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Leicester City will be looking to make it six points from six when they take on West Ham United in the first Monday Night Football of the new season this evening.

The Foxes saw off a stubborn Wolves side on the opening day of the campaign, with Jamie Vardy’s well-taken header proving to be the difference between the two sides.

A trip to the London Stadium should provide another stiff test for Brendan Rodgers’ charges, and the Northern Irish tactician will once again have to cope without several key players for the trip to the capital.

New signings Ryan Bertrand and Jannik Vestergaard have joined the likes of James Justin, Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana on the sidelines, but the return of Timothy Castagne will be a much-welcomed boost.

And midfielder James Maddison is fit to play after sustaining a knock to his back in last weekend’s game, with Rodgers confirming his availability in Friday’s press conference.

“James has looked fantastic in training, so he’s okay,” the former Celtic boss revealed.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast believe Rodgers will line his team up against West Ham in tonight’s encounter…

Kasper Schmeichel played every minute of Leicester’s Premier League campaign last term and is set to continue that run in between the sticks against the Hammers.

In defence, Rodgers has very little room to make any changes given the extensive list of absentees through injury and illness. Castagne’s return will give him soon breathing room, but the Belgian international is unlikely to feature from the off.

That means a back four made up of Luke Thomas, Caglar Soyuncu, Daniel Amartey and Ricardo Pereira is set to start for the second consecutive fixture.

Ahead of the backline will be the dependable duo of Wilfried Ndidi and Youri Tielemans. The midfield pair have developed a formidable understanding over the last couple of campaigns and are amongst the best engine room operators in the division.

Rodgers’ only change from the 1-0 victory over Wolves last time out is likely to see Kelechi Iheanacho replace Ayoze Perez on the right-wing.

The former Newcastle United ace has struggled in the opening stages of 2021/22, meaning Iheanacho could come into the starting lineup in place of the £16.2m-rated creative talent.

Harvey Barnes, Maddison and Vardy will make up the rest of the forward line as the current FA Cup holders look to continue their strong start to the season.

And, in other news…Forget Perez: Rodgers must unleash Leicester’s “incredible” £18m-rated gem vs West Ham 

Leeds United have been handed a boost in their chase to sign Sassuolo star Jeremie Boga in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Daily Mail had recently claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have shown an interest in signing the Ivory Coast international, who was previously on the books at Chelsea in his earlier years.

Now, Sassuolo’s chief executive, Giovanni Carnevali, has admitted that the forward has asked to leave the club alongside a couple of the team’s other emerging stars.

He said to 90min (via Sportslens): “Just like Locatelli and Berardi, Boga also asked us to try other experiences. We listened to him and the agents – but no concrete offers have arrived.”

Orta must strike

The £18m-rated Boga has rebuilt his career at Sassuolo after failing to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, but that isn’t to say the natural ability hasn’t been there however.

Hish former coach at Chelsea, Michael Beale, said: “The most unique talent and I’m talking in a window of being 13/14 and he just beat the other team possibly on his own is a young boy called Jeremie Boga.

“He just beat teams on his own, such a lovely boy. I thought wow, this boy is a supreme talent. he can stop and go and over three or four yards, he can just drift past you.”

As per Whoscored, Boga averaged an impressive 3.2 dribbles per game in Serie A last season, which was higher than any Leeds player, even Raphinha (1.9).

He also managed 1.2 shots per game (that would rank him just outside the top five among Bielsa’s current squad), while he boasted a whopping 89.4% pass accuracy (the highest of any player that started more than five times for the Whites).

And, speaking on the One Leeds Fan Channel on Youtube, Conor McGilligan talked up the prospect of Boga arriving at Elland Road and the impact he could make.

He said: “It looks like Boga has been a massive hit with Sassuolo since moving from Chelsea, I believe it was back in 2018. He can play anywhere along the frontline, he’s fast and he’d bring a real variety to Leeds’ attacking play.”

