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Marcelo Bielsa faces one of the biggest selection dilemmas he’s had since becoming Leeds manager ahead of Friday’s game against Aston Villa.

The Argentine has to pick his XI without Kalvin Phillips in it after the midfielder was ruled out for six weeks due to a shoulder injury he picked up against Wolves on Monday.

Usually, an injury wouldn’t be such a big issue for Bielsa after United’s near-£100m spend this summer left Leeds with a bloated squad, but despite spending so much, they still don’t have a recognised defensive midfielder who can come in to replace Phillips.

Adam Forshaw would be the most logical replacement, but he still isn’t fit after over a year out of action, so how will Bielsa cope with this selection headache?

We’ve had a go at predicting how Leeds will line-up against Aston Villa.

Despite losing to Wolves on Monday, we don’t expect Bielsa to make too many changes on Friday.

The backline is slightly different as Liam Cooper slots in alongside Pascal Struijk, but that is all dependant on how serious the groin injury he picked up prior to the Wolves game is, so don’t be too surprised if we see someone else at the back.

Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling continue at full-back, and we expect Robin Koch to move into the Kalvin Phillips role as the £15.3m-rated defender has played as a defensive midfielder 58 times in his career, so he seems to be the most qualified player in the squad.

However, if Cooper’s injury does keep him out, we expect Koch to drop back into the defence and Jamie Shackleton to take up Phillips’ defensive midfield duties.

The midfield ahead of Koch is pretty much what you’d expect as Mateusz Klich, Rodrigo, Jack Harrison and Helder Costa retain their spots.

This one may be a little too early for Raphinha to get his first start, but don’t be surprised to see him come off the bench.

Up top, Patrick Bamford starts once again.

The agent of Miguel Almiron has hinted that his client could leave Newcastle United in the upcoming summer transfer window and move to Atletico Madrid, according to his comments made on Union FC (translated via Roberto Rojas).

As per his agent Daniel Campo, ‘we are in contact with the people of Atletico Madrid’, suggesting that his client could possibly be on the move to the Spanish giants.

Almiron was apparently already on the radar of Diego Simeone’s team, and Campo has claimed that the player would fit ‘perfectly’ in his system.

However, he has played down the talks a little by labelling some of the details of the potential deal as ‘assumptions’ and it will all eventually come down to Almiron and the Tyneside club as to whether he does actually complete the move to Spain.

It could potentially be a big blow to Steve Bruce’s side, given that the attacking midfield player has scored seven goals and made two assists in all competitions so far in the 2019/20 season, according to top scorer for the Magpies.

Almiron has also created three big chances in the Premier League so far in this campaign, and also averages 1.4 successful dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game in the top flight (via Sofascore).

The Paraguayan international may well have a huge decision to make in the upcoming summer transfer window, as to whether he stays at the Toon where he has arguably played so well in this term based off of his stats, or continue his footballing career in another country.

The 26-year old may feel that he is coming up towards his peak, and so NUFC fans will have to wait and see whether this transfer materialises.

Geordies, would Almiron leaving be a big blow? Comment below!

According to Transfer20, Tottenham are in the race to sign Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho this summer.

What’s the word?

Despite their reported interest in Southampton ace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, it appears Spurs are casting their net far and wide, with Carvalho the latest man to be linked with a switch to north London.

Transfer20 claim that along with the likes of Leeds United and Leicester, Jose Mourinho’s side are keeping tabs on the Portugal international’s long-term future at Betis.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



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The report adds that whilst Carvalho is unlikely to force a move this summer, he does remain an asset that could bring in some much-needed cash to the Spanish side.

Cristiano Ronaldo wanted him at Real Madrid

Carvalho’s name is one that has dominated the transfer headlines for a number of years now, particularly since his time at Sporting CP.

Such was the early promise that he showed that reports back in 2017 claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo had urged Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to bring his Portuguese compatriot to the Santiago Bernabeu as he was impressed with his versatility and deemed him to be a good fit.

His former Portugal teammate Tiago raved about Carvalho’s abilities as an anchor man, saying: “He’s an amazing player with fantastic passing ability for such a strong holding midfielder.” And after watching his performance in a EURO 2016 clash against Austria, Rio Ferdinand lauded him as a “giant” with a “calmness” on the ball.

If Spurs feel like they are getting priced out of a move for Hojbjerg by Southampton, then they can do a lot worse than going after the 6 foot 2 Carvalho this summer.

After both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son’s injuries, Tottenham were left desperately short of firepower in the weeks just before football was postponed across Europe.

It brutally exposed the north London side’s lack of depth in the number nine role, so it’s been no surprise to see the Lilywhites being linked with a move for a striker in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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And according to The Sunday Times, Spurs have set their sights on Celtic star Odsonne Edouard as the man to solve that problem. The report claims that Jose Mourinho’s side have had him scouted numerous times over the course of this season, and that they see him as a potential replacement or back-up option to Kane.

After hearing about their links to the Frenchman, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on their latest striker target.

A couple of Spurs fans suggested that Edouard could actually play alongside Kane in a strike partnership, much like what Fernando Llorente brought to the table.

With an impressive haul of 27 goals in just 45 games across all competitions, Edouard has certainly proven he’s got the ability to lead the line with aplomb.

But as one fan suggested, whether his exploits in Scottish football can be translated into the Premier League is another question altogether.

At only 22 however, he’s got the time to grow and develop into a real success at Spurs.

Glasgow Rangers youngster Jake Hastie has been loaned out to Motherwell for the 2020/21 campaign.

Hastie signed for the ‘Gers from Motherwell last summer and made just two appearances for the Ibrox outfit before being loaned out to Rotherham in September. However, after three goals in 16 games, he was recalled in January and did not play for the first team again before the SPFL season was brought to a premature close.

In his first spell at Fir Park, Hastie impressed by scoring seven goals in 18 games, and the ‘Gers will be hoping he can rediscover his form with a Motherwell side who finished third in the Premiership last term, ensuring that they will be in the Europa League in a few weeks’ time.

The Ibrox club have shared the news on their official Twitter account and it appears that many of the 54-time Scottish champions’ supporters are not too happy with the news – they either want him to stay with the ‘Gers or have questioned why he was even signed in the first place.

They have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts and you can see some of the best comments below:

‘Gers fans, do you feel that loaning out Hastie again was a mistake? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Newcastle United fans have been going through the wringer in the last week or so – whilst the club have been linked with fresh talks of a takeover, Mike Ashley’s decision to furlough the majority of their non-playing staff has caused a stir.

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ChronicleLive reporter Mark Douglas relayed some further news in that aspect with the Magpies’ media team now on the government’s job retention scheme despite the chairman being a very wealthy billionaire. The reliable scribe called it a “shame” and many supporters have echoed that.

He also makes reference to Liverpool, the runaway league leaders, for doing exactly the same as the St James’ Park outfit too.

Newcastle have also put the scouting and recruitment team on furlough leave and they were even the first Premier League club to make such measures.

According to Forbes, Ashley is worth around $2.4bn (£1.96bn) yet the Sports Direct tycoon isn’t prepared to fully support his staff during this time of uncertainty and danger.

A poor look, but did you really expect any better?

Here’s how fans have been reacting to Douglas’ information on Twitter…

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to transfer links with “another Joelinton”…

Speaking to Sky Sports, former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has questioned the Reds’ potential move for Timo Werner this summer.

What did he say?

The RB Leipzig striker has been heavily linked with a switch to Anfield this summer, with reports even suggesting that the Germany international was ready to join the Reds if they pay for his release clause before it expires.

However, Hamann has cast doubt on whether Werner would actually be the right signing to make, and insisted that he simply doesn’t fit into the style of play Jurgen Klopp wants to play.

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He said: “If you play out wide for Liverpool, even though the full-backs like to go on the overlap, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are both very tricky players, they are very skilful and Werner is not that type of player.

“His biggest asset by far is his pace and if I watch games now, even at Anfield, with Liverpool being so superior to most teams, most of them sit back and if you deny Werner space, he’s a lot less effective. If you look at his goal record for Leipzig, his goals this season has been outstanding, but they like to play on the counter-attack and they’re not really a possession team. I don’t think he’s got the trickery to play out wide as Mane and Salah have. I’m sure there are players out there who will help Liverpool more next season than Werner.”

Reality

Werner’s record of 27 goals and 12 assists in just 36 games across all competitions this season is certainly something remarkable – he has found the back of the net seven times more than Mohamed Salah, nine times more than Sadio Mane, and 16 times more than Roberto Firmino.

On that evidence alone, a big-money move for Werner seems to make a lot of sense. He would bring a proven track record of finishing to Anfield, and add some extra firepower to the Reds.

But as Hamann alludes to, there’s a real reliance on his pace and making the most of counter-attacking opportunities. And whilst Liverpool may be devastating at that, more and more teams are simply going to try and sit back and soak up the pressure – having a poacher like Werner in those kinds of games would be effectively redunant.

It’s exactly why Michael Edwards would be foolish to ignore Hamann’s verdict on Werner and go after the German forward this summer.

The last decade at Aston Villa has seen the club crash out of the Premier League with the fourth-worst points tally in top-flight history alongside rising back up via the Championship play-off final to end their three-year absence.

But amidst the highs and lows that the West Midlands side have experienced, these fans are in no doubt as to who the title of best centre-forward belongs to since 2010.

Having arrived from Genk in a £7m deal in 2012, Christian Benteke proceeded to star for Villa over a three-year spell, scoring 42 goals in 79 Premier League starts.

The Belgian striker became a formidable force during his time in B6, but a £32.5m bid from Liverpool in 2015 saw the striker depart for Anfield.

The forward’s form for Villa throughout his time with the club has certainly not been forgotten by these fans, who were quick to select Benteke as their best centre-forward since the turn of the decade.

Here are some of the best reactions.

West Bromwich Albion fans have been gushing over an unlikely figure this season.

Kyle Bartley has started and featured the length of every single Championship game this term, and it appears the impact of his new boss Slaven Bilic, a former centre-back himself, has been integral to his turnaround in form.

The 28-year-old ranks as the third-best player in the Baggies squad by WhoScored, which is quite impressive considering the exploits of their enigmatic attacking midfield trio of Grady Diangana, Matheus Pereira and Matty Phillips.

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Many members of the Hawthorns faithful have taken to social media to give their reviews on Bartley’s season so far – the colossus currently ranks inside the top ten in the Championship this season for average aerial duels won and fewest times dribbled past per game, also via WhoScored.

One supporter claimed the 6 foot 4 defender was twice the player of last season, believing he has been more confident in his ability while another stated that Bartley had been proving his doubters wrong after copping a lot of flak in the past.

‘Man mountain,’ ‘rock,’ and ‘top drawer’ were just a few phrases to sum up his performances this term, and one further fan pondered whether he is worthy of an England call up.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Meanwhile, Baggies boss Slaven Bilic thinks he has pinpointed the very reason behind Bartley’s turnaround in form… 

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Playing his own game.

That is how Blues boss Pep Clotet assessed the development of 21-year-old Fran Villalba during his first couple of months at St Andrew’s.

Speaking ahead of the game against Luton Town, Clotet spoke about just how well he is adapting to the Championship, predominantly how physical the league can be, and how he’s learning to play smart rather than try to play the opposition at their own game:

“I think he understood on Tuesday (against Blackburn), in Spain if he has the ball and someone pushes him from behind, they will give him the foul. Here in England if it is a fair fight, the ref will not give you the foul. You cannot expect your lack of physicality will grant you fouls.

“What I like from him is he saw that lesson very well on Tuesday, in the first-half. In the second-half he got round it, which shows how smart a player he is, he just played quicker.”

Now that he has learned to adapt to the league, there needs to a lot more tangible results coming his way.

Villalba finally got his first goal for the Blues against Middlesbrough a few weeks ago, but if he is really going to show his worth, we need that to start becoming a regular occurrence.

Whilst some leeway can be granted to him because he is so young and that he took some time getting used to things in this country, that leash can only stretch so far before things need to take a step up once again.

And this doesn’t just go for Villalba, but the other Spaniards who joined the club like Agus Medina and Alvaro Gimenez, who between them have contributed just one goal with zero assists (via Transfermarkt).

It’s ok if they want to play ‘their style’ if they aren’t up to adapting fully to the English game, but if they choose to do that, then they have to bring something to the table, and at the moment they just aren’t.

Clotet obviously showed that he wanted to bring a certain style of play to St Andrew’s, based on the players he brought in and their nationalities, but if the players don’t start producing they could end up putting the Spaniard out of a job.

Then they run the risk of having to deal with a manager who doesn’t look upon them as favourably as Clotet does.