All posts by h716a5.icu

CA’s head of science and medicine says not sharing equipment is also part of the overall risk

Andrew McGlashan20-May-2020Disinfecting cricket balls during a match could be part of the future as the game looks to adapt to the risks posed by Covid-19. Maintenance of the ball has become one of the key topics as the sport tries to map a way back from its pandemic shutdown given shining has traditionally involved saliva which is deemed a significant risk of transmitting the virus.Earlier this week the ICC cricket committee recommended a ban on using saliva at international level but said that sweat would be permitted as it was deemed lower risk.Guidelines issued by the Australian government on a return for sport from community to elite level banned the use of saliva and sweat at training. Cricket Australia’s head of science and medicine Alex Kountouris said that it was a constantly evolving picture as more was learned about the virus, but the option of using disinfectant – which was done in Australian rugby league before the shutdown and will be considered in other football codes – is likely to be discussed.”Disinfecting the ball is a consideration. [We] don’t know the impact on the ball as we haven’t tested it yet,” Kountouris said. “The ball being leather it’s harder to disinfect because it’s got little nooks and crevices so we don’t know how effective it’s going to be, we don’t know how infected the ball is going to get and we don’t know if it’s going to be allowed. It is an absolute consideration. Everything is on the table and everything is being considered.”From an Australian cricket perspective, probably other countries are going to play before us so we’ve got a chance to work with the ICC and the other countries to see what they come up with and take whatever steps we need to for making sure there’s a lower risk.Kountouris feels that some habits, like players licking their fingers then touching the ball, will be difficult to break•Getty Images”The sweat, saliva and the ball itself is only one risk factor. There’s a whole bunch of other stuff: hygiene, sanitising, physical distancing, not sharing equipment are going to be part of the overall risk. So we’re going to take our time and consider all those factors then work with the ICC to try to come up with whatever the final outcome is for elite cricket and community cricket.”Professional cricketers in Australia will be returning to training over the next couple of weeks – the CA contracted players finished their annual leave on Monday – with guidelines in place to manage the risk factors although they will vary from state to state depending on the level of activity allowed as restrictions continue to be eased.ALSO READ: Darwin open to being testing ground as cricket returns to AustraliaThe baseline is that equipment should not be shared – that is less of an issue at elite level – and that training should be done on a ‘get in, get out’ principle to minimise contact.Kountouris acknowledged that some habits ingrained in players, such as licking their fingers then touching the ball, will be difficult to break.”There’s going to be a steep learning curve and hopefully we’ve got time to practice some of that stuff but there are going to be mistakes at some point,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve worked out how we are going to deal with those mistakes, what the outcome will be. I imagine we are going to take a common sense approach and understand that people make mistakes and things are not going to be perfect. But if we can do most things right, most of the time, we are going to be okay.”He added that Cricket Australia “was not even close” to considering when the national squads would be able to join up for any training camps – there are suggestions the men’s limited-overs tour of England could take place in September – and they will monitor the country’s response to easing of restrictions over the next couple of months. However, there is increasing confidence that if the current progress is continued then the season will be able to start as scheduled in September.”We’re at the moment really happy with the fact that we can get back to training. So, a month or so ago, things looked bleak. The country has done really well,” Kountouris said. “From a sport perspective, there’s obviously a long way to go. If things don’t go wrong here, of course we are on track to gradually move through each of the different stages.”It’s dependent on whether we are allowed to travel, domestically, and whether borders are open between countries and we don’t have an outbreak and a cluster. There’s a whole bunch of factors but certainly if everything goes well, we are on track and we’re quietly confident that things will go to plan and we’ll be ready at the start of the season.”

Mary Earps made an England fan's day after gifting her a set of her goalkeeping gloves following the Lionesses' qualification for Euro 2025.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

England draw 0-0 with SwedenLionesses qualify for Euro 2025Earps gives her gloves to lucky fanWHAT HAPPENED?

The Lionesses secured their place at next year's Euros with a nervy goalless draw with Sweden on Tuesday night. Earps was on the bench with Chelsea's Hannah Hampton preferred in between the sticks but she did not let that disappointment get to her as the new Paris Saint-Germain recruit threw a pair of goalkeeper gloves into the crowd, much to one supporter's delight.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ahead of the 2025 Euros in Switzerland, the battle for the number one jersey is hotting up. Earps has made that position her own for England in recent years but the rise of Hampton may put that in jeopardy. All eyes will be on how both shot-stoppers fare in the upcoming season. Either way, the Lionesses can look forward to defending their Euros title in just under a year's time.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images/GOALWHAT NEXT?

Both Hampton and Earps will head off on their summer breaks before preparing for the new season, which gets underway in September in both the Women's Super League and Division 1 Feminine – where the latter will now be plying her trade.

For the first time in 2023/24, Liverpool saw the door close on a route toward silverware on Sunday afternoon, having succumbed to late pressure against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

The Reds had scored twice late in the opening half to turn the game on its head, with Scott McTominay opening the scoring after ten minutes, but wastefulness and complacency after the break ruined dominance that deserved a goal, and Jurgen Klopp is now competing across two fronts in the final phase of his Liverpool tenure.

Of course, Liverpool have already won the Carabao Cup this season, are behind first-placed Premier League side Arsenal only on goal difference and are the favourites to win the Europa League, having drawn Atalanta from Serie A in the quarter-finals.

But defeat in the FA Cup stings, with the manner of the loss sure to rankle the Merseysiders. Substitute Antony, widely criticised for his performances since joining Manchester United from Ajax for £86m in 2022, pivoted with grace and poise in the late stage of normal time to send a precise shot past Caoimhin Kelleher, outstretched but outfoxed.

And while Harvey Elliott's fine run of form continued as he regained the lead with a thumping deflected effort in extra time, Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo netted late on to send the Theatre of Dreams into a frenzy.

Why Liverpool lost vs Man Utd

Setbacks are part and parcel and it was wishful thinking to expect Liverpool to fire on all cylinders for the remainder of the campaign, but Klopp's side deserve all the plaudits for battling through a spate of injuries over the past several months to win silverware and have a platform for further success.

Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Alisson Becker, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip made up a bloated injury list that should have precluded the stunning recent results that have kept the club afloat.

Now, with the dreaded international break arriving, Liverpool are blessed with an opportune moment to recalibrate and nurture some sidelined stars closer back to fitness.

Moreover, the fatigue and wear-and-tear of the gruelling campaign – 2024 really has been relentless – can pause, take the much-needed breather, and Liverpool can return to action with a new lick of paint and an overlay of polish to tackle the business end.

All this said Liverpool were guilty of some inexcusable errors and while they found their rhythm during a blistering second-half period, it was not sustained and Manchester United were given in-roads all too often.

But it was Antony's goal that proved damning. It was the extra 30 minutes of play that proved detrimental for Klopp's side. Sapped and soft after a thick-and-fast run of fixtures, the Anfield side lacked the right substitution in the closing stage.

It's a shame Bajcetic is not quite ready to return from the injuries that have limited him to just two appearances this term; the precocious Spaniard would have made all the difference for Liverpool.

Why Stefan Bajcetic is so highly rated

Liverpool secured Bajcetic's services from Celta Vigo for just £224,000 back in December 2020, when he was 16 years old, with Alex Otero, youth coordinator at Celta Vigo, gushing to The Athletic about his prodigious qualities.

He said: “He has amazing physical characteristics. He is extremely quick, makes good recoveries, has a great spring, is really impressive in the air and carries the ball cleanly out of defence.”

After spending a few years growing into his skin within Liverpool's burgeoning youth system, Bajcetic was called to the senior set-up in 2022 and made his professional debut during Liverpool's 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth in the Premier League.

A few months later, with the Redmen struggling for form, his youthful traits were demanded and he caught the eye amid toiling peers, completing 11 appearances in the top flight before cruelly seeing his campaign ended by an abductor injury.

Liverpool reporter Leanne Prescott is among those to have marvelled at the teenage talent's emergence, with the writer saying: "Staggering that Liverpool look most in control this season when 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic is playing."

1.

Michael Owen

Wimbledon

17y 143d

2.

Raheem Sterling

Reading

17y 317d

3.

Stefan Bajcetic

Aston Villa

18y 65d

4.

Robbie Fowler

Oldham Athletic

18y 190d

5.

Jamie Carragher

Aston Villa

18y 356d

He scored on just his second feature in the Premier League to ice a much-needed victory over Aston Villa, going on to impress with his seamless style on the ball and intelligence across the many facets of the midfield game.

Klopp declared Bajcetic an "exceptional" young player after he burst onto the scene and he clearly has the tools to fashion success on the Anfield pitch for many years to come, if his age-belying feats from last year are anything to go by.

Nimble and adroit, tenacious in his defensive duties and endowed with energy and athleticism that acts as a natural vitaliser for his teammates, Bajcetic is the real deal and he could have offered the spark needed to secure success against Manchester United.

Imagine if Stefan Bajcetic played vs Man Utd

It's not that Liverpool were… poor against the Red Devils, rather, the team that took control failed to keep a hold of the reins after flagging as the match dragged on.

As discussed, this is only natural after such an unrelenting few months of football but Bajcetic's introduction to the engine room would have been enough to secure a spot in the semi-finals – against Coventry City, with the draw pitting Erik ten Hag's side against Championship opposition.

The 19-year-old has been confirmed to have returned to training this month but is still a little distance away from gracing the field, with Klopp hopeful that he will join first-team training after the imminent international break.

Had he returned just that little bit earlier, he might have made all the difference; despite playing just 11 minutes against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign, Bajcetic won all three duels, made two tackles and an interception and created a key pass.

In his other display, against LASK in the Europa League group stage, Bajcetic played from the outset and completed 84% of his passes, won three of his six ground duels, created two key passes, succeeded with his one attempted dribble and seven of his nine sprayed long passes.

He is such a robust player and would have injected the life and electricity Liverpool needed to cross the finish line. He did it last season, he will do it again.

Bajcetic's return cannot come soon enough for Klopp's side.

Sunderland will go into tomorrow night's fixture with Leicester City desperate to pick up a victory against the Foxes, with the Black Cats in a dire situation currently in the Championship.

Ditching Michael Beale as Sunderland boss hasn't really fixed any of the issues on Wearside to the dismay of the Stadium of Light masses, as Mike Dodds finds himself winless from his opening two games back as interim boss in the hot seat.

Sunderland have since sunk to tenth in the second-tier rankings under Dodds as a result, with any forthcoming win, no matter the scoreline, sufficing as long as more points are back on the board for the faltering Black Cats.

Table-topping Leicester won't be a walk in the park obviously, but with three defeats from their last four, Sunderland could look to capitalise on Enzo Maresca's men wobbling.

With that in mind, here is what Dodds' predicted lineup could look like as a result, with two possible changes from the 1-0 Norwich City defeat last match…

1 GK – Anthony Patterson

Anthony Patterson is more than secure with his starting spot in between the sticks at Sunderland, having played every minute of action in the Championship this season.

Picking up eight clean sheets along the way, Patterson will want to shut out Leicester on the way to a big win tomorrow night.

2 RB – Trai Hume

Trai Hume is also one of the first names on the teamsheet at the moment, regularly picked in defence by Mowbray and Beale before Dodds was thrust into the spotlight once more as a short-term boss.

Dodds has stuck by Hume as his starting right-back for good reason, with the Northern Irish star winning two duels as a lively presence against the Canaries last match even as his team fell to another defeat.

3 CB – Daniel Ballard

The first change to the eleven that lost narrowly to Norwich 1-0 last game could see Daniel Ballard return to the XI, the former Arsenal youngster out of Sunderland's last two games owing to a two-match suspension for accumulating ten yellow cards.

Jenson Seelt has competently filled in as a result of Ballard's absence – the Dutchman making four tackles in total at Carrow Road – but the 24-year-old centre-back should come back into the side regardless to add more steel to a leaky defence.

Described as "stunning" by football journalist Josh Bunting towards the start of the season, Ballard will be raring to go if selected tonight.

4 CB – Luke O'Nien

Luke O'Nien will partner Ballard at the heart of defence in this potential XI, the former Wycombe Wanderers man strong for large portions of this campaign so far battling bravely from centre-back.

The Sunderland captain won all but one of his duels in the 1-0 defeat to Norwich, alongside coming away from the loss with a respectable 89% passing accuracy playing out from the back.

With Ballard back by his side, O'Nien could well keep Maresca's men at bay to help his side pick up their first win since overcoming Plymouth Argyle 3-1 in mid-February.

5 LB – Leo Hjelde

January recruit Leo Hjelde has allowed Sunderland to rest easy about who should be picked at left-back, with Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin still stricken by injury.

Hjelde shone in the 1-0 loss to the Canaries to further justify being the starting left-back, winning 100% of his aerial duels when asserting himself into the tight contest alongside notching up one key pass for his troubles when venturing forward at Carrow Road.

6 CDM – Dan Neil

Dodds could well look to switch up the formation for his side's home tussle with Leicester tomorrow, reverting back to a 4-1-4-1 look potentially with Dan Neil well suited to take up the holding midfield role subsequently.

Neil was poor last time out at the Stadium of Light – with zero successful dribbles from the centre of the park against Swansea City – and so will look to put in a far more polished display when the Foxes come to town.

7 RM – Callum Styles

Callum Styles' versatility should see him start again versus Leicester, another of Sunderland's January buys given the nod to play again alongside former Leeds man Hjelde.

Able to play centrally and at full-back if required alongside filling in down the wing, Styles will stick it out down the right-hand side in this potential XI.

Successful with 100% of his dribble attempts against Norwich, the adaptable Hungary international also proved to be useful when tracking back with two clearances and a blocked shot next to his name from a positive 74 minutes in Norfolk.

8 CM – Jobe Bellingham

Starting as a striker at Carrow Road, Jobe Bellingham will feel far more at home playing in midfield again versus Leicester if the formation is tweaked tomorrow night.

Bellingham failed to muster up a single shot on Angus Gunn's goal last match when played up top, with Dodds now hoping that his teenage hotshot excels in a more familiar role against the Foxes.

9 CM – Pierre Ekwah

Pierre Ekwah will remain in a midfield spot to partner Bellingham against Leicester, with the former West Ham United youth player doing enough against Norwich to stay in Dodd's starting eleven plans.

Only misplacing four of his 59 passes at Carrow Road, Ekwah will just hope he remembers to pack his shooting boots against the Foxes after firing three off-target efforts at Gunn's goal last match.

10 LM – Romaine Mundle

Romaine Mundle has shown flashes of his quality since joining from Standard Liege in the January transfer window, with Dodds wanting the new Sunderland 14 to somehow fill the hole left behind by Jack Clarke being injured to unlock Leicester.

Winning five ground duels against David Wagner's hosts last game, on top of testing Gunn with two shots, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youth product will hope to play a key role in his new employers picking up a much-needed win tomorrow.

‘All these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people’

