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Derby County are still bolstering their squad ahead of a potential promotion push next season – and The Derby Telegraph reports that the Rams are determined to bring in another striker as a matter of priority.

Who have Derby County signed?

The League One side only narrowly missed out on a play-off spot in the last campaign, with Paul Warne not quite able to get his troops over the line on a dramatic final day. Having suffered a drop down the divisions due to financial difficulties and points deductions, supporters would have been happy to see the side back challenging at the right end of the table. Ultimately though, the Rams could finish only seventh.

Now though, they are ready to go again and go even better next time around and bag promotion back to the Championship. That has involved Derby getting to work and getting busy in the transfer window already – their business has seen them land seven new faces this summer and there could be more to come.

In what could be seen as a big coup for the side, they managed to land Sonny Bradley on a free transfer after his release from Luton Town for starters, and they have also signed the experienced Connor Washington on a deal more recently. Callum Elder has arrived from Hull in the second tier and Kane Wilson has done likewise from Bristol City.

Now, according to The Derby Telegraph, the club have already identified where they want to strengthen next. Derby are keen to add more options to their forward line as a matter of priority as stated by this report, and it seems as though another forward could be next on their agenda then for Paul Warne this window.

It adds that that they may "wait" until they see how things unfold further up the pyramid before they "make their move" for another attacker. However, it does add that it is their "chief priority" as they want a strikeforce that can challenge at the very top of the third tier.

Who are Derby linked with?

In terms of who they could bring in to fill that striker spot, Matt Godden is one name to have been linked with a switch to Pride Park recently. That report adds that with Coventry wanting to snap up Billy Sharp, a deal could ultimately push him out of the door and make him available to the Rams on a transfer this summer. However, this new report suggests that a deal for the Sky Blues attacker is "unlikely" at the minute, so perhaps there is another unnamed target yet to emerge.

Either way, it looks as though Derby will be going all out this transfer window to ensure they are the most-equipped they can be to tackle League One head on in 2023/24. Having not even been able to challenge in the play-offs last season, they won't want to fall short again and Warne will be only too aware of what he needs to do to get the Rams challenging, having done so with Rotherham in past campaigns.

The former West Indies captain, who joined the Kings XI Punjab squad on the eve of their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, could be a like-for-like replacement for the out-of-form Marcus Stoinis

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu27-Apr-2017Match factsKings XI Punjab v Sunrisers Hyderabad
Mohali, April 28, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
3:31

Bangar: Would like to see Henry play and test batsmen with the short ball

Form guide

Kings XI Punjab (third) : defeated Gujarat Lions by 26 runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by eight wickets, lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by five runs
Sunrisers Hyderabad (fifth) : lost to Rising Pune Supergiant by six wickets, defeated Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs, defeated Kings XI Punjab by five runs

Head-to-headThis season: Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 5 for 19 eclipsed Manan Vohra’s 50-ball 95 and helped Sunrisers defend 159 at home.
Overall: Sunrisers have an enviable 7-2 win record.In the newsWest Indies allrounder Darren Sammy, who missed the first three weeks of this IPL due to injury, joined the squad on the eve of the first match in Mohali this season. Sammy could be a like-for-like replacement for Marcus Stoinis who hasn’t fired with bat or ball. The Australian allrounder has limped to 17 runs off 24 balls in three innings, and has taken only two wickets at an economy rate of 10.47.Sunrisers fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was set to join the Bangladesh squad on Tuesday for a preparatory camp ahead of the tri-series in Ireland, and the subsequent Champions Trophy, but will now be available until May 4.However, there is uncertainty over Yuvraj Singh’s availability. It remains to be seen if he has recovered from the flu, which forced him out of Sunrisers’ previous match against Rising Pune Supergiant last week.The likely XIsKings XI Punjab: 1 Manan Vohra, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell (capt), 5 Marcus Stoinis/Darren Sammy, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 KC Cariappa, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 T NatarajanSunrisers Hyderabad 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Moises Henriques, 5 Yuvraj Singh/Deepak Hooda, 6 Naman Ojha (wk), 7 Bipul Sharma, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Siraj/Ashish Nehra, 11 Siddarth KaulStrategy puntSince Sunrisers have two left-hand batsmen at the top, there is, perhaps, a case for Kings XI to open the bowling with an offspinner in Glenn Maxwell and attack the stumps. Mumbai Indians offspinner Harbhajan Singh maintained a stump-to-stump line with the new ball and kept Warner and Dhawan to only 22 runs off 18 balls while also dismissing Warner earlier in the league. More recently, Rising Pune Supergiant offspinner Washington Sundar stifled Sunrisers’ openers in the Powerplay.Stats that matter Warner has excellent numbers against Kings XI in the IPL: 617 runs in 14 innings at a strike-rate of 143.15, including fifty-plus scores in his last five innings. Maxwell has scored 78% of his runs this season in boundaries. He has hit 150 of his 193 runs in fours and sixes. The average runs per wicket at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in IPL 2016 was 31.36, in seven matches, the third highest behind the MCA Stadium in Pune and the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Sunrisers have the second-lowest run rate – 7.38 – in the first six overs this season. They try to make up for the slow start by going big in the middle overs. Sunrisers’ run rate of 8.87 during this period is the second best in the league this season. Kings XI have been the worst team in the slog overs this season, leaking 11.62 an over and picking up only eight wickets. Sunrisers have fared much better in this phase, conceding 9.54 runs an over while picking up 19 wickets. Shikhar Dhawan continues to be troubled by left-arm quicks in the IPL. Four bowlers have dismissed him three or more times. Of the four, three – James Faulkner, Zaheer Khan and Mitchell Johnson – are left-arm seamers. Dhawan v T Natarajan, who has the best economy among Kings XI’s seamers, might be an interesting contest.

Manchester United are expected to make a bid for Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana, but it could be postponed until next week, according to reports from Italy.

Has David de Gea left Man United?

De Gea's contract with Man United expired on 30th June, and Football Insider reports that the 32-year-old is set to walk away from the club as he has little desire to play second fiddle to a new arrival, with Erik ten Hag identifying multiple targets.

Big names such as Diogo Costa and Thibaut Courtois have been linked in the past, while the lesser-known Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow has also emerged as an option, with reports indicating he could be brought in alongside Onana.

Fabrizio Romano reports the Red Devils have already held a meeting with the Inter goalkeeper's agent ahead of a potential summer move, though there may be a short delay before an official bid is lodged if the latest update is to be believed.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Inter are waiting for Man United to make their official bid for the Cameroon international, but there is a belief that it could be some time before it arrives.

The Serie A club have made it very clear they must receive €60m (£52m) if they are to sell their goalkeeper, but that figure is difficult for United to reach straight away.

Ten Hag has been "promised" that the 27-year-old will be brought in this summer, and there is a willingness to get the deal done.

Are Man United signing Andre Onana?

Man United have recently received a boost in their pursuit of the Cameroonian, as Fabrizio Romano has reported he is "open" to a move to Old Trafford this summer, and he could be a real upgrade on De Gea.

Ten Hag's current goalkeeper has often struggled with the ball at his feet, ranking in just the 30th percentile for average touches per 90 in the past year, while Onana places in the 89th percentile.

In stark contrast to De Gea, the former Ajax man is "remarkable with the ball", and is "equally comfortable using the ball with his right foot or his left foot" according to Eurosport's Alessandro Brunetti.

Hailed as a "superstar" by members of the media, Onana is exactly the sort of modern-day goalkeeper that could help take Man United to the next level, and they should come to the table with an opening offer next week.

