Q: Ruben Loftus-Cheek back in the England squad. Could he be the heartbeat of Milan’s midfield now?
@Carl.anka via Instagram
A: He could be. AC Milan fans were furious at the sale of Tijjani Reijnders, particularly for a fee many considered too low for a player of his quality. New sporting director Igli Tare was asked how the club could possibly replace the irreplaceable. His answer was telling: “Milan has Loftus-Cheek, one of the most complete midfielders in Europe. He can be fundamental this season.” It is an assessment that Max Allegri appears to share.
Loftus-Cheek has started all three of Milan’s fixtures so far, scoring in his last outing against Lecce and proving decisive with his late runs into the box. After years of setbacks, he now looks ready for a central role. He has already missed 37 games at Milan through injuries and even appendicitis, but the Italian giants hope he can finally stay fit and deliver.
Former Chelsea assistant coach Luca Gotti said of the player: “He’s got an incredible shot and a sense of timing when he makes runs into the box. He’s a vertical, modern player. When he feels the trust of the dressing room, he transforms.” That trust now seems firmly in place.
Competition for places will be fierce, especially with Adrien Rabiot’s arrival. Allegri has used the Frenchman more than any other coach in his career, but it is clear that he has invested time and faith in Loftus-Cheek. Pre-season was built around his versatility, whether as a central midfielder, box-to-box presence or even as a second striker. Allegri values his intelligence, energy and desire to run while the Englishman has already heaped praised on his new coach.
Whether he remains Allegri’s first choice will be based on how well he continues to perform.
Q: Do you think the sacking of Erik ten Hag was fair?
@Tony_vivek via Instagram
Leverkusen pulled the plug on Ten Hag after just three competitive matches — the DFK Pokal cup win over Sonnenhof Grossaspach, a league defeat to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 collapse against Werder Bremen after being 3-1 up against 10 men. Was his sacking fair? "This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step," Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said in a statement.
On the surface, yes, the Bremen draw and Hoffenheim loss were ugly. But really, this was less about the results and more about what transpired in those games. Ten Hag was tasked with the impossible by following Xabi Alonso, whose football had seduced the squad and whose charisma made him beloved. Add to that, the club lost Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich, and captain Granit Xhaka to Sunderland. That’s four pillars ripped out in one summer.
Ten Hag has his alibis but apparently his communication skills were considered too abrasive. Staff were said to have found it difficult to connect with him. More importantly, players never warmed to his style or his methods. The connection wasn’t there. And Leverkusen recognised quickly that this was a misstep. You can argue it’s harsh, or premature, Ten Hag certainly did, saying he wasn’t given the “time and trust” to build. There’s two schools of thought, either pull the plug quickly and correct course or give a coach time and maybe he’ll surprise. Leverkusen opted for the former.
This has been a costly experiment from the club especially considering they had plenty of time to plan for a future without Alonso.
Q: Do you think Michael Olise would leave Bayern Munich to sign for Liverpool when Mo Salah leaves?
@Alastairleck via Instagram
A: Olise has many of the qualities Liverpool will eventually need when Mohamed Salah departs: a left-footed right winger who cuts inside, is technically gifted, and works hard for the team. Since joining Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace, Olise has produced 24 goals and 23 assists in 59 appearances. His dribbling, vision and delivery would fit seamlessly into Liverpool’s attack, where wide forwards are expected to create as much as they score.
Liverpool have been planning for life after Salah. The Egyptian remains prolific and is under contract until 2027, by which point he will be 35, so there is no rush. The club have also just committed almost £450 million to new signings, including attacking reinforcements, so they will continue to assess what the attack needs and who would fit.
Olise is tied to Bayern until 2029 and valued at around £100m, with that figure certain to rise if he continues to deliver these insatiable performances. They are expected to offer him improved terms to secure his long-term future. The German champions see him as central to their project, so I doubt he’s thinking about his next move yet.
There are still areas for growth. Olise is not as prolific in front of goal as Salah, and he will need to raise his output in decisive moments. But with time, maturity and experience at the highest level, he could become one of Europe’s most complete wingers. Liverpool will keep tracking him but there is reported interest from Real Madrid while Paris Saint-Germain have long admired the player.
Q: Who ends the season with more goals, Lorenzo Lucca or Rasmus Hojlund?
@Austin_gaius_ on Instagram
A: Napoli paid approximately €6 million to Manchester United to bring Rasmus Hojlund in on loan for the season, with an option to buy for a further €44m. If I had to back one of them to outscore the other this season, I would lean towards the Dane, simply because he is bound to start more often.
Napoli chose to bring in Hojlund after Romelu Lukaku suffered an injury that will keep him out for at least three months. Head coach Antonio Conte wanted another option but didn’t go for a player with the same skills as the Belgian but rather one who offered tactical alternatives. The Dane is a different type of forward entirely. He thrives when attacking space and running directly into the penalty area rather than holding up the ball with his back to goal.
His time at Manchester United ended badly, with only four goals in 32 league appearances, but he boasts power and the turn of speed that Conte admires in players. They needed that vertical threat, and Conte has proved he is more tactically adaptable than before, willing to set his team up in different ways.
Lucca, meanwhile, cost the club more than €30m and is also part of the plan for life after Lukaku. At 25 he represents another important long-term investment, and his profile is different again: taller, more physical, more suited to Conte’s reliance on crosses and aerial duels.
Napoli are keen to keep thinking ahead, ensuring they build a team for Conte but also one for the future. Whether it is Hojlund’s power in transition or Lucca’s strength in the box, the club see both as pieces of a long-term project.
For now, though, the answer is Hojlund. Minutes matter, and he is more likely to get them.
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Mission%3A%20Impossible%20-%20Dead%20Reckoning%20Part%20One
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Christopher%20McQuarrie%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tom%20Cruise%2C%20Hayley%20Atwell%2C%20Pom%20Klementieff%2C%20Simon%20Pegg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Getting%20there%20
%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Ftravel%2F2023%2F01%2F12%2Fwhat-does-it-take-to-be-cabin-crew-at-one-of-the-worlds-best-airlines-in-2023%2F%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EEtihad%20Airways%20%3C%2Fa%3Eflies%20daily%20to%20the%20Maldives%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%20The%20journey%20takes%20four%20hours%20and%20return%20fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C995.%20Opt%20for%20the%203am%20flight%20and%20you%E2%80%99ll%20land%20at%206am%2C%20giving%20you%20the%20entire%20day%20to%20adjust%20to%20island%20time.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERound%20trip%20speedboat%20transfers%20to%20the%20resort%20are%20bookable%20via%20Anantara%20and%20cost%20%24265%20per%20person.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%20turbo%204-cyl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E298hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E452Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETowing%20capacity%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.4-tonne%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPayload%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4WD%20%E2%80%93%20776kg%3B%20Rear-wheel%20drive%20819kg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrice%3A%20Dh138%2C945%20(XLT)%20Dh193%2C095%20(Wildtrak)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelivery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
