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With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Thursday evening’s Premiership clash in an excellent run of league form, things are very much looking on the up at Parkhead as we enter the hectic Christmas period.

However, with third-placed Hearts up next for the Bhoys, the 56-year-old manager will undoubtedly be aware that his side will have to be at their best if they are secure all three points against Robbie Neilson’s men, a result which would close the gap to the current Premiership leaders to four points.

So, will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 2-1 win over Aberdeen last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Hearts, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou recently revealing that both Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic will be available for selection on Thursday evening, we predict that the 56-year-old will make two changes to the team that started at Parkhead last time out.

The back five remains unchanged, with Joe Hart starting between the sticks, while Josip Juranovic, Stephen Welsh, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Anthony Ralston make up the defensive quartet.

In the middle of the park, despite impressing against the Dons, the £14k-per-week James McCarthy – who pundit Eamon Dunphy dubbed a “terrible flop” – makes way for the return of Bitton, while Conor McGregor and David Turnbull retain their starting berths.

The front three also sees one change, with the £5.4m-rated James Forrest being handed only his second Premiership start of the season in place of 20-year-old Liel Abada, with the impressive Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi making up the attacking trio.

In other news: Ange must unleash “influential” £14k-p/w Celtic machine vs Hearts, he’s a game-changer

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a behind-the-scenes update on how Leeds United’s players felt about Marcelo Bielsa’s reign coming to an end.

What’s the story?

In a Q&A for The Athletic, Hay revealed: “There was sadness that it came to an end, definitely, and not least because of how much Bielsa had done for so many of the squad. Players who never really expected to play in the Premier League appreciate that they made it there in no small way because of him.

“Form and confidence were suffering, though, and many in the dressing room understood the purpose of the change. I think they saw the potential impact of a refresh. But, as I’ve said before, in no way was there a mutiny.”

A Leeds icon

While things may have ended like a nightmare following a resounding 4-0 defeat at home to Spurs in Bielsa’s final game in charge, that should not take anything away from the Argentine’s incredible achievements at Elland Road.

Having come into the job when the Whites were still desperately trying to escape from Championship obscurity, Bielsa turned things around sharpish, instilling a real culture and identity at the Yorkshire club once again.

With his famous Bielsa-ball tactics and intense training methods, the veteran boss got Leeds back to the promised land of the Premier League, and in an astounding first campaign back in the top-flight, captured the attentions of people up and down the country with the club’s unique style of play.

His ability to connect with the fan-base on a more personal level with his work off the pitch as well, helped harbour a real sense of connection and unity on all fronts, so it’s no surprise that those who got to know him day-in and day-out like the Leeds players felt sad at his departure.

Hay’s update on Bielsa is certainly an emotional one for Leeds supporters.

AND in other news – “We’re told…”: Graham Smyth drops big Leeds United update which will delight supporters

A major update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to make a fourth signing of the transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry has claimed that the Gers are set to bring in a new defender to bolster the squad on deadline day, having already sealed deals to sign James Sands, Amad Diallo and John Souttar this month.

He Tweeted: “Rangers close to signing right-back Mateusz Zukowski.”

Delight

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be delighted with this news as this will come as a much-needed boost to his squad on the final day of the window.

He lost Nathan Patterson to Premier League side Everton in a club-record deal at the start of the month and Zukowski could finally be his replacement.

Whilst Patterson was not a huge loss for the first team in the immediate future, he was the succession plan for James Tavernier at right-back and the Gers were left without an alternative after his sale.

Van Bronckhorst is currently bereft of options in the full-back position and this signing will give him more to work with in terms of rotation across multiple competitions in the second half of the campaign.

Zukowski, at the age of 20, has the potential to grow and take on Tavernier’s place in the team further down the line and could be the ideal replacement for the Scotland international who departed for Goodison. He already has a wealth of experience in Poland despite exiting his teens in November of 2021, having played 50 senior games for Gdansk.

