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    Chelsea draw Wimbledon as Spurs take on Fulham in Carabao Cup second round.. and Wrexham will have eye on third round

    CHELSEA and Spurs have learned their opponents for the next round of the Carabao Cup.With both clubs not playing in Europe next season, they will enter the competition in the second round.
    Mauricio Pochettino’s faces a home tie in his first cup match as Chelsea bossCredit: Getty
    Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs will travel to West LondonCredit: PA
    Chelsea will host AFC Wimbledon in a London derby at Stamford Bridge as Mauricio Pochettino looks to lay down a marker for winning silverware.
    Meanwhile, Spurs will face the short trip west as they take on Fulham in the second round.
    The Carabao Cup may provide the Aussie with the opportunity to give minutes to some members on the outskirts of his 39-man first-team squad.
    The draw was split into two halves between north and south to avoid excessive mid-week travel for fans.
    READ MORE ON CHELSEA
    Wrexham drew Bradford at home in a tie rather less glamorous than the Red Dragons’ Hollywood owners.
    And there’ll be an all Premier League tie as Nottingham Forest host Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.
    Following Leicester’s televised 2-0 victory over Burton, The Foxes will take on Tranmere in the next round.
    Fellow relegated side Leeds face a trip to Gary Neville and the Class of 92 owned Salford City.
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    Sean Dyche’s Everton will visit Doncaster Rovers.
    Premier League new-boys Sheffield United play on Lincoln City at home.
    And Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth will visit Swansea for the Basque’s first Carabao Cup tie.
    Luton Town will host Gillingham as they enter the Carabao Cup at the second round for the first time in 31 years following their shock promotion to the top flight.
    Round Two of the Carabao Cup will kick off in the week commencing August 28.
    The draw in full is as follows:
    NORTH SECTION

    Tranmere vs Leicester
    Salford vs Leeds
    Harrogate vs Blackburn
    Stoke vs Rotherham
    Wrexham vs Bradford
    Doncaster vs Everton
    Bolton vs Middlesbrough
    Port Vale vs Crewe
    Nottingham Forest vs Burnley
    Sheffield Wednesday vs Mansfield
    Wolves vs Blackpool
    Sheffield United vs Lincoln

    Read More on The Sun
    SOUTH SECTION

    Bristol City v QPR or Norwich
    Plymouth Argyle v Crystal Palace
    Reading v Ipswich Town
    Portsmouth v Peterborough United
    Luton Town v Gillingham
    Swansea City v Bournemouth
    Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur
    Exeter City v Stevenage
    Wycombe Wanderers v Sutton United
    Birmingham City v Cardiff City
    Newport County v Brentford
    Chelsea v AFC Wimbledon

    Clubs in all four tiers are chasing the trophy won by Man Utd last seasonCredit: PA More

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    Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui seeking inspiration from Wimbledon boys champion Henry Searle as local lad heads to training

    JULEN LOPETEGUI hopes his players find the net far more regularly than this VIP visitor who dropped into Wolves’ Compton Park training ground on Tuesday.However the Spanish boss will be delighted if his team matches Henry Searle’s success on grass once the Premier League kicks off.
    Julen Lopetegui had a special guest at Wolves training as he targets a successful 2023-24 seasonCredit: Getty
    Wolverhampton native Henry Searle visited Wolves training on Tuesday following his Wimbledon successCredit: PA
    The 17-year-old Wolverhampton native – who was part of Wolves Academy as a child – became the first British winner of the boys’ singles championship at Wimbledon for more than 60 years on Sunday.
    Searle raced to the title without dropping a set as he beat fifth seed Yaroslav Demin 6-4 6-4 to carve his place in UK tennis history.
    It meant the Brit followed in the footsteps of famous former Wimbledon boys champions such as Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pat Cash, Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer to take the coveted prize.
    Ahead of Sunday’s final Lopetegui recorded a good luck message for the 6ft 4in teenager, which the former St Peter’s Collegiate Academy pupil admits helped fire him up for glory.
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    Searle told wolves.co.uk. “It was pretty inspiring. To see that I’ve been recognised by someone like Julen was a big push before the final. 
    “I’ve been a Wolves supporter ever since I was a little kid. I’ve always tried to get to as many games as possible and watch as many home games as I can. 
    “I love Molineux and it was pretty cool to be invited to Compton and meet a few of the players and watch them train.
    “I played as a left-winger in the academy when I was younger, but I was a little bit better at tennis than I was at football at the time of choosing between the two.
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    “I think I’ve made the right decision.”
    After being given a tour of the Compton Park training ground, Searle met Wolves’ players and was able to give them a close look at the youngster’s silverware.
    Lopetegui said: “We were really pleased to welcome Henry and his family to one of our training sessions following his incredible win at Wimbledon.
    “We watched the final together as a group on Sunday afternoon and we were delighted that he won the junior boys’ title. 
    “Everyone at the club and across Wolverhampton are very proud of his achievement.
    “Henry is part of the pack, so it was an honour for us as staff and players that we had a chance to celebrate his success with him and his family, as he joined us this week with the trophy.
    “We will be following his progress with great interest.”
    Searle started playing tennis as a three-year-old, where he progressed through the Newbridge Lawn Tennis & Squash Club – located next door to Wolves’ training ground.
    Having won the U16 LTA Junior National Championships last year, Searle attracted national attention when he reached the quarter-finals of the recent French Open before producing his heroics at Wimbledon last weekend.
    “The atmosphere was amazing,” Searle said. “It’s always incredible to play at Wimbledon and having all my family and friends there supporting me was great. 
    “Obviously, the ultimate goal is to be able to do what I did last week in the men’s tournament, but there is a long way to go yet.”
    Britain’s last Wimbledon boys’ champion 61 years ago also came from a football background.
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    Stanley Matthews was the son of legendary Blackpool, Stoke City and England winger Sir Stanley Matthews.
    However Matthews junior he gave up football for tennis when he was 12 because he was targeted for rough treatment by defenders who wanted to ‘leave one on,’ the great man’s son!  More

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    Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz’s dream XI of all time revealed as fans say ‘he knows ball’

    WIMBLEDON champion Carlos Alcaraz has picked his dream XI and fans are impressed with his football knowledge.The world number one defeated Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-6 6-1 3-6 6-4 at Centre Court on Sunday to win his first title at the All England Club.
    Carlos Alcaraz impressed fans with his football knowledgeCredit: Getty
    Carlos Alcaraz picked only one star who never played in LaLiga
    As well as impressing on court, Alcaraz has also won over fans with his knowledge about football after being asked to name his perfect line-up.
    The 20-year-old named a number of greats and his selection was heavily influenced by where he grew up, with all but one player featured plying their trade in LaLiga at one point in their career.
    Alcaraz went for a star-studded team including Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.
    There are four former Barcelona players in total, including Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol.
    READ MORE IN SPORT
    But Real Madrid boast the highest representation in the team with seven.
    World Cup winner Iker Casillas is selected in goal with his former Real team-mates Sergio Ramos and Roberto Carlos in defence.
    Luka Modric and Zinedine Zidane make up the three-man midfielder alongside Iniesta.
    While Brazil legend Cafu is the only non-LaLiga player to feature at right-back.
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    Fans love the look of Alcaraz’s team and praised the youngster’s football knowledge.
    One said: “He knows ball.”
    Another added: “Unbelievable 🔥”
    A third said: “Legendary team 😍🔥”
    And another commented: “Ball knowledge is insane.” More

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    Daniel Levy can’t agree to Harry Kane transfer at any price – Tottenham are effectively a one-man team

    WHEN Pep Guardiola called them “the Harry Kane team” in 2017, Spurs fans everywhere got the right hump.It was a harsh assessment at the time and one for which Guardiola subsequently apologised.
    Harry Kane is a transfer target for Bayern MunichCredit: Rex
    This shows Kane’s value to Tottenham
    But, as with so many other things, it turned out that the all-knowing Manchester City boss was spot on.
    Because six years after being written off as a one-man team, that’s exactly what Tottenham are in danger of turning into.
    And that’s why Daniel Levy cannot sell his club’s all-time leading scorer… for any price.
    Perennial German champions Bayern Munich have just bid £68million for Kane with the promise of another £8.8m in potential add-ons, and a delegation flew into London this evening.

    On the face of it, that seems a more than generous offer for a player who turns 30 in a fortnight’s time, has only one year left on his contract and has never won a single trophy in his career.
    But while Levy might be many things, he is not an idiot.
    He knows that even were Bayern to double their offer, it still wouldn’t compensate Spurs for the loss of their once-in-a-generation striker.
    Because for the past nine years Kane has averaged an astonishing 30 goals per season and last season alone scored 42 per cent of all his team’s Premier League total.
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    Spurs would have been 24 points worse off without Kane’s contribution last season, which would have meant finishing two points above the relegation zone.
    Obviously if he had not been playing, someone else would have taken his place and presumably taken up at least some of the slack.
    Hell, even Richarlison might have managed more than one league goal.
    But the £60m Brazilian’s struggle to make an impact in the No9 shirt explains just why Levy breaks into a cold sweat at the mere thought of life without Kane.
    With the exceptions of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, there is no other player in the world who guarantees as many goals as the prolific England captain.
    And strikers of that extraordinary calibre don’t sign for teams who can’t even qualify for the Europa Conference League.
    Of course Kane will be tempted by Bayern’s interest, just as he was when Guardiola came knocking at his door two years ago.
    With the exceptions of Haaland and Mbappe, nobody else in the world guarantees as many goals as KaneMark Irwin
    He doesn’t want to end his career without at least one major winners’ medal and he knows in his heart of hearts that’s not going to happen with Spurs.
    But for as long as he is under contract, there is nothing he can do to force his way out of the club.
    He isn’t going to go on strike and he’s not the type to rock the boat for new boss Ange Postecoglou.
    So all he can do is threaten to run his contract down and leave as a free agent next year.
    That’s why Levy is trying to play on Kane’s loyalty and will offer him a new deal worth as much as £400,000-a-week.
    If that doesn’t work, he should just bite the bullet, keep Kane for one last season and pray that he can secure a Champions League pay day by firing them back into the top four.
    That’s a hell of a gamble when you consider the teams Tottenham will be up against in the new season.
    But what else can they do when the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about?
    No Kane, plenty of pain.
    FORMULA ONE IS THE PITTS
    PLENTY of eyebrows were raised when Lewis Hamilton declared that he supported peaceful protests by Just Stop Oil.
    Err, the clue’s in the name, Lewis, and if you’re not guzzling gas you’re not getting paid £27million-a-year by Mercedes.
    To be honest, a few protestors on the track might liven up the tedious F1 procession which allows Max Verstappen to lead every race from start to finish.
    Brad Pitt was filming at Silverstone last weekendCredit: Rex
    The highlight of Sunday’s British Grand Prix involved Brad Pitt cosplaying in the pit lane and Sky’s Martin Brundle confirming that he is the rudest man on TV.
    Yet 480,000 spectators still squeezed into Silverstone over the four day festival despite the eye-watering cost of admission.
    Maybe they’re paying for the chance to breathe the same fumes as Tom Cruise, Cara Delevingne and Romeo Beckham.
    Because they sure as hell ain’t forking out for edge-of-the-seat competition.
    BRITISH TENNIS JUST BARMY
    HOW come it’s funny when the Barmy Army coordinate their costumes at The Ashes but cringey when tennis fans do the same thing at Wimbledon?
    Centre Court spectators were even told off the other day for popping champagne corks mid-match.
    They were probably just drowning their sorrows at the demise of British tennis.
    Because you’d have to be drunk to believe any homegrown players were going to make it to the second week.
    Fans wearing Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer masks this year at WimbledonCredit: Getty
    DON’T BLUE YOUR MONEY
    CHELSEA fans are being offered the chance to buy the club’s ‘classic’ new sponsor-free shirt when it goes on sale next month.
    But it’s not so classic that it could be out of date within days of its release when the club finally comes up with a suitable backer.
    There’s even a suggestion the Blues might send out a sponsor’s logo for the early purchasers to iron onto their hastily acquired kit.
    Alternatively, you could just save your money and not be a full-kit w*****.
    Chelsea’s sponsorless kit could be out of date very quickly after its releaseCredit: instagram @chelseafc
    ONE MUIR YEAR
    KAZUYOSHI MIURA, 56, has just extended his contract with Portuguese club Oliveirense to become the oldest professional footballer in the world.
    It’s a bitter blow for Everton boss Sean Dyche, who was hoping to sign Miura to accompany 38-year-old Ashley Young as part of his team’s exciting charge into the future.
    BAIR MINIMUM
    IF the whole point of Bazball is taking 20 wickets as quickly as possible, why are England persisting with Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps?
    Ben Stokes’ loyalty to his fellow ginger nut is commendable but questionable considering Bairstow’s performances in the first three Ashes Tests.
    Ben Foakes is universally recognised as the superior wicketkeeper and it’s not as if Bairstow has been making amends for his dropped catches with a ton of runs with the bat.
    Jonny Bairstow has dropped a number of chances during The AshesCredit: Getty
    With Australia 2-1 up and the series so finally balanced, there can be no margin for error at Old Trafford next week.
    So let’s hope that butterfingers Bairstow doesn’t prove to be a risk too far for Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
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    TYSON FURY has written off Francis Ngannou as “a big, stiff tramp” and reckons he could drink 15 pints and still beat the former MMA champion.
    The two men are due to meet in an exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia later this year and while Fury might be a world champion heavyweight in the ring, as a promoter he’s a complete flyweight. More

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    I’ve been accused of injuring my Wimbledon boyfriend by having too much SEX… it happened with my Barcelona star ex too

    TV PRESENTER Melissa Satta has hit out at online trolls after they accused her of distracting Wimbledon star Matteo Berrettini. The 37-year-old has said she has had enough of strangers online criticising her for the tennis ace’s injury struggles.
    Melissa Satta has dated some high-profile sport stars over the yearsCredit: Instagram
    The glamorous 37-year-old is a TV presenter in ItalyCredit: Instagram
    Satta is dating tennis hunk Matteo Berrettini after separating from ex-Barcelona ace Kevin-Prince Boateng after nine years of marriageCredit: Splash
    Berrettini, 27, has reached the Round of 16 in SW19 after missing the Italian and Madrid Open’s with a persistent muscle tear issue.
    But it is Satta who has found herself coming under fire from fans.
    It is all too familiar territory for the TV host who found herself accused of having “too much sex” with ex-husband Kevin-Prince Boateng and triggering his injury problems.
    She went public with her new relationship with Berrettini at the beginning of the year but has faced a strange backlash from fans.
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    Satta told Vanity Fair: “It was something that had been going on for months, when our story became known in January.
    “[They say] ‘Berrettini doesn’t win because Satta is distracting him, she’s too demanding’… But I held back.”
    Satta unleashed an epic social media rant last month where she raged against the “bullying and sexism” she had been subjected to.
    Berrettini has also hit back against the claims.
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    Melissa Satta was married to Boateng between 2011 and 2020 and the pair have a child togetherCredit: Instagram
    Satta is a TV presenter who largely works in the fashion industryCredit: The Mega Agency
    Satta added of her experiences: “[This has happened before] with my ex-husband [Boateng] who suffered from pubalgia. 
    “Even there they attacked me saying that we had too much sex and that was the cause of his physical problems.
    “[The injury Berrettini has] is an injury in the same place as the one in 2021, when I didn’t know him. But in any case – do I really have to answer to these people?”
    Boateng is still playing at the age of 36 for German club Hertha Berlin.
    He has previously played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Barcelona, Dortmund and AC Milan.
    The former Ghana international also appeared in the Premier League for Tottenham and Portsmouth earlier in his career.
    In 2012 Melissa said: “The reason Kevin is injured so often is because we have sex seven to 10 times a week.
    “I hate foreplay, I want to go straight for it. I prefer to be on top so that I can be in control.”
    Meanwhile, Berrettini is hunting for his first Grand Slam win after losing the 2021 Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic – who remains on course for a record-equalling eighth title.
    Kevin-Prince Boateng is still going strong in Germany playing at the age of 36Credit: Getty
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    Arsenal fan Laura Woods can’t resist cheeky message to Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after taking selfie at Wimbledon

    LAURA WOODS couldn’t resist taking a cheeky swipe at new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou when the two met at Wimbledon yesterday.The Spurs gaffer has been enjoying the London sports scene since departing Celtic for the English capital.
    Despite Woody supporting Arsenal, her and Ange were all smiles at WimbledonCredit: instagram @laurawoodsy
    Laura Woods Wimbledon with friend Danielle SweeneyCredit: Instagram
    Laura Woods has been enjoying Wimbledon as part of her summer breakCredit: Instagram
    He was spotted at the cricket last month as he cheered on his native Australia at Lord’s – and was in attendance at Wimbledon yesterday.
    And Woods couldn’t resist asking for a cheeky selfie after bumping into the new Spurs manager.
    The huge Arsenal fan posted a selfie of the two and joked they wouldn’t be friends for long.
    She captioned her Instagram post with “Big Ange! Mates until the season starts alright.”
    READ MORE TENNIS
    Postecoglou has been putting his new players through their paces after officially taking the reigns as Spurs boss on July 1.
    The Spurs boss has not had the chance to work with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son yet as Spurs’ international players have been given an extended period of time off.
    But training videos have shown the big Australian putting the likes of Yves Bissouma, Tanguy N’Dombele and Pedro Porro through the ringer as he looks at who will play a key role in his squad next season.
    Tottenham will kick off their pre-season in Postecoglou’s native Australia with a friendly against West Ham on July 18.
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    The new manager’s first official test will come away at Brentford in Spurs’ opening Premier League game of the season on August 13.
    Woodsy meanwhile is considering her future after leaving her role at TalkSPORT as the station’s breakfast presenter.
    She will lead ITV’s coverage of the women’s World Cup in Australia this month but continues to be linked with the vacant presenter role at TNT Sports.
    Jake Humphrey stepped down from his role as BT Sports presenter at the end of the season leaving the presenter role at the rebranded TNT Sports open.
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    Wimbledon horror injury STOPS match as Alize Cornet is left in tears after knee ‘bent the wrong way’

    ALIZE CORNET broke down in tears after suffering a nasty injury on Centre Court at Wimbledon.The French star hit the ground hard after falling at the end of the second set with the score 5-5.
    Alize Cornet burst into tears after suffering a horror injuryCredit: Reuters
    She appeared to be in a lot of main as physios rushed to help herCredit: PA
    Cornet received a lot of wrapping on her right knee to allow her to continue playing
    The French star bent her knee awkwardly as she fell
    Elena Rybakina checked on the fallen CornetCredit: Reuters
    She burst into tears as she headed back to her seat and received treatment next to the court.
    Cornet bent her knee awkwardly and appeared to be in a lot of pain as her opponent Elena Rybakina checked on her.
    She buried her face in her towel after sitting down but was soon on the mend as the medical team diagnosed her problem.
    Physios heavily wrapped Cornet’s right knee and she was able to continue playing.
    READ MORE IN WIMBLEDON
    But she did not appear to have full movement and was unable to prevent Rybakina winning the delayed game.
    However she responded well by winning her service game to send the second set into a tie-break, despite limping upon her return to court.
    That set-up a tie-break which Rybakina won to claim a straight sets victory to set up a third round meeting with Brit Katie Boulter.
    A 15-minute delay meant fans had to wait even longer for Andy Murray’s appearance on Centre Court.
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    Centre Court was treated to an action-packed day after Brit Liam Coady defeated no.4 seed Casper Ruud in five sets. More

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    Arsenal and England legend Alex Scott wows in all-white outfit at Wimbledon as fans call her a ‘beauty queen’

    ARSENAL and England legend Alex Scott has wowed in an all-white outfit at Wimbledon that had her fans calling her a “beauty queen”.The former footballer is the latest famous face to be pictured at the All England Club this week.
    Alex Scott wowed in an all-white outfit as she attended WimbledonCredit: Getty
    Fans called Alex Scott a ‘beauty queen’ as she stunned at the All England ClubCredit: Dan Charity
    Scott shared a series of snaps of her outfit, which included a white jacket draped over her shoulders and a matching bag.
    She rocked braided hair and captioned the post: “Serving up some braids at Wimbledon.”
    Her fans were left in awe of the presenter, with one commenting: “Beauty queen.”
    Another added: “Lovely outfit Alex, looking absolutely fabulous.”
    READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON
    A third follower wrote: “Looking… ace!”
    Meanwhile, one more fan swooned: “Gorgeous as always.”
    Scott was also pictured in the crowd alongside singer Jess Glynne as they watched the action on court.
    The ex-footballer, 38, headed to Wimbledon after returning from her recent Ibiza holiday.
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    She jetted off to the Spanish party island following the end of the domestic season.
    As well as sharing videos of herself relaxing in a bikini during the trip, Scott also partied with pals including Arsenal star Leah Williamson.
    Scott has forged a successful punditry and presenting career since retiring from football in 2018.
    Alex Scott attended day two at Wimbledon on TuesdayCredit: Getty
    Alex Scott was pictured in the crowd with Jess GlynneCredit: Getty
    During her playing days, she won six league titles and the Champions League amongst other honours across four spells with Arsenal.
    The full-back also won 140 caps for England, the fourth most in Lionesses history. More