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There is no spot in either the T20I or ODI squad for the BBL top-scorer Marcus Stoinis

Daniel Brettig04-Feb-2020Glenn Maxwell will return to Australian colours for the first time since he took mental health leave at the start of the summer, having enjoyed a dominant Big Bash as captain of the Melbourne Stars, as part of the limited-overs squad to tour South Africa later this month.However, there was no room for Maxwell’s Stars team-mate and the BBL’s leading run-maker Marcus Stoinis, who has been recast by his club as a top-order batsman who seldom bowls and is thus stuck behind the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steven Smith in the order of preference for places. Stoinis is a standby player in the event of any injuries to squad members before the tour.Instead, the selection panel including its newest member George Bailey, recalled his Hobart Hurricanes team-mate Matthew Wade in the T20 squad, deeming him more flexible as someone who could take on either a middle-order role or serve as a back-up player for the top three. Mitchell Marsh has been recalled to both squads as an allrounder, his first outing in Australian colours since he fractured his hand when punching a wall after his dismissal in an early season Sheffield Shield match.From the one-day squad that toured India, Ashton Turner and Peter Handscomb have lost their spots. Turner struggled in the two innings he had while Handscomb did not get a game but Marnus Labuschagne’s emergence in the middle order has put a squeeze on places. D’Arcy Short, who was called up as a replacement for Sean Abbott, misses out on both squads.Australia squads to South Africa

T20I Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (vc), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

ODI Aaron Finch (capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

“It is fantastic to have Glenn back in both squads given his brilliant form in the middle order for the Stars along with his results with the ball,” national selector Trevor Hohns said. “Glenn was one of the first picked in the most recent T20 team at the start of the summer, prior to his break from the game.”The same can be said for Mitch. He has been in tremendous touch with the bat for the Scorchers since his return from injury and is now back bowling well. His performances warranted inclusion in the area he operates as a powerful middle order batsman and handy bowler.”Matthew Wade is also in red hot form with the bat. He is a very strong fielder; and a great person to have in any team. He can also substitute as wicketkeeper if required. Marcus Stoinis is a standby player for each squad and was unlucky to miss out due to the makeup of the current top order. It is terrific to have a backup player of his calibre in such good form.”For a tour of three ODIs and three T20Is that will see Warner and Smith return to South Africa for the first time since the Newlands ball tampering scandal in 2018, Maxwell has been named in the squads for both formats, as an acknowledgement of the shotmaking snap that was missing from the 50-over team in their 2-1 series loss in India last month.Jhye Richardson, who had looked to be on the cusp of international selection when the summer began, also returns to the T20 squad after a strong BBL in what was overall a failed campaign by the Perth Scorchers. Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have been retained as spin bowlers in the squad.”Jhye Richardson also returns to the T20 side from injury with his performances demanding inclusion,” Hohns said. “He is a terrific young player who has been sensational in all forms of the game; and is an extremely strong fieldsman.”

Wet patches on the pitch caused the umpires to call off the game shortly before 10pm

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jan-2020

India won the toss and chose to bowl first, but that’s as far as the weather allowed the first T20I to progress in Guwahati. Rain had fallen through much of the afternoon, and arrived again soon after the toss to delay the start. Although the showers lasted less than an hour, they caused too much damage to the ground – only the square and the bowlers’ run-ups were protected by covers.Once the rain stopped, groundstaff worked for almost two hours on the field. Super Soppers worked non-stop, and even steam irons and hairdryers were used on the pitch. The umpires also made repeated inspections, but all this eventually came to nothing. The match was abandoned shortly before 10pm.

The bowlers restricted India, and with dew kicking in, the Caribbean top order cantered to an eventually comfortable win

Sidharth Monga08-Dec-2019

West Indies managed to slow India down enough in the second half of their innings to set up an eventually easy chase in the dew. On a slow surface, it might have appeared India had done well to reach 170, but the dew had a significant say with the ball beginning to skid on in the night. Lendl Simmons saw the chase through with 67* off 45 but not without powerful assists from three left-hand batsmen who negated India’s spinners: Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran. Between them, the three left-hand batsmen made 101 off 67 balls.Like West Indies were with the wides in the first game, India were profligate in the field. Both Simmons and Lewis were dropped before they got going, and ground fielders also let more than a couple of balls slip through their hands in dewy conditions.Signs of slow pitch
Sheldon Cottrell got off to an ordinary start with six runs off wides in the first over, but signs were there that this was a slow pitch not conducive for power hitting. Khary Pierre and Cottrell built the pressure with two tight overs, and that resulted in a slog from KL Rahul. India 24 for 1 after 3.1 overs.Dube walks out
For the first time in official cricket, Shivam Dube walked out to bat at No. 3, possibly to try to hit out on a difficult pitch without risking a more accomplished batsman such as Virat Kohli. Sure enough Dube made the kind of start Kohli made in Hyderabad, struggling for timing as West Indies looked to bowl into the pitch and use changes of pace. The struggle was not exclusive to Dube, though: Rohit Sharma didn’t like the slowness of the pitch either and got out for 15 off 18 trying to play a ramp off Jason Holder.Pollard gets greedy?
It was a funky piece of captaincy when Kieron Pollard brought himself on in the seventh over. Data would tell you to bowl Hayden Walsh’s legspin against Rohit Sharma. On this pitch, though, Pollard’s cutters into the pitch worked, and he conceded just three. Then he gave himself another over, and Dube had by now got used to the pace of the pitch. He hit three sixes in Pollard’s over, but there was a byplay involved. After being hooked for a six, Pollard switched to bowling wide outside Dube’s reach. A harsh second wide call meant Pollard changed his plans, and Dube made full use of it. Did Pollard get greedy or was he protecting his spinners against the left-hand hitter?In the next over, Dube brought up his maiden international 50. India 93 for 2 after 10.Walsh and Williams turn it around
Brought on belatedly, Walsh made an immediate impact with the wicket of Dube third ball. Kesrick Williams had his own back on Kohli after the notebook came flying at him in the first match. He saw Kohli run down the wicket, ran his fingers on the ball, and had him caught at short third man. This time he used his finger to shush everyone up.Rishabh Pant found a way to score 33* off 22 on this slow pitch, but around him West Indies managed to apply the choke on. Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar all fell trying to force the pace. Between them Williams and Walsh conceded 58 in eight overs for four wickets. Only 26 came off the last four, 77 off the last 10.Spillage
The chase got off to a tense start with the new ball sitting in the surface. Even Washington managed to turn the new ball. It is never a good sign when you are chasing, but the dew was the wildcard here. Even before the wildcard could be drawn, the openers felt the pressure to try low-percentage shots. They were 23 after four overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing for a World Cup spot, charged in. His knuckle ball drew the mis-hit from Simmons, but Washington dropped the skier at mid-off. Two balls later, Pant reprieved Lewis. This was a difficult chance because the batsman had backed away, the bowler had followed him, and the keeper had to be heading down the leg side. But Pant did get both hands to it, and failed to cushion it as he came down, with the ball spilling out. Kohli, fielding at the boundary, was seen telling the crowd off for their reaction to yet another wicketkeeping error from Pant.Flood gates open
That was just the luck West Indies needed. Starting next over, the bats kept swinging and connecting sweetly. All but one of the next 14 overs produced at least one boundary. That one over was when Washington finally got the better of Lewis, building dots and then getting the eventual stumping. This was the 10th over, and India had yet to use Jadeja on a surface that was likely to help him. The reason for it was the presence of Lewis. So they took the cue, and dropped Brandon King down the order, letting the left-hand batsmen play havoc.Hetmyer took five balls to hit his first six, Pooran took three. Neither Yuzvendra Chahal nor Jadeja was effective on what had now become a skiddy surface thanks to the dew. And the ball travelled off the bat. West Indies continued to bat smartly. Simmons did hit one six off Chahal, but other than that he was happy to let the left-hand batsmen take strike against bowlers who turn the ball away from right-hand batsmen. Against offspin and pace, Simmons was brutal.By the time India went back to pace, West Indies needed 44 off the last five overs. Pooran took apart Bhuvneshwar’s comeback over, settling the chase then and there. Finishing touches were applied smoothly.

da casino： Tottenham Hotspur have invested a hefty amount of money since the arrival of boss Ange Postecoglou from Celtic back in June last year.

da bet nacional： Owner Daniel Levy has invested around £232m on players over the last eight months, with the signings of players such as Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest and James Maddison from relegated Leicester City.

