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An update has emerged on the fitness of Rangers central midfielder Ryan Jack, via an insider source… 

What’s the latest?

Close friend of Ryan Jack and former Gers star Greg Stewart has revealed that the midfielder is not too far away from being back in action for the club.

Stewart has claimed that Jack will be ‘like a new signing’ for the Gers and that he has heard the 29-year-old is closing in on his return.

He told the Daily Record:

“It’s been a difficult one for Ryan.

“He’s had a couple of problems but from what I hear it won’t be long before he’s back on the pitch. That’s great news – it will be like a new signing for the team, because we’ve missed him.

“Every team would miss having a Ryan Jack in their line-up as he’s got a bit of everything about him. He even chips in with a few goals, which is great for a midfielder. Once he’s back, it will be like he’s got a new lease of life and I can’t wait to see him out there again.”

Gerrard will be buzzing

Jack’s last appearance for the Gers came back in February and he recently took to Instagram to post a picture of his muddy boots on the floor of what appeared to be a changing room.

His post left plenty to speculate over in regards to what stage he is at in his recovery, but these quotes from his close friend provide a better perspective as he has stated that Jack is not too far away from being fit.

Gerrard is surely buzzing with this news as it will be a welcome boost to his team in the coming weeks and months.

Jack adds another central midfield option for him to call upon in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League, which could make him feel like a new signing, as Stewart explained. It also allows him to rest and rotate his other options in that area of the pitch.

Back in 2019, the Teddy Bears head coach lauded Jack as a leader within the squad as he demands everyone around him to up their levels. He said:

“Ryan is an example for the rest of the squad because he never drops his standards, whether it’s a training session or a game.

“He knits everything together, he drives the team on, he demands from everyone else around him.”

This suggests that Gerrard will love to have Jack back in contention to play as he could raise the standard of those playing alongside him and lift the XI overall.

Whilst you can debate his own merits as a player and whether, as an individual, he is better than the likes of John Lundstram, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo, his leadership – as explained by Gerrard – could be an immeasurable boost to the Gers.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Rangers facing potential nightmare over key Ibrox gem, fans will be livid…

Former Premier League star Nigel Jemson insists that Mohamed Salah wants to be paid the same amount as the best players in the world if he is to extend his contract at Liverpool.

The Egypt international’s current contract runs until 2023 and he has emerged as one of the world’s best players during his time at Anfield.

Salah has made a total of 209 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side, scoring 130 goals and registering 49 assists.

This season already, the 29-year-old has scored five goals in six games in all competitions, including strikes against AC Milan in the Champions League and Chelsea in the Premier League.

Salah’s contract is coming to an end and 2022 could well be seen as a major opportunity for other clubs to come in and make a bid for him, and he is reported to currently earn £200,000-per-week on Merseyside.

Jemson does not think that is enough for the Egyptian, who wants to earn a similar amount to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at Manchester United and PSG respectively.

Jemson said: “I think he wants parity with the rest of the big, top players in the world. And they’re all earning ridiculous amounts of money a week and I think he just wants to be on the same bracket as those.

“Hopefully he’ll get his contract sorted out at Liverpool and have a fantastic season.”

West Brom centre-back Dara O’Shea’s current injury situation remains unknown, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: O’Shea suffers injury

The Baggies have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, sitting second in the Championship after picking up 13 points from their opening five games.

O’Shea has been an ever-present in that time, playing every minute of action, but he suffered an injury in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal on Wednesday night.

The Latest: Madeley provides update

West Brom are no doubt sweating over the news, but taking to Twitter on Thursday, The Athletic‘s Madeley simply offered a two-word update, revealing they are yet to find out the severity:

“Nothing yet.”

This likely means they are waiting on the results of a scan, which could be a concern given his importance at the Hawthorns.

The Verdict: Huge player for Baggies

The hope is that O’Shea’s injury is not too serious and that he will be back for next weekend’s Championship clash with Millwall at the Hawthorns.

The 22-year-old has averaged 2.4 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the league so far this season, outlining his defensive brilliance.

If O’Shea ends up being absent for an extended period of time, he could be a huge loss for Valerien Ismael’s side, as they look for a swift return to the Premier League.

In other news, a journalist has given his thoughts on West Brom’s interest in one player. Read more here.

West Bromwich Albion winger Robert Snodgrass appears to be edging closer to a return to first team football.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Baggies manager Valerien Ismael revealed that the Scotland international was getting closer to a return to West Brom action following a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a recurring back injury, with the Frenchman claiming that the 33-year-old is “hungry” to reclaim a spot in his starting XI.

It would appear as if Snodgrass was eager to send his manager a message during a recent appearance for Albion’s under-23 side, scoring two goals in their 3-2 victory over Burnley on Monday evening.

Ismael will be buzzing

The Championship fixture against Sheffield United on Wednesday may come slightly too soon for Snodgrass, but considering the Scot’s impressive performance for the under-23s, it would certainly not appear long before the winger is back in around the Baggies first team squad on a matchday.

With Ismael currently having no real natural options in the wide attacking areas of his side, the return of Snodgrass would certainly appear to be a huge boost for the Frenchman, who must be buzzing with the progress the 33-year-old is making.

Indeed, despite his advancing years, the former West Ham attacker proved during his last full season in east London that he had the ability to play an influential role in Albion’s hopeful promotion push this season.

Over his 24 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £38k-per-week winger bagged five goals, provided five assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 0.9 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £1.35m-rated winger earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as the club’s sixth-best player in the top flight for that season.

As such, a fully fit Snodgrass would very much appear to be an important player for a mid-table Premier League side, let alone one playing their football in the Championship, with his impending return undoubtedly delighting both Ismael and West Brom fans alike.

In other news: Ismael must unleash £23k-p/w West Brom “leader” vs Sheffield Utd, could be a game-changer

Aston Villa were open to selling midfielder Douglas Luiz over the summer, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans.

The Lowdown: Luiz links

Villa made a number of big-money signings over the summer but failed to add to their central midfield ranks. They also sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City for £100m, and it appears as if Luiz was also regarded as a possible departure by the Villa hierarchy.

He won Olympic gold with Brazil over the summer and was linked with moves to Manchester City and AS Roma, but as we now know, the £52,000-a-week man remained in the Midlands and has been a regular in recent weeks.

The Latest: Evans’ claim

Evans shared a story on The Athletic on Wednesday, looking at Villa’s new 3-5-2 formation. He suggested that the club were open to moving Luiz on in the recent window for the right price, but there wasn’t enough interest.

Evans then added that Dean Smith welcomed the Brazilian back to Bodymoor Heath with a presentation to celebrate his success at the Olympics along with the Villa squad.

The Verdict: A close shave

As Evans mentioned later in the article, Luiz has been an unsung hero in Villa’s wins over Everton and Manchester United, so Villa have been lucky to keep him at the club.

A midfield three of him, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey has worked effectively in Smith’s new system, and with Villa’s lack of depth in midfield, parting ways with the 23-year-old could have been a costly mistake.

Roma are still linked with Luiz, so it’ll be interesting to see what Villa’s stance is in the New Year.

In other news: ‘Believe it or not’ – Preece shares worrying under-the-radar update on Villa ace who Smith loves. 

Sheffield Wednesday host Doncaster at Hillsborough on Saturday as they go in search of their first win of the campaign.

The Owls lost on penalties to Championship side Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup before drawing 0-0 with Nigel Adkins’ Charlton on the opening day of the League One season.

They now face a Doncaster side who lost 2-1 to AFC Wimbledon last weekend in the league before beating Walsall on penalties in the Carabao Cup this week.

On the Chalkboard

Callum Paterson was forced off with a worrying head injury against Charlton and could now miss the match against Doncaster. He was stretchered off the pitch just 16 minutes into the game, having started as the main centre-forward, and Moore could now need to make a decision on his team selection for this weekend’s clash.

The Owls boss must now unleash Lee Gregory this weekend to make his full debut for the club. The 32-year-old has joined from Championship side Stoke and could now have the perfect opportunity to come in and show what he can do in League One.

His record in the third tier is exceptional, with 35 goals and nine assists in 78 appearances in League One throughout his career, having also played 183 games in the Championship, in which he has scored 40 goals. This highlights his experience and quality in the Football League and why he could be a terrific player to bring into the Owls’ starting line-up against Doncaster.

Earlier this year, Derby manager Wayne Rooney said that Gregory was a “handful” to deal with during his loan spell at Pride Park and that he is able to give a lift to team-mates with his energy.

The 35-year-old told RamsTV, as relayed by Derby News: “I thought Lee Gregory was great for us when he came on. He showed great energy and enthusiasm.

“He was a handful and I think he really lifted the rest of the team when he came on with his energy. I was delighted with him.”

Gregory could therefore help to raise the standards of his teammates by pressing the opposition and proving a handful when out of possession. His energy could inspire others to match his levels of effort, giving Wednesday a greater chance of putting in a superb team performance instead of being lackadaisical off the ball.

Moore praised Gregory as a ‘quality player’ after the forward’s arrival at Hillsborough. The manager told Wednesday’s official website: “He’s a quality player. He adds competition to the top end of the pitch and we’re looking forward to getting him started.

“He’s knows the level, his enthusiasm and willingness that he possesses makes him a really good player and we’re glad to have him on board. He gives us that little bit more in terms of attacking options.”

The £12k-per-week attacker offered a glimpse of what he is capable of with two goals against Manchester United’s under-23 side in a friendly earlier this week. This shows that he is fit and raring to make his debut for the club, with minutes under his belt in the friendly and goals going in to boost his confidence, which is why Moore must unleash him on Saturday.

AND in other news, Joe Crann drops update on £8.4k-p/w “big player” which will leave SWFC fans buzzing…

Newcastle United face the unenviable task of playing against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Premier League today in the club’s last match before Christmas.

The Magpies are 19th in the table as it stands, on 10 points, whilst the Citizens are flying high at the summit with 41 points to their name.

Eddie Howe’s men come into the game off the back of a 3-1 defeat away to Liverpool in midweek, losing to Jurgen Klopp’s side after taking the lead early on through Jonjo Shelvey.

Unleash him

One change to the team from that loss could be the reintroduction of Callum Wilson after he was left on the bench at Anfield. The former Bournemouth striker must be unleashed against Man City and placed back in the starting XI after he was given a rest against the Reds.

He has had his chance to sit and watch on from the sidelines for the majority of the game to catch his breath back after a busy schedule of late. This, hopefully, means that he will now be fresh and 100% ready to take on City in tip-top shape.

Wilson has scored six goals in 12 Premier League starts this season and is the biggest goal threat in the Newcastle squad. Allan Saint-Maximin’s tally of three is the next highest, whilst the ex-Cherries attacker’s return of 12 league strikes last term also topped the goalscoring charts for the club.

Howe previously said of the 29-year-old: “He is an outstanding player with unique attributes for us. He has that ability to run in behind and he’s got the work ethic off the ball and, of course, he knows where the goal is.”

The Magpies head coach, who once dubbed Wilson’s passing as “hugely impressive”, must now unleash him from the start against Man City.

Wilson could provide a focal point at the top end of the pitch whilst harbouring the potential to be the match-winner for the club. The £92k-per-week dynamo’s goalscoring record for Newcastle shows that he has the quality to find the back of the net at this level

That is why he should be starting as the number nine today, whether that comes in place of Allan Saint-Maximin – after his injury against Liverpool – or anyone else. He has proven himself to be the most effective goalscorer at St. James’ Park and that is why he is deserving of a place in the XI.

AND in other news, Journo drops transfer news that’ll leave NUFC fans buzzing, he can be the next Shearer…

Liverpool are set to complete the signing of highly-rated Celtic midfielder Ben Doak, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

According to their sources, now that the Reds have agreed the signing of Fulham’s Fabio Carvalho, they are close to agreeing on a deal for the Celtic teenager who has already been pictured holding a Liverpool shirt.

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The 16-year old is set to sign an initial three-year deal with Liverpool paying around £600k in compensation to the Scottish club. It’s understood that to begin with he will play for the club’s development side.

More exciting than Carvalho

Fabio Carvalho has lit up the Championship this season, with 14 goal contributions in 29 appearances, so we know an awful lot about how good he is.

However, the fact we know less about Doak, and that Liverpool are signing the youngster for such a fee for his age, makes this one more exciting and intriguing.

He has already made two senior appearances for the Hoops, one of which was as a late substitute in an Old Firm game which shows just how highly thought of he is in Scotland.

Where he has excelled is at youth level for his country. Doak has made six appearances for Scotland U17’s scoring four times, which included a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout against Georgia last month.

He’s been described in glowing terms as a “generational” talent by Bhoys Analytics and will be looking to the likes of his fellow countryman Andy Robertson when judging how successful a move to Anfield can be.

Doak rejected a professional contract from Celtic to move south of the border and sign for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Whilst this may seem like a bold decision, it’s not every day that you get offered the chance to sign for one of the best teams in Europe.

He is a wide player with the ability to play on the wing and in the full-back position, adding a further string to his bow, with Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou describing him as a “fantastic kid” who is “composed” for his age.

It was reported by The Athletic that Leeds were also interested in signing the teenager but Liverpool managed to seal the deal first.

Overall it’s an extremely exciting signing, he may not feature in the first team straight away but with a lot of clubs interested, he must be special. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on how he progresses through a Liverpool set-up that is known for developing great players.

