Sunderland played out their final game of a jaw-dropping 2025 when drawing 1-1 with Leeds United.

It really has been a dream year from a Black Cats perspective, with promotion finally achieved back up to the Premier League.

Yet, the Wearside giants were only getting started with that stunning feat, looking back, with four defeats from 18 top-flight games to date, seeing Regis Le Bris’ men enter into 2026 in a more than healthy seventh spot.

Sunderland fans would have been content if their team had stumbled to a 17th-place finish come the end of their first season back in the big time, as the hardened Stadium of Light masses leap into the New Year firmly in dreamland.

However, it isn’t all entirely rosy on Wearside, with Chris Rigg struggling to adapt to the pressures of the Premier League after a breakout campaign under Le Bris.

Rigg's struggles at Sunderland

For an 18-year-old still learning the ropes, it does feel as if Rigg has been in and around the senior picture at Sunderland for some time now

Indeed, he was only 15 years of age when Tony Mowbray would hand him his first-ever senior shot in the FA Cup.

But, while he had been gifted opportunities here and there to shine, it was last season, under Le Bris’ watchful eye, where the homegrown talent really came into his own as a consistent first-team presence.

Rigg would amazingly line up for 45 Championship clashes under the Frenchman, having only been afforded 21 league appearances the campaign before, and it would prove to be a masterstroke to make him a guaranteed starter.

The 12-time England U19 international would pick up four goals and one assist as his team were crowned playoff winners, with commentator Ian Darke stating that he will “obviously play in the Premier League”, even if Sunderland didn’t secure a passage up to the promised land.

He was also dubbed a “phenomenal” talent by scout Ben Mattinson, with the playoff final further seeing him bravely win two tackles and three duels for his boyhood employers.

Unfortunately for the teenage sensation, he is yet to look comfortable on such a grand stage, despite once being tipped to move to Manchester United, with zero goals or assists coming his way from only 253 minutes of action.

With Sunderland reportedly set to go after Ayyoub Bouaddi to enhance their midfield personnel, Rigg could slide down the pecking order even more.

But, with Le Bris’ track record evident with Rigg, they might well be better bumping up another academy gem to bolster his options, instead of forking out more major cash on the Arsenal-linked starlet.

Sunderland are already brewing a homegrown Bouaddi

Bouaddi really is the talk of the town in the Premier League heading into what will surely be a chaotic January window, with the 18-year-old – who has already been dubbed “world-class” by scout Jacek Kulig – on the shopping list of the likes of Chelsea and Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, away from the ultra-ambitious Black Cats.

Comfortable lining up as a defensive option centrally, or further forward, the Lille golden boy has four assists next to his name from 74 senior appearances, leading to the much-talked-about number 32 having an audacious £52m valuation slapped above his head.

Bouaddi is clearly heading for a major move in January, off the back of already being a Champions League-level star at the tender age of 18, with Sunderland hopeful they can compete with their mega-rich rivals in attempting to land his coveted signature.

But, if they realistically fall short, they won’t feel too downbeat, with Harrison Jones sticking out as a similarly silky performer from the middle of the park for the Black Cats at U21 level.

Jones’ numbers for Sunderland

Stat

Jones

Games played

74

Senior appearances

7

Goals scored

16

Assists

14

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Equally capable of playing as a midfield anchor or further up the pitch as a number ten, much like Bouaddi, Jones can also boast a seriously impressive haul of 16 goals and 14 assists from 67 youth appearances and counting.

Subscribe for deeper Sunderland youth and transfer insights Gain a clearer view of Sunderland’s squad-building choices: subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth analysis of academy prospects, scouting reports on talents like Bouaddi and Jones, and tactical context that helps you understand transfer decisions and long-term planning.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Six of those goal contributions have come just this season in Premier League 2 action, as the Sunderland-born “diamond” – as he was once labelled by youth coach John Hewitson – continues to stick out as a classy youngster centrally, like his £52m counterpart.

He wouldn’t cost a single penny to bump into the first team picture, unlike the bank having to be broken to land Bouaddi, with Sunderland more than vindicated in the past when bumping up the likes of Rigg to the men’s side, even if he has disappointingly fallen to the wayside since promotion was sealed.

