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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned Everton that they must adapt following the injury to Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Doucoure, who joined Everton from Watford in the last summer transfer window, has been an important player for Carlo Ancelotti this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees.

However, the French midfielder is now expected to be a long-term absentee after picking up an injury against West Brom at the start of the month, leaving his manager with a huge headache.

It is a blow for Everton, who must now adapt, according to Palmer, as they continue to push for a Champions League spot. Discussing Doucoure’s injury with FFC, the former Sheffield Wednesday player said:

“He’s played exceptionally well for them. Every club misses their good players, every club misses their good players. So, yeah, they’re going to miss him, they’re going to have to reshuffle the pack a little bit, but what can you do? He’s injured and that’s why you’ve got a squad of players.

“They’re playing really well, Everton, so I think they can adapt to the loss. But it is a big loss for them.”

While Ancelotti will be without Doucoure for the foreseeable future, the Italian at least has Allan to call upon again. The Brazilian midfielder has also had his injury problems this season but is available for selection again in a massive boost for the Merseyside club.

Ancelotti, unfortunately, still has to contend with the absence of attacking midfielder James Rodriguez, though the 29-year-old should be fit to play again when the Premier League returns after the international break.

Fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Hammers relayed footage of Jesse Lingard’s spectacular strike against Arsenal last weekend.

Since joining West Ham from Manchester United on a five-month loan deal back in January, Lingard has been in rather remarkable form over his seven Premier League appearances for David Moyes’ side, scoring five goals and registering two assists, as well as averaging a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.48 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight.

The 28-year-old was once again one of the standout performers in the Hammers’ 3-3 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, with the attacking midfielder scoring a screamer from the edge of the box to put West Ham 1-0 up in the fixture, as well as cleverly setting up Jarrod Bowen for the second goal of the game.

And, after West Ham shared footage of Lingard’s strike on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many heaping a considerable amount of praise on the England international.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Jesse Lingard?

“Incredible goal, awful game.”

@LeMonjames56

“Actually unreal shot, still can’t believe it.”

@cloudymc20

“WHAT A STRIKE!! TAKE A BOW JESSE!!! COME ON YOU IRONS!!”

@diltondiltond1

“Great goal, it’s a shame we couldn’t keep hold of a 3-0 lead.”

@jaymeeteewhu98

“If you don’t sign this lad, then I’m quitting from the Hammers. The best pickup we’ve had in years!!!”

@johnnypana

“It was a really great goal, the jink from Benny, the great cutback from Michy and the rocket from Jesse.”

@CraigardH

“Kick with a bam! We love West Ham!”

@Rohan_bhartiya

In other news: these West Ham fans slammed this club figure with “no ambition” after footage surfaced – find out more here!

Celtic haven’t had everything go their way in the hunt to bring a new manager to Parkhead. The Bhoys have been dealt with repeated setbacks but perhaps the air is beginning to change.

What’s the word?

Lucien Favre has been viewed as an alternative to Eddie Howe by the Celtic hierarchy.

He reportedly has an interest in taking the job but like Howe, is being courted elsewhere. Saudi club Al-Hilal are appealed by the idea of appointing the Swiss but another team were also in the race.

According to Turkish outlet Milliyet, Fenerbahce wanted to bring Favre to the club next season.

However, after discussions took place between the two parties, the Super-Lig outfit performed a major U-turn and decided not to pursue him.

That’s because of the colossal wages the former Borussia Dortmund boss wanted in order to head to that part of the world.

The report states Favre was eyeing €4.5m-a-year at Dortmund – around £75k-per-week. It remains to be seen how much the 63-year-old would be looking for in Glasgow.

Encouraging news

After the constant setbacks of the last two weeks, the news that Fenerbahce are now distancing themselves from the Swiss manager should come as music to the ears of Dermot Desmond and the club’s supporters.

Celtic’s search for a new manager has been a frustrating saga with Roy Keane and Eddie Howe both holding talks before things stalled.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-edouard-desmond” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

The Keane rumour went away fairly quickly but Howe is still very much a target for the Hoops. Unfortunately, there are a number of issues putting the completion of a deal on hold.

The 43-year-old doesn’t want to return to management until the summer while he’s not a fan of the idea of Fergal Harkin becoming Celtic’s director of football. Instead, he wants Richard Hughes to join him, a companion from his days at Bournemouth.

