A defesa do Corinthians ainda não se acertou na temporada, mas Gil é um dos pontos positivos da equipe. O zagueiro não só vem se destacando em quesitos defensivos, como também ajudando o time no ataque.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansGiuliano revela metas para 2023, indica desejo em seguir no Corinthians e abre o jogo sobre futuro fora do futebolCorinthians28/02/2023CorinthiansCorinthians divulga informações de ingressos para estreia no Brasileirão Sub-20Corinthians28/02/2023CorinthiansZagueiro quer atuação ‘digna de Corinthians’ na estreia do Brasileirão Sub-20Corinthians28/02/2023
+ Renato Augusto é novamente o destaque do Corinthians; Giovane destoa contra o Santos
Contra o Santos, ele deu as assistências para os gols de Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes. Somando com o gol marcado diante do Palmeiras, são três participações em gols do Timão com apenas nove jogos no ano.
+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!
Assim, só na fase de grupos do Paulistão, o veterano de 35 anos já igualou sua marca de participações em gols dos últimos dois anos. Em 2021, ele marcou um gol e deu uma assistência. Já no ano passado foram dois gols e uma assistência.
Vale lembrar que o gol no Dérbi o colocou como o sétimo jogador da sua posição que mais marcou pelo Time do Povo.
+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Campeonato Paulista
Na atual temporada, Gil é o zagueiro com mais minutos disputados entre todos do elenco, 810. Segundo o SofaScore, ele tem 91% de acerto nos passes e só cometeu quatro faltas em todo o Paulistão.
Já classificados para a final do Carioca, Flamengo e Fluminense dependem de definição oficial da Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Ferj) com relação às datas. No entanto, além de alinhar com os detentores dos direitos de transmissão, a entidade ganhou mais uma questão: os possíveis conflitos de interesses com a estreia da Libertadores.
+Conselheiros do Flamengo articulam extensão de mandato presidencial; Landim admite ‘conversas superficiais’
01 e 02 (ida) e 08 e 09 de abril (volta) são os dias reservados pela Ferj para realizar a final do Estadual. Por serem dois dos melhores times do Brasil, contudo, Flamengo e Fluminense estarão na Libertadores e vão estrear entre os dois jogos, nos possíveis 04 (terça), 05 (quarta) e 06 (quinta).
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ENTENDA A SITUAÇÃO DAS DATAS
01 e 02 de abril – 1º jogo da final do Carioca 04, 05 e 06 de abril – Possível estreia na Libertadores 08 e 09 de abril – 2º jogo da final do Carioca
Além de alinhar a melhor data possível para Flamengo e Fluminense, a Ferj também precisa atender os interesses da Band TV, detentora dos direitos de transmissão. Os domingos (02 e 09) são as datas preferidas da emissora, embora o horário ainda não esteja 100%. O canal tem adotado às 18h (de Brasília) como preferido ao longo do Carioca.
+Dependência? Cano vive fase artilheira no Fluminense, mas restante do time destoa
Flamengo e Fluminense chegaram à final após derrotarem Vasco e Volta Redonda, respectivamente. Enquanto o Rubro-Negro teve mais dificuldades (6 a 3 no agregado), o Tricolor atropelou o Voltaço com 8 a 2 no placar global.
*Atualização: após a publicação da nota, a Ferj definiu as datas da decisão. Houve uma mudança para abrigar todas as possibilidades de estreias na Libertadores. O primeiro duelo será no sábado (01), se protegendo de jogos na terça (04), enquanto a volta acontecerá no domingo (09), se protegendo de jogos na quinta (06). De acordo com a entidade, a decisão foi tomada em conjunto pelos clubes.
O Água Santa está preparado para a final contra o Palmeiras, pelo Paulistão. Após 12 dias desde a semifinal, o executivo de futebol, Júlio Rondinelli, juntamente com a diretoria do clube, entenderam a situação jurídica dos atletas e, respaldados pela CBF e FPF, vão contar com o time completo para os dois jogos da decisão.
