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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.

BBC host Mark Schwarzer has noted the "very poor" play from Tomas Soucek had West Ham United's rivals "hugging and kissing" on the sidelines.

What's the latest on Tomas Soucek and West Ham?

The Hammers travelled away from home for the Saturday lunchtime event in the Premier League as they took on Crystal Palace.

A few weeks ago, this looked like it could be a vital clash in terms of the current relegation battle but with both sides picking up form, it didn't feel quite so important ahead of kick-off.

Even so, both sets of players seemed to be really up for it as five goals in the first half made for a thrilling opening 45 minutes.

Soucek actually opened the scoring but two goals in quick succession saw the Eagles fight back to lead 2-1. Just ten minutes later, the Czech midfielder was involved again – this time for all the wrong reasons.

Indeed, he dallied on the ball and was robbed by Jeffrey Schlupp, who then raced away from the £65k-per-week man and then finished coolly to make it 3-1.

This terrible bit of play from the West Ham midfielder must have left David Moyes infuriated, but it seems the Palace coaches couldn't believe their luck.

Indeed, when talking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Schwarzer noted that Roy Hodgson's assistants Ray Lewington and Dean Kiely were "jumping up and down" in delight.

He said (via BBC Sport): "Very poor from Tomas Soucek. I was watching the Crystal Palace bench after that goal. Ray Lewington was jumping up and down. He and Dean Kiely were hugging and kissing!"

Will West Ham sell Soucek?

Interestingly enough, there were reports this week about how Soucek had been due to have contract talks earlier this season but they'd been put off until the summer.

This could suggest that West Ham and Moyes aren't necessarily keen on keeping the 28-year-old around for much longer – although he has played regularly this term, with over 40 outings across all competitions.

If he is playing for his future, however, this "poor" incident was hardly the best display of his talents. In fairness to Soucek, he had already scored, and just five minutes later, he managed to provide an assist as Michail Antonio's made it 3-2 before half-time.

Even so, if you do something so bad it literally has the opponents "hugging and kissing", it's safe to say you've probably left your own manager absolutely furious.

حصل محمد صلاح، لاعب فريق ليفربول، على تقييم جيد بعد مشاركته في مباراة بيرنلي اليوم في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ونجح ليفربول في الفوز على بيرنلي بنتيجة 2/0، وذلك على ملعب “تيرف مور”، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ19 من مسابقة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وبهذا الفوز، ارتقى رصيد ليفربول 42 نقطة في صدارة الترتيب العام للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، فيما تجمد رصيد بيرنلي عند النقطة 11 بالمركز التاسع عشر.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بعد فوز ليفربول على بيرنلي

وفشل محمد صلاح في تسجيل أي هدف في مباراة ليفربول وبيرنلي، ولم يقدم أي تمريرة حاسمة طوال المباراة.

وبحسب شبكة “فوت” العالمية، حصل محمد صلاح على تقييم 7.2/10، حيث شارك في 90 دقيقة، حيث قام بالتسديد في ثلالث مناسبات، فيما وصلت دقة تمريراته إلى 84%.

واستطاع مهاجم ليفربول، محمد صلاح، أن يقوم بـ4 تمريرات نحو الثلث الأخير من الملعب، ونجح صلاح في استرداد الكرة في 3 مرات.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is seemingly continuing his bid to find a suitable successor to current boss, Antonio Conte, with the Italian coach looking set for an imminent exit from N17 following what has been a disappointing campaign thus far for the north London outfit.

Recent weeks, in particular, have soured the mood at the club after the Lilywhites were dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League in limp fashion, with that ill feeling then exacerbated following the former Chelsea man's explosive post-match comments after the late collapse away to Southampton last weekend.

Such woes have ensured that Levy and co are now plotting yet another managerial change amid what has been a turbulent last few years in the dugout, with the Premier League side looking for their fourth permanent appointment since the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019.

The popular Argentine has been tipped for a return to his former club, although the 51-year-old is not the only potential candidate who could seemingly revitalise Tottenham's fortunes, according to The Telegraph, with Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou another figure who could well spark something of a resurgence in the capital.

The Greek-Aussie has undoubtedly worked wonders during his time at Parkhead to date, with the Hoops currently on course to claim a second successive league title amid what has been a rampant run of domestic form, with the Old Firm outfit having previously finished 25 points behind rivals Rangers in the season prior to Postecoglou's arrival in 2021.

That turnaround has been aided by the 57-year-old's "exceptional" recruitment record – according to former Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – while the former Yokohama Marinos boss has also earned plaudits for his "beautiful attacking football", as per BT Sport pundit, Owen Hargreaves.

Despite having been something of an unknown quantity prior to the move to Glasgow, the experienced asset is now rightfully catching the attention of clubs south of the border, with it set to be a notable coup if Levy could tempt the one-time Australia boss to make the switch in the near future.

Would Postecoglou be a good fit at Spurs?

If Postecoglou is to be snapped up any time soon, the highly-coveted coach could look to emulate the impact that another former Celtic man has enjoyed in the Premier League of late, with Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers having enjoyed a standout spell at the King Power Stadium in recent years.

While the former Liverpool and Swansea City ace had previously coached in England's top flight prior to making the move to Scotland, the Northern Irishman certainly enhanced his reputation during his time in the Scottish Premiership, having won a plethora of major honours during his three-year spell – notably guiding his side to an unbeaten domestic campaign in 2016/17.

That remarkable hot streak unsurprisingly led to interest from afar, with Rodgers ultimately taking the somewhat controversial decision to move on from the historic club to join the Foxes midway through the 2018/19 season, in order to get started early in his new surroundings.

While that certainly damaged the Carnlough native's image back in Glasgow – even irking members of his own family in the process – that mid-season switch subsequently proved fruitful, with the one-time Watford boss using that extra time to settle to good effect as he went on to steer Leicester to fifth in his first full season at the club, before repeating that feat the following season.

Although the 50-year-old – who has also been linked with a move to Spurs – has come under pressure of late with the Midlands outfit currently battling to stave off relegation, the Foxes did claim a first-ever FA Cup triumph back in 2021, before also winning the Community Shield.

That success may well indicate that Rodgers has taken the winning mentality that he fostered at Celtic to his current post, with the hope being that Postecoglou could also mirror that journey if he is to link up with Levy and co any time soon.

The latter man may wish to wait until the summer before taking a decision on his future, although a repeat of Rodgers' mid-season move to England could also prove fruitful.

A number of Manchester United supporters have been reacting to the news that Harry Maguire will be suspended for the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton.

The Lowdown: Sunday chaos

Erik ten Hag’s side continued their long unbeaten record at Old Trafford following a dramatic quarter-final with Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

Aleksandar Mitrovic put the visitors in front in the second half before chaos ensued with 20 minutes to go. Jadon Sancho’s effort was blocked on the line by Willian, with referee Chris Kavanagh initially giving a corner. However, VAR advised the official to check the pitchside monitor, with Willian protesting and manager Marco Silva not happy. Silva was then shown a red card before Kavanagh awarded a penalty, with Willian also dismissed as well.

Mitrovic was also furious and pushed the referee’s arm, becoming the third visitor to be sent off. Bruno Fernandes equalised from the resulting spot kick before Marcel Sabitzer put United in front shortly after and Fernandes sealed a 3-1 win in stoppage time.

Ten Hag’s side will now take on Brighton at Wembley for a place in the final, but the United boss won’t have a full selection of players to choose from.

The Latest: Fans react to Maguire news

Maguire received a booking after just 21 minutes for a foul which meant that he would be suspended for the semi-final. United Report shared the news on Twitter during the game, where a number of supporters were actually happy at the update.

“Finally some good news” – @nilohitsharma

“Best thing to happen today even if we win” – @MattyMurray18

“Yessssss” – @thatmendiguy

“Blessing in disguise if Varane is for enough to replace him” – @forthesp0rts

“YESSSSS TODAY CAN’T GET ANY BETTER” – @kxngrxse

“One less game I have to endure Maguire in a United shirt until he’s sold to Newcastle in the summer. Seems like a decent enough lad but watching him play for United gives me major health problems. Looking forward to it being over, but I will have PTSD for many many years.” – @ManUnitedTalk

“This news, makes me feel better than seeing our performance” – @djuangnoff

The Verdict: Varane and Martinez?

Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been Ten Hag’s first-choice centre-back pairing this season. Varane missed the match on Sunday with an injury but is expected to be back in action following the international break.

Therefore, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the two were to start at Wembley next month, with Victor Lindelof a potential option from the bench.

Maguire being suspended isn’t ideal, though, despite the reaction from some fans, so Ten Hag will be hoping his squad remain fully fit over the coming months, especially at the back before the meeting with Brighton.