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Having already booked their tickets to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer, England will wrap up a very successful World Cup qualifying campaign with dead-rubber fixtures against Serbia and Albania in the coming days – but for certain members of Thomas Tuchel's squad the games will be far from meaningless, with everything on the line as the clock ticks down.

The Three Lions have just four more matches to play before Tuchel announces his provisional travelling party in May, so there is incredibly limited time to make an impression on the head coach up close and personal. After the final qualifiers, England will play two friendlies in March. Then, it's decision time for their German tactician.

His latest squad was once again difficult to predict; there is the potential for more senior debuts and recalls for both Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, while other big names like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish continue to be overlooked as their hopes of making the final cut fade.

Even for certain players who have been included in the November camp, the pressure is on, with Tuchel admitting he has "a settled mind" when it comes to those who will be on the plane come June: "I will also be open because I know anything can happen. I need to make sure the door is always open and they are on their toes and they have a chance to be with us."

With that in mind, here are the eight England players most under pressure to deliver in the Three Lions' final World Cup qualifiers…

GettyJude Bellingham

Bellingham was made to sweat, but he is back for the November camp after returning to form and fitness at Real Madrid. In truth, omitting him would have been an astounding decision after he was overlooked in October, not long after his return from shoulder surgery, with Tuchel this time unable to point to the need for him to get back into his groove at club level and potentially generating some serious scrutiny over what has been going on behind the scenes.

As it is, the midfield dynamo has been recalled, but he will certainly feel he has a point to prove amid question marks over whether his fiery on-pitch demeanour is actually to the detriment of the team, and with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers making a play for his starting place in recent matches. How that desire to stake his claim manifests itself will be highly intriguing, as Bellingham finds himself joining up with an otherwise-settled squad for the first time since Tuchel was forced to apologise to him for revealing that his own mother sometimes finds the midfielder's antics "repulsive" in the summer.

The manager has spoken about harnessing the "edge" the 22-year-old brings: "There is no problem with him, there is no problem with the character. Jude just has the edge, it is a very good thing because you need a certain edge to reach the heights that he reached and I think we all need to help him and encourage him and create an environment which he can live this edge towards the opponents and towards the goals we are building as a team."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTrevoh Chalobah

A late call-up for England's final World Cup qualifiers after Marc Guehi was left unable to walk following a heavy blow in Crystal Palace's Conference League clash against AZ Alkmaar, Chalobah will be acutely aware that he already faces an uphill battle to guarantee a place in England's travelling party to North America, let alone a starting place.

Tuchel has handed him his senior debut at both club and international level, but the 26-year-old hadn't been included in a Three Lions squad since the June camp, when Chalobah collected his one and only cap to date in a dire 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal at Nottingham Forest's City Ground – a game in which he didn't cover himself in glory as he started and played the full 90 minutes.

Chalobah, though, continues to be a regular starter for Chelsea this season under Enzo Maresca, and while his performances have been inconsistent, he will want to seize this second chance that has been provided to him by Guehi's injury. With the Palace man arguably the only nailed-on starter at the World Cup, there is plenty of scope for other centre-backs to assert themselves. This could well be Chalobah's last chance to do so.

GettyPhil Foden

Judging by Tuchel's recent selection calls, Foden is well and truly in the last chance saloon as the World Cup looms large on the horizon. This is the Manchester City man's first call-up since the head coach began work in earnest back in March, as he was overlooked in June and October, either side of an injury that kept him out in September.

While he would be the first to admit that he still isn't back to his best, Foden seems to have overcome the physical and mental issues that took such a toll on him last season, revealing that he is 'playing with a smile on his face' again and producing a particularly impressive individual performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League recently. However, an inability to deliver for England has long been his kryptonite, and the coach's decision to omit him previously suggests the 25-year-old is under serious pressure to prove himself in the colours of his national team.