Given Boga has now put in a transfer request, Victor Orta has the perfect chance to land one of Leeds’ summer targets.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star proved why Bielsa must sell him…

Queens Park Rangers look set to seal the arrival of Andre Gray at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Tuesday.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Watford Observer, who claim that, after it was reported that QPR had agreed to take the Watford centre-forward on a season-long loan, the 30-year-old has now passed his medical with Mark Warburton’s side, with his official arrival in west London set to be announced imminently.

The report added that, with just one year remaining on his current contract at Vicarage Road, it appears as if the striker’s move to QPR has brought an end to his time at the Premier League outfit.

Bhatia masterclass

Amit Bhatia has overseen a remarkable summer transfer window at QPR, with the chairman sanctioning the permanent signings of players such as Andre Dozzell, Stefan Johansen, Charlie Austin, Jordy de Wijs and Jimmy Dunne. Having also brought highly-rated Norwich City left-back Sam McCallum to the club on a season-long loan deal, the further addition of Gray would seem to be the cherry on the cake for Rs.

Indeed, while the £3.6m-rated striker failed to ever really cement a starting spot for the Hornets after his then club-record £18.5m move from Burnley back in 2017, the 30-year-old nevertheless impressed in spells during his time at Vicarage Road. He scored five goals and provided three assists over his 31 Premier League appearances back in 2017/18, as well as bagging seven goals and registering two assists over 29 top-flight fixtures in the following campaign.

However, the £70k-per-week forward’s previous form in the Championship is what will have interested QPR most, with the Rs undoubtedly hoping the man who Xisco Munoz dubbed a “brilliant” player can replicate his returns for Burnley back in 2015/16, when the Jamaica international scored a whopping 23 goals and provided eight assists over his 41 league appearances.

If he can, then Gray’s signing could well prove to be something of a masterclass by Bhatia, as it would seem that the striker boasts the ability to be the difference between promotion and yet another season in the Championship for QPR come next May.

In other news: Warburton drops hint on “unbelievable” £2.25m-rated machine, QPR fans will be buzzing

Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane is said to be close to completing a loan move to Championship outfit Sheffield United, with the Republic of Ireland international set to undergo a medical today, according to Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law on Twitter.

On the periphery at Villa Park, the Irishman has only made a solitary appearance for his current employers this season in a 6-0 rout of League Two side Barrow in the Carabao Cup [Transfermarkt].

Unsurprisingly, the 30-year-old now looks odds-on to head out on loan for a second successive season, having spent time at Swansea during the 2020/21 campaign.

Communicating to his considerable Twitter following, Law signified that Hourihane is expected to join Sheffield United on loan subject to medical examination, describing the Irish midfielder as a “great pro” who has made some “huge contributions” at Villa Park. For instance, he was a regular in the team which won promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, only to see his minutes diminished in the top flight.

In light of this news, plenty of Aston Villa diehards took to social media to express their opinion on his impending loan exit to Yorkshire.

Aston Villa fans react

Replying to multiple outlets on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about Hourihane’s situation. While some were displeased that he isn’t getting a chance under Dean Smith this term, others feel that a loan exit to the Blades would be a “great move” for him:

“Great move for him – he can make a huge difference to their jaded midfield.”

Credit: @Kkasir23″good move for him to be fair”Credit: @catrinavfc”Surely got to be in for a defensive midfielder now”Credit: @GW_94″Good for him. Should feel very disrespected the way he was overlooked on the weekend.”Credit: @Wanye04594011″we have to be signing a midfielder then”Credit: @j_d_richards”Would be great to move on some of the fringe players as the squad was becoming a little top heavy.. Ideally if 3 or 4 were moved on it may provide an opportunity to get in another quality midfielder to bolster the squad.”Credit: @HolteEndHerosIn other news, Aston Villa have been linked with a Premier League talent. Find out how Villa fans reacted to the speculation here.

Fulham have been issued a warning regarding the future of Fabio Carvalho at Craven Cottage.

