An "unbelievable" Newcastle United player is wanted by a huge European club this month, according to an update fromSky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies could do with new signings in the January transfer window, with injuries continuing to hurt them badly, as Joelinton becomes the latest big-name player to be out for a significant period of time.
On the plus side, Newcastle have been linked with signing lots of players before the end of the month, with reinforcements being eyed up all over the pitch. Lazio defender Alessio Romagnoli is one individual who has been backed to head to St James' Park in recent days, with fellow centre-back Ousmane Diomande also a target.
The Magpies also still have a chance of signing Manchester City and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, although the 28-year-old is reportedly in talks with West Ham over a switch to east London. In attack, VfB Stuttgart ace Serhou Guirassy is a fairly long-time target as Eddie Howe looks for added firepower to aid his side's European push in the Premier League.
Now, a surprise rumour is doing the rounds – one that affects a current Newcastle player, rather than a potential incoming star.
Kieran Trippier could leave Newcastle
Writing on X on Friday, Plettenberg claimed that Bayern Munich want to sign Newcastle ace Kieran Trippier on loan this month, keeping him at the club until the end of the season.
Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier.
"Yes, FC Bayern is interested in signing Kieran Trippier as there’s still no green light from @PSG_inside for a loan of Nordi Mukiele. Bayern bosses have discussed about the 33 y/o Trippier in the last 2 days. It’s hot as a straight loan of the right-back from Newcastle is possible."
There is no doubt that this update comes as a shock for Newcastle, with Trippier seemingly set to stay at the club for the foreseeable future, continuing to be a key man after proving to be such a fantastic signing.
Granted, the 33-year-old's form has been a huge concern during a chunk of the winter period, with a number of mistakes leading to goals against the Magpies, but it could simply be that some fatigue has set in, as well as a loss of confidence.
Selling Trippier makes very little sense in the second half of the season, and the hope is that talk of a move to Bayern blows over and the England right-back remains at St James' for the rest of his career. This is someone who Alan Shearer loves, with the Newcastle legend saying last year:
"Some of the balls he was putting into the box were just unbelievable. What a signing he has been for Newcastle, he’s in great form."
Versatile Newcastle player set to leave St James' Park with deal close
A permanent exit this month looks on the cards.
ByHenry Jackson Jan 19, 2024
Whether Trippier's head will be turned by a move to Bayern remains to be seen, but if he does go, losing him would represent a significant setback for Howe and the supporters.
Some of the planet's biggest superstars will be on show in Germany over the next month – but whose performances will shine above all others?
It's so close we can almost taste it. Euro 2024 is now just days away, with the best players from around the continent descending on Germany for what promises to be a superb summer of football.
While some teams will solely harbour dreams of getting out of the groups, others know that anything other than a trophy parade in mid-July will go down as failure. We're set, then, for four weeks of drama, filled with joy and heartbreak in equal measure.
Here at GOAL, we like to think we know a thing or two about the beautiful game, and so we've asked our team of writers and editors to make their predictions for the tournament. From the Golden Boot winner to the dark horses, we've got you covered on what to expect from the this hotly-anticipated Euros.
Today, we asked our team to predict who will claim the Player of the Tournament prize – here's what they had to say…
Getty Images'Expect Galactico performances from Mbappe'
Joe Strange: What better way for Kylian Mbappe to celebrate his protracted move to Real Madrid than by absolutely ripping up the Euros? France’s talisman heads into the tournament off the back of one last brilliant season for Paris Saint-Germain – despite plenty of issues on and off the pitch – and will be fuelled by his World Cup heartache, having scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final only to watch Lionel Messi and Argentina lift the trophy. Expect Galactico performances galore in Germany.
Advertisementgetty images'Musiala can be Germany's answer to Messi'
James Westwood: Germany are enjoying a resurgence under Julian Nagelsmann and will take some beating on home soil, especially with Jamal Musiala pulling the strings. The 21-year-old enjoyed another superb individual campaign at Bayern Munich, driving them forward at every opportunity with his excellent dribbling skills and eye for a killer pass. There is a reason Musiala has been described as Germany's answer to Lionel Messi, and they are certainly capable of going all the way if he's firing on all cylinders.
