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Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have gone wild over a transfer claim involving Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, having just suffered a 3-2 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium before this international break, were perhaps reminded of their shortcomings in terms of depth.

Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, James Milner, Joe Gomez and Roberto Firmino are all currently sidelined due to injury with the latter man in particular causing big concern.

Firmino, one of Liverpool’s only natural forward options, will be a big miss and Klopp can only turn to either Divock Origi or Diogo Jota as his senior stand-ins.

The Africa Cup of Nations also presents a hurdle as both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will be unavailable to compete for a period of time from January 9.

As a result, Liverpool, and by extension owners Fenway Sports Group, have reportedly set their sights on the transfer market as news emerges on Isak.

The towering striker, who scored 17 goals in 30 La Liga starts last season, is apparently attracting major interest from the Reds as El Nacional make an exciting claim.

According to their sources, Liverpool are now weighing up a €40 million (£34.1m) offer to sign the Sweden international.

Flocking to this claim, many supporters have displayed real excitement given their desperation for a new forward option and some depth for Klopp – with one calling Isak a would-be ‘amazing signing’.

Find their best verdicts from social media down below.

Liverpool fans go wild for Isak claim…

“would be an amazing signing”

Credit: @LiverpoolAjX2

“Finally an actual striker”

Credit: @SReshal6

“omg please ISAK king”

Credit: @Aldin44543756

“Please be true”

Credit: @JoakimAckelman

“Please make this happen”

Credit: @KeanoLF

“Yessssss!!!”

Credit: @Eritrawino

“on my kneeeeeeeeeeeeees”

Credit: @KopiteZac

“I think he’s absolutely unreal I’d love to see this”

Credit: @wandellings

In other news: ‘Yes’, ‘Finally’ – Fabrizio Romano’s ‘mad’ transfer claim has many Liverpool fans talking, find out more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

No início da temporada, o técnico Fábio Carille planejava contar com 24 jogadores de linha e quatro goleiros no elenco profissional do Corinthians. A ideia era ter, no máximo, 30 atletas ao todo no grupo. O argumento do treinador era que o Timão não disputaria a Libertadores e, se precisasse, recorreria à base.

O elenco atual, porém, conta com 33 jogadores. Mesmo com o número maior que o previsto, Carille sofre desde a semana passada para armar os treinos. Cheio de desfalques, o treinador tem contado com pouco mais da metade do grupo nos trabalhos em campo.

Na última segunda-feira, por exemplo, até o auxiliar Fabinho atuou como zagueiro no treino. Foram 11 desfalques – Cássio, Fagner, Balbuena e Romero (disputam as Eliminatórias), Guilherme Arana, Danilo e Caique (lesão), Gabriel, Pedrinho, Marquinhos Gabriel e Léo Santos (em atividades na parte interna ou no laboratório de biomecânica) -, além de Vilson e Mantuan, que fizeram trabalhos específicos por conta de lesões passadas.

Embora tenha sofrido com os desfalques, o Corinthians não busca reforços no mercado. Há uma remota possibilidade de contratação de mais um zagueiro, pedido feito por Carille quando Vilson ainda estava longe de voltar a ficar à disposição – o defensor já até participou de jogo-treino na semana passada e pode ser opção para as próximas partidas.

Carille tem sofrido para armar os treinos e também não tem conseguido preparar a equipe titular para o clássico contra o Santos. Apesar de o Brasileirão ter parado por duas semanas para as datas Fifa, Cássio, Fagner, Balbuena e Romero voltam de suas seleções apenas na quinta-feira. Na ausência do quarteto, o treinador não deixa de esboçar a escalação e utiliza os reservas imediatos.

A expectativa é ter o time ideal no clássico. A única dúvida é na lateral esquerda, já que Guilherme Arana se recupera de lesão muscular na coxa direita e tem chances de ficar à disposição.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansArana, Marciel ou Moisés? Timão tem dúvida na lateral para clássicoCorinthians04/09/2017CorinthiansMaycon vê vantagem do Corinthians ‘ainda muito grande’, mas faz alertaCorinthians04/09/2017CorinthiansMais de 20 já deixaram o Timão em 2017; Cristian é 12º emprestadoCorinthians03/09/2017

MatériaMais Notícias

Dono da segunda melhor campanha do returno do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Avaí ocupa a 13ª colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro depois de lutar para deixar a zona de rebaixamento. Esperançoso com a sequência de resultados positivos da equipe, o lateral-esquerdo João Paulo vê a reação como fruto da confiança do time.

– Estamos confiantes, fazendo bons jogos e cada dia mais motivados em garantir a permanência do Avaí na primeira divisão. O trabalho realizado é muito bem feito e a nossa reação no campeonato mostra isso. Estamos no caminho certo e cada jogo agora é final para nosso grupo – destacou.

De olho em uma vaga na Copa Sul-Americana, o Avaí terá um grande desafio contra o Flamengo no próximo sábado. Fora de casa, o Leão tentará conquistar mais três pontos, porém não deixa de lado a força do adversário.

– Vamos encarar um adversário muito complicado, que é o Flamengo, que vem fazendo um ótimo campeonato. Temos que fazer um jogo de muita intensidade para conquistar pontos. Esse é o objetivo de todos aqui – finalizou João Paulo.

Kevin Pietersen will spend a second night in hospital after suffering a setback in his recovery from Achilles surgery. He was admitted to a central London hospital on Monday for treatment on an infection in the stitching of his scar tissue

Andrew Miller and Alex Brown11-Aug-2009

Matthew Hayden has warned Kevin Pietersen that his comeback from an Achilles injury could be the toughest battle of his career, after it was confirmed the England batsman was admitted to a central London hospital for treatment on an infection in the stitching of his surgically-repaired right ankle.Pietersen, who underwent the operation two-and-a-half weeks ago after England’s victory in the second Test at Lord’s, is expected to be discharged on Wednesday after spending two nights in hospital. He has been placed on a course of antibiotics and will be reassessed later in the week before resuming his rehabilitation programme, but Hayden, who also sustained a high-profile Achilles problem during the first season of IPL, said that it was a problem that was unlikely to go away.Hayden’s own Achilles problem did not require surgery, but it nevertheless curtailed his international career. He missed Australia’s 2008 tour of the Caribbean and averaged just 23.93 in nine Tests thereafter. Despite harbouring ambitions to play through to the end of the current Ashes series, Hayden announced his retirement from international cricket in January.”Frankly, the hardest thing I ever had to do was come back from that,” Hayden told Cricinfo’s Switch-Hit podcast. “My path was one of very gradual improvement over a long period of time. That was under very strict guidelines and rehabilitation programmes, and it’s to a point now thankfully, touch wood, it’s brilliant, but it’s [an issue] of constant maintenance. What I do know about any kind of tendinopathies, having suffered them right the way through my career, is that they are often a degenerative injury.”It’s not like a hamstring where you go out and pull it, and you spend a number of weeks getting back in through rehab. These are degenerative tendons, so ever since Kevin Pietersen has been running around on the plains of Africa, he would have been wearing out his Achilles tendon. Being such a big bloke, as is often the case with very long levers, it tends to increase the degree of injury. He’s got a long road to go, there’s no question about that.”Pietersen’s setback in his road to recovery was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon in a statement from the ECB. “He was seen by a wound care specialist yesterday and will receive a course of antibiotics in order to exclude infection,” read the statement.”Medical advice is that a complication can occur post surgery and in this case resulted despite Kevin closely following specialist advice on management of the wound. He will be reassessed by the specialist later this week and will return to his planned programme of rehabilitation once the wound has fully healed.”Pietersen’s operation was conducted by a leading Swedish specialist, who was flown in at the ECB’s behest, and an initial estimate was that he would be out of cricket for six weeks.That may now have to be revised. The operation, which Pietersen underwent after labouring to twin scores of 32 and 44 in the Lord’s Test, involved a small incision and trimming of the blood vessels and nerves around the inflamed tendon and was considered, in a statement from Nick Peirce, the ECB’s chief medical officer, to have been routine.”Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence,” said Peirce at the time. “This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review.”Pietersen was never in contention to be fit for the remainder of the Australia tour, and his initial target was the tour of South Africa which gets underway with the Champions Trophy on September 22.However, England’s national selector, Geoff Miller, admitted to Cricinfo that there were already concerns about his long-term fitness. “I’m hopeful he will be fit [for South Africa],” said Miller. “I wouldn’t say I’m confident, but I’m very, very hopeful, because he’s an integral part of the side.”In Pietersen’s absence, England’s middle order has struggled to match his authoritative style of batting, and at Headingley this week, Nos 3, 4 and 5 – Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood – mustered 16 runs for six dismissals, the lowest combined tally in Test history.”I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I’m confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation,” said Pietersen at the time of his injury.

Tottenham Hotspur could finally fill the void left behind by Christian Eriksen after they were handed a timely January transfer boost this week.

The north Londoners have recently been linked with a move for Juventus outcast Dejan Kulusevski, who Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici originally signed during his time at the Serie A giants.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder is now likely to be allowed to leave the Turin club, with them currently valuing him at €35m (£30m).

A temporary exit in January isn’t out of the question either, as the report claims that the Sweden international is unhappy at the club and would like a ‘change of scenery.’

The most likely destination appears to be the Premier League, with arch-rivals Arsenal also keen to secure him, as the Old Lady do not want him to thrive at a league rival.

Newly-appointed Spurs boss Antonio Conte needs to find a creative fix as quickly as possible because it has been their main Achilles heel this season – no side is averaging fewer shots per game (10.1), not even the three teams in the relegation zone, and their last shot on target was nearly four hours ago, against West Ham.

There is an argument to be made that Eriksen has never been properly replaced, with neither of their club-record signings, Tanguy Ndombele nor Giovani Lo Celso, stepping up to the mark. In two-and-a-half seasons, neither has recorded more than eight assists altogether.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

By comparison, the Dane hit double figures for assists in each of his last four full Premier League seasons at the club.

Kulusevski, who has been branded as “explosive” and compared to Mohamed Salah, could be the solution. His career average of 1.8 shots and 2.1 key passes per 90 minutes makes for encouraging reading as it suggests that he’s a real thorn in the final third, and evidently one who can create chances.

In 2020/21, when he was entrusted to feature regularly, the young £31.5m-rated gem registered 14 direct goal contributions across 47 matches in all competitions and did so playing no fewer than seven different roles, as per Transfermarkt.

By comparison, Lo Celso has managed only 13 direct contributions since summer 2019, while Ndombele is just four contributions ahead in a longer time frame, too.

Meanwhile, football scout Jacek Kulig has previously lauded Kulusevski as an “athletic phenomenon”, an “advanced playmaker” and a “complete player”, which only bolsters the claims to sign him all that more.

Paratici knows exactly what Spurs would be getting, so he must do all he can to seal the 21-year-old’s signature in January, regardless of whether it’s on loan or on a permanent basis.

AND in other news, “Understand”: Alasdair Gold reveals major behind-scenes Spurs development…

أكد الدولي اليوناني، كوستاس تسيميكاس، لاعب فريق ليفربول أن الفوز الكبير أمام بورنموث السبت الماضي، سرعان ما تم نسيانه للتركيز في مواجهة نيوكاسل.

ليفربول فاز بتسعة أهداف نظيفة في انتصاره الأول هذا الموسم أمام بورنموث، بينما سيلاقي نيوكاسل غدًا في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

طالع أيضًا.. بينهم ألكانتارا وجوتا.. كلوب يتحدث عن إمكانية عودة مصابي ليفربول

وقال تسيميكاس في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي: “عندما تلعب في هذا المستوى من البطولات، عليك أن تنسى الانتصارات سريعًا، لأنه بعد يومين أو ثلاثة تلعب مباراة أخرى قوية”.

وأضاف: “في كل مباراة ننظر لها بشكل مختلف، لأن دائمًا ماتكون المباراة التالية هي الأصعب والأهم، هذا هو الشيء الوحيد الذي علينا أن نفعله ونؤمن به دائمًا”.

وتابع لاعب ليفربول: “نيوكاسل فريق جيد ولديهم لاعبون موهوبون، ويمتلكون سرعة كبيرة للغاية، علينا أن نركز إذا أردنا تحقيق شيء ما”.

وأردف: “المباراة السابقة كانت فوزًا مهمًا بغض النظر عن النتيجة، ونيوكاسل فريق صعب، رأيناهم أمام مانشستر سيتي كانوا أقوياء للغاية، ولا يوجد أي مباراة سهلة في الدوري الإنجليزي. لذلك علينا التركيز بنسبة 100%”.

وشدد: “أنا سعيد بتمريراتي المساعدة، يجب أن أكون جاهزا دائمًا عندما يطلب مني المدرب الدخول للملعب، لا أريد أن أفقد حتى دقيقة واحدة من الوقت الذي سأكون فيه على أرض الملعب”.

Aston Villa have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In a recent video posted on the club website, Aston Villa’s players can be seen being put through their paces at Bodymoor Heath ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, with central midfielder Morgan Sanson looking sharp after missing last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion due to an injury picked up while on holiday.

A further report by Birmingham Live also commented on the 27-year-old’s involvement in training, with John Townley writing:

“Now under the stewardship of a midfield legend and a global football icon in Gerrard, Sanson will be hoping to get fit and impress in training. He looked energetic and mobile in the latest Villa video – he’ll need to prove that he can get back up to speed in order to carry out Gerrard’s intense demands on the pitch.”

Gerrard will be buzzing

Having made a £14m move from Olympique Marseille to Aston Villa in January of this year, Sanson’s career at Villa Park has somewhat struggled to get off the ground thus far.

Indeed, since joining the club, the £14.4m-rated man has so far gone on to make just 10 first-team appearances, with 27-year-old still being yet to feature in the Premier League during the current campaign.

However, the £48k-per-week midfielder did impress during Villa’s Carabao Cup loss against Chelsea back in September, making one key pass, three tackles, one clearance, creating one big chance and winning all six of his duels – with these returns seeing the Frenchman earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.5 for his efforts.

As such, should Sanson be able to refind this form upon his return to Premier League football, he will undoubtedly provide Gerrard with a major boost in the middle of the park, one that surely leaves him buzzing. The possibility of seeing the 27-year-old back in action against Palace appears to be very real following the club’s recent video.

In other news: Gerrard can save NSWE millions by unleashing AVFC’s “excellent” 19 y/o “natural talent”

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن بند خيار الشراء في عقد الدولي البرازيلي آرثر ميلو القادم من يوفنتوس على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية الموسم.

ليفربول حصل على آرثر قادمًا من يوفنتوس لمدة عام على سبيل الإعارة مع خيار الشراء في يونيو القادم.

فابريزيو رومانو، الصحفي الإيطالي الموثوق وخبير الانتقالات بشبكة “سكاي” الإيطالية، أكد عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي تويتر، أن ليفربول عليه دفع 37.5 مليون يورو من أجل شراء بطاقة آرثر كاملة.

طالع أيضًا.. سكاي: تشيلسي خطف صفقة ليفربول في اليوم الأخير من الميركاتو الصيفي

الشرط غير إلزامي، وسيكون حسب رغبة ليفربول، لكن النادي الإنجليزي سيتفاوض مع يوفنتوس خلال الفترة المقبلة، على إمكانية دفع الشرط في غضون عامين وليس كـ دفعة واحدة.

ولم يشارك آرثر في مواجهة ليفربول وإيفرتون الأخيرة والتي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي بين الفريقين يوم السبت على ملعب جوديسون بارك، بعد 48 ساعة من انضمام البرازيلي إلى النادي الإنجليزي.

MatériaMais Notícias

Botafogo perdeu uma ótima oportunidade de engatar a quinta vitória consecutiva no Campeonato Brasileiro. Na tarde deste domingo, em pleno Nilton Santos, o Alvinegro viu o Vitória, o segundo melhor visitante da competição, aprontar novamente. Os baianos saíram na frente, viram o Alvinegro virar com Brenner e ainda fizeram o 3 a 2 nos acréscimos.

O saldo negativo do time de Jair Ventura não terminou por aí. Valencia foi expulso na reta final e o Glorioso perdeu dois jogadores por problemas físicos: Carli e Victor Luis. Menos mal que o time segue no G6, com 40 pontos, a três do Palmeiras, último do G4.

RelacionadasBotafogoATUAÇÕES: Brenner se salva em dia de ‘apagão’ do Botafogo no NiltãoBotafogo01/10/2017VitóriaJogadores do Vitória exaltam resultado épico no EngenhãoVitória01/10/2017BotafogoJair Ventura associa perdas por lesões à derrota no Nilton SantosBotafogo01/10/2017

A partida começou como se esperava dela: o Botafogo buscando o jogo e o Vitória na espera pelo que sabe fazer de melhor, que é contra-atacar. Logo aos três, Victor Luis provou isso: ele viu o goleiro Caique adiantado, tentou do meio-campo, mas nem assustou. Pouco depois, Bruno Silva tentou da entrada da área.

O Alvinegro parecia que não ia sofrer com o segundo melhor visitante do Brasileirão, mas provou do amargo tempero baiano aos 14. Logo na primeira tentativa, o Rubro-Negro empatou com David, após rebote em chute na trave de Trelléz: 1 a 0.

A torcida se dividiu entre apoio e vaia, mas o Botafogo não se entregou e Pimpão fez pelo menos duas boas jogadas. O Glorioso quase viu o cenário empretecer aos 22, adivinhem como: em contra-ataque. David invadiu a área e deu uma cavadinha, mas Gatito defendeu.

O Alvinegro seguiu firme atrás do empate. Pimpão cabeceou para fora após cruzamento de Luis Ricardo. Na sequência, enfim, o empate: João Paulo sofreu falta e cobrou na área. Pimpão encostou nela, mas foi Brenner quem marcou. Na comemoração, homenagem ao titular Roger, com câncer nos rins.

O time de Jair Ventura quase virou com Bruno Silva em chute de fora da área após desvio da zaga. Já os comandados de Vagner Mancini chegaram com Neilton, mas o contra-ataque foi interceptado. O próprio atacante deixou o coração dos botafoguenses apertados quando ele não dominou uma saída errada de Gatito.

Troca na lateral
O segundo tempo começou com Gilson na vaga de Victor Luis, mas com o mesmo cenário do primeiro. Aos 2, Trelléz cabeceou e Gatito, mas Gatito pegou. Sete minutos depois, Marcos Vinicius tentou de longe e quase encobriu o goleiro.

O Vitória respondeu com um chute na trave de Trelléz e Jair lançou Valencia no lugar de Marcos Vinicius. E a substituição vingou: no primeiro lance, o chileno sofreu pênalti. A arbitragem demorou a marcar, mas confirmou. Brenner bateu e fez o segundo dele no jogo.

Blitz do Vitória e virada no fim
A virada não​ foi sinônimo de moleza para o Botafogo. Pelo contrário. Do segundo gol de Brenner até o apito final, os baianos deram muito perigo. Só do colombiano Trelléz foram pelo menos três boas chegadas.

Mas foi André Lima quem desempatou. Aos 44, o ex-atacante do Botafogo fez de cabeça após escanteio. Valencia se descontrolou, acertou um chute em Ramon, sem bola, e foi expulso. No último lance, Danilinho fez o terceiro do Leão em rebote de chute dele mesmo.

FICHA TÉCNICA:
BOTAFOGO 2 X 3 VITÓRIA

Local: Nilton Santos, em Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Data/Hora: 01/10/2017, às 16h
Árbitro: Eduardo Tomaz de Aquino Valadão (GO)
Assistentes: Fabrício Vilarinho da Silva (GO-Fifa) e Christian Passos Sorence (GO)
Renda e público: –
Cartões amarelos: Gatito (BOT); Caíque e Cleiton Xavier (VIT)
Cartões vermelhos: Valencia (BOT)
Gols: David, aos 14’/1°T (0-1); Brenner, aos 25’/1°T (1-1), Brenner, aos 15’/2°T (2-1), André Lima, aos 44’/2°T (2-2) e Danilinho, aos 49’/2°T (2-3)

BOTAFOGO: Gatito; Luis Ricardo, Carli (Marcelo – 19’/2°T) Igor Rabello e Victor Luis (Gilson – Int); Rodrigo Lindoso, Bruno Silva, João Paulo; Marcos Vinicius (Valencia – 11’/2°T), Rodrigo Pimpão e Brenner. Téc: Jair Ventura.

VITÓRIA: Caique; Patric, Wallace Reis, Ramon e Geferson (Danilinho, 33’/2°T); Filipe Souto, Uillian Correia (André Lima – 23’2°T) Yago; David (Cleiton Xavier- 36’/2°T), Neilton e Trelléz. Téc: Vagner Mancini.

