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Wolverhampton Wanderers are flying high in the Premier League at the moment, but thoughts will soon begin to turn towards the summer transfer window.

Gary O’Neil has enjoyed a solid debut campaign managing the Old Gold and if they secure a top half finish in the top flight, he could attract some talented players.

Wolves transfer news

O’Neil will have to wait until the end of the season to see just how much money he will have to spend during the summer, but he may have to move on a few players in order to raise some funds.

Bolstering his defence could be one of his main priorities. Will this lead him to perhaps reignite a move for a Brazilian defender?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Fabricio Bruno is reportedly open to a move to Europe this summer, with Flamengo valuing the centre-back at as much as €15m (£13m) following some solid performances.

Romano goes on to state that Wolves, along with Atalanta and Nottingham Forest all approached him in 2023 regarding a potential move, but nothing ever materialised.

Wolves have the ninth-best defensive record in the top flight, conceding 44 goals so far, but improvement can always be made. Craig Dawson also does not have long left at the top, suggesting that Bruno could be an ideal replacement.

Fabricio Bruno’s statistics for Flamengo

Dawson has started 25 league matches this season, emerging as a key member of O’Neil’s side, but his contract is due to expire in 2025, and it is clear some new blood is required at the heart of the defence.

Throughout 2023, Bruno played a staggering 64 matches for Flamengo, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists, proving to be a reliable member of the first-team squad.

Fabricio Bruno's league stats in 2023 for Flamengo
Accurate passes per game	58.7
Total duels won per game	3.4
Tackles per game	1.4
Interceptions per game	0.7
Clearances per game	4.2
Via Sofascore

In the Brazilian top flight, Bruno ranked third among his teammates with regard to overall Sofascore rating (7.12), along with ranking first for accurate passes per game (58.7) and accurate long balls per game (4.2), demonstrating his wonderful passing ability.

His ability to bring the ball out from the defence could also be key for O’Neil going forward. When compared to his positional peers, Bruno ranks in the top 5% for progressive passes per 90 (5.91) in the men’s next 14 competitions, suggesting he is a forward-thinking defender with an eye for a pass.

Dawson, on the other hand, currently ranks in the bottom 19% for progressive passes per 90 (2.35) when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, and it clearly shows he is more of an old-school centre-back, preferring to use his physical strength rather than play the ball forward on a regular basis.

There are merits for both a combative defender and one who plays out from the back and thinks of advancing the ball, but with O’Neil looking to push his side to the next level, making a move for the 6 foot 3 Brazilian this summer could be a wise one.

Dawson may have another year left in him, but there is no doubt Bruno – who has been dubbed a "colossus" by insider All Things Brazil – could be a wonderful replacement for the Englishman.

Wolves leading the race to sign dream Hwang rival in “clinical” star

The 27-year-old striker would be a brilliant addition to the Wolves squad.

By
Tom Lever

Mar 27, 2024

Julian Alvarez has insisted he did not say "anything bad" after Pep Guardiola's blunt response on the Manchester City forward's future.

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• Alvarez suggested he'd consider Man City future
• Guardiola gave blunt response to those remarks
• Argentine insists he didn't say "anything bad"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The striker, who has been linked with a City exit this summer, said he needed to reflect on his future after admitting it wasn't "pleasant" to be left out of some "important games" last season. That led manager Guardiola to give a somewhat cutting response, with the Spaniard saying, "Think about it". Now, the 24-year-old has responded while he is representing Argentina at the Paris Olympics.

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  WHAT JULIAN ALVAREZ SAID

  He told : "I heard what Guardiola said. I don't have much to say about it. I never said anything bad. I just said that I was going to think about it like I do every season to make an analysis of what happened last season, a projection of what may come. I always say that I am comfortable and happy at City, which is a great club. So I didn't say anything bad."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alvarez joined City in January 2022 for a fee in the region of £14 million ($18m) and while he has scored 36 goals in 103 games, the former River Plate star has had to play second fiddle to Erling Haaland in attack. Incidentally, whenever a player has crossed Guardiola in his managerial career, they tend to head for the exit. It remains to be seen what will happen to the forward, who reportedly has a price tag of £77m ($98.8m).

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Alvarez has helped his Argentina side reach the quarter-finals of the Olympics, where they will face hosts France on August 2. It is not yet certain if he will be a City player when the new season begins in just over two weeks.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has apparently told an 18-year-old he'll be given a chance to prove himself at Spurs, on one condition.

Postecoglou pleads for Spurs academy improvement as he sets ambitious goal

The Lilywhites head coach has spoken about the importance of N17's production line, and how he wants the academy to greatly improve.

Ex-Tottenham employee says 18-goal forward could be tempted to join Ange

He’s been called his division’s standout player.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2024

Tottenham have produced some standout talents over the years, not least the likes of Harry Kane, who went on to become the club's all-time record goalscorer before he departed for Bayern Munich last year.

More recently, Alfie Dorrington, Jamie Donley and Mikey Moore have all been tipped for potentially big futures, but Postecoglou has been adamant that Spurs have a lot of work to do when it comes to nurturing young stars for the future.

"I think we've got a lot of work to do in our academy and Simon Davies is certainly one that is putting a lot of emphasis and priority there," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's production line.

Newcastle (away)

April 13th

Arsenal (home)

April 28th

Chelsea (away)

May 2nd

Liverpool (away)

May 5th

Burnley (home)

May 11th

"I don't think we have the production line other top clubs have, certainly not. Even currently that’s why we’re investing in some younger players, even for the first team. For us as a football club that's definitely the way forward.

"My brief at the moment is still very much around the first team and building a first team and you can do that while giving opportunities to young players. If anything I think for sustainable success it's the best way to go because the team grows together when it's guys of similar ages as long as you've got good experience around them."

Postecoglou also wants Tottenham to become a hot spot for young talent, and they've made real headway in that regard recently. Spurs beat Barcelona in the race to sign Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall in January, and the 18-year-old will link up with them this summer after a loan spell at Djurgardens IF.

Postecoglou makes Bergvall a game-time promise at Tottenham

Now, Djurgardens official Peter Kisfaludy has shared some details as to why Bergvall chose north London over the Camp Nou.

He refutes claims that it was down to money and interestingly lifts the lid on a conversation between Postecoglou and the teenager. Indeed, Kisfaludy says Postecoglou has promised Bergvall game time at Spurs, on the condition he works hard.

“He has taken everything very well," said Kisfaludy to Aftonbladet (via Sport Witness).

"There has been so much rubbish on social media that he would have chosen Tottenham for the money. The contracts with Barcelona and Tottenham were fully negotiated. Both for his own part and between the clubs, so that he could choose.”

“He got a better feeling and that is not so strange. When the coach Ange Postecoglou sits down with him and says that he loves young players and that he will get the chance there if he works hard. Compare that to Barcelona, where you didn’t even know who was going to coach the team.”

England head coach candidate switches focus to leading Welsh Fire in the Hundred

George Dobell21-Oct-2019Gary Kirsten has confirmed he would “love to get back into international cricket” despite missing out on the role of England head coach.While Kirsten said he was “not bothered” by having failed to win the England role, he insisted he was prepared to endure the months on the road that are inherent with international coaching and said he would have accepted the job had it been offered.Kirsten was seen as favourite for the England job once Alec Stewart pulled out of the reckoning. He has enjoyed successful spells as coach of India and South Africa and, having initially said he would only consider the position in one format of the game (either red- or white-ball coach, but not both), then reconsidered and made himself available for the entire role.But he is believed to have underwhelmed in his interview. As well as demonstrating comparatively little knowledge of England’s current team, he seems to have expressed some trepidation towards the side’s relentless schedule. And while he is adamant he was keen on the job, he admitted he was apprehensive about the time he would have been required to spend away from home.Former South African opening batsman Gary Kirsten is named as head coach of Welsh Fire for the Hundred•Getty Images

“I wouldn’t have flown across the world if my heart wasn’t in the job,” Kirsten told ESPNcricinfo. “It would have been a great opportunity. I’ve always wanted to be involved in English cricket. But it is hectic, without a doubt. It means you are probably away from home for 250 days a year.”My kids are little and I placed a huge importance on being able to see them as regularly as I could. But I discussed it with my wife, we’ve done it before with India so we know the space, and we said ‘we’ll make it work if we can’. They [the ECB] said they were going to create [some space for time off in the schedule].”I’m not bothered by the decision. Everyone makes the call they need to. It’s great to be part of the Hundred, actually. I was going to lose that if I got the England job. This will be exciting.”Despite his enthusiasm for the Hundred, where he will coach Welsh Fire, Kirsten hinted he may pursue more international coaching roles in the future.”I’d love to get back into international cricket,” he said. “I’ve been out of international cricket for six years. I only came over to England because I was excited by the opportunity. I would have accepted the job.”

Having enjoyed a solid, if not consistent, first season in charge, Ange Postecoglou could make his mark at Tottenham Hotspur once again this summer to welcome a La Liga star who has received plenty of attention.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites have already reportedly turned their attention towards summer reinforcements, with the likes of Pedro Neto and Kevin Denkey among those currently stealing the headline. Neto has starred for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season and the fact that he's already Premier League proven instantly makes him an ideal option for all those in North London.

Tottenham now building towards move to sign new "leader" for Ange

The Lilywhites have already scouted the midfielder.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 2, 2024

Denkey, meanwhile, would finally fill the goalscoring void left behind by Harry Kane, who left to join Bayern Munich last summer. The Cercle Brugge forward has enjoyed an outstanding campaign, making interest from Spurs little surprise. That said, however, it's not just his attacking options that Postecoglou is looking to improve.

Having already welcomed Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario and Radu Dragusin to boost their backline in the last year, Spurs have now been tipped to pursue a La Liga star who has already attracted plenty of interest ahead of a potential summer move. The Lilywhites will simply hope to stand out amongst the crowd.

That star, of course, is Miguel Gutierrez. According to reports in Spain, Spurs are eyeing a move to sign Gutierrez after his excellent season for surprise title challengers Girona. As mentioned, the Lilywhites aren't the only club interested, however. If they want to sign the 22-year-old, then they will reportedly have to fend off interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United and even North London rivals Arsenal.

Daniel Levy hasn't been afraid to back Postecoglou since the Australian's arrival last summer and could once again splash the cash in the next transfer window to finally put Spurs back on course to finish inside the Premier League's top four.

"Brilliant" Gutierrez could compete with Udogie

As good as Destiny Udogie has been this season, Spurs would be getting direct competition in Gutierrez if they managed to secure a deal for the left-back this summer. Gutierrez's stats show just how good he's been for Girona in the current campaign.

Goals

1

2

Assists

4

3

Progressive Carries

102

116

Progressive Passes

55

64

Interceptions

17

28

The Athletic's Thom Harris will certainly be keeping a close eye on Gutierrez this summer, whoever secures his signature, having sung the left-back's praises earlier this season. Harris posted on X:

Looking to get one over on Arsenal off the pitch, Spurs could land an impressive addition to Postecoglou's squad. As the summer transfer window arrives, Gutierrez will be one to watch out for, whether he stays at Girona or, indeed, chooses a move to the Premier League.

يلتقي الفريق الأول لكرة اليد بنادي الأهلي، اليوم الأحد، بنظيره سي إڤ جي الكونغولي، ضمن منافسات بطولة إفريقيا للأندية لكرة اليد.

ويواجه الأهلي، فريق سي إف جي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من بطولة إفريقيا للأندية المقامة في مدينة العيون المغربية.

وتقام بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد، في المغرب من 8 إلى 20 أكتوبر الجاري‎، بمشاركة 16 فريقًا مقسمة على 4 مجموعات، ويأتي على رأس الأندية المشاركة ناديي الأهلي والزمالك.

طالع..الكشف عن موعد مباراة الأهلي والأهلي السعودي في حفل اعتزال خالد مسعد

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى مع النجم الكونغولي وميكال الإثيوبي وسي إف جي الكونغولي، بينما الزمالك في المجموعة الثالثة مع منتدى المغربي وفرند شيب الكاميروني وكيركوس الإثيوبي.

وكان الأهلي، قد افتتح مشواره بالبطولة بفوز كبير على ميكيل الإثيوبي بنتيجة 67-11، في الجولة الأولى.

ويضم فريق رجال يد الأهلي كلًا من: إبراهيم المصري- أحمد عادل- ياسر سيف- أحمد خيري- سيف هاني- عبد الرحمن ‏فيصل- محسن رمضان- محمد لاشين- عمر خالد “كاستيلو”- عمر سامي- محمد مجدي- نبيل شريف- عبد العزيز إيهاب “زيزو”- ‏راضي محمد- محمد صلاح- عبد الرحمن حميد- عبد الرحمن طه – محمد إبراهيم.‏ موعد مباراة الأهلي وسي إف جي الكونغولي اليوم في بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد

تقام مباراة الأهلي وسي إف جي الكونغولي، اليوم الأحد 12 أكتوبر، في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وسي إف جي الكونغولي في بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد

تنقل مباراة الأهلي وسي إف جي الكونغولي، عبر الصفحة الرسمية للاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة اليد على “فيس بوك”. طالع الصفحة من هنا، وأيضًا على قناة الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة اليد على “يوتيوب” طالع القناة من هنا.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

India are gearing up to announce their next head coach. Former captain Kapil Dev and his Cricket Advisory Committee made up of former coach Anshuman Gaekwad and former women’s captain Shanta Rangaswamy are conducting meetings with the candidates and are expected to make a final call on Friday evening. ESPNcricinfo understands that the shortlist shrunk from six candidates to five on Friday, with Phil Simmons pulling out of the race.Of the candidates appearing in front of the CAC, Shastri, who is in the West Indies with the India squad, was the last to take his interview. Here’s a quick look at everyone still in the running.Ravi ShastriThe incumbent and the favourite. Shastri has been on the job since the end of the Champions Trophy in 2017 and received strong and public endorsement three weeks ago when India’s captain Virat Kohli backed him to keep the job. India were ranked No. 1 in Tests and ODIs at various times during Shastri’s last tenure, made it to the World Cup semi-final and beat Australia in Australia for the first time in Test history.Mike HessonThe strategist. You might have noticed him on cricket broadcasts explaining how teams could go about getting players like Kane Williamson out. Well, imagine that info going directly to the Indian dressing room. Hesson coached New Zealand to the World Cup final in 2015 and is widely considered to be quite astute at reading conditions and helping his players adapt to them. New Zealand showed that during the World T20 in 2016 when they went into their opening game on a rank turner without their two best bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee and bowled India out for 79.Tom MoodyThe franchise heavyweight. Moody’s been everywhere. He led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first IPL title in 2016. He’s been with Rangpur Riders in Bangladesh, Multan Sultans in Pakistan, Melbourne Renegades in Australia (as director of cricket) and has been sought after in international cricket as well. He was coach of Sri Lanka for a while and was in line to take charge of England before losing out to Trevor Bayliss.Robin SinghFour-time IPL champion. He’s been with Mumbai Indians for nearly a decade and that trophy cabinet keeps getting bigger. Robin has also worked with the Indian team previously – he was the fielding coach when they won the inaugural World T20 in 2007. Outside of that he’s had stints with India’s Under-19 and A teams, the Hong Kong national team, USA’s women’s team, CPL side Barbados Tridents and domestic teams in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.Lalchand RajputThe outsider. But, he was India’s manager when they went on that fairytale run in the 2007 World T20 followed by the tri-series win in Australia. As a player, he was one of those opening batsmen that was very hard to get out. And as a coach, he’s had brief stints with Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and India A.

****

The Kapil-led CAC was formed after the previous panel, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, had to be disbanded owing to the BCCI Ethics Officer finding the last two subject to conflicts of interest under the new constitution of the board. Incidentally, a conflict complaint has been lodged against all three members of the Kapil-led CAC with the BCCI’s ethics officer DK Jain yet to give a verdict.In fact, the former India women captain, Diana Edulji, who sits on the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), the supervisory authority of the BCCI, was against the formation of the Kapil-led CAC saying the CoA did not have the powers to appoint the ad-hoc panel. However, her two other CoA colleagues, Vinod Rai and Ravindra Thodge, approved the Kapil-led CAC even though Jain has not yet given his clearance.GMT 1055 The article was updated with the news of Simmons pulling out.

Cesc Fabregas is reportedly working behind the scenes to lure Alexis Sanchez and Loris Karius to Como as they gear up for a return to Serie A.

