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Kieran Devlin has dropped some early team news ahead of Celtic’s Premiership clash this evening.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on The Athletic, the journalist revealed that, after both players were brought off during Celtic’s 1-0 win over Motherwell on Sunday, there is a possibility that neither Mikey Johnston nor James Forrest will be deemed fit enough to feature against Ross County on Wednesday evening.

In his post, Devlin said: “Possibility that neither Johnston nor Forrest make [the] game against Ross County, which means that six of Celtic’s seven first-team attacking players might be out injured for it.”

Fans will be fuming

While injuries are, unfortunately, part and parcel of the game, the sheer volume of knocks that Celtic players have been picking up this season is sure to have left fans of the club fuming.

Indeed, at present, all of Kyogo Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti and Jota are sidelined with hamstring injuries – while Giorgos Giakoumakis, Christopher Jullien and Karamoko Dembele are all also in the treatment room – something that would appear to suggest a number of Ange Postecoglou’s players are still not quite fit enough to keep up with the pace of the game the 56-year-old is trying to get his side to play.

Regardless of this, the news that both Forrest and Johnston are now also doubts for the Ross County clash is sure to have left both fans and Postecoglou gutted, as, with Wednesday’s fixture being the club’s last before the League Cup final against Hibernian on Sunday, Celtic’s attacking options are looking incredibly bare.

This evening, the Greek-Australian coach looks as if he will only have Liel Abada available as an out and out forward, with attacking midfielders Ewan Henderson and David Turnbull appearing likely candidates to fill in within the front three.

And, if this situation does not improve before Sunday, Celtic’s chances of lifting the League Cup trophy would appear to be much slimmer than they would have been otherwise – something that will certainly be a worry for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s new Moravcik with “natural” 16 y/o “star in the making”

Having scored fewer goals than all of the clubs currently above them in the Championship table as well as a few currently underneath them, West Bromwich Albion dived into the January transfer market to add some extra firepower to Valerien Ismael’s squad with the signing of Daryl Dike from Orlando City.

However, with only a few days left until the window shuts, the Baggies may have to bring another attacking option to the club before the deadline arrives as a result of Dike’s recent muscle injury that will keep him out of action for the next eight weeks.

One potential option that West Brom could realistically look to bring in before the end of the month that they have been mentioned with recently is Middlesbrough striker Uche Ikpeazu.

With a total of 269 senior club appearances under his belt, the 26-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £5.5k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has managed to score 53 goals and provide 32 assists along the way, highlighting the sort of experience he has and his ability to score and create goals, which is something that West Brom could do with at the moment.

Even though the attacker only joined Middlesbrough back in the previous summer transfer window from Wycombe Wanderers, he has only started eight of the 20 league games he’s appeared in, which suggests that he could be tempted with a move elsewhere if he’d get regular game time, which West Brom could offer him as a result of Dike’s unfortunate injury.

Labelled as a “humble” person in the past by Gareth Ainsworth, Ikpeazu could be just what Ismael needs at the moment to add an extra attacking dynamic to his side and potentially push the Baggies closer to promotion if he can hit the ground running in terms of scoring goals.

Moving forward, with West Brom’s recent 2-0 defeat against Preston North End proving how much they could do with some attacking reinforcements by having no shots on target throughout the match, the Baggies should definitely make a late approach to Middlesbrough to see if they’d be willing to negotiate a deal to sell their striker.

However, with Boro only three points behind West Brom at this stage of the season, they could be reluctant in allowing one of their attacking talents to join another team so close to them in the table, making it a potential challenge for the Baggies to sign him.

In other news: Ismael must finally axe £36k-p/w West Brom “leader” this month, he’s stealing a living

A number of Liverpool supporters have been bemoaning the news that Mohamed Salah’s 2021/22 season could be disrupted for a number of reasons.

The Egyptian has arguably been the one shining light during a dreadful season at Anfield, continuing to perform at a high level since September. Salah has scored 29 goals, in all competitions, carrying the attack and netting more than double second-placed Sadio Mane’s tally of 13, which speaks volumes about his influence.

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The hope is that the 28-year-old stays put this summer, and although some comments from him have suggested otherwise, it does look likely that he will remain a Liverpool player moving forward.

