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Phil Parkinson has revealed Sunderland defender Jordan Willis is managing an ongoing knee problem and will need a late fitness test to feature at Gillingham on Saturday, per the Sunderland Echo.

The Black Cats will assess the issue before travelling to Priestfield Stadium this weekend, having had to manage the defender’s patella tendon injury ever since his arrival as a free agent from Coventry City last summer.

Willis has proven an integral aspect of Parkinson’s backline since his arrival at the Stadium of Light but was forced to bench the 26-year-old for Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw at Rochdale, with his absence down to the long-standing knee issue rather than the minor foot injury sustained at Swindon Town.

Sunderland managed to call on Willis throughout his debut season in the North East through an injection, but are yet to decide whether or not to risk running the same route in order to avoid any lengthy time off the field.

“Jordan has had a problem since he’s been here with his patella tendon,” Parkinson said. “Last year we got to the stage where he had an injection in it.

“He’s had a scan this week and we’re at the stage where we are assessing whether he needs that again, whether that’s the right thing to do. It’s something that he can get on with but as the games come thick and fast, there are certain days where he does find it uncomfortable.

“They are problematic. There are injections and treatments which you can have to help, but you can only have so many. So, it’s just a case of being careful and we will be guided by our medical team.”

While Willis proved instrumental to Sunderland’s promotion push last season, starting all 35 of his League One appearances, he is yet to match the same level in his performances this term.

The 26-year-old thrived at Oxford with a 100% tackle success rate, winning five of six aerial duels, completing 80% of his 25 passes and assisting Luke O’Nien’s opening goal, per WhoScored, but only made one tackle, completed 68% of his passes and was dispossessed three times at Charlton.

He again made just one tackle, completed 70% of his passes and made fewer clearances than both Bailey Wright and O’Nien against Portsmouth, while his absence at Rochdale was filled by a solid display from Dion Sanderson with eight clearances, two interceptions, one tackle and an 81% pass success rate.

Willis’ form has thus left Parkinson with an easy decision over who starts at Gillingham, as the Sunderland boss must opt to bench his star defender and allow him time to recover before reaping the rewards of having someone Coventry City manager Mark Robins hailed upon his departure last year.

“With Jordan, it was always a case of shaking hands at the end of the season because he’s been a fantastic servant and we wished him all the best,” he said, via quotes by the Coventry Telegraph. “And then it was his prerogative to choose what he feels is the best scenario for himself. And I wish him all the best.

“He was brilliant for us and I would never wish him anything other than success in his career and in his life. He’s a great kid, really good lad.”

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson has been urged to start a Sunderland star who “has a bit of everything”.

Glasgow Rangers will look to continue their winning start to the Europa League group stages when they welcome Lech Poznan to Ibrox. Steven Gerrard’s side cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over Standard Liege last week, with Kemar Roofe scoring one of the best goals in the club’s history.

However, the Light Blues suffered a blow as left-back Borna Barisic limped off the pitch, whilst he was left on the bench for the 2-0 win over Livingston, so it’s unlikely he will be risked on Thursday night.

The Croatia international has arguably been one of the club’s best players ever since he joined the Ibrox outfit back in 2018, having made 10 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, scoring one goal and supplying four assists so far, via Transfermarkt.

Whilst Barisic isn’t exactly a player who we would consider to be injury prone, he has picked up his fair share of knocks so far, which has seen him ruled out for several games, and this has given Calvin Bassey the perfect opportunity to stake his claim in the starting line-up.

The Scotsman’s David Oliver claims the 20-year-old “has been shining just fine whenever he’s stepped into the limelight and replaced his Croatian team-mate”, whilst Gerrard heaped praise on his “outstanding” performance against Standard Liege last Thursday.

Gerrard told GlasgowLive: “I thought he was outstanding. For someone who has very little experience. To come into a game of that level and perform like he did. I’m really proud of his performance.”

This season, Bassey has averaged 1.5 tackles per game in the Scottish Premiership so far, whilst Barisic himself is only managing 0.8 tackles per game in the Scottish top flight, via SofaScore.

Another member of the Rangers hierarchy believes that Bassey is a “refreshing change” from Barisic, with assistant manager Gary McAllister giving the Leicester City academy graduate a glowing review for his most recent performance against Livingston.

“It’s about players being competitive. It’s a competitive squad with two players for every position. And when you get an opportunity to grab the jersey that’s what you do – and Calvin Bassey has been really refreshing”, McAllister told Rangers TV, via The Daily Record.

“We’re at home on Thursday and we need to have a strong performance but we just need to trust what we do. We’ve done all our due diligence on them already so we know what they’re about.”

For a reported fee of £230,000, what an absolute bargain the youngster is turning out to be! If he can continue to impress like this, it may not be too long before he is ousting Barisic from the matchday squad.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must return for Sheffield United ace John Lundstram…

اختار أسطورة ليفربول جون بارنز محمد صلاح كأفضل لاعب في العالم، لكنه نصح النادي الإنجليزي بضرورة توخي الحذر عند تقديم عقد جديد له.

ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي للنجم المصري صاحب الـ29 عامًا مع ليفربول في صيف 2023.

ويرى الكثير من مشاهير كرة القدم العالمية، وعلى رأسهم يورجن كلوب مدرب ليفربول، أن محمد صلاح أفضل لاعب في العالم في الوقت الحالي.

وذكرت تقارير صحفية متضاربة أن محمد صلاح لم يتوصل حتى الآن إلى اتفاق مع ليفربول حول تجديد عقده بسبب مطالبه المالية الباهظة.

وقال جون بارنز في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية: “في الوقت الحالي هو أفضل لاعب في العالم، ربما كان كذلك على الأرجح في الشهرين أو الثلاثة أشهر الماضية”.

وأضاف: “ليفربول يمتلك محمد صلاح على مدار العامين المقبلين، لذلك هذا مهم، المشكلة هي أنه وضعه مشابه لـ فينالدوم”.

وواصل: “ما زال هناك عامان في العقد الحالي لـ محمد صلاح، وإذا أراد عقدًا لمدة خمس سنوات، سيكون عمره آنذاك 34 عامًا، في ذلك السن ربما لن يستحق ما هو عليه الآن”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ديلي ميل: وسط ترقب ليفربول.. تساؤلات حول إمكانية إقامة أمم إفريقيا 2021 في الكاميرون

وأردف: “هذا هو الوضع، من المهم أن يظل مركزًا أثناء اللعب مع ليفربول، والذي سيكون على الأقل حتى العام المقبل”.

واستكمل: “لكن إذا جعلت صلاح هو اللاعب الأعلى أجرًا في العالم وبعد ذلك عندما يبلغ من العمر 33 عامًا، لن يكون كما هو في الفريق لأنه غير لائق أو كبير في السن، وسيكون في ذلك الوقت صاحب راتب كبير، كيف ستذهب لتحصل على لاعب آخر في تلك الحالة؟”.

وأكد: “العقود ليست مهمة، الشيء المهم هو أن ليفربول لديه محمد صلاح خلال العامين المقبلين وهو هنا وملتزم والنادي يحبه”.

يُذكر أن محمد صلاح صرح مؤخرًا بأنه يود البقاء في ليفربول حتى نهاية مسيرته المهنية، ولكنه أوضح أن الأمر لا يعتمد عليه بمفرده.

Manchester United have suffered another setback after Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke insisted Jadon Sancho is not for sale.Â

A few days after Dortmund director Michael Zorc claimed Sancho will not be sold this summer, Watzke reiterated the club’s stance, saying that there is “no room for interpretation” and adding “definite means definite” via Goal.

Sancho is United’s No.1 target in the transfer window as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to add to his arsenal of firepower including Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

Solskjaer has made it clear he wants to bring the 11-cap England international back to his homeland.

But Dortmund are defiant in their demands and it does not seem like Ed Woodward will be able to persuade them to change their minds at the moment.

However, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has revealed the Red Devils remain interested in signing Jack Grealish despite the Sancho setback.

The United correspondent claims United are still keen on Sancho but have other options if discussions don’t pan out as planned.

And the Aston Villa captain is one of their possible targets, although he is not considered a solution to the problem on the right wing.

Grealish, 24, scored eight goals and supplied six assists in the Premier League last term, ending with a total of 10 goals to his name in all competitions.

Despite his best efforts, he still finished the season with a lowerÂWhoScored rating thanÂMartial, Rashford and Greenwood.

Recent reports revealed the Red Devils will wait and see how the transfer window plays out before choosing to make a move for the former England U21 international at a later stage.

However, both parties are interested in a possible move in the summer.

Backed by billionaire owners Nassef SawirisÂandÂWes Edens, Villa certainly don’t need the cash, but they could be forced to sell their £80m-rated captain if he pushes for a transfer.

But United could face stiff competition from Manchester City so they may have to firm up their longstanding interest sooner rather than later.

United fans, do you think Woodward should sign Grealish this summer? Let us know down below!

