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Chelsea are thought to be back in talks over a move to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Chelsea transfer news?

The Blues have once again been busy in the transfer market after spending over €600m on new players during the 2022/23 campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino is the new man in charge at Stamford Bridge, and the Argentine has brought in Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Angelo from RB Leipzig, Villarreal and Santos respectively.

Nkunku’s arrival was already in the pipeline before Pochettino was named as manager, however further additions look to be on the cards before the September 1 deadline in what looks likely to be a busy month both on and off the pitch.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

Chelsea are believed to have agreed a deal to sign Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, although it is yet to be decided whether the 19-year-old will go into Pochettino's squad or go out on loan.

Meanwhile, a £38m deal has been agreed with Monaco to sign France defender Axel Disasi, and Romano has revealed that the Blues have also made a formal bid to sign goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton.

Alongside the pair, another new attacker could be on the cards in Vlahovic, as owner Todd Boehly once again goes into transfer overdrive.

Are Chelsea signing Dusan Vlahovic?

Romano took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share an update he's heard on Vlahovic and Chelsea. He said that talks are back on through intermediaries, with a swap deal involving Blues striker Romelu Lukaku being spoken about.

“Chelsea are now back in talks again with Juventus through intermediaries — swap deal between Romelu Lukaku & Dusan Vlahovic has been discussed again.

“Chelsea will discuss Vlahovic internally as this option has been rejected in July.”

This isn’t the first time Chelsea have been linked with a move for Vlahovic, with journalist Dean Jones previously stating that conversations have already happened.

"I know some people are ruling out of Vlahovic and they say that nothing is happening there. But Vlahovic has definitely been explored by Chelsea and conversations have definitely happened in terms of that.

"The fact that they are even contemplating that, tells you they're tempted to go and sign another striker by the end of this transfer window."

Vlahovic, on a £215,000-a-week salary in Turin, has been dubbed a “goal machine” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig. The Serbia international is just 23 years of age but has already made over 170 appearances in all competitions for Fiorentina and Juventus, scoring 72 goals.

The left-footed forward also has 13 goals in 21 games for his country, so he could be the kind of striker Chelsea have been crying out for to potentially play alongside the likes of Nkunku and Jackson, especially after being named among the most powerful players in Europe alongside PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City's Erling Haaland last year.

It looks as if a move could well be one to keep an eye on, and if Chelsea can use Lukaku in a deal, a transfer may not end up costing the Blues Vlahovic’s reported €80m asking price.

As the chaos at Chelsea unfolded last season, culminating in a bottom-half finish in the Premier League, Levi Colwill was enjoying life on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion, helping Roberto de Zerbi’s side to an incredible Europa League finish, placing above the defender’s parent club in the process.Now back at Stamford Bridge, Colwill has attracted plenty of interest, with Brighton attempting, and quickly failing, to turn their loan move permanent as they saw a £30m bid rejected at the start of the summer, and Liverpool showing plenty of signs that they’d like to welcome the England U21 international to Anfield this summer.For instance, England U21 teammate Harvey Elliott has been quick to tease the transfer target, commenting on his recent Instagram post to say that they should talk, before deleting the comment.In truth whenever Colwill’s future is brought up, he has quickly shut it down, with the latest moment coming on his friend’s Instagram Live.

Levi Colwill shuts down talks over future

Appearing on the live stream – which was later circulated on Twitter – Colwill’s friend said: “Levi to Liverpool.”

The Chelsea man then bluntly responded with: “No football talk, man.”

So, it seems as though he is keen to keep his guard up for the time being, with it being anyone’s guess which team he’ll be playing for come the end of the transfer window.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea’s current position is that Colwill is not for sale this summer, and are looking to tie the defender down to a new contract.

Speaking about the reported Liverpool target, new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino recently said: “I need to get a feel for him, I need to hear what he has in his mind, what he expects. Then, of course, it’s gonna be time for him to listen to what I expect from him.”

The new boss added: “He’s a Chelsea player and in the last few months at Brighton he was playing really well. He is one of our players and I need to talk with him when he arrives next week”.

According to Football London, Liverpool remain interested in Colwill, with plenty of twists and turns to potentially come in the current window.

What is Levi Colwill’s current market value?

After Brighton reportedly had their £40m bid rejected earlier in the window, it’s clear that Chelsea would be expecting a large fee for their defender if they were to sanction a deal this summer.

As per Transfermarkt, the 20-year-old is currently worth €30m (£17.05m), meaning that clubs would technically be overpaying this summer. That said, a young defender with the potential that Colwill has can be priceless in today’s market.

As of right now, Colwill’s current contract expires in the summer of 2025. And, whilst that gives him a couple of years at Chelsea, the Blues will be keen to avoid losing him for free when he’s just 22 years old, and likely to improve as he continues on his upward trajectory – having just won the U21 Euros with England.

The last thing they’ll want is another top-six side in the Premier League getting hold of the centre-back. They’ve already strengthened, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City this summer with the departures of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Mateo Kovacic. Now, they’ll surely need to avoid losing Colwill too.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Romeo Lavia this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the midfielder ahead of next season.

How much will Romeo Lavia cost?

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are in "concrete" talks to sign the Southampton midfielder.

Plettenberg took to Twitter to reveal: "Talks between Liverpool & Lavia are concrete and ongoing. Understand there is no agreement in terms of salary conditions yet.

"As reported: His price tag is around £50m Klopp wants him! Very press-resistant player – even in high-pressure situations, he loses the ball only once out of 10 times."

It was reported earlier this week that Liverpool were prepared to wait to sign Lavia in a bid to convince Southampton to lower their expensive £50m asking price for their player, however, it is looking like the recently relegated club are not willing to budge on their valuation.

As a result, FSG must sanction the move and put their trust in Jurgen Klopp to develop Lavia into another superstar that can bring more success to the Merseyside giants in the future, just like the German coach has done many times before.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

The Reds have already secured deals for two explosive attacking midfielders, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai both joining the squad at Anfield, however, bolstering the deeper roles in the midfield set-up would be advantageous.

There has been mounting speculation that Thiago Alcantara could be making an exit this summer; the Liverpool star is now in the last year of his contract and interest could present an opportunity to cash in, paving the way for Lavia to replace him.

When comparing the positional peers' outputs over last season, the Saints talent came close to Thiago in several key attributes including pass completion rate (86.2% v 86.2%), progressive passes (102 v 120), blocked passes (22 v 22), shot-creating actions (41 v 41) and aerial duels won (41.2% v 36.8%), as per FBref.

The Manchester City academy graduate has already started to earn high praise for his influence at St Mary's, with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes lavishing Lavia with compliments on his deep-lying playmaking skills:

"He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

Whilst Rio Ferdinand also had a positive opinion on the player:

"He is a young player who can do both sides of the game, equally good defensively but also once he is one the ball he has tremendous feet and can pass it."

Fabinho and Stefan Bajcetic have returned to pre-season training and are expected to stay at the club for next season, so should Thiago depart in the coming weeks it would make more sense for the Belgian midfielder to replace him whilst Bajcetic continues to compete to be the successor to his Brazilian teammate.

With that being said, the signing of Lavia would be a big addition for Liverpool in their pursuit build a midfield for the future and if Lavia can continue his development he could be an incredibly valuable Thiago replacement.

The confidence boost Sri Lanka gained from their T20 series victory did not carry over into the start of the one-day internationals as they were trounced by eight wickets in Port Elizabeth

The Report by Andrew McGlashan28-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsImran Tahir sliced through Sri Lanka’s middle order•Gallo Images/Getty Images

The confidence boost Sri Lanka gained from their T20 series victory did not carry over into the start of the one-day internationals as they were trounced by eight wickets in Port Elizabeth. A masterclass of limited-overs legspin by Imran Tahir snuffed out the middle order as they limped to 181, which proved a scant challenge for South Africa’s full-strength top order.Tahir finished with 3 for 26, including the scalp of top-scorer Kusal Mendis for 62, and did not concede a boundary in his 10 overs to ensure South Africa always held control after choosing to bowl first. Wayne Parnell had made swift work of the openers, before a stand of 72 for the third wicket between Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal steadied the innings, although it was laborious progress against probing bowling from South Africa’s quartet of seamers. It meant that when Tahir made his inroads, with three wickets in 15 balls, Sri Lanka had little to show for the consolidation and the innings frittered away.An opening stand of 71 in 13 overs between Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, two of the senior South Africa players rested from the T20 series, broke the back of the chase and the target was knocked off with more than 15 overs to spare.For the eight teams taking part, all one-day internationals at the moment lead towards the Champions Trophy in June. While Sri Lanka appear to have many questions to answer, South Africa’s squad for this series is probably not far from what they will take to the tournament, but some players are still in need of performances to cement their positions.Smart Stats

94 Balls remaining in South Africa’s victory. This is their fifth quickest win against Sri Lanka. Four of these wins have come at home.

2 Number of lower scores for Sri Lanka against South Africa in South Africa while batting first than the 181 they scored. Previously they scored 128 at the Wanderers in 2002 and 105 at Bloemfontein in 1998.

8 Number of half-centuries for Kusal Mendis from 17 innings. He is yet to convert these scores to a century. He has scored more than fifty in his last three ODI innings.

Chief among those is Parnell, and he made the perfect start when he trapped Niroshan Dickwella lbw first ball. He soon followed that with the wicket of debutant Sandun Weerakkody, who had only arrived in the country yesterday after a delayed flight, when he had a waft outside off which smacked of jetlag.Sri Lanka knew they had to avoid further early losses, so caution was the watch-word for Chandimal, although Mendis showed greater inclination to attack, twice taking two boundaries in an over off Parnell and Andile Phehlukwayo. Mendis was given lbw on 48, but the decision by Richard Kettleborough was overturned when replays showed an edge off his sweep, and he reached his fifty from 74 balls.But it wasn’t long before Tahir started to unpick the innings. Chandimal, who had taken 47 balls to find the boundary, was beautifully set up by a series of leg-breaks, before Tahir tossed a googly wide which spun back between bat and pad. Two overs later, he removed Mendis, lbw, playing back to a delivery that spun enough to beat the outside edge, and this time the review brought no reprieve.Upul Tharanga, captaining this side in Angelo Mathews’ absence, continued in the middle-order role he had in last year’s tri-series in Zimbabwe despite his 13 hundreds coming as an opener. He could not lift his side, however, when he drove limply to cover, although Tahir deserved credit for switching his line to around the wicket.Sri Lanka’s problems were compounded by a mix-up between Dhananjaya de Silva and Asela Gunaratne, which saw the latter run out after a relay throw from the deep via Quinton de Kock to Parnell at the bowling end.Nuwan Kulasekara clubbed a couple of lusty shots, including the one six of the innings, before edging Kagiso Rabada. With nine overs remaining, there was little choice but to try and see out the innings. They failed by nine deliveries as Parnell and Chris Morris removed the final three wickets. From the start of the 43rd over, they had not scored more than one run off a delivery.South Africa’s top order is daunting with all the big-guns back, and it would have taken a remarkable effort from Sri Lanka to defend the total. Suranga Lakmal’s first ball took de Kock’s outside edge, but the ball fell short of the slips. De Kock could have been run-out from mid-off on 21. However, the way the openers imposed themselves on Sri Lanka’s wrist spinners – Jeffrey Vandersay and Lakshan Sandakan – showed their intent for a ruthless performance.Sandakan, who had claimed 4 for 23 in the second T20, was taken for 10 in his first over, and Vandersay, a late call-up to the one-day squad, 14 off his first. Although Sandakan struck against the run of play, when de Kock drove to cover, boundaries came regularly. Amla barely broke sweat in bringing up his fifty off 56 deliveries, and Faf du Plessis was able to enjoy an extended net after his brief down time following the Test series.While Amla’s slightly soft dismissal, as he lobbed a return catch to Gunaratne, was a disappointment for him, it gave the crowd what they wanted – AB de Villiers at the crease. To chants of “AB, AB”, he played within himself but did loft one over the boundary. Back as captain, in his first one-day international since last June, the day could not really have gone any better.

