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O Corinthians se despediu oficialmente do Paulistão no domingo (10), após empate com o Água Santa, última partida do time no torneio. O Timão já estava eliminado antes mesmo da bola rolar.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Corinthians

Com isso, a equipe treinada por António Oliveira terá longo tempo livre nas próximas semanas, pois não irá disputar o mata-mata do Estadual. Apenas na quinta-feira (14), enfrenta o São Bernardo pela Copa do Brasil, em jogo único eliminatório.

Para ocupar a lacuna de calendário, a diretoria do Corinthians planeja realizar uma “intertemporada”, com partidas amistosas e de exposição para torcedores que não moram em São Paulo.

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Dentro dos planos estão dois jogos fora da capital paulista, para prestigiar corintianos que moram em outras regiões do país. Também são cogitados amistosos fora do Brasil, contra times da MLS (EUA) e Arábia Saudita.

Tudo dependerá do aceite de António Oliveira e sua comissão técnica. A intenção é disponibilizar maior entrosamento, tempo de jogo e familiaridade do elenco com as ideias do treinador português. Caso fique tudo combinado, as definições devem acontecer durante a Data Fifa, de 18 a 26 de março.

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CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has had a brilliant start to his return to Parkhead with two wins in his first two matches in the dugout.

He masterminded a 4-0 win over Falkirk in his first game back, despite the Hoops having lost their last two matches in the Scottish Premiership prior to that outing.

The experienced manager then led his team to the final of the League Cup with a 3-1 win over Rangers, after extra time, at Hampden Park on Sunday.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not O’Neill will still be in the dugout when that final rolls around, as the Hoops are still looking for their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers.

The former Celtic manager tendered his resignation at the start of last week, after a 3-1 loss to Hearts, but the club do not seem particularly close to making an appointment at this moment in time.

As part of their process to find their next manager, the Scottish giants should be looking for someone who has a better record of competing in Europe.

Why Celtic need an upgrade on Brendan Rodgers in Europe

There is no doubt that Rodgers was excellent for the Hoops on the whole when it came to competing domestically, as he won four trophies in his two full seasons back at Parkhead.

The former Liverpool and Leicester City head coach won the Premiership title in both of those campaigns, although he did leave the club eight points adrift of Hearts last week.

However, Rodgers struggled in Europe throughout both of his spells in charge of Celtic, in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

The Hoops reached the play-off round, just before the last 16, in the Champions League last season, only to lose to Bayern Munich, after the change in format to a league phase.

That is the furthest that any of Rodgers’ Celtic teams managed to go in any European competition across six seasons at the club, though, as they never reached as much as a quarter-final.

Brendan Rodgers’ European record at Celtic
Season	Champions League	Europa League
25/26	Intermediate stage	Group stage
24/25	Group stage	N/A
23/24	Group stage	N/A
18/19	N/A	Intermediate stage
17/18	Group stage	Intermediate stage
16/17	Group stage	N/A
Via Transfermarkt

The Northern Irish manager has won six and lost 18 of his 36 matches in the Champions League as a manager, which includes one win in six games at Liverpool, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that Rodgers has struggled in European competitions throughout his career, which is why he may not have been the right man to push Celtic forward in the Champions League or the Europa League.

It is also why the Hoops board should be looking for a head coach who has the potential to help the club to kick on in Europe, in order to compete for trophies on the continent as well as in Scotland.

Plenty of managers have already been linked with replacing Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead, but there is one in particular who could be a key upgrade on Rodgers.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It was recently reported that the Scottish giants have approached Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen as they look to establish a shortlist of options for the role.

The report claimed that the Hoops will look to use the lure of big wages to tempt him to make the move from the Belgian club, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will be a successful approach.

Why Celtic should appoint Nicky Hayen

Celtic should push to bring Hayen to Parkhead to be the long-term replacement for Rodgers because his success at Club Brugge, domestically and in Europe, has been very impressive.

The Belgian boss, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, won the Pro League as an interim manager at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before finishing second to USG by three points last term, per Transfermarkt.

Hayen won the Belgian Cup last season, though, and the Belgian Super Cup at the start of the current campaign, which means that he has won three trophies in roughly 18 months as the interim and permanent manager.

The Celtic target’s biggest selling point as a manager, however, should be his side’s impressive performance in Europe, as he reached the last 16 of the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, which is further than Rodgers after took the club.

