كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن عودة الدولي الأوروجواياني رونالد أراوخو لتدريبات برشلونة الجماعية، قبل مواجهة بوروسيا دورتموند في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

اللاعب الأوروجواياني أصيب مع منتخب بلاده في الصيف الماضي ببطولة كوبا أمريكا، وبعد أن خضع لعملية جراحية في أوتار الركبة، من المقرر أن يعود في أقرب وقت.

طالع أيضًا | نتائج قرعة دور الـ32 من كأس ملك إسبانيا.. برشلونة أمام منافس مكرر وريال مدريد ضد مينيرا

صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، أكدت بأن أراوخو قد يكون جاهزًا لمواجهة بوروسيا دورتموند في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، والتي ستجمع بين الفريقين غدًا الأربعاء في الجولة السادسة.

ولم يحصل أراوخو بعد على الضوء الأخضر من الجهاز الطبي، ولكنه قد يحصل عليه في الأراضي الألمانية، وهو ما جعل هانز فليك يفكر في ضمه لقائمة الفريق التي تسافر مساء اليوم إلى ألمانيا.

صاحب الـ25 في حالة لم يشارك أمام بوروسيا دورتموند، من المحتمل أن يظهر ضد ليجانيس يوم الأحد المقبل ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، وقد يتم دخوله تدريجيًا، حتى لا يتم المجازفة به إذا لم يكن جاهز بدنيًا بنسبة 100%.

Pep Guardiola has threatened to tell his captain to disobey referees after being left fuming by Michael Oliver in Manchester City's draw with Arsenal.

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• City rescued late draw against Gunners
• Guardiola furious with Oliver
• Arsenal were reduced to 10 men in first half

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Guardiola was left astonished by Oliver in the buildup to Arsenal's first goal. The Premier League champions were leading 1-0 through Erling Haaland when Oliver called over skipper Kyle Walker for a conversation after a foul; as he ran back into position, Arsenal took their free-kick quickly and Riccardo Calafiori subsequently equalised with a fine drive from range.

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  Guardiola admits that he was initially angry with Walker for his poor positioning – he kicked his dugout chair in fury as the ball hit the back of the net – but has now threatened to inform his players not to vacate their positions to speak to officials. Arsenal were also left fuming by Oliver's decision-making, as Leandro Trossard was sent off in the first half.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Guardiola told reporters: “I was [annoyed] with Kyle, but Kyle was right, because the referee had asked him to come and talk to him with the other ones.

  “When this happens some people have to be close to the ball and you have to readjust the back four, but we didn’t have time.

  “But don’t worry, Kyle arrived in the position a second before Calafiori [scored], so at the end that’s what happened. But we knew that always every free kick they could go quick to the wingers and they are really good with Saka and Martinelli.

  “I don’t like the back four when there’s a full move on, but when the referee says ‘come and talk to me’, at least let [the players] come back in their position, because the next time we will not go and talk to them. It’s not a problem from Kyle.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  City play Watford in the Carabao Cup this week and then face Newcastle on their return to Premier League action. Sunday's draw has left City top of the Premier League, one point clear of second and third-placed Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Leeds United are now preparing for the Championship playoffs after missing out on automatic promotion to Leicester City and Ipswich Town.

Daniel Farke and his side can still gain promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking and will take on Norwich City in the semi-finals. To achieve that, they'll be hoping to avoid further injuries.

The treatment table at Thorp Arch has been pretty busy over the last few months, so Football FanCast can keep you up to date with all the latest Leeds news involving injuries and suspensions ahead of their trip to Carrow Road on Sunday.

Latest Leeds injury news

The Whites have a few injury concerns to worry about at this time.

Pascal Struijk has undergone surgery, and won't return until next season. The two recent names on the list are Patrick Bamford and Dan James, with updates emerging on both ahead of the trip to Norwich.

Player Name	Injury	Date Injured	Expected return date
Pascal Struijk	Groin/adductor	1st January 2024	Out for the season
Dan James	Costal cartilage	April	Could return v Norwich
Patrick Bamford	Bruised knee	April	Out v Norwich

Dan James – costal cartilage

It was announced last month that Dan James suffered a costal cartilage injury and an oblique abdominal muscle tear. In good news, though, the winger could play a part in the first leg, with Farke saying he has returned to parts of training.

"Daniel James is making good progress, coming closer and closer. Joined in parts of team training. Perhaps available, depends on next 48 hours."

Patrick Bamford – bruised knee

Patrick Bamford is another who has been out in recent weeks and won't return for the semi-final against Norwich. Farke said in his recent press conference.

"Patrick will definitely miss both legs of the [semi-final]. He’s seen a different knee consultant and there is a mini trauma in the patellar tendon. He definitely needs a couple of weeks to recover."

Pascal Struijk – groin

Pascal Struijk has been out since Boxing Day and won't appear in a Leeds shirt until what will now be next season. Farke provided an update in a previous press conference, where he revealed that he's undergone surgery:

"A decision was made, he’s already had his surgery last Monday, it was long and complicated. It went well, he’s already started his first steps, but he’ll definitely miss the rest of the season and back for pre-season.”

Latest Leeds suspension news

Leeds currently don't have anyone serving a suspension or at risk of a suspension.

Glasgow Rangers finished eight points adrift of first place in the Scottish Premiership table after their 3-3 draw with Hearts away from Ibrox on Saturday.

The Light Blues failed to end their rivals' dominance of the division and they will now be aiming to avoid four years without a title when they return to league action next season.

Philippe Clement's side do still have the chance to enjoy a successful end to the current campaign when they take to the field at Hampden Park on Saturday, however, as they could win their second trophy under the Belgian boss by beating Celtic in the SFA Cup final.

They won the League Cup trophy earlier this term and are now set to compete to land a domestic double, which could help them to deal with the pain of missing out on the Premiership crown.

After the SFA Cup showpiece this weekend, the attention will then fully turn to the upcoming summer transfer window and how head of recruitment Nils Koppen can freshen up their side in order to win the division in the 2024/25 campaign.

Rangers urged to sign SPFL star

Former Scotland international and Rangers youth prospect Michael Stewart has urged the club to swoop for Hearts star Lawrence Shankland this summer.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound on Saturday (18/05/2024), the Scottish pundit claimed that it would be a "no-brainer" deal for the Gers to complete, as he is "far better" than current number nine Cyriel Dessers.

Back in February, Football Insider reported that the Light Blues are eyeing up a double swoop to sign Shankland and current loanee Abdallah Sima on permanent moves ahead of next season.

However, the outlet did not reveal, at the time, how much Hearts would want for their impressive centre-forward, or how much the Gers are prepared to pay for him.

It was claimed, by Football Insider, that the SPFL side wanted a fee in the region of £3m for him in the January transfer window, though, and that priced Rangers out of a deal at the time.

After the 3-3 draw with Hearts, Clement lamented his team's lack of efficiency in front of goal as he cited three goals from ten shots on target for his men and three goals from four shots on target for the Jam Tarts.

This suggests that the Belgian head coach would be open to adding a new striker to his squad in the summer in order to improve the efficiency of his forward line.

Koppen must now do what it takes, if it falls within the playing budget, to bring Shankland to Ibrox ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, due to his fantastic goalscoring pedigree.

Why Rangers should sign Lawrence Shankland

The Scotland international is a proven Premiership goalscorer who has the experience and quality to hit the ground running in Glasgow under Clement next season.

Instead of taking a gamble on a player from a foreign league who does not have any prior experience in Scotland, or a young player with little experience in first-team football in any division, Rangers could go out and get a striker who knows exactly what it takes to perform in the Scottish top-flight.

The 28-year-old star, who still has plenty of years left ahead of him in his prime years, has made over 100 appearances in the Premiership, over 100 appearances in the Championship, and played 12 European games in his career to date.

Alongside his vast experience in Scotland, Shankland has also proven his quality in the league this season with a fantastic return in front of goal.

The Hearts star, who plundered a whopping 31 goals and eight assists in 47 matches in all competitions, ended the 2023/24 Premiership season with 24 goals in 36 league starts for the club.

Sofascore rating

7.5

Touches

45

Shots

3

Goals

1

Key passes

3

Aerial duels won

6/8

As you can see in the table above, Shankland enjoyed a successful afternoon against Rangers on Saturday as he created three chances and scored one goal from just 45 touches of the ball.

His goal was a delightful dinked finish over Jack Butland after a superb run in behind the Gers defence was picked out with a perfect through ball, which gave Clement a first-hand experience of what he could bring to his team next season.

The Jam Tarts captain, whose campaign was lauded as "remarkable" by journalist Josh Bunting, was crowned PFA Scotland Player of the Year for his efforts on the pitch, which speaks to his outstanding quality in the final third.

Why Lawrence Shankland could win Rangers the title

Shankland could help to win Rangers the title, should Koppen seal a deal for his services, as he could add the firepower in front of goal that they lacked this season.

The Gers ended the 2023/24 campaign having scored 87 goals, eight fewer than Celtic's 95, and their strikers left a lot to be desired with their finishing.

Staggeringly, every Rangers centre-forward finished with a tally that was lower than their xG (Expected Goals) as they all let themselves down in the final third.

Lawrence Shankland

18.36

24

+5.64

Kemar Roofe

1.48

1

-0.48

Danilo

6.68

4

-2.68

Sam Lammers

4.71

2

-2.71

Cyriel Dessers

21.72

16

-5.72

As you can see in the table above, Clement had an array of wasteful finishers at his disposal in the Premiership this season, particularly his first-choice number nine Dessers – who underperformed by almost six goals.

Whereas, Shankland overperformed his xG by almost six goals, which means that, in theory, the Hearts striker could score between ten and 12 more goals than Dessers did if provided with the quality of chances that the Rangers man had.

Now, imagine the 31-goal marksman lining up for Clement's team next season and having the high-quality opportunities that Dessers has had.

Given the evidence above, Shankland could thrive at Ibrox as he is a top-quality finisher and that could, therefore, significantly increase the team's goal output and efficiency in the final third.

This could then give them the boost they need to go on and win the title ahead of Celtic next term, which is why Koppen could secure the Premiership title by sealing a deal for him.

Manchester City lost key man Rodri to injury inside 20 minutes against Arsenal, as he made his first Premier League start of the season.

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Spaniard making first league start of 2024-25Knee buckled during a corner routineHad to be helped from the fieldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The European Championship winner has been eased into the 2024-25 campaign by Pep Guardiola following his exploits with Spain over the summer. Rodri may, however, be heading for a more enforced spell on the sidelines after picking up an unfortunate knock.

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The 28-year-old midfielder did manage his first 90 minutes of the season last time out in the Champions League against Inter. Having come through that game unscathed the decision was taken to include him from the off in a crunch clash with Arsenal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Guardiola was forced to shuffle his pack early on at the Etihad Stadium as Rodri had to be helped from the field. After some initially worrying scenes, as he laid on the turf holding his leg, the Spaniard did get back to his feet.

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Rodri hit the turf inside the opening seconds of the game, after tangling with Kai Havertz. He played on from there but was left flat on his back again after seeing his knee buckle when trying to evade Thomas Partey during a corner routine.

“You probably saw nothing in that because maybe you see racism as a norm in this country” – Tsolekile rejoinder to Smith

Firdose Moonda13-Aug-2020

Graeme Smith talks to the media•AFP

Graeme Smith has defended himself against allegations of racial discrimination during his 11-year tenure as South Africa’s captain after Thami Tsolekile joined Makhaya Ntini and Ashwell Prince in telling his story of exclusion.In the second of a three-part interview with Tsolekile read out a prepared statement to Smith, on Tuesday, asking the former captain what else he was “not aware of” after Smith earlier told media he did not know the extent of the difficulties players of colour faced. In particular, Tsolekile referred to his own experience of being nationally contracted and identified as Mark Boucher’s successor in 2012, only to be sidelined when Boucher was injured in England. Tsolekile did not end up taking over from Boucher after AB de Villiers was installed as the Test wicket-keeper and called the incident “pure racism.”Smith denied that race played a role in the decision not to add to Tsolekile three Test caps, earned in 2004. “In the case of the 2012 tour to England, which Thami has alluded to, there was a whole panel of selectors. Thami was in the squad as reserve keeper to AB de Villiers and this was communicated to him on both the England and Australian tours by Gary Kirsten, which has been previously acknowledged by Thami,” Smith posted in a statement on Twitter. Tsolekile, who was on air again shortly after Smith’s statement was issued, refuted that he was back-up to de Villiers, and said he understood that he was due take over from Boucher. “It’s a lie. They picked Mark Boucher as a keeper and I was told I was the reserve keeper,” Tsolekile said on air. “I was playing for the South African A side (in England) When Mark Boucher got injured and the selectors called me. I was Mark Boucher’s deputy.”At the time, de Villiers was announced as Boucher’s replacement by then-coach Gary Kirsten, before the South African selectors had been consulted. Later that year, selection convenor, Andrew Hudson, conceded that Tsolekile was told he would play in the home summer against New Zealand, but the decision was reversed when de Villiers opted to continue the dual role of keeper-batsman.According to Smith, that left no room for Tsolekile. “Unfortunately, Thami was a wicketkeeper, which meant he was always only fighting for one position,” Smith said. “I can understand how frustrating that must have been, and there have been several other excellent wicket-keepers that South African cricket never saw on an international stage, because keepers tend to stay in a team for long periods of time. That is also an international trend, not unique to South Africa.”Smith also pointed to other players who were left out of the team during his time in charge, including Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock, and that he had had “personal relationship challenges” with players across races. In 2003, Smith said Klusener “can sometimes ruin a team” and in 2010, Smith called Herschelle Gibbs “insecure,” after Gibbs’ autobiography was published. He maintained that he had a good relationship with Tsolekile. “I have never had an issue with him as a person and he has never borne out the frustrations of his international career on a personal level,” Smith wrote.Although Tsolekile acknowledged he and Smith had a good relationship at Under-19 level, he said he was “disappointed” with Smith’s statement today and would have preferred an apology. “He (Smith) does not want to accept anything. It’s just excuses and denial. I am very disappointed,” Tsokelile said. “The least I would have expected is, ‘Thami, I am sorry and let’s move on’.”Tsolekile also questioned why Smith was “surprised,” at the claims that are being made now in which players of colour are revealing their feelings of isolation. That includes Prince recalling an incident in 2005 when players of colour were subject to verbal abuse in Australia and Ntini explaining that he ran from the ground to the team hotel because his team-mates wouldn’t sit with him on the bus. “You probably saw nothing in that because maybe you see racism as a norm in this country,” Tsolekile said, in his address to Smith.Smith maintained that the “many of the issues being brought up on public domains have never been brought to my attention before, so they have come as a surprise to me,” and that his memories of playing alongside, Ntini, for one, were “some of the happiest.” He also indicated a willingness to engage with players to find a collective way forward.”I understand that the current environment is one where a lot of hurts are finally being aired out in regard to South African cricket and I am happy to engage in discussions in the right forum even if it is uncomfortable because I think we can only learn from our past and help to shape a better future,” Smith said.Smith was not present at the first meeting of CSA’s newly-formed social justice and nation-building committee which met on July 26. CSA’s board asked Smith not to attend the meeting to allow the group, consisting of 40 former players of colour and current coaches, to speak freely. The group expressed their dissatisfaction with Smith’s absence and CSA have indicated he will be involved in future.

