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Opener’s 69-ball effort, only marginally slower than his more celebrated team-mate, leaves Worcestershire clinging on

David Hopps07-May-2022Two centuries in the match for Sean Dickson, the second of them a rip-roaring affair made at a pace that only Ben Stokes has ever outdone in Durham’s history, and then only on the previous day, have prepared the ground for Durham to secure their first win of the season at the fifth attempt, an overdue reward for a county that was strongly fancied to be contesting the promotion places at the beginning of the season.Durham need eight wickets on the final day to beat Worcestershire, who are still 357 runs adrift, but any regular county cricket observers who have alighted on the competition for the first time this summer need to be brought up to date: that task is no longer as straightforward as it was once.Durham’s task is also compounded by the fact that the workload of Stokes, England’s new captain, their champion allrounder and therefore a tough guy who is regarded as vulnerable as porcelain, must be managed on his first appearance of the season. “Put overs into the legs of the Durham bowlers,” was the understandable policy of the Worcestershire dressing room. It was just that… there’s a tough England summer ahead, can’t you go a little easy?Related

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Stokes has set up their victory push, alongside Dickson, with his breathtaking 161 from 88 balls on the second day, which delighted all who saw it, apart from Kevin Pietersen, who demanded the emergency introduction of franchise cricket, but it is questionable whether he will be able to finish off the job with the ball.England’s official instructions to their pace attack on the rare occasions they play county cricket are apparently not quite as prescriptive as once they were. Either they have happily adopted a less authoritarian approach or they just know that the likes of Stokes, James Anderson and Stuart Broad have the strength of mind to prepare themselves for Test cricket much as they see fit. But everybody knows there must be limits.If there is no likelihood therefore that Stokes’ phone will ping at breakfast on the final day advising him to bowl 12 overs in three four-over bursts, unless the wind is from a northerly direction, in which case the number of overs allowed should be divided by the moisture content of the pitch measured at hourly intervals, they may prefer instead to send an ambitious middle manager, armed with a Bluetooth-enabled microphone, to yell in his direction if he gets carried away.Such a recourse may be necessary because Durham could face an exacting day to force victory at New Road and confirm themselves as worthy promotion challengers. The pitch showed signs of unevenness for the new ball, and Chris Rushworth, who has had a tough season, took advantage by removing both Worcestershire openers, but it could easily go flat. With respect to Liam Trevaskis they do not have a spinner of repute, and the workhorse seamer – Ben Raine – stood down for Stokes in this match.At 169 for 6 when play resumed, the arrears still a monumental 411 runs, Worcestershire’s second innings might have been expected to run aground fairly quickly. But this is 2022, where batters have strutted their stuff and even the tailenders have done a good impression of the same. Joe Leach’s defiant 62 was the main component as Worcestershire batted the same amount of time again and, after a best-ignored but professionally-impressive sequence when the last pair blocked for 40 minutes without a run, their stand worth 29 in 19 overs, they were only one ball short of 100 overs when they were dismissed for 309.Matthew Potts finished with 6 for 62•Getty ImagesMatthew Potts tacked on the wicket of Ben Cox to register 6 for 62 in a season where he has been one of the standout quick bowlers on predominately benign pitches. It should be conceded, however, that the number of quality fast bowlers jostling for attention would barely fill a phone box, especially as these days most of the room is already taken up by defibrillators or Ken Follett novels.In the circumstances, Scott Borthwick’s decision to give his bowlers a breather, and bat again, made sense and he could no have been happier with the outcome as Dickson recorded his second hundred of the match, Alex Lees (with less of the strike) added an unbeaten 60 and Durham declared after 21.3 overs at 170 for 1.Worcestershire spent much of the time employing white-ball tactics, to no great effect as Durham scored at a rate that they only manage occasionally in T20 itself. They also got Josh Baker, their 18-year-old left-arm spinner, back into the game as early as the seventh over after his 34-run mauling from Stokes on the previous day. Dickson reverse swept his first ball for four and later deposited a full toss so far that the ball was never found. After a lengthy delay, Baker bounced back with the replacement, beat the outside edge but Cox missed the stumping. Character-forming stuff, which is always a disturbing phrase.Dickson’s century rattled along in only 69 balls, which would have been the fastest hundred in Durham’s history had not Stokes managed one in 64 balls in the first innings. “I did realise when I was on about 60 that I was in with a chance of the fastest century for Durham but they kept bowling really wide down the leg side. I was going for it. It wasn’t to be.”Stokes’ hundred gained widespread media attention, whereas Dickson (and this report is culpable) will do well to get a nod of recognition. Such is the life of the respected but largely unsung county pro. He struck eight sixes on his way to his fourth century of the season and third in successive innings. He is having an outstanding season with this hundred giving him 729 runs at an average of 81 and taking him beyond Derbyshire’s Shan Masood as the leading run-maker in either division of the Championship.He will doubtless feel miffed that runs are so plentiful that his efforts may not receive the notice they deserve. That’s county cricket, but on a golden Spring evening at New Road it was still a wonderful place for any person of imagination to be.

