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

Jordan Henderson missed Liverpool’s training session ahead of the Reds’ fixture against Genk in the Champions League.

What’s the story?

55-time England international and captain of the Anfield outfit Henderson has played in 14 games so far this season, and would likely be included in the starting XI against Manchester City at the weekend, if not in Europe on Tuesday as well.

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

However, the former Sunderland midfielder missed his team’s open training on Monday, which not only means he is unlikely to feature against the Belgian side. There is no indication as of yet whether he will miss the City game, but Jurgen Klopp will not be happy with the news

Naby Keita has a chance to shine

Losing Henderson would be a huge blow to Jurgen Klopp, no doubt. The 29-year-old is a huge character upon Merseyside, and his influence would be missed against the Belgians, even if it is a game the Reds should win without him.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His potential absence would be good news for Naby Keita, though. The 33-time Guinea international has not had the best of times since moving to the Premier League last season from RB Leipzig for £48m, with many fans being critical of his performances. Overall, he has made 40 appearances, scoring three times and providing one assist. He has also struggled with injury, missing a total of 19 games since moving to Anfield.

With that big City match coming up at the weekend, the clash against inferior opposition in Genk gives Keita the perfect chance to stake a claim for a spot on Sunday.

This season, he has yet to really get started, having made just seven appearances in all competitions. After a year of adapting to the Premier League, his time to shine may have arrived, and a Henderson-less Liverpool side on Tuesday may give him the chance to show just why the Reds parted with such a sum for him.

He was a star for RB Leizpig, scoring 17 goals and providing 15 assists in 71 matches. A positive showing in Europe may give him a chance of starting against City, and a good showing there as well could kickstart his career in England.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Mateusz Bogusz.

It’s a name you’re probably only familiar with if you pay close attention to the U23 side.

After his goal on Tuesday night for Poland’s U21s against their Serbian counterparts, it’s time we took a look at him and how he could be the solution to Leeds’ lack of goals.

Because let’s face it, at this stage there isn’t really such a thing as a bad idea, they need all the help they can get.

On the chalkboard

With people praising Patrick Bamford for his hold up play, perhaps Leeds have got things wrong with how they are working by making Bamford the out and out goalscorer in the 4-1-4-1/4-3-3 formation.

If you switch things up and go to more of a 4-2-3-1 and have Bogusz acting as the central attacking midfielder, but playing more as a ‘second striker’ rather than a creative number ten, it could give the 26-year-old some much-needed help.

Beside Bogusz in this formation, you can have a ‘strength and skill’ partnership upfront, with the two wide men, be they Pablo Hernandez, Jack Harrison or Helder Costa acting as the prime creators.

Take a look at the goal he scored in pre-season against Western Sydney Wanderers – it showed great awareness of getting into space in the box, and then the finish wasn’t bad either.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

There’s a finisher in there somewhere and scoring six goals for Polish side Ruch Chorzow last season shows there is definitely potential to be had at senior level. That’s not just from open play but also from set-pieces after his free-kick against Millwall too.

Age shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to the Pole either.

Marcelo Bielsa has shown that he’s willing to give young players a go, with the likes of Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton both getting plenty of games under the Argentine, although the majority of former’s came last year as opposed to this.

As mentioned earlier, given Leeds’ lack of ability to turn chances into goals, sitting tenth in terms of the number of times they’ve found the back of the net, they shouldn’t be averse to trying different ideas and formations to try and get it to work.

If Bielsa isn’t going to change Bamford for Eddie Nketiah, then perhaps he needs to look at who he can play with him rather than in place of him.

It could just prove game-changing for the former Middlesbrough forward.

And now it’s official and confirmed by both sides involved – El Clasico won’t be played next weekend, but instead we will get the clash of the titans closer to Christmas.

Real Madrid and Barcelona would both like it to be on 18 December, says their statement, but even though we know for sure the clash is being moved, the date is yet to be confirmed by the league.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, many Real Madrid fans are fuming about the potential new date because it makes Los Blancos’ schedule that much worse.

If El Clasico was to be played a week before Christmas day, that would mean the Galacticos would have it sandwiched between Valencia and Athletic Club, two really tricky opponents.

For that reason, some of the fans seem to believe Real Madrid shot their own foot with this deal that they appear to have negotiated with the Blaugrana.

Many were fuming at the upper hierarchy for agreeing on such a thing, and even stated the club is run by clowns.

You can see some of their reactions and comments down in the tweets below.

Check them out…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

QPR target Sekou Gassama could potentially struggle to start matches at the club if he does end up signing from Spanish side Almeria.

Mark Warburton’s side have been in fine form so far this term, winning their last four Championship games on the bounce with a number of players putting in some impressive displays.

Why might Gassama struggle?

Well, The Sun (print version, 22/09, page 61) report that Gassama is on the Londoners’ radar ahead of a potential January move.

The striker is out of contract in the summer, and the aforementioned report states that the 24-year-old could choose the R’s over a switch to another Spanish side in Real Zaragoza.

However, if Gassama does move to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, he would struggle for first-team starts due to the form of Jordan Hugill and Nahki Wells.

Both men sit at the top of the Championship scoring ranks with five goals each, impressing in a 5-3-2 system alongside each other.

As a result, it is tough to see any new face breaking the duo up.

Could be a good option from the bench

The Senegalese forward appears to be a capable pair of hands judging by his form so far this season.

Gassama has scored five goals and recorded one assist across seven appearances in Spain’s second tier this term – six goal involvements in just seven outings isn’t too shabby at all.

Seeing as Warburton starts his two best strikers together, there isn’t really a danger-man who could make an impact from the bench at the club right now, so Gassama may well become that figure if he does sign.

It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for him as he acclimatises to a new country, although if he was hoping to start games for the R’s, he could struggle to do so due to the form of Wells and Hugill.

That said, having an option to come on and shake things up from the bench when things aren’t going the duo’s way could be crucial in the promotion race. His goal output this term suggests he makes an impact whenever he is on the pitch, so Gassama could be Warburton’s super-sub.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to a report in The Times, Tottenham Hotspur fear a disillusioned Harry Kane could join the list of players wanting to leave the club in the summer, and if true then chairman Daniel Levy only has himself to blame.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Times report that Spurs are worried that the England international is losing patience with the north London outfit, because of his ambition to win trophies – he has two runners-up medals to show for all of the goals he has scored for the club to date.

They are already facing an uphill task to win a cup for the first time since 2008 this season too, already lying 10 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League and having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Colchester United – not to mention the 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in Europe this week.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The report adds that the chances of Kane leaving would increase if Mauricio Pochettino – the man he is described as being close to – exits himself.

Levy only has himself to blame

If Kane does announce his intentions to leave Spurs in the future then the chairman has to be held partly responsible.

He had the perfect chance to invest in a Tottenham team that didn’t look to far away from being Premier League title contenders at one stage, but instead they went two transfer windows without signing a single player and further strengthening their squad.

They look to have paid the price for that with Liverpool and Manchester City seemingly streets ahead of them and everyone else now.

In addition, you could say many of the north London outfit’s problems this season have stemmed from the uncertainty over the futures of Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld – all of whom see their contracts expire at the end of the season, with nothing sorted either way on what is going to happen.

Levy should have either had new deals sorted before this season began or moved them on during the summer, but instead he has left Tottenham in a difficult situation that might just be affecting performances on the pitch.

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West Brom have reportedly named their price for Newcastle to sign Salomon Rondon permanently this summer, and the Magpies have a couple of tricks up their sleeve that will work in their favour.

What’s the story?

According to The Northern Echo, the Baggies have slapped a £16m price tag on Rondon, who has been on loan at Newcastle since last summer.

The powerful Venezuelan international swapped the Hawthorns for St. James’ Park in a deal that saw Dwight Gayle move the other way.

The deal has worked out well for both parties, with Gayle once again proving his worth in the Championship with 16 goals, while Rondon has been a huge hit on Tyneside with both the fans and the manager.

According to the report, the Baggies will look to sell Rondon and are hoping for a bidding war, but the success of both Gayle and Jacob Murphy on loan at the Midlands outfit might just give the Magpies the upper hand.

Is he worth it?

After an injury delayed his campaign somewhat, Rondon has now scored six league goals and added three assists this season, and he is also winning a whopping 4.7 aerial duels per game.

The 29 year-old is by no means the most technically gifted striker in the league, but he has certainly shown he is far more than just a target man.

In fact, you could even argue that the striker is Newcastle’s most important creator as well as goalscorer given how often he initiates attacks by holding up the ball and finding a positive pass, though that may change when Miguel Almiron gets up to speed.

Rafael Benitez is clearly very fond of the striker, and he should definitely pull the trigger if he gets the go-ahead from Mike Ashley.

Another swap deal?

Of course, getting the green light from Ashley is always the major sticking point on Tyneside, but the club does have two aces up their sleeve in Gayle and Murphy.

If West Brom do not get promoted, the pair’s Championship experience and current form should surely tempt them to negotiate a swap deal for Rondon, which would see the Venezuelan’s fee greatly reduced, if not erased completely.

£16m is a lot of money for a player who will turn 30 at the beginning of next season, but the club can play a blinder by using two players who simply aren’t up to the Premier League standard.

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…

Samuel Eto’o did an interview for QueThiJugues and SER Catalunya Radio and has tipped Xavi Hernandez to eventually manage Barcelona.

What did he say?

Eto’o is a familiar name to all Barca fans.

The former Cameroon international joined the Blaugrana from Mallorca in 2004, and he stayed at the Camp Nou until 2009 when he moved on to join Inter Milan in Italy.

Even though he had a short spell with Real Madrid before joining Mallorca, Eto’o has cemented his place as one of the best Barca players of the modern era.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The forward played a total of 199 games for the Catalan giants and managed to score 130 goals and register 40 assists in the process.

He also won practically everything there was to win for the club – three La Liga crowns, two Champions League titles and one Spanish Cup among other silverware.

And the experienced forward believes that Xavi, who spent 24 years at the club, is the perfect man to eventually step into the dugout.

Of course, the ex-Spain international won eight La Liga titles, along with four Champions League trophies in Catalunya.

Here’s what he had to say:

“Xavi is the [sic] boss in Qatar & Spain. If he doesn’t finish training Barça, I’ll kill him!”

Just a matter of time

Eto’o has probably stated what many of the Barcelona fans are thinking or rather, wishing for. Xavi himself has stated on various occasions before that his goal is to one day be the coach of the Blaugrana.

But in order to achieve that goal, he will first have to gain some experience in that field.

Indeed, expectations will be sky-high if he makes the transition from player to manager.

He was one of Barcelona’s best players in the history of the club with 769 appearances and countless trophies and silverware won.

He currently coaches Al Sadd and is already showing his tactical prowess and managerial skills.

Just recently, his team progressed to the AFC Champions League semi-finals after beating Al-Nassr 3-1, which is proof enough that the now 39-year-old is making strides in his new profession.

If he keeps it up, perhaps it will just be a matter of time before he ends up back at the Camp Nou.

A big update has emerged regarding Rangers striker Cedric Itten and his involvement at Ibrox in the forthcoming months…

What’s the latest?

The Gers have announced their squad for the knockout stages of the Europa League and they have decided to leave the Switzerland international off the list.

He has been omitted from the squad to face Borussia Dortmund alongside the likes of Filip Helander, Jack Simpson and Ianis Hagi. They have made this call in order to bring January signings Aaron Ramsey, James Sands and Amad Diallo into the mix, although new right-back Mateusz Zukowski has missed out.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news, as it means that Itten will be unable to play against the Bundesliga giants later this month. The £12.5k-per-week centre-forward has been a disaster in the Premiership since Giovanni van Bronckhorst opted to recall him from his loan spell with Greuther Furth in Germany.

In two starts against Livingston and Ross County, the attacker left plenty to be desired from his performances. Across the two matches, he lost 10 of his 13 individual duels and had just 51 touches of the ball whilst failing to manage a single goal or assist.

This shows that he has been far from good enough since his return to Ibrox, which is why fans will be buzzing with the fact that he will not be in contention to play in the Europa League this month,

Incidentally, Itten started against Dortmund in a Bundesliga game earlier this season and was dismal. As per SofaScore, he lost three of his four individual battles (75%) and completed just five passes before being substituted at half-time, with his team going on to lose the match 3-0.

This display is in line with what he has been delivering at Rangers since his return and indicates a pattern which suggests he does not deserve to be starting for the club. He is too weak in his duels and does not contribute enough in the final third to make up for the other issues in his game, which is why it is the right decision to exclude him from the squad.

Van Bronckhorst will still be able to call upon him in the Premiership but the attacker will need to show a massive upturn in form to prove that he is worthy of regular game-time in the coming months. As it stands, his performances have been woeful and the supporters will surely be delighted with his omission for the Europa League.

