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An outsider entered the bubble when Shakib was having a batting session at the indoor facilities of the Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mohammad Isam05-Jun-2021

The Mohammedan Sporting Club squad before the DPL tournament•Mohammedan Sporting Club

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has started an investigation on a biosecure bubble breach during a practice session of the ongoing Dhaka Premier League. This is the first such report incident since the tournament started on May 31, with match venues and four team hotels coming under the board’s biosecure bubble.The incident reportedly took place on Friday, during Mohammedan Sporting Club’s training session, when captain Shakib Al Hasan was having a batting session at the indoor facilities of the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. The BCB is investigating the entry of an outsider although the identity of the person remains unknown.”We are disappointed to note this incident,” Kazi Inam Ahmed, the chairman of Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), said. “Both the CCDM and the BCB have taken this very seriously. The health and safety of our teams, players, and officials are most important to us. We have invested a significant amount of finances and efforts to make sure the BSE (bio-security environment) protocols are in place including the best possible accommodation and logistics. This incident is being looked into and necessary actions and further precautionary measures will be taken.”The tournament’s disciplinary committee is supposed to investigate the incident. The BCB said before the tournament that any breach could mean a fine, suspension, and even point deductions for the club.The DPL is taking place during the latest phase of lockdown, which began on April 5. Bangladesh is experiencing a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with 43 deaths and another 1447 positives cases in the last 24 hours.The BCB though remain hopeful that the tournament can finish this time, after it was postponed in March 2020. For that, the board has pulled out all the stops, including shortening the tournament to T20 format and paying for the biosecure bubble of all 12 teams and match officials, who are put up in four five-star hotels in Dhaka. The cost of the bubble is in excess of Taka 7 crore (USD 825,230 approx). Bangladesh’s first-class competition, the National Cricket League, also remains postponed since April this year.

After an ordinary start, the New Zealand bowlers too got into the swing of things

Sidharth Monga19-Jun-2021

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane survived some quality bowling to go to stumps unbeaten•ICC/Getty Images

We have only had a little over two sessions’ worth of cricket on the first two days of the World Test Championship final, but what we’ve had has been high-quality cricket worthy of the occasion. When bad light curtailed the second day to just 64.4 overs after the first day was washed out, India, asked to bat in challenging conditions against a deep attack, were 146 for 3 and, you’d suspect, the happier side.New Zealand will be disappointed but not despondent: it could have been worse after a 62-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as Tim Southee and Trent Boult got off to an uncharacteristically indifferent start. Towards the end of the day, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane looked sublime in fading light, playing the ball delightfully late and biding their time as New Zealand didn’t offer easy scoring opportunities. No batting duo now has more fifty-run stands for the fourth wicket or lower.It was one of those “good toss to lose” days, but it turned out both sides would have liked to have had a bowl after the pitch had been under covers for two days and with the sun unlikely to make an appearance. The coin fell Kane Williamson’s way, but his opening bowlers didn’t get his side off to a desired start.Part of it was possibly down to proactive Indian openers. By repeatedly walking down the pitch to meet the ball before it had swung, they made a statement to Southee and Boult. When they tried to bang it in short – which was not often – Gill pulled with disdain.New Zealand are the most economical attack in this WTC cycle. They keep the runs down and then let the subtle skills of their bowlers take. Here, though, both Southee and Boult went searching too often with the new ball. Did the batsmen upset their rhythm? Did they feel the pressure of expectation when your captain hands you the ball in such conditions? It is anybody’s guess, but Rohit and Gill punished them every time they pitched too short or too full, which was often. By the time Williamson brought on his first-change bowler, Kyle Jamieson, India had 37 on the board in 10 overs.The first maiden of the innings was the 12th, bowled by Boult; then Jamieson and Colin de Grandhomme added one each on top of it. Not long after, Jamieson drew the first fatal error from India. Rohit pushed away from the body for the first time in his innings, edging the outswinger, but not before giving India their first 60-plus opening stand in England in over a decade.There might have been the mildest of question marks against Neil Wagner’s inclusion in the final XI because in early summer conditions in England you hardly need his trademark method of hustling batters with short-pitched bowling. However, within three balls of his introduction into the attack, Wagner vindicated his selection. He swung the first ball back into Gill and then, from the exact same length, the third ball held its line. Gill had to play at it because of the earlier swing, and BJ Watling – playing the final match of a stellar career – pouched a catch behind the wicket. India had now lost two wickets for one run.A fascinating spell of play followed either side of lunch. Cheteshwar Pujara went about his usual business, taking 36 balls to get off the mark and then showing intent to upper-cut Wagner. At the other end, Kohli, who has mastered the quickest and the scariest of bowlers, had to swallow his ego and play maiden after maiden from de Grandhomme’s dibbly-dobblies.de Grandhomme bowled with just the right (lack of) pace and amount of movement to nag Kohli, who had previously faced 10 balls from him in Test cricket for one run and one lbw dismissal. Here, too, de Grandhomme seemingly tried to set up the same, bowling outswingers from middle and off. Once he nearly took the edge, but that ball that shapes up to swing one way and then seams the other didn’t arrive. Kohli faced 21 balls from de Grandhomme for just four runs, but didn’t once try to hit out.Pujara saw out Jamieson, then made Wagner switch to bouncers, one of which got him in the head as he looked to hook, which he rarely does, but just ask Australia what usually happens when Pujara battles through a tough phase. With a five-man attack, though, New Zealand kept coming back at him. The next test was Boult, who had got Pujara out four times for 48 runs outside India. Today, the first he bowled to Pujara was right on the money: swinging in for the lbw, Pujara seemed to have covered the swing, but it seamed some more after pitching, beating his inside edge and trapping him in front.Rahane can be a flashy starter, but he got a gift down the leg side first ball, which he clipped away. A general indicator of where Rahane’s form is how late he plays the ball early in his innings. He was in no hurry here. Except for a near run-out early in the piece, there was nothing flashy from him.The player of the day, though, was at the other end. On that calendar it might have been over 18 months since Kohli has scored an international hundred, but he has batted as well as anyone in this period. It was on display here again. Except for a mini phase in the stop-start final session when he began to push at Southee outswingers, Kohli looked in control against everyone.New Zealand’s response was to block his scoring areas. The cover drive and the flick through midwicket were well guarded. So Kohli had to wait for the errors in length. He did. But even when they erred, they fed possibly the only shot that Kohli doesn’t relish: the cut. However, Kohli kept scoring through point with pushes and punches. The conditions demanded for nothing short of Kohli’s best: even the 60-over-old ball swung under the clouds.Close to eight hours have already been lost in the Test, but they can be made up with an extra half hour added to the remaining days and a whole reserve day in the bank. Any further interruptions will start eating into the Test, which, going by the quality of the contest in the limited time we have had, will be a massive shame.

