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Leeds United will look to continue their impressive run of form when they host Aston Villa at Elland Road on Saturday evening.

The Whites were lying in the relegation zone following a 1-0 home defeat by Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town at the start of September, but they have since embarked on a sequence of results that has seen them leap up to fifth in the Championship table, with their eyes firmly set on promotion.

Garry Monk’s men have won four of their last five league fixtures including last weekend’s 2-1 success away at another of their Yorkshire rivals, Rotherham United.

Their only defeat came against the current leaders Newcastle United, and Leeds will be looking to avoid a successive home loss to a side that was relegated from the Premier League last season when Aston Villa come to town on Saturday.

Here is Football FanCast’s Leeds United XI that can continue their march up the standings vs Villa…

GK: Rob Green

The experienced stopper was guilty of making a huge error in that home defeat to Newcastle when he dropped Jack Colback’s looping effort from near the halfway line straight to Dwight Gayle, who finished well.

However, he has also saved his side on a number of occasions this term and Monk should keep faith with the former England international for the victory over Rotherham, although Marco Silvestri was preferred between the sticks for the EFL Cup loss to Liverpool on Tuesday.

RB: Luke Ayling

Ever since his summer move from Bristol City, Ayling has established himself as the club’s first choice right-back under the leadership of Garry Monk, impressing supporters with his all-action displays.

As well as being defensively sound, the 25-year-old also offers a good attacking outlet on the right-hand side for United and he will be looking to provide some ammunition for in-form striker Chris Wood when Villa visit on Saturday.

CB: Kyle Bartley

The former Arsenal defender moved to Leeds in the summer on a season-long loan deal from Swansea City, and United manager Monk will surely already be looking at making it a permanent deal next year.

The centre-back has impressed in defence and formed a strong partnership with Pontus Jansson – who is also on-loan at Elland Road. They will need to be on top form when they come up against the likes of Jonathan Kodjia, Ross McCormack and Rudy Gestede on Saturday.

CB: Pontus Jansson

As we mentioned previously, Jansson – who is on loan at Leeds from Torino – has struck up a dominant centre-half partnership with Bartley and their relationship at the back has been a huge factor in the club becoming promotion contenders in the last couple of months.

The Swede missed the win at Rotherham because of suspension, while he was also absent for the cup tie against Liverpool because of illness, but he is expected to be fit for Saturday.

LB: Charlie Taylor

The 23-year-old is one of Leeds’ most highly-rated players and he has long been linked with a move to the Premier League – most recently with West Bromwich Albion.

The left-sided defender has rejected a new deal with the Whites and as it stands, he can leave Elland Road on a free transfer at the end of the season.

However, he will surely want to help the club to promotion before he departs and a strong performance against Villa would go a long way to achieving that aim.

CM: Kalvin Phillips

Whereas Charlie Taylor is an established player in the Leeds side, Phillips has been something of a breakthrough star in midfield this season and he has made a big impact alongside the likes of Eunan O’Kane and Ronaldo Vieira in the engine room.

The 20-year-old’s impressive form saw him named as the Championship Young Player of the Month for October, and he will be looking to continue that level of performance on Saturday evening.

CM: Eunan O’Kane

The Republic of Ireland international has been the more experienced partner for Kalvin Phillips in the middle of the park, quickly becoming a key player under the leadership of Monk.

The 26-year-old was taken off against Liverpool in midweek because of a groin problem, but he is expected to be fit enough to start for the visit of Aston Villa, where he could come up against a real talent in the prodigious Jack Grealish.

RAM: Hadi Sacko

With Pablo Hernandez still missing because of a hamstring injury, the on-loan Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder should once again be given the chance to impress his manager when Villa visit Elland Road.

The right-sided player has picked up three assists in the Championship this season and he will be looking to keep up that creative record for top goalscorer Chris Wood.

CAM: Kemar Roofe

A few eyebrows may have been raised when Leeds bought Roofe for £3m from Oxford United during the summer, but the attacking midfielder has put in a number of fine performances and was named as the man of the match in the defeat to Liverpool in midweek.

However, there is one monkey that he is still looking to get off his back. He is yet to score a goal for United in his 22 appearances – which comes as a surprise after he was so prolific for the U’s.

LAM: Souleymane Doukara

There have been a lot of up-and-downs for Doukara in his Leeds career so far, but he finally seems to be making a real positive impact on this Whites side.

The 25-year-old scored the winning goal in the Yorkshire derby against Rotherham last weekend and he will look to continue to provide that goal threat – as well as taking some of the pressure off of top marksman Chris Wood – at Elland Road on Saturday.

ST: Chris Wood

The New Zealand international is Leeds’ top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions and he will look to continue that prolific run of form when Villa visit on Saturday.

Wood netted the opener in the 2-1 win at Rotherham last weekend and the 24-year-old will be looking to maintain his fine record at home this term – he has bagged an impressive six goals in his last eight appearances at Elland Road.

In truth, Celtic’s season couldn’t be going much better. The Bhoys are on course to have one of their most successful seasons for over a decade, streaking in ahead in the league and already winning the Scottish League Cup.

Since Brendan Rodgers arrived at the club in May, Celtic have been on an upward trajectory. They’ve made progress not only domestically, currently unbeaten on that front under Rodgers, but also in Europe, reaching the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in three years.

There is of course always room for improvement and Rodgers will be heading into 2017 expecting that same upward trajectory to continue.

He’s yet to really put his mark on the side in terms of personnel and the next six months are a massive opportunity to really complete the Rodgers revolution.

Where are Celtic lacking? What can Rodgers do to improve an already impressive side?

Here are THREE New Year’s resolutions for the Celtic manager and his team…

Improve defensive performance

Celtic’s defence is undoubtedly of good enough quality for the Scottish Premiership – the Bhoys have conceded less goals than every side in the division – but it’s in Europe that they need improve in this area.

Only Legia Warsaw conceded more goals than Celtic in the group stages of the Champions League. The Bhoys let a massive 16 goals in over the six group games. That defensive form means you exit Europe early and it’s something that needs to drastically improve in 2017.

To be fair to Rodgers, Jozo Simunovic didn’t really come into the side until well into the European fixtures and his partnership with Sviatchenko has looked a lot more solid than others over the last 12 months.

If Rodgers can continue cultivating that and perhaps sign another quality centre-back, the Bhoys could have enough to achieve third or higher in a Champions League group next season and qualify for knockout European football.

Add to squad depth

Celtic’s first team can produce some breathtaking football at times. That was obvious in games against Rangers and Manchester City earlier in the season.

Beyond those first choice picks though, there’s no guarantees those stepping in can match those attacking performance levels.

Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele are in fantastic form, but the only striker available after that is Nadir Ciftci, who has never really looked like making it at the Bhoys.

In wide areas, names available to deputise include Gary Mackay-Steven, also struggling to make an impact at Celtic Park, and Patrick Roberts, who is returning to his parent club in the summer.

In midfield, there’s uncertainty the likes of Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton can make the step up to Europe. In defence, only Kolo Toure and Mikael Lustig have been available to fill in for injured first choices. Neither are ideal on a long-term basis.

If Rodgers can add competition and more quality to the Celtic squad, it could transform them from a good side to a great side.

Make Celtic Park a fortress again

In the not too distant past Celtic Park was a place teams of all stature feared. Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, Manchester United; all names that wilted in the cauldron that home fans call Paradise.

Surprisingly in Europe this time, the Bhoys’ away form was better than their home. Two draws away to Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach would have been celebrated, had the Bhoys not picked up just one home win out of the three.

It can be a special place, especially on a European night, that inspires fairly ordinary players to great things.

If that feeling can return in 2017, coupled with the improvement shown away from home in Europe, Celtic can really achieve the potential they have as a club under Rodgers.

Everton manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed that Yannick Bolasie could be on the sidelines for an entire year with a knee injury.

The 27-year-old was already expected to miss the rest of the season after damaging a cruciate ligament and meniscus during the Toffees’ 1-1 draw with Manchester United on December 4.

However, after having surgery last month, the timeline of Bolasie’s recovery has extended, with Koeman suggesting that he could be unavailable for a year.

During the club’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, the Dutch coach delivered the update.

“It is a long-term injury – 10, 11, 12 months. He will come back, he has a strong mentality.”

It is a huge blow to both the player and Everton as he was impressing on the wing following a £28m summer switch from Crystal Palace.

Bolasie, who made 13 Premier League appearances before getting struck down with the injury, will now require a second operation before beginning the long road to recovery.

In his absence, the Toffees currently sit seventh in the league table on 30 points.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hinted to the media during a press conference that he will not sign a new defender before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

What’s the word?

The Reds have been praised for their attacking strengths, but their defensive weaknesses have continued to be a problem.

Klopp’s men are the most prolific in the Premier League having scored 51 goals, but at the other end of the pitch they have conceded 28 and have kept just four clean sheets.

The leaky defence contributed to Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Swansea City at Anfield, which has pushed them 10 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea.

Despite the problems at the back, Klopp has claimed that buying a defender will not solve the team’s issues.

Goal.com quotes the ex-Borussia Dortmund coach as saying:

“You always speak about defence, or players. I speak about the whole defence of the team. If it was to buy one player and fix it, I’d be silly not to do it but it’s not that simple.

“I knew about the problems we had after Christmas and that was disappointing. I saw before the game [against Swansea] that we are back on the right track and we could see the freshness coming back in training. But then we have this game and it’s not so nice. But that’s part of life too.”

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Is Klopp wrong, do Liverpool need to buy?

A big problem with the Reds’ defence is that there is not one player who has provided consistency.

Dejan Lovren was impressive in the recent 1-1 draw with Manchester United, but he struggled alongside Ragnar Klavan against Swansea at the weekend.

Joel Matip has looked solid at the back, but injuries have halted his progress on Merseyside, and it does not help that both of Liverpool’s goalkeepers have had shaky performances.

When the keeper is prone to errors, a nervous energy creeps through the team, which can affect the defenders’ focus, particularly if the man behind them is not commanding the area.

While working as a pundit on BT Sport, ex-Red Steven Gerrard urged Klopp to splash out on Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.

The centre-back has consistently been reliable at the back, but even if Liverpool tried to make a move, the former Celtic star would not be able to go straight into the side due to an ankle injury, and Southampton are unlikely to sell given how much business has gone on between the two clubs in the last few seasons.

It is difficult to purchase top-quality players in this window, but Klopp has limited options at the back, particularly when taking into account that midfielder Lucas Leiva sometimes fills in at centre-back.

It would be wise for Liverpool to jump into the market if they want to keep their title hopes alive.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger learned his punishment from the Football Association on Friday, and it has sparked differing views from fans.

The Frenchman received a four-game touchline ban after admitting to a charge of misconduct.

Wenger had a personal hearing with the English governing body regarding his behaviour, which involved him appearing to shove fourth official Anthony Taylor during last weekend’s dramatic 2-1 win over Burnley.

After referee Jon Moss awarded the Clarets a stoppage-time penalty at the Emirates, Wenger was incensed and angrily confronted Taylor on the touchline.

Due to his aggressive conduct, Wenger was sent to the stands by Moss, but the Frenchman lingered in the tunnel to watch the rest of the game.

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As Taylor gestured to the Arsenal boss to move back, the 67-year-old pushed the official’s arm.

As it turns out, Wenger wasted his frustration because Arsenal won the game in the end thanks to a 98th-minute penalty from Alexis Sanchez.

After an FA independent regulatory commission reviewed the incident it was decided that Wenger should serve a four-match ban from the touchline.

This means that he will be prohibited from instructing his team in the dugout for today’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Southampton, as well as Premier League games against Watford, Chelsea and Hull City.

After the news broke, fans took to Twitter to give their thoughts, with some thinking that the punishment was too harsh, while others thought it was not stern enough.

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Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has been having a torrid few months, and it has been made even worse by his brother.The Frenchman has struggled for first-team action since November, and has made just nine Premier League starts this season and four appearances off the bench.Manager Jose Mourinho has challenged the 21-year-old to fight for his place in the team, but at the moment he is spending more time on the bench than on the pitch.As a result, Martial’s goal statistics have suffered, scoring just two goals in 13 league appearances.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]To make matters worse, the forward’s brother Johan Martial, who plays as a defender for Ligue 2 club Troyes, has a better goals-per-minute ratio than the £36m man at Old Trafford.Freelance football writer Robin Bairner revealed the surprise figures on Twitter.

Martial’s form is a stark contrast to his performances in his debut campaign at United when he scored 11 goals.

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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes that Michael Carrick deserves to be given a new contract at Old Trafford.

The 35-year-old will come to the end of his current deal in the summer after penning a year-long contract shortly after Jose Mourinho arrived as Louis van Gaal’s successor last year.

Carrick has often been praised when playing this season, but his appearances have not been as frequent as he may have liked.

In fact, he has made 19 appearances in all competitions so far, and has featured in just 11 of United’s 25 Premier League matches.

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The midfielder has been a long servant for the Red Devils having joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur in an initial £14m deal in 2006.

With questions over Wayne Rooney’s future constantly circling, perhaps Mourinho is considering offloading the old guard.

Whatever the situation, Scholes believes that Carrick still has enough quality to be influential on the pitch.

While speaking to Goal.com, Scholes said:

“He’s definitely worth another year, Michael. He’s not a player who burns himself out in games, he’s more of a controlled player, he’s a fit lad but he always knows where to be on a football pitch. He’s always in the right place, he plays his position brilliantly and when he came into the team from October onwards there were something like 16, 17 or 18 games maybe where they didn’t lose.

“He had a big influence on people like Paul Pogba, he got the best out of him and Herrera. He’s just tailed off a little bit over the last couple of weeks but I still think he’s got a part to play.”

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Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s social media activity suggests that the Manchester United star is facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.The Armenian international pulled up in the 25th minute of United’s victory over St Etienne, shortly after scoring the one and only goal that put the Red Devils into the last-16 stage of the Europa League.After the match, manager Jose Mourinho told the media that he expected Mkhitaryan to miss this Sunday’s EFL Cup final, along with Michael Carrick, who suffered a calf injury during the match.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]The extent of Mkhitaryan’s injury is not yet known, but in his latest tweets he said that he was ‘keeping his fingers crossed’.

The 28-year-old’s teammate Juan Mata also chimed in, wishing for a speedy recovery.

If Mkhitaryan and Carrick are both ruled out of this weekend’s showdown at Wembley, then Mourinho could turn to either Marouane Fellaini or Bastian Schweinsteiger.

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Manchester City right-back Bacary Sagna is keen to return to London amid rumours that West Ham United want to sign him, according to The Sun.

What’s the latest?

The Hammers were touted as a potential destination for Sagna last month, and now it appears that they have a realistic chance of landing him.

The Sun claims that the France international is ready to call time on his spell in the North-West as he would prefer to move back to the capital.

Sagna spent seven years of his career in London playing for Arsenal before joining City on a free transfer in 2014.

These latest reports indicate that the full-back would consider setting up home at the London Stadium in the summer.

Would this relationship work?

For West Ham, they are still trying to find the perfect solution to their right-back problem.

Sam Byram joined the club from Leeds United last year, but injuries and a lack of form has hampered his progress.

Manager Slaven Bilic has even had to resort to playing Cheikhou Kouyate in that position, but with Sagna as an option, they would have an experienced man to call upon.

From Sagna’s point of view, joining the East London outfit would give him an opportunity for regular football.

This season under Pep Guardiola, the 34-year-old has started just 14 Premier League games and two Champions League encounters.

At West Ham, regular game time would be on the cards, but Sagna may have to take a drop in wages.

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Everton manager Ronald Koeman has finally provided Toffees fans with some positive news after ruling himself out of the running for the vacant Netherlands job, according to Voetbal International via Football Oranje.

Following Seamus Coleman’s double leg break and the uncertainty over the futures of Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, the 54-year-old committing his future to the Merseyside outfit – for the time being at least – will be a boost for everyone involved with the club.

The Toffees are currently in seventh position in the Premier League table, and know that they could close the gap to arch-rivals Liverpool to just three points if they win at Anfield on Saturday.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on their boss committing his immediate future to the side via social media, with many delighted that he wants to continue the project he has started at Goodison Park.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction from Toffees fans to the news…

Some were a little more sceptical than others though…