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The international break perhaps came at the wrong time for Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side, as things seemed like they were beginning to click under the leadership of the 45-year-old, with Wolves picking up nine points from a possible 12 over their last four fixtures.

With a West Midlands derby against Aston Villa coming up this afternoon, not only will Lage be hoping for a positive result in order to continue his team’s impressive run of form, he will also want to provide fans with the bragging rights of a win over one of their more prominent rivals.

Ahead of what is sure to be a challenging fixture for Wolves, will Lage decide to make any changes from the team which started the 2-1 win over Newcastle United last time out?

Here’s how we think the Portuguese could line up against Villa, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Francisco Trincao being ruled out of the trip to Villa Park after falling ill while on international duty with Portugal, Lage will be forced into at least one change this afternoon, and we predict that the 45-year-old will also make one other alteration to his starting XI against Newcastle United last time out.

The back three of Romain Saiss, Conor Coady and Max Kilman remains untouched, as do the left and right wing-back duo of Fernando Marcal and Nelson Semedo, while Jose Sa also retains his place between the sticks.

The first change comes alongside Ruben Neves in the middle of the park, with the £100k-per-week Joao Moutinho dropping out of the XI and 26-year-old Leander Dendoncker taking his place. That is to provide Wolves with a bit more defensive stability and energy against what is likely to be a rather attack-minded Villa midfield, which conjured four key passes against Spurs recently.

In the front three, Hwang Hee-chan keeps his spot following his brace against Newcastle, while dribbling king Adama Traore is reintroduced on the right as Trincao’s replacement, and Raul Jimenez starts up top.

In other news: Huge Wolves blow confirmed ahead of Aston Villa clash, Lage will be gutted

Adam Jones has shared the news that youngster Mathew Mallon has now left Everton and is set to sign for Blackburn Rovers.

The Lowdown: Following Unsworth

It has been reported that Toffees under-23 manager and Academy Director David Unsworth is also leaving Goodison Park to pursue the chance of becoming a first-team coach.

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One of his players in Mallon is set to follow him out the exit door, in what could be the start of a mass exodus at youth level on Merseyside.

The Latest: Mallon leaves Everton

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo journalist Jones has shared the news that the ‘exciting’ Mallon has now ‘quietly left’ the Toffees and will make a move to a Championship club in the summer.

Jones expanded on the news line in a corresponding article, stating that the 18-year-old is set to sign for Blackburn in July after captaining Everton’s under-18s on a number of occasions this season.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame that the Blues have lost yet another promising academy prospect, after Thierry Small joined Southampton back in August.

Describing his pace, strength, defending and crossing as his ‘main assets’, Mallon featured heavily for both the under-18s and under-23s at Everton, playing 35 times in total over the last two campaigns, scoring two goals and providing a further two assists (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Toffees will now be hoping to have no regrets as they watch the right-back’s development from a distance.

In other news, Everton now want this ‘unbelievable’ magician on a free transfer

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side head into Tuesday evening’s Premier League clash with Manchester City in something of a slump in form, having won just two of their last ten league outings, leaving the Whites down in 15th place in the top flight rankings.

And, with a considerable amount of injuries currently plaguing his first-team squad, the 66-year-old Leeds manager has once again been left with very little up his sleeve regarding team selection for the trip to the Etihad, with Pep Guardiola’s top of the table City side surely being confident of taking all three points against their depleted opponent.

So, how will the Argentine coach line up his team against Manchester City this evening? Here’s how we think the Leeds starting XI could look, along with the latest team and injury news.

With Bielsa confirming in his pre-match press conference that none of Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper, Patrick Bamford, Pascal Struijk, Robin Koch or Rodrigo Moreno have recovered from the injuries that saw them sit out the Chelsea game on Saturday, we predict that the 66-year-old will make three changes to the team that started at Stamford Bridge last time out.

The first of these comes in the back four, with 19-year-old centre-back Charlie Cresswell – who Joe Wainman claimed should be a “mainstay” in the Leeds side – coming in alongside Diego Llorente, a switch which also sees Luke Ayling move back to the right-hand side of the defence.

In the middle of the park, both £60k-per-week Jack Harrison and Jamie Shackleton drop out of the XI after relatively poor showings against the Blues, with Stuart Dallas moving from right-back to central midfield, while Mateusz Klich also makes a return to the side.

