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Celtic will be looking to continue their march towards the domestic treble this season as they play in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup today.

The Hoops face off against their arch-rivals in the clash at Hampden this afternoon as they compete for a place in the final of the competition.

Ange Postecoglou’s men have already secured the League Cup trophy this season and are currently six points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Their lead over Rangers in the league has put them in a terrific position to reclaim the title and they can now pile the misery on them with a win in this latest Old Firm matchup.

One change will be enforced upon the Australian head coach for this match as Gio Giakoumakis has been ruled out through injury.

This leaves a spot at the top end of the pitch and Kyogo Furuhashi must be unleashed from the start to take the Greek international’s place.

Ahead of the match, John Hartson has backed the forward to start: “I think he’ll be dying to get back on the scoresheet.

“He’s such an enthusiastic and quality player. What an impact he made before he got injured.”

This is not the first time the ex-Hoops striker has praised the Japan international, as he previously said:

“There is no doubt Celtic have landed someone quite special in Kyogo. His movement is outstanding.

“It was a pity he couldn’t get more involved against Rangers, but when he moved into the central role, he was an absolute menace to their defence.”

Postecoglou must heed his advice and start the centre-forward as he proved earlier in the season that he has a keen eye for goal. He has found the back of the net 16 times in 27 matches for the club in all competitions, including eight goals in 12 cup matches in the Europa League and League Cup.

Kyogo has also delivered 1.1 key passes per game and created four ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, which shows that he is able to link up the play and create openings for his teammates as well as scoring the goals.

This shows that he has the quality to be the difference-maker in this Old Firm clash. He has the ability to score goals at this level and will be able to punish Rangers if the Celtic midfield are able to provide him with the service he needs to do his damage in the final third.

AND in other news, Huge blow: Celtic dealt late Rangers injury setback, Ange Postecoglou will be fuming…

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has shared some behind-the-scenes news from Aston Villa’s Premier League triumph over Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side recorded a historic victory over United at Old Trafford thanks to a late header from Kortney Hause, and unsurprisingly, had everyone involved with the club absolutely buzzing.

In response to a question from a fan for The Birmingham Mail, Preece shared a bit of news on the kind of atmosphere developing at Villa Park.

He said: “Hi, thanks for getting involved. Squad chemistry is brilliant at present; even Jaden Philogene-Bidice went down from the directors’ box to the dressing room to celebrate. El Ghazi was full of love for Hause on social media as well. It’s just a brilliant dressing room; everyone bouncing off each other.

“We’re going to need the squad over the season, especially the hectic festive period. We’ve got the FA Cup to come while Traore and Nakamba are on AFCON duty in January. Loads of football to play. Players must keep standards high in training to impress Smith.”

Fans will love it

Make no mistake about it, after a mixed start to the Premier League season saw them come away with disappointing results to the likes of Watford and Brentford, Villa have picked up some much-needed momentum with their United triumph.

Smith’s side have had to contend with injury and illness issues too, so the fact that things are coming together on the pitch is a major plus for them going forward, especially when you consider they have still only seen a brief glimpse of the magic that Leon Bailey can bring to the table.

Preece’s news that the dressing room is on cloud nine and everyone is pulling in the same direction should be no real surprise after their win at Old Trafford, but it does bode very well for the future and their game against Spurs at the weekend.

Villa fans will surely love this latest update.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa found a “ridiculous bargain” in this star…

Crystal Palace are one of the clubs interested in a late move for Manchester United winger Daniel James, according to Alan Nixon of The Sun.

And a number of Palace supporters have been reacting to the links on social media.

Phil Hay admitted on Sunday morning that Leeds have a long-standing interest in James and Nixon added that Leeds, Palace, Brighton and Everton are in the hunt for the Wales international.

The Eagles and Whites have of course already gone head to head once this summer in the race for Conor Gallagher.

James, on £52,000-a-week at Old Trafford, is thought to be free to leave after Cristiano Ronaldo re-joined the Red Devils.

The 23-year-old was in line to receive a new United contract earlier in the window but could now depart on loan or on a permanent, should the right approach come in.

Palace are in the market for a winger who can operate from the right, a position James has featured in on 61 occasions, but the Eagles will need to pip a number of fellow top-flight sides, should they wish to bring him to London.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Nixon’s claims regarding James on Twitter. This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply, with many wanting the club to act.

“Cancel Mateta’s loan. Bring in Edouard and Nketiah. Bring in Dan James. 10/10 window.”

Credit: @liamb0117

“Would love it if we could land him”

Credit: @BoyceDrew

“Get him”

Credit: @cpfcboiling

“Yes please”

Credit: @StewFuller82

“I’ll take this 100%”

Credit: @BRL__18

“I’d Deffo Take Him ”

Credit: @Djamel__1997

In other news: Many Palace fans buzz at links to Paris Saint-Germain ace. 

Rangers will be hoping to return to winning ways as they face Livingston in the Scottish League Cup on Wednesday night.

The Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, which came just after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League.

Steven Gerrard will surely be hoping for an improvement from his side after the draw with Motherwell, with a place in the semi-final up for grabs tonight.

How many changes will Gerrard make? Here is our predicted XI for the match…

We are predicting that he will make six changes, with Leon Balogun, Jon McLaughlin, Calvin Bassey, Juninho Bacuna and Alfredo Morelos coming in.

Between the sticks, we are predicting that Jon McLaughlin will be given a run-out ahead of Allan McGregor. Rotating the goalkeepers between the different competitions could help to keep the squad morale high in the Rangers squad, rather than having players unhappy at a lack of game time.

We published an article explaining why £3.1k-per-week dud Jack Simpson must be axed, with Leon Balogun replacing him in the XI.

Next to Balogun, however, we are predicting that Calvin Bassey will come in to give Borna Barisic a rest. The Croatian could sit this one out to ensure that he is 100% fit for the clash with Dundee at the weekend.

In midfield, we believe that Juninho Bacuna will be handed a start. He made his debut for Rangers as a substitute against Motherwell, opening the door for him to be placed in the starting XI for this match. It could be an ideal chance for him to show Gerrard that he deserves to be playing in the Premiership week-in-week-out.

The final change we are predicting is at the top end of the pitch. Whilst Kemar Roofe and Scott Wright keep their places, Alfredo Morelos comes in for Fashion Sakala. The Colombian international has only scored once in five Premiership appearances this term and is in desperate need of a confidence boost, which is why we believe Gerrard will start him in this match in the hope that he will finally hit the goal trail.

AND in other news, Fresh development emerges on “instrumental” gem that’ll excite Rangers supporters…

An update has emerged on Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, regarding Leeds’ interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Whites are eyeing up a potential January swoop for the England international to bolster their squad.

The report claims Burnley and Newcastle are also looking at the ex-Everton midfielder, with Chelsea set to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge.

Hernandez 2.0

Leeds chief Victor Orta could find the new Pablo Hernandez by securing a deal to sign Barkley in January, finding a creative magician to open up doors for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the Premier League.

Hernandez, who left Leeds in the summer, has a career average of 2.9 key passes and dribbles completed per game, showing how he is consistently able to be a creative force in the final third. He has the ability to dribble past players and set up chances for his teammates, which is something Barkley could also bring to Elland Road.

The 27-year-old Chelsea midfielder has a career average of 3.1 key passes and dribbles per game, which is particularly impressive given these statistics are taken from his performances for Chelsea, Everton and England in the top-flight and in Europe.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer lauded the £100k-per-week wizard’s talents whilst he was on loan at Aston Villa last season. He told The BBC:

“Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

This highlights the quality he could provide Leeds on the pitch, with one of the league’s greats hailing him as a match-winner at his best. Barkley could come in and add some extra creativity to Bielsa’s side and offer him the chance to change formation to accommodate a number 10, or mould him into a central midfielder who will work hard for the side whilst also offering quality on the ball.

Orta must now ensure that he can beat the likes of Burnley and Newcastle to win Barkley’s signature in the winter market. If he can then Leeds could have another diminutive creator to enjoy watching week-in-week-out, just as they did with Hernandez.

AND in other news, Phil Hay drops key update on “top-class” Leeds wizard that’ll delight supporters…

Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Dusan Vlahovic recently, as Pep Guardiola’s side continue their search for a Sergio Aguero replacement.

What’s the word?

It was claimed that the Citizens could consider a move for the Fiorentina forward this summer as they continue to be frustrated in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

However, the Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee has now dispelled any of those rumours, suggesting on Twitter that the Serbian is not a target for Guardiola’s side this summer.

Although he is obviously a world-class striker, it seems strange that City are so deadset on singing Kane this summer, especially considering Daniel Levy’s stance on his situation at the North London club, and Vlahovic could have been a superb alternative.

Would Vlahovic have been a good signing for Man City?

Fans might point to the 5-0 victory against Norwich City on Saturday afternoon and suggest that a striker maybe isn’t needed, but in reality, the Canaries were awful and if Guardiola’s side want to retain the title this season then they might just need a top-quality forward to lead the line.

Vlahovic’s performances in recent seasons suggest that he would score a lot of goals for City, whilst at 21-years-old, he has a huge amount of potential and time to adapt to the Premier League.

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Last season saw the Serbian forward contribute 21 goals in 37 Seria A appearances for Fiorentina, averaging a solid 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Serie A expert Conor Clancy was full of praise for the young striker when speaking to ThisisFutbol recently, saying:

“[He’s] Incredible, and it really caught me by surprise because I’d seen him play in the flesh a few times and he scored a great goal against Inter and there was a lot of hype in Florence about him. People were saying this guy’s the real deal and I just couldn’t see it.”

“He’s just a complete number nine and I know it’s just off the back of one season, but he’s strong, can link play up, can hold the ball up and most importantly, he’s scoring goals. He’s one of those players that when he looks confident, you almost expect him to score every time he plays.”

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Therefore, it seems as if Vlahovic would have been an excellent addition to Guardiola’s squad, and Man City fans will surely be gutted with this update from Sam Lee, especially if the Citizens fail in their attempts to bring Kane to the Etihad before the window shuts.

And, in other news… Man City handed huge boost with “world-class” beast, Txiki must deliver

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Hlozek…

As widely reported in recent months, the Czech Republic international is a striker West Ham and manager David Moyes have been keeping tabs on as the January transfer window opens for business.

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Indeed, Football Insider claimed just before the new year that the Irons, and by extension recruitment chief Rob Newman, made an early approach for Hlozek to find out what it would take to win the race for his signature.

They believe that Sparta could demand around £16-20 million for West Ham to sign him mid-season with The Daily Mail reporting since then that Hlozek is still firmly on the club’s radar.

Sharing an update, Jones has made a claim to GiveMeSport as he backs their interest further.

The Latest: Jones makes Hlozek claim…

Speaking to GMS, he says that West Ham are ‘definitely’ eyeing a move for the 19-year-old sensation who they like a lot.

However, he also claims his valuation could well be reason why they haven’t made their move yet.

“He is definitely somebody that’s on their radar and they like him a lot,” Jones explained.

“I can’t remember what his value is right now but I think that’s part of the concern of signing him at the moment.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham remain in the market for a player who can back up striker Michail Antonio, a move for Hlozek in January comes with both ups and downs.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by his agent Pavel Paska (90min), the teenage hot shot has certainly impressed since the beginning of 2020/2021 – racking up 21 goals and 24 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

These numbers at such a young age highlight his magnificent potential, but one red herring may well be that this comes in a far inferior division to the Premier League.

It remains a point of contention whether he could eventually replicate those numbers in England and there is an argument to be made he is more one for the future than the here and now.

West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky’s ties as co-owner of Sparta, however, could gift the club an advantage in the race for his signature.

We believe a swoop for Hlozek is certainly worth considering even despite the slight drawbacks.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer development, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest are one of the EFL’s most in form sides having lost just one league game in 2022 with Steve Cooper’s side very much in the picture for a playoff spot come the end of the season.

Having beaten Birmingham City 2-0 at the City Ground on Saturday, the Reds are now third in the Championship table and have an outside shot at sneaking into the automatic promotion places with second place Bournemouth six points ahead with seven games to go.

It’s been a marvellous turnaround for the East Midlands club under Steve Cooper, who has made a colossal impact in the Forest dugout, with the Welshman looking set to lead a side to a top-six finish for the third consecutive season.

The likes of Brennan Johnson, Lewis Grabban, Ryan Yates and Keinan Davis have all been fit and firing over the course of the season. However, Cooper’s talented squad could be further improved with the addition of U23s striker Will Swan who has enjoyed an impressive campaign in Premier League 2.

In the pipeline

21-year-old Swan has scored 12 goals and assisted a further four in 18 appearances for Forest in Premier League 2 this season and is certainly one of the youth setup’s hottest prospects.

