Tag Futebol

Kumar Sangakkara will be invited to serve a second term as MCC president, in light of the current postponement of the club’s activities.Sangakkara, the first overseas president of MCC, took office on October 1 last year, and recently participated in a successful club tour of Pakistan, his first return to the country since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in March 2009.Presidents of MCC have traditionally only served 12-month terms, although during the First and Second World Wars, Lord Hawke (1914-18) and Stanley Christopherson (1939-45) both served for longer periods.The proposal will be voted on at the club’s AGM on June 24, where the club will also consider raising funds through a new life membership scheme, in order to keep the redevelopment of the Compton and Edrich Stands on course during the Covid-19 pandemic.In a letter to its membership, Guy Lavender, the secretary and chief executive, insisted that MCC – which is currently debt-free – was “not in crisis, or dire financial jeopardy”, but warned that “proactive and early decision-making is required” to respond to the implications of the virus.Lord’s had been due to host two Tests this summer, against West Indies and Pakistan, in addition to a number of other high-profile contests including the final of the inaugural season of the Hundred, which has now been postponed until 2021.ALSO READ: Lahore attack taught me a lot about values: SangakkaraHowever, with all cricket postponed until July 1 at the earliest, and given the current focus on playing behind closed doors in bio-secure environments, it seems unlikely that Lord’s, with its central-London location and no on-site accommodation, will be able to host any major matches this year.With its losses expected to run into tens of millions of pounds, MCC is determined to avoid a situation that impacts on the £50 million redevelopment work that got underway last year, and when completed will increase capacity at Lord’s by 2500 seats to 31,000.The life-membership scheme has previously been adopted in 1926 and 1996 to fund the redevelopments of Lord’s Grandstand, and is expected to cost between £7,000 and £80,000, depending on age of the applicant.MCC also confirmed that they will not be refunding annual subscription fees to its existing membership, which comprises 18,000 full members and 5,000 associates, who pay up to £600 for full access to Lord’s facilities, having waited in most cases for close to three decades for the privilege.In his letter, Lavender confirmed that the committee had taken the decision reluctantly, adding: “subscriptions are the bedrock of the Club’s finances, critical to ensuring we weather the current storm. Ultimately, you own the Club and I hope that in that context you will be understanding of the position the Committee has felt it needed to take.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Após deixar o hotel em que vivia, Adriano Imperador comprou uma cobertura na Barra da Tijuca, Zona Oeste do Rio de Janeiro. Avaliado em R$ 4 milhões, o apartamento é no mesmo prédio onde mora o ex-prefeito carioca, Marcelo Crivella.

+ Confira a classificação do Brasileirão 2021!

RelacionadasFora de CampoMessi em Piripiri? 4 de Julho ‘acerta’ com argentino às vésperas do término de contrato com BarcelonaFora de Campo30/06/2021Fora de CampoFaustão pode desbancar tradicional Show do Esporte aos domingos da BandFora de Campo30/06/2021Fora de CampoTorcedor do Corinthians é condenado em regime semiaberto por invasão de campo da Arena em 2019Fora de Campo30/06/2021

Apesar da compra milionária, este não é o endereço definitivo de Adriano. O ex-jogador segue em busca de uma casa desde que deixou a que viveu nos últimos anos, no condomínio Mansões.

Agora,Adriano Imperador ostenta de um amplo lugar para organizar suas ‘resenhas’. O novo “apê” conta com salas de estar, churrasqueira e uma grande varanda, publicada muitas vezes pelo ex-jogador.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco teve um início conturbado de Série B e ainda busca se consolidar na competição. Esse começo ainda inconsistente pode ser explicado pelo aproveitamento da equipe nas finalizações. Segundo números do site “Footstas”, apenas 38,6% das finalizações do Cruz-Maltino encontraram a direção do gol adversário.

ATUAÇÕES: Cano, Jabá e Marquinhos Gabriel recebem as maiores notas

RelacionadasVascoCampanha solidária ‘Vamos todos aquecer um coração’, promovida pelo Vasco, é estendida até 20 de julhoVasco21/06/2021VascoPeça importante! Desde que estreou, Marquinhos Gabriel tem apenas uma derrota pelo VascoVasco21/06/2021VascoVasco emite nota de repúdio por episódio com drone que sobrevoou São Januário e ameaçou jogadoresVasco22/06/2021

No total, o Vasco tem uma média de 11.4 finalizações por jogo, mas apenas 4.4 são na direção do gol. Isso evidencia que menos da metade dos arremates tentados pelo time durante uma partida tem chances reais de balançar as redes.Todavia, no confronto do último sábado, contra o CRB, em São Januário, o Cruz-Maltino apresentou um grande salto de qualidade nesse quesito.

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

O técnico Marcelo Cabo promoveu oito alterações para a partida, e a equipe correspondeu. Antes, havia sido contra o Avaí o jogo em que o Vasco mais finalizou na direção do gol (cinco vezes).Contra o time alagoano, contudo, o Gigante da Colina teve dez finalizações, sendo oito na direção da meta adversária, o que evidencia um aproveitamento de 80%.

Em entrevista coletiva após a vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o CRB, o técnico Marcelo Cabo analisou o jogo destacou que a equipe foi preparada para alcançar a “vitória elástica e consistente”. O comandante também destacou que o Vasco teve uma mudança de atitude dentro de campo – o que ficou claro com o aproveitamento de 80% nas finalizações.

– Tivemos um início com dois resultados adversos em casa, mas soubemos preparar uma equipe hoje que tivesse essa vitória elástica e consistente. Se o Vasco mantiver essa média de seis pontos a cada três jogos, vai ser bom. É a tônica da competição – analisou o comandante, e acrescentou.

– Essa vitória traz confiança ao grupo. Precisamos ter tranquilidade. Quando a gente perde como quarta, não está tudo errado. Assim como não está tudo certo hoje. Recalculamos a rota. Eu como comandante preciso tomar decisões. A mudança hoje não foi só de peças, foi de atitude. Que agora a gente possa emplacar uma série de vitórias – disse.

O Vasco volta a campo na próxima quinta-feira, às 21h30, contra o Cruzeiro. A partida é válida pela sexta rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro e será disputada no Mineirão.

