Hardik, Pollard, Tiwary swing tight contest Mumbai's way

Result lifts Mumbai Indians to fifth spot, Punjab Kings go to sixth

Peter Della Penna28-Sep-20212:02

Kieron Pollard gets to 300 T20 wickets: ‘Fabulous awareness, reading of the game’

Not for the first time this season, Punjab Kings paid the price for losing their nerve at the death. After failing to score any boundaries in the final four overs to stutter to 135 for 6, their own death bowlers leaked a combination of four fours and three sixes to the power-hitting pair of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard from the 17th to 19th, rending the last over unnecessary as a 15-minute sequence turned a tense chase into an easy six-wicket win for Mumbai Indians.Hardik made Kings pay for giving him an extra life on 7 in the 14th over when Harpreet Brar spilled a relatively straightforward chance above his head trying to intercept a cut at backward point off Arshdeep Singh. With momentum swinging ever so slightly to Kings after the fall of Saurabh Tiwary in the 16th for 45 to leave Indians needing 40 off the last four overs, Hardik stole it back by flicking Mohammed Shami for four and six over the leg side in the 17th. Pollard that drove a pair of misfired yorkers from Arshdeep over the off side for four and six in the 18th before a trio of boundaries from Hardik off Shami clinched the match one over later as the winning runs were spilled once again over the rope at long-on by Deepak Hooda.Collapse of the KingsAfter a relatively decent start moving to 36 for 0 in the sixth over having been sent in to bat first, Kings innings went haywire in a 15-ball sequence that saw them lose four wickets for 12 runs. Mandeep Singh was the first to go, tied down by Krunal Pandya’s left-arm spin in the powerplay and pressured into trying a sweep to release the pressure only to be pinned lbw for 15. It was Krunal’s 50th wicket in the IPL, making him just the eighth player in the tournament’s history to pull off the 50-wicket, 1000 run career double.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

More achievements were unlocked in the seventh over when Pollard had Chris Gayle driving to long-on for 1 followed by KL Rahul mistiming a pull to short fine leg for 21 just two balls later. It was Pollard’s only over of the night but it was all he needed to move up to 300 career wickets in T20 cricket. The mini collapse concluded in the eighth when Nicholas Pooran clumsily played around a full toss from Jasprit Bumrah and was given out lbw for 2, a decision that was upheld on DRS. At 48 for 4, Kings were brought back to respectability thanks to a 61-run stand between Aiden Markram and Hooda, but all their hard work was undone by Mumbai death bowling thanks to a pair of usual suspects.Bumrah and Coulter-Nile stifle Kings furtherMarkram started off the 16th with a four clipped off Rahul Chahar. Despite having six wickets in hand and 29 balls remaining, that would prove to be the last boundary of the Kings innings. Markram was bowled missing a sweep next ball to Chahar before the legspinner handed over the death bowling reins to Bumrah and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who were relentless in the final four overs.Jasprit Bumrah had Nicholas Pooran out lbw•BCCI

Bumrah had Hooda chipping to Pollard at long-off in the 19th for the sixth and final wicket to fall in the innings, though he had another put down on his next delivery on a near collision between himself and Suryakumar Yadav running in from deep midwicket. But he only managed to concede 11 runs off his last two overs. Coulter-Nile was practically just as stingy, giving up 12 off his final 12 balls as Kings ran out of gunpowder once the set pair of Markram and Hooda departed.Kings stumble again near the finish lineRavi Bishnoi struck a pair of blows in the fourth over, getting Rohit Sharma to slap a catch to mid-on for 8 before bowling Suryakumar with a googly first ball. Tiwary nearly rounded off a would-be hat-trick sequence but his leading edge fell just short of cover. Still at 16 for 2, Mumbai progressed in first gear for the first half of the chase as Quinton de Kock’s pained innings finally came to an end in the 10th over for 27 off 29 balls when he dragged Shami onto his stumps.Needing 74 off the last 10, Kings kept Mumbai under pressure but were let down by their fielding in the end. Hardik was dropped twice on the way to his unbeaten 40 off 30 balls, the first one on 7 proving especially costly. Whereas Bumrah and Coulter-Nile showcased their surgical precision at the death, Shami and Arshdeep could not get their lengths right. Pollard’s brief punishment of Arshdeep in the 18th swung momentum fully to Mumbai and cemented his Player of the Match award ahead of both Hardik and Tiwary when combined with his double-wicket over in the first half of play which claimed Gayle and Rahul.

