New Zealand chased down their target of 179 with nine wickets and 23.4 overs to spare

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Jan-2025

Matt Henry picked up 4 for 19 from ten overs•Getty Images

New Zealand’s fast bowlers tore through Sri Lanka’s top order to set up a big win, before their own top three clinched it, Will Young hitting 90 not out off 86 balls in a nine-wicket victory.On a grassy Basin Reserve pitch, on a cold day beset by biting southerlies, New Zealand had had Sri Lanka 23 for 4 by the end of the powerplay. There were resurgent innings from the likes of Avishka Fernando especially, but Sri Lanka never seemed headed to a healthy total. They were out for 178 in the 44th over. New Zealand ran that total down with 23.4 overs to spare.It was Matt Henry who set the tone for the early exchanges with his first spell, and claimed the first wicket on his way to figures of 4 for 19 from ten overs. He caught Pathum Nissanka’s leading edge with a full away-seamer in the fifth over, the ball floating out to mid-off for a simple catch. In his first five overs, Henry seamed the ball substantially, and conceded only six runs.At the other end, Jacob Duffy was delivering probing overs as well. He took the second wicket with a short delivery that surprised Kusal Mendis, and which he inside edged into his leg stump. Three overs later, Kamindu Mendis – batting at No. 4 now – was run out attempting a suicidal single. Dropping a ball towards cover he called his partner through for a run, only for Mitchell Santner to swoop on the ball, and fire in an underarm throw that hit the base of the only stump Santner had to aim at. In general, New Zealand’s fielding was exemplary, with Mark Chapman also outstanding in the point region. On the rare occasions, New Zealand’s quicks strayed in the early overs, an act of spectacular fielding would tend to ensure the pressure stayed on Sri Lanka.The last wicket to fall in the powerplay was that of captain Charith Asalanka, who initially only seemed to be beaten by a sharply rising Nathan Smith delivery outside off stump, only for Smith to insist on the review, and for Snicko to show that the ball had brushed the shoulder of the bat. Asalanka, so often the batter who arrests Sri Lanka collapses, was out for a duck.This brought Janith Liyanage to the crease to join Avishka, and the pair set about the repair work, finding boundaries square of the wicket after much of the seam movement of the early overs had disappeared. Avishka played the short balls well through the middle period, as New Zealand’s seamers switched occasionally to that mode of attack. In any case, the pair put on 87 together, Avishka scoring his ninth ODI fifty, before Liyanage miscued a Mitchell Santner ball to deep midwicket and was out for 36.Sri Lanka had contributions from Wanindu Hasaranga, who hit 35, and Chamindu Wickramasinghe, who made 22. But New Zealand always had Sri Lanka by the collar – no passage of retaliation lasted very long.Given the trouble New Zealand’s quicks had given Sri Lanka, the chase was exceptionally smooth. Rachin Ravindra was strong on the front foot early on, finding six boundaries in the arc between backward point and mid-off. Young, meanwhile, was excellent whenever Sri Lanka’s bowlers pitched short, playing a number of powerful pulls and hooks. New Zealand were 70 for no loss at the end of the powerplay, Sri Lanka’s seamers guilty of a little indiscipline. There were no serious wicket chances, aside from one missed run-out by Asitha Fernando, who had fielded the ball in his follow-through.Ravindra would be dismissed attempting an ambitious leg-side flick off a full delivery down the leg side, but the remainder of the chase was straightforward. Young continued to find those leg-side boundaries and sped past his tenth ODI half-century. Mark Chapman was a steady presence at the other end. Their unbeaten stand of 87 took the hosts home.

We’re just a week away from the return of the Premier League, and Chelsea are looking like a scary proposition.

Enzo Maresca’s side finished last season in fine form, and the board have only made them stronger with their work in the transfer market this summer.

The likes of Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro will make them far more dangerous in attack, while Jorrel Hato looks like he could be one of the next great defenders.

