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Como have joined Wolves and West Ham in the race for Marc Casado, after Barcelona warned the midfielder he won’t get minutes despite wanting to stay.

Barcelona told Casado he won’t see much game timeWest Ham United and Como also showing strong interestWolves tabled a €30m bidFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Barcelona have told Casado that regular minutes will be hard to come by this season, despite the midfielder wanting to stay. Wolves, West Ham and Serie A side Como are among the clubs pushing for his signature, with the Premier League outfit already lodging a €30 million (£25m/$33m) offer.

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The 21-year-old was one of Barca’s breakout players last year, impressing in midfield and even earning a call-up for Spain. But the return of Marc Bernal from his ACL injury, along with the presence of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi, has pushed him down the pecking order. The Catalan giants are now open to cashing in if the player agrees, though he has not requested a move himself.

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Cesc Fabregas’ Como have emerged as surprise contenders, willing to compete with English sides Wolves and West Ham. Barcelona’s willingness to sell stems less from Financial Fair Play issues and more from squad depth, with Casado struggling to find a pathway to minutes. The Spaniard remains determined to fight for his place, showing no signs of pushing for an exit himself. For now, Barca’s stance is that they would only sanction a move if the player decides he wants out, leaving the ball firmly in Casado’s court.

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Casado continues training with Barcelona while awaiting further updates on his role. With two weeks left in the window, clubs across Europe are expected to step up their efforts, leaving the final decision in the player’s hands. The Catalan giants opened their La Liga campaign with a 3-0 win over Mallorca and now turn their attention to Levante this weekend.

Antonio Rudiger has opened up on his Copa del Rey outburst, admitting he crossed the line but insisting his passion defines him as a defender.

Rudiger admits 'huge mistake' after throwing tape at refereeSays emotions are key to his defensive styleGerman eager to prove himself in World Cup qualifiersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rudiger has looked back on the dramatic scenes from the Copa del Rey final, when he completely lost his temper after Real Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to Barcelona. The German international threw tape towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, hurled insults and had to be physically restrained by his team-mates and staff. The incident earned him a six-match suspension, a sanction that also gave him time to undergo long-delayed surgery on his meniscus. The 32-year-old returned to the pitch in Madrid’s 3-0 win over Oviedo, where he once again crossed paths with De Burgos, though this time their interaction was limited to an unimpressed look after a penalty appeal was waved away.

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Rudiger’s suspension has raised questions about his temperament, with national team coach Julian Nagelsmann warning that there can be “no second or third attempt” if he crosses the line again. Regardless, Nagelsmann called him up for the World Cup qualifiers, highlighting his importance to Germany’s defence. Aware of the scrutiny he is now under, Rudiger admits he must prove he can channel his passion in a positive way. 

WHAT ANTONIO RUDIGER SAID

“There’s no question that my behaviour was wrong and absolutely excessive there are no excuses for that. It was truly stupid to throw my tape onto the pitch and then lose my nerve like that. I’m aware that I’m now being watched particularly closely,” he told the newspaper. 

He added: "My playing style thrives on these emotions; they've made me the centre-back I am today. But in the context of this final—the disappointment of the defeat, the discussions about the referee, and my own serious injury – I clearly overstepped my bounds. That was a huge mistake, and one that annoyed me the most." 

Rudiger also opened up about his recovery process, stressing how important the summer was for regaining full fitness after undergoing surgery in April: “I just got reasonably fit during the Club World Cup, but I wasn’t 100 percent yet. On vacation, I was able to recharge my batteries and give it my all in preseason. My goal is to get back to my best performances now that I’m finally completely pain-free.”

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The former Chelsea defender will join up with the German national team as they prepare for World Cup qualifiers, including a tricky game away to Slovakia. With his fitness restored and suspension served, Rudiger aims to prove he can combine passion with discipline as Los Blancos chase more silverware and Germany eye qualification.

Mikel Arteta has revealed that William Saliba picked up an injury during the warm-up before Arsenal's defeat to Liverpool on Sunday. The Frenchman was forced off in the fifth minute after he went down following a challenge with Hugo Ekitike. Liverpool went on to win the game 1-0 courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning late free-kick.

Saliba suffered ankle injury before Liverpool clashArteta provided update on defender's conditionSaliba won't join France team during international breakFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal were dealt a massive injury blow at the start of their crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday, as star defender Saliba was forced to leave the field early in the game due to an injury. Arteta replaced the Frenchman with new signing Cristhian Mosquera, who had a decent outing at Anfield, however, Szoboszlai's world-class free-kick late in the match sealed three points for the hosts. 

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After the match, Arteta provided an update on Saliba's condition, while revealing that the centre-back had twisted his ankle during warm-up, but he still wanted to feature in the starting lineup. According to The Standard's Simon Collings, Saliba will not join the France national team for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. 

WHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking to reporters after the match, the Gunners boss said: "He [Saliba] twisted his ankle during the warm-up. He came in and he said he believed that he could carry on and play but straightaway in the first two actions I could see that he couldn't cope and we had to get him out, unfortunately. But thank God we have Mosquera, which we put in for the first time in the Premier League, his debut, not expecting it at Anfield and I think he was really, really good."

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The Arsenal medical staff will conduct scans on Saliba's ankle to identify the full extent of his injury. The Gunners will hope that the knock is not too serious and he recovers during the international break before taking to the pitch again on September 13, when the club host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. 

Saturday’s League Two clash between Notts County and Fleetwood Town could be thrown into chaos by an issue no one saw coming, a fungal disease ravaging the pitch at Meadow Lane. Officials have confirmed that a final inspection will take place on Friday morning, leaving the game’s status hanging in the balance until the last moment.

Fungal disease leaves pitch in jeopardyFriday inspection to decide fate of the clashGrounds team battle to save Meadow LaneFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The issue stems from a soil-borne pathogen that thrives in warm and humid weather, precisely the conditions Britain has endured this summer. Once established, it destroys perennial ryegrass at frightening speed, stripping the pitch of healthy turf and leaving behind dead patches unsuitable for competitive football.

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The make-or-break call will be made at 11am on Friday, when a qualified match official joins forces with a representative from the Sports Turf Research Institute to assess the playing surface. If the fungus continues to spread or the recovery work proves insufficient, the fixture may be forced into postponement.

WHAT NOTTS COUNTY SAID

County’s staff admitted that a large amount of damaged grass had to be ripped up earlier this week in an urgent bid to salvage the surface. Replacement work and treatments have been rolled out under a rapid-response plan, with the club hopeful that the intervention will be enough to save the game.

In a public statement, they said: "Since the diagnosis, our grounds team have worked tirelessly to contain the issue and implement a recovery strategy – and we would like to stress that this highly unfortunate development is no fault of any individual or the club. We expect the pitch to make a steady recovery over the coming weeks."

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Notts County currently sit 13th in the League Two table, with two wins and two defeats in their opening six outings. A win on Saturday could push them closer to the top half and restore momentum. All attention now shifts to Friday’s decisive inspection. Should the pitch pass muster, the game will go ahead. If not, it will mark one of the rarest postponements in recent memory, a clash stopped not by weather, protests, or policing, but by a fungus.

Thomas Tuchel has heaped praise on 'very impressive' Marc Guehi and revealed he spoke with the Palace defender after his Liverpool switch fell through.

England boss Tuchel has spoken with GuehiGuehi's Liverpool move fell throughTuchel calls him 'very impressive'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England boss has singled out the Crystal Palace captain for additional praise over his conduct after his expected move to Liverpool collapsed on transfer deadline day. A deal worth £35 million ($47m) was agreed and he'd even filmed a farewell message to fans, but Palace's failure to sign a replacement ended Guehi's hopes of joining the champions.

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The England boss delayed starting the training camp for the World Cup qualifiers by one day, to allow players to focus on completing transfers. And while it was a blockbuster window for the Premier League, one major deal which collapsed involved Guehi. But Tuchel has heaped praise on his attitude.

WHAT TUCHEL SAID

Tuchel said: "We had a chat with him and he looks absolutely fine. He looks very impressive on the field. He has a couple of very impressive weeks behind him on the sporting side and the performance side. He is the main driver of Crystal Palace’s success. He is the captain and the leader. He played very impressively at the end of last season and at the start of this season. He continued exactly like this in camp, so it was very impressive. He handles it with respect and with grace, and with a brilliant attitude."

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The international break represents a welcome break from domestic issues for Guehi. Andorra and and Serbia are the Three Lions' opening World Cup qualifier opponents, before returning to Palace who host Sunderland on September 13. And will Liverpool revisit the transfer when the window opens again in January?

New Zealand Under-19 coach Paul Wiseman talks about the country’s junior programme, which prioritises the development of young players and the production of future Black Caps above results

Shashank Kishore in Mount Maunganui20-Jan-2018It’s perhaps a sign of the times that New Zealand Cricket have not quite managed to allocate budgets to allow their Under-19 team the kind of exposure they would have liked leading into the World Cup, but the team management isn’t certainly using that as an excuse. They shouldn’t, too, after winning three games on the bounce in the run-up to the quarter-finals.Between the previous edition in January 2016 – where they finished 12th – and a month before the current one, New Zealand’s Under-19s didn’t play a single international match. Around Christmas, they played a short series at home against Zimbabwe. Then they had two warm-up games organised by the ICC before heading into what was a group of death: games against South Africa, defending champions West Indies, and Kenya. To put things into perspective, even Afghanistan managed to gain more match-time between then and now.New Zealand, though, have benefitted from a talent-identification system that has been built around their six major associations and their coaches who have been working in sync with Paul Wiseman, the overall in-charge and current head coach of the Under-19 side.”The program has been set up around our talent identification,” Wiseman explains. “We have six major associations and six coaches, who I keep in regular contact with. They have been fantastic with their communication. We have worked with 13-man-squad for the last 18 months or so. They have five camps during the winter for a week [each] and we have always tried to know them better. The whole concept is not just around the performance side of things. We view this as development. If you perform well in it, that is a bonus, but we are really trying to develop cricketers for first-class and hopefully the Black Caps [New Zealand’s national team]. We are looking at the whole picture, not just performance.”Ahead of the 2016 campaign, a lot of the players in the squad linked up for the first time before their flight to Dubai, where they played four practice matches before flying out to Bangladesh. This time, though, while match practice has been hard to come by, the players have been given time to gel over the last 18 months through specialised camps and inter-squad games.”We struggled on spinning wickets last time, so we have put a bit of focus on playing spin as well, but like I said, it is long-term development for these guys,” Wiseman explains. “For New Zealanders to learn to play spin better is key because half their games at the international level are played on those sort of wickets.”Also just getting to know the group that we have got coming through better and better, having more time with them and more expertise with them, not just with coaching but sport science stuff as well, has been a big part of it. That is great because they have been ready for this challenge more than what we were the last time. It wasn’t the players’ fault that we didn’t have enough game time.”Felix Murray is playing in his second Under-19 World Cup•ICCOne of Wiseman’s challenges in his role has been to sometimes convince young players where their future lies. Most often, he deals with players having to choose between one or two sport or cricket and academics.”We try to make sure the players have balance. If they are at university, we try to fit things around that as much as we can – like have camps during holidays and things like that. We think that is a very important part of growing the person. If we have a more all-round person we will get a better player. We also encourage them to play other sports as long as they can. Our motto is: play as many sports as you can until you make a decision. We might lose one or two along the way but I think we will end up with good athletes.”Wiseman cites the example of Jordie Barrett who was at the crossroads in 2016, not sure whether his true calling was cricket or rugby. He missed selection for Bangladesh because of an unfortunate injury before the squad was picked. Today, he is a fullback for the All Blacks.”At the end of the day, guys will work out where their heart lies and where they think they have got the best future, which game they love, and we’ll encourage it,” Wiseman says. “Obviously we push cricket but we’ll completely understand if they go elsewhere.”It is because of this ‘time players take’ to figure out where their true calling is that New Zealand haven’t shied away from allowing eligible players to feature in multiple Under-19 World Cups. Four cricketers from the 2016 batch – Rachin Ravindra, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips and Finn Allen – are also part of the current squad.Ravindra has now delivered three back-to-back good performances. His three wickets against West Indies set them back after a solid opening stand. Against Kenya, he struck a sublime hundred. In the final group game against South Africa, he became the first New Zealander to hit a half-century and pick four wickets at the Under-19 World Cup. Phillips chipped in with a cameo to arrest a middle-order slide, while Allen has struck a century and half-century in three innings so far.”It comes down to what we think the player needs,” Wiseman says of the balance between overexposure and opportunities. “We have brought a couple of younger guys who are involved in our camps, and will more than likely be involved in the next Under-19 World Cup. They will be working alongside these players. That is just how it works. It is quite rare to have four guys playing two editions. Preferably we would only have one, but the great thing is we’ve had some of our players have one World Cup experience in the subcontinent and one here at home. These guys could be the guys who play World Cups for our senior team and have had experiences in both now.”These World Cups are brilliant but they are not a career-defining experience. As long as they go away and learn from them and become better from there, [it is] fantastic. It’s the same for a number of players who have missed out but are very close to the side. At the end of the day, they have missed out on a great experience but it’s not a career-defining one. So we try to keep everything in balance and the whole thing is learning and development. It doesn’t really matter if we come twelfth in the World Cup or first, at the end of the day it’s how many Black Caps we can produce and how many players that we can make better.”

Newly-promoted Leeds United have been told to bring in Jose Mourinho for Daniel Farke as the German is just a "Championship manager".

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Farke guides Leeds to promotionTold he's just a "Championship manager"Urged to replace him with MourinhoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Liverpool and Leeds left-back Stephen Warnock believes Farke could leave the recently crowned Championship winners before they begin life in the Premier League in August. Despite Leeds chairman, Paraag Marathe of the 49ers Enterprises, ending speculation that the German could be dismissed by saying "he is my man", Warnock feels they need a safer pair of hands in the top-flight.

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He told Gambling Industry News: “I still think Daniel Farke could leave Leeds before the Premier League, because in my opinion he’s a Championship manager. I understand why it could happen and if I were the Leeds owners, I would probably make the same decision as well – he’s not a Premier League manager for me. If the owners do replace him, then they need to go with someone who’s experienced and knows the league. Leeds fans probably won’t like me saying this, but I’d possibly be looking at the likes of Jose Mourinho. He’s not going to win them the league, but he’s knows enough about the league to keep them there. I think he’d be a good candidate to do that.”

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Fenerbahce boss Mourinho did admit he would like to return to the Premier League and manage a club "at the bottom", it seems Leeds are intent on keeping Farke at the helm for now. While his record at Norwich City in the Premier League makes for grim reading, Marathe previously said Farke wasn't given the financial backing required to compete at that level but that won't be the case this time round. Regardless, it will be a huge task to stay in the top division, especially after seeing all three promoted teams go straight back down for two straight seasons.

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All eyes will now be on which players Leeds sign in the coming months and how much Farke is backed in the transfer market as they prepare for life in the Premier League again after two years away.

“I went to the coach and captain myself and told them that you can drop me because I haven’t performed”

Danyal Rasool09-Feb-2023The PCB’s controversial decision to drop Mohammad Rizwan for Sarfaraz Ahmed for the two-Test series against New Zealand was among the biggest talking points throughout the series. Rizwan, however, said he felt that, on current form, he “didn’t deserve to play” for Pakistan at the time.”You can ask the head coach Saqlain Mushtaq what I told him after the end of the England Test series,” Rizwan told in an interview. “I personally thought that since I wasn’t able to perform, I didn’t deserve to play in the next series.”In his last half dozen Tests, Rizwan had suffered a downturn in his form with the bat, scoring 262 runs in 12 innings without a half-century at an average of 21.83. That was significantly down from his career batting average (38.13), though it was believed his quality behind the stumps gave him enough protection from omission.But soon after the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja was removed in a dramatic overhaul, changes were felt on the pitch, too. Rizwan was replaced by Sarfaraz, playing his first Test match in over three years. While concerns over his wicketkeeping linger – there were a slew of dropped catches and missed stumpings across both Tests – his form with the bat was not in question. He was the highest run-scorer in the series with 335, scoring three half-centuries and a hundred on the final day of the second Test to ensure Pakistan escaped with a draw. He would go on to be named the Player of the Series.”I was happy to see Sarfaraz perform because that is what I wanted,” Rizwan said. “Sarfaraz has been performing in domestic and deserves his chance now. I asked for his inclusion. Whoever performs best for Pakistan deserves to play.”Some players said that every player goes through this phase and you can’t sit on the bench based on few failures. But I went to the coach and captain myself and told them that you can drop me because I haven’t performed. Two players are witnesses to this conversation.”This wasn’t the first time Rizwan’s benching raised eyebrows. He was famously left on the bench for much of his time at Karachi Kings, playing just seven times across his last two years with the franchise. Upon moving to Multan Sultans in 2021, he was appointed captain and led the side to their maiden PSL trophy, finishing as the second highest run-scorer in the competition.Rizwan defended his former franchise’s decision. “I was never hurt when I was benched during the PSL in the past. I thought they [Karachi Kings] were honest with the team, and it was the team’s requirement at the time to keep me on the bench.”Rizwan remains with Multan, whom he will captain for the third successive season when the PSL gets underway on February 13.

The South Africa fast bowler was the joint-fifth highest wicket-taker in the inaugural SA20

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2023Chennai Super Kings have signed South Africa fast bowler Sisanda Magala as a replacement for the injured Kyle Jamieson.Jamieson, the New Zealand seamer, was signed for INR 1 crore at December’s mini-auction but suffered a recurrence of a lower-back stress fracture shortly before last month’s Test series against England. He is expected to miss several months of cricket, including the upcoming IPL.Magala, 32, was unsold at the auction and has never previously featured in the IPL. He joins Super Kings at his base price of INR 50 lakh.Although he has not played a T20I for South Africa since April 2021, Magala impressed for eventual champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the inaugural edition of the SA20 at the start of this year. He finished the tournament joint-fifth on the wicket charts with 14 scalps at an economy of 8.68.While Magala has a reputation as a death bowler, he was a threat in the powerplay during the SA20, taking half of his wickets within the first six overs. He is also a useful lower-order batter who has hit two half-centuries in his T20 career.Super Kings will play in the opening fixture of IPL 2023 against defending champions Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, but it remains to be seen if Magala will be available at the start of the tournament.As ESPNcricinfo recently reported, South African players involved in their upcoming ODI series against Netherlands will arrive late at the IPL. While the squad is yet to be named, Magala was awarded a central contract earlier this month and is involved in the ongoing series against West Indies, suggesting he is likely to be included for the Netherlands series.

Kevin De Bruyne explained why he won't travel to the US with the Manchester City squad for the Club World Cup.

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De Bruyne explained why he won't play in the Club World CupCriticised Club World Cup's timing Fulham clash will be De Bruyne's last match for Man CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The outgoing City star has made it clear that he has no intentions of playing in the inaugural edition of the Club World Cup as he does not want to risk getting injured ahead of joining a new club this summer. The Belgian's current contract expires on June 30 and it is unlikely that he would sign a short-term contract to play in the new competition in the US.

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The 33-year-old effectively hinted that the club's final Premier League game against Fulham on May 25 will be his last game for the former English champions. He told reporters: "It’s going to be weird. I’m going to try and enjoy it."

De Bruyne then criticised the Club World Cup for being held at the end of the football season in Europe as he added: "It doesn’t make any sense, but I think that happens when you push in new tournaments into the middle of this contract situation. In a way, I have to take care of myself because if I get injured in the Club World Cup, what am I going to do? Nobody’s going to take care of me at that point. So there’s a big chance probably I won’t play in it."

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The Cityzens' talisman is yet to make a final decision on his next move following his Etihad Stadium exit. He has been linked with a move to the MLS, while the player himself claimed that he could consider staying back in England and signing for another Premier League club, as his family is settled in the UK.

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After the heartbreak at Wembley in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, Pep Guardiola's side will now aim to finish their season on a high and among the top five teams to secure a Champions League spot. They next face Bournemouth on Tuesday in their penultimate match of the season.