A different fielder was involved each time, and the missed chances contributed to the match ending in a close finish

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-201910.1 Williamson to Gunathilaka, no run, dropped! Williamson, nearly! Short and wide and filthy. Gunathilaka slashes it straight at Nicholls who tumbles and grasses it at point33.5 Boult to Malinga, 1 run, dropped by Colin Munro at deep square leg well directed bouncer, Malinga was trying to get out of the way while swatting it. Sends it in the air to square leg. Munro is running in and gets to the ball comfortably, but incredibly enough – spills it. New Zealand have just gone slightly ragged since that DRS failure, with Thisara taking charge post that.34.5 Henry to Malinga, 1 run, dropped! Boult running to his right from mid-off can’t hang on as he slides in the mid-on area. He got there and will be disappointed he didn’t take it. Length ball at middle stump, backs away and swings at it. Top edge, doesn’t go too high. Just enough for Boult to have time39.2 Boult to NLTC Perera, SIX, dropped! Williamson at long-off lets it through and it’s six! Highest score for Perera too. That was the match for New Zealand. Full ball at off stump, drills it off the low part of the bat so there isn’t elevation on this. Williamson gets under it and times his jump well too at head height. But can’t get his fingers behind it42.2 Neesham to Sandakan, 1 run, wide of gully. Taylor leaping to his right, one-handed. Oh he’s got a finger on it. But that was difficult. Short outside off and he cut hard at that43.3 Southee to NLTC Perera, 1 run, dropped! Guptill runs in from long-off and puts down a simple one. Looks like he’s damaged his finger too. Runs off immediately. Or is he just embarrassed? Low full toss dipping away outside off. Swings across the line, get s a top edge. Ground made, catch dropped. Same old story.

An injured Tottenham star is aiming to make his comeback sooner than expected as manager Ange Postecoglou deals with a host of absentees.

Postecoglou dealt Spurs injury blows

The north Londoners were on an imperious run of form before their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea 10 days ago. Postecoglou had enjoyed the best start made by any new manager in Premier League history, winning eight out of a possible 10 league games while remaining unbeaten.

However, their face off with ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino changed the entire dynamic of their early season, with star summer signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven injured during their defeat to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both are now expected to be out until 2024, while fellow stars Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero picked up red cards.

Consecutive defeats have followed since, and it's clear that Postecoglou was seriously missing the aforementioned quartet during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Wolves last Saturday.

This has led to reports that Spurs will target a left-sided central defender in January, as van de Ven's injury has particularly exposed their lack of depth in defence. Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah, Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey and Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi have all been linked with moves to Spurs as a result.

Both van de Ven and Maddison join Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Richarlison, Alfie Whiteman and Ivan Perisic on the treatment table, with the latter expected to be out for the remainder of this Premier League season.

Perisic "aiming" to be back sooner than expected

The Croatia international sustained a complex ACL injury earlier in the season after being used regularly by Postecoglou, and his quality off the bench was proving a real asset at one point.

In what was described as a "big blow" by reporter Michael Bridge, losing Perisic came as some very bad news, with some believing he may have played his last game in a Spurs shirt.

The 34-year-old, though, has plans of his own – as relayed by football.london journalist Alasdair Gold. The reporter says that Perisic is aiming to be back before the end of the campaign in an effort to boost Postecoglou's chase for European football qualification.

Perisic impressed under Conte

The former Inter Milan star, if he can make an early return, would certainly provide the Spurs head coach with a quality option capable of playing an important role. Perisic's versatility is one big plus point, with his usefulness in the final third coming as another.

He registered more league assists than any other Tottenham player under former boss Antonio Conte last season, with the Italian calling him a "top player".

Ivan Perisic's style of play
Likes to cross
Does not dive into tackles

"It is very important we sign a player like Ivan Perisic because he can see the way to try to learn something from Ivan," said Conte on Perisic last summer (via The Boy Hotspur).

"We are talking about a real important player and top player. Sometimes it is good to bring a player in your team who is a bit over age but at the same time a good player with experience who can improve a young player in your squad.”

Phil Parkinson is being backed to ensure that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney “won’t sign the wrong players” following Wrexham’s latest promotion.

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Red Dragons back into the third tier Hollywood co-owners calling the shots Experienced manager at the helm WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons have bounced out of the National League and straight through League Two, with third tier football back on the agenda in North Wales for the first time in 20 years. Adjusting to the demands of life in League One will not be easy, as financial and sporting playing fields begin to level out, but Parkinson is considered to be the perfect man to lead the club forward – ably assisted by Hollywood co-owners.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT PRATLEY SAID ABOUT PARKINSON

Darren Pratley, who played under Parkinson at Bolton, has told about getting recruitment right and why a push towards the Championship could be on the cards: “He knows how to get out of the league. He won't sign the wrong players and that is what you need, especially at a club where it looks like they have a good togetherness. You don't want people to go in there and ruin it. You don't want to sign the wrong type of people, who will be going in there for the wrong reasons, so I would not be surprised if they are up there again challenging to get out of League One.”

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Another former Parkinson charge, ex-Colchester striker Chris Iwelumo, added on Wrexham needing to trust their manager: “I just think they have the right man in charge, who is not going to go out there and spend the money as if it is not his, he probably spends as if it is his. But he knows he has that luxury of bringing a better calibre of player than that league warrants. It will be the same next season again. It would not surprise me if they won automatic promotion again next season.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham are among the early favourites to challenge for a lofty finish in League One next season, but there is a lot of work to be carried out at SToK Racecourse before then – with decisions needing to be made on expiring contracts while also making additions that will help to raise collective standards.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo contou com uma boa novidade no treinamento desta quarta-feira (13), O meia Liziero correu no gramado do CT da Barra Funda sob supervisão dos fisioterapeutas do clube.

Barcelona de olho em Aguero, Lincoln perto de deixar o Flamengo… Veja o Dia do Mercado

Segundo o Tricolor,ele seguirá com as atividades de recuperação no Reffis buscando se recuperar de uma ruptura no ligamento do tornozelo direito. Liziero vem fazendo fisioterapia e exercícios focados na cicatrização da lesão.

VEJA A SITUAÇÃO DO SÃO PAULO NO BRASILEIRÃO

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Apesar de progredir no tratamento, o jovem revelado em Cotia ainda não tem previsão de retorno. Nesta temporada, o meia fez 15 partidas, sem balançar as redes. O zagueiro Walce, que realizou uma cirurgia no joelho, também segue em recuperação.

Outro atleta no departamento médico é o atacante Luciano.O camisa 11 ficou de fora do treinamento da manhã desta quarta-feira (13) e continuou o tratamento de uma lesão na perna.

Ele corre contra o tempo, realizando trabalho em dois períodos para poder retornar diante do Athletico, no próximo domingo (17), às 16h, na Arena da Baixada, pela 30ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Vale lembrar que ele está com uma infecção, causada por um cisto de Baker que estourou.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will be in the market for new arrivals come January and the Dutchman is now reportedly eyeing up separate swoops for two players, according to a new development.

Man Utd's lack of consistency…

Across the board, United have endured an inconsistent campaign that has them languishing in seventh position in the Premier League standings, with 24 points from their 14 matches played in the English top-flight under Ten Hag's stewardship.

Eight wins and six losses paint a fairly accurate reflection of the Red Devils' endeavours this term, with a common theme of being able to defeat sides of slightly lesser quality than themselves alongside struggling to overcome sides that sit above them in the table.

In the Champions League, one win, a draw, and three losses from five matches have left Ten Hag's side in grave danger of exiting the competition at the group stage. Although they sit only one point behind Copenhagen and Galatasaray in Group A, Manchester United will likely need both sides to draw on matchday six in synchronicity with a winning result of their own against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.

Despite spurts of promise at times during this campaign, it is clear that their side is unbecoming of the global reputation that the club possesses and much will need to change involving the playing squad and behind the scenes before the Red Devils can hold themselves in the same esteem as the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool on the field.

Conducting surgery to their playing roster will be crucial to ensure a top-four finish is still in sight at Old Trafford and new reports suggest that Ten Hag is eyeing a double swoop to improve his side.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Antonio Silva eyed…

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo "remains a candidate" for a winter move to Manchester United. On the same token, Benfica star Antonio Silva is also being eyed by the Red Devils, with a summer swoop mooted for the Portugal international, as per the following on social media platform X.

Of course, Lisandro Martinez has been suffering from a recurrence of a metatarsal injury this term and has left his manager bereft of options in central defence. Raphael Varane has lost his place in the side, leading to Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof becoming Ten Hag's favoured partnership in recent times, though Luke Shaw has also deputised when called upon.

Todibo, who has previously been labelled "high-quality" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has made 12 appearances for Ligue 1 outfit Nice this term across all competitions, registering one assist in the process. (Todibo statistics – Transfermarkt)

On the other hand, by honing in on Silva's main attributes, you can see that he is an extremely efficient ball-playing defender. In Liga Portugal, he has managed to rack up a pass success rate of 93.8% in 2023/24 while also showing his dominant side, winning around two aerial duels per match in the Portuguese top-flight (Silva statistics – WhoScored).

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It isn't out of the realm of possibility that we could see the pair one day link up at Old Trafford; nevertheless, both are likely to demand significant fees, so we will need to wait and see on that front.

حقق فريق المصري البورسعيدي الفوز على نظيره البنك الأهلي، بثلاثية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم الجمعة.

وواجه المصري نظيره البنك الأهلي ضمن منافسات دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس مصر.

وتقدم البنك الأهلي عن طريق كريم بامبو في الدقيقة الخامسة عشر من عمر المباراة، وتعادل ميدو جابر للمصري في الدقيقة 84.

وأضاف صلاح محسن لاعب المصري الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 86.

طالع..فيديو | الجونة يقصي الترسانة ويتأهل لدور الـ8 في كأس مصر

واختتم ميدو جابر الأهداف للمصري أمام البنك الأهلي في الدقيقة الأخيرة من عمر المباراة.

وتأهل المصري إلى دور الثمانية من بطولة كأس مصر ليلحق بفريقي بيراميدز والجونة واللذان تأهلا على حساب أبوقير للأسمدة والترسانة.

وكان المصري قد وصل إلى دور الستة عشر، بعد الفوز في دور الـ32 على جمهورية شبين بهدف مقابل لا شيء، بينما البنك الأهلي، وصل على حساب بتروجيت بالفوز برباعية مقابل هدف. هدف البنك الأهلي أمام المصري في كأس مصر

Ricky Ponting’s hard-earned lessons from a series of epic jousts with Ishant Sharma a decade ago have helped Aaron Finch to make headway in his battle to prove himself as a Test match opening batsman in Australian conditions.Few have forgotten Ishant’s famous nine-over spell at the WACA in January 2008, where he tied Ponting in knots with a series of prancing inswingers before dismissing him on the way to India’s victory. Later that year he dismissed Ponting three innings in a row to help secure Anil Kumble’s team a series win at home, leaving Ponting to remark how difficult and different a challenge the then teenaged Ishant posed to him.ALSO READ: Australia call in Ponting for test of fundamentalsTen years on, Ponting was a notable presence for Australian training on match eve in Perth, acting on observations he had shared with the coach Justin Langer in the aftermath of their opening defeat to India in Adelaide. For Finch, who had been dismissed by Ishant in the first innings of the series and then struggled against him in the second, the advice allowed him to scrap to a half-century, albeit less fluently than his opening partner Marcus Harris.”It was really good because it was so simple,” Finch said of Ponting’s counsel. “It was basically around covering my off stump and lining up slightly different my alignment, where I want to hit the ball, with the ball swinging back in obviously.”Ishant troubled him a little bit at the start of his career in Australia, troubled Punter [Ponting], moving the ball back in I think, so it was good to have someone to chat to who’s had to work through that and alignment and things like that. It wasn’t anything I went out in the game with as such, it was more just moving my guard slightly further over.”Watching how Finch started his innings as part of a stand that would grow to be worth 112 vital runs, Ponting said he had been able to see how Finch had to find a way to play straighter and not get caught with his head tilting too far to the off side when Ishant moved the ball back in to him.”I know what Aaron Finch is going through because those were the things I battled through at times in my career as well,” Ponting said on Seven during the lunch break. “With balance and maybe getting my head too far towards mid-off rather than going straight down the wicket. I spoke with Justin after the game in Adelaide and he invited me down yesterday. I must admit I’m always a little uncomfortable doing it, but as long as the players are open to it and I can go and feel like I can help out I certainly will.”It’s been a good start from Finchy today, he does get a little bit lazy, you can see his front foot planting towards cover at the back end of that [first] session, he needs to open up his front foot a little bit, look to access the ball to be able to hit down the ground to mid on, but so far it’s been a good start, some promising signs.”Reflecting on a lively Perth pitch, which offered pace, bounce, lateral and vertical movement across the day, never more so than when Jasprit Bumrah was armed with the second new ball, Finch reckoned that Australia were now in a position to dictate terms. This was particularly so due to the fact that cracks in the pitch are set to open up and add still further to the variation.”It’s going to be one of those games that’ll be a real grind for both sides,” Finch said. “The position we’re in we would have taken at the start of the day, no doubt, especially winning the toss and batting.”When the ball starts seaming off good parts of the wicket and quite dramatically at times, I think that’s when you know you need to tighten up but you have to also be in a position to cash in on some balls that you can hit, otherwise you get stuck on the crease, stuck in two minds and end up letting the wicket get you out without the wicket doing anything. So you have to be really proactive and take that out of play as much as you can.”

Tottenham Hotspur are in the midst of a wave of injury issues and could now look to sign a talented player in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Tottenham Hotspur's injury issues and January plans…

Undoubtedly, Ange Postecoglou's Lilywhites have been on the receiving end of some unfortunate luck regarding injuries as the Australian manager looks to keep his side in contention for continental qualification over the festive period.

As cited by Football London, Spurs will be without Uruguay international Rodrigo Bentancur until 2024 after the midfielder tore a ligament in his ankle. When asked about the severity of his issue, Postecoglou stated cited via Birmingham Live:

"Not exact timeframes but a significant time. I guess similar type of injury, we're still getting some information, but it'll be well into early next year. A couple of months at least."

Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Micky van de Ven and James Maddison are also on the treatment table and will be absent for the foreseeable future.

In light of Bentancur's situation, Tottenham are believed to have shelved potential January departures for Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as they look to retain as many bodies as possible in then engine room until replacements are found for the pair.

The report states that Juventus are keen on Denmark international Hojbjerg; however, both he and Skipp will be kept around due to the volume of injuries that have plagued the north Londoners. Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips has been mentioned as a potential solution to the problem by the outlet; nevertheless, there will be vast competition to secure his services come the New Year.

Now, another potential option has emerged for Spurs as they look to add depth in midfield once the transfer window opens for business in January.

Tottenham Hotspur eye Kenneth Taylor

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are keen on a swoop for Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor, who has been likened to Toni Kroos in the copy due to his style of play and defensive qualities.

Kenneth Taylor 2023/24 statistics – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

19

Goals

2

Assists

2

Premier League sides Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United are also keeping tabs on the Netherlands international, though it is said that he would be reluctant to leave Ajax in January amid their struggles in the Eredivisie.

Labelled a "revelation" by former Ajax manager Aad de Mos, Taylor has shown composure in the middle of the part this term despite a poor start to proceedings by Ajax, averaging around 1.7 long balls and 1.3 key passes per match in the Dutch top-flight (Taylor statistics – WhoScored).

Rising through the youth ranks to become a key player for Ajax, it is unsurprising to see Taylor's talents haven't gone unnoticed and he could now be set to become the next player to earn de Godenzonen a hefty windfall in the transfer market should he move on in one of the upcoming windows.

Tottenham are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements and Taylor could offer some much-needed depth to a squad that has been decimated by injuries in 2023/24.

Tottenham eyeing another "game changer" young winger alongside Iling-Junior

Levy and Postecoglou have set their sights on another attacker ahead of January.

ByChloe Chadwick Dec 3, 2023

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are enjoying more down time between Al-Nassr fixtures, with a clinch shared during a visit to “paradise”.

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• Portuguese superstar serving a ban
• Making the most of enforced break
• Will be back in action on May 1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese superstar and his influencer partner continue to make the most of life in the Saudi Arabian sunshine. They are living the dream, with white sandy beaches and clear blue seas on their doorstep. Those surroundings allow for plenty of relaxing and unwinding to be taken in.

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  Ronaldo and Georgina have been soaking up the rays once again with no professional commitments to contend with at present. Al-Nassr claimed a 3-1 win over Al Feiha in the Pro League on Friday, with CR7 sitting that game out through suspension.

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  Ronaldo picked up a red card in Al-Nassr’s Super Cup semi-final defeat to Al-Hilal, meaning that he must serve a two-match ban. That means he will not be back in action until facing Al-Khaleej in the King Cup of Champions semi-finals on May 1 – allowing a “paradise” break to be enjoyed with Georgina.

Tottenham Hotspur are "extremely keen" on signing a £60 million star with two of Ange Postecoglou's players set for a 2024 leave of absence.

Lange's Spurs transfer targets

New sporting director Johan Lange will now step into the shoes of former transfer chief Fabio Paratici after the Italian received a 30-month worldwide ban from football earlier this year. While Paratici is believed to still be advising Spurs on a consultancy basis, Lange's appointment comes as a significant one following his departure from Aston Villa.

The 43-year-old was responsible for signing the likes of Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash and World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez during his time in the Midlands, so Lilywhites supporters will be hoping he can replicate similar decisions at Spurs.

So far, reports have suggested that Lange has his eyes on a new defender after Micky van de Ven's injury blow. The Dutchman is expected to be back by 2024, but van de Ven and Cristian Romero's absences (through suspension) have brought attention to Tottenham's serious lack of options behind them.

Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus) – loan to permanent

£25.6m

James Maddison (Leicester City)

£40m

Guglielmo Vicario (Empoli)

£17.2m

Manor Solomon (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Free

Pedro Porro (Sporting CP)

£39m

Micky van de Ven (Wolfsburg)

£43m

Ashley Phillips (Blackburn)

Undisclosed

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Undisclosed

Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest)

£47.5m

All transfer fees via Sky Sports

Postecoglou has been forced to call upon the previously out-of-favour Eric Dier and Ben Davies in place of Romero and van de Ven, so a new centre-back is apparently on the agenda. Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly have all been linked with moves to Spurs to solve that problem.

Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are also set for a 2024 leave of absence when they travel to represent their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations, which will leave Tottenham short in midfield. As a result, Spurs are battling to keep Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and are believed to be keen on bringing in another option.

Tottenham "extremely keen" on Neves

Indeed, as Postecoglou faces losing both Sarr and Bissouma for an extended period next year, there are reports that former Wolves star Ruben Neves is on Lange's radar. The midfielder, now of Al-Hilal, wants to make a Premier League return in January – which would be just seven months after he opted to join the Saudi side.

A six-month loan move back to England is apparently on the cards for Neves. The Portugal international has struggled to adapt to life in the Middle East, and if his club do green-light a temporary exit, there may also be an opportunity to buy him permanently for £60 million in the summer.

Neves is apparently "intent" on a winter window departure, and that's where Spurs come in, as it is claimed Tottenham are "extremely keen" on signing Neves to plug their midfield gaps.

If Hojbjerg were to depart, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur would stand out as their only available senior midfielders with Bissouma and Sarr away on international duty.

Passing

Long shots

Concentration

Ball interception

The 26-year-old was a key player for Wolves over many years, with Hugo Bueno calling him an "incredible" star at Molineux.

“He always runs the whole pitch and he’s always there," said Bueno on Neves (Shropshire Star).

"I don’t know how he does it. He is a key player for us. He works very, very hard to win the ball back and also when we have the ball he can control in the game. He is an incredible player and hopefully he can give us more things like this in the future.”