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Ravi Bopara has stepped down as Essex’s limited-overs captain after one season in the role

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2016Ravi Bopara has stepped down as Essex’s limited-overs captain after one season in the role. Bopara wants to focus on his own game, with Championship captain, Ryan ten Doeschate, taking over in all formats.Essex continued their recent trend of losing knockout matches in 2016, with quarter-final defeats in the NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London Cup – something that occurred the previous year, under ten Doeschate, as well. Bopara’s all-round form was solid, if not spectacular, but he went a second consecutive season without scoring a hundred in the Championship.Although Bopara’s bowling was a key feature of Essex’s promotion to Division One – he was their third leading wicket-taker with 42 – he only managed 750 runs at an average of 37.50. His last Championship century came in June 2014.Ten Doeschate was previously Essex’s limited-overs captain before succeeding James Foster in charge of the Championship side this year, leading the team up as Division Two champions at the first time of asking. He said he was happy to reunite the roles and allow Bopara, who is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League, to concentrate on his form.”Ravi did an excellent job in limited overs cricket last year, leading us to quarter-finals in both formats,” ten Doeschate. “If we had a bit more luck we could have progressed further. He has decided he would prefer to concentrate on his individual game next year and make valuable contributions throughout the season.”We respect Ravi’s decision and I was more than happy to take up the captaincy in all formats as I have thoroughly enjoyed my role in the Specsavers County Championship so far.”

India coach Anil Kumble spoke of the challenges faced by not just Indian batsmen, but any modern batsman batting out of his comfort zone, two days before the start of the first Test, in Kanpur

Sidharth Monga in Kanpur20-Sep-20161:08

Kumble ‘proud’ to coach in 500th Test

One of the reasons New Zealand are expected to fare better than South Africa in Indian conditions is that they have three spinners, three varieties of spinners, two of whom have had success in India in the shortest format of the game. On the other hand, though, India’s batsmen are expected to have improved their game on such tracks. They will be expected to do better than last year, when only Ajinkya Rahane managed to score a hundred and average over 35. It won’t be easy, though, should the pitches be similar.Anil Kumble, India’s coach, spoke of the challenges faced by not just Indian batsmen, but any modern batsman batting out of his comfort zone, two days before the start of the first Test in Kanpur.”It is quite challenging for a modern-day cricketer to keep changing formats,” Kumble said. “Invariably, when you are playing the shorter format, it’s in favour of the batsmen. There is hardly anything for the bowler. So, obviously, when they come to play in a Test match, irrespective of the conditions, seam or spin…”We have seen modern cricketers, who, if you look at their records in previous years, they were all good players of fast bowling. But they have struggled on seaming tracks because of what the modern batsman encounters. That goes with all teams. But one good thing we have had is we are coming off a Test series, and we have a long Test season at home. So it’ll only get better. And in terms of our preparations, we have spent a lot of time focusing on preparing to play spinners, and how to respond to playing spinners. And it will only improve, which you’ll notice as the series goes by.”According to Kumble, the problem persists despite knowing what to expect in today’s world of analysis. “I don’t think there is any intrigue left, but the challenge is to adapt to those conditions as quickly as possible,” he said. “It’s equally the same for the home team as well because you’re playing so much of cricket. It’s all about adapting to whatever challenges are forthcoming. Yes, the home team certainly has the advantage of knowing and playing in these conditions, growing up in these conditions.”For a foreign team, since they travel so much – and even for the Indian team now because we have travelled so much – the conditions are no longer alien. It’s all about how good and how committed you are, and what kind of quality cricket you can put across on the park.”India’s preparations have been thorough. They assembled in Kanpur on September 17, five days before the first Test, and began with their fitness tests. Knowing they could have to face a lot of left-arm pace in the series from Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, they called up Delhi’s Pradeep Sangwan and Rajasthan’s Aniket Choudhary to bowl in the nets. They were helped by two pretty good local left-arm quicks. Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who is from Kanpur, was at the nets too.The training sessions were long and intense. On Monday, they went on for at least two hours either side of their press conference, virtually spending the whole day at the ground. Kumble said they were not underestimating the opposition.”The New Zealand team have done really well,” Kumble said. “They are not just good at home, but they tour really well, and we’re aware of that. The fact that they have three spinners, yes, we watch them – at least I watched them – two of the three spinners in the World T20. They played a significant role in New Zealand’s progress. We respect the opposition and we know that New Zealand is a very potent team, not just in the spin department, but all-round as well. We certainly respect their all-round ability. They have different variations in their spin attack – left-arm spinner, offspinner, legspinner. That is something you don’t often see in a foreign team.”

If Middlesex, the narrow Division One leaders, are to end their 23-year wait to claim the County Championship title for the 11th time outright they will do so via a difficult route

Jon Culley at Edgbaston31-Aug-2016Warwickshire 1 for 0 trail Middlesex 242 (Malan 57, Poysden 5-53, Wright 4-41) by 241 runs
ScorecardJosh Poysden’s maiden five-wicket haul saw Middlesex bundled out for 242•Getty ImagesIf Middlesex, the narrow Division One leaders, are to end their 23-year wait to claim the County Championship title for the 11th time outright they will do so via a difficult route, having to negotiate three away fixtures even before they contemplate a potentially decisive finale against Yorkshire.Lancashire at Old Trafford, where they secured a draw to avoid relegation only a couple of years ago, will not be easy, and they can expect even hapless Nottinghamshire, where they travel next week, to be fighting for survival. Yet this one might be the biggest test, even though Warwickshire have not won at Edgbaston all season.They have a depleted side, for one thing. George Bailey has left to join Australia’s one-day squad in Sri Lanka, and the expected return of Adam Voges for the title run-in has been blocked by Cricket Australia, who want him to rest after picking up a hamstring injury. Steven Finn remains sidelined with injury, though he is back in training and may feature at Notts. There is no Eoin Morgan, of course, but Ireland’s call on Paul Stirling and Tim Murtagh has not been well received.For another, Warwickshire have prepared a pitch – the same one used for both Twenty20 Finals Day and the 50-over semi-final earlier this week – for turn, selecting both Jeetan Patel and Josh Poysden, the legspinner, who excelled himself by completing his first five-wicket haul even before Patel had claimed one. Middlesex have countered by including Ravi Patel as well as Ollie Rayner and will not have to bat last after taking the optional toss and winning it, but the junior of the two spinners has not played in the Championship all year and, as many a slow bowler will testify, being asked to drop into a team and immediately find your rhythm can be a real test.Their position on day one, though, is difficult to assess. Sam Robson, whose return from injury was supposed to be the big compensation, fell to his third ball and Nick Gubbins, the young opener who has been the mainstay of their batting, took the single he needed to complete 1000 Championship runs for the season but was out after adding just one more. Dawid Malan managed the only half-century yet and between them the rest managed to eke out what might be a decent first-innings return. Then again, it might not.Warwickshire had only to face two overs at the close but the second of those was bowled by Rayner, which tells you all you need to know about what Middlesex expect from the pitch on day two. He and Patel can expect to be busy.Poysden found something in it to his liking on day one. Recalled in preference to seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the 25-year-old eclipsed his previous best – 4 for 85 against Hampshire here on his last appearance in early July – in a performance that was on the whole most impressive, one in which he bowled with good control and variation. His first over, the last of the morning session, was unfortunate for Ian Westwood, who copped a nasty blow fielding at short leg as his team-mate unwittingly fed Malan a long-hop, and the last over of his first proper spell conceded three boundaries, but otherwise he was commendably tidy and allowed no batsmen to feel comfortable.He turned one away from the left-handed Malan that found the edge to be taken at slip, then dismissed John Simpson at short leg off bat and pad. He had James Franklin leg before with the last ball of the afternoon session, hitting the captain on the toe, and bowled both Steve Eskinazi and Rayner after tea, the former playing round one that Poysden hurried through, the latter almost yorked.Chris Wright did his damage largely in his morning spells, finding the edge of Robson’s bat and taking a very good low return catch when Gubbins failed to control a defensive push. Nick Compton batted solidly for his 33 in a 94-run recovery stand with Malan for the third wicket but then drove loosely at Wright and was well taken by Varun Chopra.From 100 for 2 to 242 all out, Middlesex might feel they should have done better. Day two will answer that query. Jonathan Trott is in good form, Ian Bell made a match-winning 94 in the 50-over semi-final and Westwood, who made a century against Durham last week, was able to resume after a couple of hours off the field following his mishap – the ball hitting him on the head but thankfully via a deflection off the shoulder that absorbed some of the force.However, their hand is weakened slightly by the absence of Tim Ambrose, who suffered a muscle injury in the Royal London Cup victory over Somerset. Alex Mellor, who substituted for him in that match, is keeping wicket here in his first senior match for Warwickshire after gaining experience in a loan spell with Derbyshire.

