Fast bowler says simulating game fitness by playing a Test is much better compared to preparing in the nets

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2021Trent Boult wasn’t expecting to play the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston “initially” but hopes that bowling against England compared to preparing in the nets will put him in “good stead” for the World Test Championship final against India starting June 18 in Southampton.”Initially I wasn’t expecting to play this game but everything fell into line, and I gave myself that chance to get out there and I think I’ll definitely be better off for that head out,” Boult said after the second day’s play. “It’s one thing loading and getting through numbers in the nets but to simulate that kind of game fitness and having to come back three, four or five times in a day…There’s no real other way to do that. So I’m hoping it puts me in good stead [for the WTC final].”The toes are a bit sore but that’s what happens when you ram into the shoes for 30 overs. I’m excited about what lies ahead next week in Southampton but equally excited with the opportunity here over the next couple of days.”Related

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Boult was initially not going to play the second Test but relaxed quarantine rules in the UK after his arrival from New Zealand meant he came out of quarantine sooner than expected and started bowling in the nets while the first Test was on at Lord’s. His inclusion was among the six changes New Zealand made for Edgbaston, although three of them were forced by injuries.Leading the bowling attack now, Boult sent down 29 overs in England’s first innings for figures of 4 for 85 by dismissing Rory Burns, James Bracey, Stuart Broad and James Anderson. Boult said he found it hard to sit on the sidelines after his quarantine ended and was eager to “get out there”.”What worked really well was the travel went well and I managed to get out of isolation in the UK quicker than was expected,” he said. “As you can imagine, I was very excited with the prospect of playing the second Test. I felt like I gave myself the best chance with preparing with that week back at home and then getting straight into it here. Hopefully, we can get the job done and win a very important series.”I found it pretty hard to sit on the sidelines there at Lord’s last week, it’s such a historic ground. The boys were on fire out there and I was itching to be out there, to be honest.”New Zealand will now be spoilt for choice for bowling options going into the WTC final next week after Tim Southee picked 6 for 43 in the first innings at Lord’s, and Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner also collected three wickets apiece in the match. At Edgbaston, Matt Henry also chipped in with three wickets in the first innings with his pace and swing that accounted for Dom Sibley to break the opening stand, and then send back Joe Root four overs later.”Healthy competition,” Boult said about their pace-bowling options for the WTC final. “The boys are very excited about the prospect, but they’ve put in a lot of hard yards not just over the last couple of weeks but over a couple of years of a Test Championship cycle. Some hard calls will have to be made but the big picture is the collective goal of lifting the world title.”

Without a CEO since James Bisgrove swapped Ibrox for Saudi Arabia and Al-Qadsiah four months ago, Glasgow Rangers have now reportedly been offered the services of an experienced option who previously worked in both England and Wales.

Rangers still looking to replace Bisgrove

The Gers looked to have finally found their replacement for Bisgrove in St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie before he suddenly pulled out of the move to leave Rangers back to square one once again.

Their off-pitch fortunes have far from helped things on the pitch, with Philippe Clement's side making a stuttered start to the season which included an all too comfortable 3-0 defeat against Old Firm rivals Celtic. As the gulf in class between the two sides potentially begins to grow on the pitch, those at Ibrox must ensure that they find a way to close the gap away from the action, at the very least.

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In a summer that saw plenty of inexperienced players arrive as part of Clement's project, the Gers may now be best served turning towards experience when it comes to replacing Bisgrove, which may yet see Adrian Bevington emerge as an option.

Bevington told Go Radio last week that he's open to becoming Rangers' next CEO, claiming that he's "made no secret" of his interest in one day working in Scotland.

Relayed by The Scottish Sun, Bevington said: "Look, Scottish football I have made no secret over the many years that I would at some point in my career always be interested in working in Scotland.

"I think it is an incredibly passionate football country and I've got a great deal of respect for the game there because of the fan base. You have got so much to build on there.

"Rangers football club should be able to attract someone who has that stature and the ability to lead from the front but also have a real good understanding of how the industry works and a great network of contacts and relationships with people right throughout the game in Scotland but also at UEFA, the European Club Association.

"There are people within Celtic who have some of those relationships already and Rangers should be expecting similar."

The Scottish Sun have now added that the highly experienced 53-year-old 'would welcome an approach from Rangers chairman John Bennett to discuss the vital Ibrox role.'

Rangers need swift CEO solution

The more that Rangers fail to match Celtic on the pitch, the more the finger will be pointed the way of those away from the action when it comes to handing out blame. And if those at Ibrox do not find a replacement for Bisgrove sooner rather than later, then that blame would be aimed fairly accurately.

Clement's side cannot be expected to go toe-to-toe with their Old Firm rivals if those higher than them cannot find adequate replacements within the structure of the club.

After failing to welcome Gillespie, turning to Bevington wouldn't be a bad idea either. The 53-year-old has plenty of experience, having enjoyed roles at England, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, and could now put that experience to its best use at Rangers. Considering that he's open to the role too, Bevington may be one to watch.

We've now entered the final week of the summer transfer window, and Liverpool have yet to complete the first senior signing of the Arne Slot era.

Liverpool have recouped over £60m in August through the sales of young fringe players Sepp van den Berg, Fabio Carvalho and Bobby Clark – with further outgoings expected – while veterans Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara left upon the expiry of their contracts in June to free up a combined £300k-per-week of the wage bill.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed on his Here We Go podcast that he expects the Reds to get busy at this late stage, with Joe Gomez potentially moving on. Should that happen, signing a new centre-back would be imperative.

Fans crave the arrival of a deep-sitting midfielder too, but recent rumours actually suggest that FSG are considering an audacious swoop for one of Europe's finest wide forwards.

Liverpool transfer news

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are plotting a late move for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has emerged as one of the most talented wingers in the world over the past few years.

The Georgian dominated Italy as Napoli won the Scudetto in 2022/23, and though the side fell off a proverbial cliff last year, he remained a world-class component.

The Naples giants shudder at the thought of his exit. Any deal would be complicated by his having three years remaining on his contract, and offers below £70m wouldn't be entertained. But then Liverpool do have money to spend, on the right player of course.

A left-sided forward, Kvaratskhelia would not be lined up as Mohamed Salah's replacement. The Egyptian king is out of contract at the end of the campaign but Liverpool appear ready to wait until 2025 before signing the perfect successor on the right flank.

Instead, Kvaratskhelia would bring his qualities to the left, with level of talent that could actually see him eclipse the competition and become one of Slot's most important cogs.

What Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would bring to Liverpool

Kvaratskhelia has that almost ineffable quality of raising the roof with mere movements, shifting and scurrying past his opponents to wreak the most remarkable of devastation, supplying goal machine Victor Osimhen with high-class consistency and finding space to unleash strikes on goal himself.

To think that the Italian team signed the 23-year-old for only €10m (£9m) in 2022, bringing him in from Dinamo Batumi in Georgia following previous spells in Russia.

He has now scored 25 goals and supplied 26 assists across 88 appearances for his current club, indeed winning the 2022/23 Serie A title and being crowned the division's Player of the Year.

Most impressive is his ability to carry that form into Gli Azzurri's title defence, where it all fell apart and the team languished toward a tenth-place finish.

He was hailed for his "unstoppable" attacking ability by talent scout Jacek Kulig while also evidencing the kind of dynamic and athletically robust style of play that would be sure to thrive in the Premier League.

On that point: as per FBref, he ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

He'd be the perfect addition at Liverpool, though it's implausible to imagine he would be signed without a high-profile sale.

An upgrade on Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz's potential move to Barcelona seems to have been in the pipeline for ages, with his father revealing last year that his son is a supporter of the Catalan club and would consider a transfer to Camp Nou his unmatchable dream.

Such rumours have persisted throughout the summer transfer window, though Slot has recently stated that Diaz is at the core of his plans and he does not expect him to depart this month.

Rightly so. Diaz's fleet-footed, electric nature is hard to replicate, and while he's not the most clinical forward in the world, with only eight goals across 37 Premier League games last year, if there was ever a showcase of his skillset, he completed all five dribbles against Ipswich Town last weekend, also winning eight duels and placing three key passes.

Matches (starts)

37 (32)

34 (32)

Goals

8

11

Assists

5

6

Touches*

43.8

55.1

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (0.9)

3.8 (1.3)

Pass completion

85%

86%

Big chances created

5

11

Key passes*

1.8

1.9

Dribbles*

1.8

3.0

Ball recoveries*

3.4

2.9

Total duels won*

4.6

6.9

But, as you can see above, Kvaratskhelia is more rounded and more deadly in his performances, and four years younger than Liverpool's maverick, he could be the perfect, long-term option for Slot.

His dribbling output and energy in the duel, as well as his tipped favour in creative and ball-playing metrics, speak volumes about the kind of package Liverpool would land.

Barcelona are still in the market for a winger despite closing in on Federico Chiesa from Juventus (right-sided) so Diaz could yet be sold, and Kvaratskhelia must be signed, no one else.

Therefore, this is a deal that FSG need to see cross the line. Next summer, there could be a storm of interest in the Georgia superstar's services, but for now, a golden opportunity to swoop in and land a prodigious talent has opened up, and he must be signed.

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أعلن السويسري مارسيل كولر، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، تشكيل الفريق الرسمي لمواجهة غزل المحلة، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع غزل المحلة، ضمن مباريات الجولة الـ 13 من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، وذلك على ملعب استاد السلام.

ويشهد تشكيل الأهلي أمام غزل المحلة، محمد الشناوي حارسًا أساسيًا كما يقود الهجوم السلوفيني نيجك جراديشار ومعه إمام عاشور وحسين الشحات.

طالع.. صور | استعدادًا للحدث التاريخي.. الأهلي يقترب من تحقيق حلم الاستاد باتفاقية ضخمة تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام غزل المحلة في الدوري

حراسة المرمي: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني، رامي ربيعة، مصطفي العش وكريم الدبيس.

خط الوسط: مروان عطية، عمرو السولية ومحمد مجدي أفشة.

خط الهجوم: حسين الشحات، إمام عاشور ونيجك جراديشار.

ويحتل النادي الأهلي المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 26 نقطة، إذ حقق الفوز في 7 مباريات وتعادل في 5 ولم يتلقي أي هزيمة بعد مرور 12 جولة.

Out of the traditional 'big six' Premier League sides, only Chelsea and perhaps Manchester United have been busier than Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The North Londoners have signed several exciting young talents like Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Yang Min-Hyeok, extended Timor Werner's loan for another season, and, most importantly, spent £65m on bringing in Dominic Solanke.

However, the window is still open for another week, and based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co could bring in even more promising youngsters.

In fact, the latest star touted for a move to N17 enjoyed a brilliant season last year and has shades of former Spurs great Mousa Dembélé about him.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are one of several Premier League clubs interested in RC Lens prospect Andy Diouf.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has claimed that Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion all sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old in the club's 2-1 Conference League qualifier victory over Panathinaikos on Thursday night.

The story does not mention a potential price, but considering the £15k-per-week star only joined the Ligue 1 side last summer, he'd presumably cost a pretty penny.

However, given his potential and form last season, Diouf is a player Levy and Co should seriously consider signing, especially as there are shades of Dembélé to him.

How Diouf resembles Dembélé

Okay, so let's examine the ways in which the youngster has shades of former Spurs star Dembélé about him.

The first is that, like the Belgian during his pomp, the Neuilly-sur-Seine-born midfielder is already a great ball carrier, as evidenced by FBref placing him in the top 1% of all midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League for progressive carries per 90.

He also sits in the top 2% for successful take-ons, 14% for total shots and shot-creating actions, and 20% for progressive passes received.

Diouf's FBref Scout Report
Stats	Per 90	Percentile
Progressive Carries	4.19	Top 1%
Successful Take-Ons	2.02	Top 2%
Total Shots	1.68	Top 14%
Shot-Creating Actions	3.63	Top 14%
Progressive Passes Received	3.63	Top 20%
All Stats via FBref

Not only is this an incredible statistic in its own right, but it's made all the more outrageous by the fact that the Frenchman is still just 21, suggesting that, in time, he could pull even further away from the pack and become a ball-carrying machine, much like the former Lilywhites star was.

The second similarity is two-fold and comes from the fact that the "progressive" youngster, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, plays in the same areas of the pitch and shares the physical characteristics of the 82-capped Belgian, also coming in at over 6 foot – 6 foot 2 in his case.

This towering presence in the middle of the park, combined with his "great engine", per Mattinson, and incredible ball-carrying, could see him develop into an all-action midfielder able to take control and dictate games on his own.

Lastly, like the Antwerp-born icon, the Lens gem is left-footed, which, considering James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are all right-footed, would give Postecoglou another option to choose from.

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Ultimately, Diouf may not be a name familiar to many outside of France, and while he might not quite reach the level Dembélé did, there is undoubtedly a lot of talent there. Therefore, Spurs should do what they can to pick him up before someone like City does.

West Ham United have been approached over signing a free agent who featured for his country at Euro 2024, as they also close in on a Bosman deal for ex-Sheffield United stalwart John Egan.

West Ham "getting close" to signing Egan after Matip decision

The Hammers are believed to be dipping into the free market for a fourth-choice senior central defender, coming after both Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma departed the London Stadium on loan deals to Real Sociedad and Al-Oroubah respectively.

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Manager Julen Lopetegui now has summer signings Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Greek international Konstantinos Mavropanos as his only centre-back options, so technical director Tim Steidten and the West Ham recruitment team are apparently eager to bring in an extra body.

Earlier this week, West Ham opened talks with both Egan and Matip to resolve the issue, as backed by reliable Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

Egan departed Sheffield United in the summer after six seasons at Bramall Lane, where he made a total of 208 league appearances, while Matip left Liverpool following eight years at Anfield.

However, as reported by club insider ExWHUemployee, West Ham are close to bringing in Egan on a free, after moving on from Matip due to his unreliable fitness record. While West Ham had real concerns over signing Matip, it is believed that Egan will play in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Dagenham and Redbridge, which will act as a trial for the centre-back.

“It appears that John Egan is getting close to signing for the club,” reported Ex on The West Ham Way

Season

Appearances

2018/19 – Championship

44

2019/20 – Premier League

36

2020/21 – Premier League

31

2021/22 – Championship

46

2022/23 – Championship

45

2023/24 – Premier League

6

.

“There was some concerns over Joel Matip’s fitness and whether he would be the appropriate back up option. That transfer seemed to have a number of obstacles ahead of it to get the deal done although it isn’t completely ruled out yet.

“We believe however that John Egan could be about to start a trial with the club ahead of a potential move. There will be a friendly behind closed doors in the coming days for him to prove his fitness it is thought and also for other players that are not in international duty to build up theirs.

“The friendly is thought to be tomorrow [Thursday] against Dagenham and Redbridge. The club hasn’t fully made a decision on whether they will go ahead with the signing but they are giving the Irish international a chance to prove he is the man with a deal likely to be offered afterwards.”

With the Republic of Ireland international seemingly on the cusp of joining West Ham, if all goes to plan, Steidten and co have apparently been offered another free agent behind-the-scenes.

West Ham offered chance to sign Yusuf Yazici on free transfer

As per HITC, that man is former Lille star Yusuf Yazici, who actually featured for Turkey at the Euros this summer. The 45-cap international played a role in Lille's surprise Ligue 1 title win back in 2021, where he managed seven goals and four assists in 32 top flight appearances that year.

HITC claim West Ham have been contacted and offered the chance to sign Yazici, following his exit from Lille in June, as have a host of other Premier League clubs. It is unclear whether Lopetegui's side are willing to entertain this approach, but it might be worth considering.

The 27-year-old, still yet to hit his prime, boasts 64 goals and 39 assists across his career to date – with former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil once tipping him for greatness.

“I really like Trabzonspor duo Yusuf Yazici and Abdulkadir Omur, they are incredible talents,” Ozil told Hurriyet in 2018.

“Yusuf Yazici is an amazing No 10. We have a lot of similarities and I myself in him. His left foot, his position, his close passing and calmness on the ball. We will see Yusuf at a big European club in the near future.”

Derbyshire have work to do to post a competitive first-innings total after a rain-affected opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.Propping up the Group One table after failing to win any of their first eight matches, Derbyshire made 91 for 5 from the 47 overs that were possible, Matt Critchley making 23 and Luke Fletcher taking two wickets to draw level with Durham’s Chris Rushworth as the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 40 scalps.On a strip so green it needed three stumps at each end to identify it as the one in use, a Derbyshire side badly hit by injuries and failing form would have anticipated a difficult day after Nottinghamshire won the toss and chose to bowl first. In the circumstances, a scoreboard showing 44 for 3 at lunch felt like one that could have been worse.Fletcher soon had Luis Reece pushing at one that found a thin edge, and Brett Hutton trapped Tom Wood in the 12th overs with a full delivery but the home attack bowled too many balls that could be safely left alone in a twice-interrupted opening session and had to wait until the over before lunch to claim another breakthrough.This time Brooke Guest chased a widish ball from Lyndon James, giving a second catch to Ben Duckett, deputising with the gloves for Tom Moores who, in common with Joe Clarke, is self-isolating under Covid protocols.Critchley and Leus du Plooy began to rebuild after lunch before the next band of showers arrived, keeping the players off the field for two hours and 40 minutes. Derbyshire may have wished it had been longer as two more wickets fell in the first 17 balls after the resumption.Captaining in a first-class match for the first time in the absence of Billy Godleman, Critchley had taken three boundaries off Hutton before the stoppage and and was looking to continue in similar positive vein but perished via a sharp low catch at third slip off 19-year-old Joey Evison, in for the rested Jake Ball, whose first spell of the season comprised four maidens.Fletcher then picked up his 40th wicket of the season as Harvey Hosein was leg before to his second ball, leaving Derbyshire 76 for 5, but only 38 more minutes’ play was possible. The visitors will resume with Du Plooy, who was dropped by Duckett on 14, having faced 108 balls for his 21 not out.

Arne Slot admits he did not expect to see title rivals Chelsea drop points on Sunday, as Liverpool thumped Tottenham 6-3.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Slot in awe of PL results
• Surprised Chelsea drew with Everton
• Liverpool top of the table

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Slot saw his Liverpool side thump Tottenham 6-3 in a remarkable performance that underlined their credentials as Premier League title challengers. They are now four points clear of Chelsea, who drew with Everton on Sunday at Goodison Park, and the Dutchman has expressed his shock at the result.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Reds have only lost once this season and also have a game in hand on the Blues, meaning they could stretch their lead to seven points if they are victorious. Slot is delighted to be top of the table, but has marvelled at the unpredictable nature of the English top-flight.

• WHAT SLOT SAID

  Slot told reporters: "Of course it means something (to be top of the league), because you always prefer to be where we are at the moment rather than another position in the league table. But you know as well as I know as I've won the league once just how hard it is to win it. You have to keep on going every three days. You have to be on top of your game every minute of the game.

  "That's why it's so hard to win it, because it's not so easy to show up every three or four days. You see last week, in a moment you can get a red card. These things can happen in a season. At Newcastle, we're 3-2 up and you expect to win it but we drop two points. That's the Premier League, I didn't expect Chelsea to drop points today as well, so it can happen in every game and that's what makes this league so special. That's why people want to see it and that's why we play at Christmas time."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool round out 2024 with fixtures against Leicester City and West Ham United. They will aim to stretch their lead as they bid to win their second-ever Premier League title.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could be without an important player in his squad for beyond four weeks after he picked up an injury this week.

Tottenham vs Arsenal – team news and injury updates

The Gunners are preparing for one of their biggest games of the season this weekend, as a North London Derby clash away to Tottenham looms for Arsenal this Sunday in their first game back post-internationals.

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Arsenal dropped their first points of the new Premier League campaign against Brighton two weeks ago, with Arteta's side held to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium. After signing a brand-new contract, which runs until 2027, Arteta's next focus will be returning to winning ways at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he's got a real selection headache on his hands. Arteta will be unable to call upon a few key players, with star midfielder Declan Rice suspended after picking up two yellow cards and a subsequent sending off against Brighton.

Arsenal's next five Premier League games

Date

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Mikel Merino has been ruled out of the Spurs clash through injury, and possibly won't return until after the October international break. Fellow new arrival Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt for Arsenal's trip to Tottenham as well, following the defender's freak calf injury on international duty, sustained through a collision with France winger Ousmane Dembélé.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to miss Arsenal's next game too, with the Japan international not expected to be available until later this month. This series of absences, coupled with that of club captain Martin Odegaard, means Arteta is planning to drop Kai Havertz back into midfield against Tottenham, with summer signing Raheem Sterling potentially set to play a false nine role.

Going back to Odegaard, the consensus has been that the Norway star is expected to miss three weeks after he picked up an ankle injury and was forced off during his nation's 2-1 win over Austria on Monday.

Odegaard could be sidelined for over four weeks at Arsenal

Now, according to Arsenal insider James Benge, it is believed that Odegaard could actually be sidelined for beyond four weeks at Arsenal, which means he would miss their crucial Champions League clash with PSG, as well as their blockbuster clashes against Atalanta and Man City.

“We’re talking three weeks at a minimum, talking to people that know. I mean, they were pretty confident that there wasn’t a break or anything like that," said Benge on Charles Watts' YouTube channel (via GMS).

“But even they were talking about something that could stretch beyond four weeks. Once you get to that four-week mark, you’re into the next international break, and the difference between a four-week and a five-and-a-half-week absence isn’t necessarily huge.

“It’s such a testing time with that PSG game on 1 October. At the three-week mark, he’s probably going to miss the PSG game as well. Even if he’s able to play, it’ll be limited.”

The 25-year-old, who joined Arsenal for just £30 million from Real Madrid in 2021, will be a sore miss for their upcoming games – and it will be interesting to see how Arteta copes with the midfielder's absence.

Amid an excellent start to the season, Brighton & Hove Albion could now be handed a major boost on the injury front, with one star man facing a late fitness test before the Nottingham Forest game.

Brighton injury news

Fabian Hurzeler deserves great credit for the start that he’s made to life as Brighton manager. At just 31 years old, the young Seagulls boss has already earned a draw against Arsenal and defeated Manchester United in an unbeaten start to his side’s league campaign. On the pitch, he couldn’t have asked for a much better start, which was recognised when he received the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award for August.

That start becomes even greater when you consider his side’s injury struggles, however. As things stand, Hurzeler is without the likes of Brajan Gruda, Matt O’Riley, James Milner and Solly March, but could at least be in line to receive a major boost.

As confirmed by the young manager via The Argus, Joao Pedro could make his return from injury against Nottingham Forest this Sunday amid a late fitness test. The forward missed Brighton’s 0-0 draw against Ipswich Town last time out as the Seagulls struggled to find their attacking sharpness without their talisman.

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Hurzeler provided a cautious but positive update, telling reporters: “He will train today with the team, then we have to see how it’s going. If he can train fully, if he can do all the movements. Of course we won’t take any risk but he will be part of the training today.”

"Incredible" Pedro is crucial to Brighton

Starting the season in fine form with two goals in three games, it’s no surprise that Pedro is keeping the likes of Evan Ferguson out of Hurzeler’s side so far in the current campaign and his return, whether it comes against Forest or in the coming weeks, will be an important boost.

The Brazilian is into his second season at The Amex now after scoring an impressive 20 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign to leave him alongside some of the best goalscorers that the Premier League has to offer.

Earning plenty of praise as a result, former manager Roberto De Zerbi told reporters via The Independent last season: “He is the best player on the pitch, I think. He played another incredible game.

“I am really pleased for his improvement on mentality, on attitude. In defensive phase, incredible because he defended 90 minutes like a centre-back in terms of mentality. He is becoming, I think, a top player. I hope in the next year to work with him but I think it will be very tough.”

Now, it is Hurzeler who is benefitting from Pedro’s continued rise, which could take its latest step against Nottingham Forest.