LONDON:Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks with a hamstring injury, which would rule him out of matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.
The 32-year-old Brazil international was hurt during last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace and went off late in the second half.
Reports in the British press say tests have shown Alisson is not likely to be fit to play until after next month’s international break.
That would mean the first match he would potentially be available for would be the trip to Southampton on November 24.
Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders face Chelsea on October 20 and Arsenal a week later, while their next two Champions League fixtures pit them against RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
Caoimhin Kelleher, who missed the Palace match through illness, will be expected to deputise, as he did last season when Alisson was ruled out with another hamstring injury.
Speaking after the victory at Crystal Palace, Slot predicted a lengthy lay-off for his number one goalkeeper.
“We have to wait and see but it will be a few weeks for him to be back. I think it is, yes (his hamstring),” he said.
“He’s clearly our number one, he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. It’s always a blow when he gets injured, not only for him but us as a team.”
Liverpool have 18 points from seven Premier League matches — one more than defending champions Manchester City and Arsenal.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson set for six weeks out
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Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson set for six weeks out
Former Algerian international Djamel Menad dies aged 64
- “The wider Algerian football family and JS Kabylie are in mourning following the announcement of the death of Djamel Menad,” JS Kabylie wrote
- Born on July 22, 1960 in the town of El Bayadh, Menad represented his country 79 times, scoring 25 goals, over a 15-year international career
ALGIERS: Former Algeria forward Djamel Menad has died aged 64 following a short illness, his ex-club JS Kabylie announced on Saturday.
“The wider Algerian football family and JS Kabylie are in mourning following the announcement of the death of Djamel Menad, a former player and true legend of football in the country,” JS Kabylie wrote on social media.
“In recent weeks, the health of the former center-forward of the Algerian national team had deteriorated rapidly as a result of a devastating illness that struck him around two months ago,” indicated news website TSA.
Menad died in a clinic in Algiers where he had been hospitalized on March 14, after returning from Brussels where he had been receiving treatment for a month, reported Algerian football media DZfoot.
Born on July 22, 1960 in the town of El Bayadh, Menad represented his country 79 times, scoring 25 goals, over a 15-year international career.
Menad’s efforts in helping Algeria reach the 1986 World Cup in Mexico resulted in him being named Algerian sportsman of the year in 1985.
He was notably top scorer at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, with four goals in five appearances as Algeria claimed the trophy on home soil.
Over his club career, Menad played for Algerian sides JS Kabylie, CR Belouizdad and USM Alger. He also played in Europe for French club Nimes, as well as Portuguese sides Famalicao and Belenenses.
Menad moved into coaching after his playing career and was most recently sporting director at JS Kabylie.
Saudi national football team arrives in Japan for World Cup qualifiers
The Saudi national football team arrived in Japan on Friday ahead of the team’s match for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The match between Saudi Arabia and Japan will take place on Tuesday at the Saitama Stadium 2002 and is part of the seventh round of the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.
The team was greeted by Saudi Deputy Ambassador to Japan Anas Al-Nuwaiser and several embassy staff members on arriving at Japan’s Narita International Airport.
On Thursday, Japan became the first team to qualify for the World Cup after winning 2-0 against Bahrain, followed by Saudi Arabia after defeating China 1-0.
Piastri on Chinese GP pole after Hamilton takes first Ferrari win in sprint
- McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stormed to his first-ever pole position on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, after Lewis Hamilton won the sprint race
SHANGHAI: McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stormed to his first-ever pole position on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, after Lewis Hamilton won the sprint race.
The second row for Sunday’s main race will be filled by Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris and world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
Hamilton will start in fifth after taking his maiden victory for Ferrari in the morning sprint in Shanghai.
Alongside him on the third row will be teammate Charles Leclerc with Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon completing the top 10.
“I found a lot of pace in Q3,” said the Australian Piastri.
“The laps were a little bit scruffy but I’m just pumped to be on pole.”
Piastri, who was second in the sprint, said it would be important to get away in front at the start of Sunday’s 56-lap race where preserving tires could be a key factor.
“I want to make sure I keep the clean air. I was pretty happy after the sprint,” he said.
“I feel like we learned a lot and I’m looking forward to putting that into use tomorrow.”
Russell was ecstatic to get on the front row alongside Piastri.
“Feels incredible to be honest,” said the Englishman.
“Did something totally different on that last lap and it all came together.”
Norris finally found some pace after coming eighth in the sprint.
“I’m always disappointed if I’m not on pole but Oscar deserves it today,” said Norris, who won the season-opener in Melbourne last week.
Hamilton earlier savoured a “really special” first victory in Ferrari red after winning the sprint race in dominant fashion.
The seven-time world champion controlled the race from pole position to add a sprint victory to his record six grands prix triumphs in Shanghai.
He took the chequered flag 6.889 seconds ahead of Piastri with Verstappen third.
Hamilton emerged from his car after the finish line to a crescendo of cheers from the massed fans, who unfurled huge banners displaying his number 44.
“That is a really, really special weekend so far,” the 40-year-old Englishman told reporters.
“China and Shanghai has always been really good to me since my first race here back in 2007. It’s a track that I really do love driving on.
“It’s hard to put into words what it feels like.”
Hamilton used his vast experience to take advantage of the clean air at the front of the pack and nurse his tires over 19 laps.
“I think it is generally pretty close between all of us,” said Hamilton.
“I was just trying to manage (the tires) early on and then the last, like, five laps or something, I was in a really comfortable position.”
Verstappen pressured Hamilton in the first half of the race but suffered later on cooked rubber enabling Piastri to swoop past with five laps to go.
“Unfortunately the last eight laps we didn’t have the pace of the others so I was trying to survive out there,” said Verstappen, who won both the sprint and main race in China last year.
In grand prix qualifying, rookie Liam Lawson continued his terrible start to life at Red Bull after crashing in Melbourne and coming last in sprint qualifying.
The New Zealander failed to hook up his qualifying tires and trailed in 20th on the time sheets and will start from the back of the grid for a second successive time.
“It’s just really tough, honestly,” said a disappointed Lawson. “I just need to get on top of it.”
Esteban Ocon was 11th and joined by Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and 15th fastest Carlos Sainz in not making the top 10 shootout from Q2.
Also eliminated from Q1 were Pierre Gasly and Lawson’s fellow rookies Oliver Bearman, Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Algeria’s Muay Thai star Nabil Anane eyes undisputed world title at ONE 172 on Sunday
- In his last fight, Anane clinched the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai world title with a technical knockout victory against Scotland’s fighter Nico Carrillo
After six straight wins in martial arts organization ONE Championship, Algeria’s Nabil Anane is looking to earn the biggest win of his career at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang this Sunday at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
In his last fight, Anane clinched the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai world title with a technical knockout victory against Scottish fighter Nico Carrillo.
Anane’s next mission is to unify the world title against Superlek Kiatmoo9 — the Thai megastar who knocked out the Algerian star on his promotional debut back in 2023.
“I’m looking just for the win. I just want to beat Superlek. I don’t even think about the belt. I just want the win. I just want to beat Superlek. That’s it. That’s what I want in this fight,” Anane said.
The towering 20-year-old star, born to an Algerian father and Thai mother, has shown marked improvement in his overall game since the first time he met Superlek inside the ring.
In his last six bouts, Anane used his height and reach advantage to dominate some of the most established Muay Thai fighters, finishing three of his opponents.
Anane, who is the youngest ever WBC Muay Thai champion, believes his wins over opponents such as former world title challenger Felipe Lobo and Lethwei legend Soe Lin Oo prove that he has become used to fighting in small gloves — and is now ready to even the score with the two-sport, two-weight world champion.
“Two years ago, I didn’t know nothing about small (4-ounce) gloves. I didn’t have this experience. I’m totally different. Very different. It was a big lesson, and I learned a lot in that fight. I’m sure that it’s not going to be the same this time,” Anane said.
If Anane wins the highly anticipated rematch, he will solidify his status as one of the best Muay Thai practitioners today, and become only the second undisputed ONE world champion from the MENA region after former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world champion, Morocco’s Ilias Ennahachi, who is the only man to beat Superlek in ONE Championship.
The event, which features five world title bouts across Muay Thai, kickboxing and mixed martial arts, is headlined by a flyweight kickboxing super-fight between Japanese icon Takeru Segawa and Muay Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangon.
'Incredible feeling': Saudi Women’s Premier League glory vindicates Boussaha’s Al-Nassr move
- Algerian international has helped the Riyadh team clinch a third league title in a row
AUSTRALIA: While Al-Nassr’s men’s team have found success hard to come by in recent seasons, their women’s team have had no such issues, last week clinching their third straight Saudi Women’s Premier League title.
With the league itself, the first professional league of its type in the Kingdom, only three years old, it means Al-Nassr remain the only side to win the competition since its formation back in 2022.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” star midfielder Lina Boussaha told Arab News after a 3-1 win over their nearest title rivals, Al-Ahli, secured their third straight title.
“Winning one title is special, but winning three in a row is a testament to the consistency and belief within the team. This season was challenging in its own way, but we stayed focused, and lifting the trophy again is a moment of immense pride for all of us.”
They haven’t just won the league either, they’ve dominated it. In the almost three full seasons since the league began, Al-Nassr have played 44 games. Remarkably, they’ve won 39 of them and lost just two.
And this season they are on track for the perfect “golden” season. Sixteen games into the season they are not only yet to taste defeat, they are yet to drop a single point — 16 games played, 16 games won.
With the league title already in their pocket and just two games remaining — including one against Riyadh rivals Al-Hilal — the perfect season is within touching distance.
“The motivation is high, we always want to push our limits and set new standards,” Boussaha openly admitted.
“Winning every game is not easy, but we’ve come this far, and we want to finish strong. It’s not just about results, but about maintaining our identity and showing what this team is capable of. Writing the history.
“Getting a golden league doesn’t happen often, we want that.”
Given their success to date, and not just this season, but across the entirety of the league’s existence, it’d be folly to back against them.
What sets Al-Nassr apart, according to Boussaha, is their never-say-die attitude.
“Each season has its own story, but this one was unique because of the challenges we faced,” the Algerian international explained.
“In the first five or six games, we had to come from behind multiple times, including an incredible remontada.”
That came in Round 5 in a Riyadh Derby against Al Shabab, who had shot to a 3-0 lead by the hour mark, and had Al-Nassr staring defeat straight in the eyes.
But a remarkable turnaround, spearheaded by Boussaha, who scored two goals in as many minutes to reduce the deficit, saw Al-Nassr score four goals in the final 25 minutes of the game to run out 4-3 victors.
There were other moments, too. They trailed Al-Amal 1-0 before goals in the 88th and 91st minutes secured a 2-1 win in Round 3. Against Al-Qadsiah a week earlier, they also came from a goal down, albeit in less dramatic fashion, to win 2-1.
While in Round 6, just a week after their win over Al-Shabab, Boussaha inspired another comeback, this time against Al-Ittihad as they came from a goal down to win 3-1.
“Those moments built our strength as a team, reinforced our confidence, and showed everyone our resilience,” the 26-year-old said.
“It proved that beating us isn’t easy, even when we’re under pressure or dominated. Overcoming those situations helped us for the rest of the season and gave us the mentality to push through the second half even stronger.”
She continued: “After three seasons working together, we’ve become like a family, sisters, and we fight for each other on and off the pitch. Collectively, we know our potential, and we don’t want to miss out on any opportunity or game.
“As champions, we have high goals and standards, which means we always have to show up and give double or even triple the effort.
“Personally, when we’re losing, I know that giving up is not an option. I have to finish the game exhausted, knowing I gave everything like it was my last match, whether we’re losing, drawing, or winning. That mindset drives me and the team to push beyond our limits.”
Boussaha, a French-born Algerian international, has been one of the headline names in the league since its inception. That she is in the league at all is only down to circumstance after France banned players from wearing the hijab in sporting competitions.
Not willing to forego her identity, Boussaha, a graduate of the PSG academy and a former PSG player, begrudgingly walked away from the professional game in France.
An opportunity to play in a new league in Saudi Arabia, where she could remain true to her identity, was an offer she couldn’t walk away from.
“Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations before coming here,” she said.
“I had very little information about the league, the level, or the players. I tried to gather details, but since the league had just been created, it wasn’t easy.
“My decision to come was first and foremost because of my hijab, I missed playing football, and I knew that in France, it wouldn’t be possible anymore while wearing it.”
Three years on she has zero regrets, having seen the fledgling league boom in that time.
“Since I first arrived, there’s been a huge gap between then and now,” she explained.
“The league wasn’t well-known, we didn’t have superstar players, and the games weren’t even broadcast. There was very little information available on social media, and it was still in its early stages.
“Then, suddenly, everything boomed. The league became more competitive and attractive, with top players and big names joining. The social media presence and marketing are now even better than in some famous leagues. The Saudi players and national teams have progressed technically and mentally.
“The investment in facilities, field, sponsorships and infrastructures in some clubs, has taken things to another level and honestly, it’s really enjoyable to play in this league now.”