تحدث الألماني يورجن كلوب المدير الفني لليفربول، عن خطوته المقبلة بعد قراره بترك منصبه في نهاية الموسم الجاري، وكشف عن رد فعل ملاك النادي حين أبلغهم بقراره.

وأعلن كلوب قراره بالرحيل عن ليفربول بنهاية الموسم الجاري، وأجرى مقابلة مطولة مع الموقع الرسمي للنادي.

وقال عن رد فعل مالكي النادي عندما أبلغهم بالقرار: “لم يقيموا حفلاً! لقد طورنا علاقة جيدة حقًا على مر السنين، لكنني شرحت ذلك وهم يعرفونني الآن لفترة طويلة لدرجة أنهم يعرفون أنني لا أقول هذا النوع من الأشياء وأترك الباب مفتوحًا”.

وأضاف: “كما قلت، لقد عرفنا بعضنا لفترة طويلة وهذا جيد، كان ذلك واضحًا وقد قبلوه، لقد قبلوه فحسب، لم يكن أحد سعيدًا حقًا، الأشخاص القلائل الذين أخبرتهم حتى الآن، لم يكونوا سعداء حقًا، أنا لست سعيدًا بذلك، أعرف فقط أنه صحيح”.

واستمر كلوب: “ما هي السيناريوهات البديلة؟ عادة كمدير فني يتم إقالتك، لقد مررت بفترة سيئة من قبل – خمسة، ستة، سبعة أسابيع، ويشعر الجميع بالارتياح عندما تنفصل”.

وواصل: “لسوء الحظ، أو لحسن الحظ، يجب أن أفعل ذلك بهذه الطريقة، لا أحب أن أثير هذه الضجة بنفسي، أنا لا أعتبر نفسي بهذه الأهمية ولكني أعلم أن العالم الخارجي يرى ذلك مختلفًا قليلاً، لهذا السبب نفعل ذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كلوب يوضح أسباب قراره بالرحيل عن ليفربول

وأشار كلوب: “يُعد عقد مؤتمر صحفي أو إصدار إعلان رسمي أمرًا نادرًا في هذه الحالة؛ نريد فقط التأكد من أن كل من هو معنا يتم إعلامه بأفضل طريقة ممكنة”.

وشدد كلوب: “لكن بعد ذلك، أنا متواجد (قيادة ليفربول) في مباراة نورويتش ومباراة تشيلسي، وفي مباراة آرسنال، مهما كانت المباراة القادمة، أنا متواجد، ليست هناك حاجة لأي حفلات وداع الآن، هناك موسم طويل متبقي، أريد أن أكون 100 في المائة في ذلك، وأنا كذلك”.

وأصر: “لا ينبغي لأحد أن يقلق بشأن عقليتي، سيكون أمرًا رائعًا حقًا إذا كان بإمكانك قبول قراري باعتباره قرارًا صعبًا ولكنه القرار الصحيح، هذا كل شيء، لأنه بقدر ما أحب كل شيء، ما زلت أعتقد أنه الشيء الصحيح”.

واسترسل كلوب: “أحتاج إلى العثور على غرض مختلف أيضًا، أحتاج إلى البحث عنه، إذا سألتني: هل ستعمل كمدير فني مرة أخرى؟ سأقول لا الآن”.

