Ruben Amorim will once again be thin on the ground when it comes to choosing his Manchester United starting lineup against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Red Devils are, of course, without their captain, Bruno Fernandes, who is still out as a result of the hamstring injury he picked up away to Aston Villa before Christmas.

There are several other key players missing, too. Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt are still not fully fit, and it seems unlikely Kobbie Mainoo will make the squad either, after missing the last two games. Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui are, of course, at AFCON.

So, how could United line up against the Old Gold?

Man United’s predicted lineup vs. Wolves

For the first time in over a year under Amorim, United played a back four against Newcastle United in their last game. This can lead to some guesswork when it comes to figuring out the line-up against Wolves.

However, the eleven players on the pitch are all likely to be the same regardless of the system, which, for argument’s sake, will be a back four, given they started that way against the Magpies.

Senne Lammens will, of course, start in goal, and it seems like Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and Diogo Dalot will make up the back four.

Moving into midfield, there are few options for Amorim without Fernandes and Mainoo. Casemiro will, of course, operate in the pivot, and if fit, Mason Mount could well start next to him. That leaves recent academy graduate Jack Fletcher to play as a number 10.

As for the front three, Patrick Dorgu is a newfound option on the right. He scored a wonderful goal against Newcastle, which won United the game.

Matheus Cunha will play off the left against his former club, and Benjamin Sesko will lead the line, despite his goal drought.

There is one notable omission from that lineup, despite this experienced player being fit.

The man Amorim must drop vs. Wolves

There are a few more options for Amorim if he wishes to change things up against Wolves. Joshua Zirkzee is the obvious candidate to start, with Sesko someone who could drop out. The Slovenian has yet to find his best form in a United shirt.

It has been yet another poor season in Red for Manuel Ugarte. He’s never looked like the right sort of fit for the 13-time Premier League champions, and has struggled to cement a place under two permanent managers and an interim.

This season, he has only played 12 times in the Premier League, notching up a total of 477 minutes across those games. Given he played under Amorim at Sporting, you may have expected the midfielder to feature more, but that has not been the case.

Perhaps one of the main reasons for Ugarte’s struggles during his time at Old Trafford so far is because of his lack of quality on the ball.

He has chipped in with some assists during his United career, six to be exact, but he doesn’t offer much in possession.

His passing numbers in the Premier League last season really were underwhelming.

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For example, the Uruguayan international averaged 3.08 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranked him in the 18th percentile of top-flight midfielders.

Ugarte key in possession stats in 24/2 PL

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Progressive passes

3.08

18th

Key passes

0.5

13th

Passes completed

40.34

52nd

Progressive carries

0.81

23rd

Stats from FBref

Social media personality Liam Canning said just before Christmas, when United played away to Villa, that Ugarte “doesn’t even look like a Premier League footballer.”

That, of course, is on the brutal end of criticism, but the numbers certainly don’t reflect well for the Red Devils’ number 25.

Against Wolves, Amorim may well decide to drop his former Sporting man in favour of Fletcher, looking to add more quality on the ball in midfield.

Related Bad news for Mainoo: Man Utd could sign the new Paul Scholes for £52m

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall

Matt Doherty has thrown his name in the hat to become Antonio Conte’s first-choice right wing-back at Tottenham Hotspur after an emphatic display against Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.

Of course, some consideration needs to be made over the standard of opposition as the Yorkshiremen are the leakiest side in the Premier League but still, the manner of the Irishman’s performance makes him a much more appealing prospect than Emerson Royal.

Spurs thrashed the Whites 4-0 at Elland Road, thanks to goals from the 30-year-old defender, January signing Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

With one game in hand, it leaves the north Londoners on the cusp of breaching into the top five.

On top of finding the net – his first goal since arriving in a £15m deal from Wolves in August 2020 – the Jose Mourinho flop also provided an assist just five minutes after opening the scoring himself in the tenth minute.

As per SofaScore, the £10.8m-rated dynamo was also among the most influential players on the pitch, having registered 68 touches. From that possession, he made 40 accurate passes from 45 attempts (89%), delivered 100% of his crosses accurately and created two key chances.

Elsewhere, Doherty even registered three clearances, two interceptions, one block and won 100% of his aerial duels.