Recuperado de Covid, Matheus Nascimento retorna aos treinos no Botafogo

MatériaMais Notícias

Enderson Moreira pode ter ganho um “reforço caseiro” de última hora para a estreia do Botafogo no Campeonato Carioca. Recuperado de Covid-19, Matheus Nascimento treinou neste sábado e tenta voltar à ativa para a partida contra o Boavista na próxima terça-feira, no Estádio Nilton Santos.

RelacionadasBotafogoTreinador do time feminino do Botafogo elogia diretoria: ‘A estrutura melhorou’Botafogo22/01/2022BotafogoVeloz e ‘criador de chances’: jornalista detalha ao L! como Erison pode contribuir para o BotafogoBotafogo21/01/2022PalmeirasAo Palmeiras, estafe de Luiz Adriano diz que atacante quer jogar no exteriorPalmeiras21/01/2022

O atacante testou positivo no começo da semana. Desde então, passou a ser acompanhado pelo Departamento Médico do Botafogo e fez exames médicos diários. Com uma nova testagem negativa e sem sintomas, foi liberado para retornar aos treinos.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

Vale lembrar que o procedimento do Campeonato Carioca é que o jogador apresente exame negativo 48 horas antes da partida. Ou seja, Matheus Nascimento estaria liberado para jogar contra o Boavista se novamente testar negativo neste domingo.

Durante o período que esteve fora, Gabriel Conceição treinou entre os titulares e foi utilizado por Enderson Moreira nos treinos. Matheus, porém, era o nome do onze inicial antes de ter tido Covid.

Celtic star was ‘like Van Dijk’, now his career has nosedived after leaving

What a week it has been for Brendan Rodgers and Celtic, with the Old Firm giants marching on both domestically and in Europe with two statement victories.

On Saturday evening, the Hoops put their closest title rivals to the sword following a thumping 6-0 win over Aberdeen in the League Cup, prior to then seeing off the second-best team in Germany, RB Leipzig, with a 3-1 triumph in the Champions League.

Much focus will undoubtedly be on the attacking prowess of the Glasgow side amid that nine-goal haul across the past few days, although praise must also be centred on the club’s new-found defensive resilience, having conceded just once in that time.

The emergence of summer signing Auston Trusty – who was “phenomenal” against the Bundesliga side, according to Chris Sutton – has certainly helped matters, although his compatriot Cameron Carter-Vickers remains the key asset at the heart of the defence, with 26-year-old also opening the scoring at Hampden Park at the weekend.

Trusty & Carter-Vickers vs Leipzig

Stat

Trusty

Carter-Vickers

Minutes played

90

74

Touches

111

88

Pass accuracy

97%

98%

Ground duels won

5/5

3/4

Aerial duels won

1/3

2/3

Possession lost

3x

3x

Long balls completed

0/1

3/3

Clearances

4

2

Tackles

3

2

Blocks

1

1

Stats via Sofascore

It has been said time and again, but Carter-Vickers is the “best centre-half” that the Parkhead side have had “since [Virgil] van Dijk” – as noted by former Northern Ireland international, Ryan McLaughlin – with many a centre-back having been unable to quite reach the Dutchman’s levels in the years before that.

Celtic's candidates to replace Van Dijk

In truth, not much needs to be said of Van Dijk’s impact in Scotland during his two-year spell at Celtic Park, with former boss Neil Lennon putting it best when he said that the former Groningen man simply “had everything”.

Virgil van Dijk

Following his inevitable departure to Southampton in the summer of 2015 – prior to later joining current side, Liverpool – the Hoops sought to try and fill that void, albeit with mixed success.

As Van Dijk departed, in came the likes of Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic, while subsequent years also saw a mixed bag of additions in the form of Kristoffer Ajer, Kolo Toure and Marvin Compper, among others.