Getty Images'Mbappe arrives in decent physical condition'
Matt O'Connor-Simpson: Kylian Mbappe will be looking to whet the footballing world’s appetite ahead of his blockbuster move to Real Madrid. And he should be coming into the tournament in decent physical condition, having spent the second half of the season being rotated in and out of the Paris Saint-Germain first team, something he himself noted recently. “I'm going to find the best form possible and my objective is to put the team in the best possible position at the Euros. We want to bring the trophy home.” That’s us convinced.
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Getty Images'Set up to be Foden's tournament'
Stephen Darwin: After his remarkable 2023-24 campaign with Manchester City, that saw him play a huge role in propelling Pep Guardiola's side to Premier League glory, the pressure is now on Phil Foden to take that form into an international tournament. In the past, Gareth Southgate never seemed sure of playing the 24-year-old from the start in a Three Lions shirt, but given the season he's had, he's simply undroppable. Euro 2024 is set-up to be Foden's tournament and, who knows, perhaps he'll inspire England to glory.
Nottingham Forest are on the verge of making two signings at once as we head towards Thursday night's Premier League transfer deadline, according to a report from Fabrizio Romano.
Forest set to sign Gio Reyna
The Reds look to have secured their big marquee arrival of the winter window, locking up a deal for Borussia Dortmund rising star and USA international Giovanni Reyna. Reyna will sign for Forest on loan until the end of the season, with Evangelos Marinakis expected to cover the entirety of the attacking midfielder's £50,000-a-week wages.
Nottingham Forest transfer target Gio Reyna in action for the USMNT.
Nuno Espirito Santo had made signing an attacker a priority in the closing stages of the window, prompting links with West Ham outcast Maxwel Cornet, but they have instead managed to fend off competition from Marseille for Reyna, who needs a fresh start having only managed 272 minutes of Bundesliga action this season.
Nuno’s priority: Forest now “exploring” late move for “spectacular” forward
Forest are working on another deal in tandem with Gio Reyna.
ByDavid Comerford Jan 31, 2024
Reyna has zero goals and zero assists in all competitions this season – perhaps no surprise given his limited playing time – so Marinakis and Nuno are not stopping there, instead moving on straight away to a second deadline-busting move in the shape of Sporting CP striker Rodrigo Ribeiro.
Forest "closing in on" rising star striker
As reported by Romano on X on Wednesday morning, Forest are on the verge of a deal to sign 18 year-old forward Ribeiro.
Whether Nuno and co will still want a senior striker option after bringing in the two youngsters is unclear, but one thing is for sure – Ribeiro is a player packed full of potential. Sporting are famed for their ability to produce top level players – the likes of Nani, Luis Figo and of course Cristiano Ronaldo have all graudated from The Escolas Academia Sporting.
And Ribeiro looks to have a real chance of being the next great off the production line if he can hit the ground running at Forest, having grabbed 17 goals at various youth levels for his current club, as well as 15 for Portugal's youth sides. A quick delve into Ribeiro's stats shows he's doing it at a decent level too, smashing in six in nine appearances in the UEFA Youth League last season as his side beat some impressive competition on their way to the semi-finals.
Group Stage
Eintracht Frankfurt
1
0
Group Stage
Tottenham
1
0
Group Stage
Marseille
2
2
Round of 16
Ajax
1
0
Quarter Finals
Liverpool
1
0
The youngster will have Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi – who got back amongst the goals against Arsenal on Tuesday – ahead of him in the pecking order, but it will certainly be interesting to see how many chances Nuno affords the teenager, especially if the Reds are sitting comfortably away from the relegation zone a couple of months from now.
Australia captain says 2015 World Cup “quite aggressive on the field, mainly from us” but this time around it’s “great spirit” on display from the teams
Andrew Miller at Lord's28-Jun-2019Aaron Finch, Australia’s captain, believes that his team’s reformed attitude in the field has been a factor in a World Cup that has been notable for the spirit between the teams.In beating England last week on the same strip that will be used for tomorrow’s showdown against New Zealand, Finch’s Australians became the first team to book a place in next month’s semi-finals.And looking back on the 2015 event in Australia, when they beat the same opponents to secure the World Cup for a record fifth time, Finch admitted that the tone of that tournament on that occasion had been significantly more aggressive, “mainly from us”.But, in the wake of the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal – and the bans for three of their players including the then captain and vice-captain Steven Smith and David Warner – Australia have gone out of their way to present a new, more friendly, attitude. So far at this World Cup, a softer approach has not impacted on their hard attitude in the big moments, and Finch is happy to revel in the wider benefits.”I think it has been a great spirit out on the field, regardless of results,” Finch said. “You see a lot of smiles on people’s faces, which is a good sign that the game’s in really good hands at the moment, and that it is being played in the right spirit.”I’m not sure if it’s been a conscious effort from individual countries, but it certainly felt like a really, really good tournament.”Australia and New Zealand have been involved in two of the stand-out moments of sporting behaviour in the tournament so far – firstly when Virat Kohli appealed to India’s fans at The Oval to stop booing Smith and Warner – an intervention that led to a mid-pitch handshake with Smith shortly afterwards – and then at Old Trafford last week, when New Zealand’s players queued up to console Carlos Brathwaite, after his stunning century had come so close to sealing victory for West Indies.”It’s tough to compare different times [but] I know the last one was quite an aggressive World Cup on the field, mainly from us,” Finch said. “We were quite aggressive in our approach and how we went about things.”But it’s been great. This one has been absolutely brilliant, and I think what’s been really pleasing as well, [comes when] you look around the stands, regardless of who is playing.”In the past, if the home team is not playing, there could be some really empty stands, but this has been unbelievable. They have been packed-out venues and really quality cricket, so people are definitely getting their value for money, too.”Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s captain, echoed the sentiments about the crowd, and looked forward to sampling a different vibe at Lord’s from the one that he has been used to on his previous visits.”The atmospheres have varied a lot,” he said. “Pakistan was very loud. Bangladesh, very loud. India, we didn’t even play and they were very loud [chuckles].”Usually you come to Lord’s, there’s sort of a quiet murmur when you play England, but I guess playing Australia it might be a little bit different when you have Kiwis and Australians filling out the seats. It will be a really good atmosphere, whatever it is, but I know for a fact that both teams are just looking forward to getting into the cricket.”Australia, for once, might not have anticipated going into tomorrow’s contest as favourites, having struggled throughout 2018, including a 5-0 series defeat against England. But order has been restored with their comprehensive displays in the crunch moments of this event, and Finch said his side was ready once again to embrace the role of tournament front-runners.”Oh, I think that any time you have pressure on you, it’s because the expectations high, because of what you have done in the recent history,” he said.”So you can never shy away from that, and you can look at it either way. You can look at it as a burden, and only you can stuff it up, but I think at the end of the day, when you’re talking about [being favourites] and things like that, you also have to appreciate the amount of work that goes in behind the scenes from the coaches and everyone to get to that position.”Whether it’s us, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, I think the expectation for everyone is all the same; that you turn up and that you can win the World Cup. So if it did happen, it would be a huge achievement for the country.”Despite their damaging defeat against Australia, England remain in the running to win their first World Cup, in spite of Jonny Bairstow’s belief that his team’s critics are “waiting for them to fail”. And while Finch said that he hadn’t seen anything quite that explicit in the media, his own team’s recent brushes with the opinion columns had persuaded them to ban newspapers in the team environment.”I haven’t seen anything written [about England],” he said. “I’ve watched a TV, a bit of Sky News and things like that that, but in terms of papers, we don’t have them around our team room.”We have made a conscious effort of that over the tournament, and that was basically on the back of coming over here. We knew that there would be some stuff written and there would be some opinions had when we first landed in the country.”So we just wanted to take as much white noise as we could away from our focus. It is quite hard to comment on it because I honestly haven’t seen much of it.”But it’s about getting away from the game and make sure you’re refreshing as much as you can,” he added, joking that he had been spending a lot of time on the golf course until his wife arrived in the country, and now shopping is his primary pastime.”Overall, it’s about making sure that if there’s half a day, that you take that for yourself and do everything that you can to clear your mind.”For me, that’s cafes and golf. For Usman [Khawaja], that’s shopping. A few of us play golf. Steve Smith is still walking around his room with a cricket bat in his hand. It’s just totally different for everyone, but just mentally refreshing every chance you get is so important.”
In January all of the talk surrounding Arsenal was dominated by their need for a striker. They ended the window without strengthening whatsoever. Where is Ivan Toney? Where is Victor Osimhen? Those were the cries from various parts of the Emirates Stadium.
Well, striker? What striker? Arsenal look like they don't even need one now. The Gunners have banished their attacking demons that encased them at the beginning of the year and have supercharged their season with two mightily impressive wins on the trot.
Beating Liverpool last weekend sent a message about their title chances but their 6-0 romp of West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon was even more remarkable.
This is a side who had beaten Mikel Arteta's side twice already this season, a team who had defeated them at this stadium last term as well, but there were no such issues on this occasion, far from it.
A brace from Bukayo Saka, two set-piece headers from Gabriel and William Saliba, a lovely curling effort from Leandro Trossard and then Declan Rice, back on his old stomping ground, thrashed home a strike from range to ensure their biggest away win in Premier League history.
Declan Rice's performance in numbers
Sunday afternoon was always going to be about a certain Rice. Sold in the summer for a mega £105m fee by the Irons, he was surprisingly booed by the West Ham support in the early stages of the first half.
The best way to respond? Well, claiming two assists and scoring an incredible goal will do pretty nicely.
Was this the midfielder's best performance of the campaign? Perhaps, but he hardly needed to get out of second gear. It was his corner that was met by Saliba to open the scoring and then his dipping free-kick from wide on the left-hand side that Gabriel met to put Arsenal in the ascendency in the first half.
To make matters worse for a London Stadium crowd who had admired their former captain for so long, he then rounded it off with one of the best goals of his career to date. A marker of the man, he refused to celebrate.
Minutes played
67
Goals
1
Assists
2
Touches
84
Accurate passes
66/71 (93%)
Key passes
4
Crosses
4/5
Interceptions
1
Blocked shots
1
Ben White – back to his best at right-back – supplied the goal, pulling the ball back towards Trossard and Martin Odegaard. They both got in each other's way but it didn't matter. Rice ran onto it and fizzed an effort beyond Alphonse Areola to make it six. Sumptuous stuff.
That said, it was arguably that man Odegaard who deserved the Man of the Match award.
Martin Odegaard's performance in numbers
Since Granit Xhaka departed Arsenal over the summer their club captain, Odegaard, has rather struggled.
Why? Well, because he's been the only man really pulling any sort of creative strings from the middle of the park. We know Rice is supposedly the man to stay back but in Kai Havertz he's had an inconsistent figure next to him.
As a result, the Norwegian has had to adapt his play style. After nine league games of the current season, he had registered just two assists and found himself arguably with a lack of space to work with. Combine that with Arsenal's dodgy finishing record and you could hardly blame him for his lack of output.
Thankfully he has improved over recent outings, playing in a deeper role than we are perhaps accustomed to. Playing next to Rice on Sunday, Odegaard delivered his best display of the 2023/24 season yet with a complete midfield performance.
He registered two assists, his first in Arsenal colours in 2024, created two big chances and supplied seven key passes. From their creative magician, this is precisely what the doctor ordered.
No player completed more than the captain's 107 passes at the London Stadium this weekend, while no player had more than his 121 touches. This was total dominance from Odegaard, a man who also won 100% duels throughout the contest.
Minutes played
90
Touches
121
Accurate passes
107/113 (95%)
Key passes
7
Dribble attempts
1/1 (100%)
Duels won
3/3 (100%)
Assists
2
Tackles + interceptions
2
It was no surprise, therefore, to see analyst and former academy coach Davion Ferguson describe it as the 25-year-old's "most complete performance in an Arsenal shirt."
It is hard to disagree with such a statement. This was a creative masterclass and something Arteta will need again if the north Londoners are to walk away with the title in May.
Lewis, Pooran flickered briefly for West Indies, but a flurry of wickets in the middle overs derailed their chase
The Report by Hemant Brar11-Aug-20196:19
Ganga: WI batsmen failed to seize the crucial moments
Virat Kohli spoilt Chris Gayle’s 300th ODI celebrations with his 42nd century in the format, helping India win by 59 runs via the DLS method. With this victory, India have taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series as the first game was washed out.Kohli, assisted by Shreyas Iyer’s half-century, helped India to 279 for 7. Rain had reduced West Indies’ target to 270 in 46 overs and, at one stage, they needed 91 off 71 balls before slipping from 179 for 4 to 182 for 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up three of those four wickets – and finishing with figures of 4 for 31 – to effectively seal the game.After failing to convert five 50-plus scores into a hundred at the World Cup, Kohli ended his relative drought with 120 off 125 balls. During his chanceless knock, he surpassed Sourav Ganguly’s tally of 11,363 ODI runs. Among Indians, only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) now has more ODI runs than Kohli’s 11,406.ALSO READ: Krishnaswamy – Iyer sticks to the nuts and bolts of middle-order ODI battingIyer too made full use of his first innings on the tour with 71 off 68. He played the perfect foil to Kohli, finding singles and boundaries with regular frequency as the duo added 125 in 115 balls for the fourth wicket.West Indies conceded only 67 from the last ten overs but, as it turned out, India had got enough by then.Kohli had opted to bat first on a humid day after winning his fifth successive toss on this tour but India didn’t have a great start. Shikhar Dhawan fell in the first over of the innings to a Sheldon Cottrell delivery that seemed to be swinging away before coming in off the seam to trap the batsman lbw. Rohit Sharma didn’t get off the mark until his 11th delivery but Kohli ensured the scoreboard was always ticking. The second ball Kohli faced, he drove Kemar Roach for four through extra cover. A similar delivery in Roach’s next over was flicked wristily to the deep-midwicket boundary, and when the West Indies pacers bowled straight, Kohli milked them for runs on the leg side.Kohli reached his fifty with a four to third man but Rohit never got going at the other end. In an attempt to break the shackles, he ended up slicing Roston Chase towards cover where Nicholas Pooran completed the catch over his shoulder, running backwards.Continuing at No. 4, Rishabh Pant hit a couple of fours – a whip through midwicket and a cut behind square – but was bowled for 20 off 35 when he failed to connect a pull off Carlos Brathwaite.Virat Kohli pulls one away•Randy Brooks/AFPWith those two wickets, West Indies – and especially Chase – applied brakes on the scoring rate. Chase bowled unchanged for his ten overs and finished with 1 for 37.Kohli though kept collecting his runs: a nudge here for one, a push there for two and putting away anything loose for four. A majestic six off Jason Holder over long-off took him to 89. Four overs later, Kohli brought up his hundred, off 112 balls. However, a tired shot – it was very humid, and draining – in the 42nd over brought an end to his knock; he mistimed a Brathwaite slower ball to Roach at long-off.A light drizzle halted play in the 43rd over for about 25 minutes. Iyer and Kedar Jadhav returned to take the side to 250 in the 45th over but India could never really accelerate from there.Still, the hosts needed to pull off the highest successful chase at this venue in order to register a win.Gayle became the leading ODI run-scorer from the West Indies, going past Brian Lara’s tally of 10,405 runs (those scored for ICC combined teams included) with a four off Khaleel Ahmed but was lbw soon after to Bhuvneshwar. Shai Hope didn’t last long either as he chopped Khaleel onto his stumps.Rain once again made an appearance in the 13th over of the chase and this time forced a reduction of four overs with ten runs taken off the target.Lewis who had struck four fours and a pulled six off Bhuvneshwar before the break resumed with another boundary, a swept four off Kuldeep Yadav. But Shimron Hetmyer ended up skying a quicker one from the wristspinner to Kohli at extra cover.Struggling with a calf injury, Lewis brought up his maiden ODI fifty in the Caribbean but became Kuldeep’s second victim after failing to middle a cut shot. Kohli at extra cover leapt in the air and plucked a one-handed catch.Pooran was severe on both Kuldeep and Jadhav, while Chase kept rotating the strike. The latter also had a slice of luck in the 33rd over when Mohammed Shami failed to latch on to a return catch with the batsman on 10.But Bhuvneshwar, returning for his second spell, removed both batsmen in the same over to peg West Indies back. Pooran ended up top-edging a knuckle ball to Kohli in front of square, while a brilliant one-handed return catch sent Chase back.Brathwaite fell to Ravindra Jadeja in the next over and Roach chopped one on to his stumps to give Bhuvneshwar his fourth wicket. There were some fireworks from Cottrell towards the end but West Indies were all but out of the game by then.
The combative and speedy midfielder gives the Three Lions a better chance of preventing Christian Eriksen from running the show
For the more optimistic of fans, England's victory over Serbia was very encouraging, an opening win in a European Championship for only the second time in 11 attempts, plus a clean sheet. And there was a statement performance from Jude Bellingham, who looks set to be one of the stars of the tournament.
To the glass-half-empty brigade, however, there was a lot to be concerned about. Once more England could not build on the momentum of a good start and some of their very best players, particularly Phil Foden and Harry Kane, barely got involved in the play.
Their next game is against stronger and more experienced opponents in Denmark, who ran England dangerously close in the Euro 2020 semi-finals. The Danes had a disappointing 1-1 draw against Slovenia in their first game, but Christian Eriksen delivered a life-affirming performance in midfield, practically running the match three years after suffering a cardiac arrest in his side's Euros opener.
So how should Gareth Southgate set up his team in Frankfurt? GOAL picks our preferred line up as England eye another victory to fully take control of Group C and look to respond to their critics at the same time…
GettyGK: Jordan Pickford
Pickford only had to make one save against Serbia. but showed quick reactions to turn Dusan Vlahovic's long-range effort over the bar, and there is no question that he should start again. He took no chances with the ball at his feet and tried to catch Serbia out with long punts forward to Kane, albeit with limited success.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Kyle Walker
Walker was one of England's standout performers in Gelsenkirchen, helping set up the only goal and flying forward with attacking intent. He remains firmly at the front of the queue of Southgate's right-back options.
GettyCB: John Stones
Stones did the basics right against Serbia, getting some important blocks and tackles in. He looked a little rusty on the ball, but that is natural after a season that was frequently disrupted by injury, and the only way to get him back up to speed is with more games.
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Getty ImagesCB: Marc Guehi
Crystal Palace defender Guehi had a superb game against Serbia, his first in a major tournament, showing remarkable poise on the ball and moving it around with simplicity. He deserves another run out and has a track record of frustrating Rasmus Hojlund, after he took on the Manchester United striker in Palace's 1-0 win at Old Trafford in September.
Sergiy Rebrov claimed Ukraine players "showed the spirit of the country" after his troops scripted a stirring Euro 2024 comeback against Slovakia.
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Ukraine beat Slovakia 2-1 Scored late to clinch the three points Rebrov delighted with his team's character WHAT HAPPENED?
The completed a remarkable comeback against Slovakia, securing a 2-1 victory in Dusseldorf on Friday. This victory is vital for Ukraine's hopes of advancing to the knockout stages after their heavy 3-0 defeat to Romania in their opening match. Going into the half-time break trailing 1-0 after a goal by Slovakia's Ivan Schranz in the 17th minute, Ukraine turned the tables in the second half with goals from Mykola Shaparenko and substitute Roman Yaremchuk.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT REBROV SAID
Rebrov's calm and focused approach during half-time was crucial. "I didn't shout [at half-time]. We had to react in the second half," Rebrov told reporters. "We weren't pressing high enough. We understood this was our chance and that's what I said. I said 'Don't worry about the score and just go for it'.
"This is not a different team. There was a different spirit — I am pleased for the players — they showed the spirit of Ukraine and deserved this win. It was important to win for our country, our fighters, our supporters."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite the loss, Slovakia still has a viable path to qualification. They had previously defeated Belgium 1-0, and their manager, Francesco Calzona, remains optimistic. "We had the opportunity [today] but we knew we had to win against a team who had to win at all costs," Calzona said. "We are the Cinderella story of the group stage — the fact we're still competing at Matchday 3 is significant. We try to play football against anyone, regardless of the opposition, and I'm proud of that. We'll do everything in our power to beat Romania".
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR UKRAINE?
Ukraine will have their tails high when they take on Belgium on June 26 in the final group match. A victory will fire them to the knockouts at the expense of Romelu Lukaku and Co.
Tottenham Hotspur are at home in the Premier League once again after last weekend's last-gasp victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, Brennan Johnson snatching three points at the death to propel the club back into the top four.
Hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, Ange Postecoglou's side perch in Champions League contention after Aston Villa fell to defeat against Manchester United on Sunday and could now strengthen their place ahead of the late stretch of the campaign.
Wolves dramatically defeated Spurs in November after Pablo Sarabia masterminded two stunning late strikes to turn the tide at Molineux, but Postecoglou will be confident that his side can secure back-to-back wins for the first time in 2024.
Long-term absentees Manor Solomon and Ryan Sessegnon remain out but Tottenham are clicking into gear and could unleash Heung-min Son from the start after the skipper's creative cameo against Brighton last time out, supplying Johnson with a deft pass after returning from the Asia Cup with South Korea.
There are a few fresh injury concerns however, and Postecoglou might have to make four alterations to last week's victory as his side continue to build cohesion.
1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Guglielmo Vicario joined Tottenham from Empoli for an initial £17m fee last summer and has been largely excellent so far, starting all 24 Premier League fixtures.
He's sure to start against Wolves, hungry for a first clean sheet in eight matches.
2 RB – Radu Dragusin
Radu Dragusin in action for Genoa.
Postecoglou has grudgingly revealed that Pedro Porro is expected to miss the forthcoming fixture with an injury issue, but the Spaniard's absence provides the perfect opportunity to hand £27m January addition from Genoa, Radu Dragusin, his first starting berth.
The Romanian defender is aggressive and has previously been lauded for his "complete & dominant" style in the backline by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Naturally a centre-back, Dragusin has played at right-back before and might just pip Emerson Royal to a starting spot.
3 CB – Cristian Romero
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero.
Cristian Romero has captained Tottenham across the past four games in the English top-flight but will likely hand the armband back over to Son, though he is sure to keep his place in the rearguard as his team fight to keep hold of fourth place.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Discipline
Tackling
Dribbling
Source: WhoScored
Aggressive and brutish on occasion, Romero's disciplinary record has left much to be desired this term but there is no disputing the high-class quality and command he stamps into the backline, with three goals this term to boot.
4 CB – Micky van de Ven
Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven
Tottenham beat Liverpool to the £43m signing of Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg in August and what a player he is, enjoying a sensational start to life on English shores.
Of course, Van de Ven missed two months of action with a hamstring injury that started a miserable spell of form during November and December that pulled Postecoglou's side away from title contention, but he's back now and impressing with his blend of defensive acumen and elite athleticism.
5 LB – Ben Davies
Spurs defender Ben Davies.
The full-backs are falling down at N17 and it looks like Destiny Udogie will be joining Porro in the medical room against Gary ON'Neil's side, with Ben Davies the likely candidate to step in.
The Wales international, aged 30, started nine league matches in a row before the new year in the thick of Spurs' injury crisis and will offer stability down the left flank.
6 CM – Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma.
Returning off the bench against the Seagulls after returning from AFCON, Yves Bissouma should be handed a starting role against Wolves, with his tough-tackling expertise needed to take control, once dubbed a "monster" of a player by journalist Aaron Stokes.
As per FBref, the Malian ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 7% for successful take-ons, the top 3% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions per 90.
7 CM – Pape Matar Sarr
Spurs midfielder Pape Sarr celebrating against Bournemouth.
It's quite simple: when Pape Matar Sarr plays, Tottenham thrive. Enjoying a tremendous breakout campaign, Sarr has started 17 league games this term and has posted three goals and two assists, completed 89% of his passes and averaged 5.1 ball recoveries per game.
His relentless work-rate is exactly what is needed to overcome the hard-working Wolves.
8 RW – Dejan Kulusevski
Tottenham ace Dejan Kulusevski.
Some players have the deadly finishing ability, while others are endowed with sublime creativity, but Dejan Kulusevski is perfecting the art of energy and application, threading it into a rounded skill set that makes him a very singular threat in Postecoglou's team.
The Swede has scored five goals and supplied two assists across 22 Premier League matches this season but it is his turbo-charged approach that makes him so important down the right flank.
9 AM – James Maddison
James Maddison in action.
James Maddison has yet to score since returning from what felt like an interminable spell on the sidelines last month but he has been in fine fettle, supplying an assist and creating seven key passes across three fixtures.
The England international is one of Europe's finest playmakers and opens up so many dimensions for Tottenham's attack when playing.
10 LW – Heung-min Son
Heung-min Son celebrating for Tottenham.
Son would be forgiven for returning from the Asia Cup a tad dejected after South Korea's shock semi-final defeat against Jordan, but the 31-year-old performed with fire against Brighton, delightfully placing Johnson's assist.
Timo Werner has started all four Premier League matches – racking up two assists – since joining from RB Leipzig on loan last month but will surely move to the bench against Wolves.
Fast bowler gets through 19 overs on second day of Second XI fixture, and is set for Lord’s debut after Olly Stone’s injury
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2019Jofra Archer got through 19 overs for Sussex’s 2nd XI on Wednesday to further emphasise his readiness for a likely Test debut at Lord’s next week.With James Anderson already ruled out of that Test, Warwickshire confirmed today that Olly Stone would miss at least two weeks’ cricket with a back problem, leaving Archer and Sam Curran as the frontrunners to bolster the pace attack against Australia.Mark Wood (side and knee) and Lewis Gregory (foot) are also injured, meaning England’s seam bowling stocks are relatively bare.After a staggering first day, in which he took 6 for 29 in 12.1 overs before hitting a rapid hundred from number six, Archer had a quieter day at Woodmancote against a young Gloucestershire 2nd XI.ALSO READ: Jofra Archer takes six-for, scores century in quest for Test fitnessHe leaked a few runs in his first spell, as opener Tom Price hit three boundaries in the first four balls he bowled, before Greg Willows pulled a short ball for six over long leg.But Archer ended up with 19 overs under his belt, returning figures of 1 for 78. There was a brief scare after he dropped a difficult caught-and-bowled chance, as he stayed down for around a minute, but he picked himself back up and took the wicket of George Drissell, who fended a short ball that rose sharply off the pitch to gully.Archer is playing in the fixture to prove his fitness, after suffering a side strain during the World Cup, although Sussex coach Jason Gillespie told he was “surprised” he had missed out on the first Test and that Archer was “100 percent fit, ready to go”.Curran, meanwhile, is set to play in Surrey’s Vitality Blast fixtures on Thursday and Friday, though will be made unavailable for Sunday’s game at Glamorgan.While Archer has not made a first-class appearance in nearly 11 months, Curran has played four games for Surrey this Championship season – taking 18 wickets at 23.22 – as well as an England Lions game and the Test against Ireland two weeks ago. Curran took 3 for 28 in that game, but with coach Trevor Bayliss highlighting the need for “guys with a bit more pace”, Archer looks to be the front-runner.It is feasible that both seamers could play, with Joe Denly dropping out and Ben Stokes moving up to number four, though captain Joe Root stressed after the defeat at Edgbaston that England “don’t have to make any shotgun decisions in terms of selection.”We got plenty of time before the next game,” Root said. “It’s really important that we’re very clear on how we want to go about it.”Anderson, meanwhile, remains hopeful of playing some part in the rest of the series.”The thought of more time away from the game is driving me nuts,” he told . “I haven’t thought about giving up. My body feels great everywhere else, I’m as fit as I’ve ever been. It’s just this one muscle that is bugging me and not allowing me to do what I want to.”I’m pretty confident I can get over this, I want to keep going. The plan is to get back and play some part in The Ashes but, if that doesn’t work out, the winter is absolutely on my radar.”