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Swansea take on Bournemouth away from home in the Championship on Tuesday night, where a win would help them really establish their automatic promotion credentials.

Steve Cooper’s side were not at their best during the 1-0 win against Luton Town at the weekend but the three points were the most important thing, as they remain level on points with Watford ahead of this evening’s fixture.

Bournemouth sit just outside of the playoff positions after an underwhelming campaign thus far but they still possess players with Premier League quality, so it will undoubtedly be a tricky game for the Swans.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Cooper to line his side up against Bournemouth, with three changes from the side that started against Luton…

Freddie Woodman keeps his place in goal after another clean sheet in the win against the Hatters at the weekend.

There’s one change in central-defence, as Marc Guehi returns to the side after missing the game against Luton with a minor knock, and he comes in for Kyle Naughton, with Joel Latibeaudiere deserving to keep his place after an impressive display last time out.

Jake Bidwell comes in for Ryan Manning at left-back as Cooper continues to alternate between the two, with Bidwell perhaps more defensively sound than his more attacking teammate, which Swansea could need against a dangerous Bournemouth attack.

The final change for Swansea comes in midfield, as Jay Fulton returns alongside Matt Grimes in the middle, with Korey Smith dropped after some below-par recent displays.

The front three of Yan Dhanda, Connor Hourihane and Andre Ayew stays the same and they may well be the key to Swansea unlocking Bournemouth’s defence and coming away with all three points on Tuesday evening.

And, in other news… 28% duels won: Swansea gem let Cooper down with a poor display vs Luton

Liverpool will be aiming to earn back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time in over a month when they host Chelsea on Thursday.

The Reds managed to edge past Sheffield United last time out at Bramall Lane courtesy of a strike from youngster Curtis Jones and an own-goal from Blades’ defender Kean Bryan.

How could Klopp line up his team for the visit of the Londoners?

We are expecting three changes to the Liverpool starting XI on Thursday, with the Reds welcoming back a few key injury returnees.

One of the most glaring changes will be in goal where Alisson will come back in to replace Adrian.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Ozan Kabak are all expected to line-up in defence once again.

However, one change in the back-line could be the inclusion of the fit-again Fabinho after the Brazilian returned to training. He is likely to be reintroduced in the place of Nat Phillips.

One final change could be seen in midfield. Curtis Jones is almost sure to start again after netting at Bramall Lane, whilst Georginio Wijnaldum is also likely to play from the off.

However, Klopp could consider dropping summer signing Thiago to the bench. The Spaniard has started the last ten Premier League games, failing to register a goal or an assist.

He might be replaced by fellow midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who deserves a chance to prove himself once again.

Moving into attack and the familiar trio of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are all set to start once again, despite Diogo Jota’s return to training.

AND in other news, Mo Salah signing for Real Madrid makes a lot of sense for Liverpool…

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has shone for the club this season, and this has seen many praise him. One to do so is former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips.

What Phillips had to say about Konza

Phillips piled on the praise for the centre-back as he told Football Insider: “He’s been at the heart of everything Villa have done this season. He’s been excellent with Mings, they haven’t been breached too much this year.

“I haven’t seen too many players give him the run-around. To believe he was only at Charlton a few years ago. To come to the Premier League and to do what he’s done after they had a difficult season last year is brilliant.

“Naturally, when you get big clubs sniffing around, you’re probably going to get offered a new deal. It happened to me at Sunderland, the club came and said: ‘We want to offer you a new deal. I’m pretty sure that’s gonna happen before the end of the season if he keeps performing the way he is.”

Konsa is vital for Villa

Konsa has been a vital asset for the club this season, playing in 20 Premier League games, and establishing himself as Tyrone Mings’ partner at the back.

The Athletic also recently reported that Konsa is on Gareth Southgate’s radar ahead of a possible England call-up, which shows that his good performances are not going unnoticed. Therefore it is understandable to see him receive such praise and make Phillips think Villa will offer him a new deal.

The 23 years-old, so has a bright future ahead, and therefore the club need to make sure they can keep him at the club for as long as possible so that they can build and progress into a consistent top half team.

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

Aston Villa are eyeing a summer transfer move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, but are battling some Premier League rivals to land his signature.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Dean Smith’s side were very much keen on signing the Frenchman, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Now, The Scottish Daily Mail (26/02, back page) via HITC, claim that Villa remain keen on luring Edouard away from Celtic Park, but are likely to face significant competition from the likes of Arsenal and Leicester.

The report adds that it’s the Foxes, and Serie A giants AS Roma, who are currently leading the race for his signing.

Dean Smith surely buzzing

Amid a Premier League season in which Smith has had to sit in the dugout hoping Ollie Watkins can stay injury-free, news of a renewed attempt at signing Edouard will surely have the Villa boss buzzing.

