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Hugo Ekitike is in contention for a first call-up for France after making an excellent start to the season with new club Liverpool.

Ekitike considered for France squadStriker could replace Kolo MuaniEkitike has scored two in two for LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Ekitike, 23, has been quick to make an impression on Merseyside following his summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring on his competitive debut against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley before finding the net in his side's 4-2 victory over Bournemouth in their Premier League opener.

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According to French outlet Telefoot, Ekitike's early efforts have caught the eye of Didier Deschamps as he prepares to name his France squad for their World Cup qualifying double header against Ukraine and Iceland in September. The report claims Ekitike could take the place of Randal Kolo Muani in Deschamps' squad, with the future of the Paris Saint-Germain striker up in the air amid strong interest from Juventus.

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While Ekitike is yet to feature for France's senior team, the striker has an impressive record in Les Blues' youth squads. The former Reims attacker scored five goals in as many games for France's Under-21s, including a hat-trick against England in March.

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Ekitike will be hoping to add to his goal tally when Liverpool travel to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Monday. Arne Slot's side then play host to title rivals Arsenal at Anfield on August 31 before the international break commences.

Manchester United appear to have picked Senne Lammens over Emi Martinez in the goalkeeping department, with an £18 million ($24m) transfer agreed.

Red Devils in the market for new No.1Heavily linked with Villa's Argentine starDeal agreed for Belgian shot-stopperFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils have been in the market for a new No.1 throughout the summer, with Andre Onana failing to convince across his two seasons as first-choice at Old Trafford. Back-up keeper Altay Bayindir has also made mistakes when called upon.

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World Cup winner Martinez was a top target for United at one stage, with the Argentina international seemingly open to trading one Premier League outfit for another. He is, however, still on the books at Aston Villa.

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It was claimed that a loan move for Jadon Sancho, taking him to Villa Park, would clear the way for Martinez to head north from the West Midlands. are reporting that United have instead struck a deal with Royal Antwerp for Lammens.

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That agreement is said to be worth £18m plus add-ons, with the 23-year-old heading to England for a medical after agreeing terms on a five-year contract. Lammens has made Belgium squads in the past, but is still waiting on his senior international debut.

Ange Postecoglou is an option for both Bayer Leverkusen and Fenerbahce after the departures of Erik ten Hag and Jose Mourinho respectively.

Leverkusen sacked Erik ten HagFenerbahce let Jose Mourinho goPostecoglou considered by bothFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Fabrizio Romano, both Leverkusen and Fenerbahce are considering appointing Postecoglou after dispensing with their managers. The former sacked Erik ten Hag after two Bundesliga games; Mourinho was removed from his role by the Turkish club after they failed to qualify for the Champions League proper. 

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Now, Romano reports that the Bundesliga and Super Lig sides are each considering an approach to the former Spurs boss, who won the Europa League last season. He was, however, sacked after guiding the club to a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League. His European exploits have undoubtedly earned him a great deal of credit for potential suitors, however. 

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Postecoglou had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia throughout the summer but he did not end up heading to the Middle East. He remains on the market for any clubs looking to change manager but it is unclear whether he would prefer a move to Germany or Turkiye, or if he would rather wait for another role in the Premier League. 

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Postecoglou has time to consider his next move throughout the international break. 

England coach Thomas Tuchel has likened playing Andorra to chewing gum as the Three Lions prepare to face the minnows three months after their scrappy 1-0 win.

Coach says facing defensive-minded minnows not easyAndorra frustrated England last timeTuchel confirms Kane will start gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

England recorded their lowest scoreline in seven meetings with Andorra when they met in Barcelona last June and received fierce criticism for their soporific display. And Tuchel has explained that facing a team only focused on defending is harder than it seems.

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"It can feel a little like chewing gum to break a block down like this but we have to play with more energy and more enthusiasm and so far I'm sure we will," Tuchel told a press conference. "We always have to balance our expectations because Andorra is a well drilled team, I know it maybe sounds a little silly but that is the way it is, they know what they are doing after 8-10 years with the same coach."

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The coach revealed that Harry Kane would start against Andorra on Saturday at Villa Park, an indication of how seriously England were taking the fixture even with the massive gulf in class between the two teams. And he said there was no risk of playing the captain and other big players three days before facing Serbia. "Yes. He starts. There is no balance, the competition is on and it is World Cup season," Tuchel said. "We have a condensed camp and that means we will start with the team that we trust and the best team possible and we will manage the second game. We will not do it backwards. We will not get caught up in experiments and everything that counts is today and tomorrow and then we will do our assessment after the match to see who is available. The players will start to play two matches a week after the international camp and I do not see a problem why they can't start that one week earlier and play on a Saturday and a Tuesday."

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England have a full squad available for the game ag apart from John Stones, who has left the camp after an injury he arrived carrying failed to improve.

He is set to move to England to become the performance director at Warwickshire

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2023Gavin Larsen has decided to step down as New Zealand selector after almost eight years in the job. The former New Zealand seamer will now move to England along with his wife Karen to take up the role of performance director at Warwickshire, subject to a visa approval. He is set to replace Paul Farbrace, who had left his job as sporting director at Warwickshire in October last year.Under Larsen, who took up the selector’s role in 2015, New Zealand enjoyed tremendous success across formats, including reaching the finals of the 2019 50-over World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup, and winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.”The past seven-and-a-half years have just flown by and I’ve relished and enjoyed every minute of it,” Larsen said in an NZC media release.”The discussions and deliberations have always been robust and challenging but my enduring memory will always be the quality of the people I’ve worked with – from high performance right through to the administration.”Larsen will be overseeing both the men’s and women’s high performance programmes at Warwickshire.”WCCC is a club with an amazing history and tradition and I’m looking forward to joining the team and helping to drive the club’s ongoing success,” Larsen said. “I have a number of great memories of playing at Edgbaston during my New Zealand playing days and the atmosphere was simply terrific.”NZC’s GM High Performance Bryan Stronach spoke highly of Larsen’s contribution to New Zealand cricket as a selector.”Gavin was part of a support team that made a key contribution to arguably the most successful period in the history of the New Zealand men’s team,” Stronach said.”His appointment at Edgbaston reflects the respect in which he’s held around the cricketing world.”Stronach added that the process to find a new selector will begin in due course.

Former Manchester United forward Dwight Yorke has encouraged the club to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa in the summer.

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Yorke wants Man Utd to sign MartinezBelieves he is an upgrade on OnanaMartinez bid tearful goodbye to Villa fansFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Martinez waved goodbye to the Aston Villa fans with tears in his eyes at the end of the club's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in their final home game of the season at Villa Park last weekend. The Argentina star's emotional outburst fuelled widespread speculation over his future at the club.

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reported earlier this week that Barcelona and United are closely linked with a move for the World Cup-winning shot-stopper. Now, United legend Yorke believes that signing Martinez should be a "no-brainer" for manager Ruben Amorim, as he feels the Argentine will be a massive upgrade on current No.1 Andre Onana.

WHAT DWIGHT YORKE SAID

Speaking to , Yorke said: "It’s kind of a no-brainer. Emi Martinez has been really exceptional for a number of years and again you could see why huge clubs would want him. I mean Man United, I know they're struggling, but even now you’d have to consider it because they’re such a huge club. He wouldn’t just be bringing experience, but he’s a far better goalkeeper than Andre Onana, just going by the numbers. I think for Onana, it hasn’t quite worked out, and everyone anticipated that he would have done well. But definitely, signing Martinez would be a huge coup for United."

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For now, the Red Devils remain fully focused on ending a nightmare 2024-25 campaign on a high and winning the Europa League title as they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the final at Bilbao on Wednesday.

Roberto Martinez hailed Lamine Yamal as 'the best at his poisition', but ranked two Portuguese players above the Barcelona star for the Ballon d'Or.

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Martinez heaped praise on YamalLabelled the Barca sensation as the bestBut named two others for Ballon d'OrFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Yamal produced a phenomenal season with Barcelona, helping the Catalans return among the trophies. However, Portugal head coach Martinez strongly believes that two unlikely candidates in Vitinha and Nuno Mendes, who play under him in international football, are more worthy candidates of lifting this year's Ballon d'Or award.

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Yamal has become one of the favourites to clinch the Ballon d'Or award after producing a historic season. The 17-year-old scored 21 goals and produced 25 assists in 62 games for club and country, helping Barca win the domestic treble. He was also instrumental in Spain reaching the Nations League final. His consistency and impact in big games have seen him become a hot favourite for the award among many players, coaches, and pundits.

On the other hand, Vitinha and Mendes were pivotal players in a picture perfect campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, as Luis Enrique's side completed a clean sweep of all trophies on available and lifted their maiden Champions League trophy. The left-back, in particular, shone on the international stage as well, winning the Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament.

WHAT ROBERTO MARTINEZ SAID

Speaking on COPE's program, Martinez was effusive in his praise for Yamal: " I don't know how you treat him. Lamine is the best at his position and has been very consistent. There is no talent who plays in his position and plays like that. We have to help him."

When asked about his favourites for the Ballon d'Or, Martinez replied: "Vitinha and Nuno Mendes are far above the rest; at club level and because of their profile. Nuno Mendes, for me, is the best left-back I've ever seen. He can play on the outside and on the inside. He's very quick and has a good pass. I thought the perfect player didn't exist, and Nuno is very close to that."

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Vitinha and Mendes, along with leading candidate Ousmane Dembele, will have a chance to further stake their claims for the Ballon d'Or in the Club World Cup, which begins on June 14. PSG play their first game of the tournament on June 15 against Atletico Madrid.

Captain unbeaten with visitors six down and needing another 65 to complete victory

ECB Reporters Network13-Jun-2023Shan Masood holds the key for Yorkshire with the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire in the balance after a pulsating third day at Chesterfield. The Yorkshire captain was unbeaten on 68 but his team lost late wickets chasing 212 and closed on 147 for 6 with 65 more runs needed.Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy made a superb 170 and shared a fifth wicket stand of 277 with Haider Ali who scored 146 as the home side made 453 to set up a thrilling finale.Matthew Fisher and Dom Bess both took three wickets before Derbyshire’s innings ended when Suranga Lakmal was hit by a short ball and replaced by concussion substitute Zak Chappell.Yorkshire seemed to be cruising on 140 for 3 but spinners Mark Watt and Alex Thomson took three wickets in four overs to raise Derbyshire’s hopes of pulling off a remarkable victory.The visitors prospects of chasing a less-demanding target quickly evaporated on another hot morning at Queen’s Park. Although they bowled a lot better than on the second day, there were few problems for du Plooy and Haider after they negotiated the opening burst from Ben Coad and Fisher.Fisher made du Plooy work for his hundred, opening with a maiden to the Derbyshire skipper, before a short ball was pulled to the midwicket boundary.The stand had become the second-highest by Derbyshire at Chesterfield when Haider moved across his stumps to work George Hill to leg and was lbw although the ball looked to be going down. It had been an outstanding innings from Haider, who scored 100 of his runs in boundaries and with du Plooy had given his team a chance of pulling off a memorable victory.If Yorkshire thought his departure would open the door, they were disappointed as du Plooy and Brooke Guest survived against the new ball to go in at lunch with a lead of 97.Du Plooy reached his 150 from 272 balls and the stand with Guest was worth 67 when a ball change did the trick for Yorkshire. Guest scooped a catch to short midwicket when Bess got one to grip but there was more frustration for the visitors when du Plooy came down the pitch and Jonny Tattersall failed to complete a difficult stumping.Bess was hoisted for six by Alex Thomson but in his next over, du Plooy’s superb innings ended when he edged a big drive and was caught at slip. The England spinner had bowled a lot better after a chastening second day and Watt’s attempt to reverse sweep him ended in Tattersall’s gloves.Ben Aitchison drove Fisher low to cover and after Thomson pulled Bess out of the ground, Lakmal was hit on the back of the neck after ducking into a short ball from Fisher.He was able to walk off the field but could not continue and was retired out with Chappell replacing him and opening the bowling with Yorkshire facing a much bigger target than they would have anticipated when Derbyshire were 17 for 4 on day two.Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean reduced the target by 38 before Bean drove Thomson low to cover and the spinner almost had Masood first ball when an edge just evaded Wayne Madsen at slipLyth and Masood took the score to 63 but the return of Watt at the Lake End brought an immediate reward when Lyth was lbw going back and across to a quicker ball. With Dawid Malan unable to come in until the fall of the fifth wicket after being off the field with a groin problem. Hill joined Masood but was run out when he failed to beat Aitchison’s throw from point.Masood and Tattersall were steering Yorkshire home but Tattersall was lbw to one that kept low from Thomson before Watt removed Fisher and Matthew Revis to give the game another twist.

The Chicago Fire defender and Grammy Award-winning artist participated in a post-match jersey exchange at Soldier Field

Rogers gifted Fire jersey to Chicago-born musicianChance presented Rogers jersey featuring "3" logoChicago Fire beat the New York Red Bulls 1-0Getty Images EntertainmentWHAT HAPPENED

Sam Rogers and Chance the Rapper completed a jersey swap on the pitch at Soldier Field following Chicago Fire's 1-0 home victory against the New York Red Bulls. After the match, the Fire defender and the Chicago-born rapper met near the field to exchange jerseys.

Rogers presented a Chicago Fire jersey to the musician, while Chance gave Rogers a jersey featuring his signature "3" logo.

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Since returning to Soldier Field and rebranding in 2020, the Fire have actively worked to establish deeper ties with prominent Chicago personalities across music, sports, and entertainment.

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Following their 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire have back-to-back home games against LAFC on Aug. 9 and St. Louis City SC on Aug. 16 at Soldier Field, respectively.

Rishabh Pant vs Jasprit Bumrah could be a key contest to determining the result of this Sunday-afternoon clash

Abhimanyu Bose06-Apr-2024Match DetailsMumbai Indians (MI) vs Delhi Capitals (DC)
Mumbai, 3.30pm IST (10am GMT)Big picture – Suryakumar’s potential return, and Bumrah vs PantSunday’s double-header will be kicked off by a bottom-of-the-table clash as Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals look to turn their fortunes around. Mumbai are still without a win, while Capitals have won just one of their four games. And both teams are coming into the game on the back of comprehensive defeats.One major boost for the hosts will be the potential return of the world’s No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, who trained with the squad for the first time on Friday after missing the start of the season. He will add much-needed firepower to Mumbai’s batting should he be cleared to play – and it’s a department they need some confidence in after being restricted to just 125 in their last match against Rajasthan Royals.Related

All eyes on SKY as Mumbai hope for batting boost

The still feet and knee-flex of Rishabh Pant

Suryakumar links up with Mumbai at Wankhede

Kuldeep Yadav advised rest after groin niggle

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, suffered a 106-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders, a performance that left their head coach Ricky Ponting “almost embarrassed”. But their one big positive was Rishabh Pant scoring his second consecutive half-century.IPL 2024 has marked Pant’s return to professional cricket after a life-threatening car accident in December 2022. After a slow start to the season, Pant blazed quick fifties against Chennai Super Kings and KKR, and seems to be batting with a great degree of freedom. Apart from David Warner, Pant is the one big batting threat Mumbai will be vary of.But they have on their side an in-form Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, who has been the standout bowler for Mumbai this season after missing IPL 2023 with injury, has dismissed Pant six times in 13 games in the IPL, getting him out more often than any other bowler.Pant has also struggled to score quickly off Bumrah, striking at 111.62 against him.With Akash Madhwal in their attack as well, Mumbai can be flexible in their use of Bumrah, and can save him up for this crucial match-up. How this battle pans out could go a long way in deciding the outcome of the game.Rishabh Pant is striking the ball beautifully, but he’ll be up against his nemesis Jasprit Bumrah•BCCIForm guideMumbai LLL (Most recent match first)
Capitals LWLLTeam news and impact player strategyMumbai Indians
If Suryakumar is available, Naman Dhir will likely make way for him. How Mumbai use the impact player will be interesting to see. In their last match, they brought in Dewald Brevis as the impact player as early as the end of the first over, and he was out for a golden duck. Brevis and Romario Shepherd are likely candidates for the role if Mumbai bowl first – or if they bat and suffer early losses – while a sixth bowler could come in if they bat first.Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Naman Dhir/Suryakumar Yadav, 4 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Tim David, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 .Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals could have Kuldeep Yadav back in the mix, after he missed their last two games. Kuldeep started the season well, but was then advised rest due to a groin niggle. Capitals will take a final call on his availability after a fitness test either on the eve of the game, or on matchday. Mitchell Marsh also picked up an injury during Capitals’ last game and that could set his compatriot Jake Fraser-McGurk up for an IPL debut.Probable XII: 1 David Warner, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 , 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sumit Kumar/Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Rasikh Salam, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Ishant Sharma, 12 .Akash Madhwal has a terrific record at the Wankhede•Associated PressIn the spotlight – Akash Madhwal and Khaleel AhmedFor their first two games, Mumbai Indians opted for the extra spin option in Shams Mulani, but brought in Akash Madhwal for their first home game of the season. Madhwal, who made his debut in the back half of the 2023 season, had impressed for Mumbai in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, even registering record figures of 5 for 5 in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants. In his first match this year, he accounted for Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and R Ashwin as he gave away just 20 runs in his four overs. He was a rare positive on an otherwise forgettable day for Mumbai, who will hope he can continue to deliver. The last time he played a day game at the Wankhede, he took four wickets to slow Sunrisers down after a 140-run opening stand.Capitals would have undoubtedly taken notes from the Royals’ powerplay performance with the ball in the last match at the Wankhede, and have, in Khaleel Ahmed, a left-arm seamer who they know can cause significant damage at the top. Khaleel went for runs against KKR, but has generally been threatening with the new ball, as he displayed in his first spell against CSK. He averages 19.5 with the ball against Mumbai, an impressive record that he will look to better. Stats that matter Since the start of IPL 2022, Mumbai Indians have a 45.8% win percentage with Suryakumar Yadav in their side. The number drops to 22.2% without him. Rohit Sharma has struggled to score against Axar Patel, scoring just 51 runs off 61 deliveries against the left-arm spinner. Axar has also got him out twice in nine innings. Akash Madhwal has a bowling average of 11.1 at the Wankhede stadium, with 10 wickets in four matches at the ground.Pitch and conditionsLast year, the Wankhede was a high-scoring ground, but this match will see the same strip used as in the match against Royals. That pitch was not used in IPL 2023, and it proved to be a tricky one to bat on. There was seam movement early on and the ball also held in the pitch as the match wore on. So expect batters to work hard for their runs.Quotes”I don’t think [fans] should boo Hardik Pandya. The franchise has appointed him as captain. That’s what happens in sport, whether you captain India or whether you captain your state or whether you captain your franchise, you are appointed as captain. Rohit Sharma is different class, his performance for his franchise and for India has been a different level whether as captain or player. It is not Hardik’s fault he has been appointed captain.”