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West Brom could go top of the Championship overnight if they can extend their winning run to three matches against Derby this evening.

With current pace-setters Leeds not in action until tomorrow, the Baggies will also take over at the top even if they draw against the Rams given that they are a point behind Marcelo Bielsa’s side and have a superior goal difference. [via Sky Sports]

Derby have promotion aspirations of their own, however, as they sit just outside the play-off positions with the season approaching its climax.

Slaven Bilic will be forced into a couple of changes for this evening’s clash at The Hawthorns, with Ahmed Hegazi suspended following his red card against Hull and Kieran Gibbs set to miss out after going off in that game due to a hamstring problem (as per Birmingham Live).

Our predicted West Brom line-up for the game against Derby shows three changes from the team which started the 4-2 win over the Tigers on Sunday:

Sam Johnstone will continue between the sticks as per usual, although there will be changes to the back four ahead of him. Conor Townsend came on for the injured Gibbs on Sunday and is likely to start at left-back, while Semi Ajayi should come into the side in place of the suspended Hegazi. The other two defensive positions are likely to be unchanged, with Kyle Bartley and Dara O’Shea in the starting line-up again.

Bilic has gone with a defensive midfield duo of Romaine Sawyers and Rekeem Harper in the last couple of games and could preserve that partnership again, although there is a possibility that Jake Livermore may be restored to the team.

While Charlie Austin should keep his place at centre-forward after scoring in both of Albion’s last two matches, there could be a different composition to the attacking midfield trio behind him. Kamil Grosicki scored on his first Baggies start on Sunday and that may be enough to keep him in the side, while Matheus Pereira is sure to start after a hat-trick of assists against Hull.

He could revert to a central role, though, to make way for Grady Diangana on the right after the on-loan winger came off the bench to score at the weekend. That goal might persuade Bilic to put him in from the start this evening, with Filip Krovinovic making way as a result.

West Brom fans, is this the line-up that you expect to see against Derby this evening? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

كشف مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ميلان، أوليفيه جيرو، السبب وراء رحيله عن صفوف تشيلسي في الميركاتو الصيفي الماضي والانتقال إلى الروسونيري.

وغادر جيرو قلعة “ستامفورد بريدج” للانتقال إلى “سان سيرو” وبدأ مغامرة جديدة في مسيرته الكروية بعد سنوات عديدة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ارتدى خلالها قميصي آرسنال وتشيلسي.

اقرأ أيضًا | قبل مواجهة تشيلسي.. ديبالا يتعرض لإصابة ويغادر مباراة يوفنتوس وسامبدوريا باكيًا

وتحدث مهاجم تشيلسي السابق عن أسباب الرحيل عن كتيبة المدرب، توماس توخيل، وقال في حواره لشبكة “Telefoot” الفرنسية، وقال: “كان قراري واضحًا تمامًا بالانتقال إلى ميلان”.

وأضاف: “لقد شجعت هذا النادي منذ الطفولة، لقد ارتدى قميصه نجومًا رائعين في السابق مثل ماركو فان باستن، فرانكو باريزي وجان بيير بابان، لذلك أنا فخور بالانضمام إلى هذا النادي وآمل أن أستمتع هنا”.

وتابع: “استقبلني اللاعبون بترحاب كبير، كعائلة وبدأت بشكل رائع وأشعر بأنني في حالة جيدة ومتعطش للفوز مع ميلان”.

وعن إبراهيموفيتش: “زلاتان أسطورة كبيرة وستكون هناك منافسة بيننا في ميلان، يمكنني تسجيل 15 هدفًا على الأقل، هذا ما آمله، إذا لعبت كل مباراة”.

وأهداف ميلان في الموسم الحالي: “لدينا لاعبون رائعون في ميلان، وآمل أن نفوز بلقب الدوري الإيطالي بعد العودة إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأوضح جيرو أسباب رحيله عن تشيلسي: “لقد أحببت الدوري الإنجليزي، لكن في مرحلة ما، كان علي اتخاذ قرار، أخبرت توخيل أن الأشهر الثلاثة الأخيرة لي الفريق كانت صعبة للغاية (بسبب عدم المشاركة)”.

وأتم: “كان قراري واضحًا بالرحيل عن تشيلسي، لكنني ممتن لكل اللحظات الرائعة التي عشتها هناك مع الفريق، رغم أنه كانت هناك بعض الفترات غير الجيدة ولكن ليس بنفس القدر، وفزنا بثلاثة ألقاب مهمة”.

A number of West Brom fans have called for changes to be made to the West Stand, often known as Halfords Lane, at The Hawthorns.

Twitter channel @BaggiesHQ asked followers to identify one thing they would like to change about the stadium, with many focusing on the 3,773-capacity stand, the smallest at The Hawthorns.

As per wba.co.uk, Halfords Lane is the oldest surviving squad at Albion’s home ground and has been redeveloped on multiple occasions since it first opened in 1981. It is from underneath this stand that the players emerge from the dressing rooms prior to kick-off and it also houses the club’s board room and media facilities.

Although West Brom are currently second in the Championship table, their 26,850-capacity venue is only the 12th largest in the division for the number of spectators it can hold, with Sheffield Wednesday able to accommodate 13,000 more fans at Hillsborough. [via TransferMarkt]

These Baggies fans on Twitter all cited Halfords Lane as one part of The Hawthorns that they would like to see being changed:

West Brom fans, do you think Halfords Lane needs to be modernised or expanded? Is it your least favourite thing about The Hawthorns? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

وصل الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني لفريق الزمالك إلى القاهرة مساء اليوم، قادما من الإمارات، بعدما قضى فترة إجازته هناك عقب انتهاء مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز التي توج بها الفارس الأبيض.

ومن المقرر أن يقود المدير الفني للزمالك تدريب الفريق غدًا الأحد استعدادًا لمباراة أسوان المقبلة في دور نصف النهائي لبطولة كأس مصر.

طالع | إمام عاشور: كنت أهتف لـ شيكابالا في المدرجات.. ولم أصدق نفسي عندما لعبت بجواره لأول مرة!

ويستأنف الزمالك تدريباته غدا على ملعب عبد اللطيف أبو رجيلة بمقر النادي، بعد حصول اللاعبين على راحة لمدة أسبوع عقب مباراة البنك الأهلي الأخيرة في الدوري.

يذكر، أن كارتيرون قاد الزمالك للفوز بلقب الدوري للمرة الـ13 في تاريخه على حساب منافسه التقليدي الأهلي.

Celtic fans have taken to Twitter following the Betfred Cup final win over Rangers, and they have one quite understandable demand – sign Fraser Forster permanently.

The 6 foot 7 goalkeeper – who is currently on a season-long loan from Southampton – played a massive role in Celtic’s 1-0 win over arch-rivals Rangers, making a number of crucial saves to preserve his clean sheet.

Forster, 31, was a brick wall in between the sticks for the Bhoys, and also saved a penalty from the usually prolific Alfredo Morelos, who was denied by the Celtic glovesman on a number of occasions on Sunday afternoon.

The England international keeper’s loan is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and Football Insider report that the Saints believe their out-on-loan man’s value could soar to over £20m by the time the season is over.

If Celtic did have to pay that much, one would assume that figure would be out of their reach, but nevertheless, a number of supporters have jumped onto Twitter to beg the newly-crowned Betfred Cup champions to sign the hero of the day.

One fan begged for the deal to happen and ordered the club to pay “any amount of money” whereas another supporter asked the club’s owners to throw as much money as they can to sign Forster.

The calls for the cup final hero’s permanent arrival continued, with these two fans demanding Celtic break the bank to sign the mountainous shot-stopper – one even asked for Southampton to be given a blank cheque so that they can write any number on it.

Lastly, another supporter said that signing Forster permanently would make up for “90 minutes of heart palpitations” while another simply demanded the signing in bold fashion, writing his message out entirely in capital letters.

In other Celtic news, these supporters needn’t have worried after being concerned about one aspect of Neil Lennon’s starting XI against Rangers…

Another year, another Football Manager release.

Except for this time, it’s different, very different, than before.

This is the genius of Sports Interactive, the company that creates one of the most involved simulations of football ever committed to a game disc. They could quite easily reskin the game every year, adding a transfer here or there, a few more kits, perhaps a couple more leagues.

But, no, they absolutely refuse to rest on their laurels and so here we are, with perhaps the best Football Manager game they have ever released.

This year, new managers are given a club vision as soon as they step into the virtual boardroom – there really is a boardroom, too, all lovingly 3D-rendered when you first take the reigns – and expected to complete objectives over the course of five years. Already, you’re roped in.

Will you be able to bring through the best youngsters from the club’s academy, or turn a midtable League One team into a club pushing for promotion to the Premier League? You won’t just be judged on results now, it’s about progressing the club as a whole.

At Spurs, for example, this writer has been set the challenge of becoming Premier League title contenders within the next three years. With this squad, that’s a challenge.

Not only that, but SI has also incorporated loads of graphical improvements so, if you prefer 3D to 2D (don’t worry if you don’t, 2D Classic still exists in the game), you’ll see even more detail in every single game you play. Plus, the AI has been tweaked so it makes for a more responsive, well-rounded experience.

There are a number of “quality of life” improvements, too, and this is perhaps the most impressive thing introduced thus far. SI know that their game takes a long time to play – some saves can span literal real-life years, trust us.

And because they know that, they’re making the game more accessible for those customers who perhaps don’t have the time to sit playing the game all night, in their pants, until the sun comes up and then realise they have to go to work in two hours. This is excellent and more gaming companies should do it.

Add in a completely new ‘development centre’, which allows managers to track the progress of their youngsters, both at the club and out on loan, in order to maximise their potential, several changes to the way backroom staff help you out and a revamped contract system and we’re onto a winner.

On the latter point, managers can now promise certain amounts of playing time to certain players. This writer’s favourite is the ‘back-up goalkeeper’ option, so you won’t have that pesky 37-year-old stopper asking to play against Arsenal in the league.

All-in-all, this FM is another evolution of what was already a fantastic formula and, really, it’s so easy to get sucked in and end up sinking hours upon hours into this version of the game.

This may well be SI’s best ever release.

Football Manager 2020 is released on November 19, 2019, for PC and Mac and will also be available on Stadia. For more information, head over to FootballManager.com

Manchester United fans are feeling happy after Scott McTominay pulled out of the Scotland squad for the upcoming internationals against Cyprus and Kazakhstan.

The midfielder was taken off in the 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion after suffering an ankle injury (via BBC).

McTominay has proved a vital player for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this campaign, starting every single Premier League game for the north-west side (via Transfermarkt).

His form has taken off in recent weeks with the Scotsman scoring two goals in his last six top-flight games for the Old Trafford giants. McTominay has also shown his ability on the ball, being the most fouled player out of any of the United squad (2.7) (via WhoScored).

Fans were thrilled after the midfielder was released from the Scotland squad ahead of the Red Devils’ trip to Sheffield United in their next Premier League game.

Here is a selection of tweets from the Old Trafford faithful:

Manchester United fans, do you think McTominay will return for the Sheffield United game? Let us know your thoughts!

England will have to wait a little longer to confirm their place in next summer’s European Championship after they were stunned by the Czech Republic on Friday night.Earlier this year, the Three Lions swept away their opponents 5-0 at Wembley, but back in the returning fixture, it was a different story as the Czechs ran out 2-1 winners.Harry Kane’s fifth-minute penalty was the only goal of the game for Gareth Southgate’s men as Jakub Brabec netted from a corner before Zdenek Ondrasek fired home the winner four minutes from time.England managed just four shots on target compared to the Czech’s eight while the visitors could only muster up a passing accuracy of 79%, per SofaScore.Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It has led to several Villa fans offering up a solution to the midfield woes, one that they have wanted for a long time.

One claimed it wouldn’t hurt to call Jack Grealish up while another added that England are screaming out for a player like him.

Further weight was added to the argument by an additional member of the Villa Park faithful, who said: “It’s crying out for someone who’s composed, runs with the ball, finds and creates space and can actually pick a pass.”

The 24-year-old is yet to earn a senior cap since pledging his allegiance to his home country over the Republic of Ireland.

England will now need to win in Bulgaria and hope that Kosovo avoid doing the same against Montenegro on Monday evening.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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…

We may only be in October but Helder Costa has had a rather puzzling start to life at Elland Road.

Next summer he will become a £15m permanent signing for Leeds, making him the most expensive man to walk through their doors since a certain Rio Ferdinand.

It’ll take some doing to live up to the England great in west Yorkshire and judging by his performances to date, he doesn’t look like replicating it.

Costa got off to a flyer in the Carabao Cup by contributing to three goals in just two games. The Portuguese also assisted Eddie Nketiah for a late winner against Brentford.

However, since that clash he’s been largely underwhelming and hasn’t yet hit the heights expected in the Championship.

Costa was involved in 29 goals across two campaigns for Wolves at this level but since finally coming into the starting XI on a weekend, he hasn’t delivered.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 25-year-old has rarely been involved in the action and it’s making the rather loud calls for him to start a bit premature.

He disappointed so much during the defeat against Millwall that he was lumped off at half-time, something that gave a fine indication of his relationship with Marcelo Bielsa.

With Leeds down to ten men he was the player sacrificed. It wasn’t Jack Harrison, nor was it Mateusz Klich who failed to create a single chance during the 90 minutes.

This said a lot about where Costa is at Leeds right now. During his 46 minutes on the pitch, he had three unsuccessful touches and failed to play a key pass or have a shot, via WhoScored.

It was a poor showing but one we’ve become accustomed to after he walked into the starting line-up.

Since starting, the Wolves loanee has created just one opportunity – something that’s particularly alarming.

This all comes after he left his manager rather angry too. Commenting on the Inside Elland Road podcast after the club’s 1-1 draw with Derby, YEP journalist Graham Smyth said:

“He trotted inside and took up a no.10 role and Bielsa was quite visibly angered by Helder doing this – maybe not listening to instructions or not doing what Bielsa had wanted him to do.”

At the moment it doesn’t look like the understanding is there and if Costa let Bielsa down on that occasion, he certainly did with his performance at The Den.

For all the cries for him to be included, he hasn’t done much to prove it was justified.

One positive for Costa is that he does have time on his side, however.

يعقد اللواء محمد عبدالسلام، رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي المقاصة، والنائب وليد هويدي، مدير الكرة، جلسة مع محمد عبدالعظيم “عظيمة”، المدير الفني الجديد لفريق الكرة.

من المقرر، أن ينعقد الاجتماع، غدًا الإثنين، بحضور المهندس أحمد عبدالخالق، المشرف على الكرة، وذلك لوضع خريطة العمل للمرحلة المقبلة.

اقرأ ايضًا.. رسميًا.. محمد عظيمة مديرًا فنيًا لـ مصر المقاصة خلفًا لإيهاب جلال

ومن جانبه أكد عصام سراج الدين، المتحدث الرسمي للمقاصة ومستشار التسويق والتعاقدات بالنادي، أن عظيمة وصل صباح اليوم إلى القاهرة، وسيجتمع غدًا مع مسئولي النادي للاتفاق على خطة العمل الخاصة بالمرحلة المقبلة من أجل الحفاظ على مسيرة الفريق في المنافسة في المربع الذهبي للدوري مع الكبار.

وأشار سراج إلى أن عظيمة سيحدد موعد نزوله التدريبات خلال الاجتماع وقد يبدأ التدريب غدًا الاثنين بعد الاجتماع مباشرة أو يبدأ التدريب بعد غد الثلاثاء على أقصى تقدير، استعدادا لمباراة سموحة المقرر إقامتها يوم الجمعة المقبل ضمن الجولة الـ ١٧ للدوري المصري.