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Big Picture

The chasm between Pakistan and Zimbabwe may make this five-match ODI series look meaningless: Pakistan grounded the hosts into the dust at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo in the first ODI, winning by a hefty margin of 201 runs. There was no resistance, no challenge, as the visitors drove the show.For Pakistan, the series is part of building up for the 2019 World Cup, and they are well on track. The series provides them an opportunity to find constancy within their ODI squad. Opener Imam-ul-Haq, who struck his second hundred in only his fifth game, asserted his place. Along with Fakhar Zaman, he has provided stability in the top order. After a long time, Pakistan’s batting line-up looks dominant, while offering flexibility and depth.Zimbabwe probably aren’t strong enough to stall Pakistan’s progress, but the young unknown side has a lot to offer. Zimbabwe are playing against a team that has all its bases covered, but their own biggest strength is that they are not under pressure and have nothing to lose. They had positives in the last game, with Tarisai Musakanda’s brief knock and debutant Ryan Murray’s unbeaten 32. Even with the ball, they managed to keep Pakistan’s run rate in check to some extent, after Pakistan had looked like they would get 350 at one stage.

Form guide

Zimbabwe LLLWT (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WLLLL

In the spotlight

Mohammad Hafeez instantly returned to Pakistan’s limited-over squads after his bowling action was cleared, but hasn’t burst into the XI as a regular. He played the first two T20 games in the tri-nation series earlier this month, but has been relegated to the bench since. His exclusion flared up the discussion about dropping a senior player on the road to a World Cup, raising serious doubts about his prominence in Pakistan’s plans. On paper, Pakistan’s squad looks very much settled, with Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman leaving no room at the top, and Babar Azam at No. 3. It will be interesting to see if the management will give Hafeez due regard in the series.Zimbabwe are in tatters after the mammoth defeat and there is not a lot they can do about it. They are dented by the unavailability of their top players, with the backdrop of friction between the players and the board. The new-look squad is inexperienced. Captain Hamilton Masakadza will look at the series as a chance to give the young players in the team a chance to showcase themselves.

Team news

Zimbabwe batsman Malcolm Waller has pulled out of the squad citing labour practice law. He didn’t play the opening game either, but losing a senior is a blow for Zimbabwe nonetheless. Wicketkeeper Ryan Murray and offspinner Liam Roche made their debuts in the first ODI, but the squad is still wide open to reshuffling.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Brian Chari 2 Chamu Chibhabha 3 Hamilton Masakadza (capt) 4 Tarisai Musakanda 5 Peter Moor 6 Ryan Murray (wk) 7 Donald Tiripano 8 Liam Roche 9 Wellington Masakadza 10 Tendai Chatara 11 Blessing MuzarabaniA victory by 201 runs doesn’t really call for a change in the XI, but captain Sarfraz Ahmed had suggested he would give opportunity to every reserve. However, he pointed out that wouldn’t happen before they were in an unassailable position in the series.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman 2 Imam-ul-Haq 3 Babar Azam 4 Shoaib Malik 5 Asif Ali 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk) 7 Shadab Khan 8 Faheem Ashraf 9 Hasan Ali 10 Mohammad Amir 11 Usman Khan

Pitch and conditions

The weather remains cool, with the temperature hovering around 14C.The pitch remains flat, although the team winning the toss may still be opting to bowl first to take advantage of early moisture.

Stats and Trivia

• Shoaib Malik needs three runs to bring up 7,000 ODI runs
• Pakistan’s score in their last match was their first 300-plus total in ODIs for more than a year

Quotes

“It is a big opportunity for a few of the guys to have a feel of the international stage and also for a few guys that haven’t been in the team, coming back and trying to reclaim their spots.”