In the Ekstraklasa this season, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.84. He has scored two goals and provided one assist, whilst making a whopping 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game for Gdansk, showing that he is adept at winning possession back for his side.

This suggests that he could be ready to make the step to the Premiership in the short-term as a back-up option at right-back, which is another reason why van Bronckhorst will be delighted with this news. However, the biggest plus point for this move is that it provides the Dutch head coach with a long-term successor to Tavernier – instead of being left in the lurch further down the line if the ex-Magpies man leaves in the next few transfer windows.

AND in other news, “Hearing…” – Transfer insider deals big late blow to Rangers, it’ll leave Gvb gutted…

Leeds United turned down interest from Barcelona in Rodrigo last summer, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Rodrigo’s Leeds struggles

The Spaniard joined the Whites in the summer of 2020, coming in as the most expensive signing in the club’s rich and illustrious history.

However, Rodrigo has struggled to match the expectations of him when he arrived, scoring just nine goals in 45 appearances and finding himself in and out of the team because of injuries.

It has now emerged that the 30-year-old could actually have left Elland Road in last summer’s transfer window.

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The Latest: Barca made summer move for Rodrigo

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic prior to Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United, Hay claimed that Barcelona tried to snap him Rodrigo on loan in 2021, only for Leeds to turn down their interest, and the journalist didn’t completely rule out the notion that the La Liga giants remain keen.

Hay outlined: “Barca looked at him very late in the last window (loan bid) but Leeds said no. It doesn’t seem to have resurfaced yet but they clearly have, or had, an interest in him”.

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The Verdict: Better to keep hold of him

While Rodrigo has been a disappointing signing overall, it is still better that Leeds have him in the squad than not, given the quality that he can offer. The Spain international has shown sporadic glimpses of his brilliance, including a last-gasp equaliser in a Man of the Match performance at home to Wolves earlier in the season.

Granted, Rodrigo needs to go up a gear if he is to become an unqualified success at Elland Road, especially given his age. However, with Patrick Bamford out injured and Leeds lacking any other potent centre-forward as they try to move clear of a relegation battle, it is crucial that the Spaniard is still around between now and the end of the season.

In other news, one rumoured Leeds transfer target could be available this summer. Find out who it is here.

Everton made five signings during the January transfer window, adding experienced players like Donny Van de Beek and Dele Alli, as well as securing the signature of young talents like Nathan Patterson; and now Frank Lampard has the opportunity to put together a team which can pick up vital wins and climb the Premier League into a safer position than their current placing of 16th.

The Toffees are currently just four points above the drop zone in the league, and the former Chelsea boss has been brought in for a fresh perspective in finding solutions to the mounting issues the club has faced this season, with an injury crisis, fans turning on the owners in multiple protests and the poor performances on the pitch from the players who have only secured five wins out of 20 league games.

When Lampard was at Chelsea, he had a strong ethos in developing young players and giving them opportunities in the first team. This contributed to the success of players like Mason Mount and Reece James, who were both instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League-winning campaign last year.

Right-back James was given his Premier League debut by Lampard in 2019 at just 19 years of age and quickly became a first team regular. The Everton boss now has the opportunity to emulate his successful development of the Chelsea starlet by giving 20-year-old Patterson – who was dubbed “amazing” by Scotland team-mate Che Adams – his Premier League now as well.

The Scottish right-back was signed from Rangers in January by Rafael Benitez after having a fantastic start to his career for both club and country. His most notable performance came from his latest Scotland start, when he scored the opening goal and set up the second to help his nation secure a spot in the World Cup play-offs, which take place at the end of March.

With Seamus Coleman now 33 and into the final 18 months of his contract, the signing of Patterson could be the perfect opportunity to start phasing out the Irishman and integrating more youth into the defence.

That would allow Lampard to mould the youngster into the player he wants to see at right-back, which could be in the more offensive role that we have seen from James at Chelsea. Patterson has shown glimpses of his capability to achieve just that when you look at his aforementioned performance for Scotland.

