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Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been handed another devastating injury blow ahead of a potential international debut.

The 22-year-old stopper was originally included in Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming international break, with the Boys in Green now unfortunately confirming that he has had to pull out.

An ongoing abdominal tear has kept him on the sidelines at Anfield, with the problem also now seemingly putting paid to his chances of appearing for his country this month in World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Luxembourg, as well as a friendly versus Qatar.

It will be a hugely disappointing development for Kelleher as he was in line to not only make his debut for his nation but also stake a claim for the Number 1 shirt with regular stopper Darren Randolph also ruled out with injury.

That certainly would have been another remarkable step for the young stopper who has seized his chance under Jurgen Klopp this season.

Following an injuriy to Alisson Becker, Kelleher was able to make both his UEFA Champions League and Premier League debuts, making five appearances in all competitions for the Reds.

He had conceded just three goals within those five games and managed to keep two clean sheets.

However, since appearing in the 1-0 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, Kelleher has been ruled out with his injury, not even appearing on the bench since, meaning Adrian played when Alisson was given compassionate leave follwing the death of his father.

There were fleeting hopes that Kelleher would return in time for Liverpool’s clash with Fulham two weeks ago, but he was still ruled out with a problem that now looks slightly more serious than first feared.

Devastatingly for Kelleher, it not only looks to have disrupted his debut season in the Reds’ first-team but it has also brought his short-term international aspirations down, too.

Given that he would have likely have been given a chance to feature for his country, and stake a claim to be Ireland’s number one, Kelleher will be gutted to have been ruled out for the next few weeks.

AND in more news, read which youngster Jurgen Klopp has to give a chance in the Anfield first-team during the 2021/22 season…

Swansea City were one of several club reportedly interested in signing Exeter City winger Joel Randall earlier this year and Steve Cooper’s side look to have been handed a big boost in their hopes of bringing him to the Liberty Stadium this summer.

The Athletic suggested in January that both Swansea and Celtic were interested in signing the 21-year-old, who has enjoyed a fruitful campaign with the Grecians in League Two this season.

Manager Matt Taylor has recently hinted that the Devon outfit will look to sell some of their brightest prospects – including Randall – this summer as they look to keep the club afloat by cashing in on homegrown talent, as they did with Ollie Watkins, who earned his boyhood club a windfall earlier this week with his debut goal for England against San Marino.

Although Transfermarkt stats that the Exeter winger’s contract expires at the end of this season, the initial report from The Athletic claims that he is contracted until 2022, meaning that Swansea may be forced to stump up a fee if they want to bring him to south Wales this summer.

Randall has been one of Exeter’s standout performers so far this season, having contributed 10 goals and five assists in all competitions, in what has been his breakthrough campaign after a series of loans in non-league.

Taylor was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying: “He’s exceeded our expectations. He’s had talent and potential in him since a young age. His running stats are phenomenal but he’s added an extra dimension to his game in terms of the end product. He’s been a constant threat down that left side, worked tirelessly for the team and contributed at all times this season. He’s been a standout player.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“532484″]

Therefore, it seems clear that Randall’s future lies away from Exeter, so Swansea chairman Julian Winter should steal a march on Celtic and bring him to the Liberty Stadium this summer, as he could be an excellent addition to Cooper’s squad.

Many Everton fans have been left to laud a transfer update by Paul Joyce on Max Aarons.

Writing in his latest piece for The Times, the football journalist has claimed that the Goodison Park faithful have ‘identified’ the Norwich City ace as a potential option at right-back in the summer window and will look to ‘haggle down’ his £30m asking price.

Aarons is reportedly ‘keen’ on moving to Merseyside, but the Canaries are not budging on their valuation for a player who still has three years left on his current deal at Carrow Road remaining.

With Seamus Coleman at 32 years of age now, Carlo Ancelotti’s team certainly need to think about finding a long-term replacement for the Republic of Ireland international, and at 21 years old and clearly with a lot of potential, Aarons could well fit the bill for the Toffees.

Everton fans on Joyce’s Aarons transfer update

These Blues lauded the transfer update on Aarons on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the England U21 international would be a ‘perfect’ replacement for Coleman:

“Fans “identified” Max Aarons more than a year ago. Get it done @Everton”

Credit: @toffeejones

“Yippeeeee”

Credit: @EkoRifky

“Yes please”

Credit: @Reservoirfrogs_

“Be a boss signing that”

Credit: @joshuanorman97

“Perfect Coleman replacement and it seems that Aarons is interested in coming”

Credit: @taylor_davies77

“This is very much needed”Credit: @jacnnorIn other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update Toffees have flocked to here!

As Benjamin Siegrist got down to make countless saves during Celtic’s 0-0 draw with Dundee United on Sunday, it was a case of what if. The Hoops were made to rue a succession of chances that meant the title was on its way out of Parkhead.

It is now heading to the blue side of Glasgow where their fiercest rivals can bask in the glory of usurping Celtic.

Siegrist was an absolute wall as Dundee United survived several waves of Celtic attacks last weekend. Though there won’t just be regret at failing to win, they will be ruing their failure to sign him.

In late December, it was revealed by the player’s agent, Dr Thommas Kraft, that the stopper was fielding interest from several clubs, one of which happened to be the Bhoys.

He commented: “Benjamin has had an extraordinary season and the last match against Hibernian he produced a high-level performance.

“There is interest in him from clubs in the Bundesliga and the Dutch Eredivisie. Celtic have also scouted him several times, that is true. But today, at this moment, we have no official offer from Celtic.”

Siegrist ultimately stayed at Tannadice, a decision that has come back to haunt Nick Hammond and the Celtic hierarchy.

A matter of months ago the Hoops decided to splash out £4.5m on Vasilis Barkas. The goalkeeper has been error-stricken with his performances, however, not least against AC Milan when he somehow let a free-kick fly past him on his side of the net.

Mistakes like those have littered his Celtic career so far and it’s no surprise that they were considering another ‘keeper in January. On Sunday’s evidence, they should have signed Siegrist.

Using his colossal presence of 6 foot 4, the Swiss goalkeeper was a man-mountain between the sticks, making a ridiculously high tally of 12 saves, eight of which came from efforts on goal inside the penalty area.

It didn’t matter what Celtic threw at the 29-year-old, he was always there to rescue his team.

We shouldn’t be overly surprised by his marvellous performances this term, though. Dundee United manager Micky Mellon remarked in October that he was one of the best in Scotland, suggesting he “trains like a monster.”

Monstrous is a word that defines Siegrist well; perhaps Celtic ought to have another look at him in the summer?

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Scott Bain has been at fault for goals this term, especially in the Europa League against Sparta Prague. He made errors for two goals in Prague but on top of that, Conor Hazard hasn’t been perfect either.

Although he saved a succession of spot-kicks in the penalty shootout win over Hearts in the Scottish Cup final, he was at fault in normal time.

It must be said that Siegrist isn’t the finished article either. He made a disastrous howler against Rangers only a few weeks ago. However, his shot-stopping and commanding nature are both undoubtedly attributed that are better than anyone else at Celtic.

Considering how wretched their goalkeeping position has been this term, Siegrist must be at the top of Hammond’s shopping list.

AND in other news, Worse than Brown: Celtic liability who lost possession 20x is now a huge problem…

Steve Bruce has revealed that Newcastle United will boast a near fully fit squad for their trip to Everton on Saturday, as he strives to get the Magpies back to winning ways.

The Toon were without defenders Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and DeAndre Yedlin for their 2-1 loss at home to Leeds United on Tuesday night, in which defeat made it 11-straight winless games for the Tyneside outfit across all competitions.

United have also lost their last six-in-a-row but saw Allan Saint-Maximin make an instant impact from the bench against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, and could opt to start the winger at Goodison Park following his recovery from coronavirus.

