Round-up: Groves, Blues trialist, Hazard angers Spurs fans, Traore, Bees boss keen to finish above QPR

George Groves
George Groves will face fellow Briton Martin Murray at the O2 Arena on 25 June in an eliminator for the WBA super-middleweight title.

Hammersmith’s Groves, 28, will fight on the same bill as Anthony Joshua’s first defence of his world heavyweight crown, against American Dominic Breazeale.

Meanwhile, Brentford boss Dean Smith has declared that it would be “lovely” if his side finish the season above QPR.

Rangers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has tipped goalkeeper Matt Ingram to play in the Premier League. 

Armand Traore, who has not played a first-team match this season, played for QPR’s development side in a match against Colchester at Loftus Road tonight.

Armand Traore of QPR
Traore’s contract expires at the end of the season

Chelsea’s Under-21s were also in action. Yasin Ben El-Mhanni, a 20-year-old winger currently on trial with the Blues, scored in a 3-1 win at Middlesbrough.

There continues to be speculation over Oscar’s future, with The Sun declaring that he hinted he is on his way out of Chelsea after the Brazilian ‘liked’ an Instagram post linking him with a move to Juventus.

Fans on Twitter have been reacting – angrily, in the case of Tottenham supporters – to comments made by Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.

Hazard scored twice against Bournemouth on Saturday
Hazard scored twice against Bournemouth on Saturday

Hazard, whose side face Spurs next Monday, has said that his club’s players do not want the north London side to win the title and that leaders Leicester deserve to be champions.

In other news, Chelsea Ladies striker Fran Kirby has been named the Women’s FA Cup player of the round after her last-minute winner in the semi-final against Manchester City.

And Steven Finn took three wickets but Middlesex’s bowlers struggled in windy conditions at Durham – where play was ended early after a snow flurry.