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Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of tonight’s Champions League showdown against Shakhtar Donetsk at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports, the 57-year-old has confirmed that the encounter with the Ukrainian outfit will come too soon for both defender Carl Starfelt and wing wizard Jota, albeit with Scotland international David Turnbull set to return after his recent absence.

Speaking on Monday regarding those absentees, the Hoops boss stated: “Jota had his last rehab session and is expected to start training with us again after the game and be available again for the weekend,

“Dave Turnbull is alright. Carl’s back in training which is great but it’s too early tomorrow. The idea is to get him back in training in the next few days and see how it goes.”

Starfelt has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury during the Old Firm derby triumph in early September, while Jota has been on the sidelines since coming off at half-time in the win over St Johnstone a couple of weeks ago.

Awful news for Postecoglou

As Postecoglou also went on to suggest, it is a simply “must-win” game for the Old Firm outfit tonight, with the Hoops needing to secure all three points to have any hope of salvaging a Europa League place, having already seen their hopes of progression in the Champions League extinguished.

With four points currently separating the Glasgow side and Shakhtar, a win at Parkhead would ensure that the hosts would still need to secure a positive result away to Real Madrid on the final gameweek, although the aim for now will be to simply pick up a first win in this season’s group stage campaign tonight.

To be without Jota and Starfelt will no doubt be awful news as far as Postecoglou is concerned, with the former Yokohama boss having regularly counted on that duo throughout his tenure at Paradise so far.

In the case of Starfelt, the Sweden international overcame a slow start to forge an “immense” partnership alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the defence last season – as described by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton – with 27-year-old notably keeping 18 clean sheets in 34 league games in that glorious campaign.

His absence this term – which has seen the former Rubin Kazan man make just three Premiership appearances – has allowed Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz to vie for a starting berth. However, both have had their shaky moments of late, with the latter notably giving away a penalty in Saturday’s thriller against Hearts.

As such, it would have been a welcome sight to have the £5.4m-rated Swede back in action for such a crucial meeting against Igor Jovicevic’s side, although the Hoops will have to do without the five-cap colossus once again.

The absence of the aforementioned Jota is seemingly an even greater blow for the Scottish champions, with the Portuguese starlet having been in fine form already this season, scoring five goals and laying on five assists in just 12 games across all competitions.

The 23-year-old – who was signed on a permanent deal this summer after a stunning initial loan spell – had previously made 27 goal contributions during the 2021/22 campaign, having been a “revelation” for the club to date according to ex-Scotland manager Alex McLeish.

The only man to score in the Champions League for Celtic this season – with the club’s only other strike coming as an own goal in the reverse meeting with tonight’s opponents in Warsaw – it is no doubt a sizeable blow not to have the dynamic asset in tow here.

Jude Bellingham is third in Real Madrid’s penalty-taking pecking order, with Carlo Ancelotti confirming plans involving Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe.

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Mbappe & Bellingham have missed from the spotVinicius is go-to option on penalty dutyManager hoping to avoid more issues from 12 yardsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blancos have endured uncharacteristic struggles from the spot this season, leading to questions being asked of who should be trusted with the responsibility of stepping up from 12 yards. World Cup winner Mbappe, as the club’s No.9, was expected to take on that duty following his arrival in Spain.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe has scored four penalties for Real this season, but missed two in the space of a week when lining up against Liverpool and Athletic Club. Bellingham has also converted from the spot this term, but struck the post with an effort against Valencia at the start of January.

WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

Vinicius has been a more reliable option, hitting the net with all four of his penalties in the 2024-25, and that has earned him the nod from his manager. Ancelotti told reporters when asked about rankings that are now set in stone: “Vinicius, Mbappe and Bellingham.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Mbappe scored from the spot when bagging a brace for Real in their 4-1 win over Las Palmas, with Vinicius serving a two-match ban following his red card against Valencia. The Blancos will be back in European action on Wednesday when welcoming RB Salzburg to Santiago Bernabeu.

Unai Emery has held further talks with Aston Villa officials over potential signings, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: ‘Huge’ January budget

The 50-year-old has officially begun work in the Midlands ahead of his first game in charge at Villa Park against Manchester United this weekend.

The Spaniard already has his eye on the January transfer window and is set to be backed with a ‘huge’ budget in the New Year from owners NSWE.

Villarreal pair Nicolas Jackson and Yeremy Pino have already been linked with a reunion with Emery, who has held more talks with Villa officials.

The Latest: Further talks

Football Insider shared a story on Sunday afternoon where they spoke to pundit Tam McManus.

