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Glasgow Rangers are set to compete for a place in the semi-finals of the League Cup tonight as they host Dundee FC at Ibrox under the lights.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was appointed as the Light Blues’ manager after the team had been knocked out of the competition by Hibernian, thanks to a hat-trick from Martin Boyle, last season and he now has the chance to win the trophy this term.

The Dutch head coach led his team to the final of the Europa League and won the SFA Cup in the 2021/22 campaign, which shows that he has a knack for managing in knockout matches.

Rangers come up against Championship side Dundee FC and the manager may look to rotate his side in order to avoid burnout whilst handing opportunities to players on the fringes of the squad, given that the match is against lower-league opposition.

One player who must finally be unleashed from the start is academy central midfielder Charlie McCann. Malik Tillman, who scored a wonder goal against Motherwell at the weekend, should be rested for this game – ahead of Premiership and Champions League clashes – and the Northern Ireland international should come in to replace him.

The former Manchester United man has not started a game since the 2-1 win over Dundee United on the 17th of September and was an unused substitute in the recent success over Motherwell.

He played 14 minutes off the bench in the last round of the League Cup against Queen of the South and picked up an assist in the 3-1 win, which provides an insight into the quality he can provide from midfield.

During pre-season, journalist Josh Bunting heaped praise on the youngster by Tweeting: “Charlie McCann is a quality player for Rangers, a real natural number 8 who must be knocking on the first team door. His goal today was stunning but his all round play is very sharp. Has a nice pass selection, always wants to get on the ball and make something happen.”

He has made plenty of things happen since the start of the competitive season as he has racked up two assists in eight appearances for Rangers at youth and senior level, including three goals in four Lowland League outings.

The 20-year-old dynamo has the ability to provide a spark in the final third by bursting forward from a central midfield position to score a goal or create a chance, much like Tillman did against Motherwell on Sunday.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must finally unleash the youngster from the start to see if he can stake a claim for a regular place in the team moving forward, as he has the potential to develop into a top player if he can regularly contribute with goals and assists for the first-team.

Sunderland have created many cult heroes since the turn of the century, but arguably one of their greatest-ever players was signed just before in 1997.

Having just been relegated to the Championship after a miserable campaign under Peter Reid, he moved to the transfer market to try and bolster his squad in the hopes of making their stay in the second division as short as possible.

Although it did take a couple of years, in 1999 they absolutely demolished the league on their way back to the Premier League.

It was then when this aforementioned signing truly began to shine, as Kevin Phillips became a Black Cats hero.

In their first season back in the Premier League they managed to fly up to a seventh-placed finish, no doubt aided by the goalscoring exploits of the £325k marksman.

He became the first Sunderland player since Brian Clough in the early 1960s to score 30 goals in a season. This campaign saw him become still the only Englishman to ever win the European Golden Shoe.

They would maintain the same position the season following, where he would again notch 14 Premier League goals in another solid campaign.

Instantly he was lauded on Wearside as one of the greatest goal-scorer in their modern era, and despite his growing pedigree, stuck around at the Stadium of Light despite their diminishing finishes.

It only took until their relegation in 2003 that he finally left, revealing that he had twice attempted to depart already.

He exited renowned across the area as a “legend”, which is what his former club dubbed him on their Twitter account.

Despite having a strong start, Tony Mowbray will be wishing he had a player of his ilk up front for him now, especially given the ever-growing absence of Ellis Simms.

They have scored just 19 goals in their 15 Championship matches, but with Phillips up front, he would surely propel that number and their 13th-placed league position too.

He would be perfect for the current side, as he was arguably one of the greatest players the club has ever seen. Supporters would relish the opportunity to see him in action just one more time.

Leeds United may need to loan Joe Gelhardt out in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Adam Pope, with the BBC Sport journalist stating his belief on a recent episode of the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast that, following the arrival of Wilfried Gnonto this summer, the 20-year-old has slipped down Jesse Marsch’s attacking pecking order, before suggesting that a loan move this winter could be the best option for the centre-forward.

Regarding the England U21’s current situation at Elland Road, Pope said: “Well where does it leave Gelhardt at the moment? Because he’s either on the bench or obviously started at Brentford and it didn’t turn out great for him that day.

“But whilst others are scoring loads in the U21s, like your [Mateo] Josephs, your [Sonny] Perkins, Gnonto’s the name at the moment. Where’s it leaving him? If it continues like this does that lead to him maybe going out on loan in January? You don’t want to lose him at any point, do you?”

Big call

Considering just how exciting a prospect Gelhardt undoubtedly is, should the 20-year-old indeed be behind Gnonto in the Whites pecking order this season, Marsch simply must make a big call on the striker in January by sending him out on loan, an eventuality that would have looked extremely unlikely before the season got underway.

Indeed, the £9m-rated talent was arguably Leeds’ brightest spark in an otherwise bleak 2021/22 campaign, with the youngster often making a major impact from the bench last time out, scoring two goals and registering four assists over his 20 Premier League appearances – with only five of these outings coming from the off.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £16.5k-per-week attacker also ranks in the top 9% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for dribbles completed per 90, in addition to the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 19% for assists, the top 25% for progressive passes, the top 29% for shots and the top 37% for non-penalty xG over the last 365 days.

These returns clearly demonstrate that, despite his limited game time, the 20-year-old is an extremely effective option in the final third, with Gelhardt excelling in his progression of the ball, being more than capable of creating chances for his teammates and frequently taking up dangerous positions in front of goal, which creates goalscoring opportunities of his own.

Further still, FBref also rank the England youth starlet in the top 1% of forwards for pressures per 90, as well as the top 10% for tackles, the top 26% for interceptions, the top 30% for blocks and the top 36% for clearances over the past 12 months – statistics that would appear to make him something of a perfect fit for an attacker in Marsch’s counter-pressing setup.

Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross is also in no doubt about the youngster’s ability, stating on the Orta Know Better podcast last year: “I’m sure we’ll find out in the years ahead, but Gelhardt may well be the best bit of business the club has done in the last 20 years, if not ever because he just looks absolutely outrageous – very, very good player.”

As such, considering just how impressive a talent Gelhardt clearly is, should Marsch indeed believe that the striker will not receive a great deal of game time this season – having been left out of the 20-man squad to face Aston Villa on Sunday – the 48-year-old simply must send the 20-year-old out on loan in January, as the former Wigan Athletic starlet is being wasted on the fringes.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones’ latest injury setback has been described as ‘devastating’ by former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

The Lowdown: Jones suffers injury setback

The Reds have been hurt badly by injuries to midfielders this season, with Thiago and Naby Keita arguably the most high-profile of those absentees.

One who has perhaps gone more under the radar is Jones, with the 21-year-old yet to play a single minute of Premier League action so far in 2022/23.

The Liverpool academy product has suffered a recurrence of a leg problem which has kept him out this season, with an extended spell on the sidelines now expected.

The Latest: Kenny laments Jones injury blow

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny voiced his concerns for the Englishman after this setback and amid his lack of playing time.

The 44-year-old said:

“The latest injury is a devastating new blow for Curtis Jones. He will know that he could have missed a golden opportunity to establish himself.

“Liverpool have been decimated in midfield, with [Naby] Keita, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain out all season, [Jordan] Henderson out with a hamstring injury and Thiago only just back. But, after the international break, Klopp will not be short of options, and the new signing Arthur will be up to speed.”Look how Harvey Elliott has established himself while all those senior stars have been injured. He has probably been Liverpool’s best midfielder this season.”Jones is also a big talent, but it won’t be easy getting in that side now with everyone fit. Fabinho and Thiago are the main men, and everyone else has to fit around them.”

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The Verdict: Stop-start career

Jones is a gifted young footballer with a potentially big future, having sporadically shown glimpses of his talent in big games, but at the moment his Liverpool career simply can’t get any momentum.

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Some lengthy injuries have prevented him from being considered a regular starter and he is now in danger of falling behind both Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho in the midfield pecking order, given how impressively those two have performed of late.

Once Jones returns to fitness, he must seize his opportunity and remain injury-free for a long period, or else talk over his long-term value to Liverpool could emerge.

Aston Villa will ‘definitely’ look to sign a new centre-back between now and the end of the summer transfer window, according to transfer window reporter Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Centre-back issue

Steven Gerrard’s side have made an unsatisfactory start to their Premier League season, losing two of their opening three games and conceding six goals in that time.

For that reason, centre-back has been an area of concern in 2022/23, with Tyrone Mings left out initially before regaining his place and Diego Carlos then suffering a devastating achilles injury.

With the new man now out for an extended period, Gerrard has just Calum Chambers, Ezri Konsa and Mings to call upon, making a new addition in that area an absolute necessity.

