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Sri Lanka would still be hurting after the hiding their bowlers were handed by Bangladesh, but their in-form top-order is capable of testing India’s resolve

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Mar-20182:07

Chopra: Pant needs to develop another gear

Big PictureFlags have been planted, intents have been declared, early momentum has been divided up, and now, with one win apiece for each competitor, a little tension has built. It has been a more high-scoring first round than many expected, given the Khettarama pitch’s reputation for spin-aligned treachery. As the square wears through the course of the tournament, perhaps the scoring will slow. But for now, bowlers from all three sides are nursing bruised economy rates.The diagnosis for both the Sri Lanka and India attacks is roughly the same: a shortage of international experience. Where the likes of Lasith Malinga (in his pomp) or Jasprit Bumrah are capable of reacting swiftly to a batting onslaught, and moving to an effective Plan B or C, these bowlers have tended to wilt under duress. A boundary early in an over has often drawn mistakes soon after. Powerplays and death overs have proved unusually productive for adventurous batsmen. Only legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been both economical and penetrative. He has gone at seven an over, when rates of around 10 have been the norm so far among the frontline bowlers.Such was the beating Sri Lanka’s bowlers received at the hands of Bangladesh that it is their attack that arrives a little more bruised into Monday’s encounter. Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Akila Dananjaya were all attacked at the top of the innings and at the death. Thisara Perera had initially fared better, but his own figures were not much prettier than the frontliners’ by the end. India’s bowlers, meanwhile, have at least one strong performance behind them in the tournament, but that was against a Bangladesh side that was batting some distance below their best (by their own admission). Sri Lanka’s top order, which has been impressive in four successive T20s, may again test India’s resolve.Form guideSri LankaLWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WLWLWIn the spotlightIt was against India that Akila Dananjaya had reignited his career. His 6 for 54 in an ODI in Pallekele almost won the match for Sri Lanka, in what was otherwise a dispiriting two months. Though he has not been quite as menacing since, he has had the knack of routinely keeping tidy figures – rarely could he be said to have had a bad day. In the first two matches of this tournament, though, he has gone wicketless, and has conceded 73 runs off seven overs. With the tracks at Khettarama taking less turn that usual, this match will be a test of his fortitude.In ODIs, Rohit Sharma has been excellent in Sri Lanka, but in T20s, his record on the island is a little thin. In eight innings at Khettarama, he has breached 30 only once – and that was against a modest England outfit in the 2012 World T20. Against Sri Lanka, however – and though the hosts will come with a closely-deliberated plan against him – Rohit is rarely down for long.Team newsWith captain Dinesh Chandimal suspended for two games due to a serious over-rate offence, Thisara Perera will lead the side. Dhananjaya de Silva is likely to slot into Chandimal’s position. There is also a chance of Suranga Lakmal replacing either Dushmantha Chameera or Nuwan Pradeep.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera (wk), 4 Dananjaya de Silva, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Thisara Perera (capt), 8 Jeevan Mendis, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepIndia are likely to retain the XI that won them the game against Bangladesh.India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Jaydev UnadkatPitch and conditionsThere is a chance that evening showers could interrupt play. A pitch favourable for batting is expected.Stats and trivia Chasing sides have won all three games so far. The two highest successful pursuits at this venue are now Bangladesh’s chase of 215 on Saturday, and Sri Lanka’s chase of 175 against India, in the tournament opener. Both sides have a batsman who has made half-centuries in each game so far. Shikhar Dhawan has hit 90 off 49 balls and 55 off 43; Kusal Perera has made 66 off 37 and 74 off 48.Quotes”Guys who have come in to the team have got the experience in the IPL. They are not nervous and look settled. We didn’t really execute well in the first game, but we got better in the second game. It is going to get better from here.”India seam bowler Jaydev Unadkat believes IPL experience is valuable, even if the India bowlers have not played many internationals

After the Qalandars suffered their sixth defeat in six matches this season, McCullum suggested that a leadership change might be the best way forward

Umar Farooq09-Mar-2018Brendon McCullum, the Lahore Qalandars captain, has question the execution of his bowlers, and has offered to “offload” his captaincy in a bid to change the fortunes of the side, which has lost all six of its games this season. Effectively, Thursday night’s six-wicket defeat to Islamabad United was Lahore’s eighth straight loss going back to the end of last season. One of the most popular sides in the PSL is set to finish last for the third consecutive season.Lahore have played six different starting XIs this season, with their changes having no effect on their results. The biggest chance they have had was against Islamabad, when they had 163 – their biggest total so far – to defend but ended up losing with 14 balls to spare. With four games remaining Lahore aren’t mathematically out of contention for a spot in the playoffs but their chances are bleak.”Ultimately as captain you’re responsible for the performances. I feel like I’ve done the same things that I do in any team that I’ve led, but unfortunately that hasn’t resonated,” McCullum said. “So that’s the question we’ve got to ask tonight as well – whether it’s better offloading it to someone else and seeing if we can get better results. Doesn’t matter if you’re saying the right things, but if they’re not hitting home or the instructions aren’t being followed, then you’re always going to be pushing it uphill.”Lahore’s batting pattern has been similar throughout, with the openers making solid starts, the middle order collapsing, and the bowlers looking flat. They dropped Umar Akmal, one of their platinum picks, after five successive failures, allowing Anton Devcich to make his PSL debut. He smacked 62 off 42 balls to set up a fighting total. But Islamabad chased it down easily with the help of a 41-ball 77 from Luke Ronchi and Shadab Khan’s 32 off 24. When asked if Lahore’s total was 20 runs short, McCullum shot down the idea, ruing his bowlers’ performance instead.”No, not really. We bowled very poorly,” he said. “I thought it was a very, very good batting performance, set up by Anton Devcich in his first game, and [he] showed how hungry, competitive people are able to prosper. What we did after that, I was really disappointed with, to be honest. It’s not what we’re about and I don’t mind losing, but you expect to be hard to beat. We’ve got some questions to ask tonight and that’s all the way through.”He was particularly unimpressed with the lines they bowled to Ronchi, which he said had deviated from the tactics they had discussed before the match.”You can sit in bowling meetings all you want. You spend an hour today talking about bowling away from Luke Ronchi and then you proceed to run in and bowl at him every single ball, so there’s a disconnect there,” he said. “I don’t know what that is. It’s very hard on the support staff to prepare a team if guys aren’t prepared to listen, but if that’s the case, then we’re going to have to keep making changes, because there are young, enthusiastic guys in our team, which may be an opportunity, especially now since we’re out of the competition.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is personally keen to close a deal to sign a midfielder he has previously shown heavy admiration for, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester City?

The Blues have favored quality over quantity this window in the transfer market, strengthening their squad with the additions of Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, as per Transfermarkt.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester City have also added another exciting young talent to their conglomerate The City Football Group, stating on X: "Excl: RB Salzburg talent Leon Lalić joins Man City/City Group, here we go. It’s first deal ever from RB Salzburg to City Group — historical for 2006 born midfielder. Lalić will initially join Lommel. David Fernandez’s team followed Lalić for more than 2 years."

City are also believed to be keen on Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze in the final stages of the transfer window; however, the Eagles are looking to hold out for a fee of £70 million for the 25-year-old, according to Football Insider.

Eze has become a target for Manchester City following their decision to withdraw from their pursuit of West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta. His former club, Queens Park Rangers, would be entitled to 20% of any fee Crystal Palace recoup for the midfielder due to a sell-on clause present in his contract at Selhurst Park.

BILD via The Manchester Evening News share quotes from RB Leipzig chief Oliver Mintzlaff who had dispelled rumours linking Spain international Dani Olmo with a move to the Etihad Stadium, stating: "Dani Olmo will be part of the Leipzig squad, no matter who is interested."

Olmo also recently commented on links to Manchester City directly, stating: “There is nothing [in the rumours]. I’m fully focused on the task in Leipzig, the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the cup. Man City are a big club – one of the biggest in the world. Josko [Gvardiol] went there. But I’m happy here.”

Who else could Manchester City sign?

