Neymar has revealed he reached a "consensus" with the Brazil national team coaching staff to delay his long-awaited return to Dorival Junior's squad.
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Neymar's international return delayed againBrazilian has picked up a thigh injuryShared a heartfelt message for fansFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Brazil have been without their talismanic attacker since October 2023, when he suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus damage in his left knee. However, the 33-year-old forward had initially been included in Dorival's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina, but has since been withdrawn due to a thigh injury.
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On Friday, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) officially confirmed that Neymar, Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson and Flamengo’s Danilo had all been ruled out of the upcoming international fixtures. Following the announcement, Neymar took to social media to express his frustration over missing out on the opportunity to wear Brazil’s iconic yellow jersey once again after a hiatus of almost 18 months.
WHAT NEYMAR SAID
In an emotional post on Instagram, Neymar wrote: "It looked so close around but unfortunately I can't fit into the heaviest shirt in the world right now! Appreciate those who have sent messages of support. We had long conversations and everyone knows the desire that I was going to come back but we reached a consensus and decided not to take the risk and be able to prepare better to completely zero the injury!"
@neymarjr InstagramDID YOU KNOW?
Real Madrid’s young forward Endrick has been called up to fill the attacking void. While Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri and Flamengo defender Alex Sandro have also been drafted in as replacements for Ederson and Danilo.
MS Dhoni Ravindra Jadeja vs Shreyas Iyer. Two new captains will kick off IPL 2022, in a rematch of the IPL 2021 final, at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. The time Dhoni has represented Super Kings strictly as a player was in 2012, in a dead-rubber Champions League T20 game against Yorkshire. A decade later, Super Kings will start preparing for life after Dhoni although a statement from the franchise said he would continue to represent Super Kings as a player this season and “beyond.”Related
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Team-wise player availability for IPL 2022
Jadeja’s immediate challenge is plug the holes created by the absence of first-choice players Deepak Chahar (injured) and Moeen Ali (unavailable following visa issues). Iyer, too, will have to contend with the absence of Alex Hales and his replacement Aaron Finch, who is not available for the early part of the tournament. Iyer has vowed to follow Knight Riders’ attack-first approach, which saw them surge into the final in 2021 despite a horror start to that season.
In the news
Moeen has arrived in India and will be available for Super Kings’ second game, against Lucknow Super Giants on March 31, after undergoing quarantine for three days. In the absence of Moeen, New Zealand batter Devon Conway is likely to make his IPL debut. Head coach Stephen Fleming had previously worked with Conway when he was part of New Zealand’s preparatory camp for the 2021 T20 World Cup.Tim Southee, who got married earlier this week and joined the IPL bubble late, will miss Saturday’s game. In his absence, Knight Riders could pick Sri Lanka’s Chamika Karunaratne or an extra Indian seamer.Ruturaj Gaikwad and Varun Chakravarthy could play key roles for their respective teams•BCCI
Likely XIs
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Devon Conway, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 10 Chris Jordan/Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Adam MilneKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Shivam Mavi 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Umesh Yadav/Rasikh Salam DarDevon Conway could make his IPL debut in the absence of Moeen Ali•Getty Images
Strategy punt
There is a case for Super Kings to use Conway as a floater in the middle order to counter Knight Riders’ mystery spinners, who have strong records against most of the Super Kings batters. In the T20 World Cup game against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, Conway threw both Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, who is now part of KKR, off their lines and lengths with a variety of sweeps, including the reverse-hit. In all T20 cricket, Conway averages 61.63 and strikes at 134.65 against spin. Against pace, the average drops to 37.40 and strike rate to 126.15.
Stats that matter
KKR have the lowest win percentage among current IPL teams at the Wankhede: 9%. They have won just one out of 11 IPL games at this venue.
Varun Chakravarthy has dismissed Dhoni three times in three meetings in the IPL. As for Sunil Narine, he has kept Dhoni to 44 off 83 balls in T20 cricket while dismissing him twice.
No player has hit as many sixes against a single bowler as Russell against Bravo in T20s – 23.
Ambati Rayudu has 885 runs in 48 IPL innings at the Wankhede. Only Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma have more runs than Rayudu at this venue, but both batters have had the benefit of more hits with the bat.
