Leeds United recorded their second successive win without conceding a goal in the Championship at the weekend as they beat Coventry City 3-0 at Elland Road.

The Whites had beaten Cardiff City 2-0 in the previous match and are now sitting fifth in the table after seven matches, having only lost once so far.

Daniel Farke is plotting a promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking after his side lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final in May, after they had finished third in the Championship during the regular season.

The German head coach was dealt a number of blows during the summer transfer window, though, as Georginio Rutter, Rennes, Archie Gray, and Crysencio Summerville were all sold, to Brighton & Hove Albion, Rennes, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United respectively.

Their exits did open the door for Leeds to make signings of their own, however, and the likes of Largie Ramazani, Jayden Bogle, Manor Solomon, and Ao Tanaka, among others, came through the door.

Farke’s squad was also bolstered, in an attacking sense, by the return of Brenden Aaronson, who had spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Union Berlin.

Brenden Aaronson's strong start to the season

The USA international is looking to redeem himself at Elland Road, after scoring one goal in 36 games as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League in his first season at the club, and has plenty of work left to do.

The Whites reportedly splashed out a fee of £24.7m to sign the attacking midfielder from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2022 and is currently valued at just £9.2m by Transfermarkt, after difficult seasons with Leeds and Union.

This shows that Aaronson still needs to do more to raise his value and prove that it was not a huge mistake from the West Yorkshire outfit to bring him to England.

Appearances

7

Starts

5

Goals

2

Big chances created

3

Key passes

7

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, the American dynamo has enjoyed a strong start to the Championship season since his return to the club this summer.

The 23-year-old talent, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve at his young age, has contributed with five goals and ‘big chances’ created in five starts in the division so far.

This suggests that he is on the right track to redeeming himself at Leeds and, hopefully, there will be many more top-quality performances from the midfielder to eventually justify his huge price tag.

However, things could have been so different for the Whites if they had landed one of their top targets in one of the transfer windows before they signed Aaronson – Rodrigo de Paul.

Leeds United's interest in Rodrigo de Paul

In the summer of 2020, after Marcelo Bielsa had just led the club to the Championship title, it was reported that Leeds were interested in signing the attacking midfielder from Udinese.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

The Guardian claimed that Bielsa was very keen to bring the Argentina international over to Elland Road and that it would have cost the Whites a fee of around £31m to snap him up from the Serie A side.

Fabrizio Romano went on to report that Leeds were in talks with Udinese to secure an agreement for the central midfielder’s signature at the start of September, at the time that they were trying to sign Josko Gvardiol – now of Manchester City.

The Argentine wizard had produced seven goals, six assists, and 17 ‘big chances’ created in 34 appearances in the Serie A for Udinese during the 2019/20 campaign, which is why his club demanded a fee of £31m.

Ultimately, no club opted to move for de Paul that summer and former Leeds sporting director Victor Orta later revealed that the financial demands from the Italian side were too much for a team that had just been promoted from the Championship.

The Whites may feel like he is one that got away from them in the end as he has gone on to enjoy a great career in recent years and is now worth more than Aaronson in the present day.

Rodrigo de Paul's current market value

At the time of writing (1/10/2024), Transfermarkt currently has his market value at €30m (£25m) and that is around £16m more than Aaronson is currently worth.

De Paul produced an outstanding nine goals and ten assists in 36 Serie A appearances during the 2020/21 campaign, after Leeds opted against a £31m move for him, and earned himself a move to Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish giants swooped in to secure his services for a fee of around £30m in the summer of 2021 and he has been a key operator for Diego Simeone in recent seasons.

He has racked up 11 goals and 17 assists in 142 appearances in all competitions for Atletico over the last three seasons or so, and has played at least 30 matches in LaLiga in all three of his full campaigns with the club.

During his time in Spain, de Paul also became a World Cup winner with Argentina in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and was a key player for his country.

Starts

7

Pass accuracy

86%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

Duel success rate

53%

Touches per game

93.3

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder started seven times for Argentina in the finals and played 102 minutes in the final against France, as his side went on to win on penalties.

He has also won two Copa America trophies with his country, either side of winning the World Cup, and this means that the midfielder has won three major trophies for Argentina since Leeds opted against a deal for him.

De Paul has proven himself on the highest stage at international level and proven himself to be a reliable player for a huge European team, in Atletico, which is why the Whites may regret not pushing the boat out to sign him in 2020.

The Haaland of defenders: Leeds nearly signed £77m star over Llorente

The Whites came close to reaching an agreement for the central defender under Marcelo Bielsa.

ByDan Emery Sep 29, 2024

Glasgow Rangers kick off their Europa League season with a trip away from Ibrox to take on Malmo in the first game of the league phase on Thursday night.

The Light Blues will play eight matches in the new-look format, in an attempt to qualify for the knockout stages, and their first opponents are the Swedish outfit.

Philippe Clement’s side dropped down into this competition after they lost to Dynamo Kyiv on aggregate over two legs in their Champions League qualifiers.

The Belgian head coach will now be eyeing up a strong run in the Europa League, potentially going one step further than Giovanni van Bronckhorst did by winning the tournament.

Rangers come into this game off the back of a 3-0 win over Dundee in the League Cup on Saturday and Clement may look to make some changes to his starting XI from that clash.

With that in mind, here is the predicted Gers line-up to take to the field against Malmo in Sweden on Thursday…

1

GK – Jack Butland

Jack Butland will be between the sticks, barring any late fitness issues, as he is the nailed on number one option for Clement in goal for Rangers.

The English shot-stopper has kept 30 clean sheets in 67 appearances for the club since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, and will be in search of number 31 against Malmo.

2

RB – James Tavernier

James Tavernier will captain the team at right-back and will be hoping to build on his positive performance against Dundee in the League Cup clash.

The English defender scored his first goal of the season, from the penalty spot, and assisted Cyriel Dessers to help Rangers on their way to a 3-0 win.

3

CB – John Souttar

At the heart of the backline, former Hearts colossus John Souttar deserves to maintain his place in the starting XI after helping his side to keep a clean sheet last time out.

The Scotland international has also helped his team to keep three clean sheets in five Scottish Premiership matches this season, and will hopefully provide a strong presence at the back against Malmo.

4

CB – Robin Propper

Alongside Souttar, Robin Propper should be selected once again on the left side of the defence for the Gers, as he is comfortable playing out from the back on either foot.

Rangers have kept shutouts in three of the centre-back’s last four starts in all competitions, which shows that he has been part of a strong defensive unit.

5

LB – Jefte

Ridvan Yilmaz is currently missing through injury and that has left Jefte as the only natural left-back option in the first-team squad, which is why he will keep his place in the team.

The Brazilian full-back recently caught the eye by winning six of his seven ground duels and making two tackles and two interceptions in the win over Dundee United.

6

CM – Connor Barron

At the base of the midfield, the energetic Connor Barron should be selected once again, after an impressive start to life at Ibrox following his move from Aberdeen in the summer transfer window.

The Scotland U21 international has been a combative presence in the middle of the park for the Gers in the Premiership, with 3.0 tackles and interceptions combined and 4.0 ball recoveries per game respectively in the division.

7

CM – Mohamed Diomande

Alongside the Scottish dynamo, Clement should make the first change to the starting XI by bringing Mohammed Diomande into the team to replace Dujon Sterling.

The versatile English ace started the 3-0 win over Dundee but was withdrawn from the action at half-time, Glasgow World subsequently handed him a player rating of 5/10.

Diomande should now be unleashed ahead of the former Chelsea man, due to the creativity quality that he could bring to the team in midfield.

The Ivorian magician has created three ‘big chances’ in four starts in the Premiership this season, which suggests that the left-footed whiz has the ability to unlock the Malmo defence to create quality opportunities for his teammates.

8

RW – Ross McCausland

The second change to the starting XI could come on the right side of the attack, with Ross McCausland unleashed ahead of Wolfsburg loanee Vaclav Cerny.

In a European clash away from home, the pace of the academy graduate on the flank could be a useful weapon for Clement to have in his side, as it opens up more possibilities on the counter.

Cerny’s lack of mobility restricts what he can provide when his team is sat deeper, rather than dominating the possession and playing higher up the pitch, and that could make him more useful as a substitute if Rangers are pushing for a goal late on.

Therefore, McCausland, who came on for Cerny in the 68th minute last time out, could be preferred for tactical reasons for this clash with Malmo.

9

AM – Tom Lawrence

Tom Lawrence should keep his place in the starting XI as the number ten for Rangers after a return of two goals and one assist in his last four appearances in all competitions.

The Welsh wizard did not directly contribute to a goal in the 3-0 win over Dundee on Saturday but did provide a brilliant flick to set Nedim Bajrami away for the third goal.

10

LW – Nedim Bajrami

The Light Blues signed the Albania international from Sassuolo on deadline day and he notched his first goal contribution with an assist for Dessers on Saturday.

Bajrami, who crossed from the left for the striker to convert against Dundee, will be looking to provide a creative spark on the flank on Thursday night.

India’s three ODIs in New Zealand likely to be postponed, with team not on government’s latest managed-isolation list

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2021

New Zealand’s men’s team is set to face Bangladesh, Netherlands and South Africa during the upcoming home season•BCB

Bangladesh, Netherlands and South Africa’s men’s teams are set to visit New Zealand in the 2021-22 season, having secured spots in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities, which are mandatory for people flying into the country. The list released on September 15, on the New Zealand government’s MIQ website, also includes the contingent for the Women’s ODI World Cup, but the India men’s team does not feature.This would mean the three ODIs slated between New Zealand and India in March 2022 will need to be postponed. reported that the India series will likely be played in late 2022 instead.According to the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), Bangladesh were to play two Tests and three T20Is in New Zealand in December-January. The visiting contingent has been allocated space for 35 people, from early December, in MIQ.Netherlands were scheduled to play three ODIs in January-February as per the FTP; they have granted MIQ space in March for a group of 35.South Africa were slotted to play two Tests and three T20Is in February-March, and they’ve got a slot for 35 people from early February.The Women’s World Cup, which begins on March 4, has been granted space for 181 people on “various dates January-February 2022”.MIQ dates will be significantly ahead of when the series will be played out, given people have two weeks of managed isolation and more time quarantine if they test positive.The New Zealand men’s players and staff who will be touring Pakistan, going to the IPL in the UAE, the T20 World Cup in the UAE, and/or touring India later this year have also been granted spots in MIQ: a total of 77 between October and early December.The team is also slotted to tour Australia in late January to play a handful of limited-overs fixtures rescheduled during the pandemic. No MIQ slots have been allocated for the New Zealand team on return, likely meaning these games will go ahead only if a trans-Tasman travel bubble is set up between the two countries.What is MIQ?
As per government rules, all those arriving in New Zealand are required to undergo at least 14 days of managed isolation in hotel rooms, and if anyone tests positive along the way, they move into separate quarantine hotels for an extended period. Decisions on hotel-room allocations are made by the Border Exception Ministerial group, headed by immigration minister Kris Faafoi.There are various eligibility criteria to be met for individuals or groups to be granted MIQ. As per the MIQ website, groups “need to be sponsored by a government agency, and must be determined by the ministers to be in the national interest or have a ‘significant’ economic impact”.

واصل نجم فريق برشلونة، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، تألقه في الموسم الحالي من بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، بعدما سجل هدفًا في مباراة ريال سوسيداد.

وتلاقى برشلونة مع ريال سوسيداد في الجولة السادسة والعشرين من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2024/25.

وتمكن روبرت ليفاندوفسكي من تسجيل الهدف الرابع لصالح برشلونة.

وعزز ليفاندوفسكي بذلك صدارته لقائمة هدافي الموسم الحالي من الدوري الإسباني، برصيد 21 هدفًا، ليبتعد عن نجم ريال مدريد كيليان مبابي الذي سجل 17 هدفًا. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني

1- روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، برشلونة، 21 هدفًا.

2- كيليان مبابي، ريال مدريد، 17 هدفًا.

3- رافينها، برشلونة، 13 هدفًا.

4- أنتي بوديمير، أوساسونا، 13 هدفًا.

5- أويهان سانسيت، أتلتيك بلباو، 13 هدفًا.

6- آيوزي بيريز، فياريال، 11 هدفًا.

7- لوكيباكيو، إشبيلية، 11 هدفًا.

8- كيكي جارسيا، ألافيس، 10 أهداف.

9- جوليان ألفاريز، أتلتيكو مدريد، 10 أهداف.

10- فينيسيوس جونيور، ريال مدريد، 9 أهداف.

ويمكنك مطالعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بشكل محدث من هنا

MatériaMais Notícias

O 2022 do Vitória começou tumultuado. Após um surto de Covid-19 que pegou atletas e membros da comissão técnica, o Leão chegou a suspender as atividades na Toca do Leão.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Porém, os atletas voltaram ao trabalho na tarde da última terça-feira e realizaram um treino de bola parada e atividade física.

Nesta quarta-feira, a programação consta um treino contra o time sub-20. O jogo será um testa para o técnico Dado Cavalcanti treinar o time para a estreia do estadual.

Calendário

O primeiro jogo do Vitória na temporada será domingo, quando a equipe mede forças contra o Juazeiro, no Barradão.

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The Manchester Test is back on. Its fate was in balance after India’s assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested Covid-19 positive on Wednesday evening. But the BCCI, after discussions with the Indian team management and the ECB as well, has now made it clear that the final Test of the Pataudi series will go ahead as scheduled. This was the most likely outcome as soon as the entire Indian squad were found to be negative for the virus, although they did have to deal with a day’s worth of uncertainty.Beyond the Manchester Test, the BCCI had also been concerned that Parmar testing positive could have a cascading effect on the second half the IPL, which starts in the UAE from September 19. On September 15, a bulk of the India and England players are scheduled to board charter flights to Dubai to join their respective IPL franchises.The BCCI does not want the IPL to be impacted as it is scheduled to host the men’s 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman two days after the IPL ends, on October 15.On Thursday morning the BCCI’s top brass conducted a virtual meeting with the Indian team management including captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri to figure a way forward. It is understood that the Indian players had been concerned about the threat of Covid-19 but they left the final decision with the BCCI.Through Thursday the BCCI engaged in discussions with the ECB on the way forward in case more cases were to break out in the Indian camp. The BCCI also put out the option of cancelling the final Test, but the ECB is understood to have made it clear that it would interpret any refusal to play as forfeiture. The BCCI was keen to avoid such a scenario as not only would it see England square the series, but it could expose them to claims of lost revenue from broadcasters and the venue. The lost revenue could be up to £30 million (INR 306 crore).The World Test Championship playing conditions, though, state that a Covid-19 outbreak within a team is an acceptable reason for a Test to be abandoned. With the WTC table now based on the percentage of points available, a four-Test series instead of five would not have impacted any side’s final tally. In case the final Test had not been played, India would pocket 26 WTC points while England will have 14 out of the 48 that was available.Parmar was found to be Covid-positive on Wednesday evening after he reported having symptoms at the end of a training session. He is the fourth member of the Indian contingent to test positive in the last week. On September 4, after the third day of the Oval Test, India head coach Ravi Shastri returned a positive test and the BCCI medical team identified Bharat Arun, R Sridhar and head physiotherapist Nitin Patel as the immediate contacts for Shastri.The next morning Shastri along with Arun and Sridhar returned positive RT-PCR tests, thus sending them into ten-day quarantine. Patel, meanwhile, returned a negative test but remained in his room in London. He then travelled separately by road to Manchester where he is understood to be staying on a separate floor from the rest of the Indian squad at the team hotel.At the moment, little is known about Parmar’s immediate contacts. He has been treating several key Indian players for niggles, including Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. These players have been mingling among the wider group.According to the UK government’s Covid-19 guidelines, any person who receives a positive PCR test for Covid-19 is obliged to self-isolate for ten days. However, those identified as close contacts don’t need to isolate themselves if they test negative and it has been more than 14 days since their second jab.The ECB has relaxed its protocols around biosecure bubbles with its chief executive officer Tom Harrison declaring that “cricket must learn to live with Covid” and accept some “risks” while maintaining basic social distancing and medical guidelines That has allowed the Indians to travel on trains across England between the Tests and step out of team hotels and go for walks as well as sit at outdoor cafes. On the eve of the Oval Test, Shastri organised an event for his book launch that was attended by members of the public along with the Indian squad.

Liverpool play football this week—Arne Slot’s Reds return. It is representative of the stability at Anfield, the firmly lodged belief in the club’s ethos, that Richard Hughes and Co held onto their resolve and resisted splurging this summer.

Some might call it unambitious, but FSG will maintain that their thrifty model has borne dividends throughout the Jurgen Klopp era and into the new chapter on Merseyside.

Federico Chiesa’s £12.5m arrival from Juventus in late August ended fears that the window would drift by without ostensible issues being fixed.

Time for Liverpool to crash through the floorboards? Forget about it. First in the Premier League; two wins from two in the Champions League; emphatically into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

So much is owed to Slot, but also to Ryan Gravenberch’s ability to step up to the plate and make the deep-lying midfield position his own. Fabinho, who?

Ryan Gravenberch's start to the season

Let’s cast our minds back to April, shall we? We must do so to ascertain the magnitude of this journey that Gravenberch is taking us on.

We must do so to recognise the astuteness of Liverpool’s transfer strategy, FSG’s nous. Toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Turkish media passed that Gravenberch was on Galatasaray’s wishlist; AC Milan had also been reported to be appreciative of the midfielder’s qualities.

Last summer, Gravenberch was signed by Klopp for a fee of £34m, ending a mild nightmare at Bayern Munich. Still only 22, he’s emerged from a middling maiden year, starting only 12 times in the Premier League, in Liverpool to reinvent himself as a deep-sitting midfielder.

And what a transition. The Dutchman hasn’t so much stepped as pirouetted into his new home, with a clear identity and job in this ball-focused, control-centric climate at Anfield.

Matches (starts)

26 (12)

7 (7)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

0

Touches*

28.8

81.4

Shots (on target)*

0.9 (0.3)

0.4 (0.3)

Pass completion

83%

89%

Key passes*

0.6

0.6

Dribbles completed*

1.0

1.0

Ball recoveries*

2.8

6.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

3.8

Total duels (won)*

2.8 (47%)

5.9 (64%)

Good things come to those who wait. Liverpool spent last season without an ‘actual’ holding midfielder. Oh sure, Wataru Endo was signed for a shrewd £16m, but the 31-year-old was never going to be a long-term option and has played a marginal part in Slot’s plans.

Gravenberch has bloomed and looks set to stay, one of the most promising midfielders across the face of the game. It makes Liverpool’s decision to cash in on Fabinho when they did all the more impressive.

Why Liverpool sold Fabinho

Fabinho was a stalwart for Klopp’s Liverpool. Heralded for years as the dominant anchor after signing from AS Monaco in a £44m transfer in 2018, he was ever-present throughout the Reds’ modern golden age.

The former Brazil international chalked up 219 appearances for Liverpool across a five-year period before being sold to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia for a reported fee of £40m after a stark decline.

His once immovable steel in defensive midfield had rusted away to resemble something closer to pitted iron at the end, with transfer insider Graeme Bailey scathingly calling him an “old man” during Liverpool’s struggles in 2022/23.

This is harsh, but there’s no escaping Fabinho’s nosedive that year, with Jamie Carragher critical of the Brazilian’s performance, picking him out after an “awful” defeat against newly-promoted Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

The midfielder was instrumental in winning the Premier League and Champions League, doing the gritty work that allowed Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to cause chaos in the final third.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Back in 2019, pundit Gary Neville even claimed that Fabinho was the finest number six in Europe, saying: “I think Fabinho at the moment is the best.

“Because what Fabinho does, actually, he doesn’t sit back in games—these holding midfield players who play horizontally, passes sideways and shift that way when they’re shuttling across. Fabinho plays vertically as well, he goes forward with his passes, he moves forward and steps in and wins the ball back.”

It’s only natural that he would start to ebb away from that monstrous level that he performed at for years in Klopp’s system, gegenpressing has its drawbacks, with several players in that industrious midfield appearing sapped and subdued toward the end, batteries depleted.

Though many might feel that Liverpool could have eked out another term’s worth of talent from the South American, his sale was needed to open up a new era on Merseyside. Liverpool won the Carabao Cup and restored their place in the Champions League, and Fabinho was sold for a pretty penny besides.

Fabinho's market value in 24/25

According to Football Transfers’ player-valuing model, Fabinho is worth just £12m at present, suggesting that Liverpool fielded interest in their long-time servant at just the right time.

After all, the £40m recouped from his departure, coupled with the sale of skipper Jordan Henderson for £12m plus add-ons, handed Klopp and Liverpool’s stand-in sporting director Jorg Schmadtke the means to further their midfield rebuild.

Alexis Mac Allister had been signed from Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of the summer transfer window for an eye-catching £35m fee, with Dominik Szoboszlai following soon after, his £60m release clause at RB Leipzig activated. These were patently deals that had been in the pipeline for a while as improvements were made to the malfunctioned engine room.

But Fabinho wasn’t pushed toward the exit, rather, his sale was welcomed once Saudi interest revealed itself – £40m, basically the same figure that was paid for his services way back when, was an offer that the Reds were obliged to accept.

So followed the arrival of Endo, met with derision from rivals after efforts to sign Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo well wide of the mark, both headed for the bounties at Chelsea.

Endo has played his part, though, crucial in steadying the ship last term and starring in the Carabao Cup final that Liverpool won… against Chelsea.

Ah, but of course, Gravenberch then arrived at the final stage of the 2023 summer market. Cause and effect play a cardinal role in the success or failure of a football club, and Liverpool have mastered accuracy and implementation over the past decade. Fabinho was sold at just the right time.

Gravenberch is shining. It’s working out just so.

Earned more than Trent: Liverpool wasted £60m on "staggering" Klopp signing

This transfer proved to be such a disappointment.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 13, 2024

It felt like dystopian reality TV the last time it was on, but the IPL is back now, during a time when the world seems to need any kind of cricket

Karthik Krishnaswamy18-Sep-20211:17

Should Mumbai play Adam Milne?

Big picture
It felt like dystopian reality TV when it rumbled on, seemingly indifferent to the reality beyond its bubble, as India gasped for breath in the cruelest weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic.It’s back now, and things are different. It’s back at a time when the world seems to need it – or any cricket, really – desperately. After Old Trafford, after Rawalpindi.Hello again, IPL.There’s a reassuring familiarity to the contest that will kick things off again. Mumbai versus Chennai, Rohit versus Dhoni, comfort food for a generation of cricket fans. The last installment of this rivalry produced an all-time T20 classic, and while events on the field may or may not be as exciting this time around, you’ll hope that events off it are as dull and predictable as they possibly can be in the world we live in today.Related

Lewis, Livingstone, Hasaranga: IPL's fresh faces in focus

Shamsi expects upturn in Royals' fortunes

What CSK, Mumbai need to do differently in second phase

Samson's refused single, Jadeja's 37-run over, Brar's golden scalps

In the news
Super Kings will be bolstered by the fitness of Faf du Plessis, who attended his first day of training on Saturday and will be available for selection after recovering from the groin strain that kept him out of the knockout stage of St Lucia Kings’ CPL campaign. Dwayne Bravo is fit as well, CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed, but it is unclear yet if he will be able to bowl after nursing a groin injury through the second half of the CPL. He didn’t bowl in any of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ last five matches.Sam Curran, however, only arrived in the UAE on September 15, and is yet to complete his mandatory quarantine period.Likely XIs
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Lungi Ngidi/Josh Hazlewood.Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Adam Milne/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Jayant Yadav/Rahul Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.The last time these two teams met, Mumbai clinched a thriller by four wickets•BCCI/IPLStrategy punt
Mumbai often select the offspinner Jayant Yadav against teams with left-hander-heavy top orders, and they may well choose to do so against Super Kings, who are likely to have Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja batting through a bulk of their innings. Unlike in previous seasons, however, they might not leave out their legspinner Rahul Chahar in order to play Yadav.
Against left-handers this season, Rahul Chahar has taken six wickets at 14.50 while only conceding 6.60 runs per over. Until the end of last season, he had averaged 59.60 and conceded 8.20 runs per over against left-handers. Among all batters who have faced at least 50 balls in that phase during IPL 2021, Ruturaj Gaikwad has the lowest strike rate in the powerplay (91.48). Using the same cut-off, however, he has the best strike rate (189.65) of any batter in the middle overs.
In the absence of du Plessis, Super Kings might have a tricky time finding an opening partner who complements Gaikwad’s style. Should they bring in Robin Uthappa, or should they simply move Moeen up one position from No. 3, in the process also giving themselves a right-left combination? Stats that matter
Adam Milne finished The Hundred as not just its leading wicket-taker but also as the only bowler to concede less than a run a ball through the tournament. Whether he plays against Super Kings or not, Mumbai will at some stage surely explore the possibility of playing him alongside Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah in a pace attack that could possibly cover every base. Mumbai were the league’s best six-hitting side by a distance last season, clearing the rope 137 times and leaving the Rajasthan Royals a distant second on 105. This season, however, Mumbai and Sunrisers Hyderabad are joint second-worst on that count, having only hit 43 sixes each in seven innings. Only the Delhi Capitals, with 32 sixes in eight innings, have done worse. Super Kings top the six-hitting table this season, with 62 in seven innings. Among bowlers to have sent down at least 50 balls in the powerplay this season, Bumrah is the only one to have not taken a wicket. He’s only conceded 54 runs in 60 balls, though, so the lack of wickets won’t unduly worry him or Mumbai.

Manchester United have reportedly held transfer talks with Chelsea regarding Christopher Nkunku, while the Blues mull over a Alejandro Garnacho bid.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd show interest in Nkunku
• Chelsea are keen to sign Garnacho
• Red Devils don't want to match asking price

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , the French international has drawn interest from Old Trafford as they look to solve their goal scoring woes. Although Chelsea are reluctant to part ways with Nkunku, they could potentially do business if their £70 million ($87m) asking price is matched. United, however, are unlikely to meet Chelsea’s valuation of the player.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Meanwhile, it has been reported that Bayern Munich could be open to negotiating a deal if Chelsea would take forward Mathys Tel as part of a separate arrangement. However, no concrete progress has been made on this front, leaving Chelsea in full control of Nkunku’s future.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Amid United's interest in Nkunku, Chelsea are keeping tabs on Alejandro Garnacho. The 19-year-old Argentine has been linked with a potential move away from Old Trafford, and the west London side are reportedly exploring the possibility of adding him to their attacking lineup. The impending loan move of Antony to Real Betis, expected to be finalised this weekend, may play a crucial role in determining whether United will part ways with Garnacho. Balancing their attacking depth remains a priority for Ruben Amorim, as they do not want to find themselves short on goalscoring firepower.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  January could prove pivotal for all parties involved. United’s pursuit of Nkunku hinges on their willingness to negotiate Chelsea’s asking price, while the Blues' interest in Garnacho adds an intriguing subplot.

Celtic continued their fantastic start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season with a 2-1 comeback win over Ross County in Dingwall on Sunday.

The Hoops have now won seven of their matches in the division so far this term and have only conceded one goal, which came from the penalty spot at the weekend.

Ronan Vale found the back of the net at the second time of asking after Kasper Schmeichel was adjudged to have been off his line after saving the first effort.

This means that the Scottish giants are still yet to concede a goal from open play in their seven outings in the Premiership this season, which is a remarkable start to the campaign defensively.

Offensively, Celtic have scored an eye-catching 22 goals in seven games – seven more than any other team in the division – and this shows that they are not missing Matt O’Riley, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer.

The Denmark international racked up 18 goals and 13 assists in the Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but the club’s impressive goal return so far this term suggests that his absence has not been felt.

Celtic have been great at finding replacements for the stars that they decide to cash in on and they may have finally found their new version of Jota, who left the club last year.

Jota's time with Celtic

Ange Postecoglou initially signed the Portuguese forward on a season-long loan from Benfica ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and he enjoyed a terrific first year with the Scottish giants.

The flying winger produced ten goals and ten assists in 29 appearances in the Premiership that term to help the Hoops to win the title, after Rangers had won the division unbeaten in the previous season.

His sublime form in the Scottish top-flight convinced the Bhoys to trigger the option to make his loan deal a permanent one for a reported fee of £6.5m, whilst it was claimed that Benfica retained a ‘significant’ sell-on clause as part of the agreement.

That turned out to be a fantastic decision by Postecoglou and the club as Jota went on to enjoy even more success in his second season in the Premiership for Celtic.

22/23 Premiership

Jota (Celtic)

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

1.9

Assists

11

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese dynamo was directly involved in 22 goals in 33 appearances in the league, two more than he had been involved in during his first campaign at that level.

That form convinced Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad to swoop in for the winger last summer, and they splashed out a reported fee of £25m for the attacker – £7.5m of which went back to Benfica as part of their sell-on clause.

Celtic did win the league again in the 2023/24 campaign but they failed to find their new Jota as none of their wingers managed more than seven goals or nine assists.

However, Brendan Rodgers may well have found the club’s new Jota-esque talisman in Nicolas Kuhn, who spent the second half of last term settling into life at Parkhead.

How much Celtic paid for Nicolas Kuhn

In January of this year, the Northern Irish head coach decided that he needed more quality in the attacking areas and swooped to sign the German winger and Adam Idah, initially on loan from Norwich City before his deal was made permanent this summer.

Sky Sports reported that the Hoops spent a fee of around £3m to sign the former Bayern Munich trainee from Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna on a permanent basis.

23/24 Austrian Bundesliga

Nicolas Kuhn

Appearances

16

Goals

2

Big chances created

11

Key passes per game

1.8

Assists

5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn had showcased his creativity quality in the Bundesliga during the first half of the season, albeit his goalscoring record was not particularly impressive.

The 24-year-old attacker produced two goals and two assists in 14 appearances during a solid, albeit not spectacular, start to his Celtic career in the Premiership last term. Although, towards the end of the season, teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers hailed him as a “really good” player and lauded his performances in training.

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This season, the German wizard has taken his displays in training and enjoyed a sensational start to the campaign, emerging as the club’s new Jota.

Nicolas Kuhn's sublime form this season

The left-footed star, who was hailed for his “magical” play by Rodgers in pre-season, has hit the ground running this term and showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants.

He has already racked up six goals and eight assists in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, which shows that he has consistently contributed in the final third.

The German talent has got supporters off their seats with his terrific play in possession. He has completed 2.0 dribbles per game, with a success rate of 61%, and this shows that he had the beating of defenders far more often than not.

Kuhn, who scored the winning goal against Ross County with a composed left-footed finish into the bottom corner on Sunday, has been a star in the Premiership for Rodgers.

24/25 Premiership

Nicolas Kuhn

Appearances

7

Goals

3

Big chances created

4

Key passes per game

2.0

Assists

4

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old magician has been directly involved in seven goals in seven matches and has created two chances per game on average so far this term.

These statistics mean that Kuhn is currently on course to reach double figures for both goals and assists this season if he continues at his current rate, which would see him match Jota’s achievements in his two seasons in the division.

None of Celtic’s wingers managed that feat in the 2023/24 campaign but – in Kuhn – Rodgers appears to have finally found a talismanic forward who can replicate the Portuguese dynamo’s impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position.

Related Rodgers must cash in on Celtic midfielder who's played less than Palma

The Hoops do not appear to have struck gold with this particular signing.

Posts 2 ByDan Emery Oct 8, 2024