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Predicted Spurs XI vs Dinamo Zagreb

Tottenham will be looking to continue their run in the Europa League with a positive result against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday evening, although Jose Mourinho may have one eye on Sunday’s North London derby when he selects his team for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs progressed comfortably past Wolfsberger in the last round, whilst Dinamo Zagreb made it through to the Round of 16 after beating Russian side Krasnodar 4-2 on aggregate.

Whilst it won’t be an easy game for Spurs, the Portuguese manager should make the most of his squad depth and make plenty of changes for the visit of the Croatian side, with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son perhaps deserving a rest.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Mourinho to set his side up against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, with 10 changes from the side that started against Crystal Palace on Sunday…

Joe Hart is likely to continue his role as the usual starter in the Europa League, coming in for Hugo Lloris.

There are three changes in defence, as Serge Aurier comes in for Matt Doherty at right-back, and Ben Davies replaces Sergio Reguilon on the left.

Toby Alderweireld is rested, with Eric Dier partnering Davinson Sanchez at centre-back, with the Colombian the only man to keep his place.

Mourinho has already confirmed that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will be rested, and after sitting out against Palace, Tanguy Ndombele is likely to come back in, with Moussa Sissoko the man to partner him in midfield.

Dele Alli’s recent impressive form sees him come back in, whilst Erik Lamela and Steven Bergwijn start in place of Gareth Bale and Son, who reportedly earns £175k per week at Spurs, on the wings.

Finally, Carlos Vinicius will be looking to continue his decent record in the Europa League, with Kane rested, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Englishman feature if Spurs are struggling to make the breakthrough on Thursday.

And, in other news… Mourinho masterclass: Jose has revitalised £110k-p/w gem at Spurs with one simple change

Lack of goals huge problem for Newcastle

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee expressed his concerns over the lack of natural goalscorers at his old club.

First-choice striker Callum Wilson has scored 10 Premier League goals this season; however, no other Newcastle player has been able to show that level of proficiency during the 29-year-old’s time on the sidelines.

The likes of Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin have really struggled in front of goal overall, with the former managing to score just once in the current English top-flight campaign so far.

Unsurprisingly, it is a huge worry for Lee, who believes this predicament has left manager Steve Bruce and the club in big trouble.

Speaking exclusively with FFC, the ex-Newcastle star said:

“If you haven’t got someone who’s a natural goalscorer scoring goals, you’re in trouble, you’re in trouble. You look at all the teams down there and none of them have a natural goalscorer, none of them. They [the teams that go down] never do. Throughout the years, they never have a natural goalscorer.

“We actually have one, but he’s injured and it seems the whole of our team is based around him and how he plays. And we haven’t got a replacement and then we don’t have any players from midfield [who can score goals].”

Indeed, Newcastle’s lack of goals at the minute is a huge concern. Furthermore, Bruce will be delighted to have Wilson in training again and hoping his return from injury has not come too late.

Explained: Why Kylian Mbappe is meeting French president Emmanuel Macron & the Emir of Qatari at Elysee Palace – with PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi also in attendance

Kylian Mbappe has been invited to dinner by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, alongside Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

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  • Macron invites Mbappe to dinner
  • Al-Khelaifi also in attendance
  • Evening held for Emir of Qatar
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    The mercurial Frenchman looks to be heading out the exit door at the Parc des Princes this summer, with a move to Real Madrid all but sealed after years of rumours. writes that President Macron, who is no stranger to stepping in to matters at the capital club, has invited Mbappe to Paris' Elysee Palace alongside club chief Al-Khelaifi. But the nature of the visit owes to the presence of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

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  • THE EXPLANATION

    According to the report, Macron has organised a meal on Tuesday in honour of Sheikh Tamim, with Mbappe and Khelaifi asked to join. notes that other PSG team-mates may also be in attendance. Sheikh Tamim's presence has been requested by Macron to broker negotiations regarding the ceasefire and release of hostages in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Neither Mbappe nor Khelaifi will be present for such talks, as they are simply in attendance for the meal set up by Macron.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Macron has been open in the past in wanting to keep Mbappe at the Paris club, stating that he would "try and push" for the Frenchman to sign a new contract. However, his attempts – if any were made – have proved fruitless, with the 25-year-old set to leave the Parc des Princes after seven years and embark on a new challenge as a 'Galactico'. Mbappe reportedly turned down a £188m ($238m) offer from PSG in order to do so.

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  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Tuesday evening won't be Mbappe's first appearance at Paris' Elysee Palace. notes that the French forward attended a meeting there after France's triumphant 2018 World Cup run, and he even met both Macron and Sheikh Tamim in February 2018 after George Weah was elected president of Liberia.

Ederson makes Man City history! Goalkeeper breaks clean sheet record in narrow win against Bournemouth

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson scripted club history after keeping a clean sheet against Bournemouth.

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  • Ederson scripted Manchester City history
  • Kept his 110th Premier League clean sheet against Bournemouth
  • Man City beat Bournemouth 1-0
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Manchester City rode on Phil Foden's 24th-minute strike to register an important win in the Premier League on Saturday at Vitality Stadium. In the process, goalkeeper Ederson broke the club record of keeping the most number of clean sheets in the league which was previously held by Joe Hart. The Brazilian goalkeeper kept a clean sheet for the 110th time in the Premier League, beating Hart's tally of 109.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    While Ederson managed to achieve the feat in 242 league appearances, Hart played in 266 matches. The former Benfica custodian is now ranked 15th in the list of all-time highest clean sheets by a goalkeeper in the English top flight with former Chelsea and Arsenal star Petr Cech leading the pack with 202 clean sheets.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    The 30-year-old joined the Cityzens from Benfica in 2017 and has successfully established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the club's history. He has won multiple trophies with the club in the last seven years. He bagged the Premier League Golden Glove award for the first time in the 2019/20 season and then repeated the feat in the next two campaigns as well.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

    Pep Guardiola's side will now shift focus to the FA Cup where they take on Luton Town on Tuesday in a fifth-round clash before facing rivals Manchester United in the league on Sunday.

Gers eye move for Boupendza

According to 90min.com, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Hatayspor forward Aaron Boupendza.

Rangers eye Boupendza

Rangers are said to be eager to sign Boupendza, who currently plays in the Turkish Super Lig. However, there could well be plenty of competition to capture him, with eight English Premier League clubs also interested, as well as Celtic and Fenerbahce.

Hatayspor are said to be looking for a fee of around £8.5m to part ways with the Gabon international.

In form

Boupendza, an international teammate of Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is enjoying a fantastic season in Turkey. In 28 games in all competitions, he has managed 18 goals (Transfermarkt), and he is actually the league’s top goalscorer above the likes of Vincent Aboubakar and Cyle Larin (ESPN).

Of course, £8.5m would be a lot for the Gers to pay to sign Boupendza – they have only twice spent more than that on new signings, and not since the 2001/02 season (Transfermarkt).

However, Alfredo Morelos has recently revealed he dreams of playing in the Premier League (Radio Caracol) – the Gers would likely bring in a considerable fee if he were to depart Ibrox this summer, and they would need to reinvest in another forward capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis. Given his form this term, Boupendza could just be that man.

In other news, many Rangers fans slam this Union Bears statement.

Mary Earps stitched up as Chloe Kelly silences Old Trafford! Winners & Losers from Man City's statement WSL derby win over Man Utd

The England forward was the mastermind of the Red Devils' downfall in a pulsating contest as the Sky Blues leapfrogged their rivals in the table

Sunday was set up to be a huge day for Manchester United. A club record 43,615 fans poured into Old Trafford to watch the women's team take on bitter rivals Manchester City in the Women's Super League and captain Katie Zelem gave the Red Devils the lead with 21 minutes on the clock. It was all going to plan. But the defining image of the latest instalment of this derby will instead be that of England star Chloe Kelly shushing the home crowd as City scored two goals in 79 seconds to turn the game around and paint Manchester blue.

It was the visitors who started the better of the two, with Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp in particular testing Mary Earps in the opening stages. United grew into it, though, and they took the lead when Melvine Malard's shot struck the outstretched arm of Lionesses defender Alex Greenwood in the box, with Zelem reliable as ever from the penalty spot.

Marc Skinner's side thought they had doubled that lead not long after, but Geyse was instead denied by the assistant's flag after the ball was ruled to have crossed the line and gone out for a goal-kick before she put it into the back of the net, and then the momentum shifted dramatically thanks to two goals in two minutes.

Kelly got the better of Lisa Naalsund down the left for the equaliser, picking out a well-positioned Jill Roord, who left Earps helpless when she found the bottom corner with deadly accuracy to level things up. Seconds later, it was 2-1, with City winning the ball high up the pitch and Shaw setting up Hemp to beautifully curl a shot into the top corner.

There was a feeling that City needed to make their dominant end to the first half count. Earps came up big to stop Kelly making it 3-1 before the break and United had the chance to go inside and reset with the deficit still just one goal. However, missed chances would come back to haunt the Red Devils rather than the Blues, with City going 3-1 up before the hour mark when Earps smashed an attempted clearance from Maya Le Tissier's under-hit backpass against Shaw and was only able to watch as it trickled into the back of her empty net.

United huffed and puffed but couldn't break down the City defence to get back into the game, even after Laia Aleixandri's second yellow card saw the visitors reduced to 10 for almost half an hour. Instead, after back-to-back defeats, this win was huge for City, who leapfrog United in the WSL table to move into third place and a Champions League spot. There's still plenty of work to do in the title race, though, with Chelsea six points ahead of them at the top of the table.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Old Trafford…

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    LOSER: Maya Le Tissier

    Even when Man Utd underwhelm, it's rare that Le Tissier does. Seemingly always a player that you can expect a 7/10 performance from, perhaps Sunday was a reminder of the fact that she is still a very young player who is still learning and lacking in experience.

    She got on the ball plenty, as usual, but lost possession 15 times at Old Trafford, which was quite unlike her. It was a number only five players ranked worse in, two of them attackers. The long, defence-splitting passes that have become a key feature of her impressive performances were not as prominent on this occasion and it was all compounded by City's third goal.

    Le Tissier's pass back to Earps was short, even if the goalkeeper seemed to be surprisingly slow to meet it, and the resulting clearance cannoned off Shaw and into the back of the United net. Still 21 years old, and so talented, this was a day for her to learn from.

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    WINNER: Chloe Kelly

    Kelly has made quite a start to this new season and that continued in Sunday's huge win at Old Trafford. She was electric in this derby, creating four chances, more than any other player on the pitch.

    One of those was particularly huge, as she beat Lisa Naalsund brilliantly to drive into the box and cut the ball back to Roord, who found the bottom corner with a fantastic strike. Man Utd just didn't know how to deal with her.

    England boss Sarina Wiegman was in the stands to watch Kelly light the game up and she certainly staked her claim to continue to be a key player for the Lionesses, who have a huge international break in December that will decide their Olympic and Nations League fates. Arsenal star Beth Mead will be coming back into contention for her country soon after recovering from an ACL injury, which will increase the competition for a place out wide, but Kelly continues to prove that she can be a game-changer even in the biggest matches.

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    LOSER: Ella Toone

    After a tough year, there have been glimpses that Ella Toone is getting back to the level that made her such a star for England and Man Utd but Sunday was a difficult one for the playmaking midfielder.

    Toone didn't struggle to get involved in the first half, she actually took up excellent positions and her runs were often found on the counter, but her decision making let her down. There was a huge moment in the first half where she went for a pass rather than taking on the shot herself and it was one that was mis-hit and cleared by the City defence. It was a clear sign of a player lacking confidence.

    In the second half, Toone's involvement faded somewhat. In fact, she had as many touches in the game as substitute Lucia Garcia, who entered the match in the 68th minute, and only Nikita Parris, hauled off at half time, had fewer touches of any starter.

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    WINNER: Manchester City

    It's still early days in this WSL season but a loss at Old Trafford on Sunday would've put Man City at a serious disadvantage in the title race. Coming into the match having suffered back-to-back defeats, a disappointing loss at Arsenal followed up by a shock at the hands of Brighton, a third in a row would've left them not only low on confidence but also nine points off table-topping Chelsea with only seven games played.

    When they went 1-0 down thanks to Zelem's penalty, then, head coach Gareth Taylor must've been fearing the worst. City had dominated the opening exchanges but hadn't made them count. It was a familiar tale that was unfolding – but his team ensured that they changed the way it was going.

    A fantastic response to that opening goal saved this game and City did brilliantly to see the game out when they went down to 10, too, to secure a huge three points that puts them right back amongst it in these early stages of the title race.

Kabak injured during Chelsea defeat

Many Liverpool fans are fuming after Jurgen Klopp revealed defender Ozan Kabak picked up an injury during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday.

The German tactician revealed (via Anfield Watch) during his pre-match press conference that the 20-year-old is doubtful to feature in Sunday’s home game against Fulham.

Kabak will join the already overcrowded Anfield treatment room, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip out for a significant amount of time.

Klopp’s team has been seriously hampered by injuries, which has forced them to chop and change centre-backs, effectively halting their title charge this season and leaving them in a battle just to clinch top four.

Unsurprisingly, supporters were furious with the reveal from Klopp. One fan, bizarrely, broke into Bohemian Rhapsody. Somehow, the lyrics were appropriate to how the fans were feeling, as you can see below.

Kabak injury angers these fans

“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Mammaaaaaaaaa WHYYYYYYYYY?”

Credit: @eriksgrafs

“This season is a joke”

Credit: @Fifi4Lfc

“Oh boy, here we go again”

Credit: @Ruddy_Strange

“This gonna be our 21st defensive duo this season? Fire the whole medical staff”

Credit: @paulo060802

“All the physio staff members should get sacked”

Credit: @sreqiri03

“Is this normal? The rate and amount of injuries we have? Is there something wrong with our fitness trainers or something ??!”

Credit: @blackpe96003219

In other news, Liverpool fans were not happy with Jurgen Klopp after what he said post-Chelsea.

Celtic: Nixon answers Howe backroom staff question

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has answered a Celtic fan’s concern on the Hoops’ ongoing pursuit of Eddie Howe.

The Lowdown: Howe waiting for Bournemouth’s season to finish?

It appears as if the 43-year-old has agreed to take over at Parkhead, becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor in Glasgow.

That’s what reports suggested last week, with one of the reasons for the delay down to Bournemouth’s participation in the Championship playoffs.

Howe wants to take some staff members from the Cherries to Celtic, however, Bournemouth could well book their spot in the playoff final this weekend, with the Wembley showdown set for May 29.

The Latest: Nixon addresses backroom staff question

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, was asked by a Celtic fan on Twitter about the backroom staff situation.

He was quizzed if Howe couldn’t get his staff, if a deal would fall through, or if it was more a financial standpoint.

Nixon replied, confirming Howe wants his own backroom team. However, he seemingly stated that the Cherries backroom staff aren’t a dealbreaker.

“Howe wants a backroom team. He’s got these guys he prefers. If they don’t come he will have to get others. It can only go on so long though…”

The Verdict: Good news for McKay?

Nixon’s claim should be good news for new CEO Dominic McKay.

If Howe cannot bring members from the south coast to Bournemouth, he will have to look elsewhere. Nixon doesn’t suggest a deal would be off if he can’t take them with him, which can only be a positive.

