Everything you need to know about Quinten Timber's salary details playing for Feyenoord

Dutch midfielder Quinten Timber is a product of the Ajax academy, having previously spent six seasons at the youth level with Feyenoord as well. He made his Jong Ajax debut in 2018 before moving to Utrecht in 2021. A year later, Timber returned to Feyenoord, becoming Utrecht’s most expensive outgoing transfer at the time.

At Feyenoord, Timber immediately established himself in midfield, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Known for his technical skills, midfield control, and leadership qualities, he earned the captain’s armband at just 23 years old during the 2024-25 season.

Timber’s current contract with Feyenoord runs until 2026, and although he is not among the top earners at the club, he remains a loyal and vital presence in the squad.

So, exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Quinten Timber's wages at Feyenoord in numbers

Under Timber's current four-year contract with Feyenoord, the Dutch midfielder receives a weekly salary of €18,077 and an annual salary of €940,000.

Compared to other leading players in the Feyenoord team, Timber's salary is relatively lower.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Euros

Annual wages in Euros

Quinten Timber

Dutch

€18,077

€940,000

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Feyenoord

Justin Bijlow is the top earner at Feyenoord, with Calvin Stengs and David Hancko in second and third positions.

Ramiz Zerrouki and Igor Paixao are fourth and fifth in the earnings list.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Euros

Annual wages in Euros

Justin Bijlow

Dutch

€56,538

€2,940,000

Calvin Stengs

Dutch

€47,115

€2,450,000

David Hancko

Serbian

€45,192

€2,350,000

Ramiz Zerrouki

Algerian

€33,846

€1,760,000

Igor Paixao

Brazilian

€33,846

€1,760,000

Top earners in Eredivisie

Jordan Henderson, formerly of Liverpool, has the highest salary in the Eredivisie. Sergino Dest from PSV is next. Daniele Rugani, an Italian player, is third, with Ajax's Brian Brobbey and Steven Berghuis in fourth and fifth.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in Euros

Annual wages in Euros

Jordan Henderson

Ajax

€90,000

€4,680,000

Sergino Dest

PSV

€75,385

€3,920,000

Daniele Rugani

Ajax

€75,385

€3,920,000

Brian Brobbey

Ajax

€57,692

€3,000,000

Steven Berghuis

Ajax

€56,731

€2,950,000

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AFPHighest paid players in the world

Eredivisie player salaries are significant but lower than those of top global footballers, with none in the highest ranks.

The top five earners are in the Saudi Pro League, with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr having the highest salary.

Karim Benzema, formerly of Real Madrid, is second, followed by Riyad Mahrez, previously with Manchester City and now at Al-Ahli, in third.

Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages Euros

Annual wages Euros

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

€3,846,154

€200,000,000

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

€1,923,077

€100,000,000

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

€1,003,846

€52,200,000

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

€769,231

€40,000,000

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

€667,308

€34,700,000

Duo shared five wickets as New Zealand lost 5 for 45 in final session, after Conway-Latham century stand

Himanshu Agrawal02-Jan-2023

Agha Salman celebrates after having Devon Conway caught behind•Associated Press

Agha Salman struck thrice with his offbreaks, while Naseem Shah’s encouraging reverse swing continued to trouble New Zealand, who lost five for 45 in the final session after dominating play across the morning and afternoon. The visitors had piled up 119 and 107 in the first two sessions for the loss of one wicket. The last one fetched them only 83 runs with the loss of five more.Devon Conway hit 122 out of New Zealand’s total of 309 on the first day, riding his luck on the way to a fourth Test hundred, and continuing on a fantastic start to his Test career after becoming the fastest from his country to 1000 runs in the format during the first Test of the tour. He also made up after falling for 92 in the first match.Play in the evening began with Abrar Ahmed bowling his 15th over in a row – albeit separated by the tea break. Naseem then beat Kane Williamson’s outside edge on the first ball of the second over after resumption, only for replays to show a faint tickle. That was a sign of things to come, as Naseem kept clocking 140kph while reversing the ball against both Williamson and Conway.But it was Salman who struck first, getting the ball to dip and turn away from Conway, who went jabbing and edged behind to Sarfaraz Ahmed in the 63rd over. Next over, Naseem pitched one perfectly on the fuller side of a length on fourth stump, with Williamson’s outside edge also landing in the gloves of Sarfaraz, who went low and tumbled in front of first slip to complete the grab.That left New Zealand with virtually two new batters at the crease in Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell, with the latter happy to take a good stride forward and getting across off stump to try and negate the movement Naseem got it. Naseem tried going around the wicket – and with it, wide of the crease – to the left-hander Nicholls, as both he and Salman tied the two batters down.That is when Mitchell fell to a classical offspinner’s dismissal, missing his clip across the line when Salman tossed one up outside off and got it to turn in through bat and pad, and hit off stump. With the ball having split its seam, the umpires changed it immediately after.But Pakistan stuck to Hasan Ali and Salman, as they kept the scoring in check, with the fast bowler preferring to go short, and the offspinner teasing the batters with loop. Salman got his third just seven deliveries before the second new ball was due, although credit for that would go to Babar Azam.Standing at slip, Babar was the only one who reacted and half-appealed after Nicholls tried to slash a short ball outside off turning away from him. He opted for the review at the last second after umpire Aleem Dar ruled it not out and UltraEdge showed a little snick behind to Sarfaraz.Tom Latham and Devon Conway added their second successive hundred-run partnership•Associated Press

That was the fourth of Dar’s 12 decisions overturned throughout the two Tests on this tour. And New Zealand slid further when Abrar, expensive throughout the day, hit Michael Bracewell flush in front to get him for the third time in as many occasions in the series. The visitors were six down, as Tom Blundell and Ish Sodhi saw them off to stumps.Earlier in the day, the visitors were in the driver’s seat across the first two sessions, losing only Tom Latham for 71 when Naseem had sharply angled one into the left-hander at high pace to break a strong opening stand of 134 – Latham and Conway’s second successive century stand for the first wicket – in the 36th over. Naseem had conceded just six runs in that five-over spell when he bowled three maidens, even as Abrar kept leaking runs at the other end. Having gone for 26 in five overs before lunch, Abrar was taken for another 41 in his first six overs after the break, with Conway confidently driving and whipping the spinner each time he erred in line or length.But Conway also had some fortune going his way throughout. Pakistan had reviewed a not-out verdict by Alex Wharf when Conway, on 39, was beaten by one that angled in off a good length, only for the ball projected to be going over the stumps. When he was on 86, an outside edge fell short of the lone slip and two overs later, when Conway was on 89, Hasan induced an edge to gully, where Saud Shakeel spilled it after diving to his right. Conway finally reached his hundred in the 52nd over, when he flicked Mir Hamza between mid-on and midwicket, as New Zealand piled on the misery on Pakistan.After opting to bat, New Zealand raced to 54 in the first 11 overs before a quiet period slowed them down. Latham also was ruled out lbw by umpire Wharf, before he used the DRS to reverse it, having inside edged it onto his pads.Eventually though, the day ended in fine balance, as Pakistan hit back in the evening session, with New Zealand losing their way from a dominant 234 for 1 to only a stable 309 for 6.

Manchester City got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Going to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been something of a tricky assignment for Pep Guardiola’s team over the years, but a professional performance saw them over the line.

Results prior to Wednesday's fixture.

After two games out with injury, Erling Haaland was the man who scored the only goal of the game. It was a cute finish from the City number 9, who steered home a deflected cross from Jeremy Doku which was fired across goal. Haaland was involved in the build-up, too, linking up play before darting into the box.

It was not all plain sailing for City though, against a side that has been their bogey team in recent seasons. Lilywhites captain Son Heung-min was denied by Ederson, and Wilson Ododbert was inches away from tucking home a cross from Pedro Porro at the back post.

The Norweigan striker thought he had doubled his and City’s tally for the night in the second half. However, the goal was disallowed for a handball, and VAR did not overturn it. Nevertheless, the visitors held on to earn an important three points.

There were certainly some standout players for the Citizens on the night.

Man City’s best players vs. Spurs

One of the standout players in such an important win for the East Mancunians was Jeremy Doku. The Belgian winger, who was awarded the player of the match award, ran tirelessly at the Spurs defence all night, never giving them any respite.

Doku’s stats from the game, courtesy of Sofascore, were outstanding. The 22-year-old had 57 touches, completed an impressive five out of nine dribbles, and created two chances.

Off the ball, he worked hard, winning seven ground duels in what was a dominant display from the winger, which Haaland certainly profited off. It was, of course, Doku’s deflected cross which led to the goal.

Another player who impressed for City was young centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. The Uzbekistan international had a rocky start to life at at the Etihad, but since the first five minutes of his debut against Chelsea, he has shown exactly why the Premier League champions signed him.

Goal journalist Sean Walsh gave the defender a 7/10 for his efforts, describing his performance as a ‘strong and stable showing’ against a dangerous attack that included Odobert from the start and Son off the bench.

As well as Doku and Khusanov played, there was one City star who struggled in North London.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Man City star who struggled vs. Spurs

On what was a good night for City, one player who arguably struggled was Matheus Nunes. Playing right back once again, it was, at times, a tough night at the office for the Portugal international, who was directly defending against Odobert.

Walsh gave the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star a 6/10 for his efforts, explaining that it seemed like Nunes ‘didn’t particularly enjoy his battles’ against the electric Odobert, who was operating down that left flank for Spurs.

However, it wasn’t all bad for Nunes. The midfielder-turned-right-back made a fantastic, goal-saving challenge on new Spurs attacker Mathys Tel in the second half, denying the Frenchman what seemed like it could be a certain goal.

With that being said, Nunes’ numbers from the game are somewhat underwhelming. Without the ball, his struggles were highlighted, winning just two out of seven ground duels and losing his only attempted tackle. He also lost the ball 11 times, although did create one chance.

Touches

66

Pass accuracy

88%

Passes completed

36/41

Number of times ball lost

11

Ground duels won

2/7

Tackles won

0/1

Chances created

1

City’s next assignment in the Premier League is a tough away trip to Nottingham Forest. Renowned for their tricky wingers like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga, it could provide a tough assignment for Nunes.

There is no doubting his ability, but perhaps in a game where City will get hit on the counter and have wingers constantly driving at them, Guardiola will decide to rotate him out of the side, in favour of a more natural defender.

Of course, it remains to be seen which route they take when it comes to selection for a game ten days or so away. However, after Nunes struggled, perhaps it will be in Guardiola’s mind to select someone else at right back.

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Elgar raises concerns over the pitch; Cummins says there was nothing dangerous about it

Andrew McGlashan18-Dec-2022The Gabba pitch could come under scrutiny after producing the second shortest Test match in Australia. South Africa captain Dean Elgar revealed he had approached the umpires in the closing stages to question when conditions would be deemed to have become dangerous although Pat Cummins had no qualms about the surface.”I did ask the umpires when KG [Rabada] got [Travis] Head out down leg, I said ‘how long does it go on for until it potentially is unsafe?’,” Elgar said. “And then [Anrich] Nortje was bowling those short ones that were flying over our heads. I know the game is dead and buried, it was never to try and change or put a halt to the game. That’s where the umpire’s discretion comes into play, not us as players. I am definitely not going to say it was safe or unsafe.”Related

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Elgar added he didn’t get a response from the officials. “There were only a handful of runs left so I thought maybe they thought I was just trying to take the mickey,” he said. “But it’s not a bad reference point going forward to get a reply.”Cummins’ view was the pitch had not come anywhere close to dangerous. “No way, it was fine,” he said. “Sideways movement, there was a little bit of up and down bounce, but it was fine. There were no balls jumping off a length or anything like that.”It was certainly tricky. Two days probably isn’t ideal…personally, I don’t mind it if the groundsman err on the greener side occasionally, [I’ve] played a lot of Tests where they’ve erred on the flatter side. Think it was the same for both teams.”Two strong bowling attacks exploited a surface offering considerable movement and some uneven bounce to produce just the second two-day finish in Australia. The only Test in the country to end with fewer deliveries involved was also between Australia and South Africa, at Melbourne in 1931-32, which is also the shortest Test of all time and involved the visitors being bowled out for 36 and 45.In 2022, the totals were somewhat less dramatic, although South Africa only got as far as 99 because of a last-wicket stand of 30 between Khaya Zondo and Lungi Ngidi. As Australia chased 34 for victory they lost four wickets to Kagiso Rabada and 15 of the runs came from wide bouncers that sailed over the keeper.”You’ve got to ask yourself the question – is that a good advertisement for our format? Thirty four wickets in two days – a pretty one-sided affair, I would say,” Elgar said. “The nature of it, how it started to play with some seriously steep bounce with the old ball, you are kind of on a hiding to none as a batting unit. I don’t think it was a very good Test wicket, no.”Pat Cummins’ view was the pitch had not come anywhere close to dangerous: “There were no balls jumping off a length or anything like that”•Getty ImagesIt is not unusual for Sheffield Shield pitches to start green at the Gabba – and they usual flatten out during the first couple of days – but the concerning element during the second day was the signs of uneven bounce which crept in as divots which formed on the opening day started to harden. Alex Carey and Temba Bavuma were both struck on the elbow while Bavuma was then trapped lbw by one which kept low from Nathan Lyon.”It was interesting to see how quickly this one actually did start divoting and how quickly the ball sped up, especially the new ball,” Elgar said. “And also today the older ball was flying through which shouldn’t be really happening. The divots had quite a big role to play with the sideways movement and up and down and that steep bounce which is quite something to faceThe view from some Australian players and others who had seen a lot of cricket at this ground was the pitch, although having the same 5mm of grass as last year’s Ashes, was the toughest they had encountered.”I haven’t seen one as green,” Ricky Ponting said on . “Matthew Hayden played here more than me, and he hasn’t seen one as green and Justin Langer said he hasn’t seen one as green. We saw Nathan Lyon in the first innings of this game with quite an excessive up-bounce. That one stayed down a fraction. That is some of these divots. If these balls land on the front part of the divots, the part closer to the bowler, they will stay down. If they land on the far end of the divot, that’s the ones that will go up.”The ICC’s pitch monitoring process rates a surface in one of six categories, although the lowest – unfit – is only for extreme occasions. The ‘below average’ and ‘poor’ ratings both bring one and three demerit points respectively and if a ground earns five over a five-year period, it can be suspended from hosting international cricket.Under below average, the ICC’s criteria states: “Either very little carry and/or bounce and/or more than occasional seam movement, or occasional variable (but not excessive or dangerous) bounce and/or occasional variable carry.”The section under the poor rating reads: “If any of the following criteria apply, a pitch may be rated “poor”:The pitch offers excessive seam movement at any stage of the matchThe pitch displays excessive unevenness of bounce for any bowler at any stage of the matchThe pitch offers excessive assistance to spin bowlers, especially early in the matchThe pitch displays little or no seam movement or turn at any stage in the match together with no significant bounce or carry, thereby depriving the bowlers of a fair contest between bat and ball The pitch displays excessive moisture making its playing characteristics unpredictable, or excessive dryness leading to the surface to deteriorate.The most recent pitch to be handed demerit points was the Rawalpindi surface produced for the opening Test against England which was deemed “below average” after a run-laden encounter, although Ben Stokes’ team secured a remarkable victory.

Manchester United have now struck an agreement to sign a “world-class” striker in the summer, according to a report.

Red Devils keen on a striker

It would be fair to say there are a number of positions Man United will need to strengthen if they are to compete for the biggest honours once again, and Rasmus Hojlund’s performances this season indicate a new striker will be required.

The Dane has just two goals to his name in the Premier League, and the alternative option hasn’t performed much better either, with Joshua Zirkzee finding the back of the net three times in the top flight since joining from Bologna in the summer.

As such, it is little wonder Ruben Amorim is pursuing a new striker, and a number of targets have been identified, with a recent report revealing Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is of interest, alongside Atalanta marksman Mateo Retegui.

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Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres is a player well-known to Amorim from his time with the Portuguese club, and the striker has become a target for a number of top clubs as a result of his performances in the Liga Portugal.

However, a report from Spain has now claimed Man United have already struck a deal to sign Gyokeres in the summer, having identified the need to improve their goal-scoring output, given their struggles this term.

The Swedish forward has a €100m (£83m) release clause in his contract, but the Portuguese side have shown a willingness to come down to a fee of around €70m (£58m).

The report states United have been the most persistent of any potential suitor, and they now stand in line to reap the rewards in the summer, although it is not clear which fee they have settled on.

Gyokeres could be a "world-class" signing

In truth, the idea that a deal has already been agreed raises skepticism, with no other sources reporting an agreement has been struck for the 26-year-old to move to Old Trafford.

United are almost certain to miss out on Champions League football once again this season, which means the move may not be the most attractive proposition for a striker who appears to be entering his prime.

However, if the Red Devils are able to get a deal done, there are clear signs he would be a real upgrade in attack, having been lauded as “world-class” by members of the media.

The Sporting star has scored 22 goals in 20 Liga Portugal matches this season, while he has also proven himself in the Champions League, scoring six in eight games in Europe’s elite competition.

Hojlund is still only 22-years-old and has plenty of time to improve, but it is clear United need to bring in a ready-made top striker if they are going to get back to where they should be, and Gyokeres could be the perfect addition.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após um período conturbado com a falta de resultados, o Grêmio conseguiu emplacar vitórias e chegou ao G4 da Série B.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

Agora, o time de Roger Machado aparece na quarta colocação e tem a possibilidade de abrir uma vantagem na zona de acesso.

Com 22 pontos, o Tricolor tem um a mais que o Sport, primeiro time fora do G4 e que não venceu nas últimas rodadas.

Caso o cenário permaneça o mesmo e o Tricolor vença o Londrina nesta terça-feira, em Porto Alegre,, o time de Roger Machado pode ficar com quatro pontos de vantagem para o quinto colocado. Para isso acontecer, precisa secar os rivais mais próximos: Sport, Tombense e Criciúma. Os três atuarão fora de casa na rodada.

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اتخذ الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم، قرارًا استثنائيًا بشأن المباراة المرتقبة أمام أستراليا، في إطار الجولة الأخيرة من عمر تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

ويلعب منتخب السعودية أمام أستراليا، يوم الثلاثاء، ضمن آخر جولات الدور الثالث من تصفيات آسيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم.

ووفقًا لصحيفة الرياضية، قرر الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم فتح المدرجات أمام الجماهير بالمجان في مباراة المنتخب الأول ونظيره الأسترالي.

ويستضيف مباراة السعودية وأستراليا، ملعب الإنماء في جدة الذي يتسع لأكثر من 60 ألف متفرج.

وحاء هذا القرار، لدعم منتخب السعودية في المباراة المصيرية التي قد تحسم تأهله بشكل مباشر إلي نهائيات كأس العالم القادمة.

ويحتاج منتخب السعودية، إلى الفوز بخمسة أهداف على الأقل لخطف بطاقة التأهل مباشرة إلى المونديال.

وإذا لم ينجح، فسيتحول إلى رابع مراحل التصفيات التي تقسَّم فيها 6 منتخبات على مجموعتين، يتأهل متصدرهما إلى المونديال، ويتواجه الوصيفان ذهابًا وإيابًا لتحديد ممثل آسيا في الملحق العالمي.

طالع | المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 من قارة آسيا (محدث باستمرار)

منتخب السعودية يتواجد في المجموعة الثالثة لتصفيات آسيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم، بجانب كل من اليابان وأستراليا وإندونيسيا والبحرين والصين.

ويحتل منتخب السعودية، المركز الثالث في مجموعته، برصيد 13 نقطة، حيث فاز في 3 مواجهات وتعادل في 4 وخسر مباراتين.

Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Hasan Ali and picked uncapped middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand at home. Shaheen Shah Afridi continues to miss out as he recovers from a knee injury he picked up in the 2022 T20 World Cup final.Naseem Shah, who missed the last two Tests against England with a shoulder injury, has also returned to the squad after being declared fit. But Haris Rauf, who had also picked up an injury on debut in the first Test against England and did not play in the next two matches, is still recovering, and has been left out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ghulam, 27, had also been picked for the Bangladesh Test series a year ago but didn’t get a game then. He has played 44 first-class matches and averages 47.36, having struck 10 centuries and 18 half-centuries for his 3268 runs. He replaces Azhar Ali in the squad after the senior batter’s retirement. Ghulam had scored a record 1249 runs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and was part of the victorious side in the same tournament last season. He is in fine form these days as well, having scored 92, 0, 123* and 98* in the one-day format in the Pakistan Cup this month. In the QeA Trophy before that, he scored 597 runs from 14 innings to average 42.64.Hasan returns to the squad after being dropped for the series against England, which the visitors swept 3-0. His last Test was against Sri Lanka in Galle in July.Fast bowler Mohammad Ali and bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, who were in the squad for the England Tests, have both been excluded for the upcoming series and advised to participate in the ongoing Pakistan Cup, the PCB said in its statement.The series will start on December 26 in Karachi and then move to Multan for the second game starting January 3. That will be followed by three day-night ODIs back in Karachi from January 10 to 14.Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Zahid Mehmood

Ben Stokes has requested “fast, flat” wickets for the Ashes this summer and revealed he has an XI in mind for the first Test at Edgbaston on June 16.Since taking over as Test captain at the start of last summer, Stokes’ team, under the guidance of head coach Brendon McCullum, has adopted a quicker scoring rate that has propelled England to 10 wins out of 12. In that period, their 4.76 runs per over is the highest of the 11 nations to have played Test cricket. The approach and success has created optimism of reclaiming the urn off Australia for the first time since 2015.Speaking to Sky Sports while out in the IPL, Stokes said he has spoken to curators at the five venues and asked for pitches conducive to England’s style of play, even though he accepts this may play into Australia’s hands, given they possess a quicker bowling attack.”We’ve been very clear, especially with the ground staff around England, about what type of wickets we want,” Stokes said. “And they’ve been very responsive to us which has been good.”We want fast, flat wickets. We want to go out there and score quickly. It brings their [Australia’s] guys in: if they’ve got fast wickets to bowl on then they’ll be happy with that as well.”Stokes also reiterated his desire to have up to eight bowlers to choose from ahead of every match, emphasising his 90mph-plus options in Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone.Wood is currently leading wicket-taker at the IPL with nine dismissals for Lucknow Super Giants, while Stone bowled 30 overs for Nottinghamshire in the opening round of the County Championship. Archer, however, seems to have suffered a setback in the last week.Ben Stokes was able to bowl “pain-free” for CSK as left knee improves•BCCI

The 28-year-old has missed two matches for Mumbai Indians after discomfort in his right elbow – the same elbow which kept him out for 18 months with a stress fracture. Mumbai are optimistic he will return for Sunday’s fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders.Stokes expects Archer to play some red-ball cricket before making a return to the squad after a two-year absence. That Wood and Stone are fit and firing does allow Archer breathing room, particularly given his lack of multi-day cricket since 2021. With James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson preparing for their opening round of County Championship cricket this week, England are well-stocked for the time being. The England captain has asked the ECB medical personnel to ensure that remains the case come June and across a schedule of five Ashes Tests in six weeks.”I think I know what the starting XI is going to be, there or thereabouts,” Stokes said. “I think having the option to have someone who can bowl above 90mph is what any captain wants. When it comes to that first Test match, I’ll be making sure that I pick the best team for that first game.”With our bowling group, I’ve asked the medical team to give us the best opportunity to have eight bowlers to select from for every game. I think this year’s Ashes in particular, the games are quite close together. Being able to have those resources available every game is something I’m really keen to have.”I could pick a 20-man squad (right now) because that’s how fortunate we are at the moment to be able to pick from this group of English players who are so good at the moment.”Related

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On his own fitness, Stokes believes there has been considerable improvement in his troublesome left knee, buoyed by a “pain-free” over for Chennai Super Kings against Lucknow Super Giants eight days ago. Though the over went for 18, and he missed Saturday’s victory over Mumbai Indians, albeit due to an issue with his foot, the allrounder is encouraged by the progress made so far. He has already come a long way since February’s tour of New Zealand when Stokes was only able to bowl nine overs across the two-match series.”I’ve worked so hard over the last month, five weeks, to get where I am now,” he said. “Being able to bowl pain-free – touch wood – has been good. Even (though that over), I went for 18 runs, but I was like ‘oh I managed to bowl an over without pain in my knee’. That’s down to a lot of hard work I’ve done – medically, in the gym and obviously had a bit of help with some cortisone injections (before travelling to India).”By no means a long-term remedy, Stokes has not ruled out further injections during the summer in a bid to fulfill his role as the fourth seamer.”The main priority for me is making sure that I can fulfil my role as fourth seamer in the Ashes.”I’ve had some good conversations with the people who are employed to look after us, body-wise. I said I’ll be doing everything I can whilst I’m in India to make sure that when we get to the Ashes, I’ll give myself the best opportunity to do my role.”I’ll do whatever I can to get myself through but, medical team, if there’s anything you guys can do to help to get me through that, then please do.”

Manchester United are back in action in the Premier League this afternoon as they prepare to travel to London to take on Tottenham Hotspur.

The Red Devils are looking to push up the table to compete for a European place in the second half of the season and three points today will be another step in the right direction.

Ruben Amorim’s side took to the field in the FA Cup last time out, however, and secured a 2-1 win over fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City at Old Trafford, thanks to a last-minute goal from Harry Maguire.

It will be a different kind of game against Ange Postecoglou’s struggling Spurs team this afternoon, though, as they face another big club desperate to turn their fortunes around.

Tottenham were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in the FA Cup last weekend and they had been hammered 4-0 by Liverpool in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final in the previous midweek.

Spurs arranged that semi-final meeting with Arne Slot’s side, though, by beating Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the competition back in December.

Manchester United's last meeting with Tottenham Hotspur

The quarter-final clash was the last time the two teams met each other in any competition, as they played in North London on the 19th of December last year.

Chalkboard

It was the hosts who took the lead when Pedro Porro’s long-range effort was parried straight back out to Dominic Solanke, who made no mistake on the rebound.

Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 within a minute after the start of the second-half, converting from close-range, before Solanke beat Lisandro Martinez with ease and slotted in his second and Tottenham’s third in the 54th minute.

Joshua Zirkzee pulled one back when Bruno Fernandes’ ball across the box found the striker almost on the line to tap into an empty net to make it 3-1.

There was then a glimmer of hope for the Red Devils when Amad Diallo closed down Fraser Forster and found the back of the net by tackling the ball into the goal.

Their hopes of a comeback were dashed, however, when Heung-min Son scored directly from a corner in the 88th minute to make it 4-2 to the hosts, before Jonny Evans made it 4-3 in the 94th minute.

Amorim and his United side will now be looking for revenge against Spurs for that disappointing defeat, which cost them the chance to play against Liverpool in the semi-finals, and the Red Devils head coach could look to make some changes from the team that beat Leicester last time out.

Why Kobbie Mainoo has to be replaced

Kobbie Mainoo is set to miss the match through injury and this means that he will need to be replaced in the starting XI, after he played on the left wing against the Foxes.

The England international has made the majority (51/60) of his appearances for the first-team as either a defensive or central midfielder since he emerged from the academy.

His last two outings for the Red Devils, however, have been as a left-sided attacking midfielder against Leicester and as a centre-forward against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Mainoo had managed five goals and one assist in 51 matches as a central or defensive midfielder for United in all competitions, and Amorim has seemingly seen something in his game to suggest that he could thrive in an attacking role moving forward.

However, his performance on the left flank against Leicester and as a centre-forward against Palace suggest that the Portuguese manager should have dropped him from the team even if he were not injured.

Position

CF

LAM

Goals + assists

0

0

Shots on target

0

0

Dribbles completed

0/4

0/1

Key passes

1

0

Duels won

3/13

2/6

As you can see in the table above, Mainoo offered very little at the top end of the pitch in his two starts in those attacking positions, with zero shots on target and one key pass in the two games combined.

Amorim’s experiment has not gone to plan but he will now have to plan without the English dynamo for this clash with Spurs, as he is unavailable for selection.

This has opened up a space in the left-sided attacking midfield position for the former Sporting manager to bring Alejandro Garnacho, who could be a brilliant replacement, into the starting XI this afternoon.

Why Alejandro Garnacho should start

The Argentina international was initially on the bench for the 2-1 win over Leicester last time out in the FA Cup and was brought on at half-time to replace Patrick Dorgu.

Garnacho can be a frustrating player to watch at times, because his end product is not always up to scratch, but he always makes things happen and causes constant problems for opposition defenders, even if it does not always pay off.

His cameo against the Foxes is a prime example of that. The 20-year-old starlet registered four shots on goal and two shots on target, whilst also creating one chance, in just 45 minutes of football, yet did not record a goal or an assist.

Garnacho’s constant running and the threat of his pace in behind the Leicester defence did, though, force the opposition back and allow United to gain more control in their half in the match, eventually leading to the comeback.

The Argentine youngster, who was described as a “generational” talent by Statman Dave earlier this season, is always connected to the game and rarely goes missing from the action.

Non-penalty xG

0.36

Top 13%

Non-penalty goals

0.18

Bottom 30%

Shots

3.79

Top 4%

Non-penalty xG + xAG

0.54

Top 12%

Shot-creating actions

3.82

Top 49%

Progressive carries

5.79

Top 8%

As you can see in the table above, Garnacho gets himself into great positions on a regular basis, hence why he ranks so highly among his peers for xG, shot-creating actions, and progressive carries.

However, he needs to improve the final action, as shown by his placement in the bottom 30% for non-penalty goals. At 20, the winger still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve that side of his game.

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In the immediate future, today, Amorim must hope that he can take a step in the right direction by delivering a goal contribution, or multiple, in a win over Spurs this afternoon, coming in to replace Mainoo in the starting line-up.