‘His best performance for the club,’ is how Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick described it in his post-match ratings column, where he graded him an 8/10, whilst The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke claimed there was “something utterly thrilling” about Doherty running in behind the defensive line.

The right wing-back position has long been problematic for Conte since he took over from Nuno Santo in November and that was evident in January as the Italian was thought to be keen on adding a new player in the role due to his doubts over Emerson, as per The Times.

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Adama Traore was targeted before his stunning move to Barcelona, so the 52-year-old has to work with what he’s already got until the summer, at the earliest.

Therefore, it’s easy to see why Doherty could be the answer for the remainder of the campaign. Just as Press Association reporter Jonathan Veal said on social media: “Matt Doherty’s performance has shown he should be the man to go with at RWB until the end of the season.”

AND in other news, Conte could unearth Tottenham’s next Skipp in 20 y/o terrier dubbed a “coach’s dream”…

It ‘seems inevitable’ that Aaron Ramsey’s stay at Rangers will be short-lived, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Ramsey is on loan from Serie A giants Juventus until the end of the 2021/22 season. He arrived just over a month ago, but he has yet to start a single Premiership or Europa League game, having experienced fitness troubles in the meantime.

Chris Jack, The Herald and Glasgow Times’ senior Rangers reporter, told GiveMeSport earlier this week that ‘frustration’ was mounting at the club as they wait to ‘see what he can do’.

The latest

Calciomercato reported (via Sport Witness) that Ramsey had hoped to play regular football again at Ibrox, but it hasn’t panned out that way so far.

For their part, Juventus were optimistic that he would impress in Glasgow, prompting Rangers to pursue a permanent deal.

Right now, though, he seems bound to return to Turin, with the Scottish champions not expected to try and prolong his stay at Ibrox.

The verdict

You could question whether a permanent deal was realistic anyway, regardless of Ramsey’s form and fitness.

He is by far the highest-earning player at Ibrox, with Rangers and Juventus splitting his £400,000-per week-salary. For context, Alfredo Morelos is next on the list at £33,000 per week, a huge drop-off from the Welshman’s pay.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell said that there was no purchase option in the loan agreement because his wages would be ‘prohibitive’.

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Even though Juventus appear keen to sell him, Ramsey would surely need to agree to a monumental pay cut before a permanent deal with the Light Blues could become viable.

In other news, these were Rangers’ three worst players against Motherwell

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Montreal Impact attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic. 

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a deal for the playmaker, with Everton, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds also said to be keen on him.

The report claims that the MLS outfit will not allow him to leave for anything less than €8m (£6.6m), with his current contract expiring in December 2023.

New Cabaye

Eddie Howe can find Newcastle’s new Yohan Cabaye in a deal for the American midfielder as he could provide the same creative spark from the middle of the park.

Cabaye was constantly creating chances for his teammates during his time at St. James’ Park. He averaged 1.6, 2.0 and 1.7 key passes per game across his three campaigns on Tyneside, which shows how effective he was at linking the play and providing goalscoring opportunities for the side.

In the current Newcastle squad, Joelinton’s 0.9 key passes per game are the highest tally of any central midfielder in the Premier League. This suggests that Howe is in need of the new Cabaye to inject some creativity into his side heading into next season.

Mihailovic would be the new version of the Frenchman as he has proven in the MLS that he has an incredible eye for a pass, much like the ex-PSG man had from the same number eight role.

Last month, journalist Chris Smith dubbed him a “gorgeous passer” and his statistics back that up, as he managed an outstanding 2.3 key passes per game in 2021 for Montreal – creating an unbelievable 18 ‘big chances’ and registering 14 assists.

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Journalist Manuel Veth claimed that he is “overlooked” and Newcastle can change that by bringing him to the Premier League stage next season. They can offer him a platform to display his talents at the top level and his statistics in the MLS suggest that he has the ability to come in and be a creative force for the Magpies moving forward.

Of course, it is impossible to gauge the difference in quality between the two divisions but creating 18 huge chances in one-season shows that – at the very least – he is a forward-thinking midfielder who wants to open up defences and create opportunities for his teammates. In that sense, he would be Newcastle’s new Cabaye as he would be the chief creator from the number eight position.

AND in other news, NUFC can unearth their new Callum Wilson in £20.8m predator who has “the scoring nose”…

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side take a break from their Premiership title charge on Monday evening, with the Bhoys facing a trip to Dundee United in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup.

And, while the fixture could present the 56-year-old Bhoys boss with a good opportunity to rotate his starting XI ahead of what is sure to be a tense run-in in the league, the Greek-Australian manager will be well aware that a domestic treble is still very much on the cards for the Hoops this season.

So, with that in mind, will Postecoglou make any changes that started the 3-1 win over Livingston last time out? Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against the Tangerines, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou recently revealing that all three of Mikey Johnston, Karamoko Dembele and Johnny Kenny will be available for selection on Monday evening, while David Turnbull and Kyogo Furuhashi remain sidelined, we predict the 56-year-old will make five changes to the team that lined up at the Tony Macaroni Arena last time out.

The first of these changes comes in the back five, with Josip Juranovic replacing Anthony Ralston at right-back, while Joe Hart retains his place between the sticks and Greg Taylor, Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers start at left-back and as the centre-back pairing respectively.

There are a further two changes in the middle of the park, with Tom Rogic – dubbed a “bad finisher” by Bhoys Analytics – and Nir Bitton making way for the returns of Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley, while McGregor keeps his spot at the base of the Hoops’ three-man midfield.

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In attack, following his highly impressive returns for the Celtic B side in recent weeks, Dembele – who Football Tweet dubbed a “wonderkid” – is handed his first competitive start under Postecoglou, while Giorgos Giakoumakis is given the nod ahead of Daizen Maeda up top and Jota once again starts on the left.

AND in other news: Celtic could have made a “massive mistake” on £22k-p/w colossus, Ange would be livid

Rangers have enjoyed recent success after winning the Premiership title last season and securing their place in the last eight of the Europa League this week.

The Gers are still in the race to win the league this term and are also in contention to lift the Scottish Cup after reaching the semi-finals.

They have been able to do so with a team consisting mainly of players they have brought in from elsewhere, with the only prominent player to come from the academy being Allan McGregor – albeit now in his second spell at Ibrox.

Nathan Patterson is the most recent academy success, being sold to Everton for a club-record fee in January, but have the club made any mistakes in that aspect over the years?

Howler

One youth team player with whom Rangers made a huge howler with was left-back Greg Taylor, now of arch-rivals Celtic. He came up through the ranks at Ibrox before being released for nothing in 2014 during Ally McCoist’s time in charge.

The defender signed for Kilmarnock on a free transfer and went on to play 131 matches for the club in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing 10 assists.

This led to the Hoops taking an interest in his services and he arrived at Parkhead in 2019. Since his move back to Glasgow, Taylor has produced one goal and 14 assists 75 outings for Celtic, winning one Premiership title.

Current Scotland manager Steve Clarke previously dubbed him “absolutely outstanding” and his statistics in recent years back up that claim. This season, the 24-year-old has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.97 in the league, making 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match whilst also providing 1.3 key passes per game from left-back.

Last term, he managed the same SofaScore rating whilst making 2.3 tackles and interceptions and 1.3 key passes per match. He also created an exceptional seven ‘big chances’, which shows that he has the quality to be a game-changer with his ability to set up his team-mates in front of goal with excellent delivery from the left.

At the age of 24, the Scotland tank also has the potential to push on and improve even further, and his current performance levels may only be the start of what he is able to achieve. Celtic now look set to benefit from his talents for years to come, whilst Rangers allowed him to leave for nothing whilst he was in their youth setup.

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Therefore, McCoist made a huge blunder as he was unable to spot Taylor’s talent at the time. Of course, he was not the player that he is now when he was in the youth team at Ibrox, but that does not mean that the signs weren’t there, as Kilmarnock swiftly picked him up and he established himself in the Premiership.

What could have been…

AND in other news, 80% duels lost: Rangers dud who gave the ball away every 2.8 touches flopped for Van Bronckhorst…

West Brom have the fourth most valuable squad in the Championship according to Transfermarkt with an overall value of £77.18m behind the likes of AFC Bournemouth, Fulham and Sheffield United.

One player in the Baggies’ ranks that contributes to their overall squad value is also one that the club didn’t need to spend a penny on.

Back in the 2015 summer window, the Midlands club secured a free transfer for 23-year-old centre-back Dara O’Shea from Irish club St. Kevins Boys.

Since then, the defender has gone on to make 36 appearances for their U18 and U23 sides combined, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process.

For the senior side, the centre-back has made 60 appearances across all competitions with five goals and one assist to his name.

This season has seen the Irishman, who has been praised for his “unbelievable” improvement over the years by former Baggies manager Slaven Bilic, make just eight appearances in the Championship for Steve Bruce’s side having spent a significant period out injured with an ankle fracture.

Despite this, the defender has still managed to find the back of the net on two occasions and earn himself an impressive overall performance rating of 7.28 from WhoScored, making him West Brom’s highest-rated player, highlighting how valuable he is to the team.

In terms of his market value, Transfermarkt listed it at £135k back in October 2019, just a couple of months before he made his senior debut for the Baggies. Whereas it now stands at £2.7m, showing a significant increase based on what he’s done on the pitch and proving that the club hit the jackpot with him.

Described as being “like a sponge” by Bilic in terms of the focus he has on learning and improving his game, O’Shea is certainly a shining light in Bruce’s squad and for the club overall as a young player working his way through the youth ranks and becoming an impressive first-team figure.

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The defender’s rise also highlights the fact that clubs don’t always have to pay big money on players all the time and can instead focus on unearthing and developing young talents.

Moving forward, having only played in three league games since recovering from his ankle injury, it would be good to see the youngster get back on the pitch more regularly before the campaign ends.

In other news: WBA surely having nightmares over “unbelievable” dynamo whose value has rocketed 2033%

Glasgow Rangers have now been dealt a blow in their hopes of signing Josh Stones.

The Lowdown: Hat-trick hero

Stones, who plays his trade at National League North side Guiseley, scored a hat-trick for England’s U18 Schoolboys on Friday, and captained them as they beat Scotland U18 Schoolboys 4-0 in the Centenary Shield.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-2/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The young talent has attracted plenty of interest from a number of high-profile teams in England, as well as the Ibrox faithful.

The Latest: Deal agreed

As per Football Insider, Stones has now ‘agreed’ to join English League One side Wigan Athletic ahead of their division rivals Sunderland, as well as the Teddy Bears who were also in the race.

A recruitment source has revealed that he has accepted a three-year contract offer from the Latics, but the deal cannot officially go through until July 1st.

The Verdict: Big blow

It certainly looks as if the Light Blues have missed out on Stones’ signature, which will come as a big blow.

The 18-year-old has been scoring goals for fun at club level this season, and recently showed his credentials against a Premier League club’s Academy, putting in an ‘excellent‘ performance against Crystal Palace in February after finding the back of a net in a 1-1 draw.

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Nonetheless, Stones could have learned from the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe if he joined the Gers, but now a move to Wigan looks all but done.

In other news, find out what ‘phenomenal’ RFC update has Alex McLeish wowed here!

Wolves could find themselves short on midfield options this summer with Leander Dendoncker reportedly available for transfer, while Ruben Neves could also be heading through the exit door with Barcelona keen on the Portuguese midfielder – who is viewed by the La Liga giants as the heir to Sergio Busquets.

With another key playmaker in Joao Moutinho expected to leave at the end of the season too upon the expiration of his contract, manager Bruno Lage could be forced into the transfer market to spend a hefty amount on replacements, who he will have to fast-track into the first team and help adapt to the Midlands as quick as possible.

Youngsters like Luke Cundle could also make the step up and become first-team regulars, but one player that could have helped the squad massively was homegrown Slovakian midfielder Christian Herc, who left permanently at the start of the season for Swiss side Grasshoppers.

Deemed surplus to requirements and not good enough for Lage’s plans, the then-22-year-old managed to secure himself a move to a top-flight European league in a team with a healthy connection to the Midlands club.

At Grasshoppers, based in Zurich, he has been joined by Wolves loanees Bendeguz Bolla, Bruno Jordao, Hayao Kawabe, Sang-bin Jeong and Leo Bonatini, as well as former centre-back Georg Margreitter, who played at Molineux between 2012 and 2015.

During his time under contract at the West Midlands club, he spent the second half of the 2017/18 season and the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign on loan in his homeland, before spending the next two seasons playing in Czech Republic, and during his first loan spell with DAC Dunajska Streda, he said: “I think I’ve developed in every way on the pitch.”

Now aged 23, he has averaged a 7.03 match rating according to SofaScore in the Swiss Super League, and has started 25 of the 26 games he has appeared in for the club this season, scoring three goals and assisting four more – becoming a key man for the club throughout this season, with just Mamadou Kaly Sene averaging a higher match rating in the Grasshoppers squad.

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His impressive form this season has not only earned him his first cap for Slovakia, but has also shown exactly why Nuno Santo and then Lage should have given him more of a chance to impress, and even if he was still afterwards not part of either of their plans, the exposure to first-team Premier League football could have improved his £1.35m valuation.

In other news: Nearly signed for £15m, now a 0 goal flop: Wolves struck gold over “desperate” 25 y/o

Newcastle United booked their place in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday night with a last-gasp victory over Fulham at St. James’ Park.

In a fairly low-quality affair, with one ‘big chance’ per team (Sofascore), it was the Magpies who edged out their Premier League rivals as they continued their defence of the trophy.

It took a stoppage-time header from Lewis Miley to secure their place in the last four, to cap off a phenomenal performance from the academy graduate in a new role.

The new position that Lewis Miley could thrive in

The injury situation at St. James’ Park forced Eddie Howe to get creative against the Cottagers, and he decided to play Miley as a right-back in the back four.

Usually a central midfielder, the England youth international excelled in his new role and showed that he may even have a future in that position, given how impressive his performance was.

The highlight of his game was, of course, the winning goal as he nodded the ball into the back of the net in the 92nd minute from Sandro Tonali’s brilliant inswinging corner.

However, it was his defensive work that really caught the eye. Per Sofascore, Miley won six of his seven ground duels and four of his five aerial duels, making three tackles and one interception.

This means that, despite not being a natural defender, the English starlet was incredibly dominant defensively and was not a weak link that Fulham could attack, even though he was out of position.

His defensive display proves that it is a position that he could thrive in moving forward, which could come in handy after Tino Livramento came off with a knee injury, and it remains to be seen how serious that will be.

Miley’s Player of the Match performance saved the Magpies from going to penalties or being knocked out, and saved some of the team’s underperformers, including Joe Willock.

Why Joe Willock should be dropped

The English midfielder scored in seven consecutive matches whilst on loan from Arsenal in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, in what was a phenomenal start to his career on Tyneside.

His impressive form convinced the Magpies to spend £25m to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer of 2021, but he has failed to hit those same heights again since.

Since scoring 11 goals in all competitions for Arsenal and Newcastle combined in the 2020/21 campaign, Willock has failed to produce more than three goals in a single season.

Joe Willock’s Newcastle career

Season

Appearances

Goals

25/26

12

0

24/25

41

2

23/24

14

2

22/23

43

3

21/22

31

2

20/21

31

11

Stats via Sofascore

Willock has been well past his best for several seasons now and his performance against Fulham on Wednesday night was, unfortunately, a typical display.

The former Arsenal man won two of his seven ground duels and lost all three of his aerial duels, per Sofascore, as he failed to make a single tackle or interception in the middle of the park.

On top of his defensive struggles, Willock did not register a single shot on goal and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 72 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, which shows that the midfielder did not offer much quality in possession. He also had even fewer touches (40) than goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (47).

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Tonali replaced Willock for the final 18 minutes of the match and his cameo showcased the gulf in quality between the two players. Per Sofascore, the Italy international won five of his seven duels, completed 88% of his attempted passes, and provided the assist for Miley’s winner with a terrific corner.

It was, unfortunately, not a rare bad night for Willock. In the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, the midfielder has lost 83% of his aerial duels and is yet to deliver a goal or an assist for the team, in seven appearances and two starts.

The £25m signing from Arsenal has also produced just 0.4 key passes per game, less than one chance created every other appearance, which speaks to the lack of quality that he is providing on the pitch for the Magpies.

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These statistics illustrate why Willock should be immediately dropped from the side for Tonali, and show that he looks well past his best, which was when he was in immense goalscoring form in 2021.