All posts by h716a5.icu

Heart of Midlothian have enjoyed an impressive start to their 2023/24 campaign. Steven Naismith has seen his side secure four points from six in the Premiership while also securing progress into the quarter-finals of the League Cup following a 4-0 win over Partick Thistle.

The most pleasing aspect has been the European performances. Despite losing narrowly to Rosenborg in their Europa Conference League third round first leg, the Jambos put on a spirited display at Tynecastle last week to secure a 4-3 aggregate victory.

This sets them up nice for the playoff round against Greek side PAOK and with the first leg in Edinburgh, Naismith will be hoping a boisterous home crowd could spur them onto another wonderful victory.

What is the Hearts team news vs PAOK?

Hearts will still be without Craig Gordon and Craig Halkett for the tie tomorrow evening as the duo are still recovering from their horrendous injuries suffered last season.

One player who could feature from the start is Barrie McKay, having enjoyed his first start of the season against Partick on the weekend.

He said:

“I feel good and sharp. I obviously still have a wee bit of rustiness from not playing many games, but I feel fit. I’ve done all my rehab stuff, done all the work with the physios and sports scientists, so I feel ready.”

With this in mind, Naismith could face a selection headache, especially across the midfield area and the star of the second leg against Rosenborg, Cameron Devlin, should be the first name on the team sheet.

Will Cameron Devlin start for Hearts against PAOK?

Devlin joined Hearts from Wellington Phoenix in the summer of 2021 and has since gone on to play 74 matches for the Gorgie outfit, emerging as one of their best players.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo was praised by his former coach Ufuk Talay a few years ago, who said:

“I’ve known Cameron for a long time, from watching him come off the bench for Sydney FC last season, and also working with him in the Young Socceroos.

“We wanted versatile players for the Phoenix, and Cameron can play as a 10 a little bit higher up the park and he can also play as a six, because he’s so technically good on the ball and he’s an aggressive little player as well.”

This trait has served him well during his spell in Scotland so far across the previous two years and against the Norwegian outfit, he put on a tremendous display.

The 25-year-old was sensational in the heart of the midfield, taking 60 touches and completing 29 of his 35 passes.

His aggressive nature was in full force as he made three tackles and won seven of his 13 ground duels, yet he also made five interceptions and succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts.

His all-round midfield display was complete by scoring twice during the tie, and it’s clear that he can be effective in an attacking sense too.

He was given a rest against Partick on Sunday, but there is no doubt Naismith should deploy him in a similar sort of role which saw Hearts progress last week.

He could just be their secret weapon.

Vidarbha wrapped up Delhi’s innings earlier than expected on the morning, and fifties from seniors Faiz Fazal and Wasim Jaffer kept them in the hunt for a lead

The Report by Vishal Dikshit in Indore30-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Rajneesh Gurbani is mobbed by his team-mates•Rajneesh GurbaniWhen it looked like Delhi would ease past 300 early on the second day, Rajneesh Gurbani stalled them with a hat-trick. When it looked like the Vidarbha openers would stretch their partnership past 100, both fell within the space of four overs. And when it looked like Vidarbha would place themselves in a strong position for a lead after crossing 200 and only three down, they lost one more in the final moments of the second day to expose a weak middle order, making the match restore some parity yet again.Vidarbha had dominated much of the day, finishing off Delhi’s last four wickets for only five runs to wrap them up for 295. Faiz Fazal and Wasim Jaffer struck solid half-centuries to help them finish the day on 206 for 4. Jaffer was on 61 at stumps and would be their biggest hope to take a lead and avoid a collapse.Resuming on their overnight 271 for 6, Dhruv Shorey was looking set with a patient Vikas Mishra, amid edges that weren’t turning into wickets. Gurbani then targeted the stumps. On the last two deliveries of his seventh straight over of the day, he produced two incutters against Mishra and Navdeep Saini. Both deliveries nipped in so sharply from outside off that neither could get the bat down in time and were bowled. Gurbani completed the hat-trick in his next over with the most important wicket of the innings, bringing another one to knock over Shorey’s off stump.Hat-trick hero Gurbani on…

Taking a hat-trick in the Ranji final: “It is a fast bowler’s dream to take a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul in the finals, so obviously it is a special feeling. To be frank, I was not aware I was on a hat-trick. I was not thinking about taking it, but I was bowling every delivery with the intent of taking a wicket.”

