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Liverpool are on the hunt for a new defender in 2024 but whether a fresh face will be welcomed to the fold over the coming weeks is uncertain.

Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with his side's progress this season but no doubt concerned by the foreboding signs of Manchester City's resurgence of late – with creative talisman putting on a clinic off the bench to snatch victory at St. James' Park last time out.

Premier League Top Four	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	Points	GD
1. Liverpool	20	13	6	1	45	25
2. Man City	20	13	4	3	43	25
3. Aston Villa	21	13	4	4	43	16
4. Arsenal	20	12	4	4	40	17

Just two points ahead in the Premier League after 20 matches, Klopp will have a glass-half-full attitude to his team's endeavours and rightly so, though strengthening the rearguard could make all the difference in the months to come and reports suggest that the Reds have a dynamic star on the radar.

Liverpool transfer targets – defenders

There have been multiple names floating around Anfield as Klopp assesses the feasibility of a winter move for a new centre-back, with Sporting Lisbon duo Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande both targetted.

However, both rising stars would command an exorbitant outlay and for this reason Liverpool could move for Feyenoord star David Hancko, with one Italian journalist, via Paisley Gatres, revealing that alongside Paris Saint-Germain the Reds are considering the player.

Valued at €45m (£39m) by the Dutch Eredivisie champions, Hancko is one of the more rounded defensive prospects on the market but his club will hope to retain his services until the summer.

How David Hancko compares to Martin Skrtel

Liverpool's requirement for a new central defender stretches back several years now, with Ibrahima Konate the only signing made since Virgil van Dijk's arrival six years ago, but the situation has now been exacerbated by Joel Matip's season-ending anterior cruciate injury suffered in December.

The 32-year-old has been a stalwart for the Anfield side since arriving as one of Klopp's first signings on a free transfer from Schalke in 2016, having now amassed 201 appearances and won the whole under his manager's guidance.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

But he's out of contract at the end of the campaign and a successor is needed, with Hancko – who has been regarded as a real "talent" by journalist Santi Aouna – offering the skill set to succeed the distinguished veteran.

Scoring four goals and supplying five assists across 50 matches in a mammoth campaign last year, the Slovakia international was crucial to the success in the Dutch top-flight, completing 88% of his passes and winning 75% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

David Hancko: Key Characteristics
Strengths	Weaknesses
Key passes	Crossing
Dribbling
Passing
Tackling
*Sourced via WhoScored

Furthermore, he ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across divisions similar to the Eredivisie for assists, shot-creating actions, passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, which clearly places him in an elite bracket of technical quality for one of his positional standing.

With a successful transfer, Klopp could even sign the next version of Martin Skrtel on Merseyside, with the Slovak sensation hailed as a "great player" in the past by former teammate Pepe Reina.

Liverpool completed the £6.5m transfer of Skrtel from Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2008 and he would go on to chalk up 320 displays, scoring 18 goals.

An aggressive and fiery player, the 39-year-old was very much a no-nonsense kind of presence but he did offer immense offensive abilities and Hancko could emulate his compatriot in this regard, with the Feyenoord titan also noted for his tackling skills.

Hancko would be a cheaper alternative to some of the names linked with a move to Liverpool of late, and given his expansive skill set, he might just be the perfect addition to complement and improve the existing ranks.

Unlike most sides in the Premier League, Aston Villa are using the January transfer window to strengthen their squad.

Unai Emery is keen to increase his squad selection options ahead of the rest of the season, where his side will be challenging on three fronts for glory.

Kosta Nedeljković has already been announced, but who else could be on their way to Villa Park?

The latest on Villa's pursuit of Morgan Rogers

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke for Football Insider, Villa are confident that they can sign Morgan Rogers before the transfer deadline day on 1st February.

The Midlands club have submitted another bid for the Middlesbrough attacker after having their first two rejected.

Indeed, one source told Football Insider that scouts had been in attendance to watch the attacker in Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw against Rotherham last weekend. Since then they have decided to ramp up their pursuit of the lively youngster. A deal could be secured before February, with Villa desperate to get their main target.