وأكمل: “لكنني لا أعرف بوضوح كيف سيشعر ذلك لأنني لم أواجه هذا الموقف من قبل، ما أعرفه بالتأكيد هو أنني لن أتولى تدريب نادٍ آخر في إنجلترا غير ليفربول بنسبة 100%، هذا غير ممكن حبي لهذا النادي واحترامي للناس كبير جدًا”.

وصمم كلوب: “لم أستطع التفكير في الأمر للحظة، ليس هناك فرصة، هذا جزء من حياتي، نحن جزء من العائلة، ونشعر بأننا في بيتنا هنا، ولكن بعد كل شيء، هل سأعمل مرة أخرى؟ بالطبع، أنا أعرف نفسي، لا أستطيع الجلوس، سأجد شيئًا آخر ربما أفعله، لكنني لن أدير ناديًا أومنتخب لمدة عام على الأقل، هذا غير ممكن، لا أستطيع القيام بذلك ولا أريد ذلك”.

وأكد: “إنه وضع غريب لأنني يجب أن أشرح أنني لم أعد أملك الطاقة، ولكن الآن أنا جالس هنا ولدي الطاقة وأشعر بالحماس لكل ما يحدث هنا، لكن بسبب العلاقة التي بيننا، يجب أن أفكر في هذا الأمر، لأنه لن يقيلني أحد، يجب أن أتخذ هذا القرار بنفسي”.

وتابع كلوب: “المسؤولية التي أتحملها عن كل شيء هنا تخبرني أنني لست الشخص المناسب للمستقبل، لذلك يجب أن أقول ذلك، بقدر ما أتمنى أن أكون وهذا ما أفعله هنا”.

ووجه كلوب رسالة لمشجعي ليفربول قائلاً: “أود حقًا أن تقبلوا القرار، سيكون هذا لطيفًا، وبعد ذلك، إذا كان بإمكاني أن أطلب شيئًا آخر، بعد أن أخبرك ألا تهتفوا باسمي مبكرًا جدًا، الشيء الوحيد الذي أردته دائمًا هو الدعم الكامل للفريق”.

وأردف كلوب: “أنا أعرف علاقتنا، ولست بحاجة إلى أي نوع من الدليل، سنحظى بلحظة، ربما في الجولة الأخيرة من المباراة هنا أو في مكان آخر، هناك ما يكفي من الوقت للقيام بهذه الأنواع من الأشياء”.

وأتم: “العالم الخارجي يريد استغلال هذا القرار، ويضحك عليه، ويريد إزعاجنا، نحن ليفربول، لقد مررنا بأشياء أصعب معًا، وأنتم مررتم بأشياء أصعب قبلي، دعونا نجعل منه قوة لنا، هذا سيكون رائعا حقًا، دعونا نستخرج كل شيء من هذا الموسم ونحصل على شيء آخر نبتسم له عندما ننظر إلى الوراء في المستقبل، شكرًا لكم”.

Two days out from the Test, with thick grey clouds overhead and the wind whistling in from the north east, Sri Lanka trained in the coldest temperatures many of the team had experienced

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Chester-le-Street26-May-2016Two days out from the Test, with thick grey clouds overhead and the wind whistling in from the north east, Sri Lanka trained in the coldest temperatures many of the team had experienced. Gloves stayed on during fielding drills. Some bowlers wore two woollen jumpers. Batsmen only removed their hoodies to put helmets on. And after training ended, players all but sprinted back into the dressing room.Sri Lanka had done almost everything possible to acclimatise themselves to northern springtime weather, even training in slightly cooler Kandy before travelling to Essex and Leicester in the weeks before the Test. But some will feel they should have held their training camp in an industrial freezer to really feel comfortable in the springtime north.”This is the coldest place I’ve played cricket,” Angelo Mathews said ahead of the Test. “It was extremely cold yesterday and it was a bit better today. The weather can be a factor, but you can’t make it an excuse. When England come to Sri Lanka, it’s hot, and they struggle. You can’t control the weather. You can only control what you do.”Bandara to replace Chameera