Azhar Ali is likely to be removed as Pakistan’s ODI captain after his side lost the series in Australia 4-1. Pakistan were beaten in the final ODI in Adelaide, slumping to the same score line they had suffered in England last year, and the PCB is keen to use it as an opportunity to replace Azhar with the T20 captain, Sarfraz Ahmed.The move, ESPNcricinfo understands, could be the precursor to eventually appointing a single captain for all formats, though any such decision will have to wait until the Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq takes a call on his future.Leadership issues were discussed in a meeting in Lahore during the fourth ODI of this series by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mushtaq Ahmed, the head coach at the National Cricket Academy. They are thought to be united in their belief that Sarfraz should take over the ODI captaincy but will wait until Misbah retires to name a new Test captain.They differ as to whether Pakistan should move ahead with a single captain, but if they do go down that route it could mean that Azhar is overlooked as the Test successor to Misbah; Azhar is the Test vice-captain and, in Misbah’s absence, led Pakistan recently in a Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. It could also mean the end of an experiment begun after the 2015 World Cup, when, for the first time, Pakistan had three different captains – Shahid Afridi was then the T20 captain.If Azhar is axed, it will end a difficult tenure that began right after the 2015 World Cup. He was not in the squad for that tournament and had, in fact, not featured in an ODI since January 2013. What he did have going for him was a secure position in the Test side, and good form in List A cricket: in the domestic Pentangular Cup that season he was the leading scorer with 302 runs at an average of 60.40 and strike rate of 86.28. In the President’s Gold Cup, he scored 234 runs at a strike rate of 86.98.Under Azhar’s leadership, Pakistan’s slipped to a record-low ninth in the ODI rankings. They have since risen one place to at least be in the running for direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup, but they only scraped into this year’s Champions Trophy. Much of their decline in the limited-overs formats has been building for some time, but it has become much starker under Azhar.Pakistan have won only five out of ten bilateral series under Azhar, two of them against Zimbabwe, and one each against Ireland, Sri Lanka and West Indies. In all, Pakistan won 12 and lost 18 games.The PCB has been thinking of removing Azhar for some time. In September last year, following a 4-1 thumping in England, Shaharyar had asked Azhar to consider stepping down. Azhar decided to stay on, however, and led Pakistan to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the UAE. That win left the PCB no choice but to retain him for the Australia tour. A day before the first Test in Brisbane, however, Shaharyar again raised concerns, telling ESPNcricinfo that Azhar’s place in the ODI side was on shaky ground and that they were considering replacing him.Azhar’s individual performances have not been poor in that time – he has scored 1152 runs at 37.19. He has expanded his limited-overs game, evident in the improvement of his strike rate. In his first 14 ODIs between 2011 and 2013, his strike rate was 64.84 – during his captaincy that jumped to 79.90. However, that improvement might not be enough to save his place as captain, or even in the side. Last year, Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalanders also removed Azhar from the captaincy.What the PCB will be weighing up is the potential impact such a move could have on his position in the Test side. He was Pakistan’s most prolific batsman last year, scoring a hundred in England, a triple hundred in Dubai and then crowning it off with a double at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test; he scored more runs in a three-Test series in Australia than any Pakistan batsman before him.

David Warner’s 156 off 128 balls – his seventh ODI hundred in 2016 – headlined Australia’s 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand

The Report by Daniel Brettig at the MCG09-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDifferent crowd, different context, similar result. Australia returned to the scene of their 2015 World Cup final hiding of New Zealand and duly inflicted another enormous defeat on the visitors, completing the first clean sweep of a Chappell-Hadlee series in a decade, in front of a far smaller gathering than last time.Only 20,591 spectators were on hand to see the heavy lifting done by the vice-captain David Warner, who soared to his second ODI hundred in as many innings and seventh of the year, in conditions far more challenging than those prepared for either of the first two matches of the series.Warner’s innings was all the more laudable for the fact that most batsmen found scoring difficult on a slow and capricious pitch. After his 156, the next best score on either side was a doughty supporting hand of 37 by Travis Head, part of the only century stand of the match.On a chilly December day in Melbourne, the visitors had bowled with accuracy to some nifty plans devised by the captain Kane Williamson, notably catching out Aaron Finch and Steven Smith with a fielder placed at a shortish square leg. However Warner endured through the difficult passages and accelerated during a rearguard stand with Head, reaching his century, then going on to guide the Australians to a total that proved well beyond New Zealand.Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both proved fiendishly difficult to counter in the evening, while Head made a further contribution to the match with the wickets of Martin Guptill and BJ Watling. James Faulkner chimed in with the vital dismissal of Williamson. The failure of New Zealand’s batsmen to make any impression on the scoreboard undermined some decent work earlier in the day by their bowlers, Warner’s excellence excepted.Trent Boult performed nicely for New Zealand, while the recalled Lockie Ferguson again demonstrated the high pace he is able to generate from a fast-arm action. It was Ferguson who came closest to dismissing Warner early on, but Henry Nicholls was unable to cling onto a difficult, diving outfield chance when the opener was on 18.The hosts had gone in with an unchanged team for the third match, retaining their fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins while also continuing to ignore the all-round skills of Glenn Maxwell. New Zealand had to leave out Jimmy Neesham due to continued pain in the arm that was struck by Starc in Canberra, while also recalling Ferguson at the expense of Matt Henry.Mitchell Starc blasted out Henry Nicholls and Colin Munro with lethal reverse-swinging yorkers•AFP

While the new ball did not swing a great deal, Boult bowled the ideal lines to coax Finch and Smith into false strokes towards the leg side that were snapped up by Nicholls. Smith’s wicket was a particular source of satisfaction after his tall scores in the first two matches of the series.George Bailey, again showcasing his backside-to-the-bowler stance, hung around to add 62 with Warner, but when his dismissal by Colin de Grandhomme was swiftly followed by Mitchell Marsh being bowled off bat and body, the Australians were in difficult straits.Warner was able to find a useful ally in Head, who struggled with timing but was at least able to rotate the strike and form a partnership, ultimately worth 105. That stand gave the hosts something to work with, and Warner was able to push on further once he passed three figures, surging beyond 150 and only being dismissed via a run out on the final ball of the innings.Matthew Wade and James Faulkner had provided some support at the back end of the innings, ensuring Australia were able to set New Zealand a total of good value on a sluggish pitch and expansive outfield. Guptill and Tom Latham made a fair start to the chase, reaching 44 in good time before Pat Cummins coaxed Latham into granting another catch to square leg, this time patrolled by Faulkner.Williamson was pinned in front of the stumps by Faulkner from around the wicket, and two overs later Guptill cracked Head’s very first ball into the outstretched hands of Bailey at cover. Nicholls was comprehensively yorked by Starc, and when Watling was found to be lbw to Head on a DRS review the game was all but up.Smith ended the match with another ripping catch, this time diving to his right at slip. While a vast match and series victory over a New Zealand side lacking both confidence and sharpness, this was no World Cup final. By their restrained celebrations it was clear that both Australian players and spectators alike were well aware of this fact.

Everton chiefs are keeping tabs on Sunderland forward Jack Clarke ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Who is Jack Clarke?

Clarke is naturally a left-sided winger who completed his permanent move to the Stadium of Light last summer from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, following a successful loan spell the season before. As per Transfermarkt, across both periods up north, he's made a total of 70 appearances to date, scoring 12 times.

In the Championship, the 22-year-old started all 46 games last season and firmly established himself as Tony Mowbray’s second overall best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.11, and this impressive form has been catching the eye outside of the northeast.

Football League World previously credited Glasgow Rangers, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Toffees all with an interest in the forward who is, as stated by the outlet, expected to be sold during the upcoming window, and Sean Dyche’s admiration has now once again been brought to the surface.

Are Everton signing Clarke?

According to iNews, Everton scouts are “paying attention” to Clarke’s situation and there is a definite “interest” in signing him ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Sunderland are, of course, reluctant to lose their prized asset, but it’s stated that offers of around £15m could “prompt a conversation”.

The Black Cats attacker’s agent Ian Harte, however, has claimed that his client is “happy” where he is and currently has “no intention” of pushing for an exit. The one thing worth noting though is that “every player has a price” and neither the talented prospect, nor his representatives, have “any control” over whether the club decide to accept any offers that arrive at their door.

Should Moshiri splash the cash on Clarke?

Everton should be focusing on signing an out-and-out centre-forward this summer but any kind of positive attacking reinforcement can’t be turned down, and having been dubbed “unplayable” by journalist Josh Bunting, Farhad Moshiri should definitely empty his pockets to bring Clarke to Goodison Park.

The York-born talent racked up 20 goal contributions (11 assists and nine goals) in 45 Championship appearances last season, form which saw him collect six man-of-the-match awards, and even his displays were outstanding when he wasn’t on the scoresheet.

As per FBRef, the SMI Sports Management client recorded a total of 147 shot-creating actions which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, and whipped 96 crosses into the box which was the second-highest number, so he’s always looking to pose a threat in the final third and is a player that would make a significant difference for Dyche on Merseyside.

Arsenal have not made an official proposal for Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Ivan Fresneda?

Fresneda was a key target for the Gunners during the January transfer window, but he turned down a move to the Emirates Stadium, in order to ensure he received regular game time with Real Valladolid.

The 18-year-old has emerged as a key player for the Spanish club this season, after graduating from the youth academy, making 22 appearances in La Liga, and there are a number of top clubs now vying for his signature.

Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in the Spaniard, with the same report from Football Insider claiming that Borussia Dortmund have held talks, while a recent report from Germany indicated that Arsenal have made an offer.

According to BILD (via Football London), a lucrative offer was made for the youngster, with Dortmund also said to be monitoring the situation, however, Romano has since claimed that update was false.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer guru confirmed the Gunners are interested in the right-back, but claimed they are yet to make an offer, saying:

"Arsenal appreciate Ivan Fresneda since January but told they have NOT sent any official proposal, despite reports.

"No concrete negotiation at this stage, race remains open – with Borussia Dortmund interested."

How did Fresneda perform last season?

The starlet has adapted very well to men's football, playing a key role for Valladolid defensively, averaging 2.2 tackles per game, the fourth-highest figure in the squad, while he also ranks very highly for blocks and clearances per 90 over the past year.

Not only is he competent defensively, the Valladolid academy graduate can also pose a threat on the front foot, as highlighted by the La Liga Lowdown's Matt Clark, who said:

"He is a remarkably complete right back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too."

Although he has exhibited some very promising signs, the £2.6k-per-week defender is not yet the finished article, and he has struggled in recent weeks, being ranked by SofaScore as the joint-worst performing starter in his side's 0-0 draw against Almeria last time out.

As such, it is vital that Fresneda continues to get consistent game time, and so if Arsenal decide to move for him this summer, it may be wise for Mikel Arteta to send him out on loan in order to continue his development.

دافع زكي عبد الفتاح مدرب حراس مرمى منتخب مصر الأسبق، عن الانتقادات التي وجهت إلى محمد صلاح قائد الفراعنة بسبب السفر إلى إنجلترا للعلاج بعد إصابته في مباراة غانا بـ كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وقال زكي عبد الفتاح في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “الشناوي أفضل حارس مرمى في مصر، ومن بعده على بُعد مسافة كبيرة، لكن هناك 6 أهداف دخلوا مرماه منهم 5 كان من الممكن أن يتصدى لهم”.

وتابع: “الشناوي كان يتصدى لكرات مع الأهلي تتسبب في تحول المباراة، هذا لم يفعله في البطولة، 7 اختبارات دخل منهم 6 أهداف”.

وأردف: “اللاعبون في مصر يفهمون الوطنية خطأ، لو مُصاب يتغاضى ويقول أريد أن ألعب، هذه ليست وطنية بل أنانية، هذه جريمة في حق النادي والبلد، تعاملت مع الحضري وقلت له هذه ليست وطنية بل أنانية”.

وأكمل: “كل الهجوم على صلاح ليس له داعي، لا أحد يهمه أن يحصد بطولة مع المنتخب أكثر منه، ممكن يستغنى عن كل البطولات التي حصل عليها مع ليفربول مُقابل أمم إفريقيا”.

طالع | ميدو: كرة القدم المصرية تحتاج إلى ثورة.. وإقالة المدرب واتحاد الكرة ليست حلًا

وأوضح: “المفروض هناك ترتيب لتسديد ركلات الترجيح، أبو جبل قرر يُسدد عندما وجد مهند لاشين لا يريد أن يُسدد، الاختيارات خطأ من البداية، حتى في حراسة المرمى، اختيار أحمد الشناوي المصاب ومحمد صبحي الذي لا يُشارك مع الزمالك”.

واستطرد عبد الفتاح: “محمد الشناوي إصابته ستستغرق أكثر من 3 أشهر، وليس كما أعلن، تتذكرون إن أحمد شوبير اعتزل بسبب نفس الإصابة”.

وواصل: “مصطفى شوبير لو كان خرج إعارة كان ذلك سيمثل فارق معه، كان يجب أن يكون في رؤية له وأن يخرج للإعارة لأن في الموقف الحالي كان سيكون جاهزًا، لكني أرى الآن أن يُشارك مصطفى شوبير بدلًا من الشناوي، ولا يتعاقد الأهلي مع حارس أخر، وعلي لطفي يعود بديلًا”.

وبسؤاله من الأنسب لقيادة منتخب مصر حال رحيل فيتوريا؟، أجاب: “أرى في الإعلام إن كيروش يعرف طريقتنا، أو كولر، أسهل شيء المدرب الذي يلعب على الهجمة المرتدة، نحن عندنا طلعت يوسف أفضل من كيروش وهناك طارق العشري”.

وأتم: “أرى أن المدرب المناسب الآن مدرب مصر، وأرى الآن الموجود على الساحة وعنده فكر هو أيمن الرمادي، لو تريدون أن نلعب بشكل دفاعي ممكن طلعت يوسف أو طارق العشري”.

Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they travel away from home to face Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox as confirmed champions.

The Hoops are 13 points clear of their rivals in the table and have the chance to extend the gap to a staggering 16 points with three matches left to play.

Ange Postecoglou's side secured the league title last week with a 2-0 win against Hearts and could use these last four games to rotate his side with a view to making decisions on what he wants to do with the squad in the summer transfer window.

How will Celtic line up against Rangers?

The Australian head coach could make three changes to the XI that started against Hearts last time out, with one in midfield and two in attack.

However, the defence could remain the same with Joe Hart between the sticks and a back four of; Anthony Ralston, Carl Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi, and Greg Taylor.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has been ruled out for the remainder of this season with a knee injury and this has opened the door for January signing Kobayashi to showcase his quality on a regular basis.

In midfield, Aaron Mooy could be brought in to replace Matt O'Riley next to Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. The 32-year-old has registered four goals and ten assists in 13 Premiership starts this season and the boss could give him an opportunity to add to his tallies against the Light Blues this afternoon.

On the wing, Daizen Maeda could make way for Liel Abada.

The Japan international has one goal in his last seven appearances and the latter has two goals and one assist in the same time, despite only starting once, which could lead to the £15k-per-week "revelation" – as he was dubbed by Alan Hutton – taking the 25-year-old's place this afternoon.

Finally, Kyogo Furuhashi came off with a knock against Hearts and Postecoglou could rest the club's star striker by offering Oh Hyeon-gyu a rare start after his goal off the bench last time out.

Oh has only started once of his 12 Premiership appearances and managed to plunder three goals for the club since arriving on a permanent deal in January and could be given a huge chance to impress whilst leading the line against Rangers today with Abada and Jota either side of him.

Predicted Celtic XI (4-3-3): Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Kobayashi, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, Mooy; Abada, Oh, Jota.