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Leeds United's Illan Meslier would be worth just "£8m" after his disastrous season last year, "especially after he was dropped towards the back end of it", claims One Leeds Fan Channel host Conor McGilligan.

Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds this summer?

It feels like the start of a new era at Leeds this summer, albeit a very rocky start.

Daniel Farke has been appointed as the new manager, the 49ers group have finally taken control of the club, and, most significantly, the team find themselves back in the Championship after three seasons of Premier League football.

All of this change at the club has been accompanied by an exodus of first-team players, eight to be exact, and that could soon be more, as the Daily Mail have reported that the club are 'expecting offers for Illan Meslier.'

This expectation has forced the Peacocks into negotiating with Newcastle United over their 32-year-old keeper Karl Darlow as a potential replacement for the 23-year-old.

However, after a poor season between the sticks for the Whites – one that saw him dropped for the side's final four games – fans such as McGilligan have been left wondering if they'll be able to get much for him at all.

He explained his opinion on the One Leeds Fan Channel YouTube channel, saying:

"I don't think we'll sell Meslier, to be honest with you. Someone was asking me the valuation on Meslier, and I think you'd probably get £8m for him potentially this window. You know if I'm being completely realistic.

"I don't think teams are going to go to £15m or £20m for Meslier at all, especially after the season he had, especially after he was dropped towards the back end of it.

"Proper clubs would analyse Meslier's last 18 months and say 'Look, he needs a lot of work and people need keepers for the here and now. Premier League keepers need to be ready at his age."

How good is Illan Meslier?

It was an abysmal year for £30k-per-week Meslier last season, and while most of the squad struggled for some reason or another, the young Frenchman seemed to struggle that little bit more.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old averaged a match rating of just 6.42 across his 34 Premier League games, the third worst rating in the whole squad for a player that had played at least 1500 minutes.

His underlying numbers, while highlighting his strength as a sweeper keeper, are incredibly poor for someone who is supposed to be a top-flight shot-stopper.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, his best attributes are that he sits in the top 7% for defensive actions outside the penalty area, the top 13% for the percentage of crosses stopped, and the top 33% for the average distance of defensive actions from his penalty area, all per 90.

On the other hand, he sits in the bottom 20% for touches, the bottom 15% for clean sheet percentage, the bottom 7% for goals against, and worst of all, the bottom 2% for save percentage, all per 90.

Journalists seemingly tired of his performances towards the backend of last year, with Graham Smyth criticising the former Lorient man after a mistake cost the team against Bournemouth, calling it a "complete and utter disaster."

While there have been flashes of brilliance in Meslier's four years with the side, it might be best for all involved if he is moved on this summer.

Birmingham went top of North Group as Aaron Thomason held his nerve in the final over at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2017Aaron Thomason held his nerve to defend 13 from the final over as Birmingham beat Northamptonshire by just two runs at Wantage Road to go top of the North Group of the NatWest T20 Blast.20-year-old Thomason, playing just his 13th T20 match, was trusted with the final two overs of the game from the Wilson End when 27 were needed from 18 balls. He conceded only 7 and then Jeetan Patel presented the youngster with 13 to defend from the final six. Alex Wakely struck the second ball of the over for six down the ground but despite reducing the equation to 4 from 2 balls, Thomason held the game for the Bears.Aaron Thomason completes a last-ball run-out•Getty ImagesIan Bell, Warwickshire’s captain, said: “It was a great win to get over the line when we didn’t play our best, to come to Northampton is tough. Aaron didn’t shy away he wanted that last over so I’m really happy. He’s someone who works hard at his slower balls and yorkers and listens to the guys who have played around the world.”It was a chase that Northamptonshire were always well in touch with – and Wakely’s 52 from 34 balls appeared to be steering them home – but they could never kill the game and missed the chance to move to the top of the group themselves.Adam Rossington and Richard Levi took 78 from their previous Powerplay and here again got their side off to a flier with 51 from the first four overs. Rossington struck boundaries from the first three balls of the second over, two of them slapped wide of midwicket.Levi then flicked Colin de Grandhomme over square leg for the innings’ first six and drove four more past cover point. But having smashed Thomason for a huge six into a mobile bar over midwicket, the bowler exacted his revenge with a decent yorker.Patel then picked up Rossington, caught at deep midwicket for 43 from 30 balls, and Ben Duckett for 9 in successive balls to get Birmingham back into the innings. The wicket of Duckett was a beauty from round the wicket that turned and took the top of off stump.Richard Levi is at full stretch for Northants•Getty ImagesThe wicket of Duckett gave way to four cheap overs that left 64 needed from 42 balls only for Wakely to flick two fours off Boyd Rankin and cut another to ease the tension and when he skipped down the pitch to flick the first ball of Patel’s third over over midwicket for another boundaries, the hosts were back in charge of the chase.But de Grandhomme found a yorker to remove Rob Keogh for a run-a-ball 18 and Steven Crook holed out to mid-off second ball to leave 27 needed from 18 balls. Thomason and Patel then finished the game off.Birmingham’s 172 for 9 was a stop-start effort where they lost wickets regularly and four set batsman fell when set to cause greater damage.Having been sent in, they made 40 for 1 in a Powerplay that featured some seam movement on a fresh wicket and following afternoon rain. Ed Pollock played a remarkable flick over deep square for the night’s first six but, hurried by a Rory Kleinveldt back-of-a-length ball, was caught behind off a big top edge. Sam Hain slog swept Richard Gleeson for six over long leg and both he and Ian Bell, got inside edges for four to fine leg.Bell was notably scratchy, beaten outside off several times, and fell for 16 from 18 balls trying to reverse-sweep Keogh’s second ball and losing his off stump.Adam Hose, after 76 on his county debut on Sunday, shimmed down the wicket to slap Nathan Buck for four and then struck a might six that found the roof of the Lynn Wilson centre off Keogh. But when he clipped a low full-toss from Keogh to midwicket and Sam Hain was run out after a calamitous mix up with de Grandhomme, Birmingham had lose both set men and were 82 for 4 after 11 overs.De Grandhomme atoned for his part in the mix up by striking three fours and a six from the 14th over bowled by Sanderson that conceded 21 and an over later, Birmingham were well placed at 128 for 4 after 15 overs. But again, Northants picked up a useful wicket with de Grandhomme, after going dangerously to 37 from just 15 balls, picked out deep square. Patel struck a six in the final over to nudge his side to a score that proved enough.

Leeds United target Gustavo Hamer has refused the opportunity to sign a new contract at Coventry City amid interest from Elland Road, according to fresh reports.

Is Gustavo Hamer leaving Coventry?

Since joining from PEC Zwolle back in 2020, Hamer, whose natural role is defensive midfield, has become a regular feature of Mark Robins’ first team having made 42 Championship starts from 46 matches last season, but there’s a strong possibility that he could be on the move during the ongoing window.

The Dutchman’s contract is set to expire in less than a year meaning that his side are now presented with their final opportunity to cash in for a decent fee, and should he depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors having established himself as their second best-performing player during the previous campaign with a WhoScored match rating of 7.26.

Back in May 2022, Sussex Live claimed that the Whites were keeping tabs on the 26-year-old so the hierarchy are clearly long-term admirers, and Football League World more recently suggested that Daniel Farke and the 49ers are preparing an ambitious raid this summer.

Speaking during a recent interview, Robins was asked about the future of his central talisman with regards to him putting pen to paper on fresh terms and hinted that the final decision will ultimately come down to the player. He said: “I have got nothing new to add on that or share with anybody. I think that will become clearer as we move forward, but that’s entirely down to Gus.”

Are Leeds signing Gustavo Hamer?

According to Voetbal Rotterdam (via MOT Leeds News), Coventry have offered Hamer a new contract but he "hasn't signed it" as a result of growing admiration from Leeds.

Fulham and newly-promoted Burnley also hold an "interest" in the midfielder, and the outlet states that the attention from the trio of clubs mentioned above "looks to be stopping" their target from committing his future in the Midlands.

Former Coventry goalkeeper Marko Marosi previously hailed Hamer an “unbelievable” player during his time at the club so the fact that the defensive midfielder is reluctant to extend his stay is a massive boost for Farke, because it shows that he could be tempted by the project at Leeds, albeit Fulham and Burnley are also two very attractive prospects.

The Sky Blues’ £6.5k-per-week earner racked up an impressive 19 goal contributions (ten assists and nine goals) in the second-tier last season, alongside whipping 174 crosses into the box which was higher than any other member of his squad, via FBRef, with this remarkable attacking form seeing him receive nine man-of-the-match awards.

The Whites could be handed a small advantage over the Cottagers and the Clarets in their pursuit of Hamer due to the fact that he shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Daniel James, so his representative will already have had previous dealings with Leeds chiefs, something which they can use to benefit them once again this time around.

What you need to know about the first Test in England’s home series against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-20172:10

Day-night Tests: Three things we’ve learned so far

What is special about the first Test of England’s home series against West Indies?
It will be the first day-night Test match in England. Day-night Tests begin in the afternoon, and more than half the day’s play is after work hours, so the hope is that they will bring in more spectators to stadiums and more television viewership.This will be the fifth day-night Test overall – there have been two in Adelaide, one in Brisbane and one in Dubai, UAE. West Indies played Pakistan in the day-night Test in Dubai, but this will be England’s first.Where and when is this Test?
The Test is at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. It begins August 17.What time does each day start and end?
On each of the five days, play will begin at 14:00 local time. There will be a lunch break at 16:00. The second session is from 16:40 to 18:40, following which there will be a tea break. The floodlights will be turned on during the tea break, so the final session, from 19:00 to 21:00, will be played under lights.On some days, if time has been lost on the previous day due to inclement weather or other reasons, play could start as early as 13:30. Play can also be extended at the end of the day, until 22:00.Apart from the timing and floodlights, what else is different about a day-night Test?
Day-night Tests are played with a pink ball, since the traditional red ball is difficult to see under lights. The pink ball allows the cricketers to maintain the tradition of wearing whites through the Test while ensuring they can see the ball clearly. This will be the first day-night Test using a Duke ball – the Kookaburra was used for the previous four.Adelaide has hosted three day-night Tests and been successful in drawing crowds•Getty ImagesSo how successful is the day-night experiment expected to be?
The early signs look promising. Nearly 70,000 tickets have already been sold for the first three days of the Test, with days two and three sold out, while an estimated 40% being sold to people who have not previously been to a Test match. For the first day of the Test, the Stanley Barnes stand, which offers the most affordable tickets, is already sold out. For Saturday, the large Raglan stand and the Eric Hollies stand, also known as the party stand, where drinks are available, are both sold out. The novelty of a day-night Test helps pulling in crowds.You can book tickets for the Test on the Edgbaston Stadium’s website. Tickets start from £6 for Under 16s and £26 for Adults.How have the other day-night Tests fared?
The two day-night Tests played in Adelaide have broken attendance and television viewership records.Why was this selected to be England’s first day-night Test?
Warwickshire, the host county, were quick to see the opportunity with Headingley, where the second Test is played, not ready for a day-night Test and Lord’s too late in the season. Also, West Indies have a poor recent record in Tests, and hence a regular day Test between England and West Indies was considered a hard sell.What other day-night Tests are coming up?
Adelaide is scheduled to host a day-night Test between Australia and England this December – it will be the first day-night Test in an Ashes series. Dubai will host its second day-night Test when Pakistan play Sri Lanka there in October. There have also been discussions about New Zealand hosting a day-night Test when England tour there earlier next year, but there has been no confirmation.

Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi would be a "good get" for Newcastle United in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Jonathan Johnson.

How much does Axel Disasi earn per week?

The Frenchman, who currently makes just £18,000 per week, has been a defensive rock for Monaco in recent times, only failing to start one of his side's 38 Ligue 1 matches last season.

Disasi has been strongly linked with a summer move to Newcastle in recent times, as the Magpies look to bring in a dominant long-term partner for Sven Botman at the heart of their defence.

With each passing week, the more it looks as though he is the club's primary centre-back transfer target, and a new update has now emerged regarding his future.

Is Alex Disasi a good signing for Newcastle?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Johnson reacted to Newcastle's interest in Disasi this summer, as well as discussing Allan Saint-Maximin's future:

"Axel Disasi continues to be strongly linked with Newcastle and I think he’d be a good get for them. He’s shown what he can do at Monaco and I think he’d only boost their Champions League aspirations.

"It’ll be interesting to see if Newcastle can negotiate that price down, but they’re not the only club in for him this summer, there’s also interest from a few other big names across Europe."

Disasi really could be exactly what Newcastle are looking for at centre-back this summer, ticking so many boxes when it comes to his all-round attributes.

At 25, he is in a perfect point in his career, with experience under his belt but his best years still ahead of him, meaning he could be a regular at St James' Park for at least the next five years.

Disasi averaged 2.9 clearances and 2.6 aerial duel wins per game in the league last season, highlighting what a dominant figure he is, but his quality on the ball was also shown by enjoying an 84.7% pass completion rate in the Europa League, with Eddie Howe sure to want a ball-playing centre-back brought in.

Football talent scout has lauded the Monaco man for being part of a "crazy" group of top-quality French centre-backs at the moment, including William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde and Dayot Upamecano, and Newcastle could have a real coup on their hands if they get a deal over the line.

It has already proven a particularly active transfer window for those at Tottenham Hotspur, with new boss Ange Postecoglou having overseen the signings of James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Manor Solomon, while permanent deals for both Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski have also been confirmed.

Despite that early flurry of activity, it does not appear that the Lilywhites are done just yet in the summer spending spree, with notable names having been mentioned of late as possible transfer targets.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

Amid the club's search for new reinforcements at centre-back, there are reports that the north Londoners are in talks regarding the signing of Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba and Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, while Crystal Palace star Joachim Andersen has also been touted as a possible defensive alternative.

As for the midfield ranks, The Telegraph reported last week that Postecoglou and co are eyeing a move for Chelsea maestro, Conor Gallagher, with the Englishman lined up to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at N17.

While Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be keen to work with the seven-cap international at Stamford Bridge, the suggestion is that an offer of around £50m could be enough to get a deal over the line – albeit with West Ham United also showing a strong interest in the 23-year-old.

Should Tottenham sign Conor Gallagher?

While trying to compete in the Premier League is seemingly a far greater challenge than enjoying success in the Scottish Premiership, Postecoglou will be hoping to replicate key elements of his treble-winning Celtic side in his new surroundings.

A prominent figure in the Hoops' recent success under the 57-year-old was that of Reo Hatate, with the Japanese international having scored 13 goals and chipped in with 14 assists in 66 games in all competitions since joining from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2022.

The 25-year-old – who has himself been linked with a move to Spurs of late – typically operated in one of Postecoglou's two advanced midfield berths, having been lauded for his 'all-action' style by pundit Alan Hutton, who stated earlier this year:

"He is all action, all energy, he is everywhere, tackling, scoring, creating."

That energetic approach in the centre of the park is something which Gallagher could seemingly replicate under Postecoglou were he to join the north Londoners this summer, with the Epsom-born engine having been lauded for his "relentless work rate" by analyst Patrick Rowe, as well as being been described as a true "box-to-box midfielder" by writer Zach Lowy.

The former Crystal Palace loanee notably emerged as something of a "sensation" following what was a breakout 2021/22 campaign on loan at Selhurst Park – as hailed by Lowy – having scored eight goals and registered three assists in the Premier League, with Hatate also posing a real threat in the final third with six goals and eight assists in the Premiership in the most recent season.

While the 2022/23 campaign was far less fruitful for Gallagher, as the £50k-per-week asset contributed just four goal involvements back at his parent club in the league, he still showcased his defensive prowess after averaging 1.3 tackles per game – a similar record to what Hatate achieved last season (1.2 tackles per game).

Those glaring similarities between the pair should indicate that if Postecoglou is looking to sign a Premier League-proven version of Hatate, then he should look no further than that of Gallagher.

