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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Isco has been one of the unluckiest Real Madrid stars in recent times.

Even though he used to have a big role in the team before, his status has completely diminished in time and we haven’t really seen him shine in quite a while.

Of course, injuries have played their part as well.

After all, Isco has already missed a total of six games in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign, having been absent for ten in 2018/19 due to various different issues.

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But now he’s finally back – or rather, he’s back to full fitness – and it remains to be seen whether Zinedine Zidane actually decides to pick him.

This campaign, he has made only three appearances so far, once in the starting XI, and his role has been slowly but surely getting smaller with time.

Last season, he played in a total of 27 La Liga games but started only 11 of them, coming on as a substitute in the rest. By all accounts, and for a player who started in ten out of 12 Champions League clashes and 21 La Liga games the season before, this has been a big change.

But despite becoming slightly out of favour with Zidane over time, Isco still has a lot to offer to this Real team and for that reason, it very much feels like his talents are being wasted at the moment.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

And sure, he was injured so there was no way for the Frenchman to pick him but we’ve seen how his game time lowered with each passing season and unless something changes drastically, it’s fair to assume the same fate would befall him in 2019/20.

That is, of course, if Isco doesn’t do anything about it – and there’s no time like the present to do exactly that.

Real Madrid have an abundance of injuries on their plate once again and for once, the 27-year-old is not one of them.

Seeing how Zidane may be inclined to rotate his squad this weekend against Mallorca, with a Champions League clash and El Clasico on the horizon, maybe Isco will get his chance to shine after all.

If that does happen, however, he absolutely has to make the most out of it because at the moment, it very much feels like the time is running out for the player who used to be a key piece of the puzzle but is now somehow only a forgotten star.

Failing that, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to look at other options. Sometimes, it’s better to take a leap of faith and search for your fortune away from your current club.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Just where would Manchester United be without Mason Greenwood? Forget the fact he has barely played for the club. The 17-year-old’s meteoric rise has seen him quickly become a silver lining amongst the storm that has engulfed Old Trafford. From years-old issues with the owners and Ed Woodward, to the horror showings on the pitch in recent months, Red Devils fans don’t have much to shout about. But in their teenage academy prospect, they have someone who is turning into a shining light in these dark times, protecting the realm from the toxicity that was spreading around Old Trafford.

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The forward struck the match-winner in an insipid 1-0 victory over FC Astana in the Europa League, and made it two goals from two starts when he fired home against a resilient Rochdale side in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. In a game that exposed all of United’s turmoil, Greenwood was the sole individual the Old Trafford faithful could get behind. And boy did he deliver.

Per Whoscored, the teenager received the highest match rating of any player on the pitch and it’s easy to see why. Apart from his ice-cold finish in the second-half, Greenwood always sought to embrace the responsibility of trying to be his side’s hero, shouldering a huge attacking burden. By the end of the game, the 17-year-old had fired in seven shots at goal, of which four were on target.

Perhaps just as exciting for United is his decision-making. His five key passes were a game-high, and proved he is more than just a predatory finisher. Playing from the right-hand side, his ability to go both ways gives him considerable versatility in potentially playing a pass or shooting for goal.

Already, the attacker is proving he can be a handful for opposition defences in just his two starts this season. There will undoubtedly be tougher tests ahead than FC Astana and Rochdale, but his massive potential is already under-lining his status as a saviour for United.

Lee Bowyer haunted one of his former sides on Saturday afternoon as he masterminded a gritty Charlton win over Leeds United at The Valley.

The Whites came into the game as favourites, of course, but it was the home side that led thanks to a goal that was eventually credited to Macauley Bonne.

And, despite the away side having more of the possession and plenty of ball in the final third, they actually did not create that much, with Charlton proving stubborn, dogged opponents.

Another setback for Leeds, then, who have just one win in four league games and a big game with Championship leaders West Brom on Tuesday night to try and bounce back in.

Whether or not summer signing Helder Costa starts the game, though, remains to be seen with the attacker proving largely anonymous in the clash in south-east London.

Indeed, that didn’t escape Leeds fans on Twitter so let’s take a look at some of the comments about his display…

Rangers tasted a bitterly disappointing defeat in the Old Firm derby on Sunday and the fans were left particularly seething with the display of one man.

That happened to be recent summer signing Joe Aribo, who started in midfield for Steven Gerrard’s side.

A first-half strike from Odsonne Edouard and then a late second from Jonny Hayes meant the three points headed in Celtic’s direction and one of the scapegoats was Aribo, who was at the centre of criticism from a host of supporters during the game.

Some fans said that the 23-year-old was out of his depth whilst another took a dig by saying he looked like Bambi.