Sheffield United are on the lookout for a forward as reports have suggested they are interested in strikers such as Emmanuel Dennis and Ollie Watkins. However, there is now another attacking player that Chris Wilder wants to bring to Bramall Lane. 

According to Football Insider, Sheffield United are keen on striker Yakou Meite, who currently plays for Championship side Reading. The Blades are looking to reinforce their attack and have not submitted a formal offer for the player yet, but are reportedly very keen to make a move for him.

The 24 year-old, who has two caps for the Ivory Coast, has made 100 appearances for the Championship side and scored 31 goals whilst also picking up four assists, per Transfermarkt.

Meite has a decent return for the Royals and he is a former representative of Paris Saint-Germain’s under-19 side, scoring eight goals and claiming six assists, as well as making one senior appearance for the French giants, per Transfermarkt.

Meite had a prolific 2019/20 season in the Championship, scoring 13 goals and recording on average 2.7 shots per game, per WhoScored. He clearly has an eye for goal and does not lack confidence to shoot when the opportunity presents itself.

Also, at just 24, he could be an ideal signing for Sheffield United. With David McGoldrick now 32 and Billy Sharp two years older, the Blades could do with turning to the long-term future in terms of their centre-forward options. Meite is only coming into his mid-20s and is a proven scorer in English football, so Wilder could do a lot worse than bring him in.

Blades fans, would you like to have Meite at Sheffield United? Comment below with your views!

كشف عادل الشوربجي رئيس لجنة التظلمات والاستئناف بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، عن تفاصيل عقوبة شيكابالا وتقليصها في القرار الصادر مساء اليوم.

طالع | التظلمات تعلن تقليص عقوبة شيكابالا وترفض استئناف الزمالك بشأن حازم إمام

وقال الشوربجي في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “صدى البلد”: “العقوبات وقعت من لجنة المسابقات وهذا حقها، وتظلم الزمالك وله الحق في ذلك خلال 10 أيام من تاريخ صدور القرار”.

وتابع: “انتظرنا هذه المدة وقدم تظلم من الزمالك تضمن 4 مطالب، مطلب لشيكابالا ولحازم إمام والعقوبات التي وقعت على نادي الزمالك”.

وأردف: “اجمتعت اللجنة يوم الأربعاء الماضي وتم توزيع الأورواق على أعضاء اللجنة وكان هناك من مقيم خارج القاهرة، واجتمعنا اليوم بعد أسبوع لكن نتناقش”.

وأكمل: “قامت الدنيا وقيل لماذا لا نصدر قرارات؟! ولجنة المسابقات أصدرت قرارها في 24 ساعة؟، لجنة التظلمات كان تقرأ الأوراق لكي تبحث في تفاصيل الوقائع، ونحن كلجنة اعتمدنا على أدلة مادية ثابتة بالأوراق ولم نعتمد على أدلة قولية لا يعتد بها أو حديث تلفزيوني أو غيره”.

وأردف: “الدليل المادي الذي كان لدينا تقرير الحكم وهو الرجل المعتمد لإدارة المباراة وتقرير مراقب اللقاء وهذا مثبوت كتابة”.

وبشأن تقرير الحكم، أجاب: “الحكم قال إنه (في الدقيقة 34 من الشوط الثاني تم إيقاف المباراة لنزول جماهير الزمالك إلى أرض الملعب وتم إيقاف اللقاء لمدة 3 دقائق لإخراجهم الجماهير من الملعب)”.

واستطرد: “وفقا للتقرير، بعد انتهاء اللقاء لم يتمكن الحكام من الخروج إلى غرف الملابس بسبب تجمع عدد من جمهور الزمالك أمام وخلف بوابة الخروج التي بها غرف الحكام، وأثناء تواجدهم في الملعب حاول شيكابالا اقتحام بوابة الخروج، وقام بالاحتكاك مع مسؤولي التنظيم بالاتحاد وسبابهم بألفاظ بذيئة، وسادت حالة من الفوضى بسبب إصراره على فتح بواب الخروج”.

أردف بشأن ما جاء بالتقرير: “كانت هناك هتافات جماعية أثناء المباراة وسباب من المنتمين”.

وأشار: “عقب نهاية المباراة والاستعداد لمراسم تسليم الدرع، تم التنبيه على لاعبي الزمالك بعدم مغادرة الملعب نظرًا للتزاحم الشديد أمام بوابة الخروج، إلا أن اللاعب شيكابالا أصر على مغادرة الملعب بالرغم من التوضيح له أنه إذا تم فتح الباب لمغادرة الملعب سيتم اقتحام الجماهير للملعب”.