Finally, in attack, the £22k-per-week Tyler Roberts – who Gabriel Agbonlahor dubbed “shocking” – makes way for 19-year-old sensation Joe Gelhardt – who is more than deserving of a start following his display against Thomas Tuchel’s side last weekend – while Daniel James and Raphinha move back to more familiar positions on the left and right-wing respectively.

In other news: “Never seen an injury like that” – Bielsa drops big Leeds update that’ll terrify fans

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Hugo Ekitike to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French publication Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side have made an offer of around €15m (£12.5m) for the 19-year-old Stade Reims centre-forward, with the Ligue 1 side and the France U21 international believed to be taking time to reflect on the proposal before getting back to West Ham with a decision.

The report goes on to state that Newcastle United are also interested in a move for the teenager this month, with it even being suggested that the Magpies had tabled a €35m (£29m) offer for the striker, however, according to Le10 Sport, Reims have only received one bid for Ekitike at present, and that is from the Hammers.

The next Mbappe

Considering the sheer amount of potential that Ekitike quite clearly possesses, in addition to West Ham’s rather desperate need for much greater depth at centre-forward, it is unsurprising to learn of Moyes’ interest in a move for the 19-year-old this January.

Indeed, over his 17 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, the £5.4m-rated centre-forward has been in astonishing form for Reims, having already scored eight goals, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the highest scoring teenager in Europe’s top five leagues average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as the French side’s 11th-best performer in the division.

Furthermore, as a result of his rapid rise and impressive return of goals at such a young age, many in France have drawn comparisons between Ekitike and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, with Graeme Bailey stating on Twitter: “Many in France believe he could be the next Mbappe.”

As such, should the West Ham board indeed manage to seal a deal for the player who is said to possess “the mentality of Kobe Bryant in a 19-year-old’s body” this month, it would appear that Moyes could very much have an extremely exciting prospect on his hands in the second half of the current campaign.

And, who knows, should Ekitike continue his current rate of development following a potential switch to East London in January, the 58-year-old manager may even be in possession of the next Mbappe – something that is undoubtedly an extremely exciting thought for everyone involved with the Hammers.

In other news: “I’ve been told”: Ex drops teasing transfer claim that will have West Ham fans buzzing

As per Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, shared by the broadcaster, there has been another promising update on Tottenham Hotspur’s links to winger Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs in talks…

In what has been a long-winded transfer saga, with Spurs having been in talks over this last fortnight, reports have suggested that an agreement is near but they haven’t quite wrapped it up yet.

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Some sources suggest that Tottenham were looking to sign him on loan with the obligation to buy at one stage with reports then emerging of a rejected £15 million bid for Traore.

Wolves apparently want around £10m more than that if Spurs are going to seal a deal with Solhekol now sharing the latest on Sky.

The Latest: Spurs ‘very, very close’…

According to his information, Tottenham are ‘very, very close’ to signing Traore in a deal worth £20 million with a compromise fee on the cards.

“Spurs are getting close to signing him for a compromise fee of around £20m,” Solhehol explained.

“Last week they offered £15m, that was rejected, Wolves want about £25m, I think a deal is there to be done for around £20m.

“I think Adama Traore is now getting very, very close.”

The Verdict: Exciting times…

As Spurs also attempt to conclude other moves, both incomings and outgoings, the Lilywhites may well want this over the line first as they have been in negotiations for a while.

Lauded as a player who ‘could really excite the Tottenham fans’ by pundit Noel Whelan, his impressive average of 4.2 successful take-ons per 90 indicates a real threat who could be of use to manager Antonio Conte in the right-wing back role.

For £20m, he could be a real snip, especially considering he is still just 25-years-old and possesses bags of Premier League experience.

In other news: ‘Never been closer’…Journalist has major Spurs exit news, find out more here.

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Nigel Clough has backed Luton Town to win promotion from League One this season, per the Derby Telegraph.

Luton are five points clear of Barnsley at the top of the table, and the Burton Albion boss believes they are perfectly positioned to make the jump to the Championship.

What’s the word?

Clough’s Burton are currently 11th in the third-tier standings and lost 2-0 to the Hatters in December.

