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South Africa’s captain has admitted that the early exit from the World Cup will tarnish the legacy of some of the senior players in the squad

Osman Samiuddin at Lord's23-Jun-2019South Africa’s exit from the World Cup will go down as the lowest point in Faf du Plessis’ career as captain. South Africa have lost their fifth game out of seven at this World Cup, to Pakistan at Lord’s, leaving them above only Afghanistan – the only side they have beaten – in the points table.It is the first time they’ve failed to make it past the first round of a World Cup since the disastrous 2003 campaign, and even then they went into their final game knowing a win would see them through. In 2019, they will play their last two matches knowing they don’t matter. Embarrassing, a resigned-looking du Plessis said, after a 49-run loss to opponents who had come in with plenty of their own issues.”Yes, definitely [it is the lowest point]. I’m a very proud player and captain, and playing for South Africa means a lot for me, and the fact that the results we’re dishing out at the moment – you know, it’s really, really tough, and borderline… today, it’s a little bit embarrassing. We’re trying but it’s just not good enough. Obviously I’m human as well, so it will keep chipping at me.”It’s important that the coach, myself, the senior players, are the guys that needs to front up to this challenge. That’s when your players need you the most. So right now, I need to be there for the other players as well.”The patterns that have emerged over the course of this bedraggled campaign were maintained at Lord’s. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi began poorly and so the rest were catching up; the top order got starts but didn’t move on, and thereafter the batting felt thin; most notably, the fielding was again ragged, far, far short of the very highest standards South Africa have traditionally set.Du Plessis didn’t think Lord’s was the worst performance South Africa have put in, but by now, given the run of results that preceded it, felt it must rank among the most frustrating.Faf du Plessis looks up after edging one off Mohammad Amir to Sarfaraz Khan•Getty Images”You know, I feel we keep making the same mistakes over and over again,” he said. “Probably started off with the bowling. Our bowling has been the one thing that’s been working this tournament, and today, a well-below-par performance, probably bar Immy [Imran Tahir], who was exceptional once again.”But the rest of the guys, probably, you know, five-out-of-ten performance with the ball, 30 runs too many [given away] and the same thing with the bat once again. We’re starting our innings losing wickets again and then we build something nicely, get a partnership going, and then wicket and then wicket.”This World Cup will mark the end of at least two South African careers – both Tahir and JP Duminy will go once the tournament is done. But talk about white-ball futures will now hound the likes of du Plessis himself, Hashim Amla, and Dale Steyn, whose return home with a shoulder injury was one of the early markers in how badly this tournament was going to go for South Africa.It will, du Plessis was open enough to admit, tarnish the legacy of some of the senior players in the squad.”Yeah, I’d be lying if I say no. I think, as I said, as a player, I’m very proud. But I’ve always said that my most enjoyment that I get from the game playing for South Africa is captaining the side. The fact that we are really underperforming, as I said, chips away at me, as well. It’s really important for me.”I love captaining this team, and the fact that we are playing way, way below our potential is not something that sits with me well. There’s too much pride for me, and that’s why – I mean, I’m trying as much as I can, but unfortunately not everything is in my hands. You know, if I could, I would get my wand out and get some runs on the table for our batters, but I can’t, unfortunately.”So it is a challenge, and my character is one that will try and fix as many problems as I can and try and control the areas that I can, but unfortunately, I can’t control everything.”

County hope that Matt Renshaw’s desire to impress ahead of Ashes will help fill batting void during IPL

Valkerie Baynes at Canterbury18-Mar-2019Heino Kuhn has been named interim captain of Kent and Daniel Bell-Drummond interim vice-captain while regular team leaders Sam Billings and Joe Denly play in the IPL.Kuhn, 34, joined Kent last season on a Kolpak deal and played an important part in the county’s promotion to Division One, scoring 780 runs in the campaign, including six half-centuries and a best of 96 not out in a successful run-chase against Leicestershire. Prior to that, he played four Tests for South Africa in 2017 and seven T20Is from 2009-2017.Kent head coach Matt Walker said the temporarily vacant captaincy role had raised debate among backroom staff torn between choosing an experienced candidate or giving a younger player the opportunity to step up, but he was comfortable with the decision, especially as the appointment of 25-year-old Bell-Drummond satisfied the latter criteria.”Speaking to Heino, I wasn’t quite sure whether he was going to want to do it, having only been here for a year, but he was very much up for it felt very honoured to be asked,” Walker said. “He felt he’d got to know the guys very well last year.”It’s the obvious choice in many ways in terms of his experience, international quality, the boys respect him hugely, the way he goes about his day-to-day business as a professional cricketer everyone respects very highly, he’s a great example in lots of ways.”I don’t think it will raise any concerns amongst the group. We could have gone a bit more of a left-field route and really thrown someone the gauntlet for this small period but I think we’re in safer hands in that way with Heino.”Regular Kent captain Billings will play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, with vice-captain Denly Kolkata turning out for Kolkata Knight Riders. The tournament begins on Saturday and runs until May 5. Depending on whether both or either are selected for England’s World Cup campaign, starting on May 30, Kent’s interim captaincy arrangements could continue beyond the IPL.Kent have recruited Australian batsman Matt Renshaw for their first overseas player stint. He will play the first three County Championship matches and the Royal London Cup, after which time Kent will look to recruit a fast bowler for the remainder of the county season.Kent Director of Cricket Paul Downton said: “He’s played 11 Tests for Australia, he’s had a little bit of a dip in form but he’s fighting his way back into it. We expect him to be on the Australian A tour, he’d like to be on the Ashes tour, so I think he’ll be very keen and hungry for runs. He’s a left-hander, which in the top order looks very good. He’ll probably bat No.3 for us but he’ll give us some quality and class in the top order when you’re missing Joe and Sam.”Walker agreed that Renshaw’s desire to impress Australian selectors would be an asset.”When you sign younger players, someone who’s on the fringes of a Test selection, you have that hunger, you have that energy, he’ll fit into a very young dressing room as well,” Walker said. “We quite like that dynamic that we’ve got a hungry young player coming to really prove himself.”Walker said it was important for Kent to start the County season well, having returned to Division One for the first time in eight season this year.”If you can start with a bit of a flourish that really settles the nerves and gives people, I suppose, belief that we can live in this competition but it will be a challenge,” Walker said.”The message that we’re trying to get through to the lads this year is that it will be a challenge, however, we’re here to really compete, we’re here to win it, win the competition. Realistically can we do it? Well, we’ll find out, come the end of the season, I suspect. But we’re not going in to survive and we’re not going in to play safe cricket, we want to win games of cricket and show what we can do. I think we’ve got the squad to be able to do that.”

A CBS reporter has hinted that Tottenham could sign an "interesting" £25 million centre-back option next month as Ange Postecoglou seeks new defenders.

Spurs kickstart January transfer plans

As already shared by Postecoglou, Spurs are already "pushing hard" behind-the-scenes for new signings. The Australian told Standard Sport last week that he is eager to get players in through the door early, rather than wait till the latter stages of January.

Tottenham open "very ambitious" player talks after Aaron Ramsey praise

He’s performing brilliantly abroad.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 19, 2023

"It is challenging, [but] the reason [we want to do business early] is obviously where we're at injury-wise and the players we're going to miss," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's transfer policy.

"We've got some significant games in January and signing somebody late in the month could mean they haven't been able to make an impact in those games."

"We're pushing hard, but you need all parties to agree. Other clubs, particularly if it's players they want [to keep], will be wanting to hold on to them for as long as possible for their own reasons through January."

As widely reported, Spurs are prioritising the signing of a new centre-half in the winter – coming after an injury to Micky van de Ven and recent suspension for Cristian Romero exposed their real shortage in that area.

Tottenham have opened talks over signing Jean-Clair Todibo as one option, according to British media outlets like football.london, but that isn't to say there aren't alternatives to the Frenchman.

One player to be linked more sporadically is Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, for instance.

Suggestion Chalobah could join Tottenham

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on The Debrief this week, shared an update on the likelihood of him becoming a Postecoglou player. He suggested that Tottenham is a possible landing spot for Chalobah ahead of January, coming after Fabrizio Romano claimed he'll cost around £25m.

“Trevoh Chalobah will be an interesting name," said Jacobs.

"Bayern was his club of destination, but you might find a Premier League club come in. Nottingham Forest tried, but he wanted European football, at that point Spurs weren’t on the radar because they’d just signed Micky Van de Ven. He’s available on the market and probably at quite a good price as Chelsea want to resolve that one early in the window. Don’t be surprised if Tottenham pivot from this longer-term young centre-back to maybe a more proven Premier League player who can do a job until some of these other names come back."

While Mauricio Pochettino isn't believed to be Chalobah's biggest admirer, with the Englishman also suffering real injury problems this season, ex-Blues boss Graham Potter did publicly praise Chalobah as an "impressive" character.

"He wasn’t in for the first couple of games, but acted perfectly: trained really well, very professional, very determined. He’s an impressive character, very focused on his football," said Potter (via chelseafc.com).

"He’s a bit of a soldier. He’s played in all the games, we’re having some problems in terms of availability for players, but he’s stood up, stood in and he’s performing at a really good level."

Despite the overarching cloud of a ten-point deduction this season, Everton are performing quite well. The side are currently sitting 18th in the Premier League table but have picked up three wins and one draw in their last five outings.

Another victory away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening gained some valuable ground for the Toffees on those above them in the table, with Luton Town's defeat at home to Arsenal on Tuesday night meliorating Everton's pursuit of safety.

However, another big task awaits Sean Dyche and his players as high-flying Newcastle United come to town, having beaten Manchester United 1-0 last time out, although the scoreline flattered to deceive the Red Devils.

Despite Everton's win at the weekend, the manager could look to make a couple of changes to his starting lineup to prevent fatigue, with fixtures against Chelsea and Burnley on the near horizon.

Here is the side's predicted lineup ahead of the Magpies' visit to Goodison Park on Thursday night

1

GK – Jordan Pickford

Jordan Pickford has been the first name on Everton's teamsheet since joining the club back in 2017 and unless he picks up an unprecedented injury, it's highly unlikely that the goalkeeper will be dropped to the bench.

The England number one is in the top 11% of all goalkeepers in Europe's top-five leagues for post-shot expected goals per shot on target which is a metric used to indicate how likely a keeper is to save a shot on goal and so there's little chance Pickford isn't given the nod for this match.

2

RB – Seamus Coleman

Seamus Coleman has yet to play a single minute for Everton this season, having picked up a knee ligament injury away at Leicester City in the previous campaign. However, the captain was on the bench for the Toffees' defeat at home to Manchester United a fortnight ago and the team's victory at the City Ground on Saturday.

Ashley Young has primarily been Dyche's first choice at right-back, but with games coming thick and fast, the £55k-per-week earner will need to have some rest if he is to continue to feature regularly. Coleman will be champing at the bit to get back out on the grass and this could be the perfect opportunity to get some minutes under his belt.

3

CB – James Tarkowski

James Tarkowski was superb at the weekend and managed to make nine clearances, one interception and seven ball recoveries while also playing seven passes into the final third and winning 80% of his aerial duels.

The ex-Burnley defender has been the captain in Coleman's absence which has certainly been deserved as he is Everton's highest-rated performer this season with a 7.29 average, according to Sofascore. Tarkowski will likely keep his place in the starting lineup against Newcastle.

4

CB – Jarrad Branthwaite

Tarkowski was not alone in the heart of the defence in keeping Nottingham Forest out on Saturday. His defensive partner Jarrad Branthwaite was just as instrumental in preventing the ball from going past Pickford in goal and earned praise this season from the likes of Premier League legend Alan Shearer, who called him a "magnificent" defender.

3 players Everton could sign if Branthwaite leaves including £22m wonderkid

Everton could lose their breakthrough centre-back star to a new club soon, with targets being drafted up in case he does depart.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 18, 2023

Branthwaite won 100% of his ground duels and 67% of his aerial duels and made six ball recoveries, six clearances and one interception. Dyche won't want to upset the apple cart by dropping either of his resilient centre-backs.

5

LB – Vitaliy Mykolenko

Vitaliy Mykolenko has been a solid performer at left-back this season and was one of Everton's best performers against Forest last week, earning a Sofascore rating of 7.1. The Ukrainian fullback also made nine defensive actions, two interceptions and seven ball recoveries, while winning 100% of his aerial duels.

Mykolenko has plenty of gas left in the tank to play once more in midweek and will likely keep his place in the starting eleven.

6

RM – Jack Harrison

Despite a solid defensive display at the City Ground, Jack Harrison was one of Everton's worst performers. The Liverpool Echo handed the loanee a 6/10 rating, explaining that the winger "laboured for long periods" of the game. No Everton player received a lower score from the outlet.

Nevertheless, Harrison still recorded an assist for the winning goal to clinch a valuable three points, putting him top of Everton's leaderboard for assists which may have let him live to fight another day in the lineup.

7

DM – Idrissa Gueye

It's difficult to tell at times that Idrissa Gueye is 34 given the energy he brings in the middle of the park. The Senegal international was tremendous at the weekend, making eight ball recoveries and 11 defensive actions during the match. Additionally, Gueye played three balls into the final third and created one chance, showing a creative side to his game as well.

With Amadou Onana still being assessed ahead of kick-off, Gueye will potentially keep his spot in the team once more.

8

DM – James Garner

No player had a higher match rating than James Garner on Saturday evening with 7.6. The former Manchester United man was scintillating in the midfield, defensively and offensively, recording 12 defensive actions, 13 ball recoveries and three interceptions on top of playing nine passes into the final third.

Once called "superb" by Roy Keane during his loan spell with Nottingham Forest two seasons ago, Garner is finally starting to prove he was worth the £15.5m Everton paid for him last year and will likely start alongside Gueye in the midfield again.

9

LM – Dwight McNeil

Dwight McNeil was the man who earned all three points against Forest, with his second-half goal clawing Everton closer to safety. McNeil alone boasted one-third of his side's total 0.67 xG during the game so perhaps it wasn't too much of a surprise that he came up with the winner.

The winger has struggled in recent weeks but showed the fans why Dyche has been persistent with starting him on the left which will continue on Thursday night.

10

AM – Abdoulaye Doucoure

Having initially been brought to Everton as a deep-lying midfielder, Abdoulaye Doucoure has found his calling as a second striker behind the centre-forward. He is currently top of Everton's goalscoring charts alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin with four goals apiece and is a goal threat in a team that are the joint-third-lowest scorers in the Premier League.

Doucoure must start if Everton are to get a result at home to Newcastle United.

Sri Lanka captain yet to sufficiently recover from the groin strain he picked up during the first Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Nov-2018

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been ruled out of the third Test against England, after he failed to sufficiently recover from the groin strain he had sustained during the first Test. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka has been brought into the squad as his replacement.Team management had hoped Chandimal would be available for the SSC Test, after the initial prognosis had been that he would take two weeks to recover. But despite having sat out the second Test in Pallekele, the injury still lingers.”I did a fitness test on Monday, and afterwards there were still symptoms of this injury,” Chandimal told ESPNcricinfo. “The physio has said it will take about another week for it to be 100%.”Gunathilaka, meanwhile, comes back into the side after initially being left out of the Test squad. In his most recent involvement in the longest format, Gunathilaka had seriously broken curfew in the middle of a Test – just the latest in a string of disciplinary mis-steps over the last two years. It is possible Gunathilaka will directly enter the squad, with incumbent opener Kaushal Silva having been unable to make an impact over the first two Tests.With the ongoing series already decided, and with a very busy southern-hemisphere schedule ahead, Sri Lanka will be especially keen for Chandimal to make a full recovery before he takes the field again. Sri Lanka leave for New Zealand on December 4 for a two-Test tour, before they travel to Australia in January, then South Africa in February.Including this next match, however, Chandimal will have missed five of Sri Lanka’s six most recent Tests – three of those absences being due to ball tampering and spirit of cricket related suspensions.Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is likely to captain Sri Lanka again. Having made 122 runs across both innings in Pallekele, batsman Roshen Silva is again set to fill Chandimal’s position in the middle order.

MatériaMais Notícias

Flamengo e São Paulo entraram em campo no último sábado e apresentaram atuações bem diferentes. O Fla, atual campeão brasileiro, jogou mal (novamente) e não saiu de empate sem gols contra o Fortaleza, no Ceará. Já o São Paulo, líder do Brasileirão, mostrou bom futebol (mais uma vez) e bateu o Fluminense por 2 a 1, no Maracanã, com organização digna do Flamengo de Jorge Jesus em 2019. Luiz Fernando Gomes, colunista do LANCE!, analisa no vídeo acima como Fla e São Paulo acabaram “trocando de cara”. Assista!

>> Veja aqui a tabela e simulador do Brasileirão

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Leeds United were left frustrated as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rotherham United away from Elland Road in the Championship last Friday night.

Crysencio Summerville provided the Whites with the opening goal as the Dutch winger curled the ball into the far corner after being played in by Georginio Rutter.

However, an equaliser before half time after some sloppy defending inside the box allowed the hosts to level the scores and Daniel Farke's side were unable to find a second goal to secure all three points.

Wilfried Gnonto was one of the players brought on to make an impact and failed to contribute to a winning performance with his cameo off the bench.

The Italy international managed zero shots on target, zero dribbles completed, and zero key passes in 20 minutes on the pitch in the 1-1 draw.

It has been a difficult start to the season for the former Zurich forward and it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be a Leeds player by the end of the upcoming January transfer window.

Leeds transfer news – Wilfried Gnonto and Ryan Kent

It was reported by Football Insider earlier this month that the Yorkshire-based outfit are prepared to cash in on the winger at the start of next year.

However, they will only opt to part ways with the 20-year-old prospect if their valuation is met and they are willing to keep hold of him beyond January if no acceptable offers arrive at their doorstep.

Last month, TEAMtalk claimed that Everton, Roma, and Lazio are all eyeing up a potential swoop to sign the Italian youngster in 2024.

The outlet claimed that there is a £25m price tag on his head and that sources close to the player view a transfer in January as being possible.

This comes after the attacker handed in a transfer request and failed to secure a switch to Goodison Park to join the Toffees during the summer transfer window, as the top-flight team had offers rejected for him and were unable to convince the recently-relegated club to do a deal.

If Leeds do move him on, Farke could land a dream replacement for Gnonto in a move to sign Fenerbahce winger Ryan Kent, who is a reported target for the club.

TEAMtalk have stated that the Whites, along with Premier League side Bournemouth and Scottish giants Rangers, are monitoring his situation ahead of January.

The Turkish outfit are prepared to send him out on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign after a poor start to life in the Super Lig. He has not adjusted to his new surroundings and teammates and all parties appear ready to resolve the situation with an exit.

It was also stated that Fenerbahce would be open to including an option-to-buy at the end of any loan deal for a fee within the region of £6m. This means that Leeds could bring him in on loan with a view to signing him permanently if they are promoted to the Premier League.

Gnonto's season in numbers

Kent could come in as a dream replacement for Gnonto as the winger could provide more quality in the immediate future than the young ace, who has struggled to deliver so far.

The former Inter prospect has been given plenty of opportunities to impress by Farke in the Championship this season but has been unable to make an impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.

His cameo against Rotherham was not a flash in the pan for the talented forward as it was a familiar showing from him – with a distinct lack of involvement in front of goal.

So far this season, Gnonto has played 11 league matches – including six starts – and contributed with one goal and one assist in total.

He has averaged 0.3 shots on target and 0.5 key passes per game across those 11 appearances, which shows that the £25m-rated gem rarely troubles the goalkeeper or provides his teammates with an opportunity to find the back of the net.

Therefore, the 20-year-old dynamo does not offer a regular goal threat or a source of consistent creativity, despite playing in a wide or central attacking position.

Three dream replacements if Leeds sell Gnonto for £25m in January

The Italy international has been linked with a possible move away from Elland Road this year.

ByDan Emery Nov 16, 2023

Whereas, Kent's form for Rangers in recent seasons suggests that the potential is there for him to come in and provide goals and assists as a winger.

The statistics that show why Kent could be a dream Gnonto replacement

The English wizard has not produced a single goal or assist in the Super Lig for Fenerbahce this season but he has only started one match.

His previous performances for Rangers, having left the Scottish side over the summer, suggest that he can score and assist goals more frequently than Gnonto has this term.

Kent produced three goals and eight assists in 29 Premiership matches for the Light Blues throughout the 2022/23 campaign. He also created nine 'big chances' and made 2.2 key passes per game to provide his teammates with a host of presentable opportunities in front of goal.

That came after the 27-year-old whiz plundered two goals and eight assists in 27 league outings for the Gers during the 2021/22 season. In that time, the former Liverpool prospect created ten 'big chances' and made 1.7 key passes per clash.

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard once described him as being "very dangerous" and his statistics over his last two seasons with the Scottish side back that up.

The £33k-per-week magician produced five goals and 17 assists in 56 league matches during that time, which is an average of one goal contribution every 2.43 outings.

Whereas, Gnonto has averaged a goal or an assist every 5.5 Championship appearances for Leeds during the current campaign, which is a considerably worse return in front of goal.

These statistics suggest that the English gem, if he can replicate his form at Rangers, could be a dream addition to Farke's squad to replace the Italy international if he moves on in January.

Even if he does not arrive as a regular starter out wide, their respective statistics indicate that Kent is more likely to come off the bench against Rotherham – or any other side in a similar situation – to make an impact in the final third.

It looked as if a Manchester United takeover saga could have been resolved this week, however, there has now been a frustrating update regarding a deal involving Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Man Utd takeover news; Sir Jim Ratcliffe

The Glazers first put the Red Devils up on the market almost 12 months ago now, with Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim making numerous bids to take control earlier this year. However, Jassim withdrew his offer to take 100% control at Old Trafford over the weekend, with one source telling Sky Sports:

“Sheikh Jassim offered them almost double the market capitalisation. He was a cash buyer, he was going to clear all their debts, there would have been no new debt and he was going to put in another £1.4bn for the stadium and the team.

“All that still wasn't enough for the Glazers. What we're left with now, after almost a year, is someone who is going to overpay for 25 per cent of the club. They are arguably the greatest and most historic football club on the planet and after a year there's just one bidder and he can only stump up enough for 25 per cent.”

Key Man Utd takeover updates

Date

Glazers put club up for sale

November 2022

Ratcliffe and Jassim make bids

February 2023

Glazers split on a sale

February 2023

Ratcliffe and Jassim make second bids

March 2023

Ratcliffe and Jassim make third bids

April 2023

Ratcliffe and Jassim make fourth bids

May 2023

Jassim makes fifth bid

June 2023

Jassim withdraws from process

October 2023

That left Ratcliffe and INEOS in pole position to secure a 25% stake in the club, with reports claiming that Ratcliffe’s deal with Man Utd would see the Red Devils supporter pay £1.3bn for his stake and that the club’s 12 board members – including the six Glazers and CEO Richard Arnold – may approve the proposal at a pre-planned meeting on Thursday.

However, in a new Man Utd takeover update from The Telegraph’s Tom Morgan and James Ducker, that will no longer be the case. They have heard from a well-placed insider aware of discussions on both sides that there will now be “no decision this week” in a frustrating twist.

How much of Man Utd do the Glazers own?

As we know, the Glazers have been majority owners at Old Trafford since 2005 and currently own 69% of the club. However, they have 96% of the voting rights due to a complex share structure at Old Trafford.

If Ratcliffe’s 25% deal eventually goes through, though, that could soon change in what may well be the first part of a phased takeover over a period of time. It appears as if Ratcliffe would also look to take immediate control over sporting decisions in Manchester, but by the looks of things, everyone involved will have to wait a little longer, with a vote today not looking likely.

MatériaMais Notícias

Onze jogos fecharam a 13ª rodada deste domingo (22) do Brasileirão da Série D, e no geral quem está na parte de cima das chaves se saíram melhor no dia.

O grupo que mais movimentou partidas hoje foi o grupo 3, com três jogos. O América-RN bateu o Floresta por 2 a 1, chegou aos 27 pontos abriu quatro de vantagem sobre o Salgueiro, que perdeu por 2 a 1 para o Atlético-PB. Os paraibanos, aliás, saíram de sexto e entraram no G-4 com o êxito. Na parte inferior da tabela, o lanterninha Guarany de Sobral empatou com o Globo e permaneceu em oitavo. O Globão, por outro lado, perdeu a chance de entrar no grupo dos quatro melhores.

O caso curioso da rodada se deu com o Itabaiana no grupo 4. Os sergipanos começaram a rodada como líderes, mas perderam a ponta mesmo ganhando seu jogo diante do Central. É que no sábado o ABC-RN goleou o lanterna Jacyobá por 6 a 0. O time potiguar ganhou a liderança pelo saldo de gols. Mas quem está perto da ponta é o Vitória da Conquista que venceu o Freipaulistano e está com 22 pontos, um a menos que o ABC e Itabaiana.

No grupo 5, o Goianésia venceu o Operário VG e permaneceu em terceiro.

No jogo das 18h, na chave 1, o Rio Branco-AC perdeu em casa para o líder Fast por 2 a 0. Os acreanos caíram uma posição e estão em quarto, enquanto os amazonenses abriram dois pontos no topo sobre o segundo colocado, Galvez.

Quem fechou a rodada do dia foi o Mirassol, que bateu a Cabofriense por 2 a 0, igualou a pontuação (25 pontos), mas ganhou a segunda posição dos cariocas no grupo 7 pelo saldo de gols (20 contra 13). A Ferroviária lidera o grupo com 27 pontos.

Veja os resultados do Brasileirão da Série D deste domingo:

Grupo 1
Rio Branco-AC 0 x 2 Fast

Grupo 2
Sinop 0 x 0 Moto Club

Grupo 3
América-RN 2 x 1 Floresta
Guarany de Sobral 0 x 0 Globo FC
Atlético-PB 2 x 1 Salgueiro

Grupo 4
Vitória da Conquista 3 x 0 Freipaulistano
Itabaiana 2 x 1 Central

Grupo 5
Goianésia 2 x 0 Operário VG

Grupo 6
Villa Nova-MG 0 x 2 Bahia de Feira

Grupo 7
FC Cascavel 3 x 0 Bangu
Mirassol 2 x 0 Cabofriense

A key figure in Tottenham Hotspur's resurgence this season under Ange Postecoglou has been promising defender, Destiny Udogie, with the 20-year-old having slotted in smoothly at N17 after spending last season back on loan at Udinese.

Having originally been signed on a £15m deal from the Serie A side in 2022, it had been a frustrating wait for Spurs supporters to see the Italian in action, although that patience has paid off with the left-back now flourishing for the Premier League high-flyers.

Described as "sickeningly good" by footballJOE's Hunter Godson, the Verona native has already recorded two assists from nine league games so far this term, while also averaging an impressive 2.8 tackles per game – third in the squad behind only Pedro Porro and Yves Bissouma for that latter metric.

Seemingly a player who "has it all", in the words of national team boss, Luciano Spalletti, the two-cap international is rightly earning hefty praise at present, hence the potential concern over his relatively early withdrawal against Fulham on Monday night.

As Postecoglou subsequently stated, Udogie was only substituted due to possible fatigue and "tightness", yet it does expose the need for a reliable understudy to the youngster in that left-sided berth.

The possible replacements for Destiny Udogie at left-back

In that 2-0 win earlier this week, the 6 foot 2 maestro was replaced by Emerson Royal for the final half hour or so, albeit with the Brazilian hardly the most natural solution in that role as the right-footer typically lines up on the opposite side.

The Lilywhites do have the versatile Micky van de Ven who can slot into that full-back berth if required, although it would seemingly make little sense to shift the towering Dutchman across, particularly with senior alternatives at centre-back so limited.

The standout replacement for Udogie would seemingly be long-serving stalwart, Ben Davies, with the experienced Welshman comfortable operating at full-back, wing-back or on the left of a back three, having proven a useful squad option over the years with over 300 appearances for the club to date.

That being said, the 30-year-old did struggle in a rare outing against the Cottagers in the Carabao Cup back in August, with 90min's Tom Gott writing that his 'limited technical ability clearly hamstrung Tottenham', while talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor stated post-match that he is simply "not good enough any more".

With that in mind, Postecoglou may wish to consider a player who is currently thriving in the academy set-up in the form of Charlie Sayers, with the 19-year-old certainly one to keep an eye on.

A look at Tottenham's academy sensation, Charlie Sayers

While also comfortable at centre-back, the teenager has largely operated in a left-back berth so far this season both at Premier League 2 level and in the EFL Trophy, notably starting in the 5-0 thrashing of Colchester United in the latter competition.

That outing saw the young Englishman showcase his impressive quality on the ball after enjoying a solid 89% pass accuracy rate from his 92 touches, while also completing four of his eight attempted long balls and creating one big chance.

The youngster has also enjoyed prior experience at senior level during his time at former club Southend United – for whom he made six first-team appearances – having been lavished with praise by manager Phil Brown at the time:

"I think Charlie Sayers has been outstanding and you have to say he has a career ahead of him, there’s no doubt about it."

Having been pushing to be the "first choice left-back" at Roots Hall, Sayers has since gone on to impress after joining Spurs in 2021, with respected insider John Wenham describing him as arguably the "best academy defender at the club".

The next step now will be for the high-potential talent to live up to the billing by making his mark at first-team level, with any potential absence for Udogie in the coming weeks or months potentially set to be his route into Postecoglou's plans, ahead of Davies.