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West Indies captain Jason Holder said that the reprieves given to Azhar Ali in the first innings and the large number of extras conceded by the side were factors in their 56-run defeat to Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-20162:01

‘Really proud of the way we fought’ – Holder

West Indies captain Jason Holder has said that the reprieves given to Azhar Ali in the first innings and the large number of extras conceded by the side were factors in their 56-run defeat to Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai. Holder lauded the team, particularly batsman Darren Bravo, for running Pakistan close and taking the match into the final hour on the fifth day despite having been on the back foot for the first three days of the Test.Azhar was dropped twice in his innings of 302 not out: on 17, Leon Johnson put down a sharp catch at gully off Miguel Cummins, and on 190 by Jermaine Blackwood off Roston Chase’s bowling.”It’s tough to say. When you look at the game in hindsight you can say a lot of things. Obviously credit must go to Azhar Ali, I thought he played really well. We put him down; at that stage if we would have held him, we would have had a new batsman in,” Holder said. “But that’s cricket. If you look at it critically, it’s those one or two chances that we missed. In the second innings, Babar Azam getting out off a no-ball. Things like this, if we negate them then we have less problems going forward.”Holder conceded that the bowlers, specially Shannon Gabriel, had some work to do to bring the rate of front-foot no-balls under control. Gabriel bowled 11 no-balls in the entire match, including 10 in the first innings which, combined with other extras, contributed 22 runs to Pakistan’s score of 579.”It’s definitely an area we need to improve on but if you look at the scorecard, there were a few no-balls from both sides. It’s something we have to pay attention to, Shannon was probably our head culprit. But again, he’s that kind of bowler, he runs in and gives it his all. Having said that the amount of no-balls he bowled was unacceptable and hopefully he can correct it going forward in the next Test match.”Holder pointed to West Indies’ comeback with the ball in Pakistan’s second innings – with Devendra Bishoo’s 8 for 49 – and Bravo’s maturity and determination on the fourth and fifth days as the positives for the side from the Test.Bravo followed up his 87 in the first innings with a stubborn 116 in the second innings that helped West Indies climb to within 83 runs of a victory before he was dismissed, and a drawn match was still a possibility after he had been dismissed. The 109 overs in the second innings was the second longest West Indies had batted in the fourth innings of a Test.”It was a quality innings and I just mentioned that he batted really well in both the second and first innings,” he said. “I think he showed a lot of maturity in both those innings and he spent some time and gave himself a chance to get a score. You could see the determination on his face and in his expressions and his body language was just very positive. Hopefully he can continue in this vein and we can lean on Darren Bravo in our batting.”One thing I am very proud of is the way the guys fought. They came good today and all the bowlers came up with a really good effort on a pitch that didn’t give much assistance to them. I can’t really fault the effort of the guys, it was a very, very good team effort. Unfortunately we didn’t get over the line and unfortunately we couldn’t save the game but a hell of a lot of positives we can take from the game.”

A day after not selecting Ishant Sharma for the season’s first Ranji game as they could not reach him to check his availability, the Delhi selectors have selected him for it

Sidharth Monga24-Sep-20153:21

Aakash Chopra: More to the Ishant situation than meets the eye

A day after refusing to select Ishant Sharma, whom they couldn’t reach to check on his availability for the first Ranji Trophy match of the season, the Delhi selectors have intriguingly selected him for the first match even though Ishant has communicated to them he will be available for the second match. A Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) press release said: “Ishant Sharma has confirmed his availability for the second Ranji Trophy match but we are including him in the team right now.”This prompts a remarkable question that DDCA is not willing to answer clearly: if the reason to try to reach Ishant was to confirm his availability, why is it defeating the purpose by selecting Ishant now that he has expressed his desire to rest for the first match, which starts on October 1, three days after the end of India’s pre-season preparatory camp in Bangalore? Vinay Lamba, the chairman of selectors, said they would love for him to play in the first match too.Ishant, in the middle of some good Test-match form, was not selected for India’s limited-overs teams. Moreover, he has been banned by the ICC from playing the first Test against South Africa, which begins in the first week of November. That made him available for Ranji Trophy, but the Delhi selectors created a stir by not naming him in the squad of 15. The chairman of selectors said they did so because Ishant didn’t answer his phone or respond to his text. He said they were not sure of his availability. Now, they have gone ahead and selected him despite knowing he is not available.

Asked whether No. 6 was an ideal batting position for Dhoni going into the future, Virat Kohli said it “might be the trick that will work with the batting order for us”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2013It is not often a Virat Kohli century can be outshone or overshadowed. At its best, it is usually an exquisite construction of beauty, timing, balance and precision. But given that his captain had taken ownership of an entire day with an innings of utter dominance, Kohli fittingly opened his media interaction with a statement before taking questions. “First I’ll speak on the captain’s innings,” he said.He called M S Dhoni’s 206 not out, “a great display of batting” in “temperament, hitting the ball cleanly and assessing the situation.” When asked whether No. 6 was an ideal batting position for Dhoni going into the future, he said it “might be the trick that will work with the batting order for us.”Kohli did say he had not seen him batting at No. 6 often. He said Dhoni at No. 7 spot doesn’t have enough time to get big runs. “People started doubting his Test batting, because he wasn’t getting ample opportunities. If the team is five down, you have to negotiate the pressure, then you expect the guy to get a hundred every four games. It’s pretty difficult.”The No. 6 position would give Dhoni, Kohli said, “ample opportunity to get settled and analyse the situation. Once he’s settled, he is one of the most experienced guys to play with the lower order, he knows how to play with the tail. So yes, that’s a huge difference he could make at No. 6 going ahead in Test matches.”Kohli said it was easier to maintain the tempo of an innings like today in ODIs where he had seen Dhoni score 183 against Sri Lanka batting at No. 3. “It’s very easy to go for your shots in one-dayers. You don’t have to think too much when you’re in that kind of flow. But [in Tests] to actually analyse the situation, to play with the tailender, to take strike when wanted, to defend when wanted, hit the ball when needed… in Test matches it’s not easy to bat with the lower order and to get a double hundred is a commendable thing.”Kohli said India had played the day much like they had planned it. They had expected Australia to use reverse swing with the old ball in the first session. “Pattinson was bowling really well with the old ball, reversing at pace. We decided to give respect to the bowlers bowing well. We knew if we batted the whole day, we’ll have a considerable lead and we’ll be in a great position in this Test. It was all about giving respect to good bowling and capitalising later on loose deliveries which MS and I were able to do.”Dhoni, he said had come out to bat with a clear idea about his approach. “He didn’t want to talk about the game, he didn’t want to talk about cricket. He said just talk about something else to me.” His instructions to Kohli were simple: “Don’t ask about how the wicket was, how the bowling was, nothing. He was pretty relaxed and calm so he didn’t want to talk a lot about the game. He was pretty sure what he wanted to do out in the middle.”Australia paid heavily going in with a single specialist spinner, Kohli said, as the wicket had begun to break on day three. After it had “evened out and eased up” on day two, he got one ball from Nathan Lyon shooting under his bat and the other hitting him on the chest. “I was pretty surprised with how quickly the wicket was coming off. If they [Australia] had more slow bowlers in the team you would have seen the difference of that wicket. The spinners are going to get a lot of turn and bounce tomorrow with the hard ball. That’s going to be the crucial thing – the wicket is getting roughed up by the day.”Speaking of his own batting, Kohli said he had been disappointed to get out soon after his hundred and called it, “this block I am facing – when I get 100 I get out.” He said, “As a batsman you would love to get big runs when you’ve scored century from a tough situation, you don’t want to throw it away.” His dismissal today – caught at mid-on by Mitchell Starc off Lyon – came because he got too close to the ball.”I was disappointed I got out. But I knew I wanted to go for that shot, so I went for it hundred percent. But I got too close to the ball and just didn’t get the elevation. But next time you can only learn from mistakes. I’ll try and erase all these errors that I have been doing after getting centuries.”Kohli said the century, the fourth of his Test career, had brought him extra pleasure as it followed a poor run against England and Pakistan. He had taken time away from the game to get ready for Australia. “Sometimes you just need to get away from the game and get your mind fresh and get back on track. I was feeling hungry for this series. I was eagerly waiting to get into the field and bat and feeling that is important for a cricketer.”