David Hopps at Headingley21-Apr-2018
ScorecardCheteshwar Pujara is just the sort of overseas player Yorkshire need this season as they attempt to instil first principles of safety and security into their Championship side. Except that Pujara is also India’s run out specialist. In his most accident prone moments, safety and security don’t really come into it.Pujara has been instrumental in six of India’s last eight run outs in Tests. He has run himself out on four of those occasions so at least nobody can accuse him of selfishness: the damage is largely to himself. Against South Africa in Centurion in January, he was run out twice in a Test, a misfortune not suffered for 18 years. To make it extra special, one of them was a first-ball duck.In the switch to Yorkshire, it appears that Pujara’s characteristics remain implanted. His ability to perform on English surfaces, and affinity for the long game, ensured his services are valued in county cricket, but his latest run out came at a critical juncture against Nottinghamshire at Headingley and without a measured response from Yorkshire’s captain Gary Ballance it could have had bad repercussions.As it was by the close of the second day, Yorkshire’s position was a commanding one. At 189 for 4, they lead by 257, a position built in the last two sessions after they bowled out Nottinghamshire on the stroke of lunch for 188. Ballance will resume the third day on 76, although there is little sense as yet that England are studying his form too closely.ESPNcricinfo LtdPujara’s brainstorm came in the 15th over. Yorkshire had already lost Alex Lees, lbw to Jake Ball playing no shot. Pujara had been dropped on nought, an edge against Ball flying through Riki Wessels’ hands at first slip, but thereafter he had reached 18 comfortably enough.Then Adam Lyth dropped a ball from Harry Gurney at his feet and, although he reacted to Pujara’s appetite for a quick single with a surprised yelp of rejection, he found a stately Indian batsman standing too close to comfort. Pujara turned, but his quest was safety was hopeless and Jake Libby completed the run out from backward point.Yorkshire have nicknamed him Steve because “Cheteshwar” is too much of a mouthful and, although unexplained, it should be linked to Steve McQueen, the American actor who was known as the King of Cool, but who was not short of a few hair-raising stunts when the mood took him. In his defence, however, he had a previously unblemished running record as far as county cricket is concerned.When Lyth was caught at the wicket and Harry Brook was cleaned up by Ball, so ending an impressive 36 from 41 balls, Yorkshire were 163 on with six wickets left, far from secure with the pitch settling a little.Ballance guided the match back into Yorkshire’s favour, spared a confident lbw appeal first ball from Gurney. He looked untroubled, as he did this time last season, a burst of form that won a Test recall, which failed to last the summer.But with Ed Smith’s elevation to national selector, study of data might be on trend and that would do Ballance no harm at all. No regular county cricketer has a better record when it comes to converting first-class innings into half-centuries (more than 35%) or for that matter centuries.If he can gen up on a few more erudite matters that might the attention of Smith, such as the culinary habits of Greek philosophers, the polarising political qualities of Jacob Rees-Mogg or whether cricket has reached peak left-handedness (note to Ballance: best to conclude “no” as you are one) and he might be within range of that recall after all.

The Chennai police commissioner advised CSK to “reschedule” the matches in the wake of the protests in the city over the Cauvery river water issue

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-20182:45

Dasgupta: Raina is the batting fulcrum of CSK

Chennai Super Kings will lose their home advantage for the rest of the 2018 season.* The IPL has decided to move their six remaining home games out of Chennai in the wake of protests during the first match, and threats to disrupt more fixtures. CSK’s home games will be played in Pune instead.Kasi Viswananthan, the Super Kings CEO, met the Chennai police commissioner on Wednesday and was advised to shift the matches because of the ongoing protests in the city over the Cauvery river water issue, a long-standing dispute between Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring state Karnataka.The Maharashtra Cricket Association president Abhay Apte told ESPNcricinfo he had requested the IPL to consider Pune as CSK’s alternative home venue. Rajkot, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram were the other cities in consideration by the IPL.The Pune ground is familiar to CSK captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming, who were part of the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise in 2016 and 2017. The Super Kings already have experience playing home games away from home; four of their home matches were moved to Ranchi in 2014 due to the dispute between Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the local municipal corporation.Chennai had hosted Kolkata Knight Riders on April 10, marking the return of the IPL to the city after the franchise had completed a two-year ban for corruption. However the lead-up to the game was not peaceful, with political parties organising rallies in the vicinity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, protesting the Cauvery river water issue. Several local political parties and fringe groups wanted a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the dispute was resolved.There was trouble during the match as well. A group of spectators flung shoes in the vicinity of Super Kings players on the boundary, prompting the intervention of police. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody. While there was no confirmation that the shoe-throwing incident was directly related to the Cauvery river water issue, it was the likely cause.*

It looks as if Tottenham Hotspur are set to be heavily involved in the late transfer window scramble, amid reports that the Lilywhites are planning to raid one of their Premier League rivals for a marquee midfield addition…

Who will Tottenham sign on Deadline Day?

According to journalist Jacob Steinberg, writing on Twitter, the north Londoners are seemingly plotting a move for Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, albeit with the England international also attracting interest from German giants Bayern Munich.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

In his piece for The Guardian, Steinberg revealed that Spurs have been monitoring the 23-year-old throughout the summer, with it seemingly not of the question that the Blues would sell the player if they were to receive a suitable offer – with a £50m price tag suggested.

As per the piece, any concrete approach for the former Crystal Palace loanee could well depend on whether Ange Postecoglou and co are able to move on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the Denmark international having been deemed surplus to requirements by the club.

Should Tottenham sign Conor Gallagher?

With Harry Kane out the door – and with Richarlison having scored just a solitary league goal since joining Spurs last season – it may be that Postecoglou should be looking to strengthen his centre-forward ranks as a matter of urgency, rather than splashing the cash on bolstering his midfield options.

That being said, however, the signing of Gallagher would not be without merit as the seven-cap machine has showcased his proven Premier League quality in recent years, notably scoring eight goals and providing three assists while on loan at Palace during the 2021/22 campaign.

While last season was a difficult one for most at Stamford Bridge as the Blues finished in 12th place, the one-time West Bromwich Albion loanee has made a strong start to the new campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, having started all three league games thus far.

Such a high-profile addition for Postecoglou could well be terrible news for a player who is currently bang in form – Pape Matar Sarr – with the Senegalese starlet likely to see his place in the side threatened, despite having notably scored in the win over Manchester United.

With James Maddison operating in an advanced midfield role and with Yves Bissouma holding the fort at the base of the midfield, it is likely to be Sarr who is forced to give way if Gallagher is to arrive, despite having been praised for his "quality" by his manager.

While the 20-year-old is a player who "disrupts the opposition" and has "real energy" about him – as per Postecoglou – Gallagher also has those traits in abundance, having been hailed for his box-to-box nature by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino, who likened the Englishman to N'Golo Kante previously, while also stating:

"He can get into the 18-yard box and ten seconds later he can make a tackle in his own 18-yard box."

That has been evident so far this term as the Epsom-born ace has averaged 5.4 tackles and interceptions per game as a marker of his ball-winning quality, while his Spurs counterpart, by contrast, has averaged just 1.3 in that regard in the opening weeks of the season.

With Sarr also yet to be truly tested across an entire campaign in English football, it may prove less of a gamble for Postecoglou to turn to a "leader" such as Gallagher – as described by Chelsea legend Ashley Cole – to be a starting option in his midfield three.

Not that the current Tottenham man deserves to be ousted from the side – with a goal and an assist to his name already this season – yet he could find himself resigned to the bench if the Lilywhites do opt to splash the cash to snap up Gallagher.

Southampton boss Russell Martin could be about to sign a talented Premier League midfielder who could be joined by another star of a 'similar mould' at St Mary's Stadium, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

As per Transfermarkt, Southampton have brought in three signings this window in the form of Shea Charles, Ryan Manning and Joe Lumley as their return to the Sky Bet Championship gears into full swing.

Acquiring a striker is high on Martin's list as he aims to add more offensive depth and Swansea City striker Joel Piroe is a name of interest to the former Scotland international; however, it is said that he will cost in the region of between £15-20 million, as per Football Insider.

Presumably, Piroe could be drafted in on the South Coast as a potential replacement for Che Adams, who is garnering attention from Crystal Palace amid reports that Roy Hodgson could be set to submit a £10 million offer for the 27-year-old, according to The Evening Standard.

In terms of midfield targets, West Ham United star Flynn Downes is reportedly close to sealing a loan move to Southampton and will undergo medical examinations later this week, as per TEAMtalk.

Downes, who earns £25,000 per week on the books at the London Stadium, is available to move elsewhere following news that the Hammers have completed deals to sign James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.

Last term, the 24-year-old was utilised mainly as a squad rotation option for West Ham and racked up 35 appearances across all competitions.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Downes is the archetype of player Martin will look to bring to Southampton this window and he has also hinted that another arrival could be on the way to strengthen Saints' midfield.

Jones stated: “I think they can find players that have been well prepared to get to this level of football and that’s from coming through good academies and being on the verge of making a big breakthrough in the game, that’s the kind of player that they want.

“Obviously Downes, we know enough about him by now to know that he could do that. But I think that he’ll be joined by somebody else at that similar mould.”

What else could occur at Southampton this window?

