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Player granted two-day emergency visa after single-entry anomaly is spotted on return from Abu Dhabi

Vithushan Ehantharajah12-Feb-2024England are awaiting confirmation that Rehan Ahmed will be available to play in the third Test of their series in India this week, after the ECB conceded that a “paperwork discrepancy” prompted a hold-up at Hirasar Airport in Rajkot that was only resolved by the issuance of a temporary visa.Rehan was initially prohibited from re-entering India on Monday evening after England’s mid-series break in Abu Dhabi because he only held a single-entry visa. After a delay, local authorities arrived at a short-term solution which allowed him to travel to the team’s hotel with the rest of the touring party.”We were advised, on returning to India, that there was paperwork discrepancy with Rehan Ahmed’s visa,” an ECB spokesperson said on Tuesday. “The local authorities at Rajkot Airport were supportive, enabling Rehan entry on a temporary visa. The correct visa should be processed and issued in the coming days.”Rehan, the legspinning allrounder, trained with his team-mates at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday and is expected to receive clearance to remain in India shortly. He appears set to retain his place in England’s team for the third Test, which starts on Thursday, after taking six wickets in the second.The issue comes weeks after Shoaib Bashir’s arrival in India was delayed by a week because of the late issuing of his visa, which resulted in him missing the first Test in Hyderabad.Bashir, who has Pakistani heritage, eventually arrived on January 28 – the fourth day of the first Test – having initially remained in Abu Dhabi, where England had their pre-tour training camp, before returning to the UK to get his visa stamped. He went on to make his debut in the second Test at Visakhapatnam.Like Bashir, Rehan was born in England and has Pakistani heritage, but he had no initial trouble entering the country because of a visa he had secured in October as a standby player for England’s World Cup squad. His delay, seemingly the result of a clerical oversight by the ECB, is a problem that should not have arisen.Ollie Robinson, who is yet to feature in the series, revealed earlier on Monday that he only received his visa on the morning that England initially flew to Hyderabad from Abu Dhabi last month, having heard the previous night from team manager Wayne Bentley that another paperwork error had caused a delay.”He [Bentley] said, ‘your visa has been denied’ or something,” Robinson said on his podcast, . “There was an error at the ECB – I think they must have just put an initial wrong, or one letter must have been wrong. It didn’t pass. He was like, ‘you’re not coming to India – you have to stay here for another night… it could be two nights, could be three nights, don’t know how long it’s going to take.’ Luckily, I woke up in the morning to a nice message from Wayne saying ‘visa’s here’.”Ollie Pope, England’s vice-captain, described Rehan’s situation as “very frustrating” on Tuesday. “I’m not sure whose mistake it was. I don’t want to name any names,” Pope said. “It’s very frustrating, but hopefully [it] will all be sorted by the end of the day, he’s cleared for the next game and the rest of the trip. It’s a bit of bad luck, but hopefully all sorted.”It sounds pretty positive. I think we’re getting around Rehan. He’s in good spirits. He was training today. I think it was sorted fairly quickly yesterday, but obviously it’s all going on behind the scenes and hopefully it’ll all be sorted within the next day or so. He’s in good spirits, the boys are getting around him and he’s just happy to be out here training.”1230 GMT, Tuesday – This story was updated to include the ECB’s statement and Pope’s comments.

Borussia Dortmund have reignited plans to sign Carney Chukwuemeka on loan from Chelsea this summer as they search for Jamie Gittens' replacement.

BVB consider another loan deal for ChukwuemekaHead coach Niko Kovac has given his green lightClub seeking replacement for Gittens, who joined ChelseaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report from , Dortmund are keen on signing Chukwuemeka on a loan deal for another season, despite Chelsea's preference to sell the player. Having lost Gittens to the Blues earlier this summer, the Bundesliga giants have also shortlisted Brighton youngster Facundo Buonanotte as another top transfer target ahead of the upcoming season, as they aim to strengthen their attack.

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Dortmund are not ready to head into the upcoming season with just Jobe Bellingham and Patrick Drewes as reinforcements. They have examined the market for the best opportunities, and were even close to signing one player, but the club has reached the conclusion that Chukwuemeka stands out as the best option, both from a sporting and a financial perspective. Chelsea value the player at £40 million (€46.5m/$54m), but Dortmund are not willing to match the fee. They will propose a loan deal with an option to sign him permanently next summer due to concerns about his fitness. Head coach Kovac, as well as the club hierarchy, remain confident in the young midfielder's abilities after having him on loan for half a season in 2024-25. Interestingly, BVB could be tempted into purchasing the player rather than bringing him on loan, with the report claiming that the Club World Cup champions could consider offloading the 20-year-old for a cut-price €25m (£21.5m/$29m).

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On the other hand, Dortmund have intensified their pursuit of young Argentinian attacking midfielder and winger Buonanotte, who has been impressive for Brighton in the Premier League. French side Lyon have also entered the race to sign Buonanotte, but suggest that the 20-year-old has signalled his intention to opt for a move to Signal Iduna Park.

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Their attempts to lure Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri failed, with the teenager now close to securing a new deal at the Emirates Stadium. Die Schwarzgelben have been linked with a reunion with Jadon Sancho, but the Manchester United outcast's future remains a mystery. It remains to be seen if they can get deals for both Chukwuemeka and Buonanotte over the line, with the former also finding himself on the radar of Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig.

Arsenal finally ended their protracted search for a new striker by landing Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon in a £64 million deal, but Manchester United legend Paul Scholes isn't convinced that he is the right man to lead Mikel Arteta's attack. Scholes has raised doubts over how Gyokeres will fit into Arteta's system while suggesting he may not be the "clever" No.9 that the coach really wanted.

Scholes questions Gyokeres transferConcerns over striker fitting Arsenal styleGyokeres underwhelms in first pre-season gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Gyokeres’ journey to north London has been far from conventional. Originally on Brighton’s books, he made little impact in England before rising to prominence at Coventry City. His reputation skyrocketed after a move to Sporting Lisbon, where he scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 games. Last season alone, he found the net 52 times across 54 matches, including a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City, a feat that caught the eye of several top clubs, with Arsenal ultimately winning the race for his signature.

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Scholes has now questioned whether Arteta had truly prioritised Gyokeres, citing the drawn-out nature of the transfer talks with Sporting and Arsenal’s apparent indecisiveness as reasons to question if the Swede was their first-choice target.

Speaking on the United legend said: "[Arsenal needed a] Centre forward, I just wonder if you’ve chosen the right one. Because there was a lot of um-ing and ah-ing about it, I wondered if Mikel Arteta really wanted him, as the main one he wants? I’m not too sure, and he’s got him now.   

“He’s had a really strange career path – Brighton, Coventry, and then he’s gone to Sporting Lisbon and his goal record is absolutely brilliant – you can’t take that away from him. If there’s any team that he could go to and create chances, then it should be Arsenal and it should be a really good match."

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Scholes also raised concerns about whether Gyokeres’ playing style fits Arsenal’s system. At Sporting, he often thrived in a counter-attacking setup, using his strength and speed to overwhelm defenders on quick breaks. Arsenal, in contrast, are typically dominant in possession, requiring their forwards to be more subtle with movement and positioning in tight spaces.

"The only thing I’d say against Gyokeres really is that with Sporting Lisbon, he’s probably playing on the counter-attack a lot, in Europe especially," Scholes said. "You think of Arsenal, they have the ball an awful lot, is he going to be clever enough to make these runs in behind – a lot of him that you see, he’s sprinting from the halfway line almost, you can’t keep up with him, he’s ramming people, he’s quick and he’s smashing the ball in. Is he going to be that clever striker – we know (Alexander) Isak can do that. Can Gyokeres do that?"

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Gyokeres made his Arsenal debut last week in a pre-season fixture against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong. Coming on in the 77th minute, the Swede barely had an impact, recording just two touches as Arsenal slumped to a 1-0 defeat.

Having resumed on 62 without loss, Middlesex reach 303 for 6 at stumps, 120 ahead of Glamorgan

ECB Reporters Network18-May-2024A brilliant hundred from Mark Stoneman put Middlesex in command of their Vitality County Championship fixture against Glamorgan in Cardiff.Having resumed on 62 without loss, Middlesex reached 303 for 6 at the close, 120 runs in front of Glamorgan on first innings. Stoneman’s 129 backed up the excellent bowling effort from Middlesex as the visitors took complete control of this match.There were starts all of the Middlesex top order but three wickets from James Harris pegged back their progress. Ryan Higgins was the only player other than Stoneman to make a significant contribution as he finished the day on 53 not out.With two days left in this game Middlesex will be hopeful of pushing for their second victory of the season to cement their place in the promotion spots at the top of Division Two.Stoneman and Sam Robson looked comfortable against the Glamorgan attack in the first hour of the day’s play. Stoneman reached fifty from 76 balls and Robson was starting to find some fluency when the first wicket fell.Robson attempted a pull shot off James Harris as the ball got big on him and he looped a catch to Marnus Labuschagne at midwicket. It was one of the few balls that seemed to hurry a Middlesex batter in the first session with the opening pair putting on 97.Stoneman was joined by Max Holden and the two went about chasing down Glamorgan’s first-innings total of 183. They took the score to 170 for 1 at the lunch break with Stoneman undefeated on 99.It was the second ball after the lunch break when Stoneman reached his first century of the 2024 season, and his sixth for Middlesex. It was that same over when the stand of 74 between Stoneman and Holden was broken when the latter gloved a ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke.Leus du Plooy played some lovely shots during his brief stay at the crease but he fell in similar fashion to Robson. A short ball from Harris appeared to surprise him and he managed to edge onto his stumps for 15.Stoneman continued to look untroubled and when his wicket did come it was something of a surprise. He played a slog sweep off Kiran Carlson that came off the toe of his bat and he was easily caught at mid-on by Andy Gorvin.As Stoneman’s wicket fell, Middlesex were in front, but only by 52. There was a danger that a further flurry of wickets would undo a lot of the hard work Middlesex had put in to get themselves into that position. Some of those fears were allayed with a solid stand of 64 between Ryan Higgins and Nathan Fernandes that took Middlesex to 297 for 5.A heavy rain shower meant that tea was taken slightly early and it kept the players off the field for more than an hour and took 16 out of the game. When play did resume Higgins reached another half-century as his run tally for the season passed 500.A further wicket fell before the close when Ethan Bamber was unfortunate to be run out via a drive from Higgins that Jamie McIlroy got his finger tips to before it smashed into the stumps at the non-strikers end.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is certain to leave European champions Paris Saint-Germain after being excluded from their matchday squad that will face Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur in the midweek in the UEFA Super Cup. Donnarumma has been linked with a move away from PSG after refusing to put pen to paper on a new contract and his likely destination is the Premier League.

Donnarumma left out of UEFA Super Cup clashItalian goalkeeper likely to join an English clubPSG face Spurs on WednesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Donnarumma has been left out of PSG's matchday squad by manager Enrique for their upcoming UEFA Super Cup clash against Spurs. The Italian goalkeeper will not travel to Udine in the midweek with the rest of the first team squad for the club's 2025-26 season opener.

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reports Donnarumma's exclusion from the squad is a clear sign he will exit the Ligue 1 giants, either this summer or next season. The relationship between the club and the player is completely broken after he refused to sign a new contract.

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While there is no clarity on Donnarumma's future yet, Romano further claims he is likely to head to England and join a Premier League team amid strong interest from Manchester United, who are looking for Andre Onana's replacement.

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After the heartbreak in the Club World Cup in the US this summer, Enrique's side will aim to bounce back and claim another European title on Wednesday when they face Spurs.

Javier Mescherano faces a dilemma – how can Miami keep their star man fit while also pushing for every possible trophy?

At half time, Rodrigo De Paul sprinted to Lionel Messi's locker. There sat Messi, relaxed, disappointed – but assured. De Paul and Miami, meanwhile, were reaching the point of existential terror. Messi had gone off injured in the 11th minute of their Leagues Cup fixture with Necaxa.

He was able to walk off without help, but uncertainty about his status was rife. 

"I can't even describe to you how I felt when I saw him go down like that. Everyone knows he's not just a player, he's the soul of the team, the soul of the whole football," De Paul said after the game.

Messi assured him in the locker room. There was no rip, tear or pop. Instead, Messi had felt a tweak – what Javier Mascherano described as "discomfort." Still, De Paul's existential dread pointed to what might yet be a larger problem for Miami here. Messi is 38, he will need to miss games.

Messi completed his third consecutive full training session with his teammates and will be included in Javier Mascherano’s squad for Saturday’s MLS match against LA Galaxy, with the manager saying Friday, "Leo is fine, he’s been training with the team since Wednesday – you’ve seen him yourselves – and we believe he’ll be in the squad."

But what this season has already made clear is that those moments when he goes to ground and can't get up with the same spring are becoming increasingly common. Indeed, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner needs protecting more than ever – or Miami's title hopes might crumble. 

Getty Images SportA near-impossible decision

In retrospect, should Messi have even played against Necaxa? He didn't need to suit up after just one day of actual rest following their nervy, ugly, narrow 2-1 win over Atlas. Athletes of his age tend to get time to recover, recuperate, and work their way back. They rarely play a full 90 minutes at all. But Messi is not normal. He has more control, more autonomy.

There is a club issue, and a player issue.

For Miami, it's a near impossible decision. Mascherano may be the manager, but his actual power here is admittedly limited. He has been hired in large part because of is relationship with Messi – not due to his coaching nous or ability to control a locker room.

Messi seemingly tells Mascherano that he is able to play, and Mascherano agrees. The club, meanwhile, have a certain obligation – fair or otherwise – to MLS writ large. They were fined last year for giving Sergio Busquets a night off on a road trip to Vancouver. There is a league-wide expectation that Messi will show up to every game – the league even suspended Messi for not playing in the annual summer All-Star Game – and play every second that he possibly can. 

And more broadly, how do you tell the best of all time that he shouldn't play? To be sure, Messi knows his body. But he is also an ultimate competitor. He has probably played through bumps, niggles and knocks throughout his career.

Messi is in his 22nd professional season, and had played in more than 1,100 matches, not including the youth level. Still, this is a footballer trying to squeeze every last ounce of sport out of his aging body. Can you really begrudge him for wanting to put the boots on? 

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It would be easier to accept, of course, if Miami were on a simple, predictable and reasonable cadence of fixtures. The reality is, the Herons are being put through the ringer. The month of June, in particular, was grueling. Miami competed in both MLS and the Club World Cup. The latter tournament was a strain on every collective sinew of the Herons squad, presenting four high-intensity fixtures against (mostly) superior competition.

They picked up three injuries in the first game. Messi looked exhausted by the third and fourth. Even the amateur body language experts of social media could tell that something was amiss. Miami were thrust back into MLS, and now have Leagues Cup to contend with.

Messi – ever the good soldier, MLS ASG notwithstanding – played 11 matches from June 14 to July 30. He started all of them, and didn't get subbed off once. This is not a normal thing to ask of any footballer, never mind someone in the twilight of their career. Mascherano has repeatedly complained about how packed the schedule is, and admitted that Messi needed rest.

"Our initial plan was to give him some rest," Mascherano revealed after their win over New England Revolution last month. "But once New England scored, we felt the pressure and decided to keep him on. In the next few matches, we need to find the right moment to let him rest."

AFPResponding to Messi-mania

But finding those moments is impossible. There are a multitude of reasons. The painfully obvious, and perhaps too easily ignored, one, is that Messi is a star player. Miami aren't entirely reliant on him, but they're close.

Multiple people, both around the club and observing from afar, pointed out that the Herons managed to rack up results last summer when Messi was out with an ankle injury. But that was also a kind slate of fixtures, and coincided with a fine run of form from the now-really-aging Luis Suarez. 

How vital is he? Messi's goalscoring streak this summer included braces in five straight games and six out of seven, leading Mascherano to gush, "He generates all of this. I think the admiration is total, but it’s not just because of the kind of footballer he is. I think he’s a role model, someone who transcends the sport. Any sports fan feels admiration for athletes like Messi, Michael Jordan, Rafael Nadal – people who have made history in their sport. We are very privileged to witness this up close.”

And there remains the obligation to the league. Messi-mania has tempered since he first arrived in the league. Those early days felt like a fever dream frenzy of Leopropaganda. Fans paid into the thousands to see him do his thing, while he was relentlessly marketed both online and in advertising campaigns. You couldn't avoid it.

And even things are a little calmer now, Messi is still the centerpiece of the whole league. MLS still has quite a fun identity without him, but Miami are expected to run him out whenever they can. He is, after all, what most of the fans pay for. 

And perhaps most importantly, every game feels important for Miami. Unlike some of the competitions Messi would have played in during his Barcelona or PSG days, there are no fixtures that the Herons can coast through. MLS matters, but so does Leagues Cup. They clearly also took the Club World Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup seriously.

There are no off days here.

