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Shai Hope has been tipped for “a tremendous future in Test cricket” despite being dropped from the West Indies Test squad for the tour of New Zealand.Hope, now aged 26 and a veteran of 34 Tests, has long been viewed as one of the most talented batsmen in the Caribbean. But despite performing well in ODI cricket – he is currently placed at No. 12 in the ICC’s batting rankings in the format and was at No. 4 midway through 2019 – he has endured a grim run of form in Test cricket. He has averaged 19.48 since December 2017 and just 14.45 since February 2019. His career average in Test cricket has slipped to 26.27. As a result, he has been omitted from the touring squad and will instead work on his game in Barbados.”I think we would all agree that he’s not been at his best in Test cricket for quite a while,” Roger Harper, CWI lead selector, said. “He’s performed very well in the 50-over version, but in Test cricket he’s not been anywhere close to his best and this has gone on for a while.

West Indies touring party

Test squad: Jason Holder (capt), Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Chemar Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach
Test Reserves: Nkrumah Bonner, Joshua DaSilva, Preston McSween, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales
T20I squad: Kieron Pollard (capt), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr, Kesrick Williams

“Sometimes, by continuing to select a player, you do them more harm than good. So, we’ve given him an opportunity to go away and work on his game. The head coach, Phil Simmons, has put a programme in place to help him get back to his best. He’s not being left to his own devices.”He has an important part to play in the future of West Indies cricket. There’s a tremendous future for him in Test cricket, but he needs to get his batting back to where we know it can be. That’s what this is about: giving him that opportunity to find his mojo again in Test cricket and come back a stronger and better player.”John Campbell may consider himself fortunate not to have suffered the same fate. Campbell, who has a top score of 55 after nine Tests, actually scored fewer runs than Hope in England but, while Harper admitted there was “a lot of discussion” over his position, he has held his spot.”There was a lot of debate about this,” Harper said. “And there were a lot of other players considered, including Kieran Powell. But in the end, the panel decided to give him another opportunity to cement his place in the team.”While Harper admitted the batting, especially the top order, had been a concern for a while, he was hopeful the return of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer would add some solidity. Both men have earned recalls – Hetmyer is also in the T20I squad – after having opted out of the tour to England on health grounds.”The return of these guys is very important,” Harper said. “Our batting at the top has been a bit of a problem. It is an area that has been concerning us for a while. We’re hoping that the return of Bravo will add some solidity and leadership at the top of the order. We hope it will help us lay the foundations to build big totals. He’s been making runs consistently in every format.Rahkeem Cornwall retained his place in the Test squad despite an underwhelming performance in England•Getty Images

“We know how talented Hetmyer is and he gives us a lot more depth, quality and ability in the middle order. He’s hungry to get back and anxious to show what a quality player he is, especially in Test cricket. I personally believe he has the ability to be one of best batsmen in the world in Test cricket. We hope he’ll be able to seize the opportunity to show how good he is.”With quarantine regulations in the Caribbean rendering a training camp difficult to arrange, the squad is expected to depart for New Zealand early and have a camp there. The tour will also see an A side made-up of the reserves, the T20I squad, and those not required by the Test team, play two four-day first-class games during the Test series. Nicholas Pooran, who has only played three first-class games, is one of those expected to feature in these matches. “A lot of consideration was given to [selecting] him [in the Test squad] and we’re still considering,” Harper said.Meanwhile, Harper insisted that both Chris Gayle, who last played T20I cricket in March 2019, and Sunil Narine, who has recently been reported as having a suspect action, remained under consideration for T20 World Cup selection.”Chris is a world-class player,” Harper said. “We know what he’s capable of, so he’ll be considered going forward. And Sunil is a world-class performer. We know what he can do. He understands the process of getting through these challenges. Once he’s available, we’ll look at him.”Andre Fletcher, meanwhile, returned to the T20I squad for the first time since 2018, while there is a first call-up in the format for Kyle Mayers, who enjoyed a good CPL campaign. Rahkeem Cornwall retained his place in the Test squad, too, despite an underwhelming performance in England.”Of course we kept faith in him [Cornwall],” Harper said. “You have to remember, two Tests ago, he has a ten-wicket haul in Test cricket. It was one Test in England. A little bit of inexperience showed there. We expect he can raise his game if called upon again.”Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis opted not to participate in the tour. Health concerns and the demands of life in lockdown are understood to be have been key factors, while Lewis told the selectors he was injured. A statement from CWI said it “fully respects their decision” and that it “will not impact consideration for future selection”.