The Blues aren’t done there, though, as they also appear intent on adding Xavi Simons to their squad, as well as another international who’d be brilliant alongside the Dutchman.

Chelsea target Simons' perfect partner

Simons has been one of the more prominent names linked to Chelsea over the last few weeks, and while it started as nothing more than an interest, it now looks like they’re dead set on signing him.

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Reports from the last week or so have gone as far as claiming that personal terms have already been agreed and that an offer of around £61m would be enough to seal the deal.

It would be a brilliant bit of business if the Blues could get it done, and yet, they still want to do even more, as they’re now closing in on someone who could end up being unplayable alongside Simons.

At least that’s according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has reaffirmed that Chelsea want to sign Alejandro Garnacho this summer.

The Italian journalist goes further than that, though, revealing that the Argentine ace has now agreed to “every detail of personal terms” with the Blues and that he “only wants” a move to Stamford Bridge.

Romano doesn’t mention how much the 21-year-old could end up costing, but based on stories from the last few weeks, it would appear that the Pensioners do not want to pay much more than £40m.

While Garnacho could still end up costing a little more than that, this feels like a deal that’s worth pursuing, as he’s got plenty of potential, and alongside Simons, he could become unplayable.

Why Garnacho could be unplayable with Simons

While it might have seemed unlikely a few weeks ago, Romano has made it quite clear that Chelsea want to sign Simons and Garnacho this summer, and though some might see that as overkill, we reckon they could be perfect teammates.

The first reason stems from their raw output last season, as an attacking player is always judged on their goal-scoring or chance-creating abilities.

For his efforts, the RB Leipzig star scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.

Appearances

58

33

Minutes

3568′

2763′

Goals

11

11

Assists

10

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

145.42′

Then, in his 58 appearances last season, totalling 3568 minutes, the Madrid-born “superstar,” as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, scored 11 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes, which is very impressive considering he was playing in a historically bad Manchester United team.

Not only do these numbers suggest that both players would be able to contribute in a meaningful way for the Blues next season, but they also make it clear that they’re both as good at scoring goals as they are at creating chances.

In other words, when playing together, opposition defenders will be unsure which one of them will be the creator and which one will be the finisher, and those minute moments of hesitation could allow them the space to thrive.

On top of this, both youngsters are more than comfortable playing as a ten or out wide on the wings.

This would allow them to play more games together, interchange with relative ease on the pitch, and crucially, cover for one another when one needs to be rested.

Ultimately, on their own, Simons and Garnacho would be excellent signings, but together they could become unplayable at Chelsea.

The next Cole Palmer: Chelsea "keep working" to sign £61m "game-changer"

The superb international would be an unreal signing for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 7, 2025

Regarding Weston McKennie's role within the national team setup as well as for Juventus, former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas said that the veteran midfielder presents uniques challenges from a coaching perspective which have consistently clouded his club future. He noted that those challenges come despite the fact McKennie rarely misses time.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  McKennie offers value for USMNT

  McKennie's availability enhances his value to both Juventus and the USMNT, Lalas contends. 

  “Look, we know that Weston McKennie is not a perfect player,” Lalas said on his State of Union podcast. “We know that. I'm sure from a coaching perspective, Weston McKennie can be challenging, shall we say. But he's a gamer and he plays multiple positions and has consistently shown that he is valuable because of the fact that he is going to be there again, rarely hurt. So I'm going to knock on wood that that continues to happen."

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• Emphasizes McKennie's versatility

  Lalas said that McKennie's versatility makes him particularly interesting as a tactical option, saying he "can play multiple positions. And so that value that is associated with him. You know, for example, I was a centerback growing up. I played different positions, but there's not a chance that I was ever going to be called upon to move and play a fundamentally different position.

  “We've seen Weston all over the place outside back, outside wing, on the on the wing. We've seen him in the middle. So I guess this is an ode to Weston McKennie and maybe not a warning, but a lesson for those that can play multiple positions or have the ability in the modern day, to identify some different ways of going about doing things."

  Lalas said he has an appreciation for players who can perform effectively across multiple positions.

  “I think there is nothing more valuable," he said. "And again, he has shown, despite the change of coaches and despite the change of time and despite the change of circumstances in his team, that whoever comes in recognizes he's healthy, he can do a job. I can play him at multiple positions. And even when the press says this or the fans say that, he proves his worth.”

• A situation in flux

  Despite being made available for transfer during the summer window, the 26-year-old has forced his way back into consideration at the Italian giants. However, McKennie hasn’t been picked by Mauricio Pochettino for the USMNT for the last two camps, which has raised a few questions among fans and critics alike.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Road ahead for Juventus

  Following their 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, Juventus return to league action against Verona on Sept. 19.

WPL 2025 will begin on February 14, a week later than earlier planned, with Gujarat Giants hosting defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the newly built BCA stadium in Vadodara. As ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier, Lucknow is the other new venue for the upcoming season, with Mumbai and Bengaluru to host matches as well.After the first six games in Vadodara, the tournament will move to Bengaluru for the next eight matches. Lucknow will then host four games before the last leg in Mumbai. Mumbai will also stage four games, including the Eliminator on March 13 and the final on March 15 – all at the CCI stadium.RCB will play four games at their home venue, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which drew boisterous crowds last season. As for the UP Warriorz, they will play three games at their home base, Lucknow. Delhi Capitals are the only team who don’t have home games in the five-team tournament.Related

• Aggression, clarity, fearlessness – coach Edwards reveals MI's mantra for WPL 2025

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• Charlie Dean replaces the injured Sophie Molineux at RCB

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• A Sunday to savour for Kamalini: runs, a trophy and a big payday

Just like the previous season, all matches will be single-headers.In the new women’s FTP, a separate window has been allocated for the WPL, the most lucrative women’s franchise league.The WPL 2025 auction, which was held in December last year, turned out to be a big deal for uncapped Indian players, with Simran Shaikh, the Mumbai allrounder, fetching the highest bid of NR 1.9 crore (USD 223,000 approx).RCB had clinched their first WPL title in 2024 after beating Capitals by eight wickets in Delhi.

Leeds United are believed to have reached an agreement over the signing of an international attacker this week, but a deal is far complete as the Whites have yet to convince the player to join.

Leeds targeting three more signings

The Whites need as much squad depth as possible upon their return to the Premier League, with plenty of new faces already arriving at Elland Road, from Anton Stach to Jaka Bijol. Leeds’ summer business is unlikely to be done there, however, with former scout Mick Brown claiming that as many as three new faces could still arrive this month given they have yet to truly reinforce their attack.

“The feeling at Leeds has been that if they want to compete in the Premier League, the squad is going to need strengthening and that hasn’t changed. Their recruitment has been okay so far, but I would suggest none of them are nailed-on Premier League players who you know are going to be a success.

“They don’t have the type of Premier League experience in their squad that they would like. Before the window closes, there are two or three new players they want to bring in and I think it’s something they’re working on behind the scenes. There are still positions they want to strengthen in, and they’re going to concentrate on getting in Premier League players to aid that transition.”

A new forward needs to be near the top of Leeds’ wishlist, in order to have enough firepower to cope in the top flight, and a promising update has dropped regarding one target.

Leeds reach agreement to sign Serie A attacker

According to an update from Italian media [via Sport Witness], Leeds have reached an agreement to sign Sassuolo attacker Andrea Pinamonti this summer, who has been capped once by Italy.

That said, the update does also state that the 26-year-old has rejected the chance to join the Whites, with his reasoning for the decision not explained. It is now a case of Daniel Farke and those high up at Elland Road working to change his mind.

Pinamonti is a proven attacker at the highest level, having scored 50 goals in 212 Serie A appearances. Former coach Moreno Longo has heaped praise on him during their time working together in the past.

At 26, Pinamonti is both an experienced head and someone with years ahead of him, so he could come straight in as an influential leader of the line for Leeds.

Leeds closing in on "underrated" striker who's scored over 200 career goals

He’d hand Daniel Farke a major boost.

6

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 9, 2025

Last season, the Italian scored 10 Serie A goals on loan at Genoa, also winning six Man of the Match awards from WhoScored, and the lure of moving to the Premier League will hopefully sway his thinking.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has revealed that he is sweating on the fitness of Ao Tanaka after the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, the German head coach explained: “After a tackle in the first half, he had problems with his MCL.

“He kept going and I hope it’s not too bad. I hope the assessment is not too bad. There are a few concerns that it would be an injury but it’s normally positive that he could play further on. But we will have to assess him and we will see how long it takes to get him fit and back to full fitness.”

Farke says that he hopes that it is not a bad injury for Tanaka, and that feeling may be compounded by a similar injury to club captain Ethan Ampadu last week.

The Wales international is due to be out until after the international break, at least, with an MCL injury that was sustained against Everton on the opening day.

That injury to the skipper allowed Ilia Gruev to test himself at Premier League level against the Gunners on Saturday, but he was unable to impress with his showing in midfield.

Why Ilia Gruev may not be the answer for Leeds

Speaking ahead of the clash with Arsenal, Farke revealed that Sean Longstaff is more suited to playing as a number eight instead of as a replacement for Ampadu in the number six role, which is why Gruev was then selected against Arsenal.

Unfortunately, though, the Bulgaria international failed to show the defensive strength and quality that was needed to protect the back four, in what turned out to be a hammering by Mikel Arteta’s side.

The left-footed maestro only started 20 times in the Championship last season, per Sofascore, and won 52% of his duels in the second tier as Leeds largely dominated games with the ball.

Gruev’s lack of physicality meant that there was always going to be a question mark over his head going into the Premier League season, and his performances in the first two games have not changed that.

Minutes

13

90

Pass accuracy

80%

92%

Key passes

0

0

Tackles

0

1

Interceptions

0

1

Duels won

0/1

1/3

As you can see in the table above, the former Werder Bremen star has only won one of his four duels in 103 minutes of action in the top-flight to date.

His lack of physicality was on display in the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal as he only won one duel in 90 minutes against a side that was constantly attacking his half of the pitch, which shows that he was not offering enough protection in front of the back four.

The Championship champions are now reportedly keen on bringing in another option in that area of the pitch who could come in as an upgrade on Gruev.

Leeds eyeing move for Bundesliga midfielder

According to Monday’s edition of Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are one of the teams in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder Julian Weigl.

The report claims that the Premier League side and Al-Shabab FC are both contenders to land a deal for the Germany international before the end of the summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that the Bundesliga outfit are set to allow him to move on before the deadline after the player requested to be allowed to explore a move elsewhere.

Sport Witness relay quotes from Gladbach director Roland Virkus explaining the situation: “The important thing was: He asked us to release him for talks. We are also in talks. That’s the way it is. That doesn’t mean he won’t return to the squad if they fail. That’s open. It was important for Julian to be able to hold talks with the clubs.”

It is said that Weigl is available for a fee of around £5m, amid interest from Leeds and Al-Shabab, and it is now down to the 49ers to get a deal done for the German star.

Why Leeds should sign Julian Weigl

Off the back of the injuries to Ampadu and Tanaka, securing a cut-price deal to sign Weigl from Gladbach as an upgrade on Gruev in the number six position could be a shrewd move by the club.

The 29-year-old star is a natural number six who could slot into that role at the base of the midfield when Ampadu is unavailable, or off the bench when needed.

Speaking about Weigl’s style of play, defender Marc Bartra once said: “He is very similar to Busquets. He dictates play from midfield and helps us a lot when we lose the ball, it looks like he always has everything under control. He really reminds me of Busquets a lot, even if there is obviously still some distance between the two of them.”

As someone who played alongside Busquets at Barcelona and Weigl at Borussia Dortmund, Barta is possibly the best-placed person to make such a connection, and it speaks to the profile of player that Leeds would be signing.

