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Now that former Juventus manager and current head coach of the Italian national side Antonio Conte has officially been announced as Jose Mourinho’s ‘permanent’ successor at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea can finally begin work on re-establishing their once formidable dominance among the English top-flight ahead of the 2016/17 domestic campaign.

Several top-class acquisitions will obviously look to be sought across the upcoming summer transfer window, but as the Blues will nonetheless find themselves negotiating without the prospect of Champions League football on the table for the new league season, such a demanding task may prove somewhat easier said than done.

But as Chelsea already have Colombian international and former Fiorentina favourite, Juan Cuadrado, currently out on loan amid the Italian Serie A again with league-leaders Juventus, should Antonio Conte look to reaffirm the South American’s place at Stamford Bridge as soon as arriving among the Premier League next season, or does Cuadrado simply have no future left at Chelsea?

Well, even for those who don’t admittedly pay close attention to the Italian league proceedings with every passing week, it really shouldn’t take much to notice just how effective and technically gifted Juan Cuadrado can prove on his day.

Despite being rather unceremoniously cast aside by Chelsea and Jose Mourinho last season, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder has nonetheless served to impress whilst on loan at Juventus in 2015/16, and is reportedly open to extending his stay within the Serie A based on his prior lack of game-time down at Stamford Bridge.

And whilst the Blues arguably didn’t require the services of Juan Cuadrado throughout the course of last term’s efficient title-winning campaign, a player of the Colombian’s quality could have easily improved Chelsea’s overall attacking potency across large portions of the current season.

When it comes to providing a constant creative outlet for his teammates inside the final third, displaying sheer technical prowess on most given occasions out on the pitch, and simply cropping up with his fair share of goals and assists whenever handed the all-important responsibility to make things happen for his respective manager, the determined 27-year-old has certainly failed to disappoint in 2015/16.

Cuadrado was never given a fair crack at the whip down at Stamford Bridge and alongside the relatively recently departed likes of Romelu Lukaku, Andre Schurrle, Kevin de Bruyne and fellow Serie A loanee, Mohamed Salah could have easily helped Chelsea stave off the subsequent embarrassment that has undoubtedly afflicted the Blues this season.

With Jose Mourinho now absent from the first team set-up at Stamford Bridge however, Antonio Conte can theoretically offer Cuadrado a much-needed opportunity to start afresh within the English top-flight next term. The newly installed Chelsea boss is reportedly keen on keeping the Colombian international among the Premier League for a good while longer and could even single the skilful 27-year-old out as one of his key contributors among his chosen Blues starting XI in 2016/17.

Yet as Chelsea seemingly no longer find themselves in a strong negotiating position after this season’s distinct calamities and shortcomings out on the field, the task of tempting Juan Cuadrado away from league-leaders Juventus may prove somewhat difficult.

It now looks increasingly likely that Chelsea have blown their chances of watching the highly coveted South American do his thing down at Stamford Bridge next season, regardless of how much Antonio Conte may admittedly admire the 27-year-old Colombian for his recent exploits among the Italian game.

If the Blues ultimately fail in the quest to hold onto Juan Cuadrado this summer, then major lessons will simply have to be learnt by the Blues in future transfer endeavours.

With Roberto Martinez’s Everton sacking looking more of a when than if now, Toffees fans are relieved.

The Goodison Park outfit have underwhelmed again this year under the Spaniard and their opening season under him, where they finished fifth, is a very distant memory. The club are in a mini free-fall – they’ve suffered heavy defeats recently against Sunderland, Leicester and Liverpool – and their players look completely bereft of confidence.

The Toffees, however, are an attractive proposition for a new manager. They have good young players with the potential to be world class and a loyal chairman who genuinely wants the best for the club and has brought in new sources of income, then, throw into the mix a vociferous home support all the foundations are there for a very successful club.

It’s a job that many are sure to want and here at FootballFanCast we’ve given you a rundown of the FIVE managers that would be the most suitable for the club…

Frank de Boer

It’s almost too coincidental that Frank de Boer left Ajax on the same day as Martinez’s sacking from Everton. De Boer dramatically lost out on the league title in the Netherlands with Ajax to PSV Eindhoven on the final day and now seems set to want to try his hand abroad.

