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Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership once again as they travel away from Parkhead to take on Hibernian later this evening.

The Hoops have already dropped points in six of their 24 league outings so far this season and most recently in their last match against Aberdeen.

An opening goal from Bojan Miovski, who had been linked with a possible switch to Glasgow ahead of the January transfer window, gave the Dons the lead.

However, Brendan Rodgers' side were eventually able to find an equaliser as Nicolas Kuhn fired in his first goal for the club to make it 1-1 during the second half.

Neither team were able to find the winning goal, despite chances at both ends, and Celtic were held to a draw for the fourth time in the division this season.

After a disappointing result, as the Hoops failed to secure all three points, Rodgers could look to make some alterations to his side to cause Hibs problems.

With this in mind, the Northern Irish head coach must unleash Adam Idah from the start for his full Celtic debut as the towering centre-forward could terrify the opposition with both his physicality and his skills, in place of Kyogo Furuhashi.

Kyogo's struggles this season

The Japan international has been able to replicate his outrageous form from the 2022/23 campaign and is currently on a run of three goals in 14 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants.

He racked up a staggering 27 goals in 31 Premiership starts under Ange Postecoglou, who then left to join Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, last season.

This time around, the 29-year-old marksman has scored eight goals in 24 league appearances for the Bhoys, with a goal every 212 minutes on average – significantly lower than his average of one every 86 minutes last term.

He struggled against Aberdeen as the lone striker for the majority of the match until Idah arrived to provide a focal point to provide him with a foil to play off.

Minutes played

90

Shots

Three

Shots on target

Zero

Pass accuracy

50%

Key passes

Zero

As you can see in the table above, the former Vissel Kobe whiz played the full 90 minutes but failed to register a single shot on target or chance created for his teammates, which illustrates his lack of impact in the final third.

FFC recently published an article suggesting that Idah and Kyogo could link up to form an exciting pairing at the top end of the pitch but with Hyeon-gyu Oh still away with South Korea, Celtic need at least one senior striker to bring off the bench at the moment, so starting both may not be viable until their third centre-forward option is available.

Therefore, Rodgers should ditch the Japanese forward and place him on the bench this evening in order to provide the Ireland international to showcase his quality from the start.

Idah's impact against Aberdeen

The on-loan Norwich City forward was introduced in the 59th minute against Aberdeen to make his debut for Celtic, having joined the club from the Canaries on deadline day.

It took just four minutes for the young gem to make his mark on the game as he sharply and intelligently held onto the ball and turned in the box before laying it off for Kuhn to strike, via a deflection, into the bottom corner.

Idah went on to create two more chances for his teammates and was unfortunate not to have a second assist when Matt O'Riley crashed a shot off the post, after a fantastic first-time pass through to the Danish magician.

The £23k-per-week dynamo created three chances and won 100% of his aerial duels (2/2) in just 31 minutes of action on the pitch against the Dons. Only Luis Palma (3.3) had managed three or more key passes per match within the squad and Idah did it in just over a third of the game.

Along with his creative talent the 22-year-old forward, whom Rodgers hailed as having "huge potential" in the clip below, is also a goalscorer who can be ruthless in front of goal.

The Norwich academy graduate plundered six goals from an xG of 5.83 across 28 appearances in the Championship during the first half of the season, despite only starting 12 of those matches.

This shows that he can make the most of the chances that come his way in the box, which suggests that Idah could thrive off the service that Palma and Kuhn could provide out wide.

Standing at 6 foot 3, with pace to burn, the Ireland international could terrify Hibs with his physical attributes, his creativity, and his clinical finishing in front of goal, as he appears to be the full package as a modern-day centre-forward.

Celtic's creative wingers

Rodgers could unleash two terrific creators on either flank for the Hoops this evening to provide a constant threat and create plenty of chances for the Norwich loanee to score.

Firstly, Palma has been a fantastic addition since his move from Aris last summer and has quickly adapted to life in Scotland with his consistent quality in the final third.

The 24-year-old magician has produced five goals, nine assists, and 12 'big chances' created in 19 Premiership appearances for the Scottish giants, to go along with 3.3 key passes per game.

No other Celtic player has created more than seven 'big chances' for their teammates in the division this season, which illustrates how impressive Palma's creativity has been, as he can regularly create huge openings for his fellow attackers.

Kuhn, meanwhile, spent the first half of the campaign with Rapid Wien in the Bundesliga and showcased his creative qualities for the Austrian side, as you can see in the table below.

Appearances

16

Key passes

29

Big chances created

11

Assists

Five

The German wizard created more big chances than any Celtic player, excluding Palma, as aforementioned, did during the first half of the season.

Therefore, Kuhn and the Honduras international could be the perfect wingers to start either side of Idah, as they have the creative skills to provide the forward with high-quality opportunities in front of goal, whilst they could also benefit from his key passes to get on the scoresheet themselves.

Leeds United have brought through many talented young players through their academy system over the years and Archie Gray appears to be the latest starlet to make the breakthrough.

The 17-year-old whiz has started 29 of the club's 33 matches in the Championship so far this season, with the majority of those coming in an unnatural right-back role for the teenager.

Head coach Daniel Farke has placed his trust in the former U21s starlet and developed him into a regular first-team starter for the Whites in the second tier.

One player who once looked set for a promising career after breaking into the senior side at Elland Road was Alex Mowatt. However, the club opted to cash in on him before his value soared through the roof.

How much Leeds sold Alex Mowatt for

The Whites sold him to Barnsley in January 2017 for a reported fee of just £600k, after he had racked up over 100 appearances for the first-team.

Mowatt came through the academy system in Yorkshire and established himself as a regular during the 2013/14 campaign, through to the end of the 2015/16 season, with 29 or more Championship matches played in all three years.

However, the academy graduate only started four of his 15 league outings for the club during the first half of the 2016/17 campaign, which led to his move across Yorkshire to Barnsley at the start of 2017.

Mowatt later revealed to The Athletic that the transfer came as a "shock" to him. He also claimed that then-manager Garry Monk only saw him as a number ten, rather than as a number eight or defensive midfielder, and that is why his game time was limited in the months leading up to the switch.

Alex Mowatt's soaring market value

Leeds' loss was Barnsley's gain as the English maestro went on to produce 20 goals and 23 assists in 162 appearances in all competitions for the club.

In his last season with the Yorkshire-based outfit, Mowatt racked up eight goals, seven assists, and nine 'big chances' created in 44 matches as a central midfielder.

He found a way to influence games at the top end of the pitch from a number eight role, rather than being shoehorned in as an attacking midfielder, and that earned him a transfer to West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.

By November 2021, Mowatt's value on Transfermarkt soared to a staggering €10m (£8.6m). That means that his value skyrocketed up by a whopping 1,333% from the initial £600k that Leeds sold him to Barnsley for.

Appearances

34

Goals

Four

Assists

Two

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

Duel success rate

56%

Sofascore rating

7.10

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Baggies dynamo combined attacking quality with defensive solidity, as he won the majority of his physical duels, to help his market value soar.

This suggests that Leeds had a blunder with the midfielder as they sold him far too early in his development, and could have made a greater profit on him by helping the gem to fulfill his potential at Elland Road and then selling him when his value peaked, albeit now with the benefit of hindsight.

In the present day, the 29-year-old gem has won 67% of his duels and provided four assists in 31 appearances for West Brom as they battle with Leeds to secure promotion to the Premier League.

Hopefully, the Whites are not left with similar regrets if they ever decide to part ways with current academy graduate Gray in a future transfer window.

It is no secret that Nottingham Forest like to make new signings at any given opportunity. Since promotion back to the Premier League in May 2022, the club have brought in 34 new players with owner Evangelos Marinakis splashing out over £200m in the process.

Despite the club deploying a scattergun approach in recent seasons, they have previously utilised the facilities at The Nigel Doughty Academy to develop youngsters for the first team.

Players such as Ryan Yates, Matty Cash and Brennan Johnson are just three examples of the quality of player that the club are capable of producing, with the latter two departing the City Ground to join Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively, for fees in the region of £15m and £47.5m.

With the club being charged by the Premier League for breaching their FFP and profit and sustainability rules back in January, the club may have to work on a shoestring budget over the next few transfer windows, with the club's academy potentially playing a crucial part in developing players to have an impact on the first-team.

Nottingham Forest youngster Manni Norkett

Manni Norkett is a 19-year-old striker who joined Forest from fellow Premier League side Manchester United during the summer – joining the Reds' academy setup.

The striker, who was born in Nottingham, signed for the Red Devils back in 2018, after receiving 15 offers from various sides in the Premier League.

He was a key figure for United's academy for many years, scoring frequently for multiple different age categories including United's U21s despite being just 18 at the time.

The youngster scored nine times for United's U18s in the Premier League 2 last season before his arrival in Nottingham during the summer of 2023. Whilst he's only scored once for the Reds in eight Premier League 2 appearances this season, he still has a huge future ahead of him and could be the "real deal" – as dubbed by one of his old coaches Garry Attwood.

Norkett will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Forest youngster Joe Gardner who made his first-team debut a few weeks ago, coming on in the 90th minute of the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bristol City, replacing the injured Gonzalo Montiel.

Manni Norkett could be Awoniyi heir

Whilst Nuno's side currently have two brilliant centre forwards in Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi, youngster Norkett could be a possible replacement for the duo in the years to come.

Wood and Awoniyi have scored a combined 15 goals so far this campaign in all competitions, with the pair playing their part in Forest's survival bid this season.

However, Norkett's potential should give Forest fans reasons to be excited about a potential life after Wood – who is more of a short-term fit at 32 – and Awoniyi in the years ahead.

Over the last few years, he's shown his ability to run the channels – whilst also being in the right place at the right time to finish off opportunities. Granted he's yet to feature in the men's game, but a loan move in the near future could benefit the 19-year-old, who previously bagged 19 goals in just 40 games for United's U18 side.

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Norkett has a huge future ahead of him, with Forest conducting brilliant business in bringing him into the club during the summer. Whilst he's still very young with a long way to go until he features within the Forest first-team, it's great to see a promising youngster coming through the ranks – with one eye ahead on the future.

In their current guise, Arsenal look like a team destined to battle it out with the best in the world for years to come, but it hasn't been that way for very long.

In the latter years of Arsène Wenger's tenure, the Gunners struggled to maintain their place in the top four and looked a million miles off challenging for the Premier League or Champions League.

The north Londoners had a muddled squad and often made blunder after blunder in the transfer market, and while it was often the club or fans who felt burned by these moves, sometimes the players themselves were less than happy with the situation.

Lucas Perez's time at Arsenal

Yes, Lucas Perez, a player who left such a small mark on Arsenal's history that fans might be forgiven for forgetting that he even pulled on the famous red and white shirt in relatively recent memory.

The Gunners signed the Spanish striker in August 2016 for a fee of around £17m, and he was enthusiastically welcomed by Wenger, who said, "He's not only a goalscorer, he's a guy who combines well with partners, who can give a final ball and makes good runs. He's got a good eye for goal and had an outstanding season last year."

GK – Petr Cech

RB – Hector Bellerin

CB – Shkodran Mustafi

CB – Laurent Koscielny

LB – Nacho Monreal

DM- Francis Coquelin

DM – Santi Cazorla

LM – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

CAM – Mesut Ozil

RM – Theo Walcott

ST – Lucas Perez

While the fee wasn't massive, the fact he had scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games the season prior left fans excited, although he would not hit such heights in north London.

The A Coruña-born forward would last just a season at the Emirates, in which he scored seven goals and provided five assists in 21 matches.

While that's an impressive return of 0.57 goal involvements per match, he was consistently picked behind Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, and injuries to his ankle and hamstring only made it harder for him to stake a claim in the first team.

Things came to a head in the summer of 2017 when the club broke their transfer record to sign Alexandre Lacazette and gave him the number nine shirt, which was the number Perez was wearing at the time.

Games

21

Starts

9

Minutes

948'

Goals

7

Assists

5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

79'

This perceived slight was clearly the last straw, and in a remarkable turn of events in July 2017, the Spaniard was quoted by his local newspaper La Voz De Galicia (later verified by ESPN), saying: "They [Arsenal] are not being fair with me. The act of taking away my [shirt] number without telling me anything to give to a teammate, that was the last straw for me.

"I feel like I was tricked. In February I was not allowed to leave for China but it was promised that I would be playing more and then I had even fewer opportunities. But the shirt number was an ugly gesture."

Unsurprisingly, his outburst quickly led to the Gunners sanctioning his departure, and he returned to Deportiva La Coruna on loan for the 2017/18 season, where he would score nine goals and provide eight assists in 37 games before he was finally sold on to West Ham United in August 2018.

In all, his one season at Arsenal was an abject failure for all involved and stands as one of the rare occasions in the club's recent history in which the transferred player themselves is the most vocal about how poorly a move has turned out.

How Lucas Perez fared after Arsenal

While the 5 foot 11 poacher enjoyed a fruitful season back in Spain in the 2017/18 season, his return to London a year later did not go quite as swimmingly.

In his one and only season in Claret and Blue, the then-29-year-old would play just 712 minutes of first-team football across 19 appearances – six starts – score six goals and fail to provide a single assist.

I

t was all a bit too similar to how his time had gone in the north of the capital, as despite a reasonably impressive return of a goal every 119 minutes, the Spaniard just couldn't nail down a place in the starting lineup.

Unsurprisingly, he was sold the following summer and joined Deportivo Alaves back in Spain, where he would spend two seasons, scoring 15 goals and providing nine assists in 70 games, with his most memorable moment being the goal he scored away at the Bernabeu which helped the team beat Real Madrid 2-1.

Following his two years in the Basque Country, the former Gunner opted to join Elche for the first half of the 2021/22 season, where he scored two goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances, before he then joined Andalusian outfit Cadiz in January 2022 for a calendar year, where he managed a slightly better return of eight goal and two assists in 33 games.

However, he had one more move left in him in December 2022.

Where Lucas Perez is now

It was announced in December 2022 that Perez would return to his boyhood club, Deportivo La Coruna, despite the team playing in Spain's third division.

However, what was even more remarkable about his decision to head back home was that it cost him a significant amount of money. With Depor down on their luck in the third tier, paying Cadiz the full amount for his services was out of the question, so Perez paid half his fee with his own money, about £435k.

Moreover, he has also taken a six-fold pay cut to play for the club, but that doesn't seem to be a problem, as following his first game for the side – in which he netted a brace – he said, "It was special I'm going back home, to the Riazor. What I liked the most was the atmosphere, it was incredible."

The hometown hero hasn't just been taking it easy either, as in his 46 games since rejoining the team, he has scored 18 goals and provided 21 assists, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.17 games, which has helped the team reach second place in the table this season.

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Ultimately, it might not have worked out for Perez in England, but he's been able to fasten an impressive career elsewhere, and his return to Depor is a genuine feel-good story in modern football.

Liverpool's search for a new manager has taken yet another twist as an update emerges on Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou enjoys brilliant debut season at Spurs

The former Celtic manager's arrival from Parkhead last summer was greeted with sceptisim at first, and rightly so, given Postecoglou hadn't managed in any of Europe's elite divisions at that point.

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The 58-year-old's resume across spells in Asia and Scotland is actually pretty impressive. Postecoglou enjoyed plenty of success when it comes to winning trophies at Celtic, Brisbane Roar, Yokohoma F. Marinos and South Melbourne, but the tactician was untested in the 'big time'.

Australian first division x4

Brisbane Roar (2), South Melbourne (2)

Japanese first division x1

Yokohoma F. Marinos

Scottish Premiership x2

Celtic

Scottish League Cup x2

Celtic

Scottish Cup x1

Celtic

OFC Champions League x1

South Melbourne

Asia Cup x1

Australia

Putting that to bed, Postecoglou has won over the Spurs fanbase with an exciting style of football and look like serious contenders for Champions League qualification as things stand.

Tottenham's form and rejuvenated feel-good feeling around N17, which has largely been down to Postecogolou, also helped them beat the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich to the signings of Lucas Bergvall and Radu Dragusin in January.

