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Glasgow Rangers will be without James Tavernier, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack once again for Thursday’s Europa League tie against Royal Antwerp.

Steven Gerrard confirmed prior to tonight’s kick-off that the trio have been ruled out due to injury as they will not be able to recover in time to face Antwerp in the last-32 second leg at Ibrox.

As far as team selections go, therefore, it’s unlikely the announcement of the side to face-off against the Belgian outfit will bring with it too many surprises – although we aren’t ruling out a couple of minor tweaks, of course, which is how it should be by this stage.

Here, Football FanCast have predicted Gerrard’s starting XI to take on Antwerp, which sees him make two changes from the 4-1 victory over Dundee United.

One of the easiest predictions to make is that Allan McGregor will start between the sticks for Gerrard’s side. The legendary goalkeeper has established himself as the undisputed first-choice under Gerrard and has started all bar one of their seven Europa League games this season thus far.

In the absence of Tavernier, Leon Balogun is expected to keep his place at right-back, with Borna Barisic on the opposite flank. Connor Goldson will most likely continue his role in the centre of the defence, with Filip Helander selected ahead of Jack Simpson.

If the Gers are to get a result, you feel that their midfield pairing is central to their hopes of qualifying for the next round. In that regard, Gerrard will probably opt for Steven Davis at the base of the midfield, while Glen Kamara comes in for the injured Jack.

Meanwhile, Joe Aribo has been one of Gerrard’s brightest sparks in recent weeks, but we reckon he will shift to the right wing, with Ianis Hagi being forced to make room for the 24-year-old. This means that Scott Arfield will replace Aribo alongside Davis and Kamara in the midfield.

Upfront, there’s no doubting that Alfredo Morelos will get the nod as he looks to add to his underwhelming tally of just two goals in the Europa League so far this term.

AND in other news, Rangers given double injury boost but Steven Gerrard will have to wait…

Celtic are currently in a tough spot as they prepare to watch bitter neighbours Rangers shatter their hopes of lifting their tenth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.

Not only are they struggling with form, but they risk losing a lot of their key players either this transfer window or in the summer. Odsonne Edouard is one man linked to a potential Arsenal move, whilst interest also ramps up around centre-back Kristoffer Ajer.

They have also now confirmed the departure of 20-year-old Jeremie Frimpong. The right-back has made a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen, as reported by the club’s official Twitter. The Scottish Sun claims that the move could reach up to a handsome £11.5million.

Whilst this is an impressive profit on the £350,000 they initially paid for him, sometimes the player is worth more to a club than his price tag.

Indeed, Frimpong had rapidly established himself as a reliable first team performer under Neil Lennon, but the manager confirmed he would be leaving Parkhead. The Dutch youth international recently posted a cryptic message on his Instagram, seemingly highlighting his unhappiness.

For Celtic to have made Frimpong feel as though his ‘demands haven’t been met’, the defender must have been looking for a more advanced contract or stability in knowing he in untouchable in the starting eleven.

Frimpong has featured in every single Premiership match so far this season and has missed just two Celtic fixtures across the entire campaign, as per Transfermarkt. This is an impressive growth spurt for such a young player and no doubt Celtic’s struggles this season will have disappointed him.

But the Bhoys are truly foolish to let him leave. At just 20, Frimpong has become a strong presence in the Celtic lineup and was Lennon’s youngest option on the right side. Celtic have Anthony Ralston and Manny Perez as their other options, but the latter has just returned from loan and has just 18 months left on his contract.

Ralston is yet to establish himself as someone Lennon can rely on, having made only 20 senior appearances overall for Celtic and just the one this one season. Unless Nick Hammond can recruit a ready-made replacement, they will seriously struggle in the absence of “outstanding talent” Frimpong and will be forced to throw Ralston in at the deep end.

In other news, Lennon has sealed his own Celtic fate by not bolstering his squad…

According to a report by The Daily Mail, Tottenham players have been left baffled behind the scenes following Jose Mourinho’s treatment of Gareth Bale and Dele Alli – with there allegedly being several ‘disillusioned’ members of the squad.

The Portuguese boss is allegedly facing mounting pressure following his side’s stumble to ninth in the Premier League table, but he is somewhat shielded by the fact chairman Daniel Levy would face huge costs for his early dismissal (The Daily Mail).

Tottenham players baffled by Jose call

Exiting Europe and losing more ground in the top four race, however, would increase the pressure on Mourinho ten-fold – with The Daily Mail now claiming there are ‘several’ disillusioned players behind the scenes.

While some players are generally supportive of their boss, some squad members in particular have been taken aback by Mourinho’s call to shun both Alli and Bale to the fringes.

The Spurs duo have started just three Premier League games combined this season (WhoScored), leaving players who were particularly close under Mauricio Pochettino’s reign surprised by this move not to play them.

Alli and Bale breakdown

Bale was signed in the summer from Real Madrid on a season-long loan, with Levy having dreamed of bringing him back to north London (Eurosport).

Alli, meanwhile, was heavily linked with a move to Paris-Saint Germain in the January transfer window but Tottenham would not let him go without finding a replacement (Fabrizio Romano).

Time will tell whether Mourinho will feature the pair in his plans as he looks to climb back up the Premier League table.

In other news: Tottenham are eyeing this Premier League ace, find out more here.

Liverpool lost their second home game in a row with their 1-0 defeat to Brighton on Wednesday night.

Steven Alzate scored the only goal of the game for the visitors in what was a shock win, but very much deserved, as the Reds suffered another hit in the Premier League title race.

There has been plenty of talk about the Reds’ injuries, but The Athletic’s James Pearce had a bone to pick with Jurgen Klopp regarding his decisions from who was available for the game.

Pearce gives honest verdict

The German tactician opted to go for a midfield three that consisted of Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum, leaving out Curtis Jones, who had put in a fine showing against West Ham United.

Replying to a fan during a Q&A session, Pearce could not understand why Jones didn’t start the game.

He said: “Not sure about [Ben] Davies as he’s only just in the door but Jones should have started. It was so flat and I’m sure fatigue played a part in that.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

It’s a fair point to raise from Pearce, considering how Jones changed the game almost immediately at the London Stadium.

But Klopp did highlight fatigue as one of the factors of the defeat – which could also be an indication why the Melwood graduate didn’t feature in the initial eleven.

Even after Jones came on – he could not make an impact due to how well Graham Potter had set up his Brighton side. Whether he will get an opportunity from the start against Manchester City remains to be seen.

In other news, Star defender gutted to miss out dream Liverpool move on Deadline Day.

Tottenham are in the hunt for the Premier League title this season and with the January transfer window now upon us, they have the perfect opportunity to strengthen.

So, where will they do so?

What’s the word?

One area that Spurs could look to improve this month is in an attacking sense. Heung-min Son and Harry Kane have scored 75% of their goals this term so some added help could go down a treat.

Diego Costa has been linked on a free transfer but there is a younger man now in the frame to move to north London.

That happens to be Wigan forward Kyle Joseph, someone catching the eye in League One this season.

According to The Sun, Spurs are plotting a move for the 19-year-old after initially having a bid of £150,000 rejected last summer.

Joseph turned down both the Lilywhites and Sheffield United but that isn’t preventing them from moving again in the winter.

Wigan are still in administration so face losing a number of their players in the coming weeks.

Forget Parrott

When it comes to the Tottenham academy, the jewel in the crown at the moment is Troy Parrott.

The Irishman is a fabulous young talent but after struggling to breakthrough under Jose Mourinho, is now on loan at Millwall.

The 18-year-old has been pretty unimpressive in Bermondsey, though, failing to score in his nine Championship outings.

Joseph, however, has been exceptional for Wigan and already has more senior goals than the Spurs academy graduate.

Speaking about the teenager earlier this season, Latics forward Kal Naismith commented: “He’ll be a top player, a really, really good player and he works his nuts off not just in the games but all week in training as well, he has a great appetite for the game and a great attitude – I enjoy playing with him.”

In all senses of the word, Joseph is a dream to play with. By winning 2.3 aerial duels per game this season he brings others into play but he is only getting better.

He scored a sublime hat-trick against Burton in Wigan’s last match and is just going from strength to strength having netted four times this season.

Daniel Levy must ensure he’s a Tottenham player at the end of the window.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Son: Levy must seal Spurs swoop for “very rare” gem who made 7 dribbles…

Despite boasting a flurry of exciting new signings over the summer, one man Liverpool missed out on is Jamal Lewis. The former Norwich man has attracted a lot of attention over the past year, and as a result was eventually snapped up by Newcastle.

The Reds certainly did try for the 22-year-old, but the Canaries looked to be playing games. Hoping to lure the Premier League champions into an increased bid, they knocked back their offer of £10million for the left-back.

The Magpies eventually paid £15million for Lewis, which isn’t far off the £11.7million fee Liverpool paid for Kostas Tsimikas. A crucial buy for the summer was to provide Andy Robertson with backup, but after just one appearance for his new club, the Greece international is out with an injury.

Should Liverpool have signed Jamal Lewis?

Whilst Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold play beautifully together and have magnificent camaraderie, there’s always the burning question of ‘what if…?’

