Julian Nagelsmann is on Chelsea’s radar after Graham Potter was sacked as Blues manager, according to a key update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Potter gets the boot

The west Londoners endured another dreadful day at the office on Saturday evening, losing 2-0 at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League. The defeat leaves Chelsea languishing in mid-table, with the Champions League now essentially all they have to play for this season.

Pressure continued to build on Potter, who looked to have steadied the ship after some improved form, progressing to the quarter-finals in Europe. The loss to Villa was a big step in the wrong direction, and the Blues owner Todd Boehly is now eyeing potential replacements.

One individual who has been linked with taking charge at Stamford Bridge is Nagelsmann, who was recently surprisingly disposed of at Bayern, despite still being in the Bundesliga title race and the Champions League last-eight.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding Chelsea’s potential interest in the 35-year-old.

Will Nagelsmann replace Potter?

Taking to Twitter previously, Romano claimed that Potter is under big pressure and Nagelsmann is “one to watch” as a possible successor for him at Stamford Bridge.

Then, after confirmation broke of the former Brighton manager’s departure, the journalist reiterated that point, Tweeting the following.

While it had been refreshing to see the Blues give Potter time to prove his worth, despite an awful run of results, there does come a point where he simply had to reach the end of the road at the club, which has now come.

In Nagelsmann, Chelsea could have an ideal man to bring in, with the German harshly sacked by Bayern and a hugely exciting young manager who has a massive future in the game. It seems likely that he won’t make a decision over his future until the summer, however, as he enjoys some downtime before being handed a new challenge in his career.

Indeed, with Aston Villa overtaking the Blues in the table after securing the yesterday, you have to say that it’s no great surprise to see him gone, as at this point in a season, Chelsea supporters are used to fighting in and around the top four.

Liverpool have been offered the chance to bring PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Arthur Melo will be returning to Juventus upon the expiration of his loan and Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also out of contract at the end of the season so central reinforcements will be required in the summer.

The Ivory Coast international’s deal at the Philips Stadion isn’t set to expire until 2027, but being Ruud van Nistelrooy’s top-performing defensive player, feels like he’s ready to embark on a bigger challenge in England which has been confirmed by his boss himself.

Speaking to Voetbal International, he said:

“Obviously he can handle [the Premier League]. I have challenged him because I think Ibrahim can go to the top in England. He would also be great in Italy or Spain.

“I see players in his position there now and I think Ibrahim is definitely going to take a shot at that level.”

The Latest: Liverpool offered Sangare

According to 90min, Sangare is ‘ready’ to complete a move to the Premier League and it’s reported that PSV are ‘open’ to cashing in this summer whilst his value is high, with his contract having a €37m (£32m) release clause.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have been ‘offered’ a chance to sign him and all are ‘admirers’ of the 25-year-old.

They’ve apparently been ‘alerted’ by Sangare’s agents that he is set to be available for transfer during the upcoming window.

The Eindhoven star’s representatives have ‘spoken’ with Jurgen Klopp and the hierarchy as well as the rest of his potential suitors to make them aware of his decision.

West Ham have also been ‘touted’ as a possible destination, but it’s claimed that he’s ideally looking to join a ‘bigger side’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Sangare has been dubbed a ‘top talent’ by football scout Jacek Kulig and Liverpool should definitely act fast to get this deal over the line ahead of their fellow competitors.

The 6 foot 3 colossus currently ranks in the 92nd percentile for most tackles and successful take-ons per game, showing that he’s not afraid to get stuck in, win back possession and dribble past his man.

The Cote d’Ivoire native’s desire to consistently contribute to his side’s efforts in the final third hasn’t gone unnoticed either having scored seven goals and provided three assists across all competitions this season (Transfermarkt).

Finally, Sangare can operate in defensive, central and attacking midfield so would add plenty of versatility to the squad, making this deal even more of a no-brainer to complete.

Newcastle United forward Miguel Almiron has “returned” to training and could be available for Saturday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa, according to journalist Jordan Cronin.

What's the latest on Almiron's injury?

The Magpies came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Brentford and keep their top-four dreams going last weekend, but were without the services of Almiron, who has recently been enduring a spell on the sidelines.

The St James’ Park winger last featured in the 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, where he soon after picked up an unfortunate thigh injury in training, which meant he has missed the last four top-flight games.

Last month, Eddie Howe initially stated that his talisman could be ruled out of action for up to six weeks, which would have been concerning for supporters to hear, though a positive update on his fitness has now emerged.

Taking to Twitter, Cronin revealed that Almiron has pulled his boots back on and staged his comeback to the training pitch much quicker than was anticipated in a massive boost for Newcastle. He wrote:

“Miguel Almiron has returned to NUFC training ahead of schedule, despite Eddie Howe previously doubting that would be the case. The Paraguayan could come back in contention for Saturday lunchtime's trip to AVFC.”

Is Almiron's injury return positive news for Newcastle?

Journalist Josh Bunting previously labelled Almiron as Newcastle’s “key player”, and being Howe’s top goalscorer so far this season despite missing a run of fixtures, it’s hard to argue otherwise, so it’s definitely positive news for the boss that he could be available for selection again this weekend.

The Asuncion native has clocked up 12 goal contributions (11 goals and one assist) in 25 Premier League games this term, but is also a real standout performer apart from when he gets on the scoresheet.

The left-footed forward has recorded 50 shots since the start of the season, which is higher than any other member of the squad, alongside 66 shot-creating actions – at a rate of three per game, ranking him second just behind Kieran Trippier (FBref).

The Magpies have just eight matches remaining to secure their place in the Champions League, and we think the return of Almiron, who has evidently been one of the most important players in their success, will only increase his side’s chances of achieving their goal as we head deeper into the run-in.

England XI 177 for 8 (Root 48, Willey 3-35, Rashid 2-33) beat MCA XI 163 for 6 (Bista 51, Vince 45) by 14 runs
ScorecardJoe Root hits down the ground during his 48•Getty Images

The venerable Cricket Club of India has its very own “Men’s Siesta Room”, situated on the second floor of the Brabourne Stadium pavilion, and available from the hours of 12pm to 6pm to those members who could do with a lie-down. Like most of the décor in and around the grand old ground, its very existence harks back to an era of and , when it was safe to take your eyes off the action and not miss a single beat.On paper, England’s final World T20 warm-up match against a Mumbai Cricket Association XI was the sort of occasion that could have led to standing room only in the Siesta Room. Many’s the time that England have simply muddled through the motions in such contests, rotating their squad, settling for time in the middle, and moving onto the main event with minimum fuss.Times, however, have changed very quickly, and England’s final 40 overs of middle practice proved urgent and captivating. In the end, a Mumbai XI reinforced with four donations from the England squad ran their visitors close before succumbing to a 14-run defeat, the contest effectively sealed by a brace of yorkers from Chris Jordan to bowl two of England’s floor-crossers, James Vince and Jos Buttler in consecutive overs.Up until that point, England had been somewhat up against it. Jay Bista, a talented 20-year-old local boy who last week struck his maiden first-class hundred, launched Mumbai’s pursuit of 178 with a 37-ball 51, before Vince, with a measured 45 from 38, and Buttler, with a typically aggressive 25 from 16, manoeuvred their adopted team close with a 47-run stand in five overs.England did not help their cause with their fielding – both men were badly dropped in the deep by Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes respectively – but England dredged the necessary composure to close out the contest, Jordan serving up a diet of yorkers at the death, not least in an exemplary penultimate over that went for just two runs.”He’s been fantastic,” said Joe Root, whose 48 from 34 balls was the bedrock of England’s efforts with the bat. “He’s proven on a few occasions he can perform under real pressure. Now it’s about doing it consistently and when it really counts. The best thing is we’ve got these experiences to call upon when the tournament starts, so fingers crossed we can take that confidence forward.”For all that Eoin Morgan has encouraged his England team to embrace their “naivety” in Indian conditions, there’s a subtle difference between the sort of have-a-go fearlessness that he is advocating and willful ignorance of the challenges that lie in store. And with that in mind, England have made as much capital as they could have hoped from their two practice contests.West Indies on Wednesday will be another challenge entirely. “They are extremely explosive,” said Root. “They have firepower in the batting order, and are unpredictable at times, so we have got to have lots of plans in place to counter that”.However, the ongoing success of Adil Rashid as a middle-order handbrake augurs well for England’s chances of launching their campaign in style. In transferring both Buttler and Rashid to their opponents, England created a situation in which their two likeliest matchwinners could test themselves against the best that England could offer, and vice versa. It proved to be a qualified success.After batting first in a pre-arranged situation, Jason Roy and Alex Hales had biffed England along to 69 in the seventh over – neither perhaps hitting top form but nevertheless finding the gaps to rattle the scoreboard along – when Rashid started with the sort of splash that he has become something of a trademark since his stint with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash.He snared both men in the space of his first ten balls – Roy got himself in a tangle on the reverse sweep and chipped to short third man, before Hales was beaten in flight and jabbed a high looping chance back to the bowler. With flight, guile and spin both ways, Rashid conceded just 17 runs in his first three overs before Root, with the impish acceleration for which he is building his own reputation, planted his front foot to slam two sixes in a final over that went for 16.”Hopefully everyone got lots out of it,” said Root. “Personally I know I did, it’s always good to face someone like Rash, who’s got the ability to spin the ball both ways. There will be times when we have to make sure we can face that in the tournament. He’s a very skilful bowler and it’s great to get an opportunity to face someone like that in a match situation instead of just in the nets.”David Willey, the fourth of England’s exports to the Mumbai team, belatedly reminded the selectors of his merits with an improbable hat-trick as England shipped five wickets in the final 11 balls of their innings. After a first-ball lbw appeal against Roy that might have been tighter in a more competitive game, Willey came in for some tap in the opening three overs of his spell, only to turn his figures upside down with the consecutive scalps of Root, Moeen Ali and Jordan, who launched the final ball of the innings inside out over cover, but picked out Bista, lurking in the deep.”Out preparation has been very good,” said Root. “In all the training sessions, the lads have worked extremely hard, and when it’s come to the games, the guys have stepped up and performed under pressure, which is exactly what we need to do.”

Durham opener Mark Stoneman was dropped on 19 and never gave the sniff of a chance again as he reached the close on 139 not out

David Hopps at Chester-le-Street25-Apr-2016
ScorecardMark Stoneman recorded his first century of the season•Getty Images

Celebrations might be taking place around the country to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, but if the ghost of the Bard had put in an unexpected appearance at Chester-le-Street there would be little chance of him writing how “proud-pied April, dress’d in all his trim hath put a spirit of youth in every thing.” More likely something about the cold turning county cricketers, and all those of us who religiously watch it, into fools and madmen.It was hardened professionalism, not youthful disposition, that got Middlesex’s fielders through a day of intense cold during which the temperature read 5C at start of play, a stiff Arctic breeze whistled down the ground and hands in pockets was a basic necessity. This was not the sort of day to feel the joy of being alive, not until back in the warmth of a local hostelry at any rate.In such conditions, Mark Stoneman’s dependability must have worn even more heavily on Middlesex’s attack. The Durham opener was dropped at long leg by James Harris on 19, pulling Tim Murtagh down wind, and never gave the sniff of a chance again as he reached the close on 139 not out. Middlesex’s pace attack started loosely and although they upped their standards later, Durham maintained their grip.When the arrival of snow drove the players from the field with two overs left, Middlesex’s fielders stood politely by the outfield gate to applaud Stoneman off. He seemed to take an awfully long time to reach them. Not only had he batted for most of the day, he was now walking as slowly as an Arctic explorer across a glacier. They must have felt like leaving him to it.Stoneman, who batted in a long-sleeve sweater for the first time, symbolises the toughness of Durham cricket. To be fair, quite a few do. He has survived for a decade on challenging pitches and, presented by more encouraging batting conditions this season, he is not about to treat the opportunity lightly. Middlesex’s top seven all flared brightly, but none made a century, and as they set their eyes to the wind it was with the suspicion that their 389 was far from impregnable. Stoneman, with great selectivity of stroke, insisted that was so.Keaton Jennings, against Somerset in the opening round, had become only the third Durham batsman to score two centuries in a match and he looked in good order, driving in spritely fashion before Steven Finn defeated him on the pull – a bottom edge down the leg side. Finn also removed Jack Burnham, lbw to one that came back, and Ben Stokes – a carefully constructed leg trap which worked at the second attempt as Stokes flicked off his pads. One that Sri Lanka and Pakistan might log away for the summer.Finn’s greatest achievement, though, was to field throughout the morning session in a short-sleeved sweater. They would even have been impressed with that in Newcastle’s Bigg Market, where imperviousness to cold comes naturally. “Even pre-season was a lot warmer than this,” he said. “The only time I’ve experienced anything this bad was Delhi in early January.”Burnham, prolific in the recent Under-19 World Cup, impressed greatly for his 61. A skip down the ground against the offspin of Paul Stirling and successive boundaries – a pull and drive – off Toby Roland-Jones to reach his half-century suggested a player of verve capable of holding down his place in Durham’s middle order. Durham’s seam stocks, lower than we have come to expect (although they have given the young South African Brydon Carse a development contract) suggests they may struggle, but that struggle need not end in failure.The sheer willpower of county spectators never fails to amaze on such days. The romantic link between cricket and languid summer days suggests to the non-believer that enjoyment must be in short supply, but beneath the winter overcoats and array of headgear there was a sense of rapt attention. There again, they might have been iced to the seats.This season’s flatter pitches are logically better for the standard of English cricket, but in such conditions whether they are better for the game, rather than The Game, is debatable. Sport also needs to fit well with its environment and at least the unpredictability of a green seamer provides the sort of constant action to warm the cockles of the heart on taxing days like this. It also provides a better chance of a result in matches ravaged by rain. It is a quandary that will never be solved.

West Ham United are considering making a shock move for Italy manager Roberto Mancini, according to reports.

What's the latest manager news at West Ham?

The Irons secured a 1-0 Premier League victory over Southampton last weekend, which was a much-needed three points to temporarily lift them out of the relegation zone, but the pressure still very much remains on David Moyes.

The London Stadium outfit have lost 14 of their 27 games this season, which is why they have consistently been in a dangerous position – and it isn’t set to get any easier for them as they still have the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to play during the run-in.

90min reports that the Irons hierarchy are expected to part ways with 59-year-old Moyes at the end of the season regardless of if he is successfully able to maintain his side’s top-flight status, as a result of failing to improve on his sixth and seventh-place finishes over the last two seasons.

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), West Ham have “decided” to make their move for Roberto Mancini, calling the club one of the “most ambitious” in the top flight in the process.

The Azzurri coach has a “temptation” to move back to England and “leave his mark” again following his hugely successful spell at Manchester City, but would require a significant salary. Mancini would need to be offered “at least” €10m (£8m) per year as well as a “clear project” of where the club wants to go.

Would Mancini be a good appointment for West Ham?

Mancini has a contract with Italy that runs until 2026, so compensation and his financial demands would need to be paid in order to prise him away – but he would almost certainly be a fantastic appointment for West Ham.

The Italian had a remarkable record at Man City, winning 113 of his 191 games in charge, drawing 38 and losing just 40, so he has already proven that he’s capable of achieving at this level. The Sky Blues’ ex-coach, whose preferred formation is an attacking 4-3-3 setup, has also secured 14 titles throughout his managerial career across spells in England, Italy and Turkey, so he knows what it takes to be successful.

The Irons could find it extremely difficult to attract any kind of high-profile managers or transfer targets should they be relegated, so they need to do everything they can to stay up and give themselves the best chance of starting afresh in the summer, perhaps with Mancini at the helm.

Amid the sort of bitterly cold weather in which even Captain Oates wouldn’t venture out, Yorkshire’s lower order demonstrated the type of grit that can make the difference between winners and losers in a Championship season

George Dobell at Edgbaston25-Apr-2016
ScorecardWarwickshire’s slip cordon feels the chill•Getty Images

Amid the sort of bitterly cold weather in which even Captain Oates wouldn’t venture out, Yorkshire’s lower order demonstrated the type of grit that can make the difference between winners and losers in a Championship season.Most cricketers can flourish in conditions when the sun is, figuratively or literally, on their backs. But it takes a certain sort of determination to succeed in discomfort, under pressure and despite interruptions and distractions.Yorkshire displayed such grit here. From a position of 209 for 6, their lower middle order has earned not just a chance of gaining full batting bonus points but, if the weather relents, the possibility of pushing for a win. And they did it on a day when the wind blew viciously cold, when play was split in what appeared to be dozens of short sessions and when anyone sensible would only have ventured out in thermals and supported by a team of huskies.While the contribution of Adil Rashid can be of little surprise – he has the class to have made it as a specialist batsman – the contribution of Steve Patterson was more unusual. Until today, he had scored only one first-class half-century – an innings of 53 against Sussex – in a first-class career that started in 2005 but now resumes in the morning requiring only six more runs to be the highest scorer of the innings.But it was the manner of Patterson’s runs that was most surprising. He is an admirable, reliable cricketer but both his career strike-rate – he had scored his runs at a rate of 35.93 runs per 100 balls before today – and his nickname, “Dead”, hint at a character that is usually solid and dependable more often than it is exhilarating and flamboyant.Here, though, he thrashed 11 fours as he feasted on Warwickshire’s frustration – there were a fair few long-hops bowled at him – and weariness. And while he looked less comfortable against the pace of Chris Woakes – described as “one of England’s quickest bowlers” by his coach, Dougie Brown – he still managed to time the ball sufficiently well that what appeared a decent yorker was speared to the point boundary before the man positioned barely 15 yards away could move.It might have been easy to presume this match – likely to be interrupted by more poor weather over the next couple of days – was heading nowhere. But who knows whether the Championship may, in five months time, be decided by a bonus point gained on a grim, April day in Birmingham? Patterson and Rashid, in particular, earned their side at least three more points that seemed likely at one stage.It would be easy to point out Warwickshire’s faults in the field. Really very easy. The innings contained overthrows, drops (Liam Plunkett was reprieved from the first delivery he faced – Tim Ambrose putting down the chance off Keith Barker – while Ryan Sidebottom was reprieved at slip by Varun Chopra off Chris Woakes on 2) and really quite a lot of wayward bowling. For much of Patterson’s innings, he was more at risk of frostbite or polar bear attack than a yorker.But this has been an awful stop-start game played in brief patches of uncomfortably cold and horribly windy conditions. It cannot have been easy to gain any rhythm on the pitch – it was miserable to watch from the stands – and it really wouldn’t be appropriate to put down a mug of hot coffee in the press box and criticise too harshly. It was not easy out there.”It was disgusting,” Brown, the Warwickshire director of cricket, agreed. “But you still have to have professional standards. We shelled a couple of catches, which is disappointing, but Yorkshire deserve a bit of credit for the way they batted. It’s quite a good wicket and the margin of error for bowlers is very small.”When play finally started – 49.3 more overs were lost on the day, making it 87.3 in total so far – Warwickshire appeared to have seized the initiative. Jack Leaning’s footless drive was punished with an outside edge, before Gary Ballance’s increasingly fluent innings was ended by a good one that left him from Barker. Had Plunkett been taken next ball, as he should have been, Yorkshire would have been 209 for 7.Instead Plunkett counter-attacked in a partnership of 43 with Rashid before Patterson helped add 91 for the eighth-wicket in 20 overs. With Rashid, getting well forward and driving neatly, forcing the bowlers to pitch shorter, the ball tended to sit up obligingly on what remains a decent pitch.Clarke and Woakes were the pick of the bowlers. Gaining in rhythm by the spell, Woakes had worked up a considerable pace by the end of the day and finally defeated Rashid with one that may have tailed in a little. With Mark Wood injured and Chris Jordan departing to the IPL, it seems Woakes may be competing with Jake Ball for the final spot in England’s Test squad. All three England selectors were at Edgbaston on the second day to see Woakes demonstrate his pace and his improved inswinger. They will know he is a better bowler than he showed during the Test in Centurion.Still, in a match containing 13 Test cricketers, it was arguably Patterson’s performance that caught the eye. On a day when nearly everyone else looked as if they would rather be somewhere else, he took advantage.

Scott Borthwick’s high-class 134 and Paul Collingwood’s 85 not out gave Lancashire’s attack one of its first pick, shovel and prop days at cricket’s coalface this season

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street15-May-2016
ScorecardScott Borthwick made his 13th first-class hundred•Getty Images

To die wondering might actually be rather pleasant, though it is not something that either Jack Burnham or Neil Wagner is likely to experience.Drifting away while contemplating pleasant paths, albeit that they have not been walked, may, at most rates, be preferable to mulling over one’s earthly demise and pondering what, if anything, is next on one’s dance card. However, as Wagner and Burnham went at it hammer and tongs in the first major duel of this game, it was most apparent that their labours were unsparing and that conserving energy had no place in them.The pair began their battle in the second hour of the morning. By that time both Keaton Jennings and Mark Stoneman had been dismissed, the Durham openers nicking catches off the excellent Tom Bailey; and towards the close, home supporters at a sun-embraced Riverside were applauding Scott Borthwick’s high-class 134 and Paul Collingwood’s 85 not out, fine innings which had given Lancashire’s attack one of its first pick, shovel and prop days at cricket’s coalface this season.Yet it was 19-year-old Burnham who helped take the battle to Lancashire’s bowlers, cover-driving Wagner easefully to the boundary in the 25th over and then attempting a rather wilder repeat off the next delivery, only to edge the ball over a leaping Liam Livingstone’s outstretched fingers at first slip. In response Wagner sent down a couple of precisely targeted bouncers, although he is not a bowler for whom that over-used tactic is a default position. The second bumper whacked Burnham somewhere in the vicinity of his helmet and it was followed by a discussion between the pair in which Wagner seemed to take the leading role.He is a curious fellow, Wagner. Off the field he is affable, peaceful, serene. Although he admitted a few weeks ago that he might have to “eliminate” Stuart Broad, he did so with the courteous regret of a James Bond villain. Out in the middle, mind, Wagner spits vengeance and bowls some of the most unsparingly aggressive spells one might see. The history of fast bowling has thrown up similar examples, of course, but rarely is the contrast between the Quaker and the Visigoth as sharp as it is with Mr. Wagner and “Waggy”, his on-field persona. Robert Louis Stevenson knew a thing or two.All the same, Burnham won their battle. At lunch he was 35 not out and had helped Borthwick revive Durham’s innings after their early losses. Wagner’s seven wicketless overs had cost 32 runs. For his part, Borthwick was batting with gentle ease and his glide though gully off Procter was as well-timed and graceful as anything we saw all day. Neither a cut nor a drive, it seems something of a signature shot for Borthwick and few batsmen play it as well. It will be a stroke for us to play once more when May is a memory.Having established himself at the wicket and properly gauged the pace of a pitch from which Bailey extracted most bounce, Borthwick unfurled an even greater variety of shots in the afternoon session. There was the precise cover drive which took him to his fifty off 81 balls and the calculated sweep off Simon Kerrigan, which took him into the nineties.Between those strokes, however, Borthwick lost Burnham, who was caught at slip by Livingstone off Bailey for 44, and Richardson, who edged Kyle Jarvis to the same fielder seven overs later. Both these dismissals bolstered the view that while this is a good batting wicket, it is also a pitch on which seamers can bowl with the hope that their efforts will receive recompense. Certainly home supporters seem likely to rue the absence of Chris Rushworth, whose hip injury prevented his playing in this match.Richardson was replaced by Collingwood, whose 123-run fifth-wicket stand with Borthwick was clearly the home side’s best period of the day. Durham’s skipper was confident and assertive against Wagner from the outset, cover-driving his fifth ball to the Lumley Castle boundary and swivel-pulling his next to square leg. A few overs later Collingwood came down the pitch to Kerrigan and hit him sweetly and straight for six, as if confirming home ascendancy. Borthwick responded with similarly assured strokeplay and reached his century off 158 balls with a cover drive off Wagner. Durham took tea on 213 for 4, emboldened in their belief that the next session would belong to them.So it more or less proved, despite Lancashire’s attack sticking to its disciplines and taking two wickets. Borthwick and Collingwood took the score to 274 before Borthwick, in one of his rare miscalculations, tried to hit Kerrigan over long-on but only found Alviro Petersen five yards inside the boundary. Ryan Pringle then batted well enough for his 25 before giving Bailey his fourth wicket when he gloved a pull to Livingstone who dived forward from slip to take the catch.But by then one’s attention was taken by Collingwood, who was batting with ever more circumspection as close of play approached. James Weighell whacked Wagner’s last ball of the day over square leg for six but Durham’s skipper ended play by patting back a maiden from Kerrigan. His forward defensive shots were as resolute and brimming with resistance as his boundaries had been. Late Collingwood: a cricketer phrased like a vintage.

Leeds United fell to a second successive heavy defeat on Monday night, as they were thrashed 6-1 by Liverpool at Elland Road to increase their relegation fears.

Shipping 11 goals in their last two games now means that Javi Gracia's side officially have the worst defence in the division and with just seven games to go, the Yorkshire outfit must improve at the back if they are going to avoid a return to the Championship.

Fingers were naturally pointed at Leeds' defence after they were carved open again and again on Monday night against a seemingly revitalised Liverpool side, and it was arguably Rasmus Kristensen who was the worst performer in the embarrassing defeat.

How did Kristensen perform against Liverpool?

As per Sofascore, the Danish defender would earn a woeful 5.3 rating for his performance at Elland Road, which was the joint worst of any outfield player to feature in the game.

The right-back position has been a problem all season for Leeds and after Luke Ayling was culpable against Crystal Palace last time out, Kristensen was given the nod to start but found himself tormented throughout by the Liverpool attackers.

Three of Liverpool's goals on the night would come down Kristensen's side, with the 25-year-old failing to track the runs of Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota for the second and third, with Yorkshire Post writer Leon Wobschall lamenting his "appalling" defending, before he was left in the dust by Andrew Robertson who crossed for the fourth.

During the game, the defender, who earns £40k-per-week, was dribbled past three times and won just six of his 14 duels, which suggests that the Liverpool attackers well and truly had the better of him, as he has only been dribbled past 1.1 times on average in the Premier League this season.

Kristensen's passing was also disastrous throughout, as he completed just 19/36 passes with a success rate of 53%, which again is significantly worse than his average of 64.8% in the top flight.

All six of the summer signing's crosses and long balls would fail to find their mark, and he was guilty of giving the ball away a remarkable 24 times, which just invited the pressure from Liverpool and was clearly a factor in them dominating proceedings on Monday night.

Since signing from Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth £10m last summer, Kristensen has done little to justify Jesse Marsch's decision to bring him in, and it would be a surprise if he was trusted again by Gracia in the remaining fixtures after another horror show against Liverpool.

Manchester United make their return to Premier League action away to top-four rivals Newcastle United this afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men set to kick off what will be a hectic month of fixtures across all fronts.

Today's trip to St James' Park will be the first of three top-flight games in the space of a week for the Red Devils, with the Carabao Cup winners currently on a run of just three wins from their last eight matches in the competition.

If Champions League qualification is to be secured come the end of the season, then United will certainly need to improve upon that rather patchy recent record in the league, with a strong performance against the Magpies likely to be a perfect way to get April underway.

Ahead of the crucial meeting later today with Eddie Howe's men, Ten Hag has revealed a notable piece of positive injury news, with striker Anthony Martial set to return to the match-day squad for the first time since early February.

While it does appear that the Frenchman could be sold this summer after almost eight years at the club, in the short-term the Old Trafford outfit are certainly in need of a more natural, goalscoring presence in attack, with fellow forward Wout Weghorst netting just twice in 18 starts for United to date.

With Ten Hag previously suggesting that his side play their "best football" with Martial leading the line, it could be a real lift to see the 27-year-old return to the fold, particularly with doubts over teammate Marcus Rashford's fitness.

The forward line could also be bolstered by the inclusion of summer signing, Antony in the starting lineup, with the Brazilian "baller" – as hailed by journalist Sacha Pisani – having sparkled off the bench in the FA Cup triumph over Fulham last time out.

Will Antony start against Newcastle?

There's no denying that the £86m man has been a polarising presence since his arrival from Ajax – having been branded a "clown" by club legend Paul Scholes – yet when at his best it is hard to ignore the impact that the 23-year-old can have on the side.

The fleet-footed maverick was particularly impressive against the Cottagers prior to the international break, having simply "changed the game" following his introduction in the second half, according to former Manchester Evening News writer Hesham Bilal-Hefiz.

That 'game-changing' impact was evident as it was Antony's threaded pass that teed up Jadon Sancho in the build-up to the eventual penalty decision that flipped the tie on its head, with the visitors subsequently imploding to allow United to romp to victory.

Such a dazzling cameo also saw the mercurial talent register two key passes and also win five of his nine ground duels as a marker of his ability to make an impact both in and out of possession, having been a real livewire down the right flank.

The hope will be that the 5 foot 9 ace can replicate that display up against Newcastle later today, having previously 'toyed' with his opposite man Dan Burn when the two sides last met at Wembley, as per MEN correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst.

Although the £200k-per-week man will need to begin to provide a regular end product to mirror the notable flicks and tricks, on the evidence of his performance against Fulham last time out, he could well be the man to terrorise the opposition this time around.

Amid the prospect of having both the 16-cap dynamo and the aforementioned Martial in the attacking trio, Ten Hag could finally see things begin to truly fall into place with regard to the forward line.