New York City FC acquired defender Chris Gloster from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, the club announced Monday.

The 20-year-old New Jersey native signed a deal through the 2023 season with an option to extend for two additional seasons.

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NYCFC acquired his homegrown priority rights by sending $100,000 in general allocation money to the New York Red Bulls. The Red Bulls will receive additional money if Gloster reaches certain performance benchmarks.

"It's such an honor to be joining New York City FC," Gloster said in a team statement. "I know a lot about the club and it's a team with a good playing style that I feel I fit perfectly into. I'm glad to be back home and it feels amazing to have a team that is really invested in me. Every team that you go to, you learn something new. NYCFC has something great to offer and I hopefully will be able to do my best for this Club."

Gloster, who has been a regular in the United States youth setup, joined NYCFC in Florida for training camp last week. The team is scheduled to open the MLS regular season on April 17 at D.C. United.

Gloster competed in 22 matches for PSV Eindhoven's reserve team, Jong PSV, from 2019-20. Prior to his stint in the Netherlands, Gloster played with the German club Hannover 96 in 2018.

"Chris is a player we're very excited about joining NYCFC," said Ronny Deila, the club's head coach. "He's a highly regarded 20-year-old with a few seasons of experience in Europe at some really good clubs. I enjoy working with young players to help maximize their abilities and Chris is one who we think can come to us and grow into a really good player."

AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic shed a few tears of pride as he returned to Sweden's national team after a four-year absence for their World Cup qualifiers and recounted how his son did not want him to leave home to join up with Janne Andersson's squad.

The 39-year-old, who quit international football after Euro 2016, choked up when he was asked what his boys, Maximilian, 14, and 12-year-old Vincent, thought of his decision to answer his country's call again and return to the world stage.

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"Vincent cried when I left him," Ibra told a news conference before shedding a few tears himself as he felt the emotion of returning to the national team set-up in his first meeting with the media since his recall alongside coach Andersson.

Sweden's all-time top scorer, with 62 goals in 116 games, said in in a newspaper interview in late 2020 that he wanted to end his international exile and Andersson quickly flew to Milan to sort out the terms for the former captain's return.

"To play in the national team is the biggest thing you can do as a football player, and as I was following them [Sweden], inside me I was feeling I think I can help them, I think I can do something," Ibra told reporters.

The striker was deferential towards coach Andersson, who he has clashed with in the past through the media.

"Obviously it's not up to me, what a player wants and what a coach wants, it has to go together," he said.

"I've got the opportunity now to play for my country and I do it with honour, but it's not only about that - it sounds like I'm only happy to be here ... but I'm here to get results, to bring results for the coach and my team mates and the whole country. As much as I talk here, if I don't bring results, here it means nothing," Ibrahimovic added.

Sweden host Georgia in their first 2022 World Cup qualifier on Thursday before visiting Kosovo three days later and rounding off with a friendly against Estonia.

Germany women's captain Alexandra Popp has criticised the order handed to Borussia Monchengladbach under-23s coach Heiko Vogel, who was told to train a women's team as punishment for a comment he made to a referee.

Vogel, 45, was hit with a two-match ban and a €1,500 fine as well as the order to train a women's or girls' team for six sessions following sexist comments made towards two female referees at a fourth-tier match in late January.

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"Discrimination has no place in sports," VfL Wolfsburg forward Popp told ESPN. "Maybe you should consider if those people should still have a place in football instead of sending them to a women's team.

"It's just the wrong approach. It devalues women's football, it ridicules women's football.

Popp, 29, added that they held talks with German FA (DFB) president Fritz Keller on Monday after what they felt was a lack of support.

Vogel told assistant referee Vanessa Arlt that "women have absolutely no place in football," and that "women should be banned from football," after he was sent off, sources told ESPN.

When asked about those comments, Popp added: "This must no longer happen. We talk about discrimination, about racism, about everything all the time, and this sort of discrimination should no longer be an issue.

"Whether I am on a football pitch or a man does the housework. It doesn't matter. It's 2021. Let people live the lives they want to live."

The ban and the fine were imposed on Vogel during a hearing on March 9 by the Western German FA (WDFV), a regional FA within the DFB.

Last week, Gladbach had claimed Vogel introduced the idea during the hearing and it was no punishment, while the WDFV is reviewing the verdict of its own sports court.

At the weekend, players in the upper two tiers of Germany's women's football pyramid wrote an open letter to the DFB, where they said that "the question arises as to how the training of a women's or girls' team can be defined as punishment."

DFB vice president Hannelore Ratzeburg backed the joint statement when she said that the part of the punishment was "incomprehensible."

DFB president Fritz Keller would not comment and, on Monday, held a conference call with Popp and Germany keeper Almuth Schulth in which he tried to clarify why he had remained silent.

"We can now understand the DFB president was only following the protocol, but it would have had a different magnitude if the president had commented on it himself," Popp said.

Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham said the Major League Soccer club remains intent on signing global stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Neymar.

Speaking exclusively to ESPN's Taylor Twellman, the ex-Manchester United and England midfielder said players of that caliber would be attracted to play in Miami once their playing days in Europe are over.

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"When we announced Miami, there was always going to be talk about what players we were going to bring in, whether it was Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar," Beckham said. "There was always going to be those discussions. I actually don't think it's a tough one for players to decide, to be honest, because it's a great place."

Miami has several notable players on its roster, including Gonzalo Higuain, Blaise Matuidi, and Rodolfo Pizarro. However, the team finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, exiting the first round of the playoffs in a season that was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Beckham exercised his option to purchase an MLS franchise in 2014 following his retirement, with the league awarding the team to him and his business partners in 2018.

Beckham said a revived club in South Florida will pique the interest of global superstars looking for a new challenge.

"Obviously, it's a great city, I feel like we've got a great fan base, but I also understand there's great talent in Miami and South Florida, and I think we have a real opportunity," Beckham said. "Miami is a city that has that pull on players who have been playing in Europe that are big stars."

Beckham also said he is confident that newly appointed manager Phil Neville will get the best out of the club's players going into its second year. Neville, who played alongside Beckham at Manchester United and England, was hired this offseason after a lackluster inaugural performance under Diego Alonso.

"[Neville] is the kind of coach that will get the best out of the players. He won't just work with the [Designated Players], he works with the young kids that have come through the academies," Beckham added.

"His experience being a part of one of the best academies in the game at Manchester United when we were growing up, working with different coaches.

"He was David Moyes' assistant at Manchester United, he was an assistant coach at Valencia, and then obviously he went on to be the coach of the England women's national team, which was a great experience, but also challenging at times."

Where to begin after a whirlwind weekend in soccer? Barcelona put six past Real Sociedad in La Liga (and created a lot of good vibes among Lionel Messi & Co.), Man United were dumped out of the FA Cup and Juventus may have gone from trying to cling to their Serie A title streak to simply hoping to finish in the top four.

Elsewhere, Karim Benzema dazzled again for Real Madrid (but remains exiled by France), PSG got back to the Ligue 1 summit (but aren't safe there), Atletico Madrid are creaking atop La Liga and Bayern Munich did the unthinkable vs. Stuttgart. (Well done again, Robert Lewandowski.)

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It's Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football from the past week.

Jump to: Will Messi stay at Barca? | Man United's cup exit | Juve, Pirlo in trouble | Benzema merits France call | Man City win again | PSG back on top | Milan's turnaround | Bayern amaze again | Familiar failure for Arsenal | Can Atletico hold on? | Mourinho's weird words | Haaland fury at Dortmund | Pulisic impresses in FA Cup

Barca shine while routing Real Sociedad... is it enough to make Messi stay?

Barca manager Ronald Koeman and his players Antoine Griezmann and Jordi Alba all celebrated their birthdays on Sunday, but beyond the gifts they enjoyed on the pitch -- assists for Jordi Alba, a goal for Griezmann and 12 wins out of the last 12 games for Koeman -- perhaps the biggest present is down the road if Lionel Messi pledges his future to the club (and at a price that works for Barca).

I recently wrote about reasons for Barcelona to be cheerful and admittedly, that was through azulgrana-tinted glasses. Messi is still a free agent at the end of the season, his future is still up in the air and, if he does stay, it's critical that he remains at a price that doesn't pull the club further into financial oblivion. That said, you imagine that at some point, Messi will weigh up all the pros and cons, and nights like this 6-1 beatdown of Real Sociedad away will undoubtedly be logged on the "plus" side.

Messi scored twice, taking his seasonal total to 29 (just two less than last season), but more importantly, there were few signs of Messi-dependency on this team. Alba and Sergino Dest (who also scored twice) were offering width and assists from the full-back positions. Deployed in the middle of the back three, Frenkie De Jong was covering ground, building up play and offering runs from deep, while Ousmane Dembele provided the vertical threat at the attacking end.

In other words, things were working as they should be and Messi was the value-added component, not the whole freaking show. That has to have enormous appeal. Players like Messi can -- and have -- carried teams on their back in the past, but it's exhausting to feel like you need to do it all the time. And if, after so much (warranted) negativity, Barcelona can channel this positive vibe, it might well tip the balance.

Beyond that, credit to Coach Koeman for navigating a hugely difficult situation and, crucially, keeping the players onside. He may not necessarily be a tactical genius, but the man-management he has done this year has been exemplary. He's been unafraid to try new solutions -- some of which work, some of which don't -- and he's been steady throughout even as the Camp Nou seemed to collapse around him. That matters.

And a final point on De Jong. The Dutch midfielder has done well when called on to play in defense and while your first instinct might be that, at 5-foot-11, he doesn't have the height to do it, you then remember Javier Mascherano (5-foot-9) excelling in that role for years. It's an extra option and there's still plenty of uncertainty -- it's not clear how well De Jong would do playing consistently in a back four, for example -- but it does give Barcelona flexibility, especially vis-a-vis the transfer market. This summer, they don't need to be fixated on bringing in a top-notch central defender; if they can get a top-drawer central midfielder instead, they may find the top-notch center back is already there.

As for Real Sociedad, this defeat probably spells the end to their run at a Champions League spot: they're 10 points behind fourth-place Sevilla with 10 games to play. They were first as recently as early December, but when you win just four league games in four months, you're never going to keep up.

Man United knocked out of FA Cup, but kudos to Leicester and Rodgers

It's not often you see a quadruple substitution, but that's what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to do with nearly 20 minutes gone in the second half, his Manchester United 2-1 down to Leicester and with the threat of more damage incoming.

It's easy to conclude that Solskjaer got his starting XI wrong, particularly in leaving out Bruno Fernandes for Donny van de Beek. The Portuguese playmaker has played a ton of football this year, sure, but an FA Cup quarterfinal on the eve of an international break isn't really the time to rest somebody. That said, I have less of a problem with it. Partly because he has looked exhausted for some time (something his flashes of brilliance only occasionally paper over) and partly because you can't send a message to your team that you're wholly dependent on him.

Truth be told, save for the occasional high -- like his performance in the Manchester derby -- United haven't played particularly well for the past month (they've won three of their past eight games in all competitions) and it goes beyond Bruno and Marcus Rashford (who was unavailable).

Equally, let's not overlook Leicester. They're just one point behind second-place United in the Premier League table for a reason: they're a very talented side and have an exceptional manager in Brendan Rodgers. That he's taken them where he has despite a rash of injuries -- this weekend, they were without Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and James Justin, three bona fide starters -- is a credit to his work.

Speaking of Rodgers, he will inevitably be linked to the next big job opening in the Premier League. The good news for Leicester City, though, is that there's unlikely to be one for some time. Out of the traditional "Big Six" teams, you imagine Tottenham to be the likeliest to change managers next, but even then, Jose Mourinho has two years left, an enormous contract and, despite some disappointing results of late, they're sixth in the table.

Throw in the effects of the pandemic making clubs more conservative in the summer, and my guess is that Rodgers sticks around for another year or two at a minimum. Maybe more.

More woe for Pirlo and Juventus -- and now top-four finish is in peril...

The headline in Serie A this weekend is that Juventus lost to a side to Benevento, a side who hadn't won since Jan. 6. As often happens, you can extrapolate a parallel narrative where Arthur doesn't make a boneheaded gift of a blind pass for the opposition goal, where Federico Chiesa wins a penalty (that Cristiano Ronaldo converts), where Danilo buries his late chance and where Juve win the game.

And if all of that had happened, guess what? If that had happened, plenty in the commentariat would have marveled at Juve's never-say-die attitude, at their "winning mentality" and at the fact that they'd won five games on the spin and may yet reopen the title race. (As if...)

The above scenario is extremely plausible because we've heard it all before last season and, at times, under Max Allegri. It fits with a certain "winning is all that matters" ethos, and it's poisonous and counterproductive. Yes, Juventus could have won this game, but it wouldn't have changed an abject performance and it wouldn't have changed the fact that, right now, this team can't do what Pirlo wants them to do. (Or maybe he's not the guy to get them to do it... who knows?)

