Dominic Cork was taken to hospital for a precautionary x-ray after being hit on the finger while batting in the nets.The England all-rounder was hit by a beamer from a local net bowler on his left index finger, and was taken to hospital after a inspection from the team physio, Dean Conway.”Everything seemed pretty straight but you never know about these things, there could be a hairline fracture so we sent him off for an x-ray,” Conway explained.”We will have to check on it tomorrow before the game but we are hopeful it is only bruising and he will be able to play.”England will be awaiting news of Cork’s finger anxiously. They already have several injury worries with just two weeks to go before the start of the Ashes series.Conway also revealed the current situation with Graham Thorpe, Nasser Hussain, Ashley Giles and Craig White.”He’s continuing with his treatment and slowly rehabilitating and he will not be fit for Thursday,” Conway said about Thorpe. “With the start of the Ashes so close we’re looking at him to get enough cricket in before the first Test but we will have to review that on a day-to-day basis. We are trying to be careful with him so he doesn’t do too much too soon and suffer a setback."Of Hussain Conway said: “He’s practised and fielded and the plan is for him to carry on with that when he joins up with Essex at Old Trafford.”Hussain batted in the nets today. “He’s had one or two throw-downs and one very easy net so far but this was his first proper practice against top-class bowling,” Conway explained. “He’s progressing really well but we’re also trying to hold him back a little so he doesn’t do too much too soon.”Conway described White and Giles as “progressing nicely” and stated that: “we are hopeful of having a fully-fit squad to choose from when we assemble for the first Test.”
Ruben Amorim will have some interesting selection choices ahead of Manchester United’s post-Christmas fixtures.
The Red Devils lost their last game before Christmas Day, a 2-1 defeat away to Aston Villa. That game saw Bruno Fernandes pick up a hamstring injury, which will rule him out of the Boxing Day game against Newcastle.
United are certainly short on numbers in the middle of the park. Fernandes is not the only midfielder sidelined, with question marks over Kobbie Mainoo’s availability against the Magpies. It seems a guarantee that Casemiro will start, with the Brazilian set to return from suspension.
Who his partner will be is unclear at this stage, although there is no guarantee it will be Manuel Ugarte.
Why Ugarte is struggling at Man Utd
Uruguay international Ugarte has far from impressed at Old Trafford since his £50m move from Paris Saint-Germain. His last seven starts in the Premier League have all ended in defeat for United, including Sunday’s trip to Villa Park.
That was a showing that journalist Samuel Luckhurst described as “scandalous,” harsh words, maybe, but it was a poor performance.
He hasn’t ever been able to nail down a spot in the side, playing 57 times in total, but only averaging 36 full 90-minute games. In that time, the midfielder has chipped in with two goals and six assists.
It is hard to see what Ugarte brings to the United side in possession. That is certainly one of the weakest areas of his game, and something Amorim certainly needs in his pivot to have better central progression.
Indeed, his numbers from the Premier League last season show those limitations. For example, he averaged 3.08 progressive passes and 0.81 progressive carries per 90 minutes, placing him in the lowest 18th and 23rd percentiles for midfielders.
It does not seem like Ugarte is at the level required for this United side, and there could be a young player ready to step into his position in the coming years.
Man United's in-house Ugarte replacement
There are a few options in the Red Devils academy who could replace the United number 25 in the long term. One of those, Jack Fletcher, made his first-team debut last weekend, and Sekou Kone is another player who could break through.
However, another option for Amorim in the long term could be 17-year-old Cristian Orozco. The young midfielder will sign for United next summer for a reported £740k, joining from Colombian outfit Fortaleza.
This signing is certainly an investment for the future for United. The Colombian U17 international is yet to make his first-team debut, but has already garnered a big reputation and become known as something of a “destroyer” in midfield, as one analyst described him.
Another person who has been left impressed by Orozco’s short career so far is football scout Ben Mattinson. He described the youngster as “tidy on the ball” and “composed under pressure.”
Given Ugarte’s limitations in possession, this is undoubtedly a positive thing. If, indeed, the teenager becomes his replacement in the future, it is good to know he has the foundations of a strong midfielder in possession.
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Indeed, you get that impression when looking at some of his numbers from tournament football with Colombia U17s. At the U17 CONMEBOL Championship, he completed an average of 87.4% of his passes per 90 minutes, and averaged 0.8 dribbles at the U17 World Cup.
Orozco key stats at international tournaments
Stat (per 90)
CONMEBOL
U17 World Cup
Chances created
0.8
0.3
Dribbles completed
0.2
0.8
Pass accuracy
87.4%
78.3%
Tackles & interceptions
3.4
3
Aerial duels won
0.6
1
Stats from Sofascore
Of course, there is some time yet before the young midfielder moves to Old Trafford. However, it certainly seems like he has all the tools to make it to the top. United have struggled for depth in midfield, but he certainly has potential.
Whatever Ugarte’s future may be, Orozco might be the player to displace him from the squad and eventually end his United career.
Man Utd star was becoming like Onana, now he's undroppable
This Man Utd star has been impressive in recent weeks, and may now be undroppable.
Twelve months after the death of Bob Woolmer, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has admitted that he will never forget the inspirational coach.”Pakistan cricket will always be indebted to Bob Woolmer for his contribution to the game,” Inzamam told AFP. “I want to forget the tragedies of the World Cup, but I can never forget Bob. He was not only an excellent coach, but also a very good human being.”Woolmer, who had also coached South Africa, was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica on March 18, 2007, just a day after Pakistan had been sensationally knocked out of the World Cup following a shock defeat to Ireland. The tragedy was initially treated as murder but after the biggest manhunt in Jamaican history and following months of wild speculation, an inquest jury in October eventually returned an open verdict on Woolmer’s death.Inzamam was so shattered by the events that he quit one-day cricket in tears immediately after Pakistan’s last game in the World Cup.”He [Woolmer] was helpful to all and very accommodating. He always thought about the team and saw to it that we kept improving,” said Inzamam, who also quit Test cricket in October last year. “After the defeat to Ireland we were all depressed but Bob was trying to console everyone and was trying to convince us that it was just a bad day and things would improve for the team.”He asked me what were my plans. I told him that my mind was not working and we would talk the following day, but that opportunity never came and we got the shocking news of his death.”Mushtaq Ahmed, the former legspinner, said Woolmer was an inspiration for all those he coached. “Bob was successful at county level where he coached Warwickshire, then lifted South Africa and was hoping to build Pakistan into a great team before he met a cruel fate.”The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dedicated their indoor cricket school to Woolmer, which was inaugurated by both the Pakistan and South African teams. “Bob will be remembered in Pakistan cricket and hopefully his legacy will continue,” said PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf. “His memory is still fresh because his contribution to Pakistan cricket was immense.”Both Inzamam and Mushtaq said they were willing to help at Woolmer’s academy in South Africa.”I feel for his family because they are the real sufferers. Whenever they need me to coach at Bob’s academy, I will be more than willing to go,” said Inzamam. “Perhaps through this we can pay back for what he did for Pakistan.”
Sri Lanka’s captain, Mahela Jayawardene, has played down the decision to rest two of his team’s key bowlers during their seven-wicket defeat to Australia. The former World Cup winners, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, were both omitted along with the injured spearhead Lasith Malinga, although Jayawardene insisted the decision had been taken for fitness reasons, rather than tactical ones.”Those two guys have been playing throughout,” Jayawardene said, “and Murali has had a problem with his groin as well – he played with a strap for the last two or three games. Once we realised we’d got the semi-final spot, we realised we needed to give these guys a break. Obviously they have had [fitness] problems over the last six to 12 months, so we had to give them a break in the best interests of the team.”After touring New Zealand at the end of last year, Vaas, 33, rested a sore hamstring during Sri Lanka’s recent tour of India and also missed the team’s warm-up matches against Scotland and New Zealand in Barbados. Murali, who turns 35 on Tuesday, has long operated in spite of a shoulder problem. “You have to play at 100% against Australia,” Jayawardene said. “To play at 50 or 60% is no good for them or the team. We took the decision, but if you think that’s a tactical thing, that’s for you to think.”Up to now we have taken every game very seriously, and this game too. We just had to make a team decision. Obviously Australia haven’t [had a chance to see] Vaas and Murali, but we never thought about it like that. We purely wanted to make sure they didn’t burn out before the key matches.”Jayawardene said the players could be rested again when they face Ireland on Wednesday. “If they want to have a go at Ireland – maybe it won’t be that tough a game – they can easily come back into things,” he said. “But if they feel they need another break we will give them one.”Ricky Ponting, Australia’s captain, said that he “didn’t care” what tactics or otherwise Sri Lanka had used, but added that the decision to hide Muralitharan from his batsmen was a strange one. “That’s one thing I don’t understand,” he said. “This was a good opportunity for him to have a crack at our batsmen, but it doesn’t worry our batters at all.”We have played him a lot, and we’ve got lots of footage on him, so we know the way he goes about things. We play him as well as anyone around the world anyway. This would have been a good opportunity for him to get stuck into us and take some wickets.”Ponting did not expect New Zealand to employ similar methods in the teams’ final Super Eights game on Friday. “They’ll want to beat us and we’ll want to beat them,” he said. “They’ve got a good record against us of late, having won the three games in New Zealand just before we came away.”These sorts of conditions suit their game-plan. They’ve got guys who play spin bowling and slower bowling pretty well. They’ve got guys that take the pace off the ball and cut the ball a lot in their bowling options. We’d like to think we can improve in the New Zealand game, win it and go into the semis with a whole lot of momentum behind us.”
More injury concerns have hit England’s side. This time it’s the turn of Andrew Strauss who has gone to hospital to have an x-ray on his ankle.Strauss, who hit 48 yesterday, went over on his ankle in practice this morning and the x-ray has been advised as a precaution.His condition will be reassessed tomorrow.
Australia stood on the brink of a thoroughly deserved victory in the first Test after the old firm of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, bowling together against India for the first time since 2001, brought about a top-order collapse to leave India sinking in quicksand, ending the fourth day 352 behind with only four wickets in hand. Even rain, which is forecast for tomorrow, is unlikely to save them, because it rarely rains heavily enough here in Bangalore to wash out a whole day.India battled manfully during the early part of the day to restrict Australia to 228 – a total which neatly doubled their first-innings lead – at a lesser rate than they would have liked. Harbhajan Singh was magnificent, bowling with control and guile, and claiming wickets at regular intervals. But ever since India were bowled out for 246, it had been clear that their batsmen would have to dig them out of the hole in the second innings. It was a tall order, and the past was staring at India like an apparition. They needed a distant 457 to win on a ground where the highest successful run-chase is 195 … and within little more than an hour they were reduced to 24 for 4, through a mixture of accurate bowling, dodgy umpiring, and a shambolic piece of running between the wickets.India began their innings in the worst possible manner, when they lost Virender Sehwag to a terrible decision from Billy Bowden: a straight one from Glenn McGrath caught a thick edge on its way to Sehwag’s pad. The din must have drowned out the noise of the nick, but the deviation was visible to the naked eye from the stands behind the bowler’s arm. But Bowden raised his finger, and to add injury to insult, Sehwag might cop a fine for showing his displeasure (1 for 1). Minutes later it was 7 for 2, when Aakash Chopra fell to another contentious decision, this time by Steve Bucknor: Jason Gillespie rapped him on the pad with a incutter, and replays showed that the ball might have missed leg.McGrath’s deadly knack of varying his pace and the seam’s angle, while always hitting the corridor just outside off, made him a devilish proposition. He snapped up two wickets in two spells, but more importantly was instrumental in piling on the pressure