SPORTS
Southgate Calls Up Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis And Ezri Konsa For Euro 2024 Qualifiers
Youngsters, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, and Ezri Konsa will link up with Gareth Southgate’s England following three high-profile withdrawals from the squad.
James Maddison was forced to pull out with an ankle injury which will sideline him until the New Year, while Lewis Dunk will stay at Brighton after picking up a groin injury. Callum Wilson suffered a hamstring injury.
Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, and Ezri Konsa have earned their first senior England call-ups for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
Palmer and Lewis have been promoted from the under-21s, as Gareth Southgate bolsters his squad following the withdrawals of James Maddison, Lewis Dunk, and Callum Wilson.
The Three Lions host Malta this Friday at Wembley, before playing away in North Macedonia the following Monday, November 20.
There could be another withdrawal from the squad, with Jude Bellingham a doubt due to a shoulder injury.
Palmer has made an impressive start to life at Chelsea after making 11 appearances and scoring four goals across all competitions since making a summer move from Manchester City.
He scored a stoppage-time penalty in a pulsating 4-4 draw with his former club on Sunday and also netted from the spot in a 4-1 win over Tottenham the previous week.
His former City team-mate Lewis has made 10 appearances across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side this term, with two starts.
The 18-year-old has found game time easier to come by in the UEFA Champions League, after playing the full 90 minutes against RB Leipzig and in the two matches with BSC Young Boys. He has recorded two assists in this year’s competition.
Meanwhile, Konsa has been an ever-present figure for an Aston Villa side enjoying a hugely impressive start to the season under Unai Emery.
The 26-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in all 12 of Villa’s Premier League games to date and will be hoping to make his senior England debut, after being part of the squad which won the Under-20 World Cup in 2017.
- Eurosport
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been announced as the award winner for the Italian Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year for his outstanding performance with the Napolitans last season.
Osimhen’s 26 goals were crucial in the Partenopei winning their first Scudde in 33 years.
Other awards presented during the Monday night presentation were team of the year, coach of the year, club of the year, and goal of the season.
Despite a difficult start to the 2023-24 season and subsequent injury troubles, Osimhen has maintained his outstanding goals-per-game ratio, with six from ten following the 14th game week.
Rafael Leao, Gianluigi Buffon, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrea Pirlo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have previously received the honour.
Dr. Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, has declared that his administration is serious about using sports to connect the people and grow the state’s economy.
Governor Otti made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from Sports Nigeria, a private-sector initiative aimed at bringing the government and the business sector together to harness talent and develop sports infrastructure in Nigeria.
“We are very deliberate about using sports to unite our people who could support our economy and also to do a few other things that we have mentioned here,” the Governor stated.
He stated that Abia State is endowed with tremendous abilities and promised to support any initiative aimed at harnessing them for the development and growth of the state’s sports industry.
The State Chief Executive Officer revealed that the Nsulu Games Village in Isiala Ngwa North has already been designated as an entertainment and games village.
Dr. Otti went on to say that the state already has a quality production brand that would be given greater attention in terms of manufacturing. He told the team that the details of its presentation would be investigated and areas of interest for collaboration found, and he commended the delegation for its commitment in sports development in the state.
Earlier, while making a presentation to the Governor on a document titled, “Abia State Sports Infrastructure Investment – A Value Proposition”, the Chief Executive Officer, Sports Nigeria and Chairperson, Nigerian Football League, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, said her organisation specialises on facilitating cross sectional alliances to build sports.
She sought the commitment of Abia State Government in providing necessary support for the development of the framework, strategy policy and implementation plans critical to sports infrastructural development, disclosing that Abia stands to benefit bountifully through community empowerment, job creation and economic growth, social cohesion and health wellness.
According to her, everything that is needed for sports development is supposed to be done at the State level and stressed the need for Abia to leverage sports to boost development.
As Liverpool locks horns with LASK Thursday night, Jurgen Klopp wants goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher to seize his chance when deputising for Alisson in the Europa League.
Alisson sustained an injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester City and is expected to be sidelined for two weeks.
Kelleher has featured five times this season across the Carabao Cup and Europa League.
“He [Kelleher] would have played anyway,” Klopp said.
“He deserves his opportunity to get a few more games and hopefully he can show his full potential.”
The Republic of Ireland international has started three games in the Europa League this campaign, conceding five goals, but the Reds top Group E as they prepare to face bottom side LASK at Anfield.
Kelleher has made 25 appearances across all competitions since graduating from Liverpool’s academy to make his senior debut in 2019.
He is also likely to be handed further game time against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday before trips to Sheffield United and Crystal Palace, and Union St-Gilloise in the Europa League over the next fortnight, while Manchester United visit Anfield on 17 December.
Liverpool are also set to be without forward Diogo Jota after the Portuguese limped off at the Etihad.
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