LONDON • Cardiff City players have yet to come to terms with the disappearance of £15 million (S$26.7 million) club-record signing Emiliano Sala, a week after the striker's plane went missing over the English Channel.
Despite the Argentinian never getting the opportunity to make his debut for the Premier League club - he had been pencilled in to start at Arsenal today - the 28-year-old is still considered "part of the team" and defender Sol Bamba told Sky Sports the squad had been "hurt and affected by it (the tragedy)".
He said: "If you're human, you're going to be hurt by it. If you've got a heart, you're going to be affected.
"Even if he wasn't fully part of us, from the minute he signed for us and came to see the boys to say hello, he was part of us.
"We have to hope because we haven't found his body yet, even if the chances are very slim, but we like to think there can be a happy ending, hopefully. It was a tough week... Everyone was in shock."
While conceding the awful circumstances were far from ideal preparations for their trip to the Emirates, with last Tuesday's training session called off, the Ivorian claimed the team "were going to do the best we can".
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock echoed the same thoughts of finding Sala alive, even though a minute's silence will be held before all league games this week in honour of the player and David Ibbotson, the plane's pilot.
The Bluebirds boss admitted at his pre-match press conference that it had been "the most difficult week in my career by a mile" but said "the players need some sort of distraction".
He added: "I can't get my head around the situation, when I look at (Sala's sister) Romina and the family. Everybody is hoping (to find Sala) like the family.
"I've met the lad and know how he was looking forward to this (playing in England). I've never experienced anything like it... It's been a sombre mood. It's just as well we have a game tomorrow."
Arsenal manager Unai Emery will also be wary of the "knock-on (effect) with the (Cardiff) players", even though Warnock will again be forced to field Callum Paterson, a converted right-back, up front.
The Gunners have conceded 32 league goals this term, and their backline will be tested after captain Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis Papastathopoulos joined Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin - both already ruled out for the season - on the injury list.
Although there were some positive news with Emery confirming Koscielny did not break his jaw and Sokratis was likely to be out for "maybe two or three weeks", Arsenal have only two fit centre-backs at the moment in Shkodran Mustafi and rookie Konstantinos Mavropanos for their "very important match against Cardiff".
REUTERS
ARSENAL V CARDIFF
Singtel TV Ch104 & StarHub Ch229, tomorrow, 3.35am
Lions hungry for post-raya victory. straitstimes.com. June 07, 2019 5:00 AM Singapore Under-22 striker Ikhsan Fandi is jet-lagged, having arrived from Norway on Tuesday and spending the following day …
Flipboard: Detroit Lions: Is this Michael Roberts' last
VALENCIA (REUTERS) - Real Madrid's Gareth Bale came off the bench and coolly converted a penalty to secure a 2-1 win at Levante in La Liga on Sunday (Feb 24) as the European champions rode their
Bale penalty gives below-par Real win at Levante - Starr Sports
starrsportsgh.com/2019/02/bale-penalty-gives-below-par-real-win-at-levante/
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale came off the bench and coolly converted a controversial penalty to secure a 2-1 win at Levante in La Liga on Sunday as the European champions rode their luck to stay within nine points of leaders Barcelona.
Bale penalty gives below-par Real win at Levante - Football
Professional footballers across the Premier League and Football League are set to undertake a 24-hour boycott of all forms of social media, in protest against the recent rise in racial abuse and
'#Enough' - Premier League players boycott social media in
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirms contract withMolde has expired (at Molde).' Solskjaer has signed a deal with United until the end of the season and that any return to Molde would be down to the
Solskjaer's deal at Molde expires giving interim boss clear
Pep Guardiola claimed he still doesn't believe Manchester City can win the quadruple after his side reached the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Brighton on Saturday.
Guardiola coy over quadruple bid after City reach FA Cup final
Football: Uefa says anti-racism protocol not followed in
Mourinho heading back to the Bernabeu. Santiago Solari is set to be sacked imminently with Jose Mourinho to be confirmed as the next Real Madrid boss according to reports in Spain.
Mourinho To Be Confirmed As Real Madrid Boss Imminently
BERLIN (REUTERS) - Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich beat Werder Bremen 3-2 with two goals from Robert Lewandowski on Wednesday (April 24) to advance to the German Cup final for the second straight
Bayern Munich vs. 1. FC Heidenheim - Football Match Stats
MADRID (AFP) - Zinedine Zidane's second spell as coach of Real Madrid got under way on Wednesday (March 13), as the Frenchman took his first session at the club's training ground in Valdebebas..
Zidane leads first session since return to Real Madrid
Coach tells Zaniolo to stay focused despite brace, Football
Tottenham Hotspur date for Singapore. Tottenham players like Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Son Heung-min are expected to be in Singapore as part of their pre-season tour in July
ICC 2019 - tickets on sale for Shanghai and Singapore dates
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri admitted it will be hard to deny Eden Hazard a move to Real Madrid this summer, even if a reported £100 million ($130 million) move is "too cheap" for the Belgian
£100m too cheap, but hard to keep hold of Hazard, admits Sarri
Reds the hungrier side, says Van Dijk. Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker, is expecting "a game full of passion" against Everton today at Goodison Park, which will
Reds the hungrier side, says Van Dijk - theworldnews.net
Report Ad
Check Out Klopp on eBay. Fill Your Cart With Color Today!
Jurgen Klopp has shut down any suggestion that he could leave Liverpool to take the reins at Bayern Munich, with the German pointing out that he has "a long-term contract" at Anfield.
Liverpool vs Tottenham analysis, Champions League final
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen