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Batsman hopes injury will prove a ‘good thing’ in the long run and hopes to be fit for County Championship opener

George Dobell27-Feb-2020Rory Burns believes the injury that curtailed his winter with the Test team may prove “a good thing” for English cricket in the long term.Burns sustained serious ligament damage when playing football in warm-up the day before the second Test against South Africa. He subsequently underwent surgery and was ruled out of the remaining three Tests in that series and the two upcoming Tests in Sri Lanka. Having just established himself in the team – he had made two Test centuries since August and at least one half-century in four of his previous five Tests – it was a cruel blow both for Burns and for England.ALSO READ: Burns sidelined for four months after ankle surgeryBut the injury had further repercussions. As the latest in a saga of football-related injuries – Jonny Bairstow and Joe Denly were among the other members of the England squad to have sustained injuries in a similar manner – it led to the England management banning football in warm-ups. Several of the first-class counties are understood to have taken similar decisions ahead of the 2020 season.Now, as Burns contemplates his comeback, he admits he will not be playing football again. And he reflects that Ashley Giles, a long-term critic of the idea of playing football as a warm-up activity, was probably right all along. Giles is the director of England’s men’s teams.”Have I ruined it [playing football] for everyone?” Burns says with a smile. “I think I have ruined it for the county circuit. The majority of it, anyway, and certainly the England boys. But I don’t think there’s too many arguments from too many places.”While I am still a professional cricketer I probably won’t play football again. It’s taken four months out of a career and the stage I had got myself to where I was playing quite nicely.”It was an avoidable setback and when you get something that’s avoidable like that you probably re-evaluate whether you want to waste your time doing four months in a gym rehabbing or being on a plane to Sri Lanka.”Was Giles right all along? Potentially. It’s probably taken something like this to re-evaluate it; something like this to put it into perspective. It shows what the downsides of football are, I suppose. There are obviously a lot of plus points to football but I don’t think I will be playing it any time again soon.”It was a bit freakish. Most people roll their ankle on the outside; I did going over to the inside. I think my studs got caught in the floor. But if that’s the catalyst to put things right and maybe say you don’t need it and keep the boys on the park it’s probably a good thing in a weird way.”If none of those guys get injured moving forward because football has been moved out of it then I think that’s a positive thing for English cricket.”Rory Burns speaks at the PCA’s rookie camp•Barrington Coombs/Getty Images for PCA

The good news for Burns is that he looks on course to be fit for the start of the county season. While he hasn’t picked up a bat as yet, he will go on Surrey’s pre-season tour to the UAE from March 17 and is expected to return to their team for their opening Championship fixture against Somerset at The Oval starting on April 19. Barring a significant dip in form, it would be a surprise if he did not return to the Test team when England host West Indies from the start of June.As a player who has had his fair share of ups and downs in the game, Burns was a natural choice to address the 50 or so young players attending the PCA’s rookie camp earlier this week. Among other things, he spoke of the need for persistence – it took him five successive seasons of scoring 1,000 first-class runs to convince the selectors to pick him – and the dangers of social media.ALSO READ: Never a better time to be a professional cricket, but rookies learn perils are huge tooIn particular, he looks back to the aftermath of the Ireland Test – when he scored 6 in each innings – and the savaging he took from some sections of the media. Mark Waugh memorably said Burns “looked like a nightwatchman” and suggested: “don’t think he’ll be playing the Ashes.” Burns responded with a maiden Test century in the first Ashes Test a few days later.”The thing that annoyed me about the Ireland game was that people judge you very quickly – be it fans or whatever – on a snapshot of your career,” he says. “I’d had seven years of batting in first-class cricket that was overwritten in seven Tests.”In the County Championship you don’t get that level of speculation. I don’t avoid social media, but you have to taper it to the voices you want to listen to. I still had it open when I started my Test career and I didn’t read all of it but you can’t help it when it’s at the top of your mentions… Tom Noddy down the road has given his twopence.”The key is: you’re never as good as you think you are when you’re doing well, and you’re never as bad as you think you are when you’re not. You’re always somewhere in the middle and you just bounce along. It’s remembering that. Sticking to the fundamentals of what works for you.”

