Will Pucovski won’t play any domestic cricket prior to Christmas after being ruled out of Victoria’s final Sheffield Shield clash against New South Wales, starting on Friday at the SCG, as he continues to deal with ongoing concussions symptoms.Pucovski predictably wasn’t named in Australia’s 15-man Ashes squad or the Australia A squad having not played at all this summer after being concussed during a throwdowns session while training with Victoria early October.Related

• Pucovski finally set for first-class return

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• Pucovski sees concussion specialist after head knock at training

The 22-year-old is still suffering concussion symptoms over a month later. Pucovski was at the Junction Oval on Wednesday but left the facility while Victoria’s Shield squad was training ahead of their flight to Sydney. Victoria coach Chris Rogers confirmed that Pucovski won’t play for Victoria until February, once the BBL has concluded.”Will is just still feeling it a little bit, still a few symptoms,” Rogers said on Wednesday.”So, we felt it’s probably better not to rush him into this last game. Give him some time now. There’s a bit of a break after this game. And we can look into how we, perhaps, support him through and almost get him ready for the block after the BBL. I think he didn’t really even do a pre-season with Victoria just with coming back from the shoulder, so maybe this is the right way to go about it.”Pucovski has not played a single game since his Test debut in January this year. He suffered a dislocated shoulder while fielding against India and subsequently had surgery which ended his season prematurely. He has never played in the BBL and does have a BBL contract.The BBL is set to begin on December 5 and run through to January 28, leaving Pucovski with no option but to return to playing via premier cricket in Victoria for his club side Melbourne.”I think he’ll probably just see how he can get himself right and play some club cricket,” Rogers said. “Whether that’s before Christmas or after, and then we’ll have a really big block of domestic cricket post the BBL. I think we have five Sheffield Shield games and three one-day domestic games. So hopefully, he can be a part of all those.”Rogers was reluctant to definitively rule Pucovski out of a Test match return before playing again for Victoria, but he was pragmatic.”I can’t see how he can now get the opportunity to show that he is ready to go to play in the Test matches if he was to be playing club cricket and to be picked out of club cricket,” Rogers said.”I’d probably be pretty surprised as a lot of people would, and I think even Will understands that as well. So, I don’t have a crystal ball with that. But equally, I think it’d be, it’s probably going to be challenging for him to play Test cricket this summer.”Australia chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed that he simply wanted Pucovski to return to play any form of cricket before they consider him at Test level again.”He hasn’t played any cricket up until this point,” Bailey said. “Obviously, it’s a really stepped process for him but one it’s about getting symptom-free and feeling good physically. And then secondly, it’s about just putting together a batch of games. And I think if you look back over his last couple of years, it’s been really hard for him to get that body of work together.”Certainly, in my chats with him, it’s just, you know, first and foremost, get yourself right and look after yourself. And then secondly, I’m not that concerned about what he’s playing. I’d love to see him playing some grade cricket. I’d love to see him playing some state cricket. I just love to see him playing a lot of cricket and really getting some confidence that he can put together a string of games.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A Seleção Brasileira já está confirmada para o confronto com o Equador, nesta quinta-feira, às 18h (de Brasília).. O jogo válido pela décima-quinta rodada das Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo, no Estádio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, sacramentará a volta de Coutinho entre os titulares da equipe canarinha após um hiato.

O meia, atualmente no Aston Villa, não iniciava uma partida sob o comando de Tite desde a vitória por 4 a 2 sobre o Peru, no fim de 2020. Além do jogador de 29 anos, que substitui o suspenso Paquetá, o Brasil terá uma série de novidades.

A Seleção, que vai a campo hoje de azul, está confirmada com o time indicado no primeiro treino. Coutinho no meio e Vinicius Júnior, Cunha e Raphinha na frente. Casemiro é o capitão. #lanceSELECAO pic.twitter.com/kRm68IH0CV

— Vinícius Faustini (@v_faustini) January 27, 2022

O setor ofensivo terá nova chance para Vinicius Júnior, Raphinha e Matheus Cunha. O desempenho do trio agradou no empate em 0 a 0 com a Argentina.

Veja a escalação completa:Alisson; Emerson Royal, Éder Militão, Thiago Silva e Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Fred e Coutinho; Vinicius Júnior, Raphinha e Matheus Cunha.

Sem Neymar, haverá uma situação curiosa. Dono da camisa 10 nesta Data Fifa, Everton Ribeiro iniciará a partida no banco.

As autoridades equatorianas liberaram 50% de público. O LANCE!faz o tempo real da partida.

Paris Saint-Germain are hoping to lure Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate home to France this summer.

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• Konate considering Liverpool exit
• PSG keen to bring defender back to France
• Frenchman's contract expires next summer

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  French champions PSG are already planning for the summer and are targeting Liverpool centre-back Konate as one of their additions, according to . Luis Enrique is believed to be after a long-term partner for Marquinhos and views the 25-year-old as an ideal recruit.

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  Konate is believed to be tempted by a move back to the city he was born in and where he spent five years in the Paris FC academy, but has put the matter to the back of his mind as Liverpool chase the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup trophies.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 21-cap international has just over a year left on his contract and recently admitted he has turned down Liverpool's first extension offer. His injury troubles have prevented him from playing more than 22 times in a single Premier League season since joining in 2021.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KONATE?

  With his contract ticking down, Konate has the power to decide whether his future lies away from Anfield. Should Liverpool win major silverware this term, he may set his heart on a fresh start at a new club.

The Sri Lanka Test captain is one shy of equalling the world record for most 50-plus scores in consecutive innings

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Nov-2021

Dimuth Karunaratne scored hundreds in consecutive Tests•Associated Press

He has scored 854 Test runs at an average of 77.63 in 2021, but as good as he has been this year, Dimuth Karunaratne has bigger goals in mind. Of Sri Lanka’s Test batters, only Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have hit more than 10,000 runs. Karunaratne only has 5406 in the bank at present, but wants to be Sri Lanka’s first opener with a five-figure tally to his name.”Scoring 10,000 runs is my main target. I don’t know if I’ll be able to achieve that, but that’s what I’ve got in my mind,” Karunaratne said after hitting 147 and 83 in Sri Lanka’s 187-run victory over West Indies in Galle. “If I can continue this form, I’ll be able to get close to 10,000 runs. I like to improve as much as I can, and whenever I finish a match, I’ll go and check where I am on the Sri Lanka run charts, to figure out how many I need to score to pass someone.”Karunaratne is within touching distance of three of Sri Lanka’s best ever batters, in Thilan Samaraweera (5462 runs), Tillakaratne Dilshan (5492), and Marvan Atapattu (5502). Although he is already 33, what is encouraging about his record is that since 2018, he averages 47.97, when he had averaged 37.08 before that.”If I score another 100-150 more runs, I think I can surpass a few more players,” Karunaratne said. “I’d also like to play 100 Tests.”His outstanding run tally in this match had come despite a long layoff from top-flight cricket – Sri Lanka having played their previous Test in early May (Karunaratne is no longer picked for ODIs). And although there was a domestic 50-over competition scheduled for October and November, many of those matches were washed out by the north-east monsoon, and in the games Karunaratne did play, he made only 17, 7 and, 18.”I was quite worried before the Test because I hadn’t been able to train. I started training in October, and we were mainly doing fitness work. There weren’t a lot of skill sessions – only about five or six because of the rain. The weather didn’t give us a chance to play many domestic matches either, and even in the games I did play, I didn’t make a lot of runs. From the day I came here to Galle I worked really hard, but there was definitely a doubt as to whether I can score runs.Related

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“With my calibre, I think if I get a start I can convert it into a big score. There was a nervous start in the first innings, but eventually I came into rhythm and that carried through into the second innings. I still think I haven’t reached my peak form though.”Having now hit six consecutive 50-plus scores in Tests, Karunaratne is one shy of equalling the world record for such a streak. He has also struck four centuries since January.”I think it’s a lot to do with experience,” he said of his consistency. ” When it comes to conditions, I know now when there’s going to be a lot of turn, or when there will be a little less. I’m sharing that information with the youngsters as well.”And knowing that I had scored a lot of runs earlier in the year, there was less of a fear of failure also.”

Assistant coach Andrew McDonald believes the squad are well prepared for the first Test

Alex Malcolm29-Nov-2021Australia are likely to abandon plans for a three-day intrasquad practice match in Brisbane due to the continued bad weather but have confidence in the Ashes preparation they are putting together.Australia had selected 24 players, minus the absent Tim Paine, to hold a three-day match at Redlands in Brisbane starting on Wednesday (Australia A will then play England Lions) but Queensland’s weather has ruined best-laid plans with up to 100 millimetres of rain expected to fall on Tuesday and Wednesday as heavy thunderstorms are forecast. There is also a further thunderstorm forecast for Thursday.The Australia hierarchy are confident the players who had returned from the T20 World Cup have received adequate centre-wicket practice during their 14 days quarantine with only one session lost to rain, while the remainder of the Test specialists have been able to play anywhere between two and five Sheffield Shield fixtures in the lead-up to the first Test.Despite Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, David Warner and Steve Smith having not played a first-class fixture since last summer, assistant coach Andrew McDonald believed the prolonged three-week training block coming from the T20 World Cup will have those players well prepared for a change in format.Related

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Sports psychologist helps put Josh Inglis on right path

“We’ve had fantastic facilities up here,” McDonald said on Sunday. “The weather’s been challenging at times, but we’ve still been able to get on in the centre. I think we’ll be really well prepared.”And also these guys have got a lot of Test experience to draw upon. So changing formats is something that they’ve been able to do and deal with across their careers. This will be no different but I think the advantage in this one is that we’ve had two weeks of quarantine training to shift gears into Test mode and then we’ve got another eight days on the other side of that.”I don’t think there’s too many Australian teams that would have had potentially a month to build into a red-ball series. So I think that’s a real positive. I don’t think they’ll be too many excuses come that first session.”Cancelling the three-day game would mean the selectors wouldn’t have a full match scenario to make their final judgements, although that may not have a huge bearing.Travis Head and Usman Khawaja are fighting for the final batting spot in the middle order, but chairman of selectors George Bailey said two weeks ago that they were already leaning one way and that what happened ahead of the first Test would not have much of a bearing on the final decision. Bailey also noted that the three-day game was never designed to be a bat-off.The other choice Australia have to make is who will replace Tim Paine after he stepped away from cricket indefinitely for mental health reasons. Alex Carey and Josh Inglis appear to be neck and neck in the race to debut at the Gabba. Carey has played nine domestic matches, and five Shield games, this summer while Inglis has only played one back in September before he went to the T20 World Cup where he only played one practice game as a specialist batter and faced just three balls.Australia’s attack looks to be set heading into the first Test with Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Nathan Lyon likely to be the quartet again as they were last summer. Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson is putting pressure on Starc after taking 23 wickets in four Shield fixtures this year but Australia are keen to have the left-armer in the line-up for at least the Gabba and the day-night Test in Adelaide given Starc’s prowess with the pink ball.

The six-time MLS Cup champions introduce a vibrant away kit inspired by the iconic Los Angeles sunset

Kit features a striking purple and blue gradient designSet to be their away kit for the 2025 and 2026 seasonGalaxy host San Diego FC in their MLS opener on Feb. 22Shop kits at the MLS Store nowBuy hereWHAT HAPPENED

LA Galaxy has revealed their new away kit for the 2025 and 2026 MLS seasons, officially dubbed the “Rizon.” The club unveiled the striking new design, showcasing a unique take on their traditional colors that pays homage to the vibrant sunsets of Los Angeles.

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Created by Adidas, the Rizon Kit features a stunning gradient design that transitions from a deep purple at the top to a rich blue at the bottom, mimicking the colors of a Los Angeles sunset. Thin vertical stripes run throughout the kit while the LA Galaxy crest is displayed on the left chest and has raised embroidery for added texture. The primary sponsor, Herbalife Nutrition, is prominently featured in white lettering across the chest.

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Getty Images SportWHAT LIES AHEAD FOR LA GALAXY?

Despite finishing second on the Western Conference table, LA Galaxy walked away with their sixth MLS Cup at the end of playoffs, beating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in California. It was a historic season for the club as they became the MLS side with the most MLS Cups to their name. However, it has come at a cost as star Riqui Puig tore his ACL and is recovering, Dejan Joveljic left the club and Marco Reus is yet to find his feet at the club.

But head coach Greg Vanney and the club have made a few new additions including bringing in Mathias Jorgensen, Lucas Sanabria, Christian Ramirez, and a few others. Yet even then, the Galaxy are struggling for form in pre-season, as they have won just one of their four games so far. They do have one more fixture on their preseason schedule before they kick off the 2025 MLS season and fans are hoping for better results.

Everton’s five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end this afternoon against Southampton, who scored a late winner to take all three points.

Sean Dyche’s men looked like they had netted an equaliser courtesy of Beto, but it was disallowed, and the game finished 1-0 to the Saints, with the win easing pressure on Russell Martin.

Several of the starting XI underperformed during the clash, which made it even more difficult for the Toffees to try and gain something from the match.

Best and worst performers for Everton

Iliman Ndiayehad two shotsand succeeded with one of his two dribble attempts during the match as he looked to make something happen, but he was brought off for Jack Harrison after just 60 minutes.

On the opposite flank, Jesper Lindstrom also looked to inject some magic into the Everton attack, creating a big chance, making two key passes and succeeding with 100% of his dribbles, but this all came to nothing unfortunately.

So often the Merseyside outfit’s key player this season, Dwight McNeil failed to showcase the form of previous matches, losing possession a staggering 16 times while being dribbled past once.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was tasked with leading the line once again for the Goodison Park side, but he couldn’t take advantage of a defence that had conceded 25 goals in all competitions this term.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s game in numbers vs Southampton

The Englishman hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons throughout 2024/25. Indeed, he has found the back of the net only twice in nine games for the club.

If Dyche wants his team to move towards midtable, goals from the striker would prove to be advantageous, but at this moment in time, he isn’t delivering the goods.

Goals

0

Assists

0

Key passes

0

Touches

16

Possession lost

7

Total duels (won)

4 (3)

Via Sofascore

Against the Saints, Calvert-Lewin made only four passes and took 16 touches, hardly the stats of a player who was looking to get involved as often as possible.

He may have succeeded with both his dribble attempts, but the centre-forward failed to register a single shot – on or off target – along with losing possession seven times and committing two fouls during the match, which shows that he was a liability in possession for the Toffees.

He was replaced after 62 minutes by Beto, who looked much more threatening despite playing for less than half an hour. The striker was even given a rating of just 6/10 for his display by the Liverpool Echo.

Big questions will now be asked regarding Calvert-Lewin and his recent performances. Is it time for Dyche to drop him to the bench to unleash someone else? Or will he continue to persist with the Englishman over the next few matches?

The Toffee’s next three games are against West Ham United, Brentford and Manchester United. Dyche will be looking to secure points in all three matches, but after a performance like the one against the Saints, do the supporters feel the same way?

For now, the manager will be disappointed with the former England international’s performance against the Saints, as the forward let him down badly with his struggles at St. Mary’s.

Everton could repeat Stones blinder with swoop for "special" EFL ace

Everton are up against Europe’s elite to sign the talented midfielder.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 1, 2024

علق أحمد بلال مهاجم الأهلي الأسبق، على إمكانية مشاركة علي معلول في التشكيل الأساسي للقلعة الحمراء خلال مباراة اليوم أمام إنبي ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية “كأس عاصمة مصر”.

وتقام مباراة الأهلي وإنبي على أرضية استاد السلام، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة المجموعات لبطولة كأس الرابطة “كأس عاصمة مصر”.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام إنبي اليوم في كأس الرابطة.. ظهور علي معلول

وقال أحمد بلال في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “etc”: “مشاركة علي معلول من البداية تحمله مسئولية المباراة والأداء، خاصة وأن الفريق سيشارك بتشكيل معظمه لا يشارك، وأفضل مشاركته في الشوط الثاني”.

وأكمل: “أنا أٌفضل مشاهدة معلول، خلال الشوط الأول في مقاعد البدلاء، ليتعرف على فريق إنبي، واللاعب الذي سيلعب عليه، وقد يشارك والفريق متقدم في النتيجة مما يمنحه راحة”.

وأشار: “علي معلول، لاعب كبير جدًا وتم قيده في ظروف غير طبيعية، وهو يجعل اللاعب مضغوط، وحتى الآن لم يتم تفعيل بند شراء يحيى عطية الله، وعودة معلول، ستحدد مصير يحيى في الفريق”.

واختتم: “علي معلول أفضل محترف في تاريخ الأهلي، ولكن المدير الفني له الأداء، ويريد اللاعب الجاهز، وكأس عاصمة مصر، فرصة عظيمة للأهلي ومعلول”.

Manager Enzo Maresca could be without a “dangerous” Chelsea player till November, as an injury update comes out of Cobham this week.

Chelsea preparing for Liverpool after international break

A fantastic start to the new Premier League campaign for Maresca has seen the Blues clinch impressive victories over Wolves, Bournemouth, West Ham and Brighton – whilst also cruising through to the next round of the EFL Cup at the expense of Barrow and beating Gent 4-2 in the Conference League.

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Their early season record could’ve been even better, as Chelsea were arguably unlucky not to come away from their home game against Crystal Palace with all three points, with goalkeeper Dean Henderson putting in a heroic display at Stamford Bridge to earn Palace a 1-1 draw.

One of the most thrilling draws you’re ever likely to see – Chelsea’s 1-1 with Nottingham Forest in west London just before the international break – saw both keepers pull off sublime saves to keep the score level and ensure the latter side’s impressive unbeaten run on the road continues.

Liverpool (away)

October 20

Newcastle (home)

October 27

Man United (away)

November 3

Arsenal (home)

November 10

Leicester City (home)

November 23

Maresca’s only defeat as Chelsea boss in the league came against English champions Man City on the opening weekend, and now an equally tough test awaits the Blues on Sunday as they prepare to take on title contenders Liverpool at Anfield.

Star players Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo, who have all been excellent so far, are set to play a key role on Merseyside – but the same cannot be said for others. Ben Chilwell is pushing to leave Chelsea, while uncertainty surrounds the futures of Mykhailo Mudryk and Carney Chukwuemeka, among others.

Omari Kellyman is also sidelined with a hamstring injury, expected to keep him out for the foreseeable, while defender Reece James has just resumed full training for the first time in months.

Chelsea could be without Reece James until November

The England international has been absent since pre-season, and while a return to Cobham training signals that a return to training may not be too far away, Maresca and his staff will be mindful of his torrid injury history as they look to ease him back in gently.

That is according to Standard Sport, who estimate that James could remain out at Chelsea until November, despite his recovery.

They believe Chelsea’s face-off against Noah in the Conference League on November 7 may be the game he makes his long-anticipated return, and Maresca will be hoping that the worst of his fitness record has now come and gone.

“He’s got everything. If I made the complete right-back, it would be him,” said Kyle Walker in a BBC interview about James.

“He can defend, attack, technically (brilliant) and can use both feet. He’s dangerous in the dead-ball situations, he’s quick.

“If I was to built an ideal right-back, I’d use my strength, Hakimi’s pace, Cancelo’s technical ability, Trent’s passing, Carvajal’s mentality and Reece James’ football brain. If I was to round all of them up in one, I’d be Reece. He’s got a little bit of everything!”

Chelsea have entered the race to sign a marquee player for manager Enzo Maresca, and it is believed they’ve already held talks with him via agents.

Chelsea's rumoured transfer plans for 2025

The Blues are preparing to face Noah in the Conference League this evening, with a crunch clash against Premier League rivals Arsenal following soon afterwards.

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In the background, BlueCo and the club’s co-sporting directors – Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley – are gearing up for what will be an interesting couple of transfer windows in 2025, as Chelsea look to reshape the squad in Maresca’s image.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Arsenal (home)

November 10

Leicester City (home)

November 23

Aston Villa (home)

December 1

Southampton (away)

December 4

Tottenham (home)

December 8

There are suggestions that Chelsea could still sign a new striker in the winter, regardless of Nicolas Jackson’s sensational start to the new campaign, with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen among the names on their shortlist (Simon Phillips).

Despite their abundance of quality wingers, it is also believed that Chelsea have their eyes on Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, as well as other wide attacking targets, as uncertainty surrounds the future of Mykhailo Mudryk.

The Ukraine international impressed in Chelsea’s Conference League campaign lately, earning him some minutes in the Premier League as a result, but Maresca could decide to loan out Mudryk in January – according to recent reports.

Loftier names have been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge lately, including Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr, as the Brazil sensation stalls on talks over a new deal at the Bernabeu.

Chelsea hold talks with Florian Wirtz via representatives

According to reports from Spain, another very ambitious potential signing in Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz is being considered. The £100 million attacker is widely regarded as Germany’s rising star, leading to interest from a succession of clubs, including Liverpool and Man City. Chelsea have already held talks with Wirtz’s representatives, with Stewart and Winstanley entering the race for his signature.

It won’t be an easy move by any means, as European giants Bayern Munich and Real are in contention as well, but he could be worth the effort, going by his meteoric trajectory.

“Incredible. I’ve watched him three times this year now and he’s blown me away every time,” said former England international and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole on TNT Sports.

“He’s got a South American flair with a German efficiency about him. We’ve all heard of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, and Musiala. This lad will be new to the British viewers. Let me tell you, he is every bit as talented as those players. He could go on to be anything.”

Fellow ex-England international Owen Hargreaves added on the same panel that Wirtz’s numbers are “ridiculous”, with the 21-year-old sensation bagging 18 goals and 20 assists in all competitions last season.