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Cristiano Ronaldo has been put up as an example to follow for Manchester United players by Ben Foster as the squad is marred with several injuries.

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Ten Hag struggling with injuriesSeveral key players remain sidelinedFoster suggests Utd players lack Ronaldo's work ethicWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo, renowned for his relentless work ethic, exemplifies longevity and peak performance, even as he approaches 40. Foster attributed Ronaldo's remarkable fitness to his meticulous approach to training, which prioritises physical conditioning and injury prevention. And as United grapple with a wave of injuries, Foster has set Ronaldo's discipline and commitment to fitness as a model to follow for the current crop of players at Carrington.

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Speaking to , former Red Devils and Wrexham keeper Foster said of Ronaldo's approach behind the scenes: "He invests in himself as his own business and makes sure he has got everything boxed off. So it’s all looked after. So he very rarely will pick up an injury, because of that exact fact."

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Club legend Wayne Rooney has accused United players of playing up their injuries and not putting in the hard yards in rehabilitation to expedite their return. Foster echoed the thoughts of the former striker and said: "I agree with Wayne Rooney, there are too many players happy to be injured."

However, he contends that the focus should be on preventing injuries in the first place through proactive measures, rather than solely on players' rehabilitation efforts.

"A lot of people see players getting injured and they go ‘oh, he’s so unlucky’," he added.

“And having been in football for 20-odd years, I think some of them are very unlucky. Some injuries, for sure. Yeah, they were unavoidable. But the vast majority can be prevented. The vast majority can be prevented by doing extra gym work, warm down, cool down prehab rehab, all that kind of stuff, preventative work in the gym to strengthen areas, and around areas so that you don’t get any, or a recurrence of an injury.”

DID YOU KNOW?

United have several first-team members unavailable due to injury including the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw. Erik ten Hag has often cited the number of injuries affecting his team selection as his defence when questioned on United's poor performance. Moreover, he has even insisted that the ownership has "common sense" to retain him amid talk of an imminent sacking.

Giant quick signs after fellow Australia international Kane Richardson pulled out of planned T20 stint with Derbyshire

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2019Billy Stanlake, the towering Australia fast bowler, will replace compatriot Kane Richardson as one of Derbyshire’s overseas signings for this season’s Vitality Blast.Richardson was recently called into Australia’s World Cup squad, leading to him pulling out of his planned Derbyshire stint in order to manage his workload. The club have instead recruited Stanlake – who last year pulled out of a T20 deal with Yorkshire on Cricket Australia’s advice – for their Blast campaign alongside New Zealand allrounder Logan van Beek.”Billy is an excellent white-ball bowler and with his height and pace, he has the qualities to trouble batsmen in this format,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Dave Houghton, said.”He’s someone we’ve kept an eye on and we’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen. We were disappointed to lose Kane, but I believe we have found a replacement who will not only complement our side, but bring in new skills to keep taking us forward.”We’ve seen improvements already this summer and we want to continue that momentum into the Vitality Blast and reward our supporters with good performances.”Standing at over 2m tall and capable of bowling above 90mph, Stanlake has been capped in both white-ball formats for Australia, taking 25 wickets in 17 T20 internationals. He helped Adelaide Strikers win the Big Bash League in 2017-18 and has also featured at the IPL.His arrival will strengthen the hand of Derbyshire’s new T20 coach, Dominic Cork, who has taken over from John Wright looking to replicate their run to the knockout stages in 2017.”The T20 will come around fast now and I’m looking forward to getting going,” Stanlake said. “It’ll be my first experience of the tournament, and having spoken to the guys I know how important the competition is.”It’s a good side and a quick, bouncy track at Derby, so I hope to use my skills and contribute to performances out in the middle for Derbyshire.”

Opener’s attacking 80 sees Sussex overturn first-inning deficit of 79 and push on into useful lead

ECB Reporters Network06-Apr-2019A typically vigorous innings from Sussex opener Phil Salt helped dispel his side’s unhappy memories of their disappointing first-innings display against Leicestershire at Hove. Salt hit 11 fours and a hooked six off Will Davis as he and opening partner Tom Haines made light work of a first-innings deficit of 79.Salt’s dynamic 80 from 67 deliveries helped make up for his four-ball duck on the opening day. In the first over, he hit Chris Wright for three fours, straight, to third man and to backward-point. He scored 41 off 27 balls as he and Haines raised the 50. And the opening pair took just 16 overs to wipe off the arrears.As the Sussex press officer quipped: “We’ve had Greenidge and Haynes – now we have Salt and Haines!” And Salt, like the legendary West Indies openers, was brought up in Barbados.Salt’s tempo slowed, allowing Haines to catch up a little. But he still managed to reach his half-century off 41 deliveries. In a bid to stem the tide Leicestershire brought on offspinner Colin Ackerman to bowl the last over before tea, and with his fifth ball he had Haines lbw for 39.Ackermann removed Salt, too, with the score on 136 in the 29th over. It was a tame end to a vivid innings as he tapped a return catch to the bowler. But then the Leicestershire bowlers came up against another Sussex batsman with a point to prove. Luke Wells had also made a duck in his first innings, but he showed determination as he dug in with Stiaan van Zyl. The unbroken third-wicket partnership is so far worth 75, with both batsmen undefeated on 41.Leicestershire had started the cold and blustery second day on 131 for 5, 42 runs behind, and looked unlikely to reach their 252 when, in the fifth over of the morning, Harry Dearden, half-forward, was lbw to a ball from Ollie Robinson which kept a little low.But a seventh-wicket stand of 52 in 17 overs between Lewis Hill and Tom Taylor took them past the Sussex total. When Hill leg-glanced David Wiese for a single in the 14th over of the day Leicestershire went past the Sussex total. Hill took a battling hour to add the 10 runs he needed to reach his half-century.Sussex fought back with three wickets in seven overs. Spinner Danny Briggs bowled Hill, sweeping, for 67 and then Haines had Taylor lbw for 33. Gavin Griffiths was caught behind off Chris Jordan for 1, but then a last-wicket stand of 31 between Wright and Davis frustrated the Sussex bowlers and delayed lunch by 30 minutes.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes feels manager Erik ten Hag is on "borrowed time" at the club after the team's 4-0 drubbing by Crystal Palace.

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Scholes had backed Ten Hag to continueNow feels Dutchman's time is upCritical of team's display against PalaceWHAT HAPPENED?

Scholes has backtracked on his previous support for Ten Hag by admitting he believes the Dutchman's time at the club is coming to an end in the wake of a dismal defeat at Crystal Palace. The result means United have won just one of their last seven game and have dropped down to eighth place in the Premier League table. Ten Hag's side are now in danger of missing out on a spot in European football for next season, and doubts are growing about the Dutchman's future at the club.

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Despite United's poor form, the club have no intention of making a decision on Ten Hag's future until after after the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 24. The Dutchman admitted his side hit their "lowest point of the season" against Palace but has insisted he remains the right man for the job despite overseeing a dismal campaign. Yet the fixtures don't get any easier for Ten Hag as title-chasing Arsenal are up next at Old Trafford on Sunday.

WHAT SCHOLES SAID

He told Premier League Productions: "Tonight almost felt like a final nail in the coffin. There was a lack of knowhow in the team, a lack of effort, going to a team like Crystal Palace, who to be fair are a good team and are doing well, but Manchester United shouldn't be going there and losing 4-0.

"I felt for a while he [Ten Hag] might get another year and work for a club that has calmed down a little by the new owners but it doesn't feel like that now.

"I thought who is out there to replace him? With Thomas Tuchel saying he's leaving Bayern Munich, I don't think that creates a bigger problem for him as the problems are there anyway, I think it's quite plain to see that he's on borrowed time."

DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United have spent more match time in a losing position in the Premier League this season (931:09) than they have been in a winning position (929:47)

Mason Greenwood has earned “starboy” and “incredible” billings at Getafe ahead of a big decision being made on his Manchester United future.

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Forward enjoying loan spell in SpainLinked with teams across EuropeTransfer expected in summer windowGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The expectation is that the 22-year-old forward will form part of a permanent transfer deal this summer. With it difficult to see a clean slate being offered at Old Trafford, the one-cap England international is poised to take on another challenge outside of his homeland.

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That could come at Getafe, if another loan can be agreed, but the likes of Juventus and Barcelona are reported to be mulling over approaches for a player that has been catching the eye in La Liga this season. Greenwood’s latest appearance saw him post three goal contributions against Almeria – two efforts of his own and an assist.

DID YOU KNOW?

Greenwood has now shattered his personal best when it comes to goals and assists across any given league campaign, with his combined tally taken to 14 this term – topping the 11 that he managed in the Premier League with United in 2019-20.

WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

Getafe have lauded Greenwood as their “starboy”, while also hailing his “incredible performance” against Almeria. They are understandably keen to keep him on their books for 2024-25, but the player himself will have some input on what happens next as United mull over whether to cash in at this point or delay a future call for a further 12 months.

Mikel Arteta labelled Arsenal players as "lucky" despite suffering two crucial defeats which left their silverware prospects hanging in the balance.

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Arsenal got knocked out from UCL by BayernWhereas defeat to Aston Villa saw them fall behind Man City in PLArteta remains unphased despite enduring a horror weekWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners' hopes of silverware took a blow as they bowed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage following a defeat to Bayern Munich. Prior to this disappointment, Arsenal relinquished their grip on the Premier League title race after a loss to Aston Villa, leaving their championship aspirations hanging in the balance.

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However, amidst these setbacks, Arteta remains optimistic about his team's prospects of conquering England. Ahead of a pivotal league clash against Wolves, he urged his squad to maintain their focus and determination and urged them to overcome self-pity.

WHAT ARTETA SAID

“I think the players are all very lucky to have had the week that we’ve had,” he said.

“Because these are the weeks that we want and have been seeking for many years to have at Arsenal. You have to deal with that. If you want to be in this position, you have to go through it and it’s going to be tough. Against those opponents, the margins are minimal and you have to try to compete to be better than them.

"But maybe even if you are better, you don’t win? Like what happened at home against Bayern and against Villa. Are you ready to react to that?  If not you’re not ready to be living these kinds of weeks and we want to be living these kinds of weeks. Don’t feel sorry for yourself – if we want to be here we have to be prepared because this is a possibility.”

DID YOU KNOW?

The Aston Villa loss marked Arsenal's first Premier League defeat in 2024 which underscores the team's remarkable consistency in domestic competitions. And yet they faced severe backlash from the fans for sliding behind in the title race to Manchester City. Arteta sees the criticism and scrutiny that accompany setbacks as a test of character and resolve, challenging his players to rise above adversity and maintain their composure.

“It is testing your resilience and your ego,” he said. “If I take a newspaper and show it to my son, seven days ago after Brighton, and then seven days later Bayern Munich, talking about the same team, they would think it is three years ago. 

“It is the reality of what it is, but we have to live with that. That is the beauty of it, as well. On Saturday you can be at home and you can be the happiest man ever, saying we have a real chance here, let’s go for it with five games to go. We have to make that happen. That is our job.”

Thiago Silva's wife Isabelle came up with yet another cryptic social media post as Chelsea were beaten 5-0 by Arsenal.

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Silva's wife made cryptic social media postWas omitted from starting lineup against ArsenalGunners thrashed the Blues 5-0WHAT HAPPENED?

Mauricio Pochettino did not include the 39-year-old in the Blues' starting lineup against Arsenal and only introduced him into the game in the 78th minute in place of Alfie Gilchrist at a time when the Blues were already five goals down against the Gunners.

AdvertisementWHAT THIAGO SILVA'S WIFE SAID

Back in February, Silva's wife Isabelle had shared a cryptic post on social media after the club went down 4-2 against Wolves in the Premier League as she wrote, "It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late."

On Tuesday she once again took to X where she posted three emojis depicting the 'Three Wise Monkeys' which embody the proverbial principle 'See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil".

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The veteran defender is all set to leave the club in the summer as his contract with the Blues ends on June 30. He has already reached a verbal agreement with Brazilian giants Fluminense and will formally sign for them as a free agent once his deal expires.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The West London side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Aston Villa in a Premier League clash away from home.

The grade-one strain has also left the Sri Lanka seamer doubtful for the South Africa Tests, that follow close on the heels of the Australia tour

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jan-2019Sri Lanka seamer Nuwan Pradeep has been ruled out of the series against Australia, after scans revealed he had sustained a grade-one strain in his left hamstring. He is also doubtful for the South Africa Test series that follows close on the heels of the Australia tour.Pradeep had picked up the injury on day one of Sri Lanka’s warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Hobart, on Thursday. He immediately left the field, having bowled only two overs in the match, and underwent scans over the weekend that confirmed the severity of the injury. Pradeep’s career has been plagued by leg injuries – particularly hamstring complaints – and this is largely why he has not played a Test since October 2017.Although a fit Pradeep did not get a game during the two Tests in New Zealand, he may have been a good option for Sri Lanka at the seam-friendly Gabba Stadium, as he is often capable of generating appreciable movement off the deck.Despite his being one of the most experienced members of the pace-bowling battery, and although no replacement has been officially named yet, Sri Lanka are still left with a serviceable seam-bowling contingent in Australia. Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha and Dushmantha Chameera all remain fit and available, with all four of those bowlers having played at least one Test over the past six weeks.Sri Lanka’s first Test begins in Brisbane on Thursday.

The champions climbed back to the top of the Premier League table after an utterly dominant win over the struggling Hatters.

The Etihad Stadium really is Kevin De Bruyne's playground. Luton couldn't get near the Belgian as he pulled the strings in an ultimately comfortable 5-1 win that sent Manchester City back to the summit.

Indeed, the 32-year-old was involved right from the first whistle, setting Erling Haaland through as the opening goal arrived within two minutes, courtesy of a hugely unfortunate own goal from Daiki Hashioka.

The hosts, despite finishing the game with an incredible 37 shots at goal, had to wait until after the hour mark for their second – Mateo Kovacic lashing home a thunderous volley that gave Thomas Kaminski no chance.

It was three soon after as Haaland slotted home from the penalty spot and although Ross Barkley pulled one back for Rob Edwards' side, the impressive Jeremy Doku made it 4-1 with a jinking run and expert finish. There was still time for Josko Gvardiol to add a fifth in stoppage time too, with City nudging their goal difference up to +44 as a direct result.

GOAL rates Manchester City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

No clean sheet today. After having literally nothing to do in the first half, his crossbar was rattled by Cauley Woodrow before he was beaten by a smart finish from Barkley for Luton's consolation goal.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Bright and effective in that inverted full-back position on the right. Linked up well with the likes of De Bruyne and Nunes in front of him and proved once again he's a more than capable deputy for the absent Kyle Walker.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Often found himself in central midfield, such was City's domination. Had hardly anything to do from a defensive point of view, with Luton so focused on keeping the hosts out.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

Like Akanji, he had the freedom to start much higher up the pitch and cruised through what was a comfortable afternoon for him. Made over 100 successful passes which was more than anyone else on the pitch, De Bruyne included.

Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

Looked to cut in from the left flank and get shots away, like he did so effectively at the Bernabeu. One slack moment saw Fred Onyedinma wrestle past him, leading to Luton smacking the crossbar, but a largely positive performance that resulted in a stoppage-time goal.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Mateo Kovacic (7/10):

Flashed a deflected shot wide midway through the second half before thumping a half-volley into the net to make it 2-0. Not a bad way to score his first Premier League goal for City.

Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

Wrap him up in cotton wool ready for Madrid. Dominated again here, especially in the first half, creating chance after chance after chance – seven in total over the course of the game. Will be disappointed he didn't record a goal or assist and didn't look too pleased to be taken off with 10 minutes left.

Matheus Nunes (5/10):

His afternoon was tarnished somewhat by his role in Luton's goal, as a loose touch on the half turn allowed Barkley to rob him and fire past Ederson.

Getty ImagesAttack

Julian Alvarez (5/10):

Provided a threat with his wicked deliveries from corners but his end product from open play was largely disappointing. Did get the assist for Kovacic's goal but nowhere near the levels he was hitting at the start of the season.

Erling Haaland (7/10):

After forcing the first goal, somewhat fortuitously, with his wayward strike going in off the face of Daiki Hashioka, it looked as though he'd drift through the game without troubling the scoresheet. That changed with the award of the penalty, though, with Haaland stepping up for goal number 20 of the season in the league.

Jeremy Doku (8/10):

After a largely ineffective first half, he was far more decisive in the second and his clever bit of play in the box bamboozled Onyedinma to force the penalty. He then expertly slotted home City's fourth goal with a mazy run and finish before getting another assist for Gvardiol's late goal. A top afternoon's work.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Sergio Gomez (N/A):

Came on late in the game with City cruising.

Oscar Bobb (N/A):

Replaced Haaland with only 10 minutes to go.

Pep Guardiola (8/10):

He'll be delighted with that. Managed to rest the likes of Rodri, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden for the Madrid game and still got the emphatic result that not only put City back on top, but also significantly boosted their goal difference.

The duo racked up centuries in a yet-to-be broken 246-run stand to leave Sri Lanka with a fighting chance of securing an improbable draw

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2018Kumara picks up demerit point for ‘audible obscenity’

Lahiru Kumara, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has been fined 15% of his match fee and been handed a demerit point for a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s code of conduct. He was found to have violated Article 2.3, which relates to “use of an audible obscenity during an international match”.
The on-field umpires, Rod Tucker and Michael Gough, heard him utter the obscenity when Tom Latham edged him to the boundary in the 96th over of New Zealand’s innings. It was also picked up by the stump mic.
Kumara admitted to the offence and the sanction proposed by match referee Richie Richardson, which meant there was no need for a hearing.

On day four in Wellington, facing a monumental first-innings deficit, and in what seemed like a hopeless match situation, Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews went to the trenches. They absorbed New Zealand’s many attacks. They delivered a few glancing blows of their own. They made a hundred apiece, and for only the 22nd time in the history of Test cricket, they batted out an entire day without losing a wicket.Their partnership – 577 balls in – is worth 246. It is easily Sri Lanka’s best against New Zealand, and has allowed the visitors to go into the fifth day of an intriguing Test with a fighting chance of securing a draw. They are still 37 runs away from making New Zealand bat again, but will be buoyed no doubt by the weather forecast, which suggests rain will arrive around mid-day, if not before.Mathews was in a dogfight virtually the entire time he was at the crease, hit by balls last night and in the first session on Tuesday, defending with astounding stoicism – but Mendis played a more attractive innings, at least in the morning. While Mathews was struggling to work himself into the innings, playing and missing, and failing to get out of the way of some of New Zealand’s many bouncers, Mendis struck sublime straight boundaries to prevent the quicks from settling, and made sure to climb into a few commanding pull shots as well.Watch LIVE on ESPN+

Readers from the US can also watch the match LIVE here, on ESPN+

There were a few occasions through the day when Mendis slowed down, and Mathews took the scoring burden upon himself, but after lunch, both had basically decided that nothing New Zealand sent their way – not another spell of Neil Wagner bodyline, not another spell of Tim Southee probing outside off, not Ajaz Patel’s disciplined lines and lengths – were going to shake them out of their calm.Mathews has batted like this before, of course, and has played several match-saving innings in his career, though it has been a while since the last one. For Mendis, this was a new sort of innings entirely – one which, at least since after the lunch break, was focused largely around his defence. Fittingly, the pair were separated only by a run at the end of the day. Mathews had 117 off 293 balls; Mendis 116 off 284. The younger partner had led Mathews for much of the day, but Mathews took more of the strike in the third session.Getty ImagesCentral to both batsmen’s survival was their judgement of length. Both Wagner and Southee repeatedly went to the short ball attack, with virtually no seam movement on offer from this surface now. Mathews had the tougher time in the morning, copping blows on the bicep and the chest. But soon enough, he was ducking and weaving expertly, and on the occasions that he did play a cross bat shot, he uniformly ensured he had rolled his wrists over it, and hit it towards the ground. Although Mathews was always striking at less than 50, he never seemed bogged down, finding shots to get himself off strike regularly enough. Mendis followed Mathews’ lead with the short ball for much of the day, crouching beneath plenty, to let them fly harmlessly over the shoulder.With their seamers unable to break the overnight stand, New Zealand looked to left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, who bowled unchanged through the middle session, but here again, the batsmen had his measure. Occasionally, the ball turned off the straight to beat the bat, but this didn’t happen often enough to comprise a serious problem for Mendis and Mathews.Interestingly, Mendis didn’t venture the sweep – his favourite shot – choosing instead to knock Patel into the open spaces from an upright position, perhaps because there wasn’t much turn on offer anyway. So perfect were these two in defence, that through the course of the day, there wasn’t so much as a strong lbw or caught behind appeal. The likeliest form of dismissal seemed a run out – with two batting miscommunications leading to several tense moments mid-pitch, through the latter half of the day.Mendis had gone to tea on 98 and was the first to his century soon after resumption. He raised his bat and held up six fingers to signal his sixth ton. Mathews, though, provided by far the more colourful celebration, in the final hour of play, whipping a four to wide long-on to reach triple figures for the first time in over a year, before dropping to the ground and reeling off 10 push-ups. This was the latest in a string of gestures to the dressing room, and to coach Chandika Hathurusingha in particular, about his fitness. Mathews had been hurt by his axing from the limited-overs teams in September over fitness and running issues.Sri Lanka remain vulnerable in this Test – a collapse on day five could still lead to a big New Zealand victory. But by getting through day four unscathed, they have showed they have the ability to compete, and the hunger to stay in the fight.