With Arsenal's need for a centre forward well documented, it appears that Edu Gaspar has now turned away from previous targets and is interested in one of Europe's most promising strikers.

Arsenal's search for a striker

Don't let the eighteen goals in their last four Premier League games fool you, Arsenal are still in dire need of a number nine. This season has seen Mikel Arteta opt to play without a traditional centre forward for much of the campaign, relying on goals to come from his wingers.

The Arsenal star who outshone Jorginho vs Newcastle

Arsenal were back to their best after defeat against Porto in midweek.

By
Matt Dawson

Feb 25, 2024

Whilst Bukayo Saka's thirteen league goals are impressive and Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard have all chipped in, it still feels that the Gunners are missing the leading man to take them to the next level. Players initially signed to fulfill these duties have not gone to plan with Gabriel Jesus struggling with injury and the aforementioned Havertz adopting a deeper role.

Despite the clear need for a striker, Arteta made it clear such a move was not possible this January, telling beIN Sports that: "At the moment it doesn't look realistic. My job is to improve the players we have."

Whilst the Gunners' boss declines any interest in a new number nine, it hasn't stopped the rumour mill from turning. A strong return following his ban has seen Ivan Toney's name back in contention for the vacancy however, reports now suggest that Arsenal have an interest in a teenage talent who could be a better alternative to the Brentford man.

Edu eyes exciting Toney alternative

According to Football Insider, sources within the club have said that Brighton forward Evan Ferguson is on Arsenal's radar with Edu's talent spotters at the Emirates regarding him as a "huge talent" who will go on to become a world beater.

Making his debut for Brighton in early 2022, the 19-year-old has had a rapid rise on the South coast, scoring 12 Premier League goals in just 44 appearances. The most impressive of this catalogue was the Irishman's hat-trick against Newcastle that saw Ferguson tipped to go all the way by his current boss Roberto De Zerbi:

"He can become big, big, big. His qualities are enough to become a great player. He can become one of the best, the top scorer in Europe. He was born in 2004, he's 18. I don't know how many players are young, that score like him."

Eight years the junior of Toney, Ferguson would offer the kind of player better suited to the project Edu and Arteta are building in North London. Boasting the third-youngest squad in the league, it would be within their interests to go for the younger option.

Whilst Toney would deliver the short-term impact needed to deliver immediate success, a club as process driven as Arsenal would see the benefits that Ferguson would bring in the long run. Giving one of Europe's most promising talents the chance to develop would prove far more beneficial overall than signing a proven goalscorer who may have only a few seasons left in the tank.

Team GB Olympic gold medal winner Alex Yee has merged Cole Palmer and Kylian Mbappe celebrations in an iconic finishing line pose.

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• Triathlete won gold at Paris Games
• Crossed the line first at Boston event
• Paid homage to footballing superstars

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yee claimed gold at the 2024 Games in Paris with an epic late surge that saw him sweep past triathlon rival Hayden Wilde of New Zealand. The pair have been at it again during an event in Boston, with the pair finishing first and second.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yee held his nerve to take top spot on the podium, and made a point of giving waiting photographers a memorable image as he crossed the line. When breaking the tape, the 26-year-old struck a celebratory pose.

• WHAT YEE SAID

  Some have questioned his antics, with showboating frowned upon, but Yee makes no apologies for his arms-folded pose and has posted on social media as followers ask which footballing superstar he was trying to emulate: “We live for this sport.. After the Olympics I’ve ridden a rollercoaster. Incredible highs but also some lows too.. So to be able to race these guys again was pure excitement. We race fiercely and competitively but at the end of the day we all are mates and want to put on a show for you. Thanks Boston! #mbappe or #palmer”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  World Cup winner Mbappe has taken his trademark celebration with him to Real Madrid – giving it an early run out in the Blancos’ UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta. Palmer, meanwhile, has just been named PFA Young Player of the Year and will be hoping to remain in “ice cold” form for Chelsea in 2024-25.

