Unai Emery has built a fearsome team in his image which includes two ghosts of PSG's past heading into their quarter-final tie

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Aston Villa's season was petering away. Boxing Day's defeat at Newcastle United meant Unai Emery's side had already lost six times in their opening 18 games – one third of their matches – and had dropped to ninth in the Premier League standings. They were also out of the Carabao Cup before their FA Cup campaign had a chance to begin.

The saving grace for Villa had been their excellent European run, making a splash on their return to the Champions League. By the end of eight rounds of the new league phase, they had secured automatic qualification to the knockout stages, triumphing where the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City had failed.

Their last league phase victory, a 4-2 win at home to Celtic, was overshadowed by the uncertain futures of their two main outlet for goals in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran. The former was the subject of a shock, if almost derisory, £45m bid from boyhood club Arsenal, but Villa had no interest in selling up. They were, however, willing to move Duran on to Al-Nassr, whose star players include Cristiano Ronaldo, for a fee of around £70m.

That sort of money was too good to turn down, though it did leave Villa with only a few days left of the winter transfer window to not only secure a replacement, but ultimately strengthen a squad which needed reinforcing in the first place. The recruitment team's efforts led them down the paths of out-of-favour Paris Saint-Germain forward Marco Asensio and want-away Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford, both eventually signing on initial loans until the end of the season.

They often say 'never fall in love with a loan player', but the Holte End can't help it. The duo look totally reinvigorated in claret and blue. How opportune and ironic that their next task will be downing PSG, who seem to have finally got their act together in the Champions League after a decade of incompetence.

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  Rashford's best European nights

  Parc des Princes has seen many a famous Champions League moment since PSG's takeover by QSI. The unfortunate part is most of them have come at the hosts' misfortune.

  Take Rashford, for example. The England forward has played twice in the French capital and left as the victor on both occasions in not dissimilar circumstances. Most famously, he converted a 94th-minute penalty in United's 3-1 win in the second leg of their last-16 tie in 2019, ensuring the underdog Red Devils, still with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in an interim role, progressed on away goals. It was hailed as one of the great modern comebacks of European football, with PSG sent back into crisis having previously thought to have been turning a corner under Thomas Tuchel.

  Little over 18 months later, Rashford was back to deliver more pain at the tail-end of the German's reign. United ran out 2-1 victors on this occasion, with Rashford scoring late on to snatch the points away from a dominant PSG, who were beaten Champions League finalists heading into this group stage encounter.

  Villa have a player who has been there and done it not only at the top level of European football, but in the very stadium they'll have to get out alive from to stand a chance of reaching the semi-finals. Don't underestimate that power of experience at this stage of the competition.

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  Mbappe comparisons

  Rashford's career has at points intertwined with that of Kylian Mbappe. They both enjoyed similarly seismic breakout campaigns one after the other (Rashford in 2015-16 and Mbappe in 2016-17) and share various traits as forwards who use their pace to drive in from the left channel.

  But while Mbappe has only gone from strength to strength, finally fulfilling his destiny as Real Madrid's latest 'Galactico', Rashford has only showed his promise in brief glimpses. You see shades of Mbappe in him, but not the full picture.

  Shortly before his scoring boom of 2022-23 in which he grabbed 30 goals across all competitions, then-United boss Erik ten Hag predicted Rashford would go on such a run having compared him to the Frenchman: "From the first moment, I recognised huge potential. And now to get out the potential, I believe when Marcus' positioning is on the back of the defending line, there is almost no better player in the world. There is Mbappe in this moment, a type like him. But when he (Rashford)'s getting in that position, he's great and you see he's really improved also out of possession."

  A year prior, mutual friend and team-mate Paul Pogba hailed both in the same breath: "They're two big, big, big talents. I think they are so young and so talented. They achieved so much for their young age. I think they are the present and the future of football."

  What could take the pressure off of Rashford on Wednesday night is the removal of Mbappe from the equation. PSG are thriving without their all-time leading scorer and the focus won't be on these ill-advised comparisons again.

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  Turning down PSG

  There have been so many different 'sliding doors' moments between Rashford and PSG in recent years. The French champions appeared to be his most likely suitors when he was still yet to agree a new contract at United back in 2023, reportedly taking meetings with club chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Alas, he signed on the dotted line at Old Trafford, and there are claims PSG felt they were merely being used as leverage in any case.

