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Kohli affirmed that their “lack of execution is acceptable”, as long as the mindset was in the right place

Varun Shetty09-Feb-20212:14

Where did India lose the first Test?

In his assessment of India’s efforts during their 227-run defeat to England, captain Virat Kohli said the struggles of supporting spinners Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar during England’s first innings affected India’s control of the game, and eventually the result. Nadeem and Sundar, who were both playing their second Tests for India, went at close to four runs per over and took two wickets in 70 overs between them. On the other hand, senior bowlers R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ishant Sharma went at a collective rate of 2.6 as England batted into the seventh session of the match for their 578.”You need to understand two things in this situation – as a bowling unit, we didn’t bowl well collectively,” Kohli said. “If you consider the fast bowlers and Ashwin, then yes, we bowled consistently and in good areas. But if Washi and Shahbaz had also bowled such economical spells, then you create more pressure, you cut out 80-90 runs from the opposition. Plus if you see from the batting point of view in the first innings, if you add about 80 runs more, then the match becomes almost equal. So there’s no need to overthink it. We just have to continuously build pressure on them. And if we do that, then I have full belief that we’ll get the results that we’ve achieved as a side on many occasions.”In an earlier conversation after the match with broadcaster , Kohli affirmed that their “lack of execution is acceptable”, as long as the mindset was in the right place; that, Kohli said, was visible in the second innings and that the pressure applied from the bowling unit was good enough, albeit not enough to win the Test.Nadeem was with India’s squad as a standby bowler, and replaced allrounder Axar Patel, who was believed to be a frontrunner for a debut in this Test until he was injured on the eve of the Test. Patel was slated to play a role similar to that of the injured Ravindra Jadeja, and his inclusion might have given India the chance to play wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav. That is, if they would be inclined to drop Sundar, who was one of their heroes in the famous Gabba win on debut and contributed valuable runs in this Test as well. From Kohli, there were no doubts about the bowling line-up India eventually went with, saying Nadeem was the man they had penciled in for the role.Virat Kohli waged a lone battle in India’s final-innings chase•BCCI”Not really. Not at all. Because when you’re playing two off-spinners, Kuldeep more or less becomes a similar kind of spinner taking the ball away [from the left-handers],” Kohli said. “So you need variety in the bowling attack. We were quite clear on what combination we wanted to play and there are no regrets whatsoever on that decision. And moving forward, we will think of combinations that will bring us variety as a bowling attack and not one-dimensional where the ball is only turning away from the bat. These things are really important to understand.”With the exception of Ashwin, and Jadeja to an extent, India have had to chop and change their bowling attack to a huge degree over their last few Tests. At the moment, injuries are keeping Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammed Shami out of the squad. But India aren’t being bogged down by hypotheticals.”Well they’re not here, so whether they could have or would have is irrelevant,” Kohli said in response to a question about the benefits Shami or Yadav might have brought to a Test replete with reverse swing. “Look, we are not a side that goes into what-ifs and what could have been and what should have been. If you’re adding to what could have been, then we’re talking about someone like Jaddu playing this Test as well – then you’re talking about a totally different situation. So let’s not go there. Let’s be aware of the fact that we have a strong team. We have individuals in front of us who we believe will do the job for the team. And, in one game where the execution hasn’t happened, does not mean that it won’t happen again.”So we have to keep believing in our process. We have had a lot of success as a team and we have to believe that as a side if you play good cricket, more good things are gonna happen in the future and not think of what if this payer was here and that player was here. All three of them are injured, so we have bench strength. You saw a true example of that in Australia and we totally believe in the players that we have in the team and we’re confident that we’re going to bounce back strong. We’re really looking forward to being on the field again.”

Arsenal fans have been left distraught after seeing their Premier League title hopes hit again by a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.

