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Mohamed Salah has been included in the Liverpool squad for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Genk in Belgium.

The Egypt international was absent for Sunday’s Premier League game against Manchester United with an ankle problem, and the Reds missed the attacker as they dropped their first league points of the 2019/20 campaign.

The 27-year-old is set to make his return on Wednesday, though, which will be a huge boost for a Liverpool side looking for their second victory in Group E.

It remains to be seen just how many changes Jurgen Klopp decides to make, particularly as the Reds face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend.

Salah’s return, as expected, has delighted the Liverpool supporters, with many drooling over the fact that the attacker will be available to take on Genk.

The Egyptian has managed six goals in 12 appearances for the Reds this season – including two in two Champions League outings.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Merseyside club’s fans can be seen below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

After taking over from Rafa Benitez, Steve Bruce was always going to have a difficult job on his hands to convince the Newcastle faithful he is the right man for the job. A couple of months into his reign at St James’ Park, and there has been very little to shout about.

Aside from an impressive backs-to-the-wall win away at Tottenham, things just haven’t gone the Magpies’ way. After their opening six Premier League games, the Tyneside club have just five points on the board, and their 0-0 draw to Brighton last time out did nothing to whet the appetite.

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However, heading into the clash with Leicester on Sunday, Bruce must throw caution to the wind with his team selection, and simply show more attacking intent. Even if they lose, at least he will have shown the fans what they want – a desire to win. And with that in mind, here’s a look at how the Magpies could potentially line up at the weekend.

The main way of getting the side to be more adventurous? Moving away from the stale back-five that has dominated early proceedings. The approach has simply invited teams to overwhelm the Magpies and forced them onto the back-foot – this season, Newcastle have averaged a measly 37.7% possession in the Premier League.

That kind of defensive set-up may perform well against the big sides in the league, but against teams in and around them like Brighton, Bruce’s side could really do with taking the game to the opposition.

As such, a switch to a 4-2-3-1 could bring rich rewards. Not least of which would be some added support for club-record signing Joelinton. The Brazilian has valiantly battled at the top of the Newcastle attack with very little support. To put things into perspective, against Graham Potter’s side last weekend, the 23-year-old managed just 30 touches – the lowest of any player on the pitch who completed the full 90 minutes.

By having a formation with a five-man midfield, the Tyneside club stand a better chance of getting the best out of Joelinton and making sure he doesn’t get isolated. Miguel Almiron can play off him in the number ten role, whilst having Christian Atsu and Allan Saint-Maximin get to the by-line and put deliveries into the box will help in terms of the amount of service he will get.

Bruce may not be the most popular man around Newcastle, but with a tactical switch and greater willingness to play attacking football, he could slowly turn things around.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on BT Sport, former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has admitted he feels sorry for the club’s youngsters.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have endured a poor start to the season, registering just nine points from their opening seven Premier League games. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men also produced a disappointing display against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday night, and Hargreaves has now revealed he sympathises with the situation surrounding the club’s academy prospects.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

He said (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News): “I actually feel sorry for some of these young kids because they have to carry the burden of one of the biggest brands in the world at 18-years-old.

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“Mason Greenwood, he is good, but he shouldn’t have to be in that position at 18-years-old. Even Rashford you could put into that category as well. These guys aren’t ready to carry the brand of one of the biggest clubs in the world and it’s not really fair on them.”

Sign of the times

Whilst Hargreaves’ comments are entirely understandable, United simply don’t have any choice at the moment but to turn to their numerous academy products. The mess they have created in recent transfer windows has essentially forced them to use the likes of Greenwood, Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong, amongst others.

It is absolutely a sink-or-swim moment in their careers. If they can ride out the storm and come out the other side, then the experience they will have gained of playing under such intense pressure will stand them in good stead. If they crumble under the weight of expectation, then so be it. The Red Devils have no one but themselves to blame for getting into this position.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Ahead of Leeds’ trip to Stoke a few weeks ago, Marcelo Bielsa revealed that there were once again some injury doubts for the Whites.