The Brewers boss was quizzed on who he believes will be promoted this season and insists that the two teams currently at the top of the tree will head into the Championship ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Sunderland are third, four points behind Barnsley, while Portsmouth are a point further back, though they have not won any of their last seven fixtures.

Clough said, per the Derby Telegraph: “I think Portsmouth have hit a little bit of a wall, just at the moment.

“It’s better to do it now. In the last 13 games they are more than capable.

“They got a break with a penalty being missed against them (on Tuesday night).

“Sunderland are more than capable of going on a charge and scoring goals, but I think the best two are probably at the top at the moment, everybody else is trying to catch them.”

Luton’s to lose

Luton have gone 19 games unbeaten in League One and have taken six wins from their last six outings.

Indeed, their last defeat came in October, as they fell 3-2 to Barnsley. In total, they have lost four games all season.

Clough, then, is correct in his assertion that the best team are currently top of the league, and it will take something truly special for them to be knocked out of the automatic promotion places between now and May.

Barnsley are on a 13-game unbeaten run and could well become champions if they take advantage of any Luton slip but Sunderland, who have lost just two games this season, have drawn 14 times – dropping a total of 28 points.

They have to ensure that that habit is cut out if they are to head back to the Championship automatically at the first time of asking.

And that looks a tough task, with Luton and Barnsley seemingly safely ensconced in their current positions.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has suffered a triple injury blow before their Premier League clash against Southampton on Friday night.

What’s the story?

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans confirmed that Villa will be missing the likes of Bertrand Traore, Danny Ings and Douglas Luiz for the trip to the south coast, with the Midlands club having tasted defeat in their past four top-flight games.

Ings already has three goals to his name in his embryonic Villa Park career and would surely have relished going back to his old stomping ground, while the scale of Luiz’s absence is reflected in him being the squad’s best performer so far in 2021/22 according to WhoScored metrics. Traore could also have packed a threat with his dribbling ability, completing a joint squad-high 1.8 per game, so to be deprived of the trio will come as a massive blow, especially given Villa’s recent struggles.

Dean Smith will be worried

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, Smith tried to play down the speculation suggesting that he was coming under increasing pressure.

He said: “I think the perception from outside of the football club is always different. If you’re asking me if I sleep well, yes, I sleep well. I still play well at golf. My wife is still talking to me so, if that answers your question, then yeah, I feel fine.

“There is no panic, we’re in control and determined to put things right. There has been a reaction from all the players because they are disappointed with the results. We are not far from turning it around and we are in a determined mood, that’s for sure. There is a collective responsibility and the players have been working hard.”Smith will be hoping that his positive outlook can inspire some much-needed confidence in his players after their recent decline, and while he may have put on a happy face for his press conference, the Villa boss will no doubt be worried about tonight’s game, not least due to the significant injuries with which he has had to contend.

Meanwhile, Villa must unleash this academy starlet tonight…

Alex McLeish has given his reaction to some Glasgow Rangers injury news that he has now heard involving Alfredo Morelos.

The Lowdown: Thigh surgery for Morelos

The Ibrox club confirmed earlier this week that the 25-year-old has undergone surgery on a thigh injury and will now return to training in pre-season, which means he has been ruled out for the rest of the current campaign.

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It has been reported that they could now sell the Colombia international in the summer, meaning that he may have played his last game for the Teddy Bears.

The Latest: McLeish reacts to Morelos blow

Speaking to Football Insider, former Light Blues manager McLeish has now given his reaction to the news of Morelos’ injury, as well as the striker’s potential departure this summer. He said:

“Listen, you couldn’t rule it out. It’s a massive blow because who else do you turn to now in terms of getting goals?

“I like Roofe but I think he has to play with somebody up front. I don’t think he’s a lone striker. I do feel he needs a foil to play with. Who that foil is going to be, I don’t really know.”

The Verdict: Others must step up

Morelos is Rangers’ top scorer this season on 19 goals, and in his absence, others must now step up to the plate ahead of Sunday’s clash against St Mirren.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team managed no shots on target in their 1-0 loss away to Braga in the Europa League on Thursday night, which is simply not good enough.

If they are to have any chance of going through to the semi-finals, then their frontmen must be more prolific. After all, they could be playing for a starting spot next season if Morelos ends up leaving Ibrox.

