Leeds United defender Leo Hjelde looks set to be out of action until the end of the month, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Appendectomy

Hjelde, labelled as a ‘superb player’ by Paddy Kenny following his move from Celtic last summer, had been a regular in Jesse Marsch’s Premier League first-team up until the club’s break last month.

He has been a substitute five times in the top flight in 2022/23 and played the entirety of the club’s 3-1 win over Barnsley in the EFL Cup.

However, Marsch revealed earlier this month that the 19-year-old had an appendectomy, and it looks like the full-back will remain out of action for the rest of the month.

The Latest: Dinnery’s update

Dinnery, an injury analyst/expert contributor for Sky Sports, shared Leeds updates on his Premier Injuries website, which were relayed by MOT Leeds News on Thursday.

When it came to Hjelde, he posted a return date of October 29, which would result in the defender missing games against Arsenal, Leicester and Fulham.

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The Verdict: Not ideal

Hjelde has transformed into a valuable left-back option in Yorkshire, providing competition to Pascal Struijk with Junior Firpo being out for the majority of the current campaign.

Therefore, with Firpo missing the defeat to Crystal Palace last time out, it isn’t ideal knowing Hjelde is also set for a longer spell on the sidelines.

Right-back Luke Ayling and centre-back Diego Llorente were the only options from the bench at Selhurst Park, so Marsch will be hoping Struijk stays fit due to the conditions of Hjelde and Firpo.

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic may have already seen their Champions League hopes dashed, but the Old Firm outfit still have plenty to play for tonight as they prepare to take on Shakhtar Donetsk at Parkhead.

Title-winning coach Ange Postecoglou has stated heading into the match that it is simply a “must-win” game for his side, with the Hoops still having an outside chance of securing a place in the Europa League in the New Year.

With four points separating the Glasgow giants and their upcoming opponents, it is now win or bust for the hosts tonight, with anything other than three points seeing them finish bottom of the group.

The omens are arguably against the Bhoys, though, having lost each of their last seven home games in the competition, as they look to avoid becoming the first team in the tournament’s history to lose eight in a row on their own patch.

Ahead of that vital meeting, here’s how Football FanCast predicts that the home side will line up…

Postecoglou has revealed that he will once again be without Carl Starfelt and Jota due to injury, despite the pair edging closer to a return, although midfielder David Turnbull is seemingly back in contention.

With that in mind, we predict that there will be four changes from the side which edged past Hearts at the weekend, with one notable alteration set to see Saturday’s match-winning hero Greg Taylor slot in ahead of Alexandro Bernabei, with the latter having struggled at Tynecastle.

On the other flank, Josip Juranovic will likely reclaim his place ahead of Anthony Ralston, while the continued absence of the aforementioned Starfelt should see Moritz Jenz partner Cameron Carter-Vickers at centre-back, despite the pair having both given away penalties against the Jambos.

The midfield trio will likely stay the same as skipper Callum McGregor remains on the treatment table, while in-form hero James Forrest – who has four goals in his last two league games – should keep his place on the right flank.

Further tactical tweaks could well be made in the forward line. Usual starter Kyogo Furuhashi is set to replace Giorgos Giakoumakis through the middle despite the Greece international having netted four goals in his last three top-flight outings, while summer signing Sead Haksabanovic could also return on the left flank.

The “dangerous” asset, as described by journalist Sean Martin, had impressed with his cameo appearance when the two teams met in Warsaw last month, having looked “very lively” according to journalist Josh Bunting.

Football Insider pundit Tam McManus believes Leeds United could sack Jesse Marsch, should they fall to another Premier League defeat this weekend.

The Lowdown: Board backing Marsch

Leeds are currently in the bottom three and are eight games without a win after their 3-2 defeat to Fulham on Sunday.

Despite that, the Whites board are still backing Marsch to turn things around at Elland Road, with the American set to be in the dugout once again this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are Leeds’ next opponents, and McManus believes that the trip to Anfield could be Marsch’s final game in charge.

The Latest: McManus’ comments

Talking to FI, McManus feels a defeat to Liverpool ‘might do it’ when it comes to Marsch’s future, believing that Leeds’ owners may start to panic.

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“I think for any manager on the run Leeds are on, as soon as you drop into the relegation zone, I think the owners start panicking.

