Liverpool have been handed a Mohamed Salah boost after the Egyptian FA confirmed the forward will be rested for Monday's meeting with Cape Verde. Salah played the full 90 for Egypt in their surprise 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan on Friday as the Pharaohs crashed out of the Al Ain International Cup at the semi-final stage, and their exit could prove a blessing for the Reds.
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Salah rested following defeat to Uzbekistan
Oston Urunov bagged a first half brace as Uzbekistan secured a surprise 2-0 win over Egypt last week. The Pharaohs had been expected to progress to the final of the Al Ain International Cup but saw their tournament hopes go up in smoke.
As such, Egypt will now play their third-place playoff against Cape Verde, who lost to Iran in their own semi-final clash, on Monday as they look to get back to winning ways ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations next month. While some Liverpool fans had feared Salah, who played the full 90 minutes in the defeat, would suffer from burnout, the 33-year-old will now return to Merseyside sooner than expected as the Reds look to get their season back on track having been granted a rest by the Egypt national team.
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Egypt FA confirm Salah absence
"The Egyptian national football team, led by Hossam Hassan, held its training session in Al Ain in preparation for a friendly match against Cape Verde at 6pm on Monday – Cairo time – at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, UAE," a statement from the Egyptian FA read.
"The absence of the duo Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Hamdi Fathi from the Cape Verde match due to injury was also confirmed, and Salah Mohsen underwent recovery training, in addition to giving Mohamed Salah a rest, and his non-participation in the Cape Verde friendly.
"Tarek Abou El-Enein and Mohamed Abou Hussein, members of the board of directors of the Football Association, attended the training session of the Egyptian national team."
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Liverpool resume domestic duties with welcome of Forest
Salah will therefore have additional time to prepare for Liverpool's welcome of Nottingham Forest next weekend. The Reds are looking to get back to winning ways at the expense of the Tricky Trees having fallen to a 3-0 loss at rivals Manchester City on last Sunday.
Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku confirmed a routine win for City over Liverpool, who were unfortunate to see a Virgil van Dijk header ruled out for offside when the Reds were just one goal down.
Salah struggled at the Etihad Stadium, and has failed to match expectations from last season. The experienced forward scored 29 goals and laid on an additional 18 assists for Liverpool as Arne Slot masterminded a Premier League title triumph in his debut season at the Anfield helm.
However, the Egypt international has scored just four goals and provided two assists in the Premier League this season, while the Reds are now eight points off league leaders Arsenal despite a spending splurge over the summer as they signed Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool also brought in Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong from Bournemouth and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively, with the latter joining as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The England international departed for Real Madrid and was widely criticised by fans for the manner of his exit.
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Liverpool expected to lose Salah for AFCON
While Liverpool have been boosted by Salah's early return to Anfield this month, the Reds will be powerless to keep the forward on Merseyside for AFCON next month. The tournament kicks off on December 21 in Morocco and will run through to January 18.
Egypt are one of the pre-tournament favourites and have been drawn alongside South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B. Should Egypt make it to the final in mid-January, then Salah could miss up to eight matches, including testing trips to north London pair Tottenham and Arsenal.
“It’s hard to take, because I don’t feel like I’ve done enough to deserve not being on that plane”
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2025Kate Cross has revealed that she is “struggling to get [her] head around” her “savage” omission from England’s squad for the 50-over World Cup in India.Cross, 33, has been a regular in England’s ODI side since the last World Cup and took her 100th career wicket in the format earlier this summer. But she was dropped during their series against India last month and was left out of the squad altogether on Thursday as a result of England’s decision to pick an extra spinner for subcontinent conditions.”It’s hard to take, because I don’t feel like I’ve done enough to deserve not being on that plane,” Cross said on , her podcast with Alex Hartley. “Everyone that is a current player who doesn’t get selected is going to disagree with selections and going to think that they should be there.Related
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“But what I’m really struggling to get my head around is it all feels like it’s happened so quickly that I’ve just clearly fallen out of favour with Lot [England coach Charlotte Edwards]. That’s a hard bit to get my head [around]. If I’d had 14-18 months of being pretty average at cricket and not performing in an England shirt, then I think I’d understand it a bit more.”I guess to an extent I have, because I didn’t have the best summer in an England shirt and I had a really tough winter and missed out a lot through the back injury. But I think leading into that, I definitely didn’t feel like I wouldn’t be on the plane. Being in the best XI [is] a different conversation, but [not even] being on the plane… It feels savage.”Cross was first left out by Edwards for a rain-reduced game against India at Lord’s – she is not involved in England’s T20I set-up – and did not regain her place for the series finale in Durham. “There’s so much for me to get my head around, and I haven’t processed it,” she said. “It’s still really raw.”England have only picked three frontline seamers for the World Cup in Em Arlott, Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer, with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt on track to recover from injury in time to offer another option.”It’s what you sign up for,” Cross said. “You don’t get to have those amazing highs without having these real lows, but it doesn’t make the lows any easier knowing that they’re going to be there. I probably had a good indication that I wasn’t going to be in this, or it would be tough to come back from being dropped in that last game… But it doesn’t make it any easier.”