Uncapped left-arm seamer Chaminda Bandara will join Sri Lanka as the replacement for Dushmantha Chameera, captain Angelo Mathews said. Bandara is not with the squad yet, and will only be available for the Lord’s Test, which begins June 9.
“Chaminda Bandara is the replacement for Chameera, but both he and Kusal Perera have had a bit of a visa delay,” Mathews said. “They will be with the team in a few days.”
Bandara, 29, was the most successful seam bowler in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition this year, claiming 33 wickets for Ports Authority Cricket Club at an average of 26.30. He leapfrogs Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajith – both of whom had been in the preliminary squad for this tour England, though Bandara wasn’t – into the squad.
SLC is yet to officially confirm his selection.

Often in these conditions it is fielding that poses the major challenge for Sri Lanka, but given the two insipid innings at Headingley, the batsmen will feel more on trial at Chester-le-Street. Through the past year, Mathews had spoken of the mental muddle his top order had got themselves in. In some Tests he felt they had been too reticent. In others, too careless and aggressive.”We have more clarity on the batting approach, and also we’ve found the right balance,” Mathews said. “It’s just that when you play more games, you tend to learn more. Batting is also an art, and Test cricket is an art. It is a test of skill and temperament. It can’t be an excuse because we are all international players and we’ve played enough cricket now to understand what roles we have to play in the team in the batting line-up.”As a batter you have got to have that balance. If you play a whole day and don’t get a run, it’s useless. You do have to be positive when a bowler is bowling really well, but you’ve also got to survive that situation when someone like Broad or Anderson is bowling. Those little phases, you’ve got to win and not lose wickets. When the ball is old and the wicket settles down you can score runs.”Kusal Mendis’ 53 was Sri Lanka’s only half-century in the Headingley match Mathews described as “embarrassing”. Mathews said others in the top order could look to that knock for some inspiration.”This is the first tour for Mendis on the big stage, and his first Test match in England,” Mathews said. “He showed a lot of character when the ball is swinging and seaming around. That itself showed a lot of character about the player. We can take a lot of positives out of it. The rest of the batters can also take a lot of positives out of it and take up the challenge.”Mathews said his team sought to simply forget the Headingley Test, as little good could come of dwelling on so thorough a defeat. “We’ve had only a few days to turn around and think about our strategies. We just have to flush that game out of the system because the more we think about it, the more disappointed we get. You can’t erase it, but you can move on and work really hard to have a positive mindset to take into the next game.”

أعلن محمد أبو العلا طبيب منتخب مصر، تشخيص إصابة عمر كمال عبد الواحد الظهير الأيمن للفراعنة وموقفه من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

وتعرض عمر كمال للإصابة في الدقيقة 78 من عمر مباراة مصر وتنزانيا الودية التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، ولم يستطع استكمال اللقاء.

وتواجه منتخب مصر مع تنزانيا، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، في اللقاء الودي الأخير للفراعنة، قبل السفر إلى كوت ديفوار لخوض نهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا.

طالع | فيتوريا يكشف سبب غياب محمد هاني عن مباراة مصر وتنزانيا.. ليست إصابة أو استبعاد فني

وقال أبو العلا في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي للاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم: “إصابة عمر كمال عبد الواحد لاعب منتخب مصر عبارة عن تقلص عضلي”.

وأضاف: “عمر كمال سيكون جاهزًا للمشاركة في المباريات بصورة طبيعية ولمباراة موزمبيق في مستهل مشوار منتخب مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا”.

ويغادر منتخب مصر يوم الثلاثاء المقبل إلى كوت ديفوار، ويفتتح مواجهاته أمام موزمبيق يوم الأحد الموافق 14 يناير في الجولة الأولى من مباريات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثانية لكأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 مع منتخبات الرأس الأخضر وموزمبيق وغانا. إصابة عمر كمال في مباراة مصر وتنزانيا

Arsenal remain interested in Moises Caicedo ahead of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Arsenal's interest in Moises Caicedo?

According to renowned transfer guru and journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are "still very keen" on the Brighton and Hove Albion star, having had a couple of bids rejected for him in January, with the Seagulls eventually tying him down to a new contract.

That clearly hasn't detracted interest from the north London giants though, having offered a whopping £70m only two months ago.

Brighton held firm over their £90m price tag, which is understandable given they are battling for a place in Europe next term, with Roberto De Zerbi's high-fliers sat seventh in the standings, tied on points with 2019/20 champions Liverpool.

Could Caicedo join Declan Rice at the Emirates?

Such attraction could lead to fears over the Gunners cooling their pursuit of West Ham United skipper Declan Rice, who according to some reports is Mikel Arteta's top target when the transfer window reopens for business at the end of the current campaign.

However, that may not be the case as there is a world where both Caicedo and the England international swap their current Premier League teams for the hallowed turf of the Emirates Stadium.

"Caicedo, Rice; Arsenal are in for both of those, we think, in the summer," claimed reporter Dharmesh Sheth on Sky Sports, less than 24 hours after deadline day (via The Sun).

If the Premier League leaders were to go on to clinch the title, then the financial gains from such an illustrious feat could well allow sporting director Edu Gaspar to make such an exciting double swoop and with both players 24 years old or under, they'd be signings that cement the long-term future of the Gunners' engine room.

In Rice, you're getting a forward-thinking, progressive powerhouse – ranking sixth for progressive passes per 90, third for progressive carries per 90 and second for recoveries per 90 compared to other central midfielders in the top-flight this term, via FBref.

Whilst Caicedo is behind the Hammers star in both regards, he does outrank him for tackles and interceptions per 90, offering more rigid defensive stability in the heart of the pitch, yet both are wonderfully avant-garde in nature as they are your typical modern-day athletic monsters, the type that can 'do it all'.

Once described as being "somewhat reminiscent of [N'Golo] Kante" by Ecuadorian football historian and statistician Enrico Castro-Montes – another player that could be described as the 'complete' midfielder – the 21-year-old dynamo could form a mouth-watering pivot alongside Rice, with current Arsenal captain and main creator Martin Odegaard playing further forward in the no.10 role.

Granit Xhaka, 30, and Thomas Partey, 29, are astute options for now but that won't be the case in two-to-three years, whereas the aforementioned duo will begin entering the peak years of their career.

The Brighton "machine" – as lauded by scout Jacek Kulig earlier in the season – would be a major statement of intent from Edu and co, particularly following a potential title triumph as both he and Rice would show that the Gunners aren't here to be one-season wonders – a la Leicester City – but instead, it could signal the beginning of a new and successful dawn in north London.

For Richarlison, this season has been nothing but a tail of woe.The Brazilian left Everton behind last summer in a seismic deal worth £60m, a fee that seemed excessive but certainly one he could pay back if he fired them towards the Champions League places.Tottenham Hotspur may be in contention to seal a top-four berth come the end of the campaign, but the fact is that Richarlison hasn’t helped one bit.It is now the middle of March and the 25-year-old is still yet to find the net in the Premier League for Spurs, while he has beaten the goalkeeper on just two occasions in all competitions.Combine that with only four assists and it has been a rough debut term in the English capital.What hasn’t helped, however, is a number of injuries with the Brazil international having missed two months of the season since joining.

Why was Richarlison crying?

A further spell on the sidelines could be on the cards for the winger, who sustained another injury in the thrilling 3-3 draw with Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

Richarlison had to be replaced after just five minutes of that encounter and hobbled from the field of play in floods of tears.

The last few weeks have been emotional for the former Everton man who criticised how poor his season had been before also pointing the finger at Antonio Conte.

The pair obviously have quite a frigid relationship and yet another fitness concern is unlikely to do him any favours.

Considering his poor campaign, people on social media were keen to get stuck into the ex-Watford attacker, with the best of the reaction below…

Ahead of Julen Lopetegui’s arrival at Wolves in November, Nelson Semedo didn’t look to have much of a future at Molineux.

How has Semedo played for Wolves?

The Portuguese right-back joined Wolves from Barcelona in a £28m deal back in 2020 but has struggled to justify his transfer fee in his three years in the Midlands.

In total, the 29-year-old has made 92 appearances for the Old Gold, contributing two goals and four assists, arguably failing to live up to his reputation as an attacking right-back, having notched double figures for assists in his time with Benfica and Barcelona.

The former Portugal international has struggled most with defending, with the Athletic’s Tim Spiers labelling him a “liability at the back” in 2021, which has certainly proven to be the case on a number of occasions.

Semedo’s performance against Brighton and Hove Albion earlier in the season, ahead of Lopetegui’s arrival, perhaps summed up his time in a Wolves shirt best, as he was tormented by Kaoru Mitoma throughout the game and received a first-half red card.

However, Lopetegui has clearly worked on Wolves’ defensive set-up as a whole and Semedo has clearly benefitted, with the defender’s vast improvement one of the key reasons that the Old Gold are now looking up the table rather than over their shoulder at the relegation battle.

The right-back was also nominated for the February player of the month award and earned plenty of praise from Lopetegui for his recent upturn in form.

The Spanish manager said: “He’s showing that he is a good player, above all. He loves football and works very hard every day. He is very focused now.

“I can only talk about my experience with him here and we are happy with him.”

Despite him averaging a disappointing 6.53 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League this season, Semedo has earned above a 7/10 rating in recent wins against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as a strong display in the 1-1 draw against high-flying Fulham.

Although his current contract is set to expire at the end of the season, it was reported recently that Wolves would activate the extension in his deal to ensure that he remains at Molineux for the 2023/24 campaign.

After his impressive displays under Lopetegui, fans will no doubt be looking forward to seeing how the Portuguese defender continues to improve under the Spanish manager next season, in what represents a huge turnaround for the right-back in the opinion of the fans.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a major blow to their chances of achieving success in the 2022/23 campaign, as Rodrigo Bentancur has been ruled out until the end of the season.

The Uruguayan midfielder suffered a body blow in the 4-1 defeat to Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday, and it has now been confirmed that the dynamo is set for a significant spell on the sidelines.

The club’s official account tweeted: “We can confirm that Rodrigo Bentancur has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out of action for the remainder of the campaign. He will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff.”

Only Harry Kane (7.39) has averaged a higher Sofascore rating than the former Juventus man (7.21) in the Premier League for Tottenham this season, which illustrates how important the 25-year-old has been to Antonio Conte’s team.

With Yves Bissouma also out injured after ankle surgery, the 53-year-old must find a regular partner for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the middle of the park for the coming months.

Who should replace Rodrigo Bentancur for Tottenham?

Conte could find his Bentancur replacement in the form of Spurs academy graduate Oliver Skipp, whose chances have been few and far between during the current campaign.

The £40k-per-week midfielder has only started three Premier League matches this season, after starting 14 in 2021/22, but he has the potential to be a combative warrior alongside the Denmark international.

During his time on loan at Norwich, his former manager Daniel Farke heaped praise on the youngster, saying: “Oliver is a perfect lad. So humble. He is a brilliant loan signing.

“A fantastic lad. He reminds me a little of Max Aarons in his first season, who also delivered with unbelievable consistency, with no mistakes, never injured, never ill.”

In that spell with the Canaries, Skipp played 45 Championship games and made 150 tackles and interceptions combined, along with a total of 57 blocks.

This means that the England under-21 international made 4.6 defensive actions per game for Norwich, which shows that he was putting himself in excellent positions to win back possession, or at least hamper opposition attacks.

Meanwhile, Bentancur has made 93 tackles, interceptions and blocks combined in the Premier League this season in 18 appearances, averaging 5.2 per outing.

These statistics indicate that Skipp has the potential to deliver a similar volume of defensive actions per game if Conte, who once hailed the talent’s “great passion”, can get him playing to the peak of his ability in the middle of the park.

Therefore, the Italian must unleash the 22-year-old in response to the Uruguay international’s injury, and then it will be up to the youngster to grasp his opportunity.