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Ahead of his return to Goodison Park today, West Ham manager David Moyes has the luxury of a bolstered squad after some positive news over the international break.

The Hammers entertain Moyes’ former employers Everton at the London Stadium this afternoon as they bid to regain the form which saw them climb into the Champions League places earlier in the season.

With just two wins from their last six games across all competitions, they have lost momentum at the worst possible time of the season and will no doubt require a valiant effort against relegation battlers Everton, who will surely give all their might to try and secure a win.

There was some positive news for the Irons, though, as Moyes boosted fans’ hopes for the return of talisman Jarrod Bowen. The 25-year-old is West Ham’s top scorer this season and leads the way for assists, minutes per goal, successful dribbles per match and shots on target per match, whilst also functioning as their top creative outlet this season having created the most big chances with eight.

News on the injury status of Czech Republic international Vladimir Coufal was also revealed as Moyes addressed the pair’s chances of featuring against Everton, saying: “There’s a chance that both could make it. They both did a bit of training over the international break. I’m not quite sure both of them are match-fit and ready, that’s my only concern.”

This is how we believe the West Ham XI will look as they take on Frank Lampard’s Everton, with two changes in personnel from their most recent outing against Tottenham:

Areola; Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Lanzini, Rice, Soucek; Fornals, Antonio, Benrahma

Our prediction sees Moyes give a rare Premier League start to Alphonse Areola in goal ahead of Lukasz Fabianski, a potentially big call that we have discussed in detail on Football FanCast.

We also predict that £43k-p/w full-back Arthur Masuaku will be axed, paying the price for his poor performance against Tottenham a fortnight ago, with the “fantastic” Pablo Fornals coming into a system which could see his creativity unleashed.

Perhaps the biggest change is the formation. Last time out against Antonio Conte’s Spurs, Moyes opted to match the Italian’s 3-4-2-1 system and go man-for-man, which resulted in a disappointing 3-1 loss.

The Hammers are no strangers to a 4-3-3 shape, which was used against Sevilla in the impressive Europa League win in March, and we think the Scot might revert to that today as West Ham seek a return to winning ways.

In other news – Moyes must unleash “incredible” £138k-p/w maverick today, West Ham need him

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is attracting interest from Premier League side Manchester City.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Rory Smith, with the ever-reliable New York Times journalist revealing on BBC Radio 5 Live (via the Daily Mail) that the 56-year-old manager has a number of admirers at the Etihad Stadium.

Smith went on to state that, although it would be an unlikely scenario that the Greek-Australian coach goes on to take over from Pep Guardiola at the Premier League leaders, Postecoglou is extremely well regarded by City chiefs.

Regarding the Celtic manager’s future, the journalist said: “I’m not even sure it would be teams lower down in the Premier League [who would be interested in appointing Postecoglou].

“Ange Postecoglou is not going to get the Man City job, but there are a lot of people at City who really rate him. That actually says all you need to know about how well regarded he is within coaching circles. He worked for Yokohama Marinos which is the City Football Group team in the J-League.

“They think he’s really, really good. I’d be staggered if Pep left in the summer or next summer if they gave it to Postecoglou, but there are people there who will tell you he’s a really gifted manager. I’m not saying it’s impossible [that Postecoglou would replace Guardiola], but it would be surprising.”

Staggering blow inbound?

While, as Smith states, it would be incredibly surprising if Manchester City were to appoint Postecoglou as Guardiola’s successor at the Etihad, the fact that the 56-year-old is already attracting admiration from the Premier League is certainly bad news for Celtic.

Granted, while it is undeniably good for the Hoops that the Greek-Australian coach has managed to turn the club’s fortunes around this season – with the Bhoys currently on course to secure a domestic treble – it was clear that the appointment of the former Australia national team coach was part of a long-term overhaul of the club by the Celtic hierarchy.

As such, while the 56-year-old very much appears to be fully committed to his current role in Glasgow, should the opportunity of a big Premier League job arise this summer – be that at Manchester City or elsewhere – whether or not Postecoglou remains a fixture in the Celtic dugout for the long-term is certainly questionable.

And, with the highly-rated coach having signed a 12-month rolling contract with the Hoops last summer, should he wish to move onto pastures new this summer, there would be very little – aside from offering him a bumper new deal – that the Celtic board could do to retain his services – something that will undoubtedly be a huge cause for concern for everyone involved with the club.

