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Liverpool travel to the Midlands tonight to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in an FA Cup third-round replay, and Jurgen Klopp has been handed a double injury boost just in time for the game.

What’s the latest?

The Liverpool manager took to his pre-match press conference to reveal that both James Milner and Stefan Bajcetic could be available to start against Julen Lopetegui’s side after returning to full team training.

Klopp told the media: “Millie [James Milner] and Stefan trained. Millie was on the bench and Stefan is now available again.”

It’s good news for Klopp

There is no doubt that the return of Bajcetic and Milner is good news for Klopp as he navigates through the congested fixture list with a squad which has been considerably weakened by numerous injuries throughout the season so far.

Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, Arthur Melo, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez all remain unavailable for selection, with most of those ruled out until next month or beyond with long-term issues, which has contributed to the Liverpool manager’s inability to rotate and rest players when needed.

The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League and have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, so the importance of having both Milner and Bajcetic back for tonight’s clash ahead of the visit of Chelsea on Saturday will give Klopp more scope to bring in some fresh legs and rest those who need it.

Milner is the most experienced player in the Liverpool squad, and although he is now 37 years old, he has been a solid and reliable performer for Klopp over his impressive career at Anfield. Therefore, his possible inclusion tonight could be important for the team and give them another leader in the absence of Van Dijk, alongside the potential of captain Jordan Henderson being rested.

Bajcetic is at the other end of the spectrum compared to Milner, as the 18-year-old can offer a youthful fresh perspective and has put in some impressive displays since being promoted from the academy to the first-team this season.

Combining the youngster’s keen intent to impress Klopp with Milner’s leadership in the middle of the park could inspire the confidence boost that Liverpool need in order to progress in the FA Cup.

With that in mind, it seems be a no-brainer for the Reds boss to give a starting opportunity to both returning players at Molineux, as the timing couldn’t be more perfect for a rejuvenation and a chance for Klopp to rotate his Premier League first-teamers who will be needed against Chelsea later this week.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been branded as lucky by pundit Sue Smith to have not picked up a red card in the north London derby.

What’s the latest?

Antonio Conte’s men were put to the sword on Sunday afternoon in their north London home by their bitter rivals and Premier League leaders, Arsenal.

It was an afternoon everyone involved with Spurs will be wanting to forget with Mikel Arteta’s side cruising to a fairly comfortable 2-0 victory.

And it seems the afternoon could have been made even worse for the Lilywhites with their Argentine centre-back, Romero, walking a tightrope with the referee Craig Pawson.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Smith labelled the 24-year-old as extremely fortunate not to have picked up a second yellow card for a challenge on Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka:

“Yeah, and I think sometimes it’s like the amount of times, isn’t it? So it’s like how many tackles – he obviously got a yellow card. You’ve just got to be so careful when you’re continually doing those things.

“So yeah, he was probably lucky for that one not to have gotten the yellow.”

Typical Romero?

Romero arrived in north London in the summer of 2021 on the back of an impressive campaign in Serie A with Atalanta which saw him named the Serie A Defender of the Year.

And he certainly carried that form over to the Premier League with the Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, hailing him as his signing of the season.

However, one of the issues the Argentine has also carried over from Italy is his poor discipline record which saw him pick up 15 yellow cards over the 2020/21 campaign.

In his first season in north London, Romero only featured 22 times in the Premier League but managed to pick up eight yellows in the space of just 13 games (via Transfermarkt).

Romero has certainly carried on this poor discipline record this season with the Argentine already picking up three yellow cards in his 11 league appearances.

And we have to agree with Smith in that he can count himself lucky not to have been forced into an earl shower on Monday after some of the challenges he threw himself into whilst already on a yellow card.

The one of Xhaka will likely split opinions among fans. The reality is it did not look like the Argentine connected with Xhaka who was left in a pile on the floor seemingly awaiting Pawson to reach for his cards.

However, in a game of that magnitude, whilst already on a yellow card, to go in as recklessly as he did on Xhaka is a real concern.

Spurs did not concede any further goals after that incident, but they certainly could have been left much more vulnerable if he was shown a red card.

And with a huge game on Thursday coming up against Manchester City, this would have been the last thing the Spurs backline could have done with.

Newcastle United have reportedly been ‘making inquiries’ over PSG midfielder Edouard Michut, currently on loan at North East rivals Sunderland.

The Lowdown: Another prospect

Newcastle already signed young Australian talent Garang Kuol, who they have loaned out to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, and are reportedly looking at adding 18-year-old Brazilian prospect Matheus Franca to their growing pool of exciting youth at St. James’ Park.

At just 19 years of age and coming from PSG’s academy, where he has scored twice in ten games at U19 level and has featured eight times for the senior team, bagging one assist (Transfermarkt), Michut is another hot property the Tynesiders could look to add to their ranks.

The Latest: Inquiries made

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has revealed that both Eddie Howe’s side, as well as RB Leipzig from the Bundesliga, have been ‘making inquiries’ over Michut’s progress on loan at Sunderland ahead of a potential move in the summer:

“#Newcastle and #RBLeipzig have been making inquiries about Edouard Michut’s progress and both clubs intend to watch him during second half of season on loan at #Sunderland from #PSG. A talent who has struggled with injuries but recently impressed.”

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The Verdict: Building something special

In addition to the signing of Kuol and potential arrivals of Franca and Michut, the Magpies look to be building something special in terms of young players who could grow into superstars over the next few years.

Hailed as an ‘immense talent’ by Black Cats manager Tony Mowbray, Michut has played injuries.

Nonetheless, he was named as one of the 50 best wonderkids in 2022 in GOAL’s annual NXGN list, which labelled him as ‘the new Marco Verratti’ by some inside the PSG academy, while his passing ability has been described as ‘among the best in Europe for players his age’.

Michut is clearly a very talented player, and if he can overcome his injury problems, he would be an astute signing for the Toon in the summer.

West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph is ‘in talks’ to join fellow Premier League side Bournemouth, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

The Republic of Ireland international first arrived at the London Stadium back in January 2020 where he’s since gone on to make 52 appearances for the Irons.

The 6 foot 2 shot-stopper, however, will be out of contract at the end of the season and hasn’t been offered an extension.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook claimed that an exit was imminent on Tuesday, and following a further update, he now looks certain to depart before the end of the month.

The Latest: Randolph to Bournemouth?

Taking to Twitter, Sheth revealed that Randolph has officially entered discussions with Bournemouth ahead of a potential move to the south coast.

“Bournemouth in talks with West Ham United over the permanent signing of keeper Darren Randolph. Randolph has entered [the] final 6 months of his contract & will provide competition for Mark Travers & Neto.”

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The Verdict: Best for both parties

Randolph has previously been dubbed ‘class’ by journalist Josh Bunting, but letting him leave this window would be completely the right decision.

The 35-year-old has made zero appearances across all competitions this season and has only been named on the bench eight times in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

David Moyes is happy with Lukasz Fabianski as his number one and it’s clear that the veteran doesn’t have any part to play in the boss’ long-term plans.

With Randolph in need of more game time and the Hammers being given the opportunity to free up some space on their books, this is a move that’s best for both parties.

West Ham United have suffered in the wingback positions of late, and it seems like in hindsight it was a position that David Moyes should have focused on in his big summer spending spree.

Ever since the downturn in form of Vladimir Coufal, they have suffered, with his poor form coinciding with Tomas Soucek’s disappointing displays.

The Czech Republic internationals starred in their first seasons in east London, with their offensive exploits instrumental in earning a sixth-place finish against all the odds.

Across 38 games the midfielder would score ten times, whilst the defender recorded seven assists.

However, this campaign has the latter yet to contribute to a single goal in 22 appearances across all competitions. It is a real worry for a side that relies heavily on the wing-backs to maintain their attack.

It could therefore explain their recent reported interest in a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence.

The 22-year-old joined the Lilywhites in the summer, but Antonio Conte is yet to hand the youngster an extended spell in the first team. Now with the imminent arrival of Pedro Porro, his chances are to be shrunk further.

A move to the London Stadium could help reignite a career that threatened to explode after his performances for Nottingham Forest, with his role in their return to the Premier League instrumental.

Across the Championship campaign he would record seven goal contributions, with his marauding runs down the right flank capturing the imagination.

He also translated this into FA Cup success, with their sensational run knocking out numerous Premier League clubs encouraging Martin Keown to claim (in quotes via Spurs Web):

“He’s too quick for everybody. Everything is going Forest’s way. 

“Djed Spence has really impressed me. He’s on his loan from Middlesbrough. He’s been sent away to clear his head and he’s clearly doing that. He’s like a Rolls-Royce.”

Whilst chances have been limited this season, outlined in his five minutes per game. Spence will struggle to continue the blistering start to his career constantly on the bench, whilst the Hammers will want someone to reignite their attack.

A loan would benefit all parties involved, and finally call time on the underperforming £35k-per-week dud who was angling for an exit anyway.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face an out-of-sorts Liverpool side who have been underperforming of late in this afternoon’s Premier League clash, and Julen Lopetegui may certainly smell blood as he looks to secure what could be a vital three points in the Old Gold’s relegation battle.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s men haven’t won a match since their 1-0 victory at Wolves midway through January in an FA Cup replay, and there arguably isn’t a better time to face the Merseysiders than now.

Aside from long-term injury absentees Pedro Neto, Boubacar Traore, Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic, Lopetegui has everyone else available for selection today.

However, a debut for new signing Joao Gomes may have to wait. With the Brazilian not having played since the end of last year, he could still be lacking that all-important match sharpness, something at which the manager himself hinted in recent days.

Lopetegui will likely rotate his team following their recent defeat to Manchester City, and we at Football FanCast predict the starting XI which will take to the Molineux pitch for the home side this afternoon…

Wolves predicted XI – Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Bueno; Nunes, Neves, Lemina; Podence, Cunha, Sarabia

Jose Sa retains his place in goal despite a poor performance against City, receiving a rating of just 5.8/10 from Sofascore, and he will be hoping to redeem himself against Liverpool.

The back four will likely be unchanged this afternoon, with new signing Craig Dawson having to wait to make his first start for the club. Nelson Semedo and Hugo Bueno will start on the right and left of defence respectively, while Nathan Collins and Max Kilman forming the centre-back pairing at the heart of the Wolves defence.

Mario Lemina will start his second Premier League game in a row, adding some defensive steel to the Wolves side, having averaged one tackle and 1.5 clearances per match while winning 100% of his aerial duels so far. The 29-year-old will again be joined by Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes in the engine room, and Lopetegui will hope that they can grab a foothold on the game from the very start.

We anticipate that the 56-year-old will make three changes from the City defeat, replacing the entire front three which started at the Etihad Stadium. Daniel Podence will start on the left wing, with another January signing Pablo Sarabia making his first Wolves start on the right flank as Adama Traore drops to the bench, having been hauled off at half-time against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Matheus Cunha replaces Raul Jimenez, with the £43m striker aiming to score his first goal for the Old Gold today. He was dubbed “special” by his former Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia, and a decisive goal today would certainly endear him to the Molineux faithful.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Lewis O’Brien is no longer in Nottingham Forest’s 25-man squad.

The Lowdown: Deal falls through

O’Brien was close to joining Blackburn Rovers on loan according to Football Insider, but the deal fell through due to a failure to submit the correct paperwork and the Championship club are looking to appeal the decision.

Steve Cooper’s side would then sign Andre Ayew as a free agent, he had been released recently by his former club Al Sadd.

The Ghanaian’s deal with the Premier League club will be until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Latest: O’Brien out, Ayew in

Speaking live on Sky Sports News, Sheth claimed that O’Brien was removed from Forest’s 25-man squad and Ayew took his spot. He also said that Blackburn is currently appealing to the English Football League about the failed loan for the midfielder.

He stated (0:15), “He [Andre Ayew] as we mentioned before, is in Nottingham Forest’s 25 man squad for the rest of the season.

“Now we were wondering who was going to be left out because it looked like it was going to be either Ayew or Lewis O’Brien who would make it into that squad.

“Ayew we know is in there, but we were just inquiring to Nottingham Forest about whether there were any long-term injuries.

“That would mean O’Brien could still get in the squad and a longer-term injury would be omitted.

“We can now tell you because the Premier League have released all of the squad lists for every single Premier League club for the rest of the season and Lewis O’Brien is not in the 25-man Nottingham Forest squad.

“You’ll remember he was due to join Blackburn Rovers on a loan deal, on deadline day but the paperwork was not submitted in time.

“Blackburn are now appealing that decision because it hasn’t gone their way so far.

“So Lewis O’Brien in a bit of limbo at the moment not in the 25-man Nottingham Forest squad for the rest of the season, just waiting to see if the appeal is successful, whereby he can still join Blackburn Rovers.”

The Verdict: Shame for both parties

We believe that the failure of Jon Dahl’s Tomasson’s side to land O’Brien on loan is a real shame for them and the player.

The English midfielder has barely featured from the start this season under Steve Cooper, we believe a loan move would’ve been a great chance for him to get more consistent minutes.

O’Brien knows the Championship well, he’s played in the division over 100 times and in our view would be a useful asset to many teams in there.

When the player was at Huddersfield Town, pundit Jobi McAnuff praised the 24-year-old and labelled him as a midfielder who has ‘a bit of everything’ when speaking to Sky Sports (via Hampshire Live).

The Terriers had O’Brien on their books from a young age and he certainly made an impact in midfield, as he won their player of the season in the 2019/20 campaign.

In our view, it’s a real shame about O’Brien’s failed move to Blackburn, for his sake hopefully it can get resolved.

He’s still a young player and could offer a lot to the Championship, his dreams of first-team Premier League football are farm from over if he’s given more time to develop his game.  We believe that another Championship stint could allow him to do just that .

Former Premier League player Jose Enrique claims that Arsenal central defender Gabriel Magalhaes is the most underrated player in the top flight.

The Lowdown: Solid partnership

Gabriel and William Saliba have formed a solid partnership at centre-back for Arsenal so far this season, conceding just 17 goals in 20 Premier League games between them, the second-best record in the division.

Saliba especially has rightfully received plenty of praise for his performances this term, with the media taken back by how impressive he is after a loan spell out in France with Marseille last campaign.

However, Enrique does not think that Gabriel is getting enough plaudits for his performances as well.

The Latest: Most underrated player?

Responding to a tweet asking who the Premier League’s most underrated player is, Enrique has claimed that it is Gabriel:

“Gabriel Magalhaes from Arsenal. Everyone talking about Saliba because he is younger etc but Gabriel has been the best centre-back in the league and he is still 25. But is true that is many options out there like Mitoma, James Ward-Prowse, Martinelli and many more.”

The Verdict: Needs more plaudits

Gabriel certainly needs more plaudits in comparison to his centre-back partner Saliba.

The Brazilian is actually averaging more tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game in the Premier League than the 21-year-old, and has not missed a minute of action under Mikel Arteta, showing how much his manager rates him.

Nonetheless, the Gunners are lucky to have both centre-halves playing so well together at this moment in time, and there is no doubt that they need to keep both of them fit if they are to keep up their title charge for the latter stages of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ recent injury could prove to be the ‘beginning of the end’ in terms of his future at the club, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lloris injured

The 36-year-old has been ruled out for between six and eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in Tottenham’s recent 1-0 victory against Manchester City, meaning that Fraser Forster will now be the club’s first-choice ‘keeper.

Even prior to the Frenchman’s injury, Antonio Conte was said to be considering new options between the sticks, with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Jan Oblak and Andre Onana being linked with Spurs, so Lloris’ future in north London could now be in major doubt.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones indicated that Lloris’ injury could accelerate Spurs’ search for a new goalkeeper.

He stated: “I think what it does though, with Hugo Lloris having this time out, it’s going to be when Spurs consider what happens next between the sticks.

“This spell out might actually be the beginning of the end for Lloris at Tottenham. There are already question marks about whether he’s going to be their future number one.

“And if Forster can have a good run of form that proves he’s worth keeping at the club, then maybe Tottenham really do start to search the market for a new number one going forward.”

The Verdict: Time to go?

The 36-year-old stalwart has been a fine servant to Tottenham, making 443 appearances for the club, but given his age and his recent penchant for errors, it is time for Spurs to start thinking about a long-term replacement.

Oblak could be a good option, given that he has plenty of experience playing at the top level with 74 Champions League appearances with Atletico Madrid. He has also recorded a better save percentage (77.2% to 72.5%), and averaged fewer goals conceded per 90 than Lloris (0.87 to 1.09) in the past year.

Jones floats the idea of Forster proving himself as a viable alternative, with Spurs’ assistant manager Cristian Stellini describing the Englishman as ‘perfect’ for the Premier League.

However, the 34-year-old did not enjoy an encouraging weekend, conceding four times against Leicester City on Saturday, and a suitable replacement for Lloris should be signed in the summer.

Queens Park Rangers have made an approach for Charlton Athletic manager Dean Holden, according to Alex Crook.

The Lowdown: Ainsworth speculation

The R’s are on the search for another new manager after parting ways with Neil Critchley. The 44-year-old took charge of just 12 games, with QPR slipping down the Championship table during that time.

Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth seems to be the first-choice candidate at Loftus Road and appears to be closing in on a move. However, he isn’t the only option under consideration, with speculation also arising over a move for Holden.

The Latest: Approach made for Holden

talkSPORT reporter Crook took to Twitter on Monday evening to share what he’s heard on QPR’s search for a new manager.

He said that Ainsworth is ‘the major contender’ but added that the club ‘have also made an approach for’ Holden.

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The Verdict: Smart thinking?

Holden likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 formation and has previous experience in the Championship at Bristol City, averaging 1.44 points per game in 41 fixtures. The 43-year-old actually came out on top against Ainsworth in their only previous meeting and is now at Charlton in League One.

QPR appear to have made Ainsworth their top target, but it is good to have alternative options in case a move falls through. Therefore, Holden – who already knows the division – could be a shrewd target if the 49-year-old remains at Wycombe, potentially making this one to watch.