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Foxes’ four-run loss hits chances of sealing spot as one of the third-placed sides chasing qualification

ECB Reporters Network15-Sep-2020Leicestershire Foxes suffered a setback in their bid to reach the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast as Derbyshire Falcons pulled off a first victory of the season in a low-scoring North Group affair at the Fischer County Ground, Leicester.Having restricted the Falcons to 147 for 8 from their 20-over allocation, seamer Gavin Griffiths taking a career-best 4 for 35, the Foxes fancied their chances of cementing their position as one of the third-placed sides chasing qualification, especially after defeat for Birmingham Bears in the Central Group earlier in the day.But despite an unbroken stand of 68 for the fifth wicket between Harry Dearden and George Rhodes, building on a useful 32 on home debut from Nick Welch, the Foxes fell short of their target, some tight and intelligent death bowling from Dustin Melton and Michael Cohen pinned them down over the final three overs, when neither batsman could find the rope.Having opted to bat first, the Falcons were 42 for 1 after the Powerplay overs, largely down to Wayne Madsen, who had made 26 of them off 16 deliveries but was almost out without scoring, backing away a little to a ball from Callum Parkinson, the left-arm spinner, that missed leg stump by a whisker and was given as four after evidently taking a deflection off the bat as it sped past wicketkeeper Lewis Hill. The same over had seen Luis Reece dismissed as Parkinson read the batsman’s intention to step down the pitch and turned the ball away from him to facilitate an easy stumping for Hill.Madsen made the most of his good fortune with boundaries of a more authentic nature off Griffiths and Will Davis, including the night’s first maximum as he lofted the latter over long-on, and though a bowling change at both ends stemmed the flow of runs a little, Madsen looked well set at 33 off 22 balls in the 10th over when Billy Godleman’s poor decision to take a single as George Rhodes swooped to field at short extra gave his experienced colleague no chance to make his ground, leaving the Falcons 64 for 2 at the halfway stage.It was a scratchy innings by Godleman, who loosened his arms to launch Parkinson over long-off in the 13th over but was out next ball as the left-armer beat him in flight and enabled a second stumping for Hill. Matt Critchley and Leus du Plooy kept the board turning over but at 101 for 3 after 15, Derbyshire needed to build some momentum to post a competitive score.It did not help that Du Plooy, having helped one round the corner for his second boundary, was out to the second ball of the 16th over, his steepling drive dropping for Davis at long-on, and when leg-spinner Gareth Delany bowled Critchley in the next over the Falcons were looking at a relatively modest total, even though Anuj Dal announced his arrival with a six muscled over wide long-on.A slower ball from Griffiths accounted for Dal at the start of the final over of the Falcons’ innings and after Alex Hughes swelled the total with six over the bowler’s head, new batsman Mattie McKearnan and Hughes were caught in the deep off the last two balls as Griffiths claimed three wickets in the over.The Falcons’ 147 for 8 left the Foxes needing to score at 7.4 runs per over to register a third win of this truncated season, a rate of which they were quickly ahead as openers Delany and Nick Welch helped themselves to half a dozen boundaries in the first three overs. Welch, the 22-year-old Zimbabwean making his home senior debut, picked up two in the same over off his compatriot, Dustin Melton, and dispatched him for a towering six over deep mid-wicket, clearing the roof of The Meet.But the left-armer Michael Cohen struck back for the Falcons, dismissing Delany via a swivel-pull scooped up at short fine by Hughes and Arron Lilley, whose uppercut turned into a catch taken low down by Melton at third man as the Foxes completed the Powerplay overs only marginally in front and with two important batsmen lost.Colin Ackermann found his range immediately, lifting Matt Critchley’s leg spin for six over long and slog-sweeping four in the same over before repeating the feet in Critchley’s next. Welsh pulled Cohen to the rope and the Foxes seemed to be back on track until Hughes entered the attack to remove the threat of Ackermann, taken by wicketkeeper Brooke Guest standing up.The Foxes had now slipped marginally behind the required rate at 72 for 3 after 10 and suffered another setback when Critchley produced a lovely ball to bowl Welch for 32, leaving Harry Dearden and George Rhodes with a rebuilding job.Although the two found boundaries hard to come, they kept the total building with intelligent placement, yet entered the final five overs of the contest with still 42 required. Hughes and McKearnen, the other leg-spinner in the Falcons side, kept the pressure on and though the left-handed Dearden picked up a boundary off each the Foxes still required 20 from the last two overs, which came down to 10 off the final six balls.It proved too much, Melton coming up with an excellent final over to leave the Foxes five short of their target. Rhodes could have won the match with a six off the last ball. He failed and although he was dropped in the attempt Derbyshire’s joy was not diminished.

