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[ad_pod ]The early departure of Yannick Bolasie back to his parent club Everton, as per avfc.co.uk,Âhas left a hole in Aston Villa’s squad.Dean Smith must seek to find a solution to this issue ahead of his side’s clash with Ipswich Town at Villa Park this weekend.

On the chalkboard

Whilst Bolasie wasn’t able to produce his best form consistently in his time with the Villans this season, the 29-year-old’s pace, trickery and directness would have been the ideal weapon to target former manager Paul Lambert’s full-backs with on Saturday.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

In Bolasie’s stead, Smith ought to give Andre Green a rare chance in the starting XI, as the 20-year-old has the required attributes to replicate the Everton winger’s effect on the Tractor Boys. The youngster’s pace and confidence when running at opponents with the ball at his feet should make him a dynamic and dangerous presence for the Ipswich defence to have to contend with.

Ready to rise to the challenge

Green spent a chunk of the first half of the campaign on loan with League One high flyers Portsmouth. He is yet to start for Villa after he was recalled, as per the club’s official Twitter account, from Fratton Park though, and has only made two starts so far this season for the Midlands outfit in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

However, he replaced Bolasie from the bench against Hull City last time out and impressed in his cameo. What’s more, the Villa faithful are sure to get behind Green and give him a chance to grow into a greater role in the team due to the fact he is a product of their club’s academy.

He isn’t the finished article yet, but the potential is clear and he’s ready for this next big test in his career.

Just over two weeks on from their 1-0 win over Aston Villa which led to Dean Smith losing his job at the Midlands club, Southampton come up against the 50-year-old once again for his first game in charge of Norwich City this afternoon. 

Speaking ahead of the match at Carrow Road, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed that defender Jack Stephens is the only player unavailable for selection as a result of the serious knee injury he sustained earlier in the campaign. 

With this in mind, here’s how we think Southampton will line up against Norwich, with two changes from the starting XI from the win over Villa 15 days ago. 

In goal, considering that he’s played in every league game so far this season, it would be safe to assume that Hasenhuttl will stick with Alex McCarthy. 

In defence, with Valentino Livramento being declared fit after dropping out of England’s under-21 squad last week through injury, we can see him starting at right-back, with Kyle Walker-Peters occupying the left-back position. 

For the centre-back pairing, we think Hasenhuttl will stick with Mohamed Salisu but bring Lyanco in for Jan Bednarek after the Brazilian impressed during the last 34 minutes of the game against Villa. On that night, he blocked two shots and made one tackle, one interception and one clearance whilst winning three of his four duels, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 7/10 from SofaScore.

In midfield, we can see Hasenhuttl sticking with the central duo of Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse, who has recovered from a bug which forced him out of international duty for England.

On the wings, with Nathan Redmond being available for selection after missing the Villa game as a result of a positive virus test, we think he will go straight back into the team. Stuart Armstrong, who is currently earning a wage of £50k-per-week according to Spotrac, drops to the substitutes’ bench after an ineffective display against Villa as Mohamed Elyounoussi returns to the right-hand side.

Up top, even though Armando Broja has apparently been declared fit enough to play, we can see Hasenhuttl sticking with the duo of Adam Armstrong and Che Adams to see if they can get Smith’s reign at Norwich off to a bad start and pick up another win for the Saints. 

In other news: Ralph could save Southampton millions with £1.8m-rated beast who “fancies himself”

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over an opinion piece on the Goodison Park faithful by Dominic King.

The journalist wrote for The Daily Mail about the Merseyside club’s recent problems, given that they have not won in seven games in the Premier League, and claims that they ‘run deeper’ than Rafa Benitez and what he is doing with the team on the pitch.

This comes after Toffees supporters were, as King describes, ‘volcanic’ in the away end after losing 1-0 to Brentford at the weekend.

However, King believes that other factors have played into their demise, including recruitment, their £1.7m transfer budget, and chopping and changing managers.

Nonetheless, what wound up Blues was there was no mention of any of the problems being the fault of Chairman Bill Kenwright.

As Chairman, he would have had a big say in their recruitment, transfer policy and the hiring and firing of managers, and so a lot of EFC fans feel as if he should also be held responsible.

Everton fans on King claim

These Evertonians fumed as King shared his claim on Twitter:

“Why is Kenwright getting away with it yet again?”

Credit: @richythepigeon

“Don’t say anything about Kenwright, you won’t be allowed anywhere near Goodison if you do. Why don’t you report what the fans feel instead of deflecting his criticism?”

Credit: @ToffeesStu1878

“Kenwright is part of the problem. He was also on the end of fans’ frustration. Changes are needed from the top to the bottom of the club. The figures don’t lie. This BOD are not fit to run Everton. #EnoughIsEnough”

Credit: @nismoneil

“Dom King likes Kenwright because 21 trophyless years under his stewardship is just what Liverpool fans want from an Everton Chairman.”

Credit: @bernieo63

“What about Kenwright? He’s the one constant through all the failure”

Credit: @gaino92

“Not a single mention of Kenwright who is the core of the problems?”

Credit: @YouthEverton

In other news, find out what Merseyside derby team news has Toffees talking here!

Leeds United pundit Noel Whelan believes having Patrick Bamford available against Burnley ‘could be massive’, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Bamford in line for return?

Bamford has endured an injury-hit campaign so far this season, making just six Premier League appearances.

He made a brief return from an ankle problem at the beginning of December but suffered a hamstring issue after celebrating his stoppage-time equaliser against Brentford.

However, Marcelo Bielsa refused to rule Bamford out of the scheduled Liverpool game on Boxing Day after the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal.

On that basis, it seems as if Bamford could be in line for a return to the squad for their next fixture now with even more recovery time under his belt, with Whelan giving his thoughts.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan, who contributes for BBC Radio Leeds, was talking to Football Insider about the club’s injury issues.

He name-checked Bamford when talking about injuries, labelling a possible return against Burnley on January 2 as ‘massive’.

“It’s been unfortunate.

“It’s given an opportunity to those players who were on the fringes of coming back, like Bamford.

“They’ve had that bit of extra time to get themselves right and be part of the squad for these games. That could be massive. Especially for the Burnley game.

“It’s no secret that we’ve missed a lot of players over this Christmas period. It will be nice to get back to a nearly fully-fit squad for the remainder of the season.”

The Verdict: Needed…

Leeds’ options from the bench against Arsenal were all Under-23 players, with youngsters Cody Drameh and Joe Gelhardt even starting.

Bielsa is down to the bare bones, especially with the recent Covid-19 outbreak at the club, so having Bamford available against Burnley, even if it is from the bench, could be huge.

Hopefully the 28-year-old is just one of a number of players to make returns at Elland Road on Sunday, and who knows, the club could look back at the recent postponements against Liverpool and Aston Villa as a blessing in disguise.

In other news: Leeds ‘set’ to sign attacker in January who has the same agent as Forshaw – journalist. 

West Ham are still interested in completing the signing of Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Lingard excels at West Ham

The 29-year-old spent half of last season on loan at the London Stadium, becoming a hero in no time and spearheading the Hammers’ European challenge.

Lingard scored nine goals and registered four assists in just 16 Premier League appearances for West Ham, prior to returning to the northwest.

He has again struggled for playing time at Old Trafford this season, however, and the Hammers have been tipped to re-sign him in the near future.

The Latest: Hammers still in the fight

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Lingard remains on David Moyes’ radar, with their interest never going away:

“He has been on West Ham’s list since last summer when he had that great loan spell at the London Stadium last season. He doesn’t figure in Manchester United’s plans going forward.”

Newcastle are now strongly linked with the 32-cap England international, so it appears Rob Newman could have a fight on his hands for his signature in the next ten days.

The Verdict: Newcastle favourites

While it would be great to see Lingard back in east London, it does look increasingly as though he could be part of the Tyneside revolution, following their recent big-money takeover.

The Magpies have made a second loan bid for the England international and their newfound financial power could give them the edge over West Ham, in terms of wages.

Should the player opt for London living and a club currently thriving instead of fighting relegation however, Lingard would be a fantastic addition to Moyes’ squad this month. He has been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by the Hammers boss in the past and showed in his temporary stint last term just how much he can inject into the Irons’ attack.

In other news, some West Ham fans are excited after an update on one target. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United winger Raphinha may have picked up an injury against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, Sky Sports have reported.

The Lowdown: Leeds’ star man

The 24-year-old has been Marcelo Bielsa’s star performer this season, scoring seven of Leeds’ 17 Premier League goals, the latest of which came at Stamford Bridge from the penalty spot. The Brazilian is the only member of the Whites squad to average a WhoScored match rating greater than 7/10 across the campaign so far (7.35/10).

Described as ‘brilliant’ by former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford, the winger has missed just two Premier League games so far, with Bielsa’s team losing both.

The Latest: Injury for Raphinha?

Leeds fell to a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, with Jorginho’s second penalty of the game deep into stoppage time winning it for the hosts. Shortly prior to that, Joe Gelhardt came on and scored an equaliser for his first senior goal for Leeds.