Indeed, considering his exploits in Glasgow so far, leading the Hoops to a League Cup trophy and to the top of the SPFL table with a six-point cushion, it would be nothing short of a staggering blow to lose his services so early into the tenure.

AND in other news: Sold at £1.8m, now worth £25m: Celtic had a nightmare on “imposing” £48k-p/w machine

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According to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay on Twitter, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa confirmed in his Bolton Wanderers pre-match press conference on Thursday that Stuart Dallas will return to the squad on Saturday, and Whites fans have been quick to react on Twitter.

The versatile 27-year-old has been out since the start of December with a fractured foot, but the Argentine boss has revealed that he is now available for selection again and will feature in the 18 when his side host the Trotters at the weekend.

The Northern Ireland international has played in a number of different roles for the Yorkshire outfit this term including left-back, right-back and right midfield, and he could well be in serious contention to be in the XI given Jack Clarke still isn’t available after illness and Ezgjan Alioski has been filling in at left-back in the absence of Barry Douglas.

Leeds supporters took to social media to have their say on Dallas’ long-awaited return following a spate of injuries to key stars, and while one described it as a “welcome return”, another said “but he’s not very good”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

Tottenham remain interested in Leeds United winger Jack Harrison following an enquiry in the January window, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Phillips and Raphinha links

It could well be a summer of change at Elland Road after Jesse Marsch recently replaced Marcelo Bielsa.

Raphinha has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, whereas Kalvin Phillips is wanted by Aston Villa, who are willing to pay £60m for his services over the coming months.

Harrison, who eventually made his move to Leeds permanent last summer after three years on loan from Manchester City, appears to be yet another sought-after Whites star.

The Latest: Harrison interest

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath shared a story on Friday morning, looking at Marsch’s first month in charge of Leeds. He added that Tottenham still have an interest in signing Harrison after making an enquiry for the winger earlier this year.

The 25-year-old is seen as a player who can turn out as a left-wing back under Antonio Conte, with Spurs chief Fabio Paratici alerted to Harrison by Andrea Pirlo, who played with the Leeds man at New York City.

The Verdict: Keep?

Former Leeds player turned employee/ambassador Noel Whelan was stunned by Harrison’s match-winning display against West Ham back in January, where he scored a hat-trick, saying ‘it was amazing to see, wow’.

He has improved massively since first arriving at Leeds in 2018 and has now made over 150 appearances for the Whites. You’d like to think he is approaching his prime, so it would be a shame for Leeds to sell the winger in the summer, especially with Raphinha possibly on the move as well.

Marsch could do with bolstering his squad ahead of his first full season in charge instead of making it smaller, so it could make sense to snub enquiries from Spurs once again over the coming months.

In other news: Orta and Marsch now keen on signing ‘wonderful talent’ who shares agent with 6 Leeds players. 

Mohamed Salah has picked up a knock ahead of the FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City, with Jurgen Klopp admitting he was unaware of the issue.

The lowdown: Jota picks up injury

Despite making seven changes for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg meeting with Benfica, the Reds haven’t avoided injury concern after the 3-3 draw at Anfield.

Diogo Jota was withdrawn and is now a doubt for the FA Cup clash with Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp made four substitutions during the match, including introducing Mohamed Salah from a star-studded bench.

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Now it appears that the Egyptian may have also suffered an issue as a consequence of playing the final 33 minutes, though it is not believed to be serious at this stage.

The latest: Klopp in the dark

Taking to Twitter, injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries website, shared a post-game update from Anfield:

“Klopp confirms Van Dijk was NOT injured, the decision to rest him last night was tactical. However, Diogo Jota and Mo Salah did pick up knocks although neither appears to be serious.”

Dinnery then shared a direct comment from the manager, who admitted nobody told him about the issue with Salah: “I don’t know really, nobody told me yet. So, for the moment everybody should be fine.”

Following up with more news today, Klopp has still not given any specific details, but Dinnery reports it ‘looks like’ the Egypt superstar will be okay.

The verdict: Fingers crossed

With 35 Premier League goals between them so far this season (WhoScored), the Liverpool faithful will be desperate for positive news ahead of the Wembley showdown.

However, assuming both Jota and Salah are indeed fine, the decision to rest key players whilst still reaching the Champions League semi-final could prove to be a masterstroke from Klopp.

As the important fixtures come thick and fast, the Reds will need the entire squad firing on all cylinders and this positive result was further proof of the strength in depth now in situ at Anfield.

Although injuries decimated the 2020/21 campaign, so far this term Liverpool have been relatively unscathed by issues with the only current problems suffered being these fresh minor concerns over Jota and Salah.

In other news, pundit lavishes praise on Liverpool ‘beast’ following UCL victory. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their efforts to make further additions to their squad at Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Gers are among a number of clubs who are keen on a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder James McAtee before the end of the month, with Southampton, Leicester, Brighton and Aston Villa among the other teams eyeing him up.

The report claims that Giovanni van Bronckhorst is hoping that his friendship with Pep Guardiola will give the Scottish giants a leg-up in negotiations.

Kent 2.0

The Gers could land the new Ryan Kent in a deal to sign McAtee on loan from the English champions this month, as he is an exciting, talented young forward who could have a big impact at Ibrox.

He has 19 goals and five assists in all competitions for Man City this season, playing for the under-23’s and the first team. The youngster has featured for Guardiola’s side in the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League, although he is yet to make his Champions League bow.

McAtee’s 24 goal involvements in 23 games means that he has directly contributed to a goal every 0.95 matches on average.

City academy coach Brian Barry-Murphy once dubbed the forward a “very intelligent player” and his emergence at first-team level suggests that Guardiola has also seen that in him. His sensational record in terms of goals and assists also proves that he knows how to make an impact in the final third, much like Kent does for the Gers.

The ex-Liverpool winger has 29 goals and 35 assists in 149 games for the Scottish giants. This shows how impressive he has been over the years under Steven Gerrard and now Van Bronckhorst, with McAtee potentially able to follow in his footsteps at Ibrox.

If Rangers are able to get a deal over the line for the Cityzens maestro, he could be a fantastic addition to the squad. His goals and assists for City at youth level suggest that he has the potential to be a key player for Van Bronckhorst in Scotland if he is able to translate some of that form over to the Premiership, which is why he could be the new Kent for Rangers.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must now sign “exciting” £1.8m-rated gem who was “almost certain” to join Rangers…

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been hit with a crushing transfer blow over a player they reportedly want to bring to Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has cast doubt over Rangers’ chance of landing one of their goalkeeper targets this summer as he tips him for a move south of the border.

The Gers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Sam Johnstone on a free transfer at the end of the campaign and the reporter believes that his future lies elsewhere.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “If Rangers were to qualify for the Champions League, that’s something Sam Johnstone might take into consideration, but I do think that he will end up moving to a Premier League club when he leaves West Brom this summer.”

Gio will be irate

This update will surely leave van Bronckhorst irate as missing out on Johnstone would be a major blow for the Glasgow giants.

The England international would be a sublime signing for the club in a problem position for the Dutch coach. Allan McGregor has been culpable of a few clangers in the Premiership this season and has cost the team at times with his mistakes between the sticks.

In the Scottish top-flight this term, the 40-year-old has made a whopping three errors directly leading to goals and one error leading to a shot that did not find the back of the net. The veteran is out of contract this summer and it remains to be seen whether or not he will stay on for another year, although his blunders in the league suggest that it is the right time for him to depart.

His exit will leave the number one shirt at Ibrox available and this is where Johnstone could come in. The Englishman caught the eye for the Baggies in the Premier League last season as he averaged a superb SofaSsore rating of 7.03 and did not make a single error leading to a goal.

He is also 11 years younger than McGregor and this means that he would be able to line up between the sticks for the Gers for a number of years to come. His statistics in the English top-flight highlight his quality in goal and this is why he would be an excellent replacement for the Scot next season.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will be fuming with O’Rourke’s claim that he looks set for a move to a Premier League club instead of joining the Scottish giants.

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: Rangers must brutally axe 26 y/o dud who’s an “all-round shambles”…

Everton loanee Lewis Warrington is ‘thriving’ at Tranmere Rovers and has ‘massive potential’, reports The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, and he is now in discussions to extend his ‘deal at Everton’.

The lowdown

Warrington has come through the academy ranks at Everton, having joined the club at the age of six.

The 19-year-old is a season-ticket holder at Goodison Park and considers former Toffees left-back Leighton Baines his idol.

The ‘all-round midfielder’ has made a total of 20 appearances for Everton at Under-23 level but in January, the club decided to give him a taste of the men’s game.

They loaned him out to Micky Mellon’s Tranmere, who are fighting for promotion to League One.