That was certainly an entertaining game, but not for the reason Chelsea would’ve been hoping for.
Enzo Maresca’s side travelled to Baku to take on Qarabağ in the Champions League, but instead of building on their derby win at the weekend, they drew 2-2.
While there were a few players who looked good on the night, such as Estevao, most of the team played seriously poorly.
In fact, some of the team, like Jorrel Hato, have almost certainly played themselves out of the team for the Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Hato's dire display vs Qarabağ
When Chelsea signed Hato from Ajax in the summer, there was considerable excitement from the fanbase, as the 19-year-old is regarded as one of the best young defenders in world football.
After all, before the move, he had already made over 100 appearances for the Amsterdam side and won six senior caps for the Netherlands.
However, even with this experience, he’s years away from being in his prime years, and so there was an expectation that he would make mistakes for the Blues, and unfortunately, that is what happened on Wednesday night.
Appearances
111
Starts
102
Minutes
9121′
Goals
4
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.11
Minutes per Goal Involvement
701.61′
Points per Game
1.86
For Qarabağ’s first goal, the Dutchman was outmuscled and left on the floor for the first shot and then out of the way entirely for the rebound.
Now, one mistake in a game can be down to bad luck and happen to anyone.
Unfortunately, it was the teenager who, via a handball, gave away the penalty for the hosts’ second goal just ten minutes later.
In all, it was, as one content creator put it, a “horror” showing from Hato on Wednesday and one that should see him dropped for Saturday.
Unfortunately for Maresca, other starters also played themselves out of the team.
The Cheslea star who played himself out of the team
There really are a few players you could name here, such as Hato’s defensive partner, Tosin Adarabioyo, who looked just as inexperienced at the back.
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However, in this instance, the starter who has to be on the bench for Wolves on the weekend is Tyrique George.
The Cobham graduate was preferred to Marc Guiu and Liam Delap from the start on Wednesday night, and unfortunately, he did not repay the manager’s faith in him.
In his defence, he did not make a mistake that cost the side a goal, but he also did nothing to help them score one, which, given his position and the opposition, is just as bad.
In fact, the youngster was so anonymous that Maresca decided to hook him at halftime, and while Liam Delap didn’t set the world alight either, he was at least noticeable when the Blues had the ball.
That might sound overly harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Bobby Vincent, who gave the Englishman a 5/10 match rating and generously described it as ‘a fairly quiet evening’ for the striker.
Unfortunately, his statistics don’t make for pleasant reading either, as in 45 minutes of inaction, he produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.22, took a single shot which was blocked, took just 13 touches – 26 fewer than Robert Sanchez – lost the ball four times and completed just six passes.
Minutes
45′
Expected Goals
0.05
Goals
0
Expected Assists
0.17
Assists
0
Shots on Target
0
Touches
13
Lost Possession
4
Passes Completed
6/7
Dribbles
0
Ground Duels (Won)
2 (0)
Ultimately, George isn’t a bad player, but he was utterly anonymous against Qarabağ and, therefore, must be dropped for the Wolves game.
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England allrounder hits 52 as Invincibles belt third-highest total in women’s Hundred history
ECB Media12-Aug-2025
Alice Capsey reverses during her half-century•ECB via Getty Images
174 for 5 (Capsey 52, Baker 2-25) beat 152 for 6 (Lister 33, Wellington 2-27) by 22 runsOval Invincibles put their indifferent form behind them at Edgbaston as they racked up the third-highest score in the short history of the women’s Hundred to beat Birmingham Phoenix by a comfortable 22 runs.The Invincibles’ 174 for 5 was also the second-highest total this season – men or women – behind the 176 for 5 they themselves conceded to London Spirit on the opening day.”It’s nice to get a win on the board after two close losses,” said Alice Capsey, who top-scored with 52 off 29 balls. “The openers were brilliant. One of our reflections after the first two games was that we bat so deep we can take some more calculated risks.”They took the game on so nicely and it made my job pretty easy – to keep the momentum going and keep putting pressure on. The pitch played better than I thought it would and came on pretty nicely. “Getting over the line was the main thing and now we go back to The Oval; we can take a lot of confidence and we love playing there.”Having elected to bat, the Invincibles set their stall out early, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Meg Lanning breezing to 54 for 0 in the 25-ball Powerplay.Lanning’s dismissal for 36 off 19 merely brought in Capsey, who was barely inconvenienced by the loss of Winfield-Hill and Marizanne Kapp, raising a 28-ball half-century as Paige Scholfield also motored along at the other end.The two of them treated Aussie legend and Phoenix captain Ellyse Perry with disdain while Hannah Baker avoided the worst of the onslaught, finishing with a creditable 2 for 24 from her 20 balls.Meg Lanning gave Invincibles a flying start•Getty Images
When Phoenix batted, Aussie starlet Georgia Voll, who had conceded 20 from her five balls as a bowler, got off to a flyer but the experience of Kapp and Amanda-Jade Wellington started to tell.Emma Lamb and Perry gamely attempted to keep up with the spiralling rate but Wellington had her compatriot smartly held by Winfield-Hill behind the stumps for 29 off 16 to effectively put the game beyond Phoenix’s reach.Ailsa Lister and Amy Jones battled hard, the Scottish batter in particular impressing with an unbeaten 18-ball 33 including four fours and a six, but the Phoenix ended up well short and well beaten.
Chelsea got back to winning ways against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the League Cup on Wednesday night.
It wasn’t the perfect performance from the Blues, far from it, but they were certainly the better team and scored some wonderful goals.
Moreover, had Liam Delap not got himself sent off, Enzo Maresca’s side would likely have had a far easier time of things.
The former Ipswich Town star hasn’t had an easy start to life at Chelsea, and now it looks like he could soon have more competition coming from Cobham.
Liam Delap's Premier League record
Chelsea paid Ipswich Town around £30m for Delap in the summer, and while his stock isn’t exactly high at the moment, that was still a brilliant deal.
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After all, during his time at Manchester City, he was regarded as one of the next big things, scoring 35 goals and providing nine assists in 36 appearances for their Under-23 side.
Moreover, once he got his first move to the Tractor Boys last summer, he quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young forwards in the Premier League.
For example, despite playing for a team destined for relegation, the Winchester-born poacher was still able to rack up an impressive tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2616 minutes.
In other words, the Englishman was able to average a goal involvement every 2.64 games, or every 186.85 minutes for the Suffolk side, which is not bad going considering he’d made just ten appearances in the competition for City in the years before.
Appearances
10
37
3
Minutes
47′
2616′
93′
Goals
0
12
0
Assists
0
2
0
However, he has not been so lucky this season.
Prior to his hamstring injury, the summer signing made just three appearances in the competition for the Blues, two of which came off the bench, in which he failed to score or assist a goal.
Chelsea'sLiamDelapreacts after sustaining an injury
He won’t even have the chance to open his account this weekend either, as his second yellow against Wolves means he’s suspended for the game against Tottenham Hotspur.
In all, Delap is a player with plenty of promise, but at a club like Chelsea, forwards aren’t always allowed a great deal of time, especially when there is a particularly exciting forward making his way through the academy at the moment.
The Cobham star who could replace Delap
As is the case every season, Chelsea have an abundance of incredibly exciting players at Cobham this season, with Chizaram Ezenwata being one of the most notable.
The 17-year-old phenom, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango claims fans should “get excited for”, joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic and has already become one of the star players for the club’s U18 side.
For example, in 20 appearances last season, totalling just 1279 minutes, the dynamic gem managed to score 12 goals and provide three assists, which works out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.33 games, or every 91.93 minutes.
Impressively, the youngster has become even more of an attacking threat this season.
In just six appearances for the U18s, totalling 534 minutes, he has scored seven goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of 1.33 goal involvements per game, or one every 66.75 minutes.
Appearances
26
Minutes
1913′
Goals
19
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.88
Minutes per Goal Involvement
83.17′
In fact, the teenage goal machine has done such an incredible job in the U18s, that he has now made six appearances for the U21s.
It’s not just the output that should excite fans, though, as he looks to be a complete package.
According to one analyst, he “has a strong physique that allows him to shield and hold up the ball effectively”, and his “off-ball movement is outstanding.”
Ultimately, it is still very early in his career, but Ezenwata appears to be a seriously impressive prospect and someone who could rival Delap for gametime in the coming years.
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When Everton wrapped up a season-long loan deal for Jack Grealish ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, it felt like the Three Lions star had entered the last-chance saloon.
It also raised questions as to what David Moyes was to do with his Toffees talisman, Iliman Ndiaye. Both mavericks couldn’t play on the left flank, after all.
But Ndiaye has performed excellently in a new right-sided berth, leading the club’s scoring charts with three goals from nine Premier League matches.
Iliman Ndiaye's importance to Everton
Alongside Grealish, he is the standout star in Moyes’ squad. Ndiaye only arrived in 2024, signing from Marseille for about £15m, but he was a beacon of hope throughout the end of Sean Dyche’s tenure and has scored nine goals under Moyes; no active Everton player has bagged more.
His electric pace and sharp-witted brain makes him a tricky customer for even the sternest Premier League defence. As per Sofascore, the Senegal international has won seven duels per game so far this season, and he has yet to miss a big chance when played in on goal.
Grealish has a unique skillset of his own, but there is really no one else quite like him on the blue half of Merseyside, perhaps the red streets too.
He wears the #10 shirt with pride and purpose, and it’s unlikely anyone in Moyes’ squad has the quality to take it from him right now.
There is an Everton up-and-comer who would fancy his chances, though. He’s currently out on loan, and causing quite the storm as he angles toward an emphatic return to the Premier League next season.
The Everton prospect who could take Ndiaye's shirt
For those of an Everton persuasion, it’s a hard thing to admit, but if Ndiaye isn’t playing European football before long, he may well cast an eye on the continent. Already, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a bumper bid, and the Friedkin Group have responded with a price tag spilling over the £70m mark.
Should he leave, Harrison Armstrong might fancy himself worthy of the summer. Certainly, the teenager has been riding the crest of a wave out on loan in the Championship with Preston North End this season, with his performances leading writer Jonny Nelson to predict that he “will be playing for England in two years”.
The 18-year-old has the grace, technical skill and physicality to become a mainstay in the Premier League, and after a promising spell on loan with Derby County last year, he has taken his game to the next level at Deepdale.
Rangy and ever-more athletic, he’s already featured eight times for Everton’s senior side and has racked up three assists, having played prominently for the development side before being determined to warrant a series of loan moves at a lower level.
Lauded for his “unreal” recent performances by the Second Tier Podcast, Armstrong is going from strength to strength.
We are seeing improvements. We are seeing maturity and growth. Armstrong ranks among the top 10% of Championship midfielders this season for progressive carries and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90 (data via FBref).
But, more crucially, it is the overall level of his game that has been raised, more confident on the ball, more combative against the run of play. This is a Moyes midfielder, and one who stands a compelling chance of emulating Declan Rice at West Ham United, who was schooled into the superstar he is by the Scotsman.