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• Fabregas to lead Como in Serie A
• Wants to sign free agents Sanchez and Karius
• Are also looking to strengthen in defence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After 21 years away from Italy's top-flight football, Como are gearing up for a triumphant return to Serie A. This significant achievement has prompted an aggressive strategy in the transfer market to ensure the team can compete at the highest level. Leading this ambitious project is Fabregas, recently promoted to sole coach after successfully guiding the team to promotion alongside Osian Roberts.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to , among the notable names being considered for the offensive lineup is Alexis Sanchez. The 35-year-old Chilean striker is currently a free agent after his contract with Inter expired. Despite limited playing time this season – only 750 minutes across six starts – Sanchez is eager to reignite his career and could be open to a move to Como. At Inter, he earned a net salary of €2.8 million, a figure that exceeds Como's budgetary constraints. For the move to materialise, Sanchez would need to agree to a significant salary reduction. In addition to Sanchez, Como is exploring various other options to strengthen their squad including the likes of Mauro Icardi, Joaquin Correa, Andrea Pinamonti and Andrea Belotti.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The goalkeeping position is another critical area requiring attention. Current discussions revolve around whether to bring in a primary competitor for Croatian goalkeeper Adrian Semper or to secure a reliable second option. Names like Alessio Cragno from Sassuolo (on loan from Monza) and Loris Karius from Newcastle have been mentioned. Karius, in particular, could be a strategic acquisition as it would allow him to be closer to Milan, where his fiancée, Diletta Leotta, and their daughter, Aria Rose, live.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  For the midfield, Fabregas and Ludi have set their sights on players with expiring contracts who are looking to revive their careers. Stefano Sensi, also from Inter, and Daniel Boloca from Sassuolo are potential targets. Whereas, in defence, Como are interested in players like Gian Marco Ferrari from Sassuolo and Alberto Dossena from Cagliari.

  Fabregas’ vision for Como extends beyond mere survival in Serie A. The former Barcelona and Chelsea star is committed to building a competitive team capable of making a significant impact. His approach involves a blend of experienced veterans like Sanchez and young talents looking for a platform to prove themselves.

Why can’t the opener replicate his IPL form at the World Cup? Trickier pitches and better bowling attacks, says Aaron Finch

Sidharth Monga in Taunton11-Jun-2019David Warner is a meme in Pakistan now. His face has been superimposed on the face of a model selling a washing powder, and issuing an open challenge to other competitors. The text explanation makes it clear that this is Warner’s battle cry against Imam-ul-Haq’s claims to be the slowest left-hand opener in the Wold Cup.At any rate, Imam is now using Warner’s slow and cautious starts to vindicate his style: 350 in a World Cup is greater than 350 in a bilateral series, Imam tells ESPNcricinfo. The pitches are slightly more difficult, he says. See, even Warner is taking his time, he points out.Indeed, among those who have played 50 balls in the Powerplay this World Cup, Warner is the slowest, going at a strike rate of a little over 50 in that phase of the innings. Against Afghanistan, he scored his slowest ODI fifty, and against India, he went ahead and relegated that Afghanistan effort to his second-slowest.

He’s still batting beautifully at the moment. He just hasn’t got off to that flow that we’re used toAARON FINCH IS BACKING HIS OPENING PARTNER TO COME GOOD

Except that, unlike with Imam, it is not a team plan because of the grand occasion. Warner is not batting with the mindset of Imam or, say, Rohit Sharma, the second-slowest man on the list. Rohit is, in fact, master of batting this way; his strike rate in the Powerplay this World Cup has been 57, and yet he has an overall strike rate of 83.64. Warner has not been able to kick on after the slow starts, striking at 71.84.Warner’s numbers haven’t gone unnoticed in the Australian team management. After the India game, Ricky Ponting said Warner wasn’t at his absolute best, and that he knows and admits that. Too many shots were hit straight to the fielders, which is the opposite of a batsman in good form.”It’s not a team plan,” Aaron Finch said on the eve of their match against Pakistan in Taunton. “I think the last couple of games, the last game in particular, India bowled really well at the start and he (Warner) hit the field a lot, which as an opening batter, as a top-order player, when the field is in that you do generally face a high percentage of top bowlers. And I suppose when the field went out he still hit them fielders, which didn’t give the innings a huge amount of flow, which I know he was disappointed about.David Warner has failed to get going at the World Cup so far•Getty Images”But at the same time, every evidence suggests he’ll be back to his dangerous best. And when you give good players an opportunity, and might be just a little mindset change with Davey… I’m not sure, I haven’t spoken to him a huge amount about his batting. I know he’s been working a bit with JL [Justin Langer, the coach] and Ricky Ponting [the assistant coach] to just make sure he’s in the right mind frame.”After the first game, Warner admitted his feet were not moving that well. Didn’t we see the same Warner smash it all over in the IPL, though? Finch says there are two differences: pitches and bowling attacks.”Totally different wickets,” Finch said. “You have to remember that Indian wickets are quite low and quite skiddy with the new ball, which allowed him to use his hands and stand really still and hit the gaps. Whereas, there’s been just enough in these wickets first up that it doesn’t allow you to just walk out and hit through the line and blast attacks all over.”And you’re talking about world-class opposition here. You’re not playing a club team where you can find one target and target them really hard. Each team is super strong. So, at times, it’s about taking calculated risks to get your innings and get your momentum in your game. He’s still batting beautifully at the moment. He just hasn’t got off to that flow that we’re used to.”There has been enough rain around to leave enough spice in the pitches to require good footwork to be able to access gaps. By all accounts, Warner hasn’t quite reached there yet, but words such as “mindset” and “calculated risk” make it interesting.Most of the times, for batsmen skilled enough to play international cricket, batting is about managing risk. If a batsman as good as Warner feels there is undue risk in trying to force the pace, the conditions must be that little bit extra challenging or bowling that good.However, on air, Kumar Sangakkara made an interesting observation. He feared this new Warner might be too worried about wanting to succeed. Might be too afraid to get out. It might have been easier for Warner to take risks earlier, he might be erring on the side of caution. That he needs to be freed of that care.Probably this is the mindset change Finch talked about. Perhaps it might be just one innings where he starts finding the gaps and everything falls back in place. And being the batsman that he is, Warner backs himself to be able to do it without taking undue risks.Amid all this, Warner’s struggle and his desperation to hang in and not leave things to chance by using his bat like a swinging door is a reminder of things we, as spoilt fans, can take for granted: how much needs to go right for what comes across as effortless batting to us?

Bangladesh bowling coach Courtney Walsh wants fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman to be given enough time to recover from his ankle injury, and not be used too much during the tri-series in Ireland next month. Walsh suggested that given Mustafizur’s habit of picking up small injuries, he should be geared towards his work for the World Cup, which begins two weeks after the Ireland tour.Speaking after the side’s first training session in Dhaka before leaving for Ireland, Walsh was concerned about the injury worries to some of his pace bowlers. Apart from Mustafizur, Rubel Hossain has a side strain while Mohammad Saifuddin is suffering from a tennis elbow. Even Abu Jayed is said to have picked up a niggle.But it is Mustafizur who has had such an impact in the Bangladesh bowling line-up after the 2015 World Cup and is the biggest concern ahead of the next big event in England.”[Mustafizur] has got a big role to play in the World Cup, once he is fit,” Walsh said. “But I don’t think we rely on any one player. Shakib [Al Hasan], Mash [Mashrafe Mortaza] and Rubel have been consistent. Fizz hasn’t been as sharp since his injury, and he keeps picking up slight niggles. A fully fit Mustafizur can win games for you but we have to have him as fit as possible. We have a bit of time on our side. My concern is that I hope we don’t over-rush him, and probably use him too much in Ireland, and he is not fresh for the World Cup.”Out of the five we have three injured – Fizz, Rubel and Saifuddin, who has the tennis elbow. We need to get them back into bowling, within the right frame of mind, and be sharp enough to do a bit of bowling in Ireland and be ready for the World Cup. We have Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed and Shafiul Islam as well [for back-up]. You can probably say that we have them just in case we need them.”Walsh said that playing the tournament in England, where the pitches are mostly expected to help the batsmen, will require the pace bowlers to not just have skills, but also know when and where to use them. “It will be a big challenge. The World Cup is going to be long tournament,” Walsh said. “There are going to be some good cricket wickets, which are batting-friendly. We have to be intelligent, and try to execute well.”We have to read the conditions and the surfaces we play. Some places the ball might swing more than others. We have to assess when we get there. Most of the wickets will be docile and flat. We have to work on our variations and execution.”Everybody studies one another these days, so they know our strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, we also know theirs. So it is about execution on the day, and try to be smart.”Walsh said that the progress shown by someone like Saifuddin, whose bowling has evidently improved in recent months, had excited him.”He has come along tremendously. He has bowled very well,” Walsh said. “He is a very excitable allrounder. His form in the domestic tournament has been very good. His confidence is quite good. He is keen to do what he is doing. If we can get him fully fit with the tennis elbow being solved, it will be a big plus for us as well.”