Newcastle face selection issues ahead of tough Liverpool test

Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, Britain, Aug. 28, 2022. (Reuters)
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Updated 30 August 2022
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Newcastle face selection issues ahead of tough Liverpool test

  • Injuries will deprive United of several key players at Anfield on Wednesday, including Bruno Guimaraes, Allan Saint-Maximin, Jonjo Shelvey and Emil Krafth
  • In addition, head coach Eddie Howe said the wait for a work permit for club record signing Alexander Isak ‘could go down to the wire’

NEWCASTLE: Head coach Eddie Howe is facing a real selection crisis as Newcastle United’s unbeaten start to the season faces its sternest test so far against Liverpool.

The Magpies head to Anfield on Wednesday having avoided defeat in all five games so far this season but will be without a number of key players. In addition they are still awaiting the green light, in the form of a work permit, for club record buy Alexander Isak to play.

United will again be without Bruno Guimaraes, Callum Wilson and Jonjo Shelvey, and added to the absentee list this week are Allan Saint-Maximin, Emil Krafth and Manchester United-bound Martin Dubravka.

“We have a few injuries at the moment, that’s obvious. I don’t think any of them are long-term apart from Emil,” said Howe.

“We’re hopeful we will get the main body of the squad back fit pretty quickly. Certainly for this game, we’re slightly stretched.”

He added that in particular, he does not expect the influential Guimaraes to be out of action for long.

“He’s doing well,” Howe said of the Brazilian international. “I don’t know about this game coming up but hopefully not far after, if he doesn’t make this game. He’s very positive, in good spirits and desperate to get back and be involved.

“He’s a big player for us and we need to get him back as quickly as possible. It’s a slight hamstring. (Against) Tranmere, we brought him on for five minutes at the end in case we needed him to take a penalty. We wanted him to be warm enough to take that penalty; we didn’t want to bring him on with 10 seconds left. At that stage of the game we were under pressure and, unfortunately, he felt something in his hamstring.”

Howe expressed more concern about Saint-Maximin, who was United’s savior in their two most recent Premier League games, contributing a goal and three assists.

“We’ve got Maxi (out), who is a worry for us at the moment,” he said. “It was late in the game on the back of his sprint to try to save the goal.

“You look at the injury lists around the country, they’re the same (long). I don’t think we’re alone on this. You look at Liverpool’s injury list this season, it’s been long. The teams that play that way, naturally there is a slight cost to it. We certainly want to get all our players fit as quickly as possible.”

United are still waiting for the paperwork for Isak’s work permit to be processed by authorities so that he is cleared to play. They filed the relevant forms for the former Real Sociedad player ahead of last Sunday’s game against Wolves but have not yet received the permit. The Sweden international watched from the terraces at Molineux as the Magpies rescued a point late on in a 1-1 draw, and Howe is hoping his new signing will not be forced to do the same on Wednesday night.

“I don’t know, I desperately hope so,” the coach said when asked whether Isak is likely to play. “It would be great to see him involved for us but we’re still in the hands of other people.

“I desperately hope that it gets done before the game but there is no guarantee as I sit here, now. (The cut-off point), I think it’s 75 minutes before kick-off. It could go down to the wire; we’ll wait and see.”

Howe also revealed the club will still be taking an active interest during the final days of the transfer window but does not anticipate any big news between now and Sept. 1.

“We’re very pleased with the business we’ve done,” he said. “The injuries we have are believed to be short term. There might be a bit of short-term pain around the squad but longer-term, when those bodies are back fit, I think we’re very strong.

“That’s not to say we are totally closed off. We’re obviously still looking but I don’t expect any major business to be done.

“If the window closed now, I’d be happy. We haven’t signed huge but I think that can sometimes be a strength, because the dynamic of the group doesn’t change as much, but I do think we’ve signed quality and that’s so important.”

Asked whether this means United will primarily be looking at loan signings during the remainder of the transfer window, Howe replied: “Yes.”


Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery

Updated 30 sec ago
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Ito’s Bayern debut further delayed after foot surgery

“Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October

BERLIN: Bayern Munich and Japan center-back Hiroki Ito underwent another surgery on his injured foot on Tuesday, the latest setback for the Japan defender.
The 25-year-old is yet to play a competitive match for Bayern, having arrived in the summer from Stuttgart for a reported fee of 23.5 million euros ($25.6 million).
“Hiroki Ito required further surgery on his metatarsal. This took place today, Tuesday, and went well,” Bayern said in a statement.
“The FC Bayern defender will therefore be sidelined again for the time being and will restart his rehab program as soon as possible.”
Bundesliga leaders Bayern had expected Ito to return at the end of October or start of November.
He broke his metarsal in a pre-season friendly against lower division side FC Dueren in July.
Ito made his Japan debut in 2022 and has since played 19 international games, scoring one goal.

Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford

Updated 50 min 17 sec ago
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Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford

  • Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility
  • The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025

MACNHESTER: A majority of Manchester United fans favor building a new stadium rather than re-developing Old Trafford, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility, while 31 percent supported the re-development of one of the most recognizable stadiums in world football. Another 17 percent were undecided.
United’s cross-city neighbors Manchester City left their Maine Road stadium in 2003 to move into the new City of Manchester Stadium, but Premier League rivals Liverpool have re-developed their Anfield home.
United released artist’s images in September of a potential Old Trafford regeneration project and have indicated that a new stadium could be part of a multi-billion-pound re-development project.
The club’s owners are considering options in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which includes former United defender Gary Neville and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe among its members.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025.
The Task Force is understood to have focused its discussions on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping Old Trafford.
Rick McGagh, United’s director of fan engagement, said: “We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.
“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members. And if younger fans have different views to older fans.”


ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know

Updated 05 November 2024
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ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know

  • The tournament playoffs will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 8-16, with the final on Dec. 7

RIYADH: The ESL Saudi Challenge qualifiers have officially ended and the stage is now set for the playoffs, which take place from Nov. 8-16.

After an intense round of Overwatch2 competition, the best teams from across Saudi Arabia have secured their spots and are ready to face off in the next phase, with a total prize pool of $20,000 up for grabs.

The success of the recent Esports World Cup in Riyadh highlighted the popularity of gaming among Saudi players and fans, and that looks set to continue with more competitions taking place across the Kingdom in the coming years.

The ESL Saudi Challenge, organized by esports and video game entertainment company ESL FACEIT Group, will also give the victors a chance to compete on a global stage.

During the playoffs, teams face off in an attempt to advance to the Finals, where the top three teams will go head-to-head in front of a live audience at VOV Gaming in Riyadh on Dec. 7.

Schedule and Format

Playoffs: Nov. 8-16

The best eight teams face off in the double elimination bracket matches.

Grand Finals: Dec. 7

The top three teams from the playoffs compete in lower bracket and upper bracket for the Grand Final. The winner will be crowned ESL Saudi Challenge Champion, taking home the top prize of $9,000 and qualifying for an international event in 2025.

Teams

The ESL Saudi Challenge will see some of the best teams in Overwatch compete for the grand prize:

Twisted Minds

Vision Esports

Himawari

Amigos

Roc esports

Al-Qadisiah

Dragons

Negative Mental Attitude

Prize money (USD) 

Total pool: $20,000

1st: $9,000

2nd: $5,000

3rd: $3,000

4th: $,1000

5th-8th: $500

Where to watch

Fans can watch  the playoffs on the ESL Arabia Twitch and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand free of charge via YouTube.


Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

Updated 05 November 2024
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Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

  • Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
  • Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29. 

Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028. 

“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday. 

Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches. 

The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029. 

In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.

“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.

Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
 


Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership

Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership

  • Pact between the parties was inked at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh
  • Collaboration will help identify opportunities for improving public participation in physical activities

RIYADH: The Saudi Sports For All Federation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the STC Group to promote physical activity, encourage social integration through sports, and support the development of grassroots programs.

The signing ceremony took place last week at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, which was held under the theme “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

Shaima Alhusseini, managing director of the SFA, and Maha Alnuhait, general manager of sustainability at the STC Group, inked the agreement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The collaboration will focus on establishing sustainability reporting frameworks, key performance indicators, and metrics in alignment with community-driven programs.

The SFA aims to leverage the telecom group’s expertise to achieve their goals and contribute to the objectives of Vision 2030, the SPA reported.