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Liverpool Full-Back Andy Robertson Out With Ligament Damage

Liverpool FC full-back Andy Robertson has revealed that he suffered ligament damage in Sunday’s friendly with Athletic Bilbao.

Robertson was taken off at half-time after picking up an injury and was replaced by the great-nephew of Ian Rush, Owen Beck, for the second half.

The Scotsman landed awkwardly after making a block towards the end of the first half and stayed on the ground.

He was treated on the field before finishing the half and did not need a stretcher to leave the pitch, instead of being helped off by the physios.

The left-back went for a scan on Monday at the Spire Hospital in the English city and gave fans an update on his injury on social media.

“Thanks to everyone for the kind messages and support,” Robertson said. “Scan suggests nothing too major but there’s some ligament damage which will need to mend.

“I will be grafting every day so I can help the team again sooner rather than later. Good luck to the boys playing tonight.”

Kostas Tsimikas took Robertson’s place for Liverpool’s final pre-season match against Osasuna on Monday night.

It is expected that the Greek full-back will step in for Robertson in competitive fixtures in his absence.

Tsimikas only made seven appearances for Liverpool in his debut season in England as a result of early-season injury problems and Robertson’s ever-presence in the squad.

However, the 25-year-old has had an impressive pre-season this summer and will look to carry over his form into the new season and get more appearances for the club that signed him last summer.

Liverpool’s Premier League campaign gets underway when they travel to Carrow Road to face Norwich on Saturday, August 14th at 5:30 pm.

An early kick-off against Burnley on Saturday earns the distinction of the side’s first game at Anfield in the 2021/22 season on Saturday, September 21st.

A date with Chelsea follows on the evening of Saturday, August 28th before the first international break of the season gets underway.

It is possible that Robertson may return for Liverpool’s trip to Elland Road on Sunday, September 12th.

Arsenal’s youngsters: A team for the future?

Last year was Arsenal’s worst season since before Arsene Wenger was their manager, failing to make it into Europe. Even with that major negative some small things have proven to be a beacon of light for the Gunners

Mikel Arteta relied heavily last season on Arsenal’s youth in his first full season in charge, mainly due to the incompetence of some of the more experienced players. Although the club finished ninth in the league last season, they have managed to hold onto their best players while still having pull in the transfer market.

Who are these young players?

Gunners fans will be happy to know that favourites Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli will remain at the club this season. They also got the signature of up-and-coming star Ben White from Brighton for an estimated £50 million.

With this new signing, Arsenal’s defence looks stronger and more youthful than it has been in years. The team could line out with Tierney, Gabriel, White and Bellerin in the defence with only one of those players over the age of 24.

Forward Martinelli may have struggled badly with injuries in his first two seasons in North London but is now fresh off an Olympic gold medal with Brazil.

Folarin Balugon and Smith-Rowe also had decent seasons for Arteta’s side with three goals and four assists between them in the Europa League.

After all of them, the youngster that stands above the rest is Bukayo Saka. The 19-year-old has shown his ability to play in defence, midfield and forwards for both club and country this year.

He played in four of England’s Euro 2020 matches on their run to the final. The Gunner’s only worry is that the young man’s confidence might be shot after he missed the fifth and final penalty that saw the Three Lions lose the final.

The ones left behind

With every good young player at the club, another one slips through the cracks. After what was an astonishing loan move to Newcastle, Joe Willock does not seem to be getting a warm welcome back at Arsenal.

The club is days away from agreeing on terms with the Magpies to sell the player to restock funds to buy James Maddison.

Another player seemingly left at the wayside is French defender William Saliba, the 20-year-old has been sent on another loan move to Ligue 1 with the club showing no intention of ever playing him.

The club still has some promising young prospects on their roster and will hope they bring glory back to the club this season. If Arteta shows more faith in the youth then maybe the team could make a stir in the top European places.

Their first challenge will be to overcome Brentford away from home at 16:00 on Friday 13th August.

 

Can Leeds go one step further this season?

Leeds United had a great return to the heights of the Premier League after finishing ninth last season

Many neutral fans considered Leeds United to be a breath of fresh air last year. Marcelo Bielsa’s side played an attractive and energetic brand of football, conceding a lot of goals but also scoring a lot.