A further individual claimed that the former Charlton man was lost. His inability to keep possession was also noted by one supporter on Twitter.

Aribo was eventually taken off in the second half which judging by comments made before he was substituted, will have come as a relief.

The central midfielder is a new face at Ibrox and already has four goals this term.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Celtic striker John Hartson says he doesn’t expect the Bhoys to cash in on Odsonne Edouard anytime soon, after Football Insider reported earlier this week that Lyon are set to keep tabs on the 21-year-old centre-forward.

What did he say?

In an exclusive interview with FFC, Hartson reacted to the rumour saying: “I don’t think Celtic will be in the market in selling Odsonne Edouard any time soon and I personally expect him to be at the club for two or three years.

“Money does talk but he won’t be offloaded by the club. 

“Whilst I certainly don’t welcome Lyon’s interest, you have to accept that good players will always be linked with moves away unfortunately.”

Is he right?

You would hope so, because 39 goals in 92 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership holders shows just how important the Frenchman can be for them in their bid to win a ninth top flight title in a row.

However, it would probably also be fair to say the 21-year-old hasn’t quite hit the heights that compatriot Moussa Dembele did at Parkhead, with the France international scoring 12 more goals in just two more appearances than Edouard has made, before his own departure to Lyon in 2018.

The two or three-year stay prediction could be realistic in that case with the striker still young and with that ceiling to improve, but if that improvement does happen quickly history suggests that when the big bids arrive, Celtic are powerless to prevent their top players from leaving Paradise.

Dembele and Kieran Tierney are just two of the players who have gone in recent times after an acceptable offer was tabled, and it is impossible to rule the same situation out with Edouard if his scoring rate improves dramatically.

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Liverpool were lucky to emerge from their encounter with Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League with a 4-3 win.

On Wednesday, Jurgen Klopp’s table-topping Reds will face Leicester City at Anfield. The Foxes ought to learn from what the Eagles did well and seek to make that part of their own game plan.

On the chalkboard

The Eagles pressed Liverpool intensely, and were able to harry their opponents into making mistakes. Producing those energy levels takes a physical toll, but in the likes of Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Marc Alrbighton, Demarai Gray and Kelechi Iheanacho, Leicester have plenty of attackers to call upon capable of pressing in this manner.

Claude Puel’s side must be positive and confident and willing to take the game to Liverpool. If they do so then they could overcome the home side.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

This off-the-ball game plan could be very effective for the visitors, but what they do once in possession is equally important.

On the ball

Liverpool themselves are a side that press relentlessly. Crystal Palace had the confidence and composure to try to play quick, neat, intricate passes around this press. When it worked it worked to great effect. Andros Townsend’s goal, and the fine build-up play that preceded it, is a good example of this.

Again, Leicester can take inspiration from this. In the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Harvey Barnes, Ricardo Pereira and Maddison, they have players with enough technical ability to play passing football through Liverpool’s press, rather than resort to more hopeful long ball football which will ultimately only see the pressure mount up on them as they repeatedly return possession to Liverpool.

Everyone has those moments of football commentary that stick in their mind forever.For Manchester City fans, it’s Martin Tyler screeching Sergio Aguero’s name as the Argentine wheeled away from QPR’s goal swinging his shirt around like a lunatic.For Liverpool fans, it’s club commentator Steve Hunter’s depiction of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s genius corner that set up Divock Origi’s winning goal in last year’s Champions League semi-final.And Rangers fans have got plenty of those moments to reflect on too, but this latest one might just take the cake.

Tom Miller and Andy Little’s reaction to Alfredo Morelos’ dramatic stoppage-time winner against Legia Warsaw is sure to stir the emotions of every Ger on the planet.

No sooner had Miller uttered the first syllable of the Colombian’s name was Little screaming at the top of his lungs over his co-commentator.

Little then proceeded to belt out a series of bizarre celebratory noises as Miller tried his utmost best to remain professional and describe the goal, and we don’t think anyone who was watching Rangers TV on Thursday night will forget this one in a hurry.

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Crystal Palace are having a quiet transfer window so far, with their team currently intact for the challenges of the second half of the season as Patrick Vieira attempts to compete for a top-half finish, but with three weeks left until the window closes, they could be about to lose one of their players.

What’s the word?

Journalist, Tom Barclay, has given his perspective on the current loan situation that Jean-Philippe Mateta finds himself in at Crystal Palace, and it doesn’t look like it’s good news for Palace.

Barclay told GIVEMESPORT:

“I know Mateta scored the other day, but unless he goes on an incredible run, I’m not convinced that Vieira is convinced by him, so I’m expecting him to return from his loan rather than Palace sign him permanently.”

Mateta was acquired on loan by the London club after he was putting in impressive performances for his parent club Mainz at the beginning of last season, with ten goals and one assist that had caught former Palace manager, Roy Hodgson’s eye, who signed the 24-year-old on an 18-month loan with the club last January.

Fans may be concerned

Vieira is clearly not convinced by the Frenchman’s performances so far in his presence since joining the club as head coach in the summer, and has only given Mateta two Premier League starts this season.

With rumours that the loan could be cut short fans have taken to social media to slam the potential decision to let him return five months early to his Bundesliga club. One supporter tweeted:

“I think we should just keep Mateta and forget about Nketiah and keep the money for positions that need improvements.”

The 30k-per-week star put in a fantastic performance against Milwall at the weekend in the FA Cup game, where in the 54 minutes played he scored the winning goal in the 58th minute to beat their rivals 2-1, as well as offering up some clinical play, with a fantastic pass accuracy of 93% during his opportunity for minutes on the pitch, according to SofaScore.

As a result, it seems perplexing that just as he begins to find form, he’s set to head back to his parent club.

Indeed, the supporter above makes a valid point that money on a potential successor could be better spent on other areas of the team that need improving, including the full-back areas where they are strapped for depth.

Although he’s not impressed since landing in London, fans could be concerned by the ongoing situation surrounding Mateta. After all, they’d just be losing a player and then having to fork out what could be quite a considerable sum to find a replacement.

The French manager has a big decision to make in a short amount of time on the future of his 24-year-old forward, as Saint Etienne are rumoured to be interested in swooping to offer him a loan deal this January.

With Palace linked to signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, Vieira clearly needs to make a quick decision on how he intends to see out the strike force of the side for the rest of the season.

In other news: Crystal Palace targeting January swoop for Marseille striker Bamba Dieng

Newcastle United have reportedly now made an offer to try and sign Alvaro Morata before the January transfer window shuts.

The Lowdown: One more striker?

On top of the arrival of Chris Wood from Burnley, it seems as if the St. James’ Park faithful are still pushing for another striker to come through the door.

It has recently been reported by reliable journalist Luke Edwards for The Daily Telegraph that the North East club are now closing in on signing Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah, but the window has seen so many twists and turns already that more names could well be thrown into the hat.

Nonetheless, what looks more than likely is that at least one more striker will arrive on Tyneside before the deadline, so could it be Morata?

The Latest: Morata offer

As per journalist Juanma Castano (via El Partidazo de COPE), the Magpies, as well as both Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona, have now put an offer on the table for Morata.

Atletico Madrid ‘could accept’ a loan from them, and his future is set to be decided very soon.

The Verdict: Avoid

While other options like Nketiah are available, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium should avoid trying to bring in Morata, even on loan.

Yes, there are times when he has shown his credentials, for example at Euro 2020, where he helped guide Spain through to the knockout stages and his manager Luis Enrique even hailed him as ‘amazing’.

However, he is simply not consistent enough, as his current loan spell at Juventus shows, where he has only managed a mere five goals in the Serie A so far this season.

Morata has also big loss on the fee that they originally paid for him.

It would simply be too much of a risk, and there are other options out there to explore with the few days left remaining in the winter transfer window.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now ‘in talks’ to sign here!

Rangers have decided not to exercise their recall option on defender Nikola Katic, according to Football Scotland’s Mark McDougall. 

The lowdown

Katic joined Croatian side Hadjuk Split on loan in the summer, having missed the entirety of the title-winning campaign after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture.

The deal included a January recall clause as well as a £3million option to buy.

Rangers are set to be down a centre-back next month with Leon Balogun named in the Nigeria squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

£1.44million-rated Katic could have offered an experienced option in his absence, having made 59 appearances for The Gers. Indeed, former manager Steven Gerrard described him as a ‘winner and a warrior’.

The latest

“[I] understand Rangers have no plans to recall Nikola Katic in the January transfer window,” McDougall wrote.

The player is expecting to remain in Croatia until the end of the campaign, though he hopes to return to Ibrox thereafter.

Rangers have been so impressed with the performances of Calvin Bassey at centre-back that they don’t see a need to bring Katic back mid-season.

The verdict

Rangers could perhaps come to regret their decision if they’re hit by injuries next month, but it’s an understandable call.

Bassey has now started the last seven Premiership games as a centre-half, and Rangers are on a run of six without conceding a single goal.

He’s been a key part of that, consistently delivering performances that earn a seven out of 10 or better from statistical experts SofaScore.

Katic, who was once compared to Cristiano Ronaldo after an ‘unbelievable leap and an unbelievable header’ in the Old Firm in December 2019, may even find that Bassey’s form shuts the door on the long-term Rangers future he craves.

In other news, could Rangers possibly sign a new CB?