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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Having gone through a recent revival, the last thing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have wanted to do for the game against Bournemouth on Saturday, is make wholesale changes. The Manchester United manager has overseen a draw against Liverpool, and three successive away wins in different competitions in just over a week.

But unfortunately for the Red Devils, the sense of goodwill and excitement that has been built by those results may be slightly tempered by the injury update the United boss provided in his pre-match press conference. The Norwegian admitted there are fitness concerns over a number of players ahead of the clash at Bournemouth, including doubts over the likes of Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

“They had treatment yesterday, today (they played in) a light session, hopefully they’re ready. I can’t tell you exactly.”

And with the squad already struggling with more longer-term absentees in the shape of Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly, Solskjaer may well decide to play it extremely cautious with his potential line-up at the weekend. So with that in mind, here is a look at the eleven the Red Devils could be forced to play in their Premier League clash.

So with injury worries over United’s first-choice centre-back pairing, Solskjaer would no desperately be hoping that at least one of Maguire and Lindelof can be passed fit for the game – particularly with Bournemouth likely to play the pacy Callum Wilson up front.

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But if indeed the Norwegian plays it safe, then there could be a rare chance for Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones to hold down the fort together, and a return to more orthodox back-four to alleviate the lack of fit central defenders.

At full-back, despite Brandon Williams’ impressive showing against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in mid-week (he won five total duels and made two interceptions), Ashley Young could be restored to the line-up to add some experience.

In midfield, Scott McTominay and Fred will be hoping to build on their fledgling partnership – the latter in particular has now started and completed the previous three games in the Premier League.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

Further forward, is where things could get shaken up even further, with Rashford potentially ruled out. The England international has returned to his best form in recent games, netting against Liverpool, Norwich and Chelsea. But with the 22-year-old perhaps side-lined, Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira could be the major beneficiaries, as they join Daniel James in playing behind number nine Anthony Martial.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, ex-Leicester defender Steve Walsh has suggested Ben Chilwell would be “silly” to leave the Foxes.

What did he say?

The England international has come through the Leicester academy, and made his senior debut for the club in October 2015 when he featured against Hull City in the League Cup.

Since then, the 22-year-old has established himself as the side’s first-choice left-back, playing in 36 of the 38 Premier League games last season.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

His impressive performances have seen him be linked with a move away, but Walsh has tipped the defender to remain at the club.

He said: “I think he’d be silly to move. Money talks, though, we’ve seen it with Harry Maguire. I think Ben Chilwell is happy here with his football amid rumours obviously of teams coming in.”

Building for the future

Could Chilwell make the move to one of the Premier League’s traditional big six? Most probably. His defensive numbers this season make for very impressive reading, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game from left-back. The big question however, is whether he feels confident in Leicester’s ability to break the existing monopoly at the top of the table.

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In fact, he needs to look no further than Harry Maguire and Manchester United’s struggles this campaign to know the grass isn’t always greener. At Leicester, Chilwell is an automatic starter, and the club appear to be heading in the right direction under the management of Brendan Rodgers. Fast, attacking football and getting winning results on the board too.

It may be worthwhile for the 22-year-old to simply stay on board the Foxes train and see where it takes him.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to The Daily Mirror, former Manchester United man Clayton Blackmore has urged the Red Devils to re-sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

What did he say?

After letting both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez go in the summer transfer window, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side look desperately short of attacking options. Their miseries in front of goal have seen them score just nine times in their opening eight Premier League games.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Now, Blackmore has insisted Ibrahimovic is the only man who could “save” United’s season from completely falling apart.

He said: “We’re lacking a target man and the only thing that is going to save us this season is Ibrahimovic. He has thrown his name in the hat and he’s probably the best target man you can have. He’s 6ft 5in, he’s a black belt and he fancies his chances against ­anybody.

“He’s still scoring goals, too. We have got rid of so many good ­strikers – (Wayne) Rooney went, (Robin) van Persie went, loads of them. These players have gone but they haven’t been replaced. Bringing Ibrahimovic in is a no-brainer. He doesn’t run, but he doesn’t need to because he is that good.

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“There are not many players who can jog around the pitch and ­control the game, but, when he was here before, we won trophies with him, when he was fit. We should try and get him in January or whenever we can ­because he can lead the line.”

Return of the King

What a major lift that would be. Not just in terms of the impact Ibrahimovic could bring to the United team on the pitch, but the positive energy it would inspire in the Old Trafford faithful. The Red Devils’ fan-base have had very little to shout about this season, but a swoop for their former star would undeniably go down a treat.

The Swede racked up an impressive 29 goals and 10 assists from his 53 appearances at the club, and as Blackmore says, would provide Solskjaer’s side with a focal point. He may not be a spring chicken at 38, but the 6 foot 5 beast would reinvigorate the United squad.

This article forms part of our The Ones That Got Away feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern take a look back at players linked with moves in the past, and see how they would have made an impact had they signed for the interested side.

Every club can allegedly miss out on a player that may, perhaps, have been able to turn around their fortunes sooner rather than later, and Leeds United are certainly a team that can fall into that particular category.

Although the Whites have been working hard to try and get out of the Championship and came so close to doing so under Marcelo Bielsa last season, the fact is that they have been out of England’s top-tier for what will be 16 years by the time the current campaign reaches its conclusion.

That, quite frankly, has not been good enough for those at Elland Road and it does not come as a surprise for a club as big as the Yorkshire outfit – who reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2001.

Indeed, perhaps, a return to the Premier League could have happened sooner, if Leeds had managed to agree to a deal for a player with a rather good record in the Championship…

The one that got away – Anthony Knockaert and Leeds United

Anthony Knockaert was very close to joining Leeds United at one point in the early stages of his career.

According to a report by La Voix du Nord in September 2008, the French attacker almost joined the Whites, however it was alleged the then-League One outfit could not agree to compensation costs with Lens and Lesquin.

The teenager impressed on his trial with the Yorkshire outfit as he revealed: “I did two workouts a day plus bodybuilding. They asked me to play against Leicester. I played, I scored and I made assists.” His father later chipped in with: “The opposing coach was crazy about him” after witnessing him in action against Sheffield United.

It was a move that Knockaert, who would have been turning 17-years-old at the time, appeared to be keen on completing as he suggested everything was better at the English outfit – with facilities seemingly getting a rather big mention.

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However, he did later make the move to a Championship outfit, with Leicester City, perhaps, not seemingly forgetting about what he did to them in the trial match they had. He moved from Guingamp in 2012 for a fee thought to have been worth around £2.5m and excelled.

During his time with the Foxes, Knockaert managed to score 13 goals in his 84 appearances, with the majority of them coming from the right-hand side of the pitch (Transfermarkt).

He later moved onto Brighton and Hove Albion after a spell in Belgium with Standard Liege and continued to find the back of the net on a fairly regular basis from a wide position. He managed to provide the Seagulls with 20 goals and 16 assists in 64 appearances as he got them into the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa was rumoured to have looked to bring the 27-year-old to Elland Road in January, although Andy Naylor of The Argus had stated there was no truth in the speculation.

Fulham have since snapped up Knockaert on a season-long loan deal, with a view to a permanent acquisition, and he has continued to show glimpses of the quality he has at Championship level, having recorded two goals in his eight appearances so far, averaging 2.4 shots per match, two key passes and 1.8 successful dribbles (WhoScored).

Perhaps, the Frenchman is one individual that Leeds simply missed out on when they had the chance to sign him.

Leeds fans, do you think the club made a mistake when missing out on Knockaert? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!

[ad_pod ]Something interesting happened on Twitter on Tuesday. Danny Mills’ name was trending for hours on end.What had he done? Had he made his first step into management? Had he been arrested? Had he come out of retirement? No, unfortunately what he did was much less remarkable than all of those things.Mills had named his combined XI for this weekend’s north London derby, and of course, this angered one side of the fanbase.

As you can see, Mills’ team is heavily built around Tottenham players, and that has incurred the wrath of many Arsenal fans.

Spurs’ back five is simply better than Arsenal’s. They conceded fewer goals last term, and individually their players are more talented. Indeed, this may be a different story once Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin are fit, but for now, it’s hard to argue against Mills’ picks.

The midfield is a similar story. Dani Ceballos makes it in after his impressive start to life in the Premier League, but he is joined by Christian Eriksen and Harry Winks.

This is a pick that some Gunners supporters weren’t happy with. They believed that Lucas Torreira deserves that midfield place, but it’s certainly a close call.

Up top, the former England international has chosen Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Nicolas Pepe.

Now this was a controversial point for many supporters. Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang’s omission caused quite a stirÂafter he won the Golden Boot last term.

Mills’ starting XI was always going to be contentious, but when he picked his team for Sky Sports, he probably didn’t imagine it would get this type of backlash to the point where he was trending on Twitter.

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“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

If people thought Eric Cantona’s famous way with words had waned over time, then he firmly shattered that myth with his unbelievable speech at the Champions League draw on Thursday.

The iconic Frenchman went full-on Cantona-mode when taking to the stage to collect his UEFA President’s Award, and left the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looking as though they’d just seen a ghost.

The Manchester United legend began by quoting from William Shakespeare’s King Lear, then moved onto how science would make mankind immortal (at least that’s what it sounded like), before ending off in typical nonchalant fashion by declaring he simply loved football.

It was quite the speech from the man whose beard would give Russell Crowe’s a run for its money, and it understandably led to many United fans flooding to Twitter to share their thoughts about their former star.

Most Red Devils supporters simply hoped Cantona would “never change” and appeared to revel in the 53-year-old’s maverick ways.

Some United fans who clearly weren’t on the same wavelength as the Frenchman just revealed their disbelief with a series of amusing gifs and deadpan comments.

Check out some of the stunned reaction of United fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Everton are reportedly poised to make a bid for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, according to Sky Sports, which could force Premier League rivals Arsenal into action.

What’s the word then?

Zaha wants to leave Palace and test himself at a new club and Everton and Arsenal are the two sides to have shown interest.

The Gunners made a bid of £40m which was rejected by the south Londoners, and now the Toffees are expected to make a bid in the region of £60m plus a player for the ex-Manchester United man.

His preference is to remain in London and sign for Arsenal, but he is willing to move back to the North-West despite an unsuccessful spell under David Moyes in Manchester during the 2013-14 campaign.

Crystal Palace are understood to value their asset at £80m.

Everton bid forces Arsenal’s hands

Everton’s bid suggests there’s competition for Arsenal that they didn’t have before, and while the extra demand should make it harder for the Gunners to secure their man, there’s another perspective to this which is far more positive.

It’s surprising enough as it is that thus far no other club has come to tempt Palace to selling their star man until the Everton interest. Arsenal may have been resting on their laurels, and now have no choice but to make a quick decision on how they want to persist with the Zaha transfer.

They seem reluctant to match Palace’s valuation of £80m with the reported limited budget they have, though Kaveh Solhekol at Sky Sports News believes this is a “smokescreen”.

Check out 4 things Unai Emery got wrong in his first season at Arsenal in the video below…

This will now start to truly unveil the nature of the Gunners’ financial mite as they’re to be forced into a decision: do you have the money or not? If the answer is ultimately “no”, then other targets can be approached. Likewise, the answer may be “yes”, but the follow-up question regards whether the majority of the budget should be spent on one winger when “three or four” players need to be recruited this summer, according to Unai Emery himself.

Clarity is yet to be reached here, no one quite knows what Arsenal’s transfer strategy is and how they’ll respond to Everton’s move for Zaha. However, they’ll now be forced to decide whether the winger really is the ‘number one’ target they’re seeking, or whether spreading the fees over deals for Kieran Tierney, Everton Soares and other linked players might be a better use of the cash.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is attracting the interest of Aston Villa, according to Sky Sports.

What’s the word?

Villa appear as though they really want to add a goalkeeper to their ranks this summer, despite the heroics of Jed Steer towards the back end of last season.

The stopper was crucial in the penalty shootout against West Brom in the play-offs but that hasn’t stopped them from being interested in a variety of goalkeepers.

They previously had a bid knocked back for Neil Etheridge whilst they’ve also cast their eyes upon Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.

However, the latest ‘keeper they’ve been linked with is 29 year-old McCarthy.

Sky Sports suggest that Southampton are willing to let him go this summer and Villa are being touted as a possible destination.

McCarthy wouldn’t fit Villa

Under Dean Smith, the Villans have become an attractive passing team to watch.

In the Championship last term they were the sixth-best team as far as possession is concerned, averaging 53.4% a game, whilst they finished the season as the third-best passing side, completing 79.8% of their passes as a team.

When Smith arrived, Christian Purslow noted just how devoted Smith was to this style of play, saying: “He [Smith] has dedicated his career to a very recognisable, attractive playing style and he’s committed to that playing style through thick and thin.”

However, if the Villa boss lands McCarthy, that playing style would be hindered hugely, especially considering they like to play from the back.

In the Premier League in 2018/19, the Southampton man ended the term with a truly horrific pass completion rate of 45%, which would likely put their ability to play out from the defence under threat.

It’s clear McCarthy isn’t great with the ball at his feet and as a result, their ability to pass the ball around in tight situations near to their own goal could be restricted.

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If you compare the 29-year-old to Steer, he ended the term with a success rate of 51.6% when it came to his passing. That, of course, is still not very impressive, perhaps why the club is searching for another option – but it shouldn’t be McCarthy.

His Premier League experience and the fact he’s been capped at international level make it a potentially attractive signing, but not when he could actually hinder the way Villa play.

Bearing that in mind, their current goalkeeper would be a far better option if Smith has desires of continuing his passing philosophy in the Premier League.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

After arriving from Brazilian side Ituano this summer in a rather low-key deal, Gabriel Martinelli produced an impressive performance on his first-team debut for Arsenal against Colorado Rapids.

The 18-year-old had largely been tipped to feature for the north London’s side academy teams over the course of the upcoming campaign, but his display against the MLS outfit certainly raised a few admiring eyebrows.

On the chalkboard

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Unai Emery’s side are on the hunt for a new winger, who can bring pace, trickery and movement. It has perhaps been no surprise then to see the likes of Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Gremio’s Everton Soares being linked with a move to the Emirates.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

But Martinelli’s performance against the Rapids, and his campaign as a whole at Ituano last year, could have already given them the solution. In a comfortable 3-0 victory to open up the Gunners’ pre-season, Martinelli was a real live-wire, hustling and harrying the opposition and being a relentless bundle of energy.

The Brazilian was sometimes erratic with his touch and his passing, particularly with little pressure around him. But the teenager’s willingness to get on the ball and drive at the opposition defence caused constant problems, and his movement without it was arguably the biggest highlight of his display.

Operating from the right-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, Martinelli made piercing runs in between the opposition full-back and centre-back and was a real nuisance for the Colorado back-line. Indeed, his goal symbolised everything that the winger had tried during the match.

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Having seen left-back Dominic Thompson run into space on the left-flank, Martinelli’s searing pace saw him edge well ahead of his defender and arrive at the near post with great timing. Despite the ball coming at an uncomfortable height, the Brazilian’s improvised finish with his chest and shoulder slammed into the back of the net and was just reward for a fine debut.

Both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi combined for a total of just 12 goals in 90 total appearances last season; Martinelli’s incisive movement and eye for goal could surely see him better that on his own if given the chance to impress and bring some much-needed spark to Arsenal’s attack.

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It’s been quite the rise for Daniel James. The Welsh wizard was lighting up the Championship last season, and his form and performances saw him deservedly being linked with a move to the top-flight.

And the 21-year-old has now made the big step up to Manchester United with confirmation of his move from Swansea announced on Wednesday.

Taking to

/BynN2Jenp2h/” data-lasso->Instagram to share his delight, James posted a snap of him in his new United kit and wrote about his pride to be joining the “biggest football club in the world”.

Understandably, many of his former teammates at Swansea passed on their congratulations to the winger and wished him well for his future.

As well as those from his former colleagues at the Liberty Stadium, both Diogo Dalot and the official United Instagram account also welcomed him to Old Trafford.

In 38 appearances across all competitions last season, James struck the back of the net five times as well as providing a further ten assists.

The lightning-quick forward became United’s first signing of the summer at a reported £15m, and will be expected to be joined by several other new faces as the Red Devils plan their rebuild for next season.