Pundit Ian Wright had called Postecoglou "underrated" for the brilliant job he's done since making the move from up north to London. "It’s underrated,” said Wright on Premier League productions [via HITC].

“It’s an underrated effort he is doing, at the minute. Major Ange Postecoglou fans. I remember people saying at the start that ‘he needs to start well’. With the players he has got, you want them to do well and win some games and stuff. But I didn’t expect it to be in the grove it is now and so quickly.

“Not just physically, but mentally as well. They know what they are doing – we are looking at a team that we know that will improve."

However, as Postecoglou's reputation grows, so does the likelihood of big clubs attempting to poach him. Jurgen Klopp is confirmed to be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, and Liverpool have been linked with a move for Spurs' head coach.

Ange makes Tottenham decision in Liverpool manager search

Writing for Football Insider, journalist Wayne Veysey claims Postecoglou has made a final decision on his Tottenham future amid interest from Liverpool. In a boost for Spurs, it is believed he will reject any offers to leave N17 this summer, including from Merseyside.

"Postecoglou has no intention of quitting Tottenham this summer, for Liverpool or any other club," explained Veysey.

"He is “happy and comfortable” at the Londoner, and grateful for the backing he has had since taking over, as well as the opportunity to make a big mark in the Premier League at an elite club.

"Postecoglou is said to be totally invested in the project at Spurs and to continue the hugely impressive work of his debut campaign."

Unlikely to finish inside the play-offs and in managerial limbo, the bad news just keeps coming for Sunderland in what is proving to be a miserable second-half to their Championship season. Now, interim boss Mike Dodds must solve a defensive crisis after the latest injury news.

Sunderland injury news

Amid a run of six straight defeats, Sunderland could at least do with some luck on the injury front. But that hasn't been the case, with the Black Cats injury list only adding to the woes of Dodds.

Jack Clarke

Mid April

Patrick Roberts

Late March

Bradley Dack

Late March

Niall Huggins

Out for the season

Dennis Cirkin

Late March

Corry Evans

Late March

Luke O'Nien (suspension)

Cardiff City game

Jenson Seelt

Unknown

With nine absences to contend with, Dodds' biggest concern will be finding defensive cover for both the Queens Park Rangers game and in the coming weeks. The Black Cats boss has got just one centre-back option available for this weekend's clash in the form of Leo Hjelde, and will need to either turn to inexperience or think outside the box.

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It's a problem that Dodds may see a repeat of too, following an injury update. As confirmed by the defender on Instagram, Jenson Seelt is set to be out for a "long period of time" after suffering an injury last time out against Southampton.

With just nine games to go and with Sunderland nine points adrift of the Championship's top six, those at the Stadium of Light seem destined to watch on as their campaign ends with a whimper rather than the playoff push that they were on course for under Mowbray.

Defensive options Dodds could turn to

Matters are made worse when considering that Hjelde mainly operates as a left-back, but may now be forced inside to work alongside another inexperienced face at the heart of Sunderland's defence. Meanwhile, Dodds could also turn to Timothee Pembele for the first time and fellow youngsters Trai Hume and 18-year-old Tom Lavery in what is far from ideal for a side looking to end a woeful run of form.

Without Seelt, in particular, Sunderland could suffer, especially given the praise that former manager Mowbray once had for the defender: “I thought Jenson was good. In our minds, we’ve been wanting to get him on the pitch but it’s difficult [with Ballard and O’Nien’s form].

“Really, he was going to come on and play.. he can play holding midfield and we thought he would come on and roll into midfield like we do with Trai Hume often. Jenson can do that because he’s so talented with the ball at his feet."

With their injury crisis, Sunderland seem unlikely to end their run of form anytime soon, as they wait for a miserable campaign to end and a new manager to arrive on a permanent basis. Come the start of the summer transfer window, the Black Cats will hope to be in a position to kick on and get back on the track that Mowbray initially led them down.

Everton's struggles with their finances over recent months have been well publicised, with the club struggling to meet the Premier League's rules following poor dealings in the market and the building of their new stadium.