Warwickshire quick leads fightback after Alastair Cook impersonates Gower

George Dobell22-Apr-2021

Olly Stone strains in his release•Getty Images

Not all wickets are equal. It has long remained one of cricket’s charming idiosyncrasies that the wicket of Ricky Ponting on a batting paradise in Adelaide is valued (in basis career statistics, at least) the same as the wicket as Charl Willoughby – a man who did almost as little for bats as the wet markets of Wuhan – on a minefield in Leeds.But there are dismissals that make you sit up and take notice. So it was when Olly Stone dismissed Paul Walter at Edgbaston. Walter was well set at the time. The ball was old – in its 69th over – and the wicket held no terrors. Quite the opposite: this looks like an excellent batting track for the time of year.But such is Stone’s pace and hostility, he had Walter caught at third man – a fly slip, really, albeit one standing on the boundary – by a bouncer that reared towards his neck, took the shoulder of the bat and flew every bit of 40 metres. He had already softened him up with a pair of bouncers that struck him on the upper body.Pace isn’t everything, of course. But just because it’s not everything doesn’t mean it’s nothing. And on flat surfaces – the sort England can anticipate in Australia this winter, for example – well-directed pace is an invaluable tool. Stone, with his pleasing shape, his probing length, his pace and his sharp bouncer looks tailor-made for the trip. Marcus Trescothick, England’s new elite batting coach, will have noted this as he watched on from the deserted stands at Edgbaston.By then, Stone had already had Dan Lawrence caught at midwicket – not from his finest ball, to be fair – and Nick Browne caught behind after flashing at one he might have left. Replays also suggested Stone might have been a little unfortunate not to win a leg-before decision against Browne before the batter had scored and was even more unfortunate not to win a leg-before decision against Walter when he had 30. An edge from Browne, on 24, eluded the slip cordon.Stone did not have things entirely his own way. Ryan ten Doeschate, in particular, made full use of an unusually short boundary towards the Priory side of the ground by pulling successive fours and then a six when Stone tried to bounce him. But Stone countered with the dismissal of Adam Wheater, poking at one flashing past his off stump, to claim his fourth wicket and see off Essex for a total that might be considered as much as 100 below par.Given Stone’s injury record, it was encouraging he played this game at all. He delivered 41 overs last week and, having not played back-to-back first-class games since 2019 – this is actually just his fourth first-class game since July 2019 and one of those was curtailed by injury – it bodes well that he didn’t just report fit, but was able to generate such pace. In this form, he offers England a depth in their fast-bowling resources they have not had for a decade or more – in other words, since they last time they won in Australia.Related

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Stone admits previous career doubts as he hopes for recall

“My body is feeling great,” he said afterwards, belying an open blister and blackened nail on his big toe. “Having had an injury-free winter, I felt ready to play back-to-back games and I wanted to prove to people that I could do it. It’s all about being ready for the Tests against New Zealand.”I hope I’m the finished article now. I’m still pushing hard to improve but all the months of rehab were about getting to where I am now. Dismissals like that one – the Walter one – are the dream, really. I’m really happy.”Stone’s contribution helped Warwickshire hit back in the final session of an intriguing day. At tea, Essex had been well-placed at 186 for 3 with Warwickshire ruing two or three dropping catches. The worst of them, Sam Hain putting down Browne in the slips on 20 off Craig Miles, looked as if it might be especially expensive as Browne moved ominously into the 60s.Nick Browne made his first half-century of the season•Getty Images

Indeed, such was Browne’s patience that he played only five scoring shots in the first two hours of play and his first single came from his 92nd delivery. It was some surprise when, almost immediately after the second interval, he poked at one from Stone in a fiery three-over burst that removed both set batters and turned the direction of the day’s play.Earlier, an impostor purporting to be Alastair Cook produced a more than passable impression of David Gower in making a run-a-ball 46. He certainly looked like Cook; he even wore his shirt. But, as he reeled off a string of gorgeous drives and pulled Stone for six, it was hard to recall a time he had ever batted so fluently. As Browne, who contributed eight of their first 50 runs, put it: “I’ve batted with Cookie a lot of times over the years and never seen him bat like that before. He looked like Bradman.”Oliver Hannon-Dalby, plugging away at the other end on a probing length, ended with even better figures than Stone. But harsh though it may be, England are blessed with an abundance of excellent fast-medium bowlers who can threaten with a Dukes ball. It’s bowlers like Stone who could unlock batting line-ups on the flatter surfaces generally encountered in Test cricket.Given the wretched luck he has suffered with injuries over the years, there can be no room for complacency. But as England build for the Ashes, Stone seems to be coming to the boil nicely.

da casino： After a generally productive international break for many of Rangers’ stars, can they bring this form back to Glasgow?

da betsul： John Souttar, Liam Kelly and Connor Barron were all part of the Scotland squad that remarkably qualified for a first World Cup in 28 years, while Nicolas Raskin started both of Belgium’s matches as they booked their spot in North America, thrashing Liechtenstein in the midfielder’s hometown of Liège.