Kent have signed Pakistan bowler Yasir Shah, the world’s top-ranked Test legspinner, for four Specsavers County Championship matches in an effort to energise their promotion challenge

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2017Kent have signed Pakistan bowler Yasir Shah, the world’s top-ranked Test legspinner, for four Specsavers County Championship matches in an effort to energise their promotion challenge.It will be Yasir’s first appearance in county cricket, encouraging the belief that county batsmen will find him a challenging proposition.Yasir is set to make his debut at The Spitfire Ground on Thursday against Durham as Kent continue their promotion push. He is also available for the trips to Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire – both fellow promotion contenders – before taking on Northamptonshire at Beckenham on July 3-6.Yasir is the second fastest bowler of all-time to take 100 wickets in Test cricket, achieving the feat in just 17 matches and was top of the ICC Test bowler rankings last summer. He is fine form, taking 46 wickets in two three-Test series for Pakistan against West Indies in 2016 and 2017, earning him both Player of the Series awards.Kent head coach Matt Walker said: “Yasir is one of the finest spinners in the world and will add something different to our attack.”Taking 20 wickets consistently in red-ball cricket will be key to our promotion chances and a bowler of Yasir’s calibre will help to us achieve that and rotate our attack at a key period in the season.”Yasir’s signing is an indication of refreshed Championship ambitions for Kent under the captaincy of Sam Northeast.Their spinners have had little part to play in early season with James Tredwell managing two wickets in five matches and the once highly-touted Adam Riley, another offspinner, yet to make an appearance.Kent lie second, with a five-point buffer over third-placed Worcestershire, who slipped to an innings defeat against Sussex on Monday.

There is now a "serious possibility" that Chelsea could sign Flamengo's exciting young midfielder Matheus Franca this summer, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has told GIVEMESPORT.

Chelsea transfer news – what's the latest on Matheus Franca?

It's been another busy summer of frantic transfer business in West London, but more due to outgoings than incomings for once, with the club selling a raft of first-team players to the burgeoning Saudi league, European leagues and even rivals in the Premier League.

The shipping off of so many players has now allowed the club to start looking towards incomings, with the young striker Nicolas Jackson already coming through the doors at Stamford Bridge from La Liga outfit Villarreal.

The club are also making a conscious effort to sign young, exciting players that are full of potential, with one of those targets being Flamengo's much sought-after Franca.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on his YouTube channel last week that the Blues were preparing to make an opening offer for the youngster in the region of £17m, with additional add-ons driving the fee up further.

Things appear to have progressed yet further over the course of the week, with a deal now looking increasingly likely, according to the Italian.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Chelsea and Matheus Franca?

Romano was clear in confirming Chelsea's interest in the exciting youngster as well as revealing the club's overall strategy when it comes to South America in the future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Matheus Franca is a serious possibility. They are already invested in Angelo Gabriel. Franca is another super talent.

"So, it seems very clear the idea is to invest in a big way in South American talents and hope to see them in a Chelsea shirt in the future."

How good is Matheus Franca?

It isn't easy to get a full picture of just how good Franca really is as he is still relatively new to senior football, having played just 28 times for Flamengo in Brazil's Serie A.

However, he has managed to impress in his short time as a professional footballer finding the back of the net five times in those 28 appearances and considering he has managed that feat while playing in five different positions, the hype might well be justified.

Football scout Jacek Kulig would likely agrees as he was full of praise for the player when he first flagged him to fans outside of Brazil almost two years ago, saying:

"Great midfielder, great striker, he can play almost everywhere. One of the most exciting teenagers in Brazil at the moment."

Even with his limited experience, some elements of his game jump off the page when you look at his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position in what they define as the world's next best eight competitions, Franca sits in the top 2% for non-penalty goals, the top 3% for non-penalty expected goals and total shots, the top 4% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, and the top 11% for successful take-ons, all per 90.

If Chelsea can secure his signature for just £17m, it could prove to be a brilliant bit of business in a few years time.

