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Meanwhile, West Indies have little to think about going into the second ODI in Lucknow, where visibility continues to be at a low due to smog

The Preview by Varun Shetty08-Nov-2019Big pictureAfghanistan lost their tenth 50-over game in a row when they went down by seven wickets in the first ODI. One doesn’t envy a captain who inherits such a problem – Rashid Khan is once again in charge of trying to change things bigger than himself.The primary problem with Afghanistan’s ODI cricket is their batting. At the moment, they are not getting quick starts consistently, they are rarely making it past the first powerplay without losing wickets and, as a result, the middle overs become all about rebuilding. Unfortunately, at this stage of their journey, they are yet to find someone who can do that without compromising on the scoring rate.Sample this: the team has made more than 250 only once in the last ten matches, and that was in a botched chase of 312 against West Indies. They batted the full 50 overs or at least came close in each of the five matches before this series began, but apart from the chase against West Indies, those were all efforts at just pushing past 200. For now, this series, and perhaps the next few, are all about improving that aspect of their game.Their opponents, however, are not the worst team around to seek some inspiration from. After all, who in modern cricket has tried to rebuild as many times as West Indies?Form guideAfghanistan LLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLLWL
In the spotlight
Ikram Alikhil has shown something to the management that has convinced them to put him front and centre lately. The wicketkeeper-batsman was a nervous, shaky starter batting low down the order during the World Cup for which he wasn’t originally picked; his first two innings were 2 off 22 and 9 off 33. He had hit only two fours in his first eight innings – in 166 balls. The last man you would think of while chasing 312. And yet, Afghanistan decided to send him in at No. 3 and for at least 34 overs, Alikhil kept West Indies alert to a potential defeat. That 93-ball 86 was his last innings prior to the 58 he scored before being run-out for 58 in a contentious manner in the first ODI. With Hashmatullah Shahidi not in the team and Hazratullah Zazai not in form, the 19-year-old is suddenly one of Afghanistan’s most important batsman.Shimron Hetmyer is something of a crowd favourite for his belligerent batting style. That very style also makes him frustrating to follow sometimes – in his last ten limited-overs innings, including the CPL, Hetmyer has made eight single-digit scores. Since the end of September, Hetmyer’s highest score in six limited-overs outings is just 9. Can he turn it around?Getty ImagesTeam news
Afghanistan could be tempted to switch up their batting by handing a debut to 17-year-old Ibrahim Zadran, who made 87 on Test debut against Bangladesh recently. A change in their seam-bowling options might also be on the cards.Afghanistan (possible): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Javed Ahmadi/Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Asghar Afghan, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Gulbadin Naib/Karim Janat, 9 Rashid Khan (capt), 10 Naveen-ul-Haq/Yamin Ahmadzai, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanWest Indies have little to think about and may well be unchanged. Perhaps Alzarri Joseph’s expensive spell could worry them – in which case they have sufficient back-up in Keemo Paul, or even Kharry Pierre as an extra spin option.West Indies (possible): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Nicholas Pooran 5 Roston Chase, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Sheldon Cottrell, 10 Alzarri Joseph/Keemo Paul/Khary Pierre, 11 Hayden Walsh JrPitch and conditions
Smog continues to be a feature in the northern part of India, and while smog and pollution levels have only marginally decreased in Lucknow since the last match, it is still at an undesirable level. The visibility on Friday was measured at 3.2km, as opposed to Jaipur on the same day which had a visibility of 11.3km. It is expected to be overcast on match day.Stats and trivia
In his last seven ODIs, Rashid has taken only three wickets at an average of 130 and an economy of 5.90. Javed Ahmadi is 24 runs away from becoming the 11th Afghanistan batsman to 1000 ODI runs. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have more ODI wickets between them than the entire West Indies squad combined.

Fans stormed the gates of Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the Copa America final, leading to arrests and congestion outside the grounds.

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Fans storm Hard Rock Stadium gates without ticketsArrests made by local policeKickoff delayed more than an hour as a resultWHAT HAPPENED?

Fans without tickets for the match stormed past gates, climbing fences and forcing their way past turnstyle ahead of the Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium Sunday night. The incidents and resulting congestion prompted a kickoff delay from the original 8 pm EST to 9:15 pm EST.

Multiple reports said that an estimated 7,000 people without tickets gained entry to the stadium, and prior to kickoff, fans were crowding the aisles and walkways. Security personnel tried to clear those areas once the game started, and then were checking to see if fans without seats had tickets.

USA Today reported Miami-Dade police have made "10-15 arrests" ahead of kickoff. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived to provide supports on the scene, but not before tensions rose.

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Gates for the match opened more than two hours after they were supposed to, and it left some fans baking in temperatures of 90+ degrees fahrenheit.

Congestion in and around the stadium led to fans being forced into uncomfortable conditions, and a slow-moving attendance ahead of kickoff. The Athletic reported that a fan wearing a Colombia jersey was "revived" on the scene by medical personnel, after stating she appeared to be unconscious.

Miami-Dade Police released a statement sharing that "unruly behavior" from fans led to the match delay.

DID YOU KNOW?

Colombia are riding a 28-match unbeaten streak heading into the match. Argentina, meanwhile, are looking to repeat as champions.

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Kickoff was pushed back first by 30 minutes, and then 45 minutes, and then again to 9:15 pm ET local time in Miami. During warmups, CONMEBOL officials asked players from both teams to exit the pitch and return to the lockerroom.

FOX Sports reported that the stadium was temporarily in "lockdown" and that all the gates to the stadium opened at 8:20 pm.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea's search for a new team goes on after his reported move to Genoa collapsed.

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De Gea left Man Utd in 2023Looked set to join GenoaMove off due to high wagesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Sky Sports, De Gea will not be moving to the Serie A side for the time being due to his 'unrealistic salary expectations'. The report adds the Italian team will pursue other targets, as the 33-year-old's wait for a new team stretches to more than a year.

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De Gea was once regarded as one of the world's best keepers but despite winning the golden glove in his last season at United, he left last summer, with the Red Devils signing Andre Onana. While the veteran has been content to wait for the right opportunity, being out of the game for a year is unlikely to help his career.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Spanish international joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and went onto make 545 appearances for the Premier League giants – winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, two Carabao Cups and one Europa League title.

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Free agent De Gea, who has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, will continue to train on his own as he searches for his next opportunity. He may have to consider lowering his wage demands to play for a team again.

With Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe now calling the shots, Manchester United are set to undergo a complete overhaul this summer.

Movement has already occurred behind the scenes, with Omar Berrada becoming the club’s new chief executive and plenty of backroom staff departing.

That is said to be the case for plenty of the current squad members at Old Trafford, with outgoings expected to potentially hit double figures.

However, those leaving will obviously make room for arrivals, with a centre back one of the key positions that’s been identified as a priority signing.

Man Utd’s search for a centre-back

According to reports from Colombia via TuttoMercato, Man United are set to be in a tussle for the signature of Jhon Lucumi.

The 25-year-old defender currently plays his football at Bologna in Italy, impressing enough to gain interest from the Red Devils and Spanish giant Atletico Madrid.

It is estimated that a fee of around €20m (£17m) would be enough to secure the Colombian’s services, but the Serie A side will look to gain as much funds as possible.

That said, the potential problem for United is that Lucumi’s performances in the Copa America could see his worth increase, but not to the level of United’s other centre-back targets.

Man Utd have begun talks to sign a £50m Harry Maguire replacement

Erik ten Hag is keen to reinforce his backline next summer.

ByTom Lever Mar 26, 2024 Man Utd's dream Jarrad Branthwaite alternative

Another player on the list of potential recruits is Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, who is set to be on the move at the end of the season.

A report from Mike McGrath via The Telegraph this week stated that United are interested in the defender, but his signature would cost a fee of at least 50m.

