Scott McTominay has been sent love from Italian media

Scott McTominay was at the centre of highs and lows for Napoli as the Italian side battled to a 3-2 win at Genoa on Saturday. The former Manchester United star scored a stunning goal for the Serie A champions before being forced off with an injury at half-time.

Napoli went behind to an early penalty but McTominay helped bring his side level, with United loanee Rasmus Hojlund tapping home his rebounded shot. The Scotland international then provided the highlight of the match by firing a long-range effort into the Genoa net just two minutes later.

However, the 29-year-old picked up an injury and was taken off at the interval, much to manager Antonio Conte’s disappointment. The home side equalised before the hour mark after capitalising on a defensive error and the game threatened to slip through Napoli’s fingers when Juan Jesus was sent off with 15 minutes remaining.

In McTominay’s absence, it was Hojlund who stepped up to be his side’s saviour, with his last-minute spot kick squirming under the goalkeeper to secure three points. Post-match, Napoli boss Conte provided an update on McTominay’s condition.

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“Scott has been dealing with this problem since the beginning of the year,” he said. “It’s an inflammation of the tendons in the area between the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings. This discomfort forces him to play at a reduced pace.

“He would have continued, but at the end of the first half I preferred to avoid any stupid risks. We’re talking about a key player for us, I need him to be 100%. We hope to get him back as soon as possible.”

Despite only playing half of the match, McTominay’s contributions were pivotal to a result that moved Napoli to six points behind leaders Inter Milan. Here is how Italian media outlets rated the ex-United midfielder’s performance.

Il Napolista

Earning credit for his role in Napoli’s first goal by “Prince Rasmus”, McTominay was lauded for “a magnificent moral brace”. The player ratings from Il Napolista gave the midfielder an eight.

His determination to carry on playing while injured was likened to Braveheart. Wishing McTominay a speedy recovery, the final line of his player rating read: “God save Scott McTominay.”

Corriere dello Sport

The Italian outlet scored McTominay an eight for his contributions while battling through the pain barrier. It was summed up by a sentence in Corriere dello Sport’s player ratings: “When the going gets tough, he’s always the toughest.”

His goal was described as “beautiful” and his all-round play was also labelled “exceptional”. The manner in which he continued to “shoot, run and fight like hell” saw him dubbed the “Rocky of football”.

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Il Messaggero

The Italian publication admitted that McTominay’s injury problems did affect his performance. Il Messaggero described the team’s star midfielder as “not being at his best”, despite his willingness to play on.

Rather than focusing on his long-range effort, it was his part in Hojlund’s equaliser that was described as “a precise right-footed shot”. He was awarded a seven in the outlet’s player ratings.

New Zealand’s Tim Seifert (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)

Tim Seifert’s trademark aggression lit up New Zealand’s chase as they secured a five-wicket win over Afghanistan in their Group D clash of the T20 World Cup on Sunday. Chasing 183, Seifert lived up to his ‘Bam Bam’ nickname with a commanding 65 off 42 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes to keep the chase firmly under control. His innings ensured New Zealand crossed the line with minimal fuss despite an early stumble.

That stumble came courtesy of a brief spell of brilliance from Mujeeb ur Rahman, who removed Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra in consecutive deliveries in the second over, leaving New Zealand reeling at 14 for two. However, Seifert found the perfect ally in Glenn Phillips, and the duo rebuilt with intent. Their 74-run stand for the third wicket, scored in just 47 balls, turned the momentum decisively in New Zealand’s favour. Seifert brought up his half-century from 39 balls with a towering six off Mohammad Nabi, and as the innings progressed, the pitch offered less assistance to the spinners. Phillips took the attack to Rashid Khan, dispatching him for a four and a six as New Zealand surged ahead. Afghanistan did manage late strikes, with Nabi dismissing Seifert and Rashid accounting for Phillips. Seifert, though, made full use of a reprieve on 48 when Rashid put down a return catch. By the time both batters departed, the job was nearly done, and Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner calmly polished off the remaining 28 runs. Earlier, Afghanistan posted 182 for six, a total that felt slightly under-par on a surface with some slowness. Veteran Gulbadin Naib top-scored with a fluent 63 off 35 balls, while Sediqullah Atal contributed 29 in a third-wicket stand of 79 from 51 deliveries. Despite the partnership, Afghanistan’s innings lacked explosive acceleration. Their progress was steady rather than spectacular, reaching 44 for two in the Power Play, 77 for two at halfway and 130 for three after 15 overs. The final five overs yielded 52 runs, but they would have hoped for more. Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked in good touch before Lockie Ferguson’s slower ball shattered his stumps in the sixth over. In the same over, Ferguson also removed Ibrahim Zadran, using his leg-cutters effectively. Naib reached his fifty in just 29 balls and injected momentum by taking on Jacob Duffy with two sixes and a four. Atal supported well but was dismissed by Duffy, a moment that allowed Naib to combine with Darwish Rasooli for a brisk 33-run stand as Afghanistan crossed 150. However, Naib’s dismissal to Rachin Ravindra in the 18th over stalled the late charge. Azmatullah Omarzai struck a couple of sixes at the end to push Afghanistan past 180, but it was not quite enough against a composed New Zealand chase.

The Road to WrestleMania 42 is expected to feature some major returns in WWE, and Seth Rollins could be one of them. The Visionary is currently on hiatus from the sports entertainment juggernaut due to a real-life injury.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Rollins’ WWE return may happen soon, and that he will compete against Bron Breakker at The Showcase of the Immortals.

However, there are considerable signs indicating Seth Rollins’ incorporation with Grayson Waller and Austin Theory. In this article, we will be looking at three signs that Seth Rollins is secretly re-forming The Shield with Waller and Theory in WWE.

#3. The return of the mystery man in WWE

One of the major signs that Seth Rollins is re-forming The Shield is the return of the mystery man at the Royal Rumble. When the mystery attacker destroyed Bron Breakker before the Rumble match, Paul Heyman shouted Seth Rollins’ name despite his absence from the show.

Latest reports suggest that Grayson Waller could be the person behind that black-hooded figure. Although there is no confirmation, WWE likely wants to link Waller and Rollins through this mystery man angle.

In the upcoming weeks, Grayson could be revealed as the mystery man who attacked the new Big Dog on Seth Rollins’ orders. This could lead to a new faction’s origin on Monday Night RAW, with the group on a mission to end The Vision.

#2. The connection between Grayson Waller & Austin Theory

Austin Theory is currently a member of The Vision. However, his incorporation into the heel group remains a topic of debate, with fans predicting he is a mole planted by The Visionary.

In late 2023, Rollins and Theory were part of an alliance and worked together. It’s crucial to note that before the A-Town Down star returned as a heel, he was paired with Waller on television.

Soon, Theory disappeared from the company, and WWE announced their breakup in a backstage segment. With Waller’s name seemingly part of the mystery man storyline, it will not be a surprise if Theory and Grayson are secretly reunited and now working for Seth Rollins.

#1. Seth Rollins always has a Plan B

The Architect is the one who betrayed Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose to end The Shield. He joined Triple H’s Authority faction and emerged as one of the major heel stars in World Wrestling Entertainment.

The history of Seth proves he always has a Plan B. With Bron Breakker and The Vision betraying the former World Heavyweight Champion, he might have Austin Theory and Grayson Waller as part of Plan B.

If that theory is true, it’s a clear sign that Rollins is secretly re-forming The Shield with these two stars.