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The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin has claimed it is possible that both Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis start for Celtic on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Furuhashi’s return from injury

Ange Postecoglou has been without Furuhashi since December due to a hamstring problem.

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The Hoops have managed to cope without their top scorer though and are now three points clear of rivals Rangers heading into Sunday’s crucial Glasgow Derby at Ibrox.

Giakoumakis has stepped up to the mark in Furuhashi’s, absence, scoring 11 times in 2022, however, there is hope Furuhashi could be available against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin shared a story on The Athletic on Wednesday, looking at who could lead the line for the Hoops at Ibrox.

He said it is ‘possible’ that both Furuhashi and Giakoumakis start together, although he added that it is unlikely.

The Verdict: A risk?

It looks as if Furuhashi may well have a part to play on the weekend, however, it could be a huge risk if Postecoglou selected the forward in his starting XI.

The 27-year-old suffered a reoccurrence of his hamstring issue after starting against St Johnstone prior to the winter break, so there could be a chance of lightning striking twice on Sunday if forced back for too many minutes.

It could be better for Giakoumakis to lead the line with Furuhashi on the bench, easing him back into action, as there is still a lot of football left to play this season, including two more games against Rangers.

In other news: ‘Fantastic’ Celtic gem now drops major hint he won’t be available for title run-in. 

Patrick Vieira has a very important game coming up this weekend at Selhurst Park against Everton, where the Eagles could really do with taking all three points after losing their last three games.

The south Londoners currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, just six points clear of the relegation zone. Whilst not appearing to be in immediate danger of the drop currently, it would be reassuring for Vieira if his team could pick up a few more points to go into the New Year full of confidence.

One player who will be hoping to come in and make a positive impact on the team this weekend is Will Hughes. The next game against Everton could be the perfect opportunity to refresh the side and offer starts to players who haven’t had much chance to make an impact. Especially during the current losing streak, making some changes could inject a new lease of life into Vieira’s side on Sunday.

Hughes was signed this summer, completing a move from Watford to Palace in a three-year deal believed to be between £6m and £10m, but he has failed to get much game-time so far with only one appearance in the Premier League this term.

The £6.3m-rated gem sustained a minor back injury in early November and also competes with James McArthur for a spot in the team. However, the Scot has picked up a hamstring injury, so Vieira will need to shuffle the pack and could give Hughes a rare start this weekend.

Vieira has been full of praise for the 26-year-old upon his arrival to the club, saying: “He’s a player that we know quite well. He’s really comfortable on the ball. He’s a really good link with the play going forward. I’m really glad and really pleased to have him in the squad.”

Unfortunately for Palace, if they lose to Everton they could fall as far as 16th, should Southampton and Leeds take at least a point from their games this weekend, and this is a position that Vieira will be hoping to avoid, especially with the advantage of being at home.

Hughes could offer a fresh impetus to the midfield for the Eagles this weekend, and if picked he would have a point to prove to his manager as he seeks to gain a more regular spot in the team.

In other news: Vieira must axe this Palace player in January

Wolverhampton Wanderers are prepared to cash in on Adama Traore in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that Jeff Shi could finally be willing to part ways with the 25-year-old this winter, amid interest from both Liverpool and Barcelona.

The report goes on to state that, despite Wolves having opened contract talks with the winger back in 2019, the two parties are still no closer to agreeing terms regarding a new deal, something which caused issues under the previous management of Nuno Espirito Santo, and is once again beginning to under the leadership of Bruno Lage.

Finally, it is claimed that, although Liverpool are keen to do a deal for the Spain international this winter, Jurgen Klopp’s side value Traore at less than £30m – a figure which Shi does not want to drop below.

He’s becoming a liability

While it is undeniable that Traore is an exceptionally gifted player, not to mention an integral part of the way Wolves play their football under Bruno Lage, the fact that the 25-year-old’s contract talks are once again causing problems at Molineux appear to lead to one conclusion – the winger is becoming a liability.

As previously mentioned, the Spaniard’s ability is not in question, having averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.27 over 37 Premier League appearances in 2019/20, a rating of 7.03 over 37 league fixtures in 2020/21 and a score of 7.17 over his ten top-flight games so far this season – ranking him as Wolves’ best, third-best and best performer in each respective campaign.

However, with 90min claiming that as a result of the stalemate in his contract negotiations, Lage is now less inclined to start Traore in the league, the question must be asked as to whether it is worthwhile keeping hold of a player who is valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, as well one who is currently picking up a sizeable £43k-per-week, if he is only going to warm the bench for Wolves.

As such, while it would usually be a rather strange suggestion considering his overall level of performance for the club, Shi must axe Traore this January, as it would very much appear as if the breakdown in relationship between the player who Graeme Souness dubbed a “near miss” and the club is now beyond the point of no return.

In other news: Wolves handed big injury boost ahead of West Ham clash, Bruno Lage will be buzzing

Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action today at Paradise in their pursuit to pull closer to the top of the table.

The Hoops are third heading into this afternoon’s encounter after Hearts moved ahead of them in the standings on Saturday, although they have two games in hand to go back into second, starting with this clash against Aberdeen.

Ange Postecoglou’s Bhoys side come into the game off the back of a 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League, and he could be tempted to make a few changes to his starting XI.

Game-changer

One player who could be thrown into the mix is young winger Liel Abada. He could come in and replace James Forrest, who endured a difficult evening against the Bundesliga outfit.

As per SofaScore, Forrest lost 75% of his duels on the pitch and failed to make a single clearance, tackle, interception or block. He also failed with his one attempted dribble and did not create a single chance for his teammates, whilst he ended the game without a shot on goal.

This suggests that he was off the pace and was unable to make a positive impact on the right wing. Therefore, it could be the ideal time for Postecoglou to axe him from the line-up and unleash Abada from the start, as the young Israel international has the quality to be a game-changer for Celtic.

The 20-year-old has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the Premiership this season, with three goals and two assists in 11 starts. He has created a whopping nine ‘big chances’ in the league, suggesting that he deserves more than just two assists for his creative efforts.

Former Hoops player Frank McAvennie previously hailed the attacker, telling Football Insider: “He’s only 20, isn’t he? There was an element of resting him, I get that. He needs to manage that squad.

“He looks a wonderful player and when he first arrived he wanted everything. There was an early game where he took the ball off Edouard for a penalty and Edouard just went ‘no, that’s mine’.

“That was brilliant and it’s what you want to see from a young player. You can’t buy that desire and hunger. He probably didn’t expect to play as much as he has so he will be delighted.

The £2.7m-rated gem has seven goals and five assists in all competitions for the Hoops and could be a difference-maker for Postecoglou’s side against Aberdeen. He has shown with his aforementioned statistics that he is capable of creating big chances for his teammates, and his magic from the wing could be a game-changer, which is why he must start today.

AND in other news, Forget Bitton: Ange must unleash “top-class” £14k-p/w Celtic maestro vs Aberdeen…

Rangers have to be careful that Ryan Jack’s current injury absence doesn’t become a long-term issue, according to expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Jack sidelined by injury

Jack has been an excellent performer for the Gers since joining from Aberdeen in 2017, scoring 11 goals in 133 appearances.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that the midfielder will be absent until after the winter break, however, having not started a league game since February. Injuries are unfortunately a massive talking point with the talented midfielder, as some fans were even ready to give up on him after this latest blow.

The hope is that Jack will be back on the pitch as soon as possible but a warning has been fired to the Scottish Premiership champions from Dinnery, who runs PremierInjuries.com.

The Latest: Expert fires warning

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery claimed it would be reckless to rush Jack back after such a long absence, risking him being out until near the spring:

“Rangers need to be careful with Ryan Jack. It doesn’t matter how much work you do behind the scenes, you can’t replicate the cut and thrust of playing for the first team competitively.

“Players suffering soft tissue problems are particularly susceptible in the first 28 days when they are reintroduced to the rigours of competitive football.

“So this doesn’t come as any great surprise. It’s very, very frustrating for the player, but it’s just the way it is. You need to manage them so carefully. A setback that can keep you out for two weeks could easily turn into eight.

“So you always have to err on the side of caution when it comes to muscle problems.”

The Verdict: Too important risk

Jack has suffered a hugely frustrating period in his career in 2021, and while there is a need to get him back on the pitch regularly, any rushed thinking now could be a disaster.

The 29-year-old must only return when he is fully fit, hopefully enjoying the same influence he did before his setback earlier in the year, with Steven Gerrard hailing him as ‘fantastic’.

Jack has enjoyed a 90.7% pass completion rate in his rare time on the pitch in the league this season, which bodes well, but another major setback in his recovery as he approaches his thirties could be the end of his time as a consistent option for the Light Blues.

In other news, three Rangers players struggled against St Johnstone. Find out who they are here.

Antonio Conte could be in line to take over from Nuno Espirito Santo as Tottenham Hotspur’s new manager.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, who suggested in a post on Twitter that it is only a matter of time until the former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan manager is appointed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following Nuno’s sacking on Monday morning.

In his tweet, Di Marzio said: “Antonio Conte @SpursOfficial” – accompanied by an hourglass emoji.

Fans surely buzzing

Following Spurs’ 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United on Saturday – a result which left Tottenham fans furious on social media, as well as the team in eighth place in the Premier League standings – it very much appeared to be a matter of when rather than if Nuno would be relieved of his duties as the club’s manager.

And, after reports on Sunday had claimed that Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici were meeting to discuss the future of the 47-year-old boss, it was confirmed on Monday that the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager would be leaving the North London side with immediate effect.

Rumours regarding Antonio Conte’s subsequent appointment began almost immediately, with Di Marzio being one of the first to suggest that a deal for the Italian could be nearing completion, as well as offering a further update on his initial three-word tweet, stating: “Antonio Conte is expected to be in London today for final details and will sign a contract until 2023 with @SpursOfficial.”

And, should Levy manage to finally convince Conte of a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after failing this summer, it would appear to be a genuinely positive appointment by the Spurs chairman – after the disappointment of both the Jose Mourinho and Nuno eras.

Indeed, Conte is a serial winner, having lifted three consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, the Premier League in his first season at Chelsea, and once again lifting the Scudetto with Inter Milan last term.

As such, with Spurs having been in something of a freefall decline since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019, if there is one man who has proven he knows what it takes to return a side to the top, it is Conte. His return to London would undoubtedly leave fans of the Lilywhites buzzing.

In other news: The Athletic journo drops intriguing Spurs transfer claim, fans will surely be buzzing

Leeds United are reportedly showing an interest in Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, sending scouts to watch him in action earlier this week.

The Lowdown: Danjuma impresses against Man United

Danjuma played in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday night, as they lost in the dying seconds at Old Trafford.

Despite the result, the wide man caught the eye for Villarreal, injecting pace and directness as well as providing an assist for Paco Alcacer.

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The Latest: Leeds eye up winger

According to Football Insider, Leeds had scouts present at the game, in order to keep an eye on Danjuma’s performance.

A Whites source has claimed that they are ‘monitoring’ the former Bournemouth man, ahead of a potential move for him in the future.

Liverpool are also believed to be keen on signing the 24-year-old, who has scored three times already this season.

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The Verdict: Shrewd potential signing

Danjuma could be an excellent buy for Leeds, providing more squad depth and potentially coming in to replace Helder Costa in the long-term, with the Portuguese on loan at Valencia currently.

He scored 17 goals in 31 starts for Bournemouth last season, which shows how prolific he can be, and at 24, his peak years should still be ahead of him.

His youth, pace with the ball and end product suggest he could be the perfect man to come in and compete with the likes of Raphinha, Dan James and Jack Harrison.

In other news, a pundit has claimed Leeds United would accept a big-money offer for one player. Read more here.

Fabio Paratici is lining up an exciting transfer swoop at Tottenham Hotspur, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb claimed that the Spurs sporting director could launch a bid to sign Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, on whom his former club Juventus are also keen.

It’s thought that the north London outfit are capable of offering more money than the Serie A giants in what could be a double move that also includes Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Both would cost around €105m (£88.5m) combined.

Winks upgrade

Midfield reinforcements could sit quite highly amongst Nuno Santo’s priority list, particularly as it seems as if Harry Winks will look to move on from his boyhood club, having struggled to break into the starting XI once again this campaign.

The Times believe that the Englishman is looking for a loan move this January, so a berth in the engine room could become available, and that should be filled by Tchouameni if Spurs have any sense.

Aged just 21, the Monaco powerhouse is a real star of the future and could help Paratici form a scary-looking midfield in north London for years to come.

Just imagine him, Oliver Skipp, Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr in a few seasons’ time – all of whom are currently 21 years old or under.

Tchouameni is something of a box-to-box workhorse, having averaged 2.9 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 1.9 shots and 1.2 dribbles per Ligue 1 outing so far this campaign, via WhoScored.

That shows his capability in his team’s own half, often being there to thwart the opposition, and then also in the final third, where he can drive the ball forward with his physical presence to also provide an additional threat on goal.

It’s no wonder he has previously been branded a “complete midfield player” by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas on Twitter.

“He’s not a boy; he’s a man. It’s a pleasure to play next to him; he provides a lot, plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality,” compatriot Paul Pogba added.

Having already picked up five caps for France, who are blessed with midfield options, Spurs must ensure they are the team to secure the £26m-rated beast in 2022.

Tchouameni would be a welcome upgrade on Winks, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting Spurs transfer claim ahead of January…

Antonio Conte was given a damning insight into the mess into which he’s walked at Tottenham Hotspur as he took charge of his first match in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday night.

Spurs got revenge on Vitesse by defeating them 3-2 in north London but it wasn’t without its scary moments. Five goals, three red cards. An absolutely chaotic second-half. And 90 minutes which epitomised their struggles.

Cristian Romero saw red for a second bookable offence which left the Italian in the lurch on the hour mark but he wasn’t the only player to let his new manager down on the night.

One of those was also his defensive partner Eric Dier, who will be a lucky man to keep his place under Conte in the coming weeks and months.

As the most central of the three defenders, the 27-year-old was present on the ball more than any other Lilywhites player, registering 82 touches, but he was a little off-par with his ball-playing, managing a passing accuracy of just 86%, which was slightly below his average in the Premier League.

However, more worryingly, he failed in his defensive duties, winning only two of his five duels (40%), whilst he was dribbled past once, committed one foul and lost possession ten times, as per SofaScore.

The Englishman was also partially at fault for Jacob Rasmussen’s goal as he was well beaten by the visiting centre-back inside the penalty area to make the game 3-1.

It’s easy to see why some supporters have often dubbed him a “liability.”

Dier’s dismal display was described as “unconvincing” by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match ratings column. It’s also rather telling that Hugo Lloris received his fair share of plaudits as the Frenchman often bailed out his defenders with some fine saves throughout the game.

The £19.8m-rated colossus, who is reportedly earning around £85k-per-week in N17, won’t have impressed the 52-year-old too much as his and the team’s defensive frailties were put on full show against the fifth-placed side in the Eredivisie.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Conte: Paratici must now deliver Spurs this £58.5m-rated “elite talent”…

West Ham United’s unbeaten run in the Premier League came to a gutting end as they were defeated by former loan star Jesse Lingard and his Manchester United side on Sunday afternoon.

After coming on as a substitute, the 28-year-old midfielder cut inside and curled an effort past Lukasz Fabianksi with just two minutes remaining after Cristiano Ronaldo had made it all-square before the break following Said Benrahma’s 30th-minute opener.

There was to be late drama as visiting defender Luke Shaw was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area in stoppage time and David de Gea managed to save the spot-kick from Mark Noble, who had come on moments earlier specifically to take it.

Some may be quick to blame the retiring Hammers skipper but on his day, he’s among the finest penalty takers in the division and you’d back him to score nine times out of ten.

Other members of David Moyes’ squad were far more culpable for their struggles on the pitch at the London Stadium, one of whom was arguably Pablo Fornals, who was quite poor out wide.

He played the entire 90 minutes and recorded 56 touches – the fourth-highest of the home side – but he failed to contribute much in an attacking sense.

As per SofaScore, the £26m-rated Spain international failed to keep his two shots on target, and whilst he made two key passes, they failed to result in anything notable.

Fornals struggled against the likes of Paul Pogba, Shaw and Ronaldo on his side of the pitch and it saw him earn the lowest rating in the West Ham squad with 6.1.

He lost 11 of his 14 duels (79%) both on the ground and in the air, and from those 56 touches, he lost the ball 13 times – or once every 4.3 times and once every seven minutes.

Fornals was also dribbled past three times, only reinforcing the fact that he couldn’t match his opposition on the flank and he recorded one error that nearly cost them hugely, via SofaScore.

Moyes would’ve expected a lot better from one of the more experienced members of the squad, particularly as he knew the Spaniard would need to step up to help fill the void left behind by Michail Antonio, who was suspended for this fixture.

Fornals badly let the Irons down on Sunday afternoon, and he must improve if he’s to keep his place in the team, particularly with the likes of Nikola Vlasic arriving in east London.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Upson in 17 y/o “monster” who’s “got everything”…