واسترسل: “لكن شيكابالا رفض وأصر على فتح الباب لدخول الجماهير للملعب وقال (اخذنا الدوري رغم أنف الاتحاد) وسب الاتحاد ولم يحترم مراسم التتويج وتجاوز لفظيا ضد إدارة الاتحاد واحتك بمسؤولي التنظيم ما اثار المنتمين للزمالك المتواجدين بالمدرجات وقاموا بالسباب الجماعي ضد عناصر اللعبة”.

وواصل: “كما تواجد اللاعب حازم إمام وقال إذا لم يتم دخول الجماهير للملعب فلن يتم استلام الدرع، وتدافع الجماهير نحو الباب واقتحموا الملعب بصورة سيئة، وقام رئيس اتحاد الكرة بتسليم درع الدوري إلى رئيس نادي الزمالك وظلت الجماهير بالملعب”.

وأوضح: “شاهدنا فيديوهات ولكن لم نعتمدها، واحترامًا لنادي الزمالك وقيمة اللاعب وقيمة الابتهاج بحصوله على الدوري استعملنا سلطتنا التقديرية ما دام في مجال العقوبة أن نخفضها بالقدر الذي يتفق مع ما ارتكبه من وقائع، وقرار اليوم كان بالإجماع، المتواجدون في اللجنة كلهم قضاة وكبار في السن وخبرة في القضاة”.

واختتم: “جرت العادة أننا نتداول مثلما نقول في الجنائي رحمة بالمتهم والتداول عندنا كان رحمة باللاعب، تداولنا وحينما ننتهي إلى رأي نوقع عليه جميعًا”.

Coventry City look set to play next season’s home games at Birmingham City’s St. Andrews stadium with little happening in terms of a potential return to the Ricoh Arena.

The Sky Blues played their home games in the 2019/20 season at the 29,409 capacity stadium as they enjoyed a successful season, gaining promotion from League One to the Championship.

Having had an inconsistent home ground over the last few years, the club’s move decision to play outside of Coventry proved to be a second having had a spell at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium.

With the season now over with, some discussion has emerged about a possible return for Coventry to their former home, which is owned by rugby club Wasps.

On the back of those reports of a potential return to the Ricoh Arena, the newly promoted Championship club confirmed an agreement with the University of Warwick to build a brand a new stadium on the outskirts of the city centre.

The new build will be owned purely by Coventry, who will receive all revenues whilst a new rail station and link road is set to be included in the stadium plans.

Signing a one-year deal with the option to extend by a further year with Birmingham City, Coventry are now expected to remain at St. Andrews through to next season with talks between themselves and the Wasps currently at a standstill.

After a successful season at St. Andrews, fans of the Sky Blues will not mind too much if they remain outside of the city for a little bit longer.

The excitement of a new build stadium, one which will be owned by them, is something to really look forward to and a move back to the Ricoh Arena would merely be just a short stay.

Where do you think the Sky Blues will play next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

يأمل المدرب الإسباني، بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني لنادي مانشستر سيتي، أن يتمكن فريقه من الاعتماد على الثنائي جابريل جيسوس وإيدرسون، في مباراة الغد أمام ليستر سيتي بالبريميرليج.

مانشستر سيتي يحل ضيفًا على ليستر سيتي، في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب “كينج باور ستاديوم”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الرابعة من الجولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويأمل بيب أن يكون قادرًا على الاعتماد على جيسوس وإيدرسون، رغم قرار فيفا بعدم مشاركة اللاعبين البرازيليين، في الجولة القادمة بالمسابقة، بعد رفض إرسالهم إلى تصفيات أمريكا الجنوبية المؤهلة لمونديال قطر 2022.

وقال جوارديولا في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة: “الأمر ليس واضحًا حتى الآن، نأمل أن يتمكنوا من اللعب وسننتظر ونرى ما إذا كانت هُناك أخبار جيدة، النادي حتى الآن لم يخبرني بأي شيء، سننتظر غدًا إذا كان بإمكانهم اللعب أم لا”.

وأضاف: “المشكلة هي أنني لا أفهم الموقف لحقيقة أنني لا أعرف ما يتعين علينا القيام به؟!، إنه لشرف لنا أن يغادر اللاعبين للعب للمنتخبات الوطنية، لا توجد مشكلة على الإطلاق، من الصعب أن يذهب لاعبو الأرجنتين إلى البرازيل ولا يمكنهم اللعب”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كلوب: اللاعبون البرازيليون هم من عوقبوا وتعديل مواعيد كأس العالم لا يتعلق إلا بالمال

وواصل: “اللاعبون البرازيليون عندما كان ينبغي عليهم السفر، كانوا يذهبون بشكل طبيعي، الآن إذا ذهبوا وعادي لن يُسمح لهم باللعب وعليهم البقاء في الحجر الصحي، إذا فعلوا ذلك فلن يتمكنوا من اللعب في البرازيل وبعد عودتهم ولا يمكنهم اللعب هنا لمدة عشرة أيام، والأمر ليس لا معنى له”.