  Perhaps that's why Al-Khelaifi and Co did not reignite their interest over the past two transfer windows when it appeared Rashford would, after all, become available on the market again. Mbappe's departure in 2024 left room for a player of similar stature and skillset to come in, yet they kept their powder dry and built an attack out of four tricky wingers instead – Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and then January arrival Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

  With Luis Enrique preferring team-first attackers who are fluid in their movement and positioning, the door to PSG may be closed to Rashford once and for all. But he's not the only one in the Villa ranks with a point to prove.

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  Asensio's Paris fallout

  Having joined on a free from Real Madrid in 2023, Asensio put up respectable numbers in an injury-hit debut campaign at PSG, registering five goals and seven assists in 31 games without ever being a nailed-on starter or having a defined role. He played five different positions – central midfield, attacking midfield, striker and on both flanks – as Enrique sought to find a use for him.

  The feeling between the two Spaniards turned sour this season. After beating Toulouse in November, claim Enrique expressed his dissatisfaction with Asensio's work ethic and pressing, which bemused the player considering they had just won the match. Enrique took it up a notch when he then dressed Asensio down in front of the whole squad and drastically cut his playing time – he would see only 18 minutes of action before being shifted to Villa. The player did apologise to the coach, but the damage was already done.

  PSG spent January trying to find a buyer for Asensio with little success. It wasn't until Villa came in with a loan offer towards the deadline that they had a concrete option to get him off the books, even if only temporarily. Regardless, add that Asensio has no intention of returning to PSG.

Chelsea emphatically ended their five-match winless run in the Premier League with a deserved victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca has impressed since replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout last summer but the Italian tactician would have faced heavy criticism had Chelsea failed to win once again and squander the chance to capitalise on Newcastle’s defeat on Saturday.

That wasn’t the case, with three points taking the Blues back into the top four. There were several standout performers, with Trevoh Chalobah standing out after being recalled from his loan stint at Crystal Palace.

Trevoh Chalobah's impressive return

With Wesley Fofana out for the long term and Benoit Badiashile sidelined too, Chelsea needed reinforcements at centre-back this winter, but opted for the shrewder route than making a transfer signing, bringing Chalobah back to the Bridge.

Maresca might have pushed him out the door last summer but the English defender proved he’s worthy of a space in the squad this season after picking up the Man of the Match award against the Old Gold.

He assisted Noni Madueke’s sealing strike, though was left feeling humorously aggrieved given that his goalbound header was turned in by his friend when within a whisker of the line.

But that doesn’t detract from an impressive display that saw him win six duels, make seven clearances, complete 96% of his passes as well as his one attempted dribble, as per Sofascore.

Chalobah might have earned the MOTM award, but he wasn’t actually the best Blue on the field. Indeed, Reece James put in a masterful display as he continues his resurgence. It’s wonderful to see.

Performance in Numbers

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Reece James's performance in numbers

James has endured a torrid time over the past several campaigns, suffering greatly from injury problems that have precluded him from performing anywhere near his immense apex.

Against Wolves, though, the 25-year-old earned his first starting berth in the Premier League since the beginning of November, having scored off the bench against Bournemouth last time out.

James was handed an 8/10 match rating by The Evening Standard for his labours, praised for his ability to mix it up on both sides of the field and do so with panache and power.

Minutes played

77′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

93

Accurate passes

60/67 (90%)

Key passes

2

Dribbles (completed)

2 (2)

Tackles

3

Interceptions

1

Total duels (won)

12 (9)

Successfully completing both of his dribbles and winning a whopping nine of 12 contested duels, he was rightfully described as a “joke of a footballer” by reporter Felix Johnston.

He also praised him for looking “levels above” his teammates, James’ return to fitness and form comes at the perfect time for Chelsea as they begin to mount their Champions League charge.

He’s completely undroppable when at his best. The exciting thing is that James didn’t even play at his best last night, but he was still too much for Wolves to handle for large portions. Give it time, and he shall be dominating from the right flank.

The west Londoners might not be playing in Europe’s elite competition this term but they are in a fantastic position to raise their station through qualification – sure to be eyeing silverware in the FA Cup and Conference League too.

Back to winning ways. Chelsea fans will be delighted – but perhaps just as much so by the return of this version of James. He’s going to make all the difference.

