Stuart Clark, who had successful surgery on his right elbow last week, has said he will not rush himself back into action for Australia’s tour to South Africa if it puts his career at risk

Cricinfo staff24-Dec-2008
Stuart Clark is uncertain whether he will return during Australia’s tour of South Africa © AFP
Stuart Clark, who had a successful surgery on his right elbow last week, has said he will not rush himself back into action for Australia’s tour to South Africa if it puts his career at risk.”I would rate myself as an outside chance for the South African tour,” Clark told the . “I’ll be doing my best to make it, but I’m going to make sure I don’t rush it and do more damage for the sake of making the trip.”The first Test against South Africa starts in Johannesburg on February 20 and Clark was unsure of how he would progress. He had bone spurs removed in an effort to eradicate an ongoing problem that emerged on the tour of India. He has begun a rehabilitation program, is attending regular physiotherapy sessions, and is working towards attaining a full range of movement.”The surgeon reckons that if all goes really well, it’ll be four to five weeks before I can start bowling gently again,” he said. “Everything is on track in that regard, but it’s hard not to feel a little edgy with the series going on.”If he is fit, it would be a dream scenario for Clark, who made a successful Test debut on the last tour of South Africa in 2005-06 where he was Player of the Series for 20 wickets at 15.85 in three games.Clark said he had arrived in Perth hopeful of being able to play but it “all went awry from there”. “The net session in Sydney on Friday wasn’t great, but I was optimistic of getting through,” he said. “I would tune in from time to time, then start thinking I could solve the problems of the world, then switch it off. You want to just pick the ball up and go out and solve the problem. But what good would I be? Useless.”Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, felt Clark’s absence from the Australian attack had worked in his side’s favour during a record-breaking chase on Sunday. ”The thing we’ve seen with Brett [Lee] is that since [Shane] Warne and [Glenn] McGrath have gone, he’s done a huge amount more bowling,” Arthur said. ”Clark is obviously the perfect foil for him. Without Clark doing a holding job perhaps his [Lee’s] role gets a little bit confused. I think Brett is at his best when he is striking for you. How they balance the attack I’m not sure.”

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.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

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

Leicester City will be hoping to end a two-game losing streak in the Premier League when they host Burnley at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

The Foxes bounced back from consecutive defeats to Manchester City and Brighton with a 2-0 victory over Millwall in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Building on that momentum is the task facing Brendan Rodgers’ charges when the Clarets pay them a visit, and a significant injury boost could help them to do just that.

Rodgers confirmed in Friday’s press conference that centre-back Jonny Evans is available for selection, giving Leicester renewed hope of securing all three points.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 48-year-old to line up against Burnley, with six changes from the side which won in midweek…

The virtually ever-present Kasper Schmeichel will return to his usual sport between the sticks after backup ‘keeper Danny Ward was given his first appearance of the season against Millwall.

In defence, a back four of Ryan Bertrand, Caglar Soyuncu, Jannik Vestergaard and Ricardo Pereira should start despite Evans’ return to action, allowing the 33-year-old time to recover properly.

The engine room will have a familiar feel to it, with Wilfried Ndidi and Youri Tielemans forming the heart of the Leicester midfield.

Ahead the dynamic pair is set to be an exciting forward line. Summer signing Ademola Lookman could keep his place in the starting XI after scoring last time out, replacing the £3.6m-rated Marc Albrighton on the right wing.

Harvey Barnes will take up his usual occupancy on the left flank, while Kelechi Iheanacho will provide support to lone striker Jamie Vardy.

In other news… Forget Iheanacho: “Incredible” Leicester beast who won 8 duels ran the show against Millwall 

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.”

رأى روبرت ليفاندوفسكي حلمه يتحقق بمغادرة بايرن ميونخ للتوقيع مع برشلونة ولجعل ذلك حقيقة  كان عليه التضحية بجزء من مكافآته الحالية.

وقد أعلن بايرن ميونخ توصله لاتفاق مع برشلونة لرحيل روبرت ليفاندوفسكي للنادي الكتالوني، بعد أشهر من المفاوضات. 

كل شيء يشير إلى أن المهاجم البولندي سيحصل على 9 ملايين يورو سنويًا في برشلونة.

في ألمانيا، كان ليفاندوفسكي حتى الآن اللاعب الأعلى أجرًا في الدوري الألماني، والذي وضع عقده عند إجمالي 24 مليون يورو سنويًا مع رقم صافٍ يقارب 12 مليونًا سنويًا.

في برشلونة سيحصل ليفاندوفسكي على 9 ملايين يورو، أي أقل بثلاثة ملايين يورو مما كان يحصل عليه من نادي ميونخ.

ومع ذلك، أشارت صحيفة بيلد الألمانية مؤخرًا إلى المعلومات الواردة من “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، والتي كشفت فيها عن “خدعة” نادي برشلونة التي من خلالها لن يتقاضى المحترفون رواتبهم في غضون عام واحد ولكن على مدى فترة زمنية أطول.

في سن 25، وقع البولندي عقدًا مدته خمس سنوات مع بايرن ميونخ، ومع ذلك، قبل انتهاء عقده الأول، تم الاتفاق مسبقًا على تمديد هذه المرة حتى نهاية يونيو 2023، مع ترقية الراتب إلى المبلغ الذي حصل عليه حاليًا.

MatériaMais Notícias

– Todo jogador sabe quando um ciclo se encerra e quando outro se inicia. Meu ciclo no Santos ainda não acabou, ainda tenho muita coisa pra conquistar aqui com este elenco e torcida – disse Daniel Guedes, titular que entrará em campo neste sábado no lugar de Victor Ferraz contra o Atlético-GO, às 19h, no estádio Olímpico.

O santista foi sondado pelo Botafogo pela terceira vez no início da temporada, mas não quis a transferência. Ele justifica:

– Não era hora de sair e eu não posso ir contra minhas convicções. Sabia que em algum momento a oportunidade iria novamente aparecer, optei por ficar e acertei – afirmou em entrevista ao LANCE!

Depois de conviver com o desafio de ser a terceira opção para o ex-técnico Dorival Júnior – Matheus Ribeiro era o reserva imediado de Victor Ferraz -, neste sábado Daniel ganhará uma chance com Levir Culpi. O camisa 4 foi liberado pelo Peixe para acompanhar o nascimento do primeiro filho e “passou a bola” para o jovem de 23 anos.

Com uma confiança extra após a ótima partida que fez contra o Atlético-PR – a primeira da temporada, quando o Peixe venceu por 2 a 0 sob o comando interino de Elano – Guedes encara a oportunidade como primeiro passo para mostrar o seu potencial para o comandante santista e adquirir a confiança dele para o restante da temporada.

– Fiz uma partida muito boa contra o Atlético-PR, me deixou muito seguro e feliz pela atuação, a partir daquele jogo eu ganhei uma confiança a mais. (Sábado) É uma bela oportunidade para mostrar o meu trabalho e meu potencial para um técnico que quer conhecer cada jogador do elenco e adquirir a confiança dele para o restante da temporada – revelou.

Mas nem tudo são flores. Em 2015, o santista encarou uma séria inflamação nos tendões da tíbia, que demorou um ano e três meses para se curar por completo. E engana-se quem pensa que a parte mais difícil foi sentir as dores e a recuperação.

– O momento mais difícil era estar na sala da minha casa, com minha família, ligar a TV e ver meus companheiros atuando e não poder estar ali para ajudá-los. É quando você percebe que você é importante, mas não está sendo aproveitado e não pode ajudar os companheiros. Esse sentimento é muito mais difícil de entender e eu fiquei bem chateado – concluiu.

Se nem a lesão abalou Daniel Guedes, não será o Atlético-GO que impedirá o jogador de doar tudo de si neste sábado.

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Steve Harmison has termed as “nonsense” reports that he and other senior England players, including Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss, supported sacked coach Peter Moores ahead of Kevin Pietersen. Harmison wrote in his column for the that the reported leak from team sources resulted in Pietersen’s resignation as England captain and left Moores without a job.”I can say without a moment’s hesitation that both Fred [Flintoff] and I supported Kevin as our captain and our leader, Strauss has already made his backing for Kevin quite clear and any suggestion that we turned against him when Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, rang us for our views over the crisis is rubbish,” said Harmison.”The idea that we told Morris that we supported Peter Moores ahead of Kevin is nonsense. To my mind, the only people who have stabbed Kevin in the back are those who chose to leak the information that he had promised to quit the captaincy for the tour to the West Indies if Peter remained as coach.”According to Harmison, Pietersen decided to relinquish the England captaincy after “all attempts to resolve a growing problem had failed”. It was a decision that could have been avoided, felt Harmison.”We may never discover how that information then reached the public domain, but once that train was running, there was no way of stopping it,” said Harmison. “Yet my belief is that had the row stayed in-house, there might still have been a chance for Morris to get Peter and Kevin together to thrash out the issue, and a hugely upsetting and damaging breakdown might have been avoided.”Maybe if Kevin and Peter had tried one last time to find common ground in private – without the pressure of the story having been made public and everyone and his dog airing their often misinformed opinions – a different outcome might have taken place.”Harmison, who confronted Pietersen after he was dropped for the Mohali Test against India, refused to accept the notion of a dressing-room rift, with players in one camp or another. “That is exactly what I told Hugh Morris when he was canvassing opinion this week,” he said.Harmison played down the rift between Pietersen and Flintoff. “Anyone who truly believes Fred was not behind KP should have been in Mohali,” he said. “Fred tried his nuts off in the first Test in Chennai, then, only a few days later in a match that was almost certain to be a draw, he was still putting the ball down the other end at in the 24th and 25th overs of the second innings. Every time Kevin asked him for another effort he gave everything, and with a supposedly weak ankle.”

An update has emerged on Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, regarding Leicester’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Football London, Leicester have made an enquiry over a permanent deal to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea before the window slams shut.

The report claims that Borussia Dortmund are also interested in landing the English forward, but they are looking into a loan deal for the attacker.

Barnes 2.0

Brendan Rodgers could land a Harvey Barnes 2.0 with a deal for Hudson-Odoi on deadline day. Barnes has been a success since breaking into the first-team at the King Power Stadium and has been able to get fans off their seats with his exciting play on the wing.

He has a career average of 2.1 shots, 1.1 chances created and 1.5 dribbles per game, showing that he likes to make things happen in the final third – taking players on and either shooting or setting up a teammate for a shot.

His type of pacey, direct, play out wide could be exactly what Hudson-Odoi is able to offer to Leicester on the opposite flank. The 20-year-old has career averages of 1.0 shots, 1.1 chances created and 1.3 dribbles per game, although it is worth noting that the majority of his appearances for Chelsea have come as a substitute – skewing his per game averages somewhat.

Still, he could offer a similar type of threat on the right-wing to the one that Barnes offers on the left, creating a terrifying a attacking line-up for the Foxes.

Rodgers could have two players on the wings who are able to cut inside or go on the outside and are equally capable of having a shot on goal or creating a chance for their teammates.

Leicester have also reportedly agreed a deal to sign Ademola Lookman from RB Leipzig to further bolster their attacking ranks too, but Hudson-Odoi coming in would add real competition for places in the wide areas. Veteran winger Marc Albrighton could take a step back and be used in emergencies, allowing Barnes, Lookman, Perez and Hudson-Odoi to battle it out for their places.

With the Europa League, Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup in play for Leicester this year, squad depth could be incredibly important to avoid burnout – allowing Rodgers to rest players when needed. This is why Hudson-Odoi, who could be Barnes 2.0, should be brought in on a permanent deal alongside Lookman to complete a stunning deadline day.

Ex-Chelsea player Cesc Fabregas claimed that Hudson-Odoi has the potential to ‘become a terrific player’. This shows that he also has the potential to improve further and Rodgers could enjoy unlocking his talent on the training pitch.

In other news, Leicester agree deal to sign former Everton star…

Declan Rice is expected to seek a move away from West Ham United next summer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

90min’s Graeme Bailey claims that the 22-year-old midfielder expects the current season to be his last at the London Stadium amid interest from the Premier League’s ‘big four’ – Manchester United, City, Chelsea and Liverpool – in recent windows.

It’s thought that the Irons are considering offering Rice a new contract, despite his current deal expiring in 2024, as his wages do not represent his position and stature in the squad.

The England international is said to be open to the idea but only if it contained a release clause – something that the east Londoners do not do, so that puts any potential extension in jeopardy.

He’s also committed to the club for the upcoming season but it will certainly be a cause for concern as next year approaches.

One final year?

This latest development from the Hammers’ Rush Green base will certainly leave much of the fanbase worried and probably quite angry too.

Chelsea were heavily mooted with interest in Rice back in January but manager David Moyes played down their chances of selling up.

“I said it right at the start and I’m only repeating myself – Bank of England money would be required, and you might even need to add Bank of Scotland on to that as well because he has been so good,” he claimed, via Goal.

It’s thought that West Ham value their vice-captain in excess of £100m, whilst Transfermarkt put his current worth at £63m, so you’d imagine that any clause would be a substantial fee in that region.

However, given the spending of some of the top clubs this window, that may not be enough to deter them from launching a bid, and if Rice truly does expect to leave the club next year, it doesn’t bode well whatsoever.

Rice is an integral part of Moyes’ squad, so both the Scotsman and the Irons faithful will certainly rue his absence.

He finished the 2020/21 campaign as their fourth highest-rated player (7.01) and has continued that fine form into the current season, in which they remain unbeaten.

The 22-year-old has averaged a 7.64 WhoScored rating from his three starts in 2021/22 and tops the charts for interceptions per game (2.3) and for passing accuracy (94.9%).

It’s no wonder so many clubs are so keen to sign him, given that level of consistency at the very top.

Now capped 24 times by England, Moyes and co may face a struggle to keep hold of their star man as the season rumbles on, so this latest news could come as a hammer blow in the long run.

AND in other news, David Moyes handed huge West Ham boost as report emerges, fans will be buzzing…

MatériaMais Notícias

O preparador físico do Flamengo, Daniel Gonçalves, concedeu uma entrevista ao site oficial do clube e falou sobre a condição de diferentes atletas. Ele ponderou que Everton Ribeiro e Rhodolfo ainda precisam se readaptar ao futebol brasileiro e falou também sobre os casos de Juan e Thiago Santos, que estão em recuperação no Ninho do Urubu.

Confira abaixo parte da entrevista divulgada pelo Flamengo.

Fernando Gonçalves:

Berrío
Está em um processo evolutivo. Como se sabe, ele fez uma temporada bastante satisfatória no Atlético Nacional no ano passado, disputando, em dezembro, o Mundial de Clubes da FIFA. Isso encurtou seu período de férias e, consequentemente, sua recuperação. Portanto, não se pode esperar que o atleta atinja nível de performance na mesma velocidade dos demais. Mesmo com pouco tempo que teve de descanso após o Mundial, ele chegou ao clube na pré-temporada para disputar as competições com o Flamengo. Diante deste cenário, o CEP identificou algumas necessidades imediatas, como melhorar a recuperação do atleta após os jogos e fazer alguns ajustes finos em termos de equilíbrio muscular e biomecânico. Com os treinos específicos, Berrío tem evoluído cada dia mais, desempenhando seu futebol de maneira muito satisfatória, vide a partida contra o Santos. Ele nos confidenciou que no Campeonato Colombiano os jogos não são tão intensos e sucessivos quanto aqui. No Brasil, todos os jogos são de alta dificuldade e complexidade. Isso só valoriza ainda mais a metodologia do CEP.

Thiago Santos
Está em processo final de recuperação pós-lesão, mais precisamente na fase 5. Ele está sendo reincorporado ao grupo gradativamente, já realiza alguns trabalhos, necessitando ainda de um ajuste fino de reequilíbrio muscular e também de algumas ações em relação à potência, às acelerações e à imprevisibilidade. Acreditamos que, cumprindo essas etapas finais, ele estará 100% e à disposição do treinador Zé Ricardo.

Gabriel
Tem treinado juntamente com a equipe. Pelo tempo de inatividade, obviamente ele perdeu condicionamento, um pouco de massa magra, força e potência. Consequentemente, necessitou de um trabalho específico para que as readquirisse. No jogo-treino que ocorreu na semana passada, e durante os treinamentos desta semana, percebeu-se que ele atingiu padrões similares aos de jogo e, por isso, está à disposição do treinador Zé Ricardo.

Juan
O atleta saiu do jogo diante do Santos sentindo dores na região anterior da coxa. Não foi constatada lesão. Ele tem realizado trabalhos específicos, tanto no campo como na academia, e será avaliado no dia a dia, sendo mais exigido no decorrer desta semana.

Everton Ribeiro e Rhodolfo
Os dois vêm de final de temporada, vinham treinando normalmente. É claro que eles ainda necessitam de uma readaptação ao futebol brasileiro, e isso é um processo. O futebol do Qatar não é jogado em tão alta intensidade como no Brasil e nos grandes centros mundiais. O Everton tem conseguido desempenhar em campo, porém necessita de trabalhos específicos de potência e resistência, o que já temos realizado de maneira controlada. Gradativamente, com esses trabalhos e inserções nos jogos, ele deve suportar os noventa minutos. Rhodolfo também têm feito trabalhos especiais de potência. É um atleta de muita força, de uma composição corporal elevada. Ele já tem suportado os noventa minutos, porém necessitamos acelerar seu tempo de recuperação. O fato de um já jogar noventa minutos e outro não, deve-se às ações motoras. Obviamente, os atletas que jogam nas posições laterais do campo, como o Everton Ribeiro, são mais exigidos, enquanto os que atuam nas posições centrais percorrem distâncias menores. Essa diferença é verificada nos jogos e também nos planejamentos de ambos.

Guerrero
Com as avaliações periódicas que temos realizado no CEP, procuramos desenvolver potencialidades e tentar melhorar as deficiências. Com essa sequência de jogos, o atleta muitas vezes perde força e massa muscular, interferindo diretamente nas performances. Portanto, procuramos trabalhar de acordo com as características do Guerrero nos jogos. Ele é um atleta que tem contato com os zagueiros e necessita do arranque curto. Temos feito esses trabalhos de força e potência, com uma periodização adequada aos jogos, e observamos uma melhoria do Guerrero de 2017 em relação ao Guerrero de 2016. Esperamos que ele ainda aumente seu desempenho ao longo da presente temporada.

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