أوضحت التدريبات الختامية للنادي الأهلي، ملامح تشكيل القلعة الحمراء، الذي سيخوض به مباراة الجونة، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، في منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي يلاقي الجونة، على ملعب ستاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار مباريات الجولة الثامنة من عمر مواجهات مسابقة الدوري الممتاز.

تشكيل الأهلي الرسمي أمام الجونة في الدوري المصري  موعد مباراة الأهلي والجونة اليوم في الدوري المصري

تلعب مباراة الأهلي والجونة، مساء اليوم الأربعاء 15 يناير 2025، في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 8 بتوقيت السعودية.

ويشهد تشكيل الأهلي أمام الجونة، قيادة محمود عبد المنعم “كهربا”، خط هجوم المارد الأحمر، بسبب غياب الفلسطيني وسام أبو علي بعدما تعرض للإغماء خلال رحلة العودة من كوت ديفوار عقب مواجهة استاد أبيدجان الإيفواري بدوري أبطال إفريقيا السبت الماضي.

طالع | الأهلي يعلن نتيجة الفحوصات الطبية لـ وسام أبو علي بعد تعرضه للإغماء

كما من المتوقع أ يدفع السويسري مارسيل كولر، المدير الفني للفريق، بالثنائي محمد مجدي أفشة وإمام عاشور بجانب حسين الشحات في الوسط الهجومي.

ويقود الجبهة اليمني للنادي الأهلي في مباراة الجونة، العائد من الإصابة محمد هاني، بعدما كان قد ظهر في دقائق من مواجهة استاد أبيدجان الأخيرة. تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام الجونة اليوم في الدوري المصري

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني، رامي ربيعة، ياسر إبراهيم وكريم الدبيس.

خط الوسط: مروان عطية، أحمد نبيل كوكا، محمد مجدي أفشة، حسين الشحات وإمام عاشور

خط الهجوم: محمود عبد المنعم “كهربا”.

ويتصدر النادي الأهلي، ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 15 نقطة، حيث حقق الفوز في 4 مباريات وتعادل في 3 مواجهات.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided a new update regarding Mason Mount's future at Manchester United, with a twist emerging.

Mount struggling to impress at Man United

The Englishman moved to Old Trafford during last year's summer transfer window, completing a big-money move from Chelsea and being considered an exciting piece of business, given the impact he had enjoyed at Stamford Bridge.

Mount's first season as a United player ended up being a hugely disappointing one, however, with his performances a long way short of their best, and injuries playing a big role in his struggles. In the end, he started just five matches in the Premier League, with only nine more coming from the substitutes' bench.

The 25-year-old's lack of action ultimately cost him a place in England's Euro 2024 squad, having done nowhere near enough to justify being a part of Gareth Southgate's plans in Germany. In fact, some rumours have recently linked Mount with a quickfire move away from the Red Devils this summer, with the club believed to be open to selling him.

Now, a significant update has emerged over the midfielder's future at United – one that suggests things may pan out differently for him than has been predicted of late.

Romano drops update on Mount's Man Utd future

Taking to X on Saturday, Romano claimed that there is "no plan" for Manchester United to sell Mason Mount this summer, with the Englishman expected to stay put beyond the current transfer window:

While Mount's first year at United was unquestionably underwhelming, there is still a reason why they were willing to break the bank for him last summer, so persisting with him for at least another year makes sense.

The hope is that the influence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is beneficial to the 36-time capped England international, with a more settled feeling at the club helping him find his best form, as well as bringing in the right players for him to bounce off in midfield areas.

At 25 years of age, Mount remains a relatively young player with lots to offer, and the fact that none other than Kylian Mbappe once described him as a "superb" footballer says a lot about his ability.

Goals

0.25

0.18

Assists

0.20

0

Key passes

2.08

1.05

Ball recoveries

6.49

4.52

There is no doubt that more is needed from the former Chelsea ace moving forward, however, with more quality and intent needing to be shown in attacking midfield areas, but he has shown in the past what he is capable of, scoring 33 goals and registering 35 assists for the Blues. Should his second season at United also not work out, it would then be more understandable for the club to consider moving him on.

Leeds United could yet be involved in a potential £40m piece of business during the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Leeds transfer news

The Whites suffered the agony of missing out on promotion from the Championship to the Premier League last season, losing in the play-off final to Southampton. They will again go into the 2024/25 campaign as one of the favourites to go up, but Daniel Farke will know the importance of making important new signings.

Couhaib Driouech has been linked with a summer move to Leeds, with the 22-year-old Excelsior attacker seen as an ideal replacement for current Elland Road star Wilfried Gnonto, with the Italian potentially moving on to pastures new.

While Archie Gray moving to Tottenham has been disappointing for Whites fans, Joe Rodon completed a permanent move from the north London club. Elsewhere, Gent ace Jordan Torunarigha is viewed as a possible candidate to come in and partner him at the heart of Farke's defence.

Away from incomings, there is also the constant threat of certain influential figures moving on in the current transfer window along with Gray, including the likes of Illan Meslier, Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville and Gnonto. A new update has now dropped regarding one such figure.

Journalist drops £40m Leeds update

Speaking to The Boot Room, Jacobs admitted that Summerville could still leave Leeds this summer, with the Whites demanding up to £40m for his services, at which point they would likely accept an offer:

"I still wouldn’t rule out a move for Crysencio Summerville who will be available for between £35-40m. Because Leeds sold Archie Gray they are in a stronger position to try to rebuff it, but I’m told that if the player said he wanted to leave for a big Premier League club like Chelsea then Leeds wouldn’t stand in his way."

At this point, it would be a surprise if Summerville was still a Leeds player when next season gets underway, considering he may feel he is at a level where he should be playing in a top league following his exploits last term.

The Dutchman was voted the Championship's best player for the past season, scoring 20 goals and chipping in with nine assists in the competition. Farke is also a big admirer of the winger, saying of him: "His reaction, not just in possession, because he’s an outstanding creative player, we know this, but also how hard he worked for the team. This is exactly what we need and many compliments to him."

Should Summerville move on, it is imperative that Leeds get every last penny for him, making sure they receive the desired £40m and use it to bring in a number of important additions.

Player wants to quit Leeds with Steinsson ready to take £18 million loss

He could leave for a meagre fee.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 6, 2024

However, it would still be preferable for the Whites to keep hold of their star performer, in what would be a huge boost ahead of another promotion charge in the Championship.

Herrera had a mixed run with Houston since joining MLS in 2022, so will the controversial exit from playoffs impact his future?

Hector Herrera's decision to spit in the direction of referee Armando Villarreal and subsequent red card generated a lot of headlines over the weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn't what the Houston Dynamo had in mind when they finally signed a big-name Mexico international star.

Herrera was supposed to herald a new era for a team that needed buzz. The designated player was supposed to be a box office draw who could bring a winning mentality and ultimately, trophies.

Instead, the Dynamo slumped to a disappointing early exit this season, losing to the Seattle Sounders in the First Round of the MLS playoffs. It's a steep decline from last year when they lifted the U.S. Open Cup after beating Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami and were just a win away from reaching the MLS Cup final.

GOAL US takes a look at the controversial moment for the midfielder and what it could mean for his future.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• Costly end to a promising season

  The Dynamo turned in a strong regular season campaign in 2024. Ben Olsen’s team was playing better soccer than any Dynamo club in recent memory. Olsen has said on many occasions that the Dynamo go as far as Herrera goes. He went off the field early in Sunday's deciding playoff match, and the Dynamo went out of the playoffs.

  Herrera's red card exit meant the Dynamo had to try to topple the Seattle Sounders with just 10 men. After a 1-1 draw, Herrera wasn’t there in the penalty shootout to take a kick. Neither was Adalberto Carrasquilla, the Panama star who was sent off for losing his head in the previous contest.

  The margins were tight and Seattle ultimately went through. It’s tough for Dynamo fans not to wonder if that would’ve been the case had the team’s biggest star stayed disciplined.

Advertisement

• The apology

  Herrera took to social media Monday to apologize for the incident.

  “It hurts to have fallen like that after a great season,” Herrera wrote Monday afternoon on Instagram. “Personally, I apologize to all the fans and my teammates for yesterday’s sending-off. I’m sure we’ll work to come back stronger in 2025. Let’s go Houston Dynamo.”

  The Dynamo have a club option to keep Herrera in town one more year – an option he clearly feels the team will pick up. It remains to be seen if the club feels as much certainty about Herrera being in their plans for next year as he does.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Assessing Herrera's time in Houston

  The highest-paid player on the club, with $5.2 million in guaranteed compensation, Herrera’s time in Houston has been full of highs and lows. He arrived from Atletico Madrid months before the 2022 World Cup, a tournament played with a different winter schedule because of the heat in host nation Qatar. Herrera admitted he played scared for most of his first season, afraid of picking up an injury that would deny him another crack at the World Cup. It showed, and the signing looked like a bust early on as he had just one assist on the season and no goals scored.