Interestingly, Tuchel has now insisted that he won't use Foden as a winger like his predecessor Gareth Southgate did, meaning he faces some serious competition from the likes of Bellingham, Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White for the attacking midfield berth.

"It does not make sense to tell, for example, 'Phil…there's no space in your best position, can you play left wing for us? Can you play right wing for us?' I think that does not work," the manager said. "For this camp, Phil will be in the number 9-10ish position, in the middle of the pitch. Because I have this fantasy about him since a long time. I think it suits him the most."

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AFPNico O'Reilly

Nico O'Reilly certainly won't be fazed by the challenge of nailing down a place in Tuchel's squad, having made smooth progress to become a first-team regular at Man City aged just 20, under the revered Pep Guardiola, no less. However, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty at stake as he effectively looks to keep Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly out of the squad.

The left-back, who is nominally a midfielder, was included in the squad for the games against Wales and Latvia in October but didn't make it off the bench. This time, though, O'Reilly will expect to get an opportunity with nothing riding on the final qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, especially with Lewis-Skelly being dropped as the teenager pays the price for a lack of minutes at club level.

Indeed, the battle to be one of the left-backs included in the World Cup squad will seemingly come down to club game time, with Tottenham's Djed Spence looking likely to be involved. O'Reilly is currently a regular starter for City and that seems unlikely to change as he keeps fit-again Rayan Ait-Nouri out of the team, while his chances are boosted because the Algerian will soon jet off for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The fast bowler is keen to keep himself in action ahead of facing England and will likely combine white and red-ball cricket

Andrew McGlashan28-Aug-2025

Josh Hazlewood will likely have a mixture of white and red-ball cricket ahead of the Ashes•Getty Images

Josh Hazlewood is expecting to play a Sheffield Shield match in the lead-up to the Ashes in November as he prepares to counter an “unbelievable” England batting line-up, which he believes will be strongest they will have brought to Australia during his career.Hazlewood recently played five out of the six white-ball matches against South Africa having sat out the T20I series against West Indies following the Tests while Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have not featured in the last few weeks. Hazlewood won’t be in action on the field in September but wants to keep getting miles in the legs ahead of the first Test in Perth rather than having extended downtime.”It felt like over the last 12 months, the best way for me to go about it is just keep on ticking over, keep playing, not having too long off bowling,” Hazlewood said at an event to promote Play Cricket week. “I find…getting back to that intensity and volume is quite tough for me. So if I can just keep staying up there, match intensity as long as I can, then that’s sort of the best way for me to go about it.”Related

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Hazlewood, who played four Tests during the 2023 Ashes, is expecting a tough challenge from the England batting line-up. At times in the recent India series they showed a more nuanced approach rather an all-out attack, before falling to six-run defeat at The Oval. A 7 for 66 collapse triggered by a stroke from Harry Brook promoted significant debate after a spectacular hundred.Brook, currently the No. 2-ranked Test batter behind Joe Root, will be on his first Test tour of Australia and in nine T20Is in the country in 2022 had a top score of 20. His first-class experience is limited to one England Lions outing in 2021 and how he adjusts to conditions will be key to the team’s prospects. So, too, the performance of Root who has yet to score a Test century in Australia where he averages 35.68 from 14 matches.Josh Hazlewood expects Harry Brook to play without any baggage in Australia•AFP/Getty Images”England has obviously been quite flat wickets recently, the last few years, and it’s been a really dry summer as well, so they are probably starting to get tired and spin now,” Hazlewood said. “I think [Brook] will adapt. He’s a good player. He’s at the top of the rankings for a reason, and he’ll be a tough challenge.”When [Root] first came out, it was a little bit of a different attack. It was probably [Mitchell] Johnson and [Ryan] Harris and [Peter] Siddle. Gaz [Nathan Lyon] has been around a long time now, so he was probably there, but we sort of just jumped on the back of that”I think a fresh face like Harry Brook might find it easier. There’s no baggage behind him and he can just come out and play with freedom as he does. Joe’s probably in the form of his life as well. So they’re an unbelievable batting line, to be honest. The top seven have done really well…so it’s a challenge.”Asked whether it will be strongest batting up England have sent to Australia in recent times, Hazlewood said: “Yeah, definitely.”Australia have a three-match T20I series against New Zealand in early October then India visit for ODIs and T20Is ahead of the Ashes. It remains to be seen how Hazlewood’s schedule will be juggled to allow him a red-ball outing – the fourth round of Sheffield Shield matches starting on November 10, when New South Wales play Victoria at the SCG, may be too close to the start of the series – but he is keen to have the opportunity to replicate long-form intensity.Last season Hazlewood played one game for New South Wales ahead of the India Test series, and though he went wicketless across 24 overs against Queensland he was Australia’s best bowler early in the opening Test in Perth before his series was disrupted by injury. This winter, however, he was able to play all four Tests against South Africa and West Indies, albeit the workload on bowler-friendly Caribbean surfaces was not extreme.”The Test [only] guys will play more than one [Shield game]. They’ll probably play two or three, but everyone’s on different programs,” he said. “I used it last year and I’ve sort of found that it’s very beneficial. Time on the field, multiple spells in a day, it’s sort of hard to replicate it at training. So, to get that before a Test series is pretty pivotal, I think.”