The spending continued into the January transfer window, with the signing of centre-back Radu Dragusin from Genoa for a fee in the region of £25m – with the Romanian rejecting a move to Bayern Munich for a move to north London.

Despite the big investment in recent times, Spurs could be about to splash more cash in the summer as Postecoglou looks to continue his rebuild of the Tottenham first-team squad.

Spurs eyeing ambitious summer swoop

Earlier this week, reports from Spain suggested that Postecoglou's side had submitted a sensational bid in the region of £51m for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The 26-year-old joined the Spanish side for £73m from Ajax in July 2019, with the midfielder establishing himself as one of the best talents in recent years.

Despite Spurs' recent approach for the Dutchman, it appears it may take a higher fee to tempt Barça into any deal for the midfielder.

Goal reported this week that despite Spurs' bid for De Jong, it may take an offer of up to £85m before Xavi's side even negotiate a deal with any club interested in signing one of their prized assets.

However, with De Jong only having two years on his contract, the club may want to sell the former Ajax man before his price decreases. Given Barça's recent financial struggles, they may be forced to sell some of their key players whether they want to stay in Spain or not.

How De Jong compares to Christian Eriksen

There aren't many players that have had an impact like Christian Eriksen did during his seven-year stint at Tottenham, with the Danish midfielder scoring 69 times in 305 appearances in north London.

One of his best seasons for the club was during the 2017/18 Premier League campaign, where the former Ajax man achieved double figures for his goals and assists – with his set pieces playing a real part in his success.

Compare that to De Jong's tally so far this campaign, with the Dutchman scoring once and yet to register a single assist in La Liga. This isn't a surprise given the Barça man is often utilised as a box-to-box midfielder in comparison to Eriksen, who was more of a number 10 behind Harry Kane.

Given the role of De Jong, he sees a lot more of the ball and is more accurate with his passes than Eriksen was during the 2017/18 campaign. Although Eriksen achieved an exceptional number of assists, he trails the current Barça midfielder when comparing their respective pass completion rates.

The Dane averaged a 77% pass completion rate during his wonderful season. However, Barça's "incredible" midfielder – as dubbed by his boss Xavi – has averaged 91% blowing the former fan-favourite out of the water – ranking him within the top 3% of midfielders in Europe this year.

With the Dutch international operating slightly deeper, it allows for him to progress the play – a potential perfect fit to play behind Spurs' magician Maddison. De Jong's averaged 3.3 progressive carries this campaign, one more per game than Eriksen, with the Barça man once again ranking within the top 3% in Europe's top five leagues.

That said, in the last few years the Dane has started playing in a deeper role, similar to De Jong, with plenty of similarities on offer last term when Eriksen moved to Manchester United. They both register a similar number of key passes and shot-creating actions from central areas while their preference to stay back is illuminated by their touches in the offensive third of the play.

Frenkie de Jong vs Christian Eriksen: 2022/23

Stat (per 90 mins)

De Jong

Eriksen

Goals + Assists

0.21

0.39

Pass Success

91%

81%

Key Passes

1.60

1.58

Progressive Passes

9.89

7.19

Shot-creating Actions

3.91

3.12

Goal-creating Actions

0.39

0.39

Tackles Won

0.92

0.79

Touches (attacking third)

21.5

20.4

Stats via FBref.

With Tottenham looking to go to the next level under the guidance of Postecoglou, De Jong could well prove to be the final player to complete the Greek-Aussie's midfield transformation.

Nicolas Pepe has opened up on his disastrous spell at Arsenal and how it left him contemplating retiring from football.

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• Pepe opens up on disastrous Arsenal stint
• Affected a lot by negativity on social media
• Contemplated retirement due to lack of action

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pepe joined Arsenal with a lot of expectation placed on his back after a successful stint with Lille, as the Gunners splashed out a then-club record fee of €80 million (£72m/$87m) for the Ivorian winger in 2019. However, he never managed to live up to that price tag and received a lot of criticism for his performances. The 29-year-old has now opened up for the first time about his difficult time at the Emirates Stadium.

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• WHAT PEPE SAID

  Speaking to , Pepe said: "At Arsenal, I had suffered a kind of trauma, as if my passion had been taken away from me, I had a distaste for football. By no longer playing, I wondered why I was doing this job. I doubted to the point that I thought about stopping everything.

  "I wondered how they could have attacked me so much. People went so far as to call me the biggest flop in the history of the Premier League! I didn’t ask for €80m to be spent on me. At this amount, people don’t care where you come from, they want you to perform directly.

  "There aren’t many players who immediately score 25 goals per season, and I’m not even a No9. I wasn’t going to play in the Premier League like that. But that’s what earned me this flood of criticism. It was almost harassment. I don’t look at social media a lot, but if my brother relayed to me 'they said that about you', unconsciously, it touched me.

  "It also came from the media or certain members of the club. They don't realise that it can have an impact on the mind, on the family and that has repercussions on performance. The only people who have always supported me are Arsenal fans."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Ivory Coast international made a total of 112 appearances for the Gunners and put up decent numbers as he scored 27 goals and provided 21 assists, but ultimately failed to earn a regular spot in the team. Arsenal terminated Pepe's contract in September 2023 and he subsequently joined Trabzonspor, but only spent one year with the Turkish club.

• WHAT NEXT FOR PEPE?

  The former Arsenal man is currently a free agent following his spell with Trabzonspor and will be actively looking for a new club to join this summer to try and avoid being out of action for an extended period. "I still want to show that I can do something," Pepe added to L'Equipe. "I'm not finished with Europe and with football."

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has shared a potential twist in Manchester City’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) saga.

The Lowdown: FFP saga ongoing

On 7 May, the Daily Mail reported that the Premier League had appointed two subject matter experts to come in as witnesses for an impending trial. With the ongoing saga, it is understood that both the Premier League and Manchester City are keen to keep the proceedings secret.

City previously overturned a two-year ban from the Champions League in July 2020, as allegations made by UEFA were time-barred. However, the Premier League have their own spending rules in place, so they have continued to investigate.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-newest-updates/” title=”Man City newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Maguire’s claim on Man City and FFP

Maguire believes that Man City and the Premier League have come to a non-disclosure agreement in order to stop the ongoing investigation becoming public knowledge.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “The Premier League has to be seen to be independent.

“Many people are of the view that other clubs have been trying to put pressure on the Premier League to put forward this investigation.

“They have a responsibility to all 20 clubs. To follow the behest of the other clubs in the league would be unfair to Man City.

“City feel they have done nothing wrong. They fear that if this came out, it would be a further diversion from what they are trying to focus on.

“You can see where they’re coming from. I suspect that both parties early on in the investigation signed some agreement.”

The Verdict: Tough one for the EPL

With City’s maintained innocence, it seems that the Premier League have made the right move with keeping the investigation under wraps.

However, if the Etihad Stadium outfit are eventually found to be guilty, with their supposed revenue totalling £570m in 2020/21, this could cause an outcry amongst clubs in the English top flight.

Either way, this is not a straightforward situation for the Premier League, and one suspects that we have not heard the last of City’s two-year FFP saga.

In other news: Spanish source shares significant Frenkie de Jong/Man City update

MatériaMais Notícias

da winzada777： Em busca de uma vaga na próxima edição da Conmebol Libertadores, ainda que na sua fase pré, o Corinthians pode ser o fiel da balança na disputa pelo título do Campeonato Brasileiro. Isso, porque o Timão enfrenta o líder Internacional e o vice-líder Flamengo em dois dos seus últimos quatro compromissos pela competição.

O técnico Vagner Mancini garante que tanto os flamenguistas, quanto os colorados não devem esperar vida fácil nos confrontos.

> Veja a classificação do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

– Sim, o Corinthians pode influenciar esse título porque tem a oportunidade de jogar diante do Flamengo e Inter, os dois jogando fora de casa, e, é obvio, que essas equipes que estão brigando em cima vão encontrar uma equipe que vai oferecer resistência, porque nós sabemos o quanto é importante, até porque ainda brigamos por uma oitava vaga – disse o treinador corintiano em entrevista coletiva virtual após o empate em 3 a 3 contra o Athletico-PR, na noite desta quarta-feira (10), pela 35ª rodada do Brasileirão., na Neo Química Arena.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansAutor de dois gols no empate entre Corinthians e Athletico, Mosquito diz: ‘Triste pelo resultado’Corinthians10/02/2021CorinthiansEm jogo de seis gols, Corinthians e Athletico empatam em ItaqueraCorinthians10/02/2021Futebol NacionalCorinthians negocia a contratação de Pedro Raul, do Botafogo, para 2021Futebol Nacional10/02/2021

da supremo： Atualmente, apenas um ponto separa o Inter do Flamengo. O Timão já enfrenta o Rubro-Negro neste domingo (14), às 16h, no estádio do Maracanã, pela 36ª rodada do Brasileirão. Já o encontro diante da equipe gaúcha acontecerá na última partida da competição para as duas equipes, no dia 25 de fevereiro, às 21h30, também fora dos domínios corintianos, no Beira Rio, em Porto Alegre.

Fla e Internacional são justamente duas das grandes rivalidades interestaduais que o Timão possui. O embate com o time carioca é histórico e muito tem a ver com a briga que as duas equipes possuem para saber quem tem a maior torcida do Brasil, enquanto com o Colorado o antagonismo se aflorou em 2005, quando as duas equipes disputaram rodada a rodada o título brasileiro, em um ano que ficou marcado pela remarcação de jogos envolvidos na chamada “Máfia do Apito”, bem como o erro do árbitro Márcio Rezende de Freitas no confronto direto entre paulistas e gaúchos, onde o Tinga sofreu pênalti de Fábio Costa, que não foi marcado, e o meia colorado ainda foi expulso por simulação.

Além dos jogos contra os postulantes ao título brasileiro, o Corinthians encara o Santos, na próxima quarta-feira (17), às 20h, na Vila Belmiro, em jogo atrasado da 33ª rodada do Brasileirão, quando o Peixe disputava a final da Libertadores, e Vasco da Gama, no dia 21 de fevereiro, às 16h, único jogo da sequência que o Timão jogará em casa. Por sua vez, o Cruz-Maltino atualmente é o primeiro time na zona do rebaixamento e o diante do Timão, na penúltima rodada, tende a jogar a sua sobrevivência na elite do futebol nacional.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has suggested he is open to moving to MLS when the time comes for him to leave the German giants.

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• Neuer in last year of Bayern deal
• Goalkeeper open to MLS transfer
• Says he won't go to Saudi Arabia

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 38-year-old has entered the last year of his contract with the Bundesliga side and was asked if he will opt for a spell abroad in the final phase of his career. The Bayern captain has said he would like to experience life in another county, but dismissed the notion of making the switch to the Middle East.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT NEUER SAID

  "I always wanted to play at the highest level. I have thought about this option over the course of my career; I have always had enquiries and offers," he said to Die Welt. "But I knew that Bayern was the best place for me because of the environment and the squad. There has never been a club where I have had more fun. Although you should never say never: I would not move to Saudi Arabia or Qatar. If anything, MLS would have been an option. I spoke to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who played there, about it. But you have to think it through carefully. Also because you play a lot on artificial turf there, which is not ideal for a goalkeeper."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neuer joined Bayern from Schalke in 2011 and has made over 500 appearances in all competitions for the club. The 123-time Germany international is currently starring for the national team at Euro 2024, having started all four of his team's games so far.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEUER?

  After his involvement at Euro 2024, Neuer will take a break before joining up with the rest of the Bayern squad for pre-season. It's likely that the 2024-25 campaign will be the goalkeeper's last with the Bavarians, and it will be interesting to see what he chooses to do after that, with MLS clearly a possibility.

Ajax are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over Carlos Soler, with Luis Enrique ready to offload the midfielder after his West Ham loan spell.

• Ajax in discussions with PSG for Soler
• Talks focused on loan with mandatory purchase clause
• Midfielder not in Luis Enrique’s plans

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to ,Ajax have opened talks with PSG over a deal for Soler. The Spanish midfielder, who spent last season on loan at West Ham, is not part of Luis Enrique’s plans and is available for transfer. Discussions are centred around a loan deal with a mandatory purchase option.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ajax’s technical director Alex Kroes has shown strong interest in bringing Soler to Amsterdam, though financial challenges have made talks tricky. With Brian Brobbey seemingly set to join Stade Rennes, Ajax now have the room to put together a serious offer for the Spanish international. The chance to play Champions League football next season could prove decisive in luring him to the Johan Cruijff Arena.

• TELL ME MORE…

  The 28-year-old’s current contract at Les Parisiens runs until 2027, but the club are ready to cash in next summer after a potential loan. Ajax are expected to cover his full €4.8 million gross salary this season, with the exact mandatory transfer fee still under discussion. The midfielder, capped 14 times for Spain, played 31 games for West Ham last season, though he was often used from the bench. PSG originally signed him from Valencia in 2022 for €18m (£15m/$20m).

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR AJAX AND CARLOS SOLER?

  Talks remain in the exploratory stage, but the Eredivisie club have already spoken to Soler’s camp, with the player open to the move. Both clubs will continue negotiations in the coming days, with Ajax needing to move fast if they want to finalise the deal before the window closes.

Several high-profile players have been ruled out of this summer's tournament through injury and suspension, while some have just been snubbed

Euro 2024 is almost upon us, with the opening game now just over a week away. Some of the biggest names in world football are set to arrive in Germany in the coming days to do battle for one of the most prestigious prizes in the game.

However, several stars won't be participating in the tournament, and for a variety of reasons. Some terrific talents have been ruled out by injury, with the dreaded ACL tear illustrating why it's the scourge of modern footballers, while others will miss the Euros through suspension. Then there are those high-profile players who have simply not been selected by their national teams.

Below, GOAL runs through the most notable absentees from this summer's celebration of European football…

(C)Getty ImagesFrancesco Acerbi (Italy)

Francesco Acerbi is 36 now, but his injury-enforced absence is a major blow for Italy. The Inter centre-back would have almost certainly started for the Azzurri in Germany, and most likely alongside his club-mate Alessandro Bastoni.

Unfortunately, one of the game's late bloomers (because of a variety of off-field setbacks) has been ruled out of the Euros by a groin problem that requires surgery.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDavid Alaba (Austria)

One of three Real Madrid players to tear an ACL this season, but unlike team-mates Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao, Alaba never had any chance of returning before the end of the campaign. Indeed, the versatile Austrian defender suffered his injury in December, in the first half of a Liga clash with Villarreal, and won't be fit to play any part in his country's Euro 2024 campaign.

GettyDomenico Berardi (Italy)

In his first game back after recovering from a meniscus injury, Domenico Berardi suffered a complete tear of the Achilles tendon of his right leg in Sassuolo's Serie A clash with Verona on March 3. The versatile forward, who was part of the Italy squad that won Euro 2020, is not expected to return to action until next year.

GettySven Botman (Netherlands)

Netherlands are not short of options at centre-back – in fact, it's arguably the position in which they have most strength in depth – but Botman's unavailability for the Euros is nonetheless a major blow for coach Ronald Koeman. Indeed, had the Newcastle defender not suffered an ACL injury while playing for against Manchester City on March 16, he would have been a contender to start in Germany.