The East Midlands outfit sit third in the second division of the Premier League youth league after an impressive campaign with the English striker’s goals a major contributing factor to their success.

Swan has had various loan spells without truly making the grade at Forest yet but the forward will undoubtedly be knocking on the door of Cooper.

The loan signing of Keinan Davis from Aston Villa in January certainly boosted the Welshman’s striking options, but at the same time limited the opportunities that could’ve been handed to Swan.

Although, if Davis isn’t to make his stay at the City Ground permanent in the summer, the 21-year-old could find a clear pathway to the first team next season.

The idea of having a lethal finisher like Swan linking up with the creativity of Brennan Johnson and James Garner would certainly be a mouth-watering concept for Forest fans.

They both have superb technical attributes and that’s where Swan thrives too, with journalist Josh Bunting hailing his “lovely” ability earlier this year.

Whether or not the young striker will be given an opportunity in the near future is yet to be seen though.

In other news: Cost £0, now worth £3.6m: Forest struck gold on “superb” gem likened to “Wolverine”

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones should be fit to return from an eye injury after the current international break, according to James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Midfield issues for Liverpool

The Reds were beaten 3-2 at West Ham on Sunday, with the midfield producing a lifeless performance for much of the game.

Jurgen Klopp has had constant injury problems in the middle of the park this season, which has seen him struggle to keep a rhythm in that area.

Jones is one of the midfielders currently sidelined, along with Naby Keita, James Milner and Harvey Elliott, but some positive news has emerged regarding the 20-year-old.

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The Latest: Pearce provides Jones update

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the West Ham game, Pearce claimed that Jones could be back in the fold for the Premier League clash with Arsenal on November 20, with him likely to have recovered from an eye issue by that point.

When asked if there was any update on the young midfielder, the journalist replied: “Curtis got a finger in the eye in training mate. Should be fine after the international break.”

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The Verdict: Much-needed boost for Reds

Last season Liverpool had a centre-back shortage and this time around it is midfield woes which threaten to derail their season, so this is undoubtedly good news.

Granted, Jones wouldn’t necessarily be guaranteed a place in the team if everyone was fit – he has only started three league games this season – but he gives Klopp a much-needed option and is a talented young player, as he illustrated by scoring against Brentford and providing an assist against Manchester City a week later.

The youngster may be lacking a bit in terms of match fitness to start against Arsenal but he could be a vibrant option to bring off the substitutes’ bench.

In other news, Pearce has talked up Liverpool’s potential interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

Celtic have the chance to make it to the final of the Scottish Cup this afternoon if they’re able to beat their Old Firm rivals Rangers in the semis.

The Hoops had a rather successful previous match last weekend, putting seven past St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Before that, Ange Postecoglou’s side faced off against Rangers, beating them at Ibrox and extending their lead at the top of the league table.

The two Glasgow clubs now meet again away from league duty to see which one will be in with a shout of securing the Scottish Cup.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start in the 7-0 win against St. Johnstone but did end up playing a big part in the game was Liel Abada, who should be included in Postecoglou’s the starting XI this time around.

After replacing Giorgos Giakoumakis with 27 minutes on the clock, Abada saw the game out to the end after the Greek striker picked up an injury.

With 35 touches of the ball in total against the Saints, the 20-year-old ended up completing 22 of the 25 passes he attempted as well as having four shots at goal in total.

The winger even managed to get his name on the scoresheet by grabbing Celtic’s final goal of the match, giving the Hoops’ goal difference what could prove to be an all-important boost.

Labelled as a “little superstar” by Nir Bitton and a “wonderful” player by Frank McAvennie, the Israel winger has been a deadly attacking force for the Bhoys all season.

Having scored 10 league goals in 32 league appearances, Abada is currently Celtic’s top scorer, proving that it didn’t take him long to settle into Scottish football after joining the Parkhead side last summer.

In addition to this, the £15k-per-week attacker has the fourth-highest number of shots at goal out of any player in the entire SPFL, including fellow Hoops attacker Kyogo Furuhashi, who has eight league goals to his name.

This shows how much of a threat he is going forward and what sort of problems he could cause Rangers.

With that in mind, it should very much be in Postecoglou’s thinking when putting his starting XI together to include Abada and unleash him against the Gers.

AND in other news: “Behind the scenes…”: Insider drops teasing Celtic claim, supporters will be buzzing