FIFA16 Career Mode guide: Manchester United

FIFA can be a damn sight more fun than watching Manchester United in real life, so we have a few tips for how you can make your career mode with the Red Devils a true walk in the park.

Van Gaal has made an almighty mess of Manchester United’s season, but we can make sure that you can right the wrongs of the Dutchman in your FIFA save. Whether you like to keep the ball or spring rapid break away attacks, we have a few suggestions on how you can improve your team. The budget is significant and the side has plenty of players that you can sell on for profit, so we reckon you should be winning the league in your first season – regardless!

Three to buy…

Lucas Moura: Lucas Moura, as he has done for several FIFA games, has seriously high potential. The Brazilian will be available for under £20 million from PSG and his pace makes him a brilliant prospect to have on the right hand side whilst Memphis Depay threatens from the left.

Moura will, if you train him enough, become one of the best dribblers on the game and suits any of you who fancy that rapid counter attacking game that every single FIFA player seems to play online. Additionally, the Brazilian will allow you to add in other areas of the squad, although Gareth Bale could be an option if you want to break the bank on a new wide man.

Mats Hummels: Hummels is one of the best defenders to play as on any edition of FIFA, but the changes made to FIFA 16 make him even better.

The increased emphasis on technical ability would see Hummels nicely complement Chris Smalling in your centre-back partnership and perfectly suits and FIFA career mode addict who wants to play out from the back and dominate possession.

If you’re willing to give 3 at the back a go, Hummels makes the perfect ball playing centre-back to spread the play.

Blaise Matuidi: Pace isn’t as crucial as on previous games, but a player like Matuidi is still a brilliant asset to have in your midfield and the Frenchman would be an ideal partner for Morgan Schneiderlin.

Stamina and tackling are the PSG man’s biggest strengths and he could provide your side with a similar role to that played by Michael Essien during his time at Chelsea. Matuidi can, if you’re willing to gamble on it, also fill in as a left full-back for when Luke Shaw inevitably gets injured.

Three to sell…

Marouane Fellaini: Unless you consider yourself an expert corner taker, its almost impossible to justify including Fellaini in your starting XI.

The giant midfielder can tackle and head, but that is about as far as his ability goes on FIFA and he should be moved on for a more talented option. His overwhelming lack of pace would leave any midfield partner exposed and Fellaini doesn’t have the technical ability to make up for it.

Ashley Young: You might think you can follow in Van Gaal’s footsteps and convert Young to a full-back, but I wouldn’t take the chance on it myself. In Darmian and Shaw you have to players with huge potential to become world beaters and Young no longer has the quality to make it as one of your wingers.

Cash in and use his wages to sign a player like Kwadwo Asamoah if you want a utility man.

Michael Carrick: If you need a player to spray the ball from deep in your squad, Bastian Schweinsteiger has to be your man. Unfortunately, the addition of the World Cup winning German makes Michael Carrick surplus to requirements and the former West Ham man should be one of the first men you look to move on.

If you can’t bare the stress of losing a player with such delightful passing attributes, you could consider using Carrick as a back-up centre-back and use him in a Gerard Pique role.

Train ’em up…

Anthony Martial: Martial is, rightfully, one of the players with the highest potential on FIFA 16. The forward doesn’t start with as high a rating as you would hope, but the Frenchman can still do a brilliant job for you down the left wing or as the centre forward.

Pace is Martial’s main strength at the start of you save, but make sure to heavily train his dribbling and finishing to make sure he reaches the 90s in both.

Memphis Depay: FIFA, fortunately, doesn’t have the man management challenges of real life. Depay is a joy to play as and the Dutch winger will just get better and better the longer you get into your save.

Long shooting would be the best attribute to focus on in training as you try and hone Depay’s skills to make your very own Cristiano Ronaldo.

Luke Shaw: Shaw is still such a young man and the ex-Saint should be given time to develop into a world star during your tenure.

Pace, as with Martial and Depay, is a huge factor in Shaw’s game and he will provide a threat in the attacking third in whatever system you opt for. El Rondo and a few crossing drills could leave you with the a flying wing-back ready to rival Roberto Carlos.

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Why this potential summer deal makes absolutely no sense for Liverpool

Whilst much was admittedly expected of Jurgen Klopp when he was introduced on Merseyside just a few short months ago, the 2015/16 campaign was always going to be a transitional period for the Reds, due to the overriding sense of uncertainty and doubt brought about during the Brendan Rodgers era at the club.

The upcoming summer transfer period will therefore offer Liverpool’s newly installed boss the chance to finally put his own personal stamp of approval on the current squad available to him at Anfield, with several high profile Bundesliga stars reportedly keen on joining up with the former Borussia Dortmund boss.

Yet as Manchester City’s increasingly forlorn figure of Yaya Toure has recently cropped up as a mooted target for the Reds to pursue this summer, could Jurgen Klopp genuinely be chasing a rather shrewd move here, or would the potential signing of the current Etihad midfielder ultimately represent a clear step in the wrong direction for Liverpool?

Well, although the notorious summer transfer period usually provides its fair share of drama and surprise with every passing year, this particular rumour seemingly remains little more than loose paper talk and pure speculation one would suspect.

Despite spending over £100m on a series of high profile names across the previous summer window, Manchester City have flattered to deceive for the most part in 2015/16 – with Toure himself often a magnet for criticism within Manuel Pellegrini’s star-studded ranks.

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The Ivory Coast international has certainly been one of the Premier League’s stars over the past few years, but seeing as the former Barcelona man will be entering the next league campaign at the not so sprightly age of 33, surely the combative box-to-box midfielder will be forced to drift away from the spotlight sooner rather than later.

The Toure of the modern era has looked distinctly slow, off the pace and even somewhat disinterested. He no longer resembles one of the most dangerous players in Europe by any stretch of the imagination, and looks certain to depart Man City upon Pep Guardiola’s introduction.

If Liverpool were to see this particular deal as a viable option this summer, then the Reds would arguably be highlighting themselves as a club willing to take on the deadwood of their rivals, whilst moving further and further away from re-establishing themselves as a truly dominant force in the English top-flight once again.

In addition to Toure’s decreasing value, the Ivorian would still likely command a ridiculously hefty wage-packet after spending so long as one of the most highly-paid names at the Etihad Stadium. This could easily be spent on a younger, hungrier talent, which Liverpool have looked towards in recent summers.

Although the Anfield faithful could indeed witness a certain resurgence in atmosphere with both Toure brothers involved at their club in 2016/17, it remains hard to envisage Liverpool putting all their eggs in one basket and moving for the 32-year-old Manchester City star.

With all things fairly taken into account, Yaya Toure remains a good player who has definitely excelled within the English game in several seasons past, but is he the man capable of restoring the good times in and around Anfield for the upcoming 2016/17 campaign? Certainly not…

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Just how should Liverpool go about taking on Villarreal?

Tonight Liverpool take on Villarreal in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals. Ahead of what will be undoubtedly be a tightly contested affair at El Madrigal, let’s take a look at how Liverpool can beat the Yellow Submarine.

Villarreal occupy 4th position in La Liga, and whilst Champions League football looks set to be played at the club next year, they are a whopping 20 points adrift of the title race. Nevertheless, the Spanish side do harbour some potent threats Liverpool will need to nullify over the 180+ minutes of this tie.

Cedric Bakambu is the Yellow Submarine’s main threat. The Congolese forward has pace to burn and, with nine goals in 11 Europa League games this season, stopping him will be Liverpool’s main focus. Mamadou Sakho is out due to his ongoing drug test saga, so it will be up to Dejan Lovren and one of Kolo Toure or Martin Skrtel to take care of Bakambu. Jurgen Klopp seems to fancy Toure over the Slovakian, but with the Ivorian’s pace on the wane, it could prove to be a fatal mismatch in this tie. Lovren, meanwhile, has become Liverpool’s best defender – unthinkable 12 months ago – and whomever he is partnered with will have to follow the Croatian’s lead.

Liverpool’s defence will also have to watch out for Roberto Soldado. The man affectionately known as ‘Bobby Soldier’ from his days at Spurs has never really hit the heights from his Valencia days, but afforded the chance in the 18-yard box, you can bet he’ll punish the Reds. How Klopp sets up his back line is vital to this fixture as he looks to deal with contrasting styles of Villarreal’s strike force.

The creative threat of Villarreal’s midfield also needs considering. Like all good Spanish sides Villarreal boast a number of creative, technically astute players in the centre of the pitch. Denis Suarez, who Manchester City fans may remember, joined the club in August of last year and has proved an instant hit. In 40 appearances Suarez has scored five goals, and whilst this doesn’t appear to be a massive return, it’s how Suarez pulls the strings that Jurgen Klopp will need a plan for.

It’s widely thought that Liverpool need at least one away goal to have a good chance of winning the tie overall. Standing in their way, however, is one of the most promising goalkeepers in Europe. Alphonse Areola has been in fine form this season keeping 14 clean sheets in La Liga, and the man on loan for PSG will want to show why he should be their first choice next term.

Finally Liverpool will have to contend with a side that are clearly not inhibited by fear and with the backing of an intense atmosphere, manager Marcelino is ready to claim the scalp of one of Europe’s biggest names. Quoted by Sky Sports, speaking at his pre-match press conference the Yellows boss said:

“Liverpool might be the favourite – the club, their history and the fact that they knocked out Borussia Dortmund all add up – but we don’t consider ourselves to be less than them. We are going to give everything from our side to eliminate this legendary team. We don’t have any pressure on us. I’m really satisfied with, and grateful to, this squad for getting to this semi-final. We are very hopeful and convinced that we are capable of beating Liverpool, and all the while we’ll be enjoying the occasion. I felt more pressure in the previous knockout ties and we have the chance to make history at this club now.”

Clearly, Villarreal are ready, but having lost all three of their previous semi-finals in Europe, Liverpool have a vital advantage in terms of experience. Should they combine this with nullifying Villarreal’s threats, Liverpool might be in the driving seat to the final.

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Five unknown EURO 2016 stars Liverpool must look out for

It is set to be an important few months for Liverpool, as Jurgen Klopp tests himself in the summer transfer window for the first time on Merseyside.

There is no question that the team at Anfield is in need of significant improvement, especially if some of their more prominent stars are set to head elsewhere.

However, Klopp is an astute man in the dizzying world of the transfer market. His signings of the severely underrated Loris Karius and the defensive stalwart Joel Matip for a combined total of £4.7m indicates that the German knows how to find proven talent for bargain prices.

So, EURO 2016 may be the perfect place for Klopp to find some more genuinely world class young stars for comparatively small fees who have yet to become household names in England.

Here are FIVE unknown players set to feature at EURO 2016 that Liverpool should consider signing.

Adam Nagy – Hungary

A young midfielder who has established himself as a key member of his club and national team, Adam Nagy has attracted interest from Liverpool in the past, as well as Chelsea and Freiburg.

At just 20, Nagy is considered the future star of Hungarian football and an impressive showing this summer could see previous suitors take action.

The Ferencvaros man plays in a similar style to Adam Lallana, with great creative abilities and decent speed. He would suit the pressing style that Liverpool administer under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp.

Victor Nilsson Linedlof – Sweden

Experts in Sweden have been so impressed with Victor Nilsson Lindelof, that many argue he is the best defender to come out of the country in the past decade.

The imposing centre half currently plies his trade at Benfica, where he has thoroughly impressed with his aerial ability and tough tackling.

With Liverpool in the market for defensive improvements, Lindelof could be an affordable and worthwhile option, especially with his best years still ahead of him.

Esleid Hysaj – Albania

Set to be the star player for Albania at EURO 2016, Elseid Hysaj is fast becoming a world class talent and is being closely watched by a number of clubs throughout Europe.

Having established himself as first choice right back at Napoli, Hysaj consistently impressed and was voted into a Best XI of Serie A young players by football analysts in Italy, alongside names such as Paul Pogba and Mauro Icardi.

Hysaj would provide much needed competition for the Liverpool defence, who are in need a facelift in preparation for next season.

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Karol Linetty – Poland

The emerging talent of the Polish national team means it is extremely hard for any new, young players to break into the starting XI. However, that is exactly what Karol Linetty has done.

The 21-year-old put in some inspirational performances for Poland during qualifying and looks totally comfortable playing in a midfield alongside world class talents like Grzegorz Krychowiak and Jakub Blaszczykowski.

Still plying his trade in Poland with Lech Poznan, Linetty would be an inexpensive signing for Liverpool but bring with him a wealth of energy and plenty of experience relative to his age.

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Emre Mor – Turkey

It was announced this week that Borussia Dortmund had moved quickly to capture Emre Mor from Danish team Nordsjaelland. This comes as no surprise; the Germans would have been aware of the interest from Europe’s elite should the young star have impress for Turkey this summer.

Still, it is thought that the 18-year-old will be made available for loan by Dortmund for next season and Klopp and Liverpool would be wise to act fast.

The Danish-born talent has been nicknamed the “Turkish Messi” by the media in his home country and could be a revelation in the Premier League, even if for a short loan spell.

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Five Euro 2016 stars to boost West Ham’s top six onsloaght

It only took Slaven Bilic one season to generate West Ham’s greatest Premier campaign ever.

The Londoners won 16 games and only lost eight, leaving them in 7th in the Premier League and with a club record points tally of 62.

But next season the Croat will want to guide the Hammers to even higher in the Premier League table, particularly in their first season in their new home in Stratford.

So where better to look for summer reinforcements than Euro 2016? Here are five players Bilic should turn to in order to boost the Hammers’ bid for a top six finish…

Pavel Kadeřábek

One of his country’s top players, Kadeřábek is versatile and regularly likes getting forward in attach.

West Ham struggled to find a solid right-back to replace Carl Jenkinson, who disappointed last season after an impressive first season, and Kadeřábek could be the man to fill that void.

Tomáš Necid

West Ham finished tied for fourth in goals scored 2015-16 with 65, an astronomical improvement from scoring only 44 in 2014-15.

Necid’s clinical finishing would add another weapon to an already potent attack, and could be a cheaper alternative should the Hammers fail in bringing in a marquee striker signing – something they’ve made public as their main priority this summer.

The striker scored 10 goals in 23 appearances for Bursaspor last season.

Tin Jedvaj

West Ham need to supplement their youthful core by adding promising, young players like Jedvaj.

Filling a major void at the right back position is just another bonus, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding Michail Antonio’s ability to permanently fill that role – with most fans preferring him to be used in a more attacking role this season.

Nikola Kalinić

Napoli’s Jorginho (L) fights for the ball with Dnipro’s Nikola Kalinic during their Europa League semi-final first leg at the San Paolo stadium in Naples, Italy, May 7, 2015. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca Picture Supplied by Action Images

Kalinić scores a little more than once every three games on the International stage, and settled into his role at Fiorentina nicely last season, netting 12 goals in 25 appearances.

There’s no doubting Bilic will have one eye on his compatriot this summer.

Vladimír Darida

The diminutive Czech midfielder attracted some attention from top clubs earlier this year, after scoring five goals in 30 outings for Hertha.

At 25-years-old, West Ham could use his creativity in the midfield alongside Dimitri Payet.

Which of these four will struggle most in the Premier League this season?

The Premier League’s biggest clubs collectively underperformed in 2o15-16. This summer, they have made certain 2016-17 will be much different.

The ongoing pre-season has been one of the most thrilling in the history of the league, accentuated by brilliant, marquee signings. Three Premier League giants— Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea— bagged themselves high-profile managers, too.

Now, arguably the top managers from the Bundesliga, Serie A and Premier League, will fight for the same trophy. Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are all in the same division together for the first ever time and it promises to be an exciting season.

For the major clubs, expectations have never been higher. These are the finest managers in world football who know how to transform underperforming teams into champions.

Yet in today’s Premier League, nothing is given to the top teams and parity has reached an all-time high. Leicester City’s shocking triumph last season is proof. The four managers in their first full seasons will inevitably encounter hardships in such a competitive league from top to bottom.

But who will struggle the most?

Jose Mourinho

No league has proven too difficult for Mourinho to conquer.

He has won silverware at every stop of his illustrious career, including the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga. Add in Champions League and UEFA Cup victories, and the Portuguese manager has accomplished just about everything world football has to offer.

He remains in the Premier League after moving from one iconic club to the next. Last year, he was sacked at Chelsea after a horrid start to the season. Just months earlier, he led the Blues to a Premier League title in his second season.

Now he joins another club where winning is commonplace and losing is unacceptable. Despite the short turnover, Mourinho will thrive in his first full season.

He inherits a team that finished 5th in the standings last year. United’s plodding style of play under Louis Van Gaal helped the club to a Premier League-best 36-goals conceded, but they struggled to score.

That won’t be an issue next season. Mourinho attracted world-class attackers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Mkhitaryan within a month’s span. All signs point to Paul Pogba leaving Juventus for Old Trafford too, making United’s new-look attack the most formidable in the Premier League.

United’s super attack will lead United to a top three finish next year, at the very minimum. They will likely be the favourites to win the league, and understandably so.

Mourinho will prove again why he needs little time to form a winner.

Antonio Conte

Conte showed his managing prowess in the Euros, where he led a squad with minimal offensive talent to the final eight. Germany beat Italy on penalties, but their prior 2-0 triumph over Belgium, among other solid performances, are a testament to Conte’s brilliance.

He inherits a Chelsea squad trying to salvage a horrendous 2015-16 season. One year after winning the Premier League, the Blues went on to finish 10th

The mediocrity from Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic were the heart of the team’s shortcomings. Conte will try to help the former standouts return to their dominant ways.

The Italian manager has already made a couple of marquee signings this summer, including striker Michy Batshuayi and N’Golo Kante. Former Leicester City star Kante was arguably the club’s best player during their shocking Premier League title run. Batshauyi’s goal-scoring will help Chelsea improve on their 59 goals scored last season.

Conte is also keen on finding a quality centre back. The Chelsea backline is ageing, with John Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic all in their 30s. Regardless of personnel, Conte will maximise the potential out of the backline, just as he has shown during his days with Juventus and the Italian national team.

Overall, the Italian manager inherits a talent squad; it just needs some redirection. Conte, who led Juventus to three successive Serie A titles, is the man to guide Chelsea back to their usual winning ways.

Pep Guardiola

The mastermind behind Barcelona’s possession-based, suffocating defence ployed squad, Guardiola is arguably the top manager in the world. Now he faces one of the biggest challenges of his career.

Pep inherits a Manchester City side that has finished in the top four in each of the past six seasons. The former Bayern boss will expect more success next season, but City have some wrinkles that need fixing.

Bolstering the centre back spot must be Pep’s top priority, which he has clearly noted through his efforts to acquire Leonardo Bonucci.

Meanwhile, injuries have hindered Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony hasn’t showed consistent form.

Needless to say, Pep has some work to do. He will need skilled tacticians across the field to employ his possession-based scheme. Finding players on the transfer who fit that mould is of paramount priority.

City will compete next year, but it will take Guardiola’s brilliance, both on and off the pitch, for City to win the title.

Jurgen Klopp

The German has somewhat of an advantage over Guardiola and Conte because Klopp has already managed Liverpool for the majority of a season. But the talent on his side is inferior to other top clubs.

Needless to say, Klopp has some work to do this summer. Topping his priorities is finding a creative midfielder. Klopp is close to signing Georginio Wijnaldum, whose goal-creating ability will surely bolster the Liverpool attack.

Daniel Sturridge is surely Liverpool’s top striker, although even his impact has has lessened in recent years due to injuries. Klopp must find a complementary striker that can find the net.

Meanwhile, the centre back and left back positions need reinforcing as Martin Skrtel departed Anfeld and Alberto Moreno struggled this season. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has struggled to justify his contract extension from January. Collectively, Liverpool let in 50 goals last season.

The Reds sat at 10th in the Premier League in October when Klopp took over as manager. The squad improved after his arrival, but their middling finish at 8th place indicates that changes must be made.

Of the four managers entering their first full season with their new squads, Klopp will struggle the most.

Between underperforming Liverpool players and the overall quality of the league from top to bottom, the 2015-16 season is one that will exclude Liverpool from a top five finish.

Unstoppable Man City? Arsenal gunning for the top? 5 things we learnt from Saturday’s PL action

After a week of continental football, all eyes turned back to the Premier League this weekend as a reduced list of Saturday fixtures kept us entertained, with bags of goals and plenty of talking points.

There were some standout results from Saturday’s action, with the most shocking of all being West Brom’s 4-2 win over visitors West Ham.

Elsewhere, Man City continued their dream start under new manager Pep Guardiola with a routine 4-0 win over Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side.

In the late kick-off, where Ronald Koeman’s Everton hosted Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough side, a special landmark was reached as former Aston Villa and Man City midfielder Gareth Barry marked his 600th Premier League appearance with a goal. The Toffees ran out 3-1 winners to continue their unbeaten start under Ronald Koeman.

There were goals all over the country throughout the fixture list, but what can we take from all the action? Here are FIVE things we learned from Saturday’s action…

Man City will take some stopping

Britain Soccer Football – Manchester United v Manchester City – Premier League – Old Trafford – 10/9/16Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola Action Images via Reuters / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further detai

The Sky Blues are now enjoying their best ever start to a season, with seven wins from seven in all competitions, and they cruised past The Cherries at The Etihad on Saturday.

If there is a league in which Pep’s plan can be undone then it’s the Premier League, with banana skins, such as the visitors from the South Coast, lying around every corner. However, it looks as if it will take something special to stop their charge this season.

Title challenge from the Gunners?

The Gunners have found their feet after a tough opening few weeks and could well have been another victim of Hull City’s surprising start to the season.

Having seemingly matured in the way they handled going 1-0 down to PSG in the week, could this be the year Arsenal finally take their chance?

The Foxes have their bite back

Ranieri’s side endured a tough start to their title defence, with an opening day loss to Hull and a 4-1 drumming from Liverpool being the lowest points.

After a historic week in the Champions League, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Foxes would be distracted. But no, the dispatched Burnley 3-0, with a brace for new man Islam Slimani on his Premier League debut.

West Ham are in real trouble

Something needs to turn for the Hammers, whether that be on or off the field. The embarrassing scenes from the London Stadium last week did not help the club during a rough start, meaning a win at the Hawthorns was crucial.

However, going into the break 3-0 meant Slaven Bilic’s side had their work cut out and despite a rally of two goals in the second half, they could do nothing to stop the hosts taking all three points.

Everyone loves Gareth Barry

The former Man City man joined a very exclusive club as he made is 600th Premier League appearance in the late kick-off, joining just Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard on the list of players to have broken that barrier.

