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Championship leaders Leeds United host second-placed Norwich City at Elland Road on Saturday evening, and Whites fans on Twitter are expecting manager Marcelo Bielsa to leave Jack Clarke out of the starting XI.

The 18-year-old only made his league debut for the Yorkshire outfit back at the start of October against Brentford, but he has come on leaps and bounds since then and having made a significant impact from the substitutes’ bench, has even been included in the team from the start on occasions in recent weeks.

That included last weekend’s 2-1 win over local rivals Rotherham United at the New York Stadium, although the in-form teenager, who has two goals and one assist in his previous seven Championship outings, as per Transfermarkt, was taken off at half-time against the Millers.

In addition, with Pontus Jansson back from suspension and Barry Douglas set to be available, as per the Yorkshire Post, after injury having featured for the U23s earlier this week, Bielsa has some big selection decisions to make, with the potential return of the latter potentially leading to Ezgjan Alioski moving back to his preferred role on the wing.

With Tyler Roberts and Jack Harrison also impressing recently, not to mention Pablo Hernandez, there is certainly fierce competition for places in the attacking positions right now.

Leeds supporters have taken to social media to have their say on who they think could drop out of the side, and these individuals think it will be the youngster with one saying they “think Clarke will get dropped”.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

It’s been a tough 24 hours for Chelsea fans, with news emerging – via the Telegraph – that Eden Hazard could be ready to tell Chelsea that he wants to leave the club at the end of the season. Losing the Belgian would be a hammer blow for the club, given just how important he’s been to the Blues since his arrival back in 2012 

Make no mistake, Chelsea will be worse off without Hazard in the team. There’s no way around that.

However, it’s not all bad. Whilst most will likely be worrying about the prospect of replacing him, it’s becoming somewhat clear that they may already have the ideal replacement – Christian Pulisic.

Of course, Pulisic is set to move to Chelsea this summer from Borussia Dortmund, and whilst he hasn’t had the incredible season that Hazard has enjoyed this term, that doesn’t mean that the American isn’t up to the task.

Indeed, he shares many of the same traits as Chelsea’s Belgian maestro. He’s quick and agile, he’s a fantastic dribbler, and he’s at his best when cutting in and driving towards goal from the left-hand side of the attack.

His qualities were on display for Dortmund on Tuesday evening against Werder Bremen, where the American bagged a brilliant goal in extra-time. Picking the ball up around the half-way line, he ducked and dived and passed the ball around – and finished the move with a brilliant deft finish into the bottom corner. If he was wearing a blue shirt, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was Eden Hazard himself.

Is he the finished article? Certainly not, but he’s getting there, and it makes no sense for Chelsea to spend big bringing someone else in if Pulisic can do the same job. Throw in Callum Hudson-Odoi, Wilian and Pedro – and Chelsea have enough to cover Hazard’s loss.

Thoughts?

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According to L’Equipe, (via Daily Echo) Southampton attempted to sign Paris Saint-Germain youngster Colin Dagba on loan during the January transfer window.

What’s the story, then?

Dagba was a late substitute in PSG’s 2-0 win over Manchester United in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash on Tuesday night.

It was the 20-year-old’s seventh PSG appearance of the season, although just four of those have come in Ligue 1.

Southampton made a loan approach during the January window but it was not a surprise to see the French champions keep hold of the youngster, considering that he is now seemingly back in favour.

Indeed, Dagba was not involved in a single Ligue 1 squad between September 29 and February 3, but is back in favour having appeared against Bordeaux in the league before the clash with United at Old Trafford.

Could Southampton return this summer?

Much will depend on just how much football Dagba receives at PSG in the final months of the 2018-2019 campaign.

The right-back turned out for Boulogne between 2013 and 2016 before moving to PSG, where he was a regular with their B team ahead of his debut for the senior side earlier this season.

Dagba played the full 90 minutes in both of PSG’s first two league matches earlier this season, but has found it difficult for minutes since.

There is absolutely no question that he is a talent, though, and it is not too difficult to understand why Southampton were said to be interested.

It will be tough to sign him this summer if he is back in favour, but a potential loan move for next season is not beyond the realms of possibility.

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According to The Liverpool Echo, Everton are reportedly growing increasingly confident that Henry Onyekuru will be lining up for them next season after what will be two years out on loan.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Liverpool Echo report that the Merseyside club have been unable to utilise their 2017 summer signing because of ineligibility issues, which means the 21-year-old has spent time out on loan at Anderlecht, and now Galatasaray this term.

However, The Liverpool Echo report that the Toffees are hopeful the Nigeria international will finally be able to obtain a work permit at the end of the season, and they believe they have a robust case to present to the Football Association.

As per the same report, Marco Silva has also confirmed that the club is keeping tabs on the exciting attacker’s performances in Turkey.

He said: “Yes, we are doing our work and are aware of everything he is doing.

“It is the same with all of our loan players and at the end of the season we will take a decision.”

Could he start for Everton next season?

Should he get his work permit, then there is certainly no reason why he wouldn’t be competing for a spot in Silva’s XI.

Onyekuru showed just how good and dangerous he can be with 30 goals and 11 assists in 60 appearances for Eupen – despite playing out wide – prior to his move to Goodison Park, while he has also netted an impressive nine times in 19 Super Lig matches for Galatasaray this term.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

With the likes of Bernard, Ademola Lookman and Theo Walcott not putting in consistently good performances on the wing for Everton there certainly looks to be a chance for the 21-year-old African to make his mark, and he may well get it if the Merseyside outfit are proved right with their confidence about him soon being eligible.

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According to Calciomercato, Serie A side Napoli are set to make goalkeeper David Ospina’s loan switch from Arsenal a permanent transfer.

What’s the story?

The Colombian shot-stopper is thought to be keen on making his stay at the Italian club a permanent one, and the Gunners are apparently happy to see the 30-year-old go.

Ospina arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Nice in the summer of 2014, and made over 70 appearances for the club in all competitions over the next four seasons – winning two FA Cups in his time in England. Before the start of this current Premier League campaign he was allowed to join Napoli on a temporary agreement.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Clearly there is no place for the 93-cap Colombia international in Unai Emery’s plans, and his future almost certainly lies away from Arsenal.

A replacement in mind

Emery must find a new goalkeeper this summer though. Not only does Ospina look set to leave, but veteran ‘keeper Petr Cech has also announced that he is going to retire at the end of this season.

That would leave Bernd Leno as the only established, experienced goalkeeper at the Emirates Stadium. The German is currently Emery’s first choice but there have been visible flaws in his game this season. 

Allowing Ospina to leave, rather than return to provide back up for Leno, suggests that Emery already has a replacement for this role in mind. That could mean that the Gunners enter the market for a new glovesman this summer, or 26-year-old Argentine Emiliano Martinez – currently on loan at Reading – could finally be given his chance to properly compete for the No. 1 spot.

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Having been defeated by Manchester United in the absence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mamadou Sakho on Wednesday, Crystal Palace travel north to face Burnley this weekend and will have the former back for the clash at Turf Moor.

Joel Ward deputised in Wan-Bissaka’s stead and, while the former Portsmouth man scored a brilliant diving header, the impressive 20-year-old’s return will be a huge boost for the Eagles.

The Selhurst Park outfit lacked leadership at the back without Sakho though and will have to start organising themselves a bit better, as the Frenchman ‘had an operation in Paris on Thursday and will need time to recover’.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The 29-year-old has been a huge hit at SE25 since completing a permanent move from Liverpool in the summer 0f 2017 and, should he be ruled out for a considerable length of time, will be a huge loss to Roy Hodgson’s side.

Palace fans on Twitter weren’t sure how to react on Twitter, with some glad that Wan-Bissaka will be back in the fold while others fretted over Sakho…

Real quality players in midtable sides often stands out far more than their top-half counterparts, for the simple fact they are the usually the ones carrying the team, and West Ham United is no different.

It certainly has not been the greatest of seasons for the Hammers, who are currently in a period of transition following the unrest of the previous three years.

The fans very publicly criticised the club’s owners last season, and whether we agree with their methods or not, they were successful.

The boardroom invested and, for the most part, invested well.

Former Manchester City boss and Premier League winner Manuel Pellegrini was recruited to head the team, a far better candidate than David Moyes, we are sure you will agree, and the transfer record was broken on Felipe Anderson, who has done well in his debut season.

But more could definitely be done.

We mentioned Felipe Anderson before, and for some, he would be considered West Ham’s ‘star’ player, but for us, it has got to be Declan Rice.

Introducing Rice to the senior squad was one of the few things David Moyes got right during his tenure at the club and we have got to say his successor, Manuel Pellegrini, has hugely benefitted from it.

The 20-year-old really came of age this year in the defensive midfield role, shining above any other player in the team as the most influential.

It is the consistency of his play that really gets us. Time and time again we have seen him orchestrating play in the central role; simple, safe football, with a greater plan in mind.

He knows his strengths and he has played to them.

The high-profile battle between England and Ireland to secure international services really is a testament to how good he is.

[ad_pod ]Ravel Morrison has sent a heartfelt message to Darren Moore on Twitter after he was sacked by West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

The Ostersunds man has been something of an outspoken figure throughout his football career having been at eight clubs by the age of 26.

However, his latest comments are certainly positive and will be well received even though he never played with or worked under the coach.

The former West Ham United and Manchester United man clearly had a lot of respect for the job the 44-year-old was doing at The Hawthorns as one of the few black managers in the English game, and there are of course many people saying the decision was unfair given the Baggies were lying fourth in the Championship standings at the time.

Morrison wrote on Twitter: “Darren Moore you did an amazing Job with WBA, you can hold your head very high as you proved so many doubters wrong. Respect.”

West Brom fans will want to cover their ears for the video below…

It remains to be seen where Moore ends up next, but the way he turned the west Midlands outfit’s fortunes around prior to relegation from the Premier League and with some of the football the club played in the Championship, offers shouldn’t be in short supply.

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Unai Emery has continued Arsenal’s tradition of blooding in the next generation of academy talent into the senior squad, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of that policy so far.

What’s the word?

Arsenal were in thoroughly professional form against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon as they clinched a 2-0 victory to move back into the top-four.

It was a complete team performance littered with fine individual displays, and BBC pundit Garth Crooks was eager to pay tribute to two players in his team of the week column, namely Maitland-Niles and Sokratis.

The former Ipswich loanee started the game at right-wing-back and put in an accomplished display to help nullify the threat offered by Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw, and Crooks claimed that he cut a significantly more mature figure than the one who struggled to cope with big games earlier in the season.

‘I’ve seen Ainsley Maitland-Niles play in big games before and struggle but not on this occasion. His performance against a leggy Manchester United showed signs of a player maturing nicely.

‘He looked solid in defence and always very composed on the ball. I get the feeling that Unai Emery may have put the reins on this lad and possibly the blinkers too.’

A player transformed by Emery?

The first thing to note about the 21-year-old’s development under Emery is the position in which he has been deployed. Arsene Wenger utilised the prodigy’s versatility and deployed him in a handful of different midfield and defensive roles, but the Spaniard has been consistent in playing him on the right.

So far that new sense of clarity regarding where Maitland-Niles’ role in the team lies seems to have stimulated an improvement in the player’s understanding of what is expected of him and how it correlates to the players around him.

As Crooks has alluded to, the England under-21 international has looked composed and solid this season, and that is largely down to Emery’s decision to hand him a clearly defined role within the side.

And, if he continues to match the level of performance he showed against United on Sunday, there is no doubt he can step up another level and establish himself as a regular in the starting XI in 2019.

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It would be fair to say that the West Bromwich Albion fans were delighted with Sam Johnstone’s performance against Swansea City on Wednesday night.

The Baggies recorded a 3-0 victory on home soil, with Chris Brunt, Mason Holgate and Jay Rodriguez finding the back of the net in the Championship affair.

The West Brom fans loved the display of Brunt, but they were also thrilled with how Johnstone performed at the Hawthorns.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old made seven saves and there were a few absolute crackers in there, with Swansea somehow failing to find the back of the net.

Johnstone joined West Brom from Manchester United in last summer’s transfer window and has managed just seven clean sheets in the Championship this term, which isn’t fantastic.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

His performance against Swansea, though, was very impressive indeed.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Brom fans can be seen below: