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Newcastle United's hearts were left broken on Tuesday night as they came perilously close to recording a historic victory at the Parc des Princes until referee Szymon Marciniak had other ideas.

He awarded Paris Saint Germain a controversial penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage time as Tino Livramento's outstretched arm made contact with the ball. Kylian Mbappe, unsurprisingly, converted the resulting spot kick to prevent the visitors from completing a double over the French giants and leave Eddie Howe's side on the brink of elimination

In the final group stage game, Newcastle must record all three points at home to AC Milan and hope Borussia Dortmund can topple PSG to qualify for the knockout stages.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring for the second game running on the night as the Swedish superstar, giving the visitors a lead to defend from the 24th minute onwards.

Despite stepping up for the Magpies when it mattered, it was all about the team performance as a whole and whilst they can feel hard done by to have three points snatched away, a draw somewhat flattered Howe's side on the balance of play.

Newcastle's game in numbers

With the scintillating Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele on either flank, it is hardly surprising to see that Newcastle had to face a siege of PSG attacks on their goal.

Whilst Les Parisiens dominated 78% of the ball, compared to the Toon's 28%, the most damning statistic was the amount of chances the home side created and xG they racked up.

According to Sofascore, PSG created an xG of 4.54 from a staggering 31 shots on the night whilst Newcastle garnered 1.29 from a mere five shots on goal – 1.23 of which came from Isak alone.

That said, xG is just the barometer for how many chances a side creates and whilst it suggests the English side were dominated, PSG struggled to put the ball in the back of the net and had to rely on a dubious penalty to snatch a point.

The Magpies ultimately had Nick Pope to thank for his heroic display, as he prevented a whopping 2.56 goals in total, as per FotMob, however, there was another hero in black and white who had a night to remember, despite conceding the dubious penalty.

Tino Livramento's game in numbers

On a night when Newcastle had to throw caution to the wind, Livramento was dubbed "fearless" for his performance against PSG by writer Henry Winter and deservedly so, as the game-defining moment was unable to take the gloss off what was a sensational display.

He was up against one of the most dangerous wingers on the planet in Dembele but stood his ground like all top defenders and was only dribbled past once.

Clearances

4

Ground duels (won)

6 (5)

Touches

51

Accurate passes

24/29 (83%)

Key passes

1

Dribble attempts (succ.)

1 (1)

All stats via Sofascore

Whilst he was near faultless defensively, making three tackles, four clearances and winning five of his six ground duels, it was his excellent solo run that created the opening for Isak's goal.

Livramento slalomed past multiple PSG players with his searing pace and fleet-footed dribbling before sliding a pass into Miguel Almiron, whose curled effort was spilt by Gianluigi Donnarumma and tapped in by Isak.

Following an excellent shift against the French giants, the 21-year-old's performance was hailed as "absolutely superb" by journalist Cameron Smith, whilst Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette handed him an 8/10 match rating, underscoring how incredible he was on the night- with goalscorer Isak, for instance, awarded just a 7/10 for his overall display.

There was a bizarre 5/10 rating from French outlet L'Equipe for Livramento, but that was seemingly an unfair reflection of his performance, while perhaps influenced by the youngster's late 'handball'.

If he continues to deliver the above performance on a regular basis, Dan Burn will have no chance of dislodging him from the starting eleven once he returns.

The batsman left Australia on Sunday to attend to his wife and newborn daughter in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2018Rohit Sharma will miss the New Year’s Test in Sydney to attend to his wife, who gave birth to a baby daughter on Sunday. Rohit left for Mumbai on Sunday, and will only return to Australia on January 8 to join the ODI squad. The Sydney Test is scheduled to run from January 3 to 7.The selectors have not named a replacement for Rohit in the Test squad. Rohit, who missed the second Test in Perth with a lower-back injury, played the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, scoring an unbeaten 63 in the first innings.His return to the side at No. 6 pushed Hanuma Vihari up the order to open alongside debutant Mayank Agarwal, with India dropping both their openers from the Perth Test, M Vijay and KL Rahul.In Rohit’s absence, India have a number of options for the Sydney Test. Vihari could return to the middle order with either Vijay or Rahul coming back into the side, or the seam-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya could directly replace Rohit at No. 6. If the Sydney pitch looks conducive to spin, another option, if the offspinner R Ashwin has regained full fitness after missing the last two Tests with a side strain, could be to go in with two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja being the other, and three fast bowlers.