So, with changes on the cards, here’s a potential line-up Bruce could name when Newcastle visit Everton this Saturday lunchtime…

Karl Darlow was on hand to produce a couple of crucial stops in defeat to Leeds but was beaten by the visitors’ only two shots on target, yet will be expected to retain his place in goal having opened all 20 of Newcastle’s Premier League fixtures this term.

Bruce may also name a mostly unchanged backline at Goodison Park, despite Clark and Dummett’s returns to training, with Yedlin replacing Isaac Hayden at full-back now that the United States international’s visa issues are believed to have been resolved.

“Fede Fernandez won’t make it, unfortunately. Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett trained yesterday [Thursday] for the first time, so we’ll see how they are. It’s maybe a bit early for the two of them, but we’ll see how they are this morning,” Bruce said.

Hayden returning to midfield with Yedlin recalled will likely see the Arsenal product partner Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, with Jeff Hendrick again not proving to be Bruce’s answer in the role after questionably being retained for the Leeds defeat after an anonymous showing at Aston Villa.

Jacob Murphy struggled at first against the Whites on Tuesday night and lost the ball in the lead up to the visitors’ opening goal, but rallied in the second period with a couple of inviting crosses before making way for Saint-Maximin.

Murphy may now be given a reprieve, as Ryan Fraser ghosted from wing to wing against Leeds whilst Bruce shifted the Scotland international across the pitch trying to find a role that would see the summer arrival prove the biggest threat.

Miguel Almiron looked his most dangerous after moving in centrally against Leeds and will hope to start in the role against Everton, with Saint-Maximin opening the action on the left. The £29m-rated French maestro has not started a league game since November after suffering with the long-term effects of Covid-19.

Callum Wilson will be expected to start as the sole centre-forward in the Newcastle line-up at Everton after a hard-working performance against Leeds, which failed to return the 28-year-old his first goal of 2021 after six consecutive fruitless outings.

AND in other news, Newcastle could part with a £30k-p/w dynamo before the end of the month…

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that manager Marcelo Bielsa must be backed by Victor Orta and the club’s board to turn the Whites into a “force.”

Robinson reacts

The Argentinian tactician has done a remarkable job at Elland Road, guiding the club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

On top of this, Bielsa has guided his team to 10th place in the standings, winning 11 games and scoring 43 goals from 25 games.

Leeds invested heavily into the first-team squad having signed the likes of Rodrigo, Diego Llorente, Raphinja, Helder Costa and Robin Koch – spending a total of £104.63m (via Transfermarkt) last summer.

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson believes that Bielsa has to be backed by the Leeds board once again to take the team to the next level.

“There’s a real rapport with Bielsa and Leeds United, it seems like he’s finally found somewhere where he’s really enjoying working and that he’s got a real tie to. He’s having to spend a lot of time away from his family but he’s a workaholic and it’s something that he seems to have a real passion for.

“He’s found a home at Leeds and I think the feeling’s mutual. He only ever signs 12-month contracts and that always gives him the option to leave but he’s talking about players for next season and he’s already planning a new assault on the Premier League.

“He can see what he’s got already and with new investment for the team, if he gets a decent budget then he can really turn Leeds into a force next season.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

It is great to see the ambition that Leeds are showing to get back to the glory days, but Robinson is spot on – the club cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

If they can finish inside the top 10 this season, there is no reason why they can’t aim for the European places during the 2021/22 campaign.

While this year has provided a solid foundation – 2022 could be a huge year for Leeds United.

In other news, Phil Hay goes into detail on Leeds United’s summer transfer plans.

Manchester City produced a professional display to see off Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday evening, with Pep Guardiola springing a lot of surprises with his team selection.

The Spanish manager set his team up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Gabriel Jesus featuring on the left-wing, whilst Raheem Sterling was omitted from the squad completely.

The former Liverpool man was also left out against Southampton in midweek following his poor performance in the 2-0 defeat against Manchester United, and after Jesus’ impressive display in East London last night, he may well struggle to force his way back into the team.

As per SofaScore, the Brazilian forward would earn an impressive 7.7 rating for his display, with only Joao Cancelo rated higher of any player on the pitch.

Jesus scored the second goal of the evening by capitalising on a Fulham mistake and rounding Alphonse Areola, before firing into the net, showing the sort of composure that he has often lacked in front of goal.

When playing up front, the 23-year-old is sometimes left isolated, but he was supported by Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres in attacking roles, which allowed him to get much more involved in the build-up play, whilst also causing problems for the Fulham defence with his runs in behind.

During the game, the former Palmeiras man would impressively complete 6/7 of his dribbles, whilst 25/30 of his passes were accurate, resulting in an 83% accuracy rate.

He also contributed impressively when it came to winning duels, as he was successful in 9/13 of his ground duels during the game, which emphasises that he is more than willing to get stuck in and defend from the front, something which Sterling struggles with.

In his appearance against United, the winger would fail to win a single duel or complete a single dribble, so it is easy to see why he hasn’t featured in the last two games, as he was very disappointing.

Whilst both Sterling and Jesus have been guilty of missing big chances in recent seasonsm if the Brazilian is given more opportunities to impress in a new role on the left-wing, then you could definitely argue that the £99m-rated England international’s place in Guardiola’s side could be under serious threat.

And, in other news… Forget Haaland: Txiki could sign City’s next Aguero in “outstanding” £90m-rated gem

Wolves have started the New Year just as they ended 2020 – inconsistently.

That being said, it hasn’t been without its entertainment. Nuno Santo’s men drew an enthralling encounter 3-3 with Brighton in their first game of 2021 before a scintillating goal from Adama Traore sealed their pathway into round four of the FA Cup.

Attention returns to the Premier League this evening as they welcome an Everton side without the free-scoring Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Molineux.

The Old Gold are still without a number of players through injury so will have to patch a few areas of their squad together.

Nuno is missing Raul Jimenez still, while Willy Boly, Jonny, Marcal and Daniel Podence are all absent through injury. So, who could start for Wolves on Tuesday night?

Well, we’re tipping Nuno to make as many as three changes to the side that defeated Palace in the Cup.

The first change to note is in goal where John Ruddy is dropped to the bench again. Consequently, normal Premier League stopper Rui Patricio is back between the posts.

Another change is in midfield. The £90k-per-week Leander Dendoncker drops to the bench after only just returning from injury. It might be too soon for the Belgian enforcer to play two games in such a short space of time so the talented youngster Vitinha takes his place in the middle of the park.

The final replacement from the manager is in attack. Fabio Silva once again failed to score in the FA Cup and thus, Patrick Cutrone leads the line.

He was recalled from his loan spell with Fiorentina last week but had to settle for a place among the substitutes when they took on the Eagles. He is free to play now, though, and should start at Molineux this evening if Nuno has any sense.

AND in other news, Wolves can find their next Boly with swoop for £1.5m “weapon”, he’s a “great talker”…

David Moyes can see West Ham United get the best out of Sebastien Haller by handing the striker a new role following his excellence as an impact substitute at home to Aston Villa.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, Alan Hutton has suggested it was a “masterstroke” by Moyes to replace Michail Antonio with Haller at the break, having seen the English centre-forward struggle on his return from a hamstring injury.

Haller fell to the bench for the visit of Aston Villa to east London to accommodate for Antonio’s return, despite netting the winner at Sheffield United the week prior and earning the praise of Moyes who noted how he “couldn’t be more pleased for him”.

Hutton is adamant the decision to replace Antonio with Haller was a game-changer in West Ham’s favour, with the £45m club-record signing turning the tide at the London Stadium where Jack Grealish had countered Angelo Ogbonna’s second-minute opener.

“I thought David Moyes made a brilliant substitution, with Haller and [Said] Benrahma,” he said. “I thought when they came on, they changed the game, I thought they were excellent. They caused Villa a lot of problems in the first moments.

