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Sunderland have now been dealt a fresh blow before they play Cambridge United at home in League One on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Big game

The Stadium of Light faithful currently find themselves out of the play-off places, and so need a result against Cambridge to get themselves back in contention.

With title-chasing Rotherham United to come on Tuesday night, this is a big game that they really need to get all three points from.

The Latest: Dajaku illness

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Alex Neil has revealed (via The Chronicle) that Dajaku is still suffering with illness, and so will not be available for his team:

“Leon is still ill, so he won’t be available.”

The Verdict: Blow

It is certainly a blow for the Wearside club that they will be without Dajaku once more.

The Union Berlin loanee has played more often than not this season, and has contributed four goals and four assists in League One so far (Transfermarkt).

Dajaku has also picked up one man-of-the-match award, and ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average shots, dribbles and crosses per game (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, his creativity and directness would have been useful in helping unlock the door against what could be a stubborn Cambridge side away at the Stadium of Light.

In other news, find out who SAFC’s three worst performers were against Shrewsbury Town here!

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes India will win the two-Test series against Australia so long as they bat well

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2010Australia’s strong batting performance on the first day of their match against the Board President’s XI in Mohali had no impact on former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s view as to how the forthcoming Test series will go. Ganguly said, “India will win the series if they bat well.”Regardless of India’s revolving-door bowling attack, Ganguly said the venues of the two-Test series help the home team maximise its spin resources. “Bangalore may not offer assistance early for spinners, but there’s a bit for them later and Mohali has always been a good venue for us”, Ganguly said at the India Today Youth Summit in Delhi this afternoon.He picked Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara as the leaders of the next generation of Indian batsmen who have it in them to go the distance. Raina, while inexperienced in the Test format, has shown great improvement according to Ganguly. Pujara, picked for the first time in the Indian team to play Australia, has what Ganguly called a “terrific attitude towards batting. I’ve seen him with the [Kolkata] Knight Riders and he can bat all day, he just loves it.”As India’s strong middle-order draws closer to the end of its era, the team, Ganguly said, had plenty of options. “There is talent in Murali Vijay; there is talent in Yuvraj Singh. There are many other young players who have got talent, but it’s what they do with that talent that is important.”Ganguly, who was captain of the Indian team that kicked off India’s now-celebrated rivalry with the Australians in 2001, said his advice to current India captain M S Dhoni did not include making Ricky Ponting wait for the toss, a habit which had incensed Steve Waugh in the 2001 series. “The series is going to be really enjoyable and Ricky’s a great guy”, he said.Ponting and Ganguly were teammates at the Kolkata Knight Riders for the last three years, an association that will most probably end when the IPL hosts its latest player auction later this year. Ganguly said he agreed with Sachin Tendulkar about maintaining and building a team, but thought the IPL had “done well to leave player retention in the franchises hand, to make it their decision”.The most essential ingredient of every franchise’s team, according to Ganguly, was “identity”. He said, “So what happens if Tendulkar doesn’t play for Mumbai? If Tendulkar plays for Bangalore then it looks like something different, doesn’t it?”As one of the speakers in the Youth Summit, Ganguly’s brief speech was followed by an exchange with an audience made up mostly of university students. He spoke openly of the time he took over as India captain in 2000, which is when the match-fixing controversy first broke. “We had some worries once the news came out in the open. We would speak to each other but none of us knew what to do, or to deal with the situation – we’d not been approached or anything.”The six month break between seasons that followed made a difference, Ganguly said. “The BCCI decided to take players off the team and we got a lot of youngsters into the side. So we didn’t have to deal with those issues, but we had it at the back of our mind”.Ganguly said he had not come across any experience to say that matches were fixed “in my entire cricketing life personally, and I can vouch for that … Now I presume those guys, they know whom to approach. It’s not just about Pakistani cricketers but players all around the world. Maybe they can just judge someone’s character and know they might get through to one player and not another”.When he was asked if would ever like to coach the Indian team, Ganguly said, “Yes, not very shortly but at some stage of my life. I would really want to do it because anything connected with Indian cricket is an honour”.Ganguly also replied to a question about a ‘five-point programme’ on coaching that he would give to Greg Chappell, who had a controversial tenure as India coach from 2005 to 2007. “Don’t be too friendly with the media,” Ganguly said, “be honest with the players and don’t talk to them through the media, always work with players, get confidence out of players and stay on the backstage. The captain is the boss of the team.”

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe must make a ruthless call and cut Ciaran Clark from his final Premier League squad as news emerges from the final few days of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports earlier in the window had suggested that Clark was made available for a loan move away from the club, with Championship side Middlesbrough among those touted with signing him.

However, it was claimed that the Republic of Ireland international turned down an exit from St James’ Park, and it now remains to be seen whether he makes the final squad for Howe’s side for the second-half of this Premier League season.

He must never play again for Newcastle

Clark’s performances this season for Newcastle have left a lot to be desired, with the centre-back part of a defence that has conceded 43 goals – the second-most of any side in the division.

As per Whoscored, the Irishman’s abysmal average match rating of 6.24 ranks him as the club’s worst performing player out of any of those who have played more than ten times this campaign in the Premier League.

His cause hasn’t been helped by the fact that he also got into an altercation whilst on the club’s trip to Saudi Arabia, with Paul Robinson even raising the possibility that he may have already played his final competitive game for the club.

He said: “You don’t know what has gone on behind the scenes but that was the perfect example of how not to perform in an audition in front of your new bosses.

“You don’t get sent off in a friendly game in front of your new owners when you’re on a training camp. He has played in quite a few games this season. If the manager sees him as surplus to requirements I’m surprised we didn’t see him move on before the deadline. Given his recent disciplinary record, this could be the end for him at Newcastle.”

Indeed, writing for The Athletic, Chris Waugh delivered another update on where things stand with Clark, revealing: “The squad is yet to be confirmed, though it is understood Lewis and Ciaran Clark were informed they would not make it, which is why they were told they could go out on loan.

“Given they have stayed, Howe is believed to have assessed the final list again, with it appearing to be a straight call between Clark and Federico Fernandez for the last centre-back berth.”

If it is to be decision and a straight toss-up between Clark and Fernandez, then there can simply be only one option.

The £35k-a-week earning Irish ace must never play for the Magpies again.

Meanwhile, Newcastle made an error in the January transfer window with this man…

England’s women completed a clinical victory over World Twenty20 finalists New Zealand at Chelmsford, wrapping the visitors up for 113 to win the opening Twenty20 international of the tour by 37 runs.

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill29-Jun-2010
Scorecard
Charlotte Edwards anchored England’s innings with 46•Getty ImagesEngland’s women completed a clinical victory over World Twenty20 finalists New Zealand at Chelmsford, wrapping the visitors up for 113 to win the opening Twenty20 international of the tour by 37 runs.The victory was set up by a solid performance from England’s batting line-up, with captain Charlotte Edwards’ patient 46 anchoring the innings after she won the toss and opted to bat first, and the middle order chipping in for a total of 150 for 5. Edwards then used her slow bowlers extensively, with spin accounting for seven wickets.Despite the early loss of Suzie Bates – who was superbly caught by Lydia Greenway at straight midwicket – New Zealand had looked well set to challenge England’s effort with the bat when captain Aimee Watkins and Sara McGlashan combined in a 47-run stand for the second wicket. But once Watkins departed for 24, caught by Greenway as she tried to clear the deep midwicket boundary, England had their opening and continued to pick up regular wickets.Laura Marsh had opened the bowling, and it was Danielle Hazell’s offspin that accounted for Watkins. she got rid of McGlashan two overs later to spark New Zealand’s demise, as they lost eight wickets for 54 runs.After a subdued Sophie Devine had been bowled by Holly Colvin for 9 from 15 balls, Liz Perry and Nicola Browne briefly threatened a fightback as they both cleared the boundary in a stand of 28 in under four overs. But after they were removed in consecutive balls by impressive youngster Danielle Wyatt with the score on 100, New Zealand quickly crumbled.Anya Shrubsole picked up two wickets in three balls, dismissing Rachel Priest and Lucy Doolan, and Greenway then capped an outstanding day in the field with the run-out of Kate Broadmore to go with her four catches. With the match already lost, Maria Fahey charged down the track at Wyatt only to miss the ball completely, Sarah Taylor whipping the bails off in a flash to end the game.England’s innings had been well set-up by a 68-run stand between Claire Taylor and Edwards at the top of the innings. With Edwards anchoring the innings, Taylor played her shots in an aggressive 32-ball 34.Marsh picked up where Taylor left off, improvising with gusto in a cameo that included a Dilscoop over the ‘keeper’s head and a flat-batted swipe over square leg. Despite the loss of Edwards four runs short of a deserved half-century, Greenway and Wyatt kept up the momentum to boost England’s match-winning total.

