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Newcastle United have an opportunity to make history on Sunday as they face off against Manchester United at Wembley in the League Cup final.

The Magpies have not won a major domestic trophy since they lifted the FA Cup in 1955 and Eddie Howe’s side can end that drought with a win this weekend.

However, they will have to do so without their first-choice goalkeeper after Nick Pope was shown a straight red card against Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend.

The £60k-per-week titan raced out of his goal and inadvertently handled the ball after attempting to head it clear and was sent off for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity, as Mo Salah would have been through against an empty net.

Loris Karius is now in with a shot at starting the final, due to Martin Dubravka being cup-tied, and the Daily Mail have revealed that Max Thompson, 18, will be in the squad as a backup to the German.

Who is Newcastle’s Max Thompson?

The teenage shot-stopper is one of the club’s U21 goalkeepers and could be the future long-term heir to Pope’s position in the team if all things go well for him.

Being in the squad on Sunday will be a terrific experience for the youngster and one that could give him added motivation to kick on and work his way into the senior set-up on a regular basis.

Thompson was the first choice between the sticks for the U18s last season – making 21 appearances in all competitions – and earned himself five U21 outings.

In the current campaign, the youngster has been competing with Jude Smith for a place in goal and has played in four Premier League 2 matches to date.

He was brought into first-team training in December, alongside Lewis Miley and Alex Murphy, and caught the eye for Newcastle’s youth team last term.

Journalist Mark Carruthers lauded his handling as “impeccable” and described the colossus as “reassuring”, whilst reporter Matty Hewitt hailed him as one of the club’s “bright talents”.

The gem has also been capped by England at U18 level and this, along with Howe’s decision to involve him in first-team training and now the squad on Sunday, suggests that the youngster has a lot of potential as coaches at international and club level are giving him great opportunities.

It is now down to Thompson to keep working hard to ensure that he is able to progress and develop to a point where the Newcastle head coach can pick him to play minutes in the first-team.

If the teenager can do that in the years to come then he could end up being the long-term heir to Pope, 30, and save PIF and Dan Ashworth millions in the process.

Manchester United may be set to undergo a major goalkeeping change in the coming months, with David De Gea’s contract expiring at the end of the current campaign.

There has been no word yet of any extension for the Spaniard, who has been at United since 2011, although he does seem confident a new deal will be secured.

What is the latest news on Man Utd’s interest in Illan Meslier?

Whatever happens, it’s clear Erik ten Hag is on the lookout for another goalkeeper, and the Old Trafford side were linked with Leeds United player Illan Meslier back in December ahead of a potential move this year.

Journalist Pete O Rourke spoke to Football FanCast recently regarding the Frenchman and believes he could offer something different to that of De Gea, saying:

“Yeah, he’s got different qualities maybe from David De Gea, better with the ball at his feet, maybe better at starting attacks from playing out from the back as well.

“Still a young goalkeeper as well, relatively, when you look at his age, so he offers huge potential for development.

“But even at his age, he’s got a couple of good seasons now under his belt in the Premier League as well so that could only help him.”

Could Meslier replace David de Gea at Old Trafford?

The 22-year-old titan could certainly be a viable replacement for the United keeper, having played in the top flight for the previous 18 months and he’s still to hit his peak years.

He does have three years left on his current deal however and is said to be worth around £50m according to The Athletic’s ever-reliable journalist Phil Hay, meaning he certainly won’t come cheap for Ten Hag as he aims to continue his rebuild of the club.

It may just be worth it, however.

Last season, Meslier made the most saves (143) in the Premier League to help maintain the Whites’ status in the top flight, and with a better defence ahead of him at Old Trafford, he shouldn’t need to be called into action as often.

The youngster has received a Sofascore rating of 6.87/10 across 23 league matches this term, saving three shots per match at a success rate of 64%, while also completing 0.8 successful runouts per match, thus proving to be a reliable source of consistency across most goalkeeping facets.

He has averaged 37.2 touches per game, slightly more than De Gea (35.2), backing up O’Rourke’s claim that the Leeds star is perhaps better on the ball and capable of building attacks from the back.

Ten Hag is going to need a new goalkeeper sooner rather than later, regardless if the 32-year-old signs a new deal at United, and Meslier could be ideal for the club, especially with his limitless potential and the fact he fits the profile wanted by the Dutchman.

Southampton are approaching the point in their bitter campaign where defeat is simply not an option; with the established Premier League club four points adrift from safety after 24 matches, continuing the wretched form that has heaped ten league defeats onto the outfit from the past 12 matches could spell the end of their stay in the top-flight.

Ruben Selles, the third manager of the campaign, is evidence of the magnitude of the tumult; a beloved and respected figure by the players, Selles secured a monumental victory over Chelsea, away at Stamford Bridge, before falling to relegation rivals Leeds United last weekend.

And now, the paramount importance of landing a first league win of the calendar year at St. Mary’s has never been greater, with forthcoming opponents, Leicester City, themselves only three points clear of the drop zone.

With everything on the line, Saints’ boss simply must unleash 19-year-old prodigy Romeo Lavia, who has been one of his side’s shining lights this season amid the gloom of the collective efforts.

Will Lavia star against Leicester?

A precocious youth, Lavia was signed from Manchester City for £14m in the summer, even subject to an overzealous £50m bid from Chelsea a matter of weeks after arriving on the south coast, on deadline day.

While the bid was swiftly rejected, it was a testament to just how highly regarded Lavia is, and he has certainly made his presence known during his breakout season in professional football.

Having made 20 senior appearances across all competitions this term, producing a goal and an assist apiece, the Belgian starlet has swiftly asserted himself at the heart of the Southampton fold, playing an instrumental role despite missing eight matches due to a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign.

As per Sofascore, the teenage sensation has recorded an average league rating of 6.8, completing 87% of his passes and making 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, also impressing with the accuracy of his robustness, winning 60% of his duels and succeeding in 59% of his dribble attempts.

Lauded as “ridiculous” for his industrious abilities by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Lavia ranks among the top 5% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days for blocks per 90 and the top 19% for pass completion, illustrating his gritty demeanour on the pitch and an assurance that blues his tender age.

With Leicester having made the eighth most passes in the league this season, Lavia’s ubiquity and movement in the midfield will be imperative, and could indeed secure three points that would put his outfit within touching distance of coveted safety.

And given that the Foxes have scored four goals in two of their past four Premier League encounters, the former Cityzen might shine in breaking down offensive advances as his aforementioned defensive statistics show that the gem has the quality to cut out attacks on a regular basis.

Southampton will need to rally fighting spirit and grit for the forthcoming clash, and with Lavia at the heart of the St. Mary’s, victory might just be clinched as the Belgian talent could silence the Foxes midfield.

Sheffield United are monitoring Barnsley defender Jordan Williams ahead of a potential move this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Catching the eye

The Tykes right-back has now entered the final 18 months of his deal at Oakwell, and being Michael Duff’s second-best-performing defensive player, is catching the eye of potential suitors.

The Yorkshire outfit are currently fourth in League One, but should they not achieve promotion to the Championship, a move to a team in a higher division would certainly be of appeal.

The Latest: Sheff Utd eyeing Williams

According to Football League World, Sheffield United, Norwich City and Middlesbrough are all ‘monitoring’ Williams as they look to make the jump up to the Premier League.

The Blades and their competitors are ‘taking a closer look’ at the 23-year-old as they weigh up whether to make an official approach.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Williams has been hailed a ‘brilliant’ player by journalist Josh Bunting and United should act fast to get this deal over the line ahead of their fellow admirers.

The Huddersfield-born talent is currently averaging 2.3 clearances and 1.5 aerial wins per league game (WhoScored), but is also a threat at the opposite end of the pitch.

The Tykes star has six assists and five goals to his name in 33 appearances in all competitions this season, showing how much he loves to get down the flank.

Williams also has the versatility to operate in five various positions, including on both wings and at centre-back, so this will be yet another attractive attribute to Heckingbottom.

Liverpool are believed to be interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch this summer, according to a new transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Gravenberch out of favour

The 20-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the most exiting midfielders of his generation, having initially burst onto the scene at Ajax, making 103 appearances for them.

Gravenberch’s performances earned him a high-profile move to Bayern last summer but he has struggled to reach the hype early on in Germany.

He has only managed just one start in the Bundesliga all season long, as well as making 14 substitute appearances, falling behind others in the midfield pecking order, such as Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.

While it is still clearly early days for Gravenberch at Bayern, there may be a part of him that is already considering moving on, should Julian Nagelsmann not see a long-term future for him.

That’s where Liverpool come into play, as Jurgen Klopp continues to look at potential midfield signings during the summer transfer window.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing

According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], the Reds are interested in signing Graveberch at the end of the season, seeing him as a strong option to bring in.

It is even stated that talks are at an advanced stage currently, with new faces required ahead of the likely exits of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Gravenberch’s current Bayern deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027, so it may not be easy to get him on the cheap.

The Verdict: Potentially great addition

Granted, the 11-cap Netherlands international hasn’t pulled up any trees at Bayern so far this season, but he is such a young player that going overboard about his struggles is nothing more than hyperbole.

Gravenberch remains a huge talent with a massive future ahead of him – former Ajax player Wim Kieft once called him a ‘complete’ player – and for that reason the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is hugely exciting.

The youngster possesses both physicality and technical quality, both of which have been sorely lacking at Liverpool this season, given his 6ft 2in frame and 89.1% pass completion rate in the Bundesliga this season.

At 20, Gravenberch and Jude Bellingham could both come in and represent the future at Anfield, although both are so incredibly mature for their age that they would surely be considered regular starters from the off by Klopp.

Whether or not Bayern are willing to sell so soon remains to be seen, but Liverpool should see it as a shrewd signing in what is a pivotal summer at the club.

Tottenham Hotspur director of football Fabio Paratici is believed to be a big admirer of managerial duo Luis Enrique and Sergio Conceicao.

Will Spurs sack Antonio Conte?

Over half a week has now passed since Antonio Conte's fiery press conference following their draw against Southampton and he still remains in his job.

However, there are reports suggesting the north London club are now discussing a potential compensation package with the 53-year-old which would see him leave the club in the coming days.

And it had been suggested over the last few weeks that Paratici had been drawing up a shortlist of potential successors should the Italian's time in north London come to a premature end.

Speaking on the Last Word On Spurs YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold has suggested the Spurs director of football has two specific managers which he is a big fan of:

"I know Paratici adores Luis Enrique. I know that he is someone that he has wanted in the past, but obviously, he was at Spain; and he really likes Conceicao as well at Porto.

"I think those are two that would be – if Paratici is the one making the decision – I think they would be very, very high on his list."

Who should Spurs appoint?

Amid the speculation surrounding the future of Conte, it has been suggested the current coach, Ryan Mason, could well step up – again – and take charge until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has previously taken charge in the caretaker role on the back of Jose Mourinho's sacking back in 2021.

However, his first job in management provided mixed results having won four of their six league games but losing in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City (via Transfermarkt).

But there have to be questions about whether any of the potential managerial candidates would be willing to step in now with only 10 games remaining in the season.

Spurs have a huge run of games to come in April with consecutive games against Newcastle United, Liverpool and then Manchester United at the back end of the month.

Given there is not much of a wait until the summer, it could well be the case that any potential candidates would look to hold out and join the club then as they will be provided time to implement their philosophy on the squad.

And in the case of Conceicao, the 48-year-old is currently still in a job at Porto and it would seem highly unlikely he would walk away before the end of the campaign with Champions League football still to play for.

It feels like a big few days are ahead of Spurs and it will be interesting to see who they have in their dugout for their next game when they travel to Everton.

