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Barcelona lose ground in La Liga

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GRANADA:

Barcelona came back from two goals down to share a thrilling 2-2 draw with Granada but lost ground in the La Liga title race on Sunday.

Bryan Zaragoza sent the hosts two goals ahead but Lamine Yamal and Sergi Roberto’s goals preserved the champions’ record as the only unbeaten team in La Liga.

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However the Catalans are now third and sit three points behind leaders Real Madrid, and one behind neighbours Girona, who both won on Saturday.

Zaragoza struck twice in the first half, breaking the deadlock after only 17 seconds — the fastest goal Barcelona have conceded in the 21st century.

Yamal pulled Barcelona back into the game just before half-time, becoming La Liga’s youngest ever goalscorer in the process at 16 years and 87 days.

Xavi Hernandez’s side levelled with three minutes remaining when substitute Sergi Roberto turned home, but they could not find a late winner in a high-octane finale.

It was the third comeback they have made in recent weeks, beating Celta Vigo from two goals down and twice falling behind at Mallorca in another 2-2 draw.

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Barcelona’s night was also marred by a knee injury to Jules Kounde, with the Catalans already tending to Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Raphinha in the treatment room.

Xavi deployed Ferran Torres as a false nine to replace Lewandowski, while he handed Fermin Lopez his first start for the club in midfield.

The coach left Oriol Romeu on the bench, starting without a pure defensive midfielder and dividing the role up between Ilkay Gundogan and Gavi.

The latter turned into trouble immediately, with Granada stealing the ball from the young midfielder in the build-up to the first goal.

Lucas Boye fed Zaragoza, who fired across Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who might have done more to keep the shot from finding the bottom corner, although the ball appeared to bobble before passing the Barcelona goalkeeper.

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Shadab Khan provides an update on his injury

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Pakistan all-rounder, Shadab Khan suffered an unexpected injury during National T20 Cup match between Rawalpindi and Sialkot in Karachi on Sunday.

The incident took place as Shadab was fielding during the match, having bowled two economical overs. The unfortunate mishap occurred when the ball unexpectedly rose above his foot, resulting in a sudden and painful ankle twist. 

The video footage of Shadab being carried off the field piggyback style by a teammate went viral on social media, raising concerns about the severity of the injury.

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نیشنل T20 کرکٹر شادب خان انجری کا شکار شاداب کو کندھوں پر اٹھاکر ڈرینسنگ روم منتقل کیا گیا راولپنڈی کی کپتان سیالکوٹ کے خلاف میچ کھیلتے ہوئے پائوں کی انجری کا شکار ہوئے @76Shadabkhan @TheRealPCB #shadabkhan #IslamabadUnited pic.twitter.com/mEnGqmayi2

— KHIZAR AZAM (@KHIZARAZAM) December 3, 2023

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Shadab recounted the incident and explained the severity of the pain that left him incapacitated for a few minutes, making it difficult for him to comprehend the extent of the injury and eventually he had to seek assistance.

“When the ball came above my foot, I had an ankle twist. When the ankle twisted, I couldn’t even comprehend it for 2-3 minutes because the pain was severe. Then I tried to walk to the sidelines. The boundary on the side was a bit short, so I walked out there, but after that, I didn’t have the courage to continue walking. Then there was a guy there, so I thought of somehow making it to the dressing room,” Shadab said.

Fortunately, Shadab provided a glimmer of optimism when discussing his current status of his fitness.

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“Now the fitness is improving. The injury is not too major. The report has come, but the doctors haven’t told me how much time it will take. As soon as they tell, the rehab will start according to their instructions.” he further added.

Shadab highlighted the proactive approach being taken to ensure effective rehabilitation process ahead of Pakistan’s T20I series against New Zealand in January.

“The injury doesn’t seem too prolonged. The physios will assess it and plan accordingly for the New Zealand series.” he concluded.