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Glenton Stuurman and Prenelan Subrayen are back in the mix too, while Sisanda Magala and Ryan Rickelton have earned maiden call-ups

Firdose Moonda07-Dec-2021Duanne Olivier could make a Test comeback after an absence of almost three years after being named in a 21-player squad for the upcoming three-Test series against India. The squad includes two new faces – seamer Sisanda Magala and top-order batter Ryan Rickelton, who were both part of the ODI line-up that played in the series against Netherlands, which had to be postponed because of the latest Covid-19 outbreak – and recalls for offspin-bowling allrounder Prenelan Subrayen and quick bowler Glenton Stuurman, who have been part of previous Test squads but haven’t been capped.The rest of the group is largely the same as the one that toured West Indies in June, which is when South Africa last played Test cricket. That series, which South Africa won 2-0, was Dean Elgar’s first as the regular captain. The upcoming one against India will be his first in charge at home. His vice-captain, Temba Bavuma, who was on tour in the Caribbean but missed the Tests because of injury, is also in the squad.Related

Meet the quicks: South Africa's fast bowlers for the India series

CSA postpones Round 4 of Division 2 four-day matches

India to tour SA for three Tests, three ODIs

South Africa have given themselves several options in all departments, especially in the bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are expected to lead the pack, with Lungi Ngidi included after recovering from Covid-19, two left-armers in Marco Jansen and Beuran Hendricks, and two right-arm options in Stuurman and Magala.A lot of the focus, though, will be on Olivier, who has been in exceptional form for the Lions and leads the first-class wickets chart this season with 28 strikes at 11.14, including two five-wicket hauls.Olivier spoke to ESPNcricinfo after the last round of fixtures and confirmed that he had been in discussion with selection convener Victor Mpitsang and was available for South Africa again after his Kolpak-enforced absence. He is the second Kolpak-returnee to be selected for a national squad after Wayne Parnell, who played against Netherlands.Conditions, on the whole, are expected to favour quicks, especially at SuperSport Park and Wanderers, where the first two Tests are scheduled to be played, but Newlands could offer something for spinners and South Africa have three of them too. Keshav Maharaj remains the first pick, and will have back-up in allrounders George Linde and Subrayen. Tabraiz Shamsi, who was part of the Test squad in West Indies, has not been selected while there was also no room for the second-highest wicket-taker – behind Olivier – in the first-class competition, Simon Harmer. But South Africa have included one seam-bowling allrounder in Wiaan Mulder.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe batting line-up has a more familiar look to it, with Sarel Erwee providing back-up to Elgar and Aiden Markram at the top of the order, and Rassie van der Dussen, Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne and de Kock expected to make up the top six.Rickelton, the other back-up batter who is in tenth place on the first-class run chart, has been preferred over Tony de Zorzi and Pieter Malan, who are leading run-scorers in the ongoing series between South Africa A and India A.This is South Africa’s first series in the 2021-2023 cycle of the World Test Championship, and first series at home since they hosted Sri Lanka over the festive period last summer. They finished fifth in the previous edition of the ICC tournament, winning two series – against Sri Lanka and West Indies – and losing three – to England, India and Pakistan. It also marks the start of a busy summer for South Africa in which they host India, travel to New Zealand, and host Bangladesh, before a winter tour in England, and it was all very nearly derailed after the discovery of Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant last month.The series has been pushed out by a week – it was initially scheduled to be played from December 17, and the first Test will now start on Boxing Day. The players will be in a biosecure bubble for the duration of the series, although they can expect to see some fans. As things stand in South Africa, 2,000 fully-vaccinated fans are permitted at sporting venues but this may change if further restrictions come into place in the next few weeks.

Just when it looked like West Ham United were back on track following their victory over Manchester United last week, they came crashing back down to earth on Saturday afternoon.

Julen Lopetegui would have seen the win against the Red Devils as a potential turning point in their season, but a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest will see him head straight back to the drawing board.

The Spaniard wasn’t helped by his side going down to ten men before the halftime whistle, as Edson Alvarez received two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes.

Edson Alvarez let West Ham down vs Forest

The midfielder was making just his fifth Premier League start of the season as Lopetegui added him into a midfield partnership alongside Guido Rodriguez, with Lucas Paqueta and Crysencio Summerville ahead of them.

During his time on the pitch, Alvarez took 29 touches, completed only 64% of his passes, and won four of his seven total duels contested.

After 39 minutes, he was booked after foolishly tugging Murillo’s shirt, before sliding in to foul Anthony Elanga minutes before the whistle blew for the interval, resulting in him being given his marching orders.

Already trailing by a goal to nil, it was going to be harder than ever for the Irons to recover as they duly conceded twice in the second half to lose 3-0 and suffer another damaging defeat.

Despite the Mexican being sent off, he wasn’t the worst performer in the West Ham side on Saturday afternoon. That honour belongs to Rodriguez.

Guido Rodriguez’s game in numbers vs Forest

When Lopetegui signed the Argentinian World Cup winner for free in the summer, it was looked upon as a shrewd piece of business.

After nine Premier League starts, the midfielder had yet to demonstrate his class, despite arriving with a solid reputation.

Touches

26

Passes (completed)

17 (23)

Tackles

0

Possession lost

7

Total duels (won)

3 (0)

Key passes

0

Via Sofascore

He was hooked at halftime after a turgid display in the first half where he won zero duels, completed just 17 passes, failed to succeed with any of his four long ball attempts, and lost possession seven times.

Rodriguez even committed a foul – resulting in a booking – was dribbled past once and made zero tackles during his woeful 45 minutes on the pitch.

Tom Rennie, editor of talkSPORT, criticised the South American for his display, as he described him as “ineffective” due to his lack of qualities in midfield.

It now remains to be seen whether Lopetegui will continue to persist with him in the centre of his midfield, after such a poor first-half display from the summer signing, who joined from Real Betis on a free transfer.

The Spaniard is a man under pressure. With a clash against Everton up next, anything other than a positive result could see his position become untenable, which is why he will need to be careful with his team selection and could immediately ditch Rodriguez from the starting XI.

The case stems from an incident that is alleged to have taken place on August 14 this year

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2021Yasir Shah has been named in a case concerning the alleged rape of a girl.The FIR (First Information Report) was registered at Islamabad’s Shalimar police station on December 19 by the aunt of the girl at the centre of the complaint.The case was registered against Shah and, according to the complainant, his friend, Farhanuddin, under sections 292-B and 292-C (child pornography) as well as 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code.The case stems from an incident that is alleged to have taken place on August 14 this year. No arrests have been made in the case yet.In the complaint, the girl alleges that she was raped by Farhanuddin but that Shah allegedly threatened the aunt when she was going to the police to file the complaint.Shah has not made any comment on the situation but the PCB said: “We have noted that some allegations have been levelled against one of our Centrally Contracted players.”The PCB is presently gathering information at its end and will only offer a comment when in possession of complete facts.”

Arne Slot's Reds could end the week anywhere between four and 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League with some huge games on the horizon

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This season hasn't quite been one from hell for Arsenal – they only need to glance over at the atrocities of rivals Manchester United and Tottenham to understand what that really looks like – but, to paraphrase a bitter 'Come Dine With Me' contestant, they have stumbled through it with the grace and decorum of a reversing dump truck.

Whenever it seems as if the Gunners can join together spurts of momentum, they are unceremoniously tripped up and out of that stride. Injuries have mainly been their Achilles heel, though underwhelming summer and winter transfer windows have contributed, be that directly or indirectly, to the malaise as well. That for the second season running a new midfielder, first Kai Havertz and now Mikel Merino, will end the year as the starting striker is emblematic to such carelessness in recruitment.

Mikel Arteta's side are out of both domestic cups and are not in the driving seat for either the Premier League or the Champions League. If they are to be crowned kings of England for the first time in 21 years, they need to not only up their own game, but hope and pray for an inexplicable collapse from leaders Liverpool – only 1995-96 Newcastle have not finished first after leading by seven points or more at this stage of a Premier League season.

Up on Merseyside, Arne Slot's men have emerged from a gruelling double gameweek with four points. That number could have been six as easily as it could have been two. Sunday's 2-1 victory at home to Wolves was particularly jangling for the Anfield nerves.

Arsenal require some help from a few old enemies over the next fortnight to chase down Liverpool, who continue their charge with a trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday. Awaiting them at Villa Park is the new-age duo of Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford, desperate for goals, desperate to secure another season of Champions League football.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportBringers of Arsenal pain

Arsenal's recent tapestry has been trodden across by a series of pantomime villains; Watkins and Rashford are among the top tormentors.

For two seasons running, Villa have rocked up to the Emirates Stadium and rained on the hosts' parade. A few weeks ago, Watkins, a boyhood Gunner, provided the equaliser in a 2-2 draw, while he led the way in last year's 2-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts the title to Manchester City.

Rashford's Premier League career with Manchester United began with an unexpected brace in a 3-2 win at home to Arsenal, another occasion which trashed their title credentials. In more recent times, he came up with a double that ended their unbeaten start to the 2022-23 campaign.

It will be refreshing for Gunners fans to be on the other side of the fence on Wednesday, rooting for two of their nemeses as opposed to fearing them.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDerisory bid

Yet the present and futures of Watkins, Rashford and Arsenal could have been oh so different. At the tail end of the January window, the north Londoners launched a bid for Villa's No.11, though one well below asking price at a relatively measly £45 million ($57m).

It was never going to be enough for Villa to accept, particularly so late in the month and with Jhon Duran already halfway out the door to Al-Nassr for an even more extravagant fee. All it showed was Arsenal were indeed in the market for a striker having kept their powder dry to that point in the window, but weren't serious enough about such an endeavour to succeed.

Since news of that offer broke, Watkins has contributed two goals and two assists in three games for Villa. His head may have been temporarily turned – and who would blame him? – but he has got back down to business. There hasn't been as much fanfare about his season, yet he's still chugging along and putting up numbers.

Getty Images SportRedemption project too far?

Arsenal were also touted as a potential landing spot for Rashford after he revealed his desire to leave United early in the winter. Alas, any lingering interest in the forward never advanced.

There was a pretty solid case for Arteta to take a troubled Rashford under his wing having already salvaged the careers of some of their rivals' other distressed assets, namely Havertz and Jorginho from Chelsea. The need for a versatile forward with pace and dynamism added further fuel to that fire of wonder and intrigue.

Nevertheless, Arsenal probably felt vindicated by a lack of other serious suitors for Rashford. AC Milan quickly came off the table when they prioritised Kyle Walker for the final non-EU spot in their squad, while Barcelona were never going to be able to afford a deal having struggled for weeks to even register their own players already on the books.

Villa took a punt because they have nothing much left to lose in a season threatening to run out of steam. It would have gone against Arsenal's keep calm and carry on memo to take such a risk.

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Getty Images SportNew partnership

Watkins and Rashford have shared a Villa pitch for only 45 minutes, and already they appear to have an unspoken connection usually reserved for the best of attackers. The United loanee came off the bench for the second half of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town and was the game's protagonist, creating four chances, winning seven duels and rattling the post from a free-kick leading to Watkins' equaliser.

Rashford was criticised for an 18-month slump following his 30-goal exploits of 2022-23, though one Premier League appearance in claret and blue saw him roll back those years. There was, most notably, a spring and bounce about him that had disappeared entirely down the final stretch of his United career.

There have been fair question marks placed over Rashford and whether he can really hit the heights expected of him again, but you always know what you're getting with Watkins – a proven, top-level striker who leads by example with both ethic and output. He could click with any type of forward, and that quality could be Rashford's saving grace in his quest for rejuvenation and redemption.

After a good start to the 2024/25 campaign, Aston Villa are on a run of poor form. Unai Emery’s side have not won in their last four games, and have actually lost their last three in a row. That includes a humbling 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur away from home, in a game they were winning at half-time.

Despite this sticky patch, the Villans are not in a bad position as the busy Christmas period fast approaches. They are sixth in the Premier League, but level on points with fourth-place Chelsea. In the Champions League, Emery’s side sit eighth on nine points, just inside the automatic qualification spots.

However, there is no doubt they need to turn their form around, starting with a big trip to Anfield later today to face league leaders Liverpool. It is a game that Emery could shake things up, and perhaps start strikers Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins together.

Villa’s potential tactical tweak

It is not common to see Emery line up with both Duran and Watkins in the same starting lineup. The experienced England international tends to be first choice, with the young Columbian an option for the Villans boss to turn to off the bench.

However, given their poor run of form recently, it might be a good time for the Spaniard to switch it up and give the pair a start leading the line together. Incredibly, they have only played together 34 times, likely because Watkins is often replaced by Duran, and they have never combined for a goal.

Just because they are rarely on the pitch at the same time does not mean they don’t score in the same game. It has happened twice this season, and scored all three goals between them in an impressive 3-2 win against Everton, with Watkins scoring two and Duran a sublime winner.

However, their talent is undeniable. Watkins, in his role as first-choice number nine for the Villans, has performed well this term. He has five goals and three assists in 14 games, including seven goal involvements in just ten top-flight matches so far.

Likewise, 20-year-old Duran has worked hard despite so few minutes, as Emery looks to ease him into first-team football. He has played 16 times this term and has eight goals to his name, although that comes from just 580 minutes, the equivalent to just 6.4 full 90-minute games.

Should Emery decide to go down this route and start his deadly strike partnership at the same time, it would mean he has to drop another of his attackers.

Who could drop out to accommodate Duran and Watkins

Perhaps the prime candidate to drop out of the Villa starting lineup ahead of the crunch clash at Anfield is John McGinn. Initially, this may be an odd suggestion given the Scotsman is Villa’s captain and a brilliant utility player.

He has played 12 times this campaign, with a goal and assist to his name, both coming in the Champions League.

Sadly, however, the midfielder struggled in the Villans’ last outing in the Champions League against Club Brugge. In that game, his side lost 1-0, with the home side scoring a penalty won in bizarre fashion after a mistake from Tyrone Mings.

It was a disappointing showing from the Villa skipper, whose Sofascore stats from the game show just how difficult of a game it was for him. He had just 30 touches in the midfield, losing the ball five times and winning just one from three attempted duels.

Stat

Number

Touches

30

Pass accuracy

91%

Passes completed

20/22

Number of times possession lost

5

Duels won

1/3

Big chances missed

1

After a poor performance, the Scotland international, who earns £120k-per-week, could be the man to make way against the Reds.

His exclusion for Duran would not unbalance the team much, because Morgan Rogers can drop back and take McGinn’s role up instead.

It would be a bold move from Emery, but a tactical change like that could be just what Villa need to rejig their starting lineup as they look to get back to winning ways.

Fewer touches than Martinez: 4/10 Aston Villa star was just as bad as Mings

Aston Villa endured a terrible night in Belgium playing Club Brugge.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 7, 2024

South Africa seamer available to play in County Championship and Royal London Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2022Beuran Hendricks, the South Africa left-arm seamer, has signed to play for Leicestershire in 2022. Hendricks is set to feature in the County Championship and Royal London Cup in his first spell as an overseas player in county cricket.He will join compatriot Wiann Mulder as one of four overseas signings for the summer at Grace Road – with Afghanistan pair Naveen-ul-Haq and Rahmanullah Gurbaz on board for the Vitality Blast.”It is a great privilege to represent Leicestershire CCC for the upcoming season,” Hendricks said. “I would like to thank Claude Henderson and the club for this great opportunity. The Running Foxes have a very proud history and it gives me great excitement to be able to ply my trade in helping the club achieve their goals for the upcoming season.”I am very much looking forward to working with Paul Nixon and Colin Ackermann and I cannot wait to meet up with the rest of the squad.”Hendricks, 31, has played one Test, eight ODIs and 19 T20Is for his country, and was part of the squad for South Africa’s recent 2-1 Test series win over India.He has taken 330 wickets in his first-class career, at an average of 24.32, as well as another 104 in List A cricket, and will bolster a seam attack that last season relied heavily on the veteran Chris Wright for wickets.Leicestershire’s director of cricket, Claude Henderson, said: “To be able to add a bowler of Beuran’s quality to Leicestershire for 2022 is a real coup. He will provide great variety to the attack and we look forward to seeing him play for the Running Foxes.”

Manchester United’s new head coach, Ruben Amorim, already “loves” a player who is yet to make his Old Trafford debut, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The international break is slowly coming to an end, and that means the Red Devils are closer to getting the Amorim era underway, as they face Ipswich Town on Sunday. This will be the first time United fans get to see their side under their new head coach after having to wait a few weeks.

Forgotten Man Utd ace looks vital after Amorim's first training session

Ruben Amorim held his first training session at Manchester United on Monday.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 19, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

Amorim’s task straight away is to try and get the best out of the current crop of players he has at his disposal, as the majority of the players at Man United have been underperforming this season.

But in the long-term, the Portuguese may want INEOS to make changes to the squad that fit into the style he wants to play. That is something that the board already look to be doing, as United have two players on their radar who are very similar. The first player is Ademola Lookman, as reports have suggested that United have submitted an offer worth £83.5 million to sign the attacker from Atalanta, and the Italian side are open to a sale if they receive the right offer.

As well as Lookman, United are also ready to offer £33 million to sign Geovany Quenda from Sporting Lisbon in the summer. The 17-year-old has broken into the first team under Amorim, and the Red Devils are looking to reunite the pair at the end of the campaign, but for a lot less than the £84 million release clause that he has.

Transfers may soon be on Amorim’s mind, but the Portuguese is already in love with one of United’s players, and he has yet to make his debut for the club.

Fabrizio Romano says Amorim “loves” Man Utd's Leny Yoro

According to Romano, relayed by Give Me Sport, Amorim “loves” Manchester United’s Leny Yoro despite the defender yet to make his competitive debut for the club.

The Red Devils managed to beat Real Madrid to the signing and brought the young centre-back to Old Trafford in the summer from Lille. Yoro played against Rangers in pre-season before travelling to the USA but was injured in the game against Arsenal, and it ruled him out for the first few months of the campaign.

Yoro is now closing in on his return, with him training for the last couple of weeks, and there is an expectation that he will be in the matchday squad this Sunday against Ipswich. Ahead of that game, Romano revealed that Amorim already “loves” Yoro as well as Kobbie Mainoo, as they are the sort of players he wants to take this team forward with.

Apps

44

Goals

3

Assists

0

Romano said: “Kobbie Mainoo is a crucial player for Manchester United owners, directors, and for Manchester United staff. Ruben Amorim loves these kind of players. Kobbie Mainoo, Leny Yoro, these sort of players are exactly the direction he wants to take for Man United’s future.

“So the new contract of Mainoo is going to be an important topic in the next few weeks and months. Man United are still working on it. We are not yet at the final stages, but the conversation remains ongoing, and the conversation remains positive on both player and club sides.”

Referee Michael Oliver will not officiate any Premier League games this weekend due to how he handled the horror foul on Jean Philippe-Mateta.

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Mateta taken to hospital over horror challenge Referee Oliver initially fails to send off Milwall keeperWon't officiate weekend's PL games as a result Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mateta was rushed to hospital after Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts kicked the Palace striker in the face in their FA Cup win at the weekend. Now, The Athletic claims Oliver has not been given a refereeing appointment for matchweek 28 (March 8-10) after his decision to initially not send off the Lions keeper on Saturday. Play was stopped for several minutes while the 6ft 4in forward received treatment and after consulting his pitchside monitor, Roberts was eventually red carded by the 40-year-old official.

AdvertisementgettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mateta needed 25 stitches to his left ear as a result of the challenge, but the 27-year-old said he was "doing well" later that day. While the Frenchman is on the road to recovery, Roberts is facing an extended ban for his actions.

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The report adds that Oliver, who sent off Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly against Wolves in January before that was overturned following an appeal, is not on fourth official or video assistant referee duty this weekend as well.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

While Oliver is not in Premier League action this weekend, he will be in charge of Bayern Munich's Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi is still refusing to confirm his 2026 World Cup plans, with the all-time great leaving Argentina and the rest of a global audience guessing on whether he will form part of a global title defence from the reigning champions next summer. The mercurial No.10 remains part of Lionel Scaloni’s squad for now, but says he does not “want to be a burden”.

MLS schedule causes concern for Messi

It is difficult to imagine how the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could ever be anything but a positive presence for his country, but the 38-year-old is aware that plying his trade in MLS may leave him short on match sharpness heading into a summer tournament.

Messi is currently approaching the end of another domestic campaign in the United States, with Golden Boot-winning exploits allowing him to guide Inter Miami into Conference semi-finals of the MLS Cup play-offs.

AdvertisementGettyMessi's Argentina record: Appearances and goals

Ultimate glory there would see Messi end another memorable season on a high, with a new contract being committed to in South Florida. He is now tied to terms with the Herons through 2028. While having plenty of games at club level left in him, questions of Messi’s international future have been asked for some time.

He has taken in a final outing on home soil, having helped Argentina through World Cup qualification, and is expected to bow out after gracing FIFA’s flagship event in 2026. He has already earned 195 caps for his country, while scoring 114 goals.

Is Messi a burden? GOAT keeping Argentina guessing

Messi is yet to reveal whether he will make himself available to Argentina next summer, having helped them to the most prestigious of prizes at Qatar 2022, with MLS seasons getting underway in the spring. Many of those that he is due to come up against in the United States, Canada and Mexico will head to the World Cup on the back of a full domestic campaign.

With that in mind, Messi has told when asked again about his potential involvement. He said when having it put to him that having another World Cup fast approaching is “very exciting”: “Yes, obviously it is. It's a special World Cup. It's special to play with the national team, especially in major official competitions, and even more so considering what a World Cup means, especially after having won it.