Reece James injury history: Every game missed by Chelsea star since 2021/22

The defender has endured a torrid few seasons at Stamford Bridge.

ByBen Browning Nov 22, 2024

Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a narrow 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

Unai Emery’s side have been fairly inconsistent over the previous few weeks. A win over Manchester City was followed by a defeat against Newcastle United before ending 2024 by drawing with Brighton and Hove Albion.

They start 2025 off right, however, and the win means they now occupy eighth position in the league table.

Aston Villa’s best performers against Leicester

Ross Barkley was a notable standout for Emery during the clash against the Foxes. Not only did he finish the game with a pass success rate of 98%, but the Englishman also scored the opener with a lovely, driven effort, lost possession just twice and won six of his eight ground duels contested.

Elsewhere, Ezri Konsa won 100% of his duels, succeeded with 96% of his passes and made two tackles, ensuring the Foxes were kept at bay.

Aston Villa vs Leicester City – Key statistics
Stat	Highest Ranked
Shots on target	Leon Bailey (2)
Key passes	Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara (2)
Ground duels won	Matty Cash (10)
Accurate passes	Tyrone Mings (100)
Tackles	Matty Cash (7)
Via Sofascore

It was Leon Bailey who returned to some form, finally scoring his first goal of the campaign following fine work from substitute Ian Maatsen down the left flank, and it turned out to be the winner.

The Jamaican certainly saved a few blushes as it appeared Villa were heading for a 1-1 draw before the winger scored. One player who will be thankful to his teammate is Ollie Watkins, as the striker was poor throughout his time on the pitch.

Ollie Watkins' game in numbers vs Leicester

It’s fair to say that the centre-forward hasn’t quite been at his fluid best this season. Across the whole of 2023/24, he scored 27 goals while chipping in with 13 assists, which saw him secure a place in England’s European Championship squad.

At the time of writing, Watkins has found the net just eight times, with no goals coming in the Champions League and he delivered a stale performance on Saturday.

During the clash, he completed just nine passes, which was 16 fewer than Emiliano Martínez in the Villa goal, while also managing 22 touches and registering just two shots, with none of them on target.

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The striker also lost possession eight times – including in the build-up to Stephy Mavididi’s equaliser – lost five of his eight total duels and missed a big chance as he failed to get on the scoresheet.

To top it off, he was given a match rating of just 4/10 by Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden, who stated that Watkins was ‘toothless’ on the day in front of goal.

Is he feeling the pressure of having some competition for his place in the side? Jhon Duran is finally emerging as a key player for Emery, already scoring 12 times from 26 appearances this term.

With a match against West Ham United coming up in the FA Cup next week, the continued absence of Duran due to suspension may see Watkins keep his place, although, in the long term, the battle for that starting berth is an intriguing one.

The Englishman will have to improve on his next outing, that’s for sure.

Aston Villa in talks over signing striker whose contract expires in January

Unai Emery has said Villa are moving for signings.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 4, 2025

At this point, even the most optimistic of Tottenham Hotspur fans would likely admit that this season has been a disaster.

Ange Postecoglou has led his side to the club’s worst start to a season in the last decade, and unfortunately for the Australian, it’s not particularly close either.

The North Londoners currently sit 15th in the Premier League with a meagre points haul of just 24, and the only positives are that they remain in three cup competitions, the development of their youngsters and the evolution of Dejan Kulusevski.

Spurs’ season so far

Competition

Prem

UEL

EFL Cup

FA Cup

Games

22

6

4

1

Wins

7

3

4

1

Draws

3

2

0

0

Losses

12

1

0

0

Points

24

11

/

/

Goals For

45

11

9

3

Goals Against

35

7

5

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The 24-year-old has, for the most part, been Spurs’ best player this season and shown that he must be the centrepiece of Postecoglou’s rebuild over the next few years, so recent reports touting a Champions League-winning player compared to the Swede for a move to the club should excite fans.

Tottenham target Premier League star

According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are one of several sides keen on signing Manchester City star Jack Grealish, whom they view as someone who could add quality and versatility to the attack.

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Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that German giants Borussia Dortmund and Italian royalty Inter Milan are also interested in landing the English attacker this month, which could complicate things.