Transfer guru Romano has delivered a fresh update on Manchester City's pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes on X, revealing: "Manchester City will insist to close Matheus Nunes deal with Wolves in 24/48h after initial €50m proposal plus add-ons discussed yesterday. Pep, big fan of Nunes; player has already accepted City as destination. It's now up to Wolverhampton."

Cited by The Mirror, Manchester City boss Guardiola is no stranger to £85k-a-week earner Nunes and has previously offered up some really high praise when discussing the Portugal international, saying back in 2022: "I would say that Matheus Nunes is one of the best players in the world today."

In his time at Molineux, Nunes has become a fan favourite due to his tenacious displays in the middle of the park and has featured 41 times for Wolves in all competitions, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Football Insider claim that Manchester City are confident of sealing a deal to land Nunes and are readying a bid close to £60 million to try and get a deal over the line, which would also help to provide cover for the injured Kevin De Bruyne.

Pacer snuffs out Indian chase, after Elyse Villani and Beth Mooney’s Australian record third-wicket stand in T20Is fires visiting team to a hefty 186

The Report by Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai26-Mar-2018
ScorecardMegan Schutt can’t believe her luck after dismissing Mithali Raj•BCCIAn Australian record T20I partnership for the third wicket between Elyse Villani and Beth Mooney, followed by a hat-trick from Megan Schutt, who became the first Australian woman to accomplish the feat, consigned India to a 36-run defeat and knocked them out of the triangular series in Mumbai.Schutt dented the Indian chase early by sending back the two openers in her first over. Having begun the over by conceding 10 runs off the first four balls, she bowled Smriti Mandhana, India’s most prolific batsman this series, who backed away to a full ball that deflected off the back boot onto leg stump, and then shattered the base of Mithali Raj’s off stump, when the batsman wafted at an inswinger that ricocheted off the inside edge. Then, returning after a change in ends two overs later, Schutt had Deepti Sharma hole out to mid-off on the first delivery, as India were reduced to 26 for 3.Jemimah Rodrigues, however, pulled India back and kept them fighting. Promoted to open the batting for the first time in the series, the 17-year old crunched eight fours on her way to becoming the youngest Indian to smash a T20I half-century. After being reprieved on 22, Rodrigues whipped Amanda-Jade Wellington past deep midwicket off her 39th delivery to bring up the landmark. It was her maiden international fifty.However, soon after, Rodrigues picked out Schutt at long-off in the 13th over. It ended a 54-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who struck two fours and a six before perishing for 33 in the next over, trying to force the pace.With India languishing a 97 for 5 in the steep chase, allrounder Anuja Patil (38 off 26 balls) and Pooja Vastrakar (19 off 14 balls) got together for an unbroken half-century stand that hauled India to 150. But it was well short of the target as India suffered their third straight loss of the series and sixth straight defeat this home season.Like India, Australia lost two early wickets, but Villani and Mooney strung together 114 for the third wicket. The duo rebuilt after medium-pacer Vastrakar had dismissed Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner inside the fourth over.Mooney’s ingenious scoops, deft strokes square of the wicket and tempered heaves through deep midwicket earned her eight fours en route to a 46-ball 71, while Villani smashed through the cover region at will to wear down India’s six-prong attack.The duo punished an errant India. When Jhulan Goswami returned for her second spell in the 15th over, she was penalised with a no-ball on account of five fielders outside the ring, and was then taken apart for a hat-trick of fours by Villani. The first of those gave Villani her 10th T20I fifty, off 35 deliveries. She followed it up with a slash to third man, and a drive past mid-off. To end the over, Mooney whisked a low full-toss to long-on to bring up her second half-century in the format.Australia amassed 45 runs off the last five overs at the cost of three wickets. Both Villani and Mooney fell to catches by Rodrigues. Their partnership, which lasted 70 balls, was built at 9.77 runs per over.Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, coming in for the injured Rajeshwari Gayakwad, picked her maiden international wicket when Ellyse Perry holed out to long-on, where Mandhana completed a catch at the edge of the boundary on the second attempt. Cameos from Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes gave Australia a strong finish to the innings.

Real Madrid have been warned they must be cautious about signing a big name like Kylian Mbappe as the forward's arrival will not guarantee success.

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Madrid expected to sign MbappeWould be monumental transferClub warned to learn from 'mistakes'WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spanish giants are said to be closing in on a deal to land the French forward after he informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. His signing could mark a new Galactico era for Madrid, recreating the time they signed Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham together. However, ex-Madrid star Ivan Helguera has warned they could end up failing to live up to their potential.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT HELGUERA SAID

Helguera said at a La Liga and DAZN event: "It could be, what happens is that you have to see the mistakes that were made , there were many figures and very good players… but nothing was won. In Madrid it is important to win every year. It is wonderful to have all those players, but you have to know how to balance with a good squad. For Mbappe to come to Real Madrid would be an impressive signing and upwards it would be difficult to beat."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe would be joining a a squad that already boasts the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, as well as veteran stars Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Despite the quality at Carlo Ancelotti's disposal, the Santiago Bernabeu side failed to win La Liga or the Champions League last season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

The capital club are expected to seal the Spanish league title this season, and may also go on to claim their 15th European crown, while they work out a deal to bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window.

Glasgow Rangers have received a response from a primary managerial target that they have identified to replace Michael Beale in the Scottish Premiership, as a fresh report has shared.

Is Michael Beale getting sacked?

At Ibrox, Beale’s side have had a mixed start to the new campaign where they find themselves fourth in the table after securing three wins and suffering two defeats from their opening five games, via Sky Sports, but after being knocked out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion, some supporters have been calling for the manager to be sacked.

The Light Blues have therefore been linked with the likes of Graham Potter, who has already rejected the opportunity, and Kevin Muscat, although reporter Andy Newport was quick to confirm that rumours surrounding the latter were wide of the mark.

Another candidate to have entered the frame is Birmingham City’s John Eustace, who The Daily Mail claim has emerged as a serious contender having caught the eye not only with his CV, but the fact that he’s an up-and-coming coach which meets the profile wanted.

According to journalist Alex Dicken, it would take an irresistible offer for the 43-year-old to leave St. Andrews and make the move north of the border, but regardless of how much the hierarchy try and tempt him, it doesn’t sound like anything they do will work.

Are Rangers appointing John Eustace?

Speaking to BBC West Midlands, Eustace was asked to comment on the rumours linking him with the job at Rangers.

As quoted by the Football League Paper (via Ibrox News), he said: “It’s all speculation. I’m not interested in any other job than Birmingham City. I’m very, very happy here. I came here 14 months ago and I signed a three-year deal to try to help grow the club, to build this fantastic football club to back where it should be. We’re coming up to halfway in doing that.

"I think there’s been great progress and I want to continue with that progress and see this club fly. There have been some ups and downs but I think everyone can see that we’re going in the right direction, and I want to be here for as long as the club want me.”

What is John Eustace's record at Birmingham?

In the Championship this season, Eustace has helped his side to secure three wins, two draws and just one defeat, where having taken 11 points from a possible 18, Birmingham find themselves sixth in the play-off places in the table, as per the BBC.

The Solihull-born coach, who has a preferred formation of a 3-5-2 flat midfield, was also nominated for August's Manager of the Month award as a result of his impressive efforts from the dugout, so it’s fantastic that he’s receiving individual recognition for his work from the sidelines.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Eustace has got the Blues playing “easy on the eye” football, and having previously beaten Beale on the one occasion that he’s faced him throughout his career, he’d clearly be an upgrade on the current boss in Glasgow.

West Ham United are one of several clubs who have expressed an interest in one of Leeds United’s most promising talents…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to The Athletic, Irons boss David Moyes is keeping a 'speculative eye' on Cody Drameh, amid the uncertainty of his contract situation at Elland Road.

Crystal Palace and Brentford are also keeping tabs on the youngster's situation in west Yorkshire.

However, Southampton could arguably be the leading contender for his signature, as boss Russell Martin is described as one of his “biggest admirers” and previously tried to sign him when he was coaching at Swansea City.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Drameh’s current deal expires next summer and there is no offer of an extension on the table.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke is yet to properly utilise the 21-year-old gem, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered in training a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, the article underlines that Drameh has been told he is in the club’s plans this season, but he is waiting to see if that chance materialises, knowing if the game time doesn’t arrive, he has a vast array of potential suitors.

Would Cody Drameh be a good signing for West Ham?

The Yorkshire giants signed the £2.5k-per-week man from Fulham in 2020 and would’ve hoped by now he would have progressed as a first-team regular.

However, the defender’s senior development has largely taken place at other clubs, where he has looked to be a consistent and solid asset.

His first loan spell occurred at Cardiff City in the second half of the 2021/22 season.

During this time, he made 22 Championship appearances and averaged the most tackles per game (3.8) and dribbles per game (1.1) in the squad, and won 56% of his ground duels – despite only spending five months at the Welsh outfit, Drameh was named the club’s Young Player of the Season and the Player of the Season.

Bluebirds manager Steve Morrison appreciated the 5 foot 9 dynamo's contribution, lauding him as “excellent.”

Ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, you would have expected to result in a notable first-team breakthrough at Leeds, but he only managed three outings in all competitions and was sent out on another second-tier loan to Luton Town.

In 19 games for the Hatters, he averaged the second-highest number of tackles per game (3.3) and interceptions per game (1.2), as well as the most dribbles per game (1.1), as the club secured promotion to the Premier League.

Despite two exceptional loan spells, Drameh’s future is still murky and complicated, and if moved to the London Stadium, he could form a glowing partnership with Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The former Arsenal defender recently joined the Hammers from Stuttgart for £19m. In three seasons with the German club, he has become established as one of the Bundesliga’s most talented and coveted centre-backs.

The 25-year-old ranks within the best 8% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90, successful take-ons per 90, interceptions per 90, and aerials won per 90.

Therefore, the prospect of these defensively solid and technically astute players appearing together in the West Ham backline is an exciting thought for Moyes.

In the match at Adelaide, Brian Lara took over as the leading runscorer in Test cricket, and faced Shane Warne, the leading wicket-taker. Has this ever happened before

Steven Lynch28-Nov-2005The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket. We apologise for the lack of a column last week, which was caused by a family bereavement:

Leading run-scorer v leading wicket-taker, not happened since 1886-87. © Getty Images
In the match at Adelaide, Brian Lara took over as the leading runscorer in Test cricket, and faced Shane Warne, the leading wicket-taker. Has this ever happened before? asked Mathew Stephenson from Australia
It has happened … but not for a very long time. The last time the leading Test runscorer of the time faced the leading wicket-taker was back in 1886-87, in the first Test at Sydney, when Arthur Shrewsbury of England faced up to the Aussie “Demon”, Fred Spofforth. Going into that match Shrewsbury had 903 runs and Spofforth had 94 wickets. The last time the two record-holders were even in the same game was as long ago as 1903-04, at Melbourne, when Clem Hill and Hugh Trumble (in his last Test) both played for Australia against England.How many Test runs had Brian Lara scored when Sachin Tendulkar made his debut? asked Alvin Parish
That’s a nice easy one, because the answer is none – Tendulkar made his debut first, aged just 16, against Pakistan at Karachi in November 1989. Lara didn’t make his debut until 13 months later, also in Pakistan, in the third Test at Lahore in 1990-91. By then Tendulkar had scored 588 runs, in 11 Tests.What is the longest run of ODIs without losing? Did South Africa break the record recently? asked Johan van der Knaap from Kimberley
South Africa came very close: when they won the first match of the ongoing series against India at Hyderabad they had gone 20 ODIs without defeat. But they lost their next match, at Bangalore, to fall just short of the record of 21 – set by Australia in 2003, a run that included that year’s World Cup. For a longer list, click here.Which cricketer called his autobiography A Hell of a Way to Make a Living? asked Ben Forrest from Colchester
The man with the whimsical title was Ken Rutherford, the former New Zealand captain. His book was published by Hodder Moa Beckett in New Zealand in 1995. Actually New Zealand cricketers seem keen on zany titles for their books: Danny Morrison’s was called Mad As I Wanna Be, John Wright penned Christmas in Rarotonga, Ian Smith was Just a Drummer in the Band, while Gavin Larsen went for, er, Grand Larseny.I’ve often wondered, what are the top batting averages over a Test career, worldwide? I know that Don Bradman was 99-point-something. Is there anyone higher? asked Alf Lacis from Australia
You’ve proved a friend of mine wrong – he claimed that everyone in Australia knew Don Bradman`s exact batting average, which was 99.94! If he’d managed four runs in his final innings, rather than a duck, The Don would have averaged exactly 100. And, given a qualification of 20 innings, no-one comes close to him: next on the list is the South African Graeme Pollock, who averaged 60.97. The only others over 60 are the great West Indian George Headley (60.83) and the old England opener Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73). The highest current player is India’s Rahul Dravid, with 57.62, a whisker ahead of Sachin Tendulkar (57.25) and Jacques Kallis (57.07). For a full list of the highest Test averages, click here.I’ve been trying to find out about this but can’t: didn’t Shaun Pollock have some kind of dream debut with an English county side in the mid-1990s? I’m wondering, did I dream this up or is it true? asked Dilip D’Souza from India
No, you didn’t imagine it – Shaun Pollock made a sensational debut for Warwickshire in 1996. In his first match for them, against Leicestershire at Edgbaston, he took four wickets in four balls as Leicestershire crumpled to 9 for 5. He finished with 6 for 21 (and, not surprisingly, the Man of the Match award) as Warwickshire won by seven wickets.

