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The goalkeeper, who has 30 appearances for the USMNT, left Mauricio Pochettino's camp and could miss six weeks

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Zack Steffen to miss up to six weeks after surgerySustained injury to right medial meniscusDropped out of USMNT Gold Cup squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

USMNT and Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen is set to miss at least a month after undergoing knee surgery, the Rapids announced Tuesday.

Steffen, who may have had an opportunity to start for the U.S. in the upcoming Gold Cup, returned to Colorado in early June, and will now not be a part of the squad as the U.S. looks to reclaim the tournament.

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The injury could be a significant blow to Steffen's USMNT chances. He was the No. 1 for for a stretch under then-coach Gregg Berhalter, before losing the starting spot to Matt Turner. Matt Freese and Chris Brady will compete with Turner for the starting role during the Gold Cup.

WHAT THEY SAID

The injury would appear to open the door for Turner to reclaim the starting spot – something that he insisted last week: "I don't see myself as the number one No. 1 all the time. I think that's my mindset going into every camp right now, is that every inch, every opportunity needs to be fought for and every opportunity that I've had under this current staff I've earned by my performances within training and the opportunities that I had this past season with Crystal Palace."

Turner is reportedly set to sign for Ligue 1 side Lyon, in a $9.1M (€8M) move from English Premier League side Nottingham Forest. Turner, 30, spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Crystal Palace, where he made four appearances en route to winning the FA Cup with the .

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR STEFFEN?

The goalkeeper will return to action in the coming months. Colorado currently sit ninth in the Western Conference, 17 games into season. The post-Gold Cup USMNT camp is set for September.

Celtic are now fearful that a “very strong” player will leave the club in the summer transfer window, as clamour look to retain his services moving forward.

Celtic preparing for Rangers clash

The Hoops have had all week to prepare for the visit of rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday lunchtime, as they look to edge one step closer to winning yet another league crown under Brendan Rodgers.

Victory for Celtic would put them 19 points clear at the top of the table, and the fact that their opponents went through a gruelling 120 minutes against Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday evening can only play into their hands, in terms of having more energy.

Away from the weekend action, the Hoops continue to be linked with moves for summer signings, with Mathias Kvistgaarden still seen as a transfer target. The Brondby forward has been mentioned as a target in the recent past, and it looks like their interest hasn’t gone away.

On the flip side, Celtic could be at risk of losing certain players in the summer, with Cameron Carter-Vickers seen as a potential option for Everton, with manager David Moyes eyeing him up as a good option. Now, a fresh update has dropped over his future.

Celtic worried "very strong" Carter-Vickers will leave

According to a new update from Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke, Celtic are increasingly “concerned” that Carter-Vickers will leave the club at the end of the season.

He states that the Hoops will be “demanding big money” if he does decide he wants a fresh challenge, and there is worry among fanbase that “losing him would weaken the team” despite what fee they get for their most valuable player.

Carter-Vickers has been a defensive rock for Celtic down the years, both on loan and after signing permanently from Tottenham, so to lose him at the peak of his powers would be a big blow for Rodgers. Still only 27, the USA international can continue to be at his best for at least the next three or four years, with former Hoops teammate Carl Starfelt once saying of him: “Cameron is a really good player.

“I’ve enjoyed playing with him since he came. I feel like we have a good chemistry on and off the pitch. We see many situations the same way. He’s a very strong player. You always know what you will get from him. He’s easy to play with.”

On the plus side for Celtic, if Carter-Vickers does say he wants to leave this summer, he is contracted at the club until 2029, putting them in an extremely strong bargaining position.

Celtic hit the jackpot on Ange signing who's now worth as much as Tierney

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By
Robbie Walls

Mar 14, 2025

It would allow the Hoops to demand big money for one of their most important players, rather than losing him on the cheap, but ultimately, retaining his services beyond this year still takes precedence.

Shorna Akter showed some fight for Bangladesh but the target was too big

S Sudarshanan17-Feb-2023

After two ducks in the previous two matches, Suzie Bates turned her form around to help New Zealand post the fourth-highest total in Women’s T20 World Cups, and keep their hopes of making the semi-final alive.Bates scored an unbeaten 81 off 61 balls to help New Zealand to 189 for 3 before a strong bowling performance restricted Bangladesh to 118 for 8. In the process, she also became the first player to reach 1000 runs in T20 World Cups.Bates aside, Maddy Green’s 44 not out off 20 balls also propelled New Zealand, who scored 60 in their last five overs.Bezuidenhout and Bates give New Zealand brisk startNew Zealand were bowled out for 76 and 67 against Australia and South Africa respectively, and Bates had registered first-ball and second-ball blobs in those contests. On Friday, she began watchfully against Bangladesh, with fellow opener Bernadine Bezuidenhout hogging most of the strike in the first three overs.Bezuidenhout, who herself was out on zero in the previous game, hit the first ball of the innings for four before picking up another boundary in the third over. It took a pristinely timed whip through midwicket for Bates to open her boundary count. But it was Bezuidenhout who did the bulk of the scoring as New Zealand finished the powerplay 49 for no loss. More importantly, the pair faced only eight dots in the phase.Bezuidenhout looked primed to score her maiden T20I half-century before she charged down and was stumped off Shorna Akter, bringing an end to the 77-run stand in which she had contributed 44 off 26 balls.Bates and Green lead final assaultBates and Amelia Kerr took New Zealand past 100 before legspinner Fahima Khatun dealt a double blow. First, she had Kerr offering a return catch off a full toss and then, on the next delivery, bowled Sophie Devine with a slider.Maddy Green hit some crisp strokes during her unbeaten 44•ICC/Getty Images

But a steady Bates was then joined by a belligerent Green, who found the middle of the bat from the get-go. She used her feet to hit Fahima back over her head before using the depth of the crease and the bowler’s pace to thump seamer Marufa Akter for three fours in an over. She also showed her wares against spin, first reverse-sweeping Salma through short third and then hitting left-arm spinner Nahida Akter down the ground.Bates, meanwhile, passed her seventh fifty-plus score in T20 World Cups and pounced on anything remotely short. She pulled Fahima through midwicket before repeating the drill against Nahida. She also used the reverse sweep to good effect. She was dropped at deep midwicket in the 18th over by Marufa, who parried it for six that brought up Bates’ 1000th run.Bates and Green added 82 in seven overs in an unbroken stand for the fourth wicket, leaving Bangladesh with a mountain to chase.Shorna sparkles but New Zealand clinicalShamima Sultana hit Lea Tahuhu for a four and a six in the opening over of the chase to get Bangladesh off to a positive start. But Hannah Rowe trapped her lbw for 14 and then yorked No. 3 Sobhana Mostary for 4, while conceding only three runs from her first two overs.Kerr bowled Nigar Sultana with a googly in the tenth over, but Murshida Khatun and Shorna, who was part of the Under-19 T20 World Cup as well, added 46 for the fourth wicket.Shorna hit Kerr for a couple of fours through the leg side before smashing Rowe for successive fours in the 13th over. Murshida too picked up a couple of boundaries before offspinner Eden Carson had her slicing one to backward point.Once that stand was broken, Bangladesh could manage only 18 in the remaining 32 balls.

How do Rangers salvage this season?

On Sunday, the Gers were ignominiously dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park at Ibrox, beaten in that competition by lower-league opposition for the first time since defeat at the hands of Berwick Rangers all the way back in 1967.

This leaves already under-fire manager Philippe Clement under enormous pressure ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash with Hearts at Tynecastle; defeat could be his 85th and final game in charge.

So, could the Belgian save himself by bringing one of Rangers’ most exciting youngsters back into the team at the expense of Ianis Hagi?

Ianis Hagi's up-and-down Rangers career

When Hagi joined Rangers in January 2020, initially on loan from Genk, he made an instantaneous impact.

He marked his full debut with a goal against Hibernian before, a fortnight later, scoring twice as the Light Blues fought back from 2-0 down to beat Braga 3-2 in the Europa League, including a spectacular, deflected free-kick eight minutes from time, sparking wild celebrations.

However, his career in Govan has been massively disrupted since that moment.

First, the outbreak of Covid-19 saw the season curtailed soon after his introduction, while Hagi himself also suffered a ruptured ACL against Stirling Albion in January 2022, resulting in him spending 372 days on the sidelines, before falling out of favour under Michael Beale, thereby sent out on loan to Deportivo Alavés in La Liga last season.

Now back at Ibrox, the Romania international has started seven successive Premiership matches, as well as 12 of the last 13, scoring from long-range as his team demolished fierce rivals Celtic last month.

So, let’s assess Hagi’s season-by-season statistics.

As the table shows, largely due to injury issues, Hagi has not recently been able to establish himself as a regular fixture in the Rangers team, with this current campaign actually on course to be his most productive since the title-winning season of 2020/21, in terms of minutes, goals and assists.

However, Clement might have an even more productive winger currently sitting on his bench, who he surely must start at Tynecastle this weekend.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Rangers' next attacking difference maker

Ross McCausland joined Rangers’ academy at the age of 16, arriving from serial NIFL Premiership champions Linfield for £60,000 in 2019, making his senior debut against Hibernian in a post-split fixture in 2023, handed a two-minute cameo.

Then, last season, the Northern Irishman really made his breakthrough, racking up 39 appearances, scoring five goals and registering four assists, also making his senior international debut against Finland in Helsinki.

Still only 21-years-old, the winger was a key figure for Clement earlier this campaign too, starting both legs of the Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv, before scoring on matchday one of the Europa League, slotting home the second as his side were victorious in Malmö.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described McCausland as an “explosive winger”, while Josh Bunting on Twitter believes he is a “superb talent”, with Ronnie Esplin of the Belfast Telegraph claiming Serie A sides Roma and Atalanta were both seeking to snap him up, before he signed a new contract at Ibrox.

Despite these rave reviews, McCausland’s role has significantly diminished in recent weeks, spending the last three Premiership matches, as well as the weekend’s shock cup exit, on the bench, but will Clement bring the Northern Irishman back into his time in Edinburgh on Sunday?

Clement can save himself from the sack by unleashing Rangers' very own Kuhn

Following one of Rangers’ most embarrassing defeats of all-time, Philippe Clement’s job is on the line, so he must unleash his best attacker.

By
Ben Gray

Feb 12, 2025

Some big clubs are in very real danger of missing out on next season's competition, which would represent a serious financial blow

This hasn't been an especially vintage year for thrilling title races in Europe's top leagues – despite the fact that the Serie A scrap between Napoli and Inter could go right to the wire (a Scudetto play-off is even a distinct possibility!), while Real Madrid could close on La Liga leaders Barcelona by winning at Montjuic on Sunday week.

However, Arne Slot's relentless Liverpool side turned the Premier League into a procession this season, perennial French champions Paris Saint-Germain once again ran away with Ligue 1, while Bayern Munich will almost certainly reclaim their Bundesliga crown from Bayer Leverkusen this weekend.

Still, it's not as if the final few weeks of the 2024-25 campaign will be devoid of drama – not with Champions League qualification arguably more important than ever before for financial reasons. Below, GOAL breaks down the fierce battles we're seeing across the continent for the right to sit at Europe's top table next season…

Getty Images SportPremier League

With Liverpool having opened up an unassailable 15-point lead at the top of the table last Sunday, and the relegation of Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton already confirmed, Premier League followers are extremely grateful for the fact that there are still Champions League spots still up for grabs.

Of course, Arsenal (67 points) should finish second, even if their ongoing involvement in continental competition has affected their domestic form of late. However, that still leaves three berths up for grabs, given England's top five all qualify for next season's Champions League.

Third-placed Newcastle (62) have been in fine form since stunning Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup, which led to an incredible release of tension on Tyneside, but Eddie Howe's men have a rough run-in, including trips to the Amex and the Emirates. Manchester City (61), by contrast, don't have any difficult games left – at least on paper – and Pep Guardiola undoubtedly has the strongest squad to choose from, particularly after the state-sponsored club's January spending spree.

Fifth-placed Chelsea (60) are hanging in there in spite of Cole Palmer's dreadful dip in productivity, while surprise package Nottingham Forest (60) can climb from sixth to third if they win their game in hand against Brentford on Thursday.