Of course, Bouaddi has already been exposed to the difficult pressures of stages such as the Premier League to justify such a lavish price tag, with nine Champions League outings even under his belt.

Still, it feels far-fetched that Le Bris and Co. will be able to tempt him to Wearside, with Jones more than a standout alternative, having regularly been named on the bench by the Frenchman this season.

Related Sunderland plot move to sign Serie A forward who wants Premier League switch

The Black Cats could turn to the transfer market once again.

Posts ByTom Cunningham

Jofra Archer has been named in England’s provisional squad for the 2026 T20I World Cup despite still nursing a left side strain that ruled him out of the Ashes after the third Test.The 15-man squad also includes Josh Tongue, uncapped in international limited-overs cricket. Tongue has been drafted in by head coach Brendon McCullum and white-ball captain skipper Harry Brook as a strike bowler they believe will thrive on the flatter pitches expected for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.Jamie Smith has been axed completely from the limited-overs set-up, which begins the new year with a pre-tournament tour of Sri Lanka, after a failed experiment at the top of the order. He has endured a tough Ashes tour – averaging 19.85 – which followed on from a torrid white ball run, which included four ducks in his last 10 ODI innings. He last played a T20I for England in June having been moved to open across both codes at the start of the year. Ben Duckett returns after missing the three T20Is in New Zealand ahead of the ongoing tour of Australia.Related

• Archer out of Ashes tour, Bethell replaces Pope for Boxing Day Test

Archer was England’s standout player of the Ashes before he picked up his injury during the third Test in Adelaide, which Australia won to secure the urn in just 11 days. The fast bowler registered nine wickets at 27.11, including 5 for 53 – his fourth five-wicket haul – in the first innings at Adelaide Oval. He also contributed with the bat, striking a maiden half-century in the same game as part of 102 runs at 25.50.Archer left Australia on Boxing Day evening, after day one of the fourth Test in Melbourne, and is currently recovering in Barbados under the supervision of the ECB’s medial team. He will miss the three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka, which starts from January 22, with Brydon Carse staying on after the 50-over matches to fill in. Archer is likely to join the squad in India ahead of their opening Group C match against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8.

England’s T20 WC group fixtures

• vs Nepal, February 8, Mumbai

• vs West Indies, February 11, Mumbai

• vs Bangladesh, February 14, Kolkata

• vs Italy, February 16, Kolkata

Tongue, though relatively inexperienced in T20 cricket with just 21 matches under his belt, has come to the fore with a string of impressive performances this year. He was the leading wicket-taker in this year’s men’s Hundred with 14 wickets and has impressed in the two Ashes Tests, with 12 at 18.58. That includes 5 for 45 at the MCG, as part of match figures of 7 for 89 which earned him the Mullagh Medal as Player of the Match in England’s first Test win in Australia since January 2011.Meanwhile, allrounder Will Jacks is back in both squads after missing the New Zealand tour, and Zak Crawley returns to the ODI set-up for the first time since 2023, looking to add to his eight caps. There is no place for Jordan Cox, or seamer Saqib Mahmood, who is still recovering from a knee injury that required minor surgery at the end of the 2025 home season.

England’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka

• 1st ODI: January 22, Colombo

• 2nd ODI: January 24, Colombo

• 3rd ODI: January 27, Colombo

• 1st T20I: January 30, Kandy

• 2nd T20I: February 1, Kandy

• 3rd T20I: February 3, Kandy

Despite the tight turnaround after the Ashes – the group will leave the UK for Sri Lanka on January 18, ten days after the scheduled finish of the fifth Test in Sydney – England have decided not to rest their Test stars. Seven of the ODI squad have been out in Australia for the duration, including Joe Root, who turned 35 on Tuesday.Leaning on experience speaks to the importance of correcting England’s ailing white-ball fortunes, and the need for McCullum to restate his worth after a demoralising Ashes tour.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Since assuming control of the limited-overs team at the start of 2025 alongside his Test head coach role, McCullum has overseen six wins and five defeats in 13 T20Is – he skipped the Ireland tour which England won 2-0 – and lost 11 of 15 ODI matches in charge. The latter means automatic qualification for 2027’s 50-over World Cup is not a foregone conclusion, with the top-eight-ranked sides progressing to the main tournament. England are eighth as it stands, ahead of West Indies and Bangladesh.Success in the T20 World Cup would no doubt ease the pressure on McCullum. England finished as semi-finalists in 2024’s edition, losing to eventual winners India, which ultimately cost former white-ball coach Matthew Mott his job as head coach. England previously won the tournament in 2010 and 2022.