Maya Jama joined Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez in attending Portugal’s latest game, with the Love Island host supporting Ruben Dias.

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TV presenter dating Portuguese defenderIn Lisbon to witness epic Nations League clashGeorgina also enjoyed hospitality treatmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Television presenter Jama is said to have linked up with Manchester City defender Dias in late 2024, with the pair having met at the MTV Europe Music Awards. They went on to spend New Year’s Eve together on the party island of Ibiza.

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Jama and Dias have been spotted sporting matching Cartier ‘LOVE’ bracelets since then, while the former has hinted at starting to learn Portuguese. She has also enjoyed Premier League days out while watching City in action at the Etihad Stadium.

THE GOSSIP

Jama has now been lapping up the hospitality on offer at international fixtures, with a trip to Lisbon being taken in for Portugal’s Nations League clash with Denmark. She saw Dias and Co prevail and make their way to the semi-final stage following a thrilling contest that was ultimately settled in extra-time.

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Ronaldo’s long-time partner Georgina was also at Estadio Jose Alvalade to watch her man in action. CR7 missed a penalty, as he fired tamely at Kasper Schmeichel, before registering his 136th international goal and being replaced in the closing stages of normal time.

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It’s been a frustrating campaign for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side have lost just two games in the Premier League and are the only team to remain unbeaten at home, yet they find themselves nine points off leaders Liverpool.

The main reason the Gunners currently find themselves so far behind the Reds then is not their defence but their attack, as goals have been harder to come by this year than in the previous two campaigns.

So, recent reports linking the club with one of Europe’s most devastating strikers should excite the fans, even if it could be bad news for Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in Juventus’ star striker Dušan Vlahović.

Interestingly, the report has revealed that alongside the Gunners, fellow Premier League side and London rivals Chelsea are also keen to land the Serbian international.

Despite proving to be an essential player for the Old Lady, the story claims that their financial position could see them sell him next year, with other reports from earlier this year suggesting he’d cost around £67m.

It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vlahovic’s incredible ability, it’s worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Havertz.

How Vlahović compares to Havertz

So, if Arsenal were to go out and splash £67m or more on Vlahović next month, it would almost certainly be with the intention of playing him as much as possible.

Therefore, he’d be in direct competition with Havertz for a starting berth in the team, so how do the pair compare?

Well, when it comes to the most important metric of all for a striker, their output, it’s the Juventus star that comes out on top, and consistently so.

For example, since the start of the 22/23 season, the Serbian “goal machine,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has found the back of the net 44 times and provided nine assists in 102 appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 1.92 games.

In contrast, the Gunners’ number 29 has scored 35 goals and provided 11 assists in 123 games across the same period, meaning he’s managed a slightly less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.67 games.

Appearances

42

47

Goals

14

9

Assists

4

1

Goal + Assists per Match

0.42

0.21

Appearances

38

51

Goals

18

14

Assists

3

7

Goal + Assists per Match

0.55

0.41

Appearances

22

25

Goals

12

12

Assists

2

3

Goal + Assists per Match

0.63

0.60

Moreover, while the German has been playing for the second-best team in England over the last season and a half and has benefited from the chances created by Martin Odegaard and Saka, the Belgrade-born gem has been a reliable source of goals for a Juventus team who are miles away from the team who won Scudettos at a canter.

Lastly, with a brilliant record of 49 goals and eight assists in 108 appearances for Fiorentina, Arteta and Co can rest assured that the £352k-per-week sensation can produce a regular supply of goals when playing for another team.

Ultimately, while he might not be the first name on many fans’ wishlists, Vlahović has proven over the last few years that he’s an elite goalscorer, and given Arsenal’s struggles in front of goal this season, he’s the perfect signing.

Arsenal target £58m "world-class" Jesus upgrade who's "Bergkamp-esque"

The sensational talent would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 27, 2024

New captain acknowledges success won’t come overnight but pleased with winning start

Valkerie Baynes05-Jun-2022Two players, great mates, both winners. But the contrast in the joy expressed by Ben Stokes and Joe Root over England’s first-Test victory over New Zealand was palpable at Lord’s on Sunday.Root, by his own admission, unburdened by the captaincy – not so much in terms of his personal performance after notching up yet another century, his 26th in Tests to bring up 10,000 runs – but free from all the sundries wrapped up in the role he relinquished after the ill-fated spring tour of the Caribbean, looked like a man thoroughly relieved.Stokes, on the other hand, exuded all the enthusiasm of a man who had just won his first game since taking over the captaincy and starting work with new coach Brendon McCullum, along with the resolve of a leader who knows his team has “a long road ahead of us”.”It’s not an overnight thing,” Stokes said. “This is what me and Brendon are trying to work towards and we know that, but a great start to win.”Related

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So while England heralded a new era with victory – ending a run of nine Tests without – it wasn’t a complete turnaround. Some of the old problems remain.They were bowled out for 141 in their first innings, only marginally better than New Zealand’s 132, and they were 69 for 4 in their second, chasing 277, before Stokes and Root steadied things with a 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Root and Ben Foakes then sealed the result just over an hour into the fourth day with an unbroken stand of 120.But, as can be expected, Stokes seems to have genuinely bought into all that McCullum has introduced in terms of mindset and tactics. For example, Stokes revealed that the plan had been to send Stuart Broad in at No. 8, ahead of debutant Matthew Potts, if needed on the third evening.”When Foakesy went out to bat, he was going to send Broady in if we lost the wicket to go and have a slog, just to score 30, 40 runs, game’s done,” Stokes said. “That’s the kind of stuff that we’re not used to in the dressing room. Those kinds of things filtering around will do us the world of good.”The confidence and the energy that he brings about, his mindset towards the game, he’s just going to make everybody feel 10-foot tall in any situation that we’re in and I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far this week.”Towards the end of Root’s tenure, during the failed Ashes campaign, there was a sense that his working relationship with veteran seamers Broad and James Anderson had soured and, sure enough, the duo were dropped for the tour of West Indies.One of the first moves by the new regime was to bring the two straight back into the fold to face New Zealand, and Anderson and Potts took four wickets apiece in the first innings while Broad’s three wickets, particularly his two in three balls as part of a team hat-trick, turned the match on its head during the third morning.Asked what he was most proud of during his first match at the helm, Stokes highlighted his use of Anderson, Broad and Durham team-mate Potts.”Everybody knows what Jimmy and Broady are all about,” he said. “The only difference in the role that Matty played was obviously he normally takes the new ball for Durham. But throughout the whole summer, Scotty [Borthwick], Durham’s captain, has turned to him to get the wicket, to get the breakthrough, to change the game, and that’s how I wanted to use him this week. And he did it every time I chucked him the ball.Matthew Potts’ impact was one of the big plusses for England•PA Photos/Getty Images”Always looking to be positive and just really staying true to what I was saying and how I want to captain and not letting the game dictate what I did. I was just making sure that I still stuck to my guns and was always looking to be positive in the way that I wanted the bowlers to bowl, the fields that I set… stick to everything that you’ve been talking about because you know actions speak louder than words.”Stokes was full of praise for Root, but also Foakes, who played a mature knock for his 32 not out from 92 balls.”We’re not in a position to not select world-class players at the moment,” said Stokes, “and Ben is the best wicketkeeper in the world. That’s not just my own opinion, that’s a lot of people’s opinions.”Batting at seven, which he does for England, is different to the role that he plays for Surrey because he bats higher up, but going in last night for 45 minutes was a very, very big part in the game and he handled it very well. And him walking off there not out with Joe at the end no doubt will give him a lot of confidence going into the rest of the summer.”He took some catches which he made look very easy but they weren’t and to have a gloveman like Ben behind the stumps gives me a lot of confidence and it gives the bowlers a lot of confidence.”Asked how he had managed to park the captaincy ‘after hours’ so to speak, in light of Root’s searingly honest press conference moments before in which he detailed how heavily the role had begun to impact his life outside of cricket, Stokes was relaxed.That said, he also admitted he had a relatively easy job on what turned out to be the final morning, having lost his wicket the previous evening after contributing a valuable, if somewhat streaky half-century.”It’s been fine,” he shrugged. “It was my birthday last night and I didn’t have to do that much today so it was nice to go out and have dinner with the family and a couple of beers, so I slept quite well,” he said.”It’s a great start, we’ve won, there’s obviously going to be you know, ups and downs. And it’s just about dealing with that but I think having me and Brendon in charge, it’s going to be really important how we operate when things don’t go well.”Despite England’s success, McCullum declined to front the media following the match, presumably to allow his new captain Stokes and match-winner Root to revel in the moment.

Jules Kounde expressed his anger over Barcelona's grueling fixture congestion and called out La Liga officials following his side's win over Osasuna.

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Kounde angry at La Liga officialsUrged them to schedule games with more restInsisted the players "are not machines"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde voiced his frustrations with La Liga officials following his team's 3-0 victory over Osasuna on Thursday evening. He urged them to be more considerate when scheduling fixtures, particularly after international breaks, emphasising that "players are not machines" and need sufficient rest to prevent burnout.

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Barca were originally set to face Osasuna earlier this month, but the match was indefinitely postponed following the tragic passing of first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia. La Liga later rescheduled the game for March 27, a decision that frustrated head coach Hansi Flick, as it fell just 72 hours after the conclusion of the international break. This left players who had been on national team duty with little to no time for rest and recovery.

Indeed, Flick confirmed ahead of the Osasuna game that he would not risk starting Raphinha, Ronald Araujo, or Pau Cubarsi, due to the lack of rest. "Rapha and Ronald will not play. They are out. They have a long flight. It's not the best way. They have to recover, train.

"And at centre-back, Eric [Garcia] and Inigo [Martinez] will start for us. Pau will be on the bench. I hope we won't need him because also it's better he has two or three days more. He needs it."

WHAT KOUNDE SAID

“I’m angry about the date. It is not something normal. We have spoken many times about the calendar, we play too many games," Kounde told reporters (h/t Football Espana). "I know there are people who don’t understand it. I consider myself lucky to live off our passion, but it’s a lack of respect and not only to the club.

“I’m also talking about Osasuna, who had players away on international duty too, like Budimir, who I faced and who hadn’t had the necessary rest. It doesn’t matter the club [involved]. Osasuna, Barcelona, Real Madrid… it is a lack of respect for the players, not only for the clubs. We are not machines and to produce our game and play a good game we need rest. All institutions – not just La Liga – have to understand this.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Kounde took to X to directly call out La Liga chief Javier Tebas and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). He reposted a video of his post-match press conference from Thursday, tagging both entities to highlight his concerns.

After confirming the arrival of defender Emmanuel Agbadou, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly set their sights on signing an experienced striker on loan this month.

Wolves transfer news

After failing to sign a central defender in the summer and suffering ever since, Wolves have instantly backed new manager Vitor Pereira by welcoming Agbadou from Ligue 1 side Stade Reims. 27 years old and providing the experience that the Midlands club have lacked at times, Agbadou and the rest of his new teammates will undoubtedly have their focus firmly fixed on Premier League safety.

Speaking to the club website after officially welcoming the Ivory Coast defender, chairman Jeff Shi said: “We’re delighted to welcome Emmanuel to the club. He’s a player our recruitment team have watched for a long time and Vitor agreed that he was the right player and the right character to strengthen our squad now.

“It was important we completed the transfer early in the window to help Vitor straight away, and, like all transfers, this one took a lot of hard work from a lot of people. I hope Emmanuel has a successful career at Wolves, and he’ll have the full support of everyone during his time here.”

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New Wolves manager Vitor Pereira could face a busy January transfer window.

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 8, 2025

Agbadou may not be the last player to be welcomed with open arms at the Molineux this month, however, with the Midlands club instantly setting their sights on a reinforcement at the opposite end of Pereira’s side.