Nicky Hayen’s European record
Stats	Conference League	Champions League
Matches	4	15
Wins	2	6
Draws	1	2
Losses	1	7
Points per game	1.75	1.33
Best finish	Semi-finals	Last 16
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Hayen also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League in the 2023/24 campaign, winning in the quarter-finals before losing the semi to Fiorentina.

The Club Brugge boss, who was hailed as a “workaholic” by his former chairman Rob Edwards, has won as many Champions League games in 15 matches and 18 months as their manager as Rodgers has in his entire career, with 36 games under his belt.

This suggests that he would arrive at Parkhead as an upgrade on the Northern Irish head coach when it comes to competing on the European stage with the Hoops, as he has achieved more in less than two seasons than Rodgers managed in over four seasons with the Bhoys.

Hayen, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has shown that he can compete domestically, with trophies in Belgium with Brugge, as well as on the European stage.

That is why the 4-2-3-1 manager could be a perfect fit for Celtic as an upgrade on Rodgers to help them kick on in Europe this season and in the future.

Not just Osmand: O'Neill has another future superstar for Celtic's next boss

Celtic have another future superstar who is as exciting as Callum Osmand in their academy.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 3, 2025

On top of his success in the Conference League and Champions League, Hayen has also won all four of his Champions League qualifiers, which is noteworthy after Celtic lost to Kairat in the play-off round this season.

After sacking Will Still, Southampton have now reportedly set their sights on hiring Stoke City manager Mark Robins, who scores well in their data-driven recruitment model.

The Saints have had a nightmare 18 months. Following relegation from the Premier League, which very nearly saw them break Derby County’s record-low points total, they turned to Still in an attempt to bounce straight back. Things didn’t quite go as planned, however, and the former Reims boss has now been relieved of his duties.

Releasing a statement after sacking Still, who won just two Championship games, technical director Johannes Spors said: “Will is a great person who gave everything to try and improve performances and results.

“Ultimately that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. By making a change now we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table.”

Sitting as low as 21st in the Championship, the Saints can’t afford to get their next appointment wrong. Already, names like Russell Martin have been mentioned in a return that is likely to spark mixed reactions.

The former Saints boss was sacked by Rangers earlier this season following a dire spell in charge, but could yet get the chance to restore his damaged reputation at St Mary’s.

Frank Lampard has also been mentioned as a potential candidate following the work that he’s done at Coventry City. Alas, the Sky Blues currently sit top of the Championship and luring Lampard away at such a promising stage of his project would be no easy task.

Instead, another manager that Coventry fans know all too well could yet arrive to steer the Saints in the right direction.

Southampton now eyeing Mark Robins

According to talkSPORT, Southampton have also set their sights on Mark Robins. The Stoke City boss has scored well on their data-driven recruitment model as they look to hire the perfect next manager. Whether they can lure him away from Stoke is another question, however.

Having taken Coventry to the play-off final in the past, Robins has more than proved his ability to compete at the top of the second tier. And that has only continued at Stoke, who sit as high as third in the league after playing 13 games.

The fact that the 55-year-old turned Coventry into a side capable of reaching Wembley across a long-term project should make him a standout candidate for Southampton, who need a transformation themselves.

Unsurprisingly, Robins earned plenty of praise during his time at his former club. Former Coventry player Garry Thompson told reporters when the club sacked the veteran manager: “He got on with his job nice and quietly, he did a fantastic job.

“I’d be very surprised if he’s out of a job for another three or four months because he did such a good job at Coventry, a lot of clubs when they are looking for a manager will look towards Mark Robins.”

Southampton set sights on Russell Martin return

“We are just two years out of being in that group [the lower tier] for 100 years,” warns Lloyd

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2025

The fast bowlers have been the only bright spark in Test cricket for West Indies•AFP/Getty Images

If the ICC does decide that a two-tier system is best for the World Test Championship (WTC), West Indies could well be one of the teams outside the top tier – they were eighth out of nine teams in each of the three editions so far and have lost each of their three Tests in the ongoing cycle, to Australia. It’s a possibility the stakeholders in West Indies cricket are wary of – Clive Lloyd is worried about “being in that group for a hundred years” – and they are hoping to have a say in it, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive Chris Dehring put it.”All of that we have a role to play [in], we have a seat at the table at the ICC,” Dehring said at a press conference after the CWI’s emergency meeting in Trinidad on Sunday and Monday, organised in the aftermath of their 27 all out at Sabina Park against Australia. “We have to just stay abreast as close as possible to all the changes that could happen, position ourselves, hedging our bets so to speak, to make sure we are in there as West Indies cricket no matter which way the wind blows and try to take advantage of it.”The ICC last month formed a working group, led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, to look into, among other things, improving the WTC ahead of the 2025-2027 cycle. A two-tier system was among the most significant topics discussed at the ICC annual conference in July. Twose, New Zealand Cricket’s (NZC) representative on the ICC Board, is expected to make recommendations to the board.Related

