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Everton make their long-awaited return to Premier League football today, as they host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Boxing Day clash.

The Toffees will have welcomed the World Cup-enforced break, given their abysmal run of form as the competition approached.

Frank Lampard will be hoping that their month-long training period, combined with their mid-season tour to Australia can pay dividends now as they face the rock-bottom Old Gold.

With fresh injuries, returning faces and one unfortunate omission here’s the predicted Everton XI for today’s clash (4-3-3)…

(GK) Pickford, (RB) Patterson, (CB) Godfrey, (CB) Tarkowski, (LB) Mykolenko; (CM) Onana, (CM) Gueye, (CM) Iwobi; (RW) Gray, (ST) Cannon, (LW) Gordon.

Lampard is expected to make three changes from their miserable 3-0 thrashing at the hands of AFC Bournemouth last month.

Jordan Pickford, having returned from England duty, will be thrown back into the starting line-up amid his contract talks.

The main absentee from today’s game is Conor Coady, who is unable to feature due to his current loan deal.

Having joined from the Midlands outfit in the summer, despite his immense impact it may surprise some that he still is not an official player for Everton. Whilst it may become permanent in the future, for now, he is unavailable.

However, with Ben Godfrey now deemed “fully fit and available” by injury specialist Ben Dinnery, he could return to partner James Tarkowski.

Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko will flank this solid defensive pairing.

The midfield three will also remain unchanged, despite worries over their creativity and familiarity with their various roles. James Garner had threatened to break into the side, but has now been ruled out for the foreseeable future.

Therefore, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye will operate slightly more defensively as the creative burden falls upon Alex Iwobi’s shoulders.

In the second change, Anthony Gordon is expected to return to replace Dwight McNeil.

Having notched a hat trick in Australia, and another in their win against Aston Villa behind closed doors, it could mark a big second half of the season for the 21-year-old who is also reportedly set to sign a new long-term deal.

He will likely occupy the left flank, with Demarai Gray on the opposite side.

Finally, with the suggestion that Dominic Calvert-Lewin may only be fit enough for the bench, perhaps Lampard could reward the 19-year-old Tom Cannon with his first-ever Premier League start.

The teenage sensation has been in “ruthless” goalscoring form, as noted by journalist Joe Thomas, and even scored his first for the club during the Australia tour too.

With Neal Maupay disappointing before the break – scoring just once in 11 outings – Cannon could be the answer to all their issues as they face the first of a string of must-win matches.

Ki-Jana Hoever has, so far, failed to live up to expectations at Wolverhampton Wanderers but Julen Lopetegui should consider recalling him in January to aid the Old Gold’s relegation battle.

The Dutch defender arrived at Molineux in 2020 having established himself as a top young talent at Liverpool, joining in a deal worth £13.5m when he was just 18.

He had already made four appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s senior side, scoring one goal, so there seemed little to suggest that he wouldn’t be able to live up to his big potential with more regular game time at Molineux.

Ex-manager Bruno Lage was certainly impressed with him after he made his return from injury in an U23s game last season. He said:

“Ki is coming back and did a fantastic recovery. He’s just started working with us this week and he wants to play with the under-23s to have some minutes.

“I hope until the end of the year, if I have the chance to put him in the games, I will put him in the games with no problems because I don’t drop anyone.”

However, he made just 25 appearances in his first two seasons with the Midlands club and was sent on loan to PSV Eindhoven during the summer.

While he has also found game time hard to come by with the Dutch side, his rare appearances in the first team have been impressive, evidenced by his 7.21 average rating from WhoScored across his five outings in the Eredivisie.

He also caught the eye in their 2-1 win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, earning a 7.45 rating from WhoScored, which suggests that he is a more than capable right-back when given the opportunity to start.

Considering he is struggling for regular starts under Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Lopetegui needs all the help he can get at Molineux, the Spaniard should consider recalling the 20-year-old in January as competition for Nelson Semedo at right-back.

The Portuguese defender has been woeful on a number of occasions this season, averaging a shocking 6.31 rating from WhoScored, with the 3-2 defeat against Brighton where his foolish red card cost the Old Gold any real chance of taking anything from the game a clear example of why he isn’t good enough.

Semedo has proven himself to be a defensive “liability” throughout his time at Wolves and with their future in the Premier League on the line, Lopetegui should definitely think about bringing Hoever back to Molineux next month.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Mason Mount over the last few weeks and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that the Chelsea midfielder “ticks a lot of boxes” for Jurgen Klopp.

O’Rourke revealed:

“He’s a top midfield player who can play in several positions, has a great work ethic on and off the ball, he can score goals – great goals as well!

“He’s a key man in Gareth Southgate’s England squad as well, so that shows how highly rated Mason Mount is, so I think he ticks a lot of boxes for the type of players Jurgen Klopp likes in his team.”

Liverpool can solve big issue with Mount

It is no secret that Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in the centre of the pitch with contracts expiring and many players reaching the latter stages of their career, so the signing of Mount certainly would not look out of place at Anfield.

The talented England midfielder has not only youth on his side at just 23 year’s old but also offers a wealth of experience in the Premier League and Champions League earned at Stamford Bridge, as well as winning the European competition back in 2021.

Although Mount’s rated transfer value currently around £86m, according to CIES Football Observatory, Liverpool are in no position to scrimp and hope for the best when it comes to rebuilding their midfield, which will be weakened further in June 2023.

James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all be – as it stands – out of contract at the end of the season, so Klopp will have the perfect opportunity to build the next generation of household names to wear the famous red shirt for the Merseyside giants.

Over 14 league appearances, the midfielder – who was hailed a “generational talent” by author Mark Worrall – has scored two goals, registered two assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.7 tackles and 1.6 shots on goal per game, proving that he is a real attacking threat from his position.

Not only that, Mount is representing England at the World Cup and gave the powers at Anfield another glimpse of his talent in the Three Lions 6-2 win over Iran.

During his 71-minute performance, the talented ace had 50 touches of the ball, completed 89% of his passes, made one key pass and won one tackle, as well as winning seven of his nine duels and completing 100% of his dribbles.

With that being said, there is no doubt that the signing of Mount would be a major coup for Liverpool, however, it will be interesting to see if FSG sanction a move of this magnitude whilst they are planning to part ways with the club and whether Chelsea would be open to selling to a direct rival.

Celtic are reportedly looking to strengthen their centre-forward ranks in the January transfer window, with manager Ange Postecoglou seeking to increase his attacking options.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, the Old Firm outfit are believed to be eyeing up another striking addition in the New Year, with both the Hoops boss and head of recruitment Mark Lawwell said to be keen on adding further firepower to the current forward line.

The Parkhead giants currently have Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis as options to lead the line, although further depth could well be needed having allowed £5m flop Albian Ajeti to join Sturm Graz on loan in the summer.

The report also outlines that the acquisition of a new right-back could also be on the agenda, albeit with that set to rest on whether the Glasgow side decide to cash in on Croatia international Josip Juranovic, amid an apparent stall in contract negotiations.

Postecoglou can replace striking duo

News of a new centre-forward addition may well come as something of a surprise to some considering the Bhoys have been somewhat prolific in front of goal domestically, scoring 50 goals in their opening 15 top-flight games thus far.

That haul has been aided by the form of the aforementioned Kyogo who has ten goals in the league already this season, while teammate Giakoumakis has also netted six times from his 13 Scottish Premiership outings.

That being said, however, the club’s woes on the continent this season have laid bare the need for a new quality asset to lead the attack, with Postecoglou’s men having scored just four goals in their disappointing group stage campaign.

The former Yokohama boss himself admitted that his side had paid the “ultimate price” for their notable “missed chances” as they crashed out of Europe, while pundit John Hartson suggested that both Giakoumakis and Kyogo may well be thinking that they “should have done better” in front of goal in the competition.

While the Celtic Park outfit already splashed out £7.1m on that pair in the summer of 2021 – with the latter man having cost £4.6m from Vissel Kobe, while his Greek colleague cost £2.5m from VVV-Venlo in the same window – another, fresh face could well be needed to take the club to even greater heights.

If Postecoglou’s side are to truly go to that next level and be competitive in the Champions League next time around, the difference could well be having a more ruthless, clinical presence in attack.

West Ham United are set to be busy during the upcoming January transfer window according to Ex-BBC Radio Leeds pundit Noel Whelan. 

The Lowdown: West Ham’s busy summer window

The previous summer window saw the Hammers splash a significant amount of cash to bring news players to the London Stadium.

Figures such as Lucas Paqueta, Gianluca Scamacca and Nayef Aguerd, among others, all joined David Moyes’ side during the previous summer window.

Now that the next January window is approaching, it seems that Whelan thinks history will repeat itself and the Hammers will be active in the window again.

The Lowdown: A busy January for West Ham

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan had this to say on the matter.

He said: “It’s a window which is becoming increasingly difficult to bring in players who are your first choice.

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“You know what you’re getting when you are a successful side like West Ham. European football brings a lot of minutes, and a lot of travelling – and you have to adapt.

“I think David Moyes would love to bring in some new faces to help them do that, what manager wouldn’t?

“Moyes and the staff will be working hard to make sure it’s happening, I’m sure they’ve got targets in mind.

“It would help them, I think. It always seems to freshen things up when you bring in new players mid-season.”

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed at West Ham

In terms of what area the Hammers could look to strengthen in January, the fact that they currently have the lowest percentage of shots on target (25.6%) in the league suggests that a clinical attacking player could be what they need.

On the flip side, only three clubs have a lower percentage of dribblers tackled than West Ham (49.1%), which says to us that having a player that can work hard off the ball and win possession back for the team could be what Moyes needs to look at as well.

Given the hefty activity that took place behind the scenes over the summer, this should fill the Hammers manager and the supporters that they can do it again in January to improve the squad where they feel they need to.

Also, with the upcoming World Cup set to take place before the next transfer window opens, any injury issues that may crop up during the tournament may also have to be taken into consideration in regards to any potential transfer business that may take place at West Ham.

Nottingham Forest will host Liverpool at The City Ground in the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon, and Steve Cooper has delivered a big injury blow ahead of the clash.

What’s the latest?

The Forest boss took to his pre-match press conference to reveal that Harry Toffolo has suffered a serious hamstring injury after he came off the pitch just 17 minutes into his appearance against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Cooper told the media, via Nottinghamshire Live:

“Harry is injured. He picked up a hamstring injury, unfortunately, which will rule him out for a little while.”

It’s bad news for Cooper

The injury to Toffolo couldn’t have come at a worse time as Renan Lodi and Omar Richards are already sidelined, so it really is bad news for Cooper as he heads into the clash with the Merseyside giants this weekend.

Nottingham Forest are currently just one point from being rock bottom in the Premier League table but are just three points adrift from safety so at the very least a point at home against Liverpool will be crucial for the Tricky Trees.

Over eight league appearances, Toffolo has been a solid defensive presence in the Forest backline, making one tackle and 2.4 clearances per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels combined (54%).

Neco Williams was deployed at left-back and will likely reprise his role on the left flank this weekend, but his performance against Brighton was largely uninspiring.

The Wales international, who will come up against his former Liverpool teammates on Saturday, was dribbled past twice, lost the majority of his duels (6/11), failed to complete any of his crosses (0/2) and only completed 19 accurate passes throughout.

Williams has only made three appearances as a left-back at club level but has been featuring on the left side regularly for his national team in a more advanced midfield role so the young full-back should have enough experience to hold the position in his teammates absence.

With that being said, Cooper will be hoping that despite the short time his team have to prepare for their visit from the Merseysiders, that they will still be able to take something from the game, even with their mounting injury problems.

The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has now shared a fresh injury setback for Ellis Simms ahead of Sunderland’s upcoming clash at home to Blackpool.

The Lowdown: Backed for Preston return…

It was reported before the international break that the 21-year-old could make his return from injury in the 0-0 draw at home to Preston North End in the Championship at the weekend, but he was unable to feature.

The striker on loan from Everton has been struggling with an injury to his big toe, and he now seems to have suffered a further setback ahead of the game against Blackpool on Tuesday night.

The Latest: Another few weeks out

Speaking to the media in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Seasiders’ visit to Wearside, Tony Mowbray has confirmed (via The Northern Echo) that Simms could now be facing a further three weeks or more out on the sidelines, in what is another setback for the youngster.

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning in reaction to the manager’s update, Wilson labelled it as ‘not such positive news’ for Sunderland.

The Verdict: Big blow

Of course, it is a big blow for Mowbray and his team to potentially lose Simms for another few games on top of the Blackpool match tomorrow night.

The 21-year-old has started his Black Cats career well, with three goals in his first eight appearances in the Championship (Transfermarkt); and with fellow striker Ross Stewart continuing to be injury as well, it leaves the Wearsiders light in terms of centre-forward options.

Nonetheless, Simms needs to be given time to recover fully, as Mowbray will be wary of rushing him back too early.

Liverpool appeared to finish all their transfer activity fairly early in the summer window, with Jurgen Klopp bringing in Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay, and Fabio Carvalho all before July had even started.

However, as time ticked on and more midfielders succumbed to injuries, Klopp’s attitude turned from “it doesn’t look like” while discussing further incomings to admitting he was “wrong” and the Anfield side were actively looking to add another midfielder to the squad as the last days of the window approached.

Ultimately, the club didn’t get any of their original targets through the door, with Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham high on Klopp’s list, but it looks like they might try again next summer for the youngster.

The one deal that the club may live to regret however is missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni, who joined Real Madrid in a €100m (£85.3m) deal.

The 22-year-old joined the La Liga giants from French side Monaco after impressing in his homeland, scoring eight goals and registering seven assists from 95 matches, a decent return from a player whose predominant position is defensive midfield.

With the injuries mounting at Anfield, the Frenchman would have been an ideal signing and someone who would command a starting XI spot straight away.

He has made an excellent start to life in Spain, holding an average SofaScore rating of 7.23 after his first three matches.

Tchouameni has registered one assist, made two key passes per match, and has had on average 76 touches in each game, showing his ability to constantly get on the ball and dictate the play.

It’s been an auspicious start for the midfielder at arguably the biggest club in the world. Klopp doesn’t make many mistakes in the transfer market but losing out on the player that Paul Pogba described as “extraordinary” following his debut for France in 2021 may be a slight erring on his part.

The German has had to settle for signing Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on loan until the end of the season in order to alleviate his injury crisis and considering their earlier summer targets, it appears to be more a panic buy than one that can add genuine star quality to the side.

Nottingham Forest could be set to add yet another summer signing to their list as they hope to raid a European giant…

What’s the word?

According to Spanish publication AS, the Tricky Trees are in advanced talks with Real Madrid over the signing of Alvaro Odriozola.

The Spanish right-back is keen on a move to the Premier League, and Los Blancos are hoping to offload him permanently rather than loan him out again.

He is unlikely to receive many minutes for Carlo Ancelotti’s side and could move to the City Ground to battle with Neco Williams for the right wing-back position. 

Shades of Carvajal

Many would have expected Odriozola to be the natural successor to Dani Carvajal at the Bernabeu, but that did not materialise.

Once labelled a “special player” with “great talent” by various members of the media, the 26-year-old has struggled to develop into the outstanding player that he was billed in his early footballing years.

Nonetheless, the Spaniard will leave the Bernabeu with a wealth of experience. He has featured 20 times across various European competitions including the Champions League, spent a season on loan at Bayern Munich and made 81 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid and Real Sociedad.

He would join an ever-changing Forest squad as one of the most experienced members in the dressing room and could help nurture Williams into one of the best young full-backs in Europe.

The £118k-per-week Spaniard made 25 Serie A appearances on loan at Fiorentina last season and impressed with his offensive desire. Ranking in the top 5% among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received, combined with his 2.7 shot-creating actions per 90, Odriozola was certainly a constant attacking threat whenever he featured.

Carvajal boasts similar numbers, although his defensive capability shines through more clearly. Whilst featuring for a pragmatic manager in Ancelotti who favours defensive solidity, it is understandable to see why the Italian is seemingly keen to offload the 26-year-old in deference to the 29-cap Spain stalwart.

The 30-year-old averaged 2.08 tackles and 2.44 blocks per 90 last season, while both he and Odriozola boast impressive pass completion rates, outlining their shared efficiency with the ball at their feet. Odriozola’s 87.5% slightly outperforms the 86.4% of his elder positional rival.

The factors which differentiate the reported Forest transfer target from Carvajal is what will have Steve Cooper so desperate to sign him, whilst his time training alongside a five-time Champions League winner will surely have taught him plenty for the rest of his career.

The future of Armando Broja is developing into one of the major transfer sagas of the summer, with Newcastle United believed to be one of the clubs who are keen on prising the youngster away from Chelsea.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has insisted that a deal to bring the 20-year-old to St James’ Park cannot be ruled out just yet, despite reports that the Magpies are not in the race to sign the highly-rated forward.

Asked whether the Albania international is on Eddie Howe’s radar, the transfer insider stated: “Absolutely. I know for a fact he’s definitely on the list.

“I’m reading between the lines a little bit, because I’m obviously been away, but I don’t think I would rule that one out totally yet.”

The recent suggestion is that both Newcastle and fellow Premier League side Everton are battling it out for the 14-cap brute’s signature, while West Ham United are also still in contention despite their capture of Sassuolo marksman Gianluca Scamacca.

Journalist Ryan Taylor has also claimed that the Tynesiders’ desire for a loan move could see them fall out of the reckoning, with the Slough-born striker – who could be worth in the region of £30m – said to favour a permanent swoop if he is to leave Stamford Bridge.

Would be a major coup

There is clearly still a large number of hurdles to overcome if Newcastle are to secure the signing of Broja for the forthcoming campaign, although it is undoubtedly a positive to learn that the 6 foot 3 menace is still very much a player of interest.

Managing to get a deal over the line would undoubtedly be huge coup for the PIF regime, with the £8.5k-per-week hotshot having been in sparkling form in his debut campaign as a top-flight regular last time out, netting nine goals in all competitions while on loan at Southampton.

That haul included six Premier League goals during his time at St Mary’s, having previously scored 11 times in a season-long loan stint at Eredivisie outfit Vitesse Arnhem during the 2020/21 campaign.

The departure of club-record flop Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan has opened the door for more regular game-time for the Blues academy graduate at his parent club. However, it remains to be seen if he will be a key part of Thomas Tuchel’s first-team plans, having made just a solitary senior appearance for the west Londoners thus far.

As for Newcastle, they have so far come up short in their attempts to land a new centre-forward this summer, with Howe’s side seemingly in need of additional quality despite signing Chris Wood on a £25m deal from Burnley in January.

Being left with just the New Zealand international and the injury-prone Callum Wilson as strikers for the new season would be a real concern for the former Bournemouth boss, having seen his team miss out on a move for French starlet Hugo Ekitike, who has secured a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

In Broja, the 44-year-old would seemingly have the perfect attacking solution, while it would represent a major coup to poach the player from one of the division’s elite clubs.

AND in other news, Imagine him & ASM: NUFC can form dream duo in swoop to sign “wonderful” £50m dynamo…