Category Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed a fantastic start to life under their next head coach Philippe Clement with four wins in his first five competitive matches.

The only time they have dropped points under the Belgian tactician so far came in a 0-0 draw away at Sparta Prague in the Europa League, with wins over Hibernian, Dundee, and Hearts twice alongside that.

They booked their place in the final of the Scottish League Cup with a comfortable 3-1 win over Hearts last weekend, thanks to a brace from James Tavernier and a strike from winger Scott Wright.

Clement has been able to hit the ground running at Ibrox despite only having the players he inherited available to him, due to his arrival being outside of a transfer window.

This means that January will be the ex-Club Brugge boss' first chance to bring in his own gems to shape his squad and ensure that he has all the options that he needs to implement his desired style of play.

Rangers transfer news – Nathaniel Adjei

One player who could be on his way to Ibrox in the upcoming transfer window, if the Gers are able to secure his signature, is Hammarby central defender Nathaniel Adjei.

The Sun have reported that the Light Blues are one of a number of clubs to have shown an interest in the 21-year-old colossus ahead of the turn of the year.

English Championship outfits Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Preston North End are also said to be eyeing up the talented youngster to bolster their squads. It is said that they are all keen on a loan swoop for the talented ace in order to bolster their promotion chances during the second half of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Rangers and Celtic are both tracking Adjei and it is stated that Clement's side have sent scouts to watch the in-demand starlet in action this season.

Whilst The Sun claim that the English teams want a loan for the Ghanaian ace, Alan Nixon has reported, via his Patreon, that Hammarby are looking for a fee within the region of £3m.

It now remains to be seen whether or not any of the aforementioned clubs, including the Gers, are prepared to meet the Swedish outfit's valuation of the centre-back or if they will move on to other targets ahead of the January transfer window.

However, Rangers could add an exciting young defensive option to their ranks and a future monstrous partner for John Souttar at the back if they are able to win the race for his signature.

John Souttar's Rangers statistics

Since joining from Hearts at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the 27-year-old titan has struggled with fitness and has only made 26 competitive appearances for the club to date.

13 of those outings have already come during the current season, after he missed a staggering 46 matches with an ankle injury last term, and Clement should now be hoping that the bulk of Souttar's woes are behind him.

There is little doubt that, when fit, the towering battler is an excellent option for the Light Blues boss and a player who could be a fantastic partner for Adjei if they are able to bring him in.

The Scotland international leads the way for the club with 3.4 clearances per game in the Scottish Premiership this season. This suggests that he has excellent positioning and reads the game well in order to clear danger and prevent the opposition from troubling Jack Butland from crossing situations and set-pieces.

He has also been an incredibly dominant centre-back who has been able to impose his physicality on the opposition throughout the league campaign with a duel success rate of 73%, which includes an 80% ground battle success rate.

This shows that forwards struggle badly in physical contests against Souttar as the Rangers star is able to use his strength and intelligence to get the better of them more often than not.

The statistics that show why Adjei could be a good signing for Rangers

Firstly, at the age of 21, Adjei could come in as a signing for the future for the Gers instead of arriving with the expectation of him being an immediate first-team star.

He has plenty of time on his hands to develop and grow as he gains more experience and could be the long-term successor to current senior ace Connor Goldson, who is a whopping nine years older than him.

However, playing next to a proven Premiership performer like Souttar could be the perfect development path for the Hammarby ace as the Scottish titan can guide him through matches.

The ex-Hearts enforcer can be the leading figure at the back with his dominant displays and take the pressure off Adjei, who could be more comfortable next to such an imposing and experienced defender at that level.

This season, the Hammarby gem has featured in 20 Allsvenskan matches and made 1.9 tackles and interceptions and 2.8 clearances per match for his side.

Souttar is the only Rangers player with at least five league appearances who has managed more than 2.8 clearances per game, which suggests that Adjei could be an impressive performer next to the Scotland international with their ability to clear danger.

The 21-year-old talent is not quite as dominant as the Light Blues man but his statistics in the Swedish top-flight this season show that opposition players do not get the better of him often.

Sofascore rating

7.7

Blocks

Two

Tackles

Four

Duels won

Five

Goals conceded

Zero

Adjei's most recent Hammarby performance (via Sofascore)

Adjei has won 64% of his duels in his 20 league matches in 2023, which includes a battle success rate of 66% on the ground, and this suggests that the Ghana international is also a strong defender who can frustrate opponents with his ability to consistently outmuscle them.

Therefore, the young colossus could be an excellent addition for Rangers if he is able to translate those performances over to Scottish football whilst improving and developing as he plays more games and gains more experience over the months and years to come.

Adjei could arrive as a player with the potential to make an immediate impact with his dominant defensive displays and as a signing who could be a future monstrous partner for Souttar at the back as Clement possibly looks at life beyond 30-year-old Goldson.

Big Picture

West Indies did deny Virat Kohli a hundred but a familiar Indian script unfolded at the CCI’s Brabourne Stadium: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan provided the launchpad for a tall total. In a rather unfamiliar instance, though, an India No. 4 (Ambati Rayudu) cracked a century, as the side moves closer towards solving the middle-order jigsaw.After coming close to matching the hosts’ firepower with the bat in the ODI series opener, tying with them and later toppling them, West Indies stretched back to the stragglers, again, in Mumbai. They to win on Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram if they are to claim a share of the ODI series.For that their flimsy top order needs some stability. Kieran Powell and Chandrapaul Hemraj are no Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, but they haven’t even gone past the mandatory Powerplay unscathed in this series. This has applied further pressure on an inexperienced middle order, which folded under relentless scoreboard pressure on Monday. And the clock keeps ticking on the 37-year-old Marlon Samuels.The 37-year old from India – MS Dhoni – seems to be fading away as well, with the bat. While his tactical nous and wicketkeeping skills are still indispensable, Hardik Pandya-less India want Dhoni to find a higher gear, which he briefly did in the IPL earlier this year.

Form guide

India WLTWW
West Indies LWTLL

In the spotlight

In the fourth ODI, Khaleel Ahmed showed why he had been fast-tracked into India’s World Cup plans. He consistently swung the white ball – with and against his left-arm angle – lending more spice to an already varied attack that has been bolstered by the returns of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The way he dismissed Samuels in Mumbai was particularly delightful. After breaching the defences of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell with inswingers, he moved one away to catch the outside edge of Samuels.Rovman Powell is a Jr Andre Russell. He has a Mr T hairstyle like Russell, he can tonk the ball high and far, and can pitch in with handy medium-pace. He has also swiftly established himself as a T20 globetrotter. However, he has struggled against spin here, falling twice to left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav and once to Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm orthodox in four innings. All told, he has managed only 45 runs in four innings at an average of 11.25 and strike-rate of 68.18. Among West Indies batsmen, only Samuels had fared worse than him.1:44

For the first time we have a good fast bowling quartet – B Arun

Team news

India had left out one of their gun bowlers Yuzvendra Chahal for batting insurance in Jadeja in the absence of the injured Pandya in the previous game. They might stick with the same combination, considering Dhoni’s form – or the lack of it.India (Probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Khaleel Ahmed, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Jasprit BumrahThe visitors might consider bringing in Sunil Ambris – a dasher like Jermaine Blackwood – at the top of the order in place of either Powell or Hemraj. On the bowling front, they might swap left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Fabien Allen with the more experienced Devendra Bishoo.West Indies (Probable) 1 Chandrapaul Hemraj/Sunil Ambris, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmeyer, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Jason Holder (capt.), 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Devendra Bishoo/Fabien Allen 11 Kemar Roach

Pitch and conditions

The Greenfield Stadium is set to host its first ODI, having made its international debut last year by hosting New Zealand in a T20I. This could be the most humid venue in this series, and the pitch appeared flat and dry on the eve of the match.

Stats and trivia

• No side has beaten India twice in a home ODI series since October 2016.
• Dhoni needs one run to become the fifth player to score 10,000 ODI runs for India after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs two wickets to 100 scalps in ODIs.

Quotes

“Khaleel looks a very exciting prospect. He is sharp and has the skills to do well at the international level.”
“I like heat, especially from the point of view that I could be in the UK, where it starts to get cold. The humidity’s is what you will expect. We’re not very far from Sri Lanka, so the weather is pretty similar. This is an amazing ground. Certainly we’re very excited to be playing here tomorrow. The wicket looks good, but it’s a phenomenal ground.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a demissão de Geninho, a diretoria do Avaí trabalhou nos bastidores e confirmou a chegada de Claudinei Oliveira, que inicia a sua segunda passagem pelo time de Santa Catarina.

RelacionadasFigueirenseCom Jorginho, Figueirense sobre de produção e pode deixar o Z-4 na próxima rodada da Série BFigueirense10/12/2020VaivémZidane ameaça deixar o Real e Pogba deseja voltar à Itália… Veja o Dia do MercadoVaivém10/12/2020GrêmioDiante do Goiás, Grêmio deve ir com escalação que poupará nomesGrêmio10/12/2020

Nesta quinta-feira, antes de viajar com o elenco para Campinas, onde encara a Ponte Preta, o novo comandante deu a sua primeira coletiva de imprensa e deixou claro que não vai se ‘esconder’.

‘Sinto-me como se estivesse voltando para casa. Eu estava ao lado de Campinas e poderia ter ficado lá. Fiz questão de vir, dar o treino hoje e já voltar para Campinas onde jogamos com a Ponte Preta. Eu poderia ficar na zona de conforto, não me comprometer. Mas o recado que quero passar é este comprometimento, botar a cara. Temos jogadores cansados do jogo de terça-feira. Então a gente precisa fazer algumas coisas diferentes, não dá para se omitir. Nem eu e nem os atletas’, declarou o treinador.

O desafio de Claudinei é grande. Diante de um time que não vence nos últimos cinco jogos, o treinador precisa resgatar a confiança e tentar brigar pelo acesso.

Com 37 pontos, o Avaí aparece na 10ª colocação e a distância para o G-4 está na casa dos sete pontos.

One Leeds United player could leave Elland Road next year if the Whites aren’t promoted, with a club seemingly eyeing up a move.

Leeds United transfer update

The Whites have been undergoing a transformation both on and off the pitch after being relegated from the Premier League to the Championship last season. Now under the leadership of the 49ers Enterprises at boardroom level and Daniel Farke in the dugout, Leeds have made a steady start to the new season.

However, a 1-0 defeat to Stoke City on Wednesday evening which included a miss from the penalty spot by Patrick Bamford has seen Leeds fall nine points behind second-place Ipswich Town in the race for automatic promotion. The club did make nine new signings over the summer and plenty of players left Elland Road on loan and permanent transfers. One of those to depart was Marc Roca, and by the looks of things, his spell with Real Betis could continue into the 2024/25 season on one condition.

One outlet in Spain shared a Marc Roca transfer update in the last 48 hours, claiming that Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini has confidence in the midfielder. It is reported that Roca’s stay at Betis could be extended for another year, should Leeds fail to win promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Leeds United loan exits

Leeds saw plenty of first-team players exercise clauses in their contracts to leave on loan following relegation, one of which being Roca. The Spanish midfielder, labelled as “impressive” by former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann, has since gone on to make 12 appearances for the La Liga side, contributing to three goals. (Marc Roca stats – Transfermarkt)

Leeds loan exits

Current club

Marc Roca

Real Betis

Robin Koch

Frankfurt

Max Wober

Borussia Monchengladbach

Brenden Aaronson

Union Berlin

Jack Harrison

Everton

Luis Sinisterra

Bournemouth

Rasmus Kristensen

AS Roma

Diego Llorente

AS Roma

The player’s WhoScored rating has also improved since leaving Yorkshire, showing how he seems to have benefitted from a temporary Elland Road exit, with Roca saying about his return to Spain:

“Obviously it’s always positive to return home. I came through in La Liga. I started my career here and after three years abroad, between Germany and England, I really wanted to come to Betis. I’m very happy and very comfortable on the pitch.”

Therefore, depending on how Leeds get on between now and the end of the campaign, a permanent or another loan move for Roca with Betis could be one to keep an eye on, although the Whites will be hoping to be in a position where they can demand a fee for his services having won promotion under Farke.

Joe Root set the stage for England to draw level in the ODIs, and Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid finished the job

The Report by Shashank Kishore14-Jul-2018In what England would hope heralds a sustained run of form through their home season, Joe Root made a high-quality 113, his 13th ODI century, to provide the base for England’s series-levelling 86-run win at Lord’s. To put their win down wholly to Root’s knock, however, would do no justice to David Willey or Adil Rashid or Moeen Ali.Willey’s 30-ball half-century, the fastest for England against India, injected late momentum into an innings that seemed destined to end up at 280 or thereabouts. Siddarth Kaul, in just his second ODI, repeatedly lost his lengths and bore the brunt of Willey’s improvisation. Umesh Yadav didn’t fare much better as England plundered 94 off the last 10 to finish with 322 for 7. Virat Kohli kept India in the hunt in the chase, but Moeen changed all that by having him lbw in the 27th over. England proceeded to choke India with spin, and the required rate escalated to over eleven an over with 12 overs to play.That England managed to keep Dhoni and Hardik Pandya quiet was a mark of the control they had over proceedings. Eoin Morgan had elected to bat presumably to deny India’s spinners the advantage of bowling on a drier surface late in the day. As it turned out, their very own benefited from this, combining for figures of 3 for 80 off 20 overs in decisive spells.The final result had a feeling of inevitability to it, with Dhoni plodding along to make a 59-ball 37, making Tuesday’s clash at Leeds a winner-takes-all contest. While the big hits eluded him, Dhoni brought up the 33 runs he needed to become just the fourth Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, to bring up 10,000 ODI runs.The preceding T20I series had marked the first time Root was dropped in any form of cricket for England since the 2014 Sydney Test. There may have pressure on him subsequently, but, with the injury to Alex Hales and the team’s spin woes piling up, he couldn’t have asked for a more opportune moment to roar back into form.Root’s diffidence to spin had cost him at Trent Bridge – he was pinned on the back foot. At Lord’s he was much more assertive against Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, playing them as late as possible but trying to get as close as possible to the pitch of the ball. This helped him put away the odd lose delivery the pair delivered in trying to impart turn. His control percentage against the wristspinning pair was 86%, a measure of how well he played them, even if his run-scoring was not at its most fluent.That this innings came hot on the heels of the openers falling to Kuldeep made it all the more crucial. In looking to break a threatening opening stand, Kohli turned to Kuldeep in the 12th over and he struck with his second delivery, Jonny Bairstow failing to pick a googly and deflecting the ball onto the stumps. Jason Roy, meanwhile, slog swept one to Umesh Yadav at deep midwicket.Root’s innings was a soothing balm, and set them up for the late assault they eventually managed. He put on a 103-run third-wicket stand with Morgan, who made 53. Their partnership was an old-fashioned repair job that put the focus on run accumulation with minimal risks. It might have begun to ring some alarm bells for India, but then Morgan whipped a juicy Kuldeep full toss to Shikhar Dhawan at deep midwicket.At 189 for 3 in the 31st over, the stage seemed set for Jos Buttler, but England preferred Ben Stokes, who had made England’s slowest half-century in the last 10 years at Trent Bridge two days ago. He did not click today either, and to compound matters Buttler was out soon after, leaving England vulnerable. This was when India’s bowlers switched off and Willey cashed in to make a difference of at least 40 runs to the end total.India’s openers started well, adding 49 in 8.1 overs before Morgan’s call to persist with Mark Wood for a fifth straight over paid dividends. In an attempt to mow one to the short leg-side boundary, Rohit advanced only to miss one that came back in with the slope to crash into the stumps. Next over, Dhawan sliced a drive to backward point. When KL Rahul was snuffed out by a spectacular Jos Buttler grab – moving to his wrong side to take an inside edge – five balls later, India were truly in trouble.Kohli and Suresh Raina, playing his first ODI innings in almost three years, added 80. Raina was reprieved twice, the second instance causing Roy to immediately walk off the field to nurse his hand. But, in the same over, Kohli played all around a straight Moeen delivery to open the floodgates. At that stage, India needed 183 off 23 overs, which meant little time for Dhoni and Hardik Pandya to settle in. They never did find their rhythm as the game meandered to a farcical end, Dhoni even defending balls to boos from the crowd.

The top two ODI teams in the world will look to this series to sort out any issues ahead of next year’s World Cup

The Preview by Varun Shetty11-Jul-2018Big PictureIf England’s long-term ODI project needed one last tryout ahead of next year’s World Cup, there can hardly be a better dress rehearsal than facing cricket’s other formidable ODI team at home. There’s a plethora of staggering batting and bowling numbers around both England and India, but the larger picture is that this is a contest between No. 1 and No. 2, with the possibility that those positions could be either one’s by the end of the series.For now, it is England, with their explosive openers and robust middle order who come in as the better-ranked side. They have lost only four of the 21 ODIs they have played in the last 12 months, with the most recent string of those wins coming in the 5-0 thrashing they handed to Australia.Those would be grounds to be favourites against any other team, but as the T20I series – with largely the same players – showed, the competition is likely to be neck to neck and winning will depend on how the teams maneuver crucial short phases, the kind that are expected to belong to match-winners.And there’s no shortage of those on either side. England’s batting depth narrowly edges India, but the visitors have their bowling sorted more than the hosts, as evidenced in their domineering series wins against South Africa in the limited-overs series earlier this year.On flat surfaces, both these teams can be destructive. What will we see when they take on each other on England’s characteristically flat surfaces? One can only predict that whatever it is, it won’t be dull. What’s more? We’re back to Trent Bridge, where England scored a record-breaking 481 less than a month ago.Form guideEngland WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLWW
In the spotlightVirat Kohli is rarely outside of the spotlight, but there is tremendous significance in this tour for him on a personal front. While his numbers in England are up there – an average of 52.46 in 19 games – he hasn’t done well against England in the country – an average of 32.33 in 10 games. You’d bet on him doing better than that average considering his three centuries in six innings this year, but there is the possibility that India could look to solve their No. 4 dilemma by dropping their captain into that slot like they had during the T20s. In ODIs, he last batted there in October 2015: will Kohli risk that move in his pursuit to win every session of the tour?Jonny Bairstow has made a century against every team he has faced this year, and is currently top of the charts with 864 runs in 16 innings. His opening partner, Jason Roy, has made three ODI hundreds this year and is the only other international batsman to make more than 700 runs in the format. Both of them have been striking at greater than 100, and have struck a combined 174 fours and 45 sixes between them. With Jasprit Bumrah out of the ODI series and Bhuvneshwar Kumar battling a stiff back, how the openers do against India’s inexperienced pace line-up can set the tone for how the middle order tackles the wristspinners.Virat Kohli and Eoin Morgan pose with the trophy•Getty ImagesTeam newsBen Stokes is expected to come straight back into the England XI after missing the Australia series. Alex Hales should make way for him, especially given he has injured his side. Dawid Malan was called up as Hales’ cover, and his availability will be reviewed on a game-by-game basis.*England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood/Jake BallBhuvneshwar Kumar is doubtful for the opening ODI after he was rested for the final T20I in Bristol due to a back injury. He went to the ground on a day of optional training but did not participate in any warm-up exercises or net sessions. Rohit Sharma said that Bhuvneshwar was “fine” but a final decision would only be taken on match day. Siddarth Kaul, who had a hit in the nets, could take Bhuvneshwar’s place and accompany Umesh Yadav in the pace attack.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 KL Rahul, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Dinesh Karthik/Suresh Raina, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Siddarth Kaul, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Umesh YadavPitch conditionsThe temperature continues to stay in the early twenties. It’s the middle of a long, dry summer in England and there are no signs that it will end tomorrow. It should suit perfectly for a run-fest on the same ground that produced the highest ODI score last month, even though the same strip is not going be used.Stats and trivia England have a win-loss record of 46-19 since the 2015 World Cup; India are the only team that comes close, with a 39-19 record in the same period MS Dhoni is 33 runs away from 10,000 ODI runsQuotes”India have been a really strong team in this format for a long time. They won last time they came over here. I know it was a very different side they played against but it is a really good marker to see where we’re at.”
“When you’re playing on pitches like this, you want to bat second. This team likes chasing down targets. I’m sure England would like the same. We’ve noticed the last series they played here, it was high scoring. This very ground was where they scored 480 runs. I’m expecting nothing less than a high-scoring series.”
*

While Marcelo Bielsa's time in charge at Leeds United may have come to a sorry end, the Argentine remains a truly beloved figure among the Elland Road faithful following what was a remarkable three-and-a-half-year tenure.

The enigmatic and unique coach was initially handed the reins back in the summer of 2018, inheriting a side and a club that appeared to be going nowhere fast having finished in 13th place the year prior under Paul Heckingbottom.

A manager with a wealth of experience under his belt at the elite level – following prior stints at the likes of Marseille and Lazio – there was likely a sense of shock that the Rosario-born maverick had agreed to drop into England's second tier, particularly with the Whites have gone more than a decade without Premier League football at the time.

What happened next was simply remarkable, as Bielsa's high-octane and breathless style of play helped to steer the Yorkshire giants back into the promised land at the second attempt in 2019/20, having finished just outside the automatic promotion spots the year prior.

Although a solid first season in the top tier was followed by a simply disastrous start to the 2021/22 campaign – with the club hierarchy wielding the axe after notable hefty defeats against the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – that eventual, abrupt dismissal should not sour what was a golden period in Leeds' modern era.

Not only was Bielsa evidently a masterful, gifted tactician, but the 68-year-old also had a keen eye for spotting a player, having particularly hit the jackpot with the signing of Brazilian sensation, Raphinha.

Why did Leeds sign Raphinha?

Despite the success that the 5 foot 9 trickster would go on to achieve in English football, the winger still represented something of a gamble as far as Bielsa was concerned initially due to his lack of prior Premier League experience.

After starting life on the books at Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes, a standout 2017/18 season in which he plundered 18 goals earned a move to Lisbon outfit, Sporting CP – where he would score nine goals and register five assists in 41 games in all competitions.

A subsequent move to Ligue 1 side, Rennes, also proved fruitful as the Porto Alegre-born speedster contributed 15 goals and assists in 36 outings during what proved to be his solitary season in France.

That sparkling form had seemingly piqued the interest of those at Elland Road, with the wideman having been identified by Bielsa as the figure to provide that extra sprinkling of star quality to his newly-promoted side.

How much did Leeds pay for Raphinha?

On reflection, it appears that Victor Orta and co were able to pull off an absolute steal by signing Raphinha for what proved to be a bargain price of just £17m – less than half what the club splashed out on their relatively unproven club-record signing, Georginio Rutter, earlier this year.

At the time, the suggestion was that the new addition could prove something of a 'game-changing' signing due to his similarity to Leeds legend Pablo Hernandez in an attacking sense, albeit while offering the benefit of an increased defensive contribution – as per London-based investment company Carteret Analytics, via the BBC.

With Hernandez – who contributed 18 goals and assists during the club's promotion-winning campaign – having been the undoubted talisman in the second tier, Raphinha swiftly assumed that mantle in the Premier League, with the Elland Road faithful having a new hero to worship.

How many goals did Raphinha score for Leeds?

Hailed as a "magician" by teammate Daniel James, the fleet-footed wizard certainly did conjure up some "magic" during his two-year stay in Yorkshire, as per pundit Noel Whelan – who went on to add:

“Raphinha is fantastic on the ball, great on the eye and can produce moments of magic that other players simply can’t. But what I really like is his work out of possession. He is not afraid to really work hard, track back and double-up with the full-back. It is an attribute you sometimes don’t get with technically talented players. They do one side of it but not the other. That is not the case with Raphinha though."

That "relentless" nature – as described by Whelan – combined with his quality on the ball made for a perfect cocktail of devastating brilliance, evidenced by the fact that he chipped in with 17 goals and 12 assists from just 67 games in all competitions prior to his eventual departure last summer, memorably scoring in the win over Brentford on the final day of the 2021/22 season to help clinch survival.

The sight of the 18-cap Brazil international celebrating with the away support in west London following that 2-1 win was simply joyous, with that an indication of a player who had relished the adulation he had received during the prior 24 months – despite his later desire to depart.

How much did Leeds sell Raphinha for?

In a summer that saw Bielsa's successor Jesse Marsch lose Kalvin Phillips, another Leeds mainstay departed following Raphinha's move to Barcelona, with the mesmeric gem fending off interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in order to secure a dream move to Camp Nou.

While that raft of suitors didn't quite lead to the Whites raking in a truly eye-watering sum, the club were still able to turn in a handsome profit after receiving a £55m offer from the La Liga giants.

In relation to his initial £17m transfer fee, that represented an increase of 223% – hardly something to be sniffed at at a time when Leeds have not exactly struck gold in the transfer market, notably losing Rodrigo for just £3m following last season's relegation.

Raphinha's 2022/23 La Liga season by numbers (Stats via Sofascore)

36 games

25 starts

7 goals

7 assists

17 big chances created

1.6 key passes per game

7.27 average match rating

On the pitch, of course, the loss of Raphinha – who has since provided 25 goals and assists in just 54 outings at Camp Nou – was a real blow as the club's fortunes swiftly tumbled, yet financially his signing and subsequent sale represents a truly astute piece of business.

Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate missed his side's 3-0 victory at home to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, but a key update has now emerged regarding his fitness.

Is Ibrahima Konate playing for France this week?

The Reds cruised to a win against Unai Emery's side in the Premier League, meaning they have picked up ten points from a possible 12 so far this season. That represents a great start to the campaign, considering they have already made trips to Chelsea and Newcastle United, as well as hosting a highly-rated Villa team.

Liverpool had to beat the Villans without Konate and Virgil van Djik available on Sunday, with the former still injured and the latter suspended after his red card at St James' Park. In fairness, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez did admirably filling in, though, despite worries about them after poor seasons last time around.

Konate has become a hugely important player for the Reds, turning into Van Dijk's undisputed first-choice centre-back partner, but injuries are slightly problematic for him, with a number of issues picked up in recent years. The hope is that his current problem is only a minor one, however, and that he will be back in the fold after the international break.

He was then called up for France's squad for their September matches, arguably in surprise fashion, but a new update has revealed a twist in the situation.

What's the latest on Ibrahima Konate's fitness?

According to The Liverpool Echo, Konate has now been withdrawn from international duty with Les Bleus:

"The French Football Federation have announced their decision to replace Ibrahima Konate in the nation's squad for the upcoming international break. The 24-year-old was first mentioned as a doubt for Liverpool's away trip to Newcastle a week ago today, and was eventually not included in Jurgen Klopp's squad for the match."

This could actually be good news from a Liverpool perspective, in terms of France not taking any risks with Konate, aassuming it doesn't mean the injury is worse than first thought.

The fact that the Frenchman hasn't been deemed fit enough to play for his country does suggest that a return to the Reds' starting lineup could still be a little while away, but there is nearly two weeks for him to fully recover before the trip to Wolves on September 16th.

While Matip and Gomez deserve huge praise for the manner in which they stepped up to the plate against Villa on Sunday, Konate and Van Dijk are still massive upgrades on the pair, and if they can both come back in for the foreseeable future, Jurgen Klopp's men could become a real force.

Liverpool looked fantastic in their weekend victory, possessing so much more energy in midfield and pressing relentlessly in attack, and having the pace and power of Konate back in that right-sided centre-back area can only help the Reds moving forward.

The injuries are a concern, and he needs to stop having so many spells on the sidelines, but he can be the leader of the back-line after Van Dijk, having been hailed as "wonderful" by Phil Thompson.

The match referee will not compromise the safety of the players. If it continues to behave dangerously, the match could still be called off

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg27-Jan-2018

BCCI

The Wanderers pitch has by no means given an all-clear even though the Test is set to continue after the umpires took the teams off 19 minutes before stumps on day three. The umpires will remain on alert for any other behaviour they might consider dangerous to the safety of the players.The pitch has had extravagant bounce and seam movement throughout, but on day three the umpires were worried about players’ safety. After meetings between the match officials and the captains, and possibly consultation with the ICC, the match referee decided to continue play on day four. ESPNcricinfo understands this was more deferring the decision to the next morning so they could sleep over the decision, understand the ramifications of it, including other sanctions and the fact that India had already courageously fought their way with the bat on this pitch, and hope the pitch settles down on day four. Despite all these considerations, the match referee will not compromise the safety of the players. If it continues to behave dangerously, the match could still be called off.The officials could afford to buy the overnight time because they were losing only 19 minutes. There’s no telling how it might have panned out if a batsman had been hit on the head at, say half past three and not 11 minutes before 5pm. The delivery that led to the suspension of play was a short-pitched delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, which hit Dean Elgar on the helmet, but the umpires had been concerned all day with balls rearing off a length and hitting the batsmen in the ribs, gloves, and thighs.The first time the match officials spoke to the teams about the state of the pitch was during the tea break on day three. According to India’s manager Sunil Subramaniam, the umpires’ concern was that the new ball could behave dangerously. While India’s second innings lasted only one ball with the second new ball, Elgar was hit four times in 8.3 overs of bowling with the new ball in South Africa’s innings.In the captain’s meeting with the match referee, India – in a great position to win the Test and after having braved this difficult pitch – made it clear there was no way they wanted the match to stop. The South Africa manager said they told the match referee they were not going to comment whether the pitch was safe or not, but they were happy to play if the officials deemed the pitch to be safe. The eventual decision still rests with the match referee. There is provision in the law that they could attempt to repair the pitch, if possible, to see if the match can continue, but it can’t be done if it disadvantages one of the teams, which in this case will be India’s fate. So that route is unlikely to be taken.The pitch has come in for harsh criticism from experts and former cricketers covering this series, with Michael Holding calling it a “s**t pitch”, one he would rate 2 on 100.

Heart of Midlothian endured a quiet first few weeks of the transfer market, but over the last month or so, they have significantly boosted their squad.

Steven Naismith has added the likes of Alex Lowry, Frankie Kent, Kyosuke Tagawa and Kenneth Vargas to his senior squad recently, and he will be hoping they can shine at Tynecastle.

Indeed, the club have enjoyed a solid start to the season.

They have claimed four points from six in the Premiership while also securing progression in both the League Cup and Europa Conference League, setting up a tie against Greek side PAOK in the latter competition.

The good times appear to be back on Gorgie and with just under two weeks until the transfer window closes, Naismith still has time to add some more quality to this squad.

Will Hearts make any more signings?

The crux of the first team looks settled, yet if Hearts do qualify for the group stages of the Europa Conference League, they will need some added strength in depth.

The Jambos were linked with Jamie McGrath back in July, according to The Daily Record, and they must reignite their interest with the news that he was released by Wigan Athletic last month.

The attacking midfielder is now available on a free transfer, and he could be an excellent addition to the squad, especially judging by his performances for Dundee United whilst on loan last season.

How good is Jamie McGrath?

The 26-year-old joined the Arabs last term for a season-long loan spell, and he demonstrated just how good he was during an impressive stint North of the border.

He registered 12 goal contributions – nine goals and three assists – across 37 games, and he topped the pile in terms of overall Sofascore rating at United in the Premiership, while also ranking first for big chances created (five), key passes per game (1.6) and successful dribbles per game (0.9), emerging into one of their best attacking players.

With Lawrence Shankland smashing in 28 goals during the 2022/23 season, McGrath and the Scot could form a stunning partnership.

Shankland showcased his own attacking qualities in what was a wonderful season on a personal level. He scored every 127 minutes in the Premiership and also demonstrated his creative side, averaging one key pass per game and grabbing four assists, meaning he could link up well with the Irishman.

McGrath has clearly shown that he can both score and create chances for his teammates and should Hearts secure group-stage European football, they could cause opposition defences on the continent.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed the player when he joined Wigan in 2022, saying:

“Jamie McGrath is a sensational signing for Wigan Athletic, think that’s one of the best signings of the window, really liked him whilst he was at Dundalk, good on the ball, aggressive and direct and has a very good shot, he’ll score from belters at the DW I’m sure of that.”

It didn’t quite work out as anticipated at Wigan for the 26-year-old, but with the midfielder now available for nothing, Naismith must now make his move and forge a dream duo with him and Shankland.