The 19-year-old replaced Raphinha, with Sky Sports suggesting in their live commentary of the game that the Brazilian may have picked up an injury, with the 83rd-minute update of: “Bit of concern over Raphinha, who might have a knock.”

The Verdict: Last thing Bielsa needs…

Raphinha has had a few injury issues during his time at Elland Road, and a fresh knock could be disastrous for Bielsa.

The 24-year-old has been influential for Leeds, and his presence is needed now more than ever with the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo all ruled out.

Hopefully, he was only withdrawn as a precaution and will be available for a busy festive period, as the Whites could do with picking up points between now and the end of the year in games against Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa.

In other news: Leeds eye up exciting January move for 33-goal international sensation

Norwich fans will be looking forward to a new era of football under their shiny new management team made up of Dean Smith and Craig Shakespeare, two reputable, successful and established premier league coaches.

The former Aston Villa manager and his team will be hoping to breathe new life into the struggling side who currently sit bottom of the table taking just five points and one win from their first eleven games in the Premier League this season, and we predicted that the manager will want to shake up the team to inspire a winning culture and grab some points in their upcoming fixtures.

The Canaries suffered the worst defeat of the season so far in an embarrassing 7-0 defeat to Champions League winners, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the side conceding 26 goals already.

Dean Smith will be looking to not only improve the disappointing defensive play the side has displayed so far, but also the productivity and capabilities of the midfield three, with their link-up play between the defenders and the attackers being questionable so far.

Unlocking the right midfield to develop play and demand possession could be the key to a more resilient Norwich side who so far have been dominated in every area of the pitch, lacking fight and determination to get back into games.

Kenny Mclean, once dubbed “irreplaceable” by recently dismissed Daniel Farke, could be one of the first to be axed from Smith’s side in the upcoming fixture against Southampton.

The £25k-per-week midfielder has failed to impress fans at Carrow Road and doesn’t inspire creativity or resilience in his role in the side currently.

One Norwich fan, Kelly Whiting tweeted: “Swap Gilmour in for Kenny, hopefully he can pass the ball, rather than just wave his arms around….”

Chelsea wonderkid, Billy Gilmour, has failed to get into the Norwich midfield as a regular starter which has baffled both fans and football media personalities no end, especially since the 20-year-old is showing fantastic ability as a first-team starter in the Scotland international side.

Ex-Spurs boss, Harry Redknapp, recently spoke out on the Gilmour situation at Norwich.

“How he’s not playing there… I saw the kid play when he first got in the Chelsea team, I saw him play in the Euros against England, you’d think if you take him at Norwich you’d have half built your team around him,”

It will be interesting to see how Smith sets up his side going forward with a number of young and talented players in the side currently who, with the right tools and coaching, could save Norwich from relegation this season.

However, removing 29-year-old McLean from the side and unleashing Gilmour instead would certainly put him on the right path to becoming an instant success.

In other news: ‘World class’ Billy Gilmour can save Norwich from relegation

Tottenham Hotspur are among the teams to have made a bid to sign Porto winger Luis Diaz, according to reports.

Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness) claim that Spurs submitted a €60m (£50m) offer for the 24-year-old winger but it was refused, with the Primeira Liga outfit wanting a fee closer to his €80m (£66m) release clause.

Premier League rivals Liverpool and Newcastle United have also been heavily mooted with interest in recent weeks, too.

The 31-cap Colombia international has been in electric form this campaign – as per Transfermarkt, the versatile attacker has provided 15 goals and five assists across the Portugal top-flight and Champions League, adding to his 11 goals and six assists in all competitions last season.

His form has earned substantial recognition from those around him.

Only two months ago, Portuguese journalist Marino Peixoto wrote on Twitter:

“The rate at which Luís Diaz is churning out otherworldly performances coupled with his ability to score screamers like this on a consistent basis is genuinely frightening. Only a matter of time before somebody pays an astronomical fee for him.”

Whilst Dragons teammate Sergio Oliveira described the £36m-rated dynamo as “extraordinary” after a particularly glowing display against Italian giants AC Milan.

“I don’t have to answer, we know his qualities, apart from the human level he is also extraordinary on a technical level,” he said (via the Daily Mail).

Given manager Antonio Conte’s desperate plea to bolster his playing squad this month, Diaz is evidently a player capable of adding some much-needed quality in the final third.

“For sure (we need to strengthen),” the 52-year-old told reporters. “After only two weeks I said we needed to improve the quality of this squad.”

He has proven on both a domestic and European level that he can regularly score and set up chances, as evident by his figures and subsequent praise above.

