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da brwin： Celtic advanced through to the final of the SFA Cup on Saturday as they beat Aberdeen on penalties at Hampden Park after a 3-3 draw to take it to spot-kicks.

da esport bet： Joe Hart missed a penalty himself, striking the post with a well-taken effort, and was then the hero with his stop to win the shootout for the Hoops.

Despite their progression through to the final, Celtic had a number of poor performances from players across the park that Brendan Rodgers must keep in mind ahead of their clash with Dundee in the Scottish Premiership next weekend.

Central defender Liam Scales endured a rough afternoon against his former club and must now be brutally ditched from the starting XI to make way for Maik Nawrocki.

Liam Scales' 3/10 display at Hampden

The Ireland international was handed a 3/10 rating by Football Insider's Sean Fisher, who described his performance as 'nervous' and 'sluggish'.

Bojan Miovski's opener was not the former Dons loanee's fault, although you could argue that he failed to step in to cut out the through ball that caught Cameron Carter-Vickers out.

The left-footed battler was, however, less than impressive with his work for Aberdeen's second as they equalised in the 90th minute to send the game to extra time.

Junior Hoilett floated a ball to the back post and Scales completely lost track of Ester Solker and got caught under the flight of the ball as he missed his header and allowed the forward to nod the ball into an empty net.

Scales found himself in a similar situation for Aberdeen's equaliser in the 119th minute in extra time as once again Hoilett sent a cross to the back post and the Irishman missed the header and allowed his marker, Angus MacDonald that time, to head in.

This suggests that the 3/10 rating was not overly harsh from Football Insider, as the 25-year-old dud had a howler at Hampden with his weak defending that cost the Hoops at least two of the three goals.

Time for Maik Nawrocki

Rodgers must now unleash Nawrocki, who was signed from Legia Warsaw for a fee of £4m last summer, from the start after Scales almost let his side down in Saturday's semi-final.

The 23-year-old star did start the club's last league match, which was a 3-0 win over St Mirren, and put in a solid performance at the back for the Bhoys.

23/24 Premiership

Maik Nawrocki

Minutes played

64

Duels won

5/7

Clearances

3

Tackles

1

Goals conceded

0

Pass accuracy

93%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Nawrocki was dominant in his physical battles, winning five of his seven duels, and almost perfect in possession with his impressive pass accuracy.

The Polish colossus, who has won 71% of his ground duels in the Premiership this season, heavily contributed to Celtic keeping a clean sheet in the game, whereas Scales was directly at fault for two goals against Aberdeen on Saturday.

This is why Rodgers must brutally ditch the Irish defender from the starting XI against Dundee next weekend and unleash Nawrocki, who was superb in his last start, alongside Carter-Vickers.

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

• Getty
  

  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.

• Getty
  

  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.

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.

Arsenal had to sit on the sidelines and watch the FA Cup action over the weekend, but following their thumping 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last time out, spirits are high.

That said, the arrival of a new face before the transfer window slams shut this week could help further lift the mood, especially as the latest name touted for a move to N5 could mimic Leandro Trossard's fantastically successful move last January.

What's better is that this player's finishing ability has been compared to arguably the greatest Premier League player of all time: Thierry Henry.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Conducting the right transfer has become something of an art form in the modern game, with a plethora of different strategies and ways of looking at the market, but in this case, it seems as if Arsenal are simply looking to repeat the same trick they pulled last year and head to the Amex for their latest star.

According to reports from Spain, the Gunners are keen on signing Brighton & Hove Albion ace Karou Mitoma, either this month or in the summer if it comes to that.

The report has revealed that it is Mikel Arteta himself who is pushing for this transfer, although the club are set to face some stiff competition, with Manchester United and Manchester City both big fans of the Japanese international and keen to add him to their ranks this year.

If the north Londoners can get their man this month, it would be the second January in a row in which they have signed the Seagulls' premier winger. However, with the Mirror reporting last month that any deal would cost in the region of £70m, it would be a far more expensive transfer than the one for the Belgian.

How Mitoma compares to Arsenal's left-wingers

The Gunners are blessed with an incredibly talented team – of that there can be no doubt – and while this talent certainly extends to the left wing in the shape of Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, it stops there, and neither one has lit the league alight this season.

On a pure league goals and assists basis, the Japanese superstar has his potential new teammates beat, registering three goals and four assists in just 17 appearances.

In comparison, the Belgian has scored four times and assisted once in 17 appearances, and the Brazilian has four goals and two assists in his 19 league appearances.