How he realised he was on a hat-trick: “I had got two wickets off the fifth and sixth deliveries of my over. When I came on to bowl my next over, someone in the crowd shouted “hat-trick ball”. That is when I realised to be frank. So I planned to bowl on the stumps as much as possible.”

Bowling after cramps on the first day: “I had prepared myself that I should remain on the field and bowl the first over today. I was not fit yesterday. I knew that if I would bowl well, the team would win so since the time I could not bowl yesterday [because of cramps] I was waiting to bowl today.”

If he prefers the new or old ball: “I prefer the new ball. But the SG Test starts swinging more after it gets a bit old so I become more [dangerous]. Otherwise I get wickets with the new ball too.”

Four deliveries after he became only the second bowler to claim a hat-trick in a Ranji final – after Tamil Nadu’s Kalyanasundram against Bombay in 1972-73 – he wrapped up Delhi when Kulwant Khejroliya charged and lost two of his stumps. Four bowled in seven deliveries and Gurbani finished with 6 for 59, his fifth five-for in four straight matches.Vidarbha’s openers put on a solid 96 runs after blunting the new ball in the first session. Saini was Delhi’s best bowler of the day by consistently putting his 140kph deliveries in the right areas, posing threats in all three sessions. He did it against Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy but he hardly got support from the other end in the absence of Ishant Sharma and Vikas Tokas, who was replaced by Akash Sudan.Barring the occasional edge or appeal, Fazal and Sanjay looked untroubled for the 30 overs they batted together. Fazal was more productive, middling three drives down the ground and steering plenty of short deliveries square. That he scored 29 off 33 against Saini helped Vidarbha in taming the fired-up bowler. Left-arm spinner Mishra’s flat deliveries could not penetrate his defences and Fazal tucked him to long leg for four to complete his first half-century that was not converted into one of his five hundreds this season.Sudan somehow returned in a different avatar in his second spell when the ball was over 25 overs old. He first brought one into Sanjay for an lbw appeal in the 28th over – that the batsman survived – before seaming one in marginally to have Sanjay chop on for 31. Four overs later, he swung one away from Fazal and the left-hander edged behind for 67.Still 188 adrift, Vidarbha had the man in the middle they needed – Jaffer. He steered two partnerships – with Ganesh Satish and Apoorv Wankhade – during which he was as unruffled as ever in his ninth Ranji final. Those two partnerships were not blemish-free on the bowler-friendly pitch. Saini was brought back soon after Fazal’s dismissal and he created two chances against Satish before tea – first an edge fell short of the slips and then the umpire turned down a a loud lbw appeal because it was probably going down leg.Jaffer meanwhile dropped reminders of his calmness. He drove the second ball after tea serenely through the covers. But Saini tasted success in the next over by pinning Satish above the knee roll, which made the batsman unhappy with the decision. Jaffer continued to late cut – his most productive shot – and punch balls off the backfoot to register his 86th first-class half-century. Wankhade also exhibited two elegant cover drives against the pacers, with Vidarbha appearing like they wouldn’t lose further wickets on the day.However, left-arm pacer Khejroliya titled the balance a bit towards Delhi in the third over before stumps when he angled one away and Wankhade poked for an edge on 28. Saini scared Vidarbha before stumps too by making Jaffer edge one that fell short of slip and appealing for a catch down the leg side four balls later, when the ball had gone off the pad.Delhi are 13 overs away from the new ball and Vidarbha 89 runs short with the key in Jaffer’s hands.

Fulham have emerged as leading contenders to sign Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun as journalist Simon Jones shares what he knows.

Who will Fulham sign?

Marco Silva has seen free agent Adama Traore, defender Calvin Bassey and striker Raul Jimenez come through the door at Craven Cottage, but as we approach the final stretch of this transfer window, time is running out to make more signings.

Traore put pen to paper on a Fulham deal after leaving Wolves on a Bosman, joining Jimenez in swapping Molineux for west London, while the highly-rated Bassey's £18.2 million move from Ajax arguably comes as the most exciting of their new additions.

Deadline day on September 1 is just around the corner, meaning Fulham boss Silva has just over two weeks to properly reinforce his squad as we begin the new campaign.

The Whites started off brightly, having sealed a 1-0 win away to Everton at Goodison Park last weekend courtesy of a late strike from Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

Silva, speaking to the press around a fortnight ago, was adamant there is still plenty of work for Fulham to do this window as he attempts to strengthen key areas.

“Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” Silva said.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”

Fulham appear determined to add more firepower, leading to them chasing deals for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as well as Everton forward Demarai Gray.

The west Londoners, according to a new report by The Daily Mail and reporter Jones, now also have Arsenal's in-demand striker Balogun in their sights.

The USA international, who enjoyed a fine scoring campaign on loan at Reims last season, could be sold for the right price as Arsenal demand around £45 million.

Fulham are around £10m short of that asking price as things stand, but in a promising bit of further news, it is believed they're also "currently frontrunners" and in pole position right now.

Silva and co are attempting to upgrade their striking options as their current star Aleksandar Mitrovic.could still make a move to Saudi Arabia.

How good is Folarin Balogun?

The young attacker racked up an exceptional 22 goals in all competitions during his temporary spell in France last term, numbers which may well have turned Fulham's head.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, commenting on Balogun's form this year, also says there are many attractive facets to his game.

“He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave," said Arteta.

“We discussed a lot before he made that move whether it was the right place to go and the other choices he had. He was so convinced. I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.

“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special."

The England selector was hopeful that Ben Stokes’ spell in New Zealand would mean the allrounder was ready for a return to action should the possibility arise

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Nov-2017England selector Angus Fraser is hopeful of imminent clarity over Ben Stokes and his ongoing police investigation, but acknowledged that the situation is more important than purely having him play cricket again.On Wednesday, Avon and Somerset Police said Stokes’ case was being passed onto the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as they sought charging advice. They also confirmed a 27-year-old suffered a fractured eye socket during the incident which took place on the evening of September 25.The news came soon after Stokes had touched down in New Zealand, having been granted No Objection Certificate by the ECB last Friday to play domestic cricket while he remains unavailable for England duty. On Thursday, Canterbury announced the signing of Stokes as their overseas player. His first game will likely be on December 3 against Otago in the Ford Trophy domestic 50-over competition.While the ECB were caught off-guard at how quickly Stokes cashed in his NOC, Fraser was hopeful regular cricket will ensure that, should the 26-year-old escape punishment, he will be fit for the current Ashes series, or the one-day internationals that commence mid-January.”The news this week, I wouldn’t say it’s taken everyone by surprise,” Fraser told ESPNcricinfo. “But people are coming to terms with what’s happening and are prepared for every eventuality: the police investigation and the results of the police action. Then it moves onto the ECB. I suppose the fact is, when everything falls into line, then Ben is in a position to be able to play cricket, whether it’s in the Ashes or the one-day series that follows.”Fraser was also keen to stress that the fact that England are in the midst of an Ashes series would not colour the judgement of selectors or others set to decide on Stokes’ future. “I think the most important thing is that the matter is dealt with correctly. We can all look at an Ashes series as extremely important, but the future health of the game is very important, too. The decisions that have to be made need to be the right ones not just for now but the for the game moving forward, too.”The CPS will now decide on whether a charge will be brought upon Stokes and what it would be. The process could take anywhere between a couple of weeks and six months as they will seek a number of clarifications, although is expected to be at the shorter end of that timescale. They may even ask for evidence to be resubmitted before determining whether to prosecute, which could mean a decision on whether to press charges may only be made well into 2018.Should the CPS opt not to bring charges then it will be down to the ECB’s own disciplinary committee to decide what action to take. Stokes has missed the two ODIs against the West Indies at the end of last summer, along with the first Test at Brisbane. It has been suggested that the ECB may backdate any punishment handed to Stokes – he will have missed at least two Test matches as well – potentially meaning an immediate return to international action once the charging decision is made.However, Fraser admitted both he and the ECB are still unaware as to what exactly took place that fateful night in Bristol. Much of the ECB’s deliberation will be a fact-finding mission.”You want to know the full story before you react,” he said. “That’s where the ECB are at: everybody wants to know what exactly went on. We’ve seen the footage, we’ve heard reports. But until we know what exactly has taken place, it’s hard to make those sorts of comments. Once we know all the information, I’ll be happy to give my feelings on it.”It has been a testing week for England. An ultimately tame and entirely friendly tete-a-tete between Cameron Bancroft and Jonny Bairstow on the squad’s first night in Australia, brought to light on the final day of the first Test, prompted England’s director of cricket Andrew Strauss to impose a midnight curfew.Naturally, coupled with Stokes’ indiscretion, the Australian media has taken the opportunity to round on England, questioning the culture and characters of those within squad. Middlesex pace bowler Toby-Roland Jones, who was set for a place in the Ashes squad after an impressive start to his Test career this summer before being ruled out by a stress fracture of the back, feels talk of drinking problems or deeper behavioural issues is wide of the mark.”A lot’s been written and maybe pushed the limits of what is reality, to be honest,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a drink in moderation, but the guys generally know where the line should be drawn. It’s a close dressing room and one that benefits from that on the pitch. The go on as a team, they exit as a team.”I guess you’re in these places in a professional capacity and there to perform. But a lot has been written about things, pushing it out to be a little bit worse than it is, let’s say.”Roland-Jones himself has stepped up his recovery from injury and spent the start of the week at the National Performance Centre in Loughborough. He is bowling again but, as of yet, is not putting a date on when he expects to be fully up to speed.