However, it looks as though the Reds will have to do without Salah for a chunk of next season due to Olympics and Africa Cup of Nations commitments, as per The Athletic’s James Pearce [via Anfield Watch on Twitter].

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Liverpool fans react negatively to Salah update

Salah’s impending absences could be a big blow to Liverpool’s hopes of success next season and these Reds fans have been reacting to the news on Twitter.

“It gets worse”

Credit: @enigm_aa

“So who is left? Our European players can’t even afford to sustain any injuries”

Credit: @the_2nd_born

“Another bad season I see, Klopp will be gone by then anyway”

Credit: @AledHughes84

“That’s why it’s more important to find a new forward next season, who can slot in and scores”

Credit: @thegr8_8

“This is why we need to buy players”

Credit: @PeaksLfc

“This is why we need to sign 2 forwards this summer”

Credit: @Braden_Simmonds

In other news, Liverpool are keen on signing a replacement for one squad player this summer. Read more here.

Liverpool striker Divock Origi is preparing to leave Anfield this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown: Yet more heroics from Origi

The 27-year-old was once again the hero for the Reds on Sunday as Jurgen Klopp’s side overcame Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside derby, scoring once and playing a pivotal role in the build-up to Andy Robertson’s opening goal.

The Belgium marksman has developed a happy knack of turning up when he’s needed the most and now has six derby goals to add to a Champions League final strike and a stunning brace in an unforgettable 4-0 victory over Barcelona.

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However, despite multiple iconic moments from the 27-year-old, it appears that the end could well be nigh for Origi at Anfield…

The latest: Romano provides Origi latest

Taking to Twitter to cite Klopp’s glowing words on the enigmatic Belgian, reputable journalist Romano confirmed that the 32-cap international is heading towards the exit door.

The reporter tweeted: ‘Jurgen Klopp: “We will miss Divock Origi – if he leaves, he will explode wherever he goes. He is a world-class striker, he is a legend and will stay a legend forever”. #LFC

‘Origi will leave Liverpool in June – AC Milan are leading the race to sign him as free agent.‘

The verdict: Time to say goodbye

Liverpool have certainly gotten their money’s worth from the £10m spent when bringing Origi to the club from Lille in 2014 (BBC). During his time on Merseyside, the Belgium striker has scored 41 goals and provided 17 assists in 173 outings as a Red.

However, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota all ahead of him in the pecking order and Takumi Minamino also somewhat in the cold, it has become apparent that opportunities will be few and far between for the man once described as a ‘monster’ by Klopp following a last-gasp winner against Wolves in December.

Out of contract in July (Transfermarkt), so far this season Origi has netted six times in 16 appearances across all competitions, and his latest derby exploits would suggest that should AC Milan indeed be the benefactors, the Serie A outfit would be landing a big-game striker for nothing in transfer fees.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for one player. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee believes the club will be regretting the day they sold Adam Armstrong to Blackburn Rovers.

It has been a breakout season for the Newcastle academy graduate as he is the Championship’s third top scorer with 19 goals in 33 games, despite his season being slightly derailed by an injury.

He has been linked with a remarkable return back to Tyneside after proving himself in the Championship for the last three seasons with 55 goals in 153 games with Rovers potentially preferring to sell him back to Newcastle to avoid paying out on the 40% sell-on clause.

Armstrong featured 21 times for the Magpies registering just one assist, however this included just four starts with three of those coming in cup competitions.

Speaking on how he predicted that Newcastle would regret selling Armstrong and what one thing would make him a more in-demand striker, Lee told FFC:

“When he left Newcastle, I said at the time that they’ll regret letting him go because he’s a goalscorer.

“People probably don’t give him the credit that he deserves because of his size and shape, but so what if he’s smaller? I don’t care what size or shape you are, you could be 20 stone as long as you score goals.

“It doesn’t matter what shape you are. I think if he was six-foot-four then he’d be worth £50 million so I don’t understand the logic.”

Armstrong was with his boyhood club from 2006 until Blackburn signed him permanently in 2018 for £1.7 million.

With Newcastle staring relegation in the face, it remains to be seen if Armstrong would still be an option either if they survive or if they go down.

Barry Fry believes David Moyes may look to the Championship as he bids to bolster his West Ham United squad ahead of a return to European football.

