The Bangladesh Today (15-12-2017)

SPORTS
FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 15, 2017
9
Malan's century came in 221 minutes and off 159 balls, including 13 fours and a six.
Mourinho
reveals Bailly
could be out
for season
MANCHESTER, United
Kingdom, Dec 14, 2017
(BSS/AFP) - Jose Mourinho
admitted he is not certain if
Manchester United
defender Eric Bailly will play
again this season after
revealing he may need
surgery on a persistent ankle
injury. Bailly, 23, has not
played for United since a
defeat at Chelsea at the start
of last month, having
sustained the injury while on
international duty with the
Ivory Coast.
And United manager
Mourinho, who signed the
centre-back from Villarreal
last year, admits he is
concerned by the lack of
progress.
Speaking
after
Wednesday's 1-0 victory
over Bournemouth,
Mourinho said: "I think it's
serious. I don't know. It's an
injury that comes from last
time he went to the national
team.
"Since then we were trying
a conservative treatment but
if that conservative
treatment is not resulting
how we want, he will either
have surgery or a procedure.
Let's wait a little bit more.
"I'm not a doctor, probably
the doctor can inform you,
there is nothing to hide. I
don't want to be
pessimistic."
In Bailly's absence,
England pair Chris Smalling
and Phil Jones had
established themselves as
Mourinho's centre-back
pairing of choice until
Marcos Rojo returned from
a long-term injury lay-off of
his own recently.
"Tonight, we had Smalling
and Jones," said Mourinho.
"Lindelof was on the bench,
Blind was on the bench,
Marcos Rojo was injured,
but nothing serious.
"During the whole season
we had problems with
central defenders but
because we now have four or
five (of them) we always
manage. And Chris Smalling
is playing amazingly well
now, for seven or eight
matches in a row. So we are
fine." One player who was
not involved in the victory
over Bournemouth was
midfielder.
Chris Froome became the first British winner of the Vuelta a Espana this year.
Photo: BBC.
BCB announces
itinerary of Tigers’
tri-nation series
DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board
(BCB) on Thursday announced the itinerary
for the tri-nation series involving
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe,
reports BSS.
All the matches of the tri-nation series will
be held at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium (SBNCS) at Mirpur under the flood
light.
Besides, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will play
two-match Test and T20i series.
Zimbabwe team is scheduled to arrive in the
city on January 10 while Sri Lankan team
will arrive on January 13.
Bangladesh will start their tri nation
campaign taking on Zimbabwe on January
15 while they will play their second match
against Sri Lanka on January 19.
The Tigers will again meet Zimbabwe on
January 23 and play the fourth ODI match
against Sri Lanka on January 25.
The final of the series will be held on
January 27.
After the series, both Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka will move to Chittagong to play the
first Test of the two-match series from
January 31 to February 4 at Zahur Ahmed
Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong before
the two sides return to
the capital to play the second and final Test
from February 8-12 at SBNCS.
After the Test series, the two sides will play
the two-match T20I in which the first one
will be played at SBNCS and the second one
at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in
Sylhet.
Klopp defends rotation
after Liverpool held again
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Jurgen
Klopp insisted he won't ditch his rotation
policy after the German's decision to make
six changes back-fired in a 0-0 draw against
lowly West Bromwich Albion, reports BSS.
Klopp claimed Liverpool were unlucky as
they were denied victory when Dominic
Solanke had a goal ruled out for handball
with eight minutes left at Anfield on
Wednesday.
Solanke's disallowed goal was the main
talking point, but the discussion before kickoff
centred around the Liverpool manager's
decision to significantly alter the team who
were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Everton
on Sunday.
Klopp recalled Philippe Coutinho and
Roberto Firmino, both surprisingly named
on the bench against Everton, to form a
powerful attacking threat along with Sadio
Mane and Mohamed Salah.
He also brought Emre Can and Georginio
Wijnaldum into midfield, named Trent
Alexander-Arnold in place of Joe Gomez at
right-back and replaced Simon Mignolet
with Loris Karius in goal.
Klopp said that Mignolet was rested as a
precaution after picking up an ankle knock
against Everton, and said he felt the team he
picked was capable of winning the game.
His selections have come under the
spotlight for the number of times he switches
personnel; he has made no fewer than 65
changes to his starting line-ups in the
Premier League this season, more than any
other manager in the division.
Asked if he felt his selection against West
Brom worked, Klopp said: "That's not my job
to talk about. I made the decision already,
and if we don't win, for me, it's like it didn't
work. "That happens quite a lot in the life of
a manager. But it would make no sense to be
too frustrated about that.
"I was 100 percent convinced about this
line-up, like I was 100 percent convinced
about the last line-up. But this time at least
you cannot blame me for it, or probably you
will, I'm not sure."
- No luck for Klopp -
Klopp felt that Solanke's disallowed goal
was a borderline decision, even though
television replays suggested that it was
handball.
"It's difficult. For me, it's twice deflected
and I'm still not sure if the hand was with the
ball. It looks like chest. In the game it looked
100 per cent like chest," he said.
"Afterwards I had a few replays, there's an
arm but not sure if he touches the ball.
"It must be a really good assistant that
made the decision. He will be happy
probably if there was a hand involved.
"That's another moment where we had no
luck, because if he doesn't see it or he's not
sure - or not as sure as he obviously was - it's
a goal."
West Brom set an unwanted club record of
16 consecutive matches without victory, yet
emerged with great credit for seeing out the
game to earn the point that lifted them out of
the Premier League relegation zone.
Albion boss Alan Pardew said the decision
to disallow Solanke's goal was a brave call.
"It hit Solanke and he's swung his arm and
it's gone in. It's a brave call for a linesman to
make in front of the Kop," he said.
Photo: BBC.
Christmas
congestion no
excuse - Rodgers
GLASGOW: Celtic manager
Brendan Rodgers says his
side's hectic festive fixture
list is not an excuse for any
dip in performances from
the Scottish champions.
A clinical first-half
performance from the
Glasgow giants saw them
record a 3-1 win over
Hamilton on Wednesday to
extend their unbeaten
domestic run to 69
matches.
But the Hoops, who were
playing their fourth game in
11 days, tired in the second
half as Hamilton rallied,
with Rakish Bingham
hitting the post.
It comes on the back of
Celtic's 2-2 draw with
Hibernian on Sunday, when
Rodgers's side threw away a
two-goal lead with 15
minutes remaining.
The Scottish Premiership
leaders face another five
games before the end of
December, but Rodgers
insists his players can cope
with their heavy workload.
"We know that we are in a
run of games, but it's a
really tight schedule and it
has been since June," the
Northern Irishman said.
"From our first preseason
game we've been
training and then playing
right the way through to
now, but it's not an excuse
for us.
"We have to be ready to
work hard in the game,
press the game and when
we have the ball, look after
it. "I thought in the main
the team did that very well.
Of course Hamilton could
put some risk into the game
towards the end, but we saw
it through and got the
result."
Monaco look to revive
title challenge
PARIS: Leonardo Jardim's Monaco head to
Saint-Etienne on Friday hoping to put a
recent slump in form firmly behind them
with a third straight Ligue 1 victory, reports
BSS.
The reigning French champions sit nine
points adrift of league leaders Paris Saint-
Germain, who visit Rennes on Saturday,
after following back-to-back defeats with
successive wins over lowly Angers and
Troyes.
They should face a tougher test against
Saint-Etienne, although Les Verts are also
struggling at the wrong end of the table after
an eight-match winless streak.
"Saint-Etienne are going through a
difficult time but they're a big club," said
Monaco coach Jardim.
"They have been at the top of the table in
recent years. We have to respect them and
play at 100 percent to get the three points."
It has been a difficult season for the
principality club after losing Kylian Mbappe,
Tiemoue Bakayoko, Bernardo Silva and
Benjamin Mendy during the transfer
window, while Djibril Sidibe and Thomas
Lemar have struggled with injuries. There
was more bad news for Jardim on
Wednesday, as Brazil midfielder Fabinho
said he expects to leave Monaco at the end of
the season.
But with their European campaign
brought to an abrupt end by a string of poor
performances and a bottom-placed finish in
their Champions League group, Monaco's
depleted squad can now turn their attentions
solely to domestic matters.
Colombian Radamel Falcao has led from
the front with 18 goals in all competitions,
including a remarkable 50-yard strike in
Tuesday's League Cup win over Caen and
Monaco will be hoping for more of the same
from their captain.
- PSG bid to stretch further clear -
PSG have already ensured they will head
into the winter break top of the table, but
have shown signs of weakness this month
with losses to Strasbourg and Bayern
Munich.
But they brushed aside Strasbourg in the
French League Cup on Wednesday without
Neymar and Mbappe, who are both expected
to return to the starting line-up at the
weekend.
Neymar will return to training on
Thursday after a trip to his native Brazil for a
'family problem', having also been
suspended for last week's win over Lille.
The world's most expensive player hasn't
had the smoothest of seasons off the field
since joining PSG from Barcelona, and
Brazilian website Globoesporte suggested
the player could have been at the birthday
party of his friend's father.
But Unai Emery's men will be heavy
favourites to see off Rennes, as the Spanish
coach will be keen to see his side move
further clear before they return to
Champions League action against holders
Real Madrid in the last 16 in February.
Alongside Monaco nine points adrift are
Lyon and Marseille.
Those two teams go head-to-head in the
big match on Sunday, as the race for a topthree
spot and a place in the Champions
League takes centre stage.
Marseille will put a 12-match unbeaten
run in the league on the line at Lyon, who
will be looking to bounce back from a 4-1
League Cup loss at Montpellier.
Player to watch: Guido Carrillo
Argentinian Guido Carrillo has hit form
for Monaco in recent days, with closeseason
additions Stevan Jovetic and Keita
Balde both struggling for consistency,
scoring three goals in his last two games.
"He knows how to seize the
opportunities that I give him. It's no
coincidence that he's already our second
leading scorer," said Jardim. Carrillo has
only made two Ligue 1 starts this term, but
two of his four goals came last weekend
against Troyes.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Monaco (1945)
Saturday
Rennes v Paris Saint-Germain (1600),
Caen v Guingamp, Dijon v Lille,
Montpellier v Metz, Strasbourg v Toulouse,
Troyes v Amiens (all 1900)
Sunday
Nantes v Angers (1400), Nice v Bordeaux
(1600), Lyon v Marseille (2000).
Romelu Lukaku scored his ninth league goal of the season for Manchester United.
Photo: BBC.
Pochettino spies good omens
for Man City trip
LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino
reflected with satisfaction on
Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 win over
Brighton and Hove Albion despite
the slightly fortunate nature of his
side's goals, reports BSS.
Serge Aurier's freakish first goal
for Tottenham after 40 minutes
broke the deadlock at Wembley on
Wednesday, his cross going straight
into the net to break Brighton's
dogged resistance.
A deflected header by Son Heungmin
three minutes from time sealed
three points that took the London
club into fourth place in the Premier
League at the expense of Liverpool,
who drew 0-0 at home to West
Bromwich Albion.
Pochettino will head to Premier
League leaders Manchester City in
an optimistic mood, saying: "I am a
positive person. I am happy we won
and the three points are so
important for us.
"What is going to happen on
Saturday? Who knows? I am going
to Manchester to try to win and
thinking that we can win.
"We have had three victories in a
row -- one in the Champions League,
two in the Premier League -- and it's
important for us to feel we can get
higher in the table because the
season is still so long.
"You start to lose when you start to
think in a negative way. We are going
to enjoy it because it's a fantastic
challenge to play against Manchester
City.
"We are going to play against, I
think this year, the best team in
England and one of the best teams in
Europe.
"I want it to excite the players. I
want to play against teams with
managers like (Pep) Guardiola who
are the best. I am so excited, so
motivated, so happy that we are
playing a team that is the best."
The only negative note struck by
Pochettino came when he was asked
whether Dele Alli had been unhappy
to start on the bench.
"Come on," said the Spurs
manager. "With Tottenham it's a
specialism to create problems.
"He was on the bench and played
20 minutes. How would any player
react? Sure, no-one is happy to be on
the bench. That is football. Better to
talk about Son deserving to score.
He's happy."
- 'Two poor goals' -
Pochettino welcomed the
performance of Erik Lamela on his
first start since October 2016
following two operations on a
troublesome hip, but admitted
fortune had been with his side in
Aurier's goal.
"Yes, of course, (the luck) helped a
lot," said the Argentinian, whose
side trail third-place Chelsea by four
points.
"When the opponent is so deep
and plays only to defend, it's not
easy. The team created a lot of
chances and deserved to score before
(Aurier's goal), but that's football.
"We fought hard and I'm very
happy with the victory and the
performance generally was good."
Promoted Brighton defended
resolutely, but never seriously
looked like avoiding defeat after
going behind.
"You know it's going to be a
difficult evening and you know
you're going to have to defend well,
but we conceded two poor goals,"
said Chris Hughton, the Brighton
manager and former Tottenham
defender.
Brighton have taken only one point
from their past five matches and are
now only three points above the
relegation places.
"We went through a really good
period and we're now in a difficult
one, but we have to accept that that
can happen and was always going to
at some point," Hughton said.
"What defines you is how you
come through that. It's a
disappointed changing room, which
is good to see, but it's my job to
channel that positively."