O Taubaté faz uma campanha relativamente boa na Copa Paulista e pode figurar entre os classificados para a próxima fase da competição. Na última terça-feira, o Burro da Central visitou o Atibaia e levou um ponto fora de casa.
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Com dois gols de Matheus Devellard, o duelo terminou empatado em 2 a 2. O camisa 10 comemorou e muito seus primeiros gols no campeonato. Para ele, o Taubaté tem condições de avançar, mas prega cautela e pés no chão.
– Estamos em busca do nosso objetivo, algo que foi planejado e está sendo trabalhado por todos nós. Fico feliz de poder ajudar. Já havia contribuído com uma assistência, agora fui feliz com dois gols. Não importa como, só quero ajudar. Ainda é um pouco cedo pra falar sobre isso, mas estamos focados e vamos lutar para passar pra próxima fase.
O Burro está no grupo D, com cinco pontos. A Portuguesa é a líder, com nove, seguida do próprio Atibaia, com seis. Em quarto e quinto, estão Juventus e São Caetano, respectivamente.
O clássico entre Corinthians e Palmeiras, neste sábado (25), teve polêmicas antes mesmo da bola rolar. Antes da partida, imagens do mosaico da Neo Química Arena foram divulgadas na internet. No desenho que estampava a o setor Oeste da Arena, uma provocação. Desenhos de Edílson fazendo embaixadinhas com a bola e, ao lado, chutando Paulo Nunes, imagens em alusão à final do Campeonato Paulista de 1999.
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Entretanto, os mosaicos precisaram ser retirados e, para tirar a imagem, foram cobertos por um bandeirão da torcida organizada ‘Gaviões da Fiel’.
A ordem para a retirada das imagens foi dada pelo Ministério Público e foi cumprida por ação da Polícia Militar.
O órgão alega que a provocação feita pela torcida do Corinthians pode incitar violência. O clube, segundo a Gazeta Esportiva, discordou da versão do Ministério Público. Mesmo assim, o Corinthians obedeceu à ordem e cobriu as imagens com o bandeirão da Gaviões da Fiel.
Outras provocações, porém, segue no estádio outra provocação. Uma faixa pequena exalta os dois títulos Mundiais conquistados pelo Corinthians, conquistas muito utilizadas para provocações e comparações entre os times.
Em março de 2021, pelo Paulistão, o mosaico relembrando a rivalidade nos mundiais, com os escritos ‘Mundial 2000 – 2012’ e ‘nunca serão’, tiveram suas retiradas ordenados pelo Ministério Público, mas Corinthians e Gaviões da Fiel não atenderam à ordem, fazendo com que um inquérito fosse aberto.
Ruben Amorim has perhaps hinted at why he is set to swap Sporting Lisbon for Manchester United following Erik ten Hag's sacking.
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Ten Hag sacked by Man UtdRed Devils close in on AmorimSporting boss hints at moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ten Hag was dismissed as United boss earlier this week, and while his assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently in charge as interim manager, the Red Devils are pressing ahead to recruit Sporting coach Amorim. As that move inches ever nearer, the 39-year-old has admitted that "something is missing" for him at present and that he loves "everything" about the Premier League.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID
He told reporters: "In life we all have phases in which we are doing very well, but something is missing and we want to take a step forward, without knowing if we are ruining what we have or not."
On the United negotiations, he said: "It's a negotiation between two clubs, which is never easy, even with the termination clauses. After the game, we'll have all these clarifications, one more day and everything will be clear."
Finally, when asked what he likes about the Premier League, he replied: "Everything!"
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite United striking an agreement with Sporting that will cost them £9.2million ($11m), the Portuguese is unlikely to start at Old Trafford before mid-November. After the club spent around £200m ($257m) on players this summer, Amorim will be under pressure to get more out of the squad and try to turn the lowly Red Devils into a force once again.
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Before Amorim does move to United, although not all is said and done on that deal, Van Nistelrooy will lead the Red Devils against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday in the Premier League before they return to Europa League action on November 7 against PAOK.
قرر مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة برئاسة هاني أبو ريدة دعوة الجمعية العمومية للاتحاد للانعقاد غير العادي؛ وذلك لتعديل بعض بنود لائحة النظام الأساسي.
وعلم “بطولات” أن الجمعية العمومية التي أعلن اتحاد الكرة عنها في اجتماعه الأخير، ستقام في شهر مارس المقبل، وذلك بحسب مناقشات الاتحاد في جلسته.
وسيسبق العمومية، مناقشة البنود التي سيتم إعادة صياغتها وتعديلها مع الأندية في ورش العمل حتى يتم اعتمادها تلقائيًا في العمومية.
طالع أيضًا | أبو ريدة: فيفا الأكثر انزعاجًا من خسارة الأهلي أمام باتشوكا في كأس إنتركونتيننتال
وكان مجلس هاني أبو ريدة قد عقد اجتماعًا الأربعاء الماضي، بحضور جميع الأعضاء، واتخذ قرارات هامة، أبرزها تشكيل لجنة فنية لاتحاد الكرة تضم رموزًا هامة وأساطير للكرة المصرية أبرزهم حسن شحاتة ومحسن صالح وعلي أبو جريشة وحلمي طولان وأحمد حسن. قرارات مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة في اجتماعه الأخير
1- التصديق على محضر الاجتماع السابق.
2 – تكليف الدكتور مصطفى عزام بالعمل مديراً تنفيذياً للاتحاد.
3 – إلغاء جميع القرارات المالية والتعيينات التي تمت خلال شهري نوفمبر الماضي وديسمبر الحالي، قبل تولي مجلس الإدارة مهامه مع تكليف المدير التنفيذي بمراجعة القرارات المماثلة التي تم اتخاذها في بقية الشهور الستة الأخيرة.
4 – تكليف السيد المدير التنفيذي بمتابعة اللجان المشكلة للانتهاء من عمليات التسليم والتسلم.
5 – فيما يخص التكليفات التي تم إسنادها خلال الاجتماع السابق للسادة أعضاء المجلس تم الاستماع لعرض السادة الأعضاء عن المهام المكلفين بها، ووجه السيد رئيس الاتحاد الشكر لهم على الجهد المبذول و تقرر إحالة التقارير للجان التي ستشكل الجلسة القادمة.
6 – وقرر المجلس تشكيل اللجنة الفنية على النحو التالي: (حسن شحاتة، محسن صالح، علي أبو جريشة، حلمي طولان، حسن فريد، محمد عمر، أحمد حسن، عبد الظاهر السقا)، بالإضافة للمدير الفني للاتحاد بصفته.
7 – اطلع المجلس على التقرير المقدم من المدير الفني للاتحاد و وتقرر إحالته للجنة الفنية المشكلة لعرض توصياتها بشأنه.
8 – اطلع المجلس على تقرير إدارة المسابقات ووافق على ما جاء به، وتقرر عرض مقترح الموسم المُقبل في الجلسة المقبلة، فيما تم الموافقة على المقترح المقدم بتحديد بدلات مراقبي المباريات اعتباراً من الأول من يناير.
كما تقرر تشكيل لجنة المسابقات كالتالي: سيد بخيت (رئيس اللجنة)، والأعضاء “خالد كامل، ياسر رأفت، مجدي الشيخ (عن القسم الثاني ب)، مصطفى عيسى (عن القسم الثالث)، ناصر فراج (مقررًا)”.
9 – قرر المجلس صرف مستحقات الحكام في جميع الأقسام طبقا للكشف المعد من الكابتن / چيمس حنا المدير المالي للجنة الحكام.
10 – تقرر رفع بدلات التحكيم في جميع المسابقات اعتباراً من الأول من يناير المقبل؛ وذلك طبقا للكشف التفصيلي المقدم.
11 – اعتباراً من الأول من يناير المقبل يتحمل الاتحاد مصروفات التحكيم في جميع المسابقات سواء للفريق الأول أو المراحل السنية المختلفة؛ وذلك تخفيفاً على الأندية فيما عدا مسابقة القسم الأول.
12 – عدم الموافقة على الجمع بين العمل في الاتحاد و إداراته و العمل بالمنتخبات الوطنية.
13 – يُمنع قيد أي لاعب في فترة القيد المقبلة (يناير 2025) إلا بعد سداد كامل رسوم القيد مقدماً، وتكليف الأندية بسداد الديون المستحقة عليها للاتحاد، مع مد فترة القيد الشتوية من 1 يناير حتى ٨ فبراير المقبلين.
14 – الموافقة على هيكل إدارة الإعلام المقدم من السيد أسامة إسماعيل.
16 – قرر المجلس دعوة الجمعية العمومية للاتحاد للانعقاد غير العادي؛ وذلك لتعديل بعض بنود لائحة النظام الأساسي والتي سيتم عقد ورش عمل بشأنها قبل إرسالها إلى الأعضاء، بالإضافة إلى انتخاب اللجان القضائية ومناقشة مقترح تعديل شكل المسابقات.
Leeds United are currently preparing to launch a second attempt at earning promotion to the Premier League as another season in the Championship is on the horizon for the club.
The Whites lost in the play-off final at Wembley last month as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton and there could now be some change to their squad over the months to come.
Daniel Farke looks set to be in the market for a new central defender in the upcoming summer transfer window to replace star titan Joe Rodon.
The Wales international spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur but the Whites did not have an option to make that deal permanent.
Leeds United's loan defender Joe Rodon.
It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to bring back the former Swansea colossus for a second stint at Elland Road after they failed to earn promotion out of the Championship.
The summer transfer window opens for business later this month and the Yorkshire-based outfit could make moves to bring in a new central defender instead of bringing Rodon back, should they fail to agree a deal with Spurs or the player decides to move elsewhere.
Leeds United's interest in promotion-winning defender
It was recently reported by Afton Bladet, via The 72, that the Whites are one of the clubs interested in signing St. Pauli central defender Eric Smith.
The German side won the 2. Bundesliga this season and will be moving up to the Bundesliga next term, as they achieved what Leeds failed to do and worked their way out of the second tier.
Fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion were also said to be in the running to land the Swedish titan to bolster Carlos Corberan's defensive options.
West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan.
However, the report did not reveal how much St. Pauli would demand for their star defender or if they would even be willing to entertain offers for him.
The German side are currently in the process of losing their head coach Fabian Hürzeler to Brighton & Hove Albion, per Fabrizio Romano, and that may have an impact on any potential deal.
St. Pauli may want to wait until they have a replacement manager in place so that they can judge the squad and make decisions on players, including Smith.
If Leeds wait it out and do eventually win the race to sign the 27-year-old colossus, though, then they could land a dream partner for Pascal Struijk at the back next season.
Pascal Struijk's injury-disrupted season for Leeds
The Dutch star missed the second half of the 2023/24 campaign through injury and that forced defensive midfielder Ethan Ampadu to deputise at centre-back next to Joe Rodon, which means that his return next term could allow the Welshman to move back onto the middle of the park.
Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu.
A groin injury at the start of 2024, with his last appearance coming against Preston North End on Boxing Day, eventually ended the defender's chances of featuring during the club's promotion push.
However, Farke revealed that the left-footed ace will be back for pre-season after he had surgery on his groin injury in March of this year, which suggests that the Whites star will be fit for the start of the season.
During the first half of this season, though, Struijk showcased his quality in and out of possession on the pitch at Championship level for Leeds.
As you can see in the chart above, he ranked within the top 2% of his positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (6.61) and the top 10% for pass accuracy (89.9%).
This speaks to how forward-thinking and progressive he is in possession, which is crucial in building out from the back as the defender constantly looks to play forward efficiently and effectively, rather than being safe and playing sideways and backwards.
23/24 Championship
Pascal Struijk
Appearances
23
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.1
Ball recoveries per game
6.1
Ground duel success rate
61%
Aerial duel success rate
61%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Struijk was also a solid operator off the ball as he won the majority of his physical battles on the deck and in the air.
Leeds could now partner him with a fantastic right-sided centre-back to complement the left-footer by securing a deal to sign Smith this summer.
Why Leeds should sign Eric Smith
Firstly, he is a right-footed defender who would be deployed on the right side of a central defensive pairing, which is perfect for the left-footed Struijk, who plays on the left.
Smith, like the Dutchman, is also a ball-playing centre-back who likes to progress the play with his passes in a team that dominates the possession.
pascal-struijk
The 27-year-old ace ranked within the top 9% of 2. Bundesliga centre-backs for progressive passes per 90 (5.83) and the top 21% for passes attempted per 90 (66.92), which speaks to how ball-dominant he is.
This is backed up by German football consultant Adam Khan once dubbing him the "Sergio Busquets" of the 2. Bundesliga due to his ability to step into midfield and progress play with the ball at his feet, like a midfielder.
Alongside his fantastic ability in possession, Smith is also a solid defender, like Struijk, who can hold his own in duels on the deck and in the air.
2. Bundesliga
Eric Smith
Appearances
26
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.9
Ball recoveries per game
5.4
Ground duel success rate
66%
Aerial duel success rate
60%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Swedish ace won the majority of his battles against opposition attackers in his team's title-winning season in Germany.
Smith, therefore, is a centre-back who is as comfortable in possession as he is out of it, which makes him the perfect modern-day defender to fit into Farke's ball-dominant Leeds side.
