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The Lionesses striker was twice denied by the crossbar on Saturday, but Jonas Eidevall's side were still able to progress to the next round.

You could almost hear the sigh of relief when the final whistle went and Arsenal secured their place in the second round of Champions League qualifying on Saturday night, by virtue of a 1-0 win over Rosenborg. The Gunners crashed out at this stage last season and so as long as that second goal continued to evade them, despite a dominant performance, the nerves were always going to build among the home faithful. Fortunately for them, an opportunistic finish from Norway international Frida Maanum was enough to break the hearts of the team from her homeland and put Arsenal into Monday's draw.

It was a positive start from Jonas Eidevall's side and, after warning shots were fired by Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, Maanum opened the scoring with less than 20 minutes played, with a helping hand from some rather calamitous Rosenborg defending. The Norwegian side fell behind in their shock win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday but rallied late on to set up this clash and it was clear that their plan from this point onwards was to replicate that success. They rode their luck to stay alive in the game, though, with Russo hitting the crossbar and Maanum firing just wide before the break.

It was more of the same in the second half, with the only difference being that Rosenborg became increasingly more adventurous. That will have no doubt had the Arsenal fans getting a little more nervy as Russo again struck the woodwork and Kyra Cooney-Cross followed her lead seconds later, while Leah Williamson saw a header cleared off the line. But Maanum's early finish proved to be enough to move the Gunners on to the second round of Champions League qualifying, with them to find out their next European opponent in Monday's draw.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Manuela Zinsberger (6/10):

  Good starting position for when Rosenborg tried a few long ball counter attacks. Had little to do again, though.

  Emily Fox (7/10):

  Was constantly in the final third, prodding and probing at the Rosenborg defence. Not everything came off but she caused problems.

  Laia Codina (6/10):

  Wasn't called upon much, but stood up tall when she was.

  Leah Williamson (6/10):

  Looks sharper with each game that comes. Great in possession.

  Katie McCabe (6/10):

  Got forward well, combined brilliantly with Mariona at times and delivered some good set pieces.

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  Midfield

  Kim Little (7/10):

  Another sublime display in which she kept things ticking in midfield.

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (6/10):

  Dangerous over dead ball situations and mature in her passing.

  Frida Maanum (7/10):

  Showed good awareness to pounce on some defensive chaos to break the deadlock. Took up fantastic positions.

• Attack

  Caitlin Foord (7/10):

  Put some dangerous crosses in from the right, including the one that led to Arsenal's opener.

  Alessia Russo (7/10):

  Linked up well with those around her and was looking to shoot whenever there was a slight chance, going close on several occasions.

  Mariona Caldentey (7/10):

  Was always positive, whether by creating for others or getting shots off in the final third.

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  Subs & Manager

  Stina Blackstenius (5/10):

  Came on for the final 20 minutes but struggled to get involved much.

  Beth Mead (N/A):

  Returned from injury in the final minutes.

  Lia Walti (N/A):

  Came on to help Arsenal see the game out late on.

  Jonas Eidevall (7/10):

  Stuck with the same XI that did the job against Rangers in midweek and those players rewarded his faith. There will be some concerns that his side struggled against a low block, a theme throughout last season, but the woodwork did come to Rosenborg's rescue on three separate occasions, too.

West Ham United are looking at signing a new transfer target who's been praised for having the best season of his career to date.

West Ham in need of new forward

Much has been made about the future of manager David Moyes with his contract expiring this summer, and while the Scotsman divides opinion among West Ham's fan base, he certainly hasn't been helped by a lack of new forward options.

"Something special" – West Ham make Paqueta promise amid key exit update

The Brazilian could be their next high profile exit after Declan Rice.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 5, 2024

Both Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals vacated the London Stadium in January, leaving Moyes bereft of wide options, so that is surely something West Ham could look to fix this summer.

That wasn't for lack of trying, according to some reports, with journalist Graeme Bailey claiming last month that West Ham missed out on over half a dozen January deals. Indeed, it is thought they targeted Ismaila Sarr, Stephen Bergwijn, Marcos Leonardo, Ibrahim Osman, Jota, Hugo Ekitike and Armando Broja in the winter with all moves failing to materialise.

If injury were to befall either Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen or Lucas Paqueta – it would display just how short West Ham are of attacking options with just Danny Ings, Michail Antonio and youngster Divin Mubama behind them.

West Ham now looking at signing Fuhrich

According to Sky Sports Germany, and their journalist Dennis Bayer, West Ham are now looking at Stuttgart star Chris Fuhrich as a solution to their lack of star attacking depth.

The 26-year-old, who's bagged six goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga alone this season, is now a candidate for Germany's Euro 2024 squad following his excellent season at Stuttgart – and this has apparently piqued West Ham's interest.

“Chris Führich plays a strong season, has the best scorers of his entire career and is a very hot candidate to be in the German squad at the European Championship,” he told Sky Germany (via Sport Witness).

“Some teams have him on their lists, Leipzig for example, West Ham too, because in Führich’s new contract there is an exit clause anchored between €20m (£17.1m) and €25m (£21.3m), which is based on how well the VfB is doing this season.

“In Cannstatt, they are a bit afraid that they could lose their wing player, Chris Führich, who is currently planning to play for VfB next year.”

The player himself is grateful to now be playing at this level, and who knows, he could maybe end up in England soon.

“There were certainly one or two situations in my career in which I couldn’t understand why I didn’t get the chance that I had earned at the time, but I’m not a fan of looking too far back,” said Führich on his recent rise at Stuttgart.

"I’m grateful to be where I am now. I’ve learned a lot from the past few years and taken a lot with me. When you reach a goal, you’re happy – no matter whether it was sooner or later.”

‘All these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people’

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-2020The possibility of IPL 2020 being a severely restricted tournament – with at least some part of it being played to empty stands – in light of the coronavirus threat has increased following statements by two key ministries of the Indian government on Thursday. While the sports ministry said it would not stop sporting events from taking place as long as they adhere strictly to governmental guidelines, discouraging mass gatherings, the external affairs (foreign) ministry went a step further and said their advice was to not go ahead with the tournament at this time, but left the decision to the organisers.The IPL itself is yet to issue a statement on the tournament but its Governing Council is scheduled to meet franchises on March 14 in Mumbai. The 13th edition of the tournament will likely feature nearly 60 overseas players, arriving from and through different parts of the globe that have been affected by the pandemic.ALSO READ: How the cricketing world is reacting to coronavirusOn Wednesday, shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic, the Indian government updated its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. At a press conference of the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday afternoon in Delhi, Dammu Ravi, its point person to deal with COVID-19 issues, was asked about impact of the new travel advisory on the IPL.”We are analysing a lot of requests of the status of sports events that are being held in India and something linked to a mega event, which is already being planned, so how do you deal with this?” Ravi replied. “It is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. And then we will be open to the idea, if they really want to do it. Our advice would be not to do it at this time, but if they still want to go ahead it is their decision.”He was later asked how the government would deal with private organisations going ahead with their plans “for commercial considerations despite the grave danger”. “The advisory that we have received yesterday is very clear that only (for) compelling reasons if anybody wants to come they will come. Now it may even include sports events. At this point of time, I have no definite answer whether commercial events will be banned or not. But in course of time we will see how things evolve.”The IPL is the most lucrative tournament in cricket and offers the BCCI as well as the eight franchises substantial sums of money. In 2017, Star India bought the global broadcast rights for IPL for a record USD 2.55 billion. Consequently, each franchise would earn around INR 150-200 plus crore per season from the IPL’s commercial pot. Therefore, it would not be an easy decision for the BCCI to defer or cancel the IPL.Ravi, though, put the onus on the organisers, asking them to think beyond the commercial aspect. “If it is a commercial decision, then we will have to assess in course of time if that requires special guidelines to be issue on that,” he said. “If we are looking at mega events there is also Tokyo Olympics which is going to happen later this year as well – all these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people around in that country as to what decisions (they ought to take), but we will be reviewing it in course of time also.”How coronavirus is affecting cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

