Left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner is set to play his first ODI in 10 months. He has recovered from knee surgery and has proved his fitness in the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka and in the Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament. Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham and seam-bowling allrounder Colin de Grandhomme, who were both rested for the ODIs against Sri Lanka, also return to the side for the first three ODIs against India.James Neesham, who was sidelined from the T20I against Sri Lanka with a hamstring strain, and legspinner Todd Astle, who is recovering from a knee injury, were not included in the squad. However, they could be considered for the last two ODIs on January 31 and February 3, after proving their fitness in the ongoing Super Smash.Santner has shown fine form in the T20 tournament, taking seven wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 6.77 in addition to providing Northern Districts the finishing kick with the bat. He has tested out his knee by securing hard-run twos and diving catches in the outfield.Doug Bracewell, who did not play a single ODI against Sri Lanka, was retained in the squad. New Zealand coach Gary Stead said he was impressed with the performances of Bracewell and Santner in the T20I in Auckland. While Bracewell struck 44 off 26 balls and took the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella in a Man-of-the-Match performance, Santner came away with 1 for 27 from three overs.”Our two main priorities have been to select and prepare a squad capable of winning what is shaping as a massive series against India, and gathering as much information as possible ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales,” Stead said. “Tom and Colin are experienced players in this format and will offer quality in their respective roles, and Mitch and Doug showed us what they are capable of during the T20 on Friday night.”Tim Seifert, who kept wicket against Sri Lanka, was left out. Latham will take over the gloves from him. The seam attack has a familiar look with the promise of Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry complementing the experience of Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Santner’s Northern Districts team-mate Ish Sodhi is the other spinner in the side.The five-match series begins with the first ODI in Napier on January 23.Squad for first three ODIs: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

Former Premier League boss Alan Pardew appeared on TalkSPORT this week to question why Ange Postecoglou isn't starting one Tottenham player.

Spurs absentee crisis worsens

Rodrigo Bentancur has been most recently added to the Spurs absentee list in another hammer blow for Postecoglou and Spurs. The Uruguayan fell victim to a reckless challenge from Aston Villa defender Matty Cash during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Unai Emery's side in north London on Sunday, coming after he had only just returned from a lengthy lay-off.

Bentancur joins James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Ashley Phillips and Pape Matar Sarr as the Spurs players either serving supension or injured, with Postecoglou suffering as a result.

Before Tottenham's 4-1 loss to Chelsea at the start of the month, they were enjoying an impressive 10-game unbeaten run which resulted in Postecoglou winning three Manager of the Month awards back-to-back. However, injuries and suspensions to star players since then have resulted in Spurs taking a major downward trajectory.

They've lost three consecutive Premier League games and are enduring their worst run of form since the Antonio Conte era, but their latest defeat to Villa was a pretty unlucky one in all fairness. Spurs created a plethora of openings, and if not for their wastefulness in front of goal, the outcome could've been very different.

One player who didn't take part was Eric Dier, with Emerson Royal and Ben Davies preferred as Postecoglou's starting centre-back pair.

Pardew suggests Ange needs to start Dier

The Englishman, who is out of contract next summer, could well leave Spurs in January as Bayern Munich reportedly plot a "shock" move for Dier. The fact Tottenham opted for Emerson and Davies against Villa perhaps speaks volumes about Postecoglou's fondness for Dier as a starter, but Pardew has questioned why on TalkSPORT.

Indeed, Pardew suggests Ange needs to be starting Dier at Spurs, insisting the 29-year-old has enough quality to make a difference.

“I don’t really know where the Dier thing is actually, because I know he’s made some errors in the past, but he’s a proper player,” he told TalkSPORT.

“He’s of a standard where you’d expect him to get a start at this point. I do know his family and knowing the lad a little bit, I’m sure he’s very, very disappointed.”

Since signing from Sporting Lisbon, Dier has been a regular at Spurs, and was a fixture under Conte. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to suit Postecoglou's aggressive high line.

