Liverpool superstar Mohamed Star has given a stark update on his future and shockingly revealed he is yet to receive a contract offer from the Reds.
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Salah speaks out on futureStill waiting on contract offer from LiverpoolReveals his disappointment with clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Salah is into the final year of his existing Liverpool contract and no decision has yet been taken on whether he will extend his stay with the club or look for a new challenge. The Egypt international has played a starring role for the Reds since arriving in 2017 and is currently fifth on Liverpool’s all-time record scoring list in all competitions. At he age of 32, he's shown few signs of slowing down, meaning fans will be desperate for him to stay at Anfield.
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Salah has 12 goals and 10 assists in 18 games in all competitions this season and was the hero again last time out as the Premier League leaders came from behind to beat Southampton to extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points. Trying to replace Salah will be an extremely difficult task for the Reds, but they are at risk of losing him at the end of the season on a free transfer and will know that he can sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club from January 1 as things stand.
WHAT SALAH SAID
He told reporters: "We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in. You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December and I haven’t received anything yet about my future. I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see.”
Salah also expressed his disappointment at the situation, adding: "Of course, [I'm disappointed] yeah. I’m not going to retire soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I’m disappointed but we will see.
“I’m very professional. Everybody can see my work ethic. I’m just trying to enjoy my football and I will play at the top level as long as possible. I’m just doing my best because this is who I am and I try to give it all for myself and for the club. We will see what happens next.”
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SALAH AND LIVERPOOL
Liverpool fans will be hoping a resolution can be found quickly to secure Salah's future and ensure he continues his phenomenal career on Merseyside. The forward's comments come ahead of a huge week for the club, as Liverpool host Real Madrid next in the Champions League and then take on defending Premier League champions Manchester City at Anfield.
Chelsea and Enzo Maresca have joined the race to sign a star who has already netted against them in pre-season, it has been reported.
Confusing summer for Chelsea so far
It has been a tough summer for the Blues, who have continued to focus largely on signing youth players rather than ready-made first-team additions and have endured a tough pre-season campaign ahead of the new Premier League season.
So far, the only signings over the age of 20 to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer have been Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (who joined from Leicester City in a deal worth £30m), Tosin Adarabaiyo on a free transfer and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who signed from Villarreal.
Chelsea's signings (summer 2024)
Player
Age
Fee
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
25
£30m
Filip Jorgensen
22
£20.7m
Omari Kellyman
18
£17m
Renato Veiga
20
£12m
Caleb Wiley
19
£8.5m
Marc Guiu
18
£5m
Tosin Adarabaiyo
26
Free
Their pre-season has not been plain sailing either. They have won just one of their four outings (against Club America) while they were held to a 2-2 draw by League One side Wrexham. They have also been well beaten by Premier League champions Manchester City, who Erling Haaland netted a hat-trick to help them to a 4-2 win, while they were hammered 4-1 by Scottish Champions Celtic too.
It has been far from ideal preparation for the upcoming campaign, which kicks off for Maresca's side in a fortnight's time with a clash against Manchester City once more.
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More work will be needed in the transfer market before then, especially with the prospective sale of Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid. Fortunately, Chelsea had the chance to observe his potential replacement up close.
Chelsea eye up Celtic midfielder as Gallagher replacement
Now, Maresca's side have been credited with an interest in in-demand midfielder Matt O'Riley, who netted against them in the aforementioned 4-1 pre-season defeat for the Blues.
The 23-year-old midfielder is hot property this summer. Atalanta have seen three bids rejected for him, while Southampton are also thought to be keen on reuniting the Dane with manager Russell Martin, who worked with him at MK Dons.
Celtic'sMattO'Riley
Brendan Rodgers is keen to keep O'Riley, who he described as "phenomenal" after he fired Celtic to the Scottish Premiership title last season.
“He has been absolutely phenomenal really in his consistency. So to look at his numbers now, it’s huge testament to himself because the work he puts in, the focus he puts in every single day at training to improve and be better, that’s clearly been rewarded by his team-mates and everyone else. It’s very well deserved.
“He is very humble, there is nothing flash about him. His peers recognise the work he puts in and the mentality that he has."
But now Chelsea could ruin that idea, with one report naming him as the potential replacement for Gallagher. That information comes courtesy of Alan Nixon, relayed by Video Celts, who outlines that the £14,000-per-week ace is in the sights of Maresca and co at Stamford Bridge.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues act on that interest, with the report adding that a bid of £25m could bring Celtic to the negotiating table over their prized asset.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers enjoyed a relatively successful first season back in the dugout at Parkhead with a domestic double during the 2023/24 campaign.
The Northern Irish head coach won the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup after returning to Glasgow for a second spell, following Ange Postecoglou's departure from the club.
He was immediately dealt with a difficult situation as three key players moved on from Paradise that summer; Jota, Aaron Mooy, and Carl Starfelt.
Celtic defenders Anthony Ralston and Carl Starfelt.
To replace Starfelt, Rodgers brought in three new central defenders during the summer transfer window but none of them hit the ground running.
Celtic's centre-back signings struggled
Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke, both right-footed enforcers, were snapped up from Legia Warsaw and Elfsborg on permanent deals, whilst Nat Phillips joined on loan from Liverpool for the first six months of the campaign.
Unfortunately, none of those players were able to make a particularly positive impression on the pitch for the Scottish giants, as they all failed to nail down a regular place in the team.
23/24 Premiership
Lagerbielke
Nawrocki
Phillips
Appearances
7
10
6
Starts
4
7
3
Clean sheets
3
0
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the three signings combined for just 14 league starts in 38 matches in the Premiership, with 23 appearances combined in total.
Thankfully, Liam Scales came back from his loan from Aberdeen the previous season and made it into the PFA Scotland Team of the Year for the 2023/24 campaign, but Celtic are yet to replace Starfelt with a reliable right-footed defender who can play on either side of the centre-back pairing.
Celtic could finally replace Carl Starfelt
The Hoops could finally land a dream replacement for the Swedish titan by securing a deal to sign reported transfer target Dara O'Shea from Burnley.
A right-footed defender, the Clarets battler is comfortable on either side of the defence, with six starts as a left-back in his career, and this would make him a like-for-like heir to Starfelt, rather than being restricted to the left – like Scales.
Stats
Dara O'Shea (23/24 Premier League)
Carl Starfelt (22/23 Premiership)
Appearances
33
28
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.3
2.1
Duel success rate
60%
67%
Error led to a shot or goal
2
3
Penalties committed
0
2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, O'Shea's performances in the Premier League last term suggest that he offers similar defensive qualities to the former Hoops star.
The Ireland international, who was described as a "leader" by former manager Vincent Kompany, can win the majority of his physical contests whilst making multiple tackles and interceptions to break up attacks each game.
O'Shea also ranked within the top 37% of centre-backs in the English top-flight for progressive passes (3.80) and progressive carries (1.00) per 90 respectively, which shows that he was above average at progressing play out from the back.
This suggests that the Irish brute could suit playing in a dominant Celtic team that would allow him to showcase his ball-playing skills more frequently than in a Burnley side that suffered relegation.
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Therefore, the Bhoys could finally replace Starfelt by signing another versatile right-footed defender who could offer quality in and out of possession as a reliable option for Rodgers.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping to have a successful season in 2024/25 after Gary O’Neil’s side finished in an impressive 14th place last term, on 46 points, which placed them 20 points clear of the relegation zone. They will no doubt need to add to their squad in order to improve their standings next season and have already dipped into the transfer market.
The first signing they made this summer was Tommy Doyle, who spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Molineux from Manchester City. The club confirmed at the start of May that the 22-year-old would stay at the club permanently ahead of next season.
Tommy Doyle
Their second acquisition this summer was a deal to sign young right-winger Rodrigo Gomes from SC Braga. Interestingly, that is the second winger they have signed from the Portuguese club, having brought talismanic winger Pedro Neto to Molineux from the very same side.
Most recently, the club hijacked a deal from Chelsea to sign young Brazilian full-back Pedro Lima. The 17-year-old is yet to be confirmed as a new signing but will announced on his 18th birthday, on the 1st of July. He cost Wolves £8.5m from Brazilian side Sport Recife.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
Now, with the transfer window in full swing, the Midlands club have been linked with another exciting player, this time someone who plies his trade in the Championship.
Wolves target Championship winger
The player in question here is Sunderland’s English winger Jack Clarke. The 23-year-old came through the academy at Tottenham Hotspur but joined the Black Cats in 2022, and after two successful seasons could return to a Premier League side this summer.
According to a report from GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, Wolves are interested in signing the Sunderland man and could move to bring him to Molineux this summer.
Jack Clarke
With that being said, the pieces explains that the Black Cats are 'keen to retain their starlet' during the summer window, and it would take an offer of anywhere between £25m to £30m in order for Sunderland to allow a sale of their star winger.
The article confirms Wolves’ interest, but also notes there is another Premier League side who could try and sign Clarke this summer. That club is Crystal Palace, who need to replace the outgoing Michael Olise this summer. Their talismanic Frenchman is seemingly joining German giants Bayern Munich for a fee of around £60m.
How Clarke compares to Neto
Last season, 23-year-old Clarke was one of the Championship's most deadly attacking players. He scored an impressive 15 goals and registered four assists in 40 games for the Black Cats, although an ankle injury he picked up in February halted his progress, and he could have had plenty more.
Clarke’s 19-goal involvements last season were better than any of his Sunderland teammates and he was actually the only player in their squad who scored 10 or more goals in the Championship, with Jobe Bellingham’s seven the next highest, as per FBref.
When looking solely at goals, that is the best return of his career. However, in the 2022/23 season, the former Leeds United man scored nine times and registered 12 assists in 45 games, leaving him with an impressive tally of 21 goal involvements, his best-ever return.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
In terms of where his goal involvement numbers would rank him in comparison to the rest of the Wolves squad, the winger would be joint-first with Matheus Cunha ahead of the likes of Hwang Hee-chan who had 15 to his name last season, as per SofaScore.
It certainly feels like Clarke is ready for the step up to the top flight of England. Former Arsenal player Adrian Clarke explained in an interview last October that Clarke “looks like a Premier League star” when he is playing at his best.
Clarke could be the dream replacement for Wolves star Neto, who could depart Molineux this summer. As recently as May, The Telegraph published a report suggesting Newcastle and Manchester City were interested in the winger for around £60m. If he does depart, replacing him with Clarke could well be an ideal move.
Wolves winger Pedro Neto.
The Portugal international, and the Sunderland winger, both have a reputation for being fearless and direct one-vs-one wingers. Football analyst H called Clarke “a direct threat” when one-vs-one, before explaining he is “a top-end two-way dribbler”, just like Neto. This is certainly reflected in the pair’s stats.
According to FBref, last season Clarke averaged 7.89 progressive carries per 90 minutes, slightly more than Neto’s 5.83 per 90. Not only that but their bravery on the ball is reflected in their take-on stats. Clarke averaged 7.11 take-ons per 90 minutes last season and completed 3.81 of them, leaving him with a completion rate of 53.6%. Comparatively, the Portugal international attempted 5.24 take-ons per 90, completing 2.20 and averaging a completion rate of 42%.
Stat (per 90)
Clarke
Neto
Progressive carries
7.89
5.83
Take-ons attempted
7.11
5.24
Take-ons completed
3.81
2.20
Carries into the final third
3.53
3.87
Carries into the penalty box
4.54
2.50
However, it is not just when carrying the ball that the pair excel. They are both extremely creative wingers, as well as high-volume dribblers. Clarke averaged 4.64 progressive passes last season and played 2.35 key passes per game. In contrast, 24-year-old Neto averaged an impressive 3.21 progressive passes and played 2.26 key passes per 90.
As the stats suggest, there is very little in them as players. They are both direct wingers, fearlessly running at defenders to try and get as close to goal as quickly as possible. However, their goal involvement numbers, 19 last season for Clarke and 11 for Neto show there is little to no drop off in output either.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
For a deal between £25m and £30m for Clarke, it seems like a no-brainer for the Midlands club. Even if Neto does stay at Molineux beyond this summer, they can add quality depth out wide in the form of Clarke who will add lots to their squad. It is certainly a transfer for Wolves fans to get excited about ahead of the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
Wolves now keen on signing "amazing" new £30m star who just outscored Neto
تتجه أنظار عشاق كرة القدم اليوم الإثنين 18-8-2025 إلى عدد من الملاعب الأوروبية والإفريقية، حيث تُقام مجموعة من المباريات القوية التي تحمل في طياتها الكثير من الندية والإثارة.
ويتصدر الدوري الإنجليزي المشهد بمواجهة مرتقبة بين ليدز يونايتد وإيفرتون، فيما يشهد الدوري الإسباني صدامًا متكافئًا يجمع بين إلتشي وريال بيتيس، في لقاءات ينتظر أن تحظى بمتابعة جماهيرية واسعة.
كما تعود المنافسات المحلية في ألمانيا وإيطاليا من خلال بطولتي الكأس، حيث يخوض بوروسيا دورتموند، هيرتا برلين، وأندية أخرى مواجهات هامة في كأس ألمانيا، بينما يتطلع تورينو وأودينيزي وسامبدوريا لتحقيق انطلاقة قوية في كأس إيطاليا.
وعلى الصعيد القاري، تقام مباريات بارزة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين، أبرزها لقاء الجزائر ضد النيجر وجنوب إفريقيا أمام أوغندا، إلى جانب مواجهات في الدوري التركي والبرتغالي. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الإثنين 18-8-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم
ليدز يونايتد ضد إيفرتون، الساعة 10:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN SPORTS 1 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم
إلتشي ضد ريال بيتيس، الساعة 10:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN SPORTS 3 HD”. مواعيد مباريات كأس ألمانيا اليوم
دينامو دريسدن ضد ماينز، الساعة 7:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
شفاينفورت ضد فورتونا دوسلدورف، الساعة 7:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
برويسن مونستر ضد هيرتا برلين، الساعة 7:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
روت فايس إيسن ضد بوروسيا دورتموند، الساعة 9:45 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
طالع أيضًا | جوارديولا يوضح موقف ريكو لويس وإيدرسون بشأن مستقبلهما مع مانشستر سيتي مواعيد مباريات كأس إيطاليا اليوم
سيرينغولا ضد هيلاس فيرونا، الساعة 7:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SHAHID tv channel”.
سبيزيا ضد سامبدوريا، الساعة 7:30 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SHAHID tv channel”.
أودينيزي ضد كاراريزي، الساعة 9:45 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SHAHID tv channel”.
تورينو ضد مودينا، الساعة 10:15 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SHAHID tv channel”. مواعيد مباريات كأس أمم أفريقيا للمحليين اليوم
جنوب أفريقيا ضد أوغندا، الساعة 8:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN SPORTS 8 HD”.
الجزائر ضد النيجر، الساعة 8:00 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN SPORTS 6 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري التركي اليوم
قاسم باشا ضد طرابزون سبور، الساعة 9:30 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN SPORTS 2 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري البرتغالي اليوم
جيل فيسنتي ضد بورتو، الساعة 10:15 م بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا
One candidate for the vacant Chelsea manager role has been encouraged after recent talks with the club.
Chelsea's managerial search
Mauricio Pochettino departed Chelsea earlier this week after just one season at the club. The Argentine had a rough start to life back in the Premier League, with the Blues languishing in mid-table for much of the first half of 2023/24.
The west Londoners went on to end the campaign by losing just one of their last 14 outings, earning them a 6th-place finish and Conference League football. However, this was apparently not enough for Todd Boehly and co, as the South American has left and the search for his replacement has begun.
Chelsea have seen a number of names linked with Pochettino's old role. Last month, it was claimed that Chelsea were "monitoring" the status of Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim "should things not progress further with Pochettino in [the] summer". Elsewhere, Chelsea are said to have identified former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a candidate to take over at Stamford Bridge.
The potential appointment of Hansi Flick has also been “discussed internally” by those within the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge, though he now looks set to take up a position at FC Barcelona following Xavi's sacking.
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In recent days, meanwhile, a trio of fresh names have been linked to the Stamford Bridge dugout. According to The Sun, Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca is "one of three leading candidates for the role, alongside Ipswich's Kieran McKenna and Brentford's Thomas Frank".
Maresca has impressed during his time in England so far, leading the Foxes to the Championship title this past season. Speaking back in February, Leicester midfielder Harry Winks backed Maresca to go to the very top of the game.
“He’s incredible in every way,” said Winks. “He’s a manager who I think will certainly go to the very top. His understanding of football is something I’ve never witnessed before. I think his approachability and man-management is exceptional. I’ve really enjoyed working for him so much already and I’m still learning so much every day.
“When you go out on the pitch, you know exactly what to do and how the opposition are going to operate and what you can do to affect that. To do it so simply is the most important thing. That’s a thing a lot of managers probably struggle with – getting the message across, but the gaffer does it so well here.”
But unfortunately for Leicester, Maresca's ascent to the top may come sooner than they had hoped. This comes with The Sun reporting that while "there is no clear favourite" at this stage, Maresca has held talks with Chelsea and is thought to have been left "encouraged".
Regarding details of getting the Italian away from the Midlands outfit, he has a reported €10m (£8.5m) release clause in his Leicester contract, while it is thought he could get a longer deal than what was given to Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
Manager
Tenure
Roberto Di Matteo
5 months, 9 days
Graham Potter
6 months, 26 days
Luis Felipe Scolari
7 months, 30 days
Avram Grant
8 months, 5 days
Andre Villas-Boas
8 months, 12 days
Mauricio Pochettino
10 months, 21 days
Maurizio Sarri
11 months, 3 days
With Pochettino handed a two-year contract with a year's option, it appears the Blues hierarchy are set to put their faith in their new man, whoever it turns out to be.
Ranking Chelsea's worst Premier League managers by win percentage
Mauricio Pochettino’s late-season revival was too little, too late for Chelsea…
يخوض فريق الأهلي مباراة قوية أمام منافسه باتشوكا المكسيكي، غدًا السبت، على كأس التحدي في نصف نهائي بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.
وتقام المباراة بين الأهلي وباتشوكا على أرضية ملعب 974 في الدوحة العاصمة القطرية.
طالع..إصابة لاعب الأهلي واستبداله قبل مواجهة باتشوكا في كأس إنتركونتيننتال
وكان الأهلي قد تأهل إلى هذا الدور بعد الفوز على العين الإماراتي في ربع النهائي، الذي أقيم في القاهرة بثلاثية مقابل لا شيء.
بينما تأهل باتشوكا المكسيكي بفوزه على بوتافوجو البرازيلي بنفس النتيجة 3-0 في مباراة أقيمت في قطر يوم الأربعاء الماضي.
ويلعب الأهلي بصفته بطل دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بينما يشارك باتشوكا بصفته بطل دوري أبطال الكونكاكاف، وسيكون الفائز من مباراة اليوم في مواجهة ريال مدريد بطل أوروبا في نهائي كأس إنتركونتيننتال، يوم الأربعاء 18 ديسمبر في قطر.
وتنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، والثامنة بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، حيث ستذاع عبر قناة بي إن سبورتس 5 وقناة الكأس HD5، كما سيقوم المعلق العماني خليل البلوشي بالتعليق عبر قناة الكأس، والإماراتي علي سعيد الكعبي على قناة بي إن سبورتس HD 2.
Head of cricket at the NCA suggests domestic season could be shortened if it doesn’t start on time
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2020
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Rahul Dravid, the former India captain and current head of cricket at the National Cricket Academy, has called for a wait-and-watch approach before the resumption of cricket in the country, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dravid also suggested that the Indian domestic season could be trimmed if it doesn’t start on time.”I don’t think we are in a position to resume…. It is better to be patient and wait,” Dravid told The , an Indian magazine. “We have to take it month by month. One has to look at all options. If the domestic season, which usually starts by August-September, starts in October… one has to see whether the season should be shortened.”Everything is uncertain right now. How much cricket will be played and what it will take to be able to play depends on the guidelines from the government and medical experts. For us at NCA, the busiest time is from April to June. We normally have our zonal, U-16, U-19, U-23 camps happening at this time. [But] we had to keep redrawing plans. I just hope we don’t lose a lot of our cricket season, and that we can get some cricket this year.”Looking ahead to a possible resumption, Dravid said that the NCA, located in Bengaluru, will first be aiming at training local cricketers. Last month, the Indian government had relaxed restrictions on sporting events, allowing them to resume behind closed doors, but there are still travel restrictions in place and many regions in the country are still under lockdown.ALSO READ: Dravid says bio-secure bubbles not a foolproof route to resuming cricket”The NCA will possibly open initially for some local cricketers,” Dravid said. “Those arriving from other places will have to first quarantine themselves for 14 days. Whether that is possible, we have to see.”For domestic cricket, fortunately, we were able to complete most of our competitions before the lockdown. We have to see whether players are comfortable with inter-state travel. Our training programmes will depend on which domestic tournament will be played first. If it is T20, then we will start the programme accordingly.”The England-West Indies Test series in the UK, which begins with the first Test from July 8 in Southampton, will mark the resumption of international cricket following the coronavirus outbreak. The three-Test series will be played in bio-secure environments, but Dravid reckoned that it might not be as “easy” to create similar environments at domestic level in India. Last month, Dravid also said that playing in a bio-secure bubble will not always be a viable solution in the Covid-19 era.”In international cricket, it is possible,” Dravid said of bio-secure environments. “I believe the England-West Indies series will be a lesson for all. It has its own challenges. It is not as easy at the domestic level.”Dravid said that age-group camps might be held if the Covid-19 situation eases, but stressed that safety was top priority.”The best-case scenario is that we will be able to hold some camps once cricket activity is allowed,” he said. “The worst-case scenario is the season is totally washed out [for age-group cricket]. Missing a few months of cricket is nothing compared with ensuring we are safe.”
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal is being billed as another Lionel Messi, and fellow academy graduate Isaac Cuenca says those “comparisons are fair”.
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Senior breakthrough at the age of 15
Has rewritten the history books
Treading similar path to all-time great
WHAT HAPPENED?
Yamal made his senior breakthrough with Barca at 15 years of age, allowing him to rewrite the record books. History has continued to be made from that point with club and country – as a European Championship crown was claimed with Spain the day after his 17th birthday.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Obvious comparisons with Blaugrana legend and one-time La Masia starlet Messi have been made, with Yamal considered by many to be treading a similar career path. The youngster has been quick to distance himself from that discussion, but those that have seen him play are happy to talk up the hottest of prospects.
WHAT CUENCA SAID
Cuenca, who is now technical director of the Aitana Bonmati campus at Barca, has told of how he was swept up in the Yamal hype: “Well, I have a very interesting anecdote. If you want, I can share it. Since we’re here. I was at home, and my nephew kept talking about Lamine Yamal because he heard about him at school, and my daughter too. I hadn’t seen him play yet, and it happens a lot that people say many young players are coming up, and they make all these comparisons between one and another, but I didn’t pay much attention. We’ve all been compared to stars, and in the end, some make it further than others.
“In Lamine Yamal’s case, I spoke with Xavi to go see a Barca training session. Xavi opened the doors for me, and I went to watch him. I said: ‘Okay, this is something else’. The comparisons are fair. He’s a very good player with a lot of potential.” At just sixteen years old, what he’s doing, what he did in the Euros with Spain, there’s not much more to say. Now what’s left for him is to enjoy, keep progressing, and, above all, for Barça to take care of him, keep him, and we’ll see what happens in a few years.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Yamal, who has already been among the goals for Barca this season, is up to 54 appearances for the Liga giants and 14 for Spain. He is expected to follow in Messi’s illustrious footsteps by competing for future Golden Boy and Ballon d’Or honours.
Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action this afternoon, after their win in the SFA Cup last weekend, as they travel away from Glasgow to take on Dundee.
The Hoops head into this match off the back of a win over Aberdeen on penalties at Hampden Park, after a 3-3 draw resulted in spot-kicks deciding the victor, and they will now face off against Rangers in the final next month.
Despite the fact his side progressed through to the final, manager Brendan Rodgers could look to make some changes to the starting XI from the match for this clash with Dundee in the league.
Celtic winger James Forrest.
James Forrest, who came off the bench to score at Hampden, may have earned himself a place in the lineup, but the Northern Irish boss must also finally unleash Portuguese starlet Paulo Bernardo from the start.
Why James Forrest should start
Hyun-jun Yang, who joined the club from Gangwon FC last summer, was selected to start on the left flank and was handed a dismal 2/10 match rating by Football Insider, who described his performance as 'invisible' and noted that some supporters were groaning and booing at his misplaced touches and passes.
The 21-year-old forward has now registered zero goals, zero assists, and one red card in his last five appearances for the club in all competitions.
Celtic winger Hyun-jun Yang.
Forrest, meanwhile, has produced two goals and one assist in his last five outings – all as a substitute – for the Scottish giants, and should be given a chance to impress ahead of Yang for this clash with Dundee.
The Scottish forward, who brilliantly cut inside from the left to find the bottom right corner from the edge of the box against Aberdeen, is an experienced head and could be a reliable player for the manager to call upon during the title run-in.
Why Paulo Bernardo should be unleashed
Reo Hatate, who started against Aberdeen, has been plagued with injury issues this season and Rodgers may want to manage his minutes to avoid further problems before the end of the campaign.
The Japan international has been absent for a staggering 37 matches for club and country this term with calf and hamstring injuries at three different intervals.
Therefore, the boss should now hand him a rest, from the start, this afternoon and finally unleash Bernardo, who was once hailed as "tenacious" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, in the middle of the park next to Callum McGregor and Matt O'Riley.
Appearances
19
Starts
11
Goals
3
Assists
3
Ground duel success rate
51%
As you can see in the table above, the 5 foot 10 ace has provided quality at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, with more than one direct goal contribution every other start on average in the league.
The "baller" – as dubbed by Mango – has also produced two goals and one assist in his last five appearances for club and country, which shows that he has been in fantastic form in the final third of late.
Hatate, meanwhile, has racked up three goals and two assists in 11 league games for the Hoops this season, which suggests that they both offer a relatively similar level of production in attack and this makes the Portuguese whiz the perfect player to come in for him.
Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo.
Bernardo's last start for Celtic, however, came on the 16th of March against St. Johnstone, which shows that the Benfica loanee has not had many opportunities to impress from the start in recent weeks.
This is why Rodgers must finally unleash the 22-year-old maestro alongside Forrest for this clash with Dundee, to provide them both with a chance to catch the eye.