They added in the report that the latest from their ‘Villa source is that further talks have taken place among the club’s recruitment team and Emery about potential targets’, and therefore his first signing in charge of the club.

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The Verdict: Good news

It is good to see that Emery and Villa chiefs are being proactive ahead of the New Year, which you’d expect could be a busy time in regards to both incomings and outgoings.

A left-sided centre-back appears to be high up on Emery’s wish list, which has left Tyrone Mings’ future in doubt; and with Jackson and Pino also linked, additions in the final third could also be a priority.

Hopefully Villa will be laying the groundwork during the World Cup for winter arrivals, and the sooner they secure Emery’s targets, the better.

Tottenham Hotspur have been given a second chance to sign Yannick Carrasco with Atletico Madrid now having put him up for sale, according to reports from Spain.

The Lowdown: Summer interest

The Premier League giants had a close eye on the winger over the summer, and whilst he does have a €60m (£52m) release clause in his contract, a deal failed to materialise before the September 1st deadline.

Recent reports suggested that Diego Simeone’s side could look to sell the 29-year-old as a result of him underperforming, with the La Liga club also requiring funds to cover their elimination from the Champions League.

The Latest: Carrasco on the market

According to Spanish outlet Cadena SER (via Sport Witness), Carrasco is just one of four players to have been put ‘on the market’ by Atletico, alongside team-mates Joao Felix, Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo de Paul.

The Sport Witness report claims that Antonio Conte’s outfit have been ‘handed an opportunity’ to make another approach, with the Madrid club’s need for money being a factor of which Fabio Paratici ‘could take advantage’ at Tottenham.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Carrasco has been labelled a ‘powerful’ player by journalist Josh Bunting, and with the opportunity to land him having now arisen, it seems a no-brainer of a deal for Spurs to once again pursue.

The Belgian has clocked up an outstanding tally of 41 assists and 39 goals during his time at the Wanda Metropolitano, while he also offers versatility having operated in midfield as well as on the flanks.

Sporting director Paratici should do everything that he can to try and beat any competitors for Carrasco’s signature, with the attacker making for an excellent prospective addition at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium given his far more attainable status.

Never mind the accusations of him underperforming – he is still averaging 1.5 shots per game this season, which only Harry Kane and Son Heung-min can better in N17.

Aston Villa recently appointed Spanish boss Unai Emery as the club’s new manager following the decision to part ways with Steven Gerrard.

The head coach enjoyed a phenomenal debut in the dugout as his side came out on top in a clash with Manchester United at Villa Park in the Premier League on Sunday, winning 3-1.

However, his fantastic start to life in the Midlands may not impact his plans for the January transfer window as he will surely want to improve his squad by bringing in players of his own to suit his tactics.

One player who the club must now swoop for is Spain international Yeremy Pino, as he could from a deadly partnership with fellow youngster Jacob ‘JJ’ Ramsey.

The Daily Star, via Birmingham Live, recently reported that the new Villa boss is keen on snapping up his former Villarreal star to bolster his options out wide.

Emery joined Villarreal at the start of the 2020/21 campaign and brought Pino through into the first team for the youngster to make his debut.

The electric talent instantly became a regular in the team and played 37 matches in all competitions for the Spanish side – scoring seven goals and providing one assist. This shows how much faith the coach has in the 20-year-old and that the forward suits his tactics, which suggests that could slot straight in at Villa in the second half of the campaign.

Pino, who was reportedly valued at roughly €50m (£44m) in the summer, was once dubbed “incredible” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and his achievements in his short career to date back up that claim. 

He turned 20 in October and has already racked up 95 first-team appearances for Villarreal and chipped in with 15 goals and six assists, whilst playing in every position across the frontline. The youngster has also been capped six times by Spain and scored one goal for his country, which shows that he has caught the eye at club and international level.

Ramsey, meanwhile, has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 78 first-team outings for Villa since coming through the academy system, including eight goals in 70 Premier League appearances.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has shown great promise in the English top flight and looks set to be a star for the club in the future, given that he is already scoring and making an impact for the senior squad.

Thus, just imagine Pino and Ramsey lining up together in midfield for Villa. It’s a mouth-watering thought with the two talented prodigies aiming to fulfil their immense potential at the highest level.

Given their respective attacking qualities, it would be an incredibly exciting signing for Villa, and one Emery can make a reality by swooping for his former wing wizard in January.

Chelsea crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the Etihad Stadium in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City and Graham Potter will be feeling extremely frustrated with his team’s performance.