The Hammers are set to feature in the Europa League for the first time since they lost to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the qualifying rounds five years ago.

West Ham booked their place in Europe thanks to breaking their record Premier League points tally last season and Moyes, who is enjoying his second spell in charge of the east Londoners, is keen to add strength in depth ahead of the transfer window slamming shut.

Since returning to the London Stadium, Moyes has moved away from Manuel Pellegrini’s transfer strategy of bringing in the likes of Felipe Anderson and Sebastien Haller from abroad and instead spent his transfer budget on exciting attackers in the Championship.

Jarrod Bowen has shone since switching from Hull City, then of the Championship, in 2020, while Said Benrahma joined from Brentford last summer.

Bowen and Benrahma could be set to play key roles after Jesse Lingard’s loan from Manchester United expired at the end of the season.

Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry, who worked with West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold during their time at Birmingham City, feels Moyes could benefit from looking to English football’s second tier once again.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Fry said: “David Moyes got the two David’s to invest in two players from the Championship.

“I know David Sullivan very well and he’s a shrewd judge but he doesn’t really like going down the leagues if they’re not proven Premier League players.

“The two gambles have all paid off. Bowen and Benrahma have been marvellous.”

Amid suggestions Liverpool star James Milner may be interested in a move to Leeds United, there could well be a real opportunity for Marcelo Bielsa to unearth another Stuart Dallas.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Dean Windass made the claim that the ex-Whites midfielder may consider a return back home, saying: “Being a local lad, would he go back to Leeds? Yes. To end his career.

“But does he want to go back as a squad player, because that’s what he’d be. Bielsa would he go, ‘come in, but you’re not going to play week in week out, but I need you in the changing room’. He might want to go back home to Yorkshire and enjoy his life, but he might want to go and play for another two seasons.”

Milner’s versatility makes him a manager’s dream (he’s played in 11 different roles over the course of his career), and very much akin to what Leeds already have in Dallas at Elland Road.

The Northern Irishman has been a real Swiss army knife for the Whites, playing in a number of positions and filling in wherever and whenever needed – this season alone has already seen him play in six different positions for Bielsa’s side, including in both full-back positions and central midfield.

Milner is built from the same cloth as the 29-year-old, and would offer Leeds that extra security of being able to just slot in if any injuries start playing havoc with the squad.

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Described as someone who “won’t stop running at you” by former Leeds man Dominic Matteo, the 35-year-old veteran can clearly still do a job in the Premier League considering that Jurgen Klopp has played him 22 times in the Premier League alone.

The £140k-a-week earning dynamo would be the kind of shrewd move that could actually save Victor Orta and co millions in the transfer market given he can play in a number of different roles, and would allow Leeds to focus their spending on one or two key areas rather than having to splash out on multiple new signings.

Given his versatility, and the fact he just puts in the work week-in and week-out, everything about Milner just screams at him being the perfect player for Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a major Leeds update…

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Pep Guardiola is set to stay with Manchester City regardless of the result in the Champions League final against Chelsea on Saturday, which will surely delight City fans.

There were perhaps some concerns among supporters that, should the Spaniard win the Champions League final in Portugal this weekend, he would have then achieved all he could with the Citizens and be keen to move on.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, the legendary manager has won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four Carabao Cups, so he could complete his collection with the Champions League trophy should his team get the better of the west Londoners on Saturday night.

However, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has now made it clear that Guardiola won’t be going anywhere this summer, tweeting: “Pep Guardiola has no intention to leave Manchester City. Even if he’ll win the Champions League on Saturday, Pep is staying at Man City – he’s already planning for new signings together with Citizens board.”

Considering how impressive City have been this season, with the treble still a possibility, their fans must surely be delighted that Guardiola is set to stay, as he will undoubtedly go down as one of the most successful managers in their history.

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The 50-year-old is currently contracted at the Etihad for two more years, so it will be interesting to see whether he leaves the club at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, as he has admitted in the past that he would love to manage the Spanish national side.

Since being appointed as City boss in the summer of 2016, Guardiola has taken charge of 293 matches, winning a remarkable 220, drawing 31 and losing 42, which results in an impressive points per game average of 2.36 (per Transfermarkt).

