Category Uncategorized

With the departure of Kai Havertz to Arsenal all but confirmed and Manchester United continuously courting Mason Mount, a massive gap has appeared in Chelsea’s squad for a new attacking midfielder.

Chelsea are in the hunt for an inventive, prolific, and young playmaker, as Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga ticks all those boxes.

What’s the latest on Gabri Veiga to Chelsea?

According to Florian Plettenberg, the 21-year-old is “ready for the next step” in his career and talks have been initiated with Chelsea.

The tweet also details that the Spaniard has a release clause €40m (£34m) which is active this summer, so a player of this quality available for such a modest fee would be a huge coup for the Blues.

It was previously reported by the Guardian that Pochettino is “prioritising additions in midfield” and this aim will only be augmented given the outgoings at Stamford Bridge.

Why do Chelsea want Gabri Veiga?

The attacker enjoyed a phenomenal breakout season in his homeland, registering 15 goal contributions in 36 La Liga outings throughout 2022/23.

The youngster finished the season in style – with this boyhood side needing a victory on the final day to avoid relegation, he netted twice to sweep aside title-winning Barcelona.

Across the year, no one in Spain’s top-flight outperformed their expected goals (xG) more than the prodigy, whilst his commendable four goals from outside the box were also the highest in the division.

His magnificent rise to international prominence means that the sensation is set to play a starring role at the U21 European Championship this summer.

Indeed, Veiga’s been named by The Athletic as one of the players to watch at the tournament.

The joyous technician has produced incredible numbers this term as he ranks in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, non-penalty goals per 90, and total shots per 90.

His direct effervescence, coupled with a keen eye for goal and sparkling creativity means he has been likened to Eberechi Eze via FBref. That should no doubt be an attractive proposition with the Eagles star sparkling bright towards the climax of last season, winning an England call-up in the process.

Described as “amazing” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Veiga has performed very similarly to Eze for goal involvements (15 vs 14), shots on target (29 vs 25), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.14 vs 4.03), and average shot distance in yards (19.8 vs 21.9).

This shows that while they are crafty providers for their teammates, they also harbour their own ruthless ambitions to find the net.

Both talents have evolved as the chief creators for their respective sides and irreplaceable figures within offensive sequences.

If the West London outfit secured this signing, it would be an excellent way to replace Havertz and Mount.

أعلن الجهاز الطبي لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك بقيادة أحمد أسامة عن إصابة الظهير الأيسر محمد عبد الشافي، بقطع في الرباط الصليبي.

وكان عبد الشافي قد تعرض لإصابة في الركبة خلال تدريبات الفريق قبل أيام، ليتم الإعلان رسميًا اليوم عن تفاصيل الفحوصات الطبية.

غياب 11 لاعبًا عن الزمالك أمام الإسماعيلي.. 5 صفقات أحدهم لوجهة نظر فنية

وكشف الدكتور محمد أسامة رئيس الجهاز الطبي للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك عبر تصريحات رسمية أن الفحوصات الطبية أثبتت إصابة عبد الشافي بقطع في الرباط الصليبي.

وأكد رئيس الجهاز الطبي أن عبد الشافي خضع لفحوصات طبية مكثفة لتحديد حجم الإصابة وتحديد بروتوكول العلاج المناسب.

جوميز يعلن قائمة الزمالك لمباراة الإسماعيلي في الدوري.. ضم عبد الله السعيد

وشدد رئيس الجهاز الطبي على أن اللاعب سيسافر إلى ألمانيا خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة من أجل العرض على أحد الأطباء والخضوع للعملية الجراحية، بناء على قرار الكابتن حسين لبيب رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك.

Chelsea are “considering” a move to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is David Raya leaving Brentford?

The Spaniard will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window will be Thomas Frank’s final big opportunity to cash in should he not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and an exit is likely after his boss admitted that he’s worried he’ll lose his number one, not to mention they have just signed his possible replacement in the form of Mark Flekken.

The Bees shot-stopper has been attracting interest from the Blues and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and it sounds like he’s keen to secure a big-money move elsewhere with his agent, Futbol21Pro’s Jaume Munell, having warned that should their client’s £40m price tag not be lowered, then he will see out his deal and leave for nothing in 2024.

