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Glasgow Rangers turn their attention away from Premiership action for this weekend as they face off against Aberdeen at Ibrox in the League Cup.

The Light Blues have the chance to secure their place in the final of the competition by beating the Dons today, after winning 1-0 against Dundee FC in the previous round.

Michael Beale has won five of his six competitive games in charge of the Gers so far, drawing the other match, and he could now book a place in his first final as the club’s head coach.

Rangers come into this game off the back of a 2-0 win away at Dundee United in the Scottish top-flight and the manager may look to make alterations to his side in order to give others a chance to impress.

Whilst Malik Tillman started in the number 10 role and scored in last weekend’s win, Beale must finally unleash academy graduate Alex Lowry from the start today.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has only featured in one match for the former assistant manager and has not played a competitive match for the club since the 28th of December.

Lowry started in a 3-0 win over Motherwell and put in a solid shift in his rare opportunity to catch the eye. As per Sofascore, the gem won five of his nine duels, managed two shots on target, and completed 85% of his attempted passes as he earned a rating of 7.00.

The teenager has been in splendid form for the B team throughout the 2022/23 campaign and his form for the reserve side indicates that he deserves another chance to show what he can do in the first-team.

In one assist for the young Gers.

Lowry was given opportunities to impress under Gio van Bronckhorst last season and contributed with seven first-team outings, which shows that he does have the quality and maturity to make an impact for the senior side.

In an interview with The Athletic, Scottish coach Andy Goldie lauded the midfielder as being “gallus” and a “master” of the ball and these comments indicate that he would be an exciting player for the fans to watch in action as he is a technically gifted, brave, young player. 

The dynamo has shown signs of promise at first-team level and Beale must finally give him a chance to prove his worth by placing the gem in the starting line-up against Aberdeen.

Wolves youngster Theo Corbeanu has returned to Molineux from Blackpool because of injury, with his loan deal temporarily suspended.

The Lowdown: Corbeanu loaned out again

The 20-year-old moved to Blackpool on a short-term basis back in the summer, with Wanderers unable to promise him regular playing time this season.

Corbeanu has arguably been quite impressive during his time at the club, scoring three goals in nine Championship starts.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by James Collins in the past, the young attacking midfielder ranks as the Seasiders’ sixth-best player this season (Whoscored).

Unfortunately, the Wolves youngster’s progress has now been hampered by injury, with a fresh update on his future emerging.

The Latest: Youngster makes Wolves return

On Tuesday, Wanderers’ official website confirmed the return of Corbeanu, whose loan spell at Blackpool has ended for now because of his ankle injury:

“Theo Corbeanu, Christian Marques and Lewis Richards have returned from their season-long loans to have injuries assessed.

[…]

“Corbeanu was enjoying a fruitful loan spell in the Championship with Blackpool where the winger had found the back of the net three times in 17 second tier appearances but now returns to his parent club for assessment of an injury before a decision is made on the next stage of his development later in January.”

It remains to be seen how long the winger is out for, however, or if a separate loan or switch back to Bloomfield Road comes before February 1.

The Verdict: Give him a chance?

This is a real blow for Corbeanu, who will have been enjoying the regular minutes and getting an opportunity to prove himself in a difficult division. Blackpool manager Michael Appleton has also praised his performances, saying he ‘knows where the goal is’ – sound like something Wolves could use right now?

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In truth, it is hard to see the Canadian’s long-term future lying at Wolves, with Julen Lopetegui possibly wanting his own players brought in, but it surely couldn’t hurt to give the youngster a chance if he can get fit soon.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly identified a score of targets as the January transfer window approaches, with Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries at the top of the winter shopping list. 

With the right-back position an area that Ten Hag is actively seeking to replenish, the marauding Netherlands sensation has been highlighted for a move, following his impressive exploits at the World Cup in Qatar.

According to prominent Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona hold an interest in Diogo Dalot, who has recently emerged as the first-choice right-back at Old Trafford. The report adds that United may sanction the departure of the 23-year-old if terms cannot be agreed with the Portuguese defender.

With Dumfries available for around €55m (£48m), Dalot’s prospective departure could set the wheels in motion and provide the Red Devils with an upgrade at right-back. 

An upgrade on Dalot

Dumfries has made 20 appearances for Inter this season, scoring two goals and setting up a further three as the Nerazzurri chase silverware. 

However, it is his endeavours for the Netherlands at the World Cup which have truly reaffirmed his stature as a “deadly” weapon to wield down the right flank. As per Sofascore, the 42-cap ace started all five matches for his nation in Qatar, contributing with a goal and two assists – all clinched in a remarkable 8.6-rated performance in the round of 16 against USA. 

It was the complete package from Dumfries which would have pleased the likes of Ten Hag, with his 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game highlighting his defensive aptitude when called upon, despite thriving as an attacking outlet. 

Hailed for his “breathless” displays by the likes of Micah Richards, the 26-year-old would likely harness his forward-thinking approach and merge with the United manager’s own philosophy to wreak havoc on Premier League defences. 

Dalot, while a promising prospect, simply does not offer the same level of creative flair as Dumfries, with United seeking new dimensions for the forward effort to drive a charge for silverware.

The Portuguese defender has made just seven goal contributions in 85 games for United, just two more than the Dutchman has managed in 20 appearances this term, so Dumfries would certainly offer an attacking upgrade.

With Barcelona lurking around the corner, seemingly intent on forging a deal for the 23-year-old, the Red Devils could look to maximise their profit from the deal and issue a like-for-like switch by placing Dumfries into the fray.

Reportedly earning £55k-per-week at Inter, Dumfries is demonstrating on the biggest stage that he can offer the skill set to fix Man United’s right-back issues; and with the desire for major honours intensifying among the Old Trafford fan base – the club last clinched silverware in 2017 – Dumfries could be the catalyst for change.

Much of the speculation surrounding Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer was whether or not Portuguese maestro Joao Moutinho would sign a new deal to stay at Molineux.

Eventually, the 36-year-old would agree to a new one-year contract with the Old Gold but his performances this season suggest that former manager Bruno Lage may have made a big mistake in keeping him on.

The once “outstanding” midfielder joined Wolves from Monaco in a deal worth £5m in 2018 and he has been a mainstay at Molineux in the four years since, making 191 appearances and scoring five goals in that time.

It was no surprise that Lage wanted Moutinho to stay for another year in the summer, as he made 35 appearances in the Premier League last season, averaging a solid 6.69 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the top flight.

Sadly, his form this season has been far less consistent, as his 13 league appearances have returned no goals or assists, with an average rating of 6.57 from WhoScored.

Considering he averaged an impressive 7.06 rating in his first season at Molineux, it is clear how much he has declined with age, and it seems clear that Wolves would be better off starting a younger midfielder as they look to avoid relegation this season.

No player in Wolves’ squad has been dribbled past more often in the current campaign, which emphasises that Moutinho no longer has the legs to compete in the Premier League and the Portuguese pass-master is a luxury which the Old Gold can no longer afford to have.

The summer additions of Matheus Nunes and Boubacar Traore at least give new manager Julen Lopetegui alternative options for when the Premier League resumes next month but in truth, Lage spent an unnecessarily huge chunk of Wolves’ wage budget on Moutinho in the summer, which could come back to bite them in January.

According to Capology, no player in the squad earns more than Moutinho’s £100k-per-week at Molineux, which suggests that Lage was thinking with his heart rather than his head when offering the veteran midfielder a new deal in the summer.

It seems clear that Moutinho is no longer good enough to be a regular starter in the top flight, and Wolves fans will be hoping that Lage’s summer blunder doesn’t cost Lopetegui too dearly in January as he looks to overhaul a squad that currently looks doomed to relegation.

Aston Villa sporting director Johan Lange was a busy man throughout the summer transfer window in 2022 as he made a number of moves to bolster the squad.

The Villans chief signed Leander Dendoncker, Philippe Coutinho, Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, Robin Olsen, Ludwig Augustinsson, and Jan Bednarek to improve then-manager Steven Gerrard’s options heading into the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

However, the former Liverpool midfielder was not able to make the most of the talent at his disposal and was relieved of his duties before the break for the 2022 World Cup, with Spanish coach Unai Emery replacing him in the dugout.

The ex-Villarreal boss has won both of his Premier League games in charge of the club to date after beating Manchester United and Brighton before the international tournament.

Whilst these results suggest that Emery can get more out of the side than Gerrard, who won one of his last six top-flight matches, Lange may still feel like he could have done a better job in the summer in terms of the players he failed to bring in.

It was recently reported by Football Insider that Villa turned down the opportunity to sign defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha from Sporting for a fee in the region of £17m, with Premier League rivals Fulham going on to snap him up instead.

This has turned out to be a big blunder from the club’s sporting director as the Portuguese international has enjoyed a fantastic start to life in England.

The 27-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.09 across 14 starts in the top-flight for Marco Silva’s side this season as he has delivered consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park for the newly-promoted outfit.

Statman Dave described him as an “engine” and his impressive statistics back that up as he has made an eye-catching 5.5 tackles and interceptions per match for Fulham. He has won 65% of his individual duels and this shows that he has been effective in his defending, by dominating opposition players from a physical perspective.

Meanwhile, Kamara’s 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game lead the way for Villa in the Premier League. The Frenchman, however, has only won 53% of his battles and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87.

Therefore, Palhinha – who has been dubbed “outstanding” by reporter Steve Wilson – has outperformed the current Villans midfielder this season, with his average level of performance and his defensive efficiency dwarfing Kamara’s.

This shows that Lange committed a big howler in the summer by opting to swerve a swoop to sign the Portuguese international, as his statistics for Fulham indicate that he would have been a phenomenal signing for the club by being an upgrade on what they currently have in that position.

Nottingham Forest will host Brentford at The City Ground on Saturday afternoon and Steve Cooper will be thrilled with some early team news from the opposition camp that will no doubt be great news for his team.

What’s the latest?

Brentford striker Ivan Toney collected his fifth yellow card of the season in the 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, which means he will be suspended for one match and thus, ineligible for selection against Nottingham Forest this weekend.

Thomas Frank spoke out on the blow to the Bees ahead of the clash:

“It happens, we need to find solutions for Saturday.”

A big boost for Forest

Toney has been one of the standout strikers in the division this season and is currently the fourth-highest-scoring player in the entire Premier League with eight goals and two assists so far, so there is no doubt that Brentford will lose a huge threat in their forward line this weekend.

The Tricky Trees are currently at the bottom of the league table and just suffered a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal so there will be no doubt that Cooper’s side will be feeling low on confidence ahead of their next game.

However, the latest news about Toney’s suspension will come as a big boost for the newly-promoted club with the Forest boss likely to love coming up against an understrength Bees team.

Brentford have only lost two of their last five games and are 12th in the league thanks to their consistent start to the season and although Toney will be a big miss, Frank’s side do have a lot of quality in their team outside of the striker’s goal contributions.

Forest have shown glimpses of their capabilities of competing despite their league position, with an impressive performance that led to them stealing all three points from Liverpool less than two weeks ago, so if the team can go out showing similar resilience there is no reason why they can’t secure another victory.

The World Cup is just around the corner and Cooper will be wanting to pick up as many points as possible from the last two Premier League fixtures so Brentford without Toney is a great opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

With that being said, the Forest boss must deploy his very best team who can put in the hard work and offer the quality needed to take a result in front of the home support this weekend as they could find themselves in even further trouble should they not pick up any more points before the international break.

A development on David Turnbull and Jota’s fitness ahead of Celtic’s upcoming matches has emerged…

What’s the latest?

Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that the pair are both closing in on their respective returns ahead of the club’s UEFA Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

When asked about his squad for the clash with Hearts in the Premiership this afternoon, Postecoglou said:

“Pretty much the same as it has been the last two or three games. The guys closest are Jota and Turnbull coming back but with the team travelling well and being able to rotate there is no point rushing them back.

“We’ve got some important games coming up so they should be available next week at some point. The rest of the squad came through Wednesday (at Motherwell) well so we’ll have quite a strong lineup tomorrow.”

When specifically asked about Jota featuring, he said:

“Yeah, a chance but again we don’t want to rush him back, we’ll gauge by how he is going. He is training, he’s away from the main group, we’ll integrate him into team training [at] some point next week.”

Huge boost

This news will come as a big lift to the head coach as it appears as though both players are now in with a chance of being available for today, though the clash with Shakhtar seems more likely, which will be a huge boost to the manager and the team.

Whilst it is not confirmed that they will be fit enough to start, this is a promising development for both players and supporters will surely be hoping that they are able to overcome their injury and illness issues to feature on Tuesday.

The Hoops are currently bottom of their Champions League group and could need, given the goal difference and Shakhtar being four points ahead of them, to win both of their last two matches to give themselves a chance of finishing in third place to drop down to the Europa League.

Jota’s return would be a huge boost to the team as he has been in terrific form this season. The gem has scored one goal and created 2.7 chances per match in the Champions League, whilst he has also plundered four goals and five assists in nine Premiership appearances so far.

Turnbull, meanwhile, has created 1.8 chances per game across eight outings in the Scottish top-flight. This comes after he managed six goals and eight assists, creating 3.2 chances per appearance, in 20 starts in the division last term.

These statistics show that both players have the potential to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch and that is why their respective returns will come as a huge boost for Postecoglou ahead of both European and domestic matches before the World Cup break next month.

Pundit Paul Robinson has urged Leeds United to finalise a new contract for winger Jack Harrison.

The Lowdown: Harrison speculation

Harrison was heavily linked with an Elland Road exit in the summer, with Newcastle extremely keen on the wide man.

The 25-year-old remained in Yorkshire, though, and has begun the campaign in fine form, scoring once and registering three assists in the first six Premier League games.

Recent reports have suggested that Leeds are hoping to agree a contract extension with the winger before the winter window, and Robinson has been giving his thoughts on the player’s situation.

