Virat Kohli has fully recovered from the shoulder injury that has kept him out of action since the Ranchi Test against Australia last month
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-20171:01
QuickFacts – Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has fully recovered from the shoulder injury that has kept him out of action since the Ranchi Test against Australia last month. The BCCI’s medical team has confirmed he is fit to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in their match against Mumbai Indians on Friday.Kohli injured his right shoulder while making a diving stop at the boundary on the first day of the Ranchi Test. He missed the fourth Test against Australia in Dharamsala, with Ajinkya Rahane leading India in his absence, and was also ruled out of Royal Challengers’ first three matches of the IPL season.Royal Challengers, the losing finalists in 2016, have won one and lost two of their first three matches this season. The return of Kohli, their captain and the tournament’s highest run-getter last season with 973 runs at an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03, should strengthen their batting considerably, with AB de Villiers – who missed the first two matches with a back injury – also back in action.
Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch will remain in charge as the club’s manager despite the 3-2 defeat to Fulham, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
The Lowdown: Leeds beaten again
The Whites were hoping to pick up a much-needed Premier League win on Sunday afternoon but again ended up hugely disappointed.
Despite Leeds taking the lead at Elland Road, Fulham ended up prevailing 3-2 in the end, with plenty of home supporters venting their frustration at the result.
There is now growing pressure on Marsch to keep his job, with Hay outlining where the club’s board stand on the 48-year-old.
The Latest: Marsch to remain in charge
Taking to Twitter after the Fulham match, Hay said that Leeds’ stance remains the same and the American will carry on as manager.
The reporter tweeted:
“Jesse Marsch says the responsibility is his as Fulham defeat raises the pressure on Leeds United’s manager. No change in the club’s support of him at this stage.”
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The Verdict: Refreshing loyalty
While some supporters may well want to see Marsch sacked at this point, it is refreshing to see the owners standing by him for now, showing a loyalty which often doesn’t exist in modern football, with four Premier League managers already losing their jobs since the start of this season.
The exception to that rule has been Steve Cooper, with Nottingham Forest recently extending his contract to 2025 despite being bottom of the table currently.
They are showing signs of a resurgence, picking up four points this week with two clean sheets and a famous win over Liverpool, and the hope is that Marsch manages to do the same with the Whites.
Of course, there is only so long that bad results can continue before a change is needed, but for now, the 48-year-old ought to be given time to turn things around.
Manchester United are still in the market for reinforcements to add depth to their highly competitive squad, and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target who happens to be like Jude Bellingham?
Who are Man United signing?
According to journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Manchester United have made enquiries about Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
Pedulla revealed on social media:
"Manchester United always thinks of Amrabat, but in the meantime, there has been an information survey for Gravenberch who has two other proposals from the Premier League."
Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…
How good is Ryan Gravenberch?
Erik ten Hag has displayed his loyalty and belief in his Ajax alumni since joining the Red Devils last summer, snapping up a number of his former players including Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Eriksen, and now he could be set to spark another reunion.
Gravenberch – once hailed a "top talent" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – had his breakthrough into first-team football under the guidance of Ten Hag, which led to huge interest throughout Europe when his exciting performances and undeniable talents were displayed regularly in the Eredivisie and on the European stage too.
The talented midfielder then moved on to Bayern Munich to chase his dreams of winning major trophies, but unfortunately has found regular game time hard to come by with the Bundesliga giants, something that the player has had no problems speaking out about after his first campaign.
Coincidentally, Ten Hag has always held Gravenberch in high regard and often spoke out about the young player's influence in the team when he was managing Ajax:
"Ryan is a very young player," ten Hag began. "But he has already gained a lot of experience. He has already played over 100 games in the Eredivisie, has played in the Champions League and has been called up for the national team. Despite his young age, he has already experienced a lot and, above all, won titles.
"He's very important for our team because he's a box-to-box player. He accelerates out of positional play, does good dribbling, has tremendous passing ability and participates in the build-up play.
"Due to his athleticism and physique, he is also strong in the transition game and can also win the balls. He's come a long way, but can still learn a lot."
