Liverpool are preparing to host Brighton in the Premier League this weekend, but one “world-class” player won’t be back in the fold until late November, as shared by reliable journalist David Lynch.

Liverpool injuries ahead of Brighton clash

The Reds progressed in the EFL Cup in midweek, winning 3-2 away to the Seagulls, and they face them again in the league at Anfield on Saturday afternoon. Arne Slot’s men trail Manchester City by one point going into the weekend Premier League action, and with the reigning champions heading to Bournemouth at the same time on Saturday, it is another crucial afternoon in the title race.

Liverpool are clearly favorites to get the better of Brighton, despite Fabian Hurzeler’s side being a dangerous outfit, but injury problems are threatening to become an issue, even if they aren’t close to as bad as they were at times under Jurgen Klopp.

Alisson and Diogo Jota are both out for the foreseeable future, and the same also applies to Harvey Elliott, who continues to recover from a broken foot. Federico Chiesa’s playing time has also been limited since he completed a summer move from Juventus, while Conor Bradley was out until recently.

Liverpool without "world class" ace until late November

Taking to X, Liverpool will have to make do without Chiesa until after the November international break later this month, as his slow start to life at Anfield continues.

This is such a frustrating situation surrounding the Italian, who admittedly arrived with a reputation for being an injury-prone player, especially having suffered ACL damage earlier in his career.

The 27-year-old has only played 18 minutes of Premier League action this year, and started just once in all competitions, and the fact that he didn’t have much of a pre-season hasn’t helped matters.

Chiesa can be such an asset for Liverpool if he gets fit and hits top gear, though, having starred for Italy en route to winning Euro 2020, standing out as a leading attacking player in the tournament, with Alessandro Pierini saying of him: “He’s world-class.

“He has all the ability and desire of a great player. If he improves then he’ll be even better than his father [Enrico]. I have loads of respect for Enrico and all he has done to help Federico come on as a player until now.”

Thankfully, Chiesa shouldn’t actually miss too many matches, being out of the Brighton, Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa games in the lead-up to the international break, but then hopefully returning after the domestic action returns.

Liverpool prioritising "incredible" £233k-p/w Alexander-Arnold replacement

He’s been at the top of European football for a number of years…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 31, 2024

It feels like it could be a while until Liverpool see him as a key man featuring regularly, especially with five superb attacking options ahead of him in the pecking order.

Over the last couple of months, Tottenham Hotspur’s academy has caught the eye, allowing multiple youngsters to make an impact on the club’s first team.

Mikey Moore is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary, starting his first competitive match against Ferencvaros a couple of weeks ago, after a handful of cameos off the bench.

Despite being just 17, he’s given boss Ange Postecoglou a lot to think about regarding his role, potentially forcing himself into the Aussie’s plans after the ongoing international break.

Striker Will Lankshear also made his first senior start during the same outing as Moore, featuring for over an hour, demonstrating the success of the club’s academy in recent times.

However, the club have also recruited well, with one player transforming Spurs in the defensive department, making them a much harder outfit to break down since his arrival.

Micky Van de Ven’s stats for Spurs

Dutch centre-back Micky Van de Ven would’ve been an unknown quantity to many Spurs supporters before his move back in August 2023, but just over a year on, he’s cemented himself as one of the best in his position within the Premier League.

The former Wolfsburg ace has made 36 appearances since his £34.5m transfer, forming a solid partnership with Argentinian, Cristian Romero, at the back for Postecoglou’s side.

Van de Ven isn’t your average centre-back, often seen going on a mazy run or two, as demonstrated against Manchester United where he picked up a loose ball before driving from his own half to the byline before teeing up Brennan Johnson for a tap-in.

The 23-year-old currently holds the record for being the fastest player in Premier League history, clocking a speed of 37.38km/h last season.

Van de Ven has been part of a Spurs backline that has kept three clean sheets already this season, as he looks to boost the club’s chances of returning to Champions League football next campaign.

