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Gabby Agbonlahor has issued a positive verdict on Everton’s squad despite the latest injury sustained by striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Lowdown: Calvert-Lewin’s injuries

Ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, news emerged from the Merseyside club that the 20-year-old had suffered a knee injury which would keep him out for the start of the season. However, his return to action has since been delayed, meaning that the England international is yet to play a single game this term.

Despite getting close to a return to full fitness, the Liverpool Echo recently reported that Calvert-Lewin had felt a tightness in his leg and had consequently been withdrawn from training, with his absence documented the following day by his omission from images taken at Finch Farm.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, has said that he was nervous for the Toffees going into the season due to their various injuries, but a strong summer in the transfer market has put him at ease.

Speaking with Football Insider about the strength of the Blues’ transfer window, the former Aston Villa attacker claimed: “I was very worried at the start of the season for Everton. The transfers they’ve made I’ve been very impressed with. In midfield, two new signings look rock solid in there.

“Neal Maupay will score goals, he adds to that attacking threat and you’ve got Calvert-Lewin to come back.

“With Calvert-Lewin coming back, it will be competition for that striker spot and that’s what you need as a manager. They will be absolutely fine, Everton, they will beat their fair share of teams.”

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The Verdict: Calvert-Lewin getting too injury prone?

Just last season, Calvert-Lewin only managed 17 Premier League appearances as he was out of action for 125 days with a fractured toe and quadricep issues.

Having failed to make a single appearance so far this season due to various problems, his lack of availability is starting to become a nuisance at Goodison Park.

Having bagged 58 goals in 191 appearances for the club, the striker’s talent and value to the team is beyond doubt.

However, if he is so frequently going to be out injured, at which point will Frank Lampard move on to looking for alternative options up top?

Leeds United forward Rodrigo looked to have finally arrived at Elland Road after he kickstarted the 2022/23 campaign with four goals and one assist from their opening three matches.

He even took the armband during the shock 3-0 win over Chelsea and his two appearances but then he dislocated his shoulder, causing him to miss the 5-2 defeat to Brentford.

It remains to be seen if he’ll be back in time to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The 31-year-old is already just two goals off the feat he managed last term (six) and that only goes to show just how much of a flop he has been since his then club-record £27m move from Valencia in the summer of 2020.

A return of 17 goals from a total of 68 appearances – an average of one every 252 minutes – is a pretty poor return from any striker, let alone one that cost more than any other player in the club’s history prior to that transfer window.

Rodrigo is thought to also be on £100k-per-week in west Yorkshire, so when you factor in the total spent on him so far – roughly £37.8m over 108 weeks – then he’s cost chairman Andrea Radrizzani £2.2m per goal, thus representing pretty poor business from director of football Victor Orta.

Bagging only six goals in the long-term absence of Bamford was pretty poor indeed and even led to ex-talismanic striker Kevin Phillips deem him to be “non-existent” to Football Insider.

Now on the wrong side of thirty, the Spaniard’s transfer value has plummeted, largely – you’d imagine – due to his inability to be a regular source of goals for the club since his move.

CIES Football Observatory currently value the 31-year-old attacker at just €8m (£7m), which is a decrease of 74%.

As we’ve seen this season, though, there is hope that Rodrigo can be that leading man for Leeds United at long last but the overall evidence does not paint the prettiest of pictures.

On that basis, it’s fair to suggest that this transfer has been a disastrous one by Orta and his recruitment staff. That said, with the former Valencia man under contract until 2024, there is still time to turn that ship around.

AND in other news, Leeds hit the jackpot on “unbelievable” £7k-p/w gem who could become “one of the best”…

Sunderland took their second draw on the bounce this weekend after failing to dominate at the Stadium of Light against Preston North End, and there is a glaring issue that could be a big contribution to their struggle to win games over their last two outings in the Championship.

The Black Cats are currently without a striker as both Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms are currently injured, and their absence has reflected in the team’s results as of late, leading to Sunderland’s fall from their position in the playoffs to seventh after the draw yesterday.

As a result, finding a solution to their issues up front will need to come fast for Tony Mowbray as his team will be hosting again on Tuesday night when they welcome Blackpool to the Stadium of Light, and there is one player the manager could lean on to provide more creativity in the final third.

Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo has now made four substitute appearances for the North-East club since joining in the summer and has already shown glimpses of his potential and ability despite not being picked in the starting line-up.

The 20-year-old talent who was hailed “unbelievable” by former teammate Daniel James, has made one key pass per game and is completing 100% of his passes in his own half, even though he has only been seen for an average of 24 minutes per appearance so far.

Last season, the young winger was on loan with Rangers and although he only made 13 appearances, he managed to score three goals in the Scottish Premiership when given the opportunity to play in the team.

His statistics from that campaign, where he registered one dribble per match would remarkably place him third in the Mackems’ squad for that statistic, suggesting he’d offer something very few others in the squad can provide.

Possessing an electric and dazzling set of skills in the final third, now is the time for Mowbray to unleash Diallo in the team as it is not only the golden opportunity for the £28k-per-week ace to prove his worth to the boss, but he is one of the only available attacking threats left in the team with experience of playing in the forward line.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how the Black Cats manager sets up on Tuesday against Blackpool, and whether he will give Diallo the chance to make an impact on the side as he could have the positive influence Sunderland needs right now to take all three points from the clash.

One key issue for Wolverhampton Wanderers so far this term has been in the centre-forward ranks, with the Old Gold currently suffering as a result of injuries to both Raul Jimenez and Sasa Kalajdzic.

The latter man had cruelly been struck down with an ACL injury on debut following his £15.5m arrival from Bundesliga side, Stuttgart, with Bruno Lage – who has since left his post at Molineux – turning to veteran free agent Diego Costa as a short-term fix.

At 34, however, it remains to be seen just what kind of impact the former Chelsea man will make for the Midlands side, having notably been replaced after just 56 minutes on his return to Stamford Bridge at the weekend.

Wolves could well have avoided that reliance on the ageing menace had they recruited another striking option in the recent window, with the Spain international’s former Blues teammate Michy Batshuayi having seemingly been a target for Lage and co.

Reports earlier this summer had suggested that the club had made an offer to sign the Belgium international from their fellow Premier League side, with the Brussels-born star having fallen down the pecking order in west London with just a year left on his existing deal.

No move came to fruition, however, as the 6 foot 1 powerhouse ultimately secured a return to Turkey to join Fenerbahce, after previously netting 14 goals and providing five assists while on loan at Besiktas last season.

Frustratingly as far as Wolves supporters are concerned, the Istanbul outfit were able to make that permanent capture for free, with that something of a steal for an undoubted “goal machine” – as dubbed by journalist Ronan Murphy.

The 29-year-old has made an ideal start to life in his new surroundings with three goals in just six games for the Super Lig side thus far in all competitions, including a stoppage-time winner in the thrilling 5-4 win over Karagumruk at the weekend.

The £8.55m-rated man’s overall club career tally now stands at an impressive 139 goals in 396 games across stints in England, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and more recently, Turkey, while he also boasts a remarkable hit rate at international level with 26 goals in just 47 games.

Signing such a prolific asset for nothing could well have been an ideal solution for those at Molineux, with the club having thus far been particularly goal-shy in the early weeks of the season, with a measly tally of three goals in just nine league games.

The aforementioned Costa could well come good and reverse that trend, although it will sting not to have got Batshuayi through the door.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has urged Rangers youngster Leon King to stay at Ibrox despite strong transfer interest emerging from the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Interest in King

As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, a number of English top-flight sides are keeping an eye on the 18-year-old defender, leading media members to say the Gers will be ‘concerned’ over a potential exit.

Manchester United, Newcastle and Leeds have all sent scouts to watch the U21 Scotland international, whose Light Blues contract expires in the summer of 2024.

The teenager has made an impressive step-up to the first-team this season, having amassed 12 senior appearances thus far – including four appearances in the Champions League.

The Latest: Stay put 

Robinson, who works as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes King would be better off staying at Ibrox rather than making the move below the border to the Premier League.

Speaking with Football Insider, the former England goalkeeper said:

“For the player, it would be best to stay at Rangers.

“You have to question whether it would be wise to come into the Premier League at 18 years old. Would he be involved in the first team? He would probably play in the under-23s or be loaned out.

“He would be far better off playing for a top-quality team like Rangers week in, week out. You will learn more quickly that way.

“It is better for the player and better for the club. The club will be able to sell you for more in a few years time when you have 50 games behind you.

“Premier League clubs try to sign these young players on the cheap. They try to sign them before they develop into top players.”

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The Verdict: Why leave?

Having featured for a minimum of 45 minutes in three of four Champions League games for the Gers this season, King has been rewarded for his strong performances by manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

As per WhoScored, in the European competition, the centre-back has impressively averaged 2.5 tackles, 2.3 clearances and 1 interception per game – illustrating his ability to perform at the highest level.

If he does end up making the move to England, the 18-year-old would not be given the sort of opportunities he gets at Rangers – he would not be exposed to the Champions League with the sides currently linked, for starters.

King should absolutely remain at the Ibrox and develop his career with the Glasgow club – if he continues along his current development path, the Gers could bank a massive profit further down the line.

Mark Goldbridge has been reacting to an incident involving Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo during Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Spurs.

The Lowdown: Down the tunnel

Erik ten Hag’s side put in one of their best performances of the season at Old Trafford, with second half goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes sealing an impressive and deserved victory.

However, attention late on was on Ronaldo, who decided to head down the tunnel before the full-time whistle. Ten Hag admitted he’d deal with the situation on Thursday, and Goldbridge has been giving his thoughts.

The Latest: “Unacceptable”

Goldbridge took to Twitter on Wednesday evening, saying he blames the Glazers after failing to grant Ronaldo a summer move despite Ten Hag seemingly giving an exit the green light.

The talkSPORT pundit did describe Ronaldo’s actions as “unacceptable”, but placed the blame at the door of the Glazers.

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The Verdict: Why…

Yes, Ronaldo would have been frustrated after failing to feature, but did he really need to head to the changing rooms before the end of the game?

He would have known that there would have been plenty of talk, so it seems bizarre that he took that decision, especially as his teammates put in a brilliant display against Antonio Conte’s side and there’s no way he can be sold until January regardless.

It will be interesting to see if Ten Hag takes any action against the forward, but a winter transfer window exit looks increasingly likely.

Manchester City would risk “rocking the boat” if they were to pull off the ambitious coup of signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

THE LOWDOWN: STAR-STUDDED CITY

Once again, the Premier League champions have hardly put a foot wrong this season, with their only loss coming against Liverpool, who despite their recent struggles have still been formidable title rivals in the modern era.

Averaging around 3.3 goals per match, one more than the next-most prolific team in the division, Pep Guardiola is once again making the Premier League look easy; and with the likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden excelling, it doesn’t feel like City could improve much more.

However, the Cityzens have been warned about Mbappe, who according to a recent report is eager to leave PSG, with Guardiola’s side among the select group of clubs in world football who could afford the 23-year-old’s transfer fee and wages.

THE LATEST: TOO RISKY?

Having already landed one frighteningly prolific striker in Haaland, you would think that the additional of another generational free-scoring talent would bolster City’s squad to even greater heights.

However, whilst there is no doubting Mbappe’s quality, Jones has warned Guardiola that signing a player like the 23-year-old could risk upsetting harmony in the Etihad Stadium dressing room, given how his relationship with the PSG hierarchy has reportedly deteriorated.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about the possibility of City signing the French superstar, Jones said: “It’s hard to see and you risk rocking the boat at the club if you’re bringing in an ego, I guess, that has the potential to rock the boat.”

THE VERDICT: A TOUGH CALL

Given the success of this current Manchester City side, you wonder whether such a potential transfer risk could disrupt the powerful momentum which has come as a result of forward-thinking tactical innovation by Guardiola.

With the Spaniard being a descendant of the Johan Cruyff ideology, he looks to grant his talismanic stars freedom by creating space through tactical and systematic efficiency. Playing Mbappe as a left winger in this same system would not hinder the side at all; if anything, it would only create an even greater, more direct goal threat.

With the 23-year-old capable of both creating and scoring mass amounts of goals, having finished as PSG’s most prolific scorer and greatest creative asset last season, beating Lionel Messi and Neymar for both goals and assists, there is no doubting his ability.

The only two apparent risks in this case would be his maturity and ego in regards to taking instruction from Guardiola, and his wage demands, which at £650,000 per week could run along the same lines.

Celtic have been handed an injury blow after Ange Postecoglou confirmed that Cameron Carter-Vickers is set to miss the Champions League game against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Premiership champions earned a comfortable 3-0 victory over Livingston last weekend, and with nothing left to lose in Europe, they should be heading into tonight’s clash full of confidence and unburdened by expectation.

However, the Hoops will need to complete their final group game without the services of the American centre-back, who is said to have suffered some after-effects from the most recent league action.

The Latest: Carter-Vickers fitness update

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that Carter-Vickers struggled with the conditions of Livingston’s pitch and has therefore not travelled to Spain with the rest of the squad to face Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

As quoted by Football Scotland, the Celtic manager said: “Cameron Carter-Vickers pulled up a bit sore after the game on Sunday. The artificial pitch wasn’t great for him so we’ve left him at home.

“Everyone else apart from Callum (McGregor) – obviously he’s out – is fit and available.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Postecoglou

Carter-Vickers has been hailed a ‘big player’ for Celtic by club captain Callum McGregor, and it’ll be a big blow for Postecoglou not having him available for selection this evening.

The American is currently averaging 3.9 clearances and 3.7 aerial duels per game and has a pass success rate of 91%, ranking among the Hoops’ top three players for each metric, highlighting how much of a rock he has been at the heart of the backline (WhoScored).

Taking the decision not to risk him is the right one for an inconsequential fixture, given that he’s already been sidelined once this season; and with the World Cup just around the corner, he’ll no doubt be hoping to make a swift return to action.

خاض منتخب مصر الأول مرانه اليوم على أرضية استاد القاهرة استعدادا لمواجهة نيوزيلندا في بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر.

ويستعد منتخب مصر للمشاركة في بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر الودية، التي تستضيفها مصر بمشاركة منتخبات كرواتيا وتونس ونيوزيلندا.

وتقام بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر الدولية الودية في مصر خلال الفترة من 22 حتى 26 من شهر مارس الجاري بمشاركة منتخبات مصر وكرواتيا وتونس ونيوزيلندا.

وحرص أشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة على حضور مران منتخب مصر تحت قيادة التوأم حسام وإبراهيم حسن، وكان في استقباله جمال علام رئيس مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة.

طالع | تحديد عدد جماهير مباراة مصر ونيوزيلندا في كأس عاصمة مصر

كما شهد مران منتخب مصر حضور هاني أبو ريدة عضو المكتب التنفيذي للاتحاد الدولي “فيفا”، وخالد الدرندلي نائب رئيس اتحاد الكرة ومحمد أبو الوفا عضو اتحاد الكرة ودينا الرفاعي عضو اتحاد الكرة وأحمد مجاهد رئيس اللجنة الثلاثية السابق، ومحمد الماشطة المستشار القانوني لاتحاد الكرة ووليد عبد الوهاب رئيس هيئة ستاد القاهرة.

بدأ مران منتخب مصر بتدريبات بدنية ثم جمل فنية وتكتيكية تحت إشراف الجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن ثم تقسيمة وتسديد على المرمي.

شارك في المران 25 لاعبا بينما أدى الثنائي أحمد نبيل كوكا ومحمد شكري تدريبات تأهيلية.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع نيوزيلندا يوم 22 مارس في مباراة دور نصف النهائي للبطولة، إذا حقق الفوز سيلاقي الفائز من مباراة تونس كرواتيا في المباراة النهائية للبطولة يوم 26 من الشهر ذاته.

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has been dealt a blow after being left out of Brazil’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, according to reports over the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Making the step up

The Premier League veteran only made ten top-flight starts last season but has already matched that number this term, having played a much more significant role since the departure of Sadio Mane over the summer.

Selecao manager Tite was one of the first international coaches to name his squad travelling to Qatar later this month, although there was a noticeable name missing from the list.

The Latest: Firmino omitted by Tite

On Tuesday morning, Sky Sports shared news of Brazil’s final 26-man squad, relaying that Firmino has been ‘left out’ and will not be competing at the World Cup, alongside three other players (Renan Lodi, Roban Ibanez and Matheus Cunha) who were cut from the penultimate squad from September.

The report states that Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, who only has three caps for his country, has been ‘preferred’ to the Reds forward. However, the 31-year-old’s Liverpool team-mates Alisson Becker and Fabinho have made the cut.

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The Verdict: Wrong decision

Firmino obviously isn’t getting any younger, although the decision to stop him from going to the tournament is the wrong one when you look at his form in the current campaign.

Dubbed a ‘stalwart’ by Jamie Carragher, the forward has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 19 appearances across all competitions, and is currently averaging 2.5 shots per league game, the third-most of any Liverpool player in 2022/23.

The Anfield star is the only straight replacement that Brazil have for Neymar, so Tite is taking a huge risk by not having sufficient squad depth in the top area of the pitch.