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Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a major injury blow over Dan James ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Arsenal at the weekend.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, James picked up a muscular injury during that defeat at the Etihad, and it remains to be seen how long he could potentially be out for.

That was then followed up by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who via Bielsa’s pre-match press conference, revealed: “Dan James and Jamie Shackleton are out this weekend. Robin Koch available though. No other changes to the absentee list. Firpo serving a one-match ban.”

Big blow for Leeds

While James may not have exactly lit Elland Road alight with his performances this season since his move from Manchester United – he’s scored just one goal and provided only two assists in 16 Premier League games – he remains a vital part of the first-team squad for Bielsa.

The Welshman has been involved in every single Premier League game this campaign bar one, and that was way back in mid-August when he remained on the bench against Southampton in only the second match of the season for Leeds.

With the Whites already without a number of key first-team stars for the game against Arsenal – including the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford among others – losing yet another player on the eve of the game is a major blow and setback for Bielsa.

Raphinha and Jack Harrison will surely be expected to start out wide, but it leaves Bielsa with very little room to manoeuvre when it comes to options off the bench and potential game-changers.

Leeds fans will surely be absolutely gutted with the kind of injury luck they have had in recent weeks in particular.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star must be axed vs Arsenal…

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes that a Celtic swoop for Ahmed Kendouci would be the ‘icing on the cake’ for their January transfer window, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Transfer request submitted

Kendouci has been linked with a move to Parkhead this month, despite Ange Postecoglou already adding to his midfield ranks with the signings of Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Matt O’Riley.

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The 22-year-old, who has scored 18 goals for Algerian club ES Setif, has even handed in a transfer request following links of a move to Celtic Park.

The Hoops’ crosstown rivals Rangers have also been name-checked with an interest in Kendouci, who can play as a central, attacking or left midfielder.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Transfer insider Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding a possible late January move to Celtic for Kendouci.

He believes that a late move for Kendouci could continue the ‘positive’ steps taken under Postecoglou and labelled as potential late deal as the ‘icing on the cake’, saying:

“They don’t want to lose everything they’ve built, in terms of momentum, up to this point.

“Since Ange came in, almost everything has been a positive. I think this would be the icing on the cake if they could get someone of his quality through the door.”

The Verdict: Not vital

Even though another new face would be exciting for Hoops supporters heading into a crunch period of fixtures, not signing Kendouci this month wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Celtic are now well-stocked in the middle of the park following their January business and still have David Turnbull to come back into the frame from injury.

However, it seems as if the Hoops are keen on the versatile midfielder, and getting one up on their Glasgow rivals could be nice ahead of the Old Firm derby next week, so it may be one to keep an eye on ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

In other news: Kieran Devlin has claimed that another Premier League club are now ‘in for’ this Celtic gem

Many Arsenal fans have been criticising the performance of Hector Bellerin the first half of their Premier League game at Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

The Spain international struggled defensively to try and contain the dangerous Allan Saint-Maximin, who he was up against on his flank, and aside from a tidy cross in the opening minutes which eventually fell to the feet of Mohamed Elneny to slot home, he did not offer too much going forward.

Some Gunners fans did not hold back when he missed a good chance midway through the first half either, spewing his shot well wide in the end.

The 26-year-old will be hoping to impress Mikel Arteta enough in the second half to earn himself a starting berth at right-back in their Europa League second leg at home to Villarreal on Thursday night.

Arsenal fans on Bellerin display

These Arsenal supporters slammed Bellerin’s performance on Twitter, with one Gooner going as far as to claim that he is an ‘absolute joke’:

“Useless Bellerin, again and again”

Credit: @arsenali

“Bro please sell Bellerin.”

Credit: @Bolu_Adesina

“Bellerin is so offensive to my eyes”

Credit: @ayaduye1

“Bellerin honestly offers nothing”

Credit: @SilkFarda

“Bellerin isn’t a real footballer…”

Credit: @AFCnolan

“Bellerin is a joke. Absolute joke.”

Credit: @_mikehy

In other news, find out which Arsenal player was slammed for his display against Villarreal.

Sheffield Wednesday have been boosted by the news that key pair George Byers and Liam Palmer should be fit for the crucial clash with Fleetwood Town.

The Lowdown: Huge game for Owls

The Owls were beaten 1-0 away to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, in what was a damaging defeat in the League One promotion battle.

The loss leaves Darren Moore’s side in seventh place and outside the playoff places ahead of Tuesday evening’s massive trip to struggling Fleetwood.

Wednesday had to make do without both Byers and Palmer for the Wycombe game – they didn’t come off the substitutes’ bench – with the pair key players this season, having started a combined 54 league matches.

The Latest: Key duo return

Speaking to the media on Saturday [via Football League World], however, Moore confirmed that he expects the duo to return to the fold at Fleetwood, having rested them at Adams Park:

“It has been a big week. The likes of George and Liam Palmer have played twice this week and we decided to rotate. Now we get them back and ready for Tuesday.

“We have suffered a lot of injuries this season from over misuse and fatigue and tiredness from games. I was able to rejuggle the pack and get ready for Tuesday.”

