By Leika Kihara TOKYO Some Bank of Japan board members said domestic inflation might hold above the central

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Brighton hosts Manchester City and needs one point to qualify for the Europa League for the first time in club history

Wales boss Rob Page has welcomed Brennan Johnson getting a late-season breather at Nottingham Forest ahead of Euro 2024 qualifying duty. Johnson has made over 50 appearances for the third successive season, featuring in every one of Forest’s 38 Premier League games as Steve Cooper’s side secured their top-flight status. But the 22-year-old forward appeared jaded in the closing weeks of the campaign and was dropped to the bench for two of Forest’s final three games. “You have to manage the pressure on your players and it’s probably not the worst thing that he’s found himself out of the team for the last few games,” Page said ahead of Wales’ Euro 2024 home qualifier against Armenia on Friday. “Because he scored so many goals, and because he is a constant threat – one of the best counter-attacking footballers in the Premier League – he set a precedent. “But you can get a level of inconsistency of performance with your players and it certainly won’t have harmed him in any way to have missed a few games at Forest. “He has to manage that when he gets a little dip in form.” Johnson scored eight goals in his first Premier League campaign and is a key player for Wales following Gareth Bale’s retirement in January. He missed the start of the qualifying campaign in March through injury and was the subject of a club-versus-country row, with Page suggesting Forest had not done enough to get Johnson fit for international duty. “You are always going to miss your best players, but we had to ask others to step up to the plate and the two performances against Croatia and Latvia were outstanding,” said Page, whose squad have been together at a Portugal training camp. “To finish off the Latvia game with the highest percentage possession we’ve had in the last five years shows we’ve got rid of the disappointment of the World Cup. “The players are embracing what we’re asking them to do moving forward and it suits the players. They also enjoy playing that way.” Page admits Wales need to sharpen their attacking play for a double-header with Armenia and Turkey after opening up in March with a 1-1 draw in Croatia and a 1-0 home victory over Latvia. He said: “While I was happy with the Latvia performance and how we controlled the game, that final detail at the top of the pitch is where we need to improve. “Having Brennan back fit, and Daniel James, Harry Wilson and David Brooks available is only going to help us achieve that. “With the personnel we’ve got, we can have two or three different formations without any problem. “The game plan might change within a game, but having players like Brennan will give us the opportunity to get higher up the pitch and score more goals. “We’ve got some good players and the problem now is finding out how to get them all into the same team.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ali McCann loving international life under Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill Brooks Koepka ready to ‘enjoy the chaos’ as he targets yet another major title Andy Murray left shaken by ‘heartbreaking’ Nottingham incident

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Ange Postecoglou has talked up the professionalism of Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ahead of his anticipated first Premier League start of the season. Hojbjerg is expected to be drafted into the Spurs line-up for the visit of Fulham on Monday due to Yves Bissouma’s one-match ban for his red card at Luton. Denmark international Hojbjerg was heavily linked with a move away from Tottenham this summer and Fulham registered an interest in the 28-year-old on transfer deadline day, but no switch to the London club or Atletico Madrid materialised. While Hojbjerg has only started once this season in the Carabao Cup, he has been introduced in seven of Spurs’ eight league fixtures and become a key figure off the bench for his new head coach. “I don’t think there was any time during the transfer window where I thought Pierre would move,” Postecoglou insisted. “The discussions I had with him were that he was here and wanted to contribute, he wanted to be part of what we were building. “It is obvious someone that has played regularly would have wanted to play more but ultimately our performances have been strong and he has had to bide his time. “He has also been very important in a lot of the games that we’ve won late or had to shore up late. He has been one of the people who has helped us and it is not like he hasn’t contributed at all. He’s been a really important part for us. “We wouldn’t be in this position if we were just reliant on our starting XI. “It is something we impress on all of the guys that as disappointed as you are at not starting, it doesn’t mean you are not playing. You are still playing at some point and what you do with those minutes will help us be successful and push your own cause. “With Pierre, he is a professional and very determined to win a spot in the team. He presents himself well every day and over a 38-game season all of these guys will get an opportunity at some point. What they do with that is up to them. “In the meantime, what is important is if they want to keep getting opportunities, they have to train well and when they do play, whether they start or not, they contribute to the team.” Hojbjerg continues to be linked with a move away from Tottenham, but could earn further opportunities in the coming months. Spurs will lose Pape Sarr of Senegal and Mali international Bissouma at the start of 2024 for the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs between January 13 and February 11. That is a problem for Postecoglou to worry about in the future, but his immediate concern is facing Marco Silva’s Fulham without Bissouma, one of Tottenham’s players of the season. He added: “(I’m) realistic enough to know you’re not going to run with the same XI and every week you wrestle with what the best sort of line up is going to be for you; fitness, form, the way they’re training, the opposition. With Pierre, he is a professional and very determined to win a spot in the team. He presents himself well every day and over a 38-game season all of these guys will get an opportunity at some point. Ange Postecoglou on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg “With Bissouma missing out this game, we had to adjust without him at Luton which I thought we did awfully well with 10-men. “We’ve got some options. Certainly Pierre is a ready-made replacement. “He’s been training really hard, he’s obviously probably wanted to be playing more because he’s pretty much been a constant for the last two to three years, but when he has come on for us he’s done really well. “For me he’s the logical one to come in but we’ve got some sessions left.” Read More Collin Morikawa returns to winning ways with six-shot victory in Japan Tributes paid to ‘giant of the game’ Sir Bobby Charlton after his death at 86 On This Day in 2010 – Wayne Rooney makes shock U-turn after Man Utd quit threat Sevilla promise strong action against supporter who racially abused Vinicius Jr Steve Borthwick upbeat about England’s future after agonising World Cup defeat United’s first-half display did little to honour Sir Bobby Charlton – Erik ten Hag

In this Christmas hidden object brainteaser, Hungarian artist Dudolf has concealed a single sheep amid a flock of Santas.

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