  He has picked things up since, becoming a key player in the 2023 squad that lifted a trophy and came a playoff series away from winning another. Herrera logged 17 assists and four goals in MLS play over 2,534 minutes that year. This season, however, he’s struggled to make the same impact, ending the season with a goal and three assists in 1,616 minutes. While still a key piece, Herrera’s influence was less important this season, and he wasn’t able to put together the same impactful stats he did in the successful 2023 campaign.

  Although he is now 34, Herrera will have options if Houston decides to cut ties. Still, the idea of going to another MLS team or making a return to Liga MX, where he developed with Pachuca, doesn’t seem to be how he sees his playing days ending.

  “I would be delighted to be able to finish here with Houston,” Herrera said earlier this year. “I am very happy with the city, with the team, with the people, the way they treat me here, and I think that is the most important thing, no?”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Future with Houston and Mexico?

  Perhaps that treatment Herrera highlighted speaks to his desire to return. Herrera historically has been underrated as a Mexico national team player. He never had the goals of Chicharito, the success in the top European leagues of Andres Guardado, or the World Cup heroics of Guillermo Ochoa. Yet, there’s a reason we recently ranked him in the top 10 of the best Mexico players of the 21st century. Herrera was a key piece to Mexico’s best midfield in the modern era, able to shuttle the ball forward or help in recovery, teaming to great effect with Guardado and a midfield stopper.

  As Mexico struggles through a generational change in which it continues to trot out the unpopular Charly Rodriguez as a No. 8 option, a return to El Tri shouldn’t be out of the question. Yet, Herrera now must wait a long four months to get back on the field and state his case. While he spoke in 2022 about potentially retiring from the national team, he’s yet to do so formally and started a September 2023 friendly under manager Jaime Lozano.

  Instead, it seems, he's still waiting for one last opportunity to show he can live up to the hype. It may be a long wait, just like the one this offseason as he either counts down the days he can make up his indiscretion to the Dynamo fans or figures out what his next – and potentially last – step will be.

After keeping hold of Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester City have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a £17m midfield partner for the Nigerian this summer.

Leicester transfer news

Positives are finally beginning to emerge for the Foxes following a chaotic start to the summer transfer window, which saw both Enzo Maresca and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall swap the King Power for Stamford Bridge and Chelsea.

Left without a manager, Leicester turned to Steve Cooper, who has since welcomed fresh faces in the form of Issahaku Fatawu in a permanent deal alongside Caleb Okoli, Michael Golding and Bobby De Cordova-Reid. However, Leicester's most underrated deal this summer, is Nidid's new contract when the midfielder looked destined to leave as a free agent.

After signing the unexpected extension, Ndidi told Leicester's official website: "I feel great, I feel excited, I feel at home. That’s the most important thing. I feel really happy to continue with the Club. My family is settled here and everyone back home, when they say Ndidi, they say Leicester also! It’s really amazing to be a part of this journey going forward.”

Leicester City now open negotiations with UCL club to sign "incredible" ace

The Foxes have made their first move.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 18, 2024

Now, in a further reward, the Foxes could hand the Nigerian a new partner at the heart of Cooper's midfield. According to South American journalist Nicola Parcerias, Leicester have made an approach to sign Richard Rios from Palmeiras this summer in a race alongside fellow Premier League side Everton.

The central midfielder is fresh from the 2024 Copa America, in which he helped Colombia reach the final before suffering defeat against Argentina. Now, Palmeiras are reportedly open to negotiating his exit for around €20m (£17m), putting aside his reported eye-watering release clause of around €100m (£84m).

"Machine" Rios can provide balance next to Ndidi

After such a successful Copa America, it's no surprise to see Rios being linked with a move to the Premier League, especially as Leicester look to form a solid foundation at the base of their midfield. Returning to the Premier League, the key may well be to find a balanced partnership between a "ball-carrying machine" in Rios – as described by Ben Mattinson – and a ball recovery expert of Ndidi's nature.

Of course, Leicester must be careful not to run into any more trouble regarding the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, but if they can avoid any sanctions and land a player on the rise such as Rios, then it should be considered incredibly solid business.

Walking a budgeting tightrope, the Foxes may yet sign the perfect partner for Ndidi before the transfer window slams shut.

Heather Knight hopes Wyatt can build on her breakthrough hundred on New Zealand tour

Matt Roller22-Feb-2021

But for Covid, England Women would be two weeks into the defence of their 50-over World Cup, with two out of seven group games to go and the semi-finals looming. Instead, the tournament has been postponed by 12 months, and they have not played an ODI in 436 days.That streak will finally come to an end this week, with their three-match series against New Zealand starting on Tuesday in Christchurch. After the vast majority of their home summer schedule was cancelled, England are starting from scratch: remarkably, this will be their first ODI under Lisa Keightley’s stewardship, nearly 16 months after her appointment as head coach.The wait has been particularly frustrating for those players who had hoped to nail down their places after their most recent series, against Pakistan in Malaysia in December 2019 with Ali Maiden taking temporary charge of the squad.Nobody embodies the frustration better than Danni Wyatt. Wyatt turns 30 in April, and the fact that her batting average is a shade below 20 in both ODI and T20I cricket prompts a double-take. Anyone who has seen either of Wyatt’s two T20I hundreds will know how talented a batter she is, but she has struggled to realise her potential in international cricket, perhaps hampered by regular shifts up and down the order.She is a player who relies on form and rhythm, which jars with the sporadic nature of the women’s international calendar. In that series in Malaysia she appeared to have finally cracked ODI cricket, making her first hundred in the format with an innings of 110 off 95 balls to set up a convincing win; since then, she has faced six balls in an ODI shirt.”It’s fair to say – and Danni will say this herself – that she hasn’t quite nailed ODI cricket yet,” Heather Knight, England’s captain, said on the eve of the New Zealand series. “She’s batted in a few different positions and it was obviously a real shame for her that she had that great hundred in Malaysia and then wasn’t able to back that up with the big break.”I really think it’s going to be a huge series for her – and a huge year – in terms of really nailing down her ODI cricket and what she could do for us at the top of the order. She naturally scores very quickly, and there are going to be times, probably, when she gets out early because we want her to be aggressive, play her natural game, and take the game on. But I’m really excited about what Danni could do.”Related

Why Farrant's recall is a landmark moment for English women's cricket

Big runs on order for England as focus moves to WC defence

Dodd, Halliday muscle New Zealand XI to surprise victory

England batters warm up with 299 in first tour game win

NZ pick Halliday, Jonas for Eng ODIs; Bates ruled out

The early signs are positive. Wyatt endured a tough 2020, managing a top score of 29 in 12 innings across the tri-series in Australia, the T20 World Cup and the home series against West Indies, but started the New Zealand tour with two enterprising innings: 35 off 42 balls in the first warm-up game, and 54 off 42 in the second.As a result, Knight is optimistic about the prospect of her flourishing in this series in a likely opening partnership with Tammy Beaumont, hinting that she will be given licence to attack early on and make use of the initial fielding restrictions.”She’s had a little bit of a lean year, to be honest,” Knight said, “but the signs are really good. She’s worked really hard over the last couple of months to be in a really good place with her game. The way she played in that second warm-up game was exactly how we want her to play. I’m excited to watch her bat, because you always think that something is going to happen.”[Her role] is slightly different to T20 cricket where it’s pretty much to go from ball one. She can take a little bit more time in ODI cricket, but her natural mindset is to be aggressive and score. She certainly puts pressure on bowlers and pressure on captains, so that’s her role: to go out and be herself, and back her shots.”England are “really ready to play ODI cricket”, Heather Knight said•Getty Images

England’s touring party have a clean bill of health ahead of the series, meaning that Anya Shrubsole (knee) and Katie George (back) are the only absentees. Knight was unwilling to give much away in terms of selection, but it appears that the one remaining call revolves around whether Freya Davies or Tash Farrant is picked as the third seamer alongside Kate Cross and Katherine Brunt.”We’ve got some really strong depth in the seam-bowling department,” Knight said. “We’ll have to see what we go with later today and to see what the conditions are like as well. We haven’t played ODI cricket for a long time and New Zealand are a very strong side [so] it’s going to be a really good test for us.”Our preparation has been a little bit disjointed but I feel like as a team we’re really ready to play ODI cricket. Obviously, we’ve got a year before the World Cup in 2022, so that year is going to be key in terms of our preparation and showing us where we need to be and how we want to play our ODI cricket. I’m really excited to start that journey: it feels like a long time coming.”

