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Everton will be aiming to return to winning ways when they welcome Watford to Goodison Park for their Premier League clash this afternoon.

The Toffees suffered their first home loss of the season against high-flying West Ham United last time out, and Rafa Benitez will be looking for a positive response from his side.

However, the Spaniard will be forced to cope without several key players for the visit of the Hornets as his injury list continues to grow.

Star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has suffered a setback in his recovery process from a muscle issue, while Abdoulaye Doucoure and Yerry Mina have also been ruled out of action with a foot injury and hamstring strain, respectively.

However, there is one piece of good news as Richarlison is available once again after being sidelined since the 3-1 victory over Burnley on 13 September.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects Benitez to line up against Watford, with just two changes from the side which started last weekend…

In goal, England’s number one Jordan Pickford will retain his between the sticks after keeping two clean sheets in his seven league outings to date.

Ahead of the 27-year-old is likely to be an unchanged back four given Mina’s enforced absence, with Lucas Digne, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Seamus Coleman making up the defensive unit.

The engine room could have a couple of fresh faces, though. The £19.8m-rated Alex Iwobi could find himself relegated to the bench due to Richarlison’s return and his own ineffective performances, while Tom Davies may get a rare opportunity to impress from the off because of Doucoure’s injury.

Allan and the in-form Andros Townsend will complete the Everton midfield, with the two experienced campaigners charged with leading the team to another three points.

Summer signings Demarai Gray and Salomon Rondon will complete the starting XI and will hope to provide the goals to see off an out-of-sorts Watford.

In other news… Report drops worrying Everton update over £40.5m-rated gem, fans will be concerned 

After securing a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in their latest Champions League outing, Liverpool now face a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United later this afternoon.

Ahead of the match against the Red Devils, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that midfielder Curtis Jones returned to first-team training after picking up an injury whilst away on international duty, whereas Thiago Alcantara will miss the match altogether.

Taking this into account, here’s how we feel Liverpool will line up at Old Trafford.

In goal, despite conceding two in midweek, we feel that Klopp will stick with Alisson Becker between the sticks to see if he can stop the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood from getting on the scoresheet.

Ahead of the Brazilian, we think Klopp will stick with the same back four that started against Atletico with Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold occupying the full-back positions with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk in the middle.

In midfield, even though he scored Liverpool’s opening goal against Diego Simeone’s side, we can see Klopp taking Naby Keita out of the starting XI as a result of his rather disappointing overall performance in midweek.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gets the nod after he managed to put in a good shift after coming on in the second half against Atletico, rather than throwing Jones back into the side straight away.

For their attacking front three up top, it would be difficult to see Klopp taking either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah out of the team considering the duo have scored 12 league goals between them so far this season.

However, given how Roberto Firmino failed to register even one shot on target in 90 minutes in midweek, we feel that Klopp could be persuaded to swap him for £90k-per-week Diogo Jota who has three Premier League goals under his belt in 2021/22.

Whether Klopp goes with this exact starting XI we have suggested or not, we feel that this is a big game for the Reds, not just because of the heavy rivalry between the two sides but also because Liverpool will need a win to keep up with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion

Former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Mark Crossley insists that the club will win automatic promotion from League One this season.

The club endured a terrible season last term, finishing rock-bottom of the Championship, having won just 12 of their 46 games.

They ultimately finished the season with 41 points, and dropped into the third-tier at the end of the season.

Wednesday have begun their League One season unbeaten, drawing 0-0 with Charlton Athletic, and beating both Doncaster Rovers and Fleetwood Town, 2-0 and 1-0 respectively.

Only Portsmouth and Burton Albion have taken maximum points from their first three games, meaning that Wednesday are currently fourth in the table. They are one of only two sides who have yet to concede a goal, along with Pompey.

And Crossley believes that Wednesday can only finish in the automatic promotion slots as the season progresses and return to the Championship, making particular reference to the excellent performance against Doncaster.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “So I only see Sheffield Wednesday getting automatic promotion this season and looking at the performance on Saturday, it was a good solid performance although Doncaster came to spoil the performance and they did very well in the first half to do that, they made the crowd really, really quiet.

“In the second half Sheffield Wednesday just overpowered them.”

Lots of Wolves fans have been left erupting as an exit rumour emerged involving Rayan Ait-Nouri.

According to Jeunes Footeux, the left-back is now ‘of interest’ to both Newcastle United as well as Crystal Palace, who are ‘closely following’ his situation in the Midlands.

However, as he has a contract at Molineux until 2026, he will not be sold in the January transfer window for anything less than between €25-30m (£21.4-25.7m).

Ait-Nouri has really made his mark since signing on a permanent deal in the summer after his loan spell ended, averaging the most tackles (3.9) and crosses (1.3) out of his teammates per game in the Premier League so far this season, while he also ranks highly in terms of key passes (0.9) and dribbles (1.9) (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, selling him to a direct rival, especially midway through the campaign, would seem a strange idea without a better replacement lined up.

Wolves fans on Ait-Nouri transfer news

These WWFC supporters erupted as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, as they all seemed to play down the rumour, with one Wanderer even going as far as to claim that it was ‘comical’:

“We all ask for things we have no chance of getting for Christmas”

Credit: @Cookmtt1976

“Comical”

Credit: @Cal_Wood1990

“This is one of the most ridiculous rumours I’ve seen for one of our players in ages”

Credit: @_ahxle

“If true, and Wolves go through with it, this would be the stupidest transfer in a long time. Ait-Nouri isn’t just another bog standard LB, he’s looking to be a prodigy. He had a fantastic game against #LFC, and has continually looked good for us”

Credit: @ChrisMM__

“This is laughable”

Credit: @eve_elizabethxx

“Usual nonsense being cooked up before a window.”

Credit: @jon306

“Not a chance.”

Credit: @southbank82

In other news, find out what Tim Spiers post has Wanderers talking here!

David Norris believes Liverpool will firm up their interest in Leeds United talisman Raphinha before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

Raphinha, 24, made the move to the Premier League from French outfit Rennes last October, with Leeds forking out £17million ahead of their first season back in the top flight following a 16-year wait.

The Brazilian went on to score eight goals and record 11 assists in an impressive debut campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

Raphinha’s fine form has led to speculation that a host of Premier League rivals are mulling over making a move, with top Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari revealing Liverpool are at the front of a queue which also includes Manchester City and Manchester United.

However, Liverpool have yet to contact Leeds about a potential switch and Raphinha’s current employers are in a strong negotiating position as the winger’s contract has him tied to Elland Road until 2024.

Former Leeds midfielder Norris would not be surprised to see Liverpool lodge a bid.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He’s got great ability and I think Liverpool, after last season, need something a bit different now.

“They got found out a little bit and it was always the same front three. I think they need a few players to come in and change it up.

“Liverpool need similar quality to what they already have in their current front three but a different type of player could make the difference.”

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes Ezgjan Alioski has ‘three options’ this summer, as his Whites future remains up in the air.

The Lowdown: Alioski on the move?

The 29-year-old has been a good servant for Leeds – he has been hailed as ‘brilliant’ by Kevin Phillips – making a total of 171 appearances, scoring 22 goals and registering 19 assists along the way.

Alioski is out of contract at the end of this month, however, and he has been strongly linked with a move away from Elland Road.

There is still a chance that the North Macedonian signs a new deal with Leeds, but nothing concrete has emerged, in that respect.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Mills makes key claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills claimed Alioski isn’t without offers this summer, with a big decision set to be made before the end of June:

“It’s probably about what other options he has and what else is on the table.

“Does somebody else come in? Does somebody offer him a better deal? I would suggest that he’ll have up to three options on the table and he’s just trying to work out which is the best option.

“There might be some that are better financially but he has to decide whether that’s the right way to go or whether the best option is to stick where he is.

“Now, he can look at his future and sit down and make real decisions.

“All his efforts were going into the North Macedonia games to give the best performances to see what they can do and what he can produce.

“Now, he can sit down and assess the situation, look at the realistic options. He’ll look at who else might come into Leeds and if he may be moved down the pecking order. Then he can go from there.”

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The Verdict: Keep him or let him go?

There are arguments for Alioski both staying and leaving ahead of next season, and ultimately, it could be a win-win situation for Leeds.

The left-back’s vast experience and knowledge of Marcelo Bielsa’s system mean he could continue to thrive and a new signing wouldn’t then need to bed in.

That being said, Alioski is now 29 and a natural left-back such as Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico could arguably bring more balance to the team.

Whatever happens, Leeds are unlikely to be weakened, which is the most important thing.

In other news, a Leeds player has been tipped to leave this summer, assuming one Premier League star replaces him. Read more here.

Juventus midfielder Luca Pellegrini rejected a transfer deadline day move to West Ham United as he preferred to remain in Turin, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Left-back needed

With Arthur Masuaku not long recovered from knee surgery and only Aaron Cresswell fit to play at left-back, David Moyes’ desire to bring in another player in that role was not fulfilled in the summer transfer window.

The £8.1m-rated Pellegrini was on Moyes’ radar in recent months but the move never materialised and the 22-year-old remained with Max Allegri’s side. Since his move to Juventus from AS Roma in 2019, he has spent the previous two seasons on loan at Cagliari and Genoa.

The Latest: Why he rejected the Hammers

According to Il Bianconero [via Hammers News], Pellegrini chose not to sign for West Ham and opted to remain in Italy to fight for his place at the Allianz Stadium.

He will first need to supplant Juventus’ first-choice left-back Alex Sandro, who has made 234 appearances for the club.

Pellegrini made his Juve debut over the weekend in the 2-1 away defeat to Napoli, where he came up against Matteo Politano, who scored the equalising goal.

The Verdict: Solid choice at left-back

With Cresswell turning 32 in December and Masuaku nearly 28, West Ham will be monitoring the left-back situation closely this season as they look towards the longer-term future.

Whilst Pellegrini missed large parts of last season at Genoa with two separate injuries (adductor and thigh problems), the wing-back grabbed six assists in 36 appearances for Cagliari in 2019/20, highlighting his attacking prowess.

If he does win his place in Allegri’s side ahead of Alex Sandro, his decision to stay at Juventus will prove to be the right one. However, if the Brazilian continues to be the first-choice left-back, Pellegrini could possibly be tempted by a move to West Ham in the January transfer window – especially if the Hammers are desperate for numbers given their involvement in the Europa League, or if they progress beyond the group stage in that competition.

In other West Ham news, Sky Sports pundit is surprised by David Moyes’ plans for one position. Find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a development on the future of Divock Origi, with a journalist countering claims he could move to Turkey.

The Belgian has become surplus to requirements at Anfield over the years, despite producing some of the most iconic moments in recent history.

Origi has etched his name into Liverpool folklore with goals against the likes of Tottenham, Barcelona and Everton, but he has done very little of late.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

In fact, the 26-year-old has not played a single minute of action this season and he only made two Premier League starts in the whole of 2020/21.

Despite some rumours linking Origi with a move away, journalist Carl Markham has taken to Twitter on Friday to claim that there have been ‘no approaches’ for the striker from Turkey.

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Liverpool fans fume at Origi update

Needless to say, these Liverpool fans have not reacted well to the news, providing their negative thoughts on Twitter.

“Pain…”

Credit: @msuhail_17

“Bad news Carl”

Credit: @AhmEDUCATED

“Kill me”

Credit: @marwxn05

“Hate to see it”

Credit: @dshanahan930

“Just terminate his contract”

Credit: @vineetandtidy

“Should just loan him out at this point”

Credit: @6times2019_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted negatively to another transfer rumour. Read more here.

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to a transfer update on winger Jeremie Boga.

Wilfried Zaha has recently told the Eagles that he wants to leave the club this summer and wants a transfer to go through before pre-season begins next month, as reported by the Evening Standard.

Palace could end up granting Zaha’s wish, even though he has over two years left on his Selhurst Park deal, which has led the club to explore possible replacements for the Ivory Coast international.

The Evening Standard added that Palace have a long-standing interest in Boga but it is unclear whether they will return for the 24-year-old this summer.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, the former Chelsea prospect is currently with Serie A outfit Sassuolo. He netted four goals and registered two assists last season and appears to still be on Palace’s radar.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news regarding Boga on Twitter on Friday evening. Here is what these Palace fans had to say in reply, with some for and against a potential deal.

“Right I’ve just looked up Boga compilations and he’s actually insane”Credit: @CPFCMax9″if he does go Boga is a very good replacement”Credit: @notconnorlmaov2″Boga I beg”Credit: @bentekefan0″Boga replacing Wilf and Madueke replacing Townsend? We might be good for next season”Credit: @Sumo08112″I doubt this btw”Credit: @Kevbartleyy”Who?”Credit: @StephenRodin1

In other news: ‘Surely not’ – Many Crystal Palace fans flock to ‘stunning’ news, find out more here.

Gio van Bronckhorst is in with a chance of securing a treble of trophies with Rangers before the end of the season as we enter the clutch stage of the campaign.

The Gers are second in the Premiership as it stands and are in the semi-finals of the Europa League and the final of the Scottish Cup. This means that the Dutchman can end his debut term at Ibrox in glorious style if they can get over the line on multiple fronts.

He is looking to carry on the excellent work done by his predecessor, who won the Scottish top-flight title ahead of their rivals last season.

Steven Gerrard led the Light Blues to glory in 2020/21 as he enjoyed an unbeaten league campaign, with his sublime work in the transfer market playing a big role in that success.

One signing he played a blinder with was the addition of English winger Ryan Kent, who joined on a permanent deal in 2019 – after initially arriving on loan a year earlier.

At the time of the move, he was valued at just £1.58m by Transfermarkt as he finally left Liverpool after a number of loans away from Anfield.

Gerrard previously labelled Kent “a constant threat” while others have claimed he’s “the Mbappe of Scottish football” and it is easy to see why when you look at his statistics for the club over the years.

In 2020/21, the Englishman produced ten goals and 11 assists in the Premiership to help the side secure the title and he has carried his fine form over into this season. Under Gerrard and van Bronckhorst combined, the forward has three goals and 17 assists domestically and in Europe.

Kent has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.14 in the league this term and this shows that he has been consistently delivering superb displays throughout the campaign. He is a reliable player for the Dutch head coach and has gone from strength to strength since making the switch from Merseyside.

At the time of writing (21/04/22), Transfermarkt value him at a whopping £12.6m, just over £11m more than his price tag in 2019. This highlights his incredible progression in Glasgow over the years as he has been able to drastically raise his market value by performing on the pitch for the Light Blues.

Bringing him to Ibrox was a sensational piece of business by Gerrard and it will be interesting to see where his career goes from here, whether that be at Rangers or elsewhere – hopefully the former.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…