He’s one of the favourites for the Goodison Park job among the bookies, and has the ability to nurture good young players, something the Toffees have in abundance.

Manuel Pellegrini

The Chilean has got somewhat of a raw deal towards the end with Manchester City, but can leave the club with his head held high.

He won the league with the Citizens in 2014 and has two League Cups to his name, and whilst not enough for the Sheikhs, some silverware at Everton would be more than welcome. Another advantage of Pellegrini is that he’s managed clubs like Everton before, who are not expected to challenge for the title but still get good results and Champions League football.

Mark Hughes

The job Mark Hughes has done at Stoke City is hugely underrated. Replacing Tony Pulis is no mean feat given how entrenched his style of play was at the Britannia, but the Welshman has reinvented the side remarkably well.

The job he’d have to do at Everton would not be as extreme given their commitment to playing the ball on the ground, but Hughes would bring some much needed defensive solidarity to a flaky Everton back four.

Ronald Koeman

Koeman’s stock continues to rise each season. The former Barcelona player has constantly evolved his Southampton side in the face of huge upheavals seemingly every year and is on course for one of Europe’s biggest jobs in the future.

Whether he’d want to go to Everton remains to be seen but they certainly have the foundations to return to the top of the game and Koeman would excel with these resources at his disposal.

Eddie Howe

Eddie Howe has done brilliantly at Bournemouth and the fact he is in this discussion reflects on his managerial ability.

It may prove too soon for Howe to move away from the south coast club, but if Everton want to build for the future with a manager that would be set to stay for the long haul, there are few better candidates around at the moment than the 38-year-old.

With a new era dawning in east London, which will include European football, a new stadium, world class stars and the promise of new signings, it is a good time to be a Hammer.

Slavan Bilic and co. are looking to strengthen the squad for their forthcoming assault on European football and will be closely watching the talent set to star at the impending European Championships in a few days’ time.

Unlike some teams, the Irons won’t be able to shop at the very top end of the market for their targets and will, likely, only be able to bring in a few serious names, so the club’s management will be scouring the lesser known players, looking for some real bargains and unpolished gems.

Here are Five players from Group A that West Ham should try and sign this summer…

Nicolae Stanciu – Romania

Stanciu is the most promising player on the books at Steaua Bucharest and is set to be a star man for Romania at EURO 2016.

Just 23, Stanciu only made his international debut in March but has been a revelation, scoring four goals in five games and creating a host of chances for his team-mates.

West Ham would be the perfect place for Stanciu to continue his development, especially under the tutelage of Dimitri Payet, who plays a similar role to the young Romanian.

Taulant Xhaka – Albania

An extremely versatile talent, Xhaka will be starring for Albania at this year’s European Championship and will be facing his younger brother, Granit, when his side face the Swiss on Saturday 11th June.

While Taulant may not be as famous as his younger brother (who has just made a move to Arsenal), he can play across the defence and midfield and will be marshalling the game for an inexperienced Albania side this summer.

An aggressive, tough tackling player, Xhaka would be a fans’ favourite at West Ham and fit in perfectly with the philosophy of the club.

Florin Andone – Romania

The man who will lead the line for Romania in France, Florin Andone has lived and played in Spain for the majority of his life. His bullish attitude mixed with graceful flair make him a perfect mix of his native country and his adopted nation.

At just 23, Andone has already attracted the interest of several clubs across Europe, including Southampton, Sevilla and Malaga. West Ham would be wise to move quickly for young striker, especially if he impresses for Romania this summer.

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Nico Elvedi – Switzerland

At just 19, Elvedi has already made a name for himself in his native Switzerland and in Germany, where he has been with Borussia Monchengladbach for two years.

Despite only breaking into both club and country first teams in the last few months, Elvedi has already impressed with his powerful displays from centre back. With pace to burn, the imposing youngster can also be utilised on both flanks.

Elvedi would be a perfect signing to help West Ham start a new era and build a truly impressive squad for the future at their new home.

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Elseid Hysaj – Albania

Arguably Albania’s best player at EURO 2016, Elseid Hysaj has established himself as the first choice right back for Napoli and is one of the most sought after young defenders in Europe.

In February, Hysaj was included in a Best XI of Serie A young players by football analysts in Italy, alongside names such as Paul Pogba and Mauro Icardi.

With Hysaj’s stock quickly rising and West Ham needing competition for Sam Byram at right back, the Albanian could be the perfect answer for Bilic.

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Another tournament down, and another failure for England – arguably the worst ever.

Whilst England didn’t head to France as favourites, there was a quiet confidence surrounding the young squad, and whilst the Mark Nobles and Danny Drinkwaters of this world may have felt hard done by to have been left out, there was a general feeling of satisfaction with the selected ‘team’.

Fast forward three weeks and after the biggest exit from Europe Britain has ever seen coming only days before, the second largest swiftly followed – defeat to minnows Iceland, whose population equates to the same size as Leicester (not that it stopped them winning the Premier League), sent England packing, embarrassed and defeated .

You could talk for hours about tactics, selections, individual performances, lack of team cohesion or a manager who has never been of the highest standing but, at the end of the day, results and performances were not up to scratch.

A perfect qualifying campaign only served about as much as a strong pre-season for Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United going into the 2015/16 season – and look how that ended. England were not good enough, simple as – but why?

In the 50 years that have passed since England sat atop the footballing world with Bobby Moore holding the Jules Rimet trophy proudly above his head, England have won only six games in the knock-out stages of major tournaments.

We have done well in tournaments, citing Italia ’90 and Euro ’96 as standout examples, and have been very unlucky in many more (just ask Sol Campbell).

But more to the point, England have won only four out of the last 15 games in major tournaments, dating back to 2006.

Although the most recent performance was bad – really bad – it is a problem that has been there a while, and considering the strength of our national league it’s a problem that should be non-existent, or should it?

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It is widely accepted that the Premier League is the best league in the world. Even though some of its largest teams haven’t set the Champions League alight in recent years, the weekly action is unbeatable.

Fast paced, high scoring, fiercely competitive games with the best players from across the globe gracing our hallowed turfs. The football, exposure, challenge and increasingly the money is helping the Premier League attract the top talent from across the world.

Premier League sides combined generate over £4bn in revenue, dwarfing the Bundesliga in second place with circa £2.5bn. TV revenue alone contributes £55.5m to each side, with the winners pocketing an additional £24.7m in prize money.

The Premier League generates more than double the revenue of both Serie A and Ligue 1 – so when an English team comes knocking it is very hard for foreign sides to say no.

Only today Crystal Palace have been reported to have bid €40m for Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi – a figure that even five years ago would be unheard of from a team like Palace. And once they arrive they will be nicely compensated too, with five of the league’s top six paid players being ‘foreign.’

The 500 plus players gracing the Premier League last season were made up of 66 different nationalities, with 352 overseas stars filling our ranks. At the Premier League’s inception in 1992 there were just 37.

This is the second highest ratio in Europe after Cyprus (Spain average around 40% and France 30%).

There is no doubt that this influx has helped take our league above and beyond all rivals and subsequently greatly improved the standard of football on show each week. But what about the British talent?

According to a study by the CIES, 75% of players in the U21 league are British, rising to 95% of 16-18 year olds. But why are those numbers not translating into the Premier League?

Quite simply, the talent pool is not supplying enough British players of a standard capable of regular top-flight football. Players coming through the ranks are now left with a dilemma – where to play their football now the Premier League dream is over (at least for now).

There is a general reluctance for British players to ply their trade abroad (barring a late pay day in the MLS). This reluctance means that rather than trying to test themselves in the top leagues of our European rivals, they would rather drop down the divisions in England, hoping that one day they’ll rise again like a phoenix. The reality is, not many do.

Rival leagues do not seem to have this problem.

The percentage of homegrown players in Spain, Germany, Italy and France playing in the top tier of their home nation is much higher. And for the likes of Germany and Italy, youngsters play the same system from the age of 12 until retirement (which is considerably higher for Italians for some reason).

The system is embraced, the managers are always from the home nation and both have reaped the rewards in recent years. The Germans set a fine example of how a nation’s football structure can be entirely rebuilt in a relatively short space of time by ripping up the rule book in 2004 and eventually winning the World Cup in 2014.

Having the best league in world means having the best players, and to have that you need worldwide recruitment. This will inevitably come at the detriment to home grown talent.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for English youngsters – for the ones that do make it, playing in the best league in world is ample reward for their efforts. Only recently the likes of Dele Alli and Erick Dier have burst onto the Premier League with great effect, hopefully for the foreseeable future too.

But since the golden generation of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and Ashley Cole – not many have managed to sustain the highs once achieved for the duration of their careers.

With focus on power and pace in the Premier League, the technical ability of our youngsters, whilst still very high, is not at the level of, say, the Spanish or Italians.

Arsene Wenger is a big advocate of getting players in at a very young age with great physical attributes and relying on teaching them the art of the game (after all, you can’t teach a 12-year-old to be 6 ft). This could contribute to the failings on the international stage with many players performing well for club but not country.

However poorly the likes of Lampard and Gerrard may have played for England, they always came back and found the highest levels of performance for their club – with Harry Kane demonstrating this recently.

Nonetheless, the failings on the international side in recent years is there for all to see. It seems to have coincided perfectly with the rise in foreign talent arriving in the Premier League.

The way the league is, I can’t see this trend bucking. Whilst the money continues to grow, and the demand for success almost instant, managers do not have the time to nurture players from a young age (no manager apart from Wenger has been at their club for more than three years), so youngsters talent will fall by the wayside.

This has and will continue to effect the national side and needs to be proactively tackled. I, for one, embrace the influx of talent to the league and would much rather enjoy the highest standard of football on a weekly basis.

I can also accept the failings of our national team every couple of years as a sacrifice for this privilege – but this attitude will not lead to England ruling the world again anytime soon and the FA need to do something about it now, before it is too late.

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To be fair to Arsenal, you’ve got to feel for them. Just a little bit.

Whilst Arsene Wenger has gone about his transfer waiting game in typical fashion, the camp were hit with the devastating news that defender Per Mertesacker will be out for “months” with a knee injury.

The defender is hardly a Gunners favourite but he offers a certain amount of defensive stability and leadership in the back-four, and his injury means Wenger has no choice but to search for a replacement.

Gabriel, Laurent Koscielny and Calum Chambers are left at the Emirates, but with the Brazilian struggling to adapt to the pace of the Premier League and Chambers struggling to break into the side, the time has come for a bit of Arsene Wenger ambition.

It’s hardly the most exciting position to have to fill but Gunners fans will be hoping to see a replacement good enough to step-up and even make the position their own for the long-term.

With Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding and Takuma Asano the only names to have been brought to the Emirates this summer, the thought is that Arsenal really need to get busy sometime soon and can start with an imminent arrival to replace the unlucky German.

So with this in mind, who should Arsene be targeting?

Here’s THREE established centre-back who could really relieve Arsenal’s defensive woes.

Marquinhos

Whilst he may not be a player that instantly springs to mind, there is little doubt that Brazilian international Marquinhos could tick a number of boxes for the Gunners.

After signing for Paris Saint-Germain for €31.4 million back in 2013, he’s won over ten trophies during his stay in France. He’s had to play second fiddle after fellow countryman David Luiz was acquired by the club, but he is still considered as one of the best young defenders in the game and made over 40 appearances for PSG last season.

He’s extremely competent in his defensive game and has an excellent ability to read the game, with former Roma defender Nicolas Burdisso once describing him as “A little phenomenon who has speed, heading ability and is humble. He is a little Thiago Silva”. Not a bad comparison to draw at all.

