The fast bowler Ryan Harris has all but ruled himself out of Australia’s Test series against South Africa this summer as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery. Harris had an operation two months ago and he believes it is “pretty unrealistic” for him to return for the South African series, which starts at the Gabba on November 9, and is instead hoping to be available for the Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning in Hobart on December 14.Harris played two of the three Tests during Australia’s tour of the Caribbean in April and was Man of the Match in Barbados for his five wickets and unbeaten half-century. Since he made his Test debut in early 2010 only Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, who have played far fewer matches, have had better Test bowling averages for Australia than Harris, who has collected 47 wickets at 23.63 in 12 appearances.However, his workload has taken a physical toll and the Australian team management is reluctant to overuse Harris, who turns 33 next month. The only time Harris has played all the Tests in a series was during his debut series in New Zealand, and he knows that it does not make sense to take any risks in an attempt to rush himself back into contention for the South Africa matches.”I would love to be able to be back against South Africa but at this stage it is pretty unrealistic. It is one of those things I can’t control,” Harris told News Limited newspapers. “I will get back for Queensland and let the rest take care of itself before any Australian stuff. In theory I will be up and going in six weeks but it is an injury we will not rush. The pain is going, I just have to build confidence now but believe I can get back well.”Although the absence of Harris is a blow for Australia, the depth in their fast-bowling stocks should allow the attack to remain strong against South Africa. If Pattinson and Cummins remain fit they will be in contention for the Gabba Test having both impressed in their initial Tests last summer, while Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle will shoulder much of the workload. The left-armer Mitchell Starc is another candidate.The Australians will be battling for the No.1 spot on the ICC’s Test rankings when they take on South Africa, having not lost a Test series since Michael Clarke took over as captain. South Africa are on top of the rankings table and have not been defeated in a series since Australia beat them 2-1 in early 2009, but in their past 20 Tests South Africa have not won any two consecutive matches.

Northern Districts’ English imports, Steven Croft and James Foster, played crucial innings in the 24-run win against Otago at Seddon Park, in the opening game of the HRV Cup. They came together in the eighth over, with Northern Districts on 42 for 4, and added 126 runs for the fifth wicket. The 100-run stand had come off only 62 balls. Croft made 81 off 49 deliveries and Foster scored 48 off 30. Both of them were dismissed in the last over and Northern Districts made 174 for 7. Neil Wagner took thee wickets for Otago but was expensive, conceding 39 in four overs.Anton Devcich struck two early blows in Otago’s chase, reducing them to 19 for 2 in three overs. Hamish Rutherford top-scored with 47, but Otago did not have the powerful innings that Croft and Foster had provided Northern Districts. They were always behind the asking rate, and finished on 150 for 6. Left-arm seamer Bradley Scott did not take a wicket for Northern Districts but he conceded only 23 runs in four overs.

Fulham will not sanction the departure of Tom Cairney from Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Reach journalist Darren Witcoop, who revealed in a post on Twitter that Marco Silva’s side have informed Slavisa Jokanovic that the 30-year-old is not available to purchase in the summer transfer window.

The journalist goes on to state that the former Fulham manager had made the central midfielder his top transfer target this summer, however, as a result of the Cottagers’ stance regarding the Scotland international, the 52-year-old will now be turning his attention towards Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane.

In his post, Witcoop said: “Fulham insisting Jokanovic’s top target Tom Cairney not for sale.”

Fans surely buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Fulham side Cairney has been in recent years, the news that the Championship side are refusing to sell the 30-year-old this summer, particularly to one of their most likely promotion rivals next season, is sure to have left fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, while a knee injury kept the midfielder sidelined for a great deal of the club’s Premier League campaign last season, the £8.1m-rated man nevertheless impressed over his ten Premier League appearances, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.7 key passes and taking 1.2 shots per game.

These returns saw the man Scott Parker dubbed an “outstanding” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.28, ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight of English football, albeit with a limited sample size of fixtures played in.

However, the Scot also proved his quality over 38 Championship appearances in the season before last, scoring eight goals, providing three assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing him earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.12 – the second-best rating of any Fulham player that year.

As such, it is quite clear to see why Fulham are reluctant to allow their club captain to leave Craven Cottage this summer, as the midfielder’s presence in the side very much appears to bring the Cottagers a great deal of success.

In other news: Silva set to battle Parker for “excellent” £10k-p/w beast, Fulham fans would love him

Almost as inevitable as the sight of Michael Clarke and Graeme Smith walking out for the toss at Adelaide Oval on Thursday will be the sound of their two sides resuming a noisy and pungent on-field dialogue from the moment the first ball is bowled.Both camps expect the verbal battle to return in the second Test, particularly after a lively and even ill-tempered final afternoon in Brisbane passed without either the umpires Billy Bowden and Asad Rauf or the match referee Ranjan Madugalle raising a formal charge against either side. The umpires did, though, have a cautionary word to the bowlers at various points of the five days. This has effectively defined a generous line for the players’ on-field aggression, leaving Adelaide to witness more jousting from Thursday.”It’s part of the game, once you get out in the middle and emotions start to rise, it’s good for the game to see a bit of competitive spirit out there between the two teams,” Michael Hussey said. “A lot of the players in the past have used it as a mental battle against batsmen and it’s probably worked in the past as well.”Whether it works on these South African batsmen I don’t know. They’ve shown they’ve been a great team for a period of time now, they don’t get to No. 1 in the world without enduring these sorts of things before. But once you get over that white line, competitive spirit between bat and ball starts, and there’s always going to be things that are said, but as long as it doesn’t go too far and players [don’t] cross the line I think it’s fine.”Clarke spoke before the series about “pushing the line” of legal aggression in this series, whether it was in terms of short-pitched bowling or a pointed choice of words. Australia’s players make no secret of their use of verbal aggression towards the opposition as a way of firing themselves up, something witnessed quite pointedly earlier this year during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka when the ears of the Irish among others were left ringing by fighting words from the mouths of Shane Watson and David Warner in particular.In Brisbane it was James Pattinson who vented his distaste for batsmen most freely, with Smith copping plenty on the final afternoon after he pulled away from one delivery as the bowler entered his delivery stride. Ultimately Pattinson, who won the duel, delivered a send-off to South Africa’s captain that might have forced Madugalle to act had it been even a fraction more prolonged.Smith had played the role of instigator earlier in the match, confronting Ed Cowan with an attempt to disturb the opener’s concentration as he prepared to face up to the first over of the fourth day’s play. Smith’s words were brushed aside by Cowan, but provided further proof that Australia and South Africa are most comfortable when flinging a little mud each other’s way in pursuit of victory.Nevertheless, AB de Villiers noted that Australia’s bluster proved unsuccessful in the 2008-09 series in Australia, a useful reminder of the fact that sharp words can quickly appear hollow if not backed up by sharper deeds.”They thought so in 2008 as well and it didn’t really happen that way, so hopefully we can prove them wrong again,” de Villiers said of the contention that Australia considered sledging to be a way to get into South African heads.”There’s always a bit of chat around. We’re talking about two very good teams who want to win the game. You do whatever you can to get a few wickets when the pressure is on. Whatever you can do to get an edge over the opposition, you will do it.”

Leeds United remain top of the Championship despite suffering defeat against Stoke City last weekend, and with just a few days remaining in the transfer window to strengthen the squad Victor Orta is facing a race against time to give Marcelo Bielsa what he wants. 

Bielsa has made no secret of his preference to keep his squad tightly-knit and promote talented youth players to deputise for injured senior players. That attitude has served Leeds well so far but, considering how physically demanding the season has been and Bielsa’s history of faltering in the final months of the season, the club need at least one more signing to maximise their chances of clinching promotion.

The arrival of Kiko Casilla was widely regarded as a timely coup for the club, and if anyone is likely to join him at Elland Road this month it seems it will be Swansea City’s Daniel James.

Indeed, a recent report from the Daily Mirror suggests Bielsa has left Orta in charge of concluding a deal for James this month, with no further signings requested from the enigmatic Argentine.

Orta’s success in the final days of the transfer window has the potential to be season-defining in the context of Leeds’ promotion bid.

The succession of injury problems this season have been compounded by the departures of both Samu Saiz and Lewis Baker, and with the squad wearing thin the arrival of James could be priceless.

James is relatively inexperienced at this level but he has rapidly demonstrated a sound ability to perform well in the Championship, with his technical quality and willingness to work hard off the ball making him an ideal fit for Leeds.

His arrival would add greater depth in wide positions and consequently help to facilitate a permanent role for Pablo Hernandez at number ten, which is where Bielsa understandably wants him to operate.

The same report also claims that Leeds will happily walk away from the negotiating table if they believe a potential deal is not good value, but with promotion on the line it’s vital that Orta manages to strike an agreement to hand Bielsa a priceless asset during the final months of the season.

Orta has completed a handful of smart deals in the transfer market since becoming the club’s director of football, but a successful bid for James could be crucial in the context of Leeds’ bid to end their top-flight exile.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Leeds United returned to winning ways on Wednesday evening with a massive 2-1 win over Swansea City at Elland Road, a game which saw Kalvin Phillips thrive once again in his natural holding midfield role.

The injury crisis at Leeds this season has forced Phillips to compromise and adapt. Marcelo Bielsa has often deployed the 23-year-old in central defence to deputise in the absence of the likes of Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper, but the latter’s return has paved the way for him to seamlessly slot back into the pivot role.

Blending defensive solidity with technical prowess, Phillips has established himself as a vital cog in Bielsa’s free-flowing machine, and the supporters are delighted to see him back in his preferred role.

Alongside Mateusz Klich, Phillips bossed proceedings on Wednesday night and showed the supporters exactly what they were missing during his brief stint in defence, and the quality of his performance drew esteemed praise on Twitter.

The superlatives were exhausted, recycled and rampant on social media, with some fans going as far to suggest that an England call up could be in the offing.

His form in the Championship ought to be noted by Gareth Southgate, but his claims of earning an international call up and putting himself in contention for Euro 2020 will be far more legitimate if he’s plying his trade in the top-flight next season…

Here’s what the Leeds fans had to say about Phillips’ performance on Wednesday:

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to react after the club was linked with a move for Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega, as reported by The Mirror.

The Argentina international worked under Unai Emery during their time together with the Spanish side, winning the Europa League, and now the Gunners boss is keen to be reunited with the 30-year-old yet again – Emery also coached Banega at Valencia.

Banega reportedly has a £17m release clause and is the north London-based club’s preferred choice to replace Aaron Ramsey – a deal could not be struck in January, however, due to a lack of funds in north London (as per the aforementioned report).

Arsenal are in need of a new midfielder after losing Welsh international Ramsey to Juventus. However, with Banega turning 31 in June, perhaps the ageing midfielder is not the right solution for the Gunners.

Let’s see how Arsenal supporters reacted on Twitter to the news concerning Banega…

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According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon on his official Twitter account on Thursday, Southampton want £10m if they are going to sell Charlie Austin before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl once confirmed in his Burnley pre-match press conference on Thursday that while the club don’t necessarily want to get rid of the player, they are willing to do so if a deal can be found that suits all parties.

In quotes, as reported by The Daily Echo, the Austrian said: “We don’t want to send him away.

“If there is an option that he can make a good step and we get someone else in then it can be that this works.”

Nixon believes that the south coast outfit are asking for £10m for the 29-year-old having turned down four loan approaches from Premier League clubs, as per Sky Sports, with the player having less than 18 months remaining on his contract.

Will he go?

It seems unlikely unless Southampton are willing to drop the reported asking price.

While Austin has proven in the past that he can get goals at this level, the injury issues that he has suffered from in recent years, as well as the fact that he isn’t the most mobile striker around, mean that they are being overly ambitious with their demands this late in the window.

Given they are still interested in signing Che Adams, as per Sky Sports, who is more suited to fitting into Hasenhuttl’s style than the experienced centre-forward, it is strange that they aren’t willing to sell the 29-year-old for a smaller fee so they can get the in-form Birmingham City man.

It all stinks of the Saints hierarchy losing the plot, and it could mean that they are left with a player who won’t be of much help to them for the remainder of he campaign.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

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After he scored his first goal in red and blue in 799 days against Tottenham, as per ITV, Connor Wickham is surely more likely to start ahead of Christian Benteke for Crystal Palace against Southampton on Wednesday,  but the big Belgian’s skill-set is precisely what the Eagles need if they are to succeed at St Mary’s.

On the chalkboard

Until a few weeks ago, Roy Hodgson had just Ayew and the recently-loaned out Alexander Sorloth as natural strikers to choose from – some may argue the former is not suited to playing there, though – and, more often than not, the 71-year-old would opt for a fluid partnership of Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha up front.

Townsend showed during his side’s 2-0 FA Cup victory on Sunday that he is becoming adept at arriving in the box to take a shot at goal – indeed, the journeyman winger is the Eagles’ top scorer, with seven to his name in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt – but Zaha doesn’t seem to thrive in such a role.

The timely returns, though, of Benteke and Wickham mean that Hodgson finally has some depth up front; the former England boss’ new-found luxury means he can approach a game in many different ways but there is one clear, perfect choice to tackle Ralph Hassenhuttl’s men.

Big Ben

While he may have struggled to find a lethal touch this campaign and the one previous, there is no debating 28-year-old Benteke’s physical and aerial ability. The former Aston Villa striker is one of the most dominant hitmen in the league – as long as the ball is off the ground, that is.

Southampton might have been reinvigorated by Hughes’ departure and Hassenhuttl’s subsequent arrival, but question marks still remain over the defence in terms of their positioning and ability to deal with crosses – 6-foot-3 Benteke can capitalise on this if supplied well by Palace’s threatening wide-men and, while he may not break his scoring duck, will prove a handful for the Saints’ back-three.

It’s also evident that Zaha loves having the number 17 in the team – the speedster currently does most of his side’s hold up play but would be relieved of such duties if Benteke starts – and would perhaps find himself running at full-backs a lot more often.

The Ivorian is one of the most dangerous players in the league when he gets into full flow but such a sight has been a commodity this season as he is shifted out of position – will Wednesday be the return of the partnership that was so effective in the 2016/17 season?

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…

يحتضن ملعب استاد القاهرة، مساء غدًا الجمعة، مباراة الزمالك أمام نظيره أسوان، في إطار بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك يواجه أسوان ضمن منافسات الجولة 28 من عمر المسابقة المحلية.

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة، وهو يحتل المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري برصيد 55 نقطة، فيما يحتل أسوان المركز التاسع بـ31 نقطة.

ويخوض الزمالك المباراة الأولى بقيادة طارق يحيي كمدير فني مؤقت، عقب رحيل الفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون عن تدريب القلعة البيضاء.

طالع | رسميًا –  الزمالك يعلن رحيل كاريترون

ويسعي الزمالك لحسم المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري، وذلك في صراعه مع بيراميدز والمقاولون العرب.

فيما يدخل أسوان ويرغب في استكمال صحوته في الدوري، حيث حقق 3 انتصارات و3 تعادلات في آخر 7 جولات بالدوري.

والتقى الزمالك مع أسوان في 13 مباراة من قبل، حقق خلالهم الأبيض الفوز فى 9 مواجهات، وتعادلا في 4، فيما لم يفز أبناء أسوان في أي مباراة.

وكانت آخر مواجهة جمعت بين الزمالك وأسوان في الجولة الحادية عشر من مسابقة الدوري الممتاز للموسم الجاري، انتهت بفوز الأبيض بهدفين دون رد.