AND in other news, Forget Barisic: Rangers nightmare who lost 70% duels must never start again for Van Bronckhorst…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in AC Milan machine Alessio Romagnoli.

What’s the talk?

According to Tutto Mercato, the Magpies are one of the teams plotting a move for the Italian central defender ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Lazio, Juventus and Sevilla are also keen on the 26-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign, although Milan are said to be holding out hope that they can pin him down to an extension.

Imagine him & Burn

PIF must ensure that they can seal a deal to sign Romagnoli on a free transfer as he would be a fantastic addition to Eddie Howe’s squad and would be able to form a strong partnership with Dan Burn at the back.

The Italian defender has been in fine form for the Rossoneri this season and has led the Serie A giants to the top of the table after 30 games. In the league, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.08 across 18 appearances as he has consistently delivered quality performances.

Whilst completing 89% of his attempted passes this term, he has also averaged 2.4 tackles and interceptions and won an impressive 68% of his individual duels. Romagnoli is a strong defender who can read the game and he has been showcasing his ability throughout the current campaign.

Milan legend Paolo Maldini previously hailed the gem, saying: “He is one of the best ever, he is already at the national team. He must have well precise objectives. It’s a growth process. Milan of the last few years did not help Alessio but we now hope that he will help us return Milan back.”

Romagnoli has played 246 Serie A matches throughout his career and this shows that he has the experience to go along with his impressive performances and praise from Maldini. He has consistently delivered over a number of years and is, therefore, not a one-hit-wonder who is having a flash in the pan.

Burn has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.03 in the Premier League this term, winning 57% of his duels and making 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game. He has proven himself to be a reliable player in the top-flight for the Toon and that is why the Magpies can form a strong partnership by signing Romagnoli to partner with the ex-Brighton man.

Both players are strong performers at the top level and, therefore, can provide a solid base upon which Howe can build the rest of his Newcastle team.

AND in other news, Sold for £30m, now worth £13.5m: Ashley played a blinder for NUFC over £83k-p/w flop…

With Newcastle United 19th in the Premier League and deep in a relegation dogfight, Eddie Howe will be desperate to acquire as many signings this window as possible with the backing of PIF.

One particular area of weakness for the Magpies is in midfield, which could do with some major reinforcements. Having recently been linked with a potential loan move for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, the Tyneside club should now swoop for the Dutchman.

What’s the latest?

According to the Manchester Evening News, Van de Beek has been offered to Newcastle as well as Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season.

The 24-year-old is still struggling for game time at Old Trafford under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, having made just 14 appearances all season for the Red Devils. Since joining from Dutch giants Ajax in September 2020, Van de Beek has made just 50 appearances for United, despite glimpses of brilliance and potential runs in the team.

After a Champions League win over Istanbul Basaksehir last season, the midfielder received plenty of plaudits, with former United player Owen Hargreaves stating: “I thought Van de Beek was close to perfect. He is so unselfish, he can just fit in and play the right balls everywhere.”

However, as a result of his lack of club game time, the midfielder has also lost his place in the Netherlands setup. Van de Beek has failed to make the last three Oranje squads and, with the World Cup in November, he will be desperate for regular football to regain his place under Louis van Gaal.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t seem likely to get it at Manchester United, so a loan move may be the best solution. If he is to become available, then Eddie Howe must swoop for the 24-year-old’s signature.

Howe must swoop for Van de Beek

To say that Newcastle are currently in a predicament is an understatement. The Tyneside club are deep in a relegation battle and kicked off the New Year with a 1-0 home defeat to League One side Cambridge United in the FA Cup, despite fielding a relatively strong team.

The lack of quality midfield options will certainly be a cause for concern for Howe, but also makes it clear for the Englishman where he needs to add players this window.

The likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock have had underwhelming campaigns thus far, with the trio totalling a combined three goal involvements in 40 Premier League appearances. That sort of output from three midfield players needs to be improved.

Back when Van de Beek was playing regularly at Ajax, he recorded 14 or more goal involvements in three successive Eredivisie seasons, also netting five Champions League goals in that time. Those figures suggest that he would be a major upgrade on the likes of Shelvey, Longstaff and Willock.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, a loan move for the Dutch midfielder may be sensible for the short-term. However, should Newcastle survive in the top flight and the Red Devils keep failing to offer him regular game-time, then a permanent move to St James’ Park may prove possible.

AND in other news, Newcastle are also eyeing a move for this player who’s been dubbed the “new Vidic”