The Latest: Robinson’s comments

Talking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said that Leeds ‘should definitely’ look to tie Harrison down to a new contract, citing his impressive assist record that ‘flashed up on Sky Sports News’.

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“They should definitely try to iron a new contract out [in this international break].

“Look at where he is in the chart for assists. Not just for Leeds but in the whole of the Premier League.

“He’s third for assists, it flashed up on Sky Sports News this morning.

“For assists, he’s there or thereabouts so his value is only going to increase. And obviously, his head is going to get turned at some point – if it hasn’t already.

“For Leeds, they have to protect themselves and protect the asset, which is the player.

“If the player will sign a new contract then they have to reward him financially because he’s performing.

“He needs to be on the level of other top earners in the team. I don’t know for sure but I suspect Patrick Bamford is up there and Kalvin Phillips was.

“Harrison has to be up there and be one of the top earners because of the way he’s playing.”

The Verdict: Needed

Leeds lost two key players in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha over the summer, so it was good that they managed to keep hold of Harrison.

Jesse Marsch has reaped the rewards with the forward impressing already this season, so the quicker new terms can be agreed upon, the better.

The last thing the Whites will want is for Harrison’s contract situation to remain the same heading into 2023, as he will be into the final 18 months of his current deal, potentially leading to more speculation of a move away.

Newcastle United are waiting on a response from West Ham United over a deadline day move for right-back Harrison Ashby, according to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope.

The Lowdown: Career so far…

The 20-year-old has been tipped for a bright future after bagging two goals and eight assists in 31 Premier League 2 appearances for the Hammers youth sides.

With such promise at academy level, the U21 Scotland international has been handed six senior appearances for West Ham, having made his Premier League debut back in March.

Ashby even featured once for the Irons during their impressive Europa League run last season.

The Latest: Hope’s news

With Emil Krafth out for several months after suffering a serious knee injury, Newcastle are keen on signing Ashby as a direct replacement.

Hope has shared an update on the Magpies’ pursuit, with the club hoping to get a deal over the line before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed:

“Newcastle are waiting for a response from West Ham re Harrison Ashby & would like to do a deal today. For now, that is the only move they are pursuing. #nufc”

The Verdict: Promising talent

With Krafth out injured for a considerable amount of time, it is imperative Newcastle bring in another right-back to St James’ Park before the transfer deadline, otherwise leaving Kieran Trippier without an understudy for months.

Therefore, Ashby’s proposed move to Tyneside could be brilliant for the youngster’s development, as he would be learning from an experienced professional and would likely get plenty of playing time with fixtures coming thick and fast.

West Ham U21 coach Dmitri Halajko previously singled out the ‘real quality’ of the 20-year-old after an impressive EFL Trophy display.

And in truth it was surprising that Ashby’s Irons contract was allowed to get down to the final 12 months, with the Irons triggering a one-year extension only to take him to 2023.

The talented full-back clearly has the potential to succeed at the highest level for years to come, so if the Magpies can secure this move for a cut-price, this would be a shrewd bit of business for Newcastle.

Journalist Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Everton are ‘likely’ to sign one striker on loan and another on a permanent deal before the transfer window shuts.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

It is no secret that the Goodison Park outfit need reinforcements in the striking department before the window closes.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is currently out injured, while Richarlison has been sold to Tottenham Hotspur and both Ellis Simms and Nathan Broadhead have been allowed to go out on loan to Sunderland and Wigan Athletic respectively.

It has left them very short in that area, and so bringing in a striker or two must be the priority over the next couple of weeks.

The Latest: Two strikers ‘likely’

Taking to Twitter on Friday afternoon, Fletcher has revealed that the Merseyside club are ‘likely’ to sign one striker on loan and another permanently in order to help Calvert-Lewin for when he is injured or misfiring:

“The club is still pursuing forward options fervently. As I said before they want 2 minimum in the door, today I’m told its likely to be one loan and one permanent to help Calvert Lewin with forward duties.”

He added that Southampton’s Che Adams and Rennes’ Serhou Guirassy are among the list of targets, and ‘sources close to’ the Toffees claim that they are ‘calm and confident’ of strengthening up top:

“Serhou Guirassy still a target and Che Adams still expected to leave Southampton permanent before the window. Everton won’t pay “over the odds” clubs aware of desire for FW options. Sources close to club say they are calm and confident of strengthening up front.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It is certainly exciting to hear that Frank Lampard’s team could be bringing in two strikers before the deadline.

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They have played Anthony Gordon as a false nine in their first two Premier League games at home to Chelsea and away at Aston Villa respectively, losing both and only managing to score one goal.

Nonetheless, they need a natural number nine up top to emulate Calvert-Lewin and serve as a focal point even aside from scoring goals, and the England star’s injury record in the last 18 months  suggests this won’t be the first time this season he is out.