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Crystal Palace were unable to stop the steam train that is Manchester United on Wednesday, as the Eagles fell to a 3-1 defeat at Selhurst Park. Romelu Lukaku scored a brace and Palace’s centre-back pairing, James Tomkins and Martin Kelly, could hardly contend with the big hitman.

Mamadou Sakho was absent through injury and the Eagles backline looked considerably less organised without the Frenchman, who is a guaranteed starter when fit.

Last time out, Roy Hodgson’s side made light work of Leicester, with Wilfried Zaha scoring a brace although, against United, it was Palace’ full-backs who were centre-stage. Patrick van Aanholt had a fairly poor game, while Joel Ward got on the end of Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross to head the ball in and thus put his side back in the game.

Schlupp’s assist, though, wasn’t enough to spare him from scathing remarks made by the Selhurst Park faithful after the game, who criticised the former Leicester man for his poor defensive positioning in the build up to Ashley Young’s decisive strike late on.

The 26-year-old has impressed playing in central midfield in recent weeks but was moved back to his previous position under Hodgson – left-back – once van Aanholt was replaced by Cheikhou Kouyate. Within minutes, Young had found space on the left flank and fired beyond Vicente Guaita.

It’s safe to say that some Palace fans were less than pleased, as they reacted on Twitter…

The Ghanaian more or less pocketed Paul Pogba and the cross for Ward was an excellent, as was the burst into the box prior to it; it was perhaps unfortunate that the substitution came when it did, but Schlupp had been covering van Aanholt at left-back for much of the game until then so perhaps criticising him for his defending is also a tad unfair.

The number 15 did a lot more going forward than that assist, though, as he completed three key passes – a figure only bettered by Palace captain Luka Milivojevic on the night. Key man Zaha, meanwhile, completed just one.

Taking 63 touches, too, the 26-year-old was willing to get on the ball wherever possible and make things happen for his team – he might not do things as smoothly and cleverly as Max Meyer, who came on in the second half, but the fact remains that he is still making improvements in his new role week on week.

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

Some of the criticism he received was surely unjustified considering the all-round performance he put in.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to an injury update, as Fabinho is expected to play centre back against Bayern Munich with Dejan Lovren still out injured.

Lovren did not train with the first team ahead of Tuesday night’s clash against Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Monday.

The Croatian international has been suffering from a hamstring problem that he sustained during the FA Cup defeat to Wolves, and is not expected to take any part on Tuesday night.

With Virgil van Dijk suspended and Joe Gomez still out injured, that leaves Joel Matip as Jurgen Klopp’s only centre back choice, and Fabinho is now expected to fill in alongside the Cameroonian.

According to The Times, the versatile Brazilian international will get the nod in the heart of defence ahead of Jordan Henderson, who was also considered for the makeshift role.

Lots of fans have been giving their verdict on the news, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith could be tempted to stick with the same starting XI that beat arch-rivals Birmingham City 1-0 in the second city derby at St Andrew’s on Sunday, but one player is really pushing for a start.

On the chalkboard

Following a two-game absence through suspension, key midfielder John McGinn was only named among the substitutes against the Blues with Smith choosing to stick with the trio of Glenn Whelan, Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish in the centre after the 4-0 win against Derby County previously.

The scoreline was 0-0 when McGinn entered the fray as a 62nd minute substitute against Garry Monk’s men, and he made a clear difference in the final third as the visitors eventually ran out 1-0 victors to boost their play-off hopes.

Their trip to Nottingham Forest – whom they are two points adrift of in the Championship standings – on Wednesday night will be another key test of their promotion credentials and they need their best players on the pitch.

McGinn to start?

In a word, yes.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation following his summer arrival at Villa Park, and while the Midlands outfit impressed without the Scot when they thrashed the Rams, he is the sort of player you want in your ranks – on the road especially.

He has that grit, determination and willingness to put his foot in that will be needed against Martin O’Neill’s hosts in midweek, and the only thing Smith needs to decide is who drops out of the XI to accommodate him.

Grealish looks to be a certain starter given the magnitude of the game, and the easy option would probably be to leave the ageing Whelan on the sidelines.

However, the 35-year-old’s experience could be key against Forest, and therefore it is Hourihane who should drop out.

The former Barnsley man may have got on the score-sheet twice against Derby, but he was far more subdued at the weekend even if he was unlucky to hit the woodwork with a fine effort from just outside the penalty area.

أكد هوجو بروس، المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب الكاميرون، أنه رفض منذ أسبوع، تولي تدريب الزمالك، مُعتبرًا أنها مُخاطرة كبيرة في ذلك التوقيت.

وتولى البرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو، القيادة الفنية للزمالك، خلفًا للفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون.

أقرأ ايضًا.. حوار | موسيماني: الخطيب وضع شرطًا أساسيًا كي أدرب الأهلي.. وأستطيع النجاح مثل جوارديولا

أضاف هوجو بروس، خلال لقاءه عبر برنامج “نمبر وان” المُذاع على قناة “النهار”: “الزمالك تواصل معي الأسبوع الماضي، ولكن رفضت العرض”.

تابع: “لا أريد أن تكون هناك مخاطرة كبيرة في 3 أسابيع، مطلوب مني في هذه المدة أن أصل لنهائي إفريقيا وأنهي الدوري في المركز الثاني، وأنا لا أعرف اللاعبين وإمكانات الفريق، والفارق بين الزمالك وبيراميدز في الدوري قليل، وهناك مخاطرة”.

وواصل: “لو لم أحقق هدف الوصول لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا مع الزمالك كان ذلك سيكون شيء غير جيد، ففي فترة 3 أسابيع لن تكون كافية لكي أحقق الهدفين الوصول لنهائي إفريقيا وتحقيق المركز الثاني، فرضت عرض الزمالك حتى لا أخاطر باسمي في افريقيا”.

استكمل: “لم يكن هناك تواصل معي من قبل الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بعد رحيل هيكتوبر كوبر”.

أوضح: “عرضت سيرتي الذاتية من خلال وكيل أعمالي على اتحاد الكرة لتولي مهمة المنتخب المصري ولكن لم يتواصل معي أحد”.

أردف: “لا يجوز أن أتفق مع الزمالك على شيء ولا يحدث، وأمر لن يكون جيد في مشواري التدريبي”.

وعن حدوث مفاوضات معه من قبل الأهلي أو بيراميدز، قال: “لم يكن هناك اي تواصل مع من الأهلي أو بيراميدز”.

اختتم: “أطمح لوجودي في مصر، كنت على بعد خطوات أن أكون مديرا فنيا للزمالك، ولكن نظرا لضيق الوقت لم أحضر”.

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Raul Jimenez has been a revelation for Wolves this season and his goal against Chelsea on Sunday only reaffirmed to supporters of Nuno Santo’s team just how much of an instant hit he has become.

Jimenez is currently on loan at the club, having joined from Benfica in the summer, but Wolves could make the deal permanent in an apparent €41m deal, according to AS.

If the deal went through it would make him the most expensive Benfica sale in history, eclipsing what Manchester City paid for goalkeeper Ederson, and Wolves’ new club-record signing.

Wolves fans are keen for their club to make the deal permanent whatever the fee and although the reported price would be a large sum to pay, his contribution to the team this season has been vital in the West Midlands side’s instant adjustment to Premier League life.

The Mexican’s goal at the weekend was his 12th this term and saw him overtake Steven Fletcher’s previous Premier League goals record for Wolves of 11 in a season.

It isn’t just his goals that have Wolves fans craving a permanent transfer for Jimenez. His overall contribution to the team has also been outstanding, claiming six Premier League assists to date too.

His performances so far in a Wolves shirt have made supporters think he’d be a bargain and an absolute must transfer. Here’s what they’ve had to say.

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Brendan Rodgers has hinted that two of his injured stars could be available for next week’s return tie against Valencia.

Injuries have hampered Celtic all season with all of their first choice defenders recently sidelined.

Kieran Tierney hasn’t played since December 13th but has now had more than a week involved in full training and a return to competitive action could be imminent – although Rodgers stopped short of directly naming the players who could be available for selection next week.

Speaking after the first leg defeat against Valencia, the BBC reported Rodgers as saying:

You have to have that belief [for the second leg]. We’ve got good players, we might have one or two back as well next week. We need to defend and concentrate well, especially in key moments of the game. If we can get the first goal, it could set us up for a really good second leg.

Olivier Ntcham hasn’t played this year but like Tierney seems to be getting close to a comeback.

Filip Benkovic, Tony Ralston and Tom Rogic won’t be back in action until March, while there is no word on when Leigh Griffiths will return after taking time out due to personal issues.

Changes are anticipated for this weekend’s clash against Kilmarnock, with Kris Ajer a likely candidate to come into the side for Jozo Simunovic. Timothy Weah is also strongly pushing for a starting place in Celtic’s ninth match since returning from their winter break in Dubai.

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Alan Hutton will see his contract with Aston Villa expire this summer.

And there are question marks over whether he will turn out for the club again when considering that he could miss the rest of the campaign through injury.

Indeed, Hutton picked up a knee issue in the early stages of Saturday’s clash with Stoke City.

According to Villa boss Dean Smith, the injury is not as bad as first feared, but he will miss ‘a number of weeks’, which could mean anything really.

Smith hopes to have the Scot back before the end of the campaign, but that is far from certain at this stage.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

The 34-year-old has played 33 times for Villa this season and 201 times in total since arriving at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011.

The Villa fans have been on social media discussing whether the defender is deserving of a testimonial.

And it would be fair to say that many have differing views on the situation.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

بدأت الشرطة التحقيق في الاشتباكات التي نشبت بين لاعبي الزمالك والمصري، فور انتهاء مباراة الفريقين اليوم ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وفاز الزمالك على المصري بهدف وحيد أحرزه محمود علاء، في المباراة التي احتضنها استاد برج العرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة 31 من الدوري.

وأفاد مراسل “بطولات” من ملعب برج العرب، أن الشرطة بدأت التحقيق في الاشتباكات التي وقعت بين فريقي الزمالك والمصري.

طالع أيضًا.. اشتباك بالأيدي بين بن شرقي وأحمد مسعود في نهاية مباراة الزمالك والمصري

وتوجه عدد كبير من الداخلية لغرف خلع ملابس الفريقين للتحقيق فيما حدث؛ خاصة بعد أن ذكر أحد أفراد الشرطة تعدي محمد أبو جبل حارس الزمالك عليه.

طالع أيضًا.. أبو جبل يعتذر للداخلية بعد تعديه على أفراد الشرطة في مباراة الزمالك والمصري

وطالبت قوات الداخلية من لاعبي الزمالك بالانتظار في غرف خلع الملابس، ورفض مغادرتهم لحين مغادرة فريق المصري البورسعيدي بالكامل من الاستاد، لمنع حدوث اشتباكات. شاهد خناقة لاعبي الزمالك والمصري

Many Spurs fans may already be wondering about what kind of players Daniel Levy will bring to the club’s new stadium this summer, with a new era possibly bringing about a lot of success. 

However, one player whose future is currently under the spotlight is Christian Eriksen as his contract is set to run out in the summer of 2020, and his agent reportedly told ESPN (via HITC) that he is not interested in entering contract negotiations or discussing a move elsewhere until the summer. And, Sky Sports claim that the Dane is currently earning just £70,000 a week at Spurs, so his future isn’t looking bright in North London.

So, Daniel Levy should already be weighing up potential replacements for the attacking midfielder, with Ajax’s Donny van de Beek being of interest. Indeed, Spurs have reportedly (as per Calciomercato) added the Dutchman to their summer shortlist, with his recent performances in the Champions League justifying their interest.

Indeed, Spurs fans will be well aware of Real Madrid’s exit from the Champions League but they may not be so familiar with the way in which they were dumped out of the competitions. Van Beek played a crucial part in the second leg at the Bernabeu as he found the back of the net and constantly linked play in the final third.

Surprisingly, the attacking midfielder was once dubbed as ‘the next Christian Eriksen’ (as per Calciomercato, via Sky Sports), and it’s safe to say that he’s already showing that he can reach a similar level to the Dane. Also, he has the creative spark and the finishing ability to thrive alongside Spurs’ current stars, with 12 goals and nine assists thus far.

So, with Spurs reportedly set to play their first game at their new stadium next month, it’s safe to say that Van Beek could definitely get Spurs’ new fortress rocking next season as he has all the attributes to succeed in the Premier League and the ability to create a moment of magic out of absolutely nothing.

Tottenham Hotspur fans, do you think Van Beek could replace Eriksen? 

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Alan Hutton will see his contract with Aston Villa expire this summer.

And there are question marks over whether he will turn out for the club again when considering that he could miss the rest of the campaign through injury.

Indeed, Hutton picked up a knee issue in the early stages of Saturday’s clash with Stoke City.

According to Villa boss Dean Smith, the injury is not as bad as first feared, but he will miss ‘a number of weeks’, which could mean anything really.

Smith hopes to have the Scot back before the end of the campaign, but that is far from certain at this stage.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

The 34-year-old has played 33 times for Villa this season and 201 times in total since arriving at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011.

The Villa fans have been on social media discussing whether the defender is deserving of a testimonial.

And it would be fair to say that many have differing views on the situation.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: