Author: admin

The player Frenkie de Jong has suffered a slight injury to the external obturator muscle in his right leg. His recovery will determine his availability.  

The Dutch international midfielder has made two appearances in a Barça shirt in 2025/26 so far, playing all 90 minutes in the 3-0 away at Mallorca on the opening day of the league season. De Jong also started Barça’s last game before the international break, the 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano in Vallecas. 

De Jong was in the starting XI for the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw against a Poland side containing his team mate Robert Lewandowski. He was substituted in the 83rd minute of that game with injury ending his stay with the national side. 

 

In the end, it ended on a familiar note. India had their troubles at the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey tournament in Rajgir, Bihar, but nothing too big to cause an upset. They were clearly the best side in Asia as they went on to win the title for the fourth time, beating defending champions South Korea 4-1, and qualified for next year’s World Cup.

Here are the key takeaways from the tournament:

---

India are Asia’s best but that’s not surprising

This is a team that has won back-to-back Olympic medals. They won gold at the Asian Games. At the Paris Olympics, they were the only Asian team competing. Even in terms of fitness, this team is at a world class level. Winning the Asia Cup title was the bare minimum for a team who have ambitions of winning the gold at the Olympics.

Indian hockey has benefited from the systematic investment and high-performance coaching at the national level. They regularly play top European nations and Australia at the Pro League. They have better players in all departments. Other Asian nations don’t have the same backing that India enjoys.

For some, even travelling to participate in the tournaments is a big deal. The likes of Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are way behind the Indian team, both in terms of skill and support. Only once did India drop points in the entire tournament even when there were a few concerns about forwards not clicking. When those issues were rectified in the two most important games, India scored seven against China and four against South Korea in the final. By winning the title, they have maintained the status quo.

Which players impressed?

Harmanpreet Singh, the captain, was outstanding with his play-making from the back. His aerial balls were key to breaking down the deep defensive setups of India’s opponents. Midfielder Rajinder Singh might have scored only one goal but he was a constant menace in attacking areas.

The name that clearly stands out is Shilanand Lakra. It was his all-round forward play that led to a deserving win against Malaysia in the Super 4 match, which India desperately needed after a disappointing 2-2 draw against South Korea in the previous match. The Odisha boy has developed into a reliable attacker who can set up the goals as well as come up with clinical finishes. Fulton acknowledged, after his performance against Malaysia, that Shilanand has all the markings of a world class forward and there’s no doubt he’ll be a vital player going into the World Cup and the Asian Games.

What’s next for the team?

The big task this year for the team was World Cup qualification and that has been achieved. In November, the team will travel to Malysia to play at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup followed by a tour to South Africa to finish the year.

In terms of players, it will be interesting to see what kind of team head coach Craig Fulton will pick in the future. He spoke about increasing the depth due to a busy 2026 which includes tournaments like the Pro League, World Cup and Asian Games.

There’s barely any gap between the World Cup and the Asian Games and although the core will remain the same for both tournaments, it’s likely that a few players will play only one out of the two tournaments.

A few senior players might be phased out by the time the World Cup takes place. The likes of Gurjant Singh and Shamsher Singh didn’t make it to the Asia Cup squad. Chief selector RP Singh and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey have hinted that a few youngsters will come into the picture post the Asia Cup. He hasn’t spoken about it yet, but eventually, a lot will depend on Fulton’s inputs and his vision for the team going into a crucial year.

Krishan Pathak running out of time?

Going into the Asia Cup, Pathak’s form was a major concern. After the eight games in the tournament, Pathak’s form still remains a concern. Out of the nine goals India conceded in eight games, seven came when he was on the field.

In terms of international experience, Pathak is the best option for India but questions about his form have been around for close to a year now. He’s still reliable with his saves from open play but goalkeeping against set-pieces is a big problem. There has been talk of senior players getting dropped but there’s also a need for greater depth considering what’s coming next year so it’s unlikely that Fulton will drop his most senior keeper.

Pathak might still feature in the upcoming tournaments but he needs to turn around his form quickly.

Rajgir, too hot to handle

The sports complex in Rajgir, which is around 110kms from Bihar’s capital Patna, is well-built with various sporting facilities, including a practice pitch for hockey. Free tickets also meant the crowd turned up in numbers for India matches. There was, though, one picture which was ever present across the complex and enroute to the stadium – that of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Then there was the weather. The teams deserve a round of applause for playing high intensity hockey in such hot and humid conditions where even walking 500 metres was draining.

In the earlier group stage matches, teams started playing as early as 1 PM in the afternoon. India played their first two matches at 3 PM. Even with evening showers, conditions remained tough because of the humidity. It took a lot out of the players who were involved in back-to-back matches under such tough weather conditions.

Sure, the teams anticipated the conditions and prepared for it, but it showed levels of fitness required for the players to go out and perform. When you see it from this perspective, it feels harsh to criticise any performances.

Associated Press

Former Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand was hired Monday to lead Bayer Leverkusen as a replacement for Erik ten Hag following the Dutchman’s abrupt firing last week.

Hjulmand has been out of work since leaving the Danish national team following its last-16 exit at the European Championship in 2024, after four years in charge.

It will be Hjulmand’s second stint in the Bundesliga, after less than a year with Mainz in the 2014-15 season.

“I have always seen Bayer 04 as a very well-managed, well-structured and highly ambitious club,” the 53-year-old Hjulmand said. “This impression has been confirmed in recent days. It’s an honor to be entrusted with a team like this.”

Leverkusen, which won the Bundesliga in the 2023-24 season after going the entire domestic campaign undefeated, needed a new coach after getting rid of Ten Hag, who had just three games in charge after succeeding Xabi Alonso.

A tough start

Hjulmand has signed a contract through the end of the 2026-27 season and faces a tricky debut at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday before a return to Denmark to face Copenhagen in the Champions League on Sept. 18.

He hasn’t coached in the Champions League since the 2012-13 season with Nordsjaelland, where he’d won the Danish title. Nordsjaelland had one draw and five losses in that campaign and was defeated in Champions League qualification the following season.

Ten Hag’s departure

The former Manchester United manager was tasked with rebuilding Leverkusen after an exodus of key players, including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and Jeremie Frimpong, since Alonso’s departure for Real Madrid at the end of last season.

However, chaos soon engulfed the club, with Ten Hag questioning club decisions in the transfer market and collecting just one point from Leverkusen’s first two Bundesliga games — a home defeat to Hoffenheim before squandering a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with 10-man Werder Bremen.

That draw saw players ignore Ten Hag’s instructions and argue among themselves on the field over who would take a penalty.

Hjulmand’s leadership

Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro commended Hjulmand’s “transparent, communicative and empathetic style,” saying: “A newly assembled team like ours, which is capable of development, needs clear guidelines.”

Hjulmand comes recommended by a key member of Alonso’s staff. Fitness coach Ismael Camenforte worked for Hjulmand with Denmark and at Leverkusen until leaving for Madrid with Alonso.

Hjulmand’s empathy and leadership qualities were especially on show at the European Championship in 2021, when Denmark captain Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest during the team’s first game against Finland.

Hjulmand was widely lauded for the way he dealt with the emotional aftermath of Eriksen’s collapse and subsequent recovery and led the Danes to the semifinals, where they lost to England.

___

AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth in Duesseldorf, Germany, contributed to this report.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

---