Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has expressed “shock” at the level of aggression India showed in the second Test in Bengaluru, a testy game the hosts won by 75 runs to level the series

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2017Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has expressed “shock” at the level of aggression India showed in the second Test in Bengaluru, a testy game the hosts won by 75 runs to level the series. Wade said while it wasn’t entirely in their control, Australia will try to get ahead in the game to stave off India’s assertiveness.”Indian teams are always quite aggressive,” Wade said. “The change from the first Test to the second Test was probably the initial shock. They certainly came out a little harder on day three, but we expect them to come hard. [MS] Dhoni was a different captain to [Virat] Kohli, but that’s just personality. When you’ve got a caged lion you expect them to come out pretty hard, to get away.”Indian teams always go quite hard; if you give them a sniff they’ll run with it. Our job is to make sure they can’t get in the game so they can’t get aggressive with us, and then really take the momentum away from us. But it’s not really our issue. We’ve got to play good cricket and beat them on skill. Emotion doesn’t win Test matches.”A feisty character himself, Wade also said if Australia could gain an advantage by expressing outward aggression, he would readily use it. “I feel like I play my best cricket when I get in the contest,” he said. “If there’s a time I think it can be an advantage for us, I’ll go for it.”When your back’s against the wall you’ve got to find a way to get up and about, so I still feel like that’s a big part of my game. Getting older I probably tamed it down a little bit and I probably know when to use it a little bit more now, and when I need it myself. I probably don’t use it a 100% of the time anymore, but I’ve still got it there if I need it.”Wade said using the DRS in India was tricky while fielding, considering the number of people involved in the decision-making process. “Steven [Smith] is generally close to me, so if there’s an appeal, he’ll come to me first,” Wade said. “If we think there’s something to look at, we’ll speak to the bowler and go from there. DRS is a lot of common sense. Every country is the same: it’s the keeper, captain and bowler. If someone is convinced, they’ll come on top of that. But when you get five to eight people involved, it becomes tricky which is happening here.”

Losing star player Kadidiatou Diani to rivals Lyon and seeing coach Gerard Precheur leave due to a desire to "win", the club isn't in the best shape

Not many teams go into their third game of the season with a brand new coach. Not many teams, though, are like Paris Saint-Germain. When Jocelyn Precheur, son of departing women's team boss Gerard, stepped into the dugout to make his managerial debut for the French giants, his upgraded role wasn't the only sign of the mayhem that often surrounds this club, either.

To his left, a banner was unveiled behind the goal that criticised Kadidiatou Diani, who departed for arch-rivals Lyon in the summer. She's one of many to take that path in recent years, and she had the last laugh just over a week ago as she and her new team emerged 1-0 winners at Parc des Princes. The result gives Lyon a head start in a title race that PSG have beaten them in just once in the last 17 seasons.

It's a chaotic and disappointing start to the new campaign, on and off the pitch, but chaos and disappointment are two things never far from this club, whether it is on the men’s side or the women’s.

There have been some weird and worrying stories to come out of PSG in recent years, but the current concerns surround the team’s inability to win trophies. Lyon continue to triumph domestically, with PSG’s best players often deciding to take the mantra of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ quite literally. In Europe, the Parisians’ wait for success goes on, with them reaching two finals – the last in 2017 – but failing to get the job done in either.

Despite the superstar talent the team so often has and despite being part of one of the richest clubs in world football, PSG seem to constantly be a mess. It’s something Lyon have taken advantage of early in this new season, though the most-recent result wasn’t much of a shock.

The turmoil going on in the French capital will be encouraging for another big club, though. On Tuesday, Manchester United will welcome PSG for the first leg of their Women’s Champions League qualifier, with the winner of the tie reaching the group stages.

The English side, making their competition debut, are huge underdogs, that’s for sure. But with PSG, there is always an element of doubt.

• Getty
  

  ‘Being competitive isn't enough’

  Four months before Gerard Precheur’s eventual departure as head coach of PSG, the 63-year-old had expressed clear doubts at his desire to continue. It was the end of another trophy-less season, which all-but-five in the history of the women’s team have been, and when Precheur was asked if he would be continuing, his response was honest.

  “I don't know," he said in May. “I need time to recover. I'm fed up of being kicked around behind labels. PSG must provide guarantees to build a great club. Being competitive isn't enough. I want to finish my career with a determination to win.”

  He would agree to come back for another season, but according to , the doubts remained, with Diani’s move to Lyon a factor in his thinking.

  “I'm not of an age to be building things anymore,” Precheur had said. PSG have some big names in their squad, there's no doubt about that, but an array of stars doesn't guarantee success. Precheur is right: This club needs to actually build something more to deliver trophies on a regular basis.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Two coaches in three games

  And so, on September 28, three days before Lyon’s visit to Parc des Princes, PSG released a statement. “For personal reasons, and in agreement with Paris Saint-Germain, Gerard Precheur is stepping down as head coach of the women's team,” it read.

  “To ensure the continuity of the sporting project put in place for the summer of 2022, the entire technical staff has been retained and will continue to work with the women's professional team. Jocelyn Precheur, until now assistant coach, will take charge of the team. Paris Saint-Germain would like to thank Gerard Precheur for his commitment and work over the last 14 months.”

  There is arguably no bigger fixture that Precheur 2.0 could have stepped into for his first game in charge of PSG. The 42-year-old has had previous success coaching in the Chinese Women’s Super League, also stepping in to take his father's place in a role, but this was quite the step up.

  In truth, his team played well. Were it not for a defiant Christiane Endler, the Chilean goalkeeper who is one of many to have swapped Paris for Lyon over the years, they probably would’ve earned at least a point. But, as Precheur himself put it after the game: “A defeat is still a defeat. We need to take things to the next level and progress if we want to play at the top of the table.

  “We need to be more consistent if we want to go further. It's frustrating because the score is so small. But we don't want to hear any more of that 'we're not far off' nonsense. We need to show more spirit, especially at home.”

• Getty
  

  ‘You leave for the money, we stay for the love’

  That it was Endler who stood in the way of PSG getting a better result was almost symbolic. One of the best shot-stoppers in the world, the Chilean was part of the Parisians’ side when they finally toppled Lyon in the 2020-21 season and won the club’s first league title on the women’s side. But in the weeks that followed that success, Endler was one of three PSG stars to leave for Lyon.

  "It is time to look for another sports project," she wrote on Instagram upon departure. "I want to keep improving as a player, as a person, to keep learning and adding different experiences to my life. I want to bet on a club that treats women's football as an equal.” That line was particularly damning.

  While the banner that the PSG ultras unveiled before the defeat to Lyon at the start of October suggested that there are other motives for those who leave for OL – ‘You leave for the money, we stay for the love’ was the message aimed at Diani – it’s success that these players crave, success that cannot be delivered in a consistent manner by the current project in the French capital.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Five trophies in 52 years

  That inequality that Endler spoke of two years ago is part of the reason why PSG has just five trophies to show for its 52 years in the women’s game – one top-flight title, a second-tier title and three Coupe de France triumphs.

  Lyon’s early investment in its women’s team not only increased its quality and attractiveness for potential signings, but also its reputation and the trust which players have in the club to support them. Despite PSG having significantly better finances than their French rivals, they’ve not yet been able to match OL in that sense.

  Even as the club’s commitment to its women’s team has grown, some of the decisions haven’t always made sense. Whether that has been in the managers appointed, the players signed or perhaps areas of the team neglected in transfer windows, there have always been questionable moves made by PSG in a sporting sense.

  And while that financial power has helped them on their rise to the top of the women’s game, it is the final step that they are unable to make. How do they overtake Lyon in France? How do they become a serious Champions League contender? That is what PSG have to figure out now, because as it stands, Lyon still appears to be a more attractive proposition for a player.

