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Tottenham Hotspur manager candidate Arne Slot has become slightly more likely to get the Spurs job after rising up their manager list.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

The north Londoners are working to appoint Antonio Conte's successor in the background of their hunt for a top four Premier League finish.

Spurs could be seen as outside contenders to seal Champions League qualification after recent results, and if they fail to do so, chairman Daniel Levy may face a difficult task in trying to persuade world football's most elite coaches.

Julian Nagelsmann, another managerial target for Spurs, apparently sees Europe as a deal-breaker if he is to take the Spurs job so Levy and co may well need to prepare for alternative options if that is the case.

Tottenham have compiled a list of candidates for the job, with Vincent Kompany, Luis Enrique, Ange Postecoglou and Slot featuring in their thinking.

The latter manager has performed brilliantly at Feyenoord this season, prompting Spurs to take note and consider a move for him.

Sharing an update on Tottenham's links to the 44-year-old, a report by Soccer News now claims that Slot 'rises one place' on Spurs' list of candidates as he becomes more likely to get the job.

This is partly due to Chelsea and Todd Boehly effectively ruling out a move for tactician, and while Tottenham still prefer other coaches, Slot's odds have increased.

While he is a step behind for the time being, it's claimed that Spurs do see him as an 'interesting option'.

What could Slot bring to Spurs?

The former AZ Alkmaar boss has shone at Feyenoord this season, guiding them to top of the Eredivisie standings whilst losing just once all season.

Slot has also been heralded by Dutch football experts, like Marcel van der Kraan, who have raved over his attacking philosophy.

Van Der Kraan said this on the manager to talkSPORT recently:

“He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine.“I don’t think he will leave now with three trophies up for grabs, but in the summer, big chances.”

It's little surprise he is in Levy's thinking based off plaudits like this, and it will be interesting to see if he rises further on Tottenham's list.

Tottenham Hotspur are still without a permanent manager, but under Ryan Mason, things have looked better. In a remarkable turn of events, despite failing to win both games, the 31-year-old has inspired this sluggish group of failures to fight for the shirt once again.

Twice they came back from at least a two-goal deficit, suggesting that quality remains in this squad despite what their performances over the season might have suggested.

It bodes well for whoever is set to take charge after the former Spurs midfielder, that hope remains despite the doom and gloom surrounding the club and Daniel Levy's tenure as chairman.

Despite this, a revolution is still needed. The 61-year-old needs to pull something out of the bag this summer, and in Arne Slot, the Dutchman could prove the perfect catalyst to turn this club around from the depths of despair.

This is made especially pertinent after the words of De Telegraaf journalist Valentijn Driessen, who told Vandaag Inside (via Fr12.nl):

"Slot has been invited by Tottenham for a conversation. He has a conversation, but the English club have this conversation with three or four managers and actually always do it that way.

"Nagelsmann, Slot and Pochettino come by and tell their story. Slot will have this conversation".

How does Arne Slot set his team up?

Having impressed this season with Feyenoord, the 44-year-old is set to end Ajax's monopoly over the Eredivisie title with a philosophy that has captured the attention.

Across his 97 matches his taking the helm, Slot boasts 62 wins with a points-per-game average of 2.12. For comparison, this even surpasses the 1.84 of Mauricio Pochettino during his north London reign a few years ago.

What makes this even more appealing is that the former AZ Alkmaar tactician has done this with a 4-3-3 system that has earned huge praise from Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan.

He claimed: "The best thing about Arne Slot is that he is probably the best attacking coach I have seen in the last 35-40 years at Feyenoord.

"He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.

“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

Such vast praise, and the latter statement of his transformative capabilities, all culminate to suggest that Slot could easily be the man to kickstart the revolution that Spurs so richly desire.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSri Lanka might have feared the only thing they could catch in Durham would be a cold, but instead they caught a collection of stunners to keep England just about in sight on the opening day of the second Test. Four of the wickets would easily fit into a ‘classic catches’ compilation and though the final score of 310 for 6 was healthy enough for England – and given the fragility of Sri Lanka’s batting may already be enough – there was a wastefulness about the dismissals.Both England’s openers missed milestones; Alastair Cook left waiting a little longer still to reach the 10,000-run milestone which he has been on the cusp of since January and Alex Hales throwing away the chance of a maiden century for the second innings running. Joe Root’s iffy conversion rate did not improve when he fell for 80 and shortly before the close the in-form Jonny Bairstow, after adding 70 in 19 overs with Moeen Ali either side of the new ball, bottom edged Nuwan Pradeep who finished the day with a worthy 3 for 69.Sri Lanka struck each time partnerships started to form. Hales and Root added 96 for the third wicket, the highest stand so far after Nick Compton’s lean run had continued when he was spectacularly caught at long leg by Suranga Lakmal from a top-edged hook. Hales moved to his fifty off 102 balls, clumping Rangana Herath over mid-on, but fell the ball after lofting Milinda Siriwardana straight for six when he tried to cut the left-arm spinner and Angelo Mathews held a stinging catch to his right at slip.To have worked hard against some decent pace bowling in consecutive Tests and then fall attacking the spinner in May will have left Hales cursing. He had played confidently, boosted by his 86 at Headingley, with another astute display of attack and defence. In tricky conditions, he waited for a delivery he was sure he could take advantage of and the standout part of his batting was the off-side driving which brought five of his boundaries.Nothing had seemed more certain than a Root century as he breezed his way into the 80s. He was jaunty before lunch, when scoring had been hard work for the top three against some tight bowling, and progressed serenely during the afternoon, with a 70-ball half-century, barring a tight stumping appeal against Herath when he just managed to push his back foot over the line.A sluggish outfield kept the boundary count down, but Root’s deft placement and scampering between the wickets more than compensated to such an extent that England scored at four an over during the afternoon session. However, shortly after tea, Pradeep got a delivery to bounce awkwardly at Root and he spooned a catch into the covers – by far the simplest of the catches taken. Root had a face of thunder as he stomped off and thumped his bat as he strode up the pavilion steps: since the start of 2015 he has fallen between 70 and 98 on nine occasions.James Vince, having shown glimpses of his cover driving, completed the quartet to be acrobatically dismissed when he carelessly drove in the air to short cover. It gave Siriwardana his second of the day and was bonus for Sri Lanka from a player brought in to strength the batting, at the expense of Dasun Shanaka, but it may also have left Herath scratching his head a little about when his 300th wicket would arrive.There would have been a strong temptation for Cook to stick Sri Lanka in on overcast morning after they managed just 91 and 119 in similar conditions last week at Headingley. However, the occasional signs of uneven bounce and some turn for Herath suggested he made the correct call.Cook had looked compact as he set out collecting the 20 needed to tick off the 10,000 landmark and played a delightful whip-pull to open his boundary account before, on the stroke of the first hour, he was undone by the round-the-wicket line of Lakmal which the paceman had switched to just the previous ball. The delivery was short of a length and could have been ignored, but Cook jabbed at it and the catch was held by a tumbling Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip to begin Sri Lanka’s impressive catching theme.Both morning dismissals came from smart pieces of bowling with Pradeep out-thinking Compton with a rare bouncer. Lakmal put in a nine-over spell with the new ball although even that extended burst was unlikely to have worked up much of a sweat in conditions that saw the Sri Lankans retain multiple layers, but he certainly hadn’t cooled to a stand-still when Compton’s top edge flew in his direction. For a moment it appeared he had misjudged the chance, but managed to arch his body and take the ball diving backwards then, equally impressively, keep himself inside the boundary rope. It was reward for a hard-working spell from Pradeep, who had threatened the pads of the batsmen with some late movement.Compton had spoken before the match about playing for his Test future, and a 34-ball stay which included a close call for lbw against Herath, which replays showed would have taken a good chunk of leg stump although was umpire’s call, and a dicey single will not have furthered his cause. This series began with question marks over both Compton and Hales after their uncertain returns in South Africa and already, less than halfway into the series, fortunes are diverging.

Cheikhou Kouyate was something of a fan favourite during his time at West Ham United but his performances since leaving suggest that the Hammers did very well to sell him for £11m.

How did Kouyate do during his time at West Ham?

West Ham signed the Senegal international from Belgian side Anderlecht in the summer of 2014, with the powerful midfielder joining in a deal worth £7m.

He quickly established himself as a regular with the east London outfit, contributing an impressive four goals and three assists in 31 Premier League appearances in his debut campaign at Upton Park.

The 6 foot 2 titan was a mainstay in the Hammers' side throughout his five years at the club, registering 15 goals and ten assists in 147 appearances in all competitions, so it was no surprise that he would earn West Ham a profit when he departed for Crystal Palace in 2018.

The Eagles would pay £11m to bring him to Selhurst Park ahead of the 2018/19 campaign but he simply wouldn't be able to replicate the form he showed at West Ham after moving across London.

During his time with the Hammers, Kouyate consistently averaged above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League, apart from his final season at the club, which saw him earn a strong 6.80 rating.

Journalist Sam Inkersole also summed up the midfielder's inconsistency when describing his "dreadful" performance in an embarrassing 0-0 draw with Shrewsbury Town back in 2018.

It makes it even more impressive therefore that the club were able to sell him for £11m to Palace on the back of his worst campaign as a West Ham player, and that regression has continued with age.

The defensive-minded midfielder failed to average above a 6.75 rating from WhoScored during his time at Selhurst Park and managed just three goals and five assists in 141 appearances, certainly a 'dreadful' return to quote Inkersole again. Indeed, he couldn't replicate the attacking nous he showed on regular occasions in east London.

It was perhaps no surprise therefore when Palace released Kouyate upon the expiry of his contract last summer, with newly-promoted Nottingham Forest later picking up the 33-year-old on a free transfer.

The £42k-per-week earner has managed just 12 Premier League appearances for Steve Cooper's side so far this campaign, averaging a less-than-impressive 6.50 rating from WhoScored, which has unsurprisingly seen his market value according to CIES Football Observatory drop to just €2m (£1.8m).

Therefore, while West Ham have been criticised for some of their transfer business in recent years, it seems clear that they hit the jackpot with Kouyate by selling him at the perfect time.

Thomas Tuchel's savage speech to his players following confirmation of his sacking by Bayern Munich has been leaked.

• Tuchel to leave Bayern in summer
• Addresses players after departure confirmed
• Has savage message for certain players

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern confirmed they will be parting ways with Tuchel after crisis talks following a run of three straight defeats, amid talk of a dressing room revolt led by Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich. Tuchel spoke to his players after news of his forthcoming departure was announced and had a special message for those players who were eager to see him depart.

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• WHAT TUCHEL SAID

  According to , Tuchel told the dressing room: "Everyone can show up for the new coach now."

  The Bayern boss then urged his team to finish the season strongly, adding: "There are no longer discussions every week, everyone knows about it. We can still achieve something, we have to win."

  Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen also had some harsh words for the players. "We will now look closely," he said. "You are responsible!"

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern have opted to change coach after seeing Tuchel's side fall behind in the title race. The Bavarian giants are now eight points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen and have already been dumped out of the German Cup. Tuchel's men also face a battle to stay in the Champions League. Bayern trail 1-0 from the first leg of their last 16 tie with Lazio. Harry Kane has been the one bright spot for Bayern since his arrival from Tottenham last summer, scoring 31 goals in his first 31 appearances, and he has also stood behind Tuchel, but there has been a serious drop-off in collective standards at Allianz Arena.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN AND TUCHEL

  Bayern are now looking for a new manager and are reportedly set to battle Liverpool for Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile, Tuchel is thought to be keen to return to the Premier League and is interested in the Manchester United job.

Lionel Messi appears to have “fully recovered” from the injury that has disrupted his pre-season, just in time for the start of the 2024 MLS campaign.

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Argentine has been nursing a knockGame time limited as a resultRaring to go ahead of 2024 seasonGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner saw his fitness generate plenty of headlines during a historic international tour for Inter Miami that took them from El Salvador to Japan via Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. His absence from one friendly fixture in the Far East sparked a sporting and political storm that continues to rage.

AdvertisementWHAT MARTINO SAID ABOUT MESSI

Messi was, however, able to play an hour of the Herons’ final warm-up game against Newell’s Old Boys – his boyhood club – and is raring to go ahead of the new domestic season in the United States. Tata Martino told reporters when asked for an update on the Argentine icon: “Our plan was for Leo to play 45 to 60 minutes and he played almost 60 and felt good. The way he was playing, the way he accelerated, it looked like he is fully recovered. The idea is for him to be ready for the 21st.”

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While Messi has worked his way up to full speed, Inter Miami are still waiting on Luis Suarez to find a spark in the final third. Martino added on the veteran Uruguayan striker, who is having to manage long-standing knee problems: “Physically he looked good, but what impeded his preseason is not enough time working with the group. Leo, (Sergio) Busquets and (Jordi) Alba know him from before but the other players don’t know his tendencies, especially players who will be in the attack with him, like (Julian) Gressel and (Diego) Gomez. They need more time together.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

Inter Miami will open their MLS campaign at home to Real Salt Lake on February 21. Martino admits that there may be more movement on the transfer front prior to that game – in and out of DRV PNK Stadium – with a deal said to be close for Argentine midfielder Federico Redondo.

Liverpool have had a transformative summer in the transfer window, with not only a number of fresh faces joining the fold at Anfield but also a large amount of first-team outgoings.

Now, a fresh update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target, as Jurgen Klopp prepares for the potential departure of Mohamed Salah.

Who could replace Mo Salah at Liverpool?

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool are lining up a move for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix.

As per the report, it is claimed that Felix is being considered as a replacement for Salah should he leave the club over the next few days, as Saudi Pro club Al-Ittihad are set to make a lucrative £100m offer that the Merseysiders may find difficult to refuse.

Is Mo Salah leaving Liverpool?

There is no doubt that the Anfield faithful will be feeling nervous over the dying days of the transfer window, with speculation mounting that their star player could be set to follow Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino to the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE..

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed in his daily briefing on Monday morning [28th August] that Liverpool have no intentions to negotiate with any clubs interested in snapping up the services of their Egyptian winger:

"Even though there have been a lot of rumours about Mohamed Salah’s future over the weekend, Liverpool have been clear every day on this story: they have no intention to negotiate.

"Al Ittihad tried by improving their salary proposal to Salah, the bid is huge for the Liverpool star and would tempt any player in the world but Liverpool have no intention of negotiating."

Having said that, the rumours continue to swirl and should Liverpool find themselves in a position where they cannot retain the services of Salah for the season ahead, it would be wise for the club to line up a potential replacement, with Felix an intriguing option for the Reds.

How good is Joao Felix?

The former Chelsea loanee has been one of the hottest prospects in Europe for a long time, with his performances and development at Atletico Madrid pushing him into the spotlight as one of the most exciting forwards in top-level football.

As per FBref, Felix ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shots in total, shot-creating actions, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons and tackles per 90 minutes played, boasting Lionel Messi as his most comparable player over the last 12 months. Not bad at all.

Not only that, the 23-year-old – once hailed an "absolute nightmare for defenders" by scout Jacek Kulig – is incredibly versatile in his positioning which has always been an attractive attribute that the Liverpool boss looks for in his players.

