كشف مصدر مسؤول بالجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر الأولمبي بقيادة روجيرو ميكالي، عن تحذير البرازيلي للاعبو المنتخب قبل مواجهة فرنسا بدورة الألعاب الأولمبية 2024.
ويلعب منتخب مصر مع فرنسا، في دور نصف نهائي أولمبياد باريس 2024، اليوم الإثنين، في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
وقال المصدر في تصريحات لبطولات: “ميكالي شرح للاعبين 3 نقاط قوة لمنتخب فرنسا قبل المواجهة التي ستجمع بين المنتخبين”.
طالع أيضاً.. طبيب منتخب مصر الأولمبي يعلن موقف زيزو والنني النهائي من مباراة فرنسا في أولمبياد باريس
وتابع: “جاءت نقطة القوة الأولى لفرنسا التي حذر منها ميكالي لاعبيه، طريقة اللعب التي تعتمد على السرعة والتحرك كثيرًا بين الخطوط خاصة للاعبي الوسط، فطلب ميكالي من اللاعبين أن يكون الضغط بحذر حتى لا يقع لاعبي مصر في الفخ ويتم ضرب دفاع الفراعنة بسبب الضغط غير الجيد للاعبين”.
وأضاف: “نقطة القوة الثانية، متمثلة في ثنائي خط الهجوم لاكازيت وماتيتا، وطلب ميكالي من المدافعين التعامل بقوة ويكون هناك التحام قانوني على الكرة دون ارتكاب مخالفات؛ ولكنه حذر في المجمل من أن يكون هناك حرية في استلام الكرة للثنائي”.
واختتم: “النقطة الثالثة تتمثل في الكرات الثابتة لفرنسا، خاصة وأن ميكالي يرى أن مصر لا تتعامل جيدًا مع الكرات الثابتة خلال المباريات الماضية، ودرب ميكالي لاعبيه على التعامل مع الكرات الثابتة خاصة وإنها نقطة قوة لفرنسا تتميز بها”.
Liverpool return to EFL Cup action this evening as they travel away from Anfield to take on Premier League rivals Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Jurgen Klopp's men dispatched Championship side Leicester City 3-1 in the previous round and they will now be looking to progress through to the next stage tonight.
The Reds are coming into this match off the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, with goals from Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota securing all three points.
This cup clash with the Cherries now provides the manager with an opportunity to rotate his side and offer chances to other players to impress.
With this in mind, Klopp must move Ryan Gravenberch aside in order to unleash young ace Harvey Elliott from the start in the middle of the park.
Gravenberch's performance against Nottingham Forest in numbers
The impressive summer signing from Bayern Munich did not enjoy his best afternoon against the Tricky Trees as he struggled to make an impact on the game.
Gravenberch lost four of his seven duels throughout his 59 minutes on the pitch and lost three of his five battles on the ground, which shows that he was not able to impose his physicality on the match.
The ex-Ajax star did complete 95% of his attempted passes but did not manage to create a single chance for his teammates at the top end of the pitch.
This performance came after the midfield general scored one goal, after Nunez's staggering miss, and created three opportunities against Toulouse in his previous outing for the club.
The 21-year-old ace could be rested in order to keep him fresh and ready to bounce back with an improved display against Luton Town in the Premier League on Sunday.
Harvey Elliott's season in numbers
Klopp must now unleash Elliott in place of Gravenberch, who could be benched after his lacklustre showing against Forest, in midfield this evening.
The England U21 international played 30 minutes off the bench over the weekend and completed 100% of his attempted passes (15/15) along with a ground duel success rate of 100% (1/1).
He also caught the eye in the last round against Leicester with three chances created in 90 minutes against the Championship leaders in September.
Harvey Elliott.
Elliott recently impressed on international duty with his country as the 20-year-old magician scored two goals and provided two assists in two games for England's U21s – against Serbia and Ukraine.
The £40k-per-week whiz, who was hailed as an "incredible" talent by coach Paul Dalglish after his performances for England, is a midfielder who has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.
He can be a difference-maker with his energetic and dynamic displays in midfield to create opportunities for his teammates whilst also being able to offer a goal threat of his own.
Whilst the former Fulham prodigy is yet to prove himself at Premier League level on a consistent basis, Klopp must unleash him from the start in this cup clash to provide him with another chance to impress and continue his development at senior level.
Tudo que é ruim pode ficar pior. Em uma sexta-feira turbulenta no Botafogo, Keisuke Honda deu sinais de que pode pedir para sair do clube. Por meio do Twitter, o japonês escreveu, em uma série de postagens, recados sobre a situação do clube.
– Inacreditável. Vou começar a pensar em sair (do Botafogo) se eles (diretoria) não me convencerem em alguns dias – afirmou.
> Confira a tabela completa do Brasileirão
Nesta sexta-feira, o Botafogo anunciou o desligamento de Ramón Díaz, que sequer havia estreado por problemas médicos, por “não poder esperar” e anunciou o retorno de Eduardo Barroca, que voltou ao Alvinegro após uma passagem em 2019.
RelacionadasBotafogoRamón Díaz se despede do Botafogo: ‘Quero voltar a treinar no Brasil um dia’Botafogo27/11/2020BotafogoNome de Eduardo Barroca foi aprovado por unanimidade entre dirigentes do BotafogoBotafogo27/11/2020BotafogoBotafogo: Lecaros volta a treinar e deve enfrentar o FlamengoBotafogo27/11/2020
West Ham United have enjoyed an excellent start to the 2023/24 season and David Moyes certainly looks buoyed after claiming the Europa Conference League trophy last term – the first major trophy win of his long managerial career.
They have lost just twice across all competitions this season, and those were to Liverpool and Manchester City, while the club currently occupy seventh place in the Premier League table, just six points from the summit.
The international break came at just the wrong time for the Hammers, but they return this afternoon with a clash against high-flyers Aston Villa, and it promises to be an enthralling game.
What is the West Ham team news vs Aston Villa?
The break has given Moves a chance to regroup and focus on further challenges ahead, and it appears as though he may only be missing a couple of players for the match today.
Speaking to the media ahead of the match, Moyes said: "The international lads, at the moment, they seem okay. We saw two of them for the first time this morning but the game being on Sunday helps us.
"Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson are coming on. I think Ben might just be a bit ahead but, are they ready yet? I'm not quite sure yet."
The Scot may well resort to using the same starting XI that secured a draw against Newcastle United in their last fixture before the international break, yet he should be cautious about fielding one player who was poor against the Magpies – Michail Antonio.
Should Michail Antonio be dropped against Aston Villa?
The forward has featured nine times this season and has scored twice while also grabbing an assist, yet at 33-years-old, it’s evident that his prime years are behind him.
Against Newcastle, Antonio was deployed as a lone striker, yet he failed to shine and was substituted with 15 minutes to go. Throughout his time on the pitch, he managed to complete just ten successful passes while also taking just 23 touches as he clearly failed to get involved with the game.
His attacking statistics were also poor as the frontman failed to take a single shot when he was on the pitch while making zero key passes and completing only one successful dribble.
West Ham forward Michail Antonio.
Over the course of the league season so far, Antonio currently ranks fifth for goals and assists (three) while ranking sixth for shots on target per game (0.4), seventh for big chances created (one) and eighth for key passes per game (0.5), indicating that he is not exactly having the most positive of impacts across the team.
Indeed, this form has carried on from last season, where he netted 14 times across 48 matches, but Josh Bunting dubbed him “very poor” back in March for his performances during the 2022/23 campaign.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues over the previous 12 months, Antonio fails to rank in the top 70% with regard to non-penalty goals per 90 (0.23), total shots per 90 (1.62) and touches in the opposition box per 90 (3.48) and this is further evidence that his career is slowly entering into a decline.
Given that he will be 34 by the time the current season comes to close, he must surely be entering the final furlong of his West Ham career. He has scored 77 goals for the club since joining back in 2015, but Moyes must soon start to utilise other players ahead of Antonio.
With Mohammed Kudus arriving at the club this summer, he has someone who will be a star for West Ham over the next few years and while centre-forward isn’t his main position, there is no doubt he could slot into a space vacated by Antonio with ease.
Could Mohammed Kudus start for West Ham United against Aston Villa?
The youngster was one of the most in-demand players over the summer and a move to West Ham surprised just about everyone, yet it has worked out extremely well.
He cost the club £38m from Ajax, having scored 18 goals across all competitions for the Dutch side last season and the move could be a shrewd piece of business by Moyes.
£44m
£38m
£38m
£33m
£33m
Kudus has started just three games for the club since arriving and has featured either in an attacking midfield role or on the right wing, but he could certainly operate further forward if he so wishes.
The former Ajax starlet has scored twice for West Ham so far and over the previous 12 months, he has showcased his vast attacking talents which rank him highly when compared to his peers.
Indeed, the Ghanian has impressed on the continent. When compared to positional peers, Kudus ranks in the top 2% for total shots per 90 (3.42), the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90 (4.61) and the top 3% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.96), which gives a clear impression of just how well suited he would be at operating as a lone forward for Moyes.
The 23-year-old has everything in his locker to enable him to reach the very top of the game and impressing at West Ham will be the first stage of this process.
Moyes might not want to change a team which has built up some solid momentum over the previous few weeks, but dropping Antonio from the starting XI could give them a major boost against a Villa side who are also riding the crest of a wave.
Mohammed Kudus
Kudus has made a more than decent start to life in London, and it is now time he forces his way into the starting lineup on a consistent basis to prove to Moyes that he was worth the vast sum of money that was paid for him.
Defeating Villa won't be an easy task; however, West Ham have already beaten Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion this season, clearly demonstrating they can secure a positive result if required.
Kudus could be central to securing all three points and Moyes must unleash him in place of Antonio today.
طالب رئيس نادي مودرن سبورت “فيوتشر سابقًا”، وليد دعبس، اتحاد الكرة ورابطة الأندية المحترفة، بالمشاركة في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية في الموسم الجديد.
وحسم ناديان فقط المشاركة في بطولتي دوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس الكونفدرالية في الموسم الجديد وهما الأهلي بطل دوري الأبطال الموسم الماضي والزمالك المتوج بـ الكونفدرالية في الموسم المنقضي، وذلك وفقًا لتصريحات رئيس اتحاد الكرة المصري جمال علام.
طالع | رسميا.. مودرن فيوتشر يٌعلن تغيير اسمه إلى مودرن سبورت
ولم يعلن حتى الآن، من قبل اتحاد الكرة أو رابطة الأندية، الناديين الآخرين اللذين سوف يشاركان في بطولتي إفريقيا.
وقال دعبس خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “ETC” لبرنامج “بوكس تو بوكس”: “حتى الآن لا نعلم ما هو أساس المشاركة في البطولة الكونفدرالية”.
وأضاف: “سنتحدث مع رابطة الأندية واتحاد الكرة بشأن هذا الأمر، الخطاب القادم من الكاف ينص على أكثر من شيء من ضمنها لا بد أن يتم اخطار الأندية التي ستشارك في البطولات، ما نعلمه أن الخطاب كان موجها حتى 30 يونيو علمنا بعد ذلك أنه تم تمديده إلى 5 يوليو بناء على ترتيب الدور الأول الذي لم ينته بعد وبالتالي يجب أن نقوم باختيار الأندية بناء على ترتيب الموسم الماضي”.
وواصل: “لا أعتقد حتى أن الكاف سيسمح بتأجيل إخطاره بالأندية المشاركة في البطولات، الدور الأول والثاني لم ينته بعد في الدوري، أريد أن أحصل على حقي”.
وأكمل: “أطالب بالمشاركة في الكونفدرالية على اعتبار أن الدور الأول لم تكتمل مبارياته والدوري ما زال ممتدا، فمن حقي طبقًا للوائح والقوانين وفقًا لترتيب الموسم الماضي مودرن والزمالك في الكونفدرالية”.
وأتم: “إذا استطاعت الرابطة أو الاتحاد أن يؤجلا قرار الكاف أهلا وسهلا سيكون هناك عدالة، لكن لو لم يقدرا على تأجيل القرار، سندافع عن هذا الأمر وبشدة ويجب أن نكون حاضرين في الكونفدرالية”.
وكان فريق موردن سبورت شارك في بطولة الكونفدرالية العام الماضي بعد حصوله على المركز الرابع في ترتيب الدوري الممتاز، وودع المسابقة الإفريقية في دور ربع النهائي أمام الزمالك.
Tottenham Hotspur went into last night’s game against Manchester City hoping to win their fourth Premier League game on the bounce.
Unfortunately, a goal from Erling Haaland in the first half made sure that didn’t happen.
However, while they left the match empty-handed, Ange Postecoglou’s side weren’t dreadful, and had they been a little more clinical in the final third, they could’ve easily picked up at least a point.
That does suggest that their attacking options on the night were a little lacklustre, though, which was the case, and therefore, the manager should look to take Mathys Tel out of the team for the next game.
Why Tel should be dropped
So, before the pitchforks come out, we are not saying that Tel is a bad player or someone that won’t develop into a serious world-beater for Spurs, as based on his performances for Bayern Munich last season, when he produced 16 goal involvements in 1406 minutes, he looks like he will be.
Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel
However, it’s also true that since moving to North London, the young Frenchman has struggled to make an impact.
For example, he’s now made five appearances for the Lilywhites, four of which have been starts, yet he’s only found the back of the net once, which ended up being a consolation goal against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
Moreover, his actual performances have not been convincing either, with yesterday’s clash with City another example of that, as demonstrated by his statistics.
In 66 minutes of action, the 19-year-old prospect amassed an expected goal figure of 0.04, took a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his dribbles, took 13 touches, completed four passes, lost six of seven duels, committed a foul and was dribbled past once.
Minutes
66′
Expected Goals
0.04
Goals
0
Expected Assists
0.00
Shots on Target
1
Shots off Target
0
Shots Blocked
0
Dribbles (Successful)
2 (0)
Dribbled Past
1
Touches
13
Duels (Won)
7(1)
Fouls
1
Crosses (Accurate)
0 (0)
Long Balls (Accurate)
0 (0)
Completed Passes
4
In short, it was another display in which he failed to add anything to the team, so with a must-win tie against AZ Alkmaar coming up, it might be time for Postecoglou to drop Tel and turn to another of his up-and-coming forwards instead.
Chalkboard
The Spurs gem who should replace Tel
With Dominic Solnanke still out recovering from his knee injury, the centre-forward options Postecoglou can turn to at the moment are rather limited, especially when it comes to the Europa League knockout phases, the club have already announced their squad.
However, given Tel’s ineffectiveness in recent games, he has to do something.
Fortunately, there is a youngster who seriously impressed last time out in the competition who can join the main squad whenever thanks to the rules around U21 players: Dane Scarlett.
The academy gem returned from his lacklustre loan spell with Oxford United in December, and instead of going straight back into the youth set-up or going back out on loan, he was given a chance to play in the first team in the game against Elfsborg, where he shone.
The outrageous talent came on in the 66th minute, and instead of simply trying to find his feet, staying under the radar and avoiding any potential mistakes, the 20-year-old took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Just four minutes after coming on, the promising prospect positioned himself between two defenders and nodded home his first senior goal for the club.
Then, 14 minutes later, the Hillingdon-born dynamo, who Jacek Kulig described as being “born to score goals,” turned provider, as he was involved in a slick passing move that saw him pick up an assist from fellow academy graduate Oyindamola Ajayi.
It’s not just in Europe where he has impressed, though, as in a short 16-minute cameo against Ipswich Town over the weekend, he picked up another assist, bringing his tally for the Lilywhites this season to one goal and two assists in three appearances, totalling 51 minutes.
In other words, the youngster is averaging a goal involvement every game or every 17 minutes, and while that number will increase with more starts under his belt, it remains incredibly encouraging.
Ultimately, Tel is struggling to make an impact at the moment, and with few other options, it might be time for Postecoglou to hand Scarlett a start, as he has most certainly made an impact thus far.
Fewer touches than Vicario: Ange must bench Spurs star after 4/10 display
Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 1-0 defeat against Manchester City in North London last night.
When Glasgow Rangers won their first Premiership title in a decade during the 2020/21 campaign, it was viewed as a landslide moment in the recent history of the club.
Celtic had gone on to achieve unparalleled domination of Scottish football due to the fact Rangers had been forced to start at the bottom of the professional ladder and although it took a while for the Ibrox side to reach the top, it looked as though it could be the start of something special.
Under Steven Gerrard, the Gers had built a solid squad which ended that league campaign unbeaten, while his team conceded just 13 goals across 38 matches, a British record.
That summer should have seen the Light Blues kick on and vastly improve their first-team squad while condemning Celtic to another season of chaos and in-house fighting which would have allowed Rangers to assert their dominance.
Instead, the club failed to strengthen. Combined with defeat in the Champions League qualifiers, it ensured that they failed to take advantage of their wonderful title-winning season and the truth is, the Gers are still paying for it now.
They could have added some quality players to their ranks during that summer transfer window, and one name sticks out above everyone else’s – Joey Veerman.
Were Rangers close to signing Joey Veerman?
The midfielder had been linked with a move to Glasgow as far back as April 2021 with former Ibrox striker Michael Mols praising his fellow compatriot amid the reports, saying: “I saw the stories linking Joey Veerman with Rangers.
Soccer Football – Europa League – Group A – Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – October 20, 2022 Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus in action with PSV Eindhoven’s Joey Veerman REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
“He’s a really good technical player and a good passer, really good with the ball but I don’t know if Scottish football will suit him.
“Scottish football is more aggressive, like the English Premier League which is physical, so I have a little bit of doubt in my mind.
“I could be completely wrong and maybe I’m not a good judge but that is my opinion. He’s really good with the ball and I would compare him a little bit to Wim Jonk from my time.
“He is perfect with the ball and in possession he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.”
Why didn’t Rangers sign Joey Veerman?
The Gers missed out on him during the summer of 2021 and as the campaign progressed, it was clear that the midfield area had gotten rather stagnant over the course of a few months, with the club leaking goals left, right and centre.
A dynamic midfielder such as Veerman would’ve been ideal for the team. Gerrard departed to join Aston Villa in November 2021 and his replacement was Giovanni van Bronckhorst, someone with a vast knowledge of Dutch football. It looked as though this could be key in luring the Heerenveen starlet to Scotland.
59
9
15
5
4
3
3
1
2
0
It wasn’t to be for Rangers as Veerman ended up joining his boyhood club PSV Eindhoven for a fee of around £5m, which was more than affordable for the club at the time, and considering his success over the previous 18 months at the Dutch side, Van Bronckhorst had a nightmare by failing to secure his signature.
What is Joey Veerman doing now?
It didn’t take long for the Dutchman to show the Ibrox side just what they had missed out on as during his first six months at PSV, he ended up registering 13 goal contributions – six goals and seven assists – across just 24 matches as the club won the Dutch Cup.
This sort of attacking dynamism certainly would’ve given Van Bronckhorst a major boost in the heart of the midfield, and it wasn’t a surprise to see the Light Blues suffer, domestically anyway, failing to beat teams such as Ross County and Motherwell, despite holding leads during their matches.
Veerman kicked his performances up a notch last term, scoring nine times and grabbing 14 assists in all competitions, although PSV were knocked out by the Gers in the playoff round of the Champions League.
The former Herenveen starlet was in wonderful form in the Eredivisie during the 2022/23 season, ranking second across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.65), first for big chances created (17) and second again for key passes per game (3.1).
Compare these statistics to the Rangers squad in the Premiership last season and Veerman would’ve ranked first for Sofascore rating, big chances created and key passes per game, clearly suggesting that the club should have splashed out the £5m and brought him to Ibrox.
The 24-year-old is now not only shining domestically but has taken his game to new levels on the continent, and he proved it against the Light Blues last month in what was a repeat of their playoff tie from the season before.
Across the two legs, Veerman scored once, averaged five key passes per game, grabbed two assists and succeeded with 100% of his attempted dribbles in what can only be described as dominating performances in the midfield.
What is Joey Veerman valued at now?
It is perhaps no surprise to see his value rise sharply since his move to the Dutch giants. According to the CIES Football Observatory, the Dutchman is now valued at €30m (£26m) and this marks a stunning rise since the start of 2022, when he joined the club.
The Gers have had a fair few shockers in the transfer market over the previous few years, but missing out on Veerman has to be up there as one of the worst.
Not only would the player have vastly improved the current team, but he wouldn’t have broken the bank either and PSV are now reaping the rewards of taking a gamble and signing him.
His value has soared, and it certainly looks inevitable that he will leave the Eredivisie side in the near future. When he does, Veerman will secure the club a major profit on their initial outlay.
It is a case of what might’ve been for Rangers having missed out on the Dutch talent and Michael Beale will be hoping to avoid scenarios like this in the future, that’s for sure.