South Africa coach Russell Domingo believes Seddon Park will offer a good wicket, and has pointed out that the dryness will bring reverse-swing into play in the third Test

Firdose Moonda22-Mar-2017

One member of the South African touring party strode out to the Seddon Park square and lifted a blanket-like grey cover from the surface it was covering. He pulled a face as though he had just smelled something odd. As he walked back, he muttered, “That isn’t even prepared,” to another member of the South African touring party, who also examined the bit under the blanket. He pulled an even worse face.In the minutes that followed, a few more away players had been to the same spot, where the cover had been removed to reveal a patchy brown strip. Strangely, they were all smiling. The mottled pitch where they first thought the third Test would be played on was not the battleground after all; the green-one next to it was.”That doesn’t look like a dust bowl, it looks a good wicket,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach said.The Test pitch looks more like the wickets New Zealand played on earlier this summer and less like the spinners’ deck they were set to prepare. Without a doubt, it will change in colour and grass covering as the match draws closer and it may yet prove spin-friendly, especially as it is on the slower side of the block. But for now, South Africa are fairly happy with what they see. They know Hamilton is a crafty venue that way. There are two blocks, one which has fast pitches, and one with slower ones. New Zealand decide which block they play on. Then the groundstaff get to preparing the surface – the team doesn’t intervene.For the Pakistan Test in November, New Zealand opted to play on the faster side and asked for a green top. They were put in and scored a respectable 271 before dismissing Pakistan for 216 and then 230, after setting them a target of 369.For the ODI against Australia, matters moved to a slower surface. So much so that New Zealand included Ish Sodhi in their squad in anticipation – they didn’t play him though. They scored 281 for 9 and bowled Australia out for 257 to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.New Zealand moved back to the faster side for the first ODI against South Africa last month although the highlights reel may not reveal that. In a rain-reduced 34-over affair, the ball turned significantly in what de Villiers called the “toughest conditions I have ever played in”, but groundsman Karl Johnson explained that was an anomaly, mostly caused by wet weather in the lead-up to the match.Hamilton was given the fourth ODI as well because Napier’s McLean Park was in urgent need of remedial work and by the time the series reached that stage, New Zealand needed to win to stay alive. They opted to take grass off the pitch to favour spin, brought Jeetan Patel back into the XI and restricted South Africa to 279 for 8 before Martin Guptill’s 180 took the game away. Mission accomplished.This Test will be the fifth international played at the venue this season and Domingo expects that the wear and tear, rather than testing South Africa against spin, could favour them in another department. “The main thing is that reverse swing is going to come into the game. It looks pretty dry – the square. They have played a lot of cricket here and there are a lot of used pitches which assist reverse-swing, we’ve got some good exponents of [reverse swing],” he said.Morne Morkel has been the latest to make use of reverse-swing and South Africa even managed to find some in damp Dunedin. The threat of rain through this Test won’t play too much on their minds, except that if conditions remain muggy, they may also be able to turn to conventional swing.Then there is the prospect of Vernon Philander, who took 10 wickets the last time South Africa were in Hamilton. Philander has flown under the radar in this series because he has not collected bags of wickets, but the strangling role he has played has been important to the team.”When Vernon hasn’t been playing in our side, he is probably the bowler that’s been the most sorely missed because of the control he brings,” Domingo said. “He is a very skillful cricketer. He has contributed in every single game. It might not be showing in the column with the wickets but in terms of controlling the game and building pressure, he has been our leader,” Domingo said.Which is why South Africa will be looking for something similar from Philander this time. Apart from securing a series win, South Africa have some added incentive to ensure they don’t go down to New Zealand in Hamilton. As long as they draw or win the Test, and if Australia lose in Dharamsala, they will go up to No.2 on the rankings, a remarkable turnaround from the No.7 spot they started at in August. No matter how much they say all that matters is the next game, there’s no doubt their slide stung and the prospect of pushing for the mace again beckons.”It’s something we want to get to but our focus is on this game. We want to get up the rankings again. We know what it’s like to be at No.7, we were there only a few months ago. We find ourselves at No.3 now so we are a work in progress,” Domingo said.

Middlesex overcame a 153-run deficit on first innings, as well as a Craig Overton hat-trick, to secure a tense one-wicket win over MCC in Abu Dhabi.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2017
ScorecardCraig Overton’s hat-trick couldn’t rescue MCC•Getty ImagesMiddlesex overcame a 153-run deficit on first innings, as well as a Craig Overton hat-trick, to secure a tense one-wicket win over MCC in Abu Dhabi. John Simpson’s unbeaten 89 provided the crucial plank in Middlesex’s chase of 305, as the wicketkeeper helped the last three wickets chisel out 64 runs after Overton had appeared to swing the match towards MCC.Harry Podmore and Tom Helm, who had shared six wickets to help skittle MCC for 151 in their second innings, kept Simpson company in partnerships of 36 and 22 respectively and, although Mason Crane removed both as part of a four-wicket haul, No. 11 Ravi Patel hung on to help complete victory.Simpson was the hero when Middlesex chase 302 eight down at Taunton last year, on the way to the club’s first title in 23 years. MCC’s Somerset trio of Overton, Lewis Gregory and Jack Leach did their best to undermine Middlesex again, taking 15 wickets between them, but the champions ultimately proved too strong.MCC saw their last two wickets fall on the third morning with only four added to the overnight score; Liam Plunkett was unable to bat after straining a calf earlier in the match. That still meant Middlesex needing to score considerably more than the 179 they managed in the first innings for victory.They were given a much stronger base by the top order second time around. Nick Gubbins and Nick Compton both struck half-centuries and they looked to be cruising to their target on 242 for 4 in the 54th over.Enter Overton, wicketless to that point. He pinned Steve Eskinazi lbw for 44, had Middlesex captain James Franklin caught behind first ball and then won another lbw decision against James Harris to change the complexion of the innings. Simpson, however, stayed calm and ticked off the runs with the lower order to ensure Middlesex would start their season with a win under lights.

Leeds United striker Rodrigo's agent is scheduled to hold a meeting regarding his client's imminent exit from Elland Road, according to journalist Beren Cross.

When did Rodrigo join Leeds?

Rodrigo first arrived in Yorkshire back in 2020 from Valencia and he’s since gone on to make 97 senior appearances after becoming a regular feature of the first-team, but there’s a strong chance that he could be set to depart during the ongoing window.

The Spain international will be out of contract next summer meaning that now will be the final big opportunity that the hierarchy have to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and having established himself as their top-performing offensive player last season, he won’t be short of potential suitors.

The Whites will know that they are resigned to losing several of their big names in the coming weeks with stars like Jack Harrison, Tyler Adams and Robin Koch having already been linked with an exit, and if the following update is to be believed, the 32-year-old could be another to follow in their footsteps and seal a move away from the Championship.

Is Rodrigo leaving Leeds?

Taking to Twitter, Cross revealed that Leeds will meet with Rodrigo's representative possibly in the coming days to discuss his departure from LS11 after three years of service. He wrote:

"Rodrigo's agent, his father, set to meet Leeds top brass imminently to get the wheels moving on his exit. United not expected to make it difficult for him to move and get those wages off the books."

Should the 49ers keep or sell Rodrigo?

Leeds obviously won’t want to lose Rodrigo for nothing and the fee that they could potentially bring in for him will be appealing, but the centre-forward is such a standout player at the club so the 49ers should see if he could be tempted to stay by offering him a new contract.

The Nike-sponsored ace, who pockets £100k-per-week, racked up 14 goal contributions (13 goals and one assist) in 31 Premier League outings last season and recorded 66 shots over the course of the campaign, which was higher than any other of his teammates, as per FBRef.

Rodrigo, who has been lauded a “top talent” by CEO Angus Kinnear, also adds wonderful versatility to the squad with his ability to be deployed in seven different positions over the pitch, including all across the frontline and even in the midfield, so retaining his services is something that the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about if possible.

The Sweden international has become a slightly-forgotten figure in recent weeks, but she was the hero against the Cityzens on Sunday

Alessia Russo might've been Arsenal's star signing this summer but it was Stina Blackstenius, the centre forward whose place the England star has taken, who was the Gunners' timely match-winner in a huge clash with title rivals Manchester City on Sunday. Introduced at the expense of Russo with 75 minutes on the clock, there were just three minutes of normal time remaining when Blackstenius capitalised on a costly defensive error to roll the ball into an empty net, securing a 2-1 win that will be a massive confidence boost for a team whose start to the new season has bordered on disaster.

Elimination in the first round of Women's Champions League qualifying was followed up by a shock opening weekend defeat to Liverpool, with Arsenal six points off table-topping Chelsea coming into this fixture. It proved to be a topsy-turvy afternoon. The Gunners started poorly but City didn't punish them, with Steph Catley instead giving the hosts an early lead through a wonderful strike. That could've been doubled with only 20 minutes on the clock but Khiara Keating stepped up to save Kim Little's penalty brilliantly instead.

City continued to look the side more in control of affairs and it meant that the only surprising thing about their equaliser in the second half, through in-form England winger Chloe Kelly, was that it didn't come sooner. They looked to have the bit between their teeth from then on, until Keating made a devastating mistake. The teenager misjudged Katie McCabe's long ball forward and her headed clearance had plenty of height but no distance, allowing Blackstenius to pick it up with ease and put it into the back of the net.

It was a crushing blow for Keating and City, with the young goalkeeper in tears at full-time as she replayed the incident over and over in her mind. There will be plenty of chances for her and her team to make up the ground lost in the title race by this defeat, there's no doubt about that, but it's a result that offers Arsenal a way back into the battle at the top, one that was certainly not expected to open up for them based on the opening stages in Borehamwood.

GOAL runs through the winners and losers from a chaotic afternoon at Meadow Park…

• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: Stina Blackstenius

  When will Blackstenius get the credit she deserves? Arsenal's Swedish striker has come up with so many big goals for the club since her arrival last January but it often feels like praise is hard to come by.

  So far this season, head coach Jonas Eidevall has opted for Russo ahead of Blackstenius in a system with a lone striker in every WSL game except the draw at Manchester United in which the pair started together.

  It could be argued that the latter game brought with it the Gunners' best performance of the season, with the qualities of each complementing the other and making the attack look more dynamic.

  The strength of the case to start Russo and Blackstenius together only increased on Sunday. Russo was isolated throughout the game, with team-mate Victoria Pelova the only starter on either team to have fewer touches, and Blackstenius hardly got a look in either until Keating's error.

  But, after scoring the opener against Man Utd last month, she was there in the right place at the right time again to give Arsenal a huge win. There is a lot that Blackstenius can bring to the Gunners and that shouldn't be forgotten.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  LOSER: Khiara Keating

  Keating has been outstanding in the first few weeks of this new season. She's asserted herself as City's first-choice goalkeeper ahead of two senior internationals, she has come up big to help her team make a fantastic start to the campaign and she earned her first senior England call-up as a result of all of that last month, too. But Sunday was a day for her to forget.

  The teenager didn't make a great clearance in the build-up to Arsenal's first goal and then, after a poor back pass from Esme Morgan, she brought down Cloe Lacasse to give the Gunners a penalty. There, though, Keating came up big – huge, even – making a remarkable save to deny Little, the hosts' usually clinical captain.

  Confident and commanding in collecting crosses and strong in her distribution from then on, it appeared the young shot-stopper had made a decisively-positive contribution in what was looking more and more likely to be a City win.

  But it all changed in an instant. McCabe's long ball was misread by Keating, her ineffective attempt at a clearance allowed Blackstenius in and the Gunners were 2-1 up. The City 'keeper was devastated as she pondered what might've been. It was a tough day for her but she is young and she will absolutely learn from it. There is still so much to be excited about when it comes to her potential and her future.

• Getty
  

  WINNER: Lotte Wubben-Moy

  If there is one area of Arsenal's that has looked particularly weak this season it has been in central defence. Eidevall's side have constantly looked suspect to mistakes, failed to deal with crosses effectively and made costly errors, regardless of the personnel chosen or whether they are playing as a back four or a back three.

  On Sunday, though, after surviving some difficult early moments, the Gunners looked much better and that was largely thanks to the performance of Lotte Wubben-Moy. The England international dealt brilliantly with the imposing threat of City striker Bunny Shaw, she was reliable in her passing and she constantly got in the way to block and clear any danger.

  Despite being a regular in squads and an ever-present for Arsenal, it's not been easy for Wubben-Moy to force herself into Sarina Wiegman's thinking when it comes to the Lionesses' starting XI. This performance won't have done her chances of changing that any harm, though.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  LOSER: Man City's defence

  Alex Greenwood's head injury on England duty was a massive blow to the Lionesses in a game that they would go on to lose to Belgium, taking their UEFA Women's Nations League and Olympic fates out of their own hands. But Sunday highlighted, bright and bold, just how big a loss she was for her club, too.

  Usually so composed with the ball at the back, Man City looked all at sea at times without the player that excels at that the most. They were far from convincing in playing out, with mistakes in doing so leading to Arsenal's opening goal and to the penalty incident, and they missed Greenwood's ability to start attacks with her excellent passing range, too.

  If anyone needed a perfect example of how important the England star is to her club team, then this performance was exactly that.

For all the talk of West Ham United needing to replace Declan Rice, it may well be that David Moyes is in the market for a second central midfielder this summer.

The Hammers' Europa Conference League success papered over what was a disappointing Premier League campaign that ended with the club finishing six points above the relegation zone, and a facelift of sorts may be required.

What is the latest West Ham United transfer news?

Moyes' side have been linked with an array of players across multiple positions, but it is no surprise that midfield targets are right at the centre of the gossip.

From James Ward-Prowse and Harvey Barnes to Amadou Onana and Kalvin Phillips, there are countless options for West Ham to choose from when it comes to filling the void left by Rice.

But according to Sky Sports Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, United are further down the line in signing another player. It is claimed that negotiations are already in play with Juventus over a move for Denis Zakaria, who will be eager to prove himself in the Premier League after a forgetful spell at Chelsea last season.

Juve are said to be hoping to sell Zakaria this summer, rather than exploring another loan offer with the chance to purchase, with the former Borussia Monchengladbach ace on wages of around £90k a week, according to Capology.

Is Denis Zakaria a good option for West Ham United?

On the basis of last season, West Ham supporters can be forgiven for questioning exactly why their side are interested in bringing in a player who started only five league games for their London rivals.

Quite simply, it did not work out for the Switzerland international at Stamford Bridge. But that is not to say he cannot have a major impact down the road at the London Stadium.

Indeed, if the rumours are to be believed, Zakaria's arrival could spell bad news for Tomas Soucek. Despite his limited playing time over the past 12 months, Zakaria still ranks in the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion (88.9%), as per FBref.

That compares to a pass-completion percentage of 71.3% for Soucek, which ranks him in the bottom 7% among his positional peers across Europe's elite leagues.

That ability to keep things ticking along in midfield would come in handy for Moyes, but Zakaria is also strong in other areas. Using data from the 2021-22 campaign while with Serie A giants Juventus, the 26-year-old showed he is comfortable getting the ball past an opponent as he averaged 2.13 take-ons per 90 minutes, compared to 0.54 for Soucek last season.

Zakaria also outperformed Soucek across those respective seasons in terms of carries (32.4 v 17.4) and goal involvement (0.23 goals and assists per 90 v 0.16), though the latter did come out on top for more defensive metrics such as tackles won (1.18 v 0.95) and interceptions (1.69 v 1.36).

As put by former Chelsea player and now BT Sport pundit Joe Cole after Zakaria belatedly made his Blues debut in November's Champions League tie with Dinamo Zagreb, the midfielder looked "excellent" and particularly impressed with his ability to get around the pitch.

Moyes may well have accepted that he will not find a true like-for-like replacement for Rice, with a couple of new players potentially needed to share the workload.

In Zakaria, he can land a player who thrives in many similar areas to outgoing Rice and will prove an upgrade on Soucek in what could yet prove to be an exciting midfield overhaul.

Lyon boss Fabio Grosso arrived at his side’s Ligue 1 clash with Marseille sporting a facial injury after fans threw rocks at the club’s team bus.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ligue 1 fixture at Stade VelodromeWindows smashed on busItalian coach required treatmentWHAT HAPPENED?

Home supporters gave their domestic rivals a raucous welcome to Stade Velodrome, with projectiles launched in the direction of the vehicle carrying players and coaches towards the stadium. Such behaviour was always asking for trouble, and so it proved.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lyon’s bus eventually pulled up with windows having been smashed. Those inside were unable to escape the attack being launched on them from outsiders, with it little surprise that injuries were suffered along the way.

DID YOU KNOW?

Grosso was left bleeding from a three centimetre gash to his face after being struck by shards of glass from the windows that were broken by flying rocks.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Former Italy international Grosso was immediately taken for treatment, which left him with a plaster above his eye and a bandage wrapped around his head. A decision was subsequently taken to call the match off due to the pre-match incidents.

The summer transfer window has now commenced, although uncertainty remains at Manchester United as to just who will be joining the club ahead of next season, amid Erik ten Hag's apparent desire to strengthen his current options.

A new 'world-class' centre-forward appears to be high on the agenda for the former Ajax boss – as per Manchester Evening News – with the Red Devils having unsurprisingly been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, as the Englishman enters into the final year of his contract in north London.

More recent reports have indicated, however, that despite Ten Hag's apparent admiration for the England skipper, United are unlikely to push for a move amid Spurs' unwillingness to sell, with the Old Trafford outfit seemingly wary of engaging in negotiations with rival chairman, Daniel Levy.

As such, the search is set to continue in the club's bid to find a new, quality number nine, with reports in recent weeks having suggested that Borussia Monchengladbach ace, Marcus Thuram, could be among those being considered.

The £53k-per-week marksman is an attainable target with just a matter of weeks left to run on his existing deal in Germany, ensuring that he could represent a bargain, free-agent alternative to Kane for those at the Theatre of Dreams this summer.

Would Marcus Thuram be a good signing for Man United?

While Spurs' long-serving talisman did enjoy a stellar 2022/23 campaign after bagging 30 Premier League goals, Thuram also caught the eye in his own right, after chipping in with 16 goals and seven assists in just 32 games across all competitions.

With the 6 foot 4 sensation also offering the ability to play on the flanks, it is no surprise why he has been hailed as a player that "every Premier League club should be trying to sign", in the words of The Athletic's, Carl Anka.

Also described as "phenomenal" by former Gladbach teammate Denis Zakaria, the Italy-born ace is also a real asset due to his dribbling prowess, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 13% for successful take-ons and the top 12% for progressive carries among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues.

Equally, unlike Kane – who has begun to 'drop deeper' in recent years, as per MEN's Tyrone Marshall – Thuram seemingly offers more a threat inside the area, as he ranks in the top 13% for touches in the opposition box, in contrast to the Englishman, who ranks in just the bottom 34% in that regard.

Having a deep-lying player like Kane in attack is arguably 'not what United need', according to Marshall, hence looking at a more dynamic and mobile figure like Thuram instead.

Of course, the former Guingamp ace does not boast the same Premier League pedigree as his Tottenham counterpart, although the chance to land the ten-cap striker on a free should surely be too good an opportunity to turn down for Ten Hag and co.

Royal Challengers Bangalore might have to start IPL 2017 without their captain Virat Kohli, as he battles against time to recover from a shoulder injury

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-20171:00

Quick Facts – Virat Kohli in the IPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore might have to start IPL 2017 without their captain Virat Kohli, as he battles against time to recover from the shoulder injury he picked up during the Australia Tests. The IPL starts on April 5, with Royal Challengers playing defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener.”It’s still a few weeks to go before I can be 100% on the field,” Kohli said at the end of the Dharamsala Test, when asked about his fitness. “But these things happen in your career. Got to take it in my strike and move forward.”Kohli had hurt his right shoulder during the third Test in Ranchi, when he dived in an attempt to stop a boundary. He sat out the final Test as a result.Royal Challengers were yet to offer an official comment on Kohli’s availability. Kohli has missed only one game for the franchise so far, in the inaugural season in 2008. In 2016, he scored 973 runs for RCB and could have become the first player to score 1000 runs in an IPL season.