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Carlo Ancelotti must unleash Gylfi Sigurdsson against Manchester City in the FA Cup this Saturday after the Everton midfielder returned to training following an injury.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, who has noted that the Iceland international rejoined the Toffees’ first team as they prepared at Finch Farm this week.

Sigurdsson was forced to miss his side’s 2-1 defeat at home to Burnley last weekend due to an ankle knock he had sustained against Chelsea during the previous Monday’s 2-0 loss.

Burnley marked the first team against which the 31-year-old had failed to feature at any stage since November 28, with minutes awarded in 21 straight matches across all competitions.

Ancelotti sought to address the absence of the former Swansea City playmaker with Alex Iwobi deployed in a central attacking midfield role, having urged the Nigerian to name his preferred position after he seemingly hit out on social media earlier this month.

“I read the post. I want to speak to him, of course,” Ancelotti said, via quotes shared by The Guardian. “I want to know his preferred position because usually I want to put a player on the pitch where they are comfortable to play, not where they are uncomfortable to play.

“If he has an idea of where he prefers to play, I have to know, I want to know. I would be delighted to know his preferred position and I’ll put him in his preferred position for sure, no doubt.”

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However, Iwobi’s return to a central position against Burnley only lasted half an hour before the 24-year-old was moved back out onto the wing, having struggled to deliver any real impact.

Iwobi ended the first half against Burnley with one key pass to his name while Tom Davies and Andre Gomes created two goalscoring opportunities each from the wider central midfield positions in Ancelotti’s plans, per WhoScored.

A move to the wing saw Iwobi create one additional chance after the break, the same output as Richarlison, Gomes, Michael Keane, Seamus Coleman and three times less than that of left-back Lucas Digne.

News that Sigurdsson is back in training must now see that Ancelotti recalls the £100,000-per-week talent at the first available opportunity, as he will need his most creative options on the pitch if Everton are to secure a result against Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s runaway Premier League leaders are taking more shots per top-flight game this term than any other side, with 15.5 on average, but are also allowing the fewest among all 20 clubs with just seven – almost half of the tally allowed by Everton (13.1), per WhoScored.

The Toffees also rank 16th in the league for shots taken per game with just 9.8 – only Burnley (9.3), Crystal Palace (8.6), Sheffield United (8.4) and West Bromwich Albion (8.2) are testing opposing goalkeepers less frequently.

Part of the problem for Everton this season has been a lack of creativity, with James Rodriguez (1.7), Digne (1.5) and Sigurdsson (1.1) the only players to have averaged more than a single key pass per game.

With Rodriguez still sidelined with a calf injury, Ancelotti will surely have to unleash Sigurdsson from the off and trust in the maestro who Danny Murphy described as being “technically gifted” and what Everton needed for their link-up play earlier in the season.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring a £17m ace dubbed the next Erling Haaland…

Noel Whelan has claimed that Roberto Martinez would ‘be a fool’ to take the manager’s job at Newcastle United if Steve Bruce were to leave.

This comes after it was reported that the former Everton, Swansea City and Wigan Athletic manager is the leading contender to replace the Geordie if he were to exit St James’ Park.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has urged Martinez not to take the job in the northeast if it were offered to him. The former Leeds man said:

“He’d be a fool to leave Belgium to go to Newcastle.

“With the current owner, no money to spend – he’s a manager, not a magician. If you’re going to leave a setup like Belgium, you’re going to need reassurances that you’re going to have a lot of money to spend.

“He’s not going to get that from Mike Ashley, he’s just not. Why would you leave something so successful right now? With the players he has at his disposal, why would you go into a club that is in turmoil?

“They’re in turmoil with the players, the manager and with the board.

“The fans must be so frustrated by what is going on here because they’re teetering on the edge. There’s no way he’s taking that job if it’s in the Championship.” 

Martinez would be a good appointment by Newcastle

If Bruce were to leave the Tyneside club, then they should look no further than trying to appoint Martinez, providing that they can avoid being relegated from the Premier League.

The 47-year-old has a lot of previous experience managing in the English top flight, famously guiding Wigan to an unlikely win against Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final. He has also guided Belgium to number one in the FIFA World Rankings, and he would certainly be a high-profile appointment by the Magpies.

However, there would likely be a question mark over whether the Spaniard would be interested in taking the job, especially if Newcastle were to find themselves relegated at the end of the season.

In other news, find out which former fan favourite is on NUFC’s radar!

Mark Douglas has dropped a claim that he says ‘would seriously impact’ the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the football journalist stated that the St. James’ Park faithful ‘can expect a drop in TV revenue’ given the negative financial impact that the global pandemic has had on clubs in the Premier League.

