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Loads of Everton fans have been left gushing as some early team news has emerged ahead of their game at home to Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match at Goodison Park in the Premier League, Rafa Benitez has now revealed that Jordan Pickford is ‘okay’ and ‘has been training’, meaning that he could well return in between the posts against the Canaries.

It has come as a big relief for the Merseyside club to have their number-one goalkeeper back, especially after the disappointment that Asmir Begovic had in the Carabao Cup loss to Queens Park Rangers, in which he failed to save any of the seven penalties that he faced in the shootout (Sky Sports).

Everton fans on Pickford news

These Toffees supporters gushed as the early team news involving Pickford was shared by the club on their official Twitter page, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that it is ‘huge’:

“SEND THEM IN GET THE RAVE ON”

Credit: @Conor_LaneSmith

“Thank the lord we don’t have to see Begovic again”

Credit: @efcdoyley

“Pickford being back is huge”

Credit: @JDGEFC

“Relieved about Digne, and great to hear Pickford is back, gives us a bit more confidence going into this winnable game”

Credit: @daveblueallover

“No Begovic yessss”

Credit: @ShaunJackson015

“No Casper the ghost yes now”

Credit: @bobmarl03974950

In other news, find out what stadium news has Evertonians fuming here!

Sam Hutchinson and Liam Palmer were involved in an angry tiff in Sheffield Wednesday’s defeat at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, according to journalist Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Owls suffer worrying defeat

The Owls suffered a humbling afternoon in the southwest at the weekend, losing 3-0 in a game that many would have expected them to win.

Wednesday never got going at any point and some of the early-season optimism is threatening to evaporate, which will no doubt worry Darren Moore.

The Latest: Howson makes key claim

Writing for Yorkshire Live on Sunday, Howson claimed that Hutchinson “gave a rollicking” to Palmer after he had lost possession, leading to the 32-year-old getting a yellow card for a late tackle as a result of the turnover.

The journalist added that “frustration was etched all over” Hutchinson’s face following the incident as his frustration boiled over on a bitterly disappointing afternoon.

The Verdict: Big response needed

It has been an sobering couple of matches either side of the international break for Wednesday – Morecambe beat them 1-0 late last month – and a reaction is now needed.

The Owls looked like strong promotion contenders in the early weeks of the campaign and it’s now time for them to prove that this is just a minor blip. Victory at home to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday afternoon is now essential – if they drop points there, concern will really start to grow.

Hutchinson and Palmer’s tiff could be viewed as alarming, with the players visibly losing their cool and turning on one another, but it does at least show that they care, and now is the time for Wednesday’s team spirit to shine through in a positive manner.

In other news, Sheff Wed have reportedly opened contract talks with one player. Find out who it is here.

If you look down the squad list of a club in the English top-flight, it’s more than likely that you’d find a player who plied their trade at Parkhead and donned the famous Celtic shirt.

A plethora of the Bhoys’ top talents have walked out on the club in search of better pay and a higher standard of football.

You only need to look at the recent transfer window, where Celtic lost Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie to south of the border. They even lost one of their finest academy players to England in Leo Hjelde.

Virgil van Dijk is the most famous example from years gone by, while Kieran Tierney, Stuart Armstrong and Fraser Forster have all forged good careers elsewhere. However, one player who didn’t set the world alight in Glasgow has also been incredibly successful in England.

That happens to be Teemu Pukki. The Finnish striker didn’t impress hugely during his time at Celtic, scoring just nine times in 38 appearances.

That tally might not be in the same measly ballpark as Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala, but you can see why Ronny Deila decided to let him go in 2015.

However, on reflection, both the manager and fans alike will be happy to admit that it was a mistake to let him depart.

Deila himself revealed his regrets in 2019 over selling Pukki, saying: “He played my first matches at Celtic, but it seemed like the club was a little too big for him at the time. It may have been a mistake [letting him go out on loan to Brondby], as seen in retrospect.”

