MatériaMais Notícias

Sem crise. Depois de um frustrante vice na Supercopa, o Flamengo virou a chave e derrotou o Botafogo por 3 a 1, nesta quarta-feira, no Nilton Santos, pela oitava rodada do Cariocão. Após a partida, Lázaro comemorou a atuação – que contou com uma assistência -, mas botou os pés no chão. O meia-atacante destacou a importância de vencer um clássico e já falou do próximo compromisso do Fla, diante do Resende.

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>ATUAÇÕES: Arrascaeta, Gabi e Lázaro ditam o ritmo da vitória do Flamengo

– Estou bastante feliz pela vitória, pelo desempenho. Feliz, mas não satisfeito. A gente tem muita coisa pela frente ainda e muitos pés no chão, tem muito trabalho ainda pela frente. Mas a gente sabe do sabor que é ganhar um clássico, dá tranquilidade na semana também – disse à Fla TV.

– Tranquilidade para trabalhar, porque a gente sabe que já tem o próximo jogo contra o Resende. Então, esse grande trabalho que o Mister está fazendo conosco, estamos sabendo lidar bem – completou.

> Veja e simule a tabela do Cariocão

Como Lázaro disse, o Flamengo já vira a chave para pegar o Resende no próximo domingo, às 16h, novamente no Estádio Nilton Santos. A partida é válida pela nona rodada do Campeonato Carioca e terá transmissão em tempo real do LANCE!.

Hashmatullah Shahidi produced a match-winning half-century on debut as Afghanistan ODI captain. His knock, worth 73 runs in 94 balls, rescued a faltering innings, and once there was a total of 222 for 8 on the board, their stellar bowling attack, led by Rashid Khan, put the squeeze on Netherlands and beat them by 36 runs.In conditions where hardly any batter from either side scored at more than run a ball, Afghanistan needed the expertise of their newly-appointed leader. Shahidi, batting at No. 4, struck four fours and two sixes as he shepherded the innings all the way through to the 50th over. He had the experienced Rahmat Shah for support, the right-hand batter scoring 70 off 102 balls. Only one of the other Afghanistan batters was able to push their score past 20, as Brandon Glover (9-0-43-3) and Fred Klaassen (10-1-39-2) kept things in check.Netherlands’ hopes of chasing the total down rested mostly on opener Scott Edwards. He scored 68 off 82 balls, with eight fours, but his dismissal – bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rahman – created the opening that Afghanistan needed to take control. Netherlands fell from 121 for 3 to 186 all out as Rashid (3-31), the fifth bowler into the attack, took care of business.

The Three Lions' new boss is already facing plenty of problems as he prepares to name his first-ever squad for World Cup qualifying action

Thomas Tuchel hasn't even overseen his first game as England manager yet, but there is already a sense that he is working under something of a cloud. As the German tactician prepares to name his first-ever Three Lions squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, his problems are beginning to mount.

Unwarranted media attention, a raft of untimely injuries and a plethora of out-of-sorts stars – all part and parcel of being England manager, no doubt, but there is the unshakeable feeling that this has been, and will continue to be, a baptism of fire for the man appointed as Sir Gareth Southgate's successor.

It's clear that Tuchel will have his work cut out right from the get-go, both on and off the pitch. His first international camp will go some way to proving that his is up to the task.

Getty Images SportWelcome to England

Tuchel might not have managed his first England game, but already there is a sense that some sections of the media have turned on him or are attempting to incite some sort of movement against him. More than a month short of his debut on the touchline at Wembley, the 51-year-old recently came under scrutiny for returning to Germany to visit his children and therefore 'missing' games where he might usually be in attendance to assess his options.

The word at the time was that he had missed three Premier League game weeks, as well as Carabao Cup and FA Cup ties, having already been allowed to delay his start date until January 1 – disregarding the near-certainty that the meticulous tactician would have been watching on from afar, and the fact that he was showing up at matches in December.

The role of England manager has long been labelled 'the toughest job in football', and the reasons for that transcend lofty on-field expectations.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Working full-time to assess players'

Such has been the extent of the criticism, with various outlets and pundits joining the pile-on and fuelling the furore, the Football Association (FA) has even been forced to step in to defend their new manager – pointing to the fact he still attended 17 matches in 47 days and has a base in London as well as in Germany. The point is made even more moot by the fact that European Championship-winning Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has achieved unprecedented success despite commuting from her family home in the Netherlands.