Spurs may well need to break their £55m club-record fee to land him but you’d imagine he would be worth every penny, even more so under the Italian manager.

Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici must do all he can to secure the Colombian maestro this window.

AND in other news, Forget Bergwijn: Tottenham’s £34m-rated “big talent” could fill Conte’s huge Son void…

Jesse Marsch should attempt to lure Sergino Dest from Barcelona to Leeds United, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown

In the words of ESPN senior writer Tom Hamilton, the 48-year-old has become ‘the most successful American coach in Europe’ and a ‘pioneer’ for his country.

He led Red Bull Salzburg to two league titles and two Austrian cups before earning a move to RB Leipzig, who were Champions League semi-finalists in 2020. The former New York Red Bulls coach is now taking on the Premier League with Leeds, having succeeded Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February.

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Leeds are reportedly looking at 21-year-old Dest, with 17 caps for the United States, in addition to compatriot Brenden Aaronson, and the Whites believe that the former would be an ‘excellent addition’.

He is represented by ICM Stellar Sports, whose clients also include Elland Road duo Patrick Bamford and Dan James.

The latest

Jones told GiveMeSport that Leeds face some pretty daunting competition for Dest, who made a ‘dream’ move to Barcelona in 2020, but he thinks that Marsch may be able to exert some pulling power.

The journalist claimed: “Sergino Dest has much bigger clubs interested in him right now. He’s got huge ambition and doesn’t even want to leave Barcelona because it was his dream move.

“But if Jesse Marsch has got any pull over him, then he should give it a go.”

The verdict

Dest started 10 of Barcelona’s first 11 La Liga matches this season, but since Xavi took over in November, the American has only been named in five starting line-ups. Injury problems have played a part, but his place looks considerably less secure than it did under Ronald Koeman.

If Marsch could tempt the £16.2m-rated wide man and Leeds could make an offer to Barcelona’s satisfaction, then there would be cause for celebration at Elland Road.

Dest, who can operate in both full-back positions and as a winger, was Ajax’s Talent of the Year in 2020 and also featured in the IFFHS Under-20 Team of the Year alongside the likes of Alphonso Davies, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Ansu Fati, so his potential is huge.

Indeed, Barcelona team-mate Dani Alves declared that ‘he has everything to be one of football’s greats’, so if Marsch does have any sway over possibly enticing the 21-year-old to Leeds, he absolutely must utilise it.

In other news, this Leeds man could leave the club after Marsch spoke to him about his behaviour. 

Pundit Alan Hutton believes that Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt could miss up to eight weeks of action should his injury scare prove to be a thigh problem, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Elland Road withdrawal

Gelhardt was handed a start for the under-23s on Monday, looking to build up his fitness levels after missing parts of the international break with a fake positive virus test.

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Unfortunately, the 19-year-old was forced off at Elland Road against Crystal Palace with an issue with his left leg as Crysencio Summerville stole the show with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.

Leeds were set to assess Gelhardt on Tuesday but initially believed it was a dead leg, although Hutton has made a worrying claim.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments on Gelhardt

Hutton, who contributes as a pundit for the BBC, described Leeds’ injury woes this season to Football Insider as a ‘nightmare’.

He added that a thigh problem could rule Gelhardt out for ‘six to eight weeks’, which could keep him out of the Whites’ final seven league games, should that be the case.

The ex-Scotland defender lamented:

“I just think in general, the injury situation at Leeds has been a nightmare.

“When you really think about it, every week we’re talking about somebody being out.

“Let’s just hope that it is a dead leg because if you’re talking a thigh injury, he could be out for six to eight weeks. Fingers crossed it’s not.

“Playing against teams like Watford and teams round about you, they are six-pointers. You need your full squad fit and raring to go.

“That’s whether it be starting XI or off the bench to make an impact, like Gelhardt has done this season. Hopefully, it’s not too serious.”

The Verdict: Gelhardt’s rise

It’s crazy to think that Leeds would be sweating this much on an injury to Gelhardt, but that just shows his improvement in 2021/22, along with highlighting the severity of the club’s injury crisis.

He has contributed to five Premier League goals in just 486 minutes of action, helping the Whites to pick up four points by winning a penalty against Wolves in October and netting a last-gasp winner against Norwich last month.

Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts are both sidelined through injury, which makes Gelhardt’s availability even more important at this stage of the season. Hopefully the youngster will be able to make the trip to Watford on Saturday, providing strong competition to the likes of Dan James and Rodrigo.

In other news: Mega-rich club may now offer Leeds star 380% pay increase after he makes demand to Radrizzani