IN other news: Fewer touches than Alisson: Liverpool gem who won just 16.6% duels let his side down

Everton have been struggling with a mild injury crisis over the last three months, but with players now returning from injury there has been no better time for them as the Toffees take on some of the Premier League giants in their upcoming fixtures.

Between now and Christmas, Everton are set to face Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, all within their next six fixtures, and will be hoping to grab as many points as they can from these huge games to climb into a much better position in the table.

Rafa Benitez’s side currently sit 11th in the table with just four wins so far this season, and with such tough fixtures coming up for the Toffees they will be thankful for the returns from injury with the likes of Richarlison and centre back Yerry Mina.

Everton have been ruthlessly exposed at the back over the last few months with Benitez’s side conceding seven goals in their last four games, with an embarrassing 5-2 defeat to Watford contributing to most of those goals.

It appears that most of Everton’s defensive issues come from set pieces, and zonal marking, with this being something that the manager has addressed. Everton’s expected goals against from set-pieces is 4.0 and tied for second-worst in the league.

Responding to this, the Spanish coach said; “The main thing for us is to make sure we attack the ball and show some character when we have to challenge, we’re not doing that. It’s not just zonal marking, if it’s man-to-man, then they block your defender and you could have a man free.

“I think it’s a question of how to defend, show character and the aggression you have to show when defending a setpiece.”

With all this considered it is no wonder that fans were buzzing that Yerry Mina made his return to training at Finch Farm last week.

Rafa could solve one of his biggest problems in conceding too many cheap goals, by unleashing the £18m rated beast against Man City in their next game.

The club took to Instagram to announce the highly anticipated return of the defender, with the caption reading: “Return of the King.”

Standing at 6 foot 5, the defender who has been described as a “monster” by Michael Ball, possesses all the physical traits to improve them from dead-ball situations.

The Toffees seem to be on the other side of their injury disasters, with key players back in training ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend and Dominic Calvert Lewin’s imminent return after being sidelined with a quadriceps injury in August.

In other news: Better than Iwobi? Jonathan Ikone on Everton’s radar

Pundit Paul Robinson has been reacting to Tottenham’s interest in Wolves winger Adama Traore, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Long-term target

Traore has been on Tottenham’s radar for some time now, with the club coming close to landing the speedster over the summer.

That was when Nuno Espirito Santo was in charge, but, as we know, a move never materialised, with Wolves cancelling a summer deal.

Since then, Traore has continued to struggle in the final third at Molineux and is still awaiting his first goal contribution of 2021/22. As a result, it appears as if Antonio Conte has fresh plans for the 25-year-old, similar to what he did with Victor Moses at Chelsea.

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The Latest: Robinson reacts to update

According to The Athletic, Conte and Fabio Paratici are still keen on Traore and would look to turn him into a right wing-back in north London, with journalist Sami Mokbel also reporting a £20m move is in the works.

Robinson, who features on Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Traore. This is what he had to say to the update, labelling the Wolves man as ‘devastating’ and a ‘great addition’ for any side, however, he had his reservations regarding the Spaniard as a right wing-back.

“If Wolves are going to cash in on him it’s going to be soon because he is not going to sign another contract. He has been touted about heavily in recent windows.

“I cannot see him playing as a right wing-back in that system for Spurs. Defensively, I don’t think he gives Conte enough.

“Going forward he is devastating. He is a player I admire and that I like but as a winger, not a wing-back.

“He would be a great addition to any side but I don’t think he’s got the defensive capabilities to play on the right-hand side of a back five.

“I see him as part of a front three and Spurs have a lot of options in that area. I don’t think Spurs need him.”

The Verdict: Moses 2.0?

Moses heaped praise on Conte for the influence he had on his career, with the Nigerian playing a key role as the Blues won the Premier League in the Italian’s first season at Stamford Bridge.

And it now seems as if Traore’s career could turn around by moving to Spurs. The right-winger has scored just 10 times in 151 appearances for Wolves, so moving back into a deeper wing-back role could actually benefit him in the long run.

He’s got the athletic attributes and directness already, and was even labelled as ‘unplayable’ back in 2020 by Jurgen Klopp, while Pep Guardiola felt that no one can ‘handle’ his speed.

Conte clearly has a highly-rated target who he feels he can make better, and should he replicate what he did with Moses with Traore, it could be a frightening prospect.

In other news: Spurs now take next steps to sign ‘one of the best’ from PL rivals; Conte personally wants him.