The Preview by Jamie Alter in Colombo10-Sep-2009Match factsFriday September 11
Start time 14.30 (9.00 GMT)India’s middle order has been shaky against fast, short-pitched bowling and if a wicket goes down early, expect Rahul Dravid to walk out first•Associated Press

Big PictureDespite finding out the morning before their first match that Gautam Gambhir had aggravated a groin injury and would take no part in the series, India’s captain MS Dhoni was confident of the side’s chances. He has reason to be.This is India’s third one-day series in Sri Lanka over the last 13 months. Where for decades India’s record here had been nothing to crow over – they arrived for a tri-series in 2005 having won just nine of 33 matches – a strong one-day outfit has turned that record around dramatically.They have won seven of ten matches since then and in their last two series proved the past now counts for little, beating Sri Lanka 3-2 last August and 4-1 in February. In terms of rankings, there’s plenty at stake for India in this series – if they go unbeaten into the final and win there, they will climb to No. 1 in the ICC’s ODI rankings for the first time.India strutted their stuff at the two practice sessions they had since arriving two days after the tournament began, and look confident. There were no traces of rust in how their batsmen and bowlers applied themselves. On the whole, the manner of their preparation has been calm and self-assured even though Virender Sehwag, a critical cog in the batting line-up, is missing. Plenty of responsibility will be on Rahul Dravid, recalled to the one-day team after two years. India’s middle order has been shaky against fast, short-pitched bowling and if a wicket goes down early, expect Dravid to walk out first.To beat a confident Indian outfit, New Zealand will have to shape up in disciplines that let them down in the first game. Their batting was rocked by a superb display from three bowlers of varying speeds and trajectories – Ian Bishop called it one of the best one-day efforts under lights he had seen – but the application was perhaps to blame. The top order seemed intent on attacking from the start. In the field, New Zealand failed to finish the job when Sri Lanka were 69 for 5 in 25.3 overs, and also gave them leeway with singles and doubles in the field. That was surprising given how efficient they were in the Twenty20s. A defeat tomorrow will see them crash out of the short tournament.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
India NRWLWL
New Zealand LWLLNRWatch out for…Ashish Nehra’s return to Sri Lanka. In 17 matches here, he has taken 25 wickets at 26.36 with a best of 6 for 59 in his last outing here. That match happened to be at the R Premadasa Stadium. A recall to the side after a stellar IPL in South Africa was followed up by a good showing in the West Indies. If he gets the chance to bowl under lights at the Premadasa this time, with the assistance it provides to swing, Nehra could add to his impressive tally in the country.Jesse Ryder should take a look at this Indian team and say to himself, ‘Right, let’s get some runs here’. Ryder was in top form when India toured New Zealand earlier this year, and set the tone for a personally excellent series in the one-day leg. He scored a sublime hundred in Christchurch and then took three wickets and scored a half-century in the last game, smashing India’s attack all around Eden Park. Conditions are obviously a lot different and hitting sixes at the Premadasa will be a difficult proposition, but Ryder may just decide to raise his game against this outfit.Team newsDinesh Karthik has been confirmed as the man to open the innings in Gambhir’s absence, at least for this game. Dravid will bat at either of Nos 3 or 4. Dhoni said it was rare that India went in to a match with five specialist bowlers, and indicated that it would be a 3-1 combination, which means Harbhajan Singh will be the only spinner. Ishant Sharma, Nehra, Praveen Kumar and RP Singh will contest the fast-bowlers’ slots, but it is likely RP will be the one to miss out. Abhishek Nayar will have to wait to get his chance.India: (probable) 1 Dinesh Karthik, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.It’s not been confirmed whether Kyle Mills, who was under the weather before the last game, will fit in this time. Daryl Tuffey stepped up admirably in Mills’ absence, and Ian Butler’s poor bowling in the batting Powerplay during the last match may see him sit out for Mills. The batting will remain the same.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Ian Butler/Kyle Mills, 10 Daryl Tuffey, 11 Shane Bond.Pitch and conditionsIn the last match the pitch was two-faced and not an ideal one for one-dayers. It remains to be seen what is rolled out for Friday’s encounter. As usual, scattered showers are forecast but fans will hope the rain stays away, as it did on Tuesday.Stats and TriviaSachin Tendulkar averages 44.25 at the Premadasa, with 885 runs and three centuries from 24 matches.Dravid averages 31.25 here, with 500 runs from 21 matches.Quotes”It is good to have him in the team. With that sort of experience, he is always going to help the team. It is wonderful to have him back in the squad.”
“New Zealand really missed him when he was in the ICL. He’s their spearhead and the fast bowling goes to a new level with Bond.”