South Africa have six pace-bowling options in the Test squad, while Theunis de Bruyn and Heinrich Klaasen have been picked as cover in the absence of AB de Villiers

Firdose Moonda24-Feb-20170:45

Quick Facts – Morne Morkel’s Test career so far

Morne Morkel has been included in South Africa’s Test squad to tour New Zealand in March after recovering from a career-threatening back injury, which kept him out of the national team since June. Morkel forms part of a six-member-strong pace pack, which also includes Vernon Philander, who has recovered from an ankle impingement sustained after the Sri Lanka Tests, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, and allrounders Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris.In the absence of AB de Villiers, who opted out of Test cricket for most of 2017, South Africa are taking reserve batsman Theunis de Bruyn and uncapped Titans wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who finished seventh on the batting charts in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition.South Africa’s Test squad to NZ

Faf du Plessis (capt), Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Theunis de Bruyn, Heinrich Klaasen, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris
In Heinrich Klaasen, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris

Klaasen was preferred over Knights’ keeper Rudi Second, who was a spot a above him on the run-scorers’ list and was considered the favourite to deputise for Quinton de Kock now that Dane Vilas has signed a Kolpak deal. However, the selectors decided to give Klaasen a go, although they have assured Second he still remains in their plans. “Heinrich is a guy that struck us as someone who has the capability of coping at international level. He is a good striker of the ball and tight behind the stumps,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors told ESPNcricinfo. “But it was touch and go between him and Rudi, and they are both on our radar.”South Africa’s batting line-up is unchanged from the seven specialists who did duty in Australia and against Sri Lanka with Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook at the top, followed by Hashim Amla, captain Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy, but there will be a conundrum in the bowling department, where South Africa have given themselves plenty of choice. “We are still looking to see who will assist Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander,” Zondi said. “But our plan is to use our senior guys.”That suggests Morkel will edge ahead of the rest, despite a lengthy period of time out of the game and limited game-time in the lead-up to the series. Since being diagnosed with a bulging back disc after the CPL last year, Morkel has played one first-class game for the Titans, three warm-up matches during South Africa’s Test tour of Australia and one List A game for his franchise. At the time of writing, Morkel had been named in the Titans XI for a second one-day cup game before heading off at the weekend. Zondi admitted Morkel’s inaction is a concern but insisted his experience is a necessity. “Time away is always a concern but we need experience in the bowling so we’ll see how he goes,” Zondi said.Morkel is not the only one who has had a long lay-off recently. Morris spent three months recovering from a knee injury before making a comeback in the ODIs against Sri Lanka and he has since impressed enough to also earn a Test recall. Morris played two Tests in January 2016 against England, when South Africa had a glut of injuries, and was thought to have fallen down the pecking order but has now forced his way back in. “What has been so impressive is how he has understood his job. His primary role is to bowl and the batting is a bonus and that is exactly how he is tackling things,” Zondi said. “We have always wanted a seam-bowling allrounder and now we are finding we have a few.”Morris and Parnell are the two in the Test squad but both could end up confined to the bench with Duanne Olivier also competing for the third seamer’s spot. Olivier, who was the leading bowler in this season’s first-class competition and the only one to take more than 50 wickets, made his debut during the Wanderers Test against Sri Lanka and impressed with pace, bounce and aggression. He was selected alongside Parnell in all-pace attack in that match; although he took one wicket fewer than Parnell, Olivier was more economical. In the aftermath of Kyle Abbott’s exit, Olivier has emerged as a serious contender for the third seamer’s spot and, if given the opportunity, could stake a serious claim in New Zealand.The only bowling place not up for debate is that of the spinner because South Africa are traveling with only one. Keshav Maharaj has retained his place in an expanded 16-man squad. Given the distance and time difference to New Zealand, South Africa are opting for extra men to ensure they have all bases covered. The Test squad members who are not already in New Zealand will travel there this weekend.The three-Test series will begin from March 8 with the first match in Dunedin, followed by Tests in Wellington and Hamilton.

Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has been handed a transfer boost as he looks to sign Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

What’s the latest Man United news involving Jassim and Mbappe?

Jassim has been interested in taking control from the Glazers for months now and has placed five Old Trafford offers, with the last being a take-it-or-leave-it bid. Should the Qatar group prove successful, Jassim would clear all of United’s debt and have a separate fund for the club and local community.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos Group are the other main party in the race to purchase Manchester United, with both bidders yet to find out if their takeover attempts have been successful.

However, should Jassim come out on top, it appears as if he has an immediate transfer plan to win United supporters over. Reports have claimed that Jassim feels that Mbappe “belongs at Man United” and is planning a sensational transfer move for the star forward.

PSG would look to sell Mbappe if he doesn’t extend his stay at the Parc de Princes stay over the coming months and value the player at £170m.

Now, The Mirror have shared a further positive update on Mbappe and a potential move to Man United, saying:

“Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to sell Kylian Mbappe to Manchester United this summer should the Qatari-backed Sheikh Jassim takeover bid at Old Trafford prove successful.”

Is Kylian Mbappe signing for Manchester United?

Mbappe making the move to the red side of Manchester would be a huge deal and one that could take Erik ten Hag’s side to the next level.

The £893,000-a-week forward has scored a whopping 212 goals in 260 games for PSG and already has 38 goals in 68 games for France.

Still just 24 years of age, the World Cup winner netted 41 times in all competitions last season, with United scoring 58 goals in the Premier League, the fewest out of the top seven sides.

You can see how Mbappe would fit into this United side and possibly star in England, however, a lot still needs to happen before we can think about a transfer.

A deal needs to be struck between the Glazers and Jassim, and with Mike Keegan claiming it could take eight to 12 weeks for an approval process, meaning that the Glazers may remain in control at the start of next season, so a transfer could be tricky.

England captain Jos Buttler said that Bangladesh’s celebration of his dismissal in the hosts’ eventual 34-run win was over the top

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur09-Oct-2016England captain Jos Buttler said that Bangladesh’s celebration of his dismissal was “over the top”. This was the most talked-about flashpoint in Bangladesh’s 34-run win that leveled the ODI series 1-1, and ultimately the turning point, when Buttler was given out leg-before through a review after the umpire had turned down Taskin Ahmed’s leg-before appeal.After they got a signal from their dressing room that the on-field umpire’s decision would be overturned, the Bangladesh team started celebrating and some of them turned towards Buttler who was standing behind them with Chris Woakes. At that point, Buttler started to move towards the celebrating Bangladesh players only to be stopped by the umpires. Mashrafe and Woakes then tried to calm things down in the middle.”I thought it was a little bit over the top,” Buttler said. “I don’t mind guys celebrating just together. I know that’s obviously a very passionate cricket country and the players are very passionate and I have got no problem with that. I was just a little bit disappointed in the fashion they celebrated. I don’t mind them celebrating a wicket but to run and celebrate in my face… Rightly they are happy to get a wicket but there is no need to run in someone’s face and celebrate.”Buttler said that there was a bit of history between him and the Bangladesh players but didn’t elaborate. “For me personally, that was the first bit, but that is part and parcel of the game,” he said.Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said that he wasn’t in the right place to listen to what was being said to Buttler from his players. But he said that control of emotions would be necessary in the next game.”I don’t know who spoke to Buttler. I was focusing on the review that I took, and then I got excited by the decision. Sometimes, a lot of things happen in the heat of the moment. But players from both sides should control themselves.Buttler however said that he regrets his own reaction, which he felt should have been to ignore the fielders. He said that it will be important for him to stay calm in these situations in the next game.”Maybe in hindsight I could just walk away but it is what it is,” Buttler said. “Emotions were running high and obviously they were delighted to get the wicket. Maybe I should have just walked off.”It’s certainly much more emotional as captain and you try to react, but it’s something I will learn if I do it much more. I only have one more. It’s something I will try to improve on, trying to keep levelheadedness, not letting your emotions get too high or too low.”But that wasn’t the end of the confrontations. After Bangladesh had won the game, Ben Stokes and Tamim Iqbal also got into an argument. Buttler said that Stokes was upset with what had happened.”Obviously emotions run high, and Ben is an emotional guy,” Buttler said. “But he would not have reacted like that if nothing had happened.” In a tweet after the game, Stokes said, “What I won’t stand for is someone putting a shoulder to my teammate at handshakes,” though no Bangladesh player was named.Mashrafe meanwhile said that he is yet to find out what had happened in that situation since he was ahead in the line of those shaking hands with the England team. “I was ahead in the line so I didn’t see what happened. I can tell you after I find out,” he said.

Chelsea are assessing the possibility of bringing Southampton’s Romeo Lavia to Stamford Bridge.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?

