Recuperação relâmpago. Diego Gonçalves respondeu bem aos tratamentos após uma lesão sofrida no quadril no fim de agosto e pode retornar aos gramados antes do tempo previsto. Nesta quinta-feira, o atacante treinou normalmente com o grupo do Botafogo no Estádio Nilton Santos.
+ CEO do Botafogo prevê melhora no orçamento do clube: ‘Vamos entregar resultado R$ 70 milhões melhor’
Inicialmente, a previsão era de que o atacante perdesse até dez jogos da Série B do Brasileirão, ficando fora fora de combate por mais de um mês. O camisa 11, porém, evoluiu de forma positiva aos tratamentos e já retornou ao campo.
A resposta foi tão boa que existe a possibilidade de Diego Gonçalves ser relacionado e ficar no banco para a partida contra o Londrina, neste sábado, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pela 23ª rodada da Série B. A comissão técnica ainda avalia essa questão internamente.
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O atacante iniciou a transição aos gramados apenas uma semana de o clube ter divulgado a lesão. Duas semanas depois do problema muscular, o clube até cogita levá-lo a um jogo novamente – ou seja, o atleta se recuperou na metade do tempo previsto inicialmente pelo Glorioso.
Nesta quinta-feira, ele participou normalmente das atividades do grupo com o treinador Enderson Moreira. Caberá ao comandante levar o atleta ou não ao banco de reservas na próxima partida.
He can officially join the team only after he tests negative for Covid-19
Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2020Gemcon Khulna won the lottery that determined which team Mashrafe Mortaza would represent in the ongoing Bangabandhu Cup T20. The BCB held a lottery in its conference room today where four teams – Khulna, Fortune Barishal, Beximco Dhaka and Minister Rajshahi – had their names in a bowl. As it turned out, the board director Jalal Yunus drew the name of Khulna from it.Mortaza passed a fitness test and also underwent a Covid-19 test this morning. But only after he tests negative for Covid-19 will he be eligible to enter the BCB’s biosecure bubble and officially join the Khulna team. He had already begun bowling with a full run-up last week following a recovery from a hamstring injury that he suffered last month, which came on the back of him having also contracted the coronavirus a few months back.Khulna, who are in action against Minister Rajshahi in their sixth game today, have two more matches left. Mortaza’s addition means he joins his national side team-mates Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan in their side.Kazi Inam Ahmed, the managing director of Gemcon Sports – the company which owns the Khulna team – said they are happy to see Mortaza join Khulna, a division that has Narail, his hometown and the constituency he represents as a member of parliament, as one of its districts.”We are excited and delighted to have [got] Mashrafe Mortaza in the lottery held by BCB, where four teams participated,” Ahmed said. “Mashrafe has never played for any Khulna franchise in the BPL, so it is a huge deal to have him. He is from Khulna division – from Narail district – where he is a member of parliament, and he will now play the Bangabandhu T20 Cup.”He is always a big impact player, so I am sure this will be a real motivation for the rest of the team. I hope my team can do even better with him around and I wish that he has a good tournament.”When Mortaza was declared fit by the BCB trainer Tushar Kanti Howlader, Khulna were among four teams who had voiced their interest to take the veteran pace bowler.Later on, even Barishal, Dhaka and Rajshahi showed an inclination to have Mortaza in their side. The BCB had already mentioned that once fit, Mortaza would be made available to any team during the competition, and if there was more than one team who was interested in having him, they would conduct a lottery.Mortaza’s last competitive match was a Dhaka Premier League game for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club against Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity as far back as March 16. By then, he had resigned as Bangladesh’s ODI captain, having led his team to a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series against Zimbabwe earlier that month.
Glasgow Rangers will have a number of big decisions to make throughout the summer transfer window, with players coming in and out of Ibrox.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has already been hard at work on the former, with deals for Oscar Cortes, Jefte, and Clinton Nsiala already agreed.
FAR Rabat attacker Hamza Igamane is also reportedly closing in on a permanent move to the Scottish giants to bolster Philippe Clement's attacking options.
Meanwhile, John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Jon McLaughlin, Ryan Jack, and Kemar Roofe have left the club to become free agents, after their contracts expired at the end of last month.
Borna Barisic
There may, however, be further exits from Glasgow as the Light Blues could look to cash in on some of their contracted players to generate funds for more new signings to improve the team before the window slams shut at the end of August.
One current first-team star who could be moved on to make way for a replacement in his position is experienced central defender Connor Goldson, amid links to an addition in that area of the park.
Rangers' interest in £4m colossus
It was recently reported by Austrian media, via The Scotsman, that the Gers are one of the sides interested in a swoop to sign Salernitana defender Flavius Daniliuc this summer.
The report claimed that both Old Firm sides – Rangers and Celtic – are eyeing up the 23-year-old colossus, who was signed from Nice for £4m in 2022, to bolster their defensive options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
It stated that both of them are in the market to add new centre-backs to their ranks as they look to protect their respective goalkeepers more next term.
Daniliuc spent the 2022/23 season on loan with RB Salzburg in his home country but it has been reported that they have decided not to take up their option to sign him on a permanent basis, although they may look to agree another deal for him later in the window.
Meanwhile, Football Insider have reported that Steven Gerrard is pushing to snap up Goldson from Rangers to improve his Al-Ettifaq squad in Saudi Arabia.
The outlet stated that the Gers do not want to lose the veteran defender but could be forced to cash in on him if a 'big' offer arrives on their desk from the Pro League side.
Football Insider added that Nsiala's arrival would help to replace Goldson but that a more experienced option would be required, and that is where Daniluic could come in and allow Clement to brutally ditch the Englishman.
Why Rangers should cash in on Connor Goldson
The 31-year-old central defender enjoyed a solid season at the back for the Gers in the Scottish Premiership but this could be the ideal time to cash in on him.
At the age of 31, the English battler is heading into the final throes of his playing career and may not have much development, if any, left in him, which means that his value may not be any higher than it is now.
Connor Goldson and James Tavernier
With two years left on his contract, the Light Blues would also be in an uncomfortable position next summer as he would only have one year left and they would risk losing him for nothing the following year if they did not sell him for a cut-price in 2025.
Therefore, this summer could be the optimal time to sell the former Brighton & Hove Albion man, particularly amid interest from Al-Ettifaq and Gerrard, as the Pro League side could offer them a chance to rake in some cash that they can then reinvest before the end of the window.
Starts
30
Tackles per game
1.5
Interceptions per game
0.3
Ball recoveries per game
5.5
Ground duel success rate
73%
Aerial duel success rate
67%
As you can see in the table above, Goldson was an important player for Rangers in the Premiership this season as he started 30 of their 38 league games.
The right-footed titan showcased his physical dominance by winning the majority of his contests on the deck and in the air against opposition players.
However, Clement can now brutally ditch the experienced star by signing Daniliuc to replace him, which would allow the Scottish giants to cash in on him amid the interest from Gerrard's team.
Why Rangers should sign Flavius Daniliuc
Firstly, the 23-year-old is eight years younger than Goldson and would arrive at Ibrox as a player with the potential to be a key defender for many, many, more years to come.
If he can adapt to Scottish football and establish himself as an important piece in Clement's system, Rangers could have a starting centre-back for a very long time unless they opt to sell him on at a later date.
His form in the Austrian Bundesliga during the second half of the season and the Serie A during the first half of the campaign suggest that the potential is there for him to be a strong addition to the squad.
Passes attempted
53.86
49.72
Progressive passes
3.43
4.48
Progressive carries
0.14
0.97
Successful take-ons
0.00
0.12
Shot-creating actions
1.14
1.21
As you can see in the table above, Daniliuc could come in and offer more in build-up play than Goldson, as he has averaged more progressive passes, shot-creating actions, and progressive carries per 90 over the last year, despite attempting fewer passes.
This suggests that Clement could improve how frequently his team can build attacks by progressing the ball out from the back by signing the Salernitana ace to bolster his backline.
The Austria international also won 52% of his duels in the Bundesliga and 57% of his aerial battles in the Serie A, which shows that he can win the majority of his battles on the pitch, albeit not as efficiently as the current Gers titan.
Back in 2021, U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed him as a "generational" talent and "Rolls Royce" for Nice, before his move to Salernitana, and the Light Blues could hope to unlock that potential at Ibrox.
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The 23-year-old's statistics suggest that the quality is there for him to hit the ground running as an excellent replacement for Goldson, particularly with his use of the ball, whilst the young defender could also grow and improve under Clement over the years to come.
Cole Palmer has seen a meteoric rise in his stocks since his move to Chelsea, however, Emmanuel Petit thinks he is "far from world-class".
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Cole Palmer in top form for ChelseaPetit thinks Palmer is far from world-classSays he can reach the top levelFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Palmer made the sensational £42.5 million ($54m) switch from Manchester City to Chelsea in the summer of 2023 as he looked for consistent playing time which he did not achieve under Pep Guardiola. Palmer slotted straight into the Chelsea team and was quick to become their best player in an otherwise disappointing campaign.
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So far this season, Palmer has kept up the same form as the 22-year-old has scored six goals and provided five assists in eight Premier League games. However, former Chelsea and Arsenal defensive midfielder Petit thinks that while Palmer has been impressive, he is yet to show 'world-class' form.
WHAT PETIT SAID
Speaking to , Petit said: "Will the hype around Cole Palmer derail his form? No, I don’t think so. Palmer had a very good season last season, but started poorly this season and responded well in September.
"The media are making so much noise about young talented players. Palmer is a very good player but he’s not yet a top international player and that’s the level he needs to reach. He shows promising skills, maturity and personality but he’s done nothing yet if we’re honest and is far from world-class at the moment."
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?
The Chelsea talisman will now be in action when the Blues take on Newcastle United on October 27. Enzo Maresca has left Palmer out of the club's Europa Conference League squad, so he is unavailable for Thursday's visit to Panathinaikos.
The 2023/24 campaign fizzled out like a disappointing firework at Molineux but Gary O'Neil and his Wolverhampton Wanderers squad have shown enough to suggest the upcoming term will bring promise and thrills.
Many supporters are left waiting for an unconscionable amount of time during the early phase of the summer transfer window but Wolves have already signalled a statement of intent by signing 20-year-old winger Rodrigo Gomes from Braga for a £13m fee.
He's pacy and nimble and willing to put in a shift, and if the £60m-rated Pedro Neto is to be sold this summer, prudent moves have been made to secure his services.
Wolves winger Pedro Neto
Wolves still hope to sign a centre-forward, however, and if Neto is indeed allowed to leave, O'Neil will have ample funds to bolster his frontline, with one long-term target appearing to be the perfect fit.
Wolves could sign new striker
Only a few weeks ago, it looked nailed-on that Che Adams would join Wolves upon the expiry of his contract with Southampton this month, but interest from a host of other suitors has since cast the deal into doubt.
Southampton forward Che Adams
Still, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Wolves will indeed sign a striker this summer, and with this in mind, Fosun could now act on interest in Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia.
According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this week – via Sport Witness – Wolves' pursuit of Dia has hit a snag, with the Premier League side yet to meet Salernitana's price tag of €20m (£17m).
Why Boulaye Dia would be perfect for Wolves
Dia has suffered a series of disagreements with his Serie A team over the past year and this has inhibited his chances of building on an exemplary 2022/23 campaign.
Boulaye Dia: Serie A stats 22/23 vs 23/24
Stats
2022/23
2023/24
Matches played
33
17
Matches started
27
12
Goals
16
4
Assists
6
0
Big chances missed
5
3
Pass completion
77%
84%
Shots per game
1.5
1.7
Key passes per game
1.1
0.6
Dribbles per game
1.1
0.8
Duels won per game
3.3
2.8
Stats via Sofascore
The 27-year-old has proven himself a high-level goalscorer and in new conditions at Wolves, he may be able to shift the currents that have disrupted his football of late.
Scoring 16 goals (in 2022/23) while only missing five big chances is a remarkably clinical ability; it's no wonder that journalist Jonas Adnan Giæver hailed him as a "beast" and an "absolute monster" back in 2021, a portent of success to come.
Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia
The Senegalese's creativity and dynamism are characteristics that make him much more than simply a goalscorer, with his ball-playing ability simply a further instrument to a wide-ranging array of qualities. As per FBref, the £42k-per-week ace actually ranks among the top 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion.
This level of technical ability would only serve to boost the recently-signed Gomes, whose dynamic wide role – on either flank – demands a clinical talisman who also offers connective play through crisp passing movements.
Target Scouting reporter Joe Pearce said that the Portuguese starlet "has rapid acceleration and the stamina to make real lung-bursting runs from deeper positions.
"When he spots space ahead, he attacks it and shows real intensity in wanting to break forward and anticipate second balls, attacking the back post and following up on shots looking for rebounds, and has scored and assisted from this type of situation."
Boulaye Dia for Senegal
Gomes is a young talent and will indeed need assistance in acclimatising to life in the Premier League, and while Molineux already boasts a top-class striker in Matheus Cunha, Dia could take his place in the team if need be.
With such a versatile approach to his attacking play, Dia could even be a feasible replacement for Cunha, should the Brazilian leave this summer.
Wolves hope to continue their 2023/24 top scorer, but with Manchester United in pursuit and Cunha admitting that he is flattered by the Red Devils' interest, saying "it’s a real honour to have your name linked to Manchester United. One of the biggest clubs in the world."
Cunha might have enjoyed a rich goalscoring season but that is merely one string to a vibrant bow, also ranking among the top 14% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for tackles per 90.
Matheus Cunha scores for Wolves
Dubbed "a complete player" by former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui, Cunha is a fantastic, influential player but Dia could certainly imitate his role in O'Neil's team, should push come to shove.
How Wolves' starting XI could look after £83m summer spending spree
The Old Gold might not boast the deep pockets of other teams but some exciting arrivals could be welcomed this summer.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed some joy in the transfer market so far this summer, managing to sign talents such as Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes, while making Tommy Doyle’s loan move from Manchester City a permanent one.
Things are gearing up nicely for Gary O’Neil and his side as they look to crack the top half of the Premier League table next season.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil before a Premier League game.
The main question is, can he prevent his prized assets from departing the club this summer?
Wolves could lose one of their best players this summer
Joao Gomes is the man who is in high demand as of late, with several teams showing interest in signing the Old Gold midfielder.
Joao Gomes for Wolves
According to Brazilian journalist Valentin Furlan, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are all showing plenty of admiration for the former Flamengo midfielder.
He states that Wolves are not opposed to letting him leave during the current window, and they could demand a transfer fee in the region of £50m to do so.
If O’Neil did sell Gomes in the next few weeks, it wouldn’t be the first time they have lost one of their finest players to a member of the Premier League elite, as Matheus Nunes joined Manchester City last summer after a single season in the Midlands.
Wolves could face another Matheus Nunes situation
The Old Gold signed the Portuguese midfielder from Sporting Club in 2022 for a club-record fee, and he went on to make 41 appearances for the Midlands side before being lured to City in the summer of 2023.
Goals
0
Assists
2
Accurate passes per game
23.7
Total duels won per game
3.3
Big chances created
2
Key passes per game
0.6
Possession lost per game
7.8
While they made a profit on the player, it is not something which the club will want to undergo again, losing talented youngsters the moment they start to perform and showcase their true potential.
Gomes only cost the Molineux outfit £15m in January 2023 and has since gone on to make a total of 49 appearances since then, emerging as a key player throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes celebrates
Among his teammates, Gomes ranked sixth for key passes per game (0.6) along with ranking first for tackles per game (3.8) in the Premier League last term.
His defensive skills were impressive, and he even ranks in the top 1% when compared to his positional peers for tackles per 90 (4.35) among those in the top five European leagues, showcasing how effective he can be in the middle of the pitch.
It is perhaps no surprise to hear him being described as a “warrior” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2021, as he emerged as a prodigious talent for Flamengo.
Losing him would be a big blow for the club as they seek to improve on a solid debut season under O’Neil.
While they would most certainly receive a substantial fee for the Brazilian, O’Neil’s preference will surely be to keep the midfield dynamo ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, especially if he seeks to break into the top half of the league table.
Could be Jota 2.0: O'Neil at risk of losing "different" Wolves star
Manchester City have yet to make a signing this summer as Pep Guardiola plots how he can get his team firing on all fronts in a bid to reclaim the Champions League trophy they won in 2023.
While winning a fourth successive Premier League crown – making history in the process – is a wonderful achievement, it is not enough to satiate the City faithful.
Could they be about to deliver another blow to Manchester United, but this time in the transfer market as opposed to on the pitch?
Manchester City eye up swoop for Barcelona star
According to reports in Spain (via Football365), Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong ‘wants to join’ Man City this summer.
Manchester United transfer target Frenkie de Jong in action for Barcelona.
It is no secret that Erik ten Hag is a keen admirer of the Dutchman, with reports from Spain (again via Football365) that the manager was lining up a swoop to bring both him and Matthijs de Ligt to Old Trafford during the transfer window in a bid to bolster his squad.
It looks as though City may now have the upper hand as they eye a swoop for the 5 foot 11 maestro, especially with Champions League football on offer at the Etihad, before the end of the window.
Player
Club joined from
Josko Gvardiol
RB Leipzig
Matheus Nunes
Wolves
Jeremy Doku
Stade Rennais
Mateo Kovacic
Chelsea
Via Transfermarkt
De Jong would be an excellent signing for the Premier League champions and could emerge as Guardiola’s own version of Arsenal star Declan Rice.
How Frenkie De Jong compares to Declan Rice
The current Arsenal sensation has gone from strength to strength since making the move from West Ham United to the Gunners last summer.
He finished last season with a 91% pass success rate while ranking first in their squad for tackles per game (2.2) and signing someone with similar sort of qualities could allow Guardiola to strengthen his midfield.
The Englishman is currently the tenth-most comparable player to the Barcelona gem via FBref and last season, they registered similar statistics with regard to shot-creating actions (3.3 vs 2.79), percentage of challenges won (42.1% vs 56.1%), successful take-on percentage (54.2% vs 45.7%) and aerial duel percentage (57.5% vs 47.6%), demonstrating how close they are across several attacking and defensive metrics for their respective clubs.
De Jong was hailed by his former manager at Barcelona, Xavi, in 2023, saying: “Frenkie de Jong is one of the best midfielders in the world right now.
“He’s at spectacular level, he’s playing at incredible level — he gives us a lot, I’m so happy with Frenkie.”
A year later, the 27-year-old currently ranks in the top 5% when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for pass success rate (91.9%), progressive passes (8.70), and progressive carries (3.24) per 90, showing exactly what he could bring to a City team who love controlling and dictating games under Guardiola.
florian-neuhaus-frenkie-de-jong-west-ham
Much will depend on the fee Barcelona expects to receive for one of their prized assets, especially considering he still has two years remaining on his current contract at the Catalan giants.
Should he really want to move to Manchester, then the manager must go all out and bring him to England this summer to land his own Rice in the middle of the park to play alongside the likes of Rodri, Kevin de Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
Toni Kroos insists that the Ballon d'Or has "no place" in football after Vinicius Junior opted to snub the ceremony, with Rodri poised to win.
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Kroos hits out at Ballon d'Or
Believes Rodri will win
Vinicius skips ceremony
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Vinicius has skipped the Ballon d'Or ceremony, with Rodri poised to win the award after his superb season for both Manchester City and Spain. Vinicius scored 24 goals and registered 11 assists for Los Blancos as Real won La Liga and the Champions League, as well as the Supercopa de Espana, but clearly did not do enough to win the biggest individual prize in the sport. Rodri won the Premier League with City and Euro 2024 with Spain.
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Kroos maintains that the prize is redundant in a team sport, although that may be a view informed by the fact his team-mate has tasted disappointment. His old midfield partner, Luka Modric, was the last midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or. Kroos finished ninth in this year's voting.
WHAT KROOS SAID
Kroos said: “Rodri will win the Ballon d’Or. I’ve never seen the importance of these individual awards in football, they have no place”.
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WHAT NEXT?
Real Madrid play Valencia on November 2, before taking on AC Milan in the Champions League. Vinicius will be out to prove the awards panel wrong.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now very close to sealing his first signing of the summer, in a forward who could reportedly leave for half of his release clause.
Edu and Arteta seek midfield and forward upgrades at Arsenal
Sporting director Edu wants to shore up a variety of key areas for Arteta, as the Gunners look to mount a third-successive Premier League title challenge and thwart long-time champions Man City.
Ex-CEO says £60m player is in talks to join Arsenal from his former club
He’s exactly the kind of player “Arteta likes”.
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Emilio Galantini
Jun 21, 2024
Midfield and further forward are two areas that the north Londoners are keen to address this summer, with engine room ace Thomas Partey looking likely to depart Arsenal amid rumoured talks with Saudi Arabia.
They'll need a midfield replacement for the Ghana international, as Arsenal look to bring in both his heir and an alternative to star man Declan Rice in the midfield. Arteta could also sign a new attacker or two to bolster their forward line, despite Arsenal scoring over 90 goals in the Premier League alone last season.
Arsenal's top scorers in all competitions
Goals
Bukayo Saka
20
Leandro Trossard
17
Kai Havertz
14
Martin Odegaard
11
Gabriel Jesus
8
Kai Havertz dazzled in a makeshift centre-forward role under the Spaniard last season, with Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka also leading the way in terms of goals scored. However, it is believed Arteta personally wants a young striker to partner Havertz going forward.
Arsenal were in the race to sign RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko for the role, and made a proposal to sign the Slovenia international before he opted to sign a new deal at his current club instead.
Now, they're targeting alternative strikers they could do a deal for, and one is believed to be Sporting Lisbon sensation Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede, who bagged a head-turning 43 goals and 15 assists in all competitions last season, averaging one every 97 minutes, is attracting attention across Europe as a result.
There's an £86 million release clause in his contract, but respected Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport recently claimed that Sporting could actually sell Gyokeres for in and around £42 million – as there is a belief the player will be very tempted if some of the continent's biggest clubs come calling.
Arsenal "very close" to signing Viktor Gyokeres
As per Portuguese news outlet Leonino, Arteta's side are doing "everything they can" to seal a move for the striker. They add that Arsenal are actually "very close" to signing Gyokeres, with the deal only being held up by financial details as things stand.
If the 26-year-old does put pen to paper, it could be one of the coups of the summer, with Tony Mowbray having also highlighted Gyokeres' physical attributes as another plus point: “(He) is too fast, too strong and too big."
"You would suggest Haaland is like that and Gyokeres in this league looks a yard faster and stronger than the players he plays against in the Championship. The way he buys himself space to shoot is pretty impressive and Coventry did well to hold onto him, he looks a really talented boy.”
England have expressed concerns over the integrity of the teams’ bio-secure bubble in South Africa, leaving the ODI leg of their tour in jeopardy, after a positive test for Covid-19 from the hosts’ camp led to the first ODI being postponed on Friday.The match was called off an hour before the toss and has been rescheduled to Monday, with all players and hotel staff to be retested on Friday evening.However, South Africa have yet to determine how one of their players contracted the coronavirus and, although they maintain their confidence that the bio-secure environment works, a further round of tests scheduled for Friday afternoon may decide whether the three matches are able to go ahead.”There is a cause for concern and England has expressed a concern. England are questioning the confidence they have in the bio-secure environment and rightfully so,” Dr Shuaib Manjra, CSA’s chief medical officer, said.”If there has been a player who tested positive in the last week, they have cause for concern and we respect that concern. We met with the English medical team and we have planned out a way. We will retest all players and hotel staff [tomorrow, later brought forward]. We will await the results and determine a course of action and then on Tuesday before the final ODI we will retest the team again.”ALSO READ: First ODI at Cape Town called off after Covid scareSouth Africa’s players have so far been tested five times, three times before the start of the T20I series which revealed two positive cases, and once in between the T20Is and ODIs. Although CSA have declined to confirm the names due to doctor-patient confidentiality, David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo are widely understood to be the first two players in question.The first player who tested positive did not enter the bio-bubble and isolated on his own while the second was removed from the bubble when he tested positive two days later. Both players tested negative on the fourth round of tests, just before the start of the T20 series last Friday, and rejoined the squad last Saturday.The third positive case was discovered a week later, from a test before the start of the ODIs yesterday, and CSA is unsure how it came about. Heinrich Klaasen was a notable absentee from Tuesday’s final T20I, with his captain Quinton de Kock stating at the toss that he was sick.”This test surprised us because we have confidence in the integrity of the bio-secure environment,” Manjra said. “Further tests indicate that this is a more recent case that occurred within the bio-secure environment. So clearly there seems to be some kind of breach which we have investigated in great detail to try and determined where this happened.The first ODI between England and South Africa at Cape Town was postponed due to a Covid-19 scare•Getty Images
“We have traversed a couple of different spaces, trying to recount some of the events: speaking to the player, looking at security cameras, looking at other information and we haven’t been able to date to identify where the source was but clearly it’s cause for concern.”The situation is understood to have unsettled the England camp, who have been staying at the same Vineyard hotel as the South Africa squad, albeit in separate wings with mixing between the two squads banned. Communal areas have been used on a rota basis and deep-cleaned between whiles, with the hotel staff also staying on the premises. Outside of travel to matches and practice, the teams’ only other authorised departures from the hotel grounds have been for rounds of golf at Boshenmeer, near Paarl, again subject to strict protocols.England’s 24 players, plus support staff, are due to leave South Africa on a chartered flight on December 10. With the prospect of Christmas at home for some members of the squad, and imminent stints in Australia at the Big Bash for others, there is believed to be a reluctance among the players to jeopardise those plans.A scheduled joint press conference between ECB and CSA was cancelled soon after the match had been called off, with Ashley Giles, the team director, later addressing the situation in a statement.”On behalf of the England touring party and the ECB, I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for their collaborative approach to postponing today’s one-day international,” Giles said.”Our number one priority is the health and safety of the England team and management group, and the correct decision was made following discussions between the two boards and respective medical teams.”The England party will remain at its base in Cape Town on Friday and Saturday, and we are hopeful that the three-match series will be played before we depart next Thursday starting with the match at Paarl on Sunday.”In conceding that a player may have breached protocols, Manjra was adamant that no-one was allowed to leave the team hotel in Cape Town unsupervised.”I can categorically state that there is no player who is able to leave the hotel environment by virtue of the fact that there is security around and the security will not allow the player to leave, unless that player is leaving in an assigned vehicle which is an official vehicle with an official driver,” Manjra said.”There is a command centre here led by the Colonel from the Claremont Police Force and they strictly enforce the bio-bubble. They wouldn’t allow anybody to leave.”ESPNcricinfo
However, earlier on in the tour, players did leave for what appear valid reasons. “In fact some players left as a group to go across to the Oval [across the road from the hotel] to train and that became a matter of concern because they had seen it and we had addressed that concern with the Colonel and the command centre. It is impossible for any player or official to leave this.”That revelation gives credence to Manjra’s suggestion that the bubble is not working as intended. “I am fairly convinced that 99% of the time this environment is working,” he said. “There may be a breach that is unbeknown to us. I am not saying there is zero risk. There may be a slight risk. There are a lot of moving parts in a tour such as this and we are trying to control that.”South Africa’s would not be the first breach of protocols in the new normal. Last month, West Indies’ players were barred from training during their period of managed isolation in New Zealand after sharing food and socialising in hallways, while Pakistan were put on a final warning that they would be sent back home after several similar incidents. Pakistan remain in isolation and have not been granted an exemption to train.This is South Africa’s first experience hosting a bio-bubble – the tour is believed to be worth £3 million to CSA – and they are due for three more this summer, with incoming tours scheduled against Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan. It is England’s first time in a bubble away from home, having successfully negotiated their home summer with a series of bio-secure environments.