The Verdict: Massive boost for Wednesday

This is a huge boost for anyone of an Owls persuasion, given the enormity of Tuesday’s potentially make-or-break trip to Highbury.

Victory there would leave playoff destiny in Wednesday’s hands, taking them above Plymouth Argyle and Wycombe, and possibly Sunderland, too, if they don’t win at home to Rotherham on Tuesday.

Both Byers and Palmer would surely both be in Moore’s strongest possible XI and them being back in the team enhances the Owls’ hopes of securing a top-six place, ahead of the final game against Portsmouth at Hillsborough next weekend.

Byers has brought quality and poise to Wednesday’s midfield, scoring five league goals, while Palmer is a model of consistency, having now made 342 appearances for the club.

Leicester City could be in line to sign Cengiz Under on a permanent deal after Corriere dello Sport have reported that AS Roma ‘hope’ that they can sell him.

As per the news outlet, the East Midlands club exerted the option to take him on loan for the 2020/21 term for €3m, with the further option to buy for €23m, equating to a total of €26m (£22.3m) should they wish to sign him permanently.

However, the Italian publication also claim that it would be ‘difficult’ for Brendan Rodgers’ team to exert this option, although it has not been ruled out.

Leicester should not give up on Under

The Foxes should not give up on Under just yet, despite his rather tame return for them. The Turkey international has only managed to score a mere two goals and make a further three assists in 19 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and would surely have been hoping for better numbers.

However, at just 23 years of age, the winger still has a lot of potential and is a more than feasible squad option for LCFC to have.

He has even earned the highest of praises from footballing legends Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri, which should not go unnoticed.

Nonetheless, Under is a player that Leicester should be considering signing on a permanent basis if they are not already thinking of doing.

In other news, find out what FA Cup news has left Foxes fuming here!

An update has emerged on FC Porto’s pursuit of Alfredo Morelos regarding how much they are prepared to pay for the Rangers forward.

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Portuguese giants are preparing to submit a £10m offer for the Colombian striker, whose agent was in Portugal last week amid speculation over Morelos’ future, and Porto are now set to firm up their interest with a bid.

They had been working under strict guidelines after being punished by UEFA for player trading offences, but now that they are free of those shackles, they are attempting to bring Morelos to the Estadio Dragao.

Speaking anonymously to The Athletic in 2019, a Scottish Premiership player said that Morelos is “non-stop” and labeled him as a nightmare for defenders, saying: “In my experience, he is just non-stop.

“There’s never a time when he’s walking about or not interested in the game. He’s always involved, whether that’s taking you away or dragging you closer to the ball.

“He’s kind of dropping deep now and going out wide. That’s a nightmare for defenders because he’s your player that you’re meant to be man-marking but then you’re dragged out of position and you’ve got midfield runners taking his space. That means you need to start talking to your full-backs and centre-mids to start swapping players, which makes it a lot more difficult.”

Gerrard would be fuming

Rangers must avoid a major error this summer and reject Porto’s £10m bid for Morelos when it arrives at Ross Wilson’s desk next week. Wilson needs to immediately veto the proposal and demand a larger sum of money for the club’s main centre-forward.

When Porto were initially linked with the 25-year-old, we suggested that Rangers should look to cash in on him if they are able to receive a club-record £20m deal from the Portuguese club. However, £10m would not be enough to take the move over that threshold, which is why Wilson needs to turn it down.

That fee is only half of the £20m originally touted for Morelos, and Rangers boss Steven Gerrard would surely be fuming if Wilson allowed the Colombian to leave for such a paltry sum. £20m could be a major boost to Rangers’ coffers and allow Gerrard to improve his squad in several areas, making the team better as a whole rather than relying on one outstanding individual. This is why selling Morelos could make sense, but not for the significantly reduced fee of £10m.

The £33,000-per-week beast provided an impressive 17 goals and 13 assists in all competitions for Rangers last season, showing that he is a crucial member of Gerrard’s squad, and that is why the Gers should not jump to accept any fee for his services.

They need to get enough from the deal to sign a replacement and strengthen other positions if they are to justify selling him, and Gerrard would be fuming at losing a key player if he cannot duly strengthen. Wilson should stand firm and keep Morelos at Ibrox until a £20m offer comes through the door.

AND in other news, Gerrard must seal £3m Rangers swoop for dynamo likened to Mane, fans would love it…

Noel Whelan believes Billy Gilmour should move to Glasgow Rangers on loan instead of Norwich City.

The Lowdown: Gilmour close to Carrow Road

The Gers have been linked with a loan move for the midfielder (The Daily Record), who came through the Ibrox outfit’s youth academy.

However, the £9m-valued Chelsea man (Transfermarkt) is said to be closing in on a move to Norwich. He will have a medical at the newly-promoted Premier League once his quarantine following a positive coronavirus test is over (John Percy).

The Latest: Whelan urges Ibrox move

Speaking to Football Insider, though, Whelan has urged Gilmour to move to Ibrox instead. He said:

“If you ask any player right now whether you would like to go to a newly-promoted side in Norwich or a title-winning Rangers side who are playing in the Champions League? It’s a no-brainer.

