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Ben Curran made his first Championship fifty, and Saif Zaiob only his second, but Alex Hughes evened things up at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2018
ScorecardSaif Zaib and Ben Curran made fifties as Northamptonshire enjoyed a good opening day against Derbyshire at Wantage Road in the Specsavers County Championship. Zaib’s 57 and Curran, with 51, steered Northants to 255 before Derbyshire were reduced to 60 for 2 at the close.Curran, made his maiden Championship fifty on his home debut and playing his third first-class match and Zaib had only registered one previous half-century as Northants had a vision of the future after the departure of Ben Duckett.Curran initially gave Northants a solid start having been asked to bat first. He looked in very good order with positive defence and some attractive strokes, cutting and driving Hardus Viljoen either side of point. Twice his positivity got the better of him with loose prods outside off but he survived to lunch on 40 not out.He was the most fluent of the Northants batsman in the morning session as Luke Procter was trapped lbw by Tony Palladino for 1 and Ricardo Vasconcelos edged the same bowler to third slip for 3. Alex Hughes also removed Richard Levi, who slapped to extra-cover having lifted Hughes twice over his head for boundaries on his way to 25.After lunch, Curran went past fifty for the first time in 98 balls with eight boundaries but fell in poor fashion, chipping Palladino to point, and the dismissal prompted a terrible middle-order collapse as Northants slid from 115 for 3 to 149 for 7.Hughes nipped one back to bowl Adam Rossington for a pleasant 35 before Josh Cobb played an abominable slap to mid-on. A Hughes’ away-swinger bowled Brett Hutton for 16 before Viljoen produced a sharp bumper that hurried debutant Charlie Thurston into gloving a hook behind to fall for 20.At 170 for 8, it appeared that Northants were to be rolled over but Zaib played carefully and found excellent resistance from the lower order, compiling a careful 42 with Nathan Buck for the ninth wicket.Buck fell to a splendid catch at third-man by Ravi Rampaul and the innings should have been wrapped up for 216 when Ben Sanderson was dropped by Gary Wilson at second slip.Sanderson went on to block out 22 balls in total and Zaib took full advantage. He paddle-swept Viljoen for six over long leg before pulling the same bowler down the ground for four. A fine strike over extra-cover brought another six and a third maximum – a slog sweep over deep-square off Wayne Madsen – brought a second batting bonus point and Zaib’s first fifty of the summer in 83 balls.With 85 added for the final two wickets, Northants total of 255 was most unexpected. And when they found two wickets in the 17 overs Derbyshire had to face before the close, the home side took control.Hutton caught Billy Godleman on the crease to win an lbw decision before Sanderson had Madsen caught behind for a 10-ball duck. And had Curran held Tom Lace at fourth slip to the penultimate ball of the day, it would have capped the day nicely for the home side. Instead Hughes went on to complete a satisfying day.

Duo launch stunning six-laden assault as Guyana pillage 79 runs in four overs to run down 155-run target with 35 balls to spare