An FA statement to read: "Thomas has attended 17 matches – in England and abroad – to watch English players since he joined in January, and is working full-time to assess players for his first squad announcement next month."

Tuchel had even been open about his working pattern in his first press conference back in October: "I love to live in England and I’m looking forward to living again in England," he said. "I want to be close to the Premier League, I want to be close to the majority of the players. But of course, the schedule will allow me to be close to my family and my children in Germany. But yeah, I will be in England most of the time."

gettyInjuries piling up

It's not just off the field that Tuchel is facing early problems; in terms of personnel on it, his options are significantly depleted as he prepares to name the first England squad of his tenure.

The new manager will be without senior centre-back John Stones after he suffered an awkward injury against Real Madrid which will keep him out for at least two months, while hapless Luke Shaw suffered a setback recently and surely won't be considered. Further up the pitch, Kobbie Mainoo – who is arguably the Three Lions' outstanding central-midfield option alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham – has been ruled out until after the March international break, while recent call-up Angel Gomes is working his way back from a calf problem.

In attack, star winger Bukayo Saka is sidelined after hamstring surgery, as is newly-established senior international Noni Madueke, while Dominic Solanke has not yet recovered from a knee issue that has kept him out since mid-January.

Of course, England are still blessed with plenty more talent among this exciting generation, but Tuchel is going to need all his managerial nous to piece together the first line-ups of his time in charge.

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Getty ImagesOut of sorts

Injuries won't be Tuchel's only concern, however; as he prepares to put pen to paper to draw up his first squad, he must surely have a sense that – other than usual suspects Harry Kane and Bellingham – a number of his key players are approaching the break somewhat out of sorts.

There will be serious doubts over whether Kyle Walker keeps his place after a torrid half-season at Manchester City before he departed for AC Milan; his former team-mate Rico Lewis has struggled to maintain the high standards he set in his breakout campaign; Jack Grealish seems to have lost Pep Guardiola's faith entirely.

Harry Maguire has allowed some errors to creep back into his game at Manchester United after a much-improved period; attacking midfielders Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have both toiled in recent weeks and look well short of their best; Conor Gallagher has been used strangely sparingly by Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid of late.

This all contributes to sense that – aside from the new manager – this will not be the most compelling, exciting England squad as a host of big names scratch around for some form. Tuchel will have to find away to make them click across two games, as he will be expected to collect six points to avoid more negative press.

Leeds United have come back from adversity this season, looking to bounce back after missing out on promotion in the play-off final against Southampton at Wembley.

As if missing out on a return to the Premier League was bad enough, the first-team squad was ransacked, leading to numerous talents departing Elland Road for a move to England’s top flight.

Top scorer Crysencio Summerville departed in a £25m deal to join West Ham United, with top assister Georginio Rutter leaving in a club-record £40m transfer, moving to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The pair combined for 49 goals in the 2023/24 Championship season, undoubtedly a huge loss for boss Daniel Farke, but they tried to combat such losses with new additions over the summer.

However, the upcoming January window presents a new opportunity for the German to improve his attacking options, potentially going back in for one player who was on their radar during the off-season.

Leeds target January move for £8.5m talent

According to Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, Leeds are pondering a potential move for Hammarby IF’s striker Jusef Erabi in January, having followed the forward of recent months.

The 21-year-old was touted as a potential option for the Whites during the summer, but a move failed to materialise – with the youngster staying in Sweden.

However, fellow Championship side Norwich City and Serie A outfit Genoa are also both named in the report over a potential move for the attacker, who’s currently valued at €10m (£8.5m) by his current employers.

Leeds certainly have the funds available after the huge departures over the summer, with Erabi one player who could be on their list ahead of the winter window.

The forward would provide an upgrade on one player currently plying his trade at Elland Road, handing them a boost in their promotion ambitions between now and the end of the campaign.

Why Erabi would be an upgrade on Bamford for Leeds

Striker Patrick Bamford has certainly had his doubters over the years but managed to be a huge part of their success in the Premier League a couple of years ago.

The Englishman notched 17 goals during the 2020/21 season, helping the club register a top-half finish in the first year after promotion from England’s second tier.