That came amid Pukki’s rather incredible form for Norwich. After leaving the Hoops behind for just £608,000, he is now valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

The Finn has been sensational after swapping Brondby for the Canaries and has racked up a grand haul of 68 goals in 129 outings at Carrow Road. His best season was undoubtedly in the 2018/19 campaign, when he was named the Championship’s Player of the Season after scoring 29 goals in 43 league games.

Commenting during a rich vein of form for the 31-year-old, Norwich manager Daniel Farke remarked: “I think he was unplayable during the whole game [vs Birmingham]. They had problems controlling his movement and he created a lot.”

Celtic would go on to bring Moussa Dembele and then Edouard to the club but it was evidently a mistake to sell a clinical attacker like Pukki as cheaply as they did.

AND in other news, “Being monitored”: Journo makes Celtic transfer claim, their next Ajer may arrive soon…

Journalist Anthony Haggerty insists that Joe Hart’s experience is a huge boost for Celtic.

The club paid just over £1m to bring the goalkeeper into the club from Tottenham Hotspur, bolstering the squad of Ange Postecoglou as they look to battle Rangers for the Scottish Premiership title.

Hart somewhat struggled for minutes at Spurs last season and made a total of 10 appearances.

However, he has already played six times for Celtic, and Haggerty believes that his know-how will have a major effect on the development of the young players at the club.

Hart, of course, has played for the likes of Manchester City, West Ham United, Spurs, and England throughout a storied career in which he has won two Premier League titles, and has also won 75 caps for England. Hart has played at three major tournaments for the Three Lions, going to Euro 2012, the 2014 World Cup, and Euro 2016.

Haggerty said: “Just see the fact that he’s walked into that dressing room and see the experience he brings, it’s colossal.

“And see if your Joe Hart and you’re talking to younger players, you’re looking in awe at Joe Hart.

“It’s a guy that played under Mancini, Guardiola, some top, top football managerial operators. Joe Hart speaks, you listen.”

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Jules Kounde, according to reports…

What’s the word?

French outlet L’Equipe (via GFFN) claim Spurs are still in the running to sign the Sevilla centre-back but Premier League rivals Chelsea are “very firmly in the driving seat.”

The north Londoners were first linked to the Frenchman before the arrival of Cristian Romero from Atalanta, though it’s always been believed that they wanted to sign two new central defenders this transfer window.

Back in July, Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claimed Spurs had reached an agreement with the La Liga outfit for the 22-year-old but further reports from Spain suggested that the player had rejected such advances.

Paratici masterclass

If sporting director Fabio Paratici can add the France international to Nuno Santo’s squad, then it has to be considered quite the coup, particularly as he could pair Romero for years to come.

The 2020/21 Serie A ‘Defender of the Year’ and Kounde would be one scary unit at the back.

After an impressive domestic campaign, the young defender made Didier Deschamps’ Euro 2020 squad over some big names, including Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti.

Kounde ended the season as Sevilla’s highest-rated player (7.01), as per WhoScored figures. He also averaged a squad-high three aerial duels won, displaying his dominating physical attributes despite only being 5 foot 10, on top of 1.2 interceptions and a remarkable 90.1% passing accuracy, proving he can play the ball out from the back to good effect.

Valued at £54m by Transfermarkt, the two-cap beast wouldn’t come cheap but Spurs would be getting every bit of value in whatever price they’d be expected to pay.

At just 22, he’s nowhere near his peak and he has been touted for a big future in the game.

“He’s still so young, he’s got energy, great positioning too. All the centre-backs, not just in Spain I think, but if you look around Europe, he’s got to be one of the highest prospects,” claimed La Liga expert Euan McTear to The Transfer Tavern.

“To be playing for France, who have countless centre-backs, if he’s able to get himself into that group, then, yeah, he’s pretty special.”

Just imagine Kounde and Romero at the back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the next few seasons, it’s a mouth-watering prospect and one that could strike fear into many a Premier League attack.

Paratici must look to seal Nuno another centre-back and there cannot be many options out there like the Sevilla man. If he pulls it off, then it would be another masterclass from the new Spurs supremo.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Alasdair Gold drops huge Spurs transfer claim, fans will be buzzing…

Liverpool shared the spoils with Spanish visitors Athletic Bilbao in their pre-season friendly on Sunday afternoon. 

Diogo Jota’s first-half opener was cancelled out by Alex Berenguer in the 53rd minute at Anfield as the game finished in a 1-1 draw.

Harvey Elliott started for Jurgen Klopp’s side on the day and caused Bilbao problems throughout the contest, duly delighting many Kopites in the process. Hiss performance caught the eye, with the winger being labelled as ‘impressive’ by Sky Sports as he struck the woodwork with a curling effort against the La Liga side.

Elliott spent last season on loan with Championship side Blackburn Rovers and chipped in with seven goals and 11 assists for the Lancashire club, demonstrating that he is cut out for senior football at the tender age of 18.

Footage emerged online of Elliott’s performance against Bilbao, with a number of Liverpool fans flocking to give their verdicts on his “composed” showing at Anfield. Take a look at the best of the reaction in reply to CF_Comps9’s footage on Twitter….

“I mean this in the best way but does he remind anyone else of Raheem Sterling?”

Credit: @hornbecksteve1

“Far more composed on the ball. Doesn’t give it away. Direct, high energy. Loves taking in players. What an option to have.”

Credit: @1staz_Br0him

“Looks like a comp on YouTube of the best of some players but this is just from a game for Elliott. This kid will be big!”

Credit: @gerald_ynwa

“Trent, Harvey and Mo could cause absolute carnage down our right hand side given the chance this season.”

Credit: @JDSFITNESS_87

“He’s genuinely like a new signing for us. Klopp will do wonders to the kid.”

Credit: @Lucas_Duston7

“He’s a baller and one for the future. Hope we manage him properly and not overkill him like Pedri.”

Credit: @vintagedeepak

“Better than Messi.”

Credit: @onlyfarouk12

“What a talent.”

Credit: @galaxyomeogo

“He’s actually class.”

Credit: @lukehamerr

In other news, many LFC fans swoon over this news about one of Elliott’s team-mates.

Rangers head into their second fixture of the new Premiership season looking to make it two wins out of two, but manager Steven Gerrard will be without several key players for their trip to Tannadice.

Both Ianis Hagi and Joe Aribo missed the Gers’ midweek defeat to Swedish outfit Malmo in the first leg of their Champions League third-round qualifier through injury, and the pair are expected to remain on the treatment table in today’s early kick-off.

Alfredo Morelos is set to join them on the sidelines as he searches for match fitness following his return from Colombia, while key midfielder Ryan Jack is still a few weeks away from a return to action.

“We will be without Ianis Hagi. Roofe is available to return to the group. Kamara will return to the squad. Morelos is available but he will need a couple of sessions on his return. Ryan Jack will be another couple of weeks all being well,” Gerrard revealed in yesterday’s press conference.

The positive news surrounding Kemar Roofe and Glen Kamara, who also missed Tuesday night’s defeat through European bans rather than fitness concerns, will be a big positive for Gerrard, though.

With that in mind, we take a look at how the Gers could line up against Dundee United this afternoon, with three changes from the midweek defeat in Sweden…

Gerrard looks set to rotate his goalkeepers between domestic and European games, so Jon McLaughlin should come back into the starting XI for this one.

The back four is likely to remain unchanged from Rangers’ midweek exploits, although there’s expected to be some alterations in the middle of the park.

Kamara will almost certainly return from the off against the Tangerines, leading to Steven Davis taking a place on the bench, with the ageing £18k-per-week maestro unlikely to be able to play two games in such quick succession.

Summer signing John Lundstram and experienced campaigner Scott Arfield should complete the Rangers engine room.

In attack, Ryan Kent is likely to be accompanied by former Aberdeen winger Scott Wright after the 23-year-old made a fast start to life at Ibrox with a goal against Livingston, and the returning Roofe could get the nod over Cedric Itten and Fashion Sakala up front.

In other news… “Rangers would like to bring him in” – Exclusive: Michael Ball drops big Gers transfer claim

Some Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing as it was confirmed that Jordan Jones has left the club.

