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A cohort of South Africa’s Test players will begin their preparations for the floodlit Test against Australia later in the year by facing the pink ball in the A-team series in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2016A cohort of South Africa’s Test players will begin their preparations for the floodlit Test against Australia later in the year by facing the pink ball in the A-team series in Brisbane.The opening four-day game against Australia A at Allan Border Field will be a first experience of facing the pink ball in first-class for the South Africans, albeit this match will be in daytime conditions.The South Africa A squad includes nine Test players, including captain Stephen Cook who made his Test debut against England in January, with some of them having a good chance of being in the squad for the full of Australia tour which starts in October and includes South Africa’s first day-night Test in Adelaide from November 24.The other Test players on this tour are Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas and Hardus Viljoen. Elgar and Bavuma are established in the Test line-up while Piedt is currently the frontline spinner.There had been initial reluctance from the South Africans to play a Test under lights with a lack of preparation and experience in such conditions being a major factor. However, after much behind-the-scenes work an agreement was reached to mean that Australia will host two day-night Tests in their season with Pakistan also playing under lights at the Gabba in December.”The guys are really on a high and looking forward to the first game,” Cook said. “It will be the first time the guys play with the pink ball in a first-class match, so the guys have prepared for that and are very excited about that.The second match of the series will be played in Townsville from August 6-9, before a one-day series that also involves India A, Australia A and a National Performance Squad begins on August 13.

Manchester United have been dealt something of a blow heading into the final few games of the season, with the club confirming on Monday that January arrival Marcel Sabitzer is set to be out for the remainder of the campaign.

The on-loan Bayern Munich man had made a solid impression since his move to Old Trafford earlier this year, notably being hailed as a "machine" by Diogo Dalot having scored three goals and provided one assist in 18 games across all fronts.

There had been talk prior to this recent injury blow regarding a potential permanent stay in Manchester for the 29-year-old, although it is yet to be seen just what this absence will mean for the midfielder's hopes of staying with the Red Devils beyond this season.

As for the impact the loss of the former RB Leipzig man will have on United, manager Erik ten Hag has now seen his midfield options depleted even further, with Donny van de Beek already out for the campaign, while Scott McTominay has also been out of action in recent weeks.

Aside from the usual starting trio of Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, the only other senior option in the centre of the park is Fred, albeit with the Brazilian menace having somewhat fallen down the pecking order of late, after starting just one league game since the 7-0 defeat away to Liverpool back in early March.

The 30-year-old's solitary start in that time came in the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion earlier this month, although the former Shakhtar Donetsk man failed to take his chance, as he 'was not remotely influential and too often sloppy with his passes', according to Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

As such, with the experienced asset – who has been linked with a departure this summer – having had more than enough opportunities to impress, Ten Hag could instead look to the academy ranks in order to find a suitable replacement for the stricken Sabitzer in the first-team squad.

Who could replace Sabitzer for Man United?

With just three Premier League games left to play – as well as the FA Cup final – there may be little chance to make an impact for any youngster, although it could well be an opportunity for the former Ajax boss to take a closer look at the club's emerging stars, including teenage sensation, Zidane Iqbal.

The three-cap Iraq international is still waiting to add to his only senior appearance for the club – which came during Ralf Rangnick's interim spell back in December 2021 – although the 20-year-old has clearly made an impression on Ten Hag, having reportedly surprised the Dutchman due to his performances in pre-season.

As Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy noted amid the playmaker's summer displays, Iqbal "has heaps of technical quality, skill and intelligence", while he is also a player who is "not scared of making a mistake in trying to execute what he feels is the right decision.

The Manchester native has also been likened to long-term United target Frenkie de Jong by talent Jacek Kulig as he is a "progressive carrier with superb vision", while also boasting the credentials to fill the shoes of Sabitzer, as the £2k-per-week ace can operate in a central midfield berth or in a more attack-minded creative role – much like the Austrian.

Also like the hard-working Sabitzer – who has averaged 1.1 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per league game this season – Iqbal is also adept at winning back possession, having averaged two for each of those two metrics during his three EFL Trophy outings.

That should indicate that if Ten Hag is looking for midfield reinforcement over the coming weeks, then he should consider the academy wizard as an option.

Newcastle United are among the score of top European outfits interested in a move for Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen this summer.

Ending their 30-year wait for the Scudetto after drawing against Udinese earlier this month, Napoli have returned to the throne of Italian football after manager Luciano Spalletti's success in crafting a refined and robust side.

Leading the line, Nigerian striker Osimhen's clinical brilliance was one of the central components to the triumph, scoring 28 goals and providing five assists from 36 appearances across all competitions this season, with journalist Ben Bocsak hailing him as part of an "immortal" group in the football-fervoured city.

According to Italian outlet Corrierre dello Sport (via Paisley Gates), Magpies manager Eddie Howe and technical director Dan Ashworth are enamoured with the 24-year-old forward's skill set and are poised to rival the interest of the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich for his signature.

After such emphatic success this season, I Partenopei are hardly going to allow one of their most coveted assets to waltz away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for cheap, with staggering figures of €160m (£140m) touted for his name.

Should Newcastle sign Osimhen?

The Little Donkeys can stand strong in their resolve, but such an exorbitant monetary demand is hardly an unconquerable buffer for the most prominent of European outfits, who bide their time like lions homing in on prey before swiping for one of the continent's most devastating gems.

And Newcastle could indeed be the biggest lion in the pride; following the £300m PIF takeover of the club in October 2021, United have soared towards the forefront of the Premier League and navigated away from the obscurity of the lower levels of the division.

After confidently staving off the early relegation threat last term, Howe's Toon now perch in third place in the top flight with just three matches to play, four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, and with Champions League football ostensibly on the cards, a devastating new talisman could indeed cement the newfound stature.

As per FBref, the £93k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 2% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 3% for touches in the attacking box per 90, illustrating his devastating and sustained impact in and around the opposing area.

The "machine", as he has been described by renowned journalist Mina Rzouki, is also listed as a comparable player to Newcastle forward Callum Wilson, who has been a revelation this season with his goalscoring efficacy.

The 31-year-old has scored 17 goals and served four assists from just 19 starting appearances in the Premier League this term, immensely effective for his side in maintaining a consistent focal point in the offence.

As impressive as he has been, the £46k-per-week gem's contract is set for expiry at the end of next season, and as he is not getting any younger, bolstering the ranks with a signing in Osimhen of the highest calibre could secure a future steeped in success at St. James' Park.

With England set for non-stop action over the next year and a half, managing the workload of players and coaching staff will be at the forefront of the team’s planning

Andrew McGlashan03-Jul-2016England face their longest and busiest home season next year, followed by an Ashes tour to Australia, and managing the workload of players and coaching staff will be at the forefront of the team’s planning.Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, confirmed there have been discussions about him taking a break at some stage over the next six months while other members of the backroom staff will also be given the opportunity to rest. Australia’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, missed the recent tri-series in the West Indies and in 2014 Bayliss himself stood in for Lehmann during a T20 series against South Africa.”We have spoken about in the next six months different staff members having a series off here and there, including myself,” Bayliss said. “That hasn’t been finalised just yet but with the staff as well it’s day-in, day-out, a 24-hour job, it may not seem like it at times but you are always thinking about the cricket. There’s always someone on the phone to you. It’s important that the staff get a decent place as well.”Players are often reluctant to concede their place but particularly those who play all three formats face a gruelling schedule. After Pakistan’s tour, England are due to visit Bangladesh – although that tour is now in doubt after the terrorist attacks in Dhaka – and then there are five Tests in India before Christmas.They return to India in January for three ODIs and three T20Is, then have a short tour of the West Indies from late February for three more ODIs – that trip could be a potential opportunity for Bayliss’ break. After West Indies there is a brief pause before England’s home season starts on its earliest-ever date of May 5 with ODIs against Ireland.South Africa then arrive – their tour split by the Champions Trophy – before a full visit by West Indies concludes the 2017 summer which ends on September 29. Ashes tours normally begin around mid-to-late October.England have rested Joe Root, Alex Hales and Moeen Ali – three of the players to appear in the three formats – for the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka at the Ageas Bowl. When fit Ben Stokes is another who would feature in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Jonny Bairstow and James Vince are now also part of the squad in all formats.Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach, has previously spoken about the depth England now have available without weakening the side – particularly in reference to the one-day side – and while Bayliss said in his mind he was fairly close to knowing his strongest group of players for the Champions Trophy next summer the bench strength would come in useful.”That will be on a case-by-case basis going forward, keeping a bit of an eye on the players,” Bayliss said. “If they are showing any signs of fatigue we will try to find some way of giving them a bit of break. It certainly is an issue these days in the international game. We have a group of players so it is a chance for some of those guys to get a game in the next 12 months and be waiting in the wings if we need them.”

Arsenal put the pressure back onto Manchester City in the Premier League title race as they recorded a resolute 2-0 victory over third-placed Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta's side rode an early storm from the Magpies but Martin Odegaard's outside-of-the-box strike from nothing calmed some nerves at St James' Park.

The Gunners were smart with their game management and were rewarded with a stroke of luck when Fabian Schar turned the ball into his own net from a Gabriel Martinelli cross late in the second half.

It means the north Londoners move one point behind the defending champions, who still have a game in hand heading into the final few fixtures of the 2022/23 campaign.

Leading from the front as he often does, Odegaard was at the centre of a real monstrous display up in the northeast and quite rightly will be lauded for his fine work, not to mention his record-breaking moment as it was his 13th goal from open play – the most of any midfielder in the history of the Premier League.

However, he wasn't the only player that ran the show…

How did Jorginho perform vs Newcastle?

A little deeper in midfield was Jorginho, acting as Arteta's beating metronome – calm in possession, rock solid defensively and sold fouls like they were hotcakes.

His experience as a Champions League and Europa League winner was vital, ensuring that his teammates kept their cool from Newcastle's frustrating tactics and that they didn't get too ahead of themselves after opening the scoring.

As per Sofascore, the former Chelsea star led the side for touches (70), accurate passes (44), clearances (three), key passes (two) and assists (one); clearly encompassing an almighty all-round display, one worthy of Egal Talks' accolade of being a midfield "masterclass".

Jorginho also chipped in with three tackles and one interception, whilst he won seven of 11 ground duels, proving to be a real thorn in Eddie Howe's side.

It was a performance that Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville handed the Italian the 'Man of the Match' award "by streets," showing just how impressive he really was in the heart of the pitch.

The 31-year-old, who is valued at around £21m by FootballTransfers, was also hailed as a "baller" by The Athletic's Leyla Hamed, who also suggested that he was the "main man in the first-half," though as it quickly emerged, he was throughout the entire match.

If Arsenal do pull off the unthinkable from here, then the emergence of Jorginho as a key player in these final stages was certainly a big part of the reason why.

The £110k-per-week machine just put in a Rolls-Royce display against a team that has only been beaten by City and Liverpool at home since Howe walked through the door.

Ultimately, he ran the show against the Magpies.

Newcastle United target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia completing a blockbuster move to St James' Park this summer isn't likely due to how much the winger would cost, according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.

What's the latest transfer news surrounding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

As per Caught Offside, Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia is attracting interest from both the Premier League and around Europe owing to his excellent performances this season, with Manchester City, Newcastle United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain said to be in the race for his signature.

The report also states that Serie A giants Napoli won't let him go cheaply and a deal to entice the 22-year-old away from the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium could cost up to £100 million or more.

According to Corriere Dello Sport via The Sun, Paris Saint-Germain could push the boat out even further to land Kvaratskhelia and would be willing to part with £159 million to secure his services.

Kvaratskhelia has been in scintillating form for Napoli this term, recording 14 goals and 16 assists from 37 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As per 90min, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti praised Kvaratskhelia earlier this year alongside his teammate Victor Osimhen, stating: “Kvaratskhelia is a great player, he is doing well with Victor Osimhen, they are very efficient."

Speaking to Football FanCast, Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie doesn't believe Newcastle United will be able to afford Kvaratskhelia in the summer, making a prospective move to St James' Park unlikely.

Downie told FFC: "I think they've maybe pushed the ball out for a holding midfielder who's going to come straight into the team, but would a winger come straight into the team? I'm not too sure; they need to make sure they don't upset the applecart as well, so if they're looking for, say, £100 million for the guy from Napoli [Kvaratskhelia], I don't see that happening. I think you're looking at more players around about the sort of £30-40 million mark I think we saw for Bruno, Botman and Gordon."

Would Newcastle United fork out a significant fee for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

Although it's theoretically possible, Newcastle United forking out north of £100 million for Kvaratskhelia would likely diminish their available budget to spend on incomings elsewhere at St James' Park, which may prove to be a decisive roadblock in their pursuit of the Georgia international.

The 22-year-old is definitely worth paying significant money for, as evidenced by WhoScored, who show that he has managed to complete an average of 2.8 dribbles per match this campaign, demonstrating his ability to progress beyond his marker regularly.

FBRef also note that Kvaratskhelia has successfully carried out 160 shot-creating actions in all competitions across 2022/23, illustrating his elite-level ingenuity from the flank.

It would probably take a monumental push from Newcastle United to force a deal over the line for Kvaratskhelia; nevertheless, both supporters and officials inside the club have earned the right to dream following a stellar season that could yield Champions League qualification.

Liverpool have removed themselves from the race to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol due to his extortionate price tag, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

What's the latest on Gvardiol to Liverpool?

Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith credited the Reds with an interest in the 21-year-old back in February, with Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea also name-checked, but with the youngster publicly admitting that he was a boyhood Reds fan and that it was a dream to play for the club growing up, Jurgen Klopp was handed the advantage.

90min later revealed that the Merseyside outfit sent scouts to watch the centre-back to monitor his situation ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and it wasn’t long before they emerged as favourites for his signature. The Anfield side were reportedly firmly in the running and even well-placed to land the Croatia international ahead of their fellow competitors, but it would appear that they have since had a change of heart.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool “no longer” consider Gvardiol a “top target” because FSG believe RB Leipzig’s valuation is “too expensive”. The Bundesliga giants are “demanding” a financial package close to almost £80m, which includes add-ons and extra bonuses, which is a price that the board deem “unrealistic”. The Reds are therefore believed to have now turned their attention towards Eintracht Frankfurt’s Evan Ndicka and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill as suitable alternatives to Gvardiol.

Are Liverpool right to end their pursuit of Gvardiol?

Liverpool making this decision on Gvardiol the same as they did with Jude Bellingham is the correct one for this summer at least, but with Gvardiol having a release clause that is set to become active next year, it’d definitely be worth making another attempt in 2024.

The Leipzig star has won 16 tackles from 22 attempts this season and is averaging 2.5 clearances per league game, and is a real rock at the heart of his backline, but he’s also capable of contributing to his team’s efforts at the opposite end of the pitch.

The World Cup “gladiator”, as lauded by journalist Ryan Taylor, has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 151 appearances throughout his career and ranks in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons, so is comfortable in possession and likes to drive forward out of his box.

Finally, Gvardiol is predominantly a centre-back but he additionally has the versatility to operate at left-back which will be an attractive attribute to Klopp given the bad luck he’s previously had with defensive injuries, so this is yet another reason as to why he’d be an ideal fit at Anfield.

Everton have taken a point from their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this afternoon and Sean Dyche will likely have mixed emotions about the performance put on by his relegation-threatened team.

Despite picking up a point from their outing in south London, other results put the Toffees back into the relegation zone, which is an absolute disaster as there are only six games left to retain their top-flight status, so the Goodison Park faithful will have little to celebrate from their stalemate.

The visitors failed to dominate in any area of the pitch, with just 43% possession, fewer shots on goal (10 v 12) and fewer accurate passes completed (214 v 305), while they lost possession of the ball 158 times, costing them the opportunity to gain some vital points.

Everton welcomed back striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the starting XI for the first time in months this afternoon, and despite having two shots on target during his return to action, he was unable to find the winner for his team.

The centre-forward was not the only player who made a rare appearance in the starting lineup, with Mason Holgate getting the nod to replace the injured Seamus Coleman at right-back over Nathan Patterson, and unlike Calvert-Lewin's selection, it is surely a decision Dyche will massively regret.

How did Mason Holgate get on vs Crystal Palace?

The 26-year-old hasn't featured in an Everton starting lineup since August, with the player struggling to compete with the likes of Conor Coady, James Tarkowski and Michael Keane for a position in his more familiar role at centre-back.

However, Dyche gave Holgate his chance to prove himself by forcing him into the lineup on the right flank, but the player repaid him with a sending-off and a subsequent suspension just ten minutes before the final whistle – alongside a dreadful defensive performance.

Over his 80-minute performance, the £70k-per-week flop – dubbed "torrid" by Paul Merson on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday today – lost possession 23 times, lost eight duels, completed just 16 accurate passes and committed three fouls, as well as getting dribbled past three times, as per Sofascore.

It's safe to say Holgate showed exactly why he hadn't been selected for so long and should surely be on the long list of players that Everton need to part ways with this summer.

Luckily, going down to ten men didn't cause too many problems for the Toffees, however, Dyche cannot afford for that to happen again and must be more careful with his team selection over the remaining games if Everton are going to stand a chance of Premier League survival.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have emerged from a challenging and demoralising start to the Premier League season – that saw them in bottom position before the World Cup – with a new level of confidence and attacking verve, instigated by the impressive Julen Lopetegui.

The Spaniard has managed the Midlands club to relative midtable safety and their last two results have been comfortable home victories over Chelsea and Brentford in front of the roaring Molineux faithful.

With only a small portion of this campaign left, and the intensified rumours surrounding the uncertain future of Ruben Neves, the former Sevilla boss should turn to youngster Joao Gomes to fill their impending voids.

Who is Joao Gomes?

The 22-year-old was signed from Flamengo in January 2023 for a fee of €18m (£16m). Despite only playing in England for less than four months, he has already established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting and promising prospects.

The Brazilian has only appeared for Wolves on six occasions in the top flight but has already a made memorable and season-defining impact. The youngster scored the winning goal in a stunning comeback victory for the Wanderers on his Premier League debut with a wonderfully placed effort just inside the penalty area.

His teammate and veteran Joao Moutinho showered the youngster with praise for his role in the comeback and said:

“(Joao Gomes) brings a lot of things. He is a young guy with a lot of quality. He’s aggressive, he wants the ball, he wants to play the ball, and today he had a great finish.”

Lopetegui was also stunned and added: “He showed what we know about him: he has the character and the quality.”

The decision to purchase the £30k-per-week star in January before a host of summer interest in the summer could prove to be an astute piece of business and go some of the way to replacing Neves, who is 'ready to quit' the club, as per Football Insider.

According to WhoScored, the Portuguese ranks as the highest-rated player (6.99) in the Wolves squad, but the spritely Gomes sits just behind in second (6.78).

Whilst Neves flawlessly excels in passing metrics, ranking in the top 18% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, he lacks mobility and the dribbling ability of the prodigy.

The former Flamengo man manages an average of 1.43 progressive carries and 1.28 successful take-ons per 90, whilst the club captain has only mustered 0.78 and 0.69 for the same metrics, as per FBref.

Neves has been an indispensable component of a Wolves side that was promoted from the Championship in 2018 and has formed a sturdy top-flight reputation. But, Gomes offers a more athletic and dynamic profile, and with safety looking increasingly secure, Lopetegui should undoubtedly hand the future more deserved minutes.

Everton ended their unbeaten run in the Premier League yesterday when they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford and manager Sean Dyche will be frustrated with the way his team performed from the opening minutes.

The Toffees are teetering on the edge of the relegation zone – matching Nottingham Forest on 27 points – and are only outside the bottom three on goal difference following their defeat to Erik ten Hag's side on Saturday afternoon.

Everton failed to dominate in any area of the pitch with just 36% possession of the ball, far fewer shots on target (1 vs 11), fewer big chances created (1 vs 7) and less than half accurate passes completed compared to their opponents (236 vs 535), via Sofascore.

It was a miracle in itself that the Merseysiders managed to hold off Man United's attacking threat over the first half an hour, with Jordan Pickford putting on an incredible goal-keeping display to deny the home side multiple times before Scott McTominay finally converted one of their 21 shots on goal in the 36th minute to take the lead at half-time.

Dyche sought out solutions to avoid another 45 minutes of being smothered by Man United's pressing machine that was dominating the left side throughout the first half – bringing on Vitaliy Mykolenko for Ben Godfrey.

However, it was the right side that found themselves punished when Seamus Coleman switched off to allow Anthony Martial to easily tuck away the final blow in the 71st minute, making the scoreline 2-0 at the final whistle.

How did Ben Godfrey get on vs Manchester United?

The centre-back has suffered injury issues this season but has always been an attractive prospect to his managers at Goodison Park, with Dyche the latest manager to find ways to fit him into the team.

Godfrey has been playing in the left-back position since returning to action under the Everton boss and more recently, has been preferred in the position over his Ukrainian teammate, however, he had an absolute disaster against Man Utd.

Over his 45-minute performance, the £75k-per-week dud was completely outrun by Antony and struggled to make his presence known with just six accurate passes completed, misplaced 100% of his long balls, had one error led to a shot and had fewer touches of the ball than Pickford.

Dyche quickly put Everton supporters out of their misery by hooking Godfrey at half-time, but not before England legend Stuart Pearce offered a scathing assessment of the player's display on talkSPORT's commentary of the game:

"It’s awful defending. If I was Dyche I would take Godfrey off the pitch. I think he’s having a disaster.

"Even at this stage of the game I’d get him off the pitch, because he’s going to cost you a goal.

"He just wasn’t at the races for whatever reason, Ben Godfrey.

"I like him, a very genuine player, but too many straightforward balls dissected him."

With that being said, there is no doubt that Godfrey's struggles against the Red Devils will give Dyche plenty to think about ahead of the Toffees' next game against Fulham.

And it will be interesting to see whether he keeps the faith in the player or opts for Mykolenko instead.