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Crystal Palace have now entered the race to sign Getafe goalkeeper David Soria, who could be brought in as a replacement for Vicente Guaita, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?

Palace offered Guaita a new contract earlier in the transfer window, with it being reported that the Spaniard is happy at Selhurst Park, and is willing to battle Sam Johnstone for a place in the starting XI next season – however, he is yet to sign a new deal.

The 36-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract, meaning his future is in doubt, and he has now emerged as a transfer target for Getafe, as reported by Marca (via Sport Witness).

Getafe are targeting Guaita as a potential replacement for Soria, who has now been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Nottingham Forest recently making their interest clear.

The Eagles have also now joined the race for the 30-year-old, viewing him as an option to replace their current goalkeeper, amid the doubt surrounding his future at Selhurst Park, given that he is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.

In summary, Palace entering the race for Soria has caused Getafe to look at replacements for their goalkeeper, and Guaita has been "sounded loud" as a possible target, meaning the two clubs could end up swapping their goalkeepers this summer.

How good is David Soria?

Journalist Alvaro Canibe has recently hailed the £25k-per-week shot-stopper for the influence he has in the dressing room, as well as for his performances on the pitch, saying: "Thumbs up for David Soria. His excellent level on the pitch has only been surpassed by his courage, leadership and attitude off it. This season has made his importance clear. Captain without the armband. Colossal.

With an average Sofascore match rating of 6.97, the 6 foot 3 colossus was ranked as Getafe's second-best performing player in La Liga last season, and he particularly impressed when it came to saving penalties.

Up until April 8th last season, the Getafe star had saved four of the seven penalties he'd faced, more than any other goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues at that stage of the campaign.

Not only that, but the Madrid-born goalkeeper's save percentage in general is also very impressive, stopping an average of 75.3% of the shots he has faced per 90 over the course of the past year, placing him in the 81st percentile when compared to his positional peers.

The only potential criticism that could be made of the former Sevilla man is that he does not appear to be particularly good with his feet, given that he ranks in the 99th percentile for number of passes launched, and he is only in the 13th percentile for touches per 90.

That said, Soria could still be a really solid signing for Crystal Palace, as he would be more than capable of pushing Johnstone for a place in the starting XI next season.

Yorkshire’s captain once again came to the fore, but Somerset survived an early collapse to set up a fascinating final day

David Hopps at Taunton11-Jun-2017
ScorecardMany England fans are still on his case. “Ugly cricketer,” they carp about Gary Ballance. In Yorkshire, the criticism is peremptorily waved aside. As far as Yorkshire are concerned, ugly is the new beautiful.Since he was awarded the Yorkshire captaincy, Ballance has been irrepressible. His unbeaten 98 at Taunton has positioned his side for a victory that, if achieved, would pronounce them Championship contenders and which would deepen Somerset’s predicament in the process.How Somerset must wish they had a batsman like him. Pessimism surfaced in every corner of this intimate ground as they prepared to chase 263. That within 17 overs they succumbed at 49 for 4 was met by black West Country humour, but they finished on 101 for 4 with no further alarm, an engrossing conclusion in the offing.Steven Patterson took the first three, Dean Elgar to a leg-side strangle, Marcus Trescothick nicked one that straightened from around the wicket, and the poor, put-upon young captain, Tom Abell, lbw for 4 as he pushed forward. James Hildreth was ephemeral, a ghostly figure, there and then gone.Ballance is a captain who has been around the block. Abell, by everybody’s account, is a nice, polite young man, well-thought of, but he gives the impression that he should only go around the block if it is well lit, with CCTV cameras.Markedly young captains have a better chance of succeeding if they have a bit of arrogance and stubbornness about them. To draw courage from gentleness is never easy. It is to be hoped that the experience is the making of him, but his Championship average of 17 owes much to his unbeaten 71 on a dead final day against Middlesex at Lord’s last week.Ballance, by contrast, now has 727 runs in six Championship matches at 103.85. He has three hundreds, one of them a double. There are two dominant stories in Yorkshire’s season: the delightful wicket-taking exploits of a breakthrough fast bowler, Ben Coad, and something altogether earthier, Ballance at the crease, refusing to yield.When he took the Yorkshire captaincy in the close season, his England ambitions were far from abandoned. It is only last October, against Bangladesh in Dhaka that he played the last of his 21 Tests, but he met such a horrible end, passing 50 only once in his last 14 innings, that a long absence felt inevitable.Perhaps that absence remains likely. But with both Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings short of runs, the theory that they will fill the top three places alongside Alastair Cook in the first Test against South Africa is not the certainty it once was.Ballance will never be an elegant batsman, but once again he is a highly effective one. He will never invite purrs of delight, but he draws admiration. While Somerset’s spinners, Dom Bess and Jack Leach, worked their way through Yorkshire’s order, sharing 4 for 10 in 8.2 overs after lunch, he shored up the innings as reliably as ever. He has become a batsman from the Essentials range, an everyday necessity.As ever, Ballance prospered square on the offside, enough to spring his detractors into life as they reflect upon his predominantly back-foot style. Judging by Steve Davies’ disappointed reaction behind the stumps when he failed to gather a squirted shot, Leach almost dismissed him on 57. Of his two sixes, a skilful ramp to third man off Jamie Overton to move to 98 stood out. Then the innings ended, Ryan Sidebottom agonised to be lbw, his captain’s fourth Championship hundred lost.”Confidence is such a huge thing and I feel really good about my game at the moment,” Ballance said. “I don’t think too much about stats, but rather concentrate on putting in performances that help the team.”Batting wasn’t easy today as their spinners were getting the ball to drift in the strong wind, as well as turn. So I am very happy about the position we have put ourselves in.”Gary Ballance set Somerset a testing target with another captain’s innings•PA Photos

There is some irony in the fact that Yorkshire’s overseas batsman, Peter Handscomb, springs even further back in his crease than Ballance. Perhaps he was signed as a reminder perhaps that back-foot play is not necessarily a criminal offence. Although if the Conservatives’ post-election deal with the DUP runs out of control, who knows what could become illegal?Positive news for Somerset came from Bess, who took his fourth five-wicket haul in five matches. At 19, his story is already one of perseverance, a trip to the Darren Lehmann Academy in Adelaide kick-starting his career after the Somerset Academy chose not to commit to his talents.Included in his 5 for 80 was a little drifter that did for Handscomb and a nicely-flighted delivery that had Jack Leaning caught at slip. A brief contest between Bess and Matthew Waite, an ambitious young player, quick on his feet, was as enjoyable as the day got.Hindsight suggests that Somerset should have kept faith with the spinners at 223 for 8, the lead 201, but they did not, and Yorkshire’s last two wickets added 60, primarily against pace bowlers and the second new ball, Ballance to the fore.

AC Milan’s chief marketing officer Tania Moreno hailed USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah for the growth of the club's brand in the US.

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AC Milan chief lauds USMNT starsMilan's brand saw substantial growth in the USPulisic, Musah and Swaby joined Milan this summerWHAT HAPPENED?

Moreno suggested that while the decision to sign Pulisic and Musah this summer was purely on their merit, it is undeniable that the US men's national team stars' presence has helped AC Milan to grow their brand in the US market.

She further revealed that 74% of Pulisic's Milan jerseys were sold in his home country while ticket sales and other revenues substantially grew since the arrival of the duo.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Former Chelsea star Pulisic has enjoyed a purple patch at Milan having contributed with four goals and two assists in 12 matches across all competitions. Musah, on the other hand, has provided one assist in 14 games thus far.

US-born and raised Allyson Swaby, who currently represents the Jamaican women's national team, also joined the Serie A giants in the summer and has started in all eight matches for the club in the ongoing season.

WHAT TANIA MORENO SAID

Speaking at the 2023 Soccerex in Miami, Moreno said: "First of all, these players are at Milan because they are fantastic footballers. However, it is undeniable that having them in our team is helping us reach the public American in a more incisive way and has a strong impact on the commercial side. Just to give a few examples, in terms of ticket sales, this season we are seeing more sales of single tickets and hospitality tickets sold to Americans than in the past.

"In terms of merchandise sales, 74% of all CP11 jerseys are currently sold in the United States. Even more impressive is the total number of units [all AC Milan merchandise] sold in the US, which is up 110% compared to last year – a huge year-over-year increase. Finally, as of July 2023, the percentage of jerseys sold in the United States amounts to 20% of the total."

She added: "As for our digital platforms, we’ve seen a spike in views from the US on platforms like YouTube, where video views from the US are growing at impressive rates. Overall, 3 of the 10 most engaging videos of the season so far feature Pulisic. As for the app, it saw a +266% increase in new downloads from the US market compared to last year, and on the website, we achieved a +154% increase in the number of US users."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN

The men's team, who are currently third in the league and are eight points behind leaders and rivals Inter, will next take on Fiorentina on November 25. On the same day, the women's will face Inter in a Milan derby.

Usman Khawaja could be facing the axe from Australia’s team for the first Test against India, after being left out of the XI for the tour match against India A in Mumbai.Shaun Marsh was preferred for the three-day game, which is Australia’s only warm-up match before the first Test in Pune. Although the tour-match XI will not completely correspond to Australia’s Test XI – Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are both being rested – the absence of Khawaja is a more significant pointer.The probable inclusion of an allrounder in Australia’s XI means only five specialist batting positions will likely be available: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith, Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh were all named in the tour match XI.Khawaja’s disappointing record in Asian conditions could leave him on the outer. In four Tests in Asia – all in Sri Lanka – he has scored 115 runs at 19.16, and he was dropped mid-tour during Australia’s series in Sri Lanka last year. His wider first-class record in Asia – including tour games and Australia A matches – is 389 runs at 32.41. In his past 14 first-class innings in Asia, he has not passed 50.Marsh, by comparison, has played three Tests in Asia – like Khawaja, all in Sri Lanka – but has made two centuries and averages 78.60 in those games. Unlike Khawaja, who has played Australia A first-class matches in India, Marsh is yet to make any first-class appearance in India, and the selectors hope that his ability against spin might help strengthen Australia’s batting order in this series.However, despite his struggles in Asia, Khawaja is coming off a productive home summer, in which he scored 581 runs at 58.10 from six Tests against South Africa and Pakistan. Last month, when the Test squad for this tour was announced, national selector Trevor Hohns was asked whether Khawaja’s retention for the first Test would depend on his form in the training camp in Dubai, and the tour game.”We see Usman as one of our best five or six batsmen,” Hohns said at the time. “He’s included because of that. We would expect Usman to do everything he possibly can to improve his play. He wasn’t great in Sri Lanka – and once again, he knows that and understands that. We want to see him improve his play in those conditions against spin bowling. He’s one of our best batsmen, so there’s no reason why he can’t do the job.”Marsh began the home summer as Warner’s opening partner, but after scoring 63 and 15 in the first Test against South Africa in Perth, he missed the remainder of the Tests due to injury. In his previous two Tests – against West Indies in Hobart in December 2015, and against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2016 – Marsh had scored centuries.Writing for ESPNcricinfo this week, former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said if he was choosing the XI for the first Test in Pune, he would pick Marsh ahead of Khawaja.Australia XI for tour game David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.

Liverpool will not pursue a summer deal to sign Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Is Benjamin Pavard leaving Bayern Munich?

The France international will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that this transfer window will provide Thomas Tuchel with his final big opportunity to cash in, should he not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and being his second top-performing defensive player, he won’t be short of suitors.

Whilst FSG and Jurgen Klopp are known to be prioritising the midfield area having already confirmed the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister, the backline is believed to be another position that they are looking to strengthen and the 27-year-old had been mentioned as a target.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, SportBILD journalist Christian Falk revealed that the right-back has “informed” the Bundesliga outfit that he wants to leave and name-checked the Reds as a “hot candidate” after his agent held talks with the hierarchy, but an update has now emerged contrary to those reports.

Are Liverpool signing Pavard?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are “not in the running” to sign Pavard this summer despite multiple outlets stating otherwise. The Premier League side have been the “most strongly linked” with a swoop for the defender, but it’s stated that there is “no truth” to the rumours that they are set to make an approach in the weeks ahead.

The Merseyside outfit are maintaining their “focus” on additions in the midfield, with Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone, Gabri Veiga and Romeo Lavia all on the boss’ shortlist, where he will then turn his attention to increasing numbers in the backline.

Are FSG right not to chase Pavard?

