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Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic has been ruled out of tonight’s Glasgow Derby with Rangers, Jo Hendry reports.

The Lowdown: Rogic in race against time

Rogic, who Ange Postecoglou labelled as ‘special’, has made 31 appearances this season, contributing to 12 goals.

The Aussie has been away representing his country and featured against Vietnam last Thursday and Oman on Tuesday in World Cup qualifiers.

Postecoglou recently held out hope of having the playmaker available in green and white this evening, but his participation against Oman yesterday has seemingly ruled him out of featuring tonight.

The Latest: Hendry’s post

Hendry took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon following Postecoglou’s pre-match press conference.

She relayed confirmation from Postecoglou that Rogic is ruled out of the Celtic Park clash and once again stated that Kyogo Furuhashi is weeks away from a return.

The Verdict: Postecoglou now has options

If this game took place when it was initially scheduled for, then Postecoglou could have been in a bit of bother without Rogic.

However, he brought in three midfield additions in the New Year, with Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley catching the eye in their early displays.

Therefore, with Hatate and O’Riley and Callum McGregor also having a chance of featuring, Postecoglou has more than enough in midfield at his disposal to get a first win over Rangers and take the Hoops back to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

In other news: ‘I can tell you…’ – BBC Radio 5 Live man shares key on-air info on ‘unbelievable’ Celtic ace. 

Tottenham Hotspur are left with work to do in their final Europa Conference League group game after they endured an embarrassing evening in Slovenia.

Antonio Conte’s recorded his first loss since taking over from Nuno Santo as his side were agonisingly beaten by NS Mura in the final minutes of the game.

Tommy Horvat fired in a world-class opener from long range for the home side after just 11 minutes before Spurs wing-back Ryan Sessegnon received his marching orders for two calamitous and rash yellow cards by the 31st-minute mark.

In the second half, the Italian made vast changes and it looked to have paid off when his pair of substitutes Lucas Moura and Harry Kane combined for an equaliser in the 72nd minute.

But with seconds left on the clock, Amadej Marosa powered through Spurs’ messy backline to condemn them to a shocking, shocking loss.

Sessegnon, who was massively talked up by Conte during the pre-game build-up, badly let the manager and his side down with his erratic short-lived display.

“I can’t wait to see his performance because he’s a talented player, very young with great space for improvement,” the 52-year-old told reporters in his press conference.

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There were plenty of superlatives used to describe his red card from the press, ranging from “daft” by football.london’s Alasdair Gold to “stupid” by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick but perhaps the most accurate came from The Athletic’s Charlie Ecclesshare, who claimed it was “really needless.”

Indeed, it was. And the 21-year-old gem will have it all to do to convince his manager that he can be trusted again this campaign.

As per SofaScore, Sessegnon was graded at an abysmal 5.1 rating – comfortably the worst of any player on the pitch – and during his 36 minutes, he managed only eight passes and 16 touches, fewer than even goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini (19 passes, 25 touches).

He also lost 80% of his five duels, showing just how much he struggled with the lowly Slovenian minnows.

After being talked up so much ahead of kick-off and then named as a starter a few days in advance, the England U21 international very much let Conte down, so it would be a surprise to see him involved again anytime soon.

An absolute nightmare and disaster evening for the young lad.

AND in other news, Fabio Paratici could seal Spurs’ best signing since Son with £45m-rated “world-beater”…

Rangers will look to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership as they travel to face St Mirren on Sunday.

Heading into the weekend, the Gers sat at the summit of the table on 20 points, whilst tomorrow’s opponent’s were seventh and have only lost two of their opening nine matches.

Steven Gerrard’s team come into the game off the back of a 2-0 win over Danish side Brondby in the Europa League on Thursday night, so will he make any changes to the starting XI? We believe that one player he should bring into the fold is central midfielder Scott Arfield.

The experienced Scottish-born Canadian impressed during his cameo off the bench on Thursday, recording a SofaScore rating of 7.00 in 12 minutes. As per SofaScore, he won both of his duels, made one tackle and one interception, and provided one key pass as well as hitting the post with a good effort on goal.

It is time to forget about Steven Davis starting against St Mirren and Gerrard to unleash Arfield in midfield for the Gers. We published an article explaining why the 36-year-old should be axed from the starting XI after his disappointing performance against Brondby.

Arfield is a proven performer for Rangers and could come in to give the Northern Irishman a rest. Last season, the 32-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 in 28 games as he chipped in with four goals and five assists in the Premiership

During the campaign, Gerrard lauded the midfielder for what he offers in and out of position in the middle of the park, which hints at what he could bring to the side this weekend against St Mirren.

The Gers boss said: “Scott epitomises what we want. Out of possession he shows grit, he shows fight, he’s there for you and in possession, he’s always available. He stands up to be counted at important times, so we’re extremely happy with Scott at the moment.”

This highlights why Gerrard must unleash the £16k-per-week beast on Sunday to show what he can do with a first league start of the season. It would allow an underperforming Davis to have a rest and focus on getting back to his best in training, whilst also throwing a bone to Arfield to see if he can stake a claim for a regular starting berth for the Gers.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth McGregor 2.0 in Rangers gem who has shown “excellent progress”…

As per a report by Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has emerged involving AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye Kessie move…

The 52-cap Ivory Coast star has been on managing director Fabio Paratici’s agenda for quite a while as Spurs reportedly eye his signing as a free agent next summer.

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The Milan midfielder is currently set to leave on a free as things stand, with his contract running down next summer amid claims that Tottenham are certainly interested in him. Paratici is reportedly eyeing top players for low fees as he aims to boost Antonio Conte’s chances of success at N17.

Now, as per Corriere dello Sport, a fresh update has emerged on Spurs’ interest.

The Latest: Kessie handles Spurs offer…

According to their information, relayed by Sport Witness, Kessie has ‘attractive proposals’ from both Tottenham and Paris-Saint Germain, reportedly a major factor as to why he hasn’t agreed a contract extension at the San Siro.

The 25-year-old is demanding €8m (£6.7m) per year while Milan can only offer €6m (£5.07m), with the Lilywhites’ offer apparently more enticing. It is also stated that both Spurs and PSG are ‘on pole’ for his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Thriving further forward under Stefano Pioli last season, scoring 13 goals and four assists in Serie A, Kessie has continued in that vein of form over 2021/22 so far. With five goals across 13 Italian top-flight starts, that’s far more than any Spurs midfielder has managed by comparison, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg coming closest (two).

Despite being a natural defensive midfielder, the Ivorian could provide an extra degree of threat through the middle for Conte, and his signing on a pre-contract deal would certainly be a bargain.

In other news: Conte personally sets sights on signing £21m ‘top player’ with club now willing to sell, find out more here.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans loved seeing a photo of Alfredo Morelos’ daughter and wife prior to the Old Firm derby on Sunday.

The Gers faced their Glasgow fierce rivals for the third time this season and came away with a 1-1 draw as they remain unbeaten in the Premiership (BBC). Mohamed Elyounoussi opened the scored, but Morelos levelled things up with what was his first goal against Celtic (Transfermarkt). With one game left against the Parkhead outfit this term, he will be hoping to add to that tally.

With fans unable to enter the stadium, Morelos’ young family were forced to watch the game at home. It seemed they were still enjoying themselves, though, as Yesenia held up daughter Leonela to their television screen when £10.8m-valued Colombia international Alfredo appeared as the Gers warmed up.

The photo was shared on Twitter by @RangersClips, and it is fair to say that the image melted the hearts of many Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the picture of the Morelos family below

“If ever their was a picture that melted my heart!!”

Credit: @runcornbear

“Too emotional”

Credit: @kyler1872

“Brilliant Alfie absolutely gorgeous just love this photo”

Credit: @Jack1872Royal

“That’s superb”

Credit @1petti

“Brilliant photo.”

Credit: @robbielogan72

“Ok this is adorable”

Credit: @rachlizziexx

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this man’s performance against Celtic.

It’s fair to say that Aston Villa struck absolute gold when they snapped up Matt Targett from fellow Premier League side Southampton a couple of years ago.

Signed for around £11m from the Saints back in the summer of 2019, Dean Smith made it clear just how delighted he was with his new signing after confirmation of a deal.

The Villa manager said: “We’re very pleased to have Matt join us. He’s a player we have been looking at for a considerable amount of time. He fits our criteria of being a young player with experience of playing in the Premier League and having the potential to develop further. He will help make us a stronger defensive unit and we are all looking forward to working with him.”

Since his arrival, Targett has been a virtual ever-present, playing the full 90 minutes in all but of one Villa’s Premier League games this season.

The £35,000-a-week earner has been a bit of an unsung hero for Villa, something echoed Alan Hutton as he said: “I think he just quietly goes about his business and you’re right, because of the other players within that squad, he probably doesn’t get the praise that he’s due this season.

