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Aston Villa’s poor run of form continued after a 0-0 draw at Villa Park against Juventus on Wednesday night. Unai Emery’s side faced heartbreak at the death, with a late goal ruled out. The Villans are now without a win in seven games, as their concerning spell goes on.

It was Morgan Rogers’ strike that was ruled out right before the final whistle. Youri Tielemans’ freekick was dropped by Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. Rogers simply picked up the loose ball and fired home, and thought he had won it for the Villans. However, after a VAR check, Diego Carlos was deemed to have fouled the Juve shot stopper and the goal was ruled out.

Statistically, both sides were relatively even. According to Sofascore, the Old Lady slightly dominated possession, with 56% to the home side’s 44%. The Villans did have more shots, with 11 compared to Juve’s eight, and created a higher expected goals total, 1.23xG to 0.44xG.

It was a frustrating night for the Villans, who are desperate to end their lean run of form and thought they had done as much before VAR intervened. There were some disappointing performances from those in Claret and Blue, with Rogers one of the players who struggled.

Rogers’ stats vs. Juventus

It is perhaps no coincidence that Villa’s poor run of form has coincided with a tough spell for Rogers. He has been a talismanic figure under Emery this season but has managed just one goal involvement in Villa’s winless run.

It was another tough night for the attacking midfielder against Juventus. Against a well-drilled Juve side coached by Thiago Motta, there was little room for him to get on the ball, and he had little impact on the game.

The England international, who made his senior debut this month, earned a post-match rating of 4/10 from GOAL journalist Harry Sherlock. He explained the attacker ‘struggled against Juve’s physicality in midfield’ although did praise his effort, explaining he ‘kept plugging away’ against the Old Lady.

Indeed, the Manchester City academy graduate did not have the best stats from the game, either. He had 48 touches of the ball, completing 75% of his passes and losing the ball 19 times. Off the ball, the Villa number 27 won just two from ten ground duels.

Rogers was not the only Villa attacker who disappointed against the Old Lady, however, with Leon Bailey also having a tough night.

Leon Bailey’s stats vs. Juventus

Like his fellow attacker Rogers, Bailey had a really frustrating time of things against Juventus. He also struggled to have any impact on the game in an attacking sense, although not for a lack of effort.

Again, Motta’s well-drilled defensive set-up meant Bailey could not really have any impact in the final third, and although he was persistent, there was simply no way past such a resilient Juve defence. The winger was also wasteful in possession at times.

His stats from the game certainly reflect the tough night for the Jamaican. He had 43 touches of the ball and a pass accuracy of just 70%. The former Bayer Leverkusen man lost the ball 16 times, and completed only two out of four dribbles. It was not an easy night for the winger.

Bailey stats vs. Juve

Stat

Number

Pass accuracy

70%

Touches

43

Passes completed

16/23

Number of times possession lost

16

Ground duels won

5/11

Dribbles completed

2/4

Tackles won

0/1

Stats from Sofascore

He also received a 4/10 rating from Sherlock for his efforts against the Turin side. The journalist explained that try as he might to breach the Juve defence, Bailey simply ‘couldn’t get beyond them’ at all.

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It was another really difficult evening for the Villans, who now face a tough assignment at Stamford Bridge against high-flying Chelsea, as they desperately look for a win to break this wretched run.

On the evidence of yesterday’s outing, Bailey should find himself among the substitutes for the trip to west London.

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Posts 1 ByBrett Worthington Nov 26, 2024

Glasgow Rangers had to settle for a draw in Greece on Thursday evening in their Europa League clash with Olympiacos, relying on Cyriel Dessers to score the equaliser during the second half.

Philippe Clement’s men sit in tenth position in the table, although they still have to play Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in their remaining four fixtures.

At this moment, Europe is considered an afterthought, especially given how poorly the Ibrox side has performed domestically.

Dessers was back on the scoresheet for the second time in five days after his goal against Motherwell in the League Cup semi-final.

Could this be a sign of a resurgence?

Cyriel Dessers' stats against Olympiacos

Danilo was not registered in the European squad, so Dessers was chosen to start against the Greek side.

In true Dessers fashion, he missed two big chances before finally finding the back of the net. The first chance he was through on goal with only the keeper to beat, but fluffed his lines, while the second saw him fire a shot straight at Konstantinos Tzolakis after a cutback from Vaclav Cerny.

He did manage four shots in total during the clash, looking a lot livelier than he had been in recent weeks, while also winning four of his seven aerial duels and being fouled twice.

Cyriel Dessers’s stats vs Olympiacos

Goals

1

Touches

36

Big chances missed

2

Possession lost

17

Aerial duels (won)

7 (4)

Total shots

4

Via Sofascore

Hamza Igamane replaced him with five minutes to go, giving the youngster some precious minutes.

A few other players stood out, none more so than Cerny, who shone on the right flank for the Light Blues.

Vaclav Cerny’s game in numbers vs Olympiacos

A few weeks ago, Cerny was being targeted by a section of the Ibrox support after a few poor displays, which included him missing an open goal in the tie against Lyon.

A month later, the Czech winger has netted five goals and grabbed three assists in his last six matches, showcasing incredible resilience.

Against the Greek side, Cerny not only grabbed the assist for Dessers goal, but he also made five key passes, created two big chances and succeeded with five dribbles from an impressive eight attempts down the right wing.

He looked a menace throughout and if he can maintain this sort of form in the coming weeks, the Gers might just get back to their best domestically.

The winger did lose possession 14 times, but this was the only downside to a display which will further bolster his confidence, no doubt about that.

With a clash against Hearts coming up on Sunday, Clement simply has to keep Cerny in the starting XI, as securing all three points could give the manager some breathing space ahead of the international break next week.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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A draw against the Europa Conference League winners isn’t a bad result by any stretch of the imagination, but the Light Blues will need to take points off either Spurs or Man United to have a chance of making the knockout stages.

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Posts ByBarney Lane Nov 7, 2024

Manchester United have a 51-year-old manager under consideration as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag, according to a new report. The Red Devils are beginning their search for a new manager after the dismissal of the Dutchman on Monday morning, after being beaten 2-1 by West Ham on Sunday afternoon.

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ByBrett Worthington Oct 28, 2024 Man Utd manager latest

United find themselves looking for a new manager after the decision to end Ten Hag’s reign after two and a half years at the club. The decision was made on Monday morning, with a statement confirming the decision and United placing their thanks and good luck to Ten Hag on record.

The Red Devils have been linked with several managers for a few weeks now. Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is one manager who has growing interest in his services. Meanwhile, Xavi has also emerged on the club’s radar in the last week, but it appears his chances of becoming the new manager are slim, as Xavi plans to wait until the summer before taking on his next job.

A new name that has come into the United hotseat is German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann. The German has been in charge of the national team since 2023, and now that the Red Devils are looking for a new manager, they could look to make a move for him.

But the options do not stop there for United, as they also have their eye on a former player of theirs as they weigh up the best move for them.

Former player under consideration for Man Utd return

According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst, Manchester United have former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær under consideration for a return to the club. The 51-year-old joined the Red Devils as a player in 1996 and enjoyed great success with the club right up until he left in 2007.

Solskjaer returned to Old Trafford in 2018 as caretaker manager, and his return saw a positive swing in results, and that earned him the permanent role. He was appointed manager in March 2019 and kept the role until November 2021, managing 168 games in total.

Since leaving United, Solskjaer has been out of management and has been working as a UEFA analyst since January of last year. Last month, Solskjaer admitted that he would be “open” to an Old Trafford return, and if he was offered a way back, he would say “yes”.

Games

168

Won

92

Drawn

35

Lost

41

Now, according to this report, the Norwegian is under consideration for returning to the club, but it is unclear if he is viewed as a long-term replacement for Ten Hag or as a backroom staff member. Before taking over at Old Trafford, Solskjaer’s only other experience in management came at Molde, where he managed from 2011 to 2018 on and off, while he also had a spell as Cardiff City manager.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco apresentou, nesta quarta-feira, mais um de seus onze reforços para a temporada. O volante Matheus Barbosa respondeu às perguntas dos jornalistas e revelou que admira o ex-jogador e hoje comentarista Pedrinho, que sofreu com lesões e teve uma carreira de superação. Ele também exaltou a grandeza e o peso da camisa do Cruz-Maltino.

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– Eu estou encarando como um grande desafio, mas já tive grandes desafios na minha vida. De sair cedo de casa, de estar sempre procurando dar o melhor para a minha família. Cuidar dos meus pais, irmãos. Já vivi grandes desafios e aqui no Vasco não será diferente – disse, e acrescentou:

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

– A camisa do Vasco é pesada é só de vestir ela já é um grande desafio. Acredito que todos os jogadores foram selecionados e tem capacidade para recolocar o Vasco na Série A. Vamos trabalhar muito no dia a dia. Eu estou encarando como um grande desafio, mas já tive grandes desafios, de sair cedo de casa e procurar dar o melhor pra minha família. Sei da responsabilidade que é vestir essa camisa, é um grande desafio, mas me sinto muito preparado e espero fazer uma grande temporada – completou.

O jogador, de 27 anos, tem experiência na Série B, já que disputou a competição com as camisas de Avaí, Cuiabá e Cruzeiro. Ele disse que pode atuar como primeiro ou segundo volante dependendo da escolha do técnico Zé Ricardo. Ao responder sobre suas referências no futebol, ele citou seu irmão e revelou admirar o ex-jogador Pedrinho.

+De olho na Sociedade Anônima do Futebol, grupo americano dono do Genoa (ITA) procura o Vasco

– Eu tenho como referência meu irmão, ele também joga futebol e sempre procurou me ajudar a crescer. A história do meu irmão se identifica um pouco com a do Pedrinho, um cara que sempre admirei. Não é a mesma função, mas admiro pela qualidade técnica e pela história de vida, teve muita lesão também. Meu irmão também sofreu muito com isso, jogadores têm essas dificuldades. Também admiro o Pedrinho como comentarista, porque sabe as dificuldades dos jogadores – frisou.

Chelsea through the years have been seen as a ruthless club, discarding both players and managers if things aren’t going their way.

A relentless pursuit for success has its casualties; youth players being sold, club legends being phased out, and elite managers having their time cut short. Chelsea would do whatever was necessary to chase instant success in the past, even if it led to some uncomfortable conversations and decisions.

This was a successful method for the Blues over the years, winning five Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, and five FA Cups, along with two Europa League trophies, and three League Cups.

That said, they’ve not always got it right in the transfer market. Current Arsenal star Kai Havertz is a fine example of that.

Kai Havertz at Chelsea

Chelsea signed Havertz in the summer transfer window during 2020 under then-manager Frank Lampard at the time. Havertz cost Chelsea around £71m and in the process became their second most expensive signing ever behind Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Havertz made 139 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 32 goals, providing 12 assists, and totaling 9,022 minutes played.

This includes scoring one of the biggest goals in Chelsea’s history, with the only goal in the 2021 Champions League final, in which the Blues were victorious, beating Manchester City 1-0.

However, as time went on, the London outfit struggled to find the goals upfront, with Havertz being used more often as a number nine than a midfielder under Thomas Tuchel, which saw the German leave for Arsenal in 2023 for a fee of around £65m, allowing Chelsea to recoup most of what they spent on the German.

Other midfielders signed in the following years, including Atletico Madrid loanee and then World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez.

Saul struggled for game time while Fernandez has at least become a regular. That said, at a similar time they could have brought one of the game’s global superstars to the Bridge.

When Chelsea tried to sign Jude Bellingham

According to talkSPORT, Chelsea worked ‘tirelessly’ to try and tempt Jude Bellingham away from Birmingham way back when most of England’s top clubs were ready to fight for the young midfielder.

Despite putting in lots of background work, Dortmund signed Bellingham for around £25m in 2020, Chelsea then moving onto Havertz and acquired him instead.

Bellingham is regarded as one of the best players in world football now, having moved from Dortmund to Real Madrid last summer, for a whopping £88.5m initial fee, with huge add-ons, which could see the deal become worth £115m. So staggering has the English talent been in Madrid that his market value has now increased to a remarkable £152m, as per Transfermarkt.

Comparing the seasons of both players for the 2020/21 campaign, it is important to note that Bellingham was only 17 years old at this point but he still put up some phenomenal numbers, and as we all know, he has now become a truly special player.

Bellingham vs Havertz (2020/21)
Stats (per 90 mins)	Bellingham	Havertz
Goals	0.13	0.35
Assists	0.13	0.24
Progressive Carries	1.32	3.01
Progressive Passes	4.87	4.41
Shots Total	1.57	1.94
Passes into Final Third	4.15	2.15
Shot-Creating Actions	2.08	3.01
Tackles	2.75	1.37
Blocks	2.11	1.29
Interceptions	1.18	0.52
Stats taken from FBref

Back in 2020, Bellingham was in a more box-to-box role, compared to Havertz who was more of an attacking midfielder.

You can see their different qualities and roles, with the English superstar averaging better passing metrics, due to his deeper positioning and responsibility to progress the ball, as well as his extra defensive responsibilities, averaging more tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 minutes.

Havertz had more G/A output, boasting a higher shot volume and a better progressive carry rate at the time but Bellingham has now morphed into a complete midfielder over the years, learning to use his body even better, increasing his carrying capabilities to the highest level.

He is a brilliant asset for duels due to his height and frame, but also adding more goals and assists, having scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists for Madrid last season. If Chelsea had gone all in for Bellingham, things could be very different now, that’s for sure.

Lukaku arrived instead: Tuchel wanted Chelsea to sign star now worth £152m

It’s safe to say the club made a huge error in not securing a move for the talent.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 18, 2024

أصدر الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم بيانًا بشأن خوسيه لويس مونويرا مونتيرو، الحكم الذي أدار مباراة ريال مدريد وأوساسونا بالدوري الإسباني.

وأعقب هذه المباراة جدلاً واسعًا، بسبب طرد الحكم لجود بيلينجهام لاعب ريال مدريد لتلفظه بكلمة مسيئة، في حين أن اللاعب أوضح أن الترجمة كانت خاطئة.

وفتح الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم تحقيقًا مع الحكم مونويرا مونتيرو بشأن أنشطته غير الرياضية، لبحث كونها غير متوافقة مع القانون التنظيمي، حال وجود مصالح ثانوية قد تتعارض مع أداء واجباته المهنية.

وأشارت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية في تقرير لها بوقت سابق، إلى أن مونتيرو قد يتم إيقافه خمس سنوات حال أدانته التحقيقات (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

مونتيرو أسس شركة “تالينتوس سبورتس”، المتخصصة في الاستشارات والإدارة الرياضية، وقيل إن بين عملائها مؤسسات مثل رابطة الدوري الإسباني والاتحاد الإسباني وبعض الأندية مثل أتلتيكو مدريد ومانشستر سيتي وغيرها.

وبعد الاستماع إلى الحكم وتحليل كافة المعلومات، إدارة الامتثال بالاتحاد الاسباني لم تجد دليلاً على أنه خرق مدونة أخلاقيات الاتحاد، وبالتالي لن يكون هناك أي تعارض بين شركات مونويرا مونتيرو وممارسة التحكيم.

اقرأ أيضًا | أتلتيكو مدريد يصدر بيانًا بعد إيقاف حكم مباراة ريال مدريد وأوساسونا

وجاء بيان الاتحاد الإسباني على النحو التالي: 

توصلت إدارة الامتثال التنظيمي في الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم إلى عدم وجود تضارب في المصالح في الأنشطة التجارية للعضو خوسيه لويس مونويرا مونتيرو.

في 20 فبراير، اكتمل التحقيق الذي أجراه قسم الامتثال التنظيمي في الاتحاد الملكي الإسباني لكرة القدم، بعد نشر مزاعم عدم التوافق التي ارتكبها حكم الدرجة الأولى خوسيه لويس مونويرا مونتيرو.

في أعقاب نشر معلومات في وسائل الإعلام تشير إلى وجود تضارب محتمل في المصالح يؤثر على الحكم خوسيه لويس مونويرا مونتيرو، فتحت إدارة الامتثال التنظيمي في الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم تحقيقًا في 18 فبراير.

خلال عملية جمع المعلومات، قام الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم بالاطلاع على جميع المعلومات المودعة في السجل التجاري فيما يتعلق بالشركات التي يمتلك العضو حصة فيها أو يزعم أن لديه مصالح تتعارض مع عمله التحكيمي.

وكان هناك تعاون كامل من جانب خوسيه لويس مونويرا مونتيرو، الذي قدم الوثائق المطلوبة، ومن الأشخاص المقربين منه الذين يبدو أنهم تأثروا بالصراع المزعوم على المصالح.

بعد دراسة مفصلة وتحليل والتحقق من المعلومات التجارية والشركات والمحاسبة، والنشاط الاقتصادي للشركات المذكورة ودرجة مشاركة مونويرا مونتيرو فيها، خلص قسم الامتثال التنظيمي في اتحاد كرة القدم الإسباني إلى أنه لا يوجد تعارض حقيقي أو محتمل بين الأنشطة التجارية للعضو وأدائه كعضو في الدرجة الأولى.

“في ضوء التحقيق الداخلي الذي أجري، خلصنا إلى أنه من الناحية القانونية والتنظيمية الداخلية، لا يوجد تضارب في المصالح – لا حقيقي ولا محتمل – ناتج عن العلاقة التجارية للسيد مونويرا مونتيرو مع الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وبناء على ذلك، ووفقا للوائح الداخلية المتعلقة بتضارب المصالح والممارسات الجيدة للاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، لا يوجد سبب يبرر اتخاذ تدابير ضد السيد مونويرا مونتيرو.

ويواصل التقرير توصيته للجنة الفنية للحكام بالمضي قدماً في رفع أي تدابير احترازية ربما تم فرضها.

وسيتم تقديم التقرير إلى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم في إطار علاقات التعاون القائمة في هذا المجال”.

The ICC’s acting CEO has said teams will continue to be ranked based on percentage of points contested

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jun-2021The shift to a ranking based on the percentage of points contested, which came about thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, will extend into the second (2021-23) edition of the World Test Championship, with one caveat. Instead of 120 points being available over each series, independent of the length of the series, every Test match will now carry an equal number of points. At the end of the WTC cycle, teams will be ranked based on the percentage of points accrued over all the matches they have played.The above points system was revealed by Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s acting chief executive officer, during a media chat organised by the ICC on Monday. As a consequence of several series in the first cycle of the WTC being postponed due to the pandemic, the ICC altered the points system last November, deciding to rank teams based on the percentage of points won from the series they contested.Related

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That shift allowed New Zealand, which was behind India, Australia and England in the points tally at the time, to leapfrog those teams and become the first team to make the inaugural WTC final after consecutive home series wins over West Indies and Pakistan. India’s historic 2-1 win in Australia, followed by a 3-1 victory at home against England, allowed them to book the second finalist’s slot and eventually finish on top of the WTC table.During the 2019-21 WTC cycle, every series – regardless of length – had 120 points up for grabs•Ishita Mazumder/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Four days before the WTC final, Allardice said the ICC had decided to stick to the percentage-of-points-won methodology as it provided twin benefits. “We are going to stick with the percentage-of-points-won method to rank teams,” Allardice said. “When we looked at the first 12 months of the competition you had teams on a number of points, but it was all relative to how many series they had played. So one of the ways to compare teams on an ongoing basis is what proportion of the points that have been available in the matches they played have been actually won. And that percentage served us well in the second half of the Championship.Watch cricket on ESPN+

The WTC final is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match.

“The other thing is if we are using the percentage of points won we can put a standardised number of points per Test match. So it doesn’t matter if it is a two-Test series or a five-Test series, the same number of points will be available for each match that’s played, but every team would be judged on the percentage of those points it wins, not on total.”The alteration in the points system was originally devised and recommended by the ICC Cricket Committee, which is headed by former India captain Anil Kumble. However, not everyone was impressed by the ICC’s move. Ahead of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, India captain Virat Kohli said the amended points system was “confusing”. India had played four out of their six scheduled series in the WTC cycle at that point and were leading the table with 360 points. However, Australia, who had earned 296 points from three series, toppled India after the revision, with 82.22 percentage points (296 out of 360) compared to the latter’s 75 (360 out of 480).Allardice understood the critics’ view, but said the ICC had had no option but to change the system. “The principle that we had when we created the competition was that every match in a series that was played as part of the Test Championship should count. The point system was also to try and reflect that a two-match series is worth the same as a five-match series. That was trying to make sure that everyone was playing for the same number of points in total, everyone was playing for the same number points home and away.The points system for the inaugural WTC was changed midway through the competition due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic•Getty Images

“One of things that happened during this cycle is that it became evident that not everyone was going to complete their six series as a result of some of the postponements due to Covid. So we left the final in the spot in the calendar where it was originally scheduled. But because we are going to have teams playing uneven number of series we needed to tweak to the points system to try and make it as fair as possible and to make sure it reflected the matches that they did play rather than too heavily influenced by they didn’t play.”As it turned out it was a fair system. New Zealand didn’t play one series as a result of the Covid disruption las year, but they’ve still been able to qualify for the final through the strength of their performances in other series. So we prefer not to have changed the points system in the middle of a tournament but due to the circumstances of Covid and the need to ensure that the best two teams got to the final we thought it was necessary that it was approved at the end of last year.”Best-of-three final not “realistic”
Allardice also said the suggestion of India coach Ravi Shastri to have a best-of-three final to determine the winner of the second edition of the WTC – was a good one but not “realistic”, due to the lack of a free window for such an event in the cricket calendar.”In a perfect world a three-Test series would be a great way to decide the World Test Championship,” Allardice said. “But the reality (of) the international cricket schedule is we are just not going to have [a situation where] blocking out a month or so for all the teams in the tournament for the final is realistic. That’s why one-match final was decided upon. Why it is quite exciting is because it brings something new. Here were are – we’ve got a one-off Test match to decide the best team in the world over this two-year cycle.”Draw “certainly a valid result”
Allardice was asked whether it was fair on the two finalists in case the match were to end in a draw due to rain interruptions. Announcing the WTC prize money on Monday, the ICC said both teams would share the Test mace, and the pot of USD 2.4 million, in case of a draw.”One of the idiosyncrasies of Test cricket is that the draw is a result,” Allardice said. “One of things while talking about the structure of the competition was to we didn’t want to start the final with one team having to win and one team having to draw, so both teams start on Friday even. They have five playing days to get a result. We have set aside a reserve day so that if time is lost during those five days it can be further made up on the reserve day. It isn’t a six-day Test match.”And if after those five days the result is a draw, then the view was that the fitting result is that the Championship is shared. Whether we like it or not a draw is certainly a valid result in Test cricket.”

A “commanding” Derby County player could now miss as many as 14 matches after picking up an injury, following an update from manager Paul Warne.

Derby's promising start to new season

The Rams returned to the Championship after last season’s promotion from League One, and it was always going to be intriguing to see how Warne’s side would fare back in the second tier of English football.

So far, Derby have fared impressively, winning three of their first five league games this season, including the 1-0 win at home to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.

The early signs suggest that the Rams look well-equipped to preserve their Championship status for another season, although supporters may be dreaming big and thinking about a possible promotion push, with Ipswich Town showing that back-to-back promotions can be achieved.

In order for that to happen, Warne will need to be fortunate in the injury department, allowing him to rotate effectively during a relentless season, but a worrying update has emerged regarding one player.

Warne drops worrying Derby injury news

Speaking to The Derby Telegraph, Warne admitted that Derby loanee David Ozoh could be out for up to 14 matches because of a hamstring injury. Warne alluded to Ozoh missing up to 12 weeks of action in a worst-case scenario, which would be until December 7th, with a scan set for Monday and the player “down in the dumps”.

“He (David) is a bit down in the dumps, bless him. I should know this really but I don’t know whether he has had a hamstring injury before. He obviously felt it but we don’t know the severity of it yet. He will go for a scan on Monday and it could be a couple of weeks and a twinge or it could be eight or 12 weeks. We are blessed that we have a good medical team so we will get him back.”

This is a potential massive setback for both Ozoh and Derby, considering the 19-year-old has caught the eye since arriving on loan from Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window.

Prior to the injury blow, the midfielder had started all five of his side’s Championship matches this season, enjoying a highly impressive 95.1% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 3.8 tackles per game, which is consistently more than any other Rams player. Meanwhile, former Derby ace Shaun Barker has shown his appreciation for Ozoh, saying:

“If you gave him another three or four minutes for choosing the player of the match he might have got it. He was that good in the last 5-10 minutes, he seemed to be more commanding, making more tackles didn’t lose the ball, drove forward got his goal. So another player that seemed to grow in confidence and his performance went up another level in the last ten 15 minutes. So, delighted for him,19 years old, only a few starts and what a player he is going to be for Derby this year.”

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Hopefully, Warne’s worst-case scenario of 12 weeks doesn’t happen, and Ozoh will be back far sooner than that, with his influence in the opening weeks of the season showing how important he is going to be for Derby this season.

Should that be the case, there are some huge matches that he will be unavailable for, including trips to Sunderland and Leeds United, although the latter is on December 7, at which point he will hopefully be back.

Amid what have so far been failed attempts to sign Manuel Ugarte, Manchester United have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign an alternative who is the most decorated player in Paris Saint-Germain history.

Man Utd transfer news

Those at Old Trafford have already solved their defensive problems this summer, welcoming Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt who will all hand Erik ten Hag's side a major boost alongside forward Joshua Zirkzee. With four impressive arrives, the Red Devils will have little excuse but to improve on their disappointing campaign last time out.

Arriving to work under Ten Hag for the second time in his career, De Ligt told Manchester United's official website: "As soon as I heard that Manchester United wanted me, I felt an excitement about the opportunity for a new challenge at such an historic club. In the conversations that followed, I was impressed by the vision that the football leadership set out, and the role they saw for me in it.

“Erik ten Hag shaped the early stages of my career, so he knows how to get the best out of me and I cannot wait to work with him again. I know what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and I’m determined to continue that record at this special club.”

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The Red Devils may not be done there either. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Marco Verratti by his agent, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City also handed the same chance.

The midfielder, who is currently at Qatar-based side Al-Arab SC, could act as an ideal alternative to Ugarte, who Manchester United have been linked with all throughout the summer without sealing a deal to land his signature.

Signing "confident" Verratti would go against Man Utd policy

One aspect of Manchester United's transfer window that has become clear is their new-found desire to avoid players past their peak and, instead, focus on those either in their prime or on course to become future stars. That has particularly been the case with De Ligt, Yoro and Zirkzee, representing that the days of welcoming players at the career stage of Casemiro are over.

With that said, even if they've been offered his services, Manchester United are likely to avoid Verratti this summer, despite the fact that he's the most decorated player in PSG history with 30 trophies to his name.

There would have undoubtedly been a time when those at Old Trafford would have loved to sign the veteran midfielder, especially given the praise of former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel – describing Verratti as "confident" – but those days are long behind them.

Credit where it's due, Manchester United have re-focused their transfer policy towards the future so far under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and could earn plenty of rewards in years to come as a result.

A senior Tottenham first-team player has agreed to leave north London after Bryan Gil, with talks advanced and a deal now described as imminent.

Bryan Gil seals loan move to Girona as he leaves Tottenham

Gil became the latest official departure from Spurs amid a summer of many outgoings, with manager Ange Postecoglou sticking to his guns and orchestrating the overhaul he hinted at earlier this year.

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Postecoglou suggested that a few players would be leaving Tottenham this summer, claiming that the club need to undergo drastic change and not everybody will be along for the ride – going on to draw a comparison with Arsenal and Liverpool.

"We need change. Change has to happen," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's need to evolve.

"You can’t want to alter your course and expect the same people are going to be on that. It’s just not going to happen. We’ve had two windows and we’ve had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we’ve still got a long way to go, that’s what I’m talking about.

"It’s impossible to say you’re going to have drastic change and yet expect everyone to be on that journey. It’s not for the want of trying. It’s just that we’re going to play a certain way, we’re going to train a certain way and we’re going to have a certain mindset.

"And that’s not for everyone. Whether it’s Liverpool or Arsenal, if you look at the beginning of their journeys, by the time they win the competition or have success, the team’s almost unrecognisable."

While Gil's move to Girona is temporary on paper, the Spaniard signed a new contract which includes a release clause of around £12.6 million (Fabrizio Romano) – giving the La Liga side or any other suitors a chance to snap him up next summer for a fairly reasonable fee.

Appearances

11

Minutes Played

209

Goal Contributions

0

Shots Per 90

1.72

Key Passes Per 90

1.74

Successful Take-Ons Per 90

3.48

via WhoScored

The 23-year-old will help to fill the void left by Savinho on his season-long loan, coming after the Brazilian joined Girona's sister club and Premier League champions Man City. Following Gil, it appears very likely that the next player to depart N17 will be right-back Emerson Royal.

Emerson Royal agrees AC Milan terms with Tottenham exit imminent

According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, Emerson has agreed terms to join AC Milan and his Spurs exit is imminent.

Talks are finally at an advanced stage for the 25-year-old, with Milan having been negotiating over a deal to sign the Brazilian for a long time. The Rossoneri had a bid rejected for him "several weeks ago", but both Tottenham and the Serie A side are close to shaking hands on a total agreement.

Postecoglou has apparently deemed Emerson surplus to requirements, despite the lack of an alternative for Pedro Porro on that side of his backline.

Reports in Italy back this claim from FI and Veysey, with Gianluca Di Marzio writing that Milan have submitted an improved offer of around £11.6-12.6 million with add-ons and hope they can finalise a deal this week.