Looking to continue their push towards the top half, Crystal Palace have now been boosted by the availability of Eberechi Eze, Eddie Nketiah and one other star who could return against Everton.

Crystal Palace injury news

The Eagles have rediscovered their best form under Oliver Glasner and are pushing towards the top half. On a run of one defeat in their last nine games in all competitions, those at Selhurst Park will certainly be in a confident mood ahead of what once looked destined to be a relegation six-pointer between themselves and Everton.

A key part of that recent run has, of course, been the form of Jean-Philippe Mateta who has shaken off any early season struggles in front of goal to steal plenty of headlines in South London.

The arrival of Everton won’t present Palace with a simple task this weekend, however. After all, the Toffees just quite literally battled their way to a last-gasp point against Liverpool in the final-ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Recent injury news has certainly provided the Eagles with plenty of hope though.

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As revealed by Glasner, Ismaila Sarr could now return from injury against Everton alongside Eze and Nketiah to hand Palace the ultimate triple boost. Missing his side’s FA Cup victory over Doncaster, the winger will be keen to return and instantly add to the four goals that he already has to his name this season.

When asked for an injury update, Glasner told reporters: “Fortunately no new issues and all three [Eze, Nketiah, Sarr] are back and available for tomorrow.”

With fixtures coming thick and fast, Palace couldn’t have asked for much better news on the injury front, handing them every chance of continuing their excellent form.

"Direct" Sarr must rediscover early season form

Since getting his Crystal Palace career off to a solid start with four goals and one assist in his first 17 Premier League games, Sarr has struggled to steal the same headlines, with his last goal involvement coming through an assist against Leicester City midway through January.

With Palace’s frontline all back together and Mateta firing on all cylinders, however, the former Watford man should have ample opportunity to improve his output and pay Glasner back for his praise a few months ago.

The Austrian told reporters when asked about Sarr in December: “Ismaila is more of a direct runner with a lot of pace. We knew if we get him into the right areas in the right moment he will get chances to score goals.

“I don’t think it was his best performance. He had fantastic performances in other games. He was always a very positive impact at the beginning of the season as a substitute, so he could have six or seven assists as well. Sometimes we missed the chances.”

As Everton prepare to arrive, Sarr could yet receive the chance to return with a bang and fire Palace to yet another victory in what has been a fine run of form.

Harry Kane has won the Bundesliga's Player of the Season award after finally ending his trophy curse at Bayern Munich.

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• Kane scored 26 Bundesliga goals
• Bayern won title handily
• Kane rewarded for performances

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane has won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award after a season in which he scored 26 league goals in 31 games en route to Bayern's title triumph. The England captain also registered 10 assists, with a record of 1.1 goal involvements per game.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern won the Bundesliga by 13 points from second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, and Kane was absolutely central to that victory. He is now targeting both the Champions League with Bayern and the World Cup with England, as he looks to build on his first-ever taste of tangible success.

• WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

  Kane told Bayern's website: “To be named Player of the Season is a great achievement. There are some amazing players here in the league. And to do it in the same year we won the title as well just makes it that little bit more special. It means a lot.

  “Big thanks to the club here, all my teammates, all the staff, because without them, of course, it wouldn't be possible. I'm gonna enjoy it because I've worked extremely hard this season, so everything like this is just an added bonus.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bayern have wrapped up their league campaign and have now set their sights on the Club World Cup. They will play Auckland City, Boca Juniors, and Benfica in the group stages.

The Pakistan board is still searching for a coach to take over from Saqlain Mushtaq