Felix has experience playing as a second striker, centre-forward, attacking midfielder and is comfortable operating on both the left and right wing, which makes him not only an ideal replacement for Salah but offers Klopp a player who can provide depth across the attacking threat.

It was reported earlier this year that Atletico Madrid will command a fee of around €100m (£89m) to part ways with their Portuguese talent, but Football Transfers expect a more realistic price tag to sit at £40m. That shouldn't trouble the Merseyside giants should they find themselves agreeing to a £100m departure for their very own goal machine.

With that being said, Salah's situation will be something worth watching closely over the remaining days of the transfer window, and being prepared for the worst-case scenario by lining up a move for Felix would be massively advantageous to Liverpool should disaster strike in the final days and hours.

Summer signing Jurrien Timber sustained a serious injury on his home Arsenal debut and is set to spend a significant spell out on the sidelines and now the Gunners must work out how to replace him – we've got some ideas.

Is Jurrien Timber injured?

Indeed, the Dutch right-back, who arrived from Ajax, was signed in a deal reported to be in the region of £38m but lasted just 50 minutes into his first Premier League appearance – a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest – before coming off with a knee issue.

Sadly, the North London club have since confirmed the severity of the injury, releasing a statement saying: "Further to detailed assessments with consultant specialists since Saturday, we can confirm that Jurrien Timber has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"Jurrien will undergo surgery in the coming days and will be out of action for a period of time."

With that in mind, Football Fancast has decided to figure out who will be best suited to take his spot in the team.

Of course, though, it won't just be as simple as trying to find depth at left-back, as Timber was able to cover centre-back and right-back as well; meaning William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White will hope to stay fit or else Rob Holding could soon be straight back into the starting team.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko is obviously the first name that comes to mind as he played left-back for the Gunners 27 times in the league last season.

Still, he had some fitness struggles too and has carried that into the new season, having not been fit enough to be involved against Forest or Manchester City in the Community Shield before that.

The good news, however, is that Zinchenko has been spotted in training this week on Arsenal.com, so he could be nearing a return to full fitness shortly.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

With Zinchenko recently out, Tomiyasu was the player asked to come on off the bench for Timber against Nottingham Forest last Saturday and may well start there this Monday away at Crystal Palace.

Still, the Japan international has also had some fitness issues in recent times. Having missed 107 days of action last term, he too can't be fully trusted to remain healthy for a full campaign.

What's more, Tomiyasu isn't a natural left-back either, having only played there nine times in his career (via Transfermarkt), as he tends to play right-back or centre-back more frequently.

Of course, the same can be said about Timber – who wasn't signed to be a left-back, having spent very little time (eight games before joining) in that position before – so the Japanese defender may need to cover multiple areas of the pitch, leaving a gap on the left side of the defence.

Jakub Kiwior

The Polish defender arrived last January and while his first three starts in the Premier League saw him play at centre-back, Arteta moved him to left-back for the final two games of the season.

Such versatility may come in handy now, especially as Kiwior is left-footed and so may be a more natural fit than the right-footed Tomiyasu.

It's interesting to note that Kiwior was trusted to finish the season at left-back last term, despite Kieran Tierney being available – who we'll come onto now.

Kieran Tierney

The Scottish left-back would be a first name on the team sheet for many teams across Europe but he just doesn't seem to fit into Mikel Arteta's plans.

After all, having started 22 league games in the 2021/22 season, Tierney started just six last term as he well and truly lost his spot in the team to Zinchenko.

As a result, it seems quite likely that he will be sold this summer. And what's more, as per a report in the Daily Mail, the expectation, despite Timber's injury, is for Tierney to be sold – provided the Gunners receive a suitable fee.

However, if Arsenal don't receive an acceptable offer, perhaps it will make more sense to hang on to the Scot for the time being.