Related January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Feb 1, 2024 How Morgan Rogers could supercharge Ollie Watkins

Under Emery, Ollie Watkins has simply been phenomenal, acting as the focal point while also working his socks off for the side.

His hard work has seemingly paid off, with the England forward picking up 14 goals and ten assists in 29 games across all competitions this season.

Even though he is almost at peak performance, for Watkins to really progress to the next level, he needs to form a telepathic relationship with the supporting striker, which is where Rogers comes into the fold.

The Middlesbrough ace only moved to the club in the summer from Man City for as little as around £1m, but he impressed the Villa scouts during their recent clash in the FA Cup. Rogers is a versatile player who has featured mainly in the number 10 role, and in 32 games, he’s scored six and provided nine goals.

Nonetheless, the table below shows Rogers’ statistics from this season and how they compare to their positional peers in the Championship.

Rogers' 2023/24 Championship Stats

Stats (per 90)

Rogers

Ranking in Championship

Goals

0.14

Bottom 73%

Assists

0.41

Top 2%

Key passes

2.55

Top 5%

Shot-creating actions

4.82

Top 9%

Progressive passes

5.50

Top 10%

Passes into final third

2.89

Top 21%

Stats via FBref

As you can see, Rogers is the definition of a creator, and it is no surprise that Michael Carrick has labelled his star forward as “dangerous.”

With Watkins being a striker who loves to play on the shoulder of the defender, the signing of the 21-year-old – who ranks particularly highly for progressive passes in the second tier – would allow the Villa striker to focus on that aspect of the game. Rogers can take on the responsibility of dropping deeper with ease, as shown by his passes into the final third numbers.

Furthermore, the fact that his assists, shot-creating actions, and key passes rank so highly also indicates that he would massively increase the service that Watkins will receive in and around the box, therefore increasing his chance of scoring each game.

Another way in which Rogers could improve Villa’s number 11 is by simply providing a rotation option, as he has played as a centre-forward a few times this season. Emery’s busy schedule over the next few months will inevitably see fatigue and the overplaying of some individuals occur, but giving the Spaniard the choice to rest Watkins and allow him to recharge would only make his performances better.

Overall, Rogers would be the perfect signing to improve Watkins and, most importantly, Villa. Emery must jump at the chance to pick up the attacker.

A number of world-renowned clubs are interested in signing Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham, according to a new rumour.

Sunderland appoint Michael Beale

The Black Cats have gone through a busy period at the club in recent weeks, following the sacking of Tony Mowbray after some disappointing results. It was a decision that arguably felt harsh, but it was clear that the Englishman was no longer seen as the best man to usher in a new era.

On Monday, Michael Beale was confirmed as Sunderland's new manager, with the 43-year-old taking charge after being relieved of his duties at Rangers earlier this season. He could be an exciting young addition at the Stadium of Light, saying it is a "huge honour" to be joining the club.

The Black Cats continue to be linked with potential new signings during the January transfer window, and Beale will no doubt want some freedom to shape his squad to his needs as he looks to seal promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

Sunderland have been backed to make a move for Sevilla B attacker Musa Drammeh, for example, while a return to the club for Amad Diallo has also been mooted, following an impressive loan spell last season. They could also find it hard to keep hold of key players, however, and a significant update has emerged regarding one such star.

Huge clubs want Jobe Bellingham

According to a new transfer update from TEAMtalk, both Chelsea and Real Madrid are keen on signing Sunderland youngster Jobe Bellingham, with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus desperate to keep him and the club "adamant" he won't be allowed to leave.

"Chelsea and Real Madrid are among several top clubs tracking Sunderland starlet Jobe Bellingham, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal. The 18-year-old midfielder is considered to be one of the world’s most exciting young talents, putting in some impressive performances for the Black Cats."