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Alexander Isak downs Arsenal at St James' ParkSecond Premier League defeat in three gamesFans react to disappointmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Newcastle enjoyed another home win over Arsenal on Saturday, taking all three points thanks to Alexander Isak's 12th-minute header. The result means it's two Premier League defeats in three games for the Gunners and a massive dent to their title hopes already. Fans were quick to react to the dismal loss on social media and are convinced their hopes of being crowned champions are already over for another season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Arsenal supporter @HassanGooner10 posted on X: "Unacceptable performance, the title is officially gone."

And @bradjrr urged the Gunners to focus on other targets: "We are not yet at the level required of winning the PL title. Let's focus on top four and cup titles."

There was also criticism directed at the manager, with @slowfee9 posting: "Honestly. Its obvious. If we dont win any trophy this season then Arteta time is up," while @nawaswa1 wrote: "Arteta is just a scam two seasons we bottled the league when had clear chances, failed to get us a clinical 9."

And @StanSylvester felt the club has made the wrong signings: "This is what happens when u buy a DM and a defender instead of a striker. We were bad at the back before Arteta came, now we’re terrible upfront."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal went into the match already five points behind leaders Manchester City, and four off Liverpool, and will lose further ground at the top of the table if both sides gain positive results this weekend. Champions City are at Bournemouth, while Liverpool take on Brighton at Anfield.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL

Arsenal will need to bounce back quickly as they have big games up next. The Gunners take on Inter in the Champions League midweek and then face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.

Karachi Kings did what had been on the cards for most of the game. But boy did they take the scenic route.

Danyal Rasool14-Nov-2020

Babar Azam prepares to slog to the leg side•PCB

Karachi Kings won the Super Over
How the game played outKarachi Kings did what had been on the cards for most of the game. They edged out Multan Sultans to reach their first final in PSL history, but boy did they take the scenic route! When they required 26 off four overs with seven wickets, including Babar Azam, still in hand, it looked like a Karachi cakewalk. In the end, Multan would take it to a dramatic Super Over, but set 14 to win, Mohammad Amir bowled a near-perfect Super Over, for Shan Masood’s side to fall five runs short.Winning the toss, Karachi opted to bowl, with the decision paying dividends almost from the outset. Wickets fell swiftly, with Adam Lyth dismissed early and a couple of run-outs, one brilliant, one farcical, further strengthening Karachi’s position. Multan’s mini-recovery from 40 for 4 to set Karachi 142 to win – thanks to cameos from Ravi Bopara (40) and Sohail Tanvir (25*) – ensured there was still life in the game.But Karachi had Babar, who’s scintillating form, combined with support from Alex Hales at the other end, appeared to be guiding them to a straightforward win. But, as happens in this format so often, Babar failed to close it out, and when he edged behind in the 17th over, panic suddenly set in for Karachi, who were a batsman light.Four wickets fell for six runs, with veteran Tanvir turning in an outstanding bowling spell. Multan seemed to be closing in on a stunning win, before a priceless little knock from Imad Wasim, capped off with a boundary off the last ball to send the game to the Super Over, allowed Karachi a lifeline, which Amir gleefully accepted.Star of the daySnubbed by Pakistan and with his international career in limbo, Amir responded in the most befitting way to show Pakistan what they might be missing. He might not have picked up any wickets with the ball, but one of the run-outs he effected was responsible for altering the course of the Multan innings. When Zeeshan Haider slapped him back down the ground, Amir had the presence of mind to stretch his toe so it made contact with the ball before cannoning into the non-striker’s stumps, leaving Masood stranded.In the Super Over, he put on a magnificent exhibition of death bowling, nailing the yorker ball after ball to Rilee Rossouw, who simply couldn’t find a way to get underneath one. Only six runs came off the bat, with Multan never allowed the faintest chance to threaten the target. It was Amir at his match-winning best.Turning pointChasing all those below-par targets against Zimbabwe in the T20 series looks to have been decent practice for Babar. The 141 Multan put up didn’t look enough for a pitch that was very conducive to batting, and just as Babar had punished Zimbabwe for failing to rack up the runs, he didn’t spare Multan either. Easing, with characteristic inevitability to his fifth consecutive half-century, he extended his lead at the top of the PSL run charts with 65 off 53. But once again, he will rue failing to finish the game off, and it nearly cost him until Wasim bailed him out at the death. A canter suddenly turned into a nail-biter, and Babar really had no business letting it.The big missIt might be harsh to say it, but Karachi did almost nothing special with the ball, and yet found themselves having restricted Multan very efficiently. That was partially down to some suicidal running by Rossouw, whose importance to Multan had grown exponentially since they lost a couple of early wickets, one to a freak Masood run-out at the non-strikers end.But Rossouw had no one to blame when he was run out two overs later, setting off blind with no clue where exactly the ball was. Zeeshan Ashraf rightly sent him back, but he was so far down the keeper had time to throw it to the bowler, who was backing up at the striker’s end, and whip off the bails with time to spare. Rossouw has been instrumental to whichever PSL franchise he has been a part of, and when he fell that cheaply, it felt like a big moment. It was.Where the teams standKarachi are through to the final, while Multan will play an eliminator tomorrow against the winner of Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, with the winner joining Karachi in the final.

أوضح عصام الحضري حارس مرمى الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، رأيه في الهدف الاول لشباب بلوزداد الذي سكن مرمى محمد الشناوي حارس النادي الأهلي، في المباراة التي أقيمت مساء الأحد.

وفاز الأهلي على شباب بلوزداد، بنتيجة 6-1، في اللقاء الذي أقيم ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وكان الهدف الأول لنادي شباب بلوزداد، شهد خطأ من محمد الشناوي في التصدي للكرة.. شاهد الهدف من هنا.

وقال الحضري خلال تصريحات عبر “قناة أون تايم سبورت”: “محمد الشناوي الحارس الأول للأهلي ومنتخب مصر، تعامل مع الهدف على مستوى عال، لو كان أخرجها كان الناس سيتحدثون عنه، لكن عدم التوفيق كان بسبب أن الكرة ارتطمت بيده وذهبت في الجانب الآخر”.

وأضاف: “محمد الشناوي من الحراس الكبار، وهادئ، لا يشغل ذهنه بأمور أخرى”.

وعن عدم تحية اللاعبين للجماهير بعد مباراة شباب بلوزداد، أوضح: “لا يصح أن يهاجم الجمهور الفريق بسبب خسارة مباراة، أنا لا أعرف تفاصيل ما حدث بعد اللقاء، وهل تصرف الكابتن محمد رمضان صحيح أم لا، لكن أنا كنت مع أن اللاعبين يحيّون الجماهير ويعبرون أيضًا لهم عن حزنهم بسبب الهجوم عليهم”.

وواصل: “أتمنى عندما نخرج من مباراة كان بها سلبيات، لا بد أن نُفكر في القادم، خسارة مباراة ليست نهاية العالم، الموضوع انتهى وبالتأكيد الجمهور يعرف ذلك، ولا أتمنى أن يسير الناس خلف التريند، لو أحد يريد أن يفهم ما حدث يتصل بـ الكابتن محمد رمضان ويسأله”.

وأستمر: “محمد الشناوي ومحمد عواد ومصطفى شوبير ومحمود جاد، هؤلاء أفضل 4 حراس حاليًا في الدوري المصري ومعهم المهدي سليمان حارس الاتحاد”.

طالع | فيديو | “أنا زي خوفو وخفرع ومنقرع”.. الحضري يثور في وجه الرواس ومشادة عنيفة على الهواء

وعن مشادته مع الناقد العماني أحمد الرواس على قناة الكاس، قال: “لا يوجد اختلاف على أنني أسطورة، أتأسف لو كانت نبرة صوتي في اللقاء عالية، لكن كنت مع شخص من سنة ونصف أساء للكرة المصرية ولمنتخب مصر، لكن الكرة العمانية والجماهير لها كل الاحترام، أنا كان ردي عليه لأنه كان يُحاول توجيه الإساءة ليس فقط لعصام الحضري، حتى عندما تحدث عن أبو تريكة ومحمد صلاح ووصفهما بالأساطير لم أرد”.

Aston Villa and transfer chief Monchi are ready to formalise a bid for one £25.5 million defender, who has been called the "big star" of his country.

Villa struggle with PSR and may have to sell this summer

At the start of March, Villa announced pre-tax losses of just under £120 million for the 2022/23 season, which have been a cause for concern in the eyes of supporters.

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NSWE lodged a proposal to the Premier League at a recent summit, suggesting that the losses which clubs can make over a rolling three-year period be increased. The current limit is £105 million in that time frame, and Villa wanted more leeway with a new £135 million cap.

However, this initiative was rejected outright at a vote, with 15 rival clubs going against it. Villa are one of a number of clubs who will have to make at least one sale by 30th June to avoid sanctions, according to Sky Sports, despite Unai Emery sealing Champions League qualification and millions in broadcasting revenue as a result.

"I think it’s a blow," said journalist Dan Bardell to Villa News, after their proposal to increase the loss threshold was snubbed.

"Obviously, the club are trying to push that through and you’d imagine that the difference in the two sums would alleviate Villa’s PSR problems. They’re now potentially going to have to sell someone by 30 June and from what I’m hearing they’re looking to shift someone to comply.

"I don’t think they are alone in that but in a summer where there’s an international tournament, the market is typically slow. It’s a difficult situation for Villa from everything that I’m hearing about it."

Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz continues to attract interest from Arsenal as a potential sale, but Emery will be reluctant to lose such a star player who bagged 10 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season.

Monchi will also have to work harder to navigate the market in terms of incomings. Cost-effective but quality options are a necessity in this situation, but one astute option could be Inter wing-back Denzel Dumfries.

Aston Villa ready to formalise bid for Dumfries

The Netherlands international, who Rafael van der Vaart called his country's "big star", could leave Inter for just £25.5m this summer, with his contract expiring next year.

Appearances

36

Goals

4

Assists

6

Minutes per goal

492

Minutes played

1,965

That is according to Inter Live, which also claims that Aston Villa are ready to formalise a bid for Dumfries amid the ongoing uncertainty over his future at San Siro. The 28-year-old bagged four goals and four assists in 31 Serie A appearances last season as an attack-minded full-back, and there is little doubting he could do very well in the Premier League.

"He is really our very best player at the moment, he’s involved in everything," said Van der Vaart to Dutch broadcaster NOS.

"He has provided seven assists in the last seven games, but it could have been even more. He is always on the move. A really great player. His touches are also good, which was different in the past. He is the ideal full-back."

Following a difficult season during the 2023/24 campaign, Manchester United are set for yet another rebuild this summer under the new INEOS regime. That could well start from the manager, with talk of Erik ten Hag leaving the club still floating around. However, there is set to be a big shake-up of the squad.

As per Mark Ogden of ESPN, the Red Devils’ budget this summer will be a “net spend of £100 million”. With that in mind, United’s transfer business must be sensible in order to not overspend as they have been guilty of doing in the past.

Raphael Varane has already announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro all potential outgoings from the Premier League side once the transfer window opens in a month.

In terms of incomings, Michael Olise has been named as one of the Red Devil’s biggest targets this summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Crystal Palace winger has a release clause worth around £60m, which United could well activate.

Due to injury issues for both Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw this season, left-back could also be a priority position in which United look to buy players. With several potential targets being named, there is one man who could be a front-runner to move to Old Trafford in the summer.

Man Utd looking to sign Premier League defender

The man whom United are reportedly targeting at left-back this summer is Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella. The Red Devils have had previous interest in the former Brighton and Hove Albion man, which they have reignited this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, United are looking into the constraints of a deal for the Spaniard and while 'there are no active talks ongoing at the moment', his situation is 'one to keep an eye on in the coming months'.

Ten Hag’s side are not thought to be the only Premier League club interested in signing Cucurella. The report explains there are 'multiple clubs including Aston Villa' who are thought to be interested in securing the 25-year-old’s signature.

Whilst there is yet to be a quoted price for Cucurella this summer, a good way to see what he could cost is using the valuation tool from CIES Football Observatory. According to that source, the Spaniard is valued at £25.8m, which is more than both Shaw and Malacia, who are worth £12.9m and £8.6m respectively.

How Cucurella fits in at Man Utd

Cucurella’s time at Stamford Bridge has been a mixed bag so far. He joined for a fee of around £60m from Brighton in 2022 but has been in and out of the team under four different managers, never really locking down a starting spot. He is also Chelsea's seventh-highest earner according to Caplogy, earning £175k-per-week.

The 25-year-old has made 58 appearances for the Blues so far but has only managed four assists, as well as a single goal which came in the FA Cup against Leicester City this season, a campaign where he has made 25 appearances under Mauricio Pochettino.

One of Cucurella’s toughest games in a Chelsea shirt so far came against Manchester United this season at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard came directly up against Antony, who completed six out of the seven dribbles he attempted that day, as per Statman Dave. As the football statistician explained, Antony “had Cucurella on toast” that evening.

With that being said, Cucurella’s numbers are not too dissimilar to Diogo Dalot’s stats, as per FBref's similar players model, whom many might consider United’s player of the season – dubbed the club's "most consistent player" by Patrice Evra.

According to FBref, per 90 minutes Cucurella averages 1.86 tackles won compared to Dalot’s 1.43 tackles won, and 1.12 interceptions compared to Dalot’s 1.05.

However, on the ball, Dalot’s stats do stack up slightly better compared to the Spaniard’s numbers. Per 90 minutes, the Portugal international averages 1.22 final third carries and 3.06 final third passes, compared to Cucurella’s 0.80 final third carries and 2.55 final third passes.

Stat (per 90)

Cucurella

Dalot

Tackles won

1.86

1.43

Interceptions

1.12

1.05

Final third carries

0.80

1.22

Final third passes

2.55

3.06

Another selling point of Cucurella is the fact that he has not solely played at left-back. Under Pochettino this season, he has played both left-back and right-back, although he has also slotted in a left centre-back in a back three during his time at Chelsea.

For the right price, this could certainly be a smart deal for United to complete. However, if Chelsea want to recoup much of the £60m fee that they spent on Cucurella, perhaps the Red Devils are better looking elsewhere, given the minimal amount of money they have to spend this summer.

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Nicolas Jackson will sign a new contract with the Blues.

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Maresca reveals Jackson will sign new contractDiscusses failed move for Victor OsimhenTrusts Jackson to be the team's main strikerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Maresca's start to his Chelsea career has been inconsistent as the Blues have won, drawn and lost one game each in the Premier League. However, Jackson has been performing much better under the Italian, and scored in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday. After the game, Maresca confirmed that the striker is set to sign a contract extension at Stamford Bridge.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MARESCA SAID

Speaking to the media, Maresca said: "The only thing I know is he's signing a new contract – I don't know how many years.

"I'm very happy. Nicolas is doing a fantastic job with us. He scored again. He had more chances but we're happy with him."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea were very active in the transfer window and had been looking to sign a striker over the summer. The Blues had been linked heavily with a move for Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Brentford's Ivan Toney. However, they failed to sign either player, with Toney moving to Napoli and Osimhen left in limbo at Napoli. Maresca added: "I had faith, and the club also, even before [in Jackson]. We trust Nicolas. When the transfer window was open, I said he was doing fantastic with us."

When asked about Osimhen's failed deadline day move, Maresca said: "We want players but we wanted a player that we decide. It has to be on our conditions. If a player is not here then it was not.

"We will see in January."

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WHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

The striker will now have some time away from Chelsea as he joins the Senegalese national team for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Burundi.

Aston Villa are preparing for the second leg of their Europa Conference League semifinal against Olympiacos in what is arguably their most important match of the season.

On the transfer front, meanwhile, it appears as though Unai Emery has one eye on the upcoming summer window, however…

Aston Villa's search for a midfielder

With Champions League football looking increasingly likely for the Midlands side next term, Emery is aiming to bolster his first-team squad with bigger challenges ahead.

According to Spanish outlet AS, Villa are showing plenty of interest in Girona midfielder Aleix Garcia ahead of the summer.

They face some stiff competition as Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth are also interested in luring the player away from La Liga once the season is over.

The good news is Emery won't need to pay over the odds for the Girona star. AS claim that his release clause is between €15m (£12.9m) and €20m (£17.2m), which could make the move even more appealing to the Villa boss.

Adding some midfield depth could be crucial heading into the 2024/25 campaign and signing Garcia is a chance for the club to secure Douglas Luiz 2.0.

Aleix Garcia’s statistics for Girona this season

Like Garcia, Luiz has also played for Manchester City and Girona during the early stages of his career.

City signed him in 2017 but loaned him out to the Spanish side for two seasons prior to joining Villa in 2019, making 46 appearances across all competitions in Spain.

This season, the Brazilian has emerged as a key member of Emery’s side, registering 20 goal contributions – ten goals and ten assists – across 50 matches for the club in all competitions.

With the building blocks in place to develop a genuinely wonderful starting XI, Garcia – who has been dubbed "the best deep-lying playmaker this season" by data analyst Ben Mattinson – could certainly add some more attacking qualities to this area.

The 26-year-old has played 36 matches during the current campaign, scoring three times, and grabbing six assists, indicating how much of a threat he poses from the heart of the midfield.

Barcelona starlet Pedri even hailed his compatriot for his stunning 2023/24 campaign, saying: “There are many, Alex Garcia is having a great season in Girona, I have him in my Fantasy lineup.”

Impressing players such as Pedri clearly means Garcia is doing something right. His passing ability has stood out over the previous 365 days as, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Spaniard currently ranks in the top 5% for passes attempted (80.28) and in the top 8% for progressive passes (7.9) per 90.

Not only that, but the midfielder also ranks in the top 16% for assists (0.18) and shot-creating actions (3.57) per 90, showing that he can also be a major threat when going forward and Emery would love to add another midfielder with this attacking ability to this squad.

If Villa do secure a Champions League spot for next season, it will certainly make it easier to attract players such as Garcia during the summer transfer window.

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Aston Villa have surpassed expectations this year in the Premier League, and even looked like title challengers at one point.

Unai Emery's side currently sit in the lofty heights of fourth, though in order for a Champions League place to be secured, they'll need to avoid injuries to key men and continue to maintain the gap between them and Spurs.

With that in mind, Football FanCast is here to keep you updated with the latest injury and suspension news ahead of Saturday's evening clash with Chelsea.

Latest Aston Villa injury news

Unai Emery has six squad members unavailable ahead of Chelsea's visit to Villa Park this weekend. The player to return to the squad will be Douglas Luiz, who has served his yellow-card suspension. Otherwise, the clash against the Blues comes too soon for Nicolo Zaniolo and Alex Moreno, who both have minor problems and could return next week.

Long-term absentees Jacob Ramsey, Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendia and Boubacar Kamara are all out until the start of next season at the earliest.

Nicolo Zaniolo

Unknown

April

Unknown

Alex Moreno

Calf injury

April

May

Jacob Ramsey

Foot injury

2nd March

Next season

Tyrone Mings

Knee Injury

12th August

Next season

Emi Buendia

Knee Injury

9th August

Next season

Boubacar Kamara

ACL rupture

11th February

September-October

Nicolo Zaniolo – unknown

Nicolo Zaniolo missed the midweek win over Bournemouth through injury, and while Emery was hopeful that the Italian wouldn't be on the treatment table for long, he will not be fit enough to take part this weekend.

Whether he is fit for next week's Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Olympiacos remains to be seen, but he appears to be the Villa player closest to a first-team return.

Alex Moreno – calf

Alex Moreno has been out recently with a calf issue, with Unai Emery previously claiming that it would see him out for around 2-3 weeks. This weekend's game against Chelsea was unlikely to mark his comeback, but he could return in time for next week's clash away at Brighton, with the Europa Conference League semi-finals also coming up.

Jacob Ramsey – foot

Jacob Ramsey is set to be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a foot injury, with Emery confirming he will play no further part in the campaign earlier this month.

Tyrone Mings – knee

Tyrone Mings suffered a significant knee injury on the opening day of the season against Newcastle United, and Villa quickly confirmed that he would require surgery to resolve the issue.

The defender is making progress in his recovery, with a comment coming out of Aston Villa:

"When they are injured for a long time, it's the worst in football. It's more difficult for the player, as a person, when they are injured. We've had two injuries for a long time, for all the season, with Buendia and Mings."

He still hasn't made an Aston Villa squad, but he can't be far away now.

Emi Buendia – knee

Aston Villa confirmed that Argentine midfielder Emi Buendia had suffered a 'significant knee ligament injury' in training a day before the season started.

Similarly to Mings, he can't be too far away now, though there's been no timeline given by Emery, with him clearly not wanting to rush the midfielder back to action.

Boubacar Kamara – ACL

Boubacar Kamara last featured for Villa in their defeat to Manchester United, with it later confirmed that he had suffered an ACL rupture.

Emery has insisted that a likely return date won't be until September or October at the earliest.

Aston Villa latest suspensions

There are no suspensions for Aston Villa this weekend. Douglas Luiz missed the clashes against Arsenal and Bournemouth after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season. Luckily, it seems like Villa did not miss him after winning both matches, and they will have him available for selection against Chelsea this weekend.

Batsman increasingly confident in middle-order role after returning to Test side in New Zealand

George Dobell in Port Elizabeth14-Jan-2020

Ollie Pope steers into the off side•Getty Images

It remains just about possible – if Jofra Archer makes a late bid for selection on Wednesday – that England could go into the third Test in Port Elizabeth with six players under the age of 25. They have only done that once before*.It is a statistic that underlines the period of transition in which this England side find itself. Whether by design or not – in a perfect world, the side might well contain James Anderson, Rory Burns and Moeen Ali or Jack Leach – England are in a rebuilding phase. An investment has been made into young players. They are likely to be given time to develop.At the heart of this young side is Ollie Pope. While some of the other young players – Zak Crawley and Dom Bess, for example – are taking advantage of the misfortunate of first-choice players, Pope is a first-choice pick. In the eyes of most of the England management, he is the most promising specialist batsman to come into the Test team since Joe Root in 2012. There are whispered hopes he will develop into a 100-Test player.ALSO READ: Botham, Flintoff, Stokes – who is England’s greatest?</aSuch was Pope's promise that he was first selected for the Test side when just 20. By then he had played 15 first-class games and scored four first-class centuries. That is, in context, only two fewer than Jos Buttler in his 104 match first-class career.But England, bursting with men who could bat in the middle-order, asked Pope to fulfil a role that was unfamiliar to him. Despite batting at No. 6 for Surrey, despite never having come in before the 20th over of a first-class innings, he was required to bat at No. 4 on Test debut. In his first three innings he came into bat in the ninth, 13th and 12th overs. Unsurprisingly, he struggled. Perhaps more surprisingly in these days of continuity of selection, he was dropped after those three innings despite the fact one of his dismissals was down the leg side.But if the use of Pope was wrong, the identification of his talent was surely correct. He has, at the time of writing, an average of 71.31 in first-class cricket for Surrey and 58.06 in all first-class cricket. After 30 games, he had a higher first-class average than any English player in history.But for a dislocated shoulder, sustained while fielding for Surrey last April, his recall would have come earlier than November. But as it is, he has been assured of a run at No. 6 – the position Root started out in Test cricket – and, over his last few innings, started to provide returns on that investment. Two of his three most recent innings have been half-centuries, with the first, in Hamilton, showcasing an improved tightness in his game and the second, in Cape Town, providing something of a masterclass in batting with the tail. He scored 29 of the 35 posted for England's tenth-wicket and later took the catch that sealed the win.After the Cape Town victory, a small group of the younger players – Pope, Bess, Dom Sibley and Matt Parkinson – hired an apartment in Camps Bay and enjoyed a few days' beach holiday. But now, back in training with the rest of the squad, it is clear Pope is relishing being part of a young team who are enjoying the new experiences and each other's successes."Winning this series would be an amazing achievement for us, especially where we're at as a side at the moment," Pope said. "We're quite young side with a lot of players just coming through."The Cape Town result says a lot about what we have within the camp, but we also realise that it's not something that happens overnight. Putting this side together will take time, but if we can win this series will be a great achievement."The first time I was picked I felt like it was almost a bit of a lottery. I was thinking 'hopefully I'll get a score but if I miss out then so be it.'"At the moment I feel like I'm in a good place with my game. I know I've got the technique and mindset to do it. To have those scores under my belt is a real positive for me."Perhaps it says something for Pope's ambitions that he was inspired by Steven Smith and Virat Kohli when batting with the tail in Cape Town."The way I went about my innings was just remembering how some of the best players in the world have done it," he said. "I remember watching Smith and Kohli from when they played against England and how, even when they were nine down, they were trying to face almost every ball. It was pretty new for me."The way Stokesy did it at Headingley was slightly different because he can just whack every ball out of the park and clear the men on the rope. Us smaller lads have to go about it in a bit more of a smart way and try and find a way of facing as many balls as you can. If you get a boundary option, then great, if not then try and face five balls and get a quick single at the end and get a boundary next over."If you ask any young batsman coming into the game, Smith, Kohli and Joe Root are the guys you want to be like. They have been the main run-scorers in international cricket over the last however many years and hopefully I've got a game where I can follow in their footsteps."I wouldn't say I tried to copy their techniques, but the one thing they have in common is having solid foundations. They can build their game around that and that's what I'm trying to do."Ollie Pope looks on•Getty Images

While Pope acknowledged the comparisons with Ian Bell – it was Andrew Strauss who first mentioned it to him – he insisted they are accidental. But since his first spell in the side, when his expansive off-side play could leave him looking loose at times, he looks even more like Bell now: more compact; more disciplined outside off stump; more prepared to be patient and make the bowlers come to him. In short, a player who has learned to harness his talent.”I think Bell is an amazing player and I used to love watching him bat but it’s not been anything that I’ve tried to emulate,” Pope said. “But it’s a big compliment because he is a pretty class player to watch. I’ve seen that a lot on social media. He was an amazing player and I loved watching him play.”His favourite players were, instead, keeper-batsmen such as MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist and he has not given up hopes of fulfilling a role as keeper in the years ahead.”I still want to keep that going in my game,” he said. “I definitely will be practising my keeping. I’m still the second keeper at Surrey. It’s only going to be a positive if I can keep nailing that side of my game, but I’m also more than happy playing as a batter as well.”With a youthful look to the side, it is probably even more important that the more experienced players provide leadership. And Pope said Ben Stokes had taken him under his wing and demonstrated the fitness levels required to excel at this level.”In New Zealand I realised what was needed,” he said. “I’d go under Stokes’ wing a little bit and, after the warm-up games, we’d run back to the hotel and do a running session the day before the games.”If you can get into those good habits, if you control everything in your power to make sure you are as fit as you can be and you’re training as well as you can, then hopefully good things will happen. It’s good to see the way these guys go about it. Hopefully I can learn from that and keep following in their footsteps.”England’s players were given a day off on Tuesday. While some, including Pope, went on safari, others played golf. Only Root, accompanied by batting coach Graham Thorpe, took to the nets where he had a long session.