What’s been said?

According to former Fulham goalkeeper Mark Crossley, Marco Silva must do all he can to keep the Cottagers at the top of the Championship table, in order to convince the 19-year-old to extend his stay at the west London side.

Indeed, it has been reported that a host of clubs, including the likes of Leeds United, Norwich City, West Ham United and Porto, are keeping tabs on the attacking midfielder, whose current deal at Craven Cottage is set to expire at the end of the season.

Speaking to This Is Futbol about the England U18 international’s future, Crossley said: “I haven’t seen too much of him but [from] what I have seen, Fulham have to stay at the top of the league because Premier League clubs are going to be all over him.”

Unforgivable error

While it is ultimately Carvalho’s choice whether or not he puts pen to paper on a new deal at Craven Cottage, Crossley is correct in his claim that staying near the top of the table, and subsequently going on to secure promotion from the Championship, will undoubtedly increase the chances of the teenager staying on at the club beyond his current contract.

However, away from the pitch, the club must also ensure that they offer the 19-year-old the best possible terms in order to entice him to sign an extension, as it is clear that Carvalho boasts the potential for it to be well worth the club offering the teenager a significant weekly wage.

Indeed, over his five Championship appearances for Silva’s side so far this season, the £225k-rated man has scored three goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots and making a remarkable 2.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player the Fulham manager himself dubbed a “fantastic” talent average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.30, ranking him not only as the Cottagers’ fifth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 22nd-best player in the entirety of the division.

As such, letting the £650-per-week attacking midfielder leave the club next summer, especially on a free transfer, would most certainly be an unforgivable error on the part of Silva, who must simply pull out all the stops to convince the 19-year-old to remain in west London.

In other news: Forget Wilson: Silva’s “fantastic” £3.6m-rated ace stole the show for Fulham in August

Amid all the impressive signings that Aston Villa have made over these past couple of summers, arguably their best bit of business remains their deal to sign John McGinn.

Signed for a reported £2m by Steve Bruce back in the summer of 2018, Villa’s signing of the Scotland international was made all the more sweeter by the fact they did it right under the noses of Celtic, who appeared to be in pole position to land him from Hibernian.

Speaking after his signing, McGinn himself said: “It’s been a crazy few days, but I sat in the stand at Villa Park and I could imagine myself playing out there. It felt right,” he said.

“It’s a Premier League club and deserves to be there. Everyone in the Championship has that aim. For some of them, it’s a fantasy, but here there is a real ambition that it could happen. We’re under no illusions, but the way the club is going is something that’s great to be a part of.”

A mainstay of Dean Smith’s side in the Premier League, the 26-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign last season, with Sky Sports and Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards waxing lyrical about him.

He said: “This season he’s been absolutely incredible, back to the John McGinn I know. A lot of shine goes off of him because of Grealish because Grealish does the little bits that make people stand up on their chairs, but in terms of hard work, putting in tackles, goals and assists, John McGinn is a top, top player.

“Villa have been a successful side largely down to him as well and his work-rate in there.”

And, speaking last summer, former Villa man Allan Evans raved about what the Scottish ace brings to the table, saying: “John has really been a saviour for Aston Villa. They were in a difficult situation and he was exactly the kind of guy they needed to get out of trouble.

“John has been a real star for the club. It was a disaster for him and Villa when he broke his leg. He is the type of player who can make a huge difference to a side. There are not too many like him around.”

Now valued at £43m by CIES, McGinn has enjoyed a meteoric rise both at domestic and international level, and that’s a real testament to the kind of work ethic he has in trying to be the best he can be.

And Villa have been the biggest winners of the lot.

Meanwhile, Villa made an approach for this “phenomenal” star…

After an injury-ravaged Celtic side scored three times in Seville in the Europa League only a few days ago, it was exciting to see what a fitter Hoops squad could achieve.

They were fabulous from an offensive point of view last Thursday but were missing the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi due to injury and Liel Abada because of religious reasons.

The thought of Abada returning to the team on Sunday alongside Jota was a mouth-watering one. Both have been electrifying since signing for the Glaswegian outfit in the summer, but sadly they couldn’t get going against lowly Livingston this weekend.

The hosts came into the game with just a solitary point to their name but once the full-time whistle was blown, they’d added a tally of three points to their collection as they recorded a famous 1-0 victory.

It was a sluggish performance from Ange Postecoglou’s team, who had somewhat of a European hangover.

They weren’t quick in transition and struggled to create regular opportunities for Albian Ajeti, but it was two players who didn’t even play in midweek who were most disappointing.

Stephen Welsh was beaten to the ball all too easily by Andrew Shinnie for the game’s only goal as he got across the young defender and then rifled home a powerful shot.

Celtic’s defensive problems appear to be mounting but what was most concerning today was the attacking play.

Abada was back in the side but delivered a poor performance compared to the high standards he has set since being signed.

In ten matches prior to their encounter with Livi, he had contributed to eight goals. Unfortunately, there was no similar impact on Sunday.

Livingston set up with a low block and the Israeli attacker found life difficult in breaking it down.

So often full of swagger and pizzazz, the winger was a shadow of the player we’ve seen this season, completing just one of his four dribbles and registering two key passes.

Only one of his eight attempted crosses were successful, which led to a dismal pass success rate of 70%. That happened to be the worst of any Celtic player this weekend as he surrendered possession on 18 occasions.

The 19-year-old was incredibly feeble in physical situations too, as he was bulldozed at times by the Livi defence. He finished the game having won just 12.5% of his defensive duels in a shoddy display at Almondvale.

Abada appears to be better when he has the freedom and space to run in behind but that simply never emerged on Sunday.

AND in other news, Move over Bitton: Ange has a rising star in “powerful” rarely-seen 19 y/o at Celtic…

After the noise surrounding some discontent with Tanguy Ndombele at Tottenham, it appears N17 chiefs are unhappy with yet another player in midfield ace Giovani Lo Celso.

The Lowdown: Disharmony inside Tottenham?

Alasdair Gold recently lifted the lid on a ‘cycle’ theory some Spurs chiefs have regarding Ndombele.

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Indeed, those inside Tottenham apparently believe that it begins with the Frenchman ‘working hard in training, performing well on the pitch, getting carried away by moments of success, believing he should be at a higher level and then wanting to leave’ (football.london).

After these reports of disillusioned figures within the club regarding Spurs’ club record signing, it appears they are unhappy with another in Lo Celso as reporter Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic makes a claim.

The Lowdown: Eccleshare makes Lo Celso claim…

Taking to Twitter and sharing his piece in The Athletic, Eccleshare has detailed exactly what some chiefs inside Spurs believe about Lo Celso.

Indeed, it is claimed that the Argentine’s ‘frequent unavailability’ through injury has become a ‘source of exasperation’ for some at the club – with his decision to play for the national team during the last round of international fixtures prompting a ‘huge amount of animosity’ (The Athletic).

Meanwhile, some club staff have found he ‘comes across aloof’ – possessing a ‘dry sense of humour’ (Twitter).

The Verdict: Real problem…

Given the issues surrounding both Harry Kane and Ndombele over the summer, the last thing manager Nuno Espirito Santo needs is more drama behind the scenes at Tottenham.

Getting the best out of Lo Celso on a consistent basis has proved tricky due to his absences and these claims regarding his personality certainly don’t paint a pretty picture over his potential future at the club.

Alas, if Spurs can solve this conundrum, they could rediscover an asset signed permanently by former boss Jose Mourinho in January 2020.

In other news: Spurs now want ‘outstanding’ 29 y/o who Pochettino wanted to make one of his highest earners, find out more here.

Steven Gerrard has provided an injury update on Rangers winger Ryan Kent…

What’s the latest?

The Light Blues manager has confirmed that the 24-year-old will be out for three to four weeks with his hamstring injury, although that could change depending on how his rehabilitation goes.

Kent hobbled off in the 2-0 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League the week before last and Gerrard has revealed that the winger could now be out for up to a month.

He told Rangers’ official Twitter channel: “Ryan Kent’s return will be roughly 3-4 weeks but that will depend a lot on the rehab process.”

Fans will be gutted

Rangers fans will surely be gutted with this news as Kent is a crucial player for the club and could now miss a number of matches.

If he is out for exactly one month from today, he will be watching on from the sidelines for four Premiership matches and two Europa League games, having already missed one league match and the League Cup win over Livingston since sustaining the knock.

This means that he could be absent for eight games in total by the team he returns to action, which is a decent chunk of the campaign, and that is why fans will be gutted by this news. Losing a key figure for this long could have an impact on results, unless Kent’s team-mates are able to fill the void left by his convalescence.

Ex-Rangers marksman Kris Boyd once lauded the 24-year-old as “phenomenal” and praised the way he controls the ball.

He said: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

Last season, Kent produced 10 goals and nine assists in 36 Premiership starts for Rangers. This shows that he has the quality to make an impact in the final third at this level on a consistent basis, which is why Gerrard will miss him badly in the coming weeks.

He is a player who can get fans off their seats with his direct style of play, as he works hard to create chances for himself and others. Therefore, Gers fans must be gutted that the wing wizard could be out for another six matches.

AND in other news, Gerrard must unleash £18k-p/w Rangers “role model” vs Dundee, he’s a game-changer…

David Moyes is sweating on the fitness of two of his West Ham stars ahead of this afternoon’s Premier League clash with Brentford…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, right-back duo Vladimir Coufal and Ryan Fredericks will be assessed before kick-off, having both missed their Europa League triumph over Rapid Wien in midweek.

The Czech Republic international was absent from training in the build-up to Thursday’s 2-0 win with a minor injury but according to manager David Moyes he has “a chance” of being involved today.

Meanwhile, his fellow full-back suffered a groin injury just 17 minutes into the Irons’ Carabao Cup victory against Manchester United a little over a week ago and has been missing ever since.

Both players are facing late fitness tests ahead of today’s encounter with the Bees at the London Stadium.

A big worry

The Scotsman should be concerned heading into kick-off as he could be without his first-choice and backup right-back against a side that have already beaten Arsenal and frustrated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in recent weeks.

Brentford are just two places behind the Hammers in the table and could leapfrog them should they clinch the three points in east London later this afternoon.

Thomas Frank has plenty of firepower at his disposal, having bagged the most goals of any side 10th or worse. The likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos can deal damage to any top-flight team, as we’ve already seen this campaign.

Coufal is an integral player in Moyes’ system.

He provided the second-most assists (seven) in the squad last season and he makes a big impact at either end of the pitch – as per WhoScored, he managed a team-high 2.1 tackles, on top of 1.2 interceptions and 1.3 key passes per game in 2020/21.

His form led to a glowing endorsement from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who described the 29-year-old as “a manager’s dream” on Monday Night Football [4th May 2021, 22:24pm]

If he is absent, then usually Fredericks would be called upon and he’s been a steady and reliable backup for Moyes. In fact, it was he who provided the winner against Manchester United just minutes before picking up his injury.

It means Ben Johnson may need to be called upon once again, should both players miss the game, having made just his second start of the season on Thursday night.

There will also be another dilemma ringing around Moyes’ head as he may not want to risk either player unless they are truly 100% ready to feature. He will not want to see a returning player pick up another problem straight away, so it is certainly a major call to make.

The Hammers boss will be sweating on the fitness of Coufal and Fredericks ahead of their clash with the Bees this afternoon.

AND in other news, Moyes must axe “impressive” £27m-rated West Ham dynamo today, he’s struggled for weeks…