Cesare Casadei has admitted to hating life at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino and explained how Enzo Maresca changed his future plans.

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Casadei struggled to impress PochettinoWas a fringe player under the ArgentineMaresca's arrival offered him a fresh startFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old, who joined Chelsea in 2022 from Inter, faced a difficult period after his loan at Leicester was cut short in January of last season. After returning to west London, he managed only 71 minutes of game time under Pochettino, spread across 11 substitute appearances, much to his frustration.

AdvertisementWHAT CASADEI SAID

“It was pretty hard under Pochettino because I only made a few appearances as a substitute," he told . "Eleven games, but only 71 minutes on the pitch. I wasn’t too happy. Everyone would like to play more."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

However, the arrival of Enzo Maresca at Chelsea this season has completely transformed Casadei’s outlook. The Italian coach, who previously worked with several young stars, including Casadei at Leicester, brought a new energy and tactical vision that reignited the midfielder’s career.

“I was thrilled when I saw Maresca arrive at Stamford Bridge," he said. "I am not the only one who has already worked with him. [Kiernan] Dewsbury-Hall came from Leicester. [Cole] Palmer and [Romeo] Lavia played under him at Manchester City. The coach was very clear from the first day, and everyone understood his ideas. Being a compatriot is handy because of the language; I can immediately understand his tactical instructions. However, I am treated the same way as anyone else. There are no privileges.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the option to leave on loan during the summer transfer window, Casadei decided to remain at Chelsea after a conversation with Maresca. The young midfielder's confidence in his decision has only grown as he continues to play an important role under Maresca’s system.

"Maresca told me what he thinks, and I had no doubts," Casadei explained. "I remained here without even considering potential loan deals. I'm not even thinking about the January transfer window. I couldn’t be more proud to play for Chelsea, and the competition is one of the reasons why I decided to stay.

"I like the way he sees football. We are working well under his guidance. I think he is a top coach because he can get the best out of everyone. He’s exigent as you expect him to be. We are at Chelsea and we have great expectations."

A £200,000-a-week Arsenal player has already held talks with a European club over joining them, with a meeting held behind-the-scenes.

Edu set to sell several Arsenal players this summer

The transfer window doesn't officially open until June 14, but there are already many rumours circulating in regard to Arsenal and sporting director Edu's summer business.

Mikel Arteta really likes £160,000-per-week star as he approves Arsenal swoop

The Spaniard is an admirer.

ByEmilio Galantini May 21, 2024

The Brazilian has vowed to keep on improving the Arsenal squad, and reportedly wants to bring in a new goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward (Simon Collings). However, to fund the acquisition of what would be four key signings, certain members of the squad will have to be sold to balance their books.

At the back, keeper Aaron Ramsdale has been widely tipped to leave Arsenal after losing his spot to David Raya at the start of 2023/2024. Ramsdale has still managed a spot in England's provisional squad for Euro 2024, but he may not be in Gareth Southgate's favour much longer if he doesn't go elsewhere for guaranteed game time.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

There have even been reports that Newcastle have agreed a deal to sign Ramsdale already, but this audacious claim is yet to come to fruition. Elsewhere in the squad, it is believed Edu could sell Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe – as the transfer chief looks to fund a swoop for Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes among others.

Bigger names aren't ruled out from the chopping block either, as uncertainty surrounds the futures of both Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey. Both Jesus and Partey are attracting Saudi interest, according to reports, with Pro League sides said to be preparing "lucrative" contract offers to tempt them.

Partey scarcely featured under Mikel Arteta last season in comparison to previous years, making just 14 top flight appearances, with the Ghanaian also entering the final 12 months of his contract.

Thomas Partey holds Arsenal exit talks with Fenerbache

Now, Fotospor have an update on the £200,000-a-week midfielder's future. They claim Partey has held talks with Fenerbache over leaving Arsenal, with a meeting taking place between him and the Turkish Super Lig giants. However, much will depend on the result of their presidential elections, which will have a real say on whether or not they formally move for Partey.

Ali Koc, the current Fenerbache president, will be at the centre of a vote in around 10 days time. If a sufficient majority isn't achieved at the ordinary elections, another vote will be held on the 8-9 June.

If Koc remains president of Fenerbache, they will apparently sit down for formal talks with Arsenal over signing Partey. The 30-year-old, if he does depart north London this summer, will be remembered as a faithful servant – with La Liga expert Gerry Armstrong calling him "sensational".

Chris Woakes takes five as England beat the weather to complete 2-1 series win

The Report by Valkerie Baynes28-Jul-2020

Stuart Broad celebrates England’s victory after taking his tenth wicket•Getty Images

It was all about one man.Stuart Broad, in claiming his 500th Test wicket on the last day, sealed his dominance over West Indies in this third and final Test at Emirates Old Trafford and delivered England’s fight back from 0-1 down in the series to reclaim the Wisden Trophy 2-1.Broad’s ten wickets for the match, not to mention his highly anticipated step into the 500 club, overshadowed Chris Woakes’ five-wicket haul. But Woakes’ contribution was no less important, given that England had to take eight wickets on a rain-affected last day to place their hands on the trophy, which will now be retired at Lord’s.Broad’s 6 for 31 helped bowl West Indies out for 197 in response to England’s first-innings 369, to which he had contributed a valuable 62 from just 45 deliveries after a mini-collapse had left the hosts 280 for 8.Rory Burns’ 90 plus half-centuries to Joe Root and Dom Sibley in England’s second innings pushed their lead to 398 runs and Broad then claimed the wickets of opener John Campbell and nightwatchman Kemar Roach late on the third day to put his side in command before Monday’s washout. In doing so, Broad spent from the close of play on Sunday until the final morning on Tuesday on 499 Test wickets.Broad joined the 500 club – becoming the seventh man, and fourth seam bowler, in history to claim 500 Test wickets – after a brief rain interruption early in the first session when he had Kraigg Brathwaite out lbw with a ball that kept low and struck the back pad in line with off stump.Incidentally, Brathwaite was the 500th Test wicket for James Anderson, the other England player on the list, at Lord’s in 2017. Anderson now has 589 and, before play, backed Broad, who is four years his junior, to “take as many wickets as he wants”.Milestone achieved, Broad made way for Woakes to do his thing, but he returned to the attack to claim West Indies’ final wicket with his first ball back, Jermaine Blackwood caught down the leg side by Jos Buttler. Broad finished as the leading wicket-taker for the series with 16 from two Tests at an average of 10.93.ALSO READ: Stats: Broad’s career in milestones, and momentum-seizing momentsIf the scriptwriters had handed Broad a blank sheet of paper and asked him to pen the episode himself, it’s unlikely he would have changed a thing down to the timing of the rain, which had caused minimal disruption through the final day but began to fall heavily within minutes of the close.Woakes played his part beautifully as England’s “Mr Dependable” and, one suspects in light of his reputation as one of the nicest blokes in cricket, he probably didn’t begrudge Broad stealing the spotlight away from his fourth five-for in Tests.Broad even had a hand in Woakes claiming his first scalp for the innings when Shai Hope skied his attempted pull and Broad ran in from mid-on to take the catch. Hope had reached his highest score of the series with 31 but with his side needing to bat out the day for the draw to retain the trophy, they needed much more.There was still the potential for West Indies to hold on, with the likes of Shamarh Brooks, Blackwood, Roston Chase and Jason Holder in their line-up but it was going to take something special. Woakes negated the threat of Brooks, whom he had caught behind for 22.The tourists underlined how not to bat long with the run-out of Chase. Blackwood pushed Woakes towards cover point and set off for a run as Dom Bess swooped from backward point and fired the ball in brilliantly to the striker’s end, catching Chase short of his ground.Woakes then had Holder, Dowrich and Cornwall out, all lbw and all cheaply, before making way for Broad’s finale to dismiss Blackwood, whose 95 in West Indies’ first-Test victory remained their highest individual score of the series.Broad missed that Test, much to his chagrin, but he responded beautifully with a new-ball spell of 3 for 1 in 14 balls that helped set up England’s series-levelling victory in the second Test. It was the kind of spell that leaves team-mates, including Anderson, in awe but it was just the beginning.The third Test, the final installment of the Wisden Trophy – England and West Indies will contest the Richards-Botham Tropy next time they meet – was iconic in many ways. Two sides with it all to play for, behind closed doors in the first international cricket to be played since the Covid-19 lockdown. It was the first time in Test history that a side had come back to win a series from 1-0 down twice in a row following England’s triumph in South Africa earlier this year.But ultimately, it was all about one man.

اتخذ نادي برشلونة أولى خطواته من أجل ضم مهاجم وهداف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي آينتراخت فرانكفورت، عمر مرموش، في نهاية الموسم الحالي.

ويرغب برشلونة بحسب صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية إحداث ضجة بإبرام صفقة تثير اهتمام الجماهير خاصة في مركز المهاجم ليكون بديل مستقبلي للهداف، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، الذي سيبلغ 37 عامًا في الموسم المقبل.

هذا هو تفكير خوان لابورتا رئيس نادي برشلونة الذي يستعد لانتخابات الرئاسة الجديدة والتي ستقام في عام 2026، ولذلك عمر مرموش كان من ضمن الأسماء المرشحة بقوة.

مرموش ليس صاحب الأولوية الأولى وإنما هو الخيار الأرخص في الوقت الحالي مقارنة بمرشحين آخرين لتدعيم خط الهجوم مثل إيرلينج هالاند وفيكتور جيوكيريس، حتى لا تكون هناك أزمة مالية جديدة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هانز فليك يوضح سبب غياب داني أولمو عن برشلونة أمام لاس بالماس

وبحسب شبكة “Tipsbladet” الدنماركية أن هناك كشافين وممثلين من جانب نادي برشلونة كانوا متواجدين في مباراة آينتراخت فرانكفورت وميتلاند في الدوري الأوروبي يوم الخميس الماضي.

ونجح مرموش في تسجيل ركلة جزاء ليفوز فريقه الألماني بالمباراة وإضافة 3 نقاط جديدة، ليؤكد على تألقه في الموسم الحالي.

المثير أيضًا هو أن برشلونة لم يكن النادي الوحيد الذي أرسل كشافيه إلى تلك المباراة، بحسب التقرير، هناك أندية أخرى مثل مانشستر يونايتد، باريس سان جيرمان، توتنهام، ليستر سيتي، بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ وفياريال وكولن.

اختتم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي تدريباته مساء اليوم السبت على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة، استعدادًا لمواجهة فريق البنك الأهلي غدًا في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري المصري.

بدأ المدير الفني للأهلي، مارسيل كولر، المحاضرة الفنية مع اللاعبين من خلال عرض فيديو، ركز خلاله على الجوانب التكتيكية والخططية قبل انطلاق المران الجماعي.

طالع..قائمة الأهلي لمباراة البنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري.. استبعاد الشناوي وموقف إمام عاشور

شهد المران فقرات بدنية وفنية متنوعة تحت إشراف أندرياس إندويا، مخطط الأحمال، فيما خصص مدرب الحراس ميشيل يانكون تدريبات مكثفة لرباعي حراسة المرمى محمد الشناوي، مصطفى شوبير، حمزة علاء، مصطفى مخلوف.

اختُتم المران بتقسيمة قوية بمشاركة جميع اللاعبين، تحت قيادة كولر، حيث ظهر اللاعبون بحالة فنية وبدنية جيدة.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الأهلي فريق البنك الأهلي غدًا الأحد في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسادسة مساءً بتوقيت السعودية على ملعب السلام.

وكان الأهلي، قد تعادل أمام الاتحاد السكندري، في المباراة الأخيرة بمسابقة الدوري المصري بهدف لكل منهما.

Leeds United could well err on the side of caution when it comes to playing Georginio Rutter today, the exciting Frenchman undergoing a hernia operation in the international break and could be deemed too fragile to start away at Watford consequently.

The Whites should still have enough explosive talent at their disposal to get the better of a Watford side now managed by Tom Cleverley on an interim basis regardless, with the Hornets dismissing yet another manager recently in the form of Valerien Ismael.

Daniel Farke could decide to chop and change his XI not just to accommodate for Rutter being rested however, with Daniel James clamouring for a place back in his manager's lineup after a lively cameo against Millwall last time out.

Daniel James' performance vs Millwall in numbers

James' goal late from off the bench ensured Leeds didn't fall victim to any late scares at Elland Road against Neil Harris' away side, cruising to a 2-0 win over the Lions in the end.

But, it wasn't just his strike in isolation that caught the eye from his impactful 21 minutes on the pitch.

James would manage to pull off two key passes from just six attempted when coming on in place of Wilfried Gnonto, on top of hitting the woodwork with another effort to nearly hand himself a brace from so little time in the thick of the action.

It feels like a no-brainer to give James a run-out from minute one away at Watford therefore, with Gnonto failing to impress against the Lions away from his blinding strike that opened the scoring.

The ex-FC Zurich man would just register 31 touches, eight fewer than Whites goalkeeper Illan Meslier in the 2-0 win, and so could be axed for James to put in a lightning-quick shift against Watford to try and catch the Hornets out instead.

Joel Piroe could also have the reward of being drafted into Farke's XI for the trip to Hertfordshire, with the ex-Swansea City man fading into the background in recent weeks despite starring in patches this season for his title-chasing side.

Joel Piroe could be Georginio Rutter's replacement

If Rutter is told to sit out the trip down to Vicarage Road, Farke could do far worse than reintroducing Piroe into the first team fold in his place.

Surprisingly, despite having 11 goals next to his name for the season and boasting the tag of being "clinical" by football journalist Josh Bunting, the 6 foot 1 attacker has found himself out of his manager's first-team plans as of late owing to a revitalised Patrick Bamford becoming key again.

Yet, although his goal record suggests he's more of a prolific striker than a number ten, Piroe has excelled in this spot behind the striker this season for Farke's men away from being just a conventional centre-forward presence.

One of the last times the Dutchman played in this attacking midfield slot was against Ipswich Town in December, where Piroe got in on the goalscoring act in a comprehensive 4-0 drubbing of Kieran McKenna's men.

Away from that strike, Piroe was calm and measured on the ball at points too with one key pass managed in the big victory.

Joel Piroe's stats by position this season – 2023/24
Position	Games played	Goals	Assists
CAM	21	8	1
ST	10	4	1
SS	2	0	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, despite the £15k-per-week man playing 74 of his 96 games predominantly as a striker at former employers Swansea, he excels being played in a more creative role for Farke's men.

With the season hurtling towards a number of crucial contests, every player will have to be at their peak for the run-in which could see Farke make changes accordingly to keep his impressive Whites side fresh and up for the task of returning straight back to the Premier League.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is reportedly on "borrowed time", as per a former Scottish Premiership club chief.

Celtic chasing Rangers

The former Liverpool manager is currently on his second stint with Celtic, with his first time in charge beginning in May 2016. His first tenure was of course incredibly successful, with the 51-year-old managing to win seven honours whilst at the club, with two of those being league titles.

However, despite being welcomed back to The Hoops with (mostly) open arms, his second spell with the Scottish side has been far from smooth sailing. The club currently reside in second place and have only won three of their last five Premiership games.

Brendan Rodgers' 2023/24 season at Celtic so far
Games	39
Wins	25
Draws	6
Losses	8
Data from Transfermarkt

This is quite a fall from grace for Celtic following their previous season, as Ange Postecoglou's side managed to finish on 99 points and only lose three domestic games the entire campaign. The sole outlier being the 2020/21 season where Steven Gerrard led Rangers to an undefeated season with 102 points, the Bhoys have won 11 out of the last 12 titles, so anything less than first place is correctly categorised as failure.

And as Phillipe Clement's men are currently leading the way by two points, Celtic's streak of dominance could once again be stopped by their rivals. If Rodgers does fail to lead the club to a title they are expected to look to replace him in the near future, with former Aberdeen Club Chief Keith Wyness claiming the Northern Ireland manager is on "borrowed time."

Rodgers running out of time

Speaking on Football Insiders' Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old suggested Rodgers could be replaced "within a year or two".

"I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change in manager in the off-season. I don’t know if Rodgers was the right pick," said Wyness. "It’s not a happy ship. It does seem to be on the pitch where the failings have come. It certainly seems that they’ve been underperforming in some pretty key games."

These claims come after the Hoops were knocked out of the group stages of the Champions League after only amassing four points out of a possible 18. Rodgers has, however, managed to overcome Celtic's Old Firm rivals on two occasions this term.

Despite triumphing over their arch rivals twice, Wyness went on to claim he has "no sympathy" for the 51-year-old.

"If you’re not first in Scotland, you’re nowhere – and I think the footballing side is what I’d be focusing on to find answers. I don’t have any sympathy for Rodgers. He’s a very experienced manager and he knew what he was walking into. I think he’s running on borrowed time. It’s going to be very hard to claw it back after this unhappy start.

"Even if he wins the league, I think it will only be a year or two before he ends up leaving.”

Glasgow Rangers finally return to Premiership action following a 16-day break as they take on Hibernian at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

The Gers were due to face Dundee in the league just three days after their 1-0 defeat to Benfica in the Europa League, but a waterlogged pitch meant the game was postponed, giving Philipp Clement and his men an unlikely day off.

The Belgian will have spent the international break working on bringing back some of his injured players ahead of the title run-in, as the likes of Danilo and Abdallah Sima could potentially make all the difference for the Light Blues.

One game at a time will surely be the mantra Clement preaches to his side, starting with the clash against the Easter Road outfit on Saturday.

A win for Rangers would see them leapfrog Celtic and return to the summit of the Premiership, which could be crucial in terms of applying pressure on their Old Firm rivals.

With this in mind, here's a look at the that Clement could choose for the league tie at Ibrox, as a few players may come into the team having started on the bench against Benfica…

1 GK – Jack Butland

There is no doubt Butland will have been disappointed to have missed out on a call-up to the England side for their recent friendlies, yet this could motivate him over the next few weeks.

In 29 Premiership games this term, the former Crystal Palace goalkeeper has conceded just 16 goals, which is the best defensive record in the top flight.

A 24th clean sheet of the campaign would go a long way to seeing the Gers claim all three points against Hibs.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The long-serving skipper has enjoyed playing against Hibs throughout his spell in Glasgow, scoring eight goals and grabbing five assists since his first meeting way back in 2015.

The experienced defender has been on the losing side against Hibs on just six occasions, aiming to secure his 19th victory against the Edinburgh side on Saturday.

With plenty at stake between now and May, Tavernier will surely be up to the task of containing them on Saturday.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

With over 300 appearances for the Light Blues, Goldson knows what it takes to win a league title, although this is the first time he has really been involved in a proper title race.

The centre-back has missed just four matches throughout 2023/24, proving to be a pillar of consistency under Clement.

4 CB – John Souttar

The Scot will continue his fine partnership alongside Goldson on Saturday afternoon, with the duo shining together over the previous few months.

Souttar endured an injury-ravaged debut season at Ibrox, yet he has missed only 15 matches this term, with the majority of them due to injury.

The defender played just 22 minutes for Scotland during the recent international break, thus he should be fresh and ready to go.

5 LB – Borna Barisic

Ridvan Yilmaz was injured on international duty for Turkey, meaning he will miss the Hibs clash at least.

This gives Clement a selection headache, however. Dujon Sterling suffered a hamstring injury against Hibs in the Scottish Cup clash at the start of the month, with his return unlikely for Saturday’s match.

This means Clement could be forced to unleash Borna Barisic, yet the Croatian has started just three league matches in 2024 and has proven to be a liability when unleashed in the starting XI.

6 CM – John Lundstram

The midfielder is one of the first names on Clement’s team sheet – missing just one match under the Belgian thus far – and his performances have been excellent.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, but his displays recently should ensure he is offered an extension to his current deal.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

The January signing has hit the ground running at Ibrox, scoring twice across his opening ten matches, while chipping in with an assist too.

The Ivorian could be at the heart of the midfield for the foreseeable future, with the Gers surely looking to make a major profit on the starlet who will join permanently in the summer for a fee of £4.3m.

8 RW – Scott Wright

Wright hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons, scoring just twice in all competitions, yet his display against Benfica was lively and may have secured him a place in the starting XI on Saturday.

Against the Portuguese side, he completed one key pass along with succeeding with three of his five dribble attempts, proving to be a threat on the right wing.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

The attacking midfielder – who cost just £1.5m from Norwich City a year ago – returned from injury against Benfica, coming on for the final 17 minutes to get some much-needed game time.

He will take the place of Tom Lawrence in the starting XI, as the Englishman – whom Brian Laudrup lauded as "wonderful to watch" – has scored six goals and grabbed four assists this term, showcasing his talents in the number ten role.

10 LW – Rabbi Matondo

The winger, like Cantwell, also came off the bench against Benfica for the final 20 minutes as he stepped up his progress towards a full start.

This could come against Hibs, especially as Clement could move Fabio Silva into a more central position, leaving the left-wing slot available for the Welshman.

Four goals and four assists this season indicate that he has been productive, and he will be keen for more on Saturday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Piris da Motta está com o seu GPS traçado para retornar ao Ninho do Urubu. Emprestado aoGençlerbirligi, da Turquia, até o final deste mês, o volante vê o Flamengo, que pediu o seu retorno antecipado, correr nos bastidores para inscrevê-lo até o fim desta semana, uma vez que a janelade transferências de jogadores oriundos do exterior se encerra neste domingo.

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A informação inicial é do site “Goal”. Nos planos de Rogério Ceni para o segundo semestre, Piris só poderá atuarem agosto, quando reabre a janela, caso o Flamengo não consiga reativar o seu vínculo com o clube até o dia 23.

Desde setembro na Turquia, Piris da Motta se tornou titular rapidamente e disputou 36 partidas peloGençlerbirligi no Campeonato Turco. O clube foi rebaixado para a segunda divisão, mas o meio-campista teve um rendimento elogiável e, batedor oficial de pênaltis da equipe, marcou seis gols ao todo.

O volante de 26 anos tem vínculo com o Flamengo até o fim de 2022. O clube turco teria que desembolsar 3,5 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 22 milhões) para contratar o paraguaio em definitivo, mas já sinalizou que não exercerá o direito.

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A possibilidade de Piris da Motta reforçar o Flamengo de imediato se dá em meio a avançadas negociações de Gerson – que atua no mesmo setor de campo – com oOlympique de Marseille-FRA.Representantes do clube francês, aliás, já estão no Rio para sacramentar a transferência (veja mais aqui).