In other news, these were the Gers’ three worst performers against Braga

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Nantes attacking midfielder Ludovic Blas, with Eddie Howe’s side in desperate need of extra creativity in the final third.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Star, the Magpies are in talks with the Ligue 1 outfit over a potential deal for the 24-year-old, with Premier League rivals Watford also reportedly in discussions.

The Frenchman has been in stellar form this term, scoring seven goals and setting up another one in 19 Ligue 1 appearances, with his side currently ninth in the French top flight.

Valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt and earning £16k-p/w, the attacking midfielder -who is often deployed as an inverted right-winger – has two years left on his contract with Nantes and could be on his way to the Premier League this month.

Last season, Blas completed the most successful dribbles in Ligue 1 with 80, whilst recording the fifth-highest amount in the French top flight since the 2017/18 campaign.

There has been plenty of attention surrounding the 24-year-old, with team-mate and former Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella comparing Blas to former Anfield teammates Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Speaking to French magazine So Foot, Chirivella said: “When it comes to pure talent, I rate Ludovic Blas above all the others. I played with [Philippe] Coutinho, Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, I know what they are capable of.

“And when I see what ‘Ludo’ is doing in training or in games, he has nothing to envy them when it comes to talent. He’s incredible, spectacular, and his future looks bright. We are often lined up together in the middle, we see football the same way, and it is a pleasure to grow alongside him.”

Blas would be a huge upgrade for Newcastle

With Eddie Howe’s side still 19th in the Premier League table and in real danger of being relegated, the 44-year-old will be desperate for as many new recruits as possible this window.

The Magpies have already signed right-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid and striker Chris Wood from Burnley this month.

However, their attack could do with the sort of creativity that Blas may be able to provide. The Tyneside outfit are currently averaging a goal per game in the Premier League, having scored just 20 goals in their 20 matches; only three teams have scored fewer goals in the division.

Callum Wilson has provided six of those goals, but the 29-year-old is set to miss eight weeks of action through injury.

Right now, Allan Saint-Maximin is the Magpies’ top creator with five goals and three assists. However, after the Frenchman, no midfielder or attacker has contributed more than one assist.

Granted, there is the argument that Blas would need the time to settle in a new league, whilst there also being serious expectations put on the 24-year-old’s shoulders with Newcastle deep in the relegation dogfight. Based on the Nantes player’s goal return and the garlands surrounding him, though, he could prove to be exactly what Howe desperately needs.

AND in other news, Newcastle eyeing a move for player dubbed the “new Vidic.”

With the return of the Premier League this weekend, Southampton make the trip to face Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday to see if they can continue their solid run of form from before the international break.

During the break, there were some concerns over the fitness of certain Saints players and whether or not they would be able to take part against the Canaries, who are currently sitting at the bottom of the league table with just five points on the board from 11 games.

Fortunately for Southampton, it seems as though one of their key players will be available for the clash.

What’s the news?

After being forced to drop out of the England squad at the start of the international break through illness, it has been revealed by Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl that club captain James Ward-Prowse will be available to play against Norwich after recovering from a bug rather than anything serious.

Given how Ward-Prowse has started nine out of Southampton’s 11 league games so far this season and scored two goals in the process, this shows how important he is to Hasenhuttl and the team.

As well as the number of appearances he’s made this season, the midfielder has also shown just how useful he is with his performances in an attacking and defensive sense.

In the Premier League, Ward-Prowse has racked up an average of 1.2 shots and 1.7 key passes per game, showing that he is a big part of Southampton’s attacking force. Indeed, only Nathan Redmond can better the captain’s average for the latter metric among Hasenhuttl’s squad.

The 27-year-old skipper, who is currently valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, has also shown that he isn’t one to ignore his defensive duties, with an average of 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearances per game this season.

With this in mind, it’s safe to say that Southampton fans will be buzzing to hear that Ward-Prowse will be available to play against Norwich this weekend.

Taking into account that Norwich have only won one game all season, scoring fewer goals (five) and conceding more (26) than any other side in the Premier League, this could be a great opportunity for Southampton to pick up another victory after winning three of their four previous matches prior to the November international break.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash “confident” £53k-p/w Saints gem v Norwich, he’d give Smith nightmares