Crystal Palace ended last season as one of the most entertaining and in-form teams in the Premier League.

The arrival of Oliver Glasner saw the perpetually midtable finishers suddenly look like one of the most dangerous sides in the country.

Stars like Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze, and Michael Olise were given the chance to show their worth, although it now looks as if the latter could be on his way out of Selhurst Park this summer.

However, while losing the Frenchman is far from ideal, Steve Parsh and Co might've already found a fantastic replacement and one that won't cost an arm and a leg.

Crystal Palace transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Crystal Palace have 'begun talks' with some of their targets to replace Olise and are particularly interested in Arsenal's Reiss Nelson this summer.

The report claims London rivals Fulham and West Ham United are also keen on landing the exciting winger, but the Eagles are set to make the first move and make an offer in the region of €10m – £8m – for the Englishman.

However, that won't be enough as the Gunners are holding out for around €25m, which is about £21m.

It might not be a cheap deal to complete, but the fee the North Londoners are after isn't egregious. In the short cameo appearances Nelson has had in recent seasons, he's looked good, so he could prove to be a good Olise replacement.

Why Nelson would be a good Olise replacement

So, there are two reasons why Nelson would be a good replacement, and the first is rather simple: his price.

If the Eagles can secure the Arsenal man's services for just £21m while selling the Frenchman for around £60m, that would allow the club to invest in other places to give Glasner a more rounded squad full of the profiles he wants to manage.

The second reason is that when the "special" wideman, as dubbed by Mikel Arteta, has played, he's generally looked quite good.

Team

Hoffenheim

Feyenoord

Appearances

29

32

Goals

7

4

Assists

1

7

Goal Involvements per match

0.27

0.34

For example, when he was on loan with Feyenoord in the 2021/22 campaign, he scored four goals and provided seven assists in 32 games, and when he spent the season with Hoffenheim in 2018/19, he scored seven goals and provided one assist in 29 games.

This isn't to say that the 24-year-old could replicate the output of the former Reading ace because he probably couldn't, but the Elephant and Castle-born winger is a talented footballer and his most famous contribution in red and white, that last minute winner against Bournemouth, proves that he can be the "game changer", teammate Eddie Nketiah claimed him to be.

Ultimately, while Nelson may not be the marquee replacement fans would hope for, his reasonable fee would allow the club to improve the side overall, and his track record of impressing in cameos for Arsenal suggests that, if given a regular starting role, he could be a productive Premier League winger.

Moreover, if any manager is going to get the most out of an attacking player in the league at the moment, it's Glasner.

£34m trio sign, Eze gone: What Crystal Palace's XI could look like in 24/25

The Eagles might be without one of their star men next year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 9, 2024

Draft conducted online – and with the odd hiccup – ahead of November tournament

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Oct-2020Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Shahid Afridi, Faf du Plessis and Carlos Brathwaite are among the high-profile foreign players that have been drafted into Lankan Premier League teams for the tournament that is set to begin on November 21.Although the draft, held on Monday, was carried out in incredibly haphazard fashion over the internet, with team owners unclear on the draft rules and protocols, SLC has nevertheless taken another step – however unsteady – towards hosting its own T20 franchise tournament.Wasim Akram was among those present at the draft, in his role as Galle Gladiators’ mentor. The Galle side shares the same owner as PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators. Also in attendance were former Sri Lanka players Hashan Tillakaratne (who will coach Kandy Tuskers), Thilina Kandamby (who will coach Jaffna Stallions), and English coach John Lewis (who is involved with Dambulla Hawks). Dav Whatmore, the former Sri Lanka coach who led them to the 1996 World Cup victory, was not seen at the draft, but is linked to the Colombo Kings franchise.Each team had two foreign marquee picks – players whom each franchise approaches individually and signs up. There was one local marquee pick as well. The remaining players will be paid according to the value determined by the category they were chosen in in the draft. Players drafted earlier are generally paid more.Given the disorganised nature of the draft, there was frequent backtracking and repeated misunderstandings, with selectors dropping in and out of the video call, and constant back-and-forth between owners and SLC, which was ostensibly running the draft process. The biggest hiccup came when Lewis had seemingly picked New Zealand legspinner Todd Astle for the Dambulla side, but then received a message several minutes later to suggest that Astle had in fact withdrawn two weeks ago.Nevertheless, the draft juddered to a conclusion, with the teams having picked between 16 and 20 players. Some slots were deliberately left open, with teams essentially backing themselves to persuade overseas players to play in the tournament and fill that position.The LPL is set to run from November 21 to December 13, and will be played initially in Sooriyawewa stadium, before moving to Pallekele for the latter stages of the tournament and the knockouts. The Sri Lankan government has not approved lenient quarantine measure for those coming into the country for the tournament, but SLC insists that the foreign players and officials taking part have all agreed to the strict 14-day quarantine, in which arrivals are not allowed to leave their rooms.The final squads are as follows:Jaffna Stallions Thisara Perera, Dawid Malan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shoaib Malik, Usman Shinwari, Avishka Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Suranga Lakmal, Binura Fernando, Asif Ali, Minod Bhanuka, Chaturanga de Silva, Mahesh Theekshana, Charith Asalanka, Nuvinidu Fernando, Kanagaratnam Kapilraj, Theivendiram Dinoshan, Yiyakanth YiyaskanthDambulla Hawks Dasun Shanaka, David Miller, Carlos Brathwaite, Samit Patel, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lahiru Kumara, Oshada Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Paul Stirling, Lahiru Madushanka, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Perera, Ramesh Mendis, Pulina Tharanga, Ashen Bandara, Dilshan Madushanka, Sachindu ColombageKandy Tuskers Chris Gayle, Kusal Perera, Liam Plunkett, Wahab Riaz, Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Asela Gunaratne, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Kamindu Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Priyamal Perera, Kavishka Anjula, Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Samarakoon, Nishan Fernando, Chamika Edirisinghe, Ishan JayaratneColombo Kings Andre Russell, Faf du Plessis, Angelo Mathews, Manpreet Singh Gony, Manvinder Bisla, Isuru Udana, Dinesh Chandimal, Amila Aponso, Ravinderpal Singh, Ashan Priyanjan, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Thikshila de Silva, Tharindu Kaushal, Lahiru Udara, Himesh Ramanayake, Kalana Perera, Tharindu Rathnayaka, Navod ParanawithanaGalle Gladiators Lasith Malinga, Shahid Afridi, Colin Ingram, Mohammad Amir, Hazratullah Zazai, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Akila Dananjaya, Milinda Siriwardana, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Azam Khan, Lakshan Sandakan, Shehan Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Mohomed Shiraz, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Chanaka Ruwansiri, Sahan Arachchi

Wayne Rooney faces a “problem” in managerial circles, but the Manchester United legend is being backed to take charge of a “big, important club”.

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Earned legend status in his playing daysMixed record since moving into coachingTipped to climb the managerial ladderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The former England captain returned to coaching in the summer of 2024 when inheriting the reins at Championship side Plymouth. He has previously worked at that level with Derby and Birmingham, while also spending time in MLS at D.C. United.

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Rooney has recovered from a slow start to his reign at Home Park, with battling victories secured, and is being tipped to climb the managerial ladder if he can come to terms with the fact that those he is working with are not as talented as he used to be.

GettyWHAT SAHA SAID

Former United team-mate Louis Saha has told : “Wayne Rooney has got an enormous desire for football, and he’s got an enormous desire to transmit that knowledge to players. I would love to see Wayne Rooney managing a big, important club, but it’s a difficult journey and Wayne knows that better than anyone. Sometimes, you must be in the right place at the right time. You need the right opportunity. I don’t think Wayne has had that opportunity yet to manage the type of players that he would really like to work with. I’m talking about players with exceptional quality.

“In many ways, it’s a similar problem to what Patrick Vieira had. He went into Palace, it took him a bit of time, but he wasn’t working with players that were anywhere near the level he played at. Sometimes, that can be hard for a manager to deal with. Frank Lampard is the other example. He got the opportunity to manage his club, Chelsea, early in his career. OK, he had managed Derby, but making the jump from Derby to Chelsea is huge.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Rooney has been accused of landing jobs because of who he is, rather than what he has achieved as a boss, but Saha went on to say of the ambitious 38-year-old: “I don’t think Wayne Rooney expects anything in management to be handed to him on a plate. You can tell he’s hungry to show that he can manage because of the club’s he’s taken on. Nobody could describe those jobs as easy. He’ll know that he needs to improve to get a big opportunity, but I hope he gets it because he has so much to offer, and he had such an unbelievable playing career.”

An exciting Southampton transfer rumour has emerged, with a report claiming they are preparing to table a £20m bid for the services of a "wonderful" player this summer.

Southampton transfer news

Saints are getting ready for life back in the Premier League, with Russell Martin's side looking to avoid the same fate as last season's promoted sides, in terms of going straight back down to the Championship. New signings need to come in, with plenty being mooted of late.

Defender Charlie Taylor will reportedly complete a move to Southampton on July 1st, arriving there on a free transfer, which could be a shrewd piece of business. The 30-year-old has made 287 appearances in the Premier League and Championship combined, 161 of which have come in the former.

Espanyol striker Martin Braithwaite has also been linked with a summer move to Saints, with none other than Barcelona and Liverpool legend Luis Suarez describing him as "great" in the past, highlighting the ability and experience that he possesses as a depth option up front.

Speaking of Liverpool, Reds defender Sepp van den Berg is also thought to be on Southampton's radar, as he looks to finally seal a permanent move away from Anfield after several loan spells. The 22-year-old is valued at £12.5m, and could be an exciting addition for Martin's men.

Southampton preparing £20m bid for "wonderful" ace

According to The Daily Record's Scott Burns, Southampton are preparing to table a £20m offer for Celtic attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley. The huge bid with "future add-ons included" could even "potentially take the deal past" the Hoops' record sale of £25m for Kieran Tierney and Jota.

O'Riley was a standout player for Celtic last season, playing a big role in their Scottish Premiership title triumph, proving to be a relentless source of end product. The Dane scored 18 goals and registered 13 assists in the league, possessing a wand-like left foot and being lauded by Brendan Rodgers.

Admittedly, there could be some trepidation about the money spent on O'Riley because the step up from Scotland to the Premier League is huge, but he has proven himself at international level as well, winning two caps for Denmark to date. At just 23 years of age, he will hope to significantly add to that tally in the coming years.

Appearances

37

Starts

37

Goals

18

Assists

13

Shots per game

2.9

Key passes per game

2.5

Tackles per game

1.7

Pass completion rate

83.5%

These are the calibre of signings that Southampton need to be making if they are to avoid a quick return to the Championship, and the Celtic man has the creativity and flair to become a hero at St Mary's, adding an extra dimension in attacking midfield areas.

Cristiano Ronaldo would appear to be king in the eyes of Saudi football supporters, with Brazilian star Neymar getting booed at a tennis exhibition.

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Portuguese superstar boasts huge fan baseBrazilian forward has struggled with injuryHousehold names playing in the Middle EastFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese superstar has been in the Middle East since early 2023, when he completed a stunning move to Al-Nassr on the back of seeing his contract terminated at Premier League giants Manchester United. His presence has helped to raise the profile and appeal of sport in the region.

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Household names aplenty have followed Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League, including the likes of Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Neymar. The latter is now on the books of Al-Hilal, where he is working his way back from a serious knee injury.

DID YOU KNOW?

With no competitive game time on his schedule at present, Neymar has been taking the opportunity to experience live action across other events. He recently attended the boxing extravaganza headlined by undisputed light-heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev, before swapping ringside seats for courtside ones.

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Neymar has been a regular at the ‘6 Kings Slam’ tennis event in Riyadh. When making a public appearance at the end of Rafael Nadal’s defeat to fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer was jeered by some of those at The Venue – while chants of “Ronaldo, Ronaldo” could be heard in the crowd.

Bairstow is set to earn an England recall for the Test series in Sri Lanka early next year

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2020Melbourne Stars have been forced to make a late change to their BBL squad signing West Indies batsman Andre Fletcher after Englishman Jonny Bairstow was ruled out due to international duty.Bairstow was expected to be available for the Stars after Christmas after completing the 14-day mandatory quarantine in Australia following England’s limited-overs tour of South Africa. However, he is expected to be recalled to England’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in January.The Stars moved swiftly to sign Fletcher, who like fellow Stars signing Nicholas Pooran, has been in New Zealand playing in the T20I series.”We’re naturally disappointed Jonny won’t be able to link up with us this season but we wish him well on his recall and England’s winter tours,” Stars coach David Hussey said.”We’re glad Andre was in a position to join us and he’ll bring plenty of power and entertainment at the top of the batting order. Andre is a former T20 World Cup winner with the West Indies so he knows what it takes to succeed in major tournaments and I’m confident he’ll be a great asset around our group.”Fletcher has played 200 T20 matches worldwide with extensive experience in the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League, and the Pakistan Super League. He is likely to be available for the Stars for the regular season up until January 26.”I’m really looking forward to coming over to the Melbourne Stars and being part of what should be an exciting season ahead,” Fletcher said. Hopefully, I can bring my brand of batting and recent form to the Stars during the BBL.”

With the transfer window now in full swing, Everton are set to enter the race for a highly rated teenager with interest from another Premier League side.

Everton act fast in summer transfer window

After staving off relegation from the Premier League last season, the Toffees are in the market to bolster Sean Dyche's squad and ensure that next season sees them stay well clear of the drop zone.

Everton must sell big-money talent who's worth more than Broja & Ndiaye

The club are still looking to strengthen despite the recent incomings.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 3, 2024

One name floated as a potential target for the Toffees is Benfica's Florentino Luis. The Portuguese midfielder also has interest from Leicester City with the player's current club having already turned down a £25million bid from an unnamed English side.

Everton are also set to compete with a Premier League newcomers Southampton for Celtic's Matt O'Riley. The 23-year-old has been a long term target of the Saints, however a recent report has suggested that Everton are one of several Premier League clubs to have have held talks with the Scottish champions over the Dane.

Both of these midfield targets are seen as possible replacements for current Toffees' star Amadou Onana, who has been most recently linked with a move to Manchester United.

Whilst part of the recruitment team at Goodison Park eyes up established stars, it appears that some at the club are looking towards the next generation of talents with the Toffees competing for a European wonderkid.

Toffees set to compete for Irish teenage sensation

As first reported by TeamTalk, Everton are battling it out to sign Irish striker Mason Melia. The outlet claims that the Toffees are set to go toe-to-toe with fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion to secure the services of the teenage forward.

The 16-year-old is already playing senior football for St Patrick’s in the League of Ireland Premier Division, where Melia has three goals to his name in 23 appearances in the Irish top flight.

Melia made his debut for the Irish outfit aged just 15, becoming St Patrick’s youngest ever player and the third youngest in league history. Speaking after the teenager's debut, St Patrick’s former interim manager Jon Daly praised the striker: "He’s been exceptional for Sean (O’Connor's) team at U-19s.

“When you are thinking ‘I need a goal’, I saw him score numerous goals for the U-19s, I saw him score against Wexford in the Leinster Senior Cup. I know he can finish and I know his movement is good."

Whilst Melia is no stranger to senior football, it will be some time before we see him lacing up in the Premier League. Owing to new player registration rules post Brexit, the striker cannot move to the UK until he turns 18.

Despite this, Everton will still be able to agree a deal for Melia this summer with the club agreeing for the player to move to Merseyside as soon as he turns 18.

The Australia coach has said, however, that Will Pucovski has ‘been so good we can’t ignore him’

Andrew McGlashan13-Nov-2020Justin Langer has given the strongest indication yet that Joe Burns will retain his place at the top of Australia’s batting order for the first Test against India with the final decision being made after the first of the Australia A matches next month.Both Burns and Will Pucovski, who has made two double-hundreds in three Sheffield Shield innings this season compared to Burns’ 57 runs in five knocks, are in the Australia A squad to face the Indians at the Drummoyne Oval and then the SCG under lights.However, Langer said that the man chosen to partner David Warner in the day-night Test would mostly likely link up with the Test squad in Adelaide when they start their preparations, which will overlap with the second Australia A fixture – a floodlit match starting on December 11.Though Burns has struggled at the start of the season for Queensland, Langer referenced the strong pairing he has with Warner – which averages over 50 for the first wicket – and the fact it was part of Australia’s clean sweep of the 2019-20 season against New Zealand and Pakistan when they went to No. 1 in the world, although the pressure from Pucovski is significant.”[Will’s] been amazing hasn’t he, and it’s exactly what we are looking for, I’ve said it for a very long time that we want guys who are outside of the team to bang so hard you can’t ignore them,” Langer said. “The fact is he’s been so good we can’t ignore him, he’s been brilliant.”That said I’ve also been consistent with the messaging that last summer we loved the combination of Joe Burns and David Warner, they have a real synergy, so at this point I’d say that will remain the same. But what Will’s doing, what Cameron Green has done, is making a real statement through sheer weight of runs and that’s always been a strong foundation for the strength of Australian cricket.”Will Pucovski pulls through square leg•Getty ImagesBurns and Pucovski will likely open together in a three-day game starting on December 6, but Langer was reluctant to term it a showdown. “I wouldn’t say it’s a bat-off. Joe Burns has done really well for us. Will Pucovski, we are really looking forward to seeing how he steps up to Australia A. It will be great to see him play against India, a new step up for him, so it’s an exciting time. Competition is healthy.”When guys have done a really good job for us – like in this case that Joe and Davey did for us last summer – there’s a reason we’re ranked the No.1 Team in Test cricket. Those sorts of partnerships are really important, so we should never underestimate that.”Will Pucovski is doing everything humanly possible to play the first Test. But that’s what we have to weigh up. We should never underestimate the job the guys have done to get us to where we are. We went through a period when there were lots of ins and outs, and in my view we should back the guys in there. That can change, but it’s a pretty strong philosophy to stick to.”The decision between Burns and Pucovski is the only major debate for the selectors among the final XI for the start of the series. The much-talked-about allrounder Green is in the squad – with Langer saying his batting alone puts him in contention – and he has recently resumed bowling for Western Australia, but the theme of caution continued to be urged.”We know he’s got enormous talent, but he’s had two stress fractures,” Langer said. “The way we manage Cameron Green, as Western Australia are at the moment, will be a combined effort. We have to show the due respect that’s required and we have to patient. We’ve learned that over and over again.Langer added that up to 15 of the Test squad will probably come together in Adelaide for their preparations ahead of the first Test with potentially two batsmen remaining with the A squad for the pink-ball warm-up. All the bowlers, including Mitchell Swepson, will be in the Test camp which means he along with Michael Neser, Sean Abbott and James Pattinson would not play the second Australia A game at the SCG.Although the squads for this series will continue to operate with various biosecure protocols, the easing of some state borders has allowed a little more flexibility in where players can be.

Ruben Amorim has opened up on claims that he could succeed Pep Guardiola as Manchester City boss.

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Guardiola's current deal will expire in 2025The manager has yet to sign an extensionAmorim being touted as his replacementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Guardiola's contract with City is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, and the Spaniard has yet to sign an extension which would have secured his future with the reigning Premier League champions. And Amorim, who has achieved significant success with Sporting CP, is said to be among the top candidates being considered to fill Guardiola's shoes if the former Barcelona manager indeed seeks a fresh challenge after spending close to a decade at Manchester.

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Further fuelling the rumours is Sporting's current director of football, Hugo Viana, who has agreed to join City next year, replacing Txiki Begiristain as the club’s sporting director. This development has sparked talk of a possible reunion between Viana and Amorim at City, with both having worked closely during their time in Portugal.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

In an interview with , Amorim brushed aside the swirling rumours and said: "Hugo Viana and me, we have different and separate paths. His appointment doesn’t mean that I’m going to Man City. We have a very good professional relationship."

Interestingly, Sporting and City are set to lock horns in the Champions League next month. Amorim mentioned that Viana would avoid involvement with the Sporting team during that week to prevent any conflict of interest.

"Nothing about Sporting has changed. Nothing. Everything remains the same until the end of the season," he informed. "Obviously, Viana, during City's week, won't be available to enter the dressing room. I'm going to leave him out, to avoid conflicts. Otherwise, everything will stay the same until the end of the season."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM & MANCHESTER CITY?

Sporting have made a perfect start to the current campaign and currently lead the pack by three points. Amorim will be leading his men again on Saturday against Portimonense in a Taca de Portugal clash. Meanwhile, City will take the pitch a day later against Wolves in the Premier League.