+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro
Após classificar para final de forma inédita, o Netuno teve a frente a notícia que os contratos da maioria dos atletas terminariam antes do segundo jogo da final. Dessa forma, a diretoria correu atrás para conseguir a liberação, sem atrapalhar os atletas, que vão buscar novos clubes após o final do campeonato, já que o Água Santa não tem mais calendário no resto do ano.
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– Chegamos a final, um feito histórico, e desde o primeiro momento em que vimos a situação, fomos atrás para entender a melhor forma, com que não fossemos prejudicados, mas ao mesmo tempo, não prejudicarmos os atletas. Depois de conversar com a CBF e FPF, tivemos um respaldo jurídico de que, mesmo com a janela fechada após o segundo jogo, nossos atletas não vão ter problemas para assinar com outros clubes – explicou Júlio Rondinelli.
Com campanha histórica, o Água Santa chegou pela primeira vez nas quartas de final, semi e na final. Em sua terceira participação na elite do futebol paulista, o Netuno deixou para trás São Paulo e Red Bull Bragantino, clubes da Série A do Brasileiro.
+Recordista em finais pelo Palmeiras, Rony prega concentração para chegar ao título: ‘Decidido nos detalhes’
– É gratificante, é mais do que a concretização de um trabalho bem feito. Fomos de objetivo em objetivo, o primeiro era se manter na elite e com uma grande campanha conseguimos com tranquilidade. O segundo era a classificação, também bem concretizado. A partir das quartas, era se preparar bem e surpreender os adversários, e conseguimos, deixamos dois grandes clubes para trás e realizamos esse sonho de chegar a final. Não tem preço, estamos muito felizes, mas queremos mais – comemorou Júlio.
Na primeira fase, um jogo disputado, terminou com a vitória do Palmeiras por 1 x 0, em jogo disputado em Diadema. Para Júlio Rondinelli, agora é uma nova fase e o Netuno está se preparando para surpreender de novo.
– Na primeira fase, fizemos um grande jogo contra o Palmeiras, mas infelizmente saímos com a derrota. Agora é uma nova fase, é final, são dois jogos da vida para nós e estamos nos preparando desde a semifinal, são 12 dias focados totalmente no nosso adversário. Tenho certeza que o elenco está preparado e que vamos dar muito trabalho – disse o executivo.
+Palmeiras encerra preparação para enfrentar o Água Santa na final do Paulistão; veja provável time
O primeiro jogo da decisão do Paulistão, entre Água Santa e Palmeiras, acontece no domingo, 2, às 16h, na Arena Barueri. O Netuno chegou pela primeira vez na final e busca seu primeiro título da competição em sua história.
Kings still waiting for medical clearance from ECB as England batter recovers from freak leg injury
Matt Roller and Nagraj Gollapudi11-Mar-2023
Jonny Bairstow was retained by Punjab Kings ahead of the upcoming season•BCCI
Will Jonny Bairstow be fit to play the IPL? Punjab Kings are waiting anxiously for an answer to that question, with the IPL getting underway in about three weeks. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Kings are waiting for medical clearance from ECB on Bairstow, who is recovering from the freak leg injury he suffered last September.
Bairstow broke his left leg and dislocated his ankle on September 2, days before the third and final Test of England’s home series against South Africa. He slipped while playing golf with friends in Yorkshire, suffering multiple fractures in his fibula, which required a plate to be inserted when he underwent surgery in London a few days later, and also sustained ligament damage.He has since missed all the cricket England have played, including the T20 World Cup where he was meant to open with his captain Jos Buttler. He has also missed tours to Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh, as well as the ILT20 where he was due to play for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.The ECB’s timeline had previously suggested that Bairstow could make his return at the IPL, which starts on March 31. Bairstow has been in constant touch with Kings’ medical staff, who are believed to be optimistic about his progress.However, the franchise needs definitive clearance from the ECB, and is waiting to hear if Bairstow will be fully or partially available for IPL, as well as what sort of workload he can handle. While Kings await confirmation from the ECB, they have shortlisted a handful of possible replacements, but have not yet finalised a player.Bairstow recently started running again for the first time, posting a video on his Instagram page on February 27 showing him completing some 30-second intervals on a running track. He is understood to be progressing as planned. At this stage, his participation in the Ashes – which starts at Edgbaston on June 16 – is not in doubt.The injury snapped a spectacular run of form in Test cricket for Bairstow: in ten Tests in 2022, he had scored 1061 runs, and was the leading scorer in the format. He still ended 2022 fourth on that list, and had the most centuries for the calendar year, with six.Kings retained Bairstow this season, having bought him at the 2022 mega auction for INR 6.75 crore (US$ 825,000 approx.). Last year, he scored 253 runs in 11 innings, averaging 23 with a strike rate of 144.57, with two half-centuries.Bairstow is one of three England players at Kings, with Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran. Livingstone, who is on track to return from his own knee injury at the IPL, was retained after impressing in 2022, while Kings made Curran the costliest buy in IPL history, paying INR 18.50 crore (US$ 2.256 million approx.) at the latest auction in December.
An exemplary fielding performance and a perfectly executed 19th over help Australia eke out a narrow win
Valkerie Baynes24-Feb-20232:45
Baynes: Australia’s death bowling the difference
India needed 18 runs off nine balls when Ellyse Perry sprinted to her right from deep-backward square leg, threw herself into the air and flicked the ball back before tumbling over the boundary rope to save two runs. That moment epitomised what makes Australia tick. Every piece of effort is given at 100% and forms part of the whole juggernaut, which even when pushed by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final prevails by five runs.At the time, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen – who hadn’t played since their opening match as Australia opted for legspinner Alana King for the next three games – was in the middle of executing the perfect 19th over, conceding just four runs when India needed 20 from 12 balls, and pegging Sneh Rana’s leg stump back with the last ball.With India left to get 16 off the last over, the eventual Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner gave away only ten and claimed her second wicket as Perry again held her nerve and settled under a skier, by Radha Yadav, at long-on to allow Australia to snatch a berth in their seventh successive T20 World Cup final.Related
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After the win, Gardner said the victory ranked “pretty high” on Australia’s unmatched list of triumphs.”I think at the ten-over mark in India’s batting innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that just shows our character within our side and that’s why the best teams win in those types of positions,” she said.”What we speak about is when our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way, and today we probably had no right to win at one point there. They were cruising and then we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.”It was similar to last year’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal match, which Australia had won by nine runs. That, combined with Thursday’s performance at Newlands, suggests the gap might be closing somewhat compared to the 85-run thumping they had dished out to India in the final of the T20 World Cup back in 2020.India, on the other hand, squandered their chances with crucial drops of Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning, Australia’s two biggest run-scorers on this occasion, as well as leaking runs through numerous misfields and overthrows.”We showed our class today in the field and we always speak about as a group being the best fielding team in the world, and I think today really showed that,” Gardner said. “Ellyse Perry was elite on the boundary. Whether it’s dropped catches, [or] missed opportunities in the field, those ultimately add up to quite a lot of runs and I think we took those moments when we really needed to.Player-of-the-Match Gardner contributed 31 off 18 balls with the bat and followed that with two wickets•ICC/Getty Images
“I certainly think Pez is probably the blueprint for our side going forward – certainly on the boundary. At the end of the day, that could have been the difference between us and them.”Gardner, who had also contributed an excellent 31 off 18 balls with the bat, revealed it was no accident that Australia are so strong in the field.”We have KPIs and there are markers that show us whether we’re positive or negative in the field,” she said. “So there’s a pretty clear indication of how we’ve fielded. We just know how to push each other. In our training sessions, there are always really high-pressure situations, and as athletes, we all push each other – whether it’s on the field or off the field, whether it’s in the gym, running.”That’s something we really pride ourselves on is being fit, being strong, and ultimately that’s one of the things that has an impact in the field.”India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who overcame illness to put her side in a winning position before being run out when her bat got stuck in the pitch, acknowledged that the difference in fielding was the key.”The Australian side, they always field very well; and from our side, we made some mistakes,” Harmanpreet said. “But again, we have to just learn [from] whatever mistakes we have made. But obviously, the Australian side is better than us. They always field well, and today also, after I got out, their body language completely changed. The way they stopped two-three boundaries, that also made a huge difference.”Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s second-highest run-scorer on the day, agreed: “When you lose, you always find a lot of reasons. You can blame anything… but yeah, that is one aspect. As an Indian team, we know that we need to improve our fielding and our running between wickets. Today the running between was really good but I think there’s so much to learn from.”Gardner, Jonassen and Mooney all said that competing under pressure in franchise tournaments such as their own WBBL and England’s much-newer Hundred had contributed to Australia’s strength, which is encouraging for India ahead of their inaugural WPL season, which starts next month.”It probably comes back to the exposure of those sorts of situations,” Jonassen said. “Having such a quality domestic set-up, having the WBBL, having some of the best international players coming over every year – that plays a significant part. Then we’re almost primed for those same situations on the international stage.”We’ve had a few young players making debuts in different formats this season as well that have come from those competitions, and we’re always looking to try and improve, and try and push each other to that next level and try and get the most out of each and every person because ultimately we know if we can gain an extra one or two percent individually, then the team’s collectively going to be better off.”And such is Australia’s depth that Jonassen jokingly revealed her disbelief when head coach Shelley Nitschke told her after training on match eve that she was back in the side.”I had to get her to repeat it because I had walked about ten laps after training yesterday, sort of getting my head around how I would mentally deal with if I missed out again,” Jonassen said. “I’ve got my partner and my mum who have flown over, so I was pretty disappointed up until today that I wasn’t able to play a game in front of them. Hopefully one more and it’s another successful one.”One more will mean a contest for the trophy against either hosts South Africa or England. Besides India at this World Cup, only England have looked capable of threatening Australia. Whoever it is will need to do more than just threaten, as India found out.
First-season finalists Gulf Giants and Desert Vipers, as well as MI Emirates have retained bulk of their players
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2023
Gulf Giants are the defending champions at the ILT20•ILT20
Gulf Giants, the champions in the inaugural edition of the ILT20 in 2023, and Desert Vipers, the runners-up, have retained the bulk of their players for the second season, starting January 13, 2024. MI Emirates have done the same, while the bottom three from the first season – Dubai Capitals, Sharjah Warriors and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – have opened up a lot of space in their line-ups.Among the big names to be absent from the list of retained players are Moeen Ali (Warriors last year) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Capitals last year), who have both moved to the SA20, which will run concurrently with the ILT20, with the BBL and Bangladesh Premier League also on at the same time.”We have decided to retain 11 players, while keeping our backend team intact. We firmly believe in the power of continuity and stability, allowing our players to build upon their previous success,” Andy Flower, the Giants head coach, said in a statement. “However, we also recognize the need for evolution and improvement.”To maintain our winning mentality, we will carefully evaluate the performance and fitness of the retained players, ensuring they are still the best fit for our team. Simultaneously, we will actively scout for new talent, seeking individuals who can bring fresh skills and perspectives to the squad. This healthy competition will drive the retained players to continually raise their game.”Tom Moody, the Vipers director of cricket, said, “One of the main objectives in the retention process for 2024 was to retain a strong core of players that helped us reach the final in 2023 in the inaugural year of the ILT20.