Juventus reiterated that Pirlo's job is back and that he (and Ronaldo) will be back next season. Good. In Pirlo's case, it means they believe in what he's doing. As I've written before, there's a long journey ahead and Pirlo may not get to the end of it, but he's going in the right direction. All that said, the thought that must keep Juve president Andrea Agnelli awake at night is that if they lose their game in hand against Napoli on April 7, they slip to fifth place. And if they're still there at the end of the season, there's no Champions League next year and there is a massive revenue loss.

If that happens, all bets are off.

Benzema does it again, and even Zidane wonders why France isn't calling him in

Real Madrid downed Celta Vigo 3-1 this weekend to stay third in La Liga. It wasn't a vintage performance, but Karim Benzema's two goals in the opening half-hour sent them on their way and they did what they've been setting out to do for the past 18 months: control games and concede little when they have a lead, ride the French center-forward's scoring knack when they're chasing.

After the match, Real boss Zinedine Zidane weighed in on Benzema's continued absence from the French national team, for whom he last played in 2015. "How can we understand why Karim doesn't go with the national team? There are many who don't understand it ..."

It's no secret that Benzema and France boss Didier Deschamps fell out badly and that the situation hasn't been repaired over the years. Zidane knows this, and he knows what's at the heart of the matter, given that he's close to Benzema and won plenty of silverware alongside Deschamps at both club and country level.

If neither is prepared to move on, it's best to leave it. After all, France are stacked with talent as it is.

Another week of 'ordinary brilliance' for Man City

Never mind the fact that Man City's two goals in Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal win came in the game's final six minutes. Focus instead on Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, who -- knowing a thing or two about outstanding teams, as a player, opponent and manager -- had no hesitation in crowning them. "At this moment, there is no team who can play at this level in the world."

Manchester City have won every game they've played, bar one, in the past three months. They've beaten teams who've pressed them high, and they've beaten teams who defended deep (like Everton did on Saturday). They've beaten ugly teams and pretty teams, long-ball teams and build-from-back teams, fast teams and ponderous teams. And they've done it in so many different ways, with different personnel and formations.

Statistically, this will probably rank in the bottom half of Pep Guardiola-coached teams. Maybe a couple of his Barcelona sides (it helps when you have Lionel Messi), one of his Bayern teams or his City centurions might have been better. But in terms of being an actual team -- and not just 1 to 11, but 1 to 24 -- this group might be his finest achievement.

PSG storm back to the top of Ligue 1 ... but they're not out of the woods yet

PSG's Ligue 1 fate was likely to be decided either side of the international break given their games against the other two contenders: Olympique Lyonnais away and Lille at home. And they got off to a good start, with a convincing and comprehensive 4-2 win over Lyon that saw Kylian Mbappe record the 100th goal of his Ligue 1 career (and in just 142 games).

With Neymar (and Mauro Icardi) out injured, Mbappe is taking full responsibility for the attacking output, while, defensively PSG looked sharp and only conceded once the game was virtually won. But the outcome of the campaign -- and, more broadly, whether swapping Thomas Tuchel for Mauricio Pochettino in December as manager was the right thing to do -- will be determined after the break, both domestically against Lille and in the Champions League, where they face Bayern.

Lille's defeat means PSG could draw level, but Lyon is just three points back and even Monaco, four behind, aren't out of it.

Milan bounce back, and it's as much about Bennacer as it is about Zlatan

There's no surprise as to who took the headlines following Milan's 3-2 comeback win against Fiorentina, a result that -- given the postponement of Inter's game -- against Sassuolo, leaves them six points back of the league leaders. And after the disappointment of getting knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United, it was very important psychologically.

Making his first start in two weeks, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a goal and hit the woodwork twice, but just as important was the return of Ismael Bennacer after five weeks. The Algerian playmaker is critical to setting the tempo, both in possession and out of it. And thanks to him, Milan outplayed Fiorentina by a bigger margin than the score suggests.

The scudetto, obviously, is out of their hands, but Inter have won six in a row and they still have to play Juventus, Roma and Napoli. All Milan can do is try to keep the pressure on, and now that they're out of Europe, they should have the legs to do it. Whatever happens though, this campaign is already a resounding success.

Bayern Munich confound reason, scoring four goals while a man down

This isn't how it's supposed to work. When Alphonso Davies got himself sent off 12 minutes into Bayern's game against Pellegrino Matarazzo's Stuttgart, you felt like you should be smelling an upset. After all, Stuttgart are the newly promoted upstarts challenging for a place in Europe, undefeated in five games, fearless and free, while Bayern were missing their midfield leader, Joshua Kimmich.

But no. No such fragrance was in the air. Within 11 minutes of Davies' dismissal, Bayern were 3-0 up. By half-time, it was 4-0 and -- who else? -- Robert Lewandowski had scored a hat-trick, taking his Bundesliga total to 35 and his seasonal tally (all competitions) to 42. For those tracking his pursuit of Gerd Muller's single-season Bundesliga record, he needs five from Bayern's final eight games.

This is the sort of thing that prompts folks to bring up Bayern's mentality and talk mystical voodoo like club DNA, "Mia San Mia" (the club's motto) and whatever else. It could be that. It could also be that Stuttgart simply froze at the opportunity before them and Bayern simply have far better players. Including, of course, Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry, all of whom were magnificent.

They're by no means out of the woods when it comes to clinching a ninth straight league title. RB Leipzig's laboured 1-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld on Friday night means the gap between them and Bayern is still four points and, when we get back from the international break, the pair will meet for all the Bundesliga marbles. But when you can do what they did on Saturday, well...

Arsenal show progress and drop points ... all too familiar

Mikel Arteta was beaming after Arsenal's 3-3 draw with West Ham on Sunday, saying they had played some of their best football of the season. That's true, and it's equally true that to come from three goals down and get a result in a derby speaks volumes about your team's character.

On the flip side, for all of their endeavour, they still went three goals down. And West Ham still hit the woodwork and missed a sitter that would have seen Arsenal leave empty-handed. Performances are more important than results for someone in Arteta's position, but equally, at some point you need to develop some consistency, and the way they gifted West Ham two goals is far from encouraging.

What was encouraging was Martin Odegaard's performance. He was back to his early Real Sociedad levels, which means he's arguably the best player on the team or thereabouts. The problem is he's on loan from Real Madrid with no buy-back option. Arsenal are already reportedly trying to figure out a permanent transfer, but Madrid hold all the cards here.

On the one hand, Real Madrid will need cash this summer and Odegaard may want to do everything he can to stay. On the other, Odegaard knows full well that his competition at the Bernabeu may not be around much longer: Luka Modric is 35 (and out of contract), Toni Kroos is 31.

It would be a gut-punch if this stint in North London turns out to be just a six-month-long rehab session for Odegaard.

Atletico squeeze out a tough win, but will they heed Simeone's warning?

The good news is that Atletico got three points against Alaves this weekend, which means their lead at the top of La Liga remains four points (over Barcelona) with 10 games to go. The bad news is that, other than a spell in the second half, they looked like the Alteti side that was overwhelmed by Chelsea in the Champions League: a poor, insecure unit incapable of playing in the opposition half.

Luis Suarez got his 19th goal of the campaign after the break, but even with the lead, Atleti grew fearful. They retreated further and further back, conceded chances and needed a Jan Oblak penalty save to secure the three points.

Diego Simeone said afterwards that he didn't like their performance and that you can't sit deep when you're a goal up because "bad things can happen." Fair point, but he's the manager. And, surely "Cholismo" hasn't become more powerful than "El Cholo" himself?

Tottenham bounce back, but Mourinho's message is far from clear

The good news is that, following the nightmare 3-0 turnaround and Europa League elimination against Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur bounced back in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa. (A Villa side without Jack Grealish, which is a little bit like the E Street Band without Bruce Springsteen, but a win nonetheless). They're sixth, a top-four finish is three points away with nine games remaining and, for all the negativity, they'll likely finish with more points than last season.

Less clear is what Jose Mourinho meant after his game when he vented his relief, talking about the "shame" of squandering that 2-0 lead in the Europa League, as well as the performance against Arsenal in the North London derby.

"Football now is not easy ... individual interests are around, agents are around," he said. "You need time to develop a feeling of team empathy in a group, because the psychological profile of younger people is no an easy one."

Was it just a generic call for unity (or, rather, empathy, the same term he used at Manchester United)? Or was he talking about specific players and situations, particularly with that "individual interests/agents" line? You hope he was clearer behind closed doors, because the last thing he needs now is whispering and paranoia within his squad. When you speak like he did above, it's very easy for your audience to misconstrue the message, and for folks to feel targeted who may not even have crossed Mourinho's mind.

Haaland saves a point for Dortmund ... and vents his frustration

We hadn't really seen Angry Erling Haaland before Saturday. Now we know what that looks like, and he had every right to be furious.

On a day in which Haaland opened the scoring after three minutes, it appeared as if everything would be downhill for Borussia Dortmund against a Cologne team that had taken one point from their previous five games. Instead, a marginal penalty and the usual Keystone Kops defending turned the game on its head. What's more, there was little or no reaction from Dortmund, who paid a double toll for a lack of chemistry and a lack of organisation at the back. (This despite two veteran central defenders like Mats Hummels and Emre Can.)

Haaland saved a point -- he's also up to 21 league goals on the season -- but the top four is now four points away. I've long argued it makes more sense for him (and for his agent) to stay another season at Dortmund and wait for his release clause to kick in. But that only applies if they're back in the Champions League next season and, right now, that's very much in doubt.

Pulisic shines as Tuchel's auditions continue (and nearly cost Chelsea dearly)

Thomas Tuchel used the weekend's FA Cup clash with bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United as an opportunity to continue his auditions as he determines who will be a part of Chelsea's squad next season. Meanwhile, United, hampered by injuries and with a new boss in charge following the departure of Chris Wilder, set up to sit deep and deny the opposition, so in some ways there was little to learn.

Still, we saw that when deployed behind a striker rather than at wing-back, Christian Pulisic can open up defences, even packed ones like United's. That's important, because right now you want to give Tuchel as much to think about as possible. And right now, it feels like there's not a single Chelsea player -- with the possible exception of Mason Mount -- who can tell himself "yeah, I'm a 100 percent nailed-on starter next season."

The one concern is that when the Blades did start to play midway through the second half, they created far more chances than they should have and could well have sent the game into extra time. Still, at that stage, Chelsea's back three comprised Emerson (who is an attacking fullback, not a centre-half and probably won't be here next season regardless), Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta (a converted fullback himself and probably not part of the long-term plan).

Tuchel can live with that. In the end, their 2-0 win means a date with Manchester City in an FA Cup semifinal.

Eoin Morgan has warned that no timeframe should be put on Jofra Archer's recovery from a long-standing elbow injury, after it was confirmed that he would miss the three-match ODI series in India, starting on Tuesday, as well as the opening rounds of next month's IPL.

Archer was one of England's stand-out performers in the 3-2 T20I series defeat against India last week, claiming seven wickets at 22.14 in the five-match series, at an economy rate of 7.75.

However, his condition reportedly worsened as the matches progressed, with his four wicketless overs going for 43 in the final match, his least impactful contribution of the series.

"I can't give a medical opinion," Morgan, England's white-ball captain, said. "We know the situation with his elbow, which got progressively worse, and we know it needs investigation. So only time will tell.

"The duty of care is towards the player. He's given his heart and soul to us since he's been involved, so all the care and attention will be given to him in order to get the best result possible."

Chris Silverwood, England's head coach, confirmed on Sunday that the decision to rest Archer had been a "mutual" one between the ECB and Rajasthan Royals, for whom he was an outstanding performer in 2020, earning the tournament's MVP award for his 20 wickets at 18.25.

"Obviously I want Jofra at the World Cup and the Ashes," Silverwood said. "Both parties have put England first, basically. He needs to get this right. He needs some time to do that so we've made space to make sure that we gave him the best chance of being successful for England."

As to whether he will be able to feature at all for the Royals this season, with the tournament's final set to take place on May 30, Morgan said the decision would rest with the team's medical staff.

"It all depends on the outcome of the investigative stuff, the best rehabilitation programme coming back and we'll go from there," he said. "We fully trust our medical team, they've been outstanding in regards to player welfare and rehabilitation."

Though Archer will be missing the ODI series, one player who is set to return to the format is his England and Royals team-mate Ben Stokes, who has not played a 50-over match since his starring role in the World Cup final at Lord's in July 2019.

Although he is an integral part of England's plans across all three formats, and played in each of the four Tests and five T20Is against India in recent weeks, Morgan said that Stokes' willingness to be involved, and the short turnaround between this campaign and the start of the IPL on April 9, had persuaded the management not to rest him further.

"We have looked at various periods of rest for Ben," Morgan said. "There's potential [for more rest] when we get home in the summer, with the circumstances of bio-bubbles and when he can see his family. Here, we play three games in five days and Ben is staying on for the IPL, it would have meant he would have sat in his room, so he was keen to play.

"It is great to have him back," he added. "Any opportunity we have to get him in a white-ball game is brilliant. He really enjoys his white-ball cricket and it is important to keep him engaged in that.

"If you don't play a format for a long time, it can show neglect in certain parts of the game. We know how demanding the other formats are on his body and mind, so it is great to have him around."

Shreyas Iyer has joined Lancashire for this summer's Royal London Cup campaign and will link up with the club on July 15 for the duration of the competition's month-long group stage.

To date Iyer, 26, has played 50 times for India in white-ball cricket, including the recent T20I series against England, in which he made 121 runs at 40.33 in the five matches, with a top score of 67 from 48 balls in the opening game.

Iyer's signing is a coup for Lancashire, given that Indian cricketers have not been granted permission to play in the inaugural season of the Hundred, the ECB's new competition which runs concurrently with the RL Cup.

His status within the current game in India is unquestionable, however. Last season, he led Delhi Capitals to the final of the IPL, making 519 runs - the fourth-highest in the tournament - at a strike-rate of 123.

"Lancashire is a legendary name in English Cricket with a long-standing association with Indian Cricket," Iyer said. "I am extremely humbled and honoured to carry the legacy forward of greats like Farokh Engineer, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman at Lancashire.

"Emirates Old Trafford is a world class international stadium and I am looking forward to meeting my teammates and the supporters of the Club."

Lancashire's Director of Cricket, Paul Allott, added: "Shreyas is one of the shining lights of a new generation of Indian batsman and a leader, and we're delighted that an opportunity to bring him to Emirates Old Trafford has presented itself."

Lancashire's squad for the RL Cup will be missing a significant number of first-team players due to the Hundred - most notably where Iyer is concerned, Liam Livingstone, who was a £125,000 first-round pick for Birmingham Phoenix at the original draft in October 2019.

Matt Parkinson, Richard Gleeson, Tom Hartley, Saqib Mahmood, Alex Davies and Luke Wood also picked up Hundred deals for the inaugural season, which gets underway on July 22.

"With the expectation that we will be fielding a younger side in this year's Royal London Cup due to the Hundred, it was important that we brought in a top-order batsman with experience at the highest level to enhance our prospects in the tournament," Allott added.

"Shreyas has experience of captaining in an IPL final as well as playing in top level international fixtures, so his on-field skills, and ability to remain calm in high pressure situations, will serve our young squad well this summer.

"His current form against England has been hugely impressive and we're looking forward to welcoming him to Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford later this summer.

"We hope that this signing will reward Members' patience for not being able to attend Lancashire fixtures last year and demonstrates our continued commitment across all three domestic competitions this summer."

Alzarri Joseph, the West Indies fast bowler, is to join Worcestershire as their overseas player for the opening weeks of the 2021 season.

Joseph, who is currently playing against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Antigua, will fly into the UK from the Caribbean on April 4, and will be available to Worcestershire for their first seven County Championship fixtures.

The ongoing Test is Joseph's 15th, in which he has claimed 34 wickets, in addition to a further 54 in 34 ODIs. He was part of the West Indies squad that toured England during last summer's bio-secure Test series, claiming three wickets in his two Test appearances at Southampton and Manchester.

"I am thrilled to be joining Worcestershire for the early part of the summer," Joseph said.

"When I heard the club was interested in me, I had no hesitation in saying yes. The club has a strong squad with a nice balance of youth and experience, and I'm really looking forward to working with bowling coach Alan Richardson.

"I would also like to thank Cricket West Indies for allowing me the opportunity to go and experience county cricket"

Joseph, 24, first played for West Indies as a 19-year-old in 2016, having starred at that year's Under-19 World Cup with 13 wickets in six games.

His batting has become an increasingly valuable part of his game, with scores of 86 against New Zealand in Hamilton in December, and 82 versus Bangladesh in Dhaka in February, having been dismissed in single figures in his first 14 Test innings.

His most spectacular moment to date, however, came at the IPL in 2019, when he claimed figures of 6 for 12 on debut for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad - the best performance by a bowler in the competition's history.

"He is a quality performer, and we are delighted to have signed him for the best part of two months," said Paul Pridgeon, Worcestershire Cricket Steering Group Chairman.

"With it looking like Josh Tongue and Pat Brown may not be match fit for the start of the season, Alex Gidman [Head Coach] and Joe Leach [Club Captain] both felt they needed another seamer.

"Alzarri is going to be available for seven matches and is an exciting prospect."

Tea West Indies 163 for 5 (Holder 18*, Da Silva 11*, Lakmal 3-32) trail Sri Lanka 169 by six runs

Sri Lanka's bowlers were patient and disciplined, but so were West Indies' batsmen on a sedate but intriguing second morning of the first Test in which two wickets were lost and 59 runs were scored in 24 overs.

The Antigua surface continued to offer significant seam movement as well as bounce and carry, but opener John Campbell in particular was watchful almost in the extreme, ambling from 7 off 44 balls overnight to 27 not out from 116 by lunch. Nkrumah Bonner, who partnered Campbell for much of the session, was a little more positive, making 31 off 63 before being trapped lbw by Lasith Embuldeniya shortly before the end of the session. The pair put on 56 runs together, and their partnership yielded each of the West Indies innings' eight boundaries.

It was Suranga Lakmal who separated the overnight pair of Kraigg Brathwaite and Campbell in the third over of the morning when he drew Brathwaite into playing away from the body, and had him edge an away-seamer to second slip. Lakmal had plugged away relentlessly outside off stump to the right-handers, frequently making batsmen play-and-miss as he shaped the ball away off the seam. His first two overs of the day were maidens - including one wicket maiden - while left-armer Vishwa Fernando also began with a pair of maidens from the other end.

In fact, all of Sri Lanka's bowlers were accurate with none conceding three runs an over. Dushmantha Chameera - the quickest on show - came closest, going at 2.87 from his eight overs in the innings so far but that was partly due to a couple of streaky boundaries off the blade of Bonner. Chameera should have had Bonner out much earlier in the session too, when he had him caught off the outside edge at gully for 17. But he had very marginally overstepped, and a no-ball was called.

The visitors eventually got Bonner - almost 11 overs later - when he played across the line to an Embuldeniya delivery and was struck inside the crease and above the knee roll. This looked close when Bonner chose to review, as Embuldeniya was gained significant bounce with a chance that the ball maybe projected to be bouncing over the stumps. But the decision remained with the on-field umpire and West Indies suffered a setback in the over before lunch. Still, they are only 97 runs behind with eight wickets in hand, and remain favourites to establish a strong first-innings lead.

The NFL is welcoming fans back to the draft, announcing Monday that the event, which will take place in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1, will have a select number of prospects, fans and media in attendance.

Clubs will designate a number of draft ambassadors -- fans who get front-row seats. They must be vaccinated and wear masks.

Building on last year's virtual draft, additional prospects will participate in draft festivities remotely from their homes around the country.

Club personnel involved in the selection process will be permitted to gather in a draft room at a location of their choosing, whether that be their facility or elsewhere, while following appropriate protocols.

"We are thrilled to be heading to Cleveland for the NFL Draft, which has become one of the most highly anticipated events in sports," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive vice president, club business and league events. "Just months after executing a safe and successful Super Bowl LV, we look forward to bringing the excitement of our Draft traditions to fans in collaboration with the Browns, Destination Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the City of Cleveland, and all of our local Cleveland partners."

Some of Cleveland's iconic downtown locations, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, FirstEnergy Stadium and the Great Lakes Science Center, will be incorporated into the three-day festivities. Most of the events are are outdoors.

The NFL will also build upon the 2020 Draft-A-Thon, using the 2021 draft as a platform to provide relief to communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NFL will also use this year's draft to promote the COVID-19 vaccine.

The NFL notified its 32 teams earlier this month that they can return to their draft rooms for the NFL draft.

Teams must follow COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, including no drinking or eating in draft-room headquarters and mask wearing at all times. Cameras will showcase the location of the general manager and head coach.

The pandemic created a unique viewing experience during last year's draft, as coaches and general managers worked in front of cameras in their homes.

Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the selections from his basement, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick showcased his dog and Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel had a teenager in a superhero costume as part of his backdrop. Many NFL personnel were shown with their families in the moments after the picks.

NFL team facilities were mostly vacant during that time, but business has slowly returned to normalcy after the league produced a full season with no cancellations. For free agency, players can visit team facilities for physicals, which wasn't the case a year ago.