Harrison Armstrong in the Championship
Stats (* per game)
24/25
25/26
Matches (starts)
15 (12)
8 (5)
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
0
Touches*
33.6
35.0
Accurate passes*
14.8 (68%)
20.1 (82%)
Chances created*
0.3
0.3
Dribbles*
0.6
0.8
Ball recoveries*
3.8
3.0
Tackles + interceptions*
3.2
2.1
Ground duels won*
2.9 (57%)
2.8 (59%)
Aerial duels won*
1.0 (45%)
1.1 (75%)
Data via Sofascore
He is not a winger, and would not replace Ndiaye in terms of tactical role, but the Finch Farm starlet has what it takes to dazzle on Merseyside and provide Everton with a new dimension, much like the silky winger.
Everton might just have a superstar on their hands in Armstrong, one who could hit the heights Ndiaye has reached, and more.
Fewer touches than Pickford: Everton flop must be axed if Richarlison joins
This Everton dud will surely be on borrowed time even more if Richarlison rejoins the Toffees.
Celtic went through a curious couple of days of speculation after it was reported that the club were set to sign central midfielder Bobby Clark for a fee of £6m.
It was claimed that the Hoops were on course to clinch a deal for the 20-year-old RB Salzburg starlet, who is currently on loan at Derby County, in the January transfer window.
However, Brendan Rodgers was quizzed about the link ahead of the clash with Dundee and said: “I wouldn’t normally say anything on anything, but I really don’t know where that has come from at all. Especially in October.”
Whilst it seems like the link to Clark was wide of the mark, it was not a total surprise to see a central midfield link, given that Reo Hatate’s form has tailed off this season.
Why Reo Hatate's form is a concern for Celtic
The Japan international was in influential presence in midfield last season with a return of ten goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created in 37 outings in the Scottish Premiership, per Sofascore.
Hatate provided a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals, but that has not been the case for him in the 2025/26 campaign so far.
The 27-year-old star has scored one goal, created one ‘big chance’, and failed to register any assists in six appearances in the Premiership, per Sofascore, as Celtic have failed to score in four of their last nine games in all competitions.
Rodgers needs more from his midfielders from an attacking perspective, because of Hatate’s concerning form, but signing Bobby Clark should not be the answer, as Paulo Bernardo is an even better option than him.
Why Celtic should unleash Paulo Bernardo
The Portugal U21 international has the quality to be the club’s next version of Hatate in the middle of the park, as a central midfielder who can score and create goals for the team.
Clark, meanwhile, has no goals and no assists in nine appearances for Derby in the Championship, per Sofascore, after a return of one goal and no assists in 17 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga for Salzburg in the 2024/25 campaign.
These statistics do not suggest that the English starlet would arrive at Parkhead to provide the goals and assists that the Hoops are currently lacking in midfield.
Paulo Bernardo (Premiership)
23/24
24/25
Starts
11
13
Goals
3
2
Conversion rate
10%
8%
Key passes
11
31
Big chances created
4
5
Assists
3
3
Stats via Sofascore
However, as you can see in the table above, Bernardo’s form in his first two full Premiership seasons with the club suggest that he has the potential to deliver quality in the final third.
The Portuguese whiz, who was hailed as “tenacious” by Rodgers, scored five goals and created nine ‘big chances’ in 24 Premiership starts in those two campaigns, which is a fairly impressive haul for a player who did not play week-in-week-out.
His statistics in the Premiership show that he is a better central midfield option than Clark, who has failed to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch at Salzburg or Derby in the past 18 months, since leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2024.
Unfortunately, though, Rodgers has only handed Bernardo two appearances and one start in the Premiership this season, which means that he has not had many opportunities to showcase his quality in midfield.
Given Hatate’s drop-off in form, the Celtic manager should be looking to unleash the Portuguese talent in the coming weeks because he has the attacking potential to be the club’s next version of the Hatate that they had in the middle of the park last term.
Not just Yang & Scales: 18-touch Celtic dud must be dropped by Rodgers
Celtic suffered their first Premiership defeat of the season at Dundee on Sunday, and one flop, not Liam Scales or Yang Hyun-Jun, must be dropped.
Former Chelsea star and Brazilian midfielder Oscar has been discharged from the hospital after discovering a heart issue earlier this week. The 34-year-old had fallen ill during a bicycle test at his current club Sao Paulo, and since then, he has been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, a condition where the blood pressure drops too low, causing people to faint.
What happened to Oscar?
The former Chelsea midfielder was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope. According to the , vasovagal syncope is common, can affect anyone, and is often a temporary problem affecting the body's autonomic nervous system. It is a common cause of fainting that occurs due to a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain.
Certain triggers affect the nerve messages, and as a result of this issue, you can feel weak, sick, sweaty, and light-headed – and that can lead to losing consciousness. If you have this problem, people are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids, not to stand still for long periods, and to avoid overly warm environments. If you get warning symptoms, sufferers should lie down and squeezing firmly on a ball may be helpful.
Following his admission to the hospital, Sao Paulo released a statement which read: "Midfielder Oscar remains hospitalised at Einstein Hospital Israelita, where he was admitted on Tuesday afternoon after presenting an intercurrence with cardiological changes during exams carried out at SuperCT. An extensive investigation carried out at the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. Oscar remains clinically well and stable, hospitalised in a cardiology unit, and this Friday will undergo an electrophysiological study."
AdvertisementAFPOscar discharged from hospital
After spending three days at the Einstein Hospital Israelita and receiving necessary treatments, Oscar was released on Sunday. A statement from Sao Paulo read: "Extensive investigation carried out at the hospital confirmed that the player experienced an episode of vasovagal syncope. He will now follow a medical rest programme for the next few days".
Will Oscar continue his professional career?
Following the incident, the 34-year-old Brazil star remained upbeat about his condition as he wrote on his Instagram story: "Everything will be alright, God willing."
However, a report from claimed that Oscar is considering retirement from football. They add that it may be more likely he hangs up his boots, rather than continuing. Their report stated: "According to a specialist heard by Globo, the problem is not life-threatening and can be solved with medication or simple surgical intervention, where a ganglion is cauterized to avoid getting out of control. Also, according to the expert, Oscar may be able to return to football if everything goes well and he feels comfortable to do so. For now, Oscar still has no discharge forecast. At the age of 34, he evaluates with his family whether he will announce his retirement or continue in football. The biggest tendency is for him to leave professional football."
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AFPWhat comes next for Oscar?
Football fans in Brazil and across the world is now eagerly wait to hear from Oscar after his condition has calmed. The former Premier League star, who played 203 times for Chelsea and scored 38 goals between 2012 to 2017 before joining Shanghai Port, now has a huge decision on whether or not he will continue his playing career.
After making more than 500 appearances in club football and earning 48 international caps for Brazil, plus winning trophies in England, China, and his home country, he may decide that, for the good of his health, it is time to move on to something different. However, the Brazilian may still have another chapter to write in his footballing journey.
Earlier this year, Oscar returned to his homeland after 13 years and signed for his boyhood club Sao Paulo. His existing deal runs until 2027. He now faces the most difficult decision of his professional life.
O Palmeiras anunciou a contratação do atacante Bruno Rodrigues na noite de terça-feira (19) para a surpresa de muitos palmeirenses, que não esperavam que o destaque do Cruzeiro nesta temporada vestisse verde em 2024.
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Com a segunda contratação confirmada para a próxima temporada, o Verdão iniciará o ano já com o mesmo número de contratações de todo o ano de 2023, quando somente o atacante Artur e o volante Richard Ríos foram contratados.
Bruno Rodrigues chega com contrato até 2028 e se junta ao elenco do Maior Campeão do Brasil já no início de janeiro para a pré-temporada, visando a disputa do Paulistão e da Supercopa do Brasil.
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Com ele, o argentino Aníbal Moreno também se apresenta ao Verdão para iniciar a sua trajetória no atual bicampeão brasileiro.
A diretoria do Palmeiras não deve parar por aí, e até o primeiro mês de 2024, mais jogadores devem chegar. Abel Ferreira está por trás de todo o planejamento da direção para a temporada que vem.
Mesmo a torcida não entendendo a filosofia que já dura anos, mais jogadores jovens e com potencial de crescimento devem chegar na Academia de Futebol.
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+ Quem é Bruno Rodrigues, ex-Cruzeiro e reforço do Palmeiras!