It will be interesting to see how Lampard sets up his Everton team against Brentford on Saturday in the FA Cup, when the Toffees return to action at Goodison Park for the first time since the 43-year-old took on the head coach role. Hopefully Patterson will be granted a senior Blues debut, potentially the first step to becoming Everton’s answer to James.

In other news: Everton must finally offload this flop

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani is still expected to leave Old Trafford, despite the imminent appointment of Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: Cavani’s struggles

The Uruguayan has been limited to just six Premier League starts this term, missing plenty of action due to a number of injuries.

Cavani picked up his latest problem with Uruguay during the recent international break and missed the draw with Leicester and defeat to Everton due to a calf problem.

The 35-year-old is one of a number of United players who are out of contract at the end of June, and it looks as if he’ll be one of the first to leave in what could be a major summer shake-up under Ten Hag.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Thursday morning to provide an update on Cavani.

He revealed that the ‘imminent appointment’ of Ten Hag won’t change Cavani’s mind when it comes to his future and he is ‘still expected to leave on a free transfer’ over the coming months, name-checking La Liga as a possible destination for the forward.

The Verdict: Blow

Although Cavani has missed the majority of the season due to various issues, he has shown his quality in England. He netted 17 goals during his first year as a United player, and should he depart, Ten Hag will be left with just Cristiano Ronaldo as the only senior centre-forward.

Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford is also thought to be in doubt, so persuading Cavani to stay could have been on Ten Hag’s agenda due to his lack of options.

However, it doesn’t look like he’ll remain in England, so a new centre-forward could be a top priority for the Red Devils and Ten Hag over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Brilliant…’ – Sky Sports man buzzes at who Ten Hag may now bring to Man Utd; it’s ‘important’. 

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a fresh injury blow with Rodrigo now ruled out for the Premier League clash against Chelsea this weekend.

What’s the story?

A statement from the club read: “Rodrigo has been suffering from bilateral heel pain for some time. The player and medical staff have deemed it necessary to reduce his activity for the time being, in order to aid his long-term recovery.”

Bielsa will be worried

If you thought things were just beginning to ease up slightly for Leeds on the injury front with the returns of Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford last weekend, think again.

The Whites’ disastrous luck with injuries has struck again, and not only will they be without talisman Kalvin Phillips for an extended period of time, their club-record signing in Rodrigo is set to be missing for a while too.

The Spaniard has scored just twice in 15 games in all competitions this term, and what has been particularly disappointing is that he has been given a runout as the sole centre-forward in Patrick Bamford’s absence.

The former Valencia man has shown flashes of his ability, and it was a particularly impressive performance against West Ham which really caught the eye of The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “I thought Rodrigo’s false nine performance on Saturday was worth another look. Lots to admire and ponder in his positioning, movement, interplay and switches of position with Raphinha. More displays like that could spark Leeds United into life.”

With Rodrigo now out for the foreseeable future, even more of the goalscoring onus is placed on the shoulders of Bamford, who could really do with some help having just returned from injury himself.

This latest update on Rodrigo is sure to have Bielsa worried.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a Rodrigo upgrade in this star…

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter to make a huge claim regarding the potential permanent signing of current Tottenham loanee Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Kulusevski’s instant impact

Since his arrival at Hotspur Way, the 21-year-old has gone on to make a fantastic impression at the club, demonstrated on the pitch by his instant impact. In 11 Premier League games this year, the winger has netted three goals and produced six assists, in the process becoming crucial to Antonio Conte’s starting XI.

Pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has since claimed that “he’s been outstanding the whole time he’s been at Spurs”.

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The Latest: Romano’s update on Kulusevski

Taking to Twitter, Fabrizio Romano shared an update on the possibility of Spurs completing the permanent signing of Kulusevski, claiming that Tottenham sources believe it is only a ‘matter of time’ until the Sweden international is confirmed on a permanent deal which could be in the region of £29.3m.