There is no doubt that Gravenberch is one of the hottest youth prospects across the top five European leagues – ranking in the top 25% of his positional peers for shots on goal, shot-creating actions, progressive carries, successful take-ons and progressive passes received per 90 minutes played, as per FBref.
Not only that, Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is named as one of the most comparable players to Gravenberch over the last 12 months, with many similarities beyond their rapid development at such a young age.
When comparing the promising midfield duo, they came close in several key attributes including pass completion (87.4% v 81.7%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.91 v 4.81), percentage of dribblers tackled (53.8% v 66.7%) and successful take-ons (57.9% v 57%). The two players, therefore, are bullish and progressive in nature.
In fact, Dutch legend Rafael van de Vaart once claimed that Gravenberch – who has a reported €25m (£22m) price tag – is actually better than Bellingham:
"I think Gravenberch is better than him, in every way. Especially physically."
With that being said, the signing of Gravenberch would be a great piece of business for Man United as they continue to invest in Ten Hag's vision and philosophy to get Man United back to dominating domestically and winning trophies regularly.
Mohamed Salah has been accused of playing "mind games" with Liverpool over a new contract as he "can do what he wants" to seal a mega-money extension.
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Salah has yet to sign an extension with LFCHas little over six months on his current dealJohnson believes Salah is tricking club to accept his termsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
With Salah's current deal set to expire in the summer of 2025, speculation around his future has been a focal point for fans and pundits alike. The Egyptian forward, arguably Liverpool’s best player in the Premier League era, recently stirred controversy by publicly criticising the club's apparent lack of effort in securing his services for the long term.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT GLEN JOHNSON SAID
Salah’s statements to the press regarding his contract situation have been interpreted by former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson as a strategic move to put pressure on the board and negotiate better terms.
Speaking to Johnson said: "There’s clearly a lot of games going on and Mo knows that he’s in a powerful position. He’s playing the game and probably wants to stay, but he’s just using all these tactics to get himself an extra few years more than Liverpool want to give him or whether it’s money or whatever.
"He knows he’s in the driving seat and can pretty much do what he wants. He may feel like talking to the press is his last resort and so he can let people know that he wants to stay."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In response to the escalating narrative, Liverpool have reportedly taken steps to address the contract impasse. According to , the club have presented an opening offer to Salah’s representatives, indicating their desire to retain the forward beyond the end of his current contract. However, the negotiations appear to be far from resolved, with both parties yet to reach a definitive agreement.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SALAH?
Despite the contract drama, Salah remains focused on his on-field responsibilities and has been in sensational form this campaign with 16 goals and 12 assists in 27 appearances across all competitions. Liverpool fans will be eager to see their star player in action when the Reds face Fulham at Anfield on Saturday in a key Premier League clash.
Renowned Glasgow Rangers podcasters Heart & Hand were left stunned by the early injury suffered by Ridvan Yilmaz in the first half this afternoon.
The Lowdown: Off after eight minutes…
Given a start by Giovanni van Bronckhorst ahead of Borna Barisic, Yilmaz was forced off through injury after just eight minutes of their game against Aberdeen at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.
It was just his second start in the division since his move from Besiktas in the summer, and now it looks as if he could be facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
The Latest: Heart & Hand stunned
Taking to Twitter after Yilmaz was substituted off for Barisic, Heart & Hand were left stunned, labelling the number of injuries that the Gers are picking up as ‘absolutely unbelievable’:
“Ridvan off injured. Absolutely unbelievable our injuries right now.”
The Light Blues are really having some rotten luck with their injury situation right now, and it was not helped by the fact that Ben Davies had to go off injured at half-time as well.
This comes after Van Bronckhorst confirmed in his pre-game press conference that Kemar Roofe has suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.
The injury list keeps on growing for the Teddy Bears, who also have the likes of Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Ianis Hagi out for the long-term.
Nonetheless, they simply cannot afford any more from now until the FIFA World Cup.
Southampton are considering a move to sign Marseille midfielder Pape Gueye in January, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Bit-part player
The France-born talent made the move to the Velodrome in 2020, but he has recently fallen out of favour and is fourth in Igor Tudor’s pecking order behind Valentin Rongier, Matteo Guendouzi and Jordan Veretout.
He has played less than 400 minutes in all competitions this season, whereas the other three have all had more than 1,000 minutes of game-time (Transfermarkt).
Despite the 23-year-old still having nearly two years remaining on his contract, two clubs in particular have been alerted to his current situation and are keen on bringing him to the Premier League.
The Latest: Southampton eyeing Gueye
According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), both Southampton and Leeds United are ‘keen’ on a deal for Gueye.
The source claims that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will be looking to ‘take advantage of the existing contacts’, with Saints chiefs already having a connection with Marseille following the transfer of Duje Caleta-Car.
The south coast club would reportedly ‘prefer a loan with a view to buy’ whilst the Ligue 1 outfit want straight cash, but given Marseille’s urgent need for funds, the maestro could be handed over on a ‘silver platter’.
The Verdict: Don’t do it…
Southampton already have plenty of midfield options at their disposal in the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Joe Aribo, Ibrahima Diallo, Stuart Armstrong and Romeo Lavia, so this area of the pitch doesn’t need any further additions.
Also, the Senegal international doesn’t contribute enough in the final third of the pitch, having only scored four goals and provided two assists in 92 appearances for Marseille (Transfermarkt).
Whilst he has been dubbed a ‘fantastic’ player by Josh Bunting, the Saints should turn their attention elsewhere as Hasenhuttl looks to bolster his ranks in the winter market.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has held talks with Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij regarding a move to north London in January, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Reinforcements wanted
The Premier League giants are entering the winter market on the hunt for a new centre-back to provide an upgrade on their existing options, with the 30-year-old identified as a primary target.
The Dutchman is into the final 12 months of his contract at the San Siro, and with the Nerazzurri in need of cash, he could be available on a cut-price deal in the New Year.
The Latest: Conte holds De Vrij talks
According to Football Insider, Tottenham are ‘keen on signing’ De Vrij, with Conte having already ‘spoken to the player’ about a move to Spurs in 2023.
The 6 foot 2 colossus ‘fits the bill’ of the Lilywhites, with the 53-year-old a ‘huge admirer’ of the defender after working alongside him during his time at Inter.
The Netherlands international – who is in the Oranje squad for the upcoming World Cup – has ‘been told’ that he will be offered a new contract, although a deal is yet to have been tabled, with Spurs’ recent poor form pushing the manager to make a move ‘behind the scenes’.
De Vrij was an integral member of Conte’s squad which won the Serie A title in 2020/21, and with his former boss stating that the Dutchman was ‘like Bonucci’, this existing connection could give Spurs an advantage in the race for his signature.
Considering Leonardo Bonucci’s status as a European champion and nine-time Serie A winner who has been regarded as one of the world’s top defenders, that is no mean praise from Conte.
This season, De Vrij is averaging 2.9 successful aerial duels, 2.7 clearances and 2.1 interceptions per league game (WhoScored). Those returns would see him rank highly in Spurs’ squad for each metric.
De Vrij also has 16 goal contributions to his name at Inter, showing that he can offer a strong presence at both ends of the pitch, making him a no-brainer of a player for Fabio Paratici to try and recruit for Tottenham.
Under Carlos Corberan, West Bromwich Albion are in the midst of a mini-revolution.
The Spaniard took over from an uninspired and frankly archaic Steve Bruce, who had led the Baggies to a spot in the relegation zone.
His outdated tactics and reluctance to stick to one formation often left the players looking lost out on the pitch, resulting in their barren run of just one win in 12 Championship games.
However, despite losing their first game under the Spaniard, West Brom have since won all of their last three games.
What has likely birthed this resurgence was outlined by Darnell Furlong in his post-match interview following their recent win over Stoke City.
His statements were littered with subtle digs at their old manager, as he claimed: “We’re extremely organised now, which is nice. We’ve got a structure now which doesn’t just apply to defenders, it applies to the whole team. We’ve been coached the really fine details which already looks like it is paying off.”
This improved defensive structure has resulted in three clean sheets alongside those wins, with the “superb” Conor Townsend – as dubbed by Chris Lepkowski – having played a huge part in the turnaround.
The 29-year-old played the full game against the Potters, earning a recall after his six-minute cameo to see out their narrow win over Queens Park Rangers. Townsend has actually featured in every league game throughout the whole season.
Despite having obviously suffered due to the previous reign, he still has managed to achieve a 6.88 average SofaScore rating, boasting 1.4 tackles and interceptions as well as 1.8 clearances per game, via SofaScore.
His defensive contribution is integral to laying down the solid foundations upon which Corberan’s recent successes have been built.
What exacerbates his success even more in recent years is how his value has increased.
Only as far back as October of 2020, the left-back was rated at just €800k (£700k) by Transfermarkt. Now, two years on, that has grown to a stunning €2.2m (£1.9m), marking a 171% increase.
They have clearly hit the jackpot with both his increase in value and his recent performances, and should they manage to achieve any unlikely success this season, Townsend will surely be at the heart of it.
Former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher has dropped his verdict on one particular incident which took place during Tottenham Hotspur’s recent 4-3 win over Leeds United in the Premier League.
The Lowdown: Spurs vs Leeds
With Leeds having taken the lead through Rodrigo, Harry Kane scored an equaliser to level the game at 1-1. However, the away side claimed that Spurs defender Clement Lenglet had fouled goalkeeper Illan Meslier in the build-up, but the goal stood.
Gallagher has since shared his thoughts on the incident and what he feels should have happened.
The Latest: Gallagher’s verdict
Speaking on Sky Sports’ latest edition of Ref Watch, Gallagher had his say about the incident involving Lenglet and Meslier which led to Kane’s goal.
He stated: “I think Lenglet clearly fouls the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper’s in the air, he’s gone to play the ball and Lenglet goes into him. I think Tottenham are very lucky to have a goal.
“That’s so out of kilter with what we see week-in, week-out. We have this suggestion that goalkeepers are over-protected – well, he wasn’t there.
“I was surprised it was no foul. I can only presume the referee has fed back to the VAR what he has seen, the VAR has looked at it and come to the conclusion it’s not a clear and obvious error.”The Verdict: A lucky break for Spurs?Judging by what Gallagher said on the matter, it seems that Spurs got lucky with the decision to not give the suspected foul on Meslier in the lead up to Kane’s equaliser.Bearing in mind how Antonio Conte’s side ended up winning that breathtaking match, though, Gallagher’s opinion will not matter much to many Spurs fans. However, had the outcome been different, this incident may have been something that Tottenham supporters would have viewed as a questionable decision.Given how close the game was, irrespective of refereeing decisions, everyone at the north London club will be hoping that their remaining Premier League games will not be quite as dramatic, with Conte’s men coming from behind three times last Saturday before eventually claiming victory.
Arsenal are reportedly one of the three Premier League clubs that have an interest in signing PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo.
The Lowdown: Previous Premier League interest in Gakpo
The winger was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League during the previous summer transfer window, with the likes of Leeds United and Southampton interested.
Having stayed at PSV, Gakpo has since found himself showing what he’s capable of in the World Cup, as he has scored two goals in two games for the Netherlands.
This has then led to an update being shared regarding the current interest in the 23-year-old.
The Latest: Gakpo on Arsenal’s radar
After seeing Gakpo score in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw against Ecuador, journalist Ben Jacobs gave an update about the player and the current transfer interest in him in a Twitter post.
He said: “Cody Gakpo has been directly involved in 34 goals in 28 games for club and country this season. He’s scored 16 and assisted 18. He’s firmly on the radar of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.”
The Verdict: A star signing for Arsenal
With 222 appearances for PSV under his belt across their senior and youth sides, Gakpo has scored 82 goals and delivered 61 assists.
This season has seen the winger, who has been described as “electric” by journalist Josh Bunting on Twitter, find the net nine times and supply 12 assists for his side, leaving him with more goal contributions than any other player in the Eredivisie.
In addition to that, Gakpo has racked up more shots at goal (49) than any other player in the division, as well as the joint-highest number of key passes (59).
This shows how much of an exciting attacking figure he is and why he’d be such a star signing for Arsenal, who only have Gabriel Martinelli as their main senior left-winger.
With all of that in mind, we feel that the Gunners should do all they can to beat Liverpool and United to Gakpo’s signature as soon as they can.