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Neymar admits to feeling “so happy” after returning to action at Al-Hilal, with “the greatest comeback in football” earning a comparison to Ronaldo.

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Out of action for over a yearBack in AFC Champions LeagueWorking on full match sharpnessFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After 12 months stuck on the sidelines with knee ligament damage, Neymar finally stepped back onto the field when being introduced as a substitute by Al-Hilal in their AFC Champions League win over Al Ain – with the Brazil international getting 13 minutes off the bench.

AdvertisementWHAT NEYMAR SAID

A thrilling contest finished 5-4 in favour of the Saudi Pro League title holders, with Neymar completing a long road to recovery that left him in tears at times. The 32-year-old told reporters on the field at the final whistle: “I feel good… I always have a good team. I'm so happy. I'm back! I'm back!”

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Neymar had been restricted to just five appearances for Al-Hilal when suffering a serious knee injury when turning out for his country in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on October 18, 2023. His return is not just being embraced by those in Brazil and the Middle East, with football fans around the world delighted to see him back.

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Former Uruguay international defender Diego Lugano told of football as a whole benefiting from having Neymar’s magic back – with his recovery being likened to that of fellow countryman R9, who once endured injury issues of his own. Lugano said: “Very good news for world football. The most magical player football has had in the last decade, different. I think this is the biggest challenge of his career. If he can return to being 70 or 80% of what he was years ago, it will be the greatest comeback in football, even compared to the Phenomenon's.

“After a year away, it's very difficult to get back to the same rhythm and level he had before, especially given his style of play. And now with his joints compromised, I imagine he won't have the same lightness that characterised him so much. But everyone is rooting for him to get close to that level to try for glory in the last World Cup.”

South Punjab were undone by Balochistan to fall to their fourth straight loss, while Northern made it four wins in four thanks to a half-century from Zeeshan Malik

Danyal Rasool04-Oct-2020

Imam-ul-Haq scored a 54-ball 94•PCB

In a high-scoring game, South Punjab were undone by Balochistan to fall to their fourth straight loss, while Northern made it four wins in four thanks to a half-century from Zeeshan Malik.Balochistan beat Southern Punjab by 7 wickets
Southern Punjab’s winless run at the National T20 Cup continued, with Shan Masood’s side falling to a 16-run defeat against Balochistan. In a high-scoring contest, Balochistan put up the second highest total of the competition, amassing 230 in 20 overs, thanks largely to a 54-ball 94 from Imam-ul-Haq and a half-century from captain Haris Sohail.Southern Punjab’s death bowling and fielding let them down badly, with the home side conceding 91 in the final five overs. Bilawal Bhatti, who gave away two free hits in a final over that cost 21, was the most expensive, being hammered for 61 in four wicketless overs.Southern Punjab made a fist of the chase despite the early loss of the dangerous Zeeshan Ashraf, removed by the veteran Umar Gul, who enjoyed a decent spell with the new ball. Sohaib Maqsood holed out to Amad Butt, but a sparkling 103-run partnership between Masood and Khushdil Shah followed that threatened to run Balochistan very close. Both managed 72, off 42 and 32 balls respectively, but when Masood fell, the asking rate still hovered around 13, and was hard to stay on top of despite some loose bowling and generosity from Balochistan in the field.Khushdil fell after a lengthy and controversial discussion over whether bowler Akif Javed – who took three crucial wickets towards the end – had overstepped the front line, but once that call went Balochistan’s way, Southern Punjab’s hopes evaporated. This means they remain the only side not to have picked up any points yet, having lost all four games.Northen beat Sindh by 13 runs
A whirlwind 84 from Zeeshan Malik ensured Northern maintained their perfect start to the National T20 Cup against Sindh, winning a fourth successive game by 13 runs. The opener combined for a 50-run partnership with Ali Imran, before a more destructive 89-run stand with Haider Ali set his side up for yet another 200-plus total. Haider’s 22-ball 35 ensured the momentum was firmly with the defending champions as they headed to the death overs, and while Sohail Khan got rid of Malik and, before he could do too much damage, skipper Shadab Khan, cameos lower down the order meant Sindh had a stiff chase on their hands.But Northern would get off to the perfect start with the ball when Sharjeel Khan was dismissed for a golden duck by Haris Rauf, whose wicket-taking ability continued to pay dividends for his side. A breezy half-century by Azam Khan kept Sindh in the game, and while Khurram Manzoor top-scored with 64, it came off 52 balls, and Sindh required a better strike-rate than that. The asking rate continued to climb as Northern’s spinners chipped in with wickets, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan combining for four. Anwar Ali briefly kept Sindh interested with seven boundaries in a 17-ball 37, but Northern would remain just out of reach.

Sorry Hampshire slump to fifth defeat in a row as holders keep quarter-final hopes alive

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2020

Tom Westley hits inside-out over cover•Getty Images

Aron Nijjar celebrated career-best bowling figures as Vitality Blast holders Essex Eagles thrashed Hampshire by 54 runs to keep their faint quarter-final dreams alive.Left-arm spinner Nijjar ripped through a shaky Hampshire batting line-up with figures of 3 for 22, while Jack Plom celebrated his maiden professional wickets to take 2 for 18.Tom Westley had earlier clubbed his first half-century of the year, with Dan Lawrence marooned on 49, as Essex reached 168 before Hampshire could only manage 114 for 9 in response.Needing 169 to win, Hampshire’s batting was a revolving door of wickets. George Munsey attempted three reverse-sweeps off Nijjar, with the third slapped to Sam Cook at third man, who took an outrageous catch high over his head. Captain James Vince was adjudged to have tickled down leg side to fall for a golden duck, the fourth time he had departed first ball in T20s against Essex, which also handed 21-year-old fast bowler Jack Plom his first wicket on his third appearance in the format.Sam Northeast and Joe Weatherley attempted to rebuild with a stand of 16, before the former hammered straight to Matt Quinn at mid-on and Ian Holland was bowled by Sam Cook.Nijjar then dismissed Weatherley and Lewis McManus in three balls – caught and bowled and knocked back by a long hop, respectively – leaving Hampshire on 38 for 6.James Fuller pulled a rare boundary, one of 14 in the innings, but was caught by Nijjar on the midwicket boundary.Fast bowler Quinn bowled a maiden at Chris Wood in the 13th over, before Simon Harmer had the top scorer caught at cow corner for 18.Ryan Stevenson swung away to cow corner but despite Mason Crane and Shaheen Shah Afridi remaining unbeaten, the Eagles recorded back-to-back Blast wins.Having chosen to bat first, Essex used partnerships to their advantage throughout their innings on a pitch perfect for batting.Cameron Delport and Westley got them off to a solid start with 57 in the first seven overs, despite Pakistani fast bowler Afridi’s three Powerplay overs going for just 11.Delport had struck two sixes in his 31 but didn’t quite time a straight slog off Crane as Stevenson pulled off a diving catch at long-off.Westley had struck Ian Holland for three off-side boundaries before using his feet to club Stevenson over midwicket and Crane through the covers as he reached a 35-ball half-century. It was Essex’s red-ball captain’s maiden fifty of 2020, having only managed 236 runs in his previous 15 innings in all competitions.He was dropped on 50 by Afridi at deep cover, but fell having added another single, when he nicked Stevenson behind to Lewis McManus – having put on 38 with Lawrence.Michael Pepper was yorked by Wood, but Lawrence and Ryan ten Doeschate ran hard to add an unbeaten 58 in the death overs.Lawrence had thrashed an aggressive 81 against Sussex in his previous outing but was more circumspect with just one six and four boundaries in his 49 not out, while ten Doeschate contributed 29 off 20 deliveries. The score was about par, but proven much too much for the sorry hosts – who have lost five matches in a row.

Tells former team-mate Michael Holding who could be the future of WI’s fast bowling

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jun-20202:35

Andy Roberts: ‘You cannot coach people to bowl fast’

Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts has said that Oshane Thomas will be the first name he will “pencil” in for West Indies’ final Test squad for the three-match series in England, which begins in Southampton from July 8. Speaking to his former West Indies team-mate Michael Holding, Roberts also predicted the young pair of Alzarri Joseph and Chemar Holder could grow to become the “backbone” of West Indies’ fast-bowling attack “within the next five-six years.”All three fast bowlers are part of the enlarged squad of 25 players that landed in Manchester on June 8. But while Joseph and Holder are part of the 14-man primary squad, Thomas – along with Shannon Gabriel – is part of the 11 reserves.ALSO READ – Oshane Thomas: ‘Test cricket is what you want to play to be great’According to Roberts, Thomas has the most basic skill of fast bowling, which at the same time is also unique: “pace”. Roberts believed that it could be turned into a “weapon” when used wisely.”Oshane Thomas would probably be the first name I would pencil on this tour because he has what others want: he has pace,” Roberts said in an episode on Holding’s YouTube channel aired on June 20. “And you should always have somebody like that on your team so that he can create uneasiness amongst batsmen.”Holding himself had said recently he was “a little bit surprised” to not find Thomas amongst the primary Test squad of 14, especially after he had gained prominence as one of the fastest bowlers in the previous year. Thomas has also talked up his desire to make his Test debut because that is the format where “greats” are recognised.ALSO READ – Thomas interview: ‘When I look in a batsman’s eyes and see fear, it’ll pump me up to bowl even faster’The current West Indies fast-bowling contingent is led by Kemar Roach along with captain Jason Holder and Gabriel. However, it is the pool of young fast bowlers like Joseph, Chemar and Thomas that has given the Caribbean selectors renewed hope that West Indies’ pace attack could be built into the sort of formidable unit that was championed once by Roberts and Holding.”I am glad to see there is a sort of a resurgence in the last couple of months, not years, just the last couple of months – there are some youngsters are coming through and I hope that we don’t try and expect too much off them too soon,” Roberts said.He also had a word of advice for the young fast bowlers – he wanted them to use their pace smartly and not let it go to waste. “Alzarri is a good youngster coming up. He has some pace, but I don’t think at the moment he is bowling genuinely fast,” Roberts said. “At the [Under-19] Youth World Cup (2016) I think he was bowling faster than he is now. Maybe if he has some experience and he can bowl within himself and produce the odd fast ball which is required. Because I don’t think anyone should try to bowl every ball at 90 mph. I would like to see the youngsters learn (that).”If you have a 95 mph ball in your armoury, that is a weapon. And you need to use [that] sparingly. You need to have the batsman just guessing: when is this faster ball going to come? Then there is young Chemar Holder. I saw a bit of him and I think he, to me, along with Alzarri will be the backbone of West Indies fast bowling within the next five or six years. I’m hoping that I don’t talk too soon. But you need to have two genuine fast bowlers who can bowl in pairs.”Roberts said Roach was a certainty along with Jason to lead the fast-bowling attack. He was unsure whether Chemar would be ready to be blooded on this tour, but felt Thomas could compete with Gabriel for a slot in the team.”I don’t know how fit Gabriel will be because he hasn’t played since last September,” he said. “And he is not one of the most athletic of our bowlers.”‘Batting to come good’Asked by Holding how West Indies could retain the Wisden Trophy, Roberts said that was possible only by playing “good all-round” cricket. According to him, West Indies’ batting remained a concern especially against the “short” delivery.”I hear many people are talking now about the strength of the fast bowling unit, but then we cannot forget the bating because we are not playing against ourselves,” Roberts said. “And England, at the moment, have some very good fast bowlers. Along with the two old stagers [Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad] they have two youngsters in [Jofra] Archer and [Mark] Wood. We have to be very careful because you know some of our youngsters in the region don’t play the short ball as well as we think they should. And so, first, the batting to come good on that tour.”The West Indies selection panel, led by former offspinner Roger Harper, was forced to ring in some last-minute changes after Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer had opted out of the England tour because of health concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently Holding had said that it was “unfortunate” for both batsmen especially Bravo, who has struggled to find consistency, to miss out on the England tour.Roberts agreed, saying: “They would have played an integral part of the batting. As much as we don’t like the way Hetmyer has been playing, he is one of the batsmen for the future. But somebody has to get into his head and let him realise that you can’t score runs sitting in the pavilion.”According to Roberts, the challenge for most West Indies batsmen was they “don’t really train and practise enough to work the ball into gaps. We believe in boundaries.”West Indies coach Phil Simmons had admitted recently that batting was an area that West Indies needed to strengthen to compete in England. Key concern for Simmons would be the form of his two senior batsmen: vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope – both of whom were the best batsmen on West Indies’ previous visit to England, which they lost 2-1 after a thrilling victory in the second Test in Leeds.While Hope has failed to score another ton, after becoming the first batsman to record twin centuries in the same Test at Headingley, Brathwaite has averaged 25.33 in his last 20 Tests.”If our fast-bowling unit can click then may have some hope, but I am not going to put too much emphasis on our batting,” Roberts said. “Speaking, just by listening, watching and hearing people talk about these batsmen that we have there isn’t much to shout about.”

Surrey take on Middlesex and Kent visit Essex in first round of one-off county competition

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2020Surrey will take on Middlesex at the Kia Oval, while last season’s County Champions Essex face Kent at Chelmsford, in the first round of matches in the newly inaugurated Bob Willis Trophy, which gets underway on August 1 after a four-month delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The ECB’s truncated domestic calendar, unveiled on Friday, will also feature a one-off women’s 50-over competition, involving the eight new teams in the women’s elite domestic structure. The fixtures for that event will be finalised at a later date, alongside details of the Vitality T20 Blast, which gets underway on August 27.”There has been a strong determination across the game to play men’s and women’s domestic cricket his summer and the fact that we will owes to the significant work and collaboration across the county network,” Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, said.”The efforts to deliver a new one-off men’s and women’s competition, in addition to a shortened Vitality Blast, to meet the unprecedented requirements of playing professional cricket during a pandemic have been remarkable.”ALSO READ: Bob Willis Trophy – Fixtures in fullSurrey’s meeting with Middlesex will be a restaging of next week’s two-day friendly at the same venue, a match which is being used to trial the return of crowds to sporting events as the UK continues to emerge from lockdown.However, for the time being, all 18 counties will play behind closed doors in the Bob Willis Trophy, for which the teams have been split into three groups of six counties – North, Central and South – with five group-stage fixtures scheduled before a five-day final at Lord’s in September.The competition was named in honour of Willis, the former England captain and fast bowler, who died in December aged 70. The idea was proposed by his friend and former team-mate, Ian Botham, who is also the chairman of Durham.”As a player there was no better person to turn to in a crisis and as a man there was no one more capable to make you smile and realise the beauty in life,” Botham said. “He was an ardent advocate for the longest form of the game and, at a time when all of his great virtues have been needed by us all, I can think of no better person to name this tournament after.”All domestic competitions will be staged under strict health-and-safety protocols, with the ECB agreeing to a range of changes to the playing conditions to help ensure the wellbeing of players, most significantly fast bowlers, who are likely to be the most affected after the lengthy furloughing of many county playing staff.These have been made in collaboration with the first-class counties and the Professional Cricketers’ Association following extensive medical research, and include: A reduction from a minimum of 96 overs to a minimum of 90 overs in a day’s play. Each county’s first innings of a match can last no longer than 120 overs The follow-on will increase from 150 to 200 runs The new ball will be available after 90 overs rather than 80 overs

Andrew Strauss, chairman of the Performance Cricket Committee, said: “For all fans of the county game, it is fantastic news that domestic cricket will get underway at the start of August.”It goes without saying that everyone wants to see competitive red- and white-ball cricket but in these unprecedented times it is crucially important that we recognise that the fitness and wellbeing of players is the top priority after a long lay-off period.”Following appropriate medical consideration these measures have been put in place for the Bob Willis Trophy to help to protect players from the risk of long-term injury and any impact that could have on their careers.”To help mitigate the possible impact of bad weather on a shortened competition, points awarded for a draw will be increased from five (in the County Championship) to eight. All other points scoring will remain the same as in the County Championship. In the event of a drawn final, the trophy will be awarded to the team that leads on first innings.”We will need to remain agile to the challenges that will await us during the shortened domestic season,” added Harrison, “with the health and wellbeing of our players, staff, officials and fans continuing to be our first priority.”Bob Willis Trophy groups:

North Group Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire
Central Group Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
South Group Essex, Kent, Hampshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex

While there are still a couple of weeks to go and plenty of football to be played, it would be fair to say that Arsenal have enjoyed another brilliant season under Mikel Arteta, one that could still end in Premier League glory.

The Spaniard’s side went into the campaign with the sting of last year’s collapse fresh in the mind, but instead of wilting under the pressure, they have shown that they are worthy of challenging Manchester City for domestic dominance.

That said, while almost every player in the squad has looked better than they did last year, Gabriel Martinelli has been underwhelming and, as a result, has struggled to make it into the starting XI of late.

However, based on recent reports, the North Londoners could soon land the perfect player to revive the Brazilian’s fortunes on the left – oh, and he’s already rejected Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Turkey (via TEAMtalk), Arsenal are keen on bringing Tottenham target and Fenerbahçe fullback Ferdi Kadioglu to the Emirates this summer.

The report has claimed that while the Lilywhites are interested in landing the 24-year-old’s signature, his agent has already met with Arsenal representatives and agreed to a ‘deal in principle.’

This means that for the Gunners to get the transfer over the line, they just need to agree a fee with Sarı Kanaryalar themselves, which, according to the report, could be as little as £26m.

Now, this would still represent a considerable investment from the Gunners in a player from a league outside of Europe’s traditional top five, but as he has the skills to revive Martinelli’s fortunes, it would likely be worth it.

How Kadioglu could revive Martinelli

On the whole, Arsenal have had a reasonably predictable lineup for the majority of the campaign thus far, with the same names generally starting week-in-week-out regardless of the opponent ahead of them, apart from on the left-hand side, that is.

Gabriel Martinelli

30

Oleksandr Zinchenko

24

Leandro Trossard

14

Jakub Kiwior

16

Gabriel Jesus

4

Takehiro Tomiyasu

8

So far this year, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Jakub Kiwior have all taken turns starting on the left of the back four. At the same time, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, and Martinelli have come in and out of the XI on the left of the attack.

This constant chopping and changing has clearly had an impact on the former Ituano ace, as last season, when he knew it would be Granit Xhaka and the Ukrainian behind him, he was fantastic, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in 46 appearances. A stable lineup could reignite his devastating attacking threat.

This is where Kadioglu could come in, as in the opinion of respected data analyst Ben Mattinson, the Turkey international’s impressive “stamina, athleticism and speed” would allow him to make constant overlapping runs with the Brazilian, thus allowing him to “cut in and shoot more frequently.”

Moreover, Mattinson claims that the “electric” fullback can play on either side of the backline and invert when in the final third, becoming a “part of the attacking line” to further increase the Gunners’ myriad of attacking options and bring a new dimension to the team’s approach.

Appearances

48

Goals

3

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.16

Ultimately, if Arteta wants to bring Martinelli back to his very best next season, then signing Kadıoğlu is a brilliant way to do that and a fantastic way to increase the team’s attacking threat overall.

Arsenal star is quickly becoming their best player alongside Saka & Rice

Arteta has a natural talent on his hands.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 7, 2024

After being brought back down to reality this season, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards the summer transfer window, where they could land an in-form striker to bridge the gap between the Premier League's top four in the next campaign.

Newcastle transfer news

On paper, it looks as though it could be a difficult summer at St James' Park, given that they'll likely be without Dan Ashworth and teams are already circling for some of Eddie Howe's best players.

This includes Bruno Guimaraes, who has reportedly attracted the interest of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in what could be a big-money move this summer. Given that the Magpies have been walking a fine line when it comes to profit and sustainability rules in the last year too, they may be left with no choice but to sell at least one key man in the coming months.

Newcastle strong favourites to sign "outstanding" Dan Burn upgrade

He recently rejected a new contract at his current club.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 16, 2024

That key man will not be Alexander Isak, however, according to the striker himself. The Sweden international reaffirmed his commitment to Newcastle in a recent interview, saying: "Of course I want to be here in the future. I came here for the project, I absolutely love playing here, I really feel at home. I want to finish this season in a good way for me and the team. I love playing here.”

After a fantastic season, Isak may now even find himself next to a new strike partner next season. According to La Gazette Du Fennec, Newcastle are in the race to sign Mohamed Amoura from Union Saint-Gilloise this summer. If they want to sign the striker, however, they must fend off interest from West Ham, who reportedly saw an opening bid worth €15m (£13m) turned down by the Belgium club who are demanding no less than €20m (£17m) for their forward this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also interested in Amoura, creating a busy race for his signature in the coming months.

"Prolific" Amoura can form deadly Isak partnership

With Callum Wilson now 32 years old and still injury-prone, it's no surprise that Newcastle have turned their attention towards finding another striker to either partner or compete with Isak. The former Real Sociedad forward has enjoyed an excellent campaign, but adding Amoura alongside him would only add to his numbers and create an unstoppable attacking duo at St James' Park.

Goals

18

17

Assists

3

1

Expected Goals

10.7

15.9

Key Passes

17

19

Successful Take-ons

28

31

Whilst it's easy to look impressively at the goals that Amoura has scored, his expected goals are also incredibly impressive and highlight just how clinical he has been this season. The stats show that the Algerian has outperformed by a stunning eight goals in the current campaign in the type of finishing needed to take Newcastle back into the Champions League next season.

Described as "prolific" by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, Amoura has shown all the signs of being just that no matter where he ends up this summer.

Harry Kane has a new “coach” as he returns to training before heading back to Bayern Munich and taking in more bids for elusive major silverware.

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Missed out on silverware at club levelSuffered final heartache at Euro 2024Preparing to rejoin Bayern's ranksGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The prolific striker ended the 2023-24 campaign empty-handed with club and country. A transfer from Tottenham to Germany failed to break that duck – as Bayern missed out on the Bundesliga title and Champions League crown – before then suffering Euro 2024 final heartache with England.

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Kane did hit 44 goals last season – landing the European Golden Shoe and a share of the Golden Boot at another European Championship – but his career-long wait for collective trophies continues. The intention is to end that barren run in 2024-25.

DID YOU KNOW?

An extended break has been taken in after international duty, but Kane is preparing to rejoin Bayern’s ranks. He has been working on a personal training programme, with son Louis on hand to keep an eye on his progress.

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WHAT NEXT?

Bayern are currently in South Korea for a friendly date with Kane’s former employers at Spurs. They will open the new season with a DFB-Pokal clash against Ulm on August 16, before starting another bid for Bundesliga title glory on August 25 away at Wolfsburg.

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has been spotted wearing a protective boot and on crutches after coming off injured against Arsenal.

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Man Utd sign Yoro from Lille for £52mDefender picks up injury against ArsenalSeen on crutches & with protective bootWHAT HAPPENED?

Yoro swapped Lille for United earlier this month in a £52 million move ($68m) but less than two weeks after signing for the Premier League team, the 18-year-old may face a spell on the sidelines. After being forced off in the first half of Saturday's pre-season loss to Arsenal, the centre-back was filmed getting onto the team bus with the protective boot and crutches at their UCLA training base.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United edged out Real Madrid, among others, to sign the talented defender – who is seen as one of the world's most promising teenagers. The Red Devils had a hefty injury list last season, particularly in defence, and manager Erik ten Hag will be praying Yoro makes a speedy recovery – or else they may need to strengthen in that part of the field again.

WHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID

After the 2-1 loss to Arsenal, Ten Hag said on Yoro's injury: "It is too short [notice] we have to wait over 24 hours and then we know hopefully more. We were very careful especially with Leny. He did only 50 per cent from the sessions so it was very disappointing that he had to come off but let’s be positive and see what is coming out."

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

According to BBC Sport, manager Ten Hag will speak to the media about this topic and more ahead of United's pre-season friendly against Liverpool in South Carolina on August 3. Before then, the Red Devils will take on Real Betis on Wednesday in San Diego.

Manchester United and Marseille have reached an agreement for the sale of forward Mason Greenwood to the French club in a permanent transfer.

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• Man Utd and Marseille in agreement
• Red Devils have massive sell-on clause
• Greenwood still to agree to transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Marseille have agreed to pay the Red Devils a total of €31.6 million (£27m/$34m) for the England international, reports. That sum is made up of a €27.6m (£23m/$30m) fixed fee and a further €4m (£3.4m/$4.3m) available in add-ons. The Red Devils, according to Ben Jacobs, have inserted a clause that will see them receive 50 per cent of any future transfer fee Marseille receive, however, the Premier League team can even buy further percentage points in the future.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Marseille still must convince the 22-year-old to agree to join new coach Roberto De Zerbi's squad. After an impressive season on loan at Getafe, in which he scored eight goals and registered six assists in La Liga, the likes of Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Napoli have all been linked with a move for the attacker. Lazio also reportedly made bids for Greenwood but the club's president dismissed talk of a possible move after they missed out on his signing last year.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Marseille fans have expressed their anger at the prospect of the club signing Greenwood because of the charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour he was set to face before they were eventually dropped. However, coach Roberto De Zerbi has pledged to protect the forward as if he was his own son in the face of criticism.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

  Greenwood will have to agree personal terms with the French side, who finished eighth in Ligue last season, before signing a contract and completing the move.