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The “special” former Barcelona boss, as hailed by Lionel Messi, has delivered three league titles in four seasons with the club and City fans will be desperate for him to add to his collection on Saturday night as they appear in their first Champions League final. They will surely be delighted to hear that he intends to stay at the Etihad next season regardless of the result against Thomas Tuchel’s side.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano drops huge Man City claim on “world-class” Premier League beast

Wolves are moving closer to appointing a new manager after Nuno Espirito Santo decided to leave Molineux behind.

It’s thought that only a work permit hearing stands in the way of Jorge Mendes client Bruno Lage becoming the new permanent boss, and the Old Gold have been smart in moving so quickly to find a replacement with the transfer window coming up – but have they been too swift in doing so?

Wolves have had a number of successors to Nuno in mind for a while now, so it may just be a case of knowing what they want. Jeff Shi and Fosun haven’t just considered those attached to Mendes, either.

The Athletic claimed that both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have been considered by the Wolves hierarchy. The former Chelsea would seem a good addition for the sake of the young players coming through in the Midlands but it’s hard to dismiss the ex-Liverpool captain either.

The 41-year-old is currently in charge of Rangers, where he has masterminded a remarkable revival for the Light Blues. Celtic were vying for a tenth successive Premiership crown this season but were absolutely demolished by Gerrard’s men, who finished on 102 points as they went the entire league campaign unbeaten.

The standard of football is lower in the Scottish leagues but it’s hard to overlook an accomplishment like that, particularly after how long Rangers went without a league title.

What was most impressive, however, was his defensive record. Wolves were particularly abject in this department in 2020/21, keeping just ten clean sheets in their 38 league games. By contrast, Gerrard stabilised the Rangers backline as they shipped only 13 goals in the Scottish Premiership, keeping a remarkable 26 clean sheets. Across all competitions, they enjoyed a mightily impressive 34 shutouts.

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Wolves lacked goals this season with Raul Jimenez missing since November but they did not give themselves a chance at times with some lacklustre defending. A 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Burnley last month is ample evidence for where it has gone wrong.

The Liverpudlian could have a significant impact on the Wolves defence and he also carries himself brilliantly. Gerrard has always been a fabulous leader and that has transferred into his man-management as a coach.

Speaking about the former England international earlier this year, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “He’s done magnificent. He really has, both on and off the field.”

The multi-Premier League winner continued: “A press interview can lose you your job in management. But Steven’s press conferences are fantastic. He’s cool, he’s composed, he gives the right answers. He’s really top because it’s an art.”

The Rangers boss is not a master of his craft yet but, if this season has told us anything, it’s that Gerrard will likely develop into a top-class manager. Surely Wolves want a piece of that?

AND in other news, Fosun buy Toney in £110m spending spree, Neves axed: How Wolves may look under Lage…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Santo has received a big injury boost ahead of their return to Premier League action this lunchtime…

What’s the latest?

According to the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, young midfielder Oliver Skipp is hoping to be fit to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park today after he was forced off with injury during international duty in midweek.

The 20-year-old will be assessed ahead of the match but it’s thought that the injury may not be as bad as first feared, thus opening up the possibility of him retaining his place in the starting XI.

Major boost

This will come as huge encouragement to Nuno and others associated with the club.

The Portuguese head coach is facing a bit of a nightmare situation right now with several of his key stars likely to be unavailable for this encounter, so to have Skipp fit would be a massive boost.

He will be without the services of South American trio Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez, who are all in Croatia to avoid having to quarantine upon their return to the UK following international duty.

Meanwhile, a trio of wingers in Steven Bergwijn, Heung-min Son and Ryan Sessegnon are doubts heading into kickoff, leaving Nuno with a threadbare squad.

That is something he would not have wanted to come back to after the break, considering that his team sit top of the table with a 100% win record. They are yet to concede this season but Sanchez’s absence means that the manager will have to change the backline for the first time since the campaign started.

Having Skipp available in front of the defence will certainly bolster their chances of continuing their fine form.

The Hotspur Way youth product has averaged 2.7 tackles per game this season, a feat only bettered by one other player at the club, so he has clearly made his presence felt in the engine room since being given the opportunity this term.

Nuno will surely be buzzing by this latest update.

AND in other news, Nuno could find Spurs’ “new Eriksen” by unleashing “unbelievable” £27m-rated sensation…