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A two-tier WTC has been debated for more than 15 years, with the ICC showing its willingness to consider the idea as far back as 2009, though Full Members have been split on the issue for various reasons.Lloyd, one of the former cricketers – along with Brian Lara, Viv Richards and others – who were invited to be part of the meeting, pointed his finger at the share of the ICC pie that the member boards are given, saying that West Indies, as the top team in the 1970s and 1980s, and a force even in the 1990s, deserved consideration despite their falling standards.”We have to look at what’s happening at the ICC with the shareout of the money. India, Australia and England get 180 million and West Indies will get 80 million like Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and we are just two years out of being in that group for 100 years,” Lloyd said. “To me, it’s not right. We have to stand up. We have to go to the ICC and ask for special dispensation. Because when we were in the ascendancy, and we were playing so well, everyone wanted to play with us.”We were playing Australia very often, with England very often, and when we went to Pakistan or India, getting millions of people [to the grounds]. We need to get a better share of the pie, because we were the cash cows for a long time. And we need to get some of that. I am hoping the board follows up on that recommendation where we can be adequately given the money that is needed.”Daren Sammy’s stint as West Indies’ Test coach began with a crushing 3-0 defeat•Getty Images

Is Daren Sammy’s honeymoon period over?Daren Sammy, the former allrounder and captain of the West Indies teams that won the World Cup in 2012 and 2016, took over as the all-format West Indies coach in April this year. All three of their Tests since then have been lost. Australia were the opponents, in the Caribbean, and were favourites, but 3-0 was a bit too one-sided, and the 27 all out in the last innings of the series was humiliating.Was it the wrong call to increase Sammy’s responsibilities?Miles Bascombe, the CWI director of cricket, pointed to the handicaps Sammy had been working with, but didn’t confirm or deny anything about the future.”We still need additional support for him. We still have to have camps. Many times, he would not be available himself, because he would be on tour. We still need to bring in other support staff, which would come at a cost. There was no financial consideration in terms of merging the roles,” Bascombe said. “The underlying reason [for choosing Sammy] was that we felt Daren had been able to articulate a clear plan, and we saw him do that in the white-ball formats, both T20 and ODI. And we pretty much wanted the same sort of approach. We saw some success once we had gotten that done. And we wanted to see that approach in Test cricket.”He is still only one series into his tenure as all-format coach, and while the 27 might be the highlight, or lowlight, of that series, we have to admit that we saw substantial improvement in terms of our bowling unit. We saw even Brandon King, who is one of those players who some persons might have pigeonholed as a white-ball player, was able to show that he was up for the challenge for Test cricket. Some light there.”As Daren goes on, and as we start to put some of the strategic initiatives in place, we expect that performances will be better.”

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is believed to be privately unimpressed with summer signing Xavi Simons.

Simons’ arrival for £52 million in the summer window brought serious excitement with it, especially after James Maddison was ruled out for the majority of 2025/2026 with an ACL injury he sustained in pre-season.

With Dejan Kulusevski also still on the recovery trail from a knee problem, which forced him to miss Tottenham’s Europa League triumph, Simons was viewed as the answer to Frank’s shortage of creative options in the final third.

However, it has been a slow start for the Dutchman.

Thus far, Simons’ only goal contribution has come from a dead-ball situation, with the 22-year-old setting up Pape Sarr to head home from a corner away to West Ham in September.

This was during Simons’ Premier League debut for his new side, but since that glorious moment at the London Stadium, the ex-PSG sensation has largely struggled to make an impact.

His north London numbers are in stark contrast to his final campaign at Leipzig. Simons bagged 17 goal contributions in just 25 top flight outings, all while averaging a solid two shots on goal per 90 minutes.

Xavi Simons for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga last season

Stats

Appearances

25

Minutes played

2,157

Goals

10

Assists

7

Bookings

5

Shots at goal per 90 minutes

2

Passing accuracy

82.9%

Average match rating

7.32

via WhoScored

Frank has repeatedly stood up for Simons when asked about his dwindling form by the media, with the Spurs head coach even making a comparison to Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz.

There have even been suggestions that Simons isn’t actually a playmaker at all, and Frank apparently needs to realise this sooner rather than later.

Perhaps the forward’s best position is out wide.

Simons played seven of his last 2025 Bundesliga matches for Leipzig on the left — a position which Frank has also utilised him.

The former La Masia gem was used as a winger against West Ham, Wolves, Everton and Villarreal in the Champions League, but again, he struggled to contribute in the final third.

How Thomas Frank really feels about Xavi Simons at Tottenham

In any case, he needs to start delivering sooner rather than later, with Dutch analyst Johan Derksen criticising the attacker on Vandaag Inside this week.

Derksen believes that Simons is “failing” at Tottenham and Frank is “unhappy” with his summer signing, going on to state that he lacks the speed and strength to succeed in England.

There is still plenty of time for the Netherlands international to adapt, and you can make a serious case that all the comments aimed his way are pretty harsh considering he only arrived a couple of months ago.

There is a settling in period for some foreign players, but the same cannot be said for Dominic Solanke.

According to other reports, Frank has seen enough of the experienced Premier League striker, despite Solanke playing just 49 minutes in total since the Dane arrived.

Thomas Frank makes Dominic Solanke decision with January exit possibility revealed Related Frank now unimpressed by £140k-p/w Tottenham star, may replace him in January

The Spurs boss doesn’t fancy one of his players, who Ange Postecoglou described as “fantastic.”

Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 27, 2025

Hampshire 172 (Leach 7-69) and 35 for 1 (Middleton 8*, Vaughan 1-18) f/o trail Somerset 454 for 8 dec. (Aldridge 180, Abell 118, Overton 50*) by 247 runs A spin bowling masterclass from Somerset’s Jack Leach plunged relegation-threatened Hampshire into deeper trouble on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.After the hosts had increased their first innings total from an overnight 381 for 7 to 454 for 8 declared, the left-arm spinner, overlooked in recent times by England, claimed 7 for 69 from 24.3 overs to help bowl out Hampshire for 172 and make them follow on.Kasey Aldridge was last man out in the Somerset innings for 180, having begun the day on 149, while Craig Overton finished unbeaten on 50.Hampshire made a better fist of things in their second innings, reaching 35 for 1 before rain and bad light ended play 15.1 overs early, but still face a backs-to-the-wall fight tomorrow to avoid what might prove a hugely damaging defeat.The first ball of the day, bowled by Keith Barker, saw Aldridge nudge the single needed to take him to a maiden 150, having faced 207 balls and hit 16 fours and five sixes. He and Overton were positive from the outset.Aldridge cut a boundary off James Fuller to take Somerset’s score past 400 and followed up with an upper cut six off the same bowler. Overton cleared the ropes off Abbott and Washington Sundar as the pair took their entertaining partnership to the century mark from 90 deliveries.The next target was to take the score to 450, which they achieved in the 103rd over to secure maximum batting points. Overton went to fifty off 42 balls and the only remaining question was the timing of the declaration.It came when Aldridge was run out by Nick Gubbins’ direct hit at the bowler’s end attempting a quick single to mid-off. The tall all-rounder, bound for Durham next season, had batted for more than four and a half hours, facing 233 balls and extending his boundary count to 20 fours and six sixes.Hampshire’s reply had reached 13 after five overs when Leach was introduced from the River End. His first over saw Ali Orr bowled between bat and pad by a delivery that turned considerably from outside the left-hander’s off stump.Soon it was 27 for 2 as Gubbins reverse swept Leach straight into the hands of Archie Vaughan at short third and three runs later Fletcha Middleton had his off stump clipped by Leach from a delivery that pitched on middle.Toby Albert launched two defiant sixes off Vaughan in moving to 29 before driving at a wide ball from the off-spinner and offering a straightforward return catch. Lunch was taken with Hampshire 61 for 4.Vaughan struck again after he and Leach had swapped ends in the afternoon session, bowling Ben Brown, on 21, as he attempted to cut.The accurate Leach was bowling some rippers and one accounted for Sundar. Having battled his way to 23, the India Test player pushed forward defensively to a ball that spun back through the gate and bowled him to make the score 102 for 6.Fuller tried to counter-attack and had made 24 off 17 balls when becoming Leach’s fifth victim, lbw sweeping. Barker was bowled for 19 attempting to reverse sweep Leach and Felix Organ top-edged a pull off a Vaughan long-hop to be caught at midwicket before Abbott lofted a catch to wide long-on to end the innings and give Leach season’s best figures.Tea was taken before Somerset enforced the follow-on. The tireless Leach, who played the last of his 39 Tests for England almost a year ago, took the new ball in tandem with Vaughan, while Tom Abell was off the field having suffered a jolting blow on the helmet when fielding at short-leg.Orr and Middleton took the score to 35 in the 22nd over when Orr fell for 27, struck on the back pad by a ball from Vaughan. Before the game could restart, the rain which had been forecast for much of the day finally arrived, much to Hampshire’s relief.

“The final is the biggest stage, that’s the game that matters,” Chinelle Henry says ahead of the WCPL final, where her team, Barbados Royals, will be looking for their third title

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2025The Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) is in its fourth season, with the final lined up on Wednesday morning in Providence, and we will have the familiar sight of Barbados Royals in the middle, gunning for their third successive title. It’s a competition with just three teams, but Royals have been the dominant power, making all four finals, so “there was a lot riding on it,” when the WCPL began and Royals had to cope with the loss of regular captain Hayley Matthews. A shoulder injury left her on the sidelines and Chinelle Henry in the hot seat.”When she [Matthews] called me and asked me to be captain [because] she wasn’t going to be available, it was quite like, ‘yeah, just give me a moment to think about that’,” Henry said before taking on Guyana Amazon Warriors, the only team not to have won the title. Trinbago Knight Riders were the inaugural champions in 2022.”But I guess when [Matthews] asked, she was like, ‘you probably could be that person, because you have been around the team all the seasons before, as a senior player in the squad’, [despite] all the overseas players that we’ve had and even the captain in her own right in Chamari Athapaththu, who’s been brilliant helping me in the field in terms of decision-making and stuff like that.”Hayley is a big character, both on and off the field, and she has done a lot for us as a franchise. I think the girls have really stepped up. We’re in our fourth final, so that’s really something to talk about.”So far, the way we have been in the group games, there’s still a few areas to tighten up, but I think we are ready to compete in that final.”

“We go into Wednesday’s game with everything that we have and the girls are ready to fight. We’ve been in the finals and we know what it feels like to win finals, and we want to make it another one for us, so we go into the final with no complacency”Chinelle Henry

Royals have made the final winning all their four games this year, including the two against their opponents in the final, giving them a clear upper hand in the title fight.”Over the years, we have had a majority of the same girls playing on the team, so when it comes to culture, we already know what that’s like in terms of the players that we already have and the overseas players that we try to get into the squad,” Henry said. “Once they come in and get a feel of what the girls are about, everybody just fits right in and that’s what’s been the core thing for us this season.”Yes, Hayley’s not here, but how we play, how we come together as a group… she was here a few days ago, she had a few words for us, she will talk to me to say what she thinks, give a bit of advice, but it’s never anything to question my ability to lead the team. And that’s where she is really that person that trusts and believes in players and believes that players can step up when they need to. And, having done that, leading the Royals this season, it was just stepping into that spotlight and still playing my game.”The big star for Royals has been Athapaththu, who is 15 runs clear at the top of the run-scorers’ list with 169 runs in four innings, to go with seven wickets (second only to Amazon Warriors’ Laura Harris who has eight). Henry and Qiana Joseph have done their bit with the bat, but it has, at times, been a one-woman show.Chinelle Henry has played her part with the bat in Royals’ winning streak•CPL T20/Getty Images”We have a lot of big characters in this group, and she is very passionate, and she loves what she does,” Henry said of Athapaththu. “To be the opener for this team and constantly coming up with runs for us and in the middle, when we are bowling, you can call on her and be like, we need to break a partnership or something, which happens, you know.”She is that person, you know, whenever you call on her, she puts up her hand and is ready to perform and is ready to do her all for the team. With somebody like her, a lot of us, a lot of the younger ones that we have, we really look to her in terms of advice, how she plays, how she thinks when she goes out, and she keeps it simple.”Going by the form Royals have shown in the earlier games this season, they are runaway favourites for the final.”The final is the biggest stage, that’s the game that matters. If we go into that game with a calm and clear mind, things that we have to do as a team and, I have said in a previous interview, we still haven’t got all the areas that we want to tick, all three boxes, the final will be the game to do that,” Henry said. “We know that and we have that in the back of our minds, and we go into Wednesday’s game with everything that we have and the girls are ready to fight. We’ve been in the finals and we know what it feels like to win finals, and we want to make it another one for us, so we go into the final with no complacency, we’re just going out there to fight and bring that trophy back home.”

Chelsea have been given a boost in their search for a world-class striker next year, as one of Europe’s finest marksmen could choose a switch to Stamford Bridge over Barcelona and PSG.

After their damning 2-1 loss at home to newly-promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side have returned to winning ways after three victories in their last four games across all competitions.

In truth, the criticism of Chelsea can be overblown sometimes, considering that defeat to the Black Cats was their first and only loss in nine matches — a run which includes impressive victories over Liverpool, Tottenham and José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League.

The Blues are now third in the Premier League table and six points behind league leaders Arsenal, but pundits like Jamie Carragher are adamant that Chelsea could use something different to their pretty similar options throughout the team.

Reports suggest that BlueCo partly agree with Carragher’s statement, as they’re making transfer plans ahead of next year despite spending close to £300 million in the summer.

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

After his latest injury blow and being hauled off just six minutes into Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag last week, midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to be sidelined for at least one month with a quadriceps problem, and Chelsea were already looking at new midfield targets before the Belgian’s return to rehab.

It is unclear whether Chelsea could look to strike a midfield deal in January, or whether it’s one for next summer instead, but it is reportedly more clear that Maresca wants a new centre-back to come in at the very least as BlueCo prioritise a defender.

Other media sources indicate that Chelsea may well bring in another striker next year as well, despite Joao Pedro’s excellent form and the return of Liam Delap.

Julian Alvarez reportedly refuses to rule out joining Chelsea ahead of Barca and PSG

Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, journalist Graeme Bailey has said that £211,000-per-week forward Julian Alvarez is one to keep an eye on.

The former Man City sensation has dazzled under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid this term, netting nine times in his last 15 outings, and he finished his debut 24/25 season at the La Liga side with nearly 30 goals in all competitions.

This incredible form is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest hitters, including PSG and Barca, but Bailey has suggested that Alvarez is refusing to rule out a Chelsea move.

Maresca could have his pick of new centre-forwards with the pacey Emmanuel Emegha poised to arrive from sister club Strasbourg in 2026.

Alvarez would be the cherry on top, but according to some reports in Argentina, those within Barca are convinced that Atletico could demand as much as £176 million to let the 25-year-old leave – so Chelsea may even have to break the Premier League transfer record.

Sri Lanka are on the brink of elimination in the Asia Cup after sliding to their second successive defeat

Madushka Balasuriya23-Sep-20251:39

What went wrong for Sri Lanka’s batters?

An unbroken stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan’s blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi.Having been set a target of 134, on a ground where the average winning total batting first was 183, Pakistan collapsed from 43 for 0 in five overs to 57 for 4 in the ninth over. Not long after it was 80 for 5 in the 12th over, but Talat and Nawaz got the job done for Pakistan without any further scares.Related

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• Asalanka: Sri Lanka have to 'get combinations right'

Talat finished on 32* off 30, while Nawaz struck 38* off 24, while for Sri Lanka the wickets were spread between Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera.Talat had earlier made his initial impact with the ball, in a double-wicket over, removing both Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka. It had followed a powerplay that saw Shaheen Shah Afridi pick up two wickets in the powerplay – he would end with three in total – as Sri Lanka lost their top three for the addition of 53 in the first six overs.From that point on Pakistan strangled Sri Lanka’s innings, as they only mustered 63 runs across the final ten overs. Kamindu Mendis’ 50 off 44 was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable innings.The result means that Sri Lanka have lost two games, and are now dependent on Bangladesh beating India to keep their hopes of making the final alive.1:26

Aaron: Pakistan using three pacers up top made the difference

Afridi’s early impact

Pakistan got the best of the bowling conditions when the won the toss and elected to bowl, but it still needed to be utilised. Both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf found big movement early on, but that did not deter the Sri Lankan batters.Kusal Mendis clipped one in the air to short midwicket first ball, but Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera both found the boundary. Afridi then accounted for Nissanka as well, with the opener edging behind an attempted heave down the ground – one he had executed efficiently just a ball prior.Kusal Perera fell in the final over of the powerplay, miscuing one off Haris Rauf to mid-on. Sri Lanka had 53 runs in the powerplay, but Pakistan kept chipping away.2:09

Chopra: Talat holding one end up was important

Talat sets up the middle-overs squeeze

Despite the loss of three wickets, Sri Lanka were still looking to attack – presumably reading that conditions were more than adequate for batting. However the two dismissals as a result of this approach, perhaps bordering on reckless at points, greatly reduced Sri Lanka’s ability to post a competitive total.The first was from Asalanka, who was batting well during his 19-ball 20, but ended up top-edging a short-arm pull to deep square leg. A ball later Dasun Shanaka nicked behind. Both those wickets came in Talat’s first over, and he went onto finish with 2 for 18 in his three overs.Sri Lanka’s scoring slowed to a trickle after that point, as they scored just 34 runs between overs six and 16. During this period Abrar Ahmed trotted through four overs, giving away just eight runs while picking up the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Talat and Nawaz finish it off

Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman seemingly broke the chase with a 45-run opening stand, but when Theekshana picked up both batters in the final over of the powerplay – the latter courtesy an outstanding one-handed grab at mid-off by Hasaranga – Sri Lanka felt they had a sniff.Two Hasaranga overs later though and Pakistan had lost two more, and suddenly Sri Lanka were well and truly in it.A 23-run stand between Talat and Mohammad Haris briefly brought back some control of proceedings for Pakistan, but when Chameera burst one through Haris to peg back the middle stump, Pakistan still needed 54 more with half their side back in the dugout.Thankfully for them, Talat and Nawaz navigated the chase shrewdly, taking minimal risks to take the game deep. It was only in the death overs that they opened up, with Nawaz looking to take on Hasaranga and then finally Chameera. A trio of sixes off the latter brought the game to a rapid close.

Swansea City have now held talks with Vitor Matos as a replacement for Alan Sheehan, with Kim Hellberg now being targeted by a different Championship club.

Hellberg travelled to London to hold talks with Swansea last week, but there has been a twist, with the 37-year-old now of interest to Middlesbrough, following Rob Edwards’ departure to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

As such, the Jacks may need to move on to alternative options to replace Sheehan, who was dismissed from his post last week, with his side making a poor start to the campaign, currently sitting in 18th place after taking just 17 points from their opening 15 Championship games.

Michael Carrick has been named as a potential target, with the Welsh club’s hierarchy said to be big fans of the former Boro boss, but a different, more left-field option is also of interest…

Swansea hold talks with Vitor Matos now 'leading contender'

As reported by the BBC, Swansea have held talks with several managers since parting ways with Sheehan, including Maritimo manager Matos, courtesy of the job he has done in the Portuguese second tier. TalkSPORT add that the young coach is now the ‘new leading contender’.

At just 37-years-old, the Maritimo boss is relatively inexperienced, having only started his current role back in June, but he does have experience working under Jurgen Klopp, working as an elite development coach at Liverpool from 2019 – 2024.

During that time, the former Liverpool coach received high praise from ex-Reds assistant Pepijn Lijnders, who is now at Man City: “He is a talented coach, a very intelligent coach.

“Having one really intelligent, talented coach for young players, he can inspire eight or nine of them – it’s really important to have the right people in front of them – he connects, he influences the boys on the pitch and trains with them.”

Much like Klopp, the Portuguese manager favours a forward-thinking style of play, with an attacking 4-3-3 formation his preferred system, and he has made a solid start to life at Maritimo since arriving in the summer.

Vitor Matos’ Liga Portugal 2 record

Games

11

Wins

6

Draws

2

Losses

3

Points per game

1.82

That said, it would be a risk to appoint Matos, given his lack of experience, with the aforementioned BBC report also making it clear that Russell Martin is open to a return to Swansea, after leaving Rangers earlier this season.

Despite becoming the shortest-serving manager in the Gers’ history, Martin could be a solid appointment for the Swans, given his experience in the Championship, most impressively guiding Southampton to promotion with a play-off final victory against Leeds United in the 2023-24 campaign.

Russell Martin open to replacing Alan Sheehan as Swansea City boss Related Manager who called Swansea City fans "fantastic" open to replacing Sheehan

He’s out of work currently.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Nov 13, 2025