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A “commanding” Derby County player could now miss as many as 14 matches after picking up an injury, following an update from manager Paul Warne.

Derby's promising start to new season

The Rams returned to the Championship after last season’s promotion from League One, and it was always going to be intriguing to see how Warne’s side would fare back in the second tier of English football.

So far, Derby have fared impressively, winning three of their first five league games this season, including the 1-0 win at home to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.

The early signs suggest that the Rams look well-equipped to preserve their Championship status for another season, although supporters may be dreaming big and thinking about a possible promotion push, with Ipswich Town showing that back-to-back promotions can be achieved.

In order for that to happen, Warne will need to be fortunate in the injury department, allowing him to rotate effectively during a relentless season, but a worrying update has emerged regarding one player.

Warne drops worrying Derby injury news

Speaking to The Derby Telegraph, Warne admitted that Derby loanee David Ozoh could be out for up to 14 matches because of a hamstring injury. Warne alluded to Ozoh missing up to 12 weeks of action in a worst-case scenario, which would be until December 7th, with a scan set for Monday and the player “down in the dumps”.

“He (David) is a bit down in the dumps, bless him. I should know this really but I don’t know whether he has had a hamstring injury before. He obviously felt it but we don’t know the severity of it yet. He will go for a scan on Monday and it could be a couple of weeks and a twinge or it could be eight or 12 weeks. We are blessed that we have a good medical team so we will get him back.”

This is a potential massive setback for both Ozoh and Derby, considering the 19-year-old has caught the eye since arriving on loan from Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window.

Prior to the injury blow, the midfielder had started all five of his side’s Championship matches this season, enjoying a highly impressive 95.1% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 3.8 tackles per game, which is consistently more than any other Rams player. Meanwhile, former Derby ace Shaun Barker has shown his appreciation for Ozoh, saying:

“If you gave him another three or four minutes for choosing the player of the match he might have got it. He was that good in the last 5-10 minutes, he seemed to be more commanding, making more tackles didn’t lose the ball, drove forward got his goal. So another player that seemed to grow in confidence and his performance went up another level in the last ten 15 minutes. So, delighted for him,19 years old, only a few starts and what a player he is going to be for Derby this year.”

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Apr 22, 2025

Hopefully, Warne’s worst-case scenario of 12 weeks doesn’t happen, and Ozoh will be back far sooner than that, with his influence in the opening weeks of the season showing how important he is going to be for Derby this season.

Should that be the case, there are some huge matches that he will be unavailable for, including trips to Sunderland and Leeds United, although the latter is on December 7, at which point he will hopefully be back.

England’s Nat Sciver breaks into top ten among T20I batters

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2021West Indies Women captain Stafanie Taylor has reclaimed the No.1 spot among batters as well as allrounders in ODI cricket following her dominant performances against Pakistan. Taylor (766 rating points) displaced India’s Mithali Raj (762) from the top among batters. The last time Taylor had topped the batting rankings was in November 2014.In addition to gaining two places to be the No.1-ranked allrounder, too, replacing Australia’s Ellyse Perry, Taylor also moved up from 19th spot to 16th among bowlers.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings across formats

Click here for the full player rankings

Taylor led the way for West Indies both with bat and ball in the first ODI against Pakistan in Coolidge, picking up 3 for 29 and scoring an unbeaten 105 – her sixth century in the format. All other West Indies batters have a combined five hundreds in ODI cricket.In the second ODI at the same venue, she gave away only 18 runs in her six overs and didn’t get a chance to bat in West Indies’ chase of 121.Deandra Dottin, who returned to ODI cricket after more than two years, re-entered the rankings at 28th place among batters and 47th among allrounders. Offspinner Anisa Mohammed moved up two places to be ranked 26th while seamer Shamilia Connell jumped up four places to occupy the 39th place among bowlers.For Pakistan, Nida Dar gained three places to be ranked 29th and Diana Baig moved up one place to be 32nd among the bowlers.Related

Taylor's all-round brilliance guides West Indies home

Sciver lays down the marker for remaining T20Is

'I like playing in pressure situations' – Deepti Sharma

Sciver in top ten among T20I batters
England allrounder Nat Sciver broke into the top ten among batters, jumping up two places from No.11, after smashing a 27-ball 55 in the hosts’ 18-run DLS win over India in the T20I series opener in Northampton. She is now joint-ninth along with Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce.India allrounder Deepti Sharma, meanwhile, advanced two places up to 37th among batters following her unbeaten 24 in the second T20I. India’s teenage sensation Shafali Verma continues to lead the batting rankings, with 773 points.On the bowling front, legspinner Poonam Yadav jumped up five places to seventh while seamer Shikha Pandey leapt up from 35th to 27th.

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher wants a particular goalkeeping trend banned after Arsenal star David Raya's mistake against Crystal Palace.

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• Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 5-1
• Raya mistake nearly proves costly
• Carragher wants certain keeper trend banned

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  During Arsenal's 5-1 win at Selhurst Park on Saturday, keeper Raya put his team in all sorts of trouble when he passed the ball to a backtracking Thomas Partey. Palace won possession in the away team's box but the Gunners got away with it. However, ex-defender Carragher says keepers "have to stop" passing to team-mates when they have their back to goal and are under pressure. He exasperately called for a ban on it in the Premier League.

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• WHAT JAMIE CARRAGHER SAID

  He said while commentating on the game for Sky Sports: "This is the worst passing football – playing a straight pass as a goalkeeper. The amount of goals you see conceded in the Premier League like this. It has to stop. Goalkeepers should be banned from playing straight balls. They should be played out wide."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The debate will continue to rage on about teams' insistence on playing out from the back and running the risk of having the ball turned over so high up the pitch. It can be a high-risk, high-reward strategy but perhaps more pragmatism is needed at times. Despite that, Arsenal are three points off Premier League leaders Liverpool – but the Reds do have two games in hand.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Raya's Arsenal side are next in Premier League action next Friday at home to lowly Ipswich Town. Carragher may be watching that to see if the Spaniard repeats this risky pass from inside his area.

Veteran seamer stars against former team to take contest into final-day chase

Jon Culley29-May-2021What would Chris Wright make, one wonders, of a conversation overheard the other day in which the participants mused on whether the veteran Leicestershire fast bowler might follow the lead of Tim Murtagh, his one-time team-mate at Middlesex, and still be showing the youngsters how it’s done in his 40th year?Wright will quietly turn 36 in a little over seven weeks’ time and given that he already has the gait of a man perpetually longing to put his feet up, he may shudder at the thought. Yet he keeps taking wickets, swelling his total for the season so far to 28 with 6 for 48 as he tried gamely to keep Leicestershire in with a chance here.It probably wasn’t enough, sadly. Even on a pitch that has held together pretty well so far, despite the rising temperature, chasing 378 in the fourth innings looks a daunting task for the side propping up Group Two in the Championship. With Murtagh rested, the Middlesex attack is light on experience, yet they are a talented bunch.They have made a solid start, despite losing Hassan Azad in only the third over when he fell into a trap by pulling a short ball from Ethan Bamber and was caught at deep backward square.Marcus Harris and Sam Evans have added 73, cutting the target to 303, but the young leg-spinner Luke Hollman made two deliveries turn markedly in the last over of the day, flagging up what to expect on the final day.It was largely down to Wright that Leicestershire were able to keep their opponents honest, as modern commentators are wont to say, by bowling them out, rather than allowing them the opportunity to set a target of their own design.It meant first that they were not able to make the progress they might have liked in the morning session, which was delayed briefly by rain, adding only 68 to their 57 for 1 overnight and losing three wickets in doing so. Wright reeled off nine overs at the Bennett End, conceding only 16 runs and taking the important wicket of Stevie Eskinazi, who looked well set on 46 but was denied a half-century when Wright brought one back to bowl him between bat and pad. He and Nick Gubbins had added 73 for the second wicket.Ben Mike struggled with his line at the Pavilion End but picked up a wicket when Gubbins bottom edged into his stumps, which meant Middlesex had to regroup with two men at the crease who had yet to score and they suffered another setback when Will Davis got one past Robbie White’s defensive bat to clip the off stump.Related

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Wright’s return after lunch came sooner than expected, but it paid off again and three more wickets in the afternoon session were no more than he deserved for his efforts to keep Leicestershire in the game.A fine, athletic catch by Sam Evans gave him the first of those as John Simpson pulled to midwicket, the wicketkeeper falling for 17 after his unbeaten 95 of the first innings, before he made another one come back to gain an lbw decision against Martin Andersson, who was reasonably well forward but in line.Mike again was a little erratic, but nonetheless struck an important blow in having Peter Handscomb caught behind. The Australian had built himself a platform to attack but was drawn into a loose drive, feathering a catch behind.Wright, who left Lord’s at the end of Murtagh’s first season there, completed his second five-for against his former employers, the other being for Warwickshire at Edgbaston nine years ago, when Tom Helm, defending on the back foot, was bowled off an inside edge.Leicestershire now felt they were in the game, the Middlesex lead still in chaseable territory, and it was little wonder that there were cries of exasperation, not least from bowler Ed Barnes, when a chance for the ninth wicket went begging, Hollman edging between wicketkeeper and first slip on 15. Harry Swindells, the young Leicestershire gloveman, knew it was his to take.As it was, the 20-year-old Hollman, who has the talent to bat higher than No 8, had made 26 – giving him 58 in only his third first-class match – by the time he became Wright’s sixth victim via a sharp low catch at second slip after tea, the other wicket the only one in the innings to fall to spin as Callum Parkinson turned one into Ethan Bamber’s back pad.With that, the old boy was making a beeline for The Meet, the Grace Road landmark that currently serves as the home dressing rooms, taking in the almost-forgotten accompaniment of spectator applause but already mentally removing his boots, relieved that he won’t need to do it all again at least until next week.

Glamorgan edge towards first-innings parity despite no batter scoring more than David Lloyd’s 38

ECB Reporters' Network05-Jul-2021

Stuart Meaker helped add lower-order runs and then picked up two wickets•Getty Images

Sixteen-year-old Dan Ibrahim scored his second Championship fifty as Sussex fought back well against Glamorgan in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Hove. The teenager followed up his 55 on debut against Yorkshire last month with a composed 58 – the only half-century in the match so far – as Sussex recovered to make 226.Their understrength attack then chipped away at Glamorgan, who were 205 for 9 when play was halted by rain. Four bowlers took two wickets including legspinner Will Beer, whose scalps were his first in the County Championship since September 2019.Sussex had resumed on 161 for 7 and added two runs before Jack Carson played on to Michael Hogan for a duck in the second over of the day. But Ibrahim, leaving the ball well and accumulating runs in unhurried fashion, helped Stuart Meaker and Mitch Claydon add 63 for the last two wickets. Meaker made 23 and Ibrahim was last out for 58, made from 147 balls with four boundaries before he was stumped off offspinner Andrew Salter.In reply, most of the Glamorgan batsmen got starts but no one could better opener David Lloyd’s 38 as the Sussex attack plugged away. Meaker picked up Joe Cooke with one which straightened and Colin Ingram’s first Championship innings since September 2017 ended when Claydon surprised him with extra bounce and he was caught off the splice for 7.Billy Root and Lloyd put on 54 for the third wicket with few alarms but Meaker returned to bowl Lloyd through the gate and Claydon had Kiran Carlson (17) athletically caught at second slip by the diving Aaron Thomasson. Root played attractively before he was lbw to Stiaan van Zyl to leave Glamorgan 117 for 5. Skipper Chris Cooke and Dan Douthwaite put on 40 either side of tea, although Douthwaite was put down by Carson off his own bowling on 15.Beer broke through after the interval when Douthwaite was caught at slip on the drive and Carson picked up Cooke thanks to an excellent low catch at short leg by Thomason. Beer bowled with impressive control, picking up his second wicket when he defeated James Weighell’s defensive prod. In the next over Timm van der Gugten holed out to deep midwicket to give Carson a second wicket.Hogan and Salter scrambled a batting point before the rain got heavier, but an intriguing final two days are in prospect as both sides try to climb the Group C table.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe could be ready to offer up one of their own stars in a fresh attempt to sign Manuel Ugarte this summer, it has emerged.

Man Utd off to winning start

A late winner from debutant Joshua Zirkzee handed Manchester United a hard-fought three points to kick off their 2024-25 Premier League campaign under Erik ten Hag.

Facing Fulham at Old Trafford, United missed a series of good opportunities before Zirkzee emerged from the substitutes bench to announce himself by scoring the only goal of the game in the closing stages.

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It was a game in which new signings made a strong impression, with Noussair Mazraoui also enjoying an excellent first game in Manchester United red, while ex-Ajax, Bayern Munich and now Manchester United teammate Matthijs de Ligt didn't put a foot wrong when replacing him late on.

But there could still be plenty of movement in the final days of the transfer window at Old Trafford, and deals may be set to get creative to get transfer targets in, with a player exchange potentially on the cards.

Swap deal touted between PSG and Man Utd for Ugarte

That comes courtesy of London World [via Man Utd News], who suggest that talks are ongoing between the Red Devils and the Ligue 1 champions for Ugarte and that a potential swap deal has been mooted.

In this case, such a deal would see United and Ratcliffe finally land midfield target Ugarte, while PSG could take Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho to the Parc des Princes. Despite his reconciliation with Ten Hag, Sancho is yet to really nail down a spot in the United starting XI, while Ugarte has endured a tough 12 months in Paris.

A swap deal may make sense for all parties. Ugarte was left out of PSG's squad for their opening Ligue 1 clash as they thrashed Le Havre 4-1, and Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Ugarte "wants to join Manchester United" as soon as possible as he looks to end his Parisian nightmare, and reports have previously claimed personal terms have already been agreed.

Meanwhile, Sancho was also left out of Manchester United's squad courtesy of a reported ear infection, while Romano has claimed that the winger's "future remains open" in the final weeks of the transfer window despite the Englishman still having two years left to run on his £250,000-a-week deal at Old Trafford, a salary that puts him among the club's highest earners.

Manchester United highest earners (Via Capology)

Player

Weekly wage

Casemiro

£350,000

Bruno Fernandes

£300,000

Marcus Rashford

£300,000

Mason Mount

£250,000

Jadon Sancho

£250,000

Antony

£200,000

With PSG interested in Sancho but unwilling to pay the asking price, and Manchester United feeling the same way about Ugarte, a swap deal may make sense with each side valuing their star at around £50m.

Any deal could even follow the same blueprint as earlier "swap" deals this summer, where each player was signed individually for a set sum, in order to allow both sides to maximise the benefits from a financial fair play standpoint.

A young attacker from the academy has agreed to join Manchester United after deciding to leave Arsenal this summer, with the Red Devils scheduling an imminent medical after being successful with a "magnificent" offer.

Players who could be sold by Arsenal before deadline day

The latest confirmed departure will have divided opinion among some Arsenal supporters, with Hale End academy graduate and homegrown ex-Gunners ace Emile Smith-Rowe making a £35 million move to Fulham.

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The midfielder was handed minimal opportunities last season, thanks partly to fitness issues, but the attacking quality in Mikel Arteta's side also largely kept him out of the starting eleven on a regular basis – making a move probably best for all parties.

Arteta would've ideally preferred to keep Smith-Rowe, according to some reports, but the £35 million fee received will go down as pure profit due to his academy player status – and the funds can be now be reinvested into acquiring a much-needed fresh addition or two.

Smith Rowe's Arsenal stats (all competitions)

Stat

Total

Appearances

115

Goals

18

Assists

13

Yellow cards

2

Red cards

0

Minutes played

5,846

(via Transfermarkt)

The 24-year-old's departure may not be the only academy player we see leave Arsenal before deadline day on August 30, as it is believed Eddie Nketiah is attracting real interest from Ligue 1 giants Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi.

Some media sources have even claimed that Nketiah is on the verge of leaving Arsenal, and they've considered signing Brighton star Joao Pedro as a replacement, coming after the Brazilian netted 20 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions.

However, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claims it isn't that close, despite Nketiah and Marseille reaching an agreement on personal terms for him to link up with De Zerbi in Ligue 1.

There is also the matter of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has been widely linked with an exit from the Emirates Stadium, so supporters could see a few more departures in the coming weeks.

Chido Obi-Martin agrees to join Man Utd after leaving Arsenal

One very disappointing exit, despite Arsenal's best efforts to keep him, has been that of exciting young striker Chido Obi-Martin. Arsenal were working hard to keep Obi-Martin, who scored a very impressive 32 goals in just 18 league appearances for Arsenal's Under-18s last season, but the teenage sensation decided to leave and further his career elsewhere.

Now, according to Football Insider journalist Wayne Veysey, Obi-Martin has agreed to join Man United after quitting Arsenal, with a medical scheduled for this week. Erik ten Hag's side apparently made a "magnificent" offer to the 16-year-old, which he accepted, and a move up north now looks set in stone.

Ruud van Nistelrooy apparently held direct talks with Obi-Martin, which was said to be key in convincing the striker to join them. Arsenal supporters will be hoping he doesn't live up to the hype after such promise at academy level, now that he's on his way to a fierce rival.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em alta no Avaí, o volante Jean Cléber, ex-CSA, Ceará, Marítimo e Cruzeiro, espera um ritmo forte da equipe na sequência da Série B. Segundo o atleta, a meta de todos no elenco catarinense é melhorar ainda mais o desempenho em campo nas próximas semanas para continuar firme na briga pelo acesso.

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Nossa ideia é manter um ritmo forte nestas próximas rodadas da competição para permanecermos firmes na briga pelo acesso. O grupo está muito motivado para que isso seja possível – disse o atleta do time catarinense.

Ainda de acordo com o atleta, sua ideia é fazer uma boa sequência no clube.

– Tenho trabalhado muito para crescer e para atingir meus objetivos com a camisa do clube. Venho me dedicando ao máximo para fazer uma grande reta final de temporada com todos – afirmou o volante sobre o seu desempenho.

Victor Boniface required hospital treatment after a car crash following Bayer Leverkusen's 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

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• Leverkusen won on Saturday
• Boniface shared video of damaged vehicle
• Left with bloodied hand

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Boniface scored in Leverkusen's 2-1 win over Frankfurt at the weekend, but was involved in a horror car accident afterwards. The striker shared multiple images of his wrecked vehicle, and also showed a scrape on his hand which left him bloodied.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Boniface required treatment in hospital but has since posted on social media, confirming to fans that he is safe and well.

  He simply wrote: "God is the greatest" with a love heart emoji.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Boniface has been in superb form for Leverkusen thus far this season and has scored seven goals in 10 games in all competitions. Last season, he hit 21 goals in 34 outings.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Leverkusen are unlikely to rush Boniface back if he feels he cannot compete. They are next in action on Wednesday, when they take on French side Brest in the Champions League.

Celtic recently learned their schedule for the upcoming Scottish Premiership season as they plot to lift the title for a fourth successive campaign.

The Hoops will kick off the term with a clash against Kilmarnock at Parkhead at the start of August before back-to-back away games at Hibernian and St Mirren.

Their first meeting with their local rivals in the Old Firm will be at Paradise on the last day of the opening month, which will provide them with an opportunity to put an early marker down to assert their dominance in the derby once more.

Brendan Rodgers is yet to dip into the market to bolster his squad ahead of the new season, however, despite the summer transfer window having been open for business for a number of weeks now.

A replacement for Joe Hart is needed and Newcastle United's Martin Dubravka and Croatia star Dominik Livakovic have both been linked with moves to Glasgow to be the manager's new number one for the 2024/25 campaign.

The Hoops are also reportedly looking at other areas of the park and a new midfielder could be on the agenda amid links to one of Rodgers' former players.

Celtic offered chance to sign international midfielder

According to the Daily Record, the Scottish giants have been offered the opportunity to sign defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi on a free transfer this summer.

The report claims that there is a chance that the Nigeria international could arrive at Parkhead after his contract with Leicester City concluded at the end of last month.

His deal with the Foxes expired and the battler is now a free agent who can speak with any interested clubs ahead of signing a contract for the 2024/25 campaign and beyond.

The Daily Record states that the Premiership champions were 'made aware' on Monday night that the experienced star would be open to linking up with Rodgers, who he played under at the King Power, again.

It adds that Celtic have monitored his situation in previous transfer windows and could be willing to 'push the boat' out to secure his services if there is a real chance of bringing him to Glasgow this summer.

They would need to splash the cash to get a move over the line, per the report, as there is said to be interest from Premier League sides who could offer 'millions' in wages.

If they can add Ndidi to the playing squad ahead of next season then Rodgers could land a dream partner for Reo Hatate in the middle of the park.

Why Reo Hatate needs a defensive anchor

The Japan international, when fit, is a super talent who can cause havoc for opposition midfields and defences due to his dynamism and quality in possession.

He endured a rough 2023/24 campaign due to several injury issues that caused him to miss a combined 40 matches for club and country, with two calf injuries and a hamstring issue.

Hatate did catch the eye when he was available, though, as the central midfielder racked up three goals and four assists in just 12 Premiership starts last term – more than one goal contribution per start on average.

The 26-year-old maestro has the quality to make things happen at the top end of the pitch on a consistent basis from a midfield position, which was also proven by his performances during the 2022/23 campaign.

Appearances

32

Goals

6

Assists

8

Big chances created

10

Key passes per game

1.3

As you can see in the table above, Hatate racked up 14 goal contributions in 32 appearances in the division that term, which further highlights the attacking threat he is able to provide in Scottish football.

However, his work off the ball does leave a lot to be desired. The midfielder lost 51% of his duels and only made 0.9 tackles and interceptions combined per match across his 16 outings in the Premiership last season.

Celtic's midfield magician also lost 67% of his duels and, staggeringly, failed to make a single tackle or interception in three Champions League starts.

Why Wilfred Ndidi would be perfect for Reo Hatate

The Nigerian colossus, who was once hailed as "genetically blessed" by Rodgers due to his physicality and recovery speed, would be perfect for Hatate as he can provide the strong play off the ball that the Japanese lightweight does not offer.

Ndidi is a player who can control games through his play out of possession, with Rodgers once describing him as a "controlling" defender through his pressing work, and that is backed up by his fantastic statistics over the years in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old battler has averaged an astounding 5.3 tackles and interceptions combined per game throughout his career at club and international level, whilst no Celtic player managed more than 2.5 per match in the Premiership last term.

This shows that the Nigerian ace has the athleticism and defensive quality to put himself about the pitch to consistently cut out opposition attacks to help out his team.

This is why he would be perfect for Hatate, particularly in the Champions League against tougher opposition, as his sublime work off the ball would allow the Japan international to go about his business in possession without worrying about letting the side down with his lightweight nature.

Appearances

27

32

Goals

0

4

Assists

0

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.7

2.0

Duel success rate

55%

49%

As you can see in the table above, his defensive work took a hit last season under Enzo Maresca in the Championship but that was down to the now-Chelsea boss often using him in a central midfield role, rather than a defensive one.

Ndidi was not played in his preferred role in the six position and, as you can also see above, he was much better off the ball when used as a defender in the 2022/23 Premier League season – being managed by Rodgers for the majority of the campaign.

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Therefore, the impressive enforcer could be fantastic signing to anchor the Celtic midfield next season and beyond as a dream partner for Hatate.