Newcastle United carried their Premier League form into the Carabao Cup and defeated Brentford 3-1 at St. James’ Park to advance to the semi-finals.
It was an impressive performance from Eddie Howe’s men, one of guts and gusto and togetherness. The Bees are no joke; they pack a stinging punch. However, Thomas Frank could only watch as his side were outplayed on Tyneside.
And now. Newcastle are still enveloped by the darkness of the tunnel but at least the light now feels reachable. There’s an anxious wait to see who will be met at the penultimate hurdle, but the Magpies will fear no opponent.
Especially with certain things starting to come together. Newcastle’s frontline looks slicker, and the overall squad synergy more fluent still. Sandro Tonali was at the heart of the performance and finally re-announced himself after a year laden with struggle.
Sandro Tonali's dominant display
It’s been a rocky road for the expensive midfielder since he joined Newcastle in a deal worth ÂŁ55m in July 2023, having looked patchy throughout the opening months of last season before being hit with a lengthy suspension for betting breaches that ended his maiden campaign in October. He did not return until the start of the current term.
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Now, though, the ÂŁ120k-per-week midfielder is beginning to showcase the quality that shrewd observers have known was latent within all this time.
Against Brentford in the Carabao Cup, Tonali opened his account on his 17th appearance of the campaign, but did so in style and performed exceptionally even without the goals, suggesting that he might be the extra part needed in the engine room.
Tonali, 24, placed a confident assist in the previous round as Newcastle knocked out Chelsea, but it was the all-consuming midfield effort against Brentford that stands as his defining opus in black and white so far.
Two wonderful goals at opposite ends of the first half put the hosts in a commanding position, with correspondent Luke Edwards describing the Italian as “the best player on the pitch by some distance.”
Tonali’s elegance and flowing ball-playing ability make him seem like a dainty maestro at times, but he’s actually an impressive all-action player, with crunching challenges and tireless ground covering two core facets of his skillset.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
2
Touches
74
Shots (on target)
5 (2)
Accurate passes
56/60 (93%)
Key passes
0
Dribbles (completed)
1 (1)
Tackles
4
Ground duels (won)
11 (6)
His goals were nice and all, but Tonali ensured that United got the better of their adversaries in exchanges across the pitch by winning four tackles and six ground duels. His passing was crisp, and he chose correctly when progressing the ball forward once into the danger area.
However, he wasn’t the only Toon star to excel. Indeed, you could say that Anthony Gordon deserves just as much credit, perhaps playing a role that facilitated the Italy international’s triumphant evening.
How Anthony Gordon made Tonali unplayable
This season, Gordon hasn’t returned to the platform that saw him claim Newcastle’s 2023/24 Player of the Year honour, but he has certainly demonstrated flashes of brilliance and indeed offered plenty against Brentford on Wednesday evening.
Anthony Gordon in action vs Brentford
If you hark back to Tonali’s strike before the break, you’ll note that it was Gordon’s delightful delivery that put the plan in motion, taking Newcastle one step closer to that elusive glory named silverware.
It would be a saving grace for a season that has stuttered, with the stratospheric gains made two seasons back now slowing to something stunted and frustrating. Players such as Gordon will have their sights set on Champions League nights, but this competition presents something to target concertedly.
Tonali was the star of the show, the spotlight stealer after his emphatic brace, but Gordon was brilliant too. As per the Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder, the England ace was deserving of a 9/10 match rating, noting that he ‘threatened throughout the evening and weighed in with a fine assist for Tonali’s second with a fine corner delivery.’
They simply couldn’t contain the Newcastle players when they got going when they pushed as one hive-minded force. Gordon was withdrawn after 77 minutes having run himself into the ground.
He might have narrowly missed his two shots on the night, failed to complete either of his energetic dribbles, ceded possession 12 times, as per Sofascore, but such factors are immaterial when taking in the impact that the 23-year-old forced onto the affair.
Gordon also looked far happier in his natural left-wing role, having been shuffled about the pack to accommodate various needs this season. With Lewis Hall behind him, there’s a first-class partnership in the making that needs time to develop. It might be to Harvey Barnes’ detriment, but it’s a sure-fire way to bring Newcastle’s cohesion up a level or two.