Are Chelsea signing Raya?

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs revealed that Chelsea are weighing up an official approach for Raya, with Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino both on the hunt for a new first-choice goalkeeper. He wrote:

“Thomas Frank has again reiterated that David Raya can leave for £40m. Chelsea and Spurs both considering him. Villa could also look if they lose Emi Martinez. Whether or not Brentford get such a large fee remains to be seen. Suitors feel the price is too high.”

Should Chelsea cash out on Raya?

Chelsea are reportedly open to offers for Edouard Mendy this summer after falling below Kepa Arrizabalaga in the pecking order, and with the owner searching for a fresh long-term first-choice between the sticks, Raya could be the perfect successor having been hailed “exceptional” by journalist Sam Dean.

The World Cup participant kept 12 clean sheets in the top-flight last season which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards, not to mention that he ranks in the 94th percentile for crosses stopped so isn’t afraid to come out and claim the ball to clear the danger.

The 6 foot 1 colossus, who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation, also recorded a total of 154 saves over the course of the campaign which was higher than any other goalkeeper in the division, giving him a success percentage of 77.7%.

Finally, Raya has a strong range of passing having completed 131 of 135 short range passes and 463 of 473 medium range passes, as per FBRef, so he's a very well-rounded shot-stopper and one that could fit perfectly into Pochettino's squad.

علق محمود فايز مدرب منتخب سوريا عن كواليس محادثات الزمالك لضم محمود الأسود.

وقال فايز في تصريحات لقناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “حدث تواصل من قبل الزمالك لضم محمود الأسود، وحاولت تقديم العون بقدر الإمكان، هو لاعب متألق معنا، وعمره 19 عامًا فقط، مما يعني قيده تحت السن”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رسميًا.. الزمالك يُعلن تعيين جوزيه جوميز مديرًا فنيًا للفريق

وأكمل: “عندما تم سؤالنا عليه قلنا إنه لاعب جيد، محمود الأسود مؤدب جدًا ولديه طموح كبير ولديه عروض خليجية كثيرة”.

وتابع: “حاليًا المفاوضات في الرتوش الأخيرة، اللاعب قابل للتطور ولا تجد لديه رهبة وسيكون مكسبًا لـ الزمالك حال انضمامه”.

واختتم: “عقد كوبر مع سوريا لمدة عام وانتهى 31 يناير الماضي، هو حاليًا في اجازة، لديه أكثر من عرض من منتخبات في قارة إفريقيا والخليج، لكنه قرر تأجيل كل شيء، والأولوية ستكون لمنتخب سوريا”.

يذكر، أن محمود الأسود تواجد مع منتخب سوريا في بطولة كأس آسيا والتي انتهت بخروج الفريق العربي أمام إيران من منافسات دور الـ16.

Ravi Bopara underlined his liking for the Kent attack when he hammered six sixes in an unbeaten 81 to lead Essex to their third successive NatWest T20 Blast victory.

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara’s unbeaten 81 sealed victory•Getty ImagesRavi Bopara underlined his liking for the Kent attack when he hammered six sixes in an unbeaten 81 to lead Essex to their third successive NatWest T20 Blast victory.The Essex captain, who also posted 74 not out when the two teams met in the Royal London Cup two-and-a-half weeks ago, was on fire, and was particularly harsh on Mitch Claydon, who he deposited for two maximums in the final over of the innings.Bopara, who batted for 43 balls with six fours as well as those half-a-dozen sixes, put on an unbeaten 131 off 10.2 overs with Ashar Zaidi, who was in similar form himself. Zaidi finished unbeaten on 54 off 33 balls with five fours and three sixes.And all this after Kent put Essex in and Jesse Ryder went third ball, beaten for pace by Kagiso Rabada and edging to wicketkeeper Sam Billings without scoring.Kent started their reply in brisk fashion, landing a succession of sixes themselves, eight in the final analysis, but they became becalmed mid-innings as the required run-rate topped 14 with seven overs remaining and kept growing.After the departure of Ryder, the Essex innings was sparked into action by Tom Westley and Kishen Velani. Westley drove Rabada through the covers two balls into his innings and pulled another boundary through midwicket when the young South African dropped one short.Velani was no less punishing, twice giving himself room to chop Claydon through the covers and then greeting Ivan Thomas with a controlled, lofted edge to third man for another four.The second-wicket partnership had put on 42 in 4.5 overs when the pair collided midwicket chasing a second run and Velani failed to beat Sam Northeast’s throw into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.Bopara had just deposited James Tredwell over cow corner for six when, two balls later, the bowler held a sharp caught-and-bowled to dismiss Westley for 33 from 31 balls.Bopara’s second six, swept over midwicket, ruined Fabian Cowdrey’s figures. The spinner’s first three overs had gone for 13, but his last went for 14.Zaidi was in typically hard-hitting mode, bouncing down the wicket to thump Thomas over cow for six and then lofting Tredwell over long leg for a second.Bopara and Zaidi passed fifty in five overs together when Bopara got an inside-edge for four that left Thomas flat on the floor in his follow-through, and hitting the ground in frustration.It didn’t not get any better for Thomas as Bopara hit the last two balls of his spell for a straight, flat six and then paddled a four to reach his personal fifty off 32 balls.Bopara’s fourth six, clouting Rabada over his head high into the black sightscreen behind the bowler, also brought up the hundred partnership for the fourth wicket inside 10 overs.Zaidi reached his fifty off 33 balls from a loose full-toss by Claydon which was sent towering over midwicket. The bowler received similar treatment by Bopara who hit his fifth and sixth sixes off the same over, the first straight, the second over long-on.The home crowd, already pumped up by the display of six-hitting by Bopara and Zaidi, were soon celebrating a wicket. Joe Denly departed for a first-ball duck when he was beaten all ends up to provide Paul Walter with his first senior wicket for Essex.But Kent were soon hitting sixes for fun themselves. Dan Lawrence went for two in an over, Tom Latham hooking the first over midwicket and another straight. Sam Northeast then eased Matt Quinn over cow corner as Kent reached 49 off the first five overs.But from the first ball of the next over, Northeast swished at Graham Napier and was caught behind. Since Napier had taken two Surrey wickets with his last two deliveries at The Oval on Saturday, it meant he had taken a hat-trick, albeit six days apart. More importantly he put the brakes on Kent’s onslaught, conceding just two runs in the over, and then had Latham caught by Ryder backward of square.Billings did not last much longer, run out by a direct hit from Ryder in the middle of a maiden over from Ryan ten Doeschate. Stevens also fell to another direct-hit run-out as Bopara fielded off his own bowling before Alex Blake was caught by ten Doeschate on his knees at long-on for a 31-ball 37, including two sixes.Rabada went second ball to a catch behind off Quinn, Cowdrey was caught-and-bowled by Walter and Tredwell became Walter’s third victim, caught on the fine-leg boundary by Lawrence.

أوضح جوردان هندرسون المنضم حديثًا إلى صفوف أياكس أمستردام الهولندي، إذا كان سينصح جناح ليفربول محمد صلاح بعدم الانضمام إلى الدوري السعودي، بعد تجربته الأخيرة.

وفسخ هندرسون تعاقده مع الاتفاق بعد 6 أشهر من انتقاله للفريق السعودي قادمًا من ليفربول الإنجليزي.

وانضم هندرسون لصفوف أياكس أمستردام الهولندي حيث وقع عقدًا لمدة عامين ونصف مع الفريق.

وارتبط محمد صلاح خلال الصيف الماضي باهتمام أندية الدوري السعودي، حيث سعى الاتحاد للتعاقد معه ورفض ليفربول العروض المقدمة. 

وقال هندرسون عن إمكانية توجيه نصيحة لمحمد صلاح بشأن عدم الانتقال لـ الدوري السعودي: “لا بالتأكيد لا”.

وأضاف في تصريحاته التي نشرتها “بي بي سي”: “الجميع مختلفون، اللاعبون الكبار هناك الآن يحبون كل ثانية من التواجد في الدوري السعودي”.

