Everton will be reeling from a recent verdict that has seen them punished with a ten-point deduction in the Premier League, the Toffees alleged to have breached Financial Fair Play rules.

This points deduction would see Sean Dyche's side slide down the division into the top-flight drop-zone, level on points with bottom-of-the-table Burnley and into a dog-fight to stave off relegation in a blink of an eye.

This damning news has come at the worst possible time for the Blues, who had been rejuvenated by recent positive form with a 3-2 victory at Selhurst Park last time out in league action against Crystal Palace meaning Dyche's men were only eight points off Manchester United in sixth spot.

Transfer rumours linking star Everton players away from Goodison Park could intensify as a result of this points deduction revelation, with Jarrad Branthwaite being eyed up by a number of clubs according to reports.

As a result, Dyche might start putting together a list of targets tentatively for his side to go after if their star 21-year-old defender does indeed end up moving on.

Here are three potential centre-backs the Toffees could look at signing if that eventuality occurs…

1 Ben Cabango

Shopping in the EFL market for centre-backs has proven to be a fruitful endeavour for Everton in the past, John Stones joining from Barnsley the obvious example but Branthwaite was also signed by Everton from Carlisle United who now play in League One.

The Toffees will hope that they can pick up another top talent by exploring this pool of players once more, with Ben Cabango standing out at Swansea City this season whom Everton should look to target for a bargain price. At present, Football Transfers' xTV model values him at £7m.

A regular first-teamer with the Swans for a number of seasons now – coming through the Academy ranks at the club before becoming a key senior player – the 23-year-old's strengths lie in his ability to pass out from the back and give his team an added attacking threat going forward when necessary.

Averaging 1.33 progressive carries per 90 minutes over the last year according to FBRef, Cabango would be an exciting addition to the Toffees group if signed that could competently fill the gap left behind by Branthwaite and offer something more unique as a result.

2 Wout Faes

The next target Everton could potentially go after is Leicester City's dominating presence Wout Faes, the Belgian centre-back excelling at Championship level this season after a tricky introduction to the Foxes' first-team in the Premier League.

Averaging a 7.36 Sofascore rating this campaign for Enzo Maresca's promotion-chasers, Faes has helped himself to five clean sheets from the 13 games he's played in with crucial interventions and tackles nullifying opposition attackers effectively.

Winning the ball back 6.4 times per game according to Sofascore, Faes would slot straight into the Toffees set-up in the wake of Branthwaite's exit and provide Dyche's men with some needed steel and defensive resilience.

Question marks could arise about whether or not the £22m-rated defender is cut out for Premier League football, but with his form in the Championship at the moment currently excellent, he deserves another crack at top-flight action to prove himself.

3 Jorrel Hato

The most left-field option out of the three transfers that could be lined up, Jorrel Hato is standing out in the Ajax ranks as an exuberant and confident centre-back at just 17 years of age. As a young talent, he certainly fits the Branthwaite bill when it comes to youthful energy.

It's led to Hato being linked with Liverpool and Arsenal in recent memory, but the Toffees could offer Hato an opportunity to impress straight away in the first team set-up if Branthwaite departs rather than waiting it out for a spot at Anfield or the Emirates.

The Dutch giants find themselves uncharacteristically languishing in 12th spot in the Eredivisie, but Hato is still gaining plaudits for his individual displays amidst the collective mess at the club.

The teenage starlet's performance last match versus Almere showcased his talents at the back, winning nine out of ten aerial and ground duels in the contest as per Sofascore.

The £22m-rated starlet would even wear the captain's armband for the Dutch club in this contest, the world Hato's oyster currently.

Everton gave a young Branthwaite a chance in the first team whilst he was still learning the ropes and never looked back, the Toffees hoping lightning could strike twice if they pursued a deal for Hato.

The Blues' season has been derailed by fitness issues, and Mauricio Pochettino is at a loss at how to resolve the crisis

When all is said and done, Chelsea will reflect on 2023-24 as a(nother) lost season. Although the Blues should doubtless sit higher than 12th in the Premier League table, even with the diminished tools head coach Mauricio Pochettino has had at his disposal, no fewer than 49 separate injuries have put paid to any semblance of a top-four challenge.

It has been a season-defining crisis, and even as we enter the final weeks of the campaign there is no end in sight, with the club rocked by the news that Romeo Lavia will play no further part having seen just 32 minutes of action, while there is still no timeline for the respective returns of Reece James and Christopher Nkunku – players who would have made a genuine difference to Chelsea's fortunes.

The Blues' injury woes have made them the butt of the joke, and their status as a laughing stock is set to be compounded by another mid-table finish. Something has to change, and fast.

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  Missing key men

  Chelsea's troubles in the medical department this season started well before a ball was kicked in competitive action. With centre-back Benoit Badiashile already sidelined with a serious hamstring problem from the end of 2022-23, injury-plagued compatriot Wesley Fofana suffered dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage early in pre-season and was forced to undergo surgery.

  Statement £52 million ($66m) summer signing Nkunku then damaged his knee ligaments on a questionable pitch in Chicago in early August during the summer tour of the United States, before a similar hamstring problem to Badiashile's befell defender Trevoh Chalobah.

  Lavia – for whom Chelsea paid £58m ($74m) to relegated Southampton in August – arrived with an ankle injury, and there was no defined timeline for his return to action. Then, on the opening day of the season proper at home to Liverpool, newly-appointed captain James was forced off as Pochettino's best-laid plans crumbled before his eyes on day one of the new campaign.

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  Bad to worse

  The latest updates on Lavia, James and Nkunku are a damning indictment of the situation and the club's apparent inability to find a solution.

  Having seen just 32 minutes of action all season, which came in his long-awaited debut against Crystal Palace in December, Lavia – who played the most minutes of any Premier League player aged 20 or under the previous year – will not play again in 2023-24. The Belgian midfielder arrived with an injury before hurting his ankle in his recovery. Having finally returned to fitness during the festive period, he suffered what the club described as "a significant thigh injury" after coming off the bench to make his debut. Three months later, Chelsea confirmed in March that Lavia's season was over after a setback in his rehabilitation.

  To compound Chelsea's misery, three days later, Pochettino revealed he was uncertain James would feature again this term following hamstring surgery in December, and he was also ambiguous about Nkunku's status. Like Lavia, the Frenchman had to wait until December to make his debut following that knee issue before suffering subsequent hip and hamstring problems.

  When asked in a press conference whether James would be available again in 2023-24, the Argentine said: "No, I don’t know. It’s difficult to say something because I don’t want you to go ‘but, oh, [you said this]'. We will assess it week by week and we will see. We hope yes, we hope that he will be available for the end of the season." He added: "Christopher Nkunku, we don’t have precise game for return yet."

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  The list goes on

  As if that raft of early, long-term losses was not enough, those absentees have been joined on the sidelines by a constant rotation of team-mates across the course of the season, with at least seven first-team players unavailable for every matchday so far.

  Indeed, Chelsea are closing in on 50 separate injuries in 2023-24. With six weeks still to go, they seem destined to surpass their total of 48 for the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign, which was comfortably the worst record in the Premier League.

  Left-backs Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella have seemingly taken it in turns to be injured; Carney Chukwuemeka has suffered a setback almost every time he has returned to action; Lesley Ugochukwu is yet to play a game in 2024; even goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is struggling to stay fit.

  At the time of writing, Chelsea have no fewer than nine players out, with James, Lavia, Nkunku, Ugochukwu, Chukwuemeka, Chalobah, Fofana, Sanchez and Levi Colwill all sharing a crowded treatment room. Malo Gusto looks likely to join that lengthy list, having pulled up in the draw with Burnley. The situation has become farcical.