On Tuesday, striker Bojan Miovski scored his ninth goal for North Macedonia, albeit there was little cause for celebration given that his team were demolished 7-1 by Wales in Cardiff, their heaviest defeat for two and a half years.

While Miovski being back among the goals is undoubtedly good news for Danny Röhl, he does need to improve his performances on the domestic stage.

Rangers' lack of attacking firepower

While many supporters would blame now-dismissed manager Russell Martin’s ineptitude, the club’s poor recruitment over the summer is surely the key factor behind their underwhelming form this season.

This is most abundantly clear in attacking areas where, despite being a goal machine during his two seasons at Aberdeen, Miovski has netted only twice since joining Rangers from Girona for £2.6m in August.

Meantime, Youssef Chermiti has scored only once for the club so far, despite arriving from Everton for £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, thereby making him the club’s most expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, surpassed only by Tore André Flo’s move in 2000.

This is in complete contrast to last season when Rangers’ top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Václav Černý and Hamza Igamane, bagged 63 goals between them across all competitions, which represented 55% of all goals the club netted.

With the trio having all departed, new manager Röhl requires the attacking players he has inherited to step up and start contributing, something one “huge talent” in particular is yet to do thus far.

Thelwell signing has been a bigger waste than Chermiti & Miovski

In the summer, Rangers spent around £30m on 13 new recruits, including splashing a reported £5m to sign Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town.

Upon his arrival, Scottish football analyst Kai Watson labelled him a “technical dribbler” who “loves to take on opponents and get shots away”, while journalist Jamie Allen asserted that he was a “huge talent”.

However, supporters have not seen very much of that thus far, with Aasgaard’s most noteworthy contribution being that red card he received during the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden.

The table below underlines the fact that Aasgaard has not performed as expected to date. Aasgaard’s statistics are not terrible when compared to his Rangers teammates, ranked second for shots, first in terms of shots on target as well as in the top four when it comes to successful dribbles per 90.

Aasgaard Rangers statistics

Stats

Aasgaard

Rangers rank

Minutes

1,041

9th

Goals

1

7th

Assists

1

8th

Shots per 90

1.7

2nd

Shots on target per 90

1

1st

Big chances missed

2

2nd

Accurate passes per 90

19.2

12th

Key passes per 90

0.8

8th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.4

4th

Average rating

6.76

8th

Stats via Transfermarkt and SofaScore

Ultimately, however, he has scored only one for the club to date, on target against Dundee United last month, registering his first assist at Dens last time out, albeit scorer Djeidi Gassama did do most of the work.

This lack of end-product has seen his estimated market value, as recorded by Football Transfers, drop to around £3.4m, well below the fee Rangers paid to sign him.

Meantime, the Merseyside-born winger has been on fire for Norway, scoring four times in 24 minutes as his national team demolished Moldova 11-1 at the Ullevål in September, having marked his international debut with a goal in the reverse fixture in Chișinău back in March.

Thus, with Norway back at the World Cup for the first time since France ’98, Aasgaard will certainly be included in Ståle Solbakken’s squad that travels to North America next summer, but he’ll be desperate to improve his club form before then.

In Glasgow, Aasgaard has started three of Danny Röhl’s six matches in charge, but was introduced off the bench during the last two against Roma and Dundee.

With Röhl having switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation, there is one fewer attacking position up for grabs, and Aasgaard so far is not doing enough to suggest he should be ahead of Gassama, Miovski, Chermiti, Danilo or Mikey Moore in the pecking order.

Considering he cost £5m, surely Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell envisaged that the Norwegian would be a guaranteed starter, but this is certainly not the case. Considering he was a player that Martin pushed to sign, it isn’t ideal when the manager is sacked after just 15 matches in charge.

Thus, while Chermiti and Miovski have established themselves as key figures in Röhl’s team, one could certainly argue that Aasgaard has been the biggest waste of money from last summer.

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Posts ByBen Gray Nov 16, 2025

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام سيلتا فيجو، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025-2026، حيث يلتقي الفريقان مساء اليوم الأحد.

ويستقبل ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الفريقين، حيث يحل سيلتا فيجو ضيفًا على ريال مدريد، في مباراة بالجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

ويدخل ريال مدريد المباراة وهو في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، ويملك في رصيده 36 نقطة، ويتواجد سيلتا فيجو بالمركز الثالث عشر، ولديه 16 نقطة.

طالع موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد وسيلتا فيجو اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. والمعلق

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا أمام ريال بيتيس بالجولة ذاتها وتغلب على خصمه بنتيجة 5-3، ليرفع رصيده في صدارة ترتيب الليجا للنقطة 40. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام سيلتا فيجو اليوم

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: فران جارسيا، ألفارو كاريراس، إيدير ميليتاو، راؤول أسينسيو.

خط الوسط: أردا جولر، تشواميني، فالفيردي.

خط وسط مهاجم: جود بيلينجهام.

خط الهجوم: كيليان مبابي، فينيسيوس جونيور.

البدلاء: لونين، سيرجيو ميستري، كامافينجا، إندريك، رودريجو، جونزالو، داني سيبايوس، إبراهيم دياز، أنطونيو روديجر، ماستانتونو، خوان مارتينيز.

Sixers were well placed on 92 for 2 before a game-changing over saw three wickets fall

AAP13-Nov-2025

Hayley Silver-Holmes produced a game changing triple-wicket over•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes openers Lizelle Lee and Danni Wyatt-Hodge destroyed the Sydney Sixers bowling attack with a record stand in a dominant six-wicket WBBL win.Earlier, three wickets in over and career-best figures by Hurricanes fast bowler Hayley Silver-Holmes rocked her former side in a deserved player of the match display.Related

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The opening stand of 95 between Lee and Wyatt-Hodge rollicked along at more than 10 runs per over and allowed Hurricanes to coast to victory at North Sydney Oval on Thursday.Sixers had made 152 for 9 but Hurricanes were never troubled in the chase and won with 19 balls remaining to stay undefeated.Lee slammed the bowlers to all parts of the ground. She showcased all her skills and combined power and touch in equal measure to score her 12th WBBL half-century to go with her five hundreds.Wyatt-Hodge, fresh from a brilliant 90 in her last match, dominated on the offside where she placed the ball to perfection.  The England star also lofted two sixes over the leg side that went through the hands of Sixers fielders.The pair’s opening stand was the highest in Hurricanes history.After being sent in, Sixers were 2 for 92 after 12 overs and appeared set for a 170-plus total before Silver-Holmes took three wickets in one over.She had the dangerous Ash Gardner out pulling a delivery that hurried on. Next ball Silver-Holmes knocked over Amelia Kerr with an off-cutter. Another off-cutter to Alyssa Healy went through the gate to cap a tremendous over.The 22-year-old didn’t play last year’s WBBL series due to an elbow injury that required surgery.”I’ve had a really bad few years with injuries but I think the big thing for me was getting as fit as I could,” Silver-Holmes said. “That makes it that much easier to do what I do.”She was humble about her decisive over that turned the match. “When things are happening, they are happening. That’s T20 cricket,” Silver-Holmes said. “It was all a bit of a blur but I’m super pumped to get the win.”Healy, playing her first WBBL match of the season after recovering from a hand injury, used the pace off the pitch to perfection in her cameo and in combination with Ellyse Perry had looked in control.Perry smoked six boundaries, with her shots through the cover region sublime, before Heather Graham cleaned up her stumps. Graham, fifth on the all-time WBBL wicket list, bowled with guile. Her seamers moved both ways and challenged the strong Sixers top order.

Newcastle United are still searching for form, over a month into the 2025/26 campaign, but it’s hardly as if there is anything to worry about for Eddie Howe and co.

After all, the Magpies have only conceded in one of their five Premier League games, a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at St. James’ Park that was as infuriating as it was compelling.

Attacking fluency will return, and no mistake. Nick Woltemade is integrating after his big-money move from Stuttgart, the record-fee striker replacing Alexander Isak after the rebellious forward forced his way out and over to Anfield.

In the end, the Toon completed a quietly impressive transfer window, signing players of different shapes and sizes to bolster the pre-existing ranks.

However, Newcastle are still guided through by their leading light, the skipper, Bruno Guimaraes.

He’s been ever-present right through Howe’s tenure.

Bruno Guimaraes' Newcastle form

Guimaraes was one of the first to join this nascent Newcastle project, signing from French side Lyon for £40m and never looking back.

Almost four years later, the 27-year-old remains one of the nuclei at Newcastle, one of the first names on the teamsheet. Isak might have been considered in the same breath, but Isak has gone, whereas Bruno has not, despite fierce summer interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.

He’s started four Premier League fixtures so far this season, absent against Bournemouth after that European clash with Barcelona, covering so much ground and working tirelessly both to protect the defence and progress his team’s attacking play.

Against the backdrop of Isak’s absence, Guimaraes put in a captain’s performance against the Premier League champions, and he spoke of his deep-seated love for the Magpies post-game.

However, it would also be fair to say that the Brazilian is lacking his usual fluency in attack at the moment, yet to create a big chance across his five matches in the Premier League.

We all know Bruno will hit his stride, but he hasn’t been Howe’s standout performer so far this season.

Newcastle's best player so far this season

It would be an outrage to award this figurative title to anyone north of the backline at Newcastle, whose three-goal haul in the Premier League this term betters only that of lowly Aston Villa, one strike to their name.

Defensively, though, United have been redoubtable, and Dan Burn stakes a claim for being the standout performer, indeed boasting four clean sheets across five league outings and having been one of the chief organisers in defence, ensuring everyone is where they should be and that they understand their duties, just so.

​​​​​

Like Guimaraes, Burn was one of the first to sign for Newcastle after the PIF takeover, leaving Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2022 to join his boyhood club after so many years, having plyed his boyish trade at Newcastle until being released when he was 11.

Now, he’s shaped into a mainstay for one of the most exciting projects in world football, and, aged 33, he is showing little sign of slowing down.

Howe’s Most-used Newcastle Players
Player	Seasons	Apps
Fabian Schar	5	159
Bruno Guimaraes	5	159
Dan Burn	5	154
Jacob Murphy	5	142
Joelinton	5	134
Data via Transfermarkt

Guimaraes and Fabian Schar, who was already part of the toon squad, are the only players to have eclipsed his 154 appearances in black and white under Howe’s wing, and there’s a good reason that Big Dan Burn has played with such regularity, for in many ways he epitomises Howe and his tactics: gritty and tenacious, balanced against a technical undercurrent which has led to silverware and European escapades.

It was Burn who rose highest before the break at Wembley in March, striking first to set Newcastle on their way in the Carabao Cup final. He has been written into club folklore, and there he will remain.

There will come a point when Sven Botman will expect to return to the starting line-up without fail, playing from the first whistle each and every week.

But we can’t ignore the industrious and composed presence Burn projects in front of Pope’s goal, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged a whopping 6.4 successful duels and 6.2 clearances per game, yet to make an error.

The 6 foot 6 defender made his England debut earlier in 2025, called up by the Three Lions hierarchy for the first time when he was 32 years old. Truly, development is not linear in football.

And that emphatic form of 2024/25 has indeed lifted over the disruptive summer transfer window, Burn travelling a smooth through line which has seen him retain his defensive solidity and his unflappable manner besides. Nick Pope boasts four clean sheets already this year, and he ranks only 11th in the division for saves made thus far (ten).