> Veja a tabela da Série B

VEJA AS FINALIZAÇÕES DO VASCO A CADA JOGO

Vasco x Operário: 14 finalizações // quatro no gol

Ponte Preta x Vasco: oito finalizações // uma no gol

Brasil de Pelotas x Vasco: dez finalizações // quatro no gol

Vasco x Avaí: 15 finalizações // cinco no gol

Vasco x CRB: dez finalizações // oito na direção do gol

*Números do site Footsats

Mark Boucher, South Africa’s coach, is in a quandary. He needs to find a way to ensure his premier strike bowler, Kagiso Rabada, does not lose his instinctive aggression but also that Rabada does not use it beyond the parameters of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, as he did to his cost at St George’s Park.After bowling Joe Root with a delivery that beat the England captain for pace, Rabada continued in his followthrough all the way to the edges of Root’s crease, where he let out a rip-roaring scream while squatting almost to his haunches and holding the outsides of his legs.Match referee Andy Pycroft deemed that to be a breach of clause 2.5 which forbids send-offs that make use of disparaging or provoking language, actions or gestures, and charged Rabada with a Level 1 offence which he did not contest despite Boucher seeing “nothing wrong,” with the celebration.Rabada will miss the series finale in Johannesburg as a result of accumulated demerit points (this was the fourth in the last 24 months) and though Boucher has accepted Rabada’s fate, he now faces the challenge of trying to keep him both fired up and disciplined.”KG bowls at his best when he is nice and aggressive,” Boucher said. “It’s trying to find a balance of keeping him nice and aggressive and not boxing him in with regards to that. But just understanding the laws of the game and trying to stay on the good side of it, rather than the flip side. It is going to be tough but it is something we will have to address.”In theory, Boucher disagrees with Pycroft’s decision, which he communicated at Thursday’s post-play meeting. “We did voice our concerns over the rule that he quoted to us and a couple of variations of the rule,” Boucher said. “It’s a tough one because the talk is about excessive celebrations in the area of the batter and making contact with the batter, I don’t feel he made any contact with the batter whatsoever. He wasn’t even looking at him. Yes, he was in his space but there are probably different ways you can look at it. It doesn’t really matter what we feel about it. The match referee has made up his mind.”ALSO READ: Dobell: Superlative Stokes approaches batting fulfilmentBoucher regards the Level 1 sanction as a “slap on the wrist”, and not something “really bad”, but acknowledged that he is not entirely familiar with the demerit system which came into effect in September 2016. In getting to know it a little bit more, Boucher’s disappointment is split between the severity with which the code was applied and Rabada’s lack of control over his own conduct.”You don’t want to take all the aggression out of the game of cricket,” he said. “You’ve got two countries playing hard cricket against each other. In a heated situation, guys are trying really hard and sometimes the emotions overflow. From that side, maybe I am a little bit disappointed in the rules and regulations but if you know the rules and regulations, you have got to stick to them. KG knows what he can and cannot do and he maybe just pushed a little it too far.”KG is a team man as well so he will feel very disappointed. It’s something that we have to address and get a good balance. In our days, we didn’t have to deal with this stuff because we could say pretty much we wanted and get away with it. It is a bit of a learning curve for me with all these new rules and regulations that have come in, to try and get the best out of him with his aggression but also try and monitor him in the discipline side.”While the confrontational exchanges of Boucher’s playing days are unlikely to return, wars of words continue to take place. If they are audible through the stump mic, they are punished, which was the case with Jos Buttler at Newlands. Buttler was heard calling Vernon Philander a ‘f****** knobhead’ and was given the same sanction as Rabada – a 15 percent match-fee fine and one demerit point. It’s instances like that that Boucher thinks shows the intensity of the moment and that should not be taken out of the game.”I am a little bit worried,” Boucher said. “There’s been quite a few things happening in world cricket, we saw it last game, where sides are going for a win, they are pushing hard for a win. England had been in the field for a long time and the swear words weren’t great, but it’s aggression. In our day, we’d push very hard for a win and try make batters feels uncomfortable if we are on top. The laws have changed. I understand where the ICC want to go with it. Hopefully they find a balance where they don’t take emotion out of the game. I still think there is a very big place for that in cricket.”South Africa had not forgotten Buttler’s remarks and greeted him with a volley of insults in a short-lived innings, which was one of their brighter moments in an otherwise flat day. Asked whether news of Rabada’s sanction affected the fielders, Boucher said he didn’t think so. “I don’t know if most of the guys actually know,” he said. “We weren’t 100 percent sure how many demerit points he had but then we found out this morning. I don’t think it affected the guys too much. They still feel they’ve got a big chance to do well.”That will be South Africa’s focus for the next three days, during which they will still have Rabada in their ranks. Then, they will move to the series-decider in Johannesburg, where they will either be in a must-win situation to save the series or a must-not-lose to avoid squaring it. Whichever it is, they will have to do it without Rabada, who Boucher said will be sorely missed.”He is a world-class performer, especially at the Wanderers, where I think he would be very effective. So yes, very disappointing but we’ve got a Test match to try and save over here. We’ll have to have a look at our options once we get to the Wanderers.”South Africa have three options in the current squad: allrounders Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo and left-armer Beuran Hendricks who could be brought in but may cast the net wider ahead of the match.

It's been a long old season for Crystal Palace fans this year, with hefty defeats to rivals, an injury list that never seems to shrink and football that could put anyone to sleep.

However, the decision to replace Roy Hodgson with Oliver Glasner feels like a turning point and could be the best thing that's happened to the Eagles for quite some time.

The Austrian has enjoyed brilliant success in Germany and is known for his progressive and attacking style of play, something he'll likely bring to Selhurst Park once he has the right players.

That means many current starters, such as Jordan Ayew, probably won't be in the team a few years from now, but the club could already have the perfect replacement for the experienced Ghanaian.

Jordan Ayew's Crystal Palace career

Now, the first thing to say is that Ayew has been a brilliant player for Palace over the years. While he has never quite grabbed the attention in the same way as Michael Olise or Eberechi Eze, for example, his contribution to the team has been invaluable.

He first joined the south Londoners on a season-long loan from Swansea City for the 2018/19 campaign before making a permanent move a year later for just £2.5m, which now looks like an absolute bargain.

So far, the 32-year-old has made 201 appearances for the Eagles in which he has scored 23 goals and provided 21 assists, meaning that he has averaged a goal involvement every 4.56 games in the five and a half seasons he has been at the club, which, for the price paid, is a brilliant return.

