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The injury suffered by Lionel Messi during Inter Miami's Leagues Cup clash with Necaxa has left the Herons camp "very sad", admits Jordi Alba.

Argentine forced off early in Leagues CupHamstring complaint causing concernFurther medical tests will be carried outFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner lasted just 10 minutes of a meeting with Mexican opposition at Chase Stadium. After going down under pressure just outside the penalty area, Messi required treatment on the field before trudging off.

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Concerns have been raised regarding how long he could be sidelined for, with the Argentine GOAT having already missed a number of games at the start of the 2025 campaign through muscle complaints.

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A hamstring problem appears to be troubling Messi at present, with further medical checks required before a definitive timescale can be put on his recovery. Inter Miami are hoping for positive news on that front.

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WHAT ALBA SAID

Alba falls into that camp, with the former Barcelona star telling reporters of Messi’s untimely knock: "Very sad for the whole team that the best player in the world, of the history, is injured. He’s an important player. It’s a shame. Hopefully, it’s not serious because we need him."

Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano said when asked for an update on his captain: "We won’t know anything until tomorrow. Maybe it’s not something serious because he wasn’t in pain, but he felt something."

Their key players are out of form and that’s not good when they have to face the tournament’s most in-form batting unit

Sreshth Shah30-Mar-20242:46

McClenaghan: Titans rely too much on Gill, may be a batter short

Match detailsGujarat Titans (GT) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Ahmedabad, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)Big pictureA plethora of subplots from outside the cricket field may have helped Gujarat Titans lift themselves to a come-from-behind win against Mumbai Indians in their season opener, but a 63-run defeat away against Chennai Super Kings begs the question: are the Titans of 2024 championship material?David Miller, for example, has crossed 30 only three times in 15 innings this year and averages 29. His strike rate of 119 this year is also his worst in 13 years, a steep drop from 2023 (135.2) and 2022 (147.2).Another barometer of the Titans’ performance is Rashid Khan. In their wins – they’ve had 12 of those since 2023 – he comes away with an economy rate of 7.35. But in their losses – seven in the same period – Rashid’s economy rate skyrockets to 10.03. It shows that when he struggles, they struggle too. This used to be rare but since last year’s tournament, he has leaked nine runs an over roughly once every three matches (6 out of 19; 5 of those 6 were losses)And that’s where the challenge lies as a rampaging Sunrisers Hyderabad arrive fresh off a performance that rewrote IPL record books. Travis Head has his own love story with Ahmedabad since the ODI World Cup final, Abhishek Sharma has carried his form from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy well and Heinrich Klaasen is the only man to hit 50 T20 sixes this year. With the Narendra Modi Stadium one of the country’s best surfaces for batters, the Titans will need someone to fill the shoes of Mohammed Shami at both ends of their innings.The Titans, though, can hit back. Barring Pat Cummins, the Sunrisers pacers have gone at 11.93 runs per over in IPL 2024 and it is an area the hosts can exploit, especially their captain Shubman Gill. Ahmedabad is Gill’s favourite venue – 700 runs in 13 innings at an average of nearly 64 and a strike-rate of almost 160 – and with only 37 runs in two innings this season, he will be itching for a sizeable contribution.2:18

McClenaghan on Miller’s poor form: ‘Tough role being a finisher’

Team news and impact player strategyGujarat TitansThe Titans are usually predictable with their impact substitutions, so expect fast bowler Mohit Sharma and left-hand batter Sai Sudharsan to swap places. Matthew Wade is also available after missing the first two games playing the Sheffield Shield final. Shahrukh Khan or Abhinav Manohar could be tempting options in the middle order.Probable XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Sai Sudharsan, 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 David Miller, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Spencer Johnson, 11 Umesh Yadav, 12 Mohit SharmaTitans will have their task cut out bowling to Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen•BCCISunrisers HyderabadAfter excelling in their season opener, T Natarajan missed Sunrisers’ second game with an unspecified niggle and his availability is unknown. Jaydev Unadkat, his replacement against Mumbai Indians, impressed with his change-ups and could keep his place in the XI. Wanindu Hasaranga has also not yet arrived in India.As for Impact Player options, Sunrisers could start with medium-pacer Nitish Reddy or fast bowler Umran Malik if bowling first, with Travis Head replacing them in the second innings. Washington Sundar could also be a realistic option against left-hand heavy Titans.Probable XII: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Travis Head, 3 Abhishek Sharma, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Jaydev Unadkat / T Natarajan, 12 Umran MalikBhuvneshwar Kumar has gone for 104 runs in eight overs in IPL 2024•Associated PressIn the spotlightIn two innings, Vijay Shankar has scored 18 runs in 17 balls. He has not bowled either. Against a high-scoring side like Sunrisers, the Titans could be tempted to play Shahrukh Khan instead to add power to the middle order, especially since he follows a consolidator like Sudharsan at No. 3. Shankar, though, enjoys facing Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 off 5, strike rate 320) and Jaydev Unadkat (15 off 7, strike rate 214) in T20 cricket.Bhuvneshwar Kumar is yet to take a wicket in his two IPL 2024 outings and has conceded 104 runs in eight overs. Against both Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, Bhuvneshwar made promising starts to his spell but ended up leaking big runs in the death overs. As the senior-most bowler in a franchise where he has played since 2014, Bhuvneshwar needs to either find wickets or get his runs down. Ideally, he’d want to do both.Stats that matterGill has historically struggled putting Bhuvneshwar away at the IPL, scoring only 50 runs in 48 balls while being dismissed three times in nine innings. He also has a strike-rate of only 94.4 against Unadkat.In 23 balls, Abhishek has hit Rashid for three fours and three sixes, averaging a boundary every 3.6 deliveries. His strike-rate against Rashid is 204 overall and this IPL, he is scoring at 226.Klaasen is hitting a six every 5.4 balls in 2024, behind only Andre Russell’s ball-per-six ratio of 4.6. Fifty of his 53 sixes have come between long-off and deep backward square leg.Since the start of IPL 2023, the team batting first has won six of the ten IPL games played in Ahmedabad.Pitch and conditionsAhmedabad usually offers a true batting surface with enough on offer to keep pacers and spinners interested. Spinners can also use the long square boundaries to good effect. The average first-innings winning score here since 2021 in the IPL is 188. In the last outing at the venue, the Titans defended 168 successfully. Expect a hot afternoon with a peak of 35 degrees during toss time.

A star-studded audience watched the MLS side secure a dramatic penalty shootout victory over their Liga MX opposition

Celebrities fill stands at LAFC Leagues Cup match vs. PachucaLove Island USA' Kendall and Garcia among notable attendeesLAFC won 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulationGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images EntertainmentWHAT HAPPENED

Los Angeles Football Club defeated Liga MX side Club Pachuca 4-2 in a penalty shootout at BMO Stadium Friday evening, with numerous celebrities in attendance for their Leagues Cup match. Notable attendees included Tanzanian music star Diamond Platnumz, Olympic surfer Kanoa Igarashi, and "Love Island USA" contestants Iris Kendall and Jose Garcia. Hollywood personalities included actress Kaitlyn Dever, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, Korean actor Yuri Park, and both Natasha Rothwell and Jordan L. Jones were also spotted in the stands.

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LAFC's ability to attract diverse celebrity attendance highlights the club's continued cultural relevance within the greater Los Angeles area. Since their 2018 debut, the club has consciously cultivated relationships with entertainment industry figures, creating one of Major League Soccer's most celebrity-rich supporter bases.

Hollywood A-list celebrity Will Ferrell is a co-owner of the club, while NBA icon Magic Johnson and global footballing legends Mia Hamm and Giorgio Chiellini are also part of the ownership group.

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Following their penalty shootout victory, LAFC will face Tigres UANL on Aug. 5 in their final game of the Leagues Cup group stage as they look to advance to the knockout round portion of the competition. They will then travel to face the Chicago Fire in MLS regular season action on Aug. 9.

Uncapped keeper-batter Uma Chetry is also part of all three squads

Sruthi Ravindranath30-May-2024Batter Jemimah Rodrigues and allrounder Pooja Vastrakar have been named in India’s Test and white-ball squads for the upcoming home series against South Africa, but their selection is subject to fitness.Rodrigues had missed the five-match T20I series in Bangladesh in April-May with a back injury and underwent rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Vastrakar, however, had played all five games in Bangladesh and the BCCI media statement did not specify the nature of her injury.Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry was also included in all three squads. She replaced Yastika Bhatia who was out injured after playing just one T20I in Bangladesh. Chetry had also been part of the India’s Asian Games squad that beat Sri Lanka to win gold in Hangzhou in 2023.South Africa tour of India

June 13: tour game vs Board President’s XI, Bengaluru
June 16: 1st ODI, Bengaluru
June 19: 2nd ODI, Bengaluru
June 23: 3rd ODI, Bengaluru
June 28 – July 1: One-off Test, Chennai
July 5: 1st T20I, Chennai
July 7: 2nd T20I, Chennai
July 9: 3rd T20I, Chennai

Top-order batter Priya Punia, who last played for India in July 2023, earned a call-up to the Test side. Medium-pacer Arundhati Reddy, who has played 26 T20Is so far, was called up to the Test and ODI squads as well. However, fast bowler Titas Sadhu, who was part of the T20Is against Bangladesh as well as India’s last ODI and Test assignments (against Australia last year), missed out.Punia had linked up with the India squad ahead of the one-off Test against Australia last year as cover for Shubha Satheesh.ESPNcricinfo LtdFollowing a decent run in the WPL 2024, where she picked up eight wickets in nine games for Delhi Capitals, Reddy impressed with both ball and bat in the Senior Women Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy in April. She scored 174 runs, including two fifties, and took two wickets, in two games for South Zone.Legspinner S Asha, who had made her T20I debut in Bangladesh, earned her maiden ODI call-up while D Hemalatha, who had made her comeback in that series in Bangladesh, could return to ODI action after almost two years. Hemalatha also retained her place in the T20I squad.ESPNcricinfo LtdHarleen Deol, who was part of the squad for the ODIs and one-off Test against Australia in December-January, was left out. She had picked up a knee injury early in WPL 2024 and underwent surgery in March. The other absentee from the ODI squad against Australia is left-arm spinner Mannat Kashyap.Related

Powerplay: An all-South African affair

India vs SA: Bengaluru and Chennai to host women's all-format series

South Africa’s all-format women’s tour of India will begin with a three-match ODI series, then move to the one-off Test, and end with the three T20Is. The ODIs, as well as a one-day warm-up game for the visiting side against a Board President’s XI side, will be played in Bengaluru, while the rest of the games will take place in Chennai.The one-off Test wasn’t part of the ICC’s FTP originally. It was added since BCCI and CSA have both been trying to promote women’s Tests of late. This will be India’s third Test in seven months, having played against England and Australia in December last year, both at home.India’s squad for women’s ODIs vs South AfricaHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues (subject to fitness), Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Dayalan Hemalatha, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar (subject to fitness), Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Priya PuniaIndia’s squad for one-off women’s Test vs South AfricaHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, Shubha Satheesh, Jemimah Rodrigues (subject to fitness), Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Saika Ishaque, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar (subject to fitness), Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Priya PuniaIndia’s squad for women’s T20Is vs South AfricaHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, Dayalan Hemalatha, Uma Chetry (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan, Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Asha Sobhana, Pooja Vastrakar (subject to fitness), Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy
Standby: Saika Ishaque

ESPNcricinfo understands that Loftie-Eaton, who hit the fastest T20I century in March, is currently the subject of disciplinary proceedings

Firdose Moonda10-May-2024Gerhard Erasmus will lead Namibia in the 2024 T20 World Cup, but will not have T20Is fastest centurion Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton in the 16-member squad for the tournament in the Caribbean and the USA in June.ESPNcricinfo understands that Loftie-Eaton is currently the subject of disciplinary proceedings in Namibia. Cricket Namibia said they “cannot comment before the matter is resolved”.Loftie-Eaton, against Nepal in February, set a new record for the fastest T20I century, bringing up the landmark in just 33 balls. He was Namibia’s captain in the African Games in Ghana in March, but was sent back before their semi-final match for a transgression, details of which weren’t made public.This is not the first time Loftie-Eaton has found himself in trouble. He was also cautioned in 2018, and spent some time out of the game then, following an incident – details of that have not been made public yet.ESPNcricinfo LtdAnother notable exclusion was experienced allrounder Pikky Ya France, who has been involved with the national team since 2011 and was part of the squad that made it out of the first round at the 2021 T20 World Cup – Namibia’s best result at the highest level.However, Namibia have included nine players who were part of that outfit, headlined by South Africa-born allrounder and T20 specialist David Wiese, who has experience in leagues around the world, and left-arm quick Ruben Trumpelmann.Medium-pacer Jack Brassell, who was part of Namibia’s Under-19 World Cup squad that played in South Africa earlier this year and has played seven T20Is, has also been named. Brassell was Namibia’s joint-leading bowler at the tournament with six wickets at an average of 15.66. Namibia will rely heavily on pace with Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni and Dylan Leicher all in the squad.Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton scored the fastest T20I hundred, off 33 balls•Cricket NepalWhile the ICC needs teams to name 15-player squads, Namibia have named 16 players, citing the need for a bigger player base for the four warm-up fixtures in the West Indies before the start of the tournament. They have until May 25 to drop one player from the 16.Namibia are in Group B with Australia, England, Scotland and Oman at the T20 World Cup, and have recent experience against the last of those. They played Oman in five T20Is in Al-Almerat in April and won the series 3-2, after being 2-1 down.Namibia squad for 2024 T20 World Cup Gerhard Erasmus (capt), Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, Tangeni Lungameni, Niko Davin, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, JP Kotze, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Malan Kruger, PD Blignaut

Ajax have announced the signing of young midfielder Eloi Gomez Saus from the famous La Masia academy of Barcelona.

Ajax sign Barca gem Gomez SausMidfielder to play for Ajax's U17 team next seasonHas signed a three-year dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ajax on Wednesday officially announced the signing of 16-year-old playmaker Gomez Saus from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy. Gomez Saus has signed a three-year deal until June 2028.

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Gomez Saus' move to Ajax comes after his contract with Barcelona expired in June. Among the most important players for the Catalans' U16 side last season, Gomez Saus opted against continuing in Catalunya due to intense competition for midfield spots. Ajax's sporting and financial vision for the player is believed to have convinced the youngster to seek greener pastures, with the Dutch side potentially offering a clearer path to the first team. Next season, Gomez Saus will feature for Ajax's U17 side.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Ajax sporting director Marijn Beuker expressed his excitement after the unveiling of Gomez Saus as a new acquisition. He said: "Eloi is a typical playmaker for Ajax. He is frequently involved in the build-up play, shows initiative on the ball, and enjoys playing forward. He combines footballing intelligence with technical ability, which allows him to link up play with one or two touches. He had been with FC Barcelona since the age of eight and stood out very positively to us at tournaments and in head-to-head matches. We expect that he will settle in quickly here, and with him, we have added another future gem to our academy."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR AJAX?

Ajax will begin their 2025-26 campaign on August 10, when they host newly-promoted Telstar at the Johan Cruyff Arena. It is a new era at Ajax, with John Heitinga set to be their new head coach.

Alvaro Morata has revealed he had to forgo part of his salary in order to escape Galatasaray and join Como as the striker publicly criticise the club.

Morata's loan spell at Galatasaray terminated earlySpanish forward slams Turkish club for the feud32-year-old to play for ComoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After his contract was officially terminated at Galatasaray, Morata took to social media and slammed the Super Lig outfit for not fulfilling certain commitments. The Turkish club initially refused to let him leave this summer despite him having no place in their first-team plans for the upcoming season before they finally relinquished and agreed to release him after intervention from Milan and Como.

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Morata joined Galatasaray on loan in February and his contract, which was supposed to end next January, had a buy option of €8 million. After failing to have much of an impact in Turkey, Morata chose to join Como this summer, but the Turkish club demanded a €10m fee as compensation. Milan finally reached an agreement with Galatasaray that will see the Serie A side pay €3m plus potential bonuses, thus terminating the loan. Como, meanwhile, will need to pay €10m to Milan.

WHAT MORATA SAID

With the saga now behind him, Morata took to Instagram to criticise Galatasaray, saying: "Until the very end, the commitments made were not honoured, to the point where I was left with no choice but to forgo part of my salary and other contractual rights I had already earned through my work (the figure published is not accurate). For me, in life and in work, there are principles that should never be broken, such as respect for each person’s rights. Failing to recognize and compensate what has been earned is, to me, unacceptable and contrary to the values of fairness and professionalism I believe in. I know these matters are often not spoken about openly, but I believe it is right to give the fans the real explanation of what happened. You and the city of Istanbul will always remain in my heart, and I wish you the very best, today and in the future."

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Morata will now represent Como. His first potential match could be against Sudtirol in the Coppa Italia.

Real Madrid’s latest young star Franco Mastantuono has arrived with a glowing reputation, but not everyone is convinced about his readiness.

Journalist labels Mastantuono "very green"Pereyra claims the teenager's move was rushedMastantuono joins the first team and could make a quick debutFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Argentinian journalist Hernan Pereyra has criticised Mastantuono's transfer to Real Madrid, claiming the teenager is "very green" and rushed his move to Europe. According to a report from Football Espana, Pereyra voiced his concerns on Spanish radio, suggesting Mastantuono’s decision was influenced by playing video games. Mastantuono recently completed his transfer from River Plate after turning 18 on August 14, following a blockbuster move agreed earlier in the summer.

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The move for Mastantuono, which included a €43 million (£37m/$50m) fee, has been met with high expectations from Real Madrid fans. He remained at River Plate for the FIFA Club World Cup before his official switch to the Bernabeu after a transfer war between the Spanish club and PSG. Mastantuono's arrival comes at a time of key midfield injuries for Los Blancos, with Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga sidelined. This could open an immediate path for the young Argentine to be involved in the first team under manager Xabi Alonso.

Mastantuono became River Plate's youngest-ever goalscorer when he found the net in a Copa Argentina match in February 2024, at just 16 years old. He also scored a memorable free-kick against arch-rivals Boca Juniors.

WHAT PEREYRA SAID

Hernan Pereyra told Cadena SER: "He rushed his departure, he wasn’t ready, he’s still very green. He scored a great goal against Boca Juniors from a free-kick and suddenly he’s worth $50m. There’s no sense of identity among these young players anymore. He probably plays PlayStation with Real Madrid and fell in love with the team. I hope he has a great career, but don’t let his feelings betray him, as he loves Real Madrid."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FRANCO MASTANTUONO?

Mastantuono has joined up with Alonso's first-team and is expected to be included in the matchday squad for Real Madrid's opening La Liga fixture at home against Osasuna on August 19. With Bellingham and Camavinga unavailable, and other midfielders like Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Dani Ceballos likely to start, Mastantuono is a strong candidate for a place on the bench and a potential quick-fire debut.

The Fox Sports analyst admits Pochettino is ultimately going to be judged by the World Cup, not not international friendlies

Lalas says roster fails to address concerns about qualitySkeptics remain unconvinced by Pochettino's approachFinal judgment will come after summer tournament Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Alexi Lalas took aim at the USMNT roster announced by Mauricio Pochettino for the upcoming September friendlies. The former national team defender said the selections did little to address growing concerns about the team's quality and readiness for the 2026 World Cup. 

“I don't think that this roster is going to do anything to allay fears for those out there that are fearful that this team is not good enough, and that this team is not going to do the things that we want and that we hope and pray for next summer,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “I also don't think that this is going to do anything to change people who still are not sold on Mauricio Pochettino. We all know that he kind of, you know, marches to his own drummer…

"If Pochettino didn't have the cachet of being Mauricio Pochettino and everything that he has done – although he's never done it at the international level-  think it would be even louder. The calls for 'What the hell is he doing?' when this type of roster drops, and the players that are there and the players that that aren't there."

The FOX Sports analyst said that Pochettino recognizes he’s going to be judged by what happens at the World Cup, not in the friendlies. Still, he said there were some head-scratching decisions on this roster.

“I do think that Mauricio Pochettino recognizes that he's going to be like, this is my way or the highway and I can respect that,” Lalas explained. “And we all know that ultimately he's going to be judged solely on what happens next summer. But we're not at next summer. This is this is where we are. We have all of the different narratives and all of the different drama that has happened over this summer and since he since he took over.

“And he is being charged and paid a tremendous amount of money to bring this team to the promised land to do things that we haven't seen before. And when you see this type of roster and some of the head-scratching decisions out there, you know, you can certainly react the way that we and I'm sure others are reacting. That's kind of what we do. And that's kind of the fun of a roster drop."

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The former USMNT defender said this could be Pochettino’s way of trying to manufacture internal competition. The USMNT will play a pair of top-25 ranked clubs in the friendlies – South Korea and Japan.

“But ultimately they're going to get on the field and individually and collectively, this new group that's going to come together for a very short period of time is going to face two quality World Cup level opponents,” Lalas added. “Certainly the quality that you would face in that group come next summer. And Pochettino's going to add it to the count and he's going to put it all into his little calculator and it's going to spit out 26 names – not just this window, but then the next four windows that come. But there's not a lot of time. There's no competitive games…

“Maybe that competition is going to be manufactured relative to actual spots on the roster. You're not playing in tournaments and you're not playing games that 'mean anything.' There's no qualification for this team. So interesting. Interesting times.”

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The USMNT continues its transition under Pochettino with fewer than 10 months remaining before a home World Cup. 

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Pochettino's selections will face immediate scrutiny when the USMNT plays South Korea on Sept. 6 and Japan on Sept. 9.

Despite Dani Ceballos' and Real Betis' wish to reunite, a move for the Spaniard to Villamarin remains unlikely given Real Madrid's valuation.

Marseille pulls the plug on Ceballos dealReal Betis interested but can't afford himReal Madrid wants €15m for the SpaniardFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After Ceballos asked for a day to reflect on his move to France, Marseille didn't take much time to withdraw from the deal as president Pablo Longoria confirmed an end to their pursuit. With the Marseille deal off, Betis is being touted as his next preferred destination but given the financials involved, reports a move is unlikely this summer until Los Blancos decides to lower their price tag on the player.

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Betis are hell bent on getting Antony back to Villamarin this summer. Both Antony and Betis have worked together to make it to the end stages of the transfer window where they can push the deal on Manchester United on their terms. With Antony being the priority transfer, it's unlikely for Betis to spend on Ceballos, even though both the parties want a reunion. Madrid have made their stance clear in this regard and will not part ways with Ceballos unless an offer of around €15 million (£13m/$18m) is received.

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Ceballos was unsure about moving to France as he considered it to be step back in his career. The ex-Arsenal player is willing to fight for his position under coach Xabi Alonso and isn't desperate to leave the club. Florentino Perez is willing to discuss a deal, however, isn't seeking to force him out of the club. The player is Madrid bound until 2027.

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Alonso's side will face Mallorca in the league on August 31 before the international break kicks in. It appears that Ceballos will still be in the squad come the end of the transfer window next week.