His leadership skills and organisation on the left side of the central defence eliminate and concerns over his lanky frame and limited passing range and mobility. Howe, after all, hailed the veteran as “an incredible signing” who has exceeded expectations.

The defensive giant may not match Botman’s athleticism or technical command, but he has been an essential part of this wonderful patch in Newcastle’s modern history – a period which may well be remembered as the foundation of a new age on Tyneside.

Last year, Burn got the ball rolling at Wembley, putting paid to a woeful Liverpool side and sparking the victory that led to gold.

It was a career-defining moment from the boy from Blyth, but he’s not done yet, this boyhood Toon, and he’s ready to write another chapter into an incredible journey.

Newcastle’s “explosive” star once looked like Shearer, now he needs to go

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Will Miller

Sep 22, 2025

da bet sport： Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is a “big” fan of a £40 million ace in his squad, but Stamford Bridge officials could still opt to sell him in January.

Chelsea face Shamrock Rovers amid major Mudryk and Acheampong developments

da imperador bet： The Blues face Shamrock Rovers in their final Europa Conference League game of the year tonight, but their face-off against the Irish minnows has been pushed into the background after major developments regarding Mykhailo Mudryk and Josh Acheampong.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 18, 2024

Mudryk has officially failed a drugs test, with the Ukraine international now handed a provisional ban from football after allegedly testing positive for meldonium through a urine sample (The Times).

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Everton (away)

December 22

Fulham (home)

December 26

Ipswich Town (away)

December 30

Crystal Palace (away)

January 4

Bournemouth (home)

January 14

The heart drug, which tennis superstar Maria Sharapova received a 15-month ban for ingesting in 2016, was apparently found in his system – with the FA subsequently suspending Mudryk from all footballing activity on the field.

The £100,000-per-week winger protests his innocence and said he would never “knowingly” take the substance, with Mudryk’s team now set to investigate how the alleged meldonium could’ve got into his system.

Meanwhile, other big news out of Chelsea is that BlueCo have finally tied down highly-rated young right-back Josh Acheampong with a new contract. Acheampong was frozen out of the Chelsea squad for a time due to his contractual stand-off, but talks then took a promising turn, with the 18-year-old sensation now putting pen to paper on a new deal which will keep him at the club until 2029.

Real Madrid were previously registering an interest in Acheampong when his future wasn’t no certain, but worries of the La Liga giants poaching Chelsea’s rising star have now been put to bed. While the defender’s future is secure, the same cannot be said of midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, who has been heavily linked with the Stamford Bridge exit door next month.

Enzo Maresca is a "big admirer" of Carney Chukwuemeka at Chelsea

Funnily enough, according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs of TEAMtalk, Maresca is actually a “big admirer” of Chukwuemeka at Chelsea – but Todd Boehly and co are still open to any offers for the former Aston Villa gem who has failed to battle his way into the first-team regularly.

The 21-year-old hasn’t been included in a single Premier League matchday squad this season, with all of his total 130 minutes of playing time coming in the Carabao Cup and Conference League.

However, despite his lack of match action, it is believed that Chelsea will demand suitors pay around £40 million for his services – either in January or next summer.

“I like Carney Chukwuemeka because he is like an artist who comes onto the stage,” said Marcel Desailly on Chukwuemeka in 2023.

“He has got the ball. Now is my moment. Shine. You see the dribbling. He is sure about what he is going to do and he is clinical. I love it.”

A major injury update has now emerged on a Leeds United star, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “crucial”.

Leeds suffer several early injury setbacks

We are only six games into the new Premier League season, but Leeds have already suffered more than their fair share of injury setbacks, with Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu spending time on the sidelines, while Lucas Perri and Wilfried Gnonto remain unavailable.

Prior to the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, Farke confirmed that Gnonto was still experiencing issues with his calf, which ruled the winger out of contention, meaning Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson were given the nod on the wings.

Jack Harrison replaced Okafor in the second half, but failed to make any real impact, touching the ball just 11 times, having also been unable to register a single goal or assist in any of his five substitute appearances in the Premier League so far this season.

As such, Farke would’ve been hoping for some good news about Daniel James, who was widely reported to be making progress in his recovery from an injury, which has ruled the winger out of the last two Premier League matches.

However, Adam Pope has now dropped a major update on James’ fitness, and it wasn’t good news, with the reporter saying:

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The severity of the issue is yet to be confirmed by the club, however, Graham Smyth has heard from Leeds that the 27-year-old could be out for weeks not months and has now heard from the Whites who have shared an update.

James' injury could be big problem for Farke

Farke has previously made it clear just how important the Welshman is, describing his work-ethic as “crucial” after an impressive performance against Watford during the Whites’ promotion push last season.

The £75k-a-week winger hasn’t exactly made a flying start to the season, having failed to pick up a goal or an assist, but he played a major role in Leeds’ promotion back to the top flight, picking up 21 goal contributions in the Championship.

As such, James’ likely absence is a blow for Farke. Leeds will need their other forwards to step up, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was failed to score against Bournemouth last time out, with the former Everton striker missing three big chances prior to Eli Junior Kroupi’s late equaliser.

The weather came to Yorkshire’s aid as their rain-ruined Rothesay County Championship Division One game with Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, ended in an inevitable draw.Starting the final day on 17 for no wicket in their first innings in reply to Somerset’s 441 for 6 declared, the visitors crashed to 57 for 6 in the morning session, Josh Davey and Lewis Gregory claiming two wickets each.With three runs added, the second of several showers forced an early lunch at 12.20pm and play did not restart until 3pm with 33 overs lost. Jordan Thompson then struck a belligerent 57, while Adam Lyth made 30 as Yorkshire battled to 134 for 9 by the time the players shook hands at 4.20pm.Rain having affected all four days, a draw had long looked the only likely outcome. Somerset took 14 points from the game to Yorkshire’s nine.The visitors had added 15 runs to their overnight total when Somerset made the first breakthrough in the fourth over of the day, Finlay Bean, on 10, edging a forward defensive shot off Gregory through to wicketkeeper James Rew. The next delivery saw Mayank Agarwal register a golden duck on his Yorkshire debut, the experienced India Test player getting a thicker edge to be comfortably caught at third slip by Tom Abell.Davey quickly followed up by clipping the off stump of James Wharton as he offered no shot and it was 41 for 4 when Jonny Bairstow, who had required treatment for an arm injury, fell for only 2, pouched by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip off the same bowler.Matthew Revis departed for 9 to a back-foot swish at a wide delivery from Ben Green, which gave Rew a second catch. A short shower then sent the players from the field, with an initial four overs lost, and on the resumption Jack Leach pinned George Hill lbw in the left-arm spinner’s first over.Lyth had watched the carnage from the other end, enjoying moments of fortune himself on what was proving a tricky last-day pitch. On 16, the opener edged Kasey Aldridge fractionally short of Abell in the slips and when Leach appealed for a slip catch it was a bump ball.It was 60 for 6 when the rain returned, necessitating an early lunch. Hopes of a prompt resumption after the interval were dashed my more showers and it wasn’t until 3pm, with a further 29 overs lost, that play restarted.Without a run added, Dom Bess’s hopes of a meaningful score on his former home ground ended in the second over when he edged a third catch to Rew off Green. But 60 for 7 was as good as it got for Somerset as Thompson came out with immediate attacking intent. Two sixes over long-on off Archie Vaughan, the off-spinner having been surprisingly put on to replace Leach at the River End, began the counter-attack and eight fours flowed from the Thompson bat as the left-hander raced to a 42-ball half-century.Lyth was content to offer solid support in an eighth-wicket stand of 68, ended when Thompson fell lbw to Davey with the score on 128. It only remained to see if Somerset could glean a third bowling point and they didn’t have to wait long as Leach had Lyth caught at short leg by Abell.