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Since making the move from Sevilla to Aston Villa last summer, Diego Carlos hasn't exactly had the best of luck, with his long-term injury at the start of last season against Everton summing things up.

Back from injury with a new season underway, and Unai Emery in the technical area, Carlos has finally been ready to take his chance at Villa Park as of late, however, featuring in all four Premier League games.

The last thing the defender will want now is another spell on the sidelines, but he may be in for exactly that after he was forced off against Liverpool.

The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell spotted a worrying sign that the defender may have suffered another injury blow.

What did Carlos do after his injury?

After Carlos was forced off in Aston Villa's frustrating 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Liverpool, Tanswell took to Twitter to reveal what he spotted on the visiting bench, saying: "Diego Carlos has just taken a seat on the bench. Still in his full kit and limping."

Of course, another injury to a defender is the last thing that Emery needs, too, given that Tyrone Mings is already set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a significant knee injury. The fact the Brazilian returned to the bench rather than staying in the dressing room for treatment could be a good sign, but his obvious limp certainly isn't.

Solving that problem, the Midlands club signed Clement Lenglet on loan late in the summer transfer window, but the Barcelona man cannot cover for two absences.

It does seem as though Villa fans can hope for the best, with Emery commenting on Carlos' injury after the game, saying, via Tanswell: "The injury of Diego Carlos (frustrated him most) It's not a big injury but it changed our gameplan."

The hope will be that the forthcoming international break gives the former Sevilla centre-back the chance to recover in time for Villa's next Premier League clash, which sees them square off against Crystal Palace.

How has Diego Carlos performed this season?

Returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Carlos has slotted in next to the likes of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa in a mixed start to the season for those at Aston Villa.

The Villans got off to a nightmare start, suffering a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United on an opening day to forget, before they bounced back in style, smashing Everton 4-0.

A 3-1 win over Burnley, followed by a 3-0 loss against Liverpool since those first two games represents an inconsistent start for Emery's side, who are still adapting to the former Arsenal manager's set-up, in an attempt to cause plenty of shocks in the Premier League this season.

The international break should hand Emery and co the crucial opportunity to solve any glaring problems with their system at Villa Park, in an attempt to stop the leak of goals against the best sides in England's top flight.

Whether Carlos will be fit enough to play a part in that tactical adjustment when domestic action returns remains to be seen, but Emery's verdict certainly seemed a positive one, given that there was plenty of cause for concern after the defender limped off.

أكد أشرف صبحي، وزير الشباب والرياضة، على ضرورة دعم الجماهير ومساندتهم للجهاز الفني لـ منتخب مصر بقيادة حسام حسن، من أجل التأهل لكأس العالم 2026.

واصل منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب الوطني حسام حسن تدريباته اليومية استعدادًا لمواجهتي بوركينا فاسو وغينيا بيساو في تصفيات المونديال.

ويستعد الفراعنة لخوض مواجهة أمام منتخب بوركينا فاسو الخميس المُقبل، على ملعب استاد القاهرة، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة من تصفيات قارة إفريقيا.

وقال أشرف صبحي في تصريحات عبر راديو “أون سبورت إف إم”: “عقدنا جلسة مع الجهاز الفني للمنتخب واللاعبين، وتحدثنا عن جاهزيتهم لمباراة بوركينا فاسو القادمة، والتذاكر اقتربت من الانتهاء، وأنا أتابع هذا الأمر يوميًا”.

طالع أيضًا | أحدها محمد صلاح.. فيتوريا يكشف عن 4 أسباب وراء خروج منتخب مصر من كأس أمم إفريقيا

ووجه وزير الرياضة الشكر لشركة “تذكرتي” على تخفيض سعر تذكرة مباراة منتخب مصر أمام بوركينا فاسو، عن أسعار مباريات الأندية.

وأكد صبحي: “قمنا بعمل مشروع ضخم لتأهيل جميع مدربي المنتخبات الوطنية، وتطويرهم من خلال البحث عن ما هو جديد في عالم كرة القدم”.

وعن أزمة روي فيتوريا، قال وزير الرياضة: “خاطبت اتحاد الكرة رسميًا، وتحدثت مع جمال علام، وبحثنا أزمة مدرب المنتخب السابق”.

واختتم: “رفضت حديثه عن مصر بهذا الشكل فى الإعلام الخارجى، وبحثت مع المسؤولين عن حل هذة الأزمة”.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has already bolstered his starting XI with the signings of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund, but could there be a few more arrivals in the coming weeks?

It’s no secret that the Dutchman is looking at bringing in another defender to Old Trafford, especially if he loses Harry Maguire to West Ham United.

Benjamin Pavard and Jean Clair-Todibo have both been linked with moves to United, yet Ten Hag might be inclined to do his shopping much closer to home…

Who could Man United sign?

Marc Guehi has emerged as a target for United according to Chris Wheeler of The Daily Mail as Ten Hag looks to end his second summer transfer window in charge of the club with a bang.

The Englishman won't come cheap, however, with a price tag in the region of £60m being placed on his head by Crystal Palace.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

It would represent one of their more expensive transfer deals, yet with his potential and the fact he already knows the Premier League, he could be the ideal candidate to replace Maguire.

Who is Manchester United’s best defender?

The Red Devils conceded just 43 Premier League goals last season, a vast improvement from the 57 they let in during the campaign before and this was the joint-second lowest total in the entire top flight.

It clearly demonstrated that Ten Hag’s methods worked wonders, although much of the improvement was down to summer arrival Lisandro Martinez, who was a rock at the back for the club before he got injured.

The Argentinian ranked third for overall Sofascore rating across the whole squad, while also ranking fifth for tackles (two), second for interceptions (1.2) and clearances (3.6) per game.

The defender even showcased his passing skills, ranking second for accurate passes per game (49.1) as he was able to transition the ball from defence to the midfield with ease, fitting in with Ten Hag’s tactical ideologies.

It's clear he was United’s best signing of the season and there is no doubt the Dutchman could land a dream partner for him in Guehi.

The Palace gem also shone during the 2022/23 season and demonstrated similar qualities to that of Martinez. He ranked first out of the Eagles squad for accurate passes per game (50.8) while averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game.

These figures are almost like for like and suggest they could forge an excellent partnership at the heart of the United defence.

His physicality could also stand him in good stead should he join United, with former teammate at England U21 level, Josef Bursik, describing him as an “absolute tank” and still aged just 23, the best years of his career could come at Old Trafford.

With four senior caps for England, the youngster is heading in the right trajectory to becoming one of the finest centre-backs in the Premier League.

Joining the Red Devils should accelerate this transition, especially if he plays alongside Martinez, who has so far claimed the title of the finest defender at the club.

The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman had scored 512 runs and effected 22 dismissals during a two-year stint with the Melbourne Renegades

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Rachel Priest will turn out for the Sydney Thunder in the third season of the Women’s Big Bash League, after two seasons with the Melbourne Renegades.”I’ve really enjoyed my time in the WBBL so far,” Priest told .”I enjoyed my time at the Melbourne Renegades but I felt it was time for a change and to move to such a professional and competitive team really excites me. I’ve played a lot against Alex Blackwell, Rachael Haynes and Rene Farrell. It’s a very exciting squad that also has a lot of young talented players.”Known for an explosive batting style, Priest scored 512 runs for the Renegades while captaining the side, and also effected 22 dismissals. She was the leading run-scorer in the 2017 edition of the Kia Super League in England with 261 runs in seven innings for Western Storm, including a century and two fifties. Her 36-ball 72 against Southern Vipers in the final helped Western Storm clinch the title by seven wickets.Her run in the Super League marked a return to form after a disappointing World Cup in June-July, where she scored 125 runs in six matches. She missed New Zealand’s tour of UAE for the series against Pakistan, with the team management asking her to work on improving her physical conditioning.Thunder, who won the inaugural edition of the WBBL, had failed to make it to the semi-finals last season. They will get their 2017-18 campaign underway against the Renegades on December 9 at North Sydney Oval.

انتقد جيمي كاراجر أسطورة ليفربول، فريق مانشستر يونايتد بعد الخسارة برباعية نظيفة من كريستال بالاس، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أمس.

وسقط مانشستر يونايتد برباعية على ملعب سالهيرست بارك ضد كريستال بالاس، ليفقد آماله في التأهل لأوروبا الموسم المقبل.

طالع أيضًا.. أرقام سلبية بالجملة لـ مانشستر يونايتد بعد السقوط أمام كريستال بالاس

وقال كاراجر في حديثه خلال تواجده بشبكة “سكاي” البريطانية: “هذا أحد أسوأ الفرق تدريبًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، هذه حقيقة لا جدال فيها”.

وأضاف: “ينخفض مستوى أداء الفريق عندما يفقد أفضل اللاعبين، ولكن تين هاج يحتاج إلى العروض الجيدة، لا يؤمن بالفريق والفريق لا يؤمن به”.

وأكمل: “من المستحيل أن تذهب الكرة إلى اللاعب دون أن يسعى لها، إريكسن ينتظر الكرة وماينو يفعل نفس الأمر، وكاسيميرو كان مثل المزحة الليلة”.