The German ace could be Farke’s own Busquets at the base of the midfield as an upgrade on Gruev who can offer more to the team out of possession in what is set to be a scrap to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Tackles + interceptions

3.16

Top 37%

Clearances

2.69

Top 20%

Shots blocked

0.84

Top 2%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

60.9%

Top 13%

Blocks

1.69

Top 28%

Challenges lost

0.56

Top 13%

Aerial duel success rate

67.2%

Top 2%

As you can see in the table above, Weigl ranked highly among his positional peers in the Bundesliga last season in a host of defensive metrics, including his success rate in duels on the deck and in the air.

These statistics show that he can be a dominant defensive force against opposition players at the top level, whilst Gruev was not outstanding physically in the Championship and has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League so far.

Weigl, who started 33 games in the Bundesliga last season, per Sofascore, is an experienced campaigner who has played for Farke in the past and has proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

This is why he could come in as a fantastic bargain signing for £5m as an upgrade on Gruev due to the defensive and physical qualities that he can bring to the number six position as a Busquets-esque figure.

Gnonto upgrade: Leeds ready to pay £30m to sign "menacing" new star

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This is why Farke should be pushing the club to get this deal done before the deadline because he could be an experienced alternative to Ampadu at the base of the midfield, as a strong and dependable option who can be relied upon as a defensive force.

Arsenal have now been tipped to drop a key member of the starting eleven for their looming opening day clash against Manchester United in the Premier League this weekend.

Mikel Arteta is poised to do battle with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford on Sunday, with the north Londoners ending their pre-season preparations as they gear up for yet another title challenge.

Nothing but a perfect start will do for Arsenal, having watched a plethora of their nearest rivals in Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City all splash hundreds of millions on a plethora of summer signings to bolster their squads.

Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta has been a busy man too, investing north of £200 million on six major signings, with Kepa, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and star striker Viktor Gyokeres all making the move to N5.

It is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Premier League campaigns in history, and especially near the top of the table, with many standout contenders already making themselves known after productive transfer windows.

“I think on the physical part we’re in a really good place,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s final pre-season game against Athletic Bilbao.

“I think we have competed against very different opponents in different contexts, in different countries, so it’s been a really complete pre-season. You constantly learn and evolve in the team, that’s not going to stop now because this is the last test of pre-season. On Monday we’ll continue to work on things, on things that we have to develop and improve from today, from the last few games, and other things that we want to still do. And especially the integration of the new players to make sure that we create such a bond and spirit in the team that we can compete against the opposition.”

Arteta has a few imperative decisions to make ahead of Arsenal’s face-off with United in Manchester, who are under a significant amount of pressure themselves to make a good start to 2025/2026.

Arsenal tipped to drop Myles Lewis-Skelly for Man United

Journalist Charles Watts, speaking to CaughtOffside, is convinced that Arteta could even drop star left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly for the clash.

The 18-year-old enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign last season, with his performances at full-back earning Lewis-Skelly both calls to the England squad and a brand-new long-term contract.

The rising star teenager played 23 Premier League games last year, starting 15 of them, and was handed the nod by Arteta in their blockbuster Champions League ties against Real Madrid and PSG.

Lewis-Skelly has been called “incredible” by the likes of Gary Neville after his rise to the first-team, and he’s now become a key player for them.

However, Watts believes that Lewis-Skelly will be axed for United in favour of Riccardo Calafiori.

“I think who starts at full-back this weekend will be interesting for Arsenal. There is a real competition in those positions,” said the reporter.

“When he’s been on the pitch Riccardo Calafiori has looked very good. I really enjoyed his performance last weekend and if he’s deemed fully fit I think he might get the nod at left-back over Myles Lewis-Skelly.

“It’s a tough call, but Lewis-Skelly hasn’t looked at his best yet this summer, so I would not be surprised if Arteta goes with the Italian to try and negate the threat of Bryan Mbeumo and also cause problems up the other end.”

