Rangers have made a surprise move for Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres, having recently enquired about how much the striker would cost this summer, according to a report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

It has now been confirmed that Alfredo Morelos is set to leave the Gers this summer, with Michael Beale unwilling to offer the Colombian a new contract, meaning a new striker will be required in the upcoming window.

To replace the 26-year-old, the Light Blues could look at signing Swansea City forward Joel Piroe, having scouted the Dutchman earlier this season, while Bordeaux's Josh Maja could also be considered as a potential option.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors striker Cho Gue-sung has been touted for a move to Ibrox, with the South Korean set to consider his future in the summer, however Rangers are now also looking at a player from closer to home.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Gers have made a surprise move to sign Gyokeres, having enquired about the cost of signing the Coventry City marksman in the summer transfer window.

The Sky Blues are said to value the marksman at £20m, meaning Beale would have to break the club's transfer record to bring him to Glasgow, but the manager may be tempted, given that he is said to be a "huge" fan.

The move is considered a surprise as there are a number of Premier League teams interested in the 24-year-old, but Rangers are now also in the race, with a top-class number nine deemed a priority for the club in the upcoming window.

Should Rangers sign Viktor Gyokeres?

The Sweden international has played an integral part in Coventry's fantastic 2022-23 campaign, with the club currently sat fifth in the Championship, very likely to finish inside the playoff places.

In 45 league appearances, the 6 foot 2 striker has weighed in with 21 goals and ten assists, meaning he has amassed more goal contributions than any other player in the English second tier.

Given that stellar record in front of goal, it is no wonder clubs are queuing up to sign the "unplayable" £4.5k-per-week forward, but while he would be an excellent addition to Beale's squad, the transfer fee required is likely to be too high for Rangers.

The most the Light Blues spent on any player last season was €4.7m (£4.2m), and given that a rebuild will be needed this summer, with a number of first-team players out of contract, forking out £20m on one player is unfeasible.

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has claimed that the current side are not as good as his team from the 2002/03 campaign.

What has Neil Lennon said about Celtic?

Ange Postecoglou's high-flying side, who are set to retain their Scottish Premiership title in style with 103 goals scored and just one league defeat so far this season, are now being compared with great Celtic teams of old following their exceptional displays this season.

The likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota have particularly impressed with their output as Celtic march towards what could end up being a domestic treble, but Lennon has claimed that the current crop are a level below the side he played in 20 years ago.

With Martin O'Neill at the helm, Celtic were pipped to the Premiership crown on goal difference, but were most fondly remembered for their UEFA Cup run, as they took Jose Mourinho's Porto all the way to extra time in a pulsating final in Seville, which ultimately ended in defeat.

Speaking on the PLZ Soccer Football Show, Lennon highlighted that there were Champions League winners in his side – something which is not possible at Celtic now given the difference in player recruitment.

Asked if the current team could compete with the likes of Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton, the ex-Hoops boss responded: "No. Seriously, no.

"It's hypothetical and I get it, but you have to remember, me, Sutty [Sutton], Alan Thompson, John Hartson – we were all top players in the Premier League and we came this way; it wouldn't happen now," he stated.

"It's like Ange going down and buying James Maddison or Ivan Toney, for £40-50m. That's the bar that was set then.

"Rangers were bringing in Tore Andre Flo, Stefan Klos, a Champions League winner; we had Paul Lambert, a Champions League winner. They had me, Henrik, Sutty. I think we'd be too powerful for them.

"If we were at our peak and Ange's team was at their peak, I think we'd be too strong for them."

Which Celtic side was better?

Although it is always tough to compare teams from two different eras, Celtic's mesmerising performances that season certainly have them in the conversation when comparing some of the club's best modern sides.

In terms of pure numbers, Postecoglou's side are well on their way to eclipsing the league performance of the 2002/03 side. With five games to go, Celtic need just five points to match the 97 Lennon's side obtained, and that side also lost three times, in comparison to the current team's solitary loss all season.

Celtic have scored 103 times this season, meaning they have already out-scored O'Neill's men, but have conceded 25 goals already, with the team of 20 years ago shipping 26 in the entire league campaign.

However, European performance is arguably what separates the two sides. After being knocked out in Champions League qualifying, Celtic made the UEFA Cup final after knocking out Blackburn Rovers, Stuttgart and Liverpool in 2003, a remarkable run which is still remembered in Hoops folklore.

Ange's side, meanwhile, finished bottom of their Champions League group this term, with two draws and no wins from their six matches against Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig. Even if they finished third in their group and dropped down to the Europa League, then they could have had a chance at bettering Lennon's side in Europe – but given no Celtic team has matched that achievement since, you can see why Lennon is backing his former teammates.

Wolverhampton Wanderers swooped to sign giant centre-forward Sasa Kalajdzic from German side Stuttgart last summer and the attacker has been restricted to one Premier League appearance this season.

The gem suffered a long-term knee injury on his debut and is currently projected to be out of action until June, having missed 37 matches in all competitions to date.

Julen Lopetegui should be looking forward to the 25-year-old's return next season as the Austrian international's form in Germany prior to arriving in England indicates that he has the potential to be an excellent player for the club.

Kalajdzic scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 51 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart and this suggests that the striker has the quality to provide goal contributions on a regular basis at the top level.

However, the forward will need adequate service to find the back of the net and teammates with enough quality to finish off the chances that he creates.

Lopetegui could provide the Austrian with the partner of his dreams on the pitch by securing a summer deal to sign Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, who is reportedly a target for Wolves heading into the off-season.

How has Ansu Fati performed for Barcelona?

The £237k-per-week prodigy, who could command a fee in the region of €70m (£62m), has racked up 104 appearances for the Spanish giants before his 21st birthday and produced 26 goals and nine assists along the way.

Fati has scored 19 goals and provided four assists in 31 LaLiga starts for Barcelona in his career to date, whilst the dynamo has also shown promise in the Champions League with three goals and two assists in six starts in the competition since breaking into the first-team in 2019/20.

The 20-year-old, who was once lauded as a "generational" talent by Xavi, also ranks in the top 3% of players in his position for non-penalty xG per 90 in Europe's top five leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

This shows that the youngster has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and Kalajdzic, who had provided 11 assists at Stuttgart, could benefit from having a winger who is able to take up great positions in the box.

Fati has shown plenty of promise as a goalscorer and a creator in his limited starts for Barcelona in recent years and joining Wolves to become a regular starter could help the Spaniard to unlock his full potential out wide.

Kalajdzic and the seven-cap Spain international could, therefore, form a dream pairing at the top end of the pitch for Wolves with their respective quality in the final third, as both of them have the ability to score and assist goals at the top level if they can find their best form in England.

Seekkuge Prasanna’s 95 almost beat Sanath Jayasuriya’s fastest ODI hundred in history and Kusal Perera struck a hundred as Sri Lanka thumped Ireland for a second time in Malahide

The Report by Tim Wigmore in Malahide18-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSeekkuge Prasanna clubbed nine sixes during his 95 off 46 balls•Getty Images/Sportsfile

When he walked out as Sri Lanka’s No. 3, his eighth batting position in 24 ODI innings, Seekkuge Prasanna had an ODI average of 9.19. No one would have imagined that he would come within one blow of breaking one of Sri Lankan cricket’s most cherished records.On April 2, 1996 in Singapore, Sri Lanka played their first match since the country’s World Cup win, in Lahore. Liberated by the moment, Sanath Jayasuriya doubled down on the methods that had contributed to Sri Lanka’s most famous day, and ravaged a 48-ball century.The record has held for two decades without serious challenge: besides Jayasuriya himself, no other Sri Lankan has scored an ODI ton in under 70 balls. Yet Prasanna belied his lack of batting pedigree to come closer than anyone else.His very first ball hinted at the violence that was to come. An offspinner from Andy McBrine looped up invitingly, and was smited over long off for an emphatic six. The shot spoke of how the situation empowered Prasanna to heave from ball one: he was promoted up the order after Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka had added 147 for the opening wicket.Each of Prasanna’s heaves over the legside boundary seemed more emphatic than the last. If the shots lacked finesse, they made up for it with timing and power: one nonchalant pick-up off Boyd Rankin over square leg was particularly imperious, seeming to mock the man stationed for the exact shot.Few situations will lend themselves so gladly to empowering Prasanna to heave without regard for his wicket as today, but the innings holds out the promise that he will establish himself as a dangerous floater in the line-up. The only shame was that, attempting another smear over the legside to hit his 10th six, he was bowled by Tim Murtagh five runs shy of Jayasuriya’s record with two balls to beat it.Smart stats

377 – Sri Lanka’s total, their fourth highest in ODIs.

293 – Runs added by Sri Lanka’s first three batsmen, their fifth best in ODIs. The top six such scores have all been in away games.

308 – Sri Lanka’s score at the fall of the second wicket, only the fifth time in ODIs that they have passed 300 before losing their second wicket.

95 – Seekuge Prasanna’s score, his highest in 102 List A innings; his previous best was 92*, way back in November 2007.

135 – Kusal Perera’s score, his third hundred and his highest score in ODIs.

86 – Runs conceded by Boyd Rankin, the most he has ever leaked in ODIs.

Overshadowed by Prasanna, Perera’s innings came to seem almost like a throwback to a more genteel age of ODI cricket; his shirt was nameless, which seemed to embody his relative anonymity.Not that he was remotely prosaic: 135 came at well over a run-a-ball. If Prasanna’s innings was defined by clearing the legside ropes, the abiding image of Perera’s was of crisp driving through the offside, often over the heads of those in the 30-yard circle.The upshot of their contrasting innings, and of Gunathilaka’s carefully compiled innings, was that Ireland needed some admirable death bowling – just 15 runs came from the final three overs – to restrict Sri Lanka to under 300.On a benign pitch, Ireland’s bowlers were too often guilty of bowling full tosses. Less tangibly, Ireland are a less abrasive side to play against than in the days when Trent Johnston, John Mooney and Niall O’Brien – the latter two reunited in the commentary box, O’Brien torn calf rendering him unable to play for another month – combined to antagonise batsmen.At times during Sri Lanka’s assault, Ireland seemed alarmingly quiet. At least Ireland just about retained their sense of humour: when Prasanna and Perera had fallen in quick succession and Sri Lanka were 310 for 3, Kevin O’Brien chirped: “Come on lads, make it 320 for 5 here”.Ireland have built their cricketing reputation upon chasing steep targets, but here was a task of a different order to their heists in Bangalore or Nelson. After the top three were dismissed early on – Maharoof ending a wait of 1556 days for an international wicket when Ed Joyce lashed a wide delivery into the hands of Gunathilaka at point – the rest of the day was so lacking in intensity that it was possible to imagine this was not a full-fledged ODI, but merely an exhibition match, the sort of game that used to be Ireland’s lot when Test teams deigned to visit.Rather incongruously given the size of Ireland’s beating, five Irish batsmen notched their highest scores. The most significant and heartening contribution came from McBrine.His stylish drives though the offside, the hooked six that brought up his half-century and a contemptuous pull off Angelo Matthews when he dropped short, were not the futile shots of a late-order swinger, but rather those of a player with the capacity to bat in the top seven against Test opposition. Sage judges reckon that, having played his first innings in an ODI at number eleven, McBrine will develop into a batting allrounder.At least McBrine’s crisp late shots, and a huge towering straight six by Boyd Rankin, gave the Malahide crowd some cheer on a day when three Irish sports teams were defeated in the space of one afternoon. But with next week’s ICC meeting, which Ireland will hope will see the world game move towards more inclusive structures in both Test and ODI cricket, looming, Ireland’s emphatic defeat was ill-timed.

ScorecardMichael Klinger’s century powered Gloucestershire to victory•Getty Images

