Stephen Strasburg not sure if he will be ready for playoffs

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Stephen Strasburg is unsure if he will be able to pitch in the postseason if the Washington Nationals receive a playoff berth as they’re projected to do.

Strasburg left his last start in the third inning after feeling a pinch in his elbow. The game was his first back after being on the disabled list with an elbow injury.

Strasburg received a plasma injection on Friday and will have another doctor examine his MRI.

Stephen Strasburg received a PRP shot yesterday and will have a another doctor look at his MRI for second opinion.

— William Ladson (@washingnats) September 10, 2016

The confluence of uncertainty surrounding Strasburg’s status has him unsure if he will be able to return for the playoffs.

Stephen Strasburg is not sure if he will play in the postseason. "I can"t make that claim. There is still a month into the season." #Nats

— William Ladson (@washingnats) September 10, 2016

The Nationals entered play on Saturday with an 83-58 record, which leads the NL East by eight games. So far the team has termed Strasburg’s injury as a strained flexor mass.

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49ers aiming to have Colin Kaepernick ready for third preseason game

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Colin Kaepernick will finally get a chance to play in a game situation, but not until the third week of preseason.

According to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, the team will hold Kaepernick out of the second preseason game against Denver and aim to get him into the third preseason game against Green Bay on Aug. 26.

“We have a plan for him going forward,” coach Chip Kelly said. “They’re easing him back into throwing right now. In talking to him, he said he feels really good about it. But we don’t want to throw him back out there and have a setback right now.

“As we said before, from what we understand, it’s not a long-term thing. He’ll throw a little more today and see how he feels and continue to progress him and hopefully we can get him back full next week.”

Kaepernick was being eased back into work on Wednesday, not having practiced since Aug. 10 with what has been characterized as a “dead arm.” The issue has almost certainly cost him whatever chance he had of beating Blaine Gabbert out for the starting job.

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Arsenal Ready To Swoop For Duo After Injury Crisis Hits Peak

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Arsenal haven’t had the best of pre seasons.

They’ve signed another midfielder – because they needed another, they only had 24 already – in Granit Xhaka, but were devastated by the loss of Per Mertesacker, before Gabriel was crocked last weekend.

That leaves Laurent Koscielny as the Gunners’ only fit centre back, and he’s only just returned to training after being given extended rest after Euro 2016.

So Wenger has to get active in the transfer market, and he’s got his eye on two centre backs that he wants to sign ahead of the Premier League opener against Liverpool on Sunday.

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The first is Shkodran Mustafi, Valencia’s German defender, who has a release clause of £42 million in his contract at the Mestalla.

Despite that, Valencia’s boss Pako Ayesteran is understood to be willing to let the 24-year-old leave for somewhere around £25 million, which is music to Wenger’s ears.

Los Che are already on the lookout for a replacement, as they expected the former Everton youth team prospect to leave this summer.

If Wenger decides the fee for the Germany international is too high – a distinct possibility considering his track record – then another target may come into play.

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West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans was linked to the Gunners earlier this summer, and Wenger could return to tempt the Baggies with a £15 million bid.

The former United disaster is thought to be up for the move, and why wouldn’t you be when you’ve got Tony Pulis’ instructions to ‘hoof it towards Salomon Rondon and see what happens’ ringing in your ears.

If Wenger somehow refuses to spend, or doesn’t get anything done in time, then he may be forced to rush Koscielny back from his holiday.

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But there lies a problem surely – why has the Frenchman only just returned to training with less than a week to go until Arsenal play Liverpool?

He was last in action on July 10 in the Euro 2016 final (a month ago), is two or three weeks not enough time off when you’ve only got one centre back fit?

Should Wenger not take the risk, his other options are Rob Holding (who last played a competitive game in the Championship), Krystian Bielik (an untested defensive midfielder), Nacho Monreal, Mathieu Debuchy (both full backs), or Francis Coquelin (another midfielder), so the choices aren’t the greatest.

Wenger has brought the problems on himself though, and it’s going to cost him massively in the next week.

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Key Liverpool Man Claims He’s Ready To Be Next Club Legend

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Liverpool have struggled to replace Steven Gerrard ever since the Reds legend upped sticks and headed for Los Angeles last year.

As loveable as Joe Allen is, he wasn’t quite up to the job, but another midfielder is eyeing the Gerrard role after settling into the Liverpool team in his second  season at Anfield.

Emre Can is that man, and after getting a regular run in his favoured defensive midfield role under Jurgen Klopp, the German has high hopes for becoming a future Liverpool leader.

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Speaking about the Gerrard role, Can said:

The new midfield leader can be me, of course.

I have played a lot of games for Liverpool and know I am still young but I have to show it on the pitch now.

I can say I am a leader but you have to show it. Of course we have other leaders like Hendo or Milner.

We all want to do it – I am like that. I want to be the one pushing the team on.

Can found his feet in the second half of last season, after being utilised at right back, centre back and a variety of midfield roles under Brendan Rodgers after joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014.

His form got him into the Germany Euro 2016 team, and he played in Die Mannschaft’s semi final defeat to France last month.

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And he should find himself as a permanent fixture under Klopp this season, with long serving midfielder Lucas Leiva set to depart, leaving a holding midfield role wide open.

But it’s not just a starting place the 22-year-old has his eye on:

My confidence is high.

We have a very good team and we will see next season what it is but that target has to be to win titles.

If you play for Liverpool the target always has to be winning titles and it will be the same next season.

The closest Liverpool have came to winning the title was in 2013/14, when the combination of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez came within a whisker to bringing the Reds their first ever Premier League crown.

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And Can is a fan of the Liverpool legend, although is keen to carve out his own legendary status rather than be compared to the Englishman.

He added:

I say I have lot of respect for him and I am far off that level he played for Liverpool.

I have to go my own way, be Emre Can. But I have great respect for him and still keep in touch.

I met him in Los Angeles recently, and we still speak.

Klopp’s Liverpool should be an interesting entity this season, as the German boss makes his mark on his new team in his first full season.

Can is ready to thrive in the midfield though, and the Anfield faithful will be hoping he can go on to become even half as much of a legend as Stevie G was.

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Liverpool Boss Ready To Splash More Cash To Land Defender

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Liverpool are no strangers to spending big money.

This summer, they’ve kept up their annual raid on Southampton by taking Sadio Mane for over £30m, and also signed Gini Wijnaldum from Newcastle United for £25m.

Add Ragnar Klavan and Loris Karius into the mix, and the Reds have spent over £60m this summer – and they’re not done yet.

Despite adding experienced Estonian Klavan to his defence, Klopp still has worries about the left back position, currently occupied by Alberto Moreno.

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Moreno is one of those modern day full backs who attacks twice as well as he defends, and his German boss is looking at two players as potential replacements for the former Sevilla defender.

The first is AC Milan’s Mattia De Sciglio, who has long been one of the brightest young defenders in Europe.

The 23-year-old has been part of Milan’s first team for five years, and has 26 caps for Italy since coming through the youth ranks at his boyhood club.

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A fee around £16m is enough for the Italian giants to sell, and it’s thought they’d be willing to do so in order to keep star striker Carlos Bacca, as they look to make a push for the Champions League next season.

Despite being right footed, De Sciglio has spent plenty of time playing left back for Milan, and is more than comfortable there.

Should Klopp fancy an old fashioned left footed left back, PSV’s Jetro Willems could be the man.

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Available for a similar price to De Sciglio, the speedy Dutch international would fit in nicely at Anfield, having played with fellow new signing Wijnaldum for the Netherlands national team.

And it looks like Willems is aware of the interest, if his recent Twitter activity is anything to go by:

I wish you all the best at your new club my friend, we"ll see each other again soon! @GWijnaldum pic.twitter.com/P7nFu8HjkX

— Jetro willems (@JetroWillems_15) July 22, 2016

‘See each other again soon’ could be the clearest sign that Liverpool are in the market for a left back, which is bad news for Alberto Moreno, but good news for football fans who dislike footballers with top knots.

Every cloud and all that.

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