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AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca is concerned about Christian Pulisic's return from international football as Mauricio Pochettino reveals his worry.

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Fonseca concerned about Pulisic's fitnessPulisic to return to Italy just two days before AC Milan's matchUSMNT take on Panama on SundayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United States men's national team star is currently on international duty and he is set to return to Italy just two days before AC Milan's upcoming Serie A clash against Udinese. Per La Gazzetta dello Sport, manager Fonseca is worried that he might not get Pulisic at his very best in their next Serie A fixture as the player will have very little time to prepare for the game after a long journey from Mexico to Milan. The former Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund winger is off to a flying start in the 2024-25 campaign having scored five times and providing two assists in seven league appearances.

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While the Rossoneri boss remains concerned about the star player's fitness, new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino heaped praise on the attacker as he spoke highly of the player's current run of form. However, the former Tottenham coach remained cautious ahead of the national team's upcoming games as he stressed the importance of protecting a player of Pulisic's stature.

WHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID

Speaking to reporters ahead of his first game in charge of the USA, Pochettino said, "I think he's a fantastic player, one of the best offensive players in the world. I think that we are a little bit worried that sometimes we need to protect [Pulisic].

"We see because he arrived a little bit tired, but that is a thing that I told him before is to build a very good relationship with the club and try to help. And when we really need him, he needs to be in form, happy, strong and the quality is there because he has an enormous talent."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR USMNT?

The Americans will play their first match of the ongoing international break on Sunday as they take on Panama in a friendly clash before facing Mexico away from home on Wednesday.

The offspinner will be suspended if he’s reported again in the tournament

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Oct-2020Kolkata Knight Riders have expressed “surprise” about their premier offspinner Sunil Narine being reported for suspect action in the match against Kings XI Punjab on October 10. Narine was placed on a “warning list” by the IPL, which said the offspinner would be “suspended” in case he were to be reported again this tournament.According to the Knight Riders, even Narine was surprised at being reported at the halfway stage of the tournament because there were “no concerns” expressed by any match officials in the five previous outings prior to the Kings XI match.”This [Narine being reported for suspect action] came as a surprise to the franchise and Mr. Narine, considering he has played over 115 games in the IPL since 2012 and as many as 68 games since 2015, when he was last reported during the IPL season for a suspect action before being subsequently cleared completely by SRASSC, an ICC accredited facility,” the franchise said in a media statement on Monday. “Furthermore, he was playing his sixth game this season, with no concerns expressed formally or informally by the match officials so far.”The IPL said Narine’s suspect action was reported by the on-field umpires Chris Gaffeney and Ulhas Gandhe. However, the IPL did not specify which type of delivery/deliveries Narine was reported for.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe franchise has not indicated whether Narine would feature in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday evening.Narine, the most successful bowler for the Knight Riders in IPL, was one of the two players retained by the franchise in 2018 along with Andre Russell. So far this IPL, while his batting returns have diminished, Narine has been instrumental with the ball, particularly in the death overs.Narine played the winning hand in the two-run victory against Kings XI by defending 14 in the final over.As per IPL rules Narine’s bowling action for the type of delivery/deliveries reported would be reviewed and corrected if necessary. Narine can continue to bowl the type of delivery/deliveries he was pulled up for, but will be suspended if reported again. The Knight Riders, however, remain optimistic about resolving the issue soon.”We are respectful of the process that the IPL has put in place to have his action reviewed, and are working closely with the IPL in this matter. We are hopeful that there would be an appropriate resolution quickly. We appreciate the cooperation being extended by the IPL in expediting this matter.”

One of the common occurrences at Manchester United since Erik ten Hag has been in charge of the club is to sign players directly from, or with a connection to his former club Ajax. This has happened on multiple occasions, with the Dutchman regularly turning to his former club in order to bring in some familiar faces.

In total, Ten Hag has made 16 signings across four windows as United boss, with four of them having direct links to Ajax, and a further four having some kind of connection to Dutch football; Mason Mount had a loan spell at Vitesse, Tyrell Malacia came through the academy at Feyenoord, Sofyan Amrabat his former player at Utrecht and Wout Weghorst playing for several Dutch clubs.

