It has been eight months since Virgil van Dijk started a game for Southampton, and there is still no indication as to when the defender will return to the first XI.

The Dutchman was a big talking point in Mauricio Pellegrino’s pre-match press conference on Thursday.

Van Dijk tried to instigate a move away from St Mary’s in the summer by submitting a transfer request amid reported interest from Liverpool and Chelsea.

However, the Saints held firm and refused to sanction a sale before eventually welcoming the defender back into the first team.

An ankle injury has kept Van Dijk on the sidelines for a lengthy spell, but he made his first appearance since January by coming off the bench in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.

The former Celtic player has been in the matchday squad for the past two Premier League games, but Pellegrino has not confirmed when the centre-back will start, but he is expected to be included against Stoke City on Saturday.

The fans have had their say on the matter, while others are just pleased to see Van Dijk enjoying himself in training.

Speaking to the official Rangers website, Pedro Caixinha has provided an update to the status of Bruno Alves ahead of the Light Blue’s trip to McDiarmid Park on Friday night.

What’s the story?

The Rangers boss had previously stated that the ‘short week’ for players such as Bruno Alves and Ross McCrorie meant that he would need to assess both defenders on their return to Auchenhowie.

However, there’s positive news, with Caixinha expecting that Alves at least will be in training today and available for selection on Friday night against St Johnstone.

As quoted by the official Rangers website, the Portuguese said:

I think Bruno will arrive back in Scotland today and will be training with the group tomorrow. He will be able to be with us on Friday. With his situation, it was all about following the process – he did everything and has totally recovered from the injury on the calf.

That’s fantastic news for the team and for Rangers supporters who must have been worried there would be something of a makeshift defence against the Perth Saints tomorrow night. The Light Blues need their best players available for what will be a competitive match-up.

Pressure is on

With inconsistency again making life difficult for Pedro Caixinha at Rangers, he really needs a stellar October from his team with huge matches ahead, most notably in the League Cup semi-final against Motherwell.

St Johnstone too is an important fixture. Both sides are currently on equal points, with Rangers only in third due to goal difference. A win on Friday night will put distance between themselves and Tommy Wright’s side.

The Light Blues defence will need to be at the top of their game with Saints scoring in all but one of their Scottish Premiership matches so far, including at Celtic Park where they got a draw off of the Scottish Champions.

Alves’ return couldn’t be more timely and they’ll need every bit of his experience to guide them through a pressurised Friday night fixture.

It has been a tough three months for Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, but he is now edging closer to a first-team return.

The England Under-21 international suffered a blow on the eve of the Championship season when he came down with kidney problems.

Due to the injury, the 22-year-old has been unable to play, but he could soon be in contention to make his first league appearance of the campaign.

On Monday evening, Grealish played 60 minutes of the Under-23s’ 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in Telford.

The midfielder came off the pitch unscathed, but it is unclear when manager Steve Bruce will welcome the young player back into the senior fold.

Last season, Grealish made 31 appearances in the second tier, 20 of which were starts, and in that time he scored five goals and created two assists.

After making his comeback, the midfielder took to Twitter to express his delight.

The fans, as expected, were just as happy to see the player back on the pitch.

West Ham’s turbulent start to the season continued last night as Brighton staged a 3-0 romping at the London Stadium.

A hard-fought point on the road appeared to be the most the newly-promoted Seagulls could hope for pre-kickoff – in fact, their previous four away outings in the Premier League produced just one draw and three defeats.

[ad_pod id=’leo-vegas’]

But Chris Hughton’s side capitalised on the Irons’ lack of organisation almost instantly, veteran striker Glenn Murray putting them ahead after just ten minutes.

The visitors then added to their lead just after half-time through summer signing Jose Izquierdo, and further extended it late on as Murray converted from the penalty spot following a Pablo Zabaleta foul.

The result leaves West Ham in 17th place and should Leicester City win this weekend, they’ll drop into the relegation zone.

