No São Paulo desde os 15 anos, Diego Costa renovou seu contrato com o clube até o final de 2024. Relacionado para enfrentar o Fortaleza neste domingo (8), o zagueiro lidera estatísticas no Campeonato Brasileiro pelo time.
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Com uma boa atuação no Campeonato Paulista 2022, seu desempenho no Brasileirão também chama a atenção. De acordo com dados do Footstats, o zagueiro lidera algumas estatísticas da competição.
Diego Costa é o jogador do São Paulo com mais desarmes certos. Em quatro jogos, foram sete corretos e um errado, com uma média de 87.5% de acertos. O atleta está à frente do veterano Rafinha no ranking, que tem seis desarmes ao todo (acertou 83.33%).
Além disso, é o jogador de linha com mais defesas pelo Tricolor paulista. Foram seis defesas nas quatro rodadas, uma média de 1.50 defesa por confronto.
Por fim, também é o atleta do elenco com mais rebatidas. Ao todo, Diego Costa somou 30 em todas as disputas até o momento. Rafinha, com o mesmo número de jogos, tem quase a metade – 13.
Na equipe profissional do Tricolor paulista desde 2020, o jogador esteve presente em 69 jogos, com três gols. Também ajudou a erguer a taça do Campeonato Paulista de 2021.
A primeira vez que marcou foi em 2020, contra o River Plate e, em seguida, diante do Ceará. Em 2022, deixou o seu na vitória sobre o Manaus, pela Copa do Brasil.
Elogiado pelo diretor de futebol, Carlos Belmonte, o jogador, que está desde os 15 anos no clube, foi considerado como uma importante peça para o elenco de Rogério Ceni.
-Estamos trabalhando forte nessa valorização dos garotos da nossa base, sempre pautados no mérito deles. O atleta sobe, tem a oportunidade, todo o nosso respaldo, e é valorizado naturalmente quando atinge uma posição de importância no elenco, como é o caso do Diego Costa neste momento – disse o diretor de futebol.
O zagueiro pode ser opção de Rogério Ceni para o duelo contra o Fortaleza. A partida acontecerá neste domingo (8), às 19h, na Arena Castelão. Será válida pela quinta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.
Demitido do Internacional após a eliminação do clube na Copa do Brasil para o Globo-RN, quando o Colorado foi derrotado pelo placar de 2 a 0, o executivo Paulo Bracks não poupou críticas a direção do Inter duranteentrevista à Rádio Guaíba. O ex-funcionário do Coloradoreclamou do imediatismo em relação ao momento de instabilidade vivido pelo time no período.
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Além do questionamento aos dirigentes, Bracks também falou sobre o técnico Cacique Medina, demitido em abril. Para o executivo, o uruguaio vingaria no clube gaúcho.
– Tinha total convicção no trabalho do Medina. Ia encaixar, ia dar certo. Mas a gente esbarra no imediatismo. Lembro sempre do Abel Ferreira, que podia ter sido demitido depois de ser eliminado pelo CRB. A única pessoa que eu contratei para o Internacional foi o Cauan de Almeida. Tenho certeza que o Mano Menezes vai dar certo – disse Bracks, que ainda afirmouter sido vítima de injustiça ao ser demitido.
– Minha mágoa foi muito pela personificação. Se você paga o pato sozinho, o culpado era você. A mágoa passou. Mas houve injustiça ali. A gente até pode permitir que o torcedor tenha esses devaneios de que todo mundo tenha que cair. De dentro do clube isso não é admissível. Se toda derrota tiver que virar tudo de cabeça para baixo é enxugar gelo – questionou.
Para Bracks, a eliminação para o Globo-RN foi uma falha coletiva.
– Todo mundo fracassou ali (contra o Globo). Quando você faz um link disso com a diretoria executiva parece que só o resultado interessava. Sem contar com a parte administrativa, minha mágoa é que esse link não é lógico. Não é técnico – finalizou.
Atualmente, o executivo de futebol do Internacional é Willian Thomas, que foi contratado recentemente junto ao Avaí.
Messi scored one and saw another ruled out, while Toronto showed enough on the break to earn a tricky point at Chase Stadium
Lionel Messi scored a wonderful goal, but Inter Miami dropped points in a 1-1 draw with a well-drilled Toronto FC side Sunday night. The reigning MLS MVP found the net once, and had another ruled out after a VAR decision. But Miami were also fickle at the back, and might have suffered a disappointing home loss had the visitors not hit the post multiple times in the first half.
Miami had a couple of good chances early, Jordi Alba and Telasco Segovia both seeing efforts well denied by Sean Johnson. Toronto responded, though, twice hitting the post off well-constructed moves of their own. Messi thought he had opened the scoring after 40 minutes thanks to a wonderful curled effort – but VAR intervened thanks to a foul in the build up.
Toronto struck first, with Lorenzo Insigne finding Federico Bernadeschi, who prodded past Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Messi equalized in first half stoppage time, a touch, shuffle and strike leaving Johnson stranded and setting up a fine second half.
The visitors should have made it two early in the second half after a flowing counter, but Bernadeschi fired wide. Luis Suarez matched his miss soon after, putting one just outside the post. The game tailed off after that.
Messi had his moments without carving out anything definitive. A tired Suarez was removed with 20 minutes to play. Toronto had one last go of things late on, but Callender kept Miami alive in second half stoppage time with a clever save at the near post. Fafa Picault's last second miss concluded what was an ultimately agreeable sharing of the points.
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium.
Goalkeeper & Defense
Drake Callender (6/10):
Not fully sharp between the sticks. Made a few good saves, but could have reacted quicker on the goal.
Ian Fray (6/10):
A selfless showing down the right. Chased a few lost causes and offered an option on the overlap.
Tomas Aviles (7/10):
Covered the right channel effectively, kept the ball, and won all of his tackles.
Gonzalo Lujan (6/10):
Made to look rather silly by Bernadeschi on the Toronto opener, but was solid otherwise.
Jordi Alba (6/10):
Forced a tremendous save early on. Created all sorts of issues in the final third, but didn't track back on a few occasions.
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Midfield
Robert Taylor (6/10):
Held his width effectively and created space for others. Removed at half time – suggesting he will likely be in the side Wednesday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup vs LAFC.
Federico Redondo (6/10):
Did plenty of dirty work and almost ran himself into the ground. Lacked a bit of attacking quality, though.
Sergio Busquets (7/10):
Held down the middle while Redondo did all of the running around him. Surrendered the ball far too easily in the run up to the Toronto first. Redeemed himself by playing a role in the equalizer.
Telasco Segovia (7/10):
Understatedly good. Didn't appear to be doing loads, but ended the night with four chances created and an assist.
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Attack
Lionel Messi (8/10):
Had one goal disallowed, scored a ridiculous equalizer just before the break. Everything ran through him. Immensely impactful despite not being fully fit as he ramps up his injury return.
Luis Suarez (6/10):
Linked play effectively in the final third. Subbed after 70 minutes, getting himself a well-earned rest.
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Subs & Manager
Fafa Picault (6/10):
Stretched the play with his pace, but could have moved the ball better. Missed a good chance in the last second.
Marcelo Weigandt (6/10):
Toronto had little joy down his wing.
Allen Obando (5/10):
Squandered a golden chance to give his side a late lead on his debut. Committed a couple of silly fouls.
Yannick Bright (6/10):
Came on and bossed the midfield for fun.
Santiago Morales (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Javier Mascherano (6/10):
Rested a few big names with one eye on Champions Cup action midweek. His side were quality at times, but vulnerable on the break. You can't win every game, and this isn't a dreadful point – even if he would have expected three.
Celtic’s superb start to the 2024/25 campaign continued as they lifted their first trophy by winning the League Cup on penalties at Hampden Park on Sunday.
