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Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into Saturday’s Premiership fixture off the back of securing their first away win of the season last time out, a result which the 56-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping that his Hoops side can repeat in their visit to Fir Park.

However, while Motherwell fell to a 2-0 defeat at Hearts in their last league outing, Graham Alexander’s side have been in rather impressive form so far this season, picking up 14 points from their opening eight games of the 2021/22 campaign, so a Celtic win is by no means guaranteed today.

With what promises to be a challenging fixture for the Bhoys, will Postecoglou make any changes to the team which started the 2-1 win at Aberdeen last time out?

Here’s how we think Celtic could line up against Motherwell, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Postecoglou revealing in his pre-match press conference that Celtic’s injury crisis is finally beginning to ease – Mikey Johnston is once again available for selection, while the trio of James Forrest, Christopher Jullien and Josip Juranovic are all progressing well in their respective recoveries – we predict that the Hoops manager will make two changes to his starting XI from the Aberdeen game.

The back five of Joe Hart, Adam Montgomery, Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Anthony Ralston should remain unchanged from that game, as despite the encouraging signs, Jullien and Juranovic are still a little bit off being match-fit.

In the middle of the park, Callum McGregor and David Turnbull make up the central midfield duo, while the £14k-per-week Nir Bitton is replaced with the attack-minded Tom Rogic, who starts in a more advanced midfield role. As per Sofascore, the Israeli was Celtic’s lowest-ranked performer in the win at Pittodrie, so he could face the axe today.

As mentioned above, 22-year-old Johnston is available for selection against Motherwell, with the winger coming straight back into the side for Jota, who is perhaps unfortunate to drop to the bench after his winner at Pittodrie.

Meanwhile, Liel Abada keeps his spot on the right wing, as does Kyogo Furuhashi up top, with Giorgos Giakoumakis still working his way up to full match fitness.

In other news: Celtic dealt major injury blow ahead of Motherwell clash, Ange will be gutted

Southampton have joined Tottenham in the race to sign West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Forster to depart?

Ralph Hasenhuttl has Alex McCarthy, Fraser Forster and youngster Harry Lewis as options in goal on the south coast, although Forster, who has been on the books at St Mary’s since 2014, has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Southampton are expecting to lose the 33-year-old at the end of the campaign, and it seems as if they already have a target in mind to bring in.

The Latest: Nixon’s claim

Alan Nixon of The Sun shared a story late on Saturday night claiming the Saints have joined Spurs and West Ham in the race for Johnstone’s services.

The West Brom goalkeeper, who shares the same agency as Che Adams, is also out of contract at the end of the season, but Southampton are willing to pay for the 28-year-old in a potential New Year deal instead of waiting until next summer.

The Verdict: Smart move?

Both McCarthy and Forster are over 30 years of age and earn a combined £120,000 per week, so bringing in Johnstone, who is on £32,500-a-week at The Hawthorns, could be a shrewd move.

He’s three years younger than McCarthy and five younger than Forster and also has Premier League and international experience.

The Saints are clearly admirers if they are willing to pay a fee for the Baggies star with so little time left to run on his contract, but it still may work out as a smart piece of business if they spend to bring him to St Mary’s.

In other news: Lots of Saints fans were excited over this piece of ‘great news’ in recent days

New Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will be looking to kick off his tenure at the club with an opening day victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Former England boss Roy Hodgson departed the south London outfit following four relatively successful years with the Eagles, and Vieira has wasted no time in making his mark on the playing squad.

Several ageing campaigners have left Selhurst Park on free transfers, while multiple young and exciting acquisitions have taken their place.

It’s an exciting new era for the capital club, but one full of unknowns as they head into what could be a tricky transitional period.

Vieira will be unable to call upon long-term absentees Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson for the short trip from south to west London, and the Frenchman confirmed that Luka Milivojevic and Michael Olise will join the pair on the sidelines.

“Luka is not going to be with us against Chelsea. He’s been missing the last couple of days of training for personal reasons,” Vieira revealed in Friday’s press conference.

When asked about the fitness of summer signing Olise, the former Nice manager replied: “Michael is feeling better. In the next two weeks he will be starting to do some work on the field.”

However, one new arrival in line for his debut is centre-back Joachim Anderson, with Vieira confirming that the Denmark international will be part of the matchday squad.

“We’re going to do our last training this afternoon. He will be part of the squad, yes,” he concluded.

With that in mind, here’s how Football Fan Cast thinks Vieira will line up his side for the tricky trip to Stamford Bridge…

The ever-dependable Vicente Guaita will resume his residency between the sticks for Palace this afternoon, keeping former England international Jack Butland on the bench.

Ahead of the Spaniard, both Marc Guehi and Andersen are set to make their debuts following their arrivals from Chelsea and Lyon respectively. They’ll be flanked by 21-year-old academy graduate Tyrik Mitchell and the experienced Joel Ward at full-back.

In midfield, Jairo Riedewald will provide the base to Palace’s engine room in Milivojevic’s absence, while loanee Conor Gallagher is ineligible to feature against his parent club. That means Jeffrey Schlupp and Cheikhou Kouyate should feature from the off.

Talisman Wilfried Zaha remains at his boyhood club despite openly expressing his desire to seek pastures new and should be partnered by Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew in the front three.

That lineup will see Vieira make four changes from the last starting XI Hodgson selected against Liverpool on the closing day of 2020/21, highlighting the new chapter beginning in south London.

In other news… Imagine him and Gallagher: Parish must sanction Palace swoop for £10m monster 

Newcastle United are willing to offer Marcelo Brozovic ‘crazy money’ to lure him to Tyneside, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

The 28-year-old is thought to be earning £106,000 per week under his current deal at Inter Milan. For context, Newcastle’s highest-paid player at present is reportedly £86.5k-per-week frontman Joelinton.

Crucially, Brozovic’s contract is up at the end of the current season, so if Inter can’t agree fresh terms, they’ll either have to cash in during January or allow him to walk away for free next summer.

The Croatian showed his class with a strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage in September. SofaScore rated him as the Nerazzurri’s best player after he played 99 accurate passes (including seven out of nine long balls), won three out of his five ground duels and chipped in with four clearances and two tackles.

The latest

Newcastle appear to be desperate to sign Brozovic, with The Athletic’s report suggesting that a ‘crazy’ contract may be tabled.

However, that interest isn’t reciprocated by the player, who is especially hesitant to join the Magpies midway through the season given the looming spectre of a relegation battle.

The verdict

Herein lies the problem for Newcastle United. They may be one of the wealthiest clubs in the world now, but they could struggle to attract top talent for as long as they remain in the lower reaches of the Premier League.

Brozovic has started every single Serie A match for reigning champions Inter this season and helped the Nerazzurri to book their place in the Champions League round of 16. Why would he want to swap those circumstances for a relegation battle?

What’s more, if he does end up leaving in the summer, you’d imagine that this World Cup finalist and seasoned Champions League operator would be able to pick a club who have already established themselves in European competition.

In other news, Lee Ryder talks up Newcastle links with this Premier League ace

Another source has named Everton as a possible destination for Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet this summer. 

Spanish media outlet Sport claimed (via Sport Witness) that the Toffees are in the frame for the Frenchman’s signature.

The lowdown

Transfer journalist Ekrem Konur reported earlier in July that Everton and West Ham were ‘in talks’ over a loan deal for the defender.

Lenglet started 29 La Liga matches for Barcelona last season, averaging 1.8 successful aerial duels, two clearances, 1.1 tackles and one interception per match (via WhoScored).

Perhaps the 26-year-old’s biggest strength is his passing. In 2020/21, he completed 69.7 passes per game at an accuracy of 92.1%. For context, that beats every Everton player who started a Premier League game last season.

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has been asked about the criticism Lenglet has received and urged him not to take it ‘too personally’. The Dutchman insists that the Frenchman is a ‘very serious-minded player’ and an ‘excellent professional’.

The latest

Sport identified Everton and West Ham as prospective suitors but added that Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma are also in the frame [via Sport Witness].

Regarding the type of deal which would be struck, it’s said that ‘everything is open’. Lenglet could leave the Camp Nou permanently or just on loan.

The player’s preference is to stay put in Catalunya, but if he were to leave, he would favour the Premier League.

The verdict

Everton ought to avoid this deal. They are right to look for a top centre-back who could improve their defence, but despite his impressing passing metrics, Lenglet doesn’t fit that bill. Instead, he could probably benefit from playing alongside one.

The 26-year-old’s seasonal WhoScored rating of 6.59 for 2020/21 was inferior to Everton defenders Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate, so it’s difficult to feel that the Barcelona man would be an upgrade on what Rafael Benitez already has at Finch Farm.

The strategy of the Toffees recruiting players who have failed to convince at the biggest clubs can be hit and miss. For every assists king like Lucas Digne, there’s been an inconsistent Andre Gomes.

But why take the risk? Kalidou Koulibaly could be available for around £35m, and that looks a far more sensible solution, albeit a short-term one. Everton may have to sell players first, but that’s what may be needed if they are to bring in the targets who would genuinely strengthen their playing personnel.

In other news, these Everton fans fumed as a midfield target emerged.

Celtic legend Chris Sutton says it ‘isn’t great’ that John Kennedy, rather than Ange Postecoglou, will take charge of the first day of pre-season training.

The lowdown

Celtic confirmed the appointment of Postecoglou as their new manager on Thursday after a period of 107 days without a permanent boss (via The Guardian).

But after leaving Japanese outfit Yokohama F. Marinos, Covid-19 rules dictate that he’ll have to undertake 10 days of quarantine on arrival to the UK.

The result is that John Kennedy, who took the reins for the 2020/21 run-in after Neil Lennon’s departure, will be the man welcoming some of the players back on June 17 (via Daily Record).

Celtic have scheduled what they call a ‘vitally important’ pre-season training camp in Wales between July 5 and 14, during which they will play Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and Bristol City in closed-door friendlies.

The latest

Writing in his Daily Record column, Sutton admitted the period of isolation was far from ideal, undermining the sense of a ‘fresh start’ at Celtic Park.

“The fact that John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan will be taking the first day of pre-season training isn’t great for a start,” he wrote.

“No harm to them but they were part of last season’s failure.

“The last thing the squad needs is the same old faces when they are being promised a fresh start.”

The verdict

One can understand where Sutton is coming from here. The Celtic players will want to feel like a new era is underway at the outset as they look to banish last season’s woes, but there’ll be an element of continuity from last season’s nightmare.

Kennedy averaged just 1.6 points per game as caretaker boss, which is miles away from what the Hoops will need to catch up with Rangers next season.

Postecoglou will want to begin implementing his philosophy immediately, and the late return of players who are involved in the European Championships only complicates matters further.

Patience will definitely be required from Hoops fans.

In other news, this Celtic target is said to have competing offers. 

Queens Park Rangers have confirmed the arrival of Andre Gray at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the QPR website, the club officially announced the arrival of the Watford centre-forward on a season-long loan deal, with the 30-year-old becoming the Championship side’s 10th signing of the summer transfer window.

In reaction to the striker’s arrival, Mark Warburton said: “I am absolutely delighted we have been able to bring Andre in. I know him very well, he is a very good character around the place and he will fit in very well [with] the group.

“He has pace and power, he knows the division, he has a fantastic work ethic, an eye for goal and is a real athlete. I also think Andre has a point to prove and I very much hope he does that here with us.”

Warburton over the moon

It is clear to see why Warburton is over the moon with the signing of Gray, as the centre-forward very much looks to have put the cherry on the cake on what has been a remarkable transfer window for QPR, with the club sealing the arrivals of Jordan Archer, Jordy De Wijs, Jimmy Dunne, Moses Odubajo, Sam McCallum, Sam Field, Stefan Johansen, Andre Dozzell and Charlie Austin.

Indeed, it can be argued that each one of these signings improved the club, be that as an upgrade on the 58-year-old manager’s previous options in a particular position, or simply adding further depth to an area of the pitch.

And, considering Warburton’s history of working with Gray in the past, with the forward scoring 17 Championship goals for Brentford back in the club’s 2014/15 campaign, a season in which the Bees reached the play-off final, his arrival at QPR certainly appears to provide the Rs’ own promotion hopes with a significant boost – something which already looked rather healthy after the west London side’s unbeaten start to the 2021/22 season.

In other news: QPR confirm deadline day development which will be music to the ears of fans

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told The Transfer Tavern that Jesse Lingard now looks set to stay at Manchester United today, having claimed earlier today that a move to West Ham could still be on the cards.

Lingard’s Old Trafford future has been in serious doubt all summer, with the arrivals of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo only making his case to leave the club stronger.

He’s only played four minutes in United’s opening three Premier League matches, but Dan James started two of those, including at Wolves on Sunday, and has since left to finally get his move to Leeds, which could make a case for Lingard to stay.

Lingard’s brief outing at Southampton last Sunday was his first league appearance for United for 13 months, but he doesn’t appear likely to get many opportunities, especially with Edinson Cavani now fit, and Ronaldo in the frame.

West Ham have been Lingard’s likely destination all summer after his loan spell their last season, but the Hammers have now signed Nikola Vlasic, which makes a return to the London Stadium unlikely.

When asked how he sees the rest of deadline day panning out for Lingard, Bridge told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think Dan James moving means that Ole won’t be too desperate to get rid of Lingard. When the Champions League starts, you’re going to pick up injuries.

“If I was Ole, I would want Lingard around the squad. As it stands, more likely to stay than not. If he’s not playing in the next few months, it could be another January move, that would be my guess.”

Aston Villa announced on Friday afternoon that Ahmed Elmohamady, Tom Heaton and Neil Taylor have left the club.

As to be expected, the news regarding the trio has received plenty of interaction from a number of Villa supporters on social media.

All three players were out of contract this summer and will be free to find new clubs over the coming months.

Heaton, who has reportedly agreed to move to Manchester United, returned to the Villa bench last December after a serious injury and provided cover to Emiliano Martinez for the second half of the campaign, but he did not make any first team appearances in that time.

Elmohamady made 129 appearances for the club, with only 17 of those coming in the 2020/21 campaign. Fellow full-back Taylor, who has been at Villa Park since January 2017, turned out just once in recent months, bringing his Villa appearance tally to 103. Those two played regularly in the promotion-winning 2018/19 season as Dean Smith’s side secured their return to the Premier League.

Villa fans react

The club hailed the trio in an official statement, wishing them the best for the future. Villa also posted the news on Twitter and these fans were rather upset at the confirmation, with one ‘gutted’ and another even going to the extreme of calling for the manager’s head for letting the trio leave.

“Pain.”Credit: @AlexAstonVilla”Actually gutted”Credit: @max_elmer”Smith out”Credit: @VstonVilla”Sad to see these lads go. Hope they find clubs that will get the best out of them.”Credit: @burtmacklin316″day ruined”Credit: @willjonesavfc1″Spain without the S”Credit: @ElliotAVFC

In other news: Aston Villa linked with move for ‘fantastic’ international who could replace one departing man, find out more here. 

Journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic has made a claim involving Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy after an Antonio Conte twist at the Premier League club.

The Lowdown: Conte news emerges…

Over this last week, a major twist has come out of Spurs on Conte’s future at the club – coming just months after he was appointed to replace the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo in November.

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The Italian has guided Tottenham to within touching distance of a top-four place as they compete with north London rivals Arsenal for a coveted qualification spot.

However, reports have recently emerged of the 52-year-old’s potential departure to Paris-Saint Germain, with Le Parisien claiming that he is seriously interested and has even spoken to club chiefs about the role.

Meanwhile, former Spurs fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino is allegedly set to depart the French capital despite guiding them to a Ligue 1 title win.

The Latest: Pitt-Brooke makes Pochettino claim involving Levy…

Taking to Twitter, reporter Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic believes that hiring Pochettino is chairman Levy’s only way to ‘save face’ if Conte leaves – even if Spurs’ chief is ‘desperate’ for his appointment to work.

He explained: “For Daniel Levy, the appeal of Pochettino would be obvious. Levy is desperate for Conte to work out, but if Conte does go, bringing Poch back is basically the only way he can save face. He’s effectively a get out of jail free card for Levy and the club.”

The Verdict: Correct call?

After Jose Mourinho’s dismissal this time last year, reports linking Pochettino with a sensational return to Tottenham were prevalent.

Credible claims backed that the Argentine was considering a reunion at Hotspur Way and it is believed that Levy has Pochettino on standby if Conte does unceremoniously quit this summer (The Telegraph).

Knowing the players and club intrinsically already, Pitt-Brooke is absolutely spot on that hiring Spurs’ former manager is, quite literally, Levy’s only avenue in the event of Conte’s exit.

That being said, Tottenham’s current coach has worked wonders since his arrival and it would be a major disappointment to see him depart so soon.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he now really wants to join Conte…find out more here.