Newcastle predicted XI vs Brighton and injury news

Newcastle United will strive to get back to winning ways in a crucial relegation six-pointer with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday night, but Steve Bruce is set to remain without Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Toon have failed to win any of the five matches played since Wilson sustained a hamstring injury against Southampton last month to now sit only two points clear of the drop zone, having once held a nine-point gap to the relegation places.

Newcastle can move five points clear and still hold a game in hand over 18th-placed Fulham with a win at the Amex Stadium, where Miguel Almiron could make his return from the knee injury sustained in the 1-1 draw with Wolves which also saw Saint-Maximin sidelined with a groin issue.

Almiron is unlikely to be the only change Bruce makes from the line-up which drew with Aston Villa last time out. With that in mind, here’s a potential United XI that Brighton could face…

Joelinton and Dwight Gayle led the line at St James’ Park as Newcastle drew 1-1 with Aston Villa last Friday, but neither could end their droughts in front of the net to remain on a single goal each in the Premier League this season.

A change to a more centralised position for the second half also failed to help Gayle find a foothold in proceedings, as he cut an invisible bystander for much of the game and will likely make way for Almiron to return if the latter is passed fit.

Joelinton is expected to remain as one of Bruce’s two split strikers on Saturday, as the Toon boss was pleased with his efforts against the Villans despite failing to find the back of the net.

“I thought Joelinton, arguably, had his best game in a Newcastle shirt,” Bruce said, via quotes shared by the Shields Gazette. “I thought he was terrific on the night. But, of course, a striker has to top it off by scoring a goal. He understands that, but his overall performance was very, very good. I thought he led the line very, very well.”

Ryan Fraser, who initially occupied a false nine role against Aston Villa before a move to the wing to accommodate Gayle, will also be expected to drop to the bench at Brighton after being slammed for underperforming in the 1-1 draw.

Bruce opting to axe Fraser may see Jacob Murphy awarded first Premier League start in nine games, having impressed the United boss from the bench last week while setting up Jamaal Lascelles’ stoppage-time equaliser.

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“I thought he was very, very bright when he came on [against Villa],” Bruce said of Murphy. “We like Jacob, he trains well every day and gives us a different option with his pace and directness. He had an impact last week, which is what we’re looking for.”

Bruce will be expected to name a mostly unchanged defensive and midfield line at Brighton, with Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden and Joe Willock once again protecting Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Lascelles and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

However, the right-back spot could feature a new name after Emil Krafth struggled with closing down opposing players against Aston Villa before the £58k-per-week defender was replaced by the returning Javier Manquillo.

Manquillo had played no role in his side’s previous four games due to an ankle injury sustained against Southampton, but returned to fitness quicker than expected and may now be given his 10th start of the Premier League season.

AND in other news, Newcastle’s hopes of signing a “standout performer” have taken a major blow

Dele Alli delivers major Spurs statement

Tottenham Hotspur enigma Dele Alli dropped a major statement as the north London outfit eased into the last 16 of the Europa League on Wednesday evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side romped to a 4-0 victory over Austrian outfit Wolfsberger AC, taking the aggregate score to 8-1 overall. And at centre-stage of it all was the rarely-seen Englishman as he stole the show with an emphatic display.

The 24-year-old provided two assists, on top of a simply sublime bicycle kick from the edge of the penalty box just ten minutes into the match, but his performance was so much more than that.

It was only the second time that Alli has lasted longer than 80 minutes on the pitch, and quite rightly too, though it only goes to show that perhaps the pendulum is finally swinging in his favour.

If he keeps performing like that, Mourinho simply has to take notice, especially as they have lacked a creative source of goals in recent weeks – only scoring more than one goal in only one of their six league games prior to kick-off.

Indeed, the Portuguese boss is going to be left with an interesting and tough dilemma as he looks to stop the rot in the Premier League, having lost five of their last six domestic outings.