Obviously, that figure is a minimum, and it could rise if the Red Devils do decide to sign the 21-year-old, whereas the perhaps wildcard, lesser-known Lucumi could prove to be much better value for money based on his performance this season.

The defender only joined Bologna last season from Genk, starting 33 league games in his first campaign, but he’s really found his feet during his second campaign.

Football analyst Ben Mattinson is particularly a fan of the former Deportivo Cali ace, calling him “ridiculously impressive,” further stating that he’s “one of the most composed I’ve seen in 23/24. Insanely secure on the ball, receives bad passes and deals with them so calmly.”

Clearances

4

Dribbled past

0

Touches

103

Passes completed

90/93 (97%)

Possession lost

3

As you can see by his most recent performance against Empoli, Lucumi is the definition of a complete centre-half, and despite being left-footed, he has played as a right-centre back this campaign.

The Colombian would be an excellent partner for Lisandro Martinez, with his technical ability providing Ten Hag’s side with much more control, as shown by his 103 touches, 90 passes, and 97% pass accuracy.

The 6 foot 1 defender is also extremely dynamic, and he could definitely deal with the physicality of the Premier League, as shown by his 75% ground duels win rate.

Overall, Lucumi would be a perfect centre-back for Man United, and at a cheaper price, he could be the perfect alternative to Branthwaite.

Man Utd could form Rio & Vidic 2.0 by signing "monster" Martinez partner

The Man United target could see the recreation of a formidable duo.

ByTom Lever Mar 28, 2024

As the Scottish Premiership title race hangs in the balance, Celtic have reportedly used the international break to turn their focus towards their summer transfer plans.

Celtic transfer news

There's no doubt that Celtic will need to have a busy summer transfer window if they are to ensure that Rangers don't push on and away in Philippe Clement's first full season in charge. Their main priority may well be finding a replacement for Joe Hart, who announced his decision to retire at the end of the season back in February.

That said, the name mentioned in that regard has so far been Etienne Vaessen from RKC Waalwijk as the Bhoys look towards an unorthodox option perhaps rather than the obvious choice.

Away from the goalkeeping department, meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers and co reportedly want to turn towards a more familiar face this summer. According to A Bola, Celtic have made it clear that they want to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent basis this summer.

Celtic eyeing second move for "incredible" player after failed January deal

The Scottish giants are not letting this one go…

ByTom Cunningham Mar 22, 2024

The Benfica loanee has impressed at Celtic Park this season and has a buy option of €7.5m (£6m) inserted in his loan deal. The Scottish giants, though keen to secure the central midfielder permanently, will reportedly look to negotiate that price tag down when the window swings open.

Celtic have a solid relationship with Benfica, of course, after the Bhoys signed Filipe Jota for a reported £6.5m in 2022 following a successful loan spell at the club. Whilst the winger may now be at Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad, there's no taking away the impressive negotiations that Celtic had with Benfica.

"Tenacious" Bernardo has earned permanent move

At just 22-years-old, Bernardo is quickly becoming more and more of an important player for Celtic, who must do everything in their power to turn his loan move from Benfica into a permanent deal this summer.

With just 11 starts to his name in the Scottish Premiership this season, however, Bernardo will no doubt hope that a permanent move comes with a fixed starting place at Celtic Park. There are certainly signs that may be the case too, given that he has started Celtic's last three games.

What's more, Rodgers has so far been a fan throughout his loan spell, singing Bernardo's praises via The Herald back in January. Rodgers said: “It is all patience. Sometimes at big clubs there is no patience with young players.

“You can see him growing and developing. When you have young players that is what tends to happen if their attitude is right, and their mentality is right. He has come in in these last few games and created goals and scored goals and he has put his foot in too. He is tenacious. Absolutely delighted for him. It is now about consistency.”