That said, if the club want to truly push on under the guidance of Glasner and help him to achieve something similar to his Europa League glory with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, they'll need to provide him with dynamic players with room to develop and as brilliant as Ayew has been at Selhurst Park, he is not that.

Luckily, the emergence of a talented youngster at the club means they might already have the perfect replacement.

Why fans should be excited about Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

The youngster in question is 21-year-old Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who already has quite an impressive record for a young player.

He joined the club's youth setup from Chelsea in 2019 and made 56 appearances across the various youth sides, in which he scored 29 goals and provided 16 assists, meaning he averaged 0.80 goal involvements per match, primarily from the wings.

With junior football no longer a sufficient challenge for the Southwark-born gem, he was sent out on loan to League One outfit Charlton Athletic for the 2022/23 season, where he scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 43 league appearances.

He made a tangible impact during his time at The Valley, with then-manager Dean Holden describing him as someone who would "run through a brick wall for Charlton" and as a "fantastic young player" with "a real chance of going to the top level."

Since returning from loan, the "remarkable" winger, as described by former manager Hodgson, has made ten appearances for the club. However, only three of those have been starts, and he might have to wait until next season for his next one as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

It is clear then that Rak-Sakyi could well replace Ayew in the starting lineup over the next couple of years, but he could do more than that, as with how he is spoken about by those in the know and his impressive record, he could be the heir apparent to Wilfried Zaha's throne.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's record
Teams	Crystal Palace U18	Crystal Palace U21	Crystal Palace	Charlton Athletic
Appearances	17	39	10	49
Goals	8	21	0	15
Assists	8	8	0	9
Goal Involvements per Match	0.94	0.74	0.00	0.48
All Stats via Transfermarkt

If the 5 foot 10 gem can break into the first team as an academy product, he'll be following a similar route to Zaha, and while he primarily plays on the right wing, he has made 38 appearances on the left, suggesting he's versatile.

Crystal Palace should hand academy "monster" his debut in place of Mateta

The incredibly talented youngster has been tearing it up at youth level and deserves a chance in the first team.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 4, 2024

Ultimately, Glasner has a big project on his hands at Palace, and while players like Ayew have been brilliant over the years, the emergence of Rak-Sakyi gives the Austrian an opportunity to replace him in a year or two seamlessly.

Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya has been banned from bowling in international cricket for 12 months because of an illegal bowling action.Dananjaya’s suspension is a result of the ICC’s automatic penalty for bowlers who have twice failed an assessment inside a two-year period. The offspinner can, however, bowl in domestic cricket conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket, with the consent of the board.Dananjaya was assessed after he was reported for a suspect action for the second time in ten months following the Galle Test against New Zealand last month. He subsequently underwent an independent assessment on August 29 in Chennai, which found his bowling action to be illegal.ALSO READ: Akila Dananjaya: Resilience, guile, and a bit of elbow grease, by Andrew Fernando”As the latest report constitutes the player’s second report within a two-year period, the first of which led to a suspension, he is automatically suspended from bowling in international cricket for a period of 12 months,” an ICC release said. “Dananjaya will be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action after the expiry of this one-year period.”Dananjaya was initially suspended from bowling in November 2018, before undergoing remedial work which allowed him to resume bowling earlier this year.Since Dananjaya was not as effective in ODIs when he returned after the suspension, he missed out on a World Cup berth in the summer. The Galle Test in August was his first since his suspension last year and he took an impressive 5 for 80 in the first innings. He did not feature in the second Test against New Zealand but played the subsequent T20Is, taking 2 for 28, 3 for 36 and 1 for 30 to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, behind Lasith Malinga’s tally of seven wickets.The suspension is a big blow for Sri Lanka as they are scheduled to play their next five Tests in Asia.

After years in the wilderness, Arsenal have firmly established themselves as one of the best teams in the Premier League once more.

Mikel Arteta inherited a mess of a squad when he took the reigns over four years ago, and while it hasn't been smooth sailing, the turnaround has been remarkable.

Much of the Gunners' current form is built off intelligent moves in the transfer market, whether buying or selling players.

That said, as well as Arteta and Edu have operated over the last few years, there have been some clangers, with one such errant signing earning more than Leandro Trossard during his dismal stint at the club.

How much Leandro Trossard earns at Arsenal

The Belgian international completed his £27m move to the Emirates in January of last year, and to say he's been a success in red and white would be a massive understatement.

