Plymouth Argyle

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport, South West

Image source, Shutterstock

Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley says a decision on whether top scorer Lorent Tolaj will play in Saturday's League One game at Stockport County will be left as late as possible.

The 24-year-old Swiss striker missed Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Mansfield Town after suffering a dead leg against Luton Town last Saturday.

"It'll be a balance of 'does the travel and everything set him back and it's too much of a risk'? Or have we got a real chance of him being on the bench or even starting?" Cleverley told BBC Radio Devon.

Tolaj has scored 15 goals for the Pilgrims since joining from Port Vale in August.

Fellow striker Bim Pepple has scored three goals in his past four games while Owen Oseni has returned to fitness and Caleb Watts can deputise in attack as well.

But despite those options Cleverley would still prefer to have Tolaj available.

"I don't think any defender in the league would be happy to see Lorent Tolaj," he added.

"So we might take Tolly and we might not make the decision until Saturday morning.

"It just all depends on the pain threshold and the swelling and things like that.

"It is genuinely a decision we'll leave as long as possible to make."

Image source, EFL

A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Image source, Shutterstock

Defender Jack MacKenzie could make his Plymouth Argyle debut by the end of January.

The 25-year-old summer signing from Aberdeen has yet to kick a ball in anger for the Pilgrims.

Having suffered knee problems in pre-season, a number of other issues have prevented the 2025 Scottish Cup winner from featuring yet.

But he has begun full training and is returning to match fitness, meaning he could be in the squad when Mansfield Town visit Home Park on 27 January.

"He looked very sharp," said head coach Tom Cleverley.

"He won't be involved this weekend [at Peterborough], but with a plan to build that load next week, train pretty much every session with the team and I'd say more Mansfield than Luton [on 24 January].

"When you get to a new club you're always keen to impress and there's always a bit of embarrassment around not being available for so long.

"He's worked his socks off, played a lot of games in the last few years for Aberdeen and he's had some bad luck obviously since he's been here.

"But he's on the right track now. He's going to be a couple more weeks but we're looking forward to having him available."

Image source, Shutterstock

Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley has paid tribute to Bali Mumba after he left the club.

The 24-year-old has joined League One rivals Huddersfield Town for an undisclosed fee after three-and-a-half years at Home Park.

Mumba helped Argyle win the League One title while on loan in 2023 before joining permanently that summer for £1m from Norwich City.

He played 170 times for the Pilgrims, scoring nine goals in the process.

"Bali's been a fantastic servant for the club, he's a great person," Cleverley told BBC Radio Devon.

"The big thing about Bali is he's always been available, his injury record's very clear.

"But he just didn't manage to get the confidence or the final product without scoring a goal for us this season, which he'll be keen to - but that's someone else's responsibility to develop now.

"We're disappointed we didn't get it out of him, but [he's been] a great servant for the club.

"We're losing a good person first and foremost, but sometimes a transfer works for all three parties - selling club, buying club and individual."