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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…

Samuel Umtiti’s Barcelona career has unfortunately taken a swift tumble. Ever since his career was disrupted by serious knee problems, the great Frenchman’s game time has diminished greatly.

And with the news that he has once again been sidelined, maybe the time has finally arrived for Jean-Clair Todibo to assume a bigger role within the Blaugrana squad.

But Umtiti hasn’t always plagued by these fitness problems. It all started in 2018 with his first serious knee injury and since then the Frenchman has refused to have surgery to fix the issue, instead opting for alternative treatments.

And it seems that that decision has come back to haunt him as he hasn’t been able to completely shake the injury ever since.

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To make things even worse, Umtiti has also been struck by the infamous “FIFA virus” and suffered another setback during his outing with France just recently. This time, though, it’s his foot that’s proven problematic rather than his knee.

With all those injury problems, Barcelona might have a real conundrum to face but, luckily, there is still someone who can take over from Umtiti and finally make a big step up.

And it wouldn’t be the first time they tampered with the pecking order in their defence. Ever since Umtiti’s injuries have come to light, Barcelona have reshuffled the cards at centre-back. At first, Umtiti and Gerard Pique were the two designated starters but soon Clement Lenglet took over from Umtiti as the 25-year-old started experiencing issues with his knee.

But even with that being said, Umtiti was still the third-choice centre-back and, as such, he played 14 games last season in La Liga and started a total of 13 of those. Todibo, on the other hand, only played two in 2018/19 – the only two games in his Barcelona career so far.

His lack of opportunities made it clear that he would be limited to the role of fourth choice centre-back. It was a rather weird move by Barcelona, who were betting on an injury-prone player rather than putting some trust into the young 19-year-old talent.

Back then there still may have been some lingering optimism regarding Umtiti’s issues but now, with yet another injury coming his way, it is time to start investing into Todibo instead.

Having such a talented player rotting on the bench because of Umtiti should not be acceptable. If the former Lyon enforcer was fit and firing on all cylinders, then there would be no dispute at all.

But with the situation being as it currently is and Umtiti unfortunately spending more time in the stands than on the pitch, Blaugrana might want to reshuffle the deck once again.

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Sheffield Wednesday head into the international break with quite the dilemma if reports are to be believed.

On Tuesday evening, Sky Sports claimed the club were in advanced talks with Lincoln City boss Danny Cowley and his assistant, brother Nicky, over becoming their permanent manager.

Currently, the club have had Lee Bullen in caretaker charge for a third spell after Steve Bruce left on the eve of the new season last month.

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Earlier in the week, Tony Pulis had been linked to the job by The Sun, but it appears that Cowley could be a serious contender to the post.

The 40-year-old rejected a move to Huddersfield in order to continue his journey at the Imps, so it remains to be seen whether or not he will actually become the Owls’ new boss.

This is how Wednesday could lineup under Cowley:

In four years at the club, the Cowley’s have guided Lincoln to two promotions as well as an EFL Trophy – playing very much the same brand of football throughout.

They believe in their philosophy and stick to it.

The formation most used by the management team is a 4-4-1-1 which utilises a lone target man in attack with a deep-lying forward playing just off him, and it is something that the Owls do have at their disposal with both Steven Fletcher and Fernando Forestieri being able to occupy those two spots.

Cowley also likes his team to play out from the back so it could see Sam Hutchinson drop into defence having played in midfield this season because he averages a passing success rate of 83.5% which is higher than Tom Lees (72.8%), whilst Julian Borner is likely to play alongside him (83.7%).

Jacob Murphy can play the inside forward role on the left-flank, averaging 2.2 shots per game as well as 2.6 dribbles, per WhoScored. He’s also scored one goal in four starts this season.

On the other side, Adam Reach can become the more traditional winger, whipping in crosses for the target man – he averages 0.8 per game and has already recorded one assist this season.

It would appear that Wednesday have all the tools needed to suit a Cowley system, meaning the lack of a transfer window shouldn’t be too much of an issue. It’s just if he can make the next step up, a considerable step up at that.

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[ad_pod ]Alfredo Morelos wasted no time in his first start of the new season by scoring a hat-trick against St. Joseph’s, and the Rangers fans are absolutely buzzing.His treble was added to by Jermain Defoe (twice) and Joe Aribo to give Rangers a 6-0 win against the Gibraltans.The Europa League first-round qualifier was a breeze for Steven Gerrard’s men as they came away with a 10-0 aggregate win.Morelos was on top form at Ibrox and looks well on his way to replicating the 30 goals he got last term for the Gers. The only thing stopping the Colombian from getting to that tally again could be his departure from the club, which has been hinted at by several reports.The 23-year-old has been a target of Newcastle United, as first reported by Spanish outlet Don Balon, while Crystal Palace and West Ham have also been linked.Gerrard has done little to quash these rumours by saying it would take “a really big offer” to tempt him to part with his star striker.Here’s what the Rangers fans said on Twitter about their hat-trick hero.

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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 Football Insider, Noel Whelan has urged Leeds to experiment with two of their forward players heading into the new season.

What’s he said?

As Leeds embark on their mini pre-season tour of Australia, two members of the squad who could find themselves vying for the same spot in Marcelo Bielsa’s side are Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford.

The former has been linked with a move away but is among the travelling party for pre-season despite the likes of Helder Costa and Jack Clarke missing out.

Both Roofe and Bamford started together against York in the Whites’ friendly last week and it’s a tactic that has sparked Whelan into urging Leeds to experiment with the pair.

Talking to Football Insider, he revealed how they could do it, commenting:

“This is where you experiment, isn’t it? We didn’t see it much last season because of injuries to the two of them.

“This is where you figure out what you’re going to play, what formation. I very much doubt he’s going to change his thinking but can you put Kemar Roofe in a number 10? That’s something worth thinking about, can he play behind Bamford and play off him?”

Can they do it?

Last season Leeds were extremely unfortunate to lose Bamford for such a lengthy period of time. Per Transfermarkt, he missed 22 games through injury whilst Roofe was forced to sit on the treatment table for six matches too.

As a result, the pair of them failed to actually play alongside each other on too many occasions.

Yet, if Leeds can get both of them fit and firing properly next term it will without a doubt ensure they have a better chance of achieving promotion.

In 2018/19, Tyler Roberts and Mateusz Klich were preferred behind the striker but, as Whelan says, this is the ideal time to now experiment with what they’ve got.

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The fact only 16 squad members have travelled to Australia means there should be a greater license to play the pair of them together, and experimenting with Roofe in behind Bamford could be on the cards given Klich hasn’t travelled.

It could also prepare them for a potential departure if the Pole joins Burnley, a club he was the subject of interest from over the weekend.

Roofe scored 15 goals last term, cementing himself as one of the biggest threats in the side.

Moving him from his favoured position up front could seem foolish on paper, but if it gets both him and Bamford scoring at the same time, it could be game-changing for Bielsa.

كشفت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية أسماء المتورطين المحتملين من نادي برشلونة في أزمة تسريب عقد مهاجم وقائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، ليونيل ميسي، عبر صحيفة “آل موندو”.

وكانت إذاعة “راك 1” الكتالونية قد أكدت على أن ميسي بصدد مقاضاة الصحيفة التي نشرت تفاصيل عقده الرسمي مع برشلونة الذي بدأ في عام 2017 وحتى نهاية الموسم الحالي والذي يتقاضى الأرجنتيني فيه 555 مليون يورو على تلك الفترة. (طالع التفاصيل)

وبحسب صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية أن محاميي ميسي يدرسون إمكانية مقاضاة ثلاثة أشخاص وهم جوسيب ماريا بارتوميو، أوسكار جراو (الرئيس التنفيذي السابق) وكارليس توسكيتس (رئيس برشلونة الحالي) بالإضافة إلى شخصين آخرين.

ويشكك المحامون الخاصون بالأرجنتيني في بعض الأشخاص وعلى رأسهم بارتوميو رئيس برشلونة السابق، والذين في استطاعتهم الوصول لعقد ميسي بكل سهولة داخل النادي الكتالوني.

الجدير بالذكر أن برشلونة قد أصدر بيانًا منذ قليل حول رفع قضية ضد صحيفة “آل موندو” الإسبانية بسبب تسريب وثيقة رسمية.

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Leeds United fans are expecting big things from young midfielder Alfie McCalmont after he posted an image on Twitter of him in training.

McCalmont is a young midfield player who could very easily play a part in Bielsa’s side next term.

The teenager returned to training this week for pre-season, and some fans have been talking up his abilities.

The 19-year-old is yet to make a single senior appearance for the Whites, but his impressive performances for the U23 squad has led to a number of supporters clamouring for him to get a chance.

The Northern Irishman has been rated as one of Leeds’ brightest young talents, and he has been capped at under-19 level for Northern Ireland.

His performances for the U23s caught the eye of many supporters as he showed his talents, with goals such as the one against Millwall showing exactly what the youngster is capable of.

One supporter compared him to England international Jack Wilshere, while another stated he could be a replacement for Kalvin Phillips if he left for Aston Villa.

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Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

أعرب أوليه جونار سولشاير، المدير الفني لمانشستر يونايتد، عن سعادته بتولي واين روني تدريب ديربي كاونتي، بعد اعتزاله كرة القدم.

واين روني الذي كان لاعبًا ومدربًا لـ ديربي كاونتي، أعلن اعتزاله كرة القدم الجمعة الماضية، وأصبح مدرب الفريق الإنجليزي.

طالع أيضًا: بعد اعتزال روني.. تعرف على مصير نجوم جيل مانشستر يونايتد 2008

سولشاير علق في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي لـ مانشستر يونايتد: “أخبار رائعة لواين روني، أتمنى له كل التوفيق، وأعتقد أنه يمتلك كل شيء ليكون مدربًا جيدًا”.

وأضاف: “لقد كان يتمتع بمسيرة رائعة، ولديه شخصية جيدة للغاية ويريد النجاح بالتأكيد، لقد لعب تحت قيادة كبار المدربين، وأنا متأكد أنه تعلم الكثير”.

برونو فرنانديز فاز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في الشهر للمرة الرابعة هذا الموسم، ليعلق سولشاير: “دائمًا ما يتصدر برونو المشهد، لديه جوع كبير ورغبة في الفوز، ربما لا ينظر الناس لأدواره بجانب تسجيله للأهداف، لكننا نقدر كل ما يقدمه، بالطبع كل الأهداف والتمريرات الحاسمة جزء من عمله”.

واختتم: “برونو يحدث الفارق دائمًا بالنسبة لنا، لدينا لاعبون موهوبون بالتأكيد، لكن برونو مؤثر هذا الموسم في النتائج الإيجابية”.

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Many an eyebrow was raised in the past week when Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham United confirmed that they had sold Edimilson Fernandes to Mainz of the Bundesliga for an undisclosed fee.

The international with Switzerland arrived at London Stadium from FC Sion in the summer of 2016 and was an instant hit in east London, winning the hearts of fans with a match-winning performance against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

But as time went by the 23-year-old was forced into different positions such as right-back and attacking midfield by different managers amid injury crises.

This and injuries of his own meant that things started to go a bit pear-shaped for the central midfielder, culminating in him falling out of the Swiss national squad and being sent out on loan at Fiorentina last summer.

When he returned at the end of the 2018/2019 campaign, he was told he was surplus to requirements and shipped off to Germany permanently.

Today, three Football FanCast writers give their verdicts on whether West Ham have made the right move in selling Fernandes…

Harry Sherlock

“Fernandes was never likely to play at West Ham in the coming season. He’s already 23 and he never really showed that he was likely to deliver on his potential in east London. His 48 appearances are hardly memorable and the Hammers now have money that they can reinvest into the squad, hopefully by bringing in another midfielder with greater quality who can reinforce the centre of the pitch. Shifting Fernandes, then, was a necessary step; the Hammers aren’t likely to regret it.”

Matt Dawson

“Given the performances of Fernandes whilst he was on loan in Italy West Ham were absolutely right to let him go. Although he’s 23, he seems like one of those promising players who is destined to never achieve their full potential. If he couldn’t cut it in Italy then it’s highly unlikely he’d have been able to do the business in Premier League. The Hammers have done the right thing.”