واختتم: “هذا الفريق لا يفعل شيئًا الآن، لا يقدم أي شيء، يفتقد للعديد من الأساسيات، كذلك تين هاج، تشعر وأنهم لا يؤمنون ببعضهم البعض”.

Leeds United could be set to repeat a recent transfer success of theirs, should they choose to once again sign from the Bundesliga.

Is Alexander Nubel leaving Bayern Munich?

With Daniel Farke's summer revamp having been kicked off by the signing of Ethan Amapdu, it now finally feels like the 49ers will start to exert their influence on their new club and help forge a brighter future for this struggling giant.

Dropping into the Championship last season was a gut punch to their reputation, having only spent three years back in the Premier League. However, it already seems like the new owners are planning for an instant return, with a fresh report coming from Sky Sports Germany to reaffirm the Whites' interest in Bayern Munich goalkeeper Alexander Nubel.

Whilst VfB Stuttgart seem in the lead for his signature, the report does not discount the pull of the Yorkshire team, who remain in the race despite having yet to make an offer.

The German shot-stopper is valued at €13m (£11m) by FootballTransfers.

How good is Alexander Nubel?

Having spent the last two seasons on loan at AS Monaco, as playtime at his parent club was limited given the legendary status of Manuel Neuer, the 26-year-old has proven himself more than capable of starring as a first-choice option.

After all, his 6.93 average rating last term in Ligue 1 is indicative of this, with his 71% save success rate feeding into the mammoth 3.7 stops he averages per game, via Sofascore. A tally of 24 clean sheets across his 97 appearances for the French club is an admirable one.

However, his talents reach far beyond his ability to keep the ball out of his net, as Germany's U21 coach Klaus Thomforde claimed: "You can only speak highly of Alex – he's an incredibly talented goalkeeper, with the world at his feet. He's got an extraordinary footballing ability, but he's also very down to earth and is a great lad."

In once again returning to the Bundesliga for a signing, similar to how they did by prying Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig, the Elland Road outfit could be set to repeat old successes that would all but assure their promotion next season.

After all, the USMNT international proved to be an instant hit in the engine room despite relegation, having provided a much-needed injection of pace, dynamism and defensive steel.

This was outlined through his statistics, as he posted 1.5 interceptions, 3.7 tackles, one clearance and one key pass per game, whilst maintaining an 82% pass accuracy too, via Sofascore.

His ability to break up and dictate the play was impressive, as his 6.98 average rating in the Premier League made him the club's best performer of those who had started five or more games.

Sky Sports journalist Tim Thornton sought to support this, noting back in September:

"He's done really, really well. He knows his game. When he came in, he said ‘I'm not going to be the man to replace Kalvin Phillips, I’m my own man.’ There are similarities in the way he plays with Phillips in the way that he breaks play up and screens the defence. But he's also very different in a lot of ways. So he's done brilliantly."

Given the immediate success the 24-year-old garnered, translating his form from Germany to England in a flash, perhaps Nubel could seek to emulate this switch and help alleviate an area of huge weakness for Leeds.

South Africa’s attack got overs in the legs but not many wickets in the column in their final competitive outing ahead of the four-Test series against England, which starts at Lord’s on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
File photo – Kagiso Rabada went wicketless on the final day•Getty Images

South Africa’s attack got overs in the legs but not many wickets in the column in their final competitive outing ahead of the four-Test series against England, which starts at Lord’s on Thursday. After declaring overnight on 382 for 4, South Africa’s frontline bowlers dismissed only two England Lions’ batsmen, one of whom they will come up against in the Tests.Keaton Jennings was bowled by Morne Morkel on what was a tough day for the pack. Chris Morris was the only other specialist bowler to taste some success – he had Sam Robson caught behind – while Kagiso Rabada went wicketless. Theunis de Bruyn’s medium-pace claimed the other two wickets while Vernon Philander, who is recovering from an ankle injury, sat out the match. South Africa are hopeful he will be available for the first Test.South Africa’s sole specialist spinner, Keshav Maharaj, had a decent workout and bowled 18.1 overs for 46 runs while JP Duminy also turned his arm over, albeit it expensively. His eight overs cost 51. De Bruyn bowled seven overs and had more to show than any of his team-mates. He got both Gary Ballance and Sam Billings out lbw; Ballance got his eye in ahead of the Tests with a half-century and shared a 136-run third-wicket stand with Tom Westley, who went on to score the only century of the match.Overall, South Africa may not have got all the preparation they would have hoped from the rain-affected match. They batted once and although opener Heino Kuhn, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock were among the runs, stand-in captain Dean Elgar and Duminy – whose form has been a long-term concern – did not cash in. De Bruyn, who played ahead of Aiden Markram, was out for a duck.On what appeared a placid pitch, the bowlers toiled. Particularly Rabada, whose lean patch on the tour continued. The fast bowler has managed only eight wickets in six ODIs since South Africa arrived in the UK, sat out the T20I series, and did not find his rhythm in this game, going for 59 in his 16 overs. Should Philander not to be able to take the field, it will be up to Rabada to lead South Africa’s attack, while Morris seems to be the preferred allrounder. Andile Phehluwakyo is also in the squad.South Africa travel to London on Sunday to finalise preparations for Lord’s with coach Russell Domingo back in the camp. Domingo had to return home on a family emergency last week but will oversee the team at the start of the series.

By the time legspinner Rahul Tewatia came on to bowl on Tuesday night, Kolkata Knight Riders had made their now-customary dash in the Powerplay to score 61 for 1 in a chase of 168. The seamers went for runs and, as is often the case, damage-control duties were assigned to Axar Patel, who bowled a tight seventh over. Tewatia was introduced with 104 runs needed in 13 overs. It was his first match in this year’s tournament, his previous appearance in the IPL having come in 2015.Tewatia began by conceding only four runs in his first over and did even better in the second. First, he tempted Gautam Gambhir into slogging a ball deep mid-wicket’s throat before snaring Robin Uthappa first ball courtesy Axar’s brilliance in the field. After Uthappa swatted a googly uppishly, Axar hared to his right from deep mid-wicket and flung himself to complete the catch.Knight Riders managed only two boundaries between the seventh and 14th overs, with Tewatia conceding one of those in his spell of 4-0-18-2. The seamers eventually got back their mojo and, led by Mohit Sharma and Sandeep Sharma’s cold precision at the death, ensured Kings XI clinched the game by 14 runs to keep their playoff chances alive. Mohit, who was the Man of the Match for his returns of 2 for 24, credited the spinners, especially Tewatia, for establishing a stranglehold in the middle.”The way our spinners bowled in the middle. This was the first match of the season for Rahul Tewatia and he hasn’t played too many other IPL games, overall either. His spell was the turning point,” Mohit said after the match. Axar and Tewatia later revealed to their plan to bowl slower through the air and deprive the batsmen of runs.”During the strategic time-out we had a discussion about how the pitch was playing. So you [Axar] had told me that there was some turn on offer for slower deliveries,” Tewatia said. “To Gambhir, first I bowled some sliders, and then I planned to bowl full-pitched googly. If he went to hit it then there was a chance to get a wicket. You had said that the game can change if we get one wicket.”Axar said he realised that he had to change his pace as the quicker deliveries were skidding on to the bat well: “To Gambhir, he’s always ready to play the cut and I wasn’t giving him any room at the stumps. I think he got frustrated when he didn’t get any runs.”While Kings XI had a decent cushion of 37 runs to defend in the last three overs, the biggest obstacle in their path was Chris Lynn, who eventually finished with 84 off 52 balls. After Matt Henry dismissed Manish Pandey with a slower one off the first ball of the 18th over, Lynn was run-out next ball after attempting a risky second run. Kings XI wrested control of the match thereafter as Mohit and Sandeep conceded only 14 runs off the last two overs.”Dismissing Lynn at any point in the 20 overs is important. The way he bats in T20s, it’s like he’s playing proper baseball,” Mohit said. “He never misses out on a loose ball and whenever a bowler gets his wicket, it is important. After he fell the match turned in our favour because a new batsman can’t hit shots straightaway and needs some time. And there was no time in that situation.”Mohit said it wasn’t that the Kings XI bowlers had bowled badly in the Powerplay, but that Lynn and Sunil Narine had taken them on. “If you see, they played well from the start but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t bowl well or plan properly,” he said. “After the strategic time-out we regrouped to think how Knight Riders would bat with the field spread out and then the spinners came on and bowled well and began turning the match to our side.”The pitch was a bit on the slower side but under lights, it eased out a bit. It wasn’t as dry as expected, compared to the match against Delhi Daredevils, which was a 4pm start. [With] The early start, the pitch plays out completely differently. But it’s not just about the pitch. T20 is a dot-ball game for the bowling side. So we try to bowl as many dot balls to build pressure on the batsmen and try and get wickets.”

Mauricio Pochettino officially begins work as Chelsea head coach on Saturday, but the Argentinian will no doubt already be busy giving his input with regards to transfer activity.

The Blues have already released and sold numerous players, centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly among them after joining Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in a £17m deal.

Many more are set to follow, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano suggesting long-serving defender Cesar Azpilicueta could join Inter Milan before the start of the new Premier League season.

That will leave Chelsea potentially on the lookout for cover at both centre-back and right-back, though one of their targets can tick both boxes should the smart transfer be pulled off.

Who is Chelsea target Axel Disasi?

Disasi only turned 25 in March, meaning his best years are still ahead of him, yet he already boasts 99 appearances in Ligue 1 with Reims and more recently Monaco, with whom he has spent the past three seasons.

The four-cap France international played in all 38 of Monaco's league games last season, starting all but one of those, while also starting a further eight games in the Europa League.

Most comfortable playing in the heart of defence, Disasi is also capable of shifting out to the right, where he occasionally provided cover last season.

However, while Chelsea are interested in snapping up Disasi, RMC Sport reporter Fabrice Hawkins claims Arsenal and Manchester United are also in for the €40m (£34m) defender, with the latter supposedly leading the way for his signature.

Would Axel Disasi be a good option for Chelsea?

Disasi has shown he can fill in at right-back, which is a massive bonus should Azpilicueta indeed depart, but Pochettino will no doubt consider him a replacement for Koulibaly – albeit at exactly double the price.

The Frenchman has an eye for goal, as reflected by his five goals in all competitions last season, on top of four assists. As per The Analyst, that ranks Disasi in the top 16% of all defenders for goals scored across Europe's top five leagues last season.

Similarly, he is in the top 16% for touches in the opposition box and top 21% for shots. To put those figures in some perspective, Koulibaly was in the top 35% for touches in the opposition box and 39% for shots. Azpilicueta, incidentally, was in the top 13% and 42% respectively.

A defender's first job is to defend, of course, but having the ability to cause danger when going forward is always welcome. Besides, Disasi is also more than capable of keeping the opposition out, averaging 1.86 interceptions per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, compared to 1.41 for Koulibaly.

Disasi also put his 6 foot 3 frame to good use, winning 2.56 aerial duels per 90 minutes, whereas Koulibaly – not exactly small at 6 foot 1 – won 1.83.

Just as importantly for any defender these days, Disasi (83.3%) was also similar to Koulibaly (87%) in terms of pass completion rate, meaning he can help play the ball out from the back.

As pointed out by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Disasi also has pace, athleticism, tenacity and timing, making him out as a "hidden gem" prior to his move to Monaco, one who "was born to play in England".

It may well be that he has the chance to show exactly that this coming season. Chelsea will just hope it is them, rather than Arsenal or Man United, who get there first.

Newcastle United will continue to work on a deal to sign Leicester City's talismanic midfielder James Maddison, claims journalist Rudy Galetti.

The Magpies look set to bolster their squad as they prepare for their upcoming Champions League campaign.

Newcastle United transfer news – What's the latest on James Maddison?

Despite the relegation of Leicester City last season, Maddison has been attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League this window, notably Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Newcastle United.

According to the Telegraph, the newly rich Newcastle have placed the playmaker 'at the top' of their wish list this summer, but claims of the club being front-runners are 'premature'.

The Foxes are said to have put a £60m price tag on their prized asset, which is considerably more than many expected, with the fee initially reported to be only £40m by the Athletic earlier this month.

With FFP a concern for Newcastle, the only other player linked with a move to St James Park is AC Milan star Sandro Tonali, who is set for a medical with the club in the coming days, per Fabrizio Romano.

What has Rudy Galetti said about James Maddison and Newcastle United?

Galetti was keen to point out that despite all the recent talk about Tonali, the "main target" for the Magpies has always been, and still is, James Maddison.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Newcastle don't give up for James Madison and today he remains the main target to strengthen the midfield. The Magpies are willing to pay around €40-45 million (£34-38 million) plus add-ons to convince Leicester and Tottenham are on his track as well."

Would James Maddison be a good signing for Newcastle United?

Despite the Foxes' relegation from the Premier League last season, Maddsion had a great campaign himself.

According to WhoScored, the 5 foot 9 maestro averaged an excellent rating of 7.24 across his 30 games last term.

His former boss, Brendan Rodgers, was clearly impressed by his exploits as he lauded his star midfielder upon his inclusion in England's World Cup Squad, saying:

"He's a fantastic player, one of the best in the Premier League."

His underlying numbers back up the sentiments of the Northern Irishman.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Leicester man sits in the top 1% of midfielders for non-penalty goals, total shots, assists, expected assists, shot-creating actions and touches in the opposition's penalty area, all per 90.

If Eddie Howe can land the Englishman and pair him with the tenacious Tonali, Newcastle could have one of the best midfields in the Premier League.