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2023

Mickey Arthur will not be returning to Pakistan cricket, after talks with the PCB failed to find a way to make any arrangement work. The PCB had been in discussions with Arthur for a new stint as head coach over the last few weeks. But the PCB announced on Tuesday that Arthur’s long-term contract with Derbyshire meant he couldn’t take the head coach role right away. Both sides had conversations over a looser, consultancy role but the PCB said that proved “difficult to materialise for various reasons on both sides.”The PCB said they would continue their search for a coach to replace the incumbent Saqlain Mushtaq, whose contract runs out at the end of February. Saqlain has been coach of the side since September 2021 and has seen Pakistan reach the semi-finals and then final of two successive T20 World Cups. But a poor home season, especially in Tests, has increased scrutiny on his impact. With a new board regime in charge under Najam Sethi and keen to stamp their authority on the team, Saqlain’s time is effectively up.An Arthur return would’ve been a popular one, at least within the team where a number of current players blossomed during his first stint from 2016 to 2019. It was Arthur’s faith in and work with current captain Babar Azam that proved instrumental in his subsequent rise. A number of other key players, including Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed all flourished during Arthur’s tenure. Under his charge Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy and also reached the No. 1 position on ICC’s T20I rankings; in the first Test series he took charge in, Pakistan became the top-ranked Test side as well (though much of the work to that rise had occurred before he took over).But he was replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq, who had been captain under Arthur’s coaching, after Pakistan’s fifth-place finish at the 2019 ODI World Cup. They narrowly failed to make the semi-finals, despite a stirring turnaround after a heavy early loss.On December 27, ESPNcricinfo reported that Sethi, in effect the head of the current administration was in talks with Arthur over returning to his previous job. Arthur was previously coach during Sethi’s previous stint. Both sides, it is believed, tried hard to find a way through especially with a consultancy role, with a schedule drawn out as to how such a role might work around Arthur’s four-year deal with Derbyshire.The PCB said that “some top names are in consideration” as they continue their search.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos encaminhou o empréstimo do volante Willian Maranhão ao Atlético-GO até o final da temporada. A informação foi inicialmente publicada pelo UOL. O jogador tem contrato com o Peixe até o final de 2024.

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Maranhão chegou ao Santos no final de março. Ele estava no Bahia e o Peixe pagou R$ 500 mil para adquirir cerca de 70% dos direitos econômicos do atleta. Sob a desconfiança por parte dos torcedores, jogador foi um “plano B” para contratação de Alison, frustrada após uma grave lesão joelho sofrida no jogo de despedida do Al-Hazem, da Arábia Saudita.

+Saiba os brasileiros que vão ou ainda podem trocar de clube na Europa

O volante tem apenas 9 jogos pelo Peixe, que chegou a dar voto de confiança ao atleta, principalmente após enfrentar algumas vaias, como na vitória contra o América-MG por 3 a 0. O volante também passou por problemas pessoais que o tiraram de algumas partidas pelo Alvinegro.

Maranhão não foi relacionado nos jogos contra Cuiabá, Coritiba e Goiás. Desde que chegou ao Peixe, o jogador de 26 anos atuou em 8 jogos, sendo quatro no Brasileirão. Seu último jogo foi contra a Universidad Católica, pela Sul-Americana. Na oportunidade, foi titular.

Willian Maranhão tem passagens pelo próprio Atlético-GO, Boavista-RJ, Santa Cruz, Vasco, América-MG e Bahia. Ele chegou a estar no radar do Peixe em 2021, mas as negociação acabaram não avançando. O atleta é natural de São Luís, do Maranhão, e tem 1,79m.

In a ruthless move from The Friedkin Group, Everton are now reportedly set to allow a midfielder on almost £7m a year leave when the summer transfer window swings open.

Everton open exit door

Those at Goodison Park already got a glimpse of Friedkin’s ruthlessness at the beginning of their reign when they sacked Sean Dyche in favour of hiring David Moyes. And, to their credit, it’s a decision that has turned the Toffees’ season around, with relegation now a thought of the past and all eyes set on further improvements in the next campaign.

A 1-1 draw against West Ham United last time out continued an impressive unbeaten run, which now stands at nine Premier League games, although Moyes will be keen to get his side back to winning ways after four consecutive draws.

Despite that impressive run, it doesn’t look as though Friedkin’s ruthless streak is set to come to an end anytime soon, as they set their sights on their first summer at the helm.

According to TEAMtalk, Friedkin are now set to let Abdoulaye Doucoure leave as a free agent this summer after opting out of opening fresh contract talks with the 32-year-old midfielder.

In an attempt to reduce the age and wage bill of the Everton squad, the new owners will be clearing nearly £7m a year if Doucoure does indeed depart this summer.

Related He's like Moise Kean: Everton ready bid for "sensational" DCL upgrade

Everton are set to spend in the transfer market this summer.

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The news arrives despite the fact that the Frenchman has impressed once again throughout a mixed campaign for the Toffees. Those in Merseyside may well struggle to find a more committed play than Doucoure, with his passion on full show during his disagreement with Liverpool’s Curtis Jones after Everton’s late derby draw earlier this season.

Nonetheless, his time as an Everton player now looks destined to end, especially given that Moyes has already found his replacement.

Everton already have Doucoure replacement

In the face of Doucoure’s likely exit, Everton won’t need to search too far for their replacement. In fact, all they’ll have to do is turn Carlos Alcaraz’s loan deal from Flamengo permanent this summer.

The 22-year-old has impressed at times during his loan spell and Doucoure’s exit should open the door for the former Southampton man to claim a starting place in Moyes’ strongest side.

Yet to reach the peak of his powers, Everton should do everything to ensure that Alcaraz’s loan move becomes permanent this summer. His arrival would ensure that they replace Doucoure and decrease the age of Moyes’ squad in doing so – ticking a vital box for Friedkin.

Whilst the Flamengo loanee does not have the same power as Doucoure, what he has already offered is an impressive technical ability that Everton will need if they are to move beyond relegation scraps next season. On paper, Alcaraz simply represents the perfect start to Friedkin’s first summer in charge.

Chelsea made a huge leap towards the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League last night, claiming a 2-1 win against FC Copenhagen despite not being at their best.

Reece James and Enzo Fernández got themselves on the scoresheet during the victory, handing Enzo Maresca’s side a slim lead ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge next week.

The victory maintained the Blues’ 100% record in Europe this campaign, extending their run to nine games in which they have won without tasting defeat – the only side to achieve such a feat this season.

Maresca made several alterations to his first-team side for the meeting yesterday, multiple of which certainly worked in his favour, allowing the side to claim a vital win despite struggling in the first half.

Numerous players impressed during the triumph, undoubtedly demonstrating that the manager made the right call for the key European meeting in Copenhagen.

Chelsea’s star performers against Copenhagen

Fernandez may not have started the encounter last night, but the Argentine midfielder would end up having a huge say on the result, tipping the game in Chelsea’s favour.

The 24-year-old came off the bench at half-time, scoring the Blues’ second goal, which would prove to be the winner after Gabriel Pereira’s late efforts for the hosts.

He also managed to complete 100% of the 43 passes he attempted during the triumph, being the only player who featured for 45 minutes or more to achieve such a feat.

Tyrique George was another player who grabbed his opportunity with both hands in Copenhagen, staking his claim for a regular starting role after his showing last night.

The academy graduate registered an assist and completed 95% of his passes, making himself a nuisance in attacking areas by completing 100% of his dribbles.

The teenager wasn’t the only player to showcase their talent after their recall to the side, with one other first-team member now looking undroppable after their own impressive display.

The Chelsea star who now looks as undroppable as Palmer

Over the last couple of seasons, Cole Palmer has made himself a key player for Chelsea, which is understandable given his record of 60 combined goals and assists in 76 outings since joining.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

His importance to Maresca cannot be understated, as seen by the Italian’s decision to include him in the squad for the knockout stages after leaving him out of the group phase.

The Englishman started the game but was unable to register a goal or assist for an eighth successive game, being outshone by fellow compatriot James after his return to the side.

The 25-year-old has had his battles with injuries over the last couple of months, returning to the side for the clash last night, but operating in a slightly unnatural midfield role.

James starred throughout, producing a perfect captain’s display at the heart of the side, firing home the opener with a long-range effort for Maresca’s men.

He featured for the entirety of the clash, managing a total of 97 touches and completing 82 passes at a completion rate of 95% – highlighting his impressive display on the ball.

The academy graduate also managed to win three duels, completed a tackle and won two fouls, producing a phenomenal display despite his unfamiliar role.

Minutes played

90

Touches

97

Passes completed

82/86 (95%)

Duels won

3/5 (60%)

Tackles won

1

Fouls won

2

Goals scored

1

As a result of his showing, James was handed a 7/10 match rating by the Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia, further demonstrating how impressive he was – with Maresca simply unable to drop him after such a showing.

The manager decided to operate with the Englishman over £106.8m signing Fernandez, showcasing the trust in his captain to thrive, albeit in a position he’s rarely featured in.