The Latest: Expert makes fresh claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, The Express journalist Taylor has eased fan fears about the situation, saying Johan Lange and NSWE will ‘definitely’ need to make a move before September 1:

“I know they’ve got Chambers, who in fairness is not a bad backup, but given the length of Carlos’ injury, I think they will have to look at potential ones and I definitely think they will have to bring someone in.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Having a solid defence is always the perfect foundation to build on for any team and there is no doubt that Villa could do with reinforcements there this season.

Doubts remain over how much Gerrard rates Mings, having taken the captaincy away from him, while Konsa’s form has also flattered to deceive, with journalist Ashley Preece slamming his performance against Crystal Palace last weekend.

A fourth option to provide stiff competition for Chambers, Mings and Konsa is much-needed, or Gerrard could continue to see his side leaking goals at an alarming rate.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Celtic defender Josip Juranovic this summer, according to the Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed from Legia Warszawa for £2.7million last summer, Juranovic enjoyed a stellar start to life in Scotland under Ange Postecoglou.

The 26-year-old Croatia international made 26 top flight appearances as Celtic became Scottish champions and he was also part of the side that lifted the Scottish League Cup.

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Following a successful first campaign north of the border, Juranovic reportedly became a target for Atletico Madrid earlier in the window and now it seems as though Manchester United like what they see…

The latest: ‘On the radar’

While much of the attention this week is on Adrien Rabiot, The Daily Mail report that the 20-cap Croatia star is ‘on the radar’ for a host of top European clubs, including the Red Devils.

It’s claimed that Juranovic ‘is a target’ for the Old Trafford outfit as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster the defensive options at his disposal.

The report also states that Chelsea are admirers of the man hailed as ‘quality’ by positional rival Anthony Ralston, whilst Celtic are likely to demand ‘in excess of £15million’ for the right-back.

The verdict: Shrewd move

Ultimately, the capture of Aaron Wan-Bissaka hasn’t materialised as planned and Diogo Dalot has also proven to be all too inconsistent to act as a mainstay at the elite level, leaving room for a reliable option in what has become a key position in the modern game, particularly in an attacking sense.

Last season, Juranovic scored six times and provided four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, earning a 7.21 Sofascore rating whilst winning 3.0 duels, making 1.5 clearances and 1.3 key passes on average per game – showcasing impressive attacking and defensive acumen.

Capable of operating as a conventional right-back, left-back, centrally and even in more advanced areas, the Croatian would be a superb addition to Ten Hag’s ranks and one the Manchester United hierarchy should be pushing to add to bring to Carrington as swiftly as possible.

With UEFA Champions League football on the table at Celtic Park, United may have to use other methods to lure Juranovic to Manchester, something that is proving difficult with Frenkie de Jong and Rabiot currently.

Nottingham Forest’s Omar Richards will miss the first few weeks of the Premier League season, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Richards’ injury

Earlier this month, it was announced that Forest had completed the signing of the 24-year-old left-back from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in a deal worth £10m.

Following his arrival at the City Ground, Richards failed to feature in the side’s pre-season campaign.

As per BBC Sport, manager Steve Cooper revealed that his new signing had suffered a leg injury that will keep him on the sidelines for an extended period.

Cooper ruled out the possibility of a broken leg, but there are fears that the defender has suffered a hairline fracture.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claim

Dinnery believes that Richards’ injury may be the result of the increased workload at his new club.

Speaking with Football Insider, the injury expert claimed:

“I’m reading between the lines in terms of the timeline.

“The stress fracture is something that can happen after a big change, an increase in volume and intensity in training. These are all risk factors, particularly with the tibia because there’s a lot of weight going through it.

“He is a young lad who hasn’t had a lot of minutes in recent seasons. He wanted to come and prove himself. When you’re coming from a club with such prestige, there is added expectation.

“In hindsight, maybe they could have done some things a little bit different. Then again, it could just be one of those things.

“It’s a nightmare for him and difficult for Forest, especially given that their squad is already stretched. It’s going to hit them hard to not have him available at least for the first several game weeks.”

The Verdict: Big loss

When looking at Richards’ underlying stats, it is clear to see how big of a loss his injury will be to Cooper’s Forest side.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the left-back ranks in the 99th percentile for pressures and tackles, and in the 98th percentile for pass completion rate, dribbles completed and progressive passes received.

With Cooper currently preparing for his team’s Premier League opener against Newcastle next Saturday, Richards’ injury will knock his plans when it comes to choosing his starting XI.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has now shared a West Ham United transfer update on their pursuit of Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye moves…

The 2022/23 Premier League season may well be a crucial one for David Moyes, who is looking to maintain the Irons’ place among England’s elite clubs.