Michael Clarke has capped off his remarkable first year as Australia’s captain by taking home his third Allan Border Medal

Brydon Coverdale27-Feb-2012Michael Clarke has capped off his remarkable first year as Australia’s captain by taking home his third Allan Border Medal. Clarke was also named Test Player of the Year and in a fitting double for Australia’s new leadership team, his vice-captain Shane Watson won the ODI and Twenty20 international titles.Clarke finished the medal count with 231 votes, a clear winner from the second-placed Michael Hussey on 174 votes while Watson, who had won the past two Allan Border Medals, was third on 166. Clarke first claimed the medal in 2005 and in 2009 he tied for the award with Ricky Ponting, and again this year they could hardly be split in the Test arena.It was a terrific year for Clarke in Test cricket – he scored 1167 runs at 68.64 during the voting period, more than half of which came when he led from the front against India. He and Ponting both finished on nine votes, a tie that seemed appropriate after their two triple-century partnerships against India this summer, and Clarke won the Test award on a countback after securing more three-vote games than Ponting.Clarke took over the captaincy from Ponting after the World Cup last year and the extra responsibility brought out the best in him. He scored a century in each of the four Test series Australia player over the past year and was the team’s leading scorer in three of those series, against South Africa, New Zealand and India.He saved his best for the home summer against the Indians. Clarke’s unbeaten 329 at the SCG was the fourth highest score by an Australian player in a Test, behind Matthew Hayden’s 380, Mark Taylor’s 334 not out, and Don Bradman’s 334. When he followed that with 210 at Adelaide Oval to help his team complete a clean-sweep, Clarke became the first captain ever to score a double-hundred and a triple-century in one Test series.His captaincy did not officially figure in the votes, but Clarke’s leadership over the year was also impressive, and he is yet to lose a series as Australia’s skipper. His vice-captain also won both his awards after countbacks, taking the one-day prize ahead of Clarke and the T20 title over the newcomer Matthew Wade.Watson’s long injury lay-off – he missed almost the whole Australian summer due to hamstring and calf problems – did not hamper his chances in the 50-over format. He polled strongly enough in the World Cup and Australia’s tours of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa to secure 19 votes, and won the award by virtue of having more three-vote games than Clarke, who also finished on 19.The fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who might struggle to regain his position when he recovers from a long-term foot injury, came third with 17 votes. Watson was second to Clarke on Australia’s run tally during the voting period with 833 runs at 55.53, and he also collected 11 wickets.He was Player of the Series during the three-match tour of Bangladesh last April, a series in which he scored an unbeaten 185, the highest score ever by an Australian in an ODI. The prize makes it a hat-trick of one-day awards for Watson, who also won in 2010 and 2011, while Clarke has never taken home the ODI prize but has won the Test award and Allan Border Medal in past years.In the T20 category, Watson pipped Wade in a countback despite playing only half the matches in the voting period. Watson was Australia’s leading run scorer during the voting period and took home the award that was first handed out last year, when David Hussey was the inaugural recipient.Watson and Wade each finished with five votes and could not be split on a countback of who had scored the most three-vote games. According to the voting rules, that meant a second countback was required, in which each player was awarded points based on their runs, wickets, catches and run-out assists.Watson scored 119 runs compared to Wade’s 115 during the voting period, which ran from February 6, 2011 until February 24 this year. Watson also collected two wickets and took two catches, while Wade claimed one catch and one run-out assist, leaving him on 135 performance points compared to Watson’s 179.Next in line were David Warner, James Pattinson, John Hastings and Aaron Finch, who finished with three votes each. Australia played six matches during the voting period: two in Sri Lanka in August, two in South Africa in October and two at home against India earlier this month.

Jesse Ryder put behind his recent running woes and twitter travails to rattle a 82-ball hundred, and set up a consolation win for New Zealand

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar04-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe smile was back on Jesse Ryder’s face, while the fury was directed at Pakistan’s bowling•AFP

