Category Uncategorized

There is no escaping that this has been another dismal season for Chelsea Football Club.

Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to create a winning team out of his incredibly talented but young squad, and as a result, he has seriously struggled in the Premier League.

That said, there have been a couple of bright spots in the Blues' campaign, notably their Cup runs and the emergence of Cole Palmer.

The young Englishman has been a revelation in west London this year, although a former Chelsea ace is outscoring him away from England.

Cole Palmer's performance this season

Since completing his £42.5m move from Manchester City in the summer, Palmer has been a man-possessed for the Blues and looks every bit the superstar Todd Boehly and Co were hoping he'd be.

1

Cole Palmer

14

12

2

Nicolas Jackson

12

4

3

Raheem Sterling

8

10

4

Enzo Fernández

7

3

5

Mykhaylo Mudryk

6

3

In just 34 games for the Pensioners, the Wythenshawe-born gem has scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists, meaning that in his first full season of regular first-team football, the former City prospect is averaging a goal involvement every 1.3 games, which is simply remarkable.

He isn't scoring meaningless goals in 3-0 drubbings or consolation goals in defeats, either; he's having a material impact on essential matches.

For example, he scored the opening goal in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal, netted twice in their 3-2 away win over Luton Town, found the equaliser at home against City, and, most recently in the league, scored and assisted against Newcastle United.

His impact at Stamford Bridge has been undeniable, and as talent scout Jacek Kulig argues, he's already become one of the team's key "leaders" at just 21, so it's quite surprising that a former Chelsea striker is currently outscoring him away from London.

Michy Batshuayi's performances after leaving Chelsea

Yes, the former Chelsea ace in question is Belgium international Michy Batshuayi, who, after spending six years bouncing between the Bridge and various loan clubs, secured a permanent move away to Turkish Süper Lig outfit Fenerbahçe in September 2022 for a fee of around €3.5m, or £3m.

In his first season with Sari Kanaryalar, the Brussels-born forward had to contend with three separate injuries that saw him miss 12 games and spend 54 days on the sidelines, which could be long enough to disrupt and ruin many players' entire campaign, but not for the former Chelsea man.

Despite playing just 32 games throughout the year, the 6 foot 1 marksman still managed to score 20 goals, provide two assists, and play a key role in Fenerbahçe's Turkish Cup triumph.

Appearances

32

36

Goals

20

21

Assists

2

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.66

So, in his first year with the Turkish giants, he averaged a goal involvement every 1.45 games and lifted a major trophy, making his £3m price tag look like a steal.

Fortunately, the "deadly" marksman, as journalist Josh Bunting dubbed him, has remained injury-free this season and has already scored 21 goals and provided three assists in 36 appearances, alongside getting some kickboxing practice (video below), it would seem.

Ultimately, Chelsea's decision to sell Batshuayi in 2022 might have made sense at the time, but given how well he has performed for one of the biggest clubs in Turkey, it would've been interesting to see what Pochettino could've got out of him.

Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav spun a web around a listless South Africa middle order, taking five wickets for just 33 between them to help India to an 11-run win in the first T20I in Surat. That was despite a spirited counter-attack from Mignon du Preez, who kept a packed stadium and all the Indian fielders on the edge with some powerful blows in her 43-ball 59. At one stage, she brought the equation down to 12 off five balls with a six off the first delivery of the last over, before running past one in the search of another maximum, stumped in the final over.The result, though comfortable in the end, looked improbable after India huffed and puffed to 130 and Pooja Vastrakar, who started proceedings on her return to international cricket bowled a wayward first over that went for 18. Lizelle Lee was the beneficiary, picking up three fours in the opening over of the chase.The poor start seemed to have had a cascading effect as the experienced Shikha Pandey, too, strayed her inswinger onto the pads of Lee, paying the price with a four pulled through square leg and a couple of wides down the leg side. But she had the last laugh, getting her final ball on target, and the inswinger burst through the gap between Lee’s seemingly impenetrable forward defence.Lee’s wicket marked the beginning of South Africa’s steep slide. After the first 11 balls had gone for 25, the next 7.1 overs saw four wickets fall for just 23. It was precisely when the match turned as Deepti started with a maiden over, before removing Tazmin Brits and Nadine de Klerk in the space of four balls. In her next, which was quite remarkably the second of her three consecutive maidens.Four overs later, after a quiet period, Poonam struck twice in two balls, removing Laura Woolvaardt and stand-in captain Sune Luus, with a chance of a hat-trick against a batsman who hadn’t faced a ball in international cricket. Though Nondumiso Shangase survived the hat-trick, Harmanpreet Kaur, who was extracting appreciable turn with her seemingly innocuous offbreaks, got one to rip through her defences to leave them tottering at 65 for 6 in the 12th. With the match slipping from their grasp like quicksand, du Preez went on the attack, but though she threatened right till the end, she didn’t have enough support to take her side over the line.Earlier, after being put into bat, India started poorly, losing 15-year-old debutant Shafali Verma for a four-ball duck to Shabnim Ismail, though much of the credit for the wicket should go to Tumi Sekhukhune, who took a stunner diving to her left at mid-on. South Africa’s fielding oscillated between moments of brilliance like that and mediocrity as they missed run-out chances and dropped catches, the steepler of Harmanpreet costing 14, which proved to be quite significant in the end as the Indian captain rode her luck to get 43.But before that, opener Smriti Mandhana and No.3 Jemimah Rodrigues feasted on some inconsistent bowling which included a number of full tosses that they dispatched to the fence. Ironically, it was a high full toss that saw the end of Mandhana for 21, after she had found the boundary twice in the sixth over from Shangase already. This time, she only managed to sky one to backward point, the umpires, after a brief consultation upstairs, deeming it a legal delivery. Rodrigues holed out to long-on, but India’s own collapse was orchestrated by de Klerk, who struck twice in the space of three balls to send back Deepti and a dangerous-looking Harmeenpreet, who swung across the line of a straight one to be trapped in front. Despite those wickets, the lower order managed to eke out some vital runs that took India to 130, which proved sufficient.

Hosts seek victory at The Oval to square series as end of the Bayliss era approaches

The Preview by Andrew Miller11-Sep-2019Big PictureWell, that feelgood factor didn’t last quite as long as intended for England. The miracle of Headingley – Ben Stokes’ glorious snatching of Ashes salvation from the jaws of ignominy – will live on for all who witnessed it, savoured it (and, yes, despaired of it). But now, thanks to the normality-restoring events at Old Trafford, it stands only as a snapshot of one-off Test glory, rather than a launchpad for that extraordinary series turnaround that England briefly envisioned.Posterity will still judge the events of that unforgettable afternoon kindly – by any criteria, it remains one of the greatest Tests ever played – but its overall impact must now be seen along the same lines of England’s three-run win in Melbourne in 1982-83, rather than the two-run triumph of Edgbaston 2005, let alone Ian Botham’s original Headingley heist in 1981.For Australia, however … the narrative is one of redemption, vindication and, over the course of the next five days, a shot at immortality. It has been 18 long years since the Ashes were retained in England, in that steamrolling summer of 2001, when Steve Waugh signed off a 4-1 series win with a one-legged hundred on this very ground at The Oval, and that is an achievement in itself that Tim Paine and his cohorts rightly celebrated long into the night at Old Trafford over the weekend.But, even allowing for the short turnaround between Tests, there will remain intense motivation in Australia’s ranks to finish what they have started, just as Andrew Strauss’ men achieved in very similar circumstances on England’s triumphant tour of Australia in 2010-11. Then, and now, a 3-1 series win would be a scoreline befitting the dominance that the visitors have exerted at the key moments of the series. A 2-2 draw, the first in an Ashes rubber since 1972, would provide England with welcome succour, but one that, if they are honest with themselves, they would scarcely have merited over the course of the five Tests.If that seems a harsh judgement on an England campaign that has featured Stokes at his superhuman best, Stuart Broad at his fullest and fastest for months, and moments of unforgettable fire and theatre from Jofra Archer, then it is hard to look at the rest of the England line-up and find any unequivocal success stories. Rory Burns has had his moments – certainly relative to any of the other opening batsmen on either side – but the middle order, Stokes aside, has been apologetically poor and showing next to no signs of a functional revival.To a large degree, of course, that is down to the relentless brilliance of Australia’s bowling attack – the most talented and tenacious pack of performers to have visited these shores since that 2001 summer of McGrath, Warne, Lee and Gillespie in his pomp. In Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Australia have a pair of spearheads who have at times seemed, well, possessed, as they have zeroed in on the top of that off stump time and time again and torment the techniques of an increasingly ragged set of England performers.It’s surprising, therefore, that the selectors named an unchanged 13-man squad for this match – although the impending departure of the coach, Trevor Bayliss, does mitigate that decision to a degree. It would arguably have placed the likes of Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope or Zak Crawley on a hiding to nothing to be drafted in at this stage of the series only to have to impress a brand-new regime when next month’s tour of New Zealand gets underway.Besides, it has always been Bayliss’ policy to give his players one chance too many to impress, rather than one too few. So, had it not been for Stokes’s shoulder problem, then Jason Roy (average: 13.75) would surely have been spared the axe. In his absence, the spotlight falls more squarely on Jonny Bairstow (25.42) and Jos Buttler (16.25) – the two other biggest guns who simply haven’t been at the races this series. If they cannot recapture their best in the coming days, there’s a case to be made to purge each of those white-ball heroes from the red-ball set-up, and start afresh with brand new ingredients.For this Oval Test is unlikely to witness any of its traditional farewell performances – certainly nothing to rank alongside Alastair Cook’s bowing-out against India last summer – but the coming five days are sure to resonate as a farewell to a remarkable English summer. The departure of Bayliss confirms the end of a four-year cycle for English cricket, one which delivered untold glory in white-ball cricket, but to the detriment of England’s proud standards in the Test game. No-one in their right minds would argue that the sacrifice wasn’t worth it, but the rebalancing of priorities must begin now. Because the Ashes still matter deeply to all who play and watch it. Perhaps more so than came to be believed in the 18 long years when England victories on home soil were taken for granted.England warm up at The Oval ahead of the fifth Test•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland LWDLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WLDWWIn the spotlightHow much more of a spotlight does Steven Smith need? After 671 runs in five innings – including three hundreds (one of them a double) and a lowest score of 82 – Australia’s greatest batsman for a generation has moved on to a higher plane this summer. He could even have been challenging the unchallengeable – Don Bradman’s 1930 tally of 974 runs in a single series – had it not been for the concussion injury that caused his absence at Headingley. As it is, he has a maximum of two more innings to complete a simply extraordinary body of work, and confirm beyond any remaining doubt that this series will be recalled as Smith’s Ashes.It’s a massive five days for England’s under-fire captain, Joe Root. Though Bayliss claimed that Root was under “no pressure” from any of the decision-makers within English cricket, the facts of his tenure are stark. His average since taking over as captain in 2017 has plummeted from 52 to 40, and no England captain since Archie MacLaren at the turn of the 20th century has survived the loss of consecutive Ashes series. The difference between 3-1 and 2-2 will be of huge personal relevance therefore, and Root will know that his own return to form would be the likeliest catalyst for an England win. So far this Ashes, he’s scored three fifties and a highest of 77 – tellingly, the most he’s made in any series since the 2017-18 Ashes – but three ducks too, two of them golden ones. It’s been more “nearly or nothing” than “all or nothing”, but if any England batsman has the pedigree to keep up with Smith, it has to be Root.Team newsEngland’s balance has been dictated by Stokes’ inability to bowl his expected number of overs, having pulled up mid-over with a shoulder complaint at Old Trafford. He put in an energetic showing at nets on the eve of the game, batting, bowling and running around the outfield with his habitual vigour, but England have decided not to risk his long-term fitness. He plays as a batsman only, with Roy missing out on his home ground. Sam Curran’s all-round abilities will feature for the first time this series, alongside Chris Woakes, who slots back in at the expense of Craig Overton – the nearly man of England’s Old Trafford rearguard.England: 1 Rory Burns, 2 Joe Denly, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Jack Leach.Mitchell Marsh has been drafted into the Australia XII at the expense of Travis Head, who has managed 191 runs at 27.28 in the four Tests. He will provide extra bowling options to a hard-worked four-man attack, albeit that the seamers have been rotated throughout the summer. That could yet continue in this game, with Justin Langer floating the possibility of Cummins being rested after leading the line with 24 wickets in the sharp end of the campaign. James Pattinson misses out, so Peter Siddle comes back into contention.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Marcus Harris, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Matthew Wade, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Peter Siddle/Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch that’s been prepared for this fifth Test looks brown and flat in the truest Oval tradition – a fact that doubtless will not please the onlooking James Anderson, in the wake of his comments yesterday about the conditions not favouring the home side. Similarly, the weather is set to be unexpectedly clement for mid-September. Overcast on the first day, then giving way to sunny conditions heading into the weekend.Stats that matter Smith (current series average: 134.20) is returning to a venue where he has played two Tests, in 2013 and 2015, and scored two centuries at 144.00 David Warner, by contrast, has scored 79 runs at 9.87 in the series to date, including seven single-figure scores in eight innings – the joint-most by any opener in a Test series. Warner has also succumbed to Broad in six of those eight innings. Only Moeen Ali, who fell to Nathan Lyon on seven occasions in 2017-18, has a worse head-to-head record in a Test series. Smith’s current tally of 671 runs is more than twice as many as any other Australian batsman in this year’s Ashes, with only Stokes (354) passing the halfway mark for England.England have not lost a Test series on home soil since Sri Lanka beat them 1-0 in a two-Test rubber in 2014. They did, however, draw 2-2 with Pakistan in 2016, including a ten-wicket defeat in the final Test at The OvalQuotes”It’s bitterly disappointing not to have the won the Ashes back, but we haven’t lost anything yet. We’re fully focussed on doing everything we can to finish the series 2-2.”
Joe Root, England’s captain, is focusing on the positives“There’s no such thing as dead rubbers and certainly against England, there’s never a dead rubber. We’re up for it. We’re ready.”
Tim Paine, Australia’s captain, is gunning to finish on a high

Crystal Palace have submitted an offer to sign a new player as Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman eye a late double move in the January transfer window.

Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace future

Most of the speculation at Selhurst Park this month has been regarding the future of manager Roy Hodgson following a woeful run of form for the Eagles. Palace have won just once in their last 12 matches, and after a heavy 5-0 defeat to Arsenal last time out, there were rumours of a change in the dugout.

Steve Cooper and Julen Lopetegui were just two managers under consideration by Parish and Freedman, but it looks as if Hodgson will remain in the hot seat for the clash with Sheffield United on Tuesday.

"Incredible" manager leading race to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace

He’s ready to return to the dugout.

By
Charlie Smith

Jan 23, 2024

Therefore, the club’s attention over the coming days could be on some new arrivals to bolster Hodgson’s squad, and Palace have made their move for one specific target.

Crystal Palace make Adam Wharton bid

According to The Evening Standard’s Nizaar Kinsella, Palace are pushing for a double signing in Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton and Genk right-back Daniel Munoz.

When it comes to the former, the Eagles have made an £18.5m offer for the England U20 international, although it has been rejected by Blackburn, who are holding out for at least £20m.

Palace are still pushing to sign the 19-year-old, though, and alongside Wharton and Munoz, are also exploring the striker market with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s future still uncertain, amid links to Chelsea's Armando Broja.

Wharton has been a regular for Blackburn this season, turning out on 29 occasions in all competitions, mainly in a defensive midfield role.

The highly-rated youngster penned a new long-term contract at Ewood Park last month and came in for plenty of praise from manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, who described the midfielder as a “Champions League level” player on the ball.

“I saw the quality on the ball. He can do things that nobody sees before, he can play passes under pressure, he can play one-touch and he has great vision. I think he’s stepping up to another level from the start of this season.

“He also has weaknesses that we’re working on and he’s improving all the time. You can always work on becoming better. There’s still plenty to come.”

Leeds United have reportedly opened talks to sign a versatile defender who Daniel Farke knows well.

Leeds eyeing new defenders

The Whites recorded a fifth successive win of 2024 on Wednesday evening, defeating Farke’s former side Norwich City 1-0 in the Championship thanks to a Patrick Bamford header.

The win takes Leeds closer to Ipswich Town and Southampton in the race for automatic promotion, with attention now on the transfer market and an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Plymouth Argyle on the weekend. Talking previously about transfers, Farke has hinted at the need for additions at the back, saying:

“We could do with more numbers in defensive positions. But in the last weeks, there was a chance for other players to step up – like [Junior] Firpo and [Ilia] Gruev.

“I won’t lie. A few additions in defensive positions would be helpful. But it has to make sense for us. If not, we go with what we’ve got and I trust my group. We are in a good position. We didn’t win it in the lottery. We won it with good development.”

A few defenders who have been linked with a move to Yorkshire include Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies, West Ham’s Ben Johnson and Burnley’s Connor Roberts.

Ben Godfrey of Everton has also been mentioned as a target, and there has been a new transfer development regarding the 26-year-old.

Leeds open Ben Godfrey talks

According to Football Insider, Leeds ‘have opened preliminary talks about a loan-to-buy deal’ for Godfrey, who pockets £75,000-a-week on Merseyside. Sean Dyche has given the green light for the centre-back to leave Goodison Park, with the Whites now in talks with the Toffees.

Godfrey, who has played everywhere across the backline and even as a holding midfielder during his career, was part of Farke’s Norwich side that won the Championship title on two separate occasions, making 72 appearances under the German.

He hasn’t featured much for the Toffees this season, though, turning out just twice in the Premier League, so a reunion with Farke in the second tier could appeal to Godfrey, hailed as a “monster” in the media.

He’d provide cover in a number of defensive positions and it could also allow Ethan Ampdau to return to midfield, with Farke previously hailing Godfrey, saying:

“You can speak about the best centre-backs in the world now but at 19 and 20 they will have made mistakes. The best ones learn. Ben is playing without mistakes and that is outstanding.

“Now he is able to calm himself down, to focus and control his emotions.”

A move could be one to keep an eye on, although Fabrizio Romano has added that Genoa are also keen on the Everton man.

Steven Smith and David Warner are humans too. They made a mistake – a pretty big mistake – and have paid a price for it – a pretty heavy price. Stop booing them. That’s the plea from Australia coach Justin Langer to crowds in England after the duo were made to feel welcome upon their return in the IPL. However, they have had to cop it in the World Cup warm-up games in England, where they will likely stay back to play the Ashes too.Smith and Warner – captain and vice-captain at the time – spent a year out of cricket for their role in the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test last year. These will be their first international matches back after they resumed competitive cricket during the IPL.The booing at the warm-up game was a wake-up call for Australia after which Langer spoke to the duo.”We have talked about it a lot,” Langer said. “We are expecting it. That said, when it happens, it doesn’t make it any easier. You can talk about it as much as you like but that doesn’t make it any easier. I mean they are human beings, and that’s the truth. That’s where I find it hard.”I am a dad, and I have got kids. A lot of the time, players feel like they are my kids. And you see that happen. You know, you feel for them personally. They are going to have to have thick skin. We have talked about earning respect. I think it is really important that people show some respect as well. Because they are humans, they are really good cricketers. They made a mistake. They have paid the price for it. Big price actually. I feel for them as people more than anything else.”Langer said speaking more about it was not going to make much difference.”After the experience of the other day at Hampshire, I think they have got a pretty good idea what to expect,” Langer said. “And, as I said, you can talk about it as much as you like, you can put strategies in place to make sure they deal with it, but no human likes it. That is the truth. As professional cricketers, they will put that out of their mind. They will go and do their job but no one likes that.”Forget Smith and Warner, Langer said he didn’t want to see any cricketer booed. “I will be disappointed any day if any cricketer is booed on a cricket ground,” Langer said. “Regardless of what country they play for. It is not the spirit that any of us like to see.”Obviously it hurts because I have got an emotional attachment, and personal attachment, to our players. But it is never a good look, is it, when that happens.”This appears to be consistent with how Australia reacted to the booing of visiting captain Virat Kohli in the home summer when he copped it in pretty much every Test. Ricky Ponting, assistant coach now, called it “disgraceful”, and Cricket Australia asked fans to show more respect to the visitors.It is a departure from the time when Stuart Broad was booed all summer in the 2013-14 Ashes, when then-coach Darren Lehmann said: “I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O final de semana do futebol começa de forma agitada. O sábado (6) será recheado de partidas para todos os amantes do mundo da bola. Logo cedo, às 9h30, Burnley e Arsenal dão o pontapé inicial no dia, em partida válida pela rodada da Premier League. A transmissão desse confronto é da ESPN.

RelacionadasNBABlake Griffin é dispensado pelo Detroit PistonsNBA05/03/2021VascoVolta Redonda x Vasco: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistirVasco05/03/2021Futebol InternacionalBayern de Munique x Borussia Dortmund: onde assistir e prováveis escalaçõesFutebol Internacional05/03/2021

Quais são os 40 clubes com os elencos mais valiosos do Brasil? Veja o ranking

Já na parte da tarde, o clássico entre Bayern de Munique e Borussia Dortmund, pela Bundesliga, rouba as atenções. O duelo acontece às 14h30, na Allianz Arena, e será exibido pela Band e pelo One Football

Para finalizar o primeiro dia do final de semana, Macaé e Flamengo entram em campo pelo Campeonato Carioca, às 18h. Depois, às 19h, São Paulo e Santos se confrontam pelo Campeonato Paulista, no estádio do Morumbi.

ESTADUAL COMEÇOU! ACESSE A TABELA DO PAULISTÃO E SIMULE JOGOS

Confira abaixo os principais confrontos do dia e a programação de transmissão:

09h30 – Burnley x Arsenal
Premier League
Onde assistir: ESPN

11h – Spezia x Benevento
Serie A TIM
Onde assistir: TNT Sports

12h – Sheffield United x Southampton
Premier League
Onde assistir: ESPN Brasil

14h – Udinese x Sassuolo
Serie A TIM
Onde assistir: TNT Sports

14h30 – Aston Villa x Wolverhampton
Premier League
Onde assistir: ESPN Brasil

14h30 – Bayern de Munique x Borussia Dortmund
Bundesliga
Onde assistir: Band e One Football

16h – Ceará x Vitória
Copa do Nordeste
Onde assistir: SBT

16h30 – Inter de Limeira x Novorizontino
Campeonato Paulista
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

16h45 – Juventus x Lazio
Serie A TIM
Onde assistir: TNT Sports

17h – Brighton x Leicester City
Premier League
Onde assistir: DAZN

17h – Osasuna x Barcelona
La Liga
Onde assistir: ESPN Brasil

18h – Macaé x Flamengo
Campeonato Carioca
Onde assistir: Record e Fla TV

19h – Pouso Alegre x América-MG
Campeonato Mineiro
Onde assistir: SportV e Premiere

19h – São Paulo x Santos
Campeonato Paulista
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h – URT x Cruzeiro
Campeonato Mineiro
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h – Volta Redonda x Vasco
Campeonato Carioca
Onde assistir: Vasco TV e Cariocão TV

Left-arm seamer Lauren Cheatle is in line for her first international appearance in nearly two years after being recalled to Australia’s one-day squad for the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand later this month.Cheatle took 14 wickets in the WBBL for Sydney Sixers and seven wickets in five matches in the recently completed Women’s National Cricket League. Jess Jonassen is also back in the mix after missing the series against Pakistan in Malaysia late last year.Nicole Bolton remains unavailable as she continues her break from the game which started during the WBBL, while fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck is recovering from a knee injury.Brisbane Heat’s Delissa Kimmince, who was originally dropped from the squad, has been recalled to replace* the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Sophie Molineux, who was ruled out of the series after suffering a shoulder injury while training for Victoria. Kimmince scored 44 and claimed 2 for 52 with the ball during Queensland’s defeat to New South Wales in the WNCL final.”Nicole is unavailable continuing her leave taken during the Big Bash, while the decision was made not to rush Tayla back from a knee injury that ruled her out of the back-end of the Big Bash and last round of domestic cricket,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.”Lauren Cheatle really impressed on the Australia A tour to India in October, and it’s pleasing to see her back playing regular cricket after a string of injuries and we’re confident that her ability to swing the ball will be a challenge for New Zealand.””Sophie suffered a right shoulder subluxation whilst diving during a fielding drill at training earlier in the week,” said Kate Mahony, the Australian team’s physiotherapist. “A scan has revealed significant soft-tissue injury and as a result, she is unavailable for the upcoming series against New Zealand. She will be reviewed over the coming days to determine rehabilitation and return to play time-frame.”Australia captain Meg Lanning was aware of the threat New Zealand will pose in the three matches in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. “There’s a lot on the line throughout this series. We’ve been watching New Zealand play quite well against India in the last few weeks as well. A good challenge for our group and really important we finish off the summer well.””We know they’ve got a very strong team, probably led by Satterthwaite, Bates and Devine. So we’re not surprised they’ve been playing well. Especially against a strong T20 unit in India. We expect them to come over here and play well and we’re looking forward to the challenge of that.”Elyse Villani is part of the squad as she continues to make good progress in her recovery from a hamstring injury sustained in the WBBL.”All progressing as planned, Elyse will tick off the final aspects of her rehabilitation over the next week and we expect that she will be fully fit for the start of the NZ series,” Australia’s physio Kate Mahony said.The selectors also named the squad for Governor-General’s match against New Zealand which will take place on February 28 at Drummoyne Oval. Heather Graham, who was named Domestic Player of the Year at the Australian Cricket Awards, has been included in a side to be captained by Alex Blackwell.Squad Meg Lanning (capt), Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince*, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia WarehamGovernor-General squad Alex Blackwell (capt), Erin Burns, Josie Dooley, Nicole Faltum, Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Rachel Rae-Martin (Australian Defence Force), Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa*9:20am GMT – The squad and article were updated to include news of Sophie Molineux’s injury

MatériaMais Notícias

Em seu primeiro ano de disputa do Campeonato Brasileiro de Aspirantes, o Vila Nova fez história e chegou à grande decisão da competição diante do Ceará. Nos pênaltis, a equipe goiana acabou com o vice-campeonato após vitória por 2 a 0 na ida e derrota por 3 a 1 no jogo de volta. Entretanto, o Vila terá bons valores a lapidar logo no ano de estreia da categoria.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalBi da Série C, Márcio Fernandes repete feito de 2015 e se torna maior campeão nacional do Vila NovaFutebol Nacional02/02/2021Futebol NacionalCampeão brasileiro pela Chapecoense, zagueiro agradece apoio do torcedorFutebol Nacional02/02/2021Futebol Nacional‘Bicampeão’ em passes certos na Série B, zagueiro Didi não renova e deixa o GuaraniFutebol Nacional02/02/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação do Brasileirão da Série C clicando aqui

GALERIA
>Listamos 30 jogadores que só tem contrato até o fim de fevereiro no Brasil

Um destes jovens de destaque é o zagueiro Luizão, de apenas 20 anos. Titular de toda a campanha do Vila Nova na competição e autor do gol que levou a decisão para os pênaltis na partida de volta contra o Vozão, o jovem chamou atenção da comissão técnica do Vila e também de outras equipes do Brasil.

– Individualmente fiz um excelente campeonato, fui regular em todas as partidas em que atuei, conseguimos um feito que vai me ajudar na carreira daqui para frente. Fomos uma das melhores defesas do campeonato e também pude ajudar a equipe com um gol na final. Coletivamente nossa equipe era forte em todos os setores do campo, tanto ataque quanto defesa. A gente conseguiu uma campanha histórica com a camisa do Vila Nova em seu primeiro ano que disputou o Brasileiro sub-23 e por pouco não conquistamos o título – comentou a promessa.

Agora valorizado, Luizão sonha com oportunidades na equipe principal. Após participar da Copa São Paulo no início de 2020, o defensor já foi relacionado para partidas do Campeonato Goiano e da Série C, mas ainda não fez sua estreia no time de cima. Com sondagens, o jovem garante desejo de defender o Tigrão, mas deixa o futuro nas mãos da diretoria e seus empresários.

– Meu objetivo primeiramente é chegar ao profissional do Vila Nova, mas caso apareçam boas propostas para alavancar minha carreira, vamos conversar e definir o que for melhor para todo mundo. Espero alcançar minha meta que é a de atuar nos principais clubes do país e do exterior e com isso dar sequência ao bom momento que estou vivendo hoje na minha carreira – projetou.

Celtic have had a mixed start to the 2023/24 campaign after they decided to bring Brendan Rodgers back to Glasgow after Ange Postecoglou's departure over the summer.

The Hoops were hit with a blow as their former manager opted to part ways with the club in order to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season.

Postecoglou secured the domestic treble last season and that achievement is already out of the question for the Scottish giants this time around as the Bhoys lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock in the League Cup.