Aston Villa released a brilliant 2024/25 home kit launch video featuring rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

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Aston Villa unveil home kitCall on rock legend to help out Villans returning to Champions League WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Black Sabbath frontman, who is known to be an ardent Villans fan, starred in the club's kit launch video for the upcoming 2024/25 campaign. The video also featured striker Ollie Watkins and goalkeeper Emi Martinez alongside manager Unai Emery. In the end, along with other fans and the players, Osbourne can be seen shouting 'Up the Villa' at the top of his voice. The club also used Black Sabbath's famous song 'Paranoid' as background music in the video.

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Under Emery's tutelage, the Villans secured a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season which allowed them to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the competition was rebranded as such. The club won the European Cup in 1982.

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The Birmingham-based club will be next seen in action against Columbus Crew in a pre-season friendly in the United States on Sunday.

Pakistan just managed to take the Test into the final session on the fourth day

The Report by Danyal Rasool02-Dec-2019There was resistance, as there had been before, but it came when the game was so far beyond saving it seemed futile. Pakistan went right through to the final session before Australia finally wore them down and succumbed to another convincing innings defeat. A few positives aside, this really has been a bleak series for the visitors.Nathan Lyon enjoyed a bit of personal glory, completing his first five-wicket haul against Pakistan. It will do his confidence much good, given the offspinner’s rather ordinary numbers against this particular opposition, and in a contest where every one of Australia’s bowlers enjoyed great success, they couldn’t have hoped for a better launch pad to the three-match series against New Zealand later this month.Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq began the day simply hoping to take the Test as deep as was possible, and the early signs weren’t terrible. In the day time the pitch flattened out and once the batsmen got themselves in the runs even began to flow. Once again, however, it highlighted the struggles of Pakistan in the evening session, which had yesterday seen three of their top-order batsmen off before the innings properly got going. It was a similar pattern as the first innings, where the night session saw Pakistan lose more than half their side before the Yasir Shah and Babar Azam rearguard.Masood, in particular, combined patience with belligerence early on, consecutive boundaries off Micthell Starc demonstrating the intent he harboured. He used his feet against Lyon to deposit him over long-on, trying to work himself back to form after at testing series. Shafiq looked almost completely untroubled, and in those moments, there might even have been hope Pakistan would make Australia bat once more. When the partnership moved past hundred and both men brought up their half-centuries radio commentary in Pakistan even mooted the possibility of a final day smash and grab.Nathan Lyon roars an appeal•AFPBut hope to Pakistan is like locusts to agricultural farmers; they never comfortable allowing it to proliferate. The extermination began when Masood danced down to Lyon and, failing to get to the pitch of the delivery, spooned the simplest chance to mid-off. Shafiq, meanwhile, has mastered the art of scoring pretty but ultimately meaningless runs; he’s made a successful career out of it. He ensured there would be no departure from that script, and for good measure even ensured he’d get out in the most Shafiq way possible, flicking a catch to leg slip off Lyon. That fielder had been exclusively placed for that shot and one who was rather hard to miss.But even so, Australia had themselves done little to suggest they could blow the side away, given the two wickets had almost been gifted to them. So when Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed began to scramble together another partnership and the lead whittled down to double figures, Australia might have pondered having a target to chase. However, talk of that was still much too premature, especially as Lyon continued to plug away, bowling better than he’s ever done against Pakistan. When some extra bounce rapped Ahmed on the gloves and Marnus Labuschagne – finally – held on to one at short leg, the Australian kitman could have probably put his feet up.The finish, there onwards, was at least entertainingly Pakistani. Yasir was trapped in front, so plumb that even if they were playing with just middle stump, it still wouldn’t be worth a review. Yasir, however, had a century under his belt and felt it was worth reviewing, if only to spend a few extra moments out in the middle. Later, when Rizwan tried to farm the strike and ensure they got through to the dinner break without any further damage, Shaheen Afridi decided to lash out at Lyon, skying the ball instead and giving the offspinner his five-fer.The best bit of comedy was still to follow. Muhammad Musa drove one to mid-on and, for some reason, Mohammad Abbas believed it to be a cue for a single. By the time he would realise it was anything but, Pat Cummins was already taking aim. And just like Pat Cummins so often does, he hit the stumps.In Pakistan, however, the joke is unlikely to be much appreciated. While Australia steel themselves for a series against New Zealand likely to test them more than this one has, Pakistan will have to regroup quickly ahead of a two-match home series against Sri Lanka. What might have otherwise been a celebration of cricket coming home has become very serious business.