Michael Klinger led from the front as Gloucestershire completed a NatWest T20 Blast double over arch-rivals Somerset with a seven-wicket victory at Taunton.The skipper scored a brilliant 101 as his side made light of a victory target of 168, winning with four balls to spare to go top of the South Group. Ian Cockbain contributed 41 to a second-wicket stand of 107.The hosts posted a disappointing 167 for 7 on the high-scoring ground, Mahela Jayawardene making a scratchy 41 and Peter Trego 32. Matt Taylor returned a career-best 3 for 16 and Tom Smith 2 for 28.That was never likely to be sufficient if Klinger got going and the ultra-consistent Australian duly obliged with a superb 71-ball innings, featuring 10 fours and four sixes. Jamie Overton was the pick of the home attack with 3 for 33.Somerset struggled to gain any momentum after being invited to bat. Jim Allenby fell early to a miscued pull off Taylor and at the end of the six-over powerplay the scoreboard read 40 for 2.Johann Myburgh produced the odd sweet shot in his 25 before falling to Howell, who was typically miserly in claiming 1 for 23 from his four overs of wily medium pace.Trego looked in good touch hitting five boundaries, but after he launched a catch to long-off to give left-arm spinner Smith his first wicket there was no one to clear the ropes in mid-innings.Jayawardene struggled for any semblance of the form that made him among the most elegant batsmen to have played the game and was dropped at extra cover off Smith on 26.By the time he was sixth man out, to the accurate Taylor, in the 18th over Somerset had just 141 runs on the board and were resigned to a below-par score.Jamie Overton’s successive sixes off Andrew Tye boosted the total, but with the sun shining, it didn’t look enough, even when he followed up with a perfect yorker to bowl Hamish Marshall in the fifth over with the score on 40.That was as good as it got for the home side, who had to wait until the last ball of the 17th over for their next wicket as Klinger and Cockbain produced an array of powerful strokes.When Cockbain was caught at long-on by Craig Overton off brother Jamie, having hit three fours and a six in his 39-ball innings, Gloucestershire required only 21.Klinger reached his hundred off 67 balls, having looked in total command. Although he fell in the penultimate over, the job was done against what on the night was a very moderate Somerset side.

علق الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون مدرب نادي أم صلال القطري على فوز ناديه بثنائية دون رد على حساب نادي الزمالك على ملعب نادي الوحدة بالإمارات مساء يوم الأربعاء، في بطولة الوحدة الودية.

وقال كارتيرون في تصريحات لقناة “أون تايم سبورتس” : “كان من المهم أن نواجه فريق كبير مثل الزمالك وأن نحقق الفوز، ليس من السهل أن نفوز عليهم، لكن أنا أيضًا حزين لأنني فزت عليهم”.

إقرأ أيضًا..هيثم عرابي: نرحب بمفاوضات الزمالك لضم لاعبنا.. وجلسة لمعرفة مطالب حسام حسن

وأكمل: “الزمالك ناد كبير ويمتلك لاعبين مميزين، أكثر فريق صنع الفارق لي وأحببته، في كل مكان في السعودية وقطر أقابل الجماهير المنتمين للزمالك ويلتقطون الصور معي”.

وزاد: “حسين لبيب رجل رائع ورئيس نادي رائع لكن الوضع صعب لأنه لا يوجد لاعبين كبار في الفريق حاليًا والزمالك يلعب تحت ضغط، لكن أنا متأكد إن الفريق سيعود أفضل من السابق”.

وختم حديثه: “لم يتحدث معي أحد من الزمالك، لكني أحترم الإدارة وأحترم حسين لبيب لكن مهمته صعبة”.

كارتيرون يقود نادي أم صلال القطري حيث سبق له تولي مهمة تدريب نادي الزمالك في وقت سابق.

Mitchell Starc has admitted to feeling a little frustrated at having to sit out of matches in the ongoing tri-series in the West Indies, but said he understood that his workload management was important

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2016Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has admitted to feeling a little frustrated at having to sit out of matches in the ongoing tri-series in the West Indies, but said he understood that his workload management was important with a busy season ahead.Starc, who made his international return in this series after a long injury lay-off, played only two of Australia’s four matches so far, taking five wickets. He is expected to play against South Africa on Sunday.Khawaja acknowledges team support during Ramadan

Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has acknowledged the support of the team management while he observes the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan. Khawaja told that he had been fasting whenever possible during the series, while managing playing and training.
“It’s been alright. It’s something that I really enjoy doing, but if it’s affecting my cricket or my training in too much of a negative way, then I probably won’t do it,” he said. “It just depends on the situation.
“They don’t force me to do anything. It’s a choice, it’s my personal choice. They know that at the end of the day I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise the team in any way.
“And what I’m doing now, I’ve said to them before that when I fast, I make sure I do everything as well as I can. And if I’m not doing it as well as I can, I will stop doing it and catch it up later on, which is always an option.”

“It’s part of the plan unfortunately,” Starc told . “Being fit this time around and watching from the side can be a little bit frustrating. But I’ve got to look at the bigger picture and there’s a lot to come in the next six months, so I’ll stick by the plan and stick by what the medicos tell me to do. I don’t have too much say in it. I want to play every game.”The bigger picture (is) we have three Tests against Sri Lanka, a one-day series that follows that, a one-day series in South Africa and then we’ve got the home summer. It’s feeling really good, but I’ve just got to manage that at this point in time. That’s for the medicos to do and me to sit back, unfortunately.”Starc said he was accustomed to having the team’s medical staff determine his playing schedule to keep him fit over the course of a season, particularly after his previous struggles with fitness. Starc battled long-term ankle problems and the injury flared up again during the Ashes Test in Cardiff last year. He then underwent surgery on the ankle in December while recovering from a fractured foot he suffered during the Adelaide Test against New Zealand.Australia also have a packed calendar in 2016-17. After the tri-series, they will tour Sri Lanka and then play an ODI series in South Africa. They will host four teams over the home summer – South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka – before ending their season with a tour of India in February-March 2017.”I’m getting used to being told what to do,” Starc said with a smile. “It’d be really nice to play every single game, but the sheer amount of cricket we play these days, if you play every game, you’re going to break down at some point, so you have to be a little bit smarter about it.”At the moment, I’m feeling really good. I’m feeling strong and ready to go at every point. It’s about me getting right for the next game, and if that involves playing, that’s lovely. But if it means I have to rest or sit out here and there, I’ll have to cop that on the chin as well.”It’s about finding that happy medium, where you’re not bowling yourself into the ground and you’re injured every 12 months. But at the same time, you want to keep that rhythm and be fresh enough to play as much as you can.”Starc, who has played 48 ODIs and taken 95 wickets, is within sight of a record. He needs five wickets to become the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets, a record currently held by former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who got to the landmark in 53 matches.Incidentally, Australia have lost both matches in which Starc was rested. With two wins in four matches, they are placed second on the points table, behind South Africa, who lead with 10 points after their two bonus-point victories.

Tottenham Hotspur talks with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann have hit a 'stumbling block', according to journalist Mike McGrath.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy have reportedly drawn up a shortlist of managerial candidates to replace Antonio Conte with the north Londoners eyeing a few key targets.

Reports suggest the likes of Nagelsmann, Arne Slot of Feyenoord and Burnley's Vincent Kompany are all real contenders for the role with Levy facing a crucial, crucial decision.

Since parting ways with Conte over a month ago, the north Londoners have seen a two interim bosses take the reins on a temporary basis. Cristian Stellini was given his marching orders after Spurs' hopes of securing a top four Premier League finish fell by the wayside, with Ryan Mason placed in charge until the end of the season.

No league win in their last four means Tottenham are potentially fighting for a Europa League place at best as Man United sit nine points clear of Spurs with two games in hand.

Their permanent managerial appointment for next season will now be taking priority behind-the-scenes and Nagelsmann could be an exciting target.

Now, as per The Telegraph and reporter McGrath, there has been an update on Spurs' pursuit of the ex-RB Leipzig boss – and it's worrying news for Levy.

Indeed, sharing news on 'talks' with Nagelsmann, McGrath claims Tottenham have hit a 'stumbling block' in their potential move for the tactician. The uncertainty surrounding Spurs' sporting director has apparently thrown a spanner in the works with Nagelsmann's possible appointment.

It is believed that knowing who will be heading recruitment and the club's transfer policy is a key factor for the German and an important component of his decision to come to north London.

This comes after former managing director Fabio Paratici resigned from his post following a 30-month worldwide ban from football, with his appeal failing to go through.

What could Nagelsmann bring to Spurs?

If Spurs manage to find a way around this conundrum, Nagelsmann would be an undoubted perfect appointment to take the club forward.

Called a 'phenomenal' tactical innovator by BBC Sport writer Raj Chohan, Levy actually wanted to bring Nagelsmann to Spurs before he went to Bayern, so it's little surprise they are attempting a move again after his dismissal.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola tipped him to be a success all the way back in 2018 during his Hoffenheim days, and having already won a title at such a young age, Nagelsmann stands out as one of Europe's most exciting managers.

Given his status as a free agent, Spurs are unlikely to get another great opportunity like this to finally appoint him.

Arsenal's starting XI has proven its ability to battle with anyone this season, and had they have all remained fit there was reason to believe that Mikel Arteta would have led them to the Premier League title.

However, as is always the way with these arduous campaigns, things did not go to plan.

Losing one or two key men makes it somewhat possible to account for, however, when the alternatives are so poor, it makes for a frustrating viewing. For example, given William Saliba's absence, the next-best alternative then became Rob Holding, who has never really been at the required level to play regularly for the Gunners.

Some roles are more bolstered than others, but with reports linking Kieran Tierney with an exit from the Emirates, perhaps the Spanish boss and Edu will seek to offer Oleksandr Zinchenko some ample competition in the form of Ferland Mendy, whom they are set to be offered the chance to sign according to reports.

Given their unbridled success in prying Martin Odegaard from Madrid's grasp, with the Norwegian having been dubbed surplus to requirements in Spain, perhaps they could gladly welcome another Real Madrid outcast who can blossom into a similarly important player as their current captain for just a £17.5m fee.

How has Ferland Mendy played at Real Madrid?

To emphasise his importance to this current side, the creative 24-year-old boasts 15 goals and eight assists in a league campaign in which they are set to just fall short of Manchester City.

Everything good offensively within this team often comes through their midfield magician in Odegaard, and in Mendy, they could find a defensive alternative.

Having enjoyed a tumultuous time in Madrid since moving from Lyon, the 27-year-old is now a well-established star who would upgrade most teams. Although this season has not been his best, just last year he proved imperative for Carlo Ancelotti's Champions League and La Liga-winning side.

Starring in the latter, the left-back retained a 7.00 average rating in which he scored twice and maintained a 92% pass accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 1.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

It seems that even strong showings of this ilk do not make you immune from the chopping block at a club the size of Real Madrid, as even Odegaard maintained a 7.23 average rating in his final full season before moving to north London on an initial loan. Despite this, their loss would definitely be Arsenal's gain.

Given the remarkable care he takes of the ball, whilst also being branded a "1v1 beast" by writer Raj Chohan, it seems Edu is set to once again prey on the Spanish giants' reject pool, which has already proved profitable once before.

Manchester United return to Premier League action at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men in desperate need of a positive result following a particularly disappointing last week or so.

Having edged past Aston Villa in their last Old Trafford outing, the Red Devils have since continued their woes on the road by suffering 1-0 defeats at the hands of both Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United, ensuring they have now lost eight of their 18 away league games this season.

That grim record has ensured that Champions League qualification is now no guarantee with bitter rivals Liverpool impressively gaining ground in fifth, albeit with United's top-four hopes still very much in their own hands with just four games of the season left to play.

Ten Hag and co could well be facing a major blow ahead of today's encounter, however, with the former Ajax boss revealing that leading scorer Marcus Rashford – who scored the winner in the reverse fixture at Molineux – is "more than doubtful" for the visit of Julen Lopetegui's men, albeit with both Raphael Varane and Alejandro Garnacho in contention to feature.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has predicted how the hosts could line up against the Old Gold later today.

What will Man United's starting XI be vs Wolves?

Following on from the frustrating loss at the London Stadium, there could be as many as five changes this time around, albeit with David De Gea set to retain his place in the sticks despite proving culpable for Said Benraham's winner last time out.

Ahead of the long-serving Spaniard, Diogo Dalot could take the place of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back, while a further defensive shake-up could see club captain Harry Maguire recalled at the heart of the defence alongside Victor Lindelof, allowing Luke Shaw to revert to his usual, left-back berth – with Ten Hag avoiding the temptation to rush back the aforementioned Varane.

As for the midfield ranks, despite having been 'bossed' by the Hammers – as per Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – experienced ace Casemiro will likely retain his place in the side, with it perhaps a chance for Bruno Fernandes to slot in alongside the Brazilian in a deep-lying role.

That would see Christian Eriksen ditched from the starting lineup after the £150k-per-week "genius" – as described by Statman Dave – was 'overwhelmed' against the Irons, according to GOAL's Richard Martin, with January arrival Marcel Sabitzer taking his place.

Amid the possible loss of Rashford, it would seem wise to recall Anthony Martial to the side ahead of the struggling Wout Weghorst, with the wide berths likely to be taken up by Antony and Jadon Sancho, as young Garnacho may need to be eased back in off the bench after his recent injury layoff.

Predicted Man United XI – (4-3-3) – De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw; Casemiro, Fernandes, Sabitzer; Antony, Martial, Sancho