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Manchester United have been reportedly handed a double Galatasaray injury boost ahead of their make-or-break Champions League clash.

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Galatasaray handed double injury blowSanchez and Bardakci out United will be without RashfordWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Turkish publication, the Turkish giants could be without the services of former Tottenham defender Davison Sanchez and Abdulkerim Bardakci. While Sanchez has been ruled out with a strain in his upper left rear muscle, Bardakci could still make it to the matchday squad if he can successfully negotiate a late fitness test.

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The Red Devils seek redemption against Galatasaray, after a defeat at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture, which could help them overcome a troubled Champions League campaign. Sitting fourth in Group A, they are desperate for the three points to boost qualification chances. The defeat to FC Copenhagen in the previous fixture further complicated the math for United who now face a must-win situation to keep their hopes alive for the the knockout rounds.

DID YOU KNOW?

Almost 30 years back, in 1993, Sir Alex Ferguson's squad failed to produce the goods in a do-or-die knockout match in Istanbul as they were held to a goalless draw, following a 3-3 result at Old Trafford. Eric Cantona was sent off and it is believed that the United players got into a tussle with riot police in the tunnel in the aftermath of the shock exit from Europe.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

United also have a lengthy injury list as several first-team players are out injured including includingCasemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Amad Diallo, and Tyrell Malacia. Mason Mount was the latest casualty as the former Chelsea midfielder picked up a fresh calf injury which will rule him out for the game against Galatasaray. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford will miss the game after he was sent off against FC Copenhagen in United's last European fixture. Nonetheless, they might be boosted with the return of Rasmus Hojlund, who has been in fine form in Europe scoring five goals in four matches, as the Danish striker is back in training.

Who are the best players in the French top flight? Goal takes a look at FIFA 19's ratings for Ligue 1

Getty Images130. Alphonse Areola | GK | PSG | France

OVERALL RATING = 81

Diving = 83
Handling = 78
Kicking = 70
Reflexes = 84
Speed = 54
Positioning = 77

AdvertisementGetty229. Benjamin Lecomte | GK | Montpellier | France

OVERALL RATING = 81

Diving = 81
Handling = 76
Kicking = 79
Reflexes = 82
Speed = 44
Positioning = 81

Getty Images328. Marcelo | CB | Lyon | Brazil

OVERALL RATING = 81

Pace = 58
Shooting = 49
Passing = 61
Dribbling = 59
Defence = 81
Physical = 88

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Gettyimages427. Thomas Meunier | RB | PSG | Belgium

OVERALL RATING = 82

Pace = 78
Shooting = 76
Passing = 77
Dribbling = 75
Defence = 78
Physical = 84

Mikel Arteta's side made it two wins from two in the Premier League, but they were made to work hard for the three points

Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Monday night in an incident-packed derby that saw Takehiro Tomiyasu sent off, and Martin Odegaard score the winner. The Gunners were perhaps slightly unimpressive throughout the fixture, but they managed to earn a vital three points in one of the trickiest away games in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta's side earned the lead through Martin Odegaard but Takehiro Tomiyasu was sent off, and left the north London side hanging on over the final 29 minutes of the contest.

Nevertheless, the Gunners were resilient and managed to hang on and secure all three points.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Selhurst Park…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Aaron Ramsdale (6/10):

Did exactly what he needed to do and was never really stretched.

Thomas Partey (6/10):

Played out of position but dominated his flank. Was rarely beaten by the tricky Eberechi Eze.

Ben White (6/10):

Got his head to everything but did seem uncomfortable against Palace's pace.

William Saliba (7/10):

Solid as a rock at the back and impressed with his distribution.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (3/10):

Sent off, perhaps harshly, for two yellow cards, but never got up to the pace of the game.

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Declan Rice (7/10):

There's a real majesty to his game at his best. Read the play well and calmed Arsenal down when they were a man light.

Kai Havertz (5/10):

Some nice touches but was barely in the game in the final third. Arteta needs to figure out his role in the team.

Martin Odegaard (8/10):

Cool as ice from the penalty spot and played excellently, forever keeping Arsenal ticking.

GettyAttack

Bukayo Saka (6/10):

Not at his effervescent best but continually ran at Palace and tried to make things happen.

Eddie Nketiah (6/10):

Won the penalty from which Odegaard scored but blazed over an easy chance in the first half.

Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):

On the fringes of the game all night.

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GettySubs & Manager

Gabriel (6/10):

On after the sending off to mop up defensively and did exactly that.

Jorginho (6/10):

Got his foot on the ball and slowed play down as Arsenal saw the game out.

Jakub Kiwior (N/A):

On too late to make any sort of impact.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (N/A)

Only introduced for the final few minutes.

Mikel Arteta (6/10):

Will be delighted with the win but this wasn't a sparkling Arsenal display. They'll move on quickly, and he did tighten them up after the red card.

Phil Parkinson insisted that Wrexham have "got no divine right to win" but was delighted with thumping Morecambe victory.

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Wrexham bounced back from Accrington Stanley defeatMullin's hat-trick powered the Welsh side to a 6-0 winParkinson hailed his troops for their emphatic responseWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons climbed to the second spot in the League Two table after scoring six past Morecambe at the Racecourse Ground. After Joel Senior's own goal handed Wrexham an early lead, Paul Mullin added another just two minutes after the opener. Jacob Mendy increased the margin before Mullin struck twice in the second half to complete his hat-trick. James Jones scored deep into stoppage time to pile more misery on Morecambe which further thrilled Parkinson as his side was heading into the fixture on the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.

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Speaking to reporters after the match, Parkinson said: "We have got no divine right to win but we have won a lot. When you lose it hurts and it is a long week. It is as simple as that. No matter how long you have been a manager, when you lose, it is a lot of soul-searching. But you can't change it and you can just respond as a group.

"The response on the training ground has been outstanding from the lads and there was a real positive feeling coming into this game. We wanted to get back to winning ways and we have done it in emphatic fashion."

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The massive victory also drew euphoric reactions from co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. While Reynolds labelled the efforts from the lads as "incredible hustle", McElhenney hailed Mullin as "incredible" for gifting another remarkable afternoon to the fans.

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Wrexham have little time to rest on their laurels as they are set to return to action against Harrogate Town on Tuesday night in another League Two encounter.

Masandawana have already booked their spot in the quarter-finals with a game to spare and they will now face the Sudanese giants on Saturday

Sundowns rested some of their key players during their last game which was a Group A clash against Al Merrikh's Sudanese rivals, Al Hilal Omdurman, on March 19 as the Tshwane giants secured a 4-2 win.

Masandawana will now be looking to end a successful group stage with a win over Al Merrikh.

GOAL takes a look at how the PSL champions could start at FNB Stadium.

BackpagepixGOALKEEPER – Reyaad Pieterse

The towering shot-stopper was given an opportunity to start against Al Hilal and he had a good game between the sticks.

Pieterse is most likely to be handed another starting berth with the club's first-choice keeper Denis Onyango out injured, while the ageing Kennedy Mweene is being rested.

AdvertisementBackpagepixRIGHT-BACK – Thapelo Morena

The speedster has been one of Sundowns' standout performers in the group stage having scored three times in four matches.

Two of his goals came against Al Hilal and he will be keen to continue his scoring form when he faces Al Merrikh.

BackpagepixLEFT-BACK – Divine Lunga

The lanky full-back has impressed whenever he has been given a chance to start for the Tshwane giants this season.

Lunga could be handed a rare start with Lyle Lakay being rested having been part of the Bafana Bafana squad which travelled to Europe for two international friendly games.

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BackpagepixCENTRAL DEFENDER – Rushine de Reuck

Sundowns' first-choice centre back is expected to start having had little game time during the recent Fifa break.

De Reuck featured as a second-half substitute against Guinea for Bafana and he was then an unused substitute against France.

Lionel Messi is heading on a historic tour of Hong Kong, with Inter Miami announcing a trip to the Far East will form part of their pre-season plans.

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Florida-based franchise heading to Far EastWill be club's first international tourSuperstars readying themselves for 2024 seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

The MLS franchise have never visited Asia before, with a first international tour in the club’s short history being lined up. They had been due to head for China at the end of the 2023 campaign, but those plans descended into chaos and were eventually ripped up.

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Inter Miami will, however, be facing the Hong Kong Team – a collection of the best players from the Hong Kong First Division League – at the 40,000-capacity national stadium on February 4. Messi should form part of that fixture, as he gears up for another shot at major silverware in 2024, while Luis Suarez could also be on the club’s books by then.

WHAT INTER MIAMI SAID

Co-owner Jorge Mas has told the club’s : “We're very excited to be visiting Hong Kong and indeed Asia for the very first time. From the very beginning we set out to be a global club at Inter Miami. This is a wonderful opportunity to do just that; we hope to enthuse and inspire new Inter Miami fans in Hong Kong and across Asia who share our passion for futbol.”

David Beckham added: “Hong Kong is a beautiful city with a great sports scene. Throughout my career, I have spent a lot of time in Asia – I am so pleased to have the opportunity to bring Inter Miami to play our first international tour match in this fantastic city.”

Chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson went on to say: “We’re looking forward to this tour as a special experience for our club, and also as an important opportunity to prepare the team as best as possible for the 2024 season. This match will offer our players chances to face new opponents on the field and compete in new environments.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

Tickets for the match in Hong Kong will go on sale on December 15. Inter Miami are also looking to line up a number of other pre-season friendly dates, with it already confirmed that they will be facing the El Salvador national team in an exhibition game on January 19, 2024.

A round-up of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League matches on April 2, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2015Group AA tidy bowling performance and a collective batting effort helped Madhya Pradesh beat Jharkhand by nine runs in Bhubaneswar.Chasing 154, Jharkhand had a decent start with each of their top four reaching double-figures. However, none managed a substantial contribution, leaving Jharkhand precariously placed at 81 for 5. Kaushal Singh, 18, then counterattacked his way to an unbeaten 50 off 28 balls, but it was not enough to prevent Jharkhand from sinking to their second successive defeat in the Super League. Harpreet Singh capped off a fine day, picking up two wickets to add to his 31 off 21 balls.After being put in, Jharkhand lost Mohnish Mishra in the second over, but a string of 20-plus scores, led by Harpreet’s rapid knock, steered them to 153. Prakash Seet’s double-strike in the final over marginally pegged back Jharkhand, but it eventually proved futile, much like Kaushal’s maiden T20 fifty.Seamer Rohit Dahiya returned figures of 4 for 31 to rout Himachal Pradesh for 124 and set up a six-wicket win for Gujarat in Bhubaneshwar.Having opted to bat, HP had a solid base, with Ankush Bains and Ajay Rana putting up a 41-run opening partnership. However, both fell to Dahiya in the space of three balls. Prashant Chopra then cracked 40 off 28 balls, but lacked support from the other end. Dahiya accounted for Chopra and Dhawan in the 16th over ; a double-strike that triggered a freefall as HP went from 106 for 3 to 124 all out.Dahiya was ably complemented by Jasprit Bumrah, who collected three wickets.Smit Patel and Priyank Panchal gave Gujarat a strong start in their chase, adding 58 for the first wicket. Though both departed in quick succession, and Manprit Juneja and Chirag Gandhi followed soon after, Jesal Karia and Rujul Bhatt sealed Gujarat’s second win in the Super League with 11 balls to spare.Group BRajasthan rode on a strong batting performance to beat Odisha by six wickets in Cuttack.Opting to field, Rajasthan restricted Odisha to 162, with Chandrapal Singh and Manjeet Singh taking two wickets each. Anurag Sarangi and Roshan Kumar Rao added 25 before Puneet Yadav broke the opening stand by dismissing Sarangi for 21 off 14 balls. Chandrapal then sent back Roshan Kumar to leave them at 42 for 2 in the seventh over.Govinda Podder and Shesdeep Patra, though, strung together a 49-run partnership, which ended with the fall of Patra’s wicket in the 15th over. Odisha lost two more wickets in the space of six balls, as they slipped to 100 for 5.Podder struck 61 from 44, and was aided by an eight-ball 28 from Suryakant Pradhan, as Odisha finished strong on 162 for 7.Pradhan then came back to trouble Rajasthan with the ball, removing Suryaprakash Suwalka in the second over of the chase.Ankit Lamba, though, assumed charge and added 59 with Sourabh Chouhan (35) before joining hands with Ashok Menaria (42), who had also produced a frugal spell early on. Though Menaria and Rajesh Bishnoi were undone by the pair of Arabind Singh and Deepak Behera in the penultimate over, Lamba remained unbeaten on 67 off 49 balls to guide Rajasthan home with two balls to spare.Jaskaranveer Singh’s unbeaten 69-ball 114 helped Punjab beat Mumbai by 5 runs in a rain-curtailed game in Cuttack.Choosing to bat, Punjab started sedately, their openers putting on 59 before Abhishek Raut removed Manan Vohra for 21 in the 10th over. Jaskaranveer, the other opener, continued to pile on the runs even as wickets fell steadily at the other end, with Himanshu Chawla the only other Punjab batsman to get into double figures. Raut picked up two more wickets and Jay Bista inflicted two run-outs, but Jaskaranveer, hitting 12 fours and five sixes in his maiden T20 hundred, lifted Punjab to 173 for 6.Mumbai lost opener Shoaib Shaikh in the second over of their chase when he was trapped leg before by Sandeep Sharma. A rain delay forced Mumbai’s target to be revised to 82 in eight overs, by the VJD method. The loss of Akhil Herwadkar left them at 18 for 2, but Bista kept them in sight of their target with a 23-ball 47, before his dismissal in the final over. Mumbai needed nine to win from the last two balls, but Taruwar Kohli only conceded three to win the game for his side.

Qatar will be the 10th Asian team to make their FIFA World Cup debut in 2022

Qatar are all set to host the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup and in the process will make their debut at the grandest stage in world football.

They will be the 10th Asian country to make their debut at the FIFA World Cup. The first-ever Asian nation that took part in the tournament were the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) who played in the 1938 edition.

Other than the inaugural edition, the 1934 FIFA World Cup saw the participation of most debutant teams (10) followed by 2006 were six teams made their debuts.

As of 2018, 79 teams have played in the FIFA World Cup and Qatar will be the 80th team who will take part in the tournament.

Only two teams – Uruguay, 1930 and Italy, 1934 – have won the FIFA World Cup in their maiden appearances. The next best performances for debutant teams are of Argentina and Czechoslovakia who finished runners-up in the 1930 and 1934 editions respectively.

Getty ImagesUruguay

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Champions

AdvertisementGettyArgentina

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Runners-up

Getty ImagesBelgium

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Group Stage

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Bolivia

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

The Arsenal and England winger is setting new standards this season for club and country

Gareth Southgate bit his lip when he was asked after England’s 2-0 win against Ukraine whether there was any other right winger in the world who is playing at the level of Bukayo Saka right now.

“I’m not going to get drawn into where he sits in world football,” Southgate laughed. “That would start to put us in danger of doing all the things that we shouldn’t be doing with him. 

“He’s progressing brilliantly and he’s a joy to work with. We should leave it at that.”

It was as diplomatic a response as you would expect from someone like Southgate. 

But in all honesty, he could have just said that Saka is at the top of the world pile right now because no-one would have argued with him.

Mohamed Salah can step aside, so can the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Rodrygo. Saka is currently the best right winger on the planet. It’s that simple.

GettySpecial Saka

What Saka’s doing for Arsenal this season and what he did for England on Sunday against Ukraine is all the evidence you need to back up that statement.

And while Southgate was probably right not to say it out loud, he doesn’t really need to worry about praise going to Saka’s head because the 21-year-old is not the type of player to let that happen.

That’s what makes him so special. He has the world at his feet and he knows it, but he’ll just take it all in his stride, as he always does.

“His hunger and his humility is what’s got him on a good path,” Southgate said.

“He has all the attributes to continue to improve and learn because that’s how he’s wired and I don’t see that changing with how he is and with how his family are.”

AdvertisementGetty'He plays with real belief'

Saka’s goal against Ukraine at Wembley was one of a player brimming with confidence.

It was his eighth goal for his country. Only four players – Dixie Dean (16), Jimmy Greaves (16), Wayne Rooney (12) and Michael Owen (10) – have scored more for England at the time of his current age (21 years, 202 days).

When you consider he has done that while playing as a winger, that makes the achievement even more remarkable.

Saka now has four goals in his last six games for his country. He is delivering almost every time he pulls on the Three Lions shirt.

“When he’s in front of goal now he plays with real belief,” Southgate said after the victory over Ukraine. “That’s evident with his club and it’s evident with the games for us.

“You’re expecting him to score now when he goes through. I think that’s been a mentality shift as much as it’s anything technical.

"I think he knows to be a really top wide player he needs goals and assists and without doubt he’s delivered that this season.”

GettyA big-game player

There has been a definite change in Saka this season. He has taken on far more responsibility for Arsenal.

He may be still to turn 22, but he has already firmly established himself as one of the leaders in Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Hale End academy graduate has scored 13 goals in all competitions so far for the Gunners and prior to his brace against Crystal Palace immediately before the international break, every single one of them had either been a goal to put his side on front, or an equaliser.

That shows he has consistently stepped up in the big moments when his side has needed him this season and for a player so young to be doing that so consistently, it shows the level that he is now operating at.

"We obviously have individuals that excel to be at the level that we want," Arteta said after Saka's man of the match-winning performance against Palace earlier this month.

"But Bukayo was really, really good again, affecting the result with his contribution, especially in the opponent’s box. I’m really happy [with him].”

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GettyPlayer of the season?

Many expect Erling Haaland to bag all the individual awards when they are handed out come the end of the season because of the sheer volume of goals he has scored for Manchester City.

But there is a strong argument that, based purely on all-round performance, Saka has been the stand out performer in the Premier League this year.

He has been directly involved in 23 goals in his last 34 appearances for club and country, scoring 16 goals while setting up a further seven. Those are incredible numbers for a 21-year-old winger.

“I am not going to be the guy who is going to judge,” Oleksandr Zinchenko said when asked if his Arsenal team-mate is the best player in England following Ukraine’s defeat at Wembley.

“Definitely, he’s one of them, that’s for sure. He’s an amazing player. We knew that. He’s on fire at the moment.”

Leandro Trossard has been added to Arsenal’s injury list ahead of the North London Derby, with the Belgian winger missing out against Tottenham.

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Forward picked up injury in trainingJoins fellow winger Martinelli on the sidelinesGunners decide to go with two up frontWHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old forward was hoping to enjoy an extended run in the Gunners side after seeing Gabriel Martinelli ruled out. The Brazil international picked up a knock against Everton in Arsenal’s last Premier League game and has not been seen since – with Trossard scoring a match-winning goal at Goodison Park off the bench.

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Martinelli was absent from Mikel Arteta’s matchday plans once again versus Spurs. When the team sheets dropped, however, it was also revealed that Trossard would be forced to sit the game out. Arsenal revealed that a “slight muscle issue” was keeping him on the sidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

Arteta later stated that Trossard had “felt something” in training, with no risks being taken on his fitness. Big-money summer signing Kai Havertz could have slotted back in for Arsenal as they stuck with a settled system, but the Gunners have decided to field strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in the same starting XI.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Arsenal and Spurs have made bright starts to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, with both sides picking up 13 points from their opening five games. They are looking to keep pace with defending champions Manchester City at the top of the table.