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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.

Celtic could reportedly look to sign Banik Ostrava forward Ladislav Almasi if they fail to land Cho Gue-sung.

The Lowdown: Almasi profiled

Almasi is 23 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward who has won two senior caps for Slovakia. He stands at 6ft 4’ and has netted 52 goals during his club career to date – 21 of which have come for his current employers.

The striker was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer, and it looks as if recruitment chief Mark Lawwell and manager Ange Postecoglou may still look at a move in 2023.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Daily Record relayed an update from Rudolf Ludvik, who has a following for covering Banik Ostrava stories on social media.

He claimed that the Hoops could look at Almasi if they miss out on signing Gue-Sung, with the Slovakian potentially costing €2.5m (£2.2m).

The Verdict: Smart alternative?

Almasi appears to be a physical striker who knows where the back of the net is, so he could a shrewd alternative to Gue-Sung.

The Hoops seem to be on the hunt for a forward to replace Giorgos Giakoumakis in the long run after contract talks broke down between the two parties.

Gue-Sung may well be Celtic chiefs’ top target, but Almasi could still be a handy signing if they fail to sign the South Korean international, as you’d expect he still has plenty of room for improvement at the age of 23.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring José Cifuentes to Elland Road in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ecuadorean media outlet Deportes Sin Limites (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta has the Los Angeles FC central midfielder in his sights ahead of the winter market, while fellow Ecuadorean outlet Machdeportes also report that the Whites are interested in making a move for the 23-year-old in January.

Furthermore, an earlier report by Bolovaip suggested that, despite the Ecuador international’s current contract being set to expire in December of 2023, Cifuentes is eager to secure a move away from the MLS side this winter – with Brighton & Hove Albion and Real Sociedad also reported to be keeping a close eye on the midfielder.

The next Caicedo

Considering just how impressive Cifuentes was for LAFC last time out, coupled with Mateusz Klich looking increasingly likely to move onto pastures new this January, the argument that Orta must do everything in his power to land the 23-year-old this winter is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 36 MLS appearances last season, the £10.5m-rated talent was in sensational form going forwards, scoring seven goals, registering six assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £5.8k-per-week Ecuadorian also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.8 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and winning 4.7 duels per match, as well as enjoying an average of 49.4 touches, playing 1.6 long balls and completing 27.9 total passes – at a success rate of 80% – per outing.

These returns saw the 23-year-old average a simply astonishing Sofascore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Steve Cherundolo’s sixth-best performer in the division last time out, with the midfielder playing a crucial role in LAFC lifting the 2022 MLS Cup.

Furthermore, South American football expert Tim Vickery clearly believes that Cifuentes is ready for the step up to European football, with the journalist stating of the midfielder on talkSPORT:

“He was the beating heart of that [Ecuador U20] side and I think he’s a terrific midfielder. He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while.

“Get him, sign him on! Ecuadorians are only just beginning to forge careers in Europe. Sometimes the adaptation for them isn’t easy… but Cifuentes strikes the ball well, moves across the field, strong in the tackle, strong on the ball – I like him a lot.”

And, considering just how well Brighton’s £4.5m signing of fellow Ecuadorian midfielder Moisés Caicedo has worked out for the Seagulls – with the 21-year-old having been in electric form in the Premier League this season, so much so that Manchester United and Chelsea are considering a £70m move for the youngster – there is a well-trodden path for Cifuentes to follow to Leeds.

Indeed, considering just how impressive a midfielder the 23-year-old has more than proven himself to be in America, it would appear extremely wise for Orta to do all he can to win the race for Cifuentes this winter, as the LAFC starlet could well become the top-flight’s next Caicedo-esque Ecuadorian talent – something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for the Whites.

Jordan Ayew is certainly a man who splits opinion among Crystal Palace fans but the experienced forward won the hearts of Ghana supporters on Monday as he produced a superb display in their win over South Korea at the World Cup.

The 31-year-old struggled as a substitute in the Black Stars’ 3-2 defeat against Portugal in their World Cup opener but was trusted with a start by manager Otto Addo for their vital game against South Korea this week.

He redeemed himself by playing a huge part in their 3-2 victory yesterday, which likely sets up a winner-takes-all game against 2010 rivals Uruguay in their final group fixture later this week.

As per SofaScore, Ayew would earn a strong 6.9/10 rating for his performance in Qatar, as he was instrumental in Ghana taking a 2-0 lead.

First, his beautifully-flighted free-kick would cause chaos in the South Korea box, allowing Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu to fire home the opener.

He then produced a similarly brilliant cross for Mohammed Kudus to head home the second, so it was no surprise to see Ghanaian journalist Owuraku Ampofo describe his first-half performance as a “masterclass.”

During his time on the pitch, the former Aston Villa man would register two key passes, an 88% pass success rate and two crosses, all of which were an improvement on his performances in the Premier League this season, where he has averaged one key pass, an 83.4% pass success rate and 0.2 crosses per game.

The attacker, who earns £32.5k-per-week at Selhurst Park, would also play a big part from a defensive perspective, as he registered three tackles, one clearance and one interception, which again was an increase on his Premier League average of 2.2 tackles, 0.9 clearances and 0.2 interceptions per game.

Patrick Vieira will certainly hope that the forward can replicate performances like this when top-flight football in England resumes after Christmas, as Ayew has been largely disappointing for the Eagles so far this campaign, with no goals and just one assist to his name.

Therefore, it seems clear that Ayew was crucial to Ghana’s important win that gives them a real chance of securing qualification to the knockout stages, and he certainly redeemed himself in the eyes of fans after his disappointing cameo against Portugal last week.

Arsenal are in contact with the agents of Mykhaylo Mudryk ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian transfer insider confirming in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, following continuous reports linking Mikel Arteta’s side with a move for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger this winter, Edu is indeed in contact with the 21-year-old’s representatives regarding a potential swoop for the forward.

Concerning the Gunners’ interest in the Ukraine international, Romano said: “Shakhtar are not selling Mudryk for €40m (£34.8m) or €45m (£39.1m). They want around €60-65m (£52.2-56.6m), not less than that.

“It’s not going to be easy, but Arsenal are still interested in Mudryk. They have contacts with his agents, so it could be an interesting opportunity for them.”

Unreal signing

Considering just how exciting a talent Mudryk clearly is, Romano’s claim that the 21-year-old could be an “interesting opportunity” for the Premier League side would seem like something of an understatement, as the winger would undoubtedly be an unreal signing for Arsenal to get over the line in January.

Indeed, the £13m-rated talent has burst onto the European football scene in 2022/23, having already scored five goals and registered six assists over his ten Premier Liga appearances – averaging a direct goal involvement every 67 minutes of football played – as well as starring during Shakhtar’s Champions League campaign.

In the Ukrainian side’s first outing in the competition this season – an unexpected 4-2 win over RB Leipzig – the 21-year-old stole the show, scoring one goal and registering two assists, as well as making two key passes, completing two of his three attempted dribbles and creating one big chance – with these metrics seeing the winger earn an incredible SofaScore match rating of 8.0.

This performance saw the attacker draw a considerable amount of praise, with Jack Collins stating after the game that Mudryk is both “absolutely unreal” and “almost undefendable”, while Sam Tighe dubbed the youngster a Jack “Grealish regen”.

The eight-cap star followed this up with a goal in both the home and away tie with Celtic, while also turning in an extremely impressive performance despite a 2-1 defeat at the hands of reigning champions Real Madrid.

As such, considering the wealth of young and exciting attacking talent Arteta already has at his disposal in north London – such as Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, Fábio Vieira, Gabriel Martinelli, Marquinhos and Gabriel Jesus – the further addition of a player as talented as Mudryk would very much appear a dream for the 40-year-old manager.

Indeed, with the added firepower of the Ukrainian sensation, it would appear wise not to bet against the Gunners going on to lift the Premier League title come next May.

Liverpool are considering a move to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer in 2023, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Bayern move falls through

The Austrian’s contract with the Bundesliga giants is set to expire at the end of the season, and despite having agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich over the summer, the two parties failed to complete a deal before the deadline.

The Reds were credited with a late interest in the 25-year-old in the previous window, and it sounds like they are once again weighing up the possibility of bringing him to the Premier League next year.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing Laimer

According to 90min, Liverpool monitoring Laimer still ‘remains the case’, with the maestro under the ‘serious consideration’ of FSG ahead of a January approach.

The 24-cap international and his representatives are claimed to be ‘open to all options’, which include a ‘possible move’ to England.

He is currently recovering from an ankle injury, though ‘is expected’ to be ready to be thrown into action following the conclusion of the World Cup.

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The Verdict: Melo replacement

Arthur Melo is set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future and so Laimer, an ‘unsung hero’ according to journalist Josh Bunting, would be the perfect replacement.

The Austria star is a real creative spark in the centre, having racked up 18 assists and 11 goals during his time at Leipzig, alongside averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.8 dribbles per league game (WhoScored).

The 5 foot 9 talisman could be available on a cut-price deal given his contract situation, and Liverpool need to act fast if they want to capitalise and lure their target to Anfield.

Crystal Palace are unlikely to sign Middlesborough right-wing back Isaiah Jones this season, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Jones linked with Palace

The Eagles have been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old by The Sun earlier this month. The outlet claimed that Palace have been checking up on the right-wing back and would like to bolster that area of the pitch for Patrick Vieira.

Jones, who can also play as a winger when required, has been a regular for ‘Boro this season, taking his appearance tally for the club to 64.

The Latest: ‘Boro unlikely to sell

Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Palace’s reported interest in the Middlesbrough man.

He said that he has been told that an exit for the 23-year-old during the current campaign is unlikely, hinting that the Eagles may have to wait until the summer to make their move.

The journalist said of the ‘Boro player: “From what I’m told, especially on the back of Michael Carrick coming into Boro, they will not be selling him this season.

“At the end of the season, that might change, and Palace might have a chance, but for the time being, I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Palace have an exciting young left-back in Tyrick Mitchell, so it’s good to see that the club want to address the right-hand side, with current options Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne both over 30 years of age and out of contract in the summer.

Jones could be viewed as the perfect addition at Selhurst Park, but he has mainly been used as a wing-back and not in a back four, so his defensive game may need some work if he is to thrive in the top flight under Vieira.

Still just 23 years of age, Jones appears to be a future star, and after winning the Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards at Middlesbrough at the end of the 2021/22 season, a Palace swoop next summer could be a shrewd one.

Glasgow Rangers appointed Giovanni van Bronckhorst to take over in the dugout at Ibrox in November of 2021 after they lost Steven Gerrard to a club south of the border.

Ross Wilson backed the Dutch head coach in his first window in charge of the Gers by snapping up Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo, and James Sands on loan, whilst also signing Mateusz Zukowski on a permanent basis and John Souttar on a pre-contract agreement.

The Rangers sporting director was also able to dodge an error in January as he did not follow up on interest in Scottish winger Siriki Dembele.

It was reported that the Light Blues, along with their Old Firm rivals Celtic, were monitoring the attacker’s situation as his contract at Peterborough was set to expire at the end of the season.

Wilson opted to avoid a deal for the winger and English Championship side Bournemouth ended up signing him on deadline day for an undisclosed fee, although it had been claimed that Birmingham were readying an offer of £1.5m – offering an insight into the kind of money that may have been involved.

On paper, it looked like a promising signing for the Cherries as he had caught the eye whilst playing in East Anglia in the 18 months prior to that. He had scored five goals and provided one assist in 22 second-tier outings for the Posh, after racking up an outstanding 11 goals and ten assists in 38 League One starts in 2020/21.

Peterborough chief Barry Fry previously lauded the winger’s ability, telling Football FanCast: “Siriki can get the ball in his own half and with dazzling dribbling ability, he can beat four or five players and score a wonder goal or cross it for somebody else to score.

“He’s very, very exciting. He’s got the best stats outside the [English] Premier League, I think. We’ll try to keep hold of him if we go up, and we’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse! So watch this space.”

However, he struggled to make a significant impact as he scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 Championship appearances for Scott Parker’s side.

His lack of form for Bournemouth in their promotion-winning campaign has led to him being an outcast in their current Premier League battles. He is yet to make a single appearance for the club in any competition this term, despite not dealing with any injury issues.

The 26-year-old has been cast aside at the Vitality Stadium and his disappointing spell with the south coast club suggests that Wilson played a blinder by deciding not to bring him to Ibrox back in January.

Dembele’s lack of end product in the final third after stepping up to the Championship in England suggests that he is not cut out to play at a higher level, with Bournemouth seemingly feeling that he is not Premier League quality.

Therefore, the Gers chief dodged a bullet by avoiding a swoop for the attacker as his statistics indicate that he would not have added a great deal to the Light Blues squad, judging by his lack of goals and assists.

When Jarrod Bowen joined West Ham United from Hull in January 2020, few would have predicted his meteoric rise in David Moyes’ side.

The winger joined the Hammers in a deal worth £20m having hit an impressive 54 goals in 131 appearances for the Tigers in three-and-a-half seasons with the club.

Since then, he has gone on to make 112 appearances for the Irons, in which he has contributed 29 goals and 23 assists, establishing himself as one of the top Premier League players outside of the ‘big six’ and earning himself a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Last season was a hugely impressive one for Bowen as he managed 12 goals and 10 assists in 36 Premier League appearances, averaging a superb 7.14 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranked him as the top performer in West Ham’s squad, so it is clear just how important he is at the London Stadium, which is perhaps why the club valued him at £100m to deter any interested suitors during the summer.

Had they cashed in on the winger for £100m, it would have been five times the fee that GSB paid in 2020, which represents remarkable business by the West Ham board.

Despite a difficult start to the new season which has seen him fail to contribute a goal or assist in the Premier League, former top-flight striker Kevin Campbell sang the 25-year-old’s praises, saying: “One thing he does do well is work ever so hard – so he’ll always have a place in that West Ham lineup. His goals pushed him for England, and rightly so – because he was incredible.”

Bowen’s second goal of the 2022/23 season came via the penalty spot in their 3-1 win over FCSB in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, and hopefully that will prove the catalyst in helping him rediscover his form from last season.

Nonetheless, there can be no doubt that GSB’s decision to sign a player for £20m in 2020, who at that time was largely unproven at Premier League level, has massively paid off.

Crystal Palace have been linked with signing Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins recently and the England international could be a big upgrade on Jean-Philippe Mateta in Patrick Vieira’s side.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, both Palace and Leeds United are monitoring the former Brentford man’s situation at Aston Villa ahead of a potential swoop.

He suggests that the 26-year-old could be one to watch before the transfer window shuts, although also claims that Villa have dismissed any claims of tension between the striker and manager Steven Gerrard, maintaining that the club don’t want to sell this summer.

Previous reports have suggested that Watkins could cost as much as £50m, which would represent a huge outlay for Palace, although he would arguably be a significant upgrade on Vieira’s current striker options.

Last season saw Mateta contribute just five goals and one assist in the Premier League, averaging a less than impressive 6.64 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Watkins, meanwhile, would hit 11 goals and two assists, averaging a solid 6.9 rating from WhoScored, while he marked his first Premier League start this season with two assists in the win against Everton.

Watkins also outperformed the Frenchman with regards to shots (2.2 vs 1.7), key passes (1 vs 0.3) and dribbles per game (1.1 vs 0.5) last season, which emphasises that he is clearly the better all-round forward.

The Englishman does not lack ability in the air but possesses the pace that Mateta and Odsonne Edouard lack, so he could definitely be an upgrade for Vieira, as he is a willing runner that can work the channels and also press the opposition.

Jamie Carragher was full of praise for the Villa striker last season, saying:

“He’s been a real handful tonight. Every time that ball goes up. No defender has had a free header. Great body strength. He’s been bullying those centre-backs about, especially Matip, who has found it – not difficult – but it’s been a real fight every time it’s gone up to the front man.”

That certainly wasn’t the first time Watkins has caused problems against Liverpool, as he hit a perfect hat-trick in the remarkable 7-2 win against Jurgen Klopp’s side in 2020.

Anyone that is able to bully Virgil van Dijk, who is undoubtedly one of the top defenders in world football, is a player worth watching and while he could be an expensive option for Palace, he would definitely represent a big upgrade in Vieira’s attack.