After failing to comply with the Premier League's FFP rules, the club were handed a six-point deduction back in November. However, Toffees boss Sean Dyche has done a brilliant job in steering the club away from any immediate threat of relegation.

The former Burnley boss has had to work on a shoestring budget during his time at the club, with the Toffees focusing more on outgoings than incomings in recent times.

The financial problems behind the scenes at Goodison Park have seen the club allow the likes of Alex Iwobi, Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon to leave, with the club needing to raise funds to avoid any further breaches.

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However, the club should also look to offload another member of the first-team squad, with his weekly wage not reflecting his current importance to Dyche's side.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's stats at Everton

After joining the club from Sheffield United back in 2016, striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin took time to settle into life at Goodison Park before making an impact over the next couple of years.

During his next two campaigns for the Toffees, the forward scored ten goals, with Calvert-Lewin catching the eye of multiple sides in the Premier League.

Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in signing the Englishman during the 2021/22 season, with Calvert-Lewin staying put with no official bids made by the Gunners.

However, given the striker's form and injury record since, the Toffees may wish that Arsenal had come in with an offer that could've tempted the club into a sale.

Over the last three seasons, the striker has only managed ten Premier League goals in his 58 outings, with Calvert-Lewin missing over half the games in 2021/22 and 2022/23 through injury.

Broken cheekbone

4

25

Hamstring injury

3

89

Hamstring injury

6

32

Knee injury

8

46

Broken toe

32

125

The former Sheffield United man has missed multiple matches with a broken toe and various hamstring problems, with the forward struggling to maintain his fitness.

He's only managed three strikes in his 24 Premier League appearances this campaign, with the striker unable to reclaim his form from a few years ago.

How much Dominic Calvert-Lewin earns in 2024

Eight years on from his arrival at Goodison Park, the English forward now earns an astonishing £100k-per-week, with the 27-year-old currently the club's fourth-highest earner behind Abdoulaye Doucoure, Jordan Pickford and Andre Gomes.

His huge weekly wage sees him earn over six times more than promising youngster Jarrad Branthwaite, with the defender only earning £15k-per-week despite his brilliant campaign that has seen him earn his first senior England call-up in recent times.

Given his poor goalscoring form in recent times and his poor injury record, the club should look to part ways with Calvert-Lewin in the summer, with the club saving a potential £5.2m a year in wages.

The 6 foot 2 striker is out of contract in the summer of 2025, with this summer potentially the last opportunity for the Toffees to make any money from any sale of Calvert-Lewin.

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Aston Villa are now planning to accept an offer for a big earner who isn’t in Unai Emery’s plans.

Aston Villa transfer rumours

It has been a busy first full season in charge for Emery, who has his side pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League ahead of Tottenham and Manchester United. It comes after two productive transfer windows, with NSWE backing the Spaniard in the market with a number of new additions.

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Now, attention already seems to be on who Villa could be looking to sign ahead of the 2024/25 season, where they will be hoping to offer Champions League football.

Two high-profile players to be linked with a move to Villa Park have been Paulo Dybala and Mario Hermoso. Villa are thought to be leading the race at this moment in time for Dybala, whereas talks have been held to sign centre-back Hermoso on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid.

However, to comply with FFP, a plethora of exits may also be required in the Midlands, and it looks as if one player will be forced out over the summer.

Leander Dendoncker transfer update

It has been revealed recently by Fabrizio Romano that Leander Dendoncker is set to return to the Midlands in the summer, with his Napoli loan spell being nothing short of a disaster. The Serie A side had an option to make a move permanent at the end of the season, but the Belgian has played just 21 minutes across three appearances.

Now, according to Football Insider, Villa are ready to accept a bid for Dendoncker as he has ‘no future’ at the club.

It is believed that Emery doesn’t feel Dendoncker ‘has the energy and dynamism to thrive in his system’, with a permanent Villa Park exit now on the cards. The versatile 28-year-old, who is picking up around £90,000-a-week, is under contract with Villa until 2026.

Signed from Wolves back on deadline day back in 2022 when Steven Gerrard was still in charge, Dendoncker’s move across the Midlands hasn’t worked out, with the player turning out just 36 times for Villa.

He arrived with plenty of hope from Gerrard, who said: “A lot of players are in the situation where they fall out of a manager’s first choice, if you like, they obviously start thinking about World Cup situations and it came up late. This is a player who’s played for Wolves for many seasons who have finished high up in the league so he knows what it takes.

"He’s also been a part of one of the best international teams for the last few years so we’re hoping he can add some much-needed quality and support to our players.”

Prior to his loan move to Italy in January, Dendoncker made just one Premier League start under Emery this season, and it looks as if his appearance against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup will be his last in a Villa shirt.

Everton failed to take advantage of Newcastle United's current injury crisis, with the Toffees coming away with just a point in the 1-1 draw at St James' Park on Tuesday night.

Sean Dyche's side claimed a late equaliser after striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin stepped up to power his penalty past Martin Dubravka, with the club securing a crucial point in their hunt for Premier League survival.

Despite the result on Tyneside, Dyche's men have failed to win a single Premier League game in 2024, with the Toffees needing to push on if they are to stay in England's top flight next season.

Everton have a huge clash against Burnley at Goodison Park this weekend, with one player needing to be dropped from their last outing if they are to claim three vital points.

Abdoulaye Doucoure produced a below-par performance against the Magpies, with the former Watford man only winning 20% of his duels and needing time on the sideline to allow another player to excel.

With that being said, here's a potential look at the Toffees' starting XI to face Burnley…

1 GK – Jordan Pickford

If the club do stay up this season, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will be the man to thank, with the England international saving Dyche's side on more than one occasion.

The 30-year-old has kept eight clean sheets in the league this season, with his tally only bettered by Arsenal's David Raya.

His average of 3.1 saves per game has played a huge part in the club's attempts to stay up, with the captain undoubtedly going to start at Goodison this weekend.

2 RB – Ben Godfrey

In recent weeks, the defender has enjoyed a mini-revival of his time with the Toffees, starting each of the last nine league matches, after just one start between August and December.

Despite playing in an unnatural right-back position, the defender has excelled and managed to keep club legend Seamus Coleman out of Dyche's starting lineup.

This weekend is another great opportunity for the former Norwich City man to build on his brilliant recent form.

3 CB – Jarrad Branthwaite

The 21-year-old has had an excellent campaign for the Toffees, with his brilliant form not going unnoticed, with the former Carlisle United youngster receiving an England call-up last month.

The centre-back has started 27 out of 30 Premier League matches during 2023/24, with the ace set to continue his successful partnership with James Tarkowski on Saturday.

4 CB – James Tarkowski

The second half of Everton's long-term centre-back partnership is James Tarkowski, with the 31-year-old starting every single league match under Dyche this season.

He will face his former side on Saturday, with the former Claret looking to inflict yet more pain on Vincent Kompany's side and help claim all three points that would push them closer to an immediate return to the Championship.

5 LB – Vitaliy Mykolenko

The Ukrainian left-back produced a brilliant display away at Newcastle in midweek, with the 24-year-old's energetic playstyle allowing him to make ten passes into the final third – the most of any Everton player that night.

He's started to look really settled on the left side of the Toffees' defence, with the fans beginning to see why the club decided to pay £17m for his signature.

His good form will need to continue on Saturday, with the left-back tasked with keeping forward Jacob Bruun Larsen quiet, with the Burnley attacker scoring two goals in his last three Premier League outings.

6 RM – Ashley Young

Despite being 38 years old, Ashley Young has been an important part of Dyche's side this season, starting 20 games in the Premier League for the Toffees.

He was utilised in a right-midfield position on Tuesday night, with the former Manchester United man having a rare opportunity to showcase what he's capable of in attacking areas.

Although he had a fairly standard game, he deserves another opportunity to demonstrate his talents and stake his claim for a regular midfield role.

7 CM – Amadou Onana

Despite being replaced after just an hour in the week, the Belgian midfielder deserves a starting spot this weekend, with the outing against Burnley a great opportunity for the youngster to demonstrate his qualities.

The 22-year-old has a huge ceiling to develop and become a brilliant midfielder, with occasional poor performances to be expected given his tender age.

8 CM – Idrissa Gueye

Experienced midfielder Idrissa Gueye has often been the man to partner Onana in the middle of the park for the Toffees this season, with the Senegalese crucial in ball-winning for Dyche's side.

The former PSG man won three tackles and ten duels in the draw at St James' a few days ago, with Gueye more than deserving of a second start in a row this weekend.

9 LM – Dwight McNeil

Despite not scoring for Everton since December, the winger has been ever-present in the starting lineup. Dyche clearly trusts the 24-year-old given his constant selection, with the attacker needing to repay his manager's faith this weekend.

He's set to start against his former side, with the encounter potentially giving the wideman an added incentive to end his goalscoring drought and help push the Toffees further clear of any looming relegation threat whilst pushing the Clarets closer to the drop.

10 CAM – James Garner

Midfielder James Garner was unlucky to not start the trip to Tyneside on Tuesday, with the youngster making a brilliant impact off the substitutes bench when given the opportunity by Dyche.

Fellow midfielder Doucoure endured a tough outing in midweek, with the £130k-per-week man – who hasn't scored since December – needing to be dropped, thus allowing Garner to potentially get the chance to play in the attacking midfield role ahead of Gueye and Onana.

His relentless pressing game coupled with his fantastic ball-striking ability make for a great combination in the number ten role, with the former Manchester United talent – who Dyche has dubbed "terrific" – deserving of a recall.

Manchester United have received some good news regarding the injury return of an "outstanding" player before the clash with Coventry City, according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Do-or-die game for Man Utd at Wembley

The Red Devils are in FA Cup semi-final action on Sunday afternoon, taking on a Coventry side who are currently plying their trade in the Championship. They are pushing for a place in the play-off positions in the final weeks of the season, but for now, their main focus is on causing a big FA Cup upset.

For United, this represents an absolute must-win game, not only because going out to lower-ranked opponents would be an embarrassing situation, but also because it feels like their last thing to play for this season. Granted, European qualification of some kind is still possible in the Premier League, but their hopes of being in the Champions League next season appear to be over.

It is also a particularly big game for Erik ten Hag, who finds himself battling to save his job currently. Defeat to Coventry could even prove to be the final straw for him, although on the flip-side, winning the competition could arguably be enough to justify him remaining in the Old Trafford hot seat.

United have had to deal with big injury problems throughout the campaign, with key figures such as Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw currently missing, but a positive update has emerged regarding one player, acting as a boost for the Dutchman.

"Outstanding" Man Utd hero fit for Coventry clash

Taking to X on Friday, Luckhurst confirmed that Antony will be among those back for United this weekend, along with Scott McTominay:

"McTominay and Antony are due to be back in the squad vs Coventry. Harry Maguire will train today after missing sessions this week as a precaution."

This is great news for United, who need as many players available as possible at Wembley, on a day when extra time and penalties could be needed to get past Coventry.

Granted, Antony has had a disappointing season overall, incredibly scoring just twice in all competitions, but one of those strikes was a massive one, coming late in the day at home to Liverpool in the memorable 4-3 win in the previous round of the FA Cup, taking the tie to extra time.

Date

Opponent

Result

Match Rating

6th Dec 2023

Chelsea

W 2-1

7.80

4th Apr 2024

Chelsea

L 3-4

7.70

26th Aug 2023

Nottingham Forest

W 3-2

7.05

17th Dec 2023

Liverpool

D 0-0

6.97

19th Aug 2023

Tottenham Hotspur

L 0-2

6.91

The Brazilian has also been showered with praise earlier this season, with ex-United defender Phil Bardsley saying: "His attitude was outstanding defensively. With Garnacho they doubled up. Every man has to put a shift in, and them two today was outstanding."

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It would be a surprise if Antony started against Coventry – he would arguably be on the bench even if he was fully fit – with Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund likely to make up the attack.

His pace and trickery could be invaluable as a substitute, however, coming when legs are tiring and space is opening up on the pitch. Another key FA Cup contribution would further add to his reputation, at a time when more consistency is needed from him.