Green this season and Forest Green boss Robbie Savage said his loss was a “huge blow”.

“Five to seven months out [we’ve] lost him, so it’s a huge blow,” he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

“Three goals, three assists, [then] an innocuous ball on his knee. He’s ruptured a ligament in his knee so it’s going to be braced up for five months, no operation.

“It’s a huge blow for the kid. I’m devastated for him, devastated for us, but he’s a strong character, he’ll be back.”

Savage added that Rees’ absence, compounded with other injuries and the upcoming international window, means the club had no option but to bring in another loanee.

Forwards D’Mani Mellor and Kairo Mitchell, midfielder Kyle Kelly and defender Filozofe Mabete are all unavailable for the next three games after receiving international call-ups.

Centre-back Emeka Obi is set to miss the entire campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and fellow defender Kyle Ajayi is also unavailable with injury, while forward Jose Marquez is on loan at Worthing.

“We’ve brought in a player from Bristol Rovers, Mees Rijks, 23 years of age and we’ve worked really quickly,” Savage said.

“He’s a profile of striker which we’ve not had, holds the ball up, runs channels, aggressive. We’ve got a brilliant set of forwards in D’Mani and Kairo and Ricardo but unfortunately they’re not going to be here.”

Who am I? Guess Bundesliga star No 4

We’re marking top-flight German football being shown live on the BBC Sport website, app and on BBC iPlayer every Friday with a Bundesliga edition of our Who am I? game.

This Friday, champions Bayern Munich host Union Berlin at 19:30 BST - and you can watch live on BBC iPlayer or on the BBC Sport website and app.

The rules are simple. We want you to guess the Bundesliga footballer in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Adam Ellis.

Birmingham midfielder Fujimoto departs on loan

Midfielder Kanya Fujimoto has left Birmingham City to join J-League side Tokyo Verdy until the end of the season.

The 27-year-old joined Blues from Portugese side Gil Vicente in July 2025 but has made only five substitute appearances in the Championship along with two starts in the Carabao Cup, including this season in a 6-1 hammering by Brentford.

Fujimoto started his career with Tokyo Verdy and returns with the club second from bottom in Japan’s top division and without a win from their opening seven games of the season.

Birmingham host Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 BST).

How an Aston Villa fringe player became Europe's most prolific scorer

Donyell Malen has been in prolific form for Roma, scoring more goals than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues since his debut for the club on 18 January.

Just eight months ago, Donyell Malen was struggling to make a significant impact at Aston Villa.

Today, no player in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals since his Roma debut on 18 January.

The Netherlands international has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround since joining Roma, transforming from a player who struggled to establish himself in the Premier League into one of the continent’s most productive forwards.

Since his Roma debut, Malen has scored 20 goals, more than Harry Kane (16), Lamine Yamal (15) and anyone else in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 during the same period.

He also leads the way for combined goals and assists with 22, ahead of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes (20), Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal (19) and Bayern striker Kane (18).

No player across Europe’s top five leagues has made a greater contribution in front of goal.

The contrast with his time at Villa could hardly be greater.

In 46 appearances for the Premier League club, the 27-year-old scored 10 goals and registered two assists. Since joining Roma, he has scored 21 goals and provided three assists in just 25 matches.

His scoring rate has improved from one goal every 149.8 minutes at Villa to one every 96.7 minutes in Rome.

On the surface, the figures suggest two very different versions of the same player. But Roma’s success with Malen may owe as much to how he is being used as to any change in confidence or form.

The Dutchman arrived in Italy with a proven goalscoring pedigree and the data suggests Roma have found a role that maximises his attacking instincts.

While confidence and form may have played a part, a change in position appears to be a major factor behind the resurgence.

At Villa, Malen was often used across the frontline and spent only 52% of his league minutes as a central striker. At Roma, 99% of his Serie A minutes have come through the middle under manager Gian Piero Gasperini, making him the focal point of the attack and placing him where he can do the most damage.

The stats are backed up by the eye test. After Roma’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Fenerbahce last Thursday, when Malen set up his side’s goal, French football journalist Julien Laurens told Match of the Day the Dutchman had become central to Gasperini’s plans.

“He has been incredible since January,” said Laurens.

“He has been really efficient, super clinical. Malen is at the heart of everything they do with the ball.”

Malen is not the only former Premier League player to have flourished in Italy.

Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has thrived since swapping Old Trafford for Naples. Since joining Napoli in August 2024, only five players have scored more Serie A goals than the Scotland international’s 22.

His impact has been such that Napoli supporters have even erected a street shrine in his honour.

Former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has also enjoyed an upturn in fortunes. His time in north west England divided opinion among supporters and pundits alike.

But since his Napoli debut, only Federico Dimarco, Lautaro Martinez and Malen have recorded more goal involvements than the Denmark international (19).

Their success highlights how a move to Serie A can provide players with the opportunity to thrive in a different environment and role.

For Malen, however, the transformation has been particularly dramatic.

Rather than changing Malen’s game, Roma appear to have found a role that gets the best out of him. Used almost exclusively as a striker, the Dutchman has responded by producing the kind of form that first brought him to the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs.

For a player whose Premier League spell failed to meet expectations, his resurgence in Italy’s capital ranks among the most notable revivals in European football this year.