Celtic are also bottom of their Champions League group with zero wins and three defeats in their opening four matches – competing against Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, and Lazio.

They are, however, top of the Scottish Premiership and are yet to lose a game in the league, with a record of 11 wins and two draws in 13 outings.

Rodgers added nine new signings to his squad over the summer as Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Hyun-jun Yang, Nat Phillips, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Paulo Bernardo, and Luis Palma were all brought in to bolster the side.

The upcoming January transfer window will provide the Northern Irish head coach with an opportunity to make more additions, and the Hoops have been touted with an interest in a Premiership midfielder.

Celtic transfer news – Lennon Miller

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Scottish giants are one of a number of teams eyeing up a possible swoop to sign Motherwell starlet Lennon Miller.

The outlet named both Celtic and Rangers among the group of clubs keeping tabs on the teenage talent's development, as they track his progress ahead of a potential move for him further down the line.

However, they are not alone in their interest as the Scottish gem has a host of Premier League outfits looking at his performances this season.

It is stated that Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Aston Villa, West Ham United, and Brighton & Hove Albion have also been sending scouts to watch him on a regular basis this term.

There is no mention of how much it would cost to secure te 17-year-old prospect's services or whether or not Motherwell are even prepared to entertain any offers for him during the upcoming January transfer window.

If there is a deal to be had, though, it could be a difficult one for Celtic to complete if they face competition from multiple Premier League sides, who can offer football in a major European league, whilst the Hoops may not have any European football to offer if they finish bottom of their Champions League group and crash out of Europe entirely.

However, Rodgers could secure his next version of his former Leicester City defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi if he is able to win the race for the Motherwell star's signature.

Celtic were touted with an interest in the Nigeria international after the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League but a move did not materialise, after the Northern Irish tactician worked with him in England for a number of years.

Ndidi's form for Leicester under Rodgers

The towering ace made 138 appearances across five seasons for Rodgers during their time together at Leicester, as he excellently anchored the midfield throughout that spell.

Ndidi proved himself to be a superb defensive midfielder who is able to consistently cut out opposition attacks in order to stop his own goalkeeper from being troubled, whilst also being able to create more chances for his own side to make things happen at the right end of the pitch.

In their last full season together, which was during the 2021/22 campaign, the 26-year-old titan made 5.4 tackles and interceptions per game across 19 Premier League matches. He won 54% of his duels that term and was dribbled past 1.7 times per match by his opponents.

Ndidi followed that up with 3.7 tackles and interceptions per outing for Leicester last season, along with a duel success rate of 55% and only being dribbled past once per clash on average, across 27 league games.

The right-footed dynamo ranked within at least the top 6% of his positional peers at Premier League level last term for tackles, interceptions, and clearances respectively per 90, which illustrates how impressive his defending was a midfielder.

These statistics show that Rodgers had a terrific defensive presence in the middle of the park at the King Power and Miller could come in to provide a similar set of skills if Celtic are able to snap him up at the start of 2024, or during the summer transfer window at the end of the season.

Lennon Miller's season in numbers

The 17-year-old talent, who was once hailed as "fantastic" by manager Steven Hammell, has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign with Motherwell.

In spite of his age and lack of experience, Miller has established himself as a dominant force in midfield for his club and is now a regular starter.

The teenage whiz has started nine of his side's Premiership outings so far this season after four appearances and one start in the Scottish top-flight last term.

His defensive qualities have been on full display as the Hoops target has made an eye-catching 3.6 tackles and interceptions along with 7.7 ball recoveries per game. He has also only been dribbled past once per match on average, which shows that the young gem is stopping opposition players far more often than they are getting the better of him.

Miller, at the age of just 17, has won an outstanding 71% of his duels – including 79% of his aerial battles – in the league this season, which shows that he is already physically prepared to compete at first-team level.

The Motherwell battler, who does not turn 18 until next season, has also produced one goal and one assist in five League Cup appearances this term.

Looking at his statistics during the 2023/24 campaign, the impressive teenager could be Rodgers' next Ndidi as he has the physicality and the defensive awareness to consistently cut out and stop opposition attacks to help his side at both ends of the pitch, just as the Nigerian gem did for him at Leicester.