It is clearly going to be difficult for Sunderland to retain the services of Bellingham for years to come, considering how high his ceiling is as a player, having been hailed for his "athleticism and technique" by Mowbray recently.

Appearances

21

Goals

4

Assists

1

Shots per game

1.5

Clearances per game

1.4

The 18-year-old is already an undisputed key man for the Black Cats, with Bellingham scoring four times from midfield in the Championship this season, and if older brother Jude is anything to go by, the sky could be the limit for him.

Sunderland, and Beale in particular, will be desperate to at least keep Bellingham until the end of the season, at which point his head could be turned by a fresh challenge at one of Europe's biggest clubs. To lose him midway through the campaign would be an almighty blow to their hopes of going up in 2023/24, though.

Celtic, barring a recent slip-up against Kilmarnock, have remained on course to win their third consecutive Scottish Premiership and their first since the return of Brendan Rodgers. Some at Celtic Park may have been fearing the beginning of their side's capitulation following their recent league defeat, but a 2-1 victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League has put an end to any concerns.

As things stand, the Hoops sit five points clear of Rangers, having played one more game. With the title still very much in the balance, Celtic may turn to the January transfer window to fix any glaring issues in Rodgers' squad. And that could see one specific winter target arrive.

Celtic transfer news

The exits of Ange Postecoglou and Jota stole the headlines in Scotland this summer before Celtic reacted by welcoming Rodgers back with open arms. The former Leicester City boss instantly hit the ground running too, creating some breathing room at the top of the league. As we head into the second half of the campaign, however, Rodgers arguably has some issues to address – ones that the transfer window could solve. When the winter window swings open, the Scottish champions could act once more.

According to The Daily Mail's Stephen McGowan, there's a strong possibility that Celtic sign Estoril left-back Tiago Araujo. McGowan told PLZ:

"Tiago Araujo is a very strong possibility for Celtic in January. I suspect that is one that might happen."

It's no surprise that Celtic are looking to add defensive solidity to their side in January, given their firepower at the other end will be missing due to Kyogo Furuhashi potentially missing up to a month whilst playing for Japan at the Asia Cup. Given that Rangers could be as little as two points adrift of Celtic if they win their game in hand, Rodgers will want to ensure that his side remain solid in the Scottish Premiership – something that Araujo may help with.

Araujo would be an "instant upgrade"

Still, only 22 years old, Araujo is on the up and likely to get even better to potentially hand Rodgers an ideal upgrade. Araujo's stats show that he's already keeping up with current Celtic left-back Greg Taylor's stats in some areas, which could leave him in good stead if he secures a January move to Scotland's top-flight.

Player

Expected Assists

Take-on Success

Total Duels Won Per Game

Ball Recoveries Per Game

Tiago Araujo

0.90

40%

3.5

5.6

Greg Taylor

0.57

37%

4

5.8

Araujo's impressive numbers make the praise that he has received no surprise, with Celtic Way writer Stewart Ross describing in his scout report, via X:

It certainly seems as though the "flamboyant" left-back – as he was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could be an ideal addition to Rodgers' side in January and as the window swings open, we may well see the deal take place if McGowan's claim proves accurate.

Tottenham have entered "pole position" to sign a "dominant" defender alternative to Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo, according to a new report.

Spurs attempting to sign centre-back in January

Widespread reports from the past month and beyond indicate that Spurs are seriously looking to bring in a new centre-back next month.

Levy preparing bid for "rising star" with Spurs "in a hurry" to seal deal

He’s a real standout talent right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 21, 2023

The January window's opening is right around the corner, with manager Ange Postecoglou saying just last week that Tottenham are pushing hard for new mid-season signings.

A new central defender is thought to be the first priority for chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and the club's transfer chiefs. There have been many names already mentioned as Spurs targets ahead of January, including Nice's Todibo, while another who's repeatedly linked is Genoa star Radu Dragusin.

The Romania international has been a standout under Alberto Gilardino this term, and Fabrizio Romano says he could still make a move to the Premier League, despite a proposed new contract.

Reports from Italy are claiming that a Spurs bid is imminent for Dragusin, while the player's own agent Florin Manea has publicly stated that there has been discussions in north London.

“The people from Genoa know (that he will soon leave),” Manea explained to Fanatik recently.

"I have been in London for some time and have almost weekly meetings with important teams. We are getting closer. I spoke with Newcastle, with Arsenal, with Tottenham. I also have the messages with them, conversations. There are teams that ask.

Genoa 1-0 Verona

7.60

Genoa 4-1 Roma

7.56

Genoa 1-0 Salernitana

7.50

Lazio 0-1 Genoa

7.45

Torino 1-0 Genoa

6.96

"Radu will play for a very strong club. One in the top 10 in the world. He wants to be in the Premier League, but I know that Milan like him a lot. I talked to the people there.”

Tottenham in "pole position" for Dragusin

Now, another report from Italy has shared some information on the 21-year-old and his possible move to N17.

It is believed Tottenham are in "pole position" to sign Dragusin in January, and Genoa could even let him go for as little as £22m.

Atalanta are very keen to bring him through the door, as he is seen as perfect for them, but Spurs' presence in the race looks likely to scupper their chances of signing Dragusin as things stand.

This is all according to newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, which backs claims from Dragusin's agent that he is a very popular player in England.

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has perhaps suggested why on X (formerly Twitter) in the past, previously likening the centre-half to Mats Hummels and calling Dragusin a "dominant" defender.

Jack Grealish opened up on his frustrations and confidence issues following injury and a loss of form in a "difficult" season with Manchester City.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Grealish has struggled with injuries
• Tired of goals and assists chat
• Looking to finish strongly

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Grealish admitted it has been a "difficult" campaign for him due to injuries and fluctuating form. The 28-year-old missed the start of the season with a severe dead leg before a recurring groin issue slowed him down again in the new year. He also added that it is "annoying" that there is so much focus on goals and assists in modern football.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Grealish's injuries have restricted him to just 17 Premier League games this season, in which he has scored three times. It is a far cry from last season when he was a key man in City's treble success, although he did start both legs of their Champions League quarter-final loss to Real Madrid.

• WHAT GREALISH SAID

  On his up-and-down campaign, Grealish said: “It’s been difficult (this season). Especially on the back of last year, I had such a good season. I was playing a lot and was one of the main players in the team and playing in all the important games.

  “This year at the start of the season I had a dead leg which kept me out for a month and then I didn’t play too often. I don’t think my form was the best and I wasn’t playing with a lot of confidence. In the new year, I had a few injuries again as well with my groin."

  However, he also added that things are looking up, stating: "Recently, obviously I haven’t scored yet, but I feel good, I feel fit and I feel like I’m playing with good confidence. Hopefully, I can bring that into the end of the season."

  On his frustrations with modern football, he said: "It’s annoying the way the game has gone because you can have a brilliant game and not get a goal or an assist and they say ‘ah, he didn’t do this or that. And then you can score two tap-ins at the back post and not play well at all and everyone’s like ‘ah, he’s brilliant’."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CITY AND GREALISH?

  Grealish will be hoping to start for City in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea at Wembley as Pep Guardiola's side look to bounce back from their European disappointment. The former Aston Villa captain is also expected to be part of Gareth Southgate's England squad for the European Championships this summer.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira, na Fazendinha, Corinthians e Grêmio empataram em 0 a 0 no jogo dia ida das quartas de final do Campeonato Brasileiro sub-20. Após quase 60 minutos jogando com um a menos, o Timão segurou o resultado e vai decidir a vaga na semifinal fora de casa, no domingo, no Rio Grande do Sul.

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TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui

GALERIA
> Relembre 20 momentos mais marcantes do Corinthians na década

A primeira etapa começou com o Timão se projetando mais ao ataque, logo aos dois minutos, Cauê foi travado no chute pela direita após passe de Daniel Marcos. Pouco depois, Reginaldo fez lançamento rasteiro para Antony na linha de fundo, o atacante alvinegro tentou o chute, mas antes disso, o zagueiro adversário conseguiu afastar para escanteio.

Enquanto isso, a primeira chegada do Grêmio foi aos 13 minutos, quando o goleiro corintiano Yago foi pressionado, chutou forte para afastar, o meio-campo gremista acabou ligando o contra-ataque e o atacante gaúcho arriscou um chute cruzado, obrigando o arqueiro a espalmar para afastar o perigo.

Já aos 21 minutos, o Corinthians conseguiu uma chegada pelo lado esquerdo, com Reginaldo, que cruzou, mas o zagueiro tricolor jogou para escanteio. Na cobrança, o mesmo Reginaldo lançou alto e Alemão subiu mais que os zagueiros, a bola foi cabeceada para o chão, dificultando a defesa.

Com 34 minutos, o Timão ficou com um a menos depois de uma dividida entre o atacante adversário e o goleiro Yago, que acabou sendo expulso. O técnico Dyego Coelho precisou realizar uma substituição para recompor a meta alvinegra sacando Du Queiroz para a entrada do goleiro Alan Gobetti.

Ainda no primeiro tempo, houve a jogada mais perigosa do Grêmio, que aconteceu aos 43 minutos, num cruzamento e chute forte cruzado, mas o zagueiro Alemão conseguiu tirar de cabeça, em cima da linha.

A segunda etapa começou com alterações para o Corinthians, entraram Riquelme e Richard Cossoniche para as saídas de Matheus Araújo e Antony. Logo aos seis minutos, o Timão foi pressionado no seu campo de defesa, a bola foi alçada na área pela direita, passou para a ponta esquerda, o atacante gremista arriscou a finalização, porém o zagueiro Alemão consegue afastar.

Pouco depois, aos dez minutos, Dyego Coelho realizou sua quarta alteração na equipe: Wendell entrou no lugar de Cauê. O segundo tempo teve mais posse de bola dos gaúchos, que teve sempre um a mais em campo. Foram apenas dois contra-ataques sem finalização à meta gremista em 20 minutos de jogo.

No entanto, na bola parada, o Corinthians chegou aos 22 minutos. Daniel Marcos fez a cobrança, a bola passou por Ronald e Alemão chegou tentando o desvio, mas a tentativa passou alta demais e acabou saindo por cima do gol. Com 24 minutos, Júlio entrou na partida no lugar do meia Vitinho.

Mesmo com um jogador a menos em campo, o Corinthians conseguiu controlar a posse no meio-campo, sem levar muitos sustos. A linha alta alvinegra resultou num bom ataque aos 40 minutos. A falta foi cobrada pela ponta esquerda, a bola ficou no bate-rebate e Daniel Marcos conseguiu cabecear para Luis Mandaca, dominar e chutar forte, mas o goleiro adversário defendeu.

Corinthians e Grêmio voltam a se encontrar no próximo domingo, dia 3 de janeiro de 2021, às 16h, pelo jogo de volta das quartas de final, no CT Hélio Dourado. Um novo empate por qualquer placar, levará a decisão aos pênaltis.

Marcus Harris, the Victoria opening batsman, has been rewarded for consistency over several seasons by vaulting into Australia’s 14-man Test squad for the first two Tests against India, while Peter Handscomb has also been recalled after a winter’s technical work as part of a team seeking to overcome the absence of the banned Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.The inclusion of Harris comes after consecutive seasons in which he has tallied 1,514 runs at 42.05 and followed up with 437 at 87.40 in four Sheffield Shield rounds this season, including an unbeaten 250 against New South Wales. His selection sends a strong message about the sort of sustained performances the coach Justin Langer is seeking, while also opening up the question of Australia’s opening combination.

Australia squad

Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Chris Tremain, Peter Siddle, Peter Handscomb

Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja formed a successful union in the Tests against Pakistan in the UAE, before the latter fell prey to a knee injury he has only just recovered from in time for the final Sheffield Shield round. While praising Harris, Langer said he was still pondering how to array the batting order in Adelaide.”I really like the synergy of Finch and Khawaja in the UAE. Like a lot of opening partners a bit of an odd couple about them, and often really good partnerships are like that,” Langer said in Melbourne. “You think about [Chris] Rogers and [David] Warner, [Gordon] Greenidge and [Desmond] Haynes… they’re very different and I just like that synergy and a good relationship. Uzzy’s very chilled out, Finchy is a bit more combative, they have a nice feel about that partnership.”There’s a lot of talk about Finch can’t open in Australia and all that sort of stuff, I’m not sure about that. He’s opened all through [with the] white ball, did a really good job in the UAE, conditions might be a bit different, we’re not playing at the Gabba or the WACA either. That’s one of the things we’re mulling over at the moment, the perfect combination, we also respect that the Indians have got really good spin bowlers, we’ve got five left-handers in that seven at the moment potentially. All those things we’re going to play around with and make sure we get the best combination we can.”Despite his strong words about Finch at the top of the order, Langer insisted he would allow Victoria to make their own call about where he batted in the Shield match between Victoria and Queensland in Brisbane from Tuesday. This means Harris will likely be accompanied by his usual partner Travis Dean at the top, with Finch slotting in further down.”Marcus Harris has forced his way into the squad after an impressive start to the Sheffield Shield campaign for Victoria, and in recent times has performed in high-pressure matches, including Sheffield Shield finals,” the national selector Trevor Hohns said. “Not only has he made plenty of runs, he’s displayed the mental application we believe is required to compete at Test cricket.”When he made the move from Western Australia to Victoria, Harris was farewelled with some curious comments by the then Warriors coach Langer, who referred to him as “mediocre with flashes of brilliance”, while adding that “our system isn’t for everyone”. However he has always maintained that his relationship with Langer remained strong, and on the day of his call-up received a message from the coach with the cheekily affectionate words “welcome to the brotherhood you little bastard”.His call-up also leaves the left-hand opener Matt Renshaw on the sidelines once more, after he was left out of the Test team in the UAE. Marnus Labuschagne has also been dropped, but Travis Head retains his place. A late run by the Tasmanian Matthew Wade, now a specialist batsman alongside the Test captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, was not enough to win inclusion.”Marnus Labuschagne played the last two Tests and looked really good at times, and there was talk about his legspin bowling as well. They’re all unlucky, but you can only fit 14 into the squad,” Langer said. “But you’ve got to reward performance and they’d be the first to say… Matthew Renshaw I think has got huge potential, but he hasn’t got the runs on the board at the moment.”Marnus, the same, he’s come back and his numbers aren’t great for the first four Shield games, so he’ll be disappointed because no one works harder than he does. And Matthew Wade, we all know he’s a fantastic competitor, a really good competitor, doing well, but you can’t fit them all in.”Looking over the remainder of the batting order, Langer declared that Head would “100%” play in the middle order in Adelaide, and also defended the retention of Mitchell Marsh – a poor tour of the UAE was followed by strong Shield displays from him. “Mitch Marsh is an incredibly talented player, I don’t get some of the criticism of him and his brother,” Langer said. “Test cricket’s a very tough school, and I think sometimes people forget how tough Test cricket is.”Handscomb, who has worked extensively with the former Test opener Chris Rogers on his movement at the batting crease, is the extra batsman in the squad, nominally as cover for Khawaja, who will return from a knee injury in Queensland’s final Shield game before the Test. “We’ve been really impressed with the way Usman Khawaja has applied himself through his rehabilitation and he’s left no stone unturned in his bid to return in Adelaide,” Hohns said. “Barring any setbacks, all the signs are indicating he will be available for the first Test. We saw how well he performed against Pakistan in the UAE, and we hope he can recapture that form over the summer.”A vast collection of fast bowlers has been assembled, with Chris Tremain, uncapped at Test level, and Peter Siddle standing in reserve behind the frontline trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Hohns added that the 14-man squad will be cut to 12 names before each of the first two Tests with the next round of Sheffield Shield matches acting as a mini Test-trial for those aiming to further their case.”We will select a final team of 12 prior to each Test, and the two remaining squad members will be released to get important match time in the Sheffield Shield. We believe all players chosen deserve their selection in the squad, and we’re confident given the opportunity all will apply themselves well against India.””With another round of Sheffield Shield matches to play, players have the chance to strengthen their cases for selection before we finalise the 12 in the lead up to the first Test.”None of the frontline pace trio of Cummins, Hazlewood are Starc are expected to make the trip to Perth for their state New South Wales’ final Shield fixture before the Adelaide Test, with back-to-back matches against India expected to stretch their endurance. “There’s no concern for Mitch, Pat and Josh,” Langer said. “They’ll be ready to go.”

