Leeds United could allow an in-form youngster to leave Elland Road on loan before the weekend, according to a new update.
Leeds transfer rumours
The transfer market may not be officially open again until January, however, the Whites can still sign free agents and use the loan market for non-league clubs, should they wish.
Daniel Farke and the 49ers Enterprises could dip into the free agent market following serious injuries to midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, leaving Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell as his only senior midfield options. At the back, Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk are the only defenders fit due to Max Wober’s injury, which has resulted in Cheikhou Kouyate being linked with joining Leeds.
Reports have claimed a deal to be on and off in recent days, and when asked about Leeds signing Kouyate, Farke refused to confirm the name but did say the club are optimistic they will find “a good solution in the upcoming days or weeks”.
“I spoke about the situation. I never confirm any names and I won’t speak about players who are not under contract with us. I just speak about our players.
“We’re having a deeper look into the free agent market. We are also a bit light in the centre-back position, Joe Rodon is on four yellow cards.
“We have a few ideas and we’re carefully optimistic we’ll be able to bring in a good solution in the upcoming days or weeks, but I cannot say names.”
Leeds youngster Luca Thomas could join York City
Heading out of Leeds in the coming days could be young forward Luca Thomas, with National League side York City hopeful of signing the Whites gem on loan.
The 20-year-old has scored eight goals for Leeds’ youngsters in the current campaign and even made a cameo with the senior squad under Farke during pre-season.
York City boss Adam Hinshelwood commented on Thomas and a move from Leeds, revealing the 49ers Group are set for sit down talks on Thursday over a deal.
“Leeds have let him train with us for the last few days, so we can cast an eye over him, and we have done that. We’ve been impressed with what we have seen, so it’s down to us to have a chat with Tony [McMahon, Director of Football] and then speak to Leeds and see what is best.
“We’ve been really encouraged by what we have seen from him and we’re hoping that we will be able to do something there. We’re hoping, he’s been in for a few days and have liked what we have seen so far, so we will sit down with Tony tomorrow (Thursday) and speak to Leeds to see what we can try and arrange.”
Thomas has even been mentioned by some as a player who could become Leeds’ next Crysencio Summerville, so his development will be one to watch if he joins York on loan.
The morning’s warm haze was replaced by the evening’s sharply cut shadows on the third day of this match at Trent Bridge and in similar fashion the precise shape of the contest became clear. Rather than dismiss their opponents and thereby determine their side’s own victory target, Lancashire’s bowlers were roughed up by Lyndon James and Tom Moores in the first half of this day.As a consequence, Steven Mullaney’s declaration challenged Dane Vilas’s batsmen to score 444 in a little over four sessions. It would be Lancashire’s second-highest fourth-innings total in their history after their gloriously doomed 464 at The Oval in 2007 and it would also be the ninth-highest fourth-innings score ever made to win a County Championship game. Supporters who believe they will manage it have been placed in the care of kind friends.No doubt Vilas is in bullish mood. One can imagine Lancashire’s top order telling each other they will bat normally and see where they are an hour before tea on the fourth afternoon. The truth, one suspects, is that the visitors would accept a draw and the eight points that would keep them well in contention to win the title. It looks as though the slow left-armer, Liam Patterson-White, will have a lot of work to do tomorrow and that the second new ball will be significant on a pitch that is easing. But scoring 444 to win a game represents a summit of which few current players have any knowledge.Related
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What’s more, Lancashire’s ascent of Nanga Parbat began atrociously when one of the team tripped over his ice axe and fell flat on his face at Base Camp. Luke Fletcher’s fifth ball of their second innings pitched just outside off stump and would have clattered into it. Alex Davies chose to play no shot to the delivery and was leg before wicket on the back foot. The opener trooped off having collected a pair and George Balderson replaced him, no doubt thinking he might as well have carried on opening the batting. Sodding this for a game of soldiers might also have crossed his youthful mind.Balderson, however, has all the makings of a very fine all-rounder, a “proper cricketer” the coaches call his kind. During a rather surprisingly wicketless final session he and Luke Wells batted with few alarms against an attack that rarely lost its focus. Wells, whose effect on the Emirates Old Trafford dressing-room has been much greater than his two fifties might suggest, duly reached his third when he eased Dane Paterson through midwicket and collected his tenth four.Then the cries of Mullaney’s fielders as they crowded Balderson in the closing overs of the day were more an attempt to unsettle the batsman than a genuine reflection of threat. But the 20-year-old has already seen most of that before and he batted with gentle composure. All the same, while a close of play score reading 115 for 1 represents a fine platform, it is open to grave doubt whether it is a platform for victory.Visiting supporters, of course, will simply be grateful that their cricket ended rather better than it began. The first hour of play was remarkable in that 16 overs were bowled but it was notable in that James and Moores scored 47 runs, as the Nottinghamshire pair made it clear they intended to carry the attack to Tom Bailey and Danny Lamb. This was in clear relief to the tempo of the cricket on Monday evening and it shifted the balance of the match. The expectation of Lancashire’s bowlers gave way to mere hope and their batsmen watched in lonely trepidation as the home side’s lead grew.At lunch Nottinghamshire’s advantage was 334, a number with 91-year-old Bradmanesque echoes. James had reached his fifty off 149 balls and Moores off 62 balls fewer, a reflection of the younger man’s self-denial on Monday evening, when batting was tougher and Lancashire probably thought they would be chasing a far more manageable target.Nottinghamshire batted on deep into an afternoon session in which they hoped to take energy out of Lancastrian legs and steel out of Lancastrian minds. Forty minutes after lunch, though, Moores swung Wells straight to Steven Croft at deep midwicket and thus fell three short of his third first-class century. Instead of reaching the landmark with three nousy pushes into the many gaps he had chosen to get there in the grand manner only to depart in the not-so-grand fashion.At first James approached his own landmark differently. A first century is one of professional cricket’s arrival lounges; people notice it even though there have already been plenty of reasons to pay attention to James’s cricket. However, after getting a little tied down by Wells and Steven Croft’s spinners he tried to lift the leg spinner down the ground only to sky a catch to Josh Bohannon at mid-off and troop off with a career-best 91. Bailey then bowled off spinners and dismissed Brett Hutton – it really was that type of session – before Mullaney declared with a lead of 443. It looked more than enough. Surely it still is?
Preparing to make up for a frustrating summer transfer window, one Newcastle United insider has shared an exciting message amid Paul Mitchell’s decision to send scouts to two specific countries.
Newcastle transfer news
A rethink was needed at St James’ Park after Newcastle ended the summer transfer window without reinforcement within their backline and without an attacking addition to replace the likes of Miguel Almiron and the injury-prone Callum Wilson.
It is failure that Mitchell is well aware of after his first window at the helm, explaining in a recent interview relayed by The Athletic: “There are things we got wrong in our strategy, for sure. If we could have signed a player that we actively felt could make a really good squad better, would we? Of course we would have done.”
International manager drops hint over "excellent" Newcastle star's injury
More frustration for the Magpies…
ByTom Cunningham Oct 3, 2024
Amid the constraints of PSR, the Magpies, for all their riches these days, found themselves limited on the spending front before failing to agree deals for the likes of Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi. In a summer-long pursuit, Newcastle went all-in on Guehi, only for the England centre-back to stay put at Selhurst Park.
Summing up their struggles, Mitchell and Newcastle have since been forced to have a rethink it seems. According to Mark Douglas of iNews, Mitchell has picked out Germany and France for Newcastle to scout intensively, with one insider revealing that the Magpies want to be “best in class” when it comes to recruiting, developing and either utilising or selling young talents from around the globe.
Newcastle are also hiring a full-time psychologist to work with the loans team in an attempt to boost their young players and loanees. They expect the development of a massive pool of Yankuba Minteh style talents to help avoid any future PSR sanctions – Liverpool’s £50m+ influx from selling Fabio Carvlaho and Sepp van den Berg to Brentford this summer is seen as the perfect example.
Finding a way past the rules that limited them in the summer would, of course, be the key to further arrivals in 2025.
Newcastle must get 2025 transfer windows right
After suffering as a result of their squad depth – or lack thereof – last season, Newcastle should have had a plan in place. Months later, of course, it quickly became apparent that any plan had been scuppered by PSR concerns and all their eggs had been thrown in one basket for a Guehi deal which they never managed to get over the line.
Things must be different in 2025. The likes of Mitchell should match the strong start of Eddie Howe’s side with key additions that may even bring the Magpies back to the Champions League level they found themselves at just a couple of years ago.
The rumours have already started on the reinforcements front too. The likes of Jonathan David have especially stolen the headlines, with the Lille forward set to become a free agent upon the expiry of his current contract to ring the alarm bells of clubs looking to land a top striker and avoid spending big.
Canada's Jonathan David
Following the tough fallout of his first window in charge, there’s no doubt that Mitchell will be keen to earn instant redemption at St James’ Park, whilst once again avoiding the dreaded PSR sanctions.
Stamford Bridge chiefs have personally told Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca to push for the signing of a £47 million player, who they think will strengthen the tactician’s options to no end.
Chelsea enjoy terrific start as BlueCo ponder striker signing
It’s been quite the start for Maresca in the Premier League, with Chelsea boasting four wins from a possible six and losing just once to champions Man City.
£175,000-per-week Chelsea mainstay no longer part of Enzo Maresca's plans
The Italian apparently doesn’t envisage a long-term future for him in west London.
2 ByEmilio Galantini Oct 3, 2024
Chelsea’s convincing wins over Brighton, West Ham and Wolves were complemented by a smash-and-grab victory at Bournemouth, with summer signing Jadon Sancho grabbing his first assist for the club since making a loan switch from Man United on deadline day.
That was the first of three assists for Sancho, who is justifying Maresca’s decision to rescue him from the fringes of Erik ten Hag’s squad at Old Trafford. Chelsea were also unlucky not to beat Crystal Palace, as they were held to a 1-1 draw thanks to Dean Henderson’s heroics between the sticks.
Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures
Date
Nottingham Forest (home)
October 6
Liverpool (away)
October 20
Newcastle (home)
October 27
Man United (away)
November 3
Arsenal (home)
November 10
Chelsea’s early-season success in the top flight hasn’t just been down to superstar Cole Palmer, but also Nicolas Jackson. The Senegal international boasts four goals and three assists in the league so far, bringing into question their need for a new striker at all.
Regardless, it remains the case that Chelsea could look to bring in a new centre-forward in January. Former Man City starlet Liam Delap is now a target for Chelsea, among a few other names in Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Evan Ferguson, according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips.
Another name on their shortlist is Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface, who is turning heads in Germany amid a fine run of form under Xabi Alonso. Boniface racked up 22 goal contributions for the eventual German champions in the Bundesliga last season and has picked up where he left off this campaign.
Chelsea employees tell Maresca to push for Victor Boniface
GiveMeSport have shared a fresh update from Thursday evening, and they write that Chelsea scouts have urged Maresca to push for the signing of Boniface, as they believe the Nigerian could be an excellent new addition to the squad.
Although Boniface isn’t interested in a move to England right now, the Blues have apparently refused to rule out the possibility of tempting him next year, but it is most likely to be next summer as the winter window looks like a stretch.
Victor Boniface celebrates for Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso is also expected to revamp the squad at Leverkusen in 2025, which suggests that an exit for the £47 million Boniface may well be on the cards at some point. An enticing aspect of the player is his likeness to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, who Alonso has personally compared to the Ivorian icon.
“He has many qualities that could make him as strong as Drogba,” said Alonso on Boniface’s similarity to Drogba.
“He was a great one, but he is so powerful and can create many problems.”
O principal objetivo da temporada 2022 foi cumprido: o Botafogo foi campeão da Série B do Brasileirão. E, agora, o que vem pela frente? O Alvinegro, de volta à elite na próxima temporada, precisa cuidar de questões fora de campo, principalmente no que diz respeito às renovações de jogadores.
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O Alvinegro, até mesmo pelas dificuldades financeiras e pouca força para fazer investimentos, apostou em empréstimos no sentido das contratações durante essa temporada. O preço é cobrado agora: o Botafogo corre para ficar com os atletas que se destacaram durante esses meses, mas as negociações são complicadas.
Esses são os casos, por exemplo, de Luís Oyama, Marco Antônio, Barreto e Pedro Castro. O quarteto, importante durante a campanha da Série B, não tem nenhum tipo de gatilho para compra nos contratos de empréstimos e, por isto, a conversa do Botafogo tem que ser diretamente com os clubes que detém os direitos econômicos dos atletas.
A pouca força financeira, contudo, entra novamente em cena. O Botafogo até demonstra interesse em ficar com os jogadores, mas não tem como fazer investimentos para adquiri-los em definitivo. O Alvinegro busca acordos para renovar o empréstimo ou um acordo no sentido das cifras, algo muito complicado de ser aceito pelos outros clubes envolvidos nas conversas.
Os problemas não são apenas com outras equipes. O Botafogo também tem jogadores que pertencem ao próprio clube com contrato se encerrando em dezembro e ainda não finalizaram uma renovação. São os casos de Rafael Navarro e Warley, ainda sem futuro garantido.
O caso do camisa 99 é o mais famoso: o Alvinegro tenta a renovação desde fevereiro, mas as conversas com o estafe do atacante não andam. De qualquer forma, o Alvinegro tem várias pendências a serem resolvidas fora das quatro linhas.
Only 12.5 overs were possible on the third day, but Leicestershire still slipped to 28 for 5
ECB Reporters' Network21-May-2021
Kyle Abbott made a mess of Leicestershire’s top order•Getty Images
Torrential rain once again accounted for most of day three at the Ageas Bowl – but not before eight wickets fell for just 38 runs in 12.5 overs of play.Hampshire started the day on 223 for 7 underneath leaden skies in Southampton, but added only 10 to their overnight total before running through Leicestershire’s top order as the visitors slumped to 28 for 5 before play was halted just before lunch.In-form Hampshire allrounder Keith Barker, fresh from back-to-back 50s, clubbed the first two balls of the day for four off Ed Barnes but departed to the first ball of the next over for 24 when he slashed Chris Wright straight to Rishi Patel at gully.Wright then trapped Kyle Abbott lbw five deliveries later for his fourth wicket before Brad Wheal edged Barnes to Hassan Azad in the slips, handing the young Yorkshireman his career-best figures of 4 for 61.With the wind howling around the ground, Abbott, who grabbed 11 wickets at Lord’s last week, and Mohammad Abbas tormented the Leicestershire top order with the new ball, in conditions tailor-made for two high-class Test quicks.Azad survived six deliveries before being rapped on the pads in front of his stumps by Abbott, with fellow opener Sam Evans suffering a similar fate at the hands of his former county team-mate Abbas for just 5.Australian Test opener Marcus Harris, a century-maker against Surrey two weeks ago, was the next batsman to perish when he played no shot to an Abbas delivery that nipped back and clipped the top of off stump to leave his side reeling at 8 for 3.Visiting skipper Colin Ackermann was unable to stem the bleeding as his stumps were cleaned up by Abbott before Lewis Hill joined him back in the pavilion when he edged the South African to Lewis McManus behind the stumps to become the fifth Leicestershire wicket to fall in 45 balls.Patel showed some fight with back-back boundaries off Abbot before the players left the field with Leicestershire needing another 56 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Manchester City are just over a week away from their opening game of the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare to face off against Manchester United in the Community Shield.
Pep Guardiola may have been disappointed by his side's trophy haul last season as they only came away with one piece of silverware – the Premier League title.
The Spanish boss may want more success in the cup competitions, domestically and in Europe, this time around as the Cityzens go in search of another treble.
There has not been much change to the City squad during the summer transfer window, though, as they have only made one new signing so far.
Brazil international Savinho has signed on a permanent deal to bolster Guardiola's options on the right side of the attack, after spending last season on loan with Girona in LaLiga.
There is still a few weeks left to go before the summer transfer window officially slams shut, however, and this means that there is still time for the Premier League champions to make further alterations to the group, with outs and ins.
Potential attacking transfers for City
TEAMtalk recently reported that Manchester City forward Jack Grealish is a target for his former club Aston Villa ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The outlet claimed that the Villans are keeping a close eye on his situation at The Etihad and are weighing up a move for his services, after they qualified for the Champions League last term.
It stated that Unai Emery's side would like to sign the England international on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to make it permanent next summer. However, there was no mention of how much they would be willing to pay for him.
Guardiola could sanction an exit for Grealish amid this interest from Villa by swooping to sign another attacking midfielder to take his place in the squad.
The Sun reported last month that the Cityzens are one of the teams eyeing up a potential swoop to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace this summer.
It was claimed that City and fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in landing the England international and would be willing to pay his £60m release clause if they decide to go ahead and pursue a move before the end of the window.
The Eagles wizard could come in as a fantastic signing for Guardiola who would allow the ex-Barcelona boss to brutally ditch Grealish from the team.
Jack Grealish's struggles with Man City
Man City showed huge faith in the English attacker when they smashed their transfer record to pay a whopping £100m to sign him from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.
Given the money spent to prise him from Villa Park, the 28-year-old winger has endured an underwhelming time on the pitch with the Cityzens so far.
He has racked up 14 goals and 18 assists in 125 matches for the club in all competitions over the last three seasons combined, and has not hit double figures for goals or assists in any of his Premier League campaigns.
23/24 Premier League
Jack Grealish
Appearances
20
Starts
10
Goals
3
Assists
1
Key passes per game
1.4
Dribbles per game
0.9
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Grealish is coming off the back of a disappointing year in the top-flight with the Cityzens, having been directly involved in just four goals in 20 appearances in the division.
He ranked within the bottom 24% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for assists per 90 (0.09), which illustrates how poor he has been at creating chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.
For £100m, the England international has not provided consistent quality as a scorer or a creator of goals from a left wing or attacking midfield position, which is why Guardiola should be open to allowing him to re-join Villa this summer.
Manchester City's Jack Grealish
His exit would leave the team light in the wide areas, particularly on the left flank, though, and that is why the club should swoop to sign Eze.
The Palace star's arrival would then allow City to brutally ditch Grealish without having to worry about being left short for depth ahead of next season.
What Eberechi Eze could bring to City
Whilst the current Cityzens forward has failed to provide enough quality in the final third in recent seasons, Eze has been in impressive form for the Eagles.
He could come in as a big upgrade on Grealish and offer more as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a left wing or attacking midfield role for Guardiola.
In the Premier League last season, Eze contributed with 11 goals, four assists, and seven 'big chances' created in 27 appearances for the London outfit.
Eberechi Eze celebrates for Crystal Palace
The 26-year-old wizard ranked within the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.44) and the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.82), which shows that he excels at scoring goals and creating opportunities for his teammates to shoot.
22/23 & 23/24 Premier League seasons
Eberechi Eze
Appearances
65
Goals
21
Assists
8
Big chances created
13
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Eze has been directly involved in 29 goals in his last 65 Premier League appearances for Palace over the last two seasons.
He has hit double figures for goals in each of the last two campaigns in the top-flight – a feat Grealish has failed to achieve in any of his seasons with City.
These statistics suggest that the £60m-rated star, who was once described as a "delight to watch" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could come in and improve Guardiola's squad.
Eze could arrive as an upgrade on Grealish, due to his superior quality in the final third, and add more firepower to the Spanish manager's forward line, which could help them to compete on all fronts.
Another Palmer situation: Pep at risk of losing "electrifying" Man City ace
He could leave on a loan or permanent deal
1
By
Joe Nuttall
Jul 28, 2024
Therefore, signing the Palace magician would then allow the Premier League champions to send the former Villans captain back to his former club this summer.
Devon Conway is the latest from New Zealand to test positive for Covid-19, the board announced on Thursday. He undertook a PCR test in preparation of a team activity after arriving in London and has begun his five-day isolation after a positive result. The tourists are not seeking a replacement.Conway joins allrounder Michael Bracewell, physio Vijay Vallabh and strength and conditioning coach Chris Donaldson as the others to have tested positive. The trio will travel separately to Leeds for the final Test at Headingley starting next Thursday.The rest of the team has returned negative tests.Conway had scores of 46 and 52 batting at three in the second Test, after captain Kane Williamson tested positive on the eve of the match. With the final game about a week away, it is expected that both Conway and Bracewell would recover and be available for selection.New Zealand have conceded the three-game series 2-0 and will aim for crucial World Test Championship points in the last game in Leeds next week. They are the current holders of the World Test Championship title.
A statue of Harry Kane has finally been unveiled, but is being called the “stuff of nightmares” and likened to an infamous Cristiano Ronaldo bust.
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Sculpture sits in east LondonFirst club saluting strikerCritics less than impressedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayern Munich and England striker Kane has been immortalised at The Peter May Centre in Walthamstow, east London. It was there, when turning out for Ridgeway Rovers, that the record-breaking frontman took his first steps towards superstardom.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
In recognition of his achievements, Tottenham and England’s all-time leading goalscorer saw a sculpture commissioned by Waltham Forest Council – at the cost of £7,200. The piece in question is said to have been completed in 2020, but has sat in storage since then.
DID YOU KNOW?
It has now been installed in front of a mural dedicated to Kane, with the man himself on hand to witness the official unveiling, but the piece – which depicts Kane sitting on a bench and a holding a football on his thigh – has divided opinion.
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GettyWHAT ART CRITIC SAID
Social media users were quick to brand it the “stuff of nightmares” while asking why statues of famous sportspeople “all look so bad”. Art critic Estelle Lovatt has added to : “If you think about it historically, a public statue was there to immortalise, show off and loudly boast of the achievements and accomplishments of the person. If it doesn't really bear a resemblance to the person, it's quite difficult to relate to it.
“I just thought the Roman emperors wouldn't have put up with it, with this sort of standard. It's imposing because of its size and its fantastical because of its size, but it lacks any aesthetic creativity. When it becomes quite a laughable depiction, that doesn't empower the craftsman or the artist or indeed the master they are trying to capture. It sort of lets everybody down.”
“Never faced a situation like this,” says Sri Lanka captain after losing three members of six-man attack
Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Dec-2020
Dhananjaya de Silva’s injury on the first day hurt Sri Lanka’s chances in Centurion•AFP via Getty Images
Sri Lanka were in such a good situation in the early stages of the first Test they could even have dominated had multiple injuries not hit. This, at least, was the view of Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne, whose dressing room was decimated by injury through the course of the four days at Centurion.Sri Lanka made 396 in the first innings – their highest ever score in South Africa – but lost Dhananjaya de Silva to a thigh strain during what was arguably their most fluent innings of the Test. In subsequent days Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara withdrew from the attack due to injuries, meaning Karunaratne had only three good bowling options remaining.Despite the good first-innings total, they went on to lose by an innings and 45 runs, after South Africa racked up a total of 621 against a substantially depleted attack.”I’ve never faced a situation like this and maybe no one has, where in one match you lose three bowlers,” Karunaratne said. “When we started we had a balanced attack, with bowlers I could use for various roles. But in the first innings we lost that. We had been in a position where we could have even dominated the game. We had been in worse situations than this on our last tour to South Africa when we won those games. Losing this [game] by an innings is a huge disappointment.”We had scored the most we’d ever scored [in South Africa] in the first innings. We knew after making that total that it’s going to get harder to bat on later in the game as well. If our bowlers had stayed fit we would have been able to do something. Our batsmen did a good job in this match.”Karunaratne was unwilling to be too severe on the second-innings batting effort either. Sri Lanka conceded a first-innings lead of 225, but aside from the absence of de Silva, they also had to contend with a niggle that Dinesh Chandimal picked up, as well as Rajitha and Kumara’s inability to do anything but hobble between the wickets. Wanindu Hasaranga was also struggling to run after injuring his thigh diving on the ball on day three.Related
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Karunaratne suggested that Sri Lanka’s collapse to 180 all out in the second innings was at least partly due to injuries having wiped out their prospects of victory.”We were 200 runs behind and if we’d chased that down and set a target, we still wouldn’t have had any bowlers to defend it,” he said. “We had two wicket-taking bowlers, and once their spells finish, the next bowlers we had available are myself, Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka.”We have three wicketkeepers in the XI, so we don’t have a lot of part-time bowlers. I think that must have been in the batsmen’s minds in the second innings, because no matter how well we set up a target, it’s still not going to be easy. And when batsmen can’t run, that makes it tough because then you can only score with fours or sixes. Sticking around for two and a half days on this wicket would have been tough. It was still seaming and the bounce was inconsistent.”Sri Lanka hope to have senior seamer Suranga Lakmal back for the second Test, but he is battling against time to recover from a hamstring niggle by Sunday. Chandimal is also doubtful with what seemed to be groin problem sustained while batting. Top-order batsman Oshada Fernando is expected to be fit for the second game, however. Sri Lanka also have fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Asitha Fernando in reserve, while Vishwa Fernando got through the first Test unscathed – the only frontline quick to do so.”We’re not sure about Suranga’s fitness. We hope he’ll be fit, but we’ll have to watch a few more days. Chandimal’s injury also needs to be observed. We don’t know yet whether he’ll be able to play, but I suspect he’ll be able to. We’ll need to replace Dhananjaya de Silva. The big loss going to Wanderers is that we don’t have our best attack anymore. We’ll do what we can with the players we have left.”In the dressing room, it’s not easy to handle this kind of situation. As a captain I need to work out how to keep my head up and keep the players together. There’s a lot of disappointment because we arrived on this tour with a lot of hopes. We’d been in a positive mindset. But the series isn’t over yet. I’m sure the replacement players will do well in the second Test.”