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The international break came at a particularly bad time for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Having lost 2-1 away at Sheffield United three weeks ago, the Midlands club earned a huge victory over an in-form Tottenham Hotspur prior to the break in matches.

Two stoppage-time goals from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina made a bandaged Spurs sorry as Gary O’Neil’s side moved up to the 12th in the Premier League table.

Wolves will certainly have been desperate to play again and prove to the supporters that they can win consecutive games in the league for the first time this season. A trip to Craven Cottage offers O’Neil’s men the ideal chance to do just that.

Nevertheless, the Wolves manager will be forced to make at least one change this weekend as a result of a suspension for Craig Dawson. Here is the predicted lineup for their Monday night bout against a free-falling Fulham.

1 GK – Jose Sa

While Jose Sa hasn’t hit the heights from his debut season at Molineux two campaigns ago, the Portuguese shot-stopper has still proven himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in England’s top flight, boasting the eighth-highest save percentage in the league with 71.7%.

Having started every game this term for Wolves, there’s very little chance O’Neil will give the nod to anyone other than Sa.

2 RWB – Nelson Semedo

Nelson Semedo has been solid for Wolves this season and his performance last time out was no exception. The Portugal international made four ball recoveries, one clearance and won 83% of his defensive duels before being replaced by Matt Doherty in the 67th minute.

Doherty struggled to impress, picking up a yellow card and a Sofascore rating of 6.5 to Semedo’s 7.2. The latter’s spot in the lineup won’t be at risk anytime soon.

3 RCB – Max Kilman

Like the man between the sticks, skipper Max Kilman has featured in every single game for Wolves this season and has become the main man at the back at Molineux ever since former captain Conor Coady left the club two seasons ago.

The 26-year-old is in the top 4% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues this term for blocks per 90 and made four clearances against Spurs as the hosts clinched a late win. There’s no reason that Kilman doesn’t start at Craven Cottage.

4 CB – Santiago Bueno

The biggest change O’Neil has to make is who to start ahead of the suspended Dawson. While there is a possibility that Wolves change to a back four shape, moving Toti in alongside Kilman, the head coach hinted in his pre-match press conference that Wolves would stick with the back five.

The ex-Bournemouth boss also admitted that Santiago Bueno is the most like-for-like replacement for Dawson and the centre-half, described as “perfect” by Wolves’ sporting director Matt Hobbs, could be about to make his first start for the club.

On the defence, O'Neil stated: "Santi [Bueno] has been here for some time now, I'm not sure how long but probably 10 weeks or so. He's working extremely hard all the time to make himself a good option for us at the start of games. The most like-for-like [replacement] would be Santi."

5 LCB – Toti Gomes

Toti Gomes offers O’Neil tactical flexibility as he can play at both left-back and centre-back. Against Spurs a fortnight ago, the Portuguese defender was used on the left of a back three and will likely keep his position, having earned a 7.3 match rating from Sofascore.

Regardless of Wolves’ shape on Monday, O’Neil will find a spot for the 24-year-old.

6 LWB – Rayan Ait Nouri

No player created more opportunities at Molineux two weeks ago than Rayan Ait Nouri as the Algerian put in a Man of the Match contending display, making six final third entries, according to FotMob.

While Hugo Bueno and Jonny Otto will be desperate to start against the London outfit, it would be a tragedy to drop Ait Nouri now.

7 DM – Mario Lemina

Mario Lemina grabbed himself the Man of the Match award versus Spurs last time out and certainly earned another run-out in the team, having clinched the winning goal in the game’s final embers.

This term, the Gabon international has earned a 7.02 rating via Sofascore and has become the fulcrum of this Wolves team.

8 RCM – Joao Gomes

Signed for £15m back in January, Joao Gomes has built a nice partnership in the middle of the park with Lemina. Against Tottenham, he registered one big chance and ended the game with a 92% passing accuracy, as per FotMob.

O’Neil won’t want to upset the apple cart by leaving either Gomes or Lemina out of the team.

9 LCM – Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was a relatively unknown entity upon arriving from Strasbourg in the summer. However, now the 25-year-old is becoming a key player for O’Neil.

The decision was tough to either select Bellegarde or throw Pablo Sarabia into the fray after the latter scored a goal and bagged an assist last time out, but it’s unlikely that the manager will want to change a winning team, particularly against a side lower in the table than Wolves.

10 ST – Matheus Cunha

Matheus Cunha created three chances against Spurs prior to the international break and even assisted Sarabia’s equalising goal with a sumptuous ball over the top of the Lilywhites’ patched-up defence.

The Brazilian attacker is not a prolific goalscorer, as proven by his two goals this term, but his ability to create opportunities on the pitch won’t be overlooked by O’Neil en route to Craven Cottage.

Naby Keita has been suspended by Werder Bremen and barred from club facilities after the ex-Liverpool star allegedly refused to board the team bus.

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Keita was omitted from Werder squadClub claimed Keita refused to travel to Bayer LeverkusenWerder have imposed severe sanctions on the midfielderWHAT HAPPENED?

In a campaign marred by several injuries, Keita has been able to make only five appearances for Werder in his debut season, having joined the club last summer as a free agent after leaving Liverpool. To add to his problems, Clemens Fritz, the sporting director of Werder Bremen, claimed that the midfielder opted not to board the team bus after learning that he would not be in the starting lineup during last weekend's clash against German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Fritz had warned that Keita would face severe consequences for his defiant actions and in a statement released by the club on Tuesday it was confirmed that the player has been suspended until the end of the season. Moreover, the Guinea international must also pay a fine to the club for his alleged unprofessionalism.

WHAT WERDER BREMEN SAID

The statement released by Werder Bremen read: "Werder Bremen officials have suspended Naby Keïta until the end of the season. In addition, the Green-Whites have imposed a significant fine on the midfielder. From now on, the 28-year-old will neither train with the team nor spend time in the professional dressing room."

Fritz further added: "Naby’s behaviour cannot be tolerated for us as a club. With this action, he let his team down in a tense sporting and personnel situation and placed himself above the team. We can't allow that. At this stage of the season, we need full focus on the remaining games and a team that is very close together. There was therefore no alternative to our measures."

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KEITA DENIES ANY WRONGDOING

Refuting these claims made by the club, Keita wrote in his Instagram story: "I have always tried to help the club and the great supporters, especially during this time of poor results. Since the start of my career, I have never had problems with my discipline and have always shown an exemplary attitude. I will not accept any person trying to tarnish my image. To the supporters, I would like you to know that in every training session, I fight so that I can make you happy every weekend. Training, and giving everything, these are the limits of my power. To my teammates, good luck for our match. Go Werder!"

West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a second defeat on the spin away at Sunderland yesterday, the managerless Black Cats winning the game 2-1 courtesy of a blistering cameo off the bench from Alex Pritchard helping the hosts gain an advantage.

The 30-year-old's two assists in a breakneck 18-minute substitute cameo turned the game on its head for Sunderland, with Brandon Thomas-Asante's goal in the 86th minute proving to be too little too late for the Baggies to get anything from the contest.

Registering more shots on target than their hosts – Carlos Corberan's men notching up seven on-target efforts over the 90 minutes compared to Sunderland's slightly lesser total of five – West Brom would have felt aggrieved when the referee sounded his whistle at the conclusion of the contest that they left the Stadium of Light without even a point for their efforts.

Still, when reflecting on the game from a West Brom perspective, those with connections to the Championship promotion hopefuls will feel certain senior individuals let the side down in this slim 2-1 loss.

Notably, West Brom's star winger Grady Diangana barely threatened in attack for Corberan's men throughout the 90 minutes in another out-of-sorts performance from the hot-and-cold forward.

Grady Diangana's performance in numbers vs Sunderland

The ex-West Ham United attacker was quiet throughout, Pritchard stepping up to be a hero for the hosts with nobody swooping in to play that role for the away team.

The Congolese winger only registered one shot from a dire 60-minute spell on the pitch, the solitary effort blocked by the Black Cats defenders standing firm before it could trouble Anthony Patterson behind them.

He was lively venturing forward in patches of the contest – successful with five of his six dribbled attempts at the Stadium of Light – but his end product following a promising dart forward was always lacking.

Diangana was particularly wasteful with the ball at his feet attempting to play teammates into the game, losing possession a grand total of 16 times with eight misplaced passes picked up along the way.

He even managed to touch the ball fewer times than West Brom's goalkeeper Alex Palmer in this one, amassing 38 touches to Palmer's 46.

Birmingham Live writer Joseph Chapman would give Diangana a 5/10 rating for his showing against Sunderland, stating that the winger often 'overran the ball' and complicated matters up top.

This below-par offering is not just a one-off for the underperforming Baggies man however, the left winger underwhelming fans of the West Midlands club on a regular basis currently.

Grady Diangana's season in numbers

Diangana first emerged onto the scene at the Hawthorns full of energy and skill with a potent finish in his locker too – scoring eight times in his full debut season for the Baggies in the Championship back in the 2019-20 campaign.

Fast forward to the present day, the 5 foot 11 attacker does showboat still but the end product is beginning to dry up.

The Congolese trickster has only contributed to one West Brom goal being scored in the last five matches for Corberan's men, struggling to make an impact like he used to as a fresh signing hungry to succeed.

The 25-year-old struggled against West Brom's promotion rivals Southampton and Leicester City last month, inaccurate with all three of his crosses at St Mary's with the Saints going on to win 2-1.

Corberan's patience will be wearing thin with Diangana now, hopeful that his misfiring attacker can get his fading personal season back on track against Rotherham United on Tuesday night to help his team pick up three points after losing two in a row.

Wrexham executive director Humphrey Ker has shared some "hot gossip" about Paul Mullin not making the League Two team of the season.

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Wrexham promoted out of League TwoMullin not in division's team of the seasonKer dishes 'hot gossip' on selection snubWHAT HAPPENED?

Mullin helped fire Wrexham to League One promotion earlier this month, with the striker's 24 League Two goals proving vital in their successful campaign. However, the 29-year-old missed out on the division's team of the season, with fellow forwards Matt Smith and Macaulay Langstaff preferred – despite having a worse goals to game ratio. Now, Wrexham's Ker has revealed what was said at this month's EFL awards and how some were shocked Mullin wasn't selected.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT HUMPHREY KER SAID

He said on the Men in Blazers podcast: “Paul has, in characteristic Paul fashion, managed to miss a bunch of games, then have a difficult patch, but still wind up as basically the division’s best striker. Funnily enough, this is some hot gossip that I’ve not shared with anybody but I went to the EFL awards and our table was right next to Blackburn, who obviously beat us in the FA Cup.

“When the nominees for League Two Player of the Season came up, I could hear all the people on the Blackburn table like, ‘What? Where’s Mullin? Why’s Mullin not on that list?’, including Sammie Szmodics, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals. Awards are awards and they’re not always the best barometer of who’s done what, but Paul’s contribution this season has, again, been… bananas, the amount of goals he’s scored in three seasons for us."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ultimately, individual accolades are all well and good but the main thing is that Wrexham have secured back-to-back promotions are are now in League One. Mullin did miss the start of the season due to a punctured lung but he was key in ensuring their time in League Two was a short one. Co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds want to take the Welsh side to the Premier League one day and now they are a step closer to doing that.

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Instagram @paulmullin12WHAT NEXT?

Wrexham, who sit third in League Two behind Mansfield and champions Stockport County, round off their season with a home clash against Stockport at the Racecourse on Saturday afternoon.

A guide to what is expected from Thursday’s hearing, which could decide the fate of the board and its state associations, which are yet to fully comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jan-2019Why is this hearing significant?This hearing has the potential to end the bizarre situation where the BCCI has not carried out the Supreme Court’s orders on reforms. On July 18, 2016, the court approved the reforms recommended by the RM Lodha Committee and directed that they be implemented by all state associations; it subsequently amended certain reforms at the request of several state associations. To date, though, not a single member association of the BCCI, nor the parent body itself, has implemented the recommendations in toto.The CoA has now recommended that the BCCI conduct elections within 90 days from the court’s ruling and has requested, in its status report, that the court approve a timeline for elections.Why has the BCCI failed to hold elections?To conduct the elections, the states and the BCCI first need to comply with the new constitution, which was registered last August. That means they have to agree unconditionally to all reforms. Not one of the 34 state associations of the BCCI was fully compliant at the time when the CoA submitted its status report on October 27 last year. The CoA identified seven states as being “non-compliant”, while the rest fell under the “partially compliant” and “substantially compliant” categories.ALSO READ: CoA asks Supreme Court to suspend voting rights of non-compliant statesWhat are the contentious reforms?Although the state associations have set the ball rolling, many have dragged their feet on key reforms such as the cooling-off period, disqualification criteria, and selection panels. The most significant reform that BCCI members want the court to re-examine is the nine-year tenure limit set for office bearers in the new constitution. The members have suggested that as per the original order of the court in 2016, the office bearers’ tenure at BCCI and state associations was distinct, giving office-bearers a potential cumulative life of 18 years. However, under the new constitution, that limit has been reset to a cumulative nine years – whether at state level or at the BCCI or both.What can the court do to enforce its order?Follow the CoA’s recommendation of barring errant state associations from their voting rights in the BCCI elections and also withholding their funding.Diana Edulji and Vinod Rai emerge from a CoA meeting•Getty ImagesAnything else the BCCI members want to pursue?Several BCCI members want the CoA’s reign to be brought to end. But that will only happen if they conduct elections. Nonetheless, the members want to make the court aware of the deep divisions and distrust within the two-member CoA comprising Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller & Auditor General of India, and Diana Edulji, the former India women captain. Their motive? Some members feel that would allow them to regain control of the BCCI despite being forced to implement reforms unconditionally.The issues that have split the CoA
The Rahul Johri sexual-harrassment allegations
The hiring of the India women coach
The Hardik Pandya-KL Rahul chat show controversyHow does the divide in CoA really matter?It matters because the CoA’s squabbles have now spilled over to the cricket arena and are in danger of affecting India’s World Cup preparations. Take the controversial TV-show comments of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul: Rai and Edulji agree the players ought to be penalised, but have differed strongly on how to go about it. Both players have now been suspended and are out of the ongoing ODI series in Australia and are set to miss the limited-overs tour of New Zealand as well. The BCCI’s legal team recommended that the players be suspended pending an inquiry with the Ombudsman being the final adjudicator. Both Rai and Edulji want the court to give directions on the appointment of an Ombudsman, a position the BCCI has not filled since late 2016.Any other matter of interest?The court is also likely to hear a petition, filed by whistleblower Aditya Verma, to make public the findings of the ad-hoc committee that handled the sexual misconduct allegations against BCCI CEO Rahul Johri. The CoA will submit the findings in a sealed envelope but Verma has petitioned the court to ask the CoA to make the findings public.And, finally, who is conducting the hearing?At least three chief justices have presided over the case stretching back five years. On Thursday the bench will comprise Justices SA Bobde and AM Sapre.

U.S. youth national team phenom Cavan Sullivan is buzzing over his contractual move to Man City in 2027 after signing with the Philadelphia Union.

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Cavan Sullivan signs pro deal with Philadelphia UnionBuilt-in move to Man City at age 18 in contractLargest Homegrown deal in MLS historyWHAT HAPPENED?

On Thursday, it was officially announced that the 14-year-old had signed the largest Homegrown deal in MLS history with the Philadelphia Union. In his contract, though, is a clause that when he turns 18, he will be transferred to Manchester City in England.

AdvertisementUSA Today SportsWHAT SULLIVAN SAID

"I've always wanted to start my career here because this is my home and I've always been on the sidelines of Quinn's games and I've been in and around the facility when my uncle worked here," Sullivan told ESPN. "So, I've always been inspired and to play in front of this culture and these fans are special.

"But I also think the collaboration between the Union and the City Group was — I think that did it for me. I always watch Man City. They're like every kid's dream team. For them [Philadelphia and Man City] to come together and agree on something — I sat with my family and my agents and we decided that it was the best plan."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Sullivan is highly-regarded as one of the most talented youngsters in the world in his age group, and a move to a world powerhouse like Man City was always on the cards.

The 14-year-old has high ambitions, though, despite his young age.

"I guess my goal is just to become a regular player within the next two years," he added to ESPN. "And then after that I would hope to be a starter. I guess that's from the 16 to 18 age window. And then right when I'm 18 I hope to be at the level of the Man City first team."

However, despite the hype around his deal, the contractual City move and all of the expectations on his plate, he remains level-headed about where he's at as a footballer in his career.

"I haven't really done anything yet, haven't even made my debut. so, there's still a lot of room for improvement, a lot of development to go. But definitely still excited for what's ahead," he explained.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SULLIVAN?

The teenager will now work towards making his MLS debut for the Union. First-team manager Jim Curtin has the 14-year-old in his plans, too.

If Sullivan debuts before July 29 this year, he'll become a record-breaker as well. By doing so, he'll be the youngest MLS debutant, snapping the long-standing record of failed USMNT prodigy Freddy Adu.

On making his professional debut and snapping that record, Curtin told ESPN: "If he's healthy, he'll do it."

Fast bowler pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined 75% of his match fee as well as receiving three demerit points

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2019Shannon Gabriel, the West Indies fast bowler, has been given a four-match suspension by the ICC for his use of an apparently homophobic remark directed towards Joe Root in the St Lucia Test. Gabriel, who pleaded guilty to the offence, was fined 75% of his match fee and received three demerit points, pushing him over the threshold for a ban.Gabriel was charged with a Level Two offence under article 2.13 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, covering “personal abuse”. There was no formal hearing with the match referee, Jeff Crowe, after he accepted the charge. Although Gabriel was not in the original squad for the first two ODIs against England, he is understood to have been lined up as an injury replacement for Keemo Paul.Root was picked up by the stump mics while batting on the third day responding to an unheard comment from Gabriel. “Don’t use it as an insult,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”The incident was dealt with at the time by the on-field umpires but Gabriel was charged the following day after the footage received widespread attention. Root said at the close that things said on the field “should stay on the field”, but nevertheless received praise for his stance, including from UK equality charity Stonewall.Speaking on Wednesday before the news of Gabriel’s ban, England coach Trevor Bayliss repeated his feeling that stump microphones should be turned down between deliveries. As well as Gabriel, Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed was last month given a four-match suspension for making a racist remark remark that was picked up by the TV broadcast.”I’ve said it once before, no I’m not in favour of it and I’m not going to change my mind,” he said. “If stump mics were around a few years ago there would be some blokes seen as ‘holier than thou’ who would have been in trouble as well.”I think [stump mics] should be down. I know there are people who think the opposite and think it is good for the game but sometimes in the heat of battle things are said, when guys given a bit of time to sit down and think about it would give themselves a bit of a kick up the backside.”Gabriel was previously given three demerit points in April 2017 for making deliberate physical contact with Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed; and another two in November last year, following a coming together with Bangladesh’s Imrul Kayes. Having accumulated more than four points, he was banned for the following Test, in Dhaka.He has now reached eight demerit points within the same two-year period, which converts to four suspension points – equivalent to a ban from two Tests or four limited-overs internationals.England and West Indies will play five ODIs, starting in Barbados next Wednesday. At the time of the West Indies’ squad being announced, chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said: “Shannon Gabriel remains very much in our World Cup plans but with a heavy workload expected in the Test series he will be considered for selection later in the ODI series.”

Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed with how his Chelsea side has been so underwhelming in his debut campaign.

The Blues are currently tenth in the Premier League after 17 matches, losing seven times already this season. Despite their 2-0 win over Sheffield United yesterday, Chelsea are still two points behind West Ham in ninth who have played one less game.

The Argentine may want to bolster his squad in January in an attempt to improve their results and potentially challenge for a European spot.

Chelsea transfers latest – Max Kilman

According to a recent report from Simon Phillips on his Substack earlier this month, Pochettino is eyeing a move for Max Kilman of Wolves to strengthen his defensive department.

The centre-back had plenty of clubs interested in him in the summer, including Napoli, who were quoted a £35m price tag by Wolves to acquire his services.

However, with the 26-year-old titan being such an integral part of the Wolves squad, it is difficult to see a move occur this January.

Max Kilman’s style of play

With Pochettino recently mentioning that he wants to add more height to his side, it is no wonder reports regarding Kilman have begun to arise. The Wolves defender stands at 6 foot 4 and would seemingly tick off the boss’ request.

The left-footed defender has played every minute for Gary O’Neil’s side this season, helping his team to 13th in the Premier League, just three points off Chelsea. However, the Englishman has only kept two clean sheets in a leaky Wolves backline.

Kilman is a tall, physical centre-back who can comfortably play in a back-three or a back-four. The 26-year-old ace is tidy with both feet and possesses on-the-ball quality in the form of passing and dribbling, which most likely stems from his days as a professional England futsal player.

According to FBref, Kilman has a very similar player profile to ex-Chelsea player Marc Guehi, who left the club in 2021 after being at the Blues since the age of seven.

The Crystal Palace star is linked with numerous clubs, including the Blues and Manchester United, and this is how he has compares statistically to Kilman this season…

Passes completed

50.81

52.72

Progressive passes

3.44

2.50

Tackles

1.25

1.25

Interceptions

1.06

0.88

Clearances

4.50

4.69

These statistics show that both players are able to progress the play with the ball at their feet to go along with their multiple defensive interventions per 90.

Another similarity between the two defenders is that they both display excellent leadership qualities that would massively help the young Chelsea side. Kilman has captained Wolves this season, and he would become Chelsea’s second-oldest defender in the squad behind Thiago Silva at just 26.

The Wolves star is also blessed with versatility, which allows Pochettino to be tactically flexible both pre-game and during the match. Another underrated attribute is Kilman’s impressive injury record – with only six games missed in his career – which makes him a reliable option. This could be vital with the Blues experiencing an injury crisis.

Although Chelsea signing Kilman does make sense and he is a “monster” – as per presenter Tom Parker – of a centre-back, if the likes of Benoit Badisahile, Levi Colwill, and Axel Disasi can remain fit, it is difficult to see him getting enough gametime or replacing any of the above, even more so when the full-backs return from injury.

However, depth is needed, particularly with injuries coming thick and fast at Chelsea at the moment, and they could land their next Guehi in a swoop for Kilman to bolster their options.

Liverpool star Luis Diaz has provided an update on his future with the Reds with the Colombian linked with a move to Barcelona.

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Diaz linked with move away from LiverpoolReveals he is happy with the RedsThanks fans for creating his own chantGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Colombian will complete his second full season at Anfield and he has become a fan favourite with Liverpool fans. However, the winger has also been criticised for his inconsistent form throughout his tenure at the club. As such, he has been linked with a move away from the Premier League, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain interested.

AdvertisementWHAT DIAZ SAID

Speaking to Liverpool's club media, Diaz said: "It’s no secret, we didn’t finish as well as we hoped. For us, it was crucial to win the league and all the competitions we were in. Unfortunately, the results lately could not be achieved.

"We fell [behind] as a team, but we made a decent season, both individually and as a group. There are many things to improve so we can have a perfect season. But I’m happy and content to be here."

Diaz also praised the Liverpool fans for creating a chant for him, as he said: "It’s something beautiful and special because every time we go out to give it our all. To uphold the institution, the club. To do what I came to do from the first moment I arrived.

"I always wanted to perform well. I always wanted to be one of the best, trying to respect everyone. Seeing the fans sing that song, that beautiful song, leaves you something very nice marked for you, to take as a memory.

"I’m very happy. I thank them very much for what they are doing. I always go out happy to the field because I know I have their full support."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With his comments, Diaz has all but refuted any floating rumours regarding a move away from Anfield this summer. The Colombian has a contract with the 19-time Premier League winners that runs till the summer of 2027, and if a sale is to be made, it will likely cost any club a significant fee to sign the 27-year-old.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DIAZ?

The focus will now shift towards Jurgen Klopp's last two matches as Liverpool boss and Diaz will likely be a starter for those matches. Liverpool will take on Aston Villa on Monday, May 13 before ending their season at home against Wolves on May 19.

It is a left-field choice though considering the opener has not played any ODIs since the last World Cup

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Apr-2019Dimuth Karunaratne has been named captain of Sri Lanka’s World Cup side, meaning Lasith Malinga has been ousted as leader.Although Karunaratne has not played an ODI since the 2015 World Cup, his leadership during the upset Test series win in South Africa had tipped him as a left-field captaincy choice for the World Cup.Sri Lanka’s subsequent 5-0 defeat in the ODIs to South Africa sealed the fate of Malinga’s captaincy, before Karunaratne’s good performances with the bat in the recent Super Four domestic tournament provided some indication that he was a viable choice as a one-day opener. Although fears about Karunaratne’s batting centred around whether he could score runs quickly enough, he mustered a strike-rate of over 90, as he made 165 runs at an average of 55 through the course of that tournament.The news will be a substantial blow to Malinga, whose commitment to his position as captain saw him play a domestic match in Kandy, only 14 hours after finishing an IPL match in Mumbai, earlier this month. Although Malinga had led Sri Lanka to a World T20 trophy in 2014, his one-day captaincy has produced abysmal results – the team losing each of the nine ODIs they have played under his leadership.Malinga was also understood to have had a poor relationship with several key players. Earlier this year, Thisara Perera asked Sri Lanka Cricket to intervene after he and Malinga’s wife had become embroiled in a Facebook squabble.The third major option for the captaincy may in fact have been the selectors’ first choice: Angelo Mathews, who has been Sri Lanka’s ODI captain in two separate stints before. But he is understood to have ruled himself out. His most recent stint at the helm was cut short when he was ousted following Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup exit it September. Mathews’ relationship with coach Chandika Hathurusingha had become incredibly strained following the player’s axing last year.Sri Lanka are yet to name their World Cup squad, but the selectors’ final meeting is expected to take place on Thursday, with the squad likely to be announced over the following 24 hours.Although Karunaratne has not been part of a Sri Lanka ODI squad for years, he is now clearly assured a place. Both Malinga and Mathews are also almost certain to be named.