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He may only have just returned from injury, but Rodrigo simply has to start when Leeds United welcome Chelsea in the Premier League on early Saturday afternoon.

The Spaniard has been out of action for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in recent weeks due to a groin injury picked up against Leicester, but came on as a second half substitute against West Ham last week.

Naturally a striker who can play out wide, the £22.5m-rated flier has been playing in a more withdrawn role at Elland Road, but with the licence to push forward and support Patrick Bamford.

After an impressive cameo against Arsenal earlier this season, former Leeds man Noel Whelan explained just how important Rodrigo is to this side: “He’s always looking for it, he’s never ever standing still, he’s always on the move and that’s what I like about him. He can’t be marked, he’s always looking for a space – very much the next Hernandez.

“He is a player that looks like he can make things happen. He’s very intelligent, he brings other people into play and makes space for them.”

Whelan also delivered his verdict on why the Spaniard should start against the Blues on Saturday, saying: “If you ask 100 Leeds fans who they would prefer in that position, Rodrigo or Tyler Roberts, they would all say Rodrigo all day long.

“He’s your star signing, your record signing. He’s the one player that if he is fit then you’ve got to have him in your side to give you that extra opportunity. Roberts didn’t do anything wrong but I just think it brings a different dimension to the game when Rodrigo’s out there.”

Given Roberts’ poor form in recent weeks, Rodrigo’s return to full fitness could not have come soon enough. The Spaniard has managed five goals in 23 games in all competitions in his debut campaign in English football, showing flashes of brilliance.

Dubbed “extraordinary” by former Barcelona boss Quique Setien, Rodrigo simply has to come into the starting line-up against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

With Leeds in a bit of rut – they’ve won just once in their past five games – bringing a real live-wire like Rodrigo into the team could be the kind of game-changing move to tip things in Leeds’ and Bielsa’s favour.

Meanwhile, Leeds must drop this £70k-p/w flop vs Chelsea…

Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi was spotted at Thorp Arch this week as he made his long-awaited return to first team training. The 32-year-old had been forced out of action with an ACL injury, which saw him miss 204 days and 26 matches for the Whites last season, as per Transfermarkt.

He is also yet to make a single appearance this campaign and his task of getting back into the team has been that much harder after Leeds recruited new defensive options in the summer.

However, fans are delighted to see the return of Berardi to training and are hoping that it spells the start of his integration back into Marcelo Bielsa’s team. However, it’s not as simple as returning to training and fighting for his spot in the lineup.

Already plagued with a hefty injury history, the risk of picking up another problem runs high. Not only that, Berardi is pushing 33 and will be out of contract with the Whites this summer. Imaginably, no new terms have been discussed due to the extent of the defender’s injury, but with less than six months left, would there be much use in tabling a new offer?

Whilst injuries, specifically to their backline, have tormented Leeds this season, they have still managed to pull through. Bielsa’s quick-thinking and the versatility of players like Luke Ayling have arguably saved their season. With both Robin Koch and Diego Llorente out injured, it looked like a disaster for the retuning Premier League side.

However, they currently sit in a respectable tenth place in the table as they head into their clash with Arsenal this evening. This Leeds squad is a close-knit unit that has worked its way back to the top. Berardi played a small part in their promotion-winning campaign, before he picked up his injury towards the end but he was never a regular under Bielsa.

In fact, the Swiss man missed a total of 22 games due to simply being left on the bench or out of the squad completely. Leeds have established that they have adapted and then some without Berardi’s influence and whilst Bielsa will be pleased his recovery has gone well, having him as an option won’t mean too much to him in the final stretch of this season.

In other news, Leeds must prioritise a permanent move for Jack Harrison this summer…

With Wolves unbeaten in their last five Premier League games, it would appear that Nuno Santo has engineered somewhat of a revival at Molineux.

After the defeat to West Brom last month, fears of relegation started to be talked about at Wolves. However, they have shaken off those concerns by responding in an emphatic fashion over the last few weeks.

A win over Arsenal seemed to be the wake-up call that Nuno’s team needed but they are still struggling in one particular department; their attack.

The Old Gold did their best to strengthen that part of their squad in January. They had a bundle of targets but ultimately settled on Willian Jose following Raul Jimenez’s injury.

They secured the forward on loan from Real Sociedad with an option to buy him for £18m in the summer. However, after his first month at the club, it would be surprising if they saw his long-term future at Molineux.

Truth be told, Jose has been poor. He is yet to score for Wolves and his performance against Newcastle on Saturday was abject, to say the least. He completed just 11 passes and had fewer touches of the football than goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

The Brazilian has offered very little in the way of a presence in attack and perhaps, Jeff Shi and Nuno chose to sign the wrong player in January.

It would take a bold man at Wolves to admit that was the case but when they were chasing someone like Olivier Giroud, well,it is night and day in terms of form between him and Jose.

Chelsea signed the powerful striker for £18m back in 2018 and although he’s not been too prolific, he’s come up with some golden moments in a Blues shirt.

He scored four goals against Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this term, a performance that Glenn Hoddle described as “out of this world.”

For a tall man, he is blessed with magical feet, something his overhead kick goal against Atletico Madrid last week testifies. He is supreme in the air but like Jimenez, is comfortable in possession of the ball.

He brings players into play like very few in the game. You only need to look at how influential he’s been for France. They won the World Cup with Giroud at the top of their attack but he didn’t have a single shot on target in the entire tournament. They primarily used him in order for Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann to make runs off him.

Dubbed the best target man in world football by Eden Hazard, even the very best appreciate his play style.

For Wolves, a player with his attributes would have been game-changing. They miss a presence in attack and Giroud offers that in abundance.

AND in other news, Forget Neves: Electrifying Wolves gem who managed 14 dribbles stole the show…

Alfredo Morelos scored his first goal in the Scottish Premiership since September to ensure Glasgow Rangers retained their 16-point lead at the top of the table with a 2-0 win away at St. Mirren going into Saturday’s Old Firm game.

Steven Gerrard’s side got off to a sluggish start before Kemar Roofe received a stroke of luck as his deflected effort sailed past helpless Mirren goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.

And Morelos capitalised on a mistake from Joe Shaughnessy to score his third league goal of the season in the first half to cap off what was a comfortable win in the end.

However, it wasn’t all rosy for Rangers, as Jim Goodwin’s side came close to scoring on several occasions, with Jonathan Obika having the better of the chances.

But the Gers’ defence prevailed, due in part to a defensive shift from Connor Goldson, who looked every inch the seasoned veteran as he kept Obika in his back pocket for most of the game.

While Morelos may have ended his goal drought stretching back to the 3-3 draw with Benfica in the Europa League, it was the performance of Goldson at the back that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

The 28-year-old has been in imperious form since the start of the season, as he scored a double against Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season, and had an absolutely monstrous game defensively against the Saints. The same can’t be said for Filip Helander but more on him later.

As per SofaScore, he was given a high grade of 7.6 out of ten for his efforts – he won six out of his seven duels overall (85%), made two tackles, blocked two shots, made a staggering seven clearances – more than any other player on the pitch including Morelos – and wasn’t dribbled past at all.

Comfortable at the back and confident in possession, Goldson looked great with the ball at his feet, provided 19 out of 24 passes (79%), only lost possession five times and produced three accurate long balls from nine attempts.

GlasgowLive awarded him with a similar rating of 8/10 and claimed he ‘kept Jon Obika under wraps on a comfortable afternoon’ while Rangers News seemed to agree, insisting ‘St. Mirren looked to pressure the Rangers star and stop him spraying passes forward but Goldson never let it affect his game as he enjoyed a successful night.’

With a clash with Celtic on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better for Gerrard, who will be well aware his side will have to be at their very best if they are to beat the Bhoys for the second time this season.

Morelos got himself on the scoresheet with the weekend’s Old Firm fixture no doubt playing on his mind but the centre-back deserves immense credit for his defensive shift to ensure the Gers kept a fourth consecutive clean sheet in a row.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard must drop Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent after rapid decline in form…

According to The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal, Sheffield Wednesday have approached Vladimir Ivic over the vacant managerial role at Hillsborough Stadium.

It’s claimed that representatives from the Owls made an enquiry to the unemployed 43-year-old boss at the end of December, around the time in which Tony Pulis was sacked after only 45 days at the helm.

The Serbian has been out of work since being fired himself at Championship rivals, Watford, though it is thought that he has remained in the UK, instead of returning to his home in Greece.

It is also thought that several teams have approached him across England and the Middle East, and Ivic is merely waiting for the right opportunity.

His short time at the Hornets should tell Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri all he needs to know about why this is a move that should be left at that approach.

Do not pursue him any more.

Ivic was described as “hard as nails, ruthless and a tough nut” upon his arrival at Vicarage Road in the summer, but that evidently didn’t correlate into results on the pitch.

He won nine of 20 matches, leaving them in fifth place but if the hierarchy at Watford didn’t think he was capable of leading them to glory with one of the most expensive squads in the division, then what’s to say he’d be fit for a relegation dogfight?

‘His overly defensive tactics have been unpopular with Watford fans, though, and the team’s style of play has not been easy on the eye,’ wrote the Guardian after his sacking.

Chansiri’s history with appointments should also provide clues into why Ivic should be avoided. Yes, there was a successful stint with Carlos Carvalhal, where the Owls finished in the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns, but his successor Jos Luhukay was some sort of antichrist to that.

Under the Dutchman, they finished in their lowest position in four seasons in 15th, and before the same could be repeated, he was sacked by Christmas.

What the Owls need is someone experienced not only this level, but in keeping teams up. 20 games at Watford isn’t going to be enough to convince you otherwise.

When there are candidates like Paul Cook out there, a man who would have achieved back-to-back survival bids at Wigan but for a points deduction, then names like Ivic shouldn’t be considered.

It’s heading down an all too familiar and dangerous path.

If Chansiri is to listen to his advisors on this one, then Wednesday are on the verge of disaster.

AND in other news, 31 y/o “midfield enforcer” could be a game-changer for Sheffield Wednesday

Well, Slaven Bilic’s job at West Brom just got a whole lot harder and if reports are to be believed, this latest blow will do his future at the Hawthorns no favours at all.

According to the Telegraph’s John Percy, the Croatian is fighting to keep his job going into this weekend’s crunch match with Newcastle United and it is thought that another embarrassment in the Premier League could see the Albion hierarchy finally pull the trigger.

And the Baggies’ chances up at St James’ Park have taken a major dent after Matheus Pereira’s suspension was upheld after appeal.

The 24-year-old enigma was sent off in the 34th minute of Sunday’s 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace after appearing to kick out at Patrick van Aanholt when going down under a challenge.

Referee Paul Tierney initially handed him a yellow card before VAR encouraged him to overturn his decision by checking the monitor. After one glance, he upgraded his decision to a red.

Now, Bilic is without Pereira for the next three games. Not good when you’re fighting to keep your job without your biggest star.

The £11.7m-rated attacking midfielder, who earns around £30k-per-week in the west Midlands, is one of Albion’s most influential players – last season, he delivered eight goals and 20 assists on their way to clinching promotion.

And this term, in ten appearances, the Brazilian sensation has already contributed to three goals whilst averaging 2.3 key passes, 1.7 shots and 1.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

No other member of the Baggies squad is managing even half the number of key passes of Pereira whilst he also tops the charts for dribbles and shots, so evidently, there will now be a massive void to fill. An almost irreplaceable one at that.

Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews named him as his Player of the Year last season, claiming: “I’m going to go for Pereira because I have been blown away by his skill, his ability on the ball, the way he takes the game to the opposition and the vision he has. He is such an all-round attacking player and isn’t just one type of No 10. I think he is at his best in the centre, but we have seen him play from the right and the left, too.”

Whilst Portuguese football journalist Tom Kundert labelled Pereira an “absolute steal” at the time of his initial arrival at the Hawthorns.

Indeed, Bilic could suffer greatly from this devastating decision. If not now, then against Man City or arch-rivals Aston Villa. This is potentially his biggest nightmare since taking the helm at the Baggies.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit questions West Brom’s potential £150m takeover…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has been discussing the latest injury blow at Liverpool.

The Reds have endured an injury-hit season thus far, with first-choice centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both currently sidelined, whilst the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Joel Matip and Fabinho have all missed a lot of games.

Despite this, Jurgen Klopp’s side are still challenging at the top of the table, and have the chance to go top if they can beat current leaders Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, the Merseyside club will be without Diogo Jota, after the Portuguese forward picked up an injury in the recent 1-1 draw against FC Midtjylland. Klopp confirmed on Sunday that the summer addition will be out for 6-8 weeks, which is undoubtedly a blow when you consider how impressive he has been since joining in the summer, with nine Liverpool goals to his name already.

Here’s what Palmer had to say about the latest injury setback when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast…

“It’s a massive blow. I mean, they’ve got six or seven key players out with long-term injuries and that’s a problem. You know you’re going to pick up injuries and you know players are going to be out for a certain amount of time but they’ve got key players out with long-term injuries which is a massive problem.

“They’ve spent heavily on Jota, they’ve spent £45 million on him, so that is a blow in itself for them.”

Palmer certainly seems to think that the injury to Jota is a big blow for Klopp’s side, especially when you consider the number of first-team players currently out injured.

Fortunately for the Reds, they still have a world-class attacking trio in Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, so they will definitely still be able to cause Jose Mourinho’s side problems on Wednesday, despite Jota being missing.

It has been suggested that the former Wolves man could be out until February, so considering the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino have struggled to perform at times this season, perhaps we will see the Merseyside club bring in a replacement for Jota during the upcoming January transfer window.

And, in other news… LFC handed huge transfer blow in pursuit of 20 y/o “gem” likened to Kai Havertz…

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Reading defender Omar Richards, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, we told you about Roy Hodgson’s interest in Royals skipper Liam Moore. Now, it turns out the Eagles have turned their attention to his teammate as well.

According to The Reading Chronicle, Palace face stiff competition from Premier League rivals West Ham for his signature.

It’s claimed that Hodgson’s side have a long-standing interest in the former England U21 international, as they have been keeping close tabs on the situation for some time.

Sign him up!

Let’s face it, Palace have the oldest squad in the Premier League, which has become a bit of a problem in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, having an experienced defence isn’t always a bad thing, as Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva has impressed for Chelsea, but there will come a point where they will have to start planning for the future.

To compound the problem even further, several Palace players are out of contract in the summer, including defenders such as Scott Dann, Gary Cahill, Martin Kelly and Mamadou Sakho, as well as academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell, who has made six appearances in the Premier League so far.

Palace fans will have to wait and see if Mitchell will decide to try his luck elsewhere instead, as Hodgson has backed the left-back to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Meanwhile, HLTCO regular Dan Cook believes “the vultures will begin to circle” as the uncertainty surrounding his future at Selhurst Park continues to build.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that the 22-year-old would be the perfect replacement for Mitchell.

Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by former Reading boss Mark Bowen, the £1.35m-rated ace has played seven games in the Championship this season, whilst he has made 2.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Mitchell has only managed fewer than one interception in the Premier League so far, as per WhoScored.

Whether Richards is a one season wonder or not, it’s surely worth the risk anyway, especially when you take into account the fact that he could be available for a cut-price deal as his contract is set to expire next year. Get it done Eagles, whilst you still can.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction audacious swoop for Crystal Palace target Liam Moore in January…

Celtic are far from having an ideal 2020/21 season. Despite still being in good stead to lift another Premiership title at the end of the campaign, they have slipped out of favour as Rangers continue to dominate.

Not only have the Bhoys struggled to perform in the Premiership, but their Europa League run has left a lot to be desired too. They are currently bottom of their group, having picked up just one point so far.

Neil Lennon has a lot of things to consider as he moves forward with his team and one glaring problem is his defence. For a side that conceded just 19 goals in 30 matches last season, Celtic have already shipped ten this time round, with not even half of the games played.

The manager opted to drop new signing Vasilis Barkas after some questionable performances in the net. Scott Bain is now Lennon’s first choice goalkeeper, but even he is proving to be having a difficult time.

Celtic should have moved for Joe Hart

The Hoops were linked to some big names over the summer and managed to retain some of their own, for example, star striker Odsonne Edouard. But they really missed a trick by not signing Joe Hart, who was linked to a move to Celtic Park before his surprise transfer to Spurs.

The club were hoping to agree terms for a permanent deal for Fraser Forster, but nothing came to fruition on that front. Hart is currently valued at just £2.1million, which will be easy money for Peter Lawwell to scrape together. However, the club could’ve bagged the former Manchester City man for free, who joined Spurs as a free agent following the expiration of his Burnley terms.

Having won the FA Cup and two Premier League titles with City, Hart is definitely a player who knows how to win. The 33-year-old was once a huge fan favourite too, often lauded for his cat-like reflexes in between the sticks. He picked up some extremely positive comments in 2015 during City’s Champions League run. One fan labelled him a “beast” in the goal after saving a Borussia Monchengladbach penalty.

Hart may have fallen down the pecking order as he has aged, but his experience would be a huge asset to Lennon’s struggling defence. The shot-stopper’s current contract has just two years on it, so a deal could be struck next season, however, Lawwell really dropped the ball by not sanctioning off a move when he was available for free.

In other news, Celtic must consider revisiting talks with Ryan Sessegnon as attacking options become a worry…

Despite beating Lincoln City 7-2 on Thursday evening, there wasn’t really all that much to talk about after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup fixture this week.

However, one thing that did catch the eye was Marko Grujic’s first Liverpool goal, four years after signing for the Reds, and while the Serbian is something of a forgotten man at Anfield these days, he did catch the eye against the Imps.

Due to how stacked the Reds are in midfield these days, it seems unlikely that the 24-year-old is going to be all that prominent in Jurgen Klopp’s plans this season, and with Thursday’s goalscorer consistently being linked with a move away, it’s possible that he may not even be here beyond this transfer window.

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However, if the Reds do opt to keep him, they may end up uncovering a player who can add a lot of value to the side.

Now, we’re not tipping him to follow in Jordan Henderson’s footsteps in winning a footballer of the year award, nor are we saying that he has the technical capabilities of Thiago Alcantara, but he is quite similar to another of Liverpool’s midfielders who may need replacing in the near future.

James Milner has built a career out of being a jack of all trades and a hard worker, and Grujic seems to be of a similar mould.

The Serbian didn’t really excel anywhere statistically last term, but he was steady across all areas, putting in 1.9 tackles per game, 0.8 interceptions and 2.3 clearances while also having a decent attacking output with 1.5 shots per game and 5 goals to his name.

That statistical makeup is eerily similar to what Milner was putting up during his first season at Anfield with the same goal tally coming off of 0.1 fewer shots per game, while the defensive output is also strikingly similar with Milner putting up 4.8 combined tackles, clearances and interceptions per game, while Grujic had 5 last term.

A Milner-esque player is a great addition for any team, and with Grujic previously proving that he’s willing to put in the effort to impress Jurgen Klopp with extra gym sessions, the Reds could have a ready-made replacement right under their noses.