After transforming the Scotsman into a £67.5million-valued world beater, Jurgen Klopp undoubtedly has one of the best left-backs in the world on his team. But could he be tempted to jump ship if a mega money offer came in for him? It’s unlikely, but when you climb as high as Liverpool, you must be prepared to feel the impact of a hefty fall.

Bringing Lewis to Anfield could have created an interesting partnership between him and Alexander-Arnold and indeed, competition for the starting role. The two are pacy full-backs who will compliment each other in areas of weakness. For example, the Newcastle ace isn’t confident in his long balls, which Alexander-Arnold excels at. Having TAA pinging in crosses and long passes could allow him to stay further back whilst Lewis meanders further up the field.

Lewis is a little more conservative though with his attacking contributions. On the flip side, this is turn could help TAA get forward without the extra risk of exposure from two attacking full-backs. According to Sofascore, his performance against Everton saw him complete three tackles, three interceptions and 4/9 of his attempted duels.

He is very much a work in progress but the foundations are there for him to become a solid defender. Lewis’ former manager Daniel Farke lauded his performances and branded him as having a “magic” left foot. Klopp would certainly get the best out of him and he could link up with Alexander-Arnold nicely whilst waiting for his chance to challenge Robertson.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp midfield switch could pave the way for Curtis Jones…

Leeds United won 3-0 against Aston Villa on Friday night and there’s only one man that is likely to get the plaudits for that victory.

Indeed, Patrick Bamford’s hat-trick has been the talk of the town in the wake of United’s third Premier League win of the season, and we can absolutely understand why as the Grantham-born forward was on fire against the Villans.

However, what shouldn’t be forgotten is that the game could have easily swung the other way.

Indeed, in the first 20 minutes, Villa were the better side and Leeds looked as though they were in trouble with Pascal Struijk on the pitch.

The 21-year-old looked like a walking red card, picking up his first yellow within 10 minutes before making two more dangerous challenges that could have seen him issued his marching orders.

After 20 minutes, Marcelo Bielsa had seen enough and he made a change that may have won the game for Leeds.

He brought Shackleton on for Struijk, negating the risk of the red card and allowing Leeds to once again play with the intensity and aggression in the midfield that they’re renowned for.

If Struijk had been sent off and Leeds had been forced to play over an hour with 10-men, it’s hard to envisage United running away with the game in the same manner in the second half.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to us that Bielsa has the footballing mind to make these type of game-winning changes early on, he has been lauded as the best coach in the world in the past.

Hooking a 21-year-old in their first start in a new position after just 20 minutes may look harsh, but Bielsa needed to do it and he didn’t beat around the bush in pursuit of a victory. That’s to be expected from a man described by his own players as “relentless” and “passionate”, winning is the most important thing in football and Bielsa certainly knows how to do it.

Celtic have been dealt a rather big blow in their pursuit of Mattia De Sciglio as Anthony Joseph has tweeted that sources at SkySport have said that the Juventus ace has ruled out a move to Scotland.

According to the tweet from the football journalist, Neil Lennon’s team have made an enquiry to sign him on loan for the rest of the 2020/21 term before the summer transfer window shuts.

However, De Sciglio has ruled out a move to Scottish football, as the Old Lady remain open to offers for the 27-year old, with talks between European clubs PSG and AS Roma to have stalled for now.

Indeed, signing De Sciglio on loan for the rest of the season would have arguably been a shrewd bit of business from the Hoops. He has won the Serie A title no fewer than on three separate occasions with Juve and has also claimed several domestic trophies to his name, as per Transfermarkt.

The winning mentality of the Italy international could have been vital in the dressing room as the Celts look to win the Scottish Premiership yet again while also trying to do well in the UEFA Europa League.

De Sciglio was limited to just nine games in Italy’s top flight in the 2019/20 campaign, but still managed to win a relatively impressive 3.3 of his duels per match and also averaged 1.6 clearances, 1.1 tackles and 1.1 successful dribbles a game (via Sofascore).

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Bhoys will miss out on loaning him in and will now have to look at pursuing other targets before the market officially closes.

Hoops fans, would De Sciglio have been a good signing? Comment below!

Everton could have put any and all transfer interest in Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha in the rear-view mirror, but the Goodison Park natives will now be rueing their failure to sign Fiorentina’s dynamic dribbler Gaetano Castrovilli this summer.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport, Castrovilli has revealed that he is now eying a new contract with his Serie A side that he hopes will run until 2025 after catching the attention of several European clubs this summer.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was said to have been one of the many admirers to have coveted the midfielder’s acquisition in the transfer market, per Calciomercato, but was informed along with Inter Milan, Juventus and unnamed Bundesliga outfits that he had been deemed unsellable following a three-goal, two-assist campaign in the Italian top-flight.

Fiorentina’s opposition to a deal eased somewhat as the window progressed with FC Inter News later claiming Castrovilli could fetch between €40m (£36m) and €50million (£45.1m), with RB Leipzig, SSC Napoli and Tottenham Hotspur now sniffing around the creator whom Inter were very hot to.

But no deal was ever made and Castrovilli clearly has no ill-feeling to the failure, having now stated that he wishes to impress his manager Giuseppe Iachini and take Fiorentina into Europe.

“My dream is to play in Europe with Fiorentina,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “It’s nice that the top clubs have shown appreciation, but I only think of the Viola.

“Can I renew [my contract] until 2025? I’d like to. I’m fine in Florence, Fiorentina is like a family for me, so if the opportunity arises, I would certainly be happy [to stay].”

Forget Zaha

Everton could have forgotten all about their long-standing interest in Crystal Palace forward Zaha had Director of Football Marcel Brands orchestrated a deal to bring Castrovilli to the Premier League this summer.

The Toffees were touted to renew their efforts to sign Zaha by The Mirror in July following two failed bids in 2019, with Ancelotti backed as a big admirer of the Ivorian speedster whom Marco Silva refused to pay the Eagles’ £100m asking price for last year.

Blues hero Louis Saha continued to laud the potential of Zaha at Goodison Park in August, telling the Football Index podcast via The Express: “Zaha is a player who is capable of playing everywhere, he’s such a good player.

“If you want to improve your game, the foundations are there at Everton for you to achieve this. When I joined Everton, I found players and staff around me who had a desire to win trophies and improve the club’s infrastructure. Zaha would feel the same way if he joined Everton.”

Castrovilli would have been the better purchase, though, and Brands will be rueing not being able to add the 23-year-old to Ancelotti’s squad after he began the 2020/21 season with four goals and one assist in five Serie A appearances.

The 6-foot midfielder is also averaging 4.4 ground duels won (47%), 0.4 accurate crosses (100%), 1.6 shots, 0.6 key balls, 2.0 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 0.8 clearances a match in the Italian top-flight, per SofaScore, showing the level of skill he could have brought to Goodison Park.

His efforts in the centre of the pitch also led Football Whispers to laud his dynamic ability last season, having attempted an average of 4.48 take-ons per 90, of which he completed 3.38. Only four players in the Serie A were more successful than the one-time Italy international, who ranked tenth for attempts.

Now, Everton will likely watch on as Castrovilli takes his game to another level in years to come, knowing they missed an absolute gem in the 23-year-old midfielder who makes the left-hand side of the pitch his playground.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can repeat his summer masterclass by landing an Everton-linked £76k-p/w powerhouse.

Things may be a little big gloomy at Tottenham at the moment after their opening day loss against Everton, but they have made three of the most exciting signings of this transfer window.

Gareth Bale’s talents are obvious to all due to his incredible trophy haul and individual honour roll, but there are two other intriguing signings Jose Mourinho’s side have made this summer.

On the Chalkboard

Spurs’ signings of Sergio Reguillon and Matt Doherty have certainly raised a few eyebrows as the London club have spent a combined £45m on two areas that could easily have been pinpointed as weaknesses in the past.

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However, no matter how talented these players are, they will only flourish if the roles they’re asked to play in suit their skillset, and it’s quite obvious to see that both players are a modern mould of wide defender in that they love to go forward.

Doherty’s 16 goal contributions in the past two seasons from right-back show how much he likes to get up the pitch, while Reguillon’s eye-catching displays in the Europa League consisted mainly of him bombing down the wing, with the Spaniard completing 1.6 dribbles per game in the league last season.

Therefore, Mourinho needs a system to get the best out of these two, and it seems rather obvious as to what that should be.

5 at the back

Mourinho has often operated with a back four with sturdy defensive full-backs, think of Ashley Cole and Paolo Ferreira at Chelsea, but with the game evolving around him, he has to change tact.

With the talent he has at his disposal moving to a five at the back would make the world of sense, it would allow him to use Doherty and Reguillon as more attacking options, while also opening up the opportunity for Ryan Sessegnon to work his way into the wing-back spot.

It will also allow Eric Dier to play in his preferred centre-back spot, while also retaining some of the ball-playing responsibilities of a holding midfielder and not having to take on as much defensive responsibility as he would if he was playing as a part of a back four.

Once Reguillon is up to speed, it will be interesting to see how the former Chelsea manager lines up his side, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him switch to a back five.