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Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has made an instant impression at Ibrox, having taken the reins back in November.

A dozen wins and one draw from 13 matches is a fantastic start to the 42-year-old’s managerial tenure, but his first big test arrives today as he has the chance to claim his first piece of silverware in the Viaplay Cup final.

Old Firm arch-rivals Celtic provide the opposition, so it promises to be a tough encounter, but after Rangers’ performance against the Premiership leaders at the start of January, Beale will take a lot of encouragement going into the tie.

He will need to get his starting XI spot-on though, with everyone required to be on top form to claim a record-extending 28th League Cup victory, and the Rangers boss must unleash Fashion Sakala, especially after his previous Old Firm display.

Will Fashion Sakala start the League Cup final today?

In the traditional New Year derby last month, Sakala was outstanding for the Ibrox side, causing chaos down the right wing, and he was pivotal in both of the Light Blues’ goals in the eventual 2-2 draw.

The winger played one key pass that day while winning the penalty from which James Tavernier scored Rangers’ second goal, while also succeeding with three of his five dribbles during the match.

The forward was lauded by Joshua Barrie following his mazy run to set up Ryan Kent’s equaliser, with the journalist describing it as an “excellent driving run”. Jordan Campbell was also full of praise for the Zambian that day, stating that he “changed the game for Rangers”, and it shows how much he has improved under Beale.

Indeed, since the 42-year-old took over at Ibrox towards the end of 2022, the £8.3k-per-week “firework” – as he was notably dubbed by Alan Hutton – has scored three goals and registered five assists, having only contributed one of each under Giovanni van Bronckhorst earlier in the campaign.

The 25-year-old has been revitalised in recent months and he more than deserves his chance to be the hero in today’s cup final. Rangers haven’t lifted the trophy since a 2-1 victory over Celtic back in 2011, but having won the Premiership title in 2021 and the Scottish Cup last year, could a League Cup triumph now follow suit?

If Beale leads the club to silverware this afternoon, it could just be a catalyst for a hugely successful reign at Ibrox, and Sakala could be the man to inspire the Gers to a cherished victory.

Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen has a 50% chance of returning from injury against Brighton this weekend, according to reporter Rahman Osman.

The Lowdown: Andersen’s absence

Andersen has missed the last three Premier League fixtures with a calf problem. Patrick Vieira’s side have failed to win any of those games and are now without a top-flight victory since New Year’s Eve.

A home fixture with rivals Brighton is next on the agenda for the Eagles, and it looks as if there could be some good news on the injury front.

The Latest: Andersen claim

Osman shared a story for London World in the last 48 hours, looking at Palace’s injury issues and potential return dates.

When it came to Andersen, he said that the centre-back has trained this week and there is a 50% chance he could return against Brighton on Saturday.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

The 26-year-old has been hailed as a ‘massively important’ player by Vieira after making the move to Selhurst Park, and his potential return could be huge as Palace look for a first league win in 2023.

Andersen has actually been the club’s best-performing player this season alongside Wilfried Zaha, making more clearances and passes per game than any of his teammates as per WhoScored.

Zaha may not feature due to his own injury issues, so having Andersen back alongside Marc Guehi would be a welcome boost as the club aim for a sixth league clean sheet of the campaign.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano says that Newcastle United have had a ‘new bid’ rejected for Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca.

The Lowdown: Bids already made

It has been reported that Newcastle have had a ‘number’ of bids rejected for Franca already, with Flamengo thought to be demanding a fee in excess of £20m for him, and a ‘significant’ sell-on clause of around 40-50%.

Eddie Howe has admitted that he would still like to make more signings if possible before the end of the window, after capturing winger Anthony Gordon from Everton.

The Latest: Another bid rejected

Taking to Twitter, Romano says that the St. James’ Park outfit have had a ‘new bid’ rejected for Franca, worth a total package of €20m (£17.5m), while Flamengo are holding out for €25m (£22m):

“Flamengo have turned down new bid from Newcastle for Matheus Franca — it was worth €20m total package.

“Newcastle want Matheus but they will not overpay, clear message as last bid was close to ‘internal’ Brazilian market release clause worth €25m.”

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The Verdict: Pay the extra money?

The North East Club simply cannot afford to be haggling over just a few million pounds, with Transfer Deadline Day fast approaching.

Thus, they should just pay the £22m for Franca, if that is what Flamengo are looking for.

The Brazilian is an exciting talent, having already played 30 matches for Flamengo by the age of just 18, scoring seven goals (Transfermarkt), and has won both the Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores.

Nonetheless, he has been courted by the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid as well, and so the Magpies will not want him to go elsewhere.

Manchester United finally fell to a Premier League loss after a remarkable purple patch that saw the club go undefeated for ten matches, with Arsenal victorious at the Emirates Stadium after a thoroughly captivating affair.

Losing 3-2 on the afternoon, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag would do well to take the positives after pushing the high-flying table-toppers to the limit, striking twice through the in-form Marcus Rashford’s marvellous effort and Lisandro Martinez’s first goal for the club since his £56.7m summer arrival.

United can take solace from the fact that the well-oiled, fluid and high-octane machine that powers the club at present bears no semblance to the rusty and wayward outfit that struggled for form last season, missing out on Champions League football with a sixth-place finish in the English top-flight.

United fought valiantly, but will be disappointed with the way that the Gunners dictated the flow of the lion-share of the encounter; the home side held 58% of the possession and unleashed a remarkable 25 shots to United’s six – although Arsenal’s five shots on target were only slightly higher than the away side’s four.

The defeat does stretch Mikel Arteta’s outfit 11 points clear of their rivals, and with a game in hand, and while goalkeeper David De Gea was largely at fault after shipping three goals and making just two saves, Man United left-back Luke Shaw will hold himself accountable for the damaging result after a display that left little to be admired.

Recording an average match rating of 6.8, as per Sofascore, the former Southampton defender was given a torrid time by the wizardry of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who scored a brilliant goal from Shaw’s left-side and produced an all-encompassing display for his victorious outfit, clinching a match-best rating of 8.1.

Shaw lost possession 17 times and picked up a yellow card as he haplessly fought to contain his flourishing foe, and was remarked to have been “destroyed” out wide by prominent fan writer Hesham Bilal-Hafiz.

Only winning three of his eight ground duels – as opposed to Saka’s six successful take-ons from eight attempts – the £170k-per-week ace was run ragged, also failing to effectively contribute offensively having failed in his solitary dribble attempt and missing the mark with all five of his attempted crosses.

Although Shaw has impressed under Ten Hag’s tutelage this season, he will need to swallow the bitter pill of defeat and analyse his shortcomings, with United still fighting for major honours across every possible front this season.

Ten Hag will take to take the reins and galvanise his squad, who will undoubtedly be nursing their wounds following a fixture that could have put the club firmly in title contention had the late goal fallen to a Red Devil.

However, with plenty of football still to come, including the forthcoming FA Cup tie against second-tier side Reading, a return to winning ways is paramount to ensure the setback does not shape the impending period for a club undeniably on the rise.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly plotting a swoop for Dani Ceballos in January and the Spaniard could prove to be the next Joao Moutinho at Molineux.

According to reports from Spain, Julen Lopetegui wants to sign another midfielder in next month’s window and could look towards his old side for inspiration, with Ceballos seemingly on his shortlist.

The former Arsenal loanee has struggled for game time under Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu so far this campaign, racking up just two starts and six substitute appearances in LaLiga.

The 26-year-old’s contract with Los Blancos is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, which makes a January exit likely and given Wolves’ need for a creative influence in midfield, he could be a dream signing for Lopetegui.

Ruben Neves, Moutinho and Matheus Nunes have just two assists between them in the top flight this season, which suggests that the Old Gold need far more creativity in the middle of the park, if they are going to improve their goalscoring woes in the second half of the campaign.

WhoScored suggests that Ceballos’ strengths include passing and dribbling, which suggests that he certainly possesses the ability to unlock a defence, and he could come into his own with regular game time at Molineux.

He has already proven himself to be Premier League quality in a loan spell at the Emirates, where he caught the eye in the 2019/20 campaign.

After making his debut in a win over Burnley, he earned a lot of praise from former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on BT Sport.

He said: “It’s been a few years I think since they’ve seen someone this talented in the Arsenal midfield, with the confidence, panache, vision and desire to get on the ball.

“If he can produce that away from home, then Arsenal really will have all their prayers answered this season.

“I think he’s excellent, a really good addition to the group. Hopefully he’s going to have a big future at Arsenal, he’s been miles ahead of anyone else in this game.”

This praise will certainly remind Wolves fans of Moutinho, who also arrived at Molineux having spent time with European giants such as Monaco and Porto.

Since his arrival, the veteran midfielder has gone on to contribute five goals and 24 assists for the Old Gold, with his latest assist coming via a delightful pass to Daniel Podence in the Boxing Day win over Everton.

Unfortunately, these passes are few and far between for the 36-year-old these days and if Lopetegui wants a new creative midfielder in his squad, then Ceballos could be the ideal man.

Leeds United have by and large recruited remarkably ever since the arrival of Victor Orta, who handed Marcelo Bielsa the necessary additions for the club to finally return to the Premier League in 2020.

They would add to those successes with further signings like Raphinha, who they signed for £17m and later sold on for £55m.

However, one position they still seem unable to solve is left-back, with the Spanish director of football having been unable to secure a reliable successor to Ezgjan Alioski.

Junior Firpo was thought to be the answer, but the £42k-per-week defender has grossly disappointed since moving to Elland Road, which has culminated in his 6.30 average rating from Sofascore this season.

Whilst the search continues and the rumour mill swirls, Southampton full-back Romain Perraud has recently come out to suggest that he was nearly brought in as the Whites’ long-term solution.

Having initially been a target for Orta before he moved to St Mary’s, the Frenchman stated: “In January or February 2021, I was approached by Leeds and Southampton… Leeds contacted me first, but negotiations came to a halt quite suddenly. Southampton were very keen and I was immediately attracted by the project.”

It seems that something caused the Whites to pull out from this deal, which has turned into a foolish move given how the 25-year-old seems to get better with each passing week.

Suffering a tough debut season in the Premier League, where he was handed a 6.58 average rating from Sofascore, this campaign has been far more successful for Perraud (6.75 rating) despite Southampton’s poor league position.

The defender boasts four goal contributions alongside 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, with his work rate having been lauded by Ralph Hasenhuttl before the ex-Saints manager’s sacking last month.

He described Perraud as: “A hard worker, offensively with some good habits, quick player, left foot and right foot.”

The Austrian continued: “Defensively is a guy who likes to defend on the front foot. A little bit similar to Kyle (Walker-Peters) on the right side.”

It seems that this was a massively missed opportunity for Leeds to secure an up-and-coming defender who had been named in the Ligue 1 team of the season before his move to England.

Instead, the search goes on to allow Jesse Marsch to finally ditch Firpo.

Glasgow Rangers have appointed 42-year-old English head coach Michael Beale to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the dugout at Ibrox.

The former Gers assistant manager has joined at an almost perfect time as the break for the 2022 World Cup has offered an unprecedented chance for teams to work on their shape and tactics, with the players who are not involved in the competition.

Borna Barisic is the only first-team squad member in Qatar with his country and this means that the boss has the majority of the squad available to him.

Beale can now work with the group and put his ideas across to them in the next few weeks ahead of the return to action against Hibernian in the Premiership on the 15th of December.

He will need to re-energise the group and find a way to turn the form around after inheriting a side that is currently nine points off the top of the table in the Scottish top flight.

Pundit Michael Stewart, whilst speaking on BBC Sportscene, claimed that the Light Blues were missing an “X-factor” on the pitch during van Bronckhorst’s tenure. 

Beale could now find the missing X-factor by giving talented 19-year-old attacking midfielder Alex Lowry a chance to stamp his mark on the first team this season.

The teenage gem broke into the senior squad last term and caught the eye with one goal and one assist in three Premiership outings towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, he suffered an injury in the early stage of the current season whilst playing for the B team and only made one appearance, in the Champions League, for Van Bronckhorst’s side after returning to fitness.

Beale must now unleash him from the start in the Premiership as the gem has the potential to be the missing spark in the final third. He has showcased his quality in possession with seven goals and one assist in 10 matches for the B team this season from a number 10 position.

The Scotland U21 international, who reporter Joshua Barrie claimed is “step above everyone else” at youth level, is a player capable of producing moments of brilliance in matches.

Journalist Graham Falk dubbed him a “proper talent” and described his goal against Celtic for the B team as an “absolute worldie”, which shows that he has the capacity to provide special strikes.

Lowry, who can play on either flank and in the middle of the park, has also been hailed as “carefree and gallus” by Scottish coach Andy Goldie and this suggests that he has the flair, with his statistics backing up his quality, to provide what Rangers have been missing in the Premiership.

Therefore, Beale must start the Ibrox academy prospect against Hibernian to see if he can step up to the first team and prove to everyone that van Bronckhorst was wrong not to give him more opportunities this season.

Glasgow Rangers’ recent form has increased the pressure on Giovanni van Bronckhorst, especially with the Ibrox side nine points behind the current league leaders in the race for the Premiership title.

Truth be told, only one of the Dutchman’s seven summer signings has suitably impressed. Striker Antonio Colak has scored 14 goals in all competitions, however, the burden shouldn’t fall on just one player to be the focal point of the team.

Alfredo Morelos has been in woeful form this campaign, netting just three times. His contract is due to expire at the end of the season and the majority of the Ibrox faithful are now bracing themselves for him to either be sold or leave for free in the summer.

As such, with the January window fast approaching, Van Bronckhorst should be revisiting a move for Sunderland striker Ross Stewart.

The Scot was linked with the Light Blues back in the summer as a replacement for Morelos, however, nothing ever materialised. His contract is also set to expire at the end of the season and this should prompt Van Bronckhorst to revisit a potential move.

Although Gers usually play with just one up front, a duo of Colak and Stewart could be an excellent option ahead of the second half of the season.

The Sunderland hitman has scored 78 goals in his career to date and, despite not being an out-and-out centre forward like Colak, he would be a perfect foil for the Croatian, allowing him to benefit from his hard work and boundless energy.

A change in formation might do the Glasgow side the world of good, and two centre-forwards could certainly cause a host of problems for opposing defences, especially with a duo in the calibre of Stewart and Colak.

Having scored 24 goals in League One last season, with Sunderland gaining promotion through the playoffs, journalist James Copley hailed the player as “unbelievable” during his stunning season.

He might not be the big-name signing the supporters expect, but if the club can secure him either for free at the end of the season, or for a reduced fee in January, it might be shrewd business indeed.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will be finding it ‘incredibly difficult’ to interact with some of his players due to the language barrier, according to the club’s former striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Kobayashi agrees terms

The Premiership champions already have three Japanese players – Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda, all of whom require an interpreter – and that contingent soon looks set to become four.

Recent reports suggest that the Hoops have agreed personal terms to sign Vissel Kobe centre-back Yuki Kobayashi in January, with him expected to link up with his trio of fellow countrymen in the New Year.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie insisted that whilst Kobayashi would be a welcome addition at Celtic, he believes it’s no easy task for Postecoglou to work around the off-field obstacle in training every day.

The 62-year-old said: “They have got interpreters sitting on the bench and out on the training pitch. It must be incredibly difficult for the manager to try and get all that sunk into players when there is so many nationalities.

“From what I hear they are training with the players so that if the manager shouts at them they know what he is saying. It must be hard for the players.“

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The Verdict: More awareness needed

Whilst there are many issues in football which go unaddressed, the language barrier and translation situation should receive more awareness than it seemingly does at present.

The Celtic boss previously recalled an incident during his time in the J-League which saw one of his translators shown a yellow card for attempting to share a message with him, and despite protests, it wasn’t overturned.

Officials and those involved in the sport need to have a better understanding of the challenges being faced on the sidelines to make it easier for new signings to transition into the British game moving forward.

Burnley are reportedly in talks to sign Sporting CP midfielder Renato Veiga, and an update has shared how much a deal could cost the Clarets.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

Vincent Kompany and those at Turf Moor have been extremely busy so far this summer with a number of new players brought in for the club’s Premier League which began with a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last week.

In total, 11 new players have made the move to Burnley, with the club so far spending around £77m. Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Jordan Beyer, Dara O'Shea, Michael Obafemi, Luca Koleosho, Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert, Nathan Redmond, Lawrence Vigouroux and Jacob Bruun Larsen have all arrived, and it looks as if there could be further additions before the September 1 deadline.

The club are without a game this weekend with their scheduled top-flight fixture away against Luton Town postponed in advance, which could result in the club putting their focus firmly on the transfer market, looking to secure moves to add strength in depth to Kompany's squad. It appears as if Veiga is a player who the Clarets have their eye on, with an update emerging.

Journalist Dominik Schneider took to X in the last 48 hours to share what he’s heard on Veiga. He stated that the midfielder is being eyed by Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, however, the player’s representatives are in concrete talks with Burnley and Swiss outfit FC Basel, with a €6m fee wanted, although there is scope for a loan move with an option to buy.

“Renato Veiga is on the list of Borussia Monchengladbach. First their priority transfer is backup for Tomas Cvancara. Veiga's representatives are in concrete talks with Burnley FC + FC Basel. Sporting wants €6m transfer fee. Loan with option is also possible.”

Who is Renato Veiga?

Veiga is 20 years of age and is primarily a holding midfielder, although he can play as a centre-back or a left-back, so would offer plenty of versatility to Kompany’s squad.

The Portuguese youngster, already sponsored by Adidas, has represented and captained his country at U20 level and has been on the books of Sporting CP for a number of years.

Standing at 6ft 2, the left-footed gem is yet to make a senior appearance for Sporting CP, however, he did go out on loan to German club FC Augsburg last season, where he went on to turn out on 13 occasions in the Bundesliga.

Veiga has featured on nearly 50 occasions for Sporting CP’s B and U23 teams, and with his contract expiring in 2025, now could be the ideal time for Burnley to make their move.

Valued at €1m by Transfermarkt, Burnley and Kompany may see Veiga as an exciting youngster who could only get better in time with the right coaching. He appears to be a player in demand in the final few weeks of the window as well, so a move could be one to keep an eye on prior to the end of the month, wit the Clarets seemingly involved in talks.