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  'Undergoing rehabilitation programme'

  It is unfortunate, then, that Chelsea's season-long injury crisis has coincided with the internal decision to share brief updates on the fitness of the squad ahead of every matchday. They have made for pretty bleak reading each time, with fans growing increasingly frustrated that those out are ambiguously listed as "undergoing their rehabilitation programme", rather than disclosing the nature of the injury or a defined timeline for their return.

  The regular 'injury update' is now greeted with dread by the Blues faithful, and of course it has become an obvious means for rival fans to ridicule Chelsea's never-ending woes – especially with the club wallowing in mid-table despite the £1 billion ($1.25bn) that the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership has spent on incoming transfers.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that one star of theirs has been "more impressive" than James Maddison, but "nobody paid attention" to him.

Spurs form under Ange Postecoglou

The north Londoners are enjoying somewhat of a fairytale beginning to the Premier League season, with popular Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou making the finest start to a campaign of any new manager in recent English football history. The Lilywhites have won seven out of their opening nine top flight matches, remaining unbeaten over a run which has seriously surprised on-lookers.

Speaking to Premier League productions earlier this month, pundit Ian Wright hailed praise for Postecoglou and his start to life at Spurs; candidly admitting he is shocked by how good the tactician really is.

“It’s underrated,” said Wright. “It’s an underrated effort he is doing, at the minute. Major Ange Postecoglou fans. I remember people saying at the start that ‘he needs to start well’. With the players he has got, you want them to do well and win some games and stuff. But I didn’t expect it to be in the grove it is now and so quickly.

“Not just physically, but mentally as well. They know what they are doing – we are looking at a team that we know that will improve simply because Bentancur is to come back."

The Australian has a few star players to thank for his new-found popularity in north London, with summer signing Maddison proving to be nearly unstoppable at times. Maddison signed for Spurs from Leicester City for around £40 million in the summer, which is proving to be more and more of a bargain as the weeks go by. The England international has racked up three goals and five assists in the league alone so far, most recently helping Tottenham to a 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday.

He's now gearing up for a clash against Crystal Palace tomorrow, where Tottenham are surely favourites to clinch all three points and maintain their very impressive start to the campaign.

Guglielmo Vicario "even more impressive" than Maddison

However, despite Maddison's truly electric start, one pundit believes goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has actually been "even more impressive" with his stellar contribution between the sticks. Indeed, speaking to ESPN, Janusz Michallik has claimed that "nobody paid attention" to Vicario who is now really pulling up trees at Spurs.

“It’s easy to point at James Maddison, all the goals and how they’re scoring in so many different ways. But defensively what he’s done is even more impressive. They’re the second-best defensive team, look at Vicario, Google probably went down when Vicario came to London because nobody paid attention to who he was, but, today, we’re talking about Sanchez, Onana and Raya, here you have Vicario who is excellent,” Michallik said.

Signed from Empoli to replace Hugo Lloris, the Italy international has made some pretty important saves in big moments, with Fabrizio Romano recently revealing Spurs are "very happy" with Vicario.

"Tottenham are very happy with Guglielmo Vicario and his impact with English football. Understand real fee invested by Spurs to sign Vicario from Empoli was €19m. Top signing."

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has a keen eye for a player and has now received two recommendations of further additions to his side from the man who told the Scottish Premiership champions to sign Luis Palma, as per reports.

Celtic prepare to take on Atletico Madrid…

Ramping up their preparations for a crucial Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano in midweek, Celtic ran out 3-0 winners over Ross County in Dingwall last weekend, courtesy of strikes from David Turnbull, Honduras international Palma and James Forrest.

Extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table to eight points, Rodgers praised his side for their perseverance against ten-man Ross County, stating post-match to Sky Sports via 67 Hail Hail: "It was a good performance. It’s always a different challenge when they go down to ten men early in the game. Give credit to Ross County, they worked ever so hard.

He later added: "The guys kept going, kept persevering. We scored three outstanding goals. The guys have that quality. David Turnbull, again a wonderful strike; it’s his second goal from outside the box this week. Luis Palma, a brilliant goal and a great dink for the third goal. And their goalkeeper made a number of fantastic saves."