Newcastle have an assortment of high-quality players, but Howe’s system was at its apex when the club performed as one, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Now we see. We see a Newcastle team that has found the thread of togetherness and is wrapping itself together once again. With Tonali pulling strings alongside Bruno Guimaraes, Gordon bringing electric-paced relief down the flank and Alexander Isak feasting upon the mightiest of defenders at the front, anything can be achieved.
Now we wait. We wait for a draw that might turn out Liverpool, Arsenal or one of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. These are daunting teams, to be sure, but Howe knows and Newcastle certainly knows that on their a-game, the Magpies can best all three.
Saved by Tonali: Newcastle star played his worst game of the season
The Newcastle United attacker did not enjoy his best evening against Brentford.
West Ham United have approached a club over signing their ÂŁ12 million striker, who was interestingly offered to them during David Moyes’ time as manager.
West Ham in market for new striker amid Niclas Fullkrug uncertainty
Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui has been forced to cope without his summer signing since late August, after the 31-year-old picked up a nightmare achilles tendon injury on international duty with Germany.
Lopetegui handed Fullkrug boost as West Ham insider shares fresh update
The German’s niggling achilles tendon injury has been a real talking point at West Ham this season.
By
Emilio Galantini
Nov 28, 2024
Since Fullkrug was sidelined, West Ham have been getting ÂŁ17,000 worth of compensation for each day he’s absent, with Lopetegui forced to rely on aging striker duo Michail Antonio and Danny Ings for the vast majority of this campaign so far.
West Ham’s next five Premier League matches
Date
Arsenal (home)
November 30
Leicester City (away)
December 3
Wolves (home)
December 9
Bournemouth (away)
December 16
Brighton (home)
December 21
There are reports that West Ham could cut their losses on Fullkrug in January, but a lot could depend on how the ex-Dortmund star performs upon returning, not to mention whether the east Londoners can find a good buyer for him.
“I hope he is in the last part of his recovery,” said Lopetegui on Fullkrug’s fitness, in his press conference on Thursday afternoon.
“Let’s see if he’ll be ready in the next two or three matches. I don’t know exactly but he feels better. Now he has to prove his fitness because he’s not easy being out for three months. We’re going to help him. I don’t want to give a timeframe, but he’s closer.”
After scoring 16 goals in all competitions last season, West Ham were hoping that Fullkrug would finally end their long wait for a prolific new option, but this hasn’t been the case so far.
There are even suggestions that West Ham could dip into the January market for a new striker, with the likes of Brighton’s Evan Ferguson linked this week as the Seagulls green-light a potential loan for the Irishman.
West Ham make contact with Napoli over signing Giovanni Simeone
According to Football Transfers, Napoli forward Giovanni Simeone is a target for the Hammers this winter as well.
It is believed West Ham have made contact with Napoli over signing Simeone, who was interestingly offered to Moyes during the Scotsman’s time in charge.
The Times reported in 2022 that Simeone, who was at Cagliari back then, was floated towards the Irons. Club insider ExWHUemployee backed this report, further claiming that the Argentine was offered to West Ham “many times” previously as well.
He is clearly a player who West Ham know pretty well, but it is more unclear whether the “underrated” attacker is the answer to their goalscoring problems.
The 29-year-old’s best goalscoring season came during the 2021/2022 season, when he bagged 17 goals in 35 Serie A appearances for Hellas Verona, but he’s since found himself on the bench at Napoli and making the overwhelming majority of his appearances as a substitute.
He signed for the Italian league leaders for around ÂŁ12 million from Verona, including the original loan fee, so it’s likely his transfer would be affordable at the very least.
