Returning from a stress fracture, the 24-year old fast bowler now carries the weight of Kohli’s praise

Shashank Kishore in Jammu21-Feb-2020There is an air of curiosity around everything Prasidh Krishna does these days. Sure, he’s been an IPL regular for Kolkata Knight Riders since 2018. But, it’s not every day that a bowler outside the periphery of the national team, or maybe even India A, gets a special mention from the India captain. He has elicited interest because Virat Kohli had recently said “he could possibly be an X-factor” for India in the run-up to the T20 World Cup later this year.Such a compliment should make someone heady. You must beam with pride, right? For Prasidh, it’s the opposite. He doesn’t like people asking him about it. He doesn’t like that attention. He isn’t the flashy in-your-face character. He’s mild-mannered, doesn’t growl at batsmen and certainly doesn’t believe in giving send-offs. He likes his bowling to do all the talking.Little more about his mannerisms later. For now, it’s about Prasidh, the fast bowler. This was supposed to be the year he finally nailed down a regular spot in Karnataka’s first-class set-up. For four years, since a sensational five-for on debut against Bangladesh A in 2015, he had to sit out because Karnataka had a dominant pace-attacking of Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, S Aravind, and later Ronit More. Chances were few and far between, and Prasidh was branded a white-ball specialist initially.Vinay’s departure to Puducherry this season opened the doors for Prasidh to be a shoo-in. He offered everything Vinay did, with the addition of 20kph speed. Things looked bright. Last September, he even earned the appreciation of his former captain, Vinay, when he picked up a match-winning five-for against Saurashtra, just before the game against Puducherry at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. But the same evening, he would receive a massive jolt. An injury. No ordinary one. A stress fracture of the fibula (a long thin bone) on his left leg. Except, at that stage, he brushed it off as a “normal niggle.””Everything was going well, and suddenly just like that it was gone” Prasidh says. “I know there’s no right time to get injured, but suddenly, I couldn’t even walk properly. There was an impingement in my hip. The pain got worse and just before the T20s, I had stiffness in my calf.”Initially, during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, I didn’t notice it. I thought it was a niggle. During T20s when I was bowling, it started hurting a lot. When I got it scanned, it was a stress fracture. I knew then that I had to take some time off. I was at the NCA. I had to simply rest for two months. No running, nothing to do with physios and trainers. Just rest and static strengthening. Only in January, I started training, bowling and all of that.”ALSO READ: From net bowler to frontline quick – the Prasidh Krishna story (May 2018)As Prasidh spent time sitting out, his mind couldn’t help but wander back to the Karnataka camp. He kept going into the ‘why me, why now’ circle even as Karnataka went on to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Mushtaq Ali trophies. But slowly, he realised the need to get out of that zone quickly.”It was very hard initially because I was there with the team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” he recalls. “I was at least in the dressing room [even if I wasn’t playing], so I was at least satisfied I was part of the team. T20s, I know, they were doing well, but it was hard sitting at home and watching the team win and me not being able to play a part.”But I also realised I had the time off to work on things I lacked, give priority to my fitness and skill so that when I come back, I am one step ahead of what I was. It didn’t put me down so much after a while. I became optimistic and took it in the right spirit.”When he eventually received the green signal from the physios to resume bowling, Prasidh realised he had to work that much extra because he was walking back, literally, at the business end of the Ranji Trophy season. Returning for the must-win final league game against Baroda in Bengaluru, Prasidh bowled all of six overs in the first innings.Prasidh Krishna celebrates a wicket•BCCI”I had to bowl a lot [in the build-up to my comeback] since I was coming into the four-day format,” he acknowledges. “It would’ve been easier to come back to one-day or T20 format. I had to take the extra week’s time too get back to full fitness only because it was first-class cricket and Ranji Trophy.”I’m not yet in full rhythm. Even in the last game, I bowled just six overs in the first innings. In the second innings, I was on the tired side. It was my first game upon return, so it was on the back of my mind. I didn’t know how much I could push myself. Sometimes, I tried to push from the mind but my body wasn’t coping with it. I can’t say I’m at my best, but I’m getting there. I can’t play thinking ‘what happens if I get injured’, then you’re just going to be unnecessarily burdening your mind. Hopefully, I will peak at the right time.”ALSO READ: Karnataka, and the art of finding a way to winPrasidh has played seven first-class games over five seasons now. Match-time has been a challenge, but he’s also had to work on his red-ball temperament. Prasidh has taken time off to iron out his flaws like working on his run-up, load-up, cutting down on angles and generating greater speed into his delivery stride.”I think the IPL and whatever cricket I’ve played has helped me get matured and understand what is needed,” he says. “It’s not just about coming in and bowling, but about being smart. I worked on my run-up to begin with. I’m feeling good mostly.”I worked under physio Amit Tyagi at the NCA. It was a good environment to work my way back in, and the Karnataka team has welcomed me back with open arms. I love coming back here, no matter how tired I am.”As a batch, we’ve built on a foundation that was set six-seven years ago. The kind of bonding there is in the group makes you feel like home. We’re all pushing each other to make the next step up, we all understand in every batch one, two or maybe three will go through. All of us are looking to upgrade ourselves to the next level.”When asked about replacing Vinay, Prasidh spontaneously replies: “irreplacable.” He has utmost respect for his former captain, and brushes aside comparisons. Instead, he delves into how every member of Karnataka’s core group has silently taught him precious lessons along the way.”Vinay is a legend, what he’s done for Karnataka will be hard to emulate,” he says. “He is irreplacable. What we can do in our control is when we get chances, ensure we are all match ready. Being picked isn’t in our hands. What I have personally learnt is to be persistent and never give up.”You look at Manish Pandey, whenever he gets a game [for India], he makes sure he’s there. Everybody looks up to him here. Karun Nair has been trying hard. Numbers may not present the right picture, but we’ve seen the hard work behind the scenes. Mayank Agarwal, what he did all those years ago to break open the door was inspirational. KL Rahul came back for the Vijay Hazare [after being dropped from the Test team], showed his hunger, made runs and we know what he’s gone on to do. In this dressing room, there is something to learn from every single person, that is the best thing about the group.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： O meia-atacante Yeferson Soteldo, do Santos, foi punido com dois jogos de suspensão pelo Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) nesta sexta-feira (20). A pena foi aplicada após expulsão do jogador na derrota por 2 a 0 para o América-MG, na Arena Independência, pela 22ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O atleta é considerado reincidente por xingar a arbitragem, e existe a possibilidade do clube não recorrer.

RelacionadasTodos EsportesBrasileirão: como foram os últimos jogos entre Internacional e Santos?Todos Esportes20/10/2023DicasInternacional x Santos: odds, estatísticas e informações do jogo pela 28ª rodada do BrasileirãoDicas20/10/2023SantosSantos voltou para a zona do rebaixamento: quantos pontos precisa para escapar?Santos20/10/2023

da aposte e ganhe： + Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

Dessa forma, como já cumpriu a primeira partida de suspensão no jogo seguinte, na derrota para o Cruzeiro por 3 a 0, o venezuelano não ficará à disposição para o duelo deste domingo (22), diante do Internacional. O confronto acontece às 16h, no Beira-Rio.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Soteldo entrou na segunda etapa do jogo contra o Coelho, no lugar de Joaquim, e recebeu cartão amarelo por ter impedido um contra-ataque. Depois, ele levou vermelho por insistir na reclamação. Na súmula do árbitro Leandro Pedro Vuaden, foi relatado que o meia xingou a arbitragem e, por isso, foi expulso logo em seguida.

– Expulsei (Soteldo) com cartão vermelho direto por, após receber um cartão amarelo, proferir as seguintes palavras: ‘Faz tempo que só apita contra nós, c…, vai se f…’ – relatou Vuaden.

+ Santos voltou para a zona do rebaixamento: quantos pontos precisa para escapar?

Considerado reincidente, o camisa 10 também foi expulso por xingar a arbitragem na estreia do Brasileirão. Durante derrota para o Grêmio por 1 a 0, o venezuelano proferiu ofensas ao árbitro Wilton Pereira Sampaio após ser expulso. Os xingamentos relatados na súmula foram: “Você é muito fraco, seu safado, filho da p*, ladrão de m”.

Sem Soteldo, o técnico Marcelo Fernandes terá que mexer consideravelmente na escalação para o jogo contra o Internacional. Isso porque, além do desfalque do camisa 10, o Santos não conta com João Paulo e Jean Lucas, ambos suspensos pelo terceiro cartão amarelo.

Aston Villa are planning talks to complete the signing of a “fantastic” player with a huge future, with Donyell Malen potentially part of the deal.

Aston Villa want Douglas Luiz reunion

The Villans continue to work hard on new signings ahead of the upcoming Premier League season, as they look to push on and get back into the Champions League.

Arguably the most intriguing current Villa-related transfer story has seen them linked with a move for former midfielder Douglas Luiz, with the Brazilian seemingly allowed to leave Juventus this summer.

Luiz was a popular figure during his first stint at Villa Park, bagging 46 goal contributions in 204 appearances from the middle of the park, and Unai Emery described him as a “very important” figure. For that reason, he could love the idea of bringing him back to the club this summer.

Elsewhere, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres has been linked with a move to Villa before next season gets started, with the Spaniard not a key man at the Camp Nou. He has Premier League experience from his time at Manchester City, and he could add much-needed firepower, potentially even replacing Ollie Watkins at the heart of Emery’s attack.

Aston Villa ready talks for "fantastic" £18m forward

According to a new report from Aksam [via Sport Witness], Aston Villa are interested in signing Besiktas star Semih Kilicsoy this summer, with talks planned over a possible move to the club. The likes of Newcastle United and Leeds United have also been mentioned as suitors for the 19-year-old recently, who could be on the move for around £18m.

It is also claimed that Malen could head in the opposite direction as part of a swap deal, with the Dutchman falling out of favour at Villa Park.

Kilicsoy is a player with a big future in the game, having already achieved plenty at the age of 19, becoming an important figure for Besiktas.

The young centre forward has 16 goals in 85 appearances at senior level for his current side – he netted an impressive 42 times in 64 outings for the Under-19s – and football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as “fantastic” in the past.

While Kilicsoy isn’t yet the finished article, given his tender years, he could be a great squad signing for Villa from the off, before maturing into more of a star figure as the years pass.

Big McGinn upgrade: Aston Villa make contact to sign £138k-p/w "engine"

Aston Villa are set to target a new midfielder this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 9, 2025

If the Villans were able to sign him and a more experienced striker this summer, it will stand them in good stead moving forward, especially if Watkins moves on to pastures new.

With English cricket heading down a new path, it leaves Australia as the outlier in terms of private investment in their domestic league

Matt Roller31-Jan-2025

Australian cricket is watching the ECB’s introduction of private investment into the Hundred with interest as the Big Bash League looks to “stay ahead of the game” following a successful 2024/25 season.Hobart Hurricanes’ maiden title, on the back of Mitchell Owen’s 39-ball century, put the seal on a campaign that demonstrated the BBL’s “strong momentum and growth”, the league’s general manager Alistair Dobson told ESPNcricinfo. It has given both him and Cricket Australia the chance to think to the future after spending multiple seasons in “reset mode”.After four seasons of the Hundred, the ECB is selling 49% stakes in each of its eight teams to private investors in a process that got underway on Thursday, leaving the BBL – which is owned and run entirely by CA and its states – as an outlier. Dobson declined to comment on whether the BBL will follow suit imminently, but remains open-minded about the league’s future.Related

Swepson moves to Melbourne Stars on deadline day

Melbourne Renegades sign Doggett, Jewell set to follow

Higher honours, big pay day on the cards for Hurricanes hero

London derby to launch fifth season of Hundred in August

“The BBL has been successful almost from the very beginning,” Dobson said. “It has been able to deliver a really strong product and return to Australian cricket, which has meant that the model we have has been really successful – hence why there has been limited momentum in changing that model historically, because it’s been so strong.”The world’s shifting, and we’re always looking at other leagues and other models around the world to make sure we still have the right one for us… Every part of the global game is evolving really quickly and we learn bits from everyone. The process that the ECB is going through with the Hundred looks like an interesting one – it’ll be fascinating to see how that unfolds.”Dobson travelled to the UK to watch several games of the Hundred’s 2023 season and has kept close tabs on the competition’s first four seasons. “We can and do learn from the Hundred around continuing to innovate, in the way that the Hundred was prepared to try something different,” he said. “We have plenty to learn from each other.”Both leagues have that philosophy of continuing to be fan-first. From the outside looking in, it appears that they’ve taken a lot of the BBL’s DNA – the colour, fun, new audiences, new brands – and have created a product that seems to have connected quite strongly with the fanbase, and is bringing new fans into the game.”The Hundred has changed the landscape of English cricket•ECB via Getty Images

CA’s decision to expand the BBL from 43 games to 59 (and later 61) from 2018/19 until 2022/23 brought several challenges, with attendances and TV viewership suffering. But since returning to a shorter window last season – squeezing into the school holidays – it has managed to hold its own through a “quality over quantity” approach, despite clashes with the ILT20 and SA20.”For the past three or four years, we’ve been building the competition back after some challenging years through Covid and otherwise,” Dobson said. “It’s not until the last 12 months where we’ve had the momentum to be able to look at the future… I wouldn’t comment on any specific opportunities, but the world’s moving pretty fast and it’s important that we stay ahead of the game.”The availability of the world’s best players – both from Australia and elsewhere – remains a sticking point for the BBL, with only three out of six overseas spots filled in Monday’s final and Test series against India and Sri Lanka at either end of the season. But Dobson believes that the player pool remains healthy, with competitive top-end salaries of AUD$420,000.”The global landscape is moving really fast,” he said. “We hear a lot from players that playing in front of big crowds in iconic stadiums with great wickets and facilities is still really important, so we feel like we’re in a good position on that front… The other leagues around our window have created some interesting challenges, we feel like we are in pretty good shape.”Guys like Chris Jordan for the Hurricanes and Sam Billings for the [Sydney] Thunder have become really engaged in their clubs. Combining that with the iconic players in our competition – whether that’s Glenn Maxwell, or increasingly Mitch Owen – and then when we get a glimpse of Steve Smith, or David Warner… our strength is the mix of all those player groups.”Owen earned worldwide attention in his breakthrough season – not only for his brutal hitting, but for his obvious affinity for the Hurricanes. He grew up supporting the club from the grass bank at Bellerive Oval in Hobart and described his starring role in their first trophy win, aged 23, as a “childhood dream”, underlining the BBL’s longevity compared to many T20 leagues.’You start to get kids coming through who grew up barracking for and supporting their BBL team, evolving from young fans into opening batters’•Getty Images

“It’s a great story for us,” Dobson said. “I mean that not just individually for Mitch and the Hurricanes, but also, it’s a really strong signpost for us on the maturity and evolution of our competition, where we now have kids that have grown up supporting their BBL team, and we’re old enough for those kids to see their way through to play – and win – for that team.”We see it in other codes around the world – whether that’s football or other sports – where you want to play for the team you grew up supporting… Once you get through 14 seasons, you start to get kids coming through who grew up barracking for and supporting their BBL team, evolving from young fans into opening batters. That’s a really cool place for us to be.”The BBL will again overlap with a major series next summer, with Australia’s Test players unlikely to be available until the second half of the season following the Ashes. And while the majority of boards now reserve a space for their short-form leagues in their international calendar, Dobson insisted that the BBL works best when it operates “in harmony” with headline Test series, allowing cricket to capitalise on its window in the Australian sporting calendar.”Test cricket is still the pinnacle for our fans and our players,” he said. “For the BBL to run alongside that with its own offering and its own strengths is still the right model for us… There’s always talk about whether the BBL and the Test season should be separated to allow more player availability, but there’s also an element where those two things can work in harmony to create a really strong offering.”

يستعد نجم نادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، لكتابة تاريخ شخصي جديد له مع الريدز، وذلك قبل مواجهة النادي الإنجليزي يوم غدًا الثلاثاء أمام ريال مدريد في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ليفربول سوف يواجه نظيره ريال مدريد مساء يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب أنفيلد، وذلك لحساب الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة المجموعات في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويسعى ليفربول إلى تحقيق الانتصار على ريال مدريد من أجل استعادة الثقة، عقب الفترة الصعبة التي عاشها الريدز خلال هذا الموسم والخسارة بشكل متتالي بالفعل.

اقرأ أيضًا .. روني يرد مجددًا على فان دايك: عليه القيام بدوره كقائد لليفربول

وعلى الجانب الآخر يعيش ريال مدريد أفضل فتراته تحت قيادة المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو، وحقق الميرنجي انتصارات عديدة مع مدربه الإسباني ويتصدر ترتيب الدوري الإسباني.

وأشار موقع ليفربول الرسمي، إلى أن محمد صلاح سوف يخوض مباراته الـ200 مع النادي الإنجليزي على ملعب أنفيلد في إنجاز غير مسبوق للدولي المصري، بينما سجل ابن الـ33 عامًا 137 هدفًا مع ليفربول في هذا الملعب.

وأضاف الموقع، أن محمد صلاح يمتلك 48 هدفًا في دوري أبطال أوروبا ويحتاح إلى هدفين فقط، من أجل أن يصبح أول لاعب أفريقي في التاريخ يصل إلى 50 هدفًا في المسابقة الأوروبية.

محمد صلاح تعرض إلى الكثير من الانتقادات خلال هذا الموسم، بعدما انخفض مستواه مع الريدز قبل أن يستعيد عافيته بعض الشئ ويسجل أمام برينتفورد وأستون فيلا خلال الأسبوع الحالي والماضي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

The one-off Test between Australia and England to celebrate 150 years of Test cricket will be played from March 11 to 15 in 2027.The dates were mentioned by IPL in an email to franchises on Thursday informing them about the window for the tournament for the next three seasons (2025-27) along with the availability of overseas players each year.The fixture, which was announced by Cricket Australia (CA) earlier this August, will replicate the Centenary Test of 1977 which Australia won by 45 runs, matching the margin of victory in the first Test played in 1877, which was also won by Australia.Related

• Australia-England 150th anniversary Test in 2027 will be a pink-ball day-night match

• MCG to host one-off Australia-England Test in 2027 to mark 150 years of Test cricket

• IPL 2025 to begin on March 14; dates for next three seasons revealed

The Test will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which also hosted the other two milestone Tests in 1877 and 1977.This 2027 Test will clash with the start of the IPL season with the tournament window earmarked between March 14 to May 30 that year. In the email to franchises, the IPL said that players from Australia and England would join their teams post the one-off Test.Before this, these two teams will also take part in the Ashes which begin next year on November 21 in Perth with the final Test in Sydney on January 4, 2026. England will host the 2027 Ashes.

Chennai Super Kings are expected to host Mumbai Indians on March 23

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Feb-2025Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned the season opener will be played at Eden Gardens on March 22 and the IPL final will be played on May 25.While the IPL is yet to release the schedule, it is learned that last season’s finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad will begin their campaign at home against Rajasthan Royals on the afternoon of March 23. Later that Sunday evening, Chennai Super Kings are likely to host Mumbai Indians at Chepauk.The 10-team league is set to start 12 days after the Champions Trophy final on March 9 and will be played at 12 venues – the ten traditional homes of the franchises as well as Guwahati (second venue for RR) and Dharamsala (second venue for Punjab Kings).Related

• Samson undergoes finger surgery, expected to be fit in time for IPL 2025

• Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025

The opening fixture will feature two teams led by new captains. While RCB recently appointed Rajat Patidar as their captain, KKR are yet to announce the successor to Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the title in 2024. RCB had finished fourth in the league last year, following a streak of six defeats with six wins to make it to the playoffs where they lost the Eliminator. KKR have been dominant against RCB in Kolkata, winning eight of their 12 matches at Eden Gardens.PBKS, who have a new captain and coach in Shreyas and Ricky Ponting, will play three of their home matches in Dharamsala – one more than the usual two they play each season at the picturesque venue in Himachal Pradesh. Their remaining four home matches will be at Mullanpur in Punjab.

The RCB batter says his success this season is all down to batting at a more familiar position in the line-up

