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Jesse Marsch has been handed a huge injury boost concerning Leeds United centre-forward Patrick Bamford.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the 28-year-old striker – who has made just three first-team appearances for the Whites since the turn of the year – now looks set to make a return to action against Brighton & Hove Albion on May 15 – despite initial concerns he could be ruled out for the season.

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Marsch will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Leeds United side the England international is – in addition to the fact that, upon sustaining his foot injury towards the end of March, it was claimed that the forward would be out of action for “a minimum of six weeks” – the news that Bamford now looks as if he will make a return to first-team football prior to the end of the current campaign is sure to have left Jesse Marsch buzzing.

Indeed, over his 38 Premier League appearances last season, the £18m-rated striker proved how crucial he is in the Whites’ attack, scoring 17 goals, providing seven assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £74k-per-week hitman average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Leeds’ seventh-best player in the English top-flight last time out.

As such, while Leeds’ recent upturn in form has eased their relegation fears this season quite substantially, should Marsch’s side find themselves dragged back into a fight for survival over their remaining six fixtures of the campaign, the return of Bamford could very well prove to be the difference between the club playing Premier League and Championship football in 2022/23.

AND in other news: Orta can unearth Leeds’ next White with swoop for “really exciting” £4.2k-p/w “talent”

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day between Australia and England at the Gabba

Andrew Miller and Peter English at the Gabba27-Nov-2010Roar of the day
Michael Hussey hasn’t been shouting from the rooftops about how good he’sbeen feeling during his run drought of the past year. But the noise hecreated when he reached his century showed how much it meant to end it. Ashe clenched Brad Haddin for a celebratory hug, Hussey yelled his reliefloud into his partner’s ear. It was Hussey’s first hundred since Januaryand it might take until the New Year’s Test for the ringing to leaveHaddin’s head.Near miss of the day
Hussey was five runs from his first Test double-century when he aimed ahook shot to push him closer to the milestone. The pull had been his mostprofitable shot during the innings, but Finn’s ball bounced a littlehigher than Hussey wanted and he found Alastair Cook at deep square leg.Even though the innings saved his career, Hussey didn’t allow himself asmile as he left the ground. That will come later, but first there was thefrustration of a near miss to overcome.Spell of the day
England knew that the third day was their day of reckoning, and no-oneknew it better than their bowler of the moment, James Anderson. He hadgone to bed knowing he would be armed with a pristine new ball come themorning session, and in eight exceptional overs in the space of an hourand ten minutes, he strung together a spell that deserved to transform thegame. Had he managed a breakthrough, his challenge to the tail would havebeen immense, but Hussey’s two referral-based let-offs strangled thatprospect at birth. On 82, he successfully overturned an lbw that pitchedoutside leg; on 85, Aleem Dar said no to a shout that England themselvescould have claimed, had they not wasted their lives on day two. StillAnderson refused to be bowed, beating the edge at will while concedingjust 14 runs in his spell, and by the time he took a blow, Australia hadstill not quite chiselled their first-innings lead.Drop of the day Mk 1
The lead was still a surmountable 39 when Paul Collingwood was thrown theball. The decision raised eyebrows among the Channel Nine commentators,although his tidy offcutters have become a significant part of England’sone-day plans in recent months. Sure enough, Brad Haddin’s first reactionwas one of over-confidence. He climbed into a first-ball drive but scoopeda steepling chance down towards the Vulture Street sightscreen, where Cookbackpedalled for all he was worth. The chance, however, burst through hisoutstretched fingers, and Haddin didn’t make the same mistake again. Threeballs later he measured his drive to perfection, and thumped Collingwoodhandsomely for four.Drop of the day Mk 2
As the afternoon wore on, the sense of despondency seeped into every facetof England’s game. The ground fielding developed leaks, the bowling lostits focus, and a once-moderate lead grew as inexorably as the noise amonga raucous Saturday crowd, a crowd that knows no other fate for visitingteams than large and thumping losses. Hard as they tried to keepthemselves chipper, the nadir of their fortunes came in the 130th over,with Haddin’s century already in the bank and Australia’s 400 just aroundthe corner. A bouncer barrage from Stuart Broad finally paid off as Haddinpulled uncomfortably to mid-on, but Anderson – one of the best outfieldersin the team – didn’t get close to the chance.Mop of the day
Steven Finn’s two-wicket burst gave England a shot at parity on the secondday, and while he was as helpless as any of his team-mates while Husseyand Haddin were in harness, the manner in which he cashed in after finallyluring Hussey into a false stroke was a pyrrhic victory that may yet proveinvaluable for future engagements. After 32 wickets in eight previousTests, he collected a five-for at the first attempt against Australia,with none of Australia’s lower-order comfortable with his nagging accuracyfrom a cloud-snaggingly high release point.

Leeds United will make a last-ditch attempt to sign Calvin Ramsay, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Sun’s Alan Nixon claims the Yorkshire giants will “battle” Premier League rivals Liverpool over his signature this summer with the Reds eyeing him as cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, though the Whites could offer a faster track to the first-team.

It’s thought that Aberdeen’s teenage right-back is available for around £3m as interest continues to rise across Europe.

The Dons are understood to have knocked back bids from Leicester City, Bologna and even Leeds in recent times, as per Goal.com.

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Sign him up

If the 18-year-old gem is indeed available for as little as £3m, then his arrival should be an absolute no-brainer for director of Victor Orta and manager Jesse Marsch.

Tapping up a player with big potential like this for a fee as little as that could prove to be a masterclass from the Elland Road hierarchy.

His biggest qualities are those that he can provide in the final third, ranging from his excellent distribution through passes and crosses, his willingness to take on his man and his set-piece ability.

“His quality of delivery from set-pieces and open play has brought him plenty of assists for Aberdeen. For someone so young to come in and make the impact he has is a great credit to him,” former Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes told The Scotsman (via Goal).

Meanwhile, Dons chairman Dave Cormack believes Ramsay is “in the elite upper bracket, right up there, for a young right-back in Europe” – could the young Scot emerge as a major threat down the right flank for many years to come?

You’d imagine so given Marsch’s high-pressing attacking system.

The emerging sensation, recently dubbed a “wonderkid” by Goal on Twitter, has been likened to Man City’s Joao Cancelo in terms of playing style, largely due to his ambidexterity to play on either foot and thus, on either flank and his attacking prowess.

Further lauded as “so special” by scout Jacek Kulig, Ramsay could well become Leeds’ own Cancelo-like presence at right-back, should Orta and co manage to win the £3m race for his signature.

AND in other news, Scouting mission: Leeds eyeing 6 ft 3 titan who “fits the bill”, Marsch would love him…

West Indies’ hopes of winning a Test series in the subcontinent is in danger of being washed out by persistent rain which is threatening to disrupt the third and final Test

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Pallekele30-Nov-2010West Indies’ hopes of winning a Test series in the subcontinent is in danger of being washed out by persistent rain which is threatening to disrupt the third and final Test due to begin at international cricket’s 104th Test venue, Pallekele, on Wednesday.”To win the series is massive for us especially in the subcontinent,” West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said. “I can’t tell you the last time we won in the subcontinent. To be also in with a chance of winning here still is exciting and all the players are aware of that.”At the same time we’ve not won a lot of series either. We are still in with a chance. We will be disappointed we didn’t get to play a lot of cricket. At the end of the day we are cricketers and we are here to play cricket. The way we played in the first Test excited us and we wanted to continue and play more cricket. The second Test we didn’t play very well and this is an opportunity to win a series away from home.”West Indies last won in the subcontinent against one of the three giants of Asian cricket in 1983-84 when Clive Lloyd’s team beat India 3-0 in a six-Test series. This series has been dogged by bad weather and the series remains tied at 0-0 going into the decider.”There is not much that you can do about the weather but at the same time we’ve come up here hoping to start reconstruction of West Indies cricket,” Gibson said. “This tour has given us that opportunity but the weather has put paid to that. It’s disappointing to sit around and find ways to entertain the troops.”We have got a pretty good bunch keeping themselves motivated. There’s a little card game going on, very casual friendly stuff, a dominoes game as well and some people retreat into their own space and listen to music and stuff like that. Sulieman Benn is always very entertaining. It’s tough, but we’ve been managing okay and staying focussed still with all the rain and everything going on.”West Indies managed a practice session on Monday, and though Gibson got a look of the conditions he was not in a hurry to name the final XI. He also hoped for an improved performance on the field. “We had a look at the surface and the outfield. We’ll put a team out tomorrow taking into consideration the weather conditions we are expecting to get over the next five days.”We have been pretty consistent until now. We bowled well but we haven’t taken the catches that came our way. In Colombo if we had taken the catches it would have been a very different story. When we create opportunities to get wickets we need to catch the ball and we didn’t catch very well. [Kumar] Sangakkara got a chance on 2 and went onto get a 150. The bowlers have bowled very well according to the conditions but we’ve just not caught the ball as well as we can do. That’s something that I hope we will improve.”Apart from the fielding Gibson stated that West Indies also needed more consistency from their batsmen. “The first Test was built around a massive innings from Chris Gayle. In the second Test, Chris didn’t make runs and we didn’t bat very well. Other guys need to put their hand up and make runs.”Shiv [Shivnarine Chanderpaul] is a very hard worker, very experienced and he is certainly been one of our best players. He hasn’t hit his straps yet. I know he is looking forward to playing in this Test match and get some runs. He is hungry for runs which he has always been throughout his career. He hasn’t performed in the first two games and this game gives him an opportunity to go out and get some runs for us. He knows the responsibility as within the group and keeps everybody calm with his batting.”

Manchester United are interested in signing Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to reports from Spanish media.

The lowdown: Torres a wanted man

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for some time now, and Chelsea were among the leading contenders in last summer’s transfer window.

Since then, Torres has gone from strength to strength in Spain and has helped guide the La Liga outfit to an unlikely Champions League semi-final spot, having overcome Juventus and Bayern Munich along the way.

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It now appears that the strongest interest could be coming from the northwest of England…

The latest: Transfer tussle

As per Spanish sources, United are set to do battle with local rivals Manchester City for the capture of the Spanish defender.

Reports claim that the Red Devils and City have the ‘same goal’ for next season in attempting to capture Torres this summer.

It is stated that the 17-cap ace – who was hailed as ‘sensational’ by Spain manager Luis Enrique – is regarded as the ‘best option’ for Erik ten Hag as the Dutchman looks to strengthen the squad at Old Trafford.

The verdict: Top-drawer player

Bringing Torres to United would be a superb piece of business from Ten Hag and what looks sure to be a new-look backroom team.

While club captain Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly make up a well-stocked defensive department, they have fallen short of their expected levels at various times this season, as proven by the concession of 52 Premier League goals.

So far this season, Torres has scored five times in 42 appearances across all competitions whilst earning an impressive 7.07 Sofascore rating from 29 La Liga outings – making 3.2 clearances and 54.6 accurate passes per match and helping to keep 10 clean sheets in the process.

That is the type of solidity and assurance that Ten Hag and United could do with as they seek to restore the Old Trafford club to its former glories.

In other news: Rangnick has set his sights on one of Serie A’s brightest talents…find out more here

Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has termed the ICC tribunal’s decision to defer the spot-fixing verdict to February 5 as “absurd”

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2011Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has termed the ICC tribunal’s decision to defer the spot-fixing verdict to February 5 as “absurd”, while another former captain, Asif Iqbal, found it “strange” that the world body could not reach a decision after their investigations into the matter.”The ICC has kept the players hostage for the last five months and now they have deferred the decision, which is inexplicable,” Abbas told . “Because the players will continue to remain suspended they cannot play at any level, cannot practice so they are virtually out of the World Cup.”The tribunal, comprising commissioner Michael Beloff, Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Sharad Rao of Kenya, was appointed in November to investigate the scandal, which broke in late August. In a News of the World sting, Mazhar Majeed, a player agent, claimed to have paid Amir and Asif to bowl no-balls to order with the collaboration of Butt.”The ICC has taken so much time on this case and have spent so much money on it, and yet could not take a decision,” Asif Iqbal said. “It is strange. I am surprised at the delay.”The former fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz called it unfair on the players, who should have been allowed to play till a final verdict. “At the most, Beloff should have taken a day or two to reach the verdict,” he said. “One month is too long.”Rashid Latif, also a former captain, said the delay raised doubts over whether the tribunal had the evidence to find the trio guilty. “I don’t think the ICC had concrete evidence to come out with a verdict today. They didn’t want to take any decision in haste and want to be absolutely sure in announcing punishments against all the three players.”Former spinner Iqbal Qasim, however came out in support of the decision to defer the verdict. “Since it is a high-profile case, any judgement needed to be properly gauged, and legal opinion is also required,” he said. “That’s why they have delayed the decision.”Former ICC chief Ehsan Mani expected harsh sanctions against the suspended trio after a deferment that did not come as a surprise to him. “I have no doubt in the ability of Michael Beloff and his team,” Mani told . “It’s a high profile case and the delay was expected. Not to forgot that the players have a right to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport also, therefore the tribunal wanted to take sufficient time to analysis all angles of the case.”My gut feeling is that all the three will be harshly punished, however I will be very disappointed for Amir who is the best young talent around. The matter was badly mishandled by the PCB. The board abandoned their players and let the ICC to dictate its terms. I believe the PCB also let the players down.”

England’s coach, Andy Flower, has praised the ruthlessness of his Ashes-winning cricketers, but warned that their 3-1 series win must not be seen as an end in itself

Andrew Miller08-Jan-2011England’s coach, Andy Flower, has praised the ruthlessness of his Ashes-winning cricketers, but warned that their 3-1 series win must not be seen as an end in itself, as the squad prepares to embark on a tough ODI campaign against Australia that will test their readiness for the World Cup in the subcontinent later this year.Speaking on the morning after England’s innings-and-83-run victory in Sydney, Flower said that, while the successful defence of the Ashes in Australia was a special achievement, it would be disrespectful to the challenge posed by other countries to single it out as a crowning glory.”Our celebrations were good, and well deserved by the players,” said Flower. “We had a good time and I think the guys are reflecting on a job well done and a job that they are very proud of. But our ultimate goal is to be No. 1 in the world, and in no way would I demean the Ashes series in saying that. Any series against any international nation is important in its own right, and any Test win is a very proud moment for me and our players. I think it would be disrespectful to view it any differently.”England’s itinerary has left them little time to sit on their laurels. Much as was the case in 2009, when the team departed for Belfast shortly after wrapping up victory at The Oval, the squad set off for Canberra on Saturday to prepare for the two Twenty20 internationals that precede the seven-match ODI series. “There’s not much rest time,” said Flower. “The guys won’t be able to bask long in the sunshine. They have to get their training boots on, and get back to work soon.”One man who will not be joining them on that trip, however, is Alastair Cook. England’s Test vice-captain is not a member of the one-day set-up, and so he is set to fly back to England on Saturday evening, to reflect on his phenomenal achievement in racking up 766 runs in the five Tests, a tally that has only ever been exceeded by one Englishman in Australia – Wally Hammond, who made 905 runs in 1928-29.”Cook had a particularly outstanding series,” said Flower. “He’s a very strong young man, he’s displayed that strength in a number of ways through his career, and he’s overcome most challenges that have been put in front of him, which is testament to that strength of character. Our players are picked to play international cricket because we believe they are good enough, and crucially they believe they are good enough.”Cook’s turnaround in form has been stunning, after he struggled to 100 runs in the first four Tests of the English season before saving his short-term place in the side with a gutsy second-innings century against Pakistan at The Oval.”Considering that people were calling for his head not so long ago, it is an outstanding riposte,” said Flower. “Although that’s not why he did it. It was because of the pride he has in his own performance and because he is very proud to play for England. I am very happy for him personally, and we’re all thankful that he made those contributions to the team for us.”The team ethic was the defining feature of England’s Test campaign, and of their rise and rise in the past 12 months, in which they have not lost a single series or tournament in any form of the game for 15 series and counting. The knock-on effect of such confidence is that the less-experienced members of the team, such as Tim Bresnan and Chris Tremlett, have been able to slot into the set-up without missing a beat.”Bresnan and Tremlett stepped into the breach very skillfully I thought, and held themselves well under pressure,” said Flower. “It’s not easy to do when you don’t play a lot of cricket at the start of the series, and you’re asked to take over because of injury or form, but they did it very well. It’s down to a combination of things. It’s a testament to their character and the way they handle pressure, but also a testament to the unity in the side, and the fact that they felt comfortable coming in and didn’t feel like outsiders.”The fact that England have forged a squad of international-standard players, rather than just a first eleven as was the case in 2005, augurs well for the challenges that lie ahead, with Flower hinting that changes of position and personnel may come into play when the team reaches the subcontinent in February for the World Cup. But all the while, that aim of No. 1 remains the ultimate focus.”It’s realistic, it’s achievable,” said Flower. “I don’t know if we’ll get there or not, but it’s certainly what we are aiming for. This result will give the players a lot of confidence, and some of the results they are achieving are building that confidence all the time. Winning the Twenty20 World Cup, playing well in South Africa, and winning two of the last Ashes series are all things that will build the confidence of the side.”

Junior Firpo’s struggles in the Premier League continued last weekend after Leeds United were thrashed by defending champions Manchester City.

During the encounter, the former Spain U21 international was lambasted as being “woeful” by commentator Andy Townsend, and his defending was dubbed “schoolboy” by BBC pundit Paul Robinson.

The summer signing has endured a tricky start to life in England and it shows no sign of easing up, particularly against the very best the top flight has to offer.

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Back in July, the 6 foot left-back signed a four-year deal following his £12.8m move from Barcelona as a replacement for both Gjanni Alioski and Barry Douglas.

Whilst the former was often erratic, he was a far greater and more consistent option.

Leeds are sitting precariously above the drop zone right now, just two points ahead of Everton, who hold a game in hand, and with tricky matches against Arsenal and Chelsea to come, manager Jesse Marsch cannot afford to persist with the 25-year-old.

However, the American head coach has a lack of alternative options, even more so now after the “devastating” injury blow to Stuart Dallas.

However, there could be a viable alternative in Leo Hjelde, a young centre-back by trade but one equally capable of playing on the left. A recent appearance against Arsenal’s U23 setup saw him in the role. ‘Raided forward well down the left at times,’ claimed LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross.

The 18-year-old, capped by Norway at U21 level, made his senior debut for the Yorkshire giants earlier this season, starting at left-back against West Ham – a performance which earned rave reviews from club legend Jermaine Beckford.

He gushed: “The young boy, Hjelde when he came on as well, what a player he’s looking by the way. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. But that’s twice we’ve seen him, twice we’ve seen him against West Ham, against a very physical, very strong, very quick centre forward in Michail Antonio and a tricky player in Jarrod Bowen. I don’t want to say he had them in his pocket, but I think he did.”

Indeed, shutting out both Antonio and Bowen is no mean feat, and Hjelde could repeat such exploits against the Gunners’ mean attack, whether that’s Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith Rowe on the day.

During his time on loan to Ross County, his former manager John Hughes likened him to Virgil van Dijk and dubbed him a “massive talent”, claiming:

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that. The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo. He’s got massive things in front of him.”

If Marsch wants to change the team’s defensive fortunes against some of the big dogs, in this desperate time of need, then he really ought to unleash Hjelde.

He can finally axe the struggling Firpo by doing so, a decision which will surely benefit the side heading into the final few games of the campaign.

AND in other news, Sources: Orta eyeing Leeds bid for £19.8m-rated ace, he’s like “Messi inside the area”…

According to a report from German outlet SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are interested in signing Hoffenheim midfielder Christoph Baumgartner. 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

Having arrived in Germany from Austria in 2017, the 22-year-old playmaker came through the youth ranks at the Bundesliga club before making a senior debut in 2019.

Since then the fully-fledged senior international has amassed 100 professional appearances, directly contributing to 36 goals in that time.

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Now it appears a move to the Premier League could beckon for the midfield starlet…

The latest: Rivals to do battle

As per SportBILD, translated by SW, Liverpool and Manchester United are both keen on signing Baumgartner.

The report states that Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp has personally been keeping a ‘close eye’ on the 19-cap star with a view to a move in the future.

It’s claimed that the interest in the man described as the ‘epitome of a mentality player’ by manager Sebastian Hoeneß is ‘huge’ and both Anfield and Old Trafford hierarchies have him ‘on their list’ ahead of the summer window.

The verdict: Make it happen

Despite the continued emergence of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and the seemingly imminent arrival of Fabio Carvalho, Klopp and newly appointed sporting director Julian Ward would be wise to add another midfielder before next term.

As the Reds prepare to compete in all 63 matches possible this term, the squad depth has been tested to its very limit and it’s not inconceivable that a similar workload could be imparted in the 2022/22 campaign.

Likened elsewhere to known previous Reds’ target Kai Havertz, this is a target that would make plenty of sense from a tactical perspective and Klopp looks to evolve the side once more.

So far this season, Baumgartner has scored six times and provided one assist in 29 appearances across all competitions and with the futures of James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Merseyside in doubt, Liverpool should snap up the versatile midfielder with a mooted €30million (£25.3million) release clause.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has dropped a ‘massive’ Liverpool transfer claim.

The Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner has joined Middlesex on loan for the start of the 2011 domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2011The Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner has joined Middlesex on loan for the start of the 2011 domestic season. Rayner, 25, will join the squad when he returns from the MCC tour of Namibia in early March, and will take a full part in the club’s pre-season preparations.”Ollie will be a welcome addition to Middlesex’s cricket staff for the start of the 2011 season,” said the club’s Director of Cricket, Angus Fraser. “He is a talented young cricketer with an excellent work ethic who is improving with each season.”Rayner will be available for selection for the first four rounds of the County Championship, as well as five CB40 matches. The loan agreement will then be reviewed in mid-May prior to England’s international commitments.The departure of Shaun Udal left Middlesex needing to strengthen its spin bowling resources, and Rayner fitted the bill, having taken 18 first-class wickets at 22 in 2010. He is capable with the bat – he averaged 32 in 2010 – and is an excellent fielder, especially at slip.