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Liverpool will face Porto on Wednesday evening in a clash that has really no impact on the side’s qualification, as they secured their passage to the last sixteen in the Champions League a few weeks back, after going unbeaten.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will have the opportunity though to remain unbeaten in Europe alongside Ajax and Bayern Munich, and if they do beat Porto tonight it will keep Atletico Madrid in with a chance of qualification.

One player that is predicted to play for Liverpool tonight is Divock Origi, who is currently out of favour in Klopp’s super starting eleven but has made a few outings this season so far with seven appearances, three goals and two assists across all competitions so far.

Although Origi is not a starter for the side, he has proven this term that he has something to offer, whether that be with Liverpool or another club in a move that has been highly speculated over the last six months.

According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle United are interested in the 26-year-old striker, who was reportedly valued at £12-£15 million by the club in the summer transfer window, however, nobody could meet Liverpool’s valuation and the player remained at the club for the season ahead.

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Liverpool have a strict sell to buy framework at the club and will need to offload a player to bring another in, and Klopp could capitalise on these last two Champions League games to showcase Origi’s talents and attributes to drum up interest of notable value that would be more appealing and financially beneficial for the club going into the transfer window.

The Belgian is available on a free in the summer, so if the club is looking to make a quick buck on the striker, time is ticking, and starting him in the next two Champions League games will give the striker the opportunity to put on great performances that could potentially make FSG millions.

The £10.8m-rated beast is likely to start in tonight’s game having had many moments of magic in the Champions League in his time at Liverpool and has been hailed a “monster” by former Belgium teammate, Vincent Kompany;

“He is very gifted and talented,” said Kompany. “Technically, he’s a monster.

“More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy.”

Liverpool take on Porto at Anfield tonight and despite the likelihood of a weaker starting eleven, Klopp will expect his team to put in a performance to continue their unbeaten run in Europe.

In other news: Liverpool must complete transfer swoop for Renato Sanches

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Mark Noble has admitted in his Evening Standard column that the endless speculation over not only Marko Arnautovic’s future, but also that of every one of West Ham United’s strikers, has affected the team.

What’s the word?

Arnautovic spent most of the January window with his head seemingly elsewhere when it emerged that clubs in the Chinese Super League were chasing his signature. Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez also had their names regularly spread across the back pages.

Even the injury-prone Andy Carroll was tipped to be heading for the exit door as a shock replacement for Harry Kane at Tottenham. But come the end of deadline day, not one of the quartet actually left the London Stadium.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals what Lasagne-Gate was really like for Tottenham’s food-poisoned stars – Check out the video below…

Now, with the window behind them, Hammers captain Noble has acknowledged in his Evening Standard column that the speculation over their respective futures affected the rest of the squad.

The £6.3million rated midfielder noted: “That [speculation] has to have an effect on everyone, not just the players concerned but all the squad.

“It hasn’t been ideal at all. Everyone knows how it works. Agents are very active during the window, and there is no way players concerned can prepare properly for a game when that is happening.

“I’m not making any excuses for our past two performances, but it must have had an adverse effect.”

Pellegrini’s man-management crucial

When the leader of the pack is stating that the interest in his colleagues has affected results, the captain of the ship must step up and hit refresh on the mindset of his players.

In the case of West Ham, this responsibility falls to Manuel Pellegrini and the end product of his man management will come clear on Monday night when the Irons host the current league leaders Liverpool.

The Reds will be keen to push further clear of the current title-holders with a win, and if Jurgen Klopp can orchestrate such a result, it will be the Hammers’ fourth loss in a row after defeats at Bournemouth, AFC Wimbledon and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There is only so much Pellegrini can do when it comes to outside influences, such as transfer talk and whispering agents – but after Noble suggested this is a common issue at the club in January, it’s something he’ll need to try and prepare for next time around.

For now though, Pellegrini needs to get his squad simply thinking about their football again, rather than potential futures elsewhere.

Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, has written a letter to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi criticising his decision to make public the ownership details of the Kochi franchise

Cricinfo staff13-Apr-2010The controversy over the revelation of the Kochi franchise’s ownership details has taken a new, and possibly more serious, twist with ramifications beyond the IPL and the BCCI. In the past 24 hours Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, has written a strongly worded letter to the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi criticising his decision to make public the ownership details, while Shashi Tharoor, a minister in the Congress-led federal government and a moving force behind the Kochi bid, has responded to charges of a conflict of interest by calling it an “extraordinary breach of all propriety” by Modi designed to discredit the franchise and disqualify the ownership.For his part, Modi is reported to have responded to Manohar’s letter by saying his revelations on Twitter were “in no way a breach of confidentiality”. He went on to say that the Kochi franchise had “a lot to hide and as such have lied about who are the actual owners of the shares.”The story so far

March 7: IPL franchise auction is called off after objections over stiff financial clauses

March 21: Auction re-staged; Sahara wins Pune bid, Rendezvous group wins Kochi for $333.33 million. Shashi Tharoor, an MP from Kerala and junior foreign minister in the Congress government, plays facilitating role.

Interim: Reports suggest Rendezvous’ surprise win has upset bigger players. Tharoor reportedly meets Congress leaders, asks them to ensure pressure eases on Kochi owners, says he has no personal material stake in franchise.

April 9: Media reports say BCCI has raised questions over shareholding pattern, asked Rendezvous to clarify its ownership structure.

April 10: Kochi owners meet Modi in Bangalore, sign formal agreement to be part of IPL, disclose ownership structure.

April 11: Modi, in response to questions on his Twitter feed, reveals Kochi shareholding pattern. One shareholder is a woman whom Tharoor says he “knows well”.

April 12: Kochi complain to BCCI over Modi’s revelations. BCCI chief Manohar criticises Modi for his action. Modi defends himself, saying no breach of propriety.

April 12-13: Tharoor issues statement denying any personal stake in Kochi and alleging Modi wants the franchise moved out.

“I have minutes of what they [Kochi franchise] said at the meeting. And, in fact, when I questioned who the shareholders were, they had no answer,” Modi wrote. “They said they would revert back. Within minutes of me asking the same, I got a call from Shashi Tharoor asking me not to ask about who these shareholders are. You [Manohar] had mentioned that we should ignore who this owner is, but our condition requires us to authenticate who they are.”I am happy to disclose all the facts at the next governing council meeting. As regards not raising it at the time of the tender – we didn’t have the foresight to go through the voluminous documents attached to verify each and every shareholder. As regards many other things I have said on my Twitter account, they have actually not been any classified information. It’s factual and only something we have or would have put into the public domain.”The BCCI’s only official response to the developments was an announcement, made through a vice-president, Rajeev Shukla, that a meeting of the IPL Governing Council would be convened within 10 days to “discuss all the issues and take a decision”.In his letter, as reported in the , Manohar chided Modi for revealing the stakes of Kochi’s owners, saying the BCCI was a body that “functions in accordance with its constitution” and not through the media.”The issue, if any, could have been discussed at the governing council meeting and that action on your part of raising it on Twitter is unbecoming of you as a chairman of the a sub-committee of the board. Your action is in serious breach of the confidentiality clause in the agreement,” Manohar wrote. “Till date, you have made public statements about a lot of issues which were not even discussed in the meetings of the governing council when it is the governing council which has the authority to take decisions with regard to each and every issue related to IPL.”Tharoor’s part in the story stems from his relationship with Sunanda Pushkar, one of those listed by Modi as having free equity in the Kochi franchise. While media reports suggest they have plans to marry, Tharoor in his statement referred to her as someone he knew well but said there was no material gain from it. He said he had “neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team… Whatever my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I do not intend to benefit in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage.”Tharoor said the consortium’s successful bid in the March 21 auction “upset the plans of a lot of powerful people, who had wanted the franchise to go elsewhere”. He said “attempts were made by Modi and others to pressure the consortium members to abandon their bid in favour of another city in a different state”.He also denied Modi’s charge that he had called the IPL commissioner and asked him not to probe the ownership structure. He had called Modi, he conceded, but “only to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled”.”I called Mr Modi to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled.. Mr Modi had held up approval by the IPL of the franchisee agreement earlier in the day, by insisting on the reversal of a change in the document that he himself had earlier suggested.”This change was made, the consortium members flew to Bangalore and met with Mr Modi after that night’s IPL game for what they had been told would be a routine exercise. Instead they were submitted to a barrage of questions which led some to suspect that Mr Modi was seeking a further excuse to delay approval. This was the reason for my intervention with Mr Modi. Had he conducted himself in good faith throughout, no call would have been necessary.”

Luke Evans, Northamptonshire’s on-loan seamer has been recalled to his main county Durham, two weeks into a 28-day spell on loa

Cricinfo staff30-Apr-2010Luke Evans, Northamptonshire’s on-loan seamer has been recalled to his main county Durham, two weeks into a 28-day spell on loan.Evans was called back to the north east by Geoff Cook, the Durham coach, after making two Championship appearances for Northants. During his time at Northants, the 22-year-old seamer took five wickets including a best of 3-53 against Gloucestershire.In the meantime Durham have been struck by injuries to key pacemen Steve Harmison and Graham Onions. In their absence Durham have failed to be the potent force of the last two seasons, and watched Yorkshire rack up 610 for 6 in their recent Championship match at Headingley.Evans said he enjoyed his time with Northants but is looking forward to performing for his home county. “The lads have been fantastic and it’s been really easy to fit in here. The environment has been superb. Although my time here has been brief, I’ve learnt a lot. I’m a bit shocked at what’s happening. Plans have changed very quickly. Maybe one day I can return and do a job for Northants, but for now I have to focus on Durham.””When I first came down, I was aware that Northants was a great club. There is a good connection between Durham and Northants and I hope my time here has helped strengthen that relationship.”

Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves admitted that he almost joined Barcelona last summer, but opted for a Saudi Pro League move instead.

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Neves left Wolves after six years in 2023Was heavily linked with Barcelona, ArsenalAl-Hilal top of Saudi Pro LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Neves negotiated a long-expected departure from Wolves last summer, signing for Al-Hilal in a deal worth €55 million (£47m/$60m). But things almost went a different way, with both Barca and Arsenal coming close to securing his signature.

AdvertisementWHAT NEVES SAID

In an interview with Portuguese publication , Neves elaborated on his busy summer: "I was close to three clubs and finally it didn’t happen, which saddened me and helped me make the decision to go to Al-Hilal. I didn’t want to name names, but Barcelona was one of the hottest and it wasn’t a lie. It almost happened, as happened with Arsenal. Then there was another club outside of England. These were events that accumulated and then, with this golden opportunity, I had no doubts in accepting it. I was already hardened by transfers that do not happen."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Neves had enjoyed a successful season in the Saudi Pro League, starting 19 of a possible 21 games for the title favourites, and has six assists to his name. Barcelona, meanwhile, failed to spend big last summer, instead opting to bring in former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR NEVES?

Neves was linked with Newcastle move in January but spurned interest to stay in Saudi Arabia. He will continue to feature for Al-Hilal for the coming months, and will also hope to stay in the Portuguese national team setup under Roberto Martinez.

Worcestershire’s lower-order batsmen made the most of a window in the weather late in the third day against relegation rivals Lancashire at New Road.

17-Aug-2012
ScorecardWorcestershire’s lower-order batsmen made the most of a window in the weather late in the third day against relegation rivals Lancashire at New Road. The match was at standstill for more than five hours before Gareth Andrew and Ben Scott came out to add 27 runs and lever their side up to 251 for 7.Scott (14 not out) twice drove Kyle Hogg for four and when Andrew (12 not out) clipped the same bowler backward of square to register a second bonus point, Daryl Mitchell called his side in. With 27 balls still available before the 110-over cut-off, his declaration denied Lancashire an opportunity to try for the two wickets they needed for a third bowling point but Paul Horton and his new opening partner, Luke Procter, negotiated seven overs to the close.Allrounder Procter, promoted to the top of the order after Stephen Moore was left out, nudged the only boundary off Chris Russell as they made 10 without loss. Where the game goes from here depends on whether the captains are prepared to strike a deal. Otherwise the last day is set to be a battle for bonus points.Only eight overs were squeezed in before lunch but that was enough to dash Worcestershire batsman Neil Pinner’s hopes of making a maiden century some 15 months after being dismissed for a duck in his only previous Championship innings.Resuming on 79, the 21-year-old, who has been playing for Kidderminster Victoria in the Birmingham League, confidently clipped Glen Chapple’s third ball for two but this was the only action before a shower stopped play after two overs. After a 35-minute delay, Pinner added a single in the first over but 21 dot balls were logged before Worcestershire added another run.For Pinner, that proved to be the end of the road after batting for nearly four hours. As on Saturday, when he was out for 98 in Kidderminster’s game at Himley, a three-figure score eluded him. Having played so well, hitting 11 boundaries from 190 balls, he was leg-before for 82 when moving across his stumps as he shaped to turn a delivery from Chapple off his pads.It was a well-deserved success for Chapple, Lancashire’s 38-year-old captain, who eventually got through 31 overs with a return 4 for 60. Like his new-ball partner, Hogg (2 for 63), he beat the bat often enough to merit even better figures.

A number of Crystal Palace supporters have slammed Jordan Ayew’s performance in his side’s Premier League clash away to Manchester United.

The Eagles were back in Premier League action on Sunday afternoon, looking to bounce back from their midweek heartache away to Leeds United.

Patrick Vieira’s side were beaten 1-0 at the death by the Whites at Elland Road and the hope was that they would respond against United at Old Trafford.

It was always going to be a tough afternoon for Palace, however, with Ralf Rangnick taking charge of his first match as Red Devils manager, following the recent exit of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

One player who struggled throughout the game for the Eagles according to some was Ayew, with the forward not having a big enough impact in the final third.

Palace fans criticise Ayew’s performance

These Palace fans took to Twitter to lay into Ayew’s display against United, with many tired of seeing him in an Eagles shirt.

“Also please please please can we bin Jordan Ayew off, horrible footballer”

Credit: @CPFCAlfie

“I think Jordan Ayew is top 5 most annoying players to watch”

Credit: @OskarPoet

“Ayew off. Burn his contract”

Credit: @palacecarl

“Benteke, Ayew, Kouyate and Schlupp not good enough again”

Credit: @Mark_CPFC

“Ayew stinker AGAIN? imagine my shock”

Credit: @laurieeee

“I really can’t fathom why Ayew is on the pitch ahead of Edouard in the first place”

Credit: @Eonzer012

In other news, some Palace fans have reacted to one player’s post. Find out who it is here.

City could only blame themselves after missing a hatful of chances and twice throwing away the lead to drop points at home once more

Manchester City dropped two more points against a top-six side and once again could only blame themselves after failing to put Tottenham out of sight in a thrilling 3-3 draw on Sunday.

Son Heung-min caught City on the hop to give Spurs the lead after his side cut through the champions on the counter-attack, but moments later put the ball through his own net. Phil Foden's sensational team goal then put City in front and they should have killed the game off, with Erling Haaland missing big chances either side of half-time.

But they let their foot off the gas in the second half and twice surrendered the lead – first via Giovani Lo Celso's sizzling strike and then Dejan Kulusevski's header, after Jack Grealish had restored the champions' advantage.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (5/10):

Made a hash of Son's shot, which squirmed through his arms. Blameless for Lo Celso's thumper or Kulusevski's late header.

Kyle Walker (7/10):

Made excellent recovery runs and stayed well on top of the threat of Udogie and Gil down his flank.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Made a strong start in the hybrid defence/midfield role but stood back more in the second, playing into Spurs' hands.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

Made a crucial slide tackle to prevent Kulusevski finding Son.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

Struggled to keep a handle on Kulusevski and had to resort to fouling him, earning a booking.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

A sloppy pass nearly led to a big Spurs chance. Otherwise played well.

Rodri (6/10):

A mixed bag. Made some sloppy passes and tackles and is now suspended for the trip to Aston Villa. Made amends by sparking the Grealish's goal as he seized the ball from Bissouma.

Phil Foden (8/10):

Made lots of nice moves, often dictating play from deep. His finish was a work of art.

Getty ImagesAttack

Julian Alvarez (7/10):

Had a hand in City's first two goals but gave the ball away before Lo Celso struck.

Erling Haaland (5/10):

A lousy performance both in his build-up play and his finishing, particularly his sitter in the first half. Half made up for it by setting up Grealish's goal with a deft touch.

Jeremy Doku (7/10):

Electric and unpredictable. Unlucky not to score when he hit the woodwork. Taken off in the 52nd minute with an injury.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Jack Grealish (8/10):

Made a huge impact and drew lots of attention from Spurs' players, who kept on fouling him. Scored a fine goal which looked to have won the game.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Kept the ball well and was strong defensively too.

Nathan Ake (N/A):

Came on in the 87th minute and was beaten in the air for Kulusevski's goal.

Mateo Kovacic (N/A):

Came on in the 87th minute.

Pep Guardiola (5/10):

Made an uncharacteristically large number of substitutions to try and fix things. Taking Foden off didn't make much sense and has now dropped four points in consecutive home games, admittedly against very strong opponents.

The World Cup's most successful nation has not won the competition for over 20 years – but a group is emerging who have the talent to end that drought

When the NXGN 2023 finalists were revealed on Tuesday, there was one country that dominated the 50-strong list. Brazil had no fewer than eight players among the list of world football's top teenage talents born in 2004 or later, including NXGN Nine award-winner, Endrick.

Given some of the Brazilian talents who have graced the upper echelons of the annual list of wonderkids in recent years, such as Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, it is hard not to get excited about the prospect of a new golden generation emerging for the Selecao.

Of course, Brazilian generations are ultimately judged on whether or not they win the World Cup.

🏆 TOP STORY: Chelsea set to axe Auba over Barca trip📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Mbappe really ready to captain France?🚨 MUST READ: Viva Garnacho! Inside Man Utd star's rise

Fans of the South American nation generally view two generations – the one fronted by Pele that won three global titles between 1958-70, and the team of Ronaldo, Cafu and – latterly – Ronaldinho, that reached three successive finals, winning twice – as the gold standard.

And while there hasn't been a Ballon d'Or winner from the country since Kaka in 2007, there is no doubt that Brazilian footballers are beginning to dominate the top of the European game once more. The recent Real Madrid-Liverpool tie in the Champions League, for example, featured a record-breaking six different Brazil internationals.

This year's NXGN suggests that number is only going to increase over the next decade, too.

Getty ImagesNXGN 2023's Brazilian ballers

The aforementioned Endrick is top of the pile when it comes to Brazilian wonderkids right now. The 16-year-old Palmeiras forward is regarded as the best talent to have emerged in the country since Neymar, and the battle to sign him among European clubs over the past year suggested as much.

Real Madrid eventually beat the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea to Endrick, agreeing to a deal worth €60 million to bring the teenager to Santiago Bernabeu, though he will not arrive until the summer of 2024.

Others to have agreed moves to Europe include midfielder Andrey Santos, whom Chelsea paid an initial £11m to sign in January, and centre-back Kaiky, who was heavily linked with Barcelona before joining fellow Spanish side Almeria last summer.

Right-back Vinicius Tobias and winger Savio, meanwhile, are currently on loan at Real Madrid and PSV, respectively, and have been getting used to European football in those clubs' reserve sides in the lower reaches of their domestic pyramids.

Vitor Roque, the Athletico Paranaense striker who has been likened to Ronaldo, is likely to be the next to follow them across the Atlantic, with Barca again said to be at the front of the queue for the 18-year-old.

Getty/GOAL

Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca, meanwhile, recently signed a new contract that includes a €200m release clause after Newcastle had a bid for him rejected in January. Santos winger Angelo Gabriel could soon join Matheus at Flamengo, too, though it's widely felt that would just be a stepping-stone move before he eventually lands in Europe, too.

The conveyor belt is unlikely to stop there, either, with Palmeiras duo Luis Guilherme and Estevao Willian – the latter of whom is still only 15 – already on the radars of the world's most prestigious clubs.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDeveloping 'O Jogo Bonito'

So what's so special about Brazilian coaching and youth development to create such a generation of players who are adept at the beautiful game, or 'O Jogo Bonito' as it's referred to in Brazil?

"Football is a national passion in our country, and our children have the ball at their feet from an early age," Paulo Victor, the manager of Palmeiras' successful Under-20s team, tells NXGN.

"Brazil's great secret lies in its passion, improvisation, daring and creativity. Also, the number of youth teams and competitions that we have and, currently, the quality of work in the youth categories that is being done throughout Brazil."

Vasco da Gama's academy director, Carlos Brazil, adds: "Brazil has always had golden generations. The proof of that is that for a long time, it has been the biggest exporter of players in the world.

"Training a great player involves a methodology that requires a systemic view and interdisciplinary work. There are now several professionals, from different areas, involved in the training of an athlete."

Those coaches and academies are, though, still at something of an advantage compared to others.

Getty ImagesThe beauty of a one-sport nation

Football might as well be the only sport in Brazil. Others have niche followings, but every Brazilian lives and breathes football to some extent. And since the country possesses the sixth-largest population on Earth, that's a lot of football-loving households.

The five countries with larger populations – China, India, United States, Indonesia and Pakistan – are hardly footballing hotbeds, with only one (the U.S.) even having qualified for the 2022 World Cup.

It's perhaps understandable, then, that Brazil is regarded as one of, if not the world's best footballing talent factory. The likes of the top European nations, as well as Argentina and Uruguay, might produce at a more impressive rate given their smaller populations, but that should not take away from what Brazil has been able to do in recent years in terms of elite talents.

"The country, having such a large size and having football as the most popular sport, obviously gives birth to talents in great proportions," Carlos Brazil says. "These well-polished talents, though, become quality players with our training."

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Getty ImagesThe start of something special?

The proof, as always, will be in the pudding when it comes to whether Brazil's next generation will be a golden one, but the early signs are certainly promising.

The U20s team, led by Andrey Santos and Vitor Roque, won the South American Championship at the start of 2023 despite a series of players being blocked from taking part by their clubs, and will head to this summer's U20 World Cup as one of the favourites.

And yet even that might only be the tip of the iceberg, as Paulo Victor explains: "In recent years, we have followed a new generation of players who have taken up major roles in the biggest leagues in world football. But I believe that the best is yet to come in terms of quantity and quality, with the current Under-17 and Under-15 generations.

"They have a significant amount of super talents who will add to the players who are playing a major role today, such as Vini Jr. , Rodrygo, Antony and Gabriel Martinelli."

And so the almost-daily reports of a teenage Brazilian being on the transfer radar of at least one top European club is set to continue for a while yet. The odds are strong that a sixth World Cup will likely follow soon enough.

GOAL has put together a stellar line-up made up solely of players from countries that failed to qualify for this year's finals

Qualification is not yet complete for the 2022 World Cup, with three spots still up for grabs, but we already know that some of the game's greatest players won't be travelling to Qatar.

Indeed, GOAL has been able to put together a stellar line-up comprised solely of superstars who will be sitting at home when the tournament gets under way later this year.

You can check out our adventurous 3-4-3 formation below and feel free to post your own selections in the comment box provided….

GettyGK: Gianluigi Donnarumma

It's a real shame that we won't get to see Slovakia and Atletico Madrid ace Jan Oblak at the finals but the absence of Gianluigi Donnarumma is even more shocking.

After all, the giant goalkeeper was named player of the tournament at Euro 2020, after playing a key role in Italy's surprise triumph.

Donnarumma, though, was powerless to prevent the Azzurri from sensationally failing to qualify for Qatar, with Roberto Mancini's side upset by North Macedonia in the play-offs.

The Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper is still only 23 and should get plenty more chances to grace a World Cup but elimination was the last thing he needed right now, given his poor form and ongoing struggle too establish himself at the Parc des Princes this season.

AdvertisementGettyCB: Milan Skriniar

Slovakia may have finished third in their UEFA qualifying group but they didn't really come close to securing even a play-off berth.

It's a shame for Milan Skriniar, who played every minute of his nation's unsuccessful campaign.

The much-coveted Inter defender is widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in the game today but the 27-year-old may never get the chance to compete in a World Cup.

GettyCB: Giorgio Chiellini

Giorgio Chiellini was almost at a loss for words after Italy's shock 1-0 loss to North Macedonia, admitting he was "crushed" by his nation's failure to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.

It's easy to understand why. The veteran centre-back will turn 38 later this year. Chiellini may have played a pivotal role in Italy's emotional Euro 2020 victory but he will never get another chance to take to the game's greatest stage.

That's good news for forwards all over the world, of course, but a blow for neutrals, who felt one of the great defenders of the modern era deserved to bring the curtain down on his international career at World Cup 2022.

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GettyCB: David Alaba

We could have put David Alaba in several positions in this team. The Real Madrid ace is that versatile. And he's that good.

It was tough, then, to see Austria beaten in the UEFA play-offs by Wales, as there is now a very real prospect that Alaba will never play in a World Cup.

At 29, he should definitely have one more crack at qualification, but it's worth pointing out that Austria haven't made it to a finals since 1998.