“I think it was a masterstroke from David Moyes bringing Haller on. He was definitely a focal point, they got the ball up to him, he held up and he brought the other two attackers into it.”

Time for a new role

Moyes benching Haller following his match-winning moment of magic at Sheffield United was a decision that has not sat well with all, as former Arsenal and Everton forward Kevin Campbell believes the Ivory Coast international had a right to start against Aston Villa.

Haller started all three of West Ham’s Premier League fixtures whilst Antonio was injured, and Campbell feels Moyes should have made accommodations for that run to continue even with his first-choice centre-forward returning.

“Haller will be frustrated but Michail Antonio has proven that he is the main guy at West Ham now,” he told Football Insider. “This is the way football works and if there is another injury there might be an opportunity for him to play alongside Antonio.”

But Moyes can see West Ham get the best from Haller by utilising his impact from the bench, having seen how influential he could be against Aston Villa with more offensive aerial duels (9) than any other player, as many defensive aerial duels as Ogbonna (4), a team-high two successful dribbles and a joint-game high five attempted tackles, per WhoScored, including those who started.

Haller’s display was far from perfect with a worryingly poor 33% pass competition rate and no shots, showing why the £115,385-per-week striker was right to only start on the bench.

But his ability to create problems for the opposing side will be something Moyes will strive to tap into time and time again, having only trusted the Ivorian to play 29 minutes over West Ham’s opening five Premier League games.

AND in other news, David Moyes dodged a £34m bullet in “incredible” rocket West Ham eyed this summer.

Isaac Hayden was Steve Bruce’s only positive against Brentford in Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup loss on Tuesday night as the midfielder shone in defence, despite the 1-0 scoreline.

The 25-year-old earned his 12th appearance of the campaign across all competitions against Thomas Frank’s Bees while partnering Ciaran Clark in the heart of Bruce’s back four, with the Toon short on numbers at centre-half.

Hayden was unable to help the Magpies avoid defeat on a night where they chased their first EFL Cup semi-final since 1976, but he was the only starting member to leave Greater London with any credit in the bank.

Hayden, who Bruce believes has “his best years ahead of him”, should have left the Brentford Community Stadium with his head held high having shone in an unfamiliar role with the second-most touches (67) and total passes (54) by a Newcastle player and with the best pass completion rate (91%) among those who started for the visitors, per WhoScored.

He additionally won possession with two successful tackles, he made four clearances, three interceptions and was never dribbled past, while boasting a team-high 75% aerial duel success after winning three of four contests spread evenly between both ends of the field.

According to SofaScore data, the £9m-rated gem also won all three of his ground duels, never committed a foul, found teammates with six of nine long balls and saw his sole shot of the game blocked, having rarely ventured beyond the half-way line.

Bruce would have preferred to have named Hayden in his natural midfield role at the Brentford Community Stadium, rather than at centre-half, but he was left with no alternative as the Newcastle first-team continue to recover form and fitness following injuries and an outbreak of coronavirus.

“It is what is,” Bruce said, via quotes by The Northern Echo. “I’m never going to flannel it up, but we hope we can get a few back, that would certainly help. It would have helped if I’d had another centre-half, then maybe I could have put Isaac into midfield.”

Among those absent against Brentford was Jamaal Lascelles, after it was confirmed the centre-back and Allan Saint-Maximin are struggling with the long-term effects of the virus.

Neither are expected to be passed fit to face Manchester City on Boxing Day, though Lascelles may return to training this week, making it likely that Hayden will again start in the back-four at the Etihad Stadium.

Bruce will be able to take comfort with naming Hayden at centre-half against Pep Guardiola’s Citizens, having lauded the impact the Arsenal product recently brought to the role against West Bromwich Albion on his return after he too had tested positive.

“I didn’t think I would have him until last Monday, so for him to get out of bed and produce a performance like that was great to see,” Bruce told BBC Radio 5 Live following the 2-1 win.

AND in other news: “No point him going to…” – Exclusive: Rob Lee drops huge claim on Newcastle star’s future.