Messi is clearly the best, but he isn't the only global superstar on show in the U.S. at Copa America 2024
Ahead of the 2024 Copa America – the first iteration of the tournament to be held in the United States since 2016 – all of the focus, understandably, is on Lionel Messi.
And with good reason. The Argentina captain will forever be the center of the soccer world, and he now practices his craft in the very country in which he will look to bring back-to-back Copa America glory.
But he's not the only big name who will strut his stuff in the US this summer. A bounty of the sport's best will be on show throughout June and July, with top players from around the European and global game all vying for national team success.
Beyond Messi, Madrid's trio of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Federico Valverde all catch the eye. There's talent aplenty, though, with key players for Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen and more all set to be on show at the Copa America.
GOAL ranks the top 25 players set to appear in this year's iteration of the ever-anticipated tournament…
USA Today Sports25Angel Di Maria, Argentina
Di Maria's Argentina career is coming to an end, but he still has one last chance to end on a high. He was excellent for Argentina in Qatar, and will look to make an impact here, even if Scaloni might only trust him with a reduced role. A true great of the game is after a perfect departing gift.
AdvertisementGetty24Enzo Fernandez, Argentina
There are two versions of Fernandez. Chelsea fans are used to the one who struggles to make an impact at Stamford Bridge. But watch him for Argentina, and he becomes a different player altogether – a truly world class presence who can pull the strings for the reigning champs.
Getty23Piero Hincapie, Ecuador
Hincapie was everyone's trendy pick for Europe's next big center back last summer. Even if he hasn't quite kicked on under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, Ecuador's main man will be crucial to his country's hopes in a group that includes Mexico, Venezuela and Jamaica.
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Getty Images22Weston McKennie, USA
A polarizing figure among USMNT fans, McKennie enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career at Juventus. Max Allegri's side didn't always make for great watching, but McKennie has carved out a role in a top European side. A strong summer for him could see the US do some damage in the tournament.
Hassan Azad scores second fifty of match but Durham seven wickets away from innings win
ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2019Brydon Carse produced career-best figures to put Durham in control of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Leicestershire, although the visitors mustered a resilient response after being forced to follow-on at Emirates Riverside.Carse continued his surge from day two when he accounted for three of the four Leicestershire wickets to fall. The 24-year-old added another three scalps to bowl the visitors out for 236, ending with 6 for 63, while Chris Rushworth also struck twice.Leicestershire were asked to follow-on still trailing the hosts by 308. However, they were dogged in the afternoon and evening sessions as Hassan Azad notched his second half-century of the game. Carse added another strike, while Cameron Steel claimed a late wicket to keep Durham on course for victory, requiring another seven wickets on the final day, still leading by 155 runs.The visitors resumed on day three on 152 for 4 in their first innings with the hope of grinding down Durham’s advantage. Carse had an early go at Colin Ackermann and Chris Wright after his impressive burst the previous evening. The two batsmen managed to see off the threat, but Ben Raine’s introduction provided the first breakthrough of the morning as Ackermann edged to Peter Handscomb at second slip.Wright scored 27 valuable runs, but Carse returned to remove the nightwatchman, who was adjudged to have feathered a catch through to Ned Eckersley. The visitors needed a partnership to prevent Durham taking complete control of the contest. Harry Dearden and Harry Swindells held firm until the lunch break.The batsmen’s patience was rewarded in the afternoon as they reached their fifty partnership, adding important runs for the seventh wicket. However, the arrival of the new ball proved to be their downfall as the two players were out in successive deliveries. Swindells fell first lbw to Rushworth before Carse claimed his fifth strike of the innings by dismissing Dearden.Carse’s impressive spell continued as he notched his sixth wicket to take him to his career-best figures when Will Davis chipped the ball straight to Nathan Rimmington at mid-off. The Leicestershire innings ended with a whimper with Gavin Griffiths losing his off stump after leaving a straight delivery from Rushworth.Durham enforced the follow-on for the first time since August 2017 and almost made inroads when Paul Horton edged a Carse delivery to slip, but Handscomb failed to cling on with his diving effort.Carse’s pace caused problems for Azad, striking the left-hander on the helmet. Both players survived the new ball and like the first innings were able to build a solid partnership, reaching a fifty stand in the 21st over to slowly reduce the deficit.Durham were searching for a breakthrough and got one as Horton edged a Raine delivery through to Eckersley down the leg side. Azad scored his second fifty of the game, displaying patience to reach the milestone from 125 balls.However, Carse’s pace was too much for him once again, guiding a riser behind to Eckersley. Neil Dexter and Mark Cosgrove looked to see out the rest of the day, but Steel pinned Dexter lbw in the final over to leave the visitors with a huge challenge ahead to avoid defeat on the final day.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed a relatively solid debut campaign under the leadership of Gary O’Neil, as they are fighting for a spot in the top half of the Premier League table, rather than in a relegation dogfight as they were for much of the 2022/23 season.