According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Wolves have now opened preliminary talks to sign Kelechi Iheanacho on loan from Sevilla, who will allow the Nigerian to leave for the rest of the season this month.

The former Leicester City striker – earning a reported £76,000-a-week – has struggled in La Liga, but could now receive the opportunity to rediscover his best form in a league he knows incredibly well all whilst keeping Wolves afloat in England’s top flight.

"Talented" Iheanacho can be Cunha fail-safe

Signing Iheanacho – an experienced striker who knows all about the Premier League – would certainly be an intelligent move by all involved at Wolves and not just for that knowhow. The Nigerian could also act as a fail-safe for Matheus Cunha’s potential decision to depart as early as the January transfer window.

Whilst the Brazilian’s exit seems unlikely at this stage amid Arsenal’s reported interest, Wolves would be wise to prepare for the worst and welcome a player who could go on and cover for the goals that they’d so desperately miss.

When at his best, Iheanacho is more than capable of stealing the headlines, having earned Brendan Rodgers’ praise for doing exactly that in 2021.

The former Leicester City boss told reporters as relayed by The Independent: “He’s a talented player and I think of the difference in him tonight than when we played Crystal Palace last time. When we played them around the Christmas period, he wasn’t playing so much, and when you are a striker in particular that rhythm of games is important.”

Foakes fails to recover after positive Covid test, Overton omitted despite debut 97

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Jun-2022Sam Billings will make his third Test appearance against India on Friday after Ben Foakes was ruled out after having failed to recover from Covid-19. Billings is one of two changes as James Anderson returns after missing the final Test against New Zealand, regaining his spot from his replacement, Jamie Overton.Foakes had to be pulled out on the fourth morning of the previous Test at Headingley after returning a positive test, having complained of back trouble on day three. Kent captain Billings made the late journey up to Leeds on the third evening, arriving at the team hotel at 2am. He became England’s first Covid substitute a matter of hours later, taking a catch off Jack Leach between his knees as England won by seven wickets to seal a 3-0 series win.Billings was subsequently added to the squad for this fifth Test of this 2021 series at Edgbaston, primarily as cover to give Foakes every opportunity to play. Despite training on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Surrey wicketkeeper was unable to prove his fitness.”Unfortunately Foakesy has not recovered as well as we’d have liked to,” Stokes said. “Sam is going to stay in the team and be our keeper.”He [Foakes] just hasn’t really recovered from last week. He doesn’t feel like he could give the best account of himself this week, so we took the decision out of his hands and said, ‘get yourself better’.”It was Bairstow who initially covered for Foakes when he was unable to take the field on day three at Headingley. Stokes, however, said there was no thought given to doing so again.Much has been made of Bairstow’s affinity for the gloves, particularly given that all but one of his six Test centuries scored before the start of 2022 had come as the designated wicketkeeper. Since then, however, he has re-established himself as an engine-room destroyer, with four centuries and 774 runs already this year, at an average of 64.50.Under Brendon McCullum and Stokes, Bairstow has become a totem of their selfless, attacking cricket, and both are keen to keep it that way, with Stokes reiterating Foakes’ position as the first-choice keeper.”At the moment Jonny is in the form of his life. He’s our best middle-order batsman at the moment. Ben Foakes is our keeper going forward and we just want Jonny to concentrate on batting. Because however he is thinking about it at the moment is working, we just want Jonny to keep doing what he is doing with the bat.”The return of Anderson was expected, especially as he said on Wednesday that he could have played the last New Zealand Test had the series still been at stake. Perhaps Overton might count himself unlucky to be the man to make way, however. He bowled quickly and relatively well, but excelled with the bat, striking a remarkable 97 as part of 241-run stand with Bairstow, rescuing England from a precarious 55 for six.”That’s how sport at the top level can work sometimes,” Stokes said. “Obviously Jimmy didn’t feel he recovered as well as we would have liked to last week. So Jamie got his opportunity to show what you can do in a cricket field. He gave the best account possible of himself. And, he’s obviously someone that we see has a bright and long future for him going forward.”So yeah, it obviously must be very disappointing for him, but he can walk away knowing that he’s done everything that he possibly could have done last week to really put his name forward to have a look a good career for England.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWith the Edgbaston Test against India set to complete the five-match series that had to be postponed in 2021 due to a Covid outbreak, England have effectively made seven changes to the team that trails 2-1 in the series after last year’s Oval Test. Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed have since been replaced at the top of the order by Zak Crawley and Alex Lees, with Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson the other absentees.Stokes himself was one of the players who sat out last year’s matches, after taking a mental-health break from the game while recuperating from a badly broken finger. And while he said he had not watched much of the action last time around, he was under no doubt about the threat that India would pose, having also effectively switched captains mid-series, with Virat Kohli stepping down from the role.”We just beat the best team in the world 3-0,” Stokes said, referencing New Zealand’s status as World Test Champions. “India are obviously a completely different opposition, a different dynamic of team, but we are concentrating on ourselves. We understand what we do well, but we have also take into account who we’re playing against. Just because the opposition changes doesn’t mean that we’re going to change.”We still obviously know we need to win this Test to draw the series from a year ago. But as I said last week, at the moment this is bigger than results, bigger then what happens out on the field. There’s more to it than that. We obviously want to win every game that we play, but it’s bigger than that.”Asked if England had it in them to get even more attacking in their approach, after three dynamic displays against New Zealand, Stokes replied: “If there’s a team that can, it’s us.”Crawley is the one regular selection in England’s ranks who hasn’t produced a significant contribution to their run of three wins in a row. But Stokes was adamant that he would receive all the support he needs to rediscover his most imposing form, despite a top score of 43 in six innings.”Before we’d even played a Test match, the squad was picked on the basis that every player in every position is the best player in England to carry us forward in the way that we want to,” Stokes said. “This team, and this squad, is going to be given a lot of time to perform. Zak Crawley is still in my plans, and Brendon’s plans going forward, to make this Test team great again.”