Alli top-scored in terms of ratings across the board – SofaScore handed him a 9.2, 0.7 more than the brace-scoring Carlos Vinicius, whilst he also received a squad-high ten from football.london and a nine from the Evening Standard.

That latter, journalist Dan Kilpatrick, reinforcing the point that it was a ‘reminder of his quality’ on the night.

In terms of touches of the ball, only two players were more involved than Alli (66) in skipper for the night Ben Davies (99) and engine room orchestrator Harry Winks (83) – both also played ten minutes longer than him, too.

But more importantly, it was what Alli did with his possession – simply put, he made it count. The £26m-rated maestro enjoyed a match-high three key passes, which led to two big chances created and two assists, via SofaScore.

This means his input was more valuable. than that of Davies (one key pass) and Winks (0 key passes).

Alli was also prepared to do some of the dirty work that Mourinho usually requires, and having dubbed him “lazy” in the past, the Spurs boss can hold no grudges here as the 37-time international put in two tackles and won a total of six duels – the third-most in the squad and more than the likes of central defender Eric Dier (two) and the more defensive-minded Moussa Sissoko (two).

BT Sport pundit Peter Crouch was quick to wax lyrical over his performance following the match, he praised the England gem as “first-class” because he was “involved in everything good” [24/02, 18:56].

With Giovani Lo Celso still injured, and Mourinho turning to both Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela in that no.10 role recently, we could well see a comeback for Alli in the Premier League.

That performance alone should be enough to warrant a start, though it does pose a tricky headache for the Spurs boss to ponder.

All in all, the long-serving midfielder – once dubbed an “animal” by Mauricio Pochettino – dropped a massive statement to all those at Spurs – he still has that quality and as Dier told BT Sport 1 post-game [24/02, 19:03], he was certainly “back to his best.”

AND in other news, Levy could SOLVE Spurs’ biggest problem by replacing Mourinho with Wenger-esque leader

Guaita’s contract is bad news for Butland

Crystal Palace have confirmed Vicente Guaita has committed his future to the club with a new contract, which could spell bad news for Jack Butland, who has struggled for game time under Roy Hodgson this season.

What’s the word?

Several unconfirmed reports appeared to raise a few eyebrows after a return to Spain was rumoured to be on the cards with La Liga giants Real Sociedad apparently among the interested parties.

Though it may have been true at some point, the 33-year-old has signed a contract extension that shall keep him at Selhurst Park until 2023, with the option to extend his deal by a further year, and it seems as though that particular ship has finally sailed.

Butland was Hodgson’s fifth signing during the extended summer transfer window but it may be some time before he makes his Eagles debut in the Premier League following the club’s latest announcement.

Bad news for Butland?

It will not have gone unnoticed by some Palace fans that the former England international, who won the first four of his nine caps under Hodgson, has yet to feature in the top flight for the Eagles since he moved to Selhurst Park from Stoke City on a three-year deal last year.

Guaita, on the other hand, has made 80 appearances across all competitions for Hodgson’s side after arriving as a free agent from Getafe in 2018.

He has had his fair share of critics – we can count ourselves among that number – but there’s no denying the fact that he has almost single-handedly plucked Palace from the jaws of defeat on several occasions so far this season.

Considering Palace will also soon be able to call upon the services of the injured Wales international Wayne Hennessey, who has played in over a hundred games for the Eagles, you worry when Butland will next get the chance to prove himself in front of the Palace boss.

Palace have previously been credited with an interest in Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng, although Hodgson was quick to deny such rumours.

However, Butland has still found his chances hard to come by, with his sole appearance coming in the 1-0 defeat to Wolves in the FA Cup.

If he can’t establish himself in the first team, then it perhaps wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 27-year-old leave the club in the future.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace’s lack of options means they can’t afford to sell Arsenal target Patrick van Aanholt…

خاص | حسام البدري رفض عرضًا لتدريب منتخب السودان قبل كأس أمم إفريقيا

تلقى حسام البدري المدير الفني الأسبق للنادي الأهلي ومنتخب مصر عرضًا من الاتحاد السوداني لكرة القدم لتولي تدريب منتخب السودان بعد انتهاء مشواره في منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2021.