To his credit, Watkins has been a revelation since joining from Championship side Brentford, bagging 12 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign in the top-flight.

The one problem for Smith has been the lack of genuine options to replace him, with Watkins having not missed a single minute of Premier League football all season. That’s been down to Wesley still working his way back from a knee injury, and Keinan Davis clearly not deemed as someone worth playing regularly – after all, he’s managed just five goals in 75 club games.

In Edouard, Villa would land themselves someone who’s been incredibly prolific in his fledgeling career. As well as bagging 20 goals in just 32 games this season – and that too for a Celtic side in turmoil and way off the pace behind Rangers – he’s scored 82 goals in 177 senior games in total.

His former boss at Celtic, Neil Lennon, said earlier in 2020: “He’s hugely important (to us), he’s an outstanding footballer, talismanic almost, he’s so talented, so cool and he had two great finishes. He’s up there with some of the best we’ve had over the last 20 odd years.”

It’s no surprise Johan Lange is targeting Edouard again, and it will surely be music to the ears of Smith.

Despite their weekend defeat to Arsenal, Leeds still have a lot to be excited about in their returning Premier League season. They are currently 11th in the table and will be looking to keep banking points in order to vie for a spot in the Europa League next season.

Indeed, since the Whites returned to top flight football after 16 years away, they have been a solid unit. Leeds have upset big sides including Manchester City and Leicester with a 1-1 draw and 3-1 win respectively, and have been involved in some eye-catching games, not least the 4-2 defeat to the Gunners on Sunday afternoon.

Their transfer haul over the summer of 2020 saw Victor Orta snap up Raphinha among others, but there’s one man that he and Andrea Radrizzani will be eager to do business with.

Marcelo Bielsa is currently in the final six months of his contract at Elland Road and now, reports have emerged that he is finally ready to once again extend his stay with the Yorkshire outfit. According to Football Insider, the Argentine is set to pen a new one-year deal once talks with Radrizzani commence this summer, with the Leeds boss himself revealing in his pre-match press conference on Friday that “any needs the club has, I always respond to them with open arms”.

Bielsa has made huge waves in English football since his arrival to the then Championship side in 2018. He spearheaded Leeds to their historic title and promotion-winning season last year, ending their agonising Premier League drought.

Their stance in the table this season shows that they’re far from in trouble of entering a relegation scrap. Leeds have banked 32 points for the season so far, winning ten of their 23 games played.

With Bielsa set extend his stay in Yorkshire, the Whites could really fancy themselves as dark horses moving forwards.

“Bielsa is unique,” Kieran Maguire told Football Insider. “He ploughs his own furrow, he operates in his own way. We are living in Bielsa’s world and not the other way around.

“I don’t think there’s any concern from Leeds’ point of view because he is a man who works on the basis of a handshake and if he’s happy, the contract gets signed.

“Would bigger clubs be interested? I don’t know because he is unique in the way he operates and he’s got a fantastic relationship with the board and a fantastic relationship with the fans.

“I don’t see a problem. Radrizzani wants him to stay, the fans want him to stay, the players want him to stay, and he seems settled.”

Indeed, the Leeds players and fanbase have found a manager that fits their dynamic and they won’t be willing to let him go any time soon.

Maguire’s comments are a boost to Leeds and their desire to tie down Bielsa to a new deal, suggesting that the Argentine is a man of his word and is ready to put pen to paper on a new deal at Elland Road and that he is all “settled” in Yorkshire.

Simply put, a new contract for Bielsa must be Radrizzani’s priority given everything the manager has done in resurrecting the club over these past few seasons.

The Whites could splash out big money on new signings in the summer, but nothing will match the impact of getting Bielsa to stay for longer.

In other news, Ezgjan Alioski was a big disappointment against Arsenal…

David Moyes has delivered West Ham United a welcome boost after confirming that Arthur Masuaku has returned to light training sessions.

The DR Congo international has been out of action since mid-December having made the decision to have surgery for the sake of his career, after dealing with pain in his knee for the best part of two years.

West Ham refused to put a timescale on his return at the time but Moyes is now hopeful of seeing the 27-year-old be back available for selection in around a month.

Masuaku went under the knife following a strong run in the Hammers starting line-up following a move from Moyes to go five-at-the-back, with the £7m-rated dynamo opening 10 of the London Stadium natives’ first 11 games of the Premier League season.

There were slight concerns that Masuaku may need a second operation last month, but allegedly did not report back any discomfort in his knee since the initial surgery.

Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Fulham, that while the left-back remains West Ham’s only absentee through injury, his progress is heading in the right direction.

“We’ve only got Arthur Masuaku [out], who has started jogging for the first time on Thursday following his knee surgery, so it gives us a thought that Arthur is only possibly a month away from coming back,” the Irons boss said.

“Hopefully, we’re trying to keep as many people fit as we can. This is a really difficult period for us. The fixture list has not been easy for any of the clubs and we’re no different.

“We’ve a really important Premier League game and then an FA Cup tie in midweek as well, so it’s another really big week for us. That said, I’m not thinking about the cup tie tomorrow, that’s for sure, but I know it’s on the horizon because of the week we’ve got.”

Moyes confirming that Masuaku is nearing a return to action will come as a boost for West Ham, after the east London outfit opted against strengthening the left-back position during the mid-season transfer window.

The Hammers were linked with a myriad of potential options to add depth behind Aaron Cresswell and youth prospect Ben Johnson, with FC Barcelona’s Junior Firpo, Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri, Brentford’s Rico Henry, RB Leipzig’s Matthew Bondswell and Manchester United’s Brandon Williams all touted at some stage.

Yet Moyes and the Irons hierarchy ultimately opted against spending out on a short-term fix, which could now prove to be a masterstroke if Masuaku is able to come back into the fold and hit the ground running next month.

The 27-year-old’s efforts earlier in the Premier League campaign still remain at a high level compared to his positional rivals across the division, with Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell (1) and Sheffield United’s Max Lowe (0.8) the only left-backs blocking a higher number of crosses on average (0.7) per game in the top-flight this term, per WhoScored.

Masuaku additionally ranks fourth in the league for passes blocked (1.2) and fifth for accurate crosses (1.1) delivered by a left-back, and is the joint-most successful left-sided full-back for bringing possession out from the back with 2.2 successful dribbles a game, level with Brighton’s Solly March.

Cresswell, who took over honours at left-back following Masuaku’s operation, is also offering 1.1 accurate crosses a game but is misdirecting 1.7 more than his teammate, who only fails to find a West Ham shirt 2.6 times a game compared to 4.3.

Moyes may still persist with Cresswell in the role given the Irons’ form at present, but Masuaku’s return will be a big boost in adding adequate depth in the role in a potential European push.

AND in other news, David Moyes can give a £3.5m-rated outcast a new lease of life at West Ham with one decision…

According to The Daily Mail, Crystal Palace are closely monitoring Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng ahead of a possible move in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Swiss stopper has been with the R’s since 2017 and has spent most of his time on loan, although he has established himself as a first-choice regular starter for the Championship club under Mark Warburton this season.

It’s claimed Arsenal and Leeds United are also keen on landing the 6 ft 3 in colossus, who has saved four clean sheets in 20 appearances across all competitions so far this season, via Transfermarkt.

But Roy Hodgson isn’t exactly short of options in goal after the arrival of back-up keeper Jack Butland in the extended summer transfer window, which is precisely why Steve Parish should avoid signing Dieng at all costs.

Parish heading for disaster

It seems not a week goes by without Palace being linked with a move for a QPR player, as they have previously been credited with an interest in his teammates Bright Osayi-Samuel and Michael Olise.

With the likes of Butland, Vicente Guaita, Wayne Hennessey and even Stephen Henderson on their books alone, splashing the cash on a player Hodgson doesn’t really need is arguably the last thing Parish needs to be doing right now.

The 26-year-old, who has previously been described as an “outstanding” talent by the QPR boss, currently earns around £4,000-per-week at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium. There’s a reason he isn’t earning the big bucks, that’s for sure.

In 20 appearances for Warburton’s side this season, Dieng has kept just four clean sheets and conceded 27 goals in total, via Transfermarkt. It’s hardly the stuff of legend, is it? His current deal with the club is set to expire in 2024, which means it’s unlikely he will come cheap, either.

Dieng has been an integral part of Warburton’s side this season, but he’s shown nothing like the kind of form that would indicate he is ready to fill in for Guaita on a regular basis.

Given their spending spree in the summer, this simply isn’t a risk worth taking. Thankfully, it’s unlikely they will have the resources to sanction such a move in any case.

It’s fair to say that signing Dieng would be a big mistake as Hodgson arguably needs to strengthen in other areas, namely a holding midfielder, and Parish must simply avoid signing him at all costs.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction Crystal Palace swoop for Jason Knight as a James McCarthy alternative…

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with the latest accessory from the club – a Gers-branded kilt.

As is the case with any club, the Ibrox outfit have released a whole host of products recently in an attempt to bring in more revenue to the club. Their partnership with Castore has seen the Liverpool-based company release a number of clothing options. One particular hoodie had a retail price of £170 – that did not go down well with the Rangers fans.

The tartan design on this latest release was decided after over 10,000 MyGers members voted, and was revealed by the club’s official account on Twitter. However, whilst many clearly liked it, there are plenty of others who were not happy – some made it clear they preferred the previous offering.

In a bid to share their discontent, the fans took to the social media platform to show their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the kilt below

In other news, Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted with this man during international duty.

Phil Parkinson is at risk of making a naïve call over the involvement of Sunderland prospect Benji Kimpioka, after stating that the Under 23s talent will have to wait a little longer for his chance in the first-team.

Kimpioka has been in fine form in the Black Cats’ youth set-up this season with a hand in two goals in two Premier League 2 fixtures, having finally resolved his contract situation with a one-year deal following a long-running saga that saw the 20-year-old initially leave Wearside.

The striker had departed the North East whilst his agent held discussions with a number of different sides, but prioritised remaining in England rather than returning to his homeland of Sweden.

His return is yet to see Parkinson favour the young starlet for any of the Black Cats’ League One fixtures, and the Sunderland boss is not planning to change his thinking against Gillingham on Saturday or Ipswich in his side’s next two matches.

“They’ll definitely get opportunities [in the cup games],” Parkinson said, via quotes by the Sunderland Echo, when asked when he will offer the academy players a chance. “We’ve also got senior players who haven’t had a great many opportunities of late, as well.

“The young players have had a reasonable integration in terms of the pre-season and the Trophy games, and there’s another couple coming up after the next two league games.”

Kimpioka’s talents had previously sparked interest from Premier League Arsenal in 2017 when the Gunners sought a £5million double swoop involving the striker and teammate Joel Asoro, though the U21 international has struggled to take his career to another level in the three years since.

Former Sunderland boss Jack Ross responded to Kimpioka’s agent demanding that his client is involved in the first-team last year by suggesting he had not seen enough progress from the 20-year-old to warrant a promotion, despite seeing the striker snub the offer of a new deal.

“It’s straightforward for me,” Ross stated, via quotes by the Chronicle. “The truth is that Benji has been offered a contract – a good contract – and to date he has chosen not to sign it.

“That’s the player’s choice and the player’s representatives’ choice, but let’s not allow anything else to cloud that. I would like Benji to stay at the club, I think he has potential, the club has offered him a good contract, we feel, for a player that to date has some potential but has not achieved anything in his career so far.”

Parkinson now has the perfect opportunity to offer Kimpioka the chance to display his potential on the senior stage, rather than waiting to join his fellow U23s prospects in the cup competitions, with Sunderland forwards Charlie Wykes (three) and Chris Maguire (two) the only men to have struck home more than once in League One this term.

Sunderland are crying out for offensive reinforcements after a mostly barren start to the campaign, and Parkinson must realise that Kimpioka’s aspirations will bring youthful enthusiasm to his frontline that goalless summer signing Danny Graham cannot.

If Parkinson persists with only awarding Kimpioka minutes in the EFL Trophy and EFL Cup, then he risks the Black Cats enjoying the same drawn-out saga next summer as there will be no evidence to justify the forward agreeing to the club activating their one-year option.

AND in other news, a “brilliant” Sunderland ace has left Phil Parkinson with an easy decision amid his injury fears.

Newcastle United have held talks with Championship side Huddersfield Town over a potential exit for Rolando Aarons, ahead of the domestic transfer window deadline on Friday.

The Magpies have been keen to get some of their fringe players off their wage bill before the window closes. Those players include the likes of Aarons, Christian Atsu, Henri Saivet and Achraf Lazaar, whose total wages add up to around £100,000-a-week, as per Chronicle Live.

Huddersfield cash injection could help finance move

Huddersfield have agreed a fee of around £15 million with West Brom for their forward Karlan Grant, and that imminent transfer could free up some funds for them to move for more attacking reinforcements. The Championship club have turned their attentions towards Aarons, as per the Daily Mail.

The 24-year-old winger spent time away from Newcastle on loan with Wycombe Wanderers last season, playing a part in them winning promotion to the Championship. The winger is not in Steve Bruce’s plans and the Magpies are keen to cash in on him ahead of Friday’s deadline, as per the Daily Mail.

Aarons’ current deal – worth around £14,000-a-week (via Spotrac) – runs out at the end of the campaign. The Magpies are hoping that they can get some money for him now, rather than see him leave St James’ Park on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Early promise has not worked out for Aarons

Aarons made an impact for Newcastle during his ten Premier League appearances in the 2015/16 season, with the winger scoring one goal and registering one assist, as well as maintaining an 84% passing accuracy (via Sofascore). However, he never really kicked on from that spell and has been a bit-part player ever since.

Steve Bruce had described Aarons as being ‘terrific’ and having had a ‘big impact’ during his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday. Since taking over at Newcastle though the former Owls boss has not given the winger much of a chance, suggesting the time is right for him to move on.

Geordies, why do you think it has not worked out for Aarons at Newcastle? Let us know your thoughts below!