Nevertheless, Celtic face a vastly different proposition on Tuesday night against Atletico Madrid, though they will take heart from their display in a 2-2 draw against the La Liga high-flyers last month at Parkhead.

One man who made a serious impression that evening was the aforementioned Palma, who netted the Hoops' second goal of the tie before they were eventually pegged back by Alvaro Morata. Now, the man who recommended Palma to Celtic has put forward two other names that Rodgers should consider in future transfer windows.

Emilio Izaguirre puts forward Celtic signing suggestions

As per La Presna, Former Hoops man Emilio Izaguirre spoke in an interview regarding his old club in the build-up to their clash against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, detailing that he initially recommended summer signing Palma to club director Michael Nicholson after meeting the chief during an exhibition match between Liverpool and Celtic legends earlier this year at Anfield.

Izaguirre also revealed in the interview that he also put forward the names of Bordeaux loanee Alberth Elis and Getafe forward Anthony Lozano during his conversation with Nicholson.

Alberth Elis 2023/24 statistics – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Anthony Lozano statistics 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances: 7

Appearances: 6

Goals: 2

Goals: 1

Assists: 0

Assists: 4

He stated in full: “I was playing in a legends match between Celtic and Liverpool. I met Michael (the club’s director) and recommended Palma and other players like Elis or Lozano. I spoke well of Lis; I told him that they would look at him, that he was a player who could be of great benefit to the club. He’s a young 22-year-old player who can have a great season and then sell him.”

Celtic are known to cast the net far and wide to find talent and Izaguirre seems keen to help out where he can by providing information on potential gems in the market from his homeland, Honduras.

What Chelsea want in the transfer market, they usually get, with the Moises Caicedo transfer saga last summer a case in point. But, on the pitch, the Blues have found it harder to realise their desires, having failed to get off to a blistering start under new boss Mauricio Pochettino. Things are at least looking up however, after wins over Burnley and Fulham were followed by a 2-2 draw against champions-elect Arsenal, albeit in a game that saw Chelsea take a 2-0 lead.

If they can get some kind of consistent run going, then those at Stamford Bridge stand every chance of returning to Champions League action, which would make their transfer business all the more interesting next summer. It would certainly help towards welcoming one particular dream signing, that's for sure.

Chelsea's dream signing

Following the incredible number of changes at the club over the summer, it was always going to take time for Pochettino to make his mark at Chelsea. The likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Mateo Kocacic all swapped Stamford Bridge for a move to other top six Premier League clubs, making room for the likes of Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, and Christopher Nkunku.

That's far from where Chelsea's spending will end in the next year or so, however, especially after the latest Jamal Musiala transfer news. According to Simon Phillips on his Substack, the Bayern Munich midfielder is a dream target for the Blues after the success that he has enjoyed in the Bundesliga. Things could have been far easier for Chelsea, of course, had they kept hold of Musiala in 2019, when the German left their academy in favour of a move to Bayern.

They have welcomed back academy departures in the past, with the likes of Romelu Lukaku making a return, and now it seems as though they are keen on doing the same when it comes to Musiala.

"Brilliant" Musiala is "different" to Bellingham

Musiala's stats show exactly why he is Chelsea's dream target. The 20-year-old scored 16 goals and assisted a further 16 last season in what was an incredible campaign, which ended in yet another title win for Bayern in the Bundesliga. This season, meanwhile, Musiala has already been involved in five goals in ten games, finding the back of the net twice and assisting a further three times. When compared to Chelsea's current options, he stands out even more, as per FBref.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the midfielder has been praised so highly, including by Michael Owen, who told TNT Sport: “I think he is exceptional, really exceptional. It’s such a shame he chose Germany over England! I thought he was brilliant in the last major tournament (2022 FIFA World Cup).

“There’s lots of people comparing him to Bellingham but I think he is a different type of player. He’s a brilliant runner with the ball. I think he’s unbelievable when it comes to dribbling. He’s got the lot this lad."

Under-fire Manchester United boss Marc Skinner says talks over a new deal are "ongoing" and that he wants to "build success" at the club.

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Skinner offered new Man Utd dealRed Devils have had underwhelming seasonSkinner optimistic about team's futureWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite being 15 points behind Women's Super League leaders Manchester City, whereas last term they lost the title to Chelsea on the last day of the season, Skinner may get his deal extended, even though many fans feel he is not the right person for the job. Now, he has given an update on his future ahead of his side's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Sunday.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MARC SKINNER SAID

He said in a pre-match press conference on Friday: "Talks [on a new contract] are ongoing. As you can imagine I've got a pretty important game this weekend. The team are in a fantastic place and we're growing off the field as well as back on the field. That will continue but my focus is just on the field at the minute and making sure we go very well on Sunday."

Skinner added: "Of course I want to stay. I'm at a club that not only do I love the history of it, I love what's going to come in the future. It's a club that has fantastic fans, like incredible fans. So for me, it's it's something. Of course, I want to stay. I want to build success. Like I said, when I came in, I want to build sustained success over a period of time. And that's what that's the INEOS (the club's new owners) remit is as well. We want to build success over a long period of time. So I'm absolutely on board with that. And as I say, as soon as any updates are here, you know, we'll obviously let you know, but my job remains firmly in the focus of the team and what we've got to do for the games coming up."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Skinner, who joined the club in 2021, is out of contract this summer. Despite vocal criticism from fans, it appears he has the support of the club's new minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It seems he may get a new deal regardless of how the Red Devils fare in the remainder of the season.

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After the last-four FA Cup clash with the Blues this weekend, Skinner's United return to WSL action on Sunday, April 21 where they host sixth-placed Tottenham.

Aston Villa are considering a move for a new forward in January, but there are two other clubs who are also hoping to bring him to the Premier League.

Aston Villa transfer targets

The Midlands outfit are looking to bolster their ranks in the final third and have most recently been linked with moves for two strikers in the form of Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy and AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham, but it’s not just players leading the line that they are searching for.

Football Insider have reported that NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery are open to offers for Bertrand Traore at the start of next year, so they will need to enter the market to search for a suitable replacement on the right wing should he depart, and they have already set their sights on a potential candidate.

Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo has found it difficult to nail down a regular place in his first-team since graduating from their academy having made just 14 senior appearances to date, after being previously sent out on two development loans to Vitoria Guimaraes and Maritimo (Transfermarkt – Catamo statistics).

The Mozambique international still has just under another two years remaining on his deal (Sporting CP contracts), but knowing deep down that he’ll only receive more game time by making the move elsewhere, the 22-year-old has emerged on the radar at Villa Park.

Aston Villa keeping tabs on Geny Catamo

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are keen on Geny Catamo, alongside two other high-profile clubs in the top-flight in England.

“Arsenal are closely watching Mozambique international Geny Catamo of Sporting CP, FootballTransfers has been told. We understand that the 22-year-old is being monitored by a number of clubs ahead of 2024, including the Gunners, Tottenham, and Aston Villa.

"Our sources have informed us that the player could leave the Portuguese club as soon as the January transfer window, with a number of Premier League clubs watching the youngster in the Primeira Liga.”

Whilst Catamo hasn’t got much senior experience under his belt yet, Aston Villa will be aware that he’s got bags of potential to offer having showed promising signs by clocking up nine involvements (six assists and three goals) in 36 outings since the very start of his career.

Ruben Amorim’s left-footed £4k-per-week earner (Sporting CP salaries), also currently ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and attacking touches in the opposition's penalty area (FBRef – Catamo statistics), displaying his ability to use his pace and dribble past his marker to create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third.

Furthermore, Catamo, who has had a taste of what it’s like to compete in the Champions League, has the versatility to operate in the midfield and on the wing of both the left and right flanks alongside in the centre of the park, so he could certainly be a fantastic recruit for the long-term future of the club should the board decide to fully pursue a deal in January.

West Ham are reportedly set to explore a deal for a £200,000-per-week forward as manager David Moyes scours for more options.

Hammers enter striker market again

Following the departure of Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta over the summer transfer window after his underwhelming spell in east London last term, West Ham didn't end up bringing in a replacement despite their best efforts.

The Italian joins a long list of striker signings which just didn't work out at the London Stadium, with West Ham failing in a late deadline day attempt to sign Hugo Ekitike from PSG to succeed him.

West Ham among favourites to sign "beautiful" £25m star compared to Foden

The Irons are believed to be real contenders.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 17, 2023

Michail Antonio's injury, while not as serious as first feared, also exposes the club's glaring lack of depth up front with backup Danny Ings looking really out of favour under Moyes.

The Englishman has played just over an hour in the Premier League so far this season, with Moyes turning to makeshift options like Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen instead.

It's arguably imperative for West Ham to bring in another number nine, and they've been linked with a few interesting options.

Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy is a target for Moyes, and reports suggest his contract contains a tantalising £17 million release clause. The Guinea international's already got 15 goals in just eight Bundesliga starts this campaign (WhoScored).

Meanwhile, there have also been rumours that West Ham could go back in for Ekitike in January. The Frenchman declined to join earlier this year, despite PSG accepting an offer from the Irons, but he's now surplus to requirements under Luis Enrique (Football Insider).

West Ham set to explore Werner deal

Another player mentioned at various points has been RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner.

Reports have claimed that West Ham have made contact over the German, with TEAMtalk now sharing its own update.

It is believed West Ham are set to explore a deal for Werner amid Moyes' "desperate" search for a new striker, which is most likely to come in the form of a loan.

TEAMtalk claims Werner is on around £200,000 per week at Leipzig, which may well be a sticking point for West Ham, as their highest earner, Lucas Paqueta, is on around £50,000 less, according to Spotrac.

Nevertheless, he is a real candidate to leave Leipzig and West Ham will evaluate the conditions of this potential exit before making a firm offer.

The 27-year-old couldn't quite make it in the Premier League at Chelsea after his stellar 2019/20 season at Leipzig, where he notched 28 goals in 33 Bundesliga starts (WhoScored).

West Ham may now bid for "very special" striker after accepted summer offer

The Hammers appear to want a new forward.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 22, 2023

Signed by the Blues in 2020, the Blues let him go back to Leipzig just two years later, where he has again failed to match his 2019/20 form.

Despite this, Werner has been subject to the occasional bit of praise, with pundit Paddy Kenny calling him a "very good player" who gets into "unbelievable" positions (Football Insider).

Kenny also claimed his movement and speed are a "constant threat" to defensive lines.

So although Werner does not have the brightest of Premier League memories to look back on, he may just be tempted to redeem himself on these shores if West Ham are able to offer him a starring role.

The banned Australia batsman came up against his former captain Steven Smith in a club match in Sydney

Andrew McGlashan in Sydney10-Nov-2018

David Warner has not contemplated the prospect of his year-long ban from international cricket for ball-tampering being reduced, as he continues his time in grade cricket, which he said had brought him “perspective” after living in a “bubble”.Warner took the field alongside Steven Smith for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in March, as their respective grade teams Randwick Petersham and Sutherland, faced off in a 50-over match at Coogee Oval in Sydney.The pair chatted regularly during the game and shared what appeared as a warm handshake after the match. Warner insisted that talk of the pair having fallen out over what happened, and claims that he had thrown Smith under a bus by not accepting enough blame, was “comedy.”The last couple of weeks have brought more significant changes in Australian cricket in the wake of events in South Africa following the cultural reviews. The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) has made a submission to Cricket Australia that the bans handed to Warner, Smith and Cameron Bancroft should be rescinded in light of the findings, which painted the entire Australian cricket set-up in a dim light.”I’m sitting here with 12 months on the sidelines, that’s the way I look at it,” Warner said as he spoke for the first time in Australia since his emotional press conference on returning from South Africa. “That’s why I want everyone to keep being positive about the guys who are playing [for Australia]. We can’t just sit here and keep saying ‘are they are going to be in or not’.”There’s going to be some negative impact with what happened, but we have to put our best foot forward to make sure Australians are enjoying cricket. We put our hands up, we were ashamed of what happened, but we are here to try and promote cricket. We are trying to get Australians back loving it.”Warner’s time in grade cricket has not been without controversy, however, when he made headlines for briefly walking off the pitch during a match against Western Suburbs, having taken offence to a sledge from Jason Hughes, the brother of Phillip. He later resumed his innings, going on to make a hundred, but it put Warner firmly back in the spotlight.Of the experience of dropping down to a lower level, Warner said it had been a reality check playing alongside people with weekday jobs who have to fit their twice-weekly training around earning a living and then commit their weekends to playing.”You pinch yourself a little when you walk in the changing room and the guys are talking about the working week,” Warner said. “It puts it in perspective, we have been living in a bubble for a long time.”Of what there is little doubt is that plenty of people still want to watch Warner and Smith, who both spent considerable timing mingling with fans. The match drew a crowd well in excess of 2000 by the time Smith emerged to bat in the run chase, with every possible vantage point taken around the picturesque ground. Multiple trips were required to the local supermarket to replenish the barbecue while the bar needed plenty of extra crates – a large number donated by Warner.Neither player managed to cut loose with the bat: Warner was caught at backward point for 13 and Smith was stumped for 48, having struggled to find his timing. But the crowd was treated to some thunderous hitting from Shane Watson, a century by Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond and a match-winning hand from Austin Waugh, the son of Steve. Waugh had earlier been the man to dismiss Warner, as Smith’s Sutherland team came out the winners with two balls remaining.When they are back together for Australia still remains to be seen.

نجح منتخب إسبانيا في تسجيل الهدف الثاني بشباك نظيره المغربي في المباراة الجارية بينهما الآن في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية “الأولمبياد” باريس 2024، لتصبح النتيجة 2-1.

منتخب المغرب يلاقي إسبانيا، ضمن منافسات دور قبل النهائي من بطولة أولمبياد باريس، على ملعب استاد فيلودروم.

صحف إسبانيا تعلق على ركلة جزاء المغرب في نصف نهائي أولمبياد باريس

وأحرز الهدف الثاني الظهير الأيمن الإسباني خوانلو في الدقيقة 85 من عمر اللقاء، بتسديدة أرضية زاحفة من داخل منطقة الجزاء

وكان سفيان رحيمي تقدم بالهدف الأول للمغرب، في الدقيقة 36 بعدما نجح في ترجمة ركلة جزاء احتسبها حكم اللقاء إلى هدف أول لـ أسود الأطلسي.

ونجح فيرمين لوبيز من تسجيل هدف إسبانيا الأول والتعادل أمام المغرب في الدقيقة 66 من عمر المباراة، بتسديدة متقنة من على حدود منطقة الجزاء سكنت شباك منير المحمدي حارس أسود الأطلس.

وكان منتخب المغرب حقق تأهلًا تاريخيًا إلى دور نصف النهائي بالفوز على المنتخب الأمريكي بنتيجة 4-0 في دور ربع النهائي.

منتخب المغرب كان قد استطاع التأهل من دور المجموعات متصدرًا لمجموعته، برصيد 6 نقاط، بالفوز في مباراتي العراق والأرجنتين وتلقى خسارة أمام أوكرانيا.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، جاء تأهل منتخب إسبانيا إلى الدور نصف النهائي من أولمبياد باريس، بعد الفوز على اليابان بثلاثية نظيفة، بدور ربع النهائي.

وكان منتخب إسبانيا قد صعد من دور المجموعات كوصيف للمجموعة الثالثة خلف المتصدر منتحب مصر، برصيد 6 نقاط. هدف إسبانيا الثاني أمام المغرب في أولمبياد باريس