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Mark Wood has been told that he requires a second operation on his troublesome left ankle that is expected to rule him out for up to eight weeks of the 2016 season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2016Mark Wood, the Durham and England bowler, has been told that he requires a second operation on his troublesome left ankle that is expected to rule him out for up to eight weeks of the 2016 season*.Wood, who flew home early from England’s tour of the UAE in November to undergo an initial operation on the ankle, was forced to pull out of his scheduled comeback for Durham’s second XI against Scotland, at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, after suffering from more pain during pre-season training.After a cortisone injection failed to resolve the problem earlier this month, Wood today visited a specialist in the Netherlands who diagnosed a small piece of bone that is causing irritation and inflammation at the back of the joint.A keyhole procedure will take place either later this week or early next, and while the anticipated recovery time is less than the three to six months that would have been required after a full operation, it is still likely to rule Wood out of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka that gets underway next month.Wood, who played the most recent of his eight Tests against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi in October, was an important member of the England team that won back the Ashes last summer, claiming ten wickets in four Tests, including four in each of England’s wins at Cardiff and Trent Bridge.However, Wood himself has faced up to the increasing likelihood of surgery, admitting last week: “At some point, the back of my ankle will need to be operated on, that has been made pretty clear to me by England.”It would be the worst possible time, the worst possible feeling, the worst possible everything, but I would have to take it on the chin.”* 2pm BST: This story was updated with further information

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has claimed that Manchester United should to try and sign young Irish striker Evan Ferguson as he continues to impress in England.

What's the latest on Evan Ferguson and Man Utd?

Over the weekend, the 18-year-old showed a few glimpses of his exciting quality as he scored twice against Grimsby to send Brighton and Hove Albion into an FA Cup semi-final.

Incidentally, the Seagulls will actually be coming up against Man Utd in the next round of the competition and so Ferguson will no doubt hope to impress in that game too.

If he does, he may well catch the eye of a few scouts – if he hasn't done already – and Goldbridge certainly seemed to think he could be someone the club should try and sign in the future.

Indeed, while speaking on The United Stand, the YouTuber claimed that the teenager is already "the best" Irish talent and tipped him to shine in a United shirt.

In full, he said (23:08): “I'm a big fan of Ferguson at Brighton. I don't think we'll do that deal because I think it would be an expensive developmental deal.

"But Manchester United and Ireland are massively linked. We should have an Irish player in a Manchester United squad. And I think he's the best, he's going to be… at the moment this moment in time, he is the best Irish talent out there.

"Man United should be breaking walls to get hold of Ferguson. They really should."

Do Man Utd need a new striker this summer?

It's safe to say the Red Devils will be in the market for a new centre-forward at the end of the season. After all, Wout Weghorst is only at the club on loan and the club have already been linked with a number of exciting alternatives when that temporary deal expires.

For instance, Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane have both been spoken about frequently in the media but perhaps Ferguson could be an interesting alternative.

The Irishman has established himself as one of the Premier League's most exciting young forwards, having scored three goals and provided two assists in just ten top-flight outings this term.

What's more, in his whole senior career with Brighton, he has managed to score seven goals and create four more, despite having played only 946 minutes.

All in all, it's not hard to see why he's been tipped to have a massive future.

Leeds United have found themselves falling into a vulnerable position in the Premier League this season and the supporters will be hoping that newly-appointed manager Javi Gracia can save them from relegation over the remaining fixtures.

The Whites are currently 19th in the league table following their defeat to relegation rivals Everton at the weekend and must find a way to take all three points from their clash with bottom-of-the-table Southampton this weekend to improve their chances of survival.

The new manager will have a challenging task on his hands to improve the confidence within the squad and the performances on the pitch as Leeds have failed to pick up a single victory in the top flight since the beginning of November.

Therefore, the Spaniard must make important decisions regarding his team selection over the coming days before his first game in charge at Elland Road on Saturday

Gracia could become an instant hit with the supporters by finally dropping winger Jack Harrison with the Leeds player becoming more of a hindrance than a help of late.

Should Gracia drop Jack Harrison vs Southampton?

There is little doubt that the inconsistency in the attacking threat at Elland Road has been a cause for concern and, at times, cost the side points over their campaign so far.

Leeds’ inability to kill games confidently against their opponents has been a key contributor to their struggle to compete comfortably – losing to both Everton and Nottingham Forest by one goal in 2023 – with injuries to Luis Sinisterra and Rodrigo also affecting the depth in the forward line.

With zero goals and zero assists in his last four league fixtures, Harrison has struggled to make his presence known and, most recently, against Everton was in the firing line as one of the most disappointing performers in the team during a game that the side desperately needed to win – as the loss left them in the bottom three.

The £50k-per-week Englishman – dubbed “awful” for his set-piece delivery during the clash at Goodison Park by journalist Leon Wobschall – completed just 13 accurate passes, lost seven duels, committed two fouls and lost possession of the ball every 1.75 touches throughout his 86-minute performance – as per Sofascore – with this suggesting that he was a liability out wide.

Following the display from Harrison against the Toffees, Just Joe Football Show presenter Joe Wainman said: “Jack Harrison, oh my god. I will say it now, that is the worst performance Jack Harrison has ever put in for Leeds United.

“He couldn’t hold the ball, he couldn’t trap it. Why he continued to be allowed to take set pieces is beyond me. Why Skubala didn’t take him off is beyond me.”

With that being said, Gracia must finally ditch Harrison when he takes the reins at Elland Road this weekend and if benching the player pays off it will surely put instant faith in the new manager from the fans ahead of the remainder of the campaign, given how disappointing the Englishman has been in recent weeks.

For one, they understand bowling, which is key for decision-makers on the field

Ian Chappell03-Jul-2022Much recent talk in cricket circles has centred around captaincy and retirement.No one should be shocked by the success of Ben Stokes as captain. He’s an allrounder who understands bowling. On the field his main priority is taking wickets, and despite Joe Root’s dazzling success as a batter, Stokes is the most inspirational England player on the field.The former cricketer and excellent captain Imran Khan declared that a good captain understands bowling. Stokes is such a player, and the team believing in his approach is a huge positive for the England side.When Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from the England limited-overs captaincy, the timing of it reaffirmed former Australia captain Richie Benaud’s thoughts on how to make the decision on when to step down. “You’ll know,” was his typically succinct and wise comment on the touchy subject. The best summary of it came from another former Australia allrounder, Keith Miller, who in reply to a question said, “I wanted to retire while people were asking why did you, rather than them saying why don’t you.”Related

• Ben Stokes on his new documentary: 'I said, I want everything in there – the good and the not-such-good stuff'

• Australia have eye on India as building blocks slot into place

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• Ben Stokes' England hurl themselves into riotous embrace of Baz-ball

• No fear: England have dared to dream under their new brains trust

Despite all the talk of consulting partners, grandmas, and other assorted gurus, retirement should be a selfish decision: it is made to satisfy only one person.When England coach Brendon McCullum discussed Morgan’s retirement with him, he said: “You’ll know. It will be a feeling that just comes and hits you. Just make sure you recognise it when it comes.” Morgan recognised the sign and made the correct decision.Perhaps looking to emulate the success of captains Pat Cummins and Stokes, India appointed fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as captain for their current Test with England. This is a courageous appointment and speaks volumes for Bumrah’s on-field nous.Like with Stokes, no one should be surprised by Cummins’ success. He leads a varied attack that contains very good bowlers and he utilises them wisely. It also doesn’t hurt that Nathan Lyon is a very experienced and long-time spinner.

If a captain has a competitive team who believe in his methods, a lot of good things happen. The players tend to expect, and consequently produce, a good outcome

Part of Cummins’ success as captain comes from recognising Australia’s ability to handle an opposition assault, and how he maintains his composure. Australia also have enough good batters to mount a challenge, and their superiority helped them demolish a weak Sri Lankan side this week. Handling opposition assaults and not spreading fields senselessly is one sure way to gain an advantage in Test cricket.This is an area where Stokes scored over New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Fast bowler Trent Boult was the only New Zealander who maintained a semblance of control under assault, especially from the destructive Jonny Bairstow. The fact that Williamson had a very inexperienced spinner in Michael Bracewell didn’t help.If a captain has a competitive team who believe in his methods, a lot of good things happen. The players tend to expect, and consequently produce, a good outcome.One of the main things a player has to deal with in cricket is the strain that develops when the opposition goes on the attack. England have performed brilliantly with the bat in this aspect, and Stokes’ own aggressive batting shouldn’t be underestimated. While he will have to slightly temper that aggression, it has rubbed off on the other players. As the best slip fielder, being in the slips is also Stokes’ best fielding position.England have also started gradually picking their best players for a position, with wicketkeeping being a priority. However, they have to ditch the nonsensical bouncer barrages, and they need a varied bowling attack rather than an all-right-arm-seam squad. They’ll also come to understand that Jack Leach is not the spinner to withstand an onslaught from the better batters.Nevertheless, they have improved immensely under Stokes’ positive guidance. While Root remains a top-class player, his captaincy, although afflicted with bad luck in regard to his faster bowlers, was going downhill fast and the team had lost faith in his tactics.Now it remains to be seen how much Stokes’ imagination and positivity can help England against a tested team. His leadership battle with Bumrah will be a fascinating sidelight to what will be an entertaining game.

وصل السويسري توماس جروتر مدرب حراس المرمى الجديد للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك إلى القاهرة، تمهيداً للتواجد في الجهاز الفني للفريق بقيادة السويسري كريستيان جروس.

وكان عماد المندوه المشرف على مدربي حراس مرمى قطاع الناشئين بالنادي تولى المسؤولية في الفترة الماضية بصورة مؤقتة لحين وصول جروتر إلى القاهرة.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة بلاك بولز بطل موزمبيق، في السادسة مساء غد الأحد باستاد القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة الخامسة من دور مجموعات الكونفدرالية.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يعلق على صور الـ”ميكروباص”.. ويعلن تطورات التجديد لـ زيزو

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الرابعة في كأس الكونفدرالية بجوار أندية المصري وإنيمبا النيجيري وبلاك بولز الموزمبيقي.

ويحتل الزمالك صدارة ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 8 نقاط، بينما يأتي المصري ثانيًا برصيد 5 نقاط وإنيمبا ثالثا بـ4 نقاط وبلاك بولز رابعًا بـ4 نقاط كذلك.

One country's technical director was "warned" that Tottenham could have a nation's future star who has the potential to be a "phenomenon".

Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea

During a chaotic Monday night, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou suffered his first Premier League defeat as manager with former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino coming away from north London with a win upon his return. Their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea is a tough one to take, but they can take a lot of pride away from the result given Spurs' bravery in playing a high line with nine men and the fact it took Pochettino's side a long time to break through.

There is a case to be made that the four goals even flattered Chelsea, who actually endured a far tricker task at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than their result would suggest. When asked about Spurs' decision to maintain a high press, rather than sit back in a low block, Postecoglou explained that his side will refuse to diverge away from their philosophy.

"It's just who we are mate," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's loss to Chelsea.

"And it's who we're going to be as long as I'm here. We go down to five men mate, we'll have a crack."

There is a far bigger worry for Postecoglou than simply not taking away any points. Injuries to both James Maddison and Micky van de Ven could seriously hamper Spurs in the coming weeks, with the latter star pulling his hamstring. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie will also be suspended following their red cards, bringing attention to Tottenham's severe lack of depth.

There is perhaps one silver lining, though, coming in the form of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario's incredible performance. The Italian pulled off save after save over what was a Man of the Match performance for Spurs, with the summer signing looking like one of this league's most in-form keepers right now.

Guglielmo Vicario could become a "phenomenon"

Commenting on Vicario's potential, Kosovo technical director Sami Ujkani has revealed he was "warned" at Empoli that the 27-year-old could become a "phenomenon" and Italy's future star.

Speaking in an interview with TUTTOmercatoWEB, Ujkani praised Vicario and made comments over their time at Empoli together.

“When I made the choice to go to Empoli, Sicignano was there and he warned me that Vicario could become a phenomenon," said Ujkani.

"Guglielmo has grown a lot, we are all proud of him. Italy has the goalkeeper of the future. For me he could go anywhere; whoever took it would have done bingo. But the right choice was certainly to go to Tottenham".

The shot-stopper has also been hailed by ESPN pundit Janusz Michallik in recent weeks, who described Vicario as a truly "excellent" addition to Postecoglou's squad.

Shot-stopping

Long passes

"Defensively what he’s done is even more impressive," said Michallik last month.

"They’re the second-best defensive team, look at Vicario, Google probably went down when Vicario came to London because nobody paid attention to who he was, but, today, we’re talking about Sanchez, Onana and Raya, here you have Vicario who is excellent,”

Arsenal ceded ground in the Premier League after drawing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, though Mikel Arteta will be elated by his side's comeback from two goals down.

Despite toiling for much of the first half, the Gunners flaunted their title-winning credentials with a sensational late fightback, and at this stage of the campaign, Arteta will indeed be far more impressed with the mentality than the squandering of the joint-top spot.

However, the tense affair was littered with several subpar displays, and there will undoubtedly be some post-match discussions regarding the poor performances, with Oleksandr Zinchenko at the epicentre.

How did Oleksandr Zinchenko play against Chelsea?

The Ukrainian dynamo has been an important figure at the Emirates Stadium since signing from Manchester City in a £32m deal in 2022, though against the Blues, he had an evening to forget.

Hooked at half-time, the 26-year-old's technical qualities had been completely negated by the electric pace of Raheem Sterling, with BBC Sports' Raj Chohan remarking at the England international's "immense" dribbling.

According to Sofascore, Zinchenko produced the worst match rating of the night (6.2) and picked up a yellow card for his travails, recorded to have been dribbled past and committed an error leading to a shot.

Having only won one ground duel too, it truly was an awkward and forgettable affair on an individual level, having also taken 33 touches but failed to demonstrate his passing skills with anything of note.

While the 57-cap international was the notable struggler, captain Martin Odegaard, so often the spark of ingenuity and inspiration in decisive matches, was a shadow of his former self, subdued in the middle of the pitch.

How did Martin Odegaard perform vs Chelsea?

Declan Rice stole the show once again with his talismanic role in orchestrating the comeback having fallen two goals down after the break, but Odegaard really did endure a tough night.

As per FBref, the Norwegian phenom ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, and the top 12% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, but he failed to live up to such superlative metrics in a heated London derby.

The £240k-per-week machine only took 35 touches during his 78 minutes on the pitch despite Arsenal controlling the lion's share of possession; comparatively, Enzo Fernandez took 73 in the opposite squad.

Odegaard also lost the ball on ten occasions, highlighting just how wasteful he was in possession.

And while the former Real Madrid prospect made two key passes, he couldn't muster a shot nor succeed with his one attempted dribble, also winning just one duel on the night despite his central placement, leading journalist Sam Dean to remark how "off it" he was.

In his post-match ratings, football.london's Kaya Kaynak was displeased with the captain's contribution, writing: 'A bad day at the office for the Norwegian who struggled to ever really got on the ball. On the rare occasions that he did there was a distinct lack of quality.'

The 5 foot 10 Odegaard has been absolutely integral to the Gunners' ascendancy over the past several years, proving to be the squad's creative fulcrum and inspiring leader since receiving the captaincy in July 2022.

But there's no denying that he was off the boil in west London, and Arteta will look to swiftly stamp out any tincture of poor form to serve the squad in the fight for the gleaming Premier League trophy.

Chelsea transformed into a powerhouse when Roman Abramovich arrived at the club in 2003, flexing his deep pockets in the transfer window and bringing a whole host of stars to Stamford Bridge.

In the mid-2000s, his appointment of Jose Mourinho, famously known as the "Special One" was the catalyst to achieving success as the eccentric Portuguese delivered back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

Backed by a spine of world-class talent, namely Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, that quartet helped deliver a glittering decade of success, including a Champions League triumph in 2012.

During that period, the club were relishing their tussles with Manchester United at the top of the table, prior to Manchester City forming a winning juggernaut that continues to flex their domestic and European dominance.

Chelsea can only dream of replicating that success now and although Todd Boehly has spent over £1bn since taking over the reins from Abramovich in May last year, Mauricio Pochettino's side are still no closer to challenging Man City for the title.

Overspending for the sake of isn't just an issue that has popped up since the club's ownership changed hands, it was prominent during the Russian's tenure, as the Blues made countless errors in the transfer window and one of those was the decision to sign Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City in 2017.

How much did Chelsea sign Danny Drinkwater for?

Danny Drinkwater and N'Golo Kante's indispensable partnership was crucial in landing Leicester their fairytale Premier League title in 2016.

Kante's ability to break up play and Drinkwater's exceptional passing range created the perfect blend and offered Claudio Ranieri's side a solid platform to build from.

The Frenchman, in particular, caught the eye with his monstrous ball-winning abilities as he ranked higher than anyone in the league that season for interceptions (156) and tackles (175), earning him a £30m transfer to Chelsea that summer.

Kante ended up proving to be instrumental in luring the Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte's first season in charge was a resounding success.

Following that triumph, the Italian was hungry for more silverware and spent a whopping £224m (€260m) on a whole host of talent, including a £35m deal to prise Drinkwater away from Leicester in the hopes of rekindling a title-winning partnership.

Instead, the Englishman's time at Stamford Bridge unravelled into a nightmare.

What happened to Danny Drinkwater at Chelsea?

Drinkwater rose to prominence as an excellent deep-lying maker during his time at Leicester. He exhumed calmness in possession and controlled the tempo of football matches with his brilliant passing range.

Chelsea thought the midfielder could become their conductor in midfield alongside Kante and bring his wealth of Premier League and Champions League experience to the party, however, the legacy he left behind in west London is one he'd want to forget.

In five years at the club, which included loan spells at Burnley, Aston Villa and Reading, the 32-year-old only made 23 appearances and bled the club dry in excess of £50m, when adding together his initial transfer fee and the amount of wages he earned, as per Capology.

Weekly wage: £98,000

Yearly wage: £5.1m

Total wage accrued: £15.3m (excluding time on loan)

Cost per game: £2.1m

Data via Capology

Going down as one of the worst signings in Premier League history is a tag nobody wants, but Drinkwater's time on the pitch spiralled into a nightmare time off it as he claimed to have wasted potentially some of the best years of his career and revealed how it impacted his mental health.

In an interview with Sky Sports, he commented: "When football is going well, everything else seems easier to deal with, but when this isn't going so well, everything seems so heavy. I definitely think that's the lowest I'd been."

Drinkwater's struggles at Chelsea are a timely reminder that footballers are only human and personal issues off the field can quickly get in the way of performances on it and unfortunately, the 6-foot flop fell victim to this narrative.

David Raya has revealed that Arsenal have worked 'a lot' on penalties on the training ground this season.

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• Raya the hero as Arsenal beat Porto
• Gunners stopper reveals secret to success
• Arteta's side through to UCL quarter-finals

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  And that practice appears to be paying off, with the Gunners edging out FC Porto on spot kicks to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night. With the scores level at 1-1 on aggregate after extra time, penalties were required to separate the two sides. And Raya rose to the occasion, keeping out Wendell and Galeno's efforts from 12 yards to send Arsenal through.

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• WHAT RAYA SAID

  However, when speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Raya was not entirely satisfied. He revealed that he felt he could have kept out Marko Grujic's penalty, which he got a hand to, as well.

  "I should have saved three, but I'm over the moon to save two," he said. "We played a really good game from the start. We dominated, created chances and it went down to penalties. We've worked a lot on penalties this year and all the hard work with the goalie coach and the team has paid off."

  He added: "This means everything. You play football for these kind of things and I'm lucky to be playing for Arsenal, to be in the Champions League and to get through to the quarter-finals. We're just going to enjoy the night."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Raya's match-winning performance is further vindication of Mikel Arteta's decision to sign him in the summer and make the 28-year-old his No.1 goalkeeper at the expense of Aaron Ramsdale. Aside from his penalty heroics, Raya made three saves in normal time.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Incredibly, Tuesday's game was the first Champions League knockout tie to be settled by penalties since the 2016 final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.

Only once has a West Indian bowler struck more than the 13 times he did in a single Test match, and that was back in 1976

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2018

CWI Media/Randy Brooks

He took a few wickets with pace. Then a few more with bounce. Even some with lateral movement. Shannon Gabriel was so good in St Lucia that he vaulted into the record books. Only once has a West Indian bowler struck more than the 13 times he did in a single Test match. And that was back in 1976, when Michael Holding wrapped England up and put them in his pocket.”It’s a great feeling,” Gabriel said after the game. “If someone told me, ‘Shannon, you’ll play Tests and take 100 wickets’, I would’ve told him, ‘you’re crazy!’ I’d like to thank family and friends for supporting me.”I was prepared well for this series, getting myself fit. As long as you get wickets, pains and aches go away. I was supported well by Kemar (Roach), he was unlucky. Miguel Cummins kept coming at the batsmen. (Jason) Holder was also very good. Anything other than a loss is good. We can take plenty of positives from this Test.”There was only one clear star though, at least in captain Holder’s eyes. “Shannon was absolutely outstanding. I don’t think words can describe the spell he bowled in both the first and second innings. He was aggressive. His pace was up. He caused trouble with every spell he came in and bowled and he stood up. He put us in a position to draw this Test match.”West Indies had won the first Test of the series and were fighting to protect their 1-0 lead at the Darren Sammy stadium. Gabriel was a key part of that, picking up 5 for 59 and then bettering it with 8 for 62. Only three times in the last 23 years has a West Indies bowler taken five wickets in each innings. On the back of that, Gabriel has leapt 11 places up to No. 12 on the ICC Test bowlers rankings.The other saviour for West Indies was opener Kraigg Brathwaite. He soldiered on for 60.3 overs even as the top order crumbled – they were 64 for 4 chasing 296 – to shut down Sri Lanka’s hopes of levelling the series. The hosts had a little help from a timely spell of rain as well.”Congrats as well to Kemar [Roach] and Kraigg, both reaching milestones in this Test match,” Holder said. “Three-thousand Test match [runs] as an opening batter is remarkable and obviously Kemar getting 150 wickets. Very very pleasing to see our guys getting some landmarks and hopefully they can keep pressing forward.”The other major talking point from the Test match was a ball-tampering issue that broke out on the third day. The umpires laid a complaint against Sri Lanka’s methods at maintaining the red-ball, following which they refused to take the field for two hours. Eventually, their captain Dinesh Chandimal was charged by the ICC for breaking the code of conduct.Holder would not be drawn into talking about the incident, but he did feel aggrieved that there was little communication between the officials and the West Indies team. “To be honest I wasn’t aware of what was going on early in the morning. Then we got some information of what was going on. Obviously we’ve seen what has transpired and what has come of it. I choose not to get involved with it. The game is in the control of the match referee. Just a bit disappointed with how it was handled. We basically sat around for two hours with not much information.”Holder was far more open in talking about the final Test of the series, starting on Saturday. “Its obviously a special occasion, the first day-night Test in the Caribbean. I guess the people of Barbados – I’m from Barbados as well – will come out and support us. They’re really avid cricket fans and it should be a really good spectacle at the Kensington Oval.”