In the world of football, Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly miss the friendly against Inter Miami due to a calf injury. Gary Lineker gave a hilarious reaction to Manchester United’s interest in Vinicius Junior. In the other sports, the Indian women’s hockey team suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Japan by 0-1 to miss out on taking part in the Paris Olympics later this year. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in straight sets victories.
Read below to learn major updates in the sporting world in the last 24 hours.
Cristiano Ronaldo to miss ‘Last Dance’ against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami: Reports
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been sidelined due to a calf injury and will require two weeks of rehabilitation to recover. As per the reports, Ronaldo underwent treatment sessions and engaged in lighter practice sessions. The reports state that the injury will keep Ronaldo away from the football field for three games, including the highly-anticipated encounter against Inter Miami and the ‘last dance’ against arch-rival Lionel Messi. According to Al-Riyadiya, Al-Nassr’s medical team informed manager Luis Castro about Ronaldo’s calf injury, which affected his back foot also.
Jordan Henderson signs with Ajax after terminating Al-Ittifaq contract
The English midfielder Jordan Henderson has signed with Ajax after terminating his contract with Al-Ittifaq, just six months after joining them from Liverpool in the summer of 2023. The 33-year-old was reportedly unhappy with his stint at the Saudi Arabian club, which prompted him to seek a move back to Europe, and now, he has ended up joining one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands.
Ana Maria Marković meets Cristiano Ronaldo; hits latter’s trademark ‘SIUU’
Croatian footballer Ana Maria Markovic met her idol and Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only this, but they also hit Ronaldo’s trademark goal celebration ‘SIUU’. Markovic, who plays as a forward in the Swiss Women’s Super League club Grasshopper, was featured alongside Ronaldo in an advertisement. The 24-year-old, often regarded as the world’s most beautiful footballer’, not only met the five-time Ballon d’Or winner but also hit the classic Ronaldo celebration. Maria, who has a following of over 3 million on Instagram, posted the video on her social media platforms.
Forest Green Rovers sacks Troy Deeney after six games
Forest Green Rovers sacked manager Troy Deeney after just six games in charge on Thursday, January 19. The decision came after Deeney failed to win a match and also admonished his players publicly. Under the guidance of the former Watford striker, the club could manage to accumulate only two points. Deeney was appointed Rovers’ coach on December 20 following the sacking of David Horseman. The club released a statement and said, “Forest Green Rovers and head coach Troy Deeney have today decided to part company. The search for a new head coach will begin straightaway.”
Gary Lineker reacts to Manchester United’s reported interest in Vinicius Junior
Former English striker Gary Lineker gave a hilarious reaction to Manchester United’s reported interest in Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. Vinicius is a key player on Carlo Ancelotti’s team and has contributed 68 goals and as many assists in 241 games across competitions since his arrival to the club. Lineker reacted to the rumours that United have shown interest in the 23-year-old. He reacted to one of the news portals’ tweets by posting laughing emoticons. It was reported that Madrid let go of the Brazilian for USD 164 million to fund a move for PSG striker Kylian Mbappe.
Major Football League results
Asian Cup
- Iraq 1-0 Japan
Italian Super Cup semifinal
- SSC Napoli 3-0 Fiorentina
Africa Cup of Nations
- Egypt 2-2 Ghana
Australia A-League Men
- Wellington Phoenix 1-1 Melbourne Victory
- Sydney FC 4-0 Newcastle Jets
Hockey
India women’s hockey team miss out on Paris 2024
After a shocking 0-1 defeat against Japan in the third-place playoff match in the FIH Olympic Qualifier, India have missed out on securing a spot at the Paris 2024, just three years after finishing in fourth place at Tokyo 2020. In front of their home fans at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, the Indian women conceded an early goal in the 6th minute to Kana Urata, and despite pushing the Japanese defence into a corner for most of the contest, they couldn’t break them down to score a goal.
Tennis
Novak Djokovic beats Tom Martin Etcheverry to reach fourth round of Australian Open
The 24-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia, Novak Djokovic got the better of Tom Martin Etcheverry of Argentina in the third round of the Australian Open in straight sets. The 36-year-old didn’t face a single break point while defeating his opponent with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(2), and he also won 49 out of 57 points on his first serve, while hitting 10 aces in the one-sided contest to reach the fourth round of the tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka registers double bagel to secure spot in fourth round of Australian Open
The defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus registered a double bagel against the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko in the third round to advance to the next stage of the Australian Open. The 52-minute win with a scoreline of 6-0, 6-0 for the second-seeded player is a statement maker for the rest of the competition, especially after she said, “Last year Iga (Swiatek) won so many sets 6-0 and one of my goals is trying to get closer to her.”
Badminton
World No. 1 An Se Young ruled out of India Open after aggravating knee injury
An Se Young, the World No.1 and defending champion from South Korea, has been ruled out of the Indian Open Super 750 tournament after she aggravated her knee injury during the women’s singles quarter-final against Jia Min Yeo of Singapore. The 21-year-old, who had suffered a knee injury at the Asian Games last year, was a game down by 19-21 when her problem became so severe that she had to give up on completing the match.