Telegraph reporter John Percy has issued an update on Twitter X regarding Southampton's interest in Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis, stating: "Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis is a loan target for Championship clubs including Leicester, Leeds and Southampton. City are also open to selling the England under-21 captain at the right price before the window closes."

According to Sky Sports Transfer Centre, Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund are keen on Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap; however, it is unlikely that the 21-year-old heads to Signal Iduna Park this summer.

The outlet claim that Bella-Kotchap has 'reservations' about moving to the German giants as he may not play regularly between now and EURO 2024.

As per The Evening Standard, Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is being eyed by Premier League duo Everton and Crystal Palace as they aim to strengthen their respective goalkeeping options.

MatériaMais Notícias

Bruno teve a oportunidade de conquistar seu primeiro título após a volta aos gramados neste domingo, ao defender o Rio Branco contra o Galvez, na final de turno do Campeonato Estadual do Acre. No entanto, o goleiro, que cumpre prisão semi-aberta após ser condenado pelo homicídio de Elisa Samudio, foi derrotado por 2 a 0 pelo time que é ligado a Policia Militar do Estado.

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Com o resultado, o Rio Branco corre o risco de ficar sem divisão para a temporada 2021, já que o Atlético-AC ficou com a segunda colocação geral do campeonato e conquistou vaga para a Copa do Brasil, Copa Verde e Campeonato Brasileiro da Série D da próxima temporada.

Caso a equipe de Bruno vencesse a partida deste domingo, conquistaria o segundo turno e faria a final do Torneio contra o próprio Galvez, que venceu o primeiro turno e foi campeão por antecipação. Bruno reconheceu a superioridade do adversário logo após a partida.

-Parabenizar a equipe do Galvez pelo jogo, os caras fizeram por merecer. Se prepararam para o Acreano, tem uma boa estrutura, talvez hoje no Acre seja o time que tenha melhor estrutura. É um título que tem seus méritos – disse Bruno à Rádio EcoAcre FM.

Um dia antes da partida, em entrevista coletiva, o presidente do Galvez,Edener Franco, destacou a ligação do clube com a PM, que já teve atletas militares, mas que optou por manter um elenco profissional nesta temporada. Perguntado se Bruno poderia reforçar a equipe, o comandante afirmou que não seria possível.

-Aqui não caberia, mas ele tem um direito garantido de progressão da pena. Eu trabalho com tantos criminosos, vejo que as pessoas conseguem se ressocializar e ter uma vida decente. É isso o que a gente espera dele – disse.

-Nossa imagem é a mesma da Polícia Militar. Isso é inegável. A gente tenta ser o exemplo para o futebol no Acre. Pensamos na competição, claro, mas temos apoio da comunidade (de policiais), acesso ao comandante-geral (da corporação) – completou o mandatário.

Everton have entered the race to sign former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire this summer, with Sean Dyche viewing the England international as the perfect option to complete the Goodison Park defence.

How much would Harry Maguire cost?

According to TEAMtalk, the Toffees are planning to join the line of suitors for Maguire with Manchester United seeking to recuperate funds following the summer's expenditure.

The 30-year-old has plummeted down the pecking order at Old Trafford but despite this wishes to remain at the club and fight for his place, with West Ham United already seeing a £20m offer rejected.

The aforementioned report claims that Dyche is ready to offload some players himself – namely defensive duo Mason Holgate and Michael Keane – to free up room and money to bolster the ranks, and if the club is successful in this regard, discussions for Maguire could enter the next stage.

How good is Harry Maguire?

It's fair to say that Maguire has not enjoyed the most fruitful of times over the past several years; despite lifting the Carabao Cup last season and ending Manchester United's five-year wait for silverware, he has regularly been skewered for his performances and has even been branded a "walking disaster" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Despite joining the Theatre of Dreams fold for an exorbitant £80m from Leicester City in 2019, Maguire was restricted to just eight starts in the Premier League and is seemingly not currently boasting a starting berth in Erik ten Hag's team.

However, the one-time Hull City star remains an imposing and physical defender and could use a move away as a breath of fresh life onto his career, with Everton's backline pretty admirable last term despite the club's woes.

James Tarkowski and Conor Coady formed the nucleus of the side's defence for much of the 2022/23 campaign and were hailed for their "hugely important" partnership by former boss Frank Lampard, though the latter has now concluded his loan spell and signed for Leicester.

Tarkowski, in particular, was imperious throughout the term, described as "outstanding" by Dyche and finishing the campaign with an average Sofascore rating of 7.20, having started all 38 fixtures, in which he kept nine clean sheets, and averaged a whopping 5.2 clearances per game. He also won 65% of his duels.

The former Burnley titan ranks among the top 1% of centre-halves across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks, the top 6% for clearances and the top 8% for aerials won per 90, as per FBref, which underscores his robustness.

Would Maguire gel well with his £100k-per-week compatriot though? That will be the question on Dyche and co's lips.

Well, given his physicality and strength, partnered with his own prowess in the air, he might just; Maguire ranks among the top 11% of positional peers for blocks, the top 12% for aerials won and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90, which would leave the Toffees backline well protected from both ground attacks and aerial balls.

The £190k-per-week titan has previously been labelled as a "world-class centre-back" by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and while he has fallen by the wayside of late, a move to Goodison Park could allow him to become the centrepiece of a side targetting a renaissance, one that could coincide with his own resurgence as he looks to impress before the European Championship next summer.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, as Mikel Arteta assesses his midfield options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Spaniard has already recruited Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in the bid to bolster the middle of the park, though he could add even more firepower this window.

Could Arsenal sign Douglas Luiz?

As reported by The Sun earlier this week, Arsenal are speculated to be interested in Luiz amid interest from rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 25-year-old machine is rumoured to be on Spurs’ shopping list should they opt to sell Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, however, the Gunners are ‘eyeing a fresh move’ for the Brazilian as per the report.

Valued at €39.8m (£34.4m) by FootballTransfers, the midfielder could be a strong signing for the Gunners should other targets not prevail.

How good is Douglas Luiz?

Registering an impressive average match rating of 7.10 in the Premier League last season, Luiz ended the campaign as Villa’s best-performing player, as per Sofascore.

The midfielder is highly valued by the Villans, where he has cemented himself as a key player in Unai Emery’s set-up for his defensive strengths and technical swagger in the engine room.

Having once been lauded as a “midfield enforcer” by journalist Ashley Preece, the 25-year-old could be the perfect acquisition for Arteta, as he puts together the puzzle of how to line-up his side next season.

Recently, it was rumoured that the Gunners could chase Ajax star Mohammed Kudus, however, it has since been reported by David Ornstein that Chelsea are close to agreeing personal terms with the 22-year-old.

Despite occupying a more attacking role in Amsterdam, Arsenal could make a more efficient move in chasing Luiz over the Ghanaian, who would be of better use to Arteta at this time.

Signing a player from abroad is always a gamble, with the Premier League possessing such a demanding physical strain, making the Brazilian a strong player to pursue considering his expertise in the league.

In 37 appearances, the Villa ace made 12 goal contributions, scoring six and assisting six in an impressive display in the final third from his allocated role in deep midfield.

Kudus managed 14 contributions in last season’s Eredivisie, showing the slight gap between the two in an attacking sense, with Luiz possessing the expertise in a more defensive role in an area Arsenal require added depth.

As per FBref, the 25-year-old averaged an impressive 2.24 tackles and 1.23 interceptions per 90 last term, as well as winning 52% of his total duels with an average of 4.4 per game.

The Rio de Janeiro-born ace could be integral to Arteta building the depth of his midfield, offering an option of an experienced and Premier League-savvy individual with strengths in areas required at the Emirates.

With an average of 1.38 key passes per 90, the Brazilian would suit the Spaniard’s demands of his midfield, with an eye for a good pass and the ability to execute it to the benefit of those around him.

Considering the importance of him in Villa’s squad, it could be an audacious move for Arsenal to enquire over the £67k-per-week star, who at 25 has his best years still to come.

Nottingham Forest are keen on Dean Henderson and a move back to the City Ground for the England international may now 'accelerate' due to Manchester United capturing Andre Onana, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

Is Dean Henderson coming back to Nottingham Forest?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti on Twitter X, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United are in talks over a deal that would see Henderson move back to the Tricky Trees.

Galetti stated: "Following the signing of Onana, the talks between Nottingham Forest and Man Utd for Dean Henderson are progressing with confidence. Personal terms already agreed, it's up to clubs. MUTD targeted Zion Suzuki (Urawa) as the new possible 2nd GK."

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also taken to the social media platform to reveal that Nottingham Forest have submitted a 'loan deal proposal' for Henderson rather than a permanent arrangement.

Last term, £100k-a-week ace earner Henderson featured 20 times for Nottingham Forest in all competitions and managed to keep six clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Sky Sports News understand that talks between Henderson and Nottingham Forest are 'progressing' smoothly and it is expected that the England international will move in the same direction as Anthony Elanga, who has recently joined Steve Cooper's men for an undisclosed fee.

Nottingham Forest moved to acquire Nigeria international Ola Aina on a free transfer last weekend as their summer recruitment starts to take shape in the East Midlands.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports journalist Sheth has indicated that talks over Henderson could be set to 'accelerate' in the near future.

Sheth stated: "Erik ten Hag always wanted to bring in Onana. Now Onana has come in, I think that will then maybe accelerate a potential move for Dean Henderson to go to Nottingham Forest.

"Nottingham Forest are definitely still interested. They are in talks over what we believe to be a loan deal at the moment.

"Dean Henderson is still with Manchester United on their US tour. He will stay with Manchester United on the US tour until that deal is agreed between the two clubs, and then he'll be given permission to travel back to the UK and resume those talks with Nottingham Forest."

What other business could Nottingham Forest conduct this window?

Nottingham Forest manager Cooper will be hoping to add some extra steel to his side as he looks to build on their successful survival mission in the Premier League last campaign.

According to The Daily Mail, Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi is a target to come into the engine room at the City Ground potentially; however, the Foxes are believed to want £20 million for the enforcer before sanctioning an exit from the King Power Stadium.

El Futbolero via Nottingham Forest News claim that the Reds could sensationally land former Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at French giants Marseille.

Sheffield United attacker Iliman Ndiaye is also on the radar at the City Ground and is reported to be available for a fee in the region of £15 million, according to The Athletic.

It has been a summer of significant change for Celtic since they beat Inverness at Hampden to secure the domestic treble for the 2022/23 campaign at the start of June.

Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou decided to depart shortly after the end of the season to join Tottenham Hotspur and has been replaced by Brendan Rodgers, who is now in his second spell at Parkhead.

There have also been alterations within the squad as Jota completed a permanent move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, whilst Aaron Mooy confirmed his retirement from football.

The club have reacted to those departures by completing deals for a host of fresh faces, including Hyun-jun Yang, Marco Tilio, and Odin Thiago Holm who bolster their options in midfield and out wide.

Another change that could take place heading into next season is a switch from Postecolou's preferred 4-3-3 system to Rodgers' favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

This could open up the door for Scotland international David Turnbull to return to prominence as the 24-year-old, who is a number ten by trade, only started six Scottish Premiership matches throughout last season.

The ex-Motherwell ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47 – the highest at the club – during the 2020/21 campaign as he produced nine goals and 12 'big chances' created whilst mainly being deployed in his favoured position.

Further to this, the 4-2-3-1 set-up could also provide a pathway for B Team star Rocco Vata to make his breakthrough at first-team level as an attacking midfielder and ultimatelly Turnbull's heir.

What is Rocco Vata's style of play?

The 18-year-old maestro, who has been capped by Ireland's U19 side, is a number ten who likes to find the back of the net on a regular basis, whilst also being able to play out wide or through the middle as a number nine.

Vata has been in senior training with Celtic this month and Rodgers commented on his talent by stating: "He's strong, quick, he wants to score goals."

This is backed up by the teenage wizard's form for the academy team last season. He racked up nine goals alongside one assist in 16 Lowland League matches, which proved that the promising technician can compete against senior professionals, albeit at a fifth-tier level.

His B Team form caught Postecoglou's eye as the Australian handed him four Scottish Premiership appearances last term, in which the Hoops prodigy was able to showcase his creative ability with two 'big chances' created in just 44 minutes of action.

Youth coach Dara O'Dea claimed that Vata has a "killer attitude that never stops" which bodes well for his chances of eventually breaking into Rodgers' squad on a regular basis with it looking as though he boasts the mentality ito keep pushing himself to develop.

Therefore, the Irish youth international, who talent scout Jacek Kulig stated has an "exciting future", could grow into a dream Turnbull heir for Rodgers at Celtic.

Indeed, the potential is there for Vata to be an attacking midfielder who can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch as a crative magician possessing the quality to score goals and create 'big chances' week-in-week-out for his side.