Hemant Brar03-Oct-20214:21

Manjrekar: Maxwell has changed the fortunes of RCB

Harpreet Brar had conceded only ten from his first three overs. And that includes two overs against a set Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal.Brar is not a mystery spinner. His method is simple and out there. He tries to hit good length with enough pace on the ball that the batter has no time to set himself up for a big shot. Such is his self-belief that whenever he is brought on and his captain asks him for the plan, he just replies, ” [You don’t worry, I won’t give runs]”.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Now he is up against Glenn Maxwell. In the previous game between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, Brar had bowled Maxwell for a first-ball duck. The batter had played back to a delivery he probably should have gone forward to and was beaten on the outside edge. On Sunday, Brar nearly pulled off a repeat. Maxwell once again went back and pushed at the ball. This time he got an outside edge but KL Rahul failed to latch on to it.By the time Brar came for his final over – the 13th of the innings – Maxwell seemed to have adjusted to his pace and length. On the second ball of the over, Brar erred a little on the shorter side, and that was enough for Maxwell to go back and across and pull it for a six. Two balls later, Brar bowled on the fuller side and Maxwell sent it into orbit over deep midwicket.Then, it was Ravi Bishnoi in the firing line, with Maxwell hitting him for back-to-back sixes. The first was a googly, which bobbled right into Maxwell’s hitting arc and was deposited over cow corner. Bishnoi went full on the next ball, only to be walloped down the ground.During his 33-ball 57, Maxwell scored only 19 off 16 balls against seamers. But against spinners, he plundered 38 off 17. In comparison, all other Royal Challengers batters scored only 27 off 37 balls against spin. In fact, this whole season Maxwell has feasted on spinners, taking 216 runs off 137 balls at an average of 54.00 and a strike rate of 157.66. So that was a match-up he nailed.Name that shot – Glenn Maxwell batted in typical Maxwell fashion against Punjab Kings•BCCIEarlier this week, against Mumbai Indians, Maxwell had used switch hits and reverse hits – against both pace and spin – to target the shorter boundary and give his side what proved to be a winning total. But that was in Dubai. This was Sharjah, where the relaid pitches have made life difficult for batters, where the average first-innings total this season had been 134, where the chasing sides had won four out of five games.So, Kohli’s decision to bat first after winning the toss wasn’t a straightforward one. And even though Maxwell seems to be batting on a different level than anyone else, he too acknowledged this wasn’t an easy pitch.”I felt probably this one was the toughest to adjust to,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It skidded on a little bit more from the spinners, which means you’ve got to be a little bit sharper at the start of the innings. The other wickets held up just a tiny bit more and gave you a bit more time on the back foot.”The ball might have been skidding on, but when Maxwell connected those sixes, it seemed to stay on his bat just a fraction of a second longer, giving his wrists enough time to whip it away. His knock propelled Royal Challengers to 164, the highest total in Sharjah this season, and eventually into the playoffs.During IPL 2020, playing for the Punjab franchise and batting mostly at No. 5, Maxwell had managed only 108 runs in 11 innings. This time, in the same number of innings, he has 407. Maxwell attributed the revival to a familiarity with the role he’s been assigned.”In T20s, I have found a nice little rhythm batting at No. 4,” he said. “It’s something I probably had for Australia over a long period of time as well, which is probably why I have success over there. Coming to the RCB, they wanted me to do the exact same role. It’s been really enjoyable to actually come into the change room and actually have to change not too much.”Maxwell has now scored three half-centuries in the last three games. If he continues his form, it could well be a first IPL title for Royal Challengers.

Juventus general manager Damien Comolli was furious with Douglas Luiz's antics as he refused to report for training with his team-mates.

• Luiz skipped pre-season training without permission
• Attempting to force a move after woeful season
• Apologised to team-mates and staff for his behaviour

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Luiz has been desperately trying to leave the Italian club just a year after joining from Aston Villa. In a bid to force a move, the midfielder refused to report to the club's headquarters for training this week. The Serie A club are offended by Luiz's actions and have decided to take disciplinary action against the Brazilian. Comolli clarified that the situation was resolved after Luiz apologised to the club.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Brazilian made only 19 Serie A appearances for Juve last season and one appearance as a substitute in the Club World Cup this summer. Marred by injuries as soon as he joined the Italian club, the Brazilian is unable to find a new club. Premier League club Nottingham Forest have reportedly submitted a loan bid with an option to buy for the 26-year-old, but Juve's demand of €40 million (£34m/$46m) may be a hurdle for the English club.

  Comolli, who is aware of the midfielder's plight, empathised with him but asserted that he should apologise to his team-mates and staff. The general manager is very clear that no player is leaving until the club receives a worthy offer.

• WHAT COMOLLI SAID

  When asked about Luiz going AWOL, Comolli said: "The player disrespected his team-mates. Everyone must respect the shirt they wear. He then apologised to everyone, players, coaches, and me.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  Luiz will be hoping for a quick resolution to his situation, with a Premier League return a possibility. Juve are also trying to offload Timothy Weah, who rejected a move to Nottingham Forest earlier this summer, but a move to Marseille has emerged as a possibility.

Many thought Liverpool would fall by the wayside when Jurgen Klopp left at the end of the 2023/24 season, but this football club has an uncanny ability to remain with its head above the water.

Indeed, Arne Slot defied expectation when arriving and leading the Reds straight to the Premier League title, and has now been rewarded by FSG, who are spending freely in the transfer market.