with his parsimony, as he sent down eight maidens in his 12 overs, conceding only nine runs.It got even worse when a horrendous misunderstanding led to Sourav Ganguly being run out. He pushed one to short midwicket, and took off for a single immediately, only to see Rahul Dravid stop after a couple of strides. Ganguly was stranded halfway down the pitch, and didn’t even bother to look back as Adam Gilchrist uprooted the off stump with great glee.And the final blow came just before tea, when Shane Warne deceived VVS Laxman with his first ball. It came down flatter and quicker, Laxman played for more turn than there was, was hit in line, and fell to Warne for the second time in the match. The crowd roared its disapproval of the decision, but the ball was dead straight (19 for 4).Dravid waged a solitary battle as a crushing defeat loomed large, but two more setbacks at the other end all but lit the Indian funeral pyre. The weekend crowd – nearly a full house – cheered their local hero, after all else had gone awry. India had limped to 105 for 6 from 49 overs by the close, with Dravid undefeated on 47.The only silver lining for India was the form shown by Harbhajan, who teased the batsmen with his subtle variations of length and turn. Keeping it asstraight as possible, he forced the batsmen to defend after charging down the track, and no-one summoned the courage to loft him over the top. Damien Martyn was forced to curb his fluent style, and ensured that the first hour was negotiated without too many jitters. He blocked, shouldered arms and drove straight to the infielders, and survived a few close leg-before shouts. Just 20 runs came off the first 10 overs, as Martyn helped Australia into a near-impregnable position.He was eventually out for 45, pushing an uppish drive to short midwicket, but a flurry of runs followed his dismissal, with Warne’s energetic cameo providing the boost. Although there were two fielders positioned on the square boundary, Warne swept Harbhajan crisply and, along with Gilchrist, provided the final kick towards a lead of more than 450.Harbhajan mopped up the tail after lunch to finish with 11 for 224 in the match, the best return by any bowler on this ground, taking his tally in his last three home Tests against the Aussies to 39 – but by then the visitors’ middle order had already done enough … and more.Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is on the staff of Wisden Cricinfo in India.
England’s coach, Duncan Fletcher, is unconcerned about the current form of his opening batsmen, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, despite both men again falling cheaply on the second evening in Trinidad.
Although Vaughan and Trescothick steered England to their victory target of 20 in the first Test at Sabina Park, they have managed a combined total of just 40 runs in the series. “At this stage they’re struggling a little bit," admitted Fletcher, "but we’ve had it before and they’ve always come good.”They’ve both got averages in the 40s, they’re world-class batters and you would be proud to have those figures," he added. "They are just going through a bit of a period when you get some good balls. We’ve had some really good platforms to build on in the past, but it doesn’t continue forever otherwise it would be a very easy game to play.”In the absence of a significant contribution from the openers, the onus has fallen on Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher to stabilise England’s innings. And after a typically gritty unbroken partnership of 46 had hauled England back from a mini-crisis at 8 for 2, Fletcher was keen to praise the old guard.”Everyone has been saying we should kick the old guys out and they’re not needed in English cricket, but you have to have a spine of experienced players to show the young guys what it’s all about and they will always play an important role. Nasser has done this on numerous occasions. He played very well in New Zealand a few years ago on those drop-in wickets that were very green and seamed around. He really enjoys a scrap – that’s when he’s at his best.”
DURBAN, South Africa, March 19 AP – Torrential rain in Durban could force organisers to postpone Thursday’s World Cup semifinal between India and Kenya.But Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly says his team will come out singing, be it rain or sunshine.”We’ll have to keep an eye on the weather and the formula to decide rain-hit matches,” Ganguly said Wednesday as heavy showers dampened the prospect of the semifinal going ahead on schedule.”One can’t go into the match getting too worried about the weather, but we’ll handle any situation that might develop,” he said.The weather factor, which hastened host South Africa’s exit from the tournament in Durban, is again in play after the eastern coastal city of Durban was hit by heavy downpours starting Tuesday night.Rain is expected to continue throughout Wednesday, and intermittent showers have been forecast for match day.If the match is not completed by Friday – the reserve day – India’s six-wicket victory over Kenya in a Super Six encounter two weeks ago will secure it passage into Sunday’s final against defending champion Australia.The KwaZulu-Natal region has been under a dry spell for the past two months, experiencing its least rainfall in 27 years.And while the rain was welcomed by the residents of this city, the World Cup organisers were hoping for a break.Kenya’s coach Sandeep Patil, a member of India’s champion 1983 team, hoped the semifinal is played on Thursday.”We’ve no control over the weather, but we’d like to play on Thursday itself. We are prepared for the game,” Patil said.
