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Leeds United correspondent Beren Cross has provided a positive injury update regarding star striker Patrick Bamford.

The Lowdown: Bamford’s season to forget

Bamford has managed just seven starts in 2021/22 due to ankle, hamstring and foot problems, with the 28-year-old completing 90 minutes on just four occasions.

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He netted 17 times last season compared to just two goals during the current campaign, with his latest setback coming last month.

The forward ruptured his plantar fascia against Wolves on March 18, but it looks as if he is making positive progress ahead of a return prior to the end of the season.

The Latest: Cross shares Thorp Arch update

Jesse Marsch has previously stated that he is ‘optimistic’ Bamford would be able to return for the final two games against Brighton and Brentford, fixtures which could be huge in the club’s attempts to avoid the drop.

Cross shared a story regarding Bamford on Wednesday morning, suggesting he ‘is due out on the pitches again this week’, describing a return to the training ground as the ‘breath of fresh air’ Marsch needs.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Hopefully, Leeds will manage to pick up some unlikely points over their next three games with Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, three of the current top four, to take them close to the magic 40-point mark.

They currently have a five-point gap over Everton and are three points clear of Burnley, so there’s every chance Leeds will still need something against Brighton and Brentford.

Bamford could well be involved if that is the case, and it looks as if he is on track for a May 15 return, should he take to the Thorp Arch training pitches over the coming days.

In other news: Radz and 49ers will now reward Marsch if he keeps Leeds up by moving for 29-goal forward. 

Liverpool are keen on signing “highly unpredictable” centre-forward Victor Osimhen from Serie A side Napoli this summer in a deal that could be worth £80m.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Express, Liverpool are among several clubs to be interested in signing the player who is open to a move away from Naples.

Fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also interested in signing him so they may have a fight on their hands for his signature. Osimhen has been in top form this season and Napoli think now is the right time to cash in on that.

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It’s thought a mammoth fee of £80m could be enough to prise him away from Italy.

Their own Haaland?

He’s a player that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be excited about, and if he can get him ahead of one of his Premier League rivals then it will be an even bigger coup.

The report states that representatives of the player have been allowed to speak to interested clubs and get the ball rolling over a possible deal. While the player is open to moving to England, he wants to be playing Champions League football, and with Liverpool now guaranteed to be playing in Europe’s premier competition next season they have an advantage over the Gunners when it comes to negotiating.

With striker Divock Origi set to leave Merseyside this summer, and with Mohamed Salah still not having signed a new deal, there will be space in Liverpool’s forward line for a new arrival.

Osimhen could be the perfect fit. The Nigerian is currently top scorer for the Italian side this season with 17 goals in 29 appearances, these have been crucial for the clubs fight to secure a Champions League place. They currently sit third in the league table.

When you compare him to other players in his position, in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, the results are impressive. The 23-year old ranks in the top 5% for non-penalty goals and in the top 3% for goals per shots on target.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that FB Ref’s similar players model puts him alongside a certain Erling Haaland and it’s clear to see why with just 0.9 separating them when it comes to their shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. There is just one carry in possession of the ball separating the duo too, demonstrating that they were both rather comparable when it comes to their forward play.

This proves that he is deadly with every chance he gets and rarely misses a goal scoring opportunity. He can be a huge asset to Liverpool and they need to secure his services before one of their rivals do.

IN other news: Liverpool must now plot exciting record-breaking bid to sign 19y/o “incredible talent”…

Getafe's president has hinted that Mason Greenwood could be returning to the La Liga club next season amid links to Serie A.

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• Greenwood impresses for Getafe
• Man Utd exit likely
• Getafe president issues update

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Angel Torres has named the United outcast in his plans for the 2024-25 season despite nothing concrete emerging about his future. Greenwood has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer, with Juventus and Lazio also touted as possible landing spots.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Red Devils have reportedly set an asking price in the region of £33 million (€40m/$43m) for Greenwood this summer, following his loan spell at Getafe during the 2023-24 campaign. Greenwood scored five goals and added one assist in 18 appearances for the Madrid club.

• WHAT TORRES SAID

  “We have 15 in the squad plus Greenwood, who we hope to give good news about soon and I hope will stay another year,” Torres said at a Getafe kit launch.

  “As the press says, there are many offers and we will abide by what Manchester United say. It looks like he will continue for another year. Every day that passes there are more possibilities but you have to be cautious.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

  Whether or not Greenwood does return to Getafe remains to be seen. Torres has outlined that nothing will come to fruition until after Euro 2024 is finished and has also hinted at further incomings, even if Greenwood does arrive.

  “If everything goes well we need 10 players,” Torres added. “We have to make the team. We have to strengthen the team a lot and make a new project. We are going to wait for the Euros to finish and then the rush will come.”

Former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes' impact is already being felt with the USWNT ahead of this summer's Olympics tilt.

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Hayes swapped Chelsea for the USWNTHas already overseen two friendly winsUSWNT aiming for fifth gold this summerWHAT HAPPENED?

Hayes took the helm in the USA after winning seven WSL titles with Chelsea and has already led her new side to 4-0 and 3-0 friendly wins over South Korea as they gear up for this summer's Olympics in Paris. Her start has caught the eye of a former World Cup winner in Heather O'Reilly.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT HEATHER O'REILLY SAID

O'Reilly told the : "I know it's a quick transition and [Hayes] hasn't had much time with them, but she's a winner, she's a competitor and so is the team. And so I think that it could be the perfect marriage of her coming in and this time of the national team."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Hayes has taken charge of the USWNT at a time of transition, as the nation looks to rebuild following their last-16 exit to Sweden in the 2023 World Cup. The likes of Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis have all retired from the international game, as Hayes looks to bring forward the next generation of talent.

O'Reilly added on the new era: "People are flying on all cylinders.'Things are kind of like, I don't want to jinx it, but things are in a pretty good place. People seem to be sharp, scoring goals in a lot of different ways, Good variety. So I think they're in a good place and I'm looking forward to it."

WHAT NEXT FOR THE USWNT?

All eyes on are this summer's Olympic tournament in Paris, where the U.S. have been drawn against Zambia, Germany and Australia in Group B. Hayes' side face warm-up matches against Mexico and Costa Rica before their tournament opener on July 25.

Australian scores 46 and then takes two wickets on debut as Northants fall short in chase

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2019Durham 148 for 4 (Short 46) Northamptonshire 141 for 9 (Rossington 47, Potts 2-11) by seven runsA fine all-round performance from D’Arcy Short on debut guided Durham to a narrow seven-run victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks in their Vitality Blast opener at Emirates Riverside.The Australia opener set the tone with an aggressive innings of 46 at the top of the order on a sluggish Chester-le-Street pitch. It allowed the hosts to set a challenging total of 149 for the Steelbacks to chase after losing the toss.Durham were able to take the initiative with the ball, reducing the visitors to 23 for 3. Adam Rossington led a spirited counter to keep Northants in contention, although once he fell for 47 to Short it appeared to be in vain. Rob Keogh almost provided late drama, but Matty Potts held his nerve with the final over to clinch the win.Openers Short and Scott Steel made a measured start to the Durham innings amid challenging overhead conditions. Short flashed his power with a couple of cuts to the fence. However, the pitch and the length of the boundaries at Emirates Riverside restricted the openers’ ability to get on top of the Northants bowlers.Short began to find his range and he pummeled Dwaine Pretorius back over his head for a boundary. The 28-year-old then survived a run out chance on 36 after Josh Cobb connected with a direct hit. Short’s attempt to up the rate resulted in his dismissal when he sliced an attempted straight drive off Graeme White and was caught by Matt Coles for 46.Steel and Graham Clark found their rhythm to guide their side over the 100-run mark. Steel was able to launch the first six of the match straight down the ground off the bowling of Cobb. The opener was beginning to free his shoulders before suffering the same fate as Short, allowing White to notch his second wicket.With overs running out Ben Raine had to hit the ground running. He offered a brisk 13 from eight deliveries before he was bowled by Faheem Ashraf, while Clark was caught on the boundary for 17. Captain Stuart Poynter and Liam Trevaskis guided Durham to a competitive total of 148 from their 20 overs, leaving the visitors requiring almost 7.5 runs an over.Northants’ reply got off to a stuttering start, losing Charlie Thurston in the second over, cutting a Potts’ ball straight to Short at point. Potts then removed the dangerous Cobb, clipping his pad then his leg stump to reduce the visitors to 18 for 2. Coles was elevated up the order, but fell attempting to pull Raine over the rope, only finding the hands of Jack Burnham.Rossington led the Steelbacks’ counterattack, blasting two huge sixes off the bowling of Raine to move them back in line with the required run rate. Rossington and Alex Wakely were building an important stand of 35, but Trevaskis broke the partnership by bowling the latter through the gate.At the other end, Short handed Durham control of the contest when he removed Rossington, finding the edge with a delivery down the leg side. The home side turned the screw as Short notched his second wicket as Pretorius found Burnham in the deep.Although the Steelbacks kept losing wickets, a lower-order stand between Keogh and White gave them hope. The two players took it to the last over, requiring 15 to snatch the win. Potts took on the responsibility and held his composure, guiding the hosts to the victory.

Bangladesh’s biggest player will be missing from the team’s official World Cup picture – and all because he’d left the ground before the photo session

Mohammad Isam29-Apr-2019Bangladesh’s biggest player will be missing from the team’s official World Cup picture – and all because he’d left the ground before the photo session took place. It’s left the picture with a legend-sized hole and also left the BCB president fairly angry about it.Shakib Al Hasan, who had arrived in Dhaka on Sunday and had come to the Shere Bangla National Stadium to report to the team management, apparently left before the team gathered for the photo on the outfield. BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that he came to know Shakib was informed of the team’s schedule on what was officially the final day of training in Dhaka, before the team’s departure for Dublin, to play a tri-series against Ireland and West Indies, on May 1. And with the players getting Tuesday off, the BCB had crammed all their programmes, including the captain’s press conference, team lunch with the president and directors, the photo sessions and other commercial-related work for Monday.”It is disappointing, what else can I say?” Hassan said. “It was the team’s photo session. I came and asked about him. I didn’t know he had arrived last night. I called him, and he said he is going to come to my house at night. I said to him to come to the ground. He said I have already left. I asked everyone here, and they said Shakib was informed of the photo session. He didn’t turn up for training but we hoped for his presence in the photo session. But he wasn’t here.”I think the rest of the team is used to it. What else can I say? I think it is his misfortune that he couldn’t be in the team photo before the team leaves for the World Cup. There’s no question about [giving him too much leeway]. The team is leaving day after tomorrow, so we don’t want to talk too much about it. But it is definitely disappointing.”Shakib didn’t respond to ESPNcricinfo’s message regarding the BCB chief’s reaction.Despite having some run-ins with the BCB on several other issues, Shakib is not known to have missed any official team photos or similar affairs in the past.

Boult was also pleasantly surprised by his performance for the day, given his early assessment of a ‘dry, sticky wicket’

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2019There had been little evidence of it during the first three ODIs, but swing made a belated appearance in the fourth ODI in Hamilton. It’s a rare sight in white-ball cricket – so much so that a struggling Tim Southee finds himself out of New Zealand’s ODI attack – and when it’s there it spooks batting teams.And when there’s swing, who better than Trent Boult to exploit it?Boult’s 5 for 21, his seventh five-wicket haul in ODIs, blew away an India line-up lacking Virat Kohli, who has been rested from the remainder of this tour, helping skittle them out for 92, and helping New Zealand register their first win of the series.Boult bowled his 10 overs in one allotment, unchanged, and by the time he was done India, at 55 for 8, had just gone past their lowest-ever ODI total. Despite causing such devastation in the opposition ranks, however, Boult didn’t actually feel like this was his day and everything would go his way.”Some days you do, but today really wasn’t one of those days,” Boult said in his post-match press conference. “I thought the wicket was pretty dry and it was actually quite slow, and yeah, couple of overs there, a little bit of swing, [which will] obviously keep you interested, but I suppose the modes of the dismissals there – a couple of caught-and-bowleds, which literally lobbed back to you, probably not how you traditionally see your wickets as an opening bowler.”Yeah, it wasn’t one of those days, to be honest, and it came out nicely and it was just nice to get a little bit of reward.”For all the modesty, even the two seemingly soft caught-and-bowleds were the result of Boult’s two big weapons as a fast bowler: his awkward left-arm-over angle and his late swing back into the right-handers.Both Rohit Sharma and the debutant Shubman Gill initially followed the angle across them, moving their front foot forward and across, as if in preparation for drives through the covers. Then, as the ball swung back in, they hurriedly pulled their front leg out of the way to make room for their bat to come down straight, but the panic of the late adjustment hardened their hands, causing them to pop the ball back to the bowler.The same kind of delivery did for Kedar Jadhav too, the No. 6 batsman falling lbw, forced to play around a too-firmly-planted front pad.It wasn’t just Boult who swung the ball. Colin de Grandhomme did so too, picking up three wickets with his wobbly medium-pace, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar managed a couple of wickets in New Zealand’s chase.What makes a white cricket ball swing so much on some days, and so little on most other days in ODI cricket?”I wish I had the answer, but no, I’m not sure,” Boult said. “I think it’s been a windy summer and wind kills the fast bowler, to be honest. Once it’s a bit gusty, it eliminates the swing and the wicket dries out pretty quickly as well, and turns into a pretty good batting wicket, but yeah, the conditions were there today, and not just myself, the guys that backed each other up, they played their roles, and it was done nicely as a collective.”ALSO READ: Daryl Mitchell, Blair Tickner make NZ T20 squadWith Kohli not around, and MS Dhoni not fit, Boult’s dismissals of both openers, by the eighth over of the innings, left an experimental India middle order facing a difficult situation.”Yeah, it’s the first time we’ve really got down into the middle order [in this series],” Boult said. “Obviously they’ve lost a classy player there, with their captain, but yeah, it’s all about putting pressure on the top order, it’s always been that kind of gameplan.”It was nice to get through them and have a look at the middle order today. Very satisfying, we know we’ve got the gameplan, we know it works, and it was just about executing it, which I thought we did nicely today.”

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has unleashed an attack on Casemiro after the Red Devils drew 2-2 against Bournemouth last weekend.

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Casemiro criticized for Bournemouth drawBen Foster calls the Brazilian a 'disgrace'Club likely to sell Casemiro in the summerWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils were fortunate to avoid loss at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth last time out, as the Cherries were denied a late penalty, departing the south coast with a 2-2 draw. Foster was incensed with Casemiro for failing to stop Justin Kluivert's second goal for Bournemouth.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT FOSTER SAID

Speaking on his YouTube channel, The Cycling GK, Foster said [via The Mirror]: "The second goal, Casemiro, he’s a holding midfielder. He should be that engine, that rat in the midfield, the disruptor – somebody that breaks up all the attacks, gets in people’s faces.

"The second goal, for me, is an absolute disgrace. It’s an absolute disgrace. He’s allowed to wander into that space and get his shot off. Casemiro almost notices at the last second, meanders in, hangs a leg in there.

"And I’m thinking, do you know what? If I was a manager of a team and my holding midfielder did that, that action there and then, I’d say that’ll do. You, come off."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Having dropped crucial points, Aston Villa's lead of 13 points has effectively ruined Man Utd's ambitions of making the top four this season. They currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League standings level on points with Newcastle. If the club drop more points than the Magpies, they will lose out on the chance to play in Europe altogether.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

It has been heavily reported that the Red Devils under the guidance of Sir Jim Ratcliffe could move Casemiro on this summer after his dismal season under Erik Ten Hag. He will likely play a major part for the rest of the season for the club with injuries plaguing the squad.

New South Wales will still play the majority of their home Sheffield Shield matches at the SCG, despite the inclusion of an ICC-compliant oval in plans for a new A$50 million training base for the state association. It is the first time NSW has shifted its headquarters away from Sydney’s eastern suburbs in more than 150 years of existence.Discussions about the headquarters and training facilities of Cricket NSW have been going on for more than five years, and focus upon a new “hub” site in the Sydney Olympic Park region began to take shape in late 2016. It was hastened by concurrent plans to redevelop the Sydney Football Stadium adjacent to the SCG, thereby squeezing the state association out of offices it had occupied for some years.At the same time, ongoing squabbles between NSW and the SCG Trust, plus the expansion of the state’s number of elite teams with the advent of the NSW women’s team and men’s and women’s Big Bash League sides, created further pressure for expansion. To that end, the NSW state government has pledged A$30 million to the project, with NSW and Cricket Australia to contribute A$10 million. The remaining A$10 million expected to be required to fund the project will be sought in coming months from sponsors and also the Federal government.”This is a landmark day for NSW cricket. NSW produces the best cricketers, male and female, in Australia and they will now have the best facility in Australia to train,” NSW chief executive Andrew Jones said. “This facility will also accommodate indoor training and outdoor playing for men, women, boys and girls from all over Sydney.”The growth of cricket and the Allianz Stadium redevelopment make this facility urgently needed. During the past decade the number of elite teams under the Cricket NSW umbrella has grown from two to six with the advent of the men’s and women’s Big Bash. With Cricket NSW also leading the professionalisation of women’s cricket two seasons ago, we have simply outgrown what we currently have at Moore Park.”The new facility will allow us to have a modern high-performance centre with a cricket field and plenty of turf nets to cater for the increased number of elite and developing players now coming through our pathway system. With our extra training facilities at Blacktown and a continuing presence at the Sydney Cricket Ground we will now be able to better cater for all our athletes right across Sydney.”Key to the new facility will be the ability to train on turf wickets during the winter months, an advantage previously available only by venturing north of the NSW border to the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. But despite the inclusion of a new cricket ground in plans, the association’s strategy will still be to play four of every five home Shield fixtures at the SCG, leaving the new Olympic Park precinct, to be completed by 2022, as a training and administrative base.”The government’s investment of $30m towards a Western Hub will be a game changer for our sport in NSW,” CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said. “I know first-hand the importance of facilities like these to support young aspiring cricketers, particularly in one of the fastest growing areas of Australia. CA is pleased to join Cricket NSW and the NSW Government in investing in this project and we can’t wait for it to get started.”Since the opening of the NCC in Brisbane in 2013, Cricket Victoria has unveiled its own A$40 million headquarters at Junction Oval in Melbourne, Tasmania has worked to allow its players the chance to train on turf during the winter by installing a large marquee in Hobart, and now NSW has followed suit with its own set of year-round facilities. CNSW will move to temporary offices in Sydney Olympic Park at the end of this season, ahead of the new centre’s opening.”In our 159-year history we have never had a home that we manage and control,” Jones said. “We produce the best male and female cricketers in Australia and they deserve the best facilities, and now we will have them. It will be the best high-performance cricket facility in Australia. There have obviously been some issues for cricket lately, but they are one or two-year issues, this is a 100-year success story. So this will set Cricket NSW up until 2118, so what happened in 2018 won’t matter.”NSW already shared a playing and training facility at Blacktown Oval to Sydney’s west, while the Sydney Thunder play their BBL home games at Sydney Olympic Park.

Bill Walton, an NBA Hall of Famer who was also a legendary college basketball announcer, died at the age of 71 in May, making this year's Maui Invitational men's basketball tournament the first one without Walton in attendance.

Walton was known for his big personality on the sideline while he was an announcer. He famously sported tie-dye shirts, and frequently donned Hawaiian shirts during the Maui Invitational. The tournament found the perfect way to honor Walton at this week's event—two tie-dyed Hawaiian shirts were draped over an announcer's chair with a lei and a shirt that said "Walton" on top.

ESPN even showed a heartwarming tribute video of Walton ahead of the start of the Maui Invitational on Monday. It included some of the best and funniest moments of Walton at the tournament.

It's clear the Maui Invitational, and all of college basketball, just isn't the same without Walton's voice announcing the games.