I know my opportunities are smaller than they were in the past, says the veteran paceman

Alex Malcolm29-Oct-2019Australia veteran Peter Siddle admits he is not blind to the fact that his international career may be over, after revealing that he had bowled through injury in the final Ashes Test.Siddle, who turns 35 next month, played in Australia’s last Test against England at The Oval but tore his hip flexor on the first morning. He bowled through the pain but was nowhere near as effective as he had been previously on the tour.He played in the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s and bowled better than his figures suggested, with at least four catches dropped behind the wicket off his bowling. In the critical first Test at Edgbaston, Australia coach Justin Langer had said: “I thought Peter Siddle was almost the bowler of the game, he was brilliant, that was the best none-for I’ve ever seen today.”

When you’ve been around 11 years and you’re about to turn 35, I don’t think you need to be picking me in any A side

Following his hip injury, Siddle had a month off after the Ashes to recover and the break gave him a chance to “freshen up” before his first Sheffield Shield appearance against Western Australia last week.But with the big four of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson all fit and available, plus the re-emergence of Jhye Richardson, who could have taken Siddle’s Ashes spot had he not injured his shoulder, the veteran is well aware he is at long odds to add to his 221 Test wickets, despite still having a burning desire to do so.”I’m not blind,” Siddle said. “I know my opportunities are smaller than they were in the past, but while I still love playing the game I’m still striving to be my best and try and play at the highest level and that is for Australia. I still want to continue that.”If I do, I’ll be a happy man. And if I don’t, I’ll still be a very happy man. I’ve played a lot of Test cricket now, I’ve had a great career. If I don’t play again then so be it. But I’ve still got the hunger to pull on that Baggy Green to be a part of it. This summer could be the last chance I get. Who knows. But I’ll keep striving for it.”I thought Peter Siddle was almost the bowler of the first Ashes Test – Justin Langer•Getty ImagesSiddle was overlooked for the Australia A side that was selected to face the visiting Pakistanis in a day-night tour game in Perth ahead of the first Test in Brisbane. The selectors opted for a four-man pace attack that includes Richardson, Ashes tourist Michael Neser, Sean Abbott and Riley Meredith.Siddle said he had been in constant communication with both Langer and chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns since the Ashes and was not surprised to miss out on the Australia A team.”When you’ve been around 11 years and you’re about to turn 35, I don’t think you need to be picking me in any A side,” Siddle said. “I think they know there. I think it gives them an opportunity to give blokes a bit of international experience.”I know it’s not classed as an international but it gives young guys a chance to play against an international team and get that little rise in intensity and it gives a chance to those guys to showcase their skills. And that’s what you want it for. You want it as a younger side but you still want it to be the next tier of good young players.”Siddle will instead spearhead Victoria’s attack as they head to Bellerive Oval to face Tasmania this week. Pattinson has been rested in the build-up to the Test series against Pakistan. The Victoria bowlers have copped a pasting in the first two games against South Australia and Western Australia and the likelihood of a greener surface in Hobart will be sight for sore eyes.Siddle still believes he could put his hand up for Test selection in certain conditions this summer, particularly with two pink-ball Tests in five this summer. “It’s just about staying fit and bowling well,” Siddle said. “If I’m doing that, if the opportunity comes up, like the UAE when I got back in around the Australian set-up, in conditions I thought I’d never get picked in, I got that opportunity because players were injured and weren’t available. I think that’s what it comes down to.”There is a couple of pink-ball Tests that I’m a bit more suited to. There are grounds, like the Gabba, around the country that I am going to be a bit more suited to, and then there’s going to be some that I probably won’t be.”

أصدر نادي ريال مدريد المنافس في بطولة الدوري الإسباني بيانًا شديد اللهجة بسبب ثنائي برشلونة، خلال مباراة الكلاسيكو أمس، السبت.

وتعرض لامين يامال لإهانات عنصرية شديدة من قبل بعض جماهير ريال مدريد خلال مباراة الأمس أثناء احتفاله بهدفه الذي أحرزه في شباك، أندريه لونين.

وقامت بعض جماهير ريال مدريد بتوجيه بعض الكلمات المسيئة للإسباني الدولي مثل: “يا أسود يا ملعون، يا لقيط، يا ابن اللعينة”، من خلال فيديوهات منتشرة بعد المباراة.

ولم يكن يامال أيضًا الوحيد الذي تلقى إهانات عنصرية من قبل جماهير ريال مدريد، حيث كان رافينها لديه نصيب من تلك الإهانات بعد احتفاله بهدفه في شباك الملكي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تغريدة ساخرة رسمية تثير استياء ريال مدريد من برشلونة بعد رباعية الكلاسيكو

بيان ريال مدريد بعد عنصرية مشجعيه ضد لامين يامال ورافينها

“يدين النادي بشدة أي نوع من السلوكيات التي تنطوي على العنصرية وكراهية الأجانب أو العنف في كرة القدم والرياضة.

ويعرب نادي ريال مدريد عن أسفه العميق للإهانات التي أطلقها بعض المشجعين في الليلة الماضية في أحد أركان الملعب.

فتح ريال مدريد تحقيقًا لتحديد هوية مرتكبي هذه الإهانات المؤسفة والحقيرة، من أجل اتخاذ الإجراءات التأديبية والقضائية المناسبة”.

Leeds could be looking at another summer clear-out should they get promoted back to the Premier League.

Leeds' loan army expected to be sold for good

After being relegated to the Championship last season, Leeds have found themselves fighting for the top spot in England's second tier once again. Obviously, after being relegated, a plethora of players chose to leave the club in an attempt to keep their careers from dwindling.

Players such as Luis Sinisterra, Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison all left the Yorkshire club on loan deals in order to get playing time at a higher level. In the case of Sinisterra, his move has been made permanent by Bournemouth, who have chosen to activate their option to buy, which was worth around £20m.

For Aaronson, things haven't gone quite so smoothly. The USA international's impact whilst representing the Whites was minimal, to say the least. He appeared a total of 40 times for the Yorkshire-based club and only managed to make a total of four goal contributions.

Despite his poor performances, he did enough for Bundesliga club Union Berlin to take a chance on the 23-year-old and take him on loan. Again, his campaign has been far from mesmerising.

Even though he has been deployed in a predominantly attacking role during his time in Germany, he has only managed to score one goal throughout the entirety of his stint. The American, along with Harrison and Marc Roca, are expected to be players Leeds will look to raise funds by selling this summer, and it looks like another one has just been added to the list.

Forward with "unbelievable skills" set to leave in the summer

Despite Aaronson's loan ending up as something of a horror story, there have been the odd one or two loans which have worked out. In particular, Sam Greenwood's spell at fellow second-tier side Middlesbrough has been quite beneficial for all three parties.

Michael Carrick has heavily involved the striker in his plans during his stint with the club – he has often been chosen to lead the line and has seemingly reaped the rewards from the extra playing time.

Sam Greenwood's stats with Middlesbrough

Games

31

Goals

5

Assists

3

Data via Transfermarkt

Prior to one of Leeds' games against Boro this season, Daniel Farke even claimed that the attacker had "unbelievable skills".

"We are happy that he is progressing in the right way. When you send someone out on loan either he comes back or he increases his value and I think it was the right decision to send him out," he said. "He is one of the best set-piece takers I have worked with, and I've worked with some terrific players, such as James Maddison and Mario Vrancic. He has unbelievable skills."

With receiving this level of praise from Farke, it's no surprise that Middlesbrough are looking to activate their £1.5m option to buy. That is according to Pete O'Rourke from Football Insider, who says that Greenwood is 'unlikely to rejoin Daniel Farke’s squad' upon the end of his loan spell. The report goes on to say that the youngster is 'set to be sold' by his parent club despite his good run of form.

Cristiano Ronaldo has shared a holiday snap as he and Georgina Rodriguez spend time together in the sun after Portugal's exit from Euro 2024.

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Ronaldo takes a holiday after Euro 2024Disappointed with Portugal at tournamentTime being spent with Georgina in the sunWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo reposted an Instagram story from Georgina that showed the couple's reflection in a window as they stood side by side on a white sand beach lined with palm trees.

Instagram/@cristianoAdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo's last-ever European Championship ended with Portugal's quarter-final defeat to France, having also failed to score through five games to make it the first time in his career that he drawn a blank at a major tournament. However, he was quickly reunited with his family.

WHAT GEORGINA RODRIGUEZ POSTED

In a separate post of a video with her, Ronaldo and the kids in the sea, Georgina captioned it: "Family vacation".

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WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

No public announcement has yet been made over whether 39-year-old Ronaldo will continue his international career, having made limited impact at Euro 2024. Portugal are in action again as soon as early September with UEFA Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Scotland. In August, Ronaldo's second full Saudi Pro League season with Al-Nassr will begin – it is the last year on his current contract, which expires next summer.

Everton finally received a verdict this week on their appeal regarding their Financial Fair Play charge earlier this season, which led to a deduction of 10 points. That verdict was mostly a positive one with the Toffees' deduction taken from 10 to six points, leaving them five points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone. And since then, they've been handed a further boost by the fitness of Dele Alli, who could now get a new contract at Goodison Park.

Dele Alli update

Struggling with injuries and difficult issues away from the pitch, Alli is finally on course to eventually make his return to action. The England international revealed in an open interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap the troubles that he has been facing away from the game, detailing his traumatic upbringing and his problems ever since, much to the shock of the football world.

Sean Dyche spoke about the timeline of Alli's return back in December, saying via The Guardian: "He still has a bit to go because he has been out for a long time, he needs a game programme, but to get him back with us would be really pleasing for him because he has been so unlucky.

"The last time, 12-13 weeks ago when he was going to join in, he was so unlucky with the damage that was done. But the good news is that everything is settling down and he is feeling good. I saw him earlier and he said: ‘I’m feeling great.’”

Now, almost three months later, the former Spurs star has reportedly taken a significant step towards a return. According to Patrick Boyland of The Athletic, Alli is back at Finch Farm to step up his rehabilitation, and Everton are now open to offering him a new contract at the club with a return to action before the end of the season not ruled out.

It is more likely he returns in pre-season, with his return to the club's training ground only the first major step towards full fitness and participation in full training still some way off, but nonetheless it is great news for Alli and Toffees fans that he is finally close to doing what he loves most.

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Before anything, however, Everton will have to negotiate a way past the reported £10m fee that they will owe Spurs if Alli reaches 20 appearances for the Merseyside club. Having already made 13 appearances, those at Goodison Park will see their financial troubles dealt another blow if they fail to renegotiate their deal with Spurs and Alli reaches 20 appearances.

Alli could yet rediscover best form

Whilst it remains to be seen whether Alli will be able to kick on at Everton upon his return to fitness, there's no doubting the player that they'll have on their hands if he does rediscover his best form.

Still yet to secure their safety, having a player who once stood alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the history books could go a long way in not only keeping Everton up but also potentially taking them onto bigger and better things in the Premier League.

With the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, it’s an exciting time to be a Manchester United fan, with the club seemingly going in the right direction.

However, the feeling among the United faithful is that they want the season to be over already, so that a fresh start can get underway.

Erik ten Hag’s first term at the club was a success having won the Carabao Cup, but his second campaign has been underwhelming, with the Champions League looking out of reach as each game passes.

Inconsistencies have been apparent both on and off the field, but there is still one individual who has continuously performed to the United standard ever since his debut in 2020.

What Man United paid for Bruno Fernandes

In January 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed Bruno Fernandes for a fee of £46.6m from Sporting Lisbon, where he made a name for himself as one of the best-attacking midfielders in Europe.

The Portuguese maestro had been on fire for the Liga Portugal side prior to his move to England, picking up an incredible 113 goal contributions in just 137 matches, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig describing the midfielder as “ridiculous.”

Fernandes’ impact on the United side was instant, as in the second half of the 2019/20 campaign, the then-number 18 scored eight goals and provided seven assists in just 14 Premier League matches.

In his first full season, the Portugal international continued to cement himself as one of the best players in England, netting 18 goals and registering 11 assists, his best return to date.

Market Movers

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Bruno Fernandes’ value in 2024

Today, Fernandes is still performing at United, but he also now wears the captain’s armband, which underlines how important he is to Ten Hag’s side.

This season, the number eight has picked up 16 goal contributions in 36 matches across all competitions and taken on the role of being the main creator for United, having the most key passes per game in the Premier League, three, and creating the joint-third most big chances, 13.

However, what’s most impressive above all is Fernandes’ reliability and availability, which have seen him never miss a game for United due to injury since joining, an extremely impressive statistic.

All of the above combined makes him a world-class player, hence why he is one of United’s most valuable players in the squad and double the estimated worth of Lisandro Martinez.

Despite being valued highly, Fernandes is absolutely priceless to Man United and most definitely irreplaceable at this current moment. Indeed, CIES Football Observatory values him at £68m, behind Marcus Rashford but ahead of plenty of other names.

In a squad full of unreliable players both due to underperformance and injuries, the 29-year-old is a constant who will always be a huge threat, regardless of whether he’s playing extremely well or not.

Over his time in Manchester, the attacking midfielder has made 134 goal contributions in 221 matches, which is an insane return, and the Red Devils truly struck gold with the signing of the magnifico.

England skipper moved up to No. 3 for the recent drawn Ashes series but wants to drop back one place for good

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-20190:36

Butcher: Back Root to find batting form

Joe Root plans to drop back to his favoured No. 4 spot in the England batting order for the Test series against New Zealand – and stay there.Root moved up one place to No. 3 most recently during the drawn Ashes series over the English summer, scoring 325 runs at an average of 32.50. It was expected before the tour of New Zealand that Root would return to No. 4 and he batted there in the first warm-up match in Whangarei.ALSO READ: ‘Bloody Warner’ inspired Stokes at Headingley”I’d like to be consistent with it now, moving forward,” he told the BBC. “It doesn’t always work exactly how you want it to but it would be nice for that to be the case.”I just think it suits my game a little bit more. It definitely fits in with captaincy a little bit better for me.”I know previous captains have preferred to get out there early and just get amongst it but I quite like to split the two and to really focus on my batting. I’ve found over time that, generally, I’ve consistently played better in that position.”Root had batted at No. 3 previously, spending much of 2016 there before he was captain, although he reverted to No. 4 as soon as he took on the leadership. He returned to No. 3 during the English summer of 2018 but struggled for runs and dropped back down again. Overall, he averages 38.12 batting at first drop and 48.39 while batting at No. 4.The side selected for the second warm-up match, also in Whangarei, starting on Friday, is expected to mirror the first Test line-up.Root’s move back down the order would mean Joe Denly also moves down a spot to No. 3 after recovering from an ankle injury that ruled him out of the T20 series in New Zealand. Denly would likely replace Zak Crawley, who scored a century in his first innings as an England player during the tour match earlier this week, with Rory Burns set to open alongside debutant Dom Sibley.”We haven’t officially picked a team yet,” Root said of the side to face a New Zealand XI in the final warm-up fixture. “As you’d expect, the majority of that will go and play the first Test match.”Root suggested he felt in much improved form with the bat going into the Test series against New Zealand.”I’ve done quite a lot of work on my batting over the last month and feel there’s been quite a significant shift in certain areas of it,” Root said. “And when you’re not concerned about areas of your game that unlocks a lot of things as well. You have the clarity and clear mind to just go and play. So hopefully that’ll play a big part starting from this series and then I can go and get some big runs.”Meanwhile, Root also reiterated his determination to reclaim a place in England’s T20I team but he accepted that, if he cannot win selection, it probably reflects well on the strength of the side.Joe Root attempts to improvise•AFP

With Dawid Malan, rated No. 3 in the T20I rankings, and Tom Banton among those now vying for selection, Root’s place in the side is no longer guaranteed. And while his teammates benefit from playing in various T20 leagues, Root is not in the same demand and has a busy schedule that presents few such opportunities.But Root has no thoughts of shelving his T20 ambitions and remains committed to the T20 World Cup in a year’s time.”I know what I can offer the team,” Root said. “And if I’m not part of that best team I’ll drive myself to improve and get in it. So my goal is to try to make sure I’m in the best XI.”But I want to see England win. Ultimately it’s about us winning World Cups. And if there are guys coming in and performing, then that’s great for England cricket. You want competition for places going into a World Cup. One of the great things about the 50-over team is that there have, for a while, been a number of guys who could come into the team and there would be a seamless fit. You want that across the board.”

New Zealand have been awarded the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award for their “sporting conduct” in the aftermath of the World Cup final at Lord’s.Kane Williamson’s side were beaten to the trophy after a tied super over in the final by virtue of having scored fewer boundaries, and were praised by the judging panel for their “sportsmanship, humility and selflessness in defeat” following Jos Buttler’s run-out of Martin Guptill.The award, created in 2013 by the MCC and the BBC in memory of the broadcasting great, is presented annually to the player or team that has “best epitomised the principles of playing hard but fair”.Kumar Sangakkara, the MCC president, said New Zealand were “worthy winners” of the award.”In the heat of battle they displayed a level of sportsmanship that was fitting for such a fantastic final, and indeed tournament.”It is a testament to their squad that even after a match that will live long in the memory for the cricket that was played, we are still talking about the Spirit of Cricket. Their actions deserve this recognition.”Williamson was presented with the award during the drawn Test in Hamilton this week.

ذكرت تقارير أن العديد من الأندية الكبرى تراقب نجم ريال مدريد، فينيسيوس جونيور، وسط حالة من عدم اليقين بشأن مستقبله.

ويملك فينيسيوس عقدًا مع ريال مدريد يستمر حتى يونيو 2027، وأفادت تقارير في وقت سابق بأن اللاعب محل اهتمام للدوري السعودي.

وكان فينيسيوس محل جدل قبل أيام، بعد عدم تتويجه بالكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” 2024، حيث توقع أن يتوج بها، لكن ظفر بها رودري لاعب مانشستر سيتي، الأمر الذي أدى إلى رد فعل غاضب من ريال مدريد، وقاطع النادي الإسباني حفل الكرة الذهبية.

وبحسب “ريليفو” الإسبانية، فإن باريس سان جيرمان ومانشستر يونايتد وتشيلسي مهتمون بالتعاقد مع فينيسيوس.

ويسعى باريس سان جيرمان للرد على ريال مدريد بعد انتقال كيليان مبابي في الصيف للنادي الإسباني، وهناك علاقة متوترة بين الناديين.

في الوقت نفسه، هناك اهتمام بالغ من الدوري السعودي بجلب فينيسيوس جونيور، على أن يصبح واجهة للمسابقة، خاصة مع سعي الدولة لتنظيم كأس العالم 2034.

وذكر تقرير سابق أن الأهلي السعودي قدم عرضا بقيمة مليار يورو على مدى خمس سنوات لفينيسوس، مع راتب سنوي مقترح أعلى 13 مرة من راتب اللاعب الحالي.

ومع ذلك، فإن ريال مدريد يائس للاحتفاظ بفينيسيوس ومن المتوقع استئناف المحادثات قريبًا لتمديد عقده.

ويقال إن فينيسيوس قد يستغل العرض السعودي لتعزيز موقفه في المفاوضات مع ريال مدريد.

Rangers have been dealt a blow as it has emerged that one star could find himself sidelined for longer than initially feared.

Rangers eyeing up title

Though currently second in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers' fate remains in their own hands. They sit a point behind Glasgow rivals Celtic, but have a game in hand on the hoops after their game against Dundee was postponed.

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They also play host to Brendan Rodgers and Co in a game which will likely prove decisive. It could cap an impressive campaign for Philippe Clement's side, who boast the best defence in the division and have seen their goal breached on just 16 occasions to date, while they have scored the second most goals in the division (64), behind only Celtic (71).

The latest news, however, is less than ideal for the Ibrox outfit.

Rangers man set for spell on sidelines

Despite their impressive season, it has not been all rosy for Clement and co. They have suffered their fair share of injuries, and they may now have been dealt yet another blow on that front.

That comes as an update has been provided on Ross McCausland, who was taken off after just 35 minutes in their most recent Scottish Premiership outing, the 2-1 defeat to Motherwell. He was on the substitutes bench against Benfica, suggesting that it wasn't too severe, but never made it onto the pitch.

Though initially described as a knock, he missed both of Northern Ireland's matches over the international break and his injury was described as 'complex' by national team boss Michael O'Neill, which will have set off alarm bells at Ibrox.

McCausland in the SPL 2023/24

Appearances

22

Goals

1

Assists

2

Shots per 90

1.78

Tackles and interceptions

1.93

Medical expert Dr Rajpal Brar has now claimed that the complication could see McCausland miss several weeks.

“Initially, he was potentially available for the next match and the injury was described as a knock, so at the time, the injury didn’t seem too serious", he told Ibrox news.

“The main goal of treatment then will have been reducing pain and dysfunction to allow him to return to training. However, there has been a development over it being a complex issue and that puts him at risk of something more serious. There are not too many specifics provided, but this appears something that can keep him out for weeks.“

Rangers are already without a host of stars thanks to injury layoffs, with Rabbi Matondo, Kieran Dowell and Danilo all sidelined. They will be hoping that McCausland's recovery is swift, and that he can still play a meaningful part in the Scottish Premiership run-in and help Rangers lift another title.