It also makes him a dream partner for Struijk at the back for the Whites as they could form a terrific pairing as two players who can both dominate attackers whilst both being able to play out from the back effectively.
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This is why the Yorkshire-based outfit should push to beat West Brom to his signature this summer if they fail to bring Rodon back to Elland Road.
The latest Covid-19 restrictions have the potential to impact the start of the domestic season
Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-2020
Cricket Victoria are based at Junction Oval in Melbourne•Getty Images
Cricket Victoria are starting to consider the various scenarios that could be required to allow their domestic season to start on schedule if the new Covid-19 lockdown of Melbourne means the teams are unable to play at home.Melbourne and Mitchell Shire – an area north of the city – returned to lockdown at midnight on Wednesday after a spike in Covid numbers which has also led to fresh border restrictions being put in place.It has created major problems for various winter sporting codes who have rushed to try and keep their seasons going by moving teams to inter-state hubs. While cricket still has some time on its side with the season more than two months away the contingency planning is starting with one potential scenario that Victoria could spend the first chunk of the season on the road.While there is currently no schedule for the domestic season, last year the men’s summer began in late September with a period of Marsh One-Day Cup matches before the Sheffield Shield in early October with the rest of the one-day competition played alongside.If the first part of the season followed the same structure as last year it could also include some Women’s National Cricket League matches ahead of the WBBL which, in its first standalone tournament in 2019-2020, took place during October and November. There are two Melbourne-based WBBL teams, the Renegades and the Stars.”I’m just doing some pre-planning as to how it could look if we were forced to quarantine or get an exemption to be able to quarantine in one of the northern states or across the west,” Shaun Graf, Cricket Victoria’s general manager of cricket told . “If we had to quarantine and these [Marsh Cup] games are later in September we’d be looking to have to get out of here if we were able to early September, hopefully get exemptions across the other states and play away from home. That’s one the scenarios I’m looking at, hence I’m looking at we could be away for anything up to two months.”Graf does not believe the potential of being in a hub for an extended period of time would present the same challenge for cricketers as it is doing for some other sports. The players are used to travelling for extensive periods, albeit usually spread across a whole season with 35-40 days on the road for the Shield, although the additional bio-security measures would be a challenge.”We’ve spoken to players, it’s not quite the same as for football codes because we are used to travelling and being on the road a long period of time but everyone needs to know that this may be a scenario if we are to kick the season off,” he said. “We’d have to make sure players stay within the compound of hotels, that’s something we’d need to look at because you haven’t got the freedom to go for a run or have a hit of gold so we’d have to look at those issues that footy has confronted. But generally from a travelling point of view it doesn’t really faze a cricket side as much as the football codes.”Graf added that while travel is a “fairly major cost” in normal circumstances he would expect Cricket Australia to help with the additional expense of a hub which would entail the need for a larger squad. “If we were in the situation where we had to go into a hub we’d talk to CA and I’d expect there would be some offset,” he said.For the immediate future, Victoria’s pre-season for both the men’s and women’s squads has not been stopped by the new lockdown with elite sport having an exemption to train with strict bio-security measures in place. Graf revealed up to six Victoria players have been tested for Covid-19 after reporting symptoms but have all come back negative.
This week has been somewhat of a whirlwind at Chelsea football club, with Mauricio Pochettino’s exit kickstarting the mayhem.
After finishing sixth in the Premier League and losing in the EFL Cup final, the Argentine failed to impress Todd Boehly.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues are now in a position where they will look to appoint a new boss rather swiftly, with over ten managers already linked with the club.
However, it seems that they’ve now finally decreased their shortlist as they look to sign a boss who could make Enzo Fernandes world-class.
Chelsea’s search for a Pochettino replacement
The list of potential Chelsea managers seems to be getting longer as the days pass, but there are clearly two targets who have been mentioned the most.
Kieran McKenna of Ipswich Town is one of them, and he’s set to be at the centre of a three-way battle between Manchester United, the Blues, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
But it’s the boss who went unbeaten against him this season – the teams drawing twice – and pipped him to the Championship title that’s emerging as the favourite, Enzo Maresca.
According to The Guardian, Chelsea are currently in talks to begin contact with the Italian, who has an £8.5m release clause and is interested in the role at Stamford Bridge.
How Maresca could transform Enzo Fernandez
Leicester City’s return to the Premier League was a fantastic achievement after losing plenty of key players, but to do it in the fashion that they did is simply unbelievable.
The players deserve plenty of credit for their role in the success, but the majority of the plaudits must go to Maresca, who truly transformed the club and has been dubbed as "incredible" by midfielder Harry Winks.
To put into perspective just how dominant the Foxes were, they scored the second most goals in the division, conceded the fewest, and boasted an average possession of 62%.
Wins
31
18
Defeats
11
11
Goals scored
89
77
Goals conceded
41
63
Clean sheets
15
8
Possession
62%
58.9%
Each individual flourished in the Italian’s setup, but one player who truly starred was Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the driving force in the middle of the park.
The England international excelled as the left-sided central midfielder, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists, and Boehly will hope that Maresca can inspire Fernandez to follow a similar trajectory.
The Argentine joined Chelsea for a huge £107m fee in January last year, and unfortunately, he’s not really lived up to expectations this season.
Fernandez started 26 matches during the campaign, scoring three goals and providing two assists, but in a new role that promises attacking freedom, he could finally reach his potential.
The former Benfica ace is the definition of a technical ace, boasting 1.1 key passes, 79.2 touches, and 55.7 passes per game, while he’s also a threat in the final third, taking 1.7 shots per match.
Those statistics indicate that he would be best suited to a role similar to Dewsbury-Hall's; their profile is rather alike in regards to the fact that they can influence the game at both ends of the field. The clip below shows the kind of position that Fernandez would find himself in far more often under the Foxes coach.
Additionally, Maresca's extreme possession-based style would highlight Fernandez's strengths while also hiding his weaknesses, which is a sign of a top manager.
Overall, the Italian would be a great choice as the next Chelsea boss, and if he can transform the Blues players like he did at Leicester, he could quickly become a favourite amongst the fans and the squad.
Chelsea offered "incredible" manager who'd transform Caicedo
Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel isn’t a fan of the manager target.
Celtic turn their attention away from the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they prepare to take on Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the SFA Cup.
The Hoops travel across Glasgow to take on the Dons in the semi-finals of the competition, as they look to book a place in the final next month – where they would face either Rangers or Hearts.
Brendan Rodgers' side come into this match off the back of a 3-0 win over St Mirren in the Premiership on Saturday, which extended their lead at the top of the division to four points – cut to three after their rivals picked up a point against Dundee on Wednesday night.
Brendan Rodgers.
Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Adam Idah all got on the scoresheet during the second half against St Mirren, in what turned out to be a comfortable victory for the Bhoys after a goalless first half.
The Northern Irish head coach could now make some changes for this cup clash, to provide other players with an opportunity to impress, and should finally unleash Luis Palma from the start ahead of Hyun-jun Yang, with Daizen Maeda out injured.
When Daizen Maeda is expected to return
Earlier this month, Rodgers revealed that the Japan international has suffered an injury in the tendon of his hamstring, which ruled him out of the clash with St Mirren.
The Hoops boss added that the right-footed winger will be re-assessed over the coming weeks to see whether or not he will be available to play again before the end of the season.
This suggests that there is no guarantee that Maeda will be fit enough to feature during the run-in, and Celtic supporters may have to wait until the 2024/25 campaign to see him in action again, unless he can recover over the next few weeks.
23/24 Premiership
Daizen Maeda
Appearances
25
Goals
5
Big chances missed
12
Assists
2
Key passes per game
0.5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old forward has been wasteful with his opportunities in front of goal in the Premiership this season, and has rarely created chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.
However, Rodgers claimed – in September 2023 – that having Maeda on the pitch is like having "two players" due to the "unbelievable" work rate he puts in out wide, which shows that there is far more to his game than just goals and assists.
Celtic will need to find a solution to his absence on the left flank and Yang put in a solid performance against St Mirren, but Palma should also be presented with an opportunity to shine.
Hyun-yun Yang's season in numbers
The South Korean whiz, who was signed from Gangwon FC last summer, has not had the easiest of first seasons in Glasgow as he has battled to adjust to football in Scotland.
Yang is yet to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI and inconsistent numbers in the final third have followed, with four direct goal contributions in 24 appearances and ten starts in the league.
In fact, the 21-year-old attacker has zero goals, zero assists, and one red card in his last four league outings for the Scottish giants, after two assists in the previous two matches – perfectly illustrating his inconsistent season.
Celtic winger Hyun-jun Yang.
Of course, Celtic should not have expected a player to come to Europe for the first time at the age of 21 and hit the ground running with consistently brilliant performances, which is why Yang needs time and should be viewed as a great prospect for the future.
There were promising signs from his display as a starter against St Mirren, with three key passes and one 'big chance' created, but he also lost nine of his 15 duels and only completed three of his seven attempted dribbles.
He ended the match without a goal or an assist to show for his efforts, and this upcoming clash with Aberdeen provides Rodgers with a chance to replace him with Palma, who has the potential to offer more at the top end of the pitch.
Why Luis Palma should start for Celtic
Signed from Greek side Aris on a permanent deal last summer, the talented star has proven himself to be capable of scoring and assisting goals on a regular basis from a wide position.
Earlier this season, former Celtic man Peter Grant lauded Palma as a "real threat" and claimed that the winger "causes havoc" with his ability to send dangerous balls into the box to create chances for his teammates.
The Honduras international, who created one 'big chance' in just 19 minutes against St Mirren, hit the ground running at the start of the campaign, and his numbers back that up.
23/24 Premiership
Luis Palma
Appearances
24
Starts
17
Goals
6
Big chances created
13
Assists
9
Key passes per game
2.7
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 5 foot 10 magician has been directly involved in 15 goals in 17 league starts for the Scottish giants this season.
Only Matt O'Riley (11) has assisted more goals in the division for Celtic, and no player has created as many 'big chances' as Palma's 13 so far.
Celtic forward Luis Palma.
This speaks to how influential the 24-year-old wizard has been at times for the Hoops, as there are few players as good as him when it comes to creating chances and assisting goals within Rodgers' squad.
His last start came against Kilmarnock in February and the forward has scored one goal and created one 'big chance' in three substitute appearances since then.
He has provided quality off the bench and the manager must now finally unleash him from the start today in the hope that his quality at the top end of the pitch, as a scorer and a creator of goals, can fire the Hoops to the final of the SFA Cup.
It will be an interesting battle to nail down the left wing spot in the absence of Maeda, and the opportunities will be there for Palma and Yang to both state their case for a regular place in the starting XI between now and the end of the season.
Newcastle United have been handed a major boost in their efforts to sign an "incredible" Premier League rival in a free transfer this summer.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies' squad needs reinforcements in various positions moving forward, in order to give Eddie Howe a stronger group of players with more depth after injuries cut through them this season, and they have been backed to sign many players in recent weeks.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is enjoying an excellent season, scoring five goals and getting seven assists in the league, and he has been linked with a summer move to Newcastle. He has been viewed as a potential partner for Bruno Guimaraes, being seen as similar to Real Madrid and England superstar Jude Bellingham in style.
Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates for Nottingham Forest
Newcastle are also believed to be favourites to snap up Borussia Monchengladbach ace Manu Kone, with the 22-year-old a possible alternative to Gibbs-White, albeit in a different role, doing more of the dirty work and allowing Bruno to be the one advancing up the pitch.
Champions League-winning midfielder Billy Gilmour is another target for the Magpies, currently plying his trade at Brighton, and he could jump at the opportunity to seal a switch to St James' Park, seeing it as a natural next step in his career.
Newcastle handed boost over "incredible" Kelly
According to a fresh update from HITC, Newcastle target Lloyd Kelly has turned down the chance to sign a new deal at Bournemouth, acting as a big boost for the Magpies, with the defender now certain to be available on a free transfer this summer.
PIF are now "stepping up their efforts to sign" the Englishman at the end of the season, and they are now "seen as the favourites to secure Kelly’s signature at this stage", even though there has been "strong interest" from Liverpool and Tottenham.
Lloyd Kelly in action for Bournemouth in the Premier League.
It does feel as though the 25-year-old is a top target for the Magpies at this point, considering how many times he has been linked with a summer switch to the club. The fact that he will be available on a free transfer makes him a shrewd option to come in, providing depth at both centre-back and left-back – two positions that have faltered through form or injury this term.
Admittedly, Kelly wouldn't necessarily be the stellar, big-name defensive signing that some Newcastle fans crave, but players of his versatile ilk can be priceless additions, with former manager Gary O'Neil saying of him last season: “I thought Lloyd was incredible. I think he had a 12-week ankle injury followed by a six-week calf injury. Didn't have much time in between, and then came back today having not trained much, to play left back against one of the best wingers in the world (Mo Salah).
"I thought he showed everything, the potential he has to be a top defender. I thought it was a very, very impressive performance against a top attacker."
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The fact that Kelly has played nine and six times at left-back and centre-back respectively this term shows how adept he is at shining across two key roles on a regular basis, and he could be a great option for Howe, who knows him well from their time together at Bournemouth.