This isn’t what fans imagined when the club brought in the likes of Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic in the summer and it appears most have now given up on manager Slaven Bilic – with the majority inevitably blaming him for last night’s result.

Here’s a look at how Irons fans have responded to the 3-0 loss on Twitter…

It’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for Arsenal. Having suffered a 3-1 defeat to Premier League pace-setters Manchester City before the international break, the Gunners are now gearing up to face bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur – the north London derby representing one of the most important fixtures on their calendar.

Spurs boast a higher standing in the Premier League table and better form, winning five of their last six, heading into Saturday’s early kickoff. So in order to ensure victory over the Lilywhites, Arsene Wenger must find the right answers to these four crucial questions…

Are Arsenal playing into Tottenham’s hands?

Wenger has never been one for showing a lack of ambition at home, but considering how Tottenham have set up for the big games this season – not to mention the fact they’ve claimed 12 points from a possible 15 on the road – Arsenal’s usual game-plan of retaining possession in hope of slowly breaking down the opposition would surely play straight into their hands.

The Lilywhites took less than 40% possession against Real Madrid, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund yet still came away with a combined ten goals from all three games (and three wins) and Harry Kane has proved particularly deadly on the break throughout 2017/18. In contrast, Manchester United allowed Tottenham more of the ball at Old Trafford a few weeks ago and eventually snatched a huge 1-0 win.

With that in mind, a more measured approach appears to be in order for Saturday, but how best to put the handbreak on remains for Wenger to decide.

Should Arsenal opt for quality or energy up front?

It’s no coincidence that the only point the Gunners have claimed against top six rivals this season came in the absence of their two biggest talents on paper – Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil – who both missed the away draw at Stamford Bridge earlier.

Instead, Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi performed an exceptional job of harrying Chelsea’s back three, refusing to let them build from defence, and that pressure off the ball eventually told in the form of a valuable away point for Wenger’s side.

With Welbeck seemingly fit after a lengthy injury layoff, the resulting question is what Wenger desires most from his forwards this weekend against a Tottenham side that set up similarly to the Blues – the quality of Sanchez and Ozil, or the sheer industriousness of Welbeck and Iwobi.

Perhaps there’s a balance to be found between the four, alongside Alexandre Lacazette who looks set to lead the line, but Wenger’s picks will emphasise what he’s expecting from the rest of the team.

What can Arsenal do to protect the flanks?

Marauding full-backs have always been a defining feature of Mauricio Pochettino’s philosophy, to the extent that the likes of Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose now line up as wing-backs, and the statistics highlight how influential those players are on Tottenham’s results. 60% of Tottenham’s Premier League assists have come from the wing-backs this season, while they average the most crosses per match of any Premier League side and 73% of their attacking play has come down the flanks.

Of course, Spurs’ most dangerous players usually occupy more central areas – namely Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen – but if Arsenal can limit the supply out wide, that will inevitably affect the trio’s chances of impacting the match. That could require a slight change in formation to more of a 5-4-1, where the wide forwards line up ten yards deeper to provide added cover in wide areas.

The other, more daring option is ensuring Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac give Tottenham’s wide men too much to think about at the other end, keeping them pinned back by continuously pushing forward. That’s a very dangerous game, though.

What can be learned from Tottenham’s other away visits to the top six?

For all of the praise Mauricio Pochettino has received since taking the Tottenham hot seat, there’s still one notable weakness the Argentine is yet to truly address – results on the road against the rest of the top six.

The Lilywhites have already been humbled at Old Trafford this season and last term saw them pick up just two points away from home against United, Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Arsenal. The pattern is too substantial to be considered a coincidence and there must be something for the Gunners to learn from Tottenham’s last six away encounters with those sides which can be used in Saturday’s game.

It could be something as simple as targeting a key player or overloading a certain department to disrupt the rhythm of their game.