Should they qualify, he could be partnered by one talent who’s set to move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium upon the completion of the 2024/25 season.

The man who could be Spurs’ own Gabriel

Every Spurs fan must be sick of the sight of Arsenal centre-back Gabriel, with the Brazilian scoring the winning goal against the Gunners in the North London derby earlier this season.

The 26-year-old has also scored against Manchester City, demonstrating a goalscoring threat despite his main responsibility being defensive work, having chalked up 17 goals in total during his time in English football.

Postecoglou’s side could be about to get their hands on their own version of the defender in the form of youngster Luka Vuskovic, who’s set to arrive in North London ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The 17-year-old agreed a £12m deal with Spurs last summer to join the club when he turns 18, subsequently spending the current season on loan at Belgian outfit Westerlo.

It’s already been a successful move for the “scary” youngster, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, with the 6 foot 5 defender scoring four times in his first ten appearances in the Belgian Pro League, showcasing that Gabriel-like threat in the attacking penalty area.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The Croatian is already a regular member of his nation’s under-21 side, with his defensive qualities just as impressive as his offensive numbers during his temporary loan spell in Europe.

Games played

10

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Duels won

47

Aerial success rate

83%

Pass accuracy

82%

Recoveries

41

Vuskovic has already won 47 duels this season, whilst also boasting an 83% aerial success rate, providing that aerial dominance that Postecoglou’s side have been craving at the back.

Given his tender age, he will need time to settle into life in England, but all the early signs are positive for the youngster, with the hope being that he can form a long-term partnership with left-footer, Van de Ven, in the near future.

He has the potential to develop into one of the very best centre-halves in the league, potentially having a huge impact on both boxes for Spurs over the years to come.

It's not Moore: Spurs have a £100m star in the making who's like Yamal

Tottenham have a future star in the making under Ange Postecoglou.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 10, 2024

حرص أشرف صبحي، وزير الشباب والرياضة، على تقديم الدعم والمساندة لـ منتخب مصر، بقيادة المدير الفني حسام حسن، قبل مباراتيه المرتقبتين أمام إثيوبيا وسيراليون.

منتخب مصر يلاقي إثيوبيا، يوم 21 مارس، في الجولة الخامسة، ثم يواجه سيراليون، 25 مارس بالجولة السادسة، ضمن منافسات مرحلة التصفيات المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم.

وأكد وزير الشباب والرياضة ثقته الكاملة في الجهاز الفني واللاعبين لتحقيق الفوز في المواجهتين، ومواصلة تصدر المجموعة الأولى، مشددًا على أهمية إسعاد الجماهير المصرية والتأهل إلى المونديال.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر لمباراتي إثيوبيا وسيراليون في تصفيات كأس العالم.. استبعاد نجم الأهلي

كما أشار إلى التعاون المستمر بين الوزارة والاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم لتوفير الأجواء المناسبة للفريق، بما يضمن تحقيق أفضل النتائج.

ويتصدر منتخب مصر المجموعة الأولى، من تصفيات كأس العالم، برصيد 10 نقاط، من 3 انتصارات وتعادل وحيد.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، مع منتخبات بوركينا فاسو، إثيوبيا، غينيا بيساو، سيراليون وجيبوتي.

ICC says it wants to support the ACB in its efforts to grow cricket – for men and women – in the troubled country

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2021The ICC Board has set up a working group to observe and review cricket in Afghanistan in general and, more specifically, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) after the developments following the Taliban takeover of the country. The group, to be chaired by Imran Khwaja, also includes Ross McCollum, Lawson Naidoo and Ramiz Raja and will report back to the Board over the coming months.Related

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Afghanistan women's cricket in danger after Taliban takeover

“The ICC Board is committed to continuing to support Afghanistan Cricket to develop both men’s and women’s cricket moving forward,” ICC chairman Greg Barclay said in a media statement. “We believe the most effective way for this to happen will be to support our Member in its efforts to achieve this through its relationship with the new government.”Cricket is fortunate to be in the position to influence positive change in Afghanistan with the national men’s team a source of great pride and unity in a country with a young population that has experienced more upheaval and change than most. We should protect that status and continue to try to influence change through the ACB but will continue to closely monitor the situation and take any decisions accordingly.”Ramiz, the chairman of the PCB, meanwhile, has said that the ICC Board’s decision had come about partly as a reaction to evidence of factionalism in the ACB. More than one candidate is said to have contacted the ICC claiming to be chair of the ACB ahead of the meeting. They were told by the ICC to sort the matter out among themselves and though an invitation was sent out to the board CEO, he did not attend the meeting.”The more things get stable in Afghanistan, the more their representation will get stronger,” Ramiz said.Since the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan, and the group’s stance that women would not be allowed to play sport became public, Cricket Australia has postponed a scheduled Test match against Afghanistan, at home in Hobart in November, and there has been speculation that other boards might follow suit.Geoff Allardice, the ICC interim chief executive, had told select media during the course of the T20 World Cup recently, “Afghanistan is our member, and they are going through some change at the moment. We are just trying to liaise with them, ensure that cricket is being governed and the board is governed appropriately and in accordance with their constitution.”The second is that their cricket is continuing to function. We’ve supported them and the team has performed at this event. You’ve seen their players in a number of events now. In terms of how our board will consider the situation in Afghanistan at its meeting next week, they will get a report on how things are travelling. They’re going through a lot of change within the country and in terms of the relationship of the cricket board with the new regime.”Answering a question about the future of the men’s national team in the event that there was no change in the Taliban’s position on women’s sport – or cricket specifically – Allardice had said, “Our goal is to see men and women playing cricket in Afghanistan. Our view is that the best way to achieve that is to stay closely connected with the cricket board and try to influence through the cricket board.”They’re on a steady trajectory of development there and we would like to see that continue. How other members react with their bilateral arrangements with Afghanistan is up to them. We will be working through their situation at our board level and with their board as well. They are the agents for developing cricket in their country.Mirwais Ashraf was appointed acting chairman of the ACB last week•Getty Images

“They [the ACB] have said to us that women’s cricket is continuing. They certainly haven’t given us an indication that it has stopped. Time will tell, in terms of how that plays out. Yes, we have been in regular communication with them from the time things changed in their country. We are hoping to have some meetings with their representatives around our board meetings.”There have been a few changes at the top at the ACB of late too.When 33-year-old Afghanistan allrounder Mirwais Ashraf was appointed acting chairman of the board last week, it was the second such update in four months after Azizullah Fazli had been named chairman replacing Farhan Yusufzai, who left the country after the Taliban took over.No proper reason has been given by the ACB about the latest change, but it has been learnt that Fazli’s appointment was always intended to be a temporary one.As reported by ESPNcricinfo at the time, the Afghan government has plans of revamping the working structure of the board. “The government is trying to bring in more competent people with expertise in technical aspects of the game – commercial, business and marketing,” a former director of the ACB told ESPNcricinfo. “If Afghanistan can produce world-class players with this broken system back home, then imagine what they can do with a competent board.”

The American played spoiler for league-leading PSV, who has struggled since losing Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman to injury

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Aaronson scored late equalizer against PSV
• PSV's Eredivisie lead is cut to just one point over Ajax, who have two games in-hand
• Tillman, Pepi sidelined with injury

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  If PSV end up relinquishing their Eredivisie title, USMNT hopeful Paxten Aaronson could part of the reason.

  The 21-year-old forward scored a 75th-minute goal to give his on-loan club FC Utrecht a 2-1 advantage over the Eredivisie-leading PSV, before a stoppage-time equalizer from Isaac Babadi secured PSV a point in a 2-2 draw. It was the former Philadelphia Union standout's sixth goal of the season and his eighth goal contribution for the club in the league.

  PSV have had an inconsistent 2025 after starting the 2024-25 season brightly, winning just once in February through five matches across all competitions. Injuries to fellow U.S. internationals Malik Tillman and ricardo Pepi haven't helped, either.

  PSV's lead in the Eredivisie is just one point over Ajax now, who have two games in-hand over the reigning champions.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aaronson, who is the younger brother of Leeds star Brenden Aaronson, has one USMNT cap. In the midst of a strong campaign in Holland, Paxten Aaronson has an outside chance of making Mauricio Pochettino's squad for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals in March, but he could factor in the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer if he keeps up his performances.

  He was a part of the 2024 Paris Olympics roster for the U.S. as they advanced to the quarterfinals of the competition.

  His towering header on Saturday saw him leap over fellow American Richard Ledezma, who could be a name to monitor for both the March and June camps as well.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR AARONSON?

  Utrecht have a bit of break, not playing their next fixture until March 1. Time will tell if Aaronson keep his momentum going.

MatériaMais Notícias

Chegou ao fim a passagem de Leandro Castan pelo Vasco. O zagueiro entrou em acordo com o Departamento de Futebol do clube e assinou a rescisão de seu contrato, que iria até o fim desta temporada. Nas redes sociais, o atleta se despediu do Cruz-Maltino, agradeceu pela oportunidade, mas afirmou que o final do contrato não foi como ele sonhou.

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– Cheguei no Vasco com muitos sonhos. Os primeiros momentos me encheram de esperança. Mas o final não foi como sonhei. Apesar disso, levarei tantas amizades e bons momentos do Rio de Janeiro. E também a gratidão e respeito de todos aqueles que compreenderam que dei o meu melhor. Deus abençoe a todos – afirmou o zagueiro

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

Desse que assinou com o Gigane da Colina, no segundo semestre de 2018, Castan entrou em campo em 145 oportunidades, marcou dois gols e de três assistências. Líder dentro e fora do campo, ele caiu de rendimento no último ano e teve suas atuações criticadas por grande parte da torcida.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

Na nota divulgada no início da tarde desta quinta-feira, o Vasco agradeceu ao jogador pelos serviços prestados e desejou sorte no prosseguimento de sua carreira.

+Vasco inicia Carioca com vitória: relembre as últimas 20 estreias do Cruz-Maltino na competição

– Ciente de toda sua entrega, empenho e comprometimento, o Vasco da Gama agradece Leandro Castan por ter honrado a camisa cruzmaltina durante quatro temporadas e o deseja sorte no prosseguimento de sua carreira. Boa sorte – publicou o clube carioca.

Former interim coach takes on Performance role following departure of Stuart Law

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2021Alan Coleman has stepped up from his role as Middlesex’s interim head coach to become the club’s new head of Men’s Performance Cricket.Coleman, 38, took the reins at Middlesex following Stuart Law’s departure last month, amid a restructuring of the club’s coaching structure. His new role will oversee the professional men’s game, alongside both a First XI coach and a club coach – two roles that Middlesex hope to fill in the “very near future”.”I am honoured to be offered this opportunity with a Club that is so close to my heart,” Coleman said. “We have a lot of work to do to reverse the team’s fortunes over the last few years, but I am confident that if we create the right environment for our players, and support them with the appointment of an excellent First Team Coach and Club Coach, that we will be able to make significant progress in the near future.”I truly believe in the ability of the playing group that we have here at the Club, and I can speak personally and on behalf of the entire dressing room when saying that collectively we are all looking forward to repaying the faith that our members and supporters have shown in us.”Coleman made a handful of List-A appearances for Middlesex as a player in 2001 and 2002, before rising through the club’s coaching ranks, from Age Group sides, to Head of the Club’s Academy, second XI Coach and assistant coach.”We are thrilled to have agreed this new role with Alan, who is a Middlesex man through and through, who belongs here at the Club,” Andrew Cornish, Middlesex’s chief executive, said. “He is the perfect fit for what we are looking to achieve and I’ve no doubt that he will excel in this latest challenge, as he has done time and time again in every previous coaching role in our structure.”A review of our current set-up has led to a focus on us putting in place a coaching structure that helps support our strategy of developing our own young cricketers and building a plan for success on the pitch moving forward.”We are blessed to have such a young and talented group of home-grown players in the Middlesex dressing room, with seventy percent of the current playing squad being products of our own Youth Academy – they are undoubtedly the future of Middlesex Cricket. With those youngsters complemented by a senior group of experienced cricketers, we firmly believe, that with the right coaching structure in place, we can develop this playing group into a side that achieves success for many years to come.”We’re looking for continuity, stability, an environment where the players can learn, grow, develop and thrive, and it is our responsibility to put that in place. We are confident that with Alan overseeing this structure, having worked so closely with the majority of our playing squad throughout their careers, and working closely with two new coaches we will be appointing, we have the recipe for success.”

Mushfiqur Rahim has become the biggest casualty of Bangladesh’s fallout from the T20 World Cup after being dropped for the three-match T20I series against Pakistan starting Friday. This is the first time Mushfiqur is excluded from a senior side since 2008, when Dhiman Ghosh replaced him for an extended period before going to the ICL.Mushfiqur, who has played 99 T20Is, made 95 runs in five matches in the Super 12s including a half-century against Sri Lanka. Some of his dismissals however, especially his missed scoop and reverse-sweeps, became topic of intense discussion back in Bangladesh.Although chief selector Minhajul Abedin insisted that Mushfiqur was rested for the T20I series keeping in mind Bangladesh’s scheduling for the next two months, Mushfiqur was reportedly willing to play in these three matches.”We have four back-to-back Test matches against Pakistan and New Zealand,” Minhajul said. “He is a key player. He is one of our best players. Tamim Iqbal is already injured. He is in doubt for the Test series. We want our best player to give his best during the Test series, so after consulting extensively with the team management, we have decided to rest him. It is only for the Pakistan series. He will be available later.”Including Shakib Al Hasan’s hamstring injury, Bangladesh only have captain Mahmudullah as one of their much vaunted experienced cricketers left in the 16-man squad announced on Tuesday. Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Rubel Hossain are also ousted from the side too.Bangladesh squad for the Pakistan T20Is•Getty Images

The national selectors have instead gone for a youth-heavy side by including Saif Hassan, Shahidul Islam, Yasir Ali and Akbar Ali among the six inclusions. Najmul Hossain Shanto and legspinner Aminul Islam are also in the side.There are first-time call-ups for fast bowler Shahidul and top-order batter Akbar, Bangladesh’s captain when they won the Under-19 World Cup last year. Saif has played Tests but it is his first inclusion in T20Is. Yasir has been in Test squads this year, but hasn’t played international cricket yet.Afif Hossain, however, has kept his place in the squad despite making just 14 runs in five matches in the Super 12s.Liton and Soumya were already playing for Rangpur Division and Khulna Division respectively in the National Cricket League. But they can still make it back into Bangladesh’s T20I plans, according to Minhajul.”We have just come from a disappointing T20 World Cup. It was unexpected,” he said. “We didn’t have a bad team. We won both the T20I series at home this year. Still, we are trying to start afresh. Our planning for the next T20 World Cup begins after this season’s BPL, but we want to start well in this series.”Those who are dropped, they have to do well in the domestic competitions. The BPL is coming up. Nobody will be forgotten. We have to keep them in the system. We have the A team programme. We also have the High Performance Unit. We will keep everyone we need, in these squads.”IN: Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Aminul Islam, Shahidul Islam, Yasir Ali, Akbar AliOUT: Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan (hamstring injury), Mushfiqur Rahim, Rubel Hossain

Tottenham are set to demand a massive fee should clubs want to take one of their star men out of north London any time soon, according to a fresh report.

Tottenham's strong run ended by Crystal Palace

A 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace ended Tottenham’s impressive recent run of form under Ange Postecoglou and brought the Lilywhites firmly back down to earth. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored what proved the decisive goal fifteen minutes before half time to hand Crystal Palace a first win of the season, and leaving Tottenham ruing missed opportunities.

It was their fourth loss of the season in the Premier League, the same number of wins they have achieved, and leaves them five points outside the top four spots as things stand back in eighth place.

“It was a game which turned into, and it didn’t surprise me, a bit of a battle. Lots of stop, starting and standing around. We didn’t deal with that really well at all. We didn’t get to grips with just the nature of what was transpiring out there. It turned into a bit of a battle. They dealt with it better than we did”, Postecoglou explained after the game.

“I just felt when we had control of things, we could have dealt with it better. We ended up doing silly things, giving away silly fouls and losing our composure, which just adds to that sort of game when you can’t get any traction. So I think we directed our frustration in the wrong way rather than dealing with like we should have”, he added.

Despite the defeat, it has been a bright start to the season for some in Tottenham colours, and that has attracted unwanted attention.

Tottenham slap hefty price tag on defender

Now, it has emerged that Spurs are ready to put off potential suitors for defender Pedro Porro by demanding a record fee to let him leave. The Spaniard has reportedly caught the eye of both Real Madrid and former club Manchester City as the two European giants look to make changes at right-back.

He has impressed in Tottenham colours, and Ange Postecoglou hailed him “outstanding” at the end of his first season in charge in north London.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Ange must drop 4/10 Spurs dud after Palace

Tottenham were defeated by Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 28, 2024

And Spurs are now ready to ward off suitors with a hefty price tag. That is according to reports in Spain, who claim that Spurs will not entertain offers of less than £60m to part ways with the defender, who still has three and a half years left to run on his £85,000 a week deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Should any club match that, it would be a record sale for a defender leaving north London, with the current record standing at the £45m they received to sell Kyle Walker to Manchester City.

Could Manchester City repeat the trick to try and land Walker’s replacement or will Real Madrid stump up the cash? Spurs fans will certainly hope not.

أعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة برئاسة الأستاذ عمرو مصيلحي، اليوم تنظيم بطولة (Ground Breaker)، في مضمار الدراجات باستاد القاهرة الدولي.

ومن المقرر أن تقام البطولة يومي الخميس والجمعة 27 -28 مارس 2025، علما بأنه تم إغلاق باب التسجيل بالبطولة الأربعاء، منتصف الليل، بعد تسجيل اكثر من 30 فريق في منافساتها.

وتعد البطولة معتمدة من الاتحاد الدولي لكرة السلة 3×3، وبقيمة جوائز تصل إلى 100 ألف جنيه، حيث تصل قيمة جائزة المركز الأول 50 ألف جنيه، وجائزة المركز الثاني 30 ألف جنيه، وجائزة المركز الثالث 20 ألف جنيه.

طالع | اللجنة الأولمبية تعلن أسباب رفض شكوى الأهلي وتأييد قرارات رابطة الأندية في أزمة القمة

من جانبه كشف محمد فتحي نائب رئيس الاتحاد المصري للسلة، أن عدد الفرق التي ستشارك 33 فريق مكونين من شباب وفتيات كرة السلة المصرية.

وقال محمد فتحي إن الاتحاد ينظم هذه البطولة للمرة الأولى، بهدف نشر اللعبة وزيادة شعبيتها في مصر، كما أنها تعد دورة رمضانية بطابع خاص، وتأتي ضمن سياسة اتحاد كرة السلة لتوسيع قاعدة ممارسي اللعبة خلال الفترة المقبلة.