Romano said: “Dejan Kulusevski’s impact has been something incredible. Tottenham sources considers his permanent signing ‘matter of time’, €35m fee is not gonna be an issue. #THFC”

The Verdict: Great move for Spurs

Following his electric start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 21-year-old has proven to be a fantastic deadline day coup for Fabio Paratici.

Having ranked in the 98th percentile for assists among players in Europe’s top five leagues (via FBRef), Kulusevski could be the perfect accomplice to Harry Kane with the number of chances that he creates in the final third.

As a result, it seems that the £29.3m price tag could prove to be an absolute bargain for the club’s long-term future, if indeed Tottenham sign the Sweden international permanently.

In other news: Tottenham source shares big exit update

Leeds United have joined some huge teams in the race to sign forward Fabio Carvalho, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Carvalho profiled

Carvalho, who can play on either wing or in an attacking midfield role, is 19 years of age and has been with Fulham since the age of 12.

He’s made 23 senior appearances for the Championship high-flyers – 17 of which have come during the current campaign.

The teenager, labelled as ‘lively’ by former manager Scott Parker, has scored seven times and registered two assists in 2021/22.

Carvalho was linked with Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid just last month, and Leeds have now joined the race alongside their pursuit of RB Salzburg star Brenden Aaronson.

The Latest: Leeds interest

The Sun shared a story on Tuesday lunchtime, claiming Liverpool are ready to battle West Ham with a £5m swoop for Carvalho.

The report added that Leeds and FC Porto are also interested in the Fulham starlet, who is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes.

The Verdict: Future star

Fulham’s academy director Huw Jennings said last month that Carvalho, who has immense running speed, wants to be ‘competing for the Ballon d’Or’ in the next few years.

It’s a bold statement but he’s clearly a confident young player who can play in a number of attacking roles and is wanted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Leeds have reaped the rewards of bringing a highly-rated youngster to the club in Joe Gelhardt, but it seems as if they could face a tougher task in their pursuit of Carvalho due to the other sides involved. Could Gelhardt’s path into the first-team convince Carvalho to avoid those other clubs, where he may spend more time on the bench and in the youth set-up?

It could be one to watch, but at the minute, it appears as if Victor Orta’s sole focus is on bringing Aaronson to Elland Road.

In other news: Phil Hay drops big claim as Leeds now closer to first major January business. 

West Ham United have initiated talks regarding a deal to bring Nathaniel Phillips to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by West Ham insiders Claret & Hugh, who revealed that David Moyes and his transfer team are in discussions with the Liverpool centre-back ahead of a potential move in the winter market.

However, the insiders go on to suggest that the 58-year-old manager will first have to hold a meeting with the club’s new board in order to discuss his plans for the January transfer window, as well as the funds he will have at his disposal this winter.

Forget Ogbonna

With centre-back pair Angelo Ogbonna – anterior cruciate ligament injury – and Kurt Zouma – hamstring tendon injury – both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines, the heart of the West Ham defence is undoubtedly an area of the pitch in which Moyes simply must strengthen next month.

And, while it is undeniable that he is a player of extreme importance to the Hammers, should the club manage to get a deal over the line for Phillips this January, he could well be a signing who ultimately goes on to take Ogbonna’s place alongside Zouma in Moyes’ backline.

Indeed, over his 17 Premier League appearances for Liverpool last season, the £7.2m-rated man was in excellent form, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 4.8 clearances and winning a whopping 7.5 duels per game.

The player who Jurgen Klopp dubbed a “monster” who is “absolutely insane” also chipped in going forwards, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 0.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £65k-per-week centre-back earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as the Reds’ fourth-best performer in the league last time out.

As such, should Phillips be able to refind this form after a potential switch to East London, it would not be surprising to see him take the place of Ogbonna in Moyes’ starting XI going forwards – leading us to believe that the West Ham board must do all they can do land the Liverpool defender in the January window.

In other news: West Ham can repeat Lingard masterclass with “unique” £21m beast who’s “irreplaceable”