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Ireland pacer Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of the T20 international series against Afghanistan with a lower back issue, but is expected to play a part in the five-match ODI series that follows

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2017

Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of the T20 international series against Afghanistan that began on Wednesday in Greater Noida due to a lower-back issue. However, he is still expected to play a part in the five-match ODI series, which starts from March 15.”We are really happy with the progress Boyd is making and feel confident that he will still make an impact on this tour,” Ireland head coach John Bracewell said. “We are lucky that we have cover at present, and after the safe arrival of Murtagh’s second child, Tim will also be with us for the ODI series.”Rankin had missed a significant portion of the season due to injury. The fast bowler, who turns out for Warwickshire, fractured his left leg (tibial fracture) during a training session with the county, which kept him out of cricket for five months. He missed Ireland’s one-day matches against Pakistan, South Africa and Australia as well as the Intercontinental Cup. He made his return in the Desert T20 Challenge where four matches yielded as many wickets at 18.25 and an economy rate of 6.63.He was once again rested for the ODIs against United Arab Emirates in Dubai earlier this month, but joined the team for a 10-day training camp ahead of the ongoing series against Afghanistan.The three-match T20 series will be followed by five ODIs, before the tour concludes with a four-day match. All the games are scheduled to take place in Greater Noida.

Liverpool are expected to make an offer for highly-rated Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to an update from talkSPORT.

Who is signing Romeo Lavia?

The future of the 19-year-old has been a big talking point of late, with an exit from Saints widely expected after their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.

Lavia has been constantly linked with a move to Liverpool, as the Reds look to do major surgery to their midfield, having already acquired the services of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, now seeking their next addition.

The Merseysiders are far from alone from expressing an interest in signing the young Belgium international however, with fellow Premier League powerhouses such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all thought to be eyeing him up.

It looks as though Liverpool could be in pole position to sign Lavia, though, following a positive update that emerged on Monday morning.

What's the latest on Lavia to Liverpool?

According to talkSPORT, Liverpool are now ready to table an offer for the Southampton starlet, as they look to snap him up during the summer transfer window:

"Liverpool are preparing an opening offer for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, talkSPORT understands. The Reds have moved ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign Lavia, whom Saints have valued at £50million.

"Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment Joe Shields has recommended Lavia to new manager Mauricio Pochettino. But the Blues are thought to be exploring alternative targets for now."

This is a hugely exciting update for Liverpool, with Lavia such a talented footballer who could develop into one of the best defensive midfielders in the world over time, proving to be the perfect long-term replacement for Fabinho.

He is already a senior Belgium international, winning one cap for his country, as well as making 29 Premier League appearances. Not only has he not looked out of his depth, but he has even stood out as possibly Saints' best player over the past 12 months or so, being lauded as "ridiculous" by Southampton reporter Jacob Tanswell for his courage to take the ball from deep and beat the opposition press.

Alongside Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, Lavia could complete a major rebuild of Liverpool's midfield that last well into the future – bringing in Nice star Khephren Thuram would arguably make it a perfect summer at Anfield – and beating big six rivals to his signature would also feel significant.

Assuming he avoids serious injury, the sky is the limit for the Belgian, and the hope is that he would jump at the opportunity to working under Jurgen Klopp.

Wolverhampton Wanderers target El Bilal Toure is a potential 'upgrade' on the likes of Diego Costa at Molineux as the Old Gold look to add some firepower in attack, says journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving El Bilal Toure?

According to Football Insider, Toure has attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs this summer, including Wolves, Everton, West Ham United and Burnley.

The report states that Almeria have put a £34 million price tag on the head of the Mali international, who has also drawn admiration from the likes of Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen.

As per The Daily Mail, Wolves have a good working relationship with Almeria, which could come in handy in their efforts to try and land the 21-year-old.

Toure is a physical striker that is said to have been likened to former Chelsea icon Didier Drogba and looks odds on to seek a new challenge this window.

Diario De Almeria via Sport Witness claim that ‘the first approaches are already taking place’ between Everton, Wolves as the race to sign the youngster gathers pace.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Toure would add a new flavour to the Wolves attack at Molineux if he were to join the Premier League outfit.

Jones told FFC: "There's obviously an agent hard at work here to try and get him a move, but he's a fast and awkward player to handle.

"I think at Wolves he would add an edge to their attack. He also could be quite frustrating at times, to be honest, but he's definitely a very different option from Diego Costa. If they want someone who's more mobile, then this is an upgrade."

How did El Bilal Toure fare in 2022/23 with Almeria?

Toure enjoyed a commendable campaign with Almeria and showed flashes of his undoubted potential, which has, in turn, attracted interest from the Premier League.

In 2022/23, the 21-year-old made 22 appearances for Almeria, encompassing all competitions, registering seven goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that Toure carried a keen goal threat during the season and averaged around 1.4 shots per match in the Spanish top flight.

As per FBRef, Toure also carried out 2.36 shot-creating actions per match for Almeria, showing his ability to fashion chances for himself and his teammates.

Wolves could do with some fresh blood in attack ahead of next term and Toure could be an exciting arrival with lots of potential at Molineux.

West Ham are keen on signing Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah this summer as he seeks a move away from Germany.

What’s the latest on Jonathan Tah to West Ham?

According to Sport BILD, the German defender will be allowed to leave the Bundesliga club if his €18m (£15m) release clause is triggered by any suitors.

Therefore, West Ham has been named as a possible destination, and they are showing 'very concrete' interest in the 27-year-old.

The 6 foot 5 titan is seeking a new challenge and is reportedly 'pushing for a change' after spending eight years at Leverkusen, and he has described a move to England as his dream.

Tah’s contract runs until 2025, but the release clause must be activated by the beginning of July before it expires.

How could Jonathan Tah fit in at West Ham?

The 16-cap international has made a mammoth 47 appearances in all competitions this season and has been an integral component of Xabi Alonso’s side.

This is showcased by the fact that has averaged 1.2 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game in the league, as well as only being dribbled past 0.2 times per game.

Tah is extremely reliable, competitive, and calm as he hasn’t made any errors that have led to a shot or a goal, and hasn’t committed any penalties.

His manager, Xabi Alonso, has described him as a “leader” and the player himself has highlighted on his own brilliant work ethic too, he said: “I work very, very hard on myself, it has always been like that. I step on the gas a lot, which many people might not realize. Now I'm reaping the laurels."

From a West Ham viewpoint, the £27m-rated target could potentially form a formidable defensive partnership with Kurt Zouma.

The Frenchman ranks within the highest 5% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for clearances per 90, as well as the best 28% for aerial wins per 90, to emphasise his dominant physicality.

Meanwhile, Tah sits in the best 10% for pass completion, so this ball-spraying ability, combined with Zouma’s defensive acumen, can make a mean centre-back pairing.

David Moyes has previously hailed the former Chelsea prodigy as a “colossus”, whilst ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho dubbed him “fantastic” after a starring role in the League Cup final triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in 2015.

The thought of these two commanding pillars, both brimming with top-level experience and pedigree, could really be the next step to elevate West Ham back into the top half of the table.

The signing of the £48k-per-week titan could be crucial for the Irons next season, especially if they secure European football for a third consecutive year if they beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League Final.

“We believe in our skill much more, and not focus on creating atmosphere or conditions that might suit us partially,” Virat Kohli said when asked about surfaces aiding India at home

Sidharth Monga in Indore11-Oct-20162:33

We’re focusing on our skills, not conditions – Kohli

Harbhajan Singh, India’s most successful offspinner at the moment, has opposed the kind of surfaces the team has played on at home over the last ‘four’ years. He’s stated as much in several interviews. He used the hash tag ‘tailor-made conditions for spinners’ while referring to the Indore surface. He went on to say his and Anil Kumble’s wickets tally would have been “something else” if they had bowled more on such pitches. Virat Kohli, to whom the mention of the word ‘pitch’ is a red rag, was told of Harbhajan’s comments after India had completed the whitewash of New Zealand inside four days in Indore.Kohli was then asked if he attributed these wins to pitches or “something else”. “Who made that statement?” Kohli shot back. “Harbhajan Singh,” he was told. “Oh? Okay,” he stopped.It must be mentioned that while the conversation around pitches has been subdued this season because they haven’t been as dramatic as they were against South Africa last season. Kolkata, in fact, was a seaming pitch, which brought the New Zealand fast bowlers into the game. However, Harbhajan’s is the first instance of someone criticising the pitches from inside the system. He is an active cricketer who was a part of the India squad in the Asia Cup played in Bangladesh earlier this year. Kohli refrained from directly reacting to Harbhajan’s statement although he did sound a little taken aback.”Obviously, I mean,” Kohli paused. “See even if it is a turning pitch you have to bowl well. There is no… spin doesn’t happen only off the pitch. Spin is about how many revs you impart off the shoulder first. And then the ball will do something off the pitch. I quite clearly remember after we lost to New Zealand in the World T20, suddenly their spinners were quality and we were found out. I don’t see anyone talking about that now. The same spinners have played. Why have they not been able to pick wickets? It is as simple as that. Our fast bowlers picked wickets everywhere. We never complained about anything. So… see you can give a guy a cement track to bat on. He [still] needs to have the mindset to score runs. It is as simple as that.”Earlier when asked about complete team performances on three different tracks and how much confidence that gives India for the England series, Kohli once spoke about the pitches. “Well, we knew before the series that people are going to start talking about pitches,” Kohli said. “But we made it a point that we… we knew that there are monsoons everywhere, wickets are not going to be as dry. Especially in Kolkata, we knew that it wouldn’t be dry; it was a newly laid wicket. We didn’t say anything once. We believe in our abilities, we should be good enough to do it on any surface and against any team.”That is a step in the right direction as far as our team is concerned. We believe in our skill much more, and not focus on creating atmosphere or conditions that might suit us partially. We just wanted to express ourselves the way we can on a cricket field. We finished two games in four days on perfectly fine Test cricket pitches. That gives us a lot of confidence.”

Manchester United’s Harry Maguire has questioned his future and West Ham United are plotting a move for the defender this summer.

What’s the latest on Harry Maguire to West Ham United?

According to ESPN, the 30-year-old will hold talks with Erik ten Hag after the club’s FA Cup Final showdown with Manchester City this weekend.

This outlet also revealed that the Red Devils are “willing to listen to offers” for the Englishman and the Hammers have already made an enquiry about his availability.

Whilst Ten Hag doesn’t want to get rid of Maguire, he understands that the club captain is entitled to seek new opportunities and more regular game time.

Despite his limited minutes, the skipper was still named in the England squad for the upcoming fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate recently said that it's “not a situation that can continue forever” and David Moyes could offer him a lifeline.

Who could Harry Maguire replace at West Ham?

The former Leicester star has endured a tricky campaign that has seen him displaced by the excellent partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. This has resulted in Maguire starting just eight Premier League games this season, having been an unused substitute on 15 occasions.

The £190k-per-week man, who was almost the first name on the team sheet under Ole Gunnar Solskjær has had to acclimatise to a far more reduced role, which has led to doubts over his Old Trafford future.

Therefore, the Irons have looked into the possibility of landing his signature and he would be an extraordinary upgrade on the declining Angelo Ogbonna.

The Italian has only started 13 Premier League games, and although he has been a commendable servant for the East London outfit, his statistics point toward an exit.

Disappointingly, the veteran centre-back ranks in the lowest 4% and 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles and blocks per 90, according to FBref.

Conversely, Maguire sits in the highest 11% for blocks per 90 and recently his manager has praised his influence.

He said: “He’s more dominant and dictating, he’s taking more initiative on the training pitch.”

Furthermore, the 55-cap international is a far more astute ball-playing asset and is renowned for his excellent pinpoint passing.