With a potential squad rebuild on the cards, the last thing McKay needs in his new role is to wait until May 29 for the playoff final and then the deal for Howe fall through due to disputes about his staff.

However, as Nixon mentions, talks can only go on so long, so we feel the next few weeks are crucial in regards to getting a deal officially over the line.

In other news: Odsonne Edouard closing in on Celtic exit, find out more here. 

Adkins sweating over Forster-Caskey injury

Charlton Athletic have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their crucial League One finale this Saturday.

What’s the latest?

Nigel Adkins has been left sweating over the fitness of Addicks midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey ahead of the club’s must-win fixture against Hull City this weekend, as the midfielder was taken off with a knee injury Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Lincoln City.

When asked for an update on the 27-year-old’s condition after the game, Adkins said: “I don’t know. We’ve got brilliant medical staff so we’ll get it assessed. Obviously for Jake to come off there must be something going on with his knee.

“I don’t know, it might be a soft tissue injury. I don’t know, is the answer. Obviously, he’s a warrior who wants to carry on with things. We’ll see. We’ll have to get the right diagnosis and we’ll go from there. It’s not nice when anyone comes off.”

Huge blow

With Charlton simply having to win against the League One table-toppers on Saturday to stand any chance of securing a place in the play-offs, the news of a new injury, let alone one to a player as important as Forster-Caskey, is likely to come as extremely unwelcome news to both Adkins and fans of the club alike.

So far this season, Forster-Caskey has been in exceptional form over his 34 appearances for the Addicks, with the midfielder scoring six goals, providing two assists and creating two big chances, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 1.4 key passes per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.26 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the third tier.

As such, it goes without saying how devastating it would be for Adkins to be without the midfielder in such an important and difficult fixture, and both the 56-year-old and fans of Charlton will undoubtedly be praying for the £6,100-per-week star’s recovery in time for the clash.

In other news: Lost possession 15x: Charlton passenger who committed 6 fouls let Adkins down vs Imps – opinion

Derby: Baningime and Wisdom to miss Swansea

Derby County have been dealt a double injury blow as Wayne Rooney confirmed that both Andre Wisdom and Beni Baningime are set to miss the Rams’ crucial upcoming Championship fixture.

What’s the latest?

According to the Derby manager, Wisdom is yet to recover from a groin injury he picked up in the 3-0 loss at Preston North End, while Baningime is sidelined due to a hamstring injury, meaning that both players are likely to miss the clash with Swansea City on Saturday.

As cited by Derbyshire Live, Rooney said: “I don’t think there will be any players back. There are no new injuries from the game on Saturday, so the squad will be the same.”

As such, Derby will also be without Lee Gregory, Teden Mengi, Jack Stretton, Curtis Davies and Krystian Bielik, in addition to the two aforementioned players.

Big blow for Derby

So far this season, Wisdom has been a regular part of the Derby defence, with the 27-year-old featuring in 38 Championship fixtures for the Rams. In those games, he has helped his side to keep 10 clean sheets, as well as making an average of one interception, 0.7 tackles and 3.2 clearances per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Meanwhile, Baningime – who is on loan from Everton – has featured in just two league games since his arrival back in February, with the 22-year-old making an average of 0.5 key passes and taking 0.5 shots per game, earning an average SofaScore match rating of 6.85.

As such, the absence of both players is likely to come as unwelcome news to Rooney, whose side must leave the Liberty Stadium with all three points on Saturday in order to give themselves the best chance of securing their Championship survival.

With a potentially seismic clash against relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday coming up on the final day of the season, the 35-year-old will undoubtedly be praying for the duo to make a speedy return to action, especially if Derby’s fate is still unresolved going into that clash at Pride Park next week.

In other news: Rooney must sanction Derby County swoop for “faultless” £4k-p/w ace this summer – opinion

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