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Aston Villa have suffered a major blow ahead of their Premier League clash against Newcastle on Friday night, with Jack Grealish once again ruled out of action.

The England international has missed the last four Premier League games for Villa after picking up a lower leg injury last month, with the club picking up just four points in those matches in his absence.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against the Magpies, Villa boss Dean Smith said: “Jack has been making really good progress and we are happy at where he’s at but, unfortunately, he won’t make it (Friday’s game).

“He has been ill this week so he’s been off for a couple of days as well, but we’re hopeful for the Tottenham game now, that’s for sure. Jack is still in and around the training ground. He takes part in the meetings. He’s got a voice and an opinion, which is good.”

Given how badly have Villa struggled without him in terms of their results, Smith will no doubt be gutted that the 25-year-old will once again be missing from first team action.

Grealish has been one of the shining lights of what has been an impressive Premier League campaign for Villa, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists.

It’s no surprise that, in the games that he has missed, Villa have lacked creativity and an eye for goal, finding the back of the net just twice in his absence.

The rest of his teammates will have to try and step up once more when they visit St James’ Park to take on Newcastle on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Villa could land a new Tyrone Mings in this ace…

Many Wolves fans were delighted with forward Pedro Neto during their Premier League encounter against Leicester City on Sunday.

The 20-year-old started on the left-hand side of a front three including Adama Traore and new signing Willian Jose – an attractive proposition on paper.

Neto didn’t take long to settle himself into the game and was giving his opposite number Ricardo Pereira all sorts of problems, and had the ability to open doors for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

The Portuguese attacker is not a player that lacks ambition. Neto previously told Sky Sports that he wants to become the best player in the world, and has plenty of time to achieve that

Unsurprisingly, supporters flocked to social media to hail Neto’s performance, with some left open-mouthed by his technical ability and skill.

Fans drool over Neto

“Genuinely how good is Neto! Unbelievable talent”

Credit: @DunnyBets

“Pedro Neto is so good, isn’t he? Like he’s ridiculously good”

Credit: @MrPauloGoodman

“Unreal by Pedro Neto. Tekkers.”

Credit: @WWFCFancast

“Pedro Neto is very, very, very good, isn’t he?”

Credit: @markgeveritt

“Absolutely amazing quality Neto”

Credit: @SpeesrA

“Pedro Neto. That’s it, that’s the tweet.”

Credit: @ellawwfc

In other news, Elite European giants monitoring in-form Wolves loanee for summer move.

With Neil Lennon out of the picture at Parkhead, Celtic have been putting the feelers out for their new permanent manager. Assistant head coach John Kennedy will stand in as interim manager for the time being, but big names are being linked to the Scottish giants.

Heavyweights like Roberto Martinez and Rafael Benitez have been discussed, along with the still fairly new Frank Lampard and Thierry Henry. However, one man who makes a lot of sense is current Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

Bookmakers are all over this situation right now and many have tipped the 57-year-old as the shock favourite to take the job at Celtic, according to the Glasgow Times. Should these rumours come to fruition, his appointment could hugely benefit one man in particular and that’s Scotland international Leigh Griffiths.

Steve Clarke appointment could help Leigh Griffiths

The 30-year-old Celtic veteran slipped heavily down the pecking order this season under Lennon. Things started to turn bleak for Griffiths when the former boss slammed him for returning to camp out of fitness and “overweight”. He has made just 16 appearances out of a potential 30 this campaign and was part of the starting lineup on only seven occasions, as per Transfermarkt.

Lennon opted to start the likes of Albian Ajeti, Mohamed Elyounoussi and even Ryan Christie alongside Odsonne Edouard over the Scottish striker. His lack of game time will have undoubtedly knocked his confidence, but Clarke could help resurrect this if he joins the Glaswegians.

The Scotland manager named Griffiths as part of his international team which secured an emphatic and historical qualification into the European Championships, so Clarke clearly sees something in the Edinburgh-born striker that. perhaps, Lennon did not.

If he takes the move to Celtic Park, he could work closely with Griffiths and potentially guarantee him more time on the pitch both domestically and internationally.

This would not only benefit Griffiths but equally the club. He recently spoke out about wanting to make it into the top 20 highest scorers for the Bhoys, which shows his passion and determination.

Equally, if Edouard leaves, Celtic will need a tried, tested and reliable man to operate at the forefront of the attack. Griffiths may well be the man for the job still, under the right manager.

In other news, Dean Windass makes claim over Odsonne Eduard future under potential new Celtic manager…

Premier League side Everton have been backed to sign Leicester City’s Demarai Gray in the summer transfer window.

As transcribed by Sport Witness, an unknown Premier League scout has backed Everton to move for Gray, describing him as a very good winger for the current generation.