A “corneta” por Bruno Rodrigues está exagerada, mas o ponto positivo da contratação foi ver que a diretoria não está dormindo e foi atrás de um jogador que estava sendo muito disputado no mercado e o contratou sem que houvesse um vazamento.
Hot on the heels of Jayant Yadav’s departure comes another high-profile move away from Haryana, with India seamer Harshal Patel signing with Gujarat for the 2025-26 domestic season.Having completed all formalities, Harshal will be available for Gujarat’s pre-season preparations, which kick off with a tri-series later this month that also features the other two teams from the state, Baroda and Saurashtra.Related
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Harshal’s return to Gujarat completes a circle. He was born there, and made his List A debut for the side in 2008-09 following an impressive Under-19 season. However, he made the switch to Haryana soon after returning from the Under-19 World Cup in 2010, when he was unable to make further inroads in Gujarat.He eventually made his first-class debut, for Haryana, in 2011-12 and had been a key member of their squads across formats since. In all, Harshal has picked up 246 first-class wickets in 74 matches at an average of 24.02, with 12 five-wicket hauls.He was instrumental in Haryana becoming a force across the white-ball formats over the years, and was part of the side that went on to clinch their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2023-24.”Right from 2010-11 since my Under-19 days, almost the entirety of my professional career has been with Haryana, I owe a lot to them,” Harshal told ESPNcricinfo. “If that move to Haryana as an 18-year-old hadn’t worked out for me I would have probably moved to the USA and not played cricket in India.”Harshal divides his time between the USA – where he has extended family – and Ahmedabad, where he lives. Harshal’s decision to switch teams comes at a time when he felt he needed to prioritise spending time with his young family between cricket commitments.”It was getting difficult for me to be away from the family for long periods of time,” Harshal said. “So I wanted to come back and see if I could finish my career here. Glad I got an opportunity to do that.”Harshal had been approached by another team, but he wanted to first see if Gujarat would be keen. As it turned out, they were “more than happy” to have him back.”I first asked Anil Patel [secretary, Gujarat Cricket Association] and he was gracious enough to say, ‘this is your home, welcome back.’ Having come back, I’m open to play everything and anything that the team wants me to play.”While my specialisation will remain white-ball, I’m only more than happy to take any opportunities that come my way with red-ball cricket.”Harshal hasn’t played for India since January 2023 but an international comeback isn’t on his mind•BCCI
Harshal hasn’t been a first-class regular for the past two seasons, only playing seven red-ball games over that period. But looking ahead, he’s happy with where his body is at and is keen to get back to the grind if picked.”My body allows me to bowl 20 overs in a day over two months or however long the Ranji Trophy season is; it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I love the grind. The goal has always been to play the best cricket that I can play for as long as I can irrespective of the format.”At 34, Harshal remains an IPL regular and is coming off an excellent season with Sunrisers Hyderabad – 16 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 9.80. He played the most recent of his 25 T20Is in January 2023, and isn’t in the mix currently. The prospects of an India comeback, though, aren’t on his mind.”My India selections and IPL and all of these things have come as a byproduct of that mindset of giving it my best wherever I play,” he said. “My motivation has nothing to do with whether I’ll play for India or not or whether I’ll play IPL or not.”My motivation has everything to do with whether I still have the hunger to go to the ground and bowl 10-15 overs in a day, and if I can do it over a period of two-three months. And the answer is yes.”At Gujarat, Harshal hopes to lend his experience to a set-up that is largely in a transition phase under head coach Ramesh Powar.”I’m pretty excited to see what I can add here to the team’s betterment,” he said. “That’s what I spoke about with Ramesh and Axar [Patel] recently. If I can contribute in some way to the development of players, mentor them and help them in their journey, there’ll be no bigger satisfaction.”As far as my own journey is concerned, I’ve always asked myself how can I be the best player I can be. That has kept me going for all these years, and it still keeps me going. My training consistency is probably better than it has ever been.”I’ve been really lucky and I’ve been really fortunate that I don’t have that financial anxiety anymore [thanks to the IPL]. So now that factor is taken away, the only thing that still pushes me is I want to play this game because I love playing this game.”