Calafiori suffered various injury problems across 2024/2025, which hampered the Italian’s game time, but if he can stay fit, Arteta will have a seriously star-studded left-back rotation at his disposal.

Oliver Glasner says Marc Guehi has shrugged off the disappointment of seeing a Liverpool transfer fall through and is now focusing only on Crystal Palace. The 25-year-old looked set to make a switch to Anfield on summer deadline day, only for the move to collapse at the eleventh hour. Amid speculation the Reds may return for him in January, Glasner has no concerns about Guehi's professionalism.

Leoni injury reignites Guehi to Liverpool links

After Guehi stayed put at Palace, despite Liverpool's deadline day approach, Bayern Munich have entered the race to sign the centre-back, although the former Chelsea man may have his sights set on Real Madrid. Los Blancos are said to be keen on bringing him to Santiago Bernabeu next summer when he will be a free agent, but the Reds may try and move for him in January – something the Eagles could be open to so that they at least secure a fee for him.

The Merseyside outfit have captain Virgil van Dijk as their defensive talisman, and Ibrahima Konate has ably supported him in recent times, but with summer signing and understudy Giovanni Leoni suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury this week, Guehi has swiftly come up on Liverpool's radar again. Whether he would join Arne Slot's side, who are a bit short of defensive options right now, for the second half of the season remains to be seen.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGlasner praises Guehi's class

The Austrian did concede that Guehi was a tad disheartened that his Liverpool transfer did not come to pass, but his attitude and commitment to the cause for the Eagles has been exemplary. 

He told reporters: "I have no concerns at all [about Guehi]. I'm completely convinced, and I mention this quite often, as long as Marc is playing for Crystal Palace, he will be playing with 100 per cent. This is what I expect tomorrow [against Liverpool].

"I'm really convinced that he will show this again. He's an amazing player, he's in amazing shape. So I expect a great game from him. Of course, I had a conversation with Marc but I think you will expect it to maybe have been more or longer, it was really a very short conversation because it was easy. We talked before, we talked at the end of last season, we talked in off-season, we talked in the pre-season, and of course we talked after the transfer window closed but it was a five-minute conversation.

"On the other side, I'm really wondering why it's so outstanding if you stick to an agreement, it also shows you maybe what kind of times we are living in. If you sign a contract, let's say the normal thing is you stick to your contract, so we are praised for doing what we have to do, I think it's more the opposite, we should blame people who don't stick to their agreement.

"Of course he was a little bit disappointed at the beginning but he said 'no, it's fine, I like being here, I like the team, I like the staff, I like Crystal Palace, I'm a south London boy, it's all good, I will give my best,' and this is exactly what I knew would happen."

Glasner 'tired' of Guehi speculation amid Liverpool and Real Madrid interest

The Palace manager, who has guided his side to a 17-match unbeaten run, admitted he is a bit fed up with all the Guehi transfer speculation. But he acknowledges that it will undoubtedly come up in the January transfer window.

"Again, [the move to Liverpool] is gone. The window is closed, fortunately, so he's completely focused on Crystal Palace, on his performance and our performance and like always, it's good to have him as a captain," the Eagles boss said.

"I'm not talking about transfer discussions. We had this for three or four months, and it really made me tired. I don't want to talk about it. I know in January it will be again for one month. Even when I think about it, it makes me tired. So let's talk about this great game, the FA Cup winners against the Premier League. That's more important than all the other stuff."

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Getty ImagesGuehi to face suitors Liverpool

The England international will get a chance to show Liverpool what they are missing when Palace host the Premier League holders and early-season pacesetters at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. If the Eagles win this weekend and results go their way, they could go second in the table.

Leeds United have now been provided with an injury update on a key player, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “unbelievable”.

Leeds already struggling on the injury front

With three games played of the new Premier League season, Leeds are likely to be happy with the start they’ve made, having collected four points and kept clean sheets in both of their games at Elland Road.

That is despite the fact two first-team players have already suffered injury setbacks, namely Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu, who are set to spend a little while longer on the treatment table due to MCL issues.

Losing Tanaka will be particularly frustrating for the manager, as the midfielder made a fantastic start to the campaign, being voted Player of the Match for his performance in the 1-0 victory against Everton.

With the international break now upon us, the most important thing for Farke will be all his players returning to Elland Road unscathed, but there has already been a cause for concern.

As reported by the BBC’s Adam Pope, Joe Rodon has withdrawn from the Wales squad ahead of their matches against Kazakhstan and Canada, but thankfully it is not thought to be a major issue.

Pope added: “I’m told it’s not serious & he should be ok to face Fulham.”

It has since been widely reported that concussion protocols meant Rodon couldn’t be called up for his national side, which will no doubt be frustrating for the 54-time international, but it is a boost for Leeds that he should be fit for the trip to Fulham on September 13th.

"Unbelievable" Rodon has made impressive start to the campaign

Getting a positive result at the Emirates Stadium was always going to be a tall order, and the Whites struggled as expected, but otherwise they have made a promising start to the new campaign, and the Welsh defender has looked impressive.

The 27-year-old has started all three games, most recently putting in a solid display to keep Newcastle United at bay, with a point against a Champions League side certainly not to be sniffed at.

Statistic

Number completed

Duels won

4

Clearances

3

Interceptions

2

Passes completed

44/49 (90%)

Farke has also made it clear just how highly he rates the defender, who is widely reported to pocket £40k-a-week, saying: “He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps.

“He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”

As such, the Leeds boss will be grateful Rodon’s injury is likely nothing to be worried about, ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage in just over one week.

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+ Del Valle expõe bagunça coletiva do Corinthians, que dá adeus à Libertadores; veja notas

O Timão, eliminado na fase de grupos da Libertadores, perdeu dois dos últimos três jogos no Campeonato Brasileiro. O Alvinegro ocupa o 16° lugar, com oitos, e tem como principal objetivo se afastar da zona do rebaixamento.

Luxemburgo não relacionou o lateral Rafael Ramos, os meias Matheus Araújo e Giuliano, além do atacante Romero. Assim, o treinador deve repetir a escalação que usou na derrota para o Del Valle, na Libertadores.

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+ Todos os jogos doBrasileirãovocê encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

Já o Dourado possui 11 pontos, está invicto nos últimos três jogos e é o melhor visitante do Brasileirão. Sem contar com Marllon e Raniele, suspensos, o técnico António Oliveira aposta suas fichas no atacante Deyverson, que marcou nas duas últimas partidas do Cuiabá como visitante.

+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

CORINTHIANS x CUIABÁ
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 10ª RODADA

Local: Neo Química Arena, São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora: sábado, 10 de junho de 2023, às 18h30 (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Andre Luiz Skettino Policarpo Bento (MG)
Assistentes: Nailton Junior de Sousa Oliveira (FIFA-CE) e Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG)
Árbitro de vídeo: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro (FIFA-RN)
Onde assistir: Premiere (todo o Brasil) e no tempo real do LANCE!

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CORINTHIANS
Cássio; Fagner, Bruno Méndez, Gil, Murillo e Bidu; Maycon, Fausto Vera e Renato Augusto; Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes.Técnico:Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Desfalques:Cantillo (desconforto na panturrilha) e Paulinho (ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho esquerdo)

Pendurados:Cássio, Fagner, Fábio Santos e Róger Guedes

CUIABÁ
Walter; Matheus Alexandre, Alysson, Alan Empereur e Rikelme; Denilson, Fernando Sobral e Ronald; Emerson Ramon, Wellington Silva e Deyverson.Técnico:António Oliveira

Desfalques:Marllon e Reniele (suspensos) e Filipe Augusto (lesionado)

Pendurados:Alan Empereur, Matheus Alexandre, Ronald, Pablo Ceppelini e Deyverson

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