ESPN pundit Stewart Robson has torn into Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson, claiming that the forward has been letting his side down during their run of inconsistent form.

What's going on with Callum Wilson at Newcastle?

The striker was an unused substitute as Newcastle recorded a crucial victory away at Nottingham Forest on Friday night, and his replacement, Alexander Isak, was the Player of the Match with a match-winning brace.

Wilson has scored just one goal since the World Cup and has now found himself on the bench in recent weeks, with Eddie Howe opting to start his record signing up front.

Speaking on ESPN, Robson has praised Howe's decision to bring Isak in for Wilson, claiming that the ex-Bournemouth striker was letting his side down as Newcastle went through a tough run which saw them fail to win five league games in a row.

He said: "They're back to playing to somewhere near their best, and the manager's made a good decision to get Isak back in the side.

"He was easing him back by playing him in the second half of games. Callum Wilson was having a really poor time at centre-forward, I thought all their build-up play was good and Callum Wilson was letting them down, to a certain degree.

"But they look to be back to where they were maybe a month or so ago before their poor run. They played at pace, they got crosses into the box, Isak led the line really well. It was a good performance from Newcastle and they deserved to win by more than just the odd goal."

Has Eddie Howe dropped Callum Wilson for good?

The England international has been a good servant for Newcastle, scoring 27 times in 70 appearances, but in this current setup, he is now second-choice behind the in-form Isak.

At 31, Wilson may struggle to regain his place should Isak stay fit and Howe continues with the one-striker formation that he has used all season.

Isak's ability on the ball is proving useful, and this has been a big difference between the 23-year-old and Wilson. Isak ranks in the top 10% of strikers in Europe's top competitions over the last year for successful take-ons, blocks and attacking penalty area touches (as per FBref), significantly ahead of Wilson on all three metrics.

If Isak maintains his fitness, we think it is tough to see Wilson surpassing him in Eddie Howe's plans, and given his poor recent form, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to find the level of performance he displayed at the start of the season.

Newcastle United have emphatically stormed into European contention this season, and with just two points separating the Magpies from fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, who have played two games extra, Champions League football gracing St. James's Park next term is a very real possibility.

The defence is oiled and imperious, the midfield cohesive and robust, up top, £63m summer signing Alexander Isak is offering glimpses of world-class dominance despite his season being heavily hampered by injury.

Isak has scored six goals from just seven starts in the Premier League, including three strikes from his past two matches, and the Swede looks to be a real force at the tip of manager Eddie Howe's system, prolific and hailed as "a unicorn for his mixture of size & technical ability" by radio presenter Kev Lawson.

His injury record is concerning, however, with the 23-year-old missing 13 competitive matches for the Toon thus far, and while 31-year-old forward Callum Wilson has been a steady presence up front in his absence, scoring seven goals from 19 league outings this term, Howe will be looking to unearth a strike partner for his record signing to solidify the frontline for years to come.

Newcastle's affluence could prompt technical director Dan Ashworth to delve into the transfer market yet again, but with such a potent forward already adopting the talismanic role, turning to youth prospect Michael Ndiweni could be the route to head down.

Who is Michael Ndiweni?

Ndiweni took U18 football by storm last season, scoring a laudable 13 goals from 17 appearances, including from 13 outings in the U18 Premier League and three from three in the FA Youth Cup.

This season, fortunes have been less fruitful as the 19-year-old has stepped up to U21 level, with just two strikes and one assist from 12 matches in the Premier League 2, though with just five starts to his name he is making steady progress and will hope to harness his "lethal" quality soon – as hailed by Ciaran Kelly.

With his "impressive" start to life with the Magpies, as remarked by journalist Matty Hewitt, only set to expand as he continues to acclimatise to life with the U21s, he will indeed be pushing on Howe's door for a senior debut, having already trained with the first-team on several occasions.

Hailed as a "real threat" by Mark Carruthers, Ndiweni might not find a place in Howe's plans this term but if he is to continue his development and notch up his goal threat with the U21s he could well find a place in the reckoning for contention at one of the Premier League's most exciting forces.

Indeed, with the injury records of both Isak and Wilson, there is every chance his first-team dreams become a reality in short time.

Crystal Palace podcaster Dan Cook has claimed that Roy Hodgson would only have returned to the club if he was fully confident that he could help the side avoid relegation.

What happened with Crystal Palace and Hodgson?

The 75-year-old came out of retirement to return to Selhurst Park following the dismissal of Patrick Vieira, after a disastrous run of form left Palace winless in 2023.

In a move that has been seen by some as a step backwards, Palace may have acted out of desperation, with the club just three points above the relegation zone despite being in 12th place.

Speaking on the HLTCO Palace Podcast, Cook claimed that given Hodgson's previous reputation at the club, he would not have taken the job if he wasn't confident in guiding the side to survival.

He said: "I do not believe for a single second that a manager as long in the tooth, and someone with a career and a CV as varied as Roy Hodgson would come back at the age of 75 on a short-term contract to the club of his youth… and lead them to relegation in what will almost certainly be his final managerial role ever, I just can't envisage that he would even contemplate it unless he was 100% sure that he could get the necessary points on the board.

"It would make no sense, it would be a hiding to nothing, it would go to further damage [his] reputation, which took a few blows towards the final six months of his previous stint with us.

"So my only real view on this is that Roy Hodgson has seen more than enough across the last couple of months, even with the poor results, to feel as though he and Ray Lewington can rev this team up enough and can get those points that are needed to retain our Premier League status."

Have Palace timed their gamble to perfection?

Although there are big questions over whether the decision to bring in Hodgson to replace Vieira was a good one, one may point to the timing of the decision as the best point in the season to make it.

Palace had to navigate an incredibly tough run of fixtures in the last few months, which saw them face Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal in their last eight matches, as well as having tough trips to Brighton and Aston Villa – with all of these teams above them in the table.

In their final 11 games of this season, they face just two sides currently above them in the league in Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, and therefore remain in control of their own destiny. With the table as tight as it is right now, picking up wins against the teams below them will be massive as they aim to avoid the drop.

If Hodgson can bring an immediate new manager bounce or help unlock an attack that has struggled for goals recently, the gamble will likely pay off as they face an arguably easier set of games than they did before.

تعرف على تشكيل الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في كأس السوبر المصري للأبطال

أعلن السويسري مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، تشكيل المارد الأحمر لمواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا، في المباراة المقرر لها اليوم الإثنين، بكأس السوبر المصري للأبطال.

الأهلي يلاقي سيراميكا كليوباترا، في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً “بتوقيت القاهرة”، ضمن منافسات دور نصف النهائي لبطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

ويقام بطولة كأس السوبر المصري في الإمارات، بمشاركة 4 أندية في النظام الجديد للمسابقة بدلًا من مشاركة بطل الدوري والكأس فقط.

ويشارك في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري للأبطال، الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا وبيراميدز وفيوتشر.

طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا في السوبر المصري

ويشهد تشكيل الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في كأس السوبر المصري، تواجد عمرو السولية أساسياً في خط الوسط مع ثلاثي في الهجوم طاهر محمد طاهر وبيرسي تاو وكريم فؤاد. تشكيل الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في كأس السوبر المصري

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني ومحمد عبد المنعم وياسر إبراهيم وعلي معلول.

خط الوسط: عمرو السولية وأحمد نبيل كوكا وإمام عاشور.

خط الهجوم: طاهر محمد طاهر وبيرسي تاو وكريم فؤاد.

ويلتقي الفائز من مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا، مع فريق فيوتشر في المباراة النهائية لـ كأس السوبر المصري وذلك يوم الخميس المقبل 28 ديسمبر.

وكان فيوتشر تفوق على بيراميدز في مباراة دور نصف النهائي الثاني، الذي أقيم عصر اليوم الإثنين، بركلات الترجيح 14-13 بعد انتهاء وقت المباراة الأصلي بالتعادل السلبي.