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Everton host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can pick up all three points after three consecutive defeats, ahead of an impending return for one Toffees player.

What’s the latest?

The Everton boss took to his pre-match press conference to deliver an exciting injury update on Nathan Patterson, with the right-back missing from the squad since the international break last month.

Although Saturday’s clash will come too soon for the defender to return, it should not be much longer before he is again striding the Goodison Park turf.

Lampard told the media about the Scottish youngster: “He’s progressing, he’s training with us and will be fit, hopefully, for next week.”

Could be season-changing for Lampard

The talented 21-year-old’s imminent return to action could be season-changing for Lampard when you look at how much the Toffees have dropped off since the right-back has been out recovering from the ankle injury sustained whilst on international duty with Scotland last month.

Everton were on a five-game unbeaten run ahead of Patterson’s injury, with the Scottish gem playing 90 minutes in each. However, without him to call upon in their last four fixtures, they have won just once and lost three on the bounce in the Premier League.

Across seven appearances this season, Patterson has made 1.3 interceptions, four tackles and 2.7 clearances per game, creating one big chance and winning 63% of his duels. He is currently the fourth highest-rated player in the entire squad as per SofaScore, proving to be a solid presence in the Everton team.

As a result, there is no doubt that the return of the right-back will be a huge boost for the Toffees and will delight Lampard, who has made no secret of his admiration for the youngster.

The Everton boss has gushed about Patterson’s contributions in recent weeks, saying: “What a start to the season – he was injured when he was about to make his debut last year, so it has been hard.

“But he has shown character. People say he’s a really good offensive full-back, but his defensive game has been excellent.”

Although the Crystal Palace clash will come too soon for him, Patterson’s return ahead of the World Cup would be great for the Toffees, as they face a number of closely-congested fixtures over the next three weeks.

Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s game plan is ‘not working’ as a result of the Premiership giants suffering from so many injuries.

That is according to former Scottish top-flight striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Ever-growing injury list

The Light Blues secured an emphatic 4-1 victory over Aberdeen at Ibrox last weekend, but their spirits were dampened when Ridvan Yilmaz was forced off the pitch less than ten minutes into the game after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Kemar Roofe, Tom Lawrence and John Souttar are among seven other players also currently sidelined at Ibrox, leaving Van Bronckhorst with limited options in a number of areas within the squad.

The Latest: McAvennie’s sympathy

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie had some sympathy for Van Bronckhorst and claimed that not all of Rangers’ current on-field problems are down to the manager.

The 62-year-old said: “First of all I feel sorry for him. He has got bad injuries. He has got two players at the back who should not be there. [Ben] Davies and [Leon] King should not be playing together.

“He is trying to put [James] Sands in midfield to shore it up, it is not working.

“They might be good players for the future but they were absolutely slaughtered by [Giovanni] Simeone against Napoli. When Rangers lose the ball and they just stroll about.“

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The Verdict: Right man for the job

Van Bronckhorst has been under increasing pressure of late, but there’s absolutely no way that he should be sacked.

The Dutchman has won 41 and drawn ten of his 64 matches in charge, averaging an excellent 2.08 points per game, not to mention that he led his side to Scottish Cup glory and the Europa League final last season (Transfermarkt).

Whilst the Gers do have an extensive number of absences, they are only four points away from Celtic at the top of the table, and it could take just one slip-up from their rivals to capitalise and reduce the deficit.

Newcastle United will make the long trip to the south coast for their Premier League clash with Southampton at St Mary’s this weekend, and Eddie Howe will be hoping his team can keep up their unbeaten run.

The Magpies have not lost a game in their last eight outings and as a result have climbed into the top four alongside Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur which is an extremely impressive achievement for the manager who took over just 12 months ago when the side were rock bottom in the league table.

Howe will surely be hoping that his side can retain their top-four status when club football breaks for the World Cup in a few weeks, putting them in a strong position to compete for a chance to play European football next season when they return to action after Christmas.

As a result, the former Bournemouth boss must deploy his best team and best-attacking players over their last two league fixtures to secure all six points from the clashes.

Newcastle have been given a fantastic boost ahead of their trip to Southampton on Sunday as Allan Saint-Maximin returned to the matchday squad last weekend in the 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, coming onto the pitch for a short eight-minute appearance in the 86th minute.

Yesterday, the talented winger was pictured in full team training and looked like he was getting stuck into preparations for the weekend, so there is no doubt that Howe must unleash Saint-Maximin against Saints.

Before sustaining a hamstring injury in late August, the £93k-per-week ace – who was hailed “absolutely phenomenal” by Shay Given – scored a stunning equaliser against Wolverhampton Wanderers, so he will be desperate to pick up where he left off against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this weekend.

Over six Premier League appearances this season, Saint-Maximin has scored one goal, delivered two assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 key passes, 2.7 dribbles and winning possession of the ball 1.2 times per game.

The left winger’s most notable performance of the season came from his performance in the 3-3 draw with Manchester City where he displayed some of his best football.

Saint-Maximin registered two assists, made four key passes, won eight duels and completed five out of his six dribble attempts to split the points with Pep Guardiola’s side over the high-intensity clash.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Howe should start Saint-Maximin this weekend as he could terrify Southampton and play a huge part in securing another win for the Magpies. Just imagine the thought of him and in the in-form Miguel Almiron on each winger; it’s a mouth-watering thought for the Toon Army.

In what has been a season full of change for Sunderland, under Tony Mowbray they finally seem to have settled somewhat and found some consistency.

Starting well under Alex Neil, his surprise exit will have frustrated fans who thought the progress made by the Scotsman would then go to waste.

However, with last night’s win, the Black Cats have moved up to 12th in the Championship and will have their sights set on an unlikely but wholly possible promotion push.

This victory ended a run of eight games where they had won just once.

Although Amad Diallo’s late goal sealed the result, the opener from Alex Pritchard summed up a season’s worth of graft for someone who often goes under the radar.

The 29-year-old actually received the joint-highest rating of anyone on the pitch, and as well as his goal won 100% of his ground duels and touched the ball 48 times too.

This is nothing new for the midfielder, who following their playoff final victory was described as having a “superb work rate” by journalist Phil Smith.

Following this win over Huddersfield Town, Pritchard was further lauded by journalist Josh Bunting who claimed he was “getting back to his best” now.

His average SofaScore rating of 7.07 is further indicative of his consistency in the side, where he has featured in every single one of their league games this season.

This rating actually sees him ranked third amongst his teammates too, even above the resurgent Dennis Cirkin, who has two goal contributions in his last five matches under Mowbray.

It may have been his first goal of the campaign, but with three assists too, he has more than contributed to the surprising success that they have had so far.

Pritchard offers an incredibly steady option in the Sunderland midfield and can always be relied upon to produce solid performances.

The fact that he makes 2.2 key passes per game as well as 1.4 tackles further highlights his all-around game and the vast scope of what he does for the team.

His continued involvement marks a Mowbray masterclass, and with another completely winnable game coming up against 18th-placed Cardiff City at the Stadium of Light, he must stay right where he is to give them the best possible chance of back-to-back wins.

Glasgow Rangers have stuttered their way throughout the opening few months of the campaign. Many thought reaching the Champions League group stages following a playoff victory against PSV Eindhoven could spur the side on to greater heights, although it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

The Ibrox side finished bottom of their group, recording zero wins and scoring just twice, while their Premiership form recently has allowed Celtic to open up a seven-point gap at the top of the table.

It’s not all bad news for the club, however, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst might have just unearthed a rough diamond.

When Rangers signed Malik Tillman on loan from Bayern Munich in the summer, much was made of his potential, especially after making a handful of appearances for the German heavyweights. In the deal, it was revealed that the Light Blues have the option to buy the attacking midfielder for €7m (£6m) and this is something the club should be exercising over the winter break.

The 20-year-old is a raw talent and has sometimes struggled with the physicality of Scottish football, however, there have been glimpses of his potential while he has registered seven goal contributions in 23 matches this season.

Van Bronckhorst even heralded him as an “epic talent” back in August while Ibrox teammate John Lundstram has described the American as “one of the best young talents I’ve seen” and this is high praise from two key figures at the club.

£6m may sound like a big fee for Rangers, but this move could become an investment. With Van Bronckhorst seeing Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo leave Ibrox for £23m and £10m respectively, there is no doubt Tillman could generate millions in profit for the club.

The youngster missed out on a place in the USA World Cup squad, yet this may be a blessing in disguise, as he could come back from this setback stronger and put together more consistent performances in the second half of the season.

The Dutchman should be trying to make his move permanent sooner rather than later, especially if he kicks on after Christmas and attracts attention from clubs with much greater financial resources than the Gers.

The pressure is on Van Bronckhorst, that’s for sure.

Boasting one of the most prolific academies in recent history, Southampton have produced some of the greatest talents that the Premier League has ever seen.

Gareth Bale went on to win it all for Real Madrid, whilst Matt Le Tissier was a supreme playmaker and goalscorer who would play his whole career on the south coast.

But arguably their most impressive export has to be Alan Shearer, with the Newcastle-born marksman going on to earn and still hold the record for most Premier League goals of all time.

To think that the record is held by a Saints academy graduate is incredibly impressive, and in Dominic Ballard they might have a man who could somewhat replicate the goalscoring exploits of the legendary striker.

Although to compare him with the greatest goalscorer England has ever seen is high praise, his lethal finishing and relentless hunger to find the back of the net for the youth sides make him a natural comparison.

This season alone, playing far above his age group in Premier League 2, he already has six goals in eight games, and upon earning his first-ever call-up to the senior squad, he capped his appearance in the EFL Cup with a goal too.

His display sparked the former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to shower the 17-year-old in praise, noting that he is a “positive mentality player” who “likes to score goals”.

Promotion into the ‘B team’ at St Mary’s was certainly warranted too, after he had scored 15 goals and assisted four in 19 games for the U18s as a 16-year-old, and in the same season took his opportunity with aplomb by scoring five goals in eight games in his first outing in the Premier League 2.

Ballard is a pure goalscorer, who finds a way to finish no matter the opposition.

It is this lethal instinct that could liken him to Shearer, who consistently found the net enough to form a tally so insurmountable that it is yet to be overtaken.

However, should Nathan Jones choose to give him extra involvement soon, this young finisher could begin his journey towards getting somewhere close to the infamous 260 goals needed.

Aston Villa will no doubt be keeping an eye on a number of transfer targets during the World Cup in Qatar, with the January transfer window set to come just a week after the Premier League resumes.

One man who has been linked with a switch to Villa Park in recent weeks is Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

The USA international is struggling for game time in Turin and has been touted as an option for a number of Premier League clubs, including Villa, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

However, his first showing in Qatar does little to suggest that he would be an upgrade on Unai Emery’s current options in midfield, as he endured a very difficult time against Wales on Monday evening in the USA’s opening fixture in Qatar.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old would earn a shocking 6.4/10 rating for his performance, with only Josh Sargent and Daniel James ranked lower (both 6.3) of all the players to start the game.

During his time on the pitch, the former Schalke man would complete just 23/33 of his passes, registering a less-than-impressive 70% pass success rate. Indeed, none of Villa’s midfield options have registered a success rate that poor in the Premier League this season, with John McGinn the closest with a 79.6% average.

McKennie offered absolutely nothing going forward and very little defensively, as he failed to contribute a single shot, key pass, dribble or tackle against Rob Page’s side on Monday evening.

He also won just 25% of his duels and committed four fouls, including an early yellow card for a rash tackle, in what was a hugely disappointing display from one of the USA’s most experienced and recognisable players.

In fact, if the Juventus wantaway hadn’t been substituted after 66 minutes through injury, it would have been easy to see him picking up another yellow, as he looked well off the pace during his time on the pitch.

For context, Boubacar Kamara has committed the most fouls on average in Villa’s side this season, with just 1.9 per game, which emphasises just how poor McKennie was against the Welsh, and shows that he was perhaps lucky not to be sent off.

While he has been described as “incredibly underrated” by Football talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past, his World Cup showing suggests that Emery should steer well clear of McKennie in January. He already has better options at his disposal.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Bryan Gil is reportedly being eyed by Valencia for a January loan move. 

The Lowdown: Gil’s season so far

So far this season, the 21-year-old has made just six appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions, all of which came from the substitutes’ bench.

This suggests that he is not particularly high in Antonio Conte’s pecking order, especially with just six minutes to his name in the Premier League.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it appears that a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be on the cards for the Spaniard, who was dubbed a “young, quick, direct, clever” player by Kevin Campbell upon his arrival in north London 16 months ago.

The Latest: Gil eyed for January loan

According to recent reports from Spain, Gil is on Valencia’s radar for a potential loan move once the January transfer window opens for business.

However, the report adds that Conte wants to bring in a replacement first before allowing the young Spaniard to leave N17.

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The Verdict: Ideal for Gil

Given the lack of regular game-time he has had at Spurs this season, it could be argued that a move away on loan in January would be ideal for the 21-year-old, especially if he can start playing on a consistent basis.

Having gone to the Spanish club on loan during last January’s transfer window, it’s easy to see why Valencia have Gil on their radar for another potential move this winter.

Despite only providing one assist across his 13 La Liga appearances for Valencia last season, the Spurs gem still ended the campaign with the fourth-highest rate of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (3.1) at the Mestalla.

If Conte can find a suitable replacement who has a better chance than Gil of breaking into the Tottenham team, then a loan exit for the youngster should be on the agenda before the January transfer window closes.

Newcastle United have been touted to potentially take advantage of recent behind-the-scenes rumblings at Juventus and make a move to sign Adrien Rabiot. 

The Lowdown: Chaos at Juventus

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the entire board at Juventus has stepped down from their positions, with a statement saying that they had “considered the centrality and relevance of pending legal and accounting issues”.

The Toon were linked with a move for Rabiot, who has impressed for France in the World Cup in Qatar, during the summer transfer window but ultimately didn’t sign him.

Now that the January transfer window is on the horizon, it appears that the midfielder has been mentioned with a move to St James’ Park once again.

The Lowdown: Newcastle touted to make potential Rabiot move

According to a recent report from Chronicle Live, as a result of the recent behind-the-scenes chaos at Juventus, this could see Newcastle pounce and launch a move for Rabiot.

The report also mentions Moise Kean and Weston McKennie as players previously mentioned with moves to St James’ Park.

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The Verdict: Would be a smart move by Newcastle

Focusing on Rabiot, his performances this season have shown why launching a potential move for him in January would be a smart one from Newcastle.

In addition to scoring three goals and providing two assists across his 11 Serie A appearances for the Old Lady this term, the Frenchman has made the third-highest number of passes into the final third of the pitch (32) at Juventus, also recording the fifth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (33).

In the World Cup so far, the 27-year-old’s performances have earned him an overall rating of 7.36/10 from WhoScored, higher than the likes of Ousmane Dembele (7.21/10), Dayot Upamecano (7.11/10) and Aurelien Tchouameni (7.03/10).

Taking all of this into account, if an opportunity to secure a deal for Rabiot arises during the January transfer window, this is definitely something that Newcastle should explore.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has dropped a hint regarding the Wearside club’s potential plans for the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Sunderland’s season so far

So far this season, the Black Cats have won eight of their 21 Championship games ahead of Monday’s match against West Brom, drawing six and losing seven.

The previous summer transfer window saw numerous players make moves in and out of the Stadium of Light, with some players joining on permanent deals and others joining on temporary loans.

Now that the next January transfer window is on the horizon, Mowbray has shared his thoughts on the matter.

The Latest: Mowbray’s January hint

Speaking in his latest press conference (via Sunderland Echo) Mowbray had this to say when asked about the upcoming window and what Sunderland could look to do in it.

He said: “We’re looking not just at this window but the next few really. Where people’s contract situations are at, will that be resolved and what does that mean etc.

“We’ve talked about some names but you never know for sure until you make those calls whether it’s feasible. Some of that is also about the younger players, whether you think that rather than them being around the periphery of the squad, they should try and go on loan and play 20 games before the end of the season so they’re better placed to come back and really compete.

“Those are the sorts of conversations we’re having, rather than necessarily being definitive about players [coming in].”The Verdict: Decisions to be made at SunderlandGoing off what Mowbray has said, it appears that the focus for now seems to be on potentially moving current players out of the club rather than bringing new ones in.Bearing in mind how only four clubs in the division have fewer players in their squad than Sunderland (25), whereas 15 clubs have more, perhaps adding new faces to the squad to give some extra strength and depth should be main objective for January.However, with the Black Cats having seven players in their squad that have yet to make three league starts this season, perhaps moving certain names out would be the best thing for them if they can find regular game time elsewhere.