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Rangers host Hearts at Ibrox next weekend after a two-week break due to international duty and this has afforded Steven Gerrard plenty of time to consider his Gers team selection for the clash.

Hearts are one point behind the Glaswegian side, who are top of the table, and a win for Gerrard’s side could be a major boost to their hopes of retaining the Scottish Premiership title this season.

The break also hands a chance for players to stake a claim for their place in the Rangers XI by catching the eye with a strong performance for their respective countries.

One player who failed to take his opportunity to impress was central midfielder Steven Davis, who struggled for Northern Ireland against Switzerland on Saturday. The ex-Southampton man struggled in the middle of the park as the Swiss recorded a comfortable 2-0 win in the World Cup Qualifier.

Davis left a lot to be desired at both ends of the pitch, as he was defensively weak and poor on the ball. Per SofaScore, he lost 75% of his duels as he only won two of his eight 50/50’s. He also failed to make a single tackle in 90 minutes on the pitch, whilst being dribbled past once. This shows that he was a yard slower than the Switzerland players, whilst he also failed the physical test in his individual duels.

In possession, the veteran was unable to showcase his quality either. Per SofaScore, he only completed 67% of his attempted passes, whilst losing the ball 12 times from only 41 touches. That meant he surrendered possession every 3.4 touches.

He also failed with five of his six long pass attempts and did not attempt a single dribble in the match. This shows that he struggled with the ball at his feet and was nullified by the Switzerland midfield.

With plenty of competition for a starting berth in midfield for the Gers, this performance from Davis was far from ideal for him. The likes of Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara, John Lundstram and Juninho Bacuna are all vying to start in the midfield three and Gerrard could be tempted to go without Davis due to the worrying nature of this display.

Therefore, Davis has missed a huge chance to show Gerrard that he deserves to start against Hearts. Although he is an experienced player who can be relied upon if needed, the other players in his position could put forward cases of their own and reference his troublesome showing for Northern Ireland.

AND in other news, Wilson must secure Rangers swoop for £16k-p/w gem who could be “like Busquets”…

An update has emerged on West Bromwich Albion centre-back Dara O’Shea’s injury.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by the Express & Star, O’Shea has been ruled out of action for around six months, after it was revealed the defender had fractured his ankle, as well as sustaining ligament damage, during the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal last week.

Initial reports had claimed that it was actually the 22-year-old’s knee that had sustained injury, while also suggesting the knock would keep O’Shea out for four months, however, these reports now appear to be wide of the mark.

Ismael will be devastated

Considering just how impressive O’Shea has been for West Brom so far this season, the fact that the centre-back looks set to miss up to half a year of first-team action, rather than the four months previously reported, is sure to have left Ismael devastated.

Indeed, over his five Championship appearances, the £2.7m-rated defender has helped his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.2 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, 3.6 clearances and winning 10.2 duels per game.

The man Dan Watts dubbed a “fantastic” player has also impressed going forwards, bagging two goals and taking an average of 1.2 shots per match.

These metrics have seen the Irishman earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.26, ranking him as the club’s third-best player in the second tier so far this term.

As such, it would certainly appear as if the sooner O’Shea recovers the better for West Brom, however, with Ismael recently sealing the signing of free agent Kean Bryan, at least the club have made attempts to replace the 22-year-old in the Frenchman’s squad.

In other news: Ismael drops hint on “exceptional” £7.2m-rated ace, West Brom fans will be buzzing

Alex McLeish has claimed that James Forrest has been a ‘big’ loss to Celtic since his injury.

The Lowdown: Forrest update

As cited by the The Scotsman, Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that the 30-year-old, along with Christopher Jullien, will return to training with the first team after the international break in October.

Forrest has not played for the Hoops since their 2-0 Europa League qualifying first leg win at home to AZ Alkmaar in August.

The Latest: McLeish on Forrest

When asked by Football Insider if not having Forrest available has been a loss for Celtic, former Scotland manager McLeish replied:

“100 per cent.

“Sometimes get people watching games and say: ‘What does he really do?’ James does a lot. He probably isn’t open to those kinds of questions

“But you’ll see other players getting that asked of them: ‘What do they really do?’

“When they’re out of the game, that’s when you see how big a loss they are to a team.

“He’s produced so many goals over the seasons and so many assists. Not only that, his work rate for the team, his tracking back, he does all that’s well.

“That’s one of the things with last week’s Livingston result, Ange is going to be into those defenders. You’ve got to be back sharper, you’ve got to be out quicker.

“For me, there were a lot of players at half pace last weekend. Maybe it’s a confidence thing.”

The Verdict: Big miss

Forrest has certainly been a big miss to the Hoops, as you only have to look at their league position. Before their clash with Dundee United today, they were lingering in sixth spot, which is simply not good enough for a club of their calibre and adds credence to McLeish’s claim about him being a huge loss to Postecoglou’s side.

The 30-year-old had also started the season well, scoring two goals and supplying a further three assists in seven matches across all competitions (Transfermarkt), so he still plays a key role in the team.

The Bhoys will be hoping to have the Scotland international back as soon as possible so that he can help rejuvenate their campaign.

In other news, Celtic have been dealt a triple injury blow

Arsenal endured a nightmare opening day of the Premier League season on Friday night as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Brentford.

Mikel Arteta’s side were bullied all over the pitch by the Bees, as goals from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard were enough to consign the Gunners to a humiliating loss.

While Pablo Mari at the heart of defence had a particularly difficult night, goalkeeper Bernd Leno must shoulder a large part of the blame for the result too.

Reports in recent weeks of course have suggested that the Gunners have been eyeing a move for Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale as they look for competition for their number one, and on this evidence it’s imperative that they do something about the goalkeeping position sooner rather than later.

Leno looked all at sea with Brentford’s set-pieces, whether that was via corners or the Bees’ long throw-ins. One corner saw him rushing out of his goal only to completely flap at the ball and watch it narrowly miss going in at the far post.

The German was then beaten far too cheaply for Brentford’s second, being pinned in by Pontus Jansson – perhaps illegally – and failing to deal with it more commandingly.

Speaking after the second goal went in, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher ripped into Arsenal’s defending, slamming: “How do you describe Arsenal there? It’s just Arsenal. Weak, bullied, men against boys again. New season, same old story: don’t win the first one, let it bounce, two Brentford players get out the way, 2-0.”

As per Sofascore, Leno lost 100% of his duels, while his distribution was shocking to say the least – he completed just 77% of his passes and didn’t have the confidence or even the ability to trust his feet when it came to beating Brentford’s press, instead choosing to go long rather frustratingly (12 long balls).

Writing in his player ratings for The Daily Mirror, Sam Elliott-Gibbs said: “Get Aaron Ramsdale on the phone. Beaten at his near post, didn’t dominate his box and then an almighty flap from a corner. Painful.”

Given that Arteta put out a mostly young, inexperienced team, he needed his more seasoned players to stand up and be counted in a deafening atmosphere in west London.

Instead, Leno once again raised questions of whether he is good enough to be Arsenal’s number one with a display which embarrassed himself, his manager and his club.

Meanwhile, David Ornstein dropped an Arsenal update on Lautaro Martinez…

Crystal Palace have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato (as relayed by Sport Witness), PSG are keen to offload the 28-year-old this summer, and Selhurst Park could be the ideal destination for him.

The report claims that new Palace manager Patrick Vieira has ‘validated’ the left-back’s profile, although no formal offer has been made as of yet.

Kurzawa was believed to be close to joining Ligue 1 outfit Lyon earlier in the current window until Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri joined them on loan, leaving the France international searching for another club.

Patrick Vieira needs him

The Eagles have successfully secured the signatures of several new acquisitions in recent weeks, but they have not yet replaced Patrick van Aanholt following his departure to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

That has left 21-year-old Tyrick Mitchell as the only natural left-back in Vieira’s current first-team squad, leading to the former Nice boss scouring the market for cover and competition for the academy graduate.

And Kurzawa may be the ideal addition, providing an experienced alternative to Mitchell, who has proven his capability at the highest level following six successful years at the Parc des Princes.

Since arrival in Paris back in 2015, the £10.8m-rated defender has made 153 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s charges, scoring 14 goals and providing 23 assists, winning 13 major trophies along the way.

However, the arrival of Juan Bernat and Abdou Diallo has severely limited Kurzawa’s game time over the last couple of campaigns, limiting him to just 24 league starts since the beginning of 2019/20.

As a result, it appears the former Monaco ace is amongst the reported 10 players who were made available for transfer following the arrival of six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi as PSG look to recuperate some funds and trim their wage bill.

It remains to be seen whether Palace chairman Steve Parish will make a move for Kurzawa in the remaining days of the window, but it’s certainly something he should strongly consider given how light Vieira is in that area of the pitch.

Three games without a victory have marked the beginning of Vieira’s era in south London and the arrival of a serial winner could provide the spark that Palace are currently lacking.

And, in other news…Parish must complete Palace move for “extraordinary” £20m gem, fans would love him 

Sharing the latest on attacking midfield target Jesse Lingard, Sky Sports have lifted the lid on a transfer belief that West Ham United have involving the player.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard…

The Manchester United ace has been heavily linked with a move to east London since the summer transfer window first opened, with club insider Claret & Hugh once claiming that it was among David Moyes’ top priorities.

However, in recent weeks, the likelihood of securing Lingard on a permanent deal after his impressive 2020/21 loan stint has looked increasingly unlikely.

The Latest: Sky Sports lift lid on West Ham belief…

As per Sky Sports, sharing the latest on Lingard and West Ham, this doesn’t look like changing any time soon.

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They say that West Ham themselves now ‘believe’ they only have a ’10 per cent chance’ of re-signing the £100,000-per-week England international for 2021/22.

Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stated that Lingard is in his plans and the 28-year-old is current rated at around £30m, leaving Moyes and West Ham with little hope of bringing him back to east London.

The Verdict: Move on…

It is no secret that the 28-year-old enjoyed a fantastic half-season loan spell at the London Stadium, and a permanent deal would have been a brilliant piece of business for the Irons.

Lauded as a ‘phenomenal’ player by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham, the midfield maestro bagged an impressive nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts in east London (WhoScored).

However, with the transfer window deadline now fast approaching, West Ham cannot afford to dither and must simply move on, ideally to try and secure West Bromwich Albion star Matheus Pereira as a sound alternative.

In other news: ‘As of now’…Journalist says ‘really exciting’ 54-goal player close to signing for West Ham, find out more here.

Sheffield United look set to confirm Ronaldo Vieira’s arrival at Bramall Lane in the very near future.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by Yorkshire Live, Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that he hoped to complete the signing of the Sampdoria midfielder before the Blades face West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday evening.

The 52-year-old said: “I hope Ronaldo Vieira will be here and we can make one extra step before the West Bromwich Albion game.”

Previous reports had suggested that the 23-year-old’s signing would not be completed unless Sander Berge secured a move away from the Championship side, however, these claims now appear to be wide of the mark.

Fans will be buzzing

Having seen their side get off to a rather laborious start to the 2021/22 Championship campaign – with the Blades having picked up just one point over their first two fixtures of the season, scoring no goals in the process – the addition of a player as exciting as Vieira is sure to leave fans buzzing.

While his time in Italy was heavily impacted by a number of injuries, the £22k-per-week midfielder nevertheless proved during his time at Leeds United that he will make a fantastic addition to Jokanovic’s options in the middle of the park this season.

Indeed, over his 34 Championship appearances in the Whites’ 2016/17 Championship campaign, the £4.5m-rated 23-year-old made an average of one interception, 2.1 tackles, 1.2 clearances and won 4.4 duels per game.

These returns saw the man Ian Holloway dubbed “different class” earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.78, ranking him as Leeds’ joint 11th-best performer in the second tier of English football that year.

As such, if Vieira can refine – or even improve on – this form for United this season, he will undoubtedly prove to be a huge asset for Jokanovic over the course of what could well turn out to be a rather long season for the Serbian manager, who certainly seems to need something to help kick-start his reign at Bramall Lane.

In other news: Major Sheff Utd transfer development emerges on £60k-p/w “leader”, fans surely buzzing

Crystal Palace have enquired about Schalke defender Ozan Kabak as they continue their squad overhaul under Patrick Vieira [The Daily Mail].

The Lowdown: Vieira faces enormous overhaul

Potentially unrecognisable comparative to last season, newly appointed Palace manager Vieira will face the challenge of constructing a new-look roster following the contract expirations of over 20 first-team players [The Sun].

Already making serious inroads in the transfer market, the Eagles have moved to bring in no fewer than four signings in the form of Jacob Montes, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Remi Matthews [Transfermarkt].

Wasting no time ahead of the Premier League season, could they now be set to add a fifth summer acquisition following latest reports?

The Latest: Crystal Palace enquire about Kabak

Crystal Palace are said to be monitoring Turkey international Kabak and have contacted Schalke to ask about him, whilst he will likely leave Gelsenkirchen this window due to financial irregularities at his current employers [Daily Mail].

The South Londoners are believed to have been keen on the 21-year-old for a couple of months, who could be available for as little as £8.5 million plus add-ons.

Several Bundesliga clubs also hold an attraction to the 6 foot 1 defender.

The Verdict: Kabak would be an astute signing for the Eagles

Needing to bolster their defensive ranks, Kabak would represent an astute piece of business for Vieira’s men.

Clearly able to hold his own against at the highest level, Kabak played an important part in helping Liverpool to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in 2020/21, registering 13 appearances for the Merseyside giants after joining on loan in January [Transfermarkt].

Showing his domineering presence at the back for the Reds within this timeframe, he managed to keep an average total of three clearances per game in the Premier League [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘absolutely incredible’ by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Palace should move to sign the young defender and take advantage of Schalke’s troubling financial situation.

In other news, a pundit has exclusively backed a Crystal Palace pursuit of a reported target.

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey as the Foxes look to bolster their first team squad even further.

What’s the story?

Premier League rivals Aston Villa have also been tracking the highly-rated 23-year-old in recent weeks, but Dean Smith’s side aren’t the only Premier League outfit in the running, according to 90min.com.

Everton, Wolves and Southampton are also credited with an interest in Bailey alongside the Foxes, with Leverkusen reportedly set to demand £30m for their prized asset.

Brendan Rodgers needs him

The Jamaica international has established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting attacking talents in recent years and enjoyed his most productive season yet in 2020/21.

Bailey has often struggled with consistency throughout his career, but he appeared to make significant progress on that front last season, bagging 15 goals in all competitions. He also provided 11 assists in his 40 appearances for Leverkusen, showcasing his tremendous creative talent as well as his goalscoring ability.

The diminutive forward terrorises opposition defences on a regular basis in Germany, using his electrifying pace and dribbling ability to devastating effect, assets which would provide an enormous boost to Leicester’s forward line.

Glowing reviews from Ronald de Boer and Rudi Voller sum up why. The Dutchman once commented: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Voller added: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skillful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

After the arrivals of Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Ryan Bertrand at the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers is thought to be targeting a centre-back and right winger for the remainder of the window.

With Marc Albrighton currently the only natural option on the right-hand side of the attack, Rodgers desperately needs another player in that position if he’s to finally lead the Foxes into the Champions League.

It remains to be seen whether the club’s hierarchy back up their interest with a concrete offer, but if the transfer budget allows, Leicester’s director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Bailey before a domestic rival secures his services.

In other news… Rodgers must axe Leicester flop this summer, he’s not good enough 

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, journalist Rob Guest has made a claim about Toby Alderweireld after news emerged of his desire to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The Lowdown: Alderweireld tells Spurs he wants out…

As broken by The Athletic, the Belgian defender has let Tottenham know that he wishes to leave this summer and is confident that he can secure an exit from north London. Partly due to their sell-to-buy summer transfer policy, Spurs won’t stand in his way if a suitable offer comes in.

Alasdair Gold also believes that the 32-year-old actually made his feelings known a while ago, with Guest now shedding more light on this development.

The Latest: Guest makes Alderweireld claim…

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, Guest has explained that Spurs may already have plans in place as far as Alderweireld is concerned.

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Due to Tottenham knowing his stance for a while, the reporter believes that chiefs behind the scenes in N17 have had time to sufficiently prepare for this outcome.

He explained: “In terms of Toby Alderweireld, he is believed to have informed the club a while ago that he wants to move on so Spurs will already have plans in place for their summer business.”

The Verdict: Could be crucial…

Spurs’ need to offload players before they can make crucial signings will be a running theme of this transfer window.

Reports indicate that the Lilywhites could hold out for big money before they let Alderweireld go, with The Sun going as far as to say that Tottenham want £25m for him.

While this fee may arguably be a little steep, especially considering his age and diminishing sell-on value, it is still imperative to get as much money as possible for the centre-back as much money amid a projected major summer overhaul.

In other news: Tottenham want ‘absolutely phenomenal’ 6 ft 6 beast, his club are already hunting for replacement…find out more here.