Given that the ICC events schedule is now fixed for the next cycle, fitting another tournament was a non-starter
Osman Samiuddin11-Apr-2022
How much more will emerge once he’s back in office, as Ramiz tweeted, is also not certain•PCB
As was widely expected, Ramiz Raja’s proposal for a quadrangular T20 event got no further than a presentation to the ICC board meeting, the board deciding such a tournament could not fit into the next rights cycle.But Ramiz, whose own future at the board is now under a cloud, took some solace from the fact that it sparked discussion among Full Members over the weekend ICC meeting, at the chief executive level first and then at the board meeting itself on Sunday.Related
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“Great discussion regarding 4 Nations series today at the ICC meet,” Ramiz tweeted. “As a concept it was welcomed and debated upon and seen as promoting the interest of the game. Fingers crossed. More when I am back at the office tomorrow.”The note of hope suggested in the “fingers crossed” sits at odds with the observations of officials at the meeting. Some members at the Chief Executives Committee (CEC) meeting earlier had signalled interest and approval of the generic idea of members hosting quadrangular events (which current regulations prohibit at the moment) but at the board level – although there was no vote – it was turned down.One official echoed Ramiz’s tweet that there were “plenty of good discussions around it and acknowledgement that from a cricketing perspective it’s a great idea.” But given that the ICC events schedule is now fixed for the next cycle and that the FTP is almost done, fitting something like this in was, in a practical sense, a non-starter in the short-to-medium term.A big driver behind that is the need for the ICC to sell its media rights for the next cycle with clarity in their schedule and no ambiguity about the number of events and new tournaments being added.There was also the small matter of the members who weren’t included in Ramiz’s proposal; that is, the eight members outside Pakistan, India, Australia and England. They were, predictably, not happy at not being considered.How much more will emerge once he s back in office, as Ramiz tweeted, is also not certain. With the dramatic removal of Imran Khan from the premiership of Pakistan in dramatic fashion on Saturday night and Sunday morning, Ramiz had lost the man who appointed him chairman as he went into the ICC meeting.Ramiz did not respond to questions on Sunday about his future but with a new prime minister to be appointed this week, logic would suggest – as has been the case with nearly every change in government in Pakistan – that he or she brings with them a new administration to head the cricket board.Greg Barclay to finish his term in November The other significant development from the board meeting was that a new process on electing the next ICC chairman has been agreed upon in principle. That will take place in November once Greg Barclay, the current chair, comes to the end of his two-year term.Barclay became ICC chairman in November 2020, after a long and fractious process after Shashank Manohar stepped down in June that year. Barclay eventually beat Imran Khwaja after the second round of voting took place because he had been unable to secure enough votes in the first round.The nature of that win compelled the board to agree on the principles of a new voting requirement this weekend whereby a candidate with a simple majority of votes will win. When Barclay won, the process required him to win two-thirds of the board’s votes – or 11 of the board’s 16 directors.In the first round, he won 10 votes which, though comfortably more than Khwaja’s six, meant they would go through another vote. It was in that round, when CSA became his 11th vote, that he won.
INEOS are plotting a move to sign an “electric” £82,000-a-week left-back, as Ruben Amorim has made it a priority at Manchester United, according to a Sky Sports reporter.
The Red Devils played their first game under the Portuguese boss on Sunday, and while they were held to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, there were some early positives for the head coach to take, as he continues to get to know his new crop of players.
Man Utd make approach to "machine" after internal talks, could cost ÂŁ40m+
The Red Devils have now made contact.
ByBrett Worthington Nov 26, 2024 Man Utd transfer news
The club’s hierarchy appear to be keen to back Amorim in the upcoming transfer windows, as long as the finances are right, but there is also a willingness for them not to rip up the entire squad. However, as every new manager or head coach wants, Amorim will have his eyes on potential players he would like to bring to Old Trafford.
One player who has emerged on their radar in recent weeks is Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, and United have made him a top target ahead of the January transfer window. The forward is not getting regular minutes at Stamford Bridge, and United are ready to go all out and bring him to Old Trafford in a deal that could cost them £50 million.
As well as Nkunku, Man United have now made an approach to Ederson from Atalanta. The Red Devils held internal talks over a possible deal and have now approached his agents to get an understanding of a potential transfer. Atalanta don’t want to sell but could be willing to listen to offers should they receive around £40 million. But it seems that there is a position that has become more of a priority for Amorim, as the club has identified a new target.
Man Utd eyeing move for AC Milan's Theo Hernandez
According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United are now closely monitoring Theo Hernandez of AC Milan, as they continue their search for a new left-wing back.
The Red Devils do have Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia as their regular left-backs, but both have been injured for a while now, and even though they both appeared in the matchday squad against Ipswich, with Shaw coming off the bench, signing a player for that position is still key for the club.
Hernandez, who has been dubbed “electric” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, has been at Milan since July 2019, when he joined from Real Madrid, and he has been a key player for the Italian side in his six seasons there, playing 30 or more games in all five campaigns before this 2024/25 season.
The 27-year-old has started eight of the 10 league games he has played so far, during which he has captained Milan on multiple occasions. Now, according to Plettenberg, he is someone United are keeping a close eye on, as Amorim has made signing a new left-back a priority.
Apps
10
Goals
2
Assists
2
Big chances created
2
Key passes
1.4
Passing accuracy per game
36.1 (91%)
Clean sheets
3
Interceptions per 90
1.2
Tackles per 90
1.1
Balls recovered per 90
3.9
Dribbled past per 90
0.3
Hernandez is under contract at Milan until the summer of 2026, so he could potentially be a cheap option, as the Italian giants may have to sell him if he is unwilling to sign a contract extension. While he may not cost as much as other players in a transfer fee, he comes with hefty wages, as he earns €98,654 a week, which is roughly £82,366 a week.
Manchester United host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford this evening, looking to return to winning ways after boss Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat as manager in midweek.
The Red Devils fell to a 2-0 loss against Arsenal at the Emirates, ending the 39-year-old’s three-game unbeaten run after taking over from Erik ten Hag.
However, he’s yet to lose a game on home soil, looking to make it back-to-back losses for Nuno EspĂrito Santo’s men in Manchester after their defeat to Manchester City on the same night.
A win this evening will take United above the visitors in the Premier League table, closing the gap on the top four spots – undoubtedly the aim for Amorim come the end of the season.
If his side are to return to winning ways, he must recall one player after dropping to the bench in North London a couple of days ago.
Why Amad needs to start against Forest
After the appointment of the former Portuguese international, it’s seen the side operate in the 3-4-2-1 system that saw him claim two league titles during his time at Sporting CP.
Such a transition has allowed numerous players to star in unfamiliar roles, with Amad Diallo just one of the beneficiaries in recent weeks.
The Ivorian originally arrived in Manchester as a winger, but he’s since dropped slightly further back to operate in a right wing-back role, taking his performance levels above anything he’d ever demonstrated in the North West.
In the three games since his switch, the 22-year-old has thrived, delivering three assists in just two league outings – including a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Marcus Rashford, who poked home for the first goal of the Amorim era against Ipswich.
However, despite his recent displays, he was named as a substitute against the Gunners, with Tyrell Malacia coming into the side – but it’s a switch that needs to be reversed once more tonight.
Most of the positive forward play in recent outings has come through the former Atalanta ace, with a recall needed alongside one other key first-team star.
The player who needs to be recalled alongside Amad
Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has taken huge strides over the last 12 months, from making his debut to even receiving an England call-up for Euro 2024 over the summer.
However, he’s yet to showcase his best performance levels under the new management team, being left on the bench in two of the three games he’s been available for.
The 19-year-old did start the clash against Everton last weekend but did receive his fifth booking of the season – subsequently receiving a one-match ban for the game at the Emirates on Wednesday.
His suspension saw Bruno Fernandes drop into a slightly deeper role alongside Manuel Ugarte, ultimately taking away the creativity of the Portuguese international, with the United skipper producing his best displays when he operates in a more advanced role, as seen against the Toffees.
Such a move leaves a perfectly sized hole in the middle of the park for Mainoo, allowing the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Adsett, to terrorise Forest at Old Trafford.
Games played
8
Minutes played
654
Pass accuracy
90%
Dribbles completed
74%
Tackles success
81%
Duels won
48
Interceptions
15
During the opening months of 2024/25, he’s completed 74% of the dribbles he’s attempted, whilst achieving a 90% pass accuracy rate, two figures that could enable him to run the show at the Theatre of Dreams and terrorise the visitors.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Indeed, Mainoo might fancy his chances up against the likes of Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez, with the pair having struggled against City in midweek, after being dribbled past four times between them on the night.
It will be a tricky task against Nuno’s side, who have enjoyed a superb start to the campaign, but ultimately, Amorim’s men should have the quality to pull through once more.
If they are to claim all three points, Amad and Mainoo are two players who simply have to start, potentially picking up where they left off in the previous home victory.
Man Utd sold their original Yoro for ÂŁ10m, now he's struggling big time
The former Manchester United ace has failed to make an impact away from Old Trafford.
Birmingham City will be aiming to keep up their flawless December right until the very close of the busy month, having picked up a stunning five victories from five so far.
Their last win in League One was a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers which even saw opposition manager Matt Taylor lose his job.
Away from that unfortunate manager casualty, Jay Stansfield stood out once more for the promotion chasing Blues in this contest, as the ex-Fulham man scored yet again for Chris Davies’ side.
Standout Birmingham players in attack
Stansfield confidently converting from the penalty spot versus the Gas took his ever-growing goal total in league action to a hefty ten from just 13 clashes, as Birmingham’s insistence on splashing the cash on their former loanee continues to pay off.
Despite the fact the 22-year-old would only muster up 32 touches of the ball from his 78 minutes on the St. Andrew’s turf, he would still manage to register a high eight shots on the Rovers net, with the Birmingham number 28 ultimately thankful for the spot-kick to break his duck on the day.
Whilst the on-fire attacker lapped up more praise, Keshi Anderson also shone for Davies’ side, having found himself in a great vain of form of late as well.
Amassing three goals and three assists in League One to date, the experienced number 14 proved to be tricky for the visitors from Bristol to contain, with five key passes credited to Anderson come the end of the clash.
Davies and Co will be delighted they managed to tie Anderson down on a new deal until 2026 in October, therefore, but he could soon have a rival down the right flank in this potential new buy.
Birmingham could land Anderson rival
As per a recent report from late last week, Birmingham are plotting a sensational loan move for former academy product Nathan Redmond this coming January.
Plagued by injuries all of this season so far, this could also act as a confidence-boosting move for the ageing 31-year-old, who hasn’t been able to be present for one single game for Scott Parker’s Burnley during the 2024/25 campaign so far off the back of his constant presence in the Turf Moor treatment room.
After all, if Davies’ men can get Redmond back to his best away from these unfortunate injury issues piling up, he would be a statement coup for League One and an upgrade on Anderson.
Only a couple of campaigns back, the 5 foot 8 winger would impressively pick up 12 total goal contributions for Beskitas after venturing out to Turkey, having once also been a regular in many a Premier League side past his early footballing education at Birmingham.
Redmond’s career after Birmingham
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Burnley
15
0
0
Besiktas
25
6
6
Southampton
232
30
27
Norwich City
123
13
20
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Looking at the table above, Redmond would also amass a weighty 90 goal contributions playing for both Norwich and Southampton, with Ralph Hassenhuttl even labelling the tricky attacker as “special” when the pair worked together at St. Mary’s.
Whilst his woes at Burnley will make the Blues feel somewhat cautious about picking back up their ex-star, his ability to also play down the left as well as the right will make him an even more worthwhile asset to have around, with the 31-year-old perhaps linking up with Stansfield to devastating effect if he can find his mojo again.
Davies has managed to get the maximum out of the more seasoned heads in this squad – with seven league goals bagged from 31-year-old Alfie May as a focal point in attack – and Redmond will hope the Birmingham manager can have the same impact on him if a move is finalised.
The one-time England senior international could also feel there’s unfinished business for him at St. Andrew’s, with Birmingham’s promotion chances no doubt boosted by their former homegrown ace rejoining.
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Super Giants’ bowling ticks most boxes, but there are concerns around their middle order; Mumbai all but out of playoffs’ race
Deivarayan Muthu23-Apr-20222:22
Will a change in batting position free up Rohit?
Big pictureAfter MS Dhoni hit an almost inevitable last-ball boundary off Jaydev Unadkat on Thursday, Mumbai Indians became the first team to start an IPL season with seven successive defeats. The only way for them from there is up; or is there no bottom to the abyss Mumbai are hurtling into?Halfway into the season, both captain Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan are still searching for their rhythm at the top. Kieron Pollard is yet to pass 25 in an innings, with Lucknow Super Giants probably waiting to unleash their wristspinner Ravi Bishnoi on him to prolong his lean run.While Jasprit Bumrah has been unhittable at various stages, he has managed only four wickets in seven games. Rohit has been rifling through his options, using 18 of the 24 members in their roster, excluding Jofra Archer who isn’t fit enough for this season. Their latest debutant Hrithik Shokeen, the 21-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder from Delhi, fronted up to bowl to the right-hand pair of Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu in what was his first formal T20 match.Related
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With Mumbai now all but out of the race for the playoffs, will they test their bench strength further and take a closer look at the likes of R Sanjay Yadav, the Tamil Nadu allrounder, and Mayank Markande, their old friend?As for Super Giants, there haven’t been as many missteps. They are pretty much in contention for the playoffs, with four wins from seven games. They ran into a red-hot Faf du Plessis in their last match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, but prior to that, they had polished off Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium.LIVE in the USA
You can watch the match on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi.
Their bowling ticks most boxes, but there are some concerns around the middle order. Is Manish Pandey the right candidate at No.3? Should one of Marcus Stoinis and Jason Holder bat up the order?Can Dushmantha Chameera make it seven strikes in 11 innings against Rohit on Sunday?•BCCILikely XIsMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Dewald Brevis, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Kieron Pollard/Tim David, 7 Hrithik Shokeen/Mayank Markande, 8 Jaydev Unadkat, 9 Daniel Sams, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Jasprit BumrahLucknow Super Giants: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Manish Pandey/K Gowtham, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Marcus Stoinis 8 Jason Holder, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Ravi BishnoiStrategy puntYou cannot ignore KL Rahul’s IPL numbers against Bumrah: 124 runs off 99 balls at an average of 62 and strike rate of 125.25 with just two dismissals.Mumbai could keep Bumrah away from Rahul, and perhaps hold him back for the middle and end overs. Maybe throw the new ball to Daniel Sams and Riley Meredith, and hope they get lucky? It has been that kind of a season for Mumbai. Dushmantha Chameera has dominated Rohit in T20 cricket, getting the batter six times in ten innings while giving up a mere 33 runs off 32 balls. Can Chameera make it seven strikes in 11 innings on Sunday?Stats that matter Rohit bagged his 14th duck in the IPL against Chennai Super Kings on Thursday. Nobody has bagged more ducks than Rohit in the tournament. Bishnoi has restricted Pollard to 15 runs off 12 balls, but is yet to dismiss him in T20 cricket. But the wristspinner has had Suryakumar’s number in the IPL, dismissing him three times in four innings. With 13.05, Mumbai have the worst economy rate at the death among all ten teams this IPL. Super Giants have fared much better in this phase, conceding 10.95 an over. Avesh Khan and Holder have taken five wickets each at the death this IPL. Only T Natarajan (six), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (seven) and Dwayne Bravo (seven) have more wickets than them in that phase. This will be Mumbai’s first match at the Wankhede Stadium this IPL. Since 2018, Mumbai have come up on top in eight of the 14 games they have played at this venue, including a Super Over victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019.
AC Milan do not count on Emerson Royal anymore and will look to sell him this summer to buy Kyle Walker for a discounted price from Manchester City.
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Milan keen on signing Walker permanently from City
Want a discount on the agreed fee
Rossoneri planning to sell out-of-favour Emerson Royal
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WHAT HAPPENED?
According to a report from (h/t Football Italia), AC Milan want to permanently sign the on-loan Kyle Walker at the end of the current season and will seek for a discount from Manchester City, while also putting Emerson Royal up for sale just one year after signing him from Tottenham Hotspur.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The report further states that Emerson is no longer a part of the plans at Milan, with Walker having risen above him in the pecking order to become the first-choice right-back. The Rossoneri brought in Walker on loan from City in January with an option to make the move permanent for €5 million. However, Milan now want a small discount on the agreed fee.
Walker, for his part, would be more than happy to extend his stay in the black and red of AC Milan beyond this summer. The England international is well aware of the fact that he does not have a future at Manchester City.
DID YOU KNOW?
On the other hand, veteran right-back Alessandro Florenzi is also keen to fight for his place at the club and his desire is to extend his contract, which expires on June 30. The ex-Roma man would agree to a big pay cut in order to continue at Milan.
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WHAT NEXT FOR KYLE WALKER?
Walker was called up by new England manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of the ongoing international break and will be expected to feature against Albania (March 21) and Latvia (March 24) in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.