Aston Villa (57) down in seventh shouldn't be written off just yet, but Unai Emery's men have had the wind knocked out of them by devastating setbacks against PSG in the Champions League, Manchester City in the Premier League and Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBundesliga

Things are getting very interesting in Germany, with both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund in real danger of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Freiburg are the main reason why, with Julian Schuster's surprise challengers clinging on to fourth spot with 51 points after recovering from a poor run of results by winning three games on the spin. However, they're still only two points ahead of Leipzig (49), and just three clear of Dortmund (48), going into Sunday's clash with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

On the plus side, Xabi Alonso's men might not have anything to play for at the Europa-Park Stadion if Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich win at the Red Bull Arena the day before – which would obviously also represent a big boost to Freiburg's hopes of holding off Leipzig.

Dortmund, though, are the real dangermen. They host Wolfsburg at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday evening, meaning Niko Kovac's resurgent side could be level on points with Freiburg by the time they take to the field to face Leverkusen. BVB still have to travel to the BayArena themselves, but they're finishing the season strongly (13 points from their last five games) and will be confident of capitalising on any slip-up from Freiburg, whom they've hammered both home and away this season.

Looking slightly further down the table, Mainz (47) are still in contention, in theory, but their form has fallen off a cliff over the past month, and while Werder Bremen (46) are going really well now, they may have left it just a tad too late to crash the top-four party. Still, things could get very interesting if they were to beat Leipzig at home on matchday 33, the penultimate weekend of the season…

Getty ImagesSerie A

The situation in Serie A is simply insane. With just four rounds remaining, there are just three points separating Juventus (62) in the final Champions League spot in fourth, and eight-placed Fiorentina (59).

As one of the biggest clubs in Italy, the Bianconeri would normally be favourites to get over the line. However, it's been a trying season for the Old Lady, who sacked Thiago Motta in March and replaced him with Igor Tudor, and their next couple of games are away from home against two of their top-four rivals, in Bologna (fifth, with 61 points) and Lazio (seventh with 60).

Roma, meanwhile,sit sixth (also 60 points) and are arguably the form team in Serie A right now, with Claudio Ranieri's side unbeaten in the league since before Christmas. The Giallorossi don't have any particularly straightforward fixtures, but they upset Inter at San Siro last weekend and beating Fiorentina at home on Sunday would only add to their momentum.

It's also worth noting that Roma go to Bergamo on May 12 to face third-placed Atalanta, who are only three points above Juve, meaning Gian Piero Gasperini's men could yet get swallowed up by the chasing pack, thus turning this into a titanic six-team tussle for two Champions League berths.

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AFPLigue 1

PSG's fourth-consecutive Ligue 1 title may have been in the bag before the season even began, but it's looking like the fight for a top-four finish will go right until the final weekend, as there's just a four-point gap between Marseille (58) in second and Strasbourg in seventh (54).

The presumption all along was that Roberto De Zerbi's side would finish as runners-up, but that's no longer a given whatsoever, particularly as OM must travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday to face third-placed Lille (56), who have won four of their last five games.

Monaco (55) and Lyon (54), in fourth and fifth, respectively, also remain very much in the mix, and the outcome of their showdown at the Stade Louis II on matchday 33 could well prove decisive.

The team to really keep an eye on, though, is sixth-placed Nice (54), as the only team to have beaten PSG this season have a relatively soft set of fixtures – at least compared to their rivals – and could easily force their way into the top four before the season's end…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting some January transfers to strengthen their squad and aid their fight against relegation. The Old Gold lost again in their most recent game, although it was a tough assignment, to say the least. They suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of top-four challengers Chelsea away from home.

Indeed, that only hammered home the need for more fresh blood in the squad during the second half of the January transfer window.

They are currently one place outside of the relegation zone but are level on points with 18th-place Ipswich Town. Each side has 16 points.

There has already been some transfer activity at Molineux this winter, although not all of it has been positive.

Wolves’ winter transfer business

The only real piece of business conducted so far from Vitor Pereira’s side has been the signing of 27-year-old Ivorian centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou. He cost Wolves a reported fee of £16.6m from French side Reims.

So far, the Ivorian has played three games for the Old Gold, starting twice in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup. He has not been able to stop Wolves from leaking goals, and whilst not necessarily at fault, has been part of a defence that shipped three goals against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

There was meant to be another incoming at Molineux in the coming days. Wolves thought they had a £10m deal to sign Portuguese midfielder Manu Silva sealed, but the move for the Vitoria Guimaraes star was hijacked.

Instead, he has signed for another Portuguese side, Benfica, who ‘swooped in at the last minute’ according to talkSPORT. As Aguias, managed by former Wolves boss Bruno Lage, are a Champions League side, they are naturally a big pull for any player.

The Old Gold will now surely reassess midfield options given it is clearly an area they want to strengthen. They were recently linked with one Premier League star who they could go in for.

Wolves's Manu Silva alternative this month

The player in question here is Liverpool star Wataru Endo. According to a report last week from CaughtOffside, Wolves are one of several sides ‘monitoring the 31-year-old’s situation’, given he seems to be out of favour at Anfield.

The midfielder is also a target for a couple of other Premier League sides, such as West Londoners Fulham and fellow relegation-strugglers Ipswich. Celtic are also interested, as are Italian giants AC Milan. The Japan star could cost upwards of £12.6m for a deal to get done.

It has been a tough season for the experienced Japan international. He has played just 15 games across all competitions, with eight of those appearances coming in the Premier League. In total, the Liverpool man has featured for 433 minutes, a total of 4.8 full 90-minute games.

However, do not be misled by the fact Endo has not featured much this term. He was a key player for Jurgen Klopp in his final season, playing 43 times and getting himself on the scoresheet twice from the base of midfield.

Endo was a player Klopp clearly loved, which was not only shown in the amount he played the Japanese midfielder but also how highly he spoke about him. Towards the start of his time at Anfield, the legendary German boss said the midfielder has “tackling as a hobby”. According to Klopp, he is also a “machine” in the middle of the park.

This is vital because Wolves seem to be searching for a ball-winner, and Endo could be the perfect alternative to Silva. Their defensive stats via FBref from top-flight football last season are similar, showing the kind of profile Wolves are after.

Per 90 minutes in the Premier League last term, Endo averaged 3.56 tackles and interceptions and 5.65 ball recoveries. In comparison in the Portuguese top flight, Silva averaged 3.65 tackles and interceptions and 6.45 ball recoveries each game.

It seems like the Old Gold are after a ball-winner to sit at the base of their midfield and break up play. Even though they missed out on Silva, there is a great alternative for a cheap price available, who could bring quality off the ball and more experience to the Wolves side.

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By
Charlie Smith

Oct 10, 2025

Virat Kohli is “excited” and “having fun” playing cricket, he said, but not long ago, he wasn’t getting any joy from the game. As he said recently, he was “faking his intensity a bit” and the fatigue and everything else added up and took a toll on him mentally. After top-scoring for India in the defeat to Pakistan on Sunday night at the Asia Cup, he also said that MS Dhoni aside, no one actually made the effort to reach out to him when he was going through a low phase.That phase came on the back of a somewhat tumultuous period in his career. He had given up the IPL and T20I captaincy, and lost his ODI captaincy – something he hadn’t expected – hours before a selection meeting. Then came his shock announcement of quitting Test captaincy earlier this year. All along, the runs weren’t coming quite as smoothly as he was used to.How did he deal with it? In Dubai, Kohli tried to provide answers, and stressed that he was in a good place.”Let me tell you one thing: when I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person, with whom I had played previously; that was MS Dhoni,” Kohli said. “Many people have my number. On TV, people give lots of suggestions, people have a lot to say. But none of the people who had my number sent me a message.”That respect [with Dhoni], that connection you have with someone, when it is genuine, it shows like this, because there is no insecurity with either of us. Neither does he [Dhoni] need anything from me, nor do I need anything from him. Neither of us suffers from insecurity. I can only say: if I want to say something to someone, I reach out to that person individually if I want to help.”I mean, if you give the suggestions in front of the world, it has no value for me. If it is for my improvement, you can talk with me one-on-one, (tell me) that I genuinely want you to do well. I live life with a lot of honesty, so I can see through such things. I am not saying that it doesn’t matter to me, but you see the real thing. I can only say that. When you play for such a long time, when you play with honesty, the only one who looks out for you is the almighty. Until I play, until I am worthy of playing, I will play this way.”Prior to the Asia Cup, in an interview with Star Sports, Kohli elaborated about his struggles. He touched upon how an obsession over his professional identity had led to him losing perspective as a human being. He subsequently took time off, during which he switched off completely from the game, not even doing something as spontaneous as lifting a cricket bat.2:56

Uthappa: Kohli looked ominous from the first boundary he hit

At the Asia Cup, Kohli has found a semblance of form, scoring 35, 59* and 60 at an overall strike rate of 126.22. But, more importantly, there has been an air of calm around him, both at training and at the games. He said that came from the realisation that taking a break wasn’t a bad thing sometimes.”I didn’t think I’d go a month without touching my bat, but the situation became such that I had to take a break,” he said. “More mentally than physically. Then you realise when you bat again after a month why you started playing the game. That [realisation] is lost at times, the way people look at you, cheer for you when you’re at the ground, at such times you can lose that realisation.”That drive and purity for the game, that joy dissipates. It was important to rediscover that again for me. When I’m happy in my space, then I know what I can do for the team. Me being in a bad space is neither good for the team nor for me. I think no one should run away from this, if someone is feeling negative or low, taking a break isn’t a bad thing.”And I hope people will derive strength from that and address whatever they are feeling. We’re all human, everyone can feel this way. But to recognise that and care about it is important. If you ignore it, you will get more frustrated. This is something I realised and I got a lot of help. I’m happy, I’m excited and having fun playing cricket again, which was the most important thing for me.”

يستضيف نادي برشلونة نظيره ريال مدريد، ضمن منافسات الجولة 35 من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”.

وتنطلق المباراة بين الفريقين في تمام الساعة الخامسة والربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة على ملعب “مونتجويك الأولمبي” في إطار منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام برشلونة في الدوري الإسباني.. جولر أساسيًا وموقف مبابي

وتسعى كتيبة هانز فليك إلى تحقيق الفوز وتعزيز التواجد بصدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني والابتعاد بفارق 7 نقاط عن ريال مدريد، ليضع قدماً نحو التتويج بـ لقب الدوري الإسباني.

بينما يطمح لاعبي ريال مدريد إلى تحقيق الفوز وتقليص فارق النقاط مع برشلونة إلى نقطة وحيدة، بهدف الاستمرار في صراع التتويج باللقب.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 79 نقطة، بينما يأتي ريال مدريد في المركز الثاني برصيد 75 نقطة.

وشهد تشكيل برشلونة تواجد المهاجم البولندي، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، على مقاعد بدلاء الفريق الكتالوني اليوم. تشكيل برشلونة اليوم أمام ريال مدريد في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني.

خط الدفاع: إريك جارسيت، إينيجو مارتينيز، كوبارسي، جيرارد مارتن.

خط الوسط: فرينكي دي يونج، بيدري، داني أولمو.

خط الهجوم: رافينها، لامين يامال، فيران توريس. بدلاء برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد في الدوري الإسباني

تير شتيجن، إينياكي بينيا، جافي، أنسو فاتي، رونالد أراوخو، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، كريستينسن، فيرمين لوبيز، باو فيكتور، كاسادو، هيكتور فورت، بالدي.

Manchester United have been really disappointing so far this season, and lost once again on Sunday afternoon, their final game before Christmas.

It was a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, the second time they have lost to the Cherries at home in two successive years.

Frustratingly for the Red Devils, not many of their big-name stars have performed to their best levels this term. The standout contributors have been Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes. The young Ivorian has five goals and eight assists while the United skipper has six goals and ten assists across competitions.

Alejandro Garnacho also had a fast start to the season, which has got the attention of some of United’s Premier League rivals.

The latest news on Alejandro Garnacho's future

It was a lightning-quick start to the 2024/25 campaign for United’s number 17. The Argentine winger had already scored and assisted ten goals by the end of October, making a flying start under former boss Erik ten Hag.

One of his best performances of the season came against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup third round. The 20-year-old scored two and assisted two in a 7-0 thrashing of the League One side, helping his side safely through to the next round.

However, he has slowed down recently and is now sitting on just eight goals and four assists for the season.

Life under Ruben Amorim has not been as smooth as the winger might have expected, with one goal in eight games so far. He was even dropped from the squad for the Manchester Derby.

It might be with that in mind that Garnacho has emerged as a transfer target for some of the world’s biggest clubs. According to CaughtOffside, one club in Europe is aiming to bring him in on loan with a £60m buy clause in the deal.

The interested parties include United’s Premier League rivals and Manchester City and Chelsea, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich also interested.

What Garnacho leaving would mean for Man United

It might well be a mistake for United to sell one of their premium talents and it could be their own version of when City sold Cole Palmer last summer, particularly if he moved to Stamford Bridge.

England international Palmer has been simply sensational at Chelsea this season. In Jamie Carragher’s opinion, he is “the best player in the Premier League”, especially if he continues this impressive form.

The 22-year-old star has scored 36 goals and registered 21 assists in 64 games across all competitions for the Blues. That includes 33 goals and assists in as many Premier League appearances in his first season at the club.

However, it was not always so simple for the Wythenshawe-born star, who was once not even a regular in the City team. Despite making his debut in the 2019/20 campaign, Palmer played just 41 games for the Citizens managing six goals and two assists in that time.

Whilst Pep Guardiola didn’t perhaps see the potential in Palmer, or at least did not have the chance to give him an opportunity, the West Londoners did. They paid £42.5m for the attacker, and the rest is history.

City made a huge faux pas in selling Palmer, who, as Carragher said, is now one of the best in the league. Indeed, this is not a mistake that United want to make, and they could well end up doing so if they sell Garnacho.

His record at United is even better than Palmer’s was at City. He has played 112 games for the Red Devils so far, an extraordinary feat for someone just 20 years of age. In that time, Garnacho has 36 goals and assists.

Games

112

41

Minutes

6298

1483

Goals

23

6

Assists

13

2

G/A per game

0.32

0.19

Selling one of their most exciting academy products to Chelsea or City could be a big error for United. Although it has been a slow start to life under Amorim, he is obviously very talented, as his goals record from this term shows.

It would be a big risk selling the winger to a Premier League rival. United could regret it, just as their biggest rivals from East Manchester did.

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ByTom Cunningham Jan 22, 2025

USMNT's Richards ruled out for Palace match vs. Southampton, expected to return next weekend

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Crystal Palace rule Chris Richards out vs. Southampton
• USMNT defender dealing with calf issue
• Recently played 90 minutes in FA Cup win for

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has ruled out U.S. international Chris Richards from their midweek Premier League match against Southampton due to a "minor calf issue."

  The 24-year-old central defender played all 90 minutes for the in their FA Cup victory over Fulham at the weekend, with Richards putting in a stout defensive performance. However, despite not being available for selection on Wednesday against the , Richards is expected to return at the weekend against Brighton.

  "We will miss Chris Richards," Glasner said. “He is struggling a bit with his calf. It doesn’t look very serious, so we expect him to be back for Brighton at the weekend but tomorrow is too early. At the end of the game, he felt like (he had) a cramp in his calf. We thought it was cramp and this (can happen) very often after traveling, he played in LA with a nine-hour time difference and a 12-13-hour flight.

  “It’s not a heavy injury but we know we can’t take any risks. If the muscle ruptures then he’s out for four to six weeks. That wouldn’t have been a big problem in March where we had two games but now we have seven in April and we want (all) the players available.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Glasner hinted that the club recently experimented with both Tyrick Mitchell and Ben Chilwell in a back-three formation in an internal friendly match, but noted that Nathaniel Clyne and Jefferson Lerma are both more likely candidates to replace Richards for Wednesday's match.

  “This is one solution," he said. "Clyne is another solution. The third solution you will be surprised by but that is why sometimes we play (matches) internally. In this game, I tried Tyrick Mitchell inside for one half and Ben Chilwell for the second half. Jeff Lerma played in the back three so we used it to get information on what could work and how they can fit together. We got some responses, and all the responses you will see tomorrow.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Richards has started 15 of 17 matches he has played in for Palace during the Premier League this season, while logging four starts in the FA Cup – where he's recorded one assist.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  The play Southampton Wednesday as they look to move into the top-half of the Premier League table. Heading into the Matchday, they sit 12th in the standings on 39 points – nine points out of fifth-place Manchester City and a chance at European Football.