The Report by Peter Della Penna10-Sep-2018Getty ImagesHomegrown young guns Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford’s furious assault on the Trinbago Knight Riders ensured Guyana Amazon Warriors clinched second place in the league stage of the 2018 CPL, with a six-wicket win on Sunday night.Warriors raced past a target of 155 with 5.5 overs to spare to overtake Jamaica Tallawahs, whom they tied on 12 points, on net run-rate and set up a rematch between the sides in the first qualifier on Tuesday. Tallawahs finished third and will take on St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Eliminator on Wednesday.Col-outColin Munro, the season’s highest scorer, was joined by his namesake in the Knight Riders lineup, with South African Colin Ingram called up as a replacement for Chris Lynn, who has gone back to Australia for the start of his country’s domestic season. But neither Colin made an impact as both were dismissed for single-digit scores.Munro fell in the third over to Sohail Tanvir, when he edged behind a flat-footed swipe. Ten balls later, Ingram slogged Amazon Warriors captain Chris Green to long-on. Brendon McCullum ran himself out with a poor call, taking on Cameron Delport’s arm from backward point, as the Knight Riders’ top order dug the team into a massive hole at 23 for 3 inside the Powerplay.Ray of LightRayad Emrit not only lost the Amazon Warriors captaincy but was also dropped outright for the side’s match a night earlier, in a win over Barbados Tridents, after going four straight matches without a wicket. But a series of injuries to the fast bowling unit opened the door for a recall less than 24 hours later. The 37-year-old made the most of his second chance, taking 2 for 25 in four overs.Initially, it looked like his luckless season would continue, when Hetmyer and Chadwick Walton’s near collision resulted in a dropped chance early in the 12th over. But Emrit’s wicketless stretch finally ended at the conclusion of the over, when Denesh Ramdin flicked to deep square leg, where he was snapped up by Devendra Bishoo, ending a 54-run stand. Emrit struck again, in the 16th over, to clean bowl Dwayne Bravo, who was beaten on the drive, as the Knight Riders struggled. A flurry in the last few overs from Kevon Cooper, who hit three fours and three sixes in his 30 off 14 balls, took the visitors past 150.Warrior ShimmyFor Amazon Warriors to give themselves a second shot at making the final, they needed to chase down the target of 155 in 15.3 overs. The hometown fans had plenty to dance about, thanks to another brilliant knock from the 21-year old Hetmyer.Coming in at the fall of Luke Ronchi to a Fawad Ahmed googly in the fourth over, Hetmyer clattered 59 off 30 balls, including five sixes. The home side were drifting somewhat at 67 for 2 in nine overs, before Hetmyer gave them a huge lift heading into the drinks break by smashing Cooper’s last three balls before the interval for six, four and six over the leg side.Jason Mohammed fell to the first ball after drinks, brilliantly caught at long-off by Dwayne Bravo, but 20-year old Rutherford stole the momentum straight back as he electrified the crowd with three consecutive sixes immediately after arriving. After heaving two over the leg side, he executed an audacious reverse sweep off Nikita Miller over third man for the third six in the sequence.Hetmyer clobbered Anderson Phillip for a four and two more sixes off three straight balls in the following over. Rutherford then tore into Bravo in the 13th for three more sixes, taking the equation down to 10 off 15 balls for Guyana to overtake the Tallawahs on net run-rate.Worse than Bravo’s death bowling was his strategic blunder in failing to bowl out Fawad, the CPL’s leading wicket-taker. On a night when TKR was already shorthanded in the bowling department by virtue of resting their leading pace bowler Ali Khan, Fawad’s last two overs were held back even as the rest of the bowling unit was torn to shreds by both the Guyana youngsters. Fawad was brought back for his third over in the 14th, and he dismissed Hetmyer, but Walton clubbed a full toss for six the next ball to level the scores. Rutherford then ended the match on the first ball of the 15th.Both Ali Khan and Sunil Narine will be back for the playoff contest after putting their legs up on this occasion, but the Amazon Warriors gave enough reasons on this occasion to not take them lightly on home soil in Tuesday’s Qualifier 1.

Leeds United have picked up their form significantly in the Championship, the Whites' slow start to the season now forgotten about with Daniel Farke's men sitting pretty near the top of the division in third spot.

Last time out, Leeds even managed to dent Enzo Maresca's formidable Leicester City's unbelievable start to second-tier life – Georginio Rutter poking the ball into the net off a rebound to give his team a 1-0 win at the expense of the table-topping Foxes, Maresca's side only suffering their second defeat of the season on the night to Farke's in-form team.

The Whites have now only lost one of their last six matches, with games in that impressive run such as the 4-1 Elland Road demolition job at the expense of west Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town showcasing Leeds at their very best especially in attack.

Crysencio Summerville is a figure Championship defenders cannot handle at the moment – the Dutchman scoring six goals in 12 on top of assisting a further four – whilst Joel Piroe, Dan James and the aforementioned Rutter form the other components of a deadly attacking quartet for the promotion hopefuls.

Still, Leeds could be in the market for another lively attacker in the form of Jhon Arias from Fluminese if reports are correct.

Although, the second-tier giants aren't the only club interested in the Colombian winger's services…

Leeds transfer news

TEAMtalk are reporting that Leeds are pursuing a possible deal for the explosive 26-year-old, hoping that they might have stumbled across their next Raphinha in the process after their former beloved Brazilian winger departed for Barcelona last year.

Arias has generated interest from a whole host of clubs however, with West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Wolves and even Rangers all potentially tussling it out in January to sign the attacking midfielder.

It's no real surprise to see such avid interest in the Fluminese man, with Arias starring over a number of years out in Brazil for his current employers.

How Arias compares to Raphinha

Arias often plays as if the ball is glued to his feet, gracefully dribbling past a number of opponents with ease without ever losing momentum or focus.

These mind-bending runs will draw obvious comparisons to Raphinha who also made skilful darts up the field look effortless with the Whites, terrorising Premier League defences when pulling on a Leeds strip.