Since his arrival, the 29-year-old has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in just 54 appearances, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 2.3 games.

Leandro Trossard's Arsenal Career

Appearances

54

Minutes

2469'

Goals

11

Assists

12

Minutes per Goal Involvement

107'

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, he has only played a total of 2469 minutes for the club, meaning that he actually averages a goal involvement every 107 minutes, which is a brilliant level of output for a sub £30m player.

The "clinical" forward, as described by journalist Phil Costa, isn't costing the Gunners much in wages either, as he takes home around £90k-per-week, which means there are currently 15 players earning more than him, with some, like Kai Havertz, earning more than three times as much.

In all, signing Trossard last January is one of the best bang-for-buck moves Arsenal have ever sanctioned, and it makes one of the club's earlier attacking signings look even more foolish.

How much Willian earned at Arsenal

Yes, the player who will go down as one of the worst Arsenal signings in recent memory is none other than former Chelsea star Willian.

The Gunners signed the Brazilian for free in August 2020, and yet, due to his hefty wages of £138k-per-week and dreadful return on the pitch, he must be considered one of the worst value-for-money signings in the Arteta era.

Ironically, the Ribeirão Pires-born star's Arsenal career began in brilliant fashion as he provided two assists on debut as the Gunners dismantled Fulham 3-0 on the opening day of the 2020/21 Premier League season. However, it was all downhill from there.

Throughout the campaign, the former Blues star would make 37 appearances, score just one goal and provide seven assists, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement once every 4.65 games, which just wasn't enough for a player who was supposed to help raise the levels at the club.

Willian's Arsenal Career

Weekly Wages

£138k-p/w (53 Weeks)

Appearances

37

Goals

1

Cost per Goal

£7.3m

Assists

7

Cost per Assist

£1m

All Stats via Transfermarkt & Wages via Capology

It was abundantly clear that it wasn't working, and so in late August 2021, 53 weeks after it was announced he had joined the club on a three-year deal, it was announced that Willian's contract had been terminated by mutual content.

In all, the "awful" flop, as described by former professional Rob Lee, cost the club £7.3m in wages, meaning that Arsenal essentially paid that much for just one goal, or just over £1m per assist, which can hardly be considered a good use of funds.

Related Meet Arsenal's Hale End "monster" who's ready to become the new Ben White

The Hale End gem is just as versatile as the Arsenal starter.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 6, 2024

Ultimately, while there have been a few dud signings sanctioned under Arteta, such as Pablo Mari and Alex Runarsson, the dismal performances of Willian during his one year with the club ranks as the very worst.

Glasgow Rangers return to Premiership action tomorrow as Philippe Clement takes his team to Perth for a clash against St Johnstone.

The match comes just four days after the 3-1 win at Ibrox against Ross County and while three points was all that mattered, the statistics show that the Light Blues could have entered double figures with regard to goals.

Not only did they take 43 shots during the game, but the club also had 20 corners and finished the game with 72% possession in what was a dominant performance by the home side.

The Belgian will likely make a couple of changes for the game tomorrow, especially as Rabbi Matondo has been ruled out due to injury.

With this in mind, we at Football FanCast predict the starting XI which will take to the pitch at McDiarmid Park tomorrow lunchtime.

1 GK – Jack Butland

While Rangers conceded against County in midweek, Butland did not have much to do at all as the Highland side managed only one shot on target during the whole game.

The ‘keeper has been a revelation for the Gers this season and shows how vital it is to have a reliable option between the posts. Across 40 matches in all competitions this term, Butland has kept 20 clean sheets and conceded 30 goals.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The captain was phenomenal against County in midweek, doing everything but get on the scoresheet.

He provided the assists for all three goals, while making eight key passes and creating three big chances, topping his performance off by receiving a perfect rating of 10/10 via Sofascore.

Having already lifted the League Cup earlier this season, Tavernier will be desperate to add to his collection and, given their recent form, a domestic treble is within the realm of possibilities.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

Goldson was held off by Eamonn Brophy before Simon Murray scored the equaliser and the defender has been at fault for a few goals this season.

Against Aberdeen in November, the centre-back was caught out by a long ball over the top which led to the Dons opening the scoring and this is something he will need to be wary of.

He has missed only four matches during the season and will have a key part to play over the next couple of months.

4 CB – John Souttar

The Scot has been Goldson’s regular partner recently and the duo work well together. Leon Balogun was taken off against Livingston a few weeks ago after suffering a facial injury, but it will be the former Hearts' defender who is unleashed from the start.

Souttar scored the vital third goal in midweek while also winning 100% of his aerial duels and if he is in that sort of form tomorrow, the Saints will struggle to get anything going.

5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

The Turkish left-back has started seven of the previous eight league matches and has firmly established himself as Clement’s number one choice on the left side of the defence.

With Borna Barisic out of contract at the end of the season, Yilmaz has the chance to cement his place in the starting XI, and it looks as though he has totally transformed the trajectory of his spell in Glasgow.

6 CM – John Lundstram

Like Butland and Tavernier, the English midfielder is becoming one of the first names on the team sheet due to his excellent performances of late.

Against County, Lundstram took 100 touches, completed 92% of his passes and made four key passes in a display that proved just how crucial he is to Clement.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

Rangers signed the 22-year-old on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for £4.3m during the January transfer window, and he looks like a shrewd piece of business.

Tom Lawrence excelled against County, but he will drop to the bench as a precaution due to his recent injury history and this will allow the Ivorian to secure his first league start for the Gers.

He replaced Lawrence in midweek and showed his abilities by finishing the match with a 100% pass success rate while making one key pass.

8 RW – Ross McCausland

The young winger will be unleashed from the starting XI once again, and he will be looking to make more of a direct impact against St Johnstone.

He did make six key passes during the clash against County, yet he failed to deliver a successful cross into the box while losing possession eight times, but he is still raw and developing.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

The Englishman delivered one of his finest performances of the season in midweek. Cantwell did everything but score or assist against the Staggies and if he can maintain this level of performance over the next few weeks, Rangers will be favourites for the title.

After a tough start to the campaign, the former Norwich City gem looks settled under Clement and the fans will be hoping he can continue his fine form against the Saints.

10 LW – Oscar Cortes

With the news that Matondo will miss the game, January signing Oscar Cortes will come back into the starting XI.

During his 45-minute cameo in midweek, the Colombian managed four key passes, missed two big chances and took five shots in total, and he really should have scored at least once.

Liverpool return to Premier League action this afternoon in an Anfield clash against struggling Burnley, having fallen to a limp defeat against Arsenal last time out.

Still, Jurgen Klopp's side are top of the table (though defending champions Manchester City are two points behind with a game in hand) and are firing on all cylinders, fighting for silverware across every possible front.

Losses are part of the game and now Liverpool must bounce back, with the forthcoming fixture the perfect chance to revive the winning feeling ahead of a crucial stretch of action.

Liverpool team news vs Burnley

Thiago Alcantara is back on the sidelines after making a cameo in the late stage at the Emirates Stadium, while Mohamed Salah is scheduled to return to first-team training next week, so misses out later.

There were concerns that Domink Szoboszlai would miss up to eight matches with a recurrence of a hamstring injury but the Hungary captain will hopefully return to fitness this month. He will definitely be unavailable against the Clarets though so will need an apt creative replacement.

Harvey Elliott will flourish

Ryan Gravenberch partnered Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones against Arsenal but flattered to deceive, taking just 26 touches and failing to make a key pass, branded a "passenger out of possession" by journalist Danny Corcoran.

In his stead, Harvey Elliott must be handed just his fourth starting berth of the season in the Premier League, still having posted a goal and two assists.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Passing

Tackling

Key passes

Aerial duels

Through balls

Long shots

Source: WhoScored

As per FBref, Elliott ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

Praised for his "special" qualities by Fabrizio Romano, the 20-year-old is one of the young glittering gems bedecking the Anfield pitch at present and he will be desperate to take his chance and prove to Klopp that he is deserving of a prominent role across the business end of the campaign.

He's certainly not the only one, however, with Jarell Quansah also in line to start against Vincent Kompany's side after Ibrahima Konate picked up two yellow cards last weekend.

Quansah has been described as a "phenomenal talent" by Trent Alexander-Arnold and has slotted into life under Klopp's wing seamlessly, ranking among the top 2% of centre-backs for goals, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 19% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for aerial duels won per 90.