They beat their Glasgow rivals Rangers 5-4 on penalties, after a 3-3 draw in regulation time, and already have one piece of silverware secured for the season.
The Hoops are also nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with 14 wins in 15 matches, and appear to be on course to land a fourth straight league title.
Celtic managerBrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
Brendan Rodgers won the top-flight and the SFA Cup in the 2023/24 campaign and has already lifted the only domestic trophy – the League Cup – that he missed out on last term.
His team have also performed well on the European stage. Celtic have only lost one of their six matches in the Champions League and are in the play-off places as it stands.
There are some players in the squad, however, who have not contributed much to the team’s success across all competitions and could be moved on when the January transfer window opens for business next month, including winger Luis Palma.
Why Luis Palma should be sold
It was recently reported by 67HailHail that two teams from the MLS are weighing up whether or not to swoop for the Honduras international ahead of their 2025 campaigns.
Atlanta United and Orlando City are both said to be eyeing up a possible move for the former Aris winger, who has found game time hard to come by at Parkhead this season.
He has only played 98 minutes, across four appearances, in the Premiership so far this term – 20 other players have spent more time on the pitch in the league than Palma within the squad.
The left winger has produced zero goals and zero assists in seven outings in all competitions, in what has been a disappointing follow-up to a fairly decent first season in Scotland.
Although Palma’s form dipped in the second half of the campaign, the forward showed plenty of promise with his displays at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership.
23/24 Premiership
Luis Palma
Appearances
28
Starts
18
Goals
7
Big chances created
14
Assists
9
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old wizard was far from useless in the top-flight last term, with 16 direct goal contributions in 28 appearances.
Palma showcased his ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, and had the ability to score goals out of nothing, as shown in the clip below.
Unfortunately, though, the forward has only scored two goals in the Premiership in 2024 and has found himself near the bottom of the pecking order under Rodgers, with the likes of Hyun-jun Yang, Nicolas Kuhn, James Forrest, and Daizen Maeda ahead of him.
Therefore, Celtic should take advantage of the MLS interest in Palma and brutally ditch him from the squad. However, they should also swoop to sign another attacking midfielder to take his place, amid interest in Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka.
Celtic's interest in Premier League youngster
It was reported by The Boot Room earlier this month that Celtic are one of the clubs that have been offered the opportunity to sign the England youth international in the January transfer window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The outlet claimed that the Hoops and their Scottish rivals Rangers have both been told that the door is open for them to swoop for the former Aston Villa academy graduate ahead of the second half of the season.
It stated that he is not a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans moving forward and that all parties are working towards an exit next month, as he has also been offered to teams across Europe.
Carney Chukwuemeka
The Boot Room revealed that Chelsea would be open to selling him on a permanent deal, or loaning him out, depending on what offers come in for his services.
Football Insider have since added that Celtic could make a loan move for the attacking midfielder, but that they would need the Premier League side to contribute towards his wages.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the Blues are willing to do that, Rodgers securing a move for Chukwuemeka would allow him to finally cash in on Palma.
Why Celtic should sign Carney Chukwuemeka
It would be somewhat of a gamble by the Hoops because the 21-year-old gem has yet to play regularly at first-team level in his career to date, which means that he would come in as a raw talent with potential, rather than a known quantity.
Celtic are already thriving across all competitions, though, and this means that they can afford to take a short-term risk or two in the transfer market, as they are not in desperate need of guaranteed hits in the January window.
Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka with former boss Graham Potter.
The England U20 international is not an out-and-out left winger, like Palma, but has played on the left flank and as an attacking midfielder in his career, which means that he could provide cover across the frontline, as well as being a central midfield option.
Chukwuemeka’s former teammate James Norris once claimed that the midfield ace is a “a bit like Pogba” and that is backed up by Villa insider Charlie Jennings’ description of his style of play.
He told Sempre Milan: “Carney is an outstanding ball carrier from deep areas of the midfield. He is known for marauding, mind-boggling dribbles through tight areas and compliments this with a delightful array of passes.”
Vs Astana (12/12/24)
Carney Chukwuemeka
Minutes
67
Pass accuracy
89%
Key passes
2
Dribbles completed
3/5
Duels won
7/11
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the midfielder showcased his ‘mind-boggling’ dribbling skills in his most recent performance for Chelsea in the Conference League, completing three of his five attempted dribbles.
Chukwuemeka, who has scored 12 goals and produced 14 assists in 76 games as a midfielder in his senior and youth career combined, has shown promise in Europe for the Blues – as shown by his performance against Astana, but is yet to prove himself on a consistent basis.
Celtic must now offer him the chance to come in on loan and show what he can do domestically and in Europe for the Hoops, allowing Rodgers to brutally bin Palma in the process.
Celtic thought they had the next Tierney, now he's not played in 10 months
The Celtic youngster has not kicked on in the same way that Kieran Tierney did.
“We are trying to get him here as soon as possible once we have the clearance from NCA” – Rohit Sharma
Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-2022
Suryakumar Yadav was retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2022•BCCI
Suryakumar Yadav is set to miss to Mumbai Indians’ opening match of the IPL, which will be against Delhi Capitals on March 27. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the 31-year-old, who picked up a hairline fracture on his thumb on February 22 in the final match of the T20 series against West Indies, is yet to be released by the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where he has been in rehab for the past few weeks.”Surya is at NCA at the moment. He is recovering well. He’ll be here soon. I can’t give his availability right now, whether he will be available for the first game or not. But, yeah, we are trying to get him here as soon as possible once we have the clearance from NCA,” Mumbai’s captain Rohit Sharma said.Suryakumar’s absence is a significant loss for Mumbai, who have no other specialist Indian international in their batting order apart from captain Rohit Sharma and the biggest buy of the February auction Ishan Kishan.Since he was bought in 2019, Suryakumar has played a pivotal role as a top-order batter for Mumbai. While the five-time champions failed to make the knockouts last season, Suryakumar continued to flourish. He was their second-leading run-scorer with a tally of 317 at a strike rate of 143.43 and an average of 22. With his ability to float around the batting order, and, importantly accelerate from the time he arrives to the crease, Suryakumar has become a key batter for both Mumbai and India.It is likely that Mumbai will be forced to consider the pair of cousins – Ramandeep Singh and Anmolpreet Singh – to replace Suryakumar while he is unavailable. Uncapped Hyderabad batter Tilak Varma is favourite to play at No. 3.
To help you get off to a good start on EA Sports FC 25, GOAL brings you the best wonderkids on the game.
EA Sports FC 25 is here and that means most of you will be diving straight into Career Mode.
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Identifying the next big thing in football before everyone else and developing them into world-class talent is deeply satisfying, but more importantly, it helps you carve the path to glory in FC 25. Whether you're in charge of a smaller team on a tight budget or a major player in soccer, finding high-potential young talent is a top priority.
Here, GOAL brings you the best young players and all the top wonderkids aged 20 and under that you simply need to sign on EA Sports FC 25 Career Mode, listed by position and potential.
KEY:
Essential FC 25 readingEverything you need to know about EA Sports FC 25Revealed: The best players on EA Sports FC 25EA Sports FC 25 soundtrack: All the songs on the gameFull list of stadiums in EA Sports FC 25PS5 Pro release date, price & where to buyGetty ImagesBest young strikers & forwards in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid CFs & STs
Real Madrid striker Endrick is by some distance the best young striker in EA Sports FC 25. The Brazil international, who is hotly tipped for a bright future in the game, has 91 potential – that's three more than the next best, Semih Kilicsoy and Mathys Tel. What's more is that Endrick's starting rating is 77, meaning he is well able to make an immediate impact at just 18 years of age, but the fact that he is on the books at Real Madrid already means that he will not be cheap.
Cercle Brugge's Paris Brunner or Besiktas forward Mustafa Erhan Hekimoglu are decent alternatives with potential ratings of 87 and 86 respectively, while River Plate's Argentinian youngster Augustin Ruberto is a decent option for a mid-level team.
There are plenty of familiar faces on the list, such as Evan Ferguson and Youssoufa Moukoko, who still boast high potential ratings.
AdvertisementGettyBest young midfielders in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid CAMs, RWs, LWs, CMs & CDMs
With a potential rating of 94, Lamine Yamal is destined to be one of the best players in EA Sports FC 25. The Barcelona wonderkid's potential rivals that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even if he isn't overly happy about his current rating.
Warren Zaire-Emery and Arda Guler follow Yamal in the high-potential department, but, given that they are already first-teamers at PSG and Real Madrid, you will only be able to sign these guys if you're in charge of a world-class club with lots of cash.
South American youngsters Franco Mastantuono, Claudio Echeverri and Kendry Paez are definitely worth a look, as are Sporting's Giovany Quenda and Real Betis' Assane Diao Diaoune.
Getty ImagesBest young defenders in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid CBs, LBs & RBs
Barcelona have no shortage of top defensive talent, with the likes of Alejandro Balde and Pau Cubarsi among the highest-potential defenders in EA Sports FC 25.
Along with Cubarsi, established names such as Giorgio Scalvini and Antonio Silva are among the best young centre-backs in the game, with Manchester United's Lenny Yoro up there too.
Keep your eye on Man Utd's Harry Amass, a high-potential left-back, while most of us will be familiar with Rico Lewis at Manchester City at this stage. Luka Vuskovic, meanwhile, has been touted to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Josko Gvardiol and become one of the best defenders in world football.
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Best young goalkeepers in EA Sports FC 25: Wonderkid GKs
Goalkeepers tend to mature at a later age than players in other positions, but there are plenty of bright young shot-stoppers worth buying in EA Sports FC 25.
Guillaume Restes is still the pick of the bunch and his potential has gone up to 88 in FC 25. Stuttgart's Dennis Seimen is the next best young goalkeeper, with Mike Penders and Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro following.
Wayne Rooney has been told that he may have to “drop down to League Two” in order to “prove himself” and get his coaching career back on track.
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Flopped at Birmingham & PlymouthBack in punditry during coaching breakTold to start at the bottom & work upFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Manchester United legend has seen his reputation take a hit in managerial circles following forgettable stints at Birmingham and Plymouth. He lasted just 83 days alongside Tom Brady at St Andrew’s, before taking in only 25 games as Pilgrims boss.
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Rooney is now taking a break from the dugout, having returned to punditry duty, but is leaving himself open to offers. It may be that the ex-England captain has drop down into the fourth tier of English football in order to start climbing that ladder again.
WHAT CARLTON PALMER SAID
Former EFL player and coach Carlton Palmer is of that opinion, telling : “It’s a difficult one now for Wayne Rooney. Disappointing spells at Birmingham City and Plymouth. I think Birmingham, yes it was disappointing but also he was on to a hiding to nothing because of the situation with John Eustace.
“I think Plymouth, for me, I think they still got rid of him too early. I know they brought him in, it was always going to be difficult for Wayne, I think they needed to give him until the end of the season and that was in my opinion. But it was a bad situation, I’m sure Wayne still harbours thoughts of being a successful manager. It doesn’t always go that you’re a great player and you go on and be a great manager, without a shadow of a doubt Wayne was one hell of a player.”
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Former England international Palmer went on to say: “But, he’s very thoughtful, he’s very hard-working, it’s something that he wants to do, it’s something he wants to be successful and hopefully he will get another opportunity.
“Probably going to have to drop down to League Two, something like that, go and prove himself there before he gets a good job. But fingers crossed that he does get that opportunity, and does get on and has a successful career, just because we’ve had it as footballers.
“Just because we don’t succeed at the first attempt, doesn’t mean we won’t go on and be successful as managers. That’s just the way it is, you can still succeed. And if Wayne, who still has the desire and still has that in his locker that he wants to do that then of course, he can succeed.”
La Liga giants Real Madrid are now holding internal talks over whether to sign an Arsenal star as early as January, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side seeking solutions to their lacklustre start.
Players who could be let go by Arsenal next year
There are a few players who’ve been linked with the Emirates Stadium exit door next year, including some pretty big names.
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Midfield mainstay Thomas Partey, who’s emerged as a crucial player for Mikel Arteta this season after playing more of a bit-part role last campaign, is out of contract next summer as things stand.
Some reports suggest that Partey could be offered a contract extension, but the Ghanaian’s future in N5 remains undetermined for the time being. Arsenal could even decide that getting the 31-year-old’s £200,000-per-week wages off the club’s books is the best thing to do.
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
West Ham United (away)
November 30
Man United (home)
December 4
Fulham (away)
December 8
Everton (home)
December 14
Meanwhile, Jorginho is also set to leave at the end of this season when his deal expires, so Arteta could find himself pretty short of midfield options in the near future.
Kieran Tierney looks almost certain to leave Arsenal after falling out of Arteta’s long-term plans, while some media sources also claim Jakub Kiwior is expected to leave in January, as Takehiro Tomiyasu also faces an uncertain future.
“He’s not in Mikel Arteta’s plans anymore,” said journalist Charles Watts on Tierney.
“That’s been clear for a long time and Tierney accepts that. There is no animosity there. He knows the club has moved on and that his qualities as a left-back are not what Arsenal need in the system that they play.
“He has been included in Arsenal’s Premier League squad for the season so he could play once fit, but I struggle to really see that happening. He will hope to get a move in January, probably on loan.”
In terms of Arsenal’s mainstay stars, Real Madrid have been repeatedly linked with a move for star defender William Saliba.
Arsenal centre-back William Saliba
The France international, who is pivotal to Arteta, is thought to be on Ancelotti’s radar as a possible central defensive upgrade – but it was widely thought this transfer would be one for next summer.
Real Madrid talking about signing Saliba from Arsenal in January
Now, according to le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard, Real Madrid are talking about signing Saliba from Arsenal in January.
The 23-year-old is apparently open to the idea of a move to the Bernabeu as Real chiefs debate whether to make a winter or summer move after defender Eder Militao’s serious ACL injury. However, Arsenal are battling to tie him down and keep Saliba out of Ancelotti’s clutches.
“The battle begins between Arsenal and Real Madrid for William Saliba,” wrote Bernard on X.
“Saliba feels very good at Arsenal. Talks have just started for a contract extension. Saliba not insensitive to Real Madrid… Discussion underway in Madrid to know if winter or summer offensive 2025.”
Five months after winning the inaugural World Test Championship in Southampton, New Zealand are now one step away from clinching their first ever T20 World Cup trophy. Captain Kane Williamson is excited at that prospect but made it clear that New Zealand aren’t getting ahead of themselves.”It’d be some achievement [doing the double],” Williamson said at the pre-final press conference. “But where it stands at the moment is there’s a game of cricket to play and for us it’s focusing on that and focusing on our cricket and looking to go out there and implement the things that are important to us. These sort of events are of focus in the calendar and it’s a really exciting opportunity to be here now and looking forward to the match tomorrow.”Related
A peek inside New Zealand's methodical T20 surge
Tactics Board: What total to aim for, the importance of Ish Sodhi, and who will target Adam Zampa?