The Colombian's end product is deadly for Fluminese also, justifying his impressive showboating more times than not.

He has 26 goals and 30 assists from 130 games for the Rio De Janeiro-based club, including nine goals and 13 assists just this year in all competitions.

It's even led to Arias representing his nation as a result, capped by Colombia ten times off the back of his continued exploits in Brazil.

According to FBRef, Arias draws further similarities to ex-Leeds star Raphinha in terms of his overall attacking play with the Fluminese man receiving 11.47 progressive passes per 90 over the last year contrasted with Raphinha's slightly higher 13.54.

Both Arias and the Brazilian also enjoy being involved in the attacking build-up as much as possible, with Arias attempting 56.22 passes per 90 compared to his Barcelona counterpart who attempts a lesser 51.75.

This season in their domestic leagues however, Arias is proving his worth more so for his Brasileirão based club than the former Leeds man at the Camp Nou – Arias pulling off double the goal-creating actions of Raphinha this season, Arias coming in at six to Raphinha's three.

Farke will be keen to add Arias to his ranks in order to provide back-up and competition to his in-form attackers at Elland Road, with fans of the Whites excited by the prospect of a player potentially joining the club who has shades of their former Brazilian hero's attacking game present.

Former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has stunned fans – and Cristiano Ronaldo – with his recent body transformation following his retirement from football.

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Ozil bulks up in gym after retirementRonaldo impressed with training regimeFans stunned by Ozil's physical transformationWHAT HAPPENED?

Ozil has underdone a dramatic transformation since hitting the gym after announcing his retirement from football at the age of 34 back in 2023. The former Arsenal and Real Madrid star has shown off his new bulked-up body on Instagram which has amazed fans.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS & PLAYERS ARE SAYING

Instagram user @bhaumikbhor_ was clearly stunned, writing on the social media platform: "Who hurt my bro?"

Another supporter, @hn25255, remembered how Ozil had been defended by team-mate Sead Kolasinac during a car-jacking attempt: "Bro don’t need Kolasinac anymore."

Elsewhere, X user WestTomie wondered what Ozil might have been like if he'd bulked up in his playing days: "Imagine he was like this while he was playing. MASSIVE."

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was also impressing, replying: "Looking strong bro."

And German and Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger described Ozil as a "beast".

WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO HAS SAID

Cristiano Ronaldo is also no stranger to the gym and has previously shown his admiration for his former Real Madrid team-mate's hard work. The Portuguese superstar wrote "Bro, not bad" on an earlier video of Ozil being put through his paces in the gym on his way to his stunning transformation.

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Ozil was certainly not known for his physique during his playing days. The former Germany international was a superb playmaker who was often accused of being lazy due to a perceived disinterested body language. Ozil still enjoyed a successful career, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Real Madrid, the FA Cup four times with Arsenal and lifting the World Cup with Germany in 2014.

Brighton are warning fans to leave plenty of time before their match against Arsenal after a landslide closed nearby train lines.

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Brighton host Arsenal at the AmexLandslide closes train lines near BrightonDisruption expected to last all dayWHAT HAPPENED?

Roberto De Zerbi's men host Mikel Arteta's Premier League title hopefuls at the Amex at 5.30pm on Saturday but there has been significant disruption on train lines ahead of the contest. The Seagulls state a landslide between Haywards Heath and Brighton has led to some lines shutting, trains may be cancelled, and delays are anticipated until the end of the day.

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The club's tweet reads: "There is disruption on the train lines today between Haywards Heath and Brighton due to a landslide which means some lines are closed. Trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised and disruption is expected until the end of the day. We advise fans travelling to today’s game to leave early and follow @SouthernRailUK for updates."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Plenty is on the line in this clash at the Amex as Brighton are trying to qualify for Europe for a second straight season and Arsenal are aiming to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004. However, getting people to the stadium safely is of the utmost importance.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

The club and the railway operators will continue to provide updates on the landslide and how this is affecting train lines throughout the day. Incidentally, Arsenal won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the Emirates in December.