Maresca can’t drop James after his impressive outing, giving him a potential selection headache at the heart of the side ahead of the Blues’ clash with Leicester City on Sunday.

Saved by James & Enzo: Chelsea dud must not start again after 4/10 display

Chelsea claimed a 2-1 win against FC Copenhagen in the Europa Conference League tonight.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 6, 2025

Off-spinner Lucy Higham played the starring role with a career-best five for 19 as The Blaze made a winning debut in regional women’s cricket, launching their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with a 59-run defeat of Central Sparks at Trent Bridge.Opener Tammy Beaumont top-scored with 60 for the East Midlands team, backed up by England colleague Sarah Glenn (38) and Georgie Boyce (28) and though the rebranded Lightning failed to bat out their 50 overs, Higham chipped in with 24 with the bat to give them a total of 212 to defend.England quick Issy Wong was out of sorts with the ball for Sparks, yet three wickets each for Emily Arlott, Grace Potts and spinner Georgia Davis looked to have secured a target that the West Midlands team could chase.In the event, no one could produce the stand-out performance with the bat that was needed, Katie George top-scoring with 31 at number eight as Blaze skipper Kirstie Gordon, who has taken over from Lightning captain Kathryn Bryce in the role, celebrated a winning start.After the early loss of Marie Kelly, who found short midwicket from Arlott’s first delivery to depart without scoring, Beaumont and Boyce added 66 in 11.4 overs to give The Blaze something like the start they were looking for after winning the toss.Their progress was checked by wickets in three consecutive overs by Potts, the 20-year-old right-arm seamer who was leading wicket-taker for Sparks in both 50- and 20-over cricket last season.Boyce, who had scored three of her five boundaries in a loose second over from Wong, was Potts’s first victim, leg before playing across the line, before the Bryce sisters – Kathryn and Sarah – both feathered catches to ex-Lightning wicketkeeper Abbey Freeborn.Beaumont completed a half-century from 70 balls with her ninth boundary as she and Glenn set about rebuilding the innings from 86 for four, Glenn hitting two boundaries in one over off Potts.Spinners Davis and Hannah Baker dragged the balance back towards Sparks by sharing the next four wickets, beginning with Beaumont’s dismissal for 60 after adding 45 with Glenn when off-spinner Davis struck the front pad as the opener attempted to work to leg.Davis picked up a second, holding a steepling top-edge off her own bowling to remove South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk before Hannah Baker, the England Under-19 leg-spinner, turned one sharply to bowl former Sparks team-mate Glenn, who had been dropped on 22.Davis claimed her third wicket, bowling Beth Harmer middle stump, before Arlott returned to remove Gordon and Higham as The Blaze were dismissed in the 47th over.After failing to click with the ball, Wong seemed determined to make amends with the bat and, having been dropped at cover off De Klerk on two, was beginning to look a threat as she lofted Grace Ballinger for six over midwicket.But in attempting to dish out similar treatment to Glenn at the end of the England leg-spinner’s opening over she succeeded only in finding the safe hands of Higham on the boundary.After Chloe Brewer fell leg before to Kathryn Bryce, Higham struck arguably the most important blow, taking what turned into a difficult return catch as Jones – prolific in this competition in previous years – sent the ball soaring skywards off a top edge which drifted in the breeze as it came down. At the halfway point, Sparks were well off the pace at 76 for three, where The Blaze had been 130 for four.The combination of off-spinner Higham with left-armer Gordon denied Sparks the acceleration they needed and the visitors suffered further losses as Freeborn paddled straight to the fielder behind square to give Higham a second success, to which she quickly added a third, inducing Ami Campbell to offer an easy caught-and-bowled.Arlott was victim number four for Higham, via a stumping, which she raised to five by bowling Davis, either side of Gordon dismissing Davina Perrin via a catch at mid-off.George, who hit five fours in her attempt to keep Sparks in contention, fell caught and bowled by De Klerk, who completed the win by bowling Baker with the second ball of the 49th over.

Newcastle United are believed to have made contact with the representatives of an “extremely dominant” Premier League player, according to a new transfer update.

Newcastle eyeing signings after EFL Cup win

Magpies supporters are still basking in the glory of last weekend’s EFL Cup final win over Liverpool, in what was a special day for the club. It is important that Eddie Howe’s side don’t take their eye off the ball in the league, though, sealing Champions League football and then signing some top-quality players in the summer.

Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino is one player who has been linked with a move to Newcastle at the end of the season, with the 22-year-old bagging four assists in La Liga so far this season.

Sporting CP ace Francisco Trincao is another rumoured transfer target for the Magpies, as Howe looks to add proven quality to his squad. The Portuguese has registered 19 goal contributions (eight goals and 11 assists) in 26 Primeira Liga outings in 2024/25, outlining his quality.

Centre-back also has to be a big area of focus for Newcastle, with AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori backed to move to St James’ Park, as he eyes a potential return to England.

Newcastle make contact with "dominant" ace's agents

According to a new update from TEAMtalk, Newcastle have made contact with Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen’s agents over a move to the club this summer.

The Spaniard is seen as the Magpies’ top target in the next transfer window, but given how highly rated he is, there is plenty of interest in him from some other huge clubs. It is Champions League holders Real Madrid who are thought to be in pole position to snap him up, which is a concern.

Huijsen is among the most promising young centre-backs in Europe currently, so the idea of him in a Newcastle shirt next season is a mouthwatering prospect.

The 19-year-old has performed with such maturity in an impressive Bournemouth team throughout the campaign, averaging 5.5 clearances per game across 23 Premier League appearances, while football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed his “extremely dominant” nature in the air.

As mentioned, at least one new central defender is needed at Newcastle before the start of the new campaign, with the likes of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn both now in their 30s.

£67m release clause: Newcastle now working on deal to sign "unique" winger

He’s a rising star…

ByTom Cunningham Mar 20, 2025

In Huijsen, the Magpies could have the perfect option to come in and not only be a key man from the off, but also grow into one of the best players in the world in his position as the years pass, making this one to watch.

Chelsea boss Enzo Marseca has explained the reasoning behind his decision to leave Reece James on the bench in the Blues' Conference League triumph.

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Reece James left on bench for UECL finalCame on at half-time as Chelsea won 4-1Maresca explains decision to bench JamesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea's decision to drop James to the bench for their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis raised a lot of eyebrows, especially after the West London side conceded an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As Chelsea continued to struggle to dominate Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis through the first half, Maresca decided to bring James on at half-time in place of Malo Gusto. The Blues' substitutions, along with Los Verdiblancos' drop off in the second half, helped Maresca's side go on to grab a massive four-goal comeback to clinch the Europa Conference League title with a 4-1 win at Stadion Miejski. The Italian coach has now explained why he decided to leave James on the bench for the start of the clash.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT MARESCA SAID

Speaking to the media, Maresca said: "I promise you, I would always start with Reece. But I’m trying to protect him. He’s a top player for us. It’s like Cole, the problem is we need to manage him. When we changed him, he said to me, 'Boss, don’t worry, we’re going to win the game'."

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WHAT NEXT FOR JAMES?

Maresca's decision to keep the injury-prone Chelsea captain on the bench could be influenced by the fact that the Blues' season is not yet over, as they will travel to the United States next month for the Club World Cup. James is expected to be a certain starter for Maresca through the competition.

Warner and Marsh are among those missing their bats after the team returned home from Bengaluru

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2023

Several Delhi Capitals players have reported items missing from their kits after they returned to Delhi from Bengaluru, where they played RCB on April 15.According to a report in the a total of 16 bats, in addition to other equipment like shoes, pads, thigh pads and gloves, were missing. Three of the lost bats belonged to David Warner, two to Mitchell Marsh, three to Phil Salt, and five to Yash Dhull.The players found out about the missing gear after flying back to Delhi on Sunday and having their kits delivered to their team hotel. Delhi Capitals has hired a logistics company to assist in the transport of kit and equipment from one venue to another during the IPL.”All of them were shocked when they heard that everyone had lost something or the other from their kit bags,” a Delhi Capitals offical said. “This is the first time such an incident has happened and the matter was soon raised to the logistics department, police and later at the airport. The investigation is on.”Delhi Capitals are the only team without a win so far this season. They are at the bottom of the points table, having lost their first five games, and their next fixture is against Kolkata Knight Riders at home on Thursday.