England squad for Sri Lanka T20Is and provisional squad for T20 World Cup

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer (World Cup only), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse (Sri Lanka tour only), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

England ODI squad for Sri Lanka tour

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Luke Wood

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into Thursday evening’s Europa Conference League clash knowing that they must put on a perfect performance if they are to have any hope of securing a spot in the next round of the competition.

Indeed, with Bodo/Glimt having run out 3-1 winners at Parkhead last week, the Bhoys now need to secure victory by three clear goals to win the tie, or two clear goals to take the fixture to extra-time.

As such, the 56-year-old Hoops boss simply must get his team selection absolutely spot on against the Norweigan outfit, with Giorgos Giakoumakis, following his impressive hat-trick against Dundee FC last weekend, appearing to be a must in Postecoglou’s starting XI tonight.

Postecoglou must unleash Giakoumakis

While the 27-year-old’s career in Glasgow got off to something of a slow start, scoring one goal over his first nine outings for Celtic, as well as being sidelined for a considerable number of games as a result of a knee injury, the centre-forward has burst into life in recent weeks, bagging five strikes over his last nine appearances.

The most recent of the Greek international’s haul came on Sunday, when the £1.8m-rated hitman scored all three of the Hoops’ goals in a close-fought 3-2 victory over the bottom of the table Dundee FC.

Following his match-winning display, The Athletic’s Celtic correspondent, Kieran Devlin, said of the £8.2k-per-week centre-forward: “Giakoumakis is a flawed player, but he also works tirelessly hard and, as yesterday highlighted, is capable of producing important and decisive moments. Very early days still, but all those ingredients hold the potential for a cult hero.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As such, with Postecoglou’s side in need of both goals and a hero at the Aspmyra Stadion on Thursday night, the 62-goal sensation would very much appear to be a shoo-in for the 56-year-old’s starting XI – despite Daizen Madea’s impressive outing against Bodo/Glimt last week – as a repeat performance of Sunday’s display could well be enough to help Celtic secure a famous European comeback.

In other news: Big boost: Conroy drops Celtic injury update ahead of Bodo/Glimt, fans will be buzzing

It must feel like Groundhog Day at White Hart Lane – an eternal, almost supernatural repetition of events that seems to go full circle every season, with Tottenham once again missing out on Champions League qualification at the hands of local rivals Arsenal.

The Lilywhites have now finished up in fifth place four times out of their last eight Premier League campaigns, in addition to rather unluckily having their continental qualification stripped away from them despite claiming fourth spot due to Chelsea’s crowning as European champions, while the Gunners have continually maintained their Champions League status.

Harry Redknapp’s inability to break into the Champions League cost him his job last summer; despite the misfortune of the rare circumstance in which fourth place was not enough to qualify during the 2011/2012 season, Daniel Levy relieved the current QPR boss of his duties. Rather than sticking with Redknapp’s experience and clout in the transfer market, the Spurs owner opted for a young, fresh and enthusiastic counter-part in Andre Villas-Boas.

[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”tower”]

Yet with the improvements at White Hart Lane clearly little more than superficial, as Spurs once again fail to breach the gap between themselves and the Premier League’s top four, it begs the question as to whether the former Chelsea boss’s appointment was worthwhile. Would Tottenham be better off with Redknapp still at the helm?

The campaign started strongly enough for the incoming AVB. One of Redknapp’s failings during his tenure in North London was undoubtedly his inability to secure points against the bigger teams, seen by Levy as one of the key barriers to continental qualification that needed to be confronted by the new manager. In September, the Lilywhites recorded a historic victory, trumping Manchester United 3-2, the first time Spurs have secured a win at Old Trafford since 1989.