Bilal Asif set for debut, while Mohammad Hafeez is expected to be part of the XI for the first Test against Australia

Osman Samiuddin in Dubai05-Oct-2018Pakistan’s hopes of coming at Australia with a rare two-legspinner combination have taken a hit with Shadab Khan all but ruled out of the opening Test in Dubai on Sunday. Shadab has yet to recover from a groin injury he picked up during the Asia Cup, though Pakistan remain hopeful he will be fit for the second Test in Abu Dhabi.In his place the offspinning allrounder Bilal Asif is set for a Test debut. And it also all but guarantees a return to the side for Mohammad Hafeez, discarded and disgruntled earlier this year after being axed from the ODI side, but now back for a first Test in over two years. As much as his runs, Pakistan will look to Hafeez’s overs against an Australia top six that includes three left-handers.Nevertheless, Shadab’s absence will come as a blow. Earlier this summer, while Pakistan were on tour to England, Mickey Arthur was relishing the prospect of unleashing Yasir Shah and Shadab in tandem at teams in the UAE.That tour was a breakthrough of sorts for Shadab in the longer format. Though his numbers shine with bat in hand – three fifties across the three Tests in swinging conditions – there were signs that his legspin was developing too. He was far from the finished product, but a vast improvement from his Test debut in Bridgetown in April 2017.Pakistan have not been historically averse to playing two legspinners in the same Test XI. Abdul Qadir and Mushtaq Ahmed played a Test together in 1990 against West Indies; Mushtaq played a couple of Tests with Danish Kaneria in 2003. And though Shahid Afridi counts as an allrounder, his legspin accompanied that of Kaneria in as many as 17 Tests. In the 60s and 70s, Intikhab Alam and Mushtaq Mohammad played together many times, both allrounders strictly speaking but both also legspinners.Spin was the major factor in Pakistan’s 2-0 triumph when Australia last toured the UAE four years ago. Yasir, Zulfiqar Babar and Hafeez took 30 of the 40 Australian wickets in that series.Pakistan are considering another debutant in Mir Hamza, the left-arm fast bowler who could partner Mohammad Abbas in a two-man pace attack. With Mohammad Amir out of the picture, the choice would appear to be between the returning Wahab Riaz and Hamza, but the former’s low impact for Pakistan ‘A’ in the warm-up game may work against his inclusion.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been backed to secure the services of a new striker, though a reliable journalist has admitted he’s more likely to join next summer rather than in January.

Wolves transfer news

The Old Gold signed Matheus Cunha, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Santiago Bueno, Boubacar Traore, Enso Gonzalez, Matt Doherty and Tom King all on a permanent basis over the summer, whilst recruiting Manchester City’s Tommy Doyle on loan for the rest of the season.

With regards to outgoings, Gary O’Neil sanctioned the sales of 20 players in total, with some of the bigger names to leave for good being the likes of Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes and Raul Jimenez, so the boss has created plenty of room in his squad to make further additions in the Premier League.

The Molineux side are reportedly looking to sign a new number nine to bolster their frontline options and have set their sights on a former target, with Southampton’s Che Adams still firmly on the radar after links in the summer, especially considering that his deal is set to expire at the end of the season (Southampton contracts).

The Scottish centre-forward has established himself as Russell Martin’s second best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Southampton statistics), and with the 27-year-old set to be available should he not put pen to paper on fresh terms, he could be on his way to the Midlands.

Dharmesh Sheth's comments on Che Adams

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth suggested that Wolves could sign Che Adams next summer should they stave off any threat of relegation.

"Che Adams is one that would probably make sense considering his contract situation. I think we'll probably look forward to the summer transfer window if Wolves can consolidate during this season.

"If you ask me, I don't think there's much danger of them going down at all. Earlier in the season, you probably could have argued that. But, even in defeat at Old Trafford in the opening game of the season, I think they probably saw enough signs to think things are okay here."

Che Adams would be a "smart signing" for Wolves

Over the course of his career, Adams has clocked up 123 contributions, 88 goals and 35 assists, in 337 appearances, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third in terms of hitting the back of the net himself and creating chances for his fellow teammates (Transfermarkt – Adams statistics).

The Leicester-born talent, who earns £30k-per-week (Southampton salaries), is also a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions since bursting onto the professional scene, including everywhere across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder, so his versaility can kill multiple birds with one stone in the squad depth department.

According to The Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Adams would be a “smart signing” for Wolves to make considering the all-round positive impact he could have on the side, so should the right opportunity present itself, this is a no-brainer of a deal for the hierarchy to pursue next year.

Captain takes pride in leading from the front as England seal first series win in Asia for six years

Andrew Miller18-Nov-2018Having challenged his players to play “bold, courageous cricket” on their tour of Sri Lanka, England’s captain Joe Root said that he would take immense pride in the manner in which his players backed up their words with deeds to secure their first series win in Asia for six years.Root himself was named Man of the Match for his superb second-innings 124, a performance that epitomised his team’s positive approach to batting in challenging conditions, and he admitted that it was especially pleasing to have been able to lead from the front in precisely the manner that he had called for.”I’m really pleased to back up everything I’ve spoken about and the way that I did it,” Root told Sky Sports. “It’s nice to make a big contribution but the thing that sits well with me is the manner in which I did it. I asked the guys to play a certain way, and I went out and backed it up myself.”However, Root was quick to praise his entire squad for the manner in which they bought into the challenge of taking on Sri Lanka in their own conditions – not just the 11 players who have so far taken the field in the two Tests, but the full 17-man squad, not least the likes of Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow, two hugely experienced players who have been surplus to requirements given the specific balance of this team.”Look at the guys we’ve got on the sidelines,” he said. “We’ve got some very exciting young players and a lot of experience, and for Stuart Broad [and Bairstow] to have no played a part in this series shows the strength of the squad, and the adaptability as well. Around the world we could have played a very different side with a similar well-balanced look to it.”It’s nice to be in a position where all 17 guys could walk into the team and it wouldn’t look any less balanced, or out of place in these conditions.”If England’s set-up allowed them to do without some of their most senior campaigners out in the middle, then Root was quick to praise the contributions of two of his most trusted lieutenants, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Both are integral members of England’s world-class white-ball squad, and after a match in which England’s fielding standards, particularly the close catching, had made the difference between the two teams, Root insisted that their contributions had been instrumental in raising the overall standards of the squad.”The guys have worked really hard on their close catching, we know how important it is in this part of the world,” said Root. “When you’ve got Jos and Ben in the outfield, the standard does rise, it drags people with them.”They are the sort of characters we have, two senior players who command respect in the way they go about things. Not verbally, but with their actions on the field and the way they train. They set the standard, and when people see that and the success they have on the field, they are very quick to follow suit.”Getty ImagesThe final morning of the match had dawned with England needing a further three wickets, and Sri Lanka 75 runs, but Root insisted that he and his players had been pretty calm when play resumed, thanks to a belief in the plans that had already carried them to the brink of victory.”We were pretty confident,” he said. “We knew we’d be able to create three chances on that surface, but we also recognised that when partnerships developed it became quite difficult. We tried to stay as calm as possible, trust all the plans we had, and follow through on that, and thankfully it paid off.”That’s not to say there had not been one or two nervous moments in the field as Sri Lanka set off in pursuit of a victory target of 300, and Root conceded that the extended sessions on day four had not helped his team, in the wake of the heavy rainfall that interrupted their own second innings.”The extra 15 minutes in both sessions didn’t help,” he said. “[Sri Lanka’s] two significant partnerships were towards the back of those sessions and they got away from us a little bit. It’s a nice learner for me as captain to do things differently, but ultimately we reassessed things very well and very quickly and put things right.”The credit for the victory ultimately went to England’s trio of spinners who claimed 19 of Sri Lanka’s 20 wickets in the match, with Jack Leach and Moeen Ali sharing nine out of ten in the second innings,”They dealt with the pressure pretty well, and to do it in these conditions as well,” said Root. “To do it in England on pitches you’re familiar with is one thing, but we have guys like Mo who are very good at beating the bat on both sides when there’s more consistent spin. It’s about finding different ways of getting the most out of your skill and expand your game.”You’ve seen a big improvement and development in all three of them to harness and shoulder that pressure. It was really pleasing.”Root’s captaincy also encountered a steep learning curve out in the field, part of which revolved around him unlearning some of the lessons that became apparent to him while batting.AFP”It’s difficult, you see the ball spin when you’re batting and it’s really hard work,” he said. “There is that expectation on yourselves at times to go and take clusters of wickets and put them under huge amounts of pressure. But if you over-attack, it can be difficult, you can leak runs, and then the pressure is back on yourselves.”More than anything, you have to get that balance of attack and defence, defend with the field but attack with the ball in hand, that is sometimes a bit more useful.”Root also praised his team’s batting, not merely for producing three centuries in the two Tests to Sri Lanka’s none, but for the intent and the depth that they were able to dredge out of the entire line-up – right down to the contributions of James Anderson at No.11, who helped add 101 runs for the last wicket across two innings.”We’ve made some really crucial partnerships at key times,” he said. “Going back to the start of the second innings, going back to Keaton [Jennings] and Rory [Burns], they kept the scoreboard moving very quickly, and kept them under pressure from the start, and in a calm and controlled manner. That set the innings up beautifully and gave the guys a huge amount of confidence to play their own way and keep the runs coming.”The beauty of this team is the depth of batting,” he added. “Guys like Rashid coming in at No.10 at times, he’s more than capable of big scores in Test cricket, and has more than 10 first-class hundreds. It’s nice to know that the depth is there, but one thing we’ve seen is there is no attitude of ‘leave it to someone else’. The guys have stood up and shouldered that responsibility really well.”Ben Foakes, England’s rookie wicketkeeper, was also singled out for special praise after another match in which his impeccable glovework was matched by a vital performance with the bat.”Foakes has made it look a lot easier than it should look, both keepers have,” said Root. “Both stood back and up, with the ball not carrying at times. It’s been spitting, keeping low, but he’s done phenomenally well, and makes it look a lot easier than it is which is fantastic to have as a wicketkeeper.”His runs have been fantastic as well. His demeanour out in the middle is one of someone who has played a lot more than he has. He has a great attitude towards learning and improving himself.”

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has revealed the one quality which makes Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham one of the world's best players.

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Guardiola explains what makes Bellingham stand outCity coach praises midfielder's brainEngland star has scored 20 goals this seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

City were interested in signing Bellingham last season but Real Madrid beat them to the punch after paying Borussia Dortmund €103m (£88m/$111m) for the England international.

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Bellingham has exceeded all expectations at Madrid, scoring 20 goals in all competitions, and will be one of the main threats City face when they take on Los Blancos in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

"He played when he was 17 with Dortmund and I said with not just his skills but the difference is what he has in his brain and his mind," Guardiola told a press conference. "He came to this club with exceptional players and manager like Carlo [Ancelotti] who has the incredible ability to know the best position and Carlo found it so he clicked quick. He's done an incredible season in terms of goals, assists, his presence in the box. Not just Madrid but with the England national team he has been brilliant. At just 19, 20 , he has a long career ahead of him."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

Madrid will be seeking for revenge for last year's semi-final tie with City, when they were thrashed 4-0 by Guardiola's side. The second leg at the Etihad Stadium is on April 16.

Liverpool have been handed a boost after learning that one of their first-team stars could return from injury during next weekend’s Premier League game vs Manchester City.

Liverpool injury news

The Reds have Andrew Robertson, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Conor Bradley all out on the sidelines with their respective long-term problems, but the club have received some more positive news regarding the fitness of a few in the short term.

According to reports, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate are expected to stage their comeback for the highly anticipated encounter against Pep Guardiola’s side, which is great for the defensive backline, while Jurgen Klopp is also set to have his options bolstered in the middle.

The Merseyside outfit secured the services of central midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich over the summer, and it's fair to say that he has shown plenty of promising signs during his 12 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Gravenberch statistics), but he's recently been absent.

The Netherlands international has missed the last two games against Toulouse in the Europa League and Brentford in the top flight due to a niggling knee injury, but if the following update is to be believed, the 21-year-old may be back at his manager’s disposal next weekend.

Ryan Gravenberch set to be available

According to This Is Anfield, Gravenberch may return from injury for Saturday’s showdown at the Etihad Stadium, and he also could be joined by Curtis Jones.

"Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate were surprise absentees from the squad to face Brentford, with the former also being forced to drop out of international duty with France. But This Is Anfield understands both men were sidelined only by minor issues that it is expected will have cleared for the visit to the Etihad Stadium.

“Sources also confirmed a similar prognosis for Ryan Gravenberch, after his run of four consecutive Premier League starts was ended by a knee niggle. But the Dutchman will face fresh midfield competition from Curtis Jones going into next weekend, with the young Scouser set to be available again after hamstring trouble.”

Gravenberch's return will be a boost for Klopp

Whilst Gravenberch is naturally a central midfielder, he’s been stronger in the offensive aspects of his game since joining Liverpool, having posted four contributions (two goals and assists apiece) in 12 outings, so him being available once again will be a huge plus for Klopp.

Standing at 6 foot 2, the colossus also ranks in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons compared to positional peers in men’s big five leagues over the last year (FBRef – Gravenberch statistics), highlighting his desire to dribble past his marker and create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third.

Furthermore, Anfield’s £150k-per-week earner (Liverpool salaries), is a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including three in the centre of the park and two across the frontline.

Despite only being at the club for a short amount of time, Gravenberch has already been hailed for his “sensational” impact by journalist Josh Bunting, and there’s no doubt that he will only continue to make a positive impression when he does return to the field, which could well be next weekend.