تواجد مسؤولون من فريق النصر السعودي في مباراة برشلونة وبوروسيا دورتموند بدوري أبطال أوروبا، لمراقبة أداء أحد لاعبي الفريق الإسباني.

والتقى برشلونة ودورتموند أمس الأربعاء على ملعب “مونتجويك” لخوض مباراة ذهاب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتمكن برشلونة من الفوز برباعية دون مقابل، ويلتقي الفريقان في مباراة الإياب على ملعب “سيجنال إيدونا بارك” معقل بوروسيا دورتموند.

وبحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، رغب مسؤولو فريق النصر في مراقبة أنسو فاتي لاعب برشلونة.

وشارك فاتي كبديل لزميله لامين يامال في الدقائق الأخيرة من المباراة، وهي المشاركة الأولى له منذ يناير الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا | ميرور: منافس قوي لـ رافينها على الكرة الذهبية.. وموقف محمد صلاح ومبابي

وأصبح وضع فاتي صعبًا في برشلونة، ولم يشارك اللاعب بصورة كافية تحت قيادة هانز فليك، فضلاً عن التأثير السلبي للإصابات عليه.

ومع اقتراب نافذة انتقالات الصيف، يبدو أن برشلونة سيفتح الباب لبيع فاتي، بالنظر لعدم مشاركته المستمرة من جهة، ومن جهة أخرى سيوفر النادي في سقف الأجور مع أزمته المالية.

وأشار التقرير إلى أن فاتي ليس محل اهتمام للدوري السعودي فقط، وهناك عدة أندية أوروبية مهتمة بالتعاقد معه، ومن المتوقع رحيله في الصيف.

Celtic have been offered the chance to strengthen their squad with another Matt O’Riley replacement in January as they aim to bring home silverware on multiple fronts come the end of the campaign.

Celtic fail to replace O'Riley

In the biggest deal of Celtic’s summer, midfielder Matt O’Riley left the Scottish Premiership to sign for Brighton in a £25m deal, leaving after a season in which he provided 19 goals and 18 assists from midfield.

So far, Brendan Rodgers’ side have not missed a beat in his absence, with Callum McGregor stepping up on the goalscoring front, leading the Scottish Premiership scoring charts with six strikes, which have come from just seven shots on target.

He has helped them clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, as well as to an impressive spot in Europe that hands them a strong chance of reaching the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

All that is without O’Riley, while his replacement Arne Engels is yet to really find any goalscoring form for the Parkhead side, meaning that Celtic are scoring fewer goals from midfield than last season, though goals from elsewhere are helping to make up the shortfall.

Arne Engels’ start to Celtic life (SPL)

Appearances

10

Goals

2

Assists

0

Yellow Cards

1

Now though, the Bhoys have been offered the chance to sign a new box-to-box midfielder in January, who could help them push for silverware across all fronts.

Celtic can sign midfielder on loan

That comes as Celtic have been “offered the chance” to sign Chelsea man Carney Chukwuemeka on loan for the remainder of the campaign. The 21-year-old is yet to start a game under Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, who admitted in the summer that it would be better for his career if he left west London.

So far, he has been proved right, with Chukwuemeka seeing just 63 minutes of action across four substitute appearances, and none of those coming in the Premier League.

Related £3m Celtic star now considering exit as Rodgers eyes an immediate upgrade

It could be the start of a busy winter window for Celtic.

Posts ByBen Browning Dec 3, 2024

As a result, he is keen to leave Chelsea in January, with The Boot Room claiming that the youngster “recognises the fact that he isn’t getting anywhere near Maresca’s plans” and is “ready to move” to Celtic as a result.

The Blues are thought to be open to either a loan or permanent move, but having shelled out £25m to sign him from Aston Villa two years ago, they are likely to want to recoup much of that fee, something that Celtic are unlikely to be able to afford on top of his £100,000 a week wages.

A loan is therefore far more likely for Brendan Rodgers’ side, who have already spent over £25m on new faces this season. Though relatively new to senior football (he has just 1000 minutes of first team action under his belt), Chukwuemeka was prolific from midfield at youth level, with 13 goals and 13 assists in 4000 minutes of action, demonstrating that he knows where the back of the net is.

Could he be an option to help replace O’Riley’s midfield contributions and give Rodgers more flexibility as he eyes up a potentially historic campaign in Glasgow?

Already looking ahead to potentially signing their next Liam Delap, Ipswich Town are now reportedly among the clubs eyeing a move to sign a Celtic youngster who just starred in front of their scouts.

Ipswich transfer news

On the performance front, it could be argued that Ipswich deserve more than just the nine points that they’ve won so far this season, sitting 18th in the Premier League as a result.

A case in point is their recent clash against Manchester United. After conceding in the opening moments of Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of the Red Devils, Ipswich enjoyed the better share of chances and arguably should have gone on and secured three points after Omari Hutchinson’s equaliser.

Forced to settle for a point nonetheless, Ipswich now have something that they must build on in pursuit of survival. Once again, it was Delap at the centre of the majority of the joy that Kieran McKenna’s side had up against Manchester United’s backline, making it no surprise that those at Portman Road are looking to repeat their transfer genius.

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Ipswich Town are now eyeing a move to sign Daniel Cummings after he starred in front of on-watching scouts, scoring the winning goal for Celtic against Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League.

Ipswich struck gold on "fantastic" signing who's similar to a £63m star

The incredibly gifted youngster has a bright future with Ipswich ahead of him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2024

An 18-year-old who has scored 22 goals in just 20 games at youth level so far this season, Cummings could yet leave Scotland in a cheap deal. As things stand, his current Celtic deal is set to come to an end next summer, which means that he’ll cost a cross-border compensation fee of just €310,000 (£250,000+) in what could quickly turn into a bargain move.

"Great" Cummings can follow in Delap's footsteps

Yet to step into senior football, Cummings could swap Celtic for Ipswich in pursuit of exactly that. Whilst Delap had at least already experienced first-team football when he decided to swap Manchester City for Ipswich, he too was struggling to establish himself on a weekly basis at the Etihad even after successful loan spells away. It’s a struggle that Cummings may soon want to put to an end at Celtic, which could result in an exit away.

Praised for his “great runs” and “spectacular strikes” by The Young Team, who scout Scotland’s next top stars, Cummings looks like a player destined to make an impact whether it’s at Celtic or in the Premier League at a place like Portman Road.

For a bargain fee, Ipswich could be landing an impressive coup ahead of a number of Premier League rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing a new forward, but they are set to face competition from a whole host of other top Premier League clubs including rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham transfer rumours

Tottenham’s squad has been stretched significantly in light of recent injuries, with Guglielmo Vicario becoming the latest player to be sidelined after suffering an ankle injury, meaning Ange Postecoglou may have to be active in the January transfer window. The Spurs boss said: “A lot of it will depend on where we are as a squad at that time.

“Between now and then, it is only really Romero and Van de Ven who will be back in that time frame, but Richarlison will hopefully be back in the New Year and we will just assess where we are squad wise.

“I think last year we did a little bit of business [Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner] which ended up helping us, but nothing concrete now because January is always tricky.”

The Lilywhites’ fixture schedule does not get any easier in the run-up to Christmas, and with important games against Newcastle United and Arsenal on the horizon in January, Postecoglou may feel reinforcements are needed in order to be competitive.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Date

AFC Bournemouth (a)

December 5

Chelsea (h)

December 8

Southampton (a)

December 15

Liverpool (h)

December 22

Nottingham Forest (a)

December 26

Recently, Tottenham have made it clear they are interested in strengthening their attacking options, with Postecoglou said to be eyeing a move for Real Valladolid star Raul Moro, while Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi has also emerged as an option.

Now, Sky Sports have provided a new update on a potential transfer target in the last 48 hours, reporting that Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens is of interest to Spurs, but there is set to be plenty of competition for his signature.

Liverpool, Chelsea and rivals Arsenal are also named as potential suitors, with some of the interested parties having already opened talks with Borussia Dortmund to find out about the situation and position themselves for a future transfer.

The 20-year-old is currently said to be happy in Germany, given that his contract situation is comfortable, but he sees himself in the Premier League long-term, meaning a move could be possible at some point in the future.

Gittens impressing

The youngster has made a fantastic start to the ongoing campaign, having scored eight goals in all competitions, most recently scoring in Dortmund’s 1-1 draw against rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon.

Former teammate Niclas Füllkrug has previously lauded the Dortmund star, saying: “He’s an invaluable player to have in the final third, so dangerous for the opposition in the one-on-ones. We’re delighted to have him.”

As such, Spurs could have their hands on a future star if they do manage to win the race for Gittens signature, but it will not be easy, given the level of interest, and it seems unlikely he will be available as soon as the January transfer window.

Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match as the Test ended 21 overs early

Tristan Lavalette08-Mar-2022

Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq hit centuries on a tedious fifth day to again grind Australia’s attack into the ground on a benign Rawalpindi pitch, as the first Test petered out to a stale draw.Dominating a mostly dull final day, as the historic series-opener inched towards an inevitable stalemate, Pakistan finished at an almost effortless 252 for 0 with Shafique 136 not out and Imam unbeaten on 111. The Test ended 21 overs early after both teams agreed to mercifully put this match out of its misery.Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match, as Australia unsuccessfully resorted to using nine bowlers, including rarely tried Usman Khawaja with the last over of the match.In-form Imam and Shafique were intent on gaining a psychological edge heading into the second Test starting on March 12 on a wicket labelled as “dead” by Steven Smith and is set to be further put under the microscope post-match.Australia toiled for just four wickets – one was a run-out – across 239 overs with skipper Pat Cummins their only quick to have success in the match.Having nervously sat through tea on 99 not out, after being unable to notch his milestone off part-time spinner Travis Head’s last three balls before the break, Shafique scored off the first ball he faced on resumption to bring up his maiden Test century in his third match.Imam survived on 94 when replays showed he inside-edged a Nathan Lyon delivery to short leg only for Australia to resist reviewing the not out decision – the second time in the match the batter had been reprieved by Cummins’ reluctance to call for the DRS.The left-hander shortly after became the 10th Pakistan batter to score centuries in each innings of a Test to cap a remarkable performance, where he started as a borderline selection having endured a modest 11-Test run previously after debuting four years ago.Imam-ul-Haq cuts off the back foot•Getty Images

Australia mostly went through the motions during numerous sleepy passages of play, as David Warner attempted to summon much-needed excitement with rather dubious dance moves between overs. It failed to spark his teammates, however, as Australia continued to be thwarted by Pakistan’s batters much like when they spent 162 overs in the field during the opening two days.Sticking with their preferred pace-heavy attack, Australia jarringly failed to create opportunities even when taking in consideration the graveyard of a pitch for bowlers. Their brains trust will undoubtedly ponder whether to bring in a second specialist spinner in Karachi – either uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson or left-arm orthodox Ashton Agar, who played the last of his four Tests in late 2017.With question marks over their attack, quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – who returned in place of Ashes hero Scott Boland – may have been auditioning to retain their spot.A patchy Starc conjured occasional reverse swing in the first innings, while Hazlewood had been typically miserly throughout the match but rarely threatened. They only bowled 12 overs combined in the second innings as Australia sought to provide a modest workload for their quicks given the congested three-Test series is played over just three weeks.The heavy lifting was left to Lyon, who finished with 1 for 236 off 78 overs, having started the Test optimistically with rampant turn on the opening morning proving fool’s gold as the pitch moulded into a road.Even though their conservative batting in the first innings set in stone this slow-moving clash, an undermanned Pakistan were the moral victors with an almost flawless batting display while their attack outbowled Australia’s star-studded bowlers.Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali wrapped up Australia’s innings early on day five with the wickets of Cummins and Lyon to finish with a career-best 6 for 107 marked by eking out Smith and Cameron Green with defensive bowling late on day four.Indefatigable Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was the standout quick in the match, was rewarded with the wicket of Starc to finish with 2 for 88 from an energetic 30 overs.Australia will be encouraged by their fight back with the bat to almost reach Pakistan’s mammoth first innings of 476 for 4 although none of their batters scored a century. They also lost 6 for 52 after appearing favoured to take a first innings lead after such a strong start, where Australia’s top four notched half-centuries in an overseas Test for the first time since 2008 in Delhi.With the series deadlocked, Australia will at least feel considerably match hardened after no warm-up matches, as they dust off the cobwebs in their first overseas Test tour since the Ashes in 2019.After so much anticipation for the series, the first between the teams in Pakistan since 1998, the pitch rendered the historic occasion to an anti-climax with everyone involved hoping conditions in Karachi will be much more conducive for a result.

“For me, I’ve got to come in with a good bit of intent and make sure I get batters to play as much as possible”

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2022The trees outside Matt Henry’s window were swaying in a stiff breeze against greyscale skies on a gloomy Christchurch evening. “It’s a bit of a whirlwind,” he said, smiling, not referring to the weather at all, but New Zealand’s innings and 276-run win inside seven sessions against South Africa.Henry’s is a rare Zoom interview which is not being done against the backdrop of white walls or interesting artwork disguised as decor. The lighting is soft, the outside is visible and he seems completely at ease. “I’m at home,” Henry told ESPNcricinfo. “The guys based in Christchurch are at home and the rest of the squad are at the hotel.”Related

Wagner: Winning against South Africa 'no different to any of the other ones'

Boult unavailable for second Test against South Africa

Latham impressed with the strength in depth of NZ cricket

Henry: 'You pinch yourself when you hear those stats'

Stats – SA's worst since 1932, Henry equals Richard Hadlee

Two years ago, this piece of information would never have made it into a story. Now, with sports teams confined to bubbles, it seems an unusual throwback to the way things used to be, although they’re not entirely there yet. “We’ve still got some rules and we’ve got to be careful with what we do and don’t do. There’s guidelines to keep ourselves nice and safe,” Henry said. “But yeah, I am at home.”The South Africa players could be forgiven for feeling envious, especially after the 10-day quarantine period they served. It was the strictest restrictions they’ve had on a tour, and though they insist it’s not an excuse for their poor performance in the first Test, insiders say it had an enormous impact on their head space. Perhaps the opposite is true for New Zealand.Since March 2020, New Zealand have the best win ratio of any Test team, with victory in two-thirds of their Tests (8 out of 12). In that time, they’ve had just two wins away from home and six in their own backyard, five by more than an innings. On one hand, that may be an indication of how well the country has managed the health crisis; on the other it’s a measure of New Zealand’s highly successful attack, who have all the ingredients for big successes. “Everyone offers something slightly different and it creates a bit more versatility and balance for the captain. He can put people on in different roles and keep trying to put pressure on in different ways,” Henry said.It was the absence of easy run-scoring opportunities, rather than extreme pace, bounce or movement that allowed New Zealand to squeeze South Africa, and ultimately inflict their second-biggest defeat on them, according to Henry. “We managed to create pressure from both ends for a sustained period and I got the rewards at the one end.”But it is not as though Henry just got lucky. He became the first player to take seven wickets and score a half-century batting at No.11 in a Test, which takes more than good fortune. He also claimed the best figures by a New Zealand bowler at home and joint-third best overall and put his performance down to familiarity on his own turf, rather than form.”This is my home ground and I understand how to operate here. I knew how I wanted to bowl and going in with confidence helps,” Henry said. “At Hagley, especially on day one, there is always pace and bounce in the wicket. Most of us bowlers were pretty excited when we won the toss to have a bowl. But when you do get in that situation, it’s important to bowl in the right areas and get batters to play and make as many decisions as possible.”After more than a decade of playing Canterbury, Henry has learnt that it can be easy for bowlers to get carried away when they see the venue’s green surface, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will simply happen for them. They have to know how to make best use of conditions and Henry, through years of playing on them, has some inside-knowledge. “I like to try and hit the strings and get as much bounce as I possibly can, as well as a bit of seam movement,” he said. “For me, I’ve got to come in with a good bit of intent and make sure I get batters to play as much as possible.”According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, South Africa’s line-up was made to play at a third of Henry’s deliveries and all but one of his nine wickets came when the batter was caught undecided between whether to go forward or stay back in his crease, moving late and making an error. Though Henry is not particularly quick, he moves the ball from short of a length and with Tim Southee swinging it at the other end, South Africa were completely at sea. “That’s the beauty of it. The bowling group has been together for a while and has quite a lot of strengths,” Henry said. “The boys are in a good space and everyone is confident and understands their game and we’ve got quite a nice balance as well.”Henry cracked a superb half-century in the first Test•Getty ImagesDynamic as they are, New Zealand’s attack has seldom had space for Henry, who has featured in just 15 Tests and has only twice – against England in 2015 and India in 2016 – played two matches in the same series. That should increase to three times with Boult ruled out of the second Test because his bowling loads are not quite where New Zealand would like them to be and there would appear to be no other reason to change a winning combination. Henry would not give anything away about whether he expected to get the nod save to say that he would “find out more at training,” an activity you may think he knows better than most.Henry has been part of several New Zealand Test squads and barely played, which must mean he uses his extra in the nets, right?”Maybe,” he jokes. “I guess there is a little more opportunity to train here and there but mostly I just don’t worry about selection and try to focus on being better as a player and growing; and understanding that if I do get the opportunity, I’m ready and in the right space.”That includes being ready with the bat. Henry is no regular No.11 and has only batted there in nine matches in his 79-game first-class career. He is much more of a No.9 and enjoys any chance to bat alongside the specialists. “It was pretty cool to go out there with Tom (Blundell) who was really settled at the crease,” he said. Blundell and Henry went on to share a 10th-wicket stand of 96. “When you’re batting with a batter, it’s always enjoyable because they peel things back for you and keep it nice and simple.”That is the way New Zealand have approached this as a collective, knowing that despite being World Test Champions, they could easily have been underdogs.”We are missing some key players (Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Boult) and there has been talk about South Africa being such a quality side and what’s happened in the past (New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a Test series),” Henry says. “For us, it’s not getting too caught up in that and, it sounds cliche, but just doing our jobs and sticking to our roles.”

England hope a four-wicket victory against India finally sets their World Cup defence rolling after breaking the winless streak that had put their campaign in peril.After close defeats to Australia, West Indies and South Africa – the latter two characterised by sub-par performances in the field – England held their catches and pulled off two excellent run-outs to cap India’s total at just 134 inside 37 overs.Their bowling efforts were led by 4 for 23 from Player of the Match Charlie Dean, the 21-year-old offspinner playing just her ninth ODI, and veteran seamer Anya Shrubsole, who set the tone with two early wickets. Heather Knight, their captain, carried the chase with an unbeaten 53 alongside Nat Sciver’s 45 off 46 balls, seeing England home with 18.4 overs to spare.Although another defeat would not have mathematically spelt the end of England’s challenge, it would have left them reliant on some unlikely results elsewhere in their bid to reach the last four. However, the sizeable margin of victory, after three narrow defeats in their opening fixtures, could yet be a significant factor if they can win their remaining three games, starting with New Zealand on Saturday, given that some of their main rivals for qualification have yet to face each other.Related

• Report: Dean's four-for and sharp fielding give England first points

• Perry: Australia wary of 'dangerous' Mandhana, Harmanpreet

“It’s really pleasing to get a win on the board with a pretty good performance and hopefully this is the start of some wins,” Shrubsole said of the victory, which broke a six-game losing streak going back to the ODI leg of the Ashes. “It’s been a while since we’ve won, we can’t make any secrets about that. It’s been a tricky tour.”It’s really nice to get the win on the board, to play well, but this is one of four really that that we need to win. We’ll obviously celebrate the win and then it’s about getting to Auckland and turning our focus to the New Zealand game.”England face New Zealand – currently locked mid-table with India and West Indies – this weekend, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh, who are both ranked below them. Each of those three main rivals still has to face South Africa, who along with the pace-setters Australia are the only unbeaten team in the table.While England released the pressure valve on their World Cup with Wednesday’s result at Mount Maunganui, perhaps most pleasing for them was that, before the game, they managed to ease the pressure on themselves.After a rash of dropped catches and missed chances in the previous two games, nerves could easily have crept in for such a crucial game. On the contrary, England looked a different outfit in the field against India, and Shrubsole said Sophia Dunkley’s diving catch at cover-point to remove captain Mithali Raj for just 1 was a key moment in putting their fielding woes behind them.”It’s something we’ve had conversations about throughout this tournament and we haven’t quite been able to put a finger on exactly what it was,” Shrubsole said. “I do think sometimes fielding, it just seems to be something that kind of spreads and if you drop the first catch in the game, lots of things seem to go from there.Anya Shrubsole became the sixth England bowler to pick 100 ODI wickets•Getty Images

“The catch that Dunks took pretty early on in the game really set us on our way and it’s just about coming into each game trying to be really positive and take the positive option, and I think almost fake confidence until you kind of feel it, if that’s what you need to do. That was much closer to what we’re like as a fielding unit out there today.”We’re going to have to do all the same things before the next game and not take things for granted, but I think fielding can often be a confidence thing and that’s much closer to where we’re at as a team. We haven’t shied away from the fact that we’ve been really poor in the field in the first three games, the last two in particular, and it’s potentially cost us some wins. So it was really nice to put some of that right today and hopefully it’s a step in the right direction for us moving forward.”Shrubsole dismissed Yastika Bhatia for her 100th ODI wicket, and Raj inside the first six overs before Dean took two in four balls, including the dangerous Harmanpreet Kaur and Sneh Rana for 14 and 0 respectively.Dean, who only made her international debut during England’s home series against New Zealand in September, had 3 for 14 from her first five overs after she trapped Pooja Vastrakar lbw for 6 and she wrapped up India’s innings with the wicket of Meghna Singh for 3.Ahead of the Ashes, Knight said Dean had been “a good find” and while she went wicketless in the two ODIs and one T20I that she played in Australia, Dean took 2 for 24 in Australia’s second innings of the drawn Test.”I thought as a group we bowled really well, obviously the way Charlie Dean bowled was amazing, Sophie Ecclestone was incredible again and we showed a bit more what we’re about in the field,” Shrubsole said.”I’m absolutely buzzing for Charlie. It’s her first World Cup, she is 21. To bowl as well as she did in what was a really high-pressure game, two wickets in her first over, just really backed up the early wickets that we’d taken. I’m over the moon for Deano. She’s someone who’s really popular amongst this group, is a seriously talented cricketer and hopefully is going to be taking wickets in World Cups for England for years to come.”

Leeds United fans have been handed an injury update on one of their players as they look to continue their promotion push under Daniel Farke.

Leeds move back to top of the Championship after 3-0 win vs Luton

A comfortable 3-0 win over freshly-relegated Luton Town moved the whites back to the top of the Championship, ahead of Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United on goal difference at the summit.

An early scissor-kick from Sam Byram, just his 13th career league goal, set the tone before Joel Piroe added a second on the stroke of half-time and Dan James completed the win 10 minutes from time to pick up a valuable three points for the Elland Road side.

The win, Leeds’ fourth in their last five games, continued their early promotion push but manager Farke was still keen to stress that his side could improve further yet.

“To show such a dominant performance, to create many chances, to score three goals and score more or less in the perfect moments, I’m pretty happy with our performance.

“At the moment we’re showing great consistency in performances and also results, but efficiency to convert the chances – we’ve had this problem also in one or two away games where we haven’t come home with three points.

“And although we were that dominant we allowed them a few chances. Three or four times, Illan (Meslier) had to be there switched on and Pascal (Struijk) was also there with a great clearance so there’s always something to improve. But I don’t want to be too critical because it was very close to a big performance.”

However, there was one moment that put a dampener on the occasion.

Journalist provides Leeds update on Byram injury

That moment came in the second half as Byram, who opened the scoring in astonishing fashion, was forced off through what appeared to be a hamstring injury. The fullback was replaced just before the hour mark by Max Wober, and an update has now been provided on his fitness.

As per journalist Adam Pope, who relayed Elland Road comments from Farke post Luton, the defender was bought off as a “precaution” and “hopefully will be ok for Saturday”, when Leeds face playoff chasing Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Appearances

14

Starts

5

Goals

1

Yellow Cards

2

Since then, Pope has relayed a further update on Byram from Farke’s pre-Blackburn press conference, with the manager saying: “Had a scan. We’re waiting for results. Late call tomorrow if he travels. We have to wait and be patient.”

Byram has stepped into the void in recent weeks after Junior Firpo’s suspension, and was dubbed “superb” by fan site The Leeds Press on X, who said that “players like Sam Byram get you promoted”.

With Firpo’s suspension now over, Bryam’s injury has come at a good time for Leeds, with the defender no longer the only option at fullback should Farke want to take a cautious approach with his recovery.

Elsewhere, Manor Solomon is also expected to be “fine” despite the Israel forward holding his left leg during the game, which could leave Farke with an almost full-strength squad to choose from for the trip to Lancashire.

The Premier League has received a significant boost in the race for an additional Champions League qualification spot after Lille got eliminated.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Extra UCL spot up for grabs
• PL & La Liga in pole position for extra slots
• Serie A & Bundesliga also in contention

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dortmund secured a 2-1 comeback victory at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, clinching a 3-2 aggregate win and advancing to the quarter-finals. Lille’s defeat means that the French league is officially out of contention for one of the extra UCL places available for next season.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This season, UEFA introduced a rule granting two additional Champions League spots to the leagues with the best collective performance in European competitions. These extra spots are determined based on the coefficient rankings, which track results across the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League. With France now out of the equation, the race for these coveted slots is narrowed down to just four leagues – England, Spain, Italy, and Germany.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite Manchester City and Liverpool exiting the Champions League, English clubs remain well-represented across all European competitions. Arsenal and Aston Villa have both progressed and if they continue their runs, they could meet in a potential semi-final showdown. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Tottenham are still competing in the Europa League, but since they are in separate brackets, they cannot eliminate each other before the final. This ensures that England will continue to rack up valuable coefficient points regardless of their progress.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT ARE THE CURRENT STANDINGS?

  1. England, 23.035 – (Five out of seven English teams are still in Europe, aka 5/7)

  2. Spain, 20.892 – (5/7)

  3. Italy, 19.375 – (4/8)

  4. Germany, 17.546 – (3/8)

  5. Portugal, 16.250 – (1/5)

  6. France, 15.785 – (2/7)

  7. Belgium, 15.250 – (1/5)

  8. Netherlands, 15.250 – (3/6)

  9. Greece, 12.187 – (2/4)

  10. Norway, 10.812 – (2/4)

  For the Premier League it will look like this:

  Champions League: 1-5

  Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners

  Conference League: Carabao Cup winners

  Whereas, for LaLiga, the Bundesliga, or Serie A it will be:

  Champions League: 1-5

  Europa League: 6, Cup winners

  Conference League: 7

Carlos Corberan had his work cut out for him in the West Bromwich Albion dugout this summer, as a number of key players from last season all deserted the Hawthorns.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, Conor Townsend, Okay Yokuslu and Cedric Kipre were the main faces to leave who all played key roles in the Baggies securing a playoff finish, with the last of those named stinging the most, considering the imposing centre-back left the building for nothing.

Despite some significant changes to his starting XI, Corberan has managed to steer West Brom to a promising seven wins in Championship action to date, but will be wary about the prospect of more players upping and leaving for nothing down the line.

Out-of-contract West Brom players

There are a number of players in the Spaniard’s camp that can see the end of their West Brom careers looming large, with Kyle Bartley one who knows his contract runs out this coming summer, having previously lined up alongside Kipre week in week out.

The 33-year-old has been a staple of Corberan’s lineups ever since the ex-Huddersfield Town manager uprooted to the West Midlands, with 216 appearances under his belt now for the promotion chasers.

Therefore, the experienced defender should be under consideration for a new deal, despite being deep into the twilight years of his playing days.

Other faces that are soon to be out of contract include Grady Diangana, who has fallen down Corberan’s pecking order this season, alongside the likes of Jayson Molumby and Semi Ajayi elsewhere in the squad.

Whilst the Baggies boss ponders whether to keep these players around past next summer, he could well be tempted to just allow this West Brom star to leave now who has blown hot and cold far too often.

John Swift's time at West Brom

Swift would have been viewed as a fantastic pick-up when he left Reading behind for pastures new at West Brom in 2022, having been a reliable source of goals and assists for the Royals in the EFL.

Indeed, the former Chelsea youth player would amass a mightily impressive 34 goals and 37 assists when donning Reading blue and white, before moving to a fresh challenge at the Baggies.

The move would have felt even sweeter to get over the line when you consider Swift also joined on a free transfer, with then Baggies manager Steve Bruce even stating how “delighted” he was that a deal could be reached to land such a seasoned Championship performer.

Whilst the West Brom number ten has shown his class at times at the Hawthorns, with nine strikes fired home last season as his side dreamed about promotion up to the Premier League, it goes without saying – when looking at his numbers for this campaign to date – that he is now short of his best.

Swift’s Championship numbers (24/25)

Stat

Swift

Games played

20

Games started

10

Minutes averaged

46 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

1

Stats by Sofascore

There has been a noticeable decline in Swift’s creative flair this season, with zero goals and zero assists next to his name from his limited starts in the league, alongside the fact only one big chance has been created by the ageing 29-year-old when he has been unleashed into second-tier games.

Also boasting a hefty salary in the Championship side’s camp, with his £22.5k-per-week pay packet seeing him earn more than first-team regulars Karlan Grant, Alex Mowatt and Josh Maja, the time just feels right for West Brom to move on from the 6 foot attacking midfielder when his current deal runs out in 2025.

West Brom supporters will hold on to many a happy memory involving Swift, but with a new breed of exciting talents coming through in the form of Tom Fellows too, the Bruce signing’s days at the club appear numbered.

Related Corberan could boldly axe West Brom "animal" who earns more than Johnston

This West Bromwich Albion man could soon leave the club for nothing.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Dec 14, 2024