Barry Douglas ended up missing the trip whilst Stuart Dallas and Liam Cooper were also doubts before kick-off.

As it happened, Dallas was fit enough to play and even scored but the initial plan was for someone like Jamie Shackleton to come in and play at right-back.

Like in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game with Brentford, the 19-year-old was being tipped to play but failed to make the starting XI.

Bielsa has now hinted at him starting at full back twice and if it does come into fruition on a regular basis, it could prove extremely useful.

On the chalkboard

It will be interesting to see where Shackleton’s long-term position lies having featured in midfield and at right back for the Whites last term.

A central midfielder by trade, he featured 19 times in the Championship throughout 2018/19, playing 24 times in all competitions.

According to Transfermarkt, he played 11 times in midfield as well as on 11 occasions in defence.

Considering the injury for Luke Ayling, there could well be an opening in that role at the moment and if that part of the pitch becomes more permanent for the 19-year-old, it can prove fruitful for two other rising talents.

Mateusz Bogusz and Alfie McCalmont are the two players in question. They’re both midfielders and if Shackleton is shifted to the right side of defence, they can be pushed further forward in the midfield pecking order.

Bogusz is yet to really get a chance this term, being restricted to watching on from the substitutes bench and then playing against Stoke in the League Cup.

McCalmont has appeared this season, achieving his first-team debut against Salford a few weeks ago and also playing in the next round.

In 26 minutes on the field versus Salford, he made one tackle, interception and clearance as well as completing 95% of his passes, according to Wyscout. He even created a goal-scoring opportunity.

The promise for the pair of them is clearly there but when players like Tyler Roberts return opportunities could be limited.

Moving Shackleton’s position on a permanent basis, therefore, might allow them to gain more chances in midfield.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Charlie Nicholas has suggested to Sky Sports that Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin should start for Arsenal against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

What did he say?

Tierney and Bellerin are yet to feature for the Gunners this term, but both returned to first-team training last week as they enter the final stages of their recovery.

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Unai Emery’s side have struggled defensively in recent weeks, conceding seven goals in their last three matches.

Nicholas, therefore, wants to see the two full-backs in the side to face last season’s Europa League semi-finalists.

He said: “I would play Kieran Tierney on Thursday and see if Hector Bellerin could start too. Regarding Sunday’s game against Watford, when you see David Luiz giving instructions with 20 minutes to go, you know you are in trouble.”

“Konstantinos Mavropanos is still game time away from being fit. It would be the end if Shkodran Mustafi was to be brought back. We need to get Rob Holding, Bellerin and Tierney back into the side as soon as possible. I would take a hit and play these players to give them game time and let them get match fitness.”

Too soon to risk them

It is, of course, a boost to the north London outfit that the two wide defenders are approaching full fitness, and the former Sevilla boss will be looking to introduce them to the side sooner rather than later. However, it is too early to risk them from the start.

Tierney has been out since June. That is long enough and means that he has not been through a demanding pre-season, but it pales in comparison to the amount of time Bellerin has spent on the sidelines. The 24-year-old ruptured his cruciate ligament in January of this year and has not played since.

They need to be brought back into the fold slowly, and should certainly not be seen as the answer to Emery’s backline woes immediately. After such difficult periods, the last thing they need is too much pressure, both mentally and physically.

Also, a match against Frankfurt is certainly not a fixture that should be seen as an easy match in which to reintroduce them. The German side impressed in Europe last term and are dangerous opposition.

Yes, both players will be needed in the side in the near future. But shouldn’t be thrown in at the deep end on Thursday.

Give them more time, and then utilise them when they are truly ready.

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Southampton are eyeing a move for Olympiacos right-back Omar Elabdellaoui, according to the Daily Mail.

Cedric Soares left the club to join Inter Milan on loan, per BBC, earlier this month and the Saints are now trying to recruit a replacement before the transfer deadline on Thursday.