‘People’s health cannot be put in danger’Earlier on Thursday, Kiren Rijiju, India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, spoke about the guidelines on mass gatherings, issued on March 5 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They quoted expert advice to “reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus disease” and advised that mass gatherings be avoided or possibly postponed till the disease spread was contained.”All international events in India have been cancelled,” Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament. “But we are telling sports federations, we are telling all to comply with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. So any sports body in India should ensure [the guidelines are followed].”Asked specifically about the IPL, which is scheduled to start on March 29, Rijiju indicated that fans are likely not to be allowed at the grounds. “We are not stopping the game,” he said. “We are just telling [the IPL] to ensure that there is no mass gathering. Precautionary steps are very important for the health of the country.”Considering that IPL matches are usually attended by several thousand fans across all venues, Rijiju said the organisers would need to ensure that safety of the “people” is not put at risk. “That is the guideline,” he said. “If matches happen the organisers would need to put in place all infrastructure including screening machines. You cannot hold a match without that.”We are not saying anything to stop the match. We are just saying: even if they go ahead with the match, ensure that guidelines are followed. People’s health cannot be put into danger.”Shortly after Rijiju’s comments, the sports ministry also issued an advisory on Thursday to various national sports federations, the Indian Olympics Association as well as to the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.”To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897,” the sports ministry’s advisory said.”You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event, the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators.”A policeman wears a mask while on security detail amid the corona virus pandemic•BCCI

On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic. Shortly after that, the Indian government changed its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. “All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till April 15, 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020, at the port of departure,” the government statement said.ESPNcricinfo understands, however, that those connected with the IPL would come under employment or project visas, which is likely to leave the tournament unaffected as things stand.As per the figures released by the WHO, 118 countries have been affected by COVID-19, classified as a respiratory illness. More than 120,000 people have been infected with over 4,300 deaths worldwide. In India so far, 73 people have been infected with no deaths as yet.It remains to be seen how this development will affect the remaining matches of the ODI series between India and South Africa, which began on Thursday in Dharamsala. The second ODI is scheduled to be played in Lucknow on March 15, and the third ODI in Kolkata on March 18.On Wednesday, the BCCI issued its first statement on how it was dealing with the pandemic ahead of the series. Along with following the prescribed dos and don’ts on personal hygiene, the BCCI had asked the India players to be mindful during their interactions with fans, including not shaking hands or using third-party gadgets for selfies.The COVID-19 pandemic has already forced the cancellation and postponement of sporting events across the globe with a few of them in India. The first major tournament to be postponed was the 3×3 basketball Olympic qualifiers, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from March 18 to 22.The Indian Open golf tournament, scheduled to be held in Gurugram from March 19 to 22, has been postponed, with the organisers promising to reschedule the event at “some point” later this year. The Shooting World Cup, in Delhi from March 15 to 26, has also been postponed, as has India’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Bhubaneswar on March 26. The India Open badminton tournament is going ahead as of now – in Delhi from March 24 to 29 – but without spectators.

Manchester United may hope to utilise their newfound link with French club Nice after Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased 25% of the club from the Glazers. Ratcliffe's company, INEOS, owns the Ligue 1 outfit, and there are already a couple of players who have caught the eye of Erik ten Hag.

One of those is centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, with United described as favourites to get the deal done this summer. Todibo is expected to command a fee of around £52m.

Another is midfielder Khephren Thuram, identified as an ideal target. Thuram will be considerably cheaper than Todibo at £34m, though he's also attracing interest from Juventus and Inter in Italy. But they're not the only stars Ratcliffe knows from Nice who could end up at Old Trafford.

Man Utd plot shock Barkley swoop

According to talkSPORT, Man Utd are now considering a "surprise" move for Ross Barkley at Luton. Ratcliffe is described as a "fan" of Barkley, who spent the 2022/23 season at Nice after leaving Chelsea.

The British businessman is apparently "keen to find a buyer" for incumbent midfielder Casemiro, and doesn't intend to make Sofyan Amrabat's loan move from Fiorentina permanent. Barkley represents a possible replacement, and he could available in a "cut-price" deal if 18th-place Luton end up getting relegated.

"Fantastic" Barkley has rebuilt his reputation at Luton

After coming through the youth ranks at Everton, Barkley got a big move to Chelsea in 2018 for a fee in excess of £15m. However, things didn't work out at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues loaning him out to Aston Villa in 2020 before releasing him in 2022.

Luton subsequently picked him up on a free transfer last summer, and though it looked like a gamble at the time, he's proved to be one of the Premier League signings of the season. Barkley has truly been doing it all in Rob Edwards' midfield, chipping in with goals and assists, creating in multiple phases, beating players at will and getting through plenty of work defensively too. Much of Luton's play has run through him.

Ratcliffe could soon bin Man Utd star who's earning more than Martinez

The Man United star could be on his way out of the club at the end of the season.

By
Tom Lever

Feb 25, 2024

Named the Hatters' player of the month for both November and December, he's won glowing praise from former team-mate Cesc Fabregas, who says he's an athletic "machine".

"He's playing at a fantastic level," he said. "I'm very happy for him because he lost his way a little bit, he lost his confidence and now he's back at it, You always need a player like this when you are in a team for example that didn’t have the confidence that they wanted. At Luton they were struggling and then when you see now that they have a proper idea of how they want to play.

"Physically, he’s a machine, physically, he’s one of the best, or the fittest players I played with, and he has adapted to this, but especially the personality he plays with, I think he’s the stand-out for this Luton side."

Millie Bright hailed Chelsea's pre-season tour to the United States as "trip to remember" after a perfect end with a derby win over Arsenal.

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• Chelsea won both their matches in the USA
• Capped off their trip by beating the Gunners
• Bright loved her experience across the Atlantic

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning Women's Super League champions were an unstoppable force in the United States as they won both their matches in the pre-season. After thrashing Gotham FC 3-1, the Blues edged out familiar rivals Arsenal in the next game, courtesy of a 54th-minute strike from Sandy Baltimore.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bright was handed a start by manager, Sonia Bompastor, against Arsenal and the skipper did not disappoint. After the victory, the Lionesses star was in a light mood and did not forget to take a dig at the Gunners after painting Washington blue.

• WHAT BRIGHT SAID

  Before heading back to London, Bright shared a carousel of pictures on her Instagram profile along with a heartfelt caption, to sum up her wonderful experiences in the USA. She wrote: "A trip to remember🤝🏼🇺🇸 Met some amazing people, connected with our fans, did some cool stuff with my girlies and won 2 games💙."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BRIGHT?

  Upon returning to England, Bright and Co. will play another friendly against Feyenoord on September 7 before starting their WSL title defence against Aston Villa on September 20.

Julian Gressel says the return to action of Lionel Messi after injury should have Inter Miami’s MLS rivals feeling “a little bit scared”.

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• All-time great recovering from ankle knock
• No risks being taken on his fitness
• Could return after the international break

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has not taken in a club appearance since mid-June, when he left Tata Martino’s camp in Florida and linked up with the Argentina national team for Copa America duty. He lifted the trophy at the end of that competition, but suffered an unfortunate ankle injury in the final.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi has been eased back to fitness since returning to Chase Stadium, with no risks being taken, and Inter Miami have continued to fare admirably without him. Martino has, however, indicated that his talismanic No.10 could return to action against the Philadelphia Union on September 14.

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  WHAT GRESSEL SAID

  Argentina left Messi out of their latest World Cup qualification squad, giving him time to work on his recovery in the United States, and Gressel has told of welcoming the all-time great back: “It’s Lionel Messi, I don’t think I really need to say much on what contribution he brings here. We’ve been very good without him, now you add a player like him into this team, and I’m sure other teams are looking at that and are a little bit scared of us. He has a couple of weeks to get back to game fitness, and hopefully he can join us on the field for the next game.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Inter Miami have pulled eight points clear at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference, as they chase down the Supporters’ Shield, and will hope to have a fully fit Messi firing on all cylinders when entering the post-season play-offs.

She hasn’t always started well but has managed to do the job by just hanging in there

Andrew McGlashan in Sydney04-Mar-20204:54

Katy Perry or Ellyse Perry – who does Heather Knight want to see in the World Cup final?

There’s never a bad time to hit career-best form, but finding it at a World Cup is especially handy. England allrounder Nat Sciver is playing as well as she ever has in the T20 format, having ended the group stage in Australia as the leading run-scorer in her new role at No. 3.Half of Sciver’s eight T20I fifties have come in her last six innings: one in the tri-series which preceded the World Cup and now three in four knocks in the tournament itself, against South Africa, Thailand and West Indies, the latter in the match that secured a semi-final berth for her team.Sciver picked out one of the key reasons behind her form as the volume of cricket she has played in the last few months – the WBBL for the Perth Scorchers (where she was coached by Lisa Keightley shortly before she took the England job) followed by a series against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur before arriving in Australia.”Consistency of playing, it’s a bit like running in with the ball, you get a little bit of rhythm,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “I was lucky enough to play in the Big Bash which probably helped a little bit and through the winter we didn’t really stop. So been feeling pretty good and nice to get the results.”Before the series in Malaysia against Pakistan, Sciver had only batted at No. 3 five times in 66 T20Is. She briefly returned to No. 4 in the tri-series, in a match where she scored 50 against India, when Katherine Brunt was promoted to No. 3, a tactic they have sensibly shelved during the World Cup. The best players need to face the most balls in T20s and for England, Sciver is certainly one of those.Being self-critical, she believes there have been innings where she hasn’t got it quite right at the start but by not giving her wicket away has been able to catch up in the latter stages, something she admitted she can forget is in her armory.”I probably would have liked to get going a bit quicker in some of the innings but feel like I’m adapting and reading the game pretty well to play to the tempo the game needs,” she said. “I’ve been a bit guilty of not remembering that previously. It could be different on Thursday but at the moment it’s coming out of the middle nicely so need to look after that.”Half of Natalie Sciver’s eight T20I fifties have come in her last six innings•Getty Images

Her captain Heather Knight praised how Sciver has adapted to her new position by realising that she has the ability to hit through as well as over the field.”That’s been a key learning for her, I think previously when she’s gone in during the powerplay, she’s felt like she’s had to go mad and gone a bit too high risk,” Knight said. “In this World Cup, she’s been accepting that she might have a few more dots in the powerplay but can catch up. She’s a phenomenal striker of the ball and has been very calm, trusts her game, and think she has enjoyed having a few balls to face.”One of the innings where Sciver showed her ability to catch up the scoring rate was against South Africa where she went from 24 of 29 to 50 off 41 but it wasn’t enough as England lost in the final over. It gave their campaign an early jolt and, like the hosts, meant they could not afford another slip. Sciver admitted there were a few waves of doubt personally, but the team believed they were not far away from the level they needed to be at.”I think everyone was a bit deflated. As an individual, you probably have a bit of doubt,” she said. “Can we really do this? But in terms of everyone believing, in the team we weren’t far away. We knew if we’d done just a few things differently we would have got over the line. Even with not as many runs as we’d have liked we managed to take it to the last over. The language we used was no different to what we are using now, it was just a case of getting it done in the middle.”England’s reward for their three straight victories is a semi-final against India, who went unbeaten through their group. The defeat to South Africa could yet prove critical, though, with a poor forecast looming and a washout meaning group winners progress. “Not having a reserve day isn’t ideal, but so be it,” Sciver said.There is the prospect of a healthy crowd at the SCG and then the promise of something far greater if they can reach the final at the MCG with 60,000 tickets sold as of Wednesday. Sciver recalled the 2017 World Cup final Lord’s, when England beat India in front of a sellout crowd, a match where she made a crucial half-century.”I loved it,” she said. “You still get some jitters going out to bat or waiting to bat, but once I’m out there being in that noise lifted me a little bit so I’m looking forward to that energy if we are there.”England have a 5-0 record against India in T20 World Cups. Sciver could have a big role to play in making it 6-0.

Nottingham Forest will be looking to make it into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup when they take on Manchester United at the City Ground tomorrow night.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side come into the encounter on the back of a 4-2 defeat away at Aston Villa, with the Reds looking to return to winning ways once more.

Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag's side will be looking to end a disappointing season with some silverware, with the FA Cup the club's only real chance of ending the 2023/24 campaign with a trophy.

The Red Devils come into the fixture having lost 2-1 at home to Fulham on Saturday afternoon after a late Alex Iwobi goal condemned United to their first league defeat in 2024.

The two sides last met at the end of December, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolas Dominguez on the scoresheet for the Reds as they claimed all three points in a 2-1 victory.

Since the encounter, both sides have had contrasting form, with Ten Hag's side finally starting to show consistency – however anything can happen with the magic of the FA Cup.

Striker Taiwo Awoniyi was substituted at half-time on Saturday, with Felipe also replaced at the break with both the Nigerian and the £80k-per-week centre-back set to miss out for the clash against United.

Nottingham Forest star who lost 100% duels let Nuno down vs Villa

He was replaced at half-time after a poor first half.

By
Ethan Lamb

Feb 25, 2024

With that in mind, here's a look at the potential Forest starting XI that will take on Manchester United…

1

Matz Sels

Goalkeeper Matz Sels has enjoyed a solid start to life in Nottingham, starting all the Reds' Premier League games since his arrival in the January transfer window.

He missed the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bristol City, however, he is set to start between the sticks once more ahead of Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos.

2

Neco Williams

A player who has certainly benefitted from consistent game time in recent weeks is Neco Williams.

The right-back, who has made the most tackles of any Forest player this season, has started the last five Premier League games under Nuno with the Welshman impressing with his ability to motor down the right-hand side – a characteristic the Reds boss likes in his full-backs.

3

Murillo

The Brazilian produced one of the most disappointing displays of his Forest career away to Aston Villa last weekend, with the 21-year-old substituted at half-time by Nuno.

However, he's only young and bound to have an off day, with the former Corinthians more than capable of putting in an improved performance against United on Wednesday night.

4

Moussa Niakhate

Like Murillo, the Senegalese defender endured a tough opening 45 minutes at Villa Park, with Nuno opting to start the centre-back out of position at left-back.

He's well suited at the centre of the Reds' defence alongside Murillo, with the pair building a solid partnership earlier in the season. His long throw has caused other sides endless problems this campaign, with his ability to hurl the ball into the 18-yard box a danger for any team.

5

Harry Toffolo

With Nuno Tavares set to miss the next month through injury, Harry Toffolo should start at left-back for the Reds.

The former Huddersfield Town man came on at the break for Murillo against Unai Emery's men, with the left-hand side of Nuno's defence looking much better after the 28-year-old's introduction.

6

Nicolas Dominguez

Having scored against the Red Devils last time out, Nicolas Dominguez will be looking to inflict yet more pain against United.

The Argentinian has enjoyed a brilliant start to life in Nottingham, scoring three times in 20 appearances for the club, with the midfielder impressing with his pressing and ball-winning ability.

7

Danilo

With Ibrahim Sangare away at the African Cup of Nations and Orel Mangala leaving to join Lyon, Danilo has often been the partner alongside Dominguez at the base of Forest's midfield.

The Brazilian hasn't matched the levels he achieved last season, but his partnership against Dominguez has injected a new lease of life into the Reds' midfield.

8

Morgan Gibbs-White

The attacking midfielder has been a revelation under Nuno, with his all-round game seeming to have improved from the start of the season.

As previously mentioned, he scored during the last meeting at the City Ground, with the 24-year-old potentially holding the key to another famous FA Cup victory at the City Ground.

9

Callum Hudson-Odoi

In recent weeks, Callum Hudson-Odoi has enjoyed a purple patch of form which has seen him score three times in his last Premier League outings – including against Newcastle United and Bournemouth.

His pace and direct dribbling could cause the United defence endless trouble at the City Ground, with the former Chelsea winger starting to show glimpses of his former self.

10

Anthony Elanga

A player looking to get one over his former employers is Anthony Elanga. The Sweden international joined the Reds in a deal worth £15m during last summer's transfer window, with the 21-year-old currently enjoying the form of his life.

He's scored five and assisted seven so far for the Reds, with his pace and eye for goal developing each week, with Elanga starting to look like a potential bargain and a player United might regret selling.

Samu Omorodion has sensationally been unveiled as a FC Porto player – shortly after his move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea dramatically collapsed.

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• Omorodion looked set to join Chelsea for £35m
• Transfer move came to nothing
• Striker joins Porto for cut-price fee

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Less than two weeks ago, the Spaniard's transfer to Chelsea this summer was all-but confirmed. However, the £35 million ($44m) deal fell through, reportedly over an injury that kept him out of Spain's Olympic gold medal win over France. Now, he has moved to Porto for a much lower fee.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to , the 20-year-old has joined Andre Villas-Boas' team for just £13 million ($17m) on a contract until 2029. Moreover, he claims Porto paid that fee to buy just 50% of the player, with the Spanish side owning the rest. The Portuguese side can reportedly buy another 15% of Omorodion in 2026 for £4m and his release clause is £85m ($112m). This highlights how Chelsea's big-spending reputation is, perhaps, making them pay over the odds for players as other teams look to cash in on their wealthy rivals.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The 6'4 forward began his career at Granada before joining Atletico on a five-year deal last summer. He never played a game for Diego Simeone's team, as the Spain Under-23 international spent last season on loan at Alaves.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Omorodion's new side, Porto, are back in Liga Portugal action on Saturday evening against Rio Ave, followed by a crunch clash with defending champions Sporting CP on August 31.

The trio made fifties and led Zimbabwe’s slow progress on a slow Harare pitch

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jan-2020Stumps
Watchful half-centuries from openers Prince Masvaure and Kevin Kasuza set Zimbabwe on track for a healthy first-innings total, on a flat Harare Sports Club pitch. Another fifty from Craig Ervine, batting at No. 3, then consolidated Zimbabwe’s position and carried them to a scoreline that constituted an excellent first day of Test cricket in over a year.The hosts only made 189 for 2 in 84 overs, but there was almost a sense that this was a team striving to affirm that they belonged at this level, after the hiatus that had much more to do with administrative flaws, than any fault of the cricketers themselves. Although Sri Lanka never allowed Zimbabwe to get away from them, the hosts certainly had the better of day one.There was a boundary in the first over, but there would only be 21 in the day. Masvaure whipped Suranga Lakmal to the long leg boundary fourth ball, before settling into a slower rhythm, picking off occasional singles, and waiting for the wide balls that he could cut. Kasuza, playing his first Test, was even more circumspect. He took 17 balls to get off the mark, and 35 deliveries to get into double figures. If anything, his strike rate dipped after that. At lunch, he was 20 off 76 deliveries. By tea, he was 48 off 169.Both Kasuza and Masvaure revelled in defence. They deadbatted much of the first two sessions, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers largely bowled dry and waited for mistakes that didn’t actually come. Lahiru Kumara, the quickest of Sri Lanka’s seamers, troubled Masvaure a little in the first session, hitting him on the helmet in the 17th over, and then prompting an inside edge the next over only for the ball to whizz past leg stump. But after lunch, even Kumara had become a miserly line-and-length operator. Of the six overs he bowled in the second session, four were maidens. Sri Lanka bowled 30 overs in the afternoon, and Zimbabwe scored only 46 – a scoring rate of only 1.53.The pair had batted chancelessly through the first session, but Kasuza did provide a half-chance early in the second, mis-hitting a bouncer from Suranga Lakmal almost to Dimuth Karunaratne at midwicket, who dived but couldn’t hold on to the tough chance. Masvaure progressed to his maiden half century before tea, getting there off the 123rd delivery he faced. He then slowed down, until he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, who had him caught at mid-off for for 55 off 149 balls. Kasuza, whose boundaries largely came off the spinners, via the sweep, didn’t get to his fifty until the 178th delivery. He was dismissed late in the day by a Kumara full-toss that reverse-swung and caught him on the thigh, in front of the stumps.Ervine was more fluent, in comparison to the two openers. His first three boundaries were sixes, all off Dhananjaya de Silva, whom he deposited straight down the ground, over long-on, and over deep cover. He accumulated more efficiently, and was striking at exactly 50 when he completed his half-century, off the very first delivery bowled with the second new ball. He went to stumps on 55 off 116, with Brendan Taylor for company. Taylor had hit a six off Embuldeniya to get off the mark and was 13 off 25 at the close of play.Sri Lanka’s attack will be pleased at having at least contained Zimbabwe on a flat pitch – something they had failed to do against Pakistan in Karachi. And yet, their bowlers were once again unable to create chances on a flat deck. Both Lakmal and Kasun Rajitha were accurate, but were perhaps guilty of not bowling enough balls at the stumps, on a pitch that was offering no lateral movement. Kumara, at least had pace and energy, and deservedly finished with the best figures from the day.The spinners could get no turn from this track. They bowled tight lines and decent lengths, and will hope that cracks will open up for them, and that the pitch will dry up by the second innings.