AC Milan are now reportedly plotting a move to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham United after the striker’s agent made a damning admission ahead of the winter window.

The forward has struggled ever since arriving in the Premier League, but whilst he continues to contemplate his future, things have been looking up for West Ham. The Hammers made it back-to-back league wins on Saturday by defeating relegation rivals Burnley 2-1. It followed their 3-1 victory over Newcastle United last weekend and took them level on points with the Clarets.

The international break comes at a bad time for the Hammers, with Nuno Espirito Santo now settled into life in London and gradually turning things around. After the break, his side visit Bournemouth in search of a third-consecutive victory which could take them out of the relegation zone.

Nuno says West Ham have a "really good" talent who's "massively impressed" Carrick

The former Hammers midfielder has lavished praise on him too.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 8, 2025

It’s also a game that could see Callum Wilson square off against his former club in search of two goals in two games. Getting the summer arrival fit and firing on all cylinders will be key to West Ham’s survival and potentially key to determining Fullkrug’s future.

AC Milan join Fullkrug race after agent admission

According to Tuttomercatoweb, AC Milan have now joined the race to sign Fullkrug, who has missed the last four Premier League games through injury and scored just three goals during his time at West Ham.

When the forward arrived from Borussia Dortmund, there were question marks about his age, but those questions that were answered by the impressive season that he had just enjoyed in Germany – helping his side reach the Champions League final in 2024.

Any hope that Fullkrug could replicate that form in the Premier League didn’t take long to disappear, however, and now he looks destined to leave.

Speaking on the TOMorrow Business Podcast, Fullkrug’s agent Thorsten Wirth made a damning admission about the forward’s time at West Ham, saying: “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugar-coating it.”

Meanwhile, when asked about Fullkrug’s future, he said: “This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there.”

Although Peter Crouch went as far as calling the forward “excellent” at Euro 2024, it’s fair to say that Fullkrug’s time at West Ham simply hasn’t worked out and he should move on in 2026.

As exciting as Potts: 19-year-old West Ham star has "the world at his feet"

The defending champions suffered a warm-up defeat to England but coach Shelley Nitschke feels the team are well placed

Andrew McGlashan29-Sep-2025Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke is prepared to face some “tough” selection calls ahead of the team’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand on Wednesday.The defending champions completed their preparations with a four-wicket defeat against England in Bengaluru, but Nitschke was not too concerned by the result as Australia utilised a rejigged batting order. At 127 for 2 in the 16th over, they were on course for a huge total. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield, who raced to 71 off 48 balls, fell in the space of four balls to legspinner Sarah Glenn, the middle order stumbled.The match saw left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in action for the first time since last December after she sat out the series against India to complete the final stages of her recovery from knee surgery. She made 5 off 10 balls and claimed 1 for 37, but prior to heading to India captain Alyssa Healy had indicated that Molineux would be a first-choice pick if she proved her fitness.Related

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That would leave a likely decision to be made between the two legspinners, Georgia Wareham and Alana King, when it comes to the final XI against New Zealand in Indore.”Just to see her [Molineux] out there was fantastic,” Nitschke said. “It’s been close on 12 months, but just to have her out there bowling again, that’s a really good thing for us and our squad.”I guess we’ll sit down in the next couple of days and assess everything and see how we line up. I think we’re going to be faced with some pretty tough calls throughout the whole tournament. We’ve got a really good squad here. You know, everyone’s sort of at some point played really well, so we’ve got some decisions to make for sure.”The selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the pace attack. Nitschke praised an “excellent” performance from Darcie Brown, who took 1 for 30 in six overs against England after returning from a back spasm, but Megan Schutt and Kim Garth would appear the first-choice pair.Georgia Voll, who is averaging 63.50 across her first five ODIs, appears likely to be the frontline batter to miss out. Allrounder Heather Graham, who has replaced the injured Grace Harris, neither batted or bowled against England.Georgia Voll might be the top-order batter to miss out•Getty ImagesNitschke conceded Australia had not played Glenn “particularly well” but that it was a question of shot selection rather than needing to temper the aggressive approach which has been a hallmark of the team’s recent ODI batting.Having faced India in three full ODIs earlier in the month, Nitschke believed Australia, who only opted for one extra warm-up match rather than the two they could have had, would go into the World Cup battle-hardened.”I think the bilateral series against India was a hard-fought series in some tough bowling conditions and a real challenge. So I thought that was excellent prep,” she said. “We come out here tonight, [in] slightly different conditions, a red-clay pitch as opposed to some black soil that we were playing on in the bilateral, so certainly have been exposed to some different conditions and learnt a lot and have to adapt to that.”I’d like to think that now we’re in a good place and had enough exposure. We’ve been here for long enough to acclimatise… and just looking forward to getting into it.”

Lionel Messi made MLS Cup playoffs history with a dominant individual display as Inter Miami thrashed FC Cincinnati 4-0 to progress to the Eastern Conference finals. The World Cup-winning Argentina legend was involved in every goal, contributing one of his own and three assists for his team to leave the David Beckham-owned club just two games away from winning their first-ever MLS Cup.

Messi scripts MLS Cup Playoffs history

Messi opened the scoring for Inter Miami with a brilliant header in the 18th minute. The goal came after a swift counterattack sparked by former Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba, who intercepted a misplaced pass from Nick Hagglund in midfield. The Spaniard quickly found Messi in a central pocket, and the Argentina star slid a perfectly-weighted ball out to Mateo Silvetti on the left. The youngster then sent an inch-perfect cross into the box, and Messi met it with a bouncing header that beat goalkeeper Roman Celentano and nestled into the far corner.

The 38-year-old then returned the favour to his compatriot Silvetti as he provided the assist for his goal in the second period. Messi went on to set up two more assists for Tadeo Allende as Inter Miami completed the rout of FC Cincinnati. With a combined four goals and assists in the clash, Messi created history as he now has 12 goal contributions, the most in the history of the MLS Cup playoffs.

AdvertisementInter Miami two games away from winning MLS Cup

Messi has certainly changed Inter Miami's fortunes since joining the club in a high-profile transfer in 2023. The club which made its debut in 2020 and finished among the top 10 teams in the MLS Eastern Conference, won the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024 under the leadership of the Argentina captain. In the subsequent campaign, Messi has now led the Herons to the Conference finals and is only two games away from helping the club win its first-ever MLS Cup. He has also enjoyed a stellar run of form in the current season, as he has scored 43 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions and has provided 23 assists. He is on course to win back-to-back MVP awards in the MLS.

Getty/GOALMascherano hails Messi

Speaking after the crucial victory, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said: "Messi is an amazing player. He is good at handling the ball and pressing. Coaching him is my privilege." He added: "We still haven't achieved anything. We need more focus. We must show our best performance in the next match to reach the MLS final."

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Up next: Inter Miami gear up for New York City

In the other Eastern Conference semi-final, New York City FC edged out Philadelphia Union 1-0 and will now face a red-hot Inter Miami side, led by Messi, in the final on November 29. The kind of form Messi and his team have displayed, fans can remain hopeful of reaching the final game for the ultimate prize. 

Leeds United youngster Harry Gray has been in the spotlight among the fanbase once again this week after scoring two goals in a 3-2 loss to Accrington Stanley for the U21s.

The 17-year-old striker has scored seven goals in eight games in the EFL Trophy and Premier League 2 combined, to go along with a hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the English National League Cup.

Whilst Gray is, as evidenced by his goalscoring form, an exciting prospect for the Whites, he is not an attacking midfielder who will come up to the first-team and improve Daniel Farke’s side in the wide areas, where they have been struggling on the right wing with Brenden Aaronson.

Why Leeds need an upgrade on Brenden Aaronson

The USA international, to his credit, did play a key role in the club’s 2-1 win over West Ham United last month, scoring his first goal of the season from close range.

However, that was only his second goal in 48 Premier League appearances for Leeds across two seasons at the level, per Sofascore, which is a concern moving forward.

The American winger did assist Lukas Nmecha against Nottingham Forest before the international break, but he has yet to prove that he can deliver a consistent end product in the top-flight.

Two goals and four assists in 48 top-flight matches is far from an impressive haul for the former RB Salzburg man, which is why the Whites may look for an upgrade on him.

Whilst Gray is shining at academy level, Farke could look beyond him and to the U18s to find the player who could end Aaronson’s Elland Road career, in Sam Alker.

Why Sam Akler could end Brenden Aaronson's Leeds career

The 16-year-old talent, who does not turn 17 until next March, has caught the eye with his performances at youth level, so much so that he has attracted interest from across Europe.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have both been credited with interest in the attacking midfielder, which speaks to the level of talent that he has shown during his time at Thorp Arch.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “standout” in the academy set-up by Como scout Ben Mattinson, has delivered two goals and two assists in 15 games as an attacking midfielder, per Transfermarkt.

Aaron Lennon

16 years, 4 months, 7 days

James Milner

16 years, 10 months, 6 days

Rob Bowman

17 years, 2 months, 16 days

Wesley Boyle

17 years, 5 months, 22 days

Alan Maybury

17 years, 5 months, 26 days

Harry Kewell

17 years, 6 months, 8 days

Alan Smith

18 years, 17 days

Andy Gray

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Stephen McPhail

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Noel Whelan

18 years, 4 months, 4 days

If Farke were to hand Alker a debut in the next match, he would rank between Aaron Lennon and James Milner in the list of the club’s youngest debuts in Premier League history.

This shows both how rare it is for a 16-year-old to debut in the Premier League and the level of talent you need to do so, given the careers that Lennon and Milner went on to have.

Leverkusen and Dortmund seemingly feel that the England U16 international is a huge talent, given their reported interest, and that is why handing him a first-team debut in the coming weeks could be a smart move by Leeds.

Giving the 16-year-old ace a chance in the Premier League would show him that there is a clear pathway to regular football at Elland Road, which could prevent him from being tempted by the prospect of a move to Germany.

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Aaronson made the move from attacking midfield to right wing this season in the Premier League, which is why it is his career at the club could be under threat by Alker’s emergence in the first-team, as the youngster could make a similar transition, unlike Gray, who is a natural number nine.

If the English attacking midfielder can make the step up and show that he belongs at first-team level, he could develop into the upgrade that Leeds need on the wing, negating any need for Aaronson at Elland Road.

India are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI, but West Indies might be tempted to bring in the left-arm pace of Jediah Blades

Sidharth Monga09-Oct-20253:13

Gill outlines the challenges of being an all-format player

Big picture: Series sweep on India’s mindThe late Khushwant Singh, one of the more illustrious lovers and residents of Delhi, called October in the city the “pleasantest” of all the months in the northern hemisphere. Like with most things Khushwant, the statement sparks lively debate, especially with lovers of spring in late February and March.This is all relative now: with rampant urbanisation and climate change, it is now more about which months are less unpleasant and less harmful to your health. The BCCI has just about winged the most harmful time for elite athletes to undertake high-performance activity – not before being called out for it – and the early snowfall in the hills has cooled the temperatures to the usual October levels to tease those given to wistfulness for the Delhi of old.Related

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Those given to wistfulness also yearn for the West Indies of the old. Not the one that lasted just 89.2 overs in the first Test. More importantly, not the one that looked unthreatening with the ball in an effort of 5 for 448. Not the side whose coach Daren Sammy has to hope a player will “accept” the opportunity when he calls to inform them they have been selected for West Indies.There is not a lot West Indies can hope to change between the two Tests. Ahmedabad, with an early-season greenness on the pitch, was their best chance, but they were without the Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar. In Delhi, the onus will be more on the slower bowlers.It doesn’t help that India are somewhere close to their best after the blip against New Zealand last year. With the exception of Rishabh Pant, whose fractured foot hasn’t fully healed yet, they are at full strength. They are keen on making this a clean sweep, which will take their WTC points percentage to 61.9, still in third place.Form guideIndia WWDLW
West Indies LLLLW1:33

Chopra: ‘West Indies batters need belief on better batting pitch’

In the spotlight: Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jomel WarricanTest cricket is not where you prepare players for the future, but like Hardik Pandya almost a decade ago, India want to give Nitish Kumar Reddy a proper workload in slightly lesser challenges so that he can be the seam-bowling allrounder India need not just in away Tests but also the ODI World Cup in South Africa in 2027. Ryan ten Doeschate, their assistant coach, said just that two days before this Test. In Ahmedabad, he got to bowl only four overs and didn’t get to bat at all. It remains to be seen if India go out of their way to involve him more in this Test.Jomel Warrican is the vice-captain of the side, their most experienced specialist spinner, and joint-most experienced bowler. But he averages 54.25 in four Tests against India, two each at home and away. He will want to do way better in Delhi than the 29-5-102-1 he returned in Ahmedabad.0:49

Chopra: ‘Sai Sudharsan needs runs or the pressure will mount’

Team news: Could Devdutt Padikkal get a game?India have no reason to change their XI. However, is B Sai Sudharsan feeling any heat, and is Devdutt Padikkal breathing down his neck?India (possible): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajIt doesn’t make a lot of sense to change the batting on such a short trip. The one change West Indies might consider is bringing in Jediah Blades to give themselves a left-arm seam option.West Indies (possible): 1 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 2 John Campbell, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Brandon King, 5 Shai Hope (wk), 6 Roston Chase (capt), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Khary Pierre, 10 Johann Layne/Jediah Blades, 11 Jayden SealesPitch and conditionsDelhi is likely to be a typical Indian track, good for batting on the first two-and-a-bit days before bringing the spinners into the game. The drop in temperatures should make it difficult for the pitch to break up suddenly. The week in the lead-up to the Test has brought some rain, but the Test is not likely to be affected.3:31

Sammy: ‘Our problems are rooted deep into our system’

Stats and trivia India haven’t lost a Test in Delhi since November 1987, which, incidentally, was to West Indies. Since then, they have won 12 and drawn 12. Ravindra Jadeja is ten short of 4000 Test runs. Only Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori before him have achieved the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets.Quotes”We think it would be unfair on the guy [Reddy] if we only play him overseas. Because that doesn’t give him that many opportunities. In the next year and a half, we aren’t playing that many matches outside of India, so to be able to back a guy who can bowl 10-15 overs in a day and can bat as well – we sat his ability and potential in Australia – so we want to give him as much game time in India to help him.”
India captain Shubman Gill doesn’t feel Reddy is an option only for overseas Tests“If we complain about not having the best facilities, not having enough manpower like the other teams, not having the best technology, all these things which the other teams are superior to us [in], then why the hell are they still outworking us? The only way we could match up [and] compete at a consistent level is if we as the coaches and the players are prepared to outwork the opposition, and we’re not doing that.”

Hansi Flick was seen being comforted by Raphinha as the Barcelona boss looked close to tears after a 3-1 victory over Alaves on Saturday night. The German manager was overwhelmed by emotions at the end of the match, and the Brazilian offered his support to the German coach. The results puts the Catalan giants on top of the table in Spain ahead of Real Madrid's fixture against Girona.

A shaky start, but a fierce response from Barcelona

Barcelona were stunned inside 60 seconds when Pablo Ibanez punished slack defending to fire Alaves into the lead. The early blow rattled Flick’s side, but gradually they found their rhythm. Raphinha, making his return to the starting lineup, became the spark they desperately needed. It was his work in the build-up that created the equaliser, slipping a clever pass into space for Lamine Yamal. While Robert Lewandowski failed to convert the chance, the rebound fell kindly for Yamal, who buried his effort to bring Barcelona level. After the equaliser, Barca were fully in control. Dani Olmo completed a superb brace, capitalising on Raphinha’s assist for his second goal, and the hosts saw out the match with a professional performance. 

A video circulating on social media showed Raphinha sitting beside Flick on the bench, speaking to the German coach, who appeared visibly emotional. Flick shook his head repeatedly, as if overwhelmed by the occasion. He later revealed what the Brazilian had said to him: "After the end of the match, Raphinha was telling me the same thing I said last time: We will improve. We will be much better in the upcoming matches."

AdvertisementWatch the clip

Flick praises Raphinha on comeback

Despite lasting only 60 minutes due to fitness management, Raphinha produced one of his sharpest performances of the campaign.

"Raphinha always brings dynamism to our game," Flick told reporters. "He's very important because he has great intensity, and when he starts pressing, he makes everyone else press too. He needs to improve in the upcoming matches, but it's fantastic that he's back. I'm very happy to have them (Raphinha & Pedri) back. It wasn't easy managing their playing time. Rapha could only play 60 minutes, Pedri, 30…I'm happy with the three points, but not with some situations: we lost possession too often. We managed the game well."

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(C)Getty ImagesRaphinha: Honest, demanding, and determined

Raphinha acknowledged feeling far from his peak fitness but insisted that the minutes were crucial as he works his way back. 

He said: "I'm trying to find my best form. I'm not fit to play 90 minutes, but when I'm on the pitch, I try to give my all. I felt the fatigue in the second half. I'm working very hard to get back to my best. I try to give my best when I'm on the field. Being able to start in the eleven makes me happy. I want to help the team and I'm leaving satisfied."

He also admitted that his vocal leadership on the pitch can sometimes feel excessive to teammates. He added: "I feel like I'm being a bit of a nuisance, sometimes too much. But I think pressing is important. I'm sure that on the pitch, my teammates sometimes think I talk too much. But I'm going to demand more from those who can give much more. I take responsibility, and in the locker room, we all hugged each other to celebrate the victory. I always say that the best defence starts with a good attack. It's the most important thing we can do to help the defence. I try to press to make their job easier. I try to press to take up space from the other team's centre-backs and thus recover the ball more easily. It's good when the team follows me when I press, but I do it without thinking. I just run to win the ball back."

Raphinha agreed that Barcelona are far from their peak, acknowledging there is much to tighten tactically and technically.