Manchester City forward Jeremy Doku is still searching for consistency in his play at the top end of the pitch, in what is now his third season at The Etihad.
The Belgium international’s brilliant goal against Liverpool in November remains his only Premier League strike of the season, in 15 appearances, and he has only scored three goals in all competitions, per Sofascore.
Doku has delivered three goals and five assists in 22 appearances in all competitions, per Sofascore, after a return of six goals and nine assists in 38 matches last season, which shows that there is room for improvement.
Manchester City in talks to sign Premier League forward
Instead of waiting for the Belgian attacker to add more goals to his game as a starter on the left flank, City could sign a player to be an instant upgrade on him.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to TEAMtalk, Manchester City are leading the race to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause, in the January transfer window.
The report claims that there have been ongoing talks ahead of the next window to ensure that they are in pole position to activate his release clause and win the race for his signature, amid strong interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
It adds that personal terms with the forward are advanced, with the Cityzens close to getting the player onboard, and that would allow them to make a quick move for him at the start of January.
TEAMtalk also reveals that Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on the Ghana international, who is not at the African Cup of Nations after his country failed to qualify for the tournament.
Why Man City should sign Antoine Semenyo
The Cityzens should sign the Cherries attacker when the January transfer window opens for business because he could be an upgrade on Doku, by providing the goal threat that the Belgian has struggled to offer since he moved to Manchester.
Semenyo, who was described as “the full package” and “unstoppable” by pundit Darren Bent, has scored seven goals in 15 appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, whilst Doku has scored four goals in the division since the start of last season.
In fact, the Belgium international has only scored seven goals in 73 top-flight matches in his City career, per Transfermarkt, which shows that Semenyo would arrive at The Etihad as a huge upgrade on the forward as a goalscorer.
The Bournemouth star’s goal return this season is not just impressive in comparison to Doku, though, as he has also been one of the most prolific wingers across the top five leagues in Europe.
Most goals by wingers in top 5 European leagues (25/26)
Player
Goals
Mason Greenwood
11
Antoine Semenyo
7
Phil Foden
7
Luis Diaz
7
Christian Pulisic
7
Lamine Yamal
6
Michael Olise
6
Bryan Mbeumo
6
Yan Diomande
6
Raphinha
6
Stats via Transfermarkt
Only one winger in the top five leagues has outscored the Ghana international, who has scored more league goals than Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise, and Raphinha.
This suggests that City would be bringing in one of the best goalscoring wingers in Europe if Hugo Viana can strike a deal for the £65m-rated star when the January transfer window opens for business.
The graphic above shows that Doku has the edge on him as a creative player this season. However, Semenyo created more ‘big chances’ (11) in the Premier League than Doku did (eight) last season, whilst also scoring 11 goals, compared to City winger’s three.
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This shows that, on the whole, the Cherries forward has the potential to be a big upgrade on the Belgian attacker because of his qualities as both a scorer and as a creator of goals.
Another attractive quality that Semenyo possesses, as was outlined by Dean Holden in the quote above, is that he can play on either flank and be effective with both feet.
The 25-year-old star can be deployed on the left or the right flank, although he has predominantly played on the left this season, which would provide Pep Guardiola with the freedom to play him in multiple roles and positions.
Pep has unearthed his new De Bruyne in "generational" Man City star
Pep Guardiola has unearthed his new Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City in this “generational” star.
ByDan Emery
It is now down to Viana, though, to make sure that City win the race for his signature, amid competition from a bunch of their Premier League rivals.