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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham ahead of the Champions League clash between the two sides.

THE LOWDOWN: A RISING STAR

Making the switch to Borussia Dortmund at the age of 17 proved to be the making of England international Bellingham.

Now in his third full season with the Bundesliga side, he has shown development season upon season and now looks to be adding goals to his game.

Now a 19-year-old asset rated at around £83m, he is most certainly one of the brightest stars in the world and has seen his name linked to some of Europe’s elite as a result – with Man City reportedly ‘convinced’ they can lure the midfielder to the Etihad Stadium.

THE LATEST: “A SPECIAL MENTALITY”

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League affair with Dortmund, head coach Guardiola issued praise on the midfielder, with the Spaniard emphasising his “special mentality”.

Speaking to the media (via The Athletic), he said: “I think Dortmund is a perfect place for young talented players to come. Maybe [if] Bellingham went to a top Premier League team, he wouldn’t get the minutes. The best way for a young player to get better is to play minutes.

“At 17, he arrived. It’s not just about the quality, he had a special mentality. He is already one of the captains of the team, to happen at 19 is quite impressive.

“It’s not just about the goals, the whole package is really good. He’s already playing for England at 19. We know the quality he has.”

THE VERDICT: MAKE THE MOVE!

Out of the plethora of potential destinations that Bellingham has at his disposal, there are two options that seem like the safest bets.

One option would see him stay at Dortmund and potentially continue his spell as captain over the next couple of seasons.

Alternatively, he could make the switch to the Premier League to play under Guardiola at Manchester City – which would arguably be a much safer option than a move to Liverpool, Chelsea or Real Madrid.

City have established themselves as a side that consistently achieves, with Guardiola’s tactical approach perhaps the best in the world for any midfielder due to the amount of time and space that is granted throughout his possession-heavy system.

A link-up with former Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland could be equally as seamless as the Norwegian’s adaptation to life in England’s top flight.

You can only imagine how established Bellingham could be if he opted to make the switch to City, who could perhaps do with further depth in the midfield ranks.

Leicester City will be without defender Caglar Soyuncu for their crunch Premier League clash with Leeds United this evening.

The Lowdown: Foxes struggling…

The Foxes have endured a torrid start to this 2022/2023 campaign with manager Brendan Rodgers under some pressure to turn their fortunes around.

Leicester currently lie bottom of the table having conceded more goals than any other side in the English top flight, picking up just one win over their first ten matches.

Rodgers’ side have also conceded 13 goals in their last five, including five away to Brighton and six away to Spurs in north London.

However, there is hope for Leicester in the form of their goal scoring exploits.

The King Power Stadium side have scored as many goals as the likes of Chelsea and Man United (15) and more than any team south of 13th, backing their real threat in the forward positions.

The Latest: Soyuncu absent…

Leicester’s clear problem is leaking goals at the other end, a problem which won’t be helped by the absence of Jonny Evans and Turkey international Caglar Soyuncu.

The latter man has hardly featured this season, even when available, regardless of his past exploits, ranking as their fifth-best performing player by average match rating last season (WhoScored).

Even if Rodgers wanted to finally call upon Soyuncu to potentially fix their defensive woes, they won’t be able too, with the northern Irishman confirming he is set to miss Leeds.

“Cags [Caglar Soyuncu] he’s got an issue with his knee. He’s had it since he came back from international duty. He has had a scan. We think he’ll miss the game.”

The Verdict: Setback for Rodgers?

The 26-year-old enjoyed a stellar first couple of seasons at Leicester but has been unable to fight his way into the first team this year.

Called ‘very, very quick’ and ‘assured’ by Rio Ferdinand, it is unclear what exactly has happened between Soyuncu and Rodgers behind-the-scenes, but Soyuncu’s latest injury setback means he is a certain absentee for Leeds.

Considering the practically undroppable Evans was already ruled a doubt, this may have been the Turk’s chance to shine, so this is certainly a setback.

Darren Moore’s decision to bring David Stockdale to Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer during the summer has proven to be a masterstroke as the 37-year-old continues to prove his worth at Hillsborough.

After starring for Wycombe Wanderers in League One and the Championship in recent seasons, Moore pounced on the opportunity to bring the hugely experienced shot-stopper to the club during the summer, not only strengthening his side but also weakening a potential promotion rival in the process.

Last season saw the veteran ‘keeper save the most shots in League One and also win the golden glove after earning the most clean sheets, so it is easy to see why Moore was so keen to bring him to Hillsborough.

Stockdale looks set to win that award again should the Owls continue their impressive defensive stats from the beginning of this season, as he currently leads the way in League One with eight clean sheets to his name thus far.

If the Owls are to mount an automatic promotion challenge this season then it looks as if Stockdale will be key, as only Bolton Wanderers and Derby County have conceded fewer goals so far this campaign.

Moore has already praised his new goalkeeper for his performances on the pitch and what he adds in the dressing room, saying:

“Stocky has been superb in terms of what he has brought us. He is the centre of attraction in the dressing room. He is a top, top-level goalkeeper in terms of where he has played in his career.”It has been wonderful for us to bring in someone of his ilk and vast experience in the game. He is enjoying his football and has got a smile on his face. He wants to get better. It is music to my ears when you hear an experienced pro want to get better. Our job is to make him better.”But in terms of what he has brought us as a team, he has been really, really good. There are no surprises in terms of what he has done here. He is an excellent pro and player. We are really pleased to have him at the club and he has certainly added to the atmosphere here.”Considering that Stockdale shows no signs of slowing down at 37, a new deal could soon be on the cards for the former Brighton man, especially if he can continue his impressive start to the season and earn back-to-back golden gloves, as that would certainly give the Owls a real chance of promotion back to the Championship.

Sunderland will be looking to make it back-t0-back wins in the Championship when they take on Cardiff City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and Tony Mowbray can get the stadium rocking by unleashing Ellis Simms.

Goals from Alex Pritchard and Amad Diallo secured a 2-0 win against Huddersfield in midweek and Mowbray will want his side to finish strongly in their last two games ahead of the World Cup break.

Simms recently made his return from injury and made a big impact from the bench against the Terriers on Wednesday night, providing the assist for Diallo’s late goal which secured three points for the Black Cats.

The Everton loanee has been impressive since joining in the summer, contributing three goals and one assist in 10 Championship appearances, which has helped him earn a 6.88 average rating from WhoScored.

This ranks him as the fourth-best performer in Mowbray’s squad, which emphasises his importance at the Stadium of Light, and with the top performer and fellow striker Ross Stewart still sidelined through injury, it makes sense that he earns a start against Cardiff this weekend.

Simms can provide an aerial presence up top that other currently available Sunderland attackers lack, as his average of 2.6 aerials won per game is only bettered by Stewart and Danny Batth in the squad.

He has also averaged the second-most shots per game so far this season which emphasises how dangerous he can be in the final third, and his finishing ability could be the difference on Saturday afternoon as Sunderland look to get another win on the board.

It is no surprise that Simms is making his mark at Sunderland having impressed in previous loan spells at Blackpool and Hearts, where he hit a combined 17 goals, with former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson labelling the 6 foot 2 titan “outstanding” during his time at Tynecastle Park.

Simms provides a big threat in attack and after such a morale-boosting win in midweek, starting the Everton loanee on Saturday could see Mowbray’s side look even better against Cardiff.

New Aston Villa manager Unai Emery won’t be making any immediate changes to the current captaincy situation, reliable journalist Ashley Preece has confirmed.

The Lowdown: McGinn takes captaincy

During the summer, former Villa manager Steven Gerrard took the decision to strip Tyrone Mings of the captaincy, handing it to John McGinn instead.

In truth, neither have been at their best so far this season, with the decision arguably not having a positive impact on either individual at Villa Park.

With Emery now in charge of the Villans, there is the potential for him to make his own decision over who his captain will be moving forward, but McGinn will continue as club captain for the time being.

The Latest: Preece provides key update

Taking to Twitter, however, Preece claimed that nothing will change regarding the current situation:

“Unai Emery not going to change #avfc captaincy, not yet anyway.”

The Verdict: Makes complete sense

This is a decision that makes total sense, with another swift change over the captaincy threatening to create an unstable situation so soon after Gerrard’s departure.

McGinn is a natural leader, so there should be no controversy surrounding him in the role, although his form could certainly do with improving as the season progresses.

As for Mings, the hope is that his demotion as Villa skipper continues to act as motivation for finding his top level again, potentially regaining the captaincy further down the line.

Sheffield Wednesday return to League One action on Saturday as they face Accrington Stanley away from home.

Darren Moore’s side were unlucky to lose out on penalties against Premier League Southampton in midweek, having eased past Morecambe at Hillsborough in the FA Cup the game prior.

After the excitement of two cup ties, it is now back to the bread and butter of the league for the Owls, with three points a must against John Coleman’s strugglers if automatic promotion is still the aim for Sheffield Wednesday this season.

Here is how we at Football FanCast expect Moore to line his side up on Saturday, with three changes from the team that started against Southampton on Wednesday evening.

Predicted Sheddield Wednesday XI: Stockdale; Palmer, Ihiekwe, McGuinness, Johnson; Bannan, Byers, Vaulks; Windass; Wilks, Gregory

David Stockdale seems almost certain to continue between the sticks, although Moore has the welcome boost of having Cameron Dawson back available as second-choice as he looks set to return from his concussion.

Liam Palmer also seems likely to return after missing the trip to Southampton with an ear infection, so he replaces of Dominic Iorfa at right-back, with Michael Ihiekwe, Mark McGuinness and Mavin Johnson keeping their spots in the back four.

There are two changes in midfield, as George Byers also returns from injury to start at the Wham Stadium in place of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, who picked up a knock at St Mary’s.

There is also a start for Will Vaulks in place of the “important” Calum Patterson after he made a rare appearance in the League Cup fixture.

This sees Josh Windass drop into attacking midfield after scoring as a striker in midweek, with Malik Wilks earning a start up front with Lee Gregory, having been cup-tied for the game against Southampton.

Journalist David Ornstein has dropped an injury update on Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane following England’s 6-2 victory over Iran in the World Cup. 

The Lowdown: England beat Iran

In their opening group game of the tournament, Gareth Southgate’s side secured a 6-2 victory, with Kane providing two assists.

However, the striker picked up an injury scare following a tackle from Iran’s Morteza Pouraliganji which caught Kane’s ankle. After receiving medical treatment on the pitch, Kane carried on, only to eventually be taken off with 76 minutes on the clock.

After the game had ended, Ornstein took to Twitter to share an injury update regarding the Spurs star and the blow to his ankle.

The Latest: Ornstein’s injury update on Kane

In a Twitter post after the game, Ornstein had this to say on the matter.

“Harry Kane walking through mixed zone with right ankle lightly strapped & slight limp after 48th-min challenge by Pouraliganji. Kane was replaced on 75 mins so one to watch but seems to have escaped serious injury.”

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The Verdict: A big relief

While not totally unscathed, the fact that Ornstein thinks the injury is not a serious one will be a massive relief to England and Spurs supporters.

Having gone into the tournament with 13 goals under his belt across 22 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions this season, it’s safe to say that the 29-year-old will be looking to bring this goalscoring form into the tournament in Qatar and hopefully win the trophy.

Despite not getting on the scoresheet against Iran, his two assists proved how much of a crucial attacking figure he can be for the team.

Moving forward, with England taking on the USA in their next group game on Friday, then followed by the showdown against Wales on Tuesday, Southgate and everyone in the England camp will be hoping that this injury scare will not hamper his ability or availability for those games.

West Ham United have seen a few of their players feature already at this World Cup, with Declan Rice likely to demand the most attention, having put in an impressive display as England cruised to victory,

However, it is with the lesser nations where it is arguably more impressive to see a star perform, especially when the gulf in quality is as dramatic as between Croatia and Morocco.

Whilst the European outfit reached the final of this competition just four years ago, the African nation had qualified for only their second World Cup since the turn of the century this year.

There also marked a ten-team gap between the two in the FIFA world rankings.

Despite this, in what was admittedly a poor game of football, both sides were held to a goalless draw.

This will have pleased Morocco far more, especially their staunch back four who defended like warriors to deny the likes of Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic a first win of the competition.

Whilst Dejan Lovren earned the best rating of anyone on the pitch, it was the Hammers’ centre-back Nayef Aguerd whose 7.3 rating was the most impressive of any Moroccan.

This was well-earned, as his statistics denote a player who gave his all defensively to prohibit an opposition boasting immense quality.

Throughout his 90 minutes, he managed to make three clearances, one block, one interception and one tackle, maintaining a 100% success rate in the four duels he competed in (via SofaScore).

He would also marry this with an impressive 87% pass accuracy as he looked to show a cutting edge despite his side only boasting 35% possession.

Having signed in the summer for £30m, the fee raised eyebrows after the 26-year-old had impressed for Rennes.

However, with displays like that, the monetary value will become inconsequential.

He is yet to really kickstart his career at the London Stadium, with injuries having limited him to just four appearances for the Irons.