West Ham narrowly missed out on qualification for the Europa League last term, instead having to settle for a place in the Europa Conference League, but that hasn’t stopped the club from attempting to back the manager.

The arrivals of Nayed Aguerd from Rennes and Alphonse Areola on a permanent deal from Paris-Saint Germain could yet be followed by more incomings, with West Ham tipped to be ‘very busy’ this summer.

The Latest: Galetti shares Broja update…

After a successful spell on loan at Southampton last season in which he netted nine goals, Chelsea marksman Broja is believed to be a target for the Hammers.

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Sharing news on Twitter, Galetti of Sport Italia TV and Tribal Football has claimed that the Irons are now ‘above all’ in contention to sign the Albania forward.

He explained: “Armando Broja (Chelsea) will be on the market this summer. Many EPL clubs (West Ham above all), Ajax and teams are interested in the striker.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Depending on Chelsea’s valuation, the 20-year-old could prove to be an astute prospective purchase by West Ham.

Having enjoyed a productive temporary spell on loan at St Mary’s, Broja was branded ‘sensational’ by Southampton legend Francis Benali for his contribution in parts.

The 6 foot 3 powerhouse also comes with a physicality which is tailor-made for English top-flight football and could provide a different outlet for Moyes in attack as a target man.

Crystal Palace’s move for West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is ‘imminent’, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Doucoure and Ebiowei

The Eagles have been hard at work in recent weeks looking to bolster Patrick Vieira’s squad ahead of his second season in charge.

The club confirmed a five-year deal for Malcolm Ebiowei over the weekend, with the young winger set to join from Derby County on July 1.

Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure also appears to be edging closer to a move to Selhurst Park after an £18m fee was agreed between the two clubs.

The Latest: Johnstone to follow

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to provide a transfer update on Palace. He claimed that the Eagles have the paperwork ready and a medical scheduled for Doucoure, before ‘also’ adding that a move for Johnstone is ‘imminent’.

The transfer expert reported last week that a deal for Johnstone was agreed, and it looks as though the I’s have now been dotted and the T’s crossed, as the goalkeeper is set to join alongside Doucoure and Ebiowei.

The Verdict: Friday announcement?

Some may have been concerned regarding a move for Johnstone with Palace announcing a move for Ebiowei and not the goalkeeper over the weekend.

However, it looks as if everything is still in place, so Palace may have been waiting to unveil Johnstone on Friday when his West Brom contract expires and he can officially become a member of Vieira’s squad.

The 29-year-old will leave the Baggies after making 167 appearances for the club and will provide competition to Vicente Guaita, so it will be interesting to see who is first choice under Vieira on the opening weekend.

Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to sign Glasgow Rangers youngster Rory Wilson, according to a report from Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Lange not messing around

Wilson could become Johan Lange’s fourth signing of the summer after the Villans confirmed the captures of Diego Carlos from Sevilla, Boubacar Kamara from Marseille and Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona following a successful loan spell.

Villa manager Steven Gerrard and the sporting director are wasting little time in conducting summer business and now appear to be nearing a swoop from the gaffer’s former employers.

Despite never making a first-team appearance for Rangers, Wilson is highly regarded at Ibrox having bagged a ridiculous 49 goals at youth level this season, and Gerrard has seemingly paid close attention to the striker’s situation…

The latest: Move pending

As per ‘Villa source’ for Football Insider, the Midlands club are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign the 16-year-old.

It’s claimed that the Villans are ‘confident of agreeing on a deal’ to bring the prolific Scotland youth international to Villa Park, ahead of interest from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The report also states that the recruitment department are ‘pushing hard’ to make the move happen and are willing to pay the cross-border development fee of £300,000 – due despite Wilson confirming his intention to leave Rangers.

The verdict: Exciting prospect

Albeit still very much in the fledgeling years of his development, Wilson has already impressed and was hailed for his ‘clinical’ finishing by Scotland coach Brian McLaughlin.

Following that extraordinary 49 goals in all competitions for club and country last season, the talented teenager – who was scored eight times in just 11 Scotland U-17 outings – looks certain to be a hit at Bodymoor Heath and for the already flourishing Villa youth sides.

Having watched on as Gerrard successfully integrated academy graduates Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka into the Villa first-team, Wilson can be confident of eventually getting an opportunity should the transfer be completed as expected.

In other news, find out who is now ‘close’ to leaving Ibrox here!