On the chalkboard

The aforementioned Mail report claims that the Saints are ready to pay £6million to sign Elabdellaoui, who previously played for Hull City on loan in the second half of the 2016-17 season.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is said to believe that the full international has more experience than current right-back Yan Valery, but it remains to be seen if the Norwegian will be able to dislodge the 19-year-old from his starting position.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

The 27-year-old, who has won 34 caps for Norway, made just eight appearances in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, and was on the winning side twice, in a shock win over Liverpool and a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

Elabdellaoui also played 90 minutes on the final day of the season, as Hull lost 7-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Just for depth?

Previous showings do not bode well for Southampton, here.

His last performance in English football saw his side ship seven goals, and this may merely be a move for a back-up.

Elabdellaoui has been almost ever-present for Olympiacos this season, missing just one Turkish Super League game, but his history in English football is such that it is difficult to foresee him being thrown straight in by manager Hasenhuttl.

Valery has impressed when given the chance to play at St Mary’s and can only benefit from an extended run in the first-team, regardless of transfers.

Hasenhuttl would be wise to place his faith in the 19-year-old, and use Elabdellaoui as little more than cover.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to West Yorkshire Daily on the BBC (6pm, 04/09), Managing Director of Leeds Angus Kinnear has offered his thoughts on an area where he feels the Whites have improved from last season, thus putting them at a significant step forward.

What’s he said?

Despite losing to Swansea last weekend, Leeds have had an impressive start to 2019/20, being defeated just once in the league as they sit third.

Losing Pontus Jansson hasn’t cost them too much as they’ve conceded just three times and lie in a promising position in the table.

A large part of that has been down to the business they did in the summer. It may have been questionable to make six loan signings but it appears to have been a shrewd approach and one that the club specifically targeted.

Speaking to the BBC, Kinnear said that their temporary moves was a strategy they wanted to strengthen, mentioning how this year’s team is now better off because of who they brought in. He said:

“We look back at last year and what didn’t work as well as it should have done and the loan window was one of those. Our loan strategy was one of the things which didn’t deliver in the way we wanted it to.

“We know how important loans can be and I think this year the players we’ve brought in and what they’ve shown already puts us at a significant step forward from where we were last year.”

Loans paying dividends so far

It’s fair to say that because of their business during the summer, Leeds are in fact better off, even if Kemar Roofe and Jansson left.

Last season Leeds carried some passengers, particularly in the loan department as barring Jack Harrison, their temporary signings rarely played.

They brought in three men from Chelsea including Lewis Baker, Izzy Brown and Jamal Blackman but they played a combined 18 matches, 14 of which were by the former.

Baker only managed 490 minutes whilst a broken tibia for Blackman obviously had a large say.

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Those deals didn’t pay off but moves made as recently as the summer show they’ve improved.

Ben White has won the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for August, making 4.2 interceptions per game whilst Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa have shown promising signs, combining for a goal twice.

The two latter names have already appeared more times combined than Brown and Blackman did so that’s certainly a positive.

Leeds still don’t have a huge amount of depth but these loan signings have given them greater quality than last term.

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Glasgow Rangers have made an offer to bring Andreas Skov Olsen to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Ibrox News), who claimed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have submitted a €6m (£5m) offer for the Bologna right winger.

Previous reports had suggested that Gers were considering a bid for the Denmark international this month, and it would now appear that Ross Wilson has pulled the trigger on a move for the 22-year-old.

Rangers’ next Prso

Following his £5.4m move to Bologna in 2019, Skov Olsen has not enjoyed the most successful spell of his career, but the forward nevertheless proved during his time at Nordsjaelland that he could make an excellent addition to Van Bronckhorst’s current options out wide.

Indeed, over his £5.85m-rated wizard scored an astonishing 22 goals and registered five assists, directly contributing to a goal every 114 minutes of league football he played that season.

Furthermore, the £28k-per-week winger also bagged one goal over two outings in the Sydbank Pokalen, as well as netting three goals and providing one assist across six Europa League qualifying matches, taking his total to 26 goals and six assists over 44 outings during that campaign.