Moeen Ali has added his voice to the growing concerns about the future of Test cricket, saying that the low attendances in the recent Ashes had disappointed him, and hinting that he too may one day be tempted to follow the specialist white-ball route that Adil Rashid and Alex Hales have already headed down.Moeen endured a poor Ashes series, averaging 19.88 with the bat and 115.00 with the ball as England slumped to a 4-0 defeat. But, he said, the overall experience of the campaign had been equally dispiriting.”Yeah [I fear for Tests]. I feared in the Ashes actually,” he said. “The crowds were quite disappointing. There were a couple of big days, but even when they [Australia] won the Ashes there weren’t that many celebrating. That’s when I thought, ‘Actually, we’re struggling a bit.'”We’re very lucky in England. After being all around the world and seeing the crowds everywhere else, we’ve got the best fans, we’ve got full houses most of the time. I feel fortunate in that way.”It is a worry. Test cricket is the pinnacle. It is, in my opinion, where the best players play. You can really see who is the best. It’s been a worry for a while but Australia really opened my eyes.”Moeen’s take on the series, however, has been hotly disputed in the Australian media, given that the official figures for the Ashes made it the second-most attendance series in the country’s history. A total of 866,732 fans attended the five matches, with only the 1936-37 Ashes, in which Don Bradman’s Australia fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, attracting a bigger audience.Almost 200,000 fans attended across the five days at Adelaide, the first day-night Test in Ashes history, and Moeen conceded that that format, along with a possible switch to four-day Tests, could have to be further embraced in the future.”When the idea of four-day Tests came up I was against it because it’s always been five days,” he said. “But maybe it has to change. I don’t really like the pink-ball Tests but maybe if it works and brings crowds in it has to be done.”On the subject of Hales and Rashid, and their switch towards becoming white-ball specialists, Moeen insisted that decision could only be good for England in the long term, and left the door open for a similar decision later in his career.”I believe they can both play Test cricket and are good enough to but I also believe both of them have given themselves a chance to become real specialists and that can only be good for us [England],” he said. “There’ll be more people to follow, in the next year or so.””It’s not really crossed my mind [to specialise in one format] ,” he said. “But maybe in the future, down the line, just for your own body with so much cricket being played, maybe I might have to.”
Liverpool have completed their midfield rebuild on Deadline Day with Ryan Gravenberch joining but a reliable source hinted that the Reds could have sealed a second deal in the dying minutes and hours of the transfer window.
Who could Liverpool have signed?
Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano hinted that Liverpool could have been in the running to sign Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap before the transfer window closes.
Speaking on his KICK stream (via Caught Offside), Romano revealed:
"Let’s see [on Bella-Kotchap to Liverpool]. At the moment I don’t have any news on concrete negotiation, but Liverpool move fast in deals, like with Endo."
That said, the Saints star has in fact sealed a move to PSV Eindhoven, whom the centre-back will join on loan for the season.
Did Liverpool need a defender during the transfer window?
There is no doubt that defensive reinforcements would be warmly welcomed at Anfield before the 11pm deadline this evening, as the fragility of the back line has continued to expose itself over the opening fixtures of the Premier League campaign.
Virgil van Dijk was sent off last weekend against Newcastle United and Ibrahima Konate has already suffered a minor muscle injury which saw him unavailable for selection for the victory over the Magpies and remains a doubt for the upcoming fixture against Aston Villa.
With Nat Phillips completing a move to Celtic on loan this afternoon, this leaves just Joe Gomez and Joel Matip as the most likely starters when the Reds welcome the Villains to Anfield.
As a result, the signing of Bella-Kotchap – who has a reported £25m release clause in his contract – would have been a great piece of business for the Merseyside giants, as defensive depth will not only be crucial in the immediate instance, but the Saints star would no doubt have been an ideal heir for Matip with his contract set to expire at the end of this season.
Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap.
Over 24 Premier League appearances, the 21-year-old – once hailed "highly-rated" by Romano – registered two assists, tallied up an 80% pass completion rate, successfully completed 57% of his dribbles and won 69% of his aerial and ground duels combined, as per SofaScore.
Not only that, Bella-Kotchap has been a top performer across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months, ranking in the top 25% of his positional peers for assists, interceptions, blocks and clearances per 90 minutes played, according to FBref, which is a testament to his strong defensive attributes.
However, since being relegated with the south coast club, Bella-Kotchap has not been seen in the Championship yet due to a hamstring injury but was back on the bench against Queens Park Rangers last week – with Jan Bednarek and club captain Jack Stephens forming the trusted centre-back partnership under new manager Russel Martin so far.
With that being said, the signing of Bella Kotchap would've been a great opportunity for Liverpool to strengthen their defensive presence over the season ahead, however, it is now looking like it's another deal that the club have let pass them by.
The opener added 142 with PJ Moor, who made 52, to help Zimbabwe recover from the depths of 14 for 3
The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo29-Oct-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHamilton Masakadza pierces the off side•AFP
Hamilton Masakadza’s fifth Test century carried Zimbabwe back into the match on a rainy first day at Queens Sports Club. Masakadza shared a 142-run partnership with PJ Moor to help the hosts recover from the depths of 14 for 3, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel having scythed through the top order under gunmetal grey skies after Graeme Cremer had opted to bat. Moor fell for 52, but Masakadza was unbeaten and unbowed on 101 when rain brought the day to a premature end after tea.As is often his wont, and possibly as an effect of the unseasonal cold that has descended on Bulawayo, Masakadza took some time to get going this morning. He did not score until his 17th delivery, and then did so in trademark style: thrashing a full ball through the covers with a solid crunch.At 34, Masakadza is the senior statesman of the side and he displayed the class and patience befitting his position. His knock wasn’t perfect, but he did enough to survive the edges and misses and was also granted the odd slice of luck. An edge off Roach fell short of the wicketkeeper, and a Gabriel no-ball granted a further reprieve.Beaten by the pace of a bouncer in the 11th over, Masakadza seemed to have inside edged a pull onto his own shoulder, the rebound being caught at gully. Umpire Simon Fry turned down the appeal, West Indies reviewed and Masakadza started walking off. But Gabriel had overstepped, and the no-ball allowed Masakadza to bat on. The opener remained particularly fluent through the covers.He found an obdurate partner in Moor, and gradually they helped Zimbabwe restore parity, the score creeping past 50 in the 21st over. Other teams have tested Moor with the short ball, and though the West Indies certainly have the personnel to do so their main line of attack was outside the off stump. Moor had the gumption to pick which ball to leave, and which to hit, and his patience barely faltered: his first boundary was a rasping cut off Holder in the 18th over, his second came more than 28 overs later and was no less well executed.At the other end, Masakadza continued to gain momentum, passing fifty from 96 deliveries. He celebrated that milestone with his first six of the day, rocking back to thump a Bishoo long-hop over deep midwicket. Gabriel was driven whenever he overpitched, while the introduction of Roston Chase was greeted with yet another crunching drive. The same bowler was dispatched over midwicket for Masakadza’s second six, the shot taking him past 2000 Test runs for Zimbabwe.Moor reached a dogged fifty, from 148 deliveries soon after tea, and Masakadza then brought up his own milestone with a confident drive down to long-on in the 60th over, just before the rain arrived. This was Masakadza’s fifth Test century, and his first since 2014.His runs were sorely needed by Zimbabwe. In polar conditions this morning, Gabriel and Roach had cut the hosts’ top order down to 14 for 3. The temperature was up to 38 degrees earlier this week, but plummeted ahead of this game and there were hands in pockets for the slips in the very cold weather. They stayed there for much of the morning with the sun nowhere to be seen, but Zimbabwe’s feet were even more leaden in the cold, and the opening stand lasted just four overs.Roach used the angle of his delivery stride and a touch of seam and swing to masterful effect to remove Solomon Mire, while the dismissal of Craig Ervine resulted more from fast bowling brawn than brain. Coming round the wicket from the Airport End, Gabriel speared a length delivery at the left-hander’s middle stump, beating him for pace. Such was the speed of the delivery the stump snapped in half, and Zimbabwe were 11 for 2.West Indies smelled blood, and Roach had three slips and a gully for the incoming Brendan Taylor. In the event, he needed no fielders at all as his testing lines and cunning changes of angle soon paid dividends. Neither forward nor back, and unsure whether to even play at a delivery whipping through the channel outside off, Taylor succeeded only in deflecting the ball onto his own stumps to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 14 for 3.West Indies might have had a fourth wicket in the first hour, but Gabriel’s front foot boo-boo gave Masakadza a second life. So far, he has made excellent use of it.