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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has confirmed that Leon Bailey will once again be missing from action ahead of their match against Spurs in the Premier League.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international has had a mixed start to life at Villa Park following his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen, with injuries causing him to miss a couple of games in late August.

After making his recovery, Bailey showed exactly what he could bring to the table with an electric cameo against Everton, scoring one goal and setting up another as Villa ran out 3-0 winners.

However, after being forced off though injury just minutes after coming on against the Toffees, the 24-year-old looks set to be ruled out until after the international break; and speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of today’s fixture, Smith has delivered an update on the winger.

The manager said: “I’m hopeful that he will start training during the international break, and we will assess him then.”

Villa fans will be gutted

After initially seeing Bailey go down with injury, former Villa defender Alan Hutton responded by saying: “He’s a little bit different to some players because he’s so explosive. That’s kind of a red flag. You need to be careful, especially if you’re coming back from a hamstring injury or things like that. He’s that quick off the mark that he needs to be right.

“The intensity of the Premier League is massive so it’s always going to put strain on your body. They’re going to have to be careful with him, he is playing catch up.”

Hutton concluded: “I’m sure over the coming weeks, depending on how bad he is, they’ll take their time with him and try bed him in really slowly.”

Bailey’s display against Everton showed just why he can be a real game-changer for Villa with his sheer pace and skill, and coming up against a struggling Spurs side, he surely would have relished today’s contest.

Villa fans will no doubt be gutted at seeing him miss out today.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans has dropped an Aston Villa transfer update…

Finance expert Kieran Maguire, featured on Sky Sports, believes the decision to operate a Celtic B team in the Lowland League has been a worthwhile venture. 

The lowdown: Here to stay

Having originally been trialled as a pilot scheme to develop Scottish youngsters, clubs recently voted for the participation of the young Hoops and Rangers sides to continue for the 2022/23 campaign.

Neither side can be promoted or earn relegation but the lure of competitive action has been preferred over the original academy style setup.

Following a report from the Daily Record confirming that the Lowland League had received a financial boost in the wake of the Old Firm’s inclusion, Maguire has given his view.

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The verdict: Good deal for all parties

Speaking to Football Insider, the regular contributor for Sky Sports suggested that the decision has proven to be a hit.

“It was a successful experiment, at the end of the day,” Maguire said.

“The fact the Lowlands League wants it to continue shows that the benefits outweigh any detriment.

“They will have also benefited from higher attendances because people will come to see the Colts teams when they are in town.

“It hasn’t held back the Lowlands League teams themselves.

“They have probably upped their game because it is a feather in the cap to beat Rangers or Celtic, even if it is the Colts teams.”

The verdict: Positive early signs

Whilst it’s difficult to quantify the fruits of the B team’s labour just yet, Celtic certainly appear to have a very promising collection of youngsters on the books at present.

The likes of Mikey Johnston, Dane Murray and Karamoko Dembele have all emerged as options for Ange Postecoglou’s side at various points this season whilst supremely talented teenager Ben Doak recently earned a high profile switch to Premier League giants Liverpool.

Continuing to blood the Lennoxtown youngsters in a competitive environment can only be a positive for the future at Parkhead and it would appear to also be a huge financial boost to the lower reaches of the Scottish football pyramid – win-win.

In other news, a journalist has provided a worrying Celtic transfer update. Read more here.

Aston Villa are considering making a move for Rangers defender Leon King, according to Birmingham Live, and a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts on the news via social media.

The 17-year-old centre-back was promoted to first team training when Steven Gerrard was in charge at Ibrox and will be out of contract at the end of the season.

Leicester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all tracking King, but Birmingham Live suggested that Villa could swoop in a deal worth just £200,000.

King has made two senior appearances for Rangers and is highly regarded in Scotland, with the Gers in talks with the teenager over a new contract. Should those discussions prove unsuccessful, a winter move to the Midlands could well be on the cards.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the links to King on Twitter on Wednesday. Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one labelling his movie-esque name as ‘brilliant’.