“I mean, look at the finances – relegation from the Premier League is not an option when you look at how much money is at stake.

“I think he is under serious pressure. They started the season well, but you look at their next games and they have Liverpool away next Saturday.

“If he doesn’t get sacked before then, which is likely, then a loss to Liverpool might do it. He’s on borrowed time, basically. A lot of supporters are still upset about how Bielsa left, he was a real cult hero to those fans.

“They went on a terrible run and dropped into that bottom three, then they pressed the panic button. I think they might do that again.”

The Verdict: Why not now?

Marsch has failed to pick up a win in eight relatively favourable fixtures, so why not make the change this week? The head coach looked like a defeated man against Fulham on Sunday, and the Whites won’t be expected to take anything at Anfield this weekend.

It will be interesting to see Leeds’ stance should Marsch fall to another defeat on Saturday, and they may look back on the situation and wish they acted sooner when it comes to a managerial change.

The doom and gloom surrounding Rangers continued on Wednesday evening despite securing their place in the last four of the League Cup, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side having produced an underwhelming display against Championship outfit, Dundee.

Just a week on from the shambolic defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League at Ibrox, the Old Firm outfit again appeared unconvincing on home soil despite ultimately claiming a 1-0 win, with Steven Davis’ early header having been the rare bright moment in what was a largely drab affair.

The Gers boss was perhaps unsurprisingly unhappy with the nature of his side’s performance against Gary Bowyers’ resilient side, with the home crowd likely to have been expecting more from the Glasgow giants against their lower-league opponents.

Amid that limp display, one potential positive may well have been the performance of goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, with the 35-year-old having made the most of his return to the side in place of compatriot, Allan McGregor.

The Scotland international had little to do, in truth, against the Dark Blues on the night, although reacted well when called upon to snuff out any potential openings, having been “really sharp” to prevent Zak Rudden from having a run at goal late on, in the words of journalist Joshua Barrie.

The former Sunderland man ‘didn’t let anyone down’ – as per Rangers Review’s Jon McFarlane – with the imposing ‘keeper likely to be hoping to have done enough to keep his place in the side moving forward.

Injury had seen the £315k-rated man initially fall out of the team as fellow veteran McGregor took his place, although the latter man notably endured a grim evening against Jurgen Klopp’s side last week, having been somewhat “suspect” against the Merseysiders, in the words of pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

While not entirely to blame for his side shipping seven against the Premier League outfit, the 40-year-old may well have sparked concern as a result of his display, having subsequently been uncharacteristically caught out by Stuart McKinstry’s effort in the narrow victory over Motherwell at the weekend.

Amid those shaky outings from the former Besiktas man, it may have been pleasing for Van Bronckhorst to see a more stable display from the returning McLaughlin last night, with the 6 foot 3 ace having done himself no harm with regards to recapturing his previous starting berth, having started on the bench in the past three league games.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a deal to bring Josko Gvardiol to north London.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by Football Insider, who claim that, after being heavily linked with a move for the Red Bull Salzburg centre-back this summer, Fabio Paratici has once again sent scouts to watch the 20-year-old in action this season, ahead of launching a potential move for the Croatia international either this winter or at the end of the current campaign.

The report goes on to state that Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the defender – who is reported to possess a minimum fee release clause in the region of £44m.

Extraordinary deal

Considering the undoubted potential Gvardiol clearly possesses, should Paratici manage to seal a £44m deal for the centre-back in either the January or summer transfer window, it would most certainly represent an extraordinary signing by the Spurs’ sporting director.

Indeed, over his 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, the £95m-rated talent was in sensational defensive form, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.8 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and winning 5.9 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £21k-per-week defender also impressed going forwards, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances, as well as completing an average of 59.3 passes, 3.4 long balls, 1.3 dribbles and taking 0.8 shots per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Ivica Olic dubbed “extraordinary” average a simply astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Leipzig’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of German football last time out.

The 20-year-old has also caught the eye over his two appearances in the Champions League in the current campaign, helping his side keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 2.0 tackles, one interception, 5.0 clearances and winning 3.5 duels – at a success rate of 70% – per fame.

