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Aston Villa get their Premier League season underway on Saturday afternoon when they make the trip to face newly-promoted Watford at Vicarage Road.

Dean Smith’s side will play their first competitive game without talisman Jack Grealish, although a number of exciting new signings have certainly given fans a sense of optimism heading into the new campaign.

One man who the Villa boss must certainly start today, is Emi Buendia.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Smith confirmed that the former Norwich star would be available to face the Hornets, saying: “(Buendia) is good to go. He had a slight adductor injury and I didn’t want to risk him in the game on Sunday (vs Salernitana). But he’s trained all week and he’s available for selection.”

The Argentine shone during the time that he was on the pitch in pre-season, especially in a fine performance against Walsall.

On Twitter, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece was left raving about his performance, saying: “Emi Buendia had Villa fans drooling here at Walsall; the two balls in for Watkins were a delight.”

Writing in his post-match player ratings, he added: “Two assists for Villa’s record signing and what a delight they both were. The Argentinian picks up some clever positions inside and, in doing so, he carved Walsall open on both occasions to feed Watkins who scored twice.

“Buendia can pick a pass all right and the prospect of the little magician linking up with Watkins and Jack Grealish this season is a frightening one. Buendia was brilliant and he’s already left fans wanting to see more.”

The 24-year-old was superb last season for Norwich, playing in between the lines to good effect and showing the kind of eye for a pass which saw him finish as the Championship’s leading assists provider with 16 last term.

The £31.5m-rated playmaker has been dubbed a “revelation” by Chris Sutton, and could well be Villa’s game-changer today against Watford in his first competitive game for the club.

Meanwhile, this Villa star could now leave…

Cricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the third day of the first Test between India and England in Chennai

Cricinfo staff13-Dec-2008
Kevin Pietersen had a match to forget with the bat © Getty Images
Split wide open
Harbhajan Singh was so anxious to get his front pad outside the line of off stump when padding up to Graeme Swann that he ended up doing the splits on his knees. He kept the ball out alright, but it’s not a technique that the MCC will be recommending any time soon.Little man, big hit
After Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dismissal, India knew that any run made would be an unexpected bonus. Few though could have anticipated Amit Mishra coming down the track and clouting Monty Panesar to long-on. If only some of his batting colleagues had shown similar resolve.Run, rabbit, run
Though he could be smiling at the end of it, Kevin Pietersen had a match to forget with the bat. Trapped in front by Yuvraj Singh bowling round the wicket, he trudged off miserably, and then had to suffer the indignity of watching Yuvraj make rabbit ears at him.For want of a catch …
Strauss had made just 15 when he stepped back to drive Mishra off the back foot. The ball zipped off the outside edge, and Dhoni couldn’t quite hold on. England were 43 for 3 at the time. By day’s end, the scoreboard was telling a very different story.It all evens out
Having got a stinker from Billy Bowden in the first innings, Paul Collingwood was due some luck. He got it too, with edges evading and miscues evading fielders. The most astonishing shot though was a loft to long-off for four – off the leading edge.The white hats
There was a time during Greg Chappell’s tenure as coach that the team was introduced to the idea of de Bono hats. Something might have rubbed off, because at one point, seven of them were wearing the white floppy ones in the afternoon. The white one represents facts and information, and on this particular occasion, India got theirs all wrong.

Celtic have now been backed to lose Odsonne Edouard before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Edouard out?

As per Football Insider, Nice are lining up a move to sign Edouard, and the Parkhead club would be willing to listen to offers of less than £20m for their star striker.

However, as quoted by Glasgow Live, Ange Postecoglou has admitted that there is a ‘concern’ about cashing in on him, despite only having a year left on his current deal.

The Latest: Campbell on Edouard

Speaking to Football Insider, former Everton and Arsenal striker now pundit Kevin Campbell has backed the Hoops to lose Edouard before the window shuts, even going as far as to claim that it is ‘inevitable’:

“Here’s the thing, Edouard’s been touted everywhere.

“I think it will happen, it’s inevitable. If it doesn’t I think he can help his new strike partner a lot.

“He’s seen it, he’s done it. If you take him away, maybe they are a lot weaker.

“It will be interesting to see how that dynamic works, if he stays and if he goes.

“But I expect him to go before the window closes.”

The Verdict: Sell now

Given that he only has a year left on his contract, and that he has been linked with a move away, there seems to be no desire at all for Edouard to sign a new one, and so the Celts must look to cash in on him now or risk losing him for free next summer.