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“It is always difficult during retention time because ideally you would like to keep all our players from the previous year, but we thought it was important to make sure we had flexibility post the retention deadline for new signings, to continue to grow the squad and develop the squad for bigger and better things moving forward.”There is no change in the maximum total salary cap for the second season, which remains at US$ 2.5 million, with a minimum spend of US$ 1.5 million.The teams – which can have a maximum of 22 and minimum of 18 players in their rosters – can start signing new players right away with the window for overseas players closing on July 31. “There was no restriction on the number of retentions for international players while the franchises could only retain a maximum of two UAE players,” a press statement from the league said.Moeen and Rajapaksa aside, most of the prominent names who were part of the action in the first season have been retained. This list includes Alex Hales, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sikandar Raza, Rovman Powell, Chris Jordan, James Vince, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult and Chris Woakes.ICC to discuss cap on overseas players at T20 leaguesThe ILT20, played under the Emirates Cricket Board, allows the most number of overseas players – nine – in the playing XIs alongside two local (UAE) players. A total of 12 overseas players are allowed in the squads, and they are signed directly by the six franchises.The norm at T20 leagues has been to allow four overseas players in playing XIs. Apart from the ILT20, there are two other leagues that allow more: the CPL (five) and Major League Cricket (six), which will start in the USA on July 13.However, some of the Full Member nations have objected to this player drain caused by the exponential growth of T20 leagues, some of them running parallelly. Examples of players opting out of central contracts with their national cricket boards to be part of these lucrative leagues are many.In response, an ICC working group has recommended no more than four overseas players, including retired internationals, in a playing XI in T20 leagues. That recommendation is a key item at the ICC’s annual general meeting, which began on Monday in Durban. The recommendation will be debated at the ICC’s chief executives’ committee initially before it is taken up by the ICC Board, which will meet on Thursday.Full list of retained and released playersAbu Dhabi Knight RidersRetained: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange, Matiullah Khan Released: Brandon King, Colin Ingram, Connor Esterhuizen, Kennar Lewis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Fahad Nawaz, Raymon Reifer, Paul Stirling, Brandon Glover, Akeal Hosein, Lahiru Kumara, Ravi Rampaul, Zawar FaridDesert VipersRetained: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran, Wanindu Hasaranga Released: Sam Billings, Adam Lyth, Benny Howell, Ronak Panoly, Jake Lintott, Tymal Mills, Shiraz Ahmed, Ruben Trumpelmann, Mark WattDubai CapitalsRetained: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Akif Raja, Rovman Powell, Sikandar Raza Released: Chirag Suri, Niroshan Dickwella, Hazratullah Zazai, Dan Lawrence, George Munsey, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Robin Uthappa, Fabian Allen, Ravi Bopara, Chamika Karunaratne, Yusuf Pathan, Dasun Shanaka, Isuru Udana, Hazrat Luqman, Fred Klaassen, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jash Giyanani, Ollie WhiteGulf GiantsRetained: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer Released: Tom Banton, Ollie Pope, C Rizwan, Ashwanth Valthapa, Liam Dawson, Dominic Drakes, David Wiese, Qais Ahmad, Tom HelmMI EmiratesRetained: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed, Zahoor Khan Released: Vriitya Aravind, Basil Hameed, Najibullah Zadran, Lorcan Tucker, Bas de Leede, Tom Lammonby, Craig Overton, Samit Patel, Imran Tahir, Brad Wheal, Zahir KhanSharjah WarriorsRetained: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah, Tom Kohler-Cadmore Released: Chris Benjamin, Evin Lewis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dawid Malan, Alishan Sharafu, Moeen Ali, Marcus Stoinis, Mohammab Nabi, Paul Walter, Karthik Meiyappan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Bilal Khan, Jamal Todd
They play Bangladesh over five matches starting on May 3
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2024
Zimbabwe took the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in January to a decider, but were unable to win it•AFP/Getty Images
Johnathan Campbell, the son of former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell, is in line to make his international debut after being picked for the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting on May 3.Campbell, 26, is a legspin-bowling allrounder who was part of the country’s emerging team which won the gold medal at the 13th African Games in March 2024. He scored 115 runs from four innings at a strike rate of 126.37 but wasn’t needed to bowl all that much. He did pick up a wicket though, from a total of two overs.Two of Campbell’s team-mates, Clive Madande and Brian Bennett, had already represented Zimbabwe at senior level by the time of the African Games and have retained their place for this tour. Sikandar Raza continues to captain the squad and can draw on the experience of players like Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani.Top-order batter Tadiwanashe Marumani and allrounder Faraz Akram have been recalled to the side after missing the T20Is in Sri Lanka, which Zimbabwe lost 1-2. They will begin the campaign against Bangladesh in Chattogram, which will host the first three games on May 3, 5 and 7 before moving to Dhaka for final two on May 10 and 12.Zimbabwe T20I squad: Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Johnathan Campbell, Craig Ervine, Joylord Gumbie (wk), Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande (wk), Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Ainsley Ndlovu, Richard Ngarava, Sean Williams In: Jonathan Campbell, Tadiwanashe Marumani and allrounder Faraz Akram Out: Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Milton Shumba, Carl Mumba and Tony Munyonga
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been dealt an injury blow, as it has been revealed that a “difference maker” in his squad will be out for “weeks”.
Bukayo Saka returns in boost for Arsenal
Star winger Bukayo Saka had been sidelined since December with a hamstring injury, but in a major boost for Arteta, the England international has returned to the fold and just in time for their looming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
Arsenal now planning to offer £50m for "incredible" Mbappe-esque striker
The Gunners have set their sights on a new forward.
ByDominic Lund Apr 1, 2025
A good run in Europe is Arsenal’s only chance to make anything of this otherwise disappointing campaign overall, with the Gunners all but out of the Premier League title race as Liverpool seize a huge gap at the top of the table.
Saka, who’s racked up an incredible nine goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the north Londoners this season, despite missing many games lately, will provide a serious injection of threat on the right-hand side and give Arsenal a much greater chance of getting past Real.
“Bukayo is ready to go,” said Arteta in Arsenal’s pre-match press conference before Fulham.
“All the careful things he’s already done. So now it’s about putting him in the grass in the right moments. But he’s pushing because he really wants it. We have respected the timeframe, we have done everything and we have had to hold him back even. So he’s ready to go.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games
Date
Fulham (home)
April 1st
Everton (away)
April 5th
Brentford (home)
April 12th
Ipswich Town (away)
April 20th
Crystal Palace (home)
April 26th
“It’s another massive weapon that we have with him. We know the impact that he’s had on the team and how important his role and his contribution are to our success. So it’s great to have him back.”
The £195,000-per-week star’s return also helps to mitigate the losses of fellow attackers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, who are both out of action with long-term injuries.
Havertz will miss the remainder of 2024/2025 after a hamstring injury, while some reports suggest Arsenal won’t have Jesus back until 2026.
Riccardo Calafori out for "weeks" after Arsenal injury update
Unfortunately for Arteta, amid Saka’s comeback, there is some bad news regarding defender Riccardo Calafiori.
The centre-back picked up an injury on international duty with Italy, and it is now expected that Calafiori will be out for “weeks” at Arsenal. Sharing an update, Arteta also suggests it could be longer, although he’s hoping that won’t be the case.
“Riccardo, unfortunately, picked up an injury again with the national team,” said Arteta.
“It was really unfortunate the way it happened, but it could have been much worse, so hopefully it’s going to be a matter of weeks. But we’ll have to see how that injury evolves.
“They’re two injuries that were picked up with the national team. One, it was a kick, and the other one is a really bad turn, twist when he slips with the surface. And the other one, it was muscle. But the main two injuries that he had, the was very little he could do, so very unfortunate.”
The £42m signing from Bologna last summer has proved very useful for Arteta when fit and available, with Football Analyst Ben Mattinson even calling him a “difference maker” in attack at times.
Over 26 appearances in all competitions, Calafiori has helped to provide quality at both left-back and centre-back, but Arteta will be hoping he’s a bit more lucky next season when it comes to availability.
Celtic made a bold decision in the January transfer window when Rennes came knocking to sign their star striker Kyogo Furuhashi on a permanent deal.
The Japan international had scored 85 goals and provided 19 assists in 185 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, including an incredible return of 34 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.
Despite his fantastic record for the club, Celtic agreed to sell the Japanese centre-forward for a reported fee of £10m to the French side, leaving Adam Idah as the team’s only natural number nine.
Instead of dipping into the market before the end of the January transfer window, Brendan Rodgers opted to put his faith in Daizen Maeda as a striker, saving the club millions on a new signing.
The Japanese forward has stepped up to be the alternative to Idah up front, whilst also still being an option on the flanks when needed, and has been a star for the Hoops with his goals this season.
Why Daizen Maeda is Celtic's most important player
The Celtic star, who was described as “electric” by John Collins, is the team’s most important player because of the quality he can provide in front of goal, as well as his incredible work rate out of possession.
Last season, Rodgers claimed that the forward “has the work rate of two players” and this speaks to how important he is to the side off the ball, as the versatile attacker can constantly close down opposition defenders and midfielders when they have the ball to win it back for the Hoops.
The 27-year-old attacker has also been the biggest threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants, with 30 goals and nine assists in 44 matches in all competitions.
He has scored at least 12 more goals than any of his teammates, with Nicolas Kuhn in second with 18, and has been directly involved in at least seven more goals than any other player in the squad, with Kuhn in second again with 32 goal contributions.
24/25 Premiership
Daizen Maeda
Appearances (starts)
29 (25)
Goals
15
Big chances missed
15
Conversion rate
30%
Key passes per game
1.2
Big chances created
8
Assists
7
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Maeda has provided a constant threat in the final third in the Scottish Premiership, with 23 goals and assists in 25 starts.
These statistics illustrate how important the Japan international is to Rodgers’ side with his contributions at the top end of the pitch, which is why he is the most important player in the squad when you couple that with the work he does off the ball to help out defensively.
Despite his importance to the side and his sensational performances on the pitch in all competitions this season, Maeda is not currently in the top three earners at Parkhead.
The top ten earners at Celtic
Per Salary Sport, Kyogo was in the top three with £19k-per-week before his £10m transfer to Rennes was completed in January, whilst Maeda is currently on £18k-per-week.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor are reportedly the two highest-earning stars at Parkhead on £37k-per-week, significantly more than the Japan international’s £18k-per-week.
Top ten Celtic earners
24/25 season
Weekly wage
Cameron Carter-Vickers
£37k
Callum McGregor
£37k
James Forrest
£19k
Daizen Maeda
£18k
Alistair Johnston
£16k
Reo Hatate
£16k
Arne Engels
£16k
Adam Idah
£16k
Luis Palma
£16k
Greg Taylor
£15k
Wages via Salary Sport
As you can see in the table above, Maeda is currently fourth in the wage bill, still ahead of the likes of Reo Hatate, Arne Engels, and Alistair Johnston, and is behind James Forrest.
The long-serving academy graduate is reportedly on a wage of £19k-per-week, earning more than a handful of first-team stars, despite being a squad player, at best, this season.
Celtic winger James Forrest.
With this in mind, Rodgers must consider ruthlessly axing the Scottish forward from the squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, as there could be a better use for the money they are spending on his wages.
Why Celtic should move on from James Forrest
The 33-year-old winger is heading into the final year of his current contract at Parkhead and it may be best for the club to either move him on permanently or to send him out on loan for the season to go and play regular football, recouping a percentage of his wages for the campaign in the process.
Forrest has not done enough on the pitch in the current term to justify being one of the top three earners at the club, or to justify a regular place in the team in the 2025/26 campaign, which is to be expected at his age.
Celtic winger James Forrest.
The experienced dud showed signs of life in the 2023/24 season, with a very respectable return of seven goals in 28 appearances in all competitions, but he has failed to deliver on the pitch this year.
Forrest cost his side in the 1-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-table St. Johnstone last weekend when he failed to beat the goalkeeper from close range after Adam Idah put the ball on a plate for him in the middle of the box, with Celtic losing 1-0 at the time.
James Forrest (Premiership)
23/24
24/25
Appearances
22
17
Goals
6
0
Big chances missed
6
3
Conversion rate
16%
0%
Big chances created
3
3
Assists
1
4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish forward has not scored a single goal in the Premiership this season, despite having three ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net.
In fact, Forrest has not scored a single goal in 25 appearances in all competitions this term. The likes of Greg Taylor, Auston Trusty, Jeffrey Schlupp, and Alistair Johnston – who all play in defence – have outscored him by scoring once in all competitions.
Celtic winger James Forrest warms up with Kyogo Furuhashi.
This illustrates just how poor the experienced winger has been in front of goal, which was on full display when he missed a chance to draw Celtic level at the weekend.
There is no doubt that Forrest has been an excellent servant for the club, scoring 109 goals in 520 matches to date, but his form this season suggests that this summer would be the right time to ruthlessly ditch him, whether permanently or on loan, due to his high wages compared to other players who play week-in-week-out and contribute more in the final third.
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When you consider that Maeda has scored 30 goals in all competitions, playing in a similar position, and reportedly earns less than him, it seems to be the right call to move on from Forrest this summer.
Four wins on the trot in the Premier League – the last of which came resoundingly against Manchester United – have put Newcastle United in a strong position as they look to return to the Champions League.
Winning at home against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening would certainly help to consolidate their position, one point behind third-place Nottingham Forest while holding a game in hand.
The chance to make it count has arrived, but Oliver Glasner’s Palace have been in fine fettle of late and boast a box of dangers that Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones – Eddie Howe is absent, recuperating from pneumonia – will need to ensure do not spring a trap at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle – Recent Record vs Crystal Palace
Season
Competition
Result
24/25
Premier League (A)
0-0 draw
23/24
Premier League (A)
2-0 loss
23/24
Premier League (H)
4-0 win
22/23
Premier League (A)
0-0 draw
22/23
Carabao Cup (H)
0-0 (3-2 p.) win
Stats via Transfermarkt
Four of the past 14 meetings between the two sides in all competitions have been goalless draws, but with such impressive attacking armouries, you feel that this evening-lit fixture could bring the fireworks.
Newcastle team news pre-Crystal Palace
Centre-backs Jamal Lascelles and Sven Botman are still sidelined, with left-back Lewis Hall also not expected back before the end of the season.
Newcastle defender Sven Botman.
Tindall is unlikely to make sweeping changes to the team that thrashed the Red Devils on Sunday, but one or two tweaks could be enforced.
Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali should reprise their places in midfield, arguably the finest central trio in the Premier League right now.
However, despite his recent purple patch, there might be just cause for Harvey Barnes to return to the bench for this one. Here’s why.
Why Tindall should drop Harvey Barnes
Barnes put on a second-half clinic to thwart Man United and take his haul, impressively, to eight goals and three assists from just ten Premier League starts this season.
With three in his past two, the 27-year-old is riding the crest of a wave, his clinical edge coming up trumps with Alexander Isak four top-flight games without a goal and Anthony Gordon only returning off the bench on Sunday after his red card suspension.
However, Gordon is now back and offers a more dynamic threat. Given the Eagles’ shakiness during their 5-2 thrashing by Man City at the weekend, Gordon’s multi-skilled approach could be the best way to funnel through to Isak while upholding a balanced attacking threat.
Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore
Jacob Murphy, on that note, is effectively undroppable on the right. So consistent. So cool. So collected.
Anthony Gordon celebrates for Newcastle
With a return of nine goals and seven assists across all competitions this season, Gordon knows he could do better in that regard. But the England international brings so much more than direct goal involvements.
As per Sofascore, he’s averaged 1.9 key passes and won 4.7 duels per Premier League game this term, making good on the self-said proclamation that he’s a “nightmare for anyone” he plays against.
With this extra match wedged into Newcastle’s run-in, shuffling the pack would be a good way to keep things fresh and maintain form. Saturday evening, after all, brings an away trip to CL-chasing rivals Aston Villa.
Gordon has been an immense part of the Magpies’ rise, and while Palace’s Eagles are flying high themselves, adding Gordon to the starting line-up would be the perfect way to overwhelm a backline that has shown its chinks in recent games.
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