Steven Smith is more likely than not to return as the missing piece of Australia’s batting order that failed to seal the ODI series against England in Manchester, leaving the final match of their brief tour on Wednesday as the decider.Some mystery still surrounds the circumstances in which Smith has missed the tourists’ past two matches. He was struck on the side of the helmet by a throwdown during net practice at Old Trafford, and though Cricket Australia officially stated he had passed a concussion test, he was still required to go through a series of protocols before another net session on Tuesday. Following that net, a CA spokesperson confirmed that a final decision on Smith’s availability would only be made on Wednesday.Whatever the true extent of Smith’s need to recover from the blow to the helmet, his inclusion would allow the Australians to have a far more versatile and reliable batting order for the final match, having fallen apart alarmingly in some adverse conditions against the pace and reverse swing of Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer in the second game of the series.”Fingers crossed. We know what a great player he is, he got a blow to the head in training the day before the first game, so we’ve been going through all the concussion protocols, he’s definitely tracking in the right direction,” Australia coach Justin Langer said on Tuesday morning. “We’re hopeful he’ll be right for tomorrow, but if he doesn’t come up again, then like always we’ll keep him healthy in mind.”He was just practising, we talk about Steve, he was probably on his 30,000th ball, probably had two or three to go, and the wickets over here, the facilities have been brilliant, but they’re a bit worn because of so much traffic through them over the past few months. One ball just didn’t quite get up, he ducked into it and it hit him in the side of the helmet.”He did all his running yesterday, did some high speed running, worked hard as part of the protocols, he has ticked every box at the moment, so he will 100% have a bat this afternoon unless he’s not feeling well this morning. He’ll definitely have a hit this afternoon.”Langer spoke glowingly of how his players had responded to the challenges of an England tour with no meaningful cricket behind them, in addition to the constraints of the biosecurity bubble in which they have been thrust due to the coronavirus pandemic. However he said that the selectors remained on the lookout for middle order problem solvers to weather scenarios like those that have presented once each in the T20 and one day series.”It’s been disappointing, we’ve played such great cricket throughout this whole tour,” Langer said. “You always look below the surface, how we’ve all played our cricket, all the guys have played their cricket from the moment we arrived with no cricket under our belts, it’s been a real credit to the boys. Consistently across the board we’ve been really impressive. there’s a few areas we need to get better at though, and that’s part of becoming a great team.”One is bowling in those last few overs, which is always the case, but also in our middle order. And we’re not shying away from that. The boys were incredibly disappointed the other night and disappointed during the T20 series, but they’re working hard on it.”What do you look for? Problem solving. I think about the Dhonis and the Husseys and the Bevans, Jos Buttlers, the guys who finish it well, are great problem solvers, and they’ve got real confidence in their ability to, over and over, solve the issues which come up, whether you’re chasing big scores, small scores, on different wickets, spinning wickets, wickets that are stayng a bit up down. that’s what we’re looking for in the middle order, guys who are able to solve problems and get the job done.”As far as the mental strain of the bubble itself was concerned, Langer said a key part of the exercise was not being overwhelmed by thoughts of occupying similarly restricted circumstances for an entire summer. “The biggest challenge for all of us is that it’s a bit like scoring a hundred, you can’t score a hundred unless you give the next ball 100% attention,” he sad. “If we start looking too far ahead of ourselves, that becomes a real challenge.”It’s almost one day at a time, because if you look too far ahead – when we’re here, the ECB have looked after us incredibly well, they’ve been brilliant, the day to day life is pretty good with some restrictions. It’s just when you start looking ahead to when we get home and then quarantine and how the summer looks and if you keep looking too far ahead, then it gets challenging.”As for the likelihood of most of his best players entering home Test assignments after a surfeit of white ball matches in the IPL and then against India, Langer struck a time-honoured theme about the best players finding ways to adapt.”It’s something we’re very aware of,” Langer said. “Particularly as you think about the lead-up to this tour, straight to the IPL, potentially straight into some white ball cricket, and then the Test match, with it all pretty tight. Am I worried about it? Not really, we had a good dress rehearsal last year between the World Cup and the Ashes, the best players adapt and we’ve got some great players who might need to adapt. But when it comes to the colour of the ball, I’m really confident they’ll be able to do that.”

The 2023/24 season came to an end in the best possible fashion for Manchester United last Saturday. It had not been an easy campaign for Erik ten Hag’s side prior to their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City just one week ago, yet they ended on a high note.

It was a spectacular performance from the Red Devils in the Wembley spectacle, nicking two goals through academy stars Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, but also defying City throughout the game and holding out for a 2-1 victory; only Jeremy Doku could breach United’s defence.