The Australia coach gave the Test team eight out of ten after they won every match by a big margin

Andrew McGlashan07-Jan-2020It was Marnus Labuschagne’s summer, David Warner hit a triple century, Nathan Lyon had a career-best season and Pat Cummins remained the No. 1 bowler in the world, but when pressed to pick his highlight of Australia’s 5-0 home Test campaign, coach Justin Langer singled out captain Tim Paine.On the back of retaining the Ashes and now leading the side to a sweep of the summer against New Zealand and Pakistan, Paine has gone from an emergency captain in times of crisis to a likely longer-term leader with visions of taking the side through to 2021.For Langer, it has been both Paine’s leadership and his work behind the stumps that stood out even though his performances did not produce the headline-grabbing feats of many of his team-mates. But in Melbourne, Paine had one of his finest all-round games too, with a bustling 79 and eight dismissals with glovework that remained almost faultless all season.ALSO READ: Marnus Labuschagne leads a summer for Australia to savour, but not for long”Highlight of the summer would be Tim Paine’s captaincy and wicketkeeping,” Langer said. “People will be going ‘what about Marnus?’. I could tell a story about the comeback of Mitchell Starc after playing only one [Ashes] Test match. I could talk about David Warner’s 300 and how well he’s batted after what’s happened in the Ashes. I could talk about Nathan Lyon again, what a role he plays. I could talk about Pat Cummins being the best fast bowler in the world. I could talk about Travis Head’s hundred. I could talk about Matthew Wade letting [Neil] Wagner hit him over and over again.”I could talk about every one of our players but I think Painey’s leadership, strategically and tactically, has been excellent. The way he took to the [focus of the] Test Championship, the way he kept wicket, a few of his innings, I thought Painey was brilliant this summer. And of course Marnus was great too.”Tim Paine was delighted with his work to stump Henry Nicholls•Getty ImagesLanger said that the five Test victories by such convincing margins had “probably” exceeded expectations and gave the season an eight out of ten when asked to rate it. “After the Ashes, we needed to get better. We needed to get tougher,” he said, before explaining where the extra points could come from. “We dropped a few catches, a few run outs, a few of the boys got starts they would have liked hundreds. There’s always room for improvement.”Even during the difficult times Australia have had over the last 18 months, the bowling attack was rarely an issue. The biggest success of the season has been stabilising the top order through Warner’s run-glut against Pakistan and then the series-ending hundred at the SCG, his productive partnership with Joe Burns – even though Burns’ returns were more modest – and Labuschagne’s stunning output at No. 3. It meant that a more modest season for Steven Smith, who averaged under 40 and did not score a century, was barely noticed although some of Smith’s contributions against New Zealand were vital.”We talked about a couple of things when we came back from the Ashes. One was cementing our top three. I think we’ve done that. The second one was winning after winning. We had to get better after that. I think we did that right throughout the summer,” Langer said. “What [Marnus] has done is mind-blowing, really. It’s a great credit to his mental and physical endurance. It’s a great credit to his humility that he’s been able to stay so grounded through it all.”Don’t underestimate the impact Steve Smith had on this series. He didn’t get the big hundreds and the big accolades but he chewed up a lot of balls when it really mattered in the first innings. He was outstanding without doing the superhuman stuff he did in during the Ashes but he had a great series.”Australia’s next Test assignment is two matches against Bangladesh in June. Before then there is a return to limited-overs cricket with the one-day squad leaving for India on Thursday – a trip Langer will miss as he takes a break, handing over to Andrew McDonald – then a T20I and ODI tour of South Africa in late February. The men’s home summer splutters back into life for three ODIs against New Zealand in mid-March before a trip across the Tasman for three T20Is.

