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Adam Jones has given his reaction to a fresh injury blow for Everton that has now emerged ahead of their game at home to Boreham Wood in the FA Cup.

The Lowdown: Onyango out

Writing in his latest piece for The Liverpool Echo, Jones relayed the latest team news from Frank Lampard confirming that Lewis Dobbin, Reece Welch and Isaac Price will all be in the squad for tonight’s match.

However, Tyler Onyango will unfortunately miss out with a hernia issue.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Taking to Twitter, Jones has now given his reaction to the news of Onyango’s absence, labelling it as a ‘real shame’:

“Real shame for Tyler Onyango, because I think he’d have maybe even had a good shout of starting tonight.”

The Verdict: Chances will come

Onyango should not be too disheartened with missing out tonight, as his chances will come with the senior team later on in the season.

He has already made three appearances in the Premier League this term, and if the Goodison Park faithful progress further in the competition, then Lampard will have to keep rotating his squad, which should give Onyango some more opportunities to impress.

Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, he has been suffering from injury issues all season, and so he will want to recover this time as soon as he can so that he can prove his fitness to Lampard once he starts getting more call-ups.

In other news, find out what other big Toffees injury update has now been dropped here!

Karl Darlow could now be the first out of the door at Newcastle United in the summer as some transfer news has emerged.

The Lowdown: Darlow out of favour

The 31-year-old has become out of favour once again at St James’ Park this season, having made just eight appearances in total in the Premier League and none since November (Transfermarkt).

This is in contrast to last term, when he played bench after some impressive performances.

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Sky Sports pundit Matt Murray thought that Darlow was ‘absolutely awesome’ in 2020/21 and even suggested that the goalkeeping spot was ‘his shirt to lose’, while former Tottenham Hotspur and England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson hailed him as ‘exceptional’.

However, he seems to have lost his place again to Dubravka under Eddie Howe.

The Latest: Darlow eyed by Boro

As per The Sun, Middlesbrough are now eyeing Darlow as their new number one ahead of the summer transfer window.

They are also looking at Leicester City shot-stopper Daniel Iversen, but Darlow remains firmly in their radar.

The Verdict: Time up

Unfortunately for Darlow, his time at St James’ Park now appears to be up.

The new owners at Newcastle are likely to go in for a new goalkeeper this summer with their riches, as Keylor Navas has been the latest big name linked with a move to the northeast.

A new arrival would likely push the 6 foot 2 Darlow further down the pecking order, and at 31 years of age, he probably has one more move left in his career which could guarantee him first-team football.

In other news, find out whose Magpies future is also now in doubt

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Weston McKennie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), who claim Tottenham are one of a number of clubs who have requested to sign the 23-year-old this summer, with Antonio Conte known to be a big fan of the central midfielder.

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Indeed, Gazzetta dello Sport previously reported that the USA international is a player the 52-year-old has ordered Fabio Paratici to capture this summer, while Calciomercato suggest that, with Juventus planning something of an overhaul this summer, the Serie A side could be willing to listen to offers for the former FC Schalke 04 starlet.

He’d be a “leader” for Conte

With McKennie being a midfielder who is incredibly versatile, boasts a tireless work rate and is extremely effective in the final third, it is easy to see why Conte would be keen on a deal to bring the 23-year-old to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, FBref rank the £58m-rated dynamo in the top 9% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, as well as the top 16% for shots, the top 19% for non-penalty xG + xA, the top 16% for non-penalty goals, the top 3% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 3% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, the £51k-per-week talent also ranks in the top 5% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90, in addition to the top 3% for clearances, the top 8% for aerials won, the top 7% for blocks, the top 26% for tackles and the top 40% for pressures over the last year.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how well suited the player who David Wagner dubbed a “leader” would be for Conte’s tactical setup in north London, and, with it being reported that the 23-year-old could be available for a figure of around £35m this summer, a deal would certainly not break the bank for Paratici and Spurs.

AND in other news: THFC could land their next £150m talent in 18 y/o who “gets people out of their seats”

Liverpool could take one step closer to signing Darwin Nunez from Benfica during the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, €75m (equal to £62.9m) “now could not be enough” to secure the services of Uruguayan striker in the summer, although the journalist said that the player “will leave” the Lisbon club.

The Premier League side aren’t the only interested party in the 22-year-old, with Chelsea and Manchester United also in the running to secure the player’s signature.

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Jurgen Klopp’s recruitment in the previous few seasons has been excellent and Nunez certainly has the potential to be fantastic, but will the price put Liverpool off?

Liverpool fans would love Nunez

The Reds are having a tremendous season so far as they chase an unprecedented quadruple, and Klopp is always trying to strengthen his squad, which shows that constant progression is always required.

The question is, do Liverpool need another forward when they have so many performing at their absolute best right now?

The fabled front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah have scored 61 goals between them this season in all competitions. Add in the goals from Diogo Jota and winter signing Luis Diaz and the squad is bulging at the seams with prolific forwards.

However, Nunez could be a solid replacement for Firmino, the oldest of Liverpool’s attackers as he turns 31 in October, and offer a greater attacking threat. The Uruguayan has notched 31 goals this term compared to just the 11 that the Brazilian has scored, so it’s not hard to see who is the more potent player.

There seems little doubt that Nunez has all the requirements to succeed in the Premier League, and with Klopp’s recent recruitment track record, going all-out for the Benfica striker may prove to be a wise move, certainly in the long run.

Liverpool supporters will surely be excited at seeing another of the European leagues’ top talents being linked with the club, with FSG seemingly looking to keep regenerating the squad when the time is right.

AND in other news, FSG masterclass: Liverpool drop major behind-the-scenes news that’ll excite supporters

Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard could be granted one last chance to rescue their Manchester United careers with the appointment of Erik ten Hag.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from The Sun who claim that Rashford has received assurances that he will get his chance to perform under Ten Hag next season.

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Whilst Lingard could also stay if Ten Hag is able to convince him that he has a future at Manchester United.

Saved or Axed?

24-year-old Rashford has endured the worst season of his career this year, with the out-of-favour England international having just four goals and two assists to show for his 25 appearances for United this season.

It goes without saying that Lingard has also suffered this season, but more so for game-time rather than form, with the 29-year-old accumulating just 355 minutes this campaign from 16 cameo appearances that have seen him grab two goals.

Lingard, who has been dubbed “awful” by Journalist Rob Blanchette, is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with his deal expiring this summer.

Rashford’s situation on the other hand is slightly more intricate, with the winger still holding value amidst his contract expiry in 2023, of which the club have an option to extend by a year.

The 24-year-old – who was labelled “absolutely terrible” by Chris Waddle for his performance against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League – does have something going for him though. And that is the fact that this is his first blip at Man United with the club massively underachieving as a collective this season.

Though, quite simply, the pair have not been good enough this season and with Ten Hag looking to rebuild the Red Devils, the saving in wages on Lingard and the sale of £45m-rated Rashford could help United to build on their transfer war chest.

Ten Hag’s stance on the £275k-per-week pair will make or break their future at Old Trafford, though with on-going links to the likes of Sebastien Haller, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Antony, it does not bode well for the duo and it should well see them axed.

In other news: Ten Hag could unearth a new Berbatov for Man United by signing 152-goal “hero”…

Leeds United’s time under Andrea Radrizzani has been plagued by mistakes in the transfer market, largely through a lack of spending or rueing that one that got away.

Of course, there have been numerous examples of success stories, namely the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Patrick Bamford.

But with every Raphinha, there’s a Laurens de Bock, Vurnon Anita or Jay-Rot Grot – a trio of weird signings that made only a total of 51 appearances combined.

Back in 2017, though, the Yorkshire giants missed out on one of Europe’s most frightening strikers and in a time where Leeds have missed last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford and are staring down the barrel of relegation, they must be reeling.

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That man is Erling Haaland, who this week was announced as a Manchester City player.

The defending Premier League champions have signed the Borussia Dortmund forward in a €60m (£51m) deal, activating the 21-year-old’s release clause ahead of the summer transfer window, as per the BBC.

For a little over £50m, that has to be considered an absolute steal considering he’s valued at a whopping £135m by Transfermarkt.

But it could have been a different story for both Leeds and the Norway international.

Speaking on The Athletic’s ‘The Phil Hay Show’, football agent Hayden Evans revealed:

“He was at Molde, around about 17 [years old], and he was ripping it up but also fervently following Leeds United.

“We spoke to Victor [Orta, Leeds’ sporting director] and said, ‘Look, I can bring Erling to Leeds and the rest will be over to you,” before later adding:

“It went quite well, we went back, but the bottom line was that [Molde] wanted around four million pounds. Leeds were not in the stable [financial] position they are in now and he was not going to play, even the talent he was, he was not going to play first-team football at that age.”

After that move fell through, a young Haaland would go on to sign for RB Salzburg for around £7m in August 2018, where he quickly made a name for himself before completing a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he has consistently banged them in.

The Norwegian sensation netted a whopping 29 goals in 27 games in Austria and over the last two-and-a-half seasons for Der BVB, he’s bagged 85 goals in 88 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Such form and consistency has seen the 6 foot 4 talisman lauded as “a goal scoring cyborg” by journalist Alex Truica and a “one-man wrecking ball” by Gregor Robertson in The Times.

There’s no doubt that the 21-year-old is one of the most promising and lethal marksmen across the continent and Andrea Radrizzani’s failure to sign him for just £4m will be forever remembered as a catastrophic mistake.

AND in other news, Jesse Marsch drops Raphinha injury update ahead of Brighton…

Nottingham Forest are through to the Championship play-off final after a dramatic ending to their two-leg challenge to beat Sheffield United to a trip to Wembley and potential promotion back into the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

Steve Cooper’s side went all the way to penalties in a rollercoaster clash that saw Forest go 2-1 down (3-3 on aggregate) after 120 minutes, and the manager will surely be delighted that his team didn’t crumble under pressure.

Despite taking the victory at Bramall Lane in the first leg, the hosts struggled in open play throughout the game with less possession (48%), fewer shots on target and fewer big chances compared to their opponents who were desperate to deliver a response after a defeat at their home ground in the first half of the tie.

Brennan Johnson gave his team the lead early into the game with a 19th-minute strike at The City Ground to give supporters something to believe in, but in the second half of the game Sheffield United came out to prove a point and they put on a phenomenal display to get themselves back into the game.

Morgan Gibbs-White found the back of the net shortly after the second half kicked off, putting one past Brice Samba to even the scoreline and it didn’t end there because John Fleck kept United’s dream alive by scoring a second in the 75th minute to push Forest into extra time.

Neither team were able to find a goal in the added 30 minutes to seal the victory and as a result, a penalty shoot-out was the only way to determine a winner after an exhausting challenge for both sides.

Samba stepped up when it mattered most to give Nottingham Forest the golden opportunity to push for promotion, saving three Sheffield United penalties to send his team to North-West London with only one game against Huddersfield Town standing in the way of Forest securing a spot in the Premier League after over two decades away from the top-flight.

One player who was Cooper’s unsung hero in the second leg of the semi-final was Steve Cook who scored the winning penalty that has destroyed Paul Heckingbottom’s dreams of promotion for another season.

Cook was hailed “unbelievable” by journalist Callum Castel-Nuovo and for good reason as it wasn’t just his winning penalty that stood out on Tuesday evening, with the 31-year-old putting on a defensive performance that oozed resilience, influencing the team to take the game as far as they needed to secure their win.

According to SofaScore, the defender won 12 of his aerial and ground duels combined, making six clearances, two interceptions and two tackles, as well as completing 100% of his dribbles, proving that he was a solid presence in the Forest back-line and committed himself to getting the job done.

Cooper will now look ahead to their difficult final game of the season with Huddersfield Town and the occasion could be an overwhelming achievement for the manager if they win. it could be the ultimate fairytale for Forest who were at the bottom of the Championship table before he arrived in September.

AND in other news: Cooper can save millions by unleashing 17 y/o Forest “threat”, he could be Davis’ heir

ECB domestic contracts and success of the Hundred gives England their “widest pool of players” to pick from

Alan Gardner30-Aug-2021The impact of increased professionalisation is already beginning to show in the women’s game, with England captain Heather Knight saying selection for the upcoming T20Is against New Zealand had featured the “widest pool of players” under discussion since she was appointed in 2016.Last year, the ECB handed out its first batch of full-time domestic women’s contracts, with 41 players brought into the regional set-up as professionals, alongside those centrally contracted by England. That system has underpinned an increased playing programme this summer, featuring the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup, in addition to the Hundred (for which players were signed up separately).The Hundred, which concluded at Lord’s just over a week ago, saw record-breaking attendances for women’s cricket in the UK, and contributed to first time call-ups for Maia Bouchier and Charlie Dean – although both will miss Wednesday’s opening T20I after being deemed close contacts of a Covid-19 case – as well as Emma Lamb, who was added to the squad as cover.Another star of the new 100-ball tournament was Alice Capsey, the 17-year-old whose aggressive batting and canny offbreaks helped Oval Invincibles lift the trophy. Capsey caught the eye of Invincibles coach, Jonathan Batty, during last year’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – because of her age he had to ask her mum’s permission before offering a spot at the Hundred – and she is already being touted as a future England international, albeit that studying for her A Levels may take precedence for now.”Lots of people have talked about Alice, obviously she had an outstanding Hundred,” Knight said. “She’s been someone that’s been talked about a lot, as have a number of players, there’s been a lot of players that have stood up and put in performances and that’s been so good in terms of selection. It was probably the widest pool of players I think we’ve talked about since I’ve been captain, that’s for sure, and that’s a great things for the team.Related

• From agony to ecstasy: Farrant set to live the Lord's dream

• ECB set to increase women's Hundred salaries

• Bouchier, Dean out of first T20I vs NZ

“Alice is definitely one we’ve got on our radar, but we’ve gone with a few different players that we want to have a look at and want to see how they react to being around the group.”Knight said that giving domestic women cricketers “the opportunity to train as much as the England players” would only increase competition for spots in the coming seasons, and pointed to the ability to follow performances much more closely than before. “The pool of players that we’re talking about now in selection is much bigger,” she said. “It’s just so great that we can watch every game and see these players in action just at the click of a button, through the streaming service and obviously having stuff on telly as well.”The increased game-time means England may look at rotating their XI against New Zealand, with the three T20Is followed by a five-match ODI series that will aid preparations for the 50-over World Cup. Having been put back by the pandemic, the 2021 tournament will be held in New Zealand early next year, where England will be attempting to defend their title.Tash Farrant finished as the leading wicket-taker in the women’s Hundred•Getty Images

“Those ODIs are going to be a huge focus for us with the World Cup,” Knight said. “It might give us the chance to have a little look at a few players, and the schedule for the ODIs is pretty mad to be honest; we’ve got five games in I think, 10 or 11 days so I’m sure we’re going to have to look at potentially rotating a few players and looking after players.”It’s been a long old summer with various bubbles, etc, so we’re going to have to make sure we look after players physically and mentally. But anytime you play for England, anytime you preparing for a series you’re looking to give your best and try and put together the best preparations to try and win those games.”The Hundred was also an opportunity for those who have already played for England to remind the selectors of their abilities – and none did so more effectively than Tash Farrant, the Invincibles left-armer who finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and impressed with her change-ups at the death.”Having that squad depth and different players performing well – you saw Tash Farrant, how well she did in the Hundred, the performances she put in, and she was on the bench for the whole of the India series,” Knight said. “So people putting in those sort of performances and making it really, really tricky for us to leave them out is what we want.”Knight was also in no doubt about the impact of the Hundred on the women’s game, particularly how the marked increase in attendances – ECB figures recorded 267,000 spectators at women’s fixtures across the tournament – would help players learn how to deal with greater scrutiny and pressure.”What a tournament it was. The crowds that we had, the support that we had, and the cricket that was on show. It’s going to be a huge thing, I think, for women’s cricket, but I don’t think we’re necessarily going to see the impact straightaway in terms of the series coming up. I think the biggest impact will for us will be being able to play under that sort of pressure, and [in front of] crowds consistently, it’s is going to be huge for us how we deal with that as players. The players that really embrace it and grow, when they are under that pressure, is going to be a big learning I think.”

They have also appointed a “well-being manager” to tackle challenges of life in pandemic-enforced bio-bubbles

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2021Scotland have named Kyle Coetzer the captain of a provisional 17-member squad for next month’s T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE. Former England batter Jonathan Trott, meanwhile, has been roped in as the “batting lead” on their support staff.Richie Berrington, Calum Macleod, Safyaan Sharif, Matthew Cross and Alasdair Evans, who have more than 1000 caps for Scotland, are among the 17 players picked for the world tournament, with the final squad of 15 to be named by October 10.Dylan Budge, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Chris Sole, Hamza Tahir, Craig Wallace and Brad Wheal are set to play their first world tournament for Scotland while Josh Davey, Michael Leask, George Munsey and Mark Watt, who were in the squad for the 2016 T20 World Cup, have been also included.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This squad has worked hard over a long period of time now and deserves the opportunity to show the world what we are about,” Shane Burger, the head coach, said. “This is an experienced, versatile and exciting group of players and we’re looking forward to embracing the challenges ahead as a team.”Chairman of selectors Iain Kennedy said: “I’m very happy with the squad that we’ve selected. It’s a well-balanced group, with match winners in every department of the game led by one of the most experienced leaders in the competition in Kyle Coetzer.”Scotland’s support staff includes assistant coach and fast-bowling expert Craig Wright, spin bowling coach Chris Brown, batting lead Trott, analyst George McNiel, strength and conditioning coach Nick Karamouzis, Physio Karen Gibson, team manager Kenny Crichton, and well-being manager Louise Finlayson.Regarding the appointment of Finlayson, who is an experienced mental skills coach, Cricket Scotland CEO Gus Mackay said, “The pandemic has forced us into operating in Managed Environments and the role of a Well-being Manger has been identified as critical to support the players and staff of what we hope will be a long and successful tour.”Scotland begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Bangladesh, in round one, on 17 October in Oman. They then face Papua New Guinea and Oman on October 19 and 21 respectively. The top two teams will move to the Super12 stage of the tournament.

Winless across both competitions last season, the Redbacks need to find answers

Andrew McGlashan20-Sep-2021Captain Travis Head
Coach Jason GillespieFixtures
September 22: Western Australia (Marsh Cup), Karen Rolton Oval

September 24-27: Western Australia (Sheffield Shield), Karen Rolton OvalWinter moves
Brendan Doggett’s arrival from Queensland, after a 2020-21 title-winning campaign where he took 22 wickets at 26.81, has been one of the most significant off-season switches as South Australia look to bring some firepower into an attack that toiled through the last Sheffield Shield and has since lost the retired Chadd Sayers. Nathan McSweeney has also made the move from Queensland while allrounder Nathan McAndrew has come from New South Wales. Batter Jake Carder is another signing from Western Australia. Dan Worrall will play one more season before relocating to the UK.Squad
R=Rookie, CA=Australia contract
Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham (R), Alex Carey (CA), Bailey Capel (R), Kyle Brazell (R), Jake Carder, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Ryan Gibson, David Grant, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Corey Kelly (R), Thomas Kelly (R), Samuel Kerber, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Tim Oakley, Lloyd Pope, Kane Richardson (CA), Liam Scott, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall.Related

• Travis Head: Australia selectors have been 'ultra-clear' about Test role

• Struggling South Australia poach Brendan Doggett among host of changes

• Australia's domestic season start delayed by Covid-19 challenges

Last season
Winless across both the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup, it was a torrid season with their fourth consecutive wooden spoon in the Shield. None of the regular bowlers took their wickets below 45 in first-class cricket although the overall results were perhaps not the fairest reflection as they came within one wicket of beating Western Australia, were willing to set up a game against New South Wales and didn’t even get on the field in Queensland. In the one-day competition they came close to chasing down 370 in Perth (and should have done it from 1 for 280) but were on the end of hidings by Tasmania and Queensland. Unlike last year, coach Jason Gillespie has been able to spend a full pre-season with the team for the first time since taking over.Player to watch
The development of Henry Hunt at the top of the order was one of few positives of the season as he averaged 44.85 with two centuries in the latter half of the Sheffield Shield. Allrounder Liam Scott is highly regarded although struggled when promoted to No. 3 with an eye to the future. Spin-bowling allrounder Samuel Kerber made a promising debut late in the summer.Australia radar
Captain Travis Head, who led the way with the bat during a prolific summer where he made 893 Sheffield runs and 276 in the Marsh Cup, would appear the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the Test team despite losing his place against India last season. He had already been recalled for the postponed tour of South Africa although he couldn’t back up the form in a poor county season for Sussex. Kane Richardson will only be available for a short period at the start of the season before heading to the T20 World Cup. Alex Carey will be available early season after missing out on the World Cup squad but then may be needed as a back-up in the Ashes. Wes Agar made his ODI debut in West Indies but Australia don’t have any games in that format until late January against New Zealand.