Celtic are "interested" in signing Newcastle United's forgotten man this summer as the Hoops' search for a winger continues, Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has told GIVEMESPORT.

Is Ryan Fraser joining Celtic?

It's been an interesting transfer window for Brendan Rodgers' side so far this summer.

There have been plenty of positives for the Glasgow giants as they've secured the signature of players like Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm and several other impressive players whilst convincing star players like Kyogo Furuhasi and Daizen Maeda to sign new deals.

That said, the departure of the dynamic winger and fan favourite Jota to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad came as a serious blow to the team, and while the £25m fee that the Hoops received certainly softened that blow, it was still far from the ideal way for Rodgers to start his second tenure as manager.

With a glaring hole on the leftwing, signing a replacement for the 24-year-old became imperative, and with less than three weeks before the window slams shut, The Bhoys are running out of time to find a replacement.

One player that could be the solution to Rodgers' woes is former Bournemouth star and current Scotland international Fraser.

The 5 foot 4 dynamo, who has the same agent as Federico Valverde, has reportedly been frozen out of the Newcastle team and stripped of his squad number after a bitter falling out with manager Eddie Howe in March of this year, per Football Scotland.

While the £63,000-a-week man might have burnt his bridges with the Magpies, he certainly has the ability required to make an impact north of the border and could make for a brilliant addition to the left wing of Celtic's attack.

And according to journalist Rudy Galetti, a move back to Scotland could be on the cards.

What did Journalist Rudy Galetti say about Ryan Fraser to Celtic?

Galetti confirmed that the Hoops are indeed interested in the Scottish international, and his lack of game time in the Premier League could influence his decision.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Celtic are interested in Ryan Fraser from Newcastle. That has been confirmed.

"They are looking for a winger. The Scottish player, who doesn't play a central role for the Magpies, is one of the preferred names and profiles."

How old is Ryan Fraser?

Born February 24th, 1994, in Aberdeen, Scotland, the 29-year-old has undoubtedly struggled for game time on Tyneside over the last 12 months, starting just three league games last season.

That's not to say that he wouldn't be an excellent signing for Celtic; however, as when his managers have given him the minutes, he's been a consistently decent top-flight-level footballer.

In his 128 Premier League starts across his whole career, he has scored 18 goals and provided 31 assists. On top of that, he has averaged a match rating of 6.67 across his entire professional playing career, which shows remarkable consistency from the Scotsman, per WhoScored.

Described as "excellent" for his national team performances by Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, if Rodgers can get this deal over the line and coax the best out of Fraser once more, this could be an outstanding piece of business from the Scottish champions.

A new opening colleague for Warner every summer is becoming a tradition in Australian cricket and Cameron Bancroft comes to the role with strong credentials

Brydon Coverdale21-Nov-20171:30

‘I can forge my own reputation’ – Bancroft

First it was Phillip Hughes. Then it was Ed Cowan. Then Chris Rogers. Then Joe Burns. Then Shaun Marsh. This year it looked like being Matt Renshaw, but instead will be Cameron Bancroft. This is the roll call of batsmen who have started Australia’s Test summers as David Warner’s opening partner; Rogers is the only man to have done so more than once. A new opening colleague for Warner every summer is becoming a tradition in Australian cricket.Renshaw may be unlucky to have been dropped following an encouraging start to his Test career, but Bancroft certainly comes to the role with strong credentials as a foil for the destructive Warner. If patience is a virtue, no player in Australia in recent years has been as virtuous as Bancroft. In 2015, he occupied the crease for a remarkable 797 minutes in compiling 211 for Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield game against a strong New South Wales attack.And after entering this summer fresh from a 512-minute double-century for Gloucestershire at the tail end of the county season, Bancroft carried his bat for 76 and then scored 86 in the second innings against a New South Wales attack boasting Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. Then he followed up with another double-hundred next game against South Australia.”I certainly think I can get better at concentrating and batting for long periods of time,” Bancroft said on Tuesday. That seems a near unattainable goal. In the recent game against New South Wales, Bancroft was involved in every delivery for the first three and a half days of the contest: wicketkeeping, carrying his bat, wicketkeeping again, and then nearly reaching a century as opener in the second innings.”Most of us were in his ear the whole game,” Hazlewood said this week. “He’s a good fighter, I guess, and he’s put the runs on the board this summer, and in previous summers.”Warner’s observations of that Shield match were that Bancroft was technically sound and knew his own game well. “He looks very complete in the nets,” Warner said. “I’ve been very, very happy with what I’ve seen of him.”This is not the first time Bancroft has been within touching distance of a baggy green. In 2015, he was chosen in Australia’s squad for the Test tour of Bangladesh when Warner was injured. Bancroft would have opened alongside Burns on that trip, but the tour was postponed for security reasons. An inconsistent stretch of form followed for Bancroft, who admits that at times he can be too intense, too focused for his own good.”It was difficult, I just wanted it so badly,” Bancroft said. “I wanted it so badly and I wasn’t patient enough. It took me a little while just to sit back and kind of go, this is where I want to go, just got to trust it … I can get a bit tense and try a bit too hard at times. I think over the last five years of my career it’s been something I’ve had to learn and develop.”Having that work ethic and that intensity is a really good thing and a really positive thing in the right times but learning when those times are, that’s part of the challenge of being a professional cricketer and it’s probably taken me a lot of time to learn about it.”Bancroft was “stitched up” (in the words of Warner) this week when told jokingly that new players in the team have to make a speech at dinner; Bancroft did so without hesitation. But one task he won’t have to be tricked into is fielding under the helmet at short-leg. Typically, that position is thrust upon the newest member of the side, but Bancroft has made short-leg his own specialist spot.”At the start, I just did the role because I was the youngest player in the [Western Australia] side,” he said. “Then I took a couple of really good chances and I thought about it and thought, there’s probably no-one really in the world who sits there and thinks ‘I want to be really good at this’. I remember a couple of years ago at the cricket academy I worked really hard on it and set myself a goal to be really good in that position.”There’s a lot of luck involved, or reaction. I think wicketkeeping helped – my ability to stay low and things like that … I have fun doing it. I feel like you’re always in the game, and I love the prospect of being able to make a difference to the game by taking a catch or even stopping a run that gets flicked and it hits you or something. It’s a challenge that I embrace.”

The Australia fast bowler laughed off a comparison to the WWE wrestler, and was in great spirits after picking up his first international wickets

Arun Venugopal in Guwahati11-Oct-20171:27

Dad was ‘speechless,’ says Jason Behrendorff

By the time Jason Behrendorff had finished shredding India’s top order, the internet was going mental over his supposed likeness to WWE wrestler John Cena. And after Australia strolled to an eight-wicket win in the second T20I, Behrendorff was told of the comparison.He’s “a fair bit bigger than I am,” Behrendorff said as he burst out laughing, the mood set by his four-wicket haul that led to an Australian win in only his second international appearance.”It’s an unbelievable feeling to be honest,” he said, having dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Shikhar Dhawan as his first four international wickets. “… to bowl four overs tonight and take four wickets, but mainly to get a win. To get the boys back up and about after a pretty tough time in the the one-dayers, it’s very, very special.”Just like he had in his only over in the first T20I in Ranchi, Behrendorff began his spell in Guwahati by conceding a boundary. But while he was wicketless on Saturday, he snared two in his first over on Tuesday.Behrendorff had Rohit lbw by bowling the quick inswinger, a method used by other left-arm quicks like Mohammad Amir against the batsman. The delivery also got Kohli two balls later, and Behrendorff said the plan was indeed to nip the ball into India’s right-handers.”I was really happy with that,” he said of his comeback, after being hit for two fours by Rohit in the first over. “Few ones that I got hit to the boundary probably weren’t where I needed to be bowling. But then to get the ball up there, swinging the ball, hit guys on the pads and nick blokes off: those are the things we talk about in our meetings. To get the balls in those areas especially up front.”1:40

Agarkar: Starc-Behrendorff combination would be great for Australia

While Australia’s spearhead Mitchell Starc has been injured and out of international action since the Champions Trophy, Behrendorff looked forward to talking shop with his fellow left-arm quick. “I know Mitch reasonably well. I’ve spent a bit of time playing with him occasionally but mainly against him,” he said. “He’s someone that I feel I can talk to and get some advice off as well. He’s a very, very good guy to have around.”A look at Behrendorff’s Linkedin profile indicates that he is a man of varied interests. He has a degree in exercise and sports science from the Edith Cowan University, and has interned with the strength and conditioning coach of the Australia men’s hockey team. He also wants to improve his “presentation and interviewing skills” in the the media. Early evidence is that he’s on track.”It’s nice to have a bit of knowledge of what’s going on,” Behrendorff said of how his background in sports science helped him handle his injury-prone body. “I can talk to physios and doctors and understand exactly what’s going on and what I need to do. To be honest, the main thing is doing the rehab and getting back on the park and now enjoying playing international cricket for the first time. It’s something I’ve worked so hard for and I’m loving every minute of it.”Behrendorff has a reputation of being a nice guy. The likeness apart, there’s no – “You want some, come get some” – Cena trash talk.”You don’t have to be mean and nasty all the time,” Behrendorff said. “Generally I’d try and let my skills and the ball do the work and let that do the talking for me instead of getting into a verbal battle or anything like that. Some guys enjoy that and that’s what fires them up and gets them going. But that’s not really my style.”

There has been an update regarding Burnley's apparent interest in Troyes starlet, Wilson Odobert…

What's the latest on Odobert to Burnley?

The Daily Mail reported at the end of last month that the newly-promoted side had 'held talks' with the French outfit regarding a potential move for the teenage sensation, with the 18-year-old having joined his current side last year from Ligue 1 giants, Paris Saint-Germain.

The latest indication – as per The Athletic's Andy Jones – is that a deal for the promising Frenchman is currently "ongoing", with the Clarets currently facing "serious competition" in their battle to land fellow winger, Mohamed Daramy from Ajax.

While it remains to be seen just how much the Clarets will have to fork out in order to land Odobert from the recently-relegated side, the youngster has been valued at around €10m (£9m), according to CIES Football Observatory.

Who is Wilson Odobert?

In what has so far been a busy window for Vincent Kompany and co, the former Manchester City skipper has already bolstered his options on the flanks with the signings of Nathan Redmond and Jacob Bruun Larsen, although further attacking recruits could well lie in store before the window is out.

A deal has already been struck with regard to a player that is currently at the club, with the Lancashire side confirming on Wednesday afternoon that they have moved to extend the contract of Manuel Benson – with the former Belgium U21 international penning a new four-year deal.

The 26-year-old wideman has warranted that potential extension following his instrumental displays in last season's promotion charge, having scored 11 goals and provided three assists from just 14 Championship starts last season, following his arrival from Royal Antwerp last season.

While evidently not a regular starter during that glorious 2022/23 campaign, Benson was able to pose a real threat when he was called upon by his compatriot, Kompany, having been hailed as "fantastic" by his manager earlier this year.

The former Anderlecht boss could add another attacking weapon to his arsenal with the signing of Odobert, with the teen dynamo another figure who could make an impact off the bench next term, with his relative youth making it unlikely that he will immediately be thrust into the fray as a starting pick.

Lauded as a "very skilled winger" who has "outrageous quality" – according to journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos – the 6 foot marksman scored four goals and provided two assists in 19 Ligue 1 starts last term, with that a respectable return considering it was his first year of senior football.

Despite that lack of experience at first-team level, Odobert has only recently been dubbed "outrageously talented" by commentator Robbie Thomson, with the hope being that his development can continue under the watchful eye of Kompany over the coming years.

With Sheffield United's Sander Berge the latest incoming at Turf Moor – and with the aforementioned Benson having committed his future to the club – it looks likely to be an exciting period ahead for the Clarets as they attempt to make a solid return to life back in the Premier League this season.

Australia seamer Hastings raised two questions over O’Keefe’s selection: the left-arm spinner’s NSW suspension and a lack of recent match practice

Daniel Brettig06-Sep-2017John Hastings, the Victoria and Australia seam bowler, has given voice to many privately questioning how Steve O’Keefe could be playing a Test match for Australia while still being suspended by New South Wales for poor behaviour.At the same time Hastings, who is a longtime friend of O’Keefe, also wondered how the national selectors chose O’Keefe to go to Bangladesh as a replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood instead of Jon Holland, who took part in Australia’s pre-tour camp in Darwin and was highly successful during an intra-squad practice match.While O’Keefe has stated that he was always informed by the NSW chief executive Andrew Jones and Australia’s selection chairman Trevor Hohns that the sanction – which also included an A$20,000 fine – did not preclude Test squad selection, others have struggled to come to terms with the apparent contradiction.”I really feel for Dutchy [Holland],” Hastings told . “Steve O’Keefe was best man at my wedding so I’m rapt for him, but probably by all rights he probably doesn’t deserve to be there.  He’s suspended by NSW Cricket and he’s over playing for Australia. It’s an interesting one that one.”I don’t think Jon Holland can do any more than what he has done over the last few years. Last year he was prolific for the Bushrangers. He went up to Darwin [to the camp], got four or five for one in a spell. I honestly don’t know what the selectors could be saying to him, if anything. It’s just unbelievable.”Numerous players and coaches around the country have raised queries about how O’Keefe managed to return to the Test team despite being banned from the next NSW tournament and this year’s domestic limited-overs series, for offensive behaviour towards a female Australian cricketer and her partner during the state’s end of season awards night.Equally, there is disquiet at the decision to send O’Keefe to Bangladesh without any recent match practice – his previous competitive match was the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy in March – seemingly ignoring the example of none other than Holland himself, who went to Sri Lanka last year as an injury replacement for O’Keefe and then struggled to bowl at his best due to minimal preparation time.”He’s coming in with no game time,” Hastings said of O’Keefe. “It’s a massive ask for someone to come in with little or no preparation in matches. That time in the middle is absolute gold dust.”

Rangers winger Fashion Sakala has his future hanging in the balance with rumours linking him with a move away from the Scottish giants. Transfer insider Dean Jones has labelled the situation as “precarious” when speaking with GIVEMESPORT, also going on to say that he believes that “there could still have been a role for him” with Rangers.

What Does the Future Hold for Fashion Sakala?

Numerous players across Europe are being snapped up by clubs in Saudi Arabia and Sakala could be one of the next to make that jump. This aligns with reports from the Daily Mail (via The Scottish Sun), which indicate that the club are willing to cut ties with the 26-year-old.

In this modern age of football, social media is a major catalyst for everything and the Rangers winger, who earns £8.4k per week, is seemingly hinting at his imminent departure from the SPFL. A photo of him waving speaks a thousand words with fans quick to decode exactly what it means.

The aforementioned Mail had previously reported that Sakala had rejected the opportunity to join Al-Fayha, only for this to have turned on its head. They are going in for him again and after the Zambian was absent from a recent open training session, success may well be on the cards this time around.

What has Dean Jones said about the Rangers winger?

“It is looking a bit precarious for Sakala at the moment, and I think it’s a bit of a shame because I feel there could still have been a role for him in the squad.

“We will have to see how this plays out in real life as a lot of the fuel to this rumour has been provided through social media, and that is not always a great place to get a true reading on a situation.

“But if [Michael] Beale has decided this is the end of the road for him, which sounds the case, then I think it will be best they help him find a new club quickly and that everyone can move on from that stance.”

All about Sakala’s time in Scotland

Fashion Sakala first arrived in Glasgow in 2021 from Belgian top division side KV Oostende. He hit the ground running and proved to be a useful attacking option, helping Rangers to the Scottish Cup and a Europa League final in his first year.

The Rangers winger made 26 league appearances in that 2021/22 season, amassing a total of 1,166 minutes as they finished runners-up to their Glaswegian rivals. His return of 15 goal contributions was very respectable and it only got better the following year as he chipped in with 12 goals and eight assists.

At Ibrox, the attacking third has been heavily diluted in recent years with Sakala having to compete with names such as Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi, Malik Tillman and Rabbi Matondo.

Talking of Kent and he has already managed a high-profile move away from Scotland, joining 19-time Turkish Super League winners Fenerbahce. If current Rangers winger Sakala gets his wish then he will be able to enjoy a similar fate.