Javi Martinez

Perhaps a more astute replacement, there is little doubting Javi Martinez’s quality at the top level.

Whilst he has found game a little more difficult to come by at Bayern Munich over the past couple of seasons due to incredibly competitive competition, he still made over 25 appearances for the first-team last time out.

He’d bring a wealth of experience that has seen him win an array of trophies over the past five years alone, including four league titles, two German Cups, One Champions League a World Cup and a European Championship medal.

Some CV, eh?

Aymeric Laporte

One of the most exciting and talented young defenders in Europe, Aymeric Laporte is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to Athletic Bilbao’s current team.

He’s been intensively linked with a move to Manchester City this summer, and it would prove a real coup if the Gunners could jump in and hijack a move for one of Europe’s best.

On the pitch, he’s a real leader, even at just 22 years-old. Great in the air with good awareness, he helped Bilbao to a fifth placed finish last season, missing out on the top-four by just four points.

There is little doubt this talented young man will move onto bigger and better things at some point in his career, but could it be sooner rather than later? He’d cost an arm and a leg but he’d bring real quality to the Emirates.

It’s time for Arsenal to make a statement this season.

Nearly all of their title rivals have done it so far, in one way or another.

Manchester City of course brushed Manchester United aside in an eye-opening encounter whilst Liverpool beat the Gunners and Chelsea on their own turf. Spurs have gone under the radar but have shown their ready with an unbeaten start whilst United’s battlecry has more been in acquisitions. Regardless of form you don’t get the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jose Mourinho in without going close to the title at least.

It’s time for Arsenal, then, to show us what they’ve got against Chelsea.

Their first big clash against Liverpool fell flat, but the Gunners are in much better shape now and here at Football FanCast we think if they follow these three steps, they’ll be well on their way to a victory over one of their fiercest rivals…

Don’t get wound up

Diego Costa will do his very best to tick the Gunners defence off and get them walking. He’s brilliant at doing it too, regardless of what you think of him, so the key for Arsenal is to just brush it off. Gabriel Paulista got involved with him last season and got a red, so to do the same this season would be foolish. The Gunners have to play the game on their own terms.

Get at Chelsea’s defence

Chelsea will still be without John Terry whilst the Blues may also take Branislav Ivanovic out of the side. That leaves the prospect of a back four in which three players are arguably playing in unfamiliar roles. Marcos Alonso comes in, David Luiz is still getting back up to speed and Cesar Azpilicueta is switching sides. It’s a back four that has to be asked questions of from the word go.

Play at pace

Arsenal’s players must have been watching videos this week of how Liverpool dismantled Chelsea and the reccurring theme must have been do everything quickly and sharply. The Blues weren’t given a moment’s rest at Stamford Bridge on Friday night and that’s exactly what Arsenal need to do on Saturday evening if they want to come away with three precious points.

It was just one of those days for Manchester City yesterday afternoon.

Though they had the lion’s share of the chances and possession against Everton, they simply couldn’t break the Toffees down as much as they would have liked. When they did get through, they found an inspired Maarten Stekelenburg in goal.

The Dutchman kept the Merseysiders in the game for extended periods but when Romelu Lukaku burst past Gael Clichy and rifled home to give the Blues the lead at the Etihad Stadium, it looked as though they would go on to nick all three points.

That, however, was not what happened as Nolito eventually got City a goal. But with two missed penalties prior to that, Pep Guardiola will feel unfortunate to have not won the game.

Ronald Koeman, meanwhile, will have been far happier with the result and will look back on a resilient performance with pride.

Here are five images, then, to help sum it all up…

 Friends reunited

In the build-up to the game, a lot was made of the clash in the dug-out that would see two former Barcelona team-mates pit their wits against one another. Clearly good friends, the two were fairly amicable over their sharing of the points – with Koeman saying that City were the hardest side he has ever had to manage against.

 City frustrated

This picture goes a long way to show how Everton frustrated City. The Toffees kept the Citizens at arm’s length for most of the game and they ended up getting in one another’s way as they tried to force a goal. The City players will be still wondering how they didn’t win the game yesterday, in what could have been a far more comfortable afternoon.

 Lukaku shines

In what was a pretty quiet day for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, he reminded us all just how good he can be in an instant. He collected the ball a good distance out from the goal over on the left side, before breezing past Gael Clichy and lashing a shot across Claudio Bravo into the net. That ability to just switch on makes him very dangerous.

 Stekelenburg’s day

Maarten Stekelenburg was in fine form yesterday and was the man to thank for Everton’s point. He saved a penalty from Kevin De Bruyne in the first half and then one from Sergio Aguero in the second, as well as making a string of other good stops. This will go down as his best performance in an Everton shirt to date.

 Pep perplexed

In the end there wasn’t really anything else Pep Guardiola could do to get Manchester City the win. They huffed and puffed but it wasn’t enough to beat Everton as the game marked more dropped points for the Etihad outfit. With Arsenal winning, they no longer have the outright lead in the Premier League and will now need to regroup.

Transfer talk may be a bit thin on the ground right now, but the Daily Record have dropped a belter from north of the Scottish border – claiming Manchester United are keen on Celtic’s Moussa Dembele.

What’s the story?

Dumping a big dollop of nastiness for Bhoys fans in the wake of Celtic’s latest routine Premiership win, this time over Ross County (whoever he is), the Daily Record reveal that Man United scouts were in attendance to keep an eye on Dembele. Alas, in a move that proves top-level football clubs are sometimes incompetent, the Red Devils’ talent-spotter, Stephen McCarthy, was almost left high and dry at the Global Energy Stadium as the Frenchman was not used until after the hour mark – with Leigh Griffiths preferred by boss Brendan Rodgers.

But, McCarthy’s journey was not wasted as Dembele found the back of the net in the 4-0 win, taking his season’s tally to seven in league action and 13 across all competitions. His form has already led to tentative links with Arsenal, while former Fulham player Lewis Holtby has claimed that he thinks this could be the 20-year-old’s only season in Scotland.

Is he any good?

Yes. Dembele broke through at Fulham during their relegation season of 2013/14 and continued to hover around the Cottagers’ first-team during their first campaign back in the second tier. The Londoners, of course, remained out of the big time for 2015/16, which was the striker’s standout campaign to date as he smashed 15 goals and weighed in with six assists.

As well all know, he departed on a free transfer a few months ago, making the somewhat surprise choice to pursue the next phase of his career in Glasgow. To be fair, his decision is paying dividends, with Celtic attracting much media attention highlighting his contributions.

Dembele has already notched a hat-trick in the Old Firm Derby and even managed to net twice against Manchester City in the Champions League, showing that the pressure of the biggest games doesn’t phase him. Whether or not he’s good enough for Man United remains to be seen, though.

Should he be tempted by Man United?

This is a tricky one. Dembele clearly won’t spend much more of his career in Scotland should his form continue and it’s fairly obvious that he chose Celtic as a shop window to earn a switch to either a Premier League side or a team from one of Europe’s traditional elite divisions.

Man United are fairly short in terms of striking options, but should he move to Old Trafford either in January or at the end of the season, he’ll be up against Marcus Rashford plus either Zlatan Ibrahimovic or whoever the Red Devils sign as their next marquee man. Overall, game time will be limited.

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What they ask

As expected, the board are keen on youth development at Spurs. Attacking football is desirable, too, but you can probably quash any worries of your style with results.

Despite the successes of last season, competition expectations are quite kind. Europa League qualification from league position, making it to the knockout rounds of the Champions League and semi-final FA Cup appearance will keep the board off your case.

What they give

In a cosy position financially, the Spurs board give you enough money to really influence the squad how you see fit.

Plenty of wage bill room could add to your summer excitement.

Three to Buy

Xherdan Shaqiri

Shaqiri will be mighty costly, yet he should be considered. Injuries can be an issue for the Potters attacking midfielder, but his versatility would make him a good addition.

Work-rate is the greatest concern, however, particularly if you want to recreate Pochettino’s pressing.

Adam Ounas

Bordeaux will ask for the world for their star youngster, but Adam Ounas is certainly worth it.

Qualfiying for one of the club objectives as a young signing for the first team, too, Ounas will be great competition for Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko on the right.

Riechedly Bazoer

Bazoer would add to Spurs’ greatest strength – their midfield.

A player that would benefit from the tutoring of Dembele or Wanyama, Bazoer’s career can go down a number of different paths once you sign him.

Three to Sell

Kieran Trippier

A specialist right-back who will never threaten to take the position on a regular basis seems a little wasteful.

With the funds available a player capable of covering well in numerous positions would surely be a better use of a squad space.

Joshua Onomah

An initial loan is probably worthwhile for Onomah, but the midfielder is under-rated on Football Manager 17 making him very unlikely to be a first teamer.

He can, however, still bring in a decent transfer fee.

Tom Carroll

Promised as a midfield star at Spurs for many years now, Carroll – who is 24 – is not going to improve much from his current ratings.

Considering the hefty budget at your disposal, too, he cannot really justify a place in the squad.

Three to Nurture

Jonathan de Bie

It’s a long, long time until you will need to consider replacing Hugo Lloris, but Jonathan de Bie could be the internal solution to that eventual dilemma.

Vorm is an adept deputy for now and de Bie can fill that void a few seasons into a save.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

Defensive reinforcements are not required at the beginning of a Spurs save, with plenty of depth and quality present already.

Carter-Vickers might be suited to a loan, but, should be remain at the club, he is capable of filling in during an injury crisis.

Marcus Edwards

Like with Carter-Vickers, minutes in 2016/17 are unlikely.

A loan, for that very reason, is the best course of action and his situation should be evaluated from there onwards.

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Brendan Rodgers is set to give youth a chance of the festive period as their busy December continues.

As quoted by the Aberdeen Evening Express on Monday, the Northern Irishman said: “My job fundamentally coming here was to win trophies, to play attacking football the Celtic way and to bring young players through. So we will look to see if there are any young players we can maybe look at over the next few games.”

That’s not only heartening for the fringe players in the Celtic squad, but Hoops fans, too, who love seeing young talent come through the ranks in Glasgow.

Partick Thistle haven’t beaten Celtic since 1995 and likely won’t give the Bhoys much trouble regardless of what team they put out.

That could mean it’s tonight’s game where we see some of Rodgers’ youngsters.

But who could they be and why do they deserve a shot?

Here are the THREE starlets that we think Rodgers should give the nod to against Partick Thistle…

Liam Henderson

Liam Henderson has been in and around the first-team squad this season but hasn’t managed to make the breakthrough into Rodgers’ team in a significant way. Starting just two games with a further three appearances from the bench, it’s time for him to show what he can do.

The Bhoys won both games he started this season, against Motherwell and Ross County in the league, so he’s certainly not a liability.

He was excellent at Hibs last season on loan, and helped the side to do the unthinkable and finally win the Scottish Cup. Can he reproduce the same form for Celtic in the top flight?

Anthony Ralston

Defender Anthony Ralston has already featured for Rodgers this season, coming off the bench with just eight minutes to go during Celtic’s League Cup win over Motherwell in August.

It was only his second appearance for the club in competitive action and was a fitting reward for a fine pre-season for the Hoops in the summer.

He’s featured regularly for the Development Squad since and deserves a chance to show what he can do in defence. A natural right-back, he could potentially provide competition for both Mikael Lustig and Cristian Gamboa on that flank.

Jack Aitchison

Jack Aitchison made all the headlines back in May when he became Celtic’s youngest ever player and youngest ever goalscorer on the same day during a memorable win in Ronny Deila’s last day with the club.

He’s starred for the Development Squad since and scored a memorable solo goal away to Barcelona in the UEFA Youth League earlier this season.

We’d love to see him get another chance in the first-team to show what he can do, perhaps replacing Leigh Griffiths or Moussa Dembele if everything is going to plan vs. Thistle.