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Hype or no hype, once the match begins, Centurion – and the rest of world, wherever the match is telecast – will be engrossed

The Preview by Sidharth Monga25-Sep-2009Match factsSaturday, September 26, 2009
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)No sleepless nights for Tendulkar this time•Associated PressBig pictureFor once, India and Pakistan will not be playing on an island. India-Pakistan matches are usually separate events within the main event, oblivious to the larger picture of the tournament, but this game doesn’t seem to be the usual matter of life and death. For once, this match, though the first big clash of the Champions Trophy in terms of traditional rivals coming face to face, is more about the cricket.What’s helped is the tight draw in the tournament format. Pakistan, who have been more vocal in setting up the match (Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul and Younis Khan have been quoted on how badly they want to beat India), will know only net run-rate can keep them out of semi-finals if they win this match. India, blighted by injuries to Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, have a year and a half of good work done in ODIs to defend. A loss in their opening match will leave them needing to beat Australia and possibly run-rate calculations to go their way.The build-up for this match, though, has been different from the last time the two teams met at the same venue, in the 2003 World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar then lived the match a year in advance. Everywhere he went, he was reminded of the match. He said he couldn’t sleep properly for 12 nights leading into the game. March 1 was a day people of two countries lived for. If you had asked Tendulkar of this match six months ago, he would have – rightly – not known of any such fixture. Before March 1, 2003, the teams had not played each other for three years. In last three years now, they have played 17 ODIs, six Tests and two Twenty20s.Hype or no hype, once the match begins, Centurion – and the rest of world, wherever the match is telecast – will be engrossed. Albeit slowly, the atmosphere will build. It can’t be such a bad thing if a cricket match is a cricket match and not a war.Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)India – WLWWL
Coming off a tri-series win in slow-and-low Sri Lanka, they will need to quickly adjust to livelier pitches in South Africa. Centurion, though, has assisted spin and makes for a smooth transition.Pakistan – WWWLL
The bowling unit looks almost perfect, as it showed in the win over West Indies. Batting is the weak link, and they need bigger contributions from senior batsmen.Team newsGautam Gambhir and Younis are fit and ready. But for India the good news is offset immediately by the injury to Yuvraj. They should go with the same batting line-up that won in Sri Lanka, except for Gambhir replacing Yuvraj and Rahul Dravid moving down the order. They will be tempted to play two spinners at SuperSport Park, which has brought much joy to Ajantha Mendis and Roelof van der Merwe in the first two matches. The bowling has been cause of worry for India, and those last three slots will be the most discussed.India (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Virat Kohli/Dinesh Karthik, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9, 10 and 11 three out of Ishant Sharma, RP Singh, Ashish Nehra and Amit Mishra.Who does Younis replace? Misbah-ul-Haq seems the most likely candidate; Umar Akmal would like to think he has earned another match after his Man-of-the-Match performance against West Indies. There seems no need to tinker with the bowling combination.Pakistan (probable) 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan (capt.), 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Mohammad Aamer, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Saeed Ajmal

Sachin Tendulkar lived March 1, 2003 a year in advance. Everywhere he went, he was reminded of the match. He said he couldn’t sleep properly for 12 nights leading into the game. If you had asked Tendulkar of the match on September 26, 2009 six months ago, he would have – rightly – not known of any such fixture

Watch out for…Pakistan bowlers v Indian batsmen: As has so often been the case, this is the deciding mini contest. Pakistan have three different kinds of fast bowlers, and two different kinds of spinners, who will need a perfect show from opposition batsmen, if they are to be outdone.Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi Last checked they had to be physically separated from a mid-pitch altercation, in Kanpur. Since then Afridi has become a different man, so mature he seems almost possessed. Will he able to keep his calm when he comes to bowl to Gambhir? Will Gambhir survive for that long?Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Aamer Tendulkar knows all about pressure, playing Pakistan, and playing Pakistan in pressure games. Will he try to bully and unsettle a 17-year-old opening the bowling against him?MS Dhoni and Younis Khan Two men seemingly above negative emotion and most likely to stay composed in tense circumstances, and rightly the captains. Are they too cool for an India-Pakistan match?Stats and trivia Pakistan have beaten India only once in an ICC tournament, in the 2004 Champions Trophy. India have won in the World Cups in 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003, and also twice in the 2007 World Twenty20. Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer have never played India in an international. Neither have Virat Kohli, Amit Mishra and Abhishek Nayar played Pakistan. Tendulkar, with 2381 runs to his name, is 22 short of Inzamam-ul-Haq’s record aggregate in India-Pakistan matches. In current teams, Dravid (1823) and Afridi (1404) are the other leading run-getters. In 14 ODIs against Pakistan, Harbhajan Singh has taken nine wickets at an average of 71.11 and a strike rate of 90.6 balls per wicket.Quotes”I was told four weeks rest but I want to take my chance tomorrow, playing against India. Maybe if it wasn’t India I would’ve skipped this match”

Everton are one of the clubs who are interested in Sassuolo’s Filip Djuricic, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato. 

The lowdown

Significantly, his contract is up at the end of this season, and unless Sassuolo can reach an agreement with the 29-year-old soon, they may come under pressure to sell in January. That may be their only way to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.

The Serbian has featured in all nine of their Serie A matches so far this season, starting eight (via WhoScored), and he has averaged 1.9 dribbles, 1.8 shots and 1.1 key passes per 90 minutes for Sassuolo this term. For context, no Everton player boasts more than 1.2 dribbles per match up to this point in the season, with only Demarai Gray averaging more than one per game at Goodison Park.

The latest

Calciomercato claimed that there are three Premier League clubs on the trail of Djuricic.

Those are Everton, West Ham United – managed by former Blues boss David Moyes, of course – and struggling Southampton.

The verdict

Djuricic is valued at £8.1m by Transfermarkt, but the interested parties could look to avoid a transfer fee altogether by pursuing a pre-contract agreement.

He would appear better suited to the 4-2-3-1 that West Ham play rather than Rafael Benitez’s 4-4-1-1 given his capacity to play in the three positions behind the striker, but that’s not to say that a move to Merseyside is unrealistic.

His performance metrics certainly suggest that he could add plenty of verve to Everton’s attack, not least in terms of beating opponents one-on-one.

In other news, some Everton fans fumed over these Benitez comments

The England Lions batsmen, Stephen Moore and Michael Carberry, have moved a step closer to international recognition

Cricinfo staff13-Oct-2009The England Lions batsmen, Stephen Moore and Michael Carberry, have moved a step closer to international recognition after being named, alongside the seamers Mark Davies and Amjad Khan, in the top grade of the ECB’s enhanced England Performance Programme that gets underway in November.In total, the ECB have named 41 players whom it regards as the best up-and-coming prospects in the country, and divided them into a range of different squads according to the players’ differing stages of development.Moore, Carberry, Davies and Khan, who made his Test debut in the Caribbean earlier this year, are the only players to be named in the top-tier ‘A’ Grade. “This is great news for me,” said Khan. “It goes to show that I am still highly thought of by the England selectors. Theoretically, I guess, I’m only a couple of injuries away from playing international cricket again.”The ‘B’ Group players include the Middlesex seamer, Steven Finn, and Leicestershire’s Young Player of the Year, James Taylor, and are described by the ECB as “those with experience of first-class cricket and are perceived to be 1-3 years away from the England team”. The ‘C’ Group players are, on the whole, younger and with less experience of first-class cricket, but are likely to have taken part in the ECB’s Elite Player Development Programme.The ‘A’ graded players will receive individualised support programmes, meeting their specific developmental needs, and will link up with Ian Bell, Steven Davies, Ryan Sidebottom and Liam Plunkett for a training camp at the CSA High Performance Centre in Pretoria, ahead of the Test series in South Africa this winter.The ‘B’ and ‘C’ Group players will undertake separate training camps at the National Cricket Performance Centre (NCPC) at Loughborough and Pretoria respectively. Both camps will feature some competitive cricket opportunities.The players on the South Africa training camp before Christmas will have the opportunity to work alongside Graham Gooch, Allan Donald and Saqlain Mushtaq, who will support the full-time coaching team of David Parsons, Kevin Shine, Dene Hills and Bruce French, at various stages throughout the camp.Furthermore, a group of young fast bowlers selected as part of the Programme will also spend time at a conditioning camp in Florida and at the MRF Fast Bowling Camp in Chennai under the guidance of Australian legend Dennis Lillee. Those players include the Surrey pairing of Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker, as well as the Ireland paceman, Boyd Rankin.”I am really excited about the depth of the programme we have put in place for our most talented young players this winter,” said the ECB Performance Director, David Parsons. “We will be offering a greater range of training and support than before and have carefully tailored the programme to ensure that we can cater to the specific needs of individuals and their stages of development.”To see eight players who were part of the England Performance Programme last winter selected for England’s tour of South Africa next month is a good indication of the importance of the programme for a player’s development,” added Parsons.”With players like Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Trott and Graham Onions having made an immediate impact in the international arena this summer, having spent time with EPP and England Lions squads recently, we are keen to identify other players within County Cricket who can make a difference to the full England side. “‘A’ Players Mark Davies (Durham), Amjad Khan (Kent), Stephen Moore (Lancashire), Michael Carberry (Hampshire)’B’ Players Steven Finn (Middlesex), Andrew Gale (Yorkshire), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sussex), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Chris Nash (Sussex), Joe Sayers (Yorkshire), Ajmal Shahzad (Yorkshire), James Taylor (Leicestershire), David Wainwright (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)’C’ Players Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Vikram Banerjee (Gloucestershire), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), William Beer (Sussex), Alex Blake (Kent), Andy Carter (Nottinghamshire), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Luke Fletcher (Nottinghamshire), Billy Godleman (Essex), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Richard Johnson (Warwickshire), Richard Jones (Worcestershire), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Jake Mickleburgh (Essex), Sam Northeast (Kent), Ollie Rayner (Sussex), Ian Saxelby (Gloucestershire), John Simpson (Middlesex), Tom Smith (Sussex), Max Waller (Somerset), Adam Wheater (Essex), David Willey (Northamptonshire)Fast Bowling Programme Jade Dernbach (Surrey), David Griffiths (Hampshire), James Harris (Glamorgan), Stuart Meaker (Surrey), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire)

Journalist Tim Spiers has been critical of Francisco Trincao’s performance for Wolves against Everton, despite their eventual 2-1 victory.

The Lowdown: Wolves pick up another win

Bruno Lage’s side are enjoying an excellent run of form at the moment and that continued on Monday night.

Wolves saw off Everton at Molineux in deserved fashion, thanks to first-half goals from Max Kilman and Raul Jimenez, rising to seventh place in the Premier League in the process.

Lage’s men have now picked up 16 points from a possible 21 in their last seven games – only Chelsea (18) and Arsenal (17) have fared better in that time, as revealed by Talking Wolves on Twitter.

The Latest: Spiers criticises Trincao

Despite the win, The Athletic‘s Spiers was disappointed with Trincao’s ‘sloppy’ showing, with the Portuguese losing possession 15 times (Sofascore) overall:

“Trincao almost scored a beauty and should have netted an easy chance…some brilliant touches but also sloppy in possession.”

The Verdict: Needs to improve

Trincao has been a solid enough performer for Wolves so far this season, but more substance is required, with no goals and assists in the league suggesting he lacks end product.

His performance against Everton wasn’t as influential as others – 15 times losing the ball from 54 touches means he surrendered possession about 28 per cent of the times he had it – and Adama Traore could now be pushing for a start away to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

At 21, Trincao is still developing as a footballer, however, so some inconsistency should be expected at this stage in his career.

In other news, three players excelled in the win over Everton. Find out who they are here.

Sarfaraz Khan has broken the record for the highest score in the Harris Shield, scoring 439 runs for Rizvi Springfield against Indian Education Society (Kandivli)

Cricinfo staff05-Nov-2009A 12-year-old schoolboy, Sarfaraz Khan, has broken the record for the highest score in the Harris Shield inter-school tournament, scoring 439 for Rizvi Springfield against Indian Education Society (Kandivli) on Tuesday. Sarfaraz hit 56 boundaries and 12 sixes during his 421-ball innings to break the record set by R Nagdev who had scored 427 not out in 1963-64.He was dropped three times – on 25, 253 and 302 – but took full advantage of the chances to break the record.Unlike most inter-school games, this one attracted a cluster of TV cameras and reporters at Cross Maidan when Tuesday’s play began with Sarfaraz batting overnight on 235. The first milestone he targetted was the 346 that Sachin Tendulkar had scored in the same tournament 21 years ago.”My father was telling me I should try and better Tendulkar’s score,” Sarfaraz told the . “I was already on 235 and as one of the boundaries at Cross Maidan is short, I felt it was possible.”His father Naushan Khan is a local coach who trained current Mumbai Ranji players Iqbal Abdulla and Rahil Shaikh as well as left-arm fast bowler Kamran Khan, who came into spotlight in the IPL’s second season for the Rajasthan Royals.Sarfaraz, who grew up in the Mumbai suburb of Kurla, has been involved with the game since childhood, and has already been to a fair number of selection trials. “Iqbal and Kamranbhai stay with me, so whenever they went for selection trials, my father took me along,” sarfaraz said. “Once I had gone for the Mumbai Indians’ selections, where I saw Mohammad Ashraful and Sachin Tendulkar talking.””I heard Ashraful asking Sachin about difficulties in getting the front foot forward in time. Sachin was instructing Ashraful to watch the bowler’s arm till the last moment before moving his feet. I tried that later and it worked for me.”The company of senior players has other advantages as well. “Iqbal always sets challenges – he asks me to score a century before every match and most times I win. This time, he told me to hit 300, I went on to score 400.”

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Brennan Johnson to Elland Road in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Ekrem Konur, with the journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Victor Orta is currently preparing an offer for the Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder ahead of the winter market.

A further report by Football Insider also suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are interested in a deal for the 20-year-old, with a source close to the club claiming that the Whites sent scouts to watch the Wales international in action for Forest last week.

In his tweet, Konur said: “Leeds United are preparing to make an offer to Nottingham Forest for Brennan Johnson.”

He’s what Bielsa is missing

Considering just how impressive Brennan Johnson has been in recent seasons, in addition to the fact that attacking midfield is a position in which Bielsa lacks considerable depth in his Leeds squad, a move for the Nottingham Forest starlet would appear to be a highly advisable one.

Indeed, over his 43 League One appearances while out on loan at Lincoln City last season, the £360k-rated man scored 11 goals, registered five assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Glenn Murray dubbed a “special” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.98, with his highly impressive performances playing a key role in the Imps’ run to the League One play-off final.

Johnson has continued this remarkable form over his 17 Championship appearances for Forest this term, with the £2.5k-per-week midfielder having already bagged three goals, provided four assists and created five big chances for his teammates.

These metrics have seen the 20-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Steve Cooper’s fifth-best player in the second tier of English football.

As such, with so much of his professional career still ahead of him, it is clear for all to see that the Welshman is a player with a significant amount of potential.

And, when taking into account that Bielsa currently has no attacking midfielders in his first-team squad at Elland Road, Johnson would appear to be exactly the type of player the Argentine is missing.

In other news: Leeds must ruthlessly axe £15k-p/w lightweight who Bielsa said he “can’t praise”

The Pakistan captain is upbeat about their prospects in the upcoming three Test series in Australia and expects his bowlers to be the crucial factor in helping them achieve glory for the first time in the country

Cricinfo staff20-Dec-2009Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf is upbeat about his team’s chances in the upcoming three Tests in Australia and expects his bowlers to play a crucial role in winning a series for the first time in the country.Yousuf hoped fast bowlers Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer, along with legspinner Danish Kaneria, would have an impact similar to the one they had in New Zealand, where they took 47 wickets between them and helped Pakistan draw the three-Test contest 1-1.”The feeling one had some years ago that beating Australia in Australia is impossible is no longer there among our players,” Yousuf said. “I think we have a bowling attack that is capable of causing problems for Australia and they are now beatable.”Chris Gayle’s men were impressive here and stretched the home side on a number of occasions during the Tests. Benn’s success as a spinner is also a good omen for us because Kaneria is firing well.”Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson also predicted of a closely-fought contest and believed the bowlers were more than capable of causing Australia problems during the series, which gets underway on Boxing Day in Melbourne.”I expect them to play well,” Lawson said. “The New Zealand Test series will have toughened them up a bit so they won’t be underdone in the Test mode of the game.”Their bowling attack is pretty good, they have a very good spinner in Kaneria and with the first two Tests in Sydney and in Melbourne, where it turns, it could put some pressure on the Australian batsmen.”The batting and fielding disciplines, though, were still a worry for Yousuf. “Our bowling is not a worry and they did well in New Zealand but we have to lift our batting and fielding standards if we want to improve our performances in Australia,” he said. “It is up to us now to take advantage of the situation and try to do well in the coming series. I just hope that our openers, Salman Butt and Imran Farhat, continue to do well as they did in New Zealand. They must carry the same form in Australia.”Pakistan are currently involved in a three-day tour game against Tasmania in Hobart.

As per Calciomercato.it, another development has emerged in the race to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and it involves West Ham United.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye McKennie move…

As per recent claims, the USA international is very much on manager David Moyes’ radar as he looks to build upon West Ham’s dream start to 2021/2022.

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Top of their Europa League group, third in the Premier League and still fighting in the Carabao, Moyes may need reinforcements in January amid a congested fixture calendar.

McKennie is said to be one name on West Ham’s list, and according to a recent claim by Football Insider, the groundwork has already been laid for his signing.

As well as this, the 23-year-old is said to be ‘very keen’ on a move to London and the Premier League.

Now, Calciomercato.it have brought another update on his situation at Juve and the Irons are mentioned once again.

The Latest: West Ham make approach…

As per their sources, West Ham have ‘already asked for information’ on McKennie as they remain firmly in the race alongside London rivals Tottenham.

In another enticing claim, they hint GSB and recruitment chief Rob Newman are not deterred by Juve’s asking price for the player – which could reach up to €35 million (£29.4 million).

The Verdict: Get it done?

A versatile ace even capable of playing at centre-half, perhaps McKennie could come as the surprise solution to back up Angelo Ogbonna following his injury.

The Italian defender ruptured his ACL in West Ham’s 3-2 win over Liverpool before the international break, prompting links to the likes of James Tarkowski as Moyes eyes some cover.

At 23-years-old with plenty of sell-on value, McKennie’s maximum £29.4m fee could be worth the investment judging by his past credentials and resurgence under Massimiliano Allegri this season.

After a mixed start to 2021/2022, even marred in some off-field international drama at one point, the starlet has turned things around in Turin – reinventing himself as a favourite in Allegri’s starting eleven (SB Nation).

Lauded as a ‘leader’ by his former Schalke boss David Wagner, we believe a swoop for McKennie certainly shouldn’t be ruled out in January – especially if West Ham have no qualms paying the asking price.

In other news: ‘Increasingly likely’…Sky reporter breaks news on ‘clinical’ striker in boost for West Ham, find out more here.

Brydon Coverdale presents the Plays of the Day from the opening day of the WACA Test

Brydon Coverdale at the WACA16-Dec-2009Missed it by much
Simon Katich posted his second 99 in a Test match and continued the theme of no Australian batsmen reaching a century in the series. After Katich swept Sulieman Benn to square leg and was caught, he trudged off the field with a blank expression. There was one man in the dressing room who could offer some sympathy: his opening partner Shane Watson was earlier out for 89, again denying him a maiden Test hundred after he was bowled for 96 in Adelaide. Katich’s first Test 99 came in Nagpur in 2004.The Roach approach
West Indies were talking up Kemar Roach as their big weapon for the WACA Test and he didn’t disappoint with his aggressive manner. Ricky Ponting’s second ball was a bouncer that hit him just above the left elbow and the next delivery thumped Australia’s captain in the midriff. The blow to the arm caused some serious pain for the batsman, who needed four visits from the physio Alex Kountouris before he eventually retired hurt 40 minutes later. Scans revealed no bone damage and Ponting was expected to bat again later in the innings.Windies drop the ball
Watson and Katich both demoralised West Indies on the opening day and both survived dropped chances that should have been taken. Watson was put down on 7 when Roach found an outside edge that was probably the wicketkeeper’s catch, but Ramdin left it for the first slip Chris Gayle, who couldn’t hold on. Katich’s life came much later when he was on 82 and prodded Sulieman Benn to short leg, where Travis Dowlin fumbled and failed to snare the opportunity.Debut, times two
There was always going to be one debutant in the match with Clint McKay confirmed on Tuesday as the replacement for the injured Peter Siddle. Australia could also have had a second cap presented with Steven Smith and Brett Geeves in the squad waiting to see if Nathan Hauritz recovered from a finger injury, which he did. But what wasn’t expected was a West Indies debutant, with the fast man Gavin Tonge introduced to Test cricket at the expense of the allrounder Darren Sammy.Tonge lashing
Tonge found that Test cricket can be a tough business, when his first spell of seven overs cost 35 runs. He was unfortunate to be on the wrong end of some fine strokes from Shane Watson, who pulled short deliveries to the boundary and drove hard and straight if the bowler overpitched. When Tonge returned for a second spell he didn’t fare much better, once again going at five an over without success.A flying trip
Smith’s time in the Australian Test squad lasted less than 24 hours after he was called in as a cover player for Hauritz. Smith joined the team late on Tuesday night and spent the night wondering if he would make his Test debut in the morning, but Hauritz woke up with no ill effects from a knock to the finger he received at training on the day before the game. It meant there was no need for Smith to stay with the side and he was duly sent home to New South Wales so he could take part in the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria starting on Friday.A hazy shade of summer
It’s bushfire season in Australia and the players were greeted at the WACA by a smoky haze caused by two blazes in the south-west of Western Australia. However, the hazy covering wasn’t enough to cause any problems to the match and it soon cleared to reveal a beautiful Perth day.

Crystal Palace have received a potentially significant injury boost ahead of their Premier League encounter with Aston Villa at Selhurst Park this afternoon.

What’s the word?

In Friday’s press conference, Patrick Vieira revealed that midfielder Eberechi Eze has had a good week after returning to full training with the first-team squad, while Nathan Ferguson is also making good progress.

“Everybody trained this morning,” said the Frenchman. “Eze had a really good week, full session with the team. Nathan took part in some training this week, so everybody outside of Macca (James McArthur) are fit for the game.”

Vieira then went into more detail on McArthur, who picked up a hamstring tear a couple of weeks ago, providing another positive update.

“We don’t have a timeframe on the injury,” he revealed. “What we decided to do with the doctor is evaluate every week the progress he is making, and things are moving well. Obviously, it is still too early to start training with the first team.”

Patrick Vieira will be buzzing

The news that Eze has had another full week of training under his belt will leave Vieira buzzing with excitement, given the player’s importance to the team.

The highly-rated 23-year-old returned to the bench against Burnley last time out after being sidelined with an Achilles injury since May.

Last season, Eze established himself as a key player for the Eagles, scoring four goals and providing a further six assists in 34 top-flight fixtures and achieving the squad’s fifth-highest performance rating from WhoScored.

Since then, Palace have transformed their setup, replacing former manager Roy Hodgson with Vieira, who has overseen several exciting acquisitions.

The prospect of Eze lining up alongside the likes of summer signings Odsonne Edouard, Conor Gallagher and Michael Olise is a mouth-watering one, and it could occur for the first time against Villa today.

In other news… Vieira must brually axe “worrying” £32.5k-p/w Palace flop, it could be a game-changer