Cole Palmer says his argument with his team-mates over a second-half penalty was "over the top" after beating Everton 6-0.

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Chelsea smash six past EvertonPalmer stars with four goalsBut clashed with his team-mates over penaltyWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer put in a stunning performance against Everton, scoring four times in a 6-0 victory for the Blues at Stamford Bridge. His fourth goal came from the penalty spot after an argument with his Chelsea team-mates. Palmer eventually prevailed and took the kick but it was a poor moment from the players on an otherwise superb night for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

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Palmer's comments suggest that Pochettino was quick to discuss the issue with his players after the game and nominate a designated penalty taker. Pochettino will surely have made it clear that Palmer is the team's first choice as he has been the standout player for the Blues this season and has now joined Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts with 20 goals.

WHAT PALMER SAID

He told Sky Sports: "Other players wanted to take it which was understandable, the game was 4-0. But I’m the penalty taker and I wanted to take it so I took it. But I think we are just trying to show that everyone wants to take responsibility and stuff like that. Maybe it was a bit of an over the top the argument, but everyone wants to win and help. But it was nothing major and we were laughing and joking about it. But the gaffer has told us now."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Palmer has converted all nine penalties he has taken in the Premier League with only Yaya Touré (11/11) posting a better 100% conversion rate from the spot in the competition's history.

South Africa selectors offer opportunities to youth as the team chases improved batting shows

Liam Brickhill21-Jan-2019Allrounder Sune Luus has been dropped from South Africa’s ODI and T20 squads to face Sri Lanka next month. Laura Wolvaardt also misses out from the squad that took part in the World T20 two months ago, while Trisha Chetty is yet to recover from injury. Offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe’s bowling rehabilitation also continues and she is not ready to be considered for selection.In place of the dropped players, Faye Tunnicliffe, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk and Lara Goodall return to the set-up for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka. Saarah Smith also makes a return after recovering from a fractured finger suffered during the World T20.While Wolvaardt has been retained for the ODI series, Andrie Steyn, Goodall and Tunnicliffe have been included ahead of Luus and the still injured Chetty as South Africa look to add six vital points towards their 2021 ICC Women’s World Cup direct qualification campaign. Fast bowler Ayabonga Khaka is still in the midst of her shoulder surgery rehabilitation programme and was not considered for selection.Shortcomings in South Africa’s batting were the focal point of a disappointing World T20 campaign in the Caribbean, and convenor of selectors Clinton du Preez said the new selections were a result of the debrief that followed the tournament.”Looking into the upcoming Sri Lanka series, we as selectors did a debrief of the World Cup and looked at certain areas that we need to strengthen and looked at different options that will impact the game,” du Preez said.”The likes of Tazmin Brits and Nadine de Klerk could really make an impact on the middle order, the two of them have had a really good provincial season thus far. Saarah Smith coming back from injury as a batter who can add some spin value to the team is something we’re looking forward to and in the 50-over format, Andrie Steyn is coming in on the back of some good innings at provincial level. It’s good to see that we are retaining the core of our players within the squad and are also giving the opportunity to some younger players.”Following on from the World T20, Luus and Wolvaardt are both members of the Brisbane Heat squad that has reached the final of the WBBL this season. While Wolvaardt has retained her place in the South African one-day side to face Sri Lanka, Luus won’t be back until the series against Pakistan at the end of the summer.”Sune Luus unfortunately misses out on the back of some disappointing performances,” du Preez said. “We’re looking forward to seeing how she comes back, she can still add a lot of value, she needs a bit of work with the necessary coaches just to make sure that we get her back to speed (with the bat in hand). Her bowling obviously plays a massive role, so we would need to see how she comes back after playing a few provincial games and preparing for the Pakistan series.”Western Province’s Goodall has not seen international action since taking part in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in early 2017, but her efforts over the past two seasons for her province, in the National Academy as well as the South Africa Emerging team have convinced the selectors to give her another call-up as they begin the search for the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup squad. Brits and de Klerk’s last international appearances were in June and February 2018 respectively, the latter taking the remainder of the year off to complete her matric studies.”For now, it’s important that we focus and we plan for the upcoming T20 World Cup next year and also the one in 2022 and in between that, we have the 50-over World Cup,” du Preez said. “Our focus needs to be on both formats.”Starting on 1 February, Sri Lanka’s visit will include three T20Is and three ODIs across four venues. The squad will gather for a pre-tour camp from Saturday 26 January in Cape Town.T20 squad: Dane van Niekerk (captain), Chloe Tryon (vice-captain), Lizelle Lee, Tazmin Brits, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Saarah Smith, Tumi Sekhukhune, Zintle Mali, Faye Tunnicliffe (wicketkeeper), Masabata Klaas, Nadine de Klerk.ODI squad: Dane van Niekerk (captain), Chloe Tryon (vice-captain), Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Saarah Smith, Tumi Sekhukhune, Zintle Mali, Faye Tunnicliffe (wicketkeeper), Masabata Klaas, Andrie Steyn.

Marcus Rashford claimed that he has faced "abuse" from disgruntled Manchester United fans "for months" and vowed that "enough is enough".

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Rashford going through a lean patch of formHas scored just eight goals this campaignFans have not been kind to the misfiring forwardWHAT HAPPENED?

The 26-year-old has been a shadow of his former self, when he scored an impressive 30 goals during the 2022-23 season, as he has found the net only eight times across all competitions in this campaign. In lieu of his poor form and his lackadaisical body language on the pitch, the English forward has been subject to intense criticism from fans who want to see more from the senior player at Old Trafford.

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In addition to struggling with form, Rashford was under scrutiny after being spotted at a nightclub in Belfast, shortly before reporting ill to first-team training at Carrington. Moreover, his decision to go to a nightclub, just hours after a derby defeat to Manchester City was frowned upon by the United faithful.

WHAT RASHFORD SAID

Responding to a supportive post on social media, Rashford acknowledged the ongoing abuse he has faced for months and asserted that it is time for it to stop.

X user UtdParadigm posted: "The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It's cruel. It's abuse."

Just after midnight, the England forward quote tweeted the post and wrote. "I appreciate your support," he wrote. "It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough."

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Rashford had earlier responded to criticism in a free-flowing account with The Player's Tribune where he insisted that his "commitment" to the club remains paramount.

"Listen, I’m not a perfect person," he said in the interview with . "When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better but if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that’s when I have to speak up.

"It’s like somebody questioning my entire identity, and everything I stand for as a man. I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge."

Leeds United experienced a turbulent transfer window this summer in the immediate aftermath of their relegation down to the Championship, a whole host of underperforming first-teamers departing before the prospect of second-tier football could even properly sink in.

The likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Rodrigo and Marc Roca all left the club to pursue loan moves elsewhere, whilst American midfield gem Tyler Adams also left Elland Road behind to join Premier League side AFC Bournemouth on a permanent deal.

Yet, not all hope was lost completely in this transfer window with Daniel Farke going on to recruit the spine of a squad that's now third in the league and gearing up for an intense battle with Ipswich Town and Leicester City for those coveted automatic promotion spots.

Additions such as Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon have been excellent buys whilst duds in the Premier League such as Georginio Rutter have burst into life since the club were relegated – the latter man registering seven assists this season.

Farke could add some new players in January to his promotion-chasing squad regardless of the feel-good factor present at Elland Road at this moment in time, Leeds potentially going back in for Fortuna Düsseldorf star Ao Tanaka who is vying for a move away from the German club.

Leeds transfer latest

Leeds United were previously interested in the Japanese midfielder last transfer window and even made a bid for the player, according to reports in Germany, albeit with Farke's men opting to sign Glen Kamara instead to fill gaps over Tanaka.

The Whites could be encouraged to go back in for the 24-time Japan international with recent developments suggesting that the skilful 5 foot 11 Düsseldorf man is actively looking for a move away.

German football website Express commented on the 'tricky situation' Tanaka's club have on their hands to keep the 25-year-old past January, stating that Dusseldorf will not put 'any obstacles' in the way of their number four moving on.

The Whites could therefore consider going back in for their failed summer buy, adding competition for places in West Yorkshire to ensure first-team regulars such as Kamara don't become complacent centrally.

How Ao Tanaka compares to Glen Kamara

Whilst Leeds' Finnish midfielder is far more reserved in his game going forward – content with just spraying the ball about with ease in a holding role – Tanaka excels when he ventures further up the pitch to help his team add goals.

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The talented young gem could be the next player to make a breakthrough at Elland Road.

ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2023

Over the last year for his 2. Bundesliga employers – according to FBref – Tanaka has averaged 1.28 shots per 90 minutes when he forays forward. Kamara, on the contrary, comes in at a far lesser 0.21.

With the amount of shots Tanaka takes per match, it's no surprise to see the Japanese midfielder has four goals next to his name for his free-flowing 2. Bundesliga team this campaign.

Yet, Kamara comes out on top in the passing statistics between the two – Leeds' number eight is a key figure under Farke playing in a deep position, a calm orchestrator of attacking moves alongside partner Ethan Ampadu. Over the last year, Kamara has on average completed 92.4% of his passes per game compared to Tanaka's 85.5%.

The Japanese World Cup star could offer Leeds something more fresh and unique if he was to be signed, even potentially starting in a more advanced number ten role if required.

Tanaka's ability to be tough in a tackle for Dusseldorf and his national team but also potent in attack has even seen him be compared to Real Madrid golden boy Jude Bellingham, a comparison that will have certainly piqued Leeds' interest due to the 20-year-old's heroics of late – netting 15 goals in just 17 games for Los Blancos.

That likeness between Tanaka and the Englishman was noted by the Bundesliga official website, who stated:

'Tanaka is somewhere in between, going box to box and emerging as an on-field leader like Borussia Dortmund’s England international Jude Bellingham. Tanaka looks to clean up from deep – averaging almost nine tackles won per Bundesliga 2 game in 2022/23 – and get forward whenever possible.'

Kamara will then be sweating about the potential of Kamada joining the Whites, Farke could fancy signing the bargain £2.6m man in January and play him over the former Rangers man to catch opponents off-guard in their continued hunt for promotion.

Borussia Dortmund dug up a social media post from the past to rinse Paris Saint-Germain and avenge Erling Haaland in the Champions League.

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PSG mocked BVB after beating them in 2020German outfit hit back after win in ParisWill play in the UCL final at the expense of PSGWHAT HAPPENED?

The German side clinched a 1-0 victory in the first leg, followed by another triumph with the same scoreline in Paris – thanks to a bullet header from Mats Hummels from a corner in the first half. The 2-0 aggregate victory propelled them to the final at Wembley, where they await the challenge of either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who will face off in the other semi-final on Wednesday evening.

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Dortmund and PSG had earlier met in 2020 in the last 16 of the Champions League after the Black and Yellows successfully navigated a supposed group of death and advanced to the knockouts. Haaland, who then played for the Bundesliga side, scored twice in a 2-1 win at home. His celebration, accompanied by the caption 'Zensational win,' caught PSG's attention.

In the second leg, the Parisians mounted a comeback at the Parc des Princes and advanced 3-2 on aggregate. Neymar replicated Haaland's celebration following his goal and the entire team mocked Dortmund's Haaland with his 'Zen' celebration after knocking them out.

WHAT DORTMUND SAID

Dortmund's social media team paid them back with interest after Tuesday's win and posted: "Tastes like fine wine."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

Dortmund will now prepare for the final showdown at Wembley in June where they can potentially face eternal rivals Bayern Munich, though they still have to get past Real Madrid in their semi-final tie. The match would be a replay of the 2013 final, when Jurgen Klopp led them to the final but suffered a heartbreaking defeat to their rivals.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were brought back down to earth last weekend as they endured a dismal 3-0 defeat to a club who were in European action just 72 hours prior.

Following a win against Burnley and a draw versus Nottingham Forest, Gary O’Neil would have been looking for his team to take advantage of West Ham’s second game in just three days, yet it looked like the Old Gold were the ones coming off the back of a continental clash.

While there has been some decent progress under the former Bournemouth manager, consistency problems have plagued so far during the 2023/24 season and this will need to be remedied heading into 2024.

With the transfer window just around the corner, could a few signings give the Molineux outfit a boost?

Wolves transfer news – Defensive hunt

According to reports, Wolves have made contact with the agent of current Flamengo defender Wesley Franca as O’Neil aims to add some players to his current squad.

Barcelona were close to signing the youngster, yet due to financial fair play rules, the move didn’t materialise and this could open up the door for the Old Gold to make their move.

More good news has come from journalist Vitor Beloti, who provided an update on his situation, saying: “Wesley has received inquiries from Brighton, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton and has a chance of leaving Flamengo in 2024.

“The English are waiting for the transfer window to open to move forward with negotiations. The full-back has even told Flamengo his desire to play in Europe.”

With Brighton and Palace sure to provide some competition for the player, the next few weeks will be massive with regard to who makes the first move.

The Brazilian has just 18 months left on his current contract and this could further entice Wolves to make an offer for the 20-year-old, especially considering they may not need to pay over the odds.

O'Neil could be forced to bench 5/10 Wolves man after West Ham

Wolves endured a heavy defeat against West Ham United over the weekend

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 18, 2023

The right-back area is a position in which the club really need to strengthen, especially considering how inconsistent Nelson Semedo has been this season.

A move for Wesley would give O’Neil the licence to finally jettison the former Barcelona defender before his contract expires in 2025.

Nelson Semedo’s statistics at Wolves

The 30-year-old joined the Midlands side back in 2020 for a staggering transfer fee of £36.8m and it prompted their executive chairman Jeff Shi to laud to defender, saying: "It's isn't often that we have the opportunity to sign a world-class player from a world-class club. Nelson's signing shows we will never stop progressing and we are still hungry and humble in our heart."

Having won two La Liga titles and a Copa Del Rey during his time in Spain, Semedo arrived with a winning mentality and across his first two seasons he made 64 appearances across all competitions while scoring twice, and it was a decent start.

Last season under Bruno Lage and Julen Lopetegui, however, Semedo failed to impress. He ranked in a lowly 21st position in the squad for overall Sofascore rating in the top flight, while also ranking seventh for accurate passes (27.4), 16th for key passes (0.3) and seventh for successful dribbles (0.7) per game, indicating just how inconsistent he was.

He recorded just one assist across his 36 Premier League matches and for a fullback who loves to bomb down the wing as often as he does, this was a dismal return.

Under O’Neil this term, the Portuguese defender has started every single league match and it proves that the 40-year-old has a lack of options in the right-back role.

With this in mind, a move for Wesley could well be high on his priority list and the youngster has enjoyed a standout season for the Brazilian side in 2023.

Wesley Franca’s season in numbers

During the summer, Wesley was praised by U23 scout Antonio Mango after he burst into the Flamengo senior side. He said: “I’ve been so so impressed with Flemengo’s right-back Wesley França …. He’s been immense since coming into the senior team.”

He ended up making 51 appearances across all competitions for the club during the 2023 season, and he was given a wonderful platform in which to showcase his abilities.

Despite his relatively young age and inexperience at the highest level, the defender has impressed across a wide range of metrics, especially when compared to players occupying the same position as him.

Indeed, when compared to positional peers in competitions similar to the Brazilian top-flight, the 20-year-old ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes received per 90 (10.03), the top 2% for pass completion rate per 90 (85.7%) and the top 13% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (2.07) as he demonstrated his attacking qualities over the previous 12 months.

Semedo, when compared to his positional peers in the top five leagues, could only rank in the top 38% for progressive passes received per 90 (4.67), the top 35% for pass completion rate per 90 (79.9%) and the lowest 31% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (0.99), indicating that he hasn’t enjoyed a particularly fruitful last 12 months.

These statistics clearly show that Wesley would be an upgrade on Semedo going forward and, despite playing just 57 senior matches during his career, O’Neil would be able to thrust him into the starting XI and watch him shine.

There is no doubt that several areas of Wolves' first-team squad is in need of an overhaul and the right back area is one notable position.

The 30-year-old has often shown flashes of his talent during his three-year spell in the Midlands, but considering the fee they paid to sign him, it hasn’t been quite good enough.

Moving him on in the near future and bringing in a talented Brazilian starlet who has already shown better statistics across various performance metrics could prove to be a shrewd move by O’Neil.

Of course, it would be a big gamble to take, but no one ever did anything of note by sticking to their comfort zone and this means a move must come sooner rather than later.

The South Africa legspinner will still be available for T20Is, at least until the 2020 T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2019South Africa’s Imran Tahir has decided to retire from ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. The legspinner, who made the announcement following his match-winning 3 for 26 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, has stated that he would still be available for T20Is, at least until the 2020 T20 World Cup.Tahir, who will turn 40 later this month and is contracted to Cricket South Africa only until July 31, said that the decision was taken with a “mutual understanding” between the board and him. He was not handed a contract for the 2019-20 season, which put a question mark over his long-term future in international cricket.”I have always wanted to play in the World Cup,” Tahir said in a statement released by CSA. “It would be a great achievement for me to play for this great team. I have a mutual understanding with Cricket South Africa and going forward I decided that I would finish at the World Cup, that is why I am contracted until then.”After that, Cricket South Africa has allowed me to go and play around the world in various leagues but I would also love to play T20 cricket for South Africa. I think I have the ability and can play a role in T20 cricket for South Africa. I am grateful for the opportunity.”Tahir has represented South Africa in 95 ODIs, taking 156 wickets at 24.56. He became the joint-fastest South African – Allan Donald and Morne Morkel being the others – to 150 ODI wickets during the match against Australia in Perth last year, achieving the feat in 89 matches.It was during the 2011 World Cup that Tahir had made his ODI debut, in South Africa’s opening match against West Indies in Delhi. He made a major impact in the tournament, finishing as South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 3.79.He added that this move would also open up spots for other spinners, who according to him “need the opportunity”.”If you look at 50-over cricket there’s guys like (Tabraiz) Shamsi, (Aaron) Phangiso, Shaun von Berg, Dane Piedt… there are a lot of guys who need opportunity,” Tahir said.”I don’t want to lose my spot. I have to work twice as hard, they are younger than me. I just want to be honest, I don’t want to leave, but that’s how it is. There is a stage in your life where you have to make big decisions, this is one of those big decisions, it is definitely the biggest decision of my life. I also feel there are a couple of good spinners in the country who need the opportunity. We are fighting for the same spot, but looking to the future, they will have more opportunities to play for South Africa.”Tahir has played 20 Tests and 37 T20Is for South Africa, besides being a regular presence in franchise leagues all around the world. He showed some of his best form against Sri Lanka on Sunday prompting his captain Faf du Plessis to gush: “That was the Immy of old, the Immy that has won us games single-handedly in the past. He’s my go-to man in the middle. We need him to be on top of his game at the World Cup, so it was really good to see that (performance).”

Glasgow Rangers head into 2024 currently occupying second spot in the Premiership table, eight points behind the leaders.

However, they do have two games in hand and if the Gers win both of these clashes, the gap will be reduced to just two points and a title race will very much be on.

Philippe Clement won't be focusing on that right now, especially as they have one more match to come against Kilmarnock before the winter break stops the domestic season for the next three weeks.

The tie comes just three days after the defeat to Celtic, and it gives Clement the chance to rotate his squad slightly, as several players could be back in contention following recent injuries.

With this in mind, here's the Rangers starting XI that could take to the Ibrox pitch tomorrow afternoon to take on the Ayrshire outfit.

1 GK – Jack Butland

The one position that is never in doubt. Butland was perhaps unlucky to concede twice against Celtic, as he couldn’t do much more for both of their goals, especially the strike by Kyogo Furuhashi in the second half.

The Gers still have the best defensive record in the top flight, and much of this is down to how impressive Butland has been throughout the campaign as he seeks yet another clean sheet.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The captain added to his Old Firm goal tally on Saturday as he scored a wonderful freekick towards the end of the match, yet it wasn’t enough to secure anything from the game.

The clash against Killie represents a chance for the team to mend the wrongs of that painful defeat and Tavernier will need to inspire his teammates to a solid performance.

The Light Blues slipped up against the side in the first league tie of the season and another result like this would be a disaster.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

The Englishman will retain his place for the tie on Tuesday and while he won 100% of his aerial duels against Celtic, his passing wasn’t quite up to scratch.

The defender finished the match with just a 75% pass success rate and completed just three of his 13 long balls and these statistics will need to improve against Killie tomorrow.

4 CB – John Souttar

Leon Balogun partnered Goldson in the Old Firm derby, but a lapse in concentration saw him sent off following a tussle with Daizen Maeda during the second half, and he is suspended for the clash with Killie.

Souttar will be the natural replacement for the Nigerian. The Scot hasn’t started a game since the 2-0 win over St Johnstone prior to Christmas and Clement will be hoping he is raring to go.

5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

The Turkish left back will continue in his role as Borna Barisic will remain unavailable until after the winter break.

Yilmaz showed glimpses of his potential against Celtic as he won 100% of his duels and succeeded with both of his dribble attempts, yet he needs to become more consistent if he wishes to keep his spot on the left side of the defence.

6 CM – John Lundstram

Following a rough tackle that saw the midfielder come off against St Johnstone a couple of weeks ago, it appeared as though Lundstram would miss the next few games and return after the winter break.

Testament to his ability to recover, the Englishman made the starting XI against Celtic and put in a decent shift which saw him make four interceptions, three tackles and complete two key passes. Clement will be expecting more of the same on Tuesday, that’s for sure.

7 CM – Kieran Dowell

Surprise package Dujon Sterling started in the Old Firm derby, but for the final league clash before the winter break, Dowell will return to the starting XI.

Against Motherwell on Christmas Eve, the former Norwich City starlet scored his second goal for the club while he succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts.

It was his defensive effort which impressed the most, however, as the midfielder won four of his seven ground duels, made two tackles and three interceptions. He deserves another start against Killie.

8 RW – Ross McCausland

The youngster has certainly made his mark in the senior squad over the previous few months. Not only has he signed a long-term deal until 2027, but the winger scored his first goal for the club against Aris Limassol in the Europa League.

He started against Celtic, and it was a baptism of fire for the Northern Irish starlet, yet more experience at this level will give him the confidence to improve further.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

Cantwell didn’t have the best of matches against Celtic, completing just 15 passes during his spell on the pitch before he was subbed off after 69 minutes.

The attacking midfielder has shown plenty of promise in spells this season, but he really needs to start replicating the form that saw him score six goals and grab five assists in just 20 matches towards the end of last season.

10 LW – Abdallah Sima

The winger looked subdued against Celtic as he couldn’t add to his tally of 14 goals scored prior to the match.

Sima has been called up to the Senegal squad for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament which takes place in the Ivory Coast between 13 January and 11 February, and he could miss a few matches for the Gers, depending on how far Senegal progresses in the competition.