Victories over the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and a league double over Chelsea – the first since 1974/75 – have shown that Wolves can perform against the elite. The main thing now is for O’Neil to bring up that level of consistency, so they can secure a top-half finish.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil before a Premier League game.
Might they be higher up in the league table if they could call upon a player who was sold by Bruno Lage in the summer of 2022, however, with Morgan Gibbs-White is currently shining for Nottingham Forest.
How much Wolves sold Morgan Gibbs-White for
The Englishman had spent the 2021/22 season in the Championship having joined Sheffield United on loan, and he was impressive in the second tier, registering 22 goal contributions – 12 goals and ten assists – and it looked as though he could offer Lage something different ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Despite making two appearances for the Old Gold at the start of last season, Forest were showing interest in the attacking midfielder and they eventually secured his services, splashing out a reported £42.5m for the player.
Nottingham Forest player Morgan Gibbs-White
It was certainly too good an offer to turn down, especially considering Gibbs-White had made just 48 Premier League appearances for the Molineux outfit during his spell at the club and it gave Lage much-needed funds to bolster his squad in other areas.
Fast-forward over 18 months, however, and perhaps the club regretted moving him on so swiftly, despite receiving a lavish fee.
What happened to Morgan Gibbs-White
The 24-year-old stated in an interview last year that he needed to move away from Wolves in order to gain a fresh start, believing he did not have a future at the Midlands club – and it has certainly worked out well since joining Forest.
Despite Forest being one of the favourites to seal an immediate return to the Championship, Gibbs-White scored five times and grabbed eight assists to help the club achieve a 16th-place finish and avoid the drop by just four points.
Additionally, the midfielder also ranked first among the squad for overall Sofascore rating (6.99) along with ranking first for goals and assists in the top flight (13), big chances created (nine), key passes per game (1.9) and successful dribbles per game (1.4) and he was worth every inch of the fee Forest paid for him.
The player clearly proved that Wolves had sold him far too hastily and there is no doubt O’Neil could use someone like him in his current midfield, as it is lacking someone to unlock opposition defences.
Only seven goals have come from the midfield options at the club this season and, while the likes of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan are stepping up, adding that something extra behind them would take the pressure off.
Joao Gomes has played 23 games during 2023/24 and has failed to score a single goal, while registering only one assist, and it is evident that Gibbs-White is outperforming the Brazilian.
Gibbs-White is outperforming Joao Gomes
Gomes was signed by the Old Gold last January in a deal worth £15m from Brazilian side Flamengo, and it looked as though it could prove to be a wonderful signing, especially for the future.
He scored on his league debut against Southampton and made a further ten appearances as the club won five of their next 16 games to remain in the top flight with some ease.
2
0
4
1
6
2
1.3
0.6
1.7
0.5
This season, Gomes ranks only eighth among the first-team squad for big chances created (two) in the Premier League, while ranking ninth for key passes per game (0.5), eighth for successful dribbles per game (0.6) and fifth for interceptions per game (0.7) as he has not been at his best.
Gibbs-White, on the other hand, is continuing to go from strength to strength at Forest during his second year and on the same performance metrics, he currently ranks second for big chances created (six), first for key passes per game (1.7), second for successful dribbles (1.3) and 19th for interceptions per game (0.4) and it showcases just how vital in an attacking sense the former Wolves gem is, and he is certainly outperforming Gomes.
Of course, the Englishman is operating in a more advanced role than Gomes, as the Brazilian tends to play alongside either Tommy Doyle or Mario Lemina in the heart of the midfield, but if Wolves still had the 24-year-old to call on, he could push into a more natural advanced position behind the striker.
Joao Gomes
This would certainly give O’Neil more attacking dynamism in his side and take the pressure off the likes of Hwang and Cunha to score the majority of their goals.
Journalist Josh Bunting hailed Gibbs-White during his performance against Blackpool in the FA Cup at the start of January, saying:
“The Morgan Gibbs-White goal today is absolutely sensational, just looks up and knows exactly what he wants to do. Lovely technique and that’s the quality that he is capable of doing. The touch he takes is quality as it takes two defenders away and opens up that space to shoot.”
In truth, Lage had a major blunder when selling the current Forest sensation in 2022, despite the lavish transfer fee the club received as he is now shining for their divisional rivals.
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Gomes is still only 23 and, over time, he will improve, yet Wolves had a player who could have made a big difference to their squad, not only last season but also right now.
Gibbs-White has taken his opportunity to kick on and Forest have secured the services of an attacking midfielder who is yet to even reach his peak.
When he finally does, Wolves will rue selling him rather than giving the player more game time when he needed it most.
Leeds United have been dealt a "massive problem" after it emerged that their "technically gifted" star will miss the upcoming clash with current Championship leaders Leicester City after picking up yet another injury.
Leeds chasing down promotion
Relegated from the Premier League last season, Leeds are eyeing an immediate return to the top flight, but are being pushed all the way in what is one of the highest quality chasing packs in second tier history.
Daniel Farke's side have lost just six times all season and boast the best joint-best defensive record in the competition, but remain in a close-fought battle to ensure that they manage to occupy an automatic promotion spot come May, and now face a Leicester City side that have swept all before them so far this season.
In second place, Leeds are likely to be looking down rather than up as it stands. They sit nine points behind Friday's opponents with 13 games of the season left to play, but sit level with Ipswich (3rd) and just two points ahead of Southampton (4th) in what is shaping up to be a tightly-fought end to the season.
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A win over Leicester would allow them some breathing room, but defeat could see them slip out of the automatic promotion spots over the weekend, and could leave them looking at the prospect of the play-off lottery, with one of the four leading sides in England's second tier guaranteed to still be in it come the beginning of next season.
Team
Wins
Losses
Goals scored per game
Goals conceded per game
Points
Leicester City
25
5
2.09
0.79
78
Leeds United
21
6
1.85
0.79
69
Ipswich Town
20
4
1.97
1.33
69
Southampton
20
6
1.94
1.21
67
Bamford out of Leicester clash
The Elland Road outfit have seen their preparation for the top-of-the-table clash with the Foxes disrupted through injury, and it star man Patrick Bamford who is set to be forced to sit out the home match against the league leaders.
Bamford was once considered one of the shining talents of English football, but has seen his recent career ruined by injury. The 30-year-old has managed just six Championship starts so far this season, and only made his first on New Year's Day.
In the games since though, he has found form with four goals and an assist to help Leeds in their long winning run, leading to rumours Bamford is one of several Leeds stars in line for a new contract.
Patrick Bamford in action for Leeds United.
Now former Rangers and Tottenham defender Alan Hutton has had his say, with the BBC pundit backing Bamford to come back stronger despite yet another setback but ruing his seemingly injury-prone nature.
“It’s been a massive problem for him,” Hutton told Football Insider.
“Injuries have been a huge issue for Bamford through the years and it’s not ideal for him considering his form. But there’s nothing he can do about it. He can’t tell when he’s going to get injured and it’s just a real shame for him. We all know he can be an outstanding football player and has been recently."
“He’s technically gifted and I think he will come back as strong. But as soon as he hits form, he seems to get injured."
It is not all bad news for Bamford, and fortunately the injury doesn't seem too serious this time around, with Leeds boss Farke revealing that the striker will 'definitely' be fit for the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Chelsea in a week.
Seventeen wickets tumble in the day at the Ageas Bowl, with Ollie Pope the only batsman to pass 35
ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2019 Ollie Pope pushed his case to be a part of England’s winter Test plans with a sublime half-century on a day when fast bowlers excelled at the Ageas Bowl. Batsman Pope, who played two Tests last summer, backed up his 221 not out in his last Specsavers County Championship appearance with a stand-out 68 for Surrey, to take his season average to 120.On a green-tinged wicket which provided plenty of swing, Pope stood a class above, alongside veteran allrounder Rikki Clarke – who remained unbeaten on 35 at the end of the day, having produced his seventh career five-wicket haul. It was a day of milestones for Clarke, who also claimed his 500th first-class scalp and 11,000th run.Clarke has enjoyed facing Hampshire in the past two seasons having taken 5 for 29 at the Ageas Bowl last season and 7 for 74 earlier this year at the Kia Oval.Hampshire, who had won the toss and elected to bat, survived a testing first hour, albeit Ian Holland was dropped without scoring at third slip and Morne Morkel rattled through five successive maidens. But the introduction of first-change pair Clarke and Jordan Clark decimated the hosts’ top order – with their morning spell seeing five wickets fall for 31 runs.Clark needed only six balls to tumble Holland’s off stump before Clarke had Felix Organ caught flashing to third slip and Tom Alsop castled in successive overs – as the Hotel End went 9.3 overs before seeing a run.Veteran Clarke then claimed his 500th first-class wicket, which coincided with his 450th Championship scalp, when Sam Northeast pushed to second slip, leaving Hampshire 26 for 4. James Vince attempted to fight the swing by smashing a six over square leg before producing back-to-back boundaries – but Clark had the last laugh as Jamie Smith hung on at point.Conor McKerr had Liam Dawson caught behind soon after lunch, before Clarke completed his five-for when the enterprising Aneurin Donald’s leading-edge landed at mid-off and Keith Barker was caught at gully.Kyle Abbott and Lewis McManus provided some rearguard action for the hosts as they put on 45 for the ninth wicket – before the former was bowled by Clark, who bagged 3 for 50, and the latter was lbw to Morkel to conclude the innings.Surrey’s batsmen didn’t find the conditions any easier to battle through as they collapsed to 37 for 3 and 61 for 5. Fidel Edwards made the breakthrough in the sixth over when, unlike the pattern of wickets of the day, he bounced Mark Stoneman out, with Vince pouching a simple catch.An over later Dean Elgar edged Abbott behind, before Scott Borthwick and Smith both poked Barker to Dawson at second slip.England hopeful Ben Foakes was the next to depart to give Barker his third. But Pope, along with Clarke, hurried the scoring along with a 72 stand for the sixth wicket, with several eye-catching shots nestled among some clever running.Pope departed in the twilight when Holland had him lbw, before McKerr was leg-before to Abbott to the last ball of the day – Surrey still behind but by just six runs.
Paul Pogba may be serving a global football ban, but the World Cup winner will be in attendance for France’s clash with Belgium at Euro 2024.
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Failed doping test in 2023Stung with lengthy suspensionReceived invite from the FFFGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The 30-year-old midfielder has been hit with a four-year suspension for doping offences. In September 2023, Pogba – who remains on the books of Serie A giants Juventus – was found to have elevated levels of testosterone in his system.
