Manchester United will travel to Spain to take on a huge clash against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side in the Champions League round of 16 first leg today, and Ralf Rangnick will be hoping his side can get off to a good start away from home ahead of the knockout game at Old Trafford in a few weeks.

The team have had players return from injury and illness in recent weeks with Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane all returning to full fitness, meaning the German coach will have the pick of his best players for the challenging game.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Rangnick to set up his side against Atletico on Wednesday evening…

We expect to see three changes from the team that beat Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road at the weekend, with the manager combining Champions League experience with young talent.

The first change we predict is Raphael Varane coming into the side for Victor Lindelof, which would be a no brainer at this stage of the European competition, with the defender one of the most successful player’s in the history of the Champions League, winning four titles, so his experience will be hugely influential in the defensive line.

The second change we expect to see is Diego Dalot in the side over Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Rangnick has been able to rely on Dalot during the time that his positional competitor has been injured, and despite being dropped from the starting line-up against Leeds United, it would be surprising if the Red Devils manager didn’t show his loyalty to the reliable right-back by giving him the starting position in the Champions League clash.

Last but not least, youngster Anthony Elanga could be given a golden opportunity to start against Atletico after coming on in the 65th minute against Leeds United to replace a struggling Jesse Lingard.

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He had a much better impact on the game, as the player hailed a “nightmare” by Gary Neville bagged the fourth goal in the victory and we think that Rangnick may reward the young forward’s hard work by axing Lingard, and starting the £3.6m-rated gem in Madrid tonight.

In other news: Rangnick must unleash Varane against Atletico Madrid

Reliable journalist Mike McGrath has claimed that Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch is in line for two major injury boosts, with news on the ‘horizon’.  

The Lowdown: Bamford and Phillips’ absence

Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips were two of Leeds’ best performers in the club’s first season back in the Premier League, with the former scoring 17 times and the latter making himself an England regular.

However, this season, the pair haven’t been able to impress, with Bamford making just five starts and Phillips missing since December along with captain Liam Cooper.

As a result, Leeds have struggled in 2021/22 and find themselves just two points clear of the relegation zone with 12 games remaining.

The Latest: McGrath’s comments

McGrath shared a Leeds column on The Telegraph on Monday morning and touched on the club’s injury situation.

He stated that Marsch could ‘have players returning from injury on the horizon’, name-checking both Bamford and Phillips.

The Verdict: Big news

Whatever ‘on the horizon’ means specifically, you’d expect that this weekend may come too soon for both Phillips and Bamford, but Phil Hay has recently revealed they aren’t far off.

So, with back-to-back home games against Aston Villa and Norwich City following the trip to Leicester City, it would be big for Marsch to have the pair back in any capacity when those matches roll around.

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Those Elland Road fixtures could go a long way in regards to Leeds ensuring their Premier League safety, so having two influential players possibly back is brilliant news.

In other news: ‘The 49ers want…’ – Report drops huge claim as Leeds exodus now set to continue after Bielsa. 

Rangers chief Ross Wilson joined the club in 2019 and has overseen a number of transfer windows since arriving at Ibrox.

Not every single sale and signing is going to work out perfectly or be greeted with applause from the fanbase and the Gers sporting director has had his share of successes and mishaps.

One of the latter came last summer when he decided to cash in on central defender George Edmundson, after then-boss Steven Gerrard loaned him out to Derby the previous season.

Wilson sanctioned the sale of Edmundson to English League One outfit Ipswich Town ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. The Tractor Boys reportedly agreed a deal worth £1m in total to sign the defender and he has thrived south of the border.

Ipswich reporter Andy Warren dubbed him “Mr Consistent” earlier this term and his statistics for the club back that tag up. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.04 in League One across 32 games, winning 186 duels at a success rate of 63% as the third tier side have kept 13 clean sheets.

Edmundson has averaged 2.3 tackles and interceptions and 4.0 clearances per game. This shows that he has been sublime at the back for the Blues as he has been consistently winning the ball back and clearing danger for his team throughout the season.

In the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.78 for Derby in the Championship. He won 61% of his duels and he showed that he has the ability to be a reliable option at that level, with the Englishman now proving he can be a standout in the division below.

At the age of 24, he also has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop. He is still very young for a centre-back and has the potential to grow throughout his career, increasing his value further and meaning that Rangers have missed out on a much bigger payday down the line.

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Sending him out on loan to Ipswich, or another club, may have been a better decision from a financial point of view instead of cashing in on him for £1m. That way, the Gers would have been able to watch him improve before either giving him a chance in their first-team or selling him for more than the £1m they got for him – as his current performances are above and beyond what he has shown previously and that may raise his price tag.

