European Leagues

Ederson Set To Be Out For Four Weeks With Thigh Injury

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson could be out for up to four weeks with a thigh injury he sustained in the weekend’s game at Anfield, according to the Mail Sport.

This could see the Brazilian miss City’s home games against Arsenal on March 31 and Aston Villa three days later in jeopardy.

City manager Pep Guardiola admitted that the issue didn’t look good in the immediate aftermath of City’s pulsating 1-1 draw at Anfield and will now anxiously wait on the 30-year-old’s progress over the coming weeks.

Ederson has already started his rehabilitation process, with Stefan Ortega set to deputise in his place.

Ortega came on in the 56th-minute after Ederson had collided with Darwin Nunez in a failed attempt to rectify Nathan Ake’s errant back pass.

The German was always in line to face Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday after impressing during his 24 appearances for the club. Guardiola gave him the gloves for last year’s FA Cup final against Manchester United, the second trophy of their historic Treble.

City rejected interest from Bayern Munich last summer. Ortega wants to be a No 1 and, with little over a year on his current contract, City need to make a decision on his future.

Serie A

Fabio Liverani criticizes Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s performance in Lazio’s win over Cagliari

Former Lazio midfielder Fabio Liverani has expressed disappointment with Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s performance during the team’s 2-1 win over Cagliari.

In an interview with NMM via radiosei.it, Liverani described Dele-Bashiru as “not very organized,” noting that the midfielder appeared confused during the match.

Liverani explained, “Yesterday it was difficult to find great motivation. Unconsciously, when you have already passed, mentally you concede something.” He continued, “Maybe the disappointment on Monday was Dele-Bashiru. I see him back a little confused, not very organized; instead, he had made great strides.”

Liverani speculated that Dele-Bashiru’s struggles might have been due to missing games or possibly feeling he would be playing, though he was uncertain.

Premier League

Nwaneri barred from senior dressing room, Arteta reveals

Arteta urges Arsenal to banish painful history with Bayern

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained that 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri is not permitted to prepare for matches in the senior dressing room due to safeguarding regulations.

Despite enjoying a breakout season with impressive performances across the Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup, Nwaneri must adhere to rules that require players to be 18 or older to share a dressing room with the senior squad.

Arteta highlighted how the rules affect Nwaneri’s matchday preparations. “Ethan cannot be in our dressing room still, which is unbelievable. He needs to get dressed somewhere else, even on match day,” Arteta said.

The manager also spoke about the bond between Nwaneri and fellow young talent Myles Lewis-Skelly. “When you see those two walking next to each other, talking to each other, there is a bond there and a chemistry there,” he remarked.

Arteta added, “I imagine for them it is special because at the moment they are still in different dressing rooms [at the training ground]. So to have somebody close to him that has that trust, that confidence, that link, I think it is lucky. They are very lucky to have each other.”

As Nwaneri continues his development under Arteta, the safeguarding restrictions are a reminder of his youthful age despite his rapid rise in professional football.

Premier League

Premier League confirms “significant progress” in testing semi-automated VAR offside technology

The Premier League has announced that “significant progress” has been made in the testing of semi-automated VAR offside technology in recent weeks.

Despite initial plans to implement the system earlier in the season, its deployment was delayed due to readiness concerns. Clubs had unanimously voted to adopt the technology nearly a year ago, aiming to reduce offside check times by an average of 31 seconds.

Tony Scholes, the Premier League’s chief football officer, provided an update on Tuesday, saying, “We are still testing it but we are making significant progress.”

Scholes added, “We’re in a different place to when I spoke to managers just over Christmas; we’ve made a lot of progress in this area. Now I’m hopeful that at some point this season we will be able to introduce semi-automated technology, but I repeat the points I’ve made a number of times. We are not going to introduce it if we’ve got any doubts at all with regards to its operation.”

The system was initially expected to be rolled out “after one of the Autumn international breaks,” but updates on its progress had been scarce, raising doubts about its arrival this season.

Scholes emphasized the importance of ensuring the technology operates flawlessly before its official introduction.