"What I can tell you is that Eric has improved a lot since I arrived," said Conte on Dier last season. "We are talking about a reliable player, 100 per cent focused in every game. He is not a player who alternates with a big performance then a drop.

"He is providing great continuity in his role and playing every game. I can also tell you he is a really good guy, with great will, desire to work and improve. He knows he has space for improvement and I see every day in his eyes the desire to become stronger, to become a top defender."

Leeds United return to action in the Championship this evening as they travel away from Elland Road to take on Rotherham United across Yorkshire.

The Whites have the opportunity to cut the gap between themselves and the top two to within five points before Ipswich Town and Leicester City play their matches, which could put some added pressure on them before they play.

Daniel Farke's side are currently sat in third place and are eight points away from the automatic promotion places as they eye up an instant return to the Premier League.

Leeds have won their last three Championship matches and now come up against a Millers team that have only won two of their 16 league matches and find themselves within the bottom three of the division.

The Whites come into the game against Rotherham off the back of a 2-1 win over Plymouth, thanks to goals from Joel Piroe and Daniel James, prior to the international break.

Farke may have to make some alterations to his starting XI, though, as there are a number of injury situations to contend with heading into tonight's match.

Latest Leeds injury news

The Whites head coach has revealed that Sam Byram and Pascal Struijk have both returned to training this week, ahead of schedule, and could be involved after further assessment.

Djed Spence, Joe Gelhardt, and Jamie Shackleton are all also back and available for selection after their respective injury issues and could return to the squad.

However, Farke has urged for caution with Spence, who has not featured since the 2nd of September, and this does not suggest that the right-back will be thrown straight into the starting XI.

Leeds do look set for a gigantic blow to their side, though, as Georgino Rutter is said to be a major doubt with an abdominal strain, which has prevented him from training this week.

The former Norwich City tactician backed Patrick Bamford to step up in his absence and FFC have predicted the former England international to lead the line tonight.

"Top class" £70k-p/w star misses out in Leeds predicted lineup vs Rotherham

Leeds can close the gap between them and the automatic promotion places to five points with a victory over Rotherham on Friday night.

By
Tom Griffin

Nov 23, 2023

However, Farke could benefit from being bold and finally unleashing academy starlet Mateo Joseph alongside Piroe in attack ahead of the underperforming senior centre-forward.

Bamford's season in numbers

The 30-year-old marksman has not made the most of his opportunities off the bench so far this season and came into the 2023/24 campaign off the back of a dismal year in the Premier League.

Bamford scored four goals in 28 top-flight matches as Leeds were relegated back down to the Championship, having been managed by Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce.

However, it was not a case of a lack of services coming his way as the former Middlesbrough number nine missed a staggering 13 'big chances' and ended the season with an xG (Expected Goals) of 8.61 in 18 starts.

This term, the English dud has made eight league appearances as a substitute and did not contribute with a single goal or assist for the side in those matches.

Again, the experienced forward, who has lost 67% of his ground duels so far, has not struggled in front of goal due to a lack of opportunities. Bamford has an xG of 1.16 and has missed a penalty – in the 1-0 loss to Stoke City – in those eight games.

This means that the Chelsea academy graduate has scored four goals in his last 36 league outings for the Whites and underperformed his xG by 5.77 in that period.

These woeful statistics do not suggest that Bamford is a reliable performer whom Farke can trust to lead the line effectively against Rotherham this evening, if Rutter is unable to feature.

The left-footed attacker has not shown many, if any, signs of getting back to his best in front of goal and that is why the manager should, instead, take a gamble on a young player – in Joseph – and throw the 20-year-old ace in at the deep end to see if he can swim.

Farke has already showcased his willingness to lean on academy players, as Archie Gray has played 15 Championship matches at the age of 17, and the England U20 international could be the next one to come through the pipeline.

Mateo Joseph's goal record for Leeds

Joseph joined Leeds from Spanish side Espanyol in January of last year and has been in impressive form in English football over the last 21 months or so.

The 5 foot 11 talent, who qualifies to play for England through his father, did not have the best start to life in Yorkshire, though, as he managed two goals and one assist in 11 appearances throughout the 2021/22 campaign for the U18s and U21s combined.

That was followed up with a phenomenal season for the U21s in his first full year with the Whites. The Spanish-born whiz racked up 17 goals and two assists in 24 appearances, which included 16 goals in 21 Premier League 2 outings.

His form was rewarded with 23 minutes of Premier League action across three matches at first-team level, which means that the talented youngster already has some experience of senior football.

Joseph, who has been on the bench twice without featuring in the Championship this season, scored one goal and provided one assist in a Premier League International Cup clash with Hertha BSC II. He has also produced two goals and one assist in two Premier League 2 clashes.

This means that the 20-year-old marksman has plundered 20 goals in 27 U21 matches since the start of last season, compared to Bamford's four goals in 36 league games for Leeds during that period.

The academy starlet's former boss Michael Skubala once hailed him as a "humble" person who is a "threat" for any defence, and the young ace could be a threat to Rotherham's backline if Farke decides to unleash him from the start.

Neither Bamford nor Joseph have the creativity to adequately replace Rutter, who has created a staggering 15 'big chances' for his teammates this season, but the U21s star's goalscoring record suggests that he has the potential to be a better option than the senior centre-forward this evening.

Chase saluted the efforts of his captain after helping to secure an emphatic victory over England in the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2019Roston Chase saluted the efforts of his captain and fellow Bajan Jason Holder, after helping to secure an emphatic victory over England in the first Test. Chase claimed a career-best eight-wicket haul as West Indies wrapped up a crushing win to go 1-0 up in the series, but said there was “no greater feeling” than seeing Holder score his landmark double-hundred on the third day.Holder became only the third man batting at No. 8 or lower to score a Test double-ton, as he and fellow centurion Shane Dowrich kept England toiling in the field, eventually setting them a notional target of 628, or more than six sessions to survive. Holder also claimed two wickets and three catches to be named Man of the Match in front of his home crowd.”Jason is a legend in my eyes, a long-time friend, I believe in him and he believes in himself on the field,” Chase said. “Could have been no greater feeling than to see him do that double-hundred yesterday. I thought he was going to give it away for a bit but he really showed the true character that he is, so I’m really happy for him and for my friend Shane Dowrich, who came through for the team.”While England made a decent start to their rearguard, with an opening stand of 85 between Keaton Jennings and Rory Burns, the floodgates opened late in the afternoon session. Having already bowled Burns, for 84, Chase removed Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali in quick succession, before rounding up the tail after tea.”Looking at the wicket, I always thought I would come into play in the second innings,” he said. “The quicks set it up for us in the first innings and Mushy [bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed] told me I’m going to have to bowl 25 overs in the second innings, to get my mind ready for it, so I was always prepared to do some work, to give the pacers a rest. I started to pick up some wickets and it went from there.”I just tried to be consistent and land it my areas, despite what the batsmen were doing, put some revs on the ball and vary my pace a bit.”With West Indies having cruised into a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Chase said that it was important for the hosts not to get carried away with victory. The teams travel to Antigua next, with plenty of questions surrounding England, who had been viewed by many as favourites coming.”It gives us big confidence for the series, because England are a higher-ranked team than ourselves,” he said. “For us to carry on from here, don’t get too big headed, continue to do what we do well, the basics and focus on our processes, we should be all right.”

Newcastle United are in the midst of an injury crisis right now but have still managed to pick up some huge wins in the Premier League, particularly Saturday's 1-0 victory at home to Manchester United.

Eddie Howe has had to bandage his team up, but those who walk over the white line have certainly stepped up to the plate as of late for the head coach, having picked up massive results in recent weeks against the likes of the Red Devils, Arsenal, Chelsea and even Paris Saint-Germain.

The defence, in particular, has been left bruised and battered with injuries as Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Sven Botman and Nick Pope are all sidelined with long-term problems, meaning Newcastle's defence is quite a makeshift one.

Nevertheless, the back four have done really well so far, and one player in particular has exceeded expectations.

Tino Livramento's stats this season

Tino Livramento joined Newcastle United during the summer for £40m following Southampton's relegation from the Premier League. However, given the form of Kieran Trippier and Burn either side of the centre-backs, the young defender struggled to break into the first-team.

Heading into November, Livramento's only start for the Geordie outfit came in a 1-0 win at home to Manchester City in the EFL Cup back in September, although his display was certainly impressive.

Club legend Malcolm Macdonald called Livramento "faultless" throughout the game and admitted that Howe needed to find a place in the starting lineup for the exciting fullback, although it wasn't until Burn's injury that Livramento had the opportunity to shine for the Magpies, albeit at left-back.

Nevertheless, after a string of stellar performances on the left, the 21-year-old has made the position his own.

In fact, Livramento is outperforming Burn in a number of key metrics this season, meaning the latter could struggle to reclaim his starting place in the team upon returning from injury.

Assists

0.13

0

Expected Assists

0.07

0.02

Progressive Passes

4.36

3.16

Key Passes

0.91

0.23

Passes To Penalty Area

0.91

0.38

Passes To Final 1/3

2.91

2.93

Crosses

1.2

0.67

Progressive Carries

2.91

0.6

Tackles

2.91

1.73

Tackles Won

2.13

0.96

Interceptions

1.47

0.81

Errors

0

0.08

Livramento could have been seen as a long-term replacement for Trippier who is now on the wrong side of 30, but with the Chelsea academy product finding his feet on the left, perhaps another player in Howe's ranks could be his successor.

Harrison Ashby's stats this season

Livramento wasn't the only fullback Newcastle United bought this year. The club also managed to secure the services of Harrison Ashby from West Ham United for a reported £3m back in January.

Ashby was highly rated at West Ham United, with former captain Mark Noble even claiming that the wide defender has a "real physical stature". The 22-year-old had made seven appearances in all competitions for the Hammers over the past three seasons but appeared merely twice last term before making the switch to the Mags.

Nonetheless, after a handful of appearances in the Premier League 2 with Newcastle's U21s, Ashby was sent out on loan to Swansea City at the beginning of the current campaign. It's been a tricky season for the Swans, who recently sacked head coach Michael Duff, but Ashby is still playing plenty of first-team football, making 13 appearances so far, including 11 in the Championship.

Ashby has a bright future ahead of him and with Livramento looking likely to hold onto his left-back berth long into the future, the Swansea loanee could come for Trippier's place over the coming seasons, with the latter turning 34 next year.

Trippier is still outperforming Ashby by a large margin in attack but the young defender has performed quite well defensively in comparison to the England international.

Assists

0.12

0.51

Expected Assists

0.05

0.36

Progressive Passes

1.69

7.33

Key Passes

0.39

3.04

Passes To Penalty Area

0.65

2.07

Passes To Final 1/3

1.69

4.81

Crosses

3.37

8.32

Progressive Carries

1.3

1.85

Tackles

3.25

1.63

Tackles Won

2.44

0.88

Interceptions

2.33

0.88

Errors

0.13

0.07

Trippier is one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world so it'll always be difficult for a young player to reach his heights. However, Ashby is playing regular first-team football for the first time in his career and his numbers are certainly encouraging.

Former Swansea manager Duff even admitted that Ashby came to the Swansea.com Stadium with a "really positive character reference" from Trippier, whom the coach played with at Burnley for a few seasons before retiring.

Perhaps Howe may look to implement him into the team next season, handing Trippier a few nights off, with an eye to having a permanent changing of the guard between the pair.

Tottenham Hotspur shifted away from the old managerial strategy and appointed Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou in the summer, with the craggy-faced Australian engineering a welcome resurgence over the first months of the campaign.

It was the best of times down the N17, with the staunch Spurs faithful roaring in adulation as the players – energised by exciting summer signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven – clicked into gear and launched an unlikely charge to the forefront of the Premier League table.

The dog days appeared to have returned after this period of bliss, with injuries and suspensions ravaging the progress and leaving Tottenham engulfed in a five-match winless run, which was finally ended in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 home victory over Newcastle United.

