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da dobrowin： Liverpool have been hit with yet another injury concern before their Premier League clash with Sheffield United, as reported by reliable journalist David Lynch.

Liverpool injury news

da apostebet： The Reds continue to excel this season and they know that victory over the Blades at Anfield on Thursday night will put them back to the top of the table, following wins for Arsenal and Manchester City on Wednesday.

Jurgen Klopp has a number of injuries heading into the game, however, with several key men still unavailable after long absences from the team this season. Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota are the individuals who stand out in that respect, but the hope is that all three will be back in action in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the quartet of Joel Matip, Thiago, Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak may not feature again this season, outlining the number of issues that Liverpool have had to deal with.

On the plus side, Curtis Jones is expected to be back in the squad for the Sheffield United match, as is Andy Robertson, but now a fresh issue has emerged for another player.

Liverpool star a late doubt vs Sheffield United

Taking to X after Klopp's press conferece, Lynch confirmed that Wataru Endo is "dealing with a knock sustained against Brighton", meaning he is a doubt for the Sheffield United game.

It feels almost impossible for the Reds to go more than a week without a new injury emerging, and the fact that they are still in with such a great chance of winning the title is testament to the incredible job that Klopp has done in 2023/24 to date.

Endo has been one of the signings of the season, having arrived in low-key fashion from VfB Stuttgart, bringing so much balance to midfield and allowing Alexis Mac Allister to excel further up the pitch. Klopp himself knows how influential the 31-year-old has been.

If Endo is ruled out against the Blades it will be a blow, considering the understated impact he has made, but equally, Liverpool should have more than enough quality to get past their relegation-threatened opponents at Anfield.

More important is ensuring that the Japan international is available for Sunday's enormous clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford, which has the potential to be a defining fixture between now and the end of the season.

Related Liverpool ready to make first offer for "impressive" in-demand gem

He’s attracted plenty of interest…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Apr 3, 2024

While the Red Devils are unconvincing, they showed what they can do in the FA Cup win over the Reds, and Endo's experience anchoring the midfield will be needed in a hostile atmosphere.

Derbyshire 239 and 365 for 7 (Hudson-Prentice 91*, Godleman 86) beat Nottinghamshire 324 (Hameed 68, Patel 63, Nash 59) and 279 (Patel 80, Hameed 52) by three wicketsFynn Hudson-Prentice showed skill and character under pressure to guide Derbyshire to a remarkable three-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the Bob Willis Trophy North Group match at Trent Bridge.The all-rounder made a superbly judged unbeaten 91 from 169 balls as Derbyshire chased down a 365 target with one ball to spare to record their highest-ever successful run-chase against a county side.The defeat means Nottinghamshire, who lost fast bowler Joey Evison with a foot injury early on the final day, have not won a first-class game since June 2018.They were favourites to end that barren run when Derbyshire slipped to 234 for 6 but Hudson-Prentice shared half-century stands with Mattie McKiernan and Michael Cohen, on his 22nd birthday, to give a game of changing fortunes one final twist.Both teams went into the final morning with expectations of victory although overcast skies suggested conditions favoured the bowlers. It was gloomy enough for the floodlights to be switched on and Godleman and Madsen had to fight for every run against disciplined pace bowling.Godleman drove Evison to the cover boundary to bring up the century stand just before a short rain delay and when play resumed, the young fast bowler trapped Derbyshire’s captain lbw with a full length ball that he played slightly across.It was his last contribution as he left the field in the same over but despite being a bowler down, Nottinghamshire chipped away and claimed another big wicket before lunch.Leus du Plooy scored a brilliant century in the first innings but this time he moved across his stumps to Steven Mullaney who swung the ball back in to have him lbw for 7.Derbyshire’s hopes now seemingly rested with Madsen who was so intent on survival he scored only 15 runs in the first session and his obdurate innings ended soon after lunch.Madsen had faced 174 balls for 43 but Ball defeated him with a full delivery that caught him in front on the crease and Harvey Hosein had his stumps scattered four overs later.But Critchley reined in his natural attacking instincts and with Hudson-Prentice, dug in to frustrate Notts for 19 overs. The pair added 42 and tea was in sight when Critchley’s concentration wavered as Patel lured him down the pitch and raced away in celebration when Tom Moores whipped off the bails.Notts took the new ball as soon as it became available but the breakthrough did not come with Hudson-Prentice and McKiernan playing calmly as the overs ticked away.Ball came back at the Radcliffe Road End and had Hudson-Prentice dropped on 61 by Mullaney, diving across from second slip but in the same over, he squeezed one through McKiernan’s defence to break a stand that added 65 in 23 overs.But Derbyshire continued to fight with Cohen twice driving Ball to the cover boundary as the target came down to 27 from five overs.Hudson-Prentice pulled the first ball of the next over from Ball for four and then lifted Patel over mid-on to leave Derbyshire needing 13 from three.That came down to five from the final over and Cohen completed a memorable day for him and Derbyshire when he swung the penultimate delivery from Ball to midwicket for the winning runs.

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior have been warned that Manchester City star Rodri is “head and shoulders above them” in the Ballon d’Or race.

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• Real Madrid stars had led Golden Ball battle
• May have been overtaken by Euro 2024 winner
• Midfielder considered to be part of global elite

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  That battle appeared to be a two-way fight at one stage, with Bellingham and Vinicius helping Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League titles in 2023-24. Neither, however, were able to claim international honours when representing England and Brazil respectively in European Championship and Copa America competition.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rodri – who steered City to a fourth consecutive Premier League crown last season, a year on from savouring a historic Treble triumph – did inspire Spain to Euro 2024 glory. He is now very much in the Golden Ball picture, with one former City star considering the all-action midfielder to be deserving of the ‘best player in the world’ tag.

• WHAT DICKOV SAID

  Quizzed on whether Rodri can upset the odds and walk away with the 2024 Ballon d’Or, ex-City striker Paul Dickov – speaking in association with – told GOAL: ”I think so. Not just last season, his performances over the last three or four seasons, he has by far been the best midfielder in that position in the world. Winning the Treble the season before last, four-in-a-row last year, winning the Euros with Spain – where he was arguably their best player. [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude are always going to be up there in the mix, mainly because of the club that they are at. But I look at Rodri and don’t think there is a more deserved winner of the Ballon d’Or than he will be.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Dickov – who remains a cult hero on the blue half of Manchester after featuring in back-to-back promotion-winning campaigns that lifted City out of the third tier of English football and into the Premier League – added on Rodri: “He’s not just a defensive midfielder now. If you look at Man City, how successful they are, you only have to take Rodri out of that team to see how much they struggle – and that’s with players like [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Phil] Foden, Bernardo Silva, [Erling] Haaland. All of these wonderful players that they have got in the team, if they are injured or suspended then there is like-for-like to come in and it doesn’t really effect the set-up of the team. But if you take Rodri out of the team, as we saw last season when he missed three or four games, City didn’t win. It just shows you what a huge influence he is. For me, I look around all these wonderful players that we have got in Europe, but Rodri is head and shoulders above them all.”

Liverpool have had quite a whirlwind couple of weeks of late. From winning the Carabao Cup to scoring a last-minute winner against Nottingham Forest, now feels like a good time to be a Reds fan.

Alongside their last six games resulting in victories, due to the injury crisis that the club have found themselves in, they have had to rely on their academy much more often than they would've liked to have done.

However, due to Jurgen Klopp's reliance on Liverpool's youngsters, it has sprung some of their careers into gear.

For example, Conor Bradley is the name which would come to the forefront of fans' minds when thinking about which youngsters have made the most progress.

The right-back has filled in for Trent Alexander-Arnold on multiple occasions and has even outshone him here and there.

The Northern Ireland international has played a total of 14 games in all competitions thus far and has managed six goal contributions during that time.

Although for the academy graduates, their inclusion within Liverpool's first-team is undeniably good for their development, it has meant some of the Reds' first-team players have drawn the short straw.

Liverpool's biggest loser from academy success

The most notable of those is that of Cody Gakpo. The attacker hasn't been in the best of form of late and looks to have lost some of the confidence he showed last season amidst an upturn in performance level from the younger stars of tomorrow around him.

That was particularly the case in the Reds' most recent Premier League tie against relegation battlers, Nottingham Forest.

Despite starting the game on Saturday and playing a total of 84 minutes, the attacker failed to have much of an impact on the tie.

During his time on the pitch, the Dutchman, who played as a striker, failed to register a shot on target. Additionally, he only amassed a total of 32 touches and ended up with a pass accuracy of just 81%.

Having such a minimal number of touches during the clash meant that the former PSV man had fewer than Caoimhin Kelleher, which, for someone who is supposed to be one of the Reds' best attackers, is quite concerning.

Unfortunately, across the rest of the season, despite scoring 11 goals, it feels as if the 24-year-old has lost his spark in recent games, failing to net in the Carabao Cup final and then frustrating at the City Ground.

Compared to the previous term of 2022/23, where the attacker joined the Merseyside club in January, the difference in output is staggering.

Gakpo played a total of 12 games less (so far) and still managed to end up with ten goal contributions with one even ending up inside the top 10 of Liverpool's best goals of the campaign.

Although this season has seen a downturn in the form of the 24-year-old, for Jayden Danns, his career has just begun.

The sudden rise of Jayden Danns

Prior to being involved in Liverpool's senior squad for the first time against Luton in what was a 4-1 win for the Reds, the striker had been lighting up the youth leagues for the club.

In just 17 games, the attacker managed to involve himself with 20 goals, 16 of which came as his own.

Standing at a height of 6-foot, the striker is a physical presence on the field and offers Klopp yet another tactical option should he feel the need to change it up during a game.

His clinical scoring ability (as shown by his goal tally) is also a major advantage to his game. Additionally, the fact that the 18-year-old managed to slot two goals past Southampton in the FA Cup isn't something that should be frowned upon.

The attacker is one of the best stories to come out of the Liverpool camp this term and looks set to have a bright future ahead of him if his form continues.

Despite giving a solid showing in the first half of Saturday's game, Manchester City proved to be too much for Everton as they went down 2-0 at the Etihad.

Erling Haaland was the man who put the final nail in the coffin for the Toffees as he managed to slot two past Jordan Pickford in the 71st and 85th minute, respectively, ending the visitors' brave resistance.

The Merseysiders' defence seemed to be structurally sound in the first 45 minutes, with the Cityzens failing to register a shot on target.

Sean Dyche was serving a touchline ban for Saturday's game so left his assistant, Ian Woan, in charge of the proceedings, although the former Burnley boss will largely have been happy with what he witnessed from afar.

That's not to say that all of Dyche's charges put in a positive performance, with one man, in particular, failing to make an impact…

Jack Harrison's poor showing against his former club

Former Man City man Jack Harrison offered little to nothing throughout the entirety of the game and looked to be a fish out of water up against one of his former employers.

The on-loan Leeds United attacker played the entirety of the game and, according to Sofascore, failed to have a single shot on target, while also making just 13 passes and losing possession on seven occasions.

The 27-year-old also only attempted two dribbles in the game and only pulled one off successfully, while also struggling to chip in defensively after winning just a solitary duel against Pep Guardiola's men.

Additionally, despite playing in the centre of the park behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the playmaker only made one key pass in the game.

These are not the sort of statistics you want to see from your creative midfielder – who earned just a 6/10 match rating from Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley – and Dyche may now be contemplating whether to bench Harrison moving forward.

Jack Harrison's season in numbers

Harrison joined the Toffees from Leeds on an initial loan deal in the summer transfer window. The deal does not, however, include an option to buy.

Since arriving on Merseyside, the 5 foot 9 dynamo has been a predominant figure in the Everton dressing room and has played a total of 25 times in all competitions.

During that time, he has managed to contribute to a total of seven goals, with three of them coming as assists for his teammates.

When the Englishman first joined the squad in the summer, he had a pre-existing hip injury which ruled him out for a total of six games which has obviously hindered his chances of starting off the season on the front foot.

Additionally, since his reintroduction to the squad, he has been very hit-and-miss in regard to his attacking output.

For example, in Saturday's game against the champions, the £90k-per-week asset only managed 25 touches, which puts his overall number of touches lower than that of Pickford, who managed a total of 48 while operating in the sticks.

Everton star who was sold in 2019 has been outscoring Richarlison

He made 36 appearances during a two-year stint at Goodison Park.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 8, 2024

When put into perspective, that isn't a good look for the on-loan forward and shows why there is a real possibility that he could be dropped for Everton's next game, with the likes of Beto, youngster Lewis Dobbin and Youssef Chermiti in line to take his place in the coming weeks.

Australia are set to be unchanged as they hunt a 2-0 victory while Pakistan will rejig their team

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan28-Nov-20190:34

Australia bowlers enjoy bowling with the pink ball – Paine

Big PictureDay-night Test matches have been the centre of much discussion in recent days with India hosting their first contest with the pink ball. The second game of this series brings us back to the original home of the day-night Tests as the Adelaide Oval hosts its fourth match under lights. Whether India are playing under lights here next year is currently the topic of much debate.Back in the present and the question is whether the different conditions will help or hinder Pakistan’s chances of levelling the series. Given the struggle of the bowlers in Brisbane, if there is the prospect of their seamers getting more assistance it may narrow the gap, although anything their quicks can do Australia’s big three will be very confident of replicating.After flattering to deceive in the opening session at the Gabba, Pakistan were then so far behind the game after two days that even an improved showing could not prevent an innings defeat. However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan – plus Asad Shafiq in the first innings – gave a template of how success can be achieved.It was difficult to pick holes in Australia’s performance although Tim Paine said the performance of the pace attack was slightly below the high expectations they set themselves. The top order did an outstanding job, but it will be interesting to see how they respond if challenged with more movement than was on offer in Brisbane.For Australia this is the first of back-to-back day-night Tests with the opening game against New Zealand also under lights in Perth next month. While the format is still trying to find its feet around the world it is clear it is seen as a key part of the future of the game in Australia. After the underwhelming crowd numbers in Brisbane, how many come through turnstiles will be closely watched.Form guideAustralia WLWLD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLLIn the spotlightThe shock. The gasps. The silence. Steven Smith was out for 4. It would become the lowest score in Australia’s mammoth 580. He made himself run back to the hotel the evening of his dismissal to Yasir Shah who reminded him that it was the seventh time he had removed him. Was that a good idea? It will hardly go down as one of the more vicious bowler v batsman baiting stories in the game, but Smith won’t want to go two matches in a row without contributing even if it’s the least his team owes him. Shah will need to be on top of his game.It has largely been accepted – except, perhaps, by Pakistan’s inner circle – that leaving Mohammad Abbas out of the Gabba Test was a mistake. His experience, control and skill – even if marginally diminished – would have surely been an asset. It seems inevitable he will now be recalled, with the pressure of stopping an in-form Australia top order. With the new pink ball likely to offer some assistance and then the element of twilight period, Abbas appears to be the perfect type of bowler.Team newsAustralia have named an unchanged team which means no place for James Pattinson who was ruled out of the first Test following his code of conduct suspension.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Matthew Wade, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodAs reported by ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan will make at least two changes. Imam-ul-Haq will return in place of Haris Sohail, meaning captain Azhar Ali drops to No. 3, and Abbas is set to replace Imran Khan. The other decision to make is whether to play Naseem Shah in back-to-back Tests or bring in the uncapped 19-year-old Muhammad Musa. “We’ll announce the side tomorrow…because the way the questions are going, I’m going to end up announcing it now,” Azhar joked at his press conference. “We’ll go with the two openers and I’ll come back to No. 3.”Pakistan (probable) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Naseem Shah/Muhammad MusaPitch and conditionsUsually an excellent pitch for Test cricket, the Adelaide Oval surface has produced some exciting cricket when the added dimension of the pink ball and lights are added. The long summer nights mean it doesn’t get fully dark until late, but the twilight period can remain tricky. The less promising news is that there is the chance of showers throughout the match.Stats and Trivia The top four wicket-takers in the brief history of day-night Test cricket will be on show: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Yasir Shah and Nathan Lyon The top three leading run-scorers of day-night Tests – Azhar Ali, Steven Smith and Asad Shafiq – will also be playing Pakistan have not played a Test in Adelaide since 1990 when Imran Khan and Wasim Akram hit second-innings hundreds in a sixth-wicket stand of 191 Steven Smith needs 23 runs to reach 7000 in Test cricketQuotes”I think that wicket looks a bit drier than perhaps it was the last pink ball Test we played here against England, but as we know the pink ball always offers enough. Our fast bowlers certainly enjoy bowling with it, particularly under lights. And the games tend to go quite quickly.”
“If you can get ahead of the game early, it makes a huge difference. It’s not a huge adjustment but it’s like if you practice a bit more before playing a pink-ball Test, more practice days or a practice match would be ideal. It’s the same for both teams, and we’ll apply our gameplans and whoever does that better will end up winning.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da premier bet： Em momento de contratações e de busca por reforços, o São Paulo, que já fechou com o lateral direito Orejuela, o zagueiro Miranda e o ponta Bruno Rodrigues, tem como focoa contratação do meia uruguaio Gabriel Neves. O São Paulo, porém, tem uma preocupação para fechar com o atleta do Nacional do Uruguai: o número de estrangeiros na equipe.

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da heads bet：
CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021!

De acordo com o parágrafo6º, do Artigo 18, do regulamento da Série A1 do Campeonato Paulista, não há limite de registro e inscrição de atletas estrangeiros pelos clubes, mas somente cinco poderão ser incluídos na súmula entre titulares e reservas.No Brasileirão, a situação é a mesma.

Já a Conmebol, órgão máximo do futebol Sul-Americano, não define um limite de atletas estrangeiros, fazendo com que, na Libertadores, isso não seja um problema para o São Paulo.

Atualmente, o Tricolor conta com justamente cinco estrangeiros no elenco, são eles:
– Arboleda (Equador);
– Orejuela (Colômbia);
– João Rojas (Equador);
– Galeano (Paraguai);
– Tréllez (Colômbia).

No momento, o São Paulo poderia relacionar todos seus atletas estrangeiros para uma partida, porém, caso contrate Gabriel Neves, deverá tomar cuidado para não exceder o limite, precisando revezar os relacionados.

Dentre os estrangeiros, Tréllez e Carneiro são os mais prováveis de deixarem o clube.

O colombiano não vem sendo aproveitado pelo São Paulo e, caso a situação continue assim, pretende rescindir o contrato, que vai até o fim de 2021 e sair. O Sport está interessado na contratação do atacante, que não foi inscrito no Paulista. As informações são do Globo Esporte.

Já o uruguaio, segundo o blog do Menon, já informou ao clube que não renovará o contrato, que acaba no final de março.

Rojas tem contrato até o término do Paulistão, mas, após boas atuações, vem tendo sua renovação como pedido de muitos torcedores.

O São Paulo só volta a camponeste sábado (13),para enfrentar o Novorizontino,no Estádio Jorge Ismael de Biasi,às 16h30, em partida válida pela quarta rodada do Paulistão. Em boa fase após duas goleadas seguidas, sendo uma delas no clássico contra o Santos, o Tricolor espera manter o bom momento que vive.

Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to follow Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer, as he plans to buy an American team.

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• Ronaldo backed to move to MLS
• Messi starring at Inter Miami
• Posh owner wants to buy US team

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With Ronaldo out of contract at Al-Nassr in the summer of 2025, speculation has built over whether the 39-year-old plans to retire or if there is another move left for him. Now, Peterborough chairman MacAnthony says he plans to buy a side in the the United Soccer League, which is below the MLS, with players like Inter Miami's Messi making the sport in North America more attractive to investors.

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  WHAT DARRAGH MACANTHONY SAID

  When asked if football was growing in the United States, he told talkSPORT: “Massively. I’m going to buy a USL club potentially in the next two years because I think with the World Cup on the horizon and the Olympics on the horizon out there, it's already becoming a top-four sport. Parents are spending fortunes sending their eight, nine and ten-year-olds to weekend camps of football, money is going into it. They still have it wrong in MLS where they don’t have a pyramid. If somebody in the MLS convinces those owners to open up the pyramid like we have in England, that would be the second-most watched football around the world."

  He added: “I believe valuations are taking off in the next ten years with the Apple deal with the Messi effect and Cristiano Ronaldo will probably go out there when he’s finished in Saudi Arabia. Football will be on the map in America in a big way and I believe if I get a USL club right now for £8-10million, even though it's not in MLS, that could be worth double or triple in the next five years."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo and Messi, 37, are the poster boys of the Saudi Pro League and MLS respectively but it remains to be seen how much longer the footballing legends will continue playing. But Messi's presence in the MLS and America hosting the 2026 World Cup is doing wonders to boost the sport's profile in the United States. If Ronaldo were to play in the same division as Messi, that would cause the league's popularity to skyrocket again.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While MacAnthony's Peterborough are preparing for the new League One season next month, Argentina ace Messi is currently on the sidelines with an ankle injury, while Portugal star Ronaldo is enjoying his summer break after the Euros.

Kobbie Mainoo is reportedly in talks with Napoli ahead of a January exit from Manchester United.

Across his last four games, manager Ruben Amorim has won 10 points from an available 12, stringing together a run of three wins and a draw. The former Sporting boss has seemingly, after over a year in charge, found some consistency in his first team.

This could prove crucial for Amorim, who has found himself under varying amounts of pressure since moving from Sporting to Old Trafford in November 2024. In becoming more sure of his first team, though, the Portuguese has limited the minutes of Kobbie Mainoo.

A product of the club’s prestigious youth academy, Mainoo has played just 138 minutes in seven Premier League appearances this season. As a result, rumours have started to circulate about his future and now, reports in Italy have suggested that a move to Serie A could be on the cards.

Amorim wants Mainoo to stay amid Serie A talks

As per Football Italia, Napoli have “been in contact with the agent” of Kobbie Mainoo and that “interest in a loan deal is mutual” between the player and club. Reportedly, the defending Serie A champions are looking for midfield depth following an injury suffered by Kevin De Bruyne.

Depth is made all the more imperative given that Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa will be absent during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and Napoli have retained the interest that they seemed to have in Mainoo back in the summer transfer window.

Despite keen interest from Antonio Conte’s side, it would seem that Amorim hopes that Mainoo remains in Manchester, though it has also been reported that a move to Italy is “more likely” and something that has reached the “advanced talks” stage of negotiation.

Though Amorim may want Mainoo to stay, it is understandable as to why the midfielder wants more first-team football, especially with a World Cup coming up next year. With Napoli’s current absentees, Mainoo would certainly receive minutes at the club.

Not only that, but Napoli’s status as a Champions League club may only make the move more alluring to Mainoo. It remains to be seen, though, whether the England international departs in the next transfer window.

Exciting update on young Man Utd defender's first team chances

Seamer wrecks MIddlesex top-order with five wickets after Livingstone half-century

Paul Edwards16-Sep-2019
At just after 4.30 on the first day of this game at Emirates Old Trafford Adam Rossington was caught by Alex Lees for 82 off the bowling of Matt Salisbury. The dismissal took place at Wantage Road, which is 135 miles from Emirates Old Trafford, but news travels fast in cyberspace and it confirmed what had long been virtually certain in any case: that Lancashire would end this season as the champions of Division Two. Northamptonshire’s haul of one bonus point, combined with the two Dane Vilas’s side picked up in their first innings against Middlesex, decided the matter.Lancashire knew they had won the division after they had posted 259 but before they went out to bowl. They celebrated not by larking around but by ripping the heart out of Middlesex’s batting and reducing the visitors to 39 for 6 by the close. Ripper-in-Chief was Tom Bailey, whose accurate medium-quick bowling with all the variations of his craft helped him take five wickets in 24 balls and finish with 5 for 16 from nine overs with power to add on the morrow. Nick Gubbins and Dawid Malan were caught behind; Martin Andersson and Miguel Cummins were lbw; Max Holden was brilliantly caught and bowled, low to Bailey’s left. If Vilas scorns the current fashion and opts to enforce the follow-on, a two-day finish cannot be discounted. This is a pitch which repays tight lines and it was the failure of the Middlesex attack to string enough good balls together that partly explains the strife they are in now.To be sure, Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone batted well for his 84 and would have got a century had he not fallen lbw when playing across the line to a ball of full length from Ethan Bamber; Steven Croft then played cannily with the tail and scored the fourth first-class fifty of what has been a lovely season for him. But both batsmen knew that if they gutsed it out long enough, a half-volley or a wide long hop would come along in due course. Not many, mark you; this Middlesex attack had Lancashire 129 for 5 when Vilas pushed all too firmly at Cummins and edged to Malan at slip for a duck. But there were enough loose ones to sustain the batsmen’s patience and Lancashire’s ability to double that total may well have decided this match.The reaction of Lancashire’s supporters to their side’s success could be gauged almost immediately. Old Trafford’s PA announcer, John Gwynne, is still a newsman to his fingertips and he announced the side’s success to the crowd. There was a warm round of applause although warmth of a slightly different nature may be apparent at the Members’ Forum which is being held after today’s play. We shall see; or rather, we shall hear.But what even the most stubborn curmudgeon surely cannot doubt is that Lancashire have been by far the best side in Division Two this year. They rested Richard Gleeson for this match and have not been able to call on James Anderson since the game against Durham at Sedbergh. But their seam attack is the equal of any in Division One. Their young batsmen, most obviously Josh Bohannon and Rob Jones, are improving with every month. Yes, this is Lancashire’s third promotion in seven seasons. Yet they can go up with greater optimism than in any of the others.And on a day when one issue was finally resolved it was curious to recall the occasion in April when these sides last met in the Championship, nothing at all was decided and optimism was on tap at all counties. That game took place at Lord’s in April and a few saw it as a top of the table clash in the first fortnight of the season. Well, so much for hubris. Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire have a short way with such careless arrogance. Lancashire won that game and did so partly because Jones made a patient century.But another Lancashire batsman also reached three figures at Lord’s and batted outstandingly well. That, of course, was Haseeb Hameed, who was released by Old Trafford last month. Hameed’s hundred against Middlesex was thus his last for the county of his birth. It is sometimes difficult to accept such simple facts; and for those who saw the young batsmen in the wonderful springtime of his career, it is even more poignant this autumn to write them down and know them for the truth.