However, since relegation, he’s struggled to replicate such form, scoring just eight league goals, with injuries restricting him to just 77 minutes of action so far in 2024/25.

As a result of his recent tribulations, the hierarchy could be forced into dipping into the transfer market, with Erabi just one option who would provide an upgrade on the 31-year-old.

The Swede has registered nine goals in all competitions during this calendar year, massively outscoring Bamford and offering that added firepower to push them over the line in their promotion battle.

However, when delving into the underlying stats, the Hammarby star has also massively outperformed the current Leeds forward – demonstrating what a superb addition he would be should a deal be completed.

Games played

23

7

Minutes played

1670

77

Goals & assists

10

0

Shot-on-target accuracy

43%

0%

Fouls won

1.8

1.1

Times caught offside

0.7

1.1

It’s safe to say it’s been a sad decline for Bamford, failing to consistently produce the goods for the Whites, leaving the supporters wanting more within the attacking area of the pitch.

Erabi, who’s been dubbed “powerful and prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could be the man to provide that added impetus, having the ability in front of goal to transform the fortunes in the final third in the coming months.

£8.5m would be another huge investment from the board, but it could prove to be one for the short and long term, having an immediate impact but also potentially making them a sizeable profit at some point down the line.

It could also help to finally send that man Bamford packing, with just 18 months left to run on his existing deal.

Farke must sell Leeds flop who Marsch was "convinced" would be "great"

The Leeds United defender must be cashed in on at the earliest available opportunity.

ByDan Emery Dec 5, 2024

It was a day of landmarks and milestones for India. Ravindra Jadeja became only the sixth man to score 150 or more and take a five-for in the same Test. R Ashwin went past Kapil Dev as the second-highest wicket-taker for India. In the process, Sri Lanka collapsed under the weight of a relentless India attack and lost 16 wickets in 67 overs to lose by an innings and 222 runs inside three days. Jadeja, who ended one wicket short of becoming the first man to score 150 or more in a Test innings and take 10 wickets in the same match, ended his third straight Mohali Test as the Player of the Match.The longest resistance Sri Lanka offered was a 17-over partnership in the second innings between Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva, followed by the 15 overs it took India to take the first wicket in the morning. Six wickets fell for 13 runs in 43 balls to encourage Rohit Sharma to enforce the follow-on.The bigger hauls might have gone to the spinners, but the fast bowlers added to their threat with their continuous interrogation of the batters, which meant the pressure was not released and spinners could get their breaks. The first wicket of the day went to pace, a bewitching slower ball from Japsrit Bumrah, which pitched within the stumps, beat Charith Asalanka, squared him up, hit him within the stumps, and would have gone to hit the top of off.With Pathum Nissanka fighting diligently at the other end, the rest folded in a strangely reckless manner. Niroshan Dickwella faced five balls from Jadeja, played three sweeps, not in control of any of them, and the final top edge settled with square leg placed two-thirds to the boundary. Suranga Lakmal tried an almighty slog the second ball he faced.Lasith Embuldeniya could not cope with a nasty skiddy bouncer from Mohammed Shami. Jadeja was too good for Nos. 10 and 11. Vishwa Fernando edged to second slip, and the injured Lahiru Kumara hobbled out to find out his feet didn’t move quick enough to cover the off stump, leaving Jadeja with a five-for and a shot at a hat-trick in the second innings, which was to resume immediately thanks to a rare follow-on.Ravindra Jadeja ripped through Sri Lanka on day three•BCCI

In the four overs possible before lunch, Ashwin gave India the first wicket just like in the first innings. With this edge from Lahiru Thirimanne to second slip, the result of dip and turn, Ashwin has taken Thirimanne out seven times for 50 runs in Tests, and 14 times for 140 runs in international cricket. Ashwin’s second, on the other side of lunch, was just as masterful, with the ball dipping on Nissanka to make him defend away from the body. The ball didn’t turn as much as the previous ones did, and the edge settled with Rishabh Pant, who continued to show how much he has improved as a wicketkeeper.It took a special delivery to get rid of Sri Lanka’s best batter, Dimuth Karunaratne. Shami angled it in from round the wicket, making him play, but the ball hit the seam and moved away slightly to take a soft edge that Pant took diving in front. His best grab was yet to come, though.Mathews and de Silva now got a bit of a partnership, but Jadeja came back to separate them. de Silva got too ambitious with the driving, and Jadeja inevitably got the ball to dip and draw an aerial response for short extra cover to take.The flood gates opened then with the next three wickets falling at the same score of 121. The first of those was Asalanka, edging Ashwin to slip in the first over after tea, which took Ashwin to 435 Test wickets. In the course of the match, Ashwin overtook Richard Hadlee, Rangana Herath and Kapil. Dale Steyn at 439 wickets remains in his sights.Once Jadeja got Mathews out with a ball turned from middle and leg, it was only a matter of time. Time has been short for Lakmal, who bagged his pair with a second heave in five balls of batting.Dickwella hung around with the tail, but Jadeja reached his ninth wicket with a lovely catch from Pant when the ball stayed low, turned less than expected and took a healthy deviation from the bat of Embuldeniya.The last two, though, went to Shami and Ashwin, but Jadeja wasn’t complaining.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Atlético-GO tem divulgado os novos uniformes de treino da equipe goiana, e muitos torcedores do Flamengo constataram as semelhanças entre a camisa predominante preta com a do clube carioca, o Manto 3 de 2021, lançado em agosto, mais especificamente. A situação rendeu diversos comentários nas redes sociais, nesta sexta.

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O meme “copia, só não faz igual” pôde ser lido em muitos comentários em perfis voltados para a torcida do Fla.Cabe lembrar que o Atlético-GO tem como fornecedora de material esportivo a Dragão Premium, marca própria do clube.

Já o Flamengo tem a Adidas como segmento, e na camisa feita no ano passado contava com urubus em origami, algo que que o novo uniforme do Atlético parece ter tido, no mínimo, uma inspiração.

Veja as reações nas redes sociais, catapultadas após publicação da página “out of context Flamengo” no Twitter, principalmente:

pic.twitter.com/9Kec4cw3BV

— out of context Flamengo (@outofcontextCRF) March 4, 2022

Mas fez igualzinho, só mudou o escudo mesmo

— Rafael Gonçalves 🔴⚫ ᶜʳᶠ (@rafagoncalves71) March 4, 2022

E o que falar sobre essa camisa do Atlético Goianiense?!! O pior é que não pode nem usar a desculpa de ser o mesmo patrocinador de material esportivo… 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/WDnXKFUoLV

— Maior do Mundo (@maiordomundoofc) March 4, 2022

Mas não é adidas que faz a camisa deles

— Daniel Silva (@DanielNimCris) March 4, 2022

" quando você passa a tarefa pro amigo e fala pra copiar e não fazer igual ""
Atletico goianiense,lança camisa indentica a camisa 03 do flamengo e só trocar os escudos
🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/yiVACvz01f

— Gilcley Marreiros (@GilcleyMarreir1) March 4, 2022

nem é a empresa fornecedora kkk copiaram na caruda msm

— Pels (@brunopelsaizman) March 4, 2022

O Atlético-GO vem utilizando o novo uniforme nos atletas de linha em seus treinos, e a semelhança passou a ecoar na internet esta semana.

نجح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الجيش الملكي في تسجيل الهدف الأول بشباك منافسه بيراميدز في المباراة الجارية بين الفريقين الآن ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويلتقي بيراميدز مع نظيره الجيش الملكي، ضمن مواجهة الإياب لدور ربع النهائي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

جماهير الجيش الملكي تعتدي على لاعبي بيراميدز بالمقذوفات النارية.. وإصابة لاعب السماوي

وأحرز الجيش الملكي الهدف الأول في الدقيقة الثامنة من عمر اللقاء عن طريق يوسف الفحلي، بتسديدة متقنة من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

ويسعى فريق الجيش الملكي لتقليص فارق الأهداف الذي انتهى به مواجهة الذهاب والتي حسمها فريق بيراميدز لصالحه برباعية مقابل هدف.

وكانت أجواء ما قبل المباراة قد شهدت توترًا بين جماهير الجيش الملكي وبعثة نادي بيراميدز، إذ تقدم مسؤولو النادي المصري بالكثير من الشكاوى للاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم كاف.

ويلاقي المتأهل من مباراة بيراميدز والجيش الملكي، الفائز من مواجهة أورلاندو الجنوب إفريقي مع مولودية الجزائر في دور نصف النهائي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. هدف الجيش الملكي الأول أمام بيراميدز

⚽️🔥 يوسف الفحلي يفتتح التسجيل للجيش الملكي ويقلص الفارق!#دوري_أبطال_إفريقيا #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/z9KzivSZfB — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 8, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo and tennis legend Rafael Nadal's 'Toto' Italian restaurant in Madrid has 'permanently closed' unexpectedly after just three years.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Two superstars involved in Madrid restaurant
• Has closed suddenly without any warning
• Part of Ronaldo's vast business empire

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portugal superstar Ronaldo and Nadal were just two of several high-profile sports stars who invested in the restaurant which opened in Madrid in March 2022. The restaurant was part of the Tatel Group whose founders include Nadal, with the likes of Ronaldo and Spanish basketball stars Rudy Fernandez and Pau Gasol on board as partners.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Toto was an Italian restaurant in the heart of Madrid known for its carbonara pasta, called the Vera Carbonara de Toto, and which promised a unique and authentic gastronomic experience. However, Toto has now unexpectedly closed after just three years, although the company's sister restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi chains remain open for the time being, according to El Espanol.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Toto was part of Ronaldo's vast business empire. Not content with his incredible success on the pitch, the Portuguese star is also growing an impressive business portfolio which includes his own clothing and lifestyle brand, a hair transplant clinic, several gyms as well as a record-breaking YouTube channel. Ronaldo has also revealed he plans to buy a football club after he finally decides to hang up his boots.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO

  Ronaldo is still going strong with Al-Nassr and Portugal at the age of 40 and looks to be some way off retiring and concentrating on his business interests full time. The forward is back in Saudi Pro League action on Friday against Al-Kholood.

Leeds United could move back into the automatic promotion places after their clash with Derby County in the Championship this weekend, if results go their way.

The Whites are only two points behind Sheffield United at the top of the table and could return to the top if both Burnley and the Blades fail to win, whilst they come out on top against Paul Warne’s side.

Daniel Farke’s team are third in the division at the moment and that is the position they finished in at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before they eventually lost in the play-off final.

The West Yorkshire outfit should be looking to avoid the play-offs this time around and that means that they need to aim for a top two finish to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Leeds fell out of the top two after they were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last time out, as the Whites failed to break through John Eustace’s defence.

The January transfer window opens for business next month and they have been urged to consider swooping for a striker to bolster their attacking options.

Leeds are crying out for prolific forward

Speaking to Football League World, former Championship midfielder and now pundit Carlton Palmer claims that the Whites are “crying out” for a striker like Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Dor Turgeman.

It was recently reported that Leeds have made an approach for the 21-year-old marksman and that his club are set to demand a fee of more than €5m (£4.1m) for his services, whilst they will also attempt to hold out until the summer.

At this moment in time, it is unclear as to whether or not the Championship giants are willing to splash that kind of cash on a forward in the upcoming January transfer window.

Palmer, however, states that signing the Tel Aviv gem could be a deal worth doing to bolster their frontline, because of the qualities that he could provide in the second half of the season.

He told Football League World: “They have made an official approach and he’s having a good season so far this season. He’s doing well and it might be worth a gamble. Depending on how much he’s going to cost, but Leeds are crying out for a striker for the way they play.

“They need someone who can split the defence and show composure in the penalty area, which is something Turgeman is showing in abundance.”

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Palmer adds that it is a transfer that “makes sense” for the right price, as Joel Piroe has struggled at times in a “classic” number nine role, whilst Mateo Joseph has had “growing pains” as a starter at Elland Road.

Mateo Joseph's form this season

The Spain U21 international has emerged as a genuine starting-quality option for Farke in the Championship this season, after all 20 of his league appearances came off the bench last term.

A product of the academy, Joseph has developed throughout his time at Elland Road and has started nine matches in the second division so far this season, which shows that the German tactician has more faith in him than he did in the previous campaign.

It has not been a smooth transition to regular starts for the Spanish forward, who previously played for England at U20 level, however, as he has struggled at times in front of goal.

Appearances

18

Starts

9

xG

3.44

Goals

2

Big chances created

4

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, Joseph has only scored two goals in 18 appearances in the division and has underperformed against his xG by 1.44 goals, which suggests that he should have between one and two more goals – at least.

He has, however, provided an impressive level of creativity from a centre-forward position, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts, and this shows that the youngster has provided value on the pitch for Leeds, albeit not as a regular goalscorer.

Farke, though, could now swoop for Turgeman, when the January transfer window opens for business, and land an even bigger prospect than Joseph for the Whites.

Why Dor Turgeman is a bigger prospect than Mateo Joseph

The Israel international, 21, is the same age as the Leeds youngster but has already showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at first-team level.

He has caught the eye with his performances for Tel Aviv during the 2024/25 campaign and, whilst you could argue that the Israeli top-flight is a different level to the Championship, the forward has delivered in the Europa League.

Turgeman has scored four goals and provided two assists in eight appearances in Europe, in qualifiers and league phase matches, so far this season, which shows that he has the quality to step up on the European stage.

This means that the 21-year-old centre-forward, who was described as “very exciting” by The Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson, has scored twice as many goals in Europe as Joseph (two) has in all competitions this term.

Along with his impressive performances in the Europa League, Turgeman has also provided regular quality at league level for his club this season.

Appearances

9

Starts

6

Goals

5

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

6

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, the £4.1m-rated marksman has produced a staggering 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just six league starts Maccabi Tel Aviv.

His one ‘big chance’ missed in his nine appearances speaks to the striker’s ruthless nature in front of goal, as the youngster has taken the majority of his big openings in the division.

Overall, Turgeman could arrive at Elland Road as an even bigger talent than Joseph as he has shown more quality, domestically and in Europe, as a scorer and a creator of goals than the Leeds man has at the same age.

Farke must sell Leeds flop who Marsch was "convinced" would be "great"

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Therefore, Farke must push for the board to secure a deal to sign the impressive youngster ahead of the second half of the campaign, as he could provide an added goal threat for the Whites to push for promotion to the Premier League.

The last international break of 2024 came at the perfect time for Aston Villa after a run of four straight defeats in all competitions for Unai Emery’s side.

Losses to Liverpool, Club Brugge, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace have been disappointing and the Spanish head coach will be using this international window to formulate a plan to get his team back on track.

Aston Villa host Palace at Villa Park in the Premier League on the other side of the international break, and Emery will be hoping that his stars come back from national duty full of confidence and without any injuries.

However, there is already one injury concern for the Villans to worry over after the few matches that have already been played during the week.

Aston Villa's international stars

Ezri Konsa started alongside Marc Guehi at centre-back in England’s 3-0 win over Greece on Thursday night but did not come out for the second-half.

Lee Carsley revealed, after the game, that he has suffered a hip injury and is set for a scan, but added that the defender is in a ‘good’ place and walking around.

Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez started between the sticks for Argentina and endured a frustrating evening, as his side lost 2-1 to Paraguay and he did not make a single save for his team.

It has been a far from ideal start to the break for those two Villa stars, as Konsa is now an injury concern and Martinez’s performance will do little to fill him with confidence.

However, one player who may be better off on the other side of the break is centre-forward Ollie Watkins, who starred for England against Greece.

Ollie Watkins' performance against Greece

The Villa striker was selected ahead of Three Lions captain and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane, who was signed by the Bundesliga side for £82m last year.

Carsley gave Watkins the nod, with England needing to win the game by two goals to go ahead of Greece on the head-to-head record, and was rewarded with a simply sublime showing.

The former Brentford ace opened the scoring and set the tone for the Three Lions in the seventh minute of the game, with a composed finish into the back of the net from Noni Madueke’s ball across the box.

Vs Greece	Ollie Watkins
Minutes	66
Shots	1
Goals	1
Dribble success rate	100%
Touches	17
Possession lost	4x
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Englishman scored from his only shot of the game and rarely gave the ball away with his touches throughout his 66 minutes on the pitch.

It was an incredibly efficient and superb display from the number nine, who proved that Carsley was right to select him ahead of the £82m-rated skipper.

Emery will be hoping that Watkins can, now, get back to his clinical best for Villa, as the attacker has missed a whopping 11 ‘big chances’ in 11 Premier League games this season, scoring five goals.

Hopefully, his goal for England against Greece will help him to kick on and impress against Palace when the Villans are back after the break.

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By
Dan Emery

Nov 12, 2024