But the fact that Postecoglou has been forced to contend with a startling lack of defensive cover has hindered the progress, and this has to be the top priority in January.

Tottenham transfer news – Illia Zabarnyi

According to the Mirror, Tottenham have identified Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi as the perfect player to strengthen Postecoglou's side's defensive ranks in January.

It's understood that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was interested in signing the player in 2021 following his performances in his Ukrainian homeland with Dynamo Kiev, but the Cherries won the race and snapped him up for £24m in January 2023, when he ultimately felt the time was apt to make the move to the Premier League.

Still only 21-years-old, it's said that Fabio Paratici is a huge admirer of the player with Zabarnyi having impressed with his integration into life on England's south coast. While Bournemouth have paved a solid foundation for his future career, Spurs would only be too happy to swipe the starlet away from the Vitality Stadium.

Illia Zabarnyi's season in numbers

Bournemouth didn't convince all when they decided to sack Gary O'Neil at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after he kept the Cherries afloat, but the appointment of Andoni Iraola was projected to be a progressive and impactful move.

A slow start did little to quell fears that the upheaval might backfire, but with Bournemouth now picking up 13 points from a possible 15 in the league after suffering a 6-1 defeat against Manchester City, sights have been set up the table.

Zabarnyi has been crucial, starting all 16 matches and actually having yet to miss a minute, as per Sofascore, having also completed 82% of his passes, averaged 4.3 ball recoveries and 3.8 clearances per game and 57% of his contested duels.

Bournemouth defeated Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on a historic afternoon for the club last time out, and Zabarnyi underscored his credentials as a top-class defensive prospect with a commanding display, making five clearances, blocking three shots, and winning two tackles and interceptions apiece.

Much was made for Iraola's side's incisiveness in Manchester, but such feats would have been rendered impossible had the base not done its job and held the squad together.

Illia Zabarnyi's style of play

Zabarnyi still has a long road to travel but he can take much confidence from his exploits across the maiden stage of his career, where he has been described as "composed & intelligent" and "complete & dominant" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 19% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 10% for blocks per 90, showcasing his ability to progress the play with the ball at his feet and noting his positional security.

Strength

Weakness

Blocking

Passing

*Sourced via WhoScored

Such attributes are not too dissimilar to that of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, with the world-class Dutchman the player who Zabarnyi has moulded his own game from, as he once stated in an interview.

Physically imposing and strong in the air, the 32-cap international's aerial dominance is something that is not easily replicated, but he has invested time into establishing control in this regard and could grow into a player of first-class stature with a transfer to Tottenham.

It is important to stress again that Zabarnyi is only 21, having already cemented a starring role in an impressive Premier League side; when Van Dijk was the same age, he plied his trade for Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie.

While that is certainly nothing to sniff at, it's an illumination of how much a player will grow, and Spurs might be wise to snap Zabarnyi up before the price tags touted get somewhat exorbitant.

Moulding him into a player of Van Dijk's standing, Postecoglou may well provide his London club with a rock-solid leader in the rearguard to ensure the years come are fruitful, with the Liverpool captain even considered "the best centre-back of all time" by the likes of pundit Michael Owen.

While several erstwhile professionals might have a thing or two to say about that, the £220k-per-week monster has been the heart of Liverpool's backline since signing from Southampton for £75m in December 2020, having now amassed 237 appearances, scoring 20 goals and supplying 14 assists for good measure.

Van Dijk ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for passes attempted, the top 12% for goals, the top 5% for assists and the top 3% for aerial wins per 90.

This season, in the Premier League, he has averaged 4.7 ball recoveries and 4.9 clearances per game, completed 91% of his passes, won 72% of his ground duels and 79% of his aerial duels.

Such statistics underscore the unparalleled calibre of his skill set, and while Zabarnyi has a long way to go before he reaches the same level, he has the talent to shoot right to the top over the coming years.

With a manager such as Postecoglou honing his craft and stars such as Van de Ven and Cristian Romero to absorb knowledge from, this is exactly the kind of move Tottenham need to make to fortify their defensive ranks.

The American winger-turned-fullback has had an up-and-down campaign, but it seems like he's in position to end the 2023-24 on a high

It didn't take long for the rumors to start, but they rarely do around a club as big as Juventus. Just a few short months into his time in Turin, Tim Weah was already linked with an exit. Having lost his starting spot, the questions were already coming just a few months into a five-year deal.

Where those rumors originated from? Impossible to say. What we do know, though, is that Weah's recent performances have put them to bed. Weah is a player that can be key for Juve, and these last few weeks have been a good reminder of what he can offer to the Bianconeri.

Over the space of four days, Weah showed what he can do on both sides of the ball. A key assist against Lazio moved Juve one step closer to ending the season with a trophy, before a defensive masterclass against AC Milan eased many doubts about how Weah can fare against the world's best wingers.

And now, with the U.S. men's national team watching on with a keen eye, Weah is in position to add more evidence to his case as he fights for a bigger Juve role in 2024-25.

Getty ImagesFalling out of favor

Weah started the season well enough. He was signed to play as a wingback, a position he'd grown into at Lille after initially playing there as an emergency option. Juve didn't sign him to be an emergency player, though; they signed him to contribute.

He did just that early on. He was a regular starter at right-wingback, beating out USMNT teammate Weston McKennie for the role. He started five matches there before the end of October, prompting McKennie to admit in September that he was resigned to his role as Weah's backup.

It all went wrong, though, when Weah suffered a thigh injury in late October. That injury ruled him out through mid-December and, by the time he came back, his starting spot was gone. Massimiliano Allegri preferred Andrea Cambiaso on the right with Filip Kostic on the left.

Weah had been crowded out, and as a result, he has started just five matches since October, just two of which came between the start of the New Year and mid-April.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTransfer rumors

Reports of a potential Weah exit from Juve started as early as January. At the time, Weah was very much a backup, but there were other clubs that were interested in what he could bring.

According to , Everton made an approach to sign Weah in on loan in January to help with their Premier League survival push. Weah, though, said no, despite the fact that the Toffees may have provided him with minutes on the wing. He was seemingly determined to prove himself at in Turin.

In recent weeks, those rumors popped up once again. Stuck behind Cambiaso at Juve, would Weah be better suited elsewhere? The American star's response was emphatic, as he proved that he can make a difference at both ends of the pitch.

Huge Coppa contribution

Late in the second leg of Juventus' Coppa Italia semifinal against Lazio, the two sides were level at two apiece on aggregate. The Old Lady had thrown away a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, as Valentin Castellanos, a name familiar to American soccer fans due to his time at NYCFC, had netted a brace for Lazio. He could have had more, too, as Juventus were on the ropes.

On, then, came Weah in the 70th minute as Juve's first substitute. It was that change that made all the difference, as Juve booked their place in the Coppa final.

Weah provided the game-winning assist and, to his credit, he did the hard work. His pass across goal left Arkadiusz Milik with little more than a tap-in, giving Juve a lead late on that they wouldn't relinquish.

Fresh off that assist, Weah was then given a starting role against AC Milan, and he certainly wouldn't disappoint…

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Getty ImagesLocking down Leao

It's not much of a reward, is it? 'Hey Tim, you're doing great… now go face Rafael Leao.' The Portuguese star has terrorized plenty of fullbacks; he wouldn't terrorize Weah, though.

Instead, it was the other way around. The former Paris Saint-Germain trainee and Juve totally shutdown Milan's high-powered attack, with Weah, in particular, earning praise for how he handled Leao.

In a clash that saw all four of the USMNT's Serie A stars take the field in Weah, McKennie, Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah, it was Weah who was the standout. On the offensive side, he actually had a relatively-quiet game, creating only one real look at goal. But defensively, he was fantastic, winning five duels, three tackles and committing just one foul despite staring down Leao.

Milan's star winger was held to just two shots, one from super long-range. Only one of his seven dribble attempts were successful, while he had just seven total touches in the box.

The gameplan from Juve was simple: don't let Leao or Pulisic beat you, and they didn't. Weah and co. were unlucky not to get a winning goal, they will feel they deserved. But while his team may have been a bit disappointed by the draw, one that leaves them behind Milan in the battle for second place in Serie A, Weah had every reason to be proud of a massive effort.

Managerless Sunderland got the better of Carlos Corberan's West Brom yesterday in an enthralling Championship encounter, Dan Neil's decisive goal late on against the Baggies ensured a 2-1 win was secured with Brandon Thomas-Asante scoring a consolation strike for the visitors shortly after.

As the rumour mill continues to throw up new wild possibilities for the next Black Cats manager, interim boss Mike Dodds would have been pleased that the drama around Tony Mowbray's exit from the club didn't unsettle the players out on the Stadium of Light turf from the task at hand.

Daniel Ballard would break the deadlock with a late second-half header, whilst the aforementioned Neil would go on to score a decisive game-clinching goal by dinking an effort over the on-rushing Baggies goalkeeper with the clock ticking down.

Both of the goalscorers were crucial for the Black Cats, but it was an impactful substitute cameo from Alex Pritchard that completely turned the game in Sunderland's favour.

Despite only being on the pitch for 28 minutes in total, the former Huddersfield Town man stood out as a key performer for the hosts alongside other heroes stealing the headlines.

Alex Pritchard's game vs West Brom in numbers

If Pritchard hadn't been introduced into the contest by Dodds, Sunderland might well have continued to struggle going forward and trudged over the line to an unsatisfactory draw or a demoralising loss.

Instead, with the diminutive 30-year-old on the pitch, the game became more comfortable for Sunderland with the 5 foot 7 attacking midfielder managing to constantly find pockets of space to then cut open a determined Baggies back four at will.

As per Sofascore, Pritchard was 100% accurate with all of his passes in the short but sweet cameo with two of those passes ending up assisting Ballard and Neil. The assist for Neil's goal, in particular, was impressive, a swift and effective counter-attack with Pritchard's pass parting the West Brom defence before Sunderland's number 24 slotted the chance away calmly.

Pritchard managed to have such an important impact in the tight contest despite only registering 18 touches of the ball, with Anthony Patterson in goal for the hosts even amassing more touches with 38.

Not one for wasting passes, the 30-year-old was also important for his side when it came to launching into duels as the game got scrappy towards the end – the former Terriers midfielder successfully winning three of his four ground duels, bettering Niall Huggins who played the full 90 minutes at full-back who only won two.

This blistering appearance from off the bench could well be just the boost Pritchard needed, the exciting attacking midfielder finding first-team chances hard to come by this season under the now-departed Mowbray.

Alex Pritchard's season in numbers

Before the game against West Brom, Pritchard had only managed two assists from his previous 16 appearances this campaign.

Routinely substituted on by Mowbray – the ex-Black Cats boss often praying that his skilful midfielder could conjure up some late magic when opposition legs were tiring – Pritchard will now be hopeful that he can start Sunderland's next game against Leeds United on Tuesday night.

If he was selected from the start against the Whites, it would be only the fifth time the veteran EFL figure had been given a start this campaign.

A tricky player for opposition defenders to keep tabs on, whoever comes into the Sunderland hot seat to replace Mowbray must surely utilise Pritchard more effectively and give him more minutes based on his exploits against the Baggies.

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Enquanto busca contratações no mercado, o Botafogo pode contar com um “reforço caseiro”. O período de empréstimo de Rickson junto ao Guarani foi encerrado e o jogador de 22 anos retorna ao clube de General Severiano para a próxima temporada.

A questão é que Rickson passará por um “teste interno” no Alvinegro. Com contrato de vínculo de curto prazo, a diretoria vai decidir se vai renovar ou não com o meio-campista de acordo com o desempenho e atuações que ele tiver no período do Campeonato Carioca, que começa no início de março.

Em um primeiro momento, o Guarani havia acenado que queria ficar com Rickson por mais uma temporada. Com a saída de Felipe Conceição, que fechou com o Cruzeiro, contudo, este interesse se apagou. Vale ressaltar que foi o comandante que levou o meio-campista para a equipe de Campinas.

Desta forma, Rickson estará, na teoria, no elenco que fará parte da disputa do próximo Campeonato Carioca. A não ser que uma proposta de outra equipe interessada no jogador chegue à mesa dos dirigentes do Botafogo nas próximas semanas.

Rickson também atuou pelo América-MG no começo da temporada, no mesmo esquema de empréstimo. Ao todo, o jogador de 22 anos teve 26 partidas em 2020/21, com um gol marcado.

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Daniel Farke will be looking towards the upcoming January transfer window as a way to bolster his defensive options, with his Leeds United side plagued by injuries at this moment in time along the back four – Sam Byram, Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas all sidelined through injury.

It has led to Djed Spence having to fill in playing an unfamiliar left-back role recently and visibly showing signs of struggling, as was seen in Leeds' unsatisfactory draw with Coventry City yesterday.

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The popular German boss has even had to bump teenage starlet Archie Gray all the way up to the first team fold to make up the numbers, starting him at right-back in Leeds' last eight Championship matches despite Gray only being baby-faced still at 17 years of age.

Leeds could well target a Premier League youngster to help out in the short-term. Therefore, swooping in to sign Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley on a loan deal this January, who could end up being a major upgrade on another defender in the Whites ranks in a waning Luke Ayling, could be a shrewd move.

Leeds transfer latest

Recent report from TEAMTalk suggested that the Whites are just one of many interested parties trying to land Bradley, however, with Burnley interested from the Premier League alongside fellow second-tier outfits Middlesbrough and West Brom sniffing around.

Bradley's impressive performances out on loan at Bolton Wanderers in League One last season would have alerted these clubs from higher up the pyramid to his services, whilst the 20-year-old is highly thought of at Anfield also.

Jurgen Klopp even started Bradley in the Europa League last week versus Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, the 20-year-old ace was not at his best but he would still put it down as a worthwhile run-out for his ongoing development.

The young Reds defender's progression would come on leaps and bounds making the switch to Elland Road arguably, the Whites in dire need of another figure down the flanks which could signal the end of Luke Ayling completely as a reserve option.

How Conor Bradley compares to Luke Ayling

At 32 years of age, Ayling's best performances in a Leeds shirt are probably behind him.

Only starting eight games this campaign, the loyal Whites servant – who has amassed 267 appearances in total for the West Yorkshire titans – has been unremarkable on the pitch this season.

Whereas, Bradley would be champing at the bit to come in and excel hoping to similarly endear himself to a new fanbase like he managed with the Bolton fans with electric display after electric display.

Bradley was an aggressive ball of energy in a Bolton shirt, picking up 12 yellow cards but also helping himself to five goals and four assists as an expansive full-back.

Even in his prime during the 2019-20 Championship season, Ayling was never able to beat this tally and instead equalled it as an experienced second-tier man – notching up four goals and five assists, never managing to surpass that total in a campaign since.

Moreover, playing in League One, Bradley would create seven big chances under Ian Evatt's guidance to further prove his usefulness going forward and has time on his side to just get better.

Meanwhile, Ayling has created four 'big chances' in his last 43 league games for Leeds since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the Reds youngster would be a big upgrade on him from a creative perspective.

Football pundit Ian Dowie labelled Bradley as "quality" off the back of watching him thrive with the Trotters, waxing lyrical about the Reds youngster when speaking on ViaPlay Sports UK in March.

The 20-year-old dynamo is also in and around the Northern Ireland international team despite still being in the infancy of his fledgling career – winning 10 ground duels against San Marino recently in a standout display during one of his nation's Euro qualification matches.

Bradley's obvious pedigree could have Gray worrying about his cemented starting spot under Farke subsequently, who could look to rest the 17-year-old from time to time so as not to overwork him if Bradley was signed.

It feels like a no-brainer from a Leeds perspective to sign the £4.4k per week Bradley – as per Salary Sport – in this upcoming transfer window, giving Leeds another dynamic figure in their team to help the promotion hopefuls hopefully pick up more season-defining wins.