This is showcased by the fact that Maguire averages 3.09 progressive passes per 90, while Ogbonna manages just 0.8 for the same metric. The Red Devil also trumps the 35-year-old for progressive carries per 90, ranking in the best 20%, whilst his positional peer dismally resides in the bottom 1%.

In a new era for West Ham, and a new chapter for Maguire, this transfer makes perfect, logical sense, and he could recapture the form that prompted United to splash £80m on him.

Sunderland remain in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League and face Luton Town in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final on Saturday.

Despite the club not knowing which league they will be in next season, work is reportedly already underway to bolster the squad heading into the 2023/24 campaign.

It was recently reported that the Black Cats are one of a number of teams showing an interest in Manchester United central midfielder Ethan Galbraith.

Stoke City, Derby County, and Premier League side Newcastle Unitedare also said to be keen on a deal for the Northern Irishman, who has been on loan at Salford in League Two.

His contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of June and the Premier League giants have decided not to extend his deal, which means that the young talent will be available on a free transfer this summer.

Who is Ethan Galbraith?

The £5.3k-per-week gem predominantly plays as either a central midfielder or in a defensive role in the middle of the park, whilst also being versatile enough to operate at right-back and on the wing.

Kristjaan Speakman and Tony Mowbray could now secure the heir to Corry Evans' position in the squad by signing Galbraith from Man Utd this summer.

The Sunderland skipper, whose season was ended by a nasty knee injury in January, is a combative midfield player and produced some solid performances in the first half of the campaign.

Evans averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 and made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst completing 81% of his passes and winning 54% of his duels in the second tier.

Galbraith has showcased his attacking quality with four goals and three assists in 32 league appearances for Salford as they secured a play-off place and displayed his defensive ability on loan at Doncaster in League One last term.

The Carrington youth graduate averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.78 and made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with winning 50% of his battles.

The 21-year-old dynamo, who journalist Josh Bunting described as a "joy to watch", is 11 years younger than Evans and could learn a lot from training and playing alongside his compatriot next season.

The youngster's form at Doncaster Rovers and Salford has shown that he has the potential to make an impact at both ends of the pitch whilst being a reliable passer and spending a year at the Stadium of Light learning from an experienced player in his position could do wonders for his development.

Therefore, Mowbray could land the long-term heir to Evans' position in the team by securing a bargain transfer for the 21-year-old in the coming weeks.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur may bring in a "new" director of football to help replace Fabio Paratici as opposed to just promoting from within.

What is the latest on Fabio Paratici and Spurs?

Not long after Antonio Conte left north London, the club's managing director also left Spurs as he had to resign after losing his appeal when trying to overturn a 30-month ban from football for his role in alleged false accounting at Juventus.

As a result, Spurs are now in need of appointing replacements for these two Italians who have vacated hugely important positions within the club. While Julian Nagelsmann is a prime candidate to come in as manager, with no sporting director, it remains unclear if any coaches will commit to the project.

And so there is a real need for Tottenham to act fast and get the right person in to guide the club behind the scenes. Scott Munn recently left Manchester City to take on a chief football officer role at Spurs and while he could take on some of Paratici's responsibilities, it sounds although an external solution may also be required to help replace the 50-year-old Italian.

Indeed, while talking on the Here We Go podcast, Romano explained (34:13): "This is why right now at Tottenham, it's important to understand who's going to take the responsibility of the new coach, and also who's going to be the director, because now there is Scott Munn who joined the club from the City Group.

"But I would keep doors open for Tottenham to bring in also a new director of football at the club. This is a possibility. Let's keep things open. So this is crucial to understand who's going to be the coach."

Who will replace Paratici at Spurs?

There has been talk from Alasdair Gold that Gretar Steinsson and Andy Scoulding could be promoted from within to help fill the void left by Paratici.

However, it might look more ambitious and be a bit more enticing for any prospective future managers if Spurs opted to hire someone from outside the club to work as the new sporting director.

Along that line of thinking, 90min have actually reported that Sevilla executive Monchi is a potential target for the position in north London.

That might get fans a little more excited and it will certainly be interesting to see how Daniel Levy approaches the task but he won't want to delay too long as this role may need to be sorted before Spurs can then go and hire a permanent manager.

Journalist Charles Watts has earmarked Kieran Tierney as an opportunity for Arsenal to make "big money" this summer.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

With the Gunners flying high this season but potentially set to fall just short of winning the Premier League, plenty of focus has been on who they can bring in during the upcoming transfer market to improve the squad.

However, if new faces come in, certain members of Mikel Arteta's team will also be put up on the transfer list too.

One name who has been linked with a move away from north London of late is left-back Tierney. Indeed, as per Football Insider, Manchester City are looking into potentially signing the Scotland international.

While discussing the £110k-p/w defender on his YouTube channel, Watts suggested this move could happen if Arsenal wanted to add some funds to their transfer kitty.

He said: “Kieran Tierney obviously is another player who I think you can make big money out of this summer if you decide to sell.”

How much is Tierney worth?

According to that report in Football Insider, the player is actually open to the move and Arsenal value him at around £30m.

If that is the case, it's certainly a decent chunk that could be reinvested in players elsewhere. What's more, they might be able to replace him internally.

After all, Oleksandr Zinchenko has been the first-choice left-back this term (starting 24 league games), while Takehiro Tomiyasu has also been played at left-back ahead of Tierney at times.

With that being the case, it's easy to see why Arsenal might look to offload the defender in the summer but it remains to be seen if they would want to sell to a direct rival.

The Gunners signed Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus from Man City and this has helped them challenge for the title – a mistake City won't want to make again.

And so, perhaps Arteta would be happier to sell elsewhere. There has actually been talk that La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona could be keen on Tierney (via The Sun), suggesting a transfer bid could be in the region of £50m, which certainly would see Arsenal make some "big money" just as Watts suggests.

All in all, it will be interesting to see if he's really up for sale this summer and who is interested.

Arsenal's run to this potential Premier League title has been a tumultuous one, having overcome numerous setbacks to maintain their status as leading the pack for some time.

However, Manchester City remain frighteningly close to the Gunners; a feeling that Liverpool fans would be all too accustomed to.

When seeking out league titles, a squad cannot remain wholly reliant on just the starting XI to carry them to glory. It would be foolish to assume that everyone would stay fit for all 38 games, and so adequate depth is required to maintain a charge.

Whilst the Cityzens arguably have some of the best squad depth in history, given their untold riches and unabashed approach to spending it, the north London outfit are not blessed with such benefits.

They have been forced to rely on relics from previous regimes or academy graduates who are not quite up to standard to fill their gaps, but such is with any great manager, Mikel Arteta has managed to get them to raise their level.

It is therefore not outlandish to suggest that without the exploits of Eddie Nketiah, who featured heavily whilst Gabriel Jesus recovered from his knee surgery, this title race would already be over, back in Pep Guardiola's hands.

How has Eddie Nketiah played this season?

When play was halted for an unprecedented mid-season World Cup, every team sent their players off praying they would return with a clean bill of health.

However, before the group stages were even up it was revealed that their Brazilian marksman, who had enjoyed such a blistering start to life at the Emirates, would be ruled out for months. The former Cityzen had secured eight goal contributions in his first eight league games.

There was something of an inquest as to who might deputise in his absence, and who could possibly offer what the 26-year-old had done with regard to leading the press.

Handed his chance to shine, Nketiah took it with both hands, and the £100k-per-week finisher scored four goals across five games that spanned from late December into January. This bridged the gap towards Jesus' return date, whilst also allowing them to acquire a supplementary forward in Leandro Trossard who would add more creativity.

Although these have been the only four goals the 23-year-old has scored all season, his work during that nine-game period of starts was integral as they would lose just twice.

An ankle injury has since ruled the striker out, but with his 5 foot 9 teammate now back from injury, his work is done. Considering he was branded "useless" by writer Ifreke Inyang in late 2022, Nketiah's stint through the centre served to prove himself as a wholly necessary character in keeping the title race alive with just eight games left for the leaders to play.