Mitoma vs Martinelli vs Trossard
Stats	Mitoma	Martinelli	Trossard
Appearances	17	19	17
Goals	3	4	4
Assists	4	2	1
Goal Involvements	7	6	5

The "insane" 26-year-old, as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, isn't just impressive because of his numbers, though, as in his short time in the Premier League, he has already racked up quite the catalogue of impressive goals and mazy runs.

In fact, his finishing was something that former teammate Christian Burgess flagged to Sky Sports, with the Englishman claiming that Mitomoa "finishes like Thierry Henry," which could be just the thing to convince Arsenal fans that he is a player worth signing, and when you watch his goal compilations, it's impossible to miss.

Ultimately, with the opportunity to end the club's two-decade title drought still within reach and Martinelli and Trossard not quite at the races this season, signing Mitoma should take precedence as one of the Gunners' critical objectives before the window ends.

Moreover, the sight of a left-sided forward bursting down the wing before gently guiding the ball into the far corner has been missing from the Emirates for far too long.

Liverpool have been handed a huge boost regarding the future of one of the stars of their Carabao Cup triumph, with journalist Fabrizio Romano relaying comments made by Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool win EFL Cup at Wembley

The Reds enjoyed a day to treasure at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, as they sealed their first trophy win of the season in unforgettable fashion. An injury-ravaged Liverpool side took Chelsea to extra-time, by which point a number of teenagers had needed to be introduced to aid tired legs, but Virgil van Dijk's late header sealed glory for Klopp's men.

It was an astonishing effort from all involved, considering the likes of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota were all missing for the Reds, and it goes down as one of the best triumphs of the Klopp era.

It was a game that saw so many Liverpool players perform heroically, with Caoimhin Kelleher a brick wall in goal, Van Dijk imperious at the back and Wataru Endo superb in midfield, and there were simply too many outstanding players to mention.

Now, a key claim has emerged regarding the future of one of the Merseysiders' EFL Cup heroes, following a big update over his future.

Wataru Endo likely to sign new Liverpool deal

According to Romano on X, who shared comments made by Klopp after the Chelsea game, a contract extension for Endo at Liverpool is on the cards.

"Jurgen Klopp: 'I'm pretty sure that Wataru Endo will sign another long term contract at Liverpool. He might be 31 on the passport but… he's a machine!'."

Extending Endo's stay at Liverpool has to be considered a complete no-brainer for the club, with the Japan stalwart overcoming a slow start to become a hugely influential player this season.

Minutes played

120

Pass completion rate

91%

Ground duels won

11

Tackles

6

Clearances

3

Key passes

1

While he may not be as explosive or talented as Alexis Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Jones, the 31-year-old has been so important sitting in front of the defence, especially with injuries affecting the Reds so much. Klopp clearly had no doubt about him having a big impact, too, recently saying of him:

“You need a bit of time, that’s all. We see him every day in training and he is one of the hardest-working people I ever met. It was always clear that it will be good, but I’m happy obviously for him that the public could see it now as well, because that’s pretty helpful in our job."

There is an element of cult hero status about Endo that has seen him become a very important popular figure among the Liverpool fanbase, and while he doesn't represent the long-term future, giving him a new deal would be both richly deserved and positively received.

FSG chiefs have “strong relationship” with “unbelievable” Liverpool target

The Reds are reportedly interested in signing him.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 26, 2024

When everyone is fit, the Japan international is probably a squad player, but he can continue to be a key man for the foreseeable future, and on current form, there is no reason why he should lose his place.

Manchester United are interested in Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee and have already made contact over a potential transfer. Key figures at Old Trafford have been impressed by his performances in Italy this season, prompting them to initiate talks with the Serie A side.

There are a couple of key terms in the player's contract, first of all the £34m release clause that's due to become active in the summer. Some of Zirkzee's suitors, United included, may be inclined to bide their time on that basis, but they should be aware that former club Bayern Munich hold a 50% sell-on clause. In practice, that means Thomas Tuchel's side could bring him back to Germany for a fee of just £17m should they wish. This, then, may not be a straightforward transfer, but United look to be in a strong position for the moment.

United move into "pole position" for Zirkzee

According to Sportitalia, Man Utd currently lead the race to sign Zirkzee. They're said to be in "pole position" and could even make a move this month as Erik ten Hag looks to strengthen his attack. Bologna would demand £43m for a sale midway through the season as they eye a "staggering" profit on their initial £7.3m outlay, but there's a possibility United "satisfy" that request.