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-2020The possibility of IPL 2020 being a severely restricted tournament – with at least some part of it being played to empty stands – in light of the coronavirus threat has increased following statements by two key ministries of the Indian government on Thursday. While the sports ministry said it would not stop sporting events from taking place as long as they adhere strictly to governmental guidelines, discouraging mass gatherings, the external affairs (foreign) ministry went a step further and said their advice was to not go ahead with the tournament at this time, but left the decision to the organisers.The IPL itself is yet to issue a statement on the tournament but its Governing Council is scheduled to meet franchises on March 14 in Mumbai. The 13th edition of the tournament will likely feature nearly 60 overseas players, arriving from and through different parts of the globe that have been affected by the pandemic.ALSO READ: How the cricketing world is reacting to coronavirusOn Wednesday, shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic, the Indian government updated its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. At a press conference of the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday afternoon in Delhi, Dammu Ravi, its point person to deal with COVID-19 issues, was asked about impact of the new travel advisory on the IPL.”We are analysing a lot of requests of the status of sports events that are being held in India and something linked to a mega event, which is already being planned, so how do you deal with this?” Ravi replied. “It is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. And then we will be open to the idea, if they really want to do it. Our advice would be not to do it at this time, but if they still want to go ahead it is their decision.”He was later asked how the government would deal with private organisations going ahead with their plans “for commercial considerations despite the grave danger”. “The advisory that we have received yesterday is very clear that only (for) compelling reasons if anybody wants to come they will come. Now it may even include sports events. At this point of time, I have no definite answer whether commercial events will be banned or not. But in course of time we will see how things evolve.”The IPL is the most lucrative tournament in cricket and offers the BCCI as well as the eight franchises substantial sums of money. In 2017, Star India bought the global broadcast rights for IPL for a record USD 2.55 billion. Consequently, each franchise would earn around INR 150-200 plus crore per season from the IPL’s commercial pot. Therefore, it would not be an easy decision for the BCCI to defer or cancel the IPL.Ravi, though, put the onus on the organisers, asking them to think beyond the commercial aspect. “If it is a commercial decision, then we will have to assess in course of time if that requires special guidelines to be issue on that,” he said. “If we are looking at mega events there is also Tokyo Olympics which is going to happen later this year as well – all these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people around in that country as to what decisions (they ought to take), but we will be reviewing it in course of time also.”How coronavirus is affecting cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd’People’s health cannot be put in danger’Earlier on Thursday, Kiren Rijiju, India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, spoke about the guidelines on mass gatherings, issued on March 5 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They quoted expert advice to “reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus disease” and advised that mass gatherings be avoided or possibly postponed till the disease spread was contained.”All international events in India have been cancelled,” Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament. “But we are telling sports federations, we are telling all to comply with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. So any sports body in India should ensure [the guidelines are followed].”Asked specifically about the IPL, which is scheduled to start on March 29, Rijiju indicated that fans are likely not to be allowed at the grounds. “We are not stopping the game,” he said. “We are just telling [the IPL] to ensure that there is no mass gathering. Precautionary steps are very important for the health of the country.”Considering that IPL matches are usually attended by several thousand fans across all venues, Rijiju said the organisers would need to ensure that safety of the “people” is not put at risk. “That is the guideline,” he said. “If matches happen the organisers would need to put in place all infrastructure including screening machines. You cannot hold a match without that.”We are not saying anything to stop the match. We are just saying: even if they go ahead with the match, ensure that guidelines are followed. People’s health cannot be put into danger.”Shortly after Rijiju’s comments, the sports ministry also issued an advisory on Thursday to various national sports federations, the Indian Olympics Association as well as to the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.”To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897,” the sports ministry’s advisory said.”You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event, the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators.”A policeman wears a mask while on security detail amid the corona virus pandemic•BCCIOn Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic. Shortly after that, the Indian government changed its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. “All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till April 15, 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020, at the port of departure,” the government statement said.ESPNcricinfo understands, however, that those connected with the IPL would come under employment or project visas, which is likely to leave the tournament unaffected as things stand.As per the figures released by the WHO, 118 countries have been affected by COVID-19, classified as a respiratory illness. More than 120,000 people have been infected with over 4,300 deaths worldwide. In India so far, 73 people have been infected with no deaths as yet.It remains to be seen how this development will affect the remaining matches of the ODI series between India and South Africa, which began on Thursday in Dharamsala. The second ODI is scheduled to be played in Lucknow on March 15, and the third ODI in Kolkata on March 18.On Wednesday, the BCCI issued its first statement on how it was dealing with the pandemic ahead of the series. Along with following the prescribed dos and don’ts on personal hygiene, the BCCI had asked the India players to be mindful during their interactions with fans, including not shaking hands or using third-party gadgets for selfies.The COVID-19 pandemic has already forced the cancellation and postponement of sporting events across the globe with a few of them in India. The first major tournament to be postponed was the 3×3 basketball Olympic qualifiers, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from March 18 to 22.The Indian Open golf tournament, scheduled to be held in Gurugram from March 19 to 22, has been postponed, with the organisers promising to reschedule the event at “some point” later this year. The Shooting World Cup, in Delhi from March 15 to 26, has also been postponed, as has India’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Bhubaneswar on March 26. The India Open badminton tournament is going ahead as of now – in Delhi from March 24 to 29 – but without spectators.

Arsenal are determined to retain the services of wonderkid Chido Obi Martin amid interest from Bundesliga giants.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arsenal want to offer long-term contract to Obi MartinBayern and Dortmund show interest in strikerScored 32 goals in the U18 Premier LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

The 16-year-old prolific goalscorer enjoyed a terrific run of form for the Arsenal U18 side in the 2023/24 campaign. He scored 32 goals in the U18 Premier League which includes scoring seven times in the club's 9-0 win over Norwich City.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Now Fabrizio Romano reports that the Gunners are determined to keep the striker in their setup as first-team manager Mikel Arteta is convinced about the youngster's abilities and wants them to offer the forward a long-term deal. The player, however, is currently evaluating his options as he has also attracted interest from German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Denmark-born player started his youth career at Danish side KB before moving to North London in 2022. On the international stage, he has appeared for both Denmark's and England's youth teams.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The Gunners are looking to make new signings in the ongoing summer transfer window as they look to bolster their attack and defence. They were previously linked with a move for Benjamin Sesko, however, the striker later extended his RB Leipzig stay. The Premier League giants are currently eyeing a move for Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Leeds United have reportedly made a recent offer to sign a new player who Daniel Farke knows well.

Leeds’ form in 2024

The Whites have been unbeatable so far this year, winning all eight of their Championship games in 2024. The most recent victory came at Plymouth Argyle, which took the club back into second place having played a game more than Southampton and Ipswich Town.

Farke praised his side after the win at Home Park, saying:

“It was perhaps not our best performance of the season. The schedule is relentless. It was important to add another clean sheet, a really good [defensive] performance. We started really well in the game. "But then also, there were one or two periods of the game where we had to stay strong and didn't allow them to have chances.

"Definitely a deserved win but hard fought. I'm pretty proud, especially with the clean sheet today. The first side to win here since October.”

Leeds, Farke and the 49ers Enterprises will hopefully be preparing for a season back in the Premier League over the summer, and it looks as if the German has his eyes on a player he signed for Norwich City.

Leeds make £6m offer for new winger

According to Turkish outlet Takvim in the last 48 hours, Leeds United have ‘recently made an official offer’ in the region of €7m (£6m) to sign Besiktas winger Milot Rashica. It doesn’t say when the bid was made, either in January or since the window has shut with a view to a summer deal.

Besiktas have turned down the bid, though, with their management saying: "We are aiming for the championship in the new season. Rashica is an important player who can lead us to this goal."

As mentioned, Rashica has previous experience of working under Farke, making 12 appearances under the now-Leeds boss at Carrow Road in 2021/22 before he was sacked. Farke previously hailed the winger, saying:

“Milot Rashica was excellent in our first games but he had a difficult pre-season and unbelievable workload during the international break.

“On Wednesday night he played for Kosovo in Spain and had to work a lot playing against the ball for ninety minutes and then travel back to England and then travelling the three-and-a-half hours to London. He was a bit tired and needed to have a break.”

As we know, Leeds already have a number of talented wingers in Yorkshire, such as Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James, so should one of the three depart, perhaps Rashica could be viewed as a replacement.

Rashica, after leaving England, has played for Galatasaray and Besiktas, contributing to more than 20 goals in 56 appearances. The 27-year-old is under contract until 2027, though, so Leeds may need to up their bid considerably over the coming months if they want him at Elland Road this summer.

Described as Metz's answer to Kylian Mbappe, the striker is out in front as top scorer in Germany after an exceptional group stage

Few would have predicted that minnows Georgia would reach the last 16 at Euro 2024 in what is their first major tournament, let alone that they would have the leading goal-scorer in their ranks at the conclusion of the group stage. GOAL earmarked Georges Mikautadze as a potential breakout star of the European Championship, but with three goals in as many games, he has surpassed expectation and probably his wildest dreams.

The striker – who is eligible for France but elected to play for Georgia after a media campaign in 2021 – netted a clinical finish to become his country's first-ever major tournament goal-scorer in their opener against Turkey, before coolly converting spot-kicks in the draw with the Czech Republic and the quite incredible 2-0 win over Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal that booked the Caucasus nation a place in the round of 16.

Away from his goals, the 23-year-old's pace and trickery have caught the eye, and after a rollercoaster few years he is destined for bigger things after his current club Metz suffered relegation to Ligue 2. But what is the story behind Euro 2024's leading marksman? GOAL has you covered…

Where it all began

Mikautadze may represent Georgia at international level, but he was born in Lyon, France, in 2000. His parents emigrated there from war-torn Georgia in the late 90s and would only return home in the summers, although they would teach their son his mother tongue.

His footballing journey began at FC Gerland in 2007, in the shadow of Lyon's former stadium of the same name in the south of the city. Perhaps inevitably, he was soon scouted by the then-serial Ligue 1 winners and would spend seven years of his development with his hometown club.

After leaving Lyon in 2015 and a brief spell with Saint-Priest on the outskirts of the city, Mikautadze would join current club Metz, 460km away, in 2017. There he would spend two years in the academy before swiftly being promoted to the B team – who play in the French third tier – having caught the eye.

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

In the 2019-20 season, Mikautadze's form in the B team earned him a place in the senior Metz squad for three consecutive games in December, and he would come off the bench to make his senior debut against Nice in a seven-minute cameo. That wouldn't end up being a major breakthrough, though, as the forward would be forced to wait patiently to get his chance at Metz.

Instead, it was a loan in Belgium when Mikautadze was 20 years old that proved to be a watershed; he spent two seasons with Seraing, on the outskirts of Liege, and demonstrated his potential to become a prolific goal-scorer. Eventually firing Seraing to promotion from the Belgian second tier in his first campaign, Mikautadze started as he meant to go on as he scored FOUR times on his debut against Lommel. After just nine games he had 15 strikes to his name, including a further two hat-tricks.

Although his goal rate would decrease in the second half of the season, he would still finish the regular league term with 19 goals in 22 games. And he would come up clutch when it mattered most, scoring twice and providing an assist across a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against Beveren as Seraing triumphed 6-3 on aggregate.

GettyHow it's going

Mikautadze would be loaned back to Seraing for their promotion campaign, showcasing that he could score goals in a European top flight as he netted nine times in the Belgian Pro League, making another fast start with seven goals in his first 10 appearances. He could not prevent his side finishing in the relegation play-off place, but once again came up clutch with the only goal in two legs against Molenbeek to keep Seraing up.

The attacker returned to Metz for 2022-23 having finally earned the opportunity to be a starter – it was just unfortunate for him that Les Grenats had been relegated from Ligue 1 the previous season. Nevertheless, he would make the most of the platform in Ligue 2, making 31 goal contributions in 37 games in a stellar individual term as he once again played a huge role in a promotion campaign, finishing as the French second tier's top scorer and being named player of the season.

His form back in France piqued the interest of a European giant, with Ajax shelling out €16 million (£13.5m/$17m) to bring Mikautadze to Amsterdam in the summer of 2023. He said he "didn't hesitate for a second" when Ajax came calling, but his big move went awry amid the overarching chaos at the Johan Cruyff Arena as he made just nine appearances in a bit-part role in the first half of the season. In November, caretaker manager John van't Schip suggested he was struggling to adjust. "With him, he may still have to adapt to the way we want to play as Ajax," he said. "If you lose the ball, what do you do? And how are you going to apply pressure? These are things that he may need a little more time for. But it is clear that he can play football."

In January 2024 the drastic decision was taken to loan Mikautadze back to Metz – a move that would pave the way for the exceptional form we have witnessed at the Euros. He almost singlehandedly saved Metz from relegation as he scored 11 times back in familiar surroundings, including a run of eight goals in seven games to finish the league campaign.

Metz manager Laszlo Boloni said in April: "He lost quite a bit of his honour at Ajax. Now, he’s rediscovering his wellbeing. For the whole team, when you have a goal-scorer, it’s the most joyous thing. Mikautadze isn’t Kylian Mbappe, but he’s FC Metz’s Mbappe!” Ultimately, though, it was not enough to save Les Grenats, who were defeated 4-3 on aggregate by Saint-Etienne in the promotion/relegation play-off despite another Mikautadze strike.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Biggest strengths

Two of Mikautadze's three Euro 2024 goals have come from the penalty spot, but his first – an instinctive first-time finish against Turkey – demonstrated that he is a penalty-box poacher who knows just how to finish off an opportunity, while his pace and trickery are also eye-catching.

"My strong point is my finishing," the striker said during his time with Seraing. "Dribbling, accelerating and shooting: that's what I'm good at, that's my main quality. I've been doing that since I was a child. I'm used to playing as a No.9, appearing in front of goal, creating chances and shooting on goal."

The Georgian hitman also remarkably boasts the ability to play off either his left or his right, having worked on his two-footedness as soon as he was playing. "Yes, it's [two-footedness] a big advantage," he said in an interview upon signing with Ajax. "Since I was a child I would train my weaker left foot all the time, and little by little my left foot would become equal to my right."

Capable of operating across the frontline and in attacking midfield, his versatility is also a huge asset. His former manager Emilio Ferrera described him as "a phenomenon". Speaking to he said: "He can score in all possible ways: in a moment, after a dribble, with a long shot, with the left, with the right… just not with his head."

Legspinner to prioritise short-form cricket with eye on managing shoulder injury ahead of T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2020Adil Rashid has insisted that he still has ambitions of playing Test cricket for England, despite signing a white-ball contract with Yorkshire for the 2020 season.Rashid ruled himself out of England’s upcoming series in Sri Lanka earlier this month, telling Sky Sports during the ODI series in South Africa: “I’ve got to go back into county cricket, perform, do well, and then get selected.”But with fitness a constant concern due to his ongoing shoulder injury, Rashid has decided to focus on T20 cricket for the foreseeable future.ALSO READ: Rashid rules himself out of England’s Test series in Sri Lanka”I am thrilled to sign this contract with my home club and look forward to this season’s T20 campaign,” Rashid said. “I have decided to concentrate on white-ball cricket this summer in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. This is due to an ongoing shoulder injury, so it is important for me to manage my workload to give me the best chance of remaining fit.”Although I won’t be playing red-ball cricket this summer, I still have ambitions of playing Test cricket in the future.”Following Rashid’s controversial Test recall in 2018, which came months after he had signed a white-ball-only county deal, England changed their selection policy to only consider players for the formats they are contracted for domestically.He won a Test contract for 2018-19, and signed an all-formats contract with Yorkshire for 2019, but his most recent first-class game was the Barbados Test last January. He has had to manage a persistent shoulder problem since the start of last summer, which forced him to take pain-killing injections to get through the World Cup and ruled him out of the end of the 2019 domestic season.After a relatively quiet series in New Zealand in November, Rashid looked back at his best in South Africa, winning the match award in the third ODI for his 3 for 52. While his figures in the T20I series – two wickets and an economy rate of 9.00 – might appear underwhelming at face value, they were excellent in the context of a series in which the overall run-rate was above 10.While Rashid’s deal technically covers 50-over cricket, he is unlikely to appear in the One-Day Cup – with the possible exception of the knockout stages – due to the competition’s clash with the Hundred, in which he is a ‘local icon’ player for Northern Superchargers.It had long appeared unlikely that he would play red-ball cricket this season, with both Keshav Maharaj and R Ashwin set for stints as Yorkshire’s overseas players in the County Championship.Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said: “We fully understand Adil’s position and are happy that he will be available for Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast this coming season. Adil is a world-class performer and will obviously add great value to our T20 team.”

Paul Pogba insists he is “not finished”, with the Juventus midfielder vowing to keeping fighting the “injustice” that landed him a four-year ban.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Failed standard drugs test in August 2023Handed lengthy suspension to 2027Intends to contest that ruling & clear nameWHAT HAPPENED?

The World Cup winner failed a standard doping test in August 2023, with a B sample also coming back positive. As a result, he was stung with a lengthy suspension from all football-related activity. Pogba is taking his appeal against that ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT POGBA SAID

Pogba is being prevented from doing his day job at present and recently figured in a video in which he claimed to be “dead” professionally. The 31-year-old claims that production was poorly edited, with his career far from being over. Pogba has told : “If you don’t see a video where I say that I am stopping with football it’s because I am still a football player. I am still here, still positive, I have an opportunity to fight what in my view is an injustice. We’ll see, things will go better. I don’t know if you saw the whole interview, but they only put up a part of it were I hadn’t even finished speaking yet. Pogba is not finished, Pogba is here and until you see me say I'm finished, don't worry. I still feel like a player, I am training and in these moments I must only be positive. I am spending a lot of time with my family, seeing my kids grow up. I am not doing what I love, which is football, but I am really eager to get back. I am so eager, I feel like a kid who wants to be a professional.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Pogba is working on the lowest possible salary at Juventus, as he cannot train or play for them, but reports of his contract being terminated on June 30 proved to be wide of the mark. The France international, who was in attendance to watch his country battle past Belgium in the last-16 of Euro 2024 and visited the squad after the game, added on his future at club level: “From the last I heard, I am still a Juventus player and I think you’d have to ask them. I have a contract, I have not been able to talk yet to the director or the coach, there is silence… I think they are waiting for the appeal. As for the rest, you’d have to ask them.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Pogba’s ban is due to run until 2027 as things stand. The former Manchester United star hopes he will be back on the field long before then, but there are a number of legal hurdles to clear before he can lace up a pair of boots.