As such, should Skov Olsen go on to rediscover such form following a potential switch to Rangers this month, Van Bronckhorst could well have the club’s next Dado Prso on his hands. The legendary Croatian centre-forward – who also operated on the right wing – boasts a similar seasonal-best record to that of the 22-year-old, scoring 19 goals and providing five assists over 42 appearances in all competitions for Rangers back in 2004/05.

Indeed, should the Gers be able to get a “groundbreaking” deal for the Danish talent over the line this month, it would undoubtedly provide their chances of going on to win the Premiership title this season with a considerable boost, an outcome which would delight everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Jordan Campbell drops huge January transfer update which will have Rangers fans buzzing

As per French news outlet RMC Sport, there has been an update on West Ham United’s hunt for a new striker involving Senegal forward Bamba Dieng.

The Lowdown: Hammers in final week rush?

Irons boss David Moyes has earmarked the signing of a new striker as one of his transfer priorities over the last month, but they have had no luck getting a player through the door so far in January.

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Bids have been lodged, with Flamengo star Gabriel Barbosa once the subject of intense West Ham interest as they made an 18-month loan offer for him at the beginning of January (Sky Sports).

They have also been linked with Adam Hlozek of Sparta Prague recently but, with just a few days left of the transfer window, they’re fast running out of time to make a decision.

The Latest: West Ham make contact over Dieng…

According to RMC Sport, West Ham have now made an inquiry to sign Marseille’s Dieng and are one of the English clubs to return to the charge alongside Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Burnley.

It is believed that the Hammers and their Premier League rivals have informed the 21-year-old’s entourage of their interest in signing the attacker, and while no concrete offer has been made just yet, this could change in the ‘coming days’.

Marseille are ‘ready to sell’ their starlet by ‘the end of the winter transfer window’ and it will cost GSB €10m (£8.3m) to reach an agreement for him.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Still an unknown quantity despite receiving some worthy plaudits from legends of the game, a move for Dieng could be a gamble.

While Chelsea icon Didier Drogba has hailed the 21-year-old as a ‘skilful’ player, the Senegal ace has still only netted four goals and supplied one assist in 14 French top-flight starts at club level this season.

This isn’t exactly a prolific record, and while there may be bags of potential on offer for just £8.3m, Moyes and West Ham recruitment chief Rob Newman should arguably target players who are more proven at the top level as this month’s transfer window draws to a close.

In other news: BBC reporter says West Ham have made an offer to sign ‘amazing’ ace whose club value at ‘£50m’, find out more here.

Leeds United have been told that Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien “would jump” at the chance to move to Elland Road.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window suggested that the 23-year-old featured prominently on Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s shortlist, but a deal failed to materialise before the August deadline, with suggestions that the Whites’ final offer failed to meet Huddersfield’s demands.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has now claimed that the Terriers star would still be interested in making the switch to Elland Road if Leeds came back in for him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “He signed a new contract at Huddersfield but I’m sure if the opportunity came to go to Leeds, it would be something that he would jump at. Let’s see if Huddersfield are able to turn down any offers for the midfielder.”

Could finally replace Klich

With 158 games played for Leeds, “unsung hero” Mateusz Klich has been a valued servant for Leeds over the years, but at 31, he is one of the players who Bielsa might look to slowly ease out of the side in the near future.

Speaking in February 2020, Bielsa raved: “He cannot do better. Klich is a player with very, very much skills physically. A player who runs more, more intense movements and makes more movements at maximal speed. His values are now linked with how he prepares mentally. This is the fact that makes him run. More hungry he is, the more he runs.”

That same intensity and energy is exactly what O’Brien brings to the table, and he could ultimately replace Klich at Elland Road.

Former Huddersfield shot-stopper Matt Glennon has raved about the 23-year-old’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

Nearly a decade his junior and clearly a man held in high esteem, O’Brien could well be the man to usurp Klich in the midfield engine room for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta could solve a big issue by signing this star…