Bayern don't believe they need a new striker, but they could "bring him home" for the aforementioned fee and then look to sell him on again for a significant profit. Zirkzee's other suitors, among them "many clubs" in Italy and United's English rivals Arsenal, will be watching closely. There's a feeling that the "financial resources" of the Premier League duo may prove too powerful if it comes down to a straight fight.

In anticipation of his likely exit, Bologna are already "one step away" from signing Santiago Castro, a 19-year-old striker currently based at Velez Sarsfield in Argentina.

Clinical Zirkzee outshining wasteful Hojlund

Zirkzee, who has eight goals and four assists in 23 appearances this season, has been described as a player with "extraordinary qualities" by manager Thiago Motta, and he's out-scored incumbent striker Rasmus Hojlund by seven to two in league football. It's worth taking a look at the underlying numbers to see what kind of impact the Dutchman could make at Old Trafford.

Stat	Rasmus Hojlund	Joshua Zirkzee
Goals per 90	0.16	0.4
xG per 90	0.26	0.29
Shots per 90	1.61	2.43
Average shooting distance	11.8	17.4

The first thing that stands out is that the two players are averaging a similar xG, suggesting they could score roughly once every four games. That's a lower rate than you'd expect of an elite centre-forward, and speaks to United's problems with chance creation, a challenge Zirkzee would have to face. Hojlund's average of 1.61 shots per 90 once again highlights the limited supply.

The key difference is that the Bologna man is showing a certain ruthlessness in front of goal, while Hojlund is some way off where you'd expect him to be. Zirkzee is trying his luck from much further out than the Dane, but his current rate of over-performance should still be sustainable. So if he can strike a deal, Ten Hag will hope to reap the benefits of healthy competition at the head of the team, with the new man forcing Hojlund to up his game.

Despite Head’s century New South Wales ended the second day on top at Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2019South Australia 7 for 222 (Head 109) trail New South Wales 289 (Solway 133*, Nevill 53, Sayers 8-64)With the decision looming on Australia’s Test batting line-up, Travis Head made a timely century against a strong New South Wales attack to shore up South Australia’s first innings at Adelaide Oval although the visitors ended the second day with the advantage.Head, who was left out of the final Ashes Test when Australia rebalanced their side with Mitchell Marsh, had made an unconvincing start to the first-class season with a scratchy half-century on a flat pitch at Junction Oval before scores of 0 and 12 against Queensland.However, he was named in the Australia A side to face Pakistan in Perth later this month in what is billed as a showdown for probably two batting spots with Head vying for a middle-order role. He will now enter that game with confidence having brought up his 11th first-class hundred from 200 deliveries with a boundary off Australia team-mate Josh Hazlewood, but he could not reach the close as Hazlewood hit back during an impressive spell with the second new ball.There was less from the rest of the batting order than he would have liked. Trent Copeland struck early to trap Jake Weatherald lbw although the batsman indicated he got an inside edge and Callum Ferguson edged to gully. Copeland struck again when a Henry Hunt got into a tangle against a short ball to leave South Australia 3 for 68.Tom Cooper helped Head added 73 for the fourth wicket only to send a top edge to fine leg where Hazlewood took a well-judged catch. Another 50-run partnership followed before Nathan Lyon earned reward for a probing spell by having Harry Nielsen caught at slip, the batsman happy to take the word of Copeland that the ball had carried.When Tom Andrews was caught behind off Moises Henriques shortly before the second new ball New South Wales were firmly on top and the removal of Head left them sensing a handy lead.The day had started with New South Wales seven down in their first innings and Chadd Sayers claimed two of the remaining wickets to finish with a career-best 8 for 64. Debutant Daniel Solway, who marked the opening day with a century, finished unbeaten on 133.

A "wonderful" Celtic player could be allowed to leave the club for £25m this summer, according to an update from Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops continue to be linked with new signings, even though they will now have to wait until the summer transfer window, unless they target free agents.

One player who does fall into that bracket is Dwight Gayle, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Stoke City on deadline day, and he has been backed to bolster Celtic's Scottish Premiership title push. Paris Saint-Germain Layvin Kurzawa was also seen as a late target, with Brendan Rodgers potentially deciding that he wants to bring in another left-back.

Meanwhile, a new report has suggested that Celtic hero James Forrest's time at the club could come to an end in the new few months, with a move to the MLS mooted before their transfer window closes in April. He isn't the only player who could move on in the near future, though, according to a new claim.

New update on Matt O'Riley's Celtic future

Speaking on The Celtic Exchange Podcast [via The Boot Room], Joseph said that Celtic star Matt O'Riley could leave Parkhead this summer if a £25m offer arrives for him.

"I thought Celtic would be tested for Matt O’Riley. That happened. Very much tested. This, for me, showed strong resilience from the club. They were always in a strong position to keep him in this window. Having just signed a bumper new four-year contract.

"And then Athletico Madrid came in with that loan bid with an obligation to buy for around £20 million. Double what Leeds United were offering in the summer. Celtic value him a lot higher than that, and they’d be seeking a record fee I’m told. So you’re talking ballpark at least a starting point of £25m to £30m.

"They insisted he was not for sale in this window there are very strong with that. My understanding is that he was happy to stay. My understanding is Celtic are not going to stand in his way of him joining an elite club if the right offer comes in. They just weren’t prepared to sell in this window."

Appearances

23

Starts

23

Goals

10

Assists

7

Key passes per game

2.4

Tackles per game

1.9

Pass completion rate

82.7%

There does feel like an inevitability about O'Riley leaving Celtic sooner rather than later, having developed into arguably their best player currently, registering 17 goal contributions (10 goals and seven assists) in 23 Scottish Premiership appearances this season. Rodgers has also lauded his ability in the recent past, saying:

"He is a wonderful footballer and he is ambitious and he wants to be better and improve and I am really pleased for him and that was a good run into the box and finish from him."

Reporter says Celtic could move to sign "clinical" player after Idah

Rodgers could take advantage of the free agent market.

ByTom Cunningham Feb 4, 2024

Ideally, O'Riley would stay at Celtic for many years to come, but the lure of moving to the Premier League could be great. Should he leave, it is vital that the Hoops receive as much money as possible for him, allowing Rodgers to find an excellent replacement.

England 395 for 9 dec and 236 (Knight 90, Mlaba 6-67) beat South Africa 281 (Wolvaardt 65, Kapp 57, Luus 56, Bell 4-49) and 64 (Bell 4-27, Ecclestone 2-7) by 286 runsEngland have won their first Test in 10 years and as many matches by beating South Africa by 286 runs in Bloemfontein. They dismissed South Africa for 64 in their second innings, their lowest Test total after setting them a target of 351.Lauren Bell, who registered a career-best 4 for 49 in the first innings, rewrote her own record and picked up 4 for 27 to finish with a player-of-the-match haul of 8 for 76. Lauren Filer and Sophie Ecclestone were also among the wickets as England bowled South Africa out in 19.4 overs to win inside three days.South Africa’s dismal batting overshadowed the good work they’d done with the ball, particularly the performance of left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba. She became the first South African to take 10 wickets in a women’s Test and is now South Africa’s second-leading wicket-taker in the format. South Africa may have time to reflect on that once the dust has settled on their massive defeat. Theirs was the third-largest by runs in women’s Tests.England’s win was set up by a captain’s knock from Heather Knight, who scored her sixth Test half-century. She fell 10 short of a third hundred as she anchored an England innings in which most of the middle-order got starts but only she converted. Her most profitable partnership was a third-wicket stand of 67 with Nat Sciver-Brunt which was three runs more than South Africa’s second-innings total. They had only one partnership worth 20 and six in single figures, while only ten batters made it to the middle after Ayanda Hlubi was ruled out of the match with a torn hip flexor.By the time she would have been needed, all the damage was done. South Africa lost their openers in the 5.2 overs they faced before tea, both lbw. Laura Wolvaardt was caught on the back foot by a delivery that seamed in from Bell and, after being on the receiving end of a poor first-innings dismissal, she could not complain about this one.Anneke Bosch had slightly more reason to be unhappy. She was given out to Filer, to one that kept low and could have been missing leg. But the biggest talking point took place after the break when Bell appealed for a catch off Annerie Dercksen at short leg. It was not immediately given out and the umpires referred, despite the explicit absence of DRS for this contest, before Dercksen was sent on her way.Bell continued to find movement and bowled Sune Luus through the gate. Nadine de Klerk was run out for a pair, and when Chloe Tryon was lbw to an Ecclestone arm-ball, also for a duck, England were into the tail. South Africa’s starts with Sinalo Jafta at No.8 and she too went without scoring, pinned on the pads by Bell’s inswinger, to leave the innings in tatters at 44 for 7. Three overs later, Marizanne Kapp, their last remaining batter, was wonderfully scooped up by Beaumont at silly point without addition, and the end came quickly.Earlier, South Africa would have been fairly pleased with their work with ball in hand. De Klerk and Tumi Sekhukhune started well and were disciplined upfront. They gave away only 12 runs in the first six overs, with Sekhukhune removing Beaumont for 12, lbw to an inswinger. On this occasion, the absence of DRS proved no problem as she looked out, and was given.Nonkululeko Mlaba claimed the first ten-for by a South African in women’s Tests•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Sekhukhune was replaced by Dercksen, but then South Africa went for double spin with Mlaba at one end and Tryon at the other. Given the turn on offer and amount Mlaba gets, she was expected to be a threat and should have had a wicket in her fourth over when Sciver-Brunt edged as she lunged forward to block but Jafta could not hold on to the chance. Sciver-Brunt, on 19 at the time, went on to hit Mlaba for three fours in the over and the floodgates opened.Mlaba got Sciver-Brunt when she chopped on after a delivery kept low, but that only brought Danni Wyatt-Hodge to the crease, with her penchant for finding runs behind square on the off side. She rattled along to a run-a-ball 23, before slicing Sekhukhune to the fielder at deep third. Amy Jones then partnered Knight, who had reached her fifty off 99 balls, to lunch, to end a successful session. Despite England’s slow start to the morning session, they scored a total of 136 runs in the 27 overs bowled before lunch, at a rate of just over five runs to the over.Mlaba switched ends post lunch and had success from the Willows End. Amy Jones got a leading edge to Wolvaardt in the covers, minutes before it was announced that the South African skipper had earned a demerit point for expressing “excessive disappointment” when she was given out lbw in the first innings.She had reason to keep being pleased in the field though. Mlaba picked up a third when Charlie Dean flicked her to short mid-wicket, and though Knight moved into the 80s with a strong sweep off Sune Luus, that shot would prove her undoing. One over after Sophie Ecclestone had fallen in the same fashion to Mlaba, Knight was beaten by a ball that turned into her and struck her on the pad. Of course, she could not review.Ryana MacDonald-Gay was bowled through the bat-pad gap to become Mlaba’s 10th wicket. England’s innings ended with half an hour to go before the tea break. They only needed 69 minutes after that interval to end the match.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to the news that Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has returned to fitness this week. 

The lowdown: Back in contention

The 30-year-old returned to the matchday squad for the first time in four Premier League games for the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in midweek but remained an unused substitute.

Following a foot injury that kept the Brazilian forward out for six games, Firmino appears likely to now be in contention to feature in the FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, unlike his compatriot Fabinho who is ruled out with a hamstring strain.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-32/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Despite the firepower now at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal, such is the continued importance of Firmino that his comeback has been heralded by at least one invested onlooker…

The latest: ‘Absolutely massive’

Speaking to Football Insider, regular talkSPORT pundit Campbell explained why news of the false nine’s availability is so crucial.

He said: “It’s a massive boost. It is absolutely massive for them. They have the FA Cup final coming up. His experience will count for a lot during this run-in.

“Liverpool are going for the quadruple, even though the league is in City’s hands. I don’t think they’ll mess up. To get one of your mainstays back at this stage of the season is really important for Jurgen Klopp.

“Even though they only have a few games left they will need to rotate. There will be some tired legs in that dressing room. Let’s not forget, Firmino, [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane are electric together.”

The verdict: Plenty left to offer…

Albeit the arrival and subsequent impact of both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz has seen Firmino fall down the pecking order somewhat this season, there can be no underestimating the 55-cap ace’s continued importance in the eyes of Jurgen Klopp.

So often the man to turn to in order to change the pattern of a game – coming from the bench nine times in the league alone this term – the skilful Samba star who was hailed as ‘special’ by Klopp in 2020 has still managed 11 goals and four assists this term in just 31 outings across all competitions.

Overall, Firmino has earned a 6.96 Sofascore rating in the Premier League, winning 2.9 of his total duels, making 1.2 tackles and completing 80% of his passes on average per game.

Given the lack of recent game time, it seems unlikely that Klopp will turn to his trusted forward from the outset at Wembley, however, don’t rule out an influence from the bench or indeed a starting spot in Paris against Real Madrid.

In other news, French newspaper cites Liverpool interest in ‘unstoppable’ speedster. Read more here.