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Manchester United midfielder Casemiro would be capable of playing in a more advanced role in light of the recent injury to Christian Eriksen, according to journalist Steve Bates. 

The Lowdown: Eriksen injured

Eriksen suffered an ankle injury after being caught by a heavy tackle from Andy Carroll during Man United’s 3-1 FA Cup victory against Reading last time out, in what is a blow for Erik ten Hag.

The Denmark international has seven assists to his name in 19 Premier League appearances this season, after a very impressive first half of the season, and the manager is now tasked with finding someone to replace these goal contributions.

The Latest: Casemiro’s role to change?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about the options Ten Hag has at his disposal to replace the 30-year-old, Bates indicated that Casemiro could be considered.

The journalist said: “I think one option they have is probably to push Casemiro forward. Casemiro’s been an absolute dream as a buy for the whole club.

“He’s made an instant impact in a few months at the club, not many players managed to achieve that, but he has done that and I think you saw it against Reading in the FA Cup. He has the ability to score a goal and obviously, if you were to push him further forward, maybe, he might even be more of a goal threat.“

The Verdict: Right call?

There is some evidence that the Brazilian is capable of playing in an advanced position, given that he has two goals and three assists in the Premier League this term, however he is much more well-drilled in the defensive side of the game.

The 30-year-old midfielder ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks and 95th percentile for tackles per 90 compared to his positional peers in the past year, while he has only averaged 0.09 assists per 90.

Not only that, but Ten Hag choosing to bring in Marcel Sabitzer on deadline day indicates that he feels a more proven attacking option is required to replace Eriksen, and the Austrian is more suited to playing further forward, even playing as a second striker on 49 occasions in his career.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has described ongoing issues for Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw as a ‘big red flag’, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Injury history

Forshaw has been out for large parts of the last four seasons, with his most notable absence coming back in 2019 with a hip problem. The Leeds man was sidelined for 560 days and has since had knee issues.

He has played just 237 minutes of senior action this season, with Jesse Marsch admitting last month that a ‘step back’ is needed to give Forshaw time to return to full fitness after a hernia problem.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Talking to FI, injury expert Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, labelled it as ‘a very difficult situation’ for club and player and said the ongoing problems for Forshaw should come as ‘a big red flag for Leeds’.

“It’s a very difficult situation for Leeds and Forshaw.

“The surgery that he had back in 2019 kept him on the sidelines for the best part of 18 months and it was highly disappointing.

“He’s had his fair share of injuries since that problem too and whenever he seems to be able to establish himself in that starting lineup he picks up an injury.

“His latest issue was described as a minor surgical procedure, a bit of a tidy-up to help manage the pain.

“But he hasn’t responded well to that at all which is a big red flag for Leeds.

“The concern comes from not being able to identify the underlying cause – Leeds can’t address the issue if medical staff are confused about what is causing it.”

The Verdict: Time up?

Football never stands still and Leeds have added to their midfield ranks significantly over the last six months with moves for Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and most recently Weston McKennie.

Forshaw, now 31, just can’t seem to remain fully fit, and with his contract up at the end of the season, his time at Elland Road could be coming to an end.

We saw that with Mateusz Klich last month after he failed to get the minutes he wanted, so Forshaw could be the next to leave over the coming months, but before then, hopefully he’ll be able to return to fitness and build up some much-needed minutes for the U21s.

Manchester United could make a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, amid a major revelation at his current club.

What’s the word?

The Serbian Vlahovic has emerged as one of the most prolific strikers on the scene after bursting into prominence in the Italian Serie A with Fiorentina, before signing for the Old Lady in a £66.6m deal in January 2022.

The Red Devils have previously registered an interest, with The Telegraph reporting that the Premier League giants view the 22-year-old as a long-term successor to the talismanic throne at Old Trafford.

But now, according to 90min, the attacking focal point has been offered to United, alongside other teams, after Juventus’ failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase and the shocking news of a 15-point deduction following an investigation into misdealing on the transfer front, a blow that knocks the club down to tenth.

Ronaldo repeat

United manager Erik ten Hag deserves all the plaudits for his diligent work in entering the Theatre of Dreams and providing a new layer of paint to bring back vibrancy and style in abundance, with the prestigious outfit in fourth place in the league – six points above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and with a game in hand ahead of the forthcoming clash against table-toppers Arsenal.

Also in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and still in contention in the FA Cup and the Europa League, Ten Hag will be delighted with the gains made in such a short space of time following an abysmal campaign last time out.

All this comes amid the fog that is Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November, terminating his contract by mutual consent after becoming disillusioned with life under his unwavering new Dutch manager.

And now, Juventus’ Vlahovic could be the catalyst for success in Manchester with the light of the recent reports; 30-year-old Wout Weghorst has been signed on a loan deal until the end of the season, but it is Vlahovic who could indeed take the vacant gilt-coated crown that the legendary Portuguese phenom has left in his wake.

The “monster” – as hailed by journalist Carlo Garganese – has racked up an impressive 57 goals and nine assists from just 123 Serie A appearances, and has netted seven times from 15 outings this season, in a term hampered by consistent injury setbacks.

And with FBref also ranking him among the top 15% in his position across Europe for progressive passes received and total shots, there is a clear illustration of his desire to shower a consistent goal threat against his opposition with his relentless pursuit in and around the penalty area.

The statistical site compares the player to the man himself Ronaldo, a man who coincidentally also left Juve for Old Trafford. It’s clear the pair’s skill sets match up nicely, which is a further reason to pounce on a burgeoning talent still at the early stage of a prosperous professional career.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has scored 701 goals from 949 appearances at club level, and a further 118 from 196 with the Portuguese national team, and will go down as one of football’s greatest forwards.

As per Whoscored, Ronaldo indeed bears a semblance to his Serbian counterpart, with Vlahovic’s career average of 2.6 shots per game and 1.7 aerials won displaying promising signs of a developing aura as an imposing figure, compared to Ronaldo’s remarkable 6.1 shots per outing and 1.3 aerials.

With these factors in mind, Vlahovic could be the star-studded acquisition desired by the Old Trafford hierarchy, a clinical force capable of replicating the recently-departed Ronaldo and providing a blistering goal-scoring return with such regularity that defenders stand befuddled by the prowess at the tip of the United sword.

Scottish champions Celtic maintained their nine-point advantage at the top of the table following a hard-fought draw with bitter rivals Rangers at Ibrox on Monday afternoon, with the Hoops reliant on a late Kyogo Furuhashi strike to bail them out of trouble.

The Parkhead giants had gone into the clash on a 12-game winning run in the Scottish Premiership and it looked to be more of the same as the visitors raced into an early lead against Michael Beale’s men, with the lively Daizen Maeda capitalising on Alfredo Morelos’ errant pass to ruthlessly fire his side ahead.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were unable to build on that advantage, however, as the momentum quickly shifted in the latter stages of the opening period, with experienced goalkeeper Joe Hart notably almost playing the league leaders into trouble after dithering on the ball inside his own box.

The Light Blues’ pressure would then pay off just after the break as Ryan Kent curled in in fine fashion, before James Tavernier lashed home from the penalty spot following Carl Starfelt’s rash, sliding challenge on Fashion Sakala.

The Swedish centre-back would see his blushes spared as Kyogo fired in with just minutes to play – as the Bhoys avoid handing any sort of lifeline to their Glasgow foes in the title race – although it still represented a grim outing for the 27-year-old.

The former Rubin Kazan man – who has previously been described as “clumsy” by pundit John Hartson – appeared particularly shaky in the second half as Postecoglou’s men were under the cosh, having looked ‘rattled’ at times, as per Glasgow Live’s Matthew Fulton.

The five-cap brute endured a ‘torrid’ time of it after the interval, according to Football Scotland’s Ryan McDonald, having simply been unable to live with the relentless pace of Sakala alongside makeshift left-back Josip Juranovic.

While the Stockholm-born centre-back did win six of his nine aerial duels and record seven clearances on the day, he was particularly wasteful in possession after losing the ball on ten occasions from his 103 touches, having also committed four fouls as a marker of his struggles.

Equally, the £19k-per-week dud also won just one of his five ground duels and achieved a rather limp match rating of just 6.8, as per Sofascore, having been perhaps fortunate not to see his penalty error prove costly.

A typically solid presence so far this term – having averaged a 7.28 match rating in the top-flight – it was simply was ‘not his best day at the office’, in the words of the aforementioned McDonald.

Such an underwhelming display may well have given hope to the likes of Moritz Jenz and Yuki Kobayashi of dislodging Starfelt as Cameron Carter-Vickers’ long-term partner in the backline.

Manchester United defeated EFL Championship table-toppers Burnley 2-0 in the Carabao Cup fourth round last night, making an assured return to action following the conclusion of the World Cup.

While the Clarets offered chances of their own, the defence held firm, the cohesion stayed intact and Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag managed to secure a clean sheet alongside a place in the fifth round.

Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford stole the headlines with two great goals, while the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan-Bissaka produced exemplary all-round displays from their respective roles in the team.

One player that Ten Hag will be disappointed to have not grasped the opportunity to impress is Alejandro Garnacho, who performed a meek display and failed to build on the impressive breakthrough to the United first-team.

Indeed, he has scored two goals and registered two assists across his first 11 professional appearances, including a resounding Premier League winner in the dying embers against Fulham in the conclusive fixture before the domestic season paused for the international tournament in Qatar.

However, Burnley’s resolute defensive line and Garnacho’s inability to grow into the game resulted in a poor showing, where the Argentine largely played on the periphery of the action.

As per Sofascore, the 18-year-old put in a match rating of 6.4 – the lowest of any United player – and was withdrawn after 59 minutes having failed to get a grip on proceedings.

The winger did complete 16 of his 18 attempted passes (89%) and managed to unleash a shot on target, although he should have done better with the strike and was recorded to have missed one big chance.

However, his 23 touches were the fewest of any starting Red Devils’ player, with Rashford on the opposing flank making 42 touches and indeed scoring a fine goal.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka even managed to play the ball over double the amount of the academy graduate, who still holds “huge potential”, as remarked by compatriot Javier Mascherano.

Having failed with his one attempted long ball and winning only one of his two attempted duels, Ten Hag will demand a performance pumped with more energy the next time he takes to the pitch.

Garnacho’s stunning start to life under the lights at the Theatre of Dreams will undoubtedly cast any concerns over his subpar performances out of the window, but it is a reminder to Ten Hag that despite his brimming talent, the teenage sensation is not yet the finished article, and his progress must be carefully handled accordingly.

Newcastle United are reportedly keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt star Djibril Sow as sporting director Dan Ashworth seeks to bolster the Magpies’ midfield ranks.

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, the Tynesiders – as well as fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Nottingham Forest – are interested in signing the 25-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, following the Swiss international’s impressive form for both club and country.

The 35-cap colossus – who is currently representing his nation at the World Cup – was reportedly the subject of a £17m offer from Forest during the summer, while Crystal Palace were also mooted for a move at the time.

As for the St James’ Park outfit, Eddie Howe and co are seemingly on the hunt to strengthen their options in the centre of the park, with journalist Craig Hope previously suggesting that a new midfielder could well be a “priority” for the Champions League hopefuls.

Imagine him and Bruno Guimaraes

Turning to Sow could well be an astute move for Ashworth in the New Year, with the Zurich-born ace having played a vital role in helping to steer Switzerland into the knockout stages in Qatar, after starting all three games in the group phase.

Equally, at club level the “combative” machine – as described by journalist Sam Smith – has also shown his class from his defensive midfield berth, having been integral to the German outfit’s Europa League triumph last term, averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the competition.

As for the current campaign, the 6 foot menace has scored twice in 15 Bundesliga outings thus far, while the £34k-per-week man also ranks in the top 12% in Europe among those in his position for interceptions made as a marker of his ball-winning prowess.

Should the northeast side be able to bring the former Young Boys titan to England next month it could well allow Howe to form a menacing midfield partnership involving the Frankfurt man and Bruno Guimaraes, with the Brazilian already thriving for the club at present.

Like Sow, the former Lyon gem – who was snapped up on a £40m deal in January – is also seemingly adept at winning back possession for his side, as the 25-year-old ranks in the top 3% for tackles made, as per FBref.

While the “world-class” talent, as described by teammate Dan Burn, has thrived in his role in front of the back four of late, bringing in Sow could well allow Guimaraes to take on a more advanced berth, with the player himself having previously suggested he is at his best in a more box-to-box role.

With the latter man already impressing with eight goals and three assists in just 31 games for Newcastle to date, allowing him to take on a more dynamic starting berth could well lead to an even greater impact in an attacking sense, hence the desire to recruit an out-and-out holding midfielder.

As such, should Ashworth be able to snap up Sow it could well have positive repercussions for Howe’s side, with the hope now that the club can win the race for his signature amid the intense rival interest.

Nottingham Forest made a whopping 23 new signings in the summer in an ambitious effort to build a squad that could compete in the Premier League this season upon their return to the top flight for the first time in over two decades.

However, the Tricky Trees have struggled to make their presence known in the league table so far as they are currently in the relegation zone, but over their last five outings have started to show that they could be capable of retaining their top-tier status over the second half of the season.

Forest have only lost one of their last five Premier League fixtures with Steve Cooper’s side finally starting to get some momentum going in their performances, however, the World Cup break has stumped their ability to continue to climb the table until they return to action after Christmas against Manchester United.

Despite the revival at The City Ground, there will be a lot for Evangelos Marinakis to learn from in his previous transfer decisions and considerations to be made when the transfer window reopens in January. He will likely tread more carefully when sanctioning moves for new players to come in that can legitimately improve the team.

One decision that Marinakis could now regret, however, was not making a more substantial move for RB Salzburg sensation Noah Okafor in the summer, with the club linked with a move for the talented 22-year-old back in June.

The £35m-valued versatile forward has established himself as one to watch in the Austrian Bundesliga due to his consistency and potential displayed over the season so far.

Okafor – who was dubbed a “superb talent” by Josh Bunting – has scored seven goals, registered one assist and created two big chances in 14 league appearances so far, as well as averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.9 shots on goal per game, proving that he is a nightmare for opponents in the final third.

The Salzburg star will be heading to the World Cup alongside Nottingham Forest’s Remo Freuler to represent Switzerland during the tournament and due to his performance this season, he has not only captured the attention of his national team manager but several elite Premier League clubs are keeping close tabs.

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has reported that both Liverpool and Manchester City are now interested in signing Okafor:

“No negotiations now but there’s is interest from clubs like MCFC, LFC & AC Milan.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Marinakis has made a big mistake by failing to pursue a deal for Okafor before he caught the attention of some of the biggest clubs in the world.

Indeed, their chance of signing the exciting attacker has surely gone with that fact simply rubberstamping how much of a missed opportunity this is for the club’s owner.

With Forest scoring just 11 times all campaign, his addition would have been invaluable.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action on Wednesday night at home to Portuguese outfit Sporting Lisbon, with Antonio Conte’s side still having it all to do to secure their place in the next round of the Champions League.

The north Londoners are currently top of Group D having picked up seven points from their opening four group games, although with only three points separating the Premier League side and bottom club Eintracht Frankfurt, it is likely to go down to the wire in terms of who will progress.

The Lilywhites head into the clash against Ruben Amorim’s side having lost their last two top-flight games, suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford in midweek before slipping up at home to Newcastle United on Sunday.

That latter result saw the hosts ultimately undone by first-half strikes from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron, with a Harry Kane header after the interval unable to spark a late rally against Eddie Howe’s side.

That frustrating loss to the Magpies did see forgotten man Lucas Moura make arguably his most telling involvement of the season so far, though, with the Brazil international featuring off the bench for the final 24 minutes, having only been involved sporadically in recent months.

Niggling injuries have reduced the 30-year-old to a bit-part role so far this term, although it will likely be pleasing to see the fleet-footed forward working his way back to full fitness having now featured as a substitute in each of the past three league games.

The £13.5m-rated ace unsurprisingly looked somewhat ‘rusty’ at the weekend – according to football.london’s Alasdair Gold – but he did make his presence felt in that cameo outing after winning six of his ten duels, while also attempting three dribbles.

Although it remains to be seen if the 35-cap Brazilian can start tomorrow night’s clash – with Conte suggesting that he will have to “check” on the player’s fitness – it could well be worth the gamble to thrust the diminutive ace into the fray, particularly amid the lack of attacking options at present.

The injury absence of both Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison has seen the former Chelsea boss forced to deploy a 3-5-2 formation in recent games, but that approach has seemingly not been fruitful, with an extra attacking body needed alongside Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

In Moura, the Italian could well unleash an asset who can provide something “different” – in the words of Glenn Hoddle – as a result of his ability to run with the ball and also chip in with a telling goalscoring touch when needed.

The £90k-per-week dynamo – who has 65 goal contributions to his name in 208 Spurs appearances to date – is yet to start a match this term having previously been linked with an exit over the summer, although now could well be his chance to shine.

A man who knows all about being the hero on Champions League nights – following that hat trick against Ajax a few years ago – Moura could prove himself the difference-maker yet again for Tottenham if Conte unleashes him here.

West Ham United head into Thursday evening’s Europa Conference League meeting with FCSB safe in the knowledge that they have already sealed top spot in Group B, affording David Moyes the chance to field a rotated squad ahead of the Hammers’ meeting with Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend.

Indeed, the 59-year-old has left the likes of Declan Rice, Kurt Zouma, Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell, Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio at home for the trip to Romania, while a number of the club’s most promising youngsters are reported to have been taken along for the fixture at the Arena Națională this evening.

So, how many changes will the Scot make to the side that lined up in the 1-0 defeat against Manchester United last time out?

Here’s how we at Football FanCast think the Irons side could look, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Moyes suggesting in his pre-match press conference that summer signing Nayef Aguerd could be handed a start as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, while Maxwel Cornet, Lucas Paqueta and Lukasz Fabianski are all reported to miss out due to knocks, we predict the 59-year-old will make ten changes to the side that started at Old Trafford last weekend.

There are five fresh faces at the back, with European goalkeeper Alphonse Areola making it six starts from six in the competition, while Harrison Ashby, Aguerd, Angelo Ogbonna and 17-year-old debutant Regan Clayton come in at right, centre and left-back respectively.

In the middle of the park, “exciting talent” – in the words of Roshane Thomas – Conor Coventry partners 19-year-old Freddie Potts, while Flynn Downes starts in attacking midfield, with Manuel Lanzini and second debutant of the night, Kamarai Swyer, starting on the left and right flank.

There is a third senior debut awarded at centre-forward, with 18-year-old striker – who Manu Heredia dubbed a “pearl” – Divin Mubama being handed his first outing for the Hammers first-team after scoring an eye-catching 28 goals in the club’s youth set-up.

Sunderland took their second draw on the bounce this weekend after failing to dominate at the Stadium of Light against Preston North End, and there is a glaring issue that could be a big contribution to their struggle to win games over their last two outings in the Championship.

The Black Cats are currently without a striker as both Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms are currently injured, and their absence has reflected in the team’s results as of late, leading to Sunderland’s fall from their position in the playoffs to seventh after the draw yesterday.

As a result, finding a solution to their issues up front will need to come fast for Tony Mowbray as his team will be hosting again on Tuesday night when they welcome Blackpool to the Stadium of Light, and there is one player the manager could lean on to provide more creativity in the final third.

Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo has now made four substitute appearances for the North-East club since joining in the summer and has already shown glimpses of his potential and ability despite not being picked in the starting line-up.

The 20-year-old talent who was hailed “unbelievable” by former teammate Daniel James, has made one key pass per game and is completing 100% of his passes in his own half, even though he has only been seen for an average of 24 minutes per appearance so far.

Last season, the young winger was on loan with Rangers and although he only made 13 appearances, he managed to score three goals in the Scottish Premiership when given the opportunity to play in the team.

His statistics from that campaign, where he registered one dribble per match would remarkably place him third in the Mackems’ squad for that statistic, suggesting he’d offer something very few others in the squad can provide.

Possessing an electric and dazzling set of skills in the final third, now is the time for Mowbray to unleash Diallo in the team as it is not only the golden opportunity for the £28k-per-week ace to prove his worth to the boss, but he is one of the only available attacking threats left in the team with experience of playing in the forward line.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how the Black Cats manager sets up on Tuesday against Blackpool, and whether he will give Diallo the chance to make an impact on the side as he could have the positive influence Sunderland needs right now to take all three points from the clash.