Pep Guardiola was left stunned by Kevin De Bruyne's new haircut, insisting the Manchester City star explain himself.

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Pep rinses De Bruyne's new lookHas made dramatic change to hair styleSomewhat resembles Erling HaalandWHAT HAPPENED?

De Bruyne has returned to Manchester City training and a new video has shown Guardiola greeting all of his players as they step out for training. When the Catalan notices De Bruyne's striking new haircut, he wastes no time in poking fun at the Belgian. Indeed, he appears to have taken some notes from striker Erling Haaland.

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After a jovial greeting, Guardiola points at De Bruyne's slicked-back, tight haircut – complete with a top knot – and says: "You have to explain to me this hair!"

THE GOSSIP

De Bruyne may actually leave City before the end of the summer transfer window. Reports suggest he has agreed terms with Al-Ittihad over a move to Saudi Arabia, although there is no agreement over a fee as yet and Guardiola has expressed his desire for the 33-year-old to stay put.

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City face Manchester United in the Community Shield this weekend. They will begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Chelsea on August 18.

Everton failed to take advantage of Newcastle United's current injury crisis, with the Toffees coming away with just a point in the 1-1 draw at St James' Park on Tuesday night.

Eddie Howe's side took the lead through Alexander Isak's first-half strike but couldn't secure all three points, as defender Paul Dummett inexplicably dragged Ashley Young down in the 18-yard box, resulting in a penalty after a VAR review.

Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin stepped up to power his penalty past Martin Dubravka, securing a vital point for Sean Dyche's side in the hunt for Premier League survival.

The Toffees were fortunate to get anything out of the game, with Howe's side in control for the vast majority of the encounter, but the resilience of Dyche's side to stay within touching distance of the Magpies was rewarded.

However, one player in particular had a shocker, with the Everton ace producing a below-par performance, before being dragged off during the second half.

Abdoulaye Doucoure's stats against Newcastle

Despite being the club's top scorer during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure produced a poor display in the encounter at St James' last night.

In recent months, the 31-year-old has been utilised in a more advanced role by boss Dyche, with the Malian playing just in behind either Calvert-Lewin or Beto.

However, last night he was unable to have any sort of positive impact on the game, with the midfielder only winning 20% of the duels that he contested.

Doucoure could only conjure up 23 touches during the meeting, with the midfielder also losing possession six times – an average of once every 10 minutes.

He was subsequently replaced on the hour mark by Portuguese talent Andre Gomes, with the former Barcelona man looking more assured in the number 10 role than Doucoure.

Minutes played

60

Shots

2

Touches

23

Possession lost

6

Duels won

1/5 (20%)

Dribbled past

1

The former Watford man was handed a brutally low 4/10 rating by Liverpool World journalist Will Rooney, with the Malian midfielder having been largely 'ineffective' on the night.

Doucoure's woeful display should see him benched ahead of Saturday's huge relegation clash against Burnley at Goodison Park, with one player deserving of a recall after his cameo off the bench against the Magpies.

The man to replace Doucoure

After his impressive performance in his stint on the pitch last night, James Garner must come back into the starting lineup to replace Doucoure, with the youngster bringing some much needed energy and quality to Dyche's midfield.

Despite only featuring for 29 minutes, the former Manchester United talent had 19 touches, just four less than the 31-year-old could manage in under half the time.

He also had a 92% pass completion rate, with Garner hitting the woodwork late on, which could've secured a smash-and-grab win for the Toffees.

The 23-year-old has been a brilliant addition since his £9m move during the summer of 2022, with the midfielder needing to start if the club are to get anything out of the game against Vincent Kompany's side in just a couple of days.

Doucoure may be leading the way with six goals across all fronts, but having now failed to score since December against Chelsea, a change may need to be made amid Everton's scrap for survival.

Everton talent who left too soon is now outscoring Calvert-Lewin

He left the club in 2021 after an unsuccessful stint at Goodison Park.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 29, 2024