Transfer targets

In that same report, Manchester City's Joao Cancelo is named as a known target – although reports in Spain have strongly linked Barcelona with the fullback as well.

In less glamorous news, according to the Daily Express, Arsenal could turn to Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters or Leicester City's Timothy Castagne before the summer transfer window shuts.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

While Tom Canton of football.london has mooted Mohamed Simakan and Benjamin Henrichs, who both play in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig and have been linked with the English club in the past.

There is certainly plenty to consider for Arteta and with the transfer window closing in just a matter of weeks, he may have to make a big decision soon.

The Hyderabad captain was involved in an argument with the umpires following his side’s match against Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this month, after their target had been revised mid-innings

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2018

Hyderabad captain Ambati Rayudu has been suspended for the two games in the Vijay Hazare 50-overs tournament after he was found to be guilty of breaching the BCCI code of conduct during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Rayudu was involved in an argument with the umpires during the Hyderabad-Karnataka match earlier this month after two runs were added to Karnataka’s total at the end of their innings due to a revised boundary call. With Hyderabad eventually falling two runs short in their chase, the team, under Rayudu, stayed back in the middle and urged the umpires to commence the Super Over. Their contention was that they were batting with the target of 204 in mind, before two more runs were added to revise it to 206. The ensuing agreement about the Super Over delayed the start of the next game between Kerala and Andhra. That match was eventually shortened to 13-overs-a side due to the delay.Since Rayudu admitted to the charge levelled by the on-field umpires Abhijit Deshmukh, Ulhas Vithalrao Gandhe and third umpire Anil Dandekar, and accepted the sanction, there was no need for a formal hearing. He had said at the time that his intention wasn’t to delay the start of the next game. “There was some confusion in the middle at the start of our innings,” Rayudu had told reporters after the match. “What I went and told the umpire was ‘sir you cannot change the score, we are batting for 204 as our target’. That is exactly what I told him and he told me ‘we’ll see it at the end, let the match start’. [Karnataka captain] Vinay Kumar had stopped for nine minutes before the second innings. They had no business to stop the match once the target was declared. Then what we said was we were playing for 204, and that was my exact words.”At the end, we went and asked to start the Super Over. That is exactly our point of contention. We never even thought of stopping the second match. That has got nothing to do with us. We were saying that our match was not complete, we still have to play the Super Over. That is exactly why we went to the middle, we were actually going to warm-up then.”The BCCI is also looking into the role of the Hyderabad team manager in the incident.Rayudu has faced code-of-conduct issues previously. In the 2012 edition of the IPL, he was fined 100% of his match fee for using abusive, obscene language towards Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was also involved in a tiff with Mumbai Indians team-mate Harbhajan Singh in 2016.

Lucas Vazquez could reportedly leave Real Madrid as Los Blancos are yet to open talks over new contract for versatile ace.

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Vazquez starred for Madrid against AlavesHas been impressive in replacing CarvajalClub yet to start contract talks with the SpaniardWHAT HAPPENED?

The 32-year-old emerged as the messiah for Carlo Ancelotti's side in Vitoria with a stoppage-time winner against Alaves on Wednesday. Vazquez's timely strike proved to be key as Los Blancos not only bagged the three points but also headed into the Christmas break at the top of the standings in La Liga.

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Vazquez's contract with Real Madrid expires next summer, and as of now, there have been no discussions about a potential extension, according to

While Real Madrid are reportedly pleased with Vazquez's contributions, they are not rushing into contract talks. It is anticipated that discussions may occur later in the season, and if Vazquez continues to deliver, an extension could be on the offing.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite long-term absentees of key players like Eder Militao and David Alaba, as well as the recent unavailability of Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid have demonstrated immense resilience, conceding only seven goals in their last 10 matches with five clean sheets.

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Vasquez would hope to make the most of the limited opportunities that he is getting in the absence of Carvajal to secure a contract extension. He will be back in action against Mallorca on January 3 at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga.