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Leeds United head into Saturday afternoon’s Premier League meeting against AFC Bournemouth in high spirits, with Jesse Marsch’s side having finally ended their eight-match winless streak with a shock 2-1 victory over Liverpool last time out.

However, with the Whites having lost a key player to injury in the week, coupled with a number of Marsch’s regular starters currently enduring something of a dip from their usual performance levels, the 48-year-old has a number of decisions to make regarding his starting XI for the visit of the Cherries this afternoon.

Will the American make any changes to the side which lined up in the win at Anfield last weekend?

Here’s how we at Football FanCast think Leeds’ starting XI could look against Bournemouth, along with the latest team and injury news…

Predicted Leeds XI – Meslier; Kristensen, Koch, Cooper, Struijk; Adams, Roca; Summerville, Aaronson, Gnonto; Bamford.

With Marsch revealing in his pre-match press conference that Luis Sinisterra is likely to be out of action until after the World Cup due to a foot injury, while also stating that both Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw remain sidelined with knocks, we predict that the 48-year-old will make two changes to the side which started the 2-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend.

The back five remains intact, with Illan Meslier – who enjoyed quite possibly his best performance in a Leeds shirt at Anfield – starting between the sticks, while right-back Rasmus Kristensen, centre-back pairing Robin Koch and Liam Cooper and left-back Pascal Struijk make up the Whites’ defensive unit.

In the middle of the park, Marsch’s tried-and-tested duo of Marc Roca and Tyler Adams once again get the nod, with the summer signings having highly impressed since their respective moves to Elland Road – currently ranking as the club’s second and fourth-best performers in the top flight respectively.

The first change comes in the three behind the striker, with the distinctly out-of-form Jack Harrison – who was linked with a £60m move to Newcastle United in the summer – dropping out of the XI. That switch sees Crysencio Summerville move over to his preferred right-wing role and 18-year-old “wonderkid” Wilfried Gnonto come in on the left flank.

This means that Brenden Aaronson is once again unleashed in the number 10 role just behind Patrick Bamford. Despite the 29-year-old striker being without a goal this season, he has looked quite lively in both the defeat to Arsenal and win at Liverpool win, and he replaces Rodrigo in leading the line for Leeds against the Cherries.

ScorecardBowlers dominated on a fluctuating first day at Arundel where Clint McKay’s four wickets gave Leicestershire hope that they can win their first game of the season in the Specsavers County Championship.The wholehearted Australian fast bowler picked up 4 for 59 in searing heat at Arundel as Sussex were bowled out for 262 and appeared to have squandered the advantage of winning the toss.But a two-paced pitch, which is expected to turn, gave seamers assistance all day and Sussex’s new ball pair Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer each picked up one of the Leicestershire openers as they closed on 77 for 2.It was a day to remember for Leicestershire’s 19-year-old debutant William Fazackerley. Guernsey-born but educated just down the road from Arundel at Lancing College, he claimed his maiden Championship wicket when he had Jordan lbw for 34.Jordan was one of several Sussex players who got starts without pushing on. Eight of their batsmen got to 20 but only South African Stiaan van Zyl, who top scored with 49, looked capable of dominating a persevering Leicestershire attack.Van Zyl shared in a fourth-wicket stand of 62 in 12 overs either side of lunch with Luke Wright, whose first scoring shot for the second successive game was a six.But from 138 for 4 Sussex lost three wickets adding 27 runs. Wright played on to Richard Jones for 25, van Zyl was lbw half-forward to McKay after hitting nine boundaries before skipper Ben Brown drove McKay’s slower ball to cover for 19.Jordan and leg-spinner Will Beer, who took 11 wickets at Arundel last month against South Africa A, put on 54 for the seventh wicket but Leicestershire wrapped up the innings with three wickets after tea, two of them to Matt Pillans.Earlier, Luke Wells had passed 700 Championship runs after being restored to the top of the order. The left-hander lost opening partner Chris Nash, who played on to McKay before Harry Finch fell for a golden duck shuffling in front to a ball from Jones which nipped back.Wells and van Zyl briefly prospered together, taking the score to 74 before Wells, who had struck eight fours in a fluent 42, was caught behind off Pillans.By then umpire Martin Saggers was on the pitch, his arrival having been delayed by traffic congestion. Martin Bodenham, who retired from the first-class list last season but lives in nearby Ferring, stood at square leg before Saggers arrived.

Leeds United are likely to dip back into the transfer market when the January window opens, according to a fresh claim by Sky Sports journalist Tim Thornton.

The Lowdown: Productive summer at Leeds

Jesse Marsch will likely have been happy with his business in the summer transfer window, despite losing key duo Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.

Leeds used that money wisely, bringing in a host of new players in key positions, whether it be Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra or Tyler Adams, among others.

It looks as though further reinforcements could be made soon, however, following a new update.

The Latest: January business likely, says Thornton

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Thornton claimed that Orta would give the green light for January signings to come in:

“There’s a philosophy at Leeds and Victor’s very much a central figure in that, so he’ll already be planning for the next transfer window. That’s the way that he works.”

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The Verdict: Key to continue building

While Leeds certainly don’t need major additions in January, it is vital that Marsch has a squad that is comfortably capable of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

In what is a relentless season, with the World Cup awkwardly getting in the way, legs could tire as the campaign goes on, highlighting the need for new faces.

The key for Leeds is to keep steadily improving and not go backwards and top-quality new signings can only be hugely beneficial, in that respect.

Southampton have sold plenty of their top players over the years, with many having gone on to the very top of the game.

The club seem to have a keen eye for up-and-coming talent, and then the humility to allow them to move on when the price is right.

Virgil van Dijk headlines this glittering philosophy which has seen the club somehow record a profit over the last five years of transfer windows.

However, one man who left the club and has surprised many is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Danish defensive midfielder moved to Tottenham Hotspur for just £15m after confirming his desire to leave St Mary’s but was captain before this debacle.

Saints fans enjoyed his tough-tackling and no-nonsense displays in midfield, but they had lost bigger stars so it felt like less of a blow.

But the way in which his price has skyrocketed, it seems like they may have allowed him to go far too cheaply.

According to the CIES Football Observatory, the 27-year-old is valued at around €70m (£61m). This marks an astounding 306% increase in value, just two years after he was sold for £15m.

He has impressed for Spurs, as he featured in all 38 of their Premier League matches in his debut season, 36 the campaign following, and he already has two goals and an assist this term having played just seven league games.

It seems like this season is set to be his best yet, as he has formed a fine midfield partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur.

His average SofaScore rating of 7.53 this season supports this; a score only bested at Tottenham by Harry Kane; by 0.01.

Hojbjerg has become a mainstay in the Lilywhites midfield, averaging a 91% pass completion rate whilst getting through 1.1 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game.

The Spurs stalwart is, as journalist Philip O’Connor claimed, “an absolute beast of a midfielder.”

He is Antonio Conte’s unsung hero, who has Jose Mourinho to thank for this gift of a transfer.

When seeing his importance to Tottenham’s team, it is easy to understand how his value has increased so exponentially. Few Southampton fans would have expected this kind of rise to the top, and will now be left wondering how he was allowed to leave for such a small amount.

Sunderland return to action in the Championship tonight as they travel away from the Stadium of Light to face Sheffield United.

The Black Cats come into the match off the back of a 2-2 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers at the weekend. Ellis Simms and Ross Stewart put them in a commanding position only for the opposition goalkeeper to come forward to score an equaliser in stoppage time.

They were also hit with a significant injury blow in the match as summer signing Daniel Ballard was forced off the pitch within the opening ten minutes of the game.

The centre-back has now been ruled out for an unspecified amount of time, with Neil telling the club’s official website:

“It is difficult to put a timescale on it,”

“We have a few other scans to undertake – and a couple of specialists to see – to fully understand the severity of it, but that process is underway to ensure he then receives the necessary treatment to get him back as soon as we can.”

Neil must now replace the former Arsenal man in the starting line up and he should unleash the versatile Luke O’Nien from the start tonight.

The £5k-per-week gem, who was once dubbed a “revelation” by former manager Jack Ross, came on for Ballard against QPR and put in an eye-catching display.

O’Nien won six of his seven individual duels and made five interceptions in the match. Dennis Cirkin and Danny Batth, who both played the full 90 minutes, won a lower percentage of their battles and only made three interceptions between them.

This shows that he was stronger than his fellow centre-backs and read the game more effectively as he cut out opposition attacks more often than both of them combined.

Therefore, he was the best player in the back three on the day as he stood out ahead of Cirkin and Batth defensively, despite being chucked in at the deep end in the first-half due to the injury.

He was needed badly in that situation to deal with the blow and that is the casee again tonight. Neil is without Ballard for the clash with the Blades and O’Nien should be unleashed as they need the strong defending he showcased against QPR, given how superior he was to his colleagues.

The former Wycombe man proved that he can slot into that position and not look out of place at Championship level and that is why he must be named in the starting XI to fill the right centre-back slot that is now in desperate need of an occupant.

Glasgow Rangers picked up their second Premiership victory of the season this afternoon as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side secured a 2-0 victory at Ibrox.

After losing by the same scoreline in midweek in the Champions League qualifiers, the Light Blues managed to put that defeat behind them with today’s win.

With Kilmarnock keeping Rangers scoreless at half-time, it took the home side six minutes into the second half to break the deadlock thanks to a goal from Antonio Colak.

After 64 minutes, Van Bronckhorst brought on Alfredo Morelos, who then managed to double Rangers’ lead in the latter stages of the match to confirm the victory for last season’s Europa League finalists.

Despite the two strikers getting their names on the scoresheet, one man who arguably outshone both of them is Malik Tillman.

Having started in Rangers’ midweek defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, the on-loan midfielder was given his first Premiership start this afternoon and made the most of it after coming off the bench in last weekend’s win against Livingston.

In 75 minutes of action today, the USA international had 42 touches of the ball, made three key passes and completed all four dribbles he attempted. This shows just how dangerous he was on the ball in terms of being an attacking threat for the Gers.

From a defensive point of view, the 20-year-old did his bit for the team by making two tackles and one interception and winning seven of his 11 ground duels.

This display ultimately earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.5/10, making him the joint-second highest rated player on the day alongside James Sands, Connor Goldson and Tom Lawrence according to SofaScore, with only James Tavernier ranking higher.

Tillman’s performance also caught the attention of The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell, who described what he saw from the player as “outstanding”.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that the Bayern Munich loanee passed Van Bronckhorst’s test to see if he would be able to perform at a high level from the start in the Premiership rather than off the bench.

Considering what Tillman delivered on the pitch today, the youngster certainly did enough to potentially warrant a place in the starting XI for Rangers’ crucial Champions League qualifying clash against Union SG on Tuesday.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Marc Guehi.

What’s the latest?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, despite the fact that Fabio Paratici will look to bring in a new centre-back if Joe Rodon and/or Japhet Tanganga go on to seal a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the coming weeks, a move for the Crystal Palace centre-back may not be one the Italian sporting director makes until next summer.

Gold went on to state that, while the 22-year-old is a defender who Spurs are extremely keen on – as well as being a player who is on Paratici’s list of transfer targets in the current window – the fee the south London side would demand for the England international could put Tottenham off making a move for the youngster ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

In response to a question asking for an update on Tottenham’s interest in Guehi, the journalist said: “Spurs absolutely love him and I reported earlier in the summer that the 22-year-old was one of the names on their centre-back wish list.

“Guehi plays mainly on the left of central defence where Tottenham now have [Ben] Davies and [Clement] Lenglet, although the latter can play in the centre if required.

“I just wonder whether the price that Palace would ask for the England international, who has a deal until 2026, would prove to be prohibitive and whether they’d even allow him to leave this year.

“Spurs will look for another centre-back if Rodon and/or Tanganga depart in the weeks ahead but I wonder if Guehi would one for next summer when I’m sure a number of teams will look at him after the World Cup.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

While it is true that Gold appears to temper expectations that Guehi is a target who Paratici could add to Antonio Conte’s squad this summer, considering just how exciting a prospect the 22-year-old undoubtedly is, the journalist’s suggestion that the three-cap international is a player who Spurs plan to make a move for in 2023 is sure to be news that supporters will love.

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Indeed, after making an £18m move to Selhurst Park 12 months ago, the £59m-rated left-footer was in imperious form over his 36 Premier League appearances in the heart of Patrick Vieira’s defence, helping his side keep 10 clean sheets, as well as making an average of one tackle, 0.8 interceptions, 3.5 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 67% – per game.

The £50k-per-week talent also impressed going forwards, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.5 shots, making 57 passes and completing 4.4 long balls per fixture.

These returns saw the former Chelsea starlet average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Eagles’ second-best player in the top flight of English football last time out.

As such, it is clear to see just how impressive an addition Guehi would make to Conte’s current options at the back, leading us to believe Gold’s claim that Paratici is planning to make a move for the 22-year-old in the not-too-distant future is sure to have left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful buzzing.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal “outstanding” Spurs target with £34m bid, he’d “tick a lot of boxes”…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing HSV Hamburg defender Mario Vuskovic this summer but face competition from three clubs in the Bundesliga.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet MOPO, some reports suggesting the player was travelling to Wolves to complete a medical are untrue, but the club remain interested in the player.

Other Bundesliga clubs are interested in the player with the price tag for him currently standing at €10m (£8.4m). The Wanderers are considering whether to contact Hamburg over the transfer, but the player is currently happy in Germany so wouldn’t push for a move away.

The 20-year-old is highly rated and has been described as “exceptional” by Aleksander Holiger.

Imagine him and Coady

One player that he would line up alongside if he did make the move to Molineux would be fellow defender and club captain Conor Coady. The Englishman has been an influential part of Wolves’ back line for several years now and Vuskovic could learn a lot from him.

Vuskovic made 24 league appearances last season as Hamburg secured a return to the Bundesliga via the play-offs. He was key to their promotion success so it’s not surprising that he’s attracted interest from others.

When you compare both players statistically they score similar in some areas. Both made 0.8 tackles per game in the league last season, but it’s the Croat who made more interceptions per game with 1.1 compared to Coady’s 0.7.

Vuskovic also won a higher percentage of his duels last season at 65% compared to the Wolves’ skippers 53%, proving that he doesn’t shy away from a battle.

Obviously if he was to make the move to the Wanderers then the Premier League would represent a much tougher challenge, but if he can replicate the numbers he’s shown previously then it will be a great signing.

At such a young age he has great potential also, so the club would definitely be getting their money’s worth if he signed a long-term deal.

If Wolves want to make improvements and get stronger defensively then moving for Vuskovic, who ticks almost every box, would make the most sense and provide Bruno Lage with all he needs.

IN other news: Bruno Lage plotting bid for £15m “goal king”, he’d be a “phenomenon” for Wolves…

Sunderland would be one of the main beneficiaries if the EFL were to scrap Saturday’s 3pm blackout, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: EFL’s AGM

According to a report by iNews, the Saturday 3pm blackout was set to be at the top of the agenda for the EFL’s recent AGM.

It is reported that clubs will be consulted about how to expand streaming services in conjunction with the abolition of the long-standing Saturday afternoon blackout. This would provide the clubs outside of the Premier League with the opportunity to create a sizeable new source of income.

The Latest: Maguire’s claim

Maguire believes that scrapping the blackout could be extremely lucrative for Sunderland given their huge support (average attendance just under 31,000 last season), which is comparable to many teams in the Premier League.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “For a club such as Sunderland that has a huge following and sells out every away match, this could be beneficial.

“Those fans who want to go to matches will continue to do so, while this is perfect for the remaining elements of the fanbase would be able to buy some form of iFollow pass.

“Significant elements of that money go to the club itself and therefore I think they would be financial beneficiaries. It would certainly be better for a big club like Sunderland than it would be for a smaller side who don’t sell out.

“I think the EFL deserve some credit for the way they have distributed money through the iFollow scheme to date.”

The Verdict: Could be huge

According to Football Insider, Sunderland earned an impressive £5.4m in broadcast income for the 2020/21 season, the latest on record. Following the Black Cats’ promotion to the Championship, this figure is expected to soar.

Therefore, if the EFL do end up abolishing the blackout, Sunderland could indeed be in for a big financial boost going by Maguire’s comments, which could help them once again compete for promotion, this time to the Premier League.

In other news: Tom Coleman reveals ‘interest’ in this Sunderland ace

West Bromwich Albion have already added an attacking and creative spark to their squad after securing a deal for John Swift on a free transfer from Reading last month.

Having found the net 11 times and delivered 13 assists in 38 league appearances last season, the 26-year-old could be a great addition to Steve Bruce’s squad.

Another player already in the Albion squad who could well feel like a new signing once the new season kicks off is Daryl Dike.

Despite moving to The Hawthorns from Orlando City in January in a deal worth over £7m, the striker only made two appearances for the Baggies before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury.

With that in mind, it’s safe to say that the winter recruit will be looking to properly get his Baggies career off to a flyer once the upcoming campaign gets underway.

In terms of what the West Brom team could look like once the season starts, one man with whom the Baggies have been linked recently and who could give Bruce the opportunity to form a deadly attacking duo alongside Dike is Cameron Archer.

A product of Aston Villa’s youth system, the 20-year-old has made 59 appearances for the club across their youth and senior teams, scoring 23 goals in the process.

During his loan spell with Preston North End last term, the striker found the net seven times in 20 Championship appearances, highlighting how capable he is of being a goal threat in the second tier.

In fact, the youngster delivered what was described by Tom Barclay as a “clinical” finish for England’s under-21s in their win over Kosovo earlier this month. The journalist also described Archer, who is currently valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt, as an “impressive” player as a result of this goal in the 5-0 victory.

Taking all this into account, if Bruce can convince his old club to let their young talent make a move to The Hawthorns this summer, the possibility of him playing alongside Dike and in front of Swift could be a mouth-watering prospect for the Baggies and boost their hopes of potentially securing promotion back to the Premier League.

In other news: Bruce can finally axe “overhyped” West Brom dud by signing “classy” £2.3k-p/w starlet