Health scare for Gago: cardiac incident, stent implanted

Trabzonspor is pursuing Artem Dovbyk as a potential signing from AS Roma, but the Turkish club is proceeding cautiously due to concerns about the Ukrainian striker's physical condition. The medical staff of Trabzonspor has requested comprehensive medical records and detailed information on Dovbyk's fitness, particularly given his injury-plagued previous season which included surgery. Dovbyk has been available for transfer as Roma seeks to offload him, though the club has struggled to find a buyer due to his substantial cost on the balance sheet, approximately €25 million. Betis has also shown interest in the player. Trabzonspor estimates his value at around €15 million and is keen to move forward with negotiations, but only after receiving and reviewing his complete medical documentation. The club wants to avoid rushing into a decision given the significant financial commitment involved. The Turkish side's cautious approach reflects broader concerns about Dovbyk's recent injury history. While Trabzonspor has identified him as a target, the club has made clear it will not accelerate the process until it has full confidence in his physical condition based on detailed medical assessments from Roma's staff.

Evan Ndicka will miss Ivory Coast's World Cup Group E match against Germany this evening, the second game of the tournament for the African side. The Roma defender was already absent from Ivory Coast's opening fixture against Ecuador, which the team won. Ivory Coast's manager announced the decision in a press conference, stating that Ndicka remains unavailable for selection against the Germans. Ndicka's absence comes after he failed to feature in the Ecuador match. However, his recovery from injury is progressing positively. The manager provided an encouraging update on the player's condition despite his continued unavailability for the fixture. The match against Germany is scheduled for this evening at 22:00 Italian time. The manager said: "We come to win. We come to secure our qualification for the second round and not to watch Germany play. We will not change our habits. All players are available except Ndicka. He will not be fielded against Germany but his conditions are evolving very well." This suggests Ndicka may be in contention for Ivory Coast's remaining group matches if his recovery continues at the current pace.

The United States defeated Australia 2-0 in the second group match of the World Cup, advancing to the round of 16 with a perfect record. However, Christian Pulisic, the AC Milan forward who was linked with AS Roma in recent transfer window discussions, did not feature in the match. Pulisic, who had been substituted at half-time during the USA's opening game against Paraguay due to a calf injury, has not yet recovered from the problem and was ruled out entirely for the Australia fixture. Despite his absence, the USA secured victory through an own goal by Burgess and a goal from Freeman in the first half, leaving them top of Group D after two matches. Pulisic has endured a season disrupted by physical issues at club level. In the opening group match against Paraguay, the midfielder had impressed during his 45 minutes on the pitch, providing an assist and creating several chances before being withdrawn at the interval. The expectation had been that he would be available for the Australia match, but the injury proved more persistent. Former Roma player Volpato made his debut for Australia in the second half of the match.