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Brighton could be without as many as 10 players for Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester City at the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls' packed treatment room includes Ferdi Kadioglu (toe), Igor Julio, Adam Webster, James Milner (all hamstring), Georginio Rutter (ankle), Tariq Lamptey (ankle) and Jason Steele (shoulder) who are all nursing injuries.
Kaoru Mitoma hobbled off with an apparent knock midway through the second half of Brighton's 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend and will be assessed ahead of kickoff along with Joel Veltman (ankle).
Jan Paul van Hecke is suspended after being sent off late on in the defeat to Palace, so head coach Fabian Hurzeler may hand January signing Eiran Cashin his full debut at centre-back alongside captain Lewis Dunk.
While Jack Hinshelwood and Pervis Estupinan are set to continue as full-backs, Yasin Ayari and Diego Gomez will battle for a start alongside Carlos Baleba in centre-midfield.
Matt O'Riley started in an advanced central role behind Danny Welbeck last time out, but he could be replaced by Joao Pedro this weekend, while Yankuba Minteh and Mitoma - if fit - are set to operate on the flanks. Simon Adingra and Solly March are two more wide options available to Hurzeler.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Cashin, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck > Click here to see how Leicester City could line up for this contestMore must-reads:
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Rodrygo Still Pricing Himself Out of a Move as Arsenal and Liverpool Back Off
Rodrygo is playing a dangerous game, one that is only prolonging his frustrations at Real Madrid. In a 2023-24 league campaign where Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior overshadowed him, things worsened for the Brazilian towards the end of last season when he appeared to lose his place in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI. By then, the expectation was that Rodrygo would leave the Santiago Bernabéu. Then came the Arsenal links. However, with Ancelotti’s departure and Xabi Alonso taking charge, Rodrygo and his camp saw the managerial change as an opportunity to re-establish himself. Rodrygo’s future at Madrid looks bleak Unfortunately, that hasn’t materialised. Rodrygo struggled to reclaim his starting spot at the Club World Cup, playing a limited role as Alonso favoured Arda Güler. Güler is expected to be ahead of Rodrygo next season, and to make matters worse, there is talk of Endrick being converted into a winger, plus the arrival of Franco Mastantuono. With all three likely ahead of him in the pecking order, Rodrygo’s best move would be to push for an exit. Yet, interestingly, he remains hesitant. When approached, he is reportedly scaring off suitors with his demands. Liverpool’s view on a Rodrygo swoop Liverpool were once seen as his most likely destination after Arsenal cooled their interest. However, they are now said to have pulled out, citing wage demands. On The Transfer Show podcast, Dave Davis told Trev Downey: “Young Rodrygo, 400,000 euros a week, you know, for the basic wage ask. That’s Alisson, VVD salary levels… and that’s before bonuses and other things as well.” With Liverpool’s structured wage system, those demands are a non-starter. While the league champions backing away opens the door for Arsenal, they have signed Noni Madueke and are unlikely to entertain such hefty wage expectations. One chance missed? If Rodrygo were wise, he would have moved when Arsenal knocked. He would also have had to tame his wage demands, given his hefty asking price. Now, he joins Dusan Vlahović and Benjamin Šeško on the growing list of players who missed their one chance to impress at the Emirates. Opinion: Should Arsenal now forget about a move for Rodrygo? Let us know your thoughts. __________________________________________________________________________________________
Royals acquire outfield help in perplexing trade with Diamondbacks
The Kansas City Royals were hoping to bolster their outfield ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. They were able to do just that in a trade on Saturday. Steve Gilbert from MLB.com reported that the Royals have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mark Feinsand from MLB.com reported that relief pitcher Andrew Hoffman will head to Arizona in exchange for Grichuk. The Royals desperately needed help in their outfield. Royals outfielders had been the worst in the majors, posting an atrocious .219/.273/.328 batting line with just 19 home runs entering Saturday's action. Although Grichuk is in the midst of a disappointing season himself, he is an immediate upgrade over whatever the Royals have sent into the outfield. Grichuk had posted a .243/.280/.462 batting line in 186 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting seven homers and 15 doubles. In exchange, the Diamondbacks receive Hoffman, who FanGraphs ranked as the Royals' 22nd-best prospect entering the season. His upper-90s fastball and new kick change are both considered plus offerings, although his ability to command his arsenal is questionable at best. Hoffman's potential and flaws were evident this season. He made his major league debut for the Royals, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, striking out five. However, Hoffman had dominated at Triple-A, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 1.125 WHiP over his 40 innings, striking out 55 batters with just 10 walks. He is another intriguing addition for a Diamondbacks team that has prioritized pitching in their two trades thus far. The same upside does not exist for the Royals. Kansas City had the same record as the Diamondbacks entering the second game of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Grichuk signed a one-year contract with $5 million guaranteed for 2025. There is a mutual option worth $5 million, with a $3 million buyout, for 2026. Theoretically, Grichuk could be part of the Royals' plans next season. However, mutual options are rarely picked up. As the Royals are currently under .500 and need to pass four teams in the standings to seize the final wild-card spot, adding a rental option does not make sense. It is possible that both sides can work out an arrangement for 2026, but unless that happens, the Royals' latest move is questionable at best.
New suitor emerges for Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
Sparks roll toward playoff spot with buzzer-beating win against Liberty
The Los Angeles Sparks are the hottest team in the WNBA right now, and they keep inching their way toward a playoff spot. Their winning streak extended to five games on Saturday night with what was their biggest win of the season, knocking off the defending champion New York Liberty by a 101-99 margin. They got the win when second-year player Rickea Jackson hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating lay-up at the end of the fourth quarter to break a tie. Along with making the game-winning shot, Jackson also finished with a team-leading 24 points in the win. It was not only the Sparks' biggest win of the season, but it was also one of the best games of the WNBA season overall. The Liberty overcame a 13-point halftime deficit and tied the game with less than 25 seconds to play in regulation, setting the stage for Jackson's winning shot. The five-game winning streak is huge for the Sparks because it has put them right back into the mix for a playoff spot. With Saturday's win, the Sparks (11-14) are just one game back of the Las Vegas Aces (12-13) for the final playoff spot. Whether they end up getting that spot or not, there is undeniable growth for the Sparks as this season has gone on. After finishing with the league's worst record a year ago and winning just eight games, they have already exceeded that win total and are on track to crush it this season. The Sparks have not made the playoffs since the 2020 season and are at least playing their way back into contention this season.
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