"The manager felt we could do more on the pitch; we know it too," he said. "That's his feeling. That the team isn't at its best, I agree, and we have to improve a lot. But the important thing was to win. I'm sure we'll come back and win games by playing well. But if there are games we win playing badly, I don't care, the important thing is to win."

Barcelona now shift their focus to Tuesday night’s blockbuster encounter against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.

A Manchester City star who Pep Guardiola recently called “incredible” now wants to leave in the January transfer window, and a Premier League club have emerged as potential suitors.

Man City could be rocked by multiple departures this winter

The January transfer window is now less than a month away, but Guardiola has insisted it is “too early” to start thinking about potential additions to the squad, with a busy month ahead, as his side look to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

With the north Londoners being held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, following City’s 3-2 victory against Leeds United on Saturday, there is now a five-point gap, and the games are coming thick and fast, with Guardiola’s side set to play seven games this month, including a trip to Fulham tonight.

In truth, there are signs that some additions could be needed this winter, given that the Blues arguably aren’t the side they once were, having only managed to scrape past Leeds, after suffering back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Man City could also be rocked by a couple of departures, according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states James Trafford wants out just five months after moving to the Etihad Stadium, while fellow goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also open to a move.

Trafford was originally told he would be joining as the new first-choice goalkeeper, but the former Burnley man has found game time hard to come by recently, with Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as the preferred option between the sticks.

The 23-year-old’s chances of going to the World Cup with England are under threat, with Thomas Tuchel only willing to take players receiving regular minutes, which means a January move would make sense, and Newcastle United are expected to make an approach.

"Incredible" Trafford needs to be playing consistently

Guardiola recently made it clear he is a big fan of the Englishman, saying: “With Trafford, I see the training sessions and for a long time I haven’t seen a goalkeeper as good as James. We have two incredible keepers.”

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The Citizens are looking for an edge in the Premier League title race and could now strike to land their man.

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Having equalled the record for clean sheets in a single season in English football during 2024-25, it is little wonder the £50k-a-week shot-stopper is eager to be playing consistently, particularly considering his chances of going to the World Cup are in jeopardy.

Guardiola’s side are in safe hands, with Donnarumma making a solid start to life at City, keeping six clean sheets in all competitions, while also ranking highly across some key metrics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Goals against

0.89 (95th percentile)

Save %

50% (87th percentile)

Clean sheet percentage

35% (80th percentile)

Letting Trafford leave could be risky, given that the goalkeeper could be a quality back-up option for Donnarumma if the Italian were to get injured, but the Englishman is simply too good to play second fiddle, and City shouldn’t stand in his way this January.

Stop me if you've heard this before.

A New York Yankees fan interfered with an outfielder in foul territory along the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium, preventing the player from securing the out. Such an incident, involving Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, infamously occurred during Game 4 of the Dodgers' World Series triumph over the Yankees in October of 2024.

Well, it happened again on Tuesday night.

Except this time, a Yankees fan was interfering with one of their own in two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge. With the Yankees leading 1-0 in the top of the sixth inning with two outs and the count 1-and-1, Yankees starter Carlos Rodon's changeup was lofted to right field by Cleveland Guardians center fielder Angel Martinez. Judge tracked the ball to foul territory in right and leapt into the stands to attempt to catch the foul pop, but was bumped by a fan. The Yankees captain then bobbled the ball.

New York immediately challenged the call and the umpires replay reviewed the play. The crew later ruled fan interference, awarding the Yankees the final out of the inning. Judge, to his credit, handled the situation about as well as anyone could, given the circumstances. He showed little emotion, picked the ball up and flipped it to the crowd before jogging back to his position in right field.

It's hard to see the play and not think back to the notorious sequence involving Betts. In the bottom of the first inning of the Yankees' eventual 11-4 win over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series, Betts was attempting to make a play on a foul ball by Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres when two fans interfered with him. One grabbed Betts's right hand while the other held his glove and pried the ball out. Torres was ultimately called out due to fan interference.

The fans were ejected and later banned indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices and facilities.