Blog (Page 189)

[ad_1] The time has come for Gareth Southgate to confirm his 26-player England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The players who have made the cut will be revealed at 2pm, after weeks of jostling for position and speculation over who will be boarding the plane to Qatar. As has become standard practice, a number of players who look set to miss out on a place have already had their fates made public – AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori a potentially high-profile omission from England’s defensive options. There’s rumblings over whether James Maddison, Ivan Toney, James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen and Joe Gomez haveRead More →

[ad_1] Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has put his return to form this season down to being able to mentally switch off and recharge during the summer after an intense few years. Rashford endured a disappointing 2021/22 campaign after missing the start of the season to recover from surgery on a longstanding shoulder problem. Even though he returned to play 32 games in all competitions, it was his lowest ever career goal tally when he only scored five times. Already this season, Rashford has bettered his goal record from the whole of last term and was named Premier League Player of the Month for September.Read More →

[ad_1] Not for the first time, Caoimhin Kelleher produced penalty heroics for Liverpool, and Jurgen Klopp couldn’t be happier with him. Liverpool’s second-string side were unable to break down a resolute Derby County defence in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, with the match finishing 0-0 and thus going to penalties. In the shoot-out that followed, the home side missed two penalties but were bailed out by Kelleher, who saved three of Derby’s, allowing Harvey Elliott to send the reigning champions through. Despite making just 18 appearances for the club, Kelleher has now won the most penalty shoot-outs of any goalkeeperRead More →

[ad_1] Southampton have confirmed that Nathan Jones has replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl as the club’s manager. The Austrian was relieved of his duties on Monday following a dismal run of results, culminating in a 4-1 thrashing at home to Newcastle last weekend. The Saints quickly entered discussions with Luton Town over the availability of Jones, and following talks with the Welshman on Wednesday, he was appointed swiftly appointed as manager. “Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce it has appointed Nathan Jones as its new Men’s First Team Manager,” the club said in a statement. “The 49-year-old joins from Luton Town, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract atRead More →

[ad_1] The Carabao Cup third round continued into Wednesday night, with clubs who have been competing in European competition so far this season finally involved. There were shocks along the way, with one Premier League club falling to lower league opposition and other mini-surprises in a couple of the all-top flight ties. Here’s your roundup of the night’s Carabao Cup fixtures… Brighton have beaten Wolves and Chelsea in the Premier League in recent days after finally securing a first win under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, now taking that form into the Carabao Cup as well. Arsenal scored first in this one through Danny Welbeck,Read More →

[ad_1] Romelu Lukaku is in danger of missing the World Cup because of a thigh injury, with Belgium coach Roberto Martinez warning that he is prepared not to select the Inter striker. Lukaku, who has scored 57 goals in his last 60 international appearances, has already seen his 2022/23 club season hampered by hamstring trouble. That injury, followed by a fresh thigh muscle issue, has resulted in the 29-year-old featuring only four times in all competitions for Inter. Lukaku, on loan with the Nerazzurri after a failed return to Chelsea, made his comeback against Sampdoria at the end of October but then had to missRead More →

[ad_1] France coach Didier Deschamps has named a final 25-player squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar, opting against selected the maximum number of players allowed: 26. Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante are two big names missing, both forced to sit this one out because of injury, while the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate and Christopher Nkunku are each going to their first World Cup. Bayern Munich are the signal most represented club side in the squad, with four players making the cut. Real Madrid have three players, while Paris Saint-Germain have just two. Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (WestRead More →

[ad_1] Wales manager Robert Page has confirmed his 26-man squad to compete in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with Gareth Bale named as captain. Page’s side will play in Group B alongside England, Iran and the United States, who they meet in their opener on Sunday, November 20. Bale has been named alongside the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Ben Davies and Joe Allen, who have played crucial parts in Wales’ progress through their two recent appearances in the European Championships. Wales made the semi-finals in 2016 and were knocked out by Denmark in the second round in Euro 2020, but this is their firstRead More →

[ad_1] The 2022 edition of the World Cup is upon us – and it’s crunch time for the 32 countries competing as they name their 26-player squads for the tournament. Preliminary squads will now be whittled down to the real deal, with a number of high-profile players set to miss the tournament through injury – a consequence of the World Cup being staged during the middle of the domestic season. FIFA rules stipulate that teams can replace injured players ruled out of the tournament up to 24 hours before their first game, but anything after that will simply be a headache for each and everyRead More →

[ad_1] The World Cup delivers iconic moments time and time again on the biggest stage, but for every winner, there are millions of losers. Players have been humanised with their shows of emotion when representing their countries, while others have shamed their nations by writing dark passages in the history of FIFA’s flagship event. Here are some of the saddest moments in the World Cup’s long and storied history. *Note – these entries are not ranked. Rodriguez was comforted by Brazil stars after defeat / EITAN ABRAMOVICH/GettyImages James Rodriguez had torn up the 2014 World Cup with Colombia, playing at an incredibly high level thatRead More →