As convocações para as Eliminatórias Sul-Americanas “cobraram o preço” de Rodrigo Caio e Everton Ribeiro, que defenderam a Seleção Brasileira, e o uruguaio Arrascaeta tiveram as situações clínicas e físicas atualizadas pelo clube nesta sexta-feira, e o trio está em tratamento de diferentes problemas.
O meia Everton Ribeiro, que depois de atuar em Lima, na vitória do Brasil por 4 a 2 sobre o Peru na terça-feira, entrou em campo na quinta, contra o Red Bull Bragantino, e atuou os 90 minutos. Após deixar a partida com dores no joelho esquerdo, o camisa 7 iniciou tratamento no CT. Não foi preciso realizar exames.
Já Rodrigo Caio, que foi titular contra o Peru, reapresentou-se com desgaste muscular e, de acordo com o clube, deu sequência a trabalho específico no CT.
Já Arrascaeta, que ficou fora da segunda rodada das Eliminatórias com dores na coxa esquerda, voltou ao CT do Flamengo e iniciou tratamento e treinos leves.
Segundo o comunicado divulgado pelo Flamengo, tanto Rodrigo Caio quanto Arrascaeta serão preparados para os jogos da próxima semana: contra Junior Barranquilla, pela Liberta no dia 21, e Internacional, no dia 25 pelo Brasileirão.
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Após vencer o Vasco no último sábado, o Goiás na terça-feira, e empatar com o Red Bull Bragantino nesta quinta, o Flamengo se prepara para enfrentar o Corinthians, em São Paulo, no próximo domingo. O time de Domènec Torrent, com 31 pontos, divide a liderança com o Atlético-MG e Internacional, primeiro e segundo colocados, respectivamente, por conta das vitórias e saldo de gols.
نجح فريق بيراميدز في تسجيل ثلاثة أهداف بشباك نظيره المقاولون العرب، خلال المباراة الجارية بينهما حالياً ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
ويلتقي بيراميدز مع المقاولون العرب، على أرضية ملعب الدفاع الجوي، في خضم مواجهات الجولة 27 من عمر مسابقة الدوري.
وسجل فيستون ماييلي هدف التعادل لبيراميدز في الدقيقة 59، بعد ركلة حرة مباشرة نُفذت بعرضية بقدم محمد الشيبي لداخل منطقة الجزاء استقبلها فيستون ماييلي برأسية قوية سكنت الشباك.
طالع أيضاً.. قرار نهائي.. الزمالك يستقر على عدم خوض مباراة القمة أمام الأهلي
وفي الدقيقة 64 تقدم إبراهيم عادل بالهدف الثاني، عن طريق تصويبة متقنة وقوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت أقصى الزاوية اليسرى لمحمود أبو السعود.
وأضاف فيستون ماييلي الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 68، بعد تمريرة من إبراهيم عادل استقبلها فيستون ماييلي بتسديدة قوية داخل الشباك.
وكان الأوغندي جوزيف أوتشايا قد أحرز هدف المقاولون العرب، بتسديدة من ركلة حرة مباشرة تجاه المرمى مرت بغرابة من أحمد الشناوي حارس بيراميدز وسكنت منتصف المرمى. هدف بيراميدز الأول أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري المصري
هدف بيراميدز الثاني أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوريهدف بيراميدز الثالث أمام المقاولون العرب
انتهت مباريات الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة لدور المجموعات للمجموعة الخامسة في كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.
وتضم المجموعة الخامسة بكأس أمم أوروبا 2024، منتخبات بلجيكا وأوكرانيا وسلوفاكيا ورومانيا.
وشهدت هذه الجولة مباراة بين فريقي بلجيكا وأوكرانيا، وأخرى بين منتخبي سلوفاكيا ورومانيا.
وتعادل منتخب بلجيكا سلبيًا مع أوكرانيا، ومباراة رومانيا وسلوفاكيا حسمت بتعادل إيجابي بهدف لمثله.
وتأهلت رومانيا لدور الـ16 متصدرة المجموعة بـ4 نقاط، وبلجيكا في الوصافة بـ4 نقاط، وسلوفاكيا في المركز الثالث بـ4 نقاط، وأوكرانيا تودع البطولة وتملك 4 نقاط في المركز الأخير. ترتيب مجموعة بلجيكا النهائي في يورو 2024
The mooted takeover of Everton Football Club has dominated the headlines at the club of late, and now a significant and worrying update has emerged.
What's happening at Everton?
It's fair to say that it is a rocky period for the Blues at the moment, with issues going on both on the pitch and away from the action at Goodison Park. Last Sunday's 1-0 defeat home to Arsenal means that Sean Dyche's side have picked up just one point from their first five Premier League matches this season, leading to concerns that a third consecutive relegation battle could be coming their way.
Off the field, the hope is that Everton are purchased by 777 Partners, with an agreement with Farhad Moshiri confirmed to be in place, but financial issues are holding back the deal at the moment.
Should it go through, it could represent the start of a more promising era at Goodison, prior to them leaving for a new stadium at the end of the current campaign, but a new update suggests there is still plenty of work to be done.
Goodison Park awaits a Premier League game for Everton amid their financial issues.
What's the latest news on the Everton takeover?
According to Football Insider, MSP Sports Capital could withdraw their loan offering if they don't see 777 Partners as the right owners moving forward, which would leave the new investors short of the necessary cash:
"MSP Sports Capital can recall their £100million loan to Everton if they do not approve of the club’s new owners, sources have told Football Insider. The Toffees received a £100million loan from the US investment group this month despite talks of a majority takeover collapsing. It is understood that the £100million was needed by Everton to help finance the construction of the Bramley Moore Dock Stadium as well as keep up with monthly bills."
The report continues: "Football Insider has been told that the MSP loan has a ‘recall clause’ that allows them to request repayment of all funds if they don’t approve of the club’s new ownership.
"It is unclear whether 777 Partners would have the finances to both pay off Everton’s recalled loans and keep up with the club’s monthly payments and stadium costs."
This is a clear concern for anyone of an Everton persuasion, with the situation seemingly becoming murkier by the day, at a time when a smooth transition from Moshiri to 777 would do the club the world of good.
The fact that MSP Sports Capital have doubts about the potential incoming owners has to be seen as a worry, and while many supporters want a deal to be struck as soon as possible, the club must be extremely careful that this next era is with the right people in charge.
The hope is that this issue simply blows over and that MSP's stance changes, but the longer the saga goes on, the more it feels as though an agreement could possibly fall through, leaving Everton back to square one and looking for different owners.
It is indicative of how poorly run the Blues seem to be in general currently, and if they don't get out of this malaise quickly, they could find themselves in the Championship next season.
Aston Villa made their return to European football this season as Unai Emery's side qualified for the group stages of the Europa Conference League.
The Villans are competing in Europe after solidifying their status in the Premier League following their promotion back to the top-flight in 2019.
Former Villa boss Dean Smith deserves a lot of credit for the part he played in the club's route back to the big time as the ex-Brentford boss led the team to promotion during the 2018/19 campaign and then achieved survival in the 2019/20 season.
Emi Buendia
£33m
Ollie Watkins
£29m
Leon Bailey
£27.5m
Danny Ings
£25m
Wesley
£21.5m
The English head coach, as shown in the table above, was backed in the transfer market by NSWE throughout his time at Villa Park, as he was able to splash the cash on a number of attackers to bolster his squad at the top level.
There is one player, however, that Smith may look back on and be thankful that he did not spend big money on to bring to the club as they have since gone on to flop in England – Milot Rashica.
Were Aston Villa interested in Rashica?
Deich Stube reported, via Sport Witness, that Aston Villa were prepared to meet Werder Bremen's €25m (£21m) asking price for the Kosovo international in the summer of 2020.
The outlet, however, claimed that the player was not convinced that a move to Villa Park was the right one for his career as he wanted to play Champions League football, rather than compete in a relegation battle for Smith's side.
Rashica ended up staying with Bremen and did not complete a transfer to the Premier League that summer, with Deich Stube's report suggesting that the reason may have been down to the player's reticence to fight relegation.
Former Werder Bremen star Milot Rashica.
Villa's interest in the exciting winger came after his impressive performances for the German side in the Bundesliga throughout the 2019/20 campaign.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 28 top-flight outings and contributed with eight goals and five assists from a wide position. That came after his return of nine goals and five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances during the 2018/19 season for Bremen.
Rashica had proven himself to be a reliable provider of goals and assists in a major European league, without playing for one of the biggest German clubs, and that left Villa and Smith willing to pay around £21m for his services.
Who signed Rashica from Bremen?
The Kosovo star stayed with the Bundesliga outfit for another season before he finally completed a move to the Premier League to join newly-promoted Norwich City in 2021.
Daniel Farke's side reportedly spent £9.4m to sign the winger after Bremen were relegated from the top-flight of German football at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
This, immediately, showed that Villa had a lucky escape as his value plummeted by £11.6m within the space of a year, thanks to his team's relegation and his poor performances on the pitch.
Rashica scored three goals and provided one assist in 24 Bundesliga matches throughout the 2020/21 season after Villa's initial interest in him.
This led to a move to Carrow Road to join Norwich, who had just been promoted from the Championship, and his performances for the Yellows left a lot to be desired.
How many goals did Rashica score for Norwich?
Rashica went on to score two goals in 40 appearances for the Canaries in all competitions before his eventual exit from England earlier this year.
The 27-year-old whiz's crack at Premier League football did not go to plan as he faced back-to-back relegations, with Bremen and then Norwich, after seemingly turning down a move to Villa in fear of a possible relegation battle before those two seasons.
Former Norwich forward Milot Rashica.
Ironically, he did end up working with Smith as the ex-Villans boss replaced Daniel Farke in November 2021, which meant that the ex-Bundesliga star endured a fight against the drop in England with the former Bees boss as his manager, one year after he turned the prospect of that exact scenario down.
Rashica played in 31 of Norwich's 38 Premier League matches as they were demoted to the Championship and failed to prove himself to be a consistent performer at the top end of the pitch at that level with one goal and two assists in total.
How much is Rashica worth now?
Besiktas swooped to sign the Kosovo international from the Canaries for a fee of €5.25m (£4.5m) during the recent summer transfer window.
This means that he is currently worth around £16.5m less than the initial £21m that Villa were prepared to spend on his signature three years ago under Smith.
His value dropped after a dismal season of Premier League football with Norwich and then a year on loan with Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Rashica scored four goals and assisted six in 26 league matches throughout the 2022/23 campaign with the Super Lig side but that was not enough to convince in any teams from a major European division to snap him up.
Norwich lost £4.9m on the £9.4m they spent to sign him from Bremen in 2021 and had a big howler with the former Vitesse star as his performances on the pitch were not good enough to keep them in the Premier League and they lost out on millions overall.
Former Galatasaray star Milot Rashica.
Therefore, Smith, who could not avoid Rashica with the Yellows, managed to dodge what would have been a big blunder for the Villans by failing to convince the forward to join his team in 2020.
The 27-year-old dud flopped in England and his displays for Norwich suggest that he would have struggled on the pitch for Villa if they had managed to sign him for £21m, which would have made him a terrible signing for the club.
Smith also went on to sign Bertrand Traore from Lyon to bolster his wide options for the 2020/21 campaign and the Burkina Faso international produced seven goals and seven assists in 36 league outings for the Villans.
This suggests that the club ended up with a superior option on the flanks as the ex-Chelsea man contributed to far more goals than Rashica did in his season in the top-flight with Norwich.
Jason Roy was a contented man after his fifth ODI hundred, but Shaun Marsh had only bittersweet memories to take away from Cardiff
Melinda Farrell at Cardiff16-Jun-20181:18
Social story: England take 2-0 series lead
Jason Roy described his century in Cardiff as “probably my favourite” after he paved the way for England’s victory in the second ODI against Australia. Roy’s 120 off 108 balls was his third highest score in the 50-over format and was a welcome return to the scoresheet for the opener after his second-ball duck at the Oval.It was a mature display from Roy, who said he was particularly happy with the way he had paced his innings and changed through the gears.”I had a long discussion with Thorpey [Graham Thorpe] after I got out and just said it was probably my favourite innings as far as how my tempo was throughout the innings,” said Roy. “Just the way I knuckled down early, it was quite difficult and I went through some difficult patches but then came out the other side.”Obviously I wanted to start expanding my game but unfortunately I got out. But I was still happy nonetheless.”It was a big aim for me to come after a long winter and to start well on home soil. Obviously we had the hiccup against Scotland and then the first game I was a bit panicky, a bit wary, of where my game’s at, but I put in a lot of hard work over the past few days and got a few rewards today.”Shaun Marsh’s swashbuckling century had given Australia an outside chance of successfully completing their highest-ever run-chase but, once he was bowled by Liam Plunkett, England were able to clean up the tail.”I guess it’s bittersweet,” said Marsh. “It’s nice to get a few runs but, yeah, I was obviously disappointed with the result. We couldn’t quite finish it off at the end there.”It’s obviously a disappointment for us. We felt like we were in the game right until the end but unfortunately we just weren’t good enough today. We’ll have to be better in a few days’ time.”Marsh said he believed Australia will go into the third ODI with the same batting line-up used in Cardiff. D’Arcy Short was brought in to open with Travis Head, while Aaron Finch was dropped down the order to bat at No. 5. Without David Warner and Steve Smith in the side, this tour has very much been an exercise in experimentation as Australia try to settle on their best combination.”I think it was about the balance today,” said Marsh. “Putting Finchy in the middle order was trying to strengthen the middle order a bit more with the experience that he’s got. I’m not sure what they’ll do for the next game. I think they’ll stay the same.”
Após quatro anos atuando no exterior, o meia Neto comemora sua estreia com a camisa do Juventude e seu retorno ao futebol brasileiro. Recém-chegado ao clube gaúcho, o jogador de 29 anos estreou na vitória contra o Guarani, no último domingo, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro da Série B.
Neto fala sobre seu primeiro jogo com a equipe alviverde e de poder retornar ao seu país natal. O meia acumula passagens por Moreirense, de Portugal – onde atuou por três temporadas -, e Al-Fayha, da Arábia Saudita.
‘Como atuei quatro anos fora, é uma sensação bem diferente poder jogar novamente no Brasil. Me senti muito feliz em poder retornar ao futebol brasileiro e, principalmente, estrear com a camisa do Juventude que é uma equipe muito forte e grande no cenário atual’, disse o meia Neto.
Nesta quinta-feira, o Juventude terá um compromisso importante diante do Grêmio, às 21h30 (de Brasília), pelo jogo de volta da Copa do Brasil. O meia Neto reforça a qualidade da equipe gremista, porém acredita que o Juve tem potencial de reverter o placar e sair com a classificação para a próxima fase.
‘Estamos confiantes no trabalho que vem sendo feito. Acredito que podemos reverter o resultado sim, se aproveitarmos as oportunidades com certeza vamos ter sucesso contra o Grêmio. Sabemos da qualidade da equipe deles, mas não podemos esquecer que nossa equipe é muito qualificada e está muito preparada e confiante. Vai ser um grande jogo’, concluiu.
Delhi Daredevils: beat Chennai Super Kings by 34 runs, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets, lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by nine wickets
Mumbai Indians: beat Kings XI Punjab by three runs, lost to Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 102 runs
Big Picture
All Mumbai Indians have to do to make the fourth and last playoff spot their own is beat bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils. Victory will take them to 14 points; and their net run rate is better than Rajasthan Royals (14 points) and out of reach of Kings XI Punjab (12 points with a game in hand).If Mumbai lose, they are out, and the fourth spot will go to either Royals or Kings XI.Rohit Sharma’s men, however, are experienced at pulling off last-minute heists. With Kieron Pollard finally among the runs, their batting unit looks much better than it did in the first half of the tournament. And considering the pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla has been slow, bowlers who take pace off the ball, like spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, should be able to thrive. Their one major concern is the form of their captain.Daredevils have won only four games this season, despite a wholesale revamp of their squad from 2017. They did beat second-placed Chennai Super Kings in their previous game, though, and their young players will be keen on another major scalp before their season ends.
In the news
The Daredevils legspinners. The 17-year-old Lamichhane and the 35-year-old Amit Mishra were breathtakingly accurate against CSK, picking up three wickets in their combined eight overs while going at less than a run-a-ball. MS Dhoni’s team chose to play them out and attack the fast bowlers in the final overs, but Trent Boult and Harshal Patel were prepared. They bowled slow and far away from MS Dhoni’s reach to nullify his big-hitting ability. It was a well-thought out plan on a pitch where strokeplay was difficult. Mumbai’s batting is rather similar to CSK, so it could work again.
Previous meeting
A show of individual brilliance – Jason Roy’s unbeaten 91 off 53 – contributed to Mumbai’s poor start to the season. Mumbai made 194 for 7 at the Wankhede and Daredevils chased it down in the final over.
Hardik Pandya is set to play his 50th IPL match and he should be looking forward to the contest against Pant. In this season, Hardik has bowled 10.5 overs to left-handers, going for 78 runs and picking up five wickets. Similarly, Trent Boult could be useful against Ishan Kishan and Krunal Pandya. He has bowled 14.3 overs at left-handers for 112 runs and six wickets.
Stats that matter
Boult needs three wickets to register 100 in T20s.
For the first 11 games, Daredevils’ spinners had an economy rate of 8.45 and conceded a boundary every 6.6 deliveries. In the last two, after Lamichhane’s inclusion, those figures have become a lot better: economy rate 6.28, balls-per-boundary 9.8.
Mumbai’s spinners, on the other hand, are going in the wrong direction. They took 18 wickets at an economy rate of 7.8 in the first seven games. But in the last six, they have only struck seven times while going at 8.4 per over
Evin Lewis needs nine runs to the 3000 mark in T20s
Fantasy pick
Jasprit Bumrah, although you might have to be a bit patient for a return on investment. In IPL 2018, he’s taken only three wickets in the Powerplay and middle overs but is sensational in the death: 20.1 overs, 13 wickets, 7.9 economy rate, and 6.3 balls between boundaries.
Quote
“I think we have been playing good cricket since the first match. We didn’t start well even though we were playing good cricket. But coming into the latter part of the tournament, we started gaining momentum. As you’ve seen, winning the last home game and getting those two crucial points was very important for us.”
Alex Carey has been promoted to the Twenty20 vice-captaincy for Australia’s upcoming limited-overs tour of England
Daniel Brettig08-May-2018Australia squads for England tour
ODIs: Tim Paine (capt & wk), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye T20Is (also for Zimbabwe tri-series): Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt & wk), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth
Tim Paine and Aaron Finch will share Australia’s limited-overs leadership duties in England this June, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey promoted to the Twenty20 vice-captaincy. Also, Nathan Lyon and favoured son Shaun Marsh have been recalled in the first squads to bear the selection fingerprints of the new coach Justin Langer.In the absence of the suspended Steven Smith and David Warner, Paine has been elevated to the ODI captaincy 12 months out from the 2019 World Cup in England, as Langer seeks continuity and consistency of message in a team now searching for a fresh outlook and identity following the disastrous South Africa Test tour. The selection chairman Trevor Hohns made it clear this was a short-term choice, with options still open for the captaincy ahead of the global tournament.At the same time, the selected ODI combination is intended to bring about a change in the team’s 50-over fortunes after an underwhelming 12 months in the format, with England looming not only as hosts but one of the hardest sides to beat in the World Cup, a tournament Australia won on home soil in 2015.There was no room for Chris Lynn in either format. Lynn’s absence is believed to be due to ongoing shoulder problems that restrict him in the field, preventing him from diving and limiting his capacity to throw. A review with a specialist is scheduled on his return from the IPL, with Lynn’s future in Australian colours to be determined after that time.Langer’s influence can be seen in the selection of no fewer than six members of the West Australian set-up in the ODI squad, including the powerful left-hander D’Arcy Short. Marsh’s recall at 34 gives him a chance to win a consistent ODI place ahead of the World Cup.”Obviously, these are the conditions we will face during the tournament so now is a perfect chance to give these players an opportunity to press their case for selection,” Hohns said. “Tim is a strong leader and will captain the side for this series, supported by Aaron. A decision on a permanent one-day captain will be made in due course.”D’Arcy is relatively new to one-day cricket but impressed us with his form in T20 cricket last season. He brings an all-round package to the side, with strong fielding and bowling skills, and we believe he will combine very well with Aaron at the top of the order.”Nathan is our No. 1 offspinner and has excelled with the red ball, however he is not new to white-ball cricket and deserves his chance to push for World Cup selection. England potentially have a number of left-handers in their side and we look forward to seeing what he can produce with the white ball in English conditions.”Carey was one of the brightest performers from the Big Bash League in 2017-18, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer. He was awarded an Australia contract in April. His inclusion in both squads underlines his promise, with Hohns reckoning he may yet slot into the 50-overs team as a batsman alone. “Alex is a very smart one-day player who can also bat anywhere in the order,” he said. “With Tim in the side, Alex will be the back-up wicketkeeper, but we believe his game is strong enough to play as a batter only.”Getty Images
The T20 players were selected for the one-off match in England, as well as the triangular series that follows in Zimbabwe. Nic Maddinson has earned a recall in this group, despite being without a state contract for the coming domestic season, while Jack Wildermuth and Mitchell Swepson have both been called up.”The national selection panel holds Jack in high regard as young player on the rise,” T20 selector Mark Waugh said. “He has shown excellent all-round skills at the first-class level, particularly with the ball in the Big Bash. We look forward to seeing what he can produce at the international level.”Mitchell provides the captain with good variety and wicket-taking options. He competes very well and deserves his chance at this level. Nic has been selected off the back of a very good Big Bash season. He is a very talented player and, with his batting skills, has the ability to be very dangerous in this format.”Swepson and Lyon’s inclusions arrived at the expense of Adam Zampa, who is missing from both squads. “Adam hasn’t performed to the level we would have liked in recent times and we see this as a good opportunity for other spinning options to press their case ahead of the World Cup,” Hohns said.Neither Pat Cummins nor Mitchell Starc were considered for selection as they recover from bone stress injuries suffered in South Africa. “Mitchell is going to undertake a prolonged rehabilitation period for his tibial bone stress injury and we are aiming for a return for the Pakistan Test series [at an away venue in October/November],” the team physio David Beakley said.”Pat is still recovering from a lumbar bone stress injury. The good news is that it has not progressed to a fracture but he still requires a period of rehabilitation with an aim for him to return for the Pakistan Test series along with Starc.”
Tottenham Hotspur are arguably one of the teams most shrouded in positivity at the moment, given how Ange Postecoglou has started his reign in north London with ease.
Their Premier League performances have been largely flawless, and whilst much of that can be attributed to the tactical stylings of the Australian, James Maddison certainly deserves a mention for his adaptability and instant impact.
How is James Maddison playing?
Having signed for £40m in the summer, the addition of this tricky midfielder marked an imperative acquisition to both replace the creativity lost with Harry Kane's exit and also inject some much-needed goals from central midfield.
Years of slow, sluggish football under Jose Mourinho, Nuno Santo and Antonio Conte had seen the squad stagnate, formed around the ideals of three defensively-oriented managers.
So, the England international marked a huge step in a more positive direction for the Lilywhites, with their new number ten spearheading such a shift. His 8.03 average Sofascore rating in the league thus far suggests this has been a successful venture, with that figure actually making him the second-highest rated in the entire division.
It is further buoyed by his two goals and four assists across seven games, the 26-year-old is also averaging an astronomical 3.1 key passes per game whilst raining down three shots per game, via Sofascore. His desperation to forge chances for his teammates is a trait that has instantly endeared him to his new fanbase, and should he soon be partnered with the attacking exploits of Giovani Lo Celso, who knows how far this side can go?
How good is Giovani Lo Celso?
Having joined back in 2019 for a mouth-watering £55m fee, there were understandably huge expectations on the Argentinian creator, who was fresh off the back of an outstanding year with Real Betis.
His performances during the 2018/19 La Liga term were impressive, with his nine goals and four assists from the engine room boding well for his likelihood to succeed in England.
However, the various managerial shifts saw him seldom afforded much opportunity, and as such he has mustered just 86 scattered senior appearances across his four years with Spurs.
That could be set to change under Postecoglou though, who has showcased a desperation to ease him back into the starting side. Such eagerness to reintegrate him is likely due to the philosophy he has showcased with Celtic among other clubs, in which he often employs two number eights to spearhead the press and create plenty of chances.
It would mark a risk worth taking now, to perhaps remove Pape Matar Sarr from the starting side given his youth, with the promise that his absence will likely be short-lived. After all, it would be harsh to drop a man who has enjoyed such a blistering start to the new campaign, with his two goal contributions, 0.9 key passes and 5.6 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore, impressive figures.
Despite that, it would be worth reducing the 21-year-old to the bench to see whether they could squeeze some value out of Lo Celso.
The left-footed wizard could pair perfectly with Maddison in this role, especially given how his most recent loan spell with Villarreal saw him recapture that initial form that spurred on Mourinho's big-money purchase.
Averaging 1.4 shots and 1.4 key passes per game could easily be translated into the Premier League, with his goal threat and creativity sure to terrorise any side alongside such a supreme star such as the former Leicester City man.
Giovani Lo Celso's league seasons
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Average Sofascore rating
2022/23 (Villarreal)
22
2
3
7.10
2021/22 (Villarreal)
16
1
1
7.09
2021/22 (Tottenham Hotspur)
9
0
2
6.72
2020/21 (Tottenham Hotspur)
18
1
1
6.78
2019/20 (Tottenham Hotspur)
28
0
2
6.77
After all, his former teammate during that aforementioned loan spell, goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli would reserve the highest praise for the £70k-per-week star: "He [Lo Celso] gives us a plus as a team, he helps us improve and I don't discover anything by saying that he is a top player in the world. I know him well as a player and a person, so I hope he does very well."
So, should he earn his chance to feature alongside Maddison, the foundation is in place for Lo Celso to prove this claim correct and become the perfect partner for Postecoglou's key man.