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Rangers take on League One side Cove Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox on Sunday and Steven Gerrard should consider handing a start to recent signing Scott Wright.

The 23-year-old, who joined from Aberdeen in the winter, has been limited to just seven substitute appearances for the Light Blues so far in his Rangers career, and he deserves a chance to show what he can do on Sunday.

Cove Rangers have already defeated Forfar Athletic and Championship side Alloa Athletic to seal their place in the third round, so will be eying another upset when they take on Gerrard’s side at Ibrox. However, the 40-year-old manager should still hand opportunities to some of his younger players in the hope that they have enough about them to get past the League One outfit.

Although we haven’t seen much of Wright in a Rangers shirt thus far, his cameos have been bright and he managed an assist in the 5-2 win against Royal Antwerp, as he was brought down in the penalty area after an impressive run, allowing Cedric Itten to score Rangers’ fifth.

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His pace and direct running would likely cause problems for the Cove Rangers defence on Sunday, suggesting that he could prove to be a game-changer for Gerrard; whilst it also gives the manager the opportunity to rest Ryan Kent, who has been a regular on the left wing for the majority of the season.

Despite barely featuring so far, Wright has already earned the praise of Gerrard, with the former Liverpool captain complimentary of his new winger after his debut outing against Hamilton, saying: “Scott’s going to be a good little footballer for us. You can see he’s clever, you can see what he’s going to be.”

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Therefore, the £540k-rated 23-year-old deserves a chance to show what he can do for Rangers from the start, and this game against Cove Rangers represents the ideal opportunity for him to make a good impression ahead of next season when he will hopefully be much more involved.

in other news… Gerrard should axe £7.5k-p/w Rangers outcast this summer; he’s nowhere near Champions League level

Everton host Crystal Palace on Monday night looking to get back to winning ways, but Carlo Ancelotti faces a few injury concerns ahead of the Premier League encounter.

The Toffees are winless in their last three games across all competitions and have only won two of their last eight held at Goodison Park, including defeats to Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley.

Crystal Palace will arrive on Merseyside striving to avoid the Blues doing the double after succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park back in September. The Eagles have now failed to beat Everton since 2014, losing six and drawing six of their recent encounters.

Ancelotti could rely on summer signing James Rodriguez to maintain his side’s imperious record after the Colombian’s return from a calf injury. But, with other players a doubt, here’s a potential line-up the Everton boss may field tonight…

Everton will be without Jordan Pickford against Crystal Palace, as the England goalkeeper continues his recovery from an abdominal injury.

Robin Olsen also sat out last month’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester City with a similar issue, but has recovered and will be in contention to guard the net against the Eagles.

Joao Virginia stood in for Pickford and Olsen against Pep Guardiola’s Citizens and impressed, so should now expect to retain the role on Monday night for what would be his first start in a Premier League game.

Ancelotti named a five-man defence of Lucas Digne, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Seamus Coleman for the FA Cup quarter-final defeat last time out, but will be expected to favour a four-man line at home to Crystal Palace.

Holgate was sacrificed against Manchester City in the closing stages to allow for Everton to be more aggressive in search of an equalising goal and could be dropped from the starting XI to permit the Toffees to start on the front foot.

Godfrey is also a doubt for the Eagles’ trip to Goodison Park after returning from international duty with England’s Under 21s nursing a minor knock alongside teammate Tom Davies, and both could now be rested as a precaution.

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Davies’ absence in midfield would be expected to see a shift in formation from Ancelotti with Abdoulaye Doucoure potentially out for the rest of the season with a fractured foot, while Fabian Delph and Bernard are also set to be unavailable on Monday night.

Alex Iwobi may be drafted in for a starting role on the right-wing, with the £50k-per-week forward joining Richarlison in offering Everton greater width against the Eagles.

Iwobi has started the Toffees’ last three Premier League games but was dropped to the bench for the FA Cup clash with Manchester City, having failed to impress when given the chance to operate centrally in defeat to Burnley last month.

Iwobi and Richarlison may be joined in behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin by Rodriguez after the ex-Real Madrid maestro returned to full training over the international break following a calf injury.

Rodriguez has missed Everton’s last five games in all competitions as a result of the issue but had registered his eighth assist of the season during his last outing when setting Richarlison free to open the scoring away to Liverpool.

Ancelotti will hope to see more of the same from the 29-year-old, having urged Rodriguez to rediscover the form that saw the £27m-rated playmaker score three times and assist three goals in his first five Premier League games.

“James is in good condition and he trained well during the break,” Ancelotti said on Friday. “It is important for us to have him back at his best. At the start of the season, he did really well. He helped the team to score goals.”

His inclusion would be the third and final change.

AND in other news, a £45k-p/w flop has been backed to seal a summer move amid doubt in his Everton future…

Sheffield Wednesday are one of several teams keeping tabs on the progress of Akin Odimayo ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports…

What’s the word?

TEAMtalk claim the Owls are closely monitoring the 21-year-old defender after a string of impressive performances at League One strugglers Swindon Town this season.

Odimayo is also being coveted by Wednesday’s second-flight rivals Preston North End, Stoke City and Derby County, though his current club have a one-year option to take up, meaning a fee would be needed to prise him away.

Imagine him & Iorfa

The centre-back, who can also play on the right, could be the perfect signing the Owls need should they face relegation, which after Tuesday night’s latest defeat is becoming a mere formality.

In fact, that is something which could be confirmed as early as next week, so the Yorkshiremen might as well start planning ahead and finding a new centre-back is a very good place to start.

Darren Moore currently stands to lose as many as three central options in former skipper Tom Lees, Joost van Aken and emerging starlet Osaze Urhoghide as the trio remain out of contract in the summer.

Wednesday will be able to welcome back one of their star players in Dominic Iorfa next season as the impressive 25-year-old should be back from a long-term injury, and he’ll be in need of a defensive partner.

Odimayo’s versatility should please Moore too. Just like Iorfa and Urhoghide, he’s able to play right-back as well as on the right-hand side of a back three, and this is where there could be a glaring gap left behind.

The 21-year-old stands at a little over 6-foot, yet has still managed to average 2.6 aerial duels won, as well as chipping in with 2.3 clearances and 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, he is more productive in the tackle than Lees and Chey Dunkey and is ahead of Iorfa for clearances.

“I can see why teams are interested,” explained Robins boss John Sheridan. “He’s a young lad who’s learning the game, and he’s got a lot to learn still.”

Given Moore’s track record with developing young talent, this could be a match made in heaven.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Westwood: THIS Owls passenger badly let Moore down vs Swansea…

Amid all the jubilation of Leeds’ historic triumph over Manchester City last weekend, the one major concern for fans was seeing Raphinha limp off in the dying moments of the game.

The Brazilian was on the end of a crunching tackle by Fernandinho, and while Marcelo Bielsa appeared to downplay the severity of the injury in his post-match press conference, he will surely be a big doubt for the Premier League clash against Liverpool on Monday night.

And if Raphinha doesn’t make it in time for the clash at Elland Road, then the Leeds boss may well want to turn to one of the club’s brightest young talents: Crysencio Summerville.

Described as a “bag of tricks” by Chris Powell – his former coach when he was a teenager at ADO Den Haag – he scored a hat-trick against Burnley under-23s on just his second start for the Whites’ youth side earlier this campaign.

Since then, he’s bagged an impressive five goals and provided a further six assists in just nine Premier League 2 games.

Standing at just 5 foot 9 and with a slight frame, there may be doubts over whether the young Dutchman can handle the physical nature of the Premier League, but the winger himself has insisted that he is more than capable of dealing with that.

Summerville said earlier this year: “I often hear that there are doubts because of my physical condition, but when you are on the field, you are not concerned with that. There are often big defenders in front of me, I have to be smart about that. I know I’m agile and try to play with my mind.”

Raphinha has been such a revelation for Leeds that it would be virtually impossible for Bielsa and Leeds to replace him – after all, he’s managed an impressive six goals and six assists in his debut campaign in the Premier League.

But in Summerville, Bielsa could unleash someone who could bring a similar level of unpredictability and excitement much like the Brazilian. Helder Costa has been the man the Leeds boss has often turned to as his next wide option, but the Portuguese man has flattered to deceive all campaign, managing just two top-flight goals.

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At least in Summerville Leeds would be giving an opportunity to a young talent waiting for his first real chance of first-team football, and could well surprise everyone.

All he needs is a chance, and with Raphinha a potential doubt, it’s perhaps the perfect time for Leeds to unleash their flying Dutchman.

Meanwhile, Leeds are set for an exciting summer transfer window after major reveal…

Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Dele Alli will be “kicking himself” following his failed January loan move to PSG.

Alli had previously been one of Tottenham’s best players under Mauricio Pochettino, but has lost his way since the arrival of Jose Mourinho, who was sacked on Monday, and has started just two Premier League games all season.

Having reportedly fallen out with the ex-Spurs boss earlier in the campaign, Alli was repeatedly axed from squads in the Premier League, and has generally been a bit-part player this term.

Alli had slipped so far down the pecking order that he came close to moving to the French capital in January, although Tottenham blocked the deal after failing to find a replacement.

And Bent told The Transfer Tavern that after watching England teammate Jesse Lingard flourish at West Ham, Alli might regret not leaving himself:

Bent said: “He’s probably kicking himself because he had a whole massive career with England and his club, and PSG are a massive club, so you have to be doing something right.

“I don’t think he will get back in the England squad for a good year or so because there’s so many talented players in that midfield. He’s not scoring, he’s rarely playing.

“Hopefully he doesn’t go down the leagues and start playing in the Championship because he’s a good England player, he just needs to find himself.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves during his career, has pleaded with Raul Jimenez to not rush his return back to first-team football.

Jimenez fractured his skull last November when Wolves were playing Arsenal and he clashed heads with David Luiz as they both challenged for a header in the box.

The Mexican has been sorely missed at Molineux, especially in the final third because since he joined Wolves the striker has scored 47 goals in the Premier League.

Speaking on why Jimenez must not rush his comeback and why he is unsure what the Mexican will be like when he does return to first-team action, Bull told FFC:

“I wouldn’t rush it because you don’t know if he will come back the same player as before his injury. We don’t know if he will be scared to challenge for a header so I think he’s got to be patient.

“If he can get the odd 20-30 minutes at the end of the season to get his confidence boosted, that will do for me, but just don’t throw him in at the deep end because there’s no need to.”

It has been reported that the £41,000 per week striker is set to make a return to the first team before the end of this season which could give the squad and fans a much-needed boost.

Wolves have suffered several injuries this season, none more so than Jimenez however, with their joint top scorers, Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves, managing just five in the Premier League.

One of the biggest tasks for any new manager entering Celtic this season will be to find a replacement for Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman has been linked with the Parkhead exit door on numerous occasions and it feels like a foregone conclusion that this will be his final season with the Bhoys.

What’s the word?

Celtic may not have a director of football or manager but that hasn’t stopped the Hoops from thinking of recruits for the summer ahead.

One of their targets is Young Boys forward Jean-Pierre Nsame, according to TEAMtalk.

Nsame has been in breathtaking form over the last few seasons and as such, there is no shortage of suitors for his signature.

The Bhoys could find it tough to lure him to Scotland with the likes of Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham chasing him as well.

No transfer fee is mentioned in the report but Transfermarkt rate the Cameroon striker at just £6.3m.

Perfect Edouard heir

If the French forward does depart Glasgow this summer then it will leave a giant hole in the Celtic squad.

Edouard has been a brutal force of nature in the Premiership in the last few years and is their unrivalled top scorer.

The Hoops have endured a wretched campaign but the attacker has still been among the goals, netting 20 strikes in all competitions.

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Nsame, however, has been even more prolific. The 27-year-old has bagged 25 goals in 38 outings this term, taking his tally for Young Boys to 97 since signing in 2017.

Now approaching the peak of his career, there is every chance the striker could get even better. With a record like that, it provides a tingling sensation in your stomach.

The thought of a player with such an impressive goal-scoring record arriving at Paradise is enough to provide plenty of excitement; something supporters haven’t enjoyed at all this season.

Speaking in 2020, Young Boys manager Gerardo Seoane waxed lyrical of his qualities: “Jean-Pierre Nsamé has had an extraordinary season. He has really progressed especially in terms of taking responsibility in the team.”

Seoane added: “He is very physical, with an unbelievable ability in front of goal. He is very present in the penalty area and all the balls that comes, he puts them in the back of the net, thanks to his technique and strength.”

The forward would offer plenty of other qualities, though, particularly with his strong-willed attitude and leadership: “Jean Pierre (Nsame) is a great personality, with a great character and mentality. He is also present and hard-working and put his all for the team.

“He is not egoistic. He always puts the team first, that’s what I like so much about him because it is a big human quality and above all he is very humble and I’m very certain that he will have a great career,” Seoane concluded.

In recent weeks, it’s been hard to suggest that Edouard’s attitude has been right. With one goal in his last five matches, it feels like he already has one foot out the door.

Nsame, therefore, is very different. He boasts a fabulous goal record but is also a team player. He’d be perfect for any new manager.

AND in other news, 6 ft 2 giant must be at the top of Celtic’s shopping list, he’s a “top-class” player…

Rangers have been linked with a move for Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman recently, and if he were to make the move to Ibrox this summer, he could prove to be the ideal long-term replacement for Steven Davis in Steven Gerrard’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Dutch news outlet Voetbal, Rangers are one of the foreign clubs taking an interest in the 22-year-old, who has enjoyed another excellent season in the Eredivisie.

Reims, PSV Eindhoven and Atalanta are also said to be interested in the young midfielder, who seems likely to depart the Abe Lenstra Stadium despite signing a new contract last summer.

Rangers’ dream Davis heir?

Whilst Steven Davis recently penned a new one-year contract at Rangers after playing a significant part in their title win this season, the Northern Ireland international will turn 37 next year and Gerrard’s side should start planning for a future without the influential midfielder.

The former Southampton man has averaged a solid 6.99 WhoScored rating for his performances in the Premiership this season, although he is not as much of a threat in front of goal as he once was, as he has been unable to find the back of the net in any of his 30 league appearances this term.

In that sense, Veerman could be the ideal man to replace him, as he has shown in the last two seasons that he can add a goalscoring threat from midfield. That is something Rangers have arguably lacked at times this season, with Glen Kamara having managed just one goal and one assist so far in this Premiership campaign.

Veerman, on the other hands, has seven goals and nine assists to his name in the Dutch top flight so far this season, which has helped him to accrue to a superb 7.47 WhoScored average rating. That is comfortably the best of any Heerenveen player, which suggests that they could face a real struggle to keep hold of him this summer.

Former Rangers striker Michael Mols was full of praise for the young midfielder recently, saying: “He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.”

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Therefore, it seems as if the £6.3m-rated Veerman would be a superb addition at Ibrox and he could even be the man to succeed Davis in Gerrard’s side, should Ross Wilson seal his transfer this summer.

In other news… Rangers suffer huge transfer blow to “special talent”, Gerrard will be fuming

Following a highly impressive goalscoring campaign for Sunderland, there is reportedly a great deal of interest in Charlie Wyke this summer, although the Black Cats could already have a ready-made replacement for the 28-year-old.

So far this season, Wyke has undoubtedly been the star at the Stadium of Light, with the £270,000-rated forward bagging 25 goals and providing three assists over his 42 appearances in League One, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.35 – ranking him as Lee Johnson’s best player in the third tier.

However, while the former Bradford City striker’s goals have fired Sunderland to the play-offs this season, form as good as Wyke’s is a double-edged sword for a club of Sunderland’s current standing, as his performances have attracted a number of Championship teams who have the intention of stealing the centre-forward from the Black Cats’ grasp this summer.

Although, while losing a player as important as Wyke will undoubtedly be a huge blow for Johnson, there may not be any need to panic, as the club could already own a striker who is capable of filling the boots of the 28-year-old next season.

“We’re talking £10 million”

Prior to making a £304,000 switch to Sunderland in the January transfer window, Ross Stewart had spent two and a half years at Ross County, with the forward scoring 11 goals and providing three assists over his 32 appearances in the club’s 2018/19 campaign, bagging 11 goals and registering three assists over 26 appearances throughout County’s 2019/20 campaign and netting six goals and providing two assists over his 24 fixtures before moving to Sunderland this season.

So, there is very much a goalscorer in Stewart, who, at just 24-years-old, still has a bit of development to complete in his career as a professional footballer, in addition to having to adjust to the pace of the English game.

But, despite having to play second fiddle to Wyke this term, the 6ft 4 striker has already shown what he is capable of in a Sunderland shirt as, over his 11 league appearances for the club – only two of which have come as starts – he has already found the back of the net twice, in addition to averaging an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.95.

Indeed, Johnson appears very firmly of the belief that Stewart has a fantastic future ahead of him at the Stadium of Light, with the 39-year-old praising the striker’s mobility, technical ability and his “extremely good” physicality in recent comments, as well as claiming that you’d be looking at a player worth “£10 million” if he was the finished product, which he still has enough time to become.

As such, despite the fact it very much seems as if Wyke could be moving on to pastures new this summer, Stewart is ready and waiting in the wings to seize his moment as the Black Cats’ main man.

In other news: Phillips drops worrying transfer claim on SAFC £6.4k-p/w beast, Johnson will be gutted – opinion

Writing on Twitter, sharing the latest in a piece for football.london, reliable Lilywhites correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped a major Tottenham Hotspur managerial update.

The Lowdown: Tottenham manager hunt in motion…

Since the sacking of former boss Jose Mourinho last month, Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy have been linked with a host of new gaffers to take the role in north London.

Names such as Julian Nagelsmann (now taking the Bayern Munich role), Brendan Rodgers and Erik Ten Hag (The Telegraph) have been followed up by the likes of Graham Potter, Scott Parker and Roberto Martinez (Evening Standard).

Spurs allegedly have their criteria for a new boss as they eye contenders who promote open, attacking football – as well as a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ boss wanted by technical performance director Steve Hitchen (The Daily Mail).

The Latest: Gold drops major Tottenham managerial update

Writing on social media, sharing the latest developments from within Spurs, Gold has dropped a major update – with Tottenham now completing their managerial shortlist.

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Indeed, as explained by the journalist, Tottenham have compiled their dossier of candidates for the managerial vacancy and ‘will be pushing forward’ to hold talks for those in contention.

“Understand Spurs now have their shortlist for their next manager and will be pushing forward to hold talks.” he explained (via Twitter).

As explained by the reporter, there will be unknown names due to the secrecy of Tottenham’s hunt, but those believed not to be in the running are Italian quintet Simone Inzaghi, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Gian Piero Gasperini and Massimiliano Allegri.

This report reiterates Martinez, Rodgers, Parker and Potter as managers also catching attention from Spurs chiefs.

The Verdict: About time…

football.london recently claimed that Tottenham are aiming to announce their new manager by the end of the season, and we were starting to grow concerned this just wouldn’t be possible.

Sky Sports even dropped an opposing update, stating Spurs looked set to take their time and make an appointment in the summer after Ajax boss and former target Ten Hag signed a new contract.

They urged supporters to not expect an announcement before the end of 2020/2021, but this Gold update could provide hope of seeing a new manager in N17 before the European Championships.

As a result, this update comes as a major one as the Spurs manager hunt lingers on.

In other news: Tottenham told to target this ‘demon’ of a boss, find out more here.