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Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills has admitted that he is concerned about Diego Llorente’s injury problems, claiming that it could be a long-term issue.

The Lowdown: Llorente out injured again

The Whites are having to make do without the Spaniard at the moment after he limped out of the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool earlier this month.

Llorente once again went off with a hamstring issue – the third time in his last 17 games that it has happened – as his time at Elland Road continues to be frustrating.

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The Latest: Mills admit concerns

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills admitted that it is a worry and could be an ongoing problem for the centre-back. He said:

“Sometimes you have to start looking at the body. Is that a symptomatic injury that suggests there’s something more serious underline? Whether that be his back being out of line or an imbalance somewhere else. That’s a better way to look at it.

“His load will be managed and he’ll be well looked after so maybe there’s something else in the body that is throwing it out of balance and they haven’t found it yet.”

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The Verdict: Becoming a problem

Llorente is an excellent defender when he is fit and firing – he was exceptional in the win at Manchester City last season, for example – but he is an injury-plagued figure and that is becoming a real issue.

It is vital that Marcelo Bielsa has a reliable centre-back pairing week in, week out to bring stability to his team and help it regain its form as an overall unit.

Instead, Llorente’s problems, coupled with Robin Koch also picking up an injury and Pascal Struijk being suspended, means that such defensive stabiltiy isn’t happening.

The 28-year-old is worth persevering with for now given the level of performance he can reach, but patience is beginning to wear thinner.

In other news, some Leeds fans have reacted to a club post regarding one player. Read more here.

Taking to Twitter, Manchester United journalist Samuel Luckhurst has made a transfer claim involving West Ham United star Declan Rice.

The Lowdown: Rice in summer exit links…

Over the summer, exit links surrounded the Irons favourite after news emerged of two rejected offers of a new deal at West Ham.

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Indeed, reliable outlets like The Evening Standard and The Guardian reported of Rice’s refusal to pen fresh terms at Rush Green, with the England star also wanting to be informed of any bids for him.

Alas, a move away during the most recent window eventually came to nothing, but there is heavy interest in a move next year from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United (90min).

The Latest: Journalist makes firm Rice claim…

Taking to social media and sharing his article for Manchester Evening News, Luckhurst has made a firm claim involving Rice and the Red Devils.

He believes that an Old Trafford swoop for the 22-year-old is ‘inevitable’ next year and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have settled on him as their prime midfield target.

“#mufc have settled on Declan Rice as their prime midfield target,” he explained, adding: “Midfield move inevitable next year.”

In his article, Luckhurst also explains that Manchester United chiefs have already discussed the possible frameworks of a deal to bring Rice to Old Trafford next summer.

The Verdict: West Ham braced?

It is also believed that Rice is still unlikely to pen a new deal as it stands (Manchester Evening News), so next summer will certainly be an interesting but nervy time for Irons supporters.

Arguably the last thing they want is to face the prospect of losing a real fan favourite and one of manager David Moyes’ key players.

After a sensational Euro 2020 tournament with England, one which prompted former Three Lions boss Fabio Capello to call him ‘phenomenal’, the 22-year-old has only continued his fine form at club level. Averaging a quite brilliant 94.9% pass accuracy in midfield so far in the Premier League, Rice also tops West Ham’s charts in terms of interceptions, making a robust 2.3 per game (WhoScored).

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder that Manchester United have earmarked him as a number one target and will likely swoop next year.

In other news: Agent lifts lid on West Ham interest in 63-goal striker, makes deadline day claim…find out more here.

Daniel Vettori performed his familiar rescue act with bat and ball as most of New Zealand’s batsmen again struggled at the SCG

Cricinfo staff15-Nov-2008
Scorecard
Daniel Vettori was in good batting form in Bangladesh recently and he posted another half-century at the SCG © AFP
Daniel Vettori performed his familiar rescue act with bat and ball as most of New Zealand’s batsmen again struggled at the SCG. Vettori finished off the New South Wales innings and then had batting support from Daniel Flynn but that was about it on a day when Moises Henriques destroyed the top order with 5 for 29.New Zealand were undermanned once again; the ill Jesse Ryder did not bat and Brendon McCullum, who had battled back problems, dropped down the order to No. 7. When rain forced an early stumps, McCullum was on 5 and Vettori was unbeaten on 61 but the visitors had at least claimed a lead of 62 runs with their score on 5 for 157.The efforts of Vettori and Flynn were especially important after Henriques rattled the visitors by taking 3 for 0 from 11 balls shortly after lunch. It left New Zealand at 4 for 35 and there was a slim chance they would fail to make New South Wales bat again.But the pair combined for a 113-run fifth-wicket partnership that eventually ended when Flynn was caught at slip off Henriques for 55. It continued a terrific match for the allrounder Henriques, who posted his maiden first-class half-century on the second day and has a chance to register his best bowling in an innings when play resumes on the final morning.New South Wales will be hoping to finish off the New Zealanders as quickly as they themselves were bundled out in the first session. But the home side did manage to add 52 to their overnight score as Steven Smith (68) copied Henriques in passing fifty for the first time.Smith was the last man out, caught behind by Aaron Redmond, who retained the gloves with McCullum off the field. Vettori ended up with 4 for 71 but New Zealand need his team-mates to also find form ahead of the first Test, which begins in Brisbane on Thursday.

Following the MCC’s recommendation to the ICC to reverse the result of the controversial Oval Test of 2006 between England and Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to wait for the ICC’s reaction before taking action

Cricinfo staff29-Oct-2008The PCB will wait on an ICC reaction to the MCC’s recommendation that the game’s governing body reverse the result of the controversial Oval Test of 2006 between England and Pakistan.The Test was initially forfeited by Pakistan but the ICC changed the result to a draw at an executive board meeting in July following pressure from the PCB. The series result was hence changed from 3-0 to 2-0 in favour of England.”It is an issue between the ICC and the MCC and we are not a direct party in this case,” Saleem Altaf, the PCB’s director-general, told the . “We will see how the ICC reacts to the MCC ruling and then decide our course of action.”Earlier, Tony Lewis, the chairman of the MCC’s cricket committee, said the ICC’s decision to alter the result of the game would set a “dangerous precedent and cricket would only be worse off for this decision”. He challenged the ruling, claiming the ICC had “no power under the laws of cricket to decide that results should be altered, whether it feels it’s ‘inappropriate’ or otherwise.”Pakistan were accused of ball-tampering by umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove, leading then captain Inzamam-ul-Haq to stage a protest and refusing to play after tea on the fourth day. Hair and Doctrove, under the laws, correctly ruled the no-show as a forfeit. Inzamam was later cleared of the ball-tampering charges but was banned for four matches for bringing the game into disrepute.Hair was voted off the ICC’s elite panel of umpires in November 2006 and tried to subsequently sue the ICC for racial discrimination. He eventually dropped the charge and was reinstated to top-level umpiring earlier this year. However, soon after, he resigned from the ICC’s elite panel.

Former professional footballer Carlton Palmer has hailed Chelsea’s decision to re-sign Romelu Lukaku in a £97.5m deal, but says Manchester United should never have sold him.

Lukaku completed his return to Chelsea last week from Serie A champions Inter Milan, penning a five-year contract with the Blues.

In his two seasons with Inter Milan, Lukaku was in unbelievable form, scoring 64 goals in all competitions and providing a further 16 assists, and with that took his overall career tally to 259 goals and 85 assists.

On re-joining Chelsea, Carlton Palmer exclusively told Football FanCast: “I think it’s a magnificent signing for Chelsea, he comes back a man, you’ve seen him for the national team, you’ve seen him for Inter Milan, he just scores goals, he’s a nightmare, he can back into you, he can roll, he can run down the side.

“He is a great lone striker, a great striker in a two, I would never have sold him at Man United, never ever sold him.”

Lukaku became Chelsea’s second signing of the summer after the Stamford Bridge outfit also signed Marcus Bettinelli from Fulham on a free transfer.

Chelsea had success in Europe last season, as they were crowned UEFA Champions League winners after beating Manchester City 1-0 in Porto and also finished fourth in the Premier League table.

But the Blues were the lowest scorers of the teams that finished in the top four, scoring 58 goals last term, so it’s no surprise they have chosen to break the bank in order to bring the Belgium international back to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Everton head into their opening Premier League clash of the season next week with a lot of preparation still to undertake.

At the moment, the Toffees don’t look ready for an assault on the top six in the top-flight and could be left behind very quickly by their nearest rivals.

On the chalkboard

Rafa Benitez has had a rather quiet transfer window with just three signings being made in the shape of Asmir Begovic, Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend.

However, there are still plenty of areas in the squad that need to be addressed before the window closes.

Whether James Rodriguez departs is a contentious point of debate but he’s not the only one linked with the exit door.

Andre Gomes could face a departure while Tom Davies has been touted with a move away as well.

Davies has come through the club’s academy and for that, he deserves very special praise. However, if he does go he should be fairly easy to replace.

The solution

If Davies or anyone in the Everton midfield heads for the departure lounge in the remaining weeks of the window, Benitez should move for Andre-Frank Zambo-Anguissa.

The Fulham midfielder could be on the move after the Cottagers were relegated back in May and the Toffees are one of the interested parties.

He’s previously been quoted at £25m which would be a mere snip for such a well-rounded footballer.

Instantly, Benitez would secure an upgrade on Davies who has failed to really take his game to the next level over the last year.

The 23-year-old failed to score all season and put in some rather lightweight performances in the middle of the park. He made just 1.2 tackles per game from a defensive point of view but his offensive play was also lacking.

Davies only registered 0.2 key passes per game and recorded 0.7 dribbles a match.

Zambo-Anguissa, on the other hand, is a monster in several phases. Described as a “machine” by Joachim Andersen, the Cameroon international made a whopping 2.2 successful tackles last season.

What sets him apart from others in his position is mesmeric dribbling. Zambo-Anguissa’s ball carrying is elite, making 2.7 dribbles per outing.

That means that the Fulham star completed 95 dribbles in the Premier League during the 2020/21 campaign, the third-best tally in the entire division behind Allan Saint-Maximin and Adama Traore.

On that evidence, he’d be a fantastic signing from Marcel Brands and co. He is a certified upgrade on others in the Everton squad.

AND in other news, Everton may repeat Lacina Traore howler by signing 83-cap gem Rafa compared to Shearer…

An update has emerged on Aston Villa’s pursuit of West Brom youngster Finn Azaz…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Finn Azaz from rivals West Brom on a free transfer. The Villans are poised to bring the midfielder in before sending him straight back out on loan to Newport County in the Football League.

The Baggies confirmed that they had offered a contract extension to the youngster earlier this month, but he now appears set to reject their proposal in order to seal a switch to Villa Park.

Louie Barry 2.0

Dean Smith could be about to land the new Louie Barry in bringing Azaz to the club. Villa snapped Barry up for £900k from Barcelona in 2020, but he had previously been on the books at The Hawthorns and now looks to be one who got away for them, following his impressive goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup for Villa last season – showing off the potential he has.

Despite being 20, Azaz racked up 41 appearances in all competitions for Cheltenham on loan last season. He played 37 times in League Two, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.59 as a starter in central midfield. Whilst this may not standout as an impressive standard of performance, it does show that he was able to play regularly at a decent level in spite of his previous inexperience.

Gloucestershire Live journalist Jonathan Palmer labeled the midfielder as a real talent and highlighted his ability to be creative in the number 10 position behind the striker/s. 

“Finn Azaz is operating in a ‘number 10’ role supporting two centre forwards and has excelled so far. He has plenty of tricks and flicks in his locker but has already shown progress regarding when to try things and when to keep it simple.

“His ability has shone through since pre-season and he looks a real talent based on his early competitive appearances.”

This shows that he did show signs of quality throughout his loan spell and that he could be a player to watch out for in the future. Therefore, he could end up becoming a great prospect, like Barry, and be another academy product Villa are able to swoop up to leave West Brom ruining their luck.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Grealish: Dean Smith must unleash 6 ft 1 gem who could be Villa’s game-changer…

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras saiu atrás do placar, mas conseguiu a virada contra o Novorizontino e abriu uma boa vantagem nas quartas de final do Paulistão. Os atacantes Borja e Róger Guedes marcaram no segundo tempo e foram os principais responsáveis pelo triunfo. Confira as notas do jogo:

NOVORIZONTINO

7,0
Michael
Sem culpa nos gols, sua atuação impediu uma goleada alviverde.

6,5
Moacir
Apresentou bom entrosamento com Roberto.

7,0
Domingues
Salvou um gol de Willian e foi muito seguro.

6,0
Diego Sacoman
Cometeu algumas falhas de posicionamento.

6,0
João Lucas
Teve disposição, mas foi tímido na hora de decidir.

6,0
Eder
Forte na marcação, mas fraco na distribuição da bola.

7,0
Doriva
Bela partida. Tanto na marcação como no apoio. Quase fez um belo gol.

6,0
Fernando Gabriel
Começou bem, mas perdeu ritmo.

7,5
Roberto
O melhor do time. Passou por cima de Egídio.

5,5
Everaldo
Sem inspiração.

6,5
Henrique
Teve um bom primeiro tempo, mas cansou na etapa final.

6,0
Henrique Santos
Entrou para melhorar a marcação.

6,0
Alexandro
Perdeu uma grande chance de marcar. Errou a cabeçada.

5,5
Caíque
Foi pouco visto em campo.

7,0
Silas
Diante do campeão brasileiro, colocou o time no ataque.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasBorja volta a marcar, Verdão vence o Novorizontino e fica próximo da semiPalmeiras02/04/2017PalmeirasNúmeros da Bola: Estatísticas de Novorizontino 1×3 PalmeirasPalmeiras02/04/2017

PALMEIRAS
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6,0
Fernando Prass
Bola passa entre as pernas no lance do gol do Novorizontino, mas não foi o maior culpado. Fez uma defesa difícil no segundo tempo.

6,0
Fabiano
Parou os avanços pelo seu setor com desarmes ou faltas. Pouco acrescentou quando subiu ao ataque.

6,0
Mina
Não se complicou na marcação e rebateu o perigo. Como de costume, foi ao ataque, tentou até uma bicicleta e participou do lance do segundo gol.

5,0
Edu Dracena
Tentou antecipar e acabou perdendo o lance para Roberto, que avançou e abriu o placar. Não comprometeu em outros lances.

5,0
Egídio
Acertou o travessão logo no início do jogo. Depois, errou praticamente tudo que tentou e deu espaços atrás.

6,0
Felipe Melo
Conseguiu desarmar no meio de campo e não comprometeu nas saídas de bola. Levou um cartão amarelo injusto.

7,0
Róger Guedes
Atuou aberto pelo lado direito, criou as jogadas e ajudou na marcação. No fim, marcou, subiu no alambrado e recebeu o segundo cartão amarelo.

6,5
Dudu
Estava um pouco sumido e errou passe no lance que originou o gol do Novorizontino. Apareceu dentro da área para empatar o jogo.

6,0
Tchê Tchê
Também teve uma atuação discreta pelo meio. Tentou clarear as jogadas com passes e lançamentos.

6,0
Willian
Foi parado com faltas pela esquerda. Chamou o jogo na etapa inicial , mas caiu de produção no segundo tempo e foi o primeiro a ser substituído.

7,0
Borja
Movimentou-se e incomodou os zagueiros adversários, mas perdeu muitas chances. Depois, aproveitou a sobra na área e fez o gol da virada.

5,5
Keno
Foi o primeiro a entrar e buscou as jogadas individuais, mas perdeu muitas bolas. Pouco acrescentou ao ataque palmeirense.

5,5
Michel Bastos
Entrou no lugar de Dudu e pouco pegou na bola durante os cerca de 20 minutos que esteve em campo.

6,5
Erik
Entrou aos 39 do segundo tempo e, cinco minutos depois, cruzou para Róger Guedes completar e marcar o terceiro do Palmeiras.

6,5
Eduardo Baptista
Time sofreu um gol após falhas, mas teve calma para reverter o placar. Palmeiras dominou no segundo tempo e leva boa vantagem.

Some Everton fans have been reacting to a transfer update involving Rodrygo.

As per a report from earlier in the week from Spain, which has since been shared by Toffee TV on their Twitter page, the Goodison Park faithful are one of three teams that are interested in signing the Real Madrid ace in the summer window, along with both Napoli and Sevilla.

The 20-year-old is a very exciting prospect, having already played in 59 games in total for Los Blancos over the last two consecutive seasons, scoring nine goals and making a further 11 assists (Transfermarkt).

He has also been capped at senior level for Brazil despite his age, playing alongside the likes of Neymar, Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Jesus.

Of course, signing Rodrygo would be quite the coup for the Merseyside club, but currently valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, there may be some doubts over whether they can actually afford him.

Everton fans on Rodrygo transfer update

These Toffees supporters gave some fairly mixed reactions as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Now we’re talking”

Credit: @bluetom_tom

“Ancelotti deserves to move back some things for us, such as signing this young man’s contract.”

Credit: @toffees_tiger

“He will be part of Richarlison deal”

Credit: @Miksharples

“Lol, aren’t we skint?”

Credit: @1878_Shirts

“We can’t afford him & they won’t want to sell one of their best young players”

Credit: @Jay_No_Z

“Better not be a swap for Richarlison”

Credit: @TomWalshy77

In other news, find out what transfer update has been slammed by Blues here!

Luke Edwards has cast doubt over when the potential takeover of Newcastle United could be completed by.

The Lowdown: Claims launched

Mike Ashley has launched two separate claims against the Premier League, including the arbitration case that is set to take place this month, over the failed takeover deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

There is also the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) claim, but the results of the arbitration hearing will likely determine whether the takeover bid can be pushed forward, and at what pace.

The Latest: Edwards claim

Edwards, a football journalist who works for The Daily Telegraph and has been following the latest takeover developments, has claimed that ‘there is no way’ that the potential takeover could be completed before the start of next season or at the close of the summer transfer window.

Earlier reports had suggested the opposite.

This is because if Ashley wins arbitration, then, as per Edwards, ‘all it will do’ is restart the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT), which can be a lengthy process.

The Verdict: Possible but difficult

It is certainly possible that the potential takeover could be completed before the new 2021/22 season starts, although as Edwards suggests, it would be very difficult.

There is not a definitive timescale over how long the arbitration proceedings will take, and even then if Ashley gets a positive result, he will have to go through the ODT all over again.

Full cooperation would be needed with the top flight in order for the process to be sped up, and with the summer transfer window also in the mind at St. James’ Park, the timings would be extremely tight.

In other news, find out the latest Mark Douglas has dropped from those close to the potential takeover here!