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Liverpool will host Chelsea in their Premier League clash at Anfield in the early kick-off and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can bring their confident performance from the FA Cup replay earlier this week into today’s meeting.

The Reds are currently ninth in the top flight table, whilst Chelsea are 10th, and taking all three points in front of the home support would put them just two behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.

In terms of injuries, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, Arthur Melo and Roberto Firmino remain unavailable for selection, however, there is one important player who could be set for a return to the starting line-up.

Klopp confirmed in his pre-match press conference that star summer signing Darwin Nunez will be in contention to start this afternoon which will be a huge boost for Liverpool in their attacking threat.

With that in mind, this is how we at Football FanCast expect Liverpool to line up against Chelsea…

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson Becker (GK); Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB), Ibrahima Konate (CB) Joe Gomez (CB), Andy Robertson (LB); Fabinho (CDM), Thiago Alcantara (CM), Naby Keita (CM); Mohammed Salah (RW), Darwin Nunez (ST), Cody Gakpo (LW).

We predict that Klopp will make six changes to the team that beat Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this week.

The first two changes we expect to see are Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson reprising their roles in the back four alongside Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the two centre-backs retain their spots in the team after keeping a clean sheet at Molineux and with Van Dijk still absent a bit of continuity in the back line certainly wouldn’t hurt.

In midfield, we predict that the Liverpool boss will make just one change with Fabinho returning to the starting line-up alongside Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara in the centre of the pitch.

We expect Mohammed Salah and Darwin Nunez to join Cody Gakpo in the front three, with the newly signed Dutchman moving out to the left replacing Fabio Carvalho in order to make way for his 23-year-old teammate.

The Uruguayan striker – who was hailed “scary” by Jamie Carragher – will likely return to his centre-forward role this afternoon as his unpredictable and energetic presence in the forward line could terrify Chelsea’s defenders.

It won’t be an easy clash when the Reds meet Graham Potter’s side, however, Klopp will surely be hoping that the return of Nunez and Salah in the team can get them off to an early lead in front of the Anfield crowd during his 1000th game in management.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to return to form when they travel to Crystal Palace in the Premier League this evening.

Antonio Conte’s side were defeated 2-0 by Aston Villa on New Year’s Day, a result that moved the north London outfit five points adrift of fourth place.

It was also the tenth successive game in which the Lilywhites went behind first, a worrying trend that must be thwarted if they are to transform their fortunes on the pitch.

As such, it will be interesting to see what sort of side the Italian will name, with doubts over the fitness of Dejan Kulusevski.

Here’s what we are predicting…

There could be as many as three changes from the side that tasted defeat a few days ago.

Despite his howler, veteran club captain Hugo Lloris should remain between the sticks, though we could see Eric Dier return to the back three after he was surprisingly dropped from the lineup last time out.

He’ll replace “beast of a player” Ben Davies – in the words of Bundesliga statistician Ben Griffi, which would mean Clement Lenglet shifting to the left and Cristian Romero sticking to the right.

Meanwhile at wing-back, Matt Doherty keeps his place over Emerson Royal but Ryan Sessegnon could start on the other flank, with Ivan Perisic likely to join Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in the attack due to Kulusevski only being rated at ’50/50′ to play.

Yves Bissouma picked up his fifth yellow card of the season, so he’s suspended and with Rodrigo Bentancur still absent through injury, it’ll either be Oliver Skipp or Pape Matar Sarr taking his place alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

It could well be the latter, who Fabrizio Romano once described as a “fantastic talent”, after the 20-year-old took to the pitch before the Hotspur Way academy graduate against Villa.

AND in other news, Conte must ditch struggling £22m Spurs “lightweight” vs Palace, he’s not good enough…

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale will hand youth players a chance to impress during the second half of the season under his tutelage as they find themselves miles behind in the chase for the Premiership title.

There are a plethora of youngsters who are waiting in the wings at Ibrox, and although Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave some of them their first team debuts, most notably Alex Lowry, Charlie McCann and Adam Devine, the Dutchman’s loyalty to players such as Scott Arfield stunted their development slightly.

Beale, however, won’t make that mistake, especially with his experience as a former U21 coach at Liverpool. With so many talents emerging through the Ibrox ranks, the 42-year-old could save millions in the transfer market.

The aforementioned Devine is one of the brightest prospects coming through the ranks and Beale could uncover his next Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 19-year-old.

The Englishman coached Trent during his stint at Liverpool U21s and he is now arguably one of the continent’s finest attacking fullbacks, having registered a mammoth 63 assists during his senior playing career and Devine is a similar threat going forward.

