Manchester United have been handed positive injury news with Marcus Rashford having avoided a serious problem.

According to Sky Sports, the England forward has only sustained slight bruising and swelling on his ankle so should only be out for a maximum of one match.

There was a slight worry that the Red Devils star may have been out longer having been forced off following a tackle in Manchester United’s 2-0 victory against Manchester City last weekend.

Despite the concern, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised Rashford as “he sacrificed himself” for the result at the Etihad Stadium. The news will, of course, be welcome for the Norwegian as the season enters a critical stage as he will be able to rely on one of his star performers.

Rashford has been in brilliant form throughout the 2020/21 campaign -he’s currently in the midst of one his most productive seasons at Old Trafford to date.

In 43 appearances in all competitions, he has hit 18 goals whilst providing a further 12 assists.

He has also been one of Solskjaer stalwarts having appeared in every single match in all competitions so far this season.

Whilst the ankle problem could keep him out of Thursday’s UEFA Europa League last-16 first-leg against AC Milan at Old Trafford, the fact that he should be available for a number of key matches will thrill his manager.

Before the end of the season, the Red Devils are set to face West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Leicester City – all surely pivotal clashes in the race for the top four.

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They also continue their challenge on multiple fronts with both the UEFA Europa League second-leg against Milan and an FA Cup quarter-final face-off with Leicester City still set to come.

With Rashford having avoided a long lay-off, Solskjaer will surely be overjoyed.

AND in more news, read why a big-money move for Tottenham’s Harry Kane has to be Manchester United’s priority this summer…

Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has suffered a fresh blow ahead of their crucial Europa League tie this evening…

What’s the latest?

Speaking ahead of kick-off, Gerrard confirmed that midfield favourite Ryan Jack would not be involved as the Scottish Premiership champions host Slavia Prague, even though he is seemingly close to a return to action. Jack missed the first-leg tie, but Gerrard said at the time that he could have played but that the Rangers staff chose not to risk him.

Scotland were keen to have Jack as part of their squad, which Steven Gerrard has spoken to Steve Clarke about, which suggests he is close to a return, but tonight’s game, unfortunately, comes too soon for Jack to feature in, suggesting he’s had a bit of a setback, given that he was seemingly fit to play last week.

Gerrard said, via the Daily Record:

“I had a chat with Steve Clarke and obviously that will remain private.

“We’ve been in touch over Ryan and a few other players for some time now but I’m not going to divulge what gets said in the conversation. I don’t think that’s fair or respectful.

“We will make a decision on the weekend when we need to but he is ruled out for tomorrow’s game.”

The 29-year-old missed last week’s 1-1 draw in the Czech Republic and is now a major doubt for the Old Firm derby this weekend.

Bad news for Gerrard

Even though they’ve secured their first title in ten years, this update will come as a major setback for Gerrard and Rangers.

Jack has emerged as a regular starter when fit, with 16 of his 19 league appearances coming from the off, whilst he also started the big group games against Standard Liege and Benfica.

In terms of central midfield options this season, the Scottish powerhouse tops the charts for average WhoScored rating (7.03) ahead of veteran Steven Davis (7.01), Glen Kamara (6.93), Scott Arfield (6.67) and Bongani Zungu (6.26), so evidently, he’s Gerrard’s best man when available.

Speaking about the situation last week, the 40-year-old revealed he was “upset” by the injury and reinforced Jack’s influence to the side. He added: “He’s so important to us.”

Admittedly, he’s vital to Rangers’ fortunes – for creativity in the middle, there’s no one better as he’s managed one key pass per game, which is more than the aforementioned quartet of alternative options, whilst 1.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match suggest he’s just as prominent defensively – only Davis betters such returns, via WhoScored.

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It is this ability to read the game and snuff out any danger which could prove to be a big miss on the night, especially in such a huge fixture.

Ex-Gers star Thomas Buffel recently compared him to Barry Ferguson, which is high praise indeed. He told The Sun: “His consistency levels are incredible and he is the one player the manager can always rely on. He really reminds me of Barry — and that is the highest compliment I can pay him.”

If Gerrard’s side loses tonight, then their European dream is over for another season and their chances of finding a way past the Czech champions will be all that more harder without the industrious Jack pulling the strings in the engine room.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kent: Rangers must swoop for magical 18-goal gem, he’s made 109 dribbles…

KV Mechelen are in talks with Celtic over a summer deal for winger Marian Shved.