Jesse Ryder overcame his recent running woes and twitter travails to rattle an 82-ball hundred, and set up a consolation win, as Pakistan went a touch overboard with dead-rubber experimentation. Ryder’s belligerence set up a solid base for New Zealand, before Pakistan’s questionable choice of slog-over bowlers allowed Nathan McCullum and Scott Styris plunder 72 off the last five. It left Pakistan chasing 312, a target that proved too steep despite a couple of brief flutters.Ryder had been chastised earlier in the week for expressing his anger through a tweet following his run-out in a domestic game, but today he focused his fury on the opposition. Pakistan’s fast-bowling machinery has worked in perfect synchrony through the series, with the exception of Sohail Tanvir, and the trend continued today.Tanvir’s first four overs yielded 25, in addition to accounting for Brendon McCullum, but Ryder spanked him out of the attack with three bombastic sixes in his fifth. Tanvir over-pitched, Ryder went down on a knee to jab him beyond square leg; he dropped short and Ryder pulled over wide long-on. Tanvir then landed a slower ball on a length, and it was smoked down the ground. The template had been set for the innings: every time New Zealand needed release, they ran into Tanvir’s inviting lengths and friendly pace, which they duly plundered for 78 runs in eight overs of mayhem.The rest of the cast fared only marginally better. Mohammad Hafeez was driven inside out for a four and a six in the bowling Powerplay. Ryder raced past fifty by dragging Umar Gul to midwicket, and then cracked him square and hooked him beyond fine-leg. Martin Guptill held his own at the other end, focussing on feeding Ryder with the strike in a stand worth 123.With the field restrictions lifted, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq reined New Zealand in. From 108 for 1 in the 16th over, New Zealand could add only 33 in 9.3 overs before Guptill holed out. Razzaq promptly threw another punch, getting Ross Taylor to nick a subtle legcutter behind.A niggle forced Ryder to ask for a runner, but he ensured Brendon did not have much running to do, heaving Razzaq over fine leg, and swiping Shoaib Akhtar in the same direction. He brought up his ton with a glance in the 33rd over. However, with his mobility clearly hampered by the injury, he targeted the boundary exclusively, and was caught in the deep.Wary of their longish tail, New Zealand chose to conserve resources for the late surge. Tanvir’s return in the 43rd over signalled the end of the ceasefire, as Nathan tickled him to fine leg, before dumping Hafeez over long-on. Styris gorged as well, threading Tanvir through the covers as New Zealand warmed up for a tumultuous finish.Gul was looted for a six and a four in the 46th over – the first of the final Powerplay – and Nathan played the field smartly to carve boundaries over the infield off Afridi in the 47th. After fluffing a straightforward run-out chance earlier, and conceding 14 runs in his over, Afridi pressed Tanvir and Hafeez into operation. The result – Styris and Nathan plundered nine fours and three sixes and breezed to half-centuries as the innings ended in a blaze of big hits.Pakistan’s chase began with the same lack of intensity that characterised their bowling. Ahmed Shehzad survived after edging a Kyle Mills outswinger in the first over of the innings, but combusted in his next over, top-edging an ambitious pull. Hafeez was beginning to look ominous when he clipped Hamish Bennett straight to deep square-leg. Younis Khan struggled against the impressive Bennett, who got a delivery to thud into his box, cracking his protector and leaving him gasping. Younis eventually edged Bennett behind, Brendon taking a diving catch to his right.Kamran Akmal chose to knuckle down against seam and wait for the weaker bowlers. It was a good plan, since New Zealand were playing Luke Woodcock and Nathan on a pitch that didn’t aid spin. Having moved to 26 off 39 balls by the 18th over, Kamran sped to his half-century with aggressive hits against the spinners.The game changed when Asad Shafiq exited to a needless mix-up, after a stand of 74. Kamran kept attacking, launching Styris for his third six, but James Franklin removed him and Umar Akmal in an energetic spell as the chase sputtered. Afridi displayed rare restraint, while Tanvir slugged a few blows to keep Pakistan interested. They added 58 for the eight wicket and, with a batting Powerplay to come, New Zealand were becoming anxious for a wicket.It came in freak fashion, as Tim Southee ran down the track on his follow-through to catch Tanvir short of the crease, with his bat getting stuck in the turf before he could slide it in. It was the sort of moment that had eluded New Zealand through the series, and when it came it was greeted with relief.

Chris Gayle has been dismissed four times by Doug Bollinger this season and admits the left-arm fast man has his number

Cricinfo staff10-Feb-2010Chris Gayle has been dismissed four times by Doug Bollinger this season and admits the left-arm fast man has his number. Gayle, the West Indies captain, didn’t know who Bollinger was before the second Test in December, but has learned quickly and is still trying to find a way to deal with him.Gayle was lbw first ball in Adelaide on Tuesday as Australia raced to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. “He has my measure, definitely,” Gayle said in the Advertiser. “There is no doubt about that.”Despite his troubles, Gayle is looking forward to his next contest with Bollinger at the SCG in the third match on Friday. “These things are good for the game,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a good start in Sydney and we don’t expose our middle order again.”The Australians have talked about cramping Gayle for room and the move has been successful, with the batsman scoring seven runs in the opening two fixtures. Bollinger’s plan in Adelaide revolved around bowling as straight as possible.”It was great to get Chris Gayle again,” Bollinger said. “If he wants to be my bunny he can. I’ll be happy to get him again.”The West Indians currently need much more than a firing Gayle if they are to overcome the Australians in any of the final three matches. Interest in the series is dwindling and only 8358 spectators turned up in Adelaide in a record low attendance there for an ODI.”We can still win 3-2,” Gayle said. “If we can get to 2-1, we can get things happening for us. We need to make it more interesting so you can get some more ticket sales.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Avaí eliminou o Fluminense pela Copa do Brasil, nesta quinta-feira, após vencer por 1 a 0 a equipe Tricolor. O técnico Claudinei Oliveira comentou da classificação do time e elogiou partida do Leão diante da equipe de Abel Braga.

– Feliz pela classificação, foi difícil. Enfrentamos um gigante do futebol brasileiro, um grande treinador e conseguir vencer os dois jogos. Estou satisfeito – disse o técnico.

Claudinei Oliveira comentou da boa marcação feita pelo Avaí, que inibiu o ataque do Fluminense. O treinador, ainda tem esperança de enfrentar um time grande na próxima fase da Copa do Brasil.

– Encaixamos a marcação no segundo tempo, conseguimos o gol e ampliar a vantagem. Agora, é esperar o sorteio e pegar um dos grandes, pois são partidas boa de jogar – disse o treinador.

Com a classificação para a quarta fase da Copa do Brasil, o Avaí embolsa mais R$ 1,8 milhões. O adversário do Leão da Ilha será decidido por sorteio.

RelacionadasAvaíJoão Paulo comemora classificação do Avaí para quarta fase da Copa BRAvaí15/03/2018

تحدث وليد الركراكي المدير الفني لمنتخب المغرب، عن مواجهة كندا الحاسمة، بدور المجموعات في بطولة كأس العالم، قطر 2022.

ويلاقي المنتخب المغربي نظيره الكندي، غدًا الخميس، في تمام الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، السادسة بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، في لقاء الجولة الأخيرة من دور المجموعات، والتي يحتاج فيها أسود الأطلس للفوز من أجل التأهل لدور الـ 16.

وقال الركراكي في تصريحاته بالمؤتمر الصحفي: “دخلنا في وتيرة اللعب وكل اللاعبين يقومون بدورهم، وإنجاز السنغال والتأهل يدفعنا للأمام”.

وتابع: “قبل مجيئنا إلى هنا، درسنا مع الجهاز المساعد ما إذا كان بإمكننا أن نحضر عائلاتنا أم لا على غرار تجربة عام 2018”.

وأضاف: “هناك بعض اللاعبين لديهم أطفال ويحبون أن يشعروا بتواجدهم مع أبائهم، أظن إننا نجحنا في هذا الأمر، بالفعل ليس من السهل أن تكون كل الأمور جيدة وحين تنهزم يقولون لماذا أحضروا العائلات”.

وواصل: “أنا من أتحمل مسؤولية حضور العائلات، ونحن حاليا سعداء بهذا، والتقينا بهم بعد المباراة أمام بلجيكا، حاليا نحن في أعلى تركيز وهذا شيء عادي وليس هناك أي إزعاج، روح العائلة نريدها أيضا في الملعب وهذا ما يحدث حاليا”.

وبسؤله عن ياسين بونو حارس مرمى الأسود بعد طلب مغادرة المباراة الماضية أمام بلجيكا قبل انطلاقها لشعوره بدوار، قال الركراكي: “بونو في صحة جيدة، حدث خلل بسيط، ولا نريد أن نقف عند هذا الأمر”.

طالع أيضًا | ياسين بونو يوضح تفاصيل إصابته قبل دقائق من مباراة المغرب وبلجيكا في كأس العالم

وأوضح: “كما قلت لم يستطع أن يلعب ولم يلعب، ومنير المحمدي دخل مكانه وقدم عملًا رائعًا، وذلك رفع من معناوياتنا، وبالنسبة لياسين، اليوم التالي للمباراة أصبح أفضل، وسيبقى رقم واحد، وسيظل واحدا من بين قائدي المنتخب، الأهم هو أنه جاهز لمباراة يوم غد”.

وعن تراكم البطاقات الصفراء عند اللاعبين، علق الركراكي: “لا يجب أن نفكر في البطاقات الصفراء لأن ذلك سيسقطنا في الأخطاء، لدينا 26 لاعبًا، وأي عنصر سيغيب يمكن تعويضه، أي لاعب سيدخل مكان زميله سيقوم بنفس العمل، وإذا فكرنا في البطاقات سنقوم بالأخطاء”.

وأردف: “كل شيء مُجهز بشكل جيد حتى يكون اللاعبون في مستوى عال، ويقدمون أقصى ما لديهم، لأن التأهل سيدخلنا التاريخ”.

وعن تغييراته في مباراة بلجيكا: “أخطأت في العديد من المناسبات في التغييرات، لكن نجحت في هذه المباراة، ولو لم أكن موفقًا بها لاغتالني 80% من الشعب المغربي لأنني أخرجت سفيان بوفال، وهذه المخاطرة هي التي جعلتنا نُكافأ في آخر المطاف”.

Scorecard
Paul Stirling smashed a career-best 177 off 134 deliveries•Getty Images

Paul Stirling, the 20-year-old Ireland opener, played the innings of his life, smashing 177 from 134 deliveries to set up an easy win over Canada and tie the two-match ODI series in Toronto.Put in to bat, Ireland were given a strong start by Stirling and Andre Botha who added 91 in 12.4 overs. Stirling began hitting out in the third over, lofting and driving Harvir Baidwan for fours. He took medium-pacer Khurram Chohan’s fourth over for 14 runs, smashing him over long-on for six and then pulling and steering him for consecutive fours. He reached his fifty off 38 balls in the 12th over, guiding Balaji Rao behind point for four. Botha was dismissed in the next over for 28 and Canada managed to briefly rein in the scoring.Andrew Poynter and Stirling added 73 in 18.2 overs and by the time Poynter was dismissed, Stirling had moved to 96 off 90. A single off Chohan in the 34th over brought up his maiden List A hundred off 97 balls.Stirling warmed up for the Batting Powerplay by taking 14 runs in an over off left-arm spinner Parth Desai. Fifty-three runs came in the Powerplay, 38 of those from Stirling. Desai, who had bowled well in taking 1 for 31 in seven overs, went for 46 runs in his next three. With Stirling on 174 at the end of the 44th over, Sachin Tendulkar’s record ODI score was in some danger. However, Stirling hit a Baidwan full toss straight to point in the 45th over, after having struck 21 fours and five sixes. John Mooney’s late hitting took Ireland to an imposing 325.Canada rarely looked like keeping up with the asking rate, especially after being reduced to 34 for 2 in the eighth over. Despite a 79-run third-wicket stand between Ruvindu Gunasekera and captain Ashish Bagai, the run-rate hovered around five throughout the innings. Gunasekera top-scored again with 59 off 60 but he fell in the 24th over. Bagai followed in the 30th to make it 142 for 5, after which Canada needed a miracle.It wasn’t happening though, as offspinner Albert van der Merwe came up with a career-best performance of 5 for 49 and Canada were bowled out in the 47th over. Stirling was the deserving Player of the Match.

Kevin Campbell has now shared a concern that he has about Aaron Ramsey after Glasgow Rangers revealed some injury news on the midfielder.

The Lowdown: Minor knock

As confirmed by the Ibrox faithful, Ramsey missed their 1-1 draw away at Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend as he had a minor knock.

The Wales international also missed a recent bounce match against Premier League club Brentford, which resulted in a 2-2 draw.

With a big second leg against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Europa League coming up on Thursday night, and the Teddy Bears leading 4-2 from the reverse fixture, Giovanni van Bronckhorst will now be sweating over Ramsey’s fitness ahead of the clash.

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Everton and Arsenal striker Campbell, who regularly features on Sky Sports, has since raised his concern with Ramsey due to his history with injuries:

“His injury record is always a worry, a problem.

“That was the gamble for Rangers. When a player starts to get into his 30s it takes them longer to recover. It doesn’t look good for Ramsey.

“It is only a loan until the end of the season though so Rangers haven’t invested loads of money.

“It’s important to remember injuries can happen to anyone though. It just feels doubly difficult when it’s a player of Ramsey’s quality and history of injuries.”

The Verdict: Worrying

Given his injury record, and the fact that he is not getting any younger at 31, it is always worrying when Ramsey has even the slightest of niggles.

The Light Blues will no doubt be hoping that he is fit enough to play a part against Dortmund, a team that he has won four times and scored against, and they can really use all of his European experience to help them get over the line.

Nonetheless, Ramsey himself will be looking to prove his fitness while out on loan from Juventus, so that he can potentially secure a move away in the summer.

In other news, find out ‘massive’ Gers news Alan Hutton has reacted to here!