Instead, Rangers are now watching him excel at Portman Road on a permanent basis and, therefore, Wilson had a howler with this particular deal…

AND in other news, Major boost: Van Bronckhorst handed big Rangers injury lift, it’ll have Ibrox rocking…

Alex Neil will be hoping to extend his current unbeaten run in charge of Sunderland to five games as his side host Crewe Alexandra this afternoon.

The Black Cats beat Fleetwood 3-1 in their last outing at the Stadium of Light and can now make it back-to-back wins on their own turf today.

If results go their way, Sunderland can move up to fourth in the table and above Oxford with a win, whilst also potentially moving to within six points off the automatic promotion places.

One change that Neil must make to his starting XI for this match is the removal of Patrick Roberts from the line-up after the 25-year-old’s disappointing performance last time out.

Former Black Cats boss Lee Johnson dubbed the winger an “amazing coup” upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light in January, but he is yet to prove the since-sacked manager right.

Neil offered Roberts a huge opportunity to showcase his quality against Fleetwood and he spurned that chance with a worrying display. He lined up on the right of the front three and failed to show that he deserves to retain his place in the team.

The ex-Manchester City winger struggled on and off the ball before being substituted in the 71st minute. As per SofaScore, he lost five of his eight individual duels and failed to make a single clearance, block, interception or tackle. This suggests that he was lacking on the defensive side of the game, as he was too weak in his battles and did not do enough to win back the ball for his team.

The 25-year-old also offered very little in possession. As per SofaScore, he completed 16 passes and failed to create a single chance, whilst also failing with three of his six attempted dribbles. He lost the ball 16 times from 38 touches, a recurring theme for him since joining the club.

In six League One appearances for Sunderland, Roberts has lost possession 48 times from 98 touches, which effectively equates to losing the ball every two touches on average. This is a shocking statistic and shows that he has been far too wasteful on the ball for the club in his short time on Wearside so far.

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Therefore, Neil must brutally axe him from the starting XI, as the winger’s abysmal form does not suggest that he will have a positive impact on the team against Crewe Alexandra. Hopefully he will be able to rediscover his best form soon, but he may have to do that whilst coming off the bench to prove that he deserves the time to get back to his best.

AND in other news, Neil must now unleash 21 y/o Sunderland gem with “persistence” and “effortless” natural ability…

Leeds United’s hopes of keeping hold of midfielder Kalvin Phillips, and the identity of his next club if he does move on, will hinge on whether or not they avoid relegation, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up in the air

The 26-year-old has suffered a frustrating season for the Whites, not playing a single minute since December because of a serious hamstring injury.

Talk has intensified over Phillips’ future in recent months, with a host of clubs linked with signing him amid Leeds’ Premier League relegation battle. Aston Villa and West Ham have been two particularly prominent suitors of late.

Hay has now addressed where the England midfielder’s future is likely to lie, depending on what happens at Elland Road over the next two months.

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The Latest: Hay on Kalvin Phillips

Writing in a Monday morning mailbag for The Athletic, the journalist admitted with regards to Phillips’ future that everything could depend on whether or not Leeds go down in May. He stated:

“If Leeds go down, all bets would be off. Players such as Phillips would need to find themselves Premier League clubs and would have to be open to whatever offers were on the table.

“But if Leeds stay up, and they’ve given themselves a huge chance of that by winning the last two games, I’d find it odd to see him go to Villa or West Ham United — two of the clubs linked with him recently.

“Phillips turns 27 this year and because of his age, doesn’t have an endless line of future big moves in him. Given his development and his progress at international level with England, the target for him, if he was to leave, would surely be relatively-secure Champions League football most seasons. Anything less would feel like him selling himself short. But we all know Villa have been on his case for a while.”

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The Verdict: Perfect incentive to stay up

If ever Jesse Marsch and his players needed an incentive to stay up, it is this, with Phillips arguably the most important player in the current Leeds squad.

He has matured into a truly formidable midfielder – one who is England’s reigning Player of the Year – dominating midfield battles and averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season.

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Losing Phillips would be an almighty blow but it would be impossible to begrudge him a move if Leeds are back playing in the Championship, with the boyhood Whites fan already doing a stint in that division when he could have played at a higher level.

In other news, Leeds could make a loan signing this summer. Find out who the player in question is here.

Paddy Kenny has been left gobsmacked by some transfer news he’s heard from Newcastle United involving Kepa Arrizabalaga in the build-up to today’s clash with Tottenham.

The Lowdown: Contemplating loan

As per The Athletic, the St. James’ Park faithful are now contemplating a loan offer for Kepa, as they look to strengthen their options in the goalkeeping department.

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Manchester United shot-stopper Dean Henderson has also featured in early talks ahead of what looks to be a busy summer transfer window in the North East, with Martin Dubravka turning 34 next season and perhaps in need of some serious competition.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League goalkeeper Kenny has claimed that the Tyenside outfit ‘would be mad’ to sign Kepa, and instead should go for Henderson:

“You would be mad to sign Kepa in my opinion.

“He came with a big price tag but he’s never really shown why he is worth it.

“I lost all respect for him when he wouldn’t come off in the League Cup final.

“That was bang out of order. Chelsea spent all this money on him then they have had to go and buy another goalkeeper.

“Henderson is the one, for me. He’s stuck behind De Gea for the time being and what a prospect Newcastle is now.

“Henderson has his whole career ahead of him and I’m sure a move up to Newcastle would interest him.

“He’s a future England number one so for me it would be a great move.”

The Verdict: Henderson over Kepa

If the Magpies were to go for one of the goalkeepers in the summer, we feel they should indeed look to sign Henderson over Kepa.

As Kenny mentions, the latter comes with some baggage, after being fined £190,000 for refusing to come off of the pitch during the 2019 Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

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Of course, Chelsea spent a world-record £71m fee for a ‘keeper when they signed him back in 2018, but he has been displaced by Edouard Mendy as the number one choice at Stamford Bridge.

As such, that price tag now looks to be a big waste of money.

As for Henderson, once described as ‘insane‘ and ‘exceptional‘ by former Sheffield United teammate Sander Berge, he could be the heir to Dubravka, and in a World Cup year, he will no doubt be desperate for game time so that he can impress England manager Gareth Southgate.

In other news, find out which former Sunderland man NUFC have now ‘agreed’ to sign here!

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, via Sport Witness, some major Man City transfer news has emerged involving Sporting Lisbon star Matheus Nunes.

The Lowdown: Guardiola blown away…

After Pep Guardiola’s side hammered Sporting 5-0 away in the first leg of their Round of 16 Champions League Round tie, one opposition player who seemingly blew away City’s boss was in fact Nunes.

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Speaking to media afterwards, the Sky Blues head coach lavished praise on Sporting’s in-demand midfielder, even going on to claim he is ‘one of the best players in the world today’.

Guardiola’s rave review of the 23-year-old has prompted links to signing him in the summer window with A Bola (via SW) now sharing a promising transfer development out of Eastlands.

The Latest: Man City hold discussions…

According to their sources, City chiefs have apparently held ‘informal’ discussions with Sporting over a transfer for Nunes.

In perhaps the most exciting part of this story, the player himself is very keen on moving to Manchester, with there even being suggestions he ‘dreams’ of signing for Guardiola.

It’s also pointed that both Sporting and City’s ‘privileged relationship’ could boost them further in an attempt to land Nunes.

The Verdict: Make a move?

The Premier League champions already have a wealth of talent at their disposal in midfield, but given they could sign him for just €40 million (£33m), it appears there is little financial risk for City.

Called ‘unbelievable’ by former teammate Goncalo Santos, the player’s WhoScored stats point to someone who could actually be of use in Guardiola’s unique false-nine system.

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A superb ball-carrier, Nunes completes more dribbles per 90 on average domestically than any City star has in the Premier League – backing why they’re allegedly interested.

Given his quality and fairly cheap potential sum, the Sky Blues should at the very least consider a transfer this summer.

In other news: Man City officials sent to club as Pep now eyes ‘absolute beast’ alongside Haaland! Find out more here.

Rangers have been handed a big injury relief over defender Leon Balogun…

What’s the latest?

On BT Sport’s commentary of the match on Thursday night, Ally McCoist noted that the Nigerian may have been carrying an injury and suggested that he had a “niggle” as he was substituted in the second half against Braga in their Europa League clash.

However, Gio van Bronckhorst was asked about that after the game and he confirmed that the player was taken off as part of a tactical switch.

The Rangers boss said: “No, we wanted the left side to be a little more solid with Calvin [Bassey] coming inside. Borna has played that role in the past and also for Croatia as a wing-back.”

Relieved

This will surely leave Van Bronckhorst relieved, as he will surely be keen to keep the Nigeria international fit heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

Balogun was culpable for Braga’s winning goal as he misjudged his attempted clearance, but on the whole he has been impressive this season. One error does not make a player a liability and the centre-back has had plenty of good games to make up for that mistake.

In the Europa League this term, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.06. He has made a whopping 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game, in comparison to Connor Goldson’s 2.4, and this shows that, more often than not, the 33-year-old offers a lot of quality at the back.