Everton could move for Gray

The unknown scout was recently talking to French outlet Le Phocéen and he was asked about Gray and his abilities. The scout had praise for the Englishman, saying that Gray has an ‘excellent’ rating in England and that he is a quick winger who knows how to go past people.

The scout was sure that Everton will face competition for Gray and tipped Tottenham and Southampton to look at him as well.

He said (via Sport Witness):

“He is a very good player who keeps an excellent rating in England. He is still one of the very good wingers of his generation, even if his contractual situation at Leicester means that he is being ruled out by Rodgers and the managers.

“He is very quick and skilful at knocking out his opponent in the middle of the race, as well as against goalies with a tendency to open his foot to find the opposing side of the net. There will surely be competition, as I think good English clubs will move, like Everton, Tottenham or Southampton.”

Gray’s current contract at Leicester runs out at the end of the 2020/21 season, but the winger will be able to speak to some clubs to sign a pre-contract agreement this month. Benfica, Marseille and Monaco have also been linked with a move for the 24-year-old (As per the Sun).

Gray could be a good option for Everton

In the current campaign, Gray has made just one Premier League appearance and has played just as many times in the League Cup. In the 2019/20 league campaign, Gray contributed to five goals while playing only 609 minutes of Premier League football for The Fixes.

This suggests that Gray can contribute to goals for his team if given a chance to shine. Everton’s Bernard has been linked with a move to Roma and he is a left-winger by trade. Gray can also play on the left-wing and also on the right, so if Bernard goes, Gray could be a potential replacement for the Brazilian. In this scenario, a move for the 24-year-old would make sense.

In other news, Everton are leading the race to sign a Championship star – read more about it here.

For Leeds, their season has been a very inconsistent affair. Their opening two games saw a scoreline of 4-3 but entertainment has followed in its droves since then.

Marcelo Bielsa likes his team to play wonderful free-flowing football but that often leaves them open at the back.

You only need to look at their wretched run of form in 2021 so far. The Whites are yet to win, yet to score and have conceded seven times in three outings.

Considering how 2020 panned out for Leeds, the New Year has been in stark contrast. Though, there are still positives to be had.

One of which is the performances of Brazilian winger Raphinha. The attacker arrived in the summer for a fee of £17m but it’s hard to suggest many supporters knew anything about him.

He’d played just one season in Europe’s top five leagues but on the contrary, was a player that Victor Orta had been tracking for a while. In fact, the Spaniard was watching Raphinha when he was still playing in Portugal.

The 23-year-old learnt his trade at Vitoria Guimaraes and then Sporting Lisbon, before moving to Rennes in France. His impressive and consistent displays subsequently earned him a move to the Premier League.

Since signing, he has been nothing but superb. Although he’s contributed to just four goals in the top-flight so far, his dazzling dribbling skills leave plenty of defenders face down in the turf. He is a wily character, a winger full of tricks, creativity and most importantly work rate.

An attacker player can have all the talent in the world but if he doesn’t put in the hard yards for a manager like Bielsa then they’re destined to fail under him. You only need to look at Jean-Kevin Augustin’s ill-fated spell in England for context there.

It’s a big achievement to work yourself into Bielsa’s good books this quickly but that’s exactly what Raphinha has done, racking up 1.5 dribbles per game – a team-high.

It takes plenty to impress the Leeds boss, but it also takes something to impress pundit Graeme Souness, someone who gave the youngster the seal of approval earlier this term. He said: “He’s a flair player but works his socks off. I think there’s a goal in him. There’s lots to like about him.”

Clinton Morrison echoed those thoughts in December, commenting: “He’s brought into it. He works hard. He tracks back. And he creates chances. But he’s just so lively. He doesn’t hug the touchline. What he does is that he comes in off the line and he makes it difficult for fullbacks to mark him. I think he has been an excitement for Leeds and long may it continue.”

That is the primary difference between a player like him and Helder Costa. The Portuguese has struggled for game time this season and doesn’t work nearly as hard as Raphinha does. That speaks volumes when you consider the latter has only been at Elland Road for a matter of months.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-stories” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds stories!”]

For evidence of how hard Raphinha works, you only need to assess the number of loose balls he has recovered. Per game, the Brazilian recovers 6.83 balls per game, that’s just 0.01 behind Jack Harrison.

A further litmus for his hard work is the amount of progressive ball carries the £60k-per-week earner makes per game compared to his teammates. Once more, he is ahead of Costa.

Raphinha carries the ball forward towards the penalty area on average 6.63 times per 90 minutes. Costa, by comparison, has only done so 4.4 times.

The canny winger may provide plenty in attack but ultimately, it’s his work rate that has made him such a genius piece of business from Orta. Given his potential, too, £17m is looking like a snip.

AND in other news, Leeds could find their new Roofe by signing £27k-p/w beast with a “love of scoring”…

Steven Gerrard must bite the bullet and put the pressure on Ross Wilson to cash in on Glasgow Rangers outcast Jordan Jones in January.

What’s the word?

Jones joined Rangers in 2019 on a free transfer after he agreed a four-year pre-contract deal from Kilmarnock, with the winger saying: “I’ve waited for this moment for a long time and today is a dream come true!”

The Gers had originally tried to sign him a year prior to his move but to no avail, until he reached an agreement with the 54-time Scottish champions which has seen him earn wages worth £9,100-per-week per the terms of his contract, that means he earns more than first-team regular starter Glen Kamara, despite the fact he has made less than half of his appearances so far this season.

Gerrard has insisted Jones can still play a big part in the light blue jersey after a difficult debut campaign.

However, the Northern Ireland international has largely failed to live up to these lofty expectations, with just one goal and two assists in his past 19 appearances for the club in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Aberdeen and Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Jones and his colleague George Edmundson are heading for the exit after breaching COVID rules, with the winter transfer market set to open in just under a month’s time.

He said: “You cannot change Gerrard’s mind now. I think they will go in January.

“If you do not meet the criteria and the standards required to be a regular in the first team then, unfortunately you need to look somewhere else.”

Get him gone, Gers!

Jones had been named in the squad for three of their first eight fixtures across all competitions, but is yet to feature for the first team since the 2-0 win over Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

In fact, his chances have been few and far between under Gerrard even prior to his latest transgression, as the Ibrox boss has only deemed it necessary to start him just twice in the top flight, whilst he was axed from the Europa League squad to make room for new summer recruit Bongani Zungu.

Both of his starts came against lower-level opposition in Motherwell and Premiership strugglers Ross County respectively as Rangers ran out the winners on both occasions before he was left on the bench as an unused substitute during the first Old Firm derby of the season.

Gerrard may have already decided against giving Jones another chance anyway as Kemar Roofe has made a home for himself on the right wing, with 8 goals and an assist in his past 14 games in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Roofe’s emergence on the right wing coupled with Ianis Hagi’s breakthrough campaign last season must surely prove to be the final straw in deciding his fate, as Gerrard simply cannot afford to put his faith in the Northern Irishman anymore.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson must deliver Billy Gilmour or face consequences…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Dean Windass has been discussing Liverpool midfielder Thiago, after he returned to training recently.

The Spanish maestro was signed from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window but has managed just two appearances for the Reds so far this season, having picked up an injury against Everton in October.

However, he looks to have recovered from that knee injury, as he returned to first-team training for Liverpool recently and looks set to play a part over the busy Christmas period.

Here’s what Windass had to say about the former Barcelona man when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast…

“[He’s got lots of] experience, played at the top level. Thiago is a good player by the way. [He can just sit] in there with [Jordan] Henderson, keep the ball ticking over. It will be a massive plus for them.”

Klopp’s side have already welcomed back Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after they recovered from injury, so to have Thiago available suggests that the Reds midfield is essentially back to full strength, although Fabinho is likely to continue at centre-back for the majority of the season.

Although Saturday’s game against West Brom might be too soon for Thiago to start, it would be a surprise if the 29-year-old wasn’t involved at all, and perhaps we will see him make an appearance from the bench if the Reds are winning comfortably.

Whilst we are yet to see much of the Spanish international in a Liverpool shirt, his superb performances for Bayern Munich last season helped the German side win the Bundesliga and the Champions League, so he will surely start to show his worth in the near future.

He will be hoping to deliver similar success with the Reds, as they chase a second successive Premier League title, although when you consider the excellent recent form of Curtis Jones, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum, Thiago will have to perform well if he wants to establish himself as a regular in this Reds first-team.

And, in other news… Klopp must axe 25 y/o with “a taste for the big games” in January amidst Wolves interest…

Southampton have been rocked by a triple injury blow which could result in Ralph Hasenhuttl fielding a weakened squad against Newcastle.

The Saints are currently in seriously impressive form and sit fifth in the Premier League table after huge victories over the likes of Everton and Aston Villa. However, the Magpies are also in good stead so far and are reaping the benefits of new signing Callum Wilson.

But three key players are likely to be absent after picking up injuries in their previous fixture. Danny Ings is set to undergo knee surgery whilst Ryan Bertrand and Jan Bednarek are suffering from thigh and head injuries respectively (via premierinjuries.com). With the ever-present left-back out of action, and with Jake Vokins also confirmed as an absentee, Hasenhuttl could call upon Kyle Walker-Peters to step in.

Walker-Peters to step up to the plate

As highlighted by Transfermarkt, the former Spurs man is confident playing in both full-back roles and has so far completely edged out Yan Valery at right back this season. He could be the difference between the result the team needs and one they would rather avoid.

Fans would certainly feel at ease seeing Walker-Peters filling in for the absent Bertrand, perhaps more so than James Ward-Prowse, who filled in there when the former Chelsea man went off with his hamstring issue at Villa Park.

The Englishman, rated at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, has received a lot of praise from fans and professionals alike after making a big impact on the team since his arrival. He was also picked out by Theo Walcott as the player to impress him the most since he joined the club with the ex-England international calling him a “grafter”, which is a huge compliment for the 23-year-old.

There has been no timeframe set on when Bertrand could be due to return. But should it be a lengthy time on the sidelines, a solid performance against Newcastle will prove to Hasenhuttl that he has a confident and reliable versatile player on his hands in Walker-Peters.

In other news, Southampton must act fast or risk losing Mohamed Elyounoussi permanently…

Carlo Ancelotti has been dealt a nightmare by James Rodriguez, after the Everton midfielder endured “by far” the “worst match” of his international career as Colombia were humiliated 6-1 by Ecuador on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez featured for the full 90 minutes at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado to earn his 80th senior cap, but again failed to impress after lacking his usual magic in Friday’s defeat at home to Uruguay.

Yet his performance against Uruguay paled into insignificance compared to his efforts against Ecuador, with Colombian outlet El Tiempo describing the 29-year-old’s display as “by far” the poorest he has ever produced on the international stage, leading to questions over what the former Real Madrid maestro actually brought to the side.

“He had already come from not weighing in the match against Uruguay, but this may be his worst match with the Colombian National Team by far,” they claim. “He only appeared to collect the penalty that meant the partial 4-1.

“What is James’ problem? He does not adapt to the system, he does not weigh, he does not feel.”

El Tiempo thought so poorly of Rodriguez’s performance that he was only awarded a three out of 10 rating, despite ending a 12-game goal drought with his side’s late first-half penalty that offered Colombia hope of a second-half comeback.

Ancelotti would have been hopeful of seeing an individual comeback from Rodriguez after his torrid performance against Uruguay, with the £90,000-per-week midfielder entering the international break on the wrong foot after asking to be substituted in defeat to Manchester United.

“He was OK, he was tired,” the Italian said following the 3-1 loss, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “This week he did 80-minutes and he asked me to change it because he was tired but no physical problem.”

Rodriguez has been struggling for form in recent weeks following the testicular injury sustained in contact with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk during October’s Merseyside Derby, which ruled the two-time Champions League winner out of Everton’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle after passing a late fitness test to face Southampton.

He returned to the starting line-up against Manchester United, but again failed to register a goal or an assist to extend his run without scoring to three Premier League appearances and two without creating a goal, having struck thrice and assisted thrice in his first five outings.

Rodriguez finally scored again for Colombia in their brutal drubbing by Ecuador when he converted the 45th-minute penalty, while registering three key balls without creating a big chance, misplacing five of his seven crosses, eight of his 29 total passes and only attempting one dribble, per SofaScore.

While the talented 29-year-old beat his marker with his only dribble of the game, Rodriguez further lost four of his six ground duels and did not contend any aerial battles, lost possession 16 times, committed one foul and was dribbled past twice without offering any tackles, interceptions or clearances.

Ancelotti’s major concern will be to what extent playing 180-minutes in four days will have on Rodriguez, given his state when leaving Everton for international duty in south America, but also the level he was able to bring to the field once again.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti appears set for disappointment with a “great striker” overlooking Everton’s interest.

Jurgen Klopp has missed Liverpool’s pre-match conference as the team prepares to take on Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup tomorrow night.

Instead, the German put forward his assistant coach Pep Lijnders to take the presser duties (via @LFCTransferRoom).

The Reds are currently on a 100% winning streak for the season after securing victories in their opening two Premier League matches and attention now shifts to their first cup match of the campaign as Lincoln welcome the Premier League champions to the LNER Stadium tomorrow evening.

Many Liverpool fans have responded to Lijnders taking the press conference over Klopp and are amused at the idea of the manager not caring enough about the Carabao Cup. One supporter has said that ‘Klopp clearly doesn’t care’ and another has admitted they are ‘here for the fume’.

The manager came under a lot of fire last season when he sent Neil Critchley to man their FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury. Klopp didn’t make an appearance during the fixture and the club fielded a youthful team, which didn’t sit well with a lot of fans, having also assigned Critchley and the under-23s for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa in December.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

How do you feel about Pep Lijnders taking Liverpool’s press conference? Join the conversation in the comments below…