وودع منتخب السودان منافسات كأس العرب من دور المجموعات، بعد خسارته في جميع مبارياته، ليتم إقالة مدربه الفرنسي هوبير فيلود.

اقرأ أيضًا.. حسام البدري: راتبي كان يناقش كل يوم رغم أنه 40% مما يتقاضاه كيروش

وقال مصدر مقرب من حسام البدري لـ “بطولات”: “الاتحاد السوداني لكرة القدم تواصل مع حسام البدري لتدريب منتخب السودان بعد كأس العرب”.

وأضاف: “مدرب منتخب مصر السابق حسم موقفه واعتذر عن عدم قبول العرض السوداني لأسباب خاصة”.

ولم يتول حسام البدري القيادة الفنية لأي فريق بعد إقالته من تدريب منتخب مصر في شهر سبتمبر الماضي.

وكان الاتحاد السوداني قد أعلن عن إسناد المهمة الفنية للمدرب الوطني برهان تية، الذي أعلن القائمة الأولية لصقور الجديان استعدادًا لانطلاق منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2021.

وتبدأ منافسات كأس الأمم الإفريقية يوم 9 يناير المقبل وحتى 6 فبراير 2022، وتقام البطولة في الكاميرون.

يذكر أن منتخب السودان يحل رفقة كل من مصر ونيجيريا وغينيا بيساو بالمجموعة الرابعة.

Rangers can’t afford to lose Morelos

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has recently come out and said clubs will be lining up to sign Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos in the summer, but the 54-time Scottish champions simply can’t afford to let their star striker go.

What’s the word?

Morelos’ return to form has been welcomed by Steven Gerrard as the Colombia international has enjoyed a prolific spell since the start of the year, having fired in two goals in just three appearances across all competitions over the past couple of weeks.

The Rangers star was linked with the Ibrox exit last summer, but a move did not materialise, although this has done little to dampen down speculation over his future.

Naturally, other sides have caught wind of his situation, with German publication Sport.de recently claiming Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have the 24-year-old firmly in their sights.

The report revealed Munich are reportedly eyeing up a move for Morelos as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

Stand firm

But from Rangers’ point of view, Morelos – who earns around £33,000-per-week at Ibrox, is one of the few players Ross Wilson simply can’t afford to lose. Despite his disciplinary issues, he is far too important for their chances of future domestic and European success.

And yes, the Gers may have scored 11 goals in six Europa League games, but Morelos is still their joint top-scorer in Europe this season with a tally of two goals to his name. Whilst that might not sound like a lot, he recently broke Ally McCoist’s longstanding record, which is certainly saying something.

Apart from Morelos, Gerrard seems to be well-stocked with several options up front, as Kemar Roofe has proven to be a useful versatile asset, having scored 10 goals in 15 top-flight games. However, the 27-year-old has also shown he is rather injury-prone as he has only made one appearance since the start of the year.

Jermain Defoe is always an option, but the former England international is also 38 and has only managed to muster seven appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season as he has entered the twilight of his career.

It’s no wonder players like former Rangers defender Fabio Cardoso have described the Colombian as a “machine” as his phenomenal goal record arguably speaks for itself. 87 goals in 166 games for the Gers is simply astonishing.

Should Morelos depart Ibrox, Gerrard would lose an important piece of his jigsaw puzzle, which is why Ross Wilson shouldn’t even consider sanctioning a sale in the summer, should they receive an official approach.

AND in other news, Borna Barisic was Rangers’ unsung hero against Motherwell…

Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha was Roy Hodgson’s hero vs West Brom

Crystal Palace crushed a ten-man West Bromwich Albion in a comfortable 5-1 win at the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles took an early lead after Darnell Furlong diverted the ball into the back of his own net, before the Baggies hit back with a goal from Chelsea loanee Connor Gallagher before the break.