He then went on to claim that some analysts think that the current TV rights deal that the English top flight ‘could be cut by more than 20%’, which he thinks would negatively affect Mike Ashley’s ability to demand £340m to sell the North East club.

Douglas explains that if the division’s TV deal reduces, the it would put a ‘major strain’ on the income of the Tyneside club, which would in turn make Ashley’s original asking price far less attractive.

Worries for potential Newcastle takeover

With the expected reducing of the EPL’s TV rights deal, it does pose a quite worrying sign for the potential takeover of the Magpies.

A price between Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group may well have to be re-negotiated if the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) decide to come back onto the table.

Nonetheless, this is just speculation and not set in stone, and so there is still some hope that the consortium’s bid can still be revived.

In other news, find out what PIF claim Liam Kennedy has dropped here!

According to reports, Leeds United have cooled their interest in signing Fiorentina midfielder Erick Pulgar.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the Chile international has been on the radar of Marcelo Bielsa’s side in this January transfer window, as they look to bring in some mid-season reinforcements in their first campaign back in the Premier League.

But now, Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness) claim that Leeds have lost interest in signing Pulgar, at least for this January window. The report claims that moves for the 6 foot 2 ace and Udinese midfielder could potentially be revisited in the summer.

Huge mistake from Orta

After weeks of speculation about Pulgar’s potential arrival at Elland Road, it appears any move seems dead on the water for now.

And that will no go down too well with Bielsa, who’s had the familiar trouble of not having someone to really step in for Kalvin Phillips whenever needed.

Pascal Struijk has endured a difficult time at Leeds this season, being asked to fill in central defence and then in the holding midfield role too, and Pulgar’s signing would have ensured the Whites had a quality replacement in Phillips’ absence.

Speaking earlier this month, Darrent Bent spoke of just how difficult it is for someone to cover for Phillips. He said: “It is a unique role, and you think who else can they get in that position who can do the job effectively. The answer to that is no one. He’s that good of a player that it’s hard to replace him. You don’t just get players like that, it’s not that easy.”

In Pulgar, Bielsa would have had the perfect man to do the job. As well as making more than a tackle and interception a piece, he’s supremely composed on the ball, boasting an 86% pass accuracy. All of those key stats compare favourably with Phillips, who whilst he makes more than an extra tackle than Pulgar, has the exact same pass accuracy per match.

Leeds and Victor Orta will just be hoping that Phillips can stay injury free until the end of the season. At the moment, the club’s stance on Pulgar seems to be a huge blunder, and Bielsa certainly won’t be happy about it.

Meanwhile, this Leeds United ace is facing an uncertain time at Elland Road…

It’s safe to say that the January transfer window has been a rather drab affair for Celtic.

Considering they’re such a distance behind Rangers in their quest for ten in a row, you’d have expected them to be a bit more active in the market.

That being said, they have left all of their business until the very last minute.

Neil Lennon admitted before their clash with Hamilton this week that the club were on the verge of signing two new players.

The names of which haven’t been revealed but despite that, we’ve put together a predicted XI of how their starting XI could look once deadline day is done and dusted.

We’re tipping the Bhoys to make as many as three new signings in the remaining days of the window.

Two of those additions come at the back where recruitments have been needed all season long. The Hoops shipped 19 strikes in just six Europa League outings which tells you all you need to know of their plight defensively.

With that in mind, we reckon they’ll add to their ranks at left-back where Josh Doig is being tracked by the Hoops. Celtic, Leicester and Manchester City are all eyeing a move for the Hibernian youngster and if Lennon wins the race, he should slot straight in on the left-hand side.

Another transfer is in the middle of the back four. Motherwell’s Declan Gallagher has been interesting the Glaswegians this month and dreams of a move to Celtic. If he was signed, it would be unsurprising if he replaced the error-prone Shane Duffy instantly.

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A final change to Celtic’s XI sees Giannelli Imbula slot into their midfield next to Ismaila Soro. It’s been suggested in recent days that the former Stoke man has been offered to the Hoops on a free transfer.

He’s out of contract at the moment so could be a straightforward signing to wrap up in the coming days. That being said, if he did come to Glasgow, it would surely be the end of the road for Lennon favourite Scott Brown.

Crucially, however, is that Odsonne Edouard leads the line still. He has been one of the strikers targeted by West Ham United over the last week or so but we think he’ll remain with Celtic at least until the end of the season.

AND in other news, Celtic struck genius deal with £10k-p/w titan who’s “grabbing the bull by the horns”…

Wolves are very nearly back in top gear. They have lost just one of their last seven league outings and slight fears of relegation that were had are beginning to be wiped away.