That victory secured United Europa League football for next season, something which they failed to do through their finish in the Premier League. Ten Hag’s side came eighth in the top flight this season and were some way off securing a Champions League spot; eight points to be exact.

With European football secured for the 2024/25 season, it makes it easier for United to attract big-name players to the club over the summer transfer window.

As per talkSPORT, INEOS are “confident” of securing the double signing of Michael Olise and Jarrad Branthwaite. Recently, they have also been linked with another exciting prospect in European football, who they could make a move for this summer.

Man Utd looking to sign versatile attacker

The player in question here is versatile PSG attacker Xavi Simons, who has spent this season on loan at RB Leipzig. It has been a wonderful year for the young Dutchman, and his performances have potentially earned him a move to Old Trafford.

That is, if the reports are to be believed. According to Spanish reports, via TEAMtalk, United are “determined to sign Simons on a season-long loan”. PSG are seemingly willing to sign off on another loan move, which would be Simons’ third in as many seasons.

A loan move would suit United better in many ways, because it would not impact their summer transfer budget much, at least in comparison to how much he could cost the club. Simons’ current value is £85m, according to Football Observatory, which represents a considerable saving for United.

However, as per the reports, Simons has “no real desire” to represent the Red Devils, or indeed play in the Premier League. Instead, he prefers a move back to his old side, Barcelona, where he came through their famous La Masia academy. This may not be possible this summer, given Barca’s financial strife. A move to Old Trafford may be Simons’ only option.

Why Simons would be a good signing

The signing of Simons would certainly represent good business for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. In the last two seasons, he has been in stellar form.

For PSV during his loan spell in 2022/23, Simons won the Golden Boot in the Eredivisie, scoring 19 goals in 34 games, as well as registering nine assists. This season for Leipzig, he has eight goals and 13 assists in 32 Bundesliga games, as well as two goals and two assists in eight Champions League games.

Another impressive part of Simons’ game is his versatility. Across his first-team and youth career, the 21-year-old has played right across the front line, at centre-forward, both flanks, as a number 10 and even in central midfield. Not only that, he has consistently put up some impressive numbers right across all the roles he has played. Having a player with as much versatility as Simons in your squad could well be invaluable for United next season.

Xavi Simons' record per position (youth and first team)
Position	Games	Goals	Assists
Centre midfield	5	0	0
Attacking midfield	26	13	8
Left-wing	43	13	13
Right-wing	28	7	6
Centre forward	10	5	7
Stats from Transfermarkt

Simons' quality is also reflected in his Fbref stats when compared to other midfielders in Europe over the last 365 days. Firstly, his impressive creative nature shines through. The 21-year-old is a wonderful creative influence, adept at threading through balls into the path of his teammates in the final third.

He could receive passes on the half turn from the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, then look to find teammates ahead. The two would certainly be a duo to excite United fans with the latter taking English football by storm of late, notably earning a place in England's provisional squad for the European Championships after just months of regular senior football.

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So, how would that combination work? Well, given the United target averages 2.71 key passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 3%, and 2.19 passes into the penalty box, which places him in the 2% of midfielders in Europe, it would work pretty well indeed.

When carrying the ball, Simons is an explosive dribbler, who is able to swiftly change direction thanks to his quick turn of pace, and slalom in and out of opposition defenders because of his low centre of gravity. He averages 4.93 progressive carries per 90 minutes and 4.27 carries into the final third per 90 minutes. Both of these metrics place him in the top 1%. Simons also averages 1.22 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 2%.

The Dutch maestro is an impactful player on the game in general, which is reflected in his stats. He averages 6.07 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 1%, and 0.66 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 2%. He always finds a way to make things happen.

One of the negatives of United signing Simons this summer would be how he actually fits into the side under Ten Hag, or indeed a new manager.

Indeed, Simons’ versatility is a benefit, yet, United have depth in several of the positions he particularly excels in. On the left wing, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho are first choice, and at number 10, they have Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount as their depth there. Fernandes is particularly important under Ten Hag, and it seems unlikely he would be displaced.

Simons could play as a centre-forward, providing a rotational option along with Rasmus Hojlund, who is now United’s only striker following Anthony Martial’s departure. However, the Dutchman is more productive playing in a deeper role. As a result, seeing him play alongside Mainoo – scorer of a tremendous FA Cup final goal – in the centre of the pitch might well be the answer.

Finding a role for him could be problematic but having a player of that quality and versatility to supplement United’s squad and add great depth is arguably too good to turn down.

Football scout Antonio Mango described Simons on X as “wonderful”, and, given the stats looked at, it is hard to argue against him. He would certainly be a sublime partner next to Mainoo in midfield.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo venceu o Grêmio por 4 a 0 nesta quarta-feira, em Porto Alegre, e encaminhou a classificação para a semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Todos os gols rubro-negros saíram após o intervalo, quando o time de Renato Gaúcho já estava em desvantagem numérica – Isla foi expulso na primeira etapa. Para o atacante Michael, autor do terceiro gol na Arena do Grêmio, o aspecto fundamental para o resultado foi a paciência demonstrada pela equipe.

RelacionadasFlamengoATUAÇÕES: Everton Ribeiro, Vitinho e Michael comandam ‘goleada louca’ do Flamengo sobre o GrêmioFlamengo25/08/2021Futebol NacionalFlamengo goleia o Grêmio com brilho de contestados e encaminha vaga na semifinal da Copa do BrasilFutebol Nacional25/08/2021

+ Confira os resultados dos jogos de ida e as chaves da Copa do Brasil!

-Tivemos um jogo muito duro. Tiveram grandes chances no primeiro tempo, uma infelicidade o Isla ser expulso. Voltamos com calma, paciência, tivemos mais chances. Nos acertamos e é isso. Às vezes é preciso ter calma. Não está resolvido, temos que estar concentrados para o próximo jogo – disse ao Premiere.

Chelsea have a new priority transfer target on their agenda this summer, as chairman Todd Boehly attempts to provide freshly-appointed head coach Enzo Maresca with the necessary upgrades to bolster his squad.

Chelsea target new attackers after Maresca talks in Marbella

As reported by BBC football journalist Nizaar Kinsella this week, the Blues are still in the market for a new striker and winger, coming after a move for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise fell through and talks to sign Aston Villa's Jhon Duran didn't go anywhere.

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Villa wanted to include players in any deal for Duran to join the west Londoners, which they apparently attempted but to avail (Nizaar Kinsella). Meanwhile, despite reports that Chelsea agreed personal terms with Olise, the 22-year-old winger opted instead for a move to Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich.

"Michael Olise chose to join Bayern Munich because of the pull of Champions League football and the prospect of working with Vincent Kompany," wrote journalist Sam Dean in The Telegraph (via Bayern & Germany).

"Manchester United and Chelsea also had strong interest in Olise but the 22-year-old’s mind was made up after early conversations with Kompany and the club’s executives Olise’s decision was not a financial one, with his rapport with Kompany and Bayern’s history of success proving to be key reasons for his imminent switch to the Bundesliga.

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Nicolas Jackson

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Raheem Sterling

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Noni Madueke

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"The German club feel confident that they have demonstrated to Olise why Bayern will be the best place for his career. Kompany is understood to have reached an understanding with Olise over his vision for the team and the playing style he wants to impose at Bayern."

It's back to the drawing board for co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley following Olise's snub, despite weeks of reported negotiations, and they very much remain on the hunt for new forward options.

Chelsea want to sign a prolific new striker after talks with Maresca in Marbella earlier this month and will look to bring in an Olise alternative out wide. Barcelona striker Marc Guiu has been approached by Chelsea ahead of a potential move, with the young Spaniard's deal including a £5 million release clause.

Chelsea also hold an interest in Lille star Jonathan David as well, and reports from Spain now claim they have their eyes on Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman instead of Olise.

Chelsea now prepared to bid for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman

Indeed, one media source states that Chelsea are prepared to bid for Lookman after making him a priority target. The former Everton starlet was a hero for Atalanta in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side unceremoniously ending Xabi Alonso's record-breaking unbeaten streak.

The Nigerian racked up 11 goals and seven assists in 31 Serie A appearances last season as well, and it is believed that Atalanta have placed a valuation of around £50 million on his head as a result.

Former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain forward Jese Rodriguez has made the latest move in his journeyman career as he heads to Malaysia.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Jese signs for Johor Darul
• Former Real Madrid and PSG star at another club
• Was most recently playing in Brazil

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jese has struggled to find a permanent home after leaving Los Blancos and had been on the club hunt again after a short spell in Brazil with Coritiba. The Spaniard had been training without a club since January but has now signed for Malaysian side Johor Darul in an attempt to return to match fitness.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Once tipped for stardom, injuries did not help Jese, who struggled to assert himself as a regular starter at Real Madrid behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. Paris Saint-Germain took a chance on the forward in 2016 and paid €25 million (£21m/$27.5m) for his services. However, Jese was out of favour under Unai Emery in the French capital, struggling for minutes and making just 12 appearances for the club. A series of loan spells and subsequent club hopping has now led him to Malaysia.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Johor Darul have become the 10th club of Jese's career. Despite the forward only being 31 years old, Jese has played for Real Madrid, PSG, Las Palmas (twice), Stoke City, Real Betis, Sporting CP, Ankaragucu, Sampdoria and Coritiba. Only at Madrid and Las Palmas has Jese made more than 20 competitive appearances for the club.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JESE?

  Jese will join Johor Darul and link up with a number of Spanish-born players already at the club. Oscar Arribas, Natxo Insa, Juan Muniz and Jordi Amat – now captain of the Indonesian national team – will welcome their compatriot to Malaysia.

يعود فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي لاستئناف بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل” بمواجهة المصري.

المباراة تقام على ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب ضمن مواجهات الجولة السادسة من عمر الدوري.

ويخوض الأهلي مباراته طامحًا في تغيير نتيجة التعادل التي تكررت في آخر مباراتين للمارد الأحمر بالدوري.

وتعادل الأهلي أمام الاتحاد السكندري والبنك الأهلي في الجولتين الثالثة والرابعة، فيما تأجلت مباراته بالجولة الخامسة أمام سموحة.

الجدير بالذكر، أن الأهلي عائد من فوز كبير على شباب بلوزداد الجزائري في الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا بنتيجة 6-1.

قائمة الأهلي لمباراة المصري في الدوري.. عودة عمر كمال واستبعاد كهربا

وبالرغم من الفوز الكبير، إلا أن الأهلي يعيش أزمات خلال الأيام الماضية، خاصة بعد توتر العلاقة بين بعض اللاعبين وبعض الجماهير، بالإضافة لانتشار مقطع مصور للاعب الفريق محمود عبد المنعم كهربا أثار جدلًا واسعًا.

الجدير بالذكر، أن قائمة الأهلي للمباراة قد شهدت استبعاد كهربا نهائيًا، دون الإفصاح عن أسباب القرار من قبل الجهاز الفني بقيادة مارسيل كولر.

ويحتل الأهلي المركز الثامن في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 8 نقاط وبفارق 3 نقاط فقط عن المتصدر.

وحقق الفوز في مباراتين وتعادل في مثلهما، ويتبقى له مباراة مؤجلة، وسجل لاعبوه 7 أهداف واستقبلت شباكه 3 أهداف.

أما المصري فيحتل المركز الثاني برصيد 11 نقطة حصدها من ثلاث انتصارات وتعادلين، وسجل لاعبوه 4 أهداف ولم تهتز شباكه.

الجدير بالذكر، أن المصري بقيادة علي ماهر هو الوحيد بجوار الأهلي الذي لم يتلق أي خسارة في البطولة المحلية حتى الآن.

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How should Kolkata utilise Sunil Narine?

Big pictureTheir batting looked short of power and inspiration through their first four matches of the season, but something clicked into place for the Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. Yes, nothing masks problems like a 181-run opening stand, but that wasn’t the only encouragement the Super Kings took out of that game. With Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo back from injury, their line-up just looks a whole lot healthier, and with three No. 8s at Nos. 9, 10, and 11 – in Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Piyush Chawla – they have the sort of depth few other sides in the IPL can match.This isn’t to say the Super Kings have turned into a world-beating outfit overnight, or even that they can consistently beat the IPL’s heavyweights. Kings XI didn’t aim high enough with the bat, and their bowling attack is one of the weakest in the tournament. The Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to present the Super Kings a far stiffer challenge.The Knight Riders haven’t quite found their groove yet this season, with Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik looking off-colour and with Andre Russell and Pat Cummins not quite hitting peak form just yet. The law of averages, however, suggests at least one of them will come roaring back into form in the very near future, and the Super Kings will hope they aren’t at the receiving end when that happens.Likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Piyush ChawlaKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rahul Tripathi, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 10 Shivam Mavi, 11 Varun ChakravarthyMS Dhoni has a discussion with Andre Russell and Sunil Narine•BCCI

Strategy punt The one thing that makes all three of the Knight Riders’ big overseas hitters – Narine at the top of the order, and Russell and Eoin Morgan lower down – uncomfortable, to varying extents, is fast, short-pitched bowling. Unlike the Mumbai Indians or the Delhi Capitals, however, the Super Kings don’t have anyone in their first-choice attack who can bowl in that manner. Just for this reason, they might think of bringing back either Lungi Ngidi or Josh Hazlewood, in place of Dwayne Bravo. It wouldn’t be an easy change to make, given that Bravo, apart from his death-bowling skills, adds real heft to their lower order, and just his presence helps free up the batsmen playing above him. But if there’s one opposition that calls out for including at least one out-and-out fast bowler in your attack, it’s the Knight Riders. This becomes even more imperative when you consider how destructive Russell has been against the Super Kings in recent seasons. Since 2018, he’s scored 98 runs in the slog overs (16-20) against the Super Kings without being dismissed. And why leave out Bravo? Maybe because Russell has hit him for 78 runs in 30 balls across four innings in the IPL, without being dismissed. Why bowl fast and short to Russell? Well, since the 2018 season, fast bowlers have dismissed him significantly more times while bowling short (9) than any other length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, with the traditional good length (4) a distant second. His control percentage against short balls (53.25) is his lowest against any length, and his strike rate against short balls (170.13) is the second-lowest behind yorkers (110.53). Yorkers come with very little margin for error, though, with Russell striking at 228.95 against full-tosses and 337.50 against full balls. Short balls have a greater margin for error, with Russell striking at 175.32 against short-of-good-length balls. The key wicket for the Knight Riders, meanwhile, could be Shane Watson. The Australian opener has made ten 40-plus scores for the Super Kings, and nine of them have come in wins. How can the Knight Riders rein Watson in? Narine hasn’t been the force he used to be with the ball, but he has excellent numbers against Watson: 28 balls over six innings, conceding just 29 runs and dismissing him four times. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to hand Narine the new ball. Stats that matter In Sam Curran, the Super Kings have a genuine lower-order asset they could look to promote more often. Of all batsmen who’ve faced at least 60 balls in the IPL since the 2019 season, Curran’s strike rate of 197.29 is the third-highest behind Jofra Archer (198.46) and Russell (197.87). Even more impressively, Curran’s strike rate of 177 over the first 10 balls of his innings is better than anyone else in IPL history. MS Dhoni has famously never hit a boundary off Narine in the IPL. That run of no fours and sixes extends to 12 meetings, which have produced 29 runs off 59 balls, and one dismissal. Dhoni needs one six to reach 300 in T20 cricket. Russell needs two wickets to reach 300 in T20s. Pat Cummins needs one wicket to reach 100 in T20s.

A Manchester United star currently at Euro 2024 has now told his friends he wants to leave Old Trafford this summer, according to a new report.

Ten Hag stays at Man Utd

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have already made what will arguably be their biggest decision of the summer, choosing to stick with manager Erik ten Hag.

There was plenty of speculation regarding the Dutchman possibly leaving after two seasons in charge. Ten Hag, who is currently working as a pundit in the Netherlands for Euro 2024, admitted talks over a new deal at Old Trafford, while also revealing that the club told him they’d spoken with Thomas Tuchel.

"Manchester United and I still have to find an agreement for the new contract. This isn't easily done, we are still going to have to talk about this. United have told me that they spoke with Tuchel, but they eventually came to the conclusion that they already have the best manager.

"Ineos took their time. They are new in football, it's normal to reflect the season. It's no secret that they talked with multiple candidates.”

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Attention will now be on the transfer market ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, where Ten Hag could lose a number of experienced players.

As we know, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial will leave when their contracts officially expire at the end of the month, whereas Casemiro has also been linked with an exit, already saying his Red Devils goodbyes. Now, another experienced star appears ready to depart.

Christian Eriksen ready to leave Man Utd

According to a new report from Football Insider, Man Utd midfielder Christian Eriksen has told friends he wants to leave Old Trafford this summer.

The Denmark international, who scored in his country’s opener at Euro 2024, is ready to exit over the coming months and has interest from Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It is added that Man Utd are unlikely to demand a huge fee for Eriksen, on £150,000-a-week, to leave.

The 32-year-old joined United in 2022 as a free agent and has gone on to make 72 appearances for the club, scoring three times, registering 13 assists and winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

After securing Eriksen’s services, Ten Hag hailed the player, saying: "He is an experienced player. He has played in countries abroad, in Italy, in Holland, a long time in England, so he knows the Premier League. It's an absolute advantage that we have him in.

"I think he is a magnificent football player and I think the fans will enjoy watching him, because he is creative, he has ideas. I think especially our strikers will also be happy because he is the one who can involve them in the game."

It looks as if his days in Manchester could now be numbered, though, making this a situation to watch over the coming months.

ESPNcricinfo’s updates from the 28th match of IPL 2020, in Sharjah

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