For Klopp to entrust such starlets with big roles is just an illumination of the German's magic on Merseyside, but these are players more than capable of damaging Burnley and sending them back to Lancashire without even a paltry point.

Quansah will need to stand tall alongside Virgil van Dijk but the burden of creativity from the centre will fall largely on the £40k-per-week Elliott's shoulders, and he will need to combine the cogs to ensure that Liverpool's fluency proves too much for their antagonists later today.

Chris Jordan runs in from the Castle End and bowls to Benny Howell. The good-length ball is on off stump and Howell plays it safely to cover where Harry Finch trots in to field. Gentle applause comes from the supporters gathered on the bank by the sightscreen. This game against Gloucestershire will be drawn but the start of every day at Arundel deserves its own gentle accolade. Two swallows harry each other above the sycamores and elms.Forty-one miles away at the Rose Bowl, the fall of West Indian wickets is greeted with roars of acclaim but roaring has never been Arundel’s style. On the second Friday in June England accommodates both the heaving stadia of the World Cup and the pastoral glory of West Sussex.There is a sudden shower at ten to twelve and for a few moments this peerless ground is gauzed by rain. Before midday, though, sunlight is sweeping back over the outfield and the players have returned. At half-past twelve Howell is leg before to what looked like Will Beer’s top-spinner and on the stroke of lunch Ollie Robinson scatters Jack Taylor’s off and middle stumps with the new ball. These are not negligible successes. Sussex and Gloucestershire are both pressing for bonus points in a Second Division the shape of which few predicted in April.For example, it does not matter only to Swansea’s Balconeers when play gets under way 211 miles away in the match between Glamorgan and Derbyshire at St Helen’s. And from the top of that hill-top pavilion spectators see Benny Godleman eventually fall lbw to Lukas Carey for 227. But fourth-placed Derbyshire bat on in the hope of embarrassing second-placed GlamorganAt the Rose Bowl, Jofra Archer is on a hat-trick. At Arundel, Archer’s county colleagues try to prevent Gareth Roderick reaching his first century of the season but the Gloucestershire batsman drives Abi Sakande sweetly through mid-off and gives a little skip of delight. It is his first hundred since he made 102 against Essex at Cheltenham in 2016. He receives a warm round of applause from spectators who have spent their winters waiting for afternoons like this. The ground relaxes into the fresh sunlight of watercolour; it is the best weather of this cloud-benighted week.In Swansea, Derbyshire call a halt on 598 for 5 but Glamorgan’s batsmen stand firm.Their Gloucestershire counterparts are more ambitious and score 162 runs in the afternoon session on a very flat pitch. “Too benign” the Sussex coach, Jason Gillespie, will call Arundel’s wicket and there is great justice in his remark. Roderick makes 158 before he does well to reach one from Robinson and is caught behind by Ben Brown. At the other end Ryan Higgins clumps Beer and Luke Wells over midwicket for sixes. All these strokes are duly applauded and some Gloucestershire supporters wonder if their side might be one of the three to win promotion this year. Leaders Lancashire are probably stronger favourites to win the title than they were a couple of months ago but when this day’s play began the next eight sides were covered by 23 points.The cricket after tea is played for duty and in a light-hearted atmosphere rarely possible in the English season. Spectators remain in faithful attendance on the bank. They care that England are beating West Indies but this is the cricket they prefer to watch. Gloucestershire’s 400 comes up and Higgins reaches his second century of the season with a cover drive off Laurie Evans. By the end of the game he will have made a career-best 119 not out. Robinson bowls off-spin and Wells bowls seam up. With all possible points decided and the result of the game certain, the players gently mock each other’s efforts. Danny Briggs keeps to the very occasional slow left-arm of Brown. No one mentions spin.At Swansea Glamorgan lose only a couple of wickets and Derbyshire use eight bowlers, two fewer than Sussex employ at Arundel. England complete victory over West Indies but people say some of the gloss may have been taken off the win by a couple of injuries. Sussex and Gloucestershire’s players shake hands at 4.50pm, which is the earliest time the draw can be agreed. All but one of the Championship matches this week have ended in rain-wrecked draws and there is therefore some irony in the bright sunlight which blesses this Friday evening at Arundel. Some spectators are reluctant to leave and sit near the famous gap in the trees, taking in the Arun valley or the Cathedral. The Norfolk flag flutters in the brisk wind.