Perhaps one of the closest to emulating Van Dijk could well have been Christopher Jullien – who Lennon said had “similar attributes” to the Netherlands star – albeit with injury ultimately wrecking any hopes of a consistent run in the side for the towering Frenchman.

Prior to Jullien’s arrival, however, there had been a short period in which an on-loan talent had looked like being able to fill Van Dijk’s shoes in Glasgow, with a certain Filip Benkovic having made a brief, but lasting impression on the Hoops.

Celtic's next Van Dijk is now struggling

Signed on a season-long loan deal from Leicester City back in 2018, the Croatian giant certainly made his presence felt in that solitary campaign in Scottish football, even despite making just 27 appearances in all competitions.

As The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin noted when discussing the club’s best loan signings since 2000, Benkovic is definitely worthy of a nod, having been ‘hugely impressive’ prior to sustaining an injury late on in the 2018/19 campaign, marking himself out as a ‘complete modern centre-back’.

Filip Benkovic

Unsurprisingly, that early impact caught the attention of fans and pundits alike, with former Hoops hero Frank McAvennie among those to dish out a glowing verdict regarding the Zagreb native, while also likening him to that man Van Dijk:

Unfortunately for the 6 foot 4 titan, such praise now appears a distant memory, having suffered a sad career nosedive since shining at the age of just 21 in Scottish football.

Having returned to parent club Leicester in 2019 – then under the care of Rodgers – Benkovic ultimately went on to make just two senior appearances for the Foxes, after enduring numerous stints out on loan over the next few years at the likes of Bristol City, Cardiff City and OH Leuven.

Those three temporary spells yielded just 11 games in total, however, with the struggling centre-back – who had been linked with a return to Celtic in January 2021 – ultimately leaving the King Power Stadium on a free in 2022, after previously costing the club £13m.

A move to Udinese subsequently followed, yet after time on loan in Germany and Turkey, the 27-year-old was released by the Serie A side this summer, leaving him without a club when he should have been entering his prime.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

For a player who once promised so much both at Dinamo Zagreb and then at Celtic, it is an unfortunate turn of events, with it yet to be seen whether he will be able to revive his floundering career in the near future.

O'Riley 2.0: Celtic star was "shocking" for Rodgers, now he's worth £42m

The Celtic sensation has emerged as Brendan Rodgers’ new version of Matt O’Riley.

ByDan Emery Nov 7, 2024

Volta Redonda x Flamengo: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistir

MatériaMais Notícias

Ainda composto por jovens da base e treinado por Fabio Matias, o Flamengo volta a campo neste sábado, às 18h, para visitar o Volta Redonda, no Estádio Raulino de Oliveira, pela 2ª rodada da Taça Guanabara do Campeonato Carioca. Enquanto o Rubro-Negro vem de vitória no primeiro jogo, o Voltaço saiu derrotado para o Vasco e, agora, precisa reagir dentro de sua casa.

RelacionadasFlamengoVÍDEO: assista aos bastidores da vitória do Flamengo sobre a Portuguesa na estreia do CariocaFlamengo28/01/2022FlamengoEm despedida, Michael se declara: ‘Me entreguei para o Flamengo de corpo, alma, espírito e coração’Flamengo27/01/2022FlamengoL! Espresso: A um passo do Flamengo, Marinho precisará recuperar protagonismoFlamengo27/01/2022

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

FICHA TÉCNICA
VOLTA REDONDA X FLAMENGO
Data e hora: 29 de janeiro de 2022, às 18h (de Brasília)
Local: Raulino de Oliveira, em Volta Redonda (RJ)
Árbitro:Grazianni Maciel Rocha
Assistentes:Carlos Henrique Cardoso de Souza eAndré Roberto Smith Silveira
Onde assistir:Cariocão Play(pay-per-view)

VOLTA REDONDA (Técnico:Neto Colucci)
Vinícius; Iury (Júlio Amorim), Davison, Dilsinho e Luiz Paulo; Muniz, Caio Vitor e Tinga; Pedrinho, Lelê e MV.

> Veja a tabela do Cariocão

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Fabio Matias)
​Matheus Cunha; Wesley, Noga, Cleiton e Marcos Paulo; Igor Jesus, Matheus França e Yuri; Thiaguinho, Lázaro e André.

Desfalques: Isla, Arrascaeta, Everton Ribeiro e Gabi (convocados na Data Fifa).
Suspensos: –
Pendurados: –

Sheffield Shield: Henry Hunt, the hero in lone-hand for South Australia

Opener made 134 out of 220 as Head missed out; Siddle bagged four wickets before Wakim scored 68 in reply for Tasmania

Alex Malcolm11-Nov-2021

Henry Hunt scored his second successive century•Getty Images

Henry Hunt played an extraordinary lone-hand for South Australia, scoring his second consecutive Sheffield Shield century to defy Tasmania on the second day of the rain-affected clash at Bellerive Oval.Hunt made 134 out of South Australia’s 220, with Liam Scott (42) the only other team-mate to reach 15, as Peter Siddle ripped through the visitors, taking 4 for 42.Charlie Wakim made a fine 68 in reply, and Tim Ward faced 102 balls for 29 in the late afternoon to put Tasmania in a solid position only for Nathan McAndrew to remove both men in the fading light to leave the game well poised.Earlier, Hunt stood firm after South Australia collapsed to 5 for 78 in overcast conditions, with Test hopeful Travis Head falling cheaply for 14, chopping Lawrence Neil-Smith onto his stumps, attempting a lead-footed drive on the up. Since dominating the early season matches at Karen Rolton Oval, Head has had diminishing returns of 53, 23, 21, 9 and 14 on spicier surfaces at Adelaide Oval, the WACA and Bellerive Oval.Alex Carey also fell cheaply, slicing Siddle to point. Hunt was rock solid by comparison in his 236-ball epic. He struck 15 fours and three sixes to remain resolute while wickets tumbled at the other end. Scott provided excellent support in a brisk 65-run stand. Hunt was the last man out after adding 28 for the 10th wicket with David Grant facing just one ball. Jarrod Freeman picked up three wickets at the end of the innings.Daniel Worrall struck early in Tasmania’s first innings, squaring up Caleb Jewell with a peach to have him caught at third slip. Worrall operated with five slips at one stage, but Wakim and Ward negotiated the seaming conditions well as the sun came out in the afternoon. The pair shared a 96-run partnership, with Wakim striking eight boundaries in his fluent 68. But Wakim lost his off bail to a cracking off-cutter from Nathan McAndrew. Ward struck just one boundary in 102 deliveries he faced, playing very cautiously. But he fell driving at a ball that held up in the last over of the day, slicing McAndrew to point. Ben McDermott and Tasmania’s perennial night-watchman Neil-Smith survived to stumps.

لاعب إسبانيا يغادر مباراة هولندا مصابًا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية

تعرض أحد لاعبي منتخب إسبانيا للإصابة في المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضد هولندا في بطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

ويلاقي منتخب هولندا نظيره إسبانيا، في إطار مواجهات بطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية مساء اليوم الخميس، على ملعب “فينورد”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. تشكيل مباراة إسبانيا وهولندا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية

وعانى منتخب إسبانيا من إصابة في الدقيقة 41 من عمر المباراة، حيث اضطر المدرب لويس دي لا فوينتي إلى إجراء تغيير.

وتعرض باو كوبارسي مدافع إسبانيا وبرشلونة لإصابة، حيث توجه الطاقم الطبي إليه من أجل معالجته، ولكن يبدو أنه لم يستطع استكمال المباراة.

وقرر المدرب دي لا فوينتي استبدال كوبارسي حيث دفع بزميله ديان هويسين، في ضربة قوية لـ إسبانيا.

فمن الجدير بالذكر أن كوبارسي تعرض للإصابة خلال إحدى اللحظات الأولى من المباراة، أثناء التنافس على الكرة مع ممفيس ديباي  وأصيب قلب الدفاع في كاحله الأيمن، ورغم استمراره في اللعب، إلا أنه لم يتعاف لتم إستبداله بالدقيقة 41.

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى التعادل بين المنتخبين، بهدف لمثله عن طريق كل من نيكو ويليامز وكودي جاكبو.

Tom Moores vs Andre Russell in Abu Dhabi T10: 'I knew I was gonna lose'

The duo put on a match-winning unbeaten stand of 94 off just 32 balls to get Deccan Gladiators’ campaign off to a winning start

20-Nov-2021

File photo – Tom Moores was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 17-ball 47•Getty Images

“To bat with someone like him just gives you so much confidence and freedom to just go and try and express yourself.”Those were the words of 25-year-old Tom Moores, the Deccan Gladiators wicketkeeper-batter, after he and Andre Russell put on 94 for the fourth wicket in just 32 deliveries to get their campaign off to a winning start against Chennai Braves in the Abu Dhabi T10.When the pair came together, the Gladiators had been stuttering, having managed just one six in the first five overs. But Moores and Russell bludgeoned nine of them in the remainder of the innings to catapult the Gladiators to a match-winning total of 146. Both faced just 17 balls each.Asked what the conversation was like between the two when they were in the middle, Moores, who plays for Nottinghamshire, replied, “Who could hit the biggest six…? Which, obviously, I knew I was gonna lose. We had a bit of fun, it wasn’t too serious at all, which really helped me just relax and be confident. We were just having a smile and enjoying it. And that’s what we talked about, to have fun, to enjoy our cricket. Every game we play we’re really lucky to be doing it.”Since Russell’s arrival, at No. 5, the pair dictated the pace of the innings, wresting momentum from the Braves, who had started well by removing Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Banton and Anwar Ali in the first 4.4 overs. Russell got off the mark with something of an uncharacteristic stroke: a delicate cut played with soft hands past third man. But he needed no invitation to launch one over midwicket when Dasun Shanaka gave him a delivery right in the slot.The next over, the legspin of Samiullah Shinwari got the treatment as Russell hammered him for two consecutive sixes. By the end of the seventh, he had walloped to 31 off 11, while Moores was on a run-a-ball five.Andre Russell sent the ball miles•AFP

Moores was fortunate not to run himself out off the second delivery he faced as Munaf Patel failed to collect the ball at the bowler’s end. He made his luck count, smashing Dhananjaya Lakshan for two huge sixes and bringing up the team hundred with a whack over long-on. Curtis Campher – who took four wickets in four deliveries at this ground for Ireland during the recently concluded T20 World Cup – was also dispatched for 26 as the Gladiators amassed 80 runs between the sixth and ninth overs. Russell was on 42 off 15, while Moores had got himself up to 39 off 13.”To bat some time with Dre who has done that time and time again… he’s the best at doing that, so to watch him and have the best seat in the house was great,” Moores said. “Someone like him has helped me a lot. I knew him a little bit from playing back home for Notts and he’s someone who has done this time and time again. So he was just giving me tips and bits of advice here and there. To be honest, I was just trying to keep up with him.”Moores, in fact, went one better, as he hit another six, off Ravi Bopara, in the final over to go past Russell’s unbeaten 43 off 17 and set the highest team score of the season so far. He finished on an unbeaten 47 off 17 and took home the Player-of-the-Match honour.In the end, despite a valiant effort from the Braves, with Angelo Perera and Bopara both scoring half-centuries, they fell 24 runs short of the target. Their tally of four sixes across their ten overs was dwarfed by the ten that the Gladiators managed, and Moores underscored that six-hitting is even more pivotal in this format of the game.”We did talk about six-hitting ability,” he said. “Those extra two runs do add up. If you compare the two scores, those extra twos can change a game and be the difference. Having someone like Dre in your team, he’s naturally gonna clear the ropes and all the rest of us need to just do our thing and hit as many as we can.”

Alexander Medina analisa derrota do Internacional no Gauchão

MatériaMais Notícias

A semana começa um pouco mais pesada para o Internacional de Alexander Medina, que viu seu time ser derrotado para o Ypiranga.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE A DO BRASILEIRÃO

No placar adverso de 3 a 1, o Colorado errou muito e deu condições ao rival de sair do gramado com três pontos na bagagem.

Na visão de ‘Cacique’ Medina, o seu time pecou pelas decisões erradas na hora de concluir as jogadas.

‘A avaliação tem um sabor amargo. Buscamos a vitória. Tínhamos criado situações de gol, um pênalti para estar em vantagem. Tentamos. Não mantivemos o ritmo. Fomos imprecisos e tomamos muitas decisões erradas’, afirmou.

Calendário

O próximo jogo do Inter na temporada acontece no dia 9 de fevereiro, quando a equipe mede forças contra o Novo Hamburgo, no Beira-Rio.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalÁrbitro justifica expulsões no clássico entre Fortaleza e CearáFutebol Nacional07/02/2022Ponte PretaGilson Kleina fala sobre ‘cobrança’ no elenco da Ponte PretaPonte Preta07/02/2022Futebol LatinoConfusão! Ex-Cruzeiro, Ábila detona diretoria do Boca Juniors na rede socialFutebol Latino07/02/2022

كييزا يسجل هدف ليفربول الأول أمام نيوكاسل في نهائي كأس كاراباو (فيديو)

قلص فريق ليفربول فارق الأهداف مع نيوكاسل، خلال المباراة بين الفريقين بمنافسات بطولة كأس كاراباو.

والتقى ليفربول ونيوكاسل اليوم الأحد، في إطار نهائي كأس كاراباو على ملعب “ويمبلي”.

وسجل فيديريكو كييزا هدف ليفربول الأول في الدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع.

الهدف جاء بعد تمريرة بينية من هارفي إليوت وصلت من خلف المدافعين إلى كييزا ومن ثم انفرد بالمرمى وسددها لتسكن الشباك.

وعاد الحكم لتقنية الفار أولاً للتأكد من صحة هدف كييزا، ومن ثم أشار إلى احتسابه.

وكان نيوكاسل تقدم بهدفين عن طريق دان بورن وألكسندر إيزاك في الدقيقتين 45 و52.

وحسمت المباراة بفوز نيوكاسل بهدفين لهدف، ليتوج بطلاً لكأس كاراباو للمرة الأولى في تاريخه. هدف كييزا في مباراة ليفربول ونيوكاسل

Sheffield United now sweating over injury to "outstanding" £25,000-p/w star

Despite securing a dramatic late comeback to defeat Bristol City, it wasn’t all good news against the Robins for Sheffield United, who are now sweating over an injury to one star man.

Sheffield United injury news

The Blades couldn’t have enjoyed a more dramatic victory if they tried, having first equalised in the 86th minute through Ryan One’s effort off the bench before then finding a last-gasp winner courtesy of Harrison Burrows in the 98th minute. Moving within a point of Championship leaders Sunderland as a result – albeit with the Black Cats yet to play – Burrows’ winner could prove to be an all important moment.

Looking to bounce straight back to the Premier League, Sheffield United have certainly enjoyed a solid start to the Championship campaign, but injury can quickly derail any season as the festive fixtures prepare to come thick and fast next month. And on that front, the Blades are already sweating over one knock suffered against Bristol.

Sheffield United now set to sign ex-Man City gem dubbed next Rio Ferdinand

He was one of West Ham’s most promising players…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 31, 2024

As confirmed by Wilder, Sheffield United are now sweating over the injury sustained by Kieffer Moore, with the manager admitting that “it doesn’t look good” to add to any concern. The forward was forced off in the 69th minute and will now undergo tests to discover the severity of his injury.

Up next, Sheffield United square off against rivals Sheffield Wednesday to add to the blow that Moore’s potential injury causes. If the Blades were to pick games for their striker to miss, their local derby would be fairly low on the list.

"Outstanding" Moore brings vital experience

As United look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Moore will be an important figure even if he isn’t the man wheeling away in celebration as much as Wilder would like. The 31-year-old brings a wealth of experience in one of the toughest leagues to escape from and when the festive period arrives, that experience should be relied on if he is, of course, back fit and firing.

Wilder has already been full of praise for the Welshman in the current campaign, telling reporters after recent victory over Blackburn Rovers: “There’s been some noise about Kieffer but when you need someone to play as a No.9 away from home against two powerful centre-halves and lead the line, I thought he was outstanding.

“He won every header and linked it well. There were a couple of times he came to feet and we smashed it at him so there’s no blame there from me.”

Now, the £25,000-a-week striker will hope to have avoided a serious injury and make his return as soon as possible, even if a crucial clash against Sheffield Wednesday does come too soon this weekend.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus