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Liverpool will prepare to field their first squad this season without Virgil van Dijk as part of the defensive set up. The recent news of his ACL injury has rocked the club and Jurgen Klopp must find a way to continue their form from last season, without one of his most influential players.

Their last two fixtures were disappointing ones and will have the Reds eager to bouncer back to winning ways. A 7-2 demolition at the hands of Aston Villa followed by a draw against Everton will also have fans concerned over their progress this campaign.

Football FanCast has predicted how Liverpool might set up to vie for a win against the Eredivisie champions including three changes from the Everton line-up.

With both van Dijk and Joel Matip ruled out of the fixture at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Klopp will need to rely on Joe Gomez to command the backline. It’s likely that Fabinho will be paired up with him at the heart of the defence after his impressive performance there against Chelsea.

This means the No.6 position will open up for Jordan Henderson to slot into, in order to help protect his side’s vulnerable back five.

Naby Keita is also injured, similar to Thiago who picked up a slight knock against Everton during Richarlison’s red card situation. With two majorly creative midfielders out of action, Liverpool will need to lean on the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones to help out the front three. The young Merseyside local, valued at £4.5m, will relish the opportunity to showcase his attacking flair against a strong Ajax side, and he could be the difference between a win and a draw.

The attacking trio will undoubtedly remain untouched. Klopp will be searching for a big result to life morale around the Liverpool camp and set them up for a home match against Sheffield United on Saturday.

In other news, Liverpool selling Danny Ings is bittersweet; could’ve been Firmino alternative…

Celtic’s chances of landing one of their reported transfer targets have been given a huge boost this week following remarks from the player himself…

What’s the word?

It is believed that the Scottish giants have been pursuing a deal for Philadelphia Union centre-back Mark McKenzie with the young American talent thought to be available for as little as £1m as per the Daily Mail, via The Sun.

The 21-year-old has spoken out about the mooted interest recently, he said: “As a kid, you dream of playing at the top clubs in the world. Playing in top leagues and in Champions League and whatnot. It’s always a blessing to be able to draw interest from clubs in Europe.”

His boss at the MLS outfit, Jim Curtin, has also commented on the speculation surrounding a number of his players, claiming that “there’s been a lot of interest from teams from overseas. Their talent is certainly there and, if they continue to play the way they do, I’m sure some real concrete offers will come in for them.”

Ajer successor

Neil Lennon lost Jozo Simunovic during the off-season and there could yet be further movement in the defensive ranks with Kristoffer Ajer regularly attracting interest – back in March, Celtic were rocked with a bombshell from his agent, who suggest that it was inevitable that the colossus departs Parkhead.

AC Milan are thought to be very keen on securing the Norwegian for around £20m.

Therefore, Nick Hammond has a task on his hands to find a new defender fast with the SPFL season resuming this weekend and he should really look no further than McKenzie.

Former Dundee boss Iain Munro who has worked within Union’s academy once described the one-time USA international as a “Rolls-Royce” of a player, claiming that he’s a “talented kid” with “great pace” and “athleticism”.

Although he’s some six inches shorter than Ajer, the need for a new centre-back should be top priority and someone of McKenzie’s mooted quality would certainly be an impressive deal to make – especially at £1m.

Hammond could make bags of profit on him in the future all whilst securing a stud that can herald the side to a tenth league title in a row.

AND in other news, Hammond’s latest transfer bid is an insult as prolific talisman slips from Lennon’s grasp…

Coventry City boss Mark Robins has revealed his excitement at the club’s plans to build a new stadium.

The Sky Blues played their home games for the 2019/20 season at Birmingham City’s St Andrews Stadium as they won promotion from League One.

It was the club’s second time that they had to relocate from former home, the Ricoh Arena, having previously had a spell at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium.

With the season done and dusted, some discussion had emerged about a potential return for Coventry to their former home, which is now owned by rugby club Wasps but that has now come to an end with the newly promoted Championship side releasing plans to build a new stadium.

The new venue will be in partnership with the University of Warwick and will be located on the periphery of the city. It also means that Coventry signed a one-year extension to remain at Birmingham’s stadium through to next summer.

“[It’s] really exciting,” Robins told the Sunday People, when asked about the plans to build a new stadium.

“We need to make sure that the instability that has characterised the place it taken away. We need to become the masters of our own destiny. Then you can build, your fanbase builds, your revenue builds. You can work and improve upon the infrastructure.

“I have so much admiration for the people who work at the club because everyone there is up to their necks – not just to keep the club going but to keep it moving forward.

“If you keep it moving forward then people will come with you. That’s what’s changed. Chief executive Dave Boddy has been fantastic.

“There’s a glass ceiling there. Financially we’re not capable of doing it but we have made some brilliant signings and we have the raw materials, the recruitment staff have done a tremendous job.”

It is thought that the new stadium plan could take five years and will see a stadium with a capacity of around 20,000 built, potentially rising to 35,000 if required.

What a time to be a Coventry fan. Promotion to the Championship, talk of a new build stadium, the list is ongoing for the club and Robins has been an excellent part of them moving forward.

One thing is for sure though, they will want to ensure that by the time they move into that new arena, they are still at least a Championship club so it is vital that they hit the ground running in 2020/21.

How excited are you to see Coventry’s new stadium? Let us know via the comments section below…

With various ins and outs reportedly happening this summer at Chelsea, a new name has been circulating around the media. Flamengo midfielder Gerson is a player that the club are looking to pursue and are hopeful of signing in the upcoming transfer window.

According to Fox News via The Sun, Chelsea have been impressed by what they have seen of the midfielder, although they are not the only club interested as Borussia Dortmund are also keeping tabs on the player with his valuation set at around £30m.

For this to come to fruition, an overhaul might be needed at Stamford Bridge but it seems like that might be happening as well, with The Sun reporting that N’Golo Kante and Jorginho could be on their way out to fund Kai Havertz.

If they are able to use some of the funds that might be available if they sell Kante and Jorginho, then Gerson could be an ideal type of midfielder to be drafted into the squad. In his last full season in 2018/19, he played for Fiorentina in Serie A, where he managed 36 appearances and picked up three goals and three assists; and then moved to Brazilian side Flamengo, where he has played 27 times in the league, scoring twice and picking up three assists, per Transfermarkt.

As a central midfielder his job could well be to break up opposition attacks, similar to Kante and Jorginho, and manager Frank Lampard will need to replace them if they do go, so Gerson could be the ideal addition. The 23-year-old has also featured for Brazil’s under-20 team on 10 occasions so there is no doubt that he has potential, given his international recognition.

He might not be a priority signing for Chelsea but it is a good transfer target for the club to have if they  need to reinforce their midfield options depending on the futures of Kante and Jorginho.

Blues fans, would you like to have Gerson at Stamford Bridge? Comment below with your views!

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has branded Manchester City’s successful appeal a “disgrace” and slammed UEFA’s financial fair play rules, according to ESPN. 

Man City’s European ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which found that the club did not “disguise equity funding” but failed to cooperate with UEFA’s investigation into alleged rule breaches.

City were fined €10m (£9.06m) and are free to play in the Champions League next season, amid rampant speculation that Pep Guardiola will carry out a spending spree to close the gap on Premier League champions Liverpool.

Speaking via a virtual press conference ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Newcastle yesterday, Mourinho took great care to avoid suggesting whether or not City were guilty, but launched a scathing attack on UEFA’s verdict that didn’t rule either way.

Mourinho, who has never been one to bite his tongue, said: “In relation to the decision, in any case, it’s a disgraceful decision.”

“If Man City is not guilty of it, to be punished by some million is a disgrace. If you’re not guilty you’re not punished. In the other way, if you’re guilty you should be banned. So it’s also a disgraceful decision. In any case, it’s a disaster.”

“If you’re not guilty, you don’t pay. I’m not saying Man City is guilty. I’m saying if you’re not guilty, you don’t pay. You are not punished, even with a pound. I know that money is quite easy for them, but it’s just a principle. Why are you paying £8-9m if you are not guilty? If they are not guilty, the decision is a disgrace.”

“If you are guilty, the decision is also a disgrace. If you’re guilty, you should be banned from the competition. My criticism is not for Manchester City. I’m nobody to know if they’re guilty or not. My criticism is for the decision.”

It is easy to see where Mourinho is coming from, as he faces a transfer window knowing that he will not be able to splash the cash like he has done in previous years.

Daniel Levy has made it abundantly clear that he will not be spending “rivers of money” in the summer, so Mourinho will be forced to rely on organising swap deals, signing free agents and hunting for bargains in the transfer market.

To put things into context, City were fined a little less than what they paid for Fabian Delph, which is peanuts to a club of their disposition.

Whether or not Manchester City are guilty, the decision is bad news for Spurs, as they still have quite some way to go if they want to play European football next season.

Spurs usurped Arsenal in the Premier League after beating their rivals at home last weekend, but still face an uphill battle to reach the top four at the end of the season.

As per usual, the top four and Europa League winners are guaranteed places in the Champions League. However, Guardiola’s side have also won the Carabao Cup, meaning that sixth place will be enough to qualify for the Europa League. Alternatively, if City, Chelsea or Manchester United win the FA Cup, seventh place will earn a spot in European competition as well.

Arsenal could still pip Spurs to a space in the tournament, although they will most likely have to beat City in the FA Cup semi-finals in order to do so.

Once again, the Lilywhites find themselves in a spot of bother, as they are still several points away from European football.

Tottenham fans, do you think Spurs will qualify for the Europa League? Let us know down below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness.

Lee Bowyer has given an indication that Charlton Athletic’s injury situation could be set to improve, as reported by London News Online.

What’s the story?

The Addicks manager has been speaking about injuries ahead of his side’s match away against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Three players who were at the forefront of his thoughts in this situation were Lyle Taylor, Chuks Aneke and Jonny Williams, who have all been unavailable in recent times.

Bowyer was quoted on London News Online as saying:

“Lyle and Chuks can’t start at Boro. They’d have to come off the bench to get some minutes and then some in the midweek game [at home to Huddersfield].

“Ali [Thrush, head of medical services] is saying ideally they get 20 minutes on Saturday and 20 minutes on Tuesday – then they might be able to start. Jonny would probably be on the bench against Hull.”

A timely boost

Injuries have seriously taken their toll on Charlton in recent times, something that was fully on show during the 3-1 loss against Sheffield Wednesday, as Bowyer could only field five substitutes.

Their luck in this respect was summarised by the fact that Ben Purrington was forced to pull out of the game late through an illness.

Therefore, this is definitely a good time for players to begin returning, with the hope being that the team’s injury luck will begin to turn around from here.

However, Bowyer’s comments still offered a reminder of the predicament his team faces when he spoke about Beram Kayal, as he said:

“He went back to Brighton and had an injection while he was away [on international duty with Israel]. But I don’t think that his injury is as straightforward as we thought. We’re waiting on Brighton to see what they are saying.”

Although this appears to be a complicated situation, having other players coming back into the fold will undoubtedly help the Addicks.

In other news, one man stood out for Charlton on Saturday in tough circumstances.

Everton striker Moise Kean bounced back well from his humiliation at Old Trafford on Sunday with a solid 45-minute performance in the Carabao Cup exit against Leicester City on Wednesday night.

The 19-year-old only lasted 18 minutes against Manchester United at the weekend having been brought on and then taken off again by Duncan Ferguson, and had to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench again against the Foxes.

With only 467 minutes under his belt for the Merseyside outfit this term following his summer move from Juventus prior to this fixture, as well as no goals in 14 appearances – which has now been stretched to 15 – it is clear to see that he is yet to make his mark in a blue shirt.

Watch Everton vs Burnley Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

However, there were some promising signs when he replaced Bernard at half-time against Brendan Rodgers’ men, putting in a committed display.

According to WhoScored, he made one key pass and provided one accurate cross, while he also had one shot and successfully completed one dribble, too.

Fans took to Twitter to show how they were encouraged by the teenager’s showing, with one describing it as “his best performance in an EFC shirt” – given some of his other below-par ones, that is probably a fair shout.

Others decided to focus on what the potential appointment of Carlo Ancelotti, who looks set to be announced as the club’s new manager before the weekend according to The Telegraph, could do for Kean.

How much do you really know about the Farhad Moshiri era? Answer 25 simple questions below…

One predicted that he is going to “be a boss under Ancelotti”, which could we well-founded given they are the same nationality, and the fact that the 60-year-old manager has publicly praised the striker earlier in 2019, as per Goal.

In other Everton news, Toffees fans have absolutely crucified one player for his display vs Leicester, with one saying he “will be the first player sold by Ancelotti”…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to Love Sport Radio, former Manchester United man Clayton Blackmore has insisted the club desperately need to sign a different profile of forward to Marcus Rashford.

What did he say?

Until recent results, the Red Devils have struggled to consistently find the back of the net with any regularity. In the Premier League, they have still only managed to score 19 goals this season, with Sean Dyche’s Burnley even managing more than them (20).

Now, Blackmore has insisted the Manchester side could really do with a centre-forward who can bring something else to the table, insisting such a move could give them an “added dimension”.

He said: “Rashford is not enough alone. He’s still learning the game – he grew up a winger and he’s learning to be a striker. He’s done fantastically and he’s a massive threat, but we need something else – United need a target man. A target man allows you to get the ball up to him and then use pace to feed off those knock downs. If you try to play through teams again and again, they will work you out. That extra power gives you an added dimension.”

Firepower

As Blackmore alludes to, United’s current strike-force appears to be one-dimensional. The likes of Rashford, Anthony Martial and even Mason Greenwood thrive on their natural pace and movement, and it has been no surprise to see that the Red Devils’ best performance to date this season remains their 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea – a game that looked so open.

Bringing in a centre-forward like Mario Mandzukic or Edin Dzeko – both of whom have been linked with a move to the club in recent weeks – would give Solskjaer the ability to change approaches for a game. United run the risk of becoming far too predictable in wanting to play on the counter-attack, and having a more physical presence up front could add another string to their bow. Blackmore’s assessment certainly has some logical thinking behind it.

Meanwhile, a Manchester United swoop for Edin Dzeko would make a whole load more sense than a move for Mario Mandzukic.

Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to demand the signing of Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish, after he scored a brilliant goal against them at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Villans academy graduate curled a fantastic strike into the top right corner during the first half of Sunday’s encounter to hand Dean Smith’s side the lead, prompting a number of United fans to call on their club to capture Grealish’s signature.

Following the game against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, the 24-year-old now has three goals and four assists in the Premier League this season, an impressive return to say the least – Grealish was directly involved in 13 Championship goals last term.

One Manchester United supporter said that the Red Devils “could do worse than try” to capture the Villa No.10, whereas another described Grealish’s goal as “hot” before asking if United could sign him – another even said that he is better than Leicester star James Maddison.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Sadio Mane has told France Football that Mohamed Salah is an “exceptional player” and, even though they have had their differences, it is a “pleasure” to play alongside him for Liverpool.

What’s the story?

Many Reds fans will remember the Senegal international’s frustration when he wasn’t passed the ball by Salah against Burnley in August.

Watch the moment Adam Lallana broke United hearts at Old Trafford in the video below…

Speaking to France Football, the former Southampton man has admitted that although the two have not always seen eye-to-eye, he still enjoys playing alongside the Egypt international. He said of his teammate: “A crazy goalscorer. And an exceptional player who knows how to do everything. We have had our differences, but it remains a great pleasure to evolve with him because I have the feeling that we speak the same football.”

They bring the best out of each other

27-year-old Salah will have known that he should have squared the ball for what would have been an easy tap-in at Turf Moor, but in the end, it didn’t effect the final result as the Anfield outfit prevailed 3-0.

Mane did score that day, whilst the former Chelsea man was unable to get himself on the scoresheet.

The 61-cap star was visibly frustrated by Salah’s perceived selfishness, but in the long run it will do the pair a huge favour in their quest to become the best they can possibly be.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The incident showed one thing in particular: both players are desperate to score as much as humanly possible. This season, it is Mane who leads the way, with 1o goals in all competitions, but his fellow winger is just two behind with eight. Last season, they were joint-winners of the Premier League’s Golden Boot along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, ending the season with 22 strikes apiece.

Manchester City have a similar situation, with Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero fighting for a starting spot at the Etihad Stadium. The former has even said that the rivalry between the two has made him a better player. And although they weren’t playing for the same team, Cristiano Ronaldo recently said that his rivalry with Lionel Messi during his time at Real Madrid made both of them better.

The two Liverpool stars are in the same boat. Since they started playing together, they have been amongst the top marksmen in England’s top-tier.

The competition and desire for goals is pushing them to new heights and, although there will be moments of frustration as one looks to out-do the other, it shows they have the fire and desire to be the best.

Above all, the big winners are Liverpool, as the Premier League table currently shows.