For many, this will mark their first real chance to view their top defender in action. Should he continue to play like this, fans will be desperate for him to get back to playing under David Moyes.

Leeds United continue to hold an interest in Flamengo striker Pedro…

What’s the latest?

As per CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, Jesse Marsch remains interested in the Brazilian marksman despite his reported €100m (£86m) release clause.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist issued the following update about their preparation to target the player:

“Jesse Marsch is a big fan and we know that Leeds need a few more goals and assists because of their reliance on Patrick Bamford, so that’s one to watch. 

“But, of course, Leeds are in a difficult position because the more he features at the World Cup or the better he does, the more he may potentially put himself in the shop window to other suitors as well.

“But Leeds have done a fair amount of due diligence and scouting on the player, even predating Jesse Marsch, so he’s one to watch as far as Leeds and the World Cup are concerned.”

Marsch is a “big fan”

With the manager’s seal of approval, it seems that the only real stumbling block surrounding this deal is the astronomical fee touted.

Although, it has not been given without good reason.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his career of late, scoring 29 times and assisting ten more across 59 games in 2022.

Whilst he had been a consistent goalscorer throughout a career which boasted 82 goals beforehand, he was never as prolific as he currently is. Just last season he only managed 17 goal contributions, which is still an impressive return.

Guy Mowbray was keen to highlight his talents following his call-up to Brazil’s World Cup squad, which stands as a glowing endorsement of his ability.

The commentator first claimed:

“Let’s face it, to get picked in a squad as loaded with attacking talent as Brazil’s you’ve got to have something special.” He then continued: “He’s not quick but is an excellent finisher.”

With the perennially injured Patrick Bamford, he too was not blessed with blistering speed, but still managed 17 goals and eight assists during his last injury-free season in the Premier League.

Pedro could come in and fulfil this role, proving exactly why the American manager is already so certain about acquiring him.

Back in 2010, a certain head-banded playmaker lit up South Africa with former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil truly bursting onto the scene.

At the time, he was playing for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga before his sensational performances at the World Cup saw him earn a mega move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

During that tournament no player would assist more goals than Ozil’s three, while only five players, including Lionel Messi and Xavi, would play more than his 2.9 key passes a game.

That tally happened to be better than the likes of Robin van Persie, Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard.

Clearly in elite company, there was barely any risk attached to the move and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ozil would go on to become one of the finest creators around, subsequently registering 54 assists in La Liga and 58 assists in the Premier League for the Gunners.

His fall from grace, therefore, is all the more peculiar. Exiled by the north London side, he eventually left on a free transfer and now plies his trade for Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey.

It’s hard to argue that Mikel Arteta and co have missed him. Since his exit, they have gone from strength to strength with another former Madrid man at their core; Martin Odegaard.

That said, with Emile Smith Rowe injured and Fabio Vieira undergoing a period of adaption in the capital, there is a sense that there is room for another creator in the central areas at the Emirates Stadium.

That honour could well fall upon Lovro Majer. The Croat has been linked with a move to Islington in recent months and if a deal can be completed, he could well be the club’s new Ozil.

Sporting a headband and curly hair of his own, the 24-year-old hasn’t quite made an Ozil-like impact in Qatar this autumn, but there are signs that he could be a wonderful player.

Majer has been restricted to substitute appearances at the moment but when called upon has been a lively player for Zlatko Dalic’s side.

He has scored one goal in his limited time on the field, meaning that he has found the net every 23 minutes, the highest scoring frequency in the entire tournament.

Like Ozil, he has a mini piece of World Cup history, with that record quite unlikely to be beaten across the rest of the competition.

The attacking midfielder is a natural when it comes to beating the goalkeeper, scoring 19 times for Dinamo Zagreb before earning a move to Rennes in Ligue 1. Since moving to France, a further eight strikes in 55 outings have fallen his way.

However, like the German he’s being compared to, he is more of a creator in the middle, an orchestrator who certainly knows how to pick a pass.

He has 12 assists for Rennes, three of which have come this term with Majer showing a canny ability to unlock defences.

In the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig, the “phenomenal” midfielder has an “amazing left foot”, a statement that further lends itself to the Ozil similarities.

Kulig has further dubbed the Croatian as a “highly technical player”, one who “big clubs are sleeping on.”

With that in mind, it may well be easier to sign him with others seemingly dodging his talents so far.

Majer’s addition might not be the most eye-catching but it would surely be exciting. After all, his potential in the game is immense, so much so that he could be the club’s new Ozil.