Craig Vickers dubbed him as a “powerful runner in that position” when fellow young right-back Nathan Patterson left the club, while Jordan Campbell described him as a “clone” of the now Everton defender and this can only be a good thing for Beale, and Rangers.

Indeed, Patterson was kept out of the team by captain James Tavernier, and through no fault of his own, the position wasn’t likely to be available on a regular basis.

With Tavernier turning 31 recently, his time at the club will be drawing to a close sooner rather than later and Devine could be the ideal player to fill the void.

Having made his debut for the club against Dundee United last season, he has since made a further two first-team appearances and has performed with an air of maturity that will stand him in good stead for the future.

Beale uncovered Alexander-Arnold and gave him the best coaching possible for him to go on and shine for Liverpool and there is no reason why he can’t do the exact same thing for Devine, as the Light Blues might be able to unearth a player in a similar mould who could generate them a fortune in the future.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ current predicament in the Premier League means that they will likely be linked with many players ahead of the January window.

Sevilla defender Marcos Acuna is the latest player to be linked with a switch to Molineux, where the Argentina international would be reunited with his former manager Julen Lopetegui.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish publication Vamos mi Sevilla, Wolves are one of four clubs chasing the versatile defender ahead of the winter transfer window.

They claim that the Andalusian club want to raise at least €12m (£10.5m) from his sale, after informing the 31-year-old that he is now surplus to requirements at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

Although there will be plenty of interest in the experienced World Cup star, the Lopetegui factor could give Wolves an advantage in any transfer negotiations, as Acuna would make 84 appearances under the Spanish manager during his time with Sevilla.

Shi can get Molineux rocking

Of all of the defenders in Wolves’ squad this season, only Nelson Semedo and Hugo Bueno have managed an assist, which shows that the full-backs are not doing enough to contribute in attack.

Acuna has shown throughout his career, particularly in his time with Racing Club and Sporting Lisbon that he is extremely capable in the final third, with 31 goals and 61 assists to his name.

During his time with Sporting Lisbon, club president Frederico Varandas was full of praise for Acuna, saying:

“Acuna is someone who transmits his experience to the young players. He is one of the best wing-backs in the world in a three-man defensive system.”

Last season saw the left-back make 31 appearances in La Liga, in which he registered one goal and two assists, averaging an impressive 6.96 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Only Ruben Neves has averaged a better rating in Wolves’ side this season, which emphasises the quality that he could add at Molineux.

Acuna boasts a huge amount of experience, having featured in the Champions League, Europa League and World Cup in his career thus far, and he could be exactly the type of player Lopetegui needs both on and off the pitch as he aims to get Wolves out of relegation trouble after Christmas.

The Sevilla star would certainly arrive with pedigree and his ability in attack would undoubtedly get Wolves supporters excited and get Molineux rocking again, given that home fans have witnessed just five league goals at home this season.

Therefore, chairman Jeff Shi should definitely be looking to reunite Acuna with Lopetegui in January.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been reacting to Leeds United’s reported interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro.

The Lowdown: Leeds preparing Guerreiro contract offer

Labelled an “amazing player” by Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic, the defender has been selected by Portugal for their World Cup squad later this month.

Recent reports have suggested that Leeds are preparing a contract offer to lure the left-back to Elland Road, with the 28-year-old set to enter the final six months of his deal at Signal Iduna Park.

Guerreiro has been with the Bundesliga giants since 2016 and has made 205 appearances for the club, contributing to 76 goals.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Leeds and Guerreiro, O’Rourke said that it would be a ‘real coup’ if the Whites manage to secure the defender’s services, believing that he would be a ‘huge upgrade’ at left-back.

The journalist said: “I think he would be a huge upgrade for Leeds at left-back, which has been a real problem position for them for the last couple of seasons.

“If they’re able to lure Raphael Guerreiro to Elland Road, I think it’d be a real coup for the club.”

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The Verdict: Spot-on

Pascal Struijk has been the man to fill in at left-back in Junior Firpo’s absence and has been the club’s best-performing player this season, as per WhoScored.

However, the Dutch defender is primarily a centre-back, so bringing in a natural left-back like Guerreiro would allow Struijk to return to the heart of the back four.

Guerreiro is used to playing Champions League football and appears to possess plenty of attacking quality along with his defensive abilities, so as O’Rourke mentions, the thought of a move to Elland Road could be an exciting one for the Leeds faithful.