Aston Villa bounced back from their 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday before the international break to beat Queens Park Rangers by the same scoreline at Loftus Road on Saturday, but Villa fans weren’t impressed with defender Chris Samba’s performance.With John Terry absent after breaking his metatarsal in the loss to the Owls, the former Congo international partnered James Chester at the heart of the defence against QPR, who took the lead through Jamie Mackie in the 18th minute.While Steve Bruce’s men ran out winners to move up to fifth position in the Championship standings, the 6ft 4in centre-back struggled to win headers in the air against Rangers striker Matt Smith at time.Aston Villa supporters were quick to have their say on Samba’s showing via social media, and while one described him as a “liability”, another said he was “probably our only low point”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…[ad_pod ]

Alexis Sanchez just hasn’t delivered in recent weeks. One assist in his last three appearances is an incredibly quiet return by the Chilean’s usual standards and while it’s not unheard of for a key player to suffer a dip in form as the fixtures start to come thick and fast, the 119-cap international’s contract situation inevitably creates doubts over his commitment.

We all know Sanchez is yet to sign a new deal, so with the January transfer window now just around the corner, the assumption is that the forward’s struggling to maintain his performance levels amid the hope of a mid-season departure.

While Sanchez is unquestionably one of Arsenal’s most important players, the Gunners can’t afford any passengers during such a demanding period of the season if they intend on finishing in the top four come the end of May.

So, Arsenal fans, is it time to sacrifice Sanchez’s quality for a player who might put more effort in, or should Arsene Wenger stick with the struggling attacker when Newcastle visit the Emirates Stadium this weekend? Let us know by voting below…

[ad_pod ]

Another mouth-watering weekend of Scottish Premiership is upon us and the stand-out fixture is undoubtedly Celtic’s trip to Hibernian on Sunday.

It’s the Hoops’ first match at Easter Road for close to four years and after a toe-to-toe battle at Celtic Park in the last league encounter, all eyes are on whether Neil Lennon’s side can be the team to finally end Celtic’s incredible domestic unbeaten run.

That unbeaten streak is now 67 matches long and as it grows longer and longer, the more of a target it becomes for their opposition. Being the team to end it would be a fantastic boost to every team in the Scottish Premiership, and a scalp every manager would like to claim – especially the former Bhoys boss.

Brendan Rodgers’ side might find that Sunday’s match will be one of the toughest of the entire run so far. Here are THREE reasons why Hibs could even end it…

Hibs’ form since the last meeting is just as good as Celtic’s

Hibs’ return to the Scottish Premiership was always going to be difficult, it’s never easy making that step up and being the promoted side. However, their resources are still greater than most of the clubs in the division so there was an expectation they could challenge for a top six place. Neil Lennon is so far delivering on those ambitions, making his side very difficult to beat and in recent months stringing together an impressive series of results.

Since the last meeting between the two sides, in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, Hibs have actually kept pace with the form of the unbeaten Scottish Champions, proof they’ll fancy themselves as equals when the Hoops come calling on Sunday.

Neil Lennon’s side have won five of the seven matches since, losing one and drawing the other. It’s an exceptional record, especially when you consider four of the matches were away from home and they had an Edinburgh derby to contend with.

Celtic haven’t lost a game but have drawn twice in their six league matches since the semi-final. While still towering above the rest of the top-flight, things could get tricky when going against one of the other form sides in the league.

They were 10 minutes away from ending the run at Celtic Park

Celtic have definitely found life in the Scottish Premiership a little tougher this season compared to the heights of last term. That’s only natural and it’s actually remarkable that through some less than stellar performances they’ve managed to dig out goals that preserve the unbeaten record.

Hibs really ran the champions close in their last league meeting at Celtic Park when a John McGinn-inspired performance put them 2-1 up heading into the final stages of the match.

Celtic found their way back to parity thanks to a Callum McGregor equaliser but the match is a reminder that Neil Lennon knows how to go up against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

The Hoops came out 4-2 winners in the League Cup semi-final but that wasn’t completely out of sight for Hibs  until the final few minutes of the game – some would argue they had the better of the second half that day.

Can they go one step beyond and pull of an upset on Sunday?

They have the second best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership

While Celtic’s defensive record is beyond anything mustered by the rest of the competition in the Scottish Premiership, Hibs are the best of the rest in that regard, conceding just 17 goals so far this term which is less than the likes of Rangers and Aberdeen.

They’ve also kept four clean sheets in their last seven matches, Neil Lennon always setting up his team to be hard to score against first and foremost.

When Celtic hit their stride, no team can contain them in domestic football, but in a battle against a confident team it could be a struggle to break down the organised Hibernian defence.

It’s all set to be an intriguing battle and by the end of play on Sunday, whatever the result, it no doubt be a keenly contested affair.

Chelsea’s midfield was always going to be an area in need of attention this summer, that much was clear. Last season, the Blues looked really poor, and it was evident that the departure of Nemanja Matic has a sizeable impact. The Serbian was a real physical presence in the middle of the park, and his offensive contributions – he got 7 assists during his last season at Chelsea – were seriously underrated by the Chelsea brass. According to the Sun, Chelsea are looking at Russian midfielder Aleksandr Golovin – and given that he played much of last season in a central midfield role, you’d expect that to be the position he would play at Stamford Bridge.

Naturally, N’Golo Kante is in desperate need of a new midfield partner, as a lack of a solid teammate in the ilk of Matic cost Chelsea last season. Cesc Fabregas was selected more often than not, and he had a poor campaign, whilst Tiemoue Bakayoko was also not good.

However, is Golovin the solution Chelsea need? Maybe not. Instead, perhaps Chelsea should look at Lazio ace Sergej Milkinovic-Savic.

Granted, Golovin is a fantastically creative player, but as seen at the World Cup with Russia, he’s far more effective as an attacking midfielder. He’s brilliantly mobile, and in truth, he’d be a better partner for someone like Eden Hazard. He doesn’t have the physical presence to be a unit in the midfield, especially given how different the Russian top flight is to the Premier League. It would be a mistake to use him in that way in England.

Milkinovic-Savic, meanwhile, is much more in the ilk of someone like Nemanja Matic, even if they do share a lot of differences. At first glance, they’re much more similar in the way they are built. They’re both physically gifted, and their presence in the middle of the park is hugely significant.

Despite his presence, though, there is no doubting that he is more effective than Matic going forward. He’s brilliant with the ball at his feet, and he’s as comfortable playing as a number 10 as he is as a number 6. Providing brilliant running and technical ability, he’s an excellent option to have.

In comparison to Golovin, it’s clear that he’s more effective, too. He bagged more than double the goals that Golovin did last season – with 12 in comparison to his 5 – and that’s a testament to his effectiveness going forward. Furthermore, Serie A is obviously more competitive than the Russian league, and so that’s a particularly good record in comparison.

At just 23-years-old, he’s still improving, just like Golovin, but it seems evident that he’s in a far better spot than the Russian at the moment. In terms of raw talent, Chelsea would struggle to do better. In their hunt to find someone to partner N’Golo Kante next season, Sergej Milkinovic-Savic would be the perfect choice.

Chelsea fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now

Rangers have confirmed the signing of Umar Sadiq on a season long loan from Roma.

The 21-year-old joined the Italian club in 2016 but has spent most of his time on loan since signing and in his six appearances for the senior side, he has scored two goals.

Last season, he enjoyed spells at Torino and Dutch side NAC Breda, scoring five goals in 15 appearances.

The rangy striker who is nicknamed ‘The Flute’ because of his slender frame, is expected to sign a season-long loan deal for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, and the new boss has been busy in his first transfer window as manager.

The Liverpool legend has so far added Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, Jamie Murphy, Allan McGreggor, Scott Arfield, Ovie Ejaria and Lassana Coulibaly to his squad this summer.

Gerrard has until midnight on Wednesday to announce his Europa League squad for their clash with Shkupi on Thursday to qualify for the Group Stage.

Rangers fans have been reacting to the arrival of their new striker in Scotland and here’s what they’ve had to say.

[ad_pod ]