Wolves are still searching for their first win of the season, currently sitting rock bottom of the Premier League, having only earned one point so far in a handful of matches played.

Their one point came in a 1-1 draw to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and their run of games isn’t going to get any easier, with Gary O’Neil’s side set to face Liverpool next.

Wolves have conceded the joint highest number of goals after five games, conceding 14 goals, and have only scored five. O’Neil’s men have given up on average 14.2 shots per game (the ninth worst in the division), and their defensive record will have to improve if they want to stay up.

Sadly, that is unlikely to improve after a blow to Yerson Mosquera.

Yerson Mosquera's injury blow

Wolves have confirmed Yerson Mosquera’s injury is a serious one, after being stretched off in the second half of their 3-1 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend.

Phil Hayward, Wolves’ head of high performance confirmed injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Mosquera is set to undergo surgery in the next two weeks and will face a long time on the sidelines, with Hayward saying it is unlikely the 23-year-old will feature again this season.

The Colombian defender started all five of their Premier League games this campaign, playing 442 minutes, and trying to replace him will be a tough task for O’Neil, especially as pressure is already building, with Wolves sitting bottom of the Premier League.

A potential Mosquera replacement

In order for Wolves to address this issue, one option would be to look at the free agents available with one potential option that of James Tomkins, once of West Ham and Crystal Palace.

However, it just so happens that an ex-Premier League defender, once dubbed as “world-class” by Jürgen Klopp, is available, in the shape of Joel Matip. He certainly represents a much more convincing option than Tomkins.

The 33-year-old made 201 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 11 goals, providing six assists, and totaling 16,190 minutes played. Matip could be the perfect option for Wolves, to add experience at the back, and replace Mosquera on a short-term basis this season.

Passes Attempted

69.2

49.0

Pass Completion %

89.0%

85.4%

Progressive Carries

1.02

0.00

Progressive Passes

4.63

1.43

Passes into Final Third

3.06

3.27

Tackles

1.11

2.24

Blocks

1.76

2.65

Interceptions

1.19

2.04

Aerials Won

3.15

2.24

Matip would help to replace the towering Mosquera, who stands at 6 foot 2, and wins 2.24 aerials per 90. Matip stands at 6 foot 5, winning 3.15 aerials per 90, and adds a real physical presence, paired with a high understanding of the game, allowing him to be in the right place at the right time.

The 33-year-old would also add extra ball progression, via both carrying and passing. Having played in a top Liverpool side, the Cameroon centre-back is very composed on the ball and will look to break the lines, getting the ball into the feet of Wolves best players, and allowing them to shine.

Matip could be the perfect replacement for Mosquera, helping to solve their defensive issues, by adding extra experience at the back, leadership, and even a set piece threat with his colossal frame.

Wolves had the "Cantona of his generation" on loan, now he's worth £50m

He’s now shining in the Premier League…

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 25, 2024

تلقى التحكيم المصري دفعة قوية بعدما أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم (كاف) عن اختيار ستة حكام مصريين للمشاركة في معسكر النخبة، الذي سيُقام خلال الفترة من 11 إلى 15 مارس المقبل في العاصمة الإيفوارية أبيدجان.

وشمل الاختيار ثلاثة من حكام الساحة، وهم أمين عمر، ومحمد معروف، ومحمود البنا، إضافة إلى حكمين مساعدين، هما محمود أبو الرجال وأحمد حسام طه.

كما تم اختيار الحكم محمود عاشور للمشاركة في المعسكر كحكم تقنية الفيديو (VAR)، إلى جانب المحاضر التحكيمي تامر درّي، الذي سيتواجد ضمن الطاقم الفني والإداري للمعسكر.

ويُعد معسكر النخبة واحدًا من أبرز الفعاليات التحكيمية التي ينظمها كاف سنويًا، حيث يهدف إلى تطوير مستوى الحكام الأفارقة وتأهيلهم لإدارة المباريات القارية والدولية الكبرى، من خلال تدريبات مكثفة على أحدث أساليب التحكيم، واختبارات بدنية وتقنية لضمان جاهزيتهم للمنافسات المقبلة.