“He could learn off two of the greatest midfielders to ever grace the Premier League in Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister if he went to Rangers. It would be hugely beneficial for him.

“He should go to there instead of Norwich. Gerrard could bring so much to his game.

“If the option is there, I think it would be really hard for Gilmour to turn down.

“He would be adored by the fans up there. He would be a real asset to them next season because he is a fantastic young player. Gilmour is a gem, a diamond.”

The Verdict: Unlikely

Of course, Rangers do have one or two carrots they can dangle in front of Gilmour to convince him to move to Ibrox. After winning the Premiership, they have a chance of playing in the Champions League group stages, while the Scotland international could indeed learn a lot from Steven Gerrard, one of the greatest midfielders of the 21st century.

However, Scottish football unfortunately lacks the depth of quality and competitiveness of the Premier League. At Norwich, Gilmour will be playing against top quality opponents week-in, week-out, which is just not possible in Scotland. As such, it would be very unlikely Chelsea would let him go north of the border as they seek the perfect place to continue his development.

In other news, Rangers fans love this photo.

Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted after it was revealed Bobby Madden will referee the Old Firm derby next weekend.

The Gers are to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup fourth round next Saturday. With the Premiership trophy already wrapped up, the Ibrox outfit can fully concentrate on lifting the cup as they aim to complete a domestic double – if they can get past their fierce rivals, they will be supremely confident of doing just that.

It seems the supporters are buoyed by the news of Madden being selected as the man in the middle. There have been suggestions the 42-year-old used to be a Rangers season ticket holder, and as such, some fans believe he will favour the 55-time Scottish champions against the Bhoys.

The news was shared on Twitter by Clyde Superscoreboard, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Madden news below

“Yass”

Credit: @55TitlesYouKnow

“Good stuff…..”

Credit: @kevshenton

“Yes brother”

Credit: @craigster69

“Yeeessss! Feeling more confident already”

Credit: @darren_cairns

“Yas! Penalty to Rangers”

Credit: @kyleRC_

“1-0 up already.”

Credit: @Samp_Calcio

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this journalist’s comments.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been wishing former manager Dick Advocaat well as he oversaw his last game as a manager before retiring on Sunday.

The 73-year-old spent three years in charge at Ibrox between 1998 and 2001 and had plenty of success with the 55-time Scottish champions. Under his stewardship, Rangers won the league twice, the Scottish Cup twice and the Scottish League Cup once. The Gers had some wonderful players during his time there, such as Ronald de Boer and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and they were generally a joy to watch.

A few years later, he masterminded Zenit St Peterburg’s 2-0 triumph over the Gers in the UEFA Cup final in Manchester.

The Dutchman’s career has seen him manage all over the globe and his 41-year career in the dugout finally came to an end on Sunday – he went out on a high as Feyenoord beat Utrecht 2-0. A video has emerged of him getting emotional during the match, and that played on the heartstrings of many Gers supporters.

The clip was shared on Twitter by @FootballOranje_, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers fans. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with some dubbing Advocaat an Ibrox “legend”.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Advocaat below

“What a man”

Credit: @GaryFer20897483

“A great manager for sure. Enjoy your well earned retirement Mr Advocaat.”

Credit: @AmiableAlec

“Sad Day!”

Credit: @bill_fyfe

“Thank you Dick Advocaat. What a man”

Credit: @Battlefeverpod

“Broke my heart in Manchester in 2008 but the little general was some manager”

Credit: @stuartmcmullan

“What a legend, a true icon in football”

Credit: @SpeckyRSC

In other news, many Rangers fans are fuming over this politician’s comments.

Dominic McKay’s departure from Celtic could be a ‘catalyst’ for ‘significant boardroom change’, Alison McConnell reports. 

The lowdown

McKay had been Chief Executive for less than three months when his exit was announced on Friday.

He officially left his post for ‘personal reasons’, but it’s been suggested that he made an ‘inauspicious impression’ in the early weeks of his role.

Club officials apparently came to view him as an ‘imperfect fit’ and decided that a parting of ways would be ‘best for all parties’.

McKay oversaw the addition of 12 new players during the summer transfer window, with Celtic spending a total of £20.05million.

They still managed to turn a healthy profit, having sold Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer to Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Brentford respectively.

The latest

The expectation is that McKay’s exit will ‘spark [a] boardroom revolution’ at the club, according to a tweet shared by McConnell.

Now that the transfer window is shut, further hierarchical changes are thought to be ‘inevitable’.

The verdict

The worry for Celtic fans will be that all this change off the field will inevitably affect results on it.

Ange Postecoglou has made a promising start at Parkhead, but there are few clubs who thrive without stability – just look at Newcastle’s performances in the Premier League after their takeover fell through.

Clearly, it’s crucial that Celtic recruit a replacement who not only has the aptitude, but also the temperament for the role, working well with Postecoglou while not upsetting the apple cart in the boardroom.

In other news, Celtic have been linked with this Championship ace.