West Indies paceman Miguel Cummins bagged three wickets as Kent were made to work hard for their first-innings runs on day three of their Bob Willis Trophy clash with Middlesex in Canterbury.Joe Denly top-scored for the hosts with an excellent unbeaten 70 as he and nightwatchman Matt Milnes made it through to stumps on 146 for 5 to trail the visitors by 123 runs going into the fourth and final day.Kent lost makeshift opener Marcus O’Riordan and his partner Daniel Bell-Drummond within 13 overs as they started their response to Middlesex’s workmanlike total of 269 all out.Bell-Drummond fended at a lifter from Cummins to glove a catch through to the keeper, then, steaming down the Nackington Road slope, Cummins drew O’Riordan outside off, fencing away from his body at another short one to be caught at fourth slip.Soon after tea, and with the score on 57, last week’s double-century maker Jack Leaning blotted his copybook by reaching on the drive at a wide one from Ethan Bamber to be caught at point.Denly, back in the Kent side after his exclusion from England’s Test squad, teamed up with Sam Billings to cash in on several loose deliveries from James Harris and Bamber in an attractive fourth-wicket stand worth 39.Billings added 20 to the partnership before his loose back-foot waft against the extra pace of Cummins – one of the few overseas players on show this season – flew to the keeper to make it 96 for 4.Denly maintained a cool head down the other end to reach an attractive fifty in two hours with a clipped four through midwicket against dangerman Cummins. The right-hander faced 83 balls and hit nine fours.Denly combined with Oli Robinson to help see off Cummins after the Bajan claimed 3 for 41 from his three excellent spells but his replacement, Martin Andersson moved one late off the seam to have Robinson held at slip by Stevie Eskinazi at the second attempt.At the day’s start, reduced cloud cover and the softer, older ball, ensured seventh-wicket partners Robbie White and Harris found batting conditions far more favourable than their counterparts had during the opening two days.The pair frustrated Kent for much of the opening session adding 93 useful runs as White posted a 151-ball 50 with eight fours scored in a shade over three hours and soon moved past his first-class career-best of 69, scored for Loughborough MCCU against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road in 2017.His near five-hour vigil spread over 220 balls was ended on 99 by the 11th delivery with the second new ball and an agonising juggled catch in the cordon. Prodding half-forward to a Darren Stevens away-swinger, White turned to watch as the outside edge flew to second slip where Leaming clung on to the chance at the third attempt.Harris, the former Kent loanee, had reached a patient 41 from 128 balls when he too was out-foxed by Stevens. Prodding forward to a legcutter, Harris pushed inside the line to have his off stump plucked out.Fred Klaassen came up with a near identical delivery to clip off stump and account for left-handed Cummins and give Kent their third bowling bonus point.Stevens duly wrapped up his 28th five-wicket first-class haul by trapping last man Thilan Walallawita lbw low on the front pad with an inswinger to end the innings after 108 overs. Klaassen, with 4 for 44, recorded career-best first-class figures.