Leicester City cemented third place in the Premier League table with a 4-1 thrashing of West Ham United on Wednesday night, as manager Brendan Rodgers eased fears over the injury sustained by Jamie Vardy.
Goals from Harvey Barnes, Ricardo Pereira and a late double from Ayoze Perez - the first a penalty - ensured a comfortable night for the hosts at the King Power Stadium. West Ham captain Mark Noble pulled one back from the penalty spot to make it 2-1, before Perez's brace took the game away from the visitors.
However, there was some concern regarding the fitness of star striker Vardy, who was hurt while chasing a pass in the first half.
He was treated for several minutes before trying to resume playing, a move which lasted just seconds before he again fell to the turf clutching his leg.
The 33-year-old forward was forced to come off as Kelechi Iheanacho replaced him in a game where Leicester were leading 2-0 at half-time.
Vardy is the Premier League's top scorer with 17 goals and would be huge miss if he is out for an extended period.
But, speaking after the match, Rodgers allayed fears and believes Vardy will only be a short-term absentee.
"It is not his hamstring which is good. Hopefully over the next couple of days it will ease off and he will be fit," Rodgers said. "Jamie is a real talisman for the team but if we are going to have success it is about the team.
"He hasn't played for us in a number of games and the team has still played well but of course we want him fit and well. He is such a good player and we hope it is not too serious."
The victory opened up an eight-point cushion over fourth-paced Chelsea as Leicester bid to qualify for next season's Champions League via a top four finish.
While Vardy has retired from international duty, his fine form had prompted suggestions England manager Gareth Southgate might try to tempt him back into the fold ahead of Euro 2020.
Southgate has been hit by injuries to strikers Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford in recent weeks.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
