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West Ham United have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed in a recent episode of The West Ham Way podcast (via West Ham Zone) that, despite the Hammers initially believing that Aaron Cresswell was close to making a return to action, scans have now shown that the left-back has chipped a bone in his back, which could rule out the former England international for a number of months.

Speaking about the defender’s injury, the Irons insider said: “His injury seems to be worse than originally feared. First, I was aiming to get information from the club [saying that they are] expecting he’ll be back [soon]. But, then [there] were scans and the bone has been chipped. That’s a massive loss.”

Moyes will be fuming

Considering just how important Cresswell has been to this West Ham side, the news that the 32-year-old could be sidelined for a substantial part of the season will surely have left David Moyes fuming.

Indeed, over his 13 Premier League appearances so far this term, the £3.6m-rated defender has helped his side to keep three clean sheets, scored one goal and provided his teammates with one assist. He has also averaged 1.2 key passes, 0.9 interceptions and 1.1 tackles and won 64% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the 32-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as David Moyes’ third-best performer in the top flight.

As such, with both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna already ruled out of action for a number of months due to injury, the further loss of Cresswell will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Moyes and his side – particularly ahead of a vital fixture against Watford this afternoon, as the Hammers are in desperate need of three points to keep themselves in the top-four race after the turn of the year.

In other news: Moyes must ruthlessly axe “incredible” £34m-rated flop, he could cost West Ham dearly

Kamran Akmal, Pakistan’s embattled wicketkeeper, has ruled out the possibility of playing in the Hobart Test as a batsman alone, and is confident he will play

Osman Samiuddin in Hobart11-Jan-2010Kamran Akmal, Pakistan’s embattled wicketkeeper, has ruled out the possibility of playing in the Hobart Test as a batsman alone, and has insisted again that he is confident he will play. Akmal’s position in the side has come under intense scrutiny after a dismal second Test in Sydney in which he dropped four catches and failed with the bat as Pakistan handed Australia a remarkable win that sealed the series.The PCB immediately decided to fly out Sarfraz Ahmed as a replacement wicketkeeper and said that he will “participate” in the third Test beginning Thursday. The statement left scope for Akmal to come in as a specialist batsman in a faltering middle-order, but for the second day running, the Pakistan vice-captain has defied board directives, maintaining that he will play at Hobart, and do so as a wicketkeeper-batsman.”I am very happy with being wicketkeeper-batsman, not only batsman,” he said. “I have played for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batsman with pride, so hopefully I am playing a similar role.”However, Akmal said a final decision would be made by the tour selection committee. A routine meeting is due to be held the day before the Test to finalise the playing XI, but the debate within indicates the discord between the on-tour management and the board.The matter is further complicated by the composition of the touring selection committee. As vice-captain, however, Akmal has a vote on the playing XI, alongside captain Mohammad Yousuf, coach Intikhab Alam and manager Abdur Raquib. Within that group it is believed that the decision on playing Akmal may reach a stalemate, in which case the captain is likely to prevail with a deciding vote. Given the backing that he has given Akmal all along, it means Yousuf could conceivably choose to continue with the wicketkeeper, and thus clash openly with the board.”Definitely, I’m very keen I am playing in this Test match but it depends on the captain and coach and management,” Akmal said. “I’ve worked very hard in the nets. I’m still positive and hopefully I will play well here. They will tell me or not in the next few days if I am playing.”Nothing is on my mind as a batsman. I am playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Before the match there is a selection meeting and I will decide with the coach and captain if I’m playing or not.”

Future Ashes series in England may be available on free-to-air television in the UK following a review of the ‘crown jewels’ of sports events

Cricinfo staff11-Oct-2009Future Ashes series in England may be available on free-to-air television in the UK following a review of the ‘crown jewels’ of sports which stipulates the events that must be available on terrestrial television and which can be bought by pay-TV operators.The reported that the Government have backed a review which says that the Ashes should be back on the protected list of major events. Test cricket has not been shown on terrestrial TV in the UK since 2005, when BSkyB bought the rights to all England’s home matches.When England regained the Ashes at The Oval in August viewing figures peaked at around two million compared to seven million who tuned as the 2005 series was decided.However, any move to make the Ashes a terrestrial event is likely to run into resistance from BSkyB, who currently have the rights to the next home series in 2013 as part of the £300 million deal they signed with the ECB last year.There is no suggestion that series outside of the Ashes could be promoted back to the A-list of events. Currently, England’s home Tests are on the B-list which means that only highlights must be available on terrestrial TV and are currently shown by Five.