Julen Lopetegui has acquired an excellent group of players at West Ham United, including some top-class wingers who provide a goal threat. However, one area that seems to be being targeted is the striker position.

The Hammers have had a few failed attempts at trying to acquire their figurehead upfront in the past, with Sebastian Haller and Gianluca Scammaca both costing hefty transfer fees – signing for £45m and £35.5m, respectively – but not living up to expectations.

But with the Premier League season fast approaching, the question is who will West Ham choose as their next striker recruit, after links in the past few days to Dortmund's Niclas Fullkrug.

West Ham transfer news

According to Italian journalist Marco Demicheli, relayed by Radio Rossonera, West Ham are among the clubs chasing AS Roma and ex-Chelsea striker, Tammy Abraham. Everton are another club said to be interested in the 26-year-old.

The reports suggest that both Premier League sides have already made the first move, making an offer to sign the striker, but nothing is done yet, as Roma have slapped a €30m (£25m) price tag on the Englishman.

There would also have to be a consideration for the marksman's reported £93k-per-week wage, with that placing him ahead of the likes of Mohammed Kudus (£90k-per-week) at the London Stadium, as per Capology.

Abraham made 12 appearances for Roma last season, coming back from a long-term injury, scoring one goal and providing one assist in 321 minutes of football.

How Abraham compares to Haller

Football Transfers' "similar players" feature compares Abraham to ex-West Ham striker, Haller, among other forwards such as Ivan Toney, Edin Dzeko and Álvaro Morata.

Haller made 54 appearances in his time at West Ham, scoring 14 goals, and providing two assists. However, since leaving the club, the 30-year-old has gone on to have meaningful spells with Ajax and now Dortmund – scoring 59 goals combined for those two prestigious sides.

Abraham vs Haller career comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Abraham

Haller

Goals

0.53

0.47

Assists

0.09

0.18

Shots Total

2.24

2.01

Shots on Target

1.15

1.11

Goals/Shot

0.21

0.21

xG

0.57

0.51

Aerials Won

2.87

5.75

Stats taken from FBref

To get a better understanding of the similarities, the table above compares the players' metrics over their entire senior careers, Abraham's metrics spanning over 250 matches played, and Haller's over 323 games played.

Both players rank exactly the same for goals/shot, scoring 0.21 in this metric. This highlights the players' similar level of clinical finishing, scoring one goal for just under every five shots on average. The players also take a similar volume of shots, only 0.23 shots per 90 apart (Abraham ahead with 2.24), and only 0.04 shots on target apart per 90.

Abraham does stand at 6 foot 3, a few inches taller than the 6 foot 1 frame of Haller. He even described himself as a "monster", stating Jose Mourinho was guiding him, which led to his England recall at the time.

But with so many similarities to a player who ultimately failed in his time at West Ham, can Abraham be the right man to spearhead the Hammers' attack, alongside the likes of Kudus and Jarrod Bowen?

One factor that is potentially on his side, is the fact he's done it in England before, scoring 15 goals in a Premier League season for Chelsea in 2019/20, and having a 25-goal season in the Championship for Aston Villa in 2018/19.

Related Lopetegui's own Osimhen: West Ham ready bid for £48k-p/w "jewel"

West Ham looking to add clinical striker to their ranks

Posts ByConnor Holden Aug 1, 2024

Manchester City star Alex Greenwood defended team-mate Bunny Shaw from claims the forward "antagonised" opposition fans.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Shaw had to dodge objects after goalMan City star accused of antagonising fansGreenwood bit back at DAZN's X postFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Shaw scored twice as City won 2-1 at Swedish side Hammarby in the Women's Champions League, but was targeted by the home supporters as objects were thrown at her from the stands.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Shaw opened the scoring with a shot from the edge of the box that took a deflection on its way in and dodged objects as she celebrated. The Jamaica star was shocked when the referee showed her a yellow card afterwards.

WHAT GREENWOOD SAID

A clip of the goal and abuse from fans was posted by the DAZN Women's Football account on X, but England centre-back Greenwood was not happy with the broadcaster's claim that Shaw was winding up the home supporters.

Rephrasing the original post, Greenwood wrote: "CORRECTION. Travel to Stockholm score a big goal. CELEBRATES her goal. GETS OBJECTS THROWN AT HER. Gets stick from the home fans. Gets a yellow card. Celebrate with your team mates. Qualified for quarter final. What else are you gonna do on a Thursday?"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

City's victory leaves them top of their group with a perfect record after four matches in the Champions League, enough to book their place in the next round of the competition.

With less than a week to go until the curtain is raised on the Scottish Premiership season, Rangers are working hard to get deals over the line to help bolster Philippe Clement's squad.

Rangers braced for busy end to the summer

Despite a clear need to improve their squad this summer, much of Rangers' business during the transfer window has been hamstrung by financial limitations. The start of this month saw Clement confess that the Ibrox outfit need to sell players before they can get fresh faces through the door.

Rangers register interest in £5m star who's a dream Roofe replacement

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 1, 2024

Whilst Connor Goldson's move to Cypriot side Aris Limassol for an undisclosed fee will go someway towards funding new signings, there is still a pressing need to make more sales in the coming weeks. One name that is likely to be joining Goldson on the Gers' departure list is that of club captain James Tavernier.

A report by Fabrizio Romano last week suggested that Turkish outfit Trabzonspor had made a formal proposal for the defender and although this initial offer was rejected by Rangers, there is every chance that the Superlig side will return with an improved sum before the transfer window slams shut on August 30th.

With funds at something of a premium at Rangers, it now appears that the club are working on a deal to bring an experienced free agent to Ibrox this summer.

Clement working to sign former Chelsea ace

As first reported by the Scottish Sun, Rangers are interested in bringing Marco van Ginkel to Ibrox this summer. The outlet claims that both Clement and his director of recruitment Nils Koppen are working flat out to get a deal done before the deadline to submit squads for the upcoming Champions League fixtures.

The 31-year-old last plied his trade in his native Netherlands with Vitesse Arnhem, scoring seven goals in 30 appearances in the Eredivise last term. Captaining his side for much of the campaign, van Ginkel showed his versatility as he played numerous positions throughout the spine of Vitesse's team.

Van Ginkel's name may be a familiar one to some of the Ibrox faithful thanks to his time with Chelsea. The Dutchman spent eight years at Stamford Bridge but only managed to line up for the Blues on four occasions. Instead, the midfielder was shipped out on a variety of loan moves to the likes of PSV and AC Milan.

Despite his struggles to break into the first team in West London, van Ginkel has stood out as a quality player who can still bring a lot to a side. With the midfielder boasting experience playing in the Champions League thanks to his time at PSV, the 31-year-old could be an important asset as Rangers look to qualify for the group stage of the competition.

With Rangers still needing to offload existing talents before they can open their chequebook this summer, bringing in an experienced free agent like van Ginkel could be a smart piece of business this summer.

Australia quick bowler James Pattinson concedes he’s a long shot to make the squad for the T20 World Cup in India in October and November but has his eyes firmly fixed on playing in his third Ashes series at the end of the year.Pattinson, 30, is a fearsome strike bowler at his best but back injuries and Australia’s fast-bowling depth have conspired to restrict him to 21 Tests since he made his debut a decade ago.He was reduced to tears when a back stress fracture ended his first Ashes campaign after two Tests in England in 2013 and he underwent spinal fusion surgery four years later in desperate attempt to fix the recurrent problem.Related

• Talking points: Travis Head among batters told to earn their spot, pace rotation on agenda

• Inglis glimpses higher honours as prolific season builds belief

• Handscomb's century guides Victoria to safety

• Warner admits rushing back from injury to face India was a mistake

The results have been impressive and Pattinson reckoned he was as fit as he has been in a good while as he prepared to lead the Victoria attack in the Sheffield Shield this week.”In terms of my body it probably feels the best that it has and in terms of my back – it’s come really good,” he said.”There’s plenty of time, I’m only 30 now. There’s obviously the Ashes next year, which is probably the next challenge.”I’d love to play all formats but I haven’t played [enough] T20 cricket. I’ll be focusing more on pre-season and putting all my eggs in trying to get ready for the Ashes.”Pattinson featured in two Tests when Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 but failed to get on the field during this season’s home series against India, missing out on possible selection for the last two matches after a fall at home.He said it had been a frustrating summer compounded by the biosecurity measures designed to protect the players from Covid-19″You’re sitting in a hub and you’re 12th or 13th man for Australia – which is fantastic – but … you’re missing out on playing cricket,” Pattinson added. “You’re bowling in the nets and at times it can be frustrating as a 30-year-old when you’ve done a lot of that already.”