A change in approach and finals pressure worked beautifully in concert for Stars, allowing them to squeeze Thunder into defeat

The Report by Daniel Brettig06-Feb-2020A change in approach and finals pressure worked beautifully in concert for the Melbourne Stars, allowing them to squeeze the Sydney Thunder into defeat after a rousing post-season campaign and delivering the hosts a place in the Big Bash League decider against the Sydney Sixers at the SCG, on what is likely to be a very soggy Saturday night at the SCG.Batting first at their captain Glenn Maxwell’s request, Marcus Stoinis and Nick Larkin provided the spine of the innings with a pair of identical scores that had contrasting constructions and also expectations. Stoinis, as the tournament’s leading run-maker, did what has been expected of him at the top of the order in the style of an experienced professional, while Larkin showed why the Stars had kept faith with him over the past two seasons, coming to the boil beautifully with one of the best and certainly most high profile innings of his career in front of 13,067 spectators.Their efforts gave the Stars 194 to defend, and with Nathan Coulter-Nile providing an impactful contribution to see off Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja before Haris Rauf accounted for the Thunder captain Callum Ferguson, Maxwell and his bowlers were able to steadily ramp up the squeeze on the visitors. Rearguards from Alex Ross and Arjun Nair were not enough, meaning the Stars will travel north for a final they would have hosted had they not been beaten badly by the Sixers in the battle between first and second last week.Role reversal suits StarsNot since 2014 had the Stars last chosen to bat first in a BBL final when given the option, and only Maxwell, Stoinis and Dan Worrall were still playing for them back then. So it was a major change in approach when the coin came down on the right side for Maxwell, but a shrewd one given the Stars had lost four in a row batting second, while the Thunder’s rise from fifth on the ladder to the cusp of the tournament decider has been characterised by their staunch defence in the field and with the ball as Callum Ferguson swung his bowlers around with supple captaincy.And as the Stars crunched 26 from the first two overs and the Thunder reprieved both Stoinis and Larkin with early dropped catches – Jay Lenton’s off a Stoinis leg glance from Chris Morris one of the worst of the entire season – the role reversal appeared to create a dominant theme for the evening. Stoinis certainly enjoyed the chance to reprise the role he took up when coshing 147 against the Sydney Sixers at the MCG after the Stars had been sent in, while Larkin grew into his innings with a calmness that allowed the rate to slow to 7.76 after 13 overs before acceleration.Nick Larkin uses his power to good effect•Getty Images

Cook attacked, Maxwell not neededOne of the Thunder’s strongest suits against the Hurricanes and the Strikers was the whippy wrist spin of Jono Cook, who had returned figures of 5 for 37 from the two finals and revelled in bowling second to put opponents under pressure. He seemed destined for a more difficult night from his second ball this night, as he drifted full to Stoinis and was punched back down the ground. For a bowler with a style that lends itself to targeting the stumps, Cook strayed wide too often, giving Stoinis room to free his arms, and only bowled for three overs costing 36 for 0.As a result of that analysis and the keeping of wickets in hand, Stoinis and Larkin were able to free their arms with terrifying effect for the visitors in the final overs. Tallies of 18, 14 and 12 came from overs 14, 15 and 16, and after Stoinis was bowled behind his pads by a relieved Morris – having reached the highest ever aggregate for a single BBL – it was Larkin who was able to take control as Maxwell arrived for the closing overs. Forty-nine were clumped from the final four overs, of which Maxwell was required to score only four: there’s a ratio no-one expected before the start of the game.Coulter-Nile has one of those nightsFor the Thunder to be a chance, they needed Alex Hales to maintain his run of five consecutive scores over 40 and Usman Khawaja to support him in the manner seen when they helped usurp the Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval. But the Stars had in their line-ups one of the more mercurial players in recent Australian cricket history: Coulter-Nile. Team-mates and opponents alike have spoken of days and sessions in which Coulter-Nile “clicks” and turns a game, and here he did it in the field with the ball.Unable to find the boundary early, Hales chanced a quick single to Coulter-Nile’s right arm at mid on and paid for it with a direct hit that saw him run out by about a centimetre. When Maxwell called Coulter Nile into the attack he scythed through Khawaja’s attempted slog to splay the stumps, celebrating raucously with Adam Zampa after he did so. By way of a follow-up, Haris maintained his domination of Ferguson, a bouncer down the leg side snaffling the Thunder skipper for the third time in 10 balls faced this tournament, and placing the game all but in the Stars’ keeping.Ross rearguard can’t save ThunderOne quality batsman remained in the path of the Stars. Ross’ ability to combine improvisation and power has made him a valuable commodity in Australian domestic cricket for some years, and in the company of Nair, among the league’s most unconventional hitters, he was still capable of wresting the match from the hosts’ strong grasp. After a period of slowing down and taking stock as Nair sliced boundaries where he could, Ross looked to take on the task of wrenching the runs he needed.His first target, having reached his second 50 of this tournament, was the Australian limited-overs spin bowler Zampa, and he got a hold of one leg break with sufficient force to send it flying well into the seats in between the two team dug outs, and next ball shouldered arms to a wide. Zampa, though, was able to respond with something tighter to Ross’ legs and thus harder to get under, resulting in a catching chance in the deep. Nic Maddinson, for all his batting struggles over the competition, took a tremendous running catch, and that was to be more or less that.

Aston Villa have suffered a morale-sapping and seemingly relentless succession of injuries in recent weeks, headlined by a serious knee issue for midfielder Boubacar Kamara. The midfielder, who was forced off in the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United last weekend, has become the third Villa player to sustain an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the space of a season after Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia.

While Kamara's absence will weaken Unai Emery's side in midfield, Villa's issues are particularly acute at centre-back. With Mings already missing, Ezri Konsa is a week into a potential month-long absence with a knee sprain, and Diego Carlos could miss a stretch of games too after injuring his hamstring in training.

"Huge news" on Mings

In the circumstances, Villa fans will be encouraged by the latest Mings update. Fabrizio Romano reacted to some "huge news" on the club captain, who has made an "initial return to training".

On Mings' return, Emery has admitted that the Englishman will be out for the season, but he'll be pleased to see him making progress after his "recent problems with injured players" too.

Mings can give Villa dual boost after "staggering" progress

Mings would likely have been a key figure for Villa this season if he'd been fit. He was in the team for the first game of the season away to Newcastle United, when he sustained his injury, and he'd been virtually ever-present last term with 35 starts from 36 available matches. As you can see in the table below, only fellow centre-half Konsa played more minutes.

Mings is a doubly valuable asset for Emery. Primarily, he's a dominant centre-back and a specialist penalty-box defender, as he demonstrated by ranking in the top 10 for aerial duel success (71.85) and clearances (163) in the Premier League last season. But beyond that, he also plays an important role in Villa's build-up, having recorded the 10th-highest progressive carrying distance (4,556 yards) in the 22/23 campaign.

Aston Villa's “unrecognisable” £35m signing has seen his value plummet

The Villa star has underperformed since joining the club.

By
Tom Lever

Feb 15, 2024

Presenter and Villa supporter Dan Bardell says he's made "staggering" strides in his recovery, and while it's still likely to be a while yet before he's ready to be playing matches for Villa, Emery will all of a sudden be blessed with some pretty enviable depth at the heart of his backline when he gets all of his options back. For now, this can go down as the source of optimism Villa fans have needed all week.

Kylian Mbappe has responded to questions of whether he could be the first man since Cristiano Ronaldo to enjoy a 50-goal season for Real Madrid.

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• French star joined Blancos as free agent
• Opened goal account in Super Cup win
• Looking to emulate Portuguese legend

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portuguese superstar Ronaldo achieved that feat across six successive campaigns during his time at Santiago Bernabeu – between 2010 and 2016. A personal-best of 61 efforts was posted in 2014-15, with nobody able to scale such heights since.

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  Real believe that they have somebody ready to follow in those illustrious footsteps, with World Cup winner Mbappe being acquired as a free agent. He has become the latest ‘Galactico’ in Madrid and opened his goal account for the Blancos in a 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta.

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  WHAT MBAPPE SAID

  Mbappe has told when asked if he can hit a half-century in his debut campaign: “We are at Real Madrid, we have no limit, if I can score 50, then 50, but the most important thing is winning and improving as a team, because we will win as a team.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Frenchman added on enjoying a dream debut for the Liga title holders: “It was a great night, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. To play with this shirt, with this badge, for these fans, it's a gift for me. We won a trophy too, that's very important, we know that here we always have to win and I am very happy.”

How are the two Sydney teams shaping up ahead of the new BBL season?

Andrew McGlashan16-Dec-2019

Sydney Sixers

Captain: Moises HenriquesCoach: Greg ShipperdOverseas players: Tom Curran (England), James Vince (England)Full squad: Moises Henriques, Sean Abbott, Justin Avendano, Jackson Bird, Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Dan Fallins, Josh Hazlewood, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Steve O’Keefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, Steven Smith, James Vince.Last season: Semi-finalsA solid league season helped them qualify in third place for the semi-finals, a run of four victories in a row in the latter part of the tournament building a good head of the steam. But that was halted in the final regular season game when they collapsed for 74 against the Stars. That blew the chance of a home semi-final, meaning they headed back to Melbourne to face the Renegades, where Dan Christian ripped the match from them.What’s changed for the season?It has been a reasonably quiet off-season for the Sixers, although there was the headline of them securing Steven Smith for a handful of matches at the back-end of the tournament, which could include the finals if the Sixers make it, while Josh Hazlewood has also returned after a gap of five years. They may need to look for overseas replacements at that stage, however, with Tom Curran and James Vince likely to be involved in England’s limited-overs matches in South Africa.Australia impactAlongside Smith not appearing until after the one-day tour of India, Nathan Lyon and Hazlewood won’t be available until the Test series against New Zealand ends, and Hazlewood could be delayed further if recalled to the ODI side. But apart from that only a potential call-up to the one-day side for Sean Abbott would disrupt their plans.Player to watchJosh Philippe passed 300 runs last season but that still felt a little underwhelming for the talent he possesses. At 22, he still has plenty of time on his side, but a strong campaign this year could propel him into the planning for next year’s T20 World Cup. After a promising start to the Marsh Cup for Western Australia, he was left out of the final, so the BBL will be crucial for keeping the season on track.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Daniel Hughes has been the most consistent batsmen for the Sixers in the last three seasons. He has scored more than 200 runs in each of the last three seasons averaging in excess of 30. His strike rate over the last three seasons (121), however, is the lowest for a top-order batsman to have played a minimum of 400 balls.Chris Green celebrates a Big Bash wicket for the Thunder•Getty Images

Sydney Thunder

Captain: Callum FergusonCoach: Shane BondOverseas players: Alex Hales (England), Chris Morris (South Africa)Full squad: Callum Ferguson, Jono Cook, Oliver Davies, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (overseas), Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Morris (overseas), Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris TremainLast season: 6thThey were in contention throughout the competition before falling just short of the knockouts. There was an element of controversy to that as they were well on top in the match against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba when the lights went out. A brilliant century from Callum Ferguson secured a big chase against the Perth Scorchers but they were thrashed by the Sydney Sixers to all but end their hopes.What’s changed for the season?There have been two strong overseas signings in Hales and Morris, while Chris Tremain, after his move from the Melbourne Renegades, bolsters the pace attack, which had been a weakness. Alex Ross has also come in from the Brisbane Heat.Australia impactUsman Khawaja, who has committed his future to the Thunder, may be available for the whole campaign after losing his Test place, although he could still feature in the ODI squad to tour India in mid-January. Pat Cummins, who played once last season, will not feature this season.Player to watchMatthew Gilkes is a rising star, having given glimpses of his talent for New South Wales this season to follow his 51 off 38 balls on T20 debut for the Thunder last summer when the club went through a succession of wicketkeepers. With Jos Buttler not returning, there is a chance for someone to grab hold of the wicketkeeping spot, and Gilkes will compete with Jay Lenton although he could also play as a batsman.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Since the start of 2017, there have been 157 bowlers who have bowled more than 200 balls in the powerplay. Chris Green has the best economy rate (6.04) for a spinner and the second best among all bowlers, only behind India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5.89). With the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, Green’s performance will hold the key towards Thunder’s hopes as well as his chances to make the Australia squad.

In the games that followed Chelsea's defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Christmas Eve, Mauricio Pochettino appeared as if he was starting to steady the ship and to give him credit, winning five of seven games and securing the Blues a place in the League Cup final was genuinely impressive.

However, the Pensioners' previous two Premier League games have utterly eviscerated any feeling of goodwill starting to spring up around Stamford Bridge.

The first saw the Blues fall to a 4-1 defeat away to Anfield that could, and maybe should, have been worse, and then on Sunday, Pochettino oversaw his side lose 4-2 at home to Wolves.

With the fans now chanting the name of former owner Roman Abramovich at home games and the results being what they are, it is starting to feel like the Argentine is on borrowed time in west London. Still, with an FA Cup Fourth Round replay up next, he has a slim chance of earning more time.

With so much resting on this meeting with Aston Villa, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager is unlikely to make too many drastic changes to his starting XI, with at most two personnel and one positional change to the side that lost on the weekend.

1

GK – Đorđe Petrović

The man between the sticks for Chelsea on Wednesday night will be Đorđe Petrović.

The Serbian international was given a chance following Robert Sanchez's injury against Everton in December and has been rather impressive ever since.

The only other fit shot stoppers in the squad are Marcus Bettinelli and Lucas Bergstrom, and it feels unlikely that they would be given a chance in such an important game.

2

RB – Alfie Gilchrist

The first change comes at right-back, as the performance of Malo Gusto on Sunday was so dreadful that Pochettino simply has to drop him for Villa.

The former Lyon man gave away a penalty and was given a 3/10 for his performance by The Standard's Nizaar Kinsella as he 'kept putting Chelsea in danger with his passing.'

After performing admirably against Villa in the FA Cup last month, Alfie Gilchrist also deserves another start in the team.

Plus, if club legend John Terry thinks he's "unbelievable", he must have something about him.

3

CB – Axel Disasi

Keeping his place in the side at right centre-back is former AS Monaco man Axel Disasi.

However, this decision is more down to a lack of quality alternatives than anything else.

The Frenchman wasn't great on Sunday, but Levi Colwill is still out, and the performance of Benoît Badiashile against Liverpool was genuinely shambolic, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor particularly scathing of the Frenchman's performance on The Sports Breakfast (via GOAL), saying: "Badiashile, the centre half, he gave probably the worst centre-half performance I've seen in the Premier League in the last two seasons."

4

CB – Thiago Silva

Another defensive survivor from Sunday's massacre at the Bridge is Brazilian veteran Thiago Silva.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star got on the scoresheet and is still one of Pochettino's more reliable players.

Considering he has started 91% of the team's league games, it would be shocking if he were rested for a match as important as this.

5

LB – Ben Chilwell

With no Colwill or Marc Cucurella to call upon, it's Ben Chilwell who'll likely be given the nod to start at left-back.

The former Leicester City man has only started 26% of the team's league games this season, but that is more down to his poor injury record than anything to do with how Pochettino rates him.

6

DM – Moises Caicedo

Now, this could be a controversial choice given his abysmal showing on Sunday, but Moises Caicedo is still likely to start in midfield on Wednesday evening.

The Ecuadorian may have picked up an assist against Wolves, but The Standard's Kinsella gave him a 3/10 for his performance, citing that he 'was caught in possession multiple times, including for Cunha's equaliser.'

Ultimately, there aren't many other options to pick instead of the 22-year-old and with his label as the most expensive Premier League signing ever hanging over his head, he needs to play himself back into form.

7

DM – Enzo Fernández

Unsurprisingly, Enzo Fernández will form the pairing at the heart of Chelsea's midfield against Villa.

The World Cup winner struggled like the rest of his side on Sunday, but considering his importance to the team and the fact that he has started 100% of FA Cup games thus far and 78% of Premier League games, it would be shocking not to see him involved from the first whistle at Villa Park.

8

CAM – Conor Gallagher

Disappointing on Sunday, but a firm fan favourite nonetheless and a tireless runner for Pochettino, Conor Gallagher keeps his place as the side's primary attacking midfielder on Wednesday.

However, he'll have to do a lot better in possession than he did against Wolves, as his clumsiness is why Kinsella could only give him a 4/10.

9

RM – Cole Palmer

If there is a Chelsea player who'll likely come out of this season with a better reputation than they started it with, it's Cole Palmer.

The former Manchester City youngster joined the Blues in the summer and has arguably been the one bright spot in their season – registering 21 goals and assists in all competitions.

He was on the scoresheet again on Sunday, so it would be utterly perplexing if he didn't start on the right-hand side again at Villa Park.

10

LM – Christopher Nkunku

The second significant change to the starting line-up will come on the left-hand side, as Christopher Nkunku replaces Raheem Sterling.

The Englishman had a shocker against Wolves on Sunday and missed a golden opportunity to pull the Blues level in the game, something Kinsella noted when giving him a 4/10.

Nkunku didn't have the best of times up front either, but he needs time to adapt to the Premier League, and with plenty of experience playing on the left wing in the past, he seems like the logical replacement for Sterling.

Johnny Cardoso and Julian Alvarez have been left out of Atletico Madrid's squad to face Liverpool in their Champions League opener. Alvarez has been a mainstay in Diego Simeone's side since completing his move to the Spanish club from Manchester City in 2024, and has two goal contributions to his name from four appearances so far this season.

• Simeone names 22-man squad for Liverpool clash

  Atletico Madrid have officially released the 22-man squad Simeone has chosen to travel to Merseyside to face reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in their Champions League opener. Alvarez and Cardoso are the most notable absentees, but Thiago Almada, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Alex Baena have also been omitted from the squad.

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  Alvarez picked up injury against Villarreal

  Alvarez started Atletico's latest La Liga fixture against Villarreal but was substituted at half-time after suffering a knee injury. The Argentina international has yet to recover from the knock and will miss the European clash against the Reds. While Alvarez missed half of the Villarreal game, he did provide the assist for Pablo Barrios' early goal as Simeone's side picked up a comfortable 2-0 win.

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  Why is Cardoso unable to play?

  United States men's national team star Cardoso, who joined Atletico from fellow La Liga club Real Betis for a fee of $35 million (£25.7m) in the summer, reportedly sustained a sprain during the club's training session on Monday and will not travel to the UK for Champions League duty.

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  Anfield to Mallorca: Quick turnaround for Atletico

  After facing Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, Simeone's Atletico side will only have four days to prepare for their next La Liga outing away at Real Mallorca on Sunday. Atletico are down in 11th in the table after winning just one of their first four games.

Glasgow Rangers return to Premiership action tonight, three weeks following their last game in the top flight due to the winter break.

They travel to Easter Road to face Hibernian, and they were the opposition for Philippe Clement’s first game in charge of the Ibrox side back in October, which they went on to win 4-0.

A repeat of that scoreline tonight would be a perfect way for the club to resume their domestic campaign and really push Celtic over the coming months.

While the fixtures will be coming thick and fast, Clement still has eight days left to bring in another player or two to bolster his squad and this will be at the forefront of his mind.

Rangers are close to signing Mohamed Diomande

The Ibrox side secured a loan deal for Fabio Silva at the end of December and this move filled the supporters with plenty of anticipation that several more players would arrive in Glasgow.

The previous few weeks have been barren with regard to signings, yet the Gers made a breakthrough at the beginning of this week, and it now looks as though midfielder Mohamed Diomande is close to joining.

Rangers reach agreement to sign "aggressive" partner for Raskin

Rangers have reached an agreement to sign a talented young midfielder

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 22, 2024

According to Rangers Review journalist Chris Jack, the FC Nordsjaelland gem is expected to arrive in Scotland today in order to finalise his £4.5m move from the Danish club and this is a big statement of intent by Clement, especially in January.

The manager has stated that he would not be “content or confident” for the second half of the campaign if he does not add to his squad before next Thursday. Could this suggest more signings are close?

Rangers’ search for a new left-back

One area that desperately needs to be addressed is the left side of defence, especially with Ridvan Yilmaz being linked with a move away and Borna Barisic’s contract expiring in the summer.

This suggests Clement will be looking to bring in another left-back before the window slams shut next week, and it looks as though he may have made a breakthrough.

According to Dutch outlet Voetbal International, the Gers have made an approach to sign FC Twente defender Gijs Smal this month.

The Dutchman, like Barisic, has entered into the final few months of his current deal and, according to the report from the Netherlands, it does not look like he is about to sign an extension to stay at the club.

This may tempt Clement into luring Smal to Glasgow for a knockdown fee this month as he continues to build his squad for the challenges ahead, and it could turn out to be a solid signing, especially with his impressive performances for the Eredivisie clubs.

Not only that, but he could link up well with Rabbi Matondo down the left flank during the second half of the season and this could benefit Clement greatly.

Gijs Smal could link up with Rabbi Matondo

Normally, Abdallah Sima would be the first-choice left-winger, yet the on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion gem returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with an injury and is expected to be out for the foreseeable future.

This means Matondo will be called upon more often by Clement, and he has finally settled into life at Rangers following a difficult debut season.

Across 17 matches in all competitions, the Welsh winger has scored twice and registered three assists. Considering he has started just seven matches, this is a more than decent return and if given regular game time now due to Sima’s injury, he could thrive.

Smal has displayed his attacking qualities throughout his professional career, registering 47 goal contributions – 13 goals and 34 assists – in just 177 senior matches.

This works out as a goal involvement once every 3.7 matches, which is a wonderful ratio for a left-back.

During the 2022/23 campaign, Smal excelled from an attacking perspective, averaging 1.6 key passes per game while creating 16 big chances, and it certainly indicates that he is a major threat on the left flank.

His bursting runs into the attacking third could benefit Matondo and the duo would create a formidable partnership that would surely cause chaos to defences all over the country.

The stats that show why Gijs Smal would be a good signing for Rangers

These performances last season proved that he is an attack-minded full-back who is no stranger to bombing up and down the left flank and this could fit in well with Clement’s philosophy.

The 6 foot gem has missed 12 games due to a calf injury this term, but when he has played, the 26-year-old has been impressive.

Indeed, he currently ranks fifth among the squad for successful dribbles per game (0.7) along with ranking seventh for key passes per game (1.2), and while these stats are not as impressive as those from the 2022/23 season, it is clear his injury has disrupted any momentum.

Having started the previous nine league matches for Twente, it looks as though he is back fit and healthy and this will be good news for Clement.

Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson has praised the defender amid his recent links to the Glasgow side, paying particular attention to his qualities going forward.

He said: “Smal would provide quality deliveries from the left hand side while also being willing to actually run to the by line. He’s 5 years younger than Barisic and offers a bit more pace and aggression on that side.”

It looks as though the Dutchman is capable of replacing Barisic from an attacking perspective and this is certainly what Clement is after in his fullbacks.

A move for Smal makes perfect sense, especially being able to potentially bring him to the club for a minimal fee this month, giving him plenty of time to adapt.

Adding another signing or two alongside that of Diomande could give the Light Blues a big boost in their chances of securing another trophy or two during the second half of the season.

Will it be enough to see them reel in Celtic and be crowned champions? Only time will tell.