Significantly, Warrington’s Everton contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

The latest

Boyland says that Warrington has been shining during his stint across Merseyside at Preston Park.

He’s spoken to Tranmere sporting director and former Everton striker James Vaughan, who claims the Birkenhead-born talent has ‘massive potential’.

And he ponders whether the youngster can force his way into Frank Lampard’s ‘toiling’ midfield.

Warrington is in talks over extending his ‘deal at Everton’, but he’ll need to see a path to first-team football with The Toffees before he commits.

In the meantime, he’s attracting interest from other clubs, meaning he’s ‘unlikely to be short’ of rival offers.

The verdict

Warrington has nailed down a spot in Mellon’s side, starting their last ten League Two matches.

He ranks among the top six players in the squad for both tackles (1.5) and shots (1.2) per 90 minutes, and that speaks to his rounded skill-set.

Indeed, Warrington has operated as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder and an attacking midfielder at different points of his loan spell.

If The Toffees successfully extend his deal but allow Fabian Delph, who’s also out of contract in the summer, to leave, then that could theoretically open up a spot in Lampard’s senior ranks for the boyhood fan.

In other news, Everton are willing to sell this attacker.

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has shared some major news out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Son Heung-min in a boost for Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Son sidelined…

The South Korea star picked up a muscle injury during the first leg of Spurs’ Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Chelsea last month.

As a result, he was ruled out for the rest of January and unable to take part in big games like the second leg of that tie and Tottenham’s dramatic trip to Leicester City.

Their top scorer in the Premier League and arguably up there with Tottenham’s most potent threats, it’s safe to say that Conte has missed the 29-year-old, but Sky now have some big news for Spurs supporters.

The Latest: Son returns…

According to Thomas, sharing news on Twitter, the winger is back in full training and fully fit to be in contention for Spurs as they look towards their FA Cup tie against Brighton this weekend.

The journalist tweeted: “Exclusive: Heung-Min Son is back in training and fully fit to be in contention for Tottenham in the FA Cup against Brighton. Antonio Conte has no injury concerns after the winter break.”

The Verdict: Big boost…

The winger is not only Tottenham’s top scorer in the English top flight so far, but also one of their biggest attacking outlets by some way.

According to WhoScored, Son has averaged more key passes per 90 in the final third than any Spurs player in the Premier League (1.9), whilst also completing the second-most successful take-ons behind Lucas Moura.

Furthermore, only star striker Harry Kane has managed more attempts at goal than the Asian maestro, with Conte now set to receive a big boost through the 29-year-old’s return to action.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham move for ‘bargain’ international fell apart in 11th hour, he wanted to join…find out more here.

A major Rangers transfer development has emerged on young midfielder Alex Lowry…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, sources have revealed that the Gers teen’s agent has held talks with another club ahead of a potential summer move away from Glasgow.

The report claims that Newcastle United are leading the race for his signature as Rangers also attempt to tie him down to a new £5k-per-week contract. Lowry is yet to make a decision on his future as multiple teams line up to have him in their squad for next season.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be scrambling

This update will surely leave the Rangers head coach scrambling to ensure that the gem remains at Ibrox for many more years to come.

The Dutchman has reportedly arranged a meeting with Lowry to discuss his future and this development will increase the importance of those discussions going well. He will need to convince the 18-year-old that staying with the Scottish giants is the best decision he can make instead of leaving to move south of the border.

Keeping him will be key for the Gers as he has the potential to be a big player for the club. His former coach, Graeme Murty, recently heaped praise on him, saying: “Alex is unlike anyone else at Rangers I would suggest in terms of his technical ability, the range of passing that he sees and executes, his individual ability to go past people and he has a remarkable degree of self-confidence.

“He believes in himself to the upmost and he wants the ball, he’s hungry for it and wants to make things happen.

“It’s not a surprise when he comes on to make his debut, looks a home in a first-team match of that pace and of that tempo because he has the technique to play and you are not surprised that he scores.”Lowry has played four senior matches for the club this term and chipped in with one goal and one assist in that time, showing that van Bronckhorst trusts him to perform in the first team. At the age of 18, he is at the start of his career and has plenty of time to improve and develop and this means that it will be a huge blow to lose him this summer before they can benefit from his talents on a regular basis.Van Bronckhorst will now be scrambling to pin him down to a contract extension…

AND in other news, Gvb can axe one of Wilson’s Rangers “let downs” with “unbelievable” 27 G/A phenomenon – opinion