Jamal Musiala is set for a lengthy lay-off with a muscle tear and has been ruled out of the crunch Champions League tie with Inter.

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Musiala tore his ligament against AugsburgCould be out for almost eight weeksMight be available if Bayern reach UCL finalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Musiala was forced to leave the pitch early in the second half of Bayern's 3-1 win over Augsburg. Having equalised for the reigning champions just before the interval, the 22-year-old picked up the injury while attempting to block a clearance from Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen. As he landed awkwardly, Musiala instantly reached for the back of his left leg, signalling that something was wrong.

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Despite receiving immediate medical assistance on the field, it was clear the issue was serious. He was replaced by veteran Thomas Müller in the 54th minute and was later seen communicating the word “hamstring” to teammates on the bench, sparking concern among Bayern’s coaching staff and supporters alike.

WHAT BAYERN SAID

Following medical examinations carried out by Bayern’s in-house medical team, the club issued a formal statement confirming the extent of the injury.

"FC Bayern will be without Jamal Musiala for the time being," read the statement. "The 22-year-old attacker suffered a torn muscle in the back of his left thigh during Friday evening's 3-1 Bundesliga match against FC Augsburg. This was confirmed by an examination by the German record champions' medical department."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Although the current prognosis is not optimistic, there is some hope that Musiala could return before the season concludes. According to reports from Sky, the midfielder is targeting a comeback in time for a potential Champions League final appearance, should Bayern progress, as well as participation in the Nations League Final Four with Germany later this summer.

The ESPN analyst says USMNT deserve higher FIFA ranking than Mexico, despite Nations League disappointment

Gomez addresses USMNT's No. 16 place in FIFA rankingsAnalyst says U.S. should remain above MexicoHighlights long-term performance vs. recent resultsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED

In the latest FIFA world rankings, the USMNT held steady at No. 16, one spot ahead of Mexico, even after Maurico Pochettino's side turned in a disappointing performance in the recent CONCACAF Nations League. The U.S. lost to both Panama and Canada, while Mexico won the tournament.

But that didn't convince ESPN analyst and former USMNT player Herculez Gomez that FIFA got it wrong.

“Absolutely fine with it,” Gomez said on the Futbol Americas podcast when asked about the Americans ranking one spot above Mexico. “I would be fine if it was Mexico over the U.S. men’s national team, because of what these rankings are. It’s such a sliding scale when it comes to these rankings. It’s by the number of games you play and the level of competition, where they played, etc.

"So a team like Mexico, who has many of their games in a calendar year in the United States against lower opposition, could easily surpass the USMNT, who won’t play as many games. Sometimes they send the U23 team to Chicago to play against Bolivia, and that’s going to count towards the rankings, so it doesn’t matter."

AdvertisementIMAGNWHAT HERCULEZ GOMES SAID

The ESPN analyst and 24-cap USMNT striker argued that rankings are legitimate, given Mexico’s long-term struggles in multiple competitions.

“If you’re asking me if I think rankings-wise they [USMNT] should be ahead of Mexico? I do," Gomez said. "I mean you’re talking about a Mexico team – let’s go back and see what the last few years has been for Mexico. They didn’t win the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, that was Canada. They didn’t make it out of the Group stages in the World Cup. They lost a Gold Cup before that, I believe, to the U.S. – with the U.S. B team.

“They won a Gold Cup, they didn’t make it out of the group in the Copa America… They’ve lost countless Nations League to the U.S. And thus, there’s no way, in my eyes, that Mexico is better for winning a Nations League.“

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The discussion takes place after the Nations League, which Mexico won by beating Panama in the final. The U.S. has maintained its position in the rankings, largely due to FIFA's ELO-style formula that doesn't significantly penalize teams for losses in knockout rounds of official tournaments.

Mexico moved up two spots to No. 17 while runners-up Panama also climbed three spots to No. 33. After defeating the USMNT in the third-place match, Canada moved up one spot to No. 30, their highest-ever ranking.

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ImagnWHAT’S NEXT?

The USMNT and Mexico will both play in the 2025 Gold Cup, which runs from June 14 until July 6. Prior to that, both sides will face Switzerland and Turkey in friendlies in June.

Emily Windsor chimes in with 90 as Vipers rack up 306 for 9 in 133-run victory

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2022Southern Vipers racked up a bonus-point win in the second round of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, beating South East Stars by 133 runs at Hove to see them top of the points table.Batting first, Vipers put on 306 for 9 thanks to a List A-best run-a-ball 115 from Georgia Elwiss and a frenetic 79-ball 90 from Emily Windsor, who returned with a bang from a seven-day rolling loan to Lightning to amass her highest score in regional cricket.Vipers had been in trouble at 35 for 3 in the opening 11 overs, thanks to a tidy opening spell from Freya Davies, who eventually bagged 3 for 37. But a partnership of 160 for the fifth wicket between Elwiss and Windsor raised them well above par, before 17-year-old Freya Kemp blitzed 40 from 23 balls to rub salt into the Stars’ wounds.In reply, Stars made good progress in the powerplay, reaching 60 without loss thanks to Bryony Smith (39) and Alice Davidson-Richards (42). But after both were seen off, the pressure of chasing a high total led to a clatter of wickets, with Paige Scholfield (3 for 29) finally wrapping things up in successive balls in the 39th over.Earlier, after Stars chose to bowl first, Davies had opened her account with a maiden from the Cromwell Road End, building pressure on Georgia Adams who promptly pulled Alexa Stonehouse straight to deep square leg. Davies then had Maia Bouchier trapped lbw without scoring, while Alice Capsey’s sharp throw from point to run out Ella McCaughan saw Stars three down with 35 on the board.Elwiss, though, played the anchor role to perfection, with Stars letting through far too many singles. Joined in the 20th over by Windsor, the pair ran hard before unleashing a flurry of boundaries after drinks. Windsor had been nine not out from 25 balls but then began throwing the bat around with abandon, progressing to a 59-ball half-century and taking just 20 balls to go from 50 to 90, while at the other end Elwiss calmly progressed to three figures with a single stroked down the ground in the 44th.Davidson-Richards eventually accounted for the pair, castling Windsor before having Elwiss caught in the deep. But her scalps cost Stars 87 runs, as both Elwiss and Kemp smashed her for sixes over the leg side, Kemp taking 13 from the penultimate over as Vipers posted their second-highest score in the competition.In baking heat at Hove, Vipers were initially sloppy in the field, dropping Smith twice before she finally nicked one behind the stumps in the 11th. Davidson-Richards thumped Charlotte Taylor for two sixes down the ground in her opening spell, but Taylor eventually had her caught and bowled eight runs short of a half-century.From 110 for 2 Stars then added just 63 further runs for the loss of their final eight wickets, as a team effort from Vipers saw each of their seven bowlers chip in with at least one scalp.