أكد أحمد الشناوي، حارس مرمى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بيراميدز، أن السماوي حضر إلى الإمارات من أجل المنافسة على لقب كأس السوبر المصري، مُشيرًا إلى أن التركيز حاليًا على مواجهة مودرن فيوتشر.
ويواجه بيراميدز فريق فيوتشر على أرضية استاد محمد بن زايد بنادي الجزيرة في أبو ظبي، غدًا الإثنين، في إطار منافسات نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري للأبطال بنظامه الجديد.
وقال الشناوي في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “بيراميدز حضر إلى أبو ظبي للعب على لقب كأس السوبر، والفريق بكامل تركيزه على لقاء مودرن فيوتشر في بداية المشوار، لأنه الأهم بكل تأكيد، ومن الضروري الفوز به، وبعدها نُفكر في المباراة التالية”.
طالع أيضًا | باتشيكو يوجه رسالة للحكام قبل السوبر المصري ويؤكد: هدفنا الفوز باللقب رغم الغيابات
وتابع: “الجهاز الفني بالتشاور مع الإدارة قرروا اصطحاب جميع اللاعبين بمن فيهم المصابين لحضور البطولة والتواجد كأسرة واحدة في أبو ظبي”.
وأضاف: “وبالفعل تواجد الجميع في الإمارات وهدفنا جميعًا الفوز أولًا في لقاء فيوتشر ثم التركيز فيما تبقى من مباريات بعدها”.
واختتم الشناوي حديثه موضحًا أنه مصاب في الضلوع وبكسر بسيط، ويخضع حاليًا لبرنامج علاجي تأهيلي مكثف ويأمل أن يصل بيراميدز للنهائي ويكون متواجدًا مع الفريق في التتويج باللقب.
وشهدت قائمة بيراميدز ضم أحمد الشناوي حارس مرمى الفريق رغم معاناته من الإصابة وغيابه عن لقاء صن داونز الأخير في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بجانب ضم رمضان صبحي المصاب أيضًا.
Chelsea have been undergoing a drastic transformation this season, with roughly £600m incredibly being spent on the transfer front amid new ownership and a shifting of the managerial wheel, and boss Graham Potter might now look to replenish the shot-stopping department.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has divided opinion since his £71.6m move from Athletic Bilbao – the world-record fee paid for a goalkeeper – and while he has improved this term, notably with the efficacy of his shot-stopping, Edouard Mendy, integral in Chelsea's triumphant Champions League 2020/21 campaign, has struggled for minutes.
According to Football Insider, Blues owner Todd Boehly has earmarked Leeds United keeper Illan Meslier as the optimum choice to enter the fray in west London, given his starring role in the Whites' Premier League exploits since clinching promotion from the Championship in 2020, the prestigious outfit having spent 16 seasons mired below the top-flight.
Potter is believed to have demanded a fresh face between the sticks to complete the new-look lucrative outfit, and the 23-year-old could be the perfect pick to nurture into a first-rate talent at Stamford Bridge.
Should Chelsea sign Meslier?
Kepa has indeed been a far more reliable presence this term, playing 27 matches across all competitions, keeping 11 clean sheets and ranking among the top 8% of positional peers playing in Europe's major leagues over the past year for save percentage and the top 9% for clean sheet percentage, as per FBref.
But his sustainability in a prominent role at Chelsea has been thrown into question, and he is not expected to stick the landing with speculation increasing over the club's desires for a new goalkeeper.
Mendy, comparatively, was considered a revelation after joining the outfit for just £22m in 2020 from French side Rennes but has played just three times in the Premier League since Potter's debut against former club Brighton & Hove Albion, a 4-1 loss commencing a triad of defeats.
Indeed, that is owed to a number of notable blunders with Rio Ferdinand stating that the goalkeeper needs to "eradicate those mistakes from his game" at the beginning of the campaign.
Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier in pre-match action for the Premier League club.
On the other hand, the "rare talent" of Meslier – as dubbed by Leeds reporter Phil Hay – looks an entirely different prospect. The commanding £30k-per-week gem has made 118 appearances for the Yorkshire-based team since his switch from hometown Lorient, where he kick-started his professional career.
The nine-cap France U21 international's top-flight experience belies his tender age, with goalkeepers typically blossoming into their own at a later stage than their outfield peers, with Meslier ranking among the top 17% of position peers across Europe for goal kicks and the top 21% for crosses stopped per 90.
With his feats on the pitch only set to improve as he continues his development, a move to Chelsea could unleash his full might on English football, with a bid of at least £30m touted for his services.
Such a transfer would continue Chelsea's trend of investing in youth and crafting a dynasty set to linger like mist on the rest of the Premier League, engulfing opposition and ascending the illustrious London giants to the very top of the game.
Glasgow Rangers podcasters Heart & Hand have shared that Tom Lawrence has suffered an injury setback, and has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Lowdown: Long-term injury
Lawrence has been ruled out since August with a knee injury, and so has not seen much action at Ibrox since signing from English League One side Derby County in the summer.
He started off the season well, with three goals and two assists in nine games in total across competitions (Transfermarkt), but has struggled with his recovery.
The Latest: Injury setback
Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Heart & Hand have shared part of of the ’embargoed’ section of Michael Beale’s pre-game press conference ahead of their match at home to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership, saying that Lawrence has ‘broken down’ in training and requires another operation, that he has now been ruled out for the rest of the campaign:
“From the embargoed section of today’s presser – Tom Lawrence has broken down in training and requires another operation. Will be out until just before start of next season.”
The Verdict: Hammer blow
Lawrence’s latest setback that has ruled him out for the rest of the season is a hammer blow for both him and the club.
Gers supporters will be desperate to see more of him in a light blue shirt, especially given the impressive of start to the term that he had.
However, for Lawrence, it is now about managing his injury, and for the club, making sure that he takes as much time as he needs to get back full fitness and match sharpness.
Everton face Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon in another crucial match in their fight against relegation.
Sean Dyche has led the Toffees to two wins from his opening three matches in charge, and this new manager bounce has moved them out of the drop zone – for now.
Everton fully deserved their win against Leeds United last week, having been much more effective going forward than their opponents with six shots on target, and Dyche will be expecting a similar performance from his side today.
Against the Whites last Saturday, Dwight McNeil proved to be quite the attacking threat, making three key passes and completing 50% of his dribble attempts while delivering 15 crosses in total and Dyche will require some of the same from him today.
Will McNeil start against Aston Villa?
The winger may not post outstanding numbers – registering only four goal contributions this term – but he has created five big chances, and his threat from both set pieces and crosses will make him a crucial asset against Villa.
Indeed, among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, McNeil ranks in the top 3% for crosses (6.34), top 1% for successful take-ons (2.18) and top 8% for carries into the opposition penalty area (0.52) per match. These figures suggest that he is amongst one of the finest exponents of his position in Europe when it comes to crossing and dribbling past opponents.
Having played under Dyche during his spell at Burnley, the 23-year-old will surely be able to benefit from such prior working knowledge of his manager going forward, becoming more effective in this Everton side.
This appointment by the Toffees could help in rejuvenating McNeil to fulfil his potential. He was dubbed a “special player” by journalist Andy Jones, while Dyche has previously described him as a “real threat”. Such praise suggests that Everton have a real player on their hands, and that they just haven’t been able to get the best out of him yet.
In Dyche’s first three games in charge, the £25k-per-week dynamo has an average Sofascore rating of 7/10, a solid start which should only improve once the rest of the team gets used to the new manager’s methods.
McNeil could cause Villa a few problems today ,and judging by his display last week, he should be one of the first names on the Everton team sheet.
Leeds United are now thought to be considering a move for Marcelo Gallardo, according to The Times.
The Lowdown: Gallardo profiled
Gallardo is 47 years of age and is currently out of work after leaving River Plate at the end of 2022. The Argentine, who has won 255 games during his managerial career, spent more than eight years in charge of River Plate, winning nine trophies.
He likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 system and appears to be on Leeds’ radar alongside Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord’s Arne Slot.
The Latest: Leeds interest
The Times shared a story in the early hours of Wednesday morning, claiming that Leeds have narrowed down their managerial shortlist to four names.
Gallardo was one of the names mentioned, with Leeds already holding interviews with a number of candidates as they aim for a relatively swift appointment.
The Verdict: Pros and cons…
Gallardo only has experience of managing in South America, whereas Iraola and Slot have knowledge of taking charge of clubs in Europe.
Therefore, you could say that a swoop for Gallardo by owner Andrea Radrizzani and Paraag Marathe, the president of investors 49ers Enterprises, who have the key say when it comes to managerial decisions, could be a risk.
Pep Guardiola has hailed the Argentine in the past however, labelling the work he achieved at River Plate as ‘incredible’.
Leeds have good memories of bringing in an Argentine coach in Marcelo Bielsa, so despite Gallardo having no experience in Europe, his wealth of coaching knowledge and South American passion could make him a good fit at Elland Road.
Newcastle United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring James Maddison to St. James Park.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Manchester City have now joined the race for the Leicester City midfielder, with Pep Guardiola’s side lining up a potential move for the 26-year-old in the summer transfer window.
This is sure to come as a blow to Eddie Howe and Newcastle, as the Magpies saw two bids for the England international rejected last summer, with the North East side once again linked with a £60m move for the trickster this winter.
Howe must move
Considering just how impressive Maddison has been in an underperforming Leicester side so far this season, the argument that Howe must launch a late January move for the 26-year-old in order to beat City to the playmaker’s signing is an easy one to make.
Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, the £34m-rated talent has been in astonishing attacking form, having already scored seven goals, registered four assists and created four big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.9 shots, making 2.2 key passes and completing 0.8 crosses per game.
The £110k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.8 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and winning 4.7 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per match, as well as enjoying an average of 55.4 touches, playing 2.2 long balls and completing 31.5 total passes – at a success rate of 84% – per fixture.
These returns have seen the player who Brendan Rodgers dubbed both “unbelievable” and “immense” avaerge a simply breathtaking Sofascore statistical rating of 7.45, not only ranking him as the Foxes’ best performer in the league but also as the fifth-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole so far this season.
As such, with Maddison having more than proven that he very much is one of the best players currently plying their trade in the Premier League in 2022/23, should Howe wish to give himself the best possible chance of landing the £60m talent, the 45-year-old simply must launch a late move for the 26-year-old on Tuesday – or else he could well be a City player come the summer.
Everything appears to be going right for Manchester United at present amid their rampant run of post-World Cup form, although one point of concern for Erik ten Hag will be the injury absence of compatriot Donny van de Beek, with the Netherlands international having been forced off in the win over Bournemouth at the start of the month.
The United manager has subsequently revealed that the playmaker will be out of action for the remainder of the season due to that knee issue, yet another setback in what has been an underwhelming two-and-a-half-year stay at Old Trafford for the 25-year-old.
Although the former Ajax gem will not leave too great of a hole in the team having only started twice in the Premier League this season, it will still come as a blow to be without him as an attacking midfield option, particularly with little depth beyond Bruno Fernandes in that role.
Should Ten Hag need to rotate the Portugal maestro amid what will be a hectic schedule over the coming months in league and cup competitions, there are few standout candidates to take his place in the team, with the likes of Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard having departed over the summer.
One possible solution to help fill the void left by Van de Beek’s injury could well be that of 19-year-old sensation Zidane Iqbal, with the Iraq international still waiting for his chance to feature in a competitive match this season for the Old Trafford outfit.
Despite making his senior bow alongside friend and youth colleague Charlie Savage against Young Boys in December 2021, the teenager has yet to build upon that debut, despite being named in several matchday squads this season.
That has led to talk that the 19-year-old could leave on loan this month, although it could be wise to reconsider amid Van de Beek’s injury blow, particularly with Iqbal having shown flashes of his undoubted potential in recent times.
The 5 foot 11 ace had impressed during the club’s pre-season tour last summer, having especially caught the eye in the 4-0 thrashing over Liverpool in Bangkok, at one stage producing a delightful turn to evade Fabinho in the middle of the park.
The two-cap starlet was then lauded for his display in the subsequent friendly triumph over Melbourne Victory, with Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy having stated of his talents: “Zidane Iqbal has heaps of technical quality, skill and intelligence – importantly with the personality to match it. He demands the ball, moves, scans, never hides and is not scared of making a mistake in trying to execute what he feels is the right decision.”
While not in the pressurised environment of the Premier League, those outings during the pre-season tour showcased that Iqbal is unlikely to be overawed if he is thrust into the fray any time soon, having shown remarkable maturity and confidence when in possession.
Having just captained the club’s U21 side to victory over the Anfield outfit, it would appear that the sparkling asset – who is said to idolise former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil – is now in need of regular first-team football, be it away from the Theatre of Dreams or as part of Ten Hag’s squad.
The hope would be that Iqbal can take the latter route and use Van de Beek’s absence as a way to truly establish himself in the senior ranks at United.
Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos is ‘nearing a return’ from injury after a lengthy layoff this season, reliable journalist Ashley Preece has claimed.
The Lowdown: Carlos a big loss
The Brazilian moved to Villa Park during the summer, coming in as a high-quality addition from La Liga outfit Sevilla.
Unfortunately, Carlos made just two appearances in the Premier League before rupturing his Achilles against Everton in August, and he hasn’t played in the four-and-a-half months since then.
Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings haven’t necessarily thrived without the 29-year-old around, ranking 15tha and 12th respectively in WhoScored’s ratings of Villa’s squad in 2022/23, with the summer arrival’s absence clearly felt.
The Latest: Return getting closer
However, in a Q&A for Birmingham Mail on Tuesday, Preece said that Carlos’ return is now edging closer, although he did seem to suggest that he would like to see a centre-back of “more quality” to arrive at Villa Park.
The journalist wrote in response to a supporter who called for a central defender to be signed in January:
“I’m told Carlos is nearing a return but you’d like more quality there.”
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The Verdict: Massive boost for Villa
This is a huge boost for Villa, with Europa League winner Carlos seeming like a massive coup in the summer but barely having the opportunity to make an impact for the club so far, having been dubbed ‘amazing’ by La Liga pundit Kevin Campbell in the past.
His experience at European level should help to take Unai Emery’s side up a few gears upon his eventual return, although patience may be required given the severity of his injury.
Whether or not it is Konsa or Mings to make way once Carlos is ready to play regularly remains to be seen, but Emery could well view him as a first-choice centre-back once he’s available.
Derby County have been handed an injury boost after Joseph Anang returned to training ahead of the League One game vs Bolton Wanderers.
The Lowdown: Spell on the sidelines
The Rams secured an emphatic 4-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers last weekend and will be hoping to continue their positive run of form when they face Ian Evatt’s side on Tuesday evening.
The Ghanaian goalkeeper made the move to Pride Park on a season-long loan over the summer but is yet to feature after breaking his arm during his first week at the club, though a positive update on his fitness has now emerged.
The Latest: Anang in contention
According to DerbyshireLive, Anang is ‘back’ at Derby after ‘finally overcoming’ the injury that has kept him ruled out since the start of the season.
The 6 foot 2 shot-stopper is now ‘in training’ again and will hope that he can ‘be involved in the squad’ for the fixture at the University of Bolton Stadium next week.
The Verdict: Boost for Warne
Joe Wildsmith has been in strong form this term so Anang won’t immediately come in and take his place as the number one, but it’ll still be a huge boost for Paul Warne to have him available for selection for the first time.
St. Patrick’s Athletic’s former keeper made a real name for himself under Tim Clancy, keeping 12 clean sheets in just 30 games, which saw him hailed a ‘top level’ player by the boss himself.
Anang won’t have wanted to be out for such a long period of time when the aim of his move was to get minutes under his belt, but he’ll now have the chance to kickstart his loan and show the Rams manager what he’s capable of.
Leeds United have been urged to back Jesse Marsch during the upcoming January transfer window by pundit Tam McManus.
The Lowdown: Leeds’ season so far
After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, the current campaign has not been particularly smooth for the Yorkshire club either.
With 14 games played, the Whites find themselves 15th in the table with 15 points on the board from four wins, three draws and seven defeats, resulting in reports of Marsch’s position at Leeds being under threat.
With Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani having backed the American financially during the summer transfer window, McManus believes that the same needs to happen again when January rolls around.
The Latest: Leeds urged to back Marsch
Speaking to Football Insider, the former Hibernian striker had his say about Marsch’s situation at Elland Road and the upcoming January window.
The 41-year-old said: “He’s still going to be the manager when they play their next game. I don’t see how anything changes over the next few weeks. That then puts Leeds in a really hard position if they do sack him in January then people will wonder why they didn’t get rid of him during the break.
“But he’s the manager. He should still be there in January and the club have to back him. They need to give him what he needs to get them out of trouble.
“You can’t just have a manager there who you don’t back because you think he won’t be there long. You have to 100% back your man in that situation.
“Leeds have shown signs over the last few weeks that they know what they are doing. But they need to turn good games into results or pressure will count on Marsch again.”
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The Verdict: Leeds should back Marsch
Having saved the club from relegation last season and secured victories against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool this term, we feel that the Leeds hierarchy should have no plans to get rid of Marsch any time soon.
In terms of the January transfer window, if the Whites boss can bring in some new players who can strengthen his squad – predominantly at the back with only three teams in the league having conceded more goals than Leeds – this should help to get them on track and away from another potential relegation battle.
Looking beyond that, if results don’t start to go their way throughout the remaining months of the campaign, questions may then need to be asked over whether the 49-year-old is still the right person to lead the club.