Christy Malyan

“I saw a lot of promise in Fernandes – a very athletic player who featured in a few different capacities during his time at West Ham. But the Irons’ squad does require streamlining and at the age of 23, it does feel like his Irons career had reached a point of now or never. It seems West Ham were convinced it’s a case of the latter, however, I would’ve given the midfielder a final chance next season to try and stake a claim for a first-team role.”

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Massimo Cellino may be back to haunt Leeds United as he targets one of his former stars.

For those out of the loop, the former Whites chairman has been keeping himself busy since departing Elland Road in 2017 by running Italian club Brescia.

It didn’t take the enigmatic Italian long to get back into football club ownership as he acquired the Serie B side just three months after selling his remaining stake in Leeds to Andrea Radrizzani.

His time at Stadio Mario Rigamonti has been decidedly better than his time at Elland Road as he has just overseen the club’s promotion from Serie B.

The step up to Serie A doesn’t only bring top class football to the city of Brescia, but it brings increased wealth and more room to spend money on transfers.

The chairman had a massive say in the players that arrived in Yorkshire, and it’s clear to see that he had his favourites.

A number of players brought into Elland Road during his tenure in charge were signed from Italy, most notably Gaetano Berardi and Pontus Jansson, two players who are still at the club.

The 62-year-old also masterminded the arrivals of many of Leeds’ other key players such as Liam Cooper, Pablo Hernandez and Luke Ayling.

Reports have come out of Italy that Cellino is now interested in reuniting with Berardi at his new club, and this should set alarm bells ringing in fans’ heads.

With Brescia being promoted to the top flight they are all of a sudden a viable option for any players looking for a way out of Yorkshire.

With Noel Whelan recently saying he is certain that Jansson will be departing the club this summer, it probably wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Swedish centre-back considered heading back to Italy.

If Brescia build up a cohort of former Leeds players, it may encourage more to follow suit as they can play in a top division alongside personnel they are familiar with.

Cellino has been a hated figure amongst the Whites fanbase for years now, and he wouldn’t do his relationship with the supporters any favours if he raids his old club for some of his former stars.

Dale Jennings’ move from Tranmere Rovers to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in 2011 was an odd one to say the least.

Tranmere Rovers fans may remember Dale Jennings to be quite the player despite him only spending a season at the club before the European giants swooped in and stole him away.

A gifted winger with all the on-field traits you would expect from a pending star, Jennings whipped around League One with relative ease, bagging six goals and supplying five assists in his first and only season with Tranmere.

His efforts were enough to earn the attention of former Liverpool man and Champions League winner Dietmar Hamann personally recommending the Jennings to Bayern’s technical director, Christian Nerlinger.

Youngsters dream of “making it” on the European stage, don’t we all? But very rarely do they ever get to realise that dream in the same way as 18-year-old Dale Jennings, who made the jump from the lowly third tier of English football to Bayern Munch in 2011 for a reported £1.8million.

It was unprecedented territory, a Tranmere Rovers player moving straight to the Bundesliga – sort of the equivalent of one of us jumping from Sunday League into the Championship. But here was Jennings doing just that.

Unfortunately for the midfielder, it was a case of too much too soon and the move never really worked out. He failed to integrate into his new surroundings, and with the language barrier proving to be a huge problem, became increasingly isolated from his teammates and the coaching staff.

Such was his incapacity to live independently, it is said that one cupboard in his Munich apartment was used purely to store Pot Noodles. We have all been there, Dale, do not worry.

You may ask yourself, what happens in this kind of situation? What becomes of a player who essentially peaked too early in their career? Who will likely never reach the highs of Bayern Munich ever again? Well, the only way is down – clearly.

Jennings moved from Bayern to Barnsley in 2013, before being loaned out to and purchased by MK Dons.

After being released by the Dons in 2016, it took Jennings two years to find his feet again, settling for ninth-tier side Runcorn Town in 2018 in the hope that he can restart his career.

Tranmere fans, what are some standout memories of Jennings? Join the discussion by commenting below…