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Getty Images SportHow to keep a GOAT going

So what are some solutions here? The first fortunate timing of international breaks. Messi picked up a freak adductor injury, ever so conveniently, right before Argentina's international qualifying window earlier this year. In a wonderful stroke of luck, he was back just in time to play for Miami next time out. Those windows can certainly offer some rest, and there is one in both September and October. 

More broadly, it depends on where Miami stands as the season trundles along. The hard part of their schedule, in all honesty, is done. Miami sit sixth in the Eastern Conference with 42 points, seven behind second-place FC Cincinnati and nine back of the leaders, Philadelphia Union. They've only had one win in their last four league matches, and have the LA Galaxy, D.C. United Chicago Fire coming up – along with a Leagues Cup match against Tigres next week.

There would certainly be scope for a night off there. The same can be said for another three game slate of Toronto, New England and Atlanta United, later on in the season. They only play one team, Nashville, higher than them in the Eastern Conference standings over the rest of the season. If they get it right, Miami can pick and choose, work Messi in and out of the side, and figure out the optimal moments to at least bench him. 

Or, they just might have to accept that they might not get the full version of Messi, the best genre of his experience. Sure, the rest of the regular season might offer scope for some time off. But the playoffs won't. And once again, they will be grueling three game series against very good sides. Miami could draw one Columbus or Orlando City, based on current standings. Neither would be a fun matchup. 

There is also the option to bring him off the bench. During the end of his Real Madrid tenure, Luka Modric would supposedly just tell Carlo Ancelotti roughly how many minutes he could play on any given night – and the manager would oblige. Perhaps they can figure out a similar system.

In any case, Messi's legs aren't getting any younger. Miami need to figure out how – and when – to make the most of them.

Enzo Maresca has squashed talk suggesting Wesley Fofana wants to leave Chelsea, despite the defender removing the Blues from his socials.

Fofana removed Chelsea from his InstagramFrench star has struggled with injuriesMaresca says defender is happyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Eagle-eyed social media watchers spotted Fofana had deleted all mention of Chelsea from his Instagram account, but the Blues boss has assured fans there's no issue with the defender. While Fofana has struggled with various injuries, he was on the bench for the season opener with Crystal Palace and is expected to feature against West Ham on Friday.

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Fofana received abuse online after it was spotted his Insta profile had changed, some of it of a racist nature. Maresca addressed the issue, saying: "There is nothing good to add on that. If there was abuse on Instagram, it's never good for any human being in the world. But it is something we cannot control."

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Maresca said: "I spoke with Wes yesterday. He is very, very happy. First of all because he is back from injury. He is joining all the sessions with us. He is very happy. He was on the bench against Palace. From tomorrow, he is also with us and he can also get some minutes. He is very happy and we are very happy. On Instagram, I don't have any idea."

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Fofana is still working his way back to full fitness but, as Maresca says, he featured on the bench against Palace and is in the frame for some minutes in Friday's London derby against West Ham. The Hammers have won four of their last eight home league games against the Blues.

Barcelona’s ongoing financial fair play crisis has complicated things for Roony Bardghji's registration, putting his future in doubt already.

Barcelona struggling to register new playersBardghji, Szczesny and Martin remain unregisteredFlick expressed frustration with the situationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona find themselves in a frustrating and all-too-familiar position as they struggle to register players with La Liga. Despite having already signed several new players, the club failed to register the likes of defender Gerard Martin, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and winger Bardghji for the start of the season. The administrative delays have left manager Hansi Flick exasperated, according to AS, with a possible transfer in the works for the Swedish player.

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The situations of the three unregistered players are all linked but have different complexities. The club have a good prognosis for Martin's registration, which is expected to be completed as soon as Oriol Romeu finalises his contract termination. Similarly, Szczesny's registration is contingent on goalkeeper Inaki Pena renewing his contract and going on loan, thus taking at least a chunk of his wages off their books. However, the case of Bardghji is the most complicated. His registration can only happen if Barce secure additional income or makes an unexpected sale. While Bardghji has reportedly told Flick he has no intention of leaving, the club are exploring the possibility of loaning him out, potentially back to Copenhagen.

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Bardghji only joined Barca from Danish side Copenhagen this summer and was expected to play a limited role in his first season given he is only 19 years old and faces immense competition for a place in the team.

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The clock is ticking for the Spanish champions, with the transfer window set to close next week. Their immediate focus must be on resolving the financial hurdles and either offloading players or finding a temporary solution to register its new signings.