Howe can replace Dan Burn with Newcastle’s "impressive" academy gem

Newcastle United have endured a tough season this campaign, with the club sitting four places and 12 points off the Champions League spots after suffering ten defeats in 25 outings.

However, the campaign has allowed boss Eddie Howe to give vital first-team minutes to multiple young players – subsequently allowing them to develop their game.

Midfielder Lewis Miley has been the main beneficiary with the 17-year-old making 14 appearances for his boyhood club after injuries and suspensions to players such as Joelinton and Sandro Tonali.

The tough campaign for the Magpies has seen some more senior players fail to match their performances of last season, however, with local hero Dan Burn one of those who has received criticism for his form – albeit while still being defended by his manager.

The towering asset endured another 'tough afternoon' last time out against Bournemouth – as per the Chronicle's Lee Ryder – with it perhaps time to consider replacing the Englishman at left-back…

Alex Murphy could be a Burn replacement

After putting his trust in Miley, Magpies boss Howe should also hand talented youngster Alex Murphy a run in the first-team before the end of the current Premier League campaign, amid Burn's woes.

The 19-year-old joined the club from Irish side Galway United during the summer of 2022, with Murphy joining Newcastle's academy side upon his arrival.

Murphy, who can play left-back and centre-back, has made five appearances for Newcastle's U21 side in the Premier League 2 this season, before travelling with the first team for their warm-weather training camp in Saudi Arabia in December 2022.

The "impressive" defender, as branded by Newcastle Chronicle writer Mark Carruthers, has made nine appearances for Ireland's U18 and 19s squad, while often taking the armband – an indication of his importance to his nation.

His good form for Newcastle's youth sides saw the teenager be handed his first start for Howe's side during the 2-0 Sela Cup win against Fiorentina in August 2023, with the defender keeping a clean sheet in front of over 30,000 fans.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Murphy has featured on the bench numerous times for Howe's side this season, with the defender only making one substitute appearance – coming in the 4-1 win over Chelsea at St James' Park.

Sven Botman on the impressive Alex Murphy

Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman has been crucial to the Magpies since his £32m transfer from Lille in January 2022, with the Dutch international also impressed by Murphy's ability.

Speaking after the win over Fiorentina in pre-season, the defender hailed Murphy, saying: "Alex is getting better every day and he is training well. Against Fiorentina, he proved again he is on the right track and he has to continue like this then see what happens."

Newcastle United defender Sven Botman.

After Burn's recent performances, Murphy should be given an opportunity towards the tail end of the campaign – staking his claim for a permanent first-team spot.

Although Burn ranks within the top 1% and 5% for aerials won and clearances respectively, among his peers across the Premier League, his lack of pace and energy down the left-hand side is a worry for Howe when faced with quick wingers, as demonstrated up against Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga…

With journalist Steven Railston having stated as early as last March that it was "time for a change" at left-back, Howe should put more trust in another youngster, allowing Murphy to potentially flourish in England's top flight.

Virat Kohli happy to take setbacks to challenge India's comfort zones

The India captain admitted his team made some poor decisions but with the World T20 just over a year away would rather the mistakes happen now

Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru23-Sep-20193:02

Should have reassessed our target after the start we got – Kohli

Having spent his entire IPL career at Royal Challengers Bangalore, Virat Kohli knows that it is easier to chase at M Chinnaswamy Stadium than set a target. He knows that the dew often sets in later in the evening and neutralises the threat posed by spinners. Yet, with the series on the line, he chose to bat first in the third T20I against South Africa. He challenged himself and his team-mates to step out of their comfort zones, as India tune up for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.After Kohli became the first captain to decide against chasing at the venue, several batsmen dared to jump out of the crease to manufacture scoring opportunities, a departure from India’s earlier ODI-style approach to batting in the shortest format. Rishabh Pant was trialled at No. 4 once again (although he wasn’t supposed to bat at that spot), but India’s experiments didn’t quite come off, and a revamped South Africa side claimed a series-levelling victory.Tabraiz Shamsi celebrates Shikhar Dhawan’s wicket•Associated PressLeft-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks had Rohit Sharma nicking off for 9 in the third over, but Shikhar Dhawan laid down the marker when he hit Andile Phehlukwayo for back-to-back boundaries in the next over. Dhawan usually prefers to bide his time – be it in T20Is or ODIs – but here he hung up caution and decided to have a proper crack at South Africa’s bowlers. He regularly flitted around the crease in a bid to force the bowlers into bowling in his swinging arc.Watch cricket on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune into the three Tests.

India were fairly well placed at 62 for 1 in seven overs, but then the pitch suddenly became slower and South Africa’s bowlers exploited it efficiently to throw a spanner in their works. Despite the pitch getting slower and wickets falling at both ends, India were keen to find higher gears. Pant took on Bjorn Fortuin, but the left-armer slid one across the batsman and had him slicing a catch to long-off. Two balls later, Shreyas Iyer ventured out of the crease and was stumped by a leg-side wide.ALSO READ – Monga: India haven’t figured out their T20 game, but they’re willing to changeSuddenly India lost four wickets for 29 runs and although they had depth in their batting line-up – Washington Sundar at No. 9 and Deepak Chahar at No. 10 – they couldn’t get the big hits away on a pitch that was now very responsive to the cutters and change-ups from Hendricks and Phehlukwayo. Not even Hardik Pandya could get the big hits away.India scrambled only four boundaries after Iyer’s dismissal in the 13th over and ended with a below-par 134 for 9.”Yes, we wanted to go for a big score and that’s exactly why we batted first,” Kohli said of India’s approach, at the post-match press conference. “In the past, in certain games in T20 cricket, we have been 20-30 runs short batting first. That has cost us the game. So, the idea again as I said at the toss, was to come out of our comfort zone and then try to get that big score because we are batting till No. 9. But quickly we realised the pitch didn’t allow us to keep doing that.”Kohli reckoned that India would have been better off had they recalibrated their focus to 170 “rather than thinking of 200″.”Because of the intent we showed the pitch obviously didn’t allow us to get to that total and we kept losing wickets. They [South Africa] hit the right areas and understood the pitch,” he said. “It was a combination of good bowling and not great decision-making. These kinds of games will keep happening as long as we are wanting to come out of our comfort zones as a team and putting ourselves in a situation, which could be the case in a big game in a big tournament.”Kohli’s bat-first decision also handicapped his bowlers, who had to cope with the dew in the second innings. While Washington came away with 4-0-27-0 and Deepak found swing in the early exchanges, Navdeep Saini and Krunal Pandya struggled with their lines and lengths. Nearly every Indian fielder had a towel, often furiously wiping the ball with it in the break between overs.Quinton de Kock took advantage of it, making a bruising, unbeaten 79 off 52 balls, and finished off the chase with nine wickets and 19 balls to spare. While such a heavy defeat might invite some pressure, Kohli said that India are ready to take more risks and “take the toss out of the way” in their run to the T20 World Cup.”Nothing is a given or a guarantee before you start playing,” Kohli said. “I think if we as a team are willing to get out of our comfort zones a lot more, then we will be unfazed with what happens at the toss. That’s why we have people batting till nine. Unless you do that and start taking those risks, you are always going to be put under pressure somewhere or the other. We want to make sure we iron all of those things out before we head into the World Cup.”

Botafogo x Porta dos Fundos: relembre o caso e os capítulos das derrotas do clube na Justiça

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo lutou na Justiça contra o Porta dos Fundos por seis anos. Em maio de 2015, durante a gestão de Carlos Eduardo Pereira, o clube de General Severiano processou a produtora após a divulgação de um vídeo no canal de YouTube da companhia. Desde então, quatro julgamentos em diferentes instâncias: nenhum vencido pelo Alvinegro.

+ STJ rejeita recurso do Botafogo em ação contra o Porta dos Fundos

A esquete que gerou tudo isto foi o vídeo “Patrocínio”. Nele, um ator representa um jogador do Flamengo e outro um do Botafogo. Os dois estão em uma barreira. O atleta do Rubro-Negro vê que a camisa do Alvinegro está cheia de patrocínios e promoções e faz uma piada. Na época, vale lembrar, o Glorioso tinha diferentes patrocinadores por duelo por fechar acordos pontuais a cada partida.

O Alvinegro entrou na Justiça contra o Porta dos Fundos alegando danos morais e uso comercial da marca sem autorização, pedindo R$ 5 milhões. O vídeo chegou a ser retirado do YouTube em 2015, mas foi repostado – com um final ironizando as decisões judiciais – logo um mês, depois da primeira vitória do Porta dos Fundos no Tribunal.

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NA JUSTIÇA
Quando a conversa partiu para os tribunais, o Botafogo não tem um bom aproveitamento. O caso foi julgado pela primeira vez apenas em maio de 2017, com o Alvinegro perdendo em primeira instância noTribunal de Justiça do Rio de Janeiro (TD-RJ).

O clube recorreu, mas perdeu novamente. Desta vez, por unanimidade em segunda instância no Tribunal de Justiça do Rio de Janeiro (TJ-RJ), em janeiro de 2018. À época, o Botafogo prometeu levar o processo à terceira e última instância.

GALERIA: Nova camisa lançada! Relembre os últimos uniformes II do Botafogo

O caso chegou ao Supremo. Em outubro de 2019, o Botafogo teve, mais uma vez por unanimidade, o processo perdido contra o Porta dos Fundos. À época, pedido foi negado de maneira unânime peloSupremo Tribunal Federal (STF).

Recentemente, o Botafogo passou por aquilo – ao que tudo indica – que pode ser o capítulo final desta novela: o clube recorreu a uma instância federal, entrando em um nível federal. O recurso, julgado porRicardo Villas Bôas Cueva,da Terceira Turma do STJ (Supremo Tribunal de Justiça)foi unânime a favor do Porta dos Fundos.

PROVOCAÇÕES
​Durante todos esses anos, as duas partes envolvidas no processo se chocaram em alguns momento. O de mais evidência foi feito pelo Porta dos Fundos, que provocou o Botafogo em uma rede social em 2019, após a vitória na terceira instância.

“É com imenso prazer que comunicamos que o Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas perdeu, em todas as instâncias, o processo que insistiu em mover contra o Porta dos Fundos. Hoje, finalmente, esgotaram-se as últimas chances para que o clube recorra.

Nós nos solidarizamos com os torcedores do alvinegro carioca – vários deles trabalhando conosco – que terão de testemunhar o clube pagando, talvez com verba de patrocinadores, os honorários dos nossos advogados, mas o facho de luz da liberdade de expressão não pode se apagar”, escreveu o Porta dos Fundos, fazendo a provocação com um trecho do hino do Alvinegro.

BOTAFOGO NÃO VAI RECORRER
​A briga judicial chegou ao fim. O Botafogo poderia levar o processo ao Supremo Tribunal Federal, máximo poder do Judiciário do país, caso provasse que o caso em questão abrangesse a Constituição. O clube, contudo, não vai mais recorrer.

– Foi um processo movido pela gestão anterior e no qual a atual não tem interesse em dar seguimento a qualquer recurso – posicionou-se o Alvinegro ao LANCE!.

A gestão comandada por Durcesio Mello não possui interesse em levar a questão para um novo capítulo e a questão judicial iniciada na época da gestão de “Mais Botafogo”, portanto, está encerrada.

Mahmudullah, bowlers take Bangladesh into tri-series final

Richmond Mutumbami’s fight in vain as Zimbabwe collapse in a heap

The Report by Liam Brickhill18-Sep-2019

Mahmudullah taps the ball towards the off side•AFP

With their backs up against the wall, Bangladesh cruised to a 39-run win over Zimbabwe in a sweltering Chattogram to book their place in next week’s tri-series final. Put in to bat by Zimbabwe, Bangladesh’s 175 for 7 was built around a 78-run fourth-wicket stand between Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim. While Zimbabwe did well to hold Bangladesh back when they had been poised to score many more, they showed no such application with the bat in their chase. Brendan Taylor fell for a duck in the very first over, Zimbabwe stumbled through the Powerplay, and an eighth-wicket partnership of 58 between Richmond Mutumbami and Kyle Jarvis was their only combination of any substance as Bangladesh took full control.Mahmudullah’s sixesMahmudullah spanked five sixes in his 62 – only one less than Zimbabwe managed in their entire innings. Liton Das had cracked two of his own to lead Bangladesh’s charge in the Powerplay, taking 21 off an over from young left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu, but when he, debutant Najmul Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan fell in the space of 17 deliveries, the momentum was transferred back to Zimbabwe. Mahmudullah ensured it didn’t stay that way for long, stepping out to biff the very first ball he faced over long-off for six.While Mushfiqur Rahim kept things ticking over at the other end, five overs later Mahmudullah was at it again. Sean Williams was slogged over long-on, just past the outstretched fingers of Tino Mutombodzi in that position, and soon afterwards it was Mutombodzi who was on the receiving end, with a floated legbreak flayed over long-off for Mahmudullah’s third six.By then, the fourth-wicket stand had passed fifty, the innings had been well and truly set up, and Mushfiqur joined the party by slog-sweeping a Chris Mpofu slower ball for a six of his own. He was out soon afterwards, but Mahudullah wasn’t done yet, raising Bangladesh’s 150 in the 18th over, and his own half-century three balls later with his fourth maximum via a muscular pull off Mpofu. He saved his best for last, with six No. 5 coming off a delivery from Mpofu that was only slightly too full, a low, dipping full toss being lifted cleanly over fine leg.Full tosses do the trickWhile Mpofu’s full toss disappeared over fine leg, Kyle Jarvis found that the delivery worked rather well for him. He reverted quickly to the full toss as his stock delivery when he came back into the attack in the 18th over, bowling four in a row to keep Afif Hossain and the marauding Mahmudullah to just six off the over.He used the same tactic in the final over of the innings, and the tactic bore dividends. Jarvis dished up a full toss that was only under waist height to Mahmudullah, who aimed for the stands beyond square leg and a sixth six, but could only pick out Williams near the boundary. The next ball was an action replay, Mosaddek Hossain swinging a high full toss straight out to Regis Chakabva at deep midwicket, and all of a sudden Jarvis was on a hat-trick. But instead of sticking with the seemingly deadly full toss, Jarvis reverted to length, Mohammad Saifuddin clipping the hat-trick delivery to midwicket for two and then swatting the last ball, a bouncer, to midwicket for four to boost Bangladesh’s total.Disarray in the PowerplayFaced with a challenging chase, Zimbabwe were hunting quick runs, but what they found was quite the opposite. Tied down for four runless deliveries in Saifuddin’s opening over, Brendan Taylor aimed a wild swipe at the fifth and skied a simple chance to Shakib at mid-off. Three balls (and just two runs) later, Chakabva picked up the second duck of the innings.The run rate was hobbled at under three an over when Shafiul Islam, playing his first T20I for almost two years, hurried Williams’ pull to have him easily caught at midwicket with his very first ball. Though Hamilton Masakadza found his range with a couple of characteristically meaty strokes, and Mutombodzi swiped Mustafizur Rahman over long-on for six, Zimbabwe ended the Powerplay at 34 for 3, the required rate above 10 and their chase going nowhere fast.A debut to remember It came as something of a surprise when Aminul Islam was picked to make his T20I debut having never bowled in a domestic T20. Yet it proved a debut to remember for the 19-year-old, as he picked up a wicket with his third ball as Mutombodzi looked to plonk him over long-off, but could only get the ball as far as Najmul in the deep.Aminul’s next wicket was even more memorable. Masakadza, almost twice his age, seemed to be the only batsman in Zimbabwe’s top order to have settled, but he was undone by some flight and dip from the young legspinner. Masakadza missed a sweep and was struck plumb in front. By the end of his spell, he had 2 for 18 and Zimbabwe were as good as sunk.

'I love him!' – Archie Gray admits Ange Postecogolou was a 'massive factor' in his Tottenham transfer as £30m teenager explains why he left Leeds

Archie Gray said Ange Postecogolou was a "massive factor" in his Tottenham transfer as the £30m teenager explained why he left Leeds United.

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  • Gray signed a six-year contract at Spurs
  • Enjoyed a breakout season at Elland Road
  • Geared up to play in Europe with Spurs
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Gray enjoyed a breakout season at Elland Road which led Tottenham to shell out £30 million ($38m) for the midfielder, who has signed a six-year contract at the north London club. The transfer includes Joe Rodon moving to Leeds in a permanent transfer after spending last season on loan at Elland Road.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Gray's footballing pedigree is impressive. The 18-year-old midfielder is the son of Andy Gray, the grandson of Frank Gray, and the great-nephew of Eddie Gray. All three predecessors not only played for Leeds United but also represented Scotland at the international level. His family are massive Celtic fans and hence hold Postecoglou, the former Hoops boss, in high regard.

  • WHAT GRAY SAID

    "I'm not going to lie, I'm a massive Celtic fan, so I love him! My whole family loves him," Gray said in his first interview with Tottenham's media channels.

    "He's a massive factor. Playing under a really good manager is really important for me. I've got loads to learn because I'm only 18. It's obviously a massive club and an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I'm really excited to play and get started with the team. It still hasn't sunk in, to be honest, and I don't think it will for the next few days until we've played a few games and I've got to meet everyone."

    He also revealed that the allure of European football also led him to choose Tottenham instead of Brentford, with whom he had already agreed personal terms.

    "When Spurs came and I had the opportunity to play in the Champions League eventually, and Europa League this year, I couldn't really say no," he added.

    "I know so many players that are here – not so much the first team but the young lads – and obviously it's a massive project under Ange. It's something I want to be part of."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR GRAY?

    Despite Leeds' heart-wrenching loss in the Championship play-off final to Southampton, Gray's performances caught the eye of several Premier League clubs. Initially, he had agreed personal terms with Brentford, but the opportunity to work with Postecoglou and play for a club with Tottenham's stature proved irresistible.

Cristiano Ronaldo sends out defiant message to Portugal fans ahead of quarter-final clash with France at Euro 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo issued a rallying cry to Portugal fans in an attempt to fire up his country ahead of their Euro 2024 clash against France.

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Portugal face France at Euro 2024Ronaldo posted Instagram messageSelecao aiming for semi-final spotWHAT HAPPENED?

Portugal will come up against Les Bleus in the quarter-finals of the competition in Germany on Friday. The 39-year-old took to social media to get his team's supporters in the mood for a headline showdown the day before the game.

AdvertisementWHAT RONALDO SAID

The iconic attacker shared an image of the Portugal fans on Instagram and wrote in the caption: "We all were, are and will always be. Believe it!"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Portugal scraped through to the final eight with a penalty shootout win against Slovenia on Monday. The Al-Nassr star was heavily criticised for his performance in the last-16 after he missed a penalty in extra-time and burst into tears. He admitted after the game: "I was at rock bottom when the team needed me most."

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imago imagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

The ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United star will hope to put in a more productive display on Friday when his team come up against France. The winner of that tie will go on to face either Spain or hosts Germany in the semi-finals.

Tottenham prepared to back Ange with signing of winger for £60 million

Tottenham are willing to pay £60 million for one of manager Ange Postecoglou's reported top transfer targets, as chairman Daniel Levy and co seemingly prepare to back their head coach once again.

Postecoglou era breeds positivity at Spurs

Postecoglou's debut season in charge of Spurs has been one of real positivity and promise. The Australian's entertaining brand of high-pressing, attack-minded football is both easy on the eye and effective on the pitch, with the north Londoners well in contention to seal Champions League qualification.

Spurs make contract offer to sign star who nearly joined Pochettino in 2018

He publicly admitted to considering a Tottenham move.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 15, 2024

Despite coping without star players like Micky van de Ven and James Maddison for large portions of the mid-season, with both men ruled out for months at one stage, Postecoglou still navigated through what was a pretty tough period.

The Spurs boss was even forced to play a makeshift central defensive pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at one stage, as Postecoglou also missed Maddison's real creativity.

Timo Werner

Arrival

Radu Dragusin

Arrival

Lucas Bergvall

Arrival

Djed Spence

Exit (loan)

Alejo Veliz

Exit (loan)

Ashley Phillips

Exit (loan)

Japhet Tanganga

Exit (loan)

Sergio Reguilon

Exit (loan)

Eric Dier

Exit (loan)

Ivan Perisic

Exit (loan)

Even though the north Londoners battled their way through a plethora of injury and suspension problems, which is testament to the job Postecoglou has done, you could argue that Spurs could still do with upgrades in certain areas. It is believed that Tottenham are already compiling a shortlist of summer targets, and the club are keen to acquire a new forward among other potential new additions.

Barcelona star Raphinha has been regularly linked with a move to north London, and reliable Spurs insider Paul O'Keefe backed their interest in signing the Brazilian recently.

Tottenham prepared to pay £60 million for Raphinha

Journalist Ivan San Antonio, writing an article for Spanish news outlet Sport, has more detail on this.

He claims Tottenham are willing to pay around £60 million for Raphinha this summer, and it is believed he could be a name to watch out for in the market as another unnamed club has made an "interesting proposal" as well.

Barcelona winger Raphinha.

The 27-year-old has bagged three goals and five assists over 16 La Liga outings for Barca this season, with half of those cameos being full starts. Former Sky pundit Graeme Souness, commenting on Raphinha during his time at Leeds, suggested he is a very exciting player to have in your side.

“I like him a lot,” said Souness in 2021.

"Our football, as we know, is different to everyone else’s. And he’s handled it easily. Anyone who dribbles gets you on the edge of your seat. He can do that, and he can deliver, AND he can score goals. I think this boy’s extremely talented. He’s quick and he understands the game."

"It’s alright having people who can dribble, and get you on the edge of your seat, but he delivers in every sense.“

"New addition to the injury list": Man Utd suffer fresh blow before Everton

Manchester United have suffered a fresh fitness blow ahead of the weekend Premier League visit of Everton, with another "new addition to the injury list".

Man Utd v Everton could easy pressure on Ten Hag

The Red Devils face a must-win match on Saturday lunchtime, as a relegation-threatened Everton side head to Old Trafford to kick off the weekend action. Erik ten Hag knows that his side can afford very few slip-ups in the league between now and the end of the season, considering fourth-place Aston Villa are now 11 points ahead of them, not to mention Spurs being six clear with a game in hand in fifth position.

Pressure is clearly growing on the manager, with various links emerging regarding potential replacements for him this summer, including Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann. The 36-year-old remains one of Europe's most talented young managers, and he is expected to leave his current role after Euro 2024.

In fairness to Ten Hag, injuries have been an issue for United throughout this season, with the Dutchman having to make do with key men for large chunks of the campaign. The likes of Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw are absent currently, both of whom are influential defenders, and Rasmus Hojlund has also joined them on the sidelines.

Luke Shaw (thigh)

11/05/2024

Lisandro Martinez (knee)

06/04/2024

Anthony Martial (groin/hip/pelvic)

30/03/2024

Rasmus Hojlund (other)

17/03/2024

Harry Maguire (other)

17/03/2024

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (other)

17/03/2024

Tyrell Malacia (knee)

16/03/2024

Now, another player has suffered a fitness setback, acting as a blow ahead of the weekend meeting with Everton.

Man Utd suffer fresh injury blow

Taking to X on Friday, FFScout confirmed that Omari Forson will miss Manchester United's clash with the Blues through injury, joining fellow front man Hojlund on the sidelines:

"Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans have successfully recovered from their GW27 knocks. Omari Forson is the only new addition to the injury list. Hojlund, Maguire and Wann-Bissaka could return next weekend for the FA Cup clash against Liverpool."

Admittedly, Forson doesn't represent a key player at the moment, given his age and lack of experience, but not having him as an option this weekend still acts as a clear negative. The 19-year-old has made three appearances in the Premier League so far this season, completing 88.5% of his passes in that time, and he has also enjoyed two FA Cup outings. Meanwhile, United academy director Nick Cox has lavished him with praise recently.

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The hope is that United still have enough to overcome an Everton side languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table – a six-point deduction hasn't helped them, in that respect – and failure to win would put even more doubt over the future of Ten Hag.

Mudryk & Sanchez benched in predicted Chelsea lineup vs Brentford

It's the same old story for Chelsea this season as they continue to bounce erratically between victories and defeats.

Mauricio Pochettino's side fell to a painful defeat against Liverpool in the League Cup Final last weekend and looked like they would follow it up with an embarrassing home defeat to Leeds United during the week.

However, the west Londoners dug in and came back to win the game 3-2 thanks to a last-minute winner from Conor Gallagher.

The team's season now ultimately hangs on their progression in the FA Cup, but before they can even think about the quarter-finals, they'll have to go through some league opponents first.

Tomorrow's trip to the Gtech Community Stadium to take on Brentford offers them a chance to get revenge on the side that beat them 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in October.

With that, let's take a look at the side that could enact that sweet revenge for the West Londoners, with Pochettino likely to make up to five changes to the team that scraped past Leeds during the week.

1 GK – Đorđe Petrović

So the first position of the XI brings with it the first change, as Đorđe Petrović comes in for Robert Sanchez.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper must be feeling pretty annoyed at the moment, as after being dropped at his former club, it looks like he's been demoted at Chelsea as well.

Petrović, while not perfect himself, has looked more assured between the sticks than his older teammate ever did before injuring his knee against Everton.

This is also borne out in the numbers, with the Serbian boasting a save percentage of 71.2% in the league to Sanchez's 70.5%, per FBref.

Moreover, the fact that Pochettino opted to start the senior keeper against Leeds in the FA Cup suggests that he isn't the number one anymore.

2 RB – Malo Gusto

Right-back is a position that picks itself at the moment, as the injury to Reece James has allowed Malo Gusto to show the league just how good he is.

Now, there have been a few errors from the Frenchman here and there – the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers springs to mind – but at just 20 years old, that's going to be the case.

In all, the former Lyon gem has, as journalist Ben Jacobs puts it, "been outstanding for Chelsea."

3 CB – Axel Disasi

With Benoît Badiashile still out injured and Thiago Silva's status unknown, Axel Disasi will be set to keep his place in the backline for the trip to Brentford.

The Frenchman had a mediocre game against Leeds on Wednesday and received a 6/10 from the Standard's Dan Kilpatrick for his troubles, but just a couple of weeks ago, he put in a mammoth performance away to Manchester City and received a 9/10 from Nizaar Kinsella.

He'll need to play more like the latter tomorrow as while the Bees are currently struggling, Ivan Toney has still been scoring and has four goals in seven games this season.

4 CB – Levi Colwill

ronald-araujo-levi-colwill-liverpool-opinion

The second change of the night comes at left-centre-back as Levi Colwill comes in to replace Trevoh Chalobah.

Colwill has started 76% of Chelsea's league games this season, and that number would have been higher had he not missed a handful of games through a hamstring problem.

5 LB – Ben Chilwell

Ben Chiwell Chelsea

The third change comes at left-back as Ben Chilwell comes in for the youngster Alfie Gilchrist.

The former Leicester City man has only started 32% of the team's league games this season, primarily due to a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined between September and January.

Moreover, he has started the last four league games on the bounce, so seeing him on the bench this time around would be a surprise.

6 DM – Moises Caicedo

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Keeping his place in the middle of the park will be Moises Caicedo.

Now, while his performance against Leeds on Wednesday was far from his best, he was still impressive and provided the assist for Nicolas Jackson's leveller in the first half.

In addition, he has started 83% of the team's league games this season.

7 DM – Enzo Fernández

Starting alongside Caicedo will be the man who has for most of the season, Enzo Fernández.

The World Cup winner was one of the best players for the Blues against Leeds, picking up a 7/10 from Kilpatrick and providing the assist for Conor Gallagher's late winner.

With 33 games under his belt already this season, it's practically a certainty that the Argentine starts at the Gtech.

8 RM – Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer

The right of the midfield brings the next change as Cole Palmer comes in for Noni Madueke.

The "absolutely sensational" Palmer, as described by Alan Shearer, has been one of the few bright spots in Chelsea's otherwise disappointing campaign this season, and while he was rested against Leeds, he'll surely start tomorrow.

The 21-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in just 31 games for the Blues so far and will be looking to add to that tally against the Bees.

9 CAM – Conor Gallagher

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher celebrates.

Speaking of bright spots, boyhood Chelsea fan Gallagher is undoubtedly another.

The Epsom-born dynamo has been described as "the heart" of the team by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and based on his performances this season, it would be hard to disagree.

The 24-year-old has scored four goals and provided six assists in 35 games for the Pensioners this year, and while Mykhailo Mudryk did reasonably well in the ten against Leeds, Gallagher should be back there for a league game.

10 LM – Raheem Sterling

The left-wing berth could be taken up by Raheem Sterling, as even with how the Englishman performed on Wednesday and the fact he was booed off the pitch at Stamford Bridge, it might be wiser to drop Mykhaylo Mudryk instead.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk gem scored against Leeds, although he was far from stellar in midweek, having notably 'faded' despite his strike against the Whites – as per The Standard's Dan Kilpatrick.

England's Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt announce engagement

England women team-mates Natalie Sciver and Katherine Brunt have announced their engagement on National Coming Out Day.The pair revealed the news via an Instagram post and a newspaper interview, Brunt having made the proposal to Sciver on New Year’s Eve last year. They had informed their team-mates immediately, but had not gone public with their relationship till now.Brunt told that she had found telling her parents about their relationship “really difficult”, but that she had “seen sense” as she got older.”My parents are different to Natalie’s,” she said. “They are quite Christian so it is not something that is done and that’s why it has held me back. They don’t believe in the way I choose to live my life, basically, so it has been quite difficult.”Having to tell my parents was really difficult because I care a lot about them so it was something I put off for a long, long time. But as I have got older, I have seen sense and realised that it is not about that, it is about being yourself and living life properly.”My parents love me: there is no questioning that. They will always be there for me and support me. They are still my parents and they still love me, so it is a compromise I have to take but I am ok with that.”Sciver and Brunt announced their engagement via an Instagram post and a newspaper interview•@natsciver/Instagram

The two first played for England together in 2013, and have both been regulars in the side ever since. Brunt first asked Sciver to be her girlfriend in the hours immediately after the World Cup final win against India in 2017 on the Lord’s balcony, and proposed 18 months later.The pair has also played together at Perth Scorchers in the WBBL, and were both announced as signings for the Trent Rockets at last week’s launch of The Hundred.They plan to get married after England’s series against India next September.Sciver and Brunt join a number of high-profile couples in the women’s game, including South Africans Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp, and New Zealand pair Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu.

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