This was just another day, just another defeat, for a team of cricketers going through the motions as the summer winds to a close. But Australia are eyeing an unthinkable 7-0 whitewash

Andrew Miller at The Rose Bowl09-Sep-2009

It’s getting on for mid-September, the Ashes are in the bag, and England’s footballers have just qualified for the World Cup finals. Those are just three significant reasons why no-one other than the 21,000 punters who forked out 70-odd quid to sit in the Rose Bowl’s evening chill will care too much about this latest result. This is just another day, just another defeat, for a team of cricketers going through the motions as the summer winds to a close.Andrew Strauss, inevitably, protested the charge when it was put to him at the end of the match. “We’re not good enough in one-day cricket to sit here and go easy, and I don’t think we have for one minute,” he said. But the evidence is all around him. No single England partnership was worth more than 41, and even that was more than 100 runs fewer than Cameron White and Michael Clarke managed in their game-breaking alliance. Whether they are setting the agenda or chasing the game, England are about as effective as the weather forecasters’ prediction that 2009 would be a “barbeque summer”.”We haven’t played well enough, clearly, but I don’t think it’s for lack of trying,” said Strauss. “We’ve had three poor batting performances, and the first two were very winnable at the halfway mark, but as a batting unit we just haven’t fired. We’ve got to be honest with ourselves and have a look at it, in terms of how we can improve. In one-day cricket, you can’t go into your shell and grind it out, you’ve got to play with enough confidence to put a competitive score on the board, but at the same time make good decisions.”You’ve got to play, in other words, like Cameron White, who started this series with a reputation for a late-innings big hitting, but has morphed remarkably effectively into a man with the range of strokes for all occasions, and the temperament to utilise them at the correct moments. Admittedly he could – and maybe should – have been run out on 46 and 70 (just as he was for 53 in the first match at The Oval) but he didn’t offer a chance off his own bat until he had made 92 and the game was already safe.”The wickets can be quite hard to score on, so you can feel the scoreboard pressure, and pressure from the opposition at times,” said White, who would not have been batting at No. 3 had Ricky Ponting not flown home for a break, and who will not feature there – injuries permitting – for the rest of the series. Either way, he did not snatch at the opportunity, and ended up teaching England’s own batsmen how to survive in their own conditions.”Maybe the scores haven’t been as high because the pitches have been a little tough to score on,” he said. “It just takes a little bit of time to get used to the pace of the pitch, and obviously if you bowl a good length and straight at the stump it is hard to score. It makes the run-rate a little bit slower.””He played it very well,” said Strauss. “When we were trying to squeeze the Australians he played some big shots to keep the momentum going, and he’s taken his chance pretty well. We’re a bit frustrated we didn’t take all our chances, our fielding wasn’t as good as it should have been, but fair play to him, he guided Australia home, which was what was needed in those circumstances – one guy to bat through and get a big score.”And that, as Strauss well knows, is exactly the role he himself should have played in each of the first three games. Regardless of the outcomes in the series to date, England’s captain has still looked the most fluent and classy strokemaker on display. Each of his three innings, however, have been unfulfilled promises, undermined by the wrong shot at the wrong moment, not least as today’s clip to midwicket when, with 63 out of a total of 98 for 4, he had scored almost two-thirds of England’s runs.”When you’re batting well, you have to make hay,” said Strauss. “But I haven’t done that, and that’s frustrating. Every time you pull on an England shirt you’ve got a chance to go on and achieve something, and I am as culpable as anyone.”England have two days to regroup before returning to Lord’s for the first of their four must-win matches, and though Stuart Broad will be back to shore up the seam attack, Joe Denly’s football-crunched knee is likely to keep him sidelined for yet another contest. With Kevin Pietersen proving an immeasurably huge void to fill, and Paul Collingwood so exhausted after featuring in every single international fixture this year that he has reportedly asked to be released from his Champions League obligations with Delhi Daredevils, there’s little immediate hope of arresting the current decline.So, can Australia achieve an unprecedented feat, and complete a 7-0 whitewash? “Yes, at the moment,” said White. “I think, if we keep playing good, consistent cricket, keep bowling and fielding well, there’s no reason why not. I definitely think we want to keep the momentum going, and I don’t think we’re playing at our total best at the moment.”There are still areas we feel we can improve in,” he said. “There’s probably things we’ve got to work on to get better in the rest of these four games, and hopefully come four more games time, we are at our peak. Seven one-day wins against a really good side would be a pretty strange thing to happen, but I’m not saying it can’t.”Nor, at this moment in time, are many of the few people in England still paying any attention.

A batting masterpiece and a fast-bowling barrage. It isn’t often that a teamcan combine both of those forces in one night, but Sri Lanka had all of thatgoing for them and more

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter08-Sep-2009
Scorecard andball-by-ball details
How they were out
Thilan Samaraweera’s 104 was a huge improvement over his previous highest ODI score of 38•AFPA batting masterpiece and a fast-bowling barrage. It isn’t often that a teamcan combine both of those forces in one night, but Sri Lanka had all of that, and more,going for them. Thilan Samaraweera compileda superlative maiden one-day century and Lasith Malinga ripped NewZealand’s middle order to shreds as the hosts launched the series with athumping win, bonus point included.When Sri Lanka were restricted to 216, it seemed a tight contest was on the cards;instead New Zealand folded for 119, sending the smattering of spectatorshome early. Sri Lanka’s innings had been resurrected from 69 for 5 bySamaraweera and AngeloMathews, but New Zealand never recovered after Sri Lanka’s fast bowlerssliced through the order.Within 29 balls, Jesse Ryder (0), Martin Guptill (3) and Ross Taylor (2)were left brooding in the dressing room. New Zealand’s shot at victory hadbeen squashed and any self-belief that lingered after the Tests nowvanished.And Sri Lanka weren’t done. Malinga is hardly the man you want to see with the ball when your top order has been blown away, and what followed was stunning. With his first threeovers, comprising deliveries on all sorts of lengths, Malinga kept thebatsmen tied down. The fourth was something out of a shooting gallery.Brendon McCullum had run the risk of being arrested for loitering as hesqueezed 14 from 51 balls before Malinga rattled his stumps. Two deliverieslater Malinga held back his length and drew an edge off Jacob Oram’s bat toKumar Sangakkara. With his next ball, Malinga hurled down a corker that wentright through debutant Nathan McCullum.At 41 for 6 in the 19th over, this game was as good as done. The onlybatsmen to cross 14 were Grant Elliott, with a brave 41, and Ian Butler,whose efforts lessened the margin of defeat. Completing the rout withanother yorker was Malinga, whose aggressive bowling had undoubtedly beenfuelled by Samaraweera’s inspirational batting.Samaraweera, whose highest ODI score coming into this match was 38 not out,teamed up with Mathews and averted a meek surrender with a 127-runassociation from 134 balls. The pair combined exceptional running betweenthe wickets with some fireworks to help Sri Lanka reach a total that lookedremote when they began.Conventional wisdom and statistics at the Premadasa suggest strongly youbat first in day-night matches, and when Sangakkara won the toss it wasgreeted with loud cheers as the crowd anticipated a quick start. But thiswas an unusual two-paced track that didn’t encourage for blazing shots andSri Lanka slipped to 22 for 3.Tuffey’s reputation as a first-over specialist preceded him on hisinternational return, and it was a special wicket to celebrate too, asTillakarate Dilshan chopped on. Bond dismissed Mahela Jayawardene for 0,steering a rising delivery to slip, and Sanath Jayasuriya for 7, slashing tothird man. Vettori eased Bond back into this format with five tight overs (2for 9) and Tuffey’s consummate spell of 1 for 19 off six overs made for aclinical start with the ball. Tuffey and Bond bowled very straight andshackled the Sri Lankan top order, and the fielders were energetic andpredatory as well.There were only two boundaries by the half-way mark – both inside the firstthree overs – and a run rate of 2.72 indicated how much Sri Lanka hadstruggled. Almost immediately, Samaraweera and Mathews began to build somemomentum, unfazed by the nature of the track and energetically hunting forscoring possibilities. A boundaryless streak, lasting 143 deliveries, wassoon snapped.Mathews played his most fluent innings in recent memory. He timed the ballwell from the start, getting off the mark with a straight drive off DanielVettori, and then placed the ball far more deftly than he had in theTwenty20s. Between overs 33 and 38 the pair added 35, running hard betweenthe wickets and taking runs off Butler, prompting Vettori to call backTuffey. Samaraweera, who had reached his half-century off 78 balls, cleanlylofted and paddled boundaries to get the small crowd cheering.In the first over of the batting Powerplay, taken after 44 overs,Samaraweera turned it on: he brought up the century stand in 114 balls witha spanking cover drive off Butler, repeated the shot a touch squarer, andpaddled four more past short fine leg. Bond returned to bowl Mathews for 51,but Samaraweera achieved his watershed landmark. It was exceptional battingand got Sri Lanka to a total far beyond what New Zealand would have liked.Vettori now has a few days to raise his players’ morale. It will bedifficult after such a comprehensive defeat, especially against India. NewZealand’s next game – and potentially last – game is on Friday. They can, atbest, hope to look forward to a new pitch.

يعتقد إدوين فان دير سار المدير العام لنادي أياكس أمستردام الهولندي، أن المشجعين هم أكبر الفائزين الآن بعد أن تواجد الفريق في مجموعة واحدة مع ليفربول ونابولي ورينجرز.

وأجريت مساء اليوم الخميس قرعة دور المجموعات لمنافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2022-2023.

وقال فان دير سار في تصريحاته لـ”ELF Voetbal”: “عندما أنظر إلى المجموعة، أقول قرعة رائعة”.

وأضاف: “لقد تحدثت للتو مع ممثل من ليفربول وجيوفاني فان برونكهورست (مدرب رينجرز)، أرسل لي بالفعل رسالة نصية، سأجيب عليه، سيكون من الجيد مقابلة جيوفاني مرتين”.

واجه أياكس ليفربول منذ عامين، كان ذلك في ملعب فارغ بدون جماهير بسبب كورونا، في دور المجموعات وانتصر الفريق الإنجليزي في مباراة الذهاب بهدف نظيف، وفي الإياب فاز نظيره الهولندي بهدف دون رد.

وعلّق فان دير سار: “الآن يمكننا أخيرًا اللعب في ملعب ممتلئ، على الرغم من أن مباراة 2020 لا يمكن مقارنتها الآن”.

اقرأ أيضًا | مدرب أياكس: سنفعل كل ما في وسعنا لمنع أنتوني من الانتقال إلى مانشستر يونايتد

وأوضح: “هناك العديد من اللاعبين الجدد، وهناك مدرب جديد أعتقد بالتأكيد أن لدينا فرصة جيدة، لقد أظهرنا في السنوات الأخيرة أننا يمكن أن نكون ناديًا طموحًا”.

وأكد: “في دوري الأبطال نريد أن نصل إلى أبعد نقطة ممكنة، وهذا يعني بالتأكيد البقاء على قيد الحياة في مرحلة المجموعات”.

يعرف فان دير سار أن أجواء الخصوم الثلاثة مثيرة للإعجاب، وأتم: “إنني أتطلع إلى ذلك، كان من الممكن أن تكون القرعة أسهل، لكنها بالتأكيد أكثر صرامة، مشجعونا هم الفائزون بالفعل مع هؤلاء المنافس الثلاثة”.

Newcastle United are now reportedly interested in signing former Chelsea star Eden Hazard.

The Lowdown: January move?

Previous reports from ESPN claimed that the North East club, as well as Chelsea, have been ‘alerted’ to the potential of signing Hazard in the January transfer window.

However, it is not clear whether he would like to leave Real Madrid at this moment in time.

It is safe to say that things have not gone well for him in the Spanish capital, as he has only managed to score a mere five goals and make just nine assists in 53 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), far fewer than what the Bernabeu faithful expected given that they spent a whopping £150m (BBC) for his signature.

Thus, it would not be a surprise if the La Liga giants decided to cut their losses on the Belgium international.

The Latest: Magpies ‘interested’

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful are one of a number of clubs, including others from the Premier League, who are indeed ‘interested’ in signing Hazard.

Both Madrid and manager Carlo Ancelotti would not be against a possible sale, and the outlet even goes as far as to claim that he has been a ‘real problem’ for Los Blancos.

The Verdict: Look elsewhere

Hazard was a great servant to the top flight when he was playing for Chelsea. Even former AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, who has recently been linked with the Magpies job, is clearly a big fan, hailing him as ‘outstanding’ after a top performance against his old team.

He has scored a total of 198 goals for both club and country in over 700 matches, largely from a wide midfield position (Transfermarkt), which are highly impressive numbers considering where he plays on the pitch.

However, at 30 years of age now, Hazard is past his peak, and also carries injury issues with him, which is already a problem for the whoever the new manager is.

The Toon already have Allan Saint-Maximin as a superb left-wing option as well, and so the new owners should look to prioritise other positions in the squad anyway.

In other news, find out who Graeme Jones has ‘pushed’ for to be NUFC manager here!

We are in the midst of the 2021 / 2022 Premier League season and the top four, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, are all performing well. However, there have of course still been a few surprises this season and it is all still to play for at this point in the tournament.

If you are still undecided on where to place your bets, do your research on the latest Premier League odds and take a look at these overviews of each of the best performing teams in the league’s history, including their previous records and highlights so far this season:

Manchester City

Number of times won: 5 (2011, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2020)

Man City are the team to beat having been crowned League champions three out of the past four seasons. They certainly have a good chance of repeating past success this season with results-driven Pep Guardiola at the helm.

While their defence was not on top form in previous seasons, since signing Ruben Dias they have put together an all-around strong team. Portuguese player Dias is considered to be one of the world’s best defenders by many and has made around 40 League appearances for the club so far.

Another strong signing for City was Jack Grealish, his £100 million transfer deal that took place earlier this year made him one of the most expensive signings in history. The player is on a contract that runs until 2027 and replaced Sergio Agüero in the number 10 spot.

City’s loss in the Champions League to Chelsea was a blow to the team, however they are still expected to come out on top.

Liverpool

Number of times won: 1 (2019)

Despite running into some serious bad luck and a streak of losses, Liverpool still managed to come out in third place last season. The team lost six games at home in a row and had a series of disruptive injuries, including Virgil van Dijk’s knee.

They seem to have bounced back this year and importantly, Van Dijk has been cleared as fit to play again. His return is expected to have a huge impact on overall performance and will be strongly supported by new arrival Ibrahima Konate, a centre back from RB Leipzig.

Arguably, their best performance so far has been their game against Manchester United, with a whooping five magnificent goals scored. The worst has to be their away game with Brentford, as while this should have been an easy one, their lacklustre performance led to them dropping two points.

Mo Salah has been the star of the show in the current season, having scored six times and assisted a number of times. Despite his record with yellow cards, he is a strong and enthusiastic player that will do what it takes to get Liverpool their second Premier League title.

At present, they are just behind Chelsea and just ahead of City on the League table.

Chelsea

Number of times won: 5 (2004, 2005, 2009, 2014 and 2016)

They may have come in fourth place last season, but in the 2021 / 2022 Premier League they are currently in top position. Following Lampard’s departure due to poor performance and overspending in the transfer window, Thomas Tuchel has had a great impact on the team.

During Tuchel’s first full season at the club, the re-signing of striker Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan in a £97.5 million deal has bolstered the team and made it arguably the strongest and most complete in the League. The manager is now expected to sign more defensive players.

Manchester United

Number of times won: 13 (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013)

Manchester United obviously have a very strong record of winning the Premier League however, in recent years they have failed to make the top spot. Last year they just missed out on the trophy having struggled to win the most important matches of the tournament.

United now have all eyes on them and are now under much more pressure to perform given the recent signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s best players in history. The Portuguese forward has won five Ballons D’Or and four European Golden Shoes, he re-joined United in August on a two-year contract deal for £12.85 million.

In his second debut for United in September, Ronaldo scored two of the four goals against Newcastle United. He continues to be a force to be reckoned with and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

With Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes still in midfield, the squad remains strong and capable of victory. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is fortunate to have such a variety of talent at his disposal and the pressure is on for him to make the most out of it.

