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Three times in the last four years, Aston Villa have broken their transfer record. First, when Dean Smith was manager, they shelled out £33m to sign Ollie Watkins from his former club Brentford and then, 12 months later, they agreed to pay £38m to land Emi Buendia from Norwich.

Last summer, under Unai Emery, NSWE blew both of those transfers out of the water by parting with up to £52m to recruit Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen, having previously signed Leon Bailey from the same side.

*With potential add-ons included

Could they eclipse it again this year? Well, on the one hand, they could potentially have some Champions League money on the way, even if they end up losing out to Spurs in the race for the Premier League top four. As part of the new competition format, the two-best performing nations in this year's tournaments will be entitled to an extra spot, and England is only a fraction behind second-place Germany in the current standings.

On the other hand, though, there's a sense that Villa may have to sell a first-team player before the end of June in order to comply with the league's Profit and Sustainability Rules. Those circumstances may not be especially conducive to a historic outlay.

Villa now set sights on Paqueta

Undeterred, NSWE are now eyeing up a deal for Lucas Paqueta, according to West Ham outlet Claret and Hugh. The Brazilian would like to move to reigning champions Manchester City, but Villa have joined Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United in making it clear that they will try to sign him if that deal doesn't materialise. Significantly, the 26-year-old's contract includes an £80m release clause.

Paqueta is currently under investigation for alleged breaches of betting rules, which he denies, and is apparently considering legal action against the FA if he doesn't receive a verdict by April. Any move, of course, will hinge upon whether he avoids a ban.

"Magician" Paqueta combines the ugly and the beautiful

Signing Paqueta could be a huge statement, and not just because of the record-shattering transfer fee. Villa and West Ham are two clubs of a similar status, each playing in European competition and trying to pierce the big-six bubble, so it may say a great deal about the former's trajectory if they can poach a player from the latter.

Dubbed a "magician" by former Premier League midfielder Robbie Mustoe, Paqueta can play as a left winger, number 10 and number eight. He's capable of playing the final ball – he ranks second in the West Ham squad (among those with at least 1,000 minutes played) for expected assists per 90 (0.17) and key passes per 90 (1.55) – but he can also launch dangerous attacks from deeper positions too. Nobody in the Irons ranks averages more progressive passes or passes into the final third than Paqueta (6.9 and 4.76).

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Two other Premier League clubs are also in the running.

By
David Comerford

Feb 16, 2024

With a penchant for dazzling tricks, the former Lyon man also places second for successful take-ons with 29, only behind Mohammed Kudus (60). However, he embraces the dirty side of the game too, having won the fourth-most tackles (53) and made the seventh-most fouls (50) in the division. That, clearly, is a midfield combination that appeals a great deal to Emery, but Villa could face some mighty competition for this particular transfer.

Neymar may be nursing an injury, but the Brazilian has still been winning big after pulling in a huge poker cash haul alongside NBA star Jimmy Butler.

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• South American suffered ligament damage
• Missed title win & Copa America as a result
• Enjoying summer break before pre-season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Having suffered knee ligament damage in October 2023 while on World Cup qualifying duty with his country, Neymar has been on a long road to recovery. He has made just five appearances for Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal since linking up with them last summer.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  A return to fitness is now in sight – after being forced to sit out the 2024 Copa America – but Neymar is finding other ways to keep himself amused. The South American is a big poker fan and has taken part in some of the biggest tournaments on that circuit.

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• THE GOSSIP

  Neymar has been back at the table, with cards continuing to fall kindly in his favour. He did lose one $174,000 hand to basketball superstar Butler, but still finished the day with more than $500,000 to his name – with his haul of $100 bills being showcased on social media by Miami Heat forward Butler.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  While being in a position to relax and wind down during the summer break, Neymar will be expected to form part of pre-season plans at Al-Hilal. He has ruled out a move elsewhere, amid talk of a reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, and will continue to pull in more funds from his lucrative contract in the Middle East.

Sheffield Wednesday will be aiming to make it three wins from their last four in the Championship when they face off against Bristol City this coming weekend, Danny Rohl's Owls not quite waving the white flag on their season just yet.

The often dire mood around Hillsborough has been lifted somewhat by recent positive displays, with the South Yorkshire titans able to pick up wins against Birmingham City and Millwall owing to new faces such as Ian Poveda and Ike Ugbo excelling.

But, there will be even more cause for joy from a Wednesday perspective when it comes to the rising stars emerging from the youth set-up at the club with Bailey Cadamarteri and Pierce Charles being given more and more game time under Rohl.

The German manager could be willing to give more first-team opportunities to this promising right-back as a result, with the 19-year-old defender in question looking to replicate Liam Palmer's long-standing time with Wednesday after he came through the Owls academy.

Wednesday's next Liam Palmer

Teenage sensation Joey Phuthi has been in and around the first-team picture at Wednesday for some time now, battling to now make the grade in the senior set-up at the club after playing for both the U18s and U21s.

This season, Phuthi has been handed chances here and there to impress in the first-team side – notably given 28 minutes to shine in the FA Cup away at Coventry City at the start of the month.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The final scoreline might have read 4-1 in favour of the Sky Blues on the night, but Phuthi would have been pleased with his minutes regardless.

Funnily enough, the Zimbabwean youngster's only other taste of senior football came in the Championship against the same opponents late last year.

That was Phuthi's first ever match in the first-team fold at Wednesday, coming on with the clock ticking down as a late second-half substitute.

Yet, the teenager wasn't fazed by the big occasion and walked off the pitch with a 100% passing accuracy next to his name from a short but sweet five-minute cameo appearance.

Described as being a "dangerous" player by former Owls boss Xisco Munoz in pre-season – with Phuthi unafraid to join in with attacks as a talent adept at playing further forward in midfield if necessary – the 19-year-old is still some way off from cementing himself as a first-team regular.

Yet, with Palmer getting closer to the end of his extensive career now at 32 years of age and Pol Valentin being the only other recognised right-back option, he could be banging down the door for more starts at Hillsborough very soon.

Sheffield Wednesday's right-back situation

It will be a sad day for Wednesday fans when Palmer does hang up his boots, with the Owls veteran making 425 appearances for the club in total with 27 of those coming this campaign.

Yet, the die-hard Wednesday fanbase could well be reassured by knowing the future is bright with Phuthi waiting in the wings ready to come in and impress in the starting eleven.

It also wouldn't be completely ludicrous to see Rohl bed Phuthi into more games as an option off the bench, with 18-year-old hotshot Bailey Cadamarteri taking to the senior side with flying colours up top this season from out of nowhere.

Phuthi will want to replicate Cadamarteri's calmness to star when he's thrust into a similar spotlight down the line, bagging four goals for Rohl's Owls after making the leap up from the youth set-up look effortless.

Palmer will just continue plugging away and performing for Wednesday even so late into his career, not even thinking about any possibility of retirement yet.

But, with the crop of young talent coming through in South Yorkshire encouraging to see, those who will be gutted when Palmer does eventually retire can at least be somewhat relieved by potentially having another figure similar to the long-serving asset emerge in Phuthi.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham brought out his model side as he stripped down for SKIMS boxers advert ahead of Euro 2024.

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Bellingham posed in front of the camera for SKIMSWas seen juggling the ball wearing a grey underwearKim Kardashian is the owner of SKIMSWHAT HAPPENED?

Bellingham recently unveiled a new aspect of his versatile off-the-pitch persona by featuring in an advert for SKIMS, the clothing brand founded by Kim Kardashian. In the promotional video, shared on SKIMS' official Instagram account, the 20-year-old midfielder is seen donning a pair of dark grey boxer shorts and juggling the ball with panache.

AdvertisementSKIMSWHAT BELLINGHAM SAID

With confidence and charm, Bellingham introduces himself to the audience, saying, “I’m Jude Bellingham. Everybody’s wearing SKIMS.”

The post accompanying the video read: "@JudeBellingham for SKIMS. Ahead of the Euros, the record-breaking England player sports our Men's underwear.”

This collaboration marks another notable crossover between sports and fashion, leveraging Bellingham’s rising fame to promote the SKIMS brand.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Bellingham joins an illustrious list of male celebrities who have previously featured in SKIMS campaigns, including Brazilian football icon Neymar and renowned singer Usher. This move aligns with SKIMS' strategy of associating with high-profile personalities to reach a broader audience and enhance brand visibility.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Bellingham was given some extra time off to recuperate after Real Madrid's triumphant Champions League campaign which saw him miss the two preparatory friendlies, against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland respectively, ahead of the European Championship. His performances for Real Madrid this season have been nothing short of spectacular – which has made him one of the contenders for the Ballon d'Or. He scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions, making a significant impact in his debut season with the Spanish giants that further cement his reputation as one of the brightest talents in world football.

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.

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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.

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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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