The Blues went into the clash following a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend and there is no doubt that the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss would have been hopeful his side could leave their league form behind when they met with Pep Guardiola’s team last night.

Chelsea struggled to dominate any part of the game with less possession (45%), fewer shots on target (9 v 5) and fewer accurate passes (90% v 86%).

The first half was largely uneventful and although it remained 0-0 at half time, there were plenty of opportunities missed at either end of the pitch with both teams tallying up three shots on target, however, it wasn’t long before Man City took the game by the scruff of the neck.

In the 53rd minute, Riyad Mahrez finally broke the stalemate, scoring the opener for the hosts, with Julian Alvarez doubling the score line just five minutes later.

The poor attacking performance was a complete reflection of the story of Chelsea’s season so far with the team yet again losing out due to the failure to take the chances handed to them in front of goal, and there was one player in particular who delivered an anonymous display.

Armando Broja was given the golden opportunity to start on Wednesday evening and over his 68-minute performance proved why he is not being given more game time.

The Albanian striker – who Jake Heasman dubbed “invisible” due to his teammates’ failure to pick him out in the final third – completed just five passes and had only 20 touches of the ball, which was even lower than that of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who had 60 touches on the night.

For a player who is usually such a physical presence, it was disappointing to see that he failed to win a single aerial duel during the contest.

That said, he was hardly helped by his teammates with a distinct lack of service being summed up by the fact that Broja had no shots on target.

That is an excusable part of his night but what isn’t, however, is his inability to keep hold of the ball, ceding possession every 3.3 touches.

Potter needs to quickly identify the problems in front of goal that Chelsea are experiencing right now, as with no victories in their last four Premier League games they are losing out on the opportunity to make swift progress.

With that being said, it would be expected that the new Chelsea boss will be backed in January to add depth and a natural finisher in the forward line as it is becoming a huge issue for the club in the pursuit of their goals for the season.

Liverpool have had their fair share of injury problems over the season so far, and now a new update has emerged on a key player that will be another blow for Jurgen Klopp during the World Cup break.

What’s the latest?

Assistant boss Pep Lijnders has given an update on both Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, with the latter now set for an extended period on the treatment table.

Lijnders responded to a question about the pair’s chances of taking part in the scheduled friendlies in Dubai during the international break:

“Luis definitely, if everything goes to plan. We can’t wait to see him back, he is this player who smiles when he has the ball at his feet.

“Diogo will join us to continue his rehab. The conditions to train and recover in Dubai are just very, very good. A change of scenery is always a welcome factor when recovering from a long-term injury.”

It’s bad news for Klopp

There is no doubt that it will be bad news for Klopp that Jota doesn’t look like he’s any closer to being in contention to return to action after Christmas when the team will need him the most with many players coming back from the World Cup in a fatigued state.

Darwin Nunez will undoubtedly play a key role in Uruguay’s campaign over the tournament and the Liverpool manager will be desperately hoping that his striker doesn’t pick up any problems over in Qatar in the coming weeks ahead, especially now Jota will not be available.

The Portuguese sensation, who Conor Coady dubbed “phenomenal” has missed out on the majority of the season after suffering an aggravated hamstring injury, making just eight appearances in the Premier League and Champions League so far.

Despite his period on the sidelines, the £78.5m-rated ace has scored five goals, proving just how much of a miss he is for Liverpool.

Jota has scored 34 times and registered 14 assists in 93 appearances since joining the Reds in 2020, with a goal contribution every 118 minutes so there is no doubt that Klopp will want him back in the team when possible as he is a consistent and reliable performer in front of goal.

With that being said, the Liverpool manager will be delighted to have Diaz back in contention to start when Liverpool return to action after Christmas but the absence of Jota continues to serve as bad news.

Everton are struggling to avoid another difficult relegation scrap in the Premier League this season and are currently just one point away from dropping into the bottom three.

Despite making eight signings in the summer transfer window, the Toffees have found themselves yet again falling into poor form with just 14 points collected out of a possible 45 so far and Frank Lampard will have his work cut out to escape another struggle.

Indeed, there is still plenty of time for the Everton manager to turn things around at Goodison Park in the second half of the season and a golden opportunity to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer goals than Everton in the Premier League over the campaign so far, so improving the attacking threat will surely be a huge priority for the club when they think about making moves in the transfer market.

One player who has not only been linked with a move to the blue side of Merseyside since the summer but is also in fine form in front of goal is PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo.

The talented Dutch attacker is the only player in Europe that matches Manchester City’s Erling Haaland for the same number of club goal contributions (21) this season so far with nine goals and 12 assists so far, but it’s not just his chances converted that make him the perfect player for Everton.

Gakpo ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions, touches and progressive passes received, as well as ranking in the top 10% for aerial duels won and dribbles completed.

Not only that, the €30m-valued (£26m) star was his national team’s saviour in his performance against Senegal on Monday evening, having already “arrived” on the biggest of stages at the World Cup.

Indeed, he scored the opening goal of the game late on that eventually led to a 2-0 victory for the Netherlands.

During that clash, he looked like a shadow for large parts, making just seven passes in the entire match. However, in the big moment, he typically came alive.

Having completed his one and only dribble too, it showed that with more involvement on Monday, he could have taken his country to an even bigger win.

Gakpo has played the majority of his football on the left side of the front three meaning that Lampard could finally ditch Demarai Gray to deploy a much more natural finisher and tenacious forward if Everton can complete a deal for the star.

Gray has found the net on just one occasion in the top-flight this term, so the Dutch livewire would evidently be an upgrade.

With that being said, it would be a major coup for the Toffees if they could secure the signature of Gakpo in January as he could be the difference in front of goal that saves Everton’s season.

Celtic star Daizen Maeda has been praised by former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie for his honesty in acknowledging the mistakes made by himself and his team-mates in the wake of their Champions League failure this season. 

The Lowdown: Champions League catastrophe 

The Group F offering to Celtic was never a kind draw, but the Premiership champions failed to adapt and were subsequently punished for not taking their chances against the likes of Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk. 

The Hoops ended bottom of the group by some margin, having failed to win a single match. Ange Postecoglou’s side scored just four goals and conceded 15, ending their European endeavours for the season, having failed to even qualify for the Europa League play-off stage. 

Earlier this month, Maeda spoke of his experience in the Champions League to Japanese outlet KKT, as relayed by The Celtic Way, in which he admitted that he and Celtic failed to make the most of the chances that they had in their Champions League outings.

The Latest: McAvennie praises Maeda

McAvennie is pleased with Maeda’s honest assessment and feels as though Celtic’s big test will come in their European ventures next year. 

Speaking to Football Insider, the 62-year-old said: “They made mistakes and that was just not putting the ball in the back of the net.

“No matter how good a team you are in the Champions League, you are going to get chances against you because it is the best teams. They took their chances, we did not and that is how it ended up. That is the only mistakes.

“Maeda was guilty of a few of them so that is maybe what he is talking about. It is great that he is acknowledging it.

“We will go again next year and try and make a dent in Europe.”

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The Verdict: Maeda can do even better

Amidst Celtic’s Champions League disappointment, the 25-year-old failed to find the net and missed the joint-most big chances for his team alongside fellow countryman Kyogo Furuhashi, with the pair squandering three big chances each. 

The £18k-per-week Maeda clocked up an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.4, so his name should have firmly been on the scoresheet at least once throughout the European campaign. 

This candid reflection hones into the environment that Postecoglou has instilled at Parkhead, so we agree with McAvennie that it is refreshing to hear Maeda acknowledging his individual flaws.

The Japan striker chipped in with 11 goal contributions last season in the form of six goals and five assists from 16 Premiership appearances, so there is every chance that he will come good for the Hoops in Europe next year and learn from the shortcomings of this autumn.

Leeds United centre-back Diego Llorente is expected to be back in training ‘imminently’ after his recent hand injury, according to journalist Beren Cross.

The Lowdown: Llorente suffers hand injury

The Whites are currently out in Spain enjoying a training camp in Spain, with Jesse Marsch looking to keep his squad fresh and in rhythm during the World Cup.

Llorente suffered a fractured hand that required surgery recently, which immediately led to concern that he could be facing a spell on the sidelines.

It looks as though that won’t be the case, however, following a promising new update.

The Latest: Back in training ‘imminently’

Writing on Twitter, LeedsLive’s Cross shared ‘more’ news on the issue, confirming that Llorente should be back with his teammates very soon:

“More on Llorente’s surgery here. Minor fracture and expected back in training imminently.”

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The Verdict: Time for injuries to subside

It feels like Leeds have been continually cursed in the injury department over the past year or so, no doubt playing a part in last season’s Premier League relegation battle.

If Marsch can get the majority of his players back fit once the domestic action return later this month, there is no reason why they can’t steadily climb up the table.

Llorente is one of those who will be a key player, having started seven league games this season, and while he isn’t necessarily a guaranteed starter, he is a big squad figure who helps with both depth and quality.