وتابع: “إذا سافر اللاعبين لن يتمكنوا من اللعب هُنا، لاعبي ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد وتشيلسي، هذا جنون!”.

وأردف: “نحن سوف ننتظر حتى الغد، لقد سمعت أن الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عقد اجتماعًا مع الرؤساء التنفيذين، سننتظر قرار  الفيفا ورابطة البريميرليج”.

وعن حالة الثنائي فيل فودين وكيفين دي بروين: “بالأمس فودين قام بأول جلسة تدريبية، وكيفين تدرب بشكل جيد بالأسبوع الماضي، وهو يشعر بتحسن كبير”.

وأتم تصريحاته بالحديث عن الحارس سكوت كارسون قائلًا: “إنه في فريقنا وقادر على اللعب، وأنا أثق تمامًا به”.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Availability is such an important trait in football, and when a player is susceptible to serious injury problems, it can make any amount of money spent on them a risk.

This statement is especially applicable to Southampton and Danny Ings.

Following a troublesome stint with Liverpool, in which he made just 25 appearances across a four-year stint at Anfield, eyebrows may have been raised when the Saints parted with £20m to sign the England international following an agreement to sign him following a loan deal in 2018.

Ings injured his anterior cruciate ligament back in 2015 while playing for the Merseysiders that sidelined him for seven months, and upon his return to full fitness, suffered an issue in the very same knee which ruled him out for a further nine months.

Now, that would surely leave huge concerns over Ings’ ability to remain fit, but nevertheless, Southampton took an expensive gamble on the boyhood Saints supporters and they are now being rewarded for such a show of faith.

So far this season, the 27-year-old has scored nine goals in all competitions, with seven of them coming in the Premier League, placing him seventh in the scoring ranks behind world-class names such as Raheem Sterling and Sadio Mane – he has outscored Mohamed Salah and is level with Harry Kane.

Most recently, it was Ings’ goal that kick-started a five-minute turnaround against relegation rivals Watford, a game that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could ill afford to lose.

In addition to his crucial 78th-minute equaliser, the former Burnley hitman recorded two key passes and also completed two dribbles, while getting involved defensively with two clearances to his name.

Having someone who can put the ball in the net during a relegation battle is like gold dust, and if Ings can keep Southampton in England’s top-flight with his goals, then he will have been worth every penny – even now, the Saints are truly being rewarded for their massive gamble.

The south coast side earned over £104m for staying in the Premier League last term, so if Ings’ goals fire them to safety, he will have paid off his own fee and more.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by The Wales Online, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has explained how Daniel James is following in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps.

What did he say?

Since arriving from Championship side Swansea in a £15m deal in the summer, James has adapted superbly to life at Old Trafford. The Wales international has already struck three times and provided a further three assists in 16 games across all competitions, and has already attracted a lot of attention from opposition defenders.

As per Whoscored, the 22-year-old has been fouled 2.5 times per game on average in the Premier League, and Giggs has praised the winger’s ability to continue to get up from his knocks – just like a certain Ronaldo did.

He said: “He’s been outstanding and he is a constant threat. He’s added even more than he had with goals and assists which is a wingers’ game, that is what you are out there to do. We’ve all seen a big change and improvement in Dan’s quality on the pitch and mentality since that Leeds move fell down.

“He takes a lot of knocks but gets up, gets on with it and demands the ball back. I’m not comparing him to Ronaldo but that’s something, especially earlier on in his career when he took a lot of knocks, he would do. He’s a fantastic character. To show that mentality to go to a big club like United and conserving what he’s been through over the last six months, no one deserves it more. I think he will get better and better.”

Elite mentality

As Giggs suggests, that attitude of constantly wanting to get up from knockdowns and simply wanting to get better will serve James incredibly well for the future. As the world has seen, Ronaldo’s dedication to the craft has seen him become one of the game’s greatest ever players, with multiple Ballon d’Or awards in his trophy cabinet.

Whilst James may not get to that level, having a hard-working mentality is the best way for him to continually improve at United. At just 22, he has shown he can already be a key part of a side as big as the Red Devils, and his early form this season indicates that the sky is the limit for him.