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Australia coach Tim Nielsen has suggested that batsman Callum Ferguson has a “big chance” of playing in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane on November 25 after an impressive start to the domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2010Australia coach Tim Nielsen has suggested that batsman Callum Ferguson has a “big chance” of playing in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane on November 25 after an impressive start to the domestic season.Ferguson cracked 129 off 143 balls in a Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at Adelaide on Saturday, an innings watched by national selector Greg Chappell. His knock increased the pressure on Test incumbents Mike Hussey and Marcus North, both of whom failed in WA’s first innings of that match.”I think he’s a big chance, runs do the talking, don’t they?” said Nielsen. “I think he’s done a tremendous job. He’s gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years. He had a real breakthrough season two years ago then unfortunately hurt his knee. He’s come back from injury and made runs whenever he’s been given the opportunity.”All he can keep doing is making sure that whenever the opportunity comes he puts his best foot forward and gets runs. There’s plenty of pressure on spots and plenty for the selectors to think about.”Both Hussey and North fell to offspinner Aaron O’Brien, who picked up four wickets as Western Australia were bowled out for 295 in their first innings and forced to follow-on. Hussey, who has scored two Test centuries in almost two years, drove his first ball straight to cover while North, who was dropped before scoring, was bowled for 10 not long afterwards.”It would be nice for him to get some runs, but we can’t panic too much,” Nielsen said of Hussey. “That [a golden duck] is going to happen in the game of cricket. The thing for ‘Huss’ would be to get a couple of really big scores to confirm in his mind that he’s back in form.”Nielsen said North, who has made five centuries from 19 Tests but averages under 38, needed to demonstrate consistency at Test level. “There’s been a lot of talk about Marcus North, for example. He’s made five Test match hundreds now – there is a lot of blokes that play 50 Test matches and don’t make five Test match hundreds.”Every chance these players get is another chance for them to push their own cause for being in that [Test] side. Marcus is coming off a Test match hundred, he played really well in the one-day game against Victoria. That’s one of the things in his favour, when he goes back to the domestic level he plays well and shows that he plays well. The challenge for us and for him is to show he can be consistent at that top level.”

Celtic are set to be boosted by the return of full-back Josip Juranovic for Thursday’s European clash with FK Bodo/Glimt, according to Kieran Devlin of The Athletic. 

The lowdown

The Hoops are due to welcome the team from Norway for the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off round tie. The winner will earn a place in the round of 16, while the loser will see their continental campaign come to an end.

Juranovic has missed Celtic’s last two matches, the 3-2 Premiership win at Aberdeen and the weekend’s Scottish Cup victory over Raith Rovers.

The latest

On The Athletic’s matchday discussion board on Sunday, a Celtic supporter asked Devlin what was ‘up’ with Juranovic.

The journalist replied that the Croatian was ruled out with an ‘illness’ but assured readers that the £16,000-per-week defender ‘will be available for Thursday’.

The verdict

Juranovic’s return is important news for Ange Postecoglou and Celtic.

The 56-year-old clearly views him as an important player, having selected him for three of the four Europa League group stage matches for which he was available, in addition to 17 league fixtures.

Furthermore, if you look at those who have played at least 10 top-flight matches for Celtic this season, he ranks as the fifth-best performer with an average SofaScore rating of 7.25/10. A return of four goals from his full-back position isn’t to be dismissed, either.

Indeed, Alan Hutton described him as the best full-back at the club following an ‘excellent’ Old Firm performance earlier this month, so it is reassuring to hear Devlin saying that Juranovic will be good to go for the visit of Bodo/Glimt.

In other news, there has also been a positive injury update on this Celtic midfielder

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a late blow ahead of the January transfer window deadline…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, a move for Wolves winger Adama Traore has fallen through at the 11th hour with the player rejecting Spurs’ offer and he’s now closing in on a switch to Barcelona instead.

“Barcelona working to sign Adama Traore from Wolves on loan with ~€35m buy option. #FCBarcelona speaking to #WWFC & 26yo. Not done yet. Spurs deal all-but over. Club-to-club talks were going positively but he wasn’t keen to play RWB,” he tweeted alongside an accompanying article.

The 26-year-old played for the LaLiga giants before moving to Aston Villa in 2015.

He looked set to join the Lilywhites after positive talks with the Old Gold hierarchy but now manager Antonio Conte has been dealt a gutting setback just days away from the transfer window closing.

Time running out

It appears as if the Italian head coach has little faith in his current wide options, particularly at right wing-back, where he has switched between Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty intermittently.

Traore would have likely been transformed into a solid option in the role, given Conte’s previous success with Victor Moses at Chelsea, where he converted the struggling attacker into a Premier League and FA Cup winner.

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The Spain international’s lack of end product makes him a weak choice to play up front but his physical and dribbling (seven successful attempts per 90) attributes would suggest that he would be quite the threat a little further back.

“He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge,” pundit Rio Ferdinand once told BT Sport (via BirminghamLive).

With just the weekend to go in the window, it seems hard to envisage sporting director Fabio Paratici and co finding an alternative in such a niche position in time.

Attention will now surely turn to getting Sofyan Amrabat and Luis Diaz over the line before Monday but even if the club does manage to secure both, which seems unlikely – it is Spurs after all – then it still falls short of Conte’s desires to sign three players in priority positions.

This latest bombshell from Ornstein will surely leave him absolutely furious as he desperately needs to bolster the squad with quality additions.

AND in other news, “Spurs are..”: Alasdair Gold drops exciting transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Sulieman Benn, the West Indies left-arm spinner, has been fined his entire match fee from the fourth ODI against South Africa after he was ordered off the field by his captain Chris Gayle

Cricinfo staff01-Jun-2010

Sulieman Benn, the West Indies left-arm spinner, has been fined his entire match fee from the fourth ODI against South Africa after he was ordered off the field by his captain Chris Gayle. Benn had upset Gayle by failing to follow his instructions, and was told he was no longer required.”The Management Group of the West Indies team met with Sulieman Benn late on Monday in relation to an on-field incident during the fourth one-day international against South Africa on Sunday, May 30 at Windsor Park, Dominica. Following the discussion, Benn accepted a fine of 100% of his match fee and the matter was closed,” a release issued by the West Indies Cricket Board said.”I actually asked him to leave the field,” Gayle had told reporters after the game. “As a captain, it was a situation like you ask a particular bowler to do it and he said he had never done certain things before. That’s why you have practice sessions, to practise. I asked him to simply bowl over the wicket. I don’t see why it should be a problem.”He wasn’t up for it and if you’re not up for it, why give that particular bowler the ball. I just see it that he [Benn] doesn’t want to take part. It was my call to actually ask him to leave and tell him that he is not needed anymore.”Benn’s behavioural issues came to a head during the Perth Test in December, when he was suspended for two ODIs following a clash with Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin.West Indies, already 0-4 down in the series, have included batsman Travis Dowlin to the squad for the fifth and final ODI to be played in Trinidad on June 3.West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), Travis Dowlin, Darren Bravo, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, Narsingh Deonarine, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Jerome Taylor, Ravi Rampaul, David Bernard, Dale Richards.

حصل فريق بايرن ميونخ على بطاقة التأهل إلى ثمن نهائي بطولة كأس ألمانيا، بعد فوزه المثير على أوجسبورج مساء اليوم.

تلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس ألمانيا، مساء الأربعاء، حيث فاز بايرن ميونخ بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدفين. أهداف مباراة بايرن ميونخ وأوجسبورج

كان أوجسبورج قد تقدم بهدف مادس فالنتين في الدقيقة التاسعة من عمر الشوط الأول، قبل أن ينجح إريك تشوبو موتينج في تسجيل هدف التعادل للبافاري في الدقيقة 27.

وفي الدقيقة 53 تمكن جوشوا كيميش من تسجيل هدف التقدم لكتيبة جوليان ناجيلسمان، قبل أن يعزز موتينج تفوق بايرن ميونخ بتسجيله الهدف الثاني له والثالث لفريقه في الدقيقة 59.

وسجل دايوت أوباميكانو هدفًا بالخطأ في مرمى فريقه، في الدقيقة 65، لتصبح النتيجة 3-2 ولكن جمال موسيالا أعاد الفارق من جديد بتسجيله الهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 74.

