Arsenal's Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury during Italy's Nations League loss to Germany, and boss Luciano Spalletti has provided an update.

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Calafiori picks up injury in Germany lossSpalletti provides an update on Arsenal starParticipation for second-leg under questionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Calafiori started for Italy in their 2-1 loss to Germany in the first leg of their Nations League quarterfinal clash, however, the Arsenal defender appeared to pick up an injury during the clash. The injury came after Calafiori seemed to slip during a German attack and landed awkwardly on his knee.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After some treatment on the field, Calafiori was able to continue and took part in the full 90 minutes of the clash. However, Italy boss Spalletti has now revealed that the Arsenal centre-back felt 'something strange' in his knee, sparking concerns at Arsenal.

Getty ImagesWHAT SPALLETTI SAID

Speaking to the media, Spalletti said: “We still don’t know if he’s injured. Ricky feels something strange in his knee but we still don’t know."

WHAT NEXT FOR CALAFIORI?

The Arsenal defender will likely take proper care of his knee injury as he has been a victim of a major knee injury as a 16-year-old. His participation in Arsenal's next Premier League clash against Fulham could be in doubt.

Plus, centuries on debut, most matches, closest games – all in World Cups

Steven Lynch17-Feb-2015Nuwan Kulasekara bowled the last ball of the 2011 World Cup and the first ball of the 2015 one. Has this happened before? asked Mark Long from England

Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka bowled the delivery which MS Dhoni smashed for six to clinch the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, and started the 2015 tournament last Saturday with a dot ball to New Zealand’s Martin Guptill in Christchurch. My first inclination was that, with only ten previous tournaments, this couldn’t possibly have happened before… but it has. In 1987, Craig McDermott bowled the last over to clinch Australia’s victory over England in Kolkata; and in 1992 he sent down the first over of the opening match, against New Zealand in Auckland – and bowled John Wright with his first legitimate delivery, after two wides. Glenn McGrath bowled the last ball of the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. Imran Khan bowled the last ball of the 1992 World Cup, and in 1979 had also bowled the first ball of one of the four matches on the opening day. Darren Lehmann, now Australia’s coach, hit the winning boundary in the 1999 final at Lord’s, and took the catch that ended the 2003 one, in Johannesburg.Aaron Finch scored a hundred in his first innings in the World Cup. How many others have done this? asked Brad Linklater from Australia

Aaron Finch, during his bruising 135 against England in Melbourne on Saturday, became the 14th batsman to begin his World Cup career with a century. The list starts with Dennis Amiss (137 for England v India at Lord’s) and Glenn Turner (171 not out for New Zealand v East Africa at Edgbaston) on the first day of the inaugural tournament in 1975. They were followed by Trevor Chappell and Allan Lamb in 1983, Geoff Marsh in 1987, Andy Flower in 1992, Nathan Astle and Gary Kirsten in 1996, Scott Styris, Andrew Symonds and Craig Wishart in 2003, the Irishman Jeremy Bray in 2007, and Virat Kohli in 2011. With an unbeaten 115 for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992, Flower is the only person to score a century on overall ODI debut during a World Cup.Steven Finn’s five wickets cost him 71 runs. Was this the most expensive in the World Cup? asked Michael Fancutt from Australia

Steven Finn’s 5 for 71 in England’s World Cup opener in Melbourne was easily the most expensive five-for in World Cup history. The previous-best (or perhaps previous-worst) was shared by two West Indians: Winston Davis took 7 for 51 against Australia at Headingley in 1983, while Ravi Rampaul took 5 for 51 against India in Chennai in 2011. A day after Finn’s record, Pakistan’s Sohail Khan, now in second place, took 5 for 55 against India in Adelaide. Indeed, there’s only been one more expensive five-wicket haul than Finn’s in all one-day internationals: the Scotland seamer Gordon Goudie took 5 for 73 against Australia at The Grange in Edinburgh in 2009. Ben Stokes took 5 for 61 for England against Australia in Southampton in 2013. Finn was only the third England bowler to take a World Cup five-for, following Vic Marks (5 for 39 against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1983) and Tim Bresnan (5 for 48 against India in Bangalore in 2010-11).Has anyone got closer to a World Cup century than James Taylor? asked Terry McKinley from England

The unfortunate James Taylor became the second player to be marooned on 98 not out in a World Cup match. The first one was also against Australia: Collins Obuya had reached 98 when Kenya’s overs ran out in Bangalore in 2011. Sachin Tendulkar (India v Pakistan in Centurion in 2003) and Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe v Canada in Nagpur in 2011) were both dismissed for 98 in the World Cup. But there have been two World Cup 99s: Australia’s Adam Gilchrist was run out for 99 (from 88 balls) against Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2003, while JP Duminy holed out one short for South Africa against Ireland in Kolkata in 2011. Before the current tournament there had been 47 scores in the nineties during the World Cup, nine of them not out. Tendulkar and Michael Clarke both made three of them; Clarke had still not managed a World Cup century before this tournament started.Andy Flower scored a century on his one-day debut, which was a World Cup match against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992•Getty ImagesWho has played the most World Cup matches? asked Mohammad Qalil from Pakistan

Ricky Ponting leads the way here with 46, including four finals (1996/1999/2003/2007). He’s one ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who played in six different tournaments (a record he shares with Javed Miandad). Muttiah Muralitharan played in 40 matches, Glenn McGrath 39, and Sanath Jayasuriya and Wasim Akram 38. The overall appearances record isn’t going to be broken this time: the most by any current player before the 2015 tournament started was Mahela Jayawardene’s 33.Have there been any one-run victories in the World Cup? Or one-wicket ones? asked Mahendra Jain from India

Before the 2015 tournament, there had been only two one-run victories in World Cup history, both of them by Australia over India – in Chennai in 1987, and in Brisbane in 1992. There had been one victory by two runs (by Sri Lanka over England in North Sound in 2006-07), and four by three runs. There had been four wins by one wicket: by West Indies over Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1975; Pakistan over West Indies in Lahore in 1987; South Africa over Sri Lanka in Providence in 2007; and England over West Indies in Bridgetown, also in 2007. Pakistan’s win in 1987 was clinched off the final delivery of the 50th over, the only time the side batting second has won a World Cup match off the last possible ball. There have also been four tied World Cup matches: the Australia v South Africa semi-final at Edgbaston in 1999; South Africa v Sri Lanka in Durban in 2003; Ireland v Zimbabwe in Kingston in 2007; and India v England in Bangalore in 2011.

علق ياب ستام أسطورة الكورة الهولندية على فرص تأهل الأهلي للأدوار المتقدمة ببطولة كأس العالم للأندية المقبلة، والتي ستنطلق خلال أيام في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق بطولة كأس العالم للأندية خلال الفترة من 14 يونيو حتى 13 يوليو بمشاركة 32 فريقًا لأول مرة في التاريخ، بمشاركة الأهلي كممثل للكرة المصرية.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية، رفقة إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، وبورتو البرتغالي، وبالميراس البرازيلي.

وقال يات ستام في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “مجموعة الأهلي صعبة، ولكن النقطة الأساسية هي أن جميع هذه الفرق باستثناء إنتر ميامي، أنهت مشاركاتها في دورياتها المحلية، وقد خاضت بالفعل العديد من المباريات”.

وأكمل: “لذلك ستكون المباريات المقبلة تحديًا لباقي الفرق، إذ أن الموسم قد انتهى بالنسبة لهم، والسؤال (هل ما زالوا قادرين على تقديم نفس المستوى من الجودة، خاصة في بلد مختلف وظروف لعب جديدة؟)”.

طالع.. خاص | زيزو في طريقه إلى أمريكا للانضمام إلى الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية

وأضاف: “أعتقد أن هذه البطولة مفتوحة جدًا على كل الاحتمالات، وإذا نظرت إلى جميع الفرق وما يمكن أن تتوقعه منها، فهذا لا يعني بالضرورة أن الفرق ذات الأسماء الكبيرة هي من ستحسم الأمور”.

واختتم: “أعتقد أن البطولة ستكون غير متوقعة تمامًا، ومن المثير جدًا للاهتمام أن نرى أين سينتهي المطاف بكل فريق، والأهلي يمتلك فرصة جيدة للتأهل إلى المرحلة التالية”.

Pakistan’s home series against West Indies early next year is likely to be postponed until the following season. The two sides were to play a three-match T20I series in January but ESPNcricinfo understands both boards are happy to reschedule it for 2024.The resulting space in the calendar potentially allows players from both sides to become available for the various T20 leagues during that period. The ILT20 in the UAE, the SA20 in South Africa, the BBL in Australia and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) are all taking place in that month.West Indies have already visited Pakistan twice in the last 10 months, albeit because the Covid-19 pandemic split one white-ball series in December 2021 into two. The two sides played three T20Is that month, before a Covid outbreak in the West Indies camp meant the subsequent ODIs had to be postponed to June this year. They played the ODIs in Multan, as part of the 2023 World Cup Super League.This series of three T20Is was penciled in between New Zealand’s visit to Pakistan in the winter of 2022-23 and the Pakistan Super League next year. The three games will most likely be added to West Indies’ visit in February 2024 when they are due to play three Tests as part of the World Test Championship.Various West Indian players have already been signed up to take part in the BBL, SA20 and ILT20. Pakistan’s players did not feature in the SA20 auction because of a combination of – at the time – their international home schedule but also suspicions that they would not find a place in a league in which all six franchises are owned by IPL teams. No Pakistani players have been given NOCs for the ILT20 either. The beneficiary could be the BPL which emerges as a destination for some of them in that newly opened window.

As Aston Villa look to qualify for the Champions League in back-to-back seasons, Unai Emery could reportedly use a key relationship to sign a La Liga midfielder worth £25m in 2025.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans did well in the summer transfer window after losing Douglas Luiz and using those funds to welcome the likes of Amadou Onana, but even they’ve struggled to balance Premier League and Champions League football, much like Newcastle United did in the previous campaign. In the middle of a difficult run of form, Emery’s side saw their misery compiled in midweek when VAR stood in the way of victory over Juventus before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

When the January transfer window arrives, the addition of further depth could be the key to a return to the European places, with the likes of Malik Tillman already receiving links to Villa Park alongside one other midfielder.

According to Estadio Deportivo, Emery could now use his relationship with Osasuna’s sporting director to sign Aimar Oroz for Aston Villa in 2025. The attacking midfielder reportedly has a release clause worth just €30m (£25m) and remains a key man for the La Liga side.

Aston Villa closing in on move to sign £5.7k-p/w midfielder for Unai Emery

He could arrive at Villa Park either in January or in the summer.

1 ByBen Browning Nov 30, 2024

Osasuna chief Braulio Vazquez recently spoke about his relationship with Emery and potential interest in his players, saying via Estadio Deportivo: “He is showing a great level and it is normal that people talk about him. I talk to Unai Emery every two weeks about Boyomo and Aimar. We are very close friends and if there was anything I would know.”

"Intelligent" Oroz could become bargain buy

Still just 23 years old, Oroz has become a key man at Osasuna, starting in all 14 La Liga games to attract the attention of those at Villa Park. An attacking midfielder by trade, the young Spaniard can also play on the left-hand side and in a deeper midfield role. If Emery is looking to add depth through versatility to his side, then Oroz could certainly be an option.

The Osasuna star has earned plenty of praise in the last couple of years, as he’s established himself, including from U23 scout Antonio Mango who dubbed the midfielder “intelligent”.

Given that Oroz’s release clause sits at just £25m too, Aston Villa could quickly land quite the bargain if all went to plan. With a wealth of options at the heart of his midfield, Emery could quickly get his project back on track in the Midlands following a difficult run.

Everton managed to reveal a layer of attacking quality in midweek, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 in the Premier League.

It was the perfect fuel for Sean Dyche’s side to send the Toffees fanbase into rapture, with Liverpool travelling the less-than-a-mile distance from Anfield for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Storm Darragh had other plans. Howling winds and lashing rain precluded the match from taking place, with Saturday morning bringing about the dreaded news that the contest had indeed been called off.

It’s certainly frustrating, for Everton have entered a good moment and were ready to take on a Liverpool side contending with a host of injuries. Dyche was given a glimpse of attacking quality that has scarcely been on show throughout the term.

To be sure, the Blue Merseysiders need more from their frontal members.

Everton's attacking failures

Dyche has got a task on his hands to overturn the misery that has threatened his place in the Everton dugout. The Toffees might have earned a reprieve through their statement victory against Wolves but consistency has been lacking and that needs to change.

14th

Ipswich Town

23

14=

Newcastle United

23

14=

Nottingham Forest

23

14=

Nottingham Forest

23

18th

West Ham United

22

19th

Southampton

20

20th

Everton

19

While it’s true that Dyche has been let down by his forwards, namely Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has failed to register a direct goal contribution across his past nine Premier League outings, creativity has been negligible, with the Blues indeed the division’s bottom-placed side when it comes to creating chances.

Pretty damning – let’s hope the Wolves victory doesn’t prove to be a lonely outlier. Whether the club will have the financial power to strengthen in January remains to be seen, but they could certainly do with the booster.

Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but it’s also a useless thing. Even so, it’s a real shame, in hindsight, that Everton allowed Ademola Lookman to leave at the start of his career.

His dynamic qualities would be perfect for Dyche’s team.

Why Everton sold Ademola Lookman

Everton were the team that gave Lookman his first opportunity at the highest level, signing him from Charlton Athletic for an £11m fee in January 2017, when he was aged only 19.

Though he is now regarded as a top-class player, the versatile winger failed to establish himself with the Toffees, totalling just four goals across 48 appearances before being sold to RB Leipzig in 2019 in a deal worth £22.5m.

While Everton succeeded in turning a profit for their fringe prospect, it’s rather poignant to watch him do so well now, having finished 14th on the Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings after an incredible year with Serie A side Atalanta.

Aged 27, Lookman is established and ensconced in the prime of his career, and given that Atalanta wanted €70m (£59m) for their dynamic star this summer when high-ranked outfits such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were circling, Farhad Moshiri and co must surely feel a little bit rueful, having let a potential blinder slip through their fingers.

Ademola Lookman's performances in 2024/25

Lookman achieved continental acclaim at the final stage of the 2023/24 campaign, blasting in a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen to claim the Europa League crown.

He’s continued to make headway this year, having posted ten goals and five assists across 17 matches in all competitions, very much backing up the praise that he is Piero Gian Gasperini’s “superstar” – so journalist Sean Walsh has said.

As per FBref, Lookman ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, denoting elite-level potency and an effective ball-carrying quality that shapes him into the complete package.

As you can see, he’s not just a one-trick pony, emerging to spearhead Atalanta’s trophy-lifting triumph. No, Lookman has found a stunning vein of consistency in the final third over the past several years and is now reaping the rewards of his hard labours.

FBref record the Nigeria international to be an exceptionally prolific force, but perhaps more curious is the fact that he has been compared to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Jamal Musiala as a result.

Two heavyweights, Saka and Musiala set the gold standard in the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively, with the pairing considered to be among the most valuable players in the world, as per the CIES Football Observatory.

Goals scored

0.76

0.49

0.45

Assists

0.38

0.36

0.18

Shots taken

3.32

3.39

3.49

Shot-creating actions

5.71

5.68

5.57

Progressive passes

3.98

3.70

5.45

Progressive carries

5.09

4.98

5.15

Successful take-ons

1.97

1.62

3.91

Ball recoveries

4.08

4.37

4.24

Whether Lookman is actually at the same level as a player such as Saka is debatable; the Arsenal sensation is arguably the best right winger in the world right now, barring maybe Mohamed Salah and Barcelona’s Raphinha.

But it’s still a mark of his prowess and a frustrating reminder to Everton that they let him go before he had time to nurture his natural-born talents and bloom.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

While a player like Lookman would be a welcome addition to Dyche’s cause right now, let’s hope that the Toffees have learnt from their past mistakes and ensure that the up-and-coming stars of the present day are allowed to rise to the fore over the coming years.

Dyche's "new hope" could be Everton's answer to Mo Salah

Everton meet Liverpool in the rivals’ final Premier League contest at Goodison Park.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 7, 2024

da poker： The Southampton hierarchy have now identified a 3-4-3 specialist, as their search for Russell Martin’s replacement continues, according to a recent report.

Latest on Southampton’s manager search

da jogodeouro： The Saints have won just one game in the Premier League all season, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that a decision was made to relieve Martin of his duties, as his possession-based style of play didn’t have the same effect this season as it did in the Championship.

Southampton will be hoping they can get a new manager through the door as soon as possible, ideally before their game against Fulham on Sunday. There have already been a few names linked to the vacancy; Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl was the first manager to be mentioned as a candidate. The German is said to be under consideration, but his compensation fee may be too much for Saints to pay now.

Related Southampton now eyeing mystery new manager to replace Russell Martin

They are keeping it all under wraps at St Mary’s.

Posts ByBen Browning Dec 18, 2024

Meanwhile, former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand has been admired by Southampton for a while, and he is another option that is being considered by the Premier League side. The Saints are looking at the overseas free-agent market to replace Martin, and Hjulmand is a realistic option. Former Roma boss Ivan Juric has also been identified as a potential option, as they would rather hire a manager who is out of work than risk paying a substantial compensation fee.

Southampton are now eyeing a 3-4-3 specialist

As Southampton look at overseas manager targets, a new name has emerged on their radar, but surprisingly, he is someone who is currently in work. According to TBR Football, Southampton have placed Santa Clara manager Vasco Matos on their list of potential managers to replace Martin.

Matos, who likes to play a 3-4-3 formation, is currently in charge of Santa Clara, who are a Portuguese team in Liga Portugal. The 44-year-old joined the club in July 2023, and it was a first season to remember, as he guided the club to the Liga Portugal 2 title, and they are now sitting in fourth place in the top tier. Before joining Santa Clara, he was an assistant manager at Casa Pia for three years but has now made a name for himself as an impressive manager.

The job he has done in Portugal has not gone unnoticed, as this report states that Matos is now a “genuine” option for the Saints. The Portuguese has guided his side to nine wins from their opening 14 league games, five points adrift of third-place Benfica.

Vasco Matos’ Santa Clara stats

Games

57

Won

35

Drawn

10

Lost

12

Matos has made Santa Clara a team that is hard to beat, as last season they lost just three games, and they have only conceded 19 goals in 34 matches. His ability to make his teams defensively sound and make a limited squad overachieve appeals to Southampton, as they look to get off the bottom of the table. However, Matos is said to not be at the top of Southampton’s managerial wishlist, although it could still be one to watch.

Harry Kane saw his own face made out of coffee beans as the Bayern Munich striker released his own Starbucks offer as part of a charity promotion.

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• Kane releases new coffee order
• Will raise funds for Bayern star's foundation
• Striker announced initiative on Instagram

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international and Starbucks have teamed up to deliver Harry's Flat White across the United Kingdom. The order is available for a limited period and will go to supporting the 31-year-old's own foundation.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  For every Harry's Flat White sold in England, 25p will be paid to the Harry Kane Foundation, which was set up to "transform a generation’s thinking around mental health" by providing support to charities. As part of the promotion, a portrait of Kane's face was made out of coffee beans.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  An Instagram post from Kane read: "Never thought I’d see myself made out of coffee beans! I’ve teamed up with [Starbucks] to create my own coffee order – Harry’s Flat White – which will be available to order from today until 30 April!

  "For every Harry’s Flat White purchased, 25p will be donated to the Harry Kane Foundation, supporting incredible charity partners who provide vital mental wellbeing initiatives across England."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Kane, who has scored 32 goals in 36 matches in all competitions for Bayern this season, will be in action again when his side face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga at the weekend.

Simpson reaches 92 as Eskinazi, Higgins add half-centuries at Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2022Half-centuries from John Simpson, Steve Eskinazi and Ryan Higgins combined to give Middlesex what they will regard as a satisfactory opening day’s work as they seek to clinch promotion from Division Two of the LV= Insurance County Championship with two matches left.Middlesex, who started the penultimate round on 188 points – 27 behind leaders Nottinghamshire but 12 ahead of third-placed Glamorgan, finished the day on 293 for 8 with Simpson falling for 92 after Eskinazi had scored 64 and Higgins 53.Having chosen to put Middlesex in on a pitch that made batting tricky for much of the day, Leicestershire mostly bowled well as Michael Finan finished with 3 for 54, with Tom Scriven and Callum Parkinson taking two wickets each but paid dearly for some sloppy fielding, dropping Eskinazi on 11 and Simpson on 29.Middlesex had been four down for 91 at lunch after Leicestershire enjoyed a good morning with the ball but recovered to 196 for 5 at teaFinan, the 26-year-old left-arm seamer plucked out of National Counties cricket, caught the eye again in his third first-class match, beginning the day by removing both Middlesex overs in an impressive opening spell with the new ball.He dismissed Mark Stoneman with his fifth ball, which straightened enough to have him leg before, and then bowled Sam Robson behind his legs. He would have had a third but wicketkeeper Harry Swindells spilled a chance off the glove offered by Eskinazi.Scriven, another recent addition to Leicestershire’s bowling resources, had Pieter Malan caught behind two balls after he’d got away with a streaky edge that second slip probably should have claimed. Skipper and left-arm spinner Parkinson, heeding some criticism about delaying his introduction against Durham last week, was on after 75 minutes and struck in the last over before lunch when his decision to install a short leg for Max Holden reaped a dividend as Sol Budinger took an excellent one-handed catch.Eskinazi completed a 94-ball half-century soon after driving Chris Wright through extra cover for his ninth four. After a watchful start to the session against another testing spell by Finan, a double bowling change allowed Simpson to get into his stride. A couple of boundaries off Scriven were particularly easy on the eye.Leicestershire were handed a gift when Eskinazi threw away his wicket. Presumably trying to create a different angle, he walked down the pitch almost before Scriven reached the crease and left his stumps completely exposed. It was the cricket equivalent of an open goal and Scriven gratefully converted it.It ended a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket but by tea Simpson and Higgins had added another 56, Simpson having been the beneficiary on 29 of another dropped catch, this time put down at mid-wicket off Ed Barnes.A six down the ground by Simpson off Rehan Ahmed’s leg spin straight after tea was followed by the wicketkeeper-batter’s seventh boundary, eased past extra cover off Scriven, taking him to a 104-ball fifty, his eighth of the season.The sixth-wicket pair built patiently thereafter against some tidy Leicestershire bowling, but their partnership was broken on 99 when Higgins, having just completed a solid 94-ball half-century with a well-timed clip through mid-wicket for four, took a stride forward to a ball from Parkinson that turned just enough to find the edge, Colin Ackermann holding the chance at slip having dropped the one at mid-wicket.With that, Parkinson held back on asking for the new ball, Ahmed justifying the decision as Luke Hollman top-edged an attempted sweep straight to backward square, leaving Middlesex 248 for 7.When the new ball came, Simpson seemed to enjoy the return of pace on to the bat but after moving into the 90s by driving a gift full toss from Finan down the ground for his 10th four he went to sweep the next ball and lived to regret it, sending up a top edge that Budinger safely pouched in the deep.The day began with both teams forming a guard of honour for umpire Nick Cook, who is standing in his last match on this ground ahead of his retirement at the end of this season at the age of 66. Born in Leicester, Cook took 395 first-class wickets for Leicestershire as a left-arm spinner, as well as 52 in 15 Test matches.

أكد خوسيه ريبيرو، المدير الفني لفريق الكرة بـ الأهلي، أن مواجهة بالميراس البرازيلي لن تكون سهلة على الإطلاق، مشيرًا إلى أن لاعبي القلعة الحمراء سيبذلون قصارى جهدهم من أجل تحقيق الفوز .

ويخوض الأهلي مواجهة بالميراس البرازيلي في الجولة الثانية من منافسات المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس العالم للأندية، اليوم الخميس في تمام الساعة الثانية عشرة ظهرًا بتوقيت أمريكا – السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب ميتلايف في نيويورك.

وقال ريبيرو في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “بالميراس يعتبر من أفضل فرق كأس العالم للأندية، كما أنه مستقر مع مدربه الحالي، والذي خاض معهم العديد من المباريات على مدار المواسم الماضية”.

وأوضح: “بالميراس متمرس وخاض العديد من المواجهات القوية، وقدم مستوى قوي خلال لقاء بورتو البرتغالي في الجولة الأولى، لكن لاعبي الأهلي لديهم رغبة قوية في تحقيق نتيجة جيدة”.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام بالميراس في كأس العالم للأندية.. بديل إمام عاشور

وتابع: “أحمد مصطفى زيزو خاض مع الأهلي أول مباراة بعدما انضم للفريق مؤخرًا، وقدم مستوى جيد، وموضوع إضاعة ركلة الجزاء من جانب محمود حسن تريزيجيه قد تم إغلاقه تمامًا، ولن أتحدث بشكل فردي عن أي لاعب داخل صفوف الفريق، ويجب التركيز فقط على مواجهة بالميراس لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية”.

وبسؤاله حول إمكانية وجود خطة معينة لفرض رقابة حول المهاجم الشاب استيفاو لاعب بالميراس، أردف: “هذا الأمر كان موجودًا أيضًا في لقاء إنتر ميامي، وهناك لاعبين لديهم مهارات فردية عالية، ولا بد من التعامل جيدًا مع هذه الأمور، ومحاولة إبعادهم قدر الإمكان عن مناطق الخطورة”.

طالع.. موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وبالميراس اليوم في كأس العالم للأندية

وأتم: “فكرة الاعتماد على الجانب الدفاعي دائمًا بالنسبة لي هي إجبار المنافس على تقديم مستوى أقل من المعتاد، ومنعه من خلق فرص حقيقية على مرمى الفريق، وفرض رقابة قوية على مفاتيح اللعب، كما حدث مع ليونيل ميسي الذي بذل لاعبو الأهلي جهدًا كبيرًا لمنعه من التمرير وتشكيل خطورة على مرماهم”.