“ثنائي الأهلي ولاعب بيراميدز”.. التشكيل المثالي لدور مجموعات دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ويعكس اختيار هذا العدد من الحكام المصريين المكانة المتميزة التي يتمتع بها التحكيم المصري على المستوى القاري، ويؤكد ثقة “كاف” في الكفاءات المصرية، التي لطالما أثبتت حضورها في المحافل الإفريقية والدولية.

يُذكر أن الحكام المصريين المشاركين في المعسكر مرشحون لإدارة العديد من المباريات المهمة في البطولات الإفريقية، وعلى رأسها دوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس الكونفدرالية، بالإضافة إلى المنافسات المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

Daniel Sams remains comfortable with the decision to make himself unavailable for the tour of West Indies and Bangladesh to prioritise his mental health after the challenges of the IPL, which included catching Covid-19 before the tournament.Sams ended up playing two matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore before being part of the cohort of Australians who had to spend time in the Maldives when the tournament was suspended before they could travel home due to border closures to those who had been in India. He was then one of eight players, including the injured Steven Smith, unavailable for the current tour.”It was quite challenging with getting Covid in India, but it’s been really good to be home. Don’t have any regrets, obviously I’ve had thoughts of ‘wish I was there’ but in the end I made the decision that’s best for me long term,” Sams said. “My relationship is the most important thing, one of the biggest reasons for me pulling out was so I can connect back with my wife Danii because we’d never been apart for that long. That was definitely a priority and then my mental health as well.”I made the decision to come home so I can be good long term where potentially if I went I’d be no good for the summer, the potential World Cup chances, the BBL, all that stuff. I’d love to be over there, but think it was the best decision for me and my family.”Related

• Mitchell Marsh's all-round brilliance and Mitchell Starc's final over earn Australia first win

• BBL draft postponed again, tournament to finish in late January

• Aaron Finch: IPL return 'hard to justify' for Australia players missing tours

Sams, who plays domestically for New South Wales and Sydney Thunder, does yet know whether he will return for the resumption of the IPL in the UAE but national limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has made it clear he would find it difficult for players to go back to the league having not been available for Australia duty.It is yet to be confirmed whether Australia will have any fixtures directly before the World Cup – there had been plans for a tri-series involving Afghanistan and West Indies – although the domestic season is due to start in mid-September which could need to be traded-off against the value of using the IPL as preparation.”I 100% definitely understand where he’s coming from with that, choosing not to go on this international tour whatever the reasons were, and choosing to go back to the IPL which potentially sacrifices some of the state commitments and whatever commitments there are leading to the World Cup,” Sams said.Daniel Sams showed his batting power against New Zealand•AFP

“That’s something that needs to be considered. There’s two ways to think of it. If you go to the back end of the IPL that’s T20 cricket that you’ll be playing so you’ll be going into the World Cup on the back of playing all these games. There’s a couple of ways to look at it.”Sams, who has played four T20Is, retains hope of making the final cut for the T20 World Cup. He showed his batting power with 41 off 15 balls against New Zealand in Dunedin and has eyes on the finisher’s position.”I’d like to improve on my bowling a little internationally,” he said, “but I feel more than confident I can be a big part of the Australian T20 team. I’d like to bat as high as possible, but being realistic batting seven, there’s been a lot of talk about the finisher role, and that’s something I feel I could potentially do.”With Covid-19 currently causing lockdowns in Australia and the Delta strain proving very difficult to quell, there is the prospect of bubble life again being part of the cricket season. If that’s the case, Sams believes players may need to take time away as well as find ways to help deal with the strain of a hotel-to-cricket ground existence.”It’s definitely something we’ll figure out plans and ways to manage yourself,” he said. “So if that means you’ll have to take some time off then you’ll have to take some time off [or] if that means you need to work with someone constantly. For me it has definitely been something like ‘okay, we’re going to be in bubbles again, how am I going to get through it so I can perform the best that I can’.”That’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about and wanting to put some things in place – I’m not quite sure what it’s going to look like – to be able to manage myself while in those bubbles.”

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou will have the services of January signing Antonin Kinsky available against Liverpool amid their injury crisis.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Spurs sign Kinsky after injury crisis
• New signing Kinsky receives work permit
• Available to play against Liverpool

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tottenham had to rely on third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin during their 2-1 Premier League loss to Newcastle United with Guglielmo Vicario facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and Fraser Forster out due to illness. Spurs had planned to buy a backup to take over from Forster and did so by signing Kinsky from Slavia Prague for a reported fee of £12.5 million ($16m).

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kinsky was unable to train with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday as he had not received his work permit and international clearance. However, as per The Daily Mail, the Czech U21 international has received his work permit and will now be allowed to train under Postecoglou ahead of Spurs' Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg clash against Premier League leaders Liverpool.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tottenham will be very keen on throwing the kitchen sink at trying to win the Carabao Cup this season as they aim to distract from a dire league season. They currently sit 12th in the Premier League table, and have not won a major trophy since 2008, when they last lifted the Carabao Cup.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR KINSKY?

  The Czech keeper is likely to be the first choice for Postecoglou until Vicario returns to full fitness.

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side snatched a late winner to collect all three points at the Vitality stadium, creeping up to seventh in the Premier League table, with seven points after four games played.

Chelsea held 67% possession but struggled to create, only managing to generate 0.78 xG, compared to Bournemouth’s 1.78 xG (this includes their penalty). But it was late quality in the box from a substitute that made the difference.

A late winner from Christopher Nkunku, scoring in the 86th minute secured the victory for the Blues. Nkunku is now on three goals for the season in all competitions, despite having limited minutes in the Premier League, totaling 80 league minutes, and 228 minutes overall.

Pedro Neto's poor performance

Pedro Neto was taken off at halftime, having struggled to make his mark on the game. Just 25 touches, including losing possession 10 times, and only managing a 67% pass accuracy, it wasn’t quite coming off for the Portuguese wide man.

The Portugal international was given a 4/10 rating by GOAL, labeling the winger as ‘anonymous’ in the game. The 24-year-old has struggled to make a big impact since joining the Blues this summer, totaling 237 minutes played so far, and only clocking one assist.

Neto made 24 appearances for Wolves in all competitions last season, scoring three goals, and providing 11 assists, totaling 1,729 minutes played.

Jadon Sancho's Chelsea debut

Jadon Sancho made a huge difference when being subbed on for Neto at halftime, providing the winning assist to Nkunku, and gaining himself a 7/10 match rating from GOAL, despite only playing 45 minutes.

The 24-year-old looked confident and motivated in his cameo, despite struggling in the last few seasons for Manchester United. After joining the Red Devils, Sancho only managed 12 goals and six assists in 83 appearances for the club.

You can see from the stats that Sancho had a much bigger impact on the game, with more touches, more key passes, more dribble attempts, more ground duels won, and, of course, providing the assist for Nkunku.

The English wizard showed poise on the ball, committing opposition defenders, dragging them out to defend him wide, playing lovely incisive passes into dangerous areas, and beating his man when he had the chance, all things Neto struggled to do in the first half.

That level of temperament and IQ of Sancho was perhaps the most impressive; knowing when to recycle play, when to commit his fullback in a 1v1, and when to release the ball to a teammate in a better position than him (usually after dragging a defender out to him).

Sancho has surely done enough to start the next game for Chelsea, picking up the man of the match award, and really showing Maresca what he can offer on that left-wing.

Therefore, the manager must finally unleash the summer signing from the start for the first time when the Blues next take to the pitch against West Ham United next weekend.

رد أحمد المحمدي، لاعب منتخب مصر السابق، والعديد من الأندية الإنجليزية، على جيمي كاراجر أسطورة ليفربول، بعد التقليل من بطولة كأس أمم أفريقيا.

وتألق محمد صلاح، كعادته هذا الموسم، في مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي في الجولة السادسة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وفاز ليفربول بهدفين دون رد على ملعب “الاتحاد” بفضل محمد صلاح، الذي سجل الهدف الأول وصنع الثاني.

طالع أيضًا.. أحمد حسن يرد على جيمي كاراجر: تصريحاتك لا تهمنا.. وصلاح في طريقه للفوز بالكرة الذهبية

ويُعد محمد صلاح أبرز المرشحين للحصول على جائزة الكرة الذهبية، كأفضل لاعب في العالم لهذا العام 2025.

ولكن جيمي كاراجر رأى أن الأمر قد يكون صعبًا أمام محمد صلاح بسبب تمثيله لمنتخب مصر، ومن ثم عدم مشاركته في بطولة كبرى، على الصعيد الدولي، تعزز من فرص فوزه بالبالون دور.

وتعرض كاراجر للانتقادات لعدم اعتباره كأس أمم إفريقيا، بطولة كبرى، وهو ما استدعى ردًا من ميكا ريتشاردز وكذلك ريو فرديناند بعد ذلك.

الأمر لم يقف هنا، ليرد القائد الأسبق لمنتخب مصر، أحمد المحمدي عبر حسابه على تويتر: “لا يعرف جيمي كاراجر ما هي البطولات الكبرى، لأنه لم يفز بأي منها على الإطلاق”.

وأضاف: “كأس أمم أفريقيا هي بطولة كبيرة، وأفتخر بشدة لأنني فزت بها مرتين”.

جدير بالذكر أن جيمي كاراجر شارك مع منتخب إنجلترا 38 مباراة دولية ولم يسجل أي هدف، كما أنه لعب 6 مباريات في كأس العالم ولم يتمكن من تحقيق اللقب.

بالإضافة إلى ذلك، في بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، انضم لقائمة 2004، ولم يشارك في أي مباراة، وشاهد خروج منتخب بلاده من على مقاعد البدلاء أمام البرتغال في ربع النهائي.

Manchester United’s 2024/25 campaign has simply been a disaster so far. The Red Devils cannot buy a win and are struggling to string good performances together. Erik ten Hag’s job as manager continuously comes under fire, and it could well get to the point where it becomes untenable.

United’s next game could be a defining one for the Dutchman. They face high-flying Aston Villa away from home and are in need of a win for a multitude of reasons. This is largely because they headed into the weekend sat in 13th place in the Premier League table, and have just seven points to their name from six games.

Should the Red Devils get a victory at Villa Park, which seems a tough ask given Unai Emery’s side are on a high after beating Bayern Munich, it would be their first victory in some time. United have failed to win in their last four games, chalking up three draws and one loss – that defeat being their devastating 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham. Their last outing, against Porto in the Europa League, finished 3-3 thanks to a last-gasp equaliser from Harry Maguire.

It might well be time for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his newly appointed footballing structure to sack Ten Hag. That does beg the question, who would be next for the Red Devils? They have recently been linked with someone who would be hoping to quickly change things at Old Trafford.

Related Next Man Utd manager: Who could replace Erik ten Hag?

Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United – so who could take over the reins at Old Trafford?

Posts 2 ByStephan Georgiou Oct 28, 2024 Who United are thought to be targeting

The manager in question here is former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel. Reports over the summer suggested the Red Devils wanted him in charge then as INEOS considered Ten Hag’s future. However, there were rumours the two parties disagreed over the club’s new transfer policies.

With that being said, the Red Devils may well go back in for the German in the future. According to a report from the i, United “are expected to resume talks” over a potential move should they remove Ten Hag from his post.

The report also claims the German has plenty of admirers within the new United hierarchy, and “is considered a world-leading coach”.

Should United decide to sack Ten Hag in the coming weeks, it could open the door to a return to English football for Tuchel, who has previously managed the Red Devils’ Premier League rivals Chelsea, as well as European powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern, his most recent job.

Why Tuchel would be a good appointment

It would be a real statement of intent for United to appoint 51-year-old Tuchel as Ten Hag’s replacement should the situation arise. Whilst the common misconception is that the German falls out often and does not stay at clubs long, there is one thing that cannot be denied: he is a winner.

At every major club the German has managed, he has won at least one trophy. At Borussia Dortmund, he won the DFB Pokal in 2016/17, while he won the league title twice and had success three times in domestic cups at PSG, as well as getting them to a Champions League final.

His finest hour arguably came in that historic competition when he won it with Chelsea in 2020/21, before winning the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. In Munich, he won the Bundesliga.

The counter-argument for this is the fact Ten Hag also wins trophies. He has done so in his two and a bit seasons at Old Trafford, winning the Carabao Cup in 2022/23 and the FA Cup last term. Yet, Tuchel wins trophies and maintains a strong league finish – something the Dutchman failed to do last term, with United finishing 8th, marking their lowest finish in the Premier League.

The German’s lowest finish at the end of the season at any European powerhouse he has managed is fourth, with Chelsea in 2020/21, the year they won the Champions League. At Mainz, his first senior role, the 51-year-old helped them climb as high as 5th, and his lowest finish was 13th.

Football statistician Statman Dave described him as “transformational” part way through his Chelsea tenure, and understandably so.

United are clearly a club the German respects, and he even explained his excitement at managing in the Champions League at Old Trafford with Bayern last term. In an interview with TNT Sports, he explained how the iconic stadium has “a very special atmosphere”, before explaining he is “happy to have the privilege” of managing in the biggest club competition in Europe at the stadium.

Not only could Tuchel get instant success at United, but he might also be able to revive the career of one player at the club, Mason Mount. It is no secret that the United No 7 has struggled with injuries during his time at Old Trafford so far. He has played just 25 games, despite joining the club over 12 months ago, and has one goal and one assist to his name.

However, under the German at Stamford Bridge, England international Mount was in the form of his life and played a crucial part in winning multiple trophies. He has played 87 times under the German, scoring and assisting 19 goals apiece. That includes an impressive 11 goals and 10 assists in 32 Premier League games during the 2021/22 campaign, playing in multiple attacking positions.

Mount stats per manager at senior level

Manager

Games

Goals

Assists

Frank Lampard

127

22

17

Thomas Tuchel

87

19

19

Gareth Southgate

36

5

5

Henk Fraser

33

8

5

Erik ten Hag

25

1

1

Graham Potter

25

3

5

Edward Sturing

6

6

5

Stats from Transfermarkt

After a hugely disappointing time at Old Trafford since his move from Chelsea for £55m plus £5m in add-ons, the appointment of Tuchel could be exactly what Mount needs to get his career back on track.

Football presenter Dougie Critchley described the England international as “Chelsea’s key man” under the German, calling him a “sensational footballer”. Whilst the Old Trafford faithful are yet to see the best side of Mount, there is no reason to doubt whether Tuchel could help him flourish once more.

This could be a masterstroke from Ratcliffe and the hierarchy at Old Trafford. After a horrendous start to the new campaign, Tuchel could be just the man to turn United around and help get them winning trophies, playing enterprising football and achieving strong league finishes before eventually pushing for the Premier League title.

David’s Hobart Hurricanes coach Adam Griffith will work with him at RCB and sees a player who could go a long way

Alex Malcolm07-Sep-2021Tim David has had a meteoric rise over the past two years. He went from a fringe player in Western Australia and with Perth Scorchers to an Associate star with Singapore and is now being snapped up by T20 leagues around the world which will shortly include the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore.There will be a familiar face in the RCB set-up when David arrives with their assistant coach Adam Griffith being in charge of Hobart Hurricanes where he now plays in the BBL. Griffith is confident David’s fearless approach and power-hitting ability will stand him in good stead if an opportunity comes his way.In 2021 David played stand-out hands for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL before heading to Surrey where he dominated the Royal London Cup, culminating in a call-up to Southern Brave in the Hundred. A crucial cameo of 15 off 6 balls and a brilliant direct hit from the boundary to run out Liam Livingstone helped Brave take the title.Related

Uncapped Tim David tops Australian IPL millionaires

Tim David's match-winning hundred takes Surrey into finals

RCB rope in Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera for IPL 2021

David and Chase help St Lucia Kings upset fancied Trinbago Knight Riders

And he is now taking the CPL by storm for St Lucia Kings just weeks after securing his first IPL deal, as a replacement player at RCB. Griffith believes David is a rare talent that will only get better being in the RCB environment.”He’s got no fear,” Griffith told ESPNcricinfo. “I was watching the Caribbean Premier League the other day. The second ball he faced in the competition he smacked someone over cover for six.”He watches the ball really hard. He doesn’t lift his head when he hits it because he knows he’s got the power to do what he needs to do. I think that’s a big part of his success. And he’s starting to get a reputation. And once people start to get a reputation bowlers start to tighten a little bit and that’s part of it as well.”I hope he learns a lot of things. He will be able to watch AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli bat at training and how they prepare and all our batting group, Glenn Maxwell as well.”

Tim wants to bat in the middle, he wants to bat at the end. He wants to be the guy that finishes the innings and smacks the ball out of the groundAdam Griffith

Much has been made of David’s performances for Singapore, having been born there, but he is eligible to play for Australia under ICC rules. He spent most of his life in Australia but, as Eoin Morgan and others have done, players can move from Associate nations to represent Full Member nations without serving the three-year period required of other moves.David grew up in Perth and attended Scotch College where Australia’s Test allrounder Cameron Green was just three years his junior. He dominated club cricket in Perth for Claremont-Nedlands and was briefly a contracted player with Western Australia, making a century for their 2nd XI.But opportunities did not eventuate in Australia’s traditional domestic cricket pathway and he has turned himself into a T20 gun for hire, working on his batting in more recent times with former Somerset allrounder and Claremont-Nedlands coach Jim Allenby.David was not seriously considered for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, but he is a player the hierarchy is keeping an eye on to fill a T20 role that has long been a hole in Australia’s line-up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I think one of the biggest things for Tim is it’s the role that he plays in every team he plays in,” Griffith said. “He wants to bat in that middle-order role and that finishing role. It’s the age-old talk, it’s been a conversation for years, that all the top-order batters make all the runs, so they get picked to bat in all these roles throughout the team.”But Tim wants to bat in the middle, he wants to bat at the end. He wants to be the guy that finishes the innings and smacks the ball out of the ground. So, I think that’s a huge part of his game. He’s actually a batter as well though. He’s not just a guy that goes in and slogs. He’s a batter. He can hit the ball over cover, he can hit it over point, he just hits it so hard and hit’s it so clean.”Griffith hopes the experience in the IPL will only add to David’s repertoire. His opportunities could be limited for RCB given their plethora of overseas middle-order players including de Villiers, Maxwell, and Dan Christian. But the opportunity to watch and speak to some of the best finishers in the world is worth the trip alone.”One of the things over here, that guys like Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya do, their ability when they get towards the back of an innings, not to panic, and understand how many sixes they need to hit in the remaining balls to win the game, or how many boundaries, or what’s the scenario, and then they actually calm themselves because they know they’ve got the ability to do that,” Griffith said.”Tim has the ability to do that. So it’s probably more engaging him in his thought process around, ‘how do I plan this innings. What do I have to do over the next 20 balls to win the game for my team or set a target that helps us win the game.'”What he’ll see is a lot of players talking about how they approach it and they all approach it completely differently and hopefully, he takes bits and pieces out that matches up with his game that will make him better.”

West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against South Africa after being identified as a primary contact of a Covid-19 case in Jamaica, which requires her to serve a period of isolation. Offspinner Anisa Mohammed has been named interim captain in Taylor’s absence for the series which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Antigua.Left-arm seamer Qiana Joseph, who has represented West Indies in two ODIs in 2017, has earned a T20I call-up to the 13-member squad named for the first T20I. The 20-year-old was handed a central contract for the 2021-22 season and recently played for the West Indies A side against Pakistan A.Seamer Shabika Gajnabi, who was part of the ODI squad against Pakistan, has returned to the T20I side. The 21-year-old has represented West Indies in seven T20Is and last played against England in 2020.Meanwhile, offspinner Karishma Ramharack, who was part of the recent T20I squads against Pakistan and England, has been left out. Ramharack was not among the 17 contracted players and last played a T20I in September last year, against England.”It is unfortunate that Stafanie will not be available for this series but there are a number of experienced players who we would be looking to, to fill any void,” Ann Browne-John, lead selector, said. “The young player Qiana Joseph brings another left-hand batter option as well as left-arm orthodox bowling which has been lacking in the team. This will be a good test coming out of the recent Pakistan series, since South Africa is one of the higher-ranked teams.”West Indies won both the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan, which was also their first home internationals in 19 months. According to a press release, the side has been preparing in a high-performance camp in Antigua prior to the upcoming series.The three T20Is, scheduled to be played on August 31, September 2 and September 4, will take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground (SVRCG), following which both sides will play a five-match ODI series from September 7 to 19, with the first three matches being played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) and the last two at the SVRCG.West Indies squad (for first T20I against South Africa): Anisa Mohammed (capt), Deandra Dottin (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman

Stewart tells GOAL that PSV have no interest in selling Pepi this winter as the club sees the American star as their future striker

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Stewart rules out Pepi sale
• Outlines plan for striker to move forward with Dutch side
• Praises USMNT star's development since joining club

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  PSV has ruled out a transfer for U.S. men's international striker Ricardo Pepi, according to Earnie Stewart, the club's director of football. Stewart told GOAL Monday that PSV is not considering a sale, saying that the club has a long-term plan for Pepi that is still playing out.

  Sources had told GOALthat clubs in both England and France had been pursuing the forward, who had commanded an offer of approximately $20.7M (€20M) from a Premier League side.

  The transfer interest comes amid a remarkable run of form from Pepi, who is tied for second in the Eredivisie Golden Boot race with 10 goals, despite having played just 646 league minutes this season. Even so, Pepi has largely remained backup to veteran striker Luuk de Jong, who is fresh off a two-goal performance against AZ Alkmaar that put him on nine goals for the season.

  Pepi's recent form for both PSV and the USMNT has caught the eye of suitors, while reports out of the Netherlands have said that PSV will fight off other clubs by offering Pepi a new contract.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT STEWART SAID

  "First and foremost, regarding all the transfer issues, I can take those off the table because there's not going to be a transfer," Stewart told GOAL. "That's one thing that's for sure. The way I look at Ricardo, and the way that we look at Ricardo, he has been fantastic in the way that he's developed himself as a player. When he came, one of the things that we were curious about, but also spoke about, was his positional game, what to do as a center-forward in certain situations, especially in tight situations. If you see where he was almost a year and a half ago up to where he is today, it's been amazing. He's really, really made some steps along the way.

  "He has, I guess you can say, been unfortunate, because we also have Luuk de Jong, one of the best center-forwards certainly from a heading standpoint that there is. They have been fighting for playing time, both of them, which has raised their levels to a certain extent. At some point, Luuk is, I'd say, not the youngest, still going strong for us at this moment, and hopefully for a little bit longer, but at the same time, we also see that Ricardo, at some point, is going to be the No. 1 for PSV."

  When asked about talks of a new contract for Pepi or fellow American Richy Ledezma, Stewart declined to offer specifics, saying "I don't want to talk about individuals or anything, but just as a whole, at PSV, I'd say there's a lot of discussions going on right now."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  GOAL recently sat down with Pepi to discuss a wide variety of topics, one of which was his transfer status. The USMNT star said he has become accustomed to seeing his name linked to other clubs, having known little else since his breakthrough at FC Dallas.

  "It's just like such a normal thing now," he said. "You know if you're performing or if you're trying to get away for a loan or something like that, they'll be there. I think I've just made it a part of life already. That's the life that I live. Of course, there are going to be rumors of you going on, but at the same time, rumors can also affect your head a little bit. I just try to stay off, avoid distractions… If my agent doesn't tell me that there's a deal or that there's interest, I don't pay attention to it. I like to just keep things very compact in terms of information, so I can just focus on the main goal, which is performing on the pitch."

  Pepi originally joined PSV in July 2023, making the move from Augsburg for a reported $9.8 million transfer fee. In total, he's scored 22 goals in 63 appearances for the Dutch giants, who currently lead the Eredivisie.

  In terms of Pepi's role going forward, Stewart says that the striker has done everything he can to really push De Jong and, as long as he continues to take advantage of every chance he's been given, he, like the other players in the team, will eventually get his opportunity.

  "In the end, it's really simple: once you develop yourself and work hard, there's going to be the moment. Just be ready for the moment," Stewart said. "That's what I keep telling them, no matter if it's Malik [Tillman] or Ricardo, when the moment comes, you need to be ready for it. As a young player, you always want to go really fast, but in the end, it's that moment that comes when you're called on, and that's when you have to show that you're ready to take it on. Ricardo has done that in many ways, Malik Tillman has done that in many ways."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PEPI?

  PSV are back in action on Tuesday for a match in the KNVB Cup, where they'll play host to second-division side Excelsior. After that, they'll travel for Saturday's Eredivisie match against PEC Zwolle, who are currently 14th in the league.