Nuno Santo has taken his side back to their infamous three-man defence, and it’s paying off.

On the chalkboard

Despite the renewed positivity surrounding Molineux, their 1-1 draw with relegation candidates Newcastle last weekend was perhaps rather disappointing.

We got to watch a feast of dribbling from Adama Traore and Allan Saint-Maximin, and in the process, Leander Dendoncker was caught out time and time again.

The attacking duo are a joy to watch for their respective sides and they caused carnage on Saturday evening.

Traore gave Emil Krafth a torrid time down Newcastle’s right-hand side with the Spaniard completing as many as 14 dribbles; the winger’s highest successful tally this season.

Though, down Wolves’ right side, Dendoncker was also given a frightening time by Saint-Maximin. The Belgian can play in a multitude of positions but when selected in defence on Saturday, he let his team down.

The Frenchman gave Dendoncker a horrible time, providing four key passes and also managing four successful dribbles. In the words of Birmingham Live reporter Alex Dicken, he was “skinned” by the dazzling Saint-Maximin on a frequent basis.

Drop him

With that in mind, Nuno should be worried about fielding the Belgium international in that position on Tuesday evening.

If he struggled with Newcastle’s tricky winger at the weekend, just imagine how difficult he’ll find life against Manchester City.

It remains to be seen who starts in Pep Guardiola’s attack but with Raheem Sterling rested against West Ham, he is more than likely to feature on the left-hand side of City’s forward line.

The Englishman has completed 2.4 dribbles per game this term so Dendoncker could struggle yet again. It would be a surprising decision for Nuno to take though, especially given previous praise for the £90k-per-week Belgian.

Earlier this season, the 25-year-old became a combative force in the middle of the park. Dave Edwards deemed him undroppable, suggesting that it was “Dendoncker and one other” that Nuno would have to pick in his midfield.

Yet, now playing further back in defence, he’s being defeated. Dendoncker is usually so reliable but after the stifling night he was given by Saint-Maximin, trusting him against Sterling would be risky business.

AND in other news, Better than Jose: Wolves could rue missing £18m target once dubbed “out of this world”…

Joel Matip was once again absent for Liverpool on Wednesday night, as he was unable to recover from the injury problem that forced him off in the Reds’ 1-1 draw with Fulham last weekend.

Fortunately for Jurgen Klopp’s side, Roberto Firmino’s late header meant that they would return to the top of the table after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield, but the German manager will be concerned that the Cameroonian is struggling with injury problems at a time where they are desperately short of defensive options.

Rhys Williams filled in superbly for the Reds on what was his Premier League debut, helping keep Harry Kane quiet throughout the 90 minutes, whilst Fabinho was once again excellent in his new-found role as a centre-back.

Therefore, when you also consider the solid performances of Nathaniel Phillips when he has been called upon at times this season, you wonder whether Matip, who earns £100k per week with the Reds, may have now run out of chances with Liverpool.

The former Schalke man has been excellent in spells for Liverpool, and of course played his part in the Reds winning the Champions League in 2019, as well as the Premier League in 2020.

However, the 29-year-old has regularly been sidelined with injury during his time with the Merseyside club and this latest setback will be a huge cause of frustration for Klopp in a time when he was relying on the centre-back to stay fit, due to the long-term injuries suffered by Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk.

Therefore, once those two return to fitness, it may well be time for Klopp to axe Matip, as unfortunately, he has shown himself to be unreliable throughout his time at the club, and the talents coming through the Liverpool academy look ready to step up in his absence.

Hopefully, for the Reds, his current injury won’t rule him out for too much longer, as he will surely be an important player for the rest of this season, but beyond that, you worry for his future with the club.

And, in other news… Forget Minamino: Klopp can replace Jota with teenage LFC “sensation”

Aston Villa must be kicking themselves for missing out on Scotland U19 international Aaron Hickey in the summer.

What was the story?

The versatile defender enjoyed a breakthrough season with Scottish side Hearts last season, making 22 appearances in the league, scoring once and providing one assist too.

His emergence onto the scene saw numerous clubs register their interest in the 18-year-old, with BBC Sport claiming that along with Villa, the likes of Bayern Munich, Bologna and Sheffield Wednesday were all keen on luring him away from Scotland.

In the end, Hickey joined Serie A side Bologna for just £1.5m.

Lange’s big mistake

Able to play anywhere across the back-line at just 18, Hickey has already shown incredible versatility, and it’s something Villa could have made the most out of.

