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Tottenham Hotspur return to Europa League action later this evening as they head to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets in their latest Group J clash.

Jose Mourinho revealed in the build-up to the match that he’s less inclined to rotate his squad after last week’s shocking defeat at Royal Antwerp. He has hinted that they’ll go “full power” and named one definite starter – Gareth Bale.

There are also a number of injury doubts ahead of the tie, so the Special One does have some key decisions to make – none bigger than whether or not Dele Alli will be involved.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting tonight…

Mourinho will be without Sergio Reguilon (illness), Erik Lamela (injury) and Serge Aurier (knock), so it seems likely that both Ben Davies and Matt Doherty will start on either side of the defence.

In fact, the only change at the back is Davinson Sanchez coming in for Toby Alderweireld, who is granted a rest ahead of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures.

He partners Eric Dier in front of skipper Hugo Lloris.

Another player who remains in the starting lineup is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who appears to have become a crucial powerhouse in the middle of the engine room.

And for the first time this season, the Special one could partner Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, who is valued at €70m (£63.5m), in a mouthwatering partnership that many fans have been longing for.

It means Moussa Sissoko is dropped and that Alli will not be starting, though he could be named on the bench.

Out wide, Bale starts as we already know with Lucas Moura coming in for £140k-per-week star Heung-min Son on the other flank. There may be no place for Steven Bergwijn as he was one of the quartet to be withdrawn at the break last week.

Mourinho mentioned going full power, and that’s why Harry Kane starts over Carlos Vinicius – their defeat in Belgium meant that LASK Linz took hold of top spot over the north Londoners.

Young prospects Dennis Cirkin, Jack Clarke and Harvey White should all be named on the bench.

AND in other news, Spurs’ £22.5m-rated “huge talent” risks becoming another Taarabt…

Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands will be regretting his failure to sign Solly March this summer after missing the boat with Brighton & Hove Albion’s rejuvenated ace.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, March could be in line for a surprise call-up to England’s senior squad for their upcoming internationals after impressing Gareth Southgate this term.

The Three Lions are enduring a crisis at left-back with Kieran Trippier and Ainsley Maitland-Niles relied on to play out of position recently, but Southgate could turn to Brighton after being impressed by March’s efforts in the opening weeks of the season.

March has previously featured in a wide midfield role at Under 20s and U21s levels, yet has injected a new spark to his career at full-back after Albion failed to sign a new wide defender in the summer market and left boss Graham Potter seeking alternatives.

Potter was delighted with March’s performance in the role against Manchester United in September, when the 26-year-old struck home an initial equaliser five-minutes into stoppage-time, noting via The Argus: “I thought he was amazing, to be honest.

“His performance was one I think everybody knows or understands is there from Solly. The challenge is to get it out of him more. That’s not necessarily his challenge alone, it’s all of us.

“I thought he was fantastic, that’s why I was so pleased not only with the equalising goal but that it was him scoring.”

TEAMtalk add that March’s form is believed to have sparked Seagulls chiefs to also consider handing their academy graduate a new contract with his current deal set to expire in 2022, marking a vast turn around for the Eastbourne-born talent.

March’s career was said to have been at a crossroads in January having enjoyed the high-points in 2017, when he struck the goal which sealed Albion’s promotion to the Premier League, but now needed to re-establish himself after undergoing groin surgery last year.

He ended the campaign with sporadic roles in Potter’s plans, though, and Brighton were thought to be ready to sell this summer after previous murmurs of interest from Arsenal, RB Leipzig, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the new season has shown March to have found his new calling with seven starts from seven at left-back in the Premier League, and showing Brands what he missed this summer.

Missed the boat

Everton found themselves weakened at left-back this summer by Leighton Baines’ decision to retire aged 35, having opted against signing a new one-year contract after 12-months as a back-up making just four top-flight starts.

The decision left Carlo Ancelotti with Lucas Digne and 20-year-old summer arrival Niels Nkounkou as his only senior options, and could have benefited vastly from March’s experience against Newcastle last time out with Digne suspended.

Nkounkou made his Premier League debut at St. James’ Park but struggled up against Callum Wilson, with the former Olympique de Marseille talent dribbled past on three occasions, lost seven of his 12 ground duels, turned over possession 11 times and delivered one accurate cross from four attempts, per SofaScore, before being replaced in the 69th-minute.

March, meanwhile, has only been dribbled past 0.6 times per top-flight appearance this term, and registers 2.1 tackles, 1.4 key balls, 1.0 accurate crosses, 0.9 interceptions and 0.6 shots while completing 79% of his passes.

With March now in line for a new contract and a potential senior international call-up, Everton’s chance to sign the 26-year-old on the cheap has likely sailed into the past.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti’s injury blow comes as a timely boost for an “important” Marco Silva signing’s Everton career.

Glasgow Rangers are said to be interested in signing Norwich City and Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean.

McLean on Gers radar

The Gers have been linked with a move for the £2.88m-valued 28-year-old (Transfermarkt) by The Sun, who said it would be a shock transfer if the 54-time Scottish champions can get a deal done.

The report also adds that the Gers will look to pay a fee in instalments or look to complete a loan agreement with a guaranteed option to buy.

Good acquisition

While McLean may not be the most glamorous buy, there is no doubting that he would be a solid acquisition for Steven Gerrard. Last season, he played 37 of the Canaries’ 38 Premier League games, and he has managed 15 caps for Scotland too

Over the past couple of months, he has shown he can handle pressure situations. His penalty in the shoot-out against Israel sent the Tartan Army through to the clash against Serbia, and he once again netted from the spot to help the Scots through to their first major tournament in 23 years.

During the summer, Norwich manager Daniel Farke said McLean was “unbelievably important” for the now-Championship side last season.

So far this campaign, his appearances have not been quite as regular – he has only started four of 11 league matches – but he is still a good player with plenty to offer. He could be the boost the Gers need to secure a first piece of major silverware since 2011 this season.

In other news, Rangers fans laud this star’s international display.

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to get their noses in front in the Europa League as they push for three points against Ludogorets. The Bulgarian outfit are currently bottom of Group J on zero points, whilst Spurs are tied with Antwerp and LASK, who have all banked six so far.

The Lilywhites lead their group on goal difference alone, so it’s important that they grab another win this evening in order to keep their momentum.

Jose Mourinho admitted in his latest press conference that he would not be fielding the same lineup as he did against Manchester City. He wasn’t clear with who will be dropped in order to rest ahead of Chelsea at the weekend, but one man who should be one of the first names on the team-sheet is Giovani Lo Celso.

The midfielder has been tussling with Tanguy Ndombele for that No.10 role, with the Frenchman appearing to be Mourinho’s favoured option. But if the last match is anything to go by, new signing Lo Celso should be making the Europa League squad with ease.

Including his international appearances, the 24-year-old has contributed to four goals for both Argentina and Spurs in his last five matches. He added to his tally by coming on as a substitute against Manchester City and doubling his side’s lead in a matter of seconds. According to Sofascore, Lo Celso also contributed two tackles and was successful in 100% of his attempted long balls.

Fielding the £31.5million-valued Argentinian will be beneficial for both him and teammate Ndombele who will likely start against Chelsea on Sunday. But rewarding Lo Celso’s contributions with a start against Ludogorets will also boost his confidence and put him in contention to start more often.

In other news, Ryan Sessegnon on-loan form could spell trouble for Ben Davies…

Now that Leeds United have returned to the Premier League, the rumour mill surrounding their potential January business is working overtime. The Championship title winners have recently been linked to a move for Liverpool’s fringe striker Divock Origi by Football Insider pundit Kevin Phillips, after he has slipped drastically down the pecking order since the arrival of Diogo Jota.

Whilst Leeds already boast one of the most clinical strikers in the league, they are severely lacking creativity in other parts of the team. If they moved to sign Origi, he would not only pair up nicely with Patrick Bamford, but he would bring experience in abundance to pass on to the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Tyler Roberts.

Why Leeds should sign Origi from Liverpool

Marcelo Bielsa is stubborn when it comes to his starting lineups and seldom strays from his 4-1-4-1 formation. However, bringing in a talent like Origi would warrant a change in his tactics.

The striker has 29 caps for Belgium and has spent five years with Liverpool. In that time he has won the Premier League, Club World Cup, Super Cup and played a huge part in their sixth Champions League title in 2018.

This is experience that no money can buy and it will be invaluable to a side like Leeds who were out of the Premier League for 16 years before their recent promotion. Origi has made a total of 145 appearances for the Reds and has scored 35 goals (via Transfermarkt). He has come up against the toughest opponents and has been a part of Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity tactics, which could inject a new sense of creativity into Bielsa’s team.

His knowledge and experience would also help out the younger forwards who are vying for time in the senior Leeds squad. Plus, being valued at £14million, he wouldn’t cost Andrea Radrizzani too much to sign.

Liverpool will likely be looking to let the Belgian leave and would be happy to take anything in excess of the £10million they paid to sign him from Lille in 2015. Although Jurgen Klopp is a fan of the “outstanding” 25-year-old, he simply cannot find room for him in the squad.

In other news, Bielsa could bag three points following West Ham injury blow…

Speaking exclusively to the Transfer Tavern, Spurs pundit Gary Mabbutt has urged manager Jose Mourinho to call upon Dele Alli and name him in the squad more often despite his lack of chances recently – with the barely-seen ‘beast’ having apparently wowed in training. 

Alli, who has been on the fringes of Spurs’ plans this season, playing just 75 minutes of Premier League action with Mourinho giving him the odd chance to shine, looks likely to be let go either on a temporary basis or permanent deal in January as things stand (The Athletic).

Mabbutt urges Alli call

The Englishman was most recently given a shot in Tottenham’s 3-1 win away to Stoke in the Carabao Cup, with Alli attracting the wrath of Mourinho after his involvement for the Potters’ equalising goal.

Mabbutt, speaking to the Transfer Tavern, has claimed that Spurs can still get the best out of him as a game-changer whilst imploring the Spurs boss to pick him in the matchday squad more regularly.

“I’ve seen him in training a lot. I’ve always been impressed with Dele,” explained the Lilywhites legend.

“I can talk about what I see, what I know from my experiences. Dele Alli is a player and yes, he should be one of the nine substitutes because he has that ability to turn a game for you.”

Transfer Tavern take

Amidst the player’s faltering relationship with Mourinho, whether or not we will see Tottenham get the best out of Alli remains to be seen, but Mabbutt at least thinks the English midfielder should be in contention for selection on the bench ahead of a busy fixture calendar.

In other news: Tottenham could land this monster as a Skriniar alternative, find out more here.

It seems that if you want to invest in a football club in the north-east, it will take a while to wrap up.Only last summer we saw Newcastle embroiled in takeover frustrations when they witnessed a deal with the Saudi Prince Investment fund fall flat on its face.Of course, there isn’t quite as much money involved at Sunderland, but because of the size of the club, a deal with willing investors is taking a long time to conclude.Last month, it was reported that Stewart Donald had agreed to sell Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus but William Storey insists that he’s in the running too.In fact, the Rich Energy CEO has been incredibly outspoken about his ploy to buy Sunderland, so much so that he’s already outlined what he wants to do if he walks through the door at the Stadium of Light.One such plan is investing in Premier League talent, utilising the loan market to bring in a handful of U23 players on low wages.But how would this be possible? Well, Storey revealed to The Chronicle that he has a rather large phone book.“What I can say is that I am extremely confident, in fact certain, that we would have an immediate injection of some real quality players and I’m very lucky to have some superb relationships in the Premier League, which is an asset that can be used for the benefit of Sunderland Football Club.”The Mackems have tried a number of strategies since being relegated from the top-flight and they haven’t particularly come off. Therefore, could the help of Storey be beneficial? Certainly, in terms of the mass contacts he has, it would be.The businessman has already taken on the might of Red Bull in Formula 1, engaging in a war of words and it’s clear he’s not afraid to upset the apple cart and put his name out there.Crucially, however, is his cut-throat nature. It’s hard to argue that Donald has been particularly aggressive in the north-east and coming from a non-league background at Eastleigh, he clearly wouldn’t have had too many eye-catching contacts.That’s different with Storey, someone who insists he knows people in high places. If he does know plenty in the Premier League then achieving promotion back to where they want to be surely becomes easier.If he secures a deal with Sunderland, Storey simply has to use this strategy. It could well ensure promotion.AND in other news, Sunderland must SWOOP for dynamo with 13 G/A this term, he plays like Foden…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has reacted to West Brom closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window.

According to the Telegraph’s John Percy, the Baggies are poised to land veteran winger Robert Snodgrass for a minimal fee as he’s in the final six months of his current contract at West Ham.

It’s claimed that the 33-year-old, who was on loan to Albion’s rivals Aston Villa during the 2017/18 season, will have a medical in the next 48 hours before sealing a permanent move to The Hawthorns.

Sam Allardyce is also targeting a move for Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, whilst outcast duo Charlie Austin and Kamil Grosicki have been told they can leave the club this window.

Bournemouth forward Joshua King is another name linked with a switch to West Brom this month.

Speaking to FFC, Windass lauded Big Sam’s move for the Scotsman…

He said:

“Snodgrass, people like that on the bench at West Ham, you can see those sorts of players under Big Sam. That sort of type.

“[He will bring] just a little bit of quality. I think he’s coming towards the end of his career, but I know Snoddy really well. In a sense, he’s got that quality, but I know him as a lad as well.

“He will want to play. He won’t want to sit on the bench for West Ham.”

Snodgrass has played just two minutes in the Premier League this season as he has fallen heavily out-of-favour under David Moyes.

He would arrive in the Midlands with something that Allardyce’s squad lacks in abundance – top-flight experience.

For the likes of Norwich, Hull City and of course, the Hammers, Snodgrass has racked up 163 appearances in the Premier League, where he has contributed 26 goals and 25 assists, per Transfermarkt.

It remains to be seen what the exact figure the Baggies will have to pay, but it is thought that the midfielder is on around £40k-per-week in east London so a similar wage would put him among Albion’s highest earners.

AND in other news, West Brom could find their next Odemwingie in £9.9m-rated “complete package”…

With over 200 games for Celtic, Tom Rogic has played a key role in the club’s domestic success over these past few seasons.

But this campaign has seen the Australia international really struggle to match anywhere near the kind of form that he’s shown previously – he’s managed just one solitary goal in 18 appearances and hasn’t even completed the full 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership.

It is a far cry from his 2016/2017 season when he bagged 12 goals and provided six assists in all competitions, and his lack of form should have Neil Lennon act immediately.

Against Hibernian last time out in the Scottish Premiership, he was hugely disappointing. Having been restored to the starting line-up following a raft of enforced changes, Rogic let his big opportunity slip through his hands.

Playing in that all important number ten role, the Australian just couldn’t provide the Hoops with any sort of creativity or cutting edge. He provided no key passes whatsoever, a stat made worse by the fact that both of Celtic’s full-backs on the day, Diego Laxalt and Jeremie Frimpong, managed one each.

Rogic also had just the one shot on target, something that holding midfielder Ismaila Soro matched. It was no surprise that in the 67th minute, and the scores still locked level at 0-0, he was taken off for a Celtic youngster in Ewan Henderson.

Glasgow Live gave him a match rating of 5, saying that whilst he had “some nice touches here and there”, he was “sloppy on the ball for the most part”.

And former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan admitted that Rogic just hasn’t been near his usual self this season, saying: “Rogic has struggled this season, he really has. He used to be the player you could rely on to produce a moment of magic, to do something special.

“But we haven’t seen much of that recently, even though the whole team has been terrible. You look at him and he’s a shadow of his former self, like quite a few of them. He’s not fit to wear that famous jersey, and he’s not the only one.”

When it comes to choosing the team for Saturday afternoon’s clash against Livingston, Lennon shouldn’t be putting Rogic into the starting line-up. The midfielder’s time as a bona-fide star is well and truly up.

Meanwhile, Celtic face a transfer battle for this young striker…

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Crystal Palace target Jordan Amavi seems set for a return to the Premier League.

What’s the word?

It seems Palace are in the market for a new left-back to compete with Tyrick Mitchell after it was revealed that talks between the club and Patrick van Aanholt have stalled, meaning the experienced veteran is likely to leave Selhurst Park in the summer.

Amavi has also reportedly rejected fresh offers of a new contract which has paved the way for potential suitors to eye up a cut-price deal in the January transfer window or wait until the summer when his contract will run out.

Palace are believed to be considering a move for the French defender as they look to provide competition for Mitchell.

Ideal cover and competition

The Frenchman has spent nearly four years at the Ligue 1 outfit having left Aston Villa after initially joining on loan for the entirety of the 2017/18 season.

Amavi is into the final six months of his current deal but could already be on his way out and Palace could be the perfect destination.

The Eagles are struggling to string together a positive run of results in the Premier League at the moment. In their last three games in all competitions alone, they have conceded five goals, including a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Barring a 2-0 victory over Premier League strugglers Sheffield United, Palace haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet in the top flight since the 1-0 win at home to Southampton at the start of the season, which has become a bit of a concern for Hodgson.

The potential loss of Van Aanholt would leave Hodgson desperately short of options on the left-hand side of the defence. Therefore, Steve Parish needs to prioritise a new fullback this window, and he may not have to look much further than Amavi, whose form has caught the attention of a number of clubs.

In Amavi, Palace may find the perfect replacement for Van Aanholt at Selhurst Park, given the fact he has contributed to the same amount of goals as the Dutchman in Ligue 1 this season.

His attacking contributions are similar to Van Aanholt’s but he makes more tackles (1.2) per match which shows that he possesses a fine positional sense and awareness.

While the £9m-rated ace hasn’t featured prominently in France this season, he is still prepared to put the hard graft in to deny opponents as he currently averages 2.9 interceptions per match, which is more than the 30-year-old (1.2).

Once dubbed a “terrific young player” by former Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood, there’s no doubting the fact that Amavi would make a fine addition to the Palace squad.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can’t afford to lose Tyrick Mitchell to Arsenal…