Of course, he is such a key player for them, scoring no fewer than 85 goals and making a further 39 assists in 176 games in total over all competitions across the last five consecutive seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, considering that he is only valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt right now, getting close to £20m for him in the next ten days would be great business.

The Bhoys should be looking to sell the Frenchman now, so that they leave themselves enough time to replace him before the window closes.

In other news, find out who has now flown in for a Celtic medical here!

Ryan Harris has been added to Australia’s one-day squad and David Warner will travel with the team to the first match in Melbourne after the side was dealt two injury blows

Cricinfo staff13-Jan-2009
Ryan Harris has been added to Australia’s one-day squad © Getty Images
Ryan Harris has been added to Australia’s one-day squad and David Warner will travel with the team to the first match in Melbourne after the side was dealt two injury blows. Peter Siddle has been ruled out of the limited-overs series against South Africa with a stress problem in his foot, while Michael Clarke will have his injured right thumb assessed in Melbourne on Wednesday.Warner has been placed on standby for Clarke and even if he does not play he will add to the national squad experience that began with a brilliant 89 at the MCG on Sunday. Harris, who is also part of the Twenty20 group but was not picked for either match, will be hoping for an ODI debut in Friday’s match.Siddle’s injury concern has ruled him out of the South Africa games but he is expected to be fit for the one-day series against New Zealand beginning on February 1. Scans revealed the early stages of mild stress in Siddle’s left foot, although the problem is far less severe than a similar worry that required Brett Lee to have surgery.”Peter Siddle has had previous pain in his left foot which became worse during the Test Series against South Africa,” Alex Kountouris, the team physio said. “After the series was completed, we investigated and scans revealed the early signs of mild stress on a bone in his left foot.”As such, Peter needs a short period of rest before resuming bowling which we anticipate will be in a further two weeks. We have taken a conservative approach to his recovery with the Test Series in South Africa, and the Australian team’s upcoming commitments, in mind.”Siddle is yet to make his one-day international debut but has impressed in his first four Tests with 17 wickets at 31.29. The Queensland fast bowler Harris, 29, is the second leading wicket taker in the Sheffield Shield this season with 27 victims at 26.59.

Manchester United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 18-year-old throughout the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his engine room options.

And now, the well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Camavinga’s situation, claiming a move away from his boyhood club could still occur before the transfer window closes.

He tweeted: “There are chances for Eduardo Camavinga to leave Rennes in the final 8 days of the transfers market. He’ll not sign a new long-term deal with Rennes, so they’re open to sell Camavinga for €35m fee. #transfers It depends on the offers in the next few days. Open race.”

Solskjaer will love him

The talented teenager has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young players since making his first-team debut back in 2019, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 86 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir.

Famed for his tackling skills, his ability to drive upfield with the ball and his tactical discipline, Camavinga would be a valuable addition to any top-level squad and Solskjaer would surely love to bring one of the sports most exciting prospects to Old Trafford.

With Paul Pogba’s long-term future at United still up in the air, the chance to bring in a ready-made replacement for just £30m is surely something the club’s hierarchy must be considering.

Although Camavinga is a different player with a different set of attributes to his compatriot, his ability and potential mean he could be the ideal heir to the World Cup-winning dynamo, should he seek pastures new next summer.

Therefore, Solskjaer and United supporters alike will love this news and will surely be hoping that football director John Murtough can pull off a third masterclass of the current window to bring the youngster to the red half of Manchester.

The 20-time English champions are attempting to win their first top-flight title since 2013 this season, and the arrival of Camavinga would be a substantial boost to their chances of doing just that.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than De Gea: £40.5m-rated MUFC dud who lost 60% duels cost Ole vs Saints 

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach has shared a fresh update on Yan Valery, with reports suggesting that he will join Olympiacos on loan from Southampton before this evening’s transfer deadline.

What’s the word?

Leach suggested via Twitter that Southampton were looking into whether or not a move to the Greek club would be the best thing for the right-back after Olympiacos registered their interest in taking him on loan.

He suggests that while nothing had been agreed last night, there could be plenty of loan exits on transfer deadline day, and it seems likely that Valery could be one of the first out the door.

Should Southampton let Valery leave?

Ralph Hasenhuttl made the interesting decision to send Valery out in January last season which left him extremely low on right-back options, especially when Kyle Walker-Peters was sidelined through injury.

That proved to be a poor decision as the 22-year-old made just two starts for Birmingham City in the Championship, but there are very different circumstances this time round.

The summer arrival of Valentino Livramento means that Hasenhuttl has good competition at right-back, whilst Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek may not be naturals there but can fill in if Southampton are desperate.

Therefore, it seems highly unlikely that Valery will get much game-time this season, so it makes a lot of sense to send him out on loan. That should hopefully increase his value before potentially selling him next summer, as it is difficult to see him overtaking Livramento or Walker-Peters in the pecking order any time soon.

Dan Sheldon, who writes on Southampton for The Athletic, dubbed Valery the “weak link” in Hasenhuttl’s side in the summer of 2020 and it seems as if the Austrian agreed, as the defender made just five appearances for the Saints in all competitions last season.

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Therefore, Saints fans will surely be delighted with Leach’s latest update on Valery, as it gives him arguably one final chance to reignite his Southampton career before likely being sold next summer ahead of his contract expiry in 2023 – unless he can revive his fortunes during a prospective loan spell elsewhere.

In other news…Bye-bye Obafemi: Semmens should seal Southampton swoop for “shining light” 

England’s Test series in South Africa at the end of the year will feature four Tests instead of the anticipated five

Cricinfo staff23-Jan-2009
Running out of space: England’s cricketers have a packed itinerary © Getty Images
England’s Test series in South Africa at the end of the year will feature four Tests instead of the anticipated five, after an agreement was reached between the ECB and Cricket South Africa to relieve the fixture congestion that is building up for the two teams next year.The tour will now consist of two Twenty20 internationals in Johannesburg and Centurion, followed by five ODIs and four Tests at Centurion, Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. England will arrive in the country on November 7, and fly home on January 19.”We are grateful to colleagues and friends in South Africa who have worked with us to provide what we believe is an exciting and well-balanced tour,” said Hugh Morris, the ECB’s director of England cricket. “It makes good sense to start with the ODIs given the schedule of cricket that we have in September, October and November 2009.”The decision to drop a Test match for scheduling reasons will undoubtedly cause ructions, especially in light of the recent decision to allow England’s players a three-week window to play in the IPL in April and May. Paul Collingwood who, barring injury, would expect to be involved in all forms of the game from now until the end of that tour, yesterday told reporters in St Kitts that players have no right to moan about their workload in their current financially lucrative climate.England’s next 12 months, however, will include home-and-away series against West Indies, possible stints with the IPL, the ICC World Twenty20 and the Ashes, as well as a host of one-day events including the rescheduled Champions Trophy that had been meant to take place in Pakistan last September. Logistically, something had to give.Nevertheless, as CSA’s general manager Brian Basson pointed out, by breaking from the standard practice of holding the ODIs after the Test series, the itinerary makes best use of the time constraints, and ensures that the marquee event – the Test series – will remain in its rightful position at the height of the South African summer.”The format of the tour itinerary depicts a departure from the norm,” said Basson, “but given the rigid constraints of the Future Tours Programme, it was necessary to do so in order to distribute all of the Pro20 and ODI matches at all Test venues during appropriate time slots, whilst simultaneously retaining the traditional peak holiday periods for the scheduling of Test matches.”Further advantages of the format are that the ICC Champions Trophy precedes the England tour, and the Proteas tour to India scheduled at the conclusion of the tour will commence with the staging of Test matches.”Morris was sure that the agreed itinerary would suit all parties. “The four Test matches are scheduled for iconic grounds of South Africa,” he said, “and I am sure that thousands of England supporters will be looking forward to spending their Christmas and New Year holidays following the team.”The four Tests will begin on December 16 in Centurion, followed by the traditional Boxing Day Test in Durban, which has been reinstated after the 2007 match against West Indies was held at Port Elizabeth.The New Year Test is once again scheduled for Cape Town, although the match is due to start a day later than usual, on January 3, to allow a longer recovery period between matches. The series will then be concluded at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on January 14-18. November 2009 Fri 13
18:00 local, 16:00 GMT 1st T20I – South Africa v England
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 15
14:30 local, 12:30 GMT 2nd T20I – South Africa v England
SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 20
14:30 local, 12:30 GMT 1st ODI – South Africa v England
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 22
10:00 local, 08:00 GMT 2nd ODI – South Africa v England
SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 27
14:30 local, 12:30 GMT 3rd ODI – South Africa v England
Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 29
10:00 local, 08:00 GMT 4th ODI – South Africa v England
St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth
December 2009 Fri 4
14:30 local, 12:30 GMT 5th ODI – South Africa v England
Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 16 – Sun 20
10:30 local, 08:30 GMT 1st Test – South Africa v England
SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sat 26 – Wed 30
10:30 local, 08:30 GMT 2nd Test – South Africa v England
Kingsmead, Durban
January 2010 Sun 3 – Thu 7
10:30 local, 08:30 GMT 3rd Test – South Africa v England
Newlands, Cape Town
Thu 14 – Mon 18
10:30 local, 08:30 GMT 4th Test – South Africa v England
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Rangers have been heavily linked with SC Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman throughout the transfer window but it seems he is resigned to staying with the Eredivisie side, which is a blow to Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

Rangers have been tracking the Dutchman for a number of months but Heerenveen were clearly not keen on selling one of their top prospects and have rejected bids from a number of clubs, which perhaps discouraged Rangers from acting further on their interest.

Veerman has now spoken out on his future, with AZ Alkmaar the latest side to see their advances turned down, saying:

“I am simply paid by Heerenveen. I am also a player of this club.

“It now takes another day and a half for the transfer window to [close], so it will be quite difficult to leave.

“I already knew about AZ’s offer two days earlier. It’s just before the transfer period, but I can’t change that.”

A blow for Rangers?

From Veerman’s quotes, it seems unlikely that he will leave the Eredivisie side before the transfer window shuts and unfortunately for Rangers, after their Champions League exit last month it was perhaps always going to be difficult to match Heerenveen’s asking price.

However, it is still a blow for Rangers that he won’t be joining, as his performances in the last two seasons suggest that he could have been a huge hit at Ibrox.

Last season saw the 22-year-old contribute seven goals and ten assists in 31 Dutch top-flight appearances, averaging a superb 7.40 rating from WhoScored for his performances, whilst he has two assists to his name in just three appearances so far this campaign.

Former Rangers man Michael Mols certainly rates Veerman highly, as he discussed whether or not he would be a good fit at Ibrox all the way back in April, saying:

“He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.”

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Therefore, it is a shame for Rangers that they couldn’t sign the £7.65m-rated Veerman this summer but after seeing links with him for the past few months, it seems as if any hope of him moving to Ibrox is over.

And, in other news… Rangers beast redeemed himself with superb Old Firm display

Ricky Ponting has taken the blame for Australia’s poor batting performances during the series loss to South Africa

Cricinfo staff30-Jan-2009
Ricky Ponting: “At the end of the day the buck does stop with me” © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting has taken the blame for Australia’s poor batting performances during the series loss to South Africa despite being the second highest run-scorer in the opening four games. Only Shaun Marsh (213) has been more successful than Ponting, who has 202 at 50.50, but the captain said he needed to assume more responsibility in the final match in Perth on Friday.”Any team wants their guys at the top, at least someone, to make 100 and we haven’t had a century made in this series so far,” Ponting told AAP. “At the end of the day the buck does stop with me. I’m ultimately the one that is responsible and takes the flak if we lose and takes the credit if we win games.”South Africa took the series in Adelaide despite Ponting’s streak of 46, 64, 29 and 63. “I felt I’ve batted really well in all four of these one-day games, but at the same time I felt I’ve left a lot of runs out there almost every time I’ve been out in the middle,” he said.”So I just want to finish off this series very strongly. I want to put in a good performance for myself and the team, and take a bit more responsibility than I have in the first four games.”

Barbados captain Jason Haynes and his team are being investigated for wasting time to deny Trinidad and Tobago victory on the final day of their WICB regional four-day match last week

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2009Barbados captain Jason Haynes and his team are being investigated for wasting time to deny Trinidad and Tobago victory on the final day of their WICB regional four-day match last week. The West Indies board said that it was in the process of addressing match referee Sadick Mohammed’s report on the issue in a “in a methodical and thorough manner”.”The West Indies Cricket Board has received a report from the matchreferee Mr Sadick Mohammed alleging that the Barbados captain and team hadbreached law 42 as it applies to time wasting, during Trinidad and Tobago’s second innings during the WICB’s four-day tournament match at Guaracara Park, played February 27th to March 2nd,” the WICB said. “The WICB’s disciplinary committee, in accordance with the code of conduct, is currently in the process of addressing this report in a methodical and thorough manner.”Barbados’ tactics resulted in a bad-tempered draw after T&T finished on 99 for 3 in pursuit of 142. Jason Haynes was warned on three occasions by umpire Basheer Ali for time wasting but only 12 overs were bowled in 99 minutes during T&T’s innings.After the 12th over, Barbados complained about a light that was switched on in the adjoining Petrotrin Refinery and refused to play. The umpires called off the match at 6.03pm after a long deliberation.