During Liverpool’s final few games of last season, Trent Alexander-Arnold was deployed in the midfield and appeared to flourish in his new role, so Klopp could do with another right-back to take his place should his regular starter be set to change positions, and Pavard could have been the perfect candidate.

The 2022 World Cup runner-up, who pockets £82k-per-week, averaged 2.5 clearances, 2.3 tackles and 2.1 aerial wins per game in the Bundesliga during the previous term, via WhoScored, so was a real rock out wide, but he also got more than involved at the opposite end of the field.

Bayern’s “wonderful character”, as described by one of their club chiefs Uli Hoeness, ranked in the 99th percentile for three different statistics, including progressive passes, and this attacking mindset resulted in him clocking up eight goal contributions (seven goals and one assist) across all competitions. The Reds could be making a big mistake by deciding not to chase Pavard.

Details about the Denmark squad for the Women's World Cup 2023, including the players who may be included and those who may miss out.

After missing out on a hattrick of World Cups, Denmark's Women's Team has entered back into the biggest women's football event in the world.

The Danish side has injected some new faces into their roster and mixed with the experience lying in their ranks, the Red and Whites could be a challenging opponent in their race to clinch silverware. During the qualifying stage, Denmark boasted of a staggering record winning eight games in a row and conceding just 2 goals.

The Danes were on a 4-game winning streak before being halted by Spain in their build-up to the tournament. With Lars Søndergaard announcing her squad to travel to Australia and New Zealand, the fans at home will be banking on the country's historic goalscorer, Pernille Harder who was their leading striker in the Euro 2022 as well.

Denmark will kick off their campaign against China on the 22nd of July before locking horns with England and Haiti on the 28th of July and 1st of August respectively, asGOALtakes a look at who made it to the Denmark Women's World Cup squad.

GOALKEEPERS

23-year-old goalkeeper Lene Christensen would easily be the first choice between the sticks for the Red and Whites.

While Kathrine Larsen and Maja Bay Ostergaard will be pushing for a spot in the eleven. Considering the fact that a goalkeeper becomes crucial in a team that relies on playing it out from the back, the Danish side will bank heavily on Christensen to string passes and help in transition from the back.

Name ClubKatherine LarsenBrondbyMaja Bay OstergaardFC Thy-ThistedLene ChristensenRosenborgAdvertisementDEFENDERS

Lars Søndergaard's defensive battery is injected with massive experience and youth which could prove important in crunch situations for the team. The centre-back partnership of Stine Ballisager Pedersen and Simone Boye Sørensen are gonna be very important.

Both Pedersen and Sorensen are dominant in the air and will not shy away from tackles in their own box. While Rikke Sevecke and Sofie Svava are two of the trustworthy players who'll be seen on either side of the centre-backs. Both of them can gallop down the field and turn defence into attack quite easily and quickly enabling the Danish team to create havoc on the counter.

Name ClubKatrine VejeEvertonRikke SeveckEvertonSofie SvavaReal Madrid Stine PedersonValerangaLuna GevitzMontpellierSimone SorensenHammarbyFrederikke ThogersenInterGettyMIDFIELDERS

The Danish women's team prefer the opponent's pressing them rather than going all guns blazing and the midfielders would become crucial if they go with the same tactics.

All eyes would be on Everton's Karem Holmgaard as she would aim to be the leader in the centre of the park and control the different transitions in her team. The 24-year-old would be key in leading her troops and donning the possession in midfield.

Josefine Hasbo would also be an influential cog in the heart of Denmark's midfield. The smart midfielder would be crucial in dynamising attacks for her team and can prove to be a headache for her opponents owing to her creativity and resilience.

The Red and Whites have a balanced midfielder with tons of experience mixed with the explosivity of some young names in their roster. Arsenal's Kathrine Kühl and West Ham United's Emma Snerle could be the two names to lead the Danish team to glory in Australia.

Name Club Sanne TroelsgaardReadingSofie JungeJuventusNicole SorensenEvertonEmma SnerleWest Ham UnitedKathrine KuhlArsenalKaren HolmgaardEvertonJosefine HasboHarvard CrimsonJanni ThomsonValerengaENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesFORWARDS

Without a doubt, Bayern Munich's Pernille Harder would be the most important figure in Denmark's forward battery. The highest goalscorer of her country(69), Harder will have to constantly find the back of the net to ensure the Danish side keeps adding pressure on their opponents.

With Stine Larsen missing out on the showpiece event, Pernille would be integral to her team's hopes of scoring goals in Australia. The strongest part of Denmark's attacking set-up is the different profiles they have to suit every situation.

Mille Geji can dart past defenders with ease and create goalscoring opportunities from the centre. Signe Brunn excels in creating attacking threats with ease and with Amalie Vangsgaard partnering her up, the duo could prove to be a nightmare for the opposing defenders.

Name ClubPernille HarderBayern MunichSigne BruunLyonMille GejiNorth Carolina CourageRikke MaddisonNorth Carolina CourageAmalie VangsgaardPSG

Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as they fell to a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, on a day when they simply had to win.

Players at Elland Road were unsurprisingly booed off on a shocking end to a dreadful campaign, with Sam Allardyce's appointment doing little to stem the run of terrible results and schoolboy defending, as the Yorkshire outfit shipped 11 goals in just four games under the experienced Englishman.

While it will be difficult for Leeds fans to pick out any positives from a nightmare day at Elland Road, the performance of Adam Forshaw was a promising one on what was likely to be his final appearance at the club.

How did Forshaw play against Tottenham Hotspur?

The 31-year-old, who is out of contract next month, has spent much of the campaign sidelined through injury but showed his quality on a day when many Leeds players simply failed to show up.

As per Sofascore, the Englishman would earn a solid 7/10 rating for his performance, which was the joint-best of any Leeds player to feature in the game, with Georginio Rutter also earning a 7/10 from the bench after contributing the assist for Jack Harrison's second half goal.

The £20k-per-week asset saw plenty of the ball on Sunday afternoon, registering 93 touches and completing 54/62 passes, which was a dramatic increase on his season average of 18.4 passes per game.

The former Middlesbrough man also contributed four key passes, which again is a significant increase on his season average of 0.7 key passes per game, and suggests that he was the chief creator on Sunday afternoon from midfield.

He could hardly be blamed for Leeds' defensive woes against an inspired Harry Kane, as he also contributed two tackles and one interception, which suggests that he was one of few players to actually do their job on the final day.

It was no surprise therefore that during BT Sport's coverage of the game, Gary McAllister described him as Leeds' "best player" and suggested that he was the only one who had "stood up" for the Yorkshire outfit in the first half.

While Leeds' multi-million signings showed little to no fight, Forshaw was one who put his all into the game, and it may just make the incoming manager consider whether he is worth a new short-term deal this summer, as he can leave Elland Road tonight with his head held high.

The ICC has agreed to support Sri Lanka Cricket and Kusal Perera’s claim for costs and damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has said

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Jul-2016The ICC has agreed to support Sri Lanka Cricket and Kusal Perera’s claim for costs and damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has said.Perera had been suspended after a Qatar-based lab found a banned substance in his urine sample, but the doping charges were dropped in May when an independent analyst found that the WADA-accredited lab’s findings were not sustainable.Though the ICC had previously said it “does not accept that it is responsible” for the consequences the lab’s findings, SLC believes it has got the ICC’s support in its attempt to obtain both costs and compensation from WADA itself.Sumathipala said the board’s request for compensation for Perera received widespread support at the recent ICC meeting in Edinburgh.”We appealed to the ICC about the injustice that had happened to Kusal, and we were given an audience at the CEOs’ meeting. I must say the committee comprising of the CEOs unanimously supported our claim,” he said. “Then it came to the board meeting, and at the board meeting we made the appeal that there should be compensation – not just the cost. It was decided that the costs and the compensation should be paid to him, because the ICC took the position that the claim made by Kusal is fair and justifiable. ICC decided to stand by Sri Lanka Cricket and support the claim.”SLC said it spent about 13 million Sri Lankan rupees (US $92,000 approx) on fighting the case. The player himself is expected to pay this figure back to the board, according to Perera’s management. The board, however, has been adamant that those responsible for the imposition of the five-month suspension on Perera should ultimately bear the costs. Sumathipala suggested that no less than 35 million rupees (US $246,000) was appropriate, given Perera’s loss of earnings during the suspension, and the “damage to his reputation”.”This kind of compensation has never ever been paid to anybody in the history of cricket,” Sumathipala said. “The ICC and SLC are together in this – the money is ultimately coming from WADA, through the ICC, to Kusal. It is a new experience for WADA as well.”Sumathipala said the board was optimistic WADA would provide compensation, as it has already accepted there was a flaw in its processes. “I don’t think we will have to go to court over it,” he said. According to Sumathipala, the ICC and WADA have also blacklisted the Qatar-based lab.Discussions with WADA are believed to be in their very early stages, though, and Perera himself is yet to be brought up to speed on the situation. SLC officials are expected to meet with Perera and his management after the player returns from the England tour on Thursday.Perera missed a full tour of New Zealand, bilateral T20s against India, the Asia Cup and the World T20 as a result of the suspension. He was also ineligible for this year’s IPL auction, as well as the initial Test squad for England as he had only recently returned to training.

Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of cricket for one year for his part in a public brawl in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of the game for one year for his part in a public brawl in Colombo. In a hearing conducted on June 16, SLC’s disciplinary committee found Vithanage guilty of misconduct and in breach of the ICC code of conduct.The suspension not only makes Vithanage ineligible for international and Sri Lanka A team cricket, he is also unable to represent his club – Tamil Union – in the Premier tournaments, and is barred from any provincial tournaments in the coming domestic season. SLC’s severity on this occasion is a reflection of existing displeasure at Vithanage’s conduct. In September 2014, Vithanage was docked his full match fee and handed a “suspended sentence of one year” after leaving the team hotel overnight in the middle of a Test match he was playing. It is understood that at least two other breaches of conduct had been dealt with informally.In this case, SLC said its disciplinary committee “was presented with written and oral evidence from witnesses to the incident in question and Vithanage was invited to present similar evidence in his defence.”After a closed hearing, and in consideration of the evaluation of the evidence presented, the Disciplinary Committee has recommended an immediate suspension, specifically drawing attention to the fact that the conduct of Vithanage is ‘unacceptable when considering his status as a public figure, and a role model for the youth of Sri Lanka’.” Vithanage can appeal the decision.He last played for Sri Lanka during the tour of New Zealand in December and January, but his modest returns on that tour had seen him drop out of contention for national selection. Vithanage, 25, has scored 370 runs at an average of 26.42 in ten Tests, and has also played six ODIs and three T20Is.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has revealed there is no reason to panic over West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta after he was spotted with an oxygen mask.

What's the latest on Lucas Paqueta and West Ham?

It was an important win for the Hammers on the weekend as they picked up all three points which lifts them out of the relegation zone and up into 14th.

Indeed, going into that game against Southampton, there was talk that manager David Moyes would be sacked if he couldn't guide his team to victory at the London Stadium.

As it happened, a single goal scored in the first half by Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd was enough to decide the Premier League encounter.

Fans would have certainly been relieved to pick up the vital three points but may have jumped to some fearful conclusions after Brazilian international Paqueta posted a picture of himself on instagram after the match.

Indeed, as seen here, the midfielder shared a selfie online as he looked a little worse for wear while using an oxygen mask.

While speaking about the concerns on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex was able to reveal what the full story was.

He explained (7:53): "Now people were starting to worry last night because on Instagram, he posted a picture of himself with an oxygen right face mask on and lying down on a bed.

"And people worried that he'd obviously sustained an injury but this is a common recovery method when you've played an exhausting game. And you've got to play another one soon."

How many tackles did Paqueta make against Southampton?

Paqueta played 88 minutes against the Saints on Sunday and really did work hard as he attempted a mammoth 26 duels, winning 15 of them (the most of any player on the team). What's more, he made 10 tackles in the game, the most in a Premier League game by a West Ham player since Mohamed Diame against QPR in 2012 (via Opta).

Seeing as the £150k-p/w star may well be in line to start again on Wednesday night at the Hammers host Newcastle United, it's not hard to see why he's been doing all he can to aid his recovery.

And after this tireless performance against Southampton, fans will no doubt be delighted to learn that the Brazilian looks to be as fit and healthy as could be expected.

With just 11 games left to save themselves from relegation, it looks as though Paqueta will be key to their plight.