Warwickshire arrested an abject start to the season as 99 from skipper Ian Bell helped them find the steel they needed to defy Surrey

George Dobell at Edgbaston24-Apr-2017
ScorecardIan Bell will feel that Warwickshire are on their knees no longer•Getty ImagesThey ended the game with fewer points than their rivals, but it may well have been Warwickshire who left Edgbaston on Monday night the happier side.To have recovered from a perilous position – Surrey were, at one point, only 65 runs behind with eight first-innings wickets intact – to have seen several batsmen return to form and to have registered 400 for the first time this season were all significant signs of progress by a side beaten by an innings in both previous matches.Most of all, though, they showed what their captain and coach described afterwards as “character.” A less united dressing room might well have capitulated at times during this game, so it bodes well for the rest of the campaign that hope and fight remains. They have made life desperately tough for themselves, but they will take some confidence from aspects of this performance and, whether you’ve played one game or one hundred, that is a priceless commodity.”It was a much-improved performance,” Jim Troughton, the head coach said afterwards. “We have come off the back of two quite damaging defeats and times like that are a true test of the individuals and also as a team.”We have had a much better four days, still not perfect by any means, but after a 100-run deficit in the first innings I thought we showed a lot of skill and character in the third innings.”Surrey, meanwhile, may feel they missed an opportunity. Both in their first innings, when they would have had hopes of building a lead of 200 at one stage, and at stages in Warwickshire’s second innings, especially on the final morning when their seamers were oddly off-colour, they were unable to produce the consistent cricket required to kill off Warwickshire. They are a fine side but the length of the tail – Tom Curran looks a bit high at No. 8 – and a bit of a lack of ruthlessness are potential causes for concern.While their coach, Michael Di Venuto, quite rightly praised the excellence of Warwickshire’s batting on the third evening, in particular, as a key factor, he also admitted his side played “some very average stuff.””It was a really mixed performance,” he said. “The good stuff was excellent but there was some very average stuff with both bat and ball.”We were slow to start the game and took two sessions to get it together and then took seven for 69 to finish it off which was a brilliant comeback. Then with the bat we got ourselves into a great position but it was disappointing the way we finished off there.”Di Venuto also confirmed that both Currans had been given a “slap on the wrist” by the ECB’s Cricket Liaison Officer, Tony Pigott after the game. It will be a surprise if more formal censure does not follow. Neither incident – dissent from Sam; a send-off from Tom – was serious, but they were unnecessary. Two such terrific young cricketers don’t need such characteristics to enjoy the success their skills deserve.When the final day started, Surrey still had a decent chance of forcing victory. Warwickshire’s lead was only 57 and a new ball was due before lunch. But Ian Bell and Tim Ambrose both played nicely, putting away a glut of short and over-pitched deliveries, and Warwickshire were gradually able to relax.Bell described himself as “gutted” to miss out on a long-awaited century. But he could take consolation from the knowledge that his runs had saved his team and take confidence from the way he timed the ball. It was some surprise when he reached for one from Gareth Batty, easily the pick of the Surrey bowlers, that didn’t turn and gave a thin edge to the keeper.Ambrose, who timed the ball even more sweetly than Bell for a while, was unable to take advantage of being dropped on 74 – Kumar Sangakkara made amends a few minutes later – but Keith Barker, with his third half-century of the campaign, made sure of the draw in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 91 with Chris Wright.Mark Footitt was also able to bowl a handful of overs for Surrey despite being forced off the pitch with a sore leg on day three. But he wasn’t at his best and, while the odd ball misbehaved, the pitch never deteriorated enough for Surrey’s seamers to take advantage.There was a case for Warwickshire declaring and trying to put Surrey under a bit of pressure. But they didn’t want to work this hard for a draw to give Surrey any chance of victory and, by the chance they felt safe, the amount of overs left rendered it irrelevant.Their next game – against Somerset – is looking vital. Both teams have endured a disappointing start to the season and both will be looking for a boost. The loser – and the pitch at Taunton these days suggests there may well be one if the weather allows – will be in trouble.Warwickshire have been boosted by the news that Jeetan Patel will be available for that game. While New Zealand are planning on holding a training camp at the time, they have given Patel permission to remain with Warwickshire which, given the expected surface at Taunton, could be highly significant.There was a bit more good news for them. Olly Stone, who suffered a serious injury before signing for the club, was able to have a gentle bowl before play boosting hopes that he might be able to return by late July, while Boyd Rankin is also hoping to return to bowling shortly and could have an outside chance of playing in that Somerset match.

Everton play host to Marco Silva's Fulham in the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.

The Toffees will be hoping for a slightly more relaxing season in the coming campaign after surviving relegation on the final day last season and the penultimate game the season before that.

The Cottagers, on the other hand, will be hoping for more of the same, as before Aleksandar Mitrovic's eight-game ban for shoving a lineman at Old Trafford, the team was on battling it out for the European places.

Here is Football FanCast's official preview for the game…

When is the match, and is it on TV in the UK?

The match is set to be played on Saturday, August 12th at 3pm BST, alongside three other fixtures in the league.

Unfortunately, the match will not be televised in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule first put into place in 1987.

The last meeting between the sides saw Fulham claim their first victory in two months, whilst the defeat left the men in blue hanging perilously above the drop zone thanks to their goal difference.

Every Openind Day Premier League Fixture in full

Who is Everton's key player?

You might have been hard-pressed for much of last year to pick out a 'star' player in the Everton squad due to their consistently poor performances.

However, the man who was probably most responsible for the team's top-flight survival last year was England international Jordan Pickford.

The keeper won the club's Player of the Season award for the second year running for his excellent work between the sticks, and you can bet that should Sean Dyche keep the team up again, he'll have the former Sunderland man to thank.

Who is Fulham's key player?

It's quite the opposite situation for the West London team. Their excellent year back in the Premier League makes it difficult to pick out a key player for all the right reasons.

It could be Bernd Leno for his brilliant shot-stopping last year or Joao Palhinha for his immense tackling in the middle of the pitch, but it's probably the man up top, Mitrovic.

The Serbian striker was potentially on course to break 20 goals before his suspension against Manchester United, eventually finishing on a respectable 14.

Should he avoid any disciplinary problems, he could well beat that tally next year and open his account away at Goodison Park.

How will Everton line up?

It could be a summer of upheaval at Goodison Park, with a few players looking like they might be on the way out, notably Neil Maupay and Yerry Mina and loanees Conor Coady and Ruben Vinagre.

There have also been murmurings of a move to Manchester United for Pickford, as Erik ten Hag is said to be a fan, but so far, no official bids have been made.

There have been no significant incomings at this point, but the club are linked to Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres, per O Jogo (via Goodison News) who would certainly bolster their faltering attack.

At this stage, the line up could be:

Jordan Pickford; Vitalii Mykolenko, Ben Godfrey, James Tarkowski, Nathan Patterson; Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Alex Iwobi, Dwight McNeil, Demarai Gray, Dominic Calvert-Lewin

How will Fulham line up?

Fulham could be the victims of their own success in the summer, with their star midfielder, Palhinha, being linked to a host of clubs, notably West Ham United, who will be looking to replace Declan Rice.

However, the West London club are interested in bringing in some reinforcements of their own.

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the Cottagers are ready to "open talks with Fiorentina" for defender Igor Julio, and the links to United's Fred haven't gone away either.

The club will also likely want to make the loan of Manor Solomon a permanent deal after he has impressed during the campaign.

That said, here is what Fulham's line up could look like:

Bernd Leno; Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Igor Julio, Antonee Robinson; Harrison Reed, Fred. Andreas Pereira; Willian, Harry Wilson, Aleksandr Mitrovic

What were the last five Premier League meetings between Everton and Fulham?

Everton 1 – 3 Fulham Fulham 0 – 0 Everton Everton 0 – 2 Fulham Fulham 2 – 3 Everton Fulham 2 – 0 Everton

Looking at their last five Premier League meeting paints a picture of dominance from the Cottagers.

Only once in the previous five meetings have Everton been able to claim all three points against Fulham, and that was away from home, which is not a promising sign going into the game at Goodison Park.

Will Dyche be able to work his magic and turn things around?

Who is going to win?

Despite the Toffees ending their season on an extreme high with their relegation-beating win at home to AFC Bournemouth and Fulham losing their final game away to United, the Cottagers should have the quality to claim all three points.

Everton will likely be better next season, but based on their performances over the last two years and the seriously impressive performances Silva has been able to get out of his players, you'd have to back the men in white.

Things look even worse for the blue half of Merseyside when you remember that Mitrovic will be back and raring to go come August 12th.

FFC predicts: Fulham will win