As per the official website of the Ibrox faithful, the winger has joined Wigan Athletic on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

Jones was sent out on loan to Sunderland in the 2020/21 season, and so was clearly not part of Steven Gerrard’s plans.

It has not quite worked out for the Englishman with the Gers, scoring just one goal and making two assists in 19 games in total over all competitions across the last two campaigns (Transfermarkt).

Thus, it was a wise idea for them to let Jones go permanently, and they can use the money recouped from his sale to reinvest back into the squad.

Rangers fans on Jones exit

These RFC supporters buzzed as the news of Jones’ exit was confirmed by the club on their Twitter page, with one claiming that it was ‘good news’:

“Yesss wasted his chance”

Credit: @scottrm93

“Thank Christ for that”

Credit: @dippiecookie

“ANNOUNCE MORE GOOD NEWS”

Credit: @croft1972

“THANK GOD”

Credit: @Hagis_Left_boot

“Excellent work by Ross Wilson.”

Credit: @glasgowsportsfa

“Excellent news”

Credit: @AzzurroWolf

In other news, find out which Gers signing one pundit has been left impressed by here!

The puzzling case of Ryan Christie’s Celtic career has just grown even more stranger.

The Scot is one of the most enigmatic players in the Hoops squad and if anything proved that, it was his display on Tuesday night.

Christie grabbed the bull by the horns and on a night where they were missing James Forrest, he truly delivered in a wide position as they drew 1-1 with Midtjylland.

His form last season was nothing short of disastrous as he scored just seven goals compared to the 20 he racked up in 2019/20.

He took immense criticism from supporters and heading into this summer, it looked as though his time at Parkhead was done and dusted.

The attacking midfielder’s contract expires in January, fielding interest from both Crystal Palace and Sampdoria.

However, on this evidence, he’s still a valuable player for new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.

Liel Abada scored their goal on debut, but after he was forced to be withdrawn in the first half following Nir Bitton’s red card, Christie was the real bright spark.

The 26-year-old was playing out of position again but still performed excellently on the left-hand flank.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-news-doig-nketiah-mccann” title= “Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

Christie was vibrant and a constant thorn in the Midtjylland defence. He completed four key passes which was more than anyone else on the pitch.

He also recorded a game-high four dribbles and was successful with 100% of his long duels.

The forward did hit the post from one of Abada’s tantalising deliveries but everything else he did was close to perfection as he stole the show at Paradise.

Alex McLeish described him as the “complete package” earlier this summer and on this evidence, it was easy to see why.

Christie wasn’t just capable in offensive areas but he did the dirty work well too. He won a whopping 11 defensive duels throughout the contest, the most of any player on the pitch.

It’s been a rare occurrence over the last 12 months where we can stand up and really applaud him but this was a display that deserved praise.

He might just be playing for a move but that won’t bother Celtic. The longer he produces performances like this, the better chance the Bhoys have of being in the Champions League group stages this term.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their new Christie by signing 44-goal gem with the “style of Robben”…

Lionel Messi's English skills are "very, very good", according to Inter Miami team-mate Julian Gressel.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Messi clearly learning English
• Inter Miami team-mate impressed
• MLS season now underway

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gressel has revealed that Messi has begun speaking to his team-mates in English, instead of his native Spanish, and has been impressed with his command of a new language. He revealed that the Argentina captain made sure to pass on tactical advice to Gressel, in English, during their 4-3 friendly defeat to Al-Hilal.

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• WHAT GRESSEL SAID

  Speaking on the Player/Manager podcast, he said: “I think it was the first game against Al Hilal and he [Messi] came over to me and said something in English. That was the first time he spoke to me in English.

  “'Now, we change. You stay and Jordi runs. Jordi goes more in behind.’ I was like okay, sounds good.”

  Gressel added: “He goes, ‘English, pretty good no?’ I was like ‘Yes, very, very good, I understood everything’.”

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 2024/25 MLS season is now underway and Inter Miami have taken four points from their opening two games. Messi and Co beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 and were held to a 1-1 draw by LA Galaxy.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Inter Miami are next in action on Saturday against Orlando City. They will then face Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next week.