While Chelsea and Liverpool currently reside at the top of the League table, it is too soon to call a winner. Each of the top four have the potential to take home the trophy given their strong teams and performance so far in the season.

It’s an exciting time to be a Crystal Palace fan. The club’s ambition off the pitch is being matched by some encouraging results and performances on the field of play.

Last week was as about as good as Eagles supporters have had it for many years. The official opening of their new Category 1 Academy and state-of-the-art facilities was followed up by a victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in their own backyard.

At the unveiling of the new youth facilities, chairman Steve Parish outlined the transformative effect that he hopes the upgraded setup will have on the south London club.

He said: “The new Academy will have a transformative effect on the future of the football club and the local community, not only enabling us to attract and retain the best players in one of England’s richest footballing areas but also to help scores of young people and local schools enjoy the facilities.”

With the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrick Mitchell paving the way for Palace’s future stars, it appears as though the coming years are set to mark a new chapter in the Eagles’ history.

One player who become a household name in years to come is striker Robert Street. The 20-year-old has risen through the ranks at his boyhood club and is currently enjoying a stellar campaign for the under-23s.

In 12 appearances for Shaun Derry’s charges, Street has bagged an impressive seven goals and provided one assist, with his eye-catching displays earning him a place on the bench for two Premier League encounters.

Palace’s official website describes the youngster as a “talented” forward, and he’s certainly someone who should generate plenty of excitement among the fans.

“A combative attacker in the Palace ranks, Street followed the lead of fellow young hotshot and former Palace forward James Daly by progressing through the Under-18s to sample Development football,” Street’s description reads.

“The talented frontman was rewarded for his efforts with a professional contract in summer 2020 and followed this with a loan move to Torquay United in January 2021.

“After his return to the Under-23s side, he scored a crucial goal in the play-off victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers to send Palace within touching distance of promotion.”

Only time will tell if Street has the quality and desire to make the step up to Vieira’s first team squad on a regular basis, but the signs are encouraging for Palace’s latest attacking talent.

In other news… Report shares encouraging Crystal Palace update, fans will surely be delighted

Southampton will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games as they travel away to face Sheffield United in the League Cup.

The Saints will need to defeat the Championship side to progress through to the fourth round, having beaten Newport County 8-0 in the previous stage of the competition.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men come into this match off the back of a 0-0 draw with Manchester City in the Premier League and the Austrian could make a number of changes to freshen his side up.

One player who should be given his chance to shine in the spotlight is summer signing Lyanco. The centre-back is yet to make his debut for the club and this League Cup clash could offer up the perfect opportunity for him to come in and show what he can do.

With Jack Stephens potentially out for a while with a knee injury, there could be a spot in the XI for Lyanco to slot in and start alongside Jan Bednarek. This would also allow Mohammed Salisu to rest ahead of the league meeting with Wolves at the weekend.

Earlier this month, Hasenhuttl admitted that Lyanco, who is a ‘very good character’, is a long-term project at St. Mary’s. He told Southampton’s official website:

“As always, for us, new signings are long-term projects.

“He needs to learn his English, but he’s willing to learn in every area. A very good character and a very settled personality. Very happy to have him here.

“Ori, in the moment, is a little bit my translator. My Italian is not that good when I try to speak with him, especially in the football business there are some words I don’t know.”

This suggests that he should not be rushed into starting in the Premier League straight away, with the likes of Stephens, Salisu and Bednarek ahead of him. Therefore, playing him in the cup, instead of the pressured league matches, could be perfect for the defender to help him ease into English football.

Lyanco averaged a solid SofaSore rating of 6.90 in 23 Serie A appearances for Torino last season, with the warrior averaging 2.0 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game. This suggests that he does have the potential to put in quality performances at the top level, but it is now down to whether or not he can adapt to the English game and a test against Sheffield United could provide Hasenhuttl with some valuable information.

Therefore, the Austrian head coach must give Lyanco his 90 minutes in the spotlight as it is his time to shine in a Southampton shirt. Allow the defender to showcase what he is capable of doing on the pitch to see if he can challenge the other centre-backs in the squad for their places.

AND in other news, Semmens disasterclass: Ex-Saints beast has seen value soar 317% since St. Mary’s exit…