He marked the day with a wonderfully finished goal to bring the Toffees level after they went behind to Boro, and was bought off to a standing ovation in the final few minutes.

Massive blow ahead of Everton vs Palace – will Toffees struggle without him?

According to reports from The Express, defender Leighton Baines is set to miss Everton’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Friday night.

What’s the word?

The England international was ruled out last weekend’s visit to Bournemouth with a hamstring injury and according to The Express – who, admittedly, are by no means the most reliable of sources – he’s set to miss the Toffees’ home tie with Palace in the coming instalment of Friday Night Football. With Brendan Galloway loaned out to West Brom, Bryan Oviedo got the nod against the Cherries last weekend and will almost certainly keep his place on Friday due to a lack of viable alternatives.

How big a blow is Baines’ injury?

Despite seemingly dropping out of England contention, the 31-year-old has been in terrific form this season and appeared to be getting back to his best after spending the majority of last term sidelined with injury issues. As detailed below, courtesy of Whoscored, he’s created the third-most chances of any Premier League player to be deployed as a left-back or a left midfielder (excluding left wingers) so far this season and completed the ninth-most tackles:

So will his absence affect Everton’s chances?

Overall, this isn’t a fantastic time to face Palace anyway. After a slow start to the season, Alan Pardew’s boys have lost just one in six across all competitions – a League Cup defeat to Southampton – and picked up three consecutive wins in the Premier League, including a last-minute away victory against Sunderland last weekend.

Everton are still the stronger team on paper but it’s rather telling that their first Premier League defeat under Ronald Koeman came in Baines’ absence against Bournemouth on Saturday. He’s one of the Toffees’ most experienced defenders and one of their strongest outlets going forward, so Baines’ injury could impede them at both ends of the pitch against an in-form Palace side, especially considering the threat Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend can offer the Eagles down the right flank.

Gabby Agbonlahor’s ‘one-club men’ XI

Gabby Agbonlahor turned 30 years old earlier this week and the Aston Villa forward received the best present possible from new boss Steve Bruce – another chance at the Championship club. His football career has taken a nosedive in recent years due to off the field issues as well as a poor run of form.

Agbonlahor was the next generation of England star to break through the ranks at Villa in the mid 2000s. But as the Birmingham outfit’s Premier League status spiralled downwards, so did Agbonlahor’s form.

We at Football FanCast certainly haven’t forgotten about the Aston Villa forward or his birthday. And it might not quite be a birthday cake, but we’ve accordingly assembled this select XI in honour of one-club men like Agbonlahor.

In ‘Gabby Agbonlahor’s one-club men XI’, we take a look at eleven of the most loyal stars throughout the history of the beautiful game.

Goalkeeper – Packie Bonner

The Republic of Ireland international earned 80 caps for the national team after making his debut on his 21st birthday.

Bonner went on to play 642 times for Celtic, with 483 of those being league appearances. In total with Celtic, he won four League Championship badges, three Scottish Cup winners’ medals and a League Cup winners’ medal.

His last appearance for Celtic was winning the 1995 Scottish Cup final under Tommy Burns, ending a 17-year career with the Glasgow club.

Right-Back – Gary Neville

As a player, the only people who liked Gary Neville were Manchester United fans. His arrogance mixed with his gritty style of play infuriated many fans but there’s not a single person who can take away his achievements.

Neville was a member of the famous Class of ’92 and played for the club until 2011, when injury caused him to cut his career short. Neville has since gone onto be a very successful pundit and worthy of his place his as an iconic one-club man.

Centre-back – Tony Adams

‘Mr Arsenal’ was his nickname. Tony Adams is considered as one of the greatest English centre backs of all time.

He played over 25 league games in 14 of his 18 seasons at Arsenal and was made captain in January 1988 at the tender age of 21. He most notably scored the final goal against Everton to seal the Championship in 1998.

Adams also won a lot of major honours including four top flight division titles, three FA Cups, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and three FA Community Shields.

Centre-back – John Terry

Very like Gary Neville, John Terry is certainly not the most popular in England. However, no one can deny his importance to Chelsea over the past 15 years.

Terry has led his team to three Premier League trophies, four FA Cups, two League Cups and that amazing Champions League trophy in 2012. Chelsea are lost when their captain doesn’t play and many are dreading the retirement of the former England captain.

Terry was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009.

Left-back – Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher gave a quarter of a century of loyal service to the Merseyside club despite never winning a Premier League title. The former England international won every other major honour with Liverpool but failed to secure that illustrious league title.

Jamie Carragher made 508 appearances in the Premier League and a total of 737 in all competitions and is considered one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players.

Central Midfield – Andy King

Andy King may not have the glamour name of someone like Steven Gerrard but the Leicester City midfielder has more Premier League medals. King is a worth mention as he has represented Leicester in every division from League 1 to the Premier League.

King has often been overlooked in recent times but he has remained at his boyhood club.

Central Midfield – Mark Noble

Mark Noble is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of West Ham.

He joined West Ham as a youth player in 2000 and 16 years on, he’s made more than 300 league appearances.

Noble has been ever-present for the Hammers despite them being relegated in 2011. He made 45 appearances from 46 games when the club was searching for promotion from the Championship, symbolising his importance to the team.

Central Midfield – Paul Scholes

Arguably the greatest midfielder of his generation and the most underrated player in Premier League history. Scholes was yet another member of the Class of ’92 and his importance to Manchester United remains undoubted.

Eleven Premier League, three FA Cup and two UEFA Champions League winner’s medals along with two League Cup successes made Scholes an icon at United.

Right Wing – Matt Le Tissier

Matt Le Tissier is a legend on the South Coast and even struck up the nickname ‘Le God’. The midfielder may have been constantly overlooked by England but Le Tissier spent 16 years at Southampton and ensured they stayed in the top-flight almost single-handed.

The midfielder turned down offers from bigger clubs – including Tottenham Hotspur in 1990 and Chelsea in 1996. He remained at the club until 2002 and clocked up 442 appearances for his team.

Left Wing – Ryan Giggs

Giggs is the most decorated player in English football history and also holds the club record for competitive appearances.

During his time at United, he won 13 Premier League winner’s medals, 4 FA Cup winner’s medals, 3 League Cup winner’s medals and 2 Champions League winner’s medals.

Giggs became the assistant to Louis van Gaal and was tipped to become their manager in the future.

Striker – Gabby Agbonlahor

It would be fair to say Gabby Agbonlahor has underachieved in his career thus far. When the Villa youth broke into the first-team, many were tipping the forward to become a club legend.

No one can doubt Agbonlahor’s loyalty to Villa down the years. Nonetheless, the England international has still managed to score 84 goals for his boyhood club and he’s only just turned 30.

Agbonlahor still has a number of years left and if he cam take his chance under Steve Bruce, then the best may be yet to come.

Fans urge Manchester City’s Kompany to retire

Vincent Kompany’s injury woe looks set to continue after he was ruled out for between four and six weeks with a medial ligament damage in his right knee.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the news while facing the media in a press conference previewing this afternoon’s Premier League match against Burnley.

Kompany has had a torrid time on the sidelines in 2016 having started just 15 matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.

This season, the Belgium defender has spent just 115 minutes on the pitch in the top flight, and considering how bad his injury record is, he may record his fewest appearances ever in a campaign for City.

Last season has been the worst on record for Kompany since his arrival at the club in 2008 as he featured just 22 times in total.

Guardiola explained to reporters that the initial prognosis of four months on the treatment table has been extended since visiting specialist Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona.

After the news was announced, fans on Twitter called for the 30-year-old to hang up his boots, while others took the opportunity to mock his misfortune.

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