But Palace weren’t to be denied the spoils as they put Slaven Bilic’s side to the sword in the second half. Both Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha bagged a brace and Eberechi Eze put in a near-perfect performance. We must reserve a special mention to Benteke as well, who worked tirelessly throughout the game and reaped the rewards.

However, cometh the hour, cometh the man – Zaha was back to his very best as he marked his return to the starting line-up with a double after testing positive for coronavirus. It’s no secret Roy Hodgson’s side have struggled in his absence and he set the tone almost immediately when Furlong turned his cross into the net.

West Brom’s woes continued as Matheus Pereira was sent off for kicking out at Patrick van Aanholt, which gave Zaha the license to roam free and run at their defence.

SofaScore graded the 28-year-old with a high rating of 9.1 out of ten for his dominant display – which was higher than any other player on the pitch, including his strike partner – as he won eight out of his 15 duels overall, made 24/29 passes (83%) and successfully completed four dribble attempts.

Zaha took 50 touches of the ball and clearly made the most out of the possession as the titan took two shots on target, two shots off target, had two shots blocked and was fouled four times, which shows that he was a constant thorn in Bilic’s side throughout the game, particularly in the second half.

It’s fair to say that Palace have lacked a real impetus in attack over the past couple of games. With the Ivory Coast international back amongst their ranks, they looked like a real threat going forwards, as the Eagles scored five away goals for the first time in the top flight.

In nine appearances in the Premier League so far this season, €40m-valued (£36m) Zaha has now scored seven goals and supplied two assists, whilst he is averaging 2.7 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game, via WhoScored. 

With the winter transfer market set to open in just under a month’s time, Palace may have to brace themselves for a bidding war for their most valuable asset off the back of these impressive performances.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Riedewald: Crystal Palace must swoop for Glasgow Rangers dynamo Glen Kamara…

تشكيل الزمالك المتوقع أمام الإسماعيلي في الدوري.. المفاضلة بين أوباما ومصطفى فتحي

يحل الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، ضيفًا على نظيره الإسماعيلي، في ملعب الأخير، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويخوض الإسماعيلي صاحب الأرض والجمهور، مباراته باحثًا عن أولى نقاطه ببطولة الدوري بعد تلقيه 3 هزائم في أول ثلاث جولات بالدوري، تحت قيادة مديره الفني الجديد الأرجنتيني خوان براون.

وفي الناحية الأخرى، يسعى الزمالك لمصالحة جماهيره ومداواة جراح الهزيمة على يد الغريم التقليدي النادي الأهلي بخماسية مقابل ثلاثة أهداف في القمة 123، والتي أقيمت في الجولة الثالثة من عمر البطولة.

طالع أيضًا.. اتحاد الكرة يعلن حكم مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي في الدوري

وأشار مران الزمالك الأخير إلى احتمالية اعتماد باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني للفريق، على مصطفى فتحي أساسيًا في مباراة اليوم، نظرًا لما يقدمه اللاعب من أداء متميز منذ ظهوره الأول مع الفارس الأبيض هذا الموسم.

تشكيل الزمالك أمام الإسماعيلي في الدوري.. محمد عواد أساسيًا وعبد الله جمعة ظهير أيمن تشكيل الزمالك المتوقع أمام الإسماعيلي في الدوري:

في حراسة المرمى: محمد أبو جبل

خط الدفاع: محمد عبد الشافي – محمود “الونش” – محمود علاء – حمزة المثلوثي.

الارتكاز: طارق حامد – إمام عاشور.

الوسط الهجومي: أشرف بن شرقي – (المفاضلة بين أوباما ومصطفى فتحي) – أحمد سيد “زيزو”.

في الهجوم: عمر السعيد.

Michael Edwards may have put clever plan in place with deadline day deal

Liverpool may have just shifted a new plan into place after finalising a loan move for outcast winger Ben Woodburn. The Wales international joins Blackpool on a short-term deal, joining former youth coach Neil Critchley in League One.

The 21-year-old has spent the last season-and-a-half away from Anfield, representing Sheffield United and Oxford respectively. Woodburn has made five appearances for the Liverpool U23s so far this campaign, bagging himself a goal against Manchester United in the league (via Transfermarkt).

Future plans for Ben Woodburn

After rising through the ranks an impressing Jurgen Klopp alongside close friend Trent Alexander-Arnold, the forward man fell off the map. Unlike his fellow academy graduate, he has been limited to just 11 senior appearances for the Merseyside outfit. Woodburn’s last appearance for the Liverpool first team was in 2018 – a six minute cameo against Brighton in a 4-0 Premier League win.

Since then, his future has looked sure to indicate a permanent move away from Anfield. However, Michael Edwards’ recent negotiations with Blackpool could be part of a much bigger picture.

Critchley left the Liverpool set-up to take charge of the Seasiders back in March, finishing off the 2019/20 season with a 13th place finish. This campaign has seen the club struggle, as they currently sit in the lower reaches of League One. Acquiring a pacy winger like Woodburn could help pull Blackpool out of a rut and see them start to climb the table.

Operating under a manager he knows well could be the making of the Welshman, who made history with Liverpool as their youngest ever goalscorer back in 2016. With attacking options limited this season, Klopp may be hoping to integrate Woodburn into the first team and serve as back-up to the front three.

Indeed, the German waxed lyrical over the youngster just last year, hailing him as an “outstanding talent” (via Liverpool ECHO).

Sadio Mane was recently ruled out of action due to a positive Covid-19 test. Diogo Jota has the left-wing covered but an injury to Mohamed Salah could be detrimental. Klopp and Edwards may be working on a clever ruse to flip Woodburn’s career on its head and see him become a regular senior player.

In other news, Michael Edwards pulled off some of his best work with Liverpool’s Christian Benteke sale…

West Brom must launch £6m move for Palace star Andros Townsend

West Bromwich Albion are eyeing quite the coup on deadline day if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Baggies hold an interest in Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend but it’s claimed that the Midlands outfit may struggle to raise the finances to secure him.

It is also suggested that Albion would be willing to pay £6m but the Eagles would only let him go if they could secure a replacement with Said Benrahma one name mooted.

Bye-bye Phillips?

Another winger isn’t likely to be top of Slaven Bilic’s needs today but given their fortunes since their return to the Premier League, he should take anything he can get.

It’s clear to see that the likes of Matty Phillips and Kamil Grosicki are not in the Croatian’s plans this season, which would leave only Matheus Pereira and perhaps Kyle Edwards as the only options on the right flank.

In fact, the Scotsman probably isn’t cut for the top-flight, so replacing him with Townsend could be a shrewd move from Luke Dowling.

This season, the 29-year-old has contributed to three goals from just four matches whilst averaging two dribbles, 1.8 key passes and one shot per game, via WhoScored.

Not even Pereira is managing more key passes each outing than the Englishman whilst only Grady Diangana has averaged more dribbles.

Former Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas once lauded Townsend as a “fearless player” who “takes the team forward with his driving forward and link-up play” which is something the leaky Baggies have perhaps lacked going forward this season.

They’ve already drawn a blank in two of their opening four matches, something Townsend could help alleviate.

AND in other news, West Brom target Karlan Grant won’t solve all of their woes after Bartley catastrophe…

جماهير ليفربول بعد هاتريك محمد صلاح في مانشستر يونايتد: ملكنا المصري "وحش مخيف" غير قابل للإيقاف

انهالت جماهير ليفربول الإنجليزي، بالمديح على نجمنا المصري محمد صلاح، جناح ليفربول، بعد الهاتريك الذي سجله في شباك مانشستر يونايتد بالبريميرليج.

