data-mm-id=”_bo0ybn2wa”>Clayton Kershaw will open the season on the injured list as his balky back is already acting up. Despite a loaded offense and a newly locked-up Mookie Betts, we should probably hold off on crowning the Los Angeles Dodgers as 2020 World Series champs. The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw on the injured list with back stiffness and have recalled right-handed pitcher Dustin May.— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) July 23, 2020Let's be real, Kershaw isn't the Dodgers' ace anymore, that designation goes to 25-year-old Walker Buehler who has clearly surpassed him. But LA is thin beyond Buehler and Kershaw, especially after Hyun Jin-Ryu departed for the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason. Ryu went 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 2019. The rest of the rotation is largely unproven. Dustin May will replace Kershaw on the roster and he has been a touted prospect for a while. May has good stuff but has yet to prove himself over the long haul in the big leagues. The 23-year-old Julio Urias feels like he's been a ball of potential forever but he's never grabbed a rotation spot fully until this year. Like May, he's got great potential but hasn't consistently delivered in the bigs. Alex Wood had a great season for the Dodgers in 2017, going 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, but hasn't been the same since. He'll get a chance to recapture that magic as a back-end of the rotation piece but, again, can you rely on him?Meanwhile, Ross Stripling looks like the team's fifth starter and he's never found big-league consistency, thought he was solid in 2018, posting an 8-6 record with a 3.02 ERA.There's potential in that rotation but Buehler is the only guy the Dodgers can count on every time he takes the mound. Kershaw has good when he's been healthy, but he hasn't topped 30 starts since 2015. On paper, the Dodgers have all the pieces to make a World Series run, but the rotation and the bullpen will have to step up and prove themselves if they're going to actually do it.
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Antonio Conte has expressed sympathy over the situation at his former club Chelsea after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.
Abramovich, who has previously been photographed with Russian president Vladimir Putin, had his assets frozen on Thursday, with the decision made in the wake of Russia s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea have been granted a special sporting licence to be able to continue trading as a football club, but measures have been placed upon them, including a ban on selling tickets, with only season-ticket holders permitted to attend matches.
Tottenham manager Conte spent two seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2016 and 2018, winning the Premier League in his first year and the FA Cup in his second term, before being sack…
One round remaining, two teams involved, and just two points separate them.
LaLiga s title race has been at its most gripping in years this term, arguably capturing the imagination more than any since 2006-07.
Back then, there were three teams in with a chance of taking home the title on the final day of the season: Real Madrid and Barcelona, of course, plus Juande Ramos Sevilla.
As it was, Madrid and Barca won on the last day whereas Sevilla – who needed a win and for the other two to lose – lost at home to Villarreal.
Madrid finished top by virtue of a better head-to-head record over Barca, who were essentially denied the title by their local rivals Espanyol, slumping to a 2-2 draw with them on the penultimate day to hand Los Blancos the initiative…
Gareth Bale appears to be living on borrowed time at Real Madrid and the summer transfer window could mark the end of his regal dream in the Spanish capital.
The Welshmen joined Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-world record transfer fee. With a little over €100 million paid to Tottenham, Real Madrid broke the 2009 record of €94 million invested in Cristiano Ronaldo. Former Tottenham winger was widely expected to become the Portuguese superstar’s natural successor at Santiago Bernabeu.
Six years into his Real Madrid career, however, it can be concluded that Gareth Bale is a wasted investment.
Troubled Talisman
Once Cristiano Ronaldo announced he would be leaving for Juventus last summer – 45 days following – Real Madrid believed they finally had a ready…
Barcelona are interested in signing Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski in the summer of 2024, according to . Zielinski is out of contract at defending Serie A champions Napoli at the end of the season, and reigning La Liga champions Barcelona are keen on securing the services of the 29-year-old Poland international as a free agent.
Zielinski has been on the books of Napoli since 2016 and is one of the best midfielders in Serie A. The Poland international has scored two goals and given two assists in eight Serie A matches and has scored one goal in two UEFA Champions League matches so far this season.
Barcelona are third in the La Liga table at the moment with 21 points from nine matches, three points behind leaders and bitter rivals Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Napoli current…
Market: Both teams to score
Odds: 7/10 @
Looking to build off of their Champions League victory earlier in the week, Manchester United will make the trip to a high-flying Southampton on Sunday afternoon.
Starting with the hosts, although Southampton might have eventually had to settle for a point away at Wolves last time out, it has been a stellar run of form for the South Coast outfit. Despite being unable to call upon an injured Danny Ings, Ralph Hasenhüttl s men are enjoying a seven-match Premier League unbeaten run, their most successful spell since November 2013. Still flirting with the European spots and wit their recent purple patch highlighted by 4-3 and 3-3 draws against Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively, the former RB Leipzig boss has also seen his…
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed the club s stadium could be renamed to honour Partenopei great Diego Maradona after his death on Wednesday.
Maradona – arguably football s greatest ever player – died at the age of 60 after a suspected heart attack, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed midweek.
A World Cup winner with Argentina, Maradona enjoyed great success in Naples, where he guided Napoli to unprecedented Serie A glory in 1986-87 and 1989-90 – the Italian team are yet to add to their only two Scudetto honours.
As Napoli fans and Naples natives mourn the death of Maradona – a God-like figure in the city – De Laurentiis said the Stadio San Paolo could be named after the football icon.
A legend never dies
…
Roma manager Daniele De Rossi said his players will not be daunted by the visit of Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Saturday – and insisted “no team is unbeatable”.
Inter Milan secured a 1-0 win against second-placed Juventus last weekend to open up a four-point lead at the top of the table.
Roma, who last month parted company with Jose Mourinho, sit in fifth position, 19 points behind their opponents on Saturday.
Matchday minus one!
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN)
But De Rossi’s side will face Inter at the Stadio Olimpico fresh from an impressive 4-0 mauling of Cagliari – their third consecutive win since De Rossi took the managerial reins.
Roma have lost five of their previous six league games against Inter – last securing a…
Sergi Barjuan is willing to help Barcelona in any way he can, having been in contact with next coach Xavi ahead of his arrival at Camp Nou.
Xavi is soon to be confirmed as the latest Blaugrana boss, with Al Sadd confirming on Friday they had agreed a deal with the Catalans for his departure.
The Barca great, who played 767 times for the club, second only to Lionel Messi (778), will succeed Sergi, who has served as interim coach since Ronald Koeman was sacked.
With the team preparing for Saturday s game at Celta Vigo, Sergi was keen to wait on official news of Xavi s appointment.
Al Sadd has made the statement, Barca has not yet, he told a news conference. We have to wait for it to be from both sides.
We have a good relationship and I have contac…
Thomas Tuchel is optimistic Tammy Abraham will be in the squad for Chelsea s trip to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Abraham had been a major doubt for the visit to St Mary s Stadium after suffering an ankle injury in Monday s 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
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We are very happy that Tammy is good and free for training, said Tuchel. If things go well then he is in the squad.
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Best Odds: 4/9
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In desperate need of a qualifying boost on Friday evening, Spain will travel to Tbilisi when they meet Georgia for a Group A showdown.
Georgia
Starting with the hosts, enjoying what was a real Nations League romp last year and gaining a string of plaudits, Georgia certainly opened their qualifying adventure riding a major wave of momentum. However, while Willy Sagnol’s men might have opened their Group A campaign with a 1-1 draw against Erling Haaland’s Norway, the Crusaders have struggled to find much stability. Last seen putting in a toothless display as they were hit with a 2-0 loss at the hands of Scotland, the one-time Bayern Munich coach will know that his squad faces another heavyweight challenge here. Hit with a 4-0 drummin…