“But as I was saying, I don't want to be a burden, so to speak. I want to feel physically fit, to be sure I can help and contribute to the team. Our season is different from the European one. We'll have a pre-season in between, with few matches leading up to the World Cup, and we'll see how things go day by day to see if I really feel physically fit enough to be where I'd like to be and be able to participate.

“But obviously, I'm aware that it's a World Cup, and it's special, and that the World Cup is the biggest competition there is. So, I'm excited, but I'm taking it one day at a time.”

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GettyLife after Messi: Argentina happy with squad depth

Argentina have started to plan for life after Messi, with injury-enforced absences for the veteran forward allowing others to stake a claim for an iconic playmaking post. Scaloni is happy with the depth that his squad now boasts.

He has said of eventually ending up in a position where a talismanic presence can no longer be called upon: “The team is now in a moment where it can play in the same way with Leo or without Leo, which used to be more complex in the past as we had to change some players. But now we don't have this necessity and the team works in the same way, that's good.”

Messi is currently with the Argentina squad as they prepare for a friendly date with Angola. With that camp being held in Alicante, the former Barcelona superstar has taken in a secret visit to Camp Nou – ahead of that stadium being reopened after an elaborate upgrade. He is delighted to have revisited familiar surroundings and admitted that he and his family hope to return to Catalunya on a permanent basis at some stage in the not-too-distant future.

Crystal Palace’s squad has been built really well in the past few years, with a mixture of experienced Premier League players being signed, some astute youngsters being poached for good fees, and even bringing some academy prospects of their own through.

Players like Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze and Dean Henderson were all signed for good fees relative to their potential ability.

Alongside clever additions such as Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada, Daniel Munoz, Will Hughes, Ismaila Sarr, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who are more experienced members of the squad.

But it’s their academy that has plenty of promise to add more to this squad in the next year or so, adding to Tyrick Mitchell and Nathaniel Clyne who are the only real starters in the squad to come through the academy.

Crystal Palace's upcoming academy stars

One of the brightest stars in the academy is winger, Asher Agbinone, who has made two sub appearances totalling four minutes for the Eagles this season. Oliver Glasner has used him from the bench, stating he has “a lot of pace” and calling him a “very good talent”.

Justin Devenny is another to have broken through this season, making two senior appearances alongside his eight U21 appearances this campaign. The 21-year-old made a heroic impact just last weekend, scoring his first Premier League goal against Aston Villa, as the sides drew 2-2 at Villa Park.

But one academy product who is currently out on loan, and could return to make a real impact for the Eagles, is Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, a player who teammate Marc Guehi praised as a player with “great potential” last season.

Why Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could be the new Zaha

Rak-Sakyi is making waves in the Championship this term, and has impressed of late. Indeed, he notably scored in Sheffield United’s 3-0 victory over Oxford on Tuesday night, also making three key passes in the game.

So far this season, the 22-year-old has made 17 appearances for the Blades, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 884 minutes. Sheffield United currently sit top of the Championship, and Rak-Sakyi has played a big part in that so far this season.

So, how could he fit into the current squad at Selhurst Park?

Goals

0.41

0.27

0.14

Assists

0.20

0.11

0.14

xG

0.36

0.26

0.29

xAG

0.23

0.11

0.27

Progressive Carries

4.51

3.39

3.02

Progressive Passes

1.76

2.95

1.59

Shots Total

2.45

2.65

2.61

Key Passes

1.98

1.46

1.59

Shot-Creating Actions

4.62

3.58

4.29

Successful Take-Ons

2.53

2.17

0.63

When comparing Rak-Sakyi to Wilfried Zaha in his last season at Palace, and new signing Sarr this season, the 22-year-old impressively comes out on top in seven of the ten metrics analysed, providing better output (goals + assists), more progressive carries per 90, and more creative actions such as take-ons, key passes and shot-creating actions.

These are all traits that Palace have been missing since losing Zaha, and also losing Michael Olise in the summer. Rak-Sakyi clearly looks like he could be the man to provide that extra creative edge from wide areas, certainly in comparison to summer signing Sarr who hasn’t had the fastest start to life with the Eagles.

Once the Eagles youngster returns next season, if Sarr fails to impress to a satisfactory level, he could well be given a chance in the first team, enabling him to finally become the Zaha replacement that Palace fans have been craving since his departure.

Their next Olise: Crystal Palace could have a £100m + star in the making

Crystal Palace could have their next Olise with £100m ace in the making

ByConnor Holden Nov 16, 2024