That’s according to a report in the Daily Record [print edition 20/3/21, p.60], cited by 67 Hail Hail.

The 23-year-old has impressed on loan with the Belgian side, especially since the turn of the New Year, making 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring four times and registering three assists.

Shved, who is on the same wages as David Turnbull (£7,500 per week), is under contract with the Hoops until 2023.

He has only made three appearances for the club since his £1.8m move to Glasgow in 2019, and it seems as if he could be leaving Parkhead for good over the coming months.

Transfer Tavern take

Shved may not be the only Celtic player to complete a permanent move to Belgium this summer. Hoops defender Jack Hendry has also starred in the Jupiler Pro League with Oostende, who appear to be keen on activating an option-to-buy clause at the end of the current campaign.

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It seems as if there will be a major Parkhead rebuild both on and off the pitch over the coming months, and moving on the likes of Shved and Hendry could be just the beginning.

In other news: Pundit claims available manager has met with the Celtic board, find out more here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who appeared 332 times for Newcastle United, believes the best option the Magpies have going forward is to get more crosses into the box.

Newcastle’s last two goals have both come from Jamaal Lascelles getting on the end of a cross and with players like Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy on the wings, there should be no shortage of balls being fired into the area.

Lee was impressed with Murphy’s cameo against Aston Villa as he set up his captain for a last-second equaliser, however, he’s never been impressed by the former Norwich City winger when he has started a game for Newcastle.

Speaking on whether or not Murphy should start for Newcastle, Lee told FFC exclusively:

“Jacob Murphy seems to have all the ability in the world, he’s quick and can get crosses into the box. However, it seems that whenever he starts he doesn’t play well from what I’ve seen of him.

“I think the one thing Newcastle have got to do is get crosses in. You saw at the end against Villa we were desperate, but we were getting crosses into the box and then Lascelles got on the end of one and scored, so that’s what I think we have to do.”

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Newcastle have attempted just 305 crosses in the Premier League which is the fifth-lowest, however with their previous two goals coming from balls whipped into the box it could be an avenue Steve Bruce wishes to exploit more.

Murphy once again had to settle for coming on as a substitute in the defeat to Brighton on Friday, but will be hopeful of a start when they host Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park after the international break.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Birmingham City manager Barry Fry has backed Lee Bowyer to steer his old side to Championship safety.

Bowyer was installed into the St. Andrew’s dugout earlier this month following the departure of Aitor Karanka and has managed to make a decent start to life in his new role.

While 21st-placed Birmingham lost last time out, a 3-0 defeat to Watford, they were able to win their first game under Bowyer after overcoming the challenge of Reading.

It is a promising sign, and Fry is expecting more of the same going forward as he tipped the former Charlton Athletic manager to complete the task he has been handed.

Discussing Bowyer’s appointment in an exclusive interview with FFC, Peterborough’s director of football said:

“Lee is the ideal man to go into Birmingham City because he’s very positive, he’s very committed, he’s very passionate, he’s very knowledgable, he’s honest and he gets the best out of the players. And when you look at the Birmingham squad, it’s a good squad, but each and every one of them are underachieving.”

On the same topic, Fry later added:

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“I back Lee, the Bluenoses will back Lee and I think he’ll do enough. Although he’s got a difficult task, he’ll do enough to keep the Blues in the Championship.”

Bowyer and his side will next be in action when they welcome Swansea City to St. Andrew’s after the international break. The Swans, currently sitting in third in the Championship table, have been flying high this season, so it could be another tricky fixture for Birmingham.

Southampton have been linked with Anderlecht ace Marco Kana recently, and the 18-year-old could prove to be an excellent addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

According to Belgian news outlet Voetbalkrant, Southampton are still keen on the youngster ahead of the summer transfer window, although AC Milan are seemingly leading the race to sign him.

The youngster has established himself as a regular at Anderlecht in recent seasons after coming through their academy and has now made 27 appearances for the first team, in which he has managed one goal and one assist.

Kana can play as both a centre-back and a defensive midfielder and has unsurprisingly earned comparisons to former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, who currently manages Anderlecht and will undoubtedly be giving the 18-year-old excellent advice on how to become a top defender.

An article from the Daily Mail last year suggested that he has already been labelled as “the next Kompany”, although it added that he would be keen on a move to Liverpool should he make the switch to the Premier League, which is seemingly another blow to Southampton’s chances of signing him.