“Surely not. He wouldn’t leave a massive club for a tiny tinpot club like Villa. No way.”

Credit: @Aston_JTT_Villa

“yes please”

Credit: @DanAV___

“I mean, this is a drop in the ocean for us, just do it.”

Credit: @DaleAC93

“The name is brilliant, heard he’s a baller and anything to enjoy Rangers so get it done Villa”

Credit: @MasonUTFV

“bargain”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“he absolutely destroys the name test”

Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ

In other news: ‘Shocking’ – Many Villa fans slam ace who lost 80% of duels v Man City

Everton will need to get better at taking the chances they create as they have conceded more goals than they have scored this season, leaving them 15th in the Premier League going into the new year.

The attacking prowess at Goodison Park has been spectacularly flat since the arrival of Rafael Benitez in the summer, which can be put down to injuries to key attacking players like Dominic Calvert Lewin, as well as inconsistencies in the squad.

Despite the struggles Everton has faced in the first half of the season, two of the signings that Benitez made in the previous transfer window, Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend, are currently the two top scorers for the club this season. Therefore, the Spanish manager definitely has an eye for what can work in attack and should use that nous when dipping into the transfer market this month.

One player who has been linked to the club is former Arsenal star, Aaron Ramsey, who has been reported to be leaving Juventus in a matter of days, with the Welshman only going back to Turin to say goodbye to his team-mates.

It was reported earlier this week that a swap loan deal for out-of-favour Lucas Digne could be on the cards, but it now looks like Ramsey will be making different plans in the coming days and weeks, and the Toffees manager should be capitalising on the 31-year-old’s impending departure from Serie A.

The attacking midfielder has an impressive 148 goals and assists throughout his career, compared to current Everton midfielder Tom Davies, who despite being eight years Ramsey’s junior can only boast 19 goal contributions from 190 career appearances.

Davies’ team-mate Abdoulaye Doucoure would thrive with a player like Ramsey by his side, as the pair could form a deadly midfield partnership to take the Toffees back where they belong in the top half of the table by the end of the season.

Doucoure’s strength in positioning is one of his best attributes, as well as his ability to offer creativity and goals from midfield, with two goals and four assists so far this season.

Combining those strengths with Ramsey’s consistently outstanding passing accuracy from playing in many midfield positions, and his experience of elite competitions, could be a huge threat for Everton’s opponents in the second half of the season. Benitez must do everything he can to try and make it happen this month.

In other news: Everton start given green light to return as training pictures emerge

Since Steven Gerrard was appointed as Aston Villa’s manager back in mid-November, the former midfielder has used a total of 24 players at the Midlands club so far.

One of those 24 players is midfielder Morgan Sanson, who, alongside Ashley Young, has made six appearances for Villa under the Liverpudlian, all of them coming in the Premier League.

The Frenchman has started two of the six league games he’s played in so far this season under Gerrard, the first of which came in their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea followed by their recent 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

Even though the 27-year-old has only made 16 appearances for the Villans since arriving from French club Marseille back in the 2021 January transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £16m, his future at Villa Park should be starting to come into consideration based on what he’s managed to deliver for the club.

His performances in the Premier League so far this season have earned the midfielder an overall rating of 6.34/10, currently making him the lowest-rated player in Villa’s squad at the moment that has started more than one league game according to WhoScored, suggesting that he has let Gerrard down when given the chance to show what he can do.

In the game against the Red Devils at the weekend, not only did Sanson give the foul away that led to the free-kick that Bruno Fernandes scored his first goal of the game from but the French maestro also gave the ball away in the second half that led to United’s second goal. All of that culminated in him reacting badly when he was substituted off, which he had to apologise for on social media afterwards.

In addition to his underwhelming performances, Sanson has struggled with injury issues since he made the move to the Midlands club, which former Villa manager Dean Smith described as “frustrating,” which shows that he hasn’t been a particularly reliable player for the team.

Moving forward, if Sanson doesn’t start delivering for Villa on the pitch until the end of the season, then Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris must seriously consider cutting their losses with the player in the next summer transfer window to see if they can reclaim any of the money they paid for him.

Also, with young Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka apparently not happy with his playing time at the club, potentially axing Sanson, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £59k-per-week according to Salary Sport, from the team could give him a clear path to regular game time to see if he would be a better option than the struggling Frenchman.

In other news: Lange could secure another AVFC transfer masterclass as claim emerges on £9m-rated ace – opinion

[ad_pod ]Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter in annoyance after it was revealed by The Chronicle that Atletico Madrid winger and January target Gelson Martins snubbed an offer to talk to the Magpies about a move to Tyneside.The struggling Premier League club submitted a loan offer to the Spanish club for the Portuguese international’s services, which was accepted by Atletico.However, after Ligue 1 side Monaco made an offer of their own, Martins decided to join them and help their battle against relegation to Ligue 2 – they are currently languishing in 19th place in the French top-flight.Newcastle are still in talks with the French club over a deal for Italian left-back Antonio Barecca, but will be disappointed by their failure to lure the former Sporting Lisbon attacker to St James’ Park, especially after having an offer accepted.Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…Martins’ decision to not hold talks means that the Magpies are still yet to see a new signing arrive this month, with a report from the Telegraph suggesting that Rafa Benitez will walk away from the club in the summer if he does not get bodies through the door.They will be used to this kind of disappointment by now, but let’s see how Newcastle fans reacted to missing out on Martins on Twitter…

Mateusz Klich, Jack Harrison and Dan James all struggled to make a big impact in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw at home to Wolves on Saturday.

The Whites were looking for a much-needed win in the Premier League but ended up earning what felt like a positive draw. Rodrigo’s last-gasp penalty ensured that Marcelo Bielsa’s side took home a point at Elland Road, with the celebrations after the goal showing how vital it felt.

That said, it was still two points dropped at home, and here are the three Leeds players who struggled on the day.

Mateusz Klich

Klich started in the middle of the park but he failed to fully impose himself on proceedings, with his 6.7 rating from Sofascore only better than Harrison (6.1).

The Polish midfielder didn’t make a single tackle or interception during the game and he was also dribbled past on one occasion, failed to fill the void left by the injured Kalvin Phillips.

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Jack Harrison

Harrison took up his usual left-sided role, with Raphinha more central and James on the right, but he was another Leeds player who didn’t make a significant impact.

The 24-year-old didn’t win any of his seven ground duels, also losing possession 13 times and only managing to complete 67% of his passes.

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Dan James

James was another Whites player who didn’t have a great day at the office, as his Leeds career still waits to fully ignite.

The Welshman didn’t even attempt a dribble in the entire match and he also failed to have a single shot, summing up his lack of attacking spark for Bielsa’s side yesterday.

In other news, a key comment has emerged regarding Bielsa’s future at Leeds. Read more here.

Rangers have been handed a fresh injury lift over John Lundstram…

What’s the latest?

Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that the Gers midfielder trained on Friday and is set to be back in action in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Lundstram was taken off in the first half on Sunday in the Premiership as he struggled with a knock, but he has now recovered from that in time to be in contention to play in the European quarter-final second leg clash against Braga.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, the Dutchman said: “Lundstram is training today so hopefully available for tomorrow.”

Van Bronckhorst will be elated

This update will surely leave the Gers head coach feeling elated, as having Lundstram available will be a huge boost to his team.

The ex-Feyenoord boss may have been fearing the worst when the midfielder was forced off the pitch in the 26th minute against St Mirren on Sunday. Steven Davis was pressed into action in the first half of the 4-0 win and the Rangers chief may not have been expecting Lundstram to be back in action quite so soon.

The 28-year-old’s participation in training on Friday suggests that he is fit enough to feature against Braga, which will delight Van Bronckhorst as Lundstram’s recent form has shown that he is a key player for the club, particularly in Europe.

In the Europa League this season, only four other outfield players have averaged a higher SofaScore rating than the ex-Sheffield United man – Alfredo Morelos, Leon Balogun, Ryan Kent and James Tavernier.

He has averaged an impressive score of 6.97 in the competition across 10 appearances. In those matches, he has won 60% of his duels and made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he has provided a solid defensive base to allow the attackers to go about their business in the final third.

In the Premiership, he has averaged a score of 6.88 across 25 appearances, starting 16 games. He has completed 90% of his attempted passes whilst making 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he has been consistently delivering solid performances domestically and in Europe throughout the campaign.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be eager to be able to name him in the starting XI against Braga at Ibrox on Thursday night. The English midfielder has shown that he is built for the big occasion, netting a stunning goal against Borussia Dortmund, and the statistics suggest that he can have a big say in this upcoming quarter-final match-up.

AND in other news, From £4.5m to £25m: Wilson had huge Rangers howler over “remarkable” 12-goal gem…

Speaking to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has shared some Saturday night exit news involving Matt Doherty.

The Lowdown: Conte overhaul begins?

Antonio Conte has been making his evaluations on the squad over the past few weeks as he assesses who should stay or leave north London in the winter window, as he candidly admitted to the press.

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There have already been a few names mentioned as possible departures in January, with the likes of Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso and Doherty all linked with a move away from N17.

Sharing the latest update on the Irish defender, a Lilywhites source has apparently lifted the lid on a weekend development.

The Latest: Conte and Spurs ‘will’ allow Dohery exit…

As per Football Insider, sharing news ‘on Saturday night’, Tottenham and Conte are now set to greenlight the Republic of Ireland international’s potential exit this month.

Indeed, Doherty ‘will be allowed’ to leave the club this winter, with Spurs allegedly open to either a loan move or permanent deal for the player.

The Verdict: Right call…

Since signing for Tottenham from Wolves in the summer of 2020, it’s safe to say things haven’t quite worked out for the former Molineux star in north London.

Making just 39 appearances in all competitions over a season and a half at Spurs, Doherty has never quite cemented his place in the first team under three separate managers in Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo or Conte.

His market value has also dropped by £8m since last year, so we advise Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy to find a buyer this month before that plummets any further.

Contracted until 2024, there is still time to cash in on the 29-year-old, and it’s safe to say that finding a buyer for Doherty should be one of Tottenham’s squad-trimming priorities this month.

In other news: ‘Absolute no-brainer’…Sky Sports pundit thrilled by ‘exciting’ transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

After failing to win any of their opening seven Premier League games of the season, Southampton have managed to turn their fortunes around in recent weeks with three wins in their four previous league games, leaving them in 13th place in the league table with 14 points on the board.

Despite this good run of form, there have been some players in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad that have not been as influential as others have been, one of which being Theo Walcott.

With seven appearances under his belt for the Saints so far across the Premier League and Carabao Cup, Walcott has failed to register even one goal or assist, which could be why he has been named as an unused substitute for their two previous league games against Watford and Aston Villa.

In addition to that, the 32-year-old, who is currently valued at £4.5m according to Transfermarkt, has only managed to rack up a dismal average of 0.8 shots per game in the league and 0.2 key passes per game, exposing just how ineffective the experienced Englishman has been for the Saints in an attacking sense so far this season.

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Things haven’t been particularly fruitful in a defensive sense either with Walcott only managing to rack up an average of 0.6 tackles per game in the league.

Also, with Walcott being currently listed as Southampton’s lowest-rated player in terms of his overall performances in the Premier League that has made more than one start according to WhoScored, this shows that his performances as a whole have been disappointing rather than just his lack of attacking impact.

This shows just how much of a weak link Walcott has been for Hasenhuttl in this campaign and why the Austrian has been right to keep him on the bench in recent weeks.

Moving forward, based on what he has shown so far this season, Hasenhuttl shouldn’t be having any thoughts to bring Walcott back in the team anytime soon.

Looking beyond that, unless the flying winger can somehow turn his poor form around, then the club should be thinking about moving him on when his current contract expires in the summer of 2023.

In other news: Gao must avoid Saints nightmare on “exceptional” St Mary’s gem, fans would be outraged – opinion