Claiming all three points against the Red Devils is a feat Redknapp failed to accomplish during his four years at White Hart Lane, and further underdog performances followed with victories against Arsenal and Manchester City, while claiming draws away to Chelsea and at home to United.

Yet, if Villas-Boas had finally overcome Tottenham’s weakness in top of the table clashes, he had also undoubtedly let the season slip against similar and lesser opposition. Allowing Wigan and Norwich to both claim four points off the Lilywhites hurt them, but far more detrimental to their campaign were losses against Everton and Liverpool, with the two Merseyside clubs making up the final teams along with Spurs and Arsenal involved in the mini-league that battled it out for fourth spot.

Had Tottenham took anything away in terms of points from their defeat at Anfield a week after their victory in the North London derby, they would have not only ended the Reds’ outside chances of doing the unthinkable and making it into Europe, relieving pressure on themselves, but they would have also left Arsenal dead and buried, rather than giving them an opportunity to get back into the running for Champions League qualification.

It’s difficult to place exactly where the blame lies for the defeat to Liverpool, in addition to another the week after at home to Fulham. While Andre Villas-Boas’ tactics have come under scrutiny, with the game-plan more often than not seemingly to get the ball to Gareth Bale at every opportunity, there is no doubt the fortnightly blip in form was due to a lack of depth in the Spurs squad.

Two of the stars of the first half of the season – Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe – had both picked up injuries, with the former absent for the best part of March, while the latter was able to play but clearly a long way shy of performing to the fullest of his abilities. Suddenly, the Spurs squad, once praised for its strength in depth, was beginning to resemble a house of cards, with a few key figures being removed to show its underlying flaws and weaknesses.

Lennon had been the ying to Bale’s yang, and the Welshman found it difficult to significantly impact games in the Englishman’s absence, whilst a lack of options up front meant that the Lilywhites’ fate lay in the hands of the lacklustre, lazy and uninterested Emmanuel Adebayor.

At the end of the season, the finger was very much pointed at Daniel Levy, who has been the driving force behind Tottenham’s recruitment over the past few years, for a lack of January signings and his inability to spot the potential for disaster should both of the squad’s only speedy wide men pick up injuries. Yet, considering Spurs invested a significant amount in the summer to bring in new recruits, such as Hugo Lloris, Moussa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Clint Dempsey and Emmanuel Adebayor on a permanent contract, how much more can we expect in terms of improvement of personnel in a single season, without disrupting the harmony at White Hart Lane?

Similarly, it’s not as if Andre Villas-Boas came up with a particularly imaginative solution. As previously mentioned, the game-plan for the season quickly transformed from the use of speed and pace throughout, playing a high line to even make full use out of Lloris’ unusual fastness for a Goalkeeper, to simply getting the ball to Tottenham’s talisman – Gareth Bale. By the latter stages of the season, the Lilywhites’ football had lost its energy and flair, and the focus had become solely on the Welshman.

You can hardly blame the Spurs boss; Bale was the hottest individual force in the Premier League, and the squad’s biggest contributor to the goal tally. But the Welsh wonder’s rise to greatness was hardly AVB’s doing. He had been waiting in the shadows for some time, with two strong seasons under Harry Redknapp, and the current footballing year has simply been the coming of age campaign that had been anticipated from the 23 year old since being purchased from Southampton back in 2007.

So what has AVB actually done during his first year as Tottenham boss? Well, he changed the club’s emphasis on the Europa League, a tournament the former manager despised, only to confirm already widely held beliefs in England that the second-tier competition is only worthwhile should you make it to the final, as Spurs went crashing out to the hands of Basel, costing them in terms of fatigue and injuries in the process.

He’s also modified the way the Lilywhites play, with an emphasis on speed following the arrival of new, pacey recruits, only to realise that the model was not sustainable for a whole season due to the make-up of Tottenham’s roster, and like Redknapp had done for the three seasons previous, soon became unstuck by March time, after going strong for the first seven months of their campaign.

And yet, we are still to witness any particular tactical master-stroke from a manager once hailed as being a modern day philosopher of the beautiful game. A former understudy to Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and Porto, the only change in tact from Redknapp’s era to his own appears to be the deployment of Gareth Bale as a supporting striker, and moving Tottenham’s defence a few yards higher up the pitch. Both can hardly be considered revolutionary ideas, and a long way shy of constituting theoretical change at White Hart Lane, with Spurs’ ability to play attractive and dominant football greater praised last season under Redknapp.

In many ways, the superficial feat of Spurs’ season, in claiming their highest points total to date in the Premier League era sums up AVB’s first year at the helm in North London. Whilst on the surface, their 72 point haul seems impressive, it has little bearing if your divisional rivals improve at the same rate.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It symbolises how although the Lilywhites now have a young, good looking, eager  and hungry manager at the helm, the improvements, in terms of taking points against the Premier League’s top four, refreshing of the roster, and the overall ambitious nature of AVB’s appointment, have done little to take the club closer to their ultimate goal of Champions League qualification.

With Gareth Bale finally reaching the optimum of his powers this season, the likelihood is that Harry Redknapp would have been able to get a similar level of performance out of him, in addition to outweighing Villas-Boas in terms of Premier League experience, who unlike the Portuguese has broken into the top four twice before.

[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]

It begs the question as to what could have been this season had Levy kept on his former head coach for another year, with the current QPR boss privy to Bale’s hot form, and with Arsenal, Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs set to strengthen heavily in the transfer market this summer, in addition to the Welshman’s potential departure to La Liga, the Tottenham owner may have inadvertently thrown away the club’s best chance of continental qualification for a generation in refusing to renew Redknapp’s contract.

Would Tottenham have been better off keeping Harry Redknapp? 

Join the Debate below!

Having secured their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in midweek with a 2-1 win over Championship side Stoke City, Crystal Palace are back in Premier League action tomorrow with an away clash against Wolves.

On the chalkboard

In terms of who Eagles boss Patrick Vieira could pick to be in his starting XI to take on the Midlands club, one figure that didn’t start Palace’s previous league game against Burnley that did feature in midweek that should be in the team is midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate.

Not only did the midfielder, who has been described as “massively important” to the team by his manager, start in midweek, but he also managed to get his name on the scoresheet to help get his side through to the next stage of the FA Cup, as well as racking up 39 passes out of 43 attempted.

The 32-year-old also managed to keep his team in the competition by making three interceptions, two clearances and winning five of the eight duels he was involved in. That ultimately earned him an overall match rating of 7.4, the joint-highest of any Palace player on the day according to SofaScore, higher than Jairo Riedewald, who scored the winning goal in the late stages of the tie.

As well as the match on Tuesday, the Senegal international has shown throughout this season in the Premier League how important he is to the south London club, with WhoScored listing him as the fourth-highest rated player at Selhurst Park with an overall rating of 6.79.

Taking into account how the Old Gold have lost their two previous league games, they will be desperate to pick up all three points this time around to keep their hopes of securing European football alive and thus, Kouyate will be key to ensuring that it’s Palace who come away smiling at the end of the 90 minutes.

If the home side go all-out in an attacking sense, it would make sense for Vieira to start Kouyate in this instance considering he’s managed to rack up two tackles per game and the highest number of interceptions per match (1.5) than any of his teammates in 2021/22.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

His defensive capabilities could then make the £67k-per-week midfielder the difference between the south London club coming away with a positive result or another defeat.

In other news: Sold for £10m, now worth 82% less: CPFC pulled a blinder over £37k-p/w “disaster” – opinion

Everton have been teetering on the edge of the relegation zone for weeks now and Frank Lampard is running out of opportunities to pull away from the battle at the bottom of the table.

Another defeat today at Goodison Park keeps them stuck right in the mix for relegation from the Premier League for the first time ever.

Today could have been the perfect opportunity for the Toffees to widen the gap between themselves and the drop zone, but yet again Lampard’s side failed to see out the assignment with another shocking performance in front of their home fans.

The entire back three picked up cards during the performance, with four yellows and a devastating red card given to Jonjoe Kenny in the 72nd minute that put the Toffees down to ten men, putting them in a vulnerable position as the side struggled for possession with just 38% of the ball overall.

One player who let his team and manager down in the important game today was Anthony Gordon, having a completely out of character performance for his boyhood club that has contributed to the fourth defeat on the bounce for Everton.

According to SofaScore, Gordon had fewer touches than Jordan Pickford in the clash with Wolves, losing possession of the ball a total of 22 times in his 49 touches, meaning he lost the ball in every two touches from his position in the attacking line. He also lost the majority of his duels (6/11), losing 100% of his aerial battles over the course of the game.

The 21-year-old winger has been praised on numerous occasions for his impact since gaining a regular starting spot in the side, putting in flawless performances even when the side are struggling to pick up points in the Premier League.

However, today there is no room for praise with the display given as the youngster let Lampard down in the pursuit to climb the table into safety.

The ex-Chelsea boss will surely be feeling the heat as Watford took all three points from Southampton this afternoon, and now match Everton for points in the league table in 18th inside the drop zone.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If there was no room for error before today, there is certainly no room for error going forward and Lampard must find a way to motivate his team to take something from their home game on Thursday night against Newcastle United.

In other news: Lampard must do everything to keep Richarlison

Celtic have been handed a huge injury lift over attacking midfielder Tom Rogic this weekend…

What’s the latest?

Ange Postecoglou has allayed fears that the Australian international has suffered a significant blow after he was forced to substitute his fellow countryman in the first half on Saturday.

Gio Giakoumakis scored a hat-trick, with Daizen Maida also chipping in, as the Hoops won 4-0 in their Premiership clash. However, Rogic hobbled off the field in the 33rd minute.

The Daily Express quotes Postecoglou as saying: “Tom’s a bit sore. Hopefully it’s not too bad and now he’s away with the national team. We will see how he is.

“He got a knock on his ankle and it isn’t great but we got the ice on him at half-time and we seem to think it isn’t too bad.”

Buzzing

This update will come as a major boost to Celtic and leave Parkhead buzzing as the supporters will be delighted to learn that he has not sustained an injury that will keep him out for an extended period of time.

Postecoglou’s quotes suggest that it was more of an impact blow instead of any serious damage to his ligaments, with Rogic seemingly escaping without any long-lasting effects.

Therefore, fans will be pleased because that would mean that he will not be out for a number of weeks or months and that the international break may be sufficient time for him to recover. With Celtic in with a chance of sealing the league title and the Scottish Cup in the next two months, Rogic being available will be a sizeable lift for the head coach.

His performance in the 33 minutes he managed against Ross County illustrated why his absence in the upcoming matches after the international break would have been a blow. As per SofaScore, he won four of his five individual ground duels, created two chances and completed 100% of his attempted passes.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He has been providing quality throughout the campaign as he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.00 in the Premiership. Rogic has chipped in with five goals and six assists in 17 starts in the division, creating a whopping nine ‘big chances’ whilst making 1.7 key passes per game.

This, including his display on Saturday, shows that he has the ability to be a big player for Postecoglou and Celtic and that is why the fans will be buzzing. He has proven his class in the league and the supporters will surely want a player with his knack for scoring and setting up goals to be available for selection at the business end of the campaign.

AND in other news, Forget Giako: Celtic’s 74-pass “easy target” proved his true worth to Ange vs County…

Celtic put themselves in a good place heading into the latest international break as Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops side convincingly beat Ross County 4-0 in their previous SPFL match.

However, the Hoops were dealt a blow after midfielder Tom Rogic was forced off with an injury issue after 33 minutes, making way for Matt O’Riley.

Speaking after the emphatic win, Celtic manager, Postecoglou, said that the midfielder took a blow to his ankle but they don’t think it’s a serious problem.

However, a fresh development has now emerged which could have the Hoops boss sweating.

What’s the latest?

A recent report from the Daily Record has revealed that the 29-year-old has now dropped out of the Australia squad as a result of the ankle issue he picked up over the weekend.

This suggests that the problem may be more than just a knock if the Australian management don’t feel that it would be worthwhile having the player in the squad for the next week or so, which won’t be pleasing for Postecoglou to hear.

Postecoglou sweating

Since arriving at the Parkhead club back in the 2013 January transfer window from Central Coast Mariners, the midfielder has gone on to make 264 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions, scoring 45 goals and providing 49 assists along the way.

With Celtic set to take on Rangers once the current break comes to an end in what will undoubtedly be a crucial game for both sides in terms of the title race, it’s safe to say that the 56-year-old Hoops boss will very much be hoping that Rogic will be fit enough to play a part in this pivotal game against their rivals.

Having scored five goals and provided six assists in the 25 league games he’s appeared in during this current campaign, this would be a clear reason why his club manager would want him on the pitch.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He is an important figure on most days, let alone against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side as he could provide a real attacking threat from midfield which may well be the difference in Celtic coming away with all three points, a result that be a massive boost for their title hopes.

Moving forward, it seems as though the club will have to have their fingers crossed that Rogic can use this free period he has on his hands to get back to full fitness and ready to complete the remainder of Celtic’s title charge.

In other news: £5.9m wasted: “Unbelievable” £18k-p/w flop has been draining Celtic dry for 83 weeks – opinion

Leeds United could have as many as four returning players available for their upcoming Premier League clash against Southampton, according to journalist Adam Pope.

The Lowdown: Leeds face another crucial game

The Whites are in the middle of a two-week hiatus because of the international break, having not played since the dramatic 3-2 win away to Wolves on 18 March.

Next up for Jesse Marsch’s side is the visit of Southampton to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon as the home side look to pull further clear of the relegation mire.

It has been an injury-plagued season for Leeds, but a hugely positive update has emerged in that regard.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Four players set to return

Taking to Twitter, Pope claimed that up to four Leeds players who had been affected by injury in recent weeks and months could all be set to return for Saturday’s clash.

He revealed: “Illan Meslier (bruising) is expected to be ready to face Southampton. Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper & Diego Llorente all set to feature too.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-39/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Massive boost for Whites

To have those four players in contention to start is a huge boost for Leeds, especially after the negative news surrounding Patrick Bamford’s latest setback.

Meslier’s return between the sticks should bring more calm to the defence, especially if club captain Cooper is also named in Marsch’s starting line-up at Elland Road next weekend, potentially alongside Llorente.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Meanwhile, Phillips could make his first Leeds appearance since December, which would be the biggest positive of all, given his status as one of the best players in the country.

At a time when the Whites are still looking for strong results to ensure their Premier League status for next season, the prospective returns of several key figures ahead of the run-in will come as a huge fillip for Marsch and the Elland Road faithful.

In other news, Leeds could reportedly sign one player on loan this summer. Find out who it is here.

Pundit Noel Whelan has now given his reaction to some Everton transfer news that has emerged involving both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

The Lowdown: Both to leave?

As per 90Min, Richarlison’s representatives have told the Goodison Park faithful that he wants to leave in the summer, in order to boost his chances of being picked for Brazil’s FIFA World Cup squad.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-3/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

According to The Sun, the Merseyside club will also sell Calvert-Lewin this summer as Frank Lampard looks to ‘slash the payroll’ ahead of potential relegation from the Premier League.

Whether they end up selling both players is another question, but it is no doubt looking bleak for the Toffees in terms of keeping their two up and coming stars.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, who has worked as a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds, has claimed that it would be ‘catastrophic’ and ‘crippling’ if both players were to go:

“To lose both Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison? That’d be catastrophic.

“The only way they can possibly even dream of keeping both of them is by staying in the Premier League. Going down is hard to think about, but it’s possible.

“Losing two strikers of their quality and stature would be crippling for Everton, absolutely.

“They are the big names in the side, and I’m sure it’s horrible for the fans to think about life without them. Where would they begin to rebuild that forward line?”

The Verdict: Disastrous

Even if the Blues were to only lose one of them, let alone both, it would be disastrous for them in terms of progressing long-term under Lampard.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

They have a combined seven goals and four assists between them in the top flight so far this season, despite making only 30 appearances combined, and rank among the Blues’ best players (WhoScored), in spite of what has been an awful campaign.

Nonetheless, should they find themselves in the Championship, it would be nearly impossible to replace them with the same or similar quality of striker, and so relegation simply has to be out of the question in order to give the best possible chance of keeping them.

In other news, find out what ‘huge’ injury boost has now emerged for EFC here!