As if the transfer window hasn’t already been an exciting state of affairs for Aston Villa, it could yet end with even triumph and satisfaction for Steven Gerrard and the club’s supporters.

Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne have already arrived but a major name from within the game is now being closely linked to Villa.

What’s the word?

Reports emerged late on Tuesday evening that the Villans had tabled an offer to bring Suarez back to England and as a result of Gerrard, they were ahead of a number of Brazilian clubs in the race to secure his signature.

Now, the Villa boss and Johan Lange have been given further hope of concluding a deal by Spanish football expert, Alvaro Montero, who was speaking live on Sky Sports on Wednesday.

He claimed that Suarez was looking to leave his current employers, Atletico Madrid, and in a captivating four-word claim, suggested that Villa “could be an option” for the veteran striker.

The Uruguayan’s contract expires at the end of the season so there is a chance that the Midlands outfit could sign for free in the summer.

Fans surely buzzing

After the signings of Digne and Coutinho, fans will have rightfully been on cloud nine given their international experience and previous exploits in the game.

However, if you combine that with the potential for Suarez to arrive at Bodymoor Heath in the next six months, supporters will simply be ecstatic.

Of course, the forward is now 34 years of age now and is no spring chicken, but there is no escaping from the fact that he is still a wonderful goalscorer.

He has regularly beaten the goalkeeper throughout his career and at the top level no less, scoring 69 Premier League goals, while also racking up a phenomenal 195 strikes during his stay with Barcelona.

Furthermore, Suarez is an incredibly decorated player. This is someone who has won the Spanish top-flight on five occasions, an individual who has won Copa del Rey four times and has also taken home both the Champions League and Club World Cup.

That is quite the honours list and based on experience alone, he’d be a wonderful player to have in the dressing room.

On top of that, his superb ability to make something extraordinary happen out of nothing is almost second to none. He has terrorised English defences before and there is every chance he could do the same in the claret and blue of Villa.

A move still feels unlikely but what a coup he’d be if they could get a deal across the line. Coutinho was a landmark signing but this would surely blow that out of the water, consequently leaving supporters elated with their recruitment team.

AND in other news, Sky Sports journo drops exciting AVFC transfer update on live TV, fans surely buzzing…

Aston Villa have been rather busy when it comes to adding new players to their squad so far in the January transfer window, with deals completed for Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne.

It now appears that the Midlands club have been making moves in trying to tie down one of their current players for the foreseeable future.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Villa have offered Kortney Hause a new contract to try and keep him at the club after his current deal expires in the summer.

Villa originally signed the defender on loan from fellow Premier League club Wolves three years ago before securing him on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth a reported fee of £3m.

Overall, the 26-year-old – who is currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt – has made 53 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, scoring four goals in the process – the latest of which came in their 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League earlier this season.

Even though Hause has only made one appearance for Villa in the Premier League since Steven Gerrard was appointed as manager back in mid-November, it will still be hugely pleasing for the Villa boss to see the 26-year-old sign a new deal at the club.

They currently have only Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings in their squad who predominantly play at centre-back alongside Hause, after Axel Tuanzebe’s loan deal was cut short earlier this month.

Despite making just five appearances for Villa in the Premier League this season, Hause has shown that he is just as capable of performing to a solid level as Mings and Konsa, with WhoScored giving him an overall rating of 6.67/10 – the same as the former and higher than the latter.

With this in mind, if the ex-Wolves defender were to put pen to paper on a new deal at Villa Park, it would be a great piece of business for the club to get done this month rather than have owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens worry about Hause potentially leaving in the summer as a free agent if he decides that he would be better off going elsewhere to get regular game-time.

In other news: “In the last hours…” – Journalist drops Aston Villa transfer update, Gerrard will be delighted

Crystal Palace have been enjoying a great run of form, picking up points in 13 of their last 20 games, putting them in 11th, just outside of the top half of the table.

With Patrick Vieira steering the club in the right direction he now goes into his second transfer window, and there is already an incoming and an outgoing transfer rumoured.

What’s the word?

Journalist, Robin Bairner, has confirmed that Jean-Philippe Mateta will be leaving Crystal Palace this January in a recall to Mainz and then a loan move to Saint Etienne.

Bairner Tweeted:

“Jean-Philippe Mateta is set have his Crystal Palace loan terminated and will instead join Saint-Etienne.”

“Le Progres reports that Mainz (who own him), Palace and Sainté have come to an agreement over the striker.”

According to the report from Le Progres, the £30k-per-week flop is set to commit to a loan deal with the Ligue 1 side imminently, after falling out of favour at Palace.

Replacement ready to sign for Palace

Mateta has only featured in two starting line-ups in the Premier League this season, and has clearly fallen out of favour at the club, so Vieira would likely be relieved to get the centre forward off the books to make way for a much more reliable goal-scorer in Eddie Nketiah.

The £9m-rated Arsenal star who was hailed “electric” by former Leeds United player Tony Dorigo, has been heavily linked with a move to Palace in January, and he seems like he would be the perfect fit for the club when you compare him to the signings Vieira has already made.

The French manager signed two young attacking players in midfielder Conor Gallagher, and forward Odsonne Edouard in the summer, with both enjoying success in the side, and it would make sense for Nketiah to join the pair at Selhurst Park as he fits the same profile, as a promising offensive player.

Despite not being given too many chances to shine in the top-flight, with just three appearances so far this season, the striker has showcased his talents representing Arsenal in the three EFL Cup games he has played in, where he has scored five goals already, helping the Gunners to secure a spot in the semi-final.

The Eagles will be hoping to continue to pick up points in the second half of the season, and adding a prolific goal-scorer could help the side gain more wins to gain a top half finish at the end of the campaign, which would be an incredible achievement for Vieira in his first term.

In other news: Vieira could make first mistake with Aaron Ramsey signing

According to a source close to Inter Milan midfielder Arturo Vidal, speaking to Chilean news outlet La Tercera, some big news has emerged involving Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Inter raid…

Since Antonio Conte’s arrival at Spurs, the Lilywhites have been linked with a host of big Serie A names, especially from the 52-year-old’s former club Inter.

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Indeed, Nerazzurri duo Marcelo Brozovic and Stefan de Vrij have been namedropped as possible targets for Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici in the upcoming transfer window as he aims to back Conte with quality new additions.

Naturally, given the duo’s ties to Italy’s top flight, links of this nature will come out of the woodwork, but news from Chilean newspaper La Tercera concerning Vidal may be of interest to Spurs supporters.

The Latest: Close source makes Vidal to Spurs claim…

A source ‘close’ to the 34-year-old told the outlet that Conte has personally contacted Vidal over a possible move to Tottenham.

Having always wanted to play in England and the Premier League, it is believed that the veteran midfielder is actually open to joining the north London club as he eyes a potential switch.

The source explained to La Tercera:

“His former Inter coach, Antonio Conte, contacted the player to find out his availability to arrive in London.

“Arturo (Vidal) has always wanted to play in England and the option of arriving in London is something that he does not dislike either.”

The Verdict: Wrong move?

The €160,192-per-week ace (£135,000) is a big name, having been playing at the top level for years and even earning rave reviews from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola when they worked together at Bayern Munich.

Conte himself has spoke publicly of his admiration for Vidal, calling him ‘fantastic’ back in 2017 during the coach’s spell across London with Chelsea.

However, given his age, lack of sell-on value and the fact that Spurs already have two very capable centre-midfielders in Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, we advise the club to give this one a miss.

Tottenham arguably have bigger priorities in the hunt for a new defender and alternative striker to Harry Kane, with Paratici needing to invest his transfer kitty wisely.

In other news: Conte ready to axe Tottenham player as agents begin January exit behind the scenes, find out more here.

Pending approval from the ICC, South Africa will host India in a one-off Twenty20 match for the Krish Mackerdhuj Trophy in January next year, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban – one of the venues for the football World Cup

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010Pending approval from the ICC, South Africa will host India in a one-off Twenty20 match for the Krish Mackerdhuj Trophy in January next year, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban – one of the venues for the football World Cup.”This match will be CSA’s way of acknowledging the meaningful contribution to the progress of South Africa made by the Indian community, and also to India for its support of cricket here since unity,” CSA chief executive Gerald Majola said. “The BCCI have kindly agreed to the match, and we are awaiting final approval from the ICC.”The late Mackerdhuj is a past president of the South Africa board, and pioneered South Africa’s first international tour, to India, after being re-admitted into the international fold in 1991. The match will also commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa.The stadium, which is set to stage five group games, one second round match and a semi-final during the World Cup, has a capacity of 70,000, which will be reduced to 54,000 after the marquee football event. It has space for expansion around the football pitch which makes cricket feasible.

BBC pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to Newcastle full-back Jamal Lewis’ hamstring injury, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Lewis pulls up

The 23-year-old was making just his fourth Premier League start of the season against Liverpool on Thursday but had to make way after just 15 minutes.

The Northern Ireland international was starting to become a regular under Eddie Howe, but he now looks set for a spell on the sidelines, with Howe admitting after the 3-1 defeat that his issue ‘looked bad’.

Matt Ritchie replaced Lewis at Anfield, with the latter possibly missing the entire festive period due to his muscle problem, which starts with today’s clash against leaders and champions Manchester City.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Whelan, who regularly features as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the injury.

This is what he had to say in reply, labelling it as a ‘massive blow’ for Howe and Newcastle:

“He will be a big miss.

“He’s got that real energy and is capable of getting up and down the pitch in that natural wing-back position – that’s why he was signed from Norwich.

“It’s yet another muscle injury, and that just shows what a demanding season it is for everybody – and it will have been the last thing Eddie Howe wanted. He’s lost an integral part of the team.

“It’s a massive blow for him. He must be thinking: ‘When are things going to change for me?’”

The Verdict: Ritchie to the rescue…

Howe currently has three defenders out injured, two of whom are left-backs, so he may have no other choice but to rely on Ritchie over the coming weeks.

At least the 32-year-old is a player Howe knows well from his time at Bournemouth, and the Scot already has plenty of game-time under his belt this season.

Hopefully Ritchie will stay fit between now and the New Year, as otherwise Newcastle and Howe may have to use round pegs in square holes to fill the left-back void.

In other news, NUFC have made a huge offer to sign this ‘force of nature’