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Rangers travel to face St Mirren today as they look to reclaim their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership after Hearts leapfrogged them on Saturday.

The Gers are sat on 20 points and are currently behind Hearts on goal difference, with a draw against today’s opponents enough to see them move back to the top.

Steven Gerrard’s side come into the match off the back of a 2-0 win in the Europa League on Thursday night, with Leon Balogun and Kemar Roofe scoring the goals.

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

We are predicting that the head coach will bring four players into the side, with Jon McLaughlin, Calvin Bassey, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield taking up spots in the XI.

The first change we are predicting comes between the sticks. McLaughlin could come in for Allan McGregor as Gerrard rotates his goalkeepers. The 39-year-old academy product has started the last four games, which means that it could be time for McLaughlin to get the nod in goal.

At centre-back, Leon Balogun could miss out after Gerrard revealed that they will make a late decision with the Nigerian. He said:

“We will give Leon every chance for the weekend, he is still a doubt but not ruled out just yet.

“We will assess him as the day goes along and we will try and get him recovered.

“He has an outside chance for the weekend but we also have to analyse the risk so we will make a really late decision on that one but it is probably 50-50.”

This leaves a gaping hole next to Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey, a left-back by trade, could slot in as a makeshift option. He played at centre-back against Sparta Prague earlier this season and may be called upon again to cover for Balogun.

Glen Kamara watched on from the stands against Brondby due to his suspension and now returns to the fold for this clash with St. Mirren. Gerrard could axe 27-year-old John Lundstram from the team, after his struggles against Brondby, and start the Finland international in the heart of the midfield set-up.

We published an article explaining why Steven Davis should be taken out of the XI for Arfield. The Scottish-born Canadian deserves a chance to show what he can do from the start after an impressive cameo on Thursday night, which is why he should play alongside Joe Aribo and Kamara.

The front three may stay the same. Ianis Hagi, Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe could be given another opportunity to prove that they can function to a high level as a front three.

AND in other news, Forget Davis: Gerrard must unleash £16k-p/w Rangers beast who “shows fight”…

John Souttar can be an instant replacement for Connor Goldson at Rangers, Noel Whelan has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

The Daily Record have listed the Hearts defender as a possible option for Rangers, with Goldson looking ‘increasingly likely’ to leave Ibrox when his contract expires at the end of the season.

They claimed that Souttar’s preference would be a move to England, where he has at least 10 suitors, but as he ‘hasn’t ruled out’ staying in Scotland, the Gers could make a ‘final push’ to land him.

Like Goldson, the £900,000-rated 25-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

The latest

BBC Radio pundit Whelan is impressed that Rangers aren’t ‘wasting any time’ in lining up an able successor for Goldson, and he thinks that the Light Blues have accepted that the 29-year-old is headed for the exit door.

He outlined: “Connor Goldson doesn’t look like he’s going to sign a contract. There’s your replacement straight away.

“They’re not wasting any time in preparation for the start of next season. Connor Goldson obviously doesn’t want to sign another contract, he’s made that perfectly clear.

“They’ll probably see him to the end of the season. At the same time, they’re already targeting players that will come in and deputise for Connor Goldson when he does leave the club next summer.”

The verdict

If Rangers can persuade Souttar to choose them over any English suitors, will that minimise the impact of losing Goldson?

It’s worth noting that they’re different players. Goldson likes to play the ball short, whereas Souttar has a penchant for kicking it long, so either he would have to adapt to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s style, or the Dutchman would need to adapt to him.

His defensive fundamentals look to be on point, though. For instance, the Hearts centre-back has won 71% of his duels overall, a better record than Goldson.

Indeed, former Hibernian striker Tam McManus has seen enough to declare that the ‘superb’ Souttar ‘walks into both Old Firm teams’. Therefore, Whelan is right to talk up the 25-year-old as a readymade replacement for the seemingly exit-bound Goldson at Ibrox.

In other news, some Rangers fans bemoaned this transfer update

Newcastle United have been handed a major injury lift over Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier…

What’s the latest?

Eddie Howe has revealed that both players are likely to be back in action before the end of the campaign as they recover from their respective knocks.

The Magpies face off against Crystal Palace in the Premier League tonight and will be without the pair for now, but that may not be the case for much longer…

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery relayed an update from the coach’s press conference, Tweeting: “There are no fresh injury concerns from the late win over Leicester. Howe confirms Trippier and Wilson are still on track to play again this season.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The Toon faithful will be delighted with this update as it means that they are set to get the chance to watch both of them in action again this term.

Wilson being back will be a welcome return due to the goalscoring quality he provides at the top end of the pitch for Newcastle. Chris Wood was brought in during the January transfer window to cover for him but has only scored twice in 13 outings so far.

Despite him not playing since December, Wilson remains the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with six goals to his name in 14 starts. He is Howe’s biggest goal threat and the fans will want to see him poaching in the penalty box again before the end of the campaign – making St. James’ Park rock as he fires the ball into the back of the net.

Trippier, meanwhile, hit the ground running in January after joining from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid as he immediately showcased his quality. In four top-flight matches, the England international averaged a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.87.

In those games, he scored two goals and made a whopping six tackles and interceptions per game from full-back. He was able to provide strong defending at the back whilst also making himself a big threat in the final third with his ability from deadball situations.

His incredible performances in the short amount of time he has been able to represent Newcastle on the pitch surely left the supporters wanting more and that is why they will be buzzing to read that he will be back before the end of the season.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”…

Speaking live on Sky Sports, as shared by via skysports.com, reporter Dharmesh Sheth has dropped yet another West Ham United transfer update involving Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham hold talks…

As revealed by Sky, the Irons have entered discussions to sign Barbosa this month as they aim to put an end to manager David Moyes’ year-long search for a striker.

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The Brazil international has been in scintillating form for this current club, bagging 29 goals in 2021 alone, which has attracted interest from West Ham, Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman.

Reports in recent days had died down but now, speaking live on the Transfer Show, Sheth has made a promising claim with a possible West Ham move still on.

The Latest: Sheth drops big update…

Sheth stated to the broadcast giant that the Hammers’ offer to sign Barbosa is ‘still on the table’ with the player himself now eager to make a Premier League switch.

“West Ham’s offer is still on the table, it has not been withdrawn, the interest does remain,” he explained on Sky.

“A reminder of what that proposal was from West Ham, 18-month loan plus a 30 million euro option to buy.

“Flamengo do not want to sell or loan Gabriel Barbosa in this transfer window, but, I’m also told that ‘Gabigol’ has a meeting with his agent and Flamengo officials tomorrow, in which he will make it clear to them that he wants to make a move to England.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As news emerges of Barbosa potentially forcing his club’s hand, this could boost West Ham in their hunt for the 25-year-old and it’s safe to say he could be an asset for Moyes.

The South American’s prolific goalscoring record highlight a really instinctive centre-forward target and, if Moyes is to guide West Ham to Champions League qualification, it certainly won’t hurt to have him in their squad as an alternative to Michail Antonio.

It will be interesting to see how this develops and whether Flamengo will consider a loan/buy option given Barbosa’s stance on leaving Brazil.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Football pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to an update regarding Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Ornstein’s late-night news

The Brazil international was the subject of late interest in the January transfer window, with David Ornstein revealing on Monday evening that the club turned down three separate offers for the 23-year-old.

The most recent of those came on deadline day, with the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham all linked with the midfielder.

As we know, Luiz remained a Villa player past the deadline, with Ornstein adding that Villa now want to secure him to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in June 2023.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan, who regularly contributes as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update on Luiz. He believes that Villa have ‘the finances in place’ for a new contract and seemed to be all for a new deal, saying:

“Look, it’s all about performances and consistency. That’s when you earn the amount of money that you might be getting on a new contract.

“If you’re not playing regularly, then you don’t really have a leg to stand on.

“Douglas Luiz, 18 months, he has been consistently in the side and put in some great performances.

“They’ve got money, they’ve got all the finances in place and he’s been a player for them that has played continuously.

“If you’re going to be a top club playing at the top end of the league, you’ve got to have the squad that can handle that.”

The Verdict: Needed

Villa didn’t add to their midfield ranks last month despite showing an interest in Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, so a new contract for Luiz is crucial.

He has been a regular under Steven Gerrard, so failing to tie him down to a new deal before the summer will only add fuel to the fire over a possible departure when he enters the last 12 months of his contract.

Luiz has actually been the club’s second-best Premier League performer among players to have made more than three appearances, as per WhoScored, which just underlines his importance to the team, and the importance of securing his future without delay amid widespread interest in him.

In other news: ‘Hats off to the board’ – Sky Sports pundit purrs at ‘amazing’ out-of-the-blue Villa transfer news

Newcastle could potentially sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus for as little as £8.5m, according to Corrierre dello Sport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Transfermarkt actually value the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who still has more than 18 months left on his contract, at £27m; and he has been a regular for the Bianconeri, starting eight Serie A games and two Champions League matches under Max Allegri so far this season (via WhoScored).

Allegri’s predecessor Andrea Pirlo labelled Rabiot a ‘complete player’ with a rare mix of physical and technical gifts.

The latest

According to Corrierre dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the 25-year-old is said to be ‘on the way out’ of Juventus, with Newcastle very real candidates to sign him.

The report suggests that an offer of between €10m (£8.5m) and €15m (£12.8m) could be enough to persuade the Turin club to do a deal.

The verdict

It’s worth noting that, in the aforementioned interview, Pirlo admitted that ‘the mental side of things’ needed work with Rabiot, who has been accused of an ‘unacceptable’ lack of professionalism in the past.

For Newcastle and Eddie Howe, the opportunity to sign a player of his talent needs to be balanced against the risks of things turning sour.

It would admittedly be a real show of ambition to truly launch the PIF era. At the age of 26, has racked up a whopping 24 major honours in his career, and he’s playing for a marquee outfit in Juventus.

In other news, St James’ Park is an option for this out-of-favour stopper

Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is one of the ‘names’ on Newcastle United’s transfer ‘radar’, journalist Liam Kennedy has told GIVEMESPORT. 

The lowdown

The 25-year-old made just his third Premier League start of the season in Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday. Two of those have come in Antonio Conte’s first four Premier League matches, though, suggesting that his prospects may have improved under the Italian following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The £18m-rated midfielder is competing with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso for a place in Spurs’ midfield. He has earned 10 England caps to date, but the last of those came in November 2020.

The latest

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Kennedy revealed that Winks’ name had been mentioned to him by trusted sources in terms of potential Newcastle signings, with the 25-year-old a target for PIF ahead of January.

The journalist revealed: “There are a few other names that I haven’t even written about. Harry Winks is one I know is on their radar.”

The verdict

Winks issued a reminder of his class against Liverpool at the weekend, delivering the highest-rated performance in the Spurs line-up (via SofaScore). He made four interceptions (the most in the match), blocked three shots and completed eight long passes, also covering more ground than any of his team-mates.

If Spurs are willing to listen to offers in January, Newcastle’s new transfer consultant Nick Hammond may deem the ‘excellent’ Winks a smart addition for the relegation-threatened Magpies.

Eddie Howe wants players who are ‘tried and tested’ in the Premier League, and the 25-year-old Tottenham ace has played over a century of games in the division. This could be a crucial criterion for the manager and duly gives credence to the possibility of Winks moving to St James’ Park.

In other news, Newcastle have made a big offer for this in-demand sensation

As per Jornal de Notícias, via Sport Witness, some midweek transfer news has emerged involving Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting Lisbon star Matheus Nunes.

The Lowdown: Man in demand…

The 23-year-old midfield maestro, who has starred for Sporting in the Portuguese top flight this season, has also attracted Premier League attention for his performances.

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Indeed, alongside Spurs, the likes of Wolves and Everton also want to sign him as the English trio all hold a keen interest.

This comes after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking after his side’s 5-0 Last 16 win over Sporting in the Champions League earlier this season, lavished Nunes with praise.

The Spaniard labelled him ‘one of the best players in the world today’, extremely lofty praise from one of the world’s most elite managers, and Tottenham’s interest has continued heading into the summer window.

The Latest: Spurs eye move…

According to Jornal de Notícias (via SW), the Lilywhites still want to sign Nunes alongside Everton and Wolves – coming as Sporting seem willing to negotiate a fee lower than his €60 million (£50m) release clause.

Indeed, according to the report, Nunes’ club could actually let him go to Spurs for around €40m (£33m) – £17m less than his clause.

The Verdict: Lodge an offer?

His numbers for Sporting this season perhaps highlight why Tottenham are taking such a keen interest.

According to WhoScored, no player in their squad has completed more successful take-ons per 90 this season (2.4) with Nunes also attracting the most fouls on average.

He’s consistently proved a tricky player to compete against in midfield and there is little wonder Tottenham are keen on a move.

In other news: ‘I know thanks to a source very close’ – Journalist claims big name is now set to leave Spurs, find out more here.

Jesse Marsch’s track record when it comes to developing young players is certainly impressive, so Leeds United’s latest up-and-coming prospects are in very good hands.

During spells in charge of Red Bull conglomerates, Salzburg and Leipzig, the American coach had many a talent at his disposal, trusting them to start for him in the senior game.

These names ranged from goalscoring superstar Erling Haaland and Patson Daka, who is now at Premier League rivals Leicester City, to mooted Whites transfer target Brenden Aaronson.

Whilst the likes of Hwang Hee-chan, Takumi Minamino, Dominik Szoboszlai, Karim Adeyemi, Christopher Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol have all benefitted from his influence.

Some of the players listed went on to score a pretty neat profit but who could follow in the footsteps of say, a Haaland, at Elland Road?

The Yorkshire giants are blessed with a pretty exciting academy set-up, where we have seen players such as Joe Gelhardt, Lewis Bate and Sam Greenwood go from starting for the youth team week-in, week-out, to earning minutes in the top-flight of the men’s game.

But it could be Leo Hjelde who benefits most from the arrival of Marsch.

The 18-year-old defender has recently been absent through injury but made his return on Monday night as the U23s were walloped by West Ham United, though these valuable minutes are positive for his comeback.

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Described as “rusty” in the game by LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, it was more of a first runout for the Nottingham-born Norwegian in two months.

Capable of playing at left-back and in the middle, Hjelde could be hugely valuable to the 48-year-old going forward, particularly into next season, where the makeup of this Leeds squad is surely set to change following a torrid season full of injury and inconsistency, leading to them largely fighting a relegation battle.

His debut for the Yorkshiremen came against West Ham United earlier this season highlighted his true potential, earning immense praise from club legend Jermain Beckford, who told the club’s official podcast:

“The young boy, Hjelde when he came on as well, what a player he’s looking by the way. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. But that’s twice we’ve seen him, twice we’ve seen him against West Ham, against a very physical, very strong, very quick centre forward in Michail Antonio and a tricky player in Jarrod Bowen. I don’t want to say he had them in his pocket, but I think he did.”

Meanwhile, during his time at Ross County, his former manager John Hughes likened him to a current Premier League star, which only bolsters claims that Hjelde could emerge as a big money-making sensation in the future.

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that,” he said. “The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo. He’s got massive things in front of him.”

Also dubbed a “massive talent” by his ex-boss, it’s clear that Leeds – and Marsch particularly – have a special defender in their grasp. He should be in line for more game time next season as the league’s worst defence will surely be altered.

The Norway U21 international could earn Leeds a pretty penny one day.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Kalvin Phillips transfer update…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte must make a ruthless decision ahead of their Premier League encounter with Newcastle United this afternoon.

The Italian head coach is facing plenty of selection decisions as his side looks to maintain ground in the race for a top-four finish and with teams slipping up around them, there won’t be a better chance to solidify their claims.

Eddie Howe has turned things around at the Magpies, winning three of their last five in the competition – a run of form that has seen them rise from the brink of an end-of-season relegation battle to near-enough survival.

And he has quite the threat upfront in Chris Wood, who swapped Turf Moor for St James’ Park during the January transfer window. Perhaps not the big-name signing many expected under their new Saudi backers but quite an astute addition, all things considered.

The 30-year-old marksman hasn’t scored as many goals as he’d have liked in the black and white, with just one goal from ten appearances, but having played 100% of minutes in those matches, it’s clear that Howe trusts him and his attacking credentials.

He has won a whopping 8.8 aerial duels won per game since signing for the northeast outfit, which is the most in the Premier League but quite some margin, eclipsing his 5.5 headers won at Burnley and far exceeding anyone in the Spurs squad, as per WhoScored.

This aerial threat will be something of a problem for Conte, even with three centre-backs being deployed, and at 5 foot 11, Ben Davies could be at risk from facing the axe.

The Welshman, dubbed “perfect” by ex-Lilywhites man Michael Dawson, withdrew from the Wales squad during the recent international break and whilst he is available for this clash, it may be wise to hold him back in case any lingering injury gets worse, whilst last time out, he was rated as one of Spurs’ worst-performing players in their 3-1 win over West Ham.

Those factors, combined with the fact that he’s a full-back playing out of position, should be enough for Conte to make a brutal and ruthless call to drop him from the starting XI when the two teams go head-to-head later today.

The 28-year-old star has won an average of only 2.2 headers per league outing this term, a mere fraction compared to the aerial threat of Wood, and last time out, he won only one of his three duels, failed to register a single tackle and lost possession eight times – and that was up against an out-of-sorts Michail Antonio.

A bit lightweight, in comparison to Howe’s big target man.

Therefore, it would be wise for Conte to ruthlessly axe the £18m-rated defender, who Jose Mourinho once lauded as “intelligent”, for this fixture, as he could well be dominated by the threat of Wood and co amid recent domestic form struggles and potential injury concerns.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt huge blow as early team news emerges ahead of Newcastle clash…