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As Celtic lurch from one disappointing game to another, Neil Lennon must be desperately searching for ways to get his side back to winning ways.

The Hoops have completely fallen out of the title picture already, finding themselves a whopping 21 points behind arch-rivals and leaders Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Lennon’s side face Livingston tonight looking to regain some much-needed momentum, and Kristoffer Ajer may be the man to come in and bring some stability back.

The 6 foot 6 centre-back has been linked with a move away from Celtic, and has had to miss the last two games in the Scottish Premiership after being forced to quarantine.

Now that its over, Lennon may look to recall the £3.6m-rated man, and instead drop the woeful Shane Duffy. Celtic’s summer signing has been in awful form since arriving from Brighton on a season-long loan, not least a shocking cameo in the Old Firm clash against Rangers earlier this month.

In Ajer, they would get someone who’s been the closest thing to a Virgil van Dijk since the Dutchman made the move south of the border to join Southampton.

Speaking earlier this season, Alex McLeish said: “I go back to that St Johnstone game, you see sometimes when it’s not going for Celtic and the game’s in its dying embers, and then all of a sudden you see Ajer striding up the pitch trying to inspire like Roy of the Rovers.

“Running from defence, augment the attack and then it leads to a goal – these are inspirational moments and he is an inspirational, influential player for Celtic.”

Ajer’s teammate and fellow centre-back partner Christopher Jullien described him as a “unique talent”, and it’s no surprise given his incredible size but elegance on the ball when he brings it out from defence.

A clean sheet against Livingston last time out might leave Lennon feeling he should stick to the same back-four, but Ajer’s return could allow the Hoops to play out from the back instead of someone like Shane Duffy hoofing it into row Z.

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Ajer has averaged almost twenty passes more per game than Duffy this season in the Scottish Premiership (69.2 to 50.1), and boasts a far better passing accuracy too at 89% to 83%.

Retaining possession and starting counter-attacks from the back could be key to ensuring they don’t draw another blank against Livingston tonight, and Ajer’s extra composure from the heart of defence could be key.

Meanwhile, Celtic must play this exciting prospect against Livingston…

Newcastle United are expecting Callum Wilson and Jonjo Shelvey to be back available for selection at Sheffield United on Tuesday as Steve Bruce issues a raft of changes from the side which lost to Arsenal in the FA Cup.

The Magpies are now winless in the last month with five defeats and two draws in their past seven fixtures, while being eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the space of 18 days.

Wilson and Shelvey failed to feature at the Emirates on Saturday, where their replacements squandered a string of chances to seal a rare victory over the Gunners and were punished by extra-time goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

But Bruce faces selection dilemmas across the field ahead of travelling to Bramall Lane, a ground where he has won on four of five previous visits. So, with that in mind, here’s a potential line-up the 60-year-old could favour…

Martin Dubravka made his first appearance of the season at Arsenal after a heel injury but is likely to return to the bench against Sheffield United in place of Karl Darlow, with the £25,000-per-week ‘keeper impressing far beyond his three clean sheets throughout the campaign.

Jamaal Lascelles also earned his first start since November in north London after testing positive for coronavirus, and will likely be a gameday decision after being taken off at the break following an early yellow card for a foul on Reiss Nelson.

Matt Ritchie replaced Lascelles at half-time for his 10th outing of the term and will likely start at left-back against the Blades, with Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez expected to be recalled to central defence after sitting out the Arsenal defeat.

Andy Carroll led the line against Arsenal but was wasted in the capital by Bruce’s defensive tactics, which left the rumoured West Bromwich Albion target to drop deep until the closing stages when he let two clear cut chances to steal the win go to waste.

Yet the 6 ft 4 target man may be one of only four players to be retained from the Gunners defeat, allowing Bruce to partner the returning Wilson with a strike partner as he looks to ease the burden on the Toon’s eight-goal top-scorer.

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Like Wilson, Shelvey is expected to be given a role in the starting line-up for the first time since Newcastle drew 1-1 with Fulham last month, potentially joining Isaac Hayden in the engine room against Sheffield United.

Miguel Almiron could only produce one key pass at the Emirates on Saturday but may be considered for a central role at Bramall Lane to help connect the Magpies’ strikers and midfield in a side that has scored just four goals in their last seven games.

AND in other news, a Newcastle gem embarrassed his teammates as Steve Bruce’s only positive at Arsenal…

It’s been a while since Crystal Palace could lay claim to having one of the best players in the country on their books, hasn’t it?

Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha is, of course, worth a shout, whilst Eberechi Eze may not be too far behind his teammate after his heroics against Sheffield United, but other than that, it’s fair to say that Roy Hodgson has been left with slim pickings indeed.

However, things could have been very different for the Eagles as had Steve Parish simply plucked up the courage in the summer, they could have had arguably one of the best strikers in the EFL at Selhurst Park right now. And no, we’re not talking about Bournemouth striker Joshua King.

According to The Guardian’s Ben Fisher, Palace missed the opportunity to sign former Peterborough striker Ivan Toney back in 2020 as they lost out to Brentford.

The Bees paid a club-record fee of £9m plus performance-related bonuses to prise him away from the Posh, which isn’t exactly a huge amount of cash, especially when you consider the fact Palace spent £7m on Connor Wickham.

It’s easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but if Parish had been brave enough to pull the trigger, they could have had an absolute goal machine on their hands.

Toney is easily one of the best strikers in the Championship, he’s the joint-leading goalscorer in the competition this season, and his ridiculous record speaks for itself – 16 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Posh director of football Barry Fry heaped praise on his former charge at the end of last season, saying: “Ivan has been an incredible signing. His improvement in two seasons with us has been remarkable.

“He was by far and away the best player in League One last season and he deserves a shot at the Championship or even the Premier League.”

Parish wouldn’t part ways with his money last year, and now just six months later, it looks like an inexcusable mistake as he’s turned out to be a true bargain for the Bees.

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AND in other news, Crystal Palace given major boost after Roy Hodgson confirms Christian Benteke’s injury isn’t too serious…

Southampton will be hoping to put last week’s disappointing result against Manchester City behind them, as they face Scott Parker’s Fulham on Boxing Day.

The Saints travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday hoping to pick up three points against the relegation candidates but will be without some key players due to injury and suspension.

Danny Ings, Jannik Vestergaard and Nathan Redmond all look likely to miss the trip to West London through injury, whilst key midfielder Oriol Romeu is suspended for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Austrian manager to line his side up against Fulham, with four changes from the side that started against Man City…

There’s one change in the Southampton defence, with Mohammed Salisu looking likely to make his debut against the Cottagers, following the injury to Vestergaard, which is undoubtedly a blow for Hasenhuttl’s side.

Ibrahim Diallo seems the natural replacement for the suspended Oriol Romeu in midfield, and he looks likely to make his first Premier League start at Craven Cottage, after Hasenhuttl spoke about the summer signing ahead of this weekend’s game.

Stuart Armstrong comes in on the left-hand side for Moussa Djenepo, as he was missed against Manchester City.

During his time with Celtic, the Scottish international was lauded by Brendan Rodgers, with the manager saying:

“Technically he has everything. He’s strong. I wasn’t sure tactically how he was but he looked like he had an idea. Physically he has everything: he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s powerful. Mentally, I had to find out, because playing for Celtic you have to be mentally strong to cope.”

Walcott starts on the right-hand side, although he could easily interchange with Armstrong throughout the game, or even move up front if Hasenhuttl desires.

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With Ings absent, Hasenhuttl may choose to start young Nathan Tella up front. The 21-year-old replaced the striker against Manchester City, and a recent academy display where he scored four goals as a striker certainly suggests that he could be dangerous if played there. This would be his full Premier League debut.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Carlton Palmer makes Danny Ings contract claim…

Southampton will be hoping to continue their impressive start to the 2020/21 Premier League season by picking up all three points against Sheffield United on Sunday.

The Saints secured an impressive 2-1 win against Brighton last time out, so will be confident when they face Chris Wilder’s side at St Mary’s, with the Blades having picked up just one point in the Premier League so far this season.

Following his winning goal from the bench last time out, it seems likely that Danny Ings will return to Southampton’s starting line up but considering the Saints’ strong recent form, it would be a surprise to see too many other changes.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line his side up against Sheffield United…

Unsurprisingly, Hasenhuttl keeps faith in Alex McCarthy, with the shot-stopper no doubt hoping to pick up his fifth clean sheet of the season in Sunday’s game.

Jannik Vestergaard could be a threat with his height from corners, whilst Jan Bednarek continues to partner the Dane in defence, although it surely won’t be long until we see Mohammed Salisu make his first appearance in a Saints shirt.

Kyle Walker-Peters and Ryan Bertrand continue to start at full-back, with both having been mainstays in Hasenhuttl’s side so far this season.

There’s one change in midfield, as Nathan Redmond is restored to the starting XI after an arguably disappointing display from Moussa Djenepo in the win against Brighton – his 6.4 rating as per Sofascore was the joint-lowest of any Southampton player.

James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu can continue their impressive partnership in midfield, with the duo having been two of Hasenhuttl’s standout performers in the Premier League this year – the duo are both in the top five for average match rating for the Saints as per Whoscored.

Finally, Ings is given the nod to start up front, ahead of Theo Walcott, who drops out after a poor performance against Brighton last time out.

Back in 2016, Lee Dixon was full of praise for the former Arsenal man, saying:

“His speed and quality on the ball is unquestionable.

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“Now all of a sudden he is unplayable. He is thinking about the game. It seems like he has turned into a different player.”

However, Ings’ connection with Che Adams up front has been a key part of Southampton’s impressive run of form – the duo have 14 goal contributions combined –  and if those two can perform well, the Saints will surely have a good chance of picking up all three points against Sheffield United.

And, in other news… Southampton can exploit key SHU weakness by unleashing colossus “role model”

Big things were expected of Calum Chambers when he left Southampton to join Arsenal in 2014, but after a series of injuries and loan spells away from the North London club, it would appear that the Saints sold the defender at the perfect time.

The 25-year-old had made just 25 first-team appearances for Southampton when he made the switch to Arsenal six years ago, with the Gunners paying around £16 million for his services.

In his time with Arsenal, Chambers has managed just 101 appearances for the senior side and has also spent time on loan with Middlesbrough and Fulham in recent seasons.

Unfortunately for the defender, injury problems have heavily disrupted his time with the North London club, most notably when he missed 35 games due to a cruciate ligament rupture suffered in December 2019.

Whilst he recently returned to action with the U’23s, he is yet to make an appearance for Mikel Arteta’s first-team so far this season.

Of course, Chambers is returning from a long-term injury and is most likely just regaining fitness ahead of a return to Premier League action, and his performances last season before his injury suggest that he could be a regular in this Arsenal side once he returns.

During the 2019/20 campaign, the 25-year-old made 14 appearances in the top-flight, averaging a solid 6.86 rating, so when you consider Arsenal’s woes so far this season, perhaps Arteta will want to restore the Englishman to his starting line-up in the near future.

Although, with the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes in the summer, you wonder how much longer the North London club will keep faith in Chambers, considering his injury problems since joining the club.

Either way, it seems that Southampton got a great deal in selling him for as much as they did back in 2015, thanks to former head of football Les Reed, as he was valued at just £1.8 million when he signed for the Gunners.

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Saints fans may well be hoping that Chambers still goes on to have a strong career with Arsenal, but much will depend on how well he performs if he is given a chance in Arteta’s side.

And, in other news… Southampton ace badly let Hasenhuttl down with a shocking display vs Manchester United

Glasgow Rangers weren’t exactly quiet in the summer transfer window, but perhaps Ross Wilson could have added the icing on the cake with one final signing.

Steven Gerrard was given not one but two back-up strikers in the form of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe, whilst Wilson also brought in Bongani Zungu before the stroke of play on transfer deadline day.

Whilst Rangers secured the services of Leon Balogun on a one-year deal in the summer with the option to extend his contract for a further year after Nikola Katic suffered a serious knee injury during pre-season training, Filip Helander and George Edmundson are currently self-isolating with the latter having fallen afoul of the coronavirus guidelines.

This means that the Ibrox boss only has three options for two centre-back positions at present – as talented left-back Calvin Bassey can also play in a more central role if required, whilst Connor Goldson and Balogun are almost guaranteed to start against Scottish Premiership rivals Ross County at Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon.

An injury crisis or an outbreak of coronavirus cases could cause several problems at the back, so the Ibrox boss may want to think about dipping into the academy ranks, and he may be more inclined to do so after Leon King made his first-team debut last weekend.

Rangers crushed Scottish League One club Falkirk in a comfortable 4-0 win in the Betfred Cup to cruise into the last eight with the 16-year-old coming off the bench to replace James Tavernier at right-back in the second half.

Primarily a centre-back, King is cut from a similar cloth to Goldson, who has also been utilised at right-back in the past.

In 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, the 27-year-old has scored two goals and supplied one assist, whilst he is averaging 1.1 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no surprise, then, that Goldson has attracted attention from clubs south of the border, as reports in recent times revealed that several Premier League side retain an interest in the Wolverhampton-born defender, which is where King could come into the fray.

Despite his young age, his rapid progress hasn’t gone unnoticed, as the teenager has already made the jump from the academy ranks to the senior squad, albeit on a temporary basis.

Former Rangers full-back Alan Hutton hailed the young talent after the win last weekend, telling Football Insider: “It’s crazy, at 16, to be playing in the Rangers first-team.

“I think he turns 17 just in January but they’ve done really well to hold onto him, I think he’s kind of the next one, the next big one that we see making the breakthrough.

“A lot of teams down south, I know, were interested in him but he signed a new contract back in March – another great prospect for the future, they speak about him very highly.

“Even though he’s physically ready, I don’t think he’s ready in terms of coming in and playing all the time. I think it’s about learning, training with the first-team, getting used to that sort of atmosphere and progressing well.

“To get those compliments from Steven Gerrard, again, another one that must have his confidence absolutely through the roof at the moment.”

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The Daily Record recently reported that King has signed his first professional contract with the 54-time Scottish champions which made him one of the club’s highest-paid youngsters in the process, amid interest from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

If that’s the case, then the Ibrox boss would be wise to integrate him further into the first team to ward off any potential suitors, especially when you consider the impact of Bassey in recent weeks.

Goldson could act as the perfect mentor to the young academy product as it’s fair to say that King is still learning about the game and life in general. After all, he has experienced both the highs and lows of being a professional footballer after returning from successful surgery.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard could unshackle Kemar Roofe as the team’s No. 10…

Leicester have the chance to put more daylight between themselves and closest Europa League opponents Sporting Braga this evening. The two have three points between them but a win for the Foxes in Portugal will be a huge boost for their 2020/21 campaign.

It will also put Leicester in good stead to top their group and finish on maximum points. However, Brendan Rodgers will be cautious of the fact that they play Fulham in just a matter of days and can’t afford to risk any key players.

With a dilemma on his hands, here’s how Football FanCast has predicted Leicester to line up vs Braga tonight…

The Foxes will be reeling after a 3-0 defeat against Liverpool ended their six-game unbeaten run. The reigning champions made easy work of bagging another Premier League win and have now leapfrogged Leicester in the table. Eager not to let it set a dynamic, Rodgers will be putting all of his focus into tonight’s tactics and we could see a change in formation.

Despite playing with three central defenders and deploying his full-backs further up the pitch recently, the boss could revert to a standard four across the back in order to maximise defensive strength. James Justin and Christian Fuchs will shift back as Rodgers could recreate the set up he fielded against Zorya last month.

After struggling against Liverpool and netting an own goal, Jonny Evans could be given a breather ahead of Fulham, with the lesser seen Wes Morgan stepping in to start. The £80,000 per week centre-back could make an appearance in the second half though.

Leicester will need the creative mind of Youri Tielemans in midfield but could also rely on Hamza Choudhury, who started the reverse fixture at the King Power Stadium with Wilfried Ndidi still out.

Kelechi Iheanacho will undoubtedly start after bagging two goals last time out, but his support may be altered a little. Ayoze Perez hasn’t started a match for Rodgers in more than a month, with Harvey Barnes now excelling in the team. However, the youngster struggled at Anfield and the Spaniard may finally get the nod to play opposite fellow winger Cengiz Under, with James Maddison pulling the strings in the middle.

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It will be bold option to start Perez after he has fallen down the pecking order, but it could be the boost he needs to perform and stay happy in the squad.

In other news, Ricardo Pereira’s U23 appearance is exactly what Rodgers needed…

Things are just beginning to look up if you’re a Newcastle United fan.

After a dreadful and timid display at home to Manchester United eventually saw them lose 4-1, the Magpies have enjoyed a couple of very impressive results in the Premier League.

First, Steve Bruce’s side rescued a very creditable point away at notoriously hard to play Wolves at Molineux, before picking up a huge 2-1 win against this season’s high-fliers Everton.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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With in-form Southampton their next challenge in the top-flight, there’s a real chance Newcastle could end up in the top four by the end of Friday night, if – and it’s a big if – they can beat Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Below is a look at just how the Magpies could potentially line up.

With Martin Dubravka still no closer to making his return to the starting line-up thanks to injury, Karl Darlow will continue in between the sticks for the Magpies.

In front of him, Bruce will no doubt continue with the same back-five that served him so well in that clash against Everton, with very little reason to make changes there.

The two big decisions that the Newcastle boss will have to make comes further forward. Both Isaac Hayden and Ryan Fraser came on as substitutes in that win over the Toffees, and will surely be pushing for a start this time around against Southampton.

Sean Longstaff’s inspired performance on his return from injury may however have convinced Bruce that he should be kept in the starting eleven, meaning Hayden will have to settle for a place on the bench.

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Miguel Almiron on the other hand, is surely in danger of losing his place, especially given Fraser’s contribution to Wilson’s second goal, which proved to be the match-winner of course thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late strike.

That could see Bruce field a very exciting, and pacy, front-three of Fraser, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson.

Predicted XI: Darlow; Murphy, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis; Longstaff, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Wilson, Fraser.

Celtic will be hoping that tonight’s match against Lille will see them bounce back to winning ways. The Hoops have now gone three games without a victory, rocked by the defeat Rangers handed them at Celtic Park.

Neil Lennon has come under fire for the recent run of form and this evening will be his chance to prove his critics wrong. He has been chopping and changing his lineups throughout this season and could field yet another surprise XI in France.

Football FanCast has predicted how Lennon might opt to set up this time…

Despite shipping three goals against Aberdeen, the boss is likely to stick with his decision to replace Vasilis Barkas with Scott Bain. The Greece international has been disappointing this season and will need to work hard to regain his place in the starting lineup.

Back-up option Bain will be protected by usual duo Kristoffer Ajer and Shane Duffy and Lennon should consider fielding Nir Bitton, after a surprise back four option against the Dons didn’t work out.

Bitton has been confirmed to be in contention for tonight’s clash after returning from a positive coronavirus case.

The Celtic attack is an area that seems to be constantly under review by Lennon. Since the Rangers clash, a double strike force, lone striker, and front four has been deployed in order to search for a winning method. However, these worries could be put at rest today as Odsonne Edouard also rejoins training alongside Bitton.

The Frenchman has five goal contributions in seven Premiership appearances so far and has been a huge miss for the Hoops. The £13.5million-rated forward’s return to the action today could be the boost Lennon has been longing for and could be the difference between a win and a draw against Lille.

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Ryan Christie has been impressing recently and could earn another start to support to two strikers, with Tom Rogic axed despite the fact he assisted twice against Aberdeen. Christie’s penalty against Aberdeen ensured Celtic came away with a point and could be crucial in their European battle.

In other news, Celtic foolish not to sign Scott McTominay amid Neil Lennon crisis…