How much the 29-year-old might cost the interested parties is not established in the story, but given his diminishing importance to the Premier League champions, the estimation of £30m from Football Transfers does not seem too unrealistic.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, and the fans might not be behind it right away, but we’ve seen what Grealish can do when given a chance to express himself, and in a Postecoglou system, he could get back to something like that, and the fact he’s been compared to Kulusevksi can only help.

How Grealish compares to Kulusevski and why Spurs should sign him

So, before we look at a couple of the reasons Spurs might want to sign Grealish this month, let’s examine this comparison to Kulusevski and where it’s come from.

In this case, it primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League this season, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the sixth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Swedish dynamo.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, expected and actual assists, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Grealish & Kulusevski

Statistics per 90

Grealish

Kulusevski

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.36

0.45

Shots on Target

0.59

0.66

Expected Assists

0.22

0.18

Actual Assists

0.15

0.20

Passes into the Final Third

2.35

2.69

Shot-Creating Actions

5.91

5.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.30

0.46

Carries into the Final Third

2.65

2.79

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

On top of the statistical similarities between the pair, they also share the ability to play in midfield or on the wing, depending on what their manager and team need from them, which is just one of the other reasons the Lilywhites might want to sign the City ace.

With that said, his lacklustre form this season, which has seen him rack up just five goal involvements in 21 games, cannot be ignored, but it also cannot be viewed in isolation and as a tool to suggest he’s not got what it takes to play for a ‘big six’ side anymore.

To see that the Champions League winner, whom Jamie Redknapp once said has “got everything,” can still make it at the top level, we only need to look at his last couple of years with boyhood club Aston Villa.

In his penultimate season with the Birmingham side, the “superstar” playmaker, as dubbed by presenter Dan Bardell, scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 41 games for the relegation-threatened side, and then did even better the following campaign, racking up seven goals and ten assists in just 27 games, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.58 games.

Ultimately, fans might be hesitant over the potential signing of Grealish this month, but if the ultra-aggressive Postecoglou can take the shackles off and get him back to his silky best, then Spurs will have a sensational footballer on their hands.

Related Their answer to Saka: Spurs heavily involved in race to sign £30m PL star

The special talent could be unreal for Spurs.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 22, 2025

The second David Moyes era is now officially up and running.

Moyes’ return to Everton proved to be a bit of a damp squib, beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa on Wednesday, but it was certainly second time lucky on Sunday, smashing Spurs.

The Toffees raced into a 3-0 half time lead; Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke the deadlock, his first goal since September, Iliman Ndiaye then added a second with a sublime solo strike, before an own goal in injury time had the Gwladys Street End rocking.

Tottenham did hit back twice in the second half, the second of which came far too little for them to mount a full-scale comeback, as the Blues held on for a victory that moves them four points clear of danger.

So now, before travelling to Brighton on Saturday, could Everton strengthen this squad by signing someone from the Seagulls?

Everton aiming to bolster their midfield options

According to a report by Mark Brus of Caught Offside, both Everton, as well as Leicester City, have “held talks” with Brighton & Hove Albion about the possibility of signing Jakub Moder.

It had been widely reported last week, including by David Ornstein of the Athletic, that Moder was on his way to Eredivisie giants Feyenoord, but both Everton and Leicester have made a late attempt to sign the Polish international.

Moder is out of contract in the summer, hence why Brighton had agreed to sell him to the Duch heavyweights for a miserly €1.5m (£1.27m), underlining why two of the Premier League’s most cash-strapped clubs are eager to snap up a bargain.

The 25-year-old joined Brighton from Lech Poznań for a reported £9m in 2020, becoming a key figure upon his arrival, featuring prominently between January 2021 until April 2022, racking up 2,350 Premier League minutes, before rupturing his ACL against Norwich, heartbreakingly sitting out the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He didn’t feature at all during the 2022/23 season, before making his return against Nottingham Forest in November 2023, after a huge 602 days on the sidelines.

How Jakub Moder would improve Everton

This season, Moder has seen more minutes for his country than his club (167 compared to 160), hence why Fabian Hürzeler is willing to let him go during this window.

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At the peak of his powers, however, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described the Polish midfielder as “strong, athletic, versatile, tactically intelligent and a good passer”, so he’s certainly worth taking a chance on, especially with Brighton willing to do a cut-price deal.

Given that both Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner are currently sidelined, the former has not featured since 5th October due to a foot injury, David Moyes has limited midfield options, starting Idrissa Gana Gueye, Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucouré during both his matches so far, with teenager Harrison Armstrong the only midfielder in reserve.

Gana Gueye in particular shone during Sunday’s victory over Spurs, with Sofascore naming the Senegalese midfielder their statistical man of the match, while Statman James on Twitter described his performance as “absolutely class”, so let’s see how he and Moder compare.

Appearances

79

96

Minutes

4,011

6,964

Passes per 90

28

37

Pass completion %

74.3%

84.5%

Progressive passes per 90

2.96

3.41

Shot-creating actions per 90

1.37

1.74

Shots per 90

1.43

0.84

Goal or assist per 90

0.13

0.10

Touches per 90

36

47

Tackles per 90

1.43

3

Blocks per 90

0.80

1.29

Interceptions per 90

0.47

1.50

Yellow cards per 90

0.13

0.25

Even when affording Moder an extra season, Gana Gueye has racked up almost 3,000 more minutes than the Poland international during the given timeframe, as a result of his aforementioned long spell on the sidelines.

As outlined in the table, Gana Gueye is much more of a combative midfielder, hence why he’s accumulated more tackles, blocks, interceptions and yellow cards.

Meanwhile, despite what this stupendous strike against Brentford may suggest, the Senegalese midfielder isn’t much of a goal threat, racking up only four goals and four assists in almost 100 appearances since August 2022.

Moder, hardly prolific himself, would offer Everton a bit more going forward so, considering the Toffees have failed to net during nine of their last 12 Premier League games, this would be a welcome edition.

Couple that with the fact he’s ten years younger than Gueye and in due course, he could well usurp the Senegal star in Moyes’ midfield.

Better than Ndiaye: 8/10 Everton star has made himself undroppable to Moyes

Everton’s 8/10 star was everywhere against Spurs in emphatic first win for Moyes

ByConnor Holden Jan 19, 2025

Arne Slot admitted that Mohamed Salah's contract extension will make it easier for him to sign new players as Liverpool aim for squad reinforcements.

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Salah has penned a new deal until 2027Slot ecstatic after the Egyptian's extensionBelieves it would aid Liverpool in the transfer market Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Salah, whose future at Anfield had been the subject of ongoing speculation, finally put pen to paper on a fresh two-year deal on Friday. With his previous agreement set to expire at the end of the current campaign, the 32-year-old was poised to become a free agent – prompting concern that Liverpool might lose their star man without compensation. However, those fears have been put to rest with the Egyptian staying put at least until 2027.

AdvertisementGOALWHAT SLOT SAID

Slot suggested that Salah’s extension could send a powerful message to prospective signings as the presence of the Egyptian is expected to make Liverpool’s project more appealing to incoming talent.

“What it might tell you is that we want more next season and Mo is convinced we can do so," he said. "That is positive for us. If I’d put myself in the shoes of a player we might want to sign, it is always nice to tell them while presenting our project that Mo Salah has signed a new contract. It shows how ambitous this club is – Mo, the owners and the ones who came last summer – we are ambitious to keep performing to the level this club has been at in the last few years.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Liverpool boss was quick to acknowledge the efforts made behind the scenes, particularly those of newly appointed sporting director Richard Hughes, in making the renewal possible.

“It is a big compliment to Richard [Hughes] because Mo Salah, as such a great player as a free agent, can go to any club in the world he wants to,” Slot said.

“I am part of the process but I don't deserve the compliments. It's Mo, his agent and then FSG, Richard, they all put the effort – which means money! But also effort."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite ongoing speculation over his contract throughout the season, Salah’s form has remained exceptional. The forward has amassed an impressive 32 goals across all competitions, with 27 of those coming in the Premier League—putting him at the top of the scoring charts. No surprise that Slot was effusive in his praise for Salah’s professionalism, highlighting the Egyptian's unwavering focus and resilience.

“First of all, he has always been judged as a player, but I also see him as a human being and he is humble, works hard and puts so much effort in to become the player he is,” Slot added.

“He keeps that effort every single day. He can score goals, even if he is not in the best half hour or 15 mins, and that is why he is mentally so strong. He has to be strong mentally and apart from the other things that is probably what stands out for me."

