All posts by h716a5.icu

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Burnley centre-backs Ben Mee and James Tarkowski…

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, the Magpies are willing to offer the dynamic duo £100k-per-week each, doubling their current wages at Turf Moor.

The report claims that both players are out of contract in the summer and could leave on frees, with Eddie Howe desperate to land both of them to strengthen his defence at St. James’ Park.

Fans would be buzzing

Newcastle fans would be buzzing as the pair have proven themselves to be an excellent partnership at Premier League level for Burnley. Howe could bring in a ready-made defensive unit to come in and improve the back line heading into next season by signing them both.

They have played 12349 minutes alongside each other across 151 matches, with Burnley averaging 1.34 points per game in that time. This averages out at roughly 50 points per 38-game season, whilst 29 points would have been enough to retain a place in the top-flight last season.

Mee is valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt, whilst Tarkowski is said to be worth £22.5m. This means that they are £27.9m-rated as a pair and the Magpies could be landing a gigantic bargain in terms of the initial fee by signing both on free transfers next summer. However, they would be splashing out £200k-per-week in wage, a startling amount of money.

This season, Tarkowski has averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.11 in the Premier League, with Mee averaging a solid score of 6.81 as both players continue to show that they are reliable performers in the top-flight for Burnley. Therefore, they could be excellent additions to the Toon squad, as they have a proven track record of playing well at this level.

They also, as aforementioned, have a pre-existing relationship on the pitch that could translate over to St. James’ Park instantly. With over 150 matches played alongside each other and an impressive points return, they know how to work well as a pair and could come in and be effective for Newcastle in the Premier League, which is why fans would love this deal.

It is now down to PIF and Howe to do as much as they can to tempt both of them into making the switch, providing the offer of £100k-per-week each is not enough on its own.

AND in other news, “Among leading NUFC targets”: David Ornstein drops transfer update that’ll excite fans…

A round-up of the fifth day’s action of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division One in Bermuda

Cricinfo staff04-Jun-2010United States of America coasted to their fourth win in five games, thumping Cayman Islands by 10 wickets at Southampton Rangers Cricket Club. Cayman Islands elected to bat, but found the going tough against USA’s incisive attack. Sacha De Alwis perished for a second-ball duck to Bilal Khan and that set the tone for a procession of wickets. Ramon Sealy and Ricardo Roach resisted briefly before Timroy Allen intervened with two quick scalps, followed by another wicket to Bilal, leaving them stuttering at 48 for 4. Muhammad Ghous and Moazzam Imtiaz ran through a brief lower-order resistance as the innings folded for 129 in the 33rd over. USA charged to the target at a frenetic pace, led by Sushil Nadkarni’s unbeaten 54-ball 101. Carl Wright played second fiddle as his opening partner savaged the attack, smashing 12 fours and six sixes, as the victory was sealed in 13.5 overs.Canada had a few nervous moments but eventually prevailed by four wickets against Bermuda to record their fifth consecutive win, in Hamilton. After being asked to bat, Bermuda set themselves well before losing the plot to settle for a sub-par score. Opener Chris Foggo struck five fours in his 98-ball 53 to lay the platform. David Hemp supported him with 48, as Bermuda reached 115 for 2 in the 32nd over. From there, left-arm medium-pacer Umar Bhatti stifled their progress with a spell of 4 for 48. Irving Romaine tried to hold things together with a 37-ball 32, but once he fell in the 41st over, the innings wrapped up quickly, for 181 in the 48th over. Trevin Bastiampillai struck 66 to launch the chase but Kevin Tucker’s twin-strikes at the other end put Canada in a spot of bother. Joshua Gilbert and Rodney Trott bowled tight spells to make Canada earn their runs, but a couple of 30s from Zubin Surkari and Sunil Dhaniram ensured that there was no surprise.Argentina and Bahamas played out a tie that was as bizarre as it was exhilarating, at Western Stars Sports Club. Argentina got off to a steady start to their innings through Matias Paterlini’s sedate 30, but the innings accelerated to a frenzy after his fall. Lucas Paterlini led the assault with a 127-ball 138, including 12 fours and nine sixes. Donald Forrester made the other major contribution with a blistering 71 off 39 balls. Bahamas were generous with the extras, conceding 23 wides, as the score swelled to 333. Bahamas made an almost other-worldly response to the total, shrugging aside the early loss of their openers to launch a violent attack on the Argentina attack. Rohan Parkes indulged himself with a 59-ball 133, including 11 sixes and 14 fours. His belligerence made Marc Taylor’s 57-ball 93 seem sedate in comparison. The pair added 197 in no time to set their side up for a comfortable chase of the steep target. Estaban MacDermott copped maximum punishment, conceding 72 off his 4 overs. Yet the rest of the attack held their nerve, with Lucas and Diego Lord picking three wickets apiece. Gary Savage scalped a couple as Bahamas managed to fall one short of the target, bowled out for 333 in 33.3 overs. The last wicket was inexplicably a run out, of the No. 10 batsman Jonathan Barry.

After a stellar start under Steven Gerrard, picking up four wins from six games, Aston Villa host a Chelsea side in mixed form in what proves to be both a tricky test, but also an opportunity to record a significant scalp.

Here is how Football FanCast believe Villa will line up against the Blues as Gerrard makes two changes to the win against Norwich City.

In goal, there are no surprises as Emi Martínez makes his 17th league start of the campaign whilst the back four of Matt Targett, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash avoids any tinkering.

There is one change in the midfield as 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka is handed his first Premier League start since August and just his second in total.

With Marvelous Nakamba set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the English midfielder has an opportunity to impress and fill the void left by the Zimbabwe international.

The £2.25m-rated midfielder has already made three appearances off of the bench under Gerrard, assisting in the Villans’ last game against Norwich.

Furthermore, having been dubbed “a big game player” by a previous coach, the game against Chelsea could prove the perfect opportunity for Chukwuemeka to state a claim.

Chukwuemeka’s presence means that Jacob Ramsey moves onto the right-wing. Having scored against Norwich last time out, the 20-year-old deserves to maintain his place in the starting lineup.

Emi Buendía keeps his spot in the team on the left flank whilst Danny Ings replaces Ollie Watkins upfront on a precautionary basis.

With Villa set to contest a hectic festive schedule, Gerrard will need to manage his squad effectively and therefore may be tempted to rest some key players, such as Watkins, with nearby fixtures in mind.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Aston Villa receive big injury lift pre-Chelsea, fans will be elated…

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has said that leaving Ramnaresh Sarwan out of the squad for the Sri Lanka tour was a tough decision

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2010West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has said that leaving Ramnaresh Sarwan out of the Test team was a tough decision but one that needed to be made in the interests of the touring squad in Sri Lanka. Fitness issues and indifferent form have kept Sarwan out of the side in 2010, but Gibson said he still has a lot to offer the team.”It came down to whether we can continue to take Sarwan on tour and then have one of our best players not available to us for selection all the time,” Gibson said. “The decision was taken to give him more time to get fit. I still think he’s got a lot more contributions to make to West Indies cricket and that gives him the opportunity to do the things he knows he needs to do to not just get fit, but stay fit to make those contributions.”Gibson backed the “strong decisions” made by the selectors in picking a new-look squad, with Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo stripped of their leadership roles following their refusal to sign WICB’s central contracts. Darren Sammy took over as captain from Gayle, while Brendan Nash was named vice-captain.”The selectors have picked a team in trying to chart the way forward for the West Indies in the coming years,” Gibson said. “We are in the decision-making business and West Indies cricket, from where it sits currently, needs strong decisions and those are the decisions the selectors have taken. It’s an exciting time for Darren and Brendan but also for some of the young guys who have been picked.”The squad includes the uncapped pair of fast bowler Andre Russell and wicketkeeper Devon Thomas, who was picked in place of Denesh Ramdin. Gibson was confident that both the team and the new players stood to benefit from their presence on a potentially tough tour of Sri Lanka.”Thomas’ selection comes at the back of a very good stint at the Sagicor High Performance Center in Barbados,” Gibson said. “He has had rave reviews when they went on tour in Canada. The thinking of the selectors is that the subcontinent is a tough place to tour, and if you’re going on a tour like that you need to have cover in specialist positions so therefore the view of taking two keepers [Carlton Baugh is also in the side] is exactly that.”When I see Andre Russell, he excites me. He is a big, tall fellow and he has got some pace. We took the decision to take him along and it will give me an opportunity to work with him and introduce him into the international arena that way.”Gibson also reposed faith in the inexperienced leadership pair that will take charge of the side. Sammy has played only eight Tests since his debut in 2007, while the Australia-born batsman, Nash, has featured in 15.”Darren Sammy as a cricketer and as a leader always plays with passion. Hopefully when he leads, he continues to lead in that way. What we don’t want is for him to get the job and change the way he is. I said to him already that he must be his own man and make sure that we, as management, will take as much stress off him so he can do his job.”Brendan Nash, since he’s been here, has been very professional,” Gibson said. “Growing up in Australia, he’s got a steely Australia attitude, meticulous with his preparation. That’s what I see of Nash and that’s what I hope he brings to his role as the vice-captain of the team – to lead in that regard, continue to show the younger players in the team in that way.”

Mohammad Yousuf, the former Pakistan captain who was last week banned from playing for the country, has been permitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board to play in a private league in Bangladesh.

Cricinfo staff17-Mar-2010Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf who was last week banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from playing for the country, has been permitted to play in a private league in Bangladesh. This comes on a day when the board reiterated that players need its permission for taking part in foreign competitions.”PCB firmly conveys to all concerned that no player is allowed to play cricket outside Pakistan without having prior approval from the board in this regard,” the PCB statement said. “Any player interested to play cricket in any part of the world should apply to the board to seek permission for the same.”Several members of Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad, including Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Hafeez, were scheduled to play in Bangladesh later this month but Cricinfo understands that none of the twenty-member contingent (15 plus five reserves) will be allowed to travel as the board wants them to participate in the training camp for the world tournament beginning in the Caribbean late next month. Yousuf who is not a part of any of the national squads, has been cleared to play.The announcement came a week after PCB banned and fined seven leading players, on various charges during the disastrous tour of Australia from December 2009-February 2010. Pakistan lost all three Tests, five ODIs and the lone Twenty20 match on tour.Former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely, while Shoaib Malik and allrounder Naved-ul-Hasan received one-year bans. Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal were fined between Rs 2-3 million [USD24,000-35,000], and put on six-month probations.

If South Africa survive, not a soul, not even at this venue where the home crowd can be a 12th man, will grudge them that No.1 ranking

S Aga16-Feb-2010There’s a reason these two teams are at the top of the Test rankings. The best teams don’t just win games. They’re also capable of fighting back from reverses that would crush lesser sides. Moments of genius can illuminate Tests, but they’re usually won or saved with grit. Even in the days when they thrashed all before them, you could count plenty of occasions when Steve Waugh’s side was dug out of a hole by Adam Gilchrist and the tail.Like a groggy boxer tangled in the ropes, India were thought to be there for the taking after the four-day defeat in Nagpur. Instead, they have stunned South Africa at Eden Gardens with the ferocity of the riposte. Now, it’s the visitors who need to box clever and survive, in order to seal the series win they so crave.In this era of placid pitches, survival is far from impossible. Less than a year ago, India batted 180 overs after being asked to follow on in Napier. Gautam Gambhir batted nearly 11 hours and VVS Laxman made a century as they lost just four wickets in two days.Kepler Wessels, South Africa’s batting consultant, was quietly confident that South Africa could hold on for the draw. “It’s a pretty good pitch,” he said. “I think you can still bat on it for extended periods of time. Clearly, we’re going to be under more pressure than India were, so it’ll be more difficult. It should spin a little as the game goes on.”In his view, the approach was going to be crucial. “We’re in a position where we have to save the game to win the series,” he said. “There’s two days of tough Test cricket ahead and we’ll fight as hard as we can. We can’t just play the survival game. We’ve still got to look to score runs and play a normal game – form partnerships and bat for long periods.”South Africa find themselves in this predicament largely because of a dismal final session on the opening day, when they surrendered the huge advantage that came with winning the toss. “In the first Test match, we concentrated really well,” Wessels said. “We were very tight. We didn’t play loosely at any stage. In the first innings here, we were very loose. I think that was the problem.”In Hashim’s case, you can understand it because he batted for such a long time and so well in Nagpur. He was always going to go through phases where it was tough to concentrate for as long again. For Alviro [Petersen] in his first Test, reaching a milestone was quite an emotional thing. I think the guys all accept that there were a few too many loose shots and that got us into trouble.”The sloppiness with the bat was compounded by dropped catches aplenty, with Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith among the culprits on day three. “If you don’t take your opportunities against a good side, you’re going to pay the price,” Wessels said. “You can’t drop good players and expect to get away with it, particularly on good surfaces like this.”South Africa weren’t helped by the back spasms that ruled out Mark Boucher and the fractured finger that prevented Smith from fielding at first slip. JP Duminy, who took his place, dropped Virender Sehwag on 47 and Laxman on 48, and AB de Villiers, donning the webbed gloves, missed a stumping when Sehwag had 129.”It’s always difficult when you have to reinvent your slip cordon,” Wessels said. “We’ve got an experienced keeper who wasn’t there and the most experienced first slip wasn’t either. It’s challenging but you have to adapt and take the opportunities that come your way. We didn’t.”By afternoon, the jauntiness of Nagpur had given way to grim faces. “We expected India to come back strongly,” he said. “They’re a very good team under their own conditions. We certainly expected them to put up this sort of fight. The body language is inevitable when you’re under the cosh and after missing a few opportunities.”The key moments came right at the start of the day, with nine coming from each of the opening two overs, as Amit Mishra made it clear that he wasn’t out there to block up one end. In between being dropped twice and the ball darting past the outside edge umpteen times, he played a couple of punishing strokes, adding 48 with Laxman.”We wanted to bowl well this morning, get some wickets and finish India off,” Wessels said. “Perhaps even if they had a lead of a 100 or so, we’d have been happy with that. But they played well, and we just couldn’t get the breakthroughs. I thought Dale Steyn bowled well with the second new ball. Morne Morkel came in with one good spell as well. But consistency is an issue for us.”Given that the light has caused play to be called on all three days so far, South Africa have to bat close to 140 overs to make sure they don’t lose this game. Like India at Napier, they too have such an effort to summon inspiration from. At Lord’s in 2008, they followed on 346 behind. Smith, Neil McKenzie and Amla all made centuries as they played out 167 overs for the draw. Wins in the next two Tests gave them the series.”South African batsmen have had many similar challenges over the last two years and come through those quite well,” said Wessels. “This will be a difficult one, but that’s what experienced top international batsmen are for. They’ve coped with it well in the past and will hopefully do so again tomorrow.”If they do, not a soul, not even at this venue where the home crowd can be a 12th man, will grudge them that No.1 ranking.

It’s early days still, but a first win for Chennai or a first loss for Kolkata either way will surely make for a riveting contest

The Preview by Judhajit Basu15-Mar-2010Match factsTuesday, March 16
Start time 2000 (1430GMT)Shane Bond might be part of KKR’s three-pronged pace attack along with Ishant Sharma and Charl Langeveldt (file photo)•Getty ImagesBig PictureThe irony is unmissable: It’s early days yet but Kolkata have two wins from two and are looking down at Chennai, who find themselves in the unfamiliar depths of the points table. As Chennai chase their first win Sourav Ganguly comes up against his spiritual heir MS Dhoni under the lights at Eden Gardens.Kolkata have been here before; they won their first two games in the first season, only to fizzle out and finish sixth. They ended up last the next season but now look to have shrugged that off and stride to a new momentum.Chennai, on the other hand, were outclassed by their southern neighbours Deccan Chargers in their opening match, left floundering in all departments. However, they lost their opening match last season as well, against Mumbai Indians, but eventually reached the semi-final for the second year running and Dhoni knows his team’s bouncebackability.Team talkWhile the threat of Matthew Hayden and his Mongoose bat looms large, Kolkata will be eager to get Shane Bond going in the third season. He finished as New Zealand’s top wicket-taker in the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia with nine wickets at 21, and rather than replacing Charl Langeveldt, he might be part of a three-pronged pace attack along with Ishant Sharma. Rohan Gavaskar might be the casualty in that case. Alternatively, Kolkata may not wish to change a winning combination.Makhaya Ntini has been out of favour with the South African selectors but recently played his part in Warriors’ Pro20 title triumph in the domestic circuit with a decisive opening spell. With Chennai’s pacemen looking suspect, Dhoni might be tempted to draft him in and capitalise on his freshness. Manpreet Gony, who shot into prominence during the IPL, might also look to make the most of the stage again if picked. Justin Kemp, who couldn’t match up with bat or ball in the last match, may be the one sacrificed. Parthiv Patel did decently in the 2008 edition, scoring 302 runs at 27.45 but his stock dipped the following year, scoring only 142 runs at 15.77. Whether he is favoured over Murali Vijay, who managed 3 against Deccan, in the opener’s slot remains to be seen as well.Previously…Kolkata were thumped by Chennai by nine wickets in the first IPL clash and lost by three runs via the D/L method at home. Fortunes turned around in South Africa with Kolkata winning by seven wickets at Centurion, while the earlier encounter was washed out.In the spotlightLop-sided Morkel: He usually makes up for his expensive spells with some big hitting, but Albie Morkel’s credentials as an allrounder have recently taken a beating with him failing to plug the runs. He went wicketless against Deccan and his four overs cost 41 runs. The fireworks though were on display as he smashed 41 off 26 balls, including one four and three sixes, during the chase. The dual effort would only be in the best interest of Chennai, who are tottering on the fast-bowling front.Home comforts for Tiwary: He was almost anonymous during his stint with the Delhi Daredevils, but the company of his Bengal team-mates seems to have worked wonders for Manoj Tiwary. He quickly made amends for a first-ball duck against Deccan in the opening match with a Man-of-the-Match-deserving 50 off 29 balls next up against Bangalore.The Mongoose: It was on display only in the Chennai dugout during their first match, but the imposing Matthew Hayden, its brand ambassador, might resort to this even more imposing weapon in the cauldron of Eden. The longer and flexible handle, designed to increase power by 20% and bat speed by 15% than normal ones might be the perfect way to ensure the spectators stay wide awake well into the Kolkata night.Prime numbersKolkata will hope Angelo Mathews’ contributions only get better. He has a batting average of 65.00 and has five wickets from two games at 9.20 and a measly economy rate of 5.75.Kolkata possess the two highest run-scorers in Twenty20 cricket. Hodge has 2547 runs in 77 innings at a strike-rate of 129 and David Hussey has scored 2355 runs at a strike-rate of 139.Chatter”I guess I was slowly fading from the collective consciousness. This innings is a reassuring factor for me that I am still very much around”

“CSK have been one of the most consistent teams in the IPL – runners-up the first year and semifinals in 2009. This year we’re more than ready to take the step up.”

Journalist Tom Barclay has admitted the prospect of Crystal Palace signing Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is an exciting one.

What’s the story?

Spanish outlet Fichajes first reported the Eagles’ apparent interest in the 25-year-old a few weeks ago as speculation grows over his potentially imminent Old Trafford exit continues to mount.

And now Barclay has given his verdict on Martial’s proposed arrival at Selhurst Park, claiming it’s a mouth-watering prospect and a move that could reignite the Frenchman’s career.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “He’s a top player. Imagine if Palace did actually sign him.

“I think Martial will probably leave Manchester United, go to a club which is a bit further down the pecking order but play regularly and be fantastic.

“He’s a France international and does play, albeit not all the time. He has played of late in a France team that has got so many options. He is a wonderful player.”

Crystal Palace fans will be buzzing

Despite Martial’s struggles over the last 18 months or so, Palace fans will be buzzing at the reported interest in his services, given his previous exploits for the Red Devils and Barclay’s captivating claim.

The versatile forward appeared to have taken his game to the next level during the 2019/20 season, bagging 23 goals and providing a further 12 assists in 48 appearances for United in all competitions.

However, Martial was unable to build on that impressive 2019/20 showing last term. Injuries and a lack of form saw the former Monaco ace start just 17 Premier League matches and produce only 16 goal contributions in his 36 outings.

After missing out on Didier Deschamps’ Les Blues squad for Euro 2020, it was hoped that the attacker would return to his club in top form once again this season, but he has struggled to make a positive impression on proceedings so far in 2021/22.

Martial has started just three games in the current campaign, finding the back of the net once after the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho pushed him further down the club’s pecking order.

Whether the ex-Monaco ace could be tempted to join Patrick Vieira’s revolution at Palace remains to be seen, but as the January window approaches, the excitement is continuing to build around his next move.

And, in other news…Forget Zaha: Crystal Palace beast who made 4 key passes was Vieira’s real hero

Speaking on air (via Football Daily), reliable Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio has dropped a live TV transfer hint involving AC Milan star Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Kessie swoop…

As per numerous reports, Tottenham are eyeing a move for the Ivory Coast international and reports suggested recently that it was actually advancing behind the scenes.

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Indeed, as per La Gazzetta (via Get Italian Football News), the Lilywhites were said to be in very advanced talks to sign the 24-year-old on a pre-contract as his San Siro deal continues to wind down.

The Serie A giants risk losing Kessie on a free deal next summer and Spurs have been continuously tipped to be working on a move, as also explained by reporter Rudy Galetti.

The Latest: Lilywhites hint dropped…

Speaking on air (via Football Daily), Di Marzio doesn’t go that far but hints it may be possible in 2022, not in January.

When asked if Stefan de Vrij or Marcelo Brozovic could join Antonio Conte at Spurs, he refuted that possibility but refused to rule out a potential Kessie transfer.

“Kessie, not in January, but Kessie could be,” he explained.

“He’s not top, but he’s a very good player, but the philosophy of Tottenham is to get top young players so Brozovic and de Vrij are too old for this project.” 

The Verdict: Get it done…

While Lilywhites supporters will arguably be gutted to miss out on de Vrij and Brozovic, they can take solace in the fact that Kessie could still be a possibility.

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by ESPN pundit Nicky Bandini, the Milan star has been a key player under manager Stefano Pioli – especially last season.

A natural defensive midfield player, Kessie still managed 13 goals and four assists in 36 Serie A starts last season – demonstrating a real prowess further forward.

Averaging a 92.2% pass accuracy in the Serie A this term, more than any Spurs player in the Premier League, he could be an ideal midfield presence to have under Conte with plenty of calmness and composure (WhoScored).

In other news: Eight players now safe from Spurs axe after impressing Conte behind the scenes, find out more here.

Antonio Conte could be dealt a major injury blow ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Leeds United this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

The Italian head coach will be sweating on the fitness of Giovani Lo Celso after the Argentina midfielder returned from international duty a little worse for wear.

“Giovani Lo Celso did not come back perfect physically,” revealed the Italian to reporters (via football.london).

“I do not know about him if he will be available. For sure [Cristian] Romero is not available, Lo Celso I don’t know. The rest of the team, we have all the players.”

Huge blow?

If the 25-year-old maestro is missing, then Conte will be hugely concerned heading into kickoff as he is already without Oliver Skipp, who is suspended for this clash, whilst fellow engine room enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg missed Denmark’s matches through injury.

To be without another middle man would be a massive blow as it leaves the 52-year-old with a plethora of out-of-favour stars in Harry Winks and Dele Alli to choose from.

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Lo Celso, who is valued at €30m (£25m) by CIES Football Observatory, has only appeared from the bench in the two games under Conte, playing a total of 22 minutes but he could emerge as a key player for him in the future.

Not only is he capable of playing that inside-forward role behind Harry Kane but he is also one of the more creative players in the squad, even if he’s a little frustrating with his end product at times, having managed only eight goals and five assists since his arrival in summer 2019.

As per WhoScored, he leads the way for key passes per 90 (2.1), which is more than Heung-min Son (1.9), Lucas Moura (1.3) and last season’s assist king, Kane (0.9), too.

The Argentine playmaker was once dubbed “phenomenal” and backed to prove his worth to the team by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

Having him available would make Conte’s team selection a whole lot easier, so if he is indeed absent, then the Italian could well be left gutted, even more so after already suffering a huge blow to Cristian Romero as well.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops huge Dele Alli claim at Spurs…