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Celtic are looking to bring two further wide attacking additions to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that a Celtic source has revealed that Ange Postecoglou is hoping to make Benfica winger Jota a permanent part of his first-team squad this month, in addition to signing another wide forward before the end of the current transfer market – with one of the 56-year-old Bhoys manager’s targets for the position reported to be Nimes winger Zinedine Ferhat.

However, a recent report by French media outlet RMC Sport claimed that the Bhoys will face a stern battle for the forward this month, as reigning Ligue 1 championship LOSC Lille have now entered the race for the 28-year-old’s signature – while both Montpellier and Saint-Etienne are also believed to be interested in the Algeria international.

Postecoglou must move

Considering just how impressive Ferhat has proven he can be in one of Europe’s big five leagues, it would indeed appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to do all he can to seal a deal for the 28-year-old this month, despite the setback of LOSC Lille’s interest in the forward.

Indeed, over his 33 Ligue 1 appearances in Nimes’ 2020/21 campaign, the £4.05m-rated winger was in remarkable form for the Les Crocodiles, scoring six goals, providing ten assists – with only Memphis Depay setting up more goals that season – and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £13k-per-week winger earn a rather extraordinary seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him by far and away as his side’s best performer in the top flight of French football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Ferhat would make a near-perfect addition to Postecoglou’s current options out wide, particularly considering the fact that the forward would more than likely be available on a cut-price deal this winter – as his current contract at the Costieres Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season.

However, Lille’s reported interest in the 28-year-old will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Celtic’s chances of landing the Algerian this January, as the champions of France will not only be able to offer Ferhat a bigger wage packet than the Bhoys, but they can also offer him the lure of Champions League football.

In other news: “Advanced stage..”: Joseph drops huge transfer update that’ll have Celtic fans buzzing

Ryan Sidebottom is set to fly home from the England tour of Bangladesh, after failing to recover from a thigh injury, and he could yet be joined on the plane by Stuart Broad and Graham Onions, both of whom are being sent for MRI scans on their lower back, as the England camp was hit by a wave of injuries ahead of the third ODI in Chittagong.Sidebottom produced an off-colour performance in the first ODI in Dhaka, before being replaced by the spinner James Tredwell for the second, having aggravated a thigh injury he sustained after landing on the boundary rope during the opening Twenty20 in Dubai last month. He will be replaced in the Test squad by the Yorkshire paceman, Tim Bresnan, who took the new ball in Sidebottom’s absence on Tuesday.For Sidebottom this is the latest in a long line of injuries which have hampered him since his peak in early 2008 when he was England’s leading bowler. He was first struck down with an Achilles problem later that summer against South Africa before picking up a side strain in India. He then played against West Indies, in Barbados, when he was clearly unfit before recovering to be selected for the World Twenty20 last year. On England’s recent tour in South Africa he also picked up a side strain while with the performance squad, but was recalled for the final Test in Johannesburg.Arguably, though, it is Broad’s condition that is causing the management the greatest concern, given how integral he has become to England’s teams in all three forms of the game. He could barely walk when he arrived in the team hotel after a delayed flight from Dhaka on Wednesday evening, and England’s coach Andy Flower, confirmed he had injured the facet joint in his lower back.”There has been a lot happening at the moment, Flower said. “Sidebottom has pulled a side muscle and will be going home on Saturday after the one-dayers have finished. He won’t be fit for the Test matches so he has to go home.”We also have concerns over Broad and Onions. Broad injured something in his back in the last ODI and Onions is also struggling with something in his back. Both of them are having MRI scans tomorrow and we will know more about their results tomorrow afternoon.”Although neither Broad nor Onions has yet been ruled out of the forthcoming Test series, which gets underway on March 12, England have already taken precautions by calling the Middlesex and Lions seamer, Steven Finn, into the squad for the remainder of the tour. England were already without their leading quick, James Anderson, who was rested from this tour due to his ongoing knee problem.”I am delighted to be given such a fantastic opportunity,” Finn said. “To be called up to the full England side is a real honour for me, and I am really excited to be joining up with squad over in Bangladesh.”Whether I get to play any matches over there remains to be seen, however the opportunity alone to train with the squad and impress in front of the coaching team is a fantastic enough experience for me. Whilst I am coming in as cover for the bowling unit, I intend to work as hard as I can and enjoy the experience of being around the England squad and coaching staff.”Finn caught the eye of Flower during the same net session where Ajmal Shahzad was spotted when the performance squad trained with the full team in Pretoria before Christmas. Shahzad made his debut in the second Twenty20 against Pakistan, in Dubai, taking two wickets in his first over and will contest the vacant slot for the final ODI on Friday with Liam Plunkett.

The new cricketing and educational facility, developed and funded by the non-profit Sport for Life! foundation, the UK government and international cricketing authorities has been opened at the Mirpur International Cricket Stadium

Cricinfo staff17-Mar-2010

The new cricketing and educational facility, developed and funded by the non-profit Sport for Life! foundation, the UK government and international cricketing authorities has been opened at the Mirpur International Cricket Stadium in Pakistan.The Pakistan government is supporting the venture, which will provide sport, education and healthy lifestyle training to disadvantaged children aged between 10 and 16 years who are failing to reach their potential. The centre will also have a state-of-the-art IT suite where the children will be able to have additional lessons in various subjects, as well as cricket coaching provided in association with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).As well as providing exciting new education facilities the centres will give young people, who may otherwise be vulnerable to negative influences, a set of positive role models.The project is supported by some of Pakistan’s greatest cricketing role models, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan, as well as the PCB, the ECB and the ICC.Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said, “Cricket plays a key role in Pakistani society. Sport for Life! Pakistan gives us the opportunity to expand that role and help many children in the country who could be making more of their lives. Mirpur is a tremendous facility and Sport for Life! Pakistan will ensure that it fulfills its purpose as a centre for community activity as well to host world class cricket matches.”Lord Richard Newby, UK Director of Sport for Life! Inc, said the initiative had the potential to fundamentally change the lives of many children both in Kashmir and across Pakistan. “We are immensely grateful to our sponsors for getting us to this point,” Newby said. “We will now be looking for additional resources both internationally and domestically, to enable the project to develop and expand.”Sport for Life! plans to develop more centres in Rawalpindi and other parts of Pakistan. The foundation will continue to sustain the initiative through a combination of internal and external, private, public and philanthropic donations.

Western Australia has kept their dreams of a Champions League Twenty20 berth alive with a comfortable 24-run win over Victoria at the WACA

Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2010
Scorecard
Luke Pomersbach helped Western Australia set up their victory•Getty Images

Western Australia have kept their dreams of a Champions League Twenty20 berth alive with a comfortable 24-run win over Victoria at the WACA. In a low-scoring affair on a sluggish pitch, bereft of grass, it was the Warriors’ bowlers who dominated proceedings to stifle the Bushrangers’ pursuit of 153.It was the type of track where scoring would get progressively harder as the ball got softer, and the Bushrangers dug themselves into a huge hole at 2 for 27 after six overs. Firstly Brad Knowles (3 for 20) and then Man-of-the-Match Ashley Noffke (2 for 23) summed up the conditions well using a mixture of pace and slower ball bouncers to foil the Bushrangers artillery in Brad Hodge, Matthew Wade, and David Hussey.Aaron Heal (2 for 20) then continued his superb form, spinning the ball sharply to claim big-hitters Cameron White and Dwayne Bravo with miscues, to leave the Victorian tail with too much to do and too little time to do it.Earlier the Warriors had given the Bushrangers a blueprint of how their innings should’ve been approached. The WA openers Wes Robinson (34) and Shaun Marsh (19) raced to 51 after six overs before Victoria reeled them back through the left-arm orthodox of Jon Holland (2 for 27). Dirk Nannes’ second spell was arguably the best of the day removing the dangerous Luke Ronchi and Luke Pomersbach at a cost of just five runs in two overs to pull the Warriors innings to a grinding halt at 5 for 152.It was a score that seemed below par given the electric start but the Bushrangers proved the formula of ‘runs on the board’ is still a key in any form of limited-overs cricket by mistiming their run chase badly to fall 24 short at the close.The result catapulted the Warriors to second on the table, despite losing their first two matches, while Victoria are in danger of missing the finals for the first time in this competition’s history.

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Admirar e aprender. Marcos Guilherme relata que essa tem sido a sua rotina no São Paulo. Aos 22 anos, o meia-atacante, formado nas categorias de base do Atlético-PR, diz ter uma motivação além de estar vestindo a camisa do time de infância: ter como companheiros Hernanes, Cueva e Pratto.

– Parece até mentira, mas olhar para o lado e ver Cueva, Hernanes e Lucas Pratto, além de outros grandes atletas do nosso elenco, é especial. Tenho aprendido bastante com eles, porque são jogadores experientes. Nos treinos e nos jogos, os três me aconselham, conversam e ajudam – contou.

Dois desses três já o ajudaram a sentir uma emoção peculiar: balançar as redes em clássicos. Contra o Palmeiras, Marcos Guilherme aproveitou passe de Pratto para abrir o placar na derrota por 4 a 2, no Allianz Parque. No último sábado, em um Pacaembu apenas com torcedores são-paulinos, o meia-atacante encobriu o goleiro Vanderlei, concluindo lançamento longo e preciso de Hernanes, na vitória tricolor por 2 a 1 sobre o Santos.

– É uma emoção muito grande. Fazer gol já é bom. Em clássico, é melhor ainda. Estou feliz pelo gol e, principalmente, pela vitória. Eu já tinha feito um contra o Palmeiras, fora de casa, mas poder comemorar com a nossa torcida foi marcante – comentou o camisa 23.

Com cinco gols em 15 jogos no São Paulo, Marcos Guilherme, que chegou ao clube em julho e tem contrato até o fim de 2018, vibra com a segunda vitória consecutiva da equipe. E planeja ampliar essa sequência diante do Atlético-GO, neste sábado, em Goiânia.

– É um momento importante da equipe. Nosso maior desafio era vencer bem o clássico para manter a performance da rodada anterior. Fizemos isso contra Flamengo e Santos, e agora a nossa meta é seguir com este bom nível e em crescimento nos próximos jogos.

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Brett Lee is unsure what his body will allow him to do next

Peter English17-Nov-2009

Lee’s latest setbacks

2006-07
Tears ankle ligaments in New Zealand, misses 2007 World Cup
2008-09
Suffers giardia during India tour
Broken foot leads to more surgery
2009
Side strain rules him out of first three Tests of Ashes tour and not picked for final two
2009-10
Elbow problem sends him home from India one-day series and recurs in Sydney on Sunday

Self-belief has been one of Brett Lee’s best assets along with extreme speed. Throughout his Test career, which began with a wicket in his first over, Lee has known what was going to happen next, whether it be achieving a milestone or pin-pointing a date for his return from a well-managed injury. This time, coming to the end of an awful year, he is unsure what his body will allow him to do next.The bone spur problem in his right elbow means he will probably face surgery and be out for up to three months, ending his chances of appearing in a Test this summer. Previously he would have accepted the setback with a grimace and headed for the surgeon, physio and fitness trainer to plot a way back.Following his recovery from foot surgery at the start of the year came a side strain that kept him out of the Ashes in the middle of it, and with this latest problem he is starting to doubt whether he will play a 77th Test or take a 311st wicket. His last appearance was at the MCG last December when he limped off to the surgeon.”At this point in time I do not need to make a call,” he said at the SCG. “I still want to play for Australia but that all depends on how the operation takes place and then how the fitness is and how much I want it.” He finds the prospect of not playing Test cricket “scary and challenging”, but as he accepts this injury his mind switches from being desperate to play on to thinking about signing off.Desire has never been a problem before, not when he thought his career was over after breaking the same elbow in 2001, or when he was sitting behind Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Stuart Clark in the pecking order during the fourth Ashes Test in Leeds. He was fit, ready and shattered when the team was named, but he still wanted to field under a baggy green. Now he craves – and needs – a break.”I have had setbacks before and I can’t see why I cannot come back from this, but I also, to be honest, need to get away from the game for a little while to work out what my future holds,” he said. “I want to have this forced rest and if surgery needs to happen that means anything from six to 12 to 14 weeks away from the game, which would be the perfect opportunity for me to get away from everything and work out what I want from cricket.”He sounded like Shaun Tait when he stepped off the international circuit due to mental and physical exhaustion caused by the depression of so many comebacks. It won’t just be care for Lee’s 33-year-old body that will be needed over the next couple of months.Another issue pecking at him has been being away from his young son Preston for the long periods demanded of a player wanting to appear in all forms of the game. Since the start of last year’s India tour Lee has been troubled by personal problems as well as fitness ones.”The hardest things for me over the past 12 months were getting injured during the Ashes but, most importantly, being six months away from my little boy, that has been really tough,” he said. “They are all things I need to weigh up.” Don’t expect him to be flying out of Sydney any time soon.While any comeback will be subject to a number of fitness and family conditions, one thing is not negotiable. “If I can’t bowl fast then I won’t bowl,” he said. His job has led his body to this rickety condition but he has always refused to follow the method of Dennis Lillee, who extended his career by slowing down and focussing on swing and seam.For Lee it has always been about speed. “When you try to bowl 155kph for over 16 or 17 years, there is a lot of wear and tear on the body,” he said. “I will try to get the elbow right.”If I don’t play another game for Australia or play another game of cricket again then yes, I am very pleased with what I have achieved. It’s more than I would ever had expected at the age of 10. But I still think there is a lot of cricket left in me yet, which is why I am not making any call on my future.”

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Clayson foi peça fundamental nas duas últimas rodadas do Campeonato Brasileiro, quando fez gols contra São Paulo e Cruzeiro que garantiram empates em 1 a 1 e dois pontos que mantiveram em oito pontos a distância do Corinthians para o Santos, atual vice-líder na tabela de classificação. Apesar da boa fase, o camisa 25 ainda não é considerado titular da equipe de Fábio Carille, que vê Jadson e Romero à frente desde o primeiro semestre.

No próximo dia 11, quando o Brasileirão será retomado, Clayson deve começar jogando porque Romero está suspenso pelo terceiro cartão amarelo. Será mais uma chance para o único reforço corintiano do segundo semestre mostrar serviço e brigar pela titularidade. Atributos para isso ele garante que tem.

-Estou bem tranquilo. O Carille conhece bem o elenco que tem na mão. Estou tranquilo, trabalhando e buscando meu espaço. Ele sabe que na hora que quiser contar comigo, vai poder contar. Deixamos para ele decidir isso. Estou trabalhando e preparado para quando a oportunidade aparecer não escapar. Desde que cheguei eu deixei bem claro que posso jogar em qualquer posição do meio para frente. Para mim é indiferente, não escolho lugar, tenho que estar preparado- discursa Clayson, que ainda foi elogiado pela personalidade ao bater o pênalti no empate do fim de semana, no Mineirão.

-Esse lado de gana e raça eu sempre tive. Personalidade, também. Para jogar no Corinthians precisa ter. O Jadson não estava em campo, eu pedi para bater e os companheiros confiaram em mim. Fui feliz e marquei o gol de empate.

Contratado pelo Corinthians após ser vice-campeão estadual pela Ponte Preta, Clayson soma dois gols e três assistências pelo novo clube na temporada. Ele já participou de 19 partidas, sendo sete como titular, e tem preocupações com o mau momento da equipe no Brasileirão. Ele, inclusive, falou em “variações” para dar a volta por cima e sacramentar o título nacional no fim do ano.

– Tem que focar no jogo a jogo. Não dependemos de ninguém. Está ficando mais perto do final e não podemos deixar cair.Os adversários estudaram a gente. Fizemos um primeiro turno impecável, mas eles estudaram e nós estamos treinando variações. Temos que ter isso para chegar nos jogos e conseguir sentir como os adversários estão jogando. Sabíamos que o segundo turno seria mais difícil, mas estamos treinando.

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Tudo sobre

ClaysonCorinthiansFabio Carille

A PIL has been filed with the Madras High Court seeking to stop the Indian team from visiting Sri Lanka for the tri-series citing alleged human rights violation against Tamils by the Sri Lankan government.The petitioner, Joel Poul Antony, an advocate, said the international community would not respect India if it sent a team to play in Sri Lanka. The Madurai bench of the High Court issued notice to the ministries of Home, External Affairs and Youth and Sports Welfare as well as a private notice to the Indian board.A 25-year war between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE finally came to an end in May this year after the rebels, fighting to create a separate nation for Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils, were defeated.

استقر البرتغالي روي فيتوريا المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر، على اسمين في مركز حراسة المرمى، لضمهما إلى معسكر الفراعنة في شهر سبتمبر.

منتخب مصر يستعد لمعسكره الأول تحت قيادة روي فيتوريا، ومن المقرر أن يخوض وديتين، ولم يستقر اتحاد الكرة على المنافسين حتى الآن.

طالع | روي فيتوريا يعقد مؤتمرا صحفيا غداً بشأن منتخب مصر

وعلم “بطولات” أن فيتوريا استقر على ضم 4 حراس في المعسكر، وحسم منهم اسمين وهما محمد عواد حارس الزمالك ومحمد صبحي حارس فاركو، حيث نال الثنائي قناعة فيتوريا، فيما سيحدد الاسمين الأخريين خلال الساعات المقبلة.

وأشار المصدر لـ بطولات إلى أن روي فيتوريا يرغب في ضم محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى الأهلي، واستفسر مدرب حراس مرمى المنتخب من نظيره في النادي الأهلي عن الحالة البدنية للشناوي حاليًا، وأكد له مدرب الأهلي أن الشناوي يخوض يوميًا تدريبات بدنية تحت إشرافه.

ومن المقرر أن يحسم فيتوريا الأمر خلال الساعات المقبلة بعد الاجتماع الذي سيعقده مع مساعديه قبل إعلان القائمة غدًا.

When West Bromwich Albion signed Conor Townsend for £750k back in 2018, it would have been safe to assume that the left-back was brought to The Hawthorns as back up to the England international, Kieran Gibbs.

At the time of his arrival, the 28-year-old had just enjoyed a fantastic season with Scunthorpe United, scoring four goals and registering five assists over his 32 appearances in League One, while Gibbs – who had joined Albion from Arsenal in a £6.75m deal a year earlier – was the club’s undisputed number one in the position, having featured 33 times for the Baggies in the Premier League in 2017/18.

This remained the case throughout Townsend’s debut season in West Bromwich, with Gibbs highly impressing over his 38 Championship appearances, scoring four goals and registering four assists, while the newcomer had to make do with just 12 second-tier fixtures.

However, the tide began to turn in the following campaign, with the £14k-per-week Townsend featuring in 27 Championship fixtures, over which he provided one assist and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.89. In comparison, the £30k-per-week Gibbs was awarded just 14 league appearances, over which he averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Townsend’s usurping of the 32-year-old was complete last season, when, despite the Baggies’ ultimate relegation from the top flight, the 28-year-old highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances – helping his side keep five clean sheets, registering two assists and earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.86. Meanwhile, Gibbs averaged an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.53 over his ten top-flight fixtures – before being released on a free transfer at the end of the season.

This term, the former Scunthorpe man has ensured that his reputation as a first-class left-back has continued to grow, having already helped his side keep five clean sheets, registered two assists and created three big chances over his 12 Championship appearances – with these returns seeing the defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

Furthermore, the player who Thierry Henry once dubbed “amazing” has also seen his Transfermarkt value rocket from £180k at the time of his signing to £1.8m today – a 10x increase – which, coupled with his ever-improving level of performance, proves that West Brom struck gold when signing the 28-year-old.

In other news: “Confident” West Brom dynamo who lost possession 32x stole the show vs Birmingham