Warwickshire’s seamers dismantled Kent before an unbeaten hundred from Will Rhodes took them a large step towards lifting the trophy

George Dobell at Edgbaston24-Sep-2018
ScorecardThe sides may have come into this game level on points, but by stumps at the end of day one it appeared there was a chasm between them. Warwickshire, with all 10 first-innings wickets in hand, trialled by just 19. A commanding century from Will Rhodes – his fourth of a breakthrough Championship season – coming on the heels of another excellent bowling performance from his colleagues, has given them a good chance of claiming the Division Two title.Kent, by contrast, were left to rue what their coach, Matt Walker, admitted was their “worst cricket of the season”.There was a time when late-summer matches like this counted for little. As a consequence, they would often lack intensity or purpose and provide unsatisfying fare for spectators. But the prospect of silverware (and a sunny-if-chilly day) had encouraged Edgbaston’s largest Championship crowd of the season – albeit a modest 1200 or so – and ensured motivation for the players of both sides. You might well ask why anyone felt the need to tinker with such a system.In truth, it is promotion that matters most. The trophy, and small financial bonus, that comes with winning Division Two is welcome, but it is very much secondary to what both these sides have already achieved. Whatever happens here, Kent have enjoyed an excellent season and may well be considered the most improved team in the land. In recruiting wisely, building an improved team spirit and then achieving both promotion and reaching the knockout stages of the limited-overs competitions, they have won more games than any other county across competitions.This may well prove an especially good year to be promoted, too. If the structure of the Championship is changed again ahead of the 2020 season – and it probably will be – it is currently expected the divisions would be reorganised along the lines of a 10-team top division and eight in the second. These teams might, therefore, have a better chance of retaining a Division One place at the end of 2019.If Warwickshire are to stay up next season, they will need to rely on several new faces. At least two of this side – Jonathan Trott, who is retiring, and Chris Wright, who is moving to Leicestershire – will be gone and it seems likely that Keith Barker will depart, too. The club have offered him a new deal but it is understood not to be quite as attractive as the package he enjoys at present or, crucially, as attractive as deals available elsewhere. Andrew Umeed, Sunny Singh, Boyd Rankin (all released) and Josh Poysden (Yorkshire) are also departing, while the club says it does not anticipate adding to Liam Norwell, Craig Miles (both Gloucestershire seamers) and Rob Yates (a top-order batsman) among those joining.This apparent imbalance between those departing and those arriving is not, Warwickshire insist, anything to do with budget – they are due to make a substantial repayment of up to £4m on the loan taken out to fund their redevelopment towards the end of 2019 – but rather a desire to provide opportunities to those already here and an inability to persuade others to join them.On the evidence of this performance, Barker would be substantially missed. While the pace he generates these days is sedate, the swing he gains is lavish, the variety is useful and the footmarks he creates for Jeetan Patel an underrated asset. Here he had Sean Dickson and Sam Billings trapped by sharp inswing, bowled Harry Podmore with one that may have held its line and came within an ace of dismissing Joe Denly without scoring when the batsman left one that swung sharply to clip the off stump. But while the bail was slightly dislodged, it refused to fall. Even after Trott – with a broad smile – stomped up to the stumps.He was complemented by Wright, who nipped one away beautifully to take Zak Crawley’s edge in his first over and later beat Darren Stevens with one he persuaded to move the other way, and Olly Stone, who has the pace to harass batsmen into errors. Even on this somewhat sluggish surface, Stone hurried them. Twice he induced reckless drives from full deliveries well outside off stump – Denly and Heino Kuhn were both smartly caught at second slip off somewhat loose shots – while Ollie Robinson played across one that swing from leg to middle. That was Stone’s 40th Championship wicket of the season. More impressively, they are coming at a strike rate of 22.5.Stone was, by some distance, the more impressive of the two men called up by England in recent days. While Denly timed a couple of shots beautifully off Stone, he looked uncomfortable against the spin of Patel which, given England’s touring destinations in the coming months, is a worry.While he has an excellent record against spin in county cricket – CricViz figures show he went into this match averaging 93.28 against spin since the start of 2016 – he seemed intent on charging the offspinner and carting him over mid-on. He was fortunate to survive on a couple of occasions. In the end it took a 10th-wicket stand of 42 – the highest of the innings – to even lift Kent beyond 150. The pitch, used for T20 Finals Day, was blameless as was the decision to bat first. It was simply a case of fine, relentless bowling and modest batting.It speaks volumes for Warwickshire’s bowling strength that this performance ensured they had taken maximum bowling bonus points in every game of the season. But they also have three batsmen in the top four run-scorers in the division.Certainly Rhodes has thrived on the opportunity provided to him this season. Given the chance to open only a couple of days before the match against Durham MCCU, he goes into the second day here in sight of 1000 Championship runs for the first time. Whether he achieves the milestone or not (he needs to reach 138) he has enjoyed a fine season and established with Dominic Sibley – who also has three Championship hundreds this campaign – a strong opening partnership that should serve the club well at the higher level.While he gave one chance – he was dropped on 38, Billings failing to cling on to a regulation edge – this was a highly impressive, remarkably dominant performance from a man who started the season without a first-class century to his name. Driving delightfully straight and putting away anything short with something bordering on the disdain, he took a particular liking to the offspin of Adam Riley (who bowled three overs for 32) and put his side well on course for the trophy. Just one day into this match and it is already hard to see how Warwickshire can be denied.

Chelsea legend Eden Hazard says that he does not regret retiring from football and claims he loved his time at Real Madrid.

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Hazard doesn't regret retiring earlyEnjoyed his time at Real MadridScored seven goals in four seasons with Los BlancosWHAT HAPPENED?

Hazard had a nightmare few years with Real Madrid, scoring just seven goals before leaving the club at the end of the 2022-23 season, a year before his contract was due to expire. He attracted criticism for being out of shape and was plagued with multiple injuries. Yet the former Belgium international claims that he did not regret joining Los Blancos as it was his dream to play under his idol Zinedine Zidane.

AdvertisementWHAT EDEN HAZARD SAID

In an exclusive interview with , the ex-winger said: "It was my dream. I can tell you it was my dream even if the story was not that good with injuries and this and that. When I look back, and you can see some pictures of me wearing the white Real Madrid shirt, it makes me proud."

(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A few months after leaving the Spanish club, the 33-year-old announced his retirement from professional football despite having offers from the Saudi Pro League and MLS.

When asked if he could have played for a little longer, the former Blues star said: "Good question. I think so, but I decided playing football was over because I had a lot of injuries, and I have no regrets."

He added: "I enjoy it a lot. I miss my football a bit, especially being with the lads in the dressing room, but I can do what I want now. I have kids and a family. I can go to Belgium to see my family, brothers and parents. I can do a lot of things."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR EDEN HAZARD?

The Belgian is set to return to Chelsea in June to compete in the Soccer Aid charity match at Stamford Bridge. The fixture, that's played annually, features a mixture of former England footballers, various celebrities and influencers and famous foreign players from the past.