The man who gave him his first-team debut, Craig Levein, pointed out: “He’s got really good defensive qualities but I don’t know if he’ll end up being a full-back, he might end up going back into midfield. He could be a fantastic holding midfielder with his great awareness of danger and his ability to get out of tight situations with the ball at his feet.”

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And after he made his debut for Bologna late last month, manager Sinisa Mihajlovic, said: “He doesn’t speak Italian yet and he has to improve a few things but he’s a lad with quality and personality who did well today. Right up to the end I wasn’t sure whether to play him, because I had other players who have already started in that role, but I like to take risks.”

For just £1.5m, Johan Lange should have taken a “risk” himself, and landed Villa a player who could have gone on to establish himself as a first-team star in any number of different positions for the club.

Manchester United spent huge sums of money in a massive spree in the summer as Ed Woodward sought to strengthen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad in all areas.

Whilst Woodward signed Donny van de Beek from Ajax, and secured the services of both Alex Telles and former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani on transfer deadline day, the Red Devils have been unable to hit the ground running so far this season.

Lying in tenth place in the Premier League table, a point adrift of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Solskjaer’s side still have a lot of work to do as they head into December.

It’s about time Solskjaer starts to sort out some of the deadwood, as he desperately needs to lower the club’s colossal wage bill, and he may not have to look much further than Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who currently earns wages worth £15,000-per-week.

According to The Manchester Evening News, Solskjaer wants Fosu-Mensah to stay at Old Trafford as he is approaching the final seven months of his contract.

However, the versatile Dutchman, who can play as a centre-back or right-back, has only played 95 minutes of football so far this season, and was dropped from the first team for their past seven fixtures in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt.

It’s fair to say that he has been replaced by Axel Tuanzebe, who has turned out to be an able deputy at the back in recent weeks, whilst it would be wise for Woodward to cash in on the £5.7m-rated outcast in January whilst he still can before his market value falls even further.

The Red Devils may be reluctant to let go of another academy graduate after Angel Gomes left the club in the summer, but United chiefs will simply have to bite the bullet, as it is surely best for all parties involved if Fosu-Mensah moves elsewhere in the end rather than wasting away as an unused substitute on the bench.

Last season, the former Dutch international played just three games in the Premier League, whilst he averaged fewer than one tackle and one clearance per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is Solskjaer’s undisputed first-choice right-back, managed 3.7 tackles and 1.7 clearances on average per game in the top flight last term, as per WhoScored.

Rather than give him a new contract, Woodward must get rid of him for once and for all in the winter transfer window to raise surplus cash to spend on other areas Solskjaer urgently needs to address.

AND in other news, Manchester United: In-form Alex Telles spells trouble for Brandon Williams…

When the January transfer window comes around, Victor Orta must yelp in horror at what could be to come.

In the last two years, his work with Leeds has been nothing short of a nightmare, but that’s not entirely been his fault.

In 2019, a deal had been agreed to sign Daniel James from Swansea. The winger penned his contract and was pictured holding a Leeds shirt at Elland Road. However, in the dying embers on deadline day the Swans didn’t pick up the phone and a move fell through.

Then, just a year later, a move for Jean-Kevin Augustin turned into a complete failure.

The Frenchman had enormous potential but he is failing to discover it, and his spell at Leeds summed things up. He played just 48 minutes for the first-team with a major flaw proving to be his fitness.

He didn’t work himself into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans and then a fierce legal battle followed. The Yorkshire side had an obligation to buy but failed to cough up the money required to RB Leipzig because of how the loan spell had gone.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though Leeds have learnt their lesson. That’s because they’re supposedly chasing Fiorentina striker Christian Kouame this month.

The forward, who earns £16k-per-week in Italy, has been nothing short of a flop in Serie A and has scored just once for La Viola. His season has been disastrous and bears huge similarities to the one that Augustin was having before he came to Elland Road.

He spent the first half of last season at Monaco but like Kouame, scored a solitary goal. Therefore, one has to question why Leeds are pursuing someone with such a shoddy record once again.

Of course, adding squad depth is important but Patrick Bamford has been the undisputed number 9 for the last two and a half years now. Even when he’s not playing well Bielsa still picks him.

Though, the fact of the matter, is that the attacker is in the form of his life. Bamford already has ten goals in 17 outings this season so it’s not as though he’s going to be dislodged in a hurry.

Consequently, signing Kouame would be nothing more than a waste of money. Like Augustin, he wouldn’t play and thus, would find it difficult to score goals.

AND in other news, Leeds must swoop for £13m brute with “long levers”, Orta has found the new Phillips…