There is also interest from other parties. Both Brighton and Crystal Palace are keeping tabs on Howe who appears to be a man in demand.

Favre is attracting other onlookers too but Celtic’s pursuit of the experienced coach has now received a boost.

If he wants the same wages as he did in Turkey, they can safely wave goodbye to him. Though, it should be easier to lure him to Glasgow now interest is dying down.

At long last, there is some positive news for supporters.

AND in other news, Celtic may finally replace Tierney by signing 18 y/o who could end up “like Busquets”…

Jamal Lewis was the big loser of Newcastle United’s goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, despite not kicking a ball, after seeing Paul Dummett thrive in his place.

Toon boss Steve Bruce opted to bench Lewis for his side’s trip to The Hawthorns after hitting out at the £15m summer signing from Norwich City for his role in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ equaliser the previous week.

Bruce slammed the full-back for his failure to stop Pedro Neto’s delivery which led to Ruben Neves heading home, feeling that Lewis could have done more to prevent the ball from entering Martin Dubravka’s box.

Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live, after the Wolves draw. “When you look at the goal, we should have stopped the cross and when the ‘keeper looks at it, could he have done better?”

Wolves’ visit to St. James’ Park marked Lewis’ 20th start from 23 Premier League outings for Newcastle to date but fell to the bench against West Brom for the first time since January after a run of nine-straight 90 minute appearances.

That run also returned Lewis’ sole assist in black and white across all competitions, with the 23-year-old – who Bruce described as “a very exciting prospect” when signed – picking out the unmarked Callum Wilson to hit Everton on the break and seal a 2-0 win.

Dummett was unable to influence the scoring at The Hawthorns on Sunday as United were forced to settle for a point against their relegation-rivals, but he produced a commanding defensive showing to help keep the Baggies at bay.

The weekend’s affair marked only the 29-year-old’s third start and fourth appearance of the Premier League season so far, having played just 23 minutes of top-flight football since recovering from a thigh injury last month.

Yet Dummett more than justified his recall, with the Wales international regularly positioned well to thwart West Brom’s advances down the Magpies’ left-hand channel and be lauded as a player “much better defensively than Lewis” by The Northern Echo.

Despite tiring towards the end of the game, which is acceptable for a player sidelined twice this season through injury since recovering from the hamstring issue sustained last January, Dummett was only dribbled past once by a West Brom player on Sunday, per WhoScored.

Ciaran Clark – who is regarded as one of the club’s most consistent performers – was beaten on the ground just as often, while making one fewer interceptions (1) than the injury-prone £35,000-per-week full-back (2).

Dummett even won a joint team-high four aerial duels and took 63 touches, the third-most by a Toon player behind only Emil Krafth (70) and Clark (68).

Lewis has averaged just 46.8 touches per Premier League game this season, along with 0.4 aerial duels won and 0.5 interceptions, while being dribbled past 0.9 times, per SofaScore.

The 23-year-old’s inability to prevent Neto’s cross, having been beaten by a quick burst of pace, had clearly left Bruce underwhelmed against Wolves, too.

And now seeing Dummett step in and live up to the challenge against a West Brom side just as desperate for a result will surely see the five-cap full-back carry the most stock into Friday’s clash with Aston Villa.

AND in other news, some Newcastle players want a “very good organiser” lauded by those he’s worked with to replace Steve Bruce…

According reports, Aston Villa are interested in signing free agent Alex Teixeira.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a superb Premier League season thus far, placing themselves firmly in the battle for a European place. And, according to Spanish publication, Fichajes, Villa are keen on making a move for Teixeira.

The Brazilian left Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning at the end of December, and the report claims that Villa, along with both Benfica and his former side Shakhtar Donetsk, are keen on giving him an immediate return to football.

It’s further suggested that Villa see Teixeira as someone who could give a “big boost” to their European push.

Upgrade on Barkley

Described as a “technical leader”, Teixeira has been doing the business across the world for a number of years now, amassing a quite incredible 172 goals over his illustrious career – that despite predominantly featuring as a number ten or out wide.

Speaking back in 2016, Teixeira’s then boss at Shakhtar, Mircea Lucescu, said: “He’s incredible, very fast, very good technique. I compare him with other players of the same age who changed (the fortunes of) a club, (Angel) Di Maria for example at Paris Saint-Germain.

“Teixeira can be at the same level, better even. He doesn’t get injured, and every year he gets better and better.”

The Brazilian would offer an immediate upgrade on Ross Barkley, who has still yet to prove himself as a real consistent performer over the years. He has never managed more than eight goals in a single league campaign, whilst his totals in the past three seasons in particular have been shocking to say the least, with three, one and two goals respectively.

On the other hand, Teixeira has consistently broken past the ten goal barrier in the league both at Shakhtar and with Jiangsu. Since the 2012/2013 campaign, he has managed totals of: 10, 6, 17, 22, 11, 8, 13 and 18. The veteran is a goal-scoring machine from midfield, and would give Smith’s side an added dimension, instead of just having to rely on Ollie Watkins to score all the time.

Teixeira’s consistency over such a long period of time, and the fact that he’s had plenty of experience playing at the highest level in the Champions League too, means he would surely represent an upgrade on Barkley. The fact he “doesn’t get injured”, like has been the case with the England international, makes him all the more of an attractive proposition when you add that to the fact he would arrive on a free transfer.

Meanwhile, this Aston Villa star has been a revelation…

Liverpool were recently linked with a move for 17-year-old Bayern Munich wonderkid Jamal Musiala, and after his latest superb display in the Champions League win against Lazio, the Reds should increase their interest in him, in the hopes that he could be persuaded by a move to Anfield.

The former Chelsea youngster became the youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League as he curled home Bayern’s second goal in the 4-1 win, which also saw him become the Bundesliga side’s youngest ever scorer in the competition.

Despite being a few days away from his 18th birthday, Musiala has established himself as a regular in Hans-Dieter Flick’s side this season and plays with a maturity way beyond his years, as he showed great composure to place the ball past former Reds shot-stopper Pepe Reina on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t just his goal that was impressive however, as he looks confident on the ball and is regularly involved, as he had more touches than Lazio’s star man Ciro Immobile, whilst registering an impressive 89% pass accuracy, per SofaScore.

Musiala has now made 26 appearances for the senior side at Bayern, contributing four goals in that time, which has seen his value soar to £21.6 million.

Although his contract is set to expire in 2022, recent reports have suggested that he will sign a new deal until 2026 shortly, which would perhaps bring an end to Liverpool’s chances of signing him for a reasonable price this summer, so they should arguably act now in the hope that they can make the youngster a better offer.

Considering Musiala has been able to establish himself in the current Champions League holders’ side aged just 17, it seems clear that he possesses incredible ability, and if he were to join the Reds, he and Harvey Elliott could arguably both become world-class attacking players under Jurgen Klopp.

Therefore, even if there is only a very small chance that Musiala could become a Liverpool player, Michael Edwards should do everything he can to try and bring him to the Premier League in the future.

And, in other news… Klopp can kill two birds with one stone at LFC by axing £75k-p/w flop in favour of £56m gem

Steve Bruce has dropped an update on Federico Fernandez before Newcastle United play Aston Villa at home in the Premier League on Friday night.

Speaking to the press in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, the former AVFC and Sunderland boss confirmed: “Fernandez is back amongst it too which is good news”.

Newcastle need Fernandez back

The North East club need Fernandez back and fully fit as soon as possible, preferably to start the game against Dean Smith’s team at St. James’ Park.

In the last 10 matches that the former Swansea City ace has missed in the Premier League, the Tyneside club have picked up six losses, and conceded no fewer than 17 goals in the process (Transfermarkt).

It is clear that Bruce’s side need to tighten up at the back, and Fernandez would give the Magpies more defensive stability.

The Argentina international has won 4.1 of his duels a match in the top flight so far in the 2020/21 term, and has also averaged the most tackles (1.5) clearances (5.6) and blocks (1.3) than any other central defender at the Toon (Whoscored).

Nonetheless, NUFC will want Fernandez back in the heart of their defence as soon as possible, as the 32-year-old may well be in line to make his return to the side against Villa as they continue to battle to avoid being relegated.

In other news, find out which talent Lee Ryder has confirmed Newcastle are in talks to sign here!

Southampton winger Tyreke Johnson joined Gillingham on loan earlier this week and it looks as if his time with the South Coast club could well be over.

The 22-year-old has endured difficult loan spells in the past, failing to impress with the likes of Woking in the National League and Hartford Athletic in the US second tier.

It seems likely therefore that once his loan spell with Gillingham ends at the end of this season, he won’t be offered a new contract with the Saints, meaning he could leave on free transfer when his current deal expires.

After he signed for Gillingham, manager Steve Evans made it clear that he wants to see the winger join permanently, saying:

“He is an exciting prospect and I have no doubt he will fit in well with our current group.

“He is very quick, direct, hungry, and will cause defences a lot of problems in our division.

“Our intention is to make this deal permanent which will give us more flexibility in the loan market over the next few weeks.”

Therefore, it seems clear that the League One side are confident they will sign Johnson on a permanent deal in the summer, regardless of how he performs with the Kent-based side.

In his time with Southampton, Johnson has managed just three senior appearances but has been a regular in David Horseman’s B team, contributing 11 goals and eight assists in 76 appearances.

He has certainly fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of Nathan Tella and Dan N’Lundulu it recent times, so it would be a surprise to see him feature in a Southampton shirt ever again.

Tella has earned a promotion to Hasenhuttl’s side after impressing with the B team and now looks set for a run in the first-team following injuries to Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond, so seems to be way ahead of Johnson in terms of current ability.

Therefore, even if he does impress with Gillingham in League One this season, Hasenhuttl should still axe the youngster in the summer, as it seems clear at this point that he’s not going to make it as a regular with Southampton.

And, in other news, Southampton can repeat Theo masterstroke with 29 y/o gem who won’t cost Semmens a penny…

After being given the chance to impress on Thursday night, it’s fair to say Eddie Nketiah didn’t take his opportunity.

The Arsenal striker had a hugely disappointing game in the Gunners’ Europa League clash against Molde, looking wasteful in front of goal and finding it difficult against the Norwegian side’s defence.

And whilst Mikel Arteta’s side may have ran out comfortable 3-0 winners after a superb second-half performance in particular, the Gunners boss will not be happy at all with how his starting centre-forward performed.

Such was the trust that Arteta showed him, that he placed him at the top of his attack, and put experienced France international and fellow striker as the number ten.

But he didn’t take advantage of that opportunity whatsoever.

As per Sofascore, out of the nine duels that he contested on the night, he lost every single one of them. Too often he was easily shirked off the ball, and whilst he tried his best to run the channels, he just didn’t have the strength to hold his man off.

And perhaps even more disappointingly for him, his supposed poacher’s instinct also let him down on several occasions throughout the night.

He had four attempts on goal in total and failed to hit the back of the net with any of them, including one really poor header from an outstanding Nicolas Pepe cross.

It was made even more galling that Folarin Balogun, his replacement and potential challenger for a striker spot in the first-team, notched within seconds of coming on.

And many Gunners fans took to Twitter urging Nketiah to be sold, with some even calling for Balogun to be the man the north London side now pin their hopes on.

It’s fair to say Nketiah didn’t deliver what was expected of him against Molde. And with Balogun now knocking on the door, Arteta may feel that he has someone else to call upon through the middle.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer has made a stunning claim about Tottenham Hotspur misfit Dele Alli.

The 24-year-old has been restricted to just 66 minutes in the Premier League all season and hasn’t even been named in the matchday squad for eight of the ten top-flight fixtures, as per Transfermarkt.

Throughout the summer transfer window, there was speculation over his future amid links to Ligue 1 giants and Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain.

It has since been reported that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is expected to reject any advances for him next month despite Mourinho’s lack of trust in the two-time Young PFA Player of the Year.

When asked about why Alli hasn’t been involved as much this season under the ‘Special One,’ Palmer revealed that it has been down to his application on the training pitch.

The ex-West Brom and Leeds United star told FFC:

“Now, you’ve got to train the way you play. If you don’t train well, you’re not going to play well.

“So from what I’m hearing, that’s part of the problem, right?

“And then he’s got to do the other side of the job in the team, the way Mourinho’s teams work. They’re functional teams, they’ve got jobs to do.”

When Mourinho first took over from Mauricio Pochettino last season, the £46.8m-rated playmaker initially looked to have benefitted from the change in manager, contributing four goals and three assists in his first five matches at the helm.

Although just one start in the Premier League since June tells a completely different story.

The world also witnessed the Spurs boss lambast the out-of-favour England international in front of the whole team during their Amazon docuseries ‘All or Nothing,’ calling him “lazy” but with a bit more colourful language.

If Alli hasn’t improved his behaviour on the training pitch, then perhaps it is hardly a surprise that he’s struggled for game time during the 2020/21 campaign thus far.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit BACKS Harry Kane to keep up SHOCK record amid “worries”…