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The fast bowler initially dislocated his shoulder last March

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2020Jhye Richardson, the Australia fast bowler, has undergone further surgery to stabilise the shoulder he dislocated last year which led to him missing the World Cup and Ashes tour.Richardson suffered the original injury in the second ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah last March when he dived in the outfield. It would end up keeping him sidelined for six months and he has played just once for Australia, in the one-day series against South Africa, since then.Although he was able to bowl at good pace during the Australian season he was hampered in the outfield and the shoulder popped out again on occasions.It is hoped Richardson will recover in time for when cricket could resume later this year following the Covid-19 pandemic.”All the ligaments become loose when you do dislocate and then the surgery essentially involves tightening things up,” CA’s head of sports science, Alex Kountouris, told . “A lot of other players have had that in the past. We’re hoping that will fix the problem.”It’s a lengthy surgery but it does give him an opportunity now that we’re not going to play until…September, October, November or December…he’s obviously a chance with that.””It was nasty [the original injury]. He dived with a lot of force on his arm. It was something that was quite bad. It’s probably not surprising he’s had ongoing symptoms and not surprising in general for cricketers because they do need their shoulders to be fairly mobile.”Richardson has taken 24 wickets in 13 ODIs and six wickets in two Tests which were against Sri Lanka in early 2019.

Arsenal could be set to lose one of their young talents after it emerged that he wants to leave the club this summer, with the Gunners potentially set to receive nothing for him.

Arsenal set for big summer

Though they are currently leading the Premier League, Arsenal still have clear areas to strengthen under Mikel Arteta. Am out and out striker is desperately needed, but so too is a midfielder with Kai Havertz looking more comfortable higher up the pitch and the Gunners yet to truly replace Granit Xhaka after he departed last summer.

Arsenal eyeing £26m Partey replacement who could make Rice even better

The Arsenal target would only cost the club £26m.

ByTom Lever Apr 26, 2024

Meanwhile, Thomas Partey has struggled for fitness this season, making just his sixth Premier League start against Spurs. Elsewhere, Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny are both out of contract, while decisions will have to be made on Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira, neither of whom have kicked on this campaign.

Arsenal's midfield options

Player

Contract until

Jorginho

2024

Mo Elneny

2024

Thomas Partey

2025

Declan Rice

2028

Martin Odegaard

2028

Emile Smith Rowe

2026

Fabio Vieira

2027

It is certain that once more, the club will spend big in central midfield this summer, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes among those that they are considering. But they won't have it all their own way.

Midfielder could leave for free

That comes as it seems that they are set to lose a talent for nothing in the shape of academy man Charlie Patino. The midfielder has spent successive seasons out on loan in the Championship, but after a strong start to his time at Swansea he has fallen down the pecking order, and hasn't started a game since New Year's Day.

With the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly now having moved ahead of him in the Gunners pecking order at academy level, and it seems a departure is likely. In fact, Patino is desperate to make one happen, with Italian media claiming that he has "no intention of staying at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta".

He has drawn admiring glances from both AC Milan and Roma, while the idea of the Serie A is said to "fascinate him". But there is yet no winner of the race, largely because the pair are also battling it out for scout Michele Fratini, who is perhaps the biggest proponent of Patino's talents in world football.

"He’s one of the greatest midfielders around. Left-footed, has innate class and is complete, as he’s adept at recovering balls as well", he told the media last year.

“Plays long balls well and has an excellent long range shot. I put five stars on him. He’s a diamond. I saw him two years ago, but now he’s consecrating himself by taking over Arsenal, one of the biggest teams in England. For him, if I were a chairman, I’d do crazy things.”

Therefore, whoever wins that battle is also likely to win the services of Patino, who will be available on a free transfer this summer with his contract up in north London. Despite his clear talent, it will not be a loss that Arsenal feel too keenly at this moment in time.

يلتقي منتخب قطر، اليوم الخميس، نظيره أوزبكستان ضمن منافسات التصفيات الآسيوية المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2026 المقامة في أمريكا وكندا والمكسيك.

ويستضيف المنتخب القطري نظيره أوزبكستان، اليوم الخميس، على ملعب جاسم بن حمد ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من المرحلة الثالثة من تصفيات كأس العالم.

طالع.. فيديو | قطر تفوز على قرجيكستان بثلاثية في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

ويحتل منتخب قطر، المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 4 نقاط بعد الخسارة في مباراتين والتعادل في مباراة وفوز وحيد.

منتخب أوزبكستان في المركز الثاني من المجموعة برصيد 10 نقاط، حيث حقق الفوز في 3 مباريات وتعادل مباراة واحدة بالتساوي مع منتخب إيران صاحب الصدارة.

وتلعب منافسات الدور الثالث من تصفيات قارة آسيا بمشاركة 18 فريقًا، تم تقسيمها إلى ثلاث مجموعات، بواقع 6 فرق في كل مجموعة.

ويتأهل صاحبا الصدارة والوصافة من كل مجموعة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم مباشرة، فيما يصعد أصحاب المركزين الثالث والرابع للمرحلة الرابعة من المنافسات.

ويتم تقسيم الفرق المتأهلة للمرحلة الرابعة إلى مجموعتين، يصعد منهما المتصدر فقط إلى مونديال 2026، فيما تقام مباراة أخيرة بين وصيف مجموعتي الدور الرابع، يتأهل الفائز منها إلى الملحق العالمي، ليكتمل نصاب قارة آسيا في المونديال. موعد مباراة قطر وأوزبكستان اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

وتنطلق المباراة بين قطر وأوزبكستان في تمام السادسة والربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسابعة والربع بتوقيت مكة المكرمة وقطر. القناة الناقلة مباراة قطر وأوزبكستان في تصفيات كأس العالم

وتنقل المباراة على شبكة قنوات بي إن سبورتس، حيث حددت قناة beIN Sports HD 1 لإذاعة اللقاء. معلق مباراة قطر وأوزبكستان في تصفيات كأس العالم

ويعلق عامر الخوذيري على المباراة بين قطر وأوزبكستان.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

The case reportedly revolves around an unsuccessful attempt by Morris to procure a loan

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2019Robin Morris, the former Mumbai first-class cricketer, has been arrested along with four others in Mumbai over an alleged kidnapping, the reported. The case revolves around an unsuccessful attempt by Morris to obtain a loan, as per the newspaper’s report.The quoted a police officer from the Mumbai suburb of Kurla as saying: “Morris wanted a loan of Rs 3 crore [USD 410,000 approx] a few years ago. He got in touch with the complainant [a loan agent] through a mutual friend.” As things unfolded, the newspaper reported, “the complainant took a commission but failed to provide Rs 3 crore loan sanction to Morris”. Subsequently, “Morris along with his four accomplices decided to call him to a restaurant in Kurla and forcefully took him to [Morris’ residence in] Versova”, before calling the loan agent’s family members and demanding the remainder of the commission be returned. “The family instead approached us and we registered a case.”Morris was in the news last year after being named by news channel Al Jazeera, following the channel’s alleged sting operation into fixing in cricket. Former Pakistan batsman Hasan Raza was filmed on camera by Al Jazeera, sitting adjacent to Morris as Morris speaks to an undercover reporter about facilitating spot-fixing in T20 tournaments. Morris denied any wrongdoing, saying that the channel invited him “to audition for, and act in, a commercial movie for public entertainment”.Morris, who played 42 first-class matches and 51 List A games in a career running from 1995 to 2007, was part of the now-defunct Indian Cricket League, where he played for Mumbai Champs. He was offered amnesty by the BCCI in 2009, along with several others who were part of the unsanctioned T20 league.

Perth Scorchers have signed Chris Jordan, the England seamer, to complete their squad for this season’s Big Bash.Jordan, who was England’s standout bowler in their T20I series in New Zealand, has previously had stints at Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder, and joins compatriot Liam Livingstone in the squad. Both players will be available for the full season.”Playing in Perth can be quite hostile [as an opposition player],” Jordan said. “Obviously it’s a sea of orange and everyone is rooting for the Scorchers.”I know from experience when the opposition hit a boundary in the stadium there’s no noise, but when the Scorchers are up and about and doing well everyone’s backing them to the hills… I’m looking forward to having some of that on my side.”When the opportunity for Perth came up it was as pretty hard one to turn down, I know from playing against them how competitive they are, how successful they are so I’m really looking forward to joining such a great franchise.”Adam Voges said that Jordan provided an “all-round package” thanks to his brilliance in the field and lower-order hitting.”We’re really excited to have Chris on board,” he said. “He’s got great experience in T20 cricket and will do a terrific job with ball, particularly his skills at the death.”He also provides the all-round package with athleticism in the field and strong batting skills which will be great for the fans. Chris is very professional and will fit in well in the Scorchers set-up. I haven’t heard a bad word about him.”We have a dynamic squad that covers all bases really well, some fresh faces and fan favourites returning… it’s a squad that will be entertaining to watch.”The Scorchers will start the season without two of their fast bowlers, with Jason Behrendorff out for the season and Andrew Tye expected to miss most of the tournament with an elbow injury.

Arsenal are on the charge and things are looking up for the red half of north London this season.

Six wins from six in the Premier League has seen the Gunners move within a point of Manchester City and two of Liverpool.

Even better, an avalanche of goals has seen Mikel Arteta's side dramatically improve their goal difference, which could prove to be the deciding factor come May.

With Gabriel Jesus missing for four of the six games, much of the goalscoring burden has fallen on Bukayo Saka, a burden he has carried wonderfully well.

In fact, the young Englishman has done so well without the Brazilian beside him that Arsenal could look to fast-track one of their most promising prospects this summer to challenge the former City man for his place and form a deadly partnership with the 22-year-old.

Arsenal's Hale End Jesus replacement

The youngster in question is 21-year-old Mika Biereth, who joined Arsenal's youth setup from Fulham in July 2021.

He had an outstanding record with the Cottagers in west London, scoring 25 goals and providing 15 assists in just 41 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.02 games.

Appearances

26

41

Goals

12

25

Assists

5

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.97

This impressive record saw him jump up the age groups upon his arrival at Hale End, and he was immediately placed in the U23 squad, where he managed to score 12 goals and provide five assists in just 26 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.52 matches.

His impressive displays for the youth sides saw him make the bench for a handful of senior games towards the end of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

When asked about his pathway into the first team in an interview with The Athletic, he was reassuringly confident: “Maybe not with strikers as much, but with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, if you play well you get in the squad. That’s all I’ve got to do.”

Why fans should be excited about Mika Biereth

Since he gave that interview, the Danish forward has been sent out on loan several times.

First, he joined Dutch side RKC Waalwijk, but a season blighted with injuries restricted him to just 357 minutes of first-team action, in which he did manage to bag two goals, mind.

This season, the "proper no.9", as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, was sent to Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, where, after recovering from a knee injury, he scored six goals and provided five assists in just 15 games.

The powerful striker was so effective north of the border that Arsenal opted to recall him in January and send him out on loan to Austrian side Sturm Graz, where Biereth has already bagged three goals in five games and has a chance of winning the league.

It's clear the London-born forward has an eye for goal then, but his catalogue of assists is what could help him eventually push his way into the first team.

According to Mattinson, Biereth is "not selfish" as a player and "creates a lot of chances for others, whether it's cutbacks, through balls or general link-up play", which, based on the signing of Jesus, is precisely the sort of frontman Arteta wants in his team.

Appearances

99

355

Goals

47

138

Assists

25

66

The 6 foot 2 striker has registered 25 assists in 99 games, which equates to an assist every 3.96 matches, which is slightly better than Jesus' average of 5.37 assists per game, although that is from 355 senior games.

Arsenal should cash in on "monster" who's worth more than Trossard

The talented attacker could net the Gunners a significant payday.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 21, 2024

Ultimately, Biereth isn't going to be breaking into the first team this season, but he looks to have a genuine chance of making it in the long term and with Saka still only 22 himself, there is no reason that the pair couldn't form a deadly partnership in a couple of years.

Pollard has not played an ODI in nearly three years but has featuried in T20Is recently

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Sep-2019In a move aimed at improving West Indies’ standing in limited-overs cricket, Kieron Pollard has been appointed the captain of their white-ball teams with immediate effect. Pollard replaces Jason Holder as the ODI captain and Carlos Brathwaite in T20Is.Pollard, 32, was recently recalled to the T20I squad in the home series against India, but has not played an ODI since 2016. However, West Indies’ poor showing in the World Cup, where Holder’s team won just two matches and finished ninth, led to Cricket West Indies setting up a task force to revamp the selection process, including recommending appointing a new white-ball captain.Incidentally, the current CWI administration, led by Ricky Skerritt, had resuscitated Pollard’s career, which seemed to have gone off the rails under the previous board administration led by Dave Cameron. The differences between Cameron’s administration and some of the senior players, including Pollard and former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo, formed part of a sorry chapter in West Indies cricket. The two players were not included in the 2015 World Cup and were kept out after that too, forcing Bravo to retire in 2017.However, Skerritt encouraged the selectors to pick the right players and, accordingly, Pollard was named among the World Cup reserves, although he wasn’t picked in the final squad.

Pollard would have been a better choice. It’s not that Carlos would not have been a member in the team then… I know Carlos is magnificent as an individual, he is a wonderful guy, highly competitive guy, he will not feel hurt in any way. A lot of guys know that Pollard would have been a great choiceViv Richards

Pollard’s appointment, which was approved by the CWI board of directors which met in Tobago over the last two days, was made public by Skerritt at a media briefing in Trinidad on Monday.Later, in a media statement issued by CWI, Pollard said he was keen to lead West Indies and make the fans believe in the team again. “I’m truly honoured to be appointed captain of the West Indies and I would like to thank Cricket West Indies’ board of directors for placing their faith and confidence in me,” Pollard said. “I can’t wait to work with the coaching staff and players as we start building towards future World Cups and give the fans more reasons to get behind the team.”Pollard’s appointment was one of eight recommendations made by a selection task force, which said CWI needed to appoint a white-ball captain who would be part of the “medium- to long-term selection strategy”. The CWI said the move was aimed at improving West Indies’ position on the rankings table in limited-overs cricket.”The election task force also recommended the immediate introduction of ‘red ball’ and ‘white ball’ captains to support a long-term strategy to focus on the different formats of international cricket. Kieron Pollard is being appointed ‘white ball’ captain for both the ODI and T20I teams with Jason Holder continuing as ‘red ball’ captain for the Test team as CWI seeks to see an improvement in performances and therefore ICC World Rankings as part of the long-term development strategy.”The task force was made up of CWI vice-president Kishore Shallow, CWI director of cricket Jimmy Adams, CWI director and also head of CWI’s cricket committee Enoch Lewis, former West Indies player and national cricket selector to St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association and technical adviser for the Windward Islands Cricket Board Miles Bascombe, and former players, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Philo Wallace.During a media briefing, Skerritt said CWI was following the “best possible practices for best possible outcomes”. Praising Pollard, Skerritt said the allrounder was the right man for job because of “his keenness and commitment to give back to the game”.Skerritt pointed out that he had kept Holder in the loop about the reshuffle and told him he would continue to be a vital cog, including retaining the Test captaincy. “Jason Holder was called by me yesterday morning and we spoke,” Skerritt said while sitting next to Pollard and other CWI officials. “He [Holder] is a very important force and is still going to be our red-ball captain. Holder will now compete for a place in Pollard’s team and use this as an opportunity to become a better cricketer. Pollard is the right man at the right time to take our white-ball teams forward.”Pollard last played an ODI in October 2016 but he has been a part of the T20I side recently. In the three T20Is against India, he scored 58, 8* and 49 to finish as the leading run-scorer in the series. Incidentally, he did not bowl in that series, something he has done in the ongoing CPL where he is the captain of his home team Trinbago Knight Riders.Pollard’s elevation is bound to raise a few eyebrows, but he has his backers too. Among them is Viv Richards, who recently said Pollard was the right man for the limited-overs captaincy.Talking to the (India) Richards said he supported the split captaincy for West Indies with Pollard being one of the leaders. “Judging from what I have seen, Kieron Pollard would have been the best choice as our T20 captain and there are reasons for that. During CPL (in the previous seasons), he was the best with the bat,” Richards said. “Also why I think this may be because a lot of captains were introduced at that time. There were also problems between the board and the players, no disrespect to Carlos Brathwaite but because of those politics, he has fast fallen in captaincy.”Pollard would have been a better choice. It’s not that Carlos would not have been a member in the team then… I know Carlos is magnificent as an individual, he is a wonderful guy, highly competitive guy, he will not feel hurt in any way. A lot of guys know that Pollard would have been a great choice.”It was last year that Pollard returned to the T20I West Indies side after more than a year’s gap as the board wanted to try out some high-profile players before the World Cup. Pollard and a few other players had fallen out with the board earlier for various reasons, the primary one being the clash between playing domestic cricket and overseas T20 leagues.Less than two months after the end of the World Cup, Pollard will now lead West Indies in two formats. His first assignment as captain will be against Afghanistan in November in India where they will play three T20Is and three ODIs before a one-off Test.

Crystal Palace have the chance to make amends for their pitiful showing against Arsenal earlier this month by beating relegation-threatened Sheffield United at Selhurst Park tonight.

The Eagles have struggled to score goals this season and currently have the third-worst haul in the Premier League, with the only thing saving them from relegation being the even worse sides below them.

This weakness is clearly worrying Roy Hodgson and Steve Parish, as the latest name touted for a move to south London has experience scoring goals in England and could help supercharge Eberechi Eze's creative output.

Palace look to the French Riviera for goals

According to the MailOnline, Crystal Palace are currently 'weighing up a late move' for Marseille's Senegalese versatile striker, Iliman Ndiaye to solve their goalscoring woes.

The 23-year-old only joined the French giants last summer after playing a crucial role in securing Sheffield United's return to the Premier League.

No transfer fee has been reliably reported yet, but Football Transfers Expected Value models price the Marseille fan at around £16m, which seems reasonable considering both his impressive form last season and his poor return this year.

However, even if he hasn't been at his best this year, the form from last year might be all the convincing Hodgson needs to push for this deal.

If the club can get this deal done, then it would be a brilliant end to the transfer window for Palace, as according to Fabrizio Romano, they are also closing in on Blackburn Rovers' talented midfielder Adam Wharton and look set to pay in excess of £20m for his signature.

Ndiaye could supercharge Eze

Now, as mentioned, the Senegalese international has been somewhat underwhelming for OM this season, scoring just one goal and providing two assists in ten Ligue 1 starts – although a goal and an assist in 63 minutes of AFCON action is encouraging – but last season he was a different animal.

In 3721 Championship minutes, the Rouen-born dynamo scored 14 goals and provided ten assists, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement every 155 minutes, or once every 1.72 games – a strike rate Palace could dearly use.

In all fairness to the "top-quality" forward, as journalist Josh Bunting described him, he hasn't been provided with too many chances this season, as Understat has given him an expected goals figure of just 2.40, so perhaps with more opportunities, he would rediscover the form he showed last season.

This is where Eze could come into the picture, as the former Queens Park Rangers sensation is one of the most talented players in the Palace squad, and were he playing alongside Ndiaye, he might be able to provide him with the chances he needs.

Three strikers Crystal Palace could sign to finally replace Mateta

The Eagles desperately need goals, and unfortunately, the Frenchman doesn’t provide them.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 30, 2024

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the 25-year-old ranks highly among midfielders for several critical creative and attacking metrics, sitting in the top 1% for total shots, non-penalty expected goals, shot-creating actions, successful take-ons per 90 and more.

Ultimately, if Palace want to seriously distance themselves from the looming threat of a relegation battle, signing Ndiaye and utilising Eze's skillset to recreate the output he produced last season could be the perfect way to do it.

With Wharton already seemingly on his way to Selhurst Park, another exciting late addition would be a welcome one for the Eagles.

A "tireless" Everton player will leave Goodison Park this summer, claims a report in his homeland, with a huge club apparently already starting the bidding for his services.

Everton set for summer sales amid FFP crisis

The Blues' struggles this season have been well-documented, with a 10-point deduction in the Premier League proving costly and leaving them languishing in the relegation zone.

There is now a genuine threat of Everton heading to the Championship for the first time, having survived late in the day in the past two seasons, and that would likely lead to an exodus at Goodison, due to their need to align with the league's Profit and Sustainability guidelines.

Jarrad Branthwaite has been a hugely impressive performer throughout the 2023/24 campaign, and he is being eyed up by Manchester United, who reportedly see him as a strong option to bolster their back-line for years to come.

Midfielder Amadou Onana is also a player Everton would find it extremely difficult to keep hold of, and a recent report has claimed that Newcastle United are in pole position to seal a big-money move for him.

There are others who could depart in the summer, too, with England's No.1 Jordan Pickford not wanting to be in the second tier, and the same applying to the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Chelsea in talks to sign Amadou Onana

According to Voetbalkrant, Chelsea have entered negotiations for Everton star Onana ahead of a summer move to the club, with Kevin Thelwell and Co already receiving the first bid, which is thought to be below the asking price.

The Merseysiders will demand a fee of €60m (£51m) for the 22-year-old's signature, and the report also states that one bid has already been rejected, Onana "will" leave Merseyside this year. Even if Everton do retain their place in the Premier League then, there does seem to be an inevitability about Onana moving on for a new challenge in the summer transfer window.

Everton's record sales

Cost

1. Romelu Lukaku

£72m

2. Richarlison

£49.3m

3. John Stones

£47.2m

4. Anthony Gordon

£38.7m

5. Wayne Rooney

£31.4m

6. Marouane Fellaini

£27.5m

=7. Lucas Digne

£25.5m

=7. Idrissa Gueye

£25.5m

=7. Moise Kean

£25.5m

10. Joleon Lescott

£23.3m

The Belgian has impressed this season, doing his best to keep the Blues away from danger and winning an average of 2.5 tackles and 2.1 aerial duels per game in the league, with his presence in the middle of the park often standing out.

In truth, it would be hard to begrudge Onana a move to one of the world's biggest clubs, should they meet Everton's price tag – their financial situation means it could benefit them in the long run – and given his age, it is easy to envisage him growing into an even more formidable player over time.

Related "Huge fees" – Journalist shares big double Everton exit update

Two stars have been linked with a move away from Goodison Park.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Feb 13, 2024

Of course, the idea of him staying at Goodison is an exciting one – Alan Shearer has hailed him as "tireless" – but it feels far more likely that the Blues will cash in on him, at which point they must nail a replacement or two.

Aston Villa are yet to make any official signings this month, but they were busy in last season's January transfer window as Unai Emery got his first real chance to shape the squad through recruitment after arriving the previous autumn.

Villa paid £13.3m to sign Real Betis defender Alex Moreno, and splashed out another £18m on Chicago Fire forward Jhon Duran. 12 months on, the latter is attracting interest from elsewhere in the Premier League – Chelsea have held internal discussions over whether to make a move, and West Ham have lodged a formal approach – but Emery has made his feelings on the attacker quite clear.

Emery says no to Duran approach

According to talkSPORT, Aston Villa have rejected West Ham's approach for Duran. The Hammers identified the Colombian as a potential target to bolster their frontline, but he now seems to be "off the cards".

Emery specifically wants to keep Duran as a back-up to Ollie Watkins in the striker position for the remainder of the season at least, and so he's effectively blocked the transfer.

Duran "dispute" shouldn't hinder "huge potential"

Duran has appeared in 23 games this season, which sounds like a healthy number on the surface, but his minutes played total (659) offers a clearer reflection of his role in the squad. With more than half the campaign gone, Duran has yet to start a Premier League match, instead appearing 14 times as a substitute.

Emery has given him opportunities elsewhere, including him in the line-up four times in the Europa Conference League group stage and twice in the domestic cups, but he will still surely want more. Indeed, reports in his homeland claimed that he found himself in "dispute" with the club and manager over a lack of opportunities. You wondered if those strained relationships behind the scenes would lead to an exit.

But Duran's absence from the starting XI is probably more a reflection of Watkins' heroics, rather than anything he's done wrong per se. The Englishman has been directly involved in 17 league goals this season, ranking him third in the division. At 20 years old, Duran is much further back in his development, but we still shouldn't lose sight of his "huge potential" in the words of journalist Pete O'Rourke. After all, this is a player who's been chasing records for a number of years.

He made his professional debut with Colombian club Envigado at the age of just 15, and would become the second-youngest goalscorer in the history of Liga Dimayor. That led Chicago to make him the youngest foreign signing MLS has ever seen, and he repaid their faith by notching 14 direct goal contributions in 28 appearances.

At the international level, Duran became the fifth-youngest player to appear for the Colombian senior side this century when he made his debut in the autumn of 2022, and he's since racked up eight caps. On that basis, then, despite the difficulties this season, you can see why Emery wants to persist with this slightly rough diamond.