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He also failed a B test, leading to the National Anti-Doping Tribunal handing out a lengthy sentence that is preventing Pogba from taking to the field. As things stand, the former Manchester United star will not be cleared to resume his professional career until 2027.
Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
France are, however, looking to keep Pogba involved in their camp. According to , an invitation from the French Football Federation (FFF) has been extended to a player who has 91 senior caps and 11 goals to his name for his country.
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WHAT NEXT?
Pogba, who maintains his innocence and intends to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), will be among those watching on when France face Belgium in the last 16 of Euro 2024 at Merkur-Speil Arena in Dusseldorf on Monday – despite being banned from figuring in any UEFA-sanctioned contest himself.
Worcestershire coach pays tribute to his side’s frugality after they become first side this season to go 20 overs without conceding an extra
Matt Roller21-Sep-2019Worcestershire’s head coach Alex Gidman admitted he thought his side were dead and buried in their T20 Blast semi-final against Notts with two overs to go, and paid tribute to his side’s precision with the ball and in the field.Notts were 137 for 2 chasing 148 to win with two overs remaining, and would have gone through with a tie having lost fewer wickets. But Pat Brown and Wayne Parnell both bowled brilliant overs at the death to claw things back, and after Ben Duckett swung-and-missed at the final ball, Ben Cox whipped off the bails to seal a one-run victory.”I probably did [think we’d lost it],” said Gidman. “The 18th over [which went for 15 runs] was a big one. We had a good chance before then, but the 18th went for a few. That happens. Ross took one of theirs for quite a few at the end as well, so it’s probably unrealistic to think it’s all going to go swimmingly well.”You think about just trying to hang in the game for as long as possible, which is something we’ve talked about doing. It’s something that Mo [captain Moeen Ali] talks about with the group all the time, and those last couple of overs got a little bit messy but we managed to pull it back.”Worcestershire became the first side in the competition this season not to concede an extra in an innings, and Gidman paid tribute to his side’s miserly qualities.”It sounds really daft, but we just try and do the basics as well as possible,” he said. “Again, Mo talked about that at the beginning of the day – just doing the basics as well as we can – and that was certainly one area that we should be proud of.”Worcestershire were involved in a similarly remarkable come-from-behind win at Chester-le-Street during the competition’s group stage, and Gidman said that the semi-final had topped that drama.”We had one game at Durham a couple of months ago which was equally bizarre,” he said. “It was an amazing effort, amazing game of cricket. There’s so many ways that T20 entertains us, but that last couple of overs was pretty special from ourselves, and to stay in the game for as long as possible.”That was right up there. I think that probably did top the Durham game.”Moeen suggested that he had initially misread the pitch, but said that he expected runs to come more easily in the powerplay through the day.”I came off saying it was a 180 wicket,” he told Sky, “so that shows how much I know. Obviously I had a good start, and I think throughout Finals Day if you go at ten an over in the first six, it doesn’t really matter, you can drag it back.”It wasn’t easy to score. I thought [Alex] Hales played fantastically well and he was a big wicket for us – it was nice to get him out, actually.”
Alvaro Morata’s wife Alice has bitten back at sensational stories in Spain accusing her husband of being “immature” and a “crybaby”.
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Atletico star is captain of his countryStill subjected to intense criticismFamily have called for show of respectWHAT HAPPENED?
The Atletico Madrid striker has captained his country at Euro 2024, scoring their opening goal of the tournament in a 3-0 victory over Croatia. Morata has 36 international efforts to his name through 78 appearances, but continues to attract criticism in his homeland.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE GOSSIP
As a result, the 31-year-old frontman has told that he is now considering international retirement and a potential transfer abroad – with the Spanish press making life unnecessarily difficult for him, his partner and their four children.
DID YOU KNOW?
Said comments have got gone down well with some, as have said in an article under the headline ‘Morata, a captain who embarrasses Spain and not only because of his poor form at the Euros’: “Who is Morata to speak ill of Spain? Not just once. He has done so on several occasions before and during the Euro Cup. This captain does not represent Spain. He embarrasses it with his statements, which, by repeating them so often, make it credible that in Spain he is being mistreated or there is a personal persecution.”
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WHAT MORATA'S WIFE SAID
Alice Campello has responded to that feature by posting a lengthy statement on social media which reads: “I hate to play the victim and stir up more controversy, but this doesn't seem normal to me, I'm sorry. Is this normal? The only thing I see as poor quality is being a journalist, having studied for it and writing a headline like this when Spain is one day away from playing a semi-final. It amazes me that instead of encouraging a player you dedicate yourselves to trying to sink him… How do you think a person can give the maximum for his country when he feels that no one believes in him? What do you want to achieve with the headline? Generate more hatred towards a person? Congratulations, everyone can write their opinion and everyone is free to express it and no one ever pleases everyone, but there are ways and ways of saying things, even more so when you are from a newspaper and you have so much power to condition young people. Do we really want this?”
Darwin Nunez's last-second winner against Nottingham Forest last weekend said a lot about this Liverpool side, but then it also said very little; throwing in the towel is inconceivable to this remarkable squad.
The victory, Liverpool's sixth on the bounce in all competitions since a meek Premier League defeat at Arsenal at the start of February, has seen the Carabao Cup clinched, an FA Cup quarter-finals tie against Manchester United set up and the position at the summit of the top-flight protected.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester City, imperious as always, travel to Anfield on Sunday in a league showdown for the ages, with the outfits a point apart and third-placed Arsenal one behind again – a draw on Merseyside would see the Gunners reclaim pole position, should they win against Brentford on Saturday.
But first, Liverpool must journey onto the continent to meet Sparta Prague in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie, with Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit side likely to shuffle around ahead of the weekend's critical juncture in the Premier League.
Liverpool team news vs Sparta Prague
The big one. Liverpool are set to welcome Mohamed Salah back to the squad after the Egyptian talisman aggravated a muscular injury on his goalscoring return against Brentford in February.
Elsewhere, Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all made their returns last time out, all off the bench, and while Klopp will be wary of Sunday's contest, all three will play some part in the Czech Republic.
Jayden Danns is unavailable after suffering concussion against Forest, while a bloated injury list still contains Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Joel Matip.
Despite all these absentees, Klopp might be wise to place his midfield general, Alexis Mac Allister, on the bench this evening, given the variables surrounding the forthcoming period of action.
Why Alexis Mac Allister must be benched
Mac Allister joined Liverpool in a deal worth £35m last summer, having been the centrepiece in Brighton & Hove Albion's excellent season that bred European qualification and won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to boot.
As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 18% for passes attempted, the top 20% for progressive passes and the top 5% for blocks per 90, highlighting his rounded skill set and influence as the orchestrator in the centre.
This doesn't even paint the full picture by half, with Mac Allister's elite technical quality, his tenacity, his drive, all combining to place the woes of the 2022/23 campaign firmly in the past.
Liverpool's midfield was stagnant and sapped of strength but no more, with the 25-year-old praised for his "outstanding" level of performance by correspondent Neil Jones.
In the top flight, as per Sofascore, Mac Allister has posted two goals and four assists across 22 matches, completing 88% of his passes, completing 63% of his dribbles and averaging 2.7 tackles, 1.2 key passes, 5.7 ball recoveries and 5.6 successful duels per game.
But, with so many players sidelined over recent weeks, the £150k-per-week ace has played relentlessly and will now need to be rested, with Endo likely to assume a starting berth as the midfield anchor.
Not the only player needing a rest, Klopp might be inclined to return Andy Robertson to the bench this evening. The Scottish left-back has been beset with injury this season and while he has demonstrated much of his trademark prowess since returning in January, he's still a little rusty.
Why Klopp must ditch Andy Robertson
Robertson has been a staple of Liverpool's success throughout the Klopp era but he was felled by injury in the early stage of the current campaign and thus has been unable to hit his apex.
Having amassed 283 appearances under Klopp's guidance after signing from Hull City for £10m back in 2017 (an acquisition met with some raised eyebrows), Robertson has won it all and is currently tied with Alexander-Arnold as the highest-assisting defender in Premier League history, with 58 assists.
GK – Simon Mignolet
RB – Joe Gomez
CB – Joel Matip
CB – Ragnar Klavan
LB – Andy Robertson
DM – Jordan Henderson
CM – James Milner
CM – Gini WIjnaldum
RW – Roberto Firmino
LW – Sadio Mane
CF – Daniel Sturridge
Last time out, against Nottingham Forest, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle branded him with a 5/10 match score, writing: 'Somewhat loose with some of his passing first half which led to at least one Forest opening. Missed a great chance second half. Booked and subbed.'
Lest we forget, Robertson has only started four games since returning from a long-term absence due to shoulder surgery suffered on international duty in October, and he hasn't exactly been abject since his comeback, rather, a shade off the pace while still upholding his energy, determination and creativity.
Andy Robertson in action for Liverpool.
For example, he might have been criticised for his output at the City Ground but the statistics certainly don't muddy his performance too badly, with the Scotland captain winning four of his six contested duels, making two tackles, completing 89% of his passes and creating four key passes.
However, the 29-year-old did miss a glorious opportunity while indeed culpable for some questionable defending at times, ceding possession on 15 occasions. Given that he also failed to attempt a single dribble that has become a staple of his performance on Liverpool's left flank over the years, he will need to improve.
In his stead, Kostas Tsimikas should start, with the versatile Joe Gomez likely required in his natural right-back position to give Conor Bradley a rest before the Manchester City fixture.
Klopp benches Mac Allister in Liverpool predicted XI vs Sparta Prague
The Reds travel to the Czech Republic in the first leg of their Europa last 16 tie tomorrow evening.
ByAngus Sinclair Mar 6, 2024
Tsimikas is only just back from injury himself but he provided the assist for Virgil van Dijk's winning goal in the Carabao Cup final and ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 18% for interceptions per 90.
He can more than hold his own against Železná Sparta, who will seek to fight fire with fire and, as such, Liverpool will need to ensure their creative and offensive output holds up.
Manchester City might lurk round the corner but Klopp will have full focus on securing a result in Prague. While he will have to rotate, Liverpool have the players to succeed.
Manchester United came very close to landing a 17-year-old Pedro Neto seven years ago but they missed their chance to sign the now-Wolves star.
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Neto visited Carrington training groundAppeared in an academy match for Man UtdNeto currently linked with a move to LiverpoolWHAT HAPPENED?
Per the Red Devils' scouts spotted a young Neto in 2017 while he was still a part of Braga's youth setup. The Portuguese was invited to visit the club's Carrington training base and even featured in an academy game at Leigh Sports Village.
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United would have had to pay a bare minimum training compensation fee to acquire the services of the young winger from the Portuguese club, however, there was a delay of several weeks in sanctioning the move on the Premier League side's part which led to Neto sign his first professional contract with Braga. After that, he eventually moved to Lazio on loan before permanently joining Wolves in 2019.
DID YOU KNOW?
The 24-year-old attacker has now established himself as a mainstay in Wolves' line-up. However, he endured an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign where he appeared in just 24 matches across all competitions scoring thrice and contributing with 11 assists.
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PEDRO NETO?
Neto has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, who will look for attacking options if Mohamed Salah leaves for the Saudi Pro League. The player, however, remains focused on Euro 2024 at the moment as his side will be next seen in action against France in a quarter-final clash on Friday.