Leeds United are ‘aware’ that Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie could become available in the January transfer window, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: McKennie linked with Leeds

The 24-year-old has struggled to become an integral figure at the Serie A club since joining from Schalke 04 two years ago, and it could be that he is allowed to leave in January.

Leeds have recently emerged as potential suitors for McKennie following a recent scouting mission, perhaps helped by the strong American contingent at Elland Road currently.

However, it seems that there could be a number of clubs keen on signing the midfielder if he does leave Turin, so it won’t be easy for the Whites to get their man.

The Latest: Leeds ‘aware’ of McKennie’s situation

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Leeds are monitoring McKennie’s situation and could make a move for him in January.

The journalist said of the 24-year-old:

“Spurs have looked at him before. Chelsea and Leeds are both aware of the fact he could become available. So, I think it’s a case of wait and see.

“Obviously, with the World Cup to come too, we will have to see what his condition and his state of mind is off the back of that.”

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The Verdict: Ideal injection of quality

McKennie could be a brilliant prospective addition to Leeds’ squad, giving it an injection of quality and legs at an important point in the Premier League season.

Compatriots Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson have both become instant regulars under Jesse Marsch at Elland Road since joining in the summer, and there is no reason why the Juventus man couldn’t be a similarly impactful signing.

To have made 91 appearances for a club of Juve’s stature is no mean feat, and he has also been described as ‘the best American player playing in Europe’ by his manager Massimiliano Allegri, which speaks volumes for his talent.

Australia were caught out by Faf du Plessis’ early declaration of the South Africa innings, which meant Usman Khawaja had to open in place of David Warner

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide24-Nov-2016

Australia have admitted they were sent into a lather by Faf du Plessis’ crafty declaration on the first evening of the Adelaide Test, a call that left Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja fuming as David Warner was unable to take his usual spot as an opener after spending time off the field.Warner complained of shoulder pain and went for treatment late in South Africa’s innings, but upon overhearing that the opener needed to spend a further six minutes on the field, du Plessis closed his innings. “I listened to the conversation he had with the umpires, one ear talking to the batter and one ear listening to him and then I heard he had six minutes left before he could bat again so I thought ‘let’s have a crack’,” du Plessis said.Warner and Smith both remonstrated with the umpires on their way off the field, with du Plessis’ closure the earliest in terms of overs in the first innings of a Test unaffected by bad weather. “He went off for some treatment towards the end and was off for too long,” Josh Hazlewood said of Warner. “So they messed their timings up and he couldn’t bat straight away. Uzzy had to bat and adapted pretty well and we got through.”The guys were a little bit annoyed, especially Smithy and probably Uzzy who had to go out and bat, but it’s just one of those things. It rarely happens, but it happened today and the way Uzzy adapted to the situation he did a great job for us today.”Hazlewood confirmed it was up to Warner to ensure he was not caught out in this way, and said the team would likely receive an apology from the vice-captain as a result. “It’s probably the player himself,” he said. “You know the rules and he was just off the field for too long. He’ll hold himself accountable, that’s how Davey goes, so he’ll know he did the wrong thing, apologise to the group and especially Usman, and he’ll learn from it and hopefully it won’t happen again.”As for du Plessis, Hazlewood could only doff his cap. “I think he might’ve had a rough idea, yeah,” he said. “He’s quite cagey like that, pulled the pin and declared and caught us out a little bit.”

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an Arsenal update on their transfer pursuits involving Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Lowdown: Gunners firing…

The Gunners have been firing thus far under manager Mikel Arteta and could well be contending with Premier League champions Man City for the 2022/2023 crown.

Only the Sky Blues have scored more than Arsenal domestically so far, thanks largely in part to the imperious form of marquee summer signing Erling Haaland.

That being said, Arteta remains above his former club in the table and confidence will be soaring after their 3-1 north London derby win over Tottenham last weekend.

However, given the congested nature of this fixture calendar, mainly due to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Arsenal may need to think about reinforcements mid-season.

The Latest: Romano shares Luiz update…

Writing in his CaughtOffside column, the Romano claims Luiz is ‘in the list’ as Arsenal remain interested in Villa’s midfield ace – but ‘nothing is decided’ in terms of a more formal approach.

The Brazilian is allegedly still being tracked by Arteta’s side after numerous reports over the summer linking them with a move.

The Verdict: Go in?

Arsenal were last quoted £40 million by Villa, but given he is out of contract next year, they may be forced to accept a lower fee.

Taking this into account, Emirates Stadium technical director Edu must surely consider swooping in again given Steven Gerrard’s side could lose him for free next summer.