وانتصر ليفربول على مانشستر يونايتد، بخماسية نظيفة في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما، مساء اليوم الأحد، على مسرح الأحلام “أولد ترافورد”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفربول عن محمد صلاح بعد الهاتريك أمام مانشستر يونايتد: وُلد ليسجل في المباريات الكبرى شاهد هاتريك تاريخي في ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح امام مانشستر يونايتد

وشارك محمد صلاح في المباراة كأساسي ولعب مُنذ البداية وحتى صافرة النهاية، وساهم في أربعة أهداف من الخمسة، حيث صنع الهدف الأول وسجل ثلاثة أهداف “هاتريك”.

جماهير ليفربول” عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر” وصفت صلاح بالجناح الأفضل في تاريخ مسابقة البريميرليج، كما طالبت إدارة النادي بسرعة تمديد عقد نجم الفريق، لتجنب رحيله.

صُحف العالم تحتفي بـ هاتريك محمد صلاح: “مو” يهين مانشستر يونايتد في أسود يوم بمسيرة سولشاير اليكم ردود افعال جماهير ليفربول على اداء محمد صلاح بعد الهاتريك ضد مانشستر يونايتد

البداية مع مُشجع كتب: “محمد صلاح في الوقت الحالي، هو أفضل لاعب في العالم”.

واتفق معه آخر، مُغردًا: “محمد صلاح حقًا في الوقت الحالي هو أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي، مما يجعله أفضل لاعب بالفعل في العالم الآن”.

فيما غرد أحدهم مُستخدمًا صورة لـ صلاح وهو يحتفل بهدفه وكتب: “محمد صلاح لـ رونالدو.. من هو الأفضل في التاريخ الآن؟”.

وكتب أحد المُشجعين: “يا له من لاعب رائع، محمد صلاح ملك، ومباراة رائعة أيضًا من ليفربول”.

فيما كتب أحد المُشجعين: “صلاح الأفضل في عالم كرة القدم”.

فيما وجه أحد المُشجعين رسالة لمالك النادي جو هنري وكتب: “اعط هذا الرجل ما يستحق”.

بينما غرد مُشجع للريدز وكتب: “يا لها من ليلة مُذهلة بهاتريك رائع من ملكنا المصري”.

وكتب أحد المُشجعين: “امنحوا محمد صلاح عقدًا غير محدود وكذلك الكرة الذهبية”.

بينما غرد أحدهم: “صلاح، افضل لاعب في العالم، ويستحق تمامًا عقدًا جديدًا وجائزة الكرة الذهبية”.

وكتب أحد المُشجعين: “محمد صلاح هو أفضل لاعب في الكوكب بالوقت الحالي”.

بينما غرد مُشجع وكتب: “صلاح الملك المصري أظهر أنه أفضل لاعب في العالم الآن”.

فيما كتب أحد المُشجعين: “محمد صلاح، هو أفضل جناح في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز”.

وتغني آخر بـ صلاح بعد الهاتريك الذي سجله وكتب: “محمد صلاح (كنز) ليس فقط لـ ليفربول، ولكن لكرة القدم بأكملها”.

بينما كتب أحد المُشجعين: “يا له من لاعب!، صلاح بالتأكيد مدمر، إنه وحش مُخيف، ثلاثية ضد الشياطين الحمر!”.

ونواصل مع تغريدات جماهير ليفربول، حيث كتب مُشجع: “أداء لا يُصدق اليوم من محمد صلاح وليفربول”.

وكتب مُشجع: “يا له من فريق رائع وأداء ممتاز، محمد صلاح هو الملك الحقيقي، أحسنتم جميعًا يا رفاق”.

فيما كتب أحد المُتابعين: “محمد صلاح غير قابل للإيقاف، إنه يستحق الثناء!”.

ونختتم بمٌشجع كتب: “محمد صلاح كان من طراز عالمي اليوم، أصبح أكثر توازانًا، ولديه غريزة تهديفية لن تجدها، لقد دمر آمال وأحلام مانشستر يونايتد”.

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