Then, there are those with direct links to Ajax. Christian Eriksen played for Ajax earlier in his career before moving to Tottenham. Both Lisandro Martinez and Antony played under Ten Hag during his final seasons at the Dutch giants, and Andre Onana was a part of the hugely successful 2018/19 Champions League run where they made the semi-finals.

Now, Ten Hag is once again linked with a former Ajax player, who was a teammate of Onana’s during their remarkable Champions League campaign in 2018/19.

Man Utd target Dutch defender

The player in question here is Bayern Munich and Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt. After leaving Ajax in 2019 to join Juventus, the Dutchman now finds himself at the German giants but could depart the club this summer.

Indeed, that is according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, who reports that the Red Devils “have started internal discussions” over the potential signing of De Ligt. As per the report, this is “primarily” to do with De Ligt’s former boss, Ten Hag, showing interest in adding his former captain to the United squad.

The report from Plettenberg does not include any other interested parties, meaning United could have a clear and unopposed run at the 24-year-old Netherlands international. However, he does specify that there have not been “any concrete moves” as of yet and that United are merely “in the process of gathering more information” about a transfer.

Plettenberg reports that a fee of around €50m (£42m) could be enough to sign De Ligt this summer, which is perhaps a surprising amount, given it would see Bayern make a loss. They paid £65.6m back in 2022 to acquire his services from Italian giants Juventus.

Why De Ligt would be a good signing

There is no doubt that United need to make at least one addition at centre-back this summer. Legendary Frenchman Raphael Varane has departed the club upon the expiration of his contract, with Red Devils icon Jonny Evans’ deal also up in a few weeks.

United have had an offer for one centre-back rejected already this summer. Everton turned down a bid for Jarrad Branthwaite, worth £35m, with the BBC reporting that they want closer to £80m. Thus, for half of the price, De Ligt could be a perfect alternative or rival.

Looking on a pure statistical front, De Ligt’s in-possession numbers stack up very well against the England international, as per FBref. The Dutchman averages 6.36 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Branthwaite’s 2.14, and has a far better pass completion rate of 93.9% compared to Branthwaite’s 79.8%.

The 24-year-old’s ball-carrying stats are also slightly better than Branthwaite's. Whilst it is not necessarily a key feature of his game, De Ligt averages 1.04 progressive carries per 90, with Branthwaite’s just 0.06.

However, defensively the Everton man trumps De Ligt. Branthwaite averages a higher aerial win rate of 68.6% compared to De Ligt’s 59.4%, more ball recoveries per 90, specifically 5.23 compared to the Dutchman’s 4.74 and more tackles and interceptions made, with 3.35, with De Ligt slightly lower at 2.21 per 90.

In signing De Ligt, United would still be adding a quality defender to their squad, who is a more than capable box defender. Whilst not as mobile or adept at defending wide areas as Branthwaite, the former Ajax man is still a great defender.

The 24-year-old struggled with injuries all too often last season. He played just 30 times in all competitions, missing 20 games for both club and country with various injuries, notably a knee ligament issue. He worked hard to get himself in favour with outgoing Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, however, and became an integral player at the end of the season.

De Ligt's record under Ten Hag

With that being said, perhaps a move to United is a smart idea to help his career get back on the right track. De Ligt first made a name for himself playing under Ten Hag, and he is the manager he has played under the most in his career.

Competition

Games

Minutes

Clean Sheets

Eredivisie

48

4320

21

Champions League Qualifiers

6

540

3

Champions League

11

990

3

Dutch Cup

5

378

3

Total

70

6228

30

The United boss clearly thinks highly of him, having resigned to a sale of De Ligt in 2019, explaining that there was “zero chance” of him staying at Ajax, to which he was later proved right when he moved to Juventus. He attributed Ajax’s ability to play courageous and creative football “because De Ligt is our captain”, very high praise from your manager aged just 19. Not only that, Ten Hag noted his former captain’s love for the “art of defending” as a real strong point in his game.

Indeed, De Ligt’s leadership that he could bring to United to help fill the void of the soon-to-depart Varane. In the past, the World Cup winner’s leadership has been highlighted by several notable figures in French football. His captain in that successful 2018 tournament, Hugo Lloris, explained that Varane is a “leader in our team”, and former Real Madrid boss and one of France’s all-time greats, Zinedine Zidane, noted that on many occasions Varane has the “ability to be a leader”.

Bringing in a player who Ten Hag both views and values so much as a leader would go a long way to helping United fill the Varane void. Not only that, he helps save money on the Branthwaite deal, which are funds that can be reinvested elsewhere into the squad. On the face of things, it seems like a deal United should strongly consider, especially for the rumoured £42m fee.

Ratcliffe must axe Man Utd ace who earns 4x more than Branthwaite

The Man Utd man only made 12 starts last season in the Premier League.

ByTom Lever Jun 15, 2024

Despite winning a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title, Celtic are reportedly now set to lose one of Brendan Rodgers' future stars, with a medical already scheduled.

Celtic transfer news

It's been a quiet transfer window so far at Celtic Park with Sead Haksabanovic the only departure and not a single incoming through the door as of yet.

Of course, that hasn't stopped the rumours from coming, however. The Bhoys have been linked with the likes of Adam Idah and even Euro 2024 star Giorgi Mamardashvili. The latter would be a particularly impressive arrival to replace the retired Joe Hart, whilst Idah would also be a welcome arrival on a permanent basis.

The Norwich City striker starred on loan last season, finally discovering his goalscoring touch, and even made himself a hero by netting a late winner in the Scottish Cup final against Old Firm rivals Rangers. With that said, a permanent deal this summer would make perfect sense for both parties. On the outgoings front, meanwhile, Matt O'Riley's future continues to be questioned, but it is a future star heading for a summer exit.

Celtic could ease possible O'Riley exit with swoop for SPFL goal threat

The Hoops are facing interest from the Premier League in their star midfielder.

1 ByDan Emery Jul 3, 2024

According to Sky Sports' Anthony Joseph, Rocco Vata is now set to join Watford with a medical scheduled as soon as today and a four-year deal on the line, which would see Celtic receive £240,000 in training compensation.

Just 19 years old, Vata's exit will deal Celtic a frustrating blow, especially for such a low compensation price for a player who could yet reach his potential in years to come.

Rodgers a fan of "strong" Vata

If Rodgers' previous praise is anything to go by, then he's certainly a fan of the young striker. The former Leicester City boss told BBC Sport: "There’s been a lot of noise around Rocco but any young player has to earn the opportunity. I’ve given many young players opportunities in my career. But I like Rocco, he has qualities. He is strong, he’s aggressive, he wants to get goals. When he came on he got his goal and he had other opportunities."

Speaking about Vata's future at the time, the Celtic boss continued: "That will be up to him. He’s a talent. It depends what the mentality is with him and his representatives. You get some young players whose representatives will tell you if they are not playing in the first team, starting, they don’t want to stay. You better go then, because you have got to earn the right."

Months later, of course, we know Vata's decision despite that praise and Celtic may now need to look elsewhere for future stars. The young Irishman featured for the first-team twice last season, scoring once to offer Glasgow a glimpse of his impressive potential. It's Watford who will now benefit from that potential, however, in what could quickly look like a solid deal this summer.

Azam is now the captain across all three formats, bringing to an end Azhar’s brief second stint

Danyal Rasool10-Nov-2020Azhar Ali has been removed as Pakistan Test captain, with limited-overs leader Babar Azam replacing him in the role. That makes Azam, 26, the Pakistan captain across all three formats, bringing to an end Azhar’s brief second stint.In just over a year as the man at the helm in Test cricket, Ali led Pakistan in eight Test matches, which included two wins – against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – and three defeats, which led to series losses against Australia and England.As ESPNcricinfo reported last month, there had been serious discussions at the PCB about the possibility of a younger replacement to Ali as Test captain. Ali’s annual appraisal was carried out in September, with him meeting PCB CEO Wasim Khan, believed to carry significant influence with the board chairman Ehsan Mani – whom the ultimate decision rests with. At the time, Azam was an obvious leading contender for the role, given he remains one of the few players in Pakistan guaranteed a starting spot in all three formats. Unlike Ali or his predecessor Sarfaraz Ahmed, there are no questions over Azam’s form with the bat, a cause of instability for both men over their tenures.Azam’s appointment marks an inexorable rise in profile for the batsman, who, in the last few years, has pulled away as Pakistan’s best batsman in all formats by some distance. That inevitably made him a candidate as captain, given Ahmed’s tenure ultimately came to an end due to a sustained dip with the bat. From that perspective, it was something of a surprise to see the PCB turn to Ali, who, at the time he was appointed, was suffering from his own loss of form. Despite scoring a couple of hundreds as captain, his overall dip in form was a palpable presence throughout his time.Azam, meanwhile, began to settle into the Test side fairly quickly after a slightly rocky start in the format. A half-century in Centurion on a day he famously took apart Dale Steyn even as his team-mates faltered was a harbinger of his growing comfort in the format. Since the start of 2018, only four men have scored more Test runs than Azam, with none of them even remotely able to match his average of 62.90. He was handed the white-ball captaincy at the same time Ali was given the Test reigns. In nine innings as T20I captain, Azam has scored six half-centuries, averaging a shade under 56 and striking at 142.70.Azam’s first assignment will be a two-Test series against New Zealand in December, preceded by a three-match T20I series. The jury remains very much out on Azam’s tactical nous as captain, but the results so far – over admittedly a small sample size – are around where you might expect them. Pakistan have won five of the seven T20Is under his captaincy. The recently-concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe were the only 50-over games Pakistan played since Azam was appointed captain, with two wins and a defeat that went to a Super Over.There is no indication – yet – that Azhar Ali’s dismissal will jeopardise his place in the side•Getty ImagesAli, who was handed the limited-overs captaincy after the 2015 World Cup, was summarily removed after a dismal tour of Australia at the start of 2017. Last year, upon being appointed Test captain, Ali, then 34, spoke about how the appointment was his chance to leave the type of legacy he wished to build, having learnt from the experiences of an unhappy limited-overs stint a few years earlier.There is little chance that’s how his stint will be remembered. It began with a nightmarish tour of Australia, with Ali’s own struggles against the rising ball very much still an issue; he breached double figures just once all series. While it was followed by home series wins against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the results failed to convince many it was a vindication of his captaincy. Even a hundred against Sri Lanka was put down to the lifelessness of the pitch instead of a return to form with the bat.His final assignment, a three-match series in England held in biosecure conditions, ended with a narrow 1-0 defeat that Ali’s captaincy may best be remembered for.There is no indication – yet – that Ali’s removal will jeopardise his place in the side, as it happened to Ahmed. However, with the protective blanket of captaincy stripped away from him, he will undoubtedly feel the pressure to contribute with the bat on Pakistan’s next tour, a two-match Test series against New Zealand.

Former Italy and Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni joked with Pep Guardiola that it was the Manchester City coach's fault he could not find a team.

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Guardiola met with fellow ex-Brescia starToni joked that coach ruined his careerMan City boss used Haaland in responseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The City coach met up with ex-Italy stars Toni and Roberto Baggio at a restaurant in Lombardi. The three former players are united by their connection to Brescia, having each played for the club at some point in their careers.

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However, Toni had a bone to pick with the legendary coach, as he said it was because of Guardiola's revolutionary style at Barcelona, which saw him use Lionel Messi as a false number nine, that classic striker Toni had a hard time finding work before he retired.

WHAT TONI SAID

"Pep, you ruined football. With the false nine, I couldn’t find a team for four years. Seriously," he joked in a video with the City boss laughing in the background. "Can you say that you only used the false nine with Messi? Do you even like [classic] centre forwards?"

Guardiola was quick to defend himself, though, pointing out that he now plays with an old-fashioned striker in the form of Erling Haaland. He said: "I have it, Haaland, 60 goals. We won the treble with that striker, but the centre-forwards must be good! Understand?"

Toni responded: "Okay, but stop it with false nine now. Big centre-forwards are better."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GUARDIOLA?

Guardiola will hope that his return to a recognised number nine in Haaland will reap him more silverware, with the reigning English champions chasing more Premier League and Champions League trophies this season.

Weatherald’s fastest half-century in the BBL from the middle order helped the Adelaide Strikers return to form

Alex Malcolm05-Jan-2021Jake Weatherald’s fastest half-century in the BBL from the middle order helped the Adelaide Strikers return to form, as the Melbourne Renegades season went from bad to worse with another epic collapse leading to their seventh straight loss.Batting outside the top 3 for just the second time in his T20 career Weatherald thumped 51 off 25 balls in a rollicking 96-run partnership with Ryan Gibson to take the Strikers from a precarious position at 4 for 72 and post a competitive 5 for 171. Gibson made 43 not out from 31 and was awarded Player of the Match despite being outscored by his partner.The Renegades spinners had put the Strikers in a huge hole with Imad Wasim claiming 2 for 13 but he strangely only bowled three overs as skipper Aaron Finch got his calculations wrong.Finch’s night was capped by a first-ball duck at the start of the chase but the Renegades were in control of the chase at one stage thanks to a 67-run stand from Mackenzie Harvey and Sam Harper. However, they suffered another trademark collapse to be all out for 111.Danny Briggs (2-17) and Rashid Khan (1-21) started the squeeze before Wes Agar and peter Siddle finished the job picking three wickets each.Renegades recruits come goodThe Renegades recruited specifically to make spin their biggest weapon but their big spin guns had barely fired a shot in the tournament to date. In the first 11 overs Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad delivered seven overs between them claiming 3 for 46. They squeezed Matt Renshaw and Alex Carey before the pair relented at the wrong time having set themselves to get to the Power Surge unscathed. Renshaw holed out trying to slog-sweep Nabi for the second ball in a row. Then Jon Wells and Carey holed out off Imad in the 11th over trying to avoid the run-rate dipping below 7. Imad’s had figures of 2 for 13 from 3 overs and the rate fell to 6.54.<bWeatherald fires from the middleWeatherald struggled to get going as he did against the Sydney Sixers, taking five balls to get off the mark and scoring two singles from his first eight balls. A short ball from Nabi ignited him as he pulled it over the short boundary. He had a good ally in Gibson, who also got a gift from Noor Ahmad. Gibson was failing to pick the wristspinner in his first three balls but Noor overstepped and the free hit allowed Gibson to get off the mark with a six. The pair delayed the Power Surge until the 17th over and exploded.Finch was going to use Imad's fourth over but changed his mind, giving the ball to Josh Lalor. The last four overs cost 62 runs. Lalor conceded four boundaries and two sixes as he got his length horribly wrong to Weatherald who made his fastest ever BBL half-century off just 24 balls. Gibson played an excellent hand making 43 not out off 31 balls. Rashid Khan did not face a ball in the innings for the second straight game. Finch bizarrely elected not to bowl out Imad or Noor. Both delivered just three overs while Lalor's four cost 51.Frustrated FinchThe skipper's horror run continued with a first-ball duck. Having been run out at the non-striker's end in the last game via a well-struck straight drive from teammate Shaun Marsh, he added a strangle down the leg side first ball from Harry Conway to his run of outs. He tossed his helmet down the race in frustration. With Marsh and Rilee Rossouw absent the Renegades turned to the future with Harvey and Harper combining for a 67-run stand. They took 34 off the powerplay climbing into the Strikers quicks with powerful strikes square of the wicket. They looked set to claim the Bash Boost point and set up the chase.Danny Briggs is congratulated by his team-mates•Getty ImagesStrangled by spinTheir good work was undone against the Strikers spin duo. Rashid Khan and Danny Briggs delivered four overs for just 16 runs in the first 10 overs of the chase. Harvey was dropped at deep midwicket by Renshaw in the 8th over trying to find a rare boundary. Harper fell in the second ball of the 10th, bowled behind his legs having exposed leg stump to Briggs trying to sweep fine. The Renegades needed just four runs for the Bash Boost point at that moment and they couldn't get them. It sparked another panicked collapse. Harvey skied another ball and Carey held it beautifully running back with the flight to give Agar his first scalp. He would pick up two more as the Renegades lost 9 for 44 in another dismal display.