Hand injury rules Conway out of final and India tour
New Zealand will be without wicketkeeper-batter Devon Conway who suffered a self-inflicted hand injury during the semi-final against England. Williamson confirmed that Tim Seifert, who has played all of one game in the main tournament, will step back into the XI to replace Conway.Seifert trained along with Conway, two days out of the final, and brings with him the experience of being part of the Trinbago Knight Riders XI in a CPL final (2020) and a Kolkata Knight Riders squad in an IPL final (2021).
“There’s a good sort of mix of youth and experience,” Williamson said. “Some of the younger players – they keep coming through in all teams. [They] love to hit the ball out of the park and [are] really exciting talents and someone like Tim Seifert coming in is very much like that. Obviously, the loss of Devon is a big one. He’s been a big part of all formats for us and a disappointing and really freak thing to happen but for us, it’s keeping our focus on the task.”The presence of Conway in New Zealand’s middle order could have denied Australia’s legspinner a match-up against a sequence of right-handers. Zampa has been in outstanding form in this T20 World Cup, bagging 12 wickets since the Super 12s at an economy rate of just 5.69.When Australia and New Zealand played each other at the Tolerance Oval in a warm-up match, Zampa picked up 2 for 17 in his four overs. Williamson was wary of the threat posed by Zampa but said that it will not distract them from executing their own plans.”Adam Zampa is a world-class bowler and one of the top [bowlers] in the world and complemented nicely by obviously some of the top seamers in the world,” Williamson said. “As a side, they’ve got a lot of match-winners and that’s a large part of their strength in their team. They’ve got world-class cricketers throughout. For us, we want to bring our focus to the cricket we want to play and make sure that’s the most important thing. And go out there and enjoy the occasion and take it on in our style.”
Derby County have been handed a huge boost ahead of their trip to Millwall on October 19, with a number of the club’s currently injured players expected to be back or close to fitness for the match at The Den.
The Rams have had eight players either out injured or working their way back to fitness in recent weeks, including experienced figures like Ben Osborn and Tom Barkhuizen.
Fortunately for manager Paul Warne, both of those players could now be fit for the game against Millwall, according to The Derby Telegraph. Indeed, Osborn and Barkhuizen are just two of four expected to return to training during this international break, with Liam Thompson and David Ozoh also on the brink of returns, although the latter is not expected to be fully fit in time for Millwall.
Warne will be hoping the return of the other three players can help turn the tide on his side’s poor away form. The Rams have lost all four of their away games in the Championship this term, conceding nine goals in the process.
Best yet to come from Ozoh
One man who might not be fit in time for Derby’s clash with Millwall is Ozoh. The Crystal Palace loanee was forced off in the second half of the Rams’ 1-0 win over Cardiff City on September 14 with a hamstring problem and has not featured since.
According to the Derby Telegraph, the midfielder will train next week but the “Millwall game might come too soon for him”. On Wednesday, Ozoh shared a couple of snaps of himself back on the training pitch with Warne to his Instagram story, captioning the pictures: “Step by step.”
Ozoh, 19, joined Derby on loan from Palace in the summer after having made 12 appearances for the Premier League outfit last season. Though he hadn’t played much for Rams before he succumbed to injury, the young midfielder turned heads with his performances.
Among those to have praised Ozoh is former Ram Shaun Barker, who made over 100 appearances for Derby between 2009 and 2015.
Speaking with Rams TV after Derby’s 3-0 win over Bristol City at the end of August, in which Ozoh was on the scoresheet, Barker said: “As soon as they got the structure I thought he grew into the game. If you gave him another three or four minutes for choosing the player of the match he might have got it.
“He was that good in the last 5-10 minutes, he seemed to be more commanding, making more tackles didn’t lose the ball, drove forward got his goal. What a player he is going to be for Derby this year.”
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Warne has also been extremely complimentary of Ozoh. Shortly after he joined the club back in July, Warne said of the midfielder, via The Derby Telegraph: “He keeps the ball moving and he is a really athletic and tenacious player. He breaks play up and gets us on attacks quick.
“He’s a really humble, down to earth kid who is going to use this loan to develop as a man and as a player.”