The ex-Wigan defender has also caught the eye with his strong showings in the Premiership. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.98 across 18 top-flight outings, making 3.1 tackles and interceptions per match and winning 63% of his overall duels.

This shows that he has been able to dominate the opposition in most of his matches in the Scottish top flight, which is why having him available will be a huge boost for Van Bronckhorst. At the age of 33, Balogun may not be able to play every single match, but keeping him fresh and able to play in the important games is vital, as he has shown that he can put in excellent performances domestically and in Europe.

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Filip Helander has started ahead of him in two Premiership matches in 2022 and the Sweden international was hooked at half-time in both, recording SofaScore ratings of 6.5 and 6.7 against Dundee United and Dundee FC respectively.

This suggests that Van Bronckhorst does not have a top-quality player waiting in the wings to replace Balogun. Therefore, he will be very much relieved that the Nigerian defender has not suffered an injury problem and will be available to play in the upcoming matches.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can save millions by unleashing Rangers teen who’s “like Theo Hernandez”…

Leeds United have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Haydon Roberts to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments made to Sussex Live, Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter revealed that the centre-back will likely be leaving the American Express Community Stadium ahead of the 2022/23 campaign – as the 19-year-old is in need of regular first-team football in order to continue his development in the professional game.

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And, while Potter is likely referring to a season loan deal for the defender, the 46-year-old’s remarks will certainly have caught the attention of Victor Orta, who is reported to have a long-standing interest in the England U19 international – even seeing an offer for Roberts rejected in the summer of 2020.

Orta must move for Roberts

Considering the sheer amount of potential Roberts quite clearly possesses, should an opportunity arise to land the centre-back this summer, it is one Orta simply must do everything he can to take.

Indeed, Potter himself has previously revealed his excitement regarding the 19-year-old’s ability, stating back in September of last year: “He’s a really exciting player. He is obviously young and he has got a lot to learn but he has got some really interesting attributes.

“Very strong, very quick, very mobile. Powerful. Good with the ball, brings it out well. He’s got good courage so he’s got a lot of things that are really exciting, that fit how we want to try and do things.”

Furthermore, back in 2020, The Athletic spoke to a number of scouts about Roberts’ future in the game, with one even drawing comparisons between the Brighton starlet and the former Leeds loanee, Ben White:

“I like him. I think he’s a good defender. [The only question is] about his size to play there, but then again look at Ben White. You probably wouldn’t think he is so good in the air but he’s been outstanding for Leeds this season.

“One plus point with Haydon is he is left-footed. To have a left-footed centre-half is so much better. It offers variety. He’s got quality on the ball. He has played in midfield as well a few times.

“It’s good for young centre-backs to go in there, put themselves under a bit more pressure playing in other areas. I’ve seen him play left-back a couple of times for England. Whether he wants to play there is a question mark.”

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As such, while it is true that Jesse Marsch is not exactly short of options in the heart of his Leeds defence – with the likes of Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk, Liam Cooper and Charlie Cresswell in his first-team squad – the signing of Roberts would nevertheless appear to be an astute one for Orta to make this summer.

Indeed, with the right-footed Cresswell coming on leaps and bounds this season, forming a partnership between the 19-year-old and the £4.2k-per-week Roberts – who Andy Naylor dubbed a “talent” – could well prove to become the base on which the Leeds side is built for many a year to come.

AND in other news: Orta plotting Leeds offer for “under the radar” talent, it could be bye-bye Phillips

Newcastle United have now been dealt an injury blow on Jamal Lewis before they play Norwich City away from home in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Long-term injuries

The long-term injuries seem to be piling up for the St. James’ Park faithful, as more players join Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson on the sidelines.

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Eddie Howe recently admitted to the media in his pre-game press conference that he is unsure whether Ryan Fraser will be able to play again this season, while he is hopeful that Isaac Hayden will finally return to full training soon.

The Latest: Lewis operation

In his pre-Norwich press conference, Howe also revealed that Lewis has had another operation recently, and is hopeful that he will return in pre-season:

“He’s had a few operations and recently had another one. We hope this one has fixed his long standing groin problem. It’s been frustrating for him because he’s not felt 100%. I’d love to see him back in pre-season and show us the player he can be.”

The Verdict: Blow

Given that it is not guaranteed that the North East club will sign Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa, Lewis may still have a place on Tyneside, and so losing him to a potentially long-term injury is certainly a blow.

It works the other way as well, as if Targett is signed permanently, the Magpies will surely want to find a buyer for Lewis, but they may not receive any offers for the left-back if he is out on the sidelines.

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Either way, the fact that he continuously has to have operations is not ideal, and the Toon will just be hoping that his latest setback is not serious.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ magician is now a serious option for NUFC here!