Spearheaded in the attack by English striker Patrick Bamford, the team beat sides like Manchester City, Leicester City, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Bamford managed 17 goals and seven assists playing every game for the side last year.

Their team also included Euro 2020 finalist Kalvin Phillips who left a big mark on the Premier League and European Championships last year.

They have been busy in the transfer market making the loan moves of Jack Harrison and Raphinha permanent as well as signing Barcelona full-back Junior Firpo. They also let go of their dead weight with Kiko Casilla and Pablo Hernandez leaving the club.

Former Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder told Leeds Live that away teams will struggle even more this season traveling to Elland Road.

“I think a few teams got away with it last year, not playing at a packed Elland Road because I know we’ve had a couple of positive results there and I know how difficult it is to get a result and how passionate they are.”

Wilder has not had the friendliest of histories with Leeds in recent years but still believes that they have not reached their full potential with this squad.

The Whites have not had the best preseason preparation having not won in their last six games. This includes a loss to Fleetwood Town and a double thrashing in two matches against Ajax.

Friendlies rarely reflect how a season will actually go but Bielsa’s main worry is that English clubs will now know his unique style of play and will be able to counteract it. The Spanish manager is considered a masterful tactician so this would be easier said than done.

Leeds United will start their season in an away match on the red side of Manchester. The legendary rivals will play in Old Trafford at 12:30 on Saturday, 14th August.

All-Ireland Semi-Final & Final Delayed After Covid Outbreak

The All-Ireland Football semi-final between Kerry and Tyrone and the All-Ireland Football final have been delayed by a week because of a covid outbreak in the Tyrone camp.

The announcement follows the news that the Tyrone squad are self-isolating and undergoing covid tests after positive cases among the team.

The game is now scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 21 with the venue remaining the same – Croke Park.

The other semi-final, Dublin v Mayo, is not affected by this and will continue as planned on Saturday, August 14 at 6 pm.

The winner of that tie will now have a three-week break until the final, which has been moved back to Sunday, September 4.

In a statement by the GAA on Monday afternoon, the sport’s governing body confirmed the changes.

“The GAA’s CCCC has today confirmed that Sunday’s GAA Football semi-final meeting of Kerry and Tyrone at Croke Park will not take place as originally scheduled and will now be played on Saturday, August 21 at the same venue ​(time to be confirmed). 

“This decision was taken following a status report received by the GAA relating to positive Covid cases in the Tyrone panel.  

“This change will necessitate the GAA Football All-Ireland final being re-arranged to take place on Saturday, September 4.  

“The GAA Football U20 final meeting of Offaly and Roscommon will proceed as planned at Croke Park ​at 1.30 pm on Sunday with the same permitted attendance.  

“The GAA will continue to liaise with the appropriate Government Departments and officials to discuss the practicalities of having these revised fixtures included under the statutory instrument that has facilitated the increased attendances of recent weeks.  

“The GAA will also be working with the LGFA around the TG4 Ladies All Ireland Junior final scheduled for Croke Park on September 4.”

Lukaku undergoing medical for record transfer to Chelsea

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is completing a medical before confirming €115m move to Chelsea, according to Sky Sports

Earlier this week, Lukaku asked his club, Inter Milan, to allow him to leave this summer. He plans to return to Chelsea, the team he left in 2014.Inter fans have made protests to their Chinese owners at their most recent friendly, a 2-0 win over Parma on Sunday.

The first part of the Lukaku’s medical has taken place in Milan while the club lawyers negotiate a transfer sum. The striker is expected to sign on a five-year deal.

Inter Milan have rejected at least two previous bids made by Chelsea, for more information see here Inter reject Chelsea’s £85m plus player offer.

Since leaving Chelsea seven years ago for Everton, Lukaku has become one of the most consistent strikers in Europe. Despite having one poor season for Manchester United, he has claimed the Premier League and Serie A golden boot awards.

These performances made him a major part of Belgium’s Euro 2020 squad. He score four goals and was named in the Team of the Tournament this summer.

Chelsea have already started making room for the Belgian by selling veteran striker, Oliver Giroud to AC Milan for €1 million. The club have also been in talks with Atalanta to offload Tammy Abraham.

Is Lukaku worth the money for Chelsea?

Although it seems that Lukaku has been around for a long time, the player in still only 28. Last season, the big striker scored 24 and assist 11 in 36 matches. This was a slight improvement on the 23 goals he got the previous year.

Standing at over 6’2”, he is known worldwide for his physical presence, strength and speed. His dribbling has been the butt of many critics jokes in recent years but no one can deny his ability to finish in front of goal with his head or left foot.

After missing out on the summer transfer window two years ago, the money is still burning a hole in Roman Abramovich’s pocket. Even though this is a major investment, the reigning Champions League winners can be confident of Lukaku’s ability.

Leicester City Defender Fofana Out Until 2022

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has said that Wesley Fofana is expected to be sidelined until 2022 after being injured in a pre-season match.

The French defender fractured his right fibula after he was on the receiving end of a tackle from Villarreal attacker Fernando Nino.

The 20-year-old’s leg was caught underneath Nino’s as the tackle occurred and he went down immediately.

The Marseille-born centre-back was stretchered off the pitch and was replaced by Ben Nelson.

The injury is worse than what was originally feared, with scans showing that the defender has also suffered medial knee ligament damage.

Quoted in The Athletic, Rodgers spoke about the injury to one of his first-choice centre backs.

“He will have his operation on Monday and he won’t play again until 2022,” Rodgers said after his side’s Community Shield win over Manchester City.

“At which point [of 2022], we don’t know yet. We will assess him as he goes. It’s a shame for him and for the Premier League not to have a player like that in it.

“Unfortunately the ligament damage is quite bad. He’s in great spirits. Some players want to go back to their own country [for their rehabilitation] but he wants to stay here and be around his team-mates.

“He will be back at the training ground on Thursday after his operation and he will start his rehabilitation from there.”

The young defender joined the English side from Saint-Etienne last season for a sum of £31 million and made an immediate impact.

Fofana played 38 times for the team over the course of last season and was part of Leicester’s historic FA Cup-winning run, playing in the final.

Leicester recently won the FA Community Shield without their French centre-half in a match where poor behaviour from their fans overshadowed an otherwise brilliant day for the club.

Grealish To Be Presented To Man City Fans

Manchester City FC will present new signing Jack Grealish to their fans on Monday evening following his record-breaking arrival from Aston Villa.

The 25-year-old penned a six-year deal after joining the side for £100 million, making the English international the most expensive player from the country ever.

The move is also the priciest in British footballing history, worth £11 million more than Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United in 2016.

Grealish achieved a total of 32 goals and 43 assists in 213 appearances during his time with the Aston Villa senior side.

The signing is one of the biggest of the summer window and only pales in comparison to Romelu Lukaku’s imminent move to Chelsea when it comes to money.

The winger will be unveiled to the City faithful following his debut for the side at the weekend in the FA Community Shield defeat to Leicester City.

Grealish came off the bench at Wembley during the 1-0 loss to the 2020/21 FA Cup winners.

The boyhood Villain did not do too much during his 25-minute cameo but better judgement will be made of him as he earns substantially more minutes for Pep Guardiola’s European giants.

He played on the left wing for Pep’s team in a front three that included former Leicester man Riyad Mahrez and academy product Ben Knight.

The event will take place at the Etihad Stadium’s West Reception, beginning at 5 pm and with Jack arriving at approximately 6 pm.

The event will be hosted by City Square presenters Danny Jackson and Natalie Pike.

Leicester City Ask Ian Wright To Help Identify Abusive Fans

Leicester City FC has asked Ian Wright to help them to identify fans that were abusive towards pundits Wright and Roy Keane at Wembley on Saturday.

Both pundits were working for ITV as they covered Leicester’s FA Community Shield victory over Premier League champions Manchester City.

Kelechi Iheanacho converted a late penalty to win his side their first Commuity Shield in 50 years – the second Community Shield win in their history.

Leicester’s victory follows their first-ever FA Cup win in their first final in the competition for over 40 years

However, the 2021 Community Shield was not defined by jubilant scenes of success but rather the poor behaviour of the club’s fans.

The abuse hurled at the pair included some fans calling Cork native Keane an ‘Irish c*nt’, according to Wright.

In a video posted to his Twitter account after the game, the ex-Arsenal striker said: “Leicester fans know how much respect I’ve got for them and their owners.

“I’m constantly bigging up Leicester and what they do but I got to say, where we were today, doing the punditry from the gantry where we were, some of them Leicester fans, what they were doing, calling Roy ‘Irish C’, mouthing the words to me – they know what words they were mouthing to me.

“You let yourselves down, big time. Really disappointed [in them] on the day, on what was a fantastic day for Leicester City fans. Them fans, on front of those kids, throwing the stuff down, what they were doing – mouthing and shouting what they were shouting.

“Disgraceful behaviour, man. Leicester, you shouldn’t be acting like that. Certain fans, you don’t represent Leicester.”

Leicester responded to the video that Wright posted by replying with a message of support for the pundits.

“Thank you for not letting this pass, @IanWright0. We’d welcome your help in identifying those involved so they can be held to account.

“We wholeheartedly condemn all forms of discrimination.”

Leeds United ticket news announced

Leeds United will kick off their 2021/22 season against Manchester United in Old Trafford at 12:30 on Saturday 14th August

Leeds United have announced the ticket details for their Elland Road games. They have also stated changes that will come into effect starting with Everton at home in the Premier League.

Tickets for the Category A fixture against the Toffees went on sale this morning. Following a review of the clubs ticketing policy, seats will be sold to all 2021/22 My Leeds Members.

A spokesperson for the club has said:

“The club has carried out a thorough review of the home ticketing policy ahead of the new campaign, including consultations with the Supporter Advisory Board and a benchmarking process against comparable clubs.

“Our objectives have been to ensure that access to tickets is fair to all members and to maintain our commitment to keeping football affordable whilst ensuring we remain competitive on the field in the long term.”

The club has frozen ticket prices for the tenth season and now claim to have the cheapest season tickets in the Premier League.

Children’s ticket prices in the Family Stand have also been frozen, meaning Under 11s can attend a game for £5 and Under 16s for £10.

For home matches an adult will pay up to £35 for the Family Stand, £41 for the North and South Stands and East Stand upper wings and £47 for the West Stand.

The Premier League’s £30 cap on away tickets is the reason given by many clubs as to why home tickets can be so expensive.

The ‘United for 20 Years’ scheme which was due to end 2023/24 has been extended by a year due to last season taking place almost entirely behind closed doors.

United insist match-by-match prices will still be, on average, in the cheapest 33 percent of the Premier League clubs.

Liverpool Prospect Gordon Tipped To Breakthrough This Season

Liverpool FC prospect Kaide Gordon has been tipped to break into the first team this season by The Athletic after an impressive pre-season.

The 16-year-old has earned minutes during the side’s pre-season games in mainland Europe and the United Kingdom.

The youngster joined from EFL Championship side Derby County in February for an initial fee of £1 million and mainly appeared for Liverpool’s U18 team for the second half of last season.

The English forward scored nine times across 15 games for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s side in the U18 Premier League and racked up three assists to compliment that.

His attacking output was important to the side as he averaged a goal or assist every 99 minutes for them.

His strong showings at that level earned the youth prospect an upgrade before the season ended, getting minutes with the Liverpool U23’s in the Premier League 2.

Gordon’s performances made an impression on the senior coaching staff at Liverpool and he has only improved upon that with his chances in pre-season.

He remained with the squad when they moved from Austria to France and appeared for the side against Bologna.

Assistant manager Pep Lijnders talked about Kaide’s pre-season in the final instalment of his training camp diary series for the Liverpool site.

“Kaide’s first game was his highlight of this tour, the second one was even better because there were fans there. He learned his positioning to press. It’s an intensity he’d never felt. The disallowed goal was his worst moment, I’m sure.”

Lijnders noted that the 16-year-old attacker was speaking to Liverpool’s full-backs, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold at the time of writing (Pep spoke to James Carroll).

The Dutch football coach said that he was getting advice from the full-backs.

Gordon’s attitude and application, of which Pep’s words on him attest to, are something that The Athletic believes stands to him.

They see him as “quick, skilful and a creative force” that is also “fearless” on the pitch.

A big 2021/22 season could be what lies ahead for the seven-figure signing from Derby.

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