Sunderland have paid tribute to Gary Rowell after the club legend passed away at the age of 68. The Black Cats have announced they will honour their legendary goalscorer, who died following a long battle with leukaemia, when they host Newcastle United in Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light. Both clubs have sent heartfelt messages to Rowell's family ahead of the Premier League game.

Sunderland and Newcastle honour Rowell ahead of Sunday's derby

On the eve of the first North East league derby for almost a decade, Sunderland announced Rowell’s passing on Saturday evening. In a statement on social media, the club wrote: "We are truly devastated to announce the death of the legendary Gary Rowell, who has passed away at the age of 68 after a long battle with leukaemia.

"Gary passed away on Saturday afternoon – 50 years to the very day he made his Sunderland debut – surrounded by his sons Chris and Peter, who accompanied him when he was inducted into the SAFC Hall of Fame in 2020. A moment and honour richly deserved; Rowell described this as ‘the best night of my life’."

And replying to Sunderland’s tribute on X, Newcastle wrote: "Rest in peace, Gary. The thoughts of everybody at Newcastle United are with the family, those who knew him and the wider north-east community who looked up to him."

AdvertisementFormer team-mates pay tribute to Black Cats' legendary goalscorer

Born on 6 July 1957, Rowell represented Sunderland between 1972 to 1984, scoring a remarkable 103 goals in 297 appearances. He is one of only three players to have netted a century of goals for the club since World War Two, with Kevin Phillips and Len Shackleton having also achieved the landmark.

Paying tribute to his former team-mate, ex-Sunderland captain Shaun Elliot said: "I remember jumping on him when he completed his hat-trick against Newcastle. It made him a legend.

"We played together in the youth team. We got on well, and I sometimes used to stay with him. Gary was just the nicest person ever. We got in the first team together and went away with England Under-21s. He was a great finisher, and he never wanted to leave Sunderland."

Another of Rowell’s old Sunderland team-mates, Peter Stronach, added, "My first recollection of Gary was in Under-15s schools’ football when we played against each other. We then signed as apprentices for Sunderland at the same time and became good friends, as we played in the youth team together. He was a lovely, warm person. He always had a lovely smile and dazzling eyes. He was a beautiful person."

Getty Images SportSunderland manager Le Bris wants fans to create 'loud' atmosphere

Sunderland will look to do Rowell proud when they take to the field against Newcastle this weekend. Regis Le Bris’ side have been in fantastic form following their return to the top flight, with the Wearsiders currently 10th in the table after winning six and drawing five of their 15 league fixtures this season.

Previewing the eagerly-anticipated derby, Le Bris said in his pre-match press conference: "We have had good experiences at Stadium of Light this season. It was loud, and I expect that it will be louder against Newcastle. So far, the players have used this energy really well, to raise the momentum, to push, to change the dynamic of the game. I hope that will be the case once again.

"If we think that the game will be easier because we had the good start to the season, I think it's a problem. If we play with ambition, with energy, then we'll be ready to manage different problems. We have try to stay grounded. It's always a balance to find the right level."

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AFPNewcastle boss Howe says Sunday's derby 'means everything'

Meanwhile, Newcastle travel to the Stadium of Light in good form themselves, having lost just one of their last six matches in all competitions. The Magpies are currently 12th in the league table and can leapfrog Sunderland if they earn all three points.

Speaking ahead of the contest, manager Eddie Howe said: "It means everything to me personally (the derby). I want to do the club, the city, our people proud. I want them to be proud of the team. I want to be proud of the players so that's my challenge over the next few days."

Wolverhampton Wanderers would have feared a relegation battle in the Premier League this campaign and those fears are coming to fruition having recorded four losses from their first six matches.

The latest of those poor results came at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon as the Old Gold stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Luton Town, although after spending the whole second half with ten men, Gary O'Neil would have seen that result as one point gained rather than two dropped.

On Tuesday evening, the Old Gold can put their disastrous league form to the side and focus on their trip to take on Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Tractor Boys have announced their return to the second tier in exceptional style, winning seven of their opening eight matches with their only defeat coming against Leeds United.

A distraction this competition may be – but it isn't any easy one at that for Wolves – and they'll have to be on the ball against a side brimming with confidence who will sense an upset could be in the offing.

What is the latest Wolves team news?

With the chance to utilise the full depth of his squad, O'Neil is expected to make several changes against Ipswich but at least one of those will be enforced.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Wolves' outstanding performer from their 3-1 defeat against Liverpool, followed that terrific display up with a shocking one against Luton as the midfielder was sent off for making an inexcusable challenge on defender Tom Lockyer.

On a much brighter note, midfielder Joe Hodge, who caught the eye in their 5-0 thrashing of Blackpool in the previous round, is working his way back from a muscular problem – which he sustained in the last round – and has a slim chance of returning for this tie.

Elsewhere, Matt Doherty, Boubacar Traore, Toti Gomes, Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic should all get their chances to impress O'Neil from the off, as could on-loan Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle, who has featured twice off the bench in the Premier League so far.

Should Tommy Doyle start vs Ipswich?

After joining on loan with an option to buy for £4.3m, Doyle's opportunities in the Wolves team have been limited thus far, however, with a suspension to Bellegarde and Mario Lemina likely to be rested, the Englishman could get his chance to shine.

The 21-year-old starred in the Sheffield United side that was promoted to the Premier League last season, scoring four goals and registering seven assists, as he impressed at Bramall Lane in a Paul Heckingbottom system that allowed his technical attributes to flourish, operating in a dynamic midfield three with James McAtee and Sander Berge.

Possessing the technique and superb passing range to dictate the tempo of matches – as taught at Man City – the midfield metronome looked a cut above at Championship level when compared to his positional peers, ranking in the top 5% for expected assists, top 12% for shot creating actions, top 13% for passes into the final third and top 15% for progressive passes, as per FBref.

At times this campaign, Wolves have struggled in the absence of the technically astute Ruben Neves and although Doyle is unable to replicate the impact of the Portuguese, he can offer O'Neil a calmness on the ball in midfield and that could be key tonight with Ipswich likely to start fast out of the blocks.

The 5 foot 8 "set-piece specialist" – as lauded by England under-21 teammate Charlie Cresswell – can provide Wolves with quality from dead-ball situations too, which is also something they've missed in the absence of Neves.

Doyle was one of the stand-out players in the Championship last term and earned his move to a Premier League side on the back of his consistent displays. Now, the stage is set for him to show O'Neil what he can offer the Old Gold in future matches.

It has been reported that a section of Manchester United players are worried by Erik ten Hag's demands in training.

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Some Manchester United players blame Ten Hag for injuriesBelieve training demands too muchUnited have suffered slew of injuries this seasonGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

A group of Manchester United players believe that the Dutchman demands too much from his squad in training and is also to blame for the club's injury crisis, according to the Manchester Evening News. The club has suffered a slew of injuries throughout the season especially in defence where the club has struggled to plug gaps.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Nine players missed the Red Devils' Manchester derby loss to City on Sunday, according to the report, which details 47 separate cases of injuries and illnesses so far this season. Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, and Diogo Dalot are the only outfield players who have not missed time due to injury. The 3-1 loss to Manchester City also saw the Dutchman having to substitute Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans, after both players picked up issues during the game.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Due to United's FA Cup fifth-round away match against Nottingham Forest four days before the derby, Ten Hag gave his players the day off on Monday and Friday of last week. United were ousted from all European competition in December after finishing last in their Champions League group, therefore their February schedule was comparatively light with just six games.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

The Red Devils will have another decent break before their clash against Sean Dyche's Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday, March 9. They will then have another week to recuperate before they take on Liverpool in the quarter-final of the FA Cup on March 17.

Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday as they host Hibernian at Ibrox with the aim of kickstarting a new era at the club.

Belgian boss Philippe Clement was officially unveiled as Michael Beale's successor on Sunday and he will surely be hoping for a positive performance and result in his first match in charge.

The 49-year-old tactician will be looking to stamp his own mark on the team and one way in which he could do that is by dipping into the academy set-up to unleash a new first-team star.

Clement worked with and developed the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Benoit Badiashile, Leandro Trossard, and Lois Openda before their respective moves to other European sides.

He now has an array of exciting young talents at his disposal to pick from at Rangers and could look to the B team to find his next project.

One prospect who has the potential to explode at first-team level if he is able to translate his youth form over to the senior game is winger Arron Lyall, who could be a better option than Ross McCausland for the Light Blues.

How did McCausland perform against St Mirren?

Interim head coach Steven Davis was forced to call upon the Northern Irish gem in the 42nd minute of the win over St Mirren after Zak Lovelace was withdrawn due to a muscle injury.

It was his fourth appearance at senior level for the club and his second of the current campaign after a Europa League cameo against Aris earlier this month.

Key passes

Three

Dribbles

Zero

Shots

Zero

Duel success rate

25%

Sofascore rating

7.2

McCausland's performance vs St Mirren (via Sofascore)

As you can see in the table above, McCausland provided a creative threat down the right flank as he was able to set his teammates up for three chances.

However, the rest of his game left a lot to be desired as the 20-year-old prospect did not offer a goal threat and struggled to deal with the physicality of the match.

The talented youngster was given the call-up by Davis after an excellent year at B team level for the academy side during the 2022/23 campaign.

McCausland contributed with eight goals and four assists in 31 Lowland League appearances alongside zero goals and zero assists in three Challenge Cup outings. This means that he averaged one goal contribution every 2.83 matches across those games.

The Northern Ireland U21 international did enough to convince the interim coach that he was ready to make an impact at senior level and repaid some of that faith with his chance creation against St Mirren.

However, his Scottish Premiership showing does not mean that there may not be a better option waiting in the wings for their chance to impress.

This is why Clement must look to unleash the rarely-seen Lyall from the start against Hibernian if Lovelace remains out injured after being stretchered off last time out.

How many appearances has Lyall made for Rangers?

The former Scotland U16 international has only made one first-team appearance for Rangers but his form at youth team level suggests that the potential is there for him to offer more than McCausland.

Lyall produced an eye-catching 14 goals and three assists in 36 Lowland League and Challenge Cup games combined throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

This means that he averaged a goal or an assist every 2.12 clashes for the B team, which is more frequently than his Northern Irish teammate managed during the same season.

His exceptional performances were recognised by both the club and his peers at the end of last term. He was named the Rangers academy Player of the Year and the B team Players' Player of the Year.

This illustrates how impressive his displays at youth level were last term as they were good enough to win him both of those awards, ahead of the likes of Lovelace, McCausland, and Alex Lowry.

Lyall, who was once dubbed an "exciting" player by Inverness boss Neil McCann, has not been given an opportunity to showcase his talents at senior level beyond a two-minute cameo against Hibs last season and Clement's arrival could open the door for him to work his way into the team.

What's next for Lyall?

The Gers magician must now knuckle down in training and prove to the Belgian coach that he deserves to be selected from the start, or at least play a role off the bench, in the match at the weekend.

His superb statistics and achievements throughout the 2022/23 campaign suggest that the potential is there for him to be able to make a significant impact if he can make the step up to first-team level.

It is now down to him to prove to Clement that he is ready to play and then for the manager to be brave and unleash him from the start ahead of McCausland.

They should both, however, be ahead of former Aberdeen winger Scott Wright, who has been in dismal form over the last 15 months or so.

How has Wright performed for Rangers?

The Scottish forward has contributed with zero goals and one assist in his last 25 Premiership matches for the Gers since the start of last season.

Wright, who was sent off against Aberdeen in his last league outing, has been given ample opportunities to prove his worth in a Rangers shirt and has, thus far, been unable to do so.

His lack of contributions at the top end of the pitch, in terms of goals and assists, do not suggest that he has the quality to be a game-changer or difference-maker for the Light Blues in the final third.

The 26-year-old winger should be in the prime years of his career and that does not bode well for his future prospects at Ibrox, as his form since the start of last term has not been good enough – as evidenced by his woeful statistics.

Whereas, Lyall and McCausland have, at least, shown promise as goalscorers from a wide position during their time with the B team of late.

That is why Clement should lean on the youth to provide his side with energy and, hopefully, quality on the flanks against Hibernian and over the months to come.

يستضيف فريق برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، خصمه أتلتيكو مدريد، بقيادة الأرجنتيني دييجو سيميوني، في مباراة نارية مساء اليوم السبت.

تأتي تلك المباراة في إطار منافسات الجولة الثامنة عشر من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2024/25، على ملعب “مونتجويك”.

ومن المعروف أن مواجهة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد دائمًا ما تكون مثيرة ومليئة بالندية والحماس واللعب القوي.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. والمعلق

ولكن هناك ما يزيد من أهمية مباراة الليلة كون الفريقين يمتلكان 38 نقطة في الوقت الحالي، ولكن برشلونة يحتل الصدارة متفوقًا على أتلتيكو مدريد بفضل الأهداف.

ويفتقد برشلونة خدمات النجم لامين يامال في مباراة اليوم بسبب الإصابة.

تشكيل برشلونة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني.. موقف ليفاندوفسكي تشكيل برشلونة المتوقع أمام أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: بينيا.

خط الدفاع: كوندي، كوبارسي، إينيجو مارتينيز، بالدي.

خط الوسط: كاسادو، بيدري.

خط الوسط الهجومي: داني أولمو، فيران لوبيز، رافينها.

خط الهجوم: روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

حقق نابولي فوزًا هامًا على نظيره فينيسيا ضمن منافسات الجولة 18 من بطولة الدوري الإيطالي للدرجة الأولى على ملعب دييجو أرماندو مارادونا.

هدف المباراة الوحيد جاء عن طريق البديل جياكومو راسبادوري، في الدقيقة 79، ليحقق فوزًا صعبًا للبارتينوبي.

طالع أيضًا: فيديو | “بطل الشتاء”.. أتالانتا يخطف تعادلًا قاتلًا من لاتسيو ويحافظ على صدارة الدوري الإيطالي

مباراة حاول فيها نابولي كثيرًا على مرمى الضيوف، ولكن الهدف لم يأت إلا عن طريق راسبادوري، المرشح للخروج من الفريق في يناير المقبل.

وتمكن نابولي بهذه النتيجة أن يواصل الضغط على أتالانتا المتصدر ويزاحمه في الصدارة بنفس رصيد النقاط 41، مع فارق الأهداف لفريق بيرجامو.

نابولي في المركز الثاني بفارق نقطة عن إنتر ميلان الثالث، بينما فيتشزينا في المركز قبل الأخير برصيد 13 نقطة. هدف فوز نابولي أمام فينيسيا بالدوري الإيطالي

Andrew Strauss was the culprit for two of England’s nine dropped chances at Lord’s, but is confident the team will recover from the disappointment of not forcing a win

Andrew McGlashan19-May-2006

Down she goes: Andrew Strauss spills Mahela Jayawardene at Lord’s © Getty Images

It was one of the moments of the Ashes – Andrew Strauss diving full length to his left
to pluck Adam Gilchrist’s edge out of thin air at Trent Bridge. Surely, after that, a regulation chance would be pocketed with ease. Of course, cricket is not like that as Strauss found out, twice, at Lord’s this week when he shelled two against Sri Lanka. Both were simple for a Test slipper, but the first-innings miss was hidden away among a rush of wickets whereas the second, Mahela Jaywardene on 58, was altogether more vital.Strauss is a phlegmatic character who is able to put a bad trot, with the bat or in the slips, to the back of his mind. If a flying chance comes his way at Edgbaston he’ll probably snaffle it, but that doesn’t disguise the fact that England’s catching is again in the spotlight. “The slip catching aspect of last week was very disappointing from our point of view,” admitted Strauss. “It is something we work very hard on and we take pride in taking a high proportion of all our catches but we have just got to keep working on it.”To dwell on it too much would be wrong; the nuts and bolts of our game – the batting and bowling – on a very flat wicket were exceptional. Our bowlers did an exceptional job and we let ourselves down a little with our catching, but heading into the next match there is no reason it should affect our confidence.”Numerous theories have been put forward to explain England’s fumbling: complacency, poor sighting at Lord’s, the fact they drop them in practice to take the rebounds and even because Duncan Fletcher is left-handed. Typically for Strauss, though, he sees things in a much simpler fashion: “From my point of view the two that I dropped I saw them all the way in, I suppose I misjudged the pace a little bit but I don’t whether that’s anything to do with the pitch to something like that.”If we starting talking about it being the Lord’s cricket ground’s fault then we probably aren’t focusing on what we really need to do, which is just to practice hard in the next week and not lose confidence. The key to catching is confidence and the more you catch, the more likely you are to take the next one that comes along. Life goes on and you can’t think about chucking balls around your house and trying to catch them.”

Strauss: ‘It’s going to take a lot more than one bad day to get rid of all the confidence in the England dressing room’ © Getty Images

He was also quick to praise the Sri Lankan effort, batting 199 overs in the second innings, to save the match after following on. “Sri Lanka started playing better towards the back end of the game. Their batsmen probably applied themselves a little better in the second innings and the wicket got flatter. All credit to them for sticking in there when it looked like a hopeless cause. Those two factors played a big part and in the end, we had 28 chances to take 20 wickets.”England’s pursuit of those 20 wickets resulted in Andrew Flintoff sending down 51 overs in the second innings, the most by an English seamer for 13 years. In the current climate of packed fixtures lists and fear of burnout, it was an unexpected workload for the fulcrum of the side, but Strauss played down the concerns.”A lot has been made of that final day, but what you have to remember is that the weather was always likely to play a part and there was a feeling we had to try and wrap it up sooner rather than later. What he did, which is what most captains would have done, is to turn to his main bowlers. I don’t think you can fault him for that and I guess hindsight is a great thing as well.”Strauss was speaking at the launch of Primary Club Juniors, of which he is the President, a new section of the charity for the blind and partially sighted. Strauss admitted he qualified more than once for the senior club – which a cricketer at any level who has been out first ball can join – and remembered his most memorable failure when he was playing for Oxfordshire Under-19s. “I didn’t know anyone so thought I would let my bat do the talking and clipped the first ball sweetly off my hip to short-leg. It was a very painful walk back.”Strauss took part in a game with some of the children who benefit from the club’s funding. He batted and bowled blindfolded, managing to connect with his first ball before playing all round a straight one. “It’s incredibly disorientating,” he said, “but even though I wasn’t very good it was great fun.”He didn’t have much fun over the last three days at Lord’s, but one of the great qualities of this England team is how they bounce back from disappointment. Strauss is adamant the team will examine their mistakes, then move on. “It’s going to take a lot more than one bad day to get rid of all the confidence in the England dressing room.”For more information about new junior section of The Primary club visit www.primaryclub.org/juniors