It’s been alleged that Luiz is even keen on the move to north London, having reportedly ‘told friends’ recently that he wants to join (Football Insider).

Called a ‘fantastic player’ by journalist Gregg Evans, there certainly incentives to make a move in the winter window.

Leeds United defender Leo Hjelde could be the answer to one of Jesse Marsch’s lingering problems at Elland Road.

The Nottingham-born teenager was signed from Celtic in August 2021 and soon became the youngest-ever Norweigen to play in the Premier League after he made his debut against West Ham United, less than a week after starring in their defeat to them in the FA Cup.

Those are just two of his four senior appearances for the west Yorkshire giants and interestingly, he has often been deployed at left-back, rather than his more natural central defensive role.

It’s a position that Marsch is struggling in right now, with Junior Firpo currently out injured. That said, even when the former FC Barcelona man is available, he’s far from an ideal starter.

Daily Mirror journalist David Anderson described the defender as a “liability” to the team, so perhaps the American head coach ought to turn to the young Norway U21 international instead.

The 19-year-old has been widely tipped as the ‘next Virgil van Dijk’ by some, though the 6 foot 2 gem could have a future at left-back, given his pace attributes and defensive intelligence.

After the game against the Hammers, Leeds legend Jermaine Beckford waxed lyrical about Hjelde. He told the club’s official podcast:

“The young boy, Hjelde when he came on as well, what a player he’s looking by the way.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. But that’s twice we’ve seen him, twice we’ve seen him against West Ham, against a very physical, very strong, very quick centre forward in Michail Antonio and a tricky player in Jarrod Bowen.

“I don’t want to say he had them in his pocket, but I think he did.”

Meanwhile, the former Ross County loanee was dubbed a “massive talent” by his old manager John Hughes, who also said during another interview:

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that.

“The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo.”

Hjelde’s inclusion at left-back could be a smart decision that allows Pascal Struijk to move back into a more natural central role, whilst also keeping the inconsistent Firpo out of the side completely, which after the recent 5-2 drubbing by Brentford, could be a wise move indeed.

Marsch has experience in developing youth, so it would make further sense to transition the 19-year-old into a first-team star at Leeds. Next van Dijk or not, he’s worth a shot at left-back.

AND in other news, Marsch could unearth Leeds’ own Iniesta by unleashing “magic” teenage “goal machine”…

Liverpool will play their second game of the season and their first Premier League game back at Anfield this evening against Crystal Palace, and there is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will want to make a statement in front of the home fans after the disappointing 2-2 draw with Fulham last weekend.

The Reds struggled to hold off Marco Silva’s newly-promoted side and the disasters didn’t stop with the scoreline as Thiago Alcantara limped off the pitch early into the second half with a hamstring injury that will now see him sidelined for six weeks, further adding to Liverpool’s midfield injury issues.

Both Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were already unavailable for selection through injury so now with Thiago joining them in recovery, Klopp is left with James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Harvey Elliot and newly returned Naby Keita.

Keita had been unavailable for the Craven Cottage clash following a bout of illness, but the Liverpool manager took to his pre-match press conference on Friday to confirm that the Guinean midfielder will be ready to return on Monday night, and Klopp must slot him straight back into the starting line-up against Patrick Vieira’s side.

Liverpool played their screamer against Vieira’s side at Anfield and Klopp could well hope for another great performance from the £130k-per-week sensation if he unleashes him in tonight’s fixture.

Although the German coach may be tempted to give Elliott the nod over Keita alongside Fabinho and Henderson, it would be much better for Keita to take the starting role in the midfield three this evening, as his experience could be invaluable over the game.

Keita who was hailed “world-class” by teammate Virgil van Dijk, a player who very much knows a thing or two about playing at an elite level, ranks favourably compared to his positional peers in the top five European leagues over the last 12 months.

He is in the top 10% for progressive passes, progressive carries, tackles and pressures, proving that he is an absolute nightmare for opponents and could cause a lot of problems for Palace.

That type of energy and progressive play will be particularly important due to the style of play that the Eagles carry out. Indeed, with a supreme array of young players at Vieira’s disposal, they play in a fluid fashion while gallivanting around the pitch at high tempo.

With that being said, amid Thiago’s injury problem, Keita could be the perfect counter to stop Palace from gaining a foothold in the match.

This very much feels like a perfect opportunity for Keita to prove that he can consistently provide Liverpool with the midfield quality they desperately need if they want to compete for multiple trophies again this season.