Although Florian Wirtz will add a fresh and world-class dimension to Slot’s squad, there’s still the sense that more quality and prolificness could be added.

Mohamed Salah

52

34

23

Luis Diaz

50

17

8

Cody Gakpo

49

18

7

Diogo Jota

37

9

4

Darwin Nunez

47

7

7

Federico Chiesa

14

2

2

Although with Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong signed to bolster the wide defensive positions, the intensity toward securing new stars is set to simmer down.

But Liverpool remain very much primed to pounce if the right opportunity emerges.

Liverpool's wider transfer plans

Sporting director Richard Hughes cut a contentious figure after his first summer transfer window at Liverpool, having only added Federico Chiesa to the newly arrived Slot’s squad.

But he’s since proven his meticulous, calculated nature, having dotted all the i’s and crossed the t’s ahead of the window and since pounced on top targets, reeling them in.

Any further activity will depend on outgoings, reports The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe. This makes sense, for the Reds have forked out more than £200m already this summer.

Darwin Nunez’s expected transfer to Serie A champions Napoli should see a new number nine acquired, while rumours of a new winger hinge on Luis Diaz’s future, with Barcelona and Saudi Arabian suitors interested.

He’s not Sadio Mane, but the Colombian has been immense in a Liverpool shirt, posting 41 goals and 23 assists across 141 appearances in total.

Transfer Focus

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Liverpool line up new winger

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are interested in signing Belgian winger Malick Fofana and have been boosted in their bid now that Lyon have been relegated from Ligue 1.

However, Newcastle United have also been named as suitors, and have actually established contacts with the 20-year-old’s entourage.

Earlier this year, the player’s former representatives told Africa Foot that playing in the Premier League, namely at Liverpool, would be his “dream”, and it’s something that Hughes and Co can now bring to fruition.

Chelsea are also keen, though appear to be prioritising a deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens.

This could leave Liverpool with a free shot to sign one of Europe’s most exciting prospects, who is valued at £43m, with Lyon’s fate also suggesting his price tag could be whittled down.

Why Liverpool should sign Fofana

Hailed for his “electric” skills by content creator Dev Bajwa, Fofana is bound to move clubs this summer, but where to remains to be seen.

He’s young and raw, but he’s also naturally “explosive”, as has been said by analyst Ben Mattinson, with his sharp bursts of pace something that could pay dividends for Slot’s Liverpool team, especially when the time comes to replace Diaz.

Fofana is Belgian but he is of Guinean descent, and for this reason he has expressed Mane (and Mohamed Salah) as being one of his footballing idols. For this reason, the left winger could prove to be Slot’s own version of Mane, whose career on Merseyside served to guide Anfield back to the forefront of domestic and continental football.

Part of Klopp’s iconic front three at Liverpool, Mane won the whole gamut after signing from Southampton for £34m in 2016, with the German manager declaring him a “world-class” forward and an absolute “machine”, his work rate and tenacity leaving an indelible mark on the game.

Fofana hasn’t reached that point in his career yet, but has the potential to do exactly that, already performing with a hunger for goal and fleet-footed style that is somewhat reminiscent of the Senegalese star.

As per FBref, Fofana ranked among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for non-penalty goals scored and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, emphasising that very point.

So then, you can see how Mane has inspired Fofana’s early-career development, especially as elements of his defensive work rate can be found in the one-cap Belgium international’s skill set too, for he averaged 1.1 tackles + interceptions in Ligue 1 last year, as per Sofascore, also finishing the term having won 54% of his ground battles.

Slot is not Klopp, but then Fofana is not Mane either, and the Dutch tactician could fashion his own version of the former Liverpool superstar, who certainly has stylistic similarities to the Al Nassr forward, now 33.

Even if Liverpool don’t part ways with Diaz, 28, this summer, it might be worth snapping Fofana up as Lyon plummet into the second tier of French football. After all, there are no guarantees that a new out-and-out frontman will be signed, and Diaz operated so admirably in a false nine role across the 2024/25 campaign.

Given that the Colombian could potentially reprise said role, it might be worth adding some competition for Cody Gakpo to jockey with on the left flank.

In any case, given the player’s desire to move to Merseyside and indeed his Mane-esque qualities rising to the fore, it would be a smart move indeed to ward away Premier League competition and snap him up quickly.

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