وواصل: “قد يكون هناك لاعبون آخرون لا يستقرون أو يحدث شيء ما في حياتهم الخاصة”.

وتابع: “الأمور تتغير بسرعة، لن أتحدث بشكل سيء عن الدوري أو الأندية أو أي شيء من هذا القبيل، لدي احترام كامل للفرصة التي أتيحت لي للذهاب إلى هناك”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كلوب عن قرار هندرسون: ليس انتقادًا للسعودية.. وفقط في إنجلترا يعتقدون أنها نهاية مسيرتك

وعن كيفية إبلاغه بالخبر للمدير الفني للاتفاق ستيفن جيرارد: “لدي علاقة جيدة حقًا مع ستيفي، لقد كان رائعًا خلال الأشهر الستة التي قضيتها هناك، أنا سعيد من أجل تمديد عقده، لقد كان الأمر رائعًا”.

وأكد هندرسون: “لقد كان وقت صعبًا خلال الشهر الماضي، لكنه كان رائعًا معي ورائعًا للنادي، كانت علاقتنا قوية وستظل قوية دائمًا”.

وعن العروض المقدمة من أندية أخرى في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، أفاد: “لا أعتقد أنه من المناسب بالنسبة لي أن أتحدث عن من كان مهتمًا سواء كان الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أو أي ناد آخر، اليوم كل شيء يتعلق بأياكس ومنحوا لي الفرصة للمجيء إلى هنا”.

وبشأن فترته مع الاتفاق، علّق: “لقد ذهبت إلى هناك مع الالتزام الكامل بمحاولة مساعدة الدوري، والنادي الذي كنت فيه، ستيفن جيرارد وزملائي، هذا ما كنت أحلم به”.

وواصل: “لقد فعلت ذلك لمدة ستة أشهر، الأشياء يمكن أن تتغير في كرة القدم، فرصة مثل هذه لا تأتي في كثير من الأحيان، سأتناول الطعام وأنام وأتنفس أياكس لجعل هذا النادي أفضل”.

وحول ما إذا كان الذهاب إلى بطولة أمم أوروبا 2024 كان في ذهنه عند الانتقال إلى أياكس، أوضح: “البطولات الأوروبية دائمًا في ذهني، دائمًا ما أفكر في إنجلترا، إنه شيء كبير أن ألعب لبلدي، لقد كان هذا دائمًا هو الهدف”.

وشدد: “في النهاية، يجب أن أفعل ذلك على أرض الملعب مع أياكس، هذه هي أولويتي الجديدة، إذا قمت بذلك، آمل أن يتم استدعائي إلى تشكيلة إنجلترا”.

وعن المحادثات مع مدرب إنجلترا جاريث ساوثجيت حول الذهاب إلى أياكس، أفاد: “أنا على اتصال مع جاريث بانتظام كما كنت لسنوات عديدة في مسيرتي، هذا لم يتغير، كما هو الحال مع جميع اللاعبين، أنت تعرف مدى قربنا منه”.

واسترسل: “سوف يتفهم الموقف وكان عليّ اتخاذ قرار بالنسبة لي ولعائلتي للمجيء واللعب في نادي كرة القدم الرائع هذا والتواجد في هذه المدينة الرائعة، لا أستطيع الانتظار حتى أبدأ”.

وفيما يتعلق بتعرضه لصيحات الاستهجان أثناء اللعب لمنتخب إنجلترا، تابع هندرسون: “لن أجلس هنا وأقول إنني لم أتعرض للأذى، ولكن في الوقت نفسه أفهم ذلك، أنا أهتم، قد يعتقد الناس أنني لا أهتم”.

وأصر: “أهتم كثيرًا بكرة القدم واحترام الآخرين، بالطبع هذا أمر مؤلم، لكنني أحترم آرائهم وكيف ينظرون إلي كشخص، كان علي فقط أن أتحمل ذلك على عاتقي لم أحاول أبدًا إيذاء أي شخص، بالطبع هذا جزء من جزء لا يتجزأ من الحياة وكرة القدم، فهو يجعلك أقوى”.

وبشأن تعرضه للانتقادات فيما يتعلق بحقوق المثليين بعد انتقاله للدوري السعودي في وقت سابق، وإذا كان سيتواصل معهم، أوضح: “كل ما فعلته في الماضي هو مساعدة الأشخاص الذين طلبوا مساعدتي”.

وأتم: “إذا شعر أي شخص من هذا المجتمع بالإحباط فأنا أعتذر، لم يكن في نيتي قط، كان علي أن أفعل ما هو مناسب لي ولعائلتي، لكنني أفهم ذلك في نفس الوقت”.

أعلنت اللجنة المنظمة للبطولة العربية للمنتخبات لكرة السلة في نسختها الـ25، عن موعد خوض مباريات دور الثمانية من البطولة، المقامة حاليًا على صالة رقم 2 بمجمع الصالات المغطاة باستاد القاهرة الدولي وتستمر حتى 3 يناير المقبل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. منتخب مصر يفوز على المغرب في ختام الدور التمهيدي بالبطولة العربية لكرة السلة

وتقام مباريات دور الثمانية من البطولة العربية ، يوم الإثنين الموافق 1 يناير 2024، بمشاركة منتخبات الجزائر والإمارات وتونس والصومال وليبيا والكويت ومصر وموريتانيا.

وتقام مباريات دور قبل النهائي يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 2 يناير المقبل، وتقام مباريات الدور النهائي يوم الأربعاء الموافق 3 يناير المقبل.

ويعتلي المنتخب الوطني صدارة المنتخبات الأكثر تتويجًا بالبطولة العربية برصيد 12 بطولة وحصد المنتخب آخر لقب في عام 2016. مواعيد مباريات دور الثمانية من البطولة العربية للسلة

– منتخب الجزائر يلتقي مع نظيره الإمارات في تمام 12 ظهرا بتوقيت القاهرة.

– منتخب تونس في مواجهة نظيره الصومال في تمام الساعة 2.30 ظهرًا بتوقيت القاهرة.

– منتخب ليبيا يلتقي مع نظيره الكويت في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

– منتخب مصر يلتقي مع نظيره موريتانيا في تمام الساعة 7.30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has claimed that Manchester United have no chance of signing "fantastic" midfielder Romeo Lavia despite recent transfer links.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Man Utd?

The teenager only signed for Southampton in the summer but it seems as though he'd done enough to catch the eye of a few big Premier League clubs already.

As per Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, both Man Utd and Chelsea are potentially keen on signing Lavia, while his former club Manchester City also remain in the equation.

While talking about the player on The United Stand, Goldbridge praised the player and dubbed him as an ideal understudy to Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

However, when further discussing the rumours, he noted that a deal is impossible in his eyes as Man City hold all the power if they want to bring back their academy graduate.

He explained: “I'm just going to kill this story dead straight away, before you start getting excited about Lavia from Southampton.

"And it would be a brilliant signing, as an understudy to Casemiro, as a real tenacious up-and-coming midfielder. Fantastic, exciting player. I think a lot of clubs would like to bring him in; we won't get him.

He continued: "There's a hidden story behind the headline. Lavia is a Manchester City product. He only went from Manchester City to Southampton a year ago.

"There's still add-ons that need to be paid as part of that deal. But more importantly, Manchester City have got first-refusal. They also get a 20% of the sell-on.

"And also, it's led to believe that Man City can buy him back for £40m. So how the hell are Man United going buy a player like that?"

Do Man Utd have any chance of signing Lavia?

As Goldbridge explains, it has previously been reported in the Daily Mail that City can indeed pay £40m to bring Lavia back to the Etihad. However, he fails to notice that this only comes into action in the summer of 2024.

This means, if Manchester United really do want to land the midfielder, they can offer big money and may be able to land him ahead of their rivals.

Of course, due to his past relationship with City – having been an academy product and even playing twice for the senior side – the 19-year-old may prefer to rejoin Pep Guardiola and co.

Even so, despite the obvious obstacles this potential transfer would have to overcome before Lavia could be seen in a Man Utd shirt, it seems a little early to rule anything out completely just yet.

Leeds United have endured varying success with their transfer business since returning to the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa enjoyed a fine first season back in the top flight with few additions, but it was his reliance on a smaller squad that ended up being his downfall. Injuries and loss of form meant they suffered numerous heavy defeats, and the Argentine saw his time at Elland Road cut short.

That even came after he had tried to bolster the squad, most notably relinquishing £18m to sign Diego Llorente from Real Sociedad. However, his introduction did not have the desired effect towards solidifying the Whites’ leaky defence.

Then, with Jesse Marsch’s arrival, the Spaniard saw his play time dwindle even further. This culminated in his exit in January, as he joined AS Roma on loan with an option for the Italian outfit to sign him permanently.

It marked a huge lack of faith in the defender whose value has plummeted since his move in 2020.

How has Diego Llorente played for Leeds?

The 29-year-old only mustered 59 appearances for the club before this departure, and this season had made just six league starts. Even when he did feature, his average Sofascore rating of 6.67 was indicative of a huge underperformance.

It marked a sharp downturn from his first season success, where he averaged a 7.01 rating whilst recording 2.3 tackles and 2.5 clearances per game (via Sofascore).

His decline has coincided with that of the club’s into one scrapping for relegation in recent seasons, with his display in January drawing particular admonishment from journalist Jake Winderman.

He wrote on Twitter: “Diego Llorente and Junior Firpo go back into the squad and the defense looks even worse than usual. This is an absolute joke.”

As such, Football Transfers note that the nadir of his expected Transfer Value now sits at a dismal €4.3 (£3.8m); a visual indicator of his waning powers.

Llorente had lost the faith of his management but was sent away just before Javi Gracia was chosen as the man to succeed Marsch.

Perhaps he could have recaptured his form under his compatriot, and this negligence only further outlines the mockery the ownership has made of the club in recent years.

Bielsa is revered in Yorkshire, and rightly so, but with this particular deal, it seems he got it badly wrong.

Newcastle United will be hoping their opponent’s hectic schedule ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final is something which will play to the Toon’s advantage.

Who will Newcastle play in the final?

Eddie Howe’s Magpies are obviously up against Manchester United on Sunday at Wembley Stadium but this is a United side who have had a much busier schedule than the Toon in recent weeks.

Since the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, Newcastle have played just three games in the Premier League, whereas, the Red Devils have now played six games across all competitions.

Having also played more recently than Newcastle in the lead-up to the trip to Wembley on the weekend, there is the notion Newcastle may hold the upper hand going into the game on Sunday.

Speaking on The Magpie Channel TV YouTube account, Sky Sports man Keith Downie has suggested this is a potential factor which could play into Newcastle’s favour:

(5:00) “I personally think and I asked Eddie Howe this the other day when I spoke to him. I think the fact that Newcastle are missing [Nick] Pope and they’ve got [Loris] Karius in goal. I think that compared to Man United playing Barcelona on the Thursday night and only having a couple of days to prepare. I think that’s a bit of a leveller, I think there’s a bit of a leveller there.

“And there’s going to be at some point, Man United have played that Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. I know they beat Leicester last Sunday, but at some point, that’s going to have to come back and catch them out.”

What will this mean for Newcastle’s chances in the cup final?

Certainly, a view can be taken from this to suggest Newcastle may have the upper hand with their player’s potential fresher than their opponents.

As well as playing an extra five games, the United players have had to travel to Barcelona for the first leg of their Europa League clash and even played on Thursday night.

Playing just a matter of days before the cup final is something which surely Erik ten Hag will not view as the ideal preparation for their trip to Wembley on the weekend.

However, this does lead us on to an alternative viewpoint which takes into consideration the form of both sides going into the game at the national stadium.

Although Newcastle have played much fewer games than United, they have failed to win any of their games since the Carabao Cup semi-final game against Southampton.

Indeed, the Toon have been held to underwhelming draws against West Ham United and Bournemouth as well as a defeat on the weekend at home to Liverpool.

In comparison, the Red Devils have accepted the challenge of their fixture build-up and have not only strengthened their league position but also secured a spot in the next round of the Europa League.

A game on the Thursday night before a final is far from ideal, however, it will be interesting to see if the victory against Barcelona is something which will galvanise the United side or whether a toll will be taken on their players over the coming days.