BOSTON -- Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was back on the ice -- in a full face shield -- on Thursday morning ahead of Game 5, and will be a game-time decision, according to coach Bruce Cassidy.

Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who has been out since Game 2 with a concussion, is also a game-time decision.

The Bruins have been mum on details about Chara's health -- only calling it a "facial injury" -- after he was hit with a deflected puck in the second period of Game 4 and bled profusely. Multiple reports suggest that Chara is dealing with a broken jaw.

Team doctors did not clear Chara to return for the third period of Game 4, though he sat on the bench because he wanted to be with teammates.

"The first thing you worry about is a concussion, because then you're in the protocol," Cassidy said. "We avoided that, Z avoided that, so that was good news. Then it's a matter of what's next? So I guess yesterday we had a better idea and then this morning he was here, obviously, he was on the ice. And now it's just real."

Cassidy said that first, Chara needs to get the OK from team doctors, then it will be up to the defenseman on whether he can play.

An NHL spokesperson said Chara is unable to speak clearly right now. He gave written answers to a few questions from reporters on Thursday.

Asked how he weighs the risk of future injury when deciding whether to play, he responded: "You don't think about that. You think about playing. You don't go into a game thinking you might get hurt."

"Much is made of his professionalism, his toughness, his approach," defenseman John Moore said. "But until you see it in the flesh, you don't really have an appreciation for it. The guy is 42. When I'm 42 I'm certainly not going to be the first guy in the gym weighing all my food, squatting the most on the team. You throw in what he's going through, that's something I'll tell my kids about. When they wake up with a fever and they don't want to go to school. Those are life lessons I'll carry long beyond hockey that I'm grateful to have with Z."

Said Brad Marchand of Chara: "He's willing to play with one leg, one arm. It doesn't matter. He's out there working as hard as he can and sacrificing his body because he knows, at the end of the day, you win."

The Bruins have considered several contingency plans if they are without Chara, Grzelcyk, or both. Cassidy said on Thursday that dressing seven defensemen and only 11 forwards was still an option his staff was considering.

Chara is a left-shot defenseman and the Bruins don't have many experienced understudies on that side.

Rookie defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, a left-shot defenseman, practiced with the main group on Wednesday, although Cassidy said it was a "long shot" for Vaakanainen to play. The 20-year-old Finn played in only two regular seasons games for the Bruins.

"That would be a big ask," Cassidy said, noting Vaakanainen, who played a majority of the season in the AHL, has not been around the NHL club much. "A real big ask."

Veteran Steven Kampfer is a more likely candidate to plug in on the blueline. Kampfer, a right-shot defenseman, played in two Stanley Cup playoff games this spring -- including subbing in for the suspended Charlie McAvoy in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. Kampfer scored a goal in that game.

"Whoever comes in, it's kind of a seamless transition," Kampfer said on Wednesday. "I think that's been our identity of our team this year, next man up and making sure that you're ready to go."

The 42-year-old Chara has a goal and four assists with a plus-12 in 20 playoff games this spring. He typically plays on the top pairing with Charlie McAvoy, and is an important player on the penalty kill. Chara played over 24 minutes in Games 2 and 3.

Grzelcyk spoke with reporters on Thursday and said he was still in concussion protocol, but is hopeful to be cleared before the game.

"I'm not really sure how it works," Grzelcyk said. "I'm just taking it day-by-day."

Grzelcyk was knocked out of Game 2 after being boarded by Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. Grzelcyk has not played since and only began skating with the Bruins players on Wednesday. Sundqvist received a one-game suspension for the hit.

Grzelcyk, who has averaged 19:22 in his 19 playoff games this spring, declined to comment on the play on Wednesday, saying the league handled it and he would leave it at that.

Paris Saint-Germain have become favourites to sign Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt due to the efforts of former sporting director Leonardo, who is set to return to the French champions after nearly six years away, sources have told ESPN FC.

After a disappointing 2018-19 season in which the Parisians claimed only the Ligue 1 title, PSG are moving to revive their once-ambitious project by bringing back the Brazilian who laid the bones for Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) after their 2011 takeover of the club, and his priority is the signature of coveted defender De Ligt.

According to the sources, Leonardo is in Paris finalising his return to the Ligue 1 giants in a position of considerable influence that should diminish, if not totally extinguish, current sporting director Antero Henrique's Parc des Princes role -- as had been on the cards for some time.

The former PSG and Brazil midfielder is in constant contact with De Ligt's agent Mino Raiola, according to the sources, with compatriot Maxwell also heavily involved in the negotiations for the 19-year-old.

The sources say PSG are confident they can sign De Ligt despite interest from the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Juventus. However, the French capital outfit were also confident they'd won the race to sign Ajax teammate and fellow Netherlands international Frenkie de Jong before they were ultimately pipped to the midfielder by Barca.

De Ligt and Raiola are convinced that PSG would be a smart sporting decision for the teenager as they could guarantee maximum game time, the sources added, though Thomas Tuchel's men can also, crucially, meet Raiola's exorbitant commission demands.

Should Leonardo succeed in securing De Ligt, PSG would be open to selling fellow defender Presnel Kimpembe this summer, with the club confident they can bring in at least €40 million for the youth academy-raised France international.

ESPN FC sources have indicated such a sum would represent approximately half of the proposed De Ligt fee, and that signing the Dutchman could see captain Thiago Silva sold if a good offer arrives. Or, he could be allowed to play out the final year of his contract before leaving.

PSG remain in need of substantial sales before the end of the month to stay out of UEFA's financial fair play (FFP) crosshairs, with Thomas Meunier attracting the most interest. However, the decision not to renew Gianluigi Buffon's lavish contract frees up significant space on the wage bill.

Per the sources, Les Parisiens' original plan was to focus on sales until the end of June before launching an assault on the transfer market. But they've been since informed that immediate action would be required to secure the in-demand De Ligt.

U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter has announced the 23-player roster that will take part in the 2019 Gold Cup.

The list contains many familiar names, including Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic, Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley and RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams. But it also includes some new faces, including Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes and Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Tyler Boyd. Boyd recently received approval from FIFA for a one-time change of association after the winger had represented New Zealand in official competition at the youth level.

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All told, there are 10 players on the roster with previous Gold Cup experience.

"As always, there were some difficult decisions to be made for this roster and I'm extremely pleased with how the players have shown so far this year overall," Berhalter said. "We've had a chance to look at the player pool for the last six months and we feel great about the group that will take on the task of trying to win the Gold Cup.

"This is only the start of the journey. Our ambition is to progress as a team throughout the tournament and put ourselves in a position to be playing July 7 in Chicago."

The announcement brought disappointment for eight players who had participated in all or part of a training camp that began on May 25. The most surprising omission was arguably Werder Bremen forward Josh Sargent, who played 90 minutes against Jamaica. Sargent was eligible to take part in the FIFA under-20 World Cup -- taking place in Poland -- but was brought into the senior team camp instead. Now he won't take part in either tournament.

Berhalter mentioned after the Jamaica match that a hamstring injury would rule out LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget. Jackson Yueill, who made his international debut against Jamaica, wasn't on the preliminary 40-man Gold Cup roster, and was thus ineligible to take part. The other five players to be cut from the squad are defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, midfielder Jonathan Amon, midfielder Joe Gyau, and defender Antonee Robinson.

The announcement comes on the heels of a 1-0 friendly defeat to Jamaica in which an experimental U.S. side looked sluggish and lacked sharpness. Berhalter should have more of his first-choice lineup available for Sunday's friendly against Venezuela at Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium.

The U.S. will begin play in the Gold Cup on June 18 when it takes on Guyana at Allianz Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

U.S. MNT GOLD CUP ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (3): 12-Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 7/0), 22-Tyler Miller (LAFC; 0/0), 1-Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC; 9/0)

DEFENDERS (8): 14-Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 10/1), 3-Omar Gonzalez (Toronto FC/CAN; 50/3), 2-Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 3/0), 23-Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 5/0), 16-Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact/CAN; 4/0), 19-Matt Miazga (Chelsea/ENG; 13/1), 13-Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 29/1), 5-Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 6/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 145/17), 20-Duane Holmes (Derby County/ENG; 1/0), 8-Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 8/1), 10-Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 25/10), 15-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 10/0), 6-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 16/0)

FORWARDS (6): 17-Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN; 110/41), 7-Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 22/3), 21-Tyler Boyd (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR; 0/0), 18-Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids; 4/0), 11-Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 27/5), 9-Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 44/7

Eden Hazard is set to sign for Real Madrid after Chelsea accepted an offer of £88.5 million plus significant add-ons that could take the deal to the £130m mark, sources have told ESPN FC.

Though the initial fee for Hazard is significantly below Chelsea's original £130m asking price, it is understood that, when realistic bonuses and additional payments are factored in, the value of Madrid's offer will reach that figure.

Madrid's chief executive, Jose Angel Sanchez, travelled to London at the start of this week in the hopes of getting a deal for Hazard over the line, and the two clubs reached the outline of an agreement on Thursday morning.

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane had made signing Hazard a priority as he revamped his squad after a disappointing season, with Chelsea having resigned themselves to selling their star player before he entered the final year of his contract.

Hazard will leave Chelsea after 110 goals and 81 assists in 352 appearances in all competitions, with two Premier League titles among six major trophies won in his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.

He inspired Chelsea to a 4-1 win over Arsenal in the Europa League final on his farewell appearance, scoring twice and setting up a goal for Pedro.

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Sources told ESPN FC that Hazard had been in regular contact with Zidane for several months, with him and his family looking into housing and school options in Madrid.

Madrid have harboured an interest in for many years and asked about signing him last summer, only for Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia to make it clear he was not for sale.

Hazard's move to Madrid sees him become the club's most expensive signing, overcoming the previous record which was Gareth Bale's then world record £86m deal in 2013.

It will also see him reunited with former Chelsea teammate Thibaut Courtois, who left Stamford Bridge in a £35m deal last summer.

Essex 309 (Westley 77, Bess 3-45) drew with Yorkshire 390 and 107 for 1 (Lyth 56*, Ballance 51*)

Gary Ballance's chances of a century in six successive Yorkshire matches came to grief just before tea on the final day at Emerald Headingley with an unexpected cloudburst that prematurely ended a stalemate that had long since lost all other significance.

That at least consigned one of Yorkshire's more confusing statistics to history. Ballance is the first Yorkshire batsman to have scored hundreds in five successive Yorkshire matches, although Len Hutton did it on seven successive occasions in Yorkshire matches in which he played in 1947 and 1948.

Such distinctions will not remotely concern Ballance, who was 51 not out when the deluge brought an early tea. His only ambition will be to extend a prolific Championship season, which has brought 668 runs at 83.5, to force his way into consideration for the Ashes series. If happenstance means James Vince gets an opportunity with England in the World Cup, and he makes runs, Ballance's chances of adding to his 23 Tests, the last of them against South Africa in Nottingham, will further recede.

One senses in any case that Ballance is out of vogue, to be ranked alongside avocado bathroom suites, lava lamps and hipster beards. He will have to play doubly well to get noticed.

(Incidentally, the suggestion that hipster beards are out of fashion was a cruel misrepresentation and if any hipsters happened to have been drawn to a piece about an ultimately pointless county cricket match, one can assume they have already left in search of reassurance).

From the moment on the third evening that Peter Siddle rose, half asleep, from a bench in the Essex dressing room, where he had been vaguely watching India's World Cup match against South Africa, and roused himself to save the follow-on, this contest needed enterprise from both captains to salvage a worthwhile finish.

But Siddle and Sam Cook blithely extended their last-wicket stand for a further 70 minutes, and those who had hoped for better began to stare staunchly into mid-distance. Championship spectators no longer religiously turn to the newspaper crossword to help them through the game's longeurs (a shame because it was always an interesting clue to their political affiliations) and many remain allergic to mobile phones, especially during hours of play.

In all, Siddle and Cook put on 86 in 25 overs, every run making the slim chance of a positive declaration increasingly starved of possibility. Siddle finished with 60 off 119 balls, his best score in his second season as Essex's overseas player, at which point he fell leg-before to Steve Patterson, while Cook's career-best unbeaten 37 off 74 included a pulled six off Ben Coad.

When Yorkshire started their second innings, they led by 81 with 76 overs remaining in the day. Many sides have contrived finishes from such positions, but not often on such a sound surface, and not often Yorkshire.

Andrew Gale, the coach, said with justification that the pitch had flattened out. Yorkshire remain unbeaten, and stable, but have yet to pull off the sort of thrilling result that identifies them as definite title contenders. Now 25 points behind leaders Somerset, they face Surrey at Guildford on Monday; the defending champions are yet to win in five matches.

Yorkshire lost their debutant opener, Will Fraine, for a duck, but were on 107 for 1 from 42.5 overs when the rain tumbled from the sky. Essex's main concern will surround the fitness of their seam bowler Jamie Porter, who is the catalyst for so many of their better moments, and who limped off during his 10th over.