Alex Morgan's San Diego Wave were in fine form as they returned to pre-season training in the California sunshine.

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Wave return to training with a bangAlex Morgan chest bumps team-mateUSMNT legend wins gaffer Stoney's tennis ball gameGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The squad burst out of the changing rooms under clear blues skies, announcing their return with a series of hilarious re-introductions including a mid-air chest bump from Morgan. Manager Casey Stoney kept the vibes going with a novelty tennis ball game in which Morgan showed all of her experience, as she held her nerve for a win.

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Morgan and her colleagues appear buoyant ahead of their third NWSL campaign. They've certainly had a blast so far with impressive showings in their first two seasons and making the finals of the playoffs twice.

Jurgen Klopp admits that news of Mohamed Salah picking up an injury on AFCON duty came as an unwelcome “shock” to those back at Liverpool.

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Reds forward away on international dutyLimped out of latest appearanceSet to undergo further medical testsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Egyptian forward is currently away with his country chasing down continental glory at the Africa Cup of Nations. He lasted less than 45 minutes in his latest outing at that event, with the 31-year-old winger limping off in a 2-2 draw with Ghana.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT KLOPP SAID ABOUT SALAH

Egypt boss Rui Vitoria says the problem is not “dangerous”, but Salah is due to undergo medical tests. Klopp has told reporters of learning that a talismanic part of his plans at Anfeld is nursing a knock: “We don't know anything about Mo. I spoke last night with him and (asked) how it is with his injuries. With these injuries they need further assessment, that's what they are doing now and we will know more. In that moment (it happened), it was a shock. I couldn't see it was like he was hit by something high intense and then go down. You can have these hamstring injuries in different ways, be he still felt it. We all know how rarely Mo goes off or needs to go off so it is definitely something, so we will see. There will be ultrasound and MRI and then we will see what Egypt plan. But it's too early.”

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Salah has missed Liverpool’s last two games, and could be absent for five in total. The Reds will not have any of their walking wounded back for a Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Sunday – despite seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold put his knee injury to the test during a visit to the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Milan – with Klopp adding: “Obviously he can walk on the catwalk! He is not ready but all are going in the right direction and getting closer. Some of them might be part of team training next week. I don't expect anybody back before then. If nobody else is out before, after Bournemouth and maybe for Fulham, we will see how the boys do but they are all close. Trent is close, Dom (Szoboszlai) is close, Robbo (Andy Robertson) is close. All are going in the right direction.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Alexander-Arnold could be back for the second leg of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final showdown with Fulham next Wednesday, but the Reds will have to cope without Salah for some time yet as they look to remain in contention for major silverware on four fronts in 2024.