وأنهى ألفونسو ديفيز خماسية بايرن ميونخ بتسجيله هدفًا في الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت المحتسب بدلَا من الضائع للشوط الثاني.

Imrul Kayes provided the anchor and Mohammad Ashraful the impetus, as Bangladesh warmed up for their opening World Twenty20 encounter with the champions Pakistan by easing to a comfortable 36-run victory over Barbados at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown

Cricinfo staff27-Apr-2010Bangladesh 166 for 5 (Kayes 57) beat Barbados 130 for 3 (Hinds 50*) by 36 runs
ScorecardBarbados had wickets in hand but couldn’t mount the target•Getty ImagesImrul Kayes provided the anchor and Mohammad Ashraful the impetus, as Bangladesh warmed up for Saturday’s World Twenty20 encounter with the champions Pakistan by easing to a comfortable 36-run victory over Barbados at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.With Tamim Iqbal missing due to a hand injury, Ashraful was promoted to open alongside Kayes, having missed the recent visit of England due to a loss of form. He responded with a pugnacious 35 from 12 deliveries, as Bangladesh rushed along to 166 for 5 in their 20 overs, after being asked to bat first.Ashraful was the first to fall in the ninth over, with the score on 64, when he was caught by Alcindo Holder off Carlos Brathwaite, but Kayes pushed along to a measured 57 from 59 balls, with Aftab Ahmed (26 from 20) providing powerful support in a second-wicket stand of 53 in 34 deliveries.In reply, Barbados lost their first wicket after four balls, which Rashidi Boucher edged to Ashraful at slip, to give Mashrafe Mortaza – another man who played little part in the England series – a wicket. From that point on, Barbados never seriously threatened to chase down their target, although Bangladesh’s bowlers found breakthroughs hard to come by. The captain, Hinds, produced a 48-ball half-century, before Jonathan Carter’s 30-ball 45 not out enlivened the closing overs. But the result was never in doubt.

Poonam Raut, the India women’s team left-arm spinner, has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action, during the second Twenty20 match against England in Mumbai

Cricinfo staff08-Mar-2010Poonam Raut, the India women’s team left-arm spinner, has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action. She was reported by on-field umpires Ulhas Gandhe and S Ravi, after India’s second Twenty20 match against England, which was played on Saturday in Mumbai.Raut had returned figures of 3 for 12 in four overs during India’s victory in that match, her first wickets in Twenty20s. She has been part of the Indian team for a year now, making her debut in the one-day World Cup in Australia last March.Raut’s bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to women’s Tests, ODIs and T20Is. She will be required to submit to an independent analysis of her action by a member of the ICC panel of human movement specialists, appointed in consultation with the BCCI. This analysis must take place within 21 days from the report being received by the BCCI, and the report of the analysis should be filed with the ICC within 2 weeks of the analysis.If Raut is found to have bowled with an illegal action during the independent analysis then she will be suspended from bowling until she undertakes remedial action and reassessment. India’s next international engagement is the World Twenty20 which begins in May.

According to reports by The Sunday Mirror (via HITC), Barcelona have offered Philippe Coutinho to both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur – but the Brazilian is not interested in a move to St James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Barcelona trying to offload Coutinho

Since leaving Liverpool for the Spanish giants in 2018 in a deal worth a staggering £142m, the attacking midfielder has not hit the heights he reached whilst playing under Jürgen Klopp at Anfield.

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The 29-year-old has made 12 appearances this season in LaLiga, scoring twice and failing to supply an assist. However, each of those games has involved a substitution, as the Brazilian is yet to play a full 90-minute league match this season.

The Latest: Spurs gifted chance to sign Coutinho

According to reports by The Sunday Mirror (via HITC), Barcelona are keen to offload Coutinho on a permanent deal, and they have offered the player to both Newcastle and Tottenham in a bid to push him away from the club. However, it is believed that the midfielder is reluctant to make the move to Tyneside.

Barcelona are desperately trying to sell some players to fund a move for Manchester City attacker Ferran Torres. Coutinho’s massive wages are proving to be a barrier in this pursuit, though, as AS have reported that the Brazilian earns around €20m (£17.07m) per season, which equates to roughly £325,000 per week.

The Verdict: Wages likely too high

With Coutinho reluctant to join Newcastle, Barcelona will continue to push Spurs into a move for the player.

The 29-year-old could prove to be a fantastic addition to Antonio Conte’s side due to his vast experience in the Premier League, where he played 152 games for Liverpool and once made the PFA Team of the Season. Former Reds teammate and international colleague Roberto Firmino has previously described the Brazilian as ‘phenomenal’, claiming that he has ‘magical powers’.

Despite such praise, it seems unlikely that Spurs will pursue a move for the player, as his enormous wages could prove to be too much for the north London club, whose top earner is Harry Kane on £200,000 per week.

In other news: Paratici backed by Levy as he tries to seal Spurs agreement for ‘sensational’ £100k-per-week ace

يلتقي منتخب البرتغال، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، مع نظيره منتخب إسبانيا في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونيسيبال” مباراة المنتخبين، في الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات البطولة، في نسختها الثالثة.

ويتصدر منتخب البرتغال المجموعة الثانية برصيد 10 نقاط، بفارق نقطتين عن منتخب إسبانيا صاحب المركز الثاني.

ولا يحتاج منتخب البرتغال سوى نقطة واحدة من أجل التأهل إلى نصف النهائي، بينما يُعد الفوز هو السلاح الوحيد أمام منتخب إسبانيا للعب في المرحلة المقبلة.

مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة البرتغال وإسبانيا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية موعد مباراة البرتغال وإسبانيا

من المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 8:45 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 9:45 بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة البرتغال وإسبانيا

لن تُذاع المباراة عبر أي قناة داخل الشرق الأوسط، ويمكن متابعتها عبر التطبيق الرسمي للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “UEFA TV”. تشكيل البرتغال المتوقع أمام إسبانيا

حراسة المرمى: كوستا.

خط الدفاع: دالوت، دياز، بيريرا، كانسيلو.

خط الوسط: نيفيس، برونو فرنانديز، برناردو سيلفا، بالينيا.

خط الهجوم: رونالدو، لياو. تشكيل إسبانيا المتوقع أمام البرتغال

حراسة المرمى: سيمون.

خط الدفاع: كارفاخال، إريك جارسيا، باو توريس، ألبا.

خط الوسط: كوكي، رودري، بيدري.

خط الهجوم: سارابيا، موراتا، فيران توريس.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

An exciting Newcastle United transfer update has emerged, regarding Lille centre-back Sven Botman…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Magpies are ‘exploring’ the possibility of a deal and the Ligue 1 outfit could be tempted to cash in on him the January window.

He Tweeted: “Newcastle United exploring possibility of signing Sven Botman from Lille in Jan. #LOSC want to keep defender until summer but may consider sale if exceptional offer arrives. 21yo among leading #NUFC targets but would take big fee + salary.”

Excitement

Newcastle fans will surely be excited by this update as it shows the club are serious about going out and signing a top defender to bolster the squad.

Whether or not they will be able to get the deal done or not remains to be seen, but this update – at the very least – shows that PIF mean business and are prepared to pursue high-end players in January.

Botman falls under this category due to the nature of his performances for Lille in the last 18 months and the potential he still has. Last season, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.08 as they won the Ligue 1 title and he played in 37 of their 38 league matches.

This term, he has averaged a score of 6.93 in ten appearances while winning an impressive 68% of his duels and completing 86% of his passes. These statistics from the last two campaigns show that he has been a consistent performer at the back and been able to maintain a high level in the French top-flight, suggesting that he has the ability to come across to the Premier League and succeed if he can adjust to English football.

At the age of just 21, he also has plenty of room left for growth and development. He has time on his side to improve as a player and reach the very top of the game, having already achieved plenty before turning 22 – winning a league title and becoming a regular for Lille.

This is why Newcastle fans will be beaming with excitement that the club are targeting him. He could be a superb addition to Eddie Howe’s squad in the short-term, given his performances in France, and long-term, because of his potential. Thus, PIF must work hard to get a deal over the line in January.

AND in other news, PIF must seal NUFC deal for “unbelievable” £25m “warrior” who “plays like a soldier”…