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Nottingham Forest will make the trip to the King Power Stadium on Monday night to conclude the first week of Premier League football since the international break, and a win would put Steve Cooper’s team in a great position.

Leicester City are the only team in the league table below Forest, and taking all three points from the clash would see the newly-promoted side climb out of the relegation zone into safety, so the game will be hugely important.

In terms of injuries, Moussa Niakhate and Omar Richards remain ruled out of the fixture, however, Orel Mangala is on the road to recovery and could be featured following a thigh injury.

However, the latest injury concerns come from Morgan Gibbs-White and Scott McKenna, with Cooper taking to his pre-match press conference to give an update.

Cooper told the media: “Scott is a doubt, to be honest. He had to withdraw early from the Scotland camp,

“With regards to Monday, we are still unsure whether he will be available for that.”

“Morgan obviously missed out on the England Under-21s. But we are integrating him back into training over the last day or two. We are not completely conclusive on that yet, but we are hoping so.”

With all considered, this is how Football FanCast expects Nottingham Forest to line up against Leicester tonight…

We expect to see four changes to the team that lost to Fulham last month, with Cooper freshening up his starting team.

In the back three, we predict that club captain Joe Worrall will reprise his role in the defence due to the expected absence of McKenna, alongside Willy Boly and Steve Cook who hold onto their places in the backline.

The second change we expect to see is Harry Toffolo in the left wing-back role over Renan Lodi, as he takes his place alongside former Huddersfield Town teammate Lewis O’Brien in midfield with Ryan Yates.

O’Brien will replace 30-year-old Remo Freuler in the centre of the pitch after proving just how important he is to the team when he scored the second goal after coming off the bench against Fulham.

The fourth and final change we expect to see is Jesse Lingard replacing Gibbs-White in the advanced role alongside Taiwo Awoniyi and Brennan Johnson.

The former Manchester United attacker who was hailed “top-class” by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has scored five goals and delivered three assists in his ten appearances against Leicester over his career so far, so it makes perfect sense for Lingard to start against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

West Bromwich Albion have reportedly identified a potential successor to Steve Bruce already in ex-Middlesborough boss Chris Wilder, with the Midlands outfit seemingly interested in moving for the 55-year-old.

What’s the latest?

According to The Northern Echo, Wilder has emerged as an early favourite to replace Bruce in the Hawthorns hot seat.

Having had his contract at the Riverside terminated just last week, he remains a free agent with vast experience across the Championship and Premier League.

Football League World further supplemented those earlier claims, revealing that Wilder is indeed being considered by the Albion hierarchy.

The Baggies will hope to have someone in charge for this Saturday’s fixture at Reading, and due to his availability and aforementioned experience, it might make perfect sense.

The perfect Bruce heir?

Whilst there may be concern about appointing a coach who was only recently dismissed from this previous job, where he had his club sitting in a similarly poor position around West Brom, Wilder does have the pedigree to turn things around at the Hawthorns.

Most renowned for his performance at Sheffield United, where he led them from League One to a top-half Premier League finish, he will likely be remembered by Blades fans as a hero.

His performances were so impressive that he earned a huge fan in Jurgen Klopp. The German took every opportunity to praise Wilder when the two faced off, and following Liverpool’s narrow win over them in January 2020, he had the following to say:

“Before the game, I watched a story about where they have come from and it is a wonderful story, an amazing story, and I have so much admiration for them.”

He continued: “They have some very good players and clearly a very good manager… I said it before, I couldn’t respect Chris and his players more.”

Having cruised up to the Premier League in the 2018/19 season, where his team lost just nine games all season, his first year in the top flight captured plenty of imagination.

He would earn 54 points, finishing above the likes of Everton and Newcastle United, and just two points behind Arsenal.

This feat alone should be enough to convince Lai Guochuan that he can be the man to turn around Bruce’s mess, which has the Baggies sat in 22nd, having won just once this season.

Time is running out for special purpose acquisitions firm LAMF to complete a partial takeover of Everton, according to football finance guru Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: Financial Fair Play

In recent years, with the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium build ongoing, the Toffees have struggled to avoid breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. Consequently, this has led owner Farhad Moshiri to seek external investment for the Merseyside club.

Understood to be in talks with club officials with a view to a deal is LAMF; a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) co-fronted by Jeffrey Soros, nephew of George Soros, one of the richest men in the world.

The Liverpool Echo recently reported that an 18-24 month deadline for a takeover was set when the group raised £226m in funds last November.

The Latest: Maguire’s claim

Maguire believes that a deal will go through before the deadline is reached, although time is rapidly running out for Everton.

Speaking with Football Insider, the finance guru claimed: “We have seen a rise in SPACs in recent years.

“They have become the darling of Wall Street. These are special companies which are set up to make acquisitions in particular industries. If they fail to make an acquisition, the money tends to go back to the investors.

“The sands of time are starting to disappear as far as this particular SPAC is concerned.

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“Everton does tick a lot of boxes in the sense that it is a very vibrant and iconic city. Football is seen by American investors as an industry which is undervalued by the traditional markets.

“I think the new owners want to develop the game in ways that might challenge the traditional fanbase. But there is certainly an opportunity and there is no reason why they can’t get a deal over the line. When lawyers and accountants have to work quickly, they are capable of putting in 24-hour shifts.

“The deal could easily be mid-season. We saw Newcastle acquired just over 12 months ago. The timings from an investment perspective don’t have to be aligned with the football season itself.”

The Verdict: Everton need investment

Having accumulated a net spend of £18.2m this summer despite an initial £52.2m coming in from the departure of Richarlison to Tottenham, Everton need outside investment if they are to continue investing in building a squad capable of finishing in the top half of the Premier League table without breaching FFP regulations.

Everton made some shrewd signings this summer with the free transfer of James Tarkowski and the season-long loan of Conor Coady from Wolves, illustrating better habits in the transfer market as opposed to previous years.

However, if the club did not receive and sanction a big-money offer for Richarlison, they would have been under huge financial pressure.

Therefore, Toffees fans will surely be hoping for a partial takeover to go through as soon as possible, as strict penalties continue to loom over the club’s head.

Glasgow Rangers reportedly now have ‘significant’ funds available to sign a first-team goalkeeper in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Goalkeeper conundrum

The Ibrox outfit have three goalkeepers in their senior squad at the moment, but two of them are 40 and 35 years of age respectively in Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin.

Robbie McCrorie is the other, but the 24-year-old has only ever made two first-team appearances for the Gers, and none so far this season.

The Latest: January signing?

As per Football Insider, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have now set aside ‘significant’ funds for a new goalkeeper signing, and could do a deal in January.

They are ‘prioritising’ a move for a ‘proven’ shot-stopper, after previously extending McGregor and McCrorie’s contracts.

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The Verdict: McGregor replacement?

As much of a servant as McGregor has been to the club, the Light Blues need to start looking to the future with him at 40 and McLaughlin not far behind at 35.

Given his contract extension, McCrorie should be expected to be given more opportunities in the first team, and so the Teddy Bears will need another ‘keeper’ to compete with him long-term.

Nonetheless, setting aside ‘significant’ funds suggests that the club are going to look to target a new number one, and so perhaps we could see a complete overhaul of the position in 2023 with McCrorie moving into the deputy role.

The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane has shared an injury update on Glasgow Rangers central defender Leon King.

The Lowdown: King comes off

King came off for Borna Barisic in the second half of the Gers’ 3-0 loss away at Napoli in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.

It did look like a suspected injury, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst has since given an update on his fitness ahead of their next fixture at home to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon.

The Latest: Just cramp

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday night, McFarlane has shared a positive update from Van Bronckhorst on King in his post-match press conference, confirming that he only went off with ‘cramp’, and will be back for the game at Ibrox against Aberdeen:

“Some good news from tonight’s press conference is Leon King went off with cramp rather than an injury and will be back for the weekend.”

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The Verdict: Big boost

After initial worries, having King fit and available is a big boost.

Central defenders are in short supply for the Light Blues at the moment, with Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and John Souttar all out injured long-term.

18-year-old King has stepped up to the plate in their absence, and is performing well in the team, ranking highly in terms of average aerial duels won, clearances and pass completion (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, his impressive performances have even attracted interest from some high-profile clubs, so it is clear that King is an asset to his Teddy Bears side.

Wolves’ search for a new manager has taken another twist, with reports suggesting that talks are progressing with Julen Lopetegui ahead of him taking over the vacant post at Molineux.

What’s the word?

The Spanish manager, who was recently sacked by Sevilla, was seemingly Wolves’ first choice to take over from Bruno Lage after the Portuguese boss was sacked by the Old Gold in early October.

However, Lopetegui would turn down a move to Molineux due to the ill health of his father, which forced Fosun to consider other options as they look to turn around a woeful start to the season which leaves the Midlands club in the relegation places in the Premier League.

Liam Keen, who covers Wolves for the Express and Star, confirmed the news on Twitter.

He said: “Incredible how football works out…Wolves are back in talks with Julen Lopetegui. It’s progressing well and Wolves are hopeful of appointing him before the World Cup break.”

‘Incredible’ boost

After QPR manager Michael Beale was approached, only for him to also turn down the job, it should be an incredible lift for the club to reignite talks with their initial number one choice.

After all, the failed appointment of Beale led the board to announce that interim manager Steve Davis would remain in charge until after the World Cup break.

Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the former Crewe Alexandra boss was way out of his depth as he oversaw losses against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City, which has seemingly forced the board to reconsider.

And now, it seems as if Lopetegui will be the man to succeed Lage at Molineux, in the hope that the 56-year-old can re-produce the form he showed in the early days of his spell with Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League in 2020.

Lopetegui will need to improve upon the form he showed with Sevilla earlier this term, however, as the Spanish side won just one of ten games in all competitions, including heavy losses in the Champions League against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, which saw him relieved of his duties.

Despite that, the Spaniard still averaged an impressive 1.85 points per game with the Rojiblancos, which is a big improvement on the 1.29 points per game averaged by Lage at Wolves.

Therefore, all being well, Lopetegui can be the man to get Wolves out of the mess they find themselves in and ensure that they are still playing Premier League football this time next year.

Given his CV, he could just be a brilliant appointment for Fosun. As Keen says, it’s remarkable how quickly football can change in the space of a few weeks. For once, there is a sense of optimism and hope surrounding Molineux. This is an unexpected, but incredible boost for the club.

Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has been an ‘unsung hero’ at St James’ Park this season, according to pundit and former professional footballer Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Longstaff playing regularly

The Magpies maestro has started nine of his team’s Premier League games this season, featuring across all 13 having also been introduced as a substitute four times.

The 25-year-old has had to battle with Joe Willock for a place in midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, but he has shown exactly what he’s capable of when given the chance to play by Eddie Howe.

The Latest: McManus’ praise for Longstaff

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus was full of praise for Longstaff and couldn’t believe the transformation in his performances compared to the 2021/22 campaign.

The former Hibernian striker said: “My word, Longstaff has an engine on him. The way he gets about that midfield, he is absolutely everywhere. It is a key part of Howe’s style, isn’t it? Those players have to be so fit and I think Longstaff has embraced that.

“I don’t know what happened in pre-season but I suspect it involved a lot of running. He just seems to go all game and he is getting back to the form he had when he first came into the team a few years ago.

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“Another example of how Eddie Howe can really improve these players. Longstaff was maybe one of the players who you thought might be replaced at some point but he is making a really strong case for himself.

“As a Geordie, I am sure the fans are delighted with that. I think he is a bit of an unsung hero to be honest because he has been brilliant when I have seen him this season.”

The Verdict: Underrated player

Newcastle are currently fourth in the Premier League table after a flying start to the campaign under Eddie Howe, and Longstaff has played a significant role in helping them get there.

The 5 foot 9 gem already has two assists and one goal to his name this season and is averaging 1.2 tackles per league 90 minutes (WhoScored).

It’s easy to go slightly under the radar when playing alongside the likes of Brazil international Guimaraes, but the impact that Longstaff has had shouldn’t go unnoticed, and McManus’ praise is wholly justified.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has shared an update on striker Richarlison ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Liverpool.

The Lowdown: Conte vs Klopp…

The Lilywhites take on Jurgen Klopp’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium tomorrow knowing a win could further cement their status as favourites for a top-four finish.

Spurs have been made to work these last two fixtures in all competitions with Conte’s men sealing dramatic comebacks away to Bournemouth and Marseille.

For the hearts of supporters, there will be hope this upcoming encounter won’t be quite so gut-wrenching, yet the blockbuster occasion will have fans nervously waiting for kick off.

Despite 1-0 home wins against league champions Man City and West Ham recently, Liverpool have lost back-to-back league matches against Nottingham Forest and Leeds, so Conte will be looking to take full advantage of the Reds’ current slump.

The Latest: Conte shares Richarlison update…

Amid Spurs’ plethora of injury problems, the task for Conte is making do with who is available, and one player who certainly won’t be is Richarlison.

The Italian has shared an update on the former Everton star, who is a hopeful for Brazil at this month’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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Conte says Richarlison, like South American compatriot Cristian Romero, will not feature against Liverpool on Sunday.

He explained:

“It’s better to start with a smile. We need to face this situation. We need to finish these three games in the best way possible. We have these injuries. Richarlison is not available for the game, same for Romero.”

The Verdict: Setback…

Richarlison would have been eager to prove himself in a Spurs shirt against Liverpool, the side whom he played countless derbies against for Everton.

Called a ‘warrior’ by Conte, the combative ace is not only a threat in the forward area, but can also get stuck in and provide that real nastiness on his day.

Still not having him to call upon comes as a bitter bit of news to take but the 25-year-old will just be hoping he can return in time for Qatar.

Crystal Palace crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat against Premier League high-fliers Newcastle United.

Both sides rang the changes at St James’ Park, with Patrick Vieira making six from the side that started against West Ham last weekend, but ultimately it was his side that lost on the lottery of penalties, with Nick Pope hugely impressive for the hosts.

One man who was very disappointing for the Eagles was striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who started up front in the absence of the injured Odsonne Edouard and star man Wilfried Zaha.

As per SofaScore, the Frenchman would earn a shocking 6.4/10 rating for his display at St James’ Park, which was joint with Tyrick Mitchell as the worst of any Palace player to start the game.

During the 90 minutes, Mateta struggled to have any real impact on the game, missing a vital chance in the first half that was kept out by Nick Pope. During the clash, he registered just 34 touches and completed only eight passes, both of which were fewer than Sam Johnstone in the Palace goal.

Despite his lack of involvement, the 25-year-old also managed to lose possession on 14 occasions, as he was consistently outfought by the Newcastle defenders, winning just 35% of his duels at St James’ Park.

After failing to provide any real out ball or goal threat in the 90 minutes, the least Mateta could have done was find the net with his penalty in the shootout, but even that was saved by Nick Pope in what was described as an “awful” spot kick by Matt Woosnam.

Vieira will be thankful that this weekend’s game against Nottingham Forest will be their last without Odsonne Edouard ahead of the World Cup, as it seems likely that Zaha will be asked to deputise up front once again after a Mateta display that lacked a cutting edge.

The French striker has certainly dropped down the pecking order at Selhurst Park this season and will have done himself very few favours with Vieira after a troubled performance against the Toon on Wednesday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers suffered yet another defeat in the Premier League, leaving them rooted bottom of the table as the domestic season heads into the midseason break for the World Cup.

Arsenal arrived at Molineux hoping to secure yet another win and extend their advantage at the top of the league to five points and a Martin Odegaard double secured all three points for Mikel Arteta’s men.

Wolves did look lively in the first half, but their goalscoring woes haunted them yet again as they couldn’t breach the Arsenal rear guard and the match was all square heading into the interval.

The second half saw the north London side kick into gear and score twice through Odegaard and Arteta will no doubt be pleased his side will be top of the table come Christmas.

The Old Gold had far too many passengers, however, with Nelson Semedo – who lost possession 11 times in 68 minutes – one of the many who let Davis down last night.

The interim manager will surely regret sticking with Joao Moutinho however, with the 36-year-old putting in yet another poor performance for the club.

The midfielder was substituted after 68 minutes last night having contributed just 27 passes during his time on the pitch, failing to demonstrate his experience and assert any authority in the match.

With just 38 touches, it appeared he was happy being a passenger, while he was caught in possession six times. New manager Julen Lopetegui was in the stands and will have been keeping a close eye on the players he believes can play a big part in saving them from relegation, but after tonight, Moutinho looks unlikely to be one of them.

Defensively, he only made one tackle and one interception, while showcasing his lack of pace by being dribbled past twice. Thus, it’s abundantly clear that his influence is waning in the Wolves starting XI.

When he failed to make the Portugal squad for their matches back in September, Zach Lowy dubbed him “dispensable” for the national side.

With his recent performances, might he be deemed the same for his club too? It certainly feels that way. The incoming Spaniard will have plenty to ponder during the winter break, that’s for sure.