“He’s definitely went under the radar but I think the proper football fans and people will see exactly what he does for the team, much like Matty Cash on the opposite side.”

Such has been his form this season in the Premier League that Targett’s market value has risen considerably, with CIES now rating him at around the £17m mark, more than a 50% rise from when he joined.

The 25-year-old has even seen his name enter into the conversation for an England call-up, with The Mirror claiming earlier this month that Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was considering bringing him into the fold.

Targett has been a reliable performer for Villa as Hutton says, and there’s no questioning that then-Villa sporting director Suso delivered an absolute masterclass with his signature.

Meanwhile, Villa must unleash this academy talent after his FA Youth Cup display; it’s not Aaron Ramsey…

An exciting Newcastle United claim has emerged regarding their plans for the upcoming transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has hinted that PIF will be looking to spend more than £50m in the market this summer, whilst not going overboard with their dealings.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think their plan is to run it like a business and I think their plan will be to keep costs as low as they can.

“I very much doubt they will manage to keep it to £50million, but I do think what they’ll try and do is bring money in, in terms of player sales as well.”

Supporters will be delighted

Newcastle supporters will surely be delighted with this claim.

Last summer, the only senior addition to the squad was the signing of Joe Willock from Arsenal for a reported £25m. He joined on a permanent basis after spending the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan and was the only player brought in by Mike Ashley to bolster Steve Bruce’s squad.

The lack of investment in the team came back to bite the Sports Direct supremo as the Toon became just the fourth team in Premier League history to not win any of their first 14 matches in a top-flight season.

In the last 14 games in the top flight, however, Newcastle have picked up 31 points and are third in the form table behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

The difference between these two stretches of games? The appointment of Eddie Howe and the January transfer window. PIF came in to take over the club from Ashley and invested in the squad by bringing in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood in the winter market.

Their work in January gave Howe the ammunition he needed to fire Newcastle to safety and that is exactly what he has done, with the Magpies currently sitting 14 points clear of the bottom three. This suggests that the signings earlier this year gave the club a massive lift, and that is set to save them from relegation.

Therefore, supporters will be excited by the prospect of PIF dropping more than £50m on further signings, as it means that Howe will be backed again and given what he needs to take the Toon to the next level. He will not be hung out to dry like Bruce was by Ashley, which is why fans will be delighted with the owners’ plans.

They will also be buzzing with the claim that PIF still want to run the club like a business and are not going to risk the financial future of Newcastle. The consortium are not looking for instant success which could lead to irreversible financial damage further down the line, and this measured, thought-out approach will surely go down well with the fanbase as it shows ambition and clarity over what the owners want to do.

AND in other news, Journalist reveals two names on Newcastle’s transfer “list”, Eddie Howe will be excited…

It was always going to be a tough task, but West Brom were absolutely embarrassed by Manchester City at the Hawthorns on Tuesday night.

Aside from a few glancing attempts early doors, the Premier League’s front-runners romped to a 5-0 victory as Sam Allardyce’s backline was once again ruthlessly exposed by an all-out attacking masterclass.

Ilkay Gundogan bagged a brace, whilst the remaining three goals were scored by Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling – perhaps the one shining light was the fact that Kevin De Bruyne was absent through injury otherwise it may have been a cricket score.

The Baggies’ midfielder was bypassed with ease, as it often is without a holding midfielder, and it saw Romaine Sawyers graded a lowly 5.5 by SofaScore but it is a little unfair on him.

It’s not his fault that he may not be good enough for this level of football. The 29-year-old doesn’t get that time and space he’s used to like in the Championship, nor does he have the capabilities to be a defensive influence.

Instead, fingers should be pointed at the Premier League’s leakiest defence – Albion have conceded 12 more goals than any other top-flight team and no team in Europe has let in more goals at home.

Big Sam really needed his defence up to the job but they all badly let him down, none more so than Darnell Furlong, who endured an abysmal night up against Sterling and Mahrez.

He had been out of the starting XI since the Arsenal whitewash, and it’s now easy to see why as he betrayed Allardyce’s faith in him.

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The 25-year-old was their third-worst rated outfield player by SofaScore after he won only two of 12 duels (16%) both on the ground and in the air, which only further proves how he struggled to combat either of City’s wing threats.

Furlong also lost possession 14 times, meaning he was practically gifting the ball back to the visitors – as if they weren’t already heavily dominating the game (78% total possession), per SofaScore.

Given the former QPR star only made 35 touches, he lost the ball once every 2.5 times he it which was also once every six minutes.

By comparison, even the Baggies’ goalkeeper managed more touches throughout the 90 minutes.

BirminghamLive’s Joseph Chapman was equally scathing over Furlong’s display in his post-match ratings column as he graded as his joint-worst defender. He wrote:

“He was caught out at the back and gave Foden acres. Albeit with the misfortune of an officiating mistake, he played Silva onside as City began to run riot. Run ragged as Sterling and Mahrez, whose movement was second to none, caused havoc on either wing.”

It’s no wonder the Englishman had been out of the lineup in Albion’s two previous outings and Allardyce may well want to think again before he can trust the £21.5k-per-week lightweight again.

Until the likes of Sawyers and Jake Livermore are given added support in midfield, the blame has to lie in defence.

AND in other news, Big Sam can finally offload West Brom flop by securing “unique” gem likened to Iniesta…

According to a report by Italian newspaper Il Tempo, via Sport Witness, SS Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi is now ‘listening’ to offers from interested clubs amid the ongoing situation over his contract – with Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Napoli all named.

The Lowdown: Inzaghi on the Spurs list?

Italian media outlets have linked several names from the continent to a possible appointment at Tottenham, including the likes of Maurizio Sarri and Gian Piero Gasperini.

Inzaghi emerged as a contender for the Lilywhites vacancy fairly recently with newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) claiming the Premier League could be his next destination at either Leicester City or Spurs.

The Latest: Inzaghi now ‘listening’ to Spurs offer

Bringing a development, local news outlet Il Tempo says that the 47-year-old is now ‘listening to other offers’ from interested clubs, including Spurs, amid the ongoing wait over a new deal at current club Lazio.

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It is said that a meeting between Inzaghi and the Serie A side is set up for the end of 2020/2021 but outside parties have been making their fondness known in the meantime.

As things stand, the Italian boss will be leaving the Stadio Olimpico following this season’s conclusion and Lazio are even looking at alternative managers in case they cannot reach an agreement over his extension.

The Verdict: Great candidate for Spurs…

Inzaghi has garnered much praise for his job at Lazio since he was appointed permanently in 2016, succeeding Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa who took charge of Le Aquile for just two days (The Guardian).

Indeed, the Rome side haven’t finished outside Serie A’s top eight during the former Italy international’s tenure in charge and players under his tutelage, like Ciro Immobile, have even likened him to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (Football Italia).

As well as this, FIFA agent Claudio Anellucci lauded him as ‘one of the best coaches in Europe’ recently in an interview with TUTTOmercatoWEB.

If Spurs can appoint him after the expiry of his Lazio deal, he may also come as a possibly cheap appointment for chairman Daniel Levy amid financial difficulties (Evening Standard).

In other news: Tottenham rising star now set to leave this summer, find out more here.

Flocking to social media, plenty of Sky Blues supporters have applauded a gesture by Manchester City ahead of their first ever Champions League final in Porto on Saturday evening. 

Pep Guardiola’s men, in what is a huge week for the club, gear up to take on Chelsea with the aim of securing a first European Cup triumph for City and their supporters.

Having just celebrated a fifth Premier League crown and third under Guardiola, it is immediately back to business for the Citizens with the prospect of winning a historic treble.

Ahead of the final in Portugal, for many of the supporters who can’t attend, Manchester City’s official club account has now announced a big gesture.

Indeed, the Sky Blues have confirmed that the final will be screened at the academy stadium for up to 4,000 fans and tickets will be available for just £5 – with priority given to 2019/2020 season ticket holders.

As a result, plenty of City supporters flocked and applauded this move from the club – coming after Sheikh Mansour even offered to personally fund the official club trip to Porto.

Find all of their best verdicts on the official announcement down below.

Man City fans flock to official announcement

“Wow, this is a proper club, £5 for a ticket. actually respect the fans instead of charging silly money like £50+”

Credit: @MCFCHag

“YESSS”

Credit: @MCFC_Latino

“Yeahhhhh city..what a gesture!”

Credit: @KunAme10

“SIUUU”

Credit: @officialgilbert

“Massive club”

Credit: @KunHyder

“Great gesture from City”

Credit: @wendyfitz9

“Love this!!!”

Credit: @mschmidt_soccer

“This is how you do it”

Credit: @SkyHigh_Blu

In other news: Sky Blues excited by Harry Kane claim, find out more here.