Kana is currently valued at £3.15m by Transfermarkt, although his contract with the Jupiler Pro League side is set to expire in 2025, so the Brussels outfit may demand a much higher fee should Martin Semmens and Southampton make an official approach ahead of next season.

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WhoScored describes the Belgium under-21 international’s strengths as his passing, dribbling and interceptions, whilst his main weakness is his ability in the air. It is therefore is easy to see why he might be more suited for a defensive midfield role in Southampton’s side until he develops further, when he could perhaps be moved back to a more defensive position.

Kana certainly looks to have a bright future and could be a great long-term option for the Saints, especially if he lives up to his billing of the next Kompany, with the Belgian having been a driving force behind Manchester City’s transformation in the Premier League.

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Therefore, Semmens should do everything he can to try and bring Kana to St Mary’s this summer, as otherwise he might go on to become a top player elsewhere.

In other news… Signed for £19m, left for £0: Southampton endured a nightmare with 29 y/o shocker

Frank McAvennie has claimed no club will be able to offer the money Glasgow Rangers want for Colombia international Alfredo Morelos.

McAvennie makes Morelos claim

Morelos appears to be eager to depart Ibrox this summer, recently saying that he dreams of a move to the Premier League (Radio Caracol).

However, speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie believes he will stay at Ibrox as no club will be able to afford him. He said:

“I do not think he would go to one of the big, big clubs in Europe so I think he would want to stay.

“He will only be worth what someone is willing to offer and at the moment nobody has offered anything close and I don’t think they will either. 

“Rangers will be absolutely delighted with that because they will only sell him if a club meets their asking price and I think it will be a bit much for most sides, especially in today’s financial climate.

“It is a strange one but if he was to leave he would go with the fans blessing because he has done ever so well for them. I don’t think he would go though.“

Debatable

This is probably what a lot of fans of the 55-time Scottish champions will want to hear. Since making the move to Ibrox in 2017, he has 93 goals in 176 games (Transfermarkt), and he has played a big role as the Gers have clinched the Premiership title this term. He is currently valued at £10.8m (Transfermarkt), and the Gers will arguably looking for plenty more than that to part ways with the 24-year-old.

However, given he plays in Scotland, he will come a lot cheaper than a lot of players across the continent, and even a sum of £20m may seem an acceptable fee for a number of clubs. It promises to be a busy summer at Rangers – it remains to be seen whether Morelos is there at the end of it.

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In other news, Rangers fans do not agree with these comments from Steven Gerrard.

Southampton have been linked with moves for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks recently but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Harry Winks:

According to Football Insider, Southampton are keeping tabs on the England international, who has struggled to force his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans at Spurs in recent months.

The 25-year-old has made just seven starts in the top-flight this season and has struggled to impress, as he seemingly doesn’t suit Mourinho’s counter-attacking style of play, which perhaps relies on hard-tackling, box-to-box midfielders rather than a playmaker such as Winks.

Although he has now made 167 appearances for Spurs having progressed through their academy, he has just four goals and four assists to his name, so wouldn’t offer Hasenhuttl’s side much in an attacking sense.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles:

According to The Telegraph, Southampton are likely to return for Maitland-Niles in the summer after seeing a January loan move for the 23-year-old breakdown, with the Arsenal academy graduate keen to leave his boyhood club after a lack of first-team opportunities under Mikel Arteta.

Since joining West Brom on loan, the England international has made eight appearances for the Baggies and averaged a solid 6.61 rating for Sam Allardyce’s side and will have a chance to impress Hasenhuttl when Southampton travel to the Hawthorns on Monday evening.

Although he has suggested that he wants to play as a midfielder, some of his most impressive displays at Arsenal have come as a wing-back, so he could offer the Austrian manager excellent cover at full-back next season should he join.

Who would be better?

Maitland-Niles has clearly outperformed Winks this season despite playing in a poorer team, so would arguably be a better option in the summer for Southampton.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

He would offer Hasenhuttl more versatility and is younger than Winks so has more scope to improve in the future, whilst his reported interest in leaving Arsenal could see his asking price lowered.

Stuart Pearce claimed earlier in the season that he thought Maitland-Niles had been “outstanding” for Arsenal at the start of the season, so he could definitely add something to Southampton if he were to make the move to St Mary’s.

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[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, Martin Semmens should perhaps forget about signing Winks and instead focus on bringing the £16.2m-rated Maitland-Niles to Southampton this summer.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Bertrand: Saints could repeat KWP masterclass by signing £9m-rated gem

Many Aston Villa fans have flocked to an update on Ross Barkley that was relayed on Twitter by journalist Ashley Preece.

Preece recently wrote an article about Barkley and his situation at Villa and the journalist shared it on Twitter.

The article from Preece called for more support for Barkley, saying that his confidence has taken a dent over the last few months at Villa and instead of constant abuse, the England international deserves more support from the fans.

The 27-year-old has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, contributing to five goals as well. His campaign was disrupted by a hamstring injury – his last start for Villa came back in late February against Leicester (as per Transfermarkt).

As many as 13 Villa players have picked up better average match ratings than him, which shows that his loan stint at the club hasn’t exactly gone to plan, but also that the general standard at Villa Park now is just extremely high.

Preece’s tweet about Barkley drew the attention of many Villa fans, who made their views clear about the midfielder.

What do Villa fans make of Barkley’s situation?

“I think it would be difficult to criticise him if his work rate was high but coming on as a sub late in second half and ambling around like he did really isnt up to scratch. He has to help himself too, being a passenger and not creating chances isn’t going to boost his confidence.”

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Credit: @GVillans

“Best of luck to him but can’t have passengers like that at Villa. We’ve worked hard to rid the club of players who lack the desire and work ethic but are happy to pickup vast sums of cash each week – let’s learn from our previous mistakes.”Credit: @GV18271″Ash, I agree that players need backing and support. He has lost confidence and we all know how that feels. But the bare minimum is hard work and dedication, yet he is showing nothing. He has done absolutely nothing to show the fans he wants to make it right. Its his own doing IMO.”Credit: @Chrsmo”There is no doubt that the lad has plenty of ability, but the bear minimum is hard work and one example he should be following is Trezeguet he gets plenty of stick from our fans, but never for his lack of work rate.”Credit: @WayneDawkins2″There’s out of form and there’s lack of effort and that’s simply not on. Even our worst performers look like they care, Barkley doesn’t and I think he’s burned too many bridges now.”Credit: @brummyste”Sorry Ashley I disagree he should practice in someone else’s time not waste ours and at a huge cost to the club. Hard lesson learnt back to Chelsea please. Onwards and upwards.”Credit: @LG23392173In other news, Villa source lifts lid on huge offer expected for ‘brilliant’ £22.5m-rated AVFC star – report

Charlton Athletic will be looking to bolster their promotion chances with a win over Ipswich Town at The Valley this lunchtime.

The Addicks are unbeaten under Nigel Adkins and could move into the play-offs with three points in this crucial encounter. However, if they taste defeat, then the Tractor Boys could leapfrog them to deal a massive blow to their hopes of returning to the Championship.

Last time out, the south-east Londoners recorded an impressive victory over Sunderland, so they should come into this one in a lot of confidence.

Here’s our predicted XI and the latest team and injury news ahead of kick-off…

Adkins is dealing with a few knocks and bruises and, as a result, he could be forced into a few changes.

The backline is expected to largely remain the same barring one alteration at right-back as veteran Chris Gunter comes back into the side, taking the place of 29-year-old Adam Matthews.

It means that skipper Jason Pearce and Ryan Inniss continue their impressive partnership in front of Ben Amos, with Ben Purrington occupying the other flank.

Match-winner Alex Gibey suffered a knock at the Stadium of Light so he may not be risked from the off, but he should be fit enough to come off the bench at the very least.

Andrew Shinnie, who started Adkins’ first game in charge, is the likely replacement as he plugs the gap in front of defensive midfield veteran Darren Pratley and the industrious Jake Forster-Caskey.

The third and final change could see Liverpool loanee Liam Millar return to the starting XI in the absence of Chelsea starlet Ian Maatsen, who has missed a lot of training this week with an injury issue.

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He’ll be deployed on the left wing, with Diallang Jaiysemi keeping his spot but moving across to the right.

Conor Washington has been ruled out once again, and with further doubts over the fitness of Chuks Aneke, we should see Jayden Stockley lead the line on his own.

AND in other news, Charlton may have ideal Stockley successor in 21 y/o gem who has “energy and power”…