According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the Blues may push for the 19-year-old in the summer transfer window, after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.

Crook has suggested that Joe Shields, who joined the West London outfit earlier in the campaign as the club’s new Co-Director of recruitment and talent, is leading the case to sign the highly talented teenager.

Shields was the main protagonist in Lavia’s move to the South Coast from Manchester City last summer.

It has been revealed by The Times that the Saints are set to demand around £40m for the youngster, and Liverpool are also an interested party.

The 2021 Champions League winners previously launched an audacious £50m deadline-day swoop for Lavia last August, but this was ultimately rejected.

Why do Chelsea want Romeo Lavia?

The one-cap international has been a shining light in a poor Southampton side, displaying commendable tenacity and composure.

Indeed, throughout 29 Premier League appearances, he has averaged 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, as well as forging an 86% pass accuracy, according to Sofascore.

That ensured that he ended the campaign as the second-best tackler in the squad while his pass success rate wasn't bettered by anyone, not even the immaculate James Ward-Prowse.

As a result, the former Manchester City starlet has caught the eye of several clubs and has also dazzled Pep Guardiola, who said: “I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing.

“We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton.”

Chelsea are set to begin a monumental rebuild and a new midfielder has been earmarked as one of the priority targets.

The Blues have also been linked with Manuel Ugarte and the 22-year-old could form a frightening partnership alongside Lavia in a completely new-look and youthful midfield.

The Uruguayan made the most tackles (121) in Liga Portugal and the Champions League (29) this term as a marker of his incredibly bullish and aggressive approach to the game.

With the futures of Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher all looking murky, the addition of these two glimmering prodigies would be an excellent first step in the monstrous rebuild that needs to take place in the capital.

Lavia would be an exciting and promising addition for Pochettino as the club looks towards a brighter dawn.

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has revealed that he contemplated quitting as the team’s coach in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal in 2010, in which three of the team’s players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – received jail sentences and lengthy bans from the game. Speaking on the sixth episode of , to be aired on Friday on Sony ESPN, Waqar admitted the experience was “sickening” for the entire team.”We all were very upset with the whole episode and everyone was down and out, and we couldn’t really play the next day,” Waqar said. “I still remember… the late Yawar Saeed was the manager, and he was very upset and we couldn’t do anything and it was very, very ugly.”Even at one stage, I thought ‘that’s it, do I really want to work, do I really want to carry on with this whole thing?’ I went back and I spoke to my family and I couldn’t really leave the team at the time. I went back and thought about it and I wanted to back these guys. It’s not their fault, it’s maybe one or two who have done it, but the rest, they don’t deserve all this and if I leave now, it’s going to get worse. Then, Misbah [ul-Haq] took over [as captain] and things started sort of rolling better and we did extremely well after that.”Recalling his conversation with Amir after his infamous no-ball in the Lord’s Test, Waqar said he expressed bewilderment at how much Amir had overstepped. “Look, when the whole thing happened, we were in a very good situation,” Waqar said. “That was the first morning of the Test match and they were five down when the whole thing happened, and they came out and then I sort of asked him [Amir] ‘what the hell was that, there were couple of no-balls, and not the small no-balls, they were like a huge no-balls’.”That was more surprising for me [because he didn’t have a history of bowling no-balls]. Salman Butt, of course, jumped in and he said, ‘I told him to do it because Jonathan Trott was batting, and he said he was coming down the track and I thought of [asking him to] just bang in a couple short, don’t worry about the no-ball.'”This is the answer I got from the captain, and, of course, from the bowler, and I bought it. Any coach, if you ask him if this is a tactic or captain tells you that this is a tactic, you will say, ‘yeah, okay, fair enough’.”Waqar said he felt especially let down by Butt, who was the team’s captain then, but sympathised with Amir’s position. “Amir was very, very down and why I feel for him is that because he was only like 17 then or 18, very young and from a very humble background, very poor background,” he said. “Someone who has been asked to do certain things for, you know, such a big amount, that’s how I take it.”Amir’s reintegration into the side met with resistance from the likes of Mohammad Hafeez, but Waqar said he, and even Butt and Asif, deserved a second chance. “It was a mistake and every human being… we are here, we make mistakes and we get punished for that and then the society and the culture give them that room again to come and be himself again,” he said. “He [Amir] could have achieved what even I didn’t or even Wasim didn’t achieve.”He suffered a lot for five years, and my religion also says that if someone has done something and has been punished and the entire society has punished him for all these years, he deserves a chance. And, the same way, I feel that Salman Butt deserves a chance, Mohammad Asif deserves a chance. They have been through all the punishment they deserve.”Waqar resigned as coach in April following Pakistan’s dismal showing at the Asia Cup and World T20. His second tenure as coach ended in messy circumstances after he submitted a scathing report in which he slammed Shahid Afridi’s style of captaincy and was critical of the PCB’s decision of not giving him a say in the selection process, and the report was made public. Asked if he saw himself returning to a role with the Pakistan set-up, Waqar said both he and the PCB needed some time away from each other.”I think we both need to step away from each other,” he said. “The cricket board also needs a little bit of space from me because I’ve spoken a lot about it and I have spoken out of hurt because I feel that things need to change. If things won’t change, we will be crying in maybe couple of years’ time. So, maybe see how it goes in the next year or so and then decide, but I’m always around the game anyway.”Watch at 9.30pm IST on Fridays, and the repeat at 12pm on Sundays, on SONY ESPN

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor has been left out of the West Indies squad for the final leg of the tri-nation series involving South Africa and Australia, in Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2016Fast bowler Jerome Taylor has been left out of the West Indies squad for the final leg of the tri-nation series involving South Africa and Australia, in Barbados. Taylor’s omission, after taking only two wickets in West Indies’ first four games, was the only change to the squad that now comprises 13 players.All three teams have two wins and two defeats after four games each, but West Indies are bottom of the table because they conceded a bonus point in defeats to Australia and South Africa.The Barbados leg of the tri-nation series comprises three ODIs, with each team playing the other once before the top two qualify for the final.Squad Jason Holder (capt), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels

Man City have been handed a welcome boost ahead of their Champions League match against Real Madrid with the news that three Galacticos stars are all likely to miss out for the Spanish side, as reported via journalist Gustavo Hofman.

What is the latest Man City team news?

Pep Guardiola's side have yet to win the Champions League but will hopeful of finally getting their hands on that elusive trophy this campaign.

They've reached the semi-final stage again, having done it three times in succession now, and come up against a Real Madrid side that saw off Premier League rivals Chelsea in the quarter-final stage. The La Liga giants pulled off a 4-0 aggregate victory over the Blues and prior to that also eased past Liverpool.

City themselves though managed to topple Bayern Munich in the previous round of the competition, beating them 4-1 over the course of two games and putting seven past RB Leipzig before that.

With City harbouring ambitions of getting all the way to the final again, they would have been handed a welcome boost then ahead of their first fixture against Madrid tonight. That's because the Spanish giants are set to be without two more stars, having already seen Eder Militao miss out through suspension.

According to journalist Gustavo Hofman, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos both missed Madrid's training final session ahead of the fixture against Man City. Luka Modric was another name who was nearly sidelined for the tie but boss Carlo Ancelotti has since revealed he can "play without problem." It means that the midfielder is now likely to play against Guardiola's outfit.

It will be a blow for Madrid, with Ceballos having played in six of the club's Champions League games so far this campaign and Mendy in five. However, it will be welcome news for City as they look to chase a win.

A welcome boost for Man City?

The news of these potential absentees will be pleasing for City and their fans, as they aim to try and overcome Madrid and try and get their hands on the Champions League.

Whilst there are more influential players that the club would more likely want to see on the sidelines – Modric has two goals and one assist so far in the competition for example and nearly did miss out – it will still hinder the La Liga side in their bid to reach another final.

Ceballos has seven goal contributions this campaign in all competitions, showing that he is a player well capable of getting the business done for Madrid, regularly used as an impact substitute. Mendy too has featured 25 times this year and has an assist to his name, showing that he remains an important player for the club. For both to miss out then is not going to help the Spanish side in the slightest.