Mohammad Nabi continues as captain, with Najibullah Zadran as his deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2022

Samiullah Shinwari has not played an international match since March 2020•Getty Images

Samiullah Shinwari, the 34-year-old batter, has been included in Afghanistan’s 17-man squad for the upcoming men’s Asia Cup in the UAE. Mohammad Nabi continues to be the captain of the side, with Rashid Khan the key man in the line-up.”The Asia Cup is an important event for us and, as such, we have picked our best available players for the event,” Afghanistan’s chief selector Noor Malikzai said. “Samiullah Shinwari has been added to the side for the Asia Cup. He is in very good form and can give further impetus to the batting department, which already boasts Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi.”Shinwari has represented Afghanistan in 64 T20Is since his debut in 2010, but has not played an international match since March 2020. He was recalled on the back of his performances for Boost Defenders in the recent Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL), where he scored 202 runs from eight innings at an average of 33.66 and strike rate of 122.42. He was the seventh highest run-scorer in the competition.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, who was replaced by Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the ongoing series against Ireland, also made a comeback for the Asia Cup. Ibrahim, Shahidi and Naveen-ul-Haq kept their places in the squad.Ibrahim and Shahidi had strengthened their claims with strong performances in the SCL. Shahidi was the tournament’s leading run-getter with 411 at 58.71, while Ibrahim scored 318 runs at an average of 53. Fast bowler Naveen was the second-highest wicket-taker in the T20 Blast this season, with 24 strikes from 14 matches for Leicestershire.Seam bowler Nijat Masood, spinner Qais Ahmad, and allrounder Sharafuddin Ashraf will travel with the side to the UAE as reserves. However, there was no place for Ihsanullah Janat, who had made his T20I debut earlier this year against Zimbabwe.Afghanistan are currently in Ireland for a five-match T20I series. Having lost the first two matches, Afghanistan won the next two to set up a decider in Belfast on Wednesday, after which the team will leave for the UAE. Afghanistan are in Group B at the tournament, and will open their campaign on August 27 against Sri Lanka in Dubai, before taking on Bangladesh in Sharjah on August 30.

La Liga have removed the press release regarding Barcelona's VIP seats sale after the Catalan giants released a strongly-worded statement on Monday.

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• Statement questioned integrity of Barca's VIP seats sale
• La Liga reduced the Catalans' salary limit as a result
• Barca accused league of defamation earlier this week

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Monday, Barcelona confirmed that they had decided to withdraw from the Delegate Commission, joining Celta Vigo and Las Palmas in the move. However, La Liga has since removed the official announcement regarding Barca's salary limit deduction from its website, according to SPORT.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The development follows a dispute over Barcelona’s finanes. Last week, La Liga revealed that the club’s latest accounts did not include a €100 million (£83m/$108m) sale related to the leasing of 475 VIP seats at the renovated Camp Nou for a period of 30 years. In response to this, Barcelona president Joan Laporta vowed to issue a strong statement against La Liga’s actions.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Barca released a strongly-worded press release accusing La Liga of disrespect on Monday, while also questioning president Javier Tebas' integrity. In the aftermath of Barca's angry reaction, La Liga removed their original press release regarding Barca's salary limit and followed it up with a small statement.

  “LaLiga communicates its total disagreement with the accusation regarding an alleged violation of the right to confidentiality due to the dissemination, by this institution, of the press release referred to by FC Barcelona," La Liga's statement read.

  "In order to avoid formal disputes that could divert attention from the underlying issue – an issue that LaLiga considers very concerning – the aforementioned press release has been withdrawn. It is expressly stated that this does not constitute recognition of any irregularity in its content," the statement concluded.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Despite their off-pitch struggles and regular back and forth with La Liga, Barcelona are in imperious form on the pitch. They are currently leading the league with a four-point lead over rivals Real Madrid and are the favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League when they face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the last-eight on Wednesday.

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O jogo entre Flamengo e Altos-PI, nesta quarta pela Copa do Brasil, foi mais do que especial para o Rodrigo Caio. Recuperado da lesão e cirurgia no joelho direito, o zagueiro voltou a atuar pelo Rubro-Negro após mais de cinco meses. O camisa 3 foi titular, vestiu a braçadeira de capitão e disputou os 45 minutos iniciais. Na ida para o intervalo, celebrou o momento, agradeceu aos companheiros e aos familiares.

+ Fla dentro! Veja times que aderiram à Libra e quem está na espera

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Passa um filme na minha cabeça de tudo que vivi nesses cinco meses. Foram momentos muito difíceis, mas ultrapassados. Isso me dá muita alegria e uma motivação muito grande para voltar a jogar, me sentir bem, confortável, saudável. Algo que eu não sentia há muito tempo – afirmou Rodrigo Caio ao canal Amazon Prime.

– Só tenho a agradecer a Deus por todo suporte, aos companheiros que estiveram do meu lado em todo momento, ao departamento médico que fez um trabalho incrível comigo, e minha família. Foi fundamental nesse processo. Estiveram comigo em todos momentos, sofreram comigo, e espero poder ter uma sequência de jogos. É o mais importante para que eu possa voltar ao meu nível – completou.

Veja as imagens do elenco do Flamengo com a nova camisa de treino!

Seguindo a programação feita junto à comissão técnica, Rodrigo Caio foi substituído no intervalo, por Pablo. Aos poucos, o zagueiro vai readquirindo o ritmo de jogo e fica à disposição de Paulo Sousa. O próximo compromisso será no sábado, contra o Ceará, no Brasileirão.

Australia allrounder Tahlia McGrath took part in the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match against India despite testing positive for Covid-19.McGrath did not line up with her team-mates during the national anthems and was seen sitting by herself in the stands wearing a face mask while the other Australian players sat in their dugout. However, she came into bat at No. 4 without a mask on.Commonwealth Games Australia confirmed the news of McGrath’s participation in a statement during play on Sunday, saying they had consulted with a tournament expert team and match officials, before McGrath was permitted to take part.”McGrath presented to team management with mild symptoms on Sunday and subsequently returned the positive test,” the statement said. “She was named in the starting XI at the toss and the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved her participation in the final.”Cricket Australia medical staff have implemented a range of comprehensive protocols which will be observed throughout the game and for post-match activity, to minimise the risk of transmission to all players and officials.”It is understood to be the first case in international cricket when a player known to have Covid-19 has taken part in a match, and comes after it emerged that the participation of Covid-positive players across all sports at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Factors considered include the severity of an individual’s illness, how heavily infectious they are likely to be, and whether they compete outdoors or in a confined space.The toss was delayed while consultations on the matter took place between various governing bodies but play started at Edgbaston on time.When Meg Lanning was run out by Radha Yadav in the 11th over of Australia’s innings, McGrath came in at No. 4 as usual and spoke with batting partner Beth Mooney upon arriving in the middle. The pair had batted together for an extended period on the previous evening, putting on 56 runs as Australia defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals.On this occasion, however, McGrath’s stay at the crease was brief, ending when she cut Deepti Sharma towards backward point, where Radha Yadav took a blinder of a catch diving a long way to her left.McGrath, who faced four balls for her score of 2, trudged off the field, back towards the stand where she had been sitting earlier, some distance from the dugout.Australia’s cricketers have followed some of the strictest Covid-prevention protocols among athletes in Birmingham, wearing face masks during all post-match interviews and at any time they are indoors other than in their rooms or exercising. They had not been allowed to go and watch other sporting events at the Games until Friday when that was relaxed.”The CGA has maintained a comprehensive Covid-19 risk mitigation strategy for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with testing protocols over and above those required by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee,” the Commonwealth Games Australia statement added.After the match, Harmanpreet Kaur, the India captain, said that her side felt comfortable playing in the circumstances.”They informed us before the toss,” she said. “That was something not in our control because the Commonwealth has to take the decision. We were okay because she [Tahlia McGrath] wasn’t very ill, so we just decided to play. We had to show the sportsman’s spirit. We’re happy that we didn’t say no to Tahlia because that [missing the final] would have been very hard-hitting for her.”Mooney said she was comfortable with the way the situation was handled.”I think it was handled extremely well from from Cricket Australia’s point of view, in terms of having protocols in place and making sure everyone in the team was comfortable that she was playing,” Mooney said. “They did all the right things. Our medical staff did all the right things in making sure we were keeping everyone safe. Towards the toss, it became a bit hairy there for a while, but I think it’s no different to someone playing if they’ve got a cold or flu.”So from my perspective, the right decision was made and we just went out and played. It wasn’t within our control. The people who are paid to make those decisions made them and we had no control over that.”