These metrics have seen the left-footer who Stefan Bienkowski claimed is “thriving” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, currently ranking him as Leipzig’s third-best performer in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

As such, considering his remarkable returns at such a young age, his ability to play at left centre-back in a back three or four, as well as the fact his release clause is a whopping £51m lower than his current market valuation, it is clear to see that, should Paratici manage to get a £44m deal over the line for the 20-year-old, it would undoubtedly represent an extraordinary signing for the Italian and the north London side.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is still expected to be sacked in the coming weeks despite the weekend win over Liverpool, according to one report.

The Lowdown: Huge win for Marsch

The Whites picked up their most important Premier League victory of the season so far on Saturday night, winning 2-1 at Anfield in dramatic fashion.

Crysencio Summerville’s late strike earned Leeds all three points in what was a massive result for Marsch, who has reportedly been clinging to his job recently.

Unfortunately for Marsch, though, it seems as though his current situation may not have changed, even despite that statement victory.

The Latest: Sacking still on the cards

According to page 77 of The Sunday Mirror [30 October, via MOT Leeds News], it is still ‘only a matter of time’ until the American is relieved of his duties as Leeds boss.

It is stated that many supporters don’t want Marsch to carry on as manager, despite such a memorable win at Anfield.

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The Verdict: Point of no return

Sadly for Marsch, it does feel as though there is little he can do about keeping his job now unless he manages to produce a remarkable run of form from nowhere.

The next bad result could well result in his sacking and it could be that Leeds want to bring in a new boss by the time the World Cup gets underway next month, so that they would have a few weeks to work with players behind the scenes while club football takes a breather during the tournament.

When a large and vocal element of the fan base turns on a manager, that is a big problem, and it doesn’t look as though the swell of negativity towards Marsch will be changing any time soon if even inflicting Liverpool’s first league defeat at Anfield in 30 games can’t win over the doubters.

Leeds United were once a club who, in the not-too-distant past, had something of a problem in holding on to their most exciting youth prospects, with the academy graduates such as Sam Byram, Charlie Taylor, Jack Clarke and Lewis Cook all departing Elland Road between 2015 and 2019.

And, while the likes of Byram, Clarke and Taylor – playing their football with Norwich City, Sunderland and Burnley respectively – are currently a level below the top flight in the Championship, Cook is very much flourishing with AFC Bournemouth.

Indeed, since Massimo Cellino sanctioned the central midfielder’s £6m departure back in the summer of 2016, Cook has consistently impressed for the Cherries, becoming a stalwart in the heart of the side, as well as earning international recognition from England manager Gareth Southgate.

At the time of his move from LS11 to the South Coast, Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton revealed just how good of a deal Bournemouth looked to have pulled off for the then-19-year-old, stating in a post on Twitter: “Bournemouth could have bagged themselves the bargain of the summer in Lewis Cook. Big talent who will flourish in the right team.”

And, despite twice suffering a cruciate ligament rupture – both of which saw the midfielder miss 30 games – Thornton’s prediction that Cook would flourish in the right side very much proved on the money, with the 25-year-old going on to make 75 Premier League appearances in his first four seasons at the Vitality Stadium, prior to the club’s relegation in 2020.

However, after dropping down to the second tier, the £8.1m-rated talent once again proved his worth to the Cherries, averaging an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.92 over his 31 Championship appearances in 2020/21, before averaging an equally impressive match rating of 6.90 over 28 league fixtures last season – playing a key role in his side’s promotion.

And, over his ten Premier League appearances so far this season, the £40k-per-week ace has once again proven key in Bournemouth’s incredibly impressive start to the season, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.71 for the 10th-placed Cherries.

Furthermore, the player who Eddie Howe dubbed “hugely impressive” and claimed he has “never seen a player run as much as he has” has also earned one cap for England, playing 20 minutes of the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with Italy back in 2018.

As such, considering his rise in market valuation, his extremely consistent level of performance in the middle of the park and his tireless nature being something of a perfect fit for Jesse Marsch’s high-intensity pressing system, Cellino’s decision to cash in on Cook very much looks to have been something of a shocker by the Italian.

Unai Emery officially starts his work as Aston Villa manager today and it seems as if the Spanish manager has already identified his first transfer target ahead of the January window.

According to the Daily Mail, Villa are keen on Villarreal youngster Nicolas Jackson, who Emery promoted to the first team during his time with the Spanish club before reaping the benefits as he began to star in the first team.

Everton and Newcastle United are also credited with an interest in the winger but Villa’s Emery connection could make them favourites, while he could also be signed on a pre-contract deal, as his contract with the Yellow Submarine is set to expire at the end of this season.

The 21-year-old, who is an “exciting player” in the words of Josh Bunting, already has three goals and three assists to his name in just 28 senior appearances for Villarreal so would represent an intriguing young option on the wing for Villa should he make the move to the Premier League.

Birmingham Live reporter Ashley Preece has already addressed the rumours about Jackson on Twitter, writing:

“A player with bags of potential. Villa have also opened an academy in Jackson’s native Senegal as well. One to watch, that one.”

Should he join up with Villa in January, he could prove to be a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who has struggled immensely since making his stay at Villa permanent during the summer.

After a bright start under former teammate Steven Gerrard, the Brazilian quickly regressed and has failed to contribute a single goal or assist in any of his 13 appearances in all competitions this season.

The former Barcelona man is currently ranked as the 17th-best performer in Villa’s squad according to WhoScored, which emphasises just how poor he has been, so the arrival of Jackson could finally see Coutinho dropped from the first team.

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As per FBRef, Jackson has the edge over Coutinho when it comes to assists, progressive passes and dribbling, which suggests that he would be a superior option in Emery’s squad.

At 21, he also represents a far better long-term option for the Spanish manager as he looks to turn Villa’s fortunes around. This deal would certainly be bad news for the Brazilian technician.

Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze could be the subject of interest from a number of clubs in the near future, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Eze continues to shine

The 24-year-old has matured into a key player for the Eagles, playing his part in a vibrant team under Patrick Vieira and dovetailing well with those around him.

Eze has registered two goals and two assists in the Premier League so far this season and has also been described as a ‘star man’ by Jamie Redknapp in the past.

The Englishman’s current deal expires in the summer of 2025 but Palace could find it hard to keep hold of him until then.

The Latest: Eze likely to attract interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke admitted that he could see interest in Eze arriving from other clubs.

The reporter said:

“I’m sure there will be concerns that other clubs will be looking at Eze. He’s been in top form for Crystal Palace. He’s now fully recovered after that serious injury he had last season. He’s shown that he is back to his best and he’s a quality player.

“In the Championship, during his time at QPR, he was among the top players in the division, and he’s made that step up to the Premier League with ease.”

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The Verdict: Only natural

In truth, Palace fans would have known deep down that the day would come when transfer interest in Eze intensifies, given the level of talent and long-term potential he possesses.

The hope is that he emulates team-mate Wilfried Zaha and stays loyal to the Eagles in the face of widespread speculation, seeing what Vieira is building at Selhurst Park and wanting to spearhead their future success.

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Should a huge offer for Eze arrive from an elite club, it would admittedly be hard to begrudge him a move, but Palace are in a strong position with his contract and should only allow him to leave for massive money.

He is their second-highest ranked player on WhoScored, which in itself highlights his importance to Vieira’s side.

حرص المحترف المصري محمود حسن تريزيجيه على تقديم رسالة وداع إلى نادي طرابزون سبور التركي، عقب رحيله إلى الدوري القطري مساء يوم الثلاثاء.

وانضم تريزيجيه إلى صفوف الريان القطري، مساء اليوم، قادمًا من طرابزون سبور (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

من جانبه، كتب تريزيجيه عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع فيس بوك: “شكرًا لفريقي الرائع والجماهير الرائعة على كل الذكريات التي لا تُنسى داخل وخارج الملعب”.

وأضاف: “لقد كان شرفًا لي أن أرتدي هذا القميص وأمثل هذا النادي، سأعتز دائمًا بالوقت الذي أمضيته هنا والعلاقات التي تشكلت مع زملائي في الفريق والمشجعين”.

وواصل: “على الرغم من أن رحلتي مع هذا الفريق تقترب من نهايتها، فإن حبي لكم والامتنان الذي أشعر به تجاه هذا النادي لن يختفي أبدًا”.

واختتم: “شكرًا لكم جميعًا على الدعم اللا متناهي وجعل هذه التجربة مميزة